"The Divine Gaia Golem…" Hong Yao Yao hissed under her breath. "Normally a spirit beast of such power would be more than qualified to serve as the Guardian of a ruin like this. To think it isn't even the boss monster, but the one leading to it. If we have trouble taking this Divine Gaia Golem down, I dread to think how we will fare against the actual boss spirit beast of Mount Sunset…"
"Is this even counted as a spirit beast?" He Shan Jie asked skeptically. "Even with such a magnitude of power, the Divine Gaia Golem should still only be a spirit puppet."
"Who cares what it is?" Chi Yan snapped, already launching a lotus-shaped flame that the Divine Gaia Golem batted aside with astonishing ease. He clicked his tongue, though he looked a little pleased to see that his lotus flames or essence flames had scorched the lumbering golem's arm, turning the once brown surface a charred black. "We just need to destroy it, whatever it is."
"Actually…" I raised my bow and fired a black arrow that struck the Divine Gaia Golem's head and detonated violently. There wasn't much damage done, but the impact of the explosion managed to rock the titan back, almost sending it crashing onto its back. Chi Yan seized the chance to ram his black broadsword against its midriff, causing it to finally topple over. I wasn't worried that he would ddestroy the sturdy and highly durable golem, so I continued. "Like I said, this is a great chance for us. It's a spirit puppet, so we should capture it."
"What?" Chi Yan turned to gape at me. I just nodded at He Shan Jie.
"If I remember correctly, brother Shan Jie lost his earth golem the last time we went on a raid. This Divine Gaia Golem will be perfect for him."
"That's…" He Shan Jie gaped at me. "I mean, I don't know what to say…"
"I agree," Hong Yao Yao said, surprising everyone. She nodded, raising her folded fan before sending a swarm of crimson butterflies to blot out the gargantuan golem's sight. Not that it had any eyes so I didn't know if the pink-haired girl was successful in obscuring its vision. "This will be a powerful replacement. It'll definitely be an enormous enhancement to your strength."
"But…it's too dangerous. How are we going to capture it?" He Shan Jie was the one who was protesting. I didn't blame him. He probably didn't want us to take such an immense risk and put ourselves in danger just for his own benefit. He felt guilty, as I would if I was in his place.
"Don't worry, we'll think of something," Lan Bei Er assured him, conjuring a barrier to protect both him and Chi Yan when the Divine Gaia Golem kicked out with one of its legs and almost struck the two Elemental Mountain Sect disciples. She glanced at me. "My husband should already have a plan. Right?"
"You know me very well," I said with a grin. I fired another black arrow that sent the Divine Gaia Golem staggering, but noticed that my shots had very little impact beyond superficial damage.
Excellent. The thing was built very sturdily. Whoever built it had spared no expense…that meant we didn't have to worry about accidentally wrecking the damned thing, otherwise it would be difficult to obtain it for He Shan Jie.
Also, there was something about its qi…the qi that it emanated as it rose to its feet and struck in our direction, sending a shockwave that split the ground in half and almost smashed us off our feet…
It was very strange. Then I understood.
"No wonder…yeah, the Divine Gaia Golem is a spirit puppet. So it makes sense."
"What are you mumbling about?!" Chi Yan demanded, glaring at me. I continued bombarding the reelig Divine Gaia Golem with black arrows and finally explained when I could take a break, leaving the others to continue the assault.
"Lady Yao Yao mistook the Divine Gaia Golem for a spirit beast, even though brother Shan Jie was right about it being a spirit puppet. That's because the Divine Gaia Golem is currently being wielded and controlled by a spirit beast!"
"Huh? How…?"
"Oh!" While Chi Yan was confused, Hong Yao Yao was quick on the uptake. As expected of her, she was really intelligent. "The boss of Mount Sunset! The spirit beast we're supposed to hunt! It must have found and salvaged this Divine Gaia Golem, brought it under its control and used it to attack us intruders."
"Yeah, that's what I think." I nodded in agreement. Then I glanced at He Shan Jie. "But its control isn't complete…it hasn't totally subsumed the Divine Gaia Golem under its will or left a soul imprint on it. Probably because it's a spirit beast and doesn't know how to. Brother Shan Jie, you know how to put a soul imprint on a spirit puppet, right?"
"Yes." He Shan Jie's eyes lit up when he understood what I was getting at. "If I succeed, I should be able to assert control over the Divine Gaia Golem and take it away from the control of the boss spirit beast."
"That's right. Can I count on you to do that?"
He Shan Jie hesitated, then he jumped over the swatting arm of the Divine Gaia Golem and retaliated with several earth spikes. The gargantuan golem simply shattered them and broke free of the stone cage in an instant, but the bald Elemental Mountain Sect disciple was already vaulting away. He considered for another second before sighing.
"It'll be difficult. I don't think the Divine Gaia Golem is going to simply stay still and let me walk up to it to execute the process."
"No, it won't," I conceded. "But if I can hold it down for long enough, will you be able to do it?"
"Yeah…" He Shan Jie's gaze flickered to me before he stomped a foot against the ground to conjure an earth spear that tried to impale the Divine Gaia Golem, but only managed to obstruct is movements. "But how will you…?"
Rather than explain verbally, I demonstrated it in reality. Shouldering my Hou Yi bow, I slammed my palms together and regulated my breathing. Black qi swirled around me before flowing into the shadows. The darkness around the Divine Gaia Golem, cast upon the ground by its immense bulk, writhed and shifted.
