Rock Crab

Now that my new weapon was complete, I tested it in various ways. Among those tests, when I used the secret techniques of the Broadsword Fox-Flame Technique—Fox-Flame, Yang Fox-Flame, and White Flame—with the Lightning Topaz Spear, it felt as though their power was being dispersed. I thought this was because some of the qi flowed into the Lightning Topaz and was converted into lightning power.

Therefore, I tested whether their power truly decreased. I compared attacks against tree trunks using Yang Fox-Flame with the Demon Spider Greatsword and Serpent-Goat Broadsword against an attack using Yang Fox-Flame with the Lightning Topaz Spear. As a result, the Lightning Topaz Spear had the greatest cutting power, followed by the Serpent-Goat Broadsword, with the Demon Spider Greatsword coming last.

When I informed Elder Min of the results and asked for her opinion, she explained that weapons conducted qi more effectively and produced greater power the heavier they were. However, she said my impression that the power was being dispersed was also correct. She told me that if I used Yang Fox-Flame with a Supreme Silver weapon that had no jewel core, its cutting power would be even greater.

Furthermore, an attack called “Lightning Scorch,” which was performed by consciously channeling Floating Yang Qi into the Lightning Topaz, was apparently tremendously powerful. Since it could only be performed with the Lightning Topaz Spear, it could not be called a secret technique, but the attack was supposedly effective against demonic beasts with high defensive strength.

I prepared to enter the demon realm.

“Senior Brother Kou, where are you going?”

Just as I finished preparing and was about to leave for the demon realm, Haoxuen and Seiran called out to me. It appeared they were also heading somewhere.

“I’m going into the demon realm to test my new weapon.”

“We were also planning to go into the demon realm. Let’s go together.”

Haoxuen spoke happily, so I decided to accompany them. I hesitated over where to go before heading north. The Demon Riot Grassland lay to the north, and Crystal North Lake was beyond it.

After descending into the demon realm, we headed north, entered the Demon Riot Grassland, and proceeded deeper inside. There was a grove farther in where Sword-Leg Spiders had settled.

“Are we hunting Sword-Leg Spiders today?”

Seiran asked.

“No. Today, I’m planning to test this weapon’s power against the Rock Crabs living in Crystal North Lake.”

I lightly tapped the Lightning Topaz Sword secured behind my waist.

“Rock Crabs? What kind of demonic beasts are they?”

When Haoxuen asked, I explained the Rock Crabs to him. Rock Crabs were enormous crabs about three meters wide that lived northwest of Crystal North Lake. These demonic beasts were not fast, so their pincer attacks were not frightening. They could easily be avoided.

However, they were so tough that one might think they were made of stone, making them difficult to kill.

“Why Rock Crabs?”

“I heard their legs are incredibly delicious, but I’ve never eaten them before.”

Haoxuen and Seiran tilted their heads at my words. Since neither of them had ever seen the ocean, they had never eaten crab and apparently could not imagine what it tasted like.

“I’ve seen small river crabs before, but are things like that really delicious?”

Seiran asked.

“I’ll kill one, so you should try it.”

“Thank you. We’ll help carry it.”

We arrived at Crystal North Lake and proceeded clockwise toward the Rock Crabs’ habitat. As we slowly walked around the lake, we saw Blue-Feather Crows flying overhead. They were diving toward small fish swimming in the shallows.

We encountered Piercing Wolves and Fang Rabbits, but Haoxuen and Seiran scattered them. Once we reached our destination, we searched for Rock Crabs from the lakeshore. We found one immediately. Something resembling a huge boulder was moving through the shallows.

“That’s a rock.”

Haoxuen said so. It truly looked like one. The Rock Crab noticed us and began approaching. Although it was partly because it was in the water, its movement speed was not very fast. I set my pack on the ground.

As it approached the shore, the Rock Crab’s entire body gradually came into view. Its legs appeared to be more than a meter long. I waited with the assembled Lightning Topaz Spear in hand and had Haoxuen and Seiran move back.

