Chapter 5:The Awakening of the Gu Worm
1144 Words
Chapter 5:The Awakening of the Gu Worm
The night was pitch - black. Jinghu Lake was like an ancient bronze mirror, reflecting the faint light from the sky into its center. The surface of the lake rippled gently. Occasionally, water birds were startled and flew over the area reflecting the moonlight, only to quickly disappear into the shadows. The air was filled with humid water vapor, carrying a faint smell of soil and algae, making people hold their breath involuntarily, for fear of breaking this strange tranquility.
However, this calm didn't last long after all.
When the obsidian ring was slowly slipped onto Ye Wen's ring finger, his left eye twitched violently. Countless fragmented lights and shadows suddenly emerged in his compound eyes, and the intertwined images crashed into his consciousness like a tide.
He saw himself in the images -
Figures of "himself" were being engulfed in a bronze coffin in countless parallel universes, like a cycle written by fate, inescapable and irresistible. The heavy coffin lid closed, emitting a low rumble. His shouts echoed in the darkness, eventually turning into a deathly silence.
But deep within those overlapping and interlaced images, a faint yet firm ray of light penetrated the darkness.
He saw Lady Ye standing quietly in the crystal at the bottom of the lake. Her hands were clasped together, and in the palm of her hand was a Youfeng Gu hairpin that was entirely deep - blue and emitted a faint glow. The radiance flowed slowly from her fingertips, as if telling some sealed - away secret.
Ye Wen's breathing quickened. His heart gave a heavy thump, as if something in him was awakened by this image. He stretched out his hand, his fingertips trembling slightly, trying to touch the light and shadow, but it just shattered and dissipated, turning into a ripple of nothingness.
"Mother..." he murmured in a low voice, a trace of wavering emotion appearing in his eyes.
Suddenly, he felt a warm touch on his fingertips.
The obsidian ring became slightly hot. The patterns on the ring surface, like living things, emerged with streaks of deep - blue light, reflecting the ripples of Jinghu Lake.
A soft fox tail slowly loosened. Gu Yu stood not far away. Under the moonlight, the scales of her silver - scaled battle armor reflected a faint radiance. She stared at Ye Wen, her gaze deep and complex. Finally, she slowly opened her mouth and said in a low voice, "Ye Wen, the seal set by your mother... was not to suppress your power, but to protect you."
Ye Wen was shocked and suddenly raised his eyes.
Gu Yu walked closer slowly. The gentle breeze ruffled her silver hair, and her fox tail swayed slightly. She looked into Ye Wen's eyes, her tone solemn. "Inside the Youfeng Gu hairpin, there is the Art of Corpse Transformation and Thousand Faces. That is the key to reversing the sacrifice."
The air seemed to turn a few degrees colder suddenly.
Ye Wen's right arm still ached faintly. The scars left by the bronze snake gu could be faintly seen at the wound. The flesh and blood seemed to be wriggling slowly. However, with the heat of the obsidian ring, the power of his bloodline in his body began to churn. The dark - golden light on the Taotie pattern quietly emerged, as if a sleeping giant was slowly waking up.
He slowly clenched his fist, feeling that something deep in his blood was awakening.
The surface of the lake rippled slightly. A strange black shadow swam underwater. At first, those black shadows were just small stirrings, as if they were just undercurrents at the bottom of the lake. But gradually, those black shadows began to gather and rotate, finally forming a pitch - black whirlpool.
In the center of the whirlpool, a huge creature slowly rose.
"...It's coming," Ye Wen murmured in a low voice, his fingertips trembling slightly.
He felt that the gu worm in his body was getting restless.
Under the surface of the lake, the huge gu worm finally revealed its true appearance.
Its body was composed of countless tiny gu worms. Its epidermis wriggled with black carapaces. Each gu worm opened its sharp mouthparts, exhaling pitch - black mist, as if it could tear apart the souls of living beings. Its eyes were blood - red, exuding a cold and cruel luster, like a venomous snake eyeing its prey.
Gu Yu's expression changed slightly. Her fox tail suddenly flared up. Violet - green gu fire danced in her palm, and there was a rare hint of tension in her voice. "Ye Wen, be careful! That's - the Soul - Devouring Gu!"
Ye Wen stared at this terrifying creature, took a deep breath, and his heart rate began to accelerate. However, surprisingly, instead of retreating, he showed a faint sneer.
"The Soul - Devouring Gu... it's actually still alive."
Gu Yu frowned slightly. She keenly sensed that there was no fear in Ye Wen's tone, but rather a sense of familiarity.
The next second -
Ye Wen raised his hand, and the Taotie pattern blazed brightly!
The dark - golden radiance swept up from his right arm like a raging fire. From his flesh and blood, the murmuring sound of gu worms gradually rose, resonating with the low growl of the Soul - Devouring Gu.
Gu Yu's pupils constricted slightly. She suddenly realized something. "Ye Wen! You -"
"The Soul - Devouring Gu..." Ye Wen's gaze was calm, and the corners of his mouth slightly curved. He said in a low voice, "It's mine."
In an instant, the light of the Taotie pattern soared. A huge Taotie mouthpiece emerged behind him. With a deafening roar, it swept towards the Soul - Devouring Gu!
The Soul - Devouring Gu roared and struggled. It tried to devour everything, but under the devouring of the Taotie's mouth, it let out a shrill scream. Its black body was torn and devoured as if being unraveled.
Finally, with a trembling ray of light surging into Ye Wen's body, the Soul - Devouring Gu completely disappeared, turning into a dark - golden pattern that slowly merged into his Taotie pattern.
Ye Wen slowly opened his eyes.
He could feel that the power of the gu worm in his body had completely awakened.
Gu Yu stood not far away, quietly watching him. Finally, she gently sighed. "...Next, you must find your mother and unlock the seal of the Art of Corpse Transformation and Thousand Faces."
Ye Wen nodded slightly. His gaze was directed towards the depths of Jinghu Lake. Under the lake surface, the figure sleeping in the crystal seemed to be waiting for him to cross the barriers of fate.
"Let's go," he said softly.
The two figures disappeared under the dim light of the lake surface.
- Writer
