(Author: Hello! For those asking about romance, it will happen as I am writing chapter 5. I was a little distracted while writing my side story as I had a trail of thought for it. As it is the third book, now is a good time to start the romance in it. On to the story. At last, the usage of the items Lu Shu found has been revealed (save for the Practitioner weapon and staff). Lu Shu also has another wraith minion: Bakura, an undead samurai! Call it my tribute to my undead story and the name of a character I considered badass in the past. Well, the evil one. I considered a ninja, but Lu Shu has Wraith, a sentient wraith spider puppet! Well, enjoy.)

------------Chapter 3: The Berserker Element-----------------------

The next day, Lu Shu exited his private tent and Bakura revealed itself to the Tiger Army. Many people were frightened, seeing an undead samurai with a tiger's skull and gold flames for eyes. None of them thought about the height. They just wondered where it came from. Especially the mage apprentices studying summoning and necromancer magic.

"G, general," Lu Gong started, seeing the samurai. "What is that? It looks like an undead, but it has a tiger's skull! Wait, is that a tail made of bone?"

"Uh," Shu said, noticing the tail. "Oh, I didn't notice that before. That could also be utilized as a weapon and a way to regain your balance. Be sure to integrate it with your combat style, Bakura."

"Yes, Lord Lu Shu," the samurai bowed.

"General?" Lu Gong, Cao Wei, Jiro, and Ken asked in unison.

"Ah, this is Bakura. He is a former wraith that is now an undead samurai. He will fight alongside me as my personal bodyguard," Shu answered, shocking everyone.

"A wraith?" many mage apprentice necromancers cried with envy, awe, jealousy, and intrigue.

"I'm surprised you don't walk the Devil Immortal path. Wraiths are usually made and controlled by those Practitioners," Ken said, staring at Bakura with unease. "However, there is no doubt it is the best protection. It cannot die without the death of its master. It could be destroyed, but it could also be remade spontaneously. Sword Immortal and Devil Immortal cultivators have all the superior fighting power."

"I'm just glad it's not a rogue wraith," Jiro shivered, many nearby soldiers nodding furiously.

"I'm just glad it's one," Cao Wei sighed.

"If only you knew. I wonder what they would think if they saw Wraith?" Shu asked Bakura, using telepathy as he was its master.

"Lord Lu Shu, it is best not to scare your men too much. A leader must be more feared than the enemy, to prevent insubordination. However, too much fear will sow chaos among your ranks. Clearly, they can barely tolerate my own existence," Bakura replied.

Shu shrugged and said, "Have the six armies ahead of us begun their march?"

"They are packing their tents as we speak," Cao Wei answered. "General, once we pass the final island we conquered, we must travel one of seven paths. Great General Meng Cao is giving us the most explored path of the unconquered island, but that will also mean the enemy will be expecting us there."

"Lu Gong, I only killed two types of Hyperion. Several Hyperion were like beasts of immense strength while the other type was a humanoid. Which ones used to inhabit the island we conquered. We might need to be wary of attacks from the skies and seas, while we make our way through the bridges and islands," Shu nodded, thinking of any possible ambush tactics the Hyperion might use.

"There is one amphibious type Hyperion. It comes from the sea and then destroys the bridge as others climb and kill the soldiers crossing it. As for the flying Hyperion, we are too far away for them to escape an assault so easily," Lu Gong answered. "General, we should proceed across the bridges with the infantry carrying shields and walking on the sides of the bridges. Our archers should be in the center of the bridge. Our mages will help guard the supplies and staff. Our cavalry will have to occupy themselves with protecting their mounts. The Hyperion are growing stronger, their numbers even greater than before. Worst of all, their tactics have changed, even weak human Hyperion revealing themselves to lead guerilla attacks. The savages are getting smarter and more cunning."

"We'll do as you suggest," Shu said. "I want all our water mages to focus their mana into their surroundings and maintain a vigilant watch on the water's current. If it suddenly shifts, something is down there. I want all mages capable of summons to hide. We need them to fight against the Hyperion."

"Yes, general," the lieutenant generals cried and ran to tell the soldiers their orders.

"I'll make sure the summoners are hidden. I can't fight, but I can offer support outside of battle," Jiro said.

"I will also ensure the cavalry are well prepared," Ken said, leaving Shu alone.

"Shu, whatever you do, don't reveal your wings here. The Hyperion should be able to recognize the vermillion wings," Spook warned. "You can use your Phantasmal Sky technique to fly in the sky now albeit with high spirit energy consumption. However, you have an exceeding amount. You should be fine. As for your elements, your water and ice element is still your best. Your darkness has evolved, due to constant use with poison. Your earth and nether flames are of little consequence. You should not focus on earth and your nether flames originates from your sword. The problem is your lightning."

"Why?" Shu asked, changing into his armor and mounting his collared tiger.

"It has become a living spirit technique. That is true, but it did not change. The emerald lightning only applied in Spirit Road and you never enhanced your lightning. You need to come up with a method," Spook said before becoming inanimate as Shu's men arrived.

