Chapter 132, Volume 3: The Three Strikes of the Enigmatic Dragon

The Earth Bear was far stronger than him; even if he gave his all, it was difficult to inflict any injury. Thus, Yu Mu could freely put into practice the staff techniques he had just mastered, allowing him to become more proficient much faster.

As his skill increased, Yu Mu fought with greater delight, his moves growing ever more fluid.

With Yu Mu’s staff techniques combined with the power of the Jadewood Staff—a spiritual weapon—it was enough to pose a threat to a cultivator of Earth Bear’s level. Consequently, Earth Bear dared not take him lightly and had unconsciously exerted eighty percent of his strength.

Their battle grew increasingly intense. Yu Mu rolled on the ground like a ball, evading attacks with a seemingly untouchable agility. Yet each strike from this rolling sphere was unpredictable and unstoppable.

“Now!” Yu Mu suddenly thrust out his staff amid his roll, unleashing a radiant staff aura that shot forth like a dragon. It was the precise strike from his “Guard and Strike” move.

“A fine ‘Coiling Dragon’ posture—defensive yet offensive, catching the opponent off guard. Excellent!” Earth Bear loudly praised. The move was too forceful for him to block head-on, but Yu Mu had already sealed off his left and right flanks with the momentum of his staff, forcing Earth Bear to leap upward swiftly.

*Puff!* The staff aura pierced through a stone pillar behind Earth Bear.

Still airborne and unsteady, Earth Bear was met by a barrage of staff shadows. Helpless, he had no choice but to continue ascending.

*Smack!* The staff’s force was like a thousand pounds, sweeping against the massive pillar.

“Haha, this staff truly possesses the might to shake the earth—impressive!” Earth Bear laughed heartily.

With his opponent pressed into the perfect position, Yu Mu prepared to unleash his final strike. Suddenly, a rumble echoed as cracks appeared on the stone pillar. The entire hall trembled as if struck by an earthquake.

Yu Mu froze in fear, refusing to move.

Earth Bear’s face paled as well. If the pillar truly broke, the hall would collapse, and none of the three would escape alive.

Earth Bear slowly descended and examined the pillar closely. “That was close. If you had struck any harder, it would have truly snapped. But it seems to hold for now.”

Relieved, the three approached the pillar. Tracing the point where Yu Mu’s staff had pierced, a crack stretched dangerously close to breaking through.

Earth Bear turned with a broad smile. “Brother Yu, your three moves indeed pack extraordinary power—definitely worthy of being called a spirit-level technique. It’s just a pity you have so few moves. All my fault for being reckless! Ah…”

Seeing Earth Bear’s apologetic expression, Yu Mu hurriedly replied, “Brother Earth Bear, with my talent, just mastering these three moves is already a great blessing. If there were more, I’d be completely lost—not even able to grasp one properly.”

Then, shifting tone, he said, “Brother Earth Bear, with your wide experience, please help me name these three moves.”

Earth Bear understood Yu Mu’s intent and played along smoothly. “Alright! Since you trust me, I’ll give it a try. I see the majestic power of dragons in all three moves. This place reveres the dragon as its totem, and given its mysterious, legendary tale, why not call it the ‘Mystic Dragon Triple Staff’?”

“Excellent—the Mystic Dragon Triple Staff!” Not only Yu Mu but even An Shu admired the grandeur of the name.

“What about the individual moves?” An Shu eagerly asked.

“Earthshaking, Groundshattering, Coiling Dragon!”

“Good!” Earth Bear had spoken these names instinctively—they perfectly conveyed the essence and spirit of the moves.

Yu Mu was delighted, but the place was no longer safe. Although the pillar would not break immediately, they could not linger.

Before leaving, Yu Mu bowed respectfully three times before the stone coffin, expressing his gratitude for the teachings passed down.

As they prepared to depart, Yu Mu suddenly exclaimed, “Wait—something’s strange here!”

An Shu and Earth Bear immediately followed his gaze. Yu Mu was fixated on the hands that had been pressing against the scroll earlier.

Earth Bear frowned. “What’s strange? I don’t see anything unusual.”

