The Monster is Coming

Chapter 460 A New Journey Begins
The sudden announcement across all channels sparked heated discussions among players.

It's obvious without even guessing.

Another lucky player has landed a chance to get rich quick.

The regional channels immediately erupted in discussion.

"I'm so jealous! It's another exclusive special soul. Why can't I have one of these special opportunities? Is it wrong to be handsome? Also, let's take advantage of the excitement and have a couple."

"How many special souls is this? Why choose such a name? It's not imposing at all. Do you think you're unique and funny... Give me one too!"

"So, what kind of special spirit cost 250 million? The person involved should quickly post on the forum to talk about it; their curiosity is overflowing."

"The Soul effect deducts 250 million sacrificial power each time it is used, and the sacrificial power can be deducted into a negative number. If it is not cleared within ten days, the sacrificial power of a random player will be deducted to make up for it (funny.jpg)."

……

Just as players were discussing the new special Soul.

Within the realm of dreams.

"You have already comprehended the Guardian Sword Force?" Cang Xuan's shadow stared at the pale golden giant sword in Tu Hu's hand that was solidified and did not dissipate, as if it had already developed its own consciousness, and his voice carried a trace of undisguised fluctuation.

This illusion trembled slightly due to the shadow's emotional fluctuations.

Tu Hu waved his hand, dispersing the light sword, and respectfully addressed Cang Xuan's shadow:

"I was fortunate enough to enter this field, and I am very grateful to my senior for the opportunity."

The shadow remained silent for a long time, finally letting out a long sigh:
"I never imagined you could grasp the true essence of this path in such a short time." He changed the subject, his expression becoming calm:
"Now that you have mastered the protective sword technique, you can continue to hone it here until you have completely mastered it."

"Senior." Tu Hu raised his head, his gaze fixed intently on the shadow:

"I bear the expectations of my companions and have unfinished business outside. I cannot remain in seclusion here for long. Before I leave, I would like to ask if I may take these two sword auras of slaughter and destruction with me?"

The illusion suddenly fell silent.

The shadow stared at Tu Hu, its gaze seemingly trying to pierce through his soul:
"You can't bite off more than you can chew. You've only just begun to understand the essence of the sword technique, and haven't even entered the inner sanctum yet. How dare you covet two completely different paths?"

"Slaughter requires extreme hatred, destruction requires burning away all hope... Each of these two sword techniques is far more dangerous than protection, and requires a corresponding state of mind to control. Are you sure you need it?"

Tu Hu met the shadow's gaze without flinching.

As a player, I'm never afraid of opportunities.

After years of arduous training here, he simply couldn't withstand it anymore.

It would be better to take the opportunity out with you and slowly comprehend it once you have the power to perform the ritual.

But he naturally couldn't explain the shadow that way.

Therefore, he decisively used the lines he had prepared in advance:

"Senior, I understand the risks involved, but the enemies of the future will not give me time to grow slowly. The Sword of Protection is for protecting myself and my clan, but to cut through the thorns on the road ahead and clear away the obstacles to the development of my clan, I need more extreme power."

"When it is necessary to stop killing with killing, I am willing to wield the sword of slaughter."

"When destruction is necessary to rebuild, I dare to wield the sword of destruction."

"Please grant my request, senior!"

Tu Hu bowed deeply.

The shadow remained silent for a long time.

These words are remarkably similar to the original essence of the Lonely One heading towards the land of the Eclipse Clan.

The shadow stared at the deeply bowing Tu Hu, as if seeing the distant past through him.

Although it is a shadow, it possesses some of Cangxuan's memories.

Back then, Cang Xuan also wanted to stop killing with killing, and chose to wield the sword of slaughter.

To sever the root of calamity, the sword of destruction was created.

It turned out to be the case.

At that moment, the shadow suddenly understood.

His ability to grasp the true meaning of protection in such a short time is clearly not just due to his exceptional talent, but also because he had already planted a similar determination in his heart as Cang Xuan.

The future enemy and obstacle to his race that he spoke of must be the "Erosion Clan" he was facing.

These are the thorns he must cut through.

This sense of urgency behind the eagerness to acquire power, and the willingness to take risks to choose the most extreme path... are exactly the same as the original choice back then.

The aura rippled around the shadow gradually subsided, and then it looked at Tu Hu and nodded, saying:
"Since you understand the price involved, you may take these two sword strikes with you."

After speaking, Shadow raised his hand and waved it lightly. The two sword shadows, one blood-red and one dark, transformed into solid streams of light and disappeared into Tu Hu's brow.

