Chapter 69: The Divine Elephant Crossing the River

"Shi Yinjian?"

With a swift kick, Lu Sheng sent the newcomer flying. As he gazed at the somewhat familiar face, his brows furrowed in recognition—this was the very man whom Duanmu Yun had brought before him with a portrait for identification upon his entry into Snowhawk City.

Had this man not fled to Snowhawk City after being wanted, prompting Duanmu Yun, Murong Yu, and their companions to come—and had they not happened upon him—perhaps his own identity would not have been exposed so quickly, nor would he be suffering his current predicament.

It could be said that everything Lu Sheng had endured in recent days had been set in motion by this man!

"He belongs to Shi Ying—"

"All the more reason he cannot be allowed to live!"

With that thought, a trace of murderous intent rose in Lu Sheng's heart. As he raised his saber to strike, Shi Yinjian suddenly dropped to his knees, knocking his head on the ground several times with a loud clatter, begging incessantly:

"Please, grant me permission to bury my young master!"

"Let the Shi family return to the earth and stone!"

Unmoved, Lu Sheng replied,

"Rest assured, once you're dead, I'll have you buried together—"

"I won't leave your corpses exposed in the wild."

His saber was already poised to fall.

"Wait!" Shi Yinjian shouted, then blurted out,

"Divine Elephant Power Art! The Divine Elephant Power Art..."

"I know where the young master's Divine Elephant Power Art is—I've even received the first layer’s inheritance!"

These words made Lu Sheng halt the saber mid-swing. He said,

"Open your mind—let me search your memories!"

He released the Heart-Controlling Gu, seizing hold of Shi Yinjian's mind. Time was short, and fearing that Zhou Weiqian and the others might arrive, Lu Sheng expended three merit points to imprint Shi Yinjian's memories completely into his own mind. At the same time, he searched for all information regarding the Divine Elephant Power Art.

"The Divine Elephant Crossing-the-River Diagram—so it was here!"

He produced the totem pillar once more, spent merit to break its seal, and retrieved an image from within. On it, a majestic elephant was crossing a wide river. The clear water, stirred by the elephant, shimmered with glimpses of hidden life, exuding a profound and mysterious aura.

Almost as soon as he laid eyes on the diagram, the Ruyi in Lu Sheng’s mind transmitted a message:

"Dao-rhyme detected—would you like to record it?"

Lu Sheng, without hesitation, chose to record, imprinting the entire image. At that moment, some change seemed to occur within the Ruyi, and his connection with it was temporarily lost.

"What is going on?"

Though his heart was filled with shock, Lu Sheng showed no sign of it. He returned the totem pillar and the Divine Elephant Crossing-the-River Diagram to his ring, released the Heart-Controlling Gu’s hold, and said to Shi Yinjian:

"It’s done. Your request is granted."

After thoroughly searching Shi Ying’s body for anything he might have missed, he began collecting the white jade elephant’s corpse. Yet, he left the Heart-Controlling Gu inside Shi Yinjian—to guard against any further treachery.

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"Dao-rhyme—what is that?"

"How does it differ from Dao-intent?"

"Why..."

"Why did it cause such a dramatic change in the Ruyi?"

After putting away the white jade elephant’s corpse, as well as the shattered tier-three shield and several fallen feathers from the surroundings, Lu Sheng glanced at Shi Yinjian, who was burying Shi Ying, then at the fierce battle still raging in the sky, lost in thought.

If he remembered correctly, this was the second time something recorded by the Ruyi had involved the character for "Dao." The previous instance was when he absorbed the Essence of Emperor Jing’s Primordial Power Technique, and it was referred to as "Dao-intent." When he later recorded the Moon Fairy’s Sea Moon Divine Blade as well as the Sunset Blade Sovereign’s Molten Gold Sundering, the Ruyi did not use such terms—those were recorded primarily for their underlying principles of sun and moon cycles.

"The Sunset Blade Sovereign just unleashed many saber techniques, several containing profound intent," Lu Sheng mused. "Yet the Ruyi neither recorded them on its own nor prompted me—"

"This means those intents are of little use to it."

"What the Ruyi truly needs is the Dao within, the workings of heaven and earth!"

From his use of the Ruyi, Lu Sheng had long suspected it was greatly damaged. Otherwise, as a merit spirit-treasure, surely it would not be so limited in function.

Thinking thus, Lu Sheng recalled the Divine Elephant Crossing-the-River Diagram:

"If the Ruyi says it contains Dao-rhyme, could it mean this image holds the principle of the universe’s movement?"

Though he had considered all this, and even with his comprehension tripled by his current state, Lu Sheng still could not perceive any Dao-rhyme within the diagram. Not even after practicing the Divine Elephant Power Art did he sense it.

"Forget it. I’ll ponder Dao-rhyme later—cultivating the Divine Elephant Power Art is more urgent!"

"Although I have yet to grasp it, I’ve obtained the first layer from Shi Yinjian—"

"Once I master the basics, the inheritance will come more readily!"

With the Ruyi unavailable for the moment and no telling when it might recover, Lu Sheng had no choice but to pursue the inheritance of the Divine Elephant Power Art by this means.

With that resolve, he began circulating his inner energy, transforming it according to the Divine Elephant Power Art.

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"Divine Elephant Crossing the River, splitting the current!"

"This Divine Elephant Power Art truly lives up to its reputation for strength—the depth of bodily refinement is astonishing!"

With the support of his mastery, Lu Sheng’s control over his physical power was extraordinary. The moment he transformed his essence into that of the Divine Elephant Power Art, he felt a shift within his body—as if, under the influence of this energy, the scattered pieces of his form fused into a seamless whole.

Though he had not yet fully completed the first layer, Lu Sheng could already sense that his energy’s amplification of strength was even more pronounced. Despite no actual increase in his reserves, he could now unleash a mightier, more cohesive force.

"This technique is indeed worth cultivating!"

"Now, once the Ruyi recovers, I’ll merge this with the Strength Art and push the Strength Art to the foundational level!"

With these thoughts, Lu Sheng began diligently training in the first layer of the Divine Elephant Power Art, tempering his body.

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"Old master!"

"I failed to protect the young master—the Shi line ends with me—"

"I have wronged you!"

Nearby, after burying Shi Ying, Shi Yinjian suddenly broke into loud sobs and cried out. Then, with a leap, he hurled himself toward the meditating Lu Sheng—only to fall silent in midair, lifeless.

"Ah!"

"Was that really necessary?"

Opening his eyes, Lu Sheng sighed with a note of sorrow.

Though he had appeared to be cultivating nearby, his vigilance had never wavered. The instant Shi Yinjian moved, Lu Sheng activated the Heart-Controlling Gu, unleashing its fused Soul-Reaping Gu ability. With a power capable of slaying even a grandmaster, Shi Yinjian, who had yet to reach even the master level, died in an instant.

"Well..."

"In light of your small contribution, I’ll keep my word—"

"I’ll bury you beside Shi Ying."

With a sweep of his saber, Lu Sheng carved a deep pit next to Shi Ying’s grave and swept Shi Yinjian’s body into it. After sealing the grave, he brushed a layer of snow over the site, thoroughly concealing the spot—

Thus, the famed master and servant of the Western Regions vanished from the world without a trace.