O43novel Chapter 907: It's Too Late
Chapter 907: It's Too Late
With the Purple-Gold Flame Bear taking the lead, the Jadewater Jiao no longer hesitated and also became an experimental subject for Chen Huaian's "refining beasts into human form through alchemy." The fact proved that pushing the Dao to a certain level, even if not reaching the Sage tier, was already sufficient for use in the Lower Realm.This kind of direct beast refinement, transforming beasts into human form, was something only an existence like Chen Huaian with a Golden Immortal Divine Soul could accomplish.
He was essentially exploiting a bug, lowering his level while entering the newbie village with a max-level account's luxurious equipment. Even if he couldn't unleash his full strength, just relying on the equipment's effects was enough to dominate the entire newbie village.
After a while, the Jadewater Jiao also successfully transformed.
Seeing his brand-new body and the power within, the Jadewater Jiao said nothing more, directly lifting his hundred-thousand-year World Ring and World Bone overhead with both hands.
"Master!" he said with tears in his eyes, "I offended you earlier; I was a frog at the bottom of a well who actually doubted your capabilities. This World Ring and World Bone shall be given to you as compensation. If you have any needs, I can also help promote this transformation method. Master wants World Rings and World Bones, right? This way, there will be an endless stream of hundred-thousand-year or older World Beasts coming to your door."
Chen Huaian collected the Jadewater Jiao's World Ring and World Bone, his face cold but inwardly beaming.
This was exactly the effect he wanted.
"Ah, so many hundred-thousand-year World Beasts... this venerable one finds it quite difficult. After all, these medicinal herbs are rare treasures. This venerable one can't possibly pay out of his own pocket..."
"Master, you're absolutely right!" the Purple-Gold Flame Bear nearby hurriedly said, "We were shameless and didn't consider this thoroughly. Please make a list of the medicinal herbs needed. We World Beasts who wish to transform will naturally prepare these herbs ourselves. Besides, we will definitely offer some heavenly treasures and earthly valuables to you, venerable elder, as payment."
Chen Huaian pretended to be reserved and nodded, "Very well, then this venerable one shall play the good person once. If any hundred-thousand-year or older World Beasts come, you can have them seek me out."
The Purple-Gold Flame Bear and Jadewater Jiao expressed profuse thanks.
Soon after, Little Rabbit also took out her World Ring and World Bone.
This round, aside from the North-South Green Bean Haimi whom Chen Huaian casually slaughtered and the utterly bewildered Battle Soul Hall members led by Bixixi, could be described as a joyous gathering for both host and guests.
"That's enough for today," Chen Huaian said casually, glancing briefly at Bixixi before continuing calmly, "With three new World Rings and World Bones acquired, this venerable one must supervise my disciple in digesting them. You all return whence you came; no need to follow us."
"Uh..." Bixixi was momentarily stunned, "Then... you and Li Qingran aren't returning to the Battle Soul Hall?"
Chen Huaian didn't answer, instead asking, "Do you want to see countless hundred-thousand-year World Beasts attacking your Battle Soul Hall?"
Upon hearing this, Bixixi was immediately left speechless.
"This venerable one plans to temporarily reside in the core area of the Starry Sky Great Forest. Don't disturb us unless you have important matters."
With that one sentence, Chen Huaian shut down Bixixi's thoughts of trying to establish closer relations.
"Oh, right, the Medicine Battle Master stays. This venerable one still has use for him."
The named Medicine Battle Master froze, standing there bewildered and unsure what to do.
Everything that happened today had overturned his understanding.
The worldview he had built since childhood was pretty much shattered.
Normally, being able to follow a powerful expert would definitely be a good thing, but Chen Huaian's performance was too bug-like; he was so frightened he didn't know whether he should follow or not.
"Ahem, since the Master specifically requested you, then you shall follow," Bixixi cleared her throat softly, giving the Medicine Battle Master a warning look.
Then, she turned back to Chen Huaian with a piled-on smile, saying,
"If you have any commands, the entire Battle Soul Hall stands ready at your call."
She bowed slightly, her posture humble to the extreme.
Finally, she took a deep look at that white-clothed figure standing with hands behind his back, not daring to linger any longer. With a wave, she led her remaining forces to quickly withdraw.
Only that utterly confused Medicine Battle Master, who looked like he had been sold out, remained behind.
...
On the return journey, the atmosphere was oppressive.
The Battle Masters hurried along with heads bowed, none daring to break this dead silence. Everything that happened today was like a heavy hammer, smashing their former pride to pieces.
"Your Holiness..."
Finally, a trusted Battle Master couldn't help but speak, his voice dry, "That person... that existence... how should we interact with him in the future? Should the Battle Soul Hall's plans continue?"
Bixixi's footsteps paused slightly.
She looked back toward the forest gradually being swallowed by mist and let out a long sigh.
"Plans?"
She laughed self-deprecatingly, her eyes filled with helplessness and deep apprehension.
"What plans are there left?"
"This seat originally wanted to hunt World Beasts, using war to sustain war, stirring up storms across the continent, forcing the great empires to submit. But now..."
She shook her head, her gaze becoming profound,
"That man directly flipped the table."
"As long as he's willing, all the hundred-thousand-year World Beasts of the entire Starry Sky Great Forest will line up to deliver World Rings and World Bones to him. The resources he controls will be thousands, tens of thousands of times greater than the Battle Soul Hall's! Given time, he could casually raise a peak army entirely equipped with hundred-thousand-year World Rings."
"Making an enemy of someone like that? That's just asking for death."
