****** Chapter 1: When I Awoke ******
Book One: The Beast Knight
A lush rainforest. The scorching sunlight pierced through the small interstices
in the leaf layers of the canopy, illuminating the ground below. The air was
sultry, and because of abundant rainfall, the vegetation here was exceedingly
verdant. Vines tangled and roots twisted, forming arduous hindrances.
Zi Di was rushing through this rainforest with all of her might. She had curly
black hair and wheat-colored skin. Her exquisite facial features delineated her
extraordinarily beautiful visage, and her most attractive feature was her large
purple eyes that were as translucent and resplendent as amethysts. But at this
moment, those eyes were filled with fear and panic.
“Huff! Huff!”Her mouth was wide open, gasping heavily for breath, and her chest
already faintly aching. She was drenched in sweat and had many bandaged wounds
over her body, because of her strenuous sprinting, scarlet blood stained the
white bandages.
Faster, run faster! I must get far away from this place with haste!Zi Di
encouraged herself, however, she could not run any faster because there was a
thick hemp rope around her shoulders that dragged something heavy. This greatly
encumbered her speed.
“Aah!” Suddenly, a loud, wretched scream resounded from afar. Soon after, the
sound of a wolf howling followed.
The girl’s body trembled as if she was agonized by electrocution.
Then, like a monster’s claws, a feeling of crisis and urgency ferociously
grasped her heart. At this moment, there was only one voice left in her head,
Run! Run!RUN!Leave everything behind, don’t care about anything else.
Otherwise, you will be killed by that fiendish wolf, just like those bodyguards
that were sundered to shreds, chewed into mincemeat, and then finally swallowed
into its gut!
The girl’s complexion became ash-white, and her gaze revealed dread. Yet when
her eyes glanced behind her, she grew firm again.
The rear end of the hemp rope she dragged was firmly attached to a stretcher.
On it lay a boy. For some unknown reason, the youth’s eyes remained closed in
unconsciousness, however, with his dazzling golden hair and handsome
appearance, he gave off a naturally noble aura.
The youthful boy was undoubtedly a burden to her. To still drag such a burden
heavier than herself at this critical moment that determined life and death,
she was digging her own grave.
Gazing at the boy on the stretcher, Zi Di gritted her teeth in pain. Then, she
restrained the panic and nervousness in her heart and continued to drag the
stretcher, advancing staunchly while withstanding the impending pressure of
death.
After pushing vines in front of her aside and using her tender body to barge
through walls of shrubbery, the dense wilderness around her became sparse and
dispersed, disclosing the azure sky.
The sound of running water came to her ears, and not long after, a small river
appeared in her line of sight. With a visual estimate, she guessed the river
water would likely only reach up to her waist. However, she dared not wade
through the river so easily. Danger lurks on every corner of this isolated
island. I definitely must not use common sense to gauge it. I’m almost certain
this small river is hiding a vicious crocodile or a large shoal of piranhas,
she thought.
Originally, she was attended by as many as sixteen bodyguards, but now, only
she and this youth were left. During the journey, her bodyguards had sacrificed
themselves one after another, elucidating the terror of this isolated island
jungle.
Damn it, if only I could still use magic…
The girl observed awhile. Biting her lip, she decided to cross the river.
Behind her, the giant wolf was likely pursuing to devour her like an
incarnation of the god of death.
Although the girl was panic-stricken, she had not lost her rationality
completely, she still maintained her clear-headedness and judgment of the
situation. She dragged the heavy stretcher and followed the river. After a
short while, she saw a small tree growing in an inclined manner. Its trunk
extended from this bank, rose into the air, and stretched over to the opposite
bank. 
After a cautious examination, the girl discovered that there were no venomous
snakes or thorns hidden on the tree. However, the tree trunk was covered in
moss and lichen, making its surface extremely slippery. Even if it were just
her climbing this tree trunk, even the slightest inattentiveness would drop her
into the river. To say nothing of her additional burden.
The eyes of the youth lying on the stretcher were shut tight. He was in a deep
coma. Perhaps…she should abandon this youth. It would be too risky and arduous
to carry this unconscious youth across the river.
The girl gritted her teeth and quickly untied the hemp rope around the
stretcher. She then put the youth onto her back and tightly wrapped the rope
around their bodies. After that was done, the girl took off her boots and
stuffed them into the crevices between the rope and their bodies. Finally, she
inhaled deeply and began to venture on to the tree trunk.
I can do it, I can do it! Zi Di, oh Zi Di, you must not fall here. You are the
president of Wisteria. You still need to avenge Father!The brave girl boosted
her morale. Doing her utmost to creep across the tree trunk, she advanced bit
by bit, and her eyes gazed forward, filled with resolve.
Eventually, she successfully climbed across. Because of the weight of two
people pressing down on the small trunk, when the girl reached the opposite
bank, the trunk was pressed all the way down to the ground. This made it easier
for the girl to land on the ground. Without two people pressing it down, the
tree flung back up, swinging its branches and leaves with it, stirring a
whooshing wind.
Carrying the youth had exhausted her stamina. She collapsed to her knees and
supported herself with her hands, powerless to rise back up for the moment. Her
entire face was pale, and she felt slight vertigo. Sweat quickly dropped from
the tip of her nose and chin, falling on to the rank grass. The girl gasped for
a while to catch her breath, and the dizziness gradually subsided. An intense
feeling of joy spread through her heart. I can’t believe it! I actually did it!
I really climbed across!
However, shortly afterward, she sensed her limbs beginning to indicate signs of
numbness. The consequences of exhaustion had caught up to her.
A wolf’s howl suddenly resounded loudly, and a silhouette as large as a calf
sprang out ferociously from the dense underbrush.
The girl’s body and mind shuddered as she subconsciously turned around to see a
gigantic dark blue wolf. At this moment, her pupils tensed up, she felt as if
she had fallen into an icy abysm. The giant wolf bared its teeth with morsels
of fresh flesh between them. The wolf’s eyes were red, filled with tyrannical
murderousness, as it stared at the girl.
The girl fell on the underbrush of the bank. She had turned around to look back
with such hastiness that had forgotten about the youth still on her back. His
weight brought strong inertia, causing the girl to fall to the ground.
Their feebleness and wretchedness further aroused the wolf’s vicious nature.
Nevertheless, the wolf still remained on the opposite bank. It cavorted in
place, paced back and forth, and looked at the burbling river. Fear was
unmistakable in its actions.
Upon seeing the wolf act like this, the girl immediately understood how wise
her prior actions were. 
However, the wolf also saw the tree trunk. It then unexpectedly did the same as
the girl as it stepped onto the tree that extended across both banks of the
river. Although the huge wolf had a muscular body, it controlled its balance
superbly and went across somewhat faster than the girl.
Amidst her shock, the girl seemed to be electrocuted. In a flurry, she took out
a dagger, sliced the rope around her body, then jumped back up and charged into
the overhanging tree trunk.
The tree trunk was struck and immediately started to sway from the impact.
Although the tree did not sway too much, it nonetheless brought sufficient
inconvenience to the giant wolf.
With its balance broken and having almost fallen into the river, it was forced
to retreat to the bank miserably. The wolf snarled at the girl, baring its
sharp teeth as it grew increasingly furious.
The girl had successfully stopped the giant wolf and was thence overjoyed,
however, exultation immediately turned into regret. I should have let this
damned beast reach the middle of the trunk before acting, that would have
dropped it into the river!
The girl and the giant wolf confronted each other from opposite banks. The wolf
incessantly kept howling and refused to retreat.
The girl kept her eye on the giant wolf and did not dare to relax for even a
moment. So long as the wolf even attempted to climb the tree trunk, the girl
would strike it.
Moments later, the girl finally concluded—her act in haste was the right call.
She could not accurately estimate how far the giant wolf could jump. After
clambering over a small section, perhaps the wolf might be able to leap
directly to the opposing bank. 
Even if she could manage to shake the wolf into the river, it was unknown
whether or not the dangers lurking in the waters would react, or even if it
did, it was also unknown if it could stop the giant wolf. Thus, the safest
course of action would be to not give the wolf any opportunities. As long as it
dared to attempt to climb on the trunk, the girl would do her best to disturb
it.
As time went by, the wolf endeavored many times but never succeeded.
Eventually, it turned around furiously and disappeared into the undergrowth.
The girl stood in a daze. It took a few breaths until she reacted as she fell
to the ground. Her face that was numb from nervousness gradually eased, and
like melting ice, tears flowed down both her cheeks.
At last, she had received a new lease on life.
With that, the girl whimpered and sobbed. Her legs were curled up and her feet
were bare. She had not had the time to put her boots back on until now. Because
of climbing the tree earlier, her feet had large abrasions. All of her
fingernails were also split causing bleeding. She buried her head in her curled
legs and her shoulders trembled slightly in the wake of her spasmodic sobs.
But thereafter, as if shocked by electricity, the girl abruptly raised her
head. Her eyes were red, her face had distinct tear stains, and her countenance
was complex, filled with shock, doubt, and panic. Is the wolf really giving up
like this? It is a possibility. But…
Recalling her horrific experiences over the last few days, the girl began to
feel the possibility of the wolf not having given up was higher. It might have
turned around and entered the undergrowth to paralyze me. Perhaps, at this very
moment, it is following along the river to find another shortcut across!
Perhaps, it has already gotten across and is quickly rushing toward
here!conjecturing this, the girl felt chilled to the bone.
What should she do? Grab the youth and climb back across the trunk?
Disregarding the fact the tree trunk had a certain elevation from the ground,
such that it would make it arduous for the girl to climb while carrying the
youth, if the wolf was still on the other side, what could she do?
Climb to the middle of the trunk and stay there? That would be even less
possible. It would be too physically consuming. The girl was deeply aware of
her own physical state at the moment. She had no confidence she could climb the
trunk again. Thinking back to that crossing filled her heart with gratitude and
lingering fear.
Could she continue to carry this youth? If the giant wolf chased after her,
this was an obvious dead end. Even if she carried nothing, she could not
compare to the wolf’s speed.
In that case, I only have one final option!The girl’s eyes flashed with a light
of unswerving determination.
She hurried back to the boy’s side, half knelt on the ground and took out a
milky-white crystal column from her bosom. The girl focused her spirit and did
her best to activate the white crystal. She tightly held the crystal just above
the youth’s head for a long while motionlessly. Is it really not going to work?
No, this is my last hope. Even if it's slim, even if there’s only a small
possibility…
Her heart grew increasingly anxious as she whispered, “Hurry, hurry! I’m
begging you, please activate.” As if it heard her prayers, the milky-white
crystal began to light up with an almost imperceptible glimmer. But after the
girl detected the faint glimmer, her face shone with great delight. It works!
As long as the level of the magic is high enough, it can bypass the magic
restriction! Though its power and effects are much diminished…
The light that was emitted by the white crystal column gradually grew
effulgent, and then like water, it coalesced enough to form a stream of liquid
that radiated a milky-white glow. The small stream of liquid dripped on to the
unconscious youth’s forehead and then magically integrated with his skin.
In that brief moment, due to struggling to maintain the crystal column, Zi Di’s
entire face had turned pale, her forehead was devoid of sweat, and her body was
teetering. The crystal column’s color also began to wane, starting from the
upper end, gradually turning it into gray stone.
Persevere, I must press on, I can’t give up halfway! Zi Di squeezed out all the
power she had left in her body, almost hypnotizing herself into constantly
challenging the limits of her abilities. By the time half the crystal column
lost its color, she was already in a state of semi-consciousness, only her
obsession kept her going. I must wake you up…
“Howl!”A wolf’s howl suddenly reverberated, and the giant blue wolf that had
disappeared rushed out from the lush undergrowth with extreme quickness.
At that moment, it was like death had come for her. Zi Di was terrified, and
her frail body trembled. When she subconsciously looked up, she found her face
was already overshadowed by the wolf’s body. She saw the giant wolf had leaped
through the air and was swooping down at her.
At that moment, time seemed to slow down. The wolf’s maw was wide open, baring
its malevolent fangs and its drooling saliva. Am I going to die‽ Zi Di
attempted to struggle, however, her body did not respond, she had already
consumed all of her strength. I am not resigned… 
As the intense breath of death assaulted her, the girl’s purple eyes gazed at
her final hope, the crystal column in her hands. Two-thirds of the crystal had
lost its luster and turned to gray stone, however, there was still a third
left. There’s no hope left.
In that split second, she turned pale as she lost all her strength. Her head
drooped, and she shut her eyes tight. But, just as she was about to meet her
sticky end, something shook in her hand.
Bang! The crystal column exploded into countless pieces. Bewildered, the girl
opened her eyes. Then, she saw the youth wake. 
The golden-haired and blue-eyed handsome boy suddenly flipped sideways, then
raised his leg and kicked. His movements were graceful and strong, direct and
efficient. Although his body seemed weak, he revealed his ferocious strength at
that moment. His powerful kick stirred up a gust of wind, the giant wolf could
not dodge it and met the kick head-on. The wolf’s howl stopped abruptly as the
powerful attack flung it into the distance.
With his hands, the youth took the opportunity to prop himself up and glared
angrily at it.
The girl’s pupils shrank slightly, and her breathing halted. As she gazed at
the boy’s thin and frail back, she felt as if she was seeing the summit of a
mountain rise up.



****** Chapter 2: The Templar Knight and the Fiancée ******
Darkness, a deep darkness. In this darkness, a youth gradually recovered his
consciousness.
Where? What is this place? Where am I?As the youth’s lucidity grew clearer, he
began to ask questions.
The boundless darkness that enveloped him was silent and unresponsive. The hope
in the youth’s heart waned, he tried to examine himself, however, he could not
see himself. The confusion in his heart inevitably magnified.
Rather, who am I? Who am I? Why…why am I trapped here?
The lucid youth’s impatience gradually grew. Although the darkness was safe, it
was eternally unchanging. It was like a cage that trapped him. Naturally, he
began to want to break free and escape from this place.
I want to leave! But where will I go? Is there a path I can take? Is there even
a way out?
As if responding to the youth’s confusion, a small ray of light began to appear
in the darkness. The light was orange in color. Its existence was only faintly
discernible. However, in this absolute darkness, even if faint, this orange
light was distinct.
It attracted the youth’s full attention. He strived to move closer to the
glimmer of light. After an unknown amount of time, the youth seemed to have
approached closer to the orange light as it had gotten slightly larger than
before.
Where is it coming from? Will it allow me to leave here?
Longing to escape the darkness, the youth approached the orange light with
increasing eagerness—“Howl!” An earth-shaking beast’s howl suddenly shook the
entire darkness.
Like a startled small animal, the orange light abruptly extinguished, awakening
the youth as a result. Just as he opened his eyes, he saw a giant wolf swooping
down from the sky toward him with an open maw.
The youth’s mind was blank and his body reacted before fear could set in. He
rolled over and kicked. At this juncture, his whole body was like a ballista,
with his legs shooting out like a giant arrow.
Thump!The youth's legs kicked the huge wolf’s flank and with that one strike,
the wolf was flung away. He then placed his palms on the ground and pushed
himself up in one smooth motion.
A person? When he got up, the youth glanced around hastily and discovered a
girl. It was but a glance, for there was no time to ponder. The giant wolf was
a tremendous threat to him that made his heart pound. The emotion of fear
quickly deluged his heart. This is a Silver magic beast!The crisis had not yet
been averted so the youth’s eyes locked onto the giant wolf.
Splosh.Kicked by the youth, the giant wolf could not use its strength in the
air as it flew in an arc and fell into the river. This was not surprising, as
he was currently on a riverbank and quite close to the water.
When the ferocious wolf fell into the river, it strangely howled in terror. It
used all its strength to flail in the water, trying to climb ashore quickly.
Suddenly, green shadows emerged from the water. These green shadows were as
thick as pythons, and with abrupt tumult, it raised innumerable gigantic waves.
The green shadows’ aura was exposed, it was an awe-inspiring Gold aura. The
green shadows nigh instantly entwined around the Silver wolf, then dragged it
into the waters.
Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle.The river’s surface was no longer calm and turbid waves
were stirred. Soon after, a dark-red color bloomed like a flower, it was the
wolf’s blood. The wolf’s blood propagated rapidly along with the churning of
the river. In just a few breaths, the wolf’s noises completely vanished as the
river’s surface recovered its placidity. The wolf’s blood mixed with the turbid
waters and soon faded with the flow of the river. Thereafter, tranquility
returned to the surroundings.
It seemed like nothing had happened. The malevolent wolf vanished, and the
mysterious green shadows concealed themselves once more. It was as if the
previous life-and-death struggle never existed.
The mind of the youth who witnessed all this unfold was extremely shaken. A
ferocious Silver wolf and Gold river vines, what kind of demonic place is
this‽Feeling horrified, he started to size up his surroundings before finally
turning toward the girl. “Where is this?” he asked.
The girl was shocked motionless by the events and only after hearing the
youth’s question did she react, “My Lord!” She was so excited that she threw
herself into the youth’s arms, leaving the boy bewildered for a while as he
looked at her.
“Thank goodness, my Lord, you finally woke up!” The girl embraced the young man
tightly. “Lord, you woke up!”
The youth patted her shoulders then he proceeded to push the girl away
slightly. The girl looked at the youth with overflowing excitement and
surprise. As the youth looked at the girl in his arms, his heart seemed to skip
a beat.
Her dainty face was full of tenderness, her eyes were red and on the verge of
crying, and her purple irides were reminiscent of precious gems. There was a
trace of charm in their brilliance. It seems like that malevolent wolf must
have frightened her a lot. As gentle feelings arose in the youth’s heart, he
inquired, “Excuse me…who are you?”
The girl was stunned, and her eyes could not help but widen while she
motionlessly stared at the youth. They looked at each other for a few seconds.
Noticing the youth’s solemn and befuddled visage, the girl gradually showed
shock and concern. She then quickly introduced herself, “Ah, I am Zi Di, my
Lord. I am your fiancée.”
“Fiancée?” The youth frowned. He knew what a fiancée was, he just did not
expect that this girl would have such an intimate relationship with him. “Zi
Di…” the youth murmured the name under his breath. Yet to the youth, this name
was completely unfamiliar. As the youth ruminated further, his eyebrows deeply
creased. “Wait a minute, I...who am I?” He realized that he had forgotten his
own identity. When he tried to recall his memories, his mind seemed to be
utterly empty, as if nothing was ever there.
“You are Zhen Jin, Baron Zhen Jin. Heavens! Your Lordship, have you forgotten
everything, including your own identity?”
“Zhen Jin, I am Zhen Jin? Why don’t I remember anything?” The youth frowned,
feeling very puzzled and dismayed.
“Heavens! Why did this happen‽” Zi Di was also quite perplexed. Thereafter, her
purple eyes revealed a pondering glint. She then shook her head and said,
“Perhaps…Your Lordship’s head was struck fiercely, and therefore, you lost your
memories temporarily. There have been similar occurrences. 
“My Lord, we became shipwrecked a few days ago. There had been a violent storm,
the ship capsized and split. The survivors became stranded on this island…there
were many missing people including you, my Lord. Following your trail through
the rainforest, I searched for you, however, you were already unconscious when
I found you, and the many methods I attempted could not wake you up. 
“Wait. Maybe it's because my means of awaking you had been interfered with
during the middle. If that's really the case, then I’m sorry, my Lord. I simply
had no other choice at the time.” She pointed her finger at Zhen Jin’s chest,
there were still many crystal fragments adhered to it.
The youth Zhen Jin lowered his head and saw the crystal fragments stuck to his
chest and spoke, “So, you were the one that saved me?” Continuing onward, the
girl informed the youth of her experiences as well as the final moments when
she took a risk to treat him with the white crystal. Those words immediately
caused the youth to respect the girl more. “So we were in such danger, and it
was all thanks to you, um…Zi Di,” the youth gently called out the girl’s name.
“But my Lord, you may have lost your memories because of this,” Zi Di
whispered, still feeling worried and guilty about it.
“What are these things?” Zhen Jin asked curiously as he held the crystal
fragments.
“Angel tears,” said Zi Di. According to her, it was a rather high-level magic
artifact. “This island is very strange, neither magic nor battle qi can be
used. When I used it to wake Your Lordship up, I was also gambling,” she
explained.
“A magic restriction domain?” Zhen Jin found that he still had his general
knowledge. He then shook his head and said, “No magic restriction domain is
absolute. The key is to examine how powerful it is.”
“Yes, my Lord,” Zi Di looked at the fragments in his hand and said, “high-level
artifacts like angel tears are still barely usable here. My magic is only Iron,
and the environment here has suppressed it and I have no way of using it.”
Could it be that the light in the darkness I saw was created by this
crystal?the youth guessed as he recalled his previous unconscious state.
“My Lord, please let me examine your body’s condition.” Zi Di continued to
introduce herself, “I am a low-level magician. Although I can’t use my magic
currently, I still have my knowledge.”
Zhen Jin nodded. Magicians were usually very erudite, even if they were young.
The girl carefully inspected Zhen Jin’s chest, back, ears, and so on. As he
felt the tender hands of the girl groping around his body, his heart rippled.
Finally, Zi Di approached his face and carefully observed if there was anything
unusual in the youth’s pupils. The distance between the two of them was so
close that they could feel each other's breaths. The girl’s breath felt like it
carried a certain sweet scent, causing his heart to feel itchy as he turned his
head slightly, not looking at her directly.
While Zi Di was examining him, he was also inspecting himself. Zi Di had wheat-
colored skin while he had pure-white skin. Zhen Jin also vaguely felt that,
although he had a relatively thin figure, his body seemed to be hiding
formidable strength. He kept stretching his ten fingers, then proceeded to make
a fist. He then recalled the scene where he sent the giant wolf flying with his
kick, subtly experiencing the power lying dormant in his body. This power was
evidently unusual.
“Alright.” The girl stopped moving, took a step back, and let out a relieved
sigh. “My Lord, presently, your body only has remnant bruises from the past.
From the looks of it, there seems to be no problem, however, the conditions
here are too crude, thus you can only wait until I can conduct a detailed
examination in the future.”
Zhen Jin nodded and continued to ask, “So am I a magician? What kind of power
do I have?”
Zi Di shook her head and replied, “My Lord, you practice battle qi, you are a
Templar Knight.”
“A Templar Knight?” The youth immediately became absent-minded, and soon after,
a memory appeared from oblivion in his mind.
* * *
In a bright, pure-white temple hall, where the sun shone through the towering
variegated stained-glass windows, illuminating its interior, a group of youths
were gathered together. Zhen Jin found himself amid them.
The atmosphere was sublime, solemn, and somewhat feverish, and there Zhen Jin
and the other youths swore an oath together—
“I so vow, to respect and love the living god, the master of the grand Empire,
Emperor Sheng Ming!
“I so vow, to follow in the footsteps of my commander, to advance bravely!
“I so vow, to protect my loved ones, to brave perils!
“I so vow, to treat my friends with good faith, to reject hypocrisy!
“I so vow, to be loyal in love and until death together, to never forsake!
“I so vow, to fight injustice, to have compassion for the weak!
“I so vow, to remain fair, to oppose all falsehoods!
“From today forth, I am a Templar Knight!”
* * *
The memory was fleeting.
“My Lord, did you remember anything?” Zi Di asked with expectation when she
noticed something different about Zhen Jin.
Zhen Jin nodded and said, “Yes. I remembered the moment of vowing my solemn
oath when I became a Templar Knight.”
When Zi Di heard this, her eyes lit up and responded, “My Lord, give it a try,
maybe you can use battle qi now?”
Zhen Jin clenched his fist and recollected. A moment later, his brows furrowed,
and he shook his head with a bitter smile and replied, “No, I don’t have any
memories concerning battle qi cultivation, I can’t even sense any trace of
battle qi in my body and I don’t know how to use it.”
Zi Di’s eyes dulled a little, and soon after she comforted, “Perhaps, the time
has not yet come. But it doesn’t matter, Your Lordship. At least this proves
that your memory can be restored. It will...just take some time.”
Zhen Jin nodded, thinking to himself that although the girl in front of him was
weak, she was optimistic and tenacious. Ever since he woke up, she had been
consoling him.
However, there were still distinct tears on the girl’s cheek at the moment. All
of her fingernails were split and slightly bleeding, and she was barefooted,
for she had not had time to put on her boots. Although Zi Di only gave a brief
description, he understood the previous situation was really dangerous and
could be described as dancing between life and death. The most praiseworthy
thing was that no matter how dangerous the situation became, the girl never
gave up on him while he was unconscious. It could even be said that she had
steadfast loyalty and had no regard for her own life.
The Templar Knight’s oath was still ringing in his ears. It turns out I am a
knight, a noble Templar Knight! Zhen Jin felt honor envelop his body as he
raised his head with a prideful heart. Looking at Zi Di again, a warm feeling
also rippled through his heart. Then, let me take care of you from now on.
Strong, purple-eyed girl, my…fiancée.



****** Chapter 3: The Treacherous Island ******
After their emotions calmed down, Zhen Jin and Zi Di discussed what to do next.
Their current situation was not very good. They had scarce food or water on
them and tools for survival in the dense wilderness were also few. Moreover,
they were barely armed and he could be described as empty-handed.
Zi Di then suggested they return to the other bank and look for the bodies of
the deceased bodyguards who had supplies, survival tools, and equipment on
them.
Zhen Jin immediately concurred with her suggestion.
The two did not choose to climb back over the tree, it was too dangerous. They
walked alongside the river. The river waters babbled and flowed, the two banks
lush with vegetation. There were obvious marks of the grass having been
trampled beside the river, left by the Silver ferocious wolf rushing over from
a while ago.
After the two walked for a while, the river gradually narrowed and the earth
rose, forming two mounds that faced each other across the small river. The two
mounds were not far apart, rooted on either side of the river bank but both
extending over some part of the river. On the mounds, vegetation was sparse.
And on it, the two once again found marks left by the wolf's claws. 
“It looks like this is where that vicious wolf jumped across the river,” said
Zi Di.
The two climbed to the top of the mound. The space between the two mounds was
so short it was completely possible to jump across. However, if one lost their
footing and fell into the waters, one was bound to be hunted by the Gold python
vines within and die leaving no traces.
“Look, what’s what?” Zi Di remarked and pointed her finger down.
Zhen Jin looked at where she pointed and his pupils constricted slightly. He
found many broken shoots and fragments of that river vine scattered along the
banks. The riverbank obviously had been the site of a fierce battle, leaving it
roughed up. The ground was also covered with black earth like cooled lava which
looked rather suspicious. Zhen Jin's heart was heavy. The river vine is a Gold
lifeform, but it’s not the dominant creature here. There was once a battle here
and it had lost. Meaning, whatever it had fought was at least Gold. This island
is truly fraught with danger!
In this short period, Zhen Jin had seen the Silver ferocious wolf, the Gold
river vine, and a mysterious powerful lifeform that was at least Gold. I can’t
use my battle qi and with my strength alone, it’s very difficult to deal with a
Silver beast and my chances of victory are slim. Defeating that ferocious wolf
earlier was nothing but a fluke. At the time, the wolf was in the air and
couldn’t use its strength. My sudden awakening and attack caught it off guard.
It had no way to dodge and was thus kicked into the river. The terrifying green
vines in the waters immediately killed the wolf. If it was a head-on battle, I
wouldn’t have been so lucky. What should I do if I encounter another such a
ferocious beast?
The two successfully jumped across the river and dived deeper into the
rainforest. The blue skies were obscured once more and the air became extremely
hot and humid. The earth felt soft under his feet as many decomposing leaves
had accumulated over time. Zhen Jin had to look at the path from time to time
as vines were tangled and roots were exposed so if he was not careful, he would
trip and fall.
Zi Di took a small step forward and looked around. “It’s around here.”
According to her account, the ferocious wolf was in pursuit, and to stall the
beast, the last three guards stayed behind to buy a glimmer of hope for her and
the then unconscious Zhen Jin.
After walking a dozen steps further, the two found a corpse around a large
tree. In the undergrowth, two corpses lay separated by about a dozen steps,
each reeking of blood. Their eyes were wide open with fear and anger still
lingering on their faces. Zi Di was stifled and frozen while Zhen Jin took a
few steps closer and leaned down to investigate.
Whoosh! Suddenly, like an arrow fired from a crossbow, came a thick black and
red streak from beneath the corpse shooting straight toward Zhen Jin’s face. He
broke out in a sweat and his pupils shrunk to the size of a needle tip as he
reached out his hand. In one fell swoop, the black and red streak was grasped.
“Hiss!” The black and red streak was caught by its head by Zhen Jin and its
appearance was immediately revealed—a very strange-looking snake. Its scales
were black and its head was bright red. From its head, all the way to the end
of its tail was a distinct crimson streak. On either side of the snake ran
hundreds of black centipede-like legs.
A Bronze magic beast! Zhen Jin sensed the vital aura of the centipede snake and
grimaced.
“Aah, be careful!” Everything had happened too quickly and Zi Di only just
reacted. “That is a blood-streaked centipede snake and it is extremely
venomous. Its venom is so severe that it would only take a few breaths to
kill,” she hastily said, “moreover, with its centipede legs, it can penetrate
leather armor!” Just as she finished, the blood-streaked centipede snake
counterattacked.
Its body twisted and wrapped around Zhen Jin’s arm and most of its hundreds of
centipede legs dug deeply into the youth’s arm. Blood trickled out and he was
assailed by an intense pang. Simultaneously, he felt his arm being squeezed by
a great contorting force, crushing his flesh into a paste and making his bones
groan. 
His fingers moved quickly and attempted to strangle the blood-streaked
centipede snake. However, the snake’s bones were too tough and its scales too
slippery and hard. He grunted loudly and slammed the snake’s head on the
ground. With his other hand, he quickly drew his dagger, raised it high, and
stabbed hard. The dagger felt like it was stabbing through hard rock as it
nailed the snake’s head on to the ground. 
In its death throes, the snake resisted by digging its centipede legs an inch
deeper, causing his arm to bleed even more. After a few breaths, the snake’s
body went completely limp. Despite the absence of the contorting force, the
hard centipede legs were still wedged in the youth’s flesh. Zhen Jin gritted
his teeth and retrieved his dagger. After retreating from the corpse, he began
pulling out the centipede legs.
Zi Di quickly took out some medicinal powder from her pouch and sprinkled a
layer on Zhen Jin’s arm injury. Then she drew a white bandage and quickly
wrapped it around his arm. The wound was deep but Zhen Jin’s constitution was
very strong and the medicine was quite effective. Soon, the bleeding stopped.
Then Zhen Jin felt a cool and somewhat sour sensation mixed with vague pain
transmitted from the wound to his mind. “What kind of medicine is this? How is
it so effective? Does this island not restrict the use of magic and battle qi?“
he asked, curious about the immediate effects of the medicine.
“This is a herbal medicine from Ice Continent’s barbarian tribes. It’s not a
magic potion but simply uses the medicinal power of herbs,” explained Zi Di.
Magic potions were created by pharmacists by successfully blending ingredients
with magic power and finding a certain equilibrium and stabilizing it. Because
these potions had magic power, they often worked quickly and effectively.
Zi Di looked at Zhen Jin’s wound, her eyes red with shame and guilt.
“Fortunately the centipede legs aren’t venomous. I am sorry, my Lord, I have
caused you harm. I should have warned you sooner.”
Zhen Jin looked at the girl behaving like this with pity, shook his head, and
said with relief, “This is not your fault.”
After crossing the river, they entered the jungle, staying alert to their
surroundings. Even when communicating, it was very limited to avoid
distractions. However, the blood-streaked centipede snake was extremely fast
when it leaped out of the corpse and even Zhen Jin did not anticipate it.
Even a snake on this island is so weird and sinister. Zhen Jin returned to
where he was before and used the tip of his dagger to cut open the snake’s head
and he slid it across to slice the rest of its body apart. If only I could use
battle qi, I would not have gotten injured, he sighed. 
Regardless of whether he had Silver or even only Iron battle qi, as long as he
could activate his battle qi defense, the centipede legs would have had a hard
time piercing his arm. He observed the snake’s innards and saw its stomach had
a lot of undigested food. The young knight’s eyes flashed. It seems this
centipede likes devouring its prey and lives a bloodthirsty life. No wonder it
flew out of the corpse.
“Strange.” After searching twice, Zhen Jin was puzzled. “Where is its crystal
core?”
Magic beasts were able to absorb the natural elements and produce their own
magic power. This power would over time accumulate to form a crystalline
manifestation of magic power—a magic beast’s crystal core. Newborn magic beasts
lacked a crystal core, adolescents’ crystal core was very small, and all adults
had a crystal core. This blood-streaked centipede snake was no newborn, it had
a fully matured body yet it did not have a crystal core. This confused Zhen
Jin.
Zi Di explained at the opportune time, “On this island, there are many strange
magic beasts. Although their vital aura is very strong, they do not have a
magic crystal. The search and rescue team killed some of these magic beasts
before but did not find any magic crystals in their bodies. However, probably
because they lack it, none of the magic beasts have shown any quasi-spells.”
“So it was like this.” Zhen Jin was edified. Although the value of a magic
beast’s crystal core was not small, if the reason why these beasts could not
use quasi-spells was that they lacked magic crystals, then the advantages
greatly outweighed the disadvantages for Zhen Jin and Zi Di.
After settling the blood-streaked centipede snake, Zhen Jin went to examine the
human corpses again. On the ground lay the corpses of the long-dead bodyguards.
One had a fatal injury on his throat where his entire neck was almost bitten
off, only the posterior portion of the neck remained connected. The other was
even worse off—his entire head was violently crushed with cerebral fluids and
blood blended together pouring out on the earth. These were fatal wounds. The
two people’s stomachs were thinly skinned and decayed. No doubt these injuries
were caused by the venomous snake.
Zhen Jin's expression became austere, he stood up and looked around. He
carefully discovered that the surrounding bushes had been severely trampled. In
the eyes of ordinary people, the scene was chaotic but Zhen Jin found himself
able to effortlessly distinguish which tracks were caused by humans and which
were by the ferocious wolf. 
Using these traces in front of him, he was even able to visualize a path. The
youth’s eyes narrowed and his gaze followed the visualized path, gradually
looking to the distance. But soon, the undergrowth and the dense trees blocked
his vision. 
Zhen Jin started walking forward, taking a dozen steps out through the
undergrowth, then turned to the large tree and paced past it. Then, a rare
clearing was in front of his eyes. Zi Di followed him into the clearing. 
Zhen Jin looked down at his feet and found footprints in the clearing. This was
because the rainforest floor was almost covered with many rotten leaves.
Moreover, heavy rainfall resulted in these rotten leaves being very damp.
Therefore, the heavier the person, the deeper the footprints formed. Some of
which would often cause water to ooze out and form a small puddle. The space
between footprints in the clearing was very far apart, which suggested the
owners of the footprints, the bodyguards, were running.
Zhen Jin contemplated attentively and speculated using the various traces he
found, these two guards saw that this clearing did not obstruct their line of
sight and decided this was the best place to battle the ferocious wolf.His mind
seemed to have replayed this scene. But when they stood guard here, they
suddenly found that the ferocious wolf ran back into the undergrowth. It seemed
to bypass the bodyguards to go after Zi Di. So the two bodyguards then hastily
rushed back into the bushes and gave up this advantageous location to attempt
to pursue and block the ferocious wolf. In the bushes, the two bodyguards ran
with one in front of the other when the wolf suddenly turned around, jumped up,
and directly bit through the skull of the one in front. Then, it rushed the
guard at the rear and bit his throat.
An unbidden chill propagated from deep within his heart to his entire being.
The blue-furred wolf had a ferocious temperament, yet it was still so cunning.
It seemed to be able to understand the human heart, adopting a combination of
lures and composite counterattacks. Its tactics were implemented neatly and
precisely, allowing it to successfully, quickly kill the two bodyguards. During
the whole process, it also took advantage of the terrain and the mindset of the
bodyguards to protect their master. Even when it turned around to attack, it
was still very strategic in delivering the fatal blows—
To the one without a helmet, it directly crushed his head with its fangs.
To the one that wore a helmet, it bit his throat.
The strength of the two bodyguards did not reach Iron, but they were both
Bronze. Although not a rival of a Silver magic beast, they should have been
able to at least inflict some injuries to the wolf. However, even when the
bodyguards sacrificed their lives, they could not make the ferocious wolf pay
the price for it.
Zhen Jin sighed to Zi Di behind him, “This blue-furred ferocious wolf is sure
to have Silver strength!” The traces of the battle were the best proof that the
wolf’s bite strength and jumping power were obviously Silver. “The most
terrifying part is that the wolf has shocking intelligence utterly surpassing
any ordinary magic beast. Especially in its ability to use tactics, it is
almost comparable to humans! 
“Generally speaking, wolves are pack hunters and use group tactics. Lone wolves
driven away from the pack are either old, weak, sick, or disabled. Fierce
tigers will lurk, slowly approaching their prey then suddenly exert their full
strength to kill them in one blow. Before, when the vicious wolf was chasing
us, it was obviously unusual. The tactics it employed were more insidious and
fiercer than of a tiger. It was a fluke that we were able to eliminate it
earlier.”
Zi Di nodded in deep thought, her face uncontrollably paling by several
magnitudes as she said, “I even suspected that the wolf had a human soul. The
first time we encountered the wolf was when a member at the rear of the team
was attacked by it. It could obviously kill him but only dragged the bodyguard
away, such that we would rush to his rescue. 
“Our formation was in disarray, and it took advantage of that. In the first
battle, although we injured it severely, it killed three bodyguards. Of course,
we were very angry at the heavy losses. But in the end, the ferocious wolf was
a Silver magic beast and it had long left without a trace. After discussing the
matter, we decided to carry on looking for you, my Lord, and temporarily gave
up our vengeance against the ferocious wolf.
“Many of us thought that the injured wolf would be eaten by the other beasts of
the jungle. Even if it were still alive, it should have been too injured by our
attacks such that it would not dare to provoke us again. But the truth later
proved to us that we were wrong. So terribly wrong. 
“The second time the wolf appeared was six days later. Its injuries were mostly
healed and it directly raided our bivouac that evening. It held a beehive in
its mouth and threw it into our camp, then it immediately retreated.
Subsequently, a swarm of fire-venom bees assaulted the camp. The bees were not
afraid of fire and contained a strong fiery venom. 
“We eventually repelled the bees, but four bodyguards got stung and were
severely injured, resulting in them falling into a coma. Their bodies were hot
all over and I used every conceivable method, but I could not lower their body
temperature. Later that night, they died. 
“After that, our team suffered repeated attacks by the evil wolf. It became our
grim reaper, a nightmare that we could not escape from…” as she said this, she
hugged herself with her arms and shivered, with obvious considerable fear still
lingering in her heart.
Zhen Jin looked at his crying fiancée and thought, Ah, she is so helpless.The
young knight could not help but take a few steps forward to reach out his arms
and embrace Zi Di in his chest of his own accord. The girl’s delicate body
shook like a frightened rabbit that had returned to its warm burrow. Soon, her
emotions stabilized in his embrace. 
He lightly patted her back and lowered his head to see the girl’s face, who
gradually shied. “I understand how you feel,” he softly said. “Right now, I am
with you. Unless I fall, I will always protect you and stop any magic beast
that wants to hurt you.”
“Lord Zhen Jin!” Zi Di exclaimed, her eyes full of tenderness.



****** Chapter 4: I Am Shrewd ******
The two carried on cleaning the battlefield. Of the two dead bodyguards, one
man wore a set of leather armor, however, it was already in tatters. The other
wore a helmet, gauntlets, sabatons, vambraces, and mail.
Zhen Jin first took the gauntlet and replaced what he was wearing—his leather
gauntlet had been pierced by the snake’s centipede legs—with it. Subsequently,
he took the helmet and mail and donned it on himself. A sense of security
suddenly emerged.
Equipment could, to an extent, bridge the gap in life levels. For example, the
blue-furred ferocious wolf was unwilling to have its fangs meet the iron
helmet. As for the sabatons, because they did not fit the Zhen Jin’s feet, the
youth abandoned them.
Apart from the protective equipment, there were also weapons. One of the
bodyguards used a longsword while the other used a scimitar. The longsword’s
blade was damaged but the scimitar was in good condition. Zhen Jin first held
the scimitar in his hands and after swinging it for a while, he slightly
frowned. He put down the scimitar and picked up the longsword. Just when he was
about to swing the blade, suddenly another memory fragment emerged in the
youth’s mind.
* * *
The sky was gloomy and rainy. In an empty, open training ground, a group of
youths had formed a circle. Zhen Jin was on the ground in the center of these
youths.
The youths looked down at him, laughing and mocking, heavy derision on their
faces. The leading figure was a burly youth with a head of azure hair that
stood erect like steel needles.
The azure-haired youth spoke while crossing his arms and stepping on Zhen Jin’s
shoulder, “Zhen Jin! Always remember the fact that your Bai Zhen House only
holds the rank of viscount and that you are the losers of the War.
“Did you really think someone like you could stand on equal footing with us?”
The azure-haired youth suddenly raised his foot, stomped on Zhen Jin’s head,
and smiled. “I’ll teach you a lesson today. From now on, when you see us, no
matter where you are in the citadel, you must bow your head, cower to the side,
and make way for us.
“A lesser noble must act like one. If I ever see you look at me, Qing Kui, I
will cripple you. Do you understand?” Qing Kui growled as he slammed Zhen Jin’s
head into the mud.
“I under...understand. Cough, cough, cough,” Zhen Jin said with difficulty.
“Hahaha.” Qing Kui threw his head back and laughed triumphantly as he lifted
his foot and walked away. Before leaving, he spoke again, “Of course, Zhen Jin,
if you are not convinced, you can come and challenge me. I, Qing Kui, will be
ready anytime, anywhere.”
“Cough, cough, cough.” Zhen Jin struggled to sit up. He started coughing again
because opening his mouth allowed muddy water to flow down his throat. Seeing
his sorry state, the other youths lost their interest.
“Bah, what an idiot!”
“Did he really think he could challenge Young Master Qing Kui? With what?”
“With his embroidery needle, of course. Hahaha.”
With the rain falling hard, the youths grouped around Qing Kui and burst into
laughter as they entered the citadel.
Zhen Jin sat in the mud and let the rain beat down on him. He was covered in
wounds and extremely pale. After sitting for a while in a daze, he looked at
the sword stuck in the mud.
It was his sword, a very thin rapier. It sat soaking in the muddy water, it
seemed to have long lost the sharpness of its glory days.
* * *
The memory suddenly ended here.
Zhen Jin came back to reality and could not help but frown, I am from the House
of Bai Zhen? Our territory seems to be located in the south, part of the
Southern nobles who joined the Empire in Sheng Ming Continent. It seems we used
to have held countship before?He found that although he had lost his memories,
it was not a complete loss, and much of his knowledge and common sense had been
well retained.
“My Lord, what’s the matter?” Zi Di’s concerned question came to his ears.
Zhen Jin shook his head. “I regained another piece of my memory.”
“That’s great!” Zi Di said joyously.
Zhen Jin smiled bitterly and did not elaborate to Zi Di as he raised his eyes
to the sky. It was almost dusk.
The boy and girl carefully chose a place and quickly arranged everything—they
would spend the night here. Dry twigs, grass, and leaves were not difficult to
collect. By the pile of firewood, Zi Di half-kneeled holding a star flint in
each hand. Click, click.She clashed the two star flints against each other and
soon the collisions produced bright blue sparks. 
The sparks fell on the dry grass and glowed with a little bit of orange-red,
which quickly expanded and started burning the grass. A puff of smoke rose up
swirling. 
Zi Di carefully, hastily put away the star flints, puffed up her cheeks, and
breathed out. Under the beating breath, the fire swelled as faint smoke turned
into thick smoke, and the fire soared and became a fist-sized flame. “It’s
done.” Zi Di smiled and immediately stood up and backed away a few steps.
In a short while, the flames ballooned and burned, forming a campfire. In the
past, she only needed to snap her fingers to make a small flame. It was one of
a magician’s spells. But on this island, Iron magic was completely unusable and
sealed. Instead, regular firestarters like this star flint had much more
practical value. Without these star flints, starting a fire by hand would be
quite troublesome.
The burning campfire created warmth and light, chasing away the darkness of the
night. The two did not roast anything on the fire and instead sat by it eating
rations and opening their water bags to drink. Regardless of whether it was the
star flints, rations, or water, they all were obtained from the dead
bodyguards. Although the dry rations were hard to swallow, in their case, they
could not be picky. 
The day’s trek was full of thrill and danger. They managed to stay alive even
amongst all the Gold and Silver magic beasts. They also found a bit of
equipment and plenty of food and water. All this made them feel so grateful,
what more could they have asked for? 
After eating and drinking, the two carefully organized and stored the remaining
food and water. The youth then began to do maintenance on his equipment. He
took out the longsword and wiped it with an oiled cloth. Weapons needed to be
maintained. Although the longsword was an ordinary weapon, it brought Zhen Jin
a tangible sense of security. Too bad there isn’t a crossbow.
A few moments later, seeing Zhen Jin wiping the longsword, Zi Di came over and
said, “My Lord, let me examine your injury.”
Zhen Jin nodded. After removing the bandages, he found most of the wound on his
arm had healed. “Good medicine,” he praised.
Currently, he was sitting on a rock while Zi Di was half-kneeling on the
ground. The girl first pulled out the medicinal powder from her leather bag at
her waist and sprinkled it evenly over the wound then softly wrapped a new
bandage on. Lastly, she put the vambrace on Zhen Jin.
Zi Di looked at the vambrace and sighed saying, “If only my Lord had this iron
vambrace earlier then you wouldn’t have been injured by the blood-streaked
centipede snake.” 
The firelight shone on the vambrace and the ends of Zi Di’s hair with a blurred
orange glow. She had black hair, which under the light of the fire shone with a
halo. Her wheat-colored skin bore the characteristic delicateness of her
adolescent years. 
At this moment, Zhen Jin felt as if there were a pure bodily fragrance that
passed through the firelight and entered his heart. He felt an unbidden tug at
his heart and could not help but reach out and caress her hair. Zi Di slightly
shivered. “M-my Lord,” she stammered out and bowed her head. His actions seemed
to have startled her, causing her to breathe nervously.
Zhen Jin’s thoughts, however, were not on the affairs between man and woman. He
quickly withdrew his hand and asked lightly, “Zi Di, tell me about myself.”
Along their travel, the youth had been forcing back his desire to sate his
curiosity. It was only now that they had stabilized their position he had the
chance to learn more about himself.
Zi Di sat down across from him, pondered for a moment, and said, “My Lord, you
are a Templar Knight and the sole heir to the Bai Zhen House, and it is
publicly recognized that you have Iron-rank strength.”
Zhen Jin could not help but raise his brows slightly. Zi Di’s answer was quite
interesting. “Publicly recognized?” he asked again.
“That’s right,” Zi Di nodded. “My Lord, the strength you usually show is Iron
but according to my speculations, it is higher than that because this time my
Lord was crossing the ocean to compete for the position of the City Lord of
White Sands and a city lord must have at least Silver cultivation to win the
favor of the people.”
In the main world, humanity was the undisputed overlord. Emperor Sheng Ming of
humanity not only unified the human continent but also formed an expeditionary
army to cross the ocean and invade Wilderness Continent. White Sands was a
citadel built by humanity on Wilderness Continent and a nail hammered on the
continent by Emperor Sheng Ming. There were more than a dozen other bridgeheads
like White Sands and the number was still rising.
I wanted to compete and become the City Lord of White Sands? Although there are
city lords of Iron, there wouldn’t be such an inadequate city lord in White
Sands on Wilderness Continent,Zhen Jin thought.
Whether it be the practice of battle qi or magic, it would bring about
sublimation of the essence of life.
Bronze, Iron, Silver, and Gold,
Bronzes were the elites of humanity and often those who served as captains in
the army were of this cultivation.
Irons were higher and their essence of life was greater than Bronzes and were
usually the backbone of organizations small and large, as was the case with Zi
Di.
Silvers were qualified to be city lords and could suppress a region.
Golds were even fewer and rarer in number and were usually the backbone of a
major aristocratic force or a small kingdom.
Seeing the youth’s thoughtful face, the girl continued, “According to my guess,
my Lord should possess Silver cultivation.”
The youth could not help but nod slightly as he supported the girl’s
speculation. If that’s the case, I should have Silver battle qi. It doesn’t
make sense for the Empire to officially allow an Iron knight to compete for the
position of city lord.“How old am I?” the youth suddenly asked.
Zi Di replied, “My Lord, you are sixteen and I am fifteen.”
“Sixteen years old…Silver…” A word emerged in the youth’s mind: genius. With
such a cultivation at such an age, he was certainly a genius. However, the
world publicly recognizes me as having Iron cultivation, was this something I
was intentionally hiding? Does this mean I have a shrewd mind?Zhen Jin
continued to deepen his understanding of himself. He thought of the second
memory that surfaced, a scene of himself being bullied by other Templar
Knights. Does that mean I was feigning weakness?“How’s the situation with the
Bai Zhen House?” he asked again.
Zi Di made a strained face and said hesitantly, “Not so good.”
The youth nodded again. He understood why. 
About one hundred years ago, Emperor Sheng Ming took the initiative to recruit
and subdue the last recalcitrant forces of humanity to end the last of the Wars
of Conquest and unify the human continent as quickly as possible. These
obstinate forces then became the new nobility of the Sheng Ming Empire, the
House of Bai Zhen was one of them. 
However, the brutal war that preceded it led to a long-standing hostility
between the new nobles and the old nobles under Emperor Sheng Ming. A large
number of friends and families of both sides died in battle, their hands were
stained with the blood of the other side’s kin. So it was only natural Zhen
Jin, who represented the new nobles joining the Temple by becoming a Templar
Knight, was targeted and suppressed by the old nobles.
Frankly speaking, it was a memory of humiliation but when I recollected it, my
heart was at peace, as if I were a bystander,he thought. If he were truly
humiliated, there would have been some anger lingering in his heart, right?
Zi Di continued, “Lord Zhen Jin, I actually do not know much about you. But
based on the rumors, my Lord was not close to women and kept to yourself. Even
when you encountered any major incidents, you would not easily express your
true emotions. You spent most of your time in the Temple as an ascetic,
austere, and silent. 
“Moreover, your clothing, food, dwelling, and every action were elegant and
refined, rich in noble demeanor. Although you had few friends, you were willing
to help others, especially in protecting the weak and helping the poor. As a
result, my Lord, your reputation among the lower class has always been very
good. 
“And, when my Lord suddenly made a move and successfully entered the
competition for the position of the City Lord of White Sands, it was a great
surprise to the other Templar Knights.”
“Oh?” Upon hearing this, Zhen Jin could not help but raise his brows. Zi Di’s
answer sketched the image of a shrewd-minded youth and he was even more sure
the him in his memory was deliberately displaying weakness. However, what
surprised the youth a little was that she did not actually know much about Zhen
Jin. What’s going on? Is she not my fiancée? If it is not love then why did she
stay with me? What is the relationship between us?He wanted to continue asking
but suddenly a buzzing noise came.
The two immediately turned their heads to look at the jungle night which had
suddenly lit up with a thousand wisps of flames. These “flames” converged into
groups and swarmed toward Zhen Jin and Zi Di ferociously.
“What is that?” Zhen Jin got up quickly and protected Zi Di, his face grave.
A small part of these “flames” exuded Bronze vital aura.
“This is‽” Zi Di saw the true identity of these “flames” and her face paled.
“These are fire-venom bees! My Lord, we need to run! I’ll cover the back,” she
said as she decisively stepped forward with a face full of resolve, protecting
Zhen Jin behind her. “Hurry, my Lord!” she shouted urgently, showing an
attitude of being resolved to fight to the death.



****** Chapter 5: Regaining a Battle Skill ******
In an instant, the jaws of death were upon them.
Zhen Jin’s face was grim. He instantly recalled Zi Di had mentioned the fire-
venom bees during the day.
Based on the vital aura, although most of the fire-venom bees were ordinary
insects and only a small number were Bronze magic beasts, there were too many
of the bees and they were filled with fire-venom.
“My Lord, you must escape. My potions can detoxify me,” Zi Di urged again.
Zhen Jin looked at the girl who stood before him and his heart moved with
warmth. Zi Di never gave up facing the pursuit of the blue-furred wolf and
never gave up on the unconscious him, and now she was willing to stay behind
and fight for his chance to escape. 
Regardless of if she was lying about the existence of the potion and it was
something rare that could not be wasted on the previous members of the search
and rescue team. He could find no reason to convince himself to escape alone
and leave this delicate, feeble girl behind to protect him from trouble. “You
should escape, I can deal with the fire-venom bees,” he said resolutely.
Zhen Jin took a great step forward and stood before Zi Di and quickly leaned
over to lift a thick flaming log from the campfire. The top of the wood was
burning and was a natural torch. He wanted to use the torch to ward off the
oncoming fire-venom bee swarm. But when she saw what he intended to do, she
quickly screamed, “Don’t use fire! Lord Zhen Jin, these bees aren’t afraid of
fire. In fact, it was our campfire that attracted them.”
Zi Di’s words stunned Zhen Jin. He trusted her and with a whirl of his arm, he
threw the torch forward with great height. The torch flew about fifty to sixty
steps southeast and kept burning. The swarm reacted instantly. A small portion
split off and pounced on the torch. This small swarm was about ten in number
and threw themselves toward the torch like moths to a flame.
As Zhen Jin watched on in amazement. The fire on the torch quickly abated, and
in a few breaths, extinguished completely. The fire-venom bees that had pounced
on the fire flew up again, wobbling as if they had eaten a big meal and were
holding on to their bellies.
What kind of bee is this, it can actually eat fire‽ Zhen Jin had no time to
think about it because only a small part of the swarm had pounced on the torch.
The rest of the large swarm of fire-venom bees were already closing in on the
two. He gritted his teeth and backed away, dragging the girl with him.
“We can’t escape, Lord Zhen Jin! Someone has to lure them away.” Zi Di,
however, had a face of despair. She said frantically, “These fire-venom bees
hunt anything hotter than them, the higher the body temperature, the more they
are attracted. I encountered a swarm of fire-venom bees before with the search
and rescue team, and they caused four deaths and ten to be injured but I did
not think they would be here as well. 
“My Lord, you must run away. Now, as long as I lure away these fire-venom bees,
I can buy you time.” After she said that, she raised her arms and tried to
break free from his grasp but he held her firmly, making it difficult for her
to succeed.
The two backed away from the campfire with the fire-venom bee swarm in hot
pursuit.
Buzz! A large portion of the fire-venom bee swarm suddenly split off and rushed
toward the blazing campfire. But there were still a few dozen approaching the
two with bloodlust. Zhen Jin and Zi Di were forced to flee to the periphery of
the camp’s firelight.
Before them was the dark jungle of the night.
Zhen Jin suddenly stopped. They could not keep running!
The jungle was far deadlier at night with many ferocious predators prowling
about, moreover, human eyesight was very restricted in this environment. Under
such conditions, if Zhen Jin and Zi Di were to venture into the jungle, they
would only be digging their own graves. In comparison, there was a silver
lining of survival to fighting the fire-venom bees because Zhen Jin cultivated
battle qi and was a Templar Knight, and likely had Silver life essence. To the
ordinary bodyguards, the fire-venom was extremely dangerous but to Silver
lifeforms, it was a different story.
Although the situation was very critical, Zhen Jin had not panicked and stayed
calm and collected. “Don’t panic, we still have a chance!” His words broke off
as he turned around sharply to face the swarm. Simultaneously, he yanked Zi Di
behind him.
Shiiiiing! With a soft chime, Zhen Jin unsheathed his sword. Although the fire
was rapidly extinguishing, there was still enough light to see. He took a deep
breath, stepped forward, wielded the one-handed sword, and slashed with cold
light on the blade. Many of the fire-venom bees were struck by the sword. Some
were cleaved into two, some fell to the ground still buzzing, and others were
knocked away then came back, staggering as they did. 
Possessing a weapon greatly improved Zhen Jin’s offensive power.
Every time his sword struck the fire-venom bees, the sensation was as if he
were cleaving at fist-sized chunks of metal. The exoskeleton of the fire-venom
bees was so tough the sword rarely cleaved through it. His heart sank, the
fire-venom bees were more difficult to deal with than he had expected.
The small swarm of fire-venom bees were alarmed by him, they scattered and
rushed toward him from all sides. He was just one person with a sword and not
even a shield, and it would be difficult to defend himself against the attacks
of multiple fire-venom bees. In fact, even with a shield, it would be difficult
to block such an assault. Only plate armor was an effective defense. The only
fortunate thing was almost all the fire-venom bees attacking were focused on
him and not the girl behind him.
Suddenly, he felt numb in his lower back followed by a sharp pang.
“My Lord!” Zi Di exclaimed. Zhen Jin reached to his waist using his free left
hand and pulled out a spastic fire-venom bee from his waist. The fire-venom bee
weighed as much as a chicken egg. He tried to crush it with his full might but
could not. However, the moment when he pulled out the bee, he saw the fire-
venom bee’s stinger was still in his waist. After it and the stinger were
separated, the bee in Zhen Jin’s hand became motionless and died soon after.
Zhen Jin threw away the corpse and continued fighting despite his injuries.
Mail was just a wire mesh knotted into a net and was strong against slashes of
axes or blades but in the face of these venomous stingers, its effect was
small, almost negligible. Using his vambrace as a shield, he protected his face
from many of the bees’ sting dives. As time passed, as he kept fighting, many
fire-venom bees stung him one after another.
Am I to die here? The situation was so dire Zhen Jin’s heart sank to the abject
abyss. Battle qi, I need battle qi! the youth screamed in his heart. If he
could release his battle qi, he would be able to shield his body. Silver battle
qi would allow him to form a protective barrier around his body surface to
block the stings of the fire-venom bees. It would be the best defense against
the stingers, far more reliable and effective than the mail. 
However, Zhen Jin had forgotten how to activate his Silver battle qi. Due to
his amnesia, his memories were incomplete and he could not mobilize it.
Silver battle qi! Come to me, damn it!! the youth almost screamed out amidst
the battle. Despite the campfire being mostly extinguished, it was difficult to
hide the grimace on the youth’s face. At this moment of life and death, a new
memory suddenly appeared in Zhen Jin’s mind.
* * *
It was an autumn evening, and Zhen Jin was in a study. It was dimly lit inside
with only the narrow window in the stone wall providing light.
Therein was a maroon desk made of the finest wood. On the desk lay a pen holder
and within it were three snow-white quills. Next to it was an inkwell. On the
wall were hung three oil paintings. One depicted golden farmlands, another a
dark-blue citadel in a forest, and the last a naked noblewoman by a lake. There
was also an empty wall with only hooks and no paintings.
“Zhen Jin, my son, don’t keep your head bowed,” said a slightly hoarse voice.
Zhen Jin slowly raised his head. He saw a middle-aged man sitting at the desk,
lean and pale with a long, thin, and straight mustache that split in the
middle. His brows were slightly furrowed, exuding a stern and grave
temperament. Zhen Jin soon found himself averting his gaze from the man as he
looked out the only window, seemingly afraid to meet the man’s gaze. The sky
outside was covered in the gorgeous and colorful light of the evening sun.
“Why is it? Half a month has passed, my son, and you have still made no
progress on the Qi Restraining Technique, still at the initial level.”
Zhen Jin involuntarily shifted his gaze to the bottom part of the desk in front
of him.
The man, however, spoke softly, “I understand how you feel. You’ve never been
interested in the Qi Restraining Technique. You feel that our family’s battle
skills are weak, don’t you? You feel that the bloodline of our Bai Zhen House
does not give you a strong body, nor does it bring you strength or speed. That
we’re only a lower-class nobility in the Empire today, isn’t that right?”
Zhen Jin was silent.
The middle-aged nobleman sighed deeply, stood up, and walked around the desk to
Zhen Jin. “Come walk with me.”
The two walked out of the study, down the gloomy hallway, past the mottled
stone walls, and into the middle of the garden inside the citadel.
The light of the setting sun poured down on the garden. The garden was in an
obvious state of disrepair, full of the colors of withering and decay. The only
thing that stood out was the large tree in the center. Its leafless branches
were meandering toward the sky, and its roots were partly exposed in the dry
earth. Its trunk, however, was covered in “leaves” resembling that of a wutong
tree.
As the evening breeze blew, the ‘“leaves” seemed to rustle with it, giving them
a vibrant appearance. Zhen Jin’s father led Zhen Jin to the tree.
“Watch carefully!” the middle-aged man bellowed softly and suddenly, Gold
battle qi surged out from his body. The golden battle qi was far more
overwhelming and majestic than Silver, and Iron was not even comparable. A gust
of wind was raised as the Gold battle qi spilled out.
The young Zhen Jin was forced to take steps back by the wind and his eyes
narrowed uncontrollably. As the fierce wind howled, the wutong-like leaves on
the trunk were startled and began to fly with a whooshing sound, revealing
their true forms—a large flight of leaf-winged butterflies.
“Battle skill—Hundred Needle Wind!”The man drew his sword, it was not a bladed
sword but rather a slender rapier. In the man’s hand, the rapier kept striking
incessantly, its extreme speed creating shadowy afterimages of the sword. In
particular, the tip of the rapier was covered in battle qi. For a moment, it
seemed like a stream of golden stars overflowing in all directions, brilliant
and dazzling. The leaf-winged butterflies were swept away by the wind and
struck by the golden stars, falling to the ground one after another.
After a few breaths, the ground was covered with the butterflies. Of the
hundreds or thousands of them, none managed to escape.
“Wow, amazing!” exclaimed Zhen Jin, utterly dumbfounded and eyes wide. Upon
closer inspection, he was shocked to find every leaf-winged butterfly had been
pierced through the head. The man’s sword skills were so precise!
“Cough, cough, cough.” Coughing, the man put away his sword, his face turning
pale. “Do you still think our Bai Zhen House is weak, now?” he asked.
Zhen Jin shook his head.
“Every noble family has their foundation, not to mention our Bai Zhen House
that was once a great nobility of the South. Hundred Needle Wind is our
family’s signature battle skill and it is also part of our family’s foundation.
Few outsiders know of this secret. Managing a family requires strategy.
“Sometimes we need to be high-profile, like a fierce beast with its fangs and
claws bared. Other times, we need to be low-profile, lying low and biding our
time. Such as right now. Our Bai Zhen House needs to show weakness and reduce
our presence.” After a pause, the man continued, “Do you know what the basis to
use Hundred Needle Wind is?” Not waiting for Zhen Jin to answer, the man
immediately said, “It’s the Qi Restraining Technique.”
“Huh?” Zhen Jin was surprised.
“Only with patient restraint and accumulated power can you erupt suddenly and
astonishingly. The Qi Restraining Technique can allow us to restrain our qi,
making it hard for outsiders to detect it or cause them to underestimate our
battle qi cultivation.
“Simultaneously, this technique can also accumulate power. Only when you are
highly proficient in the Qi Restraining Technique can you use battle skills
like Hundred Needle Wind. It can be said this technique is the cornerstone of
our family’s battle skills. Zhen Jin, you are the heir to our Bai Zhen House.
You must practice well,” his father explained.
“I understand, I will work harder, Lord Father!” Zhen Jin said as his eyes lit
up with excitement.
* * *
The memory was fleeting and almost instantly, Zhen Jin was awoken back into
reality. His eyes suddenly lit up as he stared at the swarm of fire-venom bees.
Battle skill—Hundred Needle Wind!
This time, his sword arts were completely different. The chopping, swinging,
etc., from before vanished. Only one action remained—the piercing. His sword
incessantly stabbed forward.
Ratatata… The tip of the sharp sword penetrated the air, and as if it were an
arrow, it hit the airborne fire-venom bees with incredible precision. Zhen
Jin’s rather peculiar way of exerting his technique created vague shadows in
the air of his sword’s tip, like faint beams of light.
“This is‽” Zi Di looked up, her face ripe with shock and surprise. Zhen Jin’s
counterattack gave her a glimmer of hope. “As expected of my Lord!” Zi Di
blurted out, cheering and shouting for Zhen Jin. One by one, the fire-venom
bees fell to the ground as the battle skill, Hundred Needle Wind, eliminated
them. “My Lord…” Zi Di whispered. As she was being protected, she looked at his
back, her eyes reflecting the dying campfire that yet shone brightly.



****** Chapter 6: Lorem Ipsum ******
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec ac massa sit
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Aenean et lorem at augue egestas tempor non eget turpis. Nunc efficitur massa
sit amet elementum fringilla. Etiam sagittis velit vel hendrerit eleifend.
Vestibulum at tempor odio, ac ultrices sem. Pellentesque lorem lorem, egestas
ut maximus non, laoreet nec mauris. Suspendisse tristique leo in pulvinar
aliquet. Aliquam magna orci, varius auctor auctor at, pulvinar quis ex.
Donec et risus quis est ultricies ultricies. Quisque dapibus lacus at orci
tincidunt accumsan vitae et sapien. Quisque dui est, pellentesque a accumsan
quis, viverra at enim. Sed dui elit, iaculis nec nunc a, varius cursus nulla.
Vestibulum sapien erat, suscipit in pretium in, mattis eu eros. Morbi egestas,
purus vel blandit euismod, ante nibh tristique felis, ut ultricies ante tortor
eu augue. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus ut
aliquet velit, et mollis leo. Maecenas dignissim, dolor ut luctus placerat,
magna orci eleifend mi, in vulputate diam nulla ac sem. Quisque interdum
pellentesque justo, ut aliquam libero. Duis at lectus suscipit ipsum aliquam
rutrum. Etiam venenatis interdum sem et faucibus. Maecenas lacinia urna ut diam
vulputate tincidunt. Pellentesque sit amet mi nec nisi sodales venenatis in in
neque. Cras sit amet tincidunt dolor, ut aliquet arcu. Cras augue mi, aliquet
ut suscipit ut, rhoncus sit amet velit.
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dapibus tristique nisl interdum suscipit. Aliquam vel viverra elit. Proin
egestas, mauris ac tempor pulvinar, ipsum elit facilisis turpis, eget mattis
odio est ac justo. Ut varius tincidunt condimentum. Nullam id sapien erat.
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urna vitae nibh bibendum, nec eleifend ante rutrum. Morbi molestie euismod
mattis. Maecenas at pulvinar felis. Proin augue augue, feugiat at dictum nec,
tincidunt ut erat. Nullam venenatis, diam tristique ornare tempor, augue enim
aliquet enim, ac eleifend orci nulla vel lectus. Duis a dapibus arcu.
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sollicitudin. Maecenas eu porttitor est, quis semper magna. Interdum et
malesuada fames ac ante ipsum primis in faucibus. Curabitur et lectus cursus
nisl rhoncus facilisis. Praesent a gravida lacus, auctor molestie ex. Proin
rutrum libero ipsum, ut imperdiet tortor congue finibus. Fusce sed venenatis
risus. Nam eget varius tortor.
Etiam tempor risus eget fermentum efficitur. Aenean facilisis placerat aliquet.
Quisque vehicula est eget tellus aliquet, non gravida turpis pharetra. Maecenas
a tempor lacus. Quisque accumsan sodales lacus in auctor. Vivamus et volutpat
sapien. Quisque tortor sem, malesuada eu ex vel, gravida blandit tortor.
Praesent et sem sed neque pulvinar elementum. Praesent nec luctus orci. Fusce
tristique nec urna a imperdiet.
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consectetur velit congue sit amet. Sed maximus ex a tellus varius mattis. Ut
sed ligula nec ligula vehicula sodales. Nullam sollicitudin diam in maximus
maximus. Sed dignissim feugiat viverra. In ac nisi venenatis, iaculis est
sodales, iaculis ipsum. Nam non ipsum a neque maximus ultricies eget auctor
nibh. Nunc quam libero, condimentum at dui pharetra, egestas finibus elit.
Suspendisse mattis sodales diam, nec placerat ante ornare quis. Curabitur
faucibus justo id venenatis pellentesque. Donec laoreet, sapien eu facilisis
viverra, est magna vestibulum nisi, ut porttitor ipsum justo non lorem.
Nunc a arcu eu quam dictum lacinia. Sed rhoncus lectus ligula, ac posuere
tortor porta vitae. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et
malesuada fames ac turpis egestas. Nulla porttitor purus odio, sit amet auctor
nibh placerat quis. Mauris ullamcorper vehicula ante ac iaculis. Curabitur
venenatis condimentum blandit. Ut in sapien nec nibh suscipit fringilla.
Pellentesque erat orci, facilisis pulvinar arcu sit amet, faucibus suscipit
quam. Nulla tincidunt, arcu nec congue placerat, diam augue ullamcorper ante,
at sagittis massa leo et tellus. Morbi feugiat pulvinar est vitae imperdiet.
Donec at scelerisque libero.
Vestibulum consectetur auctor est, quis semper turpis fringilla in.
Pellentesque id placerat ligula. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora
torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos himenaeos. Sed ipsum erat, placerat
at nunc sed, euismod lobortis tortor. Donec fringilla egestas posuere.
Phasellus vulputate elit venenatis, tincidunt lacus non, feugiat augue. Duis
lacinia erat lectus, vel hendrerit massa placerat sed. Ut tempor convallis erat
a rutrum. Proin commodo dolor quis mattis elementum. Etiam nec turpis elit.
Nullam commodo, sem in fringilla luctus, turpis lacus sollicitudin urna, vel
eleifend lectus neque vitae ipsum. Etiam ut diam finibus, convallis nisl vel,
cursus ipsum.
Proin sollicitudin vel lacus sagittis tristique. Vivamus aliquam fermentum
turpis ut mattis. Ut erat sapien, elementum congue massa at, ullamcorper
vehicula turpis. Nulla sodales magna in tortor efficitur, imperdiet commodo
ipsum luctus. Aenean sagittis vulputate venenatis. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet,
consectetur adipiscing elit. Duis tincidunt vel dolor eu mollis. Cras iaculis,
neque non pellentesque venenatis, risus est consequat risus, nec fermentum odio
leo a tortor. Ut posuere purus eu purus ullamcorper porta. Fusce lacinia mollis
nisl, in ultrices enim posuere sed. Suspendisse et lobortis arcu. Quisque
ultrices magna quis massa sagittis placerat. Pellentesque id dui ac dolor
tempor rhoncus. Phasellus luctus auctor metus finibus consectetur.
Aliquam ultricies massa ut eros pharetra, vitae posuere eros hendrerit.
Curabitur non nulla molestie, ultricies velit sed, gravida ex. Nam sollicitudin
ex at lorem consequat vehicula. Ut facilisis ornare est eget lobortis. Cras a
dui laoreet, porttitor lorem non, condimentum erat. In tincidunt nulla nec
lorem interdum, scelerisque pharetra sem aliquam. Donec orci justo, blandit et
scelerisque in, pellentesque non diam. Integer hendrerit lacinia pharetra. Duis
blandit dolor a vehicula scelerisque. Quisque consectetur velit lacus, nec
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Donec rhoncus at sem quis pulvinar. Suspendisse iaculis bibendum diam in
gravida. Nunc semper, ipsum in tincidunt luctus, urna neque sollicitudin purus,
sed malesuada est purus sed mi. Proin commodo ligula vitae nunc iaculis
lobortis eget et dui. Mauris massa ligula, convallis id elementum non, accumsan
finibus massa. Sed vitae lacus ex. In lobortis egestas neque quis scelerisque.
Donec nulla neque, sodales vel dui id, bibendum finibus augue. Ut consequat
elementum dui, ut semper libero dictum quis. Nam ac eleifend quam. Mauris ac
ullamcorper dui. Donec odio felis, volutpat vitae luctus ut, faucibus id nisi.
Nullam feugiat vitae quam ac feugiat. Vestibulum in ante efficitur, ultrices
urna scelerisque, faucibus arcu.
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Praesent vel mi posuere, vestibulum risus quis, cursus lacus. Integer molestie
ultrices lorem nec cursus. Praesent tristique felis vel sollicitudin venenatis.
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tempor id, pretium sit amet metus. Quisque suscipit auctor lectus quis
convallis. Morbi velit est, lobortis ut iaculis vitae, cursus eget tellus.
Aenean scelerisque, tellus vitae luctus consequat, ligula magna sollicitudin
erat, quis venenatis quam ex in dolor. Nullam tempus porta enim et fermentum.
Ut eleifend metus turpis, a viverra leo pellentesque at.
Quisque ullamcorper convallis sapien. Sed sed diam ornare, dictum lorem a,
vehicula urna. Phasellus ullamcorper lorem ac pharetra fringilla. Duis id
tempor neque. Integer imperdiet quam vel quam congue, quis pulvinar ipsum
molestie. Maecenas nec urna sit amet tellus pulvinar convallis. Interdum et
malesuada fames ac ante ipsum primis in faucibus. Nulla facilisi. Sed ultrices
sagittis condimentum.
Nulla facilisi. Donec elit velit, pretium consequat sem facilisis, dignissim
pellentesque tellus. Aliquam erat volutpat. Nam varius nibh augue, vitae
vestibulum mauris aliquet ac. In hac habitasse platea dictumst. Lorem ipsum
dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Praesent at enim non odio tempor
scelerisque. Ut consectetur placerat leo, vel dictum augue consequat sed.
In vitae lacinia magna. Morbi et sem sed felis consectetur volutpat. Sed
elementum, diam id malesuada maximus, turpis mauris euismod mi, eget rutrum
mauris mi vitae enim. Duis luctus elementum commodo. Proin quis mauris sit amet
nibh dapibus maximus. Sed in viverra risus. Nullam sodales accumsan pulvinar.
Proin vestibulum vehicula mi eget faucibus. Mauris varius et diam quis luctus.
Mauris mattis aliquam malesuada. Aliquam eget erat eget est egestas finibus
quis eu est. Mauris sit amet metus id purus pulvinar consequat ac ac mauris.
Pellentesque non massa sit amet lorem congue aliquam nec sit amet sem. Nunc
tincidunt dolor at urna fringilla, in tincidunt tortor dictum. Praesent ac
felis nunc. Curabitur vehicula sem vitae ante ullamcorper condimentum.
Nam varius porta laoreet. Aliquam porttitor pharetra urna et gravida. Fusce nec
quam non lacus sagittis luctus vel id tellus. Fusce gravida euismod ante ut
lobortis. Phasellus nunc dui, mattis vel ipsum id, mollis elementum risus.
Pellentesque orci purus, tincidunt ut cursus quis, suscipit vel massa. Sed
congue ut tellus in rhoncus.
Quisque sed commodo risus. Curabitur aliquam libero nec mauris aliquet
malesuada. Orci varius natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes,
nascetur ridiculus mus. Maecenas sodales ligula id ullamcorper vehicula. Ut
vestibulum dui vitae mattis faucibus. Maecenas et orci lobortis, mattis tortor
eu, tempor libero. Sed at gravida neque. Vivamus mattis, ipsum quis finibus
feugiat, orci lorem luctus lectus, sed semper neque enim eu eros.
Cras turpis dolor, rutrum vel tristique sit amet, tempus tempor metus. Praesent
sit amet ex vitae nisi euismod feugiat in non arcu. Cras efficitur erat at nibh
scelerisque, eu feugiat metus rutrum. Sed fermentum ex ipsum, sit amet accumsan
purus egestas quis. Maecenas vel dolor mi. Aliquam tincidunt sodales luctus.
Vestibulum dolor enim, viverra ac nulla et, fermentum ultricies est. Sed
ultrices nisi sed est vehicula cursus. Nullam sagittis pharetra porttitor.
Praesent iaculis nisi ultrices justo tempor dignissim.
Nam dignissim massa vel lorem ornare, vitae maximus nulla convallis. Sed nec
felis sit amet nisl egestas iaculis id ac ex. Vivamus consequat ut nunc non
ultrices. Donec at mollis lacus, sed ultrices ligula. Nunc quis orci quis velit
bibendum sollicitudin. Duis gravida justo eu odio vulputate auctor. Nulla
vestibulum porttitor pharetra. Suspendisse at neque eget elit bibendum
hendrerit sit amet vel ante. Morbi aliquet, enim in semper vehicula, ligula est
scelerisque sem, eu auctor metus massa ut ligula. Vestibulum molestie hendrerit
erat. Integer ac imperdiet elit.
Sed nunc lacus, sollicitudin quis mi sed, faucibus vehicula enim. Proin
porttitor eros ut purus consectetur dignissim. Aenean in elit ipsum. Phasellus
nec hendrerit mi. Fusce turpis augue, hendrerit gravida varius et, rutrum sed
libero. Donec at massa eget ante varius auctor at gravida leo. Pellentesque
habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis
egestas. Suspendisse eu dolor vel lorem mollis tincidunt vel quis odio. Aliquam
erat volutpat. Fusce tristique imperdiet ex, ut ornare urna tempor non.
Pellentesque vitae purus turpis. Etiam rhoncus porta enim consequat
consectetur. Vivamus in massa eget augue vehicula laoreet et quis lacus. Aenean
ac cursus mi. Praesent ultricies ultricies lorem sed sodales. Morbi tristique
tortor vel tincidunt cursus.
Nunc pulvinar ligula sit amet quam efficitur dignissim. Class aptent taciti
sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos himenaeos. Sed
quis odio convallis, pretium odio in, fermentum nulla. Proin viverra massa
vitae dignissim blandit. Duis porta semper auctor. Aenean lacus eros, interdum
at pulvinar a, tempus ac leo. Nulla molestie ipsum mauris, et lacinia justo
ornare et. Suspendisse placerat ultrices interdum. Nulla facilisi. Aliquam a
euismod enim. Fusce varius, nisl at pharetra lobortis, lorem metus imperdiet
erat, non laoreet libero turpis eget ipsum.
Orci varius natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur
ridiculus mus. Sed vel porta odio. Suspendisse sit amet libero dolor. Orci
varius natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus
mus. Integer pellentesque gravida erat, eu dapibus est faucibus id. Curabitur
eget porttitor nibh. Suspendisse finibus lacus et mattis interdum. Maecenas
nisl purus, blandit eu metus pretium, ornare ultricies augue.
Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per
inceptos himenaeos. Integer dictum at sapien id congue. Nunc semper, tellus ut
vestibulum eleifend, enim quam aliquet augue, et placerat lectus diam vitae
libero. Mauris ac nibh.
Check the translation notes section.



****** Chapter 7: Between Life and Death ******
Zhen Jin’s counterattack was successful in wiping out many of the fire-venom
bees but at the same time, he attracted more of them.
After hundreds of sword jabs, his muscles began to feel sore. After a thousand
sword jabs, the soreness worsened and seemed to swell with pain in his eyes. In
particular his sword-wielding arm. Moreover, the sword felt heavier in his
hand.
Buzz… The fire-venom bees seemed endless as the larger part of the swarm flew
out of the campfire, infuriated due to the casualties taken. The bees seemed
like a tsunami, pouring over the two in one fell swoop.
Damn it! Zhen Jin cursed as he did his best to keep fighting with his
longsword. Currently, the sword felt several times heavier in his hand. He knew
it was a sign he had reached the limits of his physical strength. He was
sweating profusely and his mind had become muddled. He could barely feel his
sword-wielding arm anymore, the muscles nigh completely numb. Each jab
triggered a tingling sensation from his bones, as if they were made of cogs in
ruins, completely rusted but forced to turn.
One by one the fire-venom bees stung Zhen Jin. He gritted his teeth, always
keeping in mind Zi Di was behind him. To protect his fiancée, he had not taken
a single step back in this battle. His right hand held his sword and his left
groped all over his body, pulling out the flailing fire-venom bees that had
stung him. The bees perished as a result and were thrown to the ground by him.
“My lord—” Zi Di cried from behind him. Not a single fire-venom bee had
attacked her. Perhaps because Zhen Jin drew all of the fire-venom bees’ ire or
perhaps because his intense movements caused his body temperature to be much
higher than hers.
To Zhen Jin, it felt as if time had come to a crawl, each moment lengthy and
insufferable. Eventually and suddenly, his muddled eyes cleared up and there
were no more fire-venom bees flying in the air. All over the ground lay the
carcasses of fire-venom bees. He had won! His heart was so full of relief he
lost his grip on his longsword, the tip nearly piercing his foot as it fell. He
felt numb all over his body but soon, all the wounds inflicted by the fire-
venom bees induced a scorching pain all over his body.
“My Lord, be careful!” Zi Di exclaimed. The scream stimulated his numb mind,
sobering it instantly. The campfire was in embers when, unexpectedly, a little
over a dozen fire-venom bees flew out.
There were still fire-venom bees remaining!
However… I can no longer fight. He smiled bitterly, very clear of his
condition. He knew if these fire-bees had attacked with the others, he might
have been able to kill them. But now that he had already relaxed his body, he
could not even hold his sword. Although he could not feel it, he knew deep
down—the fire-venom was spreading through his body. A voice in his heart spoke,
if you continue to fight, it will cost you your life!It came from his strong
intuition as a warrior. He trusted this feeling and knew he could no longer
fight on.
“Run!” Zhen Jin gritted his teeth, sighed, took Zi Di’s hand, and swiftly ran
away. The two fled hand in hand, headlong into the looming darkness of the
jungle. They had to escape. If they stayed, they would only meet demise by the
venomous stings of the swarm but by running away, despite the dangers, there
was still a glimmer of hope.
I will not give till death! Zhen Jin’s eyes were unyielding, and his morale
unwaning. Behind him, Zi Di ran as she was dragged along. Soon, she was unable
to keep up with his pace and tripped. Even if his strength was rock bottom at
the moment, she was just a magician after all.
“My Lord, let me stay behind, I can distract…” she gasped out, panting heavily
for breath.
“Shut up!” Zhen Jin abruptly stopped running and turned to face her. The girl
cried out in surprise as she crashed into his arms. The next moment, the girl
was spun around and her vision shifted dramatically. When she came to, she
realized she was being held in his arms as he kept running frantically.
Because of the reckless intrusion of the two, the darkness of the jungle was
punctuated by unsettling noises on all sides. Zhen Jin attempted to shake off
the bee swarm but they relentlessly continued after their tails. Even in
between life and death, the youth kept his wits about him. 
Normally, the most direct way to deal with such a swarm would be to jump into a
body of water to force the swarm’s retreat but they knew there were python-like
vines lurking in the river, so diving in would be suicidal. In his desperation,
he found that his best chance of escape was to sprint along the path he had
walked during the day. However, his eyesight and sense of direction were
greatly hindered in the dark, forcing him to rely on his fuzzy memory as a
guide.
After almost crashing into a tree for the third time, Zi Di took a potion from
her leather waist pouch with difficulty. This potion was stored in a glass
bottle and glowed like a firefly. With this glimmer of light, Zhen Jin was
barely able to find his way. The jungle had dense branches and tangled roots,
it would be arduous to trek through here, let alone run, and often, the bushes
and ferns formed a blockade.
Suddenly, Zhen Jin and Zi Di ran into a wall of vines. He felt malice exuding
from the jungle around him, like countless tentacles reaching out from all
directions to block his path to survival. He broke through the vines with all
his remaining strength, allowing the thorns to scratch his clothes and skin in
the dark. 
The only thing he was thankful for was that the path had been trampled on and
cleared during the day, otherwise, it would simply be impossible to move this
quickly through the jungle. Zi Di occasionally took out and threw a potion at
the fire-venom bees. Sometimes, the bees were attracted and slowed down but
more often than not, it had no effect.
What damned luck.As he ran, Zhen Jin’s heart sank, finding his surroundings
growing more and more unfamiliar. He knew they were stepping into the unknown,
however, there was nothing that could be done about it. With the fire-venom
bees hot on their tails, how could he stand still and determine the right
route? He had no choice but to hold his head down and run wildly.
After running an indeterminable length, he heard a loud growl. Suddenly, a
beast swooped down from one of the trees.
What is that‽ Zhen Jin was startled upon the sight of what seemed to be a black
leopard. The bloody scent of a predator assaulted his senses. By some fluke, he
managed to dodge and continued to run without looking back. The fire-venom bees
flying behind them and the beast that looked like a black leopard became
entangled with each other. 
The black leopard was quickly defeated and took the initiative to retreat. This
short intermission caused the distance between him and the fire-venom bees to
increase. However, the fire-venom bees despised him and would never give up. As
the chase continued, they closed the distance pressing toward the girl.
Zhen Jin’s well of strength was gradually running dry. His legs were heavy like
lead, his heart felt weak, and his pace began to drop. As the terrain became
steeper, a seemingly bottomless cliff appeared before the two by the light of
the shimmering potion. The fire-venom bees were coming from behind them to the
left.
“There is a cave over there with light!” Zi Di suddenly said. The cave had a
distinct but weak orange-red light emanating from it and seemed to be
inhabited. Zhen Jin was gasping heavily, but his eyes lit up as he plunged into
the cave with Zi Di in his arms.
When they entered the cave, searing hot air washed over them. There were no
signs of human activity in the cave, what emanated the glow were peculiar ores.
They were bright red and emitted intense heat as well as a shimmering orange
light. At the mouth of the cave, the size and number of the ores were small,
however, the deeper they went into the cave, the more both grew.
After a few hundred steps, Zhen Jin felt like he was in a furnace and Zi Di was
already dripping with sweat. It was best not to continue moving forward, the
hot air in the cave would steam them alive. But the fire-venom bees had also
entered the cave, chasing after them like the Grim Reaper. He put Zi Di down
and the two were forced to grit their teeth and dive deeper into the cave.
The life-and-death chase had reached a critical juncture here.
Hope emerged within Zhen Jin's heart: Although he could not fight the fire-
venom bees, he might still be able to use the special terrain around to escape
the fire-venom bee’s assault. As far as he knew, the fire-venom bees used heat
to lock onto their foes, the higher the heat, the more the swarm would be
attracted. The future looked dark and grim but there was still a glimmer of
light struggling.
The two clenched their teeth and pushed themselves forward, staggering one step
at a time. The cave became narrower, and the red hot ore almost covered the
walls entirely. They could not touch the walls—it was too hot!
“There are traces of beasts here,” Zi Di suddenly whispered. Zhen Jin looked
where the girl was pointing and saw claw marks scraped across the cave walls.
To be able to live in such an extreme environment, this beast was definitely
not simple! His heart sank and he gave a bitter smile. How could he care about
such a beast right now? He had no choice!
After the fire-venom bee swarm entered the cave, although they were distracted
by the ore and lay down on it to absorb their heat, they never gave up on
attacking the two and were always flying close behind.
The future was uncertain, and the two could only brace themselves and persevere
forward.
Suddenly, Zhen Jin started to sway. His body and mind began to feel intensely
dizzy, making him almost faint on the spot. What damned luck. He stumbled and
his vision began to tremble as if it were an earthquake, barely leaving him
standing. The fire-venom had flared up! He unconsciously reached his hand out
and held on to the cave wall.
Sizzle…The cave wall burned his leather gloves as black smoke quickly arose.
Simultaneously, a stench exuded from Zhen Jin. The smell immediately caused the
fire-venom bee swarm to become agitated as they gave up the ore, replacing
their previous swaying, careless state with bloodlust aimed straight toward
him.
Zi Di’s face instantly paled. She realized the fire-venom bees could lock on to
their foes by the smell of their fire-venom. Moreover, when the fire-venom
flared, it would emit a special smell that incited the fire-venom bee’s
ferociousness! Zhen Jin had a lot of fire-venom in his body, meaning many fire-
venom bees had died at his hands. Such a powerful enemy would naturally trigger
a frenzied attack from the fire-venom bees.
In her fright, she pulled out and poured a potion on to Zhen Jin’s body in an
attempt to mask the stench of the fire-venom. To her surprise, it had immediate
effects. The fire-venom bee swarm’s bloodlust dissipated and they once more
focused on the searing hot rocks. “Let’s hurry, the effects of the potion will
only last for a short while,” she said as she put Zhen Jin’s arms over her
shoulders and carefully dragged him forward.
After just a few steps, Zhen Jin felt his head spinning and completely lost his
sense of direction, making taking even a single step extremely difficult. The
fire-venom made his body burn entirely, and made his head feel like a giant
bell, ringing incessantly. With what little clarity he still had, he weakly
said to Zi Di, “You escape, quickly go.”
She was free of fire-venom thus the only target of fire-venom bees in the cave
was Zhen Jin. If Zi Di ran, she had the possibility of escape! 
Yet the girl violently shook her head. Her eyes were tearful, and her voice was
sobbing she resolutely said, “No. my Lord! I will not abandon you! It was with
great difficulty that I found you and reached this point. How could I give up
now!”
He sighed and suddenly pushed Zi Di away hard. “Go!”
“I won’t, my Lord!”
As the two pushed and pulled at each other, they both fell to the ground. The
fire-venom bees flew overhead. 
While Zi Di closed her eyes shut, Zhen Jin glared with impotent rage at the
swarm as they pounced on him. He looked on helplessly as they flew down toward
him, stingers erect, only a finger’s length away from his face—
“Roar!”Suddenly, from within the cave’s depths came a beastly roar. It echoed
through the cave walls, shocking and throwing the fire-venom bees into
disarray. They flitted through the air as if they were drunk and some even
collided into each other.
Thump, thump, thump… Not long after, a series of thumps resembling soldiers
beating war drums resounded within the cave. Soon, the monster racing through
the cave appeared, the figure was so fast the two could only see a large black
shadow. 
The mysterious cave monster immediately lunged toward fire-venom bees. The
aggressive and ferocious fire-venom bees were then unexpectedly repelled by the
monster as they began to flee in haste. The monster quickly pursued and both
parties left the cave.
A silent calm washed over inside the cave. The two lay down and gasped for
breath as they stared at the cave ceiling in a daze.



****** Chapter 8: Berserk Potion ******
Inside the cave, the two had faces of incredulity. They were unexpectedly still
alive! Zi Di got up first and looked at the footprints. The fierce beast had
created a shallow pit with every step. Luckily, the two were not stepped on.
“Lord!” Zi Di exclaimed as she attempted to get Zhen Jin up on his feet.
However, moving the combined weight of Zhen Jin and his armor was not something
a lean magician like Zi Di could do. In the end, she could only drag him a
small distance and lean his upper body against the cave wall.
At this moment, Zhen Jin was in a sorry state. When Zi Di touched him, she
found his body almost as hot as the ores around them. The effects of the potion
had worn off and the stench from his body was more fetid than before, nearly
suffocating Zi Di. 
Zhen Jin said weakly, “Go, Zi Di, leave this place.” He could not even move his
head as swaying his head slightly might render him unconscious. As he raised
his hands before him, he saw numerous illusionary arms. As his eyelids swelled,
his eyesight was severely affected.
Zi Di, upon realizing the circumstances, almost drowned in despair. She knew
how terrible the fire-venom was. Some of the bodyguards of the search and
rescue team had died from it. They had suffered greatly before death. At the
time of death, their eyes were so swollen they became blind, their throats and
noses also inflamed, making breathing extremely difficult, and the cause of
death was asphyxiation. Although Zhen Jin was likely to be a Silver lifeform,
it was not enough to resist the fire-venom. There was too much of it in his
body!
Faced again with Zhen Jin’s urging to escape, Zi Di shook her head and said, “I
will not go. I will not abandon you, my Lord. I might be able to concoct a
medicine. Surely I can create the correct medicine! We still have hope, please
don’t give up!”
Zhen Jin’s vision began to blur. It was as if his eyes were glued shut and no
matter how hard he tried, he could not tear them open. In his blurred vision,
he saw Zi Di sitting and crying as she took out every single potion from her
small waist pouch. She quickly poured a potion on the ground and corroded away
a small hole. Soon after, she began to mix many of the potions together, then
she took out many dried herbs and roots from her bosom and crushed them into a
powder. Afterward, she poured them into the hole.
Gurgle… The mixture in the hole began to bubble and she gazed at it, constantly
mixing it and occasionally wiping her eyes as if she was irritated. 
Zhen Jin wanted to persuade her again but he soon discovered that he was unable
to speak anymore. His throat felt like it was on fire and swelling so much he
had difficulty swallowing saliva. His tongue was extremely numbed and he could
not feel it at all as if his body did not have one. His consciousness began to
fade. He was in a half-awake, half-asleep state, losing his ability to perceive
any of what was happening around him.
Amidst his daze, he sensed a cool liquid pouring into his mouth and sliding
down his throat. His throat was like a channel clogged with rocks piled up but
as this cool liquid washed over, they quickly melted away and cleared the path.
The cool liquid gradually spread throughout his body and with it, his
consciousness rapidly returned.
Zhen Jin opened his eyes and saw the vague figure of Zi Di lying against his
body. The girl’s hands were covered with medicinal mixtures, which were smeared
all over his body. Because of the fire-venom, his skin had swollen and his
clothes and mail had tightened around his body. With the help of the potion’s
medicinal effects, his red and swollen skin quickly shrunk to its original
form. The following bone-piercing chill made him shiver.
In the hot and stuffy cave, Zi Di, who busied herself with smearing the potion,
was sweating profusely and her originally loose robe now clung tight against
her body. After she finished smearing the medicine, the girl’s purple eyes
glowed with hope as she stared unblinking at Zhen Jin.
Zhen Jin felt as if he were a drowning man who had reached land, coughing water
out of his lungs, opening his mouth, and gasping for breath. He inhaled the
searing-hot air in the cave but he felt blissful like a man who had come across
sweet rain after a long drought. As he gradually became conscious, he
discovered he was drooling, his saliva trickling all over the floor.
Zi Di who was watching saw clearly: The swelling all over Zhen Jin’s body was
rapidly contracting and his condition was dramatically improving. “My Lord,
you’re awake!” Upon seeing Zhen Jin’s eyes open and clear of haze, Zi Di was
pleasantly surprised. To be frank, she did not have much confidence in the
medicine she had configured.
“How long was I out?” Zhen Jin inquired.
“Only a few minutes,” Zi Di replied.
Zhen Jin was immediately relieved. “We need to leave the cave now.” Without a
doubt, this was a dangerous place. Previously, the bee swarm had run away upon
seeing the cave monster and it was likely it would win in a confrontation
against the bees. Once it won and returned to the cave, the two were sure to be
prey for the monster. Going deeper into the cave was very risky, who knew if
the path forked in there? If it did not, then this was a dead end.
Zi Di pulled Zhen Jin up and as he stood up, he held on to the cave wall for
support. His gauntlet gave off a foul odor as it burned on the cave wall but he
was happy because regardless of whether it was feeling hot or smelling the
burning odor, these were all normal bodily senses.
Previously, he could not feel anything. Now, to his surprise and suspicion, he
sensed that within his body a new power was brewing, making him feel stronger
and stronger with every passing moment. Noticing his doubt, Zi Di explained
with a look of terror and guilt, “My Lord, I am sorry, I mixed in too many
berserk potions.”
After drinking a berserk potion, one could temporarily draw a huge amount of
potential from their body, giving a massive boost to combat power, however, in
exchange, it could greatly harm their body.
“You did the right thing. No need to blame yourself.” Zhen Jin said and patted
her shoulders, easing her anxiety. “Let’s go,” he urged as he attempted to take
a step forward. Although he was still dizzy, it had alleviated to a lesser
extent now and he soon discovered he could walk and even run on his own. 
As the power within him grew further stronger, he felt that even his mail was
as light as a feather. It seems the berserk potion has fully stimulated my
lifeforce. But what will happen once its effects wear off?This was a hidden
danger encroaching on his heart with gloom. 
Under normal circumstances, once the effects of a berserk potion wore off, the
person would fall into a state of extreme weakness. Zi Di’s hastily created
medicine did not solve the root of his problem. The combined effects of the
berserk potion and others only served to stimulate and heighten his lifeforce,
allowing his body to resist the fire-venom.
No matter how it was done, I will use this opportunity to escape. Even if I
can’t, then at least try my best and save Zi Di.Zhen Jin already had one foot
in the grave, and though his time awake was not long and his memories were
crippled he knew: Zi Di is my fiancée and our relationship seems somewhat
complicated, and who knows what ax she has to grind. However, she stood by me
from the beginning and even tried to sacrifice herself for me, no matter the
risks she faced. How can I repay such a girl? How can I be called a knight if I
can’t even protect my own fiancée?He swore inwardly he would give his all to
protect this girl.
The two rushed through the cave and they quickly arrived at the cave mouth.
From outside came the roaring of beasts, tearing away at each other's lives.
Based on the sounds, the battle was extremely intense. Zhen Jin and Zi Di
looked at each other in bewilderment, then sneaked to the cave mouth and peered
out. It appeared the fire-venom bees had long since left. Now, there were two
other parties in battle.
One party was the monster that drove the fire-venom bees out of the cave. It
was stout and resembled a brown bear but with the pink tail of a monkey, and it
stood upright like a human. It had bear paws, but its arms were not of bears
but of gorillas, and each of its hands had four fingers with sharp, long, and
dark fingernails that resembled pitch black iron.
The other party was a group of beasts that looked like black leopards but their
bodies were not covered in fur but scales. In addition, they had a sharp horn
like that of a rhino on their forehead. While there was only one monkey-tailed
brown bear, there were about a dozen of these scaly, horned black leopards.
Judging from its aura, the monkey bear was a Silver magic beast. In comparison,
most of the scaled leopards were Bronzes with only the leader and a few others
having an Iron aura. 
The leap surrounded the bear in the center as the two sides fought. The bear
was powerful and none of the leopards could match it alone. The leopards
charged in, almost always only to be slapped back by the bear, however, the
leopards would quickly get back up on their paws. They seemed to have a strong,
hard body that could easily shrug off such heavy blows.
As Zhen Jin and Zi Di watched the two sides become deadlocked, they glanced at
each other with worry in their eyes. If they went out, the leopards would
surround them and tear them to pieces!
“My Lord, if there is a chance, rush out. No need to care for me,” Zi Di
whispered. Zhen Jin shook his head and did not have the leisure to rebut his
fiancée. Even alone, he did not have the confidence in breaking out of a siege
by this leap, what was worse, he had to escape with Zi Di. This was too
difficult! Moreover…his own situation was full of hidden worries. Once the
potion’s effects wore off, the suppressed fire-venom would flare up and pose a
great threat to Zhen Jin’s life.
What could he do?
If only I had my battle qi, if only I could use my battle qi…Zhen Jin felt
depressed and distressed. He had a weapon within his body but had no way to use
it.



****** Chapter 9: We Are Templar Knights! ******
As Zhen Jin and Zi Di hid in the cave mouth, they paid close attention to the
battle between the beasts. Throughout the fight, the scaled leopards were
rushing past with haste but not disorganized, and they firmly kept the monkey
bear surrounded and in the center. 
If the two ever left the cave, they would immediately expose themselves to
these beasts. The chances of surviving were small, so they would definitely not
do it unless they were forced to.
The longer Zhen Jin watched the fight, the more fearful he felt. As the two
sides fought it out, it became clear the numerous scaled leopards had the
advantage over the monkey bear who fought alone. 
Although leopards are not solitary animals and typically formed leaps to
survive, such a large leap of leopards is simply unprecedented. On this island,
not only are the creatures terrifyingly mutated in form, size, and abilities,
but their behaviors are also dramatically different.
He had some speculations about why these scaled leopards were here. He
remembered when the fire-venom bees were chasing him, he had encountered a
mysterious leopard-like beast. In the end, the beast had lost against the bee
swarm and fled. 
That mysterious beast was probably a scaled leopard. After its rout, it could
have returned to its leap and informed the rest of the leopards and followed
Zhen Jin’s and Zi Di’s scent as they escaped, eventually leading to their
arrival here.
These black leopards don't want revenge against the fire-venom bees I fear,
rather they might want to hunt me and Zi Di. Thinking of it this way, the
monkey bear saved us from a disaster.But he was not thankful. The monkey bear
first drove away the fire-venom bees and now was fighting the scaled leopards,
giving Zhen Jin and Zi Di a chance to survive but if it won, it would still
prey on the two in its den. It was all simply a coincidence.
“Roar!” The leopard leader suddenly pounced on the monkey bear’s back and bit
its neck. The monkey bear flew into a rage and frantically shook its body but
the leopard leader tenaciously clenched its fangs as it was nearly flung off,
holding on only by its bite on the monkey bear’s neck. 
The bear had a thick layer of skin and only bled for a moment. It extended its
gorilla arms and used its sharp fingernails to penetrate the leopard leader’s
scales, stabbing deep into its body. The leopard leader would not let go even
if it died. Meanwhile, the remaining black leopards also pounced on it, pushing
the monkey bear to the ground.
“A chance!” Upon seeing this, Zhen Jin decided within an instant. He dragged Zi
Di and ran out of the cave but at that moment, a few of the remaining black
leopards saw them, and one of them immediately howled and lunged at the two.
The rest also began to stir. Zhen Jin and Zi Di were forced to flee back into
the cave by this scaled leopard. 
The leopard did not chase the two into the cave because the monkey bear burst
with raging power at that moment. Its paws radiated roiling heat and its
fingernails, sharp and hard as iron, turned red like steel heated in a furnace.
The bear thrashed around crazily, shaking off most of the leopards on it. Then
it used its paws to ruthlessly stab into the leopard leader’s body. It
struggled frantically as large amounts of blood spurted from its mouth and
nose.
Riiiiip! The next moment, the monkey bear brazenly tore the leopard leader in
two. Its paws also turned red and gave off waves of rolling heat as if it were
freshly smelted steel. The red hot paws easily penetrated the leopard scales,
and with the bear’s great strength, it was a weapon of slaughter.
In a short while, it slaughtered a dozen or so black leopards, leaving their
carcasses strewn around on the ground. The leopards suffered a disastrous
defeat and the remaining few were routed. 
Although the monkey bear was the victor, it was a miserable victory. It was
blinded in its right eye, its body was covered in wounds, dripping with fresh
blood, and several of its wounds were so deep they exposed the bone underneath
the flesh. Its worst injury was on its neck, the leopard leader had bitten
there deeply and seemed to have punctured an artery. Bright-red blood gushed
out from this wound. The monkey bear was so wounded that despite having
repelled the leopards, it made no efforts in pursuing them but immediately
walked back to the cave.
Without any options, Zhen Jin and Zi Di could only retreat. A wounded beast was
even more dangerous. Fortunately, due to its injuries, the monkey bear walked
back slowly. Meanwhile, the two were forced to go deeper into the cave’s
depths. If the cave only had one exit, then they and the monkey bear would
eventually have to meet and a battle would have to take place but he was not
sure of the outcome. 
He originally had a longsword but lost it at the campfire. Now, his only
weapons were two daggers. He had one while Zi Di had the other, the best-case
scenario would be that the cave path forked.
However, something unexpected happened, the monkey bear had walked halfway in
when it suddenly stopped. It then started using its sharp fingernails to dig
ore out of the cave walls, opened its mouth wide, and devoured it.
Zhen Jin secretly kept watching as his pupils slightly contracted. He was
amazed to discover that after the monkey bear ate a dozen chunks of ore, its
wounds gradually stopped bleeding. The monkey bear’s weak and dispersed aura
was also steadily stabilizing. Zhen Jin was edified through its actions. It
turns out these ores are the monkey bear’s food!
He had seen many claw marks in the cave before and thought that the monkey bear
was just sharpening its claws. After seeing this, he understood the scraping
marks were the result of the monkey bear excavating for food.
The monkey bear’s condition was rapidly improving. Zhen Jin and Zi Di looked at
each other and saw the graveness of each other’s faces. Now they only had two
options.
The first was to continue to retreat and hope to find a fork in the cave and
use it to avoid the monkey bear.
The second was to fight the monkey bear and seize the advantage while it was
still injured.
Both options had their risks. The first would have them give up their golden
opportunity and let the monkey bear recuperate smoothly and if the fork did not
exist, they would still have to fight the bear. As for the second option, Zhen
Jin was uncertain of the outcome if he were to fight the monkey bear and
although he would be seizing his opportunity in the fight, if there was a fork
in the cave and he ended up dying fighting the bear, would that not be too
miserable?
Zi Di suddenly grabbed Zhen Jin’s hand, she did not speak but her eyes revealed
her intention—the choice was all up to him. He was left indecisive for a while.
This was a decision that determined life and death and more importantly, this
not only determined his own but also of his fiancée, Zi Di.
A heavy responsibility lay on Zhen Jin’s shoulders. His eyes darkened for a
time but soon a light of perseverance steeled within. He grasped Zi Di’s hand
and then let go. He drew the dagger and slowly crept toward the busily-eating
monkey bear. 
Of the two options, Zhen Jin was not sure which was better, nor did he have any
reliable information to help him decide. Therefore, he decided to follow his
instincts—to struggle and seize fate by the throat!
Closer, closer. The distance between Zhen Jin and the monkey bear was getting
smaller. The bear was still eating. Perhaps because this was its den, perhaps
because it was in a sorry state after a bitter battle, whatever the case may
be, it did not notice him approaching. But at this moment, his complexion
changed.
A memory emerged in his mind.
Damn it, not now! Zhen Jin powerlessly cursed but he could only immerse himself
in the memories as they flooded him for a while.
* * *
It was a dimly lit old tavern filled with chattering people.
“Victory is ours!”
“Drink to your heart’s content.”
Zhen Jin found himself in a corner surrounded by knights donned in dazzling
armor. He was, of course, one of them. Although these knights had scratched
armors, tattered cloaks, and injured bodies, they were still very excited. It
appeared to be a post-battle celebration.
“Huzzah!” someone cheered. “Can anyone in the world stop us Templar Knights?”
“In hindsight, that recent battle was difficult,” someone sighed.
Someone else spoke with lingering fear while stroking his wine cup, “I almost
lost control of my mount.”
The sighs of the Templar Knights drew a sneer, “What sort of hardships are
these? Children, you are all too green.” The voice reverberated in the tavern,
attracting the gazes of Zhen Jin and the rest of the Templar Knights.
It came from an elderly man. He had a white mustache, a majestic physique, a
blinded eye, and was donning the armor of Templar Knights. But there was a
clear difference in the gold and silver adorning engravings on his compared to
the rest—it was more ornate and majestic.
The Templar Knights did not retort but instead looked at the old man with awe
and the noisy tavern suddenly became silent.
“Grand Master, tell us. We know you are a veteran of many great battles, such
as the capture of Iron Banner Fortress, or the encirclement of the Blood
Knights, or the defense of Griffin Cliff. Which battle do you think was the
most difficult you faced?” someone broke the silence and asked.
The old grand master chuckled but did not answer, instead he lifted his wooden
mug, tilted his head back, and drank every drop of beer in it. As soon as he
put down his empty mug, a Templar Knight beside him brought another filled mug.
The old grand master reached for the handle of the mug. This time not guzzling
it but taking a small sip, imbibing almost all of the beer froth. His intact
eye, under the illumination of the fire in the tavern, shone with reminiscence.
He said, “When it comes to the most difficult battle, it would have to be that
one, six years ago at Jackal Valley.”
“Oh, I know that one, it's the battle of the annihilation of the Order of Cold
Firs!” someone shouted excitedly. Some turned and narrowed their eyes at Zhen
Jin.
The old grand master nodded and continued, “That's right, it was at Jackel
Valley. And truly, those Southern nobles are almost all treacherous scum.
Despicable, shameless, and capricious!
“Our Fifth Order of the Temple had been marching for five days by the time we
entered Jackal Valley and once we were in the valley, our allies suddenly
betrayed us! There, we were surrounded by thousands of murderous Cold Fir
Knights.
“Our Fifth Order that had just retreated from the front lines was caught by
surprise, losing thirty percent of our men in the first wave, leaving only a
thousand men, almost all wounded. The Order of Cold Firs launched wave upon
wave of charges and we were barely able to defend ourselves relying on our
crumbling camp.”
He reminisced somberly, “We repelled the second wave at the cost of three
hundred men. Then the third wave struck and we lost over two hundred men to it.
After the fourth wave, we only had about eighty men left. We had frantically
used up all of our berserk potions and we couldn’t get any more supplies.
“To make matters worse, the enemy troops had a powerful man who called himself
the Corruptor. This warlock was extremely ruthless and under his spells, our
weapons and armor were corroded away. We were in dire straits and that’s when
the Grand Master of the Order of Cold Firs demanded our surrender.
“We knew the Southern nobles wanted to take us prisoners so they could have an
important bargaining chip to negotiate with the Emperor. Hehe, but he
underestimated us Templar Knights! We negotiated for a while and then started
our charge!
“Even unarmed, we are Templar Knights.
“Even unarmored, we are Templar Knights.
“Even unmounted, we are Templar Knights.
“Even unsupplied, we are Templar Knights.
“No matter how numerous, how powerful the enemy, and how few, how weak we are,
we will not surrender—because we are Templar Knights!”



