Volume Two, Chapter Fifty-Two: What Kind of Wine Is This?

With this turn of events, Yu Mu felt a wave of relief. Originally, he had only intended to stir up some trouble for Ye Yun, but unexpectedly, he was now presented with a true opportunity to fight him head-on.

The three of them battled fiercely, the sky and earth seeming to tremble. For the first time, Yu Mu was engaged in such an exhilarating direct confrontation, and with his arch-nemesis no less. The more they fought, the more invigorated he became—his staff whirled and danced, a blur of movement.

The fight raged for over ten minutes, and soon, the disparity in spiritual power became evident. Yet, an even greater gap came from his own staff technique.

This most basic of Daoist techniques was far inferior to Ye Yun’s swordsmanship—so much so that, if not for the sheer strength of his clay automaton, Yu Mu would have already lost.

He silently vowed to find a way to master the true Proud Bone Celestial Staff. The current Mysterious Essence Staff Technique was simply too useless.

Sweat beaded on Yu Mu’s forehead, yet he remained unaware that Ye Yun grew increasingly alarmed as the fight wore on. Never before had he seen a mid-stage Core Condensation cultivator with such enduring spiritual energy. If this man were to reach his own level, would he still be a match for him?

Ye Yun’s resolve to strangle this threat in the cradle only grew stronger.

If this man was not eliminated, there would be endless trouble ahead!

Yu Mu knew he could not drag this out any longer. The clay automaton was on the verge of being shattered by Ye Yun’s relentless attacks, and his own spiritual strength was nearly depleted. Any further delay would be perilous.

It was time to use his trump card!

Seizing his chance, Yu Mu suddenly opened his mouth and expelled a cloud of powdery mist, which instantly filled the room.

Ye Yun burst out laughing. “Trying to play tricks with poison before the master of poisons? You’re just making a fool of yourself.”

Yu Mu said nothing, only pressing his attack.

“What is this…? Lust poison! Impossible! Why is my body, immune to all toxins, not resisting this one?”

Ye Yun’s eyes turned bloodshot, his breathing grew ragged, and he began to lose his senses, teetering on the edge of madness.

Suddenly, Ye Yun bit through his own tongue and spat out a mouthful of blood. His eyes cleared at once. Without regard for Yu Mu’s assault, he lunged for the flute.

This move caught Yu Mu completely off guard. There was no time to intercept with his Meteor Chasing the Moon technique. Ye Yun, taking a blow from Yu Mu’s staff, snatched the flute into his hand.

Yu Mu’s strike was anything but gentle; it tore Ye Yun’s flesh, making him spit blood. But Ye Yun’s desperate gamble was clearly premeditated.

Without pausing in mid-air, he touched the ground lightly with his long blade, spun his body a full one hundred and eighty degrees, and in a flash, shot to the doorway.

Yu Mu stared, dumbstruck by Ye Yun’s dazzling maneuver. Seeing Ye Yun about to escape with the prize, Yu Mu panicked and lunged forward, instantly closing the distance, wrapping his arms around Ye Yun’s thigh, and rolling so that he pinned him beneath his weight.

“This move again?!” Ye Yun was furious. To fall for this trick twice was bitter indeed.

This awkward technique was none other than the panda’s innate skill—“Hold Tight to the Thigh.”

As he held Ye Yun down, Yu Mu gripped the flute’s tassel with one hand, while pressing his staff against Ye Yun’s descending blade with the other.

They struggled in a stalemate. Meanwhile, the clay automaton lumbered forward to join the assault. Pinned beneath Yu Mu, Ye Yun had no means to defend himself from attacks on two fronts. Moreover, Yu Mu’s bear form was far stronger than Ye Yun.

Just as Yu Mu was about to seize the flute, Ye Yun’s sword suddenly shrank into a short blade, slicing through the flute’s tassel. Seizing the moment as Yu Mu dodged, Ye Yun rolled away, breaking free, and with the flute in hand, dashed through the door.

The move caught Yu Mu so off guard that he had no time to give chase.

So the sword could change length at will? No wonder it was a spirit weapon!

Suddenly, the clay automaton, deprived of its target, turned on Yu Mu. With no time to escape, Yu Mu had no choice but to stand and fight.

It hadn’t seemed so daunting when it was fighting Ye Yun, but as soon as Yu Mu engaged, he realized just how terrifying this automaton was.

His staff left only faint white marks on its body. The automaton seemed to realize Yu Mu’s weapon could do little harm, so it abandoned defense and attacked with full force.

Yu Mu could barely withstand the onslaught, and the automaton, having learned from before, now blocked the doorway relentlessly.

He never expected the automaton to be so difficult to deal with. After a few more exchanges, his spiritual power was nearly drained, and he was about to collapse. Suddenly, a figure appeared behind the automaton, wielding a massive axe that split the automaton in two strokes, shattering it to pieces.

“Brother Meng!” Yu Mu’s legs gave out, and he collapsed.

“Brother Gada, what’s wrong?” The newcomer was none other than Meng Fang, whom Yu Mu had searched for in vain. Seeing Yu Mu’s condition, Meng Fang hurried to help him up.

“It’s nothing. It’s just so good to see you again, brother. I’m only exhausted, a little rest and I’ll be fine.”

“Brother Gada, have you forgotten where we are? Anyone could arrive at any moment. Didn’t Uncle give you a jar of wine? Take it out and replenish your spiritual power.”

Meng Fang’s words were like a sudden revelation. Yu Mu hurriedly produced the wine from his storage, broke the seal, and guzzled the entire jar in one go.

“How are you feeling, brother? Any better?”

“So hot! What kind of wine is this? It’s burning me up.” Yu Mu seemed in agony, clawing at his chest with both massive bear paws.

Meng Fang was startled by this sudden turn. Yu Mu’s entire body radiated heat like a blazing furnace, and thick smoke streamed from his seven orifices.

“Ah—it’s killing me! What’s happening? Move aside!” With that, he shoved Meng Fang away with a single paw.

“You—?!”

Meng Fang was stunned. Yu Mu had always treated him with the utmost respect, as one would an elder brother, and had never shown such rudeness.

Could it be he thought Uncle had harmed him? But how could Uncle wish him harm? Yet Uncle had insisted that only Yu Mu could drink this wine—why? Why was this happening? Could it really be…

Lost in anxious speculation, Meng Fang suddenly noticed Yu Mu’s eyes were strange. Following his gaze, he saw a powerful wraith crawling out of the automaton’s shattered remains.

This wraith was extraordinarily strong, nearly corporeal—Meng Fang could sense its presence clearly.

So that’s it! Meng Fang breathed a sigh of relief, as though a great weight had been lifted from his heart. He was about to pick up Yu Mu and flee.

Suddenly, Yu Mu threw his head back and howled. With a roar, he breathed out a torrent of flame. Everything the fire touched turned to ashes, and even the wraith was utterly incinerated.

“Ahh, that feels so much better!” Yu Mu stroked his chest, looking utterly relieved.

As for Meng Fang, his face was now blackened by the flames, leaving only his two wide, white eyes staring at Yu Mu. “Brother, what on earth just happened? And how did you suddenly breathe fire?”

Yu Mu exhaled a puff of smoke and shook his head. “I have no idea. I just felt unbearably hot, as if my whole body were ablaze, and it was as if something inside me was triggered by the wine. I couldn’t help myself.”

“Triggered?” Meng Fang exclaimed, “Did you awaken the Path of the Fire Spirit?”