Chapter 142: Chapter 40: Seeker of the Boundless Way (Part 2)
Swimming in water consumes several times more stamina than jogging. Water’s resistance is far greater than air’s—just being submerged is enough to distort a person’s every move. Even the simple act of standing at attention requires immense effort.
But what if it weren’t water, but mud?
Then how many times more effort would someone swimming within it have to exert, compared to moving through air, just to move freely?
Su Zhou didn’t know the answer—he couldn’t be bothered to calculate such a trivial thing.
Because no matter the multiple, for a Transcendent like him—one who possessed Water Assistance, Spiritual Qi, a body of Perfection, and the Dragon and Snake Power that could effortlessly crush rock into dust—it was all just as easy!
RUMBLE!
As the ground swelled upward, a distinct muddy bulge raced across the surface toward the National Preceptor. The National Preceptor’s expression changed. He reached out, intending to use Thunder Light to heat the marsh, evaporate the water, and trap Su Zhou underground—but it was too late! Su Zhou was too fast. He moved like a fish darting through the mud, closing the distance in an instant. Then, like a volcanic eruption, he burst from the ground, covered in sludge!
"Eat my fist!"
"A petty trick!"
Without hesitation, the National Preceptor raised his Magic Sword—now no more than an ordinary Steel Sword—and, wreathed in Thunder Light, slashed down at Su Zhou’s fist. But in that same instant, True Qi erupted from Su Zhou’s body. He simulated the burst of a volcano’s Extreme Yang Spiritual Power, instantly evaporating the moisture on his skin, and then activated his Gale Armor!
Immediately, the expanding water vapor, mixed with a howling gale, deflected the National Preceptor’s sword by a negligible amount—just enough to miss the fist. And just like that, Su Zhou, with a savage grin, smashed his mud-caked fist toward the National Preceptor’s face!
THUD! CRACK!
The Thunder Sword struck Su Zhou’s shoulder. Even though it was just a glancing blow with little force, the intense electrical current pierced through the mud and into his left shoulder. The violent Thunderbolt instantly cooked the flesh on half of his body, leaving him paralyzed and unable to move.
But the National Preceptor, struck in the head by Su Zhou’s Rising Dragon Fist, shot into the sky like a rocket. He flew dozens of meters away, his Magic Sword and Spirit Pearl scattering to the ground.
THUD! THUD! Two sounds rang out almost simultaneously: Su Zhou dropped to one knee, frozen in place, while the National Preceptor fell from the sky and crashed into the snow!
"Ah..."
A puff of acrid smoke escaped his lips, and his entire body steamed like a roasted pig. Su Zhou felt as if even the saliva on his tongue had been vaporized by the intense heat. The fat on his face and the nutrients stored in his body were being rapidly consumed to repair his flesh, but he still lacked water!
Without a moment’s hesitation, Su Zhou bent down and began gulping down the muddy swamp beneath him! He sucked the snowmelt out of the slurry, spat out the dirt, and rapidly replenished the water that the high-voltage current had evaporated from his body!
’Dignity? Saving face? What damn good is that? There’s no room for such niceties in a fight!’ Even so, healing his scorched body would still take time.
Far away, the National Preceptor struggled several times before slowly getting back to his feet. He also possessed a Super-speed Regeneration Ability, but how could a concussion and scrambled nerves from a punch be fixed by simply repairing physical structures? The National Preceptor couldn’t use Daoist Arts, let alone tell the snow from the sky. His sense of direction, his perception of up and down—it was all a blur. Even walking was a struggle.
’No, I have to stall for time!’
The same thought flashed through both of their minds. Just as Su Zhou was about to open his mouth to spout some trash talk—something like, "The wind sure is restless today"—the National Preceptor spoke abruptly. "To be honest, that Emperor... he’s far too eager for quick success."
Even Su Zhou, who made it a rule never to listen to his enemy’s nonsense, felt a stir at these words. ’Could there be a rift between the National Preceptor and the Emperor? It makes sense. One mountain can’t hold two tigers, and it’s not like the National Preceptor is a tigress. Why would the Emperor agree to share immortality with him as an equal? They must have dirt on each other... Maybe there’s something here I can exploit?’
Even though he knew his opponent was stalling for time, Su Zhou also needed to recover, so he was happy to play along. Using a raspy, half-charred voice, he asked, "Eager for quick success in what way?"
As he spoke, he slowly gathered his strength. The Celestial Human Cycle began to spin at high speed, condensing his Spiritual Power.
"Hunting the common people, of course. Feeding on their flesh and blood. If it were me, I wouldn’t be so shortsighted and act so blatantly."
The National Preceptor gave a sinister laugh, his youthful face taking on a world-weary look that betrayed his age. "If it were me, I would have spent centuries slowly transforming this country, making everyone gradually abandon cremation and burial until they saw sacrificing themselves to the Divine Tree before death as the highest honor. If necessary, I would even have split this country into a dozen smaller nations that all revered the Divine Tree, letting them fight and kill each other, but keeping the conflict at a controlled intensity."
"Collecting flesh and Souls that way would be more than enough to sustain the small group of people in the Divine Wood Celestial Palace, and it would be incredibly stable... Unfortunately, the Emperor was unwilling."
As Su Zhou took a moment to think, his face twisting in horror, the wounds on the National Preceptor’s face gradually healed. The Preceptor continued in a leisurely tone, "He said that if he did things that way, he wouldn’t be an Emperor. Besides, it’s too slow. For both him and the Divine Wood, it’s far too slow. This is a grand plan measured in centuries, and he wants to reach the Innate realm as quickly as possible and receive the Divine Wood’s blessing to become a Dragon."