"Then... do we completely submit to him?" the trusted subordinate tentatively asked.
"Submit..."
It wasn't that she hadn't thought about it.
A flash of sharp light appeared in Bixixi's eyes, but it quickly dimmed, transforming into thick worry.
"Holding tightly to this thick thigh is necessary, but... we can't hold on too tightly."
"You must understand, he is acting against the heavens."
Bixixi looked up at the sky, as if seeing through the clouds a pair of cold, peering eyes.
"Battle Masters hunting World Beasts—that is the iron law by which this world has operated for billions of years. Now he has broken the balance between life and death, making World Beasts actively offer themselves... This is equivalent to trampling the 'rules' underfoot."
"Someone... will be furious."
"The Canglan World... I'm afraid it's about to be thrown into chaos."
"We must borrow his influence, but also keep a way out. Lest when the sky collapses, we get crushed to dust by that overwhelming wrath."
...
Starry Sky Great Forest, core area.
Chen Huaian had casually set up a concealment Great Formation here.
"Calm your mind, concentrate your spirit."
Chen Huaian sat cross-legged, floating in the air, lightly tapping with his fingertip.
Hum—
Three hundred-thousand-year World Rings shimmering with crimson light, along with five World Bones emitting various precious glows, hovered around Li Qingran like stars surrounding the moon.
"Go."
With his light command.
That vast, sea-like energy, under the precise guidance of the Golden Immortal Divine Soul, flowed into Li Qingran's body as obediently as a hundred rivers returning to the sea.
The Medicine Battle Master nearby was completely dumbfounded by now.
His mouth hung open, eyes bulging wide, jaw nearly hitting his feet.
"This... this is impossible?!"
What was he seeing?
Absorbing three hundred-thousand-year World Rings and so many World Bones at once?
Wasn't she afraid of exploding?
Before him,
a Peak Battle Master was being born at a speed visible to the naked eye!
Battle Emperor...
Battle Saint...
Her aura climbed steadily, without bottlenecks, without hindrances.
Hundred-thousand-year World Rings—that were treasures countless Titled Battle Masters dreamed of, even willing to sacrifice their lives for, yet might never obtain even one!
Now on that young girl,
they were being stacked one after another like worthless cabbages.
Red, red, red...
Adding the previous million-year World Ring, the glow on Li Qingran's body had become dazzling to the extreme. The terrifying pressure made the Medicine Battle Master almost suffocate.
In less than half an hour.
Boom—!!!
A pillar of light piercing heaven and earth erupted from Li Qingran's body.
She slowly opened her eyes, divine light flowing within them, her skin lustrous like white jade. At this moment, her configuration was luxurious to the extreme. With every movement, space trembled slightly.
Peak Battle Master, achieved!
"Husband~"
Having withdrawn her aura, the authority in Li Qingran's eyes vanished,
returning to her usual little-girl demeanor.
Her body went soft, leaning into Chen Huaian's embrace as she said in a sweet and sticky voice,
"Your disciple suddenly feels so tired~
My body feels all swollen; I need Master to coax me before I can get up~"
Chen Huaian: "..."
He helplessly made a gesture to support her, then his gaze sharpened like lightning,
sweeping coldly toward the still-dazed Medicine Battle Master nearby.
"Seen enough?"
The Medicine Battle Master shuddered all over, frightened out of his wits by that icy gaze.
"I've... I've seen enough! No no no! I didn't see anything! This old man saw nothing at all!"
"Not going to scram yet?"
Chen Huaian tossed out a previously prepared parchment scroll,
densely covered with various medicinal herbs.
"Go find them!"
"Missing even one, and this venerable one will refine you into a pill."
"Yes yes yes! This old man will go right now! Right now!"
The Medicine Battle Master felt as if granted amnesty. He grabbed the parchment scroll and scrambled into the forest, faster than a rabbit, terrified that being a step late would mean being stuffed into a cauldron.
...
At the same time.
Starry Sky Great Forest, outer scorched earth.
The wind, carrying the pungent smell of scorched earth and blood, blew across this devastated battlefield.
Thump, thump, thump.
Heavy footsteps sounded.
Tang Er, leading the members of the Slime Team, stumbled into this ruin.
What met their eyes was hell.
The earth was cracked, ancient trees reduced to ashes, countless World Beast corpses piled up like mountains, blood converging into rivers, dyeing the black scorched earth a dark red.
These were the brutal traces left by that earlier "Beast Tide."
Tang Er's body trembled.
His gaze frantically searched through the mountain of corpses and sea of blood, trying to find that pink figure.
Nothing.
There was nothing.
Only the lingering, terrifying residual aura from the hundred-thousand-year World Beasts' outburst, and that faint... medicinal fragrance in the air.
He remembered his father's final instructions before death, remembered the dependent look in Little Rabbit's eyes.
"Ah..."
Tang Er's knees gave way, heavily kneeling in the scalding ashes.
His hands clawed into the soil, fingernails breaking, blood flowing freely.
Under such a terrifying Beast Tide and clash of powerful experts,
how could the newly transformed Little Rabbit possibly survive?
The White-clothed Swordsman's cold cruelty, the Pope's cruelty,
intertwined in his mind to form a picture of Little Rabbit's tragic death.
"Little Rabbit..."
Tang Er lowered his head, forehead pressing against the cold ground, a heart-rending roar tearing from his throat:
"I'm sorry..."
"I... I came too late!!"
Two lines of bloody tears trailed down his dust-covered cheeks.
...