****** Chapter 10: I Am Brave and Fearless ******
The tavern was quiet. Every Templar Knight stood utterly still as they looked
at and listened to the old grand master. Their young faces stirred with a surge
of excitement.
“We will charge!”
“We will die!”
“Hehe,” the old grand master laughed. He stroked his thick white beard, wiping
off the alcohol stains, and said, “My strength was limited and I was pierced by
countless swords and fell among the corpses like a dead dog. Haha, when I woke
up I found myself at the Temple and I found out after that everyone except me
of the Fifth Order had died.
“The Cold Fir Knights spared no one, every corpse was run through with a blade.
Luckily, the knight who stabbed me used a rapier. It was stabbed through my
eye, blinding me and penetrating my brain, my cerebral fluids leaking out.”
He reminisced with pride written all over his face. “It was the Emperor himself
who saved my worthless life. He asked what reward I wanted. I then asked His
Venerable Imperial Majesty to provide me with knights because I wanted to
rebuild the Fifth Order of the Temple. That’s why you kids are here right now,
did you know that?
“Otherwise, why would the grand Order of the Temple recruit so easily? You
little kids were all lucky but you’re all still too young. Do you think that
battle earlier has any worth?” the old grand master said and shook his head
repeatedly and continued to drink, speaking nothing further. His words were
terse and rough but the faces of the young Templar Knights in the tavern were
all excited and discussed amongst each other.
“From what I know, in the battle of Jackal Valley, our Fifth Order, with only a
thousand men, annihilated over five thousand men of the Order of Cold Firs and
destroyed three of their units.
“The Order of Cold Firs was cleaning up the battlefield later when they were
ambushed by the Third Order of the Temple who struck like lightning, finally
burying them all in Jackal Valley. The Order of Cold Firs was the trump card of
the Southern Noble Alliance and this battle broke the backbone of the
Alliance!” someone spoke.
“That’s right, this is us Templar Knights! We are unmatched, unstoppable! Even
when in dire straits, we will meet death with our heads held high!” someone
else spoke proudly.
“That’s right, charge, charge, charge to meet death!” another shouted
fervently.
The atmosphere in the tavern became lively once more. It was unknown whether it
was due to the excitement or liquor but the faces of the young Templar Knights
were all flushed red.
* * *
The memory faded but their voices echoed in Zhen Jin’s ears.
Charge! Charge! Charge to meet death!
Zhen Jin rushed over without hesitation.
The monkey bear’s ears twitched as it heard movement but it was sluggish due to
its heavy injuries. By the time it turned its body, it saw the youth midair.
Zhen Jin had sprinted and then jumped, the dagger held high in his hands and
flashing with a cold gleam. The bear was caught off guard as the dagger stabbed
its remaining left eye.
In a split second, it was blinded.
“Roar!” The bear flew into a rage stimulated by the intense pain of its blinded
eyes, bursting out with the ferociousness of a beast. It swung its arm and Zhen
Jin was unable to dodge it. He could only curl up his body as much as possible
and raise his arms to protect his face and chest.
Thump. With a muffled sound, the youth was flung away from the bear twice as
fast as he had approached it. He smashed hard into the cave wall. His arms used
as a shield were completely broken and because of the force of his impact with
the wall, and his shoulder blades and back ribs suffered many fractures. The
violent impact also seemed to have caused internal bleeding and organ damage.
Zhen Jin cried out and coughed out a mouthful of blood.
A sharp pain spread throughout his whole body as the youth’s complexion turned
deathly pale. However, even in such circumstances, he still felt a new power
emerging from the depths of his body. He knew this was the effect of the
berserk potion.
As he coughed out another mouthful of blood, Zhen Jin kicked himself off the
cave wall. “Die!”he murmured and charged resolutely toward the bear once more.
In a split second, the wind whistled in his ears. He felt as if he had broken
through the limits of pain tolerance because as his pain surged from the
strenuous movements, so did his excitement. His arms were completely numb and
were like two thick, fluttering ropes strung behind him as he madly dashed
forward. The bear’s strike from before was no small matter, it had shattered
the bones in the youth’s arms, and battered his muscles into pulp. His body was
barely holding together.
The bear went mad as it thrashed around the cave wildly, scattering the ores
about, some small ores struck the grim-faced Zhen Jin. He ducked, dodging a
swing of the monkey bear’s claws, and charged as fast as he could. He stamped
on the cave wall, kicked himself up a few steps, and leaped into the air once
more. 
Toward the blind, raging, unaware bear.
Zhen Jin found the right moment as he fell down and kicked with his right foot
on the dagger still lodged in the bear’s eye socket.
Spurt.Blood and brains splattered out as the dagger pierced deep into the
bear’s brain. Earlier, there was still a section of the dagger jutting out from
the eye socket. Now, it was completely stabbed in, including the hilt.
“Growl!” the bear wailed a painful, wretched scream.
Following its beastly instinct and intuition, it caught Zhen Jin in its grasp.
Its sharp claws heated up and turned blazing red once more. The claws dug into
Zhen Jin’s abdomen, piercing through to the other side of the youth’s body. The
bear then swung him down to the ground, the tips of the claws digging into the
hard mountainous earth. The claws had pierced through Zhen Jin like a hot knife
through butter.
Zhen Jin roared in pain as his intestines and flesh burned. At this moment, he
fully felt the pain of those black leopards.
“Lord—!” Zi Di could not help but cry out in sorrow as she watched the bitter
battle unfold before her. The cry reached Zhen Jin’s ears, rekindling a trace
of clarity amidst his intense, searing pain. The claws had practically anchored
his abdomen to the ground, almost completely immobilizing him.
Then, the monkey bear leaned over, its bloody mouth right in front of Zhen
Jin’s face. At this critical moment, the youth used all of his strength to
twist his upper body to the limits. The bear was blind, Zhen Jin smoothly
evaded its incoming maw. With a thump, the bear’s head hit the ground, its
fangs bit the dirt, scattering small stones and gravel about.
Since Zhen Jin’s arms were long broken, under these desperate circumstances,
the youth learned from the bear and opened his mouth wide to bite its neck.
The bear’s neck had a terrible wound. It was the heavy price it paid not long
before in its fight against the leader of the scaly, horned black leopards to
kill it. There was no fur and the wound was bone-deep.
Zhen Jin leaned in and after a few bites, he had a mouth full of the bear’s
flesh and blood. The wound had previously been bleeding but after the bear ate
the ores, it had stopped. Now, it suffered the gnawing of Zhen Jin, and an
artery was ripped open inside, causing fresh blood to violently gush out,
flowing out faster than it did before.
In a split second, the blood was all over Zhen Jin’s face. He felt like he had
plunged his head into a waterfall and had to shut his eyes tight. His nose was
filled with a putrid stench along with the hot air and he tasted a hint of
sweetness in his mouth. He fought with desperation as he kept tearing at the
bear’s flesh.
Consequently, large amounts of its blood poured down his throat, nearly choking
the youth. But how could he have the attention to spare to care about breathing
right now‽ The battle between the two had reached its most crucial moments.
Zhen Jin began to choke with insufferable pain as his lungs were filled with
the monkey bear’s blood. But surprisingly, the bear let out a whimpering roar,
it was panicking! It could not see the youth, but it could still feel the
frailness of Zhen Jin’s body.
Zi Di stared blankly as she watched man and bear tear at each other, her eyes
despondent, her body stilled like a statue in awe.
The bear tried to pull out its claws and tear the youth to pieces, but its
attempts were without success. After the great battle previously, it was
already at the limits of its power. After suffering wounds at the hand of the
youth, its strength had quickly waned. And now, it did not even have enough
strength to pull out its claws from the hard earth.
Thump.Finally, the bear fell to the ground motionless. It was several times
larger than Zhen Jin, yet ultimately, it was the loser. Zhen Jin also fell to
the ground and began to cough violently, vomiting chunks of flesh and clumps of
blood repeatedly. 
After spitting out the flesh and blood, the youth could finally breathe
properly. His chest heaved up and down. He was like a drowning man who had
reached ashore, gasping greedily for each breath.
After several such breaths, he began to cough out blood again. He did not know
if it was the bear’s blood or his own.
Strong vertigo struck the youth.
He tried to get up but utterly failed even after several attempts. His abdomen
was still stuck to the ground and bleeding by the bear’s claws. Moreover,
during the violent battle, the wound had been violently stretched apart,
completely tearing it open. His blackened intestines, charred by the claws,
oozed out from the gaping wound. The youth helplessly hit the ground with a
thud.
“Hehehe…” he weakly laughed, looking at the large bear’s corpse. The laughter
resembled that of the old grand master of the Fifth Order of the Temple. Soon
after, Zhen Jin's open eyes gradually dulled and his laughter quickly faded.
After a few breaths, his eyes completely lost their luster.
The effects of the berserk potion had worn off.
The youth fell completely into unconsciousness.
For a moment, whether it was man or bear, all was still.



****** Chapter 11: Entangled in Life and Death ******
Darkness. In this darkness, a youth gradually recovered his consciousness.
Where? What is this place? Where am I?No one answered him, and silence reigned
over the darkness. Who am I? Why…why am I trapped here? What should I do?
The youth started impatiently and felt like he had forgotten something
important. He racked his mind to remember but it was in vain. He began to
struggle, wanting to free himself from the cage of darkness.
Suddenly, an illusory light appeared before his eyes. It was distinct in the
darkness.
Light and shadow flickered as the youth suddenly started to remember. It was as
if he had returned to the tavern. Where he celebrated a victory as one of the
Templar Knights. Where he listened to the old grand master’s teachings. The
light amidst darkness resembled the dim tavern candlelight, and the youth felt
warmth and drowsy and was about to fall into slumber.
Then suddenly, he heard a beast’s roar, and along with it, the light and shadow
clarified. The youth was disappointed to find himself not in the tavern but
inside a scorching cave.
Then relentless pain washed against him like ocean waves. Zhen Jin felt he was
like a small boat that could capsize at any moment from the raging winds and
surging waves. Besides the pain, he also felt insufferably feverish and had
intense vertigo.
None of this was unfamiliar to Zhen Jin. The fire-venom flared up again! he
thought.
He still had the bear’s sharp claws pierced in his abdomen, making it hard to
get up. The youth struggled with all his strength, only then did he manage to
slightly raise his head.
Then, he saw the bear corpse and the familiar figure leaning over it busily
working. It was Zi Di extracting the bear’s blood. She wiped her eyes from time
to time, her face filled with anxiety.
Zhen Jin immediately lowered his guard. He had heard a beast’s roar in the
darkness and thought a new beast was attacking. Seeing Zi Di safe and sound, he
relaxed, causing his head to fall and hit the ground with a thump.
Zi Di was startled by the sound and upon seeing him reawakened, she cried out
with pleasant surprise, “My lord‽ Lord Zhen Jin, you’re awake!” She immediately
hurried over to his side. As she moved close, Zhen Jin found the girl's eyes
red and swollen with obvious tear streaks on her cheeks.
Zhen Jin attempted to speak but could not. His tongue and throat were swollen,
making it difficult to pronounce words, and so he could only force a smile.
Suddenly, the youth realized that if another beast attacked, the current him
did not have the strength to protect his fiancée.
“My lord,” said Zi Di, “the fire-venom has flared up again. The previous potion
will not be effective this time. I was in the middle of making a new potion
that will surely succeed! Believe me, my Lord, you mustn’t give up! I can
definitely save you!” Zi Di comforted Zhen Jin but it felt more like she was
deceiving herself to raise her own self-confidence.
Zhen Jin nodded, but this slight movement caused him to fall unconscious again.
He did not know how long he was in the darkness when he heard a beast’s roar
again, allowing him to awaken. After finding no beasts attacking, he grasped,
Is it only a hallucination? How long was I unconscious for this time?He looked
around and found Zi Di beside him.
This time, the girl was not extracting bear blood, rather, she had sliced open
Zhen Jin’s arm and was extracting his blood. A glass vial was already more than
halfway filled with his blood. The youth’s blood which was being drawn appeared
to be dark red and boiling hot.
Upon seeing the youth awakening once more, Zi Di immediately said, “My lord, I
am treating you! I am drawing out your contaminated blood to weaken the fire-
venom in your body.”
The youth had nothing to say. Strangely enough, this time, he did not feel any
pain, and it was definitely not a good thing. Sensing pain was part of a normal
human body’s senses, it was its warning mechanism to remind the body to protect
itself in time. 
Zhen Jin knew he was in terrible shape currently, not only had the fire-venom
flared, but he also had grave injuries from fighting the bear, and the absence
of pain implied all of his nerves had been destroyed. He could not feel
anything aside from his vertigo and could neither hear anything.
The youth dared not to move even slightly. From his earlier experience, even a
little movement would cause his vertigo to knock him unconscious again, so he
could only look up at the ceiling of the cave.
The youth felt strangely tranquil. Then this tranquility gradually faded,
replaced by an encroaching fog of fear.
He felt afraid. He understood death was coming for him and this was his fear of
it. In fact, when he had confronted the bear, he had faced death head-on,
however, at the time, he did not have the leisure to contemplate it. This
feeling of death creeping closer was not a pleasant feeling in any manner.
The youth felt his life slipping away without a sound and from the depths of
the youth’s heart, he desired to hold on to it. However, life was like water
held in his hands, no matter how hard he clasped, it would seep down his
fingers and his hands would be inexorably emptied. He found himself like a lamb
to the slaughter, only able to wait quietly for his life to be reaped by the
Reaper’s scythe.
Zhen Jin originally thought himself sufficiently courageous, but now he
perceived his own fear, his own impotence. This fear was so real and intense
that Zhen Jin realized—even if one had suffered many trials and tribulations,
it was impossible to be completely calm in the face of it. He now comprehended
one truth—this fear was the most intrinsic fear of all life, it was the most
basic survival instinct of all life. This fear, like a fog, had shrouded his
whole heart. At the same time, helplessness, despair, panic, anger, and other
emotions also sprung forth from fear.
Zhen Jin began to pray, O mighty god, Emperor Most High…
He was a Templar Knight, and the deity he believed in was humanity’s
contemporary Emperor Sheng Ming, who was humanity’s leader, had a cultivation
that surpassed Legend, and was a god who walked the world.
Zhen Jin went on to confess to Emperor Sheng Ming. He attempted to confess his
past sins, but awkwardly discovered because he had lost his memories, he did
not remember any. Therefore, he could only implore the Emperor to pity, to
bless, and to protect Zi Di after his death so she could successfully escape
from this treacherous island.
However, the youth’s prayers to the god he had served all his life received no
response. Not even the slightest response.
Every Templar Knight is subject to the watchful eye of the Emperor. Could it be
that this island can isolate believers from their god? With such doubts, Zhen
Jin sank into darkness once more.
As with previous experiences, with a beastly roar that shook heaven and earth,
he awoke. This time upon awakening, Zhen Jin furrowed his brows.
He felt intense pain.
Unlike the pain from before, this time, his whole body felt like it was pierced
by innumerable needles. Every inch of skin, muscle, and bone, internally and
externally, all felt like it had been tortured countless times, riddled with a
thousand gaping wounds. Not only that but the fire-venom flaring up from before
felt even more scalding hot. The youth felt like he was thrown into a bonfire
and had combusted into flames.
“It worked, it worked!” Zi Di’s shout sounded in his ears. The girl seemed
incomparably excited.
Zhen Jin shifted his gaze, saw what she was doing, and was shocked. She was not
extracting bear blood nor drawing his blood but, surprisingly, was pouring
blood on Zhen Jin’s wounds. And he was definite that it was the bear’s blood.
Zhen Jin originally had many wounds, the worst being the wound at his abdomen.
Yet now, the bear’s claws that had pierced through his abdomen were gone. Zi Di
seemed to have poured many potions on the wounds, the liquids mixing into a
colorful blend like of a painter’s dyes. 
An unending stream of the bear’s blood was poured onto this dense pigment, and
Zhen Jin’s body was like drought-stricken soil, regardless of how much bear
blood Zi Di poured in, it was all rapidly absorbed.
What kind of treatment is this? Will it really work? Zhen Jin looked at himself
and he felt a chill in his heart. The more bear blood he absorbed, the more
intense the pain grew but at the same time, his heart felt more and more
powerful.
Thump, thump, thump, his heart beat, pulsing faster and faster.
The youth felt as if his heart would burst if it were beating any faster. His
concerns did not last long as he fell unconscious again. It was because the
pain had intensified to a point far beyond the limits of what a normal human
body could endure.



****** Chapter 12: Am I a Genius Among Geniuses ******
Zhen Jin did not know how long he had been unconscious when he slowly awoke.
The melodious birdsong came to him, followed by a gentle breeze bringing the
fresh fragrance of florae. Zhen Jin stared blankly for a moment but soon came
to his senses.
The first thing he noticed was the disappearance of the sharp pain which had
tortured him, only faint aches remained. He tried to raise his head and
discovered the insufferable, terrible vertigo had vanished, too. Afterward, he
realized his body was wrapped in bandages. Particularly his abdomen which had
several layers of it and also had faint bloodstains.
Zhen Jin exerted his arms and propped up his upper body with great difficulty.
He had almost no strength in his entire frame, as if he had been starving for a
dozen days. Additionally, his mouth was parched and desperate for water.
When he managed to sit upright, he froze in shock. He looked at his arms and
hands. Originally, his arm bones had been fractured and the flesh mangled to a
pulp. But now, it had all healed almost completely. The only abnormality was
the skin of his arms. They were red as if they had been sizzled.
Did Zi Di really succeed? Truly brilliant! Zhen Jin could not help but marvel.
If it were magic or divine spells, it would not be too difficult. To achieve
this with just potions showed just how great her abilities were.
Is this fiancée of mine a master pharmacist? Zhen Jin speculated. He looked
around but did not see her anywhere. The youth quickly discovered he was not in
the depths of the cave anymore. This was not where he had fought the bear to
the death, rather, it was near the cave’s mouth. Here, the ore was sparse, the
air was not burning hot, and one could hear the birds singing outside.
As he felt the occasional breeze and listened to the melodious birdsong, the
ebb and flow of the tides in his heart stirred. His gaze fell on the cave
mouth, where a red and blue wildflower bloomed tenaciously on the walls. Zhen
Jin observed in silence. His eyes gradually reddened, on the brink of tears. 
After his entanglement in life and death for so long, he doubly cherished this
scenery of the mundane. As this unremarkable wildflower’s small, tender petals
swayed gently in the breeze, his body and soul surged with a pulsation.
This was the pulsation of life!
Still alive, I’m still alive! The joy of life was like the waters of the sea
washing over the sands of the shore, ceaseless, and this joy made Zhen Jin
unable to restrain his emotions.
After a long while, the surge of emotions slowly waned and he once again had
new worries.
It was still dangerous here.
Zhen Jin had not forgotten that outside the cave lay the carcasses of the
scaly, horned black leopards. Their fresh flesh and blood would attract many
carnivores. After so many days, Zhen Jin had thoroughly felt the
treacherousness of this island and knew it was impossible to overestimate its
danger.
The youth tried to stand up but failed, sitting upright was his limit. His
whole body had gone soft, especially his abdomen, which felt like it was
missing a large portion, and there was not a mote of strength in his legs.
“You're awake!” said a familiar voice. Zi Di appeared at the cave mouth, frozen
in place with a face full of disbelief. Zhen Jin nodded to her and faintly
smiled. She confirmed she was not dreaming and her emotions stirred as she took
steps forward rapidly, almost flinging herself into Zhen Jin’s arms, causing
him to nearly fall backward.
He patted his fiancée’s shoulder and said with a hoarse voice, “I listened to
you and never gave up.”
“Mm!” Zi Di nodded and released her tight hold on Zhen Jin, her unblinking
violet eyes fixed on the youth.
Two pairs of eyes stared at each other.
Zi Di passionately said, “Lord Zhen Jin, you are a true Templar Knight!”
At that moment, the young knight felt all of the girl’s unconcealed admiration
and love. Zhen Jin forced a smile, shook his head. “Not really, I am still
unable to use my battle qi.”
Zi Di asserted, “My Lord, you will definitely recall your memories!”
Zhen Jin felt as if her confidence in him was greater than his confidence in
himself.
“My Lord, while you were unconscious, I cleaned up the battlefield and
processed both the leopard and bear carcasses. I made use of the bear’s blood
to create a makeshift potion, I then sprinkled it around the cave mouth. 
“Now, the bear’s scent permeates the air which should ward off any other
predators. It is safe here for now. In addition, I also explored the cave’s
depths. There is only one path in the cave. My Lord, your decision was a wise
one!”
Zhen Jin nodded again, and his worries subsided.
“My Lord, how are you feeling right now?” Zi Di once again began to examine
Zhen Jin’s wounds.
“I am feeling great. It’s just that I have no strength,” Zhen Jin answered
honestly and watched the busily working Zi Di, appreciating her even more. It
seemed Zhen Jin risking his life to defend the girl had paid off generously.
Without the girl’s assistance, he feared he would have already died.
Besides appreciation and gratitude, his heart rippled with another emotion. Zi
Di and Zhen Jin had a close relationship as they were an engaged couple. He
initially determined that both parties had ulterior and complex motives.
However, regardless of the details, the comradery formed from life-and-death
experiences that both of them went through was not fake.
“My Lord, your situation has stabilized. You are without strength simply
because of a lack of rest. As long as you have enough food and water for a few
days, you should be able to walk normally again,” Zi Di issued a serious
diagnosis after her examination.
“This was all thanks to your potion,” Zhen Jin praised.
Zi Di, however, shook her head. “The situation was dire, and the conditions I
had to make the potion were also too crude. To be honest, I didn’t know what
would happen and could only try my best. I didn’t think it would have had such
a miraculous result! Perhaps…” Zi Di wanted to say something but hesitated, her
flickering purple eyes gazing at the youth with unconcealed curiosity.
Zhen Jin smiled. “What do you want to ask? You needn’t have reservations.”
Zi Di then said immediately, “My Lord, do you only have Silver cultivation and
not Gold?”
Zhen Jin mused, “Why do you doubt this?”
“My Lord, perhaps my potion had such an effect. However, I feel the possibility
of this is low. I believe it is more likely that you possess a powerful
lifeforce. Those at Silver cultivation cannot possess this kind of life
essence, only if you were Gold could it be possible. My Lord, in overcoming
this hurdle, you actually relied more on your self-healing ability.”
“You believe my cultivation isn’t Silver but Gold?” Zhen Jin frowned slightly.
His gaze involuntarily returned to his arm. It was now almost completely
healed. The youth distinctly remembered how both of his arms had been severely
maimed. His abdomen was originally severely wounded as well yet according to Zi
Di’s observations, the wound had already disappeared and new pink skin and
flesh had regrown.
In truth, such a degree of healing was only slightly lesser than regrowing
severed limbs.
Is this truly the potion’s doing? Zhen Jin also understandably grew doubts. His
heart suddenly skipped a beat. Is my talent so outstanding that I haven't
Silver but Gold cultivation‽ Am I a genius among geniuses? In that case, why
did I hide my talents? Was it because of a fear of someone nipping me in the
bud, thus I bore it secretly till now? With his heart full of doubts, Zhen Jin
contemplated deeply but reached no answers and could only shake his head and
force a smile.
“Your guess might be true but I am unable to answer you with the few memories
I’ve recovered.”
Zi Di then took out her water bag. Zhen Jin accepted it and drank small
mouthfuls.
“My Lord, how do you feel after drinking?” There was concern and tension on the
girl’s face as she asked.
Zhen Jin attentively savored it and mused, “I’m not in any pain. Everything
feels normal.”
Zi Di heaved a sigh. “That’s good but I still need to observe you.”
Although his thirst was only quenched slightly, he knew it had to be like so
because despite seeming like he had recovered from his wounds, the state of his
internal injuries could not be observed by the naked eye. Magic and battle qi
were out of the question and Zi Di was not a professional surgeon.
Zhen Jin then lay down again to rest and gradually relaxed.
After Zi Di had explored the ends of the cave, she concluded—the reason for the
cave being incredibly deep was almost entirely thanks to the monkey bear. Its
constant consumption of the mountain ores had gradually created the cave, and
the extreme length of the cave was proof the monkey bear had spent a long time
living here.
The monkey bear was a Silver beast and had established great authority in the
surrounding regions, capable of intimidating predators, forming a domain of a
certain extent with it as the center. Especially with its previous victory over
the scaled leopard leap, there should not be any predators daring to offend it
and come here. 
After all, these wild beasts did not know that Zhen Jin had killed the bear.
For the time being, the surrounding environment was relatively safe and this
cave could serve as a camp.
Zhen Jin awoke in the morning. At noon, he drank some more water. This time a
bit more than last time. Finally, in the afternoon, he had the urge to urinate.
However, he was still weak and could not stand.
“My Lord, let me help you,” Zi Di said. She had been watching Zhen Jin closely
and was good at reading body language. When she noticed the embarrassment
expressed by the youth, she understood why.
Zhen Jin was forced to lie down on the floor and with Zi Di’s assistance,
smoothly urinated.
“My Lord, I am your fiancée, there is no need to be embarrassed,” she said.
Despite her words, her cheeks were flushed red with similar embarrassment.
Zi Di not only put on Zhen Jin’s pants but also carefully observed his urine.
“My Lord, you seem to be recovering well so far. You can drink water at ease.
However, you still need to be cautious when eating,“ Zi Di reported with joy a
few moments later.
Zhen Jin nodded. He, too, felt a little joyful. The human digestive system and
the urinary system were extremely important. He would rather lose both his arms
than have digestive and urinary issues. Losing an arm was inconvenient but
digestive and urinary failures would be life-threatening.
At nightfall, Zhen Jin finally began to eat. The crude rations and the word
“delicious” could not be associated with each other but he was satisfied with
eating them and even felt blissful.
In truth, the youth was so hungry he could eat several horses but he restrained
himself. Following how he drank water, he only ate a little the first time.
Upon awakening the next day, he regained some strength and could stand up on
his own. However, he was still unable to walk more than a few steps and his
arms felt as if they were so thick and heavy he could not bear them.
The youth did not force himself. Wisdom and patience were virtues upheld by
Templar Knights.
He ate some in the morning and some more at noon and finally, in the evening,
he successfully excreted a large stool. Though Zi Di wanted to help, Zhen Jin
insisted on doing it himself this time.
After Zi Di observed Zhen Jin’s excrement, she stared at him, her eyes glowing
a burning light as she happily said, “My Lord, your body has recovered greatly,
in fact, it is actually astounding. This kind of bodily essence is absolutely
not Silver.”



****** Chapter 13: My Fiancée Has a Merchant Guild ******
Early on the morning of the third day, Zhen Jin slowly awoke.
It was peaceful.
Last night, he had had a good rest for he no longer lay on the hard rock floor
but a layer of fluffy branches and leaves. Zi Di fetched these specifically for
him.
Thinking about his fiancée, his heart swelled with warmth, but Zi Di was not
nearby. Before sleeping last night, she had made a suggestion: She wanted to
extract some of Zhen Jin’s blood to examine whether there was any residual
fire-venom and if possible, discern his true cultivation.
Zhen Jin had agreed. This girl…she couldn’t have stayed up all night without
resting, right? His face fell and concerns grew in his heart. Although he was
asleep, he was confident—if even the wind blew, he would be immediately aware
of it. He looked at the pile of leaves to the side. It was fluffy and showed no
signs of having been used and he was then certain Zi Di had not slept here last
night. After she had gone into the cave’s depths, she had not come out.
Zhen Jin then got up and walked into the cave’s depths. There, Zi Di had
arranged a makeshift space for potion-making. During his two convalescent days,
she rarely left the cave and even when she did, she remained in the vicinity.
Most of her time was spent either looking after him or fiddling with potions in
the cave.
Zhen Jin unsurprisingly saw her sitting cross-legged between some holes. They
were both large and small. The former ones were filled with blood, bones, fur,
etc., and the latter ones were filled with potions of all sorts of colors,
almost like a miniature palette.
“My Lord, you’re awake?” Upon hearing sounds of movement, Zi Di turned around
to see Zhen Jin but did not get up. Her hands moved incessantly as she busily
worked. “Please pardon my rudeness, my Lord, I am in the middle of concocting a
potion,” she said and swirled a glass vial in one hand while with her other
hand she sprinkled sand-like grains of ingredients into it. 
This vial was the size of an adult’s finger. The potion-liquid within seemed to
have the bear’s blood in it as it appeared dark red. The grains of sand-like,
finely ground ingredients were blended into the potion and stuck to the side of
the glass.
Zi Di closely watched the vial, sometimes sprinkling more of the grains,
sometimes scooping up some of the bear blood from a hole in the ground and
adding it to the bottle. 
Finally, as some kind of equilibrium was reached, the grains stuck to the side
of the vial’s insides completely dissolved into the potion, not one remaining.
She faintly nodded as she was satisfied with the reagent in the vial and then
corked it and placed it on a wooden shelf to the side, which was crudely built
with coarse dry branches and was almost packed with vials.
Zhen Jin saw these glass bottles filled with scent mark potions and curiously
asked, “Did you spend all of last night concocting these potions? Is it alright
if you exhaust yourself like this?”
“Thank you for your concern, my Lord.” Zi Di smiled and explained, “If I don’t
use the bear’s blood now, then it will become useless. Making scent mark
potions with this bear’s Silver-grade blood is too wasteful and extravagant!”
The majority of magical materials were time-sensitive. After a certain amount
of time passes, the value of the materials would greatly decrease. Zhen Jin
nodded, approving of Zi Di’s efforts. “You have worked hard,” he said and while
he did so, his eyes remained fixed on the bottles.
How odd, he thought. He seemed to smell a sweet odor from the vials and from
the depths of his heart arose a desire to drink the bear blood. Am I feeling
too hungry? Zhen Jin suppressed this strange sensation. In reality, he had not
had a full meal in the past two days. Although he knew his recovery was going
well, he was still cautious of how much he ate.
“With that, I’ve used up all the bear and leopard blood. Next, I have to
process all this meat.” Zi Di licked her dry lips, her forehead also visibly
soaked in sweat from the long and arduous hours of work.
She took a piece of meat from a large hole and lathered it with some green and
yellow herbs, then took out a small potion tube from her bag and slowly poured
it over.
This tube was not made from glass but from what seemed to be black-lacquered
ironwood. Although she poured only a small portion of the liquid, it quickly
pervaded the flesh and exuded a pungent odor.
Fizz…With a corrosive sound, the plump beast flesh became shriveled and dry.
She then reached down and tore the dried meat apart and kept on tearing it
apart. The dried meat promptly became shredded meat and was then pressed into
meat floss.
For the past two days, most of the food he ate, apart from the rations, was
this meat floss.
They did not start a fire. On the one hand, the lesson inked in blood and tears
the fire-venom bees had taught made them cautious about starting a fire. On the
other hand, the cave was not a convenient place to start a fire as it could
lead to oxygen deficiency, smoke pollution, and even poisoning.
The meat floss processed with this method, although almost unpalatable, would
retain its nutrients and would have its microbes killed and any toxins removed.
“Such excellent magical materials! If they were sold in the outside world, they
would sell for quite a few gold coins. It's a pity I do not have the necessary
refining tools on hand. If I had even the most common crucible, that would’ve
been good.” Zi Di shook her head with great regret.
Zhen Jin smiled, he did not advise Zi Di to rest after working all night but
instead sat next to her and asked, “Is there anything I can do to help you?”
Zi Di smiled. “Since you have asked, my Lord, I will not hold back.”
Afterward, Zi Di only did the delicate task of potion pouring while Zhen Jin
meticulously tore the dried meat and produced more meat floss. The two divided
the workload and were immediately more efficient. While working together, Zhen
Jin, to his embarrassment, found a few holes in the corner that stored his
feces and urine from the past few days.
“I was studying them to determine your physical condition, my Lord,” Zi Di
monotonously said, “but unfortunately, I was unable to measure your true
cultivation. Another reason was that I wanted to analyze and recreate the
potion that Your Lordship ingested. If its effects indeed were the cause of my
Lord’s injuries healing, then the value of its potion formula would be
enormous!”
Such an attitude toward research, should I say, as expected of a mage? Zhen Jin
thought while his mouth uttered approvingly, “You did the right thing. Did you
gain anything from your work?”
Zi Di sighed, her countenance slightly dismal. “The situation was so dire that
I acted on intuition during many crucial steps. I couldn’t even assess the
ratios of the different herbs I used at the time, so it’s impossible to
recreate that potion. I could only try my best. But it’s not like I had no
gains. Using the bear’s blood and the ore, I concocted two types of potions.
One is a fire accelerant, the other a fire retardant.”
Zhen Jin nodded and after he helped Zi Di process all the meat, he patted her
shoulder and suggested, “Let’s go eat a bit.”
The two ate some rations, along with some freshly made meat floss, and drank
some water. Although they did not start a fire, they could still rely on the
ores for heating and using it, they heated the water till it was lukewarm. 
In this environment and these circumstances, a sip of tepid water was a great
comfort. As the water flowed down their throats and into their bellies, their
spirits were gently comforted and soothed. There was plenty of food but not
much water, thus the two were frugal with it.
After a few sips, Zhen Jin said, “Tell me about yourself, Zi Di.”
Zi Di nodded and replied, “I am no doubt your fiancée, my Lord.”
“Then what house are you from? Where is your family's territory?”
Zi Di smiled bitterly. “My Lord, you overestimate me. I am not a noble but just
a merchant. My family has been in this trade for generations.”
“Eh?” Zhen Jin involuntarily raised his eyebrows slightly. He did not expect
such an answer. Nobles almost always married other nobles. Some nobles even
married relatives to keep their pedigree pure.
“So, did you awaken some greater bloodline?” Zhen Jin asked again.
This was a possibility. Although nobles usually would only have one wife, they
would have many paramours that could result in more than a few illegitimate
children. As a result, it was difficult to determine one’s true ancestry by
looking at the family tree alone. 
Throughout history, there was no shortage of lesser nobles possessing a strong
greater bloodline or even children among the commoners suddenly bursting out
with astonishing potential. When their origins were traced, one would discover
the commoner’s bloodline came from a certain greater noble. Often, these people
with strong bloodlines were courted by nobles and incorporated into their own
families.
However, Zi Di shook her head and expressed bitterness, “I am sorry to
disappoint you, my Lord. My bloodline is mediocre. In fact, being able to reach
Iron has already almost dried the well of my potential. I am not a noble nor
are there nobles in my ancestry. My father was the former president of Wisteria
Merchant Guild, and now, it is my turn to be at the helm of the entire guild.”
Wisteria Merchant Guild? That name does sound a bit familiar… Wait a minute,
could it be?



****** Chapter 14: An Alliance of Interests ******
Zhen Jin had retained memories of general knowledge which included information
about the Wisteria Merchant Guild. On the Sheng Ming Continent of the human
race, there were six great merchant guilds. Each one of which was a powerful
behemoth of great age and backed by great nobles. Their businesses were spread
across the high mountains, jungles, waters, and deserts.
Over the last one hundred years, one guild had miraculously soared to
prominence, leaving the others in their dust and quickly became second only to
the six great merchant guilds. This was Wisteria Merchant Guild. Wisteria had
absorbed many middle and small guilds, and even individual shops and
independent merchants were generously recruited. It had a tremendous scope and
influence on the middle and lower markets. 
However, because they lacked patronage from the upper class, the great nobles
of the Sheng Ming Empire coveted their profits and chose to meddle. The guild
was suppressed and its president accidentally fell off his horse and died. It
was then torn apart and divided between the nobility.
“After my father’s accident, there was only his daughter, myself, remaining. I
was unwilling to give up. If the lifework of my father, grandfather, and of
forbear generations were destroyed in my hands, then I would be the most
unfilial descendent. 
“Many of the elders of the merchant caravans were also unwilling to surrender,
so they rallied at my side. But no matter how much wealth we had, it was no
opponent to power. My father’s death made me realize that I needed to enter the
corridors of power in the Empire. 
“Based on how our guild previously developed, the more wealth we accumulated,
the more we grew, and the more we spiraled down to our death. So the caravan
and I collaborated carefully to find a suitable partner. Eventually, I met you,
my Lord, and we found our situations compatible.”
Suddenly, as if a lightning bolt struck him, he understood what had happened.
Although he remembered little, he knew the majestic Emperor Sheng Ming of great
talent had unified the entire human continent and named it Sheng Ming
Continent. The final part of his conquest was the annexation of the South, and
the decisive battle of which was the annihilation of the Order of Cold Firs.
When the Empire’s subjugation army became trapped in the high mountains, their
conquest fell into an impasse. The Southern nobles who had surrendered in the
early stage saw hope in it and secretly liaised with those who were still
resisting and reached an agreement. 
When the Fifth Order of the Temple withdrew from the front lines to recover
from the battle, the surrendered Southern nobles deployed the Cold Firs, who
were the foremost military order of the South, to ambush the Fifth.
The Cold Firs destroyed the Fifth Order, however, they were defeated by the
subsequent Templar Knight reinforcements. They were routed and the Southern
nobles promptly sent reinforcements. As a result, a huge breach formed in the
formerly well-fortified defense line. The Imperial forces reacted extremely
quickly as the frontline military orders joined forces and mobilized a frontal
assault and completely routed Southern nobles’ defense line. Consequently, the
Southern nobles were defeated with great losses and could no longer resist the
Imperial army and either died in battle or surrendered.
The treacherous Southern nobles were also subject to ruthless purges. The House
of Bai Zhen was a part of them and at the time, the Cold Firs had a significant
number of Bai Zhen members. Although the family survived the purge, its
territory, wealth, and army were reduced significantly. In the period that
followed, they were suppressed and ostracized by Imperial nobles on all sides.
Naturally, the Bai Zhens were unwilling to be ruined. On the one hand, they
began to gather other families in similar situations to form alliances, and on
the other hand, they began to actively delve into Imperial high society. The
Bai Zhens sending Zhen Jin into the Order of the Temple was one of the results
of their efforts. 
The Order was the ace among the military orders of the Empire, directly
subordinate to Emperor Sheng Ming and was the largest military force under his
personal command. The Templar Knights believed in the Emperor and professed
their faith in him alone and were naturally fully loyal to him as well. Thus
they were the most trusted by the Emperor.
Generally speaking, there were few great nobles who held power in the Empire
and they would not send their children into the Templar Order. Having their
children profess faith in the Emperor was equivalent to raising ingrates in the
family. The nobility believed in benefits, and most of the time, the family’s
benefits were above everything else. 
The small, middle, and court nobility, and a few members from the great
nobility attached to the Emperor’s faction would choose talented children of
their family to be sent into the Templar Order. Zhen Jin joining the Templar
Order despite being the sole heir to the Bai Zhens was the family offering
their most sincere expression of loyalty to the Emperor.
This diplomatic act succeeded in easing the external pressure on the Bai Zhen
House, however, it was inevitable and predictable that Zhen Jin would suffer
the same treatment his family was subject to by the other Templars. After all,
the Cold Firs had almost slaughtered the Fifth Order, and who among the
nobility did not have relatives? There was a long and deep entrenched animosity
between Zhen Jin and his fellow Templar Knights.
It was quite a wise decision to send the heir to the Templar Order. It would be
in the family’s best interests to completely defer to the Emperor’s political
faction. Zhen Jin recalled his father, and it was clear the middle-aged man had
the wisdom and decisiveness of a family head. The suppression and ostracization
should’ve been expected by me when I joined the Temple, so, at the time, I
chose to endure silently.
Zhen Jin thought of the second memory he recollected. In his memories, Qing Kui
took the initiative to start quarrels with him and deliberately made things
difficult for him. Qing Kui’s motives were understandable, perhaps one of his
relatives from the Fifth Order had been killed.
As for Zhen Jin’s own actions, a judgment could also be made. Even though his
talent was extraordinary, he did not make a name for himself, instead, he chose
to hide his gifts and focus solely on cultivation. He usually kept a low
profile to prevent his political enemies from suppressing him or killing him
before he became a threat. He became a Templar Knight to seek allies among the
Emperor’s faction and not to make enemies. As the family’s future head, he had
joined with a diplomatic objective.
There was never a shortage of opportunities for friendships in the army. When
faced with great external pressure, Templar Knights were forced to trust and
rely on each other and these life-and-death experiences would go a long way to
dissolve old hatreds. 
Through this method, the Bai Zhen House could free themselves from their
political plight and become a member of the Imperial faction, however, the Bai
Zhen House could only be described to have barely established themselves firmly
and were still considered down and out. How could they expand their territory,
increase their wealth and strengthen their power?
The human continent was already unified by Emperor Sheng Ming and the four seas
were at peace. There were not many opportunities left and this was where
humanity’s large-scale offense against the beastman continent became the
perfect opportunity for many nobles to expand their family’s territories and
establish their own military successes and exploits. White Sands was the Bai
Zhen House’s opportunity so Zhen Jin was sent to compete for the position of
city lord.
By standing in Zi Di’s shoes, he could also understand her perspective on
things. With Wisteria Merchant Guild divided up among the great nobles and the
president dead, if the elders were capable of bowing their heads, they would
have long since surrendered to these great nobles, so those elders who rallied
behind Zi Di were naturally hostile to these great nobles. Due to this, she
could only rely on the members of the Emperor’s faction.
Of these members, those with formidable power did not take a fancy to her
remnant portion of the guild. Perhaps the complete Wisteria could have moved
them, but the guild had long been sundered. Those with moderate power also had
misgivings. Her group could be said to be the core of Wisteria, recklessly
accepting them was to incur hostility from the great nobles. They needed to
carefully consider the gains, losses, and risks involved. Those of weak power,
such as the court nobles, who did not even have a territory, had no way of
providing for the guild members.
Simultaneously, Zi Di, as the new leader, had her own worries. She tried her
best to not choose a strong noble to rely on. After all, she was only a mage of
Iron cultivation. Cooperation with a noble too strong would most likely lead to
them annexing the remnants of Wisteria in the future. After careful
consideration, Zi Di settled on the House of Bai Zhen.
The current head of the Bai Zhen House was a Gold powerhouse, however, he
suffered a grievous injury earlier in his life and lost his right arm. The Bai
Zhens had a long history and due to their current circumstances, they had a
shaky foothold and desperately needed to explore new horizons and develop
because they had been stripped of their territories and their currently
available lands were poor in natural resources. Furthermore, they were being
ostracized by surrounding territories. As a result, the Bai Zhens needed the
channels available to Wisteria and valued the guild far more than any other
family.
The crucial factor was that the Bai Zhens were willing to pay the price and did
not hesitate in promising marriage with the heir apparent. After the agreement
was signed, a betrothal ceremony was held and news of it was spread widely. 
All these factors and more miraculously created the young betrothed couple of
Zhen Jin and Zi Di. They both had their own predicaments but they also strongly
needed each other and this was not just their wishes but also of the forces
behind them. How else could Zhen Jin, a nobleman, ever be betrothed to a woman
of such a lowly bloodline?
Despite being the heir apparent to the Bai Zhen House, I was first sent to the
Temple and now to the frontlines of the battlefield in White Sands, bearing the
great risk of the heir dying in battle. This is a gamble! It’s also the same
for Wisteria Merchant Guild. Neither of us can back out. It's no wonder Zi Di
always stood by my side! Zhen Jin pondered deeply and finally understood the
intricacies of the ulterior motives involved. Looking again at the girl before
him, he felt he had become intimately closer to her.
He was not averse to this alliance of interests, instead, he highly approved of
it. An alliance forged on mutual interests was usually more reliable than one
on affection and besides, love could always be nurtured. Moreover, with their
connection by marriage, he understood that Zi Di would be his most reliable
ally in the future.
Zi Di continued, “We boarded the Hog’s Kiss and, if plans were to be followed,
we were to land on the beastman continent, however, during our voyage, we were
inexplicably shipwrecked and ended up on this island.”
Zhen Jin muttered, “So, what we need to do, now, is to not only save our own
lives and escape but also to gather more subordinates. Zi Di, how many troops
and reliable retainers did I bring?”
When faced with this question, Zi Di uncharacteristically hesitated. She
deliberated for a moment and said, “My Lord, when we left, we mainly took the
core armed forces of Wisteria Merchant Guild and hired two reputable mercenary
companies.”
Zhen Jin was startled. He had not misheard. His own side had no retainers or
troops. He was only the commander of one. Without any alternatives, he could
only rely on the forces of the Wisteria Merchant Guild and the two mercenary
companies. Compared to the mercenaries who worked for money, the armed forces
of Wisteria were now the force most under his command.
This was too embarrassing! Despite being the sole heir of a landed noble
family, he had to, at the risk of his life, go fight for war on the frontlines
without, unexpectedly, a personal army!
“Has the Bai Zhen House fallen this low? But there not being a single retainer
is inexcusable.” This abnormal situation made him frown.
Zi Di explained, “There was indeed a group of personnel dispatched from Lord’s
family, however, they encountered bandits en route and were annihilated. At the
same time, tracks of goblins and ogres were frequently sighted around the
territory of the Bai Zhen House. 
“We feared the other competitors would arrive at White Sands before us and gain
advantages by being early, so we put on a façade of staying while disguising
our identities and set sail in secret.”
Zhen Jin’s pupils contracted as he coldly snorted, “It seems the competition
for the position of the City Lord of White Sands is quite fierce.” To think a
nobleman’s elite troops would be wiped out by so-called bandits during
transit. 
Moreover, the present-day territorial borders of the Bai Zhen House were since
long ago the heartland. How could there be space for goblins and ogres to exist
there? As he thought of something, he asked again, “Who are the ones competing
against me for the position of city lord? Were they on the same ship as us?”
Zi Di shook her head. “There are two others and they are both your colleagues,
my Lord. And no, they did not travel on the same ship as us.”
Zhen Jin did not speak. He pondered. This answer implied they would not have to
face strong competitors with malicious intentions on the island, but at the
same time, it was very possible one of these competitors had a hand in the
shipwreck.
Zi Di soon added, “Nevertheless, my Lord. Journeying together with us was a
priest of the Temple named Jia Sha. He is the examiner of this city lord
competition. It is very likely he is still alive. If we can find him and give
him help, that would be for the best.”
“Jia Sha?” he slightly raised a brow in thought.



****** Chapter 15: Strange Change of the Landscape ******
It was early morning several days later, and birdsong echoed through the woods.
The sky was clear. Sunbeams filtered through the crevices in the canopy and the
faint, hanging mist and dappled on the ground.
A boy and girl stood side by side and looked at a cave with mixed emotions on
their faces. The boy was blond-haired, fair-skinned, of a robust build, wearing
mail, alert-looking, and appeared hale and hearty. The girl was dressed in a
purple hooded robe, with curly black hair that spilled out of the hood. She had
a wheaten color skin, a delicate, beautiful face, and purple eyes that flashed
like gemstones, attractive to the gaze of onlookers. They were Zhen Jin and Zi
Di.
While this peaceful haven-cave was warm, it was not home.
“Let’s go,” Zhen Jin said as he looked at the cave one final time before
stepping toward the woods. Zi Di followed close behind. Their circumstances
were different from when they had fled here and both now carried large bags on
their backs. They contained a large number of beast bones, meat floss, and
ore. 
In addition, there were several spears and javelins. Zhen Jin had lost his
longsword at the campfire. His only other weapon, the dagger, had been broken
when he stabbed it through the thick skull of the monkey bear. So, over the
past few days, the two had crafted them.
The spears were roughly 1.8 meters long while the javelins were about 1.5
meters long. They were carved from the trees near the cave which were similar
to ironwood trees and were as hard as iron. It would be difficult for Zhen Jin
to pare the wood to make these polearms. This was where Zi Di’s corrosive
potions played a significant role.
Compared to genuine steel swords, the value of these polearms was very low and
neither the durability nor sharpness was anywhere near as good as a sword but
there was no other way. Right now, he severely lacked weapons and the only
intact dagger was given to Zi Di. 
Before leaving, she had wanted to hand it to him for his use but he had
refused. Her dagger was special as it was used to process materials and could
be used when she was concocting potions. Moreover, in a crisis, she could use
it to protect herself.
In this wilderness, even if he wanted to, he could not fully protect her, so it
was imperative she had the capacity to do it herself. Additionally, the dagger
was of little assistance to him. Although the monkey bear’s sharp claws could
have been used as weapons, they strangely crumbled into an ash-like thing when
the bear died.
Furthermore, they also lacked defensive gear. Zi Di wore an apprentice robe
with weak defensive enchantments. In the face of a beast’s tearing and
charging, they were worrisomely fragile. Zhen Jin had discarded his gauntlets.
They had played a crucial defensive role in the battle with the monkey bear.
Without them, his forearms might have been smashed into a pulp. However, the
gauntlets were so severely deformed, with one almost split open. They could
only be melted down to be reforged. His helmet had also been severely damaged
in the battle and could not be used anymore. His only solace was the upper body
mail.
Zhen Jin took the lead and scouted ahead while Zi Di brought up the rear and
they entered the forest. Their first goal was to retrieve the campfire site
where the fire-venom bees had attacked them. This decision was made after
careful deliberations. 
His longsword was there and even more importantly, only by returning to the
campfire could Zi Di use it to find the path she had led her bodyguards along
to explore and search for him. This path had temporary campsites with a small
amount of supplies hidden in each of them.
Presently, they had plenty of food but little water and this was after
rationing. During the journey after Zhen Jin had awoken, besides finding a few
water canteens, they had no opportunities to obtain drinkable water. Although
they had crossed a river, the waters concealed dreadful python vines and it was
too great a risk to fetch water and water was even more scarce near the cave.
This paucity of water was one of the primary reasons that expedited their
departure from the cave.
The trees stood erect around them, and Zi Di found that the deeper they
ventured into the forest, the taller and thicker they grew with some even
reaching fifty to sixty meters high, shooting into the sky. Luminous sunbeams
could not shine through like pillars of golden light here. In the viscous,
pallid mist of the forest, sunlight was impotent, scattered in all directions. 
This mist was suffused with the crisp, redolence of florae. Flocks of birds
flitted through the canopy and occasionally, a woodpecker could be seen perched
on a tree trunk at least three meters above the ground. The noise of the bird’s
pecking, however, only made the forest seem quieter.
Before long, the two were deep in the forest. They stopped walking and Zi Di
approached a tree and used the dagger to cut a mark while Zhen Jin took out a
sheet of hide—in the center of which were a few words written roughly—and
started sketching a map using charcoal as a pencil. This was to prevent them
from getting lost and this was easy to happen because all the trees looked
alike. 
Elves were exceptionally talented in this respect and it was said no young elf
who wandered into a forest would get lost. A forest was like a second home to
them. The consequences of getting lost were severe. The wilderness was not
friendly to humans, so, often, it was the harbinger of death.
Zhen Jin carefully put away the hide and charcoal in his bosom. This was the
fourteenth time he had made a mark. As he set off once more, his countenance
was slightly hesitant. After such a long walk, logically, he should have
already found traces of when he had fled through here carrying Zi Di, but there
was nothing. The surroundings were full of undisturbed nature.
Zhen Jin grimly kept thinking back. Although the situation was dire and he did
pay much attention to his surroundings, according to his intuition, it did not
take long for them to find the cave. Based on the time it took and his speed,
he could not have run far and the campfire should be nearby.
“Let's go this way,” Zhen Jin said. He chose to go left, he was using a
strategy that was relatively conservative and cautious: centering the cave and
searching for traces around it. This had the obvious benefit of not negligently
overlooking anything.
By noon, the weather was noticeably warmer and the mist had dissipated.
Although the forest was much clearer, the yourh’s complexion grew grimmer and
grimmer. He looked at the map in his hand. Every so often, he had made a record
of the forest and the marks on the map now formed a circle around the cave.
Such an intensive search yet unexpectedly not a single trace!
“Something is very suspicious about this place!” Zi Di said, bewildered. “This
forest is too big.” 
The place where they were before was clearly a rainforest landscape. The air
was sultry, shrubs carpeted the floor, and innumerable vines entangled with
each other in dense clusters. However, this place was a forest landscape.
Although there were all still trees, these were very straight, with scarce
vines and far fewer shrubs and ferns than in the rainforest.
Zhen Jin had also certainly noticed this. He had thought the range of this
forest was small and was part of the environment around the cave that differed
from its surroundings because of its strange, scorching veins of ore. But the
forest was extremely vast, greatly exceeding the two’s estimations. According
to the sea lane, it was only normal for the landscape of the island to be a
rainforest. 
Moreover, Zhen Jin distinctly remembered that the rainforest surrounded them
during the initial part as they fled into the night. The beast, which was
likely a black leopard, had clearly swooped down from the branch of a tree in
the rainforest but afterward, Zi Di had found the cave and called attention to
it.
As soon as I saw the cave, I adjusted the direction I was running. It should be
at that time I entered the forest from the rainforest. Zhen Jin was sure his
memory was not wrong because he had cross-checked with Zi Di and she also
remembered the same. Speculating off their memory, the forest should only be a
small region surrounded by the larger rainforest but after a morning of
exploration, the bizarre reality before them left them baffled.
“This island is so strange! The beasts seem to breed like flies and are very
anomalous as if works of patchwork and the plants are also extremely sinister
and the landscape itself can also likely change in abnormal ways.” As Zi Di
spoke, suddenly, a shadow descended from the towering canopy. The shadow was
slender and fast, piercing through the air with a whoosh but Zhen Jin was even
faster. In a flash, he thrust forward a spear.
The shadow’s charge was abruptly stopped and its short, thin neck was pierced
and hung from the tip of the spear. It was a strange bird, about the size of an
adult person’s fist and had black plumage. Its feathers were very hard as if
they were made of iron and their heaviness made it incapable of flight but this
had made the bird’s muscles strong. 
This species of bird usually hid in the treetops and upon finding animals
strolling through the forest, it would pounce downward, accelerating using its
legs, wings, and gravity to penetrate through the animal’s skull. After the
animal died, it would eat the brains, blood, eyes, and so on and finally the
flesh.
After encountering these birds several times, Zi Di named them iron feather
birds. They had almost no weak points except for their neck. Here, the feathers
were very fine and the defense was at its weakest. Presently, the sharp tip of
Zhen Jin’s spear had accurately pierced that very spot, wounding a fatal wound.
The struggling iron feather bird soon turned motionless. Zhen Jin pointed the
spear at the ground and thrust hard, immobilizing the iron feather bird’s
corpse. Zi Di then went forward and took out her dagger to dissect it. She
gathered its iron feathers, which were an outstanding material, and some of its
blood. As for the flesh, there was not much of it and it was of low value and
so was discarded without hesitation.
While the girl gathered the materials, Zhen Jin was at her side guarding, armed
with a javelin in case any other beast attacked. The first time they had run
across an iron feather bird, the youth was somewhat flustered. He had first
used his spear like a broom and swept the bird down to the ground but although
the bird could not fly, it was very fast on the ground and it took three
javelin throws to slow it. Finally, he used his spear to skewer the iron
feather bird’s belly—which also destroyed the spear tip. 
But now, Zhen Jin’s technique was more sophisticated, he had discovered an iron
feather bird was the most dangerous when it was leaping down from the trees but
simultaneously, when in the air, its neck was exposed, making it also its most
vulnerable time. With this discovery, an iron feather bird was no longer a
threat and became a gift instead.
Besides iron feather birds, the forest had plenty of other dangers. Venomous
snakes were often hiding in fallen trees and decaying foliage. One could not
let their guard down even near motionless plants. Once, Zhen Jin had been
poisoned when he accidentally brushed his skin on some unassuming moss. Small,
round, insensate green spots began to unknowingly grow on Zhen Jin’s face. 
When Zi Di noticed this, she immediately gave him an antidote but it only
alleviated it and could not treat it. The two were forced to search for the
culprit and upon finding the moss, Zi Di made a simple concoction with it and
added it to the antidote which eradicated the poison from Zhen Jin’s body. All
kinds of hidden dangers had greatly slowed the pace of their exploration.
Zhen Jin looked up at the dusking sky and reluctantly decided, “Let’s return to
the cave and rest.”



****** Chapter 16: I Want My Battle Qi ******
Spending the night in the forest was significantly more dangerous than in the
cave. Although it was a long walk back to the cave, the benefits clearly
outweighed the costs and Zi Di also approved of this proposal. Thus, by
evening, the two had returned to the cave.
The cave was warm so the two did not light a fire and they drank a little water
and ate a lot of meat floss. Their water reserves were running low, but there
was plenty of meat floss, so there was no need to worry about it and they both
wanted to avoid starvation. Starvation was full of risks and prolonged periods
of it could lead to a deficiency of physical strength. A lack of strength on
this island fraught with peril would lead them into mortal danger.
In the cave, the two ate in silence. Glancing at the familiar cave walls, Zhen
Jin smiled bitterly. Not long ago, he had had a conversation with Zi Di and
gained an understanding of his circumstances and the more he understood, the
more he realized he had things to do. 
He had thought it would be enough to survive and escape from this strange
island unharmed but now, he realized whether he escaped alone or with Zi Di,
such an outcome would still mean a defeat! He needed to compete to be the City
Lord of White Sands, revitalize his family, cooperate with Zi Di further, and
preserve the remnants of Wisteria Merchant Guild.
So, while he was still on this island, he had to link up with the remaining
survivors, save as many as he could, and recruit them for his own employ. There
was one especially crucial figure in this—Jia Sha. If he survived, Zhen Jin
could offer him a helping hand and create a favorable impression. In short, he
needed subordinates. 
Without the help of subordinates, he and Zi Di would be on their own. Even if
they reached White Sands, it would be impossible to control it so, as they had
set off early in the morning, the youth’s mind held many grand aspirations and
long-term plans.
Unexpectedly, there was no satisfactory progress at all in their day of
exploration, so they had returned to the cave. Reality was always cruel.
The two ate dinner and began to sort through their equipment. The spears had
been used a lot and many of them needed to be repaired. With armaments as crude
as them, if they were not repaired in time, their power would deteriorate.
After all, even swords needed to be polished and maintained often. Needless to
say, these wooden spears needed to be repaired far more often than swords and
were far less durable.
Zhen Jin first used the potion Zi Di gave him to soften a spear, then he used
the dagger to sharpen the spear tip. He started to multitask, repairing the
spears while reviewing his experiences that day. My strength has grown. He
thought of how he killed iron feather birds over and over again. At the time,
he felt he had killed them smoothly but in retrospect, he realized he was
killing them with skill and ease. Before, such a performance of skill was not
something he was capable of but now, he had really managed it. Is it because I
recovered that memory and regained mastery of the Hundred Needle Wind battle
skill?
After he had recovered that memory, Zhen Jin discovered he had a special
fondness for stabbing and found it very convenient and easy to do, unlike
during the battle against the fire-venom bees, where he purely improvised using
his newly emerged memory. Over the past days in the cave, he had practiced
Hundred Needle Wind many times and became very skilled in it. Not only had his
speed increased but even more remarkably, each of his thrusts became very
stable. 
Naturally, the quality of the equipment was very important. Last time he had
used a longsword but although the blade was sharp, using it was difficult and
painful. In contrast, the spears were more compatible to perform a battle skill
like Hundred Needle Wind than the longsword. They were lighter, and their sharp
spearhead more resembled a rapier.
But this battle skill still requires battle qi to display its true
power,thinking this, Zhen Jin was confronted with a familiar conundrum once
more: When will I be able to use my battle qi? He did not have the slightest
grip on the solution to it.
Battle qi. Battle qi! An extremely important factor. Without battle qi and with
just the human body, Zhen Jin had no armor, no claws and no sharp fangs, and
could only fight Iron magic beasts with great difficulty. If there were enough
Bronze magic beasts, he could only run. 
With battle qi, Zhen Jin’s battle strength would overpower any Iron magic
beast. Battle qi could be used to amplify defense, agility and other aspects
and would be of tremendous help in overcoming life-threatening challenges and
improving their chances of survival on the island.
However, Zhen Jin’s current situation was somewhat awkward. There were issues
with his memories and he could only seemingly wait for the relevant memories to
emerge before he could use his battle qi. Previously, he had thought he would
subconsciously activate his battle qi in a life-and-death juncture but the
result of the battle with the monkey bear had made it clear to him that his
thoughts were a forlorn hope. 
He did not even know if his cultivation was Silver or Gold! Besides, even if he
recalled the relevant memories, the particular environment he was in was also a
major, decisive factor—the restriction of low-level Practices on this island.
It affected Zi Di’s magic, made low-level artifacts ineffective and reduced the
effects of high-level artifacts. Zi Di had also learned from the bodyguards
that Iron and Bronze battle qi suffered the same restrictions. Even if Zhen Jin
were to recall his memories, could Silver—perhaps Gold—battle qi even be
activated? This was definitely a conundrum. 
Zhen Jin shook his head as if wanting to throw this vexation out of his mind.
Thinking too much of it isn’t good, it’ll only add to the gloom. At least, now,
I can win without battle qi, even if with difficulty, against a swarm of fire-
venom bees.After assessing the strength of both sides, Zhen Jin had come to
this conclusion which was quite comforting.
In fact, he had nearly succeeded in fending off the fire-venom bees at the
campfire and now that his strength had risen a bit, he could probably defeat
them. However, the current situation was more complex than dealing with the
fire-venom bees. This island was extremely strange. First the restrictions and
they had now found even the landscape could also randomly change, making it
mysterious and unpredictable. If it were possible, Zhen Jin would rather face
fire-venom bees than the vastness of nature like he had to now. He did not know
where to even start with this.
Bang, bang, bang… Zi Di had her head down pounding the stone in her hand into
the bottom of a hemispherical hole in the ground. Inside was placed the
materials she had gathered during the day, most of which were leaves and a few
grass roots which had been torn up as much as possible and then ground into a
paste by the stone. After grinding the materials to her satisfaction, she took
out a vial full of powder from the small bag at her waist and cautiously
sprinkled a little bit of the contents into the hole.
When the powder contacted the paste in the hole, it caused the paste to rapidly
liquefy into a pool of viscous, dark red liquid. The girl immediately took a
twig and began to stir it and after stirring awhile, she stopped and observed
quietly. When the upper layer of the concoction began to solidify, she used the
twig to pick up and remove the solidified layer, exposing the lower liquid
layer, she then took a new twig and began to stir again. 
After each time she removed the solidified layer, the liquid beneath became
more and more vivid in color and more translucent, and before stirring, she
would use a new, clean twig. After repeating this many times, the final liquid
was no longer dark red in color but a translucent pink. After reaching this
step, Zi Di heaved a sigh and no longer removed the hardening surface and
instead allowed the whole liquid to solidify.
When tomorrow came, the solidified lump had completely dried up. Zi Di
thoroughly ground this lump into a pile of a fine, pink powder. She then used
some wide tree leaves to separate the powder into portions and wrapped each up
to form small, elaborate medicinal packets, then handed some of them to Zhen
Jin and introduced, “This powder can leave a bright, conspicuous pink mark.
Whether it is left on a tree trunk or a rock, it will last a long time. Even if
rainstorms try to wash it away, it will still last for several days.”
This was without a doubt, very useful. Although Zi Di’s pharmaceutical skills
had not reached the level of master, she still left Zhen Jin in admiration.
After breakfast, the two continued their journey. With a night of sleep, they
were well-rested and were physically and mentally full of vigor. They also had
the powder which made marking easier. Moreover, they had also adjusted their
polearms. Although there was no increase in number, the ratio had been
adjusted—there were now more spears and fewer javelins.
The girl had thought since they were walking in a rainforest, the long spears
would get in the way but the landscape had changed and they were now in a
forest which was more open. While the branches were slanted, they were not as
obstructive as imagined. 
The spears also proved more useful during exploration. For example, if Zhen Jin
used a spear to hit the grass to scare away a snake, with the spear’s long
shaft, even if the startled snake counterattacked, it would give him more time
to react. In addition, the two had stayed up late into the night discussing the
marks they had made on the animal hide map.
On their second departure, they changed their strategy—instead of searching
around the cave, they set out focused on one direction which they chose based
on a vague identification by the stars of where they had come from was vaguely
where they had come from. The two were not certain of it but this direction was
most likely correct.



****** Chapter 17: Someone Is Crying for Help ******
The two had tried their best in picking the direction they had chosen but they
were not good at finding their direction via the stars. Zi Di was firstly an
expert in trade, with medicine and magic coming in second. Zhen Jin only had
general knowledge as his memory was impaired and found himself excelling only
in combat.
Who would have thought that they would end up shipwrecked while pursuing the
position of the City Lord of White Sands? Or that they would have ended up on
such a dangerous island?
The two traveled in a straight line the entire journey, stopping occasionally
to check their direction. Unlike yesterday, the exploration method was
different and they quickly surpassed the range of yesterday’s range and reached
a completely new area.
“Be careful,” Zhen Jin alerted. Beside them was an immense cliff with a large
tree growing on the edge. Some of its roots were exposed and ran down the cliff
face. There were also trees growing at the base of the cliff, their crowns
looming several meters above the cliff edge.
Zi Di nodded and followed him, carefully avoiding the cliff. In this forest,
lives were more vulnerable than one would think. Even a sprained ankle could
cost them their lives as it could lead to a string of consequences such as
reduced mobility which would lead to an inability to escape if a beast were to
attack. If one of them lost their footing and fell, even Zhen Jin, as strong as
he was, would suffer greatly. After all, he still could not use his battle qi.
As Zi Di walked away from the cliff, she glanced back with fear. During the
daytime, the cliff could be easily avoided, but at night, their vision would be
limited. Just as one thought they were on safe, flat ground and swept aside the
thickets obstructing their path and took a step forward, they would plunge down
the cliff.
“Fortunately, we didn’t encounter this kind of terrain when we were fleeing
that night,” Zi Di celebrated.
“Indeed.” Zhen Jin was also fearful and her words resonated with him. If they
were chased off a cliff by the fire-venom bees that night, then, most likely,
they would have become corpses at the bottom of the cliff now.
As they went farther from the cave, precipices appeared more and more
frequently and the terrain became noticeably more hilly but this change was not
a bad thing because sometimes, the two would stand on the edge of cliffs—a
place with an open view, allowing them to make observations of distant lands.
Of course, this was only the case occasionally. Most of the time, even if they
were on top of a cliff, there would be the canopies of tall trees blocking
their line of sight. There were trees everywhere and a person could easily get
lost walking in this forest.
Zhen Jin constantly made marks on the map to record their route—he drew a
straight line. However, were they really walking in a straight line? The two
could not be sure. In fact, they had no confidence because they understood that
in the absence of a point of reference, they could not guarantee their route
was straight. In such a situation, they cherished the opportunity the cliffs
offered them.
While exploring a forest, an ordinary view into the distance could bring great
joy and confidence to those trapped in the forest’s depths. This was also
because Zhen Jin was not good at climbing trees as a knight’s training regime
did not include teaching them to climb trees. This was not strange because a
knight who has mastered battle qi was fully capable of jumping up onto the
branches of a tree and had no need for special tree-climbing training.
Moreover, when knights fight, they are never alone. They would have mounts and
retainers, and when the order went to war, there would be soldiers scouting the
path ahead.
Zhen Jin had tried climbing a tree. After climbing up three meters, he gave up.
Firstly, he would have to climb up to the canopy to see far ahead and this
meant he needed to climb at least ten meters off the ground. It was risky at
that height. He was a knight, an elite Templar Knight under the Emperor but
without battle qi, it would be hard-fought for him to withstand a fall from
that height. Furthermore, he and Zi Di would be most vulnerable if an attack
came while he was climbing up a tree.
Secondly, it was harder to climb these straight and tall trees compared to the
trees in the rainforest with slanted branches and twisting vines.
Lastly, he had to consider his own physical strength. Climbing trees was too
physically demanding. If he exerted himself, he would sweat and get hungry and
would need to eat food and drink water. In particular, the two did not have
much of the latter.
Zhen Jin stood tall and looked far. “Look there, there is a low depression over
there,” he said. They needed to get to the lowest ground possible, such an area
was most likely to have water. Replenishing water would greatly assist the two,
and it might even be possible to find a river and follow it out of the forest.
An ideal river would lead them to a beach or a reef at its estuary.
After sprinkling some of the marking powder on top of the cliff, the two
slightly altered their direction. Not long after, they arrived at the lower
region. Rather disappointingly, they did not find water, much less a river.
This terrain resembled a large basin with trees filling it. Just as they were
about to change directions and continue, they stopped.
A leopard had unexpectedly appeared before their eyes. It was covered in black
fish scales and had a horn in the middle of its forehead. As they spotted the
black leopard, it had also spotted them. For a while, both sides froze in
place, seemingly caught off guard by their encounter.
Zhen Jin quietly gripped his spear as he involuntarily tensed. He was not
afraid of a single black leopard as it was easy for him to kill it, but what
about a leap? More frighteningly, what if this leopard leap were not the same
one that attacked the monkey bear, but instead a completely intact leap?
Although most of the scaled leopards were only Bronze, when there were many of
them, they could hunt in groups and even dare to besiege a Silver magic beast
like the monkey bear. If Zhen Jin were attacked by the black leopards, he would
be helpless to protect himself and Zi Di. However, there was nothing he could
do right now but play it by ear.
Zi Di held her breath, and as the pressure increased, her face began to turn
pale. After the brief stalemate, the scaled leopard suddenly turned around and
slipped away. “Chase it, it might be trying to alert the entire leap,” Zi Di
whispered a moment later.
Zhen Jin nodded, remembering distinctly that when the fire-venom bees had
forced a black leopard to flee, it had resulted in the entire leap coming for
vengeance and eventually leading to their fight with the monkey bear.
“Follow closely, If you can’t—”
“Don’t worry, we still have the marking powder and can use it to rendezvous
somewhere else,” Zi Di interrupted before he could finish. This was the method
the two had agreed on to prevent them from getting separated and lost.
Zhen Jin started running, chasing furiously. A tree nearly hit him in the face,
but he quickly avoided it as he continued. The wind whistled in his ears as he
focused his attention on the figure of the black leopard while also keeping an
eye on his surroundings for surprise attacks.
He took a deep breath. His heart was bursting and his blood was churning.
Muscles all over his body contracted, exerting their full strength to propel
him onward. Zhen Jin was able to close the distance between him and the leopard
very quickly. He realized the scaled leopard was not very fast.
As he got closer, he also found out, to his surprise, that the scaled pather
was injured. It’s injured, does that mean it was involved in the assault on the
monkey bear? Zhen Jin was somewhat relieved because the monkey bear had
inflicted heavy losses to that leopard leap and killed its leader, leaving only
a few leopards remaining.
I still need to be cautious! What if this is just a trick the leopards use to
lure in their prey? Zhen Jin had heard Zi Di’s telling of how the sinister and
vicious blue wolf had repeatedly attacked and killed members of her team. The
beasts of this island could not be judged by common sense. He would not be
surprised if the black leopards used such tactics.
Once more to his surprise, the running scaled leopard suddenly stopped in its
tracks. It made a whimpering sound, swiveled in place, hesitated going forward,
and looked impatient and restless. Even as Zhen Jin gradually approached the
leopard, its odd behavior remained the same, as if something hiding in the
forest ahead frightened it more than Zhen Jin.
The youth’s face became grave. He did not rush to attack the leopard but
observed his surroundings. He quickly discovered the surrounding forest was
darker than before. Although the trees still towered above, their bark showed
signs of rot and their leaves had become a sickly green. The ground was covered
in a thick layer of withered twigs and foliage and the air concealed a gloomy
chill.
When he did not find other beasts, he refocused his attention on the scaled
leopard. He slowly walked forward, and as the distance between them closed to a
certain point, the leopard did not hesitate any longer and continued onward and
he followed closely behind.
“Growl!” Not far ahead, the leopard suddenly gave a blood-curdling wail. A net
made of spiderwebs abruptly rose from the ground and wrapped the entire leopard
inside then hauled it upward. With its excellent adhesiveness, the more the
leopard struggled, the more it became stuck in the web. Soon the leopard’s
entire body was almost fully covered in spiderwebs.
A pale blue spider slowly descended from the canopy and onto the web. The
spider’s body was as large as a stone mill and its eight legs were long and
thin, each about two meters long. The spider landed on the web as if it were
walking on ice and moved very smoothly. It quickly began its work. Its eight
legs were like a maestro playing the strings of a lute, fast but not
disorderly. There was even a hint of elegance in its movements.
The web trapping the leopard was originally a bit damaged, but as the spider
weaved, it was restored to a complete state. As a result, the leopard was able
to struggle less and less as the spider silk bound it firmly between the trees,
six or seven meters above the ground.
Upon watching the scene of this spider’s successful hunt, Zhen Jin was chilled
to the bone. He slowly retreated, his nerves tense. The youth not only kept his
eyes on the spider that was still weaving threads, but also on what was under
his feet. Perhaps there was another spiderweb hidden nearby.
Luckily, the spider was done hunting and did not attack him. It quickly
followed the spider silk and disappeared into the canopy. Zhen Jin did not dare
to drop his guard. His heart only tensed further because, within the canopy, he
discovered other hunted prey.
White spider silk wrapped around them, revealing a variety of silhouettes. Most
of them resembled a scaled leopard. Zhen Jin speculated, were all the scaled
leopards chased away by the monkey bear trapped here?
He had already realized that the scaled leopard must have been afraid of this
spider. Perhaps the leopard leap was ambushed here and was nearly wiped out
with only the one leopard luckily escaping but ended up running into him. The
leopard was not intelligent enough and in its panic, it had fled to where it
had fled from, resulting in it being hunted. Besides the leopard-shaped prey,
there were also shapes of deers, foxes, and hares, and there were even tigers
and rhinos.
Only the gods would know why there were rhinos here.
Zhen Jin looked cautiously at them and his heart beat faster and faster.
Although he had only seen one spider, the canopy was sure to hide many more. If
not, how could the black leopards be annihilated by a single spider? Moreover,
large prey like rhinos and tigers could not be captured by a lone spider.
Ordinary spiders were solitary predators, but this type of spider seemed to
live in clusters. Zhen Jin was not surprised about this variation in behavior.
He was about to leave when a faint sound called out, “Wait! Don’t go. Plea-
please…save me, save me.”



****** Chapter 18: My Knight’s Code ******
Zhen Jin’s pupils shrunk when he heard the cry. Someone is trapped in the
spiderwebs. He is still alive! he creased his brows in thought. I am a knight.
It is part of my code to assist the weak and save the dying. I need to calm
down first, the youth warned himself.
He stopped retreating and observed as he cautiously reentered the spider’s
hunting grounds. He did not step on any spiderweb traps and after walking a
certain length, he looked up to find the hanging trapping that the cry came
from.
The spiderweb was shaking lightly and the silhouette inside was distinctly that
of a human. The threads near his face were thinly weaved and through the slits,
the one inside would be able to see outside, though just barely. The hapless
fellow was hung up high, giving him a wide field of vision so he was able to
see Zhen Jin and had immediately called for help.
“Please, please save me! If you leave, I’ll definitely die! You’re from the
Hog’s Kiss, too, aren’t you? We’re both from the same ship. Please show
kindness to me, please don't go, please don’t abandon me…” Upon hearing that,
Zhen Jin’s heart was moved but he did not rush to action.
Recklessly attempting to rescue him would likely only end with himself trapped
as well. Even worse, it could also endanger Zi Di. He stood still and looked
above, scanning cautiously for the spiders hidden in the canopy. His muscles
were tense, ready to react to even the slightest movement of the wind. But the
spiders made no movements.
Finding no movement from Zhen Jin a few moments after pleading for help, the
trapped man reacted and cried out again in a low voice, “You don’t have to be
suspicious of me! The beasts that fell into the spiderwebs would struggle with
all their might, and the more they struggled, the more the spider silk would
stick to them and the more the web would constrain them, eventually suffocating
them to death. But that wasn’t the case for me. I had fainted before I was
trapped and tied up in the web. So thanks to that, I’m still alive. So please
save me. I don’t want to die…” At this point, he drooped his head and began to
weep.
The fear of being trapped in a spiderweb and watching death slowly approaching
was unbearable and it had almost driven the man insane. When Zhen Jin saw this
genuine expression of the man’s condition, he was a bit more trusting. Every
living thing possessed the fear of death. Zhen Jin, even as a knight brave
enough to face the monkey bear and fight a hard battle to kill it, still had
this fear. Having fear did not mean one was weak. Fighting it day and night was
true courage.
Still no movements? It seems these spiders don't hunt through sound, Zhen Jin
speculated and decided to take a little risk. He opened his mouth and softly
called out, “Hey you, what’s your name?”
The trapped person immediately became excited, responding, “I am called Huang
Zao, sir. I was a sailor aboard the Hog’s Kiss. Merciful sir, kind sir, if you
save me, I will do all I can with my life to repay your kindness!”
Most of Zhen Jin’s attention was still on the canopy at this point. When he had
spoken, the spiders remained unmoving. This set aside some of his worries as he
made sure his prior guess was not wrong.
“In that case, Huang Zao, how can I save you?” he asked again. This question
was crucial as he needed to confirm Huang Zao’s intentions and obtain more
information. Currently, he still had suspicions. Were these spiders
deliberately not killing their prey but allowing them to cry out, using it to
attract others of their kind? Perhaps these spiders were restraining themselves
so Zhen Jin could return and call more humans for a rescue. When there were
more people, only then would the spiders close their webs.
Hearing Zhen Jin’s question, Huang Zao knew what to answer and hurriedly
warned, “Sir, you mustn’t risk it and strike! The spiders here will drop to the
ground at night and secretly lay their webs. These spiderwebs are buried in the
ground and will activate once stepped on. The spiderwebs will close and rise,
resulting in spiders coming down to weave it shut and hang the prey up in the
air. Regardless of how loud I speak, no spider will come out. But if I
struggled about and swayed the spiderwebs enough, it would attract the spiders
to repair the web. So once you get me out of the web, you’ll definitely draw
them out.
“These spiders have terrifying strength. Each one is a Bronze creature. And
there are at least a dozen such spiders around here! The force with which these
spiders pounce is no different than being rammed by a horse. I was careless and
when a spider struck me, I was flung away and struck a tree trunk and passed
out on the spot. When I opened my eyes in a daze, I was already hanging in the
air. The exploration team had been utterly defeated with the survivors fleeing.
Moreover, these spiders are also capable of coordinating. They don’t just set
their webs on the ground, two or three spiders can work together and wave a
larger web in the air. In contrast with the regular web, this one drops from
above and envelops the prey.
“These webs are very sticky and you would need a sharp sword and skillful
swordsmanship to cut through them. My big brother, Lan Zao, the exploration
team leader, is good with a blade. I saw with my own eyes how his blade became
entangled in the webs, greatly reducing his mobility, and he couldn’t cut
through the webs at all. That’s why you should use fire! After running out of
options, they used fire to burn the webs and escaped. These spiders are
actually very afraid of fire. At the time, I wanted to call for help but I was
muddled and drowsy. I wasn’t able to call out and even my vision was hazy. I
heard people shouting and lost consciousness again. By the time I woke up, the
fire was gone and I was the only person left.”
Zhen Jin listened attentively and analyzed the information. After a while, he
asked again, “Huang Zao, right? How many people were in your group and why did
you come here? Are there any other survivors apart from your group? When were
you attacked?”
Huang Zao did not hesitate and quickly replied, “The night the Hog’s Kiss was
shipwrecked, the sea was very rough. Although we tried to steer the ship, the
hull still snapped into two. The first half of the ship hit a reef and the
survivors all managed to reach the beach that night. Our group included, there
were about a hundred of us. The captain had gone missing so the first mate led
us. This island is strange. Low-level magic and battle qi can’t be used here.
We set up a temporary camp on the beach. The first mate assigned me, my
brother, and a few others to explore the island in search of timber to build a
ship’s hull as well as food and water.
“Within the jungle, danger lurked at every corner and we ran across many
strange and ferocious beasts. The exploration team lost many men and we gained
little in return. After a while, we were unable to continue onward and decided
to head back. However, as we were returning, we found out that the landscape
had unexpectedly changed! It had clearly been a rainforest, but before we knew
what was going on, we had ended up in a desert. Many thought it was an illusion
but we couldn’t break free. Panic arose and some even committed suicide. The
team fell into disarray for a while.
“Food and water were quickly used up, and I thought our entire team was done
for. Fortunately, our team had a traveler. He was an old scholar who had served
a noble in a desert territory. He was called Cang Xu and he used his methods to
find his way through the desert and found an oasis to replenish water. After
resting at the oasis for several days, we continued our journey. Our fortunes
had turned for the better as we arrived at the edge of the desert and entered
this forest. When we arrived here, we were ambushed by the spiders. Most were
able to escape but five or six died. When they were fleeing, I heard my brother
shouting to retreat. He must not have noticed I was missing so he didn’t come
to rescue me. In reality, while I was captured by the spiders to serve as their
food reserves, I still survived!” Huang Zao was quite emotionally agitated.
Zhen Jin had been silent from beginning to end. Huang Zao’s emotions gradually
calmed down. “I don’t know exactly how many days it has been since I don’t know
how long I was unconscious. However, it has been three days and two nights
since I regained consciousness. For Emperor Sheng Ming’s sake, save me. Sir,
we’re from the same ship! Only you can save me now! Please have pity on me, I
will repay you with all my strength!” Huang Zao pleaded once again.
“There’s really a desert here?” Zhen Jin doubted.
“Sir, I’m not lying to you!” Huang Zao raised his voice, asserting, “I know, I
know it sounds unbelievable but it’s really true. We really did end up in a
desert!”
Zhen Jin nodded and placated him, “I will do my best to save you. But I can’t
do it on my own. I’m going to go back and get more people. Do you have any ways
of contacting your group?”
“I have a whistle that can be heard from afar, however, it is in my coat
pocket. I also know semaphore. If I have colored flags, I could stand high
above the ground and use it to signal,” Huang Zao hastily said. Seeing that
Zhen Jin was silent, he added, “The secret signal! Yes, there’s also the secret
signal! We discussed that we would leave behind secret signals along the path.
As long as we follow them, we will be able to find my brother and the others!”
Zhen Jin looked at the sky. The sky was darkening. It would not be long till
nightfall. “Wait for a while, I will be back,” he said as he turned and left.
“Sir, I will wait for you. You must come back, please don’t forget this pitiful
man! You are my only hope. I will repay you!” Even after Zhen Jin had walked
far away, Huang Zao’s shouts continued to resound. His voice was hoarse with
fear and confusion, yet heavy with expectation. He was clearly shouting with
all his strength. After all, Zhen Jin could be considered his only hope of
survival.
How should he phrase it? The youth empathized with him. Life was incredibly
beautiful, so Zhen Jin greatly treasured it. Not long ago, he was also at the
edge of death’s door as he faced the ire of both the fire-venom bees and the
monkey bear. As he alternated between states of consciousness and
unconsciousness, he was filled with helplessness, panic, worry, hope, and
sincere repentance.
The heavy burden of Huang Zao’s expectations fell on Zhen Jin’s shoulders. How
could he save him? How could he resist at least a dozen Bronze spiders? Many
questions lay ahead of the youth. Regardless, he shook his head slightly and
kept his eyes resolute. Anyhow, I should join up with Zi Di first.
After a while, the youth easily reunited with the girl. In fact, after they
parted ways, the girl had done her best to follow after him. The scaled leopard
was not fast thus the gap between both parties was not large.
“Did you come across any dangers?”
“No. Don’t worry, I’m not completely helpless.” Zi Di nodded as she lightly
patted her small bag with a look of pride.
“I’ve discovered something new on my end.” Zhen Jin gave a simple explanation
of what happened and asked her for her opinion.
After she listened to everything, she thought for a bit and then answered, “My
Lord, I suggest you save him.”
Although Zhen Jin had his own opinions, he currently wanted to first hear Zi
Di’s unadulterated opinion. So he continued asking, “Can you explain why?”
Zi Di was solemn and said sincerely, “My Lord, according to what you said, he
has a Bronze aura. A Bronze is already a lower-tier elite. Generally speaking,
they are qualified to work as a ship’s captain. Individuals who can fight can
also become assault team captains. This man alone is qualified to be recruited.
Once Your Lordship saves him, the possibility of him serving you is very high.
In addition, there’s still his elder brother, Lan Zao, the exploration team
leader. His higher position is proof of his greater strength.
“By taking in Huang Zao, it is likely it will also bring Lan Zao to our side.
That’s two Bronze elites. They must also have subordinates around them and once
those two are brought over to your side, Your Lordship will also acquire their
subordinates with them. We need manpower now. Even if we don’t consider
controlling White Sands in the future, these men will greatly increase our
chances of survival on this island. Sometimes, when in danger, all you need to
do is outrun your companions.” As she spoke, her eyes flashed with a dark
glint.
Zhen Jin nodded. “Anything else?”
She continued, “We also need information. So even if these two don’t join you,
my Lord, we can still expand our map and deepen our understanding of this
island just by communicating with them. According to what Huang Zao said, a
large group is building a ship to save themselves. This is the most reliable
way to leave here and get to White Sands. However, even if we had a ship, there
is no one to sail it for us.
“To keep a ship sailing on the ocean for several months, it requires a captain,
a first mate, a navigator, sailors, a helmsman, a shipwright, cannoneers, a
surgeon, lookouts, and other talents. Saving as many of these people as we can
will make our later voyage much safer and faster.”
“However, to save him, we’ll need to confront at least a dozen Bronze spiders…”
Zhen Jin muttered.
“My Lord, I have a solution.” Zi Di smiled. “Believe me, I would never have
done this if the losses were greater than the gains.”
“Hahaha, should I say you truly are worthy of being the current president of
Wisteria Merchant Guild?” The young knight looked at Zi Di with admiration, but
gradually his countenance turned solemn. “You’re not wrong. But you have
forgotten the most important point.”
Zi Di quickly put away her smile and lowered her head expressionlessly.
“Instruct me, my Lord.”
“I am a Templar Knight, a knight amongst knights, and it is my code to assist
the weak and save the dying! Even in times of distress, I will not abandon my
companions,” the youth said, his powerful words echoing through the tranquil
forest.
For a moment, Zi Di stared at the youth blankly, and then she smiled. “My Lord,
I understand.”



****** Chapter 19: One Must Not Overestimate ******
With Zi Di following, Zhen Jin returned to the hunting grounds of the pale blue
spiders.
“Sir, you came back! You really didn’t abandon me. Thank the heavens!” Huang
Zao cried out with pleasant surprise and emotion. But his mood quickly sank and
he asked disappointedly, “Sir, is it just you two? Where are the rest?”
“It’s just the two of us,” Zhen Jin replied.
“S-sir, are you sure?” Huang Zao stammered, nervous as his life and death were
at stake. “Perhaps we ought to get more people.”
Zi Di coldly snorted, “Are so many people coming so they can save you or get
themselves killed? You can only have trust in us.”
Huang Zao was stifled for a moment before he said, “Sir, you must be careful!”
Zi Di took out potion bottles from her leather bag and handed them to Zhen Jin.
He proceeded to throw them one by one in a flurry. The vials struck tree trunks
or rocks and broke apart, spilling the liquid contents in all directions. The
air became filled with an unpleasant malodor of what smelled like chicken
feathers, dog excrement, and dried squid mixed together and burned.
If magic could be used, using a lightness or flight spell, it would have been
easy to free the trapped Huang Zao. However, the current environment forced the
two to rely on this potion-based tactic.
These potions were fire accelerants and Zhen Jin had thrown them at critical
spots with pinpoint accuracy. Upon recovering from his injuries, Zhen Jin
noticed that his strength had increased significantly. After conversing with Zi
Di, she hypothesized that it could be the effects of the makeshift mixture
potion that used the monkey bear’s blood.
This kind of potion was not rare. The most famous one was the strength potion.
After taking it, it could grant the consumer a permanent increase in strength.
Of course, the effect sharply decreased when ingested repeatedly.
There was also the possibility that the life-and-death battle had somehow
awakened a bloodline within Zhen Jin. The nobles were a group that possessed
some of the most outstanding bloodlines in the world. As a result, they were
filled with talents and gifts. The Bai Zhen’s bloodline was naturally
outstanding. It was said that the source of their bloodline could be traced
back to a Legend magic beast, the golden needle queen bee.
Those who possessed this bloodline would have excellent speed, stability and
extreme accuracy in their strikes. This bloodline did not specialize in matters
of strength but it was quite possible there were hidden bloodlines in Zhen
Jin’s body. The most commonly seen bloodlines included the bloodlines of
dragons, giants, ogres, and even demons.
Nobles often married each other and were very promiscuous in private, resulting
in their bloodlines often mixing with each other. Sometimes, a bloodline could
be hidden for their entire life. Furthermore, due to the lack of effective
testing methods, it was very difficult to determine how many bloodlines someone
had. Similar to Zhen Jin’s situation, cases of individuals who were undergoing
life-and-death trials bursting forth with their potential in the midst of a
dire crisis and awakening a hidden bloodline were not uncommon in the histories
of all races.
Another possibility was what Zi Di had speculated previously. That his true
cultivation was not Silver but Gold. Silver cultivation reached the utmost
limits of the human body’s capabilities. Gold, in turn, transcended human
limits, bringing forth qualitative change in many aspects such as speed,
strength, and recovery. If Zhen Jin had Gold cultivation, then it was unlikely
for him to be a highly experienced Gold expert. Based on his age, he must be in
his cultivation growth period. Therefore, his increase in strength might be the
result of Gold battle qi constantly secretly nourishing his body. Regardless,
his increase in strength was a good thing.
When almost all of the fire accelerants were thrown, Zhen Jin took out two star
flints and struck them, creating blue-colored sparks. The sparks fell on the
splattered potion. With a whoosh, a flame violently erupted. The flames rapidly
spread, igniting the fire accelerants in its path, and in the blink of an eye,
a raging wall of flames had formed. The fire burned furiously and began to
climb the surrounding trees, burning higher and higher.
Screeches came from the towering canopy as the spiders became agitated. Huang
Zao felt the air beneath him rapidly burning and his heart started pounding
madly. He had not expected the two to make such a big move. So that girl is a
pharmacist. But how can they save me with this? As Huang Zao was guessing, Zhen
Jin made another move.
He grabbed a javelin from his back, the tip of which was smeared with the fire
accelerant. He swayed the javelin tip over the flames beside his feet. Quickly,
the tip began to burn with ease. Then, Zhen Jin lifted it and swung his arm
back and threw the javelin. The javelin flew through the air in a beautiful arc
before precisely stabbing the head of one of the trapped creatures.
This one appeared to be a leopard that had long since suffocated in the
spiderweb. After the javelin pierced it, the ensuing fire spread across the
spiderwebs and burned the web to ashes. The victim then fell to the ground. It
was indeed a scaled leopard as Zhen Jin had guessed. Because of its scales, the
small fire quickly died out.
Zhen Jin would throw a javelin, a trapped creature would fall to the ground.
This recurred unfailingly. Some of them continued to burn while in others, the
fire died out.
“They are here,” Zi Di said. She palpitated at the sight of spiders descending
and weaving again their webs around their prey that had fallen to the ground.
For prey that were still aflame, the spiders spat a thick stream of green
liquid from their mouths, which extinguished the fire. Then they began weaving.
It was evident they were not helpless against fire.
Soon, no new spiders came to the ground. In all, there were twenty-six vicious
Bronze spiders in front of them. Most of the spiders were trying hard to
recover their rations so only three turned toward the two. Zi Di was relieved.
In the end, these spiders were still beasts, they were not as cunning and
sinister as the blue-furred wolf. It made her regain her advantage and
confidence as a human being.
As the three spiders approached, Zhen Jin stood still. He waited until the
spiders approached an ideal distance, then he calmly lit the fire accelerant
beside his left foot. A second wall of flames roared as it rose up, trapping
the three spiders inside it. The spiders screeched in horror and attempted to
shoot threads at the canopy so they could hoist themselves away but as these
threads shot into the air over the fire, they were burned.
As the fire spread, the three spiders were easily cornered by Zhen Jin. With no
alternatives, the three spiders tucked in their heads and were forced to break
out of the enclosure. They succeeded in breaking through the wall of fire with
only a small amount of flames on their bodies.
“Screech, screech!” They produced a series of shrill sounds in fear and
confusion. The spiders that were trying to reclaim their prey were also thrown
into confusion upon seeing their three companions skittering toward them
aflame.
Now! Zhen Jin’s eyes flashed. He threw three javelins in quick succession,
which burst into flames, and struck the spider silk above Huang Zao. There were
four strands of threads suspending him, like four snow-white hemp ropes. When
the strands encountered the flames, they burned in an instant. With only one
strand holding up Huang Zao, the web lost its stability, arced in the air, and
slammed into a tree trunk with a thud.
Then, Zhen Jin shot a fourth javelin and burned the last strand of spider silk.
Huang Zao cried out as he fell to the ground. Although he was in pain, he was
not injured. This was due to the spiderweb having excellent ductility. When he
hit the tree trunk, the spiderweb stretched out leaving him only two meters
from the ground.
Unfortunately, a spider that had just re-hoisted a spiderweb trapping noticed
the disturbance and immediately pounced on Huang Zao. Upon seeing this, Huang
Zao’s eyes widened in fright, and with a low shout, he unexpectedly rolled into
the wall of fire. The fire instantly burned the webs around him and then
started to burn his body.
But at that moment, Huang Zao displayed his fortitude and ferociousness as a
sailor. Without a word, he continued rolling through the fire until he left the
wall of flames. He had succeeded in freeing himself from the spiders, however,
his entire body was on fire and it was very likely he would miserably burn to
death on the spot.
“Good!” Zi Di praised. “Come here quickly!” She did not need to shout as Huang
Zao was already subconsciously running over to them. Zi Di raised her arm and
swung an open potion vial toward him.
Blue dust that sparkled like stars was sprinkled all over Huang Zao. At once,
Huang Zao gave a blood-curdling scream. The flames on his body strangely
converged then vanished. The blue dust had throttled it to nothing.
Huang Zao shuddered from head to toe. In just a few moments, his face had been
disfigured, most of his hair had burned with it still smoking, and his face,
hand, and arms were all charred black. He breathed in a large breath with his
mouth and quickly ran past Zhen Jin and Zi Di, and said, “Run, run, there’s
still a big one!”
As soon as his voice fell, an intense aura of a beast descended from above.
Zhen Jin and Zi Di immediately blanched. It was a Silver spider leader. It was
larger, had thicker blue hair, and its eight legs were longer. It cut through
the air with an astonishing speed and a piercing hiss as it moved to attack the
three.
“You guys leave first!” At this crucial moment, Zhen Jin was the first to
react. He glared furiously at Huang Zao and then stepped forward with an
expressionless face.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh. He threw his javelins rapidly. However, the spider was
swift like the wind and easily avoided them all. Soon, Zhen Jin had used up all
of his javelins. Gritting his teeth, he raised a spear high and lunged at the
spider leader.
“My Lord!” Zi Di cried out in fear from behind him.
“Leave quickly, don’t let ourselves become a burden to him,” Huang Zao also
shouted. However, because of his hesitation, he missed his chance. The spider
leader suddenly shot three strands of spider silk, precisely hitting each of
them.
Zhen Jin’s spear and hands were bound by the silk and he could only try his
strength against the pull of the spider leader. The spider silk struck Zi Di’s
cloak and the girl fully displayed her agility and flexibility. She quickly
doffed her cloak, bent down, and drew the dagger from her right calf.
“My Lord, catch!” However, just as she was about to throw the dagger to Zhen
Jin, a clump of spider silk came toward her. The spider silk rapidly expanded
in the sky and formed an exquisite net. It hit Zi Di, enveloped her chest and
waist, knocked her down, and glued her to the ground. The moment it impacted
her, her throw was interrupted and instead of landing beside Zhen Jin, the
dagger fell near Huang Zao.
The spider silk strand had struck Huang Zao’s right foot and he was frantically
struggling on the ground, but he was not able to resist the spider leader and
was being dragged away. When he saw the dagger he subconsciously reached it. He
took it and swung it with all of his strength. In his panic, he missed twice
before he managed to sever the silk strand. He then hurriedly retreated.
“Quickly! Throw the dagger to His Lordship!” Zi Di screamed.
“No, no, I don’t want to die! I don’t want to die!” But Huang Zao acted like he
did not hear it and fled while shouting like a madman. The spider leader did
not bother with him anymore which allowed him to disappear into the forest.
“Damn it!” Zi Di cursed with both fear and anger. They had tried to rescue him,
but in the end, he abandoned them and fled for his own life.



****** Chapter 20: Nor Underestimate Others ******
The fire raged on. Amidst the blaze, a giant tree slowly toppled to the ground
with a thud, splashing embers everywhere and causing more chaos.
The spider leader made a shrilling hiss that felt like it could burst eardrums.
This was its territory, its home and now it was being burned to the ground.
What it saw before its eyes made it furious. Unlike ordinary spiders, it did
not fear the flames and its silk had a qualitative enhancement that made it
resistant to fire.
With the main culprits in front of it, it was going to throw all its anger at
them. It did not worry about Zi Di as she was already trapped in the spiderwebs
and only had an Iron aura.
Its only concern was Zhen Jin. This youth’s aura—the spider could not sense it.
The beast’s bloodlust was focused on Zhen Jin and it shot more and more webs at
him. At first, it had only bound the spear and the youth’s hands with webs.
Then, it quickly covered Zhen Jin’s entire body in a layer of spiderwebs, even
his ears and nose.
Had he had the dagger, he could have freed himself from this predicament. But
the situation was not so and he found himself in dire straits as a result. A
sharp weapon was the key to escaping this trap. If he still had that longsword,
he could have easily solved this conundrum. Even that scimitar he had left
behind would have been enough.
Zhen Jin did not give up, he tried to use his strength to break free. But
although his strength had increased, it was still far from the limits of what
the webs could endure and his efforts did not result in the webs tearing.
Instead, the results only brought him despair.
If he could not break free despite using all his strength, there was no hope. A
reckless struggle would only tighten the spiderwebs around him. It was like
sinking into quicksand, futile attempts would only hasten death. Zhen Jin stood
motionless, his mind racing to find a way out of this mess.
The spider, seeing the youth seemingly resigned to his fate, pressed its face
close to the youth’s face. Above its malevolent mouthparts, there were more
than ten orb-like eyes packed together. The spider’s eyes stared at Zhen Jin,
and its mouth opened and closed with a screeching sound. It was as if it were
laughing in contempt at Zhen Jin.
It wanted to carefully ravage the youth. It wanted to skewer him, to drain his
blood while injecting venom into him. It wanted to watch the venom destroy the
youth’s body from the inside out and watch it rot piecemeal. And after the
youth finished rotting into an ooze, it wanted to suck it into its belly,
erasing the youth’s existence from the world.
Zhen Jin did not struggle. He gritted his teeth and forced himself to lock eyes
with the beast. The spider leader raised its two front legs, which were sharp
as swords, and easily stabbed through the webs. He grunted as he felt the two
dagger-like legs attempting to pierce through his back.
The mail played its role here and shielded him. This hindrance infuriated the
spider leader even further. It pulled on a thread and closed the distance
between it and Zhen Jin to only the width of a palm.
“Screeeech!” The spider leader’s mouth opened wide and screeched, spraying a
rotting stench on Zhen Jin’s face. At the same time, a green, sticky liquid
dripped out like saliva from its mouth. His eyes opened wide as he thought the
spider was going to bite off his head but the next moment, the spider relaxed,
closed its mouth, and shook its head at him.
To his surprise, he saw the spider’s face contorting into a cruel mocking grin.
He was chilled as realization dawned: The beast purely wanted to torment him
and take its time enjoying his suffering. It wanted to listen to his screams
and cries, to enjoy his struggle while he inched closer and closer to death.
The pressure on the mail increased and reached its limit. It could no longer
protect him and was pierced through by the spider’s sharp legs. They then
stabbed into his flesh.
The youth first felt cold, then the pain hit him. Besides the intense pain,
there was also extreme fear. He could feel the movement of the two spider legs.
After piercing through the outer layer of flesh, one continued to pierce
deeper—endangering his internal organs—while the other hit the bones of his
ribcage and was obstructed. The spider continued to exert force and his rib
bone broke.
“Aah!” Zhen Jin shouted in pain and his face twisted instantly. The burning
fires shone a red glow on the youth’s face, and the current Zhen Jin looked as
hideous as a devil. The spider enjoyed itself silently, and its numerous eyes
reflected the youth’s face but the spider was quite disappointed as it did not
find emotions of cowardice or pleading from Zhen Jin, only a fire of anger and
hatred that burned brighter than the surrounding forest fire.
“Aahhh!” he screamed continuously under the beast’s torment. His head felt like
it was going to split open and explode as a new set of memories surfaced in his
mind.
* * *
It was a tournament gallery packed full of people and the duel in the arena was
nearing its end.
“Sure enough, your family is worthy of the name of a former Southern great
nobility!” said a young man who had been knocked down into a corner. He was in
a difficult situation currently: riddled with wounds, some even bone-deep. It
was the Templar Knight, Qing Kui.
His opponent was a middle-aged man with a long, thin mustache that split in the
middle. In contrast with Qing Kui, he was completely unscathed. He held his
head slightly high, he carried himself calm and unhurried toward Qing Kui.
Zhen Jin found himself amid the crowd of onlookers, nervously watching the two.
His eyes were mainly focused on the middle-aged man for the man was his father,
the Bai Zhen family head. Alongside Zhen Jin were many familiar faces. They
were fellow Templars.
“Qing Kui, surrender if you can't win!”
“Your opponent is too strong and you are too young. There’s no shame in losing
this battle.”
“Qing Kui, think of your younger sister. Don’t be stubborn.”
The young Templar Knights shouted many things. Qing Kui’s younger sister was
also present. At this moment, her face was pale as if bloodless and she was
trembling like a pitiful little flower in a fierce storm.
Qing Kui took a deep breath and stood up shakily. He lifted his longsword,
though it took him all his might, and once again faced the Bai Zhen family
head.
“Alas!” a sigh rang out from the crowd. “This duel was initiated by Qing Kui.
Getting someone like him to admit defeat of his own accord is simply harder
than repelling a giant dragon.”
“What can be done then?”
“Even if Qing Kui admits defeat, it will also depend on whether the Bai Zhen
family head is willing to let him off.”
“Indeed. Qing Kui’s father and grandfather both died in that battle at the
hands of the Bai Zhen House. Hatred runs too deep between the two families.”
Qing Kui cried out and launched another futile charge which the Bai Zhen family
head effortlessly dodged, and with a slight flick of his rapier, he sent Qing
Kui’s longsword flying.
Cling. The longsword arced through the air spinning and its azure blade cut
into the marble, embedding itself behind Qing Kui. The difference in their
strength was clear.
Qing Kui’s sister could not bear it any longer, she walked over to the old
knight who was presiding over the duel and pleaded, “Uncle Grand Master,
please, in consideration of the many years of friendship between our two
families, I beg you to do something. Please save my brother.”
This old knight was none other than the grand master of the Fifth Order of the
Temple. He coldly snorted and said with annoyance, “This is a sacred duel
between knights. It is fair and impartial. There will be no favoritism!”
He looked at Qing Kui’s younger sister with a stern gaze. "I have been trying
to save your brother for a long time. However, despite being a member of my
Fifth Order, he did not listen to me, the grand master, and insisted on
challenging the Bai Zhen family head.
“Hmph. How old is he? How strong is he? How much combat experience does he
boast? He hasn't even fully cultivated the Qing Kui family’s signature battle
skill, Bronze Armament, yet he still dared to challenge the Bai Zhen family
head. Is this the bravery and fearlessness of a knight? No, it is the
foolishness of one whose mind is blinded by the desire for vengeance!
“What you see is the result. The Bai Zhen family head used a single battle
skill and utterly destroyed your brother’s Bronze Armament. Thousand Needle
Storm is the advanced version of the Bai Zhen family’s signature battle skill,
Hundred Needle Wind. It is a move that can only be used with Gold cultivation,
and hundreds, if not thousands, of imperial knights have died to it. Back then,
even I was stabbed through the heart by a rapier of the Bai Zhen House!
“Your brother has not kept the code of Templar Knights. He has forsaken bravery
and spurned patience. He has dug his own grave! As the current head of the Qing
Kui House, he must bear the consequences of his recklessness. He must pay the
price—even if that price is his life.”
The grand master’s words gave no quarter and rendered Qing Kui’s sister weak.
Her knees gave and she fell to the ground, bursting into tears. The Templar
Knights around them were silenced by the grand master’s rebuke although they
were indignant. They could only grit their teeth and clench their fists hard.
The Bai Zhen family head gave the old grand master a deep look before
approaching Qing Kui again. He said in an arrogant tone, “Qing Kui Family Head,
what other abilities do you have to continue resisting? Do you still have any
battle qi? If you don’t have any, I will take your life with the next move.”
The Bai Zhen family head slowly raised his rapier and held it pointing upward,
its tip almost pressing against his nose. “This will be the last act of your
life. So, keep your eyes wide open and watch well. Be at ease, killing you with
Thousand Needle Storm is too grand of an honor for you. You fall short compared
to your father and grandfather, therefore Hundred Needle Wind is more suitable
for you. If you are lucky enough to live after taking this move, then I will
spare your pathetic life. There’s no harm in that, right?”
As soon as his voice fell, the rapier in his hand suddenly transformed into a
radiant silhouette of a sword. Qing Kui roared. He had been waiting for this
moment for a long time. He squeezed out the remaining battle qi in his body and
an azure light flickered, vaguely forming a lance.
Boom!
Both sides collided and then passed each other. An arm flew in the air,
dripping blood as it fell outside the arena. It was holding a rapier. The
audience was shocked into a deathly silence.
With a thud, Qing Kui fell to the ground unconscious. The Bai Zhen family
head’s complexion was as unpleasant as it could be. He used his left arm to
cover the wound over his shoulder where his right arm had been cleanly lopped
off.
“Fa-father!” Zhen Jin let out a startled cry, his voice was trembling
violently.
The old grand master entered the arena at this time and stood between the Bai
Zhen family head and Qing Kui, separating the two. He furrowed his brows and
with a look of utmost solemnity. He stared at the middle-aged man and said,
“Bai Zhen Family Head, the words spoken in a duel are sacred. This duel is
over.”
The middle-aged man’s pupils constricted as he glared at the unconscious Qing
Kui. He gritted his teeth. His face was full of anger and hatred as the blood
flowed from his wound. After what felt like a long while, he slowly nodded
thick with malice and unwillingness and staggered out of the arena.
“Father!” Zhen Jin ran over and supported the Bai Zhen family head.
The crowd erupted into cheers, Qing Kui’s younger sister cried tears of joy,
the young Templar Knights raised their arms while shouting, and many passersby
exclaimed in disbelief.
The middle-aged man who had already regained his calm looked at the spectacle
around him, took it all in, and said, “My son, look at me. Tell me what our
family motto is.”
“One must not overestimate nor underestimate others,” Zhen Jin reluctantly
raised his head and said with a choked sob.
“Very good, remember it. Remember it well!” the Bai Zhen family head gritted
his teeth and said resolutely.