Shu rode at the front of his army, spreading his spirit sense all around him. Occasionally, he sensed a magical beast within the water as they crossed the islands and bridges. The fact that only one approached, momentarily pausing before speeding away, meant that the Hyperion were indeed becoming smarter. The magical beasts were dead. Naturally, the Hyperion would send scouts to monitor the islands conquered by the Yan soldiers.

"Phew," Jiro sighed. "We made it to the last island the Yan conquered without casualties. Now all we need to do is make several bridges to lead the nine armies there."

"This is bad news, not good news," Lu Gong said. "I can tell the general sensed Hyperion in the waters around the islands and the bridges. It takes enormous magical power to create a bridge of diamond to the next island. If they haven't launched an assault on us...."

"They're waiting for when we make the bridge and cross. We have no choice as the mages creating the bridge can only stand ten feet behind bridge and need to cross the bridge to extend it further. They're waiting for us to divide our forces: some to protect the base of the bridge and the others at the front protecting the mages as they continue to solidify and extend it," Cao Wei agreed. "We would be better off if it were the aerial Hyperion or rogue magical beasts of Giant's Chain. The Hyperion are many times more organized."

"No," Shu said ominously as he watched the mages begin making the bridge, holding his head. "The sea is perfect. They're coming. Thousands upon thousands. Let them come. Just stay here. I will show you the reason Spirit Shamans of the tenth stage are the most feared among any army of the Mortal Realm."

"Lord Lu Shu?" Bakura asked as Shu began walking on the surface of the sea.

"I feel like I'm home," Shu said, a cerulean lobster skeleton appearing on the back of his chest and head, two eyes glowing as the cerulean lobster's head was above his own. The soldiers began to shiver as cold frost wind blew from Shu as he walked thirty feet off shore. Then, Shu began to swirl his arms as if he were molding a clay orb in his hands. The water began to swirl around him, forming a sphere around his body.

The sphere began to rise and the soldiers began to see a large tiger of water appear, armor made of ice around its limbs, and face. Its tail seemed to be a snake with dragon teeth and scales. Most prominent of all, cerulean water appeared, in the form of a lobster skeleton, as an armor on the tiger's back with the head acting as a helmet of the top of the tiger's head. Lu Shu could no longer be seen as a large sphere of ice appeared in the water tiger's body, like a heart.

Now, a the fifty foot water and ice giant stood, baring its fangs of ice as it strode to the east, the direction the amphibious Hyperion were coming from. Not just the Tiger Army, but other nearby armies saw a water tiger behemoth walk towards what seemed to be fields of black scales that slowly appeared on the ocean's surface. They appeared to look like alligators but had razor sharp claws. The Hyperion roared and leapt at the obvious threat that now stood on their path to the bridges.

Even if the Hyperion could not conquer the islands, it did not mean they could allow the humans to either. If they failed to takeover the islands, when the humans finished conquering and making a safe route that avoided the more powerful beasts of the other islands, then the Hyperion would be unable to stop the humans from conquering their own lands.

"I am the Armored Ocean Tiger God! Face me and die!" Lu Shu roared, the behemoth tiger amplifying his voice as if it was the one speaking. The Hyperion tried to fight back against Lu Shu, but how could they destroy a being made of water atop of an ocean. All they did was increase the number of Hyperion in Lu Shu's attack range. The ocean would freeze and shatter with every swing and stomp of the tiger's ice paw.

Many members of the Tiger Army prostrated themselves behind Lu Shu. Such a feat was deeply ingratiated in their hearts. This was the power of a tenth stage Spirit Shaman, a Spirit Shaman who was not a Spirit Knight but obviously just as powerful as those of the first and second stage. Not only that, the water tiger seemed to be alive! No one had ever seen such a thing. The tiger growled, hissed, roared, and devoured like a real tiger did. If any powerful Practitioner did the same feet, the tiger would not display any emotion and appear as a moving statue.

Every Hyperion killed seemed to have their blood drained as their torn bodies sank beneath the surface. Slowly, the ocean blue and ice white tiger began to turn crimson and enlarge. It was actually using the blood of its victims to become more powerful. When the Hyperion began to run, the tiger roared, causing a tsunami to rise from the ocean's depths with the fleeing Hyperion trapped within.

The tiger refused to let any get away, massacring the Hyperion left and right. It would tear with its claws, bite with its fangs, smack and crush with its paw. Its snake tail was even more ruthless. It was constantly coiling around the Hyperion, causing them to explode as it crushed them. Sometimes, it even bit the Hyperion, letting them bleed to death. The armies felt as if they were watching the wrath of a god of the ocean. Even if the Hyperion fled to the shore, the tiger would spit bullets the size of watermelons, blasting huge holes in the chests or wiping out the head altogether.

