Chapter 497: Chapter 497 – Sever!
Translator: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales
When the brush appeared above his head, Wei Xiao Bei reached with his left hand and flesh threads came shooting out of the rift in his palm. They formed a large web and wrapped toward the black brush.
Compared to the Brush Spirit clones from earlier, this one appeared to be much stronger. It vanished when the flesh threads lashed at it.
When it appeared once again, it was ten meters away from Wei Xiao Bei.
This time, the Brush Spirit clone did not press the attack. Instead, it landed on the ground and started carving words into the floor with its sharp tip.
Seeing as the clone was not attacking and was attempting to write something, Wei Xiao Bei stopped attacking as well. After all, with the clone’s ability to teleport, it wasn’t going to be easy to end the fight quickly. Wei Xiao Bei needed to be as careful as he could be.
Meanwhile, he had no intention to use [Enlightenment] unless he had absolute confidence in capturing the clone.
After all, without the ability to follow-up and exterminate the enemy after the disruption effect of [Enlightenment], it was not wise to use it yet. Otherwise, the subsequent effect of [Enlightenment] is that terrifying the clone would be much weaker.
Of course, Wei Xiao Bei still had plenty of tricks up his sleeves that he had yet to use.
However, now that the Brush Spirit seemed willing to communicate, Wei Xiao Bei would be able to have more opportunities to gain more insights into its powers. It was just a clone of the Brush Spirit after all. Its true body remained in the Dust World.
Wei Xiao Bei might not be holding a deadly grudge over the Curse of Ten Thousand Spirits from last time, but he was not happy about it. He wouldn’t mind teaching those spirits a lesson if he had the chance to do so.
Wei Xiao Bei silently activated [Deductive Reasoning] with this Brush Spirit’s clone as the target.
To his surprise, [Early Warning] also activated by itself when he activated [Deductive Reasoning].
Wei Xiao Bei then faintly saw a gray thread reached out from the black brush, disappearing into the air after extending for a few meters.
Wei Xiao Bei sensed a familiar aura of the Dust World on that gray thread.
A smile appeared on his face. It seemed like this gray thread was the connection between the Brush Spirit itself and its clone.
What would happen if he severed this gray thread?
Would the clone fall apart on its own, or will it break free of the control of the actual Brush Spirit? Or perhaps something else?
Just as Wei Xiao Bei was thinking about the possible outcomes, the Brush Spirit clone was done writing its words as well. It hovered in the air and motioned for Wei Xiao Bei to read them.
Wei Xiao Bei didn’t need to use his eyes to see things anymore. He could see the words that the clone had carved on the ground, as it was within the radius of his [Response Search].
“Doth thou insist on crossing swords with us? If thou leaves this place, a recompense from us will be due!”
These somewhat archaic words seemed to convey an intention of reconciliation.
The Brush Spirit would give Wei Xiao Bei some benefits as long as he left this place.
However, through these words, Wei Xiao Bei was able to use [Deductive Reasoning] to figure out the intentions of the Brush Spirit.
The truth caused a chill to run down his spine.
The Brush Spirits intend to use this place as an outpost to invade reality!
It wasn’t exactly possible for the Brush Spirits to invade reality en masse.
Disregarding all the other logistical problems, the Brush Spirits wouldn’t even be able to pay the massive price required to overcome the restrictions between the Dust World and the real world!
It was much like when Zhao Yun sent Zhao Guang to the real world. Wei Xiao Bei might not know how heavy of a price Zhao Yun had paid for it, but from Ge Da Tian’s response, he knew that this price was too heavy for even Wei Xiao Bei to be able to afford it.
This meant that the Brush Spirits were intending on using this place to bypass the restrictions and slowly invade the real world. They would keep doing so until a full invasion was possible.
Of course, it was also possible that a full invasion was not at all possible, but they still had much to gain by retaining control of this outpost.
“Leave? Hurhur.”
A smile appeared on Wei Xiao Bei’s face. He took a step backward and the Brush Spirit’s clone trembled as if satisfied by Wei Xiao Bei’s decision.
However, blue lightning suddenly flashed on his spear. It charged straight at the clone, so fast that even the naked eye couldn’t capture its trajectory!
If an overpowering enemy had forced Wei Xiao Bei to decide this, it would be understandable. However, a mere Brush Spirit was no more than a so-called phantom and ghost in Chinese legend in Wei Xiao Bei’s eyes. To think that it would try and get him to retreat? What a joke!
He struck decisively! Intent on exterminating this Brush Spirit clone!
The clone’s teleportation was incredibly powerful as well. It seemed to have no such thing as a cooldown or a cast time delay. The clone simply vanished when the spear was about to hit it. It was right behind Wei Xiao Bei when it once again appeared.
However, the Brush Spirit clone never expected Wei Xiao Bei to turn and simply open his eyes!
[Enlightenment] activate!
