MTLNOVEL Chapter 154: Dollhouse: Part Two
New main mission unlocked!
Stupid Birds!
Description: Repel Lord Sky Crane
Reward: 4% permanent increase to your aptitude.
New main mission unlocked!
Defender of the Clan
Description: Stop first gen Gu Yue
Reward: The system will gift the host a will created for the host that can last for several years. In addition, this will will have a single bead of Grape Green Immortal Essence associated with it (cannot be used by the host directly as this is considered 'foreign' Immortal Essence)
The Blood River Python, nearly as long and thick as a subway train, glared at Fang Yuan but did not strike as Fang Yuan finally landed, folded his wings, and bowed while announcing himself, "Lord Ancestor, my name is Gu Yue Fang Yuan and I am the new clan head of the Gu Yue Clan."
There was no response initially, so Fang Yuan continued. "Please forgive this unfilial descendant for disturbing you during your cultivation. However, there is a problem with which your strength is needed, oh great ancestor!"
A lid of the coffin twitched slightly. "Rank 4 Peak Stage... and here I thought the bloodline had completely thinned out. It is good to know that you all are not completely worthless." A macabre face peered out to look at Fang Yuan. "Rank 4 Peak Stage at your age, truly fortunate. Perhaps you might also be able to reach Rank 5." His voice suddenly turned far more irate, with murderous undertones. "I am not some dog to be summoned whenever you need me. What is it? Has the Ancient Yin Desolate Moon physique finally shown itself?"
Fang Yuan shook his head. "No, Lord Ancestor."
First gen Gu Yue snarled. "Then why, oh why, are you here bothering me?"
"We need Lord Ancestor's help with a predicament," Fang Yuan said.
Now first gen Gu Yue was within arm's reach of his own body, and the Blood River Python slithered closer, as if ready to pounce on Fang Yuan if he gave the wrong answer and it turned out that he was just wasting first gen Gu Yue's time.
Without a doubt, Fang Yuan was skating on thin ice here, a fact he had known ever since he began concocting this plan.
"There's a Gu Master in the sky who came here riding upon a flock of cranes."
First gen Gu Yue paused in his advance as these words began to register in his mind. The thoughts of zombies were slower than living people, but that didn't make them complete morons. "Cranes, you say?"
"Yes. This person calls himself Lord Sky Crane and said he came from the Central Continent. He brought with him an army of ten thousand cranes, among which are several Myriad Beast Kings. He has started slaughtering the villagers, and he has a Rank 5 aura, which we cannot match. I beseech you to help us."
"So, he's finally appeared," First gen Gu Yue said. "To think I managed to hide from him for a thousand years without incident up until now... what gave it away, I wonder? What kind of clue allowed him to find me?"
"Does Lord Ancestor know about this person?" Fang Yuan asked, feigning innocence.
"You could consider him an old enemy of mine," First gen Gu Yue said. "All right, junior, let's go deal with this threat." He motioned for the Blood River Python to follow them as a stream of blood erupted from beneath them. Several bats flew around them- Bladewing Blood Bat Gu Worms.
'What other kinds of Blood Path gu worms does he have?' Fang Yuan wondered. He knew about the Blood Skull Gu from his last encounter, and all such Blood Path gu worms would have been extremely helpful in the construction of his own Blood Path Gu house.
Speaking of which, Fang Yuan had not carried it with him for the obvious reason that it would be incredibly odd for him to be carrying around something like that. There was no doubt that first gen Gu Yue would've recognized what it was even if no one else did.
Since it was a Gu house and not just Gu worms, he could not put it in his aperture without disassembling and then reassembling it, which would have wasted time. It was instead in a secure location outside, ready to be activated once Fang Yuan got that bead of Grape Green Immortal Essence.
Fang Yuan had been plotting on how to kill first gen Gu Yue for some time.
Based on the system's previous missions, it seemed to suggest that it would be easier to kill first gen Gu Yue and then Lord Sky Crane.
However, Fang Yuan could not rely on either of them.
First gen Gu Yue, despite being the clan's ancestor, would gladly wipe them all out if it suited his own goals. As for Lord Sky Crane, even if first gen Gu Yue was killed, he would not spare the rest of the villagers.
The only one Fang Yuan could rely upon, and by extension the only person the Gu Yue clansmen could rely upon, was Fang Yuan himself!
They burst through the ceiling of the cavern and then through to the center of the village, emerging through a fountain of blood that marked their entrance.
The screams of the villagers had not yet reached this place at this point, meaning Fang Yuan had likely arrived early. First gen Gu Yue's zombie body could fly on its own, and he already began soaring as he saw the cloud of cranes in the sky.
"So, Junior Brother, you've decided to come pay me a visit," he said. He turned his head towards Fang Yuan. "Junior, gather all the members of the Gu Yue Clan here. It'll be easier for me to protect them if they are in one spot."
'More like, easier for you to drain them of their blood,' Fang Yuan thought. Of course the wolf would prefer that all of the chickens in the chicken coop were in a single location so he wouldn't have to run around chasing them! But Fang Yuan did not express any such thoughts. "Lord Ancestor, I've brought these to help you during your fight." He took out a bag filled with over 5,000 primeval stones.
"Excellent, descendant, excellent," first gen Gu Yue said, descending while taking several of them and munching on them as he soared upward. Because he could not regenerate primeval essence, he was at a massive disadvantage when compared to the living Lord Sky Crane.
That said, Lord Sky Crane himself seemed to be fighting at some kind of a disadvantage. Fang Yuan did not know the details, but it looked like he had used some kind of life preservation method which had weakened him. Not only that, but he was also being suppressed by having come from the Central Continent to the Southern Border. Even if he had time to adapt; his gu worms which he brought from the Central Continent would not have been able to adapt at all and would have been an entire rank lower here.
Both first gen Gu Yue and Lord Sky Crane were old monsters which were once at the peak of Rank 5 Gu Master Cultivation, though several factors had caused them to decline. Despite this, they still stood head and shoulders above ordinary Rank 5 Gu Masters. Many Rank 5 Gu Masters did not have a single Rank 5 gu worm, and were also not necessarily at Rank 5 Peak Stage. But at Rank 5, much like at Rank 4, even the difference of a minor realm could make a huge impact on the outcome of a fight. Lastly, in terms of battle experience neither of them could be underestimated, allowing them to punch far above their weights despite their handicaps somewhat limited them.