Chapter 178: The Summoning Wu Ying Planted the Totem into the Ground

BOOM~

A loud crash echoed, jolting Lian Yun awake from her cultivation at the top of the Zhuque Tower.

The difficulty of upgrading inherited skills is high; even an Excellent-grade skill isn't easy to improve.

Therefore, diligent daily cultivation is essential; relying solely on cultivation chambers and Paradise Points would be a massive drain.

"Has the Chu guy come for me?" Lian Yun's expression shifted, and she immediately rose to flee.

After switching to the Iron Armor Guard faction, she had become a nominal ally of the Provincial Governor's office's Dimensional Adept.

The other was still preparing to rescue Jia Simou from the Ma household; they had just collaborated.

That was the other's scheme: tricking a group of yamen runners and constables into letting Lian Yun control them, using them as tools for assassination.

So the one arriving could only be that Summoning Adept.

"Damn, why did he get here so fast?" Lian Yun cursed under her breath.

In her view, after killing the yamen runners and constables, Chu Danqing would immediately go to Ma Yunfeng to explain.

After all, Ma Yunfeng was his superior; how could Chu Danqing act so recklessly?

Lian Yun assumed Chu Danqing had joined Ma Yunfeng's faction, given his prior behavior clearly leaned that way.

Just as she was about to descend from the top floor of the Zhuque Tower, heavy footsteps and the sound of shattering doors rang out.

She instinctively turned back and saw a burly man enter, his face stern, his frame massive, clad in animal hides.

On his back he carried a pillar, and around him swirled the four elements: earth, water, fire, and wind.

Seeing this, Lian Yun didn't hesitate—she turned and leapt down.

This guy was clearly a hard nut to crack.

She activated her glider for an emergency descent, aiming to escape quickly.

Then she saw the burly man burst out after her.

The worst part? This guy could fly!

He closed the distance at incredible speed, slowly drawing the massive stone pillar from his back and swinging it toward her.

"Wait, I—" Her words were cut short as she was smashed downward.

Her glider shattered on impact; had she not activated her gear's shield skill in time, that pillar would have left her critically injured.

The shield shattered, and she plummeted straight to the ground.

She looked up and saw Chu Danqing standing not far away.

Only Da Bao was beside him; without hesitation, she activated her Charm skill: Dominate Human.

This Excellent-grade skill had a single-race restriction and required an extremely high success threshold.

But if successful, the target would become her puppet.

She usually used this skill on low- to mid-tier natives; rarely on Dimensional Adepts.

Most Adepts were combat types, their stats and gear making success unlikely.

But in her view, Chu Danqing's summons were so powerful that his own strength must be weak.

This was her chance.

The domination from her soul struck with pinpoint precision, sinking into Chu Danqing's body.

【You used Dominate Human on the target. Checking threshold…】

【Threshold failed】

Chu Danqing felt nothing. At first he thought it was a damage skill—he had a shield, King's Castling, and Life Resonance, so he wasn't worried about damage.

Turns out it was a charm skill.

With his stats, he'd have been unable to resist.

But… he had Da Bai inside his mind.

The skill had barely entered when Da Bai swallowed it whole.

A Baojia Xian with the Xiangliu bloodline—those two words together were already abstract; its abilities were even more so.

Outside Chu Danqing, Da Bai was just a paper tiger; wind, sun, or rain could kill it.

But inside Chu Danqing, it stood up straight.

Not just Dominate Human—even soul- or spirit-based attack skills, unless absurdly powerful, were no match for Da Bai.

"Dad, ugh, puke~"

Da Bai tried to say something, but before it could speak, it poked its head out from Chu Danqing's forehead and vomited violently.

It spat out the Dominate Human skill as a greenish energy.

He knew what Da Bai was trying to say—it tasted awful.

Da Bai wasn't spoiled, but its diet had never been lacking.

After all, its food was spiritual energy, directly affecting its cultivation progress; Chu Danqing took it very seriously.

Fortunately, the vomit dissolved quickly, leaving no residue.

"Too hasty," Chu Danqing rubbed his forehead—he hadn't taught Da Bai not to eat random things.

Da Bai saw Dominate Human appear in Chu Danqing's mind and assumed it was his usual feeding.

So it just opened its mouth and swallowed.

Chu Danqing quickly checked on Da Bai, making sure it hadn't eaten something harmful.

On the other side, Lian Yun watched this scene, her entire demeanor turning gray and lifeless.

Her strongest skill spat out by a snake? Was this reasonable?

Actually, it was reasonable. Not only was Da Bai's origin unusual, but Chu Danqing had once used sixty Excellent-grade Pure Yang Glass Incense sticks on it—Da Bao never got such treatment.

Add in Chu Danqing's meticulous cultivation and the Baojia Xian lineage, and if not for its restriction as an auxiliary controller, it would be a frontline combatant.

Lian Yun tried to flee, but before she took two steps, the burly man landed.

The burly man was the Wu Ying summoned by Chu Danqing using the Thousand-Faced Wu Ying Stone and the Yue Lan Totem Pole; in a sense, he too was a Summoning Adept.