The clone that had intended to stab downward froze in midair for a single instant!
That one moment was more than enough! Wei Xiao Bei shouted, “Intimidate!”
An intangible flux spread outward with Wei Xiao Bei at the very center, instantly enveloping the Brush Spirit!
Wei Xiao Bei wasn’t counting on [Blind] and [Silence] of the Law Series affecting the Brush Spirit clone. After all, it was no ordinary creature, but some peculiar existence.
However, he was certain that [Intimidate] would be able to affect it!
Wei Xiao Bei had not attempted to use [Command: Death] a single time yet, but he knew that a Command like that would not have a very high rate of success. It was more practical to use [Intimidate] instead.
As expected, once [Command: Intimidate] activated, the Brush Spirit clone froze in the air, its body trembling only slightly.
Wei Xiao Bei’s spear immediately stabbed at the gray thread behind the clone. A speck of golden light appeared on the spearhead when it came into contact with the thread.
[Eliminate Evil Thoughts] activate!
The intangible and invisible gray thread broke on its own as the golden light shone on the spearhead!
At the same time, Wei Xiao Bei faintly heard an extremely furious voice in the air: “If thou so chooses, then we ten thousand spirits swear an unending grudge upon you!”
Mm, truly very threatening words.
Wei Xiao Bei didn’t think that those spirits would become nice folks and treat him well if he made concessions.
He had already made enemies out of them before this. He didn’t mind a bit more trouble.
At the very least, he didn’t find himself afflicted with any Curse of Ten Thousand Spirits in the battelog this time. Wei Xiao Bei was finally relieved.
Of course, even he didn’t expect that the [Eliminate Evil Thoughts] effect on the Divine White Mist Great Spear would be so effective. The gray thread had shattered on its own before the spear had even touched it.
Whooosh!
As the gray thread broke, the clone went limp and fell into a deep comatose. It started shrinking in size and only stopped once it was ten-centimeters long.
The status panel of this Brush Spirit clone also changed in Wei Xiao Bei’s eyes.
Name: Brush Spirit’s Brush (Rare)
Introduction: This is the product of the Brush Spirit’s clone after having its essence soul connection severed. It possesses unique effects that other Brush Spirit’s Brushes do not possess.
Effect 1: Unleash Misfortune. May use a portion of the Brush Spirit’s power to call misfortune upon an enemy.
Effect 2: Increase Charm. By holding this item, the Charm attribute is temporarily increased by 5 points. Losing this item will cause the bonus to disappear. Only one of these items can be held at a time.
Effect 3: Sense Brush Spirit. By holding this item, one can sense the existence of all Brush Spirit and Brush Spirit clones within three kilometers. Said Brush Spirit and Brush Spirit clones will also discover the host at the same time.
Effect 4: Air Escape. By holding this item, the host may use Air Escape three times a day in an environment with air. The host may not teleport more than a hundred meters away.
Effect 5: Merge. This item may be merged with other Brush Spirit’s Brushes. Quality will increase after merging with a certain amount of Brushes.
….
Wei Xiao Bei grabbed this so-called Brush Spirit’s Brush in his hand and quickly put it in his storage bracelet.
He had to be quick. The Life Altar seemed to desire the brush very much. If he didn’t hold it back, the brush would probably have been wrapped in flesh threads and dragged into his palm already.
He had to admit that this item was pretty decent. [Unleash Misfortune] alone made the Brush deserve its quality as a Rare item.
Setting aside how effective it was, it was going to be useful for annoying the enemy.
The increase in Charm and the [Air Escape] skill were both very suited for Zhu Xin Yi.
Her [Charm Control] special skill relied primarily on her Charm attribute. The higher the main Charm attribute, the stronger the special skill. Though an increase in her Charm wouldn’t allow her to control monsters of the same rank as her, it would at least allow her to control more monsters, with a stronger grasp over her control of the monsters.
[Air Escape] was also pretty simple to understand. Even though its range was limited to a hundred meters, it would be like having three lives once Xin Yi had this skill.
Anyone who tried to ignore Xin Yi’s monster and strike at her person would be in for a tragic fate. They would dive into the midst of the monsters she controlled, only to find her missing from the spot. She would appear outside the horde of monsters and they would have to face the wrath of all the monsters!
Of course, [Sense Brush Spirit] wasn’t exactly beneficial for Xin Yi. She would have to stay away from Cui Hu University when she entered the Dust World in the future.
After all, she still couldn’t fight against strange existences like the Brush Spirits at her current power level.
As for the last effect, [Merge].
It undoubtedly increased the value of the Brush Spirit’s Brush tremendously.
A treasure that can be improved was of incredible value.
Of course, even Wei Xiao Bei couldn’t guarantee he could collect enough Brush Spirit’s Brushes for its [Merge] effect, let alone Xin Yi.
Either way, Wei Xiao Bei felt like he had made the whole adventure more than worth it with this.