"Shadow Chains," I whispered, trying to visualize what I needed exactly.
The shadow chains erupted from the shadows and wrapped around the Divine Gaia Golem's four limbs, body and neck. It thrashed about, resisting the shadow chains for a moment, but I gritted my teeth and dug my heels deep into the ground. Raising my hands, I clenched my fists and mimed pulling. As if responding to my will, the shadow chains went taut, restraining the Divine Gaia Golem's movements.
My attempts to incapacitate the Divine Gaia Golem weren't fully successful, but I did manage to hinder its movements a great deal, slowing it down so that Chi Yan and Hong Yao Yao could attack it from both sides with their fire techniques, burning swathes across its body. It lumbered about, its raw might almost yanking me off my feet and knocking me over. Despite my best efforts, it was able to claw about, its limbs and body moving inch by agonizing inch as it strained against my shadow chains.
Gritting my teeth, I continued to stand my ground firmly, stubbornly pulling against the brute strength of the gargantuan golem, but knowing that I couldn't win in a contest of physical power. Turning my head, I yelled at He Shan Jie.
"Brother Shan Jie! Now!"
"Understood!"
This time, He Shan Jie didn't hesitate. He rushed forward, biting his finger to draw blood and smearing the red fluids all over his palm and slamming it against what would be the solar plexus of the Divine Gaia Golem. It flailed about, slowly moving its arms around as if to crush him in a deadly embrace, but Chi Yan and Hong Yao Yao attacked, using their broadsword and fan respectively to parry its huge fists.
As if to reinforce them, Lan Bei Er conjured a white barrier to surround He Shan Jie in a protective cylinder. The Elemental Mountain Sect disciple continued drawing an arcane diagram around the core of the Divine Gaia Golem, whispering esoteric incantations under his breath as he infused his blood and the diagram with qi.
Clearly he would need time to finish the ritual. And I was going to do my best to buy him that time. Mustering all of my strength and recalling the lessons that Hui Ying taught me about shadow chains, I continued to hold the Divine Gaia Golem down. Fortunately, I had my friends too help me. Without Lan Bei Er, Chi Yan and Hong Yao Yao's contributions to restraining the gargantuan golem, it would have broken free of my shadow chains long ago.
But everything rested upon the broad shoulders of He Shan Jie.
"The Heavens Reign, the Earth Dominates. Thunder strikes from above, lava erupts from below. A cataclysm of scales unimagined, the world turned upon its axis. Bakudou (Way of Binding) 16, Spirit Puppet Soul Imprint!"
"Are you fucking kidding me?!" Hong Yao Yao nearly shrieked when she heard He Shan Jie's incantation. Her butterflies flew about wildly around her, detonating against the Divine Gaia Golem more violently than before, as if responding to her anger.
"What!? What's wrong!?" Lan Bei Er demanded, swiveling her head about to stare at her family instructor. I sighed and shook my head.
"I'm pretty sure brother Shan Jie is ripping off Bleach…I mean, Bakudou? That doesn't exist in this universe. That's the Shinigami's Kidou…at least the Kidou learned by all members of the Gotei 13 (the 13 Court Guards Squads)."
Lan Bei Er gaped at me blankly before she slowly shook her head, dazed. "What in heaven's name are you talking about now?!"
"The truth!" Hong Yao Yao shouted. Lan Bei Er turned from me to her back to me and back to her again, still puzzled.
"Do the both of you know something that I don't?"
"Does it matter?" He Shan Jie was unable to keep the exasperation out of his voice. "If it works, it works! Who cares where I ripped it off from!?"
"I'm more curious about how you even know about Bleach in the first place." I clenched my fingers tightly, still holding the Divine Gaia Golem down with my shadow chains. Nonetheless, it appeared that He Shan Jie's incantation was really working. The arcane diagram with bloody runes was glowing brightly now, turning into a supernova.
"That's not important!" He Shan Jie waved at Hong Yao Yao and Chi Yan. "Everyone, please fall back! Hurry!" He turned to Lan Bei Er. "Mrs. Hei, please construct a barrier around the Divine Gaia Golem!"
"On it!" My wife patiently waited for Hong Yao Yao and Chi Yan to retreat safely, ther flames flickering out as they formed a trail of embers. She stamped her staff against the ground and murmured an incantation. The moment Hong Yao Yao, Chi Yan and He Shan Jie had withdrawn to a good distance, she summoned a barrier to imprison the Divine Gaia Golem. The black shadow chains that I had restraining the titanic spirit puppet stood out in stark contrast against the pure white barrier.
Then the glowing spirit diagram flared up and engulfed the Divine Gaia Golem in a brown pillar of light. We watched, enraptured, the silhouette of the thrashing spirit puppet barely visible through the blinding light.
Then…it faded away. The Divine Gaia Golem slumped down, no longer moving. He Shan Jie raised a hand and gestured at me.
"Brother Hei Ye, you can dismiss your shadow chains now. Mrs. Hei, you too. I don't think there's any need for the barrier any longer."
The both of us exchanged a glance, and then we acceded. The black shadow chains and white barrier vanished, but the Divine Gaia Golem didn't budge even a centimeter. Until He Shan Jie raised a hand, then it suddenly rose to its feet.
The rest of the party immediately went on high alert, but He Shan Jie shook his head and smiled reassuringly.
"Don't worry," he said. "The binding was successful. My soul imprint has been implanted in the Divine Gaia Golem. It's now fully under my control."