When all its enemies were dead, the tiger roared at the heavens. Everyone watched as the blood in the tiger began to dry up as all the spirit energy within seemed to drain toward the ice sphere around Lu Shu. The water tiger roared once more before falling into the ocean, the ice shattering as Lu Shu appeared on the water's surface. Slowly, the lobster like armor on his back and head seemed to disappear and Lu Shu opened his eyes.

"G, general?" Lu Gong and Cao Wei asked as they bowed on one knee, all the soldiers of the Tiger Army doing the same.

"It seems I went a bit too far. Seeing the ocean for the first time seemed to excite my living spirit technique, making me berserk. I felt as if I was watching myself kill them all, driven by instinct and not thought,' Lu Shu thought as he stared at his army, the soldiers looking back at him with fear and awe. They realized that a tenth stage Spirit Shaman was like a one-man army. They had also never seen a water element Practitioner fight on such a scale. If it was fire or earth, they had seen some Spirit Knights attempt the same, but they looked like statues and were only able to maintain it for a few minutes. Lu Shu slaughtered the Hyperion for nearly an hour! This meant he had many times more spirit energy than any other Spirit Shaman, even some Spirit Knights.

"Master," Bakura bowed, knowing the truth of his actions as it was bound to him. "My lord, are you alright?"

"I am no longer in my berserk state. It seems my water spirit technique was a bit overexcited at seeing the ocean after so long," Shu answered mentally.

"We have nothing to fear from the Hyperion. Prepare the armies for subjugation of the magical beasts in the next island," Lu Shu ordered.

"Yes, General Lu Shu!" the soldiers cried, relieved as no one died this time. Naturally, so many Hyperion would obviously result in casualties if they fought. General Lu Shu made the right call, using his superior cultivation to prevent the loss of some of his forces.

"That was magnificent, general," Lu Gong grinned.

"I could only dare to use it on the ocean. You saw how I killed those on land," Shu sighed.

"You seemed a little berserk there, as if you were the tiger," Jiro said. "Seeing your state, you must have drained the blood of the Hyperion to replenish your spent spirit energy. You need some rest though. It must have been mentally draining and you need to lessen your bloodlust or risk entering a berserk state again."

"We'll handle things here. Best to rest and prepare some tactics for when we arrive on the next island," Ken agreed.

Lu Shu entered his war tent and laid back against his chair as he stared at the map. This was the first time he had gone berserk. He had never felt so scared and never felt so alive. It felt as if he had been a prisoner that finally escaped and showed its wrath after a thousand years. Even now, a part of him wanted to tear apart the Hyperion. Yes, he had gained power. However, what was the point if he lost control? He couldn't risk doing such a thing again. Most of the Hyperion seemed to be at the sixth and seventh stage, the common cultivation stage for soldiers of a mortal army. He was lucky they were not a legion at the eighth or ninth stage.

"How long until the bridge is complete?" Lu Shu asked as his men arrived.

"It will take about three days. The distance to this island is longer than usual. After this island is the one where the leader of those below the Spirit Knight tier lives. After that, the rest of the conquest of Giant's Chain should be a breeze to the Hyperion lands," Ken answered.

"With their leader dead, they won't be so organized. Killing the head of the snake is usually the most effective method to defeating an army, supposing the leader is not a puppet with the real leader behind the scenes. Luckily, magical beasts are organized around the most powerful magical beast," Jiro nodded. "Once we subjugate these next two islands, we can let the army staying at Giant's Chain clean out the rest and build the checkpoints while reporting the good news back to the Yan Emperor. Ancestor Lu Feng and all those above the Spirit Shaman tier will finally rejoin us once we set foot on Hyperion land."

"The bodies of the Hyperion were also secured, although there was no blood in any of them," Cao Wei reported, shivering a little with fear. "General, their scales and hide will be sent back to be used for the weapon smiths and armor smiths. All we need to do now is to wait for the bridge to be completed. I will be overseeing the mages as the bridge extends. I will report back once the bridge connects with the other island."

"Good. You may go," Lu Shu said, Cao Wei saluting before leaving as Lu Shu stared at his other men. "What were the reactions of our soldiers and the other armies?"

"They look upon you with fear and awe," Lu Gong grinned. "There is no doubt, general, that they will follow you now that they know of your power. It was also the best method to display your power in front of the other generals, many surprised as you killed those legions of Hyperion which were supposed to assault all nine armies. No doubt, some generals that thought they could defeat you will think twice before angering you. Well, they would be fools to do so as you are the second prince."

"How did you make it alive?" Ken asked. "I've never seen an elemental body creation so life-like. It even had expressions, not the usual neutral face."

"Let's just say the ocean is alive when I wield its power," Lu Shu said. "I'm sure the ancient clan also have their own secrets. This one is a secret of the main family. If I should give a hint, it is why I killed the thief. Be sure to get the men and women ready. We won't have the support of the other armies as they are making their own bridges and we are the only once treading the marked trail our scouts made. No doubt, the magical beasts will ambush us."

"Yes, general," the advisors and soldiers said as they left his war tent.