****** Chapter 21: Transformation of the Hands ******
The memory had dispersed but anger still filled Zhen Jin. He felt himself
bursting with this emotion.
“Aahhhh!” he bellowed terribly.
I cannot die. How can I fall here‽ I still need to protect my fiance. I will
leave this place alive, take control of White Sands City and revive the Bai
Zhen family! My knight’s path…how can my journey as a knight end here? the
youth raged in his heart.
At this moment, he felt as if his blood was boiling. He felt as if his blood
was rushing like a great surging river. It then turned into a torrent that
cascaded into his hands. He felt a change beginning to occur. His hands
violently swelled, his fingers elongated, and his nails turned into sharp black
claws that seemed as hard as iron.
He tried slashing with his claws and with little effort, the spiderweb was torn
apart. The claws started heating up and became red hot as if they were branding
irons. He did not think about it and instinctively thrust his claws into the
spider leader. It was caught off guard when his pair of claws stabbed toward
it, and it could not dodge.
Squish! The one-foot-long claws plunged deep into the spider. Zhen Jin broke
into a shout and exerted more force, almost pushing his entire hand into the
gash. The spider stiffened as if it were struck by lightning.
After a short breath, a copious amount of blood as well milky white brain
matter spewed out of the puncture. When other spiders realized their leader,
the Silver spider, had died, they fled in haste and chaos.
The two had escaped disaster. Dazed, Zhen Jin drew his hands out of the
spider’s roasted innards. He did not know what to make of the transformation of
his arms.
His hands had become like those of a gorilla. They had grown several sizes
larger and had thick black hair, causing his forearms to appear tiny. From his
fingers extended long, sharp claws, still exuding with heat like molten iron
straight from a furnace. They resembled the claws of the monkey bear he had
defeated.
Wh-what is this‽ While he was still shocked, another transformation started.
First, the red hot claws cooled and crumbled to ash and dispersed into the air.
His hands then quickly shrunk and returned to their original human form. All of
the black hair also fell off, revealing fair human skin.
Zhen Jin suddenly shook. An indescribable feeling of weakness came from the
depths of his being. He was not only physically but also mentally exhausted. He
felt as if some part of his body was being hollowed out.
Around him, the fires still burned, crackling as they did. Without the claws
holding it up, the spider leader’s corpse fell to the ground. It all seemed
like a dream.
“My Lord, Lord Zhen Jin!” Zi Di’s shout at first seemed distant but soon became
louder and clearer. The urging voice woke Zhen Jin out of his daze.
“Gasp…” the youth took a breath of air. He gritted his teeth and pulled out the
spider’s two legs that were still stuck in his back. Blood immediately gushed
out.
He took out a potion he was carrying and poured it on his wound. Afterward, he
rushed to Zi Di’s side. Although he did not have the dagger, the spider’s legs
which were even sharper were sufficient. Using them, he cut open the spiderwebs
and rescued Zi Di.
“My Lord, have you awakened your battle qi‽” Zi Di asked with a pleasant
surprise.
Zhen Jin’s thoughts were roused. Zi Di was on the ground and I had my back to
her so she didn’t see my hands transform. “No. I used the speartip to pierce
through the spiderwebs,” he unconsciously lied. The transformation was
extremely abnormal. He subconsciously did not want to talk about it as it would
cause his fiancée to worry.
“That abominable Huang Zao ran away! We must find him and deal with him!” Zi Di
said viciously. If Huang Zao had not fled at such a crucial moment, the two
would not have fallen into such a dire situation.
Zhen Jin nodded and was just about to speak when a loud boom sounded. A large
burning tree had fallen to the ground. Embers of fire flew everywhere and the
fire grew further.
“Let’s leave this place,” said Zhen Jin. Zi Di wanted to bandage his wounds but
he stopped her. Although the wounds were deep, they had stopped bleeding.
Knowing his remaining stamina, escaping the fire was the highest priority.
“Wait, those are all good things. We shouldn’t leave them behind to burn,” Zi
Di said as she pointed to the Silver spider’s carcass, her eyes gleaming
bright.
Thus, the two dragged the spider together and escaped the fire. Just after
removing themselves to a safe distance, the two heard a muffled buzz.
Thereupon, countless fire-venom bee swarms flew into the sea of fire. There
were so many of them they almost blotted out the sky.
The numerous fire-venom bees contained the fire that had spread for hundreds of
meters and slowly extinguished it. After watching this scene, they did not dare
stay near out of fear and rushed through the mountainous hills for several
kilometers before stopping to rest and reorganize.
Luckily, they found a satisfactory dwelling at the base of a cliff. For the
next three days, Zhen Jin and Zi Di rested here. Using some bodily fluids of
the spider, Zi Di concocted an aura potion that feigned the aura of a Silver
magic beast which greatly increased the safety of their dwelling.
The miraculous abilities of Zhen Jin’s body were once again displayed: The stab
wounds on his back recovered at an astonishing pace. Coupled with Zi Di’s
medicines, new flesh had already grown over his wounds in this short period.
Zhen Jin had been worried the spider’s legs would contain venom. It did not
turn out to be so.
Zi Di had used this time to dismember the spider. Although her work conditions
were crude, she still tried her best to harvest usable parts. Using these
materials, she concocted several bottles of corrosive agents and adhesive
agents. These potions were all basic but because they used high-end materials,
their efficacy was worth looking forward to.
Zi Di had said to him with regret, “If our conditions were better, I would have
been able to concoct agility potions. It’s a pity that these materials can only
be used in such a wasteful way all to concoct these little trinkets.”
Zhen Jin had smiled and consoled her, acknowledging the value of the trinkets
she spoke of. Zi Di had used the monkey bear’s blood as well as the cave’s ore
to concoct fire accelerants and retardants, both of which proved to play a
great role.



****** Chapter 22: A Transformation Potion? ******
The sky was blue and the branches of the trees overhead crisscrossed. As they
continued forward, Zhen Jin and Zi Di felt the temperature plummeting. When
they found a place with a wide field of vision, Zhen Jin observed the distance
and discovered a snowy trail. That’s a snow-capped mountain. What the hell,
there’s a snow-capped mountain on this island!
Based on the Hog’s Kiss’ route, this island should be situated somewhere in the
tropics. Rainforests were the norm in such regions. But here, there were not
only forests but also snow-capped mountains. If Huang Zao’s words were to be
trusted, then there was also a desert here.
“My Lord, look over there. Those are Huang Zao’s tracks!” Zi Di discovered.
Zhen Jin inspected before nodding. “We are close to finding him and perhaps the
rest of the exploration team is with him.” They adjusted their route. During
their trek, they had discovered not only Huang Zao’s footprints but also the
markings left behind by the exploration team.
There were pine trees blocking their path ahead, so Zhen Jin raised the scythe
in his hand and cut the branches that dangled to the ground one after the other
and continued walking. This scythe was made from a bent spider leg. In
addition, Zhen Jin, with the help of Zi Di, had made several spider polearms
and a longsword.
These new weapons were extremely sharp and made Zhen Jin’s and Zi Di’s travel
much easier. The battle with the spiders had given a great boost to Zhen Jin’s
weaponry. The quality of the steel longsword he had before was a far cry from
the excellence of the spider longsword.
If it were in the past, Zhen Jin would have been very happy, but now he did not
care as much. These days, he was pondering over his transformation. His hands
had abruptly transformed into the claws of a monkey bear.
Afterward, he did not tell Zi Di the truth but rather prevaricated with much
clumsiness. Zi Di did not pursue it. His fiancée’s tacit understanding with him
touched his heart. But what exactly had happened?
The first thing he thought of was transformation spells. Druids could
shapeshift into wolves, bears, or even dragons, mages could turn others into
sheep, and rogues had their methods of camouflage.
Could I be not only a Templar Knight but also have other occupations? He
quickly dispelled this notion. Regardless of the kind of spell, it still
required a casting process. However, the transformation of his hands was fluid
yet there was no spellcasting involved. Moreover, there was also the magic and
battle qi restriction on this island.
Then, is it a bloodline awakening? Bloodlines were often accompanied by
distinct characteristics. The bloodline of Emperor Sheng Ming was the Sacred
Hall bloodline. The members of this lineage all had silver-white pupils and
snow-white wings. Half-bloods with elven and human blood had pointy ears. Human
nobles with demon or devil bloodlines usually had horns.
But why did my hands look like that of the monkey bear? Could it be that he
awakened the bloodline of the monkey bear? Regardless of whether or not such a
bloodline existed, was it not too much of a coincidence?
Therefore, is the greatest possibility the makeshift potion Zi Di concocted
when she was trying to save me? Zhen Jin speculated that the irreplicable
potion that saved his life was likely a type of transformation potion. At the
time, Zi Di had infused a large amount of the monkey bear’s blood into him and
blood was the main ingredient in transformation potions.
Perhaps when his life was saved, the effects of the transformation potion
remained latent in his body and only when he faced the spider and was on the
verge of death did the effects of the potion burst forth.
Zhen Jin felt this was the most likely possibility and with it as a basis, he
speculated further, Is there still efficacy of the potion remaining? Can it
activate for a second time? If it can, how long will it last? He hoped he was
still capable of activating this transformation.
It was a trump card. An extraordinary one that he had relied on to kill a
terrifying Silver beast. Even if there were various favorable factors that led
up to it, it was impossible to deny that the claws had a terrifying offensive
power. As for the consequences of taking this transformation potion, such as
power erosion or bloodline contamination, he had no choice but to cast them
aside for the time being.
All that mattered was that their survival was assured. These hidden dangers
could be settled after seeking purification from a Temple clergyman in the
future when they were safe.
The wind picked up, the trees rustled, and the forest stirred with waves of
shades of green. The wind seemed to blow from over the snow-capped mountains as
it brought with it a sharp chill. This did not trouble Zhen Jin and Zi Di.
Their clothes were thin but they carried with them many lumps of hot ore. They
continued onward. A trickling mountain spring appeared before them.
“This should be groundwater,” Zhen Jin guessed after observing. “The spring
water is very clear and cold.”
He did not hurry to drink it despite the fact that their water reserves had
long since dropped to a dangerously low level. Water in the wilderness was not
so safe. Taking the risk to drink this water might cost one their life.
“There are many animal tracks here. There shouldn’t be an issue.” Zi Di’s
finger touched the mud around the spring then her expression suddenly changed.
“Wait a minute, Lord Zhen Jin, look over here.”
They saw a large number of human footprints on the other side of the spring.
The footprints around the stream made it clear that once, many people crouched
there to gather spring water.
“Excellent. These footprints are still fresh. It looks like the exploration
team is nearby. But for now, let’s first fill up our empty water bags,” said
Zhen Jin.
They began collecting water. Fortunately, they had found water canteens.
Without them to store water, exploring the wilderness would have been very
inconvenient.
Zi Di crouched on the ground, stretched out her arms, opened the small mouth of
the canteen to its limit, and immersed herself in collecting water from the
spring. Zhen Jin made a deliberate posture as he gathered water. He did not
immerse himself in gathering water but had his head raised, glancing from time
to time at his surroundings as he filled the canteen.
In the wilderness, there were many beasts that stalked waterholes for prey.
Once their prey dropped their guard as they drank water, these beasts would
strike like lightning. Human armies also had a similar drill. While drinking or
filling water, one must always keep their heads up to prevent being snuck up on
by enemy troops.
Which was why when the enemy appeared, Zhen Jin was the first to notice, and so
he alerted Zi Di. The two arose. One, two, three… Some came out of the forest,
some from the high rocks, and some from their hiding places in the underbrush.
Soon, the two found themselves surrounded.
Many of these men wore sailor clothing and had tanned faces from exposure to
the wind and sun. Each one was armed, mainly with scimitars but also with
swords, spears, even bows and crossbows.
A Bronze elite walked out of the crowd and up to Zhen Jin and Zi Di. Zhen Jin’s
eyes glinted at the sight of this man.
Zi Di’s face flushed with displeasure. “It’s you! Hmph, we’ve caught you at
last, Huang Zao!”



****** Chapter 23: Selling Oneself Into Servitude ******
A few days ago.
“Who’s there‽” the sailor on watch duty shouted, gripping his spear with
agitation. A dark humanoid figure emerged from the bushes and after taking one
look at the sailor, fell unconscious and dropped to the ground.
The sailor froze and cautiously made his way to the unconscious mystery person
and poked his shoulder with the spear, flipping the body face up. Although the
face was blackened with terrible burns, the sailor only frowned for a moment
before recognizing this mystery person.
“It’s Huang Zao! Huang Zao is still alive! Team Leader Lan Zao, your brother is
alive and he’s back!” the sailor yelled, alerting the entire exploration team
camp.
A crowd gathered together led by Lan Zao who had a robust body the size of two
adult men combined matched with a deep Bronze aura. Finding his unconscious
brother, Lan Zao first looked incredulous then surprised delightfully. He
crouched down, lifted Huang Zao’s head, leaving him half-lying on the ground,
and cried out, “Brother, my dear younger brother, wake up!”
Although Huang Zao was still unconscious, he murmured, “Water…water…”
As soon as Lan Zao held out his hand, the other sailors passed over a water
bag. After being fed water, Huang Zao gradually awoke. When his vision grew
clearer and he saw Lan Zao’s rough face, he almost burst into tears, bawling,
“Big brother, it’s me! I’ve come back alive!” His voice was hoarse and feeble.
He had not had a good time chasing after this group on his own in this
dangerous forest.
“Huang Zao, what happened to you? We thought you were dead. Team Leader Lan Zao
tried to go back to find you several times but everyone stopped him for no one
thought you would have survived. Lan Zao cried his heart out for you several
times,” an elderly man pushed his way into the crowd and said. He had a round
face, a thin and shriveled body, and wore a pair of cracked spectacles. He had
a large, hoary beard that had not been maintained for a long time. It now
resembled a gray and dirty cleaning rag.
This was old man Cang Xu. All members of the exploration team respected him. It
was because of his guidance the team managed to get out of the desert.
“Thank the gods and fate you are still alive! Oh heavens, it’s truly a
miracle!” exclaimed Lan Zao. “Quick, tell your brother, what happened to you?”
Lan Zao was overcome with curiosity.
Huang Zao coldly snorted, “I didn’t die. I only fell unconscious back then…” He
gave a brief account of what had transpired.
Lan Zao sighed with emotion, “Huang Zao, so you really managed to save your own
life. What a thrilling tale!” The people around them echoed the sentiment and
gave their words of admiration and congratulations.
“Trouble, gentlemen. It seems we are in trouble,” the old scholar Cang Xu,
however, said with gravity.
“What trouble?” someone asked.
“No matter how much trouble comes, I’ll not abandon my little brother! We’ll
fight against the spiders!” Lan Zao’s eyes flashed with resolution.
Huang Zao continued, “Everyone, don’t worry, no spiders are following me. As
long as you escape their hunting grounds, the spiders will just crawl back into
the canopy. I stayed with them for several days. Besides, I’m sure all the
spiders were burned to death in that large fire.” Huang Zao’s voice was filled
with pride. Now that the danger had passed, his escapade turned into his
capital to brag with.
The old scholar shook his head. “I do not mean the spiders but those two
people.”
“I’m sure those two are long dead. A pity, though,” Huang Zao responded. He had
not revealed that he had fled like a coward. Instead, he had said the spiders
attacked Zhen Jin and Zi Di, leaving him lucky enough to take the chance to
escape.
“They may not be dead,” the old scholar sighed.
Lan Zao muttered, “On this strange island, do those two young people really
have the ability to escape from the furious spider leader?”
The old scholar still frowned. “We know Iron-rank strength is restricted on
this island. But what about Silver? Or Gold? Such a powerhouse is not among us,
so we can’t be sure that level of strength is also restricted.”
Huang Zao gawked with eyes wide open. “Mr. Cang Xu, do you think those two are
Silver or even Gold experts? That’s impossible. They’re too young. Besides, I
didn't sense a Silver or Gold aura from them. Actually, the girl seemed to be
an Iron magician.”
The old scholar smiled and shook his head again. “Could there be so few young
powerhouses? General Bai Lang of Cold Iron City is seventeen, and the Jin
Meigui House’s Archmage Shui Si is only a sixteen-year-old girl. The recently
risen star, Assassin Luo Shi, who was inducted by the Assassins Alliance from
among the commoners is rumored to be an eighteen-year-old.”
“No way, those people are all future major characters. They’re too far away
from us. What are the chances I randomly ran into such people?”
The old scholar said in a flat tone, “The possibility is high. According to
your description, the girl is young and has Iron strength. She, alone, is
someone that can’t be overlooked. In that case, what is the level of the force
that nurtured her? She addressed the young man as ‘my Lord’, so what is the
status and strength of this young man? Think about it.”
The crowd sunk into deep contemplation and the faces of the two brothers began
to look distressed. After pausing for a bit, the old scholar continued, “I
suspect he not only has a high status but is also a powerhouse on his own. Gold
cultivation is unlikely but it is likely he is a Silver expert.”
“Mr. Cang Xu, what proof do you have of this?” Lan Zao countered, “What makes
you conjecture this?”
Cang Xu smiled. “We can think about this from a different angle. Suppose you
found someone crying for help and to rescue them, you would need to face more
than a dozen Bronze spiders. And there is just you and your teammate. If you do
not have Silver-rank or Gold-rank strength, would you dare provoke these
spiders to save someone?”
Lan Zao’s mouth opened wide, rendered speechless, while Huang Zao said to
himself, mouth twitching, “Basically, these two are most likely not dead and
I’ve offended a Silver or even a Gold expert? I shouldn’t have run away! I
should have given the dagger back! I made a mistake, I’ve made a big mistake!”
Huang Zao screamed while gripping Lan Zao’s arm hard. Under immense
psychological pressure, he confessed the truth. Everyone‘s faces changed as
they heard that he had run away with the crucial dagger.
“Mr. Cang Xu, what should we do?” Lan Zao had no idea what to do and could only
look to the old scholar for advice.
“Everyone, don’t panic,”—Cang Xu lifted his hand and steadied them—“this matter
has not gotten out of hand yet. Everything I said is just my speculation. It’s
possible those two have already become the spiders’ food or died in the sea of
fire. Right?”
“But didn’t you just say it’s even more likely that these two have already
solved their troubles and are coming after us? We’ve left behind marks all
along the way,” Lan Zao said, his face mangled with confusion.
Cang Xu nodded and stared at Lan Zao with a deep gaze. “Therefore, we must turn
around now. We must confirm whether they are dead or alive. If they are dead,
we could maybe pick up some excellent equipment. If they are alive and caught
in some kind of predicament, we will need to go out of our way to help them to
repay them for saving Huang Zao’s life and to atone for his last-minute escape.
“If they are coming after our lives, I strongly advise everyone that we do not
resist except as a last resort. Think carefully, are we really the opponent of
someone who can deal with the spider group? Surrender! Surrendering is the best
option. Don’t forget, we were all together on the same ship and shipwrecked
here together. They need us. All major figures need subordinates. Or at least
they need enough manpower to man a ship.” Everyone nodded at Cang Xu’s words.
“Then what should I do?” Huang Zao anxiously asked.
“Don’t worry, you have me, little brother,” said Lan Zao but there was no
confidence in his tone.
Cang Xu looked at him and replied sincerely, “Stubborn resistance will only
bring about your own death. Even if you run, where would you run to? Flee into
the forest only to get eaten by wild beasts? Following my instructions is your
best chance at survival. Remember, if those two are still alive, you must show
them the worth your life has by letting you live. Don’t be stingy with your
belongings. Even if they don’t need it, still offer it up to them. You must
present yourself with a heart replete with remorse.” Huang Zao nodded as he
desperately memorized Cang Xu’s words.
With that, the group returned the way they came, and at the mountain spring,
they encountered Zhen Jin and Zi Di. They took the initiative to reveal
themselves, and Huang Zao left the group and walked up to the two.
“It’s you! Hmph, we’ve caught you at last, Huang Zao!” The girl sounded
displeased while the boy stood silent and looked at him unkindly.
Huang Zao palpitated. He wished that they had just died but the two stood
before him well and fine. Even if Huang Zao was a boorish, foolish man, the old
scholar had already explained the implications of the situation to him. Then,
Huang Zao saw the new weapons the boy carried on him. He recognized that they
were made from spider legs and wood and realization crept up in him that the
two had killed the Silver spider leader. In his heart, he bemoaned the fact
that Cang Xu had been right, that he had been unlucky to have to run into two
big shots like them.
Clang. Huang Zao threw his scimitar on the mountain rock. Then Huang Zao
plopped down on the ground, hit his head hard against the rock, and begged for
forgiveness, “O great ones! I am Huang Zao, the one who fled. I was wrong. I
have committed an unforgivable sin! I will not resist. Be it death or
dismemberment, I submit myself to the judgment of the great ones!”
The two looked at each other, both a little confused. They did not expect a
situation like this. They had thought that these people had surrounded them
with ill-intent. In the end, Huang Zao pleaded his guilt and surrendered.
“My lord, my lady, this old one is called Cang Xu. I am a scholar who once
served the Sha Ta House for thirty-eight years,” the old scholar walked over to
them and said. Behind him followed Lan Zao.
The boy did not speak, but the girl stepped forward and said, “I am Zi Di, the
current president of Wisteria Merchant Guild. Now I have the honor of
introducing to everyone here my Lord—Zhen Jin. He is a noble whose bloodline
can be traced back to a Legend magic beast golden needle queen bee. He is the
sole heir of the Bai Zhen House, an eminent Templar Knight, and a candidate for
the position of the City Lord of White Sands.”
“Wisteria Merchant Guild?” When Zi Di mentioned it, some among the crowd
whispered to each other. This was a famous merchant guild that they had more or
less heard about.
“A Templar Knight?” When she said it, many gasped. Lan Zao shook and Huang Zao
dared not lift his head, and he felt a drone in his ears.
“The Bai Zhen House…” Hearing it, the old scholar’s pupils shrank. Cang Xu knew
far more about nobles than Lan Zao, Huang Zao, and the others. He understood
that the Bai Zhen House was not simple. Although this family suffered much
resisting the Empire, they were still once a great Southern noble family with a
deep foundation. The current Bai Zhen family head was a Gold-rank powerhouse.
Despite his heavy injuries, he could not be underestimated, and this young man
before him was the heir of such a family?
He had a respectful expression as he bowed and said with a deep voice, “It is
this Cang Xu’s fortune to be able to pay my respects to my lord and lady.”
Lan Zao also knelt on the ground. “Lan Zao kowtows to the great ones. Huang Zao
is my younger brother. I implore the two great ones to forgive him for his
crimes. I am willing to give up my life for the price.”
“Big brother!” Huang Zao raised his body and looked at Lan Zao in shock, his
forehead a bloodstained mess.
Zhen Jin was impassive and silent, which caused the onlookers to feel more and
more pressure.
“My lord, my lady,” the scholar said, “please allow this outsider to state all
the facts I have seen.”
“Speak,” said Zhen Jin, breaking his silence.
Cang Xu let out a ragged breath and continued, “Huang Zao set aside his
unforgivable offense and did his utmost to return to his brother’s side. He was
frightened, confused, and weak to the point he fell unconscious. The foolhardy
and gutless young man did flee in the face of death but after he calmed down,
he was burdened and tormented by his guilt and sin. He became mired in his deep
remorse and without the slightest concealment, he told us the truth.
“Afterward, he begged that we rush to the spider forest to save you two. It is
because of this that we are here and have the pleasure of meeting my lord and
lady. I request that you consider Huang Zao’s repentant heart and be lenient
with his sentence.” Huang Zao and Lan Zao gave Cang Xu a look of gratitude.
Zi Di looked at the two kneeling brothers and sneered, “This lowly, cowardly,
and selfish villain deceived Lord Zhen Jin by hiding the fact that there was a
Silver magic beast. He then got cold feet and deserted at a critical moment,
putting a noble-blooded being in danger. He is scum that bites the hand that
feeds him! Scholar, how can you advise that we be lenient with such a man?”
Cang Xu nodded repeatedly and smiled. “Saying such things the first time I meet
you honorable ones is indeed rude and overstepping my limits. However, the
truth is that these two are not soldiers of the Empire. They are only sailors
of the Hog’s Kiss. It’s not valid to talk of desertion, right? Alas, these two
brothers are quite pitiful. They were born and raised as fishermen and lost
their parents at a young age, and were left to fend for themselves with only
each other to depend on. If my lord and lady were to execute the younger
brother, I fear the elder brother would not survive on his own.
“Lord Zhen Jin, you are a Templar. A knight among knights. You were born noble
and your future is as vast as the skies. These brothers are nothing more than
worms in the dirt. Lord Zhen Jin, you will surely be the future City Lord of
White Sands. When that time comes, your glory will shine throughout the city
and your benevolence will be sure to nourish the citizens.
“Why must you be so uncharitable toward these two worms? If Your Lordship will
forgive these two pitiful, lamentable worms, I believe these two will repent
their entire lives and remember your kindness and mercy, and they will do their
utmost to serve Your Lordship and repay your kindness.”
Zi Di raised her brows and looked deeply at Cang Xu, but did not say anything.
Cang Xu lightly kicked the kneeling Lan Zao. He started and hurriedly yelled,
“Your Lordship, please be merciful and give us brothers a chance to atone for
our sins and to repay your life-saving grace. I ask that Your Lordship be
forgiving and magnanimous. Please reluctantly accept us as your lowly servants.
From now on, we will be at my Lord’s beck and call!”
Huang Zao did not speak but remained prostrating. The two brothers’ earnest
pleading moved the crowd.
“My Lord.” Zi Di looked to Zhen Jin, deferring to his decision with a
subordinate attitude. Everyone looked at Zhen Jin except for Cang Xu who bowed
his head and gazed at the ground.
Looking at the two brother’s bloodstained faces, Zhen Jin said slowly and
impassively, “It is part of my knight's code to assist the weak and save the
dying. It is to keep by the code that I entered the spider forest to save you.
One must not overestimate nor underestimate others, this saying is my Bai Zhen
family’s motto. Therefore Huang Zao, Lan Zao, I am willing to give you both a
chance. I hope you can serve with loyalty and earnest actions to change my
opinion of you.”
“Thank you! Thank you, my Lord!” Huang Zao and Lan Zao exulted.
Everyone around them heaved a sigh of relief. When they looked at Huang Zao and
Lan Zao, many could not avoid revealing envy in their eyes. Although these two
had sold themselves into servitude, losing their freedom, they could now rely
on a major figure like Zhen Jin and might even be able to soar to success in
the future.
Cang Xu once more bowed and said, “Lord Zhen Jin, your magnanimity is great
like the earth, and your benevolence is irradiant like the sun. Praise be to
you for you will be our banner and under your guidance, we lowly men can take
the right path forward.”
Zhen Jin looked at everyone around him with his form straight as a spear and
spoke, his calm voice reaching everyone’s ears clearly, “The light of the
Temple shines on every inch of land. The standard of the Empire shelters all
its peoples. Follow me and I will lead you out of here.”
“Yes, my Lord!” everyone replied in unison as they half-knelt one after the
other.



****** Chapter 24: The First Exploration Team ******
Gathering as many subordinates as possible was the plan Zhen Jin and Zi Di had
agreed on after discussions. This was why she had advised him to save Huang
Zao.
Although Huang Zao’s actions had caused many mishaps to occur, the end result
was much more pleasing. Both Huang Zao and Lan Zao had become Zhen Jin’s
servants. If things had gone according to the plan, the brothers would only be
recruited and they would still have had freedom but now that they had become
servants, they had lost their freedom.
These brothers were Bronzes. Servants with this level of strength were
valuable. Of course, Zhen Jin did not have a reliable way of binding them right
now, such as a contract of servitude. In these circumstances, he could not make
unreasonable demands of them.
Huang Zao and Lan Zao had surrendered to him as his servants and because of
their influence over the team, it made the others also choose to follow him. As
a result, he was able to gain control over the exploration team.
Huang Zao was good with a halberd while Lan Zao was good with a scimitar. These
two were the strongest in the team. Among the rest, there were two archers and
one crossbowman and a mix of swordsmen, spearmen and shieldbearers who numbered
thirteen. Including the unarmed old scholar, there were a total of nineteen
people in the team. According to Cang Xu, when they first set out, the team
consisted of about forty members but now, less than half remained.
These people had very poor defensive equipment. Huang Zao and Lan Zao wore
leather armor while the rest only had linen clothes. Basic necessities were not
in short supply and each team member carried sufficient food and water. Zhen
Jin learned all this from Cang Xu.
“Since this mountain spring is drinkable, I would like you to instruct some men
to gather more water. Half of the oil can be discarded,” Zhen Jin gave the
first order.
“Yes, my Lord.” Cang Xu courteously withdrew from the tent. This tent was
brought by the exploration team and the two brothers had personally pitched it.
Zhen Jin could take a nice rest here.
Just as Cang Xu left, Zi Di lifted the tent flap and walked in. “My Lord, this
old scholar of ours is not simple,” she said. While Zhen Jin had summoned Cang
Xu for an audience, Zi Di conducted a preliminary interview with everyone else.
From their words, she reconstructed a rough outline of the truth.
So was it due to Cang Xu’s analysis that Huang Zao and Lan Zao realized they
were in trouble? Zhen Jin chuckled as he listened to Zi Di’s report. It seems
the trophies we got from the spiders intimidated these bunch a lot.He sighed
from the bottom of his heart. One must not overestimate nor underestimate
others.
The outcome of this incident was quite good, but the whole process prompted
Zhen Jin to reflect deeply on himself. He had overestimated Huang Zao’s
character and did not suppose he might have been withholding information. It
was his wishful thinking that Huang Zao would submit to him because he saved
his life. But, in the end, Huang Zao fled, abandoning his saviors. Later, due
to immense pressure, two brothers capitulated and sold themselves into
servitude.
Was it because they were both genuinely repentant? Perhaps. But more likely,
they were forced to because of Zhen Jin’s and Zi Di’s great strength as well as
their deep background.
The others? They were happy to have Zhen Jin as their leader. Why? Zhen Jin was
strong. In such a dangerous environment, would the best survival strategy for
the weak not be to depend on the strong? Zhen Jin also had the identity of a
Templar Knight, and the fact that he had gone out of his way to save Huang Zao
further convinced them that despite his young age, he was someone they could
trust as a leader.
The most eye-catching of them all, however, was the old scholar Cang Xu. He had
served a noble family for over thirty years and must have learned the wisdom of
nobles in surviving and scheming. He was without battle strength yet had the
respect of the entire exploration team. Even the two brothers just about obeyed
him.
When Huang Zao told his story, Cang Xu was able to immediately perceive the
status of Zhen Jin and Zi Di with great acuity. The exploration team followed
his directions and headed back where they proactively surrendered themselves to
Zhen Jin.
Huang Zao and Lan Zao became his gifts to Zhen Jin. Even though they had become
servants, they were still grateful to him. Ostensibly, the words he spoke to
Zhen Jin were putting in good words for the brothers but, in reality, he was
making a transaction. Cang Xu took the initiative to join Zhen Jin which
allowed the latter to smoothly accept these two as Bronze servants. In return,
Zhen Jin gave him ample compensation. In the new power structure, Cang Xu was
ranked third after Zhen Jin and Zi Di.
Zhen Jin’s first order was for him to lead a group to gather more water. This
was the youth’s response to Cang Xu who joined him. He maintained his guard
against him while at the same time being appreciative of him.
He knew he needed this kind of talent at his side. Cang Xu could not be looked
at as just a scholar. Any ordinary peasant could knock him down. However, he
had knowledge and wisdom that ordinary people could only hope to have.
Knowledge and wisdom were also a type of strength. An intangible strength.
“My memory being incomplete and my inability to use battle qi must be kept a
secret for now,” said Zhen Jin.
Zi Di nodded repeatedly with a solemn face. “I understand, my Lord.”
Zhen Jin had only just taken control of the exploration team, and there were
still potential dangers. If these subordinates found out he could not use
battle qi, would that not lead to ill will? With battle qi off the table, the
difference between cultivation ranks in terms of physical capabilities was not
that great.
Regarding the Bai Zhen motto, Zhen Jin only now understood what it meant in
depth. Although he was now the leader of the exploration team, his grasp over
the team was still weak. Ensuring complete obedience was not possible.
“Go make arrangements to call in each member of the team one by one. I will
speak to them alone in this tent,” Zhen Jin instructed Zi Di before she left.
* * *
When Cang Xu returned to give his report, he was stopped outside by Lan Zao and
Huang Zao who were guarding the tent. “Lord Zhen Jin is currently speaking to
Bai Ya.”
Cang Xu was stunned. He knew Bai Ya. He was a young man with a cheerful smile.
The son of a hunter, not an outstanding member of the exploration team. “Did
Bai Ya do something wrong?” asked Cang Xu.
“No. Every member of the team is to meet Lord Zhen Jin to be interviewed,”
replied Lan Zao.
Cang Xu could not help but be greatly interested in this. “What is His Lordship
asking them?”
Huang Zao shrugged. “Not much more than their personal background, family
status, personal strengths, and information about the shipwreck, and this
island.”
At this moment, the tent flap lifted open and Bai Ya walked out in a spirited
mood. “Ah, it’s Mr. Scholar,” Bai Ya greeted first.
“Judging by your manner, it seems Lord Zhen Jin has treated you favorably?”
Cang Xu said with a smile and nod.
Bai Ya broke into a grin. “No, that’s not it. Lord Zhen Jin promised everyone
that as long as we performed well, we might be able to follow him and join him
in White Sands City! At the very least, we can become a guard in White Sands
City.”
“Isn’t this what you wanted? You got to do well, kid,” said Cang Xu as he
patted Bai Ya on the shoulder.
Bai Ya nodded and enthused, “I will work hard!”
After receiving the go-ahead from Lan Zao, Cang Xu entered the tent once again
and met Zhen Jin. “My Lord, as per your instructions, we discarded half of the
oil and used the containers to store water,” he respectfully reported.
“Good, you did well. Go and rest. After lunch, there will be a meeting to
discuss the course of our journey, so you should prepare well.”
“Yes, my Lord.” Cang Xu bowed and withdrew. After exiting, he stood by the tent
and observed.
The people who followed him to gather water were also summoned. Each one did
not stay in the tent for long, but when they came out, the looks on their faces
were noticeably different from before they entered. Even the eyes of the
usually unsmiling gleamed. Cang Xu took a deep look at the tent and smiled as
he whispered to himself, “This is good.”
Not all strong individuals had the talent to be a leader. In Cang Xu’s opinion,
it was rare for such a young man as Zhen Jin to have a cultivation of at least
Silver. It was likely he had spent most of his time cultivating. This took time
and effort, and therefore, it was natural to assume his other qualities such as
learning and leadership to be poor.
But now it seemed that Zhen Jin had at least passable leadership skills. The
youth was not yet the City Lord of White Sands. As such, he could create
promises of a beautiful future out of thin air for the team members who chose
to follow him. The hearts of the people were gathered under him, the morale of
the team was uplifted and his control over the team was deepening.



****** Chapter 25: The Island’s Magic Beasts Are Artificial ******
The afternoon meeting was held inside the tent. There were four attendants:
Zhen Jin, Zi Di, Cang Xu, and Lan Zao.
Several animal hide maps were laid out on the ground. The largest of them was
in the center. Zhen Jin pointed to it and said, “Zi Di merged all the maps we
had to create this one.” They all cast their eyes at this map. North to the
top, south to the bottom, east to the right, and west to the left.
The northeast corner of the map depicted a ship’s anchor. Zhen Jin pointed to
the anchor mark. “This is where the exploration team set out. It is also the
beach where the front half of the Hog’s Kiss ran aground on. If the situation
has remained the same, then there should be fifty to sixty people here, and the
situation there should be controlled by the first mate.”
A cross was drawn on the southeast corner. Zhen Jin shifted his finger and
pointed to the cross. “This is where Zi Di, I, and the rest of our group washed
up at. There are also three landing crafts on this beach.”
A meandering path extended from both the fork and anchor. Both paths were
marked with words or drawings at regular intervals. These two paths represented
the path of Zi Di’s and Cang Xu’s respective groups but these two paths did not
converge, rather, they both abruptly stopped midway. In the middle of this
large map lay a wide, blank void.
Zhen Jin took out two smaller maps and slapped them down onto the blank part of
the large map. One depicted a desert and the other a mountainous and forested
terrain. The top of the montane forest map depicted the monkey bear’s cave, the
spider forest, the mountain spring, and other notable locations. The two paths
representing the two groups finally merged into one at the mountain spring.
Zhen Jin’s finger then moved to point at the marking of the mountain spring.
“Right now, we are here and our goal”—his finger shifted toward the anchor
marking—“is to reach here.”
No one objected. Cooperation and unity of strength were crucial for survival.
With external help out of reach and unreliable, it was more logical to rebuild
the ship and set sail again and building and sailing a ship was impossible with
few people.
“It goes without saying that there will be difficulties, with two obvious
issues. The first is the magic beasts along the way. The second is the
strangeness of the land here. What are your opinions?”
Lan Zao replied in a deep voice, “Master, if low-level magic and battle qi were
not restricted here, our strength would be much greater. But now, to deal with
these bizarre beasts, we can only fight with our flesh and blood. However, no
matter what, I and Huang Zao will be your swords. Wherever your gaze reaches,
your swords will be there to strike,” Lan Zao expressed his loyalty.
Zhen Jin nodded, satisfied with his manner. “Then I look forward to your
performance.”
Zi Di seemed to have keenly sensed something when she heard this and she looked
at Lan Zao with a bewildered expression. “That's a strange thing to say. If the
restrictiondidn’t exist, then all these fierce monsters would be using all
kinds of quasi-spell abilities. We would be stronger, but they would also be
more of a threat.”
“According to my speculations, that will not be so, Lady Zi Di,” said Cang Xu.
“I believe the magic beasts on this island are unable to use quasi-spells.”
“Oh? How did you reach such a judgment?” Zi Di inquired.
Cang Xu did not make a direct reply but looked at Zhen Jin instead. “May I ask,
my Lord, did you find any magic crystals in the bodies of the magic beasts you
slew?”
Zhen Jin shook his head. “So far, I have not found a single magic crystal.”
This was clearly abnormal.
Cang Xu nodded. “Although we haven’t managed to kill a Silver beast during our
journey, we do have a few Bronze and Iron magic beast carcasses. We also never
saw a magic crystal. Why was that?
“A magic crystal is formed when a magic beast lives in an element-filled
environment for a long time. As it grows and feeds, magic power accumulates in
its body, until a qualitative change takes place and the magic power condenses
into a crystal. A magic crystal not only stores the majority of a magic beast’s
magic power, but it also aids the beast in stabilizing and utilizing that
power. Generally speaking, the more powerful a magic beast is, the higher the
quality of its magic crystal.”
Neither Zhen Jin nor Zi Di had any objections. This was, of course, common
sense. Cang Xu continued, “I believe the magic power in the beasts of this
island is chaotic. They cannot coordinate or stabilize their magic power.
Because of their chaotic magic power, the magic beasts cannot control their
internal magic power and no magic crystals are able to form.”
Zi Di nodded and then shook her head. “It is true magic crystals cannot form
when magic power is chaotic, however, this is just one possibility of why these
beasts are incapable of forming a magic crystal. More importantly, Mr. Cang Xu,
how can you tell that the magic power within these magic beasts is chaotic?”
This detail made Zi Di react with suspicion. She herself was an Iron mage. But
she was unable to use magic here and was thus incapable of investigating the
state of the magic power in these magic beasts. Cang Xu was just a mundane man,
not even an apprentice in the study of magic. What methods did he have to do
this?
Faced with Zi Di’s doubts and questions, Cang Xu remained calm and collected.
“I extrapolated it.” The old scholar introduced them to a new perspective—“I
believe the island’s magic beasts are not naturally born. They are artificial.”
“Artificial magic beasts‽” Zhen Jin and Zi Di exclaimed together and saw the
astonishment on each other’s faces. As for Lan Zao on the side, he had likely
heard Cang Xu’s theory before and did not look surprised.
“In that case, how can you tell that these magic beasts are not naturally born?
Rather, that they were artificially made?” Zhen Jin inquired.
Cang Xu slowly explained, “Ever since I arrived on this island, I have
dissected many magic beasts. I found that although they have a stable
condition, with their organs working together closely as if they were born this
way, on a deeper investigation, they were unnatural.”
Zi Di furrowed her brows as she mulled over his words. “Unnatural?”
“Yes,” the old scholar nodded with a deep look in his eyes. “They all lack a
natural flow. Do you not feel that these magic beasts look like they were
pieced together?”
Zi Di murmured, “I once processed a monkey bear’s carcass. A Silver magic beast
that died at the hands of Lord Zhen Jin. It had the tail of a monkey, the torso
of a bear, and the hands of an orangutan but with hard and slender iron-like
claws. At first, it seemed it was an amalgamation of orangutan, monkey, and
bear parts. However, its skeletal structure was very sound. It had two hearts
while the rest of its internal organs perfectly supported its physique.
“I am a low-level mage and have spent most of my energy studying medicine. I
have gathered many materials, and am thoroughly learned in the composition of
most creatures. Although this is the first time I have seen this kind of
monster, I thought its physique was perfect, without disabilities, mutations or
useless body tissues. What is so unnatural about this?”
Zhen Jin’s heart skipped a beat. Zi Di mentioning the monkey bear made him once
again think about the transformation of his hands. I suppose Zi Di is speaking
about this event to highlight my strength. His thoughts spurred as he tried to
uncover her intentions.
Sure enough, he saw Lan Zao's eyes widen and look at him with admiration. He
exclaimed from the bottom of his heart, “Master, you truly have formidable
strength!”
“Lord Zhen Jin, your talent is amazing. Your bravery and accomplishments will
certainly be celebrated far and wide,” Cang Xu echoed and then turned to look
at Zi Di. “Lady Zi Di, you are not wrong. I have confidence in your judgment.
The structure of these creatures is indeed very logical and stable.
“I do not have the aptitude to be a mage nor have I studied medicine. However,
I have had the pleasure of reading many books. Some of them contained the
histories of many noble families, of how they rose to power, and of how they
ran their territories. Their early developing years were actually a
confrontation against nature. Using human power to curb nature.
“These books contained records of wiping out ravenous bandits, resisting beast
tides, hunting wolves near villages, repelling wild boars from farmland, and
much more. In order to guide future generations, the forebears compiled these
history books and left behind many meticulous illustrations. These included
detailed records on the forms and habits of magic beasts as well as how to
resist and kill them.
“It is because I had benefited from these records that my foolish brain could
ponder a bit deeper and arrive at many shallow but fascinating conclusions. As
a result, it allowed me to sense the unnatural nature of the magic beasts on
this island.
“Beasts with headgear are typically herbivores. Their headgear is their main
weapon to defend against predators. Likewise, aggressive carnivores have longer
and sharper teeth, more developed muscles, and are expert runners. Especially
in short bursts. Some of them have pads on their paws which allows them to
approach their prey more silently.”
Speaking hitherto, Cang Xu’s words shifted. “Not long ago, before Huang Zao
found us, we had stayed on a sparsely forested hill. The temperature was low
and the wind occasionally carried a little snow. It was the limits of where we
had explored. There, we caught a startling glimpse of a Gold magic beast.
“It was a deer with enormous bone-like white antlers that looked like
crisscrossing branches. This deer ate meat not grass. Furthermore, it also had
a pair of huge snow-white wings. I named it a white bone winged deer. Although
it was only a quick glance, I think it should have a sound body structure that
is stable and perfect to support its daily activities.
“However, it is not natural. You see, its build is not suited for flight. Its
pair of huge wings could, at best, let it glide. It is carnivorous, and lives
at the top of the food chain, preying on other animals. However, it has
antlers. Antlers are used for defense and are not good for attacking, chasing,
hunting, stalking, or hiding.
“Take the monkey-tailed brown bear Your Lordship killed. When monkeys swing
through the forest, their tails maintain their balance and stabilize their
orientation as they leap through the air. But why does a bear need one? It is
very heavy. What kind of tree could support it? Does it even jump a lot? Don’t
you feel a monkey tail growing on its body is redundant?
“Moreover, it has orangutan hands which are similar to that of a human. The
biggest difference between the claws of many beasts and an orangutan’s hand is
that orangutans have thumbs. This structure benefits orangutans as they grab
and move between tree branches. However, the monkey bear’s hands have sharp
claws. Is this not also redundant? This is what I meant by unnatural.”
Seeing everyone deep in thought, Cang Xu continued, “The number one need in
life is survival. Nature is cruel and harsh. Those that survive and reproduce
often have amazing survival skills. These skills normally come from their
organs. Take the mole for example. It possesses hard claws and teeth, and a
suitable size for burrowing. But it is almost blind. In fact, it does not need
to see because the soil is dark and without light. In place of its eyes, it has
a nose that has an extraordinarily keen sense of smell.
“This is life in nature. It has strengths and weaknesses, united in a way that
allows it to survive the cruel competition of life and find its niche. However,
when we look at the monsters on this land, they are excessively strong. Their
structure is very stable, but contradictions and conflict exist within. They do
not have a clear place in nature. This is the case with the monkey bear Lord
Zhen Jin killed. Does it need a monkey tail? It does not. Likewise with the
white bone winged deer. Does it need antlers? Again, it does not. They are
instead a hindrance to its hunting.”



****** Chapter 26: A Terrifying Conjecture ******
“I served the Sha Ta House and have lived in a desert oasis for decades.
Deserts lack water and have especially arid seasons. Most oases will dry up or
even disappear completely. There was a red frog where we lived. It would drink
as much water as it could, expanding its body by several folds as it stores all
that water and would bury itself deep underground.
“When the drought came, it would become motionless, like a hibernating bear.
During this time, they are exceptionally frail. Without mobility, and because
their bodies were inflated from the amount of water, their skin became
extremely thin and frail. However, it is because of this metamorphosis that
allows these waterlogged red frogs to survive the dry season. Whereas a much
tougher beast would be buried under the sands.
“This is precisely the flow of nature. The water pouch red frog has found its
place in nature. It has a strong ability to survive, yet is simultaneously very
vulnerable. It has spared no effort to survive in nature. It cannot grow claws,
teeth, wings, or such. The more powerful the organ, the more nutrients it
needs. The more complex the tissue, the longer it will take to evolve.
“Competition in nature is too brutal and the pressures are so immense it would
not have evolved into an organism like the monkey bear or the white bone winged
deer. If the environment was accommodative and survival was not a stressful
concern, life forms would become lazy, fat, and carefree. There would be no
powerful life forms like the monkey bear or the white bone winged deer. Such
species can only be artificial.”
Zi Di sighed. “I have learned much and am in admiration of your erudition, Mr.
Cang Xu.” Zhen Jin nodded in agreement.
Lan Zao had already heard Cang Xu’s analysis before and also voiced his
agreement, “If it hadn’t been for Mr. Cang Xu, we would have died in the desert
long ago.”
Cang Xu continued, “Of course, this is only my conjecture. I do not have
evidence to back the claims. However, I am almost certain that these strange
magic beasts are not natural organisms. Besides the possibility of them being
artificial, perhaps it could be due to some kind of mineral or the aftermath of
a spell that caused these species to mutate.”
Lan Zao asked with doubt, “In that case, who could have created so many magic
beasts? One of the greats of the Empire? Could it be a god? Only gods have the
power to create, right?“
Zi Di slightly shook her head. “It could also be a magician. As far as I know,
a Legend mage can transform and operate a demiplane. Isn’t that an imitation of
the gods’ power of creation?”
Cang Xu sighed bitterly. “Perhaps a Legend archmage or one of the gods in the
upper echelons of the Empire set up an area here for experimenting with the
powers of creation. This island is not small, yet no one discovered it before.
Its location is awfully close to the sailing route of the Hog’s Kiss. We were
only able to land here because of the accidental shipwreck.”
Hearing that, Lan Zao blanched a little. “This island is too terrifying. An
existence that can hide this island and create so many monsters, how powerful
must he be‽ Killing us would be easier than crushing an ant to him. Strange,
why hasn't he eliminated us already? We discovered his secret!”
Cang Xu whispered, “Perhaps he is currently off the island? Perhaps he simply
does not care and our every move is being monitored by him. He could be
watching and taking pleasure in our struggles and only make a move when we are
on the cusp of escaping from this island.”
Lan Zao lost his composure, shrieking, “Aren’t we doomed then‽”
For a while, the mood in the tent was quite heavy. In the face of such a grand
existence, any escape plan, or ambition of the young knight was a joke.
After a long time, Zhen Jin let out a ragged breath. “Mr. Cang Xu’s conjecture
is hair-raising. However, it does make sense. In light of this conjecture, we
might as well continue to speculate that the terrain-changing should also be
artificial. Mr. Cang Xu, do you think this phenomenon is caused by a divine
spell shifting the land or a magic formation with powers of teleportation?”
Cang Xu said, “First of all, I think the shifting terrains are not aimed at us.
It would be too easy for the great existence to target and destroy us. There is
no need to make such a big move to do it. Secondly, I lean toward it being a
teleportation magic formation rather than a divine spell. We experienced the
terrain change firsthand. The entire process was very rapid. Absent-mindedly,
we went from a rainforest into a desert. This is very much in line with the
description of teleportation magic in books.
“I believe the terrain only changed because we were teleported, and the terrain
itself was not moved. Otherwise, shifting a large piece of land often would be
too draining. Of course, this is all still a conjecture on my part. It is like
an ant guessing what the scenery from the high clouds looks like, laughable and
out of its depth. Lastly, I think the teleportation mechanism is very possibly
a measure used by the master of the island to maintain the island’s ecology.”
Zi Di blinked. “May I ask, how did you determine this?”
Cang Xu replied, “I have discovered that it is not just us, but many of the
beasts are also being teleported to different regions.”
Realization suddenly dawned on Zhen Jin. The youth recalled the scaled
leopards. They should have been living in the rainforest but they ended up in
the montane forest together with Zi Di and him. Here, they needed to set up
their own new territory, so they first fought the monkey bear and later lost
against the blade-legged spider swarm.
“If beasts were also being teleported by the island master, then perhaps the
island master wants them to fight each other so he can choose the strongest
monster. Perhaps like the Alchemical Puppet Competition held by the Alchemists
Guild whose purpose is to cultivate the strongest living weapon?”
Cang Xu smiled. “Lady Zi Di, your analysis is very reasonable. That is indeed a
possibility, too. But I believe it’s more likely that it’s being used to
maintain the ecology. Don’t you feel that this island’s natural balance is in
imminent danger? Don’t just look at the vastness of nature, for it also has a
fragile side.
“Every year, the Sha Ta House would hire bishops from the Temple of Life to aid
in increasing crop yields. I have interacted with them and have also had the
pleasure of consulting with vagabond druids.
“Within nature exists various cycles. The simplest example is the food chain.
Plants grow out of the soil and are eaten by herbivores. Herbivores become food
for carnivores. The feces of these animals, in turn, become the nourishment for
plants to grow and their carcasses decay and become fertilizer for the soil.
Nature is full of these cycles. Even the most formidable predators will perish
from battle, old age, or environmental changes.
“The Sha Ta House once had a locust plague that lasted several years. It took
the help of a druid master to find the cause. As it turned out, the scope of
the locust swarm had grown and was hard to control because the bread scorpions
that ate the locust eggs had become fewer. Why were there fewer bread
scorpions? It was because during those years the Sha Ta House was beginning to
set up their own cavalry. They purchased a large number of land-traveling birds
and these birds were fond of pecking the bread scorpions under the sands.
“The cycle of life is like a chain, one link interlocked with another. They
influence each other. If an issue appears in one link, it is possible the issue
would be amplified and result in a catastrophe. There are too many monsters on
this island and they are not of natural origin. The burden on the island’s
ecology is enormous. If not careful, the cycle can break, which can result in
an irreversible disaster,” Cang Xu finished.
“Your words make sense.” Zhen Jin nodded. He thought of the monkey bear. The
Silver beast’s food was ore. Looking at it now, it was clear it had no natural
predators. If it was left to its own devices, sooner or later, it would eat up
all the ore. The heat emitted from the ore veins was a major influence on that
region.
Once eaten up, it would cause many drastic effects such as the temperature
decreasing. In the end, however, because of the teleportation mechanism, the
monkey bear fought the scaled leopards before finally dying at Zhen Jin’s
hands. The island’s impending crisis was thus averted.
Zi Di extrapolated, “In that case, the reason why the island master built the
rainforest, montane forest, desert, snow-capped mountains, and so on are to
restrict these artificial beasts, stabilize the island’s ecology, and maintain
the balance of nature? However, I still feel that he is trying to filter out a
beast that can adapt to all environments and has the greatest strength.”
Cang Xu added, “I believe that teleportation is just one of the measures the
island master took to preserve the island’s ecology. He also put effort into
other things as well. Take the fire-venom bees for example. Don’t you think
that this swarm was made by him to specifically prevent forest fires?
“There is also the restriction magic. Magic and battle qi are restricted here
more harshly than the restriction magic ring in Sky City. This is very unlike a
defense mechanism because defending against low-level enemies is unnecessary.
On the contrary, it is like a shackle that prevents these magic beasts from
displaying their full strength. Therefore, I speculate that this restriction
magic is actually a protective measure for these magic beasts.”
“Please enlighten us,” Zi Di asked.
“These magic beasts are not naturally evolved. Although they have a stable
structure, they are not in harmony with the natural world. Furthermore, the
magic power in their bodies is in conflict, so they cannot absorb elements and
form a magic crystal. Perhaps the island master wanted to improve this aspect.
“He has already achieved stability in the body, an astonishing achievement. But
these patchwork bodies might have brought with them difficulty in absorbing
elements and he could not perfectly solve it for the moment.
“Chaotic magic power is extremely unstable and can sometimes explode. Even if
it is suppressed by force, it would cause magic corrosion in the host. If not
dealt with, chaotic magic power will cause harm and the beasts would barely
survive longer than a week.
“Therefore, he created this unusual environment that restricts the usage of
low-level magic and battle qi to protect these magic beasts as it maintains
their stability, and allows them to live indefinitely. Concerning the practice
of magic, Lord Zhen Jin and Lady Zi Di should know more than I.” Zi Di slightly
nodded and sunk into contemplation.
Zhen Jin, on the other hand, was grave. He analyzed the situation at hand,
whispering, “On this island, we have found Bronze, Iron, Silver, and even Gold
magic beasts. According to our current analysis, even Gold-rank chaotic magic
power will be successfully suppressed here. So one would have to be at least a
Saint to freely use battle qi?” No matter how talented he was, he could never
become a Saint at his age.



****** Chapter 27: Charging the Administrative Hub ******
“Lord Zhen Jin, can you use battle qi?” Cang Xu inquired.
Zhen Jin shook his head. He had planned with Zi Di to conceal his inability to
use battle qi, however, since they had reached this point in their discussions,
hiding it was meaningless. Though Zhen Jin still concealed his amnesia.
Cang Xu sighed. “If anyone was able to activate Gold or lower battle qi, it
would disprove my conjectures. This rotten old man had hoped his conjectures
were wrong.”
“In that case, Mr. Cang Xu, do you have any ideas to overcome the magic beasts
and the environment to reach our destination smoothly?” Zhen Jin asked in
return.
Cang Xu smiled bitterly. “My Lord, you overestimate me. I am only an old man
with one foot in the grave. I served the Sha Tas for most of my life, and I
resigned because I wanted to spend the last years of my life completing my
academic work by seeing the beastmen and exploring the unique ecology of the
beastman continent.
“I have titled this work On Evolution. Although I believe that nature has
maintained the cycles and balance, the different life forms that live within
are not static. Whether humans or dragons, animals or magic beasts, all are
slowly evolving. Evolution, changes in the natural environment, and changes in
the way organisms survive are all very closely related.”
Zhen Jin nodded. “This is bound to be a classic.”
Cang Xu bowed and said sincerely, “It was my misfortune to have been
shipwrecked but to have encountered so many strange monsters has made me
ecstatic because this perspective will provide strong evidence for my work. It
was so that I could come into contact with these monsters that I volunteered to
join the exploration team.
“It is my honor to have met Your Lordship here. During our time here, I will
serve you with all of my dedication and knowledge. I am ashamed to fail to meet
any of your expectations, my Lord, but I can only ask you to forgive my
incompetence. After all…I am only a scholar.”
“I understand.” Zhen Jin nodded. He had noticed that while Huang Zao and Lan
Zao had sold themselves into servitude, Cang Xu had no thoughts about
surrendering to him.
What Cang Xu meant was this: During the time they were on this island and
needed to escape from all sorts of danger, he would fully assist Zhen Jin and
once they reached the beastman continent, he would part with Zhen Jin and move
with his freedom to complete his book.
“If I become the City Lord of White Sands, I will be sure to help you gather
information on the beastmen.”
“I am truly grateful.” Cang Xu bowed once again.
Zi Di suddenly proposed a bold idea, “If Mr. Cang Xu’s conjecture is true, then
both this island and the magic beasts were altered. Then this island is bound
to have an administrative hub. Say, what do you think will happen if we find
this hub?”
Lan Zao immediately replied, “Isn’t that too dangerous? An existence that can
remodel an entire island and create so many magic beasts is something that we
cannot fight against. This is simply asking for death!”
Zi Di smiled and shook her head, “Not really. Think carefully, according to our
previous analysis, there are two most likely possibilities. Possibility one:
The island master is not on the island. It would be opportune for us to raid
the administrative hub.
“Possibility two: The island master has been here all along but he either
hasn’t made a move against us, is spying on us, is toying with us, or he
doesn’t care about us at all. But if we were to escape from the island, he
would definitely take action to dispose of us to maintain his secrets.
“Therefore, rather than letting that happen, it would be better to storm the
hub. Once the hub is destroyed, we would be able to stop the teleportations and
also restore the island to normal. We would then be able to use magic and
battle qi while those beasts collapse. This would be extremely beneficial for
our escape.”
Lan Zao was dumbstruck and realized it made sense once he thought about it.
Zi Di looked at Zhen Jin, her eyes glittering. “Lord Zhen Jin, if we can obtain
this kind of magic technology, we could mass-produce Silver and even Gold magic
beasts. Even if these beasts can only last for a short while, they can still
self-detonate. Don’t you think this would be a huge advantage for us in White
Sands City?”
In that split second, Zhen Jin’s heart skipped a beat. Gold subordinates, how
extravagant! And the words “mass-produce” also sounded wonderful to his ears.
What was even more wonderful was that the created beasts would be fearless and
fight to their death. This would give their enemies an extreme headache and
even induce dread.
Zhen Jin looked into Zi Di’s purple eyes and they seemed like they were
radiating the glow of gold coins. His understanding of her instantly grew
deeper. The young knight could not help but think that the girl deserved to be
the president of a merchant guild. In the pursuit of great potential benefits,
she could even push the safety of her own life to the back of her mind. But
Zhen Jin did not state his position yet. Instead, he looked at Cang Xu.
“Mr. Cang Xu, what do you think?” He was displaying how much he valued the old
scholar. His previous comments had improved Zhen Jin’s evaluation of Cang Xu.
Within him, Zhen Jin sensed the great power of knowledge. Cang Xu’s broad-
mindedness, rich knowledge, plentiful experiences, and profound cognition had
helped unveil a layer of the fog surrounding this mysterious island to Zhen Jin
and Zi Di.
“My Lord,” Cang Xu said slowly, “I do not approve of Lady Zi Di’s proposal.
Firstly, we do not know the exact location of the hub. Looking for it is bound
to take us on an adventure all over the island. We would need to confront all
sorts of strange and terrible beasts as well as the harshness of the
environment.
“Secondly, say we found the hub. Common sense would indicate that the island
master has set up strong and tight defenses around it. Could we get past the
defenses just by ourselves? If we recklessly attacked the hub, would it alert
the island master who might be away?
“Thirdly, concerning the island master’s existence, terrain changes, and these
beasts—these are all my speculations, and there is no evidence for them.
Perhaps my guesses are all wrong. Perhaps this odd island is a part of the
creations in heaven and earth and we can never fathom the power and will of
Nature.
“Lastly, although the teleportation mechanism exists, there is still an
interval between each activation. In theory, as long as we maintain a correct
course and advance fast enough, we could return to the beach. Even if we get
teleported midway, there is a high probability that the teleportation is
random. Therefore, as long as we repeat these steps, there’s a good chance we
will reach our destination.”
Zhen Jin pondered for a moment and then nodded. “Your analysis is good. The
administrative hub is too nebulous while the risks are too great, and our
strength is lacking. Our first objective, therefore, is to join with the larger
group and construct a ship to escape this island.”
“As you command, Master,” Lan Zao said promptly. Cang Xu seemed to breathe a
sigh of relief. Zi Di opened her mouth to speak but then hesitated. In the end,
she said nothing.
“Tell the others to rest for fifteen minutes, afterward, we will set out,” Zhen
Jin ordered.
“My Lord,” Cang Xu said again, “I have a small suggestion.”
“Please speak, Mr. Cang Xu.”
“Allow me to report a joyous discovery.” Cang Xu pointed to a part of the
montane forest region on the map. “Right here, at the edge of where we have
explored ahead so far, there is a large flock of goats with at least one
thousand heads. I strongly recommend hunting this flock. That way, we will have
plenty of food supply.”
Zhen Jin furrowed his brows slightly. “A large flock of goats, numbering at
least a thousand?” The youth looked at Cang Xu and then at Lan Zao.
He responded immediately, “Master, there really is a large flock of goats. We
have already tried and succeeded in hunting two of them. They are timid and
gentle and all they can do is flee. They are not at all dangerous. Many believe
this is a gift from the gods.”
“But our current food reserves are very abundant,” said Zi Di.
“For now, they are,” Cang Xu nodded. “However, we still need to guard against
surprises. For example, say the teleportation mechanism activates and sends us
to the desert.”
Cang Xu turned his gaze to Zhen Jin as he knew the latter was the one who could
really make the decision. “According to our investigation, the leader of this
flock only emits a Bronze aura. Lord Zhen Jin, there is no need to worry too
much. These goats are on the lower end of the food chain. There must be many
many beasts, even Gold beasts that feed on them. Perhaps the white bone winged
deer is among them.
“Therefore, the greatest risk in hunting the flock comes not from the goats
themselves but other predators. This matter is easy to guard against. After
all, we are not in direct confrontation with these predators.”
Zhen Jin contemplated quietly.
Cang Xu added, “Lord, the primary reason why our exploration team set off was
to gather sufficient food for the workmen constructing the ship. Although we
have been lost for many days, if we bring back enough food, it will definitely
uplift their morale and be of great help to them. At the same time, it will
also be of great help to you, my Lord.”
Zhen Jin nodded. “That’s a good suggestion. In that case, we need to modify our
schedule a bit. First, we hunt the goats, then we set off.” Based on his
previous experiences, he knew that there were not many opportunities to hunt
easily on this danger-ridden island. It was possible they would not encounter
such a good opportunity again in the future if they gave up on this here.
As per his future plans, he did not intend to go as deep into the island’s
hinterlands as he was now. Therefore, he was willing to follow their good
advice.



****** Chapter 28: My Strength Is Quite Great ******
The goats bleated as they swarmed about in disarray. The flock consisted of
several hundred heads. Their fleece was greenish gray and their white horns
were like two sharp curved swords.
These goats had been leisurely grazing on the grass when two members of the
exploration team appeared and drove them away. The two were armed with
scimitars but were not using them. Mere shouting was enough to easily drive
away these frightened goats.
Zhen Jin, Zi Di, and Cang Xu stood on a nearby hilltop, watching the scene from
above.
The flock tried to change directions but there were already men lying in wait.
At the crucial time, they would appear to obstruct the goats’ path forward.
These goats were redirected again and again and eventually herded into a
depression in the ground.
The exploration team began to encircle them as many members appeared from all
sides. Discovering that there was no way out, the goats spin in circles around
the basin. The exploration team members raised their swords and swung them down
repeatedly, harvesting the lives of the goats.
Just as Lan Zao had said, these goats were very timid. Faced with the butcher’s
knife, they did not resist. They cried out in fright as they crowded into the
center in an attempt to escape death. But there were always a bunch of unlucky
goats that fell into the outskirts and were easily slaughtered by the men one
at a time.
Cang Xu looked at this scene and said impassively, “In the central region of
the Empire, there were many nobles who began to raise sheep in large
enclosures. I had the opportunity to visit a few of those renowned sheep farms
in the Empire. Their scale was truly shocking.
“In my opinion, sheep as a species do not have the ability to survive on their
own. Their survival is solely dependent on the tending and rescuing of others.
Sheep do not have the slightest capability to defend themselves. The rams are
more timid than the ewes. Even the tiniest peculiar sound is enough to make
them cower. Therefore, they live in flocks simply to relieve their fears.
“Not only are they cowardly, but also stupid. They do not know what danger is
nor do they feel it approaching. It seems that no matter what happens, they
would stubbornly stay still. Even in the wind and rain, to get them to move,
they must have a bellwether guiding them. In turn, the bellwether would also
stay still unless it’s driven by a shepherd or sheepdog.
“Sheep are very frail. They cannot walk for long periods of time and they
easily collapse from exhaustion. When they run, their heart beats too quickly
that they would have trouble breathing properly. Extreme heat or cold can kill
entire flocks. They are also easily susceptible to disease. Sometimes, simply
being obese is fatal.
“Compared to sheep, goats are far more lively, healthy, and a bit more
courageous. But overall, they are mostly the same. The habits and traits of
these two species are not very different. Goats cling to humans and like to be
petted. Humans can easily get along with goats. They are very easy to raise and
all kinds of fodder can be turned into goat food.
“However, sheep are more popular. This is because sheep have a lot of wool that
can be spun into textiles. Especially in recent years, there seems to have been
a great innovation in textile technology and machinery in the Empire.
“The House of Sha Ta was also interested in this sheep business, so I was sent
to the central region on an investigative trip. Unfortunately, the great nobles
of the Empire had intended to monopolize the textile machinery. Moreover, in
the desert, soil is sparse, the environment is harsh, and the range of
temperatures between night and day is great. All these factors make it
impossible to create large-scale sheep farms.” As he spoke, the goats continued
to be slaughtered.
Among the members, Huang Zao was the most conspicuous. Each stab of his halberd
would pierce through three or four goats. Although he could not use battle qi,
his physical capabilities that far exceeded that of an ordinary person were on
full display.
The first task Zhen Jin had given to him was to round up the goats. With his
goal of wanting to redeem himself through his deeds, and knowing that his every
move was being observed, he was showing his best performance. But then, his
unmatched halberd was blocked for the first time.
It turned out that the head goat had gotten cornered to the point it started to
fight back. The physique of the head goat was twice that of the other goats,
almost the size of a pony. It brimmed with a Bronze aura. The head goat spread
out its hooves, positioned itself to face Huang Zao, lowered its head while
flashing its sword-like white horns, and began to charge.
Clip-clop, clip-clop. The goat’s hooves clicked as it sprinted on the mountain.
The sluggish head goat suddenly exploded with astonishing speed. Huang Zao
clenched his teeth, readied his halberd in front of his chest, and stood his
ground.
Lan Zao, who was attending to Zhen Jin, saw his younger brother’s intention and
shouted in anger, “You idiot, get out the way! You can’t use battle qi!”
Huang Zao’s ears twitched. He heard his older brother’s warning, but he
continued to clench his teeth and stay there. If I flee from battle again, what
kind of impression will I make on the Master? Big brother, you are the one
who’s the idiot! This time, I will wash away my shame! he thought. Filled with
resolve, he opened his eyes wide and thrusted his halberd.
The tip clashed with the goat’s white horns. Then, Huang Zao’s complexion
changed. The tip shattered and the halberd was deflected to the side. The head
goat arrived right next to Huang Zao and at the critical moment of their
collision, he barely held his halberd horizontally before his stomach.
Thump. With a dull sound, Huang Zao was thrown away. He arced through the air
and fell onto the rocky ground covered with grass. His vision went black and he
nearly lost consciousness.
“This guy…” Seeing his brother ignore his advice and nearly get disemboweled by
the goat’s horns made Lan Zao clench his fists. He said with an intense will to
fight, “Master, please allow me to sort out this goat for you!”
Zhen Jin, however, watched the scene with an impassive gaze. “Go down and tell
Huang Zao to restrain it. I want to capture this goat alive.”
Lan Zao’s complexion immediately changed. He wanted to say something but Cang
Xu held out his hand to stop him.
Cang Xu smiled. “To earn Lord Zhen Jin’s trust, Huang Zao used this chance to
redeem himself from his past shameful deeds. He knew full well that his
strength was no match for the head goat, yet still he chose to risk his life.
Now that he has been stuck down, he should know that he needs to change his
attitude.”
Lan Zao quivered and knelt on the ground on one knee. “Master is benevolent and
magnanimous. Master knew from early on of Huang Zao’s unbalanced attitude and
repeatedly gave him opportunities to adjust himself and contribute merits. This
one was muddled. Please punish this one for his mistake.”
Zhen Jin smiled and looked at Lan Zao. “There is no fault in loving your
brother. Watch from the sides. After all, Huang Zao is still weak. If he fails
to capture it alive, you will do it in his stead.”
Lan Zao was moved to tears. He knelt on both knees and hit his forehead against
the ground, making a dull thud. Then he rushed down the hill.
In the basin, Huang Zao had already picked up a new halberd and was preparing
to attack again. On seeing Lan Zao coming over, he immediately became anxious.
“Big brother, why are you here? Does the Master want you to replace me?” he
asked.
Lan Zao coldly harrumphed and said, “The Master told you to restrain and
capture the head goat alive. He has given you a chance to continue, and only
when you are defeated will I take over.”
Huang Zao exulted, “Good!”
On hearing this, Lan Zao was so angry that he nearly slapped Huang Zao on the
head. But he could not do anything but stand by the side.
All the ordinary goats were soon slaughtered, and the field was left to the
showdown between the head goat and Huang Zao. Under the goat’s constant
charges, Huang Zao was in a sorry state. Huang Zao had had some amount of
confidence in killing the head goat with his halberd. However, the order to
capture it alive left him at a loss.
Although both were Bronze lifeforms, Huang Zao could not use battle qi and was
cautious and fearful when using his halberd. As a result, the head goat gained
the upper hand. But Huang Zao was set on displaying his resolve and showed no
signs of backing down.
After a short period of deadlock, they both were soaked in blood. The head goat
was covered in slashes and cuts caused by the halberd. Huang Zao, meanwhile,
had burns and bandages, and most of his blood was oozing out due to the
strenuous physical activity.
Lan Zao was inwardly anxious. He had wanted to step in multiple times but
seeing that his younger brother was still able to resist, he could only
suppress his urges.
The head goat began to charge once again. Huang Zao’s strength had fallen into
a critical state, and although he barely dodged it this time, he was powerless
to retaliate. The head goat, however, did not turn around to continue fighting
Huang Zao this time. Instead, it rushed out of the encirclement.
The encirclement was made up of exploration team members that only possessed
ordinary battle strength. They cried out in alarm and got out of its way. They
did not dare to use their flesh and blood to stop the wild head goat from
escaping. Lan Zao was just about to step in when he heard Zhen Jin speak.
“Enough. All of you withdraw. I will do it myself.”
“Master, I…can still fight,” Huang Zao cried out unwillingly.
“You idiot, hurry up and withdraw! Don’t spoil the Master’s mood,” Lan Zao
reprimanded angrily.
Everyone focused their eyes on Zhen Jin. Ever since Zhen Jin became the
exploration team’s leader, almost everyone was secretly speculating about his
strength. Did he have Silver or Gold cultivation? Could he use battle qi?
As the goat charged over, Zhen Jin remained calm and collected. When the horns
were about to stab him, he reached out and grabbed both horns at the last
second with great dexterity. Then, he forced the goat down.
The goat’s charge came to an abrupt stop as its head was pinned to the ground
by Zhen Jin. It kicked about frantically with its powerful legs, throwing grass
and dirt up into the air. But from start to finish, Zhen Jin’s hands were as
steady as a mountain. His entire body seemed like it was cast iron as it did
not shake even in the slightest. It gave the impression that the goat was as
weak as a baby in front of Zhen Jin.
Startled gasps came from everyone’s mouths, which soon turned into shouting and
cheering. Huang Zao stared wide-eyed. Zhen Jin had not used battle qi. With his
physical strength alone, he was able to overpower the head goat. Such strength
won over Huang Zao.
Cang Xu was also quietly moved by this scene. He was fully aware that the
physiques of humans and animals were not the same. If humans did not use their
battle qi and only relied on their inherent qualities, it was actually really
hard for them to compare to other beings of the same level. Humans were not
born to run as fast as a horse, climb like a monkey, fly like a bird, or
breathe and dive underwater like a fish.
Compared to the numerous beasts, a human’s greatest advantage was his
intelligence. A human’s strength, speed, endurance, and so on were not
sufficient enough to compete against wild beasts. Therefore, if a human had
Silver battle qi and did not use it, and instead leaned on his own strength, it
was most likely that he would lose to a Bronze magic beast.
Such physical quality… Cang Xu could not help but speculate, Does it mean Lord
Zhen Jin really possesses Gold cultivation?



****** Chapter 29: A Poisonous Issue ******
Cang Xu was clear about the division of power between Practitioners. A Silver
battle qi cultivator, if not using battle qi, would be able to lift objects
weighing up to three hundred and fifty kilograms, hit with eight hundred
kilogram-forces, and face twenty to thirty ordinary adult men in battle with no
problems at all. Their tolerance of the environment and pain would exceed that
of a normal person. They would still find a powerful bow or crossbow dangerous.
In other words, Silver battle qi cultivators were still within the category of
human and were restrained by the human body’s structure. They represented the
limit of the human body’s physical development. However, when one becomes a
Gold battle qi cultivator, the quality of their battle qi is greatly improved
and this battle qi would nourish and transform the flesh to completely surpass
mortal limits.
Without using battle qi, a Gold powerhouse could run at a speed of one hundred
and twenty kilometers per hour and lift an object weighing about ten metric
tons. When facing a magnificent army of thousands of men wielding swords and
riding horses, they would be able to cut down their general, seize their
standard, and traverse the length and breadth of the field unhindered. An
ordinary bow or crossbow was no threat to them at all. But enchanted ones would
still pose a hazard to them.
While the fight between the head goat and Huang Zao was taking place, Cang Xu
saw several times the goat crashing into trees, knocking the towering things
down. This proved that although the head goat was only a Bronze, when it gave
its all, the impact force of its charge was very powerful, far more than an
ordinary heavy cavalryman’s charge.
Human Silver battle qi cultivators relying purely on their body’s strength
would not be able to resist such a charge. Yet Zhen Jin effortlessly
intercepted the head goat which had had a long run-up distance for its charge.
The power displayed had surpassed the realm of Silver.
Therefore, Cang Xu suspected that Zhen Jin possessed Gold battle qi. As far as
I know, the bloodline of the House of Bai Zhen does not excel in strength but
is outstanding for its precision. If a knight had a support spell such as the
Strength of the Bear acting on them, they could also do the same. However, with
the magic restriction here, low-level support spells would fail to function.
Maybe he took a strength potion?
Ultimately, Cang Xu thought of the possibility of Gold cultivation again. If
Zhen Jin really is a Gold powerhouse, with such strength, with such talent, the
House of Bai Zhen will definitely rise again!
As Cang Xu watched attentively, Zhen Jin suddenly shook his arms, and holding
the head goat by its horns, he fiercely lifted it high into the air. Then, he
ruthlessly flung it away. It fell to the ground and struggled a few times
before getting back up on its legs. It looked dazed as if the fall made it
stupid.
But its eyes turned red shortly after and ruthlessly charged toward Zhen Jin
again. Zhen Jin pinned it down, let it struggle for a while, and threw it afar
all the same again.
After several instances of this, the head goat’s unwillingness, anger, hatred,
and so on dissipated and were replaced by dread and trepidation directed toward
Zhen Jin. Eventually, the head goat stopped charging. After falling on the
ground, it got up and stood still there.
Zhen Jin took the initiative and walked toward it. As he approached, the head
goat bleated and bowed its head. It averted its eyes from him and its bleeding
body trembled. Zhen Jin petted its head and then its horns. The head goat shook
even more greatly with fright and lay down on the ground.
Under many worshiping eyes, Zhen Jin nodded with satisfaction and ordered,
“Take it away and treat it a bit. Feed it but don’t satiate it.”
“My Lord, are you trying to tame this goat as a mount?” Seeing that the fight
ended, Cang Xu approached.
Zhen Jin nodded, smiling as he asked, “Do you think it’s possible?”
“Of course, it is,” Cang Xu smiled and affirmed. “As far as I know, goats are
the most common mount in the dwarven continent. Goats are extremely skillful at
trekking through towering mountains and precipitous ridges. As young as one
year old, a wild goat can climb up a snow-covered cliff, crossing many
obstacles that we humans cannot surmount along the way. However, I do not know
the exact method of domestication.”
Zhen Jin nodded and asked again, “Are there tamers among the survivors of the
Hog’s Kiss’ shipwreck?”
Cang Xu shook his head. “I do not think there are.”
“It’s alright. If the Hog’s Kiss didn’t have one, I can just find one in White
Sands City, can’t I?” Zhen Jin patted the old scholar’s shoulder.
In this battle, he had gained what he wanted. Subjugating the head goat to tame
it as a future mount was only a minor benefit. The main point was that he had
shown how powerful he was in the eyes of the exploration team. His influence
over them had received a great boost.
He had learned his lesson from Huang Zao's betrayal. Once was more than enough.
Zhen Jin had inscribed the motto of the House of Bai Zhen in his heart. He kept
Huang Zao under his watch. On the one hand, it was to squeeze out his value
while on the other hand, he used him to constantly remind himself of how to
become a qualified leader.
He looked around and let out a heartfelt sigh. This land is a treasure trove!
This was the first time he had found such a paradise on this island.
When the exploration team got to work, they were pleasantly surprised to find
that the size of the goat flock exceeded previous investigations. For unknown
reasons, the goat flock had multiplied unchecked here so as to have simply
flooded it. There were several flocks numbering over a thousand goats and even
more flocks that numbered in the hundreds. The flock they rounded up was one of
the latter.
The exploration team members began to process the carcasses. The first step was
to bleed, then skin, and then disembowel. Afterward, one part of them began
cutting the chevon, while another part of the team washed the goatskins and
stomachs.
After the chevon was cut up, it was set up on a campfire and smoked. This would
remove the moisture in the chevon, allowing it to be preserved for longer.
After the goatskins were washed, they were also smoked and dried. Goatskin
could be made into leather clothes and goat stomachs could be made into water
skin.
The exploration team was busy for three days. Under Zhen Jin’s command, they
hunted three more flocks, and with him taking action, the Bronze head goats
yielded. The adult goats were killed, but some of the kids were left alive
under Zhen Jin’s special instructions.
These goats were easy to feed, thus they kept tens of kids as well as four
Bronze head goats. Altogether, they were not much of a burden. This was the
benefit of having more manpower. If it were only Zhen Jin and Zi Di, they would
not have the spare energy to do all this.
On the fourth day, the exploration team officially returned to their journey.
Their appearance had changed dramatically. Almost everyone wore leather
clothes. These were crudely made, with simple holes cut out for the head. Under
the armpits on either side were threads woven from rattan that tied the front
and back of the goatskin together.
The green-black wool was on the inside while the yellow goatskin was on the
outside. On the backs of each man was a huge goatskin bundle that mainly
contained smoked chevon.
In addition, there were also water skins. Many water skins made from goat
stomachs were attached to everyone’s waists. Food and water reserves were
stocked aplenty, almost to the limit of what the team could bear.
Huang Zao was at the front, scouting ahead. Zhen Jin, Zi Di, and Cang Xu walked
in the middle of the group. At the rear, Lan Zao was in charge of herding the
goats.
The head goats now had simple rattan reins on them and heaps of supplies hung
on their sides. The supplies were mainly meat and potable water, and, among
other things, folded tents, and spare weapons.
Throughout the morning, the team trekked up and down the montane forest. They
only rested a few times, each respite no more than a quarter-hour.
At noon, they rested for half an hour. The team was divided into two groups.
One stood guard, inspected their supplies, and did other surveys while the
other sat down and ate lunch.
Cang Xu inspected the front and rear meticulously and made sure that no one was
missing, and that food, water and other supplies were accounted for. The goats,
who were the most worrying, were also tranquil.
Behind the cracked glasses were the old scholar’s carefully watchful eyes. He
found that the group that was eating was very relaxed. Some were teasing each
other, while others were kneading their calves as they ate. The group standing
guard stood with their eyes fixed and backs straight.
The exploration team’s morale was high. Cang Xu had been with the exploration
team ever since they had set out. He had never seen these people exuding such
elan, and he understood what the key cause of this was.
It was not the savor of smoked chevon, nor the relative peace of their journey,
but the young knight, Zhen Jin. He was the one that brought about the change.
His great strength gave everyone a strong sense of security and greatly raised
hope in their hearts.
Huang Zao and Lan Zao became his servants and they worked hard for him.
Although Zhen Jin had not shown his battle qi, he still had a deep background
and was suspected of having Gold cultivation.
Along the way, Zi Di had been with Zhen Jin, never going further than an inch.
She was the president of the Wisteria Merchant Guild, and her skill in making
potions in the last several days also came to Cang Xu’s mind.
Cang Xu’s gaze finally rested on Zhen Jin. During his life, he had met many
nobles. He was certain at this point that among young nobles, Zhen Jin was
among the handful few at the top. He had talent, strength and even more
remarkably, he was a qualified leader. Under his influence, the exploration
team had rallied together and their morale had soared.
Cang Xu could foresee the currently down and defeated House of Bai Zhen would
rise once more because of Zhen Jin. If it were possible to follow such a lord,
to witness his successes and exploits step by step, to be a part of the Bai
Zhen House’s rise, then, perhaps centuries later, as a scholar, my name would
accompany him and be recognized as a symbol of wisdom by future generations.
What a wonderful thing that would be. Alas, a pity. If only I could have met
such a nobleman when I was younger…
The old scholar’s face did not show the slightest hint of the regret that he
had in his heart. He walked over to Zhen Jin’s side, and, in the same
respectful tone he always used, reported the results of his inspections.
“Very good, Mr. Cang Xu. Thanks to your suggestion, we hunted enough meat and
have an abundance of reserves. Now, come sit down. Let’s have lunch together,”
invited Zhen Jin.
Cang Xu replied, “My suggestion was secondary. If my Lord hadn’t led the way,
we would not have what we have now.”
Zhen Jin smiled. These days interacting with Cang Xu made him more and more
pleased with the scholar. He may look ordinary but his mind was not. It was he
who decided the direction the team went toward and all he used was a wooden
stick thrust into the ground and the sun.
Cang Xu’s attitude and demeanor always upheld Zhen Jin’s noble status. This
allowed Zhen Jin to feel comfortable. He was also very capable and reliable at
handling affairs. Thus the more Zhen Jin used him, the more pleased he was.
If Cang Xu had strength, even if it were only Iron, he would be the most
optimal candidate for a noble’s steward. Unfortunately, he lacked aptitude for
the Practices, which was truly a pity.
Even so, Zhen Jin wanted Cang Xu by his side as much as possible. He was a
talent. One more learned than Zi Di, and she was a magician.
Of course, this was because Zi Di was too young. Furthermore, when she was
studying, most of her time and energy was spent learning pharmacology. Zhen Jin
could guess the reason why Zi Di did so. Good pharmaceutical products had great
market prospects and could be lucrative.
The farther they removed from the snowy mountains, the warmer it became. The
midday sun was at its most intense and the new leather clothes began to exhibit
their efficacy at insulation. Perhaps because of having eaten their fill,
everyone began to look a little listless.
Without any warning, a fatal crisis quietly struck this tranquil atmosphere. It
began with a shout from one of the young men of the exploration team.
“Lord, my Lord, not good! The kids are lying on the ground motionless, all
dead!”
“What?” Zhen Jin paled.
Those kids were very useful. On the one hand, the exploration team could eat
them in case of an emergency. On the other hand, if they reached White Sands
City smoothly and the kids were still alive, they could be reared and
domesticated. In this way, Zhen Jin could raise some calvary.
Having had his plans destroyed, he immediately stood up and wanted to
personally investigate. “Do you know the cause?” he inquired of the young man.
He recognized the young man. His name was Bai Ya, born to a hunter’s household.
He had embarked on the Hog’s Kiss to White Sands City to join the army.
Bai Ya looked flustered. He shook his head and replied, “I-I don’t know.
Everything just happened suddenly, my Lord.”
Zhen Jin grunted in understanding and was about to step forward when a sudden
intense burst of vertigo assaulted him. He was caught off guard and violently
shook, almost falling to the ground. He barely remained standing and found the
exploration team members who had just been in high spirits all swaying side to
side and collapsing to the ground.
Almost instantly, most of the exploration team lost consciousness. Zi Di, Huang
Zao, and Lan Zao were holding themselves together with difficulty.
Huang Zao suddenly pulled out his dagger from his bosom and shouted angrily at
Bai Ya, “Everyone is poisoned, but how come you’re alright? Did you poison us‽”



****** Chapter 30: My Elegance as a Leader ******
Faced with Huang Zao's anger, Bai Ya was full of fear and confusion. He shook
his head as he took steps backward until he stumbled and fell to the ground on
his butt. “It wasn't me, it really wasn't me,” he shouted, desperately denying
it.
Huang Zao approached him but collapsed midway. His face was ashen, and his
ghastly countenance resembled that of a sick man who had fallen into a pit of
icy water and was fished out only at the brink of death. “Why are you the only
one not poisoned?” Huang Zao croaked out, glaring at Bai Ya grudgingly.
Lan Zao suddenly cried out, “Ah! Perhaps the island master has made his move!
Not only poisoning us but also leaving one man alive so that he can spread the
word. It’s like a great pirate who, after having plundered a ship,
intentionally releases some of them to spread his notoriety.”
Huang Zao, still holding on to the vestiges of his consciousness, heard this
and was very puzzled. Who? This island has a master? he thought.
Zhen Jin and the rest had kept their conjectures a secret because there was no
proof and revealing it would be a blow to the exploration team’s morale, which
could result in anxiety or even emotional breakdowns.
Both Huang Zao and Lan Zao had collapsed to the ground. Among them all, only
Zhen Jin was still standing, though barely. Even so, Zhen Jin felt an ever-
increasing chill in his body as if he was sinking into a bed of ice.
Lan Zao struggled to stand up and failed even after several attempts. His gaze
suddenly paused on Bai Ya and he said, “I remember that he didn’t eat the
chevon, not a single bite. The meat was poisoned!”
“Poison in the meat?” Zi Di froze at the words. Before the chevon was readied
to be eaten, she had checked and confirmed that there was no poison.
“Is it the amount? Is it because we ate too much that we got poisoned?”
frowning, Zhen Jin inquired.
Zi Di shook her head and smiled bitterly. “I tested for such a simple scenario
long ago. But it is possible that there was some kind of poison I was unable to
detect… Bai Ya, did you really not eat a single bite of the chevon?”
Bai Ya nodded, stammering out, “Ye-yes, my Lady. I don’t like eating chevon. I
have been eating dry rations these days.”
If Bai Ya was the culprit, now would be the best time for him to act.
Currently, Zhen Jin barely had the strength to put up resistance.
Alternatively, even if Bai Ya was plotting something, his decision to poison
them at this time was too stupid. In the wild, having companions at one’s side
would increase one’s chances of survival. Running away alone was too risky.
Bai Ya’s behavior brushed away suspicion of him so Zhen Jin turned his gaze
back to Zi Di. She had fallen to the ground but her eyes were still spirited
and full of thoughts. “Lord Zhen Jin, could you come over and use my dagger to
cut an incision on my arm?” she suddenly asked.
Zhen Jin nodded. Struggling, he moved to Zi Di’s side and pulled out the dagger
strapped to her calf by its hilt. The dagger’s blade made a long, thin cut on
Zi Di’s tense arm in one gentle slice. From the wound, Zi Di’s flesh could be
seen.
Disturbingly, it had turned a greenish gray. Blood should have been flowing out
in rivulets, however, only a little poured out. This blood had a relatively low
temperature and a strange greenish gray also was mixed in with the red blood.
Zhen Jin immediately associated this phenomenon with zombies. He felt a wave of
cold air from the wound and murmured unconsciously, “Is it really a cold
poison?”
Zi Di frowned. It seemed like a cold poison, but it also seemed unlike one. She
thought of something, but the idea was vague, and she could not grasp what had
flashed in her mind. I’m running out of time! thought Zi Di.
She felt that her body was stiffening and growing increasingly colder. If this
continued, soon, her heart would freeze and stop beating. Zi Di knew she needed
to make a decision as soon as possible. “My Lord, the red…white mushroom-capped
vial…” Stiffly, Zi Di pointed toward the small bag at her waist.
Zhen Jin opened the small bag, revealing the interior of neatly and densely
packed small potion bottles. There were three that matched Zi Di’s description.
After a quick identification, he discovered that all three were the same. He
also knew that Zi Di had a good habit—for each type of medicine, she would use
a different size bottle, stopper, label, etc., to differentiate them all.
After he opened the white mushroom-like cap, he put the thumb-shaped vial to Zi
Di’s lips. She opened her mouth, and he poured the thick red liquid into her
mouth. Just after a small mouthful, her eyes suddenly rolled back, and she
passed out.
The reaction stunned all those who were still conscious. Zhen Jin’s heart sank
in an instant. Their only pharmacist had fallen unconscious. What were they
meant to do now?
“Take off…the goatskins… Back, go back…” Suddenly, Cang Xu’s weak and hoarse
voice came. After exhausting all of his strength to say this, he lost
consciousness once again.
Both Huang Zao and Lan Zao had confidence in Cang Xu’s words. Huang Zao could
not move but Lan Zao, to an extent, could. He immediately doffed his woolen
clothes. Several breaths after taking them off, Lan Zao felt a noticeable
difference. “It has an effect! I can feel my entire body warming up again,” he
cried.
It was strange. The greatest purpose of woolen clothes is to keep the wearer
warm. Previously, when they were near the snowy mountains, these newly made
woolen clothes made the people feel happy. But now, after removing these
clothes that were meant to keep them warm, their cold, stiff bodies regained
vitality.
What was going on? Zhen Jin did not have the leisure to ponder on the mystery.
Although he did not understand it, he still ordered Bai Ya to remove the woolen
clothes off the fallen exploration team members and did the same himself.
After taking off the clothes, most of the team members who had fallen to the
ground but had not fallen unconscious regained the strength to stand up.
However, Zi Di, Cang Xu, Huang Zao, and a few others were still unconscious
with their eyes shut tight.
“Carry them, and let’s go back immediately!” said Zhen Jin, his voice steady
and his gaze unwavering.
Everyone who was awake knew the urgency of the matter. They used all of their
strength to drag the unconscious members with them as they returned the way
they came. Some, including Cang Xu, Zi Di, and Huang Zao were carried on the
backs of the head goats. Most of the goats Zhen Jin had ordered captured were
dead. Only the four strongest, the Bronze head goats, were left.
The further they retreated, the better everyone felt and the more of their
strength returned. Despite the temperature dropping increasingly lower, they
were no longer cold and stiff. On the contrary, they became warmer. Finally,
when everyone returned to where they had hunted the sheep, many had completely
recovered. Zi Di and Cang Xu also regained consciousness.
Zi Di untied the bandages on her arm and examined the recently made cut. She
discovered that the greenish gray flesh had returned to its normal color. Her
blood also flowed out normally. They were no longer a horror that resembled a
zombie.
It was as if everything that had happened before was just a nightmare. But two
dead bodies grimly reminded everyone that it had all, indeed, happened. The
exploration team had lost two members. These two lost consciousness and did not
awaken even as they were heading back. By the time they reached here, they had
breathed their last.
“I understand now. I understand why there are so many goats here. It’s because
they’re all poisonous, and whoever eats them will pay with their lives!”
exclaimed Huang Zao, with a face full of horror.
“It’s a curse, a devil’s curse! We can only stay here. As soon as we go a
little far from here, we will be poisoned again. It’ll only result in our
deaths!” Everyone discussed this with fright. They looked at the goats in the
distance grazing leisurely with fear.
Zhen Jin then stepped forward, looked around, and shouted, “All of you, shut
up! Calm down.” His prestige among them had been established so upon his order,
they meekly shut up, ending their chatter.
But Zhen Jin was aware that pressure alone would not be enough, he also had to
alleviate the panic in their hearts. Thus he continued, “With me here, what
must you fear? Things are far from getting out of hand and do not forget, we
still have Miss Zi Di. Not only is she a mage, but she is also an
extraordinarily skilled pharmacist.”
The fact of Zi Di losing consciousness upon drinking her potion was seemingly
forgotten by Zhen Jin. However, a number of them had seen it and had spread
this fact during the return journey.
Zhen Jin understood the hesitation in their hearts. He confidently smiled and
said, “Back then, none of us knew the cause of the poisoning and it is normal
to make mistakes during diagnosis and treatment. When using medicine, it is
always important to administer the correct medicine for the illness. Now that
we know the root cause, it is a different kettle of fish! How can these mere
goats tie our hands and feet? Gentlemen, I must still lead you out of this
island. It is far too early to give up now.”
Their confused, frightened faces started to change. Zhen Jin had blond hair,
fair skin, a high nose bridge, and eyes that shone like the stars. His
appearance alone was outstandingly handsome. He was also the heir to the House
of Bai Zhen, a knight of humanity’s strongest force, the Order of the Temple,
and one of the contenders for the position of the City Lord of White Sands.
Though he was wearing tattered mail, carrying a spear on his back, and had a
long crude knife at his waist, these embarrassing traits only highlighted the
youth’s resilient and indomitable mettle. He was like the rising sun at
daybreak, the light was not blinding and instead brought hope. He was like a
flag that fluttered atop a white castle under a serene blue sky, as long as one
caught sight of it, they would be unavoidably attracted to it and would want to
be commanded by it.
“My Lord! As long as we have you, there is nothing to fear! You are a knight, a
Templar Knight! In our moment of crisis this time, you are the one that saved
us,” hailed Bai Ya, full of emotion, breaking the silence.
“Master, we brothers have pledged with our lives to follow you, no matter when
or where, no matter if the sky falls on us or the earth opens up under us,”
professed Lan Zao.
The exploration team members began to shout animatedly.
“Lord Zhen Jin is right. By following Lord Zhen Jin, we will definitely escape
from here.”
“That’s right. I will entrust my life to you, my Lord!”



****** Chapter 31: The Truth Behind the Poisoning ******
Zhen Jin looked around. Seeing that everyone’s agitated mood had settled down
and that the light of hope was glimmering in their eyes, he felt relieved. He
ordered Huang Zao to direct everyone to set up camp again and create a
defensive perimeter by laying traps.
Inside the tent, Zhen Jin, Cang Xu, Zi Di, and Lan Zao gathered together once
more. Cang Xu started first, ashamedly admitting his mistake, “This is all my
fault! I did not expect the goat meat would be poisonous. The immediate
benefits blinded my eyes to reason! When I found how large the flocks were, I
should have realized how strange it was and been alert to any potential
dangers!”
Zhen Jin shook his head. “This island is strange and terrible, and we all
wanted to procure more food. The blame is not yours alone, Mr. Cang Xu. As the
leader, I am even more to blame. However, it is meaningless now to dwell on our
mistakes. Let us think carefully. How should we solve this dilemma?”
Sighing in admiration, Cang Xu replied, “This cold poison is very unusual. On
the surface, it seems the cold poison will flare up as long as we travel a
certain distance away from this place. But I believe the temperature is the
true cause. Here, near the snowy mountains, the temperature is low, and the
cold poison does not flare up.
“As we get farther from the snowy mountains, temperature increases, and after
reaching a certain degree, the cold poison in us would be triggered. The
evidence supporting this theory is the woolen garments! When we took them off,
our body temperatures rapidly fell, thus alleviating the symptoms of the cold
poison. That is all I know about the cold poison.”
After he finished, he turned to Zi Di. Zhen Jin and Lan Zao also did the same.
Ever since Zi Di regained her mobility, she had been experimenting with
concoctions using goat meat and her own blood.
Presently, she held a glass test tube containing a blood-like liquid in her
hand. She then carefully dropped small pellets into the tube. When the liquid
came into contact with the pellets, it began to bubble and boil. Then, with a
bang, the test tube exploded.
The red liquid that was in it spilled onto the tent’s flooring. But Zi Di was
not concerned. She bent down, her eyes focused, as she carefully picked out the
small pellets from the carpet. After a dozen breaths, she had collected many of
the pellets into the palm of her hand.
She examined these pellets. Immediately, she discovered all kinds of cracks had
appeared on the pellets. These cracks were not normal. Rather, they were tinged
with a gray hue. Seeing this, her eyes shone. “Everyone, I believe I have found
the true cause.”
“Oh? What kind of cold poison is it?” asked Zhen Jin.
Zi Di shook her head slightly. “In reality, there is no cold poison in the goat
meat. Before we ate the meat, for safety, I used various methods to test the
mutton’s edibility. My results were not wrong—the goat meat is not poisonous.”
The other three were baffled and wondered if something else was where the
poison came from. But Zi Di shook her again. “The goat meat is, indeed, the
cause of the problem.”
While the doubt on Zhen Jin’s and Lan Zao’s faces grew stronger, realization
dawned on Cang Xu’s face as he blurted out, “Is it an imbalance of magic
power?”
“Correct, that is the cause. Here, near those snowy mountains, the
concentration of ice elements is high. As the goat flocks survived and
multiplied here, the ice elements seeped into their bodies. If these goats were
born of nature, then their bodies could coordinate and accumulate the stable
magic power and form a magic crystal.
“However, according to our previous conjecture, these goats are all artificial
creatures and cannot coordinate their magic power. The ice elements in their
bodies cannot be assimilated in a natural way, and although the elements can be
transformed into magic, the magic power is very chaotic and mutually
conflicting. Other than the inability to form a magic crystal, it also
possesses another characteristic—when the temperature is low, it is relatively
stable and lurks in the body. When the temperature increases to a certain
degree, it would suddenly burst out and cause symptoms similar to cold poison.
“Back then, I thought it was a cold poison, so I took a detoxifier potion made
of fire element ingredients. As a result, the fire attribute magic power in the
potion instead stimulated the ice attribute magic power further. The clash of
these two elements was what caused me to lose consciousness.” Zi Di paused and
then continued, “Because of this, after we took off the goat wool clothes, our
body temperatures rapidly fell. This allowed the ice attribute magic power to
once again stabilize, thus quickly improving our condition.”
On hearing this analysis, the others were enlightened. This kind of situation
was actually quite common during the cultivation of Practitioners. For
instance, while meditating, a mage made a mistake, and the transformation of
ice elements into magic power fails, it would erode their bodies as if they
were afflicted with cold poison, and they could even completely freeze over.
Battle qi cultivators such as martial artists, knights, and swordsmen would eat
the flesh of magic beasts or drink magic potions. But if they failed to digest
the tremendous magic power in it, they would also suffer from backlash. This
phenomenon was not only present among human cultivators but was even more
common all throughout nature.
If mermen who lived their lives in the ocean went into the desert during the
day, their skin would dry up, their spirits would become listless, and other
problems would also occur. This was because, during the day, the desert would
be filled with fire, light, and other elements. Being immersed in such an
environment, the mermen would inevitably absorb the fire and light elements.
Although these elements were not actively absorbed, magic power would still
form on their skin. This magic power would conflict with the water element
magic power formed within the mermen, causing dry, cracked skin and mental
exhaustion.
In the north, a lush parasol tree was suddenly faced with a blizzard. After the
blizzard, all of the parasol tree’s leaves would fall off, leaving only bare
branches and frostbite in many places. This was magic power corrosion caused by
the sudden increase of ice elements.
Nature counters this by having many methods to resist magic power corrosion.
For example, a pine tree in the snow could keep its wood-type magic power
stable in an environment of abundant ice elements. Another example were the
rhinos of the savanna. To resist the scorching sun, they often roll in the mud
to construct an armor of mud. At the same time, the armor also shields it
against mosquito bites. The creation of a layer of earth-type magic power would
replace the skin in the war of attrition to defend against the corrosive magic
power of the outside world.
“Wait a minute. Following Lady Zi Di’s explanation, isn’t this goat meat a
great thing? This meat looks ordinary but actually contains magic power and so
it can be regarded as magic beast meat. Magic beast meat is an expensive
cultivation resource!” said Lan Zao, his voice reaching a whisper toward the
end. As a grassroots Bronze, he was very conscious of cultivation resources.
Indeed, the process of battle qi cultivation had a great demand for magic beast
meat. For instance, those who cultivated fire battle qi usually had to eat fire
attribute magic beast meat. On the one hand, magic beast meat was full of
nutrients, and eating it in the long-term would enhance the cultivator’s
vitality. On the other hand, the magic beast meat contained fire attribute
magic power.
After a battle qi cultivator ate it, the magic power in the food would seep
into the cultivator’s body. If ignored, this foreign magic power could cause
great harm. However, if the cultivator used a fire-type battle qi art, they
could rapidly absorb and transform this magic power, not only removing the
hidden danger but, more importantly, increasing their own battle qi.
Cang Xu nodded slightly. “What you have said is indeed a possibility. The
difference between magic beast meat and ordinary meat lies in whether it
contains magic power. Compared to normal magic beast meat, the magic power
accumulated in the goat meat is quite unusual. When the temperature is very
low, the magic power is stable and reined in, lurking deep within their bodies.
“And when the temperature rises to a certain degree, the magic power would
reveal its chaotic nature, breaking out and posing a fatal threat to those who
ate it. If one had an outstanding ice-type battle qi art that is capable of
withstanding and transforming this ice-type magic power, then this goat meat
would be a valuable magic beast meat for those who cultivate it.”
“However…there shouldn’t be many of these people,” said Zhen Jin with a
ruminating face.
A battle qi art was a method of coordinating, balancing, and circulating magic
power in the body as battle qi. There were many battle qi arts, of varying
quality. An outstanding battle qi art not only needed a creator of great
talent, but also for the successive generations to perfect it. The battle qi
arts that stood at the apex and were recognized as such were extremely few in
number, so few one could count them on their fingers. For example, Emperor
Sheng Ming’s Sacred Brightness Battle Qi, Duke Bing Hou’s Polar Blizzard Battle
Qi, and Saber Sage Wan Ri’s Blazing Flame Battle Qi.
The better a battle qi art was, the more efficiently it could absorb and
transform the magic power in magic beast meat. Under normal circumstances, the
magic power in magic beast meat was relatively stable. After being processed,
the magic power would not disperse quickly, and it could be easily perceived,
absorbed, and transformed.
But this goat meat was clearly not normal. The goats were not born of nature.
The abundance of magic power accumulated within their bodies far exceeded their
life level. The structure of the goat flocks were also strange, with the vast
majority being ordinary beasts and only a few being Bronze beasts.
Looking further, once the magic power in the goat meat burst out, it was
capable of immobilizing Bronzes like Lan Zao and Huang Zao. But when it was
quiet and lurking, whether it was Zhen Jin, Zi Di, Lan Zao, or anyone else,
none of them could sense it. These two characteristics of the magic structure
had raised the requirements of the ice-type battle qi arts by large margin.