As for Tu Hu's future, will he wield his sword and follow Cang Xuan's old path, maintaining his true self amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood?

Whether they continue to wallow in endless slaughter, giving birth to a new demonic force, it doesn't matter.

The sword intent inheritance that Cangxuan desired was essentially sowing a seed.

It makes no difference whether this seed blossoms into a flower of evil or a flower of good.

The important thing is: the seed is still growing.

Just like the Dream Weavers of yesteryear, who absorbed the techniques of other civilizations to strengthen themselves.

The essence of civilization is not about good or evil, but about continuity.

This is also the heavy responsibility it bears as a shadow, a responsibility of inheritance.

At this moment, as two streams of blood-red and dark light reflected between his brows, a series of challenger prompts echoed in Tu Hu's mind:
[Challenger's Warning: Special Rule Inheritance Detected: Killing Sword Aura (Unpurified)]

[Challenger's Warning: Special Rule Inheritance Detected: Destructive Sword Aura (Unpurified)]

Along with the notification, two different colored, misty items appeared in the compartments of the space bag.

He didn't rush to check, but looked up at the shadow and solemnly thanked it:
"Thank you, senior."

"The path has been given to you. Whether you can master it, integrate the three elements, and forge your own path depends on your destiny."

After speaking, the shadow seemed to have thought of something and asked again:
"Within the Dreamweaver Crystal, which embodies the wisdom of our people, countless pieces of knowledge are recorded... Would you be willing to inherit them all, so that the civilization of the Dreamweaver Clan can continue in your hands?"

Upon hearing this, Tu Hu was taken aback, a strange expression appearing on his face, before he decisively shook his head:

"Senior, this... let's forget about it."

The aura surrounding the shadow noticeably fluctuated, clearly surprised by the answer:
"Why? The wisdom it contains far exceeds your imagination..."

Tu Hu scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed, but still told the truth honestly:
"Senior, to be honest, we have plenty of the knowledge you mentioned that we have. The library is full of various schools of science and technology, theories, and even many lost skills. As long as you are willing to spend the time, you can look at them at will... As for the skills of the Dream Weaver Civilization, uh... to be honest, please don't be angry, I would rather not have them than take up space."

shadow:……

The wisdom that was once regarded as a treasure of civilization and worth preserving at all costs has become a space-consuming burden in the eyes of this young man. Shadow is clearly a little unable to accept this.

After a long while, the shadow slowly said:

"Since that's the case... then so be it."

Tu Hu realized that his words might have been a bit too direct, and quickly added:
"The gift from the senior is an immense opportunity. I am deeply grateful and will make good use of these three sword techniques to forge a new path and let the seeds of inheritance flourish in my hands."

The shadow remained silent for a moment, then raised its hand again, merging the information stones in the illusion.

Finally, the information fusion crystal, carrying the wisdom of the Dream Weaver civilization, slowly floated towards Tu Hu.

"Since you think it's useless, I won't force you. If you have the chance in the future... could you take it with you to my home world?"

Tu Hu was slightly taken aback, and then caught the warm, smooth crystal.

"That homeland, due to violent mining, must have long since withered and returned to the wilderness. But the cycle of heaven and earth continues, and perhaps millions of years later, new life will sprout from that scorched earth."

The shadow gazed into the void, its gaze seemingly piercing through endless time and space, landing once again on the border town of Wucheng in its memory.

"Leave this crystal to our homeland. Even if it can only help a blade of grass or an insect, so that they can avoid some detours... it can be considered as the last bit of our devotion as the remnants of the old era for that land."

"If you don't wish to make a special trip, that's fine too." The shadow spoke calmly, with a sense of relief.
"Let it be thrown into some corner of this world, deep in the mountains, at the bottom of a great river... Whether it is buried in the dust or picked up by new creatures, it all depends on its fate."

Tu Hu held the crystal in his hand and nodded solemnly:
"Senior, I've got it."

Upon hearing this, Shadow smiled calmly, said no more, and gradually faded away.

The continuation of the story of the Dream-Weaving Civilization is entrusted to the unknowable future.

As the shadow disappeared, a spatial rift suddenly appeared in front of Tu Hu, and a powerful suction force pulled him out of the inheritance illusion in an instant.

The scene before him shifted, and he returned to the dilapidated and desolate Dream Weaver's Palace.

The air was filled with dust and the scent of time, just as it had been when he left, except that his teammates who had come with him were all gone.

His gaze immediately swept towards the front of the main hall, where Cang Xuan's remains had been laid to rest.

