Wielding the Thunders Across Two Worlds-Chapter 44: Celestial Fox Nail and Moonlight Evasion

Chapter 44: Chapter 44: Celestial Fox Nail and Moonlight Evasion

The ordinary people in Golden Wind Hall had almost never come face to face with him, but Master Lu was different.

This man had interacted with him before, and as part of a wicked pair with the demon, there was a chance they could be found by the Golden Wind Divine King. Why would Gu Zhao possibly let them live?

After killing Master Lu and the Painting Demon, he had, as expected, harvested a significant amount of Evil Qi.

Gu Zhao recited a passage from the Sutra of Salvation, then used his Magical Power to obliterate the Divine Souls within the remaining painted scrolls, allowing them to dissipate into the world. After that, he quietly slipped away from Xiuyue County.

A wise man doesn’t stand beneath a crumbling wall. Now was a good time to return to the mountain village and lay low for a while.

He had just killed another Golden Wind Dharma Protector and stolen an Incense and Candle Divine Statue. The Golden Wind Divine King himself might come looking. Gu Zhao wasn’t about to stick around the crime scene to see the aftermath.

...

As the sun began to set, Silk Embroideress He finished her work for the day and brought Bai Ke to the village entrance. She leaned against the large tree there, gazing absentmindedly at the official road in the distance.

"Stop looking. He’s only been gone for a little over ten days. He won’t be back so soon," Bai Ke said, letting out a lazy yawn from her perch on the Silk Embroideress’s shoulder.

"I know, but I don’t have anything else to do, so I thought I’d come take a look." The Silk Embroideress sounded a little worried. "Do you think... do you think the Young Master will be okay? He’s not in any danger, is he?"

"How would I know?" Bai Ke pouted. Seeing the Silk Embroideress’s serious expression, she relented. "The three Dharma Protectors from the Golden Wind Sect couldn’t even last a few moves against him. As long as he doesn’t go to the Prefecture City and stir up trouble with the truly powerful figures there, ordinary Demons and Ghosts are no match for him."

"Are all the powerful people in the Prefecture City?" the Silk Embroideress asked.

"Not necessarily." Bai Ke stuck out her tongue and licked her lips. "Practitioners of the Divine Cultivation Dao are mostly based in or near cities, and they’re somewhat mindful of public perception. But the ones that eat flesh and drink blood, or those who undergo ascetic cultivation on their own, usually choose to live out in the wilderness.

"The Great Ning Dynasty is in decline, the Xuanwei Divine Sect isn’t what it once was, and the Spirit Court is short-staffed. But they all still command some measure of authority, more or less."

Having cultivated with Bai Ke for many days, the Silk Embroideress had learned a few things about the Cultivation Realm. She asked, "So the Xuanwei Divine Sect doesn’t do anything about those who practice the Divine Cultivation Dao? I thought the Court forbids the worship of Evil Gods."

"Because they’re too stretched to manage it all," Bai Ke said after a moment’s thought. "As long as these sects don’t wipe out the local Government Offices and still acknowledge they’re within Great Ning Territory, the Court turns a blind eye. I guess it’s sort of like feudal lords carving out their own kingdoms, right?"

The Silk Embroideress nodded, only half-understanding, and said with admiration, "You know so much!"

Bai Ke wagged her tail proudly. "But of course. I have the blood of a Celestial Fox. I’m naturally wise, so it’s only normal that I know a lot."

"Then when will you be able to take human form?" the Silk Embroideress asked, full of anticipation.

"Soon, soon." Bai Ke held out a paw and began to count on her claws. "As long as you cultivate diligently, I’ll be able to in... one... two... three..."

"Young Master!?"

Bai Ke was still in the middle of her calculations when the Silk Embroideress cried out and dashed forward. The sudden movement nearly sent Bai Ke tumbling, but she dug her claws into the embroideress’s collar just in time, steadying herself on her shoulder.

’Huh? He’s back already?’ Bai Ke spotted Gu Zhao’s approaching figure, and her eyes immediately darted to his hands.

Upon seeing the familiar transparent white bag, which held two transparent white boxes inside, which in turn were stuffed full of goodies, a deeply satisfied smile spread across her face.

"YIP YIP YIP!"

Her foxy eyes narrowed into happy slits. Grinning, Bai Ke trotted closer alongside the Silk Embroideress, her nose twitching as she caught a whiff of a sweet, savory aroma.

"Mm, that’s Dongpo pork, and five-spice roasted chicken!"

"Young Master, is your business taken care of?" The Silk Embroideress came up to Gu Zhao, took the plastic bag from his hand, and fell into step beside him as they walked toward the village.