****** Chapter 32: A Familiar Feeling ******
“If this goat meat could be developed as a resource, it would have a high
commercial value,” said Cang Xu. He raised his index finger. “Firstly, the
magic power contained in an ordinary goat is far more than the amount in a
normal Bronze magic beast. The cost of raising these ordinary goats compared to
the cost of raising the same number of Bronze magic beasts is enormous,
completely different concepts.” 
Then he raised his middle finger. “Secondly, although the composition of the
goat meat’s magic power is dangerous and strange, when cold, the magic power is
subdued and stable. It means the goat meat has a natural advantage for storage.
Under normal circumstances, once a magic beast is killed, the beast’s
accumulated magic power will dissipate as time passes. Usually, a magician or
an alchemist is needed to process the magic beast’s body on-site to seal in the
magic power to stabilize it for as long as possible. 
“Consider the largest magic beast hunting group in the Sheng Ming Continent—the
Giant Mouth Hunting Group. After they kill a magic beast, they would have the
specialized staff at the scene dismember it, seal it, transport it to the camp,
and then use magic formations to enhance the seals. Even with powerful seals,
the magic power would still dissipate and their value would also fall as time
passes. As such, in the case of extremely precious magic materials, the Giant
Mouth Hunting Group would not hesitate to use a teleportation formation to
transport it. 
“The cost of processing and transportation is enormous. And the more powerful
the magic beast was, the costlier it would be. As such, as long as the
conditions were right, the Giant Mouth Hunting Group would try to capture magic
beasts alive. They would transport the magic beasts alive back to the cities
and kill them there to sell the magic materials fresh. But this method has its
own problems. Magic beasts are expensive to feed and it takes powerful
Practitioners to monitor and suppress them, requiring much manpower, which also
has high costs to maintain.”
Finishing, Cang Xu returned to the main topic, the goat meat. “However, our
goat meat is different. As long as we construct a low-temperature container,
the ice-type magic power in the goat meat would be stable, with few leaks. This
is a huge advantage that could save us a lot of the storage and transportation
costs.” 
Zhen Jin felt a rush of excitement as he listened. He had had a plan for these
goats. It was to turn these goats into mounts and develop a cavalry unit. In
the future, when he became the City Lord of White Sands, if he had an elite
cavalry unit, it would be of great aid to control the state of affairs.
Therefore, Zhen Jin was not afraid of trouble and had personally subdued four
Bronze head goats and captured many of the kids to attempt to tame and raise
them.  
In the end, while the four Bronze goats had survived, the kids died. It could
be said that Zhen Jin’s goat calvary plan was a complete failure. But now, he
found another possibility—it was to sell the goat flesh directly. 
Such was life. Plans could never keep up with changes. Cold reality brings
disasters, smashing dreams and plans, while often bringing gifts at the same
time, allowing men to hold on to hope. Hope was everlasting. The key was
whether a person could find it. Many would fail to find hope in their lives and
sink into despair. For, to find hope, one did not only need a pair of bright
eyes but also a good mindset or deep wisdom. 
Zi Di’s eyes glowed as she agreed with Cang Xu, saying, “If we can find
Practitioners who can digest this goat meat, it would indeed be a huge
business. Since ordinary goats are very easy to capture, we could even conduct
large-scale rearing. The feeding and transportation costs are far lower
compared to Bronze or Iron magic beasts. This business could be quite
lucrative. Besides, there is another wonderful aspect to it—as long as we sell
in bulk at low prices, this business could allow us to build relations with the
top nobles of the Empire!” 
“Looking at it like that, these goats are walking, bleating piles of gold
coins,” said Lan Zao, his voice feverish and eyes wide open. 
Zi Di looked at Zhen Jin and said, “Lord Zhen Jin, if we can develop and
control this business, it will, no doubt, be a great help to you. Regardless of
competing to become the City Lord of White Sands or after you become the city
lord, you will need a great amount of capital. This business is like giving
yourself wings! It could also bring us the support of top nobles!” 
Zhen Jin nodded, knowing the future prospects and benefits, but his demeanor
was still calm. “This matter needs to be considered for the long-term, but the
matter at hand is to solve the chaotic magic power in our bodies.” 
The atmosphere in the tent then calmed down a little. The ice magic power could
not be allowed to remain lurking in their bodies. Even if the magic power had
little activity, it would still secretly eat away at the body. In the short
term, it seemed harmless. But, in fact, the magic power was damaging their
vitality. Moreover, if their body temperature ever rose, it would become a
deadly killer.
Zhen Jin did not want this. He needed to resolve his own problems while saving
everyone’s lives. He still wanted to take these people with him to the beastman
continent to compete for the lordship of White Sands City. So how could he
resolve this conundrum? 
Gazes gathered on Zi Di. It all depended on the pharmacist’s performance now.
Zi Di was solemn as she felt the heavy burden on her shoulders. She muttered,
“I need to experiment first. For the time being, I cannot give you an answer.”
Zhen Jin nodded. “What do you need? We will do our best to help you.”
And so Zhen Jin gave his tent to Zi Di. Lan Zao once more led a group out to
hunt goats, with Cang Xu personally conducting the dissections. Zhen Jin also
hunted a Bronze head goat to help. The goat flesh, bones and fur which
contained magic power were transported to the tent in batches.  
Lights in the tent were lit from the gloaming till close to dawn. Zi Di had
dark circles under her eyes when she opened the tent flap. “I need grass.” 
“Grass?” asked Zhen Jin, who was keeping watch outside the tent. 
“The food of the goats. The more grass the better. Note that it must be plucked
out by the roots,” instructed Zi Di.
Zhen Jin nodded and gave the orders. Fortunately, he had these subordinates and
ample manpower. On his own, he would not have been able to meet Zi Di’s urgent
needs. 
He did not know how much progress Zi Di had made and was worried, but his face
revealed none of it. He continued to stand by the tent, his hand resting on the
crude wooden hilt of his blade, and his body ramrod straight. Whenever the
exploration team members passed by, they would see Zhen Jin’s silhouette, and
their restless hearts would be calmed and their hopes would swell. 
Everyone dug out the grass by the roots, and after the dirt was removed, the
grass was sent to the tent in heaps. The tent was like a bear that had woken up
from hibernation, endlessly devouring food with an insatiable stomach. Zhen Jin
could smell all kinds of strange smells wafting out from the tent. 
When the sun was up in the east and the sky was filled with the rose tint of
the morning, Zi Di’s voice came, “Lord Zhen Jin, are you still there?”
“I am,” replied Zhen Jin. 
“Please come in.” 
Zhen Jin’s spirit was roused. He turned around, opened the flap, and entered.
The smells were even more pungent inside the tent, lingering about as a faint
mist. 
Zi Di’s face was haggard, but her wide-open, crystal-clear eyes revealed her
excitement. “Luckily, I have not failed,” said Zi Di, raising the glass vial in
her hand which was filled with an azure liquid. 
“It turns out,” she continued, “the goats are also victims like us. What
actually contained the accumulated ice-type magic power was this grass. The
vital aura of this grass is very ordinary. However, it contains rich ice-type
magic power. When the goats eat this grass, the magic power would enter their
bodies. Then, when we ate the goats, we also became contaminated by this
unusual magic power.” 
The truth revealed by Zi Di surprised him. “Based on what you said, does that
mean that these grasses are comparable to magic plants and have astonishing
value?” asked Zhen Jin. 
Zi Di nodded. “This grass is extremely rich in sap, especially the roots which
are comparable to fruits. However, I still suggest we sell goat meat. This kind
of grass is very easy to copy, whether by a druid master or the Temple of Life.
As long as they can acquire a certain amount of the grass, they could cultivate
this in large quantities. And that is not considering beings like Grand Duke
Sen Xu.”
The potion was made, but its actual effects still needed to be tested. Of
course, Zhen Jin would not be the first to drink it. He ordered for a small
group to gather. 
When Huang Zao heard this, he immediately volunteered to be first.  This drew
the berating of Lan Zao, and Huang Zao had to give up. As the younger brother,
he dared not resist his older brother. 
Thus before everyone’s gazes, Lan Zao swallowed the first potion in one
gulp—“Blech!” Immediately after drinking it, his face turned blue. He grabbed
at his throat, opened his mouth, and gagged with wide-open eyes. But to his
distress, he could not expel anything. 
“Big brother!” shouted Huang Zao in alarm. The others were also bewildered. 
“Don’t worry. This is a normal reaction,” said Zi Di in a level tone,
reassuring them. 
Just as her voice fell, Lan Zao suddenly bent over and vomited a mouthful of
blood. The red blood had a blue hue mixed into it. In particular, there were a
few thumb-sized ice chunks. These ice chunks exuded a dense cold air and had a
strange blue-purple color. After vomiting these things, Lan Zao instantly felt
lighter and relaxed, and the blue on his face quickly receded. 
Zi Di checked the vomited substances and said with a smile, “Good, you should
have thrown up all the ice-type magic power inside your body. The purpose of
the potion I made was to absorb the ice-type magic power, coagulate it, and
expel it via vomit. As long as you do not eat any more of the goat meat, the
poison will not appear again.” 
In order to confirm it, everyone accompanied Lan Zao a certain distance from
the camp. Not only did they walk to where they had found themselves poisoned
before but went even further away than that, and Lan Zao was still energetic
and did not have any unusual conditions. Everyone was exalted and started
taking the potions.
Zhen Jin drank the sixth potion. This was Zi Di’s special arrangement. With the
previous tests, there was sufficient proof of the medicine's efficacy.
Therefore she was at ease when Zhen Jin took the potion.  
After taking it, Zhen Jin had a similar reaction to Lan Zao. He vomited out
blood and ice chunks, expelling all of the ice-type magic power that was in his
body.  
“This is‽” In a split second, Zhen Jin’s complexion changed. 
“Is there something wrong?” Zi Di rushed over with concern. 
“It's nothing,” said Zhen Jin, shaking his head. However, his heart was still
reeling from the shock brought to him. Just after he vomited, he felt an
indescribable feeling of emptiness. This feeling had left a deep impression on
him, so much so that he had recalled it many times. 
He was extremely familiar with it! Not long ago, when he killed the Silver
blade-legged spider, his hands had transformed into sharp claws. When his hands
returned to normal, he had felt this exact same feeling of emptiness. What is
going on? thought Zhen Jin with doubts growing in his heart.



****** Chapter 33: Regaining a Secret Art ******
It was late into the quiet night and the tent was dark and disconnected from
the chill outside. Zhen Jin was lying on a mat of hay and dried leaves with a
thin quilt over him. He and Zi Di used to eat and sleep in the open, but now
their circumstances had become cozy and warm. 
The feeling of weakness from drinking the potion still lingered in him, but
neither the cozy sleeping environment nor his exhausted body was enough to make
Zhen Jin fall asleep. The youth’s eyes were wide open, and his brows were
furrowed as he pondered over the feeling of emptiness. I am not mistaken. This
is almost the same feeling! Zhen Jin was very certain by now.
When he fought the blade-legged spiders, he lacked a dagger to cut himself free
from the spider’s webs, which left him in peril. However, at that most mortal
moment, his hands transformed into sharp claws. Therewith, Zhen Jin
counterattacked and killed the spider. His hands then turned back to normal and
an indescribable emptiness came from deep within his body.
What he felt now could not be distinguished from then. The theory behind the
potion was to condense the ice-type magic power in the body and expel it.
Therefore, this emptiness should be from the sudden drain of a large amount of
magic power. Zhen Jin placed great importance on this discovery because the
transformation ability held enormous value.
In his current situation, Zhen Jin could not use his battle qi, leaving him
unable to display his true strength. If he were in desperate straits once more,
and he could change his hands into sharp claws, it would no doubt be a strong
trump card. Could it be that when Zi Di treated me, she unintentionally made a
transformation potion? And that was how I gained the monkey bear
transformation?
A transformation potion made by a grandmaster pharmacist could even temporarily
transform a human into a great dragon. In the last century, transformation
potions had become popular in the high society of the human race. 
The key figure behind it was the Duchess Ai Mei. Not only was the duchess
powerful, but she also had great influence and was very fond of womanly charm
and beauty. She had researched and developed thousands of transformation
potions, but different from the mentality of previous grandmasters, the vast
majority of potions made by her were very simple and their effects were minor.
Such as changing skin or hair color, straightening the nose bridge, enlarging
the eyes, or similar cosmetic effects. Ai Mei’s potions were now a household
name and bestseller in the Sheng Ming Empire and this business had also become
the largest source of earnings for the duchess. 
Zhen Jin carefully recalled his memories. He charged to his death and killed
the monkey bear, and in the process, he was seriously injured to the point of
death, going in and out of dim consciousness. Yet he remembered one moment in
clarity—that when Zi Di transfused the bear’s blood into him. According to Zi
Di's later explanation, she was desperate and had no choice but to make a risky
attempt. It was fortunate that she succeeded.
The bear blood should have contained a lot of magic power, similar to when I
ate the goat meat. This magic power was then lying lurking until my
transformation consumed a part of it, which led me to feel that great
emptiness. Naturally, there is another possibility—battle qi. That’s a more
complicated matter. 
Perhaps aroused by my fatal crisis, I instinctively stimulated my potential and
used battle qi. The upper limit of the island’s magic and battle qi restriction
has not been measured. Perhaps I am a Gold cultivator and might have
temporarily broken through the restriction and used my Gold battle qi. But Gold
battle qi is not the key element. That being, in that dark peril, my bloodline
also awakened!
When a bloodline awakened, one’s appearance would change. A knight with the
dragon bloodline would grow dragon scales on their skin. A warlock with the
hydra bloodline would have their circular human pupils transformed into
vertical snake pupils. The Marquess Jin Mang Ke of the Sheng Ming Empire was a
powerful Saint. In recent years, he had been very active on the battlefield and
had a loud reputation. Whenever he fought a bloody battle, his battle qi would
be stimulated and his bloodline would awaken. It would cause golden levin to
arc all over him, turn his black hair golden, and cause his hair to expand and
clump into a shock of hair like swollen muscles.
Bloodline awakening was not common. Even amongst the mighty, only a fraction of
them would have it. This was because one’s bloodline needed to reach a high
concentration to have a possibility of awakening it. 
If I am a Gold cultivator, based on my age, I must have outstanding talent.
This kind of talent also means I possess a fairly concentrated bloodline so it
is not strange for bloodline awakening to happen to me! But the source of my
bloodline should be the golden queen bee. After my bloodline awakens, I should
have the characteristics of a queen bee. So why did I have a pair of claws?
Perhaps I have other bloodlines? 
Such things could not be ascertained. Human nobles often had a scandalous
private life, leading to the mixing of bloodlines, and some bloodlines would
forever lay dormant if they were not stimulated withal. 
Under the stimulus of death, I released my Gold battle qi and awakened some
mysterious bloodline, turning my hands into sharp claws. However, why were they
the same claws as the monkey bear’s claws? Is it only a coincidence? 
Therefore, after he considered all possible factors and possibilities, he felt
that the transformation potion scenario was the most likely. There was a
possibility of bloodline awakening, but it was comparatively small. But this
brought on whole new questions. 
Is there still some magic power of the monkey bear lingering? If so, is this
magic power having a corrosive effect on me? 
The consequences of magic corrosion were grave. Different bloodlines could not
coexist peacefully. If a human noble had two bloodlines, one would be high-
level while the other would be low-level, a stronger and a weaker. When they
started cultivation, the high-level bloodline would go from strength to
strength until it finally expelled the inferior bloodline from the body.  
If both bloodlines were high-level and stubborn, it would be more troublesome.
One must cultivate a specific battle qi art that balances the two bloodlines.
The balance could be in having one as a primary and the other as a secondary,
and it was also possible for both bloodlines to maintain equal strength.
However, if the balance was broken, a violent conflict would form between the
bloodlines and the Practitioner would be heavily injured or even die.
Bloodlines determined aptitude and aptitude was the key to grasping strength in
the future.  
The human race’s pursuit of bloodlines had always been crazy and obsessive.
Nobles would think of every possible method to intermarry with stronger
bloodlines. Many nobles were connected by marriage and their private lives were
a confusing mess not only because of lust but also from the obsession to create
offspring with outstanding aptitude. 
Among all the races, humans were experts at reproduction, being better at it
than elves and dwarves. However, those born with outstanding talent were always
a minority. Furthermore, the more powerful an individual was, the more
difficult it was for them to reproduce, and the price of giving birth was also
extremely high.  
In addition to offspring, humans also used other dishonest methods. Such as
using magic, concocting potions, constructing habitats, making deals with
demons, and so on, all to forcefully implant high-level bloodlines into their
bodies. Implanting high-level bloodlines was not impossible, and there were
even many methods that could temporarily succeed. But all outcomes were usually
tragic. 
Firstly were mutations, where the human body would produce horrifying
aberrations. These deformities were not limited to the physical body and could
also affect the mind. Many cases had symptoms such as insanity, ravings,
confusion, dementia, and other mental illnesses. Secondly, the lifeform’s
original stability would be completely smashed and its lifespan would be
severely reduced, leading to a short existence. Lastly, there was the withering
of the soul. 
Zhen Jin had never heard of a case where someone was completely successful in
obtaining a bloodline through external force. This was why bloodlines were so
rare and precious. Higher-level bloodlines produced outstanding aptitudes, and
outstanding aptitudes over time would form formidable strength. And strength
meant power. This was the reason why human nobles were nobles and why they
could place themselves over the majority of their kind. It stemmed from their
solid foundations—bloodlines were the cornerstone and pride of the nobility!
Zi Di treated me and unintentionally made a transformation potion and this
could let me transform my hands into the claws of a beast. This means that
external force was used to mix the monkey bear bloodline into me. This inferior
bloodline will have a bad contaminating influence on my noble bloodline. If
this influence is great, my cultivation aptitude will fall. 
Transformation potions could not be abused, the consequences for doing so were
serious and costly. 
Regardless of whether I have Silver or Gold cultivation, I am still young with
a long future ahead. This is only my starting point and by no means my end. If
this transformation potion dims my prospects, then it is not worth it. 
Bronze, Iron, Silver, and Gold. Beyond them, there was Saint and Legend. And
beyond them, there lay that which is even greater! Who would not want to become
a Saint, a Legend, and still greater? Zhen Jin did not want to see his growth
obstructed by this monkey bear blood, reducing his potential and hope and
turning his radiant prospects wan.  
Since the emptiness came from an enormous consumption of magic power, does that
mean the monkey bear’s magic power can be considered as depleted? When my hands
transformed before, did it use up all the corresponding magic power? Is there
any leftover magic power inside my body? Since then, regardless of my attempts,
my arms were incapable of transforming. Does this prove that the magic power is
gone?
Including this latest occurrence, when I drank the potion, the foreign magic
power within my body was vomited out. Was Zi Di’s potion effective on the
monkey bear’s magic power too? Maybe I should reveal everything and ask her to
create a specialized emetic potion for me?   
Zhen Jin’s thoughts were many, but being in as poor health as he was, he soon
fell asleep.  
 *
Where am I? Am I dreaming? 
Before he knew it, he found himself in an open field. In front of him was a
long wooden table with a bow and a cluster of arrows on it. One hundred meters
away, there stood three targets. The wooden table was crude and rough. The
targets were sacks of hay in a human figure with a white cloth over the head,
and on it were several concentric circles with the center smeared with a red
fuel.
This was an archery range and there were only two people here. One was Zhen
Jin, and the other was a middle-aged man. The man’s posture was straight, he
had a thin mustache divided in the middle, and his slightly upturned face
carried on it the touch of aristocratic arrogance. Zhen Jin recognized this
middle-aged man. This was his father and the current head of the Bai Zhen
family. Because of his incomplete memory, Zhen Jin lacked any emotions towards
the man, however, the memories he did recall let him learn of the close
relationship between them.  
“Lord Father, I have obeyed your summons,” Zhen Jin found himself saying. 
The Bai Zhen family head nodded. “It has been a few days since you returned
from the Imperial Capital. I have come to check whether you have been training
hard or not there. This time we will compare skills in archery. If you can win,
I will bestow you a swift bee.”  
On hearing this, Zhen Jin’s eyes immediately brightened. Swift bees were a
flying mount. Although it could only fly three meters off the ground, it was
still expensive with few circulating in the market. The number of nobles in the
Empire that had the know-how to breed swift bees were few. The Bai Zhen House
was one of them. 
After a moment, Zhen Jin heard himself speak in a sad and hesitant tone, “But
Lord Father, your arm…“ Zhen Jin immediately understood: This should have taken
place not long after the Bai Zhen family head and Qing Kui dueled.  He had more
than relevant memories about this. He knew his father had formidable strength,
however, because he was negligent in his battle against Qing Kui, his arm was
severed. Indeed, how could he use a bow with one arm? 
The Bai Zhen family head, however, showed no care. "It's okay. You shoot
first."
Zhen Jin then picked up his longbow, skillfully nocked an arrow, and with a
whoosh, hit a target in the head. Perhaps because of Zhen Jin’s gloominess, he
did not hit the red bullseye. Zhen Jin put the longbow back on the table. 
It was the family head’s turn. He smiled faintly as he undid a button on his
shirt, which revealed a hidden pocket on the inside. The hidden pocket had fine
and detailed needlework and there were also ten long needles arranged inside
it. The needles were all of the same length, about as long as an adult index
finger. They seemed crystalline but with a faint cloudy white color instead of
being transparent.
“Take a good look, my son.” The one armed man used his index and middle finger
to grasp one of the white crystal needles. He then activated his Gold battle qi
and imbued the crystal needle with it, and immediately, it shone with a bright
golden luster. The Bai Zhen Clan patriarch faced the target and lightly flicked
his fingers. 
Whizz! A piercing whistling resounded in Zhen Jin’s ears. At the same time, he
saw the golden needle streak across the air, leaving behind it a ray of light.
The ray of light flew straight into the center of the target, and soon after,
with a loud bang, the entire target exploded. 
“This is‽” Zhen Jin was shook, with his mouth hanging open. 
The Bai Zhen family head smiled and explained, “There are many kinds of battle
qi arts. Among them are those that cannot be easily revealed to others, and
they are known as secret arts. What you saw now is the secret art our Bai Zhen
House has handed down through the generations—the Needle Point Explosion. Do
you want to learn it?”    
“I want to learn it! I ask Lord Father to teach me,” said Zhen Jin loudly, his
spirit visibly roused and his previous devastation and gloom swept away. The
Bai Zhen family head proceeded to impart his teachings and then put a crystal
needle into Zhen Jin’s hand. Zhen Jin made use of this opportunity and observed
it, and thought, This crystal needle is not ordinary. It is, at the least, a
Gold apparatus! After that, Zhen Jin found himself essaying the art several
times, but he had no success. 
“You have grasped the fundamentals and your process of using the art had no
mistakes. The reason why you didn’t succeed is not strange,” said the middle-
aged nobleman. “The reason you fail lies in you not having enough battle qi. To
use the Needle Point Explosion secret art, you need to consume a great amount
of battle qi. Even with Gold cultivation, one can only use ten needles in a
row. Based on your current battle qi reserves, you should barely be able to
imbue and throw one needle.”
Zhen Jin smiled bitterly. “Lord Father, if that is the case, is it not
dangerous for me to use this secret art?” Using up all the battle qi one had to
barely drive one needle. If he faced an enemy and missed the target with the
needle, then without battle qi, Zhen Jin would be in a very difficult
situation. 
The Bai Zhen family head’s smile thinned and his face turned severe. He stared
at Zhen Jin and said with deep emotion, “My son, the world is pitiless. Whether
in a battle or elsewhere, you will always find yourself at the heart of peril.
Oftentimes, you will find that using all your strength for that one shot is the
wisest choice. That desolation after using up your battle qi is hard to bear
and painful, but you just have to do it. Do not fear danger and nor fear
sacrifice!”



****** Chapter 34: I Want You ******
Thud. With a soft sound, a dagger flew through the air and embedded its tip
into a wooden stake. Zhen Jin withdrew his hand and thoughtfully looked at the
many wooden stakes before him. 
When he got up in the morning, he issued a command to collect long-range
weaponry. Bows and crossbows were the most common. In addition, there were also
some specialized throwing weapons like throwing axes and tridents and other
weapons that could be thrown such as javelins and daggers. 
All these weapons were now accurately thrown by him into wooden stakes near and
far. Zhen Jin examined his performance and evaluated himself, Strictly
speaking, daggers are not weapons specially made to be thrown. Yet I threw a
dozen daggers without missing my mark. Daggers aside, whether it is a javelin,
a throwing ax, or a trident, it is all the same to me. It went without saying
that the bow and the crossbow were the same. If I had darts, I should be able
to do the same.  
Darts were not common. In the east of the Sheng Ming Continent, there was a
unique battle qi art that could make its practitioners light as a swallow and
skilful in throwing darts, daggers, and other similar weapons. As a result,
darts were quite prevalent in the east of the Sheng Ming Continent while being
rare elsewhere. 
It is evident that last night was not a dream but another piece of memory that
has returned to me. Heretofore, this skill with throwing weapons was beyond
Zhen Jin, and now, he was capable of it like it was instinct. No. This should
be the result of my diligent cultivation and training. Only that I was simply
unable to use it, and my dream last night unsealed my memory. It's a pity that
although I have the memory of the secret art Needle Point Explosion, I am still
incapable of using it. If I could fully use this secret art, its power would
pose a great threat to the island’s monsters. 
Zhen Jin sighed. The Needle Point Explosion was a battle skill requiring the
imbuing of battle qi into the special flying needles, and without battle qi, he
could not display its true might. Even so, with his memory reappearing, Zhen
Jin’s strength gained a small improvement. In the past, he had wielded a
longsword, fighting bravely in close combat, but now, with his throwing skill,
his range had increased to several hundred paces.   
“This is truly worthy of the Hundred Needle bloodline! In terms of precision,
the Hundred Needle bloodline can be ranked in the top five in all of the Sheng
Ming Continent. Lord Zhen Jin, you are the hope of the Bai Zhen House, and you
will surely bring glory back to your house.”
Amid his contemplation, he heard a familiar voice. He turned around and, as he
expected, saw Cang Xu. He slowly walked over, and over his face came a shape of
respect as looked at the many stakes filled with thrown weapons.   
 But Zhen Jin shook his head. He had been practicing since dawn, and apart from
confirming that the dream was his memory, he wanted to use this golden
opportunity to spark other relevant memories and understand how to use his
battle qi. Unfortunately, he did not succeed. 
He had previously inquired about his subordinates’ battle qi arts and attempted
to use them. Yet regardless of his great efforts, with the island’s restriction
in place, he simply could not feel any reaction and nor stimulate the battle qi
hidden in his body. 
He would not confide these vexations to Cang Xu. “Tell me, how is our current
situation?” asked Zhen Jin, standing still as he regulated his breathing. He
knew Cang Xu had come to report to him. 
“Reporting to my Lord, not one person has died.” In one sentence, Cang Xu made
Zhen Jin relax and heave a sigh of relief. The scholar continued, “We are lucky
to have such a pharmacist as Lady Zi DI! Nearly everyone has benefited from her
potions. Currently, more than half of the group has taken the medicine and they
are all weak, some unconscious, some feverish. A severe illness is inevitable
for them.” 
A sufficient quantity of medicine had already been made. However, for security,
Cang Xu arranged for the exploration team to take it in batches. As a result,
there was still a portion who had not drunk the potion. 
Zhen Jin nodded. “So, how much did the health of the first batch decline?” 
Cang Xu shook his head slightly. “The situation is still developing, however,
so far, it seems all of these people are in weak health and their strength has
dropped to varying degrees depending on the person. Some have it mildly while
others are severely affected. Overall, it is still fine as no one has been
disabled or crippled.” On mentioning this, Cang Xu’s complexion sank. “My Lord,
I believe that the danger of magic corrosion has been resolved, and its threat
to the team is not great. But there is another difficult problem ahead of us.” 
“Victuals?” Zhen Jin’s eyes flashed with understanding. 
“My Lord’s eyes are clear.” Cang Xu bowed lightly with unconcealed concern. “We
do not have much food left.” 
Zhen Jin gestured back to him. He had been paying close attention to the stock
of provisions and was not surprised. Cang Xu’s suggestion to hunt the goats,
after all, was for meat. Both the exploration team and the group stuck at the
beach had a great need for food. The exploration team originally had abundant
food, but it had been a long time since they left on their journey and as a
result, most of their food had been consumed. 
Zhen Jin and Zi Di had plentiful food, but it was plenty only for two. The
share left for each person with their current number was scant. Unless Zhen Jin
decided to abandon them to preserve his food. 
“How long will it last us?” inquired Zhen Jin. 
The scholar immediately replied, “Roughly fifteen days.” 
Zhen Jin nodded, satisfied with the report. This is the role of an advisor. And
Cang Xu is a qualified advisor. He discovered the problems ahead of time and
warned us of them. Many things can seem very trivial, and it can be hard to
take care of everything as a leader. At this time, someone needs to check and
plug the leaks. 
Fifteen days may seem long but it is in the danger zone. A sense of urgency
rose in Zhen Jin’s heart. He had experienced dangers on this island for many
days, and he understood how difficult it was to acquire food. Cang Xu must have
understood it also. After he joined the exploration team, he went through more
trials and tribulations but he had not been able to gain large amounts of food
in one swoop. The one opportunity he found in goat hunting had almost led to
the death of all of them. 
Zhen Jin thought for a while and asked again, “Do you have any good ideas?”
Cang Xu hesitated once before replying, “I am ashamed to say it but I can do
nothing in this matter. Perhaps Lady Zi Di can?” 
When Zhen Jin heard him, his heart was moved and he looked deeply at Cang Xu.
His words imply something deeper. Did he figure it out? Actually…the secret of
the grass is hard to keep hidden. Perhaps it could fool the others, but Cang Xu
had been following closely from beginning to end. He has an extensive breadth
of knowledge, and it would be quite normal to understand this secret. 
There is one simple way to solve our difficult food problem. Zi Di could make
more potions and give them to the goats. After the goats spit out the chaotic
magic power, would the meat not be fine to eat? Cang Xu’s suggestion seems to
point to this method, but he did not state it explicitly. After all, this grass
is special. It contains dense ice-type magic power and is a high-quality
natural resource. Any force would cautiously cover up this secret. 
Mr. Cang Xu is belike feigning ignorance of this matter. Indeed, he has served
the nobility for most of his life. Thinking about this, Zhen Jin admired Cang
Xu more. The most admirable aspect of Cang Xu was that he knew how to restrain
his intellect and not offend others because of his wisdom. He offered his
suggestion measured so as to minimize offending others.
But at the same time, he upheld his own principles. Cang Xu knew that to the
exploration team, food was extremely important. Currently, the team had plenty
of water and a rare replenishment spot nearby. Food was the key. Once there was
a food shortage, the body’s energy intake would decrease, strength would
continue to decline, and combat ability would fall, and therefore the ability
to resist external crises would fall accordingly. 
If the situation did not improve, this vicious cycle would drag the exploration
team into the abyss and doom them. As a matter of fact, everyone had a good
idea about the food reserves, and once the reserves entered a dangerously low
level, the exploration team members would involuntarily be burdened by the
stress of it. This kind of mental pressure would increase over time, and it was
very possible that no vicious beast needed to attack for the team to collapse
as it would come from internal strife over the remaining food. 
While many things had become convenient for Zhen Jin and Zi Di with the added
manpower, it also brought with it new pressures and inconveniences. Cang Xu was
worried that Zhen Jin would be careless in addressing this aspect and therefore
pointed out the vital importance of provisions. 
From his perspective, preserving the exploration team’s existence was
preserving his own life. Cang Xu was a scholar and did not cultivate battle qi.
To raise his chances of survival, he could only attach himself to others. At
the same time, the more people there were in the team, the greater the value of
his management skills and learnedness would be. Cang Xu understood how to
survive. 
I really wish to put such a talent in my employ, Zhen Jin sighed to himself.
Serving as a steward is not suitable for him. He is not a Practitioner so he
cannot suppress a situation by himself. However, as an advisor, he qualifies,
if not excels.   
Cang Xu left the house he served out of his desire to produce his work. This is
his ambition as a scholar and is understandable. An ordinary person would
consider remaining by the side of the noble he serves as the best option. Why
bother putting yourself in danger for a book?
Zhen Jin was stirred. I had intended to take advantage of Cang Xu’s ambition to
slowly draw him to my side, but isn’t the present dilemma a good opportunity to
recruit him? As Zhen Jin changed his train of thought, his eyes slowly shone.
Before, he thought to slowly scheme. But he was not the only Templar Knight
going to White Sands City. There were at least two other competitors.
Therefore, the best opportunity was not in the future but in the present. So,
it turns out this island is an opportunity for me. For the first time, Zhen Jin
felt the loveliness of the island.



****** Chapter 35: Explosive Fiery Cavalry ******
Zhen Jin was not in a rush to look for Zi Di right away. With Cang Xu following
him, he arrived at the camp. Many people were lying here and there. They had
recently taken the potion, and they needed comforting. 
“My Lord.” “Hail Your Lordship.” On seeing the Templar Knight, they struggled
to get up and tried to salute his coming. 
“Everyone, lie back down.” Zhen Jin waved his palm in a downward motion. “Do
not worry, men. The Imperial standard flies still, and the gods of the Temple
too watch over us. This setback is nothing, and as long as we live, anything is
possible. Follow me, and I will bring you out of this island and to glory!” 
After Zhen Jin encouraged them, he left together with Cang Xu.   
“As long as we have you, my Lord, morale will not fall. You are the pillar of
hope in our hearts!” exclaimed Cang Xu. 
Zhen Jin smiled. Cang Xu’s attitude was not pure flattery, and he did have such
an influence. This was what it was to be a leader. This was the effect of being
strong. It is only natural. However, the most important factor is my identity
as a Templar Knight. This he knew. Templar Knights had an exalted status in the
hearts of the Empire’s people. 
They walked on and arrived at a nearby hillside. A crude temporary thatched
house had been built here, and a circular fence surrounded it, and a few goats
were within the enclosure. These goats were the heads of the flocks they had
captured and possessed a Bronze vital aura. Since the exploration team was in
weak health, these goats had been isolated here. Bai Ya held charge of them.
Because he had not eaten the goat meat, he avoided suffering from the chaotic
magic power. As a result, he was given a nickname—Lucky Boy. 
Lucky Boy Bai Ya had been quite busy these last few days. Not only had he been
taking care of the goats but also the incapacitated people. Many had received
his kindness, which made him very popular. Among them was Huang Zao, who had
misunderstood Bai Ya, and after receiving his care, Huang Zao took the
initiative to impart to him his battle qi art. 
Noticing their arrival, Bai Ya rushed to open the gate and respectfully
welcomed them in. “My Lord, I’m sorry. I’ve failed to live up to your
expectations. I-I haven’t accomplished anything…” stammered out Bai Ya, looking
ashamed. 
Zhen Jin patted the young man's shoulder and consoled him, “It matters not. I
know you have worked hard.” Although Zhen Jin was younger than him, as Bai Ya
heard these words, his anxiety and worry dissipated greatly, and his shame
turned into appreciation of Zhen Jin. 
“Many thanks, my Lord, you are so magnanimous!” said Bai Ya.  
Zhen Jin waved his hand, indicating for Bai Ya to withdraw.
“My Lord, excuse your subordinate,” saying so, he left the enclosure.
He had ordered Bai Ya to train these goats with the intent of taming them as
mounts. If this plan succeeded, it would be of great help to Zhen Jin now and
in the future. The idea of a goat cavalry was entrenched deep in his mind. He
gave this task to Bai Ya because he was healthy and, as he was from a hunter’s
family, had dealt with animals quite a bit, but so far it seemed that he was
incapable of taming the goats. He was not disappointed as his expectations were
small. This sort of thing was done by beast tamers or druids. He knew that
counting on an ordinary son of a hunter was quite unrealistic. 
Zhen Jin then said, “Concerning the food shortage issue, I have already found a
solution. We shall concoct potions for the goats to take, and once they spit
out the magic power in their bodies, their meat will be purified.”  
Cang Xu hesitated for a moment, deliberated his words, and replied, “My Lord, I
fear this method won’t work. We could expel our internal magic power because we
only suffered from corrosion. However, these goats are the source of the magic
power, and it is a part of them as if they were their limbs or organs. If we
give the goats the potion, though it can eliminate a great deal of their magic
power, there would still be some leftovers. At the same time, this would also
inflict serious injury to the goats, most likely killing them on the spot.”
Zhen Jin laughed and looked deeply at Cang Xu. “In truth, these goats are
victims just like us. The origin of the magic power is not in them but in the
seemingly ordinary grass growing nearby.” 
Zhen Jin’s candor left Cang Xu stunned. The old scholar looked at the youth,
and their gazes met midair. The old scholar blinked, realization coming to him
of what Zhen Jin had meant by this.
Zhen Jin continued, “Did Mr. Cang Xu not realize this secret?”
Cang Xu’s heart trembled as Zhen Jin continued to pressure him, giving him the
illusion of facing a ruthless swordsman’s unrelenting attack. The old scholar
was coloured in uncertainty, and his eyes shook as he replied, “I am dimwitted
and did not realize this secret.”  
Zhen Jin stared at Cang Xu for a while, and seeing that the old scholar made no
further responses, disappointment came over his heart. He made a faint hmm,
turned, and stepped toward the fence gate.
As he was about to open the gate, Cang Xu suddenly said, “Lord Zhen Jin, your
candidness and foresight are things men can’t help but admire in their hearts.
You see the greater picture as one who is a great man does, and despite your
current predicaments, you still try to organize a cavalry. And indeed, cavalry
is very useful as they can attack and defend very well. Having outstanding
cavalry on hand will usually allow one to grasp the initiative. However, in my
humble person’s opinion, these goats are not your optimal choice. You have a
better choice.” 
“Oh?”  Zhen Jin put one hand on the gate and turned to face Cang Xu. “Then let
me hear your opinion, Mr. Cang Xu.” 
“My Lord, although these goats are high-level lifeforms, they are not products
of nature. There might be hidden dangers. Moreover, they can’t coordinate their
magic power. If they are used to form a cavalry, their upper limit would be
quite low. In addition, my Lord, in the future you will be the Lord of White
Sands City. The surrounding terrain is flat, and there are vast forests going
into the interior of the Wilderness Continent. There are no mountainous
terrains, making it unsuitable to display the power of a goat cavalry,” said
the old scholar with a frank certainty.  
Zhen Jin wore indifference, but in his heart, he acknowledged Cang Xu’s words.
He was aware of these shortcomings, but the crux of the matter was, if not with
the goats, what else could he use to organize a cavalry? He was in a state of
impoverishment. Although he was a grand Templar Knight, his subordinates had
all only recently come under his command, and once they left this island,
whether they would continue to follow him was something to be debated.
Cang Xu asked, “My Lord, how much do you know about the explosive hoof fiery
horses?” 
“It sounds quite familiar.” Zhen Jin frowned in thought, then said, “Duke Heng
Le?” 
Duke Heng Le was famous for being a playboy when he was young. His parents died
early on in his life, and his grandparents doted on him. He lived an indulgent
life and lacked strength. However, when the Eastern nobles rebelled, his
grandparents lost their lives in an ambush. In such a manner, Heng Le rose to
the seat of power and became the family head. Before he could react, the allied
nobles’ army launched a great attack. 
Before he could grieve, he became the commander-in-chief with the support of
the family knights and led his army against the allied army. The two armies
fought, and Heng Le’s knights fought dauntlessly to protect their homeland,
however, they lacked the strength and were pressed back. Seeing that the
general situation seemed to be on the verge of collapse, the cowardly Heng Le
decided to flee in secret. 
However, in his panic, he mistakenly got on an explosive hoof fiery horse.
Explosive hoof fiery horses had a violent temperament and were even crazy. If
it was provoked, it would fight to its death. While fleeing, a stray arrow
struck the horse’s ass. The horse immediately became furious and, ignoring Heng
Le’s reining, charged into the bitter battlefield. 
The morale of his family’s army was glum but when they saw Heng Le’s “one-man
charge,” they were influenced by his spirit, and roaring, launched a furious
counterattack with no regard for their lives. The allied army was caught off
guard, and their frontline was broken through, leading to their defeat. Heng Le
won a crucial battle by accident and saved his family’s territory. Six years
later, he revealed the truth in a drunken stupor, and this story spread
throughout the world and became widely known. 
Cang Xu nodded. “Yes. The kind of horse Duke Heng Le rode. This humble one
knows a method that can be used to nurture an explosive fiery cavalry.”   
“Are you sure?” gasped Zhen Jin.
In addition to their temper, explosive hoof fiery horses were very strong,
exceeding most warhorses in height by a meter, with hooves thick and hard as
steel. Its explosive strength was great. Once it took off running, it only
needed a few breaths to reach its maximum speed. They also possessed
considerable stamina and could be used for sprinting long distances as well as
short.
Zhen Jin was a knight, and although his memory was badly damaged, he still had
general knowledge. He understood how important a good mount was to a knight and
how tremendously it could improve their combat ability. The fiery horse’s
height could allow knights to tower over the battlefield. On the battlefield, a
slight advantage could be the difference between life and death, and the
advantage this horse gave was more than a slight one. 
Its hooves too were a powerful weapon. An excellent cavalryman could make their
warhorse stand tall and kick with its front hooves. The hooves of the fiery
horse could kick through an iron shield! And if it charged, it could deliver a
terrible impact force with its hard thews. 
Such outstanding qualities had brought many nobles and commanders to try to
form an explosive fiery cavalry. However, the performance of such a cavalry had
always been terrible on the battlefield, and it was because the cavalrymen
could not control the horses, especially when they were provoked. An explosive
fiery cavalry was also easy to outmaneuver, only a little bit of provocation
could bring the cavalry units rushing into the firing range of magicians. Under
a magic bombardment, the explosive hoof fiery horses would actively lead their
riders to their deaths. 
If met with a cunning enemy general, this kind of cavalry could even be
maneuvered into attacking their allies, turning into pawns of the enemy. The
explosive hoof fiery horse had many advantages but it also had one great flaw
that eventually led to the concept of an explosive fiery cavalry becoming a
matter of laughter. 
But now Cang Xu suggested that he form an explosive fiery cavalry unit. Zhen
Jin fixed a sharp gaze at him. Although they had only known each other for a
short time, he did not believe that the old man was a person who did not know
propriety. 
Sure enough, the next moment Cang Xu added, “This humble one has a method that
can allow cavalrymen to exercise basic control over explosive hoof fiery
horses. The reason why explosive hoof fiery horses cannot be organized to form
cavalry is that their temperament is too violent, but by using my method, it
can make up for this flaw. It’s a battle qi art. It’s still in its early stages
of development and has much room for improvement and perfecting. If Your
Lordship doesn’t mind, I’m willing to offer it to you.” 
Zhen Jin narrowed his eyes and nodded. “Mr. Cang Xu, your contribution will be
recorded in my heart.” 
The relationship between a cavalryman and his mounts was not a simple
relationship of the former riding the latter. A cavalryman and his mount did
not only interact with each other, train together, and foster a mutual
understanding, but he would also instill his battle qi into his mount. Battle
qi would circulate within the mount's body, allowing the mount to move faster,
have a stronger defense, recover faster, have greater strength, and more. A
comprehensive augmentation in all. When the cavalry charged, the battle qi
would link the cavalryman and his mount even closer, thus forming a single
entity.  
According to Cang Xu, he had a recently created battle qi art, and by using it,
a cavalryman could control his explosive hoof fiery horse and not let it go
crazy with madness. The value of this battle qi art was certainly very high. 
Cang Xu continued, “Lord Zhen Jin, although these goats have a strong vital
aura, they are still monsters. They cannot coordinate their magic power nor
stabilize it. This also implies that cavalrymen cannot instill their battle qi
into the goat’s body. Even if a cavalry unit was formed, they would not have
any potential while also having hidden dangers. It would be wiser to use the
potions to eliminate their chaotic magic power and butcher them, thus obtaining
a lot of food and solving our current issue.” 
Even if the goat meat was processed, there was a risk that it might retain some
magic power. However, given their circumstances, who could they make their
demands to?



****** Chapter 36: Bizarre Flying Squirrels ******
Food was very important!
A food shortage would make the entire exploration team sink into dire straits.
Even the stress of a shortage might terrify the exploration team and cause
unrest.
After the discussion with Cang Xu, Zhen Jin went to Zi Di’s tent alone.
The size of this tent was second only to Zhen Jin’s.
There was no bodyguard outside the tent.
Originally Zhen Jin wanted to give Zi Di some staff, however Zi Di clearly
expressed that she didn’t need any.
She had her own means of defending herself.
Zi Di was resting, she had made medicine for the exploration team. The
extremely big workload and troublesome process exhausted her.
Zhen Jin was pacing outside the tent, although the issue was grave, Zhen Jin
did not want to rashly disturb Zi Di.
“I need to let her properly rest.”
As Zhen Jin was thinking this, Zi Di’s nose twitched as she slept inside the
dusky tent, soon after, she slowly opened her eyes.
“Is it you my lord?” Zi Di’s voice came from the tent.
Zhen Jin was just about to leave, but upon hearing the voice he immediately
turned around: “It's me, there is something I need to discuss with you.”
Immediately, a rustling sound came from the tent and before too long, Zi Di who
was dressed neatly, opened the tent flap and greeted Zhen Jin.
“My lord, please come in.” Zi Di welcomed Zhen Jin into the tent.
Zhen Jin directly stated his purpose for visiting.
Zi Di shook her head: “I am very sorry, but I will have to disappoint your
lordship this time.”
“Although lord’s method is feasible, there is actually a key material needed to
make the potion.”
“I am almost out of this material and only have a little left in reserve so I
can guard against any mishaps.”
“What material is it and can we find it here?” Zhen Jin was unwilling to give
up.
Zi Di shook her head with a vexed expression: “Perhaps this material grows
somewhere on this island. However I don’t have any relevant clues.”
“Besides, even if I have the material, to make enough medicine to use on the
goats is a situation where the gains do not make up for the losses. Because, if
we do this, we would expose the secret of the grass.”
After the goats were cleared of their chaotic magic power with the help of the
potions, the others would realise that the goats were also victims.
The true source of the magic power—the grass would also be exposed.
This grass was a magic plant, it was far easier to pluck and transport than the
goat meat.
Zhen Jin: “I have already informed Cang Xu of this secret.”
Zi Di was stunned for a moment and soon realized: “My lord, what you have done
is the right thing. Cang Xu really is a rare talent.”
“Perhaps he had already discovered this secret earlier, but he didn’t reveal
it. This is proof that he has considerable wisdom.”
“Perhaps he didn’t discover this secret, however your lordship decided to be
frank about this secret, this will certainly make him understand that your
lordship wants to treat him with sincerity as one of your own.”
“Congratulations to my lord for attracting this kind of outstanding advisor.”
Zhen Jin shook his head and told Zi Di what happened after that.
Zi Di didn’t expect that: “To think he has such a surprising battle qi art?”
She soon pursed her brows, her voice somewhat concerned: “My lord, such a
battle qi art was given so easily, I’m afraid it’s not worth much.”
“Mr. Cang Xu is a scholar, he is not a beast master, and most crucial thing of
all is that he does not possess extraordinary strength.”
“If the value of this battle qi art was high, he could definitely exchange it
with other nobles for even more benefits.”
Regarding this, Zhen Jin had a different opinion: “Cang Xu is not a naive man,
he handles affairs quite properly. He understands the value of this grass,
therefore this battle qi art is at least equal in value.”
“This is his bargaining chip to preserve his own liberty as well as rejecting
my solicitations. But by doing this, he has instead made himself more valuable
in my eyes."
Upon saying this, Zhen Jin smiled.
With regards to the food shortage issue, Zhen Jin once again inquired Zi Di’s
opinion.
Zi Di too, did not have any good methods, she only said: “This area of this
island is very big, it is also full of danger as well as great wealth. We can
only keep our eyes open as we travel. Maybe we can find a better source of food
than the flock of goats. Besides, before finding you my lord, we had set up
many camps by the waysides, there are some supplies still kept in them. If we
can find them, obtaining those supplies can also relieve the food shortage
issue.”
Zhen Jin nodded and prepared to leave with slight disappointment.
Just as he lifted the tent flap, Zhen Jin’s face flashed with hesitation,
however, he still turned around and inquired: “Zi Di, do you still have the
monkey bear's blood from earlier?”
Although he asked this, Zhen Jin did not hold much hope.
The monkey bear’s blood contained magic power, it was a type of magic material.
However as time passes, the magic power would rapidly dissipate. It was not
easy to preserve and to keep preserving it was very costly.
But Zi Di’s response pleasantly surprised Zhen Jin.
She actually still had a bit of the monkey bear’s blood.
“Give it to me.” Zhen Jin said.
Zi Di did not ask anything as she directly opened up her small waist bag and
gave Zhen Jin a few glass vials.
Zhen Jin grabbed the glass vials filled with the monkey bear’s blood and left
Zi Di’s tent.
He was the strongest one in the exploration team.
Currently, there was a food shortage and because almost everyone had taken the
potion, their strength had decreased greatly.
Zhen Jin couldn’t activate his battle qi, in this kind of situation, the
ability to transform his arms into claws had become his strongest means.
“According to my previous conjecture, drinking this monkey bear’s blood can
replenish the corresponding internal magic power in my body. It is very
possible that the transformation can be reproduced!” Zhen Jin thought to
himself as he held the vial in his hands.
With a look of unwavering determination, he said to himself: “Of course, I will
not drink this blood other than as a last resort.”
Chaotic external magic power would corrode the body and reduce its potential.
However, like what the Bai Zhen patriarch said in his memories, one must not be
afraid of the risks nor should one fear when sacrificing their lives!
Early morning.
White mist lingered between the towering trees.
Turquoise moss and multicolored mushrooms decorated the woodland.
A small saffron deer was looking for food in the woods.
It took fancy to a short shrubbery, it was about to approach it when a series
of sounds suddenly came from the other side of the shrubbery.
“Squeak, squeak, squeak…”
The small deer was frightened as it turned around and ran away with lightning
speed.
After a few breaths, the squeaking noise grew closer as it became mixed with
the shouts of people.
“Give chase!”
“Don’t let those flying squirrels escape.”
“Use the crossbows, use them quickly.”
The sounds grew louder and louder and soon after three flying squirrels
squeaked as they leapt over the shrubbery, wildly rushing to escape.
The pursuers behind them were hindered by the shrubbery and were forced to slow
down as they watched the flying squirrels disappear into the forest.
“What a damn pity!”
“Alas, we still couldn’t overtake them.”
The leaders of the pursuers were the two brothers, Lan Zao and Huang Zao.
Huang Zao was still unwilling to give up and wanted to chase after them, but
Lan Zao stopped him: “Have you forgotten Lord Zhen Jin’s orders? Don’t break
away from the larger group, right now we are already very far from Lord Zhen
Jin.”
“I just want to get more food. These flying squirrels are large, their meat is
safe to eat, and they are all very plump.”1
The exploration team didn’t have much food remaining and the incorporeal
pressure was already pressing hard on everyone’s hearts.
However, when Huang Zao recalled Zhen Jin’s orders, he could only clench his
teeth and relent.
When the pursuers returned to the group, they saw that Bai Ya and others were
already processing squirrel carcasses. They would skin, cut, wash, and finally
smoke them.
It had already been over ten days since Zi Di made sufficient potions and
solved the problem of magic corrosion within the exploration team member’s
bodies. After recuperating for a few days, Zhen Jin then led everyone to
continue their journey.
This group suffered the poisonous crisis, the strength and combat capabilities
of nearly everyone slid down a notch, however, suffering together brought them
even closer in mutual understanding.
During their journey, they met with one crisis after the other, all of which
Zhen Jin stepped bravely forward and united them to beat back the invading
magic beasts.
“I am very sorry that we only killed two flying squirrels, Lord Zhen Jin.”
Huang Zao walked up and reported to Zhen Jin with shame.
Zhen Jin nodded and gave his instructions: “Give them to Bai Ya for
processing.”
Not everyone was proficient in processing beast corpses.
But Bai Ya was from a hunting family and was trained in that since childhood,
thus he was very familiar with it.
The goat meat poisoning incident allowed the youngster to show off his talents.
He was nicknamed ‘The Lucky Boy’, he had tended to almost the entire
exploration team, and because of his diligent hands he gained a good
relationship with the others.
Huang Zao carried the two flying squirrels and walked over to Bai Ya.
Bai Ya was in the middle of processing another flying squirrel, his knife had
already skinned it and disposed of its internal organs. At the moment, Bai Ya
was trying to cut off the squirrel’s neck.
Even after several slashes with the knife, the neck bone still wasn’t
completely severed.
“Hey, lucky boy, use this.” Huang Zao laughed and gave Bai Ya his sword.
One glance would be enough to reveal the sword’s shoddy quality. Its handle was
only a slightly polished block of wood and the blade was fastened in with hemp
rope. However its blade was fearsome as it shimmered coldly. It seemed to be
made of iron yet wasn’t iron, it was a blade-legged spider’s limb.
This was of course Zhen Jin’s weapon, however after the poisonous incident, the
combat capability of the entire exploration team fell. In order to improve
their combat might as much as possible, Zhen Jin picked out a few bladed
weapons and lent them to his subordinates.
Bai Ya received the sword, it was his first time he held it.
The first thing he felt was how lightweight it was, it wasn’t as heavy as he
imagined.
Bai Ya aimed and slashed at the squirrel's neck, a flash of cold light crossed
his eyes and the previously stubborn flying squirrel’s bone was severed cleanly
in two.
Bai Ya immediately revealed his shock, before, when he cut the bones, it felt
like he was cutting iron, his hands had felt numb after many unsuccessful cuts.
Now, by using this blade, it now felt as effortless as cutting through bread.
It was too easy.
“Truly ferocious!” Bai Ya gazed at the blade as he gave his sincere admiration.
“It is only natural, after all it was from a silver level magic beast.” Huang
Zao laughed.
Bai Ya shook his head: “No, I meant Lord Zhen Jin. That silver level blade-
legged spider must've been very frightening. But his lordship prevailed over
it, he really is worthy of being a templar knight!”
As Bai Ya spoke, his heart was filled with adoration and reverence, all of
which were revealed on his face.
Huang Zao smiled and approvingly said: “Yes, we are truly fortunate to come
across Lord Zhen Jin. The others have not said anything about their most recent
encounter with the flying squirrels, but Lord Zhen Jin threw daggers with
infallible accuracy! The great majority of the flying squirrels were slain by
his lordship!”
“Wait a minute, I can process the carcass of a flying squirrel chieftain with
this blade.” As Bai ya thought of this, excitement spread across his face as he
ran to another place.
The carcass of the flying squirrel chieftain exuded a bronze level aura,
however the aura was currently dissipating rapidly, it would not even take half
a day for it to completely dissipate.
There was a dagger in the flying squirrel chieftain’s eye. It was a mortal
wound dealt by Zhen Jin’s hand.
Bai Ya tightly grasped the spider-blade sword, after he slowly moved to an
appropriate position, he then used the blade to cut hard and quickly skinned
the squirrel’s fur.
The flying squirrel chieftain’s fur was very tough, an ordinary iron sword
could not cut it.
However, under the spider-blade sword, everything was cut when it met the
blade’s edge.2
“Eh?” As Bai Ya cut open the squirrel's abdominal cavity, his hands suddenly
stopped moving.
“What happened?” Huang Zao questioned.
Bai Ya wasn't too sure as he said: “The flesh of this flying squirrel
chieftain, it seems to be different from the other flying squirrels.”
Huang Zao glanced at it: “I don’t see any differences.”
“No.” Bai Ya appeared grave, he returned the sword to Huang Zao before
crouching on the ground to touch the flying squirrel’s nearby internal organs
and bones.
Afterwards, Bai Ya’s tone became more certain: “Indeed, there are many minute
differences, I should first give this to Lord Cang Xu.”
“Ok. That’s a good idea.” Huang Zao approved.



****** Chapter 37: I Am Confronted with a Difficult Decision ******
Cang Xu was a very erudite scholar and he could find many things from the
corpses of magic beasts. Before Zhen Jin took over as leader of the exploration
team, Cang Xu had assisted the team greatly.
Cang Xu had already seen an ordinary flying squirrel corpse before, however, if
the flying squirrel chieftain was dissected and something abnormal was found,
he wanted it reported to him immediately.
“My lord.” Bai Yai quickly carried the flying squirrel chieftain’s corpse over
to Cang Xu.
“Oh, it's you Bai Ya.” Cang Xu nooded, his eyes immediately shifting to the
flying squirrel chieftain carcass that Bai Ya was carrying.
“My lord, please take a look. Perhaps I may be a bit too anxious, but there are
some abnormalities.” Bai Ya gave the flying squirrel chieftain’s body to Cang
Xu so that he could examine it closely.
Cang Xu examined it for a moment and his expression gradually became serious.
“Bai Ya, you have done well.” Cang Xu praised him as he stretched out his hand
to pick up the flying squirrel chieftain’s body. But immediately after, the old
scholar sighed and reigned his hand back.
The old scholar was feeble and frail, he had even suffered magic corrosion from
before. Although the poison was removed, his body was still harmed greatly.
“Go pick it up and follow me to report to Lord Zhen Jin.” Cang Xu said to Bai
Ya.
“Yes my lord.” Bai Ya accepted the order at once.
Inside the tent, Zhen Jin and Zi Di were currently having a discussion
regarding bows and crossbows.
“Because of the magic corrosion, the real combat power of the exploration team
has dropped by a lot.” With no outsiders present, Zhen Jin revealed the deep
worries in his heart.1“It was already hard enough to explore this island. Now
we need to assume even greater risks.”
Zi Di hesitated before speaking: “Lord Zhen Jin, we have already hit our limit.
In the short term, the exploration team’s situation will only remain like this.
Unless we use a high level magic potion or a corresponding magic spell or a
divine spell, and the like.”
“However, presently, we do not have any high level magic potions. And I would
not suggest using it even if we did.”
“Because it is not cost effective.”
Regardless of whether it was a high level magic potion, a magic spell, or a
divine spell, the cost would be huge. Just for the purpose of treating these
ordinary people, even if there were two bronze level elites, the gains were
still not worth the cost.
After a pause, Zi Di added: “As a matter of fact, there are many repercussions
of magic corrosion. For instance, there are all kinds of oddities and even
untreatable chronic diseases, a reduction in life expectancy, as well as more.”
Zhen Jin sighed: “We don’t need to consider those matters for the time being,
right now I only want the actual combat strength to be increased. Do you think
we can make crossbows?”
These past days, Zhen Jin realised from experience the benefits of long range
attacks.
For instance, not long ago there was a bronze level magic beast: the flying
squirrel chieftain. However, when Zhen Jin shot his dagger, it had suffered a
mortal blow. When the flying squirrel chieftain died, the rest of the flying
squirrels immediately fell into chaos, thus allowing the exploration team to
grab this opportunity and scored a decisive victory with no casualties.
Zi Di spoke with consideration from the heart: “My lord, your method is
correct. As long as we increase our long range firepower, we can supplement our
combat power greatly while preserving our physical strength and helping reduce
casualties."
“However, I fear we cannot make any right now.”
“Firstly, we do not have any crossbow craftsmen. Although the structure of
crossbows are very simple, making them however, requires experienced skill. We
are all amateurs.”
“Secondly, we don’t have a blacksmith. The truly strong crossbows use steel
plates for the crossbow prod in order to have a high draw weight. The structure
of a crossbow is also very meticulous, requiring metal wires. All of these
things need a blacksmith to forge them. In addition, first rate crossbows need
to have a mechanism installed to assist in drawing the bowstring, even the
Empire is not able to mass produce this mechanisms. Every year, they are
purchased large-scale from the Goblins of the Lava Continent.”
Scholars were not necessarily magicians, but all magicians were scholars.
Zi Di was the current president of the Wisteria Merchant Alliance, the arms
market usually had the greatest profits, thus she understood crossbows well.
However Zhen Jin didn’t give up easily.
He still insisted: “I don’t plan to use steel plates for the crossbow prods,
only a wooden board. We can dry tree bark and tear it up to make rope. This
will be our bowstring. In fact, we have many magic beast tendons.”2
“Although the draw weight of these crossbows will be much lower, they would be
easier to draw and it can be achieved with our manpower alone.”
“The only obstacle is the crossbow mechanism. Crossbow mechanisms are delicate
and need specific metal components, the hardest part being the metal wires.”
“Zi Di, you're right, we don’t have a blacksmith. However, we only have a few
people and don’t require a blacksmith to produce them in mass for our numbers.
We only need you to use potions to corrode metal in order to form crossbow
components and wires.”
Zhen Jin was also familiar with crossbows.
Despite not remembering many relevant memories, he still had common sense.
In fact, all templar knights had crossbows. These crossbows were comparatively
small as they were specifically made for use while mounted.
Zi Di sighed: “I am very sorry my lord. Currently, I do not have any potions
that can corrode metal into specific shapes. I do not have that potion with me.
However, if we collect the appropriate materials needed, I could make it on the
spot. But magic beasts with corrosive acid are not easy to deal with, it is
highly possible that one would cause enormous casualties to the entire group.”
“In addition, there is something I want your lordship to pay more attention
to.”
As she said this, Zi Di subconsciously lowered her voice.
“My lord, If your plans are executed smoothly, everyone in the group will have
a crossbow. Such a group would not be easy to control and it would be very
dangerous.”
Zhen Jin’s pupils shrunk.
Zi Di was right to warn him.
Zhen Jin recalled the time when Huang Zao fled.
“Do not overestimate people and do not also underestimate them.” Zhen Jin
murmured in his heart.
It was hard to fathom the minds of men.
When facing his savior, regardless of whether it was intentional or otherwise,
Huang Zao had fled with the dagger. On this island where danger lurked on all
sides, what kind of extreme situation would show up in the future?
Looking at it now, all these people supported Zhen Jin as leader. But what if
an extreme situation happened?
For example, if they were all fleeing from magic beasts, would someone shoot
their companion with a crossbow in order to make them bait to distract and slow
the pursuing magic beasts?
Especially in this kind of environment, where low and middle rank magic and
battle qi could not be activated. Regardless of whether it was Zhen Jin or Zi
Di, both were weak. A sharp sword or a flying arrow could be deadly to either
of them.
People had fatal weaknesses.
The members of the exploration team were not soldiers of the Bai Zhen Clan.
Cultivating loyalty usually needed time.
Zhen Jin was not someone who couldn’t listen to the opinions of people.
“If crossbows won’t do, then we can only try to use bows.”
“Long bows definitely won’t do as the jungle makes it too inconvenient to use
them, moreover the requirements of the archers are also high.”
“Short bows could work, they are more convenient to make compared to crossbows.
Still, it needs some training.”
Long range attacks firstly had to be accurate.
Because Zhen Jin had recalled more memories, he suddenly knew how to perform
long range attacks, however such a situation was difficult to replicate.
The exploration team members were not proficient bow users, except for Bai Ya.
He was the son of a hunting family, using a bow was one of the methods he
depended on to make a living.
If there was enough manpower, Zhen Jin could select bow experts to form a
specialized division of archers. However, right now he had a severe shortage of
manpower. The main reason why he wanted bows was to protect these people and to
reduce casualties as much as possible.
“We can find wood everywhere here, thus making bows is not at all challenging.
If we are individually inaccurate, then a group volley and barrage can make up
for the deficiencies.”
“Still, it is necessary to conduct combat training, otherwise there would not
even be a barrage of arrows.”
"However, carrying out training requires sufficient food.”
Zhen Jin began to feel a slight headache.
Drawing bows would consume a lot of physical strength, the higher the draw
weight the more strength needed. Many crossbows needed to have the mechanisms
installed, else manpower alone could not pull the bowstring.
The time an archer needed to aim was a time where one needed to maintain a taut
bowstring, this also consumed a lot of physical strength.
As more physical strength was consumed, the more food was required.
Without food replenishments, recklessly training was absolutely asking for
trouble.
Therefore to conclude, the problem originated from food.
The food shortage was the most serious issue right now.
Zhen Jin was in a state of vexation when Cang Xu and Bai Ya came looking for
him.
The two brought the flying squirrel chieftain’s corpse with them.
“We have discovered something unexpected my Lord.” Cang Xu solemnly said.
Zhen Jin’s vision subconsciously shifted towards the flying squirrel
chieftain’s corpse: “Don’t tell me you found a magic crystal?”
“Not at all.” Cang Xu motioned to Bai Ya.
Bai Ya after seeing Zhen Jin nod, lifted the flying squirrel chieftain's
carcass onto the table.
Cang Xu then instructed Bai Ya to pry open the incision on the flying
squirrel’s body, exposing vivid muscle texture.
“Lord Zhen Jin and Lord Zi Di, please look here.” Cang Xu’s finger pointed at
the muscle texture.
Zi Di glanced at it and suddenly frowned: “Indeed, this is somewhat different
from ordinary magic beasts.”
Zhen Jin also realized it, normally magic beast muscles were fibers bundled
together, forming a whole. Yet the muscles of the flying squirrel chieftain
were many thin sheets, overlapping closely like fish scales.
“Now look here at this second location.” Cang Xu then displayed the flying
squirrel chieftain’s internal organs.
Zhen Jin and Zi Di made another discovery, the internal organs all had a white
covering, similar to fascia but thicker.
Zi Di was puzzled: “This really is different from ordinary magic beasts. But,
what does this distinctly different structure mean?”
Although Zi Di was a magician, she was not as erudite as Cang Xu.
Zhen Jin’s general knowledge also could not help him understand the scholar’s
intentions.
Cang Xu saw the puzzled faces of the two and plainly explained: “I strongly
suspect that this flying squirrel chieftain can discharge a strong electric
current.”
“Eh? What do you mean?” Zhen Jin was puzzled.
“Squirrels can discharge electricity?” Bai Ya blattered.
Cang Xu continued explaining: “There is a special type of fish that thrives and
inhabits the seabed or in big rivers, people call it the electric eel. The body
structure of this fish and this flying squirrel chieftain are very similar.
When they want to discharge electricity, all of the muscles will pulsate and
produce a terrifying burst of electric current that can electrocute an elephant
in an instant. But they also have insulating fascia in their bodies, that
protects themself from the electric shock.”3
“Then why did this flying squirrel not emit electric shocks prior?” Bai Ya
questioned.
Cang Xu shook his head: “This electrical shock is not magic, rather it
originates from its unique bodily composition. Magic is when a magician uses
their spirit to draw support from the elements according to laws in order to
create something out of nothing. But electric eels have specialized organs and
tissues. It's like being able to speak by having a throat and being able to fly
by having wings.”
“Electric eels can at most produce electrical currents, they cannot control the
current’s flow. But, electric eels live in water. If an intense electric
current was produced, all underwater life near it would suffer a terrible
electric shock.”
“With regards to the flying squirrel chieftain, even if it produces an electric
current, it would all depend on its environment. Trees, the ground, and the air
are all often strong hindrances to the electric current.”
“Therefore, only when the flying squirrel chieftain touches an enemy would its
ability to deliver an electric shock be revealed. But beforehand, Lord Zhen Jin
threw a dagger and killed it in midair, as a result this ability was also
hidden for the time being.”
“It turned out to be like this.” Bai Ya suddenly realized.
Zi Di narrowed her eyes: “So, if we confront this kind of flying squirrel
chieftain in the future, iron armor is instead a weakness. It would be best to
wear thick leather armor.”
Cang Xu shook his head: “Leather armor is not enough to guarantee safety, the
faces of people are normally exposed. At the same time, the claws and teeth of
the flying squirrels are very sharp, it is entirely possible that they can tear
the leather armor apart and shock them afterwards.”
Zhen Jin nodded: “So, the best way to deal with a flying squirrel chieftain is
still long range attacks! However we have too few bows on us.”
Although Zhen Jin could throw accurately, he could not always kill in one
strike so easily.
He was also not a nanny for the others and his subordinates weren’t the ones
meant to be protected.
“My Lord, Lan Zao is here to report to you.” At this time, a voice came from
outside the tent.
Lan Zao was a bronze level elite, therefore Zhen Jin had dispatched him to
scout around them.
Zhen Jin called Lan Zao into the tent, discovering that the latter was
cheerful.
“My Lord, good news! I have found where the flying squirrels gather, it is not
far ahead. These flying squirrels have dug holes in the trunks of big trees and
made nests there. I have roughly counted that there are many tree holes! This
group of flying squirrels is very large, almost a thousand. If we attack, we
can greatly replenish our food.”
Cang Xu muttered: “It seems that this kind of flying squirrel has not changed
its nature of living in large groups.”
“Eh?” Zhen Jin raised his eyebrows as he subconsciously looked at Zi Di.
Zi Di knew Zhen Jin’s meaning and immediately said: “I have already tested
them, common flying squirrel meat has no issues. Of course, the magic beast
meat of the flying squirrel chieftain is something that cannot be eaten
indiscriminately.”
Bai Ya shouted: “Hunting this kind of large scale squirrel group is very
dangerous.”
Lan Zao glared at Bai Ya for an instant then looked at Zhen Jin, and took the
initiative to request that he lead the assault against the flying squirrel
community.
Cang Xu shook his head: “Lan Zao, you underestimate these flying squirrels. A
bronze level flying squirrel chieftain can explode with an electric shock. This
is a huge community, it is very possible that it has an iron level flying
squirrel leader.”
“What?” Lan Zao stared blankly.
Zhen Jin sunk into reflection.
He found that he was confronted with a difficult decision.
But this time, Zhen JIn found it hard to decide: “This matter, I want to think
it over carefully. All of you retire, go back to your respective work.”
“Yes my Lord.
“Regardless of what you decide, I will support you.” Zi Di left this sentence
as she finally departed the tent.



****** Chapter 38: I Prayed to God ******
It was deep in the night, and a bonfire lit the camp.
The burning firewood would crackle from time to time, accompanied with sparks
flying into the sky above.
This camp was not stable, although there was fencing which was hastily
arranged, time was too short and so the short fence’s defence against magic
beast attacks was negligible. The most it could do was psychologically comfort
the exploration team members.
The real defence measures were the large amount of traps scattered in the
camp’s surroundings.
If a ferocious beast attacked, these traps could hinder them and make a lot of
noise that would alert the camp.
Of course, there were people all around the camp on night watch, providing
another layer of protection.
In the past, most of the exploration team would already be asleep, however,
tonight, not many were sleepy.
There were many people conversing around the bonfire.
The news about the flying squirrel’s abilities as well as the food shortage
dilemma faced by the team were all well known.
“What should we do in this kind of situation?”
“Food is the most important thing! Without food, there would be no need for
magic beasts as we all starve to death. No one would be exempted because no
person can not eat or not drink.”
“I think we should get rid of these flying squirrels, even if the flying
squirrel chieftains are strong, the majority of the flying squirrels are still
ordinary beasts.”
“Hmph, believing that will get you killed. As long as the flying squirrel bites
your flesh, one electric discharge would be enough to kill you. Even if the
flying squirrel chieftains are rare, there are not many of us and it can easily
kill us all.”
“Thinking back now, it really is terrifying. During the day, I was only five
steps from the flying squirrel chieftain, fortunately, it died by Lord Zhen
Jin’s hand.”
“Can the flying squirrel chieftain really discharge electricity?” Someone
expressed their skepticism.
But he heard that it was Cang Xu’s deduction, he didn’t have any more doubts.
“Looking at it another way, this is all thanks to Lord Zhen Jin! If he hadn’t
killed the flying squirrel chieftain in one attack, we would certainly be
dead.”
“In my opinion, we absolutely cannot touch this beast group. Perhaps we might
come across a better food source next time. That is the reason why we had
better take a detour. Perhaps finding the main group is better.”
“Hmph, your way of thinking is too naive. Is there any food in the main group?
You can’t forget that, the main group dispatched us not only to search the
surroundings but also to look for food!”
“I don’t know how long the journey is to the beach where we can join the main
group. It is very possible that we might run across an even more formidable
magic beast on the road.”
“In the end, how long can our food support us?”
Cang Xu was lying in the tent as he listened to the outside voices, he looked
up at the tent with the ceiling a clear mind: At most, the food would only last
seven days!
But at this moment, Cang Xu was more concerned about the group’s state of
affairs.
Every man had their own ideas, the group was disorganized, everyone had their
own respective opinions, and at this moment, the leader needed to make the
final decision.
However, although Zhen Jin held this position, his influence as a leader hadn’t
yet entered deeply into the hearts of the people.
In the goat meat affair, it seemed Zhen Jin raised his leadership prestige
through his good deeds. However, in the end, everyone got poisoned, the group
was tormented, and not enough foodstuff was gained.
Thus, Zhen Jin couldn’t do anything to consolidate his authority.
“In that case, let's see what happens this time." Cang Xu’s mind said.
To be honest, this was not a good opportunity.
But reality was always this way, it was indifferent and merciless. There were
always mishaps and difficult problems in it, not within people’s expectations.
People cannot anticipate reality, let alone force it.
Regardless of whether it was Zhen Jin, Zi Di, Cang Xu, or even the entire
exploration team, they had all been forced into a corner by reality.
“Only by overcoming this difficult reality can you truly become the leader of
this group. Well then, Zhen Jin, our young leader, what will you choose?”
Cang Xu held this question as he slowly fell asleep.
“What should I choose?” Zhen Jin was lost in contemplation.
As the leader, he couldn’t escape this duty, he could only assume
responsibility!
“Currently, the team does not have enough food, dealing with this flying
squirrel group is one way to acquire food. But the risks are very high and the
exploration team has insufficient strength. Suffering the electric shocks of a
flying squirrel chieftain will inevitably cause disastrous casualties.”
“But I need a victory. A great and complete victory would be the ideal outcome.
If it is only a pyrrhic victory with large casualties, it would certainly cause
the remaining people to lose hope and would no longer look forward to my
leadership.”
“At the same time, the scope of the exploration team is also not big. If there
are large casualties, how can those remaining still support me in the White
Sand City Lord competition?”
Besides this choice, Zhen Jin understood that there was another option.
“We could give up this flying squirrel community and continue exploring,
perhaps we might find another good source of food in the future.”
“This choice will stabilise the exploration team temporarily, however, our food
supplies will only last seven days. Who knows what we would encounter next.”
“It might be a weaker beast group, we might also encounter a terrifying magic
beast that could destroy the entire exploration team.”
“If food is strictly rationed as much as possible, we could last over ten
days.”
“But the risk of doing this is too great.”
“Once food starts becoming scarce, the will of the people will become frantic,
they would even guard against each other, kill each other, and eat each other
so that they can survive!”
“My prestige is not yet able to suppress these ideas. If this kind of situation
occurs, the exploration team won’t just collapse, it would riot.”
“Not only me, but Zi Di will also be implicated!”
As Zhen Jin was contemplating, a sudden thought popped up.
This thought was so audacious and horrible to such an extent that Zhen Jin was
scared—“If I was forced into desperate straits, would I kill and eat other
people in order to survive?”
“No, how can this be a possibility! If I do this, is there any difference
between me and a wild beast!? I am a templar knight.”
Zhen Jin felt deeply ashamed.
Templar knights represented light and courage, on the battlefield templar
knights would always lead the charge, in life, they would uphold justice and
protect the weak.
“As it turns out, being a leader is so challenging. I fear that I am moving
towards insanity, otherwise, how else could I have such a dreadful way of
thinking?”
At this moment, Zhen Jin clearly sensed that serving as a leader was not easy.
Leaders had to shoulder their own responsibility, they could not fail to live
up to their subordinate’s trust, they needed to find the correct path when
bewildered and guide everyone through predicaments.
Besides this, there were other things that Zhen Jin had to shoulder.
He thought of Zi Di, as he saw it, his fiancée had always trusted him, she had
protected him with all her strength and gave him her steadfast loyalty.
He thought of his clan and his one-armed father. He could not die, he had to
become the Lord of White Sands City and be the crux of the Bai Zhen Clan’s
revival.
In addition, his pride as a noble and his honor as a templar knight…
As he was pondering, Zhen Jin’s brows tightly furrowed, his chest tightened,
and he felt as if he were suffocating.
His tent was already the most spacious, but at this moment, the tent seemed
like the claw of a giant monster that was closing around his throat.
Zhen Jin resisted the tremendous pressure as the voices outside the tent
gradually grew quieter. Most of the exploration team entered their tents to
sleep, while Zhen Jin felt more and more pressure.
After an unknown amount of time, Zhen Jin softly grunted and suddenly stooped
over, he powerlessly sat on a marching blanket and leaned on the tent’s only
wooden pillar.
“Hu hu hu…”
Zhen Jin gasped for air, his forehead soaked in sweat.
He felt intensely tired, this kind of tiredness was not a lack of physical
strength, rather his from his mental exhaustion.
“In the end, what should I do?” Zhen Jin was still at a loss and very
distressed.
He subconsciously knelt to the ground and began praying once more.
“O’ Great Emperor Sheng Ming, my god, thou art above the skies, and no fog
couldst ever stop thy march. Thine hands hold the reins of the vast empire and
guide millions of thine people towards victory. Thou art so wise, thou art so
decisive, thou canst see through the course of destiny.”
“Now, thine humble and devoted believer prays to thee. I beseech that thou
point out mine path, I ask that thou clear away the fog of fate, I request that
thou bless and protect me so that I can uphold mine noble’s pride and mine
knight’s honour.”
But, the god did not respond.
Zhen Jin waited.
He waited for his god’s response with indescribable expectation.
Time continued to pass by quietly.
The wait was endless.
Zhen Jin half-knelt on the ground, his head hanging low as he faced towards the
Sheng Ming empire.1
It was a stubborn wait.
Zhen Jin showed unprecedented patience during this prayer.
Eventually, the ice-cold breath of night bored its way through the tent cracks
and dug into Zhen Jin’s nose and penetrated into his heart and skin.
Zhen Jin’s heart seemed to chill as his anxiously waiting heart fell to the
bottom of a valley.
At last, Zhen Jin realized the cruelty of reality—his god had not answered his
prayer and Great Emperor Sheng Ming had no instructions for him.
Late into the night, it was completely dark inside the tent, there wasn’t a
single ray of light.
The half-kneeling youngster Zhen Jin seemed like a stone statue.
After a long time, the stone statue sighed, stopped kneeling, and got up with
difficulty.
Zhen Jin stamped his sore legs and feet to loosen them.
His eyes were dull and his heart was heavy. He knew that he could only rely on
himself.
Without the guidance of god, the path ahead was darkness.
Yet he must continue on!
Staying put could only lead to death and would disappoint everyone.
Life was like this.
People often had to make all kinds of decisions, not knowing what the future
would hold. Everyone knows how reckless their choices are! Yet people had to
bear the consequences of their choices, whether it was sweet or bitter.
Zhen Jin could only continue to ponder.
Strangely enough, he no longer felt despair or hopelessness as he pondered like
before.
It seemed like he broke through a limit, or maybe his god’s unresponsiveness
made him realise that there was no one to rely on.
When early morning came and the sounds of birds singing grew did Zhen Jin
realise that the entire night had already passed.
He lifted the tent flap just in time to see the morning sun.
The sunlight passed through the clouds and lit up the woods. The morning forest
had a white mist that made the air seem cold and moist. Zhen Jin breathed in
and felt a burst of freshness.
The moment he lifted the tent flap, he was a wise military leader who
understood everything and would only make the most correct choices.
Even if he knew that he wasn’t, he had to act like it!
His face had no signs of hesitation for he had already decided!
Everyone quickly gathered to hear Zhen Jin’s series of orders.
“Lan Zao, for the next several days you will continue to sneak and investigate
more information concerning the flying squirrel community.”
“Huang Zao, Bai Ya, and Cang Xu, you will be in charge of selecting wood, we
will be making short bows.”
“Zi Di, I want you to make potions, it would be best if it can affect the
flying squirrel chieftains as well.”
Yes, Zhen Jin had resolved to hunt the flying squirrels.



****** Chapter 39: Lumbering ******
Zhen Jin issued several orders in a row, whether it was Huang Zao, Lan Zao, Bai
Ya, Cang Xu, or some others, they respectfully obeyed immediately.
However, there were still exploration team members around Zhen Jin who still
had uncertainty in their gazes.
Zhen Jin shouted: “Now, if you have a different opinion, put it forth
immediately! A Templar knight will never punish those who speak out the words
in their hearts.”
No one spoke, but there were a few who opened their mouths before hesitating.
Zhen Jin’s face darkened.
He knew he hadn’t established enough prestige as a leader yet.
Cang Xu spoke at the right moment: “My lord, your decision is undoubtedly wise.
Even if the flying squirrel chieftains can produce a deadly electric shock,
they are still very rare. Your lordship’s arrows and throwing daggers have
always hit with unfailing accuracy.”1
“In the past, we have encountered many beast groups, excluding the goat flock,
this flying squirrel group is the weakest. If we give up, I’m afraid we will
not have such good luck as to encounter a more suitable group than this flying
squirrel community.”
“This is my humble suggestion: we spend time to strategize. Proper tactics can
help us easily surmount these stupid flying squirrels. After all, human minds
are far more intelligent than wild beasts.”
“Very good.” Zhen Jin nodded, showing his praise. “Scholar Cang Xu, your idea
is very pertinent. In fact, we only need to get enough food. We can attract the
flying squirrels in batches and control the scale of the fight. As long as we
can hunt enough food, we need not risk our lives against a flying squirrel
chieftain.”
Zhen Jin's words were actually quite optimistic.
Beasts’ behaviours were hard to predict, especially since everyone was
unfamiliar with these flying squirrels due to only having brief contact with
them. On this island, other creatures similar to these flying squirrels all had
traces of artificiality and aren’t really natural things. Therefore their
behaviours, characteristics, and so on were really hard to predict.
Zhen Jin and Cang Xu both knew this truth.
However, after this meticulously delivered dialogue, everyone no longer wavered
like before, the gazes of a few became steady once more, and morale had risen
to a certain extent.
Zhen Jin hadn’t established his prestige and Cang Xu had feeble strength,
however, with their combined influence they could mobilize the exploration
team’s zeal.
Zhen Jin became increasingly more satisfied with Cang Xu.
His heart inwardly evaluated: “Cang Xu understands how to coordinate with me,
perhaps he is even more outstanding in this aspect than Zi Di.”
“Although Zi Di is a merchant alliance president, she is still too young and
primarily focused her time and energy on her magic cultivation.”
“Although Cang Xu has no strength, he has still served nobility for half of his
life. He has ample experience and has always assisted me in controlling the
exploration team.”
After breakfast, everyone quickly mobilized.
This was a forest and there were trees as far as the eye could see.
Making short bows required the appropriate wood.
“We need two types of wood right now, one type to make the bow limb and for the
other kind, we only need the bark to make the bowstring. Which ones to select,
I do not know. I will need Bai Ya and Lord Cang Xu for that.” Huang Zao said as
he looked at Cang Xu and Bai Ya.
The old scholar smiled: “Although this island is full of strange and bizarre
mutated beasts, the trees and grasses are relatively normal. These kinds of
trees are our objective.”
Bai Ya followed: “Senior Huang Zao, me and my father once cut down forest trees
to make our own bows. Roughly looking at it, this kind of tree is the closest
to the ones from my memories.”
Combining Bai Ya’s experience and Cang Xu’s knowledge, and Huang Zao hacking
and inspecting the trees, the three people nailed down the two types of trees
without a hitch.
Huang Zao then set out to chop down the trees.
After all, he was a bronze level warrior whose strength far exceeded that of
normal people.
The spider-blade sword was extremely sharp, with one swing, a tree would slowly
tilt to the side, before crashing down to the ground.
Bai Ya walked forward and used a blade to cut into the tree trunk and pried off
a piece of tree bark in a skillful motion. The bark was dark green on the
outside, but when Bai Ya flipped the tree bark over, he saw the tree bark’s
internal layer.
The tree bark’s internal layer was a yellowish-green. Bai Ya touched it with
his finger and felt it was smooth like satin.
He nodded slightly and evaluated: “The internal layer of this tree bark should
make top-notch rope.”
The three chose another big tree.
This tree was much sturdier than the one they previously cut down.
Huang Zao took out the sharp blade that Zhen Jin let him and was just about to
use it to cut it down.
Cang Xu stopped him: “Don’t use that kind of weapon, use an axe. This kind of
sharp weapon can only exert its real strength when used by practitioners,
regular people should better use axes.”
Huang Zao was willing to accept the advice and selected an axe to chop the
tree.
Iron swords were likely to bend when used for logging. People would not do that
except as a last resort.
The exploration team had quite a few axes. Their original purpose was to make
gathering things like bananas, coconuts, and so on more convenient. Their
secondary purpose was to cut open a path. If they found a steady source of
food, having an accessible path would make things easy.
Huang Zao swung his thick arm and after a dozen chops, there was a large crack
in the tree trunk.
“If I could use battle qi, it would only take one swing to chop down this
damned tree!” Huang Zao grumbled his dissatisfaction with his performance.
Although bronze level battle qi could not be imbued to a weapon or cover the
body, it could still greatly increase physical fitness temporarily after
activation. Depending on their battle qi art, a cultivator’s strength, speed,
endurance, and recovery ability would all be enhanced to varying degrees.
After a few more chops, the crack in the tree trunk reached the breaking point.
Huang Zao shifted his position and used his strength to push the tree trunk
over.
Then, he cut up the tree trunk, took out the tree’s core, and cut out a plank.
Bai Ya and Cang Xu looked at the long plank with satisfaction.
Cang Xu got Huang Zao to bend the plank which revealed that the plank’s
toughness was excellent.
The three looked happy as this matter had gone smoothly.
“Let us report back to Lord Zhen Jin, it's time to lead the others in cutting
down these trees.” Cang Xu decided.
The three were near the camp, it had been cleared out and was relatively safe.
The three quickly returned to camp.
Zhen Jin was overseeing the camp and led the overall situation.
After learning about the achievement of the three, Zhen Jin thought for a while
and asked Cang Xu: “How many people do you think you need and how long will it
take to get enough wood?”
Cang Xu had clearly thought about this on the way back and immediately
answered: “Of course, the more manpower the better, but my Lord, we have a few
points we need to pay attention to currently.”
“First is the safety of the small logging teams. It is generally dangerous to
do lumbering in the countryside, all cities provide patrols and escorts to
protect the teams. Even if everyone in the exploration team is a fighter, their
stamina is limited. Lumbering is a very physically demanding work that can
exhaust men, therefore it would also decrease their combat strength. If real
peril appears, the lumbering exploration team members would find it hard to
resist.”
“Second is food, I suggest we reassign a few people to gather as much food as
possible from the surroundings. It is likely that they won’t harvest much, but
our foodstuffs have already reached a dangerous level, even if it is only a
little bit of food, it is good nonetheless.”
“Thirdly, this wood can be utilized in more than one way. Not only can it be
used to make short bows, we could also use it to set up more fortifications. On
the way back, I talked with Bai Ya, he knows many hunters’ traps. We can
arrange more and bigger traps. Although they can’t deal with people, these
flying squirrels are just beasts. We possess a superior intellect.”
“Fourth, I believe this is the most crucial point as well as the most difficult
to solve. Our time is really scarce, no matter if it is making bowstrings or
bow limbs, both need to be dried. Making bowstrings and short bows will take at
least one day. They will need to be dried for at least two days. The time left
to set aside for training is very small.”
Like before, Cang Xu gave Zhen Jin many pertinent recommendations.
Zhen Jin nodded, Cang Xu was as reliable as ever.
Zhen Jin had always believed that: Cang Xu was the optimal candidate for an
administrator, managing people was not simple. In this aspect, Zi Di did not
have enough experience. As for Huang Zao and Lan Zao, their skill was in
battle. According to Zhen Jin’s understanding, these brothers could not
contribute as commanders. They could only lead the charge.
With regards to Cang Xu’s distress, Zhen Jin smiled and calmly fished out a
potion.
In the next moment, Zhen Jin saw Cang Xu’s eyes light up.
Zhen Jin replied: “With regards to this point, I already have a solution.”
“There are two potions here, one to smear on the bow limbs and one type that
can rapidly dry tree bark, one night is enough.”
“However, you must take note of the fact that these potions can only last one
day, nothing more.”
These potions were all made by Zi Di at the last moment.
These potions were the main gain from Zhen Jin’s and Zi Di’s discussion about
bows and crossbows.
Cang Xu was overjoyed at the unexpected good news: “Having these would be
great.”2
There was not enough food, which made time very pivotal.
The potions seemed negligible, but in fact, it solved the biggest trouble faced
by the exploration team.
Zhen Jin proceeded to assign Cang Xu to take responsibility for leading the
team members in lumbering.
He then ordered Bai Ya and others to collect food with Huang Zao accompanying
them to be in charge of their safety. On the other hand, it was also to purge
the camp’s surroundings.3
Huang Zao had bronze level strength, even if he couldn’t activate his battle
qi, his fighting strength surpassed an ordinary warrior.
“Thus, everyone is assigned to the lumbering team or the search team. The
lumbering team doesn’t have anyone protecting them.” Cang Xu was worried.
Originally, the scale of the exploration was relatively large, but by the time
Zhen Jin took over, there were only about a dozen left. After the poisoning
event, combat power and physical strength slid down overall. A task that
originally only needed one person now needed one and a half or even two. Thus,
manpower seemed to be in very short supply.
“Be at ease, I will personally guard the lumbering team.” Zhen Jin said.
Cang Xu immediately relaxed, the safest place was certainly next to Zhen Jin!
He thought: Zhen Jin would guard Zi Di. Even if her strategic importance
declined on this island, Zi Di was still a magician after all.
Cang Xu pondered before asking: “If so, then does my lord intend to order Lan
Zao to protect the camp?”
Zhen Jin shook his head: “No, investigating the enemy’s position is more
important. Lan Zao must still scout out the details of the flying squirrel
community. He can move about alone. The strength of the others is lacking, they
would only be a burden.”
Cang Xu frowned and reminded: “Lord Zi Di’s safety…”
Zhen Jin smiled: “I have spoken with her, she will stay in camp alone. She is
also a pharmacist and has her own methods of protecting herself. If she
encounters a difficult danger, the lumbering team is nearby and can reinforce
her immediately.”
Cang Xu no longer had any objections; he was clear about the exploration team’s
lack of manpower and Zhen Jin had done his utmost best with his arrangements.



****** Chapter 40: Making Bows ******
Thump Thump Thump.
The sounds of axes chopping on trees repeated continuously.
Vigorous swings embedded axes deeply into tree trunks, sending wood chips
flying, then the exploration team members shook the handles and pulled it out.
When a large enough gap was cut into the tree trunk, the trees began to teeter.
The lumbering team members yelled warnings and then pushed and stomped onto the
tree trunks.
The tree trunks creaked and crashed to the ground with a loud bang. The sound
of countless branches breaking was followed along with tree leaves flying
everywhere.
Although the exploration team only had a few axes, it greatly helped to
increase their efficiency and lowered their stamina consumption.
Next, they sawed the tree trunks into pieces to make transportation easier.
These tree trunks would be rolled into the camp for more delicate processing.
The exploration team did not have a saw on them.
However, Zhen Jin lent them one.
Zhen Jin’s “saw” came from the blade-legged spider, the blade-legged spider’s
hind legs were slender, straight, and had a packed row of sharp teeth. This was
an excellent natural saw.
The blade-legged spider was indeed a silver level magic beast and the
exploration team members quickly realized how powerful a silver level magic
beast was.
They worked in pairs as they used the spider leg to saw the thick tree trunks
as easily as a knife cuts through white bread.
The scholar Cang Xu had plenty of experience in leadership and commanding.
Because Zhen Jin was keeping watch, he divided the people into two groups.
One group went to cut wood, the other to peel and tear tree bark into thin
threads.
Every so often, the two groups would swap with each other, this way the team
members could save their energy, rest somewhat, and maintain the work pace.
The lumbering team accomplished beyond their quota in one morning.
A large quantity of logs were rolled in by pieces towards the camp and stacked
in a corner temporarily.
In addition, thread made from tree bark had already been smeared with potions.
An increased supply of lunch was needed because everyone was extremely hungry.
Bai Ya and Huang Zao also returned for a meal.
They hadn’t harvested much, a few birds and a pheasant. The harvest was clearly
not worth their efforts, but at least they cleared out the surrounding woods.
What surprised everyone was that Zhen Jin ordered everyone to take a small nap
after lunch. This hadn’t happened before.
This was actually Cang Xu’s suggestion, a lunchtime nap could guarantee that
the team members worked efficiently in the afternoon.
Although the lumbering was finished, there was still a lot of work remaining.
A large number of tree trunks had been chopped into planks, these were to be
made into the embryonic form of the short bow limb.
Thus, the planks required a certain length and thickness.
Even if the planks that came from the entire tree trunks, the best planks were
from the tree core.
This was a job for a carpenter.
It would be great to have a good carpenter, but all of the exploration team
members were laymen, resulting in amateurish quality immediately appearing—many
tree trunks were destroyed and although many planks were made, none met Bai
Ya’s standards.
The inadequate planks could be used for hunter traps.
Even the worst planks could still be used as firewood. After being burnt,
charcoal and tree ash was formed. These were both good resources that had high
practical value.
In their current situation, the exploration team required all and any
resources. Whatever resources they could obtain could not be discarded.
The progress of the carpentry was considerably slow, making Zhen Jin’s heart
more worried and irritated.
Even though he knew it couldn’t be rushed.
To tell the truth, Zi Di’s potions really helped him a lot, saving crucial
time.
Furthermore, Cang Xu’s plan was rational and adequate, the scholar had already
evaluated that the morning situation did not meet standards.
After the exploration team gradually became familiar with their work, the
amount of wood wasted began to greatly decrease.
One after the other, more and more planks met the standards.
After the number of planks rose above a certain degree, Cang Xu commanded
everyone to make bow limbs out of the planks.
The crafting was actually quite simple.
They only needed to turn the planks into strips, which were slightly thicker in
the middle and had two slightly thinner ends that had notches suitable to hold
the bowstring in the future.
After passing Bai Ya’s inspection, the short bow arcs were smeared with potions
and laid out in a dark corner to dry.
After finishing the work, many people shouted that they felt that they could be
a bow craftsmen.
Many others were constantly moving their fingers or massaged their arms,
fingers, thighs, and other muscles. The soreness made them grimace.
Their bodies were already approaching their limits, but there was still work to
be done.
Large quantities of arrows needed to be made.
There was a general standard to select an arrow shaft. Wood that met the
standard had to be processed, cut into long cylinders and then polished to
smoothen the surface
Of course, the exploration team members doing this weren’t experienced in the
process.
They mainly made arrows out of the straightest branches with lengths and
thicknesses closest to normal arrows.
Bai Ya was guiding those making the arrows. To make arrows, they would first
brush off any bark on the branches to make shafts, then they would use knives
to carefully cut feathers, and after that, they would use a potion to glue the
feathers to finally make arrow feathers. Finally, arrowheads were baked so that
the wood would carbonize and harden, then finally sharpened.
The arrows made by this method could not compare to army standard ones.
First of all, the arrow shaft material was inferior and the arrow feathers were
not high quality, all of them were rough and slipshod work, yet they could not
be rejected.
The exploration team didn’t have many feathers, most of what they had came from
Bai Ya’s hunt today, so each one had to be treasured.
The only thing the people were grateful for was the potion that Zi Di made at
the last moment—the glue really was firm!
As for the arrowheads, they were simply wretched.
They were not iron arrowheads.
They would turn into scrap after several uses.
Their natural destructive power was very low, but it could still threaten
ordinary beasts.
Outside of the production of arrows, there was still more work.
For example, there were wooden shields taller and wider than a person. They
were made from tree trunks and rattan, and when thrust into the ground, they
would form a simple and short curtain wall.
These were also called arrow blocking shields.
In the past, humans had this kind of fortification when besieging castles.
Nowadays, that kind of fortification had long been phased out.
Even if someone used it, its surface would have a layer of iron.
Besides these shields, there were wooden spears.
The exploration team could hold the spears and stab at the flying squirrels
from a safe distance.
But these tactics were only better than nothing because everyone knew how fast
the squirrels were and that they could glide in the air while adjusting their
direction with their tails, so their bodies were very nimble.1
Everyone mainly put their expectations on the short bows.
As night fell, the torn tree bark had completely dried, the people marvelled at
Zi Di’s methods and began to twist rope.
The skill of twisting rope was also something taught by Bai Ya.
There was a small skill in this.
The main first step was to divide the threads into two bundles, each one
rotating counterclockwise, and after the two bundles are combined, then rotate
clockwise. This way, the woven rope would be quite tight and less likely to
come apart.
This hemp rope could be used for bowstrings. Every short bow needed at least
two bowstrings, one for normal usage and one as a backup.
By dinner, enough bowstrings had been made.
Like at noon, dinner was also rich. There was also some game that broke up the
monotony of their food.
The morning of the second day.
Zhen Jin and everyone else got up early because there was important business to
be done—testing the bows.
Putting in one night and Zi Di’s potions, the short bows had been dried.
Bai Ya grabbed both ends of the bow limbs and attempted to bend it, after
seeing the bow limb bent, he grinned: “Quite strong. It’s better than what I
imagined.”
Cang Xu hesitated before saying: “Huang Zao, I am giving you this task. Break
this bow limb, but do it slowly.”
Huang Zao realised what Cang Xu wished and immediately started. When the bow
limb was bent to its limit, it instantly snapped into two.
Everyone saw for themselves and immediately understood the limit the simple bow
limb could bear.
Cang Xu estimated: “It seems we can only use one hemp rope as a bowstring.”
No one had any objections.
Sometimes, many hemp ropes were combined to form a bowstring. But after this
experiment, it was more suitable to use a hemp rope that had a toughness that
matched the short bow limb.
Bai Ya tied the bowstring using the slipknot method and fastened it firmly and
cleverly.
Soon after, the hunter’s son nocked an arrow, aimed at a distant target, and
shot the arrow with a whoosh.
Everyone looked on with wide eyes.
It was very clear that the originally straight arrow veered to the upper left
and then fell to the ground at an angle.
The range reached more than fifty paces.
The distance from the target was far—no one knew where it landed.
But no one revealed their disappointment, Zhen Jin even nodded slightly—he knew
that this was just the beginning.
Bows are things that need to be tuned.
The bow limbs created were very crude, so it was necessary to use daggers and
other tools to continue processing the bow limbs. At the same time, the
bowstrings needed to be adjusted as well as the arrows. Following this process,
the short bow’s accuracy would stabilize and its range would be greatly
improved.
Finally, after Bai Ya finished the tuning, an arrow successfully hit a target a
hundred paces away and penetrated two fingers deep into the target.
Seeing this result, Zhen Jin was very satisfied.
These were not composite bows, only monobloc bows. The bow limbs and bow
strings were all made from the materials on hand and not carefully selected. In
addition, the arrowheads were not made of iron, but ground and carbonized wood
that was crudely processed.
To have this kind of performance is very good.
Because Zhen Jin also did not demand much.
Right now, they were staying in the middle of a forest and not in an empty and
vast grassland, thus longbows were unsuitable.
None of the exploration team members were excellent archers, most of them were
pushed beyond their limits so no one could hope they would be accurate beyond
one hundred paces.
“Due to the restrictions from the environment and the personnel, the short bows
have an effective range of one hundred paces which is sufficient.”
“The crucial point to look at is inside this one hundred pace area, about how
many arrows can we shoot? If we can shoot three or more arrows each and have a
certain rate of accuracy, the short bow plan can be considered a success.”



****** Chapter 41: Insisting on Staking It All on One Throw ******
Three arrows could actually influence the outcome of the battle greatly.
Because one party was not harmed due to firing from a distance while the other
party would slowly dwindle.
In battle, one on one and two on one were two completely different situations.
The core of the so-called art of war was to use various methods to create
situations in which more was fighting less, forming a superiority in combat
strength.
In addition, the flying squirrels were not zombies, since they were natural
life, they would have morale. A prior example was when Zhen Jin dispatched the
flying squirrel chieftain and caused the remaining flying squirrels to flee in
all directions.
In fact, they could not shoot many arrows.
If they shot many arrows, it would greatly consume their physical strength. All
of them were only wielding bows temporarily, their stamina should be saved for
close-quarters combat else the gains would not make up for the losses.
The next task was bow fine-tuning, Zhen Jin gave Bai Ya the responsibility of
supervising it.
Huang Zao and Lan Zao had limited leadership ability, at most they could lead a
squadron to assault the deck of a ship.
As for Zhen Jin himself, he could not fine-tune bows. Cang Xu and Zi Di even
more so.
The hunter Bai Ya only had ordinary strength, if they hadn’t fallen onto this
island, he would have vanished into obscurity, he was too mediocre. But in the
current situation, he could rely on his abilities to blossom and shine
brightly.
Regarding him, this island possessed enormous danger, but it simultaneously
also possessed enormous opportunities.
“In the end, I still have too few talented subordinates. Those who have a
little talent like Bai Ya can even distinguish themselves from the others.”
Zhen Jin sighed secretly.
Bai Ya led several people to fine-tune bows, of course, the remaining
individuals wouldn’t be idle.
Huang Zao continued hunting, his main target was not to acquire food but to
target wild birds and harvest their feathers.
Lan Zao continued to investigate the environment around the flying squirrels.
Wooden shields, as well as hunting traps, were all made one after the other.
Hemp rope was also being weaved from tree bark, the short ones used for
bowstrings, the long ones used for bindings, like for shields. Hemp rope
reserves continued to rise, these things were very unremarkable but very
practical.
No one could estimate how long they would be on this island for, so it was
important to stockpile things like ropes as much as possible.
According to Cang Xu, there were many uses for hemp rope.
In addition to its function as rope, hemp rope could be coupled with itself to
weave a net. Nets could store things, form clothes, and create straw sandals.
Cang Xu was also participating in this by supplying a very simple and crude
loom.
This loom used a dozen stakes thrust into the ground, forming two rows. One row
had the stakes regularly spaced, and they were all fixed in place with a
horizontal wooden stick.
After the small wooden stakes were wound up, a pattern of ten vertical threads
formed. Raising one wooden stick would lift up half the threads accordingly.
At this point, the horizontal thread was tilted for insertion. As the threads
descended in, the horizontal line and the ten vertical threads would be
interwoven, completing the basic operation of weaving.
Repeating this motion ten times, one hundred times, would form a piece of cloth
smoothly.
This loom was extremely primitive, its efficiency could not compare to the
looms used in the Empire, it was like the difference between heaven and earth.
A person could work for half a day and would only produce enough cloth to cover
their ass.
However, it really did save an enormous amount of manpower and physical
resources and was much more efficient than weaving by hand.
The exploration team members working with this loom sighed profusely over Cang
Xu’s profound scholarly knowledge. However, Cang Xu told them that he actually
acquired knowledge of this loom from his research on the beastmen.
Compared to the Human Empire, the beastmen despite occupying the Wilderness
Continent, they were formed from widespread tribes with generally lower living
standards and productive capabilities. This kind of loom was generally used by
the beastmen.
As for Zi Di, she was mainly in charge of making poisons. Zhen Jin explicitly
told her that he required a poison that could naturally dissipate, or fade when
boiled in water or when roasted. Either that or a poison that was only
effective against the flying squirrels and did not harm the human body.
After all, Zhen Jin was hunting the flying squirrels for food. If the poison
was too strong, even if the flying squirrels died from poison, they couldn’t be
used as foodstuffs. With regards to the entire exploration team, the losses
would be far higher than the gains.
The current environment was very simple and crude, Zi Di could only give it an
attempt as she issued a request—she wanted live flying squirrels to experiment
on.
Zhen Jin then secretly left together with Lan Zao to probe the flying squirrel
community.
Cang Xu remained in camp to command and supervise.
After finishing bow fine-tuning, Bai Ya also led everyone to start test firing.
That evening, the leaders met again to communicate their respective gains.
Zhen Jin and Lan Zao captured three live flying squirrels, handing them all
over to Zi Di.
Huang Zao wasn’t able to catch anything, hunting was not about combat power. He
also lost some iron arrowheads. These iron arrowheads were very valuable, and
using one was to lose one.
But he wasn’t empty-handed—Huang Zao had failed the hunt, he could only go
further away to try his luck, resulting in the unexpected discovery of a small
bamboo forest.
Bamboo was a very outstanding natural resource, bamboo joints were a natural
water vessel. Bamboo could be used to make bamboo rafts and sharpened bamboo
could be made into traps.
Day three.
“Shoot!” Huang Zao commanded, many arrows flew out with a whoosh.
There were ten crude targets set up one hundred and twenty paces away.
The arrow targets had charcoal drawn concentric circles, however, nevermind the
inner circles, arrows hitting the targets were very rare.
The target circle was a bit small, about the same as a flying squirrel. But in
a true battle, everyone needed to shoot flying squirrels that were moving.
Therefore, this kind of archery result was not acceptable.
“Your posture is wrong.”
“Straighten your waist and arm.”
“Steady, steady. What are you shaking for‽”
Huang Zao assumed the position of the military instructor.
His brows were wrinkled as his chest felt immense pressure.
The best archer in the exploration team was of course Zhen Jin.
The second best was Bai Ya, the youngster’s archery was still above Huang
Zao’s. After all, this craft was what fed him and earned him his livelihood
year after year.
Hunters would not risk their lives in combat when hunting, this was only one of
their methods to make a living. Besides hunting dogs, hunters also relied on
traps. Bows were also used a lot. Excellent hunters upon encountering a large
beast that they could not hunt would choose to concede or retreat.
Huang Zao and Lan Zao were experts in close-quarters combat and when they were
shooting at long ranges, crossbows were used more than bows. They lived on
ships, therefore they deliberately practised archery.
Huang Zao’s hunt yesterday was a total mess, so today Zhen Jin arranged for him
to be the interim military instructor.
In order to redeem his face, Huang Zao tried very hard.
Although Huang Zao’s archery wasn’t nearly as good as Bai Ya’s, for training
others, he was more reliable.
Bai Ya’s archery relied more on feeling, it was completely barbaric.
Huang Zao at least had been trained and knew the key points in archery.
“First is personal assault training, afterwards we will practice volley firing.
With this level of archery, even the most basic of arrow volleys cannot be set
up.”
Zhen Jin was inspecting the training and looked at the situation. His heart was
rather anxious, but his face did not reveal even a fraction of his emotion.
Today, Bai Ya was hunting and replaced Huang Zao. The primary target was still
fowls because the exploration team needed more feathers to make arrow tails.
No one hoped that he could hunt sufficient food.
Individuals hunting by themselves was very risky and their efficacy was quite
low. Most of them could only pray for luck at catching their next meal.
Throughout the Empire, a hunter’s life was very arduous.
So as the proverb says: Hunting was not as good as herding and herding was not
as good as farming.
Under normal circumstances, hunters could not fill their bellies. Compared to
hunters and herders, the lives of farming peasants were the most steady and
their quality of life was the most guaranteed.
Hunters seemed like meat-eaters, but in fact, the majority of hills and forests
were noble territories who didn’t allow hunters to poach and would severely
punish them if caught.
In this situation, the exploration team could only rely on large scale hunting
to meet their food consumption demands.
Today’s training continuously went from morning to evening. After supper, the
exploration team members had no desire to speak or smile as they collapsed into
their tents to sleep.
In Zhen Jin’s tent, Cang Xu respectfully reported the grim situation with an
austere face.
“Lord Zhen Jin, we do not have much food, we are rapidly consuming our
reserves. At this rate, we cannot last many more days.”
Zhen Jin’s expression was calm, his mood was also tranquil.
His reaction to this point was very odd. These two days, he had originally been
very fretful but had gradually calmed down.
He had adapted to the pressure and instead consoled Cang Xu: “We must train our
archery expertise, this matter cannot be hurried. We can only grind our teeth
and persevere! Without a foundation in archery, recklessly rushing to fight
will not benefit us. This kind of training does indeed consume physical
strength, thus raising our food consumption. However, using up food now will
improve our archery skills and reduce the number of people we will lose when
fighting close-quarters. It is worth it.”
“I understand my lord.” Cang Xu nodded, “But right now, we are running out of
food. Everyone knows this, and everyone is very worried.”
Zhen Jin smiled: “Tell them clearly how much rations we have left. If it is
necessary, let everyone look at our food reserves with their own eyes.
Cang Xu’s look changed, he replied heavily; “I understand my lord.”
Day four.
The shooting range.
Despite aching arms and obvious swelling, the exploration team members were
solemn as they grit their teeth and relentlessly trained.
They were all clear about the food reserves and had a clear understanding about
their situation—now they needed to stake it all on one throw, if they failed
the hunt, they could only wait for death!
Under this kind of pressure, all of them were energetically striving to train
their archery as much as they could.
Although the early stages of their training was an eyesore, after everyone
adapted, their arrow shooting situation turned for the better.
Hitting the bullseye was very rare, but the vast majority of fired arrows could
hit the target.
Seeing the archery performance stabilize, Huang Zao immediately removed the
fixed arrow targets and switched to moving targets.
These moving targets were short wooden stakes fastened with hemp rope with the
other end of the rope tied to a tall branch. After the stakes were pulled up
and released, they would sway below the tree.
Huang Zao demanded that the exploration team members shoot the stakes.
Their performance immediately declined and became worse than before!
No grumbling occurred as everyone knew that during real combat, the flying
squirrels would be faster than the stakes and could move in different
directions.
Practice, keep practising.
Everyone cherished each moment.
During lunch, the team members kept silent, the atmosphere was very heavy.
The minds of many were tense as they constantly pondered and reviewed—what
should they do to improve their shooting ability.
As they rested in their tents, they also tried to practise bow motions even if
they didn’t have a bow.
After training, the team members pinched each other’s arms.
Many people could not raise their arms. Swollen arms were everywhere.
Fortunately, Zi Di provided medicine.
This potion was made at the last moment, the original potion was effective even
for practitioners so when the diluted version was now used on these average
team members, it still had a powerful effect.
Both the externally applied potion and the orally ingested potion was provided
and synergized with each other. After a night’s rest, their arms were more or
less recovered.
Dinner greeted everyone with a meager fare soup.
Bits and pieces of wild herbs were sprinkled as seasoning.
One after the other, the looks of the exploration team changed, but no one said
anything.
All of them were clear about the grim situation.
“Cang Xu, come at once.” Zhen Jin distantly sounded.
“Why are we having only this for dinner?” Zhen Jin seemed to question Cang Xu.
“My lord, we don’t have enough food. We can only do this!” Cang Xu replied to
Zhen Jin.
Zhen Jin retorted: “But I remember that we still have reserves. It is unlikely
to reach this level!”
“My lord, those remaining rations are kept for you and Lord Zi Di.
“Take them out.”
“My lord?”
“Take them all out! Without eating one’s fill, how can one train and fight?”
This dialogue shook the hearts of those who heard it, and many showed moved
expressions on their faces.
“My lord, I ask you to let us attack.” On the same evening, the team members
actively looked for Zhen Jin to request that they attack.
But Zhen Jin refused this request: “Train. You all still need to train!”
Day five.
Train, train, still training!
As evening fell, Zhen Jin examined the results, he was joyous to find that five
out of ten arrows could hit the target.
The moving target was comparatively big, much bigger than a flying squirrel.
But this kind of performance had already reached Zhen Jin’s standards.
He never wanted to cultivate the team members into marksmen, it was impossible
in a short period of time. In any case, the team members’ aptitudes set an
upper limit on their shooting ability.
But a volley of arrows could make up for insufficient accuracy.
This level of shooting technique was enough to form a standard arrow volley
fire.
That afternoon, Cang Xu also came to advise Zhen Jin: “We should attack my
lord.”
“Again, hold on.” Zhen Jin was more firm.
This kind of calm focus made even him feel somewhat surprised.



