SECTION 55: Swamp Oil Toad
By Gu Zhenren
February 9, 2013
Yu Ya frowned and asked doubtfully, “I know this Overlord Flower, it’s Zhong Qi’s Demonic Plant. If it’s here, where is Zhong Qi?”
“There should be a clue on the Gem Secret Passage.” The four circumvented the sleeping Lava Overlord Flower and arrived at the yellow gem secret passage.
The text displayed on the secret passage was also directed at Yu Ya. The words were rough and arrogant, filled with insults. Yu Ya was instructed to take the prepared Frenzied Pill, then subdue this Lava Overlord Flower, and use it to forge the materials he had just selected. Only when the forged result was satisfactory could he pass through the Gem Secret Passage.
“This Zhong Qi is truly audacious. One trial is not enough, and now a second. Does he really think he’s so great?” Yan Que pouted, clearly unimpressed by the words displayed on the secret passage.
“Look at his smug arrogance, it’s infuriating!” Jin Bihan gritted her teeth.
“Frenzied Pill? You want Uncle Yu Ya to take a Frenzied Pill?” Chu Yun furrowed his brow. He was beginning to understand Zhong Qi’s intentions. He whispered, “I think I understand. In Zhong Qi’s eyes, Yu Ya has become his obsession. He abandoned his original Demonic Plant to bid farewell to his past. By setting up the Frenzied Pill to boost Uncle Yu Ya’s strength, he wants to defeat him completely, eliminate his inner demons, and achieve complete clarity of mind.”
“Alas! You can know a man’s face but not his heart. I never thought Zhong Qi hated me so much. To be honest, I can’t understand it. We often drank together, and he even encouraged me to cheer up. Before all this happened, I considered him a close friend.” Yu Ya picked up the Frenzied Pill and swallowed it in one gulp.
“Uncle…” Chu Yun couldn’t stop him in time.
“It’s alright. I want to meet Zhong Qi and understand the grievances from this incident! Before that, please lend me a hand.” Master Yu Ya gritted his teeth, his eyes gradually turning red, and his body began to swell slightly. This was the Frenzied Pill taking effect.
“So be it.” Chu Yun nodded, but his heart was heavy. Master Yu Ya already had old injuries, and taking the Frenzied Pill now would cause even greater harm to his body due to the side effects. However, Chu Yun knew he couldn’t stop Yu Ya; this was a matter of a man’s pride.
The battle didn’t last long. While the Lava Overlord Flower possessed the cultivation of a 600-year Great Demon, it had almost no Dao Methods for combat.
This was not surprising. This Demonic Plant originally belonged to Zhong Qi, and most of the Dao Methods it used were for Weapon Forging. However, Zhong Qi had now abandoned this Lava Overlord Flower, turning it into a wild Demonic Plant. It was suppressed by Chu Yun and the other two, and finally subdued by Yu Ya.
Next, Yu Ya began to forge a Demonic Weapon using the Lava Overlord Flower.
He placed all the previous materials into the heart of the flower, forming hand seals with his hands. The shadows of his hands flew, stable and precise.
The petals of the Demonic Plant curled inward, forming a giant bud. As Yu Ya continuously performed Weapon Forging hand seals, the bud grew increasingly swollen, and the sound of boiling lava emanating from within grew stronger.
Finally, when the Overlord Flower bloomed again, releasing steam, a dagger flew out.
This dagger was a vibrant green, resembling an exquisite piece of craftsmanship, utterly devoid of killing intent, like an enlarged willow leaf.
Once the willow leaf dagger cooled, Master Yu Ya held it and approached the yellow gem secret passage.
Having consumed the Frenzied Pill, his strength was comparable to his peak period. Naturally, the forged willow leaf dagger would pass.
A golden light flashed, and a yellow vortex formed within the gem secret passage.
The four passed through the yellow gem secret passage again, arriving in another hall.
The layout was identical to the previous hall.
There was a similarly shaped alchemy furnace and another gem secret passage. Before the gem secret passage, a sleeping Demonic Beast was crouched.
“Swamp Oil Toad, this was also a Demonic Beast Zhong Qi used to employ.” Yu Ya sighed. Suddenly, his vision blurred, and he stumbled, almost falling down.
“The effects of the Frenzied Pill are wearing off.” Yu Ya gritted his teeth and checked the alchemy furnace, indeed finding another Frenzied Pill. Without a word, he swallowed it.
The same pill would have a progressively weaker effect. The second Frenzied Pill was naturally less potent than the first. Fortunately, Yu Ya’s spirit surged once more, his strength became boundless, and it continued without end.
The inscription on the green gem secret passage this time was similar to the previous ones. It instructed Yu Ya to take the Frenzied Pill, subdue the sleeping Demonic Beast in the hall, and use it to temper a Demonic Weapon. Only by passing the gem secret passage would he be qualified to enter the next location.
The Swamp Oil Toad was as large as a millstone. Its belly was distended, and it croaked, clearly a toad Demonic Beast. Its entire body was black, with only its eyes the color of pale amber. Its broad back was slick with oil, and bubbles formed and burst on its surface.
With the help of Chu Yun and the others, Yu Ya subdued it and made it his own.