An Shu nodded in agreement. “Neither do I.”

But Yu Mu pointed at the hands. “Look, why is there no white hair growing on them?”

Both looked at him as if he were overreacting. An Shu retorted, “Why would white hair grow on hands? Maybe some hands just don’t grow white hair. Have you ever seen a corpse’s hands sprout white hair?”

Yu Mu shook his head. Not on the hands or anywhere else. His knowledge about white hair growing on corpses came only from books. Still, he felt something was off.

Ignoring their protests, he gently pried the overlapping hands apart. All three were astonished to find a green ring on the hand beneath.

Yu Mu took off the ring and examined it closely.

It was carved from a solid piece of jade, smooth and lustrous without a speck of impurity. The front bore a relief of two dragons playing with a pearl, identical to the pattern on the stone steps.

Curious, Yu Mu slipped the ring onto his finger and infused it with spiritual energy.

There was no significant reaction—only a faint green glow from the pearl that the dragons played with, lacking any destructive power.

It looked like a simple laser pointer.

“What is this for?”

The three were puzzled. If it were a magical artifact, it had no magical power; but if it wasn’t, it still absorbed spiritual energy. Strange indeed.

Yu Mu glanced between the ring’s pattern and the identical design on the steps, then a thought struck him.

He moved to the steps and directed the ring’s green glow at the pearl carved there.

Suddenly, the pearl on the step flickered with green light, followed by a tremendous rumbling sound. The giant stone statue’s spear in its hand slowly lowered, pointing forward.

At the same time, the pearl cracked open from the center, the two dragons parting to the left and right. The totem at the center of the steps began to open like two doors.

*Clatter, clatter*—a cascade of treasures poured forth from the split stone steps.

The three simultaneously froze as statues.

“This is too outrageous! How much could all this be worth?”

“Hahaha!” They burst into wild laughter, immediately diving into the treasure piles, tossing the riches into the air with delight.

The treasure pile kept shifting as more riches spilled out from the stairs.

“This step must be connected to the giant statue,” An Shu exclaimed.

Listening carefully, they could hear the sound of something flowing inside the statue.

“Wow—this is a fortune beyond belief! How much treasure can this giant statue hold?” The three were dumbfounded by the vast hoard—wealth enough to amass a country’s fortune.

“Ah! It’s a Water Spirit Orb!” An Shu suddenly cried out, pulling from the treasure a fist-sized orb.

It was the very pearl that had fallen from the two dragons’ play.

The orb was crystal clear, its water essence seemingly already sentient, faintly displaying emotional fluctuations. Held in An Shu’s hand, it emitted a joyful aura.

“Wow—a spirit tool!” An Shu’s eyes curved into crescents as she cherished the orb, playing with it gleefully.

Attribute spirit orbs were common magical devices, standard equipment for most cultivators. An Shu herself had one, though only a low-grade artifact.

The Water Spirit Orb’s main functions were to purify elemental concentration and store spiritual energy; it could also be used as a weapon or to hold water. Yu Mu and the others had used one to draw water from the river during their journey.

These devices were difficult to refine directly into spirit tools. The spiritual energy had to be carefully nurtured for them to awaken.

They were among the few magical implements capable of growth, but developing one into a true spirit tool required immense time and effort; thus, they were extremely rare. Except by killing or theft, it was nearly impossible to acquire one from outside sources.

Yet this Water Spirit Orb was different—it seemed naturally formed, not man-made, more akin to an innate spirit tool.

The others secretly envied An Shu’s good fortune.

As a trigger for the treasure mechanism, it had to be extraordinary, and they were happy for her.

An Shu’s discovery of her prized treasure also ignited the other two’s desire to seek more.

They began rummaging through the treasure. Soon, Earth Bear shouted in excitement. Yu Mu looked over to see him holding a pair of ancient bronze gloves.

Yu Mu examined them closely and said, “Brother Earth Bear, though these gloves suit your cultivation style, they are metal-attribute spirit tools, which don’t align well with your elemental affinity. Won’t they be awkward to use?”