****** Chapter 42: A Small Victory ******
Day six.
After breakfast, Zhen Jin faced everyone and said: “We have eaten all of our
remaining rations.”
Everyone was silent as they stood straight, their minds were fully prepared for
this result.
Zhen Jin sternly looked over everyone as his eyes swept past everyone in front
of him.
“Now, anyone who is unclear about our situation, step forward!”
No one budged as all stood motionless.
Everyone had a grim expression as if boiling magma was within their chests—it
was their fighting spirit built up after a long time, it was the intense thirst
for survival!
“Very good. All of you are smart enough to understand what we will face if we
lose.”
“These past few days, Lan Zao has conducted a comprehensive investigation,
besides this nearby flying squirrel group, there are no other suitable
targets.”
“Today, if we defeat them, they will be our food. If we lose, we will be their
food.”
“I, Zhen Jin, as a templar knight and the sole heir of the Bai Zhen Clan, will
be with you all. I will lead you all in overcoming this dangerous obstacle and
reaping victory. Follow me to glory!”
Morale was vigorous, the unity of will was an impregnable stronghold.1
The team set off.
Very quickly, they arrived at the prearranged battlefield.
This battlefield had been meticulously arranged, the most obvious aspects of it
were the short barriers made up of vines and bamboo branches.
These barriers were connected to each other and formed a very long defensive
line.
If the flying squirrels wanted to pass through the defensive line, they would
need to fly. This would give the team members a good opportunity to shoot at
them.
There were three defensive lines.
Under normal circumstances, a river was the best obstruction as it was natural
and didn’t need hard manpower to construct.
However, first of all, there was no river in the nearby vicinity. Secondly, the
island’s rivers were also quite dangerous as the violent python vine often hid
there. Not only did Zhen Jin encounter this gold level plant, but Cang Xu and
the exploration team had also encountered it several times, paying a price in
blood each time.
Under Zhen Jin’s command, Lan Zao went up alone, his back quickly disappearing
from everyone’s view.
Most of the people formed battle formations. The battle formation was very
simple with individuals lining up horizontally. This kind of formation was good
for shooting at long distances.
Cang Xu and Zi Di stood behind the horizontal line at Zhen Jin’s side.
Zhen Jin began to silently pray.
“Great Emperor Sheng Ming, my god, thou art a wise and almighty god who can
always seize victory on the battlefield. Thou art the god of knights, war, and
victory. Grant me victory and I will use my conviction, honor, and the blood of
my mortal enemies to increase the splendor of thy throne. O’ god, please hear
my plea…”
The god did not respond.
Zhen Jin sighed to himself.
Normally when facing battle, all templar knights would pray. Emperor Sheng Ming
would generally respond and bestow a divine spell to protect the templar
knights.
But ever since Zhen Jin regained consciousness, he had prayed numerous times,
but Emperor Sheng Ming had not responded.
This was also why Zhen Jin did not openly pray. Because if the divine spell did
not descend, it would certainly give a vile impression and make the others
think that this templar knight, Zhen Jin, could not get the favor and
protection of his god. In this way, even before the battle began, the morale of
his side would fall.
The current outcome was not beyond Zhen Jin’s expectations. He also rejoiced at
his sensible choice.
The morning sun shone through the rose-tinted morning sky.
The forest gradually became immersed in sunlight and its dark green slowly
became bright.
The air was still ice cold as everyone puffed out white mist that could be seen
by the naked eye.
As time passed, the chirping of the birds increased.
Suddenly, a bird group flew from the front, breaking through the canopy and
into the empty sky.
Lan Zao’s figure appeared before everyone once more.
He ran with all of his strength as a large group of flying squirrels squeaked
behind him. There were a few among the group that emitted a bronze level aura.
The line of battle became slightly restless but soon returned to silence.
Zhen Jin’s eyes quickly flashed with a glint of brilliance, his spirit was
roused—Lan Zao’s provocation was very successful.
At that moment, Zhen Jin loudly shouted: “Ready!”
The exploration team members had already been well prepared as they immediately
drew out arrows and put them on their bowstrings in one synchronised motion.
One after the other, they pulled their bowstrings and were ready to fire.2
“Fire.” Zhen Jin again shouted.
The team members immediately let go, the bowstrings instantly vibrated as all
the arrows flew.
Lan Zao’s steps did not pause as he saw the arrows flying, instead he
immediately fell to the ground and took the opportunity to roll.3
A flying squirrel chieftain pounced air and bumped into the ground, its bump
immediately created a small pit as turf and soil splattered all over.
Lan Zao used the inertia of the roll and quickly got up with a lifted shield in
his hands.
Many of these shields had already been ready on the ground.
No arrow hit Lan Zao’s shield as the arrow volley converged into an integrated
layer and struck down many flying squirrels.
A flying squirrel chieftain pounced towards Lan Zao’s back.
Lan Zao heard the movement as he suddenly turned the shield around and
immediately swept the flying squirrel off with a thump.
“Ready—Fire!” Finding the opportunity when the flying squirrels were crossing
the vine barriers, Zhen Jin shouted his commands again.
Dozens of arrows formed a thin arrow volley once more. Among them were several
iron arrows fired from crossbows.
The arrow volley streaked across the air and precisely hit the flying squirrel
group.
Several wooden arrows shot Lan Zao’s shield and his leather armor, but he was
unharmed.
The crossbows were all manned by those good at shooting, they would not hit Lan
Zao.
The remaining arrows were wooden and did not have metal arrowheads and only had
a wooden arrowhead which was burnt black and sharpened.
It was only natural that these arrowheads could not deal Lan Zao any injuries
nor would they threaten a flying squirrel chieftain. However, they could kill
ordinary flying squirrels.
As the arrow volley descended, more flying squirrels fell to ground with some
dying on the spot and others screaming in pain from their injuries.
After two rounds, more than a dozen charging flying squirrels had lost their
fighting strength and had collapsed en route.
The flying squirrel group started to become disorderly.
The majority of them were still pursuing and attacking Lan Zao with a few
directly attacking their formation.
“Ready.” Zhen spoke again: “Fire!”
On the third volley, everyone’s movements started to be uneven. Although the
arrow volley was formed in the air, it was clear its concentration was not as
good as before.
However, because the current distance between both sides had gotten closer, the
arrows still caused the flying squirrel groups many injuries and deaths.
Bai Ya and Huang Zao simultaneously used their crossbows to target flying
squirrel chieftains.
Although the arrows hit the squirrel’s head, it only knocked it back and didn’t
wound it. Instead it aroused its fierce nature as it sped up.
In all, there were two flying squirrel chieftains.
One set its mind on Lan Zao, the other faced the frontline.
“Fight freely.” After Zhen Jin gave his command, he immediately fished out two
daggers and with both hands, he threw them with explosive strength.
Almost immediately afterwards, both flying squirrel chieftains were pierced by
a dagger and fell to the ground, they rolled over a few times due to inertia,
and soon laid motionless. Scarlet blood rapidly flowed from the fatal wounds in
their eyes and spread across the surrounding greenery.
This distance was already within the range of Zhen Jin’s throwing daggers.
Zhen Jin’s power was astonishing, the strength of his arms were far more
formidable than a crossbow.
With no squirrel chieftain, the squirrel group sank into chaos. The team
members freely shot as the few flying squirrels that rushed them died from
being run through by wooden spears.
After a bit of a struggle, the few remaining flying squirrels were routed.
“Hah…we have won.”
“Both of those flying squirrel chieftains died by Lord Zhen Jin’s hand.”
“Our lord’s divine strength!”
Lan Zao returned with his shield.
Wooden arrows had pierced his shield and shoulder armor.
With one sweeping look, Zhen Jin knew Lan Zao wasn't wounded. He clapped Lan
Zao’s shoulder: “Good job.”
“Everything depended on your lordship’s commands.” Lan Zao stooped and bowed
respectfully.
Everyone understood that the key to this victory was Zhen Jin. His throwing
dagger skills had stunned them as he simultaneously resolved the biggest threat
of the two flying squirrel chieftains and completely crushed the flying
squirrel group’s morale.
“Rest and reorganize for a bit and we will continue hunting.” Zhen Jin ordered.
“Yes, my lord!” The team members loudly agreed, their morale rose above that
prior to the battle.
The way everyone regarded Zhen Jin was different than before.
Before, there were still doubts and worries at the bottom of everyone’s hearts,
after all everyone knew that Zhen Jin staked everything on hunting this
squirrel group.
No man knew what the outcome would be. Even if Zhen Jin had the status of a
noble and a templar knight, he could not guarantee a successful hunt.
If they lost, the entire exploration team would perish. As for the leader Zhen
Jin, he could not avoid shouldering the primary blame.
But the first hunt was a total victory,4 so everyone’s hearts were cleared of
worries. Heretofore, some doubted Zhen Jin’s strategic decisions, however, now
they saw it as wise and decisive.
“After all, Lord Zhen Jin is a templar knight!” Bai Ya’s eyes lit up.
“Yes, I am indeed lucky to be Lord Zhen Jin’s subordinate.” Huang Zao sighed
endlessly.
“If we follow Lord Zhen Jin, we can set sail once again.”
Everyone discussed in whispers as they looked at Zhen Jin with reverence.
This small victory let them truly approve of Zhen Jin’s leadership.
Because Zhen Jin had achieved his initial promise and could genuinely lead them
to victory and glory, proving that his mouth wasn't full of hot air.
“My lord, I knew all of this would not be a problem at all for you.” ZI Di also
smiled at his side, her amethyst eyes revealing a faint trace of endearment.
Cang Xu coughed out some foul air and quietly said: “In this manner, the
exploration team has averted danger.”
Their prior situation resembled hanging over a precipice, with one foot already
in the air dangling.
Now with their complete victory, although their food hadn’t been replenished
much, the outcome still swept the worries from everyone. The exploration team
all closely revolved around their only core, Zhen Jin.
However, just as morale was rising and celebration was occurring, an unusual
noise suddenly came to their ears from far off in the forest.
Densely packed squeaking incessantly fell on the ear.
The flying squirrels that ran away had actually arrived with a big army!
“Ah, a lot of flying squirrels are rushing over.”
“What could disturb this many flying squirrels?”
“We are only in the peripheries!”
In just one moment, the exploration team sunk into a panic.
“Ha ha ha!” Zhen Jin suddenly laughed heartily.



****** Chapter 43: A Great Victory ******
All of the frantic exploration team members were attracted to Zhen Jin’s
laughter.
Zhen Jin then loudly shouted: “You have me, why are you guys panicking? More
flying squirrels only means more food for us. Listen to my command, reorganize
the formation, and kill all of these flying squirrels.”
“Yes my lord!” Everyone loudly replied.
The battle line was quickly restored.
Zhen Jin looked into the distance with rapt attention, his pupils couldn’t help
but contract. His vitality was higher than ordinary people and thus could see
more distinctly than others. At this moment, as far as the eye could see, there
was a swarm of over one hundred flying squirrels with six flying squirrel
leaders.
“Did the entire community move against us?”
“Sure enough, these beasts are hard to predict.”
Zhen Jin had no thoughts of retreating, this kind of situation was also within
his expectations.
Before hunting, Zhen Jin and the others anticipated many situations.
The most terrible situation was: Lan Zao being pursued by the entire flying
squirrel community.
Now that Zhen Jin obtained a small victory, he had raised his prestige,
consolidated his status, and raised the exploration team’s morale.
One could say that the exploration team had changed beyond recognition compared
to before the small victory.
That was already pretty good.
“Ready, fire.” Zhen Jin shouted.
Everyone heard the commands with stern faces as they fired their bows in
succession.
The thin arrow volley immediately struck many flying squirrels down to the
ground. There were many attacking flying squirrels bunched together, thus this
round was the most effective one yet.
However, the flying squirrel group was bigger and none of the flying squirrel
leaders had died yet. On the contrary, the flying squirrels were spurred to
anger as a cacophony of squeaking burst out and their charge seemed to speed
up.
Many of the men turned pale.
After the first round, they could clearly see their situation. Even if they
shot seven or eight times, they might not necessarily be able to kill all of
them.
Moreover, with the distance between them and the speed of the attacking flying
squirrels, not to mention seven or eight rounds, there wouldn’t be enough time
to do five or six rounds.
The second volley was fired soon after.
The third volley.
“Fight freely!” Zhen Jin ordered afterwards.
The arrow volley largely compensated for the lack of accuracy. But now that it
was at a closer distance, the archers’ accuracy was much greater and shooting
in salvos would only hold them back. Especially so for the best shooters.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.
Arrows pierced through the horizon and perforated the squirrel group.
The squirrel group squeaked with abnormal ferociousness, as if they had taken
no damage at all.
The close proximity of the squirrel group brought about great pressure. The
hearts of many could not help but beat wildly as their actions became unsteady
and lost their usual standard. Some had to nock arrows several times and others
dropped arrows from their bowstrings and released empty strings. Huang Zao
unknowingly used too much strength and broke his bow while drawing it, he then
angrily threw the broken bow away.
“This lousy bow!” He cursed as he took out another short bow.
Because the short bows were slipshod works, this kind of circumstance was
anticipated, as a result, everyone had spare short bows.
As for the crossbows, their firing rate could not be compared to short bows.
After the battle started, there was not enough time to wind them up again, one
could only set them to the side.
Zhen Jin shot arrow after arrow with infallible accuracy!
But the might of a short bow was very small, its draw weight was too low.
After firing many times, Zhen Jin clearly felt that his short bow had loosened,
he immediately tossed it and changed to a spare.1
Within this short period of time, Zhen Jin had already gone through three bows.
He alone had killed more than twenty flying squirrels.
But there were still many flying squirrels left, at least fifty of them.
This was five times more than the number of people in the exploration team.
The ordinary flying squirrels were fine, the crucial thing were the six* flying
squirrel chieftains. None of them were dead, which posed a great problem.
The crossbows shot powerful iron arrows but even they couldn’t hurt the flying
squirrel chieftains, to say nothing of the short bows.
Zhen Jin’s heart was pressed down by a giant stone as he understood thoroughly:
if this squirrel group charged in, the exploration team’s losses would be
disastrous.
The closest flying squirrel chieftain rushed into the range of Zhen Jin’s
throwing daggers.
In a split second, the youngster’s eyes flickered as his arm suddenly shook.
The dagger pierced the air, its rapid speed made it seem like a glinting ray of
light to everyone.
The ray of light accurately struck the flying squirrel chieftain, after it was
struck by the dagger, the originally airborne flying squirrel chieftain was
flung back even faster. Afterwards, it fell motionless to the ground off in the
distance.
Everyone that saw this scene had their hearts shaken, but there was no time to
celebrate.
Because the squirrel group hadn’t halted for even a fraction of a second and
the remaining flying squirrel chieftains ruthlessly charged into the frontline.
All of them were bronze level magic beasts, after they bumped into an
“exploration team member”, they used their claws and large incisors to rabidly
tear at it.
After killing the “exploration team members” one after the other, leaves and
branches flew from the corpses, but no blood or flesh.
As it turned out, those standing on the frontline were all puppets.
These puppets were filled with rice straw padding to appear like humans and
used Zi Di’s hastily made potions to deceive the flying squirrels’ sense of
smell.
Earlier, Cang Xu had dissected the flying squirrels and discovered that they
didn’t have good eyesight, they mainly depended on their sense of smell.
The flying squirrels also didn’t have high intellect, therefore the puppets
succeeded in attracting this wave of offense.
Numerous ordinary flying squirrels pounced upon the plant puppets. Some of the
puppets attracted the attacks of more than a dozen flying squirrels while
others had five or six.
Seeing the flying squirrels gathered in the same place, Zhen Jin decisively
ordered: “Set them on fire!”
Zi Di threw the potions she had prepared long before the battle.
The potion bottles shattered on rocks, causing the liquid inside to leak over
the greenery and mix with the potions already prepared there. In a split
second, a weak flame ignited and soon expanded into a fiery serpent. It soared
and spread across the frontline as a burning wall of fire.
The wall of fire immediately ignited the puppets and emitted a thick smoke.
Some flying squirrels screamed as they burned, others choked and cried in the
thick smoke, their keen sense of smell multiplied their suffering.
Almost all of the flying squirrels were running around in disarray.
The pressure facing the exploration team immediately dropped.
Because even if there were still flying squirrels rushing them, there were only
a few of them, moreover they were only doing so to flee from the flames.
They were met with arrows.
Almost half of the flying squirrels were felled by arrows en route.
Bai Ya, Huang Zao, and Lao Zao, these three displayed steadiness.
But Zhen Jin didn’t make a move, with rapt attention, he motionless stood like
a statue.
Suddenly, a flying squirrel chieftain broke through the wall of fire and
appeared in his field of view.
Without any hesitation, Zhen Jin violently threw a flying dagger, piercing the
flying squirrel chieftain's eye.
After the flying squirrel chieftain fell to the ground, it rolled over several
times and died.
But as the flying squirrel chieftain fell to the ground, the remaining flying
squirrel chieftains also rushed out of the wall of fire at the same time.
None of them had caught on fire, ordinary fire could not do anything to them,
even the thick smoke only made them feel uncomfortable.
All of the flying squirrel chieftains madly rushed forward.
Upon seeing this, Cang Xu’s and Zi Di’s expressions changed.
There were still four flying squirrel chieftains left!
These were all bronze level magic beasts.
Although Lan Zao and Huang Zao were also bronze level warriors, it was very
dangerous for them to face these flying squirrel chieftains one on one.
Humans and beasts were different.
The great majority of a human practitioner’s strength came from using battle qi
and magic.
But battle qi could not be activated in this environment.
Although battle qi could passively increase a human practitioner’s physical
constitution, it could not compare to the physical constitution of a magic
beast’s.
Compared to a beast, a human’s natural skin was fragile and their bones were
weak.
Huang Zao and Lan Zao were relying on their constitution, it was only natural
that they couldn’t compare to these flying squirrel chieftains. Afterall, even
after a flying squirrel chieftain's death, an ordinary sword still would not be
able to cut its skin and bones.
So Lan Zao, Huang Zao, and especially the ordinary team members were no match
for the flying squirrel chieftains.
“If a flying squirrel rushes into the crowd, it will certainly cause enormous
casualties. Our sole hope lies in Zhen Jin, it all depends on whether this Lord
templar knight can quickly kill these flying squirrel chieftains.” Cang Xu’s
eyes flashed with worry, he had a thorough understanding of the current
situation.
“My lord, this is not the time to conceal strength.” Cang Xu gazed at Zhen Jin
with encouragement in his heart.
He was a wise man who understood his situation on this island, only by
attaching himself to the strong could he hope to survive.
Because of this, he actively plotted and pushed, allowing the entire
exploration team to rely on Zhen Jin.
Zhen Jin took a deep breath.
He knew everyone awaited his performance.
But he couldn’t activate his battle qi!
Zhen Jin did not have much time left on the imminent battlefield situation—he
only had one chance to throw his daggers.
“Then I will dispose of all of you at once.” Zhen Jin’s gaze was fierce and
steady.
His hands went to his chest and he grabbed two throwing daggers in each hand.
In the next moment, both of his arms shook and violently threw four daggers at
the same time!
The strength of these throwing daggers were far more ferocious than the
crossbows.
Simultaneously, with abnormal precision, every throwing dagger hit their
respective targets in the blink of an eye.
“Ah!” Cang Xu instantly cried as he saw the flying squirrel chieftains fall to
the ground simultaneously, Zhen Jin had already won!
“That will do.” Zhen Jin’s heart stirred, yet his expression was still as firm
as iron and didn’t change.
His arm’s muscles faintly trembled.
Zhen Jin had used up his full strength in that strike and sufficiently
displayed the exquisite skill brought about from recalling his memories.
A powerful feeling of numbness and soreness soaked his two arms.
During the fighting, Zhen Jin had fired a great amount of arrows and thrown
many daggers.
In order to kill the flying squirrel chieftains, Zhen Jin had to use his full
strength to throw each dagger.
Now, the youngster had reached the limits of his endurance.
It was worth mentioning, these daggers were all common weapons. The reason why
they could shoot a flying squirrel chieftain dead completely rested in Zhen
Jin’s astonishing accuracy in targeting weak points as well as the dreadful
speed and power of his crazy throwing.
“Is it settled?”
“One struck four!”
“These flying squirrel chieftains could not do anything facing Lord Zhen Jin’s
true strength. Our lord is too strong…”
The morale of everyone rose greatly, and as they began cheering, a flying
squirrel chieftain that fell to the ground abruptly “resurrected”!
It sped across the ground at a high speed and actually dragged a faint shadow
behind it.
Meanwhile, its life aura completely exploded, it was no longer bronze level,
but iron level!
“Be careful!” Zi Di shrieked.
This flying squirrel was very cunning, its true strength was iron level, but it
succeeded in pretending to be bronze level.
Its unique method could curb its aura and conceal it from Lan Zao’s
investigations!
This was the head of the flying squirrel community!
At this moment, Zhen Jin once more sensed the aura of death.
Speaking of which, he had dispatched many magic beasts.
The silver level wolf, monkey tail brown bear, and the blade-legged spider.
However, dispatching the evil wolf was due to fortunate timing and the river’s
violent python vine.
The monkey tail bear was severely injured and he had taken advantage of it,
even so, Zhen Jin nearly died as he fought for his life.
The blade-legged spider was killed by its negligence when Zhen Jin transformed
and suddenly struck the spider’s vitals. In terms of strength, Zhen Jin was not
the silver level spider’s match.
The human body was quite frail.
Compared to ferocious beasts, humans did not have sharp blade like claws, thick
fur, robust physiques, or skeletons as hard as iron.
Usually, humans couldn’t outrun dogs, or breathe underwater like fish, or fly
in the air like birds.
To compare strength levels, the fact that Zhen Jin could suppress bronze level
bellwethers astonished Cang Xu, making him guess that Znen Jin’s cultivation
was at the gold level.
The greatest advantage humans had lay in their wisdom.
People could use their wisdom to create and use tools.
Although humans forged swords to match the claws and teeth of beasts, they also
studied magic and battle qi to amplify their strength.
However, this island prohibited the usage of low level magic and battle qi.
Magic beasts could not use their innate abilities, however, they still retained
their robust physiques. When humans didn’t have magic and battle qi, the
frailty of their bodies was immediately revealed.
So, it was only natural that the iron level squirrel chieftain could fatally
threaten Zhen Jin.
“It is faster than me and while also being extremely nimble!”
“Even if an ordinary sword could hit it, the attack would be ineffective. But
in this respect, I still have my blade spider sword.”
“However, the most frightful thing is not its nimbleness or its claws, but its
electrical discharge.
Zhen Jin tensely scowled.
When the crisis came, he discovered that he had some qualities of an
experienced warrior—as the situation became more critical, his train of thought
became faster and clearer.
A throwing knife attempted but failed to injure the iron level squirrel
chieftain.
The blade spider sword in Zhen Jin’s hand was the optimal weapon to kill it,
but at the same time, the flying squirrel chieftain could discharge electricity
and end Zhen Jin’s life in an instant.
“If only I could activate my battle qi for a split second! With battle qi, I
could defend against the electrical current.”
Zhen Jin’s eyes flashed malevolently.
Battle qi, he really needed battle qi.
“Great Emperor Sheng Ming, mine god! Listen to thine believer’s prayer, let me
rouse mine past memories so I can wield battle qi!”
Zhen Jin’s heart shouted.
But the god still did not respond.
“Abominable.” Zhen Jin ruthlessly clenched his teeth.
Without battle qi, he could not defend against the electrical current. Both
sides had a strong offense but a weak defense, it all depended on who could
initiate the fatal attack against their counterpart.
Close.
Even closer.
“Roar.”
As Zhen Jin prepared to charge, he suddenly heard the roar of a mysterious
beast.
“There are still other magic beasts‽”
“Hold on, this beastly roar is somewhat familiar.”
At that moment, Zhen Jin suddenly froze.
Zhen Jin sensed something unexpected—there was a small bead hidden within the
depths of his heart.
This small bead was only the size of a thumb, but it was entirely blood red;
its surface was not smooth and resembled a walnut with fine lines and curves
running all over it. It also had a faint, crystal like transparency when looked
at and seemed to emit light from its interior.
The scarlet bead faintly quivered as it bursted with incorporeal strength.
This robust power permated through Zhen Jin’s blood and spread across his whole
body, constantly shaking his heart.
The small bead’s blood light rapidly weakened.
Zhen Jin’s arms were originally very achy, but following the influx of this
power, his arms quickly recovered and his muscles rapidly expanded.
Zhen Jin’s clothes and armguards cracked. Even if clothing was covering it,
Zhen Jin could still feel the black fur.
His bones and muscles had changed from human arms to bear arms!
In only a split second, not only had Zhen Jin’s arms recovered, they had become
several times stronger than before!
“This feeling‽” Zhen Jin’s heart violently shook.
This feeling was undoubtedly the same one he felt when he ambushed the silver
level spider and both of his hands had transformed.
Only this time, it was not his hands, but rather his arms that had transformed.
There was not enough time to understand as Zhen Jin fished out a dagger and
threw it with all of his strength.
Bang.
A light explosion echoed as the youngster’s excessively fierce action actually
created a shockwave in the air!
The throwing dagger pierced through the air with a sharp whistle.
Everyone only saw a bright silver line in the air permeating through the iron
level flying squirrel accurately, slowing down, and embedding itself deeply
into the grass, beyond the squirrel’s head.
The roving iron level squirrel was thrown back and fell to the ground
motionless.
Its entire skull was penetrated and blood quickly contaminated the surrounding
greenery.
The battlefield was silent.



****** Chapter 44: Do I Have a Magic Crystal inside My Body? ******
There were no flying squirrels left on the battlefield, as the flying squirrel
group had collapsed, frantically fled, and scattered.
“Victory!”
“This is a great victory.”
“Zhen Jin, Zhen Jin” Huang Zao and Lan Zao took the lead as everyone cheered.
“This is a templar knight…” Cang Xu sighed, and yet he was curious, “But, what
just happened? His whole arm inflated, is this some kind of secret technique?
Could it be that he could actually use his battle qi? Does he have some method
that can temporarily break through the island’s suppression? What was the
price? In the end, what is his level of battle qi? Is it gold level battle qi?”
Although Zhen Jin had explicitly informed Cang Xu that he couldn’t use battle
qi. At that time, Zhen Jin had only just taken over the exploration team. Cang
Xu felt: Back then, Zhen Jin did not trust the others, therefore when he
conducted inquiries, it was very possible that Zhen Jin concealed his true
strength.
Zi Di kept silent as she looked at Zhen Jin with worship and adoration.
Everyone knew that if the iron level flying squirrel rushed into them, it was
sure to cause disastrous casualties. But Zhen Jin relied on his own power to
save them all.
Without a doubt, he was a hero!
From start to finish, he had always been in control of the battle.
He was a qualified leader!
The entire exploration team praised Zhen Jin’s leadership with joy and pride.
Zhen Jin frowned slightly.
That wonderful sensation faded away like last time.
That mysterious and impalpable power had all dissipated and the youngster’s
arms had regained their original form.
At the same time, a fierce sense of nihility enveloped his entire body.
Exhaustion came like the tide, washing over him unceasingly.
Zhen Jin still preserved his unwavering appearance and masked his emptiness and
exhaustion as much as possible. At the same time, his heart was somewhat glad:
this time, his armor and clothes had hidden the transformation of his arms.
Otherwise, he would need to explain to the others.
His relief and joyous mood quickly dissipated as subsequent doubts bubbled up
more and more intensely from his heart.
“It seems like the source of my transformations is the blood red bead in my
heart.”
“What on earth is it?”
“Why does it look like a magic beast’s crystal core?"
When he thought of this, the youngster laughed to himself—how could a person
have a magic crystal? Only magic beasts have crystal cores.
Hearing the enthusiastic cheers of everyone reverberating his ears, Zhen Jin
swept his eyes over his surroundings, strongly pushed down the doubts in his
heart, and ordered the battlefield to be cleaned.
There was fire raging, but using the potion supplied by Zi Di, it was quickly
extinguished.
Huang Zao searched the scorched battlefield, stopping occasionally to pick up a
flying squirrel corpse.
Because they had caught on fire, the flying squirrel corpses were completely
burnt and looked charred black.
When Huang Zao slapped them, pieces of charcoal fell from the flying squirrel
corpses and exposed the already cooked flesh inside.
Huang Zao suddenly sucked in a deep breath and the rich fragrance poured into
his nose.
“Another piece of good meat!” Huang Zao’s smile spread across his face as his
eyes swept the battlefield.1 He then let out a heartfelt sigh, “I like this
method of hunting the most.”
For several days, he had been in charge of hunting alone.
He got barely anything, the survival skills of a hunter were hard to grasp.
Huang Zao had always eked out a living on the sea, his forest hunting
experiences made him remember how awkward and hard it was when he first got on
a boat.
On the other side, Lan Zao was processing the iron level flying squirrel
cheiftain.
Only a portion of the flying squirrel’s blood had been collected. After the
preliminary processing, Lan Zao had a sudden thought and picked up the throwing
dagger that had killed the iron level flying squirrel.
Lan Zao’s eyes couldn’t help but contract as he examined up the throwing
dagger.
The entire front end of the flying dagger was completely deformed and did not
seem to retain any of its sharpness.
“Depending solely on the power used to throw, such an ordinary dagger was used
to kill an iron level magic beast!” Lan Zao gazed at Zhen Jin with increasingly
profound reverence.
The gains of the battlefield cleanup were enormous, one could say it was a huge
harvest as everyone beamed with happiness.
The blood on the battlefield as well the completely burnt flying squirrel flesh
that wasn’t edible and were handled properly so that they wouldn’t attract
other ferocious beasts with their bloody smell.
The exploration team returned to camp in triumph and continued to process their
spoils of war.
Night.
A bonfire was started and everyone circled around to talk about their gains
today. There was so much food that the minds of the team members were
completely calm.
The deformed throwing dagger was passed around for everyone to look at.
“It really was an ordinary dagger that killed the iron level magic beast.”
“Lord Zhen Jin really is strong.”
“I think he used his battle qi at that moment, otherwise how could he produce
such frightening strength?
“I really want to know Lord Zhen Jin’s true strength.”
“In any case, it's not at the bronze or iron level, he is at least a silver
level knight that controls silver level battle qi.
“Silver level battle qi…at this age, Zhen Jin really is a genius.”
“Gold level is still a possibility, after all none of us have seen his
Lordship’s battle qi.”
“If it is gold, that is even more scary. Following this kind of character will
make our future prospects radiant!”
“Currently, we are his Lordships subordinates because we were shipwrecked
together. Is it even possible under normal circumstances?”
“If we can continue to follow his lordship and Lord Zhen Jin becomes the future
Lord of White Sands City, perhaps we could become officials of White Sands
City.”
“Your grandmother, I don’t want that, I just want to become a city gate guard.
In the past, others often made things difficult when I entered a city, when I
become a gate guard in the future, I will enjoy making things difficult for
others!”2
No one knew whose opinion that was as everyone burst into laughter.
The successful hunt made everyone approve of Zhen Jin.
Everyone in the exploration team had always believed that Zhen Jin’s prospects
were very bright.
All people sought benefits and shunned trouble, many people were beginning to
show their desire to continuously follow Zhen Jin when there was no such desire
before.
“There is another layer to this harvest.” Cang Xu was sitting in the corner as
a spectator to the laughter and conversations with clear thoughts.
His gaze focused onto the dagger being passed around.
Recalling that scene on the battlefield, Cang Xu guessed to himself: “At that
moment, Zhen Jin’s arms clearly ballooned and exploded with terrifying
strength.”
“The Bai Zhen Clan’s bloodline originates from a legend level magic beast, the
golden needle queen bee. This bloodline is not venerated for its aspect of
strength and power.”
“Did he use some kind of battle qi secret technique?”
The throwing dagger was finally passed into Bai Ya’s hand.
Bai Ya gazed at the dagger, his eyes flickering with rays of hope: “This is a
knight. I also want to be this kind of personage.”
“Hey, youngster Bai Ya, if you are finished looking at it, give it to me. This
dagger holds significant importance and will henceforth be my family heirloom!”
Huang Zao laughed.
Bai Ya was forced to reluctantly part with the dagger and returned it to Huang
Zao.
Regardless of the continent, all races worshiped the strong. This kind of
worship could also easily change into loyalty.
“Looks like Huang Zao and Lan Zao already want to completely enter under the
umbrella of Lord Zhen Jin and are striving to become his Lordship’s retainers.”
Cang Xu meaningfully said to Zi Di.
Zi Di was sitting next to Cang Xu, she swept a gaze at the people tightly
packed around the bonfire and soon began to swirl the potion in her hand: “The
aptitudes of those brothers are no good, if they don’t have any opportunities
in future, I’m afraid that the bronze level is already their limit. But
according to my understanding of Lord Zhen Jin, he will not treat any of his
followers unfairly.”
Upon saying this, Zi Di looked at Cang Xu and stressed: “Regardless of whether
this follower is or isn’t a practitioner.”
Cang Xu immediately understood Zi Di’s implication, he smiled and shook his
head: “No matter how many times an old rotten tree bathes in the sunlight, it
is unlikely to bloom come spring.”
The potion in Zi Di’s hand had gradually changed color and she stood up to
leave: “I still have business to handle.”
When Zi Di returned to her tent. Zhen Jin was still meditating in his tent.
His face was full of vexation.
“Still can’t sense it.”
Zhen Jin had already used all of his strength to engrave in his heart that
unusual feeling of transformation. However, he still could not actively
interact with the crystal core in his heart.
It was as if it didn’t exist.
Zhen Jin subconsciously put his hand onto his chest, sensing his heartbeat, his
brow tightened: “No, at that time, I found it. There really is…..one. Something
similar to a magic crystal is growing in my heart and it seems to coexist with
it naturally.”
“Why can’t I sense it?”
“I could perceive it clearly back then”
“Why, what’s missing?”
Zhen Jin’s thoughts were revealed.
He really wanted to find out how to use the crystal core.
Right now, he couldn’t use battle qi, the transformations could increase his
strength in an instant and assist him greatly!
The first transformation was when he killed the silver level blade-legged
spider.
He sensed the wonderful feeling of blood flowing at that time.
The second time was when the throwing dagger killed the iron level squirrel
cheiftain.
Not only did he sense the rush of blood, he also sensed the mysterious crystal
core in his heart. The incorporeal power bursted out from the crystal core and
merged into the blood flowing all over his body and finally imbued itself into
his arms.
“So, my prior guesses have been wrong. The real cause is not the blood, rather
it is this magic crystal.”
“This power is neither battle qi or magic.”
“It really is wonderful.” Zhen Jin sighed endlessly.
He continued to attempt to analyze these two experiences.
“Based on my current attempts, it seems I cannot actively initiate the
transformations. So, what is it about these two transformations before and
after that triggered this ability?”
“What is the common ground between these two transformations?”
“The first one was when I was faced with life and death, I had recalled lost
memories and was in a very complicated emotional state.”
“The second one was when I was facing the iron squirrel cheiftain, I was afraid
of its electrical shock, as a result I was nervous and was confronted with the
threat of death.”
The biggest common ground between these two experiences was that Zhen Jin faced
the threat of death.
Thus, all kinds of emotions like nervousness, anxiety, fear, staunchness,
killing intent, and so on arose.
“It seems like my emotional state stimulates and causes my transformations.
Then, if I continue to provide more stimuli, would it be possible for me to
learn how to control this kind of transformation ability?” Zhen Jin’s thinking
diverged.
After two experiences of the transformations he had made clear progress. The
first one was only sensing of the blood flowing. The second had penetrated
deeply into his heart and allowed him to perceive the mysterious crystal core.
“In addition, the first time, it transformed into claws, but the second, it was
my arms that transformed.”
Zhen Jin surmised that what he transformed was according to his
subconsciousness in order to form the most beneficial thing for the current
situation.
“If I am capable of controlling this transformation ability, will I be able to
transform whatever I want to in the future?”
“Can I completely transform my body into the form of a monkey bear?”
“In addition, I also found that after I transformed, the crystal core’s blood
light clearly attenuated a lot. How many transformations can it support?”
Zhen Jin began to clearly follow the course of events and managed to remove a
few doubts from his heart, however even more were added.



****** Chapter 45: An Unexpected Gain ******
Zhen Jin planned to have the exploration team rest and reorganize for two days.
Building the camp had consumed a lot of strength, if it wasn’t used well, it
would be squandered. The surroundings had been purged and the flying squirrels
had been hunted, now that nothing threatened them, they were quite safe.
The flying squirrel carcasses still needed to be processed.
The exploration team also needed to continue to train their archery skills.
In addition to this, the last hunt had used up many arrows as well as a few
bows, they needed to be replenished.
The hunt was a great success and allowed the exploration team to improve their
situation greatly.
Currently, Zhen Jin already had enough time to create a sufficient amount of
better long-range weaponry.
But after Zhen Jin thought it through, he gave up on this idea.
The next day.
Cang Xu met with Zhen Jin: “Lord Zhen Jin, good news, we have a new discovery.”
“Oh?” Zhen Jin knew that Cang Xu had been researching the iron level squirrel’s
corpse. “Did you find a magic crystal in it?”
Cang Xu smiled and shook his head: “There was no magic crystal within the body
of the iron squirrel, its internal magic power is also utterly chaotic. Not
long after its death, its magic power had completely dissipated.”
Zhen Jin muttered in his heart: “The iron level squirrel does not have a magic
crystal, but there is actually something resembling one in me.”
Cang Xu didn’t maintain suspense as he frankly spoke: “It is as such my lord. I
cut open the iron level squirrel’s stomach and found that before it died it had
just stuffed itself with food. Thus, there was still a lot of undigested food
inside its stomach. It included meat, bones, birds, fruits, plants, and more.
Among these, I found a kind of potato.”
Zhen Jin’s eyes flashed slightly: “It seems that these flying squirrels are
omnivores. We can try to dig up these potatoes.”
Cang Xu nodded: “My lord, not only are there potatoes, I speculate that there
is a great amount of food stockpiled at the flying squirrel group’s nest.”
“How have you determined this?” Zhen Jin asked.
“From prior dissection as well as researching these squirrel carcasses, I have
found that the digestive capabilities of these squirrels are very strong, their
gastric fluids can even lightly corrode swords. Generally speaking, when a life
form with this kind of strong digestive capability is hungry, the gastric acid
secreted will make things unbearable for them. In order to resist this feeling
of starvation, they will temporarily devour indigestible things like rocks and
the like. But these flying squirrels don’t have anything similar inside their
stomach. This shows at once that they have plenty of food.”
“We have only probed our surroundings. I think these flying squirrels are not
only omnivores, they also possess the food storing characteristics of normal
squirrels. Usually, they would forage and collect food, and when they get
hungry, they would quickly eat the food to prevent their community from being
driven crazy by hunger.”
“Very good.” Zhen Jin patted Cang Xu’s shoulder as he expressed his admiration.
“I will have Lan Zao handle this matter.”
“My lord, I ask that you let me follow him. I am very interested in the
structure of the flying squirrel’s nest.” Cang Xu timely raised a minor
request.
“You can.” Zhen Jin responded without hesitation.
Although it would require a lot more manpower to protect the old scholar, ever
since Zhen Jin had met with Cang Xu, the old scholar had repeatedly assisted
him. As long as the situation allowed it, Zhen Jin did not mind satisfying the
old scholar’s thirst for knowledge.
When Cang Xu returned to camp, he returned satisfied.
Their harvest of supplies also pleasantly surprised Zhen Jin.
It was just as Cang Xu guessed, the flying squirrel nest really did have food
stored.
Moreover, the food reserve was quite large. When the exploration team members
searched it, many of them sighed: “These flying squirrels live better than us!”
Even if humans couldn’t eat the majority of the food, the amount of potatoes
and fruits came up to about a third of the flying squirrel meat they had and
greatly replenished the exploration team’s food.
Zi Di also gained something new.
By using the flying squirrel’s gastric fluid, Zi Di made many corrosive
potions. Iron swords that touched this potion would change beyond recognition
in a few breaths. As long as there were enough potions, a huge hole could be
corroded into the soil in a few short breaths.
If it was paired up with a fog potion, it could make a strong corrosive fog. If
ordinary people stayed and breathed in it, their lungs would suffer necrosis.1
Although the squirrel hunt was a big success, Zi Di had used up all of her
combustion potions.
These corrosive potions replaced them and gave the exploration team another
method of attacking enemies.
Of course, regardless of whether it was the combustion potions or the current
corrosive potions, neither were magic potions, they only purified and
strengthened the original characteristics of the materials.
The effects of magic potions were even more outstanding. But on this island,
low level magic potions were not effective.
Zhen Jin made no progress in his field.
He could only abandon his original train of thought and change to another
direction.
He began to ponder: how did the mysterious crystal core in his heart come
about?
“Was it due to that potion?” Zhen Jin believed this was the most possible
answer.
If not, why were both transformations connected to the monkey bear?
Night fell, Zhen Jin called Zi Di again to inquire about their situation.
Zhen Jin did not gain anything new from Zi Di’s reply.
Zhen Jin was caught up in muttering to himself: “If Zi Di did something by
accident when she was treating me, it might have formed this crystal core. In
that case, using potions could possibly stimulate the crystal core again and
produce a transformation.”
“What happened? Does your lordship still feel a hidden danger anywhere? Zi Di
inquired.
“It's nothing, I only want to understand.” Zhen Jin smiled and consoled Zi Di.
“It's getting late and we will be departing tomorrow. You should go back and
rest well.”
Zi Di nodded, her eyes flickering with radiance: “Lord Zhen Jin, with you here,
I am certain that we can leave this island.”
Zhen Jin nodded: “Not only must we leave this island, but we also need to win
over the people’s hearts, gather some manpower, and form a preliminary team. If
not, when we arrive at White Sands city, it will be hard to compete against the
other two candidates in the future city lord competition with just us two.
Don’t blame yourself Zi Di, you have actually done really well.”
Zi Di was stunned and then bitterly laughed: “My lord, your vision is indeed
sharp. To tell the truth, I detest the environment here. This place is not
amicable to magicians. I can only assist you with potions. However, the current
condition is very crude. If there were some alchemy tools, I believe I could
have made a poison that directly targeted the flying squirrels on time.”
Zhen Jin sighed: “This is a fact. We really are impoverished on this dangerous
island. We are seeking survival and anything can happen. We can only do our
best and only our best. Good night.”
“Good night.” Zi Di left.
Zhen Jin still didn’t tell Zi Di the truth.
On one hand, Zhen Jin didn’t want Zi Di to bear even more worries, right now
she was blaming herself incessantly. Although their time together was short,
Zhen Jin had found that this purple eyed girl’s heart had pride. With regards
to this kind of person, Zhen Jin only wanted to console them and did not want
to lash out. It was because this kind of person didn’t need external pressure,
they could work energetically on their own.
On the other hand, Zhen Jin also knew the strength of Zi Di’s potions. Even if
he revealed the truth, Zi Di did not have the ability to solve his problem.
Since he had hidden it from Zi Di the first time, Zhen Jin did not mind hiding
it a second time.
The mysterious crystal core produced a transformation ability, it seemed that
Zhen Jin had a trump card that could help him cope with critical situations and
powerful enemies. But at the same time, it was also a tremendous hidden danger.
“Do these transformations have any harmful effects? How can the human heart
have a crystal core. Will the body and other tissue reject this kind of foreign
organ?”
“What kind of harm will recklessly transforming do to my body? Will it cripple
my body or mix up my bloodline?”
“I cannot sense the crystal core nor can I control the transformations. Could
it be that the crystal core was recently grown and hasn't completely harmonized
with my body yet?”
“How many times can I transform before would it reduce me to a beast and cause
me to lose all my humanity?”
This not only concerned his body and his bloodline, but also the entire
exploration team.
Zhen Jin knew the reasons why he could lead these people. The first was because
he was strong enough and the second was because of his status.
He was a noble, more importantly, he was a templar knight.
Comparing them, the latter status could inspire the will of the people more
than the former.
If the people discovered Zhen Jin’s transformations, they would view him as a
freak and his advantageous status would be greatly impaired.
Although the squirrel hunt was successful, Zhen Jin knew this success only
reigned the horse from the edge of the precipice and saved the exploration team
from the brink of disaster, nothing more.2
The upcoming journey was sure to run across untold dangers and difficulties.
Whether or not the exploration team could cope with these trials and
tribulations was still difficult to say.
Zhen Jin did not wish for the morale of this team to be unstable.
Therefore, he kept the secret in his heart and prevented the possibility of it
spreading.
The forest late at night was not tranquil.
Beasts were often heard howling, these noises were bizarre, indeed some were
howling, some were whimpering, and some seemed to be coughing.
Zhen Jin knew that he needed to rest well, after all, they would be leaving at
dawn tomorrow.
However, as he was laying on his bed, he found it momentarily hard to sleep.
He then simply summarised up the results of his pondering these days.
“Currently, it seems there are three major possibilities as to why my body
transformed. The first one is that the pressure of being on the verge of life
and death triggered an instinctual reaction from the crystal core in my heart.
The second is that it is due to the intense emotions I produced under immense
pressure. The third is that it is due to the presence of the potion in my
blood. It is possible that the crystal core in my heart was created from the
potion, although my two transformations haven’t absorbed any external potions,
perhaps there is still some of the potion remaining inside my body.”
Zhen Jin faintly sighed.
Although he had thought of many possibilities, his current situation did not
allow him to rashly attempt any of them.
On the one hand, he had no guarantee of safety.
On the other hand, he shouldered responsibility and couldn’t easily walk into
danger. He wanted to lead the exploration team, protect his fiancée, and
revitalize the Bai Zhen Clan.
He had a lot of important business to do.
“Besides, after transforming, the crystal core will consume a large quantity of
magic power. In hindsight, it makes me feel intensely empty and exhausted.”
Full of thoughts, Zhen Jin dizzily fell asleep.
Even after falling asleep, the youngster’s brows were still creased as if he
were strenuously pondering in his dream.
After an unknown amount of time, the entire tent suddenly collapsed with a
bang.
Zhen Jin immediately woke up with a start.
Although he was sleeping in camp, he still maintained villiance, thus he
responded quickly.
“How could the tent suddenly collapse, what happened‽” Zhen Jin picked up the
blade-spider sword at his side and violently swung it.
The sharp sword easily cut through the collapsed tent and allowed Zhen Jin to
observe everything outside.
At that moment, his body and mind shook, he looked horrified.



****** Chapter 46: I Am Buried Alive ******
The gale bellowing in his ears resembled a beast group roaring in chorus.
Coarse sand filled the gale as far as the eye could see as it crashed into Zhen
Jin’s face like a knife.
The huge wind pulled from all directions, left, right, up, and down, an
ordinary person would find it hard to stand still.
The ground beneath Zhen Jin was also not solid greenery, rather it was sand.
Sand was everywhere.
Sand was even flying in the air.
The verdant and lush forest was nowhere to be found.
This was a desert!
The middle of the night in a desert.
The exploration team members in camp cried in panic as the gale bellowed in the
desert and sand filled the entire sky.
Zhen Jin was dumbfounded but soon reacted, his heart greatly shook as one word
came to mind—1
“Teleportation!”
“The teleportation has activated again, this time we were teleported to the
desert.”
The first time Zhen Jin experienced the teleportation was when the fire bees
were pursuing him. After he teleported, he shifted from the rainforest to the
forest, it had indirectly saved his life.
Now he had experienced the teleportation a second time, it was like the first,
there was no noise or any prior warning before the teleportation.
But this time, Zhen Jin’s luck was quite terrible.
Not only was he teleported to the desert, but he also happened to encounter a
sandstorm.
“I need to bring everyone back together!” Zhen Jin was just about to shout
names when sand immediately poured into his mouth.
Zhen Jin was forced to cover his mouth and could only barely cry out, his yells
were obscured by the sound of the wind.
The wind became stronger.
Sand hit Zhen Jin with small but unceasing pain and caused bursts of numbness.
The vile weather became frightening.
“Is this a sandstorm?” Upon realizing this, Zhen Jin’s heart fell to the
deepest abyss.
“Zi Di, wait for me!” He could only stop shouting and rush forward according to
his memory.
With a huff, a tent followed the wind and flew towards Zhen Jin, it was like a
bewildering grey ghost of the night pouncing from above.
Zhen Jin smoothly swung his hand, he only heard a swoosh sound, with it, his
sharp blade cut the tent in two. The two sides flew past Zhen Jin, one half on
the left and the other half on the right and disappeared into the gale without
a trace.
The tents in the camp had been fixed with grounded stakes, but after they were
teleported, the stakes that were embedded into the ground had been scattered
across the desert surface.
Without anything to fasten them, the tents collapsed and were swept away by the
wind.
“What terrible luck.” Zhen Jin gloomily said. He walked for a bit and found
that he could not find his bearings at all.
Firstly, with the teleportation and then the sandstorm, there was nothing to
reference to determine one’s direction.
Secondly, the tents were flying all over the place, nothing remained of the
camp’s original layout.
Finally, the team members could not shout and contact each other in the
sandstorm.
For a moment, Zhen Jin was also at a loss.2
In addition, in a few short breaths, the strength of the wind unexpectedly
doubled!
“Save me…” Zhen Jin suddenly heard a weak cry for help from above his head.
He quickly looked up and saw the dark sky above him.
Zhen Jin immediately realized that it was an exploration team member being
blown away by the storm.
The power of the wind strengthened and became so terrifying that it could even
blow away an adult human.
Zhen Jin subconsciously extended his arm, but in the blink of an eye, the
crying exploration team member disappeared into the sandstorm.
It was too late.
“Zi Di has the lightest body weight. She is in immense danger!” As Zhen Jin
thought of this, he couldn’t help but burn with anxiety.
“Zi Di, where are you?”
As if responding to Zhen Jin’s intense feelings, a sudden white light appeared
in the sandstorm to his left.
The white light resembled a fire igniting the dusky horizon with flames.
On this island, low level magic and battle qi were prohibited, according to
Zhen Jin’s and exploration team’s understanding, this white light could only be
produced by a potion.
The blazing white ray of light clearly indicated Zi Di’s position.
“Clever!” Zhen Jin couldn’t help but praise as he immediately gazed and ran
towards the blazing white light.
He ran strenuously through the gale that could blow away adult men, however,
Zhen Jin was a battle qi cultivator, although he could not use battle qi right
now, his cultivation made his physical quality surpass ordinary men.
In this current situation, Zhen Jin could still barely contend against this
kind of wind.
But as he gradually approached, the blazing white light suddenly dissipated.
“Did the potion stop working? Zi Di, wait for me!”
Zhen Jin’s heart quaked as he became increasingly more anxious.
As he continued to walk forward and shout, there seemed a giant thing coming
over the dusky horizon.
The youngster stooped and ducked at once to avoid it.
It was a rather large tree trunk, in the camp there were a few tree trunks
stored which were surplus materials from making short bows and the like.
The tree trunk was heavier than an adult human, but the gale also easily moved
it.
Zhen Jin could not run anymore.
Every step, he had to push down hard and stick his feet ankle-deep into the
sand to contend with the wind.
What made him feel more troubled was not the storm, rather it was the whistling
sands blowing in the wind.
Zhen Jin clearly felt the sand hitting his body and face. Zhen Jin’s eyes could
not open completely to prevent being blinded so he looked around with squinted
vision.
The surroundings became even darker.
There wasn’t a trace of brightness, it was nearly pitch-dark.
Zhen Jin could only rely on his memory to move forward, whether it was the
correct direction or not, he had no confidence.
The power of nature was vast and majestic, and at this moment, the youngster
sincerely felt how insignificant he was.
As time passed, Zhen Jin’s heart grew cold.
“I have walked at least one hundred paces, but I have still not found Zi Di.”
“Was she swept up in the gale or am I going in the wrong direction?”
“God, Emperor Sheng Ming…what should I do?”
Hesitation and being at a loss were like a cloud of black smoke that choked the
youngster’s nose and eyes.
But in the heart of the youngster, there seemed to be a raging fire.
Of course, it was the fire of anger, unwillingness, and hatred!
“Obviously I took control of the exploration team.”
“I succeeded in the difficult hunt and gained abundant food for the time
being.”
“In the blink of an eye, it changed into this!”
“Don’t tell me that I will die on this island?”
“Don’t tell me I will hopelessly watch those close to me die one by one too?”
“Don’t tell me the Bai Zhen Clan’s fall to ruin is already here?”
“No!”
“How can I, how can I let this happen?!”
Righteous indignation made the youngster go all out.3
However, this intangible fate was like an aloof and remote god-king in the
heavens, sometimes it found that Zhen Jin seemed to be a rebellious ant and
would press down its finger like a mountain.
Zhen Jin wanted to raise his head, but his head drooped more and more.
Zhen Jin wanted to straighten his body, but he had no choice but to bend and
stoop his body to slowly move forward.
Zhen Jin wanted to vigorously open his eyes, he wanted to shout and yell, but
he could only shut his mouth and eyes in the roaring darkness and blindly
fumble ahead.
The power of the wind continued to strengthen.
Very quickly, it was so strong that Zhen Jin had to use all of his strength to
resist.
The youngster realized sorrowfully: at this moment, he couldn’t save anyone.
Because his own life was in imminent danger!
He wanted to activate his battle qi, however, he still failed.
He wanted to transform again, but no matter how crazilly he tried, he could not
sense the crystal core in his heart and never succeeded.
With no other alternatives, he could only pray to the gods.
“Oh Great Emperor Sheng Ming, thou art a God who walks upon the earth. Right
now, thine believer is faced with dire straits and thine glory of the knights
wilt be drowned in this sandstorm. I ask that thou hearken thine ears to mine
plea, pity me, and help me break away from this predicament so I can continue
to follow thine principles and show thine prestige.”
But the god did not respond.
The youngster was angry.
The youngster resisted.
The youngster grieved.
The youngster struggled.
The youngster used up all his strength and finally lost consciousness.
In boundless darkness.
A mysterious beast roared and awoke the youngster once more.
“Where am I?”
“What is this place?”
“I…who am I again?”
Darkness.
No one answered him.
There was only endless darkness.
“Hold on, did I just hear a beast roaring?”
Immediately afterwards, the youngster gradually remembered that he was a
templar knight and a noble, his name was Zhen Jin, his fiancée was Zi Di, the
dangerous island, the exploration team, the late night teleportation, and
terrifying sandstorm…
Following this, the youngster’s consciousness fully recovered and became
completely sober.
Afterwards, he sensed a heavy pressure squeezing his body from all directions
that made it hard for him to breathe.
“So, perhaps I am buried in the sand?”
A feeling of instinctual horror attacked his heart.
No one wanted to be buried alive like this!
Zhen Jin was incomparably tense.
However, he did not immediately open his eyes nor did he anxiously get up,
rather he kept calm.
As a battle qi cultivator, his strength far exceeded others, his perception did
too.
Compared to ordinary people, his sight was clearer, he could see further, and
his hearing was more meticulous.
Although he couldn’t see right now and could only hear the sound of his
heartbeat, he could still sense which direction had more pressure.
Then, with all of his strength, he struggled using all of his limbs.
Struggle as much as possible!
Struggle at all costs!
Because the youngster knew that this was his final chance for survival.



****** Chapter 47: Had No Pity ******
An ocean of yellow sand.
Silent and still.
The large sun hung in the sky and glowed with boundless light and heat.
Sand dunes lay one after the other in unbroken undulations like unusual
tombstones.
Sand suddenly started rustling and tumbled down from the side of a sand dune.
The activity increased more and more until suddenly, a hand extended upwards
from the churning yellow sand!
The hand was bloodstained and bruised, it seemed to be taken aback when it
grabbed at the empty air.
After a moment, the hand reacted as it pushed and scratched with incomparable
excitement and franticness. First, a palm, and then an arm gushed out of the
sand, the hole quickly enlarged and finally exposed a youngster’s head.
After this inconspicuous head was half exposed, its mouth opened as big as it
could. After weakly exhaling out all of its stuffy air from its chest, it
greedily inhaled the scorching air.
Accompanying the fierce breath, grains of sand sprayed from the youngster’s
mouth and nose.
“Cough, cough, cough!”
The youngster violently coughed because he breathed too hard.
After coughing for a bit, the youngster slowly opened his eyes.
Despite being in the overcast side of the sand dune, the burning sunlight
stabbed his eyes and he subconsciously squinted them to a slit.
As he saw his surroundings clearly, despite expecting it somewhat, the
youngster’s heart still sunk: “The desert, I really am in the desert. Is this
the same desert that Cang Xu and the others had been to previously?”
The youngster was Zhen Jin.
He had almost suffocated to death. After he breathed in the first breath of
air, the most dangerous moment had passed.
Zhen Jin gasped for a moment and recovered a bit of strength, then with
difficulty, he pulled himself out of the desert sand.
After no longer being buried alive, Zhen Jin didn’t have the strength to get up
as he knelt in the sand and constantly gasped for breath and coughed loudly.
He coughed out saliva.
The sand in his mouth dyed the saliva yellow.
He picked his ear, puffed his nose, and shook out his hair, shedding bits of
sand off him.
These actions only lasted a short moment as Zhen Jin felt that his stamina was
reaching its limit, he was so scared that he immediately switched from a full
kneel to half kneeling.
Because he knew this island was dangerous and that using up all of his stamina
was stupid, half kneeling could also help him get up faster.
The surroundings were quiet with not a single trace of wind.
The sun was scorching hot during the day, roasting the yellow-brown desert.
The desert looked bland and uninteresting at a glance, there was only yellow
and not a trace of green.
The only colorful thing was him.
The blond youngster was no longer handsome or clean, he was covered in dirt and
very much a sorry figure.
Zhen Jin looked at everything before him villigantly, however there was no
movement.
He swept his eyes over his surroundings and then fixed his gaze on the sand
dune behind him.
He looked at the sand dune and felt like he was looking at a silent tombstone.
Zhen Jin was both afraid and glad, although he had been buried in the sand, he
had not been buried directly under a sand dune. He was not buried too deep
which gave him the chance to escape.
He tightly grabbed this chance and hadn’t been buried under this tombstone-like
sand dune.
Therefore, the youngster laughed unconsciously: “Heh heh heh heh…cough cough,
heh heh heh.”
It had been a while since he had escaped danger, after confirming his safety,
his heart began to gush happiness.
This feeling of joy increased in intensity and in a few breaths, it was so
intense that it flooded the youngster’s thoughts.
To such an extent that Zhen Jin’s laughter grew louder and he burst into tears
laughing.
Once again, he felt that life was beautiful!
He felt that each breath had to be treasured, for when he was under the sand,
he could not breathe.
He felt his body becoming numb, the pain coming from an injury. It seemed that
at least one rib bone snapped which made Zhen Jin feel pain every time his
chest undulated as he breathed.
But this kind of pain also made him extremely happy!
This was all joy from having a new lease on life, the joy of life was endless,
it was like the huge waves of a tsunami drowning him.
In fact, Zhen Jin had already experienced a new lease on life many times.
Strictly speaking, the first time was when he woke up. Zhen Jin realized that
within him was the awareness to fight and he helped to indirectly kill a silver
magic beast, the evil blue wolf. Everything happened too quickly. Of course,
reflecting upon in retrospect, made Zhen Jin feel all sorts of things, but he
was more fearful than happy.
The second time was in the mountain cave, Zhen Jin’s body already had fire
poison as he braved death to attack the silver level monkey bear. Zhen Jin
almost died but Zi Di risked everything to save him. In the struggle between
life and death, Zhen Jin slipped between consciousness and unconsciousness,
before finally surviving. That time, he found that even an ordinary wildflower
showed that life had unlimited loveliness and beauty which he could appreciate
for a long time.
The third time was in the blade legged spider forest. As Zhen Jin approached
death, he was suddenly attracted by an emerging memory. Zhen Jin also thought
he was going to die and didn’t expect that his body would suddenly transform.
This new lease on life gave him even more doubts and curiosities.
The fourth time was when the goat meat caused chaotic magic corrosion in his
body and nearly killed him. After being saved, the youngster’s heart
appreciated and admired his fiancée Zi Di even more.
The fifth time was the current catastrophe. After narrowly escaping from the
sands of death, Zhen Jin was the most happy he had ever been.
“Because of what?” Zhen Jin savored this emotion.
Very quickly, he found the reason.
“It is because this ordeal is the power of heaven and earth. Whether it is
poison or magic beasts, I still have the ability to fight against it. But when
confronted with this berserk sandstorm, what can I do but take a beating? I was
fortunate to survive!”
If he could pick, Zhen Jin would rather face magic beasts than the sandstorm
that covered the sky.
This kind of powerlessness and helplessness made his happiness after surviving
even more intense.
“My life was hanging on the edge, surviving really was a fluke. Then what about
Zi Di and Cang Xu?” This issue appeared in Zhen Jin’s mind and made his smile
disappear.
His emotions comforted himself by saying: these people are certainly still
alive.
But at the same time, ice-cold rationality informed Zhen Jin: everything boded
ill for these people, their survival would be nothing less than a miracle.
Zhen Jin was unavoidably worried and became hopeless again.
His joyous mood suddenly waned in an instant and disappeared without a trace.
What followed thereupon was unwillingness.
The exploration team under the leadership of Zhen Jin, had hunted the squirrel
group with great difficulty, for a moment things seemed to be improving just
before a mortal blow was struck.
There was fear.
If faced with a sandstorm like the last, could he have the luck to escape a
second time?
Helplessness and bewilderment.
How should he continue forward? Where would he go?
It was heavy.
He had sworn to protect his fiancée. Was Zi Di dead? If she was, where was her
body?
In addition, as the sole heir to the Bai Zhen Clan, he needed to compete and
become White Sands City’s lord, however, he was trapped on this island and on
the edge of death, how could he escape this island alive? How could he have the
chance to shoulder the heavy task of revitalizing the Bai Zhen Clan?
All kinds of emotions tangled together and made it hard for Zhen Jin to breathe
once more.
At this moment, he felt helpless and feeble.
He tried to hold it back, he remembered his status as a templar knight, but his
tears still silently fell to the ground.
Zhen Jin did not wipe away his tears, rather he let them fall onto the dry
sand, he watched as the tears soaked the sand, each one created a minute hole
that tried to expand, but in the end, the moisture had its limit and was
ultimately confined to a very very tiny area.
To such an enormous desert, no, compared to the entire sand dune, these tear
holes were insignificant and pitiful.
“Just like me.”
Zhen Jin sighed bitterly.
Once more he sincerely prayed: “O' God, my Great Emperor Sheng Ming, thou art a
living god, thou art eternally victorious. At this very moment, thine knight,
thine believer, and thine child pray for thine response and for thine pity. I
pray to thee to show me the correct path to follow and guide me to the road to
courageously go forward on…”
In this prayer, Zhen Jin rambled with unprecedented verbose and abundance.
A highly venomous desert viper found Zhen Jin and quickly regarded the pitiful
youth as prey.
The desert viper quietly approached, its scales resembling the colour of sand.
It appeared like an S-shaped curved line as it quietly and quickly slithered
across the sand.
When it got closer, the desert viper suddenly launched itself at Zhen Jin’s
back.
But at that moment, Zhen Jin didn’t turn around, rather he casually stretched
out his hand and captured the viper in midair.
The desert viper opened its mouth wide and twisted its body, struggling
frantically, however, its throat could not escape Zhen Jin’s unwavering hand.
The desert viper’s body, which was over half a meter long, winded itself around
Zhen Jin’s arm.
But Zhen Jin remained motionless, regardless of whether it was his half
kneeling body or his arm, they were still like cast iron.
Zhen Jin no longer prayed, rather he listened to the desert viper’s final gasps
of its life.
He was silent and hadn’t raised his head, therefore as the desert viper was
stiffly choked to death, it didn’t even see its mortal enemy’s face.
The sun climbed higher and higher.
The surface of the desert boiled as distant air warped and burned.
The blond youngster slowly walked out of the sand dune’s backside, and like a
water droplet, flowed into the vast desert.
The youngster had a handsome face, but at this moment, he was covered in dirt
and clothed in tatters.
The dead desert viper was thrown on his shoulder like a chain.
This desert viper was different from ordinary ones, its spiraled tail would
make people think of goblin made metal springs.
On this strange accursed island, even ordinary snakes were outlandish.
Zhen Jin did not cry any more, he became expressionless.
He knew one principle—
Perhaps gods had pity, perhaps knights had pity, perhaps people had pity…
But, nature had none.



****** Chapter 48: Surviving Alone ******
The scorching sunlight seemed like a multitude of arrows shooting the entire
desert.
Zhen Jin walked under the sun and felt like a fish on a hot grill. In order to
avoid being cooked alive, he could only walk on the backside of the sand dunes
as much as possible, even so, after walking for a bit, he felt his stamina
being severely consumed.
At the same time, he felt faintly hungry.
Zhen Jin licked his dry lips and felt it was difficult to swallow and spit.
A dry mouth and tongue.
Zhen Jin was as silent as iron as he slowed down his wandering and calculated
the time.
Because he had lost consciousness, he did not know how long it had been.
“Still, it has at least been one night and half a day and I have had nothing to
eat or drink during that time. Feeling hungry and thirsty is very normal”
Under normal circumstances, humans who did not eat anything for a long time
were certain to be hungry and thirsty. To say nothing of Zhen Jin whose
experience and tribulation with the terrifying sandstorm that made him use all
of his stamina and energy, causing him to struggle between life and death, and
even violently attacked his mind.
“The only food I have right now is this snake.” Zhen Jin glanced at the dead
snake on his shoulder and silently reflected over his own situation.
The circumstances of survival in the wild were grim on this fiendish island.
Before in the rainforest and forest, Zhen Jin had met with danger several
times. Now in the middle of a desert, a place barren of resources, the
plentiful resources of the forests in comparison seemed like heaven.
“Fortunately during that time, I had consulted with Cang Xu about the various
ways of desert survival in case this happened.”
Because the teleportation mechanism was not at all understood, Zhen Jin had
already planned for the possibility that he too could be sent to the desert.
For this reason, he had made earlier preparations.
“The best thing to do is to try to find an oasis so I can immediately replenish
food and water.”
“It is also good to run across cactuses.”
“But I only want specific cactuses. According to what Cang Xu said, many
cactuses cannot be eaten because they contain poison. Besides, digging up
cactuses will waste a lot of stamina and body moisture. Blindly doing this will
cause more loss than gain.”
In the past, the exploration team also got teleported and languished in the
desert. They mainly relied on the food and water they carried on them.
Zhen Jin was not unprepared in this respect.
Every day he carried a measure of food and water on his body, even when
sleeping at the camp at night, he had the important resources for survival like
food, water, and weapons at his side.
As far as Zhen Jin, the leader of the exploration team, was concerned the
teleportation was silent and irresistible.
Things connected to the lifeforms or goods surrounding the lifeforms would also
be teleported.
Therefore, back when the exploration team was teleported to the desert, things
like clothes and equipment were not left behind.
In this teleportation, the camp that Zhen Jin ordered built was also
teleported.
But no one could have foreseen that after being teleported, a sandstorm would
envelop and devastate them.
After Zhen Jin woke up back then, his mind was fully focused on wanting to save
the others, so he casually grabbed his blade and made his way out of the tent.
As a result, the food, water, and equipment in the tent were buried in the
sand.
Zhen Jin did not have time to put on his leather armour and the only thing he
now had was the weapon made from the limbs of the blade-legged spider.
“This is worth rejoicing, even though I was unconscious, I never let go of my
weapon. At least I did not fall into the predicament of being unarmed and
defenceless again.”
“But I basically have no food or water. I ought to replenish these. Without
them, I cannot survive.”
An invisible pressure silently accumulated in the youngster’s heart.
And very quickly, this pressure grew stronger increasingly, as if his heart was
shouldering an ever-heavier boulder.
Zhen Jin’s breathing grew more and more brief.
This was not only because of the desert’s scorching air but also because of his
constantly declining stamina.
“Surviving alone is a completely different situation than before.” The
youngster’s heart deeply sighed.
He couldn’t help but slowly come to a stop in the shadow of a sand dune, he put
his both hands on his knees and gave himself a chance to breathe.
How long has it been?
Surviving alone had already made him feel that time was passing slowly and
couldn’t help be tense all throughout.
A sense of loneliness firmly wrapped around him.
There was no one to depend on, no one to count on, he could only rely on
himself.
He seemed to be the only one left in the world, as if all of humanity became
extinct.
He had to face all dangers and challenges alone.
“Perhaps I will die here and my flesh will be gnawed on by predators with only
my white bones remaining in this desolate desert, suffering under the scorching
sun during the day and frigid chills in the nights, until they too are worn
into dust by the sands and winds and vanish completely from the face of this
vast indifferent world.”
Such other similar thoughts constantly appeared in Zhen Jin’s mind.
Regardless of how he tried to hamper them, he couldn’t stop it.
A trace of panic spread through his heart and rapidly expanded.
Zhen Jin gritted his teeth and revealed a pained smile.
Cang Xu had once warned him: according to his research, humans are social
creatures whose most primal instincts sought the accompaniment of others.
If a human had to survive alone, especially when facing the immense pressure of
having to survive in the wilderness, it was easy for them to become nervous and
panic-stricken. If such emotions were left unchecked, they would become a fatal
killer. Even if one possessed adequate food and water along with a safe
environment, they would be unable to control their emotions and suffer from
nervous breakdowns, hallucinations, and become insane.
Now that the youngster personally experienced this, he recalled Cang Xu’s
theory and profoundly understood it.
“Keep calm, keep calm, do not panic.”
Zhen Jin tried to force himself to keep calm but didn’t succeed.
“O' God, mine emperor, thou who possesses the name Sheng Ming. Thine believer
prays to thou here and asks thou to bestow mine lowly self the power of the
spirit so that I will no longer be weak and confused. Let me courageously
follow the road thou shows in order to manifest thine name.”
He once again prayed to the gods, but the expected happened—the god did not
respond.
He sat down in the sand.
He gazed into the vast desert and looked at the monotonous dry yellow span
outwards until it finally merged with the blue sky.
The scorching sunlight caused the air to warp queerly.
The youngster suddenly felt that the desert which seemed calm was actually
incurably mad. Sitting here, sooner or later, he would be melted and driven
insane!
“Zhen Jin, ah, Zhen Jin, how have you fallen into this situation?”
“How have you fallen to this degree?”
“You are the sole heir to the Bai Zhen Clan, you are Zi Di’s fiancée, why are
you here right now?”
The youngster questioned himself angrily.
The situation was so terrible that he couldn’t even protect himself.
But what could he do about it?
Faced with this, he could only blame himself, he could only be silent.
A long time later.
The silent youngster spat out a foul breath and soliloquized: “Indeed, it can’t
get any worse than this, could it?”
Then, he laughed bitterly.
In fact, he actually felt strange, that he could still laugh under such
circumstances.
Along with his laughter, the anger and panic in his heart dissipated a little
with a feeling of sorrow, helplessness, and self-mockery replacing it.
Then, miraculously, the youngster burdened with complex emotions, slowly became
calm.
Zhen Jin calmly surveyed his surroundings and soon realized he had made a huge
mistake.
Previously, he had paid too much attention concerning himself with food and
water, so he had chosen a random direction to travel, in this desert, this
meant that he was destroying himself.
Perhaps, he was too nervous at the time to the extent that his emotions had
flooded his brain and he was forced to act on his body’s instincts.
“I should look for the correct direction and always walk in a straight
direction.”
“Without a direction, my path in this desert might actually be a giant circle,
that is worse than spinning in place.”
It was noon now so the moon and stars of night could not give directions.
But Zhen Jin had another method that he had asked Cang Xu about which could
show the way.
First, a stick has to be stuck into the ground and the top of the stick’s
shadow was to be marked into the ground. After roughly ten minutes, the
deviation of the stick’s shadow was to be marked.
After connecting the two points to form a line, a perpendicular line drawn from
the middle of this line would be the north-south line.1
As for which end pointed north and which pointed south, it all depended on
where the sun was.
From where the sun was, the bottom of the line indicated south and the other
end pointed north.2
Zhen Jin did not know the map of this island, but he clearly remembered that
when the exploration team was teleported into the desert previously, Cang Xu
had decided to go south.
So, without anything else as the basis to choose, he chose to gamble and
decided to go south.
As he set out again, Zhen Jin tried his best to avoid the sunlight and walked
on the backside of the sand dunes.
His speed fell again as he wanted to use his stamina sparingly to try and
conserve it.
Many times, he actively stopped to rest.
“I must save my stamina.”
“Trekking through the desert during the day will use up a great deal of
stamina. More crucially is that my body will sweat and use up a large quantity
of water.”
“The more I sweat, the closer I am to death.”
All of this valuable knowledge had been communicated between Zhen Jin and Cang
Xu.
Zhen Jin kept calm, the loneliness and the pressure to survive stimulated him,
making his mind alerter and clear-headed.
Once again, he recalled an interaction he had with Huang Zao and what the other
party had said.
“At that time, I was fresh on the boat and still a novice. Starting out was
very hard. All day I worked on the deck, the workload was massive and I quickly
got sunburns. In the beginning, it was just an itch. The kind that people
couldn’t help but scratch. Later on, the skin would sting and form tight groups
of blisters. I began to have a low fever and had a befuddled mind all day long
and I could only helplessly lie in my hammock each day. Then my low fever
became a high fever and I began to smell bad, the other sailors did not dare
approach me. Someone even suggested to the captain that I be thrown overboard
because they believed that I had a plague that would infect the others.”
“Fortunately, my older brother got herbal medicine from island aboriginals when
the ship was docked Allegedly, this herbal medicine was made from sea mud and
local tree leaves. After smearing it, I felt refreshed, which was very
miraculous.”
“Finally, my fever came down. From that point on, I did not dare underestimate
even the more ordinary of sunlight. I also completely respected the ancient
medicines.”
As Zhen Jin thought of this, he took off his outermost clothes and decided to
wrap them around his head.
He was glad to find that his long sleeved trousers blocked a lot of sunlight.
“Although I far surpass Huang Zao in strength and vitality, although this is
not the Phoenix Desert, and although getting sunburnt is extremely unlikely, by
doing this, I can preserve the moisture in my body as much as possible.



****** Chapter 49: Hunger and Thirst Are Difficult to Endure ******
By afternoon the sunlight was not as scorching as noon, but it still was not
something that humans could endure.
The youngster slowly climbed to the top of a short sand dune.
He climbed the back of the sand dune and clearly wanted to surmount it.
He had a sword with a wooden hilt and a strange blade that seemed crude. The
youngster leaned on the sword like it was a crutch to help him walk forward.
The youngster had a weak stature and was not at all healthy.
He had a trouser and a long-sleeved shirt made from hemp, but he was barefoot.
He also had some clothes covering his head with his nose and mouth tightly
covered, however, his eyes as well as the golden hair on his forehead were
exposed.
This was Zhen Jin.
A few steps from the summit of the sand dune, the sunlight shined through and
Zhen Jin couldn’t help but squint his eyes.
He intentionally left his eyes exposed because he knew he needed to maintain a
good field of view, at the same time, during his journey, he also used his
sense of hearing, smell, and touch to be on guard from the possibility of
ambushing predators.
The sunlight was very harsh, Zhen Jin’s narrowed eyes still had some spots from
the sunlight’s dazzle.
Zhen Jin did not immediately go over it, rather he stopped near the summit and
waited until his eyes adjusted before crossing over.
After finding no dangers, Zhen Jin stood on the summit and gazed into the
distance.
The desert in front of him was almost flat and did not resemble the undulating
sand dune filled desert behind him.
The youngster could not help but sigh.
This immediately signified that he would have to trudge under the torture of
the sun in the trek ahead.
The youngster also had beautiful eyes with a blue colour that resembled the sky
after rain. The bewilderment in his eyes passed fleetingly and was replaced by
perseverance.
“I must continue with haste.”
Zhen Jin said to himself, suddenly his blue iris lit up.
“There is food!”
His battle qi cultivation allowed his vitality to exceed ordinary humans, now
he discovered a spider close by following the wind as it rolled down a sand
dune.
Zhen Jin descended at once and effortlessly caught the spider.
This spider was only as big as an adult human’s two thumbs combined, its body
was yellowish-brown like the sand but Zhen Jin’s keen sight still found it.
The spider had eight legs, currently all of them were curled up into its body
to form a ball. By following the wind, the spider could easily roll across the
sand dunes.
If it opened its legs to walk, it would have to expend a lot more effort.
In this barren desert, all life here had their respective and unique survival
skills. The ability to save stamina was undoubtedly one of the most effective
skills.
Zhen Jin pinched off the spider’s head and then shook his hand to clean off the
sand.
Afterwards, he put the spider directly into his mouth, used his teeth to
incessantly chew it into bits, rolled his Adam's apple, and completely
swallowed it.
Pinching the head off the small spider was to detoxify it. Of course, this
lifeform had a weak aura, the chasm between it and the bronze level was as
great as the chasm between heaven and earth. Even if it were poisonous, it
could not kill Zhen Jin who was at least silver level. But the youngster did
not want to give his body another unexpected burden.
The spider didn’t taste good, it hadn’t been cooked or seasoned, but a strange
odor filled Zhen Jin’s mouth, throat, and nose.
The spider’s legs tasted very dry and crispy, like dried branches.
Zhen Jin reflected, this dry and crispy texture was quite similar to other
small insects.
This small spider was not the first one he had eaten as food.
Throughout the entire journey, he had sporadically encountered several other
creatures.
There had been spiders, scorpions, and others that he did not know the name of.
Zhen Jin would take off the spider’s head and a scorpion's tail before putting
it in his belly.
Every time he ate one, he would feel like throwing up.
But he could not underestimate these small lifeforms.
He understood very well in his mind that these small lifeforms were an
important source of food and water.
After walking in this desert for a long time, Zhen Jin already found that he
never ran across any edible plants, however, he easily found some small
organisms.
These small lifeforms had very little meat, but Zhen Jin valued them mostly
because they gave him water.
Zhen Jin really cherished this food.
Although it was only a negligible amount of food, perhaps the accumulation bit
by bit would be enough for him to successfully leave the desert.
“If I do not cherish this food, perhaps when I almost succeed in getting out of
here in the future, I would end up collapsing in the desert .”
“I really hope I can run into a cactus.” Zhen Jin darkly sighed.
During his trek, he also came across some random plants.
But it was a pity that there were no cactuses.
These plants were also small and short and Zhen Jin also didn’t know which
species he could and could not eat.
He tried.
After carefully avoiding the sharp needles and leaves, he found that the
plant’s roots deeply penetrated the desert’s depths.
This kind of root system could allow plants to draw a bit of moisture from
underground, however, it also made it difficult if Zhen Jin wanted to dig it
up.
After trying, Zhen Jin wisely gave up.
Even if he dug it up, the roots may not necessarily be edible. Zhen Jin did not
know what kind of plant it was.
Many times, he needed to calculate his consumption and possible gains,
patiently compare both outcomes, calmly reflect over them, and then make a
decision.
It was very evident that recklessly excavating an unknown plant might actually
be very risky!
In the end, Zhen Jin decided to abandon it.
This decision was actually very hard.
Everytime Zhen Jin left a desert plant, he fell in doubt—did I make a mistake?
Maybe the gods intentionally arranged this to help me escape my predicament.
But I chose to abandon it.
Zhen Jin felt he was an academy student that was doing an exam for his life and
death, he was constantly answering questions, but no one gave him the right
answers to those questions.
As time gradually passed, the sun slowly descended into the west.
When evening came, the sunlight seemed like an ill-mannered man who had just
vented his anger through a violent skirmish. At this very moment, his curses
and blows were weak and produced an illusion of tenderness.
The air temperature became tolerable but still remained incomparable dry. Zhen
Jin started to consciously accelerate his walking pace.
During this time, he needed to walk as much as possible to make up for prior
losses.
By the time the sun gradually fell below the horizon, the twilight of the
sunset seemed to be more beautiful than anything one could imagine.1
But Zhen Jin was not in the mood to admire this beautiful scenery.
He only felt that the sun seemed to be warning—child, for now I will let you
off. Tomorrow, I will continue to torment you!
At this time, the air temperature rapidly declined.
Zhen Jin began to feel how thin his clothes were as the chilness of the air
made him shiver.
The youngster’s heart couldn’t refrain from sinking.
The temperature range of this desert was so great that it managed to exceed his
previous expectations.
To him, this was also a trial.
“Although I can endure it now, but in the future, when my physical condition is
worse than it is now, this change in temperature will become a deathly noose
around my neck.”
This was a possible threat in the future, right now, what the youngster wanted
to solve the most was his hunger and thirst.
His feeling of hunger and thirst was currently worse than when he regained
consciousness.
There was no way the small lifeforms Zhen Jin found along the way were able to
fill his belly. In fact, rather than food, they were more like something to
console his heart.
Luckily, during the day, Zhen Jin did not run into any predators en route. But
it was also a misfortune, this meant that he didn’t have the chance to gain a
lot of food.
At the moment, there was still the special “scarf” around his neck, the body of
the desert viper which he previously killed.
The youngster used his fingers to gently pet the snake’s scales
“affectionately”.
A cold sensation was transmitted to his fingertips, but to his heart, this ice-
cold feeling changed to warmth.
The thing in Zhen Jin’s hand was the only food he had left, it was also the
thing he most painstakingly conserved.
On one hand, as long as he had it, Zhen Jin's heart had hope.
On the other hand, Zhen Jin had to guard against hazards. Recklessly eating too
much food would also use up his body’s water.
As for the fact that the viper was poisonous, that was secondary.
The structure of the viper’s body indicated that its poison glands were in its
head. Once the snake’s head was pinched off, there would be no more poison.
In light of Zhen Jin’s constitution, even if he got poisoned, he had nothing to
fear from a common beast’s poison.
“But it's still best to light a fire and cook it. After all, this island is
strange and dangerous, I cannot use common sense to judge it. Perhaps this kind
of viper’s entire body is poisonous? If that is so, in my current situation,
that is as good as actively putting the grim reaper’s sickle on my neck.”
As the sunlight completely disappeared, night fell.
“There goes one day.” Zhen Jin looked at the vast sky, once more at a loss as
panic emerged from his heart.
Currently, he was in a dangerous and precarious situation.
During the day, the sunlight he detested and loathed actually gave him a good
field of view. However, in the darkness, there would be many predators
emerging.
Zhen Jin breathed deeply and tried to calm himself once more.
Afterwards, he joyously discovered that he had succeeded.
With the first tempering, his emotions had stabilized and appeared to have a
qualitative leap.
He no longer needed to constantly pray.
Right now, he could only rely on himself to keep calm.
Of course, he was well aware of the results of his prayers. Regarding Emperor
Sheng Ming, he no longer expected a response.
It was extremely cold late into the night, Zhen Jin began to exhale puffs of
white vapour from his mouth and nose.
It was bone-chilling.
The pangs of hunger intensified, tormenting the youngster.
His stomach had long been protesting with gurgling noises.
But compared to hunger, thirst was felt even more.
Zhen Jin felt his throat fume, if there was a lake of water, he wished that he
could immerse himself in it and drink free from worry.
There was not enough water.
Zhen Jin initially placed his hopes on some desert plants, but those hopes were
shattered.
He didn’t even see the shadow of a cactus.
There was no moon tonight and stars filled the entire sky.
Zhen Jin raised his head and gazed at the starry sky, he felt that the
starlight was heartless and indifferent as it seemed to be watching him walk
the road towards his demise.
He strived to identify the celestial bodies for navigation so he could verify
his direction, but he failed.
In this aspect, he didn’t even have cursory knowledge and was a complete
layman.
Because of his proper strategies during the day, he still had some stamina
left.
The youngster continued to trek alone in the desert under the starry night.
Unknowingly, sand dunes began to appear at Zhen Jin’s side.
“What is this?” Through his fuzzy field of view, Zhen Jin spotted the shadow of
a beast entrenched in the middle of a sand dune.



****** Chapter 50: Beast Groups Fighting Each Other ******
The youngster immediately stopped walking and couldn’t help but gasp.
After his astonishment passed, joy began to spread in his heart.
In the midst of the night, his eyes seemed to be shining.
“I will kill it! Then I will drink its blood.”
“I am really dying of thirst.”
Zhen Jin’s heart shouted.
But soon after, the joy in his heart waned and gave rise to great hesitation.
“Looking from afar, this beast’s build is quite large. It seems to be lying
down in the sand, still, its height is already over two meters.”
“I cannot sense its aura from this distance. As if it was restrained?”
“This kind of large physique does not make it easy to survive in the desert.
This signifies that it is also powerful.”
“If it is at the silver level, no, even at the iron level, it will still be
very dangerous for me!”
On this incomparably dangerous island, gold level magic beasts were not rare.
Zhen Jin hesitated for a few breaths before deciding.
He still chose to attack!
Because he didn’t have food and water, his condition would continue to get
worse. This vast and infertile desert was nothing like the forests. If Zhen Jin
gave up this opportunity, then what suitable prey was there for him to hunt?
This kind of opportunity did not come often.
Therefore, taking advantage of this opportunity to attack while he still had
the strength was the wisest move.
“If I encounter peril, I can only hope that my transformation ability will
suddenly activate.”
Zhen Jin clenched his teeth, bent his waist, slowed his footsteps, and
stealthily approached the giant beast.
In the darkness, the giant beast’s body seemed like a single unmoving mass.
After he got close enough, Zhen Jin’s expression suddenly changed, most of his
nervousness and vigilance abruptly dissipated.
“It turned out to be just a boulder.”
Zhen Jin exhaled a foul breath as he wandered around what he thought to be a
“giant beast”.
Although his body’s physical quality was outstanding, he was still human and
his sight was greatly impaired in the night. If it were a dark elf, they would
have seen clearly and not have made this kind of mistake.1
Zhen Jin sized up the boulder before him.
The boulder appeared to be oval and silently stood in the darkness. The
boulder’s surface faintly flickered with the vague luster of metal, however, it
was bumpy and could not be called “smooth” with its small and innumerable
holes.
What was strange was that from these sesame seed-like holes came a continuous
aura of warmth.
Zhen Jin stared at it blankly, the words Cang Xu said before were recalled in
his mind.
“Is this golden granite?”2
Granite was a mixture of iron, metal, clay, and various other minerals. The
composition and scale of granite was different depending on its origin.
The exploration team had also encountered a large slab of golden granite, based
on Cang Xu’s initial deductions, it seemed these golden granite rocks contained
abundant gold.
It's a pity that extracting gold from these huge and heavy golden granite rocks
required a special method.
The exploration team didn’t have this extraction ability, of course, the most
important thing for them was saving themselves along with finding food and
water for their camp.
“Golden granite is usually found in clusters, but there is just one piece
here.”
Zhen Jin used his hand to brush the surface of the boulder, feeling both
dejected and glad.
He was dejected that he didn’t gain any food and water, but he also felt glad
that he found this golden granite rock.
During the day, this boulder was exposed to the scorching sun and absorbed and
stored heat in its core, even if the desert was frigid late into the night, the
granite rock was still very warm.
This solved a big problem for Zhen Jin
His clothing seemed thin late into the night.
He was worried that he didn’t have the materials for a fire, but now he didn’t
need one as he could directly rely on the boulder’s heat to resist the bitter
cold.
And so one night passed like this, but when Zhen Jin opened his eyes again, he
found the sun had already appeared over the horizon.
It was dawn.
Zhen Jin moved his limbs a bit, he was happy to find he had recovered a lot of
stamina from last night’s good rest.
His body had fully recovered and his mind also calmed down because of ample
time passing.
He felt a bit gratified that he hadn’t slept deeply, rather he was able to
maintain his vigilance and alertness.
He had woken up two to three times during the night, all of them because of the
whistles of the cold desert winds exceeding the warning level in his heart.
After waking up, he fell quickly asleep again.
This point made him feel very satisfied.
“It seems that I have received such training or have had previous experiences
of maintaining the ability to sleep and be alert simultaneously.”
Accomplishing this really wasn't easy.
Zhen Jin had a new understanding of himself.
But this time when Zhen Jin woke up again, it was because he heard a strange
noise.
Sounds of activity came from the northeast.
“These sounds are very weird, as if there are snakes?”
The golden granite boulder that Zhen Jin perched on was at the waist of a sand
dune. An idea stirred in Zhen Jin as he slowly and carefully stepped towards
the top of the sand dune.
At the peak, he slowly extended his head and quietly observed.
It was only daybreak and there was not enough light.
First, a piece of golden granite appeared before his eyes. There were several
hundreds of stones at varying distances and sizes, they seemed like chess
pieces arranged on a chessboard of sand dunes.
This undoubtedly confirmed Cang Xu’s words—when golden granite rocks appeared,
they covered an area in clusters. The golden granite boulder Zhen Jin was
previously perched on was located at the fringe, nothing more.
After that, Zhen Jin’s pupils then slightly constricted.
He saw two beast groups confronting each other among the golden granite boulder
cluster.
One group was green-skinned lizards, the other was golden scorpions.
The lizards were as big as a warhorse while the scorpions were a bit smaller.
The lizards let out something similar to a snake hiss and the scorpions
produced a rustling sound as both sides threatened their counterpart.
These cacophony of noises were the ones that woke Zhen Jin up.
Zhen Jin’s heart was tense.
He perceived the aura of these two beast groups, both the lizards and scorpions
groups were iron level with a silver level leading them.
“Not factoring the transformation, just one silver level magic beast is a fatal
threat to me.”
“A certain number of iron level magic beasts can also kill me.”
Zhen Jin still did not understand clearly the principles of his
transformations.
Currently, he could not use battle qi, his prayers were also unanswered, and he
didn’t have any armour. The only thing that comforted him was the weapon in his
hand.
It was a silver level weapon, however, it was also constantly being worn out by
time and use.
The blade-legged spider’s limbs really were a good material to make weapons
from. However, this material needed to be processed to stabilize its magic
power and retain its sharpness.
Therefore, Zhen Jin did not act blindly3 without thinking as he squatted in
place and continued to quietly observe.
Currently, he still did not understand why these two beast groups were
confronting each other, and he was unwilling to provoke either party.
The youngsters stealthily looked from side to side as he prayed to himself: “If
these two beast groups fight each other, maybe they can give me the chance to
gain some food.”
As if hearing Zhen Jin’s prayer, the two beast groups grew restless, they
started to cross swords as they ran out of patience.
But it was not a large scale battle, rather the beast group leaders went out
alone into the battlefield to battle a one on one duel.
“Sa!”
The green lizard coarsely produced an odd cry, it then gaped and spat out a
dense green liquid.
The green liquid directly hit the golden scorpion's body.
The golden scorpion immediately used its immense pincers to shield itself and
succeeded in protecting its eyes.
Sizzle sizzle…4
White smoke immediately fizzled from the surface of the golden scorpion’s two
large pincers.
Zhen Jin narrowed his eyes as he keenly discovered: some of the liquid5 had
splashed onto a golden granite boulder and corroded a fist-sized hole into the
boulder within a few breaths.
“If that sprays onto my body, without battle qi to protect me, I fear that in
two to three breaths, only my bones will remain.”
But Zhen Jin’s heart slightly relaxed when the lizard leader immediately became
sluggish after it spat out this large amount of acid and took the initiative to
retreat.
It was very clear that the acid was not its routine fighting method.
However, as the lizard retreated, the golden scorpion quickly advanced.
The distance between both sides quickly closed.
The green lizard immediately gaped and once more produced an odd sound as if it
wanted to shoot the green acid again.
But the golden scorpion was more cunning as it had its pincers raised in front
of it already.
At the same time, it extended it’s at least two meter long scorpion tail and
ruthlessly thrusted!
The scorpion’s tail was as sharp as a knight’s spear.
The scorpion’s tail immediately pierced the green lizard’s head and created a
large and deep hole in its skull.
This was a fatal wound!
After the successful strike, the golden scorpion immediately retreated.
Its retreat was very fast.
The hole in the green lizard’s skull seemed like a fountain that spewed out
white brains mixed with green blood.
The green lizard leader let out a desperate whine, and finally in that moment,
exploded into a mad and violent attack.
Its mouth squirted out the corrosive acid once more, it was not accurate as it
resembled a green light beam sweeping around randomly.
The huge golden granite boulders immediately started to give off white smoke,
and after a fizzling noise, they melted like snow in the sun.
The green lizard also brought disaster to the lizard group. They fell into
panic as the unlucky beasts shrieked, some of whom had their limbs corroded to
the bone. Those that got it in their eyes frantically dug into the sand in an
attempt to save themselves.
There were also a few golden scorpions that were hit by the green acid, their
entire carapaces quickly softened, and after a few breaths, only the tips of
their scorpion tails remained.
The silver level golden scorpion could resist the green acid, however the
majority of the iron level scorpions could not.
Luckily, the green lizard’s explosive attack only lasted a few breaths.
Very quickly, its mouth no longer sprayed the green acid.
After losing their leader, the green lizards retreated one after the other. The
golden scorpions obtained their victory, however, they did not pursue their
retreating enemies like Zhen Jin calculated.
After the golden scorpions drove off the green lizards, they ignored all of the
carcasses and instead surrounded some golden granite boulders in twos and
threes.
What Zhen Jin saw amazed him; these golden scorpions first used their tails to
poke and pierce the golden granite boulders and then cooperated with each other
to shatter the boulders open.
After that, they used their large pincers to smash the golden granite pieces
into smaller fragments.
Finally, they put all of the fragments into their mouths and continuously
chewed them.
“As it turns out, these golden granite boulders are the golden scorpion’s
food?" Zhen Jin looked thoughtfully at the scene before him.
Zhen Jin could not help but roll his Adam’s Apple.
As he saw the scorpions gobbling their meals, he felt his own unsatiated hunger
and thirst cravings being stimulated even more.
He waited patiently.
The golden scorpions ate for half an hour until they finally swaggered off with
a rustling noise and left behind their remains.
After verifying his safety, Zhen Jin’s heart grew excited as he rushed to the
former battlefield.
The magic beasts hit by the acid could not be eaten.
However, the lizard leader that had sprayed out the acid bled its blood and
brains out, and its flesh was in good condition.
Zhen Jin used his weapon to cut apart the lizard and obtained its meat.
Zhen Jin had only been sleeping and watching the battle, yet food became
sufficient all of a sudden!
“However, I still lack water.”
“Can I still come across this kind of luck again?”
The youngster’s happiness and excitement gradually calmed down.
There was still some acid remaining so Zhen Jin carefully tested a bit of it
with his weapon.
Zhen Jin waited patiently for a moment and found that the silver level spider
sword retained its hardness and sharpness, seeing that, he felt relieved.
By this point, the sun began to appear over the horizon, with it, Zhen Jin’s
field of view became better.
The air temperature also began to rise again.
Zhen Jin knew that this was a rare opportunity to hasten his journey, he was
just about set off when his pupils suddenly contracted.
“This is?!”
A pink smear appeared in his field of view, something that shocked him
endlessly.



****** Chapter 51: Did Not Rescue ******
A group of people were fleeing through the desert.
“Faster, just a bit faster!”
“Keep up, don’t fall behind!”
“They are coming after us!!” Someone shrieked in panic.
Ahhh!
Soon after, there was a blood-curdling screech.
The people at the rear end of the group could not help but look back, they then
saw their comrade being pinned to the ground by a green lizard. The lizard
opened its large mouth and directly bit the man’s head.
While this green lizard was eating, another one ran ahead.
The lizard erupted with astonishing speed and knocked down two people at the
back of the group in the blink of an eye.
“Nooo!” One of them shouted, his heart was full of horror, but his face showed
a fierce expression.
At this moment of life and death, he reached out and pulled down his comrade.
His comrade was yanked down to the ground and found it hard to get back up, he
opened his mouth and wanted to curse but was pounced upon by the lizard and
could only let out a wretched scream as he was killed.
The scream made the survivors’ hearts tighten.
A young girl glanced at the scene behind her, she clenched her teeth, opened a
potion from her bag, and scattered it into the sky behind her.
This potion was like fine powder, but after it was scattered into the air, it
suddenly turned into a dense green smoke.
“Hold your breath!” The girl loudly warned, this was Zi Di.
The survivors seemed familiar with this green smoke as they immediately held
their breath and made their way through the smoke.
The pursuing green lizards inhaled the smoke into their nose and lungs as they
respired normally.
As a result, shortly afterwards, some green lizards shrieked, some fell into
panic in the green smoke, some fled erratically, the entire group of pursuing
lizards fell into complete disarray.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, the surviving exploration team members
successfully widened the distance between them and the lizards.
“Faster, run faster!”
“We must succeed.”
“Lord Zi Di is truly formidable thanks to her potions!”
“Is there any more, quickly scatter some more.”
Everyone was shouting and screaming as the joy from escaping desperate straits
flooded everyone’s hearts.(1)
“How could you do that?! Just now, I saw you kill your fellow comrade.” Bai
Ya’s question seemed especially ear piercing amongst the cheers.
The man he denounced seemed ashamed at first, however, he quickly turned irate
and cursed: “Fuck off, mind your own business!”
“You!” Bai Ya was shocked and at a loss for words.
The denounced person was raging, his former friendly temperament had completely
vanished and he seemed like a different person.
“Okay, right now we are still not out of the danger zone. Everything that
happens here will be for Lord Zhen Jin to arbitrate!” An old man opened his
mouth to stabilize the group.
This was Cang Xu.
Meanwhile, to the northeast of the survivors was a sand dune.
Two heads protruded out from the top of the sand dune, their complexions were
similar, these were the brothers Lan Zao and Huang Zao.
“Older brother, I found them!” Huang Zao was very excited but soon restrained
himself. “They are being chased by green lizards.”
“Sure enough, there they are.” Lan Zao nodded. “Eh? Why don’t I see Lord Zhen
Jin.”
“I fear he is still separated and hasn’t met up with them yet. We also had
found pink marks on these lizards and followed their trail to find them here.”
Huang Zao guessed.
It turned out, when the exploration team was teleported, they immediately
encountered a sandstorm.
Zi Di relied on her potions to rapidly melt a tunnel through the sand and
helped many exploration team members.
The tunnel was not sturdy and collapsed as the sandstorm raged, however, it
unexpectedly connected to another cave.
In order to survive, everyone had no choice but to enter the cave.
They found that the desert underground cave did not form naturally, it had been
created by the green lizards.
The exploration team members were not unfamiliar with these green lizards, they
had a bitter encounter with them the last time they were teleported to the
desert.
The place that Zi Di and the others entered through was the most important
place in the underground lair for the lizards—the nursery.
The nursery had many lizard eggs and special female lizards guarding over them.
After both sides met, they immediately fought each other.
There were only two female lizards, and under the effects of Zi Di’s potion,
they were quickly killed by the exploration team. However, this commotion
alerted the other green lizards who swiftly carried out their vengeful attack
on the exploration team.
Fortunately, the nursery entry tunnel was very narrow, allowing everyone to
entrench themselves.
The green lizards were endless, and the exploration team began to suffer
casualties.
Through dissection, Cang Xu found that the green lizards did not go into
oestrus very often, each female lizard only laid one egg at a time. The cave
had many lizard eggs, it was natural to conclude that the scope of the lizard
group outside was very large.
It was without a doubt that they couldn’t leave this place by simply holding
the fort stubbornly.
After realizing this point, everyone started to plan how to break out of the
enclosure.
During that period, Zi Di had splashed a pink potion onto the lizards and hoped
it would serve as a signal.
As for the present, the group had already broken out of the enclosure and had
temporarily escaped from the pursuing lizards.
“Lets go and meet up with them.” Lan Zao said, getting up to leave.
But at that moment, his younger brother, Huang Zao, grabbed onto his arm: “No,
older brother, you need to see this!”
Lan Zao followed where Huang Zao’s finger pointed and saw the many green
lizards blocking the path ahead of Zi Di and Cang Xu.
However, Zi Di and Cang Xu did not know of this, for there was a sand dune
blocking their field of view.
As outsiders who could see things clearer, Lan Zao and Huang Zao found what the
real situation of the conflict was. (2)
“Not good, they are going to be surrounded by lizards. They will surely run
into a dead end if they keep going down that way. We must quickly warn them!”
Lan Zao’s expression changed drastically.
“Wait.” Huang Zao blocked him again.
“What are you doing?” Lan Zao glared. “Saving people is important!”
But Huang Zao said: “Don’t bring that up, older brother. These people are
screwed. Look again!”
Lan Zao looked again and his face turned pale. He found that not only were
there many lizards in front of the exploration group. There were also many
lizards flanking them from both the right and left.
“Even so…” Lan Zao was trembling and gritting his teeth when Huang Zao
interrupted.
“Lord Zhen Jin is not here, they are only relying on Ms. Zi Di’s potions to
struggle on. There is no hope for their survival. Don’t be foolish, older
brother. Even if we add ourselves, we would only throw away our lives.” Huang
Zao looked indifferent.
He continued to ask: “What are they to you? Is it worth it for you to throw
away your life for them?”
“But we are currently slaves, and haven’t we already discussed that we would
follow Lord Zhen Jin together?” Lan Zao hesitantly said.
Huang Zao looked gloomy: “Slave…I don’t want to be a slave. Before, I had no
choice but to become one.”
“Besides, we still do not know where Lord Zhen Jin is. Since he is not here, he
will not know what has happened here. The reason why we want to follow Lord
Zhen Jin, wasn’t it for a good future? Throwing our lives away like this is not
part of our plan.”
“But…” Lan Zao wavered. “I must at least warn them.”
“Don’t do that.” Huang Zao shook his head. “It is too late! They are already
surrounded. If you open your mouth, they will discover us and will ask for our
assistance. At that time, will we go or not?”
“If we go, then we will throw away our lives. If we don’t go, we will
definitely be hated by them. Perhaps they might have some method to record this
matter. In the future, Lord Zhen Jin might find their remains and likely find
out the secret that we did not rescue them. That would be terrible for us.”
Lan Zao did not reply, he only looked at the distant exploration team members,
their faces were still full of joy and they were unaware that they were
trapped.
Lan Zao’s brows wrinkled deeper still, his hands subconsciously grasped the
sand, and his fists clenched firmly.
Seeing Lan Zao like this, Huang Zao’s heart thumped.
He understood his older brother well.
Thus, Huang Zao said quietly: “Do you want me to die! Older brother.”
“What?” Lan Zao stared blankly.
“I know that these people have helped you, even Lord Zhen Jin and Ms. Zi Di
have saved my life. You don’t want to owe them and want to repay their
kindness. You must be pondering whether you should leave me alone and assist
them by yourself!”
Huang Zao’s words jabbed at Lan Zao’s heart.
Lan Zao really was thinking this.
But Huang Zao continued to speak: “If you go, you will most certainly die! If
you were to leave me behind alone, how can I survive in this desert alone?
Besides, how could I just watch you throw away your life helplessly? You are
indeed my brother! If you go, I will definitely follow behind. If you die, I
will also lose my life.”
“Younger brother…” Lan Zao clenched his teeth and glared at Huang Zao.
“Older Brother!” Huang Zao matched his glare and did not show weakness. “Have
you forgotten the words that you said to our dying mother? You swore to look
after me for a lifetime. You swore that even if you were to die, you would die
before I do. Right now, if you go out and help them, you will be the one that
kills me!”
“Yes, I swore. From childhood till adulthood, I have always looked out for you,
no? But you are already an adult, you are a seasoned sailor, you even have
bronze level strength now…”
“So what? In the spider forest, Wasn’t I still abandoned by you!” Huang Zao
ruthlessly interrupted Lan Zao.
“I thought you were dead back then!!” Lan Zao roared quietly, his face had
seemingly turned red from anger.
Huang Zao sneered: “Perhaps my death was good for you, no? After all, you are
the one who killed our father in the first place. If I die, then who would know
your secret? You would be free!”
“No! How could you think like that?!” Lan Zao painfully and lowly howled, his
face twisted and veins protruded out from his forehead.
Huang Zao suddenly raised his voice: “Then let’s leave! We will both leave this
place together and escape this wretched island together. You should prove
yourself through your actions.”
Huang Zao’s words were like an icy lance that pierced into the deepest parts of
Lan Zao’s heart.
The robust man half-knelt on the ground, he unwaveringly looked at his younger
brother like a statue for a moment.
The brothers looked at each other face to face for a few breaths until the
movements of the green lizards disturbed them.
Huang Zao saw that several of the green lizards were quickly approaching the
sand dunes where they were located, and he impatiently urged: “Run, if we don’t
leave now, we won’t ever be able to leave.”
He immediately got up and pulled Lan Zao with him.
He failed to pull up Lan Zao at first, but after trying two more times, he
finally pulled up Lan Zao, ran down the sand dunes, and escaped the area.
During that last moment of the retreat, Lan Zao turned around to survey the
distant area, he saw that the exploration team had discovered their situation,
they were standing still and obviously in a panic.
He sighed deeply in his heart, then lowered his head and escaped shoulder to
shoulder with Huang Zao.