Tu Hu: ...

"And what about me, such a senior figure?!"

The place where the immortal remains once sat is now empty.

Not to mention the remains, even the guardian greatsword that had lost its original sword aura had disappeared.

There was only a thin layer of dust on the ground.

A sense of foreboding washed over him. He decisively opened the team chat channel, his voice trembling slightly:
"Brothers, it's an emergency! What happened to the remains in the Dream Weaver's Palace? Did you take them with you?"

There was a moment of silence on the channel.

Then, the assassin "Drifting with the Wind" slowly replied:

“Brother Ying, it wasn’t you who suggested sacrificing to Brother Di Zhao. Since we couldn’t wait for you, we thought we’d take some things with us, so we packed up the remains and the sword and took them with us.”

Tu Hu immediately felt his blood pressure spike:
"Then what?!"

"What else could it be? We originally planned to deal with it after you came out, but you refused to come out, saying there was a chance inside. Later you said you encountered a heaven-reaching opportunity and needed the brothers to raise money for you... If you want to raise money, you have to convert valuable things into sacrificial power first, so we put the remains and the greatsword up for sale at the trading house."

Tu Hu's vision went black, and he felt like vomiting blood.
"It's...listed on the trading platform?!"

The mage in the group added:
"Yeah, Brother Hard, you know what, that skeleton is in really good condition. It's weathered and immortal, definitely a high-end item. It's just that nobody bought it when it was listed. Maybe they all think it's bad luck. But the sword shell is pretty good. The analysis shows that it's been tainted with the aura of sword intent. Although it has lost its original source, it still sold for 3 points of sacrificial power when it was listed on the auction house. I'll transfer all of it to you afterward."

Tu Hu: ...

He opened his mouth, but ultimately couldn't say anything.

Having inherited the three sword techniques of his predecessor, he then turned around and sold the old man's remains and belongings to the trading house.

That's absolutely outrageous.

Tu Hu felt a mix of emotions. The only thing he was thankful for was that the remains of Old Master Cang Xuan had not yet been bought by the auction house.

He immediately shouted into the channel:
"Take it down! Quickly take down the remains of our predecessor and then trade them to me!"

"Huh? What do you need that skeleton for, Brother Hard? I was thinking of hanging it up for a couple more days, and if no one bought it, I'd give it to Brother Di Zhao to be recycled... Could it be a special item to unlock the next stage of the quest?!"

"Stop talking nonsense and hurry up!"

After a series of actions, through the player system's remote trading function, an item marked "[Cangxuan Remains]" entered Tu Hu's spatial inventory.

He took it out immediately.

I carefully helped him up, straightened his posture, and brushed away the dust with my hands, trying my best to restore his dignified sitting posture. Then I solemnly placed him back in the original seated position.

However, the sword that had been with Cang Xuan his entire life is probably gone forever.

Once bought by the trading house, it's like a stone sinking into the sea.

Even who bought it is unknown.

Posting questions on the forum is useless; with so many new posts every day, his posts as an unknown nobody can't make a fuss at all.

After a sigh, Tu Hu took two steps back and looked at Cang Xuan's cross-legged posture.

Cang Xuan, a peerless swordsman who once wrote the final elegy for a civilization with only his sword.

Now its color is dull, and sitting on the ground it looks like a withered tree.

However, he received the swordsmanship inheritance from the other party, although it was done through a cheat code involving a player and guidance, the result was real.

"Having received your teachings, I can be considered half your disciple..." Tu Hu murmured to himself.

He straightened his clothes, faced Cang Xuan's remains, and bowed respectfully.
"Senior, it's fate that brought us together. Thank you."

After getting up, he didn't linger and strode away.

……

Pass through the deep passage and return to the surface of the Phantom Wasteland.

The outside world was dark, and a thin mist permeated the ruins.

But Tu Hu did not intend to return to the city directly.

Generate a golden guardian greatsword and try to swing it.

Parry, then draw your sword.

After several swings of his sword, a challenger's prompt echoed in his mind:
[Challenger's Hint: Comprehended Guardian Sword Stance +0.1, Current Special Soul Level: 73 (1/98572), Maximum Unlockable Level: 528, Further upgrades to Special Soul Level require self-comprehension.]

To Tu Hu, the sound was pleasant and melodious.

This means that he can spend one less unit of sacrificial energy each time he swings his sword.

What he was wielding wasn't a sword, it was all sacrificial power.

He continued forward, sword in hand, heading towards the teleportation point in the Illusionary Wasteland.

The journey is long, and this trip will probably take more than half a month.

