C15 Double Water Shadow

After recovering from his injuries, Laojiu resumed his work with the beast rings. His cautious approach proved reliable, as he managed to avoid any serious harm. He also seemed to be riding a wave of good fortune, not encountering any Fierce Creatures at the Life Union Stage.

Three days later, Laojiu lifted another seal, unleashing a creature resembling an oversized jellyfish. Standing roughly 20 feet tall, it sported two semi-transparent mushroom-like heads atop its body, which glowed with a faint blue hue. Inside, a fiery orb gave it an ethereal beauty.

Beneath the mushroom heads dangled numerous ethereal tentacles, nearly all of them transparent. The creature floated serenely in the air, exuding an aura of harmlessness.

"Kid, get ready," Laojiu warned. "This is a Twin Water Shadow Beast. Its Primordial Spirit Attack is far more potent than that of a regular Water Shadow Beast. Luckily, it hasn't reached the Mortal Exuviating Stage, or you'd have a tough time making an escape."

Patriarch Lieshan tensed up at Laojiu's briefing. This Fierce Creature was beyond what he had anticipated.

"Twin? Because of the two mushroom heads? It doesn't look like it's planning to attack me," Laojiu remarked cautiously, careful not to provoke the creature.

This beast was nothing like the Fierce Creatures he had encountered before.

"It's on the hunt for water. Keep it away from the pond to the south; once it's submerged, its Origin Energy will replenish rapidly, and it will become semi-invisible. Spotting it with the naked eye will be next to impossible."

"You're kidding. It can turn invisible?" Laojiu stared at the Water Shadow Beast, his surprise and skepticism evident. He mulled over the creature's seemingly excessive list of abilities.

"Invisibility is one of its natural talents. Should it advance to the Mortal Exuviating Stage, you wouldn't be able to see it at all. The only way to track it is with your Primordial Spirit. And in water, even an early Saint Becoming master would struggle to capture it."

Patriarch Lieshan's explanation left Laojiu feeling overwhelmed. If he couldn't even locate his adversary, it seemed he was destined for a beating.

"Beyond its Primordial Spirit Attack, it's also a carnivorous Fierce Creature with an exceptionally strong digestive system. Once swallowed, survival is nearly impossible for any creature of the same tier. However, you have an advantage: the Water Shadow Beast typically waits passively for its prey to come near. It seldom actively pursues a target unless it's extremely hungry."

Patriarch Lieshan's explanation clarified things for Laojiu. The creature lurked in the water, camouflaged, waiting to ambush its prey. While the prey was still stunned, it would launch a Primordial Spirit Attack and gulp it down.

The problem was that when the beast was weak, it could only survive in water. Once it grew stronger, it could even temporarily live in the air and possessed the ability to float, making it unpredictable and hard to defend against.

Their mental exchange was swift. Just as Laojiu was eager to learn more, the Water Shadow Beast floating in the air suddenly darted toward the small pond at the south end of the Martial Training Field. After years of being sealed, it was desperately in need of water.

"Where do you think you're going?!"

Laojiu bellowed, swiftly giving chase. Despite the Water Shadow Beast's unique traits, it was slower than Laojiu, particularly when floating, at least twenty percent slower.

Laojiu raced across the ground like lightning, reaching the beast's location in under five seconds. With a powerful leap, he soared over thirty feet into the air, his Dragon Trapping Staff descending with the combined force of his triple-stacked power.

Thump!

A muted sound echoed, as if striking cotton.

The Water Shadow Beast's mushroom-like head dented several feet but almost instantly sprang back to its original shape, as if Laojiu's immense force had no effect on it whatsoever.

Squeak squeak...

The attacked Water Shadow Beast emitted a bizarre, piercing cry. The shrill sound invaded Laojiu's mind immediately, as though it didn't require air to travel.

"Ah!"

Laojiu screamed in agony as a sharp pain pierced his brain, far more intense than any physical injury he had sustained in past battles with Fierce Creatures.

Struck by the attack, Laojiu's body became unresponsive, his skills rendered useless as he crashed to the ground like a stone.

Luckily, the young man was resilient. The fall, though from a considerable height, did not cause him any harm.

The Water Shadow Beast paid no mind to Laojiu on the ground, instead drifting back toward the pool. To the creature, Laojiu was now less significant than a mere drop of water.

"Kid, get up quickly!" Patriarch Lieshan urged Laojiu.

"So painful! Is this what a Primordial Spirit Attack feels like? It seems impossible to defend against."

With Patriarch Lieshan's prodding, Laojiu's clarity returned somewhat, but he still felt weak.

Primordial Spirit Attacks bypass physical defenses!

"Stop dawdling; that creature has already fled dozens of yards. Once it quenches its thirst, you're in for it. Remember, this is a Twin Water Shadow Beast; its Primordial Spirit Attack is far more potent than that of a regular Water Shadow Beast."

Despite the spinning in his head, Laojiu, gripping his Dragon Trapping Staff, forced himself to pursue once more. He knew all too well that the Fierce Creature was not as benign as it appeared—it was simply thirsty.

As he ran, Laojiu's sluggishness began to fade, and he regained control over his body, thanks to his formidable cultivation foundation.

