Volume Two, The Weapon Codex Chapter 135: Uncle and Nephew Turn Swords on Each Other

How could such a creature truly exist in this world? some martial artists blurted out in flat denial, for none of them had ever laid eyes upon a flood dragon.

This was a miraculous beast harboring the potential to transform into a true dragon. Through an immensely long and arduous process of cultivation, it would gradually grow a single horn right above the center of its brow. After a single shedding of its skin, it could evolve into a horned flood dragon capable of summoning wind and rain. When the second horn finally emerged, the flood dragon would achieve ultimate enlightenment and fruitfulness amidst a terrifying heavenly tribulation.

If the Sacred Lord's Palace truly possessed a flood dragon, how could they have been so easily driven out of the Southern Wasteland? The looks of sheer astonishment on the faces of the saintess sisters made it abundantly clear that even they were entirely unaware of the flood dragon's existence.

Zhuge Zeng, observing everything crystal-clear from within the secret chamber, muttered inwardly to himself, "That old bastard is truly not to be trifled with. I had better hurry and activate the Martial Sovereign puppet so I can get out of this place early."

His alliance with the Sacred Lord's Palace was built entirely on mutual exploitation. Once the six crystal spheres before him were filled to the brim, this fragile partnership would come to an end. The Blood Puppetry he commanded held an overwhelming temptation for the Sacred Lord's Palace.

"Brother Zhuge, the situation has changed. We must summon the Martial Sovereign ahead of schedule to save my daughter!" The Sacred Lord stood off to the side, equally witnessing these six glowing crystal spheres, and appeared somewhat impatient.

Others might not know the truth, but he, Zhuge Zeng, knew the Sacred Lord's Palace like the back of his hand. His sect shared an ancient lineage with the Sacred Lord's Palace, and that monster in the water was no flood dragon at all, but rather a spirit beast kept in captivity by an old monster of the Sacred Lord's Palace.

The Sacred Lord's real name was Su Mu. In terms of seniority, he could be considered Zhuge Zeng's nephew, but at this moment, each harbored his own dark designs, leaving not a shred of familial affection between them.

"Brother Su, the vital essence and blood contained within these six crystal spheres are sufficient for the Martial Sovereign to unleash eighty percent of its full might. Dealing with that water monster inside should be as easy as reaching out and taking it. In that case, I shall take my leave as well."

With a grand sweep of his wide sleeves, Zhuge Zeng signaled the Daoist priests to immediately retrieve their respective ritual implements, intending to depart. However, disciples of the Sacred Lord's Palace swiftly blocked the doorway of the secret chamber.

"What is the meaning of this? Could it be that you intend to cross the river and demolish the bridge?" Zhuge Zeng frowned, quietly molding several talisman papers behind his back.

Su Mu wore a smile that didn't reach his eyes as he replied, "Brother Zhuge, as for crossing a river and demolishing the bridge, a grand institution like our Sacred Lord's Palace values its reputation and would never do such a thing. But I must ask you all to remain calm and patient. Please wait until I have dealt with the water monster and met my daughter's prospective husband before you leave!"

Having said that, Su Mu picked up the crystal spheres and turned to leave. Inside another secluded chamber, an iron-skinned puppet, roughly the size of an ordinary human, sat quietly upon a wooden chair.

Known as the ultimate, unshared secret of the Sacred Lord's Palace, the puppet hailed as the Martial Sovereign was rumored to have been left behind by the founding patriarch. Whenever a great calamity struck, it would operate of its own accord to help the Sacred Lord's Palace weather the storm and return to safety.

By the time Su Mu realized that the Martial Sovereign was merely a puppet, the six crystal spheres had already been completely drained. He had gone to great lengths to consult various ancient texts, only to vaguely gather that what was stored inside the crystal spheres was vital essence and blood.

It was not until the appearance of Zhuge Zeng that the mystery which had baffled him for years was finally solved. Blood Puppetry happened to be the exact method used to gather vital essence and blood for the crystal spheres. Knowing nothing of the distant history surrounding the founding patriarch, he foolishly assumed the whole affair was sheer coincidence.

The world was vast and full of wonders; just as the Sacred Lord's Palace could employ puppets, other gifted individuals and strange scholars could do the same. The arrival of Zhuge Zeng had failed to arouse any suspicion in Su Mu.

Having witnessed the terrifying might of Blood Puppetry, Su Mu made a prompt and decisive choice to seize it from Zhuge Zeng's hands, which was why he had grown so eager to command the Martial Sovereign.