But they hadn't gone far from the entrance of the main hall when they heard rustling sounds coming from a section of broken wall ahead.

Three hyena-like creatures, their bodies wreathed in eerie purple energy, leaped out of the shadows. Their crimson eyes instantly locked onto Tu Hu, and saliva dripped from their fangs, corroding the ground.

They had clearly sensed the presence of life and come looking for it.

In the past, Tu Hu would have been fully prepared, physically confronting the enemy, and then having his teammates coordinate the attacks.

But at this moment, after glancing at the analyzed information, he felt completely calm.

"Perfect, I'll use you guys to test my sword."

He gripped the greatsword tightly and assumed a defensive stance.

Three vicious dogs suddenly pounced.

Tu Hu held his sword horizontally in front of him, adopting the simplest of blocking stances.

There were no unusual phenomena visible to the naked eye.

But just as he took his blocking stance, the three charging Corruption Hounds seemed to have crashed into an absolutely invisible wall.

boom! boom! boom!
Dull crashing sounds sounded one after another.

The hound's forward momentum came to an abrupt halt, a look of confusion appearing on its ferocious face. Its sharp claws futilely scratched at the air in front of the tiger, but the dark energy capable of tearing through steel and the corrosive mental shriek were wiped out and vanished before they could even get close.

The next second, Tu Hu's eyes narrowed, and he switched from defense to offense with his greatsword, thrusting it forward.

The movements were still unremarkable, without any sword energy or dazzling light.

But just as he locked his sword intent onto the three vicious dogs...

puff!puff!puff!
The three Corruption Hounds shuddered violently, as if pierced by an invisible blade.

The dark energy surrounding him instantly dissipated, and the crimson light in his eyes dimmed and went out like a blown-out candle.

Its massive body lost all strength and collapsed limply to the ground, its life force extinguished.

Throughout the entire process, Tu Hu did not move an inch and had no physical contact with the monster.

He lowered his hand and looked at the three monsters in front of him that had turned into mist. He was shocked, but also felt an indescribable excitement.

An invisible block, a sword that leaves no trace.

It is simple and unpretentious, yet ridiculously powerful.

Although this is only the most basic application of the Guardian Sword Technique, and it is still far from the terrifying domain that covers 100,000 meters that Elder Cangxuan possessed, the potential and power it showed have already shown him infinite possibilities.

At this moment, notifications of hunting rewards and the "Sword Comprehension" rewards from combat rang in my mind.

[Challenger's Hint: Defeating the monster "Bloodhound" grants 328 Sacrificial Power.]

[Challenger's Hint: Defeat the monster "Bloodhound"...]

[Challenger's Hint: Comprehend Guardian Sword Stance +2...]

"Worth it! Those 250 million sacrificial power were totally worth it!"

He took a deep breath, suppressing his excitement, and turned his gaze to the depths of the wasteland, his eyes becoming sharp.

Judging from the feedback, actual combat can obviously accelerate the speed of understanding sword techniques.

This is also a shortcut to improvement. With the subsequent investment of sacrificial power, the fusion and unsealing of the three sword auras will be just around the corner.

He made up his mind to walk to the nearest teleportation point and hunt monsters along the way.

Familiarize yourself with the application of the defensive sword stance in actual combat to deepen your understanding.

Upon returning to Emperor's Tomb Village, he planned to contact the Gold Coin Merchant Guild to inquire about the construction plan for the space teleportation array.

Then they set off for the small world, the hometown of Elder Cangxuan, to leave the wisdom of the Dream Weaver Clan on that land.

He could have easily refused this request.

You can even just throw the "Dream Weaver Crystal" anywhere in this wasteland right now, or simply toss it to Brother Di Zhao.

After all, the "quests" in the game do not have any mandatory system constraints.

But the image of the shadow's final, relieved yet lingering gaze, the lonely figure of Cang Xuan passing away in the depths of the main hall, and the magnanimous choice of the Dream Weaver Civilization to entrust its seeds to the future in its final moments... these images deeply moved him.

"Although it's just a game, I, Tu Hu, have never broken my promises before," Tu Hu muttered to himself, a slight smile playing on his lips.

He is not one to make promises lightly, but once he accepts one, he will do his best to fulfill it.

This has nothing to do with the amount of the reward or the difficulty of the task; it only concerns his principles of conduct.

He inherited the mantle from his grandfather, and he acknowledged the cause and effect behind it.

Having made up his mind, he no longer hesitated, and started walking towards the teleportation point on the map.

(End of this chapter)