After landing, the Yue Lan Wu Ying plunged the totem pole into the ground; the four elements—earth, water, fire, wind—spread rapidly, forming a domain.

Simultaneously, light of the elements glowed on his fists; he lunged forward and smashed his fist into Lian Yun's beautiful face.

Lian Yun was flung backward, but the Yue Lan Wu Ying grabbed her foot and yanked her back.

Chu Danqing watched this, his eye twitching—the Yue Lan Wu Ying was actually an Elemental Summoner, but due to his weapon, his skills had gone slightly off-track.

【Yue Lan · Wu Ying】

【Attributes】

【HP: 100%】

【MP: 4000】

【Strength: 30】

【Agility: 30】

【Vitality: 30】

【Spirit: 28】

【Perception: 28】

【Spirituality: 11】

【Talent】

【Elemental Affinity】

【Skills】

【Four Elements Body Refinement Meditation (Inherited) LV. AX】

【Elemental Summoning Basics LV. AX】

【Elemental Language Basics LV. AX】

【Fist Technique Basics LV. AX】

【Lower Elemental Spirit Summoning (Active) LV. AX】

【Four Elements Fist Combat (Active) LV. AX】

【Equipment】

【Elemental Tribe Totem (Excellent)】

Honestly, when Chu Danqing first saw the Yue Lan Wu Ying, he knew this thing was no ordinary being.

He was indeed a Summoner, communicating with the four elements—earth, water, fire, wind—and summoning elemental spirits to fight.

But because the Yue Lan Totem Pole was such a bizarre weapon, his skills had developed a slight glitch.

The elemental spirits, meant to be the main force, became mere supports.

Plant the totem, let the spirits swirl around him, then swing his fists and smash.

"I used to play games pretending to be a healer, planting a cross on the ground the moment I entered a dungeon."

"Now? Even my summoned Wu Ying plants his totem on the ground."

"I deserve this," Chu Danqing muttered.

Honestly, had he used the original Green Vine Nine-Joint Staff, this absurd situation would never have happened.

The Yue Lan Totem Pole was a Summoning weapon, but its classification wasn't magic-based, so a melee Summoning Wu Ying wasn't entirely unreasonable.

About ten seconds later, Lian Yun was brutally killed by the Yue Lan Wu Ying.

She had no chance to resist.

Mainly because her shields and protective gear and skills were numerous, allowing her to last ten seconds.

He is not skilled in combat, and his trump cards are useless against Chu Danqing; death is only natural.

Lian Yun's path is essentially an extreme version of Chu Danqing's.

Chu Danqing relies on making friends; she similarly thrives by pleasing everyone.

But she never strengthened her own combat power like Chu Danqing did.

And she places too much faith in rules, public opinion, and other intangible methods.

Even natives might break free from the framework, let alone Dimensional Apostles.

Though Chu Danqing's own strength is weak, what's left to discuss if you remove the summoned entities from a summoning system?

Unfortunately, he reclaimed everything into his storage space before dying, leaving Chu Danqing not a single item.

Fortunately, there was some good news: Lian Yun was not a seed figure of any major power, and carried no revenge mark.

Da Bao casually severed the head and kept it to turn in as proof.

"Another fruitless battle," Chu Danqing sighed, feeling only helplessness.

The Paradise's mission? Only if you turn it in.

"Actually, there is one," Gui Yuanmu drifted over and handed Chu Danqing an item: "Gear found in the Zhuque Tower."

Chu Danqing took it and his face lit up: "Good, very good."

It was one of the Nine Tripod Scrolls: the Chaofeng Scroll.

【Chaofeng Scroll · Heavenly Mechanism】

【Type: Equipment · Scroll】

【Quality: Excellent】

【Durability: 100/100】

【Star Path Omen (Passive): Warns of danger within five meters, 10-minute cooldown】

【Punishment of Qi-Seeing (Passive): Each warning consumes 50% of current mana】

【Equipment Requirement: None】

The star map on the scroll formed the shape of a beast standing atop a roof corner — precisely Chaofeng, the dragon's son.

Chu Danqing glanced at the effects and immediately equipped it; even if it was trash, it was at least one more layer of protection.

It's just half your mana consumed.

Compared to your life, it's acceptable.

As long as this passive triggers, Chu Danqing can immediately activate his Guard Summoning skill — assuming he reacts in time.

If danger has reached five meters from him, he's already on the brink; he must call for help.

Otherwise, with the Son of Heaven and Gui Yuanmu beside him, how many of equal level could even get close?

With another scroll of the Nine Tripod Scrolls in hand, his trial mission progress advanced smoothly to (5/9), already past the halfway mark.

He suspected Xuanwu Gate also held one of the Nine Tripod Scrolls; as for the remaining three, he bet Zhao Tiechuan had one.

The other two likely relate to Ma Yunfeng or Chen Jiunan.

If he's wrong, then he guessed wrong.

After finishing up, Chu Danqing waited in place for about half an hour.

Ma Yunfeng arrived with his men, handled the cleanup for Chu Danqing, and delivered bad news.

(End of Chapter)