Chapter 476 – The Fourth Layer of the Ox Demon, to Never Admit Defea (2/2)

Xiao An settled down on one side and took out Bloodshadow’s daemon core that reeked of blood. She sniffed it gently, and the heavy, sanguine smell left her extremely satisfied. It was the perfect material for refining the Blood Sea Banner.

After a moment of consideration, she stowed the blood daemon core away again and took out the Skull Prayer Beads. The level after eighteen prayer beads was twenty-one. She was only off by three.

Time passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, almost a month had gone by.

Li Qingshan’s belly had completely turned back to normal. His iron hooves were planted deeply into the ground as he grabbed the ground firmly with his claws. His spine arched like a mountain as he butted his horns upwards forcefully.

Standing upright between heaven and earth with an indomitable spirit!

Although his vigour was still nowhere close, his bearing was extremely similar to what he had seen in the past from the ox demon’s figure in his sea of consciousness.

There were no unnecessary movements. He no longer swung his arms and feet around. He even stopped using the Ox Demon Stamps its Hooves, the Ox Demon Forges its Hide, and the Ox Demon Butts its Horns. He simply stood there without moving, just like a statue.

However, a sense of power filled the absolute stillness, like a great bow that had been fully drawn. His muscles were stretched and expanded to the limit, even tougher than rock or steel.

But under the cold, hard skin, his blood surged and his soul burned, without resting for even the slightest moment.

His scarlet pupils flickered with red light. Although the upper half of his body still remained mostly humanoid, no one standing there would connect him with the word “human”.

The effect of the pills he had swallowed in one gulp had completely kicked in, but this time, the Ox Demon Transformation that had always been the easiest to practise became especially difficult.

“It’s still not enough. Something is still missing! Pills? No! What is it?”

Li Qingshan was dripping with sweat as two white clouds of scorching steam sprayed out from his nostrils. The medicinal effects began to wear off.

The Ox Demon, with its Great Strength, Sinks in the Mud!

The ominous mantra appeared in Li Qingshan’s heart again. He deeply comprehended a sense of sombreness like a hero at the end of their path, a form of helplessness like great strength that could not be used.

However, there seemed to be something else among all this. The ox demon’s figure appeared in his sea of consciousness once more.

He stared at the figure for a long time and suddenly developed a sense of doubt.

Why? It clearly knew it was stuck deep within the mud, so why did it still struggle? Wouldn’t it sink even deeper the more it struggled? It had already tried everything it could, and since it did not work, why not stop and take a break? Why did it continue to torture itself painfully?

In the past, the Hegemon King of Chu lost the Battle of Gaixia. As he listened to the lamenting songs of Chu all around, he said, “My strength plucked up the hills, My might shadowed the world; But the times were against me, And Zhui runs no more; When Zhui runs no more, What then can I do? Ah, Yu, my Yu, What will your fate be?” Afterwards, although he managed to break out of the encirclement of the Han army, fleeing to the banks of Wu river, he sighed to himself. “I have no face to return and see the elders of Jiangdong.” before slitting his own throat. He became the classic example of a hero at the end of his path, leaving behind a heroic lament passed down and sung throughout the ages.

TL: This basically refers to the downfall of the Hegemon King of Chu, Xiang Yu, right before the founding of the Han dynasty. You can read more about it here:

Li Qingshan had learnt this poem from the textbooks of his past life, but there had been a similar example. Thousands of years later, there was another marshal who had been surrounded by the enemy army who also left behind a seven-word poem, printed in his textbook. It remained as a clear memory to Li Qingshan.

So what if I lose my head today? Pioneering has never been easy, riddled with battles. Off I go to the underworld to call upon my fallen comrade in arms, ten thousand we stand to slay the king of hell!

TL: This is a poem by a Chinese communist army commander, Chen Yi, when he was surrounded by the enemy and thought he was done for in 1936.

The heroic bearing of facing death unflinchingly even surpassed the Hegemon King of Chu who blamed everything but himself and refused to return to Jiangdong.

As these thoughts flashed through his head, only an instant had passed in reality.

“I understand!”

The red light in Li Qingshan’s eyes suddenly flashed, like firelight. Afterwards, when he looked at the ox demon’s figure, he saw something different.

He saw the ox demon enduring and persisting with its extraordinary endurance. Even if it was all to no avail, even if fate had predestined it and destiny could not be changed, it would never give up, fighting to the end.

It could be destroyed, but it would never be defeated!

The flickering light in Li Qingshan’s eyes gradually settled down, and the streams of air from his nostrils eased up as if he could remain like that for a century, for a millennium.

Suddenly, the same forceful and vigorous bearing as the ox demon’s figure began to radiate from his body!

He had reached the fourth layer of the Ox Demon Transformation!

Li Qingshan’s body gradually turned back to normal. Unlike the past, he did not ravish with joy, nor was he in a hurry to test how much his strength had increased by.