Catching up to the beast took much longer this time. In just a few hundred feet more, the Water Shadow Beast would reach the pool.

Sensing Laojiu's approach, the Water Shadow Beast launched a preemptive Primordial Spirit Attack, more relentless and vicious than before, without giving Laojiu a chance to get close.

"The pain!" Laojiu yelled, trying to alleviate the torment in his mind. Simultaneously, he let go of the Dragon Trapping Staff, sending it hurtling through the air with a gust of wind.

It was the only action within his power.

Regrettably, such attacks were merely a nuisance to the Water Shadow Beast, inflicting no real damage whatsoever.

Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!

This time, the Water Shadow Beast had no intention of letting Laojiu off the hook. Its relentless Primordial Spirit Attacks came in wave after wave, unceasing like the tides on a shoreline.

The pain was no longer a mere prickling sensation but felt like a thunderous hammer relentlessly pounding inside his head!

The agony was so intense it was as if thunder and lightning were raging within, making him wish for death.

His entire head seemed on the verge of bursting. His body shook uncontrollably, having lost all semblance of normal function.

"Alas, if this continues, the poor boy will be done for. I suppose I must intervene and help you fend it off. It's just your bad luck to have encountered the Twin Water Shadow Beast," Patriarch Lieshan lamented. He shielded Laojiu's mind with his own Primordial Spirit, intercepting all the incoming Primordial Spirit Attacks.

Yet, for Patriarch Lieshan, warding off the Fierce Creature's Primordial Spirit Attacks was no small feat. He was considerably weakened and a shadow of his former self at his prime.

Once the connection was severed, Laojiu managed to find a bit of peace. His head still buzzed, and his body was devoid of strength. He felt an overwhelming thirst, as if he had been wandering an endless desert for eons. His mind was a barren wasteland, devoid of life.

His eyes were bloodshot, his pupils dilated, and the whites of his eyes had turned a grayish hue – all signs that he was on the brink of death.

"Kid, hold on! You've got this! Wake up..." Patriarch Lieshan shouted, fearing that Laojiu wouldn't last much longer and might succumb to brain death.

In that critical moment, Patriarch Lieshan had no bandwidth to deal with the Water Shadow Beast. The Fierce Creature abandoned Laojiu and submerged itself in the small pond to the south.

Thankfully, the pond was modest in size, about twenty feet across and less than five feet deep. The water, originating from a mountain spring as thick as a finger, filled the pond and then escaped through a fissure.

The Water Shadow Beast lounged in the pond, with the majority of its form visible above the waterline. The scant amount of water was hardly sufficient for it, though it was admittedly better than none at all.

As it soaked up the pond's spring water, the blue hue of its skin grew fainter. The vibrant red within seemed to retreat, leaving behind only a trace, akin to a pale red stick nestled in its belly.

Its tentacles stretched out to the spring's source, channeling the water directly onto itself, determined not to let a single drop go to waste. Laojiu, lying at a distance, was momentarily forgotten; for the beast, water was more vital than any sustenance.

Once it had recuperated, it regarded Laojiu as its first treat.

Eventually, Laojiu's shaking ceased, and his body stilled. From a distance, he might be mistaken for a lifeless form.

"Senior Brother, that creature's Primordial Spirit Attack was incredibly potent. I felt as though I'd died and come back," Laojiu murmured as he came to, his voice barely above a whisper. He owed his revival to Patriarch Lieshan's protective efforts and summons; without them, Laojiu would have been left to face his demise.

"Enduring your first Primordial Spirit Attack is always the hardest, especially from a Twin Water Shadow Beast of such strength. You're fortunate to have awakened; the next time will be less intense," Patriarch Lieshan reassured him.

Laojiu could only offer a silent, wry smile in response. The agony he'd experienced was far from over.

"I'm parched! I could drain an entire lake," Laojiu said, struggling to extend his tongue and lick his lips, which, to his surprise, were not cracked as he had expected.

"Hold on. This thirst is merely an illusion, a sensation passed on by the Water Shadow Beast. If you resist it and endure a few more Primordial Spirit Attacks, your Primordial Spirit will emerge naturally, and we'll have reached our objective."

"I see! It looks like the Water Shadow Beast is just as thirsty and won't bother with me for now. Let me rest a bit longer; the discomfort is unbearable."

"No, you must begin practicing Celestial Dragon Guidance immediately. It can also accelerate your recovery to some degree. You're racing against time with the Water Shadow Beast; if it fully recovers, you'll have no choice but to flee for your life."

Patriarch Lieshan was acutely aware that his Primordial Spirit alone would struggle to fend off the Water Shadow Beast. Without a physical body, his main hope rested on Laojiu.

"Alright, one last question. Can Primordial Spirit Attacks be executed without end?" Laojiu was deeply concerned about this. If so, the Water Shadow Beast could completely overpower him.

"No attack can be sustained indefinitely. In fact, the recent barrage from the Twin Water Shadow Beast was nearly its entire capacity; otherwise, even I would have sustained serious injuries."

Reassured by Patriarch Lieshan's explanation, Laojiu managed to sit up and dedicated himself to mastering Celestial Dragon Guidance.

Meanwhile, the Fierce Creature lurking in the distant pond would have to be momentarily set aside and left unattended.