“Black Swamp Oil Dragon Tempering Technique!” Master Yu Ya shouted, tossing the previously forged emerald green willow leaf dagger into the air.
The Swamp Oil Toad croaked twice, its cheeks bulging. After a moment of brewing, it suddenly spewed a pillar-like black oil.
The black oil immediately transformed into a black swimming dragon in the air. Its head was held high, its body glistened with oil, and its tail was a continuous stream of black oil spewing from the toad’s mouth. At first glance, it seemed as if the Swamp Oil Toad was holding the tail of a black dragon.
The black dragon let out a roar, stirring up waves of sound and emanating a powerful aura. Then, it opened its massive maw and swallowed the willow leaf dagger.
The black dragon continuously circled and soared in the air, while Master Yu Ya repeatedly formed intricate Weapon Forging hand seals. He gritted his teeth and persevered, his body swaying precariously, his face as pale as paper, and sweat beading on his forehead.
The others remained silent, captivated by the spectacle.
Yu Ya’s strength had now reached its peak. Master-level Weapon Forging was typically kept secret. The opportunity to witness it firsthand was incredibly rare.
“Forging a Demonic Weapon is divided into four stages: selecting materials, forging, tempering, and awakening. Master Yu Ya is currently using what appears to be a rarely seen oil tempering technique. Truly a master’s craftsmanship,” Yan Que said with admiration.
Jin Bihan’s eyes were sharp, fixed on the oil dragon.
Chu Yun also forgot to speak. Yu Ya’s strength was indeed at the master level. Unfortunately, this was merely a fleeting moment. Once the effects of the Frenzied Pill wore off, he would be severely injured, his strength would decline further, and he would require extensive care afterward to avoid lifelong sequelae.
The black oil dragon, magnificent and extraordinary, writhed in the air. A faint green light could be seen flickering within it, slowly descending from the dragon’s mouth, passing through its body, and reaching its tail. Finally, it entered the toad’s mouth.
*Bang!*
With a muffled thud, the black oil dragon exploded amidst the astonished gazes of the onlookers, forming oil droplets that rained down. As everyone dodged, Master Yu Ya reached into the Swamp Oil Toad’s mouth and retrieved the willow leaf dagger.
The willow leaf dagger, after being tempered, glowed with a vibrant green light. It was clearly an extraordinary item that captured everyone’s attention.
A realization dawned upon Chu Yun: “Selecting materials, forging, tempering, and awakening. Only awakening remains. After the red gem secret passage, it should be the final hurdle.”
Passing through the green gem secret passage, the four arrived at yet another hall.
On the opposite wall, a ruby secret passage was embedded. On a stone table before the passage lay a Demonic Weapon.
This was a Mind Mirror, seemingly prepared by Zhong Qi for Yu Ya to use for awakening.
In addition to this, a similarly shaped alchemy furnace was present. Upon inspection, there were six pills inside.
After consuming the third pill, Yu Ya’s spirit surged, and a warmth spread through his body, causing him to exhale a relaxed breath. It felt like regaining lost stamina after strenuous exercise.
Subduing the Mind Mirror, he officially began the awakening process for the willow leaf dagger.
Demonic Weapons were different from Demonic Beasts and Demonic Plants. The latter were creations of nature, born and raised by the elements, while the former were crafted by human hands.
In the history of Monster Tamers, the development of Demonic Weapons lagged far behind that of Demonic Beasts and Demonic Plants. It took a long time for humans to discover that items meticulously crafted, used for extended periods, and imbued with human emotions had a high chance of becoming Demonic Weapons.
As development progressed, humans were able to consciously forge Demonic Weapons. Selecting materials, forging, and tempering were for carefully constructing the body of the Demonic Weapon; awakening was for infusing it with emotion, using emotion to awaken its spirit from nothingness.
Therefore, awakening was the paramount and most crucial step. Awakening was difficult yet simple. The key was the depth and authenticity of the emotions the Weapon Forger imbued into the Demonic Weapon.
Master Yu Ya held the Mind Mirror, channeling his hatred, unwillingness, and confusion towards Zhong Qi into a pure white beam of light through the Dao Method within the mirror, focusing it onto the willow leaf dagger.
The willow leaf dagger began to emit a green fluorescence, but it quickly dimmed. The beam of light dissipated, and Master Yu Ya stumbled back two steps, dejected. The Mind Mirror in his hand clattered to the ground.
“Heh heh heh.” After a moment of despair, he threw his head back and let out a bitter laugh. “1 still can’t completely hate Zhong Qi. Every time I try to hate him a little more, I’m reminded of him drinking heartily, slapping his chest and calling us brothers, and him talking with such ambition about his dream of becoming the greatest Weapon Forger in the world.”
Yu Ya’s hands clenched and relaxed intermittently, displaying his extremely complex inner turmoil.
“Master Yu Ya, you truly are… alas, someone like Zhong Qi…” Yan Que said indignantly, unable to believe that at the final hurdle, the awakening had failed.
It couldn’t be considered a complete failure. The willow leaf dagger had acquired a spirit, but it was thin, thus possessing only Middle-grade potential. It did not meet the “High-grade potential” requirement on the ruby secret passage.
