Chapter 318 - 309: [Tail Star]! Five-Soul State

Chapter 318: Chapter 309: [Tail Star]! Five-Soul State

A large crowd of servants had gathered a distance from the door, obviously drawn by the sounds of the fierce battle inside.

"Disperse, disperse..."

Fu Juemin gave them a casual wave. The servants were surprisingly obedient, scattering in their confusion until not one remained.

Only a few of a slightly higher rank, who looked like stewards, refused to leave, but they didn’t dare approach for a closer look either.

Fu Juemin couldn’t be bothered with them. As he casually closed the large doors behind him, he heard Mu Tingzhou’s ecstatic laughter, a sinister cackle as he called out Ning Yu’s name...

Fu Juemin strolled through the Ning Mansion as if it were his own home. No one dared to stop him, so he headed deeper into the estate alone.

Though Mu Feng’s recent words were clearly self-serving, they weren’t wrong. They had served as a solid reminder for him.

—Not every family from the Lower Five Banners would be like the Mu Family.

The Blue Banner Mu Family was at a dead end, which was why they would follow him with unwavering loyalty.

Why would a family from the Lower Five Banners like the Cyan Banner Ninggu Clan, who were already doing quite well, risk "rebellion" with him for a few vague, ethereal promises?

’The Five Poison Life and Death Talisman can only torture a person’s body; it can’t directly control their Consciousness. And the temptation of the Nine Spirits Filth Loading Technique is no guarantee that no one will have second thoughts.’

’Using a few minor tricks to shake the ideology and system consolidated over generations by the Top Royal Banner and the Upper Three Banners is going to be incredibly difficult.’

’If I continue with the original plan, news will inevitably leak. The key is that I’ve already killed two Demon Fiends that were Tributors of the Nine Banners. I have no idea if the Upper Three Banners and the Royal Banner have any way to monitor this...’

Fu Juemin mused to himself.

He had originally thought he had the three months until the Wuchen Grand Competition, but now he realized that estimate was far too optimistic.

For all he knew, the Top Four Banners could send someone down tomorrow to eliminate him, this "traitor."

’If instigating internal conflict among the Nine Banners really doesn’t work, then my only choice is to retreat into the shadows and become an assassin...’

’For now, before everything blows up, I need to move faster. I’ll devour as many families as I can.

Anything that ends up in my mouth becomes mine!’

Although he discovered many flaws in his original plan upon putting it into practice, Fu Juemin wasn’t anxious. He felt no psychological burden.

After all, overthrowing the Nine Banners was just a side project. His main purpose for coming to Yingjing was to kill Demon Fiends and cultivate.

If the plan fell through, it fell through. He could pull out and vanish into dust at any time. The life and death of the Blue Banner, the Cyan Banner, the Mu Family, the Ning Family... what did any of it have to do with him?

With that thought, Fu Juemin tossed these tedious ideas to the back of his mind and focused on his gains from this encounter.

The Ning Family’s Tributor, the Scorpion Demon, was a Fourth Grade. Its strength was clearly a notch above the Mu Family’s Admiral Yin Crow. The most direct evidence of this was that after sensing the aura of Fu Juemin’s [Flame Monarch] state, although it was clearly afraid, it still dared to launch a fierce attack at him before retreating!

And that attack had almost injured Fu Juemin.

Compared to the Ning Family’s Scorpion Demon, the Mu Family’s Admiral Yin Crow was like a "sitting duck"!

’A little over two Skill Points. Hmm, plus what I had left over, I’ve saved up exactly three points...’

Fu Juemin scanned his panel. When his gaze fell on the Talent column, his eyes suddenly paused, and a look of surprise appeared on his face.

The newly acquired Talent was an azure blue tinged with hints of red—it was actually a Blue Level Talent approaching Red Level! It was called—[Celestial Star]!

With a turn of his thoughts, Fu Juemin silently activated this new Talent.

CRACK CRACK—

In that instant, a few crisp cracks echoed from his bones, and the skin and flesh on his body tightened.

Immediately after, strange black patterns emerged from beneath the skin of his jade-white neck, cheeks, arms, and other areas.

His chest cavity seemed to transform into a pitch-black void.

Within this void, nine motes of faint light slowly appeared. When connected, they formed the exact shape of a raised Scorpion Tail.

’This is...’

Fu Juemin’s eyes flickered. ’The Star Map of the nine stars of the Tail Constellation?’

At the same time, the black patterns that had inexplicably appeared on his body began to grow faintly hot.

Strange energy particles drifting in the air seemed to be absorbed into his body through the black patterns and were then continuously channeled into the nine-star Star Map on his chest.

One of the nine motes of light began to shine like a star, slowly transforming into a small vortex.

As if struck by inspiration, Fu Juemin suddenly raised his hand—

Silently, a strand of ethereal light shot from his fingertip, quickly vanishing into a nearby rockery and leaving behind a deep hole the size of a silver coin.