The moment he stepped into the secret chamber, he heard a piercing scream echo from the subterranean tunnel, accompanied by a booming crash that shook the entire passageway violently.

Realizing the other party had departed, Zhuge Zeng immediately flung three explosive talismans, blasting the secret chamber door into collapse. At the same time, several streaks of crimson light darted out from behind him. Wherever they passed, the disciples of the Sacred Lord's Palace collapsed to the ground one after another, their faces turning deathly pale as if suffering from severe blood loss.

"Lord Martial Sovereign, for thousands of years you have bestowed your protection upon us. Though the Sacred Lord's Palace has weathered its share of storms, it still stands unshaken to this day. Today, I humbly beseech you to strike and quell this calamity!" Su Mu respectfully cradled the crystal spheres, slotting them into the six recesses behind the Martial Sovereign.

The vital essence and blood within one of the crystal spheres were instantly absorbed into the Martial Sovereign's body. A pair of azure eyes suddenly flared with bright light. Overjoyed, Su Mu hurriedly handed a long spear to the Martial Sovereign.

This weapon possessed neither name nor title. It lacked any record in ancient texts and had never appeared on a single page of the Weapon Codex. Despite years of research, Su Mu had been unable to draw out even a fraction of its power; it was nothing more than an ordinary iron spear, even marred by patches of rust.

Only in the hands of the Martial Sovereign could this iron spear transform into a lethal weapon capable of claiming lives. Without a word, the Martial Sovereign accepted the iron spear with one hand. A subtle fluctuation seemed to ripple through its gaze, though Su Mu failed to notice it.

Reawakened after many years, the Martial Sovereign's instincts remained as sharp as the day it was born. The killing intent released by Zhuge Zeng was instantly locked onto. The iron spear pierced straight through every obstacle standing between them, appearing directly before Zhuge Zeng in the blink of an eye.

The elite disciples of the Sacred Lord's Palace were hunted down and scattered in all directions by the blood puppets. The blood flowing through their veins was entirely devoured by the puppets, and the humanoid puppets covered in red fur emitted a sickening, foul stench.

Had Zhuge Zeng's craftsmanship been truly consummate, this unpleasant odor would never have existed. However, in the desolate Great Wilderness where everyone yearned to beat him like a stray dog, it was exceedingly difficult to acquire the most suitable crafting materials.

After absorbing a vast amount of vital essence and blood, the skin across the Martial Sovereign's entire body grew smooth and lustrous, bearing no resemblance whatsoever to the scrap metal it had appeared to be moments before. Overjoyed at the sight, Zhuge Zeng rapidly formed hand seals with both hands. Countless threads of blood began to emerge from the crystal spheres behind the Martial Sovereign.

"In terms of seniority, you should be calling me Martial Uncle. Yet you actually dared to plot against me—you are truly biting off more than you can chew!" Zhuge Zeng shrieked with laughter, executing a malefic art to envelop the Martial Sovereign in blood threads. Aided by four blood puppets, he began the process of refining the Martial Sovereign.

Little did Su Mu know that Zhuge Zeng was thoroughly acquainted with the inner workings of the Sacred Lord's Palace. Su Mu had originally intended to use the Martial Sovereign to kill Zhuge Zeng and seize the blood puppets to compensate for the destruction of his own puppet army. When defending the roots of the Sacred Lord's Palace in the Southern Wasteland, Su Mu's meticulously crafted puppets had been utterly annihilated. Now left with only a miserable bunch of cripples under his command, he couldn't even defeat the minor Daoist priests accompanying Zhuge Zeng, should he wish to step forward and help.

A puppeteer stripped of their puppets was nothing more than meat upon a chopping board, at the mercy of others. Even with the Martial Sovereign trapped, Su Mu did not dare to step forward.

The cocoon formed by the blood threads thudded rhythmically like a giant heart, pulsing with regular beats. Inside, the Martial Sovereign was struggling fiercely to grip the iron spear with both hands, slowly thrusting it forward.

Every time the tip of the spear collided with the inner wall of the cocoon, Zhuge Zeng felt a severe jolt to his soul and mind. The blood cocoon, condensed from his own vital energy and blood, was directly linked to his fatal acupoints. He had vastly underestimated the Martial Sovereign's strength; believing that the vital essence of at most two crystal spheres would suffice to subdue the sovereign, he now found himself risking his life instead.

Gitting his teeth, Zhuge Zeng altered his hand seals. Three consecutive shattering sounds echoed from behind the Martial Sovereign as the blood cocoon grew drastically thicker, and the Martial Sovereign within finally fell completely still!