****** Chapter 52: It’s Lord Zhen Jin! ******
“We are done for!”
“These green lizard beasts are everywhere, what should we do?”
“We have nowhere to run.” Cang Xu gasped for breath, the old man no longer
looked calm.
Noticing that the green lizards surrounding them kept increasing, the
exploration team sunk into despair with many of them screaming.
“This is impossible!”
“Lord Cang Xu, didn’t you say that these green lizards only go out to hunt in
the early morning?!”
“It was because of this point that we decided to use the opportunity to break
out.”
“The large lizard lounge in front of us is the hunting group. But they came
back too early.”
“It's useless to say anything now, we can only retreat back to the underground
cave!”
“We can’t retreat, instead of that, it would be better for us to take our
chances and charge ahead.”
“Are you insane? The green lizards in front of us are strongest in the entire
lounge, otherwise, how could they go out and hunt?”
Cang Xu was silent.
Zi Di gritted her teeth: “Lets climb up this sand dune first.”
After saying this, she took the lead.
Although they were trapped in dire straits, the survival instincts of everyone
spurred them to follow Zi Di.
The exploration team climbed the sand dune with the green lizards following
close behind.
Every time the green lizards got close, Zi Di would throw out more dust and
form a green smokescreen to cut off the lizards.
However, the green smoke would constantly spread outward and would quickly
become diluted, and no longer obstruct the lizards, however, this interference
allowed the exploration team to climb to the top of the sand dune successfully.
Afterwards, everyone despaired even more.
Their vision was very clear on the high ground.
The surrounding sand dunes were filled with green lizards, at least two to
three thousand.
Most of them were ordinary beasts and those that stayed behind in the nests
were the old, weak, sick, or disabled. The elites that had returned early from
hunting almost all had an iron level aura.
“Why are we still struggling? Let’s just wait here to die.” Someone said as
they sat down enervated on the sand.
“Rather than being devoured by these green lizards, I would have been better
off if I died in the sandstorm.” Another said as they bitterly smiled.
More and more lizards gathered under the sand dune.
Soon after, some lizards charged up the sand dune.
Zi Di fished out a potion and scattered it from above, immediately making a
thick green smokescreen again.
The cloud of green smoke formed a temporary barrier all around that could repel
the charging green lizards.
Upon seeing this scene, Bai Ya wholeheartedly exclaimed: “If we didn’t have
Lord Zi Di with us, we would have died long ago!”
Someone saw the packed potion bag at Zi Di’s waist, their eyes brightened and
proposed: “With so many potions, we can wait for a strong gale, scatter these
potions into the wind, and completely kill these green lizards! Even if they
don’t all die, it could still kill enough for us to pave our way out.”
But Zi Di shook her head: “The smoke cannot gather together in the wind, it
would only drift away into the air faster. In addition, these lizards are not
foolish, they will flee when they encounter the green smoke. The most crucial
point is that we are weaker than these lizards, the green smoke would cause
more harm to us.”
Everyone was flabbergasted: “What else can we do?”
Zi Di deeply sighed and gazed at the endless green lizards surrounding them on
the sand dunes: “We can only hope that these lizards are unsuccessful in their
attacks and will scatter by themselves after a while.”
The girl had no expectations that this would happen.
The lizards continued to surround them and were always attacking the dune
despite each attempt being repelled by the green smoke.
When one part of the green smoke weakened, Zi Di would promptly replenish it.
The special powder was being used up quickly, even if Zi Di had made a lot,
according to the rate it was being used up at, it would be completely used up
in a day or two.
Seeing the lizards hissing in frustration from not being able to kill those on
the sand dune, many of the exploration team members relaxed.
However, Cang Xu and Zi Di were still worried.
They understood clearly that they were in a very dangerous situation.
These lizards were only retreating from the green smoke due to fear, the
smoke’s coverage was also very limited. If the lizards didn’t fear death, they
could still rush up. In fact, as long as the lizards held their breath, they
could push through the green smoke.
But they were still beasts in the end; without the intelligence of humans and
unable to adapt.
As time passed, the sun climbed higher and noon arrived.
Cang Xu saw the lizards lying below the sand dunes, every one of them lazing
about with the stronger ones occupying the shadier parts of the sand dunes.
The old scholar’s brows wrinkled and he guessed: “I estimate that it is
unlikely that these lizards will stop trying to kill us. I have already
observed that these lizards do not have a silver level leader. That is
essentially impossible. There needs to be at least a silver level lizard leader
to maintain such a large lounge.”
“Looking at the lizards again, the strongest lizards in the lounge have an iron
level aura. But almost all of these magic beasts are injured, with many
seriously injured. I think the hunting lizards must have met with a powerful
enemy, not only did they not find food, but they have also been hunted which
resulted in them suffering disastrous damage and losing their leader.”
Zi Di suddenly realized: “So, we are the lizard’s only food source?”
Cang Xu nodded and then shook his head slightly: “Not only that. We also
destroyed the lizards’ eggs. All along, the scent of the lizard eggs have been
lingering on our bodies so the lizards completely hate us. I fear that these
lizards would chase us to the ends of the desert so that they can kill the
murderers of their offspring.
Everyone was silent.
Bai Ya couldn’t help but cry out to justify Zi Di: “But if we didn’t destroy
those lizard eggs, Lord Zi Di couldn’t have used the egg fluids as materials to
make the powder that created the green smoke. Without it, we would have been
dead long ago, how would we even have the chance to be alive here now.”
Cang Xu shook his head: “I didn't mean to criticise Lord Zi Di, In fact, I am
very grateful to her. I am only telling everyone what I know, nothing more.”
Everyone sunk into silence once again.
There was no wind.
The sunlight seemed to be shooting a myriad of sharp arrows down. The air
became hotter and those exposed to it at the top of the sand dune found it more
and more unbearable.
They seemed like fish trapped on a red-hot grilling plate.
It was like being cooked alive!
Many people took off the outer layer of their clothes and propped them on top
of their heads like small tents.
They did not dare to sit down because the sand below their feet was scalding.
If a lizard egg broke on the sand now, it would immediately be cooked into a
fried egg.
“It would be great if we had enough bows and arrows. We have the high ground on
this sand dune and we could shoot those lizards dead. And these lizards would
become our food.” Someone muttered.
But it was a real pity that almost all the bows and arrows that the exploration
team made were lost in the sandstorm.
There was only half of the exploration team left.1
Not everyone was armed and even fewer had a bow.
This was the desert, there simply did not exist wood for them to make it with.
“Making short bows was Lord Zhen Jin’s idea. But where did the Lord Knight go?
If he was here, maybe he could think of a way.” Another person voiced.
Zhen Jin had guided them to victory and rid them of a crisis that threatened
their survival, his prestige had already entered everyone’s hearts. Therefore
at this moment, everyone craved even more for this wise and strong leader.
Bai Ya stared into the distance: “ I feel that it is unlikely that Lord Zhen
Jin will die so easily, he is only separated from us temporarily, he will
certainly appear and come to save us!”
Bai Ya’s voice was full of certainty which made everyone else feel baffled.2
Thus, one person asked: “Why do you say that? Don’t tell me you can contact
Lord Zhen Jin?”
But Bai Ya shook his head and opened his eyes wide, feeling confused, he felt
it was proper and expected: “It is because Zhen Jin is not just a knight, he is
also a templar knight. He will surely come and lead us out. Because that is
what a knight does!”
Everyone smiled bitterly and Cang Xu shook his head.
Everyone had interacted with Bai Ya for a long time and understood him. This
young man had an indescribable trust and reverence for knights. The degree of
this trust and reverence exceeded common convention to the extent that it
seemed naive and stupid.
But this time, no one wanted to use common sense to refute this naivety and
stupidity.
Because they were trapped in desperate straits, they also wanted a knight that
could step forward bravely to use their excellent abilities and wisdom to break
them out of this crisis in their most helpless and precarious hour.
After this short dialogue, there was another long silence.
The sunlight was dazzling and overbearing, so much that the people could not
raise their eyes and could only look at the sand below their feet.
Everyone was hungry and thirsty with many having chapped lips.
Although there was food and water, there wasn't much and under Cang Xu’s
suggestion, both were already rationed.
“Eh?!” One of the exploration team members looked bewildered and quickly rubbed
their eyes.
After verifying it again, he exclaimed: “Look quickly everyone, is that a
person?”
This immediately attracted the attention of everyone.
“It’s a person.”
“Who is it?”
“I can’t see them clearly.”
“He is running towards us!”
Cang Xu narrowed his eyes: “Green lizards everywhere are attracted to our sand
dune, yet this person is still charging in, they are clearly skilled and
daring.”
“It’s Lord Zhen Jin, it must be him.” Bai Ya yelled excitedly.
As the person got closer, everyone could finally recognize the man’s face.
At once, cheers erupted.
“It’s the Lord, it really is Lord Zhen Jin!”
“I knew I was not mistaken.” Bai Ya laughed heartily.
“We are over here Lord Zhen Jin!!”
“Have you finally come to save us?”
Many of the people could not help but cry tears of joy at this moment.
Zi Di was also hyperventilating, her crystal-like eyes revealed that she was
pleasantly surprised and full of expectations, however, the girl soon frowned
as her heart tensed up: “Ah, he is wounded!”
The faces of the crowd who were jumping in joy also changed subsequently.
They also discovered that as Zhen Jin was rushing over, his left arm was
dangling like it was broken. At the same time there were “bandages” wrapped on
his body. These “bandages” were clearly Zhen Jin’s clothes torn into long
strips.
“The Lord is actually wounded.”
“That fierce sandstorm really was terrifying.”
“Do we know if the Lord’s injuries are serious or not?”
The entire exploration team was worried and on edge, after all, Zhen Jin’s
current state directly concerned their life and death.
Of course, the lizards also found out that Zhen Jin was rushing in, with
several lizards in the outermost periphery going over to kill Zhen Jin.
Zhen Jin held the spider blade in his right hand and without dodging or
fleeing, rushed into these lizards and chopped bilaterally.
Whenever the blade light slashed, it would be accompanied with the splash of
green blood.
These ordinary lizards were completely beheaded and died on the sand.
Zhen jin’s slaughter immediately caused a ruckus amongst the lizards. More
lizards went to kill him, this time not just ordinary lizards but also bronze
level magic beasts.
Zhen Jin’s momentum immediately decreased considerably.
Not only did the bronze level lizards have a larger physique and greater
strength, but more crucially, they could spit out acid faster.
If ordinary lizards wanted to spit acid, they would have to sit still and
stiffen their necks for about two breaths before they could open their mouths
and spit out the green liquid.
This duration was completely enough for Zhen Jin to counter-attack and kill
them.
Ordinary lizards trying to spit acid at Zhen Jin made for a good opportunity to
kill them.
Bronze lizards only took one breath to spit acid. If Zhen Jin was fighting a
single opponent, that time would be enough for him to dodge and proceed to
counterattack and kill.
But in the current situation, Zhen Jin was only one person in a dozen lizards
attacking him from all sides. It was impossible for him to dodge perfectly in
such a way that he could dodge, close the distance, and follow through with a
counterattack.
“I must not get hit by the acid.” Zhen Jin’s heart was as serene as ice.
A bronze lizard’s acid could also corrode the golden granite boulders very
quickly. Currently, Zhen Jin could not use battle qi to protect himself and he
didn’t have any armor, thus the acid would severely injure him if he were to
get hit.
“Lord Zhen Jin…”
“It seems that the Lord is injured and it is affecting him greatly!”
“His lordship is constantly evading, don’t tell me he can’t use battle qi to
protect himself?”
On top of the sand dune, everyone gazed into the distance and had their hearts
seized by the battle situation before their eyes.
Suddenly, one of them subconsciously cried out in alarm: “Be careful!”
As it turns out, a sinister lizard amongst the besieging ones was spitting out
acid.
The acid was spat at Zhen Jin’s back.
But at that moment, Zhen Jin seemed to be able to hear the exploration team
member’s yell, and without looking, he rolled on the spot and perfectly avoided
the acid spit.
The other lizards also dodged in a flurry.
The acid hit empty air and fell onto the sand, it then immediately made a
sizzling sound as it corroded a shallow pit in the sand along with releasing a
pungent white smoke that rose into the air.
“It seems that I have gone through similar training in the past, therefore, I
have abundant battle experience and can respond to being besieged alone with
calmness and ease.”
At that moment, Zhen Jin’s understanding of himself once again deepened.
Despite the fact that he could only see in front of him, he could still find
ways to dodge when under siege.
His sight was not limited to what was ahead of him, rather as he moved and
dodged, his eyes were quickly scanning everything and his ears were
distinguishing the sounds from the wind. Therefore, even if the acid was fired
from behind him, he could still evade it in time.
Of course, there was also the fact that the speed of the acid was not even as
fast as a normal arrow.
The exploration team did not know about Zhen Jin’s grasp on the situation as
they saw the young knight being heavily surrounded. Their hearts were trembling
in fear as they felt that Zhen Jin was walking a tightrope on the edge of a
precipice.
“As long as the acid hits, Lord Zhen Jin will be in danger!”
“His body is injured yet he still risks death to save us, he really is a
templar knight.”
“Lord Zhen Jin…just like he said, he never gave up on us.
Apart from being worried, the exploration team was moved even more.
“We must support our Lord!”3
“But we only have short bows and the distance is too great. We can’t shoot the
lizards around the lord and we are unable to help him.”
The exploration team members clenched their teeth.
The range of long-ranged weapons were separated into maximum range and
effective range.
Long-range weapons were the most lethal in their effective range while maximum
range was just the farthest a weapon could fire to.
The short bows were rough and slipshod works, be it the effective or maximum
range, neither were sufficient to reach where Zhen Jin was.
The exploration team was trapped on the sand dunes summit, at this moment, they
wanted to help but could only watch helplessly.
“Oh no.” Everyone’s complexion dipped again as they saw the third batch of
lizards charging towards Zhen Jin. This batch included three iron level
lizards!



****** Chapter 53: I Have Returned ******
A lizard opened its mouth and sprayed out acid.
But it was already too late!
The lizard picked the perfect opportunity, Huang Zao’s face distorted but he
couldn’t avoid it and could only close his eyes and bite the bullet.
Psh.
Huang Zao’s field of vision was thrown into darkness as he got knocked down to
the ground.
The next moment, he opened his eyes and saw his brother’s face twisting in
pain.
“Older brother!” Huang Zao shouted as he promptly rolled across the ground,
made some room and used all of his strength to throw his spear.
“Go die.” Huang Zao yelled.
After the green lizard discharged the liquid, it immediately became sluggish.
Its large mouth hadn’t even closed before the spear tip plunged in through it,
penetrating a bit into the skull before it got lodged between the bones.
At the critical moment, Huang Zao capitalized on the lizard’s exposed weak
point and finally killed it.
“Older brother!” Huang Zao saw the lizard fall to the ground and gasped as he
ran to Lan Zao’s side.
Lan Zao was lying on his stomach and was in so much pain that even a usually
tough guy like him was wailing in anguish.
Seeing the wound on Lan Zao’s back, Huang Zao could not help but gasp a breath
of cold air.
It was a terrible wound, the green acid had corroded the flesh and let out a
sizzling sound, the flesh and blood turned into pus, wafting out a fetid
stench. The injury was rapidly deteriorating and Huang Zao was certain that he
would see Lan Zao’s bones in a few breaths.
This was just a bronze level lizard.
Huang Zao did not dare touch the wound as he quickly took out his water canteen
and poured all of it out.
The water diluted the acid greatly and alleviated Lan Zao’s wound.
Huang Zao grabbed Lan Zao’s arm and supported his body, he then poured another
water canteen onto Lan Zao’s body to quickly wash out the acid onto the sand.
“Save the water.” Lan Zao’s pain had been greatly relieved and he used his
remaining rationality to warn Huang Zao.
“We can’t keep it!” Huang Zao gritted his teeth. Lan Zao’s injury was too grave
and he had no choice but to use all of his water on it.
Meanwhile.
Green acid nearly hit Zhen Jin’s ear as it streaked across the sky.
Zhen Jin’s face was solemn.
There were more than a dozen lizards attacking him from all sides, there was no
lack of iron level or bronze level magic beasts among them.
Relying on his agility and abundant experience, Zhen Jin constantly evaded
while killing lizards, however, he could clearly sense that it was getting
increasingly harder to move forward.
He couldn’t help but look at the path behind him as he shouted in his heart:
“Why haven’t they come yet?”
Whoosh.
A light sound.
An arrow flew over the heads of countless lizards and landed in the sand.
“I tried my best.” Bai Ya gasped heavily on top of the sand dune.
As he gazed at the short bow in his hand, he couldn’t help but shake his head.
Using his shooting technique, he displayed the short bow’s maximum range, yet
the arrow was still more than a dozen paces from Zhen Jin’s position.
This short bow had also suffered from the sandstorm and after a lot of fights,
it was teetering on the edge of collapse.
“Lord Zhen Jin, the potion! Inhale it with your nose!” Everyone roared
together.
Zhen Jin hesitated, he had his own plan and Bai Ya’s arrow was beyond his
expectations.
What to do?
Zhen Jin clenched his teeth and suddenly jumped up.
In that crucial moment, he chose to believe in his comrades!
The lizards in front of him did not anticipate this, as a result, Zhen Jin
stomped on their heads, soared into the sky, and leapt into the distance.
This was a very dangerous action because it would be very hard for Zhen Jin to
dodge the acid while he was in the air.
Zhen Jin landed on the ground with a thump.
Three lizards opened their mouths and some waved their claws in order to kill
Zhen Jin.
In an instant, Zhen Jin took a hastened glance and found the only escape path.
He rolled over and over, tumbling dangerously close between two lizards.
He stretched out his hand, grabbed the arrow shaft and kicked the ground hard
with his right foot, using it to lift his whole body up and stand up.
Without staying in place, he quickly ran as hard as he could.
While running, he pulled out the arrowhead and looked at the yellow fumes it
emitted.
Zhen Jin fiercely breathed in the fumes through his nose.
“Cough, cough, cough!”
He immediately coughed and spat out a cloud of gray mist.
At the same time, his ears and nose also emitted the gray mist, he even shed
tears of a light ashen gray tinge.
After a few breaths, Zhen Jin found that he had lost his sense of taste and
smell, he could not feel his tongue and nose. Even his vision and hearing were
weakened to a certain degree.
This was very detrimental to him.
If he wanted to break out of the lizard lounge enclosure, he needed to be
observant and alert1, he had to rely on his five keen senses and now all of
them had been debilitated by half.
Immediately, the pressure on him from the lizard lounge had doubled.
The sand dune peak.
“Use these as the arrowheads.” Zi Di took out five to six arrowheads from her
handbag at her waist.
Bai Ya immediately took them and placed them on arrow shafts.
These arrowheads were made by Zi Di in the lizard nursery, many people had seen
them before and thus they were not surprised.
Whoosh
Bai Ya focused for a few breaths before drawing his bowstring and shooting out
an arrow.
The arrow streaked across the air while constantly emitting a green smoke, it
then hit the sand and the green smoke gushed out of it.
The green smoke slowly subsided on the sand and formed a brief smoke wall.
The entire exploration team once again shouted in unison to warn Zhen Jin.
Zhen Jin immediately rushed into the green smoke and followed its trail.
The surrounding lizards tried to break into the green smoke which resulted in
them wailing in anguish and quickly retreating from it.
The green smoke was the same powder that Zi Di had sprinkled before, the
lizards that breathed in the smoke would have their respiratory tracts
corroded.
But Zhen Jin had breathed in medicinal fumes before and could breathe freely.
“There is actually such a fantastic medicine!” The eyes of the exploration team
were wide with pleasant surprise.
But Zi Di shook her head: “To be honest, this is a failed product. The medicine
is toxic and only Lord Zhen Jin’s body can handle it, after inhaling it, it can
corrode the green smoke for a certain period of time, allowing one to breathe
freely. If it were us, we would have already been choked to death.”
Zhen Jin was at least a silver level cultivator and could possibly be a gold
level one. Although his constitution could not compare to most magic beasts, it
far exceeded the average human.
In this manner, Bai Ya shot arrows again and again, first the medicine and then
the green smoke. With this aid, Zhen Jin’s journey was no longer hindered and
he successfully ascended and reunited with everyone on top of the sand dune.
“My Lord!”
“Lord Zhen Jin!”
The exploration team encircled Zhen Jin, each of them emotionally moved.
Bai Ya looked towards Zhen Jin with his face full of admiration.
“My lord, what should we do next?” Someone asked.
“Get ready, everyone will follow me and charge out. I will charge at the
forefront.” Zhen Jin answered.
Cang Xu shook his head: “Lord Zhen Jin, I fear this plan will not work.”
Zi Di told them the particulars of her medicine.
Zhen Jin smiled but did not respond, rather he turned around and looked at the
direction he had come from.
His eyes slightly squinted as he looked into the distance for a moment before
he suddenly smiled.
This time, the sight he had seen did not disappoint him, he finally got what he
had waited for.
Thus, he said: “Of course you cannot rely upon me alone. However, I have been
here before. At that time, I hadn’t found you guys yet. But the pink compound
trail gave me clues of your whereabouts deep in the lizard nest. I couldn’t
rush into the lizard’s nest by myself so I provoked and attracted a scorpion
group.”
“My injury was from provoking the scorpion group.”
“Look everyone, they are here.”
Everyone looked hastily and saw a large scorpion rushing in from the distance.
These scorpions were huge, no less than the lizards. The leader of the scorpion
group had a strong silver level magic beast aura.
“Your Lordship is wise!”
“Excellent, we are saved.”
Everyone was exalted as they finally saw the chance of escaping with their
lives.
However, the scene of the two beast groups fighting each other did not happen.
The scorpion group stopped at the edge of the lizard’s domain, after the
lizards panicked for a spell, the iron level lizards all hurried to the front
of the scorpion group.
The two beast groups did not directly fight, rather they stood off in
confrontation.
“This…”
“Don’t tell me the scorpion group saw through our plan?”
“Curses, just fight already!”
Everyone was irascible.
But Zhen Jin was still smiling: “Don’t worry, early this morning I witnessed
the lizards and scorpions fighting. First, they will provoke each other and if
neither side concedes, the strongest of either group will come out to fight
alone. The current situation is like so.”
“Give me some water and food, I need to replenish myself.” Zhen Jin requested.
Water and rations were immediately given to Zhen Jin.
Zhen Jin had already used up the food he had on hand. 2
After he investigated the lizard nest for the first time, he had eaten the
viper and then ran back to find the scorpion group and attracted them over.
Zhen Jin chewed, his Adam’s apple bobbed as food and water entered his stomach.
The medicinal fumes he had breathed in were still affecting him, as a result,
the youngster could not taste anything. But, just the act of eating made his
heart feel spontaneously satisfied and happy.
Zhen Jin, right now, was really hungry and thirsty.
After finding the pink compound, he had trekked long and hard to arrive at the
fringe of the lizard nest. Afterwards, he withdrew and looked for the scorpion
group, he did not hesitate to suffer injuries when provoking the scorpion
group, finally, he made the round trip back.
Thereafter, under the intensely shining sunlight, he single-handedly3 charged
at the lizard lounge. Regardless of stamina or spirit, this was a huge ordeal
that had consumed a lot.
“Eat a bit more, my Lord!”
The exploration team crowded around Zhen Jin and watched him gulp down food,
many of them were also subconsciously swallowing their own spit. Although they
had eaten, their hunger clearly hadn’t been satisfied yet.
“Yes, Lord Zhen Jin, you have formidable strength and you need to eat more food
than us.”
“My lord, put on this leather armor. We still have spares.”
Someone saw Zhen Jin’s hemp garments and immediately contributed his equipment.
The exploration team members all knew that he was the key person for their
safety, all of their hope was entrusted to Zhen Jin.
“How much food do we still have?”
After hearing the answer, Zhen Jin shook his head and voluntarily stopped
eating.
The group’s food was already too low, and with an uncertain future, he needed
to save as much food as possible.
“Huu.”
He got up with a straight waist and spat out some foul air.
Although he only ate until he was half full, he was satisfied at this moment.
He took the leather armor and donned it on himself.
It was a little too big and Zhen Jin did not have much expectations that it
could resist acid.
But having something was always better than nothing.
As for blades, since he had the spider blade, he took a dagger.
After being crudely armed, he swept his eyes over those nearby and saw five to
six exploration team members.
The thing that surprised him the most was that there were so many people alive!
This was beyond his expectations.
Zhen Jin was not a thief and did not have the ability to move stealthily.
Therefore, when he had found the medicine trail, he did not enter and
investigate the underground lizard nest the first time.
At that time, Cang Xu and Zi Di were still in the cave. Both parties hadn’t
found each other.
The second time, Zhen Jin arrived here and suddenly found that so many people
were still alive, his heart was unimaginably joyous!
After seeing these people, he didn’t hesitate and instantly resolved himself to
use all of his strength to save these people.
On the one hand, this was the templar knight’s creed. On the other hand, the
pressure of surviving alone was tremendous and Zhen Jin had already felt it
deeply. He needed Cang Xu’s knowledge, Zi Di’s potions, and more. Even people
like Bai Ya and the rest were precious manpower. Looking into the future, after
he escaped this island, he would still need to compete in the White Sands City
Lord competition and needed subordinates to aid him.



****** Chapter 54: I Will Not Abandon Even a Single Person ******
The roaring of the two beast groups were increasing.
The scorpion group was gradually gaining the upper hand because they had a
silver level leader and more stamina. The lizards did not have a silver level
leader, but under pressure from the external enemy, the lizards were closely
aligned and coordinated.
Many of the iron level lizards swarmed together to confront the silver level
scorpion with no thoughts of retreat. This was where their nest was and there
was more than one cave in it where their eggs were stored. In addition, there
were more lizards than scorpions.
The scorpion leader finally grew impatient as it waved its two large pincers
like a sliding door and attacked.
It stormed the lizards in front of it.
At the same time, the strongest iron level lizards were dispatched to repulse
the silver level scorpion, some spitting acid, others baring fangs and a few
brandishing claws to meet the silver level scorpion head on.
The silver level scorpion was incomparably brutal and fierce as it quickly
routed the iron level lizards.
The lizard lounge fell into disarray as its close formation scattered. The
scorpion group’s morale was greatly boosted as they charged in after their
leader.
This was the moment where both sides began fighting all-out!
Upon seeing this scene, Zhen Jin’s tense heart was finally released.
Compared to beasts, the constitution of humans fell short, however, humans had
intelligence beyond the reach of most beasts.
Because of this, Zhen Jin easily exploited the scorpion group.
Of course, intelligent beasts also existed.
No need to mention the true dragons, just take the solitude beast that attacked
Zi Di’s team who had rescued Zhen Jin, under the cunning blue wolf’s attacks,
the entire team was nearly wiped out.
In a direct confrontation, perhaps the blue wolf was a bit weaker than the
scorpion leader, however, it had the intelligence of a human, therefore it
could fully utilize its abilities, it was cunning and insidious, with numerous
tricks and tactics.
Zhen Jin was in no rush to lead the group to break out, rather, he patiently
waited for a time.
After a while, the enormous lizard lounge became even more disorderly, many of
the lizards at the sand dunes also rushed to join the frontline.
Although there were lizards still surrounding the sand dune who didn’t want
their food slipping away, their scope had greatly decreased heretofore.
“Follow me closely.” Zhen Jin took a deep breath and looked at the lizards
below the sand dune.
Everyone had difficulty covering up their nervousness because breaking out was
very risky. Even being a little careless would land them in a lizard’s mouth or
be corroded by acid, either ending in death. But if they did not break out and
remained on top of this sand dune, they would certainly die.
It was time to break out!
Zhen Jin, with his spider blade and a doned ill-fitted leather armor, took the
lead.
The lizards besieging the sand dune had their heads down and were dozing in the
sand. After hearing movement, they all immediately raised their heads and threw
themselves at Zhen Jin and the others.
The first lizard, when it was ten paces from Zhen Jin, suddenly opened its
mouth and sprayed acid.
When the acidic attack arrived, everyone smelled an intensely sour and
corrosive odor.
Everyone was at first following closely behind Zhen Jin, however, when faced
with the acidic attack that they could not resist, they had no choice but to
scatter.
Their close formation was completely broken just as they began breaking out.
Zhen Jin lunged down onto the sand and smoothly rolled down and arrived under
the head of a lizard.
He shouted in a low voice and suddenly jumped up, he then tilted the spider
blade backwards and slashed, appearing like a phantom in the lizard’s vision.
Zhen Jin brushed past the lizard.
The next moment, the lizard’s head fell down to the sand and green blood
spurted from its neck like a fountain.
Zhen Jin did not stop as he rushed at the group of lizards.
The spider blade proved itself as a silver level magic beast material with a
sharpness that none of the lizards could resist.
These lizards were only ordinary beasts, the bronze level and iron level
lizards were distracted by the scorpion group.
Thus, Zhen Jin was unstoppable!
The brave and fierce Zhen Jin attracted almost all the attention and the
pressure on everyone following Zhen Jin to break through was smaller than they
had expected.
“Lord Zhen Jin really is brave and powerful!”
“This is a templar knight…”
“The templar knights regiment really are worthy of being humanity’s number one
knight regiment.”
Everyone watched Zhen Jin’s back with hearts of admiration and respect.
However, just as everyone was about to break through the lizard encirclement, a
group of magic beasts were attracted over.
At first glance, there were over a dozen bronze level lizards and three or four
iron level lizards.
The lizards clearly did not want their tasty food to get away.
The pressure on Zhen Jin dramatically increased!
His spider blade was still sharp and could still handle the magic beast
lizards, a single slash from him could cause grievous wounds.
But facing the acid sprayed by these lizards, Zhen Jin was also similarly
helpless to resist.
The situation on both sides was actually quite similar, both had a strong
offense but a weak defense.
In order to evade the acid, Zhen Jin could only roll, jump, and dodge to the
best of his abilities.
The biggest burden was that he was not alone, he still needed to look after
those behind him.
“Ahh!” Someone screamed miserably.
Zhen Jin turned around despite being preoccupied and saw that an exploration
team member had been hit by the acid and had fallen to the ground, rolling back
and forth in pain.
Almost simultaneously, the surrounding lizards seized the opportunity, some bit
the exploration team member’s head, some bit his arms, and some bit his legs.
The exploration team member violently struggled and yelled despairingly,
however, the lizards easily separated him from Zhen Jin and the rest of the
group, then retreated to the side to eat him. The lizards surrounded him with
their heads facing down, opening and closing their mouths repeatedly, tearing
and swallowing his flesh to their heart’s content.
It was clearly impossible to save him.
Zhen Jin could only grind his teeth and use all of his power to open up a path
forward.
Eventually, the young knight’s sight cleared up, the pressure on him abruptly
lightened—he had broken through the encirclement.
“Ahh, Lord scholar!” Bai Ya’s sudden scream was heard from behind him.
Zhen Jin promptly turned around and his eyes poped out with one glance.
Cang Xu had tumbled to the sand with a lizard just five to six paces behind
him!
The old scholar's constitution was lacking and despite being protected during
the breakout, he still fell behind to the rear of the team.
“Run quickly!” Against Zhen Jin’s expectations, Bai Ya suddenly turned around
and ran back to give Cang Xu a hand.
The lizards behind him were so close, their hissing sounded like it was
straight in his ears.
Cang Xu understood his situation and furiously shouted at Bai Ya. “Go, leave
me!”
But Bai Ya did not listen as he clenched his teeth and reached Cang Xu’s side,
he then grabbed Cang Xu’s clothes and dragged him a few steps.
Almost concurrently, the lizard behind them pounced and opened its mouth to
bite at Cang Xu, however, it only bit a mouthful of sand.
The indignant lizard turned around furiously and flicked its tail.
Bai Ya did not have time to dodge and could only raise his free left arm in
haste.
With a dull thump, he was slammed by the lizard’s tail and was unsurprisingly
sent flying into the air.
The lizard opened its mouth and pounced on Cang Xu again.
But this time, Zhen Jin had arrived to kill it, his blade descended to not only
kill the lizard but to also force the other lizards back.
“Go!” Zhen Jin picked up Cang Xu to break through again.
Cang Xu was emaciated while Zhen Jin’s constitution exceeded normal humans, so
carrying him was easy, and he could still run like he was flying.
With Zhen Jin no longer in front, the group lost their momentum and seemed to
sink into a mire as more and more lizards besieged them.
During this time, one member was enervated and could not dodge in time, the
acid hit his head, and he died tragically on the spot.
Zhen Jin carried Cang Xu and reunited with them, he charged forward and easily
broke through the lizards encircling them, allowing the team to advance once
more.
After battling a while, not many lizards remained in front of Zhen Jin as they
scattered.
“We killed them!” Everyone was ecstatic.
Zhen Jin turned around, almost everyone was gathered around him, but Bai Ya was
now surrounded by lizards.
It turned out that after the lizard tail had swept Bai Ya into the air, he had
suffered fractured ribs and arm and his speed had greatly decreased because of
the severe pain.
The lizards did not dare deal with Zhen Jin, so they looked for the weakest to
attack.
Zhen Jin was about to return to save him but Cang Xu shouted in a low voice:
“My lord, don’t run after him. If we don’t leave here, the lizards will
surround us again.”
Everyone looked at Cang Xu.
Cang Xu was just in desperate straits, if Bai Ya did not buy time for him, it
would have been too late for Zhen Jin to save him. One could say that Bai Ya
was also Cang Xu’s lifesaver.
But now Cang Xu was blocking Zhen Jin and wanted to abandon Bai Ya.
This heartlessness and indifference made everyone look at Cang Xu differently.
Although they were disgusted at him, no one refuted what he said.
Charging to this stage had already cost the lives of two exploration team
members. Everyone was in terrible shape. Thinking about it, they had
experienced the sandstorm, killed their way out of the lizard cave, and had
been besieged on top of the sand dune. Now that they had broken out, everyone
was suffering from extreme hunger and thirst, being extremely fatigued and
weak. Most of them had reached the limits of their stamina with only the fear
of death and the thirst for life supporting them.
Cang Xu’s words were not wrong, once Zhen Jin went back, they would be
surrounded by lizards again.
How long could they persevere? Could they hold on until Zhen Jin returned with
Bai Ya?
No one had this confidence.
For an instant, Zhen Jin also hesitated.
Unlike Cang Xu, Bai Ya was an ordinary person, he was born in a hunting family
and had relatively good archery skills, but nothing else.
His value was much lower than Cang Xu’s and he was not irreplaceable.
“If I go save him, these people will be attacked by lizards, what should I do?”
“The others are like him too, the most crucial individuals are Zi Di and Cang
Xu…”
For a moment, the young knight looked around.
The others also looked at him.
Seeing their complex gazes, Zhen Jin’s hesitation immediately scattered and he
made his decision.
“I have said that I will not abandon anyone.” Zhen Jin said without hesitation.
“Bai Ya is no exception!”
Everyone’s hearts trembled.
Zhen Jin was just about to leave when Zi Di grabbed Zhen Jin’s arm and pointed
northwest: “My Lord, look there, please be careful!”
Zhen Jin saw that the leader of the scorpion group, the silver level golden
spear war scorpion had arrived nearby.
The lizard group did not have a silver level leader, the many iron level and
bronze level lizards could not stop it.
The silver level scorpion rampaged, its door-like pincers were impenetrable and
could resist all of the acid shot at it. At the same time, everytime the
scorpion’s tail attacked, it would take away the life of a lizard.
“It’s coming towards me!” Lighting seemed to flash through Zhen Jin’s heart.
In order to provoke the scorpion group, he had fiercely struck the scorpion
leader with his blade without success. Instead, the scorpion’s tail had pierced
his arm and he had no choice but to flee wretchedly.
The silver level scorpion leader held a grudge and had forced the scorpion
group to travel a long distance to pursue Zhen Jin, after killing the lizards,
it was here to trouble Zhen Jin.
“You must take care! I’ll come back as quickly as I can.” Zhen Jin nodded to Zi
Di with a warm heart.
The spider blade in Zhen Jin‘s hand was incomparably sharp.
When the blade descended, a lizard would fall to the ground and would not get
up.
Zhen Jin quickly arrived at Bai Ya’s side.
“My Lord!!” In Bai Ya’s most desperate hour, seeing Zhen Jin come to him had
moved him greatly. He gratefully looked at Zhen Jin with admiration, respect,
and affection.
Carrying Bai Ya, Zhen Jin once again killed his way back and succeeded in
converging with the others.
Zhen Jin’s previous worries did not come to pass as Zi Di, Cang Xu, and the
others were fine.
“Follow me closely out of here.” Zhen Jin flatly said as he charged ahead once
again.
“Yes my Lord!” Everyone responded together.
The fact that Zhen Jin carried Bai Ya back made the exploration team’s morale
rise dramatically!
At this moment, the youngster in front of them seemed to be radiating with
brilliance to everyone’s eyes.
Zhen Jin had once said that he would not abandon anyone.
Zhen Jin had saved Cang Xu, and under the threat of the scorpion leader, he had
saved Bai Ya.
He had fulfilled his promise.
And he had also let them understand his determination!
There was nothing more convincing than real action.
At this moment, everyone was completely convinced by Zhen Jin.
After finally breaking through, Zhen Jin turned around and saw that the lizard
group was in chaos and no longer pursued them.
When he had saved Bai Ya, he was still worried about the scorpion leader.
He didn’t expect for the lizards and the silver level scorpion leader to fight
each other so fiercely, both groups were too busy to care about Zhen Jin and
the others which finally let Zhen Jin and the others escape to live another
day.
As he let out a foul breath, Zhen Jin’s heart still had some concerns.
He did not know why, he just felt that it was too easy to break away from the
golden spear scorpion group.



****** Chapter 55: The Scorpion Group Pursues ******
The sun fiercely baked the tawny desert.
Under the torture of the sunlight, the sand dunes were soft to the point of
melting.
As the air warped from the scorching heat, a man slowly walked across the
burning sand, slowly moving forward step by step.
This man was thin, had swollen eyelids and listless eyes, he panted roughly
like a mechanical puppet as he walked.
He was not alone as he carried an unconscious man on his back.
The eyes of the man being carried were tightly closed. Although he was
soporous, his brows were still tightly frowning and pinched into a knot.
It was because his back was injured and the pain had been tormenting him.
Comparatively speaking, the unconscious man’s physique was more well built than
the thin man walking. Although their physiques were somewhat different, their
facial features were very similar to each other and showed their blood
relationship.
It was the brothers Huang Zao and Lan Zao.
When they spotted Zi Di, Cang Xu, and the others being besieged by the lizards
on the sand dunes, at Huang Zao’s insistence, the two brothers covertly fled
from the green lizard’s nest.
But en route, they still encountered some roaming lizards on the outskirts. In
order to save Huang Zao’s life, Lan Zao dauntlessly dashed1 to block an acid
spray from hitting his younger brother. As a result, Lan Zao was gravely
injured and fell into a coma.
The desert stretched as far as the eye could see and seemed to be endless.
Huang Zao had been trekking while carrying Lan Zao on his back for a long time
already.
He was thirsty and hungry and his belly had been grumbling for a long time,
with his thirst being the thing that tormented him the most.
His throat seemed to be smoldering, his closed lips were dry and chapped, and
every time he breathed through his nose, the scorching air seemed to pour magma
down his throat.
“Water…Water…”
Lan Zao’s whisper-like feeble calls rung in his ears.
Lan Zao was still unconscious, his calls came entirely from his survival
instincts.
The calls broke Huang Zao’s daze, he blinked and stopped walking.
Afterwards, he supported his older brother with one hand and caressed Lan Zao’s
forehead with the other.
Lan Zao’s forehead was hotter than the sand under their feet.
Huang Zao’s heart sank with it.
Lan Zao was in a coma and had a fever, this was not a good omen.
Under normal circumstances, if a patient was severely sick, they would need to
seek divine spells for treatment. The Sacred Temple of Life’s priests from the
Sheng Ming Empire were experts at treating illnesses.
But now, the two brothers were in this dangerous island’s desert, with no signs
of people, how could they find a Sacred Temple of Life’s priest?
“Maybe I and my brother should have tried our best to save Miss Zi Di. She has
potions, even if she doesn’t, she could have made them.” When Huang Zao thought
of this, he started to feel regret.
But shortly afterwards, he shook his head: “No, Miss Zi Di, Cang Xu, and the
others are certainly dead. They definitely died. They were divided up, entered
the bellies of the lizards, and were excreted out. No matter how good looking,
noble, wise, or young those people were, they would only all end up as a pile
of excrement in the end.”
“I don’t want to end up as a pile of shit.”
“Older brother, you have to endure.” Huang Zao silently said in his heart.
He started walking once more.
“Water…water…” Lan Zao still cried out from time to time, each increasingly
more feeble than the last.
Huang Zao wanted to smile bitterly, but he didn’t even have the strength to
move his facial muscles to force a bitter smile.
“I also want water, I would even trade everything I have for it! Huang Zao
shouted in his heart.
“But wasn't our water used to clean out your wounds? My older brother.”
“I swear that if I find water now, even if it is a lake, I would dare to drink
it dry!”
The next moment, the inwardly determined Huang Zao was stunned on the spot.
The sand dunes before him vanished, his field of vision suddenly opened up and
he saw an oasis.
Huang Zao was stupefied, he immediately reacted, turning completely wide-eyed,
his jaw dropped, and his face revealing an ecstatic expression.
He bellowed.
“Oasis, it’s an oasis!”
“Older brother we have water, we have water!!”
“Just like how we found an oasis the last time we were teleported. Now, we
stumbled upon an oasis again.”
“Hahaha. We are saved! Older brother, we are saved.”
Huang Zao carried Lan Zao and ran towards the oasis with unprecedented speed.
The ecstasy seemed to bestow him inexhaustible stamina and made the originally
burdensome Lan Zao seem as light as straw.
However, no matter how madly he ran, the distance between him and oasis never
changed.
Suddenly Huang Zao’s legs went soft and he fell on the sand. Lan Zao, who he
was carrying, was also thrown to the sand where he rolled around still
unconscious.
Huang Zao lifted his sand-covered head, but the oasis in his vision suddenly
vanished.
Huang Zao was stunned.
Because of his wild rush just now, his chest was unceasingly undulating and he
was heavily gasping incessantly.
“No, no!” Huang Zao knelt in the ground and grasped his head with both hands,
his hope that had turned into despair pained him even further.
“This can’t be real, this can’t be real.” He extended his hand and spread his
fingers towards the direction of where the phantom oasis had been, but grabbed
nothing.
“It was fake, all fake…” Huang Zao had no more strength.
His prior mad dash had used up his final bit of stamina, but because of his
emotional state, he ignored his true condition.
Finally, he fell to the ground due to his body being unable to endure.
There was never an oasis, only a mirage.
It was all in vain.
The sun was still blazing and threatening, and in this boundless and endless
desert, Huang Zao was just a small insect within it.
Insignificant, pitiable, laughable.
He once thought that he could rely on his brother, the brother who was
currently lying unconscious and motionless in the sand not too far away.
At this moment, Huang Zao’s body and mind were wrapped up in an unprecedented
feeling of helplessness.
He finally understood the pressure of surviving alone with an incomparable
clarity and could no longer resist falling into the dazed state from before.
Breathe.
Breathe.
“Don’t be afraid.” Huang Zao told himself.
Breathe.
“I can’t seem to breathe…” At that moment, Huang Zao grabbed his clothes in
front of his chest.
His fear, helplessness, misery, sorrow and other emotions were so strong that
they seemed to block his chest, throat, mouth, and nose, almost suffocating
him!
“I, I don’t want to die…” Finally, Huang Zao burst into tears.
Huff huff huff…
Zhen Jin’s chest fiercely undulated as he gasped heavily for breath.
Currently, he was not in a good situation, his arm’s injury hadn’t gotten
better under Zi Di’s treatment, pus had formed in the wound, and he had a low
fever.
Although he had priority for food and water, eating and drinking to his fill
was out of the question.
Therefore, he was still hungry and thirsty.
Regardless of whether it was his cravings or his injury, both made his limbs
feel soft.
But these things were thrown to the back of Zhen Jin’s mind because he had to
concentrate on the huge enemy before him.
The one that confronted him was the silver level magic beast, leader of the
golden spear scorpion swarm.
After breaking out of the encirclement and shaking off the green lizards, Zhen
Jin’s concerns quickly became reality.
After killing the lizards, the scorpion leader led the rest in pursuit of Zhen
Jin and the others.
The speed of the exploration team could not compare to these horse-sized
scorpions and they quickly caught up.
Zhen Jin could only bravely step forwards and confront the scorpion leader.
This was the fifth time they had a confrontation.2
Both sides were still equally matched.
The silver level scorpion chittered and slowly retreated. After a certain
distance, it turned around to leave.
Its body had several new scars created by Zhen Jin.
But the scorpion’s carapace was really too hard, even if Zhen Jin slashed with
his utmost power, he still could not completely cut through the carapace.
“If I could activate battle qi, whether to increase my strength or increase my
weapon’s sharpness, either would be enough to kill this scorpion.” Zhen Jin’s
heart sighed.
Upon seeing the scorpion leader retreating, the others did not cheer, rather
each of them looked grave.
The first time they saw Zhen Jin force the scorpion’s retreat, they were
jubilant. But soon after, they discovered that this silver level magic beast
didn’t really leave, rather it followed Zhen Jin with its scorpion group.
Every so often, the scorpion leader seemed to be refreshed and would charge up
and fight Zhen Jin again.
Battling over and over3 extremely enervated Zhen Jin.
He had used up too much of his stamina and energy, and ever since he had joined
up with Zi Di, Cang Xu, and the others, he never had a real rest.
But he did not dare show even the slightest degree of weakness for fear the
scorpion swarm would attack them upon seeing weakness.
Zhen Jin could barely take on the scorpion leader, however, if an all out
battle started, he would not be able to protect himself, let alone protecting
the others.
“My lord, please let me inspect your injuries.” Seeing that the battle had
finished, Zi Di immediately arrived at Zhen Jin’s side and carefully examined
Zhen Jin’s wounds.
Most of the wounds on Zhen Jin’s body were new, some were from acid, but most
of them were from the scorpion swarm leader.
She took out a potion and poured it onto Zhen Jin’s wounds.
However, she could not do anything about Zhen Jin’s arm injury.
The girl frowned and kept shaking her head: “My Lord, your arm’s injury has
gotten worse. My potions have no effect on it. Alas, if we had enough
materials, perhaps I could make a potion that could alleviate your injury.”
Zhen Jin patted the back of the girl's hand and gently smiled: “Miss Zi Di, you
have already done your best. My strength gives me a far greater body than
ordinary people, if I get injured I would need more effective medicines to
treat my wounds. But here, low-level magic medicines are useless.”
“The effects of your herbal medicine are already amazing. You have already done
your best.”
The girl was silent for a moment but soon seriously analyzed: “In fact, the
scorpion’s golden tail isn’t poisonous, and although your Lordship’s injury on
your arm is large, your natural recovery ability is enough to heal it. Only
now, we can’t break away from this scorpion group. My lord, you have already
fought the scorpion leader several times and you have constantly squeezed out
the energy and stamina from your body. Every time you fight, you get injured
and you don’t have time to rest or recover at all."
“Yes my lord, if this continues, I fear we will die at the hands of these
scorpions.” Someone interjected.
The rest were also deeply worried and heavyhearted.
Everyone could see: Zhen Jin’s situation was getting increasingly worse.
In the present situation, everyone was relying on Zhen Jin to survive. If Zhen
Jin collapsed, even if they resisted with all of their strength, they would
only be reduced to the scorpions’ meals.



****** Chapter 56: Optimism and Hope ******
Zhen Jin looked around and immediately saw that everyone was uncertain, the
young knight knew what they were thinking.
As their leader, he had to disregard his injuries for now and first attend to
the entire team’s welfare.
Zhen Jin knew that in these desperate straits, where they were slowly sliding
towards death and could do nothing to stop it, most people would collapse or
even go mad.
Therefore, he gently laughed and consoled them: “Everyone, you all should be
glad that this scorpion group treats us as a beast group and only I and their
leader are dueling. Unless the outcome between us is determined, the scorpion
group will not launch an all out attack.”
“Indeed, the reason why we are all still alive is due to your contribution Lord
Zhen Jin!”
“But if what you say is correct…”
“Sooner or later we will also…”
The exploration team members hesitated with their words as they concurred.
Zhen Jin said again: “As long as we are still alive, there is still plenty of
hope. For instance, if we find other people to assist us, we will be saved. Or
if another sandstorm strikes and disrupts everything, or if we get teleported
again away from here.”
Everyone looked at each other in dismay, wasn’t Lord Zhen Jin being a bit too
optimistic?
Soon after, everyone began to talk.
“Lord Zhen Jin, the time between two teleportations is roughly half a month. It
has only been a few days since we were teleported, such a possibility is
impossible.”
“If there is another terrifying sandstorm like the last, it will be a disaster
for us.”
“We are currently trapped in a desert of unknown size and in an unknown
location. Who can come rescue us? The possibility is too small.”
Everyone spoke in twos and threes with dispirited expressions.
But Zhen Jin maintained his smile: “But it is still possible, no? When you all
were on the sand dune, did you ever consider that I would save you guys? After
I joined up with the group, did you ever consider that the scorpion group would
come and help us?”
Everyone looked at each other in dismay again and sank into a period of
silence, they had no choice but to admit that there was some truth to Zhen
Jin’s words.
“Therefore, we can never give up hope.” Zhen Jin exclaimed. He then sincerely
and earnestly said, “As long as we hold on to hope and don’t give up, then
until death truly arrives, we will still have a chance for survival!”
“My lord, you are right.”
“With you my Lord, we have hope!”
Everyone’s eyes shined a bit brighter and their morale was boosted somewhat by
Zhen Jin.
But shortly after, Zhen Jin changed the subject: “However, only placing our
hopes in external help and changes is not the act of a brave man. It is more
reliable to save ourselves.”
Zhen Jin looked around, his gaze temporarily halted on Zi Di before finally
resting on Cang Xu: “Old scholar, what is your opinion?”
Zi Di had nearly used up all the potions on her, the strongest of them could
create the green acid smoke. But after many repeated attempts, it was
determined that the green acid smoke was ineffective against the scorpion
group.
The desert was very barren and Zi Di lacked materials to make new potions.
So, Zhen Jin expected more from Cang Xu.
Cang Xu sensing Zhen Jin’s expectant gaze, shook his head and smiled bitterly:
“I am very sorry Lord Zhen Jin, I do not have anything that can change the
situation. In fact, I have always had misgivings. Why is this scorpion group
chasing your Lordship? The biggest threat to their lives are probably the green
lizards. They let the routed lizards go, yet are unwilling to stop pursuing
your Lordship. According to what your Lordship has told us, the scorpion’s food
is the golden granite. However, the scorpion group has always marked us as
their primary target, this does not conform to reason.”
Someone mumbled: “What kind of reason exists in this damned place?”
“Perhaps, when Lord Zhen Jin provoked the scorpion group, you caused great
damage which caused these scorpions to hate you and pursue you closely without
ceasing.”
Zhen Jin shook his head: “I did kill a few scorpions, but it can’t compare to
the amount of scorpion casualties the green lizards killed. As for the silver
level scorpion, I fought it before. It injured my arm and my sword only left
scars on its carapace, nothing more.”
“It seems we have to kill a spear scorpion and dissect its body to clearly
understand their physiology in order to grasp this secret.” Cang Xu proposed.
He had a viewpoint—a lifeform’s composition greatly determined its habits and
properties.
Zhen Jin approved of this viewpoint, in fact, when the exploration team was
trying to survive, he had benefited greatly from it.
The only problem was that killing a scorpion from the group to dissect it was
very risky.
Right now it was only a match between king and king, the scorpion group did not
attack, rather they just watched every time the scorpion leader and Zhen Jin
confronted each other. If the exploration team recklessly attacked a scorpion
and dissected it, how would the scorpion group react?
The biggest possibility was that the scorpion group would attack and easily
destroy the remaining exploration team.
Rashly killing an ordinary spear scorpion was too risky.
Zhen Jin’s group needed a good opportunity.
The sun was slowly setting.
It was no longer blinding to look at as it hung in the western sky like a round
piece of iron that had been taken out of a furnace after being burnt red hot.
It became dusky and the barren desert became a dried yellow color.
Zhen Jin and the others continued to go forward.
Everyone had haggard faces, dry lips, swollen eye sockets, rumbling stomachs,
and limp legs.
Food and water had begun to be rationed in the smallest quantities.
The scorpion group was hanging farther behind them.
During the entire journey, they crazily looked for things to eat. But the small
insects and lizards had long been scared off by the scorpion group. Even when
they encountered plants, the exploration team had to leave them behind after
Cang Xu’s warnings.
These sporadic plants grew alone in the desert, had shriveled branches and tiny
leaves, and had deep roots that ran into the depths of the earth.
None of these plants could be eaten, some of them even carried toxins and if
pricked, they would be poisoned.
Cang Xu identified these plants so no one would dig them up and waste stamina.
As night fell, Zhen Jin and the others saw some massive boulders.
It was a patch of golden granite boulders.
The exploration team was not surprised.
During Zhen Jin’s journey, this place had once been a natural camp for him and
it was also the first location of their fleeing.
With the golden granite boulders, Zhen Jin and the others could keep warm
during the bone-chilling desert night.
They could even put rations on the golden granite to eat them warm.
If they were in a region without the golden granite, they would need to light a
fire to keep warm.
Fire required fuel and there was no wood in the desert. If they wanted to make
a fire, perhaps they would have to burn their own clothes as fuel.
Here, they weren’t troubled by having to light a fire and could save their
survival resources.
Food and water were the most important resources for survival, clothes were
also important because they could prevent sunburns and help keep one warm.
The night wind slowly blew across the surface.
The moonlight illuminated the desert.
On top of the biggest golden granite boulder, Zhen Jin retracted his gaze from
distance.
Although the scorpion group also entered this golden granite patch, they were
like Zhen Jin and decided to pull back and occupy a corner to quietly rest,
they had no intentions of attacking.
Zhen Jin sighed in relief.
This situation was more favorable to him.
The vision of an ordinary human was very limited at night, and without batte qi
to help, Zhen Jin was no exception.
Compared to humans, beasts and especially predators, had far better night
vision capabilities.
As for how far these spear scorpions could see into the night, Zhen Jin did not
know.
Just in case, there was always one man on nightwatch.
Hopping down from the golden granite boulder, Zhen Jin found Cang Xu kneeling
in the ground and squinting at the map in his hands.
Although there wasn’t a fire, the light of the bright moon hanging over wasn’t
too bad.
From time to time, Cang Xu used his finger to draw lines on the sand.
Sensing Zhen Jin had come over to his side, Cang Xu raised his head and
continued to draw lines in the sand.
“My lord, I was just speculating about our location, the size of this desert,
as well as the direction of the oasis.” Cang Xu explained without looking up.
Zhen Jin nodded: “Have you made any progress?”
“Alas, my Lord, you have to understand that this is a difficult task.” The old
scholar sighed. “We do not have enough information. We do not know how big this
island is, how big the desert is, and where the desert is on this island. The
last time we were teleported into the desert, we were really lucky to find an
oasis. But there were no landmarks in the desert and we do not know how far we
are currently from the oasis without any ways of judging distance.”
“If the sun and the moon are not artificial and what we observe is real, and if
our path of travel hasn’t changed, at least our direction can be determined.”
“If the island master did not meddle too much with the island, then it should
still have a natural topography. Most islands have high topographic contours at
centers and low topographic contours at edges. Therefore if we find a river and
follow it down, we could in theory, arrive at the coastline. But we are in a
desert right now…”
After talking about this, the old scholar sighed again: “I am very sorry my
Lord that I cannot help you more. Our current circumstances are too terrible, I
think we need luck, a great deal of luck!”
“Indeed.” Zhen Jin sighed as well.
The youngster looked worried as he recounted their current situation: “Our food
can only support us for two days at most, and that’s if everyone uses the
minimum amount.”
“What’s more troublesome is the scorpion group, it is very difficult to break
away from them.”
“I must still remind you of one point, my Lord.” Cang Xu added. “The threat
brought on by the scorpion group is not just death. Them continuing to follow
us is a crafty and sinister hunting technique. It is like the red arrow haired
hog from the Red Sands Gobi Desert who when attacking larger prey, will shoot
arrows at them, and then chase them vigorously until their prey dies of blood
loss. Constantly being in weak health will destroy any resistance.”
“Maybe the scorpion group is using this exact tactic.”
“Even if the scorpion group doesn’t launch an all out attack, without food
supplements, we will become increasingly weaker.”
“Not only will our bodies weaken but also our mental states.”
“The longer we suffer the scorpion group's pursuit, the more the pressure will
accumulate and the more vulnerable we will get. For ordinary people to survive
in this extreme environment, they absolutely need to maintain hope and a
tranquil heart.”
“I know from many records, desert mirages might seem to be harmless, however,
they are actually very dangerous. If a desert survivor can’t discover the truth
of a mirage, falling down that deep chasm of despair after experiencing hope
would make it easy for them to collapse, thereby causing them to renounce their
everyday principles and even giving up on their life.”



****** Chapter 57: Metamorphosis of Mind Frame ******
Zhen Jin nodded: “I understand what you are saying. Thank you for your
reminder.”
He slowly walked away from Cang Xu.
This time, although the old scholar could not provide an effective stratagem,
and was also helpless in the face of these pursuing scorpions, he still helped
Zhen Jin a lot.
The young knight knew: Cang Xu was urgently reminding him that he needed to
make a decision as soon as possible.
Because as time passed, the exploration team would get increasingly weaker, not
only physically but also mentally. If this situation was allowed to persist, it
was likely that Zhen Jin’s group would collapse before the scorpion group
launched an all-out attack.
Zhen Jin and Zi Di talked again.
“My Lord.” Zi Di’s tone seemed weak as she sat against a golden granite
boulder.
Her petite body was still wrapped with her magic robe. Currently, this magic
robe had become filthy, with frayed hems and holes on the back.
Her amethyst eyes were no longer bright, they had become dull and lacked vigor.
By her own volition, she requested to eat less than the other exploration team
members.
In order to maintain her body temperature as high as possible, she wore her
hood. Under the night breeze, the fringe of her hair on her forehead fluttered
gently.
Zhen Jin softly sighed in his heart, and couldn’t help but feel affection and
pity.
He extended his hand and gently brushed aside Zi Di’s hair to avoid blocking
his view.
Zi Di’s eyes flickered: “My lord, do you think that we can still escape from
this island?”
Zhen Jin immediately became startled because Zi Di was so weak at this moment.
The young knight suddenly realized that if one put aside abilities and status,
the present Zi Di was just a weak young girl.
She needed encouragement, consoling, and something to rely on.
“Of course we can. As long as we try our best.” Zhen Jin encouraged, despite
knowing his words held no weight.
Zi Di nodded and asked: “My Lord, when do you think we should hunt a spear
scorpion?”
Zhen Jin went silent for a moment, then said: “No need to rush, we will wait
and see.”
The discourse with Zi Di was much the same as the one with Cang Xu, Zi Di
stated that it was very difficult to be more helpful to Zhen Jin.
After talking with the other members, Zhen Jin finally found himself alone.
Both Zi Di and Cang Xu were wise people.
They were both very clear about the current situation and knew that if they
delayed unnecessarily, they would eventually die. Even if they didn’t
explicitly state it, they tactfully advised Zhen Jin to take his chances—kill a
spear scorpion, dissect it, and make potions from its body.
But Zhen Jin had his own thoughts.
He had seen the lizards and the golden scorpions clash in this golden granite
patch.
He believed: “If the environment is the same again, then the scorpions and
lizard groups would encounter each other again, and when neither retreats, they
would fight each other, causing a chaotic situation.”
“This will be an opportunity.”
Zhen Jin had led everyone to this place to create that opportunity.
But Zhen Jin did not reveal this plan to the others.
Why didn’t he?
Because Zhen Jin was not certain of the outcome.
Recklessly speaking would undoubtedly give the people hope. But if the plan
failed, everyone would become even more disappointed. In light of the team’s
present morale, Zhen Jin felt that following hope with disappointment would
test the limits of what everyone could mentally endure.
Cang Xu had admonished him to understand the will of the people and to prevent
a nervous breakdown. Actually, Zhen Jin did not need Cang Xu to raise this
point for he had long understood it secretly.
Very late into the night, on a golden granite boulder.
The young knight retracted his gaze that was cast into the depths of the night
and shifted it to the spider blade in his hand.
Under the moonlight, a clear crack was visible on the surface of the spider
blade.
The sharp weapon already could not endure constant use.
Zhen Jin was not surprised.
This was very normal.
Strictly speaking, the spider blade was only a material, it was not a real
sword.
It was from the silver level blade-legged spider’s body, although it was hard
and sharp, it was still only a piece of the blade-legged spider’s body that the
main spider body was constantly nourishing.
Only then could the blade-legged spider’s leg remain healthy and sharp over a
long period of time.
After Zhen Jin killed the blade-legged spider, he cut off its legs, after
becoming a completely dead object, there was no longer any nutrition being
given to it.
Subsequently, the blade saw constant usage and was being worn down.
Under normal circumstances, the spider blade leg was a fine material for
weapons. An alchemist or a foundry master could use a range of magic, alchemy,
smelting, and other methods to preserve the spider blade’s abilities for
longer.
Creating a true alchemy implement or a magic weapon required even higher-end
and more complex craftsmanship and technology. All kinds of materials were
combined into one entity in magical harmony.
Even if an alchemy implement or a magic weapon was made, it would still need to
be maintained.
Even divine artifacts needed faith or the infusion of divine power.
The spider blade leg in Zhen Jin’s hand had not received any maintenance from
the start, the leg was just attached to a hilt, this was as crude as it got.
To be damaged was its inevitable fate.
During these last two days, Zhen Jin used the spider blade to confront the
spear scorpion leader which accelerated the spider blade’s degradation. The
scorpion’s carapace was extremely hard, Zhen Jin could only leave scars on the
carapace of the silver level spear scorpion even when using his uttermost power
to slash at it. Even other scorpions required much effort to cut through their
carapaces.
At this very moment, Zhen Jin looked at the cracked spider blade in his hand
alone and couldn’t help but ponder: how much longer can this weapon last? Could
he depend on it to kill the silver level spear scorpion?
Subsequently, he thought about himself: “What about myself, how long can I
last?”
Ever since they were teleported a second time, the young knight was just like
the sword he held, he never had a rest, he had insufficient food and water, had
to run for distances, bravely breaking out of a siege, he had already violently
squeezed out the limits of his physical strength and energy.
“This spider blade is already unreliable.”
“So what else can I rely on?”
At this point, Zhen Jin began to no longer reach out to the gods.
He knew it was too extravagant to hope for a divine spell.
The only trump card he had was transformation.
He had relied on the transformation to kill the silver level blade-legged
spider and the dangerous flying squirrel.
But the transformation ability was very unreliable.
After the teleportation, it had never triggered.
Zhen Jin did not know the reason for this.
He guessed that there were two likely possibilities.
The first was that he was not on the verge of life and death and did not have
any extreme emotions, thus he could not achieve the conditions to trigger it.
The second was that the magic crystal in his heart lacked enough magic power to
allow him to transform a third time. Carefully thinking back, the first time he
transformed he had sharp claws, the second he had arms as thick as a bear’s,
the degree of transformation of the second time was less than that of the
first. Moreover, the second time he transformed, Zhen Jin sensed that the magic
crystal in his heart weakened substantially.
“As for battle qi…” Zhen Jin, who was sitting on top of the enormous golden
granite boulder, frowned slightly.
“Even if I can recall the crucial memories and understand how to mobilize my
battle qi.”
“The island’s suppression does not allow me to activate battle qi. If I had the
aid of battle qi, killing the silver level spear scorpion would be very easy.”
Of course, this assumed he possessed silver level or higher battle qi.
As dusk gathered, the cold night wind slightly blew Zhen Jin’s blond hair.
The young knight no longer gazed at his sword as he fixed his gaze on the moon
high above him.
Moonlight sprinkled down resembling a thin gauze, covering Zhen Jin’s handsome
face, it then permeated through his golden hair, making the youth gradually
relax his slightly furrowed brows.
The corners of Zhen Jin’s mouth slowly perked up into a silent smile.
At this moment, as he stayed in the vast sea of sand, with his surroundings
absolutely silent, it seemed like he was the only one left facing the vast
expanse of heaven and earth, the cosmos, and nature.
Boundless emotions rose up in the youngster’s heart—Compared to nature, what am
I?
My struggles, my resistance, my ambitions, and my duties are all important to
me, they are even more important than my life! But in the vastness of the
heavens and the earth, they are as insignificant as a grain of sand.
The battles between me, the scorpion group, and the lizard group are just one
of countless struggles for survival and reproduction amongst countless species
and groups in nature, just something minor.
Zhen Jin deeply perceived it, however, he was not discouraged or dismayed.
He found that his heart was very tranquil, very calm, without any traces of
worry, anxiety, or sorrow.
Instead, he was serene and unperturbed.
This was completely different from before.
Not long ago, he had led the exploration team through a food shortage. He had
decided to deal with the squirrel group by making short bows.
He had bravely assumed the responsibility as a leader, but during the entire
course of the event, despite him seeming calm on the surface, his heart was
actually filled with franticness, helplessness, anxiety, concern, and other
emotions.
The situation currently was much worse, but this time, the young knight’s heart
was tranquil.
Trials and tribulations were wealth gifted by fate, Zhen Jin accepted this
wealth and grew tremendously.
This was not an increase in cultivation, nor growth in combat power, but an
elevation of one’s mind frame.
It was like a butterfly that had broken free from its sturdy chrysalis.



****** Chapter 58: The Origin of the Magic Crystal in My Heart ******
Night passed.
The sunlight of early morning peeked across the horizon and caused faint
shadows to appear behind the granite boulders.
The exploration team members were already awake.
They were roused awake by the eating scorpion group.
Presently, Zhen Jin did not display the slightest bit of happiness or anger,
his face was tranquil. But his heart found it hard to escape despair.
Despite his expectations, the sun rose as it did every day and reality remained
just as callous as ever.
The lizard lounge did not arrive.
Whether because their silver level leader was lost, or because they had been
slaughtered by the scorpion group during the last confrontation, the lizards
became terrified and lost their will to fight, not daring to come here again.
The entire scorpion group was eating.
Zhen Jin had described it to Cang Xu before, but this was the first time he had
seen it personally. The old scholar could not help but gasp: “Nature really is
grand to create such a miraculous animal. The spear scorpions feeding on these
stones are actually eating metal. Their digestive system is very formidable and
unusual, they can actually consume these metals and add them to their
carapaces. That is the reason why their carapaces are so tenacious.”
“Wait a moment.” An exploration team member had a question. “Isn’t there a
powerful magician on this island? Weren’t all these strange monsters created by
that magician?”
Cang Xu smiled and shook his head: “That is impossible. Even if the island
master is powerful, they still have to draw from natural life and then assemble
them together. It is like magicians making golems, they use metal to make the
body of the golem, they take souls and instill it into the golem to give it
intelligence. It is like cutting pictures apart and then putting the pieces
together.”
After a brief pause, Cang Xu continued: “If the island master could really make
such things, he(she) would be a supreme god of creation and would be above all
monarchs and dukes in the world. As far as I know, there are many living gods
like Great Emperor Shen Ming, the dukes of the human race, the tribal chiefs
and great shamans of the beastmen, and so on. None of them can directly create
life.”
Zi Di visibly agreed with Cang Xu’s words.
She also spoke: “Although the lifeforms on this island are very dangerous and
bizzare, they are actually very flawed. They cannot coordinate their internal
magic power. If the island master was able to create them, they could stabilize
and coordinate their internal magic power. Strictly speaking, the gold level
beasts on this island can only be considered quasi gold and are not comparable
to genuine gold level magic beasts. They do not have a gold level magic beast’s
quasi-spells.”
No one objected.
Magic beasts usually had quasi-spells.
But none of the magic beasts they had seen on this island had quasi-spells.
The flying squirrel had an electrical discharge because its body composition
was similar to an electric eel’s.
The lizards could spray acid because they had an acid gland. Vipers could spray
venom because they had a venom gland in their heads.
The essence of quasi-spells came from magic beasts using their magic crystal to
create something out of nothing, to ignore and rise above a lifeform’s body
structure. Like battle qi and magic, it could allow one’s body to exceed the
limit of their species and individuality.
But silence did not persist for long.
An exploration team member mumbled to himself: “Even if these monsters cannot
coordinate their magic power, they are still very strong. If we can’t think of
a way to break away from this scorpion group, we are all going to die at the
hands of this scorpion group. Even if these scorpions do not eat meat, they
will still grind us into mincemeat. I curse the island master! Regardless of
how powerful they are!”
“To have created such things, they must surely be malicious and dangerous.
These scorpion tails were made to be as sharp as spears. The lizard’s acid can
even corrode steel.”
“No matter how famous they are or what research they are doing, if I die here,
I will become a vengeful ghost and seize him so he can taste the pain I felt
when alive.”
When Cang Xu heard this, he suddenly sighed and turned to face Zi Di: “Miss Zi
Di, I now approve of your previous conjecture.”
Everyone was puzzled.
But Zi Di understood what Cang Xu had said and smiled: “You mean, you now also
believe that the island master is trying to create living weapons?”
“Yes.” Cang Xu was still squatting on the ground, he nodded slightly and swept
his eyes over everyone and the surroundings. “Based on the many artificial
vestiges, we guessed before that the island master is most likely a magician. I
had previously believed that he(she) made these monsters to research some
magical research. Perhaps they are searching for the profound meaning of life
so they can facilitate some kind of breakthrough.”
“But after going through so much, and seeing so many magic beasts, I am more
inclined towards Miss Zi Di’s conjecture.”
“If they are researching a certain magic domain and looking for the meaning of
life, they should have made the artificial lifeforms more stable. But the
artificial lifeforms here are fierce and battle hardened. The scorpions are the
size of warhorses and the scorpion tails have been remodeled into spear tips.
The lizards spit acid that can corrode swords. The flying squirrels can
discharge a strong electric current as if they were deliberately made to target
metal armor.”
“The organisms here are made in pursuit of combat strength. Lord Zhen Jin, I
remembered what you said about when you encountered the blade-legged spiders,
the single horned black leopards, the brown bear that could heal itself by
devouring ore, and even the crafty blue wolf that had human-like intelligence.
Rather than saying these ferocious beasts were made as part of research, it
would be better to say they are special weapons made as a result.”
Zhen Jin reflected on this: “Don’t forget that we have not only encountered
ferocious beasts, we also encountered that flock of goats. Those goats are very
weak.”
Cang Xu shook his head and persisted in his opinion: “Although the flocks of
goats were weak and were slaughtered by us, the proportion of creatures like
those goats are too low.”
“A more important point I believe is—those flocks of goats are more powerful
than most magic beasts!”
Cang Xu’s opinion made everyone feel doubtful.
Cang Xu continued to explain: “The island master wants to make the strongest
living weapons, but his(her) technology isn’t developed enough. The biggest
defect is that these remolded lifeforms cannot coordinate their magic power and
form a magic crystal. Therefore, the island master changed the environment to
suppress the elements and magic. As long as we stay here, we cannot use battle
qi and magic.”
“From this point, one can make out how tremendous these goats are.”
“The internal magic power of other magic beasts are in chaos and will rapidly
dissipate after death. But the internal magic power of the goats trended
towards stability. Although when the temperature rose, the magic power would
still become chaotic and quickly dissipate. But in low temperatures, the
internal magic power would converge and be hidden, making even us unaware of
it.”
Because they were not able to detect it, the previous poisoning incident
occurred in the exploration team.
“From this we can see that the island master is thinking of every method
possible to make a magic crystal. Although he(she) cannot directly make one, it
seems they can make use of the natural food chain to indirectly produce a magic
crystal.”
“In order to produce a magic crystal as quickly as possible as well as test and
train the fighting strength of these living weapons, the island master arranged
a teleportation magic formation. Every so often, the magic formation would
activate and the magic beasts will be teleported and fight each other endlessly
with the victor being a qualified living weapon.”
Of course, Cang Xu knew the goat’s internal magic power actually came from the
grass they ate. But this had to be still kept a secret, facing everyone
currently, he said this deliberately.
So it would not hinder his expressed conjecture.
To be frank, Zhen Jin was immediately frightened by this conjecture.
“My heart has a magic crystal.”
“How can a human have a magic crystal? It is very possible that the magic
crystal was unexpectedly produced by Zi Di when she imbued my body with bear
blood in the monkey bear’s cave in order to save my life.”
“So…am I the solution to the island master’s difficult research problem?”
“Is the magic crystal in my heart actually an artificial magic crystal
indirectly made by the island master’s power?”
“What will happen to me if the island master finds me?”
Cang Xu’s guesses also made the others take in a breath of cold air.
“What should we do?”
“Maybe the island master has already found us and is only letting us struggle
here.”
“Yeah, perhaps he(she) is looking at us and is using us to test the power of
their creations.”
“Aren’t we gonna die anyway? Why bother struggling?”
“Surrender? Right, we can surrender!”
“Alright.” Zhen Jin suddenly spoke with a strong calmness and a solemn look.
“It is too early to say anything as they are all guesses. We should set off
now.”
Everyone still looked panicked and at a loss.
Zhen Jin sighed: “Have you guys seen the island master? Do you have any
evidence to prove Cang Xu’s conjectures?”
“If you guys want to give up, believe you are screwed, or want to surrender,
then go and do it!”
“But if you guys want to still follow me, then you should start walking.”
This time, no one hesitated as they chose to follow behind Zhen Jin.



****** Chapter 59: I Will Do My Utmost to Save Everyone ******
Not long after the exploration group left the patch of golden granite boulders,
someone made a horrifying discovery: the scorpion group was still following
them.
Their hopes were dashed.
This proved that Zhen Jin’s prior conduct was the correct thing to do.
The young knight inwardly sighed, Cang Xu’s conjecture also made him worried,
but his expression was still calm and collected.
“Be at ease, the scorpion group has already eaten their fill and we are not on
their menu.”
“The scorpion leader will continue to fight me alone.”
“As long as I don't fall, the rest of you will be at peace.”
Zhen Jin successfully calmed everyone down.
They continued to advance through the desert.
They had to cherish the early morning as a good chance to hasten their journey.
After all, this was, in the end, just an island.
This island also had many types of biomes so the desert should not be that big.
As long as they advanced firmly in a single direction, they would leave this
nightmare.
But for the people currently in the midst of the desert, it did not feel that
way.
Yellow sand, yellow sand was everywhere.
Sand dunes, ceaselessly undulating sand dunes.
Each sight was indistinguishable from the last which made the people think that
they had not traveled far at all.
The desert seemed endless, no matter how far they walked, they could not reach
the end.
Stamina was being rapidly consumed and just after early morning, the
exploration team was already feeling starved.
There was not enough food.
Feelings of bewilderment and despair were inexorable, and continued to multiply
within everyone’s hearts.
Every time this happened, the exploration team members would place their gaze
on Zhen Jin.
Zhen Jin was at the forefront, leading the path forward.
He was only a teenager and his stature was no greater than others.
But the exploration team often drew courage from Zhen Jin’s lonesome and thin
backside
This courage could counter the bewilderment and despair in their hearts.
The sun gradually ascended higher and the temperature of the desert quickly
rose.
Sweat began to appear on the foreheads of the exploration team.
After two to three hours, the silver level spear scorpion issued an ear
piercing hiss and rapidly drew near with it’s scorpion legs stirring the sand
underfoot as it broke off from the scorpion group and charged straight at the
exploration team.
“It's coming!” The exploration team became tumultuous but quickly calmed down.
Because Zhen Jin had been long prepared for this, he immediately stopped,
turned around, and faced the scorpion.
Both sides fought as fiercely as the previous day.
The battle lasted for a good while before the silver level spear scorpion
leader voluntarily withdrew.
Zhen Jin was panting heavily and didn’t pursue.
The young knight’s mood was getting more and more grave.
“Was it an illusion?”
“The carapace feels harder than before.”
“Is it because my spider blade has dulled too much or has the spear scorpion’s
carapace grown thicker after eating?”
Zhen Jin was growing increasingly helpless before this spear scorpion leader.
Every time he slashed the scorpion’s carapace, he would only leave white marks.
Moreover, these marks were becoming shallower.
“If only I could transform my hands into the sharp bear claws. Without that,
the weapon in my hand alone cannot threaten the scorpion.”
“In addition, my stamina is also falling."
Zhen Jin could clearly feel it.
In previous fights with the silver level spear scorpion, his reflexes and
endurance had lasted longer.
Now the fights were short, his breathing was more hurried, while his limbs were
tired and feeble.
These days, Zhen Jin did not have enough food or sleep, he simply never had a
chance to rest. He was like the blade in his hand, already at its limit.
Compared to fierce beasts like these spear scorpions, the bodies of humans had
distinct biological differences and were more frail and weak. Thus, Zhen Jin
had to use his weaknesses to fight against the scorpion’s strengths.
Fortunately, the scorpion leader seemed very cautious. Every time it and Zhen
Jin fought briefly, it seemed to sense that it was hard to win against Zhen
Jin, thus it would retreat for the time being.
According to what Cang Xu said, perhaps this was the spear scorpion’s hunting
technique. Every time they fought, Zhen Jin got a bit weaker, as little things
added up, Zhen Jin would eventually be exhausted to the limit and die without
being able to fight back in the end.
Maybe this was a survival skill of the scorpion group.
But to Zhen Jin, this was something worth rejoicing.
The scorpion’s habits allowed him the chance to take a breather.
After fighting four such battles, the sun reached its highest point in the sky.
The sunlight was incomparably fierce and intolerable at noon.
The sea of sand beneath their feet was steaming hot and the exploration team
members felt like fish and shrimps on a red hot iron grill.
Taking long term consideration into account, everyone could only hide
temporarily in the limited shadows of the sand dunes and take a breather.
The scorpion group was also afraid of the sun’s sinister and scorching radiance
and no longer attacked.
The exploration team saw with their own eyes the scorpions waving their pincers
and twisting their bodies to dig into the depths of the sand.
This action was a good method to escape the heat and to cool off, causing the
exploration team to feel very envious.
“Do you guys think these scorpions will sneak up and attack us from
underground?” Someone said with worry.
“Then let them come. I have had enough of those bastards!” Someone dispiritedly
said as they sat on the ground.
Cang Xu had still maintained his rationality and analyzed: “A scorpion drilling
would certainly create a tremendous amount of activity. We will definitely
discover it first.”
“That is not their hunting style.”
“Think about how they handled the green lizards.”
Everyone then felt relieved.
Zi Di began to distribute the food that was considered today’s lunch.
Each person only had a small ration of dry food that didn’t even fill half a
palm.
Fortunately, water reserves were still comparatively sufficient.
But under Cang Xu’s order, everyone had to purse their lips after they drank
two to three small gulps of water.
Afterwards, they carefully tightened the caps and fastened their water pouches
to their waists, as if the water was the greatest treasure in the world.
Among them, Zhen Jin had the most food.
Afterall, he used up the most energy and was the greatest guarantor for the
safety of the rest.
Even so, this amount of food to Zhen Jin was far from enough.
The young knight could only eat small mouthfuls, only by eating this way could
he fool his stomach—as if he was actually eating more than he really was.
While eating, Zhen Jin also secretly observed the team.
Currently, although everyone was haggard, enervated, had chapped lips, and dull
eyes, their mood was relatively stable.
Bai Ya looked the most pale. It was because the lizards had broken his arm,
currently it was wrapped up but the pain still tormented the youngster.
The old scholar Cang Xu used his hand to lightly tap his leg and relax his
muscles. Truth be told, his body persevering until now was already beyond
expectations.
Finally, Zhen Jin came to Zi Di’s side.
“How are you?” He softly asked.
“I’m alright.” Zi Di shook her head, her amethyst eyes looked vigorous.
She was donning a magic robe and according to convention, it should have the
ability to regulate temperature. But on this island, it seemed to have lost its
power and could not isolate itself from the heat.
This led to many drops of sweat forming on Zi Di’s forehead, her beautiful hair
was wet from sweat and condensed into strands.
This was not a good sign.
Sweating too much would rapidly use up one’s body moisture. If it continued for
a long time, a person would become dehydrated and die.
A wave of affection and pity arose in Zhen Jin’s heart, he knew the reason why
she was in this condition.
Everyone had water and rations on them, but most of the food was carried by Zi
Di.
This burdened Zi Di and amplified the physical exertion needed to walk.
There were many reasons why this had to be done.
While Zhen Jin was holding back the scorpion group, he also had to be vigilant
of his traveling companions.
Hunger and thirst were hard for humans to endure, the incomparably strong
survival instincts would drive people crazy and make them take desperate
risks.1
The food and water reserves among the group were already small and were only
maintained by Zhen Jin’s authority.
Zhen Jin trusted Zi Di the most and thus, gave the reserves to her.
At the same time, Zi Di’s potions were also a huge deterrent.
“Lord Zhen Jin, I will not disappoint your expectations of me. But…what about
you, my Lord?” Zi Di looked at Zhen Jin with worry.
The girl was very intelligent.
She knew that when they were traveling together, Zhen Jin had always carried
most of the luggage.
But now, Zhen Jin had given these things to her because fighting the silver
level spear scorpion clearly exhausted him.
“I’m fine, I can still persevere.” Zhen Jin smiled and slightly raised his
voice, “Don’t overlook my strength, I will only fall when the rest of you fall.
I am certain that I will be the last one to fall.”
When the crowd heard this, they were naturally certain of this in their heart.
But at this moment, an exploration team member suddenly fell to the ground and
did not get up.
Everyone became alarmed and went over at once to take a look.
The one who had fallen unconscious was Bai Ya.
“Bai Ya!” The nearest exploration team member quickly ran over and tried to
wake him up.
He touched his forehead and immediately shouted: “Hot! He has a fever.”
Fevers were not good.
Especially here where they lacked divine spells and medicine for treatment.
The group surrounded Bai Ya.
Bai Ya had a good relationship with them, in fact, he was the most popular
member of the team.
This hunter’s son had assisted everyone when they were poisoned. Not only that,
but when they were hunting the flying squirrels, he had also greatly assisted
everyone with his archery skill.
But now he had lost consciousness and would not wake up no matter what.
“Excuse me, make way.” As Cang Xu walked over, everyone immediately stepped
aside.
“Let me test something.” Very quickly, Zi Di also joined.
It wasn’t until Zhen Jin poured a lot of water from his water pouch down Bai
Ya’s mouth that Bai Ya’s eyes finally cracked open slightly.
He did not have the strength to speak, but he did reach out and point to his
chest.
He seemed to be in poor health.
Cang Xu was the first to realize Bai Ya’s meaning, he immediately reached out
his hand and took out a few letters from a pocket in Bai Ya’s clothes.
After seeing Cang Xu take out the letters, Bai Ya’s eyes seemed to have a
sparkle of luster.
He then used his finger to point again at the letters and then sank into
unconsciousness again.
“Bai Ya, Bai Ya!” No matter what they did this time, Bai Ya remained completely
unresponsive.
“Is he dead?”
“Damn it, to have this happen at this moment.”
“I reckon that this boy also knew he was dying, those letters are surely his
last words.”
“This boy unexpectedly knows how to write? Is he not a hunter’s son?”
Generally speaking, only nobles, magicians, clerics, and scholars learnt how to
read and write. These people were only a small part of the empire’s population,
most people were illiterate.
Everyone discussed with worried, doubtful, and hesitant faces.
“Bai Ya’s body is very strong, he only fainted because of his injuries. It was
because of Cang Xu that he got wounded!” Someone said.
Thus, many of them focused their line of sight onto Cang Xu.
Cang Xu remained silent, he seemed to not sense the surrounding anger.
“It's fine.” Zhen Jin wanted to end the conflict before it started.
He raised his head and looked at the sky: “Although the sunlight is still
strong, we better start shifting our position now. We must not stay too long in
the same place since the scorpion group is still concealed underground."
“Yes, my Lord.”
“Understood, Lord Zhen Jin.”
“What do we do about Bai Ya?” Someone asked.
Without the slightest hesitation, Zhen Jin blurted out: “Of course, we are
taking him with us. I am a templar knight, I have said that I will not abandon
anyone and will use all my strength to save everyone!”
Everyone’s hearts shook simultaneously, then they were suddenly overcome with
serenity.



****** Chapter 60: Food ******
When Bai Ya collapsed, everyone felt worried and indignant, not only because
Bai Ya had a good relationship with them, but also because they were terrified.
They were terrified that they would be the next to lapse into a coma and resign
themselves to fate.
But Zhen Jin’s current conduct made everyone understand: the young knight
before them had a true knight’s virtue!
The sand dunes endlessly undulated.
With no stretcher, the people had to take turns carrying Bai Ya on their backs.
Not long after, everyone moved to the backside of a sand dune.
Sensing movement, the scorpion group drilled out of the ground and followed
them to the new location before drilling down into the sand again.
“After they drill into the sand, it seems they cannot directly change their
underground position.” Cang Xu analysed.
This was good news but also not much better.
If everyone had mounts, perhaps they would have enough speed to free themselves
from the scorpion group.
Nevertheless, this was their current situation: one group of extremely
exhausted people that could not compare to the scorpion group’s speed. What’s
more, they also had a comatose person that encumbered them enormously.
After noon passed but before dusk approached, Zhen Jin once again led everyone
forward.
The scorpion group quickly appeared behind them.
The silver level spear scorpion also came to fight Zhen Jin once more. After
fighting for a short while, it retreated of its own accord once again.
Zhen Jin helplessly watched it withdraw with no way of stopping it.
The crack in the spider blade expanded and Zhen Jin did not know how long it
would last.
Without it, the situation would become even worse. Common iron swords could not
threaten the scorpion carapace.
This kind of battle had happened several times more, and everyone gradually
went from scared and on edge, to becoming numb to it.
Dusk approached as the sun fell to the horizon, as the sky dimmed, the mood of
everyone also sank.
“Is there really no way?”
“Lord Zi Di, is there a potion that can kill these wretched scorpions?”
Zi Di shook her head. If she had one, she would have already used it.
“We might as well stop fleeing and die together with these wretched scorpions!”
Someone irritatedly cried.
“That speaks to my heart.” Another endorsed.
Some people also sneered in opposition: “Die together? You think too highly of
yourself. If we rush over there, we would only end up being cut apart by that
silver level magic beast.”
“What did you say?”
“And, what did you say?!”
Anger flared up amongst the exploration team as all of them looked at each
other belligerently.
Someone put Bai Ya on the ground, sat down, and grumbled: “Hey, if you guys
have the time and strength to quarrel, then you guys might as well help me
carry this guy on my back.”
“This youngster is very heavy.”
“It’s good for him that he passed out, since he doesn’t have to exert himself
to walk and can conserve his energy.”
The two quarreling men faced the man on the ground and one of them coldly
snorted: “It’s not like I haven’t carried him before, moreover, I have carried
him for longer than you. Just this little while and you’re already unable to
handle it any longer?”
The other cast a sideways glance at Cang Xu, he then said in a peculiar tone:
“In my opinion, the one who should carry Bai Ya the most is the old man. In
order to save him, Bai Ya was seriously injured. Without that injury, he would
still be hale and hearty.”
The disturbance brought from the two quarreling began to spread across the
exploration team.
In normal times, they would greatly respect Cang Xu. After all, Cang Xu’s
scholarly knowledge had assisted them greatly.
But now, on the verge of desperate straits, everyone was agitated, worried, and
harbored dread. They did not dare target Zhen Jin or Zi Di, thus their
subconscious anger, panic and other emotions turned to attacking the weakest
among them, the old man.
The most crucial thing was that Cang Xu really was the reason why Bai Ya ended
up falling into his current circumstances.
Morally speaking, Cang Xu really needed to be criticized.
As a result, those quarreling focused their firepower on Cang Xu.
Faced with ridicule and malicious gazes, Cang Xu remained expressionless.
“Hey, old man, what do you think? Say something.” Cang Xu’s silence made him
seem weaker and weaker as someone finally directly provoked Cang Xu.
Cang Xu lifted the corner of his mouth in a sneer and gave the team members
provoking him a mocking glance: “Bai Ya being in a coma is actually a good
thing.”
Everyone was shocked.
Cang Xu continued: “At the critical moment, he is food, we can eat him.”
For a split second, the air seemed to freeze over.
The eyes of everyone around Cang Xu opened wide in shock.
“You, what did you say?” Someone shouted.
Zhen Jin and Zi Di also found it hard to believe.
But Cang Xu was very calm, his eyes that had stood the test of time, seemed
abstruse and ice cold at this moment: “Huh, why are you guys looking at me like
this? Bai Ya is already dying, anyone can see this. He is food, we can
absolutely eat him.”
“How can you say something like that!”
“Yeah, he is our companion.”
“How can we eat other people?!”
Everyone shouted, their voices shrill.
“Old man, are you a devil draped in human skin?” Someone even walked up to Cang
Xu and glared down at him.
“Why can’t people be eaten?” Cang Xu countered without concern.
“In our current situation, we severely lack food. Without food, we will not
have physical strength. Without physical strength, we will inevitably end up
killed by the scorpion group."
“At that point, Bai Ya would also die.”
“In fact, he is already done for. Here in this desert, we don’t have a cleric
or potions. Even if we had a cleric, this island prohibits low level magic and
battle qi. Where can we find a high level cleric?”
“So, rather than that happening, we might as well eat him. Eating him will also
increase our hope of escaping.”
The exploration team members stared at Cang Xu with incomparable wrath and one
of them grabbed him by his collar: “You’re still talking!”
Cang Xu coldy snorted and suddenly swung his arm.
With a smack, the exploration team member’s grip was broken.
The exploration team member was caught off guard and fell back two steps. He
looked at Cang Xu with surprise, the old man’s strength seemed to go beyond his
expectations.
While Cang Xu was straightening out his collar, he also calmly said: “You all
have not studied enough books, I will now tell you a truth—similar beings can
eat each other.”
“There is a type of insect known as the praying mantis. When a male and female
mantis mate, the female mantis will eat the male mantis when night comes to
nourish itself and produce offspring more successfully.”
“A few years ago there was famine in the northwest part of the empire. There,
people exchanged their children to cook and eat them.”
“Don’t let morals and laws chain you. Those are only to maintain our everyday
lives.”
“With regards to any lifeforms, all of them, at the basic level, exist to
survive and reproduce. If we cannot ensure our survival, what is the point of
mentioning laws or morals?"
“Besides, even if others are unclear, do you all not understand what kind of
people you all are?"
“We were on a ship to the beastmen continent. There is a war ongoing there.
What kind of person would go there at such a time like now?”
Cang Xu sneered and finally summed it up: “Survival is more important than
anything else, isn’t that so?”
No one spoke as the entire exploration team sank into deathly silence.
Many people were still glaring at Cang Xu, but their gazes were no longer as
angry or hateful as before.
“Cang Xu, I ask that you take back your words. Bai Ya is not food, rather he is
our companion. I will not allow the atrocity of eating our companion to
happen.” Zhen Jin’s brows creased with a stern expression.
“As you wish, my Lord knight.” After Cang Xu straightened out his collar, he
faced Zhen Jin and saluted him with proper and flawless etiquette of one that
served nobility for most of his life.
The extreme heat made Huang Zao open his eyes.
His eyes were bloodshot and his head was muddled. It took most of the day for
him to come to and react.
He was lying at the base of a sand dune next to an unconscious man, his brother
Lan Zao.
Lan Zao was motionless and still unconscious. His condition was anything but
reassuring, originally only his lips were cracked, but now his skin was also
peeling away under the sun. Although he was still breathing, the strength of
his undulating chest was clearly weaker than yesterday.
Huang Zao tried to raise his upper body.
He immediately felt a violent dizziness and had to promptly use his hand behind
him to support his body.
“I also have a fever.” He stroked his forehead and his heart suddenly dropped.
He recalled.
The desert night was incomparably cold and he could only sleep on the ground
due to exhaustion. He leaned on Lan Zao and used his high body temperature,
from his fever, to resist the bitter cold.
But he still failed.
He fell asleep and when he finally woke up, it was already noon.
Huang Zao felt a burst of lingering fear. He was very glad that no preying
beast attacked him while he slept.
“But what do I do now?”
Huang Zao still had some rations on him but he had no water!
The majority of his water had been used on washing out Lan Zao’s wound and the
other part he had already drunk.
He was not only concerned with his survival as he was still carrying a man
heavier than him.
After Huang Zao blankly sat on the sand for a while, he then slowly picked up
Lan Zao and continued traveling.
However, Huang Zao’s heart increasingly amassed emotions of bewilderment,
panic, vexation, and despair without any method of catharsis.
A beaten body, starvation, and a dizzy spell came together like brambles to
bind his body, these thorns deeply pierced into his flesh, blood and bones,
such that every time he stepped forward, those countless wounds were involved.
“Water…water…”
Lan Zao began to unconsciously murmur behind him.
Huang Zao abruptly stopped walking, he didn’t know why, but his heart birthed
intense emotions of anger and hatred.
“Don’t speak, you are bothering me!”
“If you weren’t injured, we definitely would have water right now!”
“Where am I going to find water for you in this situation?”
“I also want to drink water, ah I also want to!!”
In spite of his dry and smoldering throat, Huang Zao continued to vent his
feelings loudly.
But Lan Zao could not hear them, he still murmured and thirsted for water
Huang Zao glared and from his heart gushed an evil tendency that seemed to rise
to his forehead and cover his face in an instant.
He suddenly let go and dropped Lan Zao to the ground.
“Stop barking!”
He shouted at Lan Zao with anger in his gaze, as well as cruelty and icy
viciousness.
His chest moved up and down rapidly and his breathing grew more and more
heavier.
The killing intent festered in Huang Zao’s heart, growing strangely and
quickly.
For a long time, Huang Zao glared at Lan Zao, his Adam’s apple subconsciously
gulped, and his eyes seemed to shine with a green light like that of a starving
wolf.
Hunger flooded his heart and his mind did not allow him to ponder.
His survival instincts were constantly reminding him and made him overlook Lan
Zao’s identity. It made him “see clearly” that Lan Zao’s body was a piece of
meat that was flowing with fresh blood.
“This is…”
“Food!!”
Huang Zao slowly approached, slowly leaning over and half-knelt on the ground,
and extended his hands.
His hands stretched towards Lan Zao, moving very slowly as if they were hanging
iron hammers.
His hands were still shivering.
At first, it was a slight shiver, but the closer he approached to Lan Zao, the
deeper the shiver became.
Suddenly, Huang Zao found that Lan Zao’s eyelids were faintly twitching.
Soon after, Lan Zao slowly cracked open his eyes.
“Older brother, you woke up!!” Huang Zao shouted, a joyful mad surprise rushed
forth like an overwhelming tsunami, encompassing and drowning his body and
mind.
His previous hunger, thrist, savagery, despair, madness, and other emotions now
seemed like a mirage and an illusion.
Lan Zao looked to be in a daze, his eyes within the crevice of his eyelids
imperceptibly turned and finally saw Huang Zao kneeling in front of him.
The blinding sunlight was eclipsed by Huang Zao’s body and Lan Zao’s head was
just inside Huang Zao’s shadow.
Lan Zao’s lips opened and closed.
“Older brother, what did you say?” Huang Zao trembled both mentally and
physically, he immediately squatted in front of Lan Zao and leaned his ear
towards Lan Zao’s mouth.
He then heard a very weak voice.
“I…I am dying.”
“Don’t let me…burden you…”
“No food or water…”
“Younger brother…you…must…”
“Eat me.”
These words depleted all of Lan Zao’s strength and he once again sank into a
dying coma.
Upon hearing these words, Huang Zao felt like he was struck by lightning, his
pupils instantly shrunk to the size of a needle and his whole body was frozen.
He seemed like a stone statue.
He extended his neck, stretched out his ears, knelt with both knees, clasped
sand in his hands, and kept silent for a while in a distorted and bizarre
posture.
Finally, his blank mind slowly began to work again.
He reacted.
He retracted his neck and although he was still kneeling on the ground, his
posture was now upright.
He glanced at Lan Zao lying on the sand and his vision rapidly became hazy.
Tears welled up in his eyes and then overflowed across his sand filled face,
forming two black tear streaks.
“Older brother, older brother!”
He loudly cried out, feelings of guilt, remorse, self-condemnation, and other
emotions rose in his heart, causing his nose and throat to clog up, making it
hard for him to breathe.
“You are my only family!”
“How can I treat you as food?”
“I won’t do it.”
“I won’t ever do it!”
He screamed as if making an oath.
Thereafter, he put Lan Zao on his back and staggered forward once more.
With a face of unswerving resoluteness.



****** Chapter 61: A Volcanic Cave ******
The screaming wind brought with it a billowing heat.
A marvel appeared before their eyes.
The yellow sand and the red soil contrasted sharply where they met as the
terrain abruptly altered. The traces of artificiality were obvious.
Zhen Jin and the others were in the midst of a desert, not far from them,
however, was a red land without a single grain of sand.
“This place resembles the aftermath of a volcanic eruption.” Cang Xu exclaimed
in surprise.
Zi Di’s exquisite nose twitched: “The air is filled with the smell of sulfur.”
Puff…
Suddenly, gray smoke appeared from a black ground not far from them. Then, a
jet of red lava surprisingly burst forth from it like a fountain.
Like molten iron, the lava sprayed across the surroundings as thick clouds of
smoke began to plume.
Everyone frowned.
The smell of sulfur in the air became stronger, bringing a great deal of
irritation to their nasal passages.
“If the lava splashes on us, won’t we die?”
A look of apprehension appeared on everyone’s faces, including Zhen Jin.
“I thought that the desert was the most arduous and hazardous region, I didn’t
expect that the island would still have such a perilous place. Compared to this
place, I feel the desert is more tolerable.”
“Lord Zhen Jin, what should we do next?”
Everyone was out of their wits and the young knight had always been their
backbone.
The original plan was to leave the desert.
Although their goal was achieved, it seemed that the result was even worse.
Their direction shouldn’t be wrong. Before, when the exploration team was
trapped in the desert, this was the direction they chose which allowed them to
eventually escape.
“It seems the place where we originally teleported is far from where we thought
it was. The desert terrain is bordered by a forest terrain as well as a
volcanic terrain.” Cang Xu analysed.
Zhen Jin nodded and a gleam of light flashed in his eyes: “Everyone, this is
actually a good thing.”
His voice immediately attracted everyone’s attention.
“This volcanic terrain is indeed dangerous, even more daunting than the
desert.”
“But risks come with opportunities. Think about it everyone. This place is
dangerous for us, but also for the spear scorpion group. Their bodies are
suited for the desert, but here, how can they dig? The subterranean churning
magma would annihilate them.”
“Is there golden granite here? Most likely not, and even if there is, it would
be melted by the magma. Without golden granite rocks, what can the scorpion
group eat?”
The team’s morale greatly rose from Zhen Jin’s logical words.
“Let’s set off and enter. This is our chance to get rid of ourselves from the
scorpion group!” Zhen Jin ordered the exploration team to go into the volcanic
terrain.
Some time later.
Clang!
The spider sword fiercely struck the silver level spear scorpion’s head
erupting with a loud metallic clash.
Zhen Jin jumped back to dodge the attacking giant pincer.
A white scratch was carved into the silver level spear scorpion’s head where
Zhen Jin failed to break through the spear scorpion’s golden armor.
The silver level spear scorpion retreated and did not attack again.
The large scorpion group immediately flocked to its side and protected their
leader.
Zhen Jin’s hands felt numb and his arms were also slightly shivering. He stood
in place with a straight body, but he could incessantly feel the tiredness of
his legs.
The fierce battle had exhausted the limits of his endurance again.
Fortunately, the spear scorpion leader retreated.
The scorpion group encircled the silver level spear scorpion and after
retreating for a distance, they stopped.
The situation was just like it was the desert.
The exploration team entered the volcanic region and the scorpion group still
followed, completely undeterred by the terrain.
With safety temporarily assured, Zhen Jin turned around and returned to the
team.
The faces of the team members all looked unsightly.
“Damm it, this scorpion group is determined to eat us!”
“Their food is obviously the golden granite, but they keep following us. Isn’t
that too aggressive?”
“Hadn’t Lord Cang Xu guessed this was the case? This should be the island
master’s specific arrangement. Being aggressive is the greatest advantage of
living weapons!”
Upon seeing Zhen Jin’s return, all discussion ceased.
Someone immediately went up to greet him: “My Lord, the scorpion group is still
on our heels. What should we do?”
Zhen Jin’s face was grave and stern, he reached out with his finger and pointed
northwest to a large and dark shadow: “We are going up that mountain.”
It was a short mountain that was black and dark green.
It was very likely to be an active volcano!
No one opposed Zhen Jin. At this moment, in the exploration team, the young
knight’s words were absolute.1
After all, all of their lives hung on his shoulders.
The more they approached the mountain, the hotter the air temperature got.
The ground beneath them was spongy, even with boots on, it still scalded their
feet as if being placed in water that was fifty degree celsius.
Many of their feet blistered.
The land here was black with some parts bulging up and others becoming craters.
According to Cang Xu’s guess, this terrain was formed after a volcanic eruption
where lava flowed, spread and cooled, forming this kind of ground.
The scorpion group was clearly more heat tolerant than the humans as they
continuously followed the exploration team up the mountain.
Halfway up the mountain, Zhen Jin and the others found a cave.
Zhen Jin sent a person to scout out the cave.
Scouting was a very risky affair and Zhen Jin did not want to take risk
himself.
If there was a monster living in the cave that could survive in such an
environment, it would no doubt be more dangerous than the scorpion group.
The team member entered the cave cautiously, after walking ten paces forward,
he saw a stone wall.
“Nothing is living here, it is very safe currently.”
After getting the report, the exploration team entered the cave.
The cave was very hot.
There were many pores in the cave walls, floor and ceilings that sprayed some
fumes from time to time.
This fume contained large quantities of water as well as sulfur.
The fumes interfered with Zhen Jin’s vision and his eyes felt a sting of pain
after spending a short while within the cave.
As for the others, their eyes were already red.
The cave was very sultry and walking into it made many people sweat.
The long trek had consumed the exploration team’s energy and stamina to the
extent that a portion of them were having dizzy spells. In this short time, it
was difficult for them to adapt to the environment here.
“My lord, we had better move on quickly.”
“I don’t think I can go on anymore.”
“We cannot spend the night here.”
Zhen Jin swept his eyes around with a firm face, and in a clear voice, he
overruled it: “No, this place is ideal. We will not spend the night here,
rather we must fight the scorpions here!”
The young knight could not shake off the scorpion group so he had already
decided to fight it. He had come here in order to create a favorable
battlefield.
Everyone was confounded.
Zhen Jin turned his head and smiled: “Don’t tell me that you all didn’t notice
during our journey here? Those scorpions seem to fear the fumes here.”
Everyone recalled their memories one after the other and their spirits were
lifted.
Someone blurted out: “That’s right, all of them kept far from the fumes as they
traveled.”
“Perhaps the fumes are very harmful to them. Thus they never went close to it.”
But Cang Xu pursued his brows: “According to common understanding, scorpions
and spiders have respiratory organs on the sides of their anterior abdomens,
they have a pair of air sacs-like structures, called air chambers, they have
about 15-20 air chambers in a thin sheet that can fold and overlap like book
pages, and are thus called as book lungs. When blood flows through the book
lungs, it exchanges gases with the air inside, absorbing new air while
expelling wastes gases from the body, completing the process of respiration.”2
“However, based on how much they avoid the fumes, one cannot determine how
harmful the fumes are to them. It is also possible that they just dislike it
and the fumes are not a fatal threat to them.”
“That is indeed a possibility.” Zhen Jin sighed, “But we have already reached
our limit. Who can still continue trekking forward?”
Everything went silent.
Zhen Jin spoke the truth.
Everyone’s physical capacities had already reached the edge of collapse, for
the last five to six hours, they had relied on the fear of death and the thirst
for life to support themselves.
If there wasn’t a scorpion group behind them, the exploration team would have
long collapsed to the ground lifelessly.
Zhen Jin paused, then continued: “We are also running out of food.”
The youngster turned his gaze towards Zi Di.
Zi Di immediately understood and opened the bundle in front of them all.
The food reserves in the bundle were even fewer than what everyone expected.
“Can you use a potion to corrode the cave wall? Zhen Jin asked again.
“I should be able to, it is not difficult. But I still need to test it to make
sure.” Zi Di replied rigorously.
Everyone attentively watched the young girl take out a potion and splash on the
cave wall.
The cave wall immediately resembled a burning candle as it rapidly dissolved.
Zhen Jin saw this bizarre scene and knew that this was the potion that had
allowed Zi Di and the others to evade the sandstorm.
The air became more unpleasant to breathe and almost to the point of making
them vomit.
But after ten breaths, the original cave wall was gone, and the cave had
extended deeper by more than a dozen paces.
Zhen Jin finally relaxed.
Using this potion, they could create a favorable terrain for battle in this
cave.



