novelraw Chapter 263-2: Juvenile Nurarihyon Evolves, Retainer of the Ogiwara Clan (2)
Chapter 263-2: Juvenile Nurarihyon Evolves, Retainer of the Ogiwara Clan (2)
The level increase from 30 to 50 was minor in itself, what mattered most was it had learned three Epic+-grade yokai arts.
One was a support damage amplification skill, one was a life-saving skill, and the last was a transformation burst skill.
Though there were only three skills, they covered everything essential.
In normal situations, Nurarihyon could serve as a support shikigami to boost damage, and when lacking in damage output, it could transform into the Celestial Demon sea monster form to become a boss-level attacker.
The only issue was that a level 50 shikigami was still too low…
Gritting his teeth, Lin Xun spent a huge sum to max out Nurarihyon’s level, directly boosting it to level 65.
Once the upgrades were done, he recalled Nurarihyon and was about to leave the Golden Hall, when the game text continued to display.
[You stride forward, about to step out the doors of the Golden Hall, but behind you comes the reluctant voices of the small yokai…]
[You turn to look at their battered, bloodied forms and cannot help feeling a twinge of pity…]
[Do you wish to save them now?]“It’s still not the right time.”
Lin Xun turned away and returned to the top of the Five-Story Treasure Pagoda.
He tapped the Resting Page to teleport back to the library.
In the Book of Trade, he made several purchases, equipping Nurarihyon and the Snow Woman each with a weapon.
[Frostcrystal Staff (Epic-grade Weapon): A long staff formed from deep blue ice crystal, with a fist-sized ice-element magic gem embedded at the tip. Using this weapon will greatly enhance the effectiveness of frost-type spells.]
[Telekinesis Amplification Ladle (Epic-grade Weapon): A gigantic ladle as tall as a person, still faintly carrying traces of some unknown creature’s extraordinary psychic power. Using this weapon will greatly boost telekinesis/mental power spells.]
Possibly because their applications were rather specialized, both weapons were quite inexpensive.
Lin Xun spent 250,000 Spirit Essence to purchase them both.
Fortunately, having offloaded huge quantities of shrine vestments and ritual implements looted from the No-Illusions Shrine, he’d managed to recoup some of his funds and still had over 700,000 Spirit Essence on hand.
As for defensive equipment, Lin Xun hadn’t been willing to splurge.
Both of these shikigami possessed their own life-saving skills, and neither was the tank-type summon urgently in need of armor.
And the only tank-type summon, the Three-Headed Lion, couldn’t wear equipment at all, not because Lin Xun was stingy, but simply because the Three-Headed Lion literally couldn’t put any on.
Money had to be spent where it mattered. These days, even landlords had no surplus grain in their granaries…
Having finished enhancing the two shikigami, Lin Xun returned to the chapter.
The Iridescent Scale of the Mirage Dragon still had two training attempts remaining, each lasting six hours. Two sessions of idle cultivation would carry him through to the next morning.
[…]
[The multicolored scale steamed with hazy mirage vapor, and within the mist seemed countless scenes of yokai training with desperate focus.]
[A sense of insight welled up in you. You sat cross-legged and began meditative cultivation…]
[Cultivating…]
—
By the time Lin Xun woke up the next morning, the Dragon Embryo cultivation had ended.
The Calamitous Fallen Dragon Embryo attribute had increased from 20 stacks to 24 stacks.
But before he could check the boost in detail, he saw the infernal game throwing out more nonsense.
[…]
[From your place at the top of the tower, you suddenly hear the footsteps of many people coming from the lower levels.]
[Though it is already dawn, Dharma-Aspect Temple is not yet open to the public, making this commotion rather unusual.]
[Do you wish to go investigate?]
Lin Xun frowned and pressed ‘Yes.’
[You possess the Shell of the Fire-Worshipping Heartless Ninja Master!]
[You open your dim eyes, turn lightly, and conceal your presence…]
[You vault down from the rooftop to the fourth-floor parapet. There you see more than ten fully armed samurai hastening up the tower, as though searching for something.]
[A samurai strides straight toward you…]
[Do you want to kill them all?]
Lin Xun was startled. A thought flashed across his mind, and he hurriedly pressed ‘No.’
[Maintaining your invisibility, you sidestep to avoid the samurai.]
[He strides forward, raises his blade, and hacks apart the barrier blocking the floor, calling several others to join him as they head up to search the rooftop.]
[You silently slipped past the searching samurai, descending all the way to the ground floor. As you stepped out the tower’s main gate, you saw that the Golden Hall in the distance had already been surrounded by a large contingent of troops in tight formation.]
[Those encircling it were all towering samurai clad in armor with longswords at their waists.]
[From the direction of the Golden Hall came waves of shrill, miserable screams…]
[You remained hidden, slowly approaching the encirclement.]
[The samurai had sealed off the Golden Hall completely, leaving not a single gap.]
[Your small stature prevented you from seeing what was happening inside the hall; all you could hear was the agonized wailing of the little yokai.]
[Lightly pressing your toes to the ground, you vaulted over the perimeter into the circle…]
[There you saw the Golden Hall’s main doors wide open. Dozens of samurai were standing inside, each of them holding a whip, lashing the yokai in the cages.]
[The yokai gritted their teeth, and even though their screams rose again and again and their bodies were flayed raw, they did not utter a single word.]
[A richly dressed figure who looked like an official glared coldly, shouting, “Still not talking? Keep whipping them! Whip them to death if you must!”]
[“To think you dared to shelter Nurarihyon’s escape. Even if all you wretched demonic remnants are beaten to death, it won’t make up for the loss of the Nurarihyon fleeing!”]
[You have discovered Fire-Worshipping Retainer of the Ogiwara Clan!]
[The Ogiwara Clan Retainer barked orders as a samurai dragged over another warrior covered in bloody welts.]
[You immediately recognized this warrior, it was one of the samurai guarding the Dharma-Aspect Temple’s gates. You had secretly bribed him several times to gain entrance at night.]
[This samurai had already been tortured to the brink of death, barely alive and breathing.]
[The Fire-Worshipping Ogiwara Clan Retainer proclaimed loudly that the gate guard had neglected his duty and allowed the Nurarihyon to escape, and must be executed.]
[As soon as he finished speaking, he drew the fine longsword at his waist and, with a single slash, severed the samurai’s head.]
[By now, the rest of the samurai had completed their search and returned to the Golden Hall to report.]
[They announced that they had searched every corner inside and outside the Dharma-Aspect Temple, but found no sign of Nurarihyon.]
[They concluded that Nurarihyon must have already fled…]
[The Ogiwara Clan Retainer burned with rage and roared, “Seal the city! That Nurarihyon is a shikigami yokai personally designated by the clan head, how could it simply vanish?!”]
[“Seal the city at once! If these demonic remnants won’t reveal the truth, execute them all!”]
[With those words, the Ogiwara Clan Retainer swept his sleeves and departed under heavy escort, preparing to leave the Dharma-Aspect Temple…]
[Apostle, what will you do?]