’I understand.’

Fu Juemin understood in a flash. ’This Talent’s effect is to first absorb the free-floating Star Force in the air, then shoot it out to harm people.

It’s a Skill-type combat Talent!’

’This time... I really hit the jackpot.’

Fu Juemin couldn’t help but murmur.

Killing Demon Fiends and devouring their souls was like a "gacha pull" for him. Powerful Demon Fiends didn’t necessarily come with powerful Talents, and average Demon Fiends could still be "exceptionally gifted."

Clearly, he was one of the "lucky" ones this time.

From an ordinary Elephant Level Scorpion Demon, he had actually "pulled" a combat-type Talent related to the legendary "Star Force"!

’But...’

Amid his joy, Fu Juemin couldn’t help but furrow his brow slightly. ’The strength of this Talent’s Attack is directly related to the accumulated Star Force. I can only absorb Star Force when the Talent is active.

Once it’s used up, I have to start saving it all over again.

If I deactivate the Talent, all the previously accumulated Star Force will dissipate.

I can’t possibly keep the Talent active all the time. If I turn it on during a fight, the power will be weak if I haven’t saved up much, but saving up a lot takes too long to charge...

It’s a bit impractical. No wonder its rank is lower than Red Level.’

Fu Juemin stroked his chin, standing in place and thinking. ’Could I use another form of energy to fuel the burst instead of Star Force?’

’For example, the Demon Fire Force from the [Hundred-legged Fire Centipede]?’

’With Dragon Elephant Perfection achieved, I was planning on trying the Five Souls in One Body state anyway.

Might as well be now.’

Fu Juemin looked up and glanced around.

He had already walked deep into the Ning Family Residence, into an area that resembled the Ning Mansion’s rear garden.

The Ning Family’s Scorpion Lord was raised underground, so the rear garden, unlike the Mu Family’s, wasn’t gloomy and desolate. The scenery was quite beautiful and elegant. It was spring, and there was even a sense of birdsong and fragrant flowers.

This must be the inner courtyard of the Ning Family. Fu Juemin scanned the area and saw a small building standing not far away.

By the window on the second floor of the small building stood a graceful, slender figure—the Ning Mansion’s rear garden wasn’t a "restricted area," so it wasn’t strange for someone to be there.

The girl by the window was in her early twenties, dressed in a beautiful lotus-root-pink Manchu-style dress, and holding a small, round fan. Her appearance and figure were quite charming and lovely.

She was staring at Fu Juemin, perhaps curious as to how a strange Young Master had appeared in her family’s garden.

Fu Juemin looked toward her. The moment their eyes met, the girl snatched her gaze away and retreated behind the window, flustered and shy.

But a moment later, she peeked out again, hiding behind her small fan.

After doing this a few times, the girl grew bolder, and a radiant light began to dance in her eyes.

She was clearly quite taken with this handsome, elegant, and noble-looking gentleman.

And then...

Fu Juemin began to take off his outer robe.

The girl, who had just begun to play the little game of "flirting with her eyes," was stunned by Fu Juemin’s action. ’Why is he suddenly taking his clothes off?’

Before she could react, she saw Fu Juemin, having tossed his robe aside, suddenly take two steps forward and give her a brilliant smile.

The next instant—

BOOM!

The terrifying [Flame Monarch] state was suddenly unleashed!

"Ugh!"

The girl by the window watched wide-eyed as the handsome young master from a second ago suddenly transformed into a "monster" over four meters tall, wreathed in red flames and radiating a malevolent aura!

Her entire body seized as if electrocuted. With a choked "ugh," her delicate frame tensed, her eyes rolled back, and she fainted on the spot!

Having finished the work of "clearing the area" of bystanders, Fu Juemin contentedly withdrew his gaze from the small building and proceeded with his business.

"[Celestial Star], activate!"

With a single thought, on top of his [Flame Monarch] state, the fifth Talent was silently activated!

In that instant—

WHOOSH—

The abruptly surging Momentum transformed into a tangible, thick gale that spread out in all directions.

Fu Juemin’s aura surged violently. His Demon Body also grew taller, quickly reaching five meters.

A slight tearing pain came from his body, but fortunately, the foundation laid by his Dragon Elephant Perfection was solid, so it wasn’t a major issue.

PFFT—

Suddenly, along with the muffled sound of a sharp point piercing flesh...

a pitch-black Scorpion Tail tinged with a faint blue light grew out from his tailbone.

Fu Juemin paid it no mind, merely taking a deep breath with a calm expression.

The next moment, the four Fire Centipede Steps on his back stretched to their limit, and the red flames covering his body began to converge on his chest.

Immediately after—

nine crimson points of light shone out from his chest, faintly forming a simple yet brilliant Star Map...

...