****** Chapter 62: I Will Protect You, till My Life’s Demise ******
All of the food was allocated.
There was also only a small portion of water left.
Almost all of the sustenance was consumed.
The exploration team sat in the cave mouth and silently ate.
Some of them looked solemn, and some looked at the spear scorpions with
murderous intent. All of them knew that the next battle would be the last.
As if sensing that the exploration team’s killing intent was different than
before, the scorpion group was also becoming restless as they produced ear-
piercing hisses.
Following the usual practice, Zhen Jin ate the most food. Every piece of food
was carefully chewed before it was gulped down his throat, passed through his
esophagus, and entered his stomach.
This simple process brought to Zhen Jin an indescribable sensation of
exhilaration.
His stomach had been hungry and thirsty for a long time, it was like a
bottomless pit that devoured everything that entered it.
Zhen Jin quickly felt his stamina recovering by a great deal.
But at the same time, his stomach was still fiercely squirming. It signaled to
its master—I want, I still want more food!
But there was none left.
Zhen Jin stood up, jumped a few times, then arrived in front of the scorpion
group.
The silver level spear scorpion felt Zhen Jin’s battle fervor and immediately
appeared at the forefront.
But this time, Zhen Jin did not entangle himself with it, rather, he suddenly
leapt directly into the scorpion group.
He cascaded down from a great height and landed onto the back of an ordinary
spear scorpion, then pierced its head with his blade.
The unlucky spear scorpion let out a mournful hiss and its body frantically
contorted like a feral horse with an extremely violent temperament. Soon after,
tawny blood spread over the ground and it shortly became motionless.
The scorpions were at a standstill for a split second, seemingly stunned by
Zhen Jin’s sudden assasination.
Thereafter, the scorpion group exploded in hisses like a poked hornet nest and
frantically surged towards Zhen Jin. The silver level spear scorpion was the
most berserk of them all.
Zhen Jin laughed loudly then leapt out and ran away before the scorpion group
could surround him.
The scorpion group pursued after him closely, and in their rage, they exploded
with astonishing speed. If it were a flat terrain like a desert or a prairie,
they would have quickly caught up with Zhen Jin. But this was a volcano where
Zhen Jin could jump to higher places. Due to the scorpion body being too flat
and low to the ground, they could only climb up on flat inclines which gave
Zhen Jin many opportunities.
Seeing that they could not catch up with Zhen Jin for the time being, a portion
of the scorpion group shifted their attention to the exploration team members
in the cave mouth.
Zhen Jin had broken their tacit mutual understanding of his own volition so the
scorpion group wanted to attack as vengeance.
“Into the cave!” The exploration team was already prepared and quickly entered
the cave behind them.
The spear scorpions were unwilling to let them go and chased after, only to
immediately get stuck in the small holes in the cave walls after entering.
These holes were specifically corroded with potions so humans could pass
through, but molded such that the enormous size of the spear scorpions would be
too great.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, the exploration team members within the
cave raised their swords and stabbed ruthlessly at the spear scorpions.
The scorpions’ tough carapaces resisted the pierces.
Their brandished hulking pincers were also constantly slamming the cave walls
causing loud bangs.
More and more cracks began to appear in the walls of the small cave hole.
“Retreat!” Sensing that the small cave hole would not last, the exploration
team immediately retreated deeper into the cave.
After roughly ten breaths, the first small cave hole collapsed with a bang, the
scorpions then let out a hiss as they charged in.
But they soon found that there were five to six more holes that each had the
scent of humans.
The scorpions lacked intelligence and did not hesitate to pick holes randomly
to smash with their large pincers.
During this time, swords came from these cave holes.
A scorpion’s back was its toughest part of its carapace while its abdomen was
relatively softer.
The swords continuously pierced at the scorpions’ abdomen.
One scorpion was quickly stopped as its carapace was pierced, with yellow-brown
blood flowing from its wounds. It wanted to retreat but it was very difficult
to turn around in the cave. Furthermore, some of its comrades blocked its rear,
hindering its retreat.
It died from the swords not long after.
Seeing their comrade die, the spear scorpions behind it became more berserk,
they immediately waved their huge pincers to knock the dead scorpion’s carcass
away and charged forward.
The exploration team repeated the pattern and killed a second one.
In a direct confrontation, the exploration team would have already all died,
but by using proper tactics they surprisingly managed to not lose a single man.
“Just like this!”
“We can kill them!”
The exploration team’s morale rose.
A third scorpion that charged forward quickly fell into the prior plight of its
comrades.
It was quickly wounded and painfully hissed. Subsequently, it lashed out its
scorpion tail, easily piercing the cave wall.
The exploration team member in the small cave hole did not anticipate this, his
entire chest was skewered, splattering scarlet blood, dying on the spot.
The pungent scent of blood provoked both sides even further.
As it turns out, the battle and struggle of the two spear scorpions beforehand
had caused the cave wall to collapse quite a bit and opened it up more space,
giving the third spear scorpion enough space to maneuver his tail.
The tail was the scorpion’s strongest weapon and the lengths of the exploration
team’s swords were limited, for a scorpion to be hit, it needed to be close to
a cave hole.
Every stab of a scorpion tail could end an exploration team member’s life.
“Die for me!”
“Kill kill!!”
“Go to hell, drop dead!”
The exploration team members’ eyes were bloodshot and filled with intent to
kill, not a single one of them ran away.
Even if they wanted to, they would not be able to escape in this sort of
terrain.
They did not have Zhen Jin’s physical constitution, and in an open area or even
a mountainous area, they could be easily chased down by the spear scorpions.
There was no running away, the only possibility of survival was to kill the
scorpion group in front of them.
In addition, the exploration team knew they had no food left and the only
viable source was to kill these spear scorpions.
Desperate straits!
There was no way out.
The only way forward was to carve out a bloody path!1
This was everyone’s consensus.
The battle was gradually tilting towards the scorpion group.
The exploration team had gone all out, and as time passed, they quickly
weakened, their attacks grew feebler, and it was getting increasingly difficult
to resist the scorpion group’s mad attacks.
Of course, the strength of an ordinary scorpion far outstripped a human’s.
Although the corroded walls were firm, but under the unceasing bombardment of
the mammoth pincers, it would not last long.
In order to create a favorable terrain, Zi Di had used up all kinds of potions.
The favorable terrain was finite and there seemed to be more scorpions.
The exploration team constantly retreated as the small cave holes were
destroyed one after the other until where they finally had nowhere to retreat
to.
The team members died one after another.2
Casualties of the exploration team sharply increased, with severe fatalities.
Zi Di’s pupils suddenly shrunk to the size of a pin!
A scorpion tail pierced through the seemingly frail cave wall like a knight’s
charging spear, arriving before the girl in the blink of an eye.
At the moment of life and death, the shadow of a sword flashed.
The scorpion’s tail was directly cut off, it grazed Zi Di’s ear and shot
obliquely towards the cave wall behind her, close to the cave floor.
The dying and unconscious Bai Ya was laying there and the scorpion tail landed
only one or two centimeters away from his head.
“My lord, you’re back.” Zi Di’s narrow escape and thrill from being on the
verge of death made her grab onto Zhen Jin’s hand.
Before she could bloom with pleasant surprise, concerns emerged.
“Ah, you are wounded, my Lord!” Zi Di cried out in alarm.
Zhen Jin’s body was covered in scarlet bloodstains, and since the scorpion
blood was tawny, its source was obvious.
Zhen Jin patted the girl’s hand: “Be at ease, it is only a small injury.”1
He looked around him and was horrified at the casualties the exploration team
had taken. The only ones left of the entire team were Zi Di, Cang Xu, as well
as the dying Bai Ya. If he had been a moment late, perhaps there would have
only been corpses for him to collect.
Zhen Jin had already used up all his strength.
In order to break away from the silver level spear scorpion leader, he did not
hesitate in paying with his blood.
But when he returned to the cave, the casualties of the exploration team still
made him sorrowful and disheartened.
“Quick, we need to seize the moment and leave this place.” Zhen Jin put Bai Ya
on his back as Zi Di and Cang Xu followed closely behind.
However, just as they reached the cave mouth, they saw the silver level spear
scorpion leading the scorpion group to surround the cave.
Zi Di and Cang Xu had deathly pale faces.
Zhen Jin’s face also had an unsightly look.
“Go back.” The young knight grinded his teeth, his mouth filled with
bitterness.
The exploration team paid a gruesome price but alas, their final struggle was
still unsuccessful.
Compared to the squirrel group, the scorpion group was far more powerful.
The silver level scorpion pounced, so Zhen Jin used the limited terrain to
confront it.
The scorpion leader’s body was larger than an ordinary scorpion, thus it was
difficult for it to turn around in the cave and to even swing its pincers.
After suffering a loss to Zhen Jin, the silver level spear scorpion retreated
while hissing.
Under its order, the scorpion group no longer entered the cave, they merely
surrounded the cave mouth.
The curtain of night quickly swept over.
The scorpion group laid motionlessly around the cave mouth like they were
hibernating, but from time to time they also produced rustling noises.
In the cave, Zhen Jin’s wound had already been properly wrapped up.
Zi Di looked at the pile of dead scorpions with an unsightly expression.
“These cannot be eaten.”
“Their flesh and blood contain granulated metal particles.”
Humans were not spear scorpions that could digest grains of metal. Eating these
would cause necrosis in the kidneys and the rest of the digestive system.
Therefore, the only rations left were two canteens of water.
Zi Di rummaged through her handbag and found the once rich potion bag had gone
dry long ago. Without basic materials, even if she had so many scorpion
corpses, she could not make any new potions.
After a moment, the girl’s shoulders throbbed and she softly began to weep.
“Nothing, I can’t think of anything to do.”
This strong girl who had endured for a long time already finally broke down
emotionally.
Zhen Jin tenderly embraced her.
“I have disappointed you, I can’t make any potions that can assist you, my
Lord!” Zi Di sobbed spasmodically.
Zhen Jin shook his head and sighed: “It’s alright, you have already done a
great job.”
“I was able to live up until now and come to this place because of your
assistance.”
“This place where low level magic cannot be used has always been too arduous on
you.”
“No, I am the one who got you involved, Lord Zhen Jin. If it were not for my
suggestion, we would not have snuck aboard that ship. And we would not have
ended up on this island. During the encounter with the lizard and spear
scorpion group, you could have abandoned me and survived alone.”
When she said this, Zi Di suddenly realised something and raised her head to
look up at Zhen Jin with her amethyst eyes.
She appealed: “Escape, my Lord. Don’t care for me anymore! You can leave this
place.”
Zhen Jin laughed lightly, and with a touch of adoration he brushed away the
strands of her hair that concealed Zi Di’s eyes: “You are my fiancée and I am
your knight. Protecting you is my duty. I will protect you, till my life’s
demise.”



****** Chapter 63: I Will Never Eat a Human Being ******
Cang Xu looked astonished. This was the first time he had heard the secret of
Zi Di’s and Zhen Jin’s inseparably close relationship.
“Lord Zhen Jin, you are a true knight.” The old scholar sincerely exclaimed,
“Ever since you started traveling with us, your noble behavior has always been
our spiritual flag.”
“Perhaps we still have hope.”
“These scorpions’ tails are very sharp, and according to your Lordship’s
strength, throwing a scorpion tail could fatally injure another scorpion.”
“We can absolutely rely on this cave to attack from time to time. When the
spear scorpions retaliate, we can hide inside.”
Cang Xu proposed a good plan.
The memory that Zhen Jin recovered made his weapon throwing skills very
formidable.
The destruction of the flying squirrel group had left a profound impression on
Cang Xu.
But Zhen Jin shook his head and candidly said: “The possibility is very small.”
Without the amplification of battle qi, the only reason that he could kill the
flying squirrel leader was because his arms transformed and swelled, allowing
him to surpass the current limits of his bodily strength.
But now the young knight seemed to have lost the transformation ability.
Regardless of when it was provoking the scorpion group or breaking out of the
lizard group’s nest, or even during the recent battles against the silver level
scorpion, all of these were life and death crises.
Zhen Jin had relied on his battle experience to get through these dilemmas.
From start to finish, no transformations occurred.
During the moments of life and death, the transformation ability never
activated.
“It seems that the magic crystal in my heart does not have enough magic power.”
There were actually some ways of replenishing magic power.
Such as eating magic beast meat and drinking magic beast blood. However,
although Zi Di processed the monkey bear blood, only a few bottles had been
saved, and they had all been given to Zhen Jin.
But because of the sandstorm, these bottles of magic beast blood had been lost.
At the moment, Zi Di’s small handbag did not have any similar potions.
“I fear that I cannot transform again in the current situation.”
Without transforming, the young knight using just his strength to throw these
scorpion tails would result poorly. Without speed and power to support it, the
tails could not threaten the scorpions.
“Is that so?” Cang Xu sighed, disappointment spreading across his face.
Zhen Jin gave a water bag to Zi Di and the young girl gradually stopped sobbing
as she drank small mouthfuls of fresh water. The motion of drinking gradually
stabilized her mood.
The cave sank into a deathly silence.
It really was the end of the line.
A long while later.
“My lord, you should also drink some water.” The young girl handed the water
bag from her hands back to Zhen Jin.
Zhen Jin drank a mouthful and moistened his throat that was as arid as a
desert.
The cave air was no longer as stinging as before, it seemed that the human
adaptability sometimes exceeded expectations.
Besides, in this kind of situation, what could they do if they couldn’t even
adapt?
“You should escape, my Lord.” Zi Di advised again in a whisper.
Zhen Jin resolutely made up his mind and responded with a nod: “I will leave at
dawn. After I leave and attract as many scorpions as possible, you guys will
seize the opportunity to leave separately.”
Although Zhen Jin wanted to protect Zi Di at her side, he understood that among
the three here, he was the only one who could assume the heavy responsibility
of drawing away the scorpions.
This was the last chance.
Choosing to flee during the day was because the terrain here was uneven with
many deep holes and magma pitfalls. Before lava was discharged, ashen smoke
would first be ejected. It was fine during the day, however, at night, the
smoke was very hard to detect by human eyes, thus making it very dangerous.
“Ok.” Zi Di’s heart trembled as she accepted Zhen Jin’s escape plan.
Cang Xu also nodded but did not speak.
All of them knew that this plan was crude and that the hopes of successfully
escaping were very slim, but what else could they do?
It seemed like they were throwing away their lives.
But again, what else could they do?
This was their last resort.
Zi Di quickly drifted off to sleep while hugged by Zhen Jin.
She had drunk some water, but her belly was still rumbling with hunger, yet Zi
Di did not sense it as she slept soundly.
This was the most peaceful sleep she ever had, since falling into the desert.
Perhaps it might also be the last sleep she would ever have in her life.
Zhen Jin did not sleep.
He looked at the girl curled up in his chest, the affection and pity in his
heart becoming increasingly deeper. He felt that she looked like an emaciated
and skinny stray kitten that had been roaming adrift for a long time.
Bai Ya was still unconscious.
Almost all of the exploration team died in battle yet he was still alive.
But if he did not wake up, he would also be buried here.
Time slowly passed by, elapsing midnight into the small hours; at about three
to four, Cang Xu slowly opened his eyes.
The old scholar deeply sighed: “My Lord, you are exceedingly hungry.”
The dozing Zhen Jin slightly opened his eyes.
It was indeed a fact.
The stronger the battle qi cultivator, the more nutrition they needed. Archduke
Gang Jia in the empire’s north ate three meals of lesser-dragon meat every day,
and Prince Huo Huang1 of the Elven Empire ate two kilograms of white frost
spirit deer every day.
Currently, Zhen Jin was sitting against the cave wall and did not dare to move.
He was afraid of pointlessly consuming strength, even a tiny bit of strength in
tomorrow’s battle was valuable, therefore he was saving as much strength as he
could.
“Lord Zhen Jin, you need food immediately.” Cang Xu intoned again, this time,
his tone was several degrees heavier than before.
Zhen Jin opened his eyes fully and saw the grief and indifference reflected in
Cang Xu’s grey eyes.
Zhen Jin coldly snorted.
He knew what Cang Xu meant, the food that the latter was alluding to was Bai
Ya!2
But could a templar knight eat a person? That was simply a fantasy! A most
repulsive suggestion.
“My Lord, if you are too hungry, how can you have the strength to fight? Bai Ya
is our only food and his blood can also substitute water.”
“Shut up.” Zhen Jin softy berated, his gaze filled with fury, “I will never
slaughter the innocent on account of myself. If you were Bai Ya, would you want
to be treated as food?”
Cang Xu went silent for a moment, then he suddenly smiled, his smile was
bitterful, there seemed to be some relief within it as well.
Cang Xu raised his head, took a deep breath, and said something astonishing:
“Then I ask my Lordship to eat me first.”
Zhen Jin was stupefied.
Seeing doubt appear on Zhen Jin’s face, Cang Xu smiled and said: “Perhaps you
misunderstand me, Lord Zhen Jin. I do not fear death; having lived to my age,
what can I not see through? I am only afraid that my pursuits and dreams cannot
be realized. Therefore, I understand the value of my own life more than those
youngsters because I know I do not have many days remaining and that my time is
very precious.”
“But if fate bestows my end, what can I still do? I have fought with all my
strength to make a stand and wrangled with my life. Perhaps my struggles could
be considered ridiculous, pitiful, lamentable, but I have no regrets.”
“Lord Zhen Jin.” Cang Xu gazed deeply and solemnly at Zhen Jin, “Although I
have not traveled with you for long, I still understand you are a noble and
true templar knight. You are brave, strong and rises to face difficulties. No
matter how powerful the foe is, they cannot topple the flag in your heart.
Although you are far stronger than an ordinary person and have outstanding
talent, you have always remained humble, while filled with the thirst for
knowledge. Although you are young, your adaptability is exceptional and your
growth is astounding. You were born a noble, yet you still approach others of
lower status as an equal, this is especially invaluable.”
“My Lord, if we try to break through at dawn, Miss Zi Di and I basically have
no hope of escaping. It is improbable that the scorpion group will let us off
and a single ordinary spear scorpion can end our lives.”
“Your Lordship is probably the only one who will live.”
“However, my Lord, in your present condition, can you still escape ?”
Cang Xu shook his head: “You do not have faith in yourself.”
“Before that happens, any food can raise your Lordship’s probability of
survival.”
“If we throw out morality and emotions, then eating Bai Yai would be the wisest
decision. Can you deny this point my Lord?”
Zhen Jin did not speak.
Cang Xu continued: “I have once studied the notes of ogres. According to their
food standards, the meat quality of young Bai Ya is more tender and nutritious
than mine. But I could also serve as food.”
“The most crucial difference between me and Bai Ya is that I am willing to
offer myself. So my Lord, you will not be a devil that slaughters the innocent,
you are a saviour. The difference is that instead of saving the insignificant
life of the weak, you are actually fulfilling a negligible wish before death.
Before I die, I have a small wish that I hope your Lordship can fulfill.”1
Cang Xu had a deep understanding of his situation.
He was too old and would almost certainly die when they tried to break through
in the morning, in addition, he had a request he wanted to ask for, thus, he
put himself forward as a sacrifice for a chance of salvation and having his
last wish fulfilled.
Zhen Jin sighed and shook his head: “I will not eat a human being, regardless
of whether it is you or Bai Ya. Because I am a knight, a Templar Knight! Fate
favors the strong but never pities those who resign themselves to it. Cang Xu,
if you believe that you will die, then you will die for certain.”
“But if you have any last wishes, you can say it. I promise you that I will
strive to my extent of my abilities to help you accomplish it, while not
violating my principles.”



****** Chapter 64: My Name Is Cang Xu ******
Cang Xu nodded slightly and went silent for a while, seemingly deliberating his
words.
Thereafter, he spoke in a desolate tone: “My name is Cang Xu, I was born into a
peasant family and was once a peasant.”
“I began working when I was five or six. My primary job was cleaning up horse
manure. Our family had a pony that was mainly used to pull a plow.”
“Once when I was cleaning up horse manure, the horse suddenly became angry and
kicked me with its hind hooves. I fell into the excrement and almost suffocated
to death. Although I was luckily saved, the brush with death filled my young
heart with fear that I could not dispel for a long time.”
“I became very timid and was afraid of any kind of horse or even horse-shaped
things. I didn’t even dare approach stables. My parents arranged other work for
me, yet I still cowered and hid at the slightest disturbance.”
“Naturally my peers ridiculed me, I was alienated, and my parents were
disgusted with me, and everyone in the village was not optimistic about my
future.”
“After a long time, I realized that my fear was perhaps not fear of horses, but
rather a fear of the peasant life itself.”
“Shame had made me lonely and loneliness made me reflect. The gift of fate was
at first bitter but later sweet, for it had allowed me to fear living as a
peasant for my entire life.”
“Fortune came. When I was eight, I saw the aurora of my destiny. A Horse god
church’s chaplain came to our village wanting to build a church. The village
did not have a church and everyone hoped that when they fell sick, a chaplain
could treat them. Hence, the villagers voluntarily organized and built a Horse
god church for free. Amongst all of the volunteers, I worked the hardest. I
tried my best to ingratiate myself with the chaplain, I desperately showed my
faith in the Horse god, in an attempt to curry favor with the chaplain.”
“The chaplain was very fond of younglings my age. During his spare time, he
would gather over a dozen children, including me, to teach us arithmetics, the
written language, and other knowledge.”
“Spring passed and autumn came, after the church had been successfully built,
the chaplain made an announcement.”
“He wanted to select a few volunteers to work under him. He even wanted to
recruit two children as apprentice chaplains.”
“They weren’t idiots, thus, the villagers rushed madly like ducks towards
grain.1 The status of clergymen was far greater than that of peasants. Families
with children of appropriate age were even more crazed.” 
“I wanted to desperately become an apprentice chaplain. I knew that it might be
the only chance I had to change the destiny of my life, and for this, I would
even put my life on the line!”
“The competition was intense.”
“I relied on my hard work and previous assiduousness to get into the final
selection. There were four of us altogether, but only two would be inducted as
apprentice chaplains. The other three were children of rich landlords in the
village with one even being the child of the village chief. In order to
increase their hopes of success, they used their power and wealth to oppress my
family and coerce my parents to make me concede of my own volition.”
“My family was nearly ostracized to death and struggled each day to barely
survive, suffering tremendously. Of course, when my parents came to persuade
me, I refused and almost broke my relationship with them.”
“I risked everything to participate in the final assessment. However, I lost.”
“My childhood shadow still loomed over my heart and I still feared horses.
Towards the Horse god, I only had fear, with no love or respect.”
“I could not believe in him despite my best efforts.”
“The Horse god chaplain was wise, but also equally ruthless. Despite me
kneeling to the ground and pleading with him, he still eliminated me.”
“I was lost and felt that my life was bleak and meaningless. That evening, I
walked down the street in a daze with the surrounding villagers ridiculing me.
I did not know how I returned home, and I had no will to eat anything.”
“In the following period, my father beat and scolded me while my mother
reprimanded me for my presumptuous thoughts. Even though my family were free
citizens because my father had a serious illness, our household situation was
terrible and we had no choice but to cultivate the land of others and then pay
rent. There was no difference between us and the serfs. However, because of me,
the other villagers did not rent us their surplus fields.”
“In order to punish me, my parents gave me a heavy workload. Every day, my
exhausted body would sleep on the haystack.”
“Punishment and failure did not make me admit defeat, nor did the ridicule and
alienation make me despair. I became more and more unwilling, and this
unwillingness gradually changed into resentment. Although I was in low spirits
for many days, I quickly inspired myself. The biggest thing I did was reviewing
the knowledge I learnt from the chaplain.”
“I was only free during the evening. During the day, I had to get up early in
the morning. If I didn’t finish the work my parents gave to me, I wouldn’t even
get a piece of black bread.”
“Despite being extremely fatigued every day, I never gave up on studying at
night. The things the chaplain taught me, I memorized and deeply engraved in my
heart. Even now, I can still clearly remember every piece of knowledge. I
treasured them, valued them, as if they were the precious hope of my life. They
were my resistance against my fate!”
“Then one night, the Horse god chaplain quietly came over to my haystack and
woke me up from my sleep.”
“I was startled and delighted, thinking, are things taking a turn for the
better? I immediately knelt to the ground and swore loudly to the chaplain that
I would do my utmost to believe in the Horse god and remove all the fears deep
inside my heart.”
“But the Horse god chaplain shook his head and said: ‘The Horse god does not
demand faith.’ The reason why he found me was because he discovered how I lived
and had been secretly watching me. My striving and thirst at all costs for
scholarly knowledge had moved him.”
“The Horse god chaplain gave me a new choice. If I served as his slave, he
would pass on the knowledge I wanted, as for my future, it would depend on my
own efforts.”
“I convinced my parents to sell me off.”
“Of course, it was mainly because the Horse god chaplain used many coins to
purchase me.”
“The chaplain did not deceive me, he even treated me better than I thought he
would. He even kept the transaction a secret and allowed me to serve as a
servant in the church. I did my best to serve him diligently each day, and he
imparted precious knowledge to me. I gained a greater understanding of
arithmetics, literature, astronomy, and geography.”
“Amongst all that I gained, the most precious thing was the Horse god
chaplain’s inquisitiveness of knowledge and his assiduous attitude. This
attitude influenced my entire life.”
After saying this, Cang Xu paused for a moment. The long narration had left him
breathless.
Cang Xu continued once more: “The competition of religious beliefs is sometimes
more intense than wars. The Horse god originates from the Wilderness Continent
and is a god of the beastmen race. In the Shen Ming Continent, this god’s
influence is very small. So as the Church of Life was proselytized, belief in
the Horse god wavered and was quickly crushed without competition.”2
“The Horse god chaplain was forced to leave. Before leaving, he relieved me of
my slave status and announced that I had regained my freedom. In addition, he
also suggested that I continue to seek knowledge.”
“I went to Silver Bridge College and participated in its examination. The Horse
god chaplain’s teachings gave me a solid academic foundation, thus, I smoothly
passed the exam and became a poor college student. After three years, I
swimmingly graduated from college and became a scholar.”
“I held a teaching position for three years at Silver Bridge College and then
relied on faculty contacts to become a minor noble’s manager.”
“Afterwards, I circulated between many nobles and held small positions that
supervised the fief.”
“I was not a noble, nor was I a noble servant nurtured from childhood, but most
importantly, I did not have a natural aptitude for cultivation. Because of
these reasons, I repeatedly suffered contempt, alienation, and could never hold
a high position.”
“After five years passed in such a manner, an opportunity appeared in front of
me.”
“A rebellion broke out in a village and the tax collector official sent there
was killed. The manager in charge of levying taxes hid the details and was
fearful his lord would discover it, he offered a large sum of money to the
person that could successfully collect the taxes.”
“I knew the villagers well and believed that this was an opportunity, so I
volunteered to go.”
“I was hung up, beaten, locked in a cell, and continuously tortured.”
“Just as they were about to kill me, they asked if I had any final words.”
“I smiled, merely shook my head, and did not say a word.”
“This confused the villagers.”
“I informed them that I was their friend and never had any enmity towards them.
I was there to save them. If they complied and paid their taxes, then the
manager would act as if it never happened. If they chose not to, then knights
would come and eliminate them.”
“The villagers became afraid, all of them knew that they could never resist the
knights. But if they paid their taxes, all of their stockpiled food would be
collected and they would starve to death.”
“I lied and told them that the manager had secretly lowered the tax payments.
If they paid taxes, they would still have enough grain to survive. However,
they needed to maintain strict confidentiality, else other villages and towns
would try to imitate them.”
“The villagers talked it over and agreed. I secretly made up the deficiency and
then reported that the taxes had been paid.”
“In doing so, I received the manager’s favor and was finally promoted.”
“I occupied a position of power and at first, no one thought highly of me. They
believed that I was extremely feeble, that I was only a simple scholar, and
that one assassination could end my life. But in reality, I held the position
for over thirty years.”
“My position gave me an opportunity to perform. My erudition allowed me to
display my value and gradually formed a deep impression on the feudal lord.”
“During this process, I never gave up my pursuit of knowledge. It was precisely
because of my constant acquisition of new knowledge that my value continued to
grow more and more.”
“Although the Horse god chaplain had left early in my life, his spirit of
pursuing knowledge had already fused with my blood.”
“I previously thought that I would always serve the feudal lord until my death,
however, fate once again had a new plan in store for me.”
“As time passed, I was growing older and older, this allowed others to see
opportunities. At the same time, I loved pursuing knowledge more than power and
tried my best to avoid internal factional struggles of the fiefdom, this made
those in power dissatisfied.”
“They incited a youngster.”
“He was called Lan Tu and he daydreamed all day of becoming a knight. He was my
most trusted aide and assistant. After being seduced by the feudal lord’s third
young miss, the youngster decided to betray me.”
“He accused me and claimed that I was a dangerous criminal who had been hiding
for many years, that I had malice towards the fief and the feudal lord’s entire
family, and that I had been secretly conspiring against them.”
“In order to preserve my life, I could only escape. The youngster smoothly
succeeded my position and was recruited by the third lady.”
“The act of absconding in fear of the crime served only to undoubtedly confirm
the youngster’s accusation. At the beginning of my escape, I felt very
sorrowful, angry, and drowned in all kinds of negative emotions that I could
not extricate myself from.”
“After a long time, I got over it.”
“Destiny had given me a new path.”
“I asked myself, I am already so old, there was not much time left, so how
should I spend what remained of my life? Finally, I decided to seek after what
I truly yearned for, knowledge. Of all the knowledge, the thing that interested
me most was the field of biology. I wanted to have an academic accomplishment,
I wanted to write a book with all of my abilities to expound on the
profundities of life.”
“Soon, the arrest warrant for me propagated. I was not surprised. I had served
the feudal lord’s family, held a key position, and knew many secrets. The
feudal lord’s family would not let me off so easily.”
“I could not continue staying in the Sheng Ming Continent, I had no choice but
to embark towards the beastmen continent. The Wilderness Continent just
happened to have many unique ecologies that would be of great aid in completing
my academic work.”
“Lord Zhen Jin, I am an old codger who bears an arrest warrant. If you recruit
me, the Sha Ta Clan will undoubtedly become your enemy. This is the reason why
I refused your previous offer.”
“The reason why I have grasped the method of taming the explosive hoof blazing
horse is because more than half of the technique originated from the Horse god
chaplain. The remaining portion was completed through thirty years of my
experimentation.”
“This is my story.”
“Quite marvelous.” Zhen Jin exclaimed in admiration.
Cang Xu smiled: “Many thanks for your praise my Lord, it is a lifelong honor
that your Lordship listened to me. I have already completed half of my academic
work, all stored in my mind, concurrently, I have also hidden a copy in the Sha
Ta Clan’s territory.”
“This incomplete half of the work is hidden in the prison cell of the ruins of
a certain village. That is the place where I was once tortured. It is in a
brick under the iron manacles.”
“This is my final wish—if I die here, I ask that you give the incomplete work
to Lan Tu. Of course, your Lordship can thumb through and collect it, if it is
of use to you, I would also be greatly honored.”
Zhen Jin furrowed his brows and inevitably felt doubtful.
“Lan Tu?” Zi Di had awoken at an unbeknown juncture, “If I did not mishear,
isn’t Lan Tu the youngster who framed you?”
“Yes, Miss Zi Di, you heard correctly.”
Cang Xu’s face showed a complex expression of bleakness, sadness, and a trace
of pain and hope.
He then said: “It is because that youngster is my son.”



****** Chapter 65: Teetering and Suffering ******
There was a spell of silence in the cave.
It was obvious that his son’s betrayal was a massive blow to Cang Xu as a
father.
However, when Cang Xu was facing death, he still thought of his son.
Cang Xu hoped his writings could help his son to some extent. Of course, he
concurrently also hoped his writings would be passed on.
There was both love and hate, in addition to helplessness and vicissitudes.
There were many complex emotions.
Zhen Jin and Zi Di finally began to understand the old scholar before them.
It was no wonder he cherished his life before and was now willing to sacrifice
himself.
“If I can escape, I will help you realize this final wish.” Zi Di vowed.
“Many thanks, Miss Zi Di.” Cang Xu verbalised sincerely.
“Then, Lord Zhen Jin…” Cang Xu once again gazed at Zhen Jin.
Although Zhen Jin did not speak and only shook his head, he still revealed his
steadfast attitude.
In the deadlock, Zi Di took out some letters: “Actually, I think Bai Ya also
gave us his final wishes.”
Zhen Jin glanced at it and recognized the letters.
These letters had been on Bai Ya’s body.
“For a short while, Bai Ya seemingly struggled out of his comatose state and
used his finger to point towards his chest, as if he was indicating these
letters to us.”
“Cang Xu and I have read the contents of the letters.”
“My Lord, you should read them too.”
Zi Di gave Zhen Jin the letters.
Zhen Jin curiously skimmed through them.
They were all love letters.
The lead male was Bai Ya and the lead female was named Xi Qiu.
Some of these letters were written by Xi Qiu to Bai Ya, these letters were
treasured by Bai Ya and worn at his side. Some of the letters were Bai Ya
writing to Xi Qiu that recorded Bai Yai’s experience and thoughts after
boarding the ship, but they had not been sent yet.
Xi Qiu was a young noble miss and Bai Ya was a hunter’s son.
Xi Qiu’s clan had a summer resort in a mountain village, and hunting was a
traditional recreational activity for nobles. Bai Ya had been selected as one
of the guides.
Thus the two crossed paths, although their statuses were disparate, love still
bloomed.
This was a rare situation, like the old stories of wandering minstrels.
Regarding this love, Bai Ya felt overwhelmed, as if he was in a dream. He
treated Xi Qiu as his entire life and he wrote to her many times: He would give
his life for his beloved.
However, the harsh chasm between them was the disparity of their statuses. Thus
in order for their love to come to fruition, Bai Ya wanted to become a knight.
It was very difficult for a commoner to become a knight.
To be precise, it was extremely challenging.
A commoner ascending to be a knight was a thing from a bygone era hundreds of
years ago. Even in the battle where Great Emperor Sheng Ming unified the entire
human continent and had completely subjugated the Southern Noble Alliance,
there were very few who were promoted to nobility.
For Bai Ya, his only hope lay on battlefields overseas.
At the order of the Great Emperor Sheng Ming, humanity’s ships sailed to the
Wilderness Continent and waged a war of aggression against the beastmen.1
This was a once-in-a-lifetime golden opportunity.
Albeit being very dangerous, for commoners, the war against the beastmen was
their opportunity at becoming a knight.
This was the reason why Bai Ya was traveling to White Sands City.
Zhen Jin sighed deeply: “If by misfortune I do not die, I will give these
letters to Miss Xi Qiu. In addition, I guarantee by my knight’s honor that I
will tell her: her sweetheart Bai Ya is a very courageous man. He is a skilled
archer and aided me in the past. He cherished benevolence and did not hesitate
in getting seriously injured to help his comrades. He had unyielding bravery
until his last breath and never cowered in fear. Although he was not a knight,
I am sure he possessed many knightly virtues.”
Truth be told, Zhen Jin did not want to be a bearer of bad news. When he
uttered those words, he could already envision the weeping and heartbroken
visage of Miss Xi Qiu.
However, Cang Xu shook his head.
The old scholar ridiculed the idea: “From what I understand, appearances can be
deceiving, Lord Zhen Jin.”
“In recent years there has been a new trend spreading among the empire’s
noblewomen. The source of this trend is Duke Ai Mei.”
“This Duchess chased after love and beauty, she had continuously proclaimed
that she wanted to raise the power and status of women in the empire. She was
formidable, as one of the living gods. Her lifestyle was extravagant and self-
indulgent, and she was also an infamous great liar that toyed with men.”
“Taking Duke Ai Mei as an exemplar, many noblewomen followed suit. They used
love as a lure to tease men so they groveled at their skirts, or watched them
fight amongst themselves for their favour, or even manipulated them into their
puppets.”
Zhen Jin frowned and pinched the letters: “So you believe this is also the case
between Bai Ya and Xi Qiu?”
Cang Xu nodded: “I am not baselessly guessing because the letters have proof.”
“Firstly, love came too abruptly. The time spent between the two together is
too short and there was no incident of the hero saving the damsel in distress.”
“Secondly, Xi Qiu actively encouraged Bai Ya to become a knight. Hence, that
idea was not Bai Ya’s original intention.”
“Thirdly, it was also Xi Qiu who actively asked Bai Ya to write her letters.”
“From Xi Qiu’s point of view, it is very interesting to tease Bai Ya, changing
this hunter’s son’s fate and manipulating him into becoming a knight.”
“If it was successful, she would gain a knight that would effectively serve her
with incomparable loyalty. And she would invest very little to do so.”
“If it does not succeed, then Bai Ya’s letters about what he has heard and seen
could greatly lessen her boredom and tedium in her boudoir. Even if Bai Ya ends
up sacrificing his life, Xi Qiu can also turn that into capital she can flaunt.
‘You see, someone died for me—an idiot who wanted to become a knight’.”
“Fourthly, the reason why I am so clear or even certain about this is because
my son was such a victim. It is very possible that even now, he still dreams of
marrying the third young miss of the Sha Ta Clan. Perhaps it is my fault, I
passed on my mediocre bloodline to him and he did not have the aptitude for
cultivation. That pitiful and lamentable fellow, he was just like me when I was
young—discontent with his status quo and eager to struggle free from his
current life.”
“The third young miss’s love gave him hope for a bright future. However, he did
not know that in order for his father to break away from his own original life
and step over his lowly status, he had to pay a massive price and spend
countless years.”
“Young people always think that they are blessed by destiny. Any good luck that
comes, even if it is hard to believe at first, they will still believe in it
deep down inside, that they are being favored and that they deserve it. Any
good thing, any success that they have are all proper, and as it should be by
right.”
“Only when they go through hardships and torment, through thick and thin, would
they gradually realize: they are mediocre and the kindness of others is
something that they should cherish and treasure. The reason that beautiful
stories of romance are popular is because they are hardly ever seen in
reality.”
“Don’t look at what is written in the history books. Those heroes seemed to
have the destiniy of heaven, that they deserved to rule from birth or were born
to bring about great change. Even if they met with disaster, they would always
turn jeopardy into security. Upon being confronted by a quandary, they would
always choose morality and honor.”
“That is because they are the winners.”
“When they have defeated all of their enemies, after the victory, they are the
ones that decide how history should be written. They will magnify their virtues
and even fabricate them, like a dazzling torch held heavenward for the world to
gaze up to. Morality, virtuousness, innate talent, and the destiny of heaven
are all conveniences that make their rule easier or something used to defend
their grand achievement, or even used to reap external benefits. And so their
vulgarity, cravings, filth, treachery, and other vices are all hidden in the
shadows under the torch. When people behold the torch, their gazes are
immediately attracted by the resplendent flame, and they do not descry upon the
shadow cast on the ground.”
“My Lord, even if you eat me, no one will know. Bai Ya is in a coma and
completely unconscious. Miss Zi Di is your fiancée and your interests are
closely intertwined, she will never betray you.”
“And you can only escape if you have enough food.”
“You will be the winner and your experience will be recounted by you, no one
can refute it. What happens here is something outsiders will never learn of.”
“And I am also truly willing because I believe you will do everything you can
to accomplish my final wish!”
Zhen Jin shook his head: “You overestimate me too much, I am not a winner, I am
only a knight.”
The young knight then bitterly laughed: “Truth be told, Zi Di brought her
people to search and rescue me before I regained consciousness, allowing me to
survive. However, I lost most of my memories. I only remember my name and my
status. Sometimes, I will suddenly remember memories that warn me or let me
grasp a skill once more.”
Cang Xu was immediately stunned.
After reacting, the old scholar continued to advise: “If your Lordship
remembers that he is a knight, then that means you should eat some more food.
Your stamina is deficient, how long do you think you can fight tomorrow?
Perhaps you will suddenly go weak and be unable to dodge a fatal blow of a
scorpion’s tail.”
“You need food now! A great amount of food.”
“Think of your status, your clan. As a defeated party, although the Bai Zhen
Clan has joined the Great Emperor Sheng Ming’s faction, your circumstances are
not good, correct? You are their sole heir and the entire territory needs you
to lead and revitalize it in the times to come.”
“Apart from the responsibilities you inherently carry, you still have to
protect your fiancée's life.”
“Eat food and you will gain stamina. Not only will it increase your chances of
survival, it will also help you protect your fiancée. Perhaps she will luckily
survive tomorrow’s breakout because you ate a piece of meat.”
“Are you forcing me?” Zhen Jin was furious.
Cang Xu smiled: “Yes, I am forcing you. But I ask you to forgive me, Lord Zhen
Jin. I am at death’s door and a dead man does not fear worldly authority. I
want to accomplish my final wish and in order to do so, my life is but a
bargaining chip.
Zhen Jin unconsciously clenched his fists.
He glowered at Cang Xu with great anger.
He was angry that Cang Xu was coercing him.
He was indignant that he fell into such a situation, that fate had mistreated
him.
He resented his weakness, that the scorpion group had forced him into desperate
straits, that he was incapable of shouldering his responsibilities anymore, and
that he could not protect his fiancée's life.
And the thing that enraged him the most was—he found himself teetering!
Zhen Jin was fully aware: Cang Xu was a wise man.
He also knew that Cang Xu’s words were reasonable. From a purely rational
perspective, it was indeed advisable to follow Cang Xu’s proposal.
Then, what about his morals? What about his conscience?
Where should he place them?
What would happen if he treated people as food?
He would no longer be a human being, he would be a malefactor, he would drift
and live life without purpose1, all honor and fame would forever escape him.
However, wasn’t thinking like this too selfish of him? Wasn’t this just him
engrossing himself in his own honour and moral conduct but ignoring the lives
of others?
By eating all the food himself, and sacrificing just one person, maybe it would
be enough to save himself and others?2
Perhaps not, but Zhen Jin understood that doing this would indeed greatly
increase the chances of everyone surviving!
If he obstinately persisted in his views, wouldn’t that also be a form of
stupidity?
Just as Cang Xu had said, history was written by the winners. If he didn’t eat
a human being, perhaps he would really die under the silver level scorpion,
then what would his father think of him? Wouldn’t the previous generations of
ancestors scold him for not knowing how to be flexible?
If he ate a human being, would he regret it in the future?
If he did not eat a human being, perhaps he would still survive, but the others
would die. In future recollections, he would remember that he had a chance but
refused to take it. Perhaps he could have saved his fiancée and the others, but
he chose not to.
Zhen Jin struggled in his heart with all manners of conflicting thoughts that
lingered in his mind.
Hesitation, doubt, and disorientation made his thoughts slowly descend into
chaos.
Zhen Jin was not the only one suffering torment this night.
The cold winds in the dead of night were like scraping knives.
Huang Zao carried Lan Zao on his back as he braved through the headwind with
difficulty.
He felt like a dilapidated scarecrow that would be blown away at any time in
the wind.
The darkness in front of him was unseeable and impalpable, just like Huang
Zao’s innermost emotions at this moment.
The reason he was able to keep moving forward was through his numbness and
inertia.
His heart was icy cold and despair gradually enveloped him, the only warmth he
had was from Lan Zao. Lan Zao’s body grew hotter and hotter and his wounds
festered.
He was at death’s door.
“Don’t die older brother, don’t die!”
“I have gone to such great lengths and carried you this far, if you die now,
you’re going to be too unjust on me.”
“You know, I wanted to disembark that ship long ago. But you wanted to eke out
a living at sea.”
“If we had been on land, do you think I would be degenerating on this wretched
island?”
“So, this is all on you, this is all your fault.”
Huang Zao cried out in his heart.
With the help of this holler, he encouraged himself.
However, compared to the encouraged spirit, hunger and thirst provoked his body
and mind even more.



****** Chapter 66: Depravation Is Instantaneous ******
Huang Zao was extremely thirsty.
There seemed to be a sun wedged into his throat, his entire pharynx and his
radix linguae were half cooked, making him incapable of speech.
Huang Zao was extremely hungry.
He was so hungry that his abdomen was plastered against his vertebral column,
his whole body was limp, he staggered as he trudged, tranced in a dizzy spell,
and even had hallucinations.
In his hallucinations, he felt that he was walking amongst the clouds. But
there was a giant mountain pressing down on him.
The heavy mountain wanted to squish him into paper.
Soon after, this giant mountain’s image transformed, turning into a goat horned
devil.
The devil opened its bloody mouth wide open like a sacrificial bowl1 and
shouted into his ears—eat! Eat him! Eat him!
Huang Zao felt terrified, he wanted to hurl the giant mountain or devil off of
his back. But his hands and his arms were numb and ignored his instructions,
leaving him to carry the mountain or devil on his back.
Then the devil on his back quickly changed again.
The devil became a suckling pig.
The suckling pig exuded a foul odor of sweat and the smell of putrid wounds.
Huang Zao looked down, he saw a flame burning within his belly.
It was a ball of raging fire.
It burned vigorously, and quickly proliferated, in a split second, the colossal
flame engulfed Huang Zao’s entire body.
The flame then spread to the suckling pig on his back and turned the latter
into a roasted suckling pig.
The fragrance of food seemed to assail his nose in that second.
“No, never.” As if smelling this fragrance, Huang Zao shivered from head to
toe, as if receiving an electric shock, he miraculously escaped the
hallucination.
He returned to reality.
Before him was an abysmally dark night, such that he was unable to discern his
own hands.
In his ears rung ceaselessly the ice-cold whistles of the night breeze.
His older brother he carried on his back still remained unconscious.
He staggered forward, limping as if he were a puppet.
Extremely insignificant, extremely lonely.
Huang Zao did not realize that he was shedding tears.
He gazed forward, as if there were light ahead, as if there were a vast and
smooth road ahead.
He said to himself in his heart: “Night will soon pass and dawn will soon
come.”
“Persevere, keep persevering, Huang Zao.”
“There should be an oasis up ahead! The oasis that you and the other team
members reached in the past.”
“Look at the terrain, doesn’t it seem familiar?”
“You’re getting closer, you’ve nearly reached the oasis! Keep persevering, you
must not relax.”
“There surely is an oasis, there surely must be.”
“When you reach the oasis, you will have water and you will have prey. You can
hunt, you are a strong bronze level expert.”
“You will not die, you will never die. Your older brother will not die either!”
“He will be saved by you!!”
While Huang Zao firmed his own beliefs, Zhen Jin felt himself teetering.
Hunger tormented him.
Every cell in his body was shouting: ‘Food! Food! I don’t care what kind it is,
just give me food!’
“Cang Xu is right, what happens here is something others will not know about.
If Zi Di survives, she would be even more grateful towards me. If it really
doesn’t work, then I can only abandon her, as long as I survive, I can continue
to shoulder the burden of revitalizing my clan.”
As soon as this thought emerged in his mind, Zhen Jin shivered, despite the
cave being awfully sultry.
Immediately, an intense sensation of shame washed over Zhen Jin, making his
face burn hot.
He felt how hideous he was.
Was he so afraid of his own demise?
Another thought surfaced: “If I eat this…food, my stamina will greatly recover.
With enough stamina, I will definitely be able to confront this challenge more
calmly. I eat this meat not for myself. I do it to get rid of the silver level
spear scorpion and to defeat the entire scorpion group. That way, no one will
die. I will not, Zi Di will not, and Cang Xu will not…I am doing it for them!”
This notion enticed him more than previous ones.
Afterwards, thoughts emerged and waned, being replaced by new surfacing ones.
Zhen Jin knew he was vacillating!
The cave walls he relied on were incapable of giving him firm support anymore.
Although Cang Xu and Zi Di remained silent, while Bai Ya was motionless; their
mere existence itself seemed to be oppressing the poor youngster.
“I am a templar knight, could a templar knight do such a thing?” Zhen Jin asked
himself.
He began to reflect on himself.
“Did things fall to this point because I made mistakes as the leader?”
“On how many occasions did I fail to act correctly?”
“Was I overreaching when I set up a battlefield here to deal with the scorpion
group?”
“If I had known this, would I have chosen a different path?”
Zhen Jin began to doubt himself, and the doubt increased his indecision.
Zhen Jin dithered.
“If I eat them as just food, will it torment me when I reminisce of yore in the
future? Or will I not have a shred of regret?”
“If I don’t eat them, how can I fulfil my responsibilities? Am I going to have
to watch my fiancée die?”
“In order to save me, she did not hesitate to risk her life, so many times she
only barely made it out alive.”
“My father too expects that I will bring hope for the clan. I am the Bai Zhen
Clan’s sole heir!”
“What about myself? I suffered ostracism and accumulated in silence, all in
order to one day rise up and humiliate my rivals. Would my past self hold me in
contempt for my choices?”
At this moment, a memory appeared in his mind.
It was a meticulously adorned luxurious and extravagant room. Paintings drawn
by famous maestro artists hung on the walls, expensive perfume wafted through
the air, and rose gold curtains were pulled up to block most of the sunlight,
causing the room to appear dusky and ambiguous.
There was a female dancer wearing exotic clothing from the northwestern part of
the empire, the purple veil she wore made her beautiful visage more enigmatic
and alluring. Her body was seductive and enchanting, voluptuous on front and
back. Her dancewear was mostly red laced with gold threads. They were short and
close-fitting, exposing her slender arms and snow white naval.
As the dance music ended, she stepped onto the thick carpet with one foot and
slowly raised the other in sync with the melody of the music until it was up to
her waist. She clasped her hands together and remained motionless.
Presently, the toe of her footwear was curved over the upper, exposing most of
her instep, under the candlelight, it had a crystalline lustre, throbbing the
hearts of men and causing them to wish to nibble at it.1
Her visage was dignified, her beautiful eyes were like amber, and her
motionless posture fully exhibited her beautiful feminine body.
The room also had three gaping youngsters.
After a moment, the youngsters responded by applauding one after the other.
The dancing woman slowly lowered her leg, stood upright, and then made a slight
bow.
“This is Dancer Ji Si, who recently became all the rage in the capital; she
really does deserve her reputation.” One of the youngsters complimented
sincerely.
Zhen Jin was one of the three youngsters, his attention was mainly focused on
another youngster, who possessed an extraordinary identity.
Zhen Jin laughingly asked: “An Ge, didn’t you ask me to show you Ji Si’s dance?
How is it? I get to call the shots here and I can give Miss Ji Si to you. You
can use her to warm your bed tonight. Hahaha.”
“What?“ The youngster who spoke previously immediately shook and stared at An
Ge with envy.
An Ge’s appearance was vastly different from that of Zhen Jin.
Although both of them were handsome, Zhen Jin had blond hair and deep blue eyes
while An Ge had long black hair and very unique eyes. His scleras were pitch
black and seemed to wrap around his white pupils, delineating a light of
indifference.
No matter when he sat, his body was always upright.
But at this moment, An Ge gazed at Dancer Ji Si on the stage and subconsciously
leaned forward.
As long as he spoke a word, this alluring dancer would be his.
A temptation, a great temptation!
An Ge’s Adam’s apple rolled, swallowing a mouthful of saliva.
He gazed at Ji Si, his gaze full of desire to seize and possess her. As if his
gaze was too scorching, Dancer Ji Si bashfully lowered her head, revealing her
snow white neck.
The submissive attitude made An Ge’s nether regions rise with a hot sensation.2
Seeing An Ge’s current demeanor, Zhen Jin revealed a smile that implied
smugness.
An Ge ordinarily followed the rules and maintained discipline, he was the most
respected and hardest working individual in the Fifth Templar Regiment.
But the youngster lusted after beauties. As long as he was a normal man, it was
unavoidable. Even people who normally suppressed themselves would become very
terrifying once they released their desires.
However, much to Zhen Jin’s surprise, as time passed, An Ge’s demeanor became
ferocious, and then he gradually calmed down to his usual serenity.
“An Ge…you?” The other youngster also noticed the change in An Ge’s demeanour
and became perplexed.
An Ge smiled and calmly stretched out his arm to wipe away his cold sweat.
“Difficult, it is indeed difficult to resist the temptation of beauty.” He
seemed to have some lingering fears, “However, this beauty has no value to me.
I do not want her.”
Zhen Jin was puzzled: “What do you mean?”
An Ge said: “Zhen Jin, thank you for helping me with this matter. Truth be
told, cutitivation is not only about cultivating one’s body, it is also about
cultivating one’s mind. Do you know the clan motto of my An Hui Clan?”
Zhen Jin nodded, the clan mottos of great noble clans were always widely
circulated.
An Ge continued: “My clan’s bloodline originates from an abyss demon. This
bloodline is powerful, and grants my clansmen a strong cultivation aptitude.
However, it is also very dangerous, there are often clansmen that indulge in
their desires and cannot extricate themselves from them, this causes them to
lose their rationality and become chaotic lunatics. As a result, my clan’s
motto is this—hell is at one’s feet, depravation is instantaneous. Our clan
motto is a caveat to us to maintain our vigilance; desire is an abyss and if we
are careless we will turn into demons that cease to be humans.”
The other youth suddenly saw the light: “So this is actually your cultivation?”
An Ge nodded and gazed at Zhen Jin: “Zhen Jin, you and I are colleagues. This
time, you have helped me, thus I will advise you. Cultivating yourself must be
the main focus, blindly currying favor with others will only be leaves
fluttering in the wind.”
Upon saying this, An Ge got up and left despite Zhen Jin’s unsightly
complexion.
The memory waned as Zhen Jin suddenly woke up.
Before he knew it, his entire body was covered in cold sweat.
His entire body felt weak.
Another piece of his memory was restored, however it did not give him any
obvious improvements.
Yet, those words were very profound.
“Hell is at one’s feet, depravation is instantaneous.” Zhen Jin could not help
but murmur.
Looking back on this new memory, Zhen Jin began to analyze.
“The An Hui Clan is a great imperial nobility, Archduke An Hui is a living god
and also the right-hand man of Great Emperor Sheng Ming. As Archduke An Hui’s
son, An Ge’s status is very secure and he undoubtedly does not need to curry
favor with others. However, my Bai Zhen Clan needed to gain a foothold so
becoming friends with An Ge was a sensible action.”
“Ji Si…really was a flirtatious and attractive woman. It seems that I
controlled her freedom and enabled the spreading of her fame widely across the
capital city, this is proof that the Bai Zhen Clan certainly has resources and
influence in the capital city. A lean camel is still bigger than a horse, the
Bai Zhen Clan is indeed worthy of being an old southern nobility.”
“On the other hand, I can also see how successful my act of laying-low
patiently was. An Ge also misinterpreted me and thought I was currying favor. I
am a bit curious, how is the relationship between me and An Ge after that
event? Did I ever make any headway in becoming friends with him?”
Perceiving the deluge of thoughts surging in his mind, Zhen Jin shook his head
slightly and ceased making stabs in the dark.
Now was not the time to ruminate over these things.
Although the recovered memory did not increase Zhen Jin’s battle strength, it
unexpectedly solved his quandary.
“Hell is at one’s feet, depravation is instantaneous.”
“Am I on the brink of depravity?”
“What a close call! I almost befouled my knight’s armor with indelible filth.”
“I am a brave, noble, and resolute templar knight! Even though I face the
pressure of death and have my responsibilities threatened, I must abide by the
knight’s path!!”
Zhen Jin spat out a breath of turbid air as if he were unloading a heavy burden
from his body.
He slowly got up.
The movement immediately attracted Zi Di’s and Cang Xu’s gazes, when they saw
Zhen Jin’s calmness, they realized that Zhen Jin had made his decision.
“Lord Zhen Jin.” Cang Xu’s eyes gazed with expectation.
But Zhen Jin shook his head slightly: “I will not treat human beings as food!”
Cang Xu gaped slightly and revealed an intense complexion of disappointment.
Zhen Jin’s eyes were clear and he forestalled Cang Xu from trying to persuade
him: “Don’t try to persuade any longer, I have already made my decision.”
He shifted his gaze to Zi Di with a trace of apology.
Zi Di was understanding and shook her head: “My Lord, you and I are one, your
decision is my decision.”
Zhen Jin smiled: “Let’s go. Based on the time, when we reach the cave’s mouth,
we will greet the light of dawn.”



****** Chapter 67: My Name Is Lan Zao ******
A glimmer of light began to appear on the horizon.
The light was very faint, but nevertheless distinct in the darkness of night.
Closely following it, as if accompanying a pulsating heart, the glimmer
gradually increased in grandeur.
The darkness waned under the propagation of the light, it was as if the latter
was a giant that had just awoken and was unfolding their arms and stretching
its limbs.
Daybreak.
Dawn!
The light shone on Huang Zao’s face, but it did not bring him the slightest
warmth.
“Waaaah…” Huang Zao cried bitterly as he abruptly fell to his knees on the
desert sand causing Lan Zao on his back to also fall to the ground
“Oasis…oasis!” Huang Zao shouted, his eyes muddled and bleary.
The only thing in his vision was an empty desert with no sign of the oasis that
encouraged him.
“But I definitely heard the sound of water. I know I heard it!” Huang Zao
hissed without regard for damaging his throat.
“There really is the sound of water.” Lan Zao unexpectedly came to.
This was a sign of terminal lucidity.
“That’s right, older brother, you heard it too, you heard it too!” Huang Zao
crazily shouted like a perplexed child who suddenly found his views verified.
But Lan Zao did not respond to him, rather he kept murmuring: “I hear it, the
sound of the sea, the sound of waves.”
Huang Zao was suddenly petrified, he realised with a jolt that Lan Zao was
hallucinating.
Stuporous and shaken.
Lan Zao felt wonderful.
Hunger had left him and he felt as light as a feather, like…like he was doing
the thing he liked the most.
It was diving.
He liked diving into the sea, and then floating, letting the currents pull him
in whatever direction, or perhaps slowly sinking into the water while looking
at the vast azure sky.
It was such a pure blue devoid of all impurities.
Originally, the blue of the sky seemed aloof and aloft, but through the
seawater, the blue became gentle, graceful, melancholic, and even approachable.
Lan Zao loved this blue the most.1
Immersed in such ethereal blue, he could forget himself.
In such a beautiful scene, did it matter who one was?
It did not matter.
“Just stay like this…” Lan Zao’s heart sighed contently.
Then, a huge shark appeared stealthily.
It had a snow white belly, knife like fins, rows of sharp terrifying teeth, and
blue eyes that glittered like glass.
The shark and the stuporous Lan Zao stared at each other; observing those pair
of eyes up close, a wisp of horror rose up from the depths of Lan Zao’s heart.
As if he had been electrocuted, he woke up with a jolt and remembered who he
was.
“That’s right, my name is Lan Zao.”
“I was born in a seaside fishing village, I love diving into the sea the most,
and I almost didn’t grow up.”
When Lan Zao was ten, a famine occurred in the village.
Of course, it was not only in the fishing village, but throughout the entire
territory. However, the territory master still levied a heavy tax. The fishing
village’s surplus grain was all forcibly plundered.
In a crude thatched hut, Lan Zao’s family sat at the dining table.
Before the others were large bowls, at the bottom of each bowl was a small
handful of dark green paste for food. But the bowl before Lan Zao was half
full.
Lan Zao looked at his bowl of food, it was an unprecedented amount. In the same
way, unprecedented terror also enveloped his entire body and soul.
“Eat, eat more.” Lan Zao’s father spoke in a gentle voice, like undulating
waves lapping against the sea shore.
Lan Zao raised his head but could not see his father’s face. The barren fishing
village could not afford candles. In the tenebrous room, most of his father’s
face was hidden in darkness, he could only see his blue eyes that glittered
like glass.
Late into the night, Lan Zao could hear the sound of breathing, the sound was
becoming increasingly ragged.
He opened his eyes and saw his father at his bedside staring down at him, his
father’s face almost touching his.
Lan Zao opened his mouth to shout, but at that moment, his father stretched out
his hands and choked Lan Zao by the neck.
Lan Zao struggled frantically, the sound of thuds woke up his mother and
younger brother, Huang Zao.
Seeing the father choking Lan Zao, they promptly ran over to stop him.
“Get lost!” His father kicked his mother away.
Huang Zao cowered and shivered in the corner of the house with fear.
“That’s your son!” His mother mournfully cried like a dying bird’s last chirp.
“I gave him life and now I will take it back,” his father roared, “Don’t
struggle, become my food, become my food! Become my food so that I can live, so
that our family can live!”
“No, no!” His mother crazily shook her head, “It was not you who gave him life,
it was granted by the Forest Mother god. Back then, when I struggled with
labor, it was a priest of Forest Mother who saved me.”2
“That is a god the elves worship, an evil god of our human race! You still have
the nerve to bring that thing up?!” His father bellowed.
But at that moment, Lan Zao grabbed his hardwood pillow and viciously struck
his father’s head with it.
His father was caught off guard and immediately got knocked unconscious.
“I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you!” Lan Zao did not spare him, he shouted
ceaselessly as if possessed by a devil as he slammed the pillow onto his
father’s head again and again.
Blood pooled and filled the room with its reek.
His father remained motionless.
“Stop hitting him, stop, he is already dead, dead!” Finally, his mother hugged
Lan Zao and held him tightly in her arms.
Only then did Lan Zao cease his mechanical striking motion, his lifeless
countenance disappeared as he came to his senses, he then started to cry.
In the following days, seven people in the fishing village died. Most of them
were either old, weak, young, sick, or disabled; with Lan Zao’s father being
the only exception.
At first, Lan Zao buried his father together with his mother.
However, hunger could torment people into beasts.
Three days later, Lan Zao and Huang Zao sat at the dining table as they stared
at their mother.
Their mother was kneeling on the ground with clenched fists as she looked up at
a wooden statue set inside a niche. The statue was the figure of Forest Mother,
it had the appearance of a doe, but with branch-like antlers that exceeded that
of a stag’s. Vines entwined around the deer’s legs, and flowers bloomed on the
torso, forming deer skin patterns.
Their mother prayed piously and after she finished, she got up and looked at
them.
Lan Zao saw that his mother’s eyes were red and that her face had tear stains,
it was evident that she had been praying in tears for a long time behind them.
“Time to eat.” His mother said hoarsely.
Lan Zao looked down into the bowl.
The large bowl had meat inside.
The meat was deathly pale.
There was not enough meat so it had to be eaten sparingly.
Plop, plop.
Lan Zao’s tears fell into the bowl, he felt both happy and sad, both painful
and joyful.
There was little meat, and the famine was endless.
In the end, Lan Zao did not finish eating the family’s meat as an accident
occurred.
Orphans and widows were the easiest targets to bully and their meat was
snatched by the usually gentle and kind villagers. His mother was also
seriously injured as a result.
Perceiving the danger, Lan Zao’s mother secretly left the fishing village with
the two brothers.
There were many small uninhabited islands in the vicinity of their seaside
fishing village.
One of these small uninhabited islands became their new home as well as the
tomb where they buried their mother.
“My flesh…can be eaten.” His mother called Lan Zao to her side and whispered
her dying words into his ear, “My great god has told me to do this, your
mother’s soul will ascend to the Forest Mother’s sacred temple. Don’t worry
about me, take care of your younger brother.”
Take care of your younger brother…
Take care of your younger brother…
Take care of your younger brother…
This final wish was deeply engraved in Lan Zao’s heart and had always lingered
in his ears until now.
Lan Zao forced his eyes open.
He could only see a vast and indistinct whiteness.
“Huang Zao…my younger brother, where are you?” He hollered. It made him very
astounded, he actually had the strength to shout.
“It was fake, all fake.”
“There’s no oasis, no oasis!”
“Older brother, there’s no oasis…waaaaaah…”
Huang Zao lay beside Lan Zao, crying in pain, he had long since broken down.
Lan Zao suddenly extended his arm and pulled over Huang Zao’s head. He put his
mouth to Huang Zao’s ear like his mother had done before.
Lan Zao declared his dying words: “Huang Zao, eat me, you can still walk! Live
well and take care of yourself.”
Huang Zao shivered, as if he had been struck by a petrifying ray, he turned
into a stone statue.
After a few seconds, Huang Zao suddenly launched himself, pouncing on Lan Zao
and choked Lan Zao by the neck with both hands.
“Older brother, older brother!” He shouted.
“I’m sorry, so sorry!” He wept.
“I want to eat you, I want to eat you…” His eyes were as red as a beast’s.
Lan Zao felt very pained and gradually suffocated.
The corners of his mouth twisted as he tried to smile.
The sound waves flowing and ebbing seemed to echo in his ears.
Swish… swish… swish…
His body felt like it was immersed in the sea, as if he was diving into the
sea, sedate and serene.



****** Chapter 68: I Want to Live! ******
Zhen Jin felt like he was burning up.
After leaving the cave, he proactively stormed the scorpion group and beheaded
three spear scorpions in succession.
The silver level scorpion was provoked into a rage, it led the scorpion group
to encircle and kill Zhen Jin.
Zhen Jin had broken their tacit understanding, thus the scorpion group no
longer played by the rules and pounced on the lone Zhen Jin.
Zhen Jin dodged bilaterally as he nimbly and dexterously scaled the rocks.
The mountainous terrain was unfriendly to the scorpion group; thus the ordinary
spear scorpions were greatly hampered. Only the silver level spear scorpion
could keep up with Zhen Jin.
Every time Zhen Jin fought it, he mainly defended himself. After exchanging
several blows, he would see that the scorpion group was starting to surround
him and would then retreat.
“Good, just like that!” Although the pressure on Zhen Jin was great, he was
jovial in his heart. It was because the battle before him was what he wanted
most—he had attracted the entire scorpion group, thus Zi Di and Cang Xu could
quietly flee.
“I need to stall for time! The longer time drags on, the better their chances
of escaping.”
However, good times were fleeting as Zhen Jin’s movements turned sluggish.
He was panting, and albeit the fullness of his fighting spirit, his limbs were
limp and weak.
On the craggy mountain, he barely dodged a spear scorpion tail as another
attacked from the rear to his left with its pincers.
Zhen Jin wanted to dodge them, but because he had inadequate stamina, his
movements were too slow.
With a dull thud, Zhen Jin was sent flying by the large spear scorpion pincer.
Zhen Jin was slammed onto a boulder on his back, he immediately coughed out a
mouthful of blood and fell to the ground.
As he fell to the ground, three spear scorpions came up to surround him.
Zhen Jin ducked and rolled over to avoid the sweeping pincers, then he sprang
up onto a scorpion’s head and leapt towards a boulder.
As he leapt into the air, the silver level scorpion rushed over and launched
its sharp tail towards Zhen Jin.
Zhen Jin heard the whooshing wind and with difficulty, he turned around in mid-
air, parrying with his spider blade.
The scorpion’s tail clashed with the spider blade, bringing with it an immense
impact force.
Just as Zhen Jin was about to use the collision’s force to propel himself to
the top of the boulder, he saw the crack in the spider blade expanding at the
moment of the impact.
“Oh no!” Zhen Jin’s pupils contracted precipitously, not one moment after he
realized the dilemma, the spider blade shattered with a bang.
Without the obstruction, the scorpion tail skewered Zhen Jin’s left collarbone
and with its remaining momentum, nailed him to the boulder.
A sharp pang seized Zhen Jin, and he coughed out a large mouthful of blood with
a blargh.
He grabbed the spear scorpion’s tail with both hands and desperately tried to
pull it out.
However, the silver level scorpion's power was comparable to his, and
regardless of how much Zhen Jin struggled and clenched his teeth, it was hard
for him to move the scorpion’s tail even an inch out.
For a moment, Zhen Jin was helplessly immobile.
Taking advantage of this moment, the silver level spear scorpion used its legs
to climb the boulder.
However, the boulder was steep and its surface, smooth. It was almost vertical.
Even though the silver level spear scorpion leant on the boulder and was nearly
upright, it could not reach Zhen Jin with its pincers.
The scorpion's tail was long so it could stab Zhen Jin and nail him to the
boulder, but the scorpion could not climb the boulder, so it could not deal a
mortal wound to Zhen Jin with its pincers.
The battle sank into a strange deadlock.
For the time being, Zhen Jin could not escape, and the silver level spear
scorpion could not kill Zhen Jin.
Blood from the wound on Zhen Jin’s left shoulder trickled down his legs and
feet and dripped onto the silver level scorpion’s pincers and head.
The silver level scorpion tried for a good while but could not reach Zhen Jin,
it became so furious that it produced an ear-piercing shrill screech.
However, it seemed to fear that Zhen Jin would jump and flee again, thus it
never moved its tail and continued to firmly fix Zhen Jin on the rock wall.
Zhen Jin began to feel dizzy as he lost more and more blood.
He had also exhausted all of his strength.
Unarmed and defenseless.
The rock wall was as steep as a sharp knife and the surface had no protrusions
to grasp onto.
Once the scorpion’s tail was released, Zhen Jin would fall to the ground and be
ripped apart in an instant.
“I…am going to die…”
Death had truly come for him.
When Zhen Jin realized this, fear engulfed his entire body and mind.
“Have courage!”
“I cannot be afraid!”
“I am a templar knight.”
Even though he shouted this in his mind, vehement fear still emerged from his
heart and like a flood, it quickly deluged his mind.
If he met death instantaneously, he would not have had time to ponder, and this
powerful dread would not have kindled.
However, death was approaching slowly but surely, and the tremendous pressure
was not something one could feel by simply imagining it. Only through direct
experience could he know how terrifying it was.
After he had killed the monkey bear in the cave, he woke up and felt fear.
However, the degree of that fear could not compare to the intense fear at this
moment.
“I knew I would be fearful, but I never realized I could be so greatly
terrified!”
Fear.
He was fearful of dying!
Because of the immense fear in his heart, Zhen Jin then felt ashamed and
humiliated.
“Perhaps I am a person who is greedy for life and fearful of death…”1
“No, no!”
The young knight’s heart was in pain. To realize that he was greedy for life
and fearful of death was far crueler than calmly facing death with open arms.
His blood quickly pooled on the silver level spear scorpion’s head and dyed it
red.
Zhen Jin’s vision grew dark, his strength waned, and his struggling grew
feebler.
“It is still good, although I will die, Zi Di and Cang Xu will have saved
themselves.” He seemed to see the scene of Zi Di and Cang Xu escaping from the
cave.
At this time, Zhen Jin felt another surge of absurd thoughts arising in his
mind.
“Those weaker than me can escape? Am I, the stronger one, going to die?”
“Were they able to save Bai Ya?”
“The possibility is very small.”
“If I had listened to Cang Xu’s advice and ate human flesh, perhaps I would
also have survived.”
As soon as this thought emerged, Zhen Jin immediately repudiated it. But the
more he denied it, the stronger the thought became!
Ergo, the young knight felt regret.
Extreme regret!
“If I die, will my soul have the fortune of entering Emperor Sheng Ming’s
sacred temple to become a heroic spirit?”
“It is a tiny possibility because here, my prayers cannot reach Emperor Sheng
Ming.”
“In other words, once I die, nothing will be left…my duty, my clan, my
ambitions, and my future will all go up in smoke.”
“If I could make the decision once more, I would not be obstinate, I would
eat!”
“Why did I recall that memory of my peers and listen to 'hell is at one’s feet,
depravation is instantaneous’? Bullshit! I am truly moronic.”
“The answers of others are not my answers.”
“I thought about it almost all night, but did I truly reflect on it?”
“I want to survive, I really want to survive!”
“I realize that nothing is more important than survival!”
“Even if…even if others die, what does that have to do with me?”
“I want to live!!”
Huang Zao screamed these same words.
“I want to live!”
“Older brother, you’re right. You’re going to die anyway, if I sacrifice you, I
can live!”
“Don’t blame me, don’t blame me.”
“It is all on you, if you didn’t get wounded, how else could we have run out of
water so quickly?”
“It was you! It was you who killed Father and made me an orphan at an early
age. It was you who ate Mother, it’s all on you, it’s all your fault!!”
Huang Zao yelled as he watched his older brother and only living relative’s
gradually waning breath.
Escaping his trance, he released his hands, drooped his head onto Lan Zao’s
chest, and wailed.
But at that moment, Lan Zao suddenly opened his eyes!
His arms, muscular; his fingers, like iron clasps; and they firmly grasped
Huang Zao’s head.
Then, Lan Zao swiftly turned over, pushed Huang Zao down into the sand, and sat
atop him.
Huang Zao’s eyelids gaped, and his pupils shrunk to the size of a needle, for a
moment, the startling change left him unable to respond.
He wanted to scream, but the next moment, Lan Zao struck his eye with his fist.
For a moment, he felt heaven and earth spin as his ears buzzed intensely.
Subconsciously, Huang Zao attempted to reach out to push his older brother
away. However, Lan Zao grabbed his arm and snapped it.
Lan Zao had a bizarre increase in strength! It simply surpassed the limits of
the human body.
“Ahh!” Huang Zao miserably screamed.
Bang, bang, bang.
Lan Zao swung his fists and ruthlessly beat Huang Zao like a boxer devastating
a weak and small sandbag.
Huang Zao was resistless as he was pummeled, he sprayed out blood, and his
teeth were shattered.
“Stop, stop!”
“Spare me, I am almost dead.”
“Older brother, older brother, I won’t dare again.”
“Lan Zao!! I am your younger brother. Your blood brother!”
“Older brother, don’t hit me, don’t hit me.”
The terrified Huang Zao could only loudly beg for forgiveness.
However, it was as if Lan Zao went deaf as he ceaselessly pummeled; gradually
Huang Zao’s movements and struggling ceased.
Finally, Huang Zao’s arms limply fell to the ground.
His eyes, wide open; his face, deformed beyond recognition. He had been beaten
to death by Lan Zao!
Bang, bang, bang.
Lan Zao nonetheless continued.
His eyes, spiritless; his lips, pursed; and he maintained his deathly silence.
His punching motions made him seem like a mindless machine undertaking
repetitive movements.
Zhen Jin’s vision gradually darkened.
Upon facing death’s door, his mind had become abnormally active, but as his
body approached death, his rationality muddled.
Once more, he found himself in the darkness.
It was an infinite darkness.
“Where is this?”
“Am I dead?”
“Wait…who am I?”
Even though there was no frame of reference in the darkness, the youngster
nonetheless found himself incessantly sinking.
He had already forgotten almost everything, but at this very moment, an immense
sensation of crisis enveloped his heart.
The youngster realized that if he did not do something, he would be consigned
to eternal infinite perdition.
But he did not know what he should or could do!
“What did I forget?”
“What am I forgetting?”
“What should I be remembering?”
“Damm it, someone answer me!”
The youngster felt powerless as if he was trapped in a nightmare, his mind was
both sober and fuzzy, and he knew he was in a perilous situation in which he
needed to wake up but could not.
This feeling of powerlessness made him furious!
This fury seemed to be a spark that ignited something.
“Roar—!”
A beast suddenly roared through the darkness.
The roar was incredibly vast and unparalleled that it immediately sundered the
entire dark space of consciousness.
Zhen Jin, whose eyes were closed in reality, suddenly jolted awake.
His eyes gaped, but his pupils shrunk to their limits, his mouth opened as wide
as it could, and he violently gasped like a man who had been rescued after
nearly drowning to his watery grave.
A ferocious and strange power began to stir in his heart.
Graced with hope, Zhen Jin immediately activated this power.
The power was like a fierce tiger whose gates had been opened as it rushed out
from his heart!
Zhen Jin’s originally powerless palms that had rested limply beside his waist
now reached out and tenaciously grabbed the silver level spear scorpion’s tail.
Thereafter, the ferocious and strange power deluged into his palms and made his
hands shine blood-red.
The blood-red light overflowed and transformed into four blood threads.
Each blood thread was as thick as an adult’s finger.
The blood threads attacked like venomous snakes and quickly moved down the
silver level scorpion’s tail and swiftly entwined around its entire body.
The silver level scorpion looked as if it had been superficially tied up.
The silver level scorpion, however, did not seem to feel anything.
The blood threads quickly dimmed noticeably, as if they had penetrated into the
interior of the silver level scorpion’s body.
However, the crisscrossed blood threads soon recovered their previous luster.
“Wait, it seems that the blood light became more irradiant and monstrous than
before.”
Just as Zhen Jin noticed this change after narrowing his eyes, he found that
all of the blood threads were suddenly shrinking back.
Almost instantly, the spear scorpion’s body was left bare.
The blood threads flowed back into his palm and reverted back to their prior
nature as a power, however, the extent of this power was clearly much greater
than before.
This power rapidly circulated in Zhen Jin’s body as it converged into his
heart.
At that moment, Zhen Jin also concentrated his consciousness into his heart,
and once more, he could clearly see the magic crystal within!
“Sure enough, this power really was produced by the magic crystal!”
Just as Zhen Jin had validated his conjecture, the spear scorpion’s tail in his
hand suddenly seemed like an eroded bone. With a crack, it ruptured on its own
and turned into countless fragments.
Without anything propping him up, Zhen Jin fell down the rock wall.
As his feet landed on the ground, the remains of the silver level spear
scorpion collapsed into a pile of ash.
With the strange death of their leader, the spear scorpions cowered, but Zhen
Jin’s legs lacked strength, thus after a moment, he fell to the floor.
The scorpions saw that Zhen Jin was weak, thus they surrounded him again.
Several scorpions’ tails swung and their sharp spearpoint stabbed at Zhen Jin
from all sides.
Zhen Jin could not dodge nor escape.
In that grave juncture, he subconsciously mobilized the magic crystal as if it
were instinct.
The magic crystal within his heart immediately burst forth with effulgent
blood-red light.
The blood light permeated throughout Zhen Jin’s body.
Clang, clang, clang!
The scorpion tails’ spearpoints hit Zhen Jin but did not pierce his skin, there
were only a series of metallic clashing sounds.
At present, almost all of Zhen Jin’s skin had turned into a scorpion carapace.
In addition, it was a silver level spear scorpion’s carapace.
The scorpion carapace was tough, durable, and fully resisted all of the
scorpions’ attacks.
Then, the remaining blood light flowed down and surged into Zhen Jin’s
buttocks.
Poof.
With a soft sound and a sharp pang, a long, slender scorpion tail actually shot
up from Zhen Jin’s tailbone.
Zhen Jin changed his posture from sitting to half-kneeling and attempted to
move the scorpion tail that had a sharp spearpoint at its tip. Like a venomous
snake emerging from its hole, it pierced the head of a spear scorpion
immediately.
A fatal blow!
The spear scorpions stared blankly for an instant.
They could not understand why a human being could sprout the same scorpion
carapace and tail as them. Nonetheless, Zhen Jin’s actions were sufficient
proof of his immense power.
After realizing this, the scorpion group fled and routed one after the other.
Zhen Jin did not pursue as he was still half-kneeling on the ground, he was
exhausted.
The young knight’s countenance was frozen with stupefaction as he stared at his
scorpion carapace and his long, slender scorpion tail.
“I have grown a carapace.”
“I have also grown a tail.”
“Oh, what a surprise, it seems I can voluntarily control the magic crystal!!”



****** Chapter 69: Exploring the Secrets of the Magic Core ******
“Most important of all—I am still alive!”
“I am still alive!!”
The sheer exhilaration of surviving was so intense and emotional that it caused
Zhen Jin to keep repeating these words subconsciously.
For a time, Zhen Jin thought he was doomed!
Ever since Zhen Jin had regained consciousness, he had gone through several
life and death trials and his whole being had been emotionally touched each
time by the elation of survival. This time, it was especially vehement as if
each and every cell in his body were rejoicing.
Huff, huff…
Zhen Jin’s ragged gasps gradually calmed down.
The wound from his shoulder blade kept causing pounding pangs.
His joy and euphoria faded as the youth clenched his teeth, tore a strip off
from the hem of his clothing, and used it to dress his wound.
The cloth acted as a bandage and was immediately colored red with bloodstains
when it covered the wound.
Zhen Jin wrapped the cloth around his armpit, bit one end with his teeth, and
then tied it tightly with his hand.
A burst of pain made his vision darken.
The youngster sucked in a breath of cold air and after enduring for several
more seconds, the pain slightly abated.
He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead while constantly gasping for breath.
After a long while, his eyes refocused once more.
The erect tail in front of him then attracted his gaze.
The scorpion tail seemed to glitter like gold.
When Zhen Jin had fought with the spear scorpions, he had suffered much because
of their tails. But now, he actually had one of his own.
It was a fantastic feeling.
As soon as Zhen Jin willed it, the tail straightened out and bided
motionlessly, as if it were a bamboo pole.
Willing it again, Zhen Jin made the scorpion tail bend and undulate like a
wave.
It was as fluid as moving his own fingers!1
“Although this is the first time I have grown a tail, it feels as if it were
originally a part of my body.”
Zhen Jin reached out his hand to touch the scorpion tail.
The hard and ice-cold feeling was subsequently communicated to his mind.
“However, the scorpion tail doesn’t feel like it was touched.”
Zhen Jin lowered his head and looked towards his chest.
His chest was enveloped in a scorpion carapace, seemingly like inborn armor,
which tightly fitted and shielded his body.
Zhen Jin touched the carapace on his chest and felt the same cold and hard
sensation as from the tail.
“It's the same, the carapace also does not feel like it was touched.”
“But previously, when the carapace protected me from the stabs of the spear
scorpions, I clearly felt the impact of the attack. In other words, the tactile
sense isn’t absent. It is just that my touch was too light for me to even feel
it.”
Humans had many senses.
The main ones were vision, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, and tactile.
Most beasts had carapaces, or fur, or feathers, or others. In comparison, the
human body had sparse hair and delicate skin, as such, the defensive
capabilities of humans were weak.
However, simultaneously, a human’s skin and fine hairs gave them a relatively
keen tactile sense. Sometimes, humans could even quickly sense when a mosquito
landed on them.
A scorpion’s carapace’s tactility was inferior to that of humans. However, the
defensive strength of a scorpion’s carapace utterly dwarfed that of the human
body.
“It was the scorpion carapace that saved my life!”
Without the carapace, his body would have been pierced by the tails of several
spear scorpions.
Zhen Jin tried to peer inside himself again.
It succeeded without a hitch!
He beheld the magic crystal in his heart once more without any hindrances.
The magic crystal constantly flickered with blood light as it was ceaselessly
being consumed to silently support Zhen Jin’s present transformation.
Zhen Jin’s eyes flashed as he tried to control the magic crystal to quell its
ongoing consumption.
Thereafter, the magic crystal’s radiance quickly diminished and completely
ceased in less than a breath.
Without the mysterious crystal core’s support, Zhen Jin’s scorpion carapace and
tail rapidly blackened and then carbonized. In the blink of an eye, the
transformed tissue was reduced to ashes and scattered across the ground.
Shortly after, a sense of weakness welled up from the depths of Zhen Jin’s
heart.
Regarding this sensation, Zhen Jin was already very familiar with it.
In the past, he had felt it after his hands transformed into bear claws, after
the cancellation of his arms’ transformation, and also after he took the emetic
potion.
Zhen Jin lowered his head and observed his chest.
The scorpion armor had already dissipated without a trace and revealed his
uninjured and toned pectoral muscles.
Naturally, his pectoral muscles were not large.
“I am only sixteen years old, I am still growing.”
Zhen Jin inspected his chest and did not detect any abnormal changes left
behind.
After that, he stretched out a hand and touched his buttocks.
His trousers had a hole torn into it.
It was the place where the scorpion tail had sprouted from.
Zhen Jin then touched his tailbone.
It was completely normal.
Zhen Jin quietly heaved a sigh of relief.
He once again attentively focused on the magic core in his heart.
He discovered that the more he focused on this mysterious and fantastic magic
core, the more clearly he perceived its state.
After reaching a certain level of clarity, Zhen Jin wholly investigated the
remaining power of the magic core.
“If the degree and duration of the transformation are the same as before…I can
probably transform twice more.” Zhen Jin was able to calculate as if it were
natural. Furthermore, his intuition told him this calculation was extremely
accurate.
“I will be very powerful after transforming.”
“But the number of times I can transform is finite. It doesn’t allow me to
transform infinitely.”
“The inherent cause of this is the magic core’s finite power.”
Zhen Jin’s eyes gleamed with light as he pondered.
“That’s not the only aspect of limitation.”
“There is still another limitation—I can only induce scorpion carapace and tail
transformations.”
He could not induce a spear scorpion’s large pincer transformation.
“Wait a minute! This is?” As Zhen Jin's perception deepened, he made another
new discovery.
The youngster's face flashed with joy.
Because he had discovered: he could not only induce transformations of parts of
a spear scorpion, he could additionally induce a monkey bear transformation
again!
However, similar to the limitations of a spear scorpion, he could only induce
the bear’s claws and arms transformations, but not the rest of the monkey bear.
“Besides the monkey bear, I can also transform into a fire-poison bee?!”
One new discovery after the other.
Following Zhen Jin’s thoughts, the magic core in his heart activated quickly.
Zhen Jin had already experienced the spear scorpion and monkey bear
transformations. For the other transformations, he needed to try and experience
them for himself.
He could not conserve energy on this.
The fire-poison bee transformation soon appeared!
Zhen JIn looked at the backside of his hand.
The back of his hand rapidly turned black and yellow while being covered in a
layer of fuzzy hair.
This was the hair of a fire-poison bee which was striped like a zebra, only
with yellow and black.
“I can cover all of my skin in this fuzzy hair, but doing that will consume
even more energy.”
Zhen Jin immediately stopped exerting the magic core and a similar scene played
out once more.
The fire-poison bee hair quickly withered, turning into fine ash.
With a slight shake of the back of his hand, Zhen Jin shook off this layer of
ash, revealing his normal skin that was the same as before.
“Spear scorpion, monkey bear, fire-poison bee…I can even transform into a
goat.”
However, this goat transformation only allowed Zhen Jin to transform his flesh
into goat flesh.
Compared to the previous transformations, the value of this one was extremely
low.
Zhen Jin still tried to a slight degree.
“The transformed goat flesh does not contain the chaotic frost magic power from
before, but that is normal as the goats only had it because they ate that
grass.”
After stopping the magic core, the transformed goat flesh parts turned back
into normal human flesh.
“If I transformed a part of my body into goat flesh and dug it out with a
dagger, could I use it as food?”
“Could I eat myself?”2
Zhen Jin thought once more and shook his head.
Prior practice had already proved: once the support of the magic core’s power
was withdrawn, the transformed parts would quickly grey and turn into ash.
Therefore, the plan of eating himself would not work.
As Zhen Jin reached the limits of his investigation, he discovered he could
transform into two additional things.
One was a type of moss.
The other was the flesh of the acidic green lizard.
“What is this moss?” After seeing the back of his hand transform, Zhen Jin
immediately felt a familiarity with it.
In the next breath, he recognized it.
“Isn’t this the moss that poisoned me?”
It had been when he and Zi Di were exploring outside the monkey bear cave.
During which, he had gotten poisoned because his skin had brushed on this moss.
Zi Di had tried to detoxify him but could only alleviate the symptoms. Finally,
they searched for the source of the poison and used this moss as an ingredient
to make medicine which completely eradicated the poison from Zhen Jin.
“Let’s just call it green-spotted poisonous moss.”3
Zhen Jin remembered that after he had gotten poisoned, small and round green
spots started growing on his face although he himself felt nothing different.
Lastly, Zhen Jin slightly transformed into the flesh of the acidic green
lizard.
It was basically the same as goat flesh and did not have high practical value.
After fumbling about a bit, Zhen Jin’s understanding of the magic core in his
heart deepened.
“It seems that, after the magic core absorbs external lifeforms, the energy is
converted and stored in the magic core as a universal medium for all
transformations.” 
“But why can I change into these but not into the evil blue-furred wolf, or
python vine, or single-horned black-scaled leopard, or blade-legged spider?”
After reflecting upon this, Zhen Jin came up with an answer.
“The spear scorpion…is it because I activated my magic core to draw out all of
its life?”
“The monkey bear…is it because when Zi Di treated me, she imbued me with large
quantities of the bear’s blood?”
“I ate some goat meat. Likewise with the lizard meat. Recently, lizard meat has
been my primary food.”
“However, I also ate viper meat, flying squirrel meat, as well as some
arachnids like spiders and scorpions. Maybe I didn’t eat enough of them.”
As for the fire-poison bee?
“I had been poisoned. My body once contained a large quantity of fire-poison,
to the extent that I was at death’s door.”
“Both poison and flesh entered my body. From that point of view, both are
indistinguishable.”
“Therefore, they were all being quietly absorbed by the magic core.”
“As for the other magic beasts, although I have encountered them, I did not
come into close contact. The evil blue-furred wolf, the gigantic lava turtle,
and the python vines are all like this.”
Thinking of this, Zhen Jin received another valuable conjecture.
“Currently, it seems that the things the magic core absorbs and converts into
are all living creatures.”
“The magic core cannot absorb pure magic power.”
Zhen Jin had been poisoned by “cold poison” previously and had a large amount
of chaotic frost magic power in his body. However, that magic power was not
absorbed and converted by the magic core, or else he would not have been
poisoned.
“So the function of my heart’s magic core is roughly this: to forcibly absorb
and convert living creatures into a special and mysterious magic energy. Once
activated, this magic energy can transform the human body to a certain extent,
altering it into the structure and tissue of previously absorbed lifeforms.”



****** Chapter 70: I Have Not Fallen into Depravity ******
“So, how can I replenish this magic energy?”
Almost instantly, Zhen Jin recollected the scene from earlier when he had
dispatched the silver level spear scorpion.
That matter of life and death, that moment of truth had created a deep
impression on Zhen Jin such that it was almost imprinted in the youngster’s
heart.
Zhen Jin immediately stood up and walked towards the carcass of a dead spear
scorpion.
The silver level spear scorpion had already been reduced to ashes and the other
spear scorpions had fled, but there were still some spear scorpions that were
killed during the battle.
Zhen Jin activated the magic crystal in his heart and his palm flooded with red
light.
However, the red light could not be directly radiated.
“Does it need physical contact for it to be effective?” Zhen Jin frowned
slightly.
He did not rush to place his palm on the scorpion’s carapace but stopped.
Zhen Jin carefully perceived the magic core and quietly mumbled: “The magic
core can be activated and deactivated at will and without suffering any
backlash. Additionally, because this operation does not transform the human
body, the consumption is minute and negligible.”
“Then, I’ll test it with blood first.”
This spear scorpion died when Zhen Jin pierced its head with his tail and its
blood had continued to flow from the puncture wound since then.
A lot of the scorpion’s blood on the ground had evaporated on the hot volcanic
surface, rapidly pervading the pungent stench of blood to the surroundings.
The red light enveloped Zhen Jin’s palm.
Zhen Jin plunged his palm into the small pool of blood on the ground.
The red light instantly permeated like lightning.
What was originally a small pool of blood immediately turned into a pile of
carbon ashes. As the scorpion’s blood continued to flow down, the carbon ashes
mixed with the blood.
“As long as it is a part of a lifeform, the magic core can convert it.”
Zhen Jin waited patiently for a moment.
When the small blood pool accumulated to its previous size, he once again
activated the magic core’s absorption.
“This time the magic energy that was converted and stored was a bit more than
last time.”
“Is it because the scorpion’s blood had only just accumulated, and the degree
of magic power dispersion was lower than before?”
“Although the magic core cannot directly convert magic power into this magic
energy, as long as it targets a lifeform, then the more magic power there is
contained within that lifeform, the more special magic energy there is
converted.”
“Under normal circumstances, a lifeform with a stronger life level has a higher
quality of magic power; therefore, there will be more magic energy in the core
after absorption and conversion.”
“So what then is the upper limit?”
“The magic core can, at the bare minimum, absorb silver level lifeforms.”
Finally, Zhen Jin placed his palm that exuded red light on the spear scorpion’s
corpse.
A similar scene from before played out.
The red light propagated out from Zhen Jin’s palm and turned into four blood
threads.
The blood threads wrapped around the corpse of the spear scorpion like snakes
then quickly turned dark, seemingly having penetrated into its body.
After two breaths, the four blood threads cleared up again, with its blood-red
color becoming more vivid and dense.
The blood threads quickly returned, and a lot of new magic energy was added to
the magic core.
Simultaneously, the spear scorpion’s corpse also turned into a pile of
carbonized ashes.
“It cannot compare to the amount I absorbed from the silver level spear
scorpion.”
This proved Zhen Jin's previous conjecture.
“Hold on, I can now induce a spear scorpion pincers transformation!”
Originally, Zhen Jin could only induce spear scorpion tail and carapace
transformations, but after absorbing a second bronze level spear scorpion, he
had gained a new transformation.
The young knight’s eyes flickered with deep thought.
“Based on this, it seems that the more lifeforms of the same species I absorb,
the more possible transformations there are to choose from.”
“These transformations are all related to that lifeform.”
“As long as I absorb and convert enough spear scorpions, could I theoretically
transform into a complete spear scorpion?”
Zhen Jin continued to clean up the battlefield.
During the battle, his spider blade had been damaged and shattered into many
fragments.
He carefully collected these fragments from the battlefield.
He then activated the magic core.
The red light radiated, and the spider blade fragments quickly carbonized into
ashes. Zhen Jin then lightly dusted and scattered the ashes through the air.
Zhen Jin focused his attention once more on the magic core.
A flush of elation quickly appeared on his face.
He tried to activate the magic core again and the fingers on his left hand
quickly transformed, turning into five slender spider blades!
The five blades were very small, incomparable to the blade he previously
wielded, they were only slightly longer than an adult human’s finger.
However, the blade’s glistening sheen emanated a cold light. Zhen Jin then
moved his fingers and clanged them against each other, producing a clear sound
similar to that of metals colliding together.
“It is very evident that these blades are as sharp as the spider blade when I
first acquired it.”
Zhen Jin then tried to stimulate more of the heart core’s magic energy.
The transformed spider blade fingers grew increasingly longer and leaned to
emulate the spider blade that had shattered previously.
However, accompanying this was an increasingly growing consumption of magic
energy.
Zhen Jin quickly stopped the test.
“I must conserve the heart core’s magic energy. My repeated attempts today have
already used up enough of it.”
“It is indeed powerful!”
The youngster sincerely exclaimed with admiration.
With this formidable trump card, he could now calmly face many dangers.
Existences that could previously endanger him now had their positions inverted,
having to face the danger of the youngster.
“By mastering this mysterious and wondrous magic core, I will surely leave this
island alive!”
From the moment he had awakened, the youngster had never felt so much
confidence about escaping as he did now.
Zhen Jin finally looked around him.
This was the place where he first controlled the magic core in his heart.
“Perhaps this place was where the wheel of fate had turned for me.” Zhen Jin
smiled.
Without hesitation, the youngster turned and left the battlefield.
He smoothly returned to the cave.
Cang Xu and Zi Di were nowhere to be found.
“The spear scorpion group lost and routed, but if they encountered Zi Di and
Cang Xu, the two of them would be in a terrible situation.”
“I must find them without delay.”
“But before that…”
Zhen Jin concentrated his gaze on the dead spear scorpions in the cave.
Red light constantly flickered from the cave.
The exploration team had made their last stand here and killed many spear
scorpions.
Under the red light, these spear scorpions were reduced into piles of ashes.
Although most of the spear scorpions’ magic power had dissipated having lay
here overnight, a mickle makes a muckle and the current accumulation of magic
energy in the core resulted in the greatest abundance of it Zhen Jin had ever
stored.
“Hmm?” Zhen Jin raised his eyebrows as sure enough, the magic core reacted!
“Scorpion carapace, tail, chelicera, eyes, and feet…I can now transform into a
complete spear scorpion!”
Zhen Jin had already foreseen this outcome.
He merely did not think that he would reach it so soon.
All the spear scorpion corpses were absorbed by Zhen Jin, but the young knight
did not rush to leave, rather he entered the depths of the cave.
There, he found Bai Ya.
“Sure enough.” Zhen Jin sighed softly.
Bai Ya was abandoned.
Regardless of whether it was Zi Di or Cang Xu, both were powerless to defend
themselves and it was impossible for them to escape while carrying a burden
like Bai Ya.
But Zhen Jin could not blame them.
Everything was for survival.
Zhen Jin placed his finger under Bai Ya’s nostrils and immediately sensed his
weak breath.
Bai Ya was not dead yet.
Zhen Jin reached out and stroked Bai Ya’s forehead.
His fever had gone down!
“You’ve done well.” The youngster mumbled, appearing very elated.
Since awakening, he had been unyielding, struggling for survival, and striving
for his dreams.
Likewise, Bai Ya, too, did not give up.
Even though he was in a coma, he too endeavored for survival.
This kind of spirit and willpower resonated with Zhen Jin.
But very quickly, the youngster’s countenance turned complex and abstruse.
Seeing Bai Ya, he could not help but think of the time when his fate hung by a
thread.
At the moment of death, Zhen Jin was wretched and deplorable.
Confronted with death, he could not help but feel dread, plunging him into
panic.
The desire to survive was so vehement that it made his heart bellow and
attempted to break his most basic morals.
“Those weaker than me can escape? Am I, the stronger one, going to die?”
“If I had listened to Cang Xu’s advice and ate human flesh, perhaps I would
also have survived.”
“Why did I recall that memory of my peers and listen to that 'hell is at one’s
feet, depravation is instantaneous’? Bullshit! I am truly moronic.”
“I realize that nothing is more important than survival!”
“Even if…even if others die, what does that have to do with me?”
“I want to live!!”
These were all genuine thoughts that manifested from the depths of his heart!
And these were thoughts that would never manifest under normal circumstances.
Although it had happened not long ago, it still seemed as if it were a dream.
“It was indeed a nightmare!”
“Am I…am I really a person who is greedy for life and fearful of death?”
“Am I a despicable and unscrupulous person?”
Zhen Jin now besought himself in his heart.
After the jubilation of surviving had waned and the curiosity of exploring the
magic core’s secrets concluded, Zhen Jin finally had no choice but to confront
himself.
The life-and-death battle against the silver level spear scorpion had allowed
him to see an ugly aspect of himself.
“Was that really me?”
“Do I really think that way?”
The youngster half-knelt next to Bai Ya and his downcast face seemed to be
shrouded by a shadow.
He had his head hung low, his posture was no longer as upright as before, and
he even seemed somewhat hunched.
“No, no, I am a templar knight.”
“I am truly a templar knight!”
Even though he told himself this, in Zhen Jin’s heart still arose shame, self-
reproach, and self-doubt.
“Cough, cough, cough.”
At that moment, Bai Ya coughed and thereafter, he slowly opened his eyes.
“Lord, Lord Zhen Jin…” Bai Ya weakly called when he realized that Zhen Jin was
half-kneeling beside him.
Zhen Jin’s body shook and promptly leaned over to Bai Ya: “I’m here, Bai Ya,
you have to persevere!”
“My Lord…you must’ve been the one who saved me, thank you.” Bai Ya looked at
Zhen Jin with utter gratitude.
Upon saying that, his eyes closed as he sank into a coma once again.
He was very weak and in poor condition.
“Yes, yes, I saved you. I will definitely save you.” Zhen Jin murmured
continuously as he stared blankly at Bai Ya.
It was as if Bai Ya were a light, a pure-white dawn that illuminated the
youngster’s heart and dispersed the shadow upon his face.
In the abject darkness, it seemed as if some power entered the young knight’s
body.
The young knight raised his head and his posture no longer seemed hunched.
His eyes scanned the cave and the scene of the previous night replayed before
his eyes.
His ears seemed to hear the voices that echoed here.
At the break of dawn, the young knight had powerfully and resolutely said—“I
will not treat human beings as food!”
He was very staunch then—“Don’t try to persuade any longer, I have already made
my decision.”
Even though the situation was dire, he still remained optimistic and
hopeful—“Let’s go. Based on the time, when we reach the cave’s mouth, we will
greet the light of dawn.”
The young knight’s mind once again recalled the An Hui Clan’s motto—Hell is at
one’s feet, depravation is instantaneous.
Zhen Jin’s eyes gradually became clear.
“I have not fallen into depravity.”
“I adhered to my bottom line and to the knight’s code.”
“Don’t worry.”
He gazed at the unconscious Bai Ya.
“I will save you.”
“And I will not…eat you.”
The youngster put Bai Ya on his back and slowly stood up.
Carrying Bai Ya, he left the bitter cave battlefield.
Dawn had long since come.



****** Chapter 71: Regrouping ******
The black rocks were twisted and had folded layers.
This was what cooled lava looked like.
The steam hanging in the air was accompanied by a pungent sulfurous smell.
On the empty black ground, two people kept together as they walked.
One was a young girl wearing what seemed to be an apprentice magician robe, the
hood of which did not cover her head, revealing her elegantly delicate yet
haggard visage. The most attractive part of the young girl was her eyes that
shone translucently like the finest purple crystal. At this moment, the girl’s
eyes were full of worry.
The other was an elderly man. His grizzled beard that trailed down to his chest
was so grimy from neglect that it resembled an old rag that had never been
cleaned. On his nose bridge lay a pair of spectacles with broken lenses. His
gait hobbled, his figure was thin, and his wrinkled face accentuated the depth
of the hardships he was facing.
The old and young individuals were Cang Xu and Zi Di respectively.
According to Zhen Jin’s plan, after he broke through the encirclement and lured
away the spear scorpions, they both seized the opportunity to escape the cave.
Currently, they were retracing their path as they tried to depart from this
volcanic area and return to the desert.
Rumble.
Suddenly, a muffled sound like thunder resounded from the distance.
Zi Di and Cang Xu stopped walking and turned around.
They saw the volcano in the far-distance spewing massive quantities of red
lava.
The lava was spewed to an estimated eight hundred meters.
Pitch-black smoke benighted half of the sky. Glowing scarlet lava rose to its
peak point and began to descend to the earth omnidirectionally.
Zi Di and Cang Xu were shaken both mentally and physically.
“Fortunately, we are still at the periphery, let's keep going.” Cang Xu urged.
Zi Di, however, paced increasingly slower and turned to look back from time to
time.
Cang Xu knew what the girl was waiting for and immediately advised: “Lord Zhen
Jin will certainly converge with us. We must have faith in him! We were only
able to flee because his Lordship lured away the spear scorpions despite the
dangers in doing so. We were able to escape this far largely because of luck
and we cannot disappoint Lord Zhen Jin’s efforts and sacrifice.”
Zi Di clenched her teeth as she gazed at the ashes scattering through the sky:
“Although I have left the pink compound along our trail, the volcanic ash will
soon cover up those traces! Just wait a bit more…”
Hiss.
Just as Zi Di said that, the ground near the two suddenly started to spurt
dozens of yellow gas.
As the gas quickly rushed out, the scent of sulfur in the air became much
stronger.
Boom.
As the ground quaked violently, Zi Di and Cang Xu could not help but stagger as
if they were on a small boat that was being rammed by a great white shark.
“What’s going on?!” As Zi Di and Cang Xu were bewildered, the streams of gas
rapidly thickened.
The crevices in the black volcanic rocks dilated quickly and then red lava
poured out from these vents.
In an instant, the temperature rose rapidly!
Zi Di and Cang Xu promptly fled from this hazardous area to a relatively
stabler volcanic rock area a few hundred meters away.
The cracks in the ground where they had been had already expanded to over ten
meters wide.
Large quantities of lava began to bubble up as it engulfed and destroyed
everything.
Soon after, everything in a two hundred meter radius disappeared and was
replaced by a pool of smouldering red lava.
A gigantic creature slowly rose from the lava.
It had a massive tortoise shell. The shell was not smooth, but had many holes
in it.
The gigantic tortoise’s head was as red as the earth beneath, two thick,
prominent tusks grew from either side of its cheeks as well.
The lava, which was at least one thousand degrees Celsius, did not injure the
gigantic tortoise in the slightest.
The gigantic tortoise crawled ashore from the lava with an unhurried attitude.
It was noticeably massive as its thick four limbs sank deep into the volcanic
rock underneath with each step. When its legs were raised, a bit of lava would
seep out from the deep cavity of its footprints.
The pores of the gigantic tortoise’s shell also had streams of red lava oozing
from them.
It had a vast gold level life aura that intimidated Zi Di’s and Cang Xu’s
spirits.
However, what stupefied them further was that there was not just a single giant
lava tortoise.
Following the first head, a second, a third, and a fourth emerged from the lava
pool.
The four giant lava tortoises crawled ashore and roamed about while issuing
elephant-like cries.
“It seems this place is their home. The one I saw previously in the rainforest
must have been teleported there.” Zi Di thought.
“Is this perhaps a giant lava tortoise?” Cang Xu’s voice shuddered as he asked.
This was the first time he had seen a giant lava tortoise.
But previously, he and Zhen Jin had exchanged detailed information with each
other.
Cang Xu’s eyes shone lustrously, the shudder in his voice was not one of fear
but of excitement.
“Gold level magic beasts that can freely swim through lava despite being flesh
and blood. They really are not elementals. Wonderful, how wonderful!”
“Let's keep going.” This time, it was Zi Di who voiced a warning.
It was too dangerous here.
The two had no choice but to run away, fortunately, the giant lava tortoises
seemed to have a mild temperament and did not pursue them.
“It should be safe at this distance.”
After evacuating a kilometer away, Zi Di stopped and looked into the distance
once again.
Cang Xu sighed, he did not abandon Zi Di but stood beside her.
“Zhen Jin still hasn't appeared, I fear it has not gone well for him.”
This was what Cang Xu thought.
But he did not say it aloud.
“Lord Zhen Jin was in a terrible physical condition, he did not eat anything,
and was short on stamina.”
“Facing the scorpion group’s pursuit and besiegement, his physical exertion
will be very fierce. The longer the time passes, the lesser his chances of
survival.”
“Alas…”
Cang Xu sighed inwardly.
He desperately hoped that Zhen Jin could survive, as a shelter under him would
greatly increase his own chances of survival.
Cang Xu clearly understood: It was an extravagant wish to escape this island
relying only on him and Zi Di.
The two waited for a spell, however, they did not see Zhen Jin.
Cang Xu’s heart sank abjectly and the despondence accumulated at the depths of
his heart finally transformed into despair.
He looked at the girl’s frail back and just as he was thinking about how to
persuade Zi Di to leave, she suddenly shouted in surprise.
Then Cang Xu also saw Zhen Jin’s silhouette.
As volcanic ashes fluttered between the heavens and the earth, a young man
carried a youth on his back, his gait was steady and nimble, his bearing
revealed a greater sense of unyieldingness and staunchness.
“It's his Lordship, it’s Lord Zhen Jin!” Cang Xu also cried with infinite joy.
“He returned with Bai Ya too.” Zi Di sighed emotionally with a complex tone.
“A true templar knight!” Cang Xu wholeheartedly exclaimed.
Moments later, the four people regrouped together.
Zhen Jin gave Zi Di and Cang Xu some weapons. These were things he procured
after cleaning the cave battlefield. These weapons originally belonged to the
exploration team members who had sacrificed their lives.
“You are wounded, my Lord! Let me take a look!” When Zi Di saw Zhen Jin’s
injured shoulder, her eyes reddened.
Zhen Jin’s shoulder blade injury was afflicted by the silver level spear
scorpion.
The wound had already been treated at the scene.
Although Zhen Jin had killed the spear scorpion and also gained control of the
magic core, he was still powerless to heal himself.
During his travel here, after Zhen Jin determined that Bai Ya was in a deep
coma, he activated the magic core to transform his wound.
When he induced a scorpion carapace transformation, the carapace would cover
the wound.
The wound would still remain even after transforming into goat flesh or lizard
flesh.
Transforming his skin into fire-poison bee hair would only transform the skin,
but since there was no skin on the wound, it was incapable of transforming
there.
Zi Di carefully unwrapped the cloth and exposed the injury.
After inspecting the injury, the girl let out a breath of turbid air: “My Lord,
your wound should have been from a scorpion’s tail piercing through. Although
it is a grave injury, it has already stopped bleeding. My Lord, your body’s
recovery abilities are beyond the ordinary!”
Zi Di put together a new potion on the spot.
She took out several vials from the small leather handbag at her waist,
extracted medicinal powder or liquids from each, mixed them into an empty vial,
and then shook the concoction strongly.
Finally, she meticulously poured the medicine she had just concocted over Zhen
Jin’s wound.
Zhen Jin immediately felt a flow of coolness and the spasmodic pangs from the
wound also rapidly alleviated.
Things were different with a pharmacist at one’s side.
“We cannot stay here long, let us make haste.” After treating his wound
quickly, Zhen Jin urged, “I have already shaken off the scorpion group and I
don’t want to entangle myself with them again.”
Zhen Jin hid the silver level spear scorpion's demise.
Although he could now control the heart core, he had no intention of revealing
it.
He was a templar knight, however, the heart core enabled him to transform into
a magic beast. The former was honorable and righteous, while the latter was
strange and violent, these two sides were completely divergent and could not be
directly associated. If someone were to see Zhen Jin transform, they would
likely suspect he had been corrupted by devils and had fallen into depravity.
In addition, the volcano eruption also did Zhen Jin a small favor.
Volcanic ash covered the earth and would conceal all traces of the battlefield.
If lava from the eruption flowed over that place, it would be even better—it
would completely destroy all evidence.
“Right, we had best leave this place with all swiftness.” Cang Xu approved.
Before leaving, Zhen Jin gazed profoundly at the four giant lava tortoises.
“Can my heart core absorb gold level lifeforms?”
This question crossed the youngster’s mind.
Lava could melt the scorpion carapace and the heart core’s red light also
needed physical contact.
Zhen Jin would need to tackle an extreme risk if he wanted to confront the
giant lava tortoises.
In addition, it was necessary to conceal it from Zi Di and Cang Xu.
Finally, he still had to look after Zi Di, Cang Xu, and the unconscious Bai Ya.
Therefore, Zhen Jin sensibly gave up on moving against the giant lava
tortoises.
Zi Di did not know that Zhen Jin wanted to go after the giant lava tortoises
and while on the road, the girl was worried and sick at heart: “We have
consumed all of our food and there is little water left.”
Not only that.
The only people remaining in the exploration team were Zhen Jin, Zi Di, Cang
Xu, and Bai Ya.
Cang Xu then said: “My Lord, I propose we retrace our path back near the acidic
green lizard nest. The lizard meat can be eaten, and in addition, for such a
large lizard lounge to survive, there has to be a large water source near their
nest. The chances of finding an oasis there are high.”
“Then let’s go back.” Zhen Jin nodded, “We should strive to reach the golden
granite boulders by tonight.”



