Chapter 269: Life and Death Passage
Chapter 269: Life and Death Passage
Night fell, and Gao Jing returned to the wooden house.
His house.
Gao Jing had been away from Shan Yue Village for a long time. This wooden house, built deep within the valley, was still perfectly intact. No weeds grew on the path before its door, and the room inside was spotless.
On the wooden table beside the bed, a strange-shaped clay pot even held a bunch of wildflowers.
Clearly, while he was gone, someone had taken care of this house often. Otherwise, it couldn’t have stayed so neat.
Gao Jing jumped onto the table and lay down on the rosewood bed custom-made for him.
Gazing up at the high ceiling, he felt incredibly relaxed and safe.
Although this wooden house was nowhere near as big or fancy as the house in Qinghe City or the mansion in Blackwater City, only here, only in this home, did Gao Jing feel this way.
He hoped tomorrow’s ritual would succeed!
He silently thought.
He touched the Bronze Anchor on his chest again.
The Viper Serpent corpse was already stored back in his Storage Space. It would be used for the Beast Spirit Fusion ritual tomorrow morning.
Elder Shaman Shan Yan had told Gao Jing that Beast Spirit Fusion held dangers, especially when fusing with a Primordial Aberration like the Viper Serpent.
And this was the first time he had ever conducted this ritual for an Abyss Dweller. He couldn’t guarantee one hundred percent success.
He also couldn’t guarantee complete safety for Gao Jing.
Once the Beast Spirit Fusion ritual began, it could not be forcibly stopped, otherwise, a huge problem would certainly arise.
So the outcome depended entirely on Gao Jing’s own luck.
But Gao Jing didn’t hesitate because of this.
Of course, he could choose a weaker Monster Beast to fuse with instead. But in this world, there was no Monster Beast more suitable for him than the Viper Serpent.
He only had one chance. How could he miss the best opportunity?
Creak~
Just as Gao Jing was deep in thought, the room’s door was pushed open, and Shan Guoer’s head peeked in. “Gao Jing?”
Gao Jing sat up immediately and smiled. “I’m here.”
“I’m here!”
The little girl rushed in happily, throwing herself onto the big bed nearby.
Woof!
Ah Huang leaped onto the bed after her. Both faces crowded near Gao Jing’s.
Just like old times.
Looking at the girl and the dog before him, Gao Jing felt only peaceful happiness. The anxiety and unease in his heart vanished completely!
At Shan Guoer’s request, he told her several stories.
Still stories about knights, princesses, and evil dragons!
Even though Gao Jing made up these stories himself, Shan Guoer, licking her lollipop with one arm around Ah Huang’s neck, listened with great interest, wanting more after each one ended.
Gao Jing didn’t feel the slightest bit impatient.
Because such warm times wouldn’t happen much anymore in the future.
So time passed until late into the night.
Just like before, Shan Guoer slept on the big bed, Gao Jing slept on the small one, and Ah Huang curled up under the table.
That night, he slept incredibly soundly.
Early the next morning, while the little girl, clutching her teddy bear, was still sound asleep, Gao Jing quietly got up and left home. After a quick wash outside, he energetically made his way to the shaman’s wooden house.
Shan Yan was already waiting for him.
Seeing Gao Jing, the Elder Shaman asked solemnly, “Have you decided?”
Gao Jing nodded firmly. “Decided!”
“Good.”
Shan Yan said briskly. “Stand here. Take out the Viper Serpent.”
Gao Jing stood on the spot indicated by the Elder Shaman. Simultaneously, he retrieved the Viper Serpent corpse once more from his Storage Space.
He removed his clothes and armor, placing all his other gear, except for the Bronze Anchor, into his Storage Space.
He awaited the start of the Beast Spirit Fusion ritual!
At Gao Jing’s feet, the shamanic array for the ritual was laid out. Elder Shaman Shan Yan coiled the seven or eight meters long Viper Serpent around Gao Jing in three circles. The snake’s head reared up, facing his face.
Shan Yan shut the large door and raised his Staff before the array.
“It begins.”
He said in a low voice. His withered lips moved, murmuring incomprehensible and weird ancient words.
The words seemed to come from primordial times, carrying an indescribable depth and mystery, resonating strangely with the world around him.
An invisible force emanated from the old shaman’s body, spreading outwards slowly, creating a strange resonance with the shamanic array under Gao Jing’s feet.
Beams of white light shot up from the ground, countless Totemic Runes appearing out of thin air.
They whirled swiftly around Gao Jing and the Viper Serpent!
Roar~
With a deep, low growl, a tiny Viper Serpent appeared above the snake’s head.
It was only twenty or thirty centimeters long, its scales complete and lifelike, its wide eyes blazing as it roared with unwilling fury.
The Viper Serpent Beast Spirit!
Controlled by an invisible force, this translucent Beast Spirit floated up, its body swelling as it struggled.
It grew until it stood eye-to-eye with Gao Jing.
Gao Jing locked eyes with the Viper Serpent spirit. The spirit’s eyes held an extremely complicated look.
Anger, despair, pain, resentment, and… a hint of release!
The next instant, it lunged straight at Gao Jing!
Instantly merging with Gao Jing into one!
Even though Gao Jing was prepared, he still grunted in pain, veins bulging on his forehead.
Following Elder Shaman Shan Yan’s earlier instructions, he immediately urged his Totemic Power, triggering the Titan Totem tattooed on his back.
Gao Jing’s body suddenly expanded fiercely. His bones made crisp cracking sounds as his height shot up rapidly. In the blink of an eye, he transformed into a Giant around seven or eight meters tall!
His strength and toughness increased immensely.
But the Viper Serpent spirit now merged within him still caused Gao Jing immense agony.
He felt as if his entire body were being crushed in a huge grindstone. Every inch of muscle and bone felt ground to dust. Power surged wildly inside him, threatening to burst.
This pain was more than any ordinary person could withstand. Relying entirely on immense willpower and the mental fortitude cultivated to the Triple Mountain level of his Spiritual Soul, Gao Jing forced himself to endure through the hardest moments.
Normally, once he withstood this backlash from the Viper Serpent spirit, he would successfully fuse the Beast Spirit.
Become a true Great Totem Warrior!
And just as Gao Jing thought he was about to make it through the danger…
Something strange happened at his feet.
The Viper Serpent coiled around him suddenly burst into crimson flames. Blazing, it began to writhe and rise, wrapping itself tightly around Gao Jing!
Its speed was incredibly fast. Besides, Gao Jing was still battling the spirit inside him. By the time he sensed something was wrong, it was too late to dodge. It wrapped around him solidly, completely trapping him so he couldn’t move!
This sudden development also shocked Shan Yan outside the array.
He had conducted Beast Spirit Fusions for others many times, but he had never witnessed a Monster Beast corpse “come alive” like this.
Most crucially, Gao Jing was at the absolute peak moment of fusion. There was no room left for Shan Yan to interfere.
All the old Shaman could do was watch, silently praying for the protection of the Shan Yue ancestors upon Gao Jing.
Reach the other side of this Life and Death Passage!