"Mm, about half of it," Gu Zhao said after a moment’s thought. "I’ll stay in the village for a few days, but then I have to head out again."

The Silk Embroideress bit her lip. "Mm..."

...

"Young Master, come with me!"

After dinner, just as dusk was settling and before the sky had turned completely dark, the Silk Embroideress pulled Gu Zhao into a grove of trees not far behind the village.

"What is it?"

’This young lady’s face is flushed, she looks all excited, and she’s acting all sneaky, dragging me into a grove... what is she planning?’

’I’m not that kind of guy!’

’Even if I were going into a grove with someone, it should be someone like Jiang Shishi or Xiao Ya. They’re more my type.’

’Sigh, speaking of them... If my Celestial Spirit Talisman actually cures Xiao Ya’s grandfather, and she realizes how extraordinary I am and wants to offer herself to me in gratitude, how should I respond?’

Seeing the smile at the corners of Gu Zhao’s mouth, the Silk Embroideress was overjoyed. "Does that mean you agree, Young Master?"

"Huh?" Gu Zhao looked completely baffled.

"Young Master, look!" As her delicate voice faded, the Silk Embroideress flipped her hand over, and a white, inch-long nail appeared in her palm.

With a flick of her wrist, the nail transformed into a streak of white light, shooting out in a flash. With a loud CRACK, it pierced through a small tree ten feet away before circling back and flying into her hand.

"Oh?" Gu Zhao raised an eyebrow in surprise. He hadn’t expected the Silk Embroideress to have already developed a small amount of Magical Power in less than half a month.

"This is one of Xiaobai’s Celestial Fox Nails. They’re refined from her fur. She made three in total and gave one to me." The Silk Embroideress held the Celestial Fox Nail out to Gu Zhao.

"Yip yip!" Bai Ke lifted her head proudly.

Gu Zhao didn’t look at the nail or at Bai Ke. Instead, he turned to carefully examine the small tree and the hole, a good two fingers wide, running straight through its trunk.

"And it was Small-leafed Purple Sandalwood, too... Did that one shot just cost a hundred thousand or so?"

Gu Zhao clicked his tongue in mock dismay before finally reaching out to take the nail.

The nail was a cloudy white color. It felt like neither gold nor iron, but seemed to be formed from countless condensed white threads. Its structure was solid; Gu Zhao applied a bit of force but was unable to bend it in the slightest.

Judging by the way it had pierced the tree trunk without even slowing down, its impact and penetration power were considerable.

"Is this what you used against that Golden Wind Guardian last time?" Gu Zhao asked.

Bai Ke nodded her foxy head. "The very same."

"Not bad. Pretty impressive." Gu Zhao handed the Celestial Fox Nail back to the Silk Embroideress.

’It’s like she’s carrying around a Desert Eagle!’

"Xiaobai said that progress is faster at the very beginning," the Silk Embroideress couldn’t help but admit. "It’s supposed to get slower and slower later on."

"It’s the same for everyone," Gu Zhao said with a smile.

’Whether in real life or in novels, everyone’s cultivation slows down over time. It’s normal to hit a wall later on, and geniuses are no exception. That’s why things like "hard work pays off" systems or abilities that just fill up a progress bar are considered cheats.’

’Otherwise, if every genius could just have an epiphany and ascend overnight without any obstacles, there’d be no point in having those cheats in the first place.’

Buoyed by Gu Zhao’s encouragement, the Silk Embroideress’s spirits lifted. "There’s more! Young Master, look!"

The Silk Embroideress glanced up at the moon, then channeled all her Magical Power. In a sudden flash, her entire body shifted sideways... to a spot about six feet away.

This time, Gu Zhao was genuinely stunned. "Teleportation?"

"Hehehe, stunned you, didn’t it? Bet you can’t do that, can you?" Bai Ke said, shaking her head smugly.

Gu Zhao shot Bai Ke a sidelong glance. "So you can pass through walls and travel hundreds of miles in the blink of an eye?"

Bai Ke’s smug expression vanished instantly. "No. It’s called Moonlight Evasion. You can only use the power of the moon to move quickly to a spot within your line of sight. Plus, it consumes a huge amount of Magical Power. It’s a last-resort escape technique."

After a lengthy explanation, Gu Zhao finally understood. It wasn’t true teleportation and couldn’t traverse space; it was simply a high-speed movement technique.

’But that’s still incredibly powerful,’ he thought. ’Once her Magical Power is high enough, won’t this basically become Shrinking Inches?’

Gu Zhao rubbed his hands together and chuckled. "Can I learn it?"