****** Chapter 72: Is It Actually Absorbing Bloodlines? ******
Zhen Jin’s left foot was on the black volcanic earth while his right had
stepped onto the desert sand.
In less than half a day, they had once more arrived at the boundary between the
desert and the lava terrain.
Tan sand stretched as far as the eye could see; the scorching sun warped the
distant horizon with heat haze.
Zhen Jin, Zi Di, and Cang Xu were all hungry and thirsty.
They were without food and with rumbling stomachs.
The heat from the volcanic eruption had made them sweat all over.
This was very dangerous; sweat consumed their precious internal moisture.
They had no choice but to replenish their water as soon as possible.
Inevitably, this depleted their already little water reserves even further.
No one spoke and silence fell over them.
After a momentary pause on the dividing line, Zhen Jin stepped over with Bai Ya
on his back.
Zhen Jin’s burden was the greatest as he had to carry a youth on his back.
During the journey, Cang Xu had advised Zhen Jin: if he would not treat Bai Ya
as food, he should abandon him.
Zhen Jin rejected it without hesitation and warned Cang Xu to never speak such
words again!
The young knight’s resolute attitude made Cang Xu dumbstruck.
Zi Di repeatedly expressed: she was willing to share Zhen Jin’s burden and
supersede him in carrying Bai Ya.
Cang Xu also had no choice but to echo the same sentiment.
Both of their offers, however, were rejected by Zhen Jin.
Zi Di was only a fifteen-year-old girl and Cang Xu was a white-bearded old man.
Their bodies were also in terrible shape.
It would be even more difficult to deal with if one of them became paralyzed
with exhaustion.
“I already said that I would do all I can to save everyone and would never
abandon a single man. This is my promise and my responsibility.” Zhen Jin said
to Zi Di and Cang Xu.
“My Lord, your noble character dims even the brightest stars of the night sky!
Cang Xu said from the bottom of his heart, “You are a paragon of virtue, even
amongst the templar knights.”
Zhen Jin smiled bitterly and shook his head.
Only he knew his own heart best.
He had wavered and almost even fell into depravity when the evil thought of
treating Bai Ya as food had crossed his mind.
For this reason, he had felt ashamed and doubted himself.
As a result, saving Bai Ya was more akin to validating himself.
He wanted to prove to himself: he was qualified to be a templar knight!
Zhen Jin was in a difficult situation at the moment.
He felt a faint weakness in his knees and legs.
He had not eaten anything since the previous night and had only barely survived
the battle with the spear scorpions.
He was overburdened, wounded, and was rapidly consuming stamina.
Although he could control the heart core, absorbing magic beasts could not fill
his stomach.
His empty stomach continued to secrete gastric acid, as if it would digest a
piece of iron if placed within!
His throat also felt as if was filled with ashes.
In order to shift his attention, Zhen Jin began to reflect over the questions
that perplexed him.
The first one was, what was the magic crystal in his heart absorbing?
The body of any lifeform, regardless of whether it was intact or not, could be
absorbed by the heart core.
Besides converting it into a special blood-red magic energy, the heart core
also increased in transformation options.
“So is the heart core actually absorbing bloodlines?”
Although Zhen Jin had lost his memory, he knew the concept of bloodlines were
not limited to blood.
Bloodlines not only determined cultivation aptitude, it also passed on the
information about a lifeform.
To cite a specific example: drinking dragon blood would not turn someone into a
giant dragon. A dragon’s bloodline contained dragon blood, dragon scales, a
dragon body, a dragon crystal, dragon magic, battle skills, and more.
“Now that I control the heart core, am I able to control every bloodline in the
world?”
Zhen Jin could not help but feel a rush of excitement.
He understood what that meant!
Controlling the heart core would enable him to absorb and convert extrinsic
bloodlines, bringing with it infinite power, influence, riches, and resources.
The more outstanding a lifeform’s bloodline was, the faster and more efficient
their cultivation would be. One could grow faster and become stronger in a
shorter amount of time.
After gaining great power, followers would naturally come. Even without
followers, a person with formidable strength could topple the old social order
alone.
Violence grants power and power makes resources easier to acquire.
With abundant resources, the strong could cultivate even higher, like adding
wings to a tiger. As a result, the strong would become stronger and the weak
would become weaker.
After a long time, the strong would become the ruling upper social class and
the weak would become the ruled, exploited lower class.
This was the history of all races and also what was happening now.
The unshakeable cornerstone of the nobility’s dominance in human society were
their bloodlines.
Bloodlines were very, very important.
A person’s bloodline affected their entire life!
To lack a sufficient bloodline was to be an ordinary person, like those
exploration team members who had been slaughtered. Cang Xu being able to become
a noble’s steward was already a very high achievement. In all of human society,
individuals such as him were extremely rare cases.
Huang Zao and Lan Zao both possessed a bloodline, as a result, they could rely
on ordinary battle qi cultivation methods to reach Bronze. Unless they got
lucky, that was to be the pinnacle of their lives. Not only would it be very
difficult for them to improve, their battle qi cultivation and life level would
decline as they aged.
Zi Di was an Iron magician and she had candidly said that she had also
exhausted her personal cultivation potential. Why was that? It was because she
did not have a noble bloodline!
Zhen Jin belonged to the Bai Zhen Clan, a clan that was once a great clan of
the South with a very high-quality bloodline. The source of his bloodline was
the Legend-level golden needle queen bee. As a result, Bai Zhen Clan members
could theoretically reach Legend cultivation.
Historically, many experts emerged from the Bai Zhen Clan one after another,
with Silver, Gold, and even Saint cultivation!
Though no Legend expert had yet emerged.
Legend cultivation was the Hundred Needles bloodline’s theoretical limit.
Moreover, in this world, there were many better than the Hundred Needles
bloodline.
Emperor Sheng Ming’s Sacred bloodline, Archduke Quan Fa’s Knowledge Seeking
bloodline, Duchess Ai Mei’ Chimera bloodline, Duke Heng Le’s Indulgence
bloodline, the An Hui Clan’s Dark Devil bloodline, et cetera.
The upper-limit of these bloodlines surpassed Legend, their cultivation
efficiency was also greater than the Hundred Needles bloodline and the end
result was so, too. The benefit of the Hundred Needles bloodline was precision,
but these bloodlines provided more and stronger comprehensive benefits.
“If I seized the Sacred bloodline, wouldn’t I have the hope of becoming a
second Emperor Sheng Ming?”
“No, in theory, can’t I control more than a trifling Sacred bloodline? The
Knowledge Seeking bloodline, the Chimera bloodline, and more, I can have all of
them, because my heart has this magic crystal!”
“As long-, as long as I kill enough targets, I can seize their bloodlines…”
Thinking of this, Zhen Jin’s heart suddenly trembled.
A chill instantly creeped through his entire body and made him extremely
horrified.
“What am I doing?!”
“I actually wanted to sacrifice others, attack powerful nobles, and even Sheng
Tang Clan members!”
“If I am even somewhat inattentive, I will consign the entire Bai Zhen Clan to
eternal damnation.”
“No, I should not think this way.”
“This is a crime! Wanting to sacrifice innocents in order to satisfy my own
selfish desires. That is too vicious! That is too evil!”
“I am Zhen Jin.”
“I am a templar knight.”
“I won’t ever do such a thing.”
“I vow that I will not put my hands on the innocent. I will not walk down the
path of evil and depravity just to satisfy my selfishness!”
Zhen Jin secretly warned himself.
At the same time, he developed strong vigilance towards his heart core.
“It is too wonderful and too mysterious.”
“It had helped me in the fight for my life, but it is also tempting me, always,
to fall into evil and cruelty."
“However, it may not, in fact, be capable of absorbing many bloodlines. These
are all my conjectures. It can absorb a Silver lifeform’s bloodline but I
haven’t tried to absorb a Gold one yet. Let alone Saint or Legend, perhaps it
can’t absorb even that?”
“Moreover…”
“Is there any harm in using the magic core to absorb and convert other
bloodlines?”
“Are there any repercussions every time I transform?”
“There doesn’t seem to be any repercussions, but are there any hidden dangers I
cannot perceive?”
“Could these hidden dangers build up, eventually causing me to explode?”
“Or perhaps transform completely into a magic beast, forever incapable of
returning to a human form?
A dark gloom welled up in Zhen Jin’s eyes.
Suddenly having such a strange and powerful foreign object appear within one’s
body, as long as one had normal rationality, they would be vigilant and
suspicious.
They would do all they could to understand and control it, at the same time,
they would seek to avoid possible dangers.
However, now, Zhen Jin had only figured out some uses of the heart core, the
alien nature of this object was something he did not understand one bit.
“Why could I activate the magic crystal in my heart?!”
Zhen Jin always remembered that this island's unique environment prohibited the
usage of low-level magic and battle qi.
“Even my prayers seem disconnected from the outside world.”
“What allows the heart core to activate?”
“The magic energy in the heart core is very bizarre and mysterious, belonging
neither to battle qi, or magics, or divine spells.”
“Does it circumvent the prohibition magic and is, therefore, unaffected by it?”
“Or is it because the island master’s original goal is to make this magic
crystal. Was the entire environment meticulously made to maximize the
likelihood of the creation of this magic crystal?”
Zhen Jin’s thinking diverged as he thought of more things.
But everything was bewildering.
He had no answers.
“Currently, the only thing I know is that, as I repeatedly use my heart core,
my control over this magic crystal rapidly deepens further.”
The first time was when Zhen Jin transformed to deal with the Silver blade-
legged spider.
The second time was when Zhen Jin confronted the electric flying squirrel, it
was also the first time he felt the magic crystal in his heart.
The third time was just this morning. Zhen Jin took the first step in
controlling the magic crystal and killed the spear scorpion leader.
“In the future, will my control over the heart core deepen?”
“The most crucial point is actually the oldest question.”
“How did this thing get here?!”
After thinking for a good while, Zhen Jin believed that the most probable
answer was that it was related to the island master.
According to Cang Xu and Zi Di’s discussion and conjecture: the island master
was a strong being, he (she or they) had remodeled this island and created many
monsters in an attempt to stabilize their chaotic magic power and achieve
equilibrium.
The goat’s magic power was one such semi-finished product that illustrated the
island master’s path.
The true goal of the magic prohibition environment and the teleportation
formation induced constant fighting between monsters was to allow them to make
advancements through life-and-death battles and produce a magic crystal.
“So it is extremely possible that this magic crystal was accidentally produced
inside my body after I killed that bear and because of Zi Di’s treatment
potion.”
“Thinking back, I also had a lot of fire-poison in me. This magic crystal was
the result of my bitter fights with the fire poison bees and the monkey tail
brown bear.”
“Did the island master encourage monster infighting as a plan to use life-and-
death battles to stimulate the creation of the crystal core?”
“Maybe he (she or they) did not succeed because they lacked the most crucial
element—a human?”
“Did I fix this flaw by chance?”



****** Chapter 73: Starvation and a Knight’s Honor ******
Noon had arrived.
Above the dry yellow sand hung a scorching sun.
Unceasing waves of heat beat down, making the sand underfoot frighteningly hot.
Thirst, hunger, and exhaustion made the people have dizzy spells.
Cang Xu and Zi Di staggered forward and on several occasions, they nearly
collapsed into the sand.
In view of this, Zhen Jin had no choice but to rest in the shadows of the sand
dunes.
Bai Ya was still unconscious and the other three were gasping for breath.
Then as if the gods gave a rare pity on these pathetic people——a desert breeze
appeared.
Although the breeze was small, it still eliminated some of the torrid heat.
Under the wind, fine sand blew over the windward surface of the sand dunes,
flowing down the slip face like quicksand.
The sand grains rustled, but the beauty of the sound in this emptiness was lost
on them.
Using up most of their stamina was tormenting the empty bellies of Zhen Jin and
the others.
Zhen Jin felt famished, like there was no space between his chest and his back.
He had placed the unconscious Bai Ya under the sand dune’s shadow.
When he had started traveling, he did not feel Bai Ya was a heavy burden. But
now he felt like he was carrying an elephant.
With the burden gone, Zhen Jin’s body immediately felt light.
He did not forget to inspect Bai Ya’s status.
“He has a fever again.” Zhen Jin’s eyes darkened.
Bai Ya’s state was repeatedly poor.
Zhen Jin wanted to help him, but Bai Ya had already drunk Zi Di’s potion.
If there was sufficient food and water, Bai Ya could replenish his body’s
needs.
But right now, Zhen Jin and the others had only drunk a few mouthfuls and had
eaten nothing.
There was little Zhen Jin could do.
He could only open a boiling water bag and pour a tiny amount of water down Bai
Ya’s mouth.
The water supply was already divided and distributed into three equal portions,
each of them had a water bag. The water Zhen Jin gave Bai Ya was his own.
Cang Xu and Zi Di saw Zhen Jin do this but said nothing.
They sat motionlessly in the sand and did not even have the strength to speak.
Zhen Jin was also silent.
He quietly sat like an hourglass with his stamina being the grains of sand as
he attempted to save up his strength, grain by grain.
Since he woke up on the island, Zhen Jin had never been as hungry and thirsty
as he was now.
The closest thing to this was the day when he had struggled free from the
bottom of a sand dune. But at that time, he had food——the eyeless desert viper.
Zhen Jin now gazed into the yellow desert and the vast sky, hoping that
something similar to the viper would attack him.
Previously when he had annihilated the squirrel group, he had food and
subordinates. That night the teleportation turned all of his hard-fought
achievements into nothing, like a popping bubble. When he dug his way out of
the sand and was attacked by the viper, his heart full of sorrow.
As he now sat in the sand and recalled this memory, he felt: the viper’s attack
was perhaps nature’s gift or a god’s mercy.
Zhen Jin’s heart suddenly produced a bright comprehension.
“Haha.” He could not help but lightly laugh.
His voice caused misgivings in Zi Di and Cang Xu.
Sensing their gazes, Zhen Jin explained: “Many times, many times fate has
attacked and tormented me. Each time I thought I was going through the worst
suffering in the world.”
“But in reality, that was not true.”
“There is no worst moment and as life goes on, there will be even more torments
and misery.
“Right now, my situation is worse than the time the viper attacked me. Perhaps
in the future, I will be even more hard-pressed.”
Zi Di was silent.
They had already exchanged information and the girl knew what had happened to
Zhen Jin when they were separated.
But Cang Xu laughed.
“My Lord, hearing you say this inexplicably makes me more relaxed.”
“You do not have an optimistic mentality, rather an open minded one.”
Zi Di thoughtfully and quietly spoke: “Suffering is one kind of wealth. The
difference depends on whether people can extract wealth from suffering.”
Zhen Jin recalled the time when he first awakened, the experiences on the
island, and especially about the magic core: “If it is like that, then I am a
millionaire.”
The talk ended here.
The discussion made everyone feel even more exhausted.
They maintained their silence for a very long time.
As time passed, the might of the savage sun weakened.
Zhen Jin carrying Bai Ya along with Zi Di and Cang Xu, continued to hurry
onwards.
Their luck started to turn around for the better.
On the road, they found a dried-up dead sand willow tree with many spiders and
scorpions, these all became precious food.
They also found a desert lizard and a desert rat.
The rat was only an ordinary beast, it had a small build and was more or less a
normal rat except for its large ears that gave it a sharp sense of hearing. It
had yellow fur that imitated the desert. Its hind legs had developed to be able
to jump up to two meters.
After Zhen Jin had chased it down, he had stuffed its corpse into his bag.
The lizard and rat were not immediately eaten, the rest mostly went to Cang Xu
and Zi Di.
Despite this, the replenishment did not match the amount of stamina consumed to
the extent that they had no choice but to stop and rest repeatedly.
Their traveling efficiency greatly decreased and at night they had not yet
reached their destination——the granite boulders.
Cang Xu looked at their surroundings, the celestial bodies, and the map he had
drawn in the sand.
“I do not have a rich understanding of the celestial bodies. But I am familiar
with our surroundings, the terrain of the sand shouldn’t have changed much in
the few days we were in the volcanic region.”
“So, it seems we are not too far from the granite boulders.”
“We can get there by dawn tomorrow.”
“Tonight, we will rest here for we can no longer walk my Lord.”
The old scholar sighed as the night wind blew his snow-white beard.
Zi Di and Cang Xu knew that hurrying to the granite boulders was beneficial,
but they really could not walk anymore.
In fact, Zhen Jin was not much better off.
The young knight nodded: “We can use the wood from cutting down the sand
willow. The night is very cold, but we can create a fire to last through this
night.”
The colliding spark stones, and extremely dry firewood easily ignited a
bonfire.
Everyone sat around the bonfire.
Sticks were inserted into the bodies of the lizard and rat allowing Zhen Jin to
roast them over the fire.
The aroma of roasting meat made Zi Di’s Adam’s apple roll.
“This is sure to be the most delicious delicacy in the world!” Zi Di’s words
and gaze revealed her hunger.
Cang Xu also watched the roasting meat attentively, with difficulty he averted
his gaze and grabbed some sand: “I think the sand I am holding is incomparably
tempting. So tempting that I can hardly bear to not swallow it.”
Zi Di laughed and similarly agreed: “Actually I feel the black lava appears as
fluffy as chocolate bread.”
“I’ve seen some historical records where famine refugees in the empire died
from eating soil.”
“I now understand how they felt. Starvation can really drive men insane and
make them not think about what they eat. I want to take a bite out of grass and
sand.”
Cang Xu sighed: “indeed, there were some who ate soil. In the Southwestern
Empire and the Southwestern coast, there was a famine every several years.
Coastal refugees would gather soil and mix it with butter and salt to create
mud biscuits.”
“The Sha Ta Clan once dispatched me to transport rescue supplies. When I
arrived, I tasted some of these mud biscuits.”
“The mud biscuits actually had an exquisite taste. But eating one would make
you taste the distinctive wet flavor of the coast.”
“A mud biscuit was the size of an adult human’s palm and the refugees would
spread them out on the ground to dry in the sun.
“I only had a small bite, but the fishy smell of the soil remained in my mouth
for several hours.
“Local refugees have eaten these for a long time, the elderly and children
would fill themselves with these things. As a result, they were bone thin and
had chronic diarrhea. Everyday a child would die of diarrhea.”
“Did you two know? During today’s journey, I swore: if I had mud biscuits, I
would fill my belly with them.”
Zhen Jin turned over the skewers and asked: “Speaking of digestive
abilities……what are the digestive abilities of beasts Mr. Cang Xu? What beast
has the strongest digestive ability?”
Cang Xu muttered: “Compared to humans, the digestive ability of beasts is very
strong.”
“Hyenas are infamous for eating bones and almost never leave skeletons behind
when they find a carcass.”
“Vultures have a strong digestive fluid that can easily corrode and digestive
bones and bone marrow.”
“Pythons can swallow food whole and even if it is an alligator or a baby
elephant, they can still digest it.”
“Generally, birds have the strongest digestive abilities. It only takes them
fifteen minutes to digest insects. Berries they have eaten are excreted in
thirty minutes. When some sea birds swallow fish, by the time the fish’s tail
goes down the bird’s beak, its head is already dissolving in the bird’s
stomach.”
“How about the spear scorpion’s digestive ability?” Zhen Jin asked.
Cang Xu said: “It is very strong! Spear scorpions are magic beasts, and their
abilities surpass ordinary beasts. It can eat metal and its digestion can
completely dissolve it. According to my dissections, they also have a fast
digestion and only need five minutes to digest eaten metal rocks.”
Zhen Jin nodded but did not say anything.
Just as the rat and lizard meat were nearly cooked, Zhen Jin’s expression
suddenly changed as he listened attentively.
This action caused Zi Di and Cang Xu to be on guard.
“There is movement.” Zhen Jin’s complexion sank.
Zi Di and Cang Xu did not hear anything, but they understood that Zhen Jin was
a battle qi cultivator and his physical abilities far surpassed ordinary
people, thus him hearing more was normal.
“You two eat first, I will go stand guard to drive away or perhaps kill any
beasts around.”
“Try to stay here, don’t wander off.”
Zhen Jin reminded the two, after giving them the meat, he slowly got up.
“My Lord, you must be careful.” Zi Di said with concern.
Zhen Jin nodded and quickly walked off, his silhouette rapidly disappearing
into the curtain of night.
He first circled around and after confirming there were no traces of ferocious
beasts, he beelined in a straight direction.
Without Bai Ya, Zi Di, or Cang Xu slowing him down, it did not take long for
Zhen Jin to arrive at the granite boulders.
The granite boulders were very safe and there were no spear scorpions around.
Zhen Jin took a deep breath and his face showed hesitation.
But soon after, he made up his mind.
He began to undress.
He quickly took off all of his clothes and became naked.
After a moment, he activated the magic core and red light radiated from his
entire body.
The intense red light covered his face and body, leaving only a red silhouette.
The red silhouette then quickly collapsed like water and changed into a
scorpion’s silhouette.
The red light gradually vanished, and Zhen Jin was nowhere to be found, in his
place was a scorpion.
A silver level life aura flowed out.
Zhen Jin had transformed into a spear scorpion leader!
This was the first time he had transformed his entire body and left no traces
of his humanity.
This was actually very risky, but Zhen Jin had no other choice but to do it.
He was too hungry.
He had at least a silver level battle qi cultivation and those two pieces of
meat were of no use to him. As a matter of fact, even if Zi Di ate all of them,
she would not be full.
Therefore, Zhen Jin decided to take another course of action.
Granite boulders were not the food of humans.
So, he completely transformed into a spear scorpion to give it a try.
Zhen Jin’s current perception changed dramatically.
The curtain of night was not dark to him. With the help of spear scorpion eyes,
he could see far into the darkness.
Not only did spear scorpions have two main eyes on the front of their heads,
they also had a pair of eyes on each side of their heads.
As a result, Zhen Jin now had a vast field of view.
Spear scorpions also had an impressive sense of smell and Zhen Jin immediately
smelled a rich fragrance.
He quickly discovered that the fragrance was coming from the surrounding
granite boulders.
Humans could not smell anything from the granite boulder and would at most
taste the stone or metal in them. But Zhen Jin had transformed into a spear
scorpion and smelled a splendid and never before sniffed fragrance.
The splendid fragrance immediately enticed Zhen Jin to raise his scorpion tail.
The scorpion tail flew like lightning and pierced a granite boulder.
Zhen Jin also used his large pincers in conjunction with the scorpion tail to
smash the granite boulder into pieces.
The pincers pushed the crushed pieces into his scorpion mouth.
Zhen Jin chewed.
“Oh, oh oh!”
“So tasty!”
“It tastes like chocolate cookies. It has a crunchy and smooth taste.”
Zhen Jin nearly shouted.
As it turns out, granite boulders were a culinary delicacy to spear scorpions!
A spear scorpion’s sense of taste was completely different from a human’s.
Zhen Jin constantly chewed and gorged himself with food.
He was very hungry.
After eating two granite boulders in a row, he stopped.
He used the scorpion shape to lie in the ground and stayed motionless for a
good while in order to digest the granite within him.
A sour and itching sensation began to appear across his entire body.
“What is going on?” Zhen Jin felt strange, he had definitely been paying
attention to his internal organs and knew he had smoothly and completely
digested the granite.
“Could this be that?”
Zhen Jin’s heart suddenly shined.
He thought of what Cang Xu had said, the general idea was that spear scorpions
could eat granite boulders, absorb the metal within the rock, and increase
firmness of the carapaces.
Zhen Jin immediately lashed his scorpion tail at his carapace.
However, it was a part of Zhen Jin’s body, the tail and the carapace had the
same strength, and no harm was done.
Zhen Jin then activated the magic core to restore his human form but retained a
piece of scorpion carapace on his stomach.
Perhaps because that was the only piece of scorpion carapace left, the sour and
itching sensation concentrated in the stomach and became extremely intense.
Zhen Jin turned his fingers into sword spider blades and suddenly stabbed at
his stomach.
The new sword spider blades were very sharp and made notches in the scorpion
carapace.
Suddenly, the intolerable and strange itching sensation alleviated.
After a few breaths, the strange feeling became more intense.
Zhen Jin looked at his stomach and discovered most of the cuts on the scorpion
carapace had already healed.
But Zhen Jin had a cheerful look.
Because this proved his guess.
He immediately used the spider blades to violently stab his stomach.
His repeated stabs created many small holes.
The scorpion shell rapidly healed as the strange itching sensation gradually
weakened until it finally disappeared completely.
Zhen Jin touched his stomach and found that the newly grown scorpion carapace
was somewhat tougher than before.
“This should be the reason why the scorpion leader never stopped pursuing me.”
“As it turns out, it wanted to take a beating!”
“When I drew them to the granite boulders, it was to give them food but instead
ended up harming us.”
Realizing this truth, Zhen Jin’s cheerful expression dissipated and was
replaced by an exasperated bitter laugh.
Zhen Jin did not stay after eating his fill, rather he immediately circled
back.
He came to the bonfire and saw Zi Di and Cang Xu.
The rat and lizard were already well cooked, but Zi Di and Cang Xu did not eat
them despite their extreme hunger.
“Eat my Lord.”
“Lord Zhen Jin don’t decline pointlessly. Only with enough stamina can you
ensure our safety, isn’t that so? Even if we have enough stamina, we cannot
deal with ferocious magic beasts.”
Despite Zi Di’s and Cang Xu’s starvation, as if by prior agreement, they
advised Zhen Jin at all costs to eat the two pieces of meat.
Of course, Zhen Jin could not agree because he had already eaten his fill.
Both sides pushed each other to eat, but Zi Di and Cang Xu had very firm
attitudes.
Zhen Jin had no choice but to change his complexion: “My stamina is still at an
adequate level and my body is better than the two of yours. You have not eaten
enough food, if you do not eat this food then I cannot say if you can endure
through the night. The firewood may not last the entire night.”
After saying this, Zhen Jin deeply gazed at Zi Di: “I have said that I would
protect you until the end of my life.”
After that, the youth faced Cang Xu: “Old scholar, even though you are
unwilling to attach yourself to me and serve as my subordinate, I will also do
my utmost to save you. I vowed to use all of my strength to save everyone, this
includes you and also Bai Ya.”
“Don’t tell me you two want to make me violate my vow? Do you want my knight’s
honor to be blemished?” Zhen Jin’s expression became very serene.
Zi Di and Cang Xu looked at Zhen Jin, it was as if holy light radiated from his
entire body and for a moment, their hearts shook and neither of them spoke.
“Burp.”
At that moment, Zhen Jin could not help but let out a satisfied burp.
Cang Xu and Zi Di: ???



****** Chapter 74: I am a Spear Scorpion ******
During the morning in the desert, the temperature was still very low.
Cang Xu breathed out a puff of white fog.
As he walked, the old scholar used both hands to pull the goatskin coat more
tightly around him.
The goatskin coat was something he had gained when the exploration team
massacred the goats. The goatskin coat’s workmanship was crude but now Cang Xu
greatly treasured it. He knew that this unremarkable article of clothing had
saved his life last night.
The bonfire ran out of fuel in the middle of the night.
Without a fire providing warmth, the four people were tormented by the cold.
Zhen Jin and Zi Di, Cang Xu and Bai Ya huddled together for warmth.
But everyone was able to press on.
Just as dawn appeared, Zhen Jin and the others continued their journey.
Although it was still quite dark, they had to move without delay to warm their
bodies.
Cang Xu’s lips were a frozen purple and although his steps warmed his body, it
also made him feel hungry.
There was no food and only a tiny bit of water remaining.
Their future seemed as dark as the world around them.
Cang Xu began to cherish the roasted lizard he ate last night.
“What a delicacy it was!”
“I should have saved a little so I could eat it now. Alas……”
Zhen Jin still walked ahead with Bai Ya on his back.
Bai Ya was still unconscious.
Zi Di also had a goatskin coat that covered her apprentice mage’s gown. She put
on her hood but was still shivering. But at that moment, her amethyst eyes
suddenly brightened.
“Look everyone!” She suddenly pointed ahead.
There were many shadows spreading ahead.
It was the silent granite boulders.
Cang Xu laughed as he came over: “It seems my guess last night was not wrong.
The granite boulders were near us and now we have returned once more.”
“As expected of you.” Zhen Jin exclaimed in admiration; however his heart was
not surprised.
Last night, he had already come here.
He put down Bai Ya: “You two stay here and keep watch, I will go investigate
first.
Cang Xu and Zi Di had no objections.
This time the granite boulders were not safe.
The acid green lizard group were using the heat of the granite boulders to warm
themselves and increase their mobility.
The spear scorpions also came here to crush and eat the granite boulders.
“You must be careful my Lord.” Zi Di warned with concern.
Zhen Jin nodded: “I’ll be right back. If you have no choice but to move, use
the pink compound to mark your route.”
“I understand my Lord.” Zi Di nodded repeatedly.
Although Zhen Jin was not sure about the three’s safety, there was no other
way, he had to go alone.
Fortunately, Zi Di, as a pharmacist, was not unable to fight back when
confronted by danger.
“If something truly dangerous shows up, can’t I still come back quickly at such
a short distance?” Zhen Jin could only console himself.
With Cang Xu and Zi Di silently watching him, Zhen Jin quietly walked into the
granite boulders and his figure disappeared.
Hiss hiss hiss……
Just as Zhen Jin entered the granite boulders, he heard the hiss of a serpent
inside the granite boulders.
Zhen Jin’s heart immediately became happy.
He had experienced the green acid and knew what a beast sounded like when it
spat it.
Sure enough!
He followed the sound and discovered dozens of acid green lizards hidden in the
granite boulders.
“Good, very good!”
Zhen Jin’s brow rose in joy.
The acid green lizards really appeared!
Them showing up was very timely.
At the moment, Zhen Jin and the others did not have any food, lizard meat
showed up just at the right time.
These acid green lizards were lying down with their bellies on the granite
boulders. Some on the ground leaned their thick backs against the stone with
their long tails wrapped around the boulders, almost forming a circle. Their
two forelegs were on the stones, while their hindlegs were on the gravel. Their
heads were held up high, constantly hissing from open mouths.
The serpentine hissing Zhen Jin heard was mainly caused by these lizards.
There was no wind. There was also no wind gap.
Zhen Jin stealthily approached with as little sound as possible.
With the help of the large granite boulders covering his figure, he ensured
that he was always out of the lizards’ line of sight.
But soon after, the outermost lizards saw Zhen Jin approaching and their faces
became vigilant.
“I can’t get any closer.” Sensing that he was detected, Zhen Jin stopped behind
a granite boulder.
He was a sixteen-year-old youngster with a comparatively small build and the
lizards could not see him as his body curled up behind a boulder.
But the lizards did not investigate just by using sight, they also had taste,
smell, and the intuition of wild beasts.
As a result, they noticed something was fishy in the area.
Zhen Jin moderated his breathing and did not recklessly take a peek.
His face became carefree as he took off all of his clothes and became naked
once again.
Compared to yesterday, his body was already in a much better condition. The
wound on his left shoulder blade had already scabbed and the other scars were
clearly fading. Maybe because stuffing himself last night now allowed him to
display his formidable healing ability again.
Zhen Jin activated his magic core and turned into a complete silver level spear
scorpion once again.
The acid green lizards detected the red light behind the granite boulder and
became alarmed.
Countless eyes closely stared at the granite boulder.
Serpentine hisses clamored.
At that moment, the acid green lizards saw a dark golden spear scorpion crawl
from behind the granite boulder.
Its scorpion carapace was thick, its pincers were like large shields, and it
was formidable. It had a long scorpion tail behind it that was both somewhat
graceful and callous.
The lizards immediately felt threatened and became more agitated!
Because for the last several days, the lizard community had been massacred by
the scorpion group.
More crucially, Zhen Jin now emitted a very strong silver level life aura that
made the iron level lizards feel the gap of life level between them.
Seeing Zhen Jin slowly approaching, the lizards frantically stood up and the
volume of their hisses reached their peak. They wanted to intimidate Zhen Jin
with an obvious bluff.
In contrast, Zhen Jin felt fantastic.
He found that his field of view had become shorter than a human’s. However, his
field of view had become wider a result.
“Humans have their eyes on the front and top of their head, however, not only
do spear scorpions have two eyes in front of them, they also have two eyes on
the sides of their bodies.
Zhen Jin was trying his best to adapt to the spear scorpion’s form.
All of this was so new!
Although this was the second time he had transformed, the first time happened
late at night. Besides, he was very hungry at that time and all of his
attention was focused on eating.
Now that he was already full, he began to truly sense how a spear scorpion
lived.
Because of the adequate light, Zhen Jin found the things he saw through his
eyes seemed more vivid than what he saw through human eyes.
This illustrated that a spear scorpion’s vision was better than Zhen Jin’s.
Clang clang.
Zhen Jin lifted his huge pincers and cracked them together to create the sound
of a metallic collision.
This minor act was without doubt a demonstration of force and a threat in the
lizards’ eyes.
The lizard group became even more restless with most already jumping on top of
granite boulders to tower above Zhen Jin while also opening their frills like
umbrellas in order to display their physique as much as possible. The
serpentine hissing seemed like thousands upon thousands of vipers that would
destroy anything that offended them.
Zhen Jin used his many eyes to gaze at these lizards while looking at his large
pincers at the same time.
Humans had two hands and ten fingers, they never had large pincers.
Zhen Jin looked at his pincers and sensed that they were thick and hard.
“These are my shields that can block any acid sprayed at me. If not, then it
would be like before where I had to dodge left and right and being even a
little careless would result in a serious injury.
Zhen Jin once personally witnessed the silver level spear scorpion fight these
acid lizards.
He knew that even if a silver level lizard leader sprayed acid, the scorpion’s
leader carapace would not corrode.
It gave him a strong sense of security while also being amusing.
“If a lizard neck or tail was wedged in my pincer, would it immediately cut
through it?”
After thinking of this, Zhen Jin was eager to give it a try.
“Come, I do not fear your acid.”
“Charge!”
After shouting in his heart, Zhen rushed towards the lizard group.
The lizards became frightened.
After all they still hadn’t produced a silver level leader to hold the line and
were like hyenas encountering a lion.
When a lion charged, the hyenas didn’t lack the strength to retaliate, but no
single hyena could resist the lion.
The two lizards closest to the charging Zhen Jin even jumped onto granite
boulders and fled from him.
But at that moment, Zhen Jin fell into the sand with a plop. The entirety of
his scorpion body was on the ground, the sand chaffed the bottom of his body,
and because of his charge, he slipped forward quite a distance.
Acid lizards: ??!
In a split second, the serpentine hissing stopped.
The two lizards that ran away also turned around in the sand to look at Zhen
Jin with shock.
What did they just see?
A silver level scorpion leader actually tripped itself?!
Zhen Jin felt his face heating up, if he was in human form, he might be
blushing.
He never thought he would commit such a basic mistake.
As a knight, he actually tripped over himself while charging!
“I am not a real spear scorpion, and this is my second time transforming into
one.”
“Ordinarily I could use my instincts to handle the scorpion body and walk
normally.”
“However, in a fight confusion will arise when my body cannot keep up with my
consciousness and thoughts.”
Humans only had two legs.
Not counting the pincers, spear scorpions had four legs.
For a moment, Zhen Jin could not adapt when running with four legs causing him
to slip up and trip.
The lizards were motionless after seeing the spear scorpion trip.
They seemed to think: “Is this spear scorpion stupid?”
For a moment, the situation was caught up in a strange standstill.
Suddenly, the iron level lizard with the most majestic build broke out in
lizard hisses and took the lead in charging Zhen Jin.
The surrounding lizards were aroused as they charged one after the other.
For a moment, smoke and dust flew everywhere.
The lizards surrounded Zhen Jin and constantly attacked from all directions.
They trampled him, rammed him, and used their teeth to bite him, struck him
with their tails, or slapped him with their claws.
Zhen Jin was attacked from all sides and fought back as he took a beating.
He took many more blows than he delivered.
The scorpion carapace was a formidable defense that withstood all the attacks.
Zhen Jin only used his scorpion tail to retaliate.
Although the scorpion tail rarely counterattacked, each time it did, it would
take away one lizard’s life.
The lizards were on the offense, yet Zhen Jin was the one winning.
At first, when the lizards saw the spear scorpion leader was passively taking a
beating as if it were a clumsy thing that could only rotate in place, their
vicious nature was greatly excited.
But gradually as they sensed that their companions were getting fewer, the
lizards also began to feel that they were wrong.
An iron level lizard swelled its Adam’s Apple and then spat acid at Zhen Jin.
Zhen Jin had a vast field of view and already found that the lizard was raising
its head to spit acid.
As the acid approached, Zhen Jin calmly turned around and raised his right
pincer.
The pincer was like a large umbrella that stopped most of the acid.
The remaining acid splashed onto his body, but Zhen Jin did not feel anything!
The silver level spear scorpion could originally resist the lizard leader’s
acid, the acid the iron and bronze level lizards now sprayed could not threaten
Zhen Jin one bit.
In addition, the silver level lizard leader was different from these iron and
bronze level lizards because it did not sink into a weakened state after
spraying acid.
Zhen Jin marked the lizard that just sprayed acid.
He took the initiative to attack it.
He took a beating while advancing.
The targeted iron level lizard ran away, however its speed greatly decreased
and it lacked its previous disposition.
After Zhen Jin advanced a bit with difficulty, his scorpion tail suddenly
stabbed.
The scorpion tail was very long, thus its attacking range was huge.
In an instant, the scorpion tail precisely hit the iron level lizard’s head and
immediately killed it.
Zhen Jin was not accustomed to using his scorpion pincers or feet, but he was
very proficient with his tail.
“On the one hand, this is not the first time I have used the scorpion tail. On
the other hand, perhaps it is because I cultivated my clan’s battle skills like
Hundred Needles Wind, which mostly use thrusts. Therefore, attacking with the
scorpion tail fits me well.”
Zhen Jin secretly evaluated himself.
Although he was not used to a scorpion form and could not run swiftly, his
solid and deep understanding of combat allowed him to quickly exploit his
strengths and compensate for his weaknesses, in order to find the most suitable
way of fighting at the moment.
The acid was considered the lizard’s strongest weapon and seeing that it had no
effect, the lizards were destined to lose long ago.
After losing ten lizards, the remaining ones accepted reality and fled from
Zhen Jin in a panic.
“You cannot escape!”
Zhen Jin’s heart shouted as he immediately gave chase.
The battle had excited his instincts and given him experience so he no longer
tripped. The four legs scuttled in turn like moving clouds and flowing water as
Zhen Jin accelerated!
But at that moment, there was a bang.
Zhen Jin ran into a granite boulder.
He could not control his direction when running fast.
His grand and ferocious pursuit came to a spontaneous end.
The fleeing lizards that saw this scene stared blankly at it again.
But shortly after, they fled even faster.



****** Chapter 75: Oasis ******
The collision only inconvenienced Zhen Jin, the hard scorpion carapace
protected his brain, and he didn’t even feel the least bit dizzy.
A normal human colliding at his speed would definitely have met a bloody end.
Seeing that the lizards had already run far away, Zhen Jin knew he could not
catch up, in addition Zi Di and Cang Xu were still elsewhere, thus he gave up.
This battle let Zhen Jin understand one point: “The spear scorpion form is
really formidable; however, I still need a great deal of practice to display
its full abilities.”
He couldn’t run normally, or to be more accurate, he couldn’t quickly change
his direction while running.
Looking at the magic core again, it seems a quarter of its magic has been
consumed.
Completely transforming into a spear scorpion consumes magic far faster than
just transforming one or two parts.
But Zhen Jin did not change back his form.
He used his many feet to crawl to the dead lizards and used his scorpion tail
to stab one of their bellies.
After a moment, he then activated his magic core.
The familiar red light appeared, and four blood threads appeared on the
lizard’s body. The blood threads quickly twisted around and trussed up the
lizard's body.
The blood threads soon entered the lizard’s body and became somewhat dim.
But the blood threads quickly turned rosy again, contracted, and drew the
lizard’s bloodline essence from its body and back into the magic core.
The lizard corpse turned into a pile of ash.
The magic core’s magic reserves rose somewhat.
“Now I can transform a lizard head.”
“Even though I have transformed my entire body, I can still activate the magic
core to absorb and convert lifeforms.
After verifying this conjecture, Zhen Jin rescinded the scorpion form and
restored his human body.
Following that, he absorbed and converted most of the dead lizards.
These lizards had just died and were very fresh, so they still had most of
their accumulated magic, as a result each lizard was converted into a lot of
magic.
Finally, Zhen Jin inspected the magic core and found that its magic reserves
were at least fifty percent greater than what it was when the battle started.
“Now I can transform into a complete acid lizard.”
“But only into an iron level one.”
This result made Zhen Jin sink into contemplation.
He had a new realization of this magic crystal in his heart.
“It seems the level of life I transform into is not based on my own life level,
rather it is determined by the level of life I absorb.”
“I absorbed the silver level spear scorpion leader; therefore, I can transform
into a silver level scorpion.”
“But I have not absorbed a silver level lizard, only up to iron level ones,
therefore I can only transform into an iron level lizard.”
“However, when the silver level lizard died, I processed its corpse, harvested
its meat, and ate a lot of it.”
“So, it seems this is an issue with the quantity I have accumulated.”
“If I had only absorbed a small part of the silver level spear scorpion’s body,
I would not be able to achieve a qualitative change and would have been unable
to transform into a complete silver level spear scorpion.”
The sun rose and the desert’s temperature began to significantly increase.
Zhen Jin stopped his train of thought and started putting on his clothes.
“Although complete transformation is very powerful, undressing every time I do
so is very inconvenient.
As he put on his clothes, Zhen Jin became embarrassed when he saw that there
was a hole in his trousers.
After putting on all of his clothes, he intentionally fiddled with his jacket,
so it covered the hole exposing his buttocks.
He then picked up a knife and made many cuts in the remaining lizard corpses.
This knife originally belonged to an exploration team member who died fighting
in the volcanic region. When Zhen Jin carried Bai Ya out, he did not forget to
take such precious supplies with him.
It was only a common iron knife and was nowhere as sharp as the spider sword.
It would take a normal person several consecutive cuts to split open the
lizard’s skin.
Zhen Jin also cleared the battlefield of any suspicious traces and buried all
of the carbon ash.
After double checking everything, he left the granite boulders and ran to where
Cang Xu and Zi Di were.
Seeing Zhen Jin’s exhausted face and bloodstained body, Zi Di became very
worried and stepped forward at once to check him.
Confirming that Zhen Jin was not wounded, the girl breathed a sigh of relief.
“I killed a few lizards. I also repelled the remaining ones and got us food.”
Zhen Jin laughed.
This good news lit up Cang Xu and Zi Di’s faces with delight.
Zhen Jin picked up Bai Ya and led the other two towards the granite boulders.
Seeing that there were five dead lizards, Cang Xu and Zi Di revealed their
shock.
Cang Xu swept his eyes over the battlefield and saw traces of a fight in the
sand along with many lizard footprints. He then gave a sincere exclamation of
admiration.
“Lord Zhen Jin, I am now beginning to believe Lord Zi Di’s conjecture.”
“I fear you really do not only have just a silver level cultivation. To have
such strong physical strength in such malnourished conditions is not ordinary.
This lizard group had at least thirty lizards, yet you used an ordinary knife
without battle qi to kill five of them as well as forcing the rest to flee.”
“My Lord, you are so brave. But the thing this old one admires more is your
boldness and lack of fear. You charged alone into an enormous magic beast
group, unafraid of powerful enemies, this spectacle and conduct will be placed
into the history books like those famous heroes.”
“Although I did not witness it, I can imagine the scene of you heroically
charging alone into those lizards. Those lizards surrounded you, but you relied
on your surpassing courage and formidable battle skills to kill them. The
lizards spat acid at you, but even in a dangerous situation you were calm and
collected like ice.”
“An ordinary iron knife in your hands can spill waves of blood. You blinked
through the lizard group as gallantly and exquisitely as an elf dancing in the
woods.”
Zhen Jin touched his nose and felt somewhat embarrassed from the praise: “I
really don’t deserve that much praise from you.”
“No.” Cang Xu shook his head with a resolute attitude, “Although I am not good
at fighting, I have also lived for a long time. The traces left on this
battlefield are not fake.”
A large portion of the traces on the battlefield were fabricated by Zhen Jin.
Seeing Cang Xu successfully hoodwinked, Zhen Jin’s heart both relaxed and felt
somewhat ashamed: “I had to do this, this lizard meat will last us a long
time.”
But Cang Xu’s description scared Zi Di, her violet eyes gazed at Zhen Jin and
she softly said: “My Lord, from now on I ask you to not take such risks again.
We can take our time to decide more times than not.”
Zhen Jin nodded: “Be at ease, I understand. In fact, ever since I got away from
the scorpion group, I experienced a sensation of being reborn. I felt like I
had made a breakthrough, but it also felt like I hadn't. When I fight now, I
feel clearer and have a greater understanding of what I can and cannot do.”
The things Zhen Jin said were also products of careful deliberation——he wanted
to cover up some things.
He was deliberately vague to give the others a certain impression.
In the future, after he used the magic core to dispose of threats, it would
allow the others to not think that it was strange and abrupt that he was
stronger.
Cang Xu heard these words and nodded repeatedly: “I have also heard of the
circumstance you speak of.”
“In the Imperial east there is a group of cultivators who practice penance.
They cultivate by wearing heavy rings that prohibit magic and the simplest of
garments, they then trek mountains barefoot or sit under waterfalls or in
rivers to endure the impact.”
“They restrain the majority of their power to put their bodies in the most
difficult situations, thereby torturing their bodies so they can temper their
spirit and will. Usually, their battle qi cultivation can break through
barriers and grow quickly.”
“In the end, battle qi is power derived and extracted from a human’s physical
body. The stronger a human’s body, the higher the breakthrough limit, the more
potential is extracted, and the stronger the battle qi.
The human body is the basis of battle qi while magic is different, for the
essence of magic is making use of external elements. The essence of divine
spells is from gods granting their power.
“Lord Zhen Jin, your experience on this island resembles those penance
cultivators. In the moment of life and death, your body can break through its
limits and unearth your deeply buried potential. It is very possible that when
you leave this island, your battle qi cultivation will move a step forward.
Cang Xu spoke with conviction but Zhen Jin, as the person being discussed, felt
a bit stupid listening to it.
He did not need to rack his brains because Cang Xu had already given a perfect
explanation.
Zhen Jin’s heart could not help but appreciate Cang Xu even more.
“If I had such a counselor or subordinate, my future affairs would be smoothly
dealt with.”
“It's a pity……Cang Xu is an ordinary person, it would have been perfect if he
could cultivate.
As far as Cang Xu’s status as a wanted criminal was concerned, Zhen Jin did not
care.
Because only the Sha Ta Clan ordered Cang Xu’s arrest. The Bai Zhen Clan’s and
the Sha Ta Clan’s territories were quite far from each other, in addition Zhen
Jin could already rely on his relationship with Emperor Shen Ming to shield an
ordinary person like Cang Xu and there was nothing the Sha Ta Clan could do
about it.
The three people then started processing the lizard corpses and sliced off
pieces of meat.
Even though there was meat, none of them gorged themselves.
Although there was enough food, it was not infinite. After going through
starvation, Zhen Jin and the others treasured each piece of food.
After counting the amount of lizard meat, they had formed a detailed plan——of
how much meat each person would eat each day.
Another reason why they didn’t gorge themselves was because there was little
water left.
Human stomachs cannot store water but to digest food, it would need a lot of
water. The water inside the human body would seep into the stomach and
participate in the digestive process.
Under a water shortage, eating too much meat could also prove deadly.
“Next we need to replenish our drinking water.” Zi Di said.
“If we can’t find water, even though we won’t die of hunger, we can still die
of thirst. However, I am convinced there is a stable and large water source
nearby.” Cang Xu said firmly.
A scorpion group and a lizard group lived here, both beast groups were very
large, and a huge water source was essential to keep them all alive.
Unless they were also teleported.
But all signs indicated this was not the case——these two beast groups had been
living here for a long time.
“We can follow the lizards’ footprints, perhaps their tracks can guide us to a
water source.” Cang Xu put forward a good proposal.
When night fell, the horizon’s afterglow seemed like burning satin.
The setting sun’s afterglow illuminated Zi Di’s face and caused amethyst eyes
to suddenly dazzle.
“Everyone come look, the oasis is over there!” The girl had climbed over a sand
dune and pointed her finger ahead with excitement.
Zhen Jin had already sensed it and with Bai Ya on his back, he sighed: “We
really found it.”
The lizard’s tracks gave them directions.
Cang Xu finally climbed over the sand dune, he gazed into the distance and
gasped: “That’s right, the oasis should be over there. But be wary, it could
also be a mirage. Mirages will raise a man's mentality to its peak and then
drop it into despair causing the man to give up his will to live.”
As everyone constantly got closer, the oasis landscape became more and more
clearer.
Zi Di looked at the tall and verdant coconut trees and also heard the lake that
mirrored the blazing sun.
“This is all real, none of it is an illusion!” The girl shouted.
The problem of water was perfectly solved.
The faces of Zhen Jin and Cang Xu were cheerful.
But Zhen Jin still calmly warned: “Take care, the oasis provides steady water
and food thus there are bound to be other lifeforms visiting it, we cannot be
careless.”
Cang Xu glanced at Zhen Jin and praised in his heart: “It seems going through
tribulation has not only grown this young knight’s fighting strength.”
They entered the oasis.
“Hold on, there is a person’s footprints here! In addition, these footprints
are still very new.” Zhen Jin suddenly lowered his voice; his sight was the
strongest, so he took the lead in finding anything unusual.
“In other words, does that mean there is someone else in this oasis?”
“Who can it be?”
Zi Di and Cang Xu glanced at each other and went on their guard.



****** Chapter 76: They are…...True ******
Following the footprints carefully, everyone quickly found something.
“Lan Zao, is that you? You are still alive? What happened to you?” When Cang Xu
saw Lan Zao, he couldn’t believe his eyes.
His impression of Lan Zao was that he was a healthy and robust middle-aged man,
in addition he had a staunch willpower and maintained vigilance at all times.
But at the moment, Lan Zao had a thin body, messy hair, a bloodstained face. He
looked like a puppet blankly sitting in the lush underbrush without any
awareness. When he heard his name called, he slowly turned his dim and lifeless
face.
Zi Di’s heart also sunk as she secretly guessed: “Don’t tell me a magic beast
inflicted a serious injury to his soul and caused him to turn into an
imbecile?”
Finding Lan Zao was a joyous moment for everyone.
They did not know Lan Zao and Huang Zao fled in secret and left them to die.
Zhen Jin and the others had been seemingly separated during the sandstorm, thus
meeting up with Lan Zao in the oasis was a pleasant surprise.
But the joy was like a puff of air and was replaced by bewilderment in tandem
with Lan Zao’s dissipating spirit.
“Lan Zao, is there anyone else besides you?”
“Where is your younger brother Huang Zao?” Zhen Jin inquired.
Hearing Huang Zao’s name, Lan Zao shivered from head to toe like a golem that
had been activated by a command word.
He froze and then his expression violently changed as if he had suddenly
remembered all that had transpired.
He was incomparably anxious as he frantically yelled: “My Lord, Lord Zhen you
came!! Save my little brother quickly, save him now.”
As he said that, he threw himself at Zhen Jin and grasped Zhen Jin’s ankles.
He also looked at Zi Di similarity as he gave a surprised yell: “Miss Zi Di you
are also here, very good. With you here, my younger brother will certainly be
cured!
“What exactly happened? Calm down a little Lan Zao.” Zhen Jin tensely scowled
as he stooped to grab Lan Zao's shoulder and pull him up.
“Quickly, quickly come this way!” Lan Zao suddenly threw off Zhen Jin’s hand
and ran to the nearest palm tree.
Just as he started running, he tripped over the underbrush and fell to the
ground kneeling.
He was very anxious as he used his hands and feet to crawl forward.
The situation was very fishy, but Zhen Jin and the others did not question Lan
Zao again as they braced themselves and followed behind.
When they reached the palm tree, as the one walking in the front, Zhen Jin’s
eyes contracted as he saw Huang Zao in the underbrush.
Huang Zao’s clothes were tattered, most of his flesh was gone, and the deathly
pale bones of his ribs, arms, and legs lay exposed.
He lay motionlessly on the ground and his remaining flesh was already beginning
to rot.
Huang Zao had already died and was a corpse.
But the strange thing was, the body was still bandaged.
The bandages were clearly made from long strips of cloth and were covered up by
many palm leaves.
“Younger brother, younger brother, open your eyes quickly.”
“Take a look, Lord Zhen Jin and Miss Zi Di have come. You are saved, you are
saved!”
“You truly have good luck to degenerate in the desert yet still meet with our
two Lords, halacha……”
Lan Zao kneeled at Huang Zao’s side and put his arm on the back of Huang Zao’s
head to straighten his upper body.
This was a horrifying scene.
Huang Zao had died long ago, his flesh was deathly pale, his body was broken,
and the bloodstains and bones were a ghastly sight.
Cang Xu and Zi Di soon arrived and stopped in their tracks upon seeing the
scene.
“Blegh.”
Zi Di was caught off guard, she immediately vomited almost all of the acid in
her stomach.
“Huang Zao?” Behind the shattered glass lenses, Cang Xu’s eyes opened wide, “He
is dead! When did he die? How did he die?”
Lan Zao was provoked as he crazily shook his head and repeatedly retorted: “No
he is not; he is not dead!”
“He is still alive.”
“Cang Xu your vision is blurred by age! Look again carefully!”
Lan Zao then looked at his younger brother again and suddenly lowered his
voice: “Younger brother, wake up quickly and take a look around you.”
Huang Zao was long dead, how could he open his eyes?
Lan Zao closely watched Huang Zao’s face and became more anxious when he saw
the latter not responding.
“Younger brother, younger brother.”
“You need to open your eyes, open your eyes now!”
Lan Zao started becoming deranged.
He extended a finger on his right hand to push open Huang Zao’s eyelid and
immediately exposed the man’s oozing eye whites.
“You guys look, look quickly, he has opened his eyes. My younger brother has
opened his eyes!” Lan Zao happily shouted.
Zi Di and Zhen Jin were silent.
Cang Xu shook his head and deeply sighed: “Lan Zao, wake up, your younger
brother……really is dead.”
“No, he is not dead. He is not dead. Nonsense, you are speaking nonsense!”
Lan Zao shrieked and became hysterical.
He put his ear on Huang Zao’s chest, a place that was half flesh and half bone,
with no trace of a heart.
“Come listen, he still has a pulse!” Lan Zao suddenly looked surprised.
Everyone else was silent.
Lan Zao looked at the expressions of everyone and became anxious, he then
pointed at Huang Zao’s nostrils.
“Come look, he is still breathing!” Lan Zao shouted.
Everyone was still silent.
Lan Zao faced everyone and fiercely roared: “He is still alive!!!”
He shouted at the top of his lungs, causing everyone’s eardrums to vibrate.
They stood in place like three motionless iron maidens.
“He is still alive!!” Lan Zao half kneeled to the ground, pulled Huang Zao’s
corpse to him, and roared at everyone with wide eyes.
But the roar this time was only half as strong.
Lan Zao’s eyes were bloodshot, and tears rapidly fell from his face.
“He is still alive, still alive……”
Lan Zao softly shouted, it seemed he was trying to prove this to those in front
of him and calling for Huang Zao.
The robust man’s upper body stooped as he buried his head deeply into Huang
Zao’s broken chest.
The sun had already sunk below the horizon and the last rays of light were
gone.
Everything was dusky.
The sounds of Lan Zao’s weeping floated through the oasis.
As he wept, he recounted his tale.
“It was me……it was me……”
“I killed him, I killed him.”
“I killed Huang Zao, I killed my younger brother, I killed him, I killed my
last living family member!”
“Sob, sob……”
“For the last few days, I ate his flesh and drank his blood.”
“I lived but he died.”
“I am a murderer, a murderer.”
“I’m sorry, so sorry younger brother.”
“I am sorry mother……I did not take good care of him, I killed him. I should
die, I should indeed die.”
“Boo hoo hoo……”
It was hard to imagine that such a strong man could cry this mournfully.
The weeping sounded like a ghost drifting on top of a tranquil lake.
The stars still shone brightly.
The temperature in the oasis did not drop as much as the desert around it.
In addition, there was a fire.
The orange flames burned and from time to time, the sound of burning wood
splitting would echo. Whenever a noise was produced, small sparks would fly up
and then dissipate overhead.
There was also a wooden grill that was cooking skewers of lizard meat to it.
Zhen Jin and the others also had some coconuts on hand.
The oasis had many palm trees, there were approximately two species; one that
had coconuts and another that had dates.
Cutting open a coconut with a knife revealed a fresh and delicious inside,
however the coconut water clearly smelled of sulfur.
The water problem had been properly solved.
It was much better than expected——Zhen Jin not only had lake water, but also
fruit juice.
Of course, because of nightfall, the lakeside situation could not be verified,
thus for safety, Zhen Jin and the others did not draw water.
Not far away, Lan Zao was half kneeling in the underbrush and was gazing at
Huang Zao’s corpse with lifeless eyes. Despite the meat’s aroma or the calls of
Zhen Jin and the others, he did not respond. He was like a puppet, only his
breathing showed he was still alive.
Bai Ya was lying next to the fire.
His eyes were tightly closed, and he was still unconscious.
He still had a fever and his temperature continued to rise higher and higher.
It was clear that his condition had worsened.
Perhaps these two people would be corpses by tomorrow.
The flame reflected the faces of Zhen Jin, Zi Di, and Cang Xu.
Zi Di glanced at Lan Zao and then shifted her gaze towards Zhen Jin.
The girl took the initiative to break the long silence: “My Lord, this kind of
man cannot stay.”
“There are many teeth marks on Huang Zao’s corpse.”
“Lan Zao ate a person, he ate his younger brother. This is too cruel; how can
we keep such a man?’
“I also discovered that it seems acid was sprayed onto Lan Zao’s back, the
wound has already putrefied, but it is clear it was tended to and bandaged.
That was obviously Huang Zao’s handiwork, yet it is impossible with the wounds
Lan Zao inflicted on his back.”
“Huang Zao assisted his older brother and bandaged him. But Lan Zao killed him
in order to fill his belly.”
Zhen Jin did not respond as he continued to watch the fire.
Cang Xu started to talk: “I have some doubts. Lan Zao is already in the oasis;
the oasis has plentiful food, and he also has a weapon on hand. Even if he
couldn’t hunt a beast, he could eat the coconuts that fell to the ground.”
Zi Di immediately replied: “It is clear that after Lan Zao killed Huang Zao, he
hurried to this place. By eating Huang Zao’s flesh, Lan Zao could support
himself until he arrived here. Maybe the reason why Lan Zao sank into regret
and pain is because he reached the oasis. Because he understood that if he did
not rush to kill his younger brother and continued to preserve a little more,
both of them would reach this place. Then his younger brother would not have
died, and both would have lived.”
Cang Xu nodded: “Lord Zi Di, your guess is reasonable, so Lord Zi Di, it seems
you also believe——Lan Zao has degenerated to this degree because of his regret
and pain. In other words, do you think the goodness, morality, and love in Lan
Zao’s heart is torturing him?”
Zi Di scowled as she slightly glared at Cang Xu: “What do you mean? Do you
really think that exonerates someone from killing their younger brother?”
Cang Xu shook his head and said: “Lord Zi Di, you misunderstand me. I do not
believe it exonerates a person, regardless of whether it is Lan Zao or not.
After all he killed his younger brother with his own hands, he is a murderer!”
After saying that, Cang Xu looked at Zhen Jin: “I only want to expound some
meager or narrow-minded principles I know.”
Zhen Jin was interested, but had an expressionless face: “Scholar Cang Xu, I
ask you say everything.”
Cang Xu laughed and threw a piece of firewood into the bonfire.
“We humans are actually small and weak. Compared to beasts, we do not have
sharp claws, hard carapaces, wings that soar, or gills.”
“Furthermore, the intellect we are so intensely proud of isn’t something that
exclusively belongs to us. Elves, beastmen, angels, goblins, and more are not
weaker than us, in fact they can even surpass our human intelligence.”
“In the current world, the human race may be the strongest. But if we look at
history, we will find that all of our ancestors were in disadvantageous
positions and had difficulty surviving. Human prosperity and becoming the
greatest power only started happening in the last few hundred years.”
“This happened because in the early days when our human ancestors devoured raw
meat and survived naked in nature, our ancestors discovered an important point:
as individual humans, we are extremely small and weak. Only by helping each
other and relying on each other’s strength can we have a greater possibility of
survival.”
“Gradually, human tribes began to appear, then clans, then fledgling nations,
and continued into the present where humanity has established an empire over
the entire Human Continent.”
“During this process, our ethics and virtues came into being. We revered
strength because attaching ourselves to the strong helped us survive. We
approved of noble bloodlines because outstanding bloodlines can cultivate
stronger people. In our collective ideology, individuals should sacrifice
themselves, there should be honor, selfishness should be despised, sharing
should be promoted, and we do not want to be outcast from the group. This is
because the individual is weak, to be approved by the group will raise one’s
chances of survival.”
“However, in reality, self-interest is the first instinct of life. Ethics and
virtues come after self-interest. After all, ethics and virtues come from
life’s instinctual self-interest.
“Just like sharing, it is to achieve circumstances that are more beneficial to
one’s personal survival. Just like how we despise selfishness, it is because if
others are selfish, it is not beneficial to our individual survival. We help
others because it will allow us to survive better as part of a group. Living
alone will reduce survival rate and reproduction rate, making it harder to pass
our bloodline on, whether high or low.”
“Enough.” Zi Di whispered, she gazed at Cang Xu through the fire with
indignation, “Scholar Cang Xu, you want to say the reason why Lan Zao killed
his younger brother is because of his survival instinct. Not only are you
absolving Lan Zao, but you are also absolving yourself of your prior
proposition to eat Bai Ya!”
Cang Xu did not stop because of Zi Di’s interruption, in that moment, he showed
a rarely seen toughness.
His sight had always been focused on Zhen Jin: “After mating, a female spider
or mantis will eat the male. They do not have love or ethics.”
“A young and healthy lion will banish the old one to become the leader of the
pride. It will use all of its strength to guard its territory as it struts
above all. It will send the females away to hunt for it and it will take the
old lion’s sons——to kill them all. It has no respect for the old and does not
cherish the young.”
“These things must sound very harsh my Lord.” Cang Xu painfully sighed with a
sincere and sad look, “But they are……true.”



****** Chapter 77: Life Still Goes On ******
“Ah——”
“Don't come, don’t come any closer!”
Zi Di’s sorry figure ran away.
Zhen Jin was closely chasing the girl.
“So hungry, I am so hungry!” Zhen Jin had transformed into a complete silver
level spear scorpion; he had been overwhelmed by hunger and his mind only
thought of eating.
Zi Di finally tripped on a rock and fell to the ground.
Zhen Jin pounced onto her and ruthlessly attacked her with his large pincers
and sharp tail.
Splurt.
Zi Di was instantly dismembered, her red blood splashed onto the ground and
dyed Zhen Jin’s vision crimson.
At that moment, Zhen Jin suddenly opened his eyes.
He looked at the black night sky.
He gasped and filled his lungs with cold air, his eyes gradually dilated to a
normal size as his mood calmed.
A nightmare.
He had a nightmare.
In that nightmare, he transformed into a spear scorpion, attacked Zi Di, and
considered the girl food to allay his hunger.
Zhen Jin quietly sat up.
Cold sweat covered his entire body.
Looking around, he saw Zi Di sleeping peacefully next to him with Bai Ya and
Lan Zao lying down nearby.
After hearing Cang Xu’s words, Zhen Jin knocked out Lan Zao and found a place
for him to lie.
As for Cang Xu, he was keeping watch for the night.
The bonfire was still burning, the flame was only half as strong as before, but
it still provided a steady stream of warmth.
As the flames shined upon Zhen Jin’s face, the young knight’s expression was
dark and uncertain.
“Why did I have such a nightmare?”
“Is it because I am constantly concerned and scared of the magic crystal in my
heart?”
It was a normal psychological reaction.
Imagine for a moment, if an ordinary human suddenly sprouted horns, grew a
tail, or swelled with tumors, would that not cause worry and fear?
Humans do not have a magic core, yet Zhen Jin had grown one.
In addition, the magic core was very mysterious, strange, and powerful, it
allowed Zhen Jin to transform into a monster and absorb the bloodline of
lifeforms.
“I cannot use battle qi, if I run into danger, I have no choice but to use it.”
“Sigh……from now on I have to use it as little as possible.”
“Who knows if there will be serious consequences?”
Zhen Jin subconsciously caressed his stomach.
He was afraid that if he misused the magic core, he would transform into a
beast one day and lose his human form.
Zhen Jin felt: the magic crystal was already pushing him to slaughter regular
people and sacrifice innocents to get more strength and authority.
“On another front, I am also scared of turning into Lan Zao.” Zhen Jin glanced
into the distance at Lan Zao.
He understood Lan Zao from the bottom of his heart.
In addition, the understanding was very deep.
Because Zhen Jin was once faced with the same choice as Lan Zao.
Hunger drove men insane, hunger made Zhen Jin turn into a complete spear
scorpion to eat granite, hunger made Zi Di think that cooled lava looked like
chocolate bread, and hunger made Cang Xu believe that he could eat sand. They
killed and ate anything they could, treating rat and lizard meat as a supreme
delicacy.
Apart from that understanding, Zhen Jin’s heart also had fear and post-
traumatic stress.
“If I treated Bai Ya as food, would I end up like how Lan Zao is now?”
“Although Bai Ya is not my younger brother, I would be tortured by the
goodness, morality, and knightly honor in my heart.”
“I would be like Lan Zao, alive but good as dead!”
Zhen Jin was in a very serious mood.
Because he naturally also thought: “In the future, would I turn into such a
person?
When he returned to the cave to carry out Bai Ya, the young knight told
himself——I am not depraved.
However, he understood he had many ideas. Those ideas were selfish, evil,
shameless, and despicable, things that Zhen Jin was nearly unable to face in
retrospect.
Outside of understanding, fear, and seriousness, Zhen Jin also felt a
spontaneous twang of pity for Lan Zao.
“In order to survive, he became a beast.”
“He killed his younger brother.”
“Afterwards he made his way back to this oasis. The arrangement is fate playing
and teasing him.”
“Lan Zao probably started to feel regret when he found the oasis, perhaps if he
persevered more, Huang Zao would have not died.”
“Extreme regret made him incapable of believing that Huang Zao was dead, and he
did everything in his power to deny the fact that he murdered his younger
brother.”
“Even though his vision was fine, he was still convinced that Huang Zao was
still alive and had hope of being saved.”
“He did his utmost to deceive himself. He sank into a delusion for it was the
only way he could escape the pangs of his conscience and the torment of his
morality.”
“The oasis is real, yet he is still stuck in his own personal mirage.”
“In the end it is just a fantasy.”
“Our appearance and attitude destroyed the bubbles of fantasy; thus ruthless
reality and the truth now appear before Lan Zao once more.”
“This time, he could not avoid it and could no longer deceive himself.”
“Just like Cang Xu said, those surviving in the desert will crumble because of
mirages. It is the same for Lan Zao, but even worse.
To be honest, if Zhen Jin did not have that life and death crisis, he too would
look down upon, loathe, and detest Lan Zao, with a high possibility that he
would carry out Zi Di’s proposal.
But after his personal experiences, the young knight’s body and mind greatly
changed.
“He is our companion and I once said that I would do my best to save everyone,
therefore I will help him.” This was what Zhen Jin decided at the bonfire when
faced with the two completely different proposals of Cang Xu and Zi Di.
After that, he got up and carried half a cup of coconut water and roasted meat
over to Lan Zao.
Lan Zao did not respond even a little as he remained staring at Huang Zao’s
corpse.
In the end, Zhen Jin could only knock Lan Zao out.
Why would anyone decide to help Lan Zao?
Zhen Jin also felt strange at the time.
But now he understood a little: “Perhaps it is what my heart desires. I hope
that if I end up like Lan Zao one day, someone will still help me.” However,
Zhen Jin also understood that he could do nothing to help Lan Zao.
Lan Zao’s problem was not an external one, rather it rested in his heart.
Even Zhen Jin had his own doubts as he asked himself——should anyone help a
person like Lan Zao.
Human society has ethics and morality, so the moral and ethical standards of
templar knights must be above the masses. Lan Zao’s conduct is undoubtedly the
opposite of these ethics and morals.
“Was helping Lan Zao right or wrong?”
“Did I help him because I saw him in myself?”
“Am I trying to excuse my possible depravity?”
At that moment, as he gazed into the flames, Zhen Jin felt he was hesitating
and wavering.
He tentatively controlled the magic crystal and had become very powerful. He
had enough food and water to free himself of that crisis.
But the young knight still felt weak.
He asked himself in his heart.
“When all is said and done, what kind of person am I?”
“I am afraid of death; can I really continue to uphold the knightly spirit and
shoulder the responsibility of establishing my clan?”
“Am I a selfish person?”
“If I was in Lan Zao’s position, what would I have chosen?”
“If I did not choose to eat, I would have died with no chance of reaching the
oasis. If I chose to eat, I would still die.”
“In the end, which is the right choice?”
Zhen Jin bravely faced himself, he did not use the magic core to excuse his
actions.
Zhen Jin had no answers to his questions.
Each time he reflected, and every time he confronted these questions, he
tortured his heart, he would lose part of his once strong self-confidence.
Zhen Jin’s heart understood when he saved Bai Ya, he told himself he was not
depraved. This was actually a subconscious denial. Who does not want to be
brave? Who does not want to be radiant? Who does not want to be upright and
frank, with no moral deficiencies?
“However, Cang Xu……indeed has an argument.”
Zhen Jin truly reflected.
This reflection forced him to confront the deepest, darkest, and ugliest parts
of human nature, it was undoubtedly extremely painful for him.
Losing his confidence made Zhen Jin sink into deep self-doubt.
Late into the night, the young knight got up and left the fire to kneel on the
ground.
He lowered his head, put a hand over his heart, turned his body towards the
Shen Ming Continent, and began to confess.
“God, Emperor Shen Ming, my great master. Thine gaze is like a light on the
world that causes all shadows to flee. Now, thy believer, thy knight confesses
to thee because his spirit is mired in a swamp. I seek the illumination of thy
spirit to banish the shadows of my corruption, my hideousness, my filth. I
beseech thee to pardon my sinful thoughts……”
The long confession concluded.
The soft night wind brushed the young knight’s ears.
It was as Zhen Jin expected——his god did not respond.
The youngster sighed with disappointment and frustration.
Zi Di was sound asleep.
Bai Ya was lying in the underbrush and Lan Zao was curled up on the ground like
a shrimp.
The two individuals’ brows were tightly wrinkled and had a painful
expression——both of them were struggling.
Time passed, and the night gradually waned as the sun rose and casted its
torrid light down.
Just like countless previous days and nights, nature continued to revolve under
its unchanging laws.
Any distress, sadness, suffering, bewilderment, or any other emotion in the
vastness of nature seemed pretentious.
Heaven and Earth were great but being alive was the greatest.
Before wealth, power, love, or honor, food and water must come first.
Regardless of how painful, perplexing, or sad it was, life still goes on.



****** Chapter 78: Resting at the Oasis ******
Day two.
Zhen Jin made it a priority to scout out the entire oasis and found it
unexpectedly auspicious and tranquil.
The footprints by the lake were basically all from lizards and scorpions. It
was very easy to guess there was only a group of lizards and a group of
scorpions near this oasis.
It was impossible to investigate the water, thus no one knew what was hidden in
the lake.
However, based on the footprints left behind on the lakeside, it seemed that
there were no traces of fighting, perhaps it proved that there were no threats
in the water.
There were many small lifeforms.
Such as small lizards, scorpions, spiders, and jumping rats.
Sometimes there would be birds in the palm trees.
Following a discussion between everyone, Zhen Jin began to cut down the thick
palm trees.
After taking all of the coconuts, he still wanted to process the tree trunks
into firewood and the tree cores into short bows.
Zi Di made some potions, compared to the barren desert, the oasis contained
plentiful supplies for her.
Cang Xu was in charge of twisting rope.
There were now only five people in the exploration team, among them there were
two who could not walk and among those remaining, Cang Xu was an old man while
Zi Di was a young girl, thus the manpower available took a steep decline.
Fortunately, the fewer team members there were, the less they required.
By the time morning passed, Zhen Jin had made five short bows. Zi Di had
finished the preliminary grinding process and started testing all kinds of
medicinal materials.
In the afternoon, Zhen Jin dredged up a large amount of mud from the lakeside.
Using the mud and fire, Cang Xu began to make pottery.
When evening arrived, Zhen Jin stopped cutting down palm trees, rather he
climbed up them to pluck off the coconuts.
Coconut shells were very hard, even if they fell to the ground, they would be
in perfect condition as long as they didn’t hit a rock.
Zhen Jin also plucked a large quantity of palm leaves.
Like the coconut water, regardless of whether it was the leaves or the tree
itself, both emitted a sulfuric odor.
The first pot was created with Zi Di’s potions.
During dinner, the pot was placed in the fire and successfully boiled water.
Drinking hot water and eating roasted meat made Zhen Jin and the others feel
blessed.
“This is the peak of worldly pleasures!” Zi Di sincerely exclaimed.
The morning of day three.
Whoosh.
A wooden arrow hit the top of a palm tree and caused a bird to fly away in
fear.
Zhen Jin sighed below the tree.
“Although I can make a short bow, I am not good at adjusting it, thus the
accuracy is very bad.
Zhen Jin’s left shoulder no longer affected his accuracy with the bow as it had
mostly healed.
Gazing at the bird flying into the distance, Zhen Jin took out a wooden dart
and threw it.
As he threw the dart, Zhen Jin activated the magic core and transformed his
arms into bear arms for an instant. Then, he canceled the transformation almost
immediately.
The dart moved like lightning as it violently and accurately hit the bird,
causing it to fall to the ground.
Zhen Jin walked over and picked up the dead bird. The wooden dart embedded
itself deep in the bird’s chest, only the end of the dart stayed in the bird as
it almost went completely through.
At the moment, bird meat wasn’t that precious as there was still a lot of
lizard meat. But bird feathers were an important source of arrow feathers. Bird
bones were also useful.
Last night, Zhen Jin told himself to not use the magic core as much as
possible.
But without bird feathers, arrows could not be made. In addition, birds were
rare in the oasis, it could not compare to the forest or rainforest, as a
result Zhen Jin could not let off any bird.
Picking up the bird, Zhen Jin returned to find a new rattan weaved basket.
The basket was filled with mud.
After breakfast was eaten, Zhen Jin’s original goal was to excavate mud and use
these baskets to transport them.
As he was returning, he saw a bird, the young knight did not let it off and
immediately shot it dead.
With one hand holding a bird and the other holding a basket, Zhen Jin returned
to a temporary camp.
Zi Di was in the middle of building a tent in camp.
The tent was very crude, its framework was several wooden stakes that formed a
stable triangular structure with palm leaves covering it. Rattan or rope was
used to tie the wood and leaves together.
The wide palm leaves were layered on top of each other, and fluffy grass was
placed on the floor to build a private place to rest that could protect against
the wind and cold.
Five of these small tents would be built to house Zhen Jin, Cang Xu, and the
others.
Zi Di already built one and was currently building the second. According to her
pace, it was unlikely that anyone would sleep in the open air.
“An unexpected gain.” Zhen Jin gave the bird to Zi Di.
Zi Di raised her head and smiled to Zhen Jin: “Put it on the ground, I have a
potion to give to you. Humans cannot smell it, but it can repel mosquitoes and
poisonous ants.”
Zhen Jin took the potion and went over to see how Bai Ya and Lan Zao were
doing.
The two of them were lying on the ground near each other.
Zhen Jin leaned over and felt Bai Ya’s forehead, he found that the fever had
gone down and that his breathing was steady.
This was a good sign.
Zhen Jin felt a slight happiness, Bai Ya was better at adjusting bows than he
was, but right now he could not place his hopes on him.
“I hope you wake up as soon as possible.” Zhen Jin’s heart silently blessed.
If Bai Ya woke up, he could actively feed himself rather than others doing it
for him. He could eat more, take in more nourishment, and become healthier
And Lan Zao……
He was already awake.
He was still curled up on the ground motionless, he had a dull expression and
an apathetic gaze like a lifelike puppet.
He was a bronze level battle qi cultivator, and his body was more robust than
Bai Ya’s. However, his mental state was not good and had no interest in the
food placed in front of him.
Zhen Jin softly sighed.
The young knight was not good at advising and comforting, but more importantly,
his heart had a complicated view on how Lan Zao murdered his younger brother to
survive.
Even the act of consoling Lan Zao caused Zhen Jin to feel faintly fearful.
Was this a type of dark self-forgiveness and self-indulgence?
If one continued to indulge, would one not lack a bottom line?
Would the magic core erode his heart, and replace the noble templar knight with
a dark and depraved demonic disciple?
Zhen Jin carried the basket of mud out of the temporary camp and into a plot of
vacant land.
There used to be a meadow here with lush knee-high grass, however it had been
burned away.
A fire pit was dug in the vacant land, there Cang Xu was using moist mud to
build around the fire pit.
He had already created a base prototype that surrounded the pit of fire like a
circular cylinder.
“This is an earthen kiln. The firewood will burn underground, there is a grate
here to divide the two layers. The firewood is burned in the lower layer, this
structure will rapidly circulate air and cause it to burn even hotter.”
The earthen kiln prototype was shorter than Zhen Jin’s knee, however even a
completed kiln wouldn’t even be half as tall as Zhen Jin.
Zhen Jin looked down and immediately saw the kiln bottom and the grate
separating it. The grate was a round mud brick with a diameter of about thirty
centimeters and an unknown thickness. The mud grate had apparently dried, and
had small holes evenly distributed over it. Zhen Jin could imagine that once
the kiln was lit and the dry wood below started burning, flames would come
through these small round holes.
Although the earthen kiln was small and crude, when it was built, it would be
much more stable than a bonfire, with a hotter flame, and be more useful.
“With this earthen kiln, we can fire tiles and brick, we can even build a tiled
wooden house. As the scale of the kiln is expanded, or if we have more kilns,
we can build bricks and brick houses.” Cang Xu explained.
Zhen Jin could not help but exclaim in admiration: “Scholar Cang Xu, what do
you not know?”
Cang Xu smiled and shook his head: “I do not know very much. In fact, I have
only grasped this knowledge in recent years. For a long time, I wanted to go to
the Wilderness Continent to write my book. I researched information about the
beast race and their life skills. The beastmen are comparatively backwards to
humanity with most of them still in the era of tribes. There are few beast race
city states in the vast wilderness continent.”
“So, is this enough mud?” Zhen Jin pointed to the basket filled with mud.
Cang Xu calculated for a while: “It is sufficient to build a kiln, but I fear
there will not be enough left to fire a pot. I fear I still have to trouble you
Lord Zhen Jin to go out and turn the ground again.”
Of course, Cang Xu did not plan to fire tiles and bricks.
After experiencing two teleportations, everyone knew that building camps and
houses on the island had no practical value.
They were firing pottery because they needed water containers.
Zhen Jin, Cang Xu, Zi Di, everyone had a water bag. But these water bags could
not store enough water reserves.
They needed more water, the more they had, the safer it would be.
The oasis was only a place to rest and reorganize, they still needed to
continue trekking through the desert.
Having more water reserves meant that even if there were no new sources of
water, everyone could support themselves for a long time. This could allow them
to resist greater hazards.
Zhen Jin dumped all of the mud from the lake side and left the clearing with an
empty basket.
He did not immediately go to the lakeside, but first sprinkled a potion around
the outskirts of the camp.
No threats were discovered.
Currently, it seemed the oasis was still safe.
But it was comparatively better for Zhen Jin to go out and do these things.
Both Zi Di and Cang Xu would find it hard to resist an abrupt attack.
By the time Zhen Jin returned to camp again, Zi Di had finished building a
third tent.
The rapid progress was due to the tents being very small.
They were made from a wooden stick frame with natural palm leaves draped over
it. People who entered the tent could only lie flat to cover their heads and
feet. It would be very difficult for them to turn over as these natural tents
were like small green coffins that were sloppily made and very cramped.
Finding that Zhen Jin had returned, Zi Di immediately became relieved and went
back to work.
She was kneeling on the ground with her upper body inside a tent, it seemed
that she was adjusting palm leaves in the tent’s interior. Her lower body was
outside the tent, her boots were no longer covered by her enchanted gown, and
because of her posture, the gown clung to her rear, revealing an enchanting
outline. Upon seeing this scene, Zhen Jin’s heart could not help but shake
slightly.



****** Chapter 79: Wanting to Die, Wanting to Live ******
Coming to the clearing again, Zhen Jin found Cang Xu was already lighting a
fire.
Flames were burning under the earthen kiln.
The kiln was being tempered by the flames. The moisture in it would evaporate
from the heat and allow the mud to go through a certain degree of qualitative
change, becoming harder and sturdier.
Cang Xu saw Zhen Jin: “The earthen kiln did not crack after being fired, with
this success, we can fire pots.”
“If it cracks, it will have to be remade. But that is unlikely.”
After saying this, Cang Xu began to make pottery.
He first cleaned up the mud by taking out leaves of grass, small stones, and
even by picking out some earthworms, then he constantly kneaded the mud into a
ball with an evenly distributed texture.
Afterwards, he put a portion of it into his palm and pinched it with his
fingers to make a plate.
The edges of the plate stuck up vertically.
After that, Cang Xu took another ball of mud and rolled it on a flat rock to
form a long cylinder of mud with roughly even thickness.
Cang Xu took the cylinder of mud and placed it on the mud plate, he then used
his fingers to squeeze them together as an integrated whole.
Cang Xu then constantly repeated this procedure.
Every mud strip added increased the height of the body until it finally formed
a necked pot.
The pot was the size of an adult human’s head, it was painted black, and it
looked very ugly.
Cang Xu carefully lifted the pot and placed it onto another flat rock. Zhen Jin
attentively took note: no matter what rock was used, Cang Xu always sprinkled a
layer of charcoal ash over it before placing the pot on it. This was to prevent
the pot bottom from sticking to the rock.
As Cang Xu worked with the mud, his aged and wrinkled fingers seemed nimble,
his clothes and beard were also stained with mud with only his shabby lenses
remaining spotless.
Zhen Jin did not stay to help Cang Xu, he still had more important tasks.
That was patrolling the oasis again.
They had been at the oasis for two days, and Zhen Jin had investigated it
thoroughly.
But that did not mean there was nothing dangerous in the oasis.
Beasts could move, and the scope of Zhen Jin’s investigation was limited. He
could only try his best to patrol multiple routes.
“If I transformed into a spear scorpion, I could see and hear more.”
But as this notion appeared in Zhen Jin’s mind, the young knight vetoed it.
He was vigilant against the magic core and was determined to only use this
mysterious magic core as a last resort.
Zhen Jin carefully observed his surroundings and verified that the oasis was
still safe.
Of course, Zhen Jin could not investigate the oasis’ lake.
The cool lake water was an azure color. Without wind, the still lake was like a
sapphire mirror that was wrapped up by the yellow desert and contrasted nicely
with the blue sky.
After lunch, work continued.
The pottery encountered a setback with almost all of them crumbling after being
fired.
“It should be the lack of grog.” Cang Xu knew the reason, but neither him nor
Zi Di could do anything in this aspect.
Fortunately, the crumbled pottery residue could be added to newer pottery to
increase their rate of success.
Zhen Jin began to regret.
If he had known this kind of situation would occur, he would have taken all of
the water bags from the volcanic cave.
Each member of the exploration team carried a water bag, however when Zhen Jin
left the cave, he only chose to take some weapons and some empty water bags.
Going back now was not realistic.
On the one hand, going back and forth would use up food, time, and stamina. On
the other hand, it was extremely risky. Don’t forget, there was a volcanic
eruption in that region. No matter if it was Zi Di or Cang Xu, neither leaving
them here nor taking them along was a good choice.
“If only there was bamboo growing here, that would make things so much easier.”
Zhen Jin thought of the time when Huang Zao went hunting, and the bamboo forest
they had found and utilized.
Bamboo joints were convenient and natural containers for storing water.
Coconut shells were not bad either.
But coconut water was very nutritious, Zhen Jin and the others wanted to
preserve their stock, thus they drank boiled water as much as possible.
As night approached, Zhen Jin returned back to camp.
Zi Di had finished building five tents and was currently making potions. She
told Zhen Jin the good news——Bai Ya woke up.
Zhen Jin went to Bai Ya’s tent.
Bai Ya was still weak, his head stuck out as he lay in the tent.
Seeing that Zhen Jin had arrived, he wanted to crawl out and stand up, however
he did not succeed after several tries.
“Don’t move, just lie down.” When Zhen Jin saw Bai Ya was still in poor health,
he promptly stopped him and sat at his side.
“Lord Zhen Jin, once again you saved my life! You are my savior; I would even
sacrifice my life to repay your kindness.”
Bai Ya passionately said.
“Recuperate well, eat more, and drink more. Saving you was not easy.” Zhen Jin
laughed.
Bai Ya’s eyes reddened with falling hot tears, choking with sobs, he said:
“Lord Zhen Jin, I know you have carried me all this way. You are a noble
templar knight, yet you bravely risked your life to save such a lowly person
like me. Lord Zi Di and Scholar Cang Xu informed me that you also gave me
precious water to drink.”
“Assisting the weak and saving the good is part of the templar knight creed.”
Zhen Jin smiled, he put his hand on Bai Ya’s shoulder and stopped him from
getting up again.
“Although I do not seek reciprocation, I understand and accept you wanting to
repay me.”
“You must survive and recover with all speed.
“Today I had a headache trying to adjust bows, I remember that you are an
expert in this aspect, I will wait for your help.
“My Lord, I can……” Bai Ya smiled and became more anxious. He tried to get up,
but Zhen Jin softly pushed down and did not budge even a hairsbreadth.
“Don’t be worried, just listen to my orders.” Zhen Jin looked solemn.
Bai Ya immediately stopped struggling and looked up at Zhen Jin with adoration
and respect: “I hear you, my Lord.”
As he was getting up, Zhen Jin suddenly remembered something, he took out a few
letters: “Ah, here. I will return these letters to you.”
“We have all read the letters. At first, I thought that if you died, I would
give these letters to Miss Xi Qiu. But since you are still alive, I will return
them to their rightful owner.
“My Lord……” Bai Ya suddenly felt somewhat embarrassed.
Zhen Jin laughed and patted Bai Ya’s shoulder: “Try hard, survive, stand out
amongst your peers, and don’t disappoint your beloved lady. When you are caught
in a predicament with no way to press on, remember that. Imagine the day when
you become a knight, return home in glory, and the spectacle of your marriage
to Miss Xi Qiu.”
“Ok!” Bai Ya nodded, choking with emotion.
Tears appeared again in his red eyes. At that moment, he seemed to be filled
with the luster of hope for the future.
With regards to the Xi Qiu matter, Zhen Jin was actually more inclined towards
Cang Xu’s view.
But after Zhen Jin thought about it, he decided not to warn Bai Ya.
Firstly, the truth was unknown. Secondly, Bai Ya at the moment needed positive
encouragement and not a psychological blow.
Bai Ya was full of optimism, as if he was bathing in the glimmering sunlight.
Lan Zao was also in a palm leaf tent; however he emitted a dense melancholy and
a deathly stillness.
He was starving himself.
Ever since Zhen Jin and the others destroyed the mirage in his heart, Lan Zao
was unable to face reality, he hadn’t eaten anything and hadn’t drunk anything
either.
These days, if he was not sleeping, he curled up his body and silently cried.
The contrast and changes between the two people made Zhen Jin’s heart shake, he
sighed constantly: “Human nature truly is subtle and a very odd thing.”
“Bai Ya was willing to risk his life to save Cang Xu. Yet he doesn’t want to
die, not one bit.”
“When Lan Zao was dying, he sacrificed his younger brother to save himself. But
now that he is unexpectedly alive, he wants to die.”
Zhen Jin could not advise Lan Zao, he didn’t know what to say.
With just a quick glance at Lan Zao, one could tell how much this individual
wanted to embrace death.
It seems that staying and breathing on this earth tormented Lan Zao. This
torment made Zhen Jin pity Lan Zao while at the same time, feeling pleased that
justice had been upheld. After all, seeing an evil person getting punished is
something to applaud.
If someone wanted to die, what could outsiders really do about it?
Nightfall.
A busy day had passed.
The dinner of the same lizard meat and tasteless boiled water made everyone
praise the heavens.
The hearts of those that sat by the bonfire were sincere and moved.
To sit on stable ground and fill one’s stomach was a blessed thing!
Being able to sleep in a tent at night made their hearts overflow with
happiness.
They didn’t need to sleep in the open anymore.
Although the tents were small, they still protected against the cold. In
addition, there was a layer of grass on the bottom of the tent and a temporary
pillow, not the ice-cold ground. Even though it was windy at night, the layered
palm leaves would shelter them, so they would not wake up from the cold.
As for the tent, wasn’t it too small to turn over in?
Turn over what body?
Was the tiredness from a day of hard work not enough?
Do such good conditions still not satisfy you?
Bah!
You don’t know anything!
Zhen Jin and the others crawled into the tents smiling.
After smiling, they woke up to the fourth day at the oasis.
Hiss hiss hiss……
They heard a strange sound.
It sounded like a multitude of snake groups.
The light of dawn ripped into the curtain of night and allowed everyone to see
the truth——
A large group of acid green lizards were pouring into the oasis.



****** Chapter 80: Fat Ball Flying Fish ******
With four thick legs, the acid green lizards eagerly galloped and revealed
their vigorous and powerful bodies.
By Zhen Jin’s initial assessment, there seemed to be at least three hundred
lizards.
Among them, there were over thirty iron level ones and over sixty bronze level
ones.
After the lizards entered the oasis, they barged through everything.
They then sped up as they nearly sprinted towards the lake.
The lakeside had many lizard footprints and traces of tails being dragged along
the ground.
The lake surface was no longer calm as waves surged in the translucent water.
The dark green lizards washed themselves to clean sand and ash from their
scales and hide.
Some iron level and bronze level lizards began to dive into the lake and splash
their tails around. After diving for a time, they resurfaced to spray water out
of their nostrils and gasp for air.
Most of the lizards were standing in shallow water with their heads down and
were constantly drinking water.
“These lizards are hungry and thirsty.” Zi Di looked worried.
Hungry beasts are very aggressive.
Besides her, Zhen Jin and Cang Xu looked on solemnly.
Bai Ya soon rushed over.
After sleeping peacefully for the night, he finally had the strength to barely
move about. When he heard the lizard group moving about, he was unable to stop
himself from coming over despite the difficulties.
After hurrying to Zhen Jin’s side, he leaned over, used his hands to support
his body, and sat panting while gazing at the lizard group in the distance.
Bai Ya was very pale as he stammered: “The lizard group……came, huff, huff……will
the scorpion group come too?”
His fractures still needed a long time to heal since he lacked Zhen Jin’s
recovery abilities.
But as time passed, the four nervous people watching the lizards gradually
relaxed.
Beast groups coming to the oasis was something everyone predicted.
After all, at the time, it was inferred that the large beast groups were
relying on a massive water source.
Another reason why everyone relaxed was: the lizards were frolicking in the
lake and would rarely go to other parts of the oasis to forage for food.
When the temporary camp was built, Zhen Jin had thought of what would happen
when beast groups came to drink water. Thus, the temporary camp was placed in a
good location.
Zhen Jin’s gaze flickered; in his eyes these lizards were food. Take a look at
those strong bodies, aren’t they just piles of moving jerky?
“These lizards are still drinking water; I’m surprised that they can hold so
much water. Truly frightening!” Bai Ya exclaimed after looking for a time.
The lizards were still drinking, and among them, the iron level and bronze
level lizards sank into the lake and no matter how much lake water there was,
all of it flowed down their spacious throats.
Cang Xu muttered: “Of course it is because the lizards have three stomachs,
with the main one being used to digest food. The two additional stomachs are
used to store water. They are natural water bags.”
“They need a lot of water to move their bodies. Don't forget that they can also
spray acid. Producing this acid inside their bodies of course needs a great
amount of water.
Cang Xu had dissected a lizard and greatly understood the beasts.
“Do you think we can use these lizard stomachs as water bags?” Zi Di suddenly
put forth a proposal, it goes without saying that she knew the fired pots were
not making progress.
Cang Xu pondered: “We could try.”
Everyone discussed and decided to have Zhen Jin stealthily hunt a few lizards.
Zi Di and Cang Xu continued to work on their incomplete tasks while Bai Ya was
mainly recuperating because he was still in poor health.
But Bai Ya firmly requested to work, when Zhen Jin saw the youngster’s fervent
gaze, he gave him the task of twisting rope.
Carrying an iron knife with an iron sword on his back, Zhen Jin left the
temporary camp.
By climbing onto a slanted palm tree, Zhen Jin had a wide field of view to
carefully scout.
There were no lizards around the camp.
Zhen Jin climbed down the tree and slowly approached the lizard group at the
lakeside.
The lizard group activity was comparatively concentrated and allowed the camp a
degree of safety, however it also conversely gave Zhen Jin trouble as he tried
to hunt.
Zhen Jin could not recklessly attack; else it would lead to the entire lizard
group pursuing him.
Beast behavior was hard to figure out.
If Zhen Jin got caught up in the beast group, he would be in danger. If Cang
Xu, Zi Di, Bai Ya, and Lan Zao were involved, it would be even more disastrous.
Although Zhen Jin could transform into a silver level scorpion, the scale of
the lizard group here far surpassed the one he had encountered at the granite
boulders.
In addition, Zhen Jin also did not intend to use the magic core.
There were many reasons.
The first reason is that a silver level scorpion suddenly appearing would
attract great suspicion. Cang Xu and Zi Di were very intelligent, the more
times Zhen Jin deceived them, the more likely he would be exposed.
The second reason was that Zhen Jin was very wary of the magic crystal. Using
the magic core to absorb the bloodlines of other lifeforms to transform was
very savage and cruel, as a templar knight it was natural to reject and loathe
such things.
The third reason was that Zhen Jin was also very concerned. He did not know the
magic core’s nature and was very worried there were hidden dangers in it. His
heart’s intuition told him that the more often he used the magic core, the more
likely he would run counter to the knight’s path.
Zhen Jin was not anxious.
His young and handsome face did not have a trace of immaturity, rather it was
full of a reliable and steady temperament.
Suffering and desperate straits had sharpened his body and mind.
Zhen Jin first decided to wait for an opportune time to hunt.
Croak croak croak……
“What is that sound?” Zhen Jin was suspicious.
He had been waiting for about an hour when he heard a strange noise
disseminating from the lake.
The sound resembles a frog’s croak, however by carefully listening to it, one
would find that the sound was more muffled than that of a frog’s.
Zhen Jin watched with rapt attention and found no frogs, however at that
moment, the lizards began to move more abnormally.
The vast majority of the lizards rushed into the lake and started to use their
legs to quickly paddle around.
They opened their mouths and attacked the water, creating waves in the process.
In addition, the lizards raised their heads to spray acid.
The acid launched into the air and suddenly struck some transparent existence.
Under the pollution of the acid, the originally transparent beast’s appearance
was revealed.
It was a kind of fish, it looked like a puffer fish that swelled up upon
encountering an enemy, it was like a white fat ball and it moved its yellow
fish tail to float in the air.
Sharp pitch-black fishbones grew in its body, and it was them who was making
the frog croaks.
After the acid corroded them, the fat ball flying fish fell into the water one
after the other. The surrounding lizards flocked over and fought each other on
who got to eat the flying fish.
“What is going on?” Zi Di and Cang Xu were attracted by the strange sight.
“These fat ball flying fish were hiding in the lake’s depths, but now the
lizards have aroused them.” Zhen Jin guessed.
“Strange, we did not know about these fat ball flying fish, yet the lizards
have always known.” Zi Di scowled.
Cang Xu’s eyes flashed with thought: “I roughly know the reason. The green
lizards’ visual system is similar to many snakes. They can rely on a thing’s
body heat to see their figure, the hotter a thing is, the more attention it
would attract the green lizards.”
“These fat ball flying fish, let's call them that for the time being, are all
more or less hot. We cannot see them with our eyes probably because they have
skin similar to a hiding chameleon.”
As numerous fat ball flying fish were preyed on by the lizards, they fled from
the water and floated into the air one after the other.
But the lizards could shoot acid and shot down every last one.
Zhen Jin also took note of how the fat ball flying fish counterattacked. Some
of them self-detonated to spray hot water along with black bones all around
them.
The fishbones were highly toxic and when a lizard was pierced by one, Zhen Jin
saw the wound immediately turn black.
The pitch-black wound caused the lizard’s flesh and scales to rapidly decay.
The wound was originally a single prick, but after a few breaths, it grew to
the size of a bowl.
But the lizards also had countermeasures.
Seeing the fishbone in their comrade, the nearby lizards crowded around it and
used their mouths to cover and suck at the wound.
The terrible black toxin was sucked into the lizards’ mouth poison glands.
Afterwards, the lizards spat out the poison, because of the black poison, their
green acid turned dark green and the power of it also subsequently rose.
Cang Xu’s eyes flashed as he thought of what he had learned from dissecting a
lizard and suddenly realized: “The lizards have a poison gland hidden in their
oral cavity, the muscle that sprays this gland can also dilate to suck in
external liquids. By sucking in venom, they can detoxify other lizards. To
think that the organ had such a clever use!”
The green lizards had been cruelly bullied by the scorpions and had massacred
many exploration team members, but now there was killing everywhere.
They greatly restrained the fat ball flying fish.
“It seems that these fat ball flying fish are the lizard’s main food.” Zi Di
guessed.
Croak croak croak!
Croak croak croak!
At that moment in the battle, the fat ball flying fishes’ croaking became more
and more resounding.
Zhen Jin and others gradually changed their expression.
More and more fat ball flying fish were appearing in the battle at a
frightening rate.
Those were just the ones they could observe with naked eye, there were still
many things they could not see!
There were too many fat ball flying fish, they quickly held the numbers
advantage and surrounded the lizards.
After the lizards ate and drank, their invasive nature greatly decreased.
The fat ball flying fish group’s counterattack grew stronger while the lizards
retreated.
Pitch-black fishbones constantly shot into many lizards, fellow lizards would
stop walking to suck out the poison, however that resulted in them being
densely covered in fishbones.
After ten breaths, the lizards turned into black water, flowed into the lake,
and disappeared without a trace.



****** Chapter 81: I Cannot be Inflexible ******
The lizards’ casualties quickly grew, the iron level and bronze level lizards
were the first to flee, then the entire lizard group routed.
The fat ball flying fish pursued close behind.
A lizard panicked and actually fled towards the hiding spot of Zhen Jin and the
others.
With no way to avoid it, Zhen Jin could only hack it to death by attacking the
same spot on its neck three times.
“Move quickly!” Zhen Jin’s face was grave as he covered Cang Xu’s and Zi Di’s
retreat.
He was not worried about the lizards, but rather the fat ball flying fish.
The green lizards could see them, but human eyes could not. Faced with an
invisible opponent, they had to be extremely passive.
Although Zhen Jin killed the lizard, the croaking still followed closely behind
with obvious malice.
It was very clear that the fat ball flying fish were already enraged,
regardless of whether it was a lizard or something else, they would attack it.
“Run back to camp. You guys staying here will burden me!” Zhen Jin’s complexion
changed as he shouted.
Cang Xu and Zi Di immediately turned around and ran as fast as they could.
However, the croaking still approached more and more.
“Abominable, they are too fast……without someone obstructing them, the two of
them will not escape.” As the one bringing up the rear, Zhen Jin clenched his
teeth, suddenly stopped running, and turned around to confront the empty sky.
He could not see any enemies and was unable to determine the positions of the
fat ball flying fish.
But Cang Xu’s words were now lingering in his ears——
“I roughly know the reason. The green lizards’ visual system is similar to many
snakes. They can rely on a thing’s body heat to see their figure, the hotter a
thing is, the more attention it would attract the green lizards.”
“These fat ball flying fish, let's call them that for the time being, are all
more or less hot. We cannot see them with our eyes probably because they have
skin similar to a hiding chameleon.”
Although Zhen Jin had warned himself to not rashly use the magic core, however
if he did not use it in the current situation, not only would Zhen Jin’s be in
danger, Zi Di and Cang Xu would also be chased down and killed.
After a split second, Zhen Jin activated the magic core!
Zhen Jin’s eyes began to transform.
Human eyes had circular pupils, but now his pupils became vertical, yellow, and
emitted a cruel ice-cold beast aura.
He had acid lizard eyes!
Zhen Jin then blankly stared.
How lizards saw things was very different to humans, their eyes saw things in
monotonous colors, like a novice oil painting, and could not see the outline of
food clearly.
Green lizards saw everything in a diluted yellow tint.
The trees were a deep green, and the lake was a deep blue, these two things
actually looked somewhat similar to the two people in his vision.
The acid lizards were also green themselves, but not as dark as the trees.
As for the fat ball flying fish……every flying fish appeared red, some were
light red, some were bright red, and some were dark red.
“At last, I can see them!” Zhen Jin’s heart was determined, and his spirit was
roused.
There were six fat ball flying fish pursuing Zhen Jin and the others.
Among them, two of them were scarlet while the other four were a mild red.
Apparently it had something to do with their life level.
Zhen Jin fished out a wooden dart and began to transform again.
Bear arms!
Whoosh whoosh whoosh……
Six darts violently shot out in succession and cut through the air with a sharp
noise.
The six fat ball flying fish wanted to dodge, however the darts were too fast.
Most of the flying fish fell to the ground, however two of them, despite being
shot, managed to self-detonate on death’s door.
The self-detonation exploded in a torrential rainstorm that enveloped Zhen Jin.
Zhen Jin found that he could not dodge it, he immediately tucked his head into
his knees and legs to roll himself into a ball as much as possible.
At the same time, he activated the magic core a third time.
In a split second, red light flashed, and a hard scorpion carapace grew all
over his body.
The pitch-black fishbones hit the scorpion carapace with a series of brittle
sounds.
Zhen Jin unfurled his limbs and got up to see a great amount of fish bones
scattered around his feet.
He inspected his scorpion carapace and found it undamaged.
“After all, my carapace originated from a silver level spear scorpion leader.”
Zhen Jin hurried over to a dead fat ball flying fish.
All that remained of the fat ball flying fish was broken skin. The fat ball
flying fish had a head the size of an adult’s human, but because of the
explosion disintegrating it, only fish skin remained. The largest piece of skin
on the ground was only the size of a palm.
In addition to the skin, there were small holes everywhere——these were due to
the fish bones.
Zhen Jin did not see the fisheyes, internal organs, and other body parts, they
must have ceased to exist during the explosion.
Besides skin, the biggest substance within a flying fish was water.
The water was nearly boiling, it had a sulfur odor, was very pungent, and
quickly seeped into the soil as it pooled on top of it.
It was very difficult to imagine that this boiling water used to be inside a
fish.
But Zhen Jin was enlightened: “I know! In the green lizards’ field of view, the
hotter something is, the brighter the hue it gives off. The lower one’s body
temperature was, the colder the hue.
“Furthermore……the light red fat ball flying fish should be common beasts. The
bright red fat ball flying fish have attained the bronze level.”
Not only are the fat ball flying fish invisible to the human eye, they also
don’t have a detectable life aura.
But after death, Zhen Jin could sense a life aura from the skin.
The life aura was rapidly dissipating.
After a moment of hesitation, Zhen Jin still chose to activate the magic core
to absorb and convert the remnants of the fish.
After cleaning up the battlefield in a hurry, Zhen Jin immediately returned to
camp.
“I have lizard eyes that can see these fat ball flying fish; however they
cannot tell if they are surrounded nor can they find targets to counterattack.”
Zhen Jin was very worried.
A great amount of fat ball flying fish filled the sky with a steady flow of
more emerging from the lake.
The lizard group attracted the overwhelming majority of the fat ball flying
fishes, seeing through the lizard eyes, the red dots seemed to blot out the
sky.
The new school of fish also joined in to pursue the lizards.
The lizards fled to the desert, the rapid movement put the temporary camp in a
terrible position——it was located between the lizards and the lake.
The fat ball flying fish flew in a straight line because there were no
obstacles.
This meant that subsequent schools of fat ball flying fish were sure to pass
over the temporary camp.
“What bad luck.” Halfway there, Zhen Jin noticed this trend and his complexion
sunk.
According to his prior experience, if these fat ball flying fish found Cang Xu
and Zi Di, they would most likely attack them of their own volition.
“I must draw them away!”
Zhen Jin took out more darts and constantly shot them.
Every fat ball flying fish that was hit was shot dead, many exploded on death’s
door, launched fish fins brought disaster to other nearby flying fish and
caused other flying fish to explode when near death.
Upon suffering the attack, the fat ball flying fish group loudly croaked and
immediately shifted their primary target from the lizard group to Zhen Jin.
Zhen Jin appeared to succeed in provoking the school of fish, he then activated
the magic core with all of his strength.
Red light gushed from inside him and outside him. The red light covered his
body, within it a human form rapidly subsided to form a rough outline of a
spear scorpion.
After a moment, the red light dispersed to reveal that Zhen Jin disappeared
without a trace, there was only a silver level spear scorpion.
The school of fish tenaciously watched Zhen Jin, they had witnessed all of Zhen
Jin’s transformation and were still rushing towards Zhen Jin.
“Come then.” Zhen Jin’s heart was happy as he strode forward with his four feet
and sped up.
Zhen Jin was very fast.
In fact, spear scorpions were faster than lizards, this had been proven many
times in the past.
Zhen Jin had transformed into a silver level spear scorpion.
The only problem was that Zhen Jin found it difficult to change directions when
charging. Fortunately, however, the lizards’ route of retreat was a giant arc.
Zhen Jin deliberately moved around the temporary camp to attract the flying
school of fish and to overtake the lizard group.
The lizard group that was running away suddenly found that a silver level
scorpion had actually inserted itself into their ranks.
Hiss hiss hiss!
The lizards shouted and because of shock and fear, they became even more
confused.
Zhen Jin stabbed them one after the other as they tried to pull apart from him.
“Don’t run.” Wherever the lizards ran to, Zhen Jin would follow close behind
and stab them.
During this time, the school of fish that floated behind them felt happy.
Because both targets of vengeance were here, there was no need to get confused.
The toxic fish bones hit a lizard and caused it to collapse. They were also
shot at Zhen Jin and hit his body with crisp echoes, yet Zhen Jin was still an
animated tiger.
Zhen Jin was gradually adapting in the lizard group as he swung his lizard tail
again and again.
The slender scorpion tail had a wide range of attack. A lizard that could not
evade could only lose its life to the scorpion tail.
The dead lizard’s inertia made it roll across the ground before it lay
motionless. The school of fish did not attack any of the corpses.
Under the dual attacks of Zhen Jin and the school of fish, the lizard group
suffered disastrous damage. Finally, less than eighty lizards escaped into the
desert.
In the end, Zhen Jin took advantage of the chaos to slip away.
He immediately hurried back to camp.
There was actually a fight occurring in the camp!
As a matter of fact, the vast majority of fat ball flying fish had been
attracted by Zhen Jin and the lizard group, there was only a small amount of
scattered fat ball flying fish in the oasis.
But as luck would have it, four fat ball flying fish visited the temporary
camp.
“What bad luck.” Zhen Jin’s heart violently sank when he saw that all signs
made known that the fight in the camp had already begun and had been underway
for a long time.
Rushing into the camp, he glanced and found Lan Zao.
Lan Zao was in the middle of the camp, he had disheveled hair, still had
bloodstains across his face, and had a knife in each hand as he roared: “Get
lost! Get lost! Get lost!”
“A group of smelly fish and shrimp also wants to eat me?!”
“Only I can you, none of you can eat me!”
Saying this, his ears twitched as he suddenly turned around to swing his knives
and accurately split open a fat ball flying fish.



****** Chapter 82: I Must Continue to Survive! ******
The fat ball flying fish was immediately beheaded by Lan Zao, luckily it did
not succeed in self-detonating
Zhen