The Rock Crab approached while clacking its enormous pincers. I circulated Floating Yang Qi and Heavy Yin Qi through my body, enhancing my physical abilities. Once it came close, the Rock Crab thrust out a huge pincer and tried to seize me. I evaded it and struck the Rock Crab with Yang Fox-Flame using Floating Yang Qi.

Flames erupted from the Lightning Topaz Spear’s blade as sparks from an electrical discharge scattered at the same time. The blade tore through the Rock Crab’s shell before stopping after sinking about twelve centimeters. At that moment, I saw the Rock Crab’s entire body convulse. The lightning power appeared to be working effectively.

I attacked the immobilized Rock Crab with Yang Fox-Flame. After severing the bases of both pincers, I channeled a large amount of Floating Yang Qi into the Lightning Topaz and used Lightning Scorch.

A violent shower of electrical sparks erupted from the tip of the Lightning Topaz Spear, and the moment it struck the Rock Crab’s head, a thunderous boom echoed as though lightning had fallen. The blade of the Lightning Topaz Spear had sunk into the fallen Rock Crab’s head, and the surrounding area was scorched.

Seiran and Haoxuen stared at it with wide eyes in astonishment.

“Whoa! What was that?!”

“W-was that the power of your new weapon?”

The two appeared thoroughly shocked.

Seiran said he wanted to test Yang Fox-Flame with the Demon Spider Greatsword. Apparently, he wanted to compare them because this alone did not reveal how tough the Rock Crab truly was. When I gave permission, he really did strike the Rock Crab’s shell with the Demon Spider Greatsword using Yang Fox-Flame.

The blade sank about seven centimeters into the shell before stopping.

“Ugh, the Rock Crab’s shell is hard. The Lightning Topaz Spear really is sharper.”

“That is probably the difference between a Supreme Silver weapon and the Demon Spider Greatsword. Supreme Silver conducts qi better.”

I relayed what Elder Min had told me to the two of them.

We dismantled the Rock Crab and decided to take back its eight legs, the contents of its shell, and part of the shell itself. Naturally, I could not carry everything alone, so Haoxuen and Seiran helped. We placed the contents of the shell into a jar I had brought inside my pack.

After returning to Gyorei Cave, I gave three legs to the outer disciples at Wallside Hall. We brought the rest to the Main Hall dining hall and had it cooked. Two dishes were prepared: Rock Crab legs boiled in saltwater, and a stew made with crab innards and potatoes. The stew was seasoned with soy sauce, salt, and wine.

For some reason, the inner disciples began gathering. Word that we had brought Rock Crab ingredients into the dining hall spread with incredible speed. Not only the inner disciples, but Elder Shanshi, Elder Mon, and even Elder Min came to the dining hall.

“Kou, I heard you killed a Rock Crab. Did you defeat it with the Lightning Topaz Spear?”

Elder Min asked for confirmation.

“Yes. I killed it with a Lightning Scorch.”

I served the Rock Crab dishes to the elders and the inner disciples who had gathered in the dining hall.

Haoxuen and Seiran, who were eating crab meat for the first time, trembled at how delicious it was.

“It’s delicious. I never imagined it would taste this good.”

Haoxuen spoke with an enraptured expression. Seiran single-mindedly ate the meat from the salt-boiled legs and the stew.

Elder Shanshi raised his voice after eating the crab innards and potato stew.

“This is irresistible. Bring the wine from my room.”

He sent one of his direct disciples to retrieve it. Elder Mon watched with a smile. Elder Mon also ate a crab leg and nodded approvingly. Elder Min slowly savored the crab innards and potato stew.

“Whoa, this is delicious.”

“So crab tastes this good.”

Voices also rose among the inner disciples. It appeared many of them were eating crab for the first time. Although this was also my first time eating Rock Crab, I compared it with the crab dishes I had eaten in my previous life. The Rock Crab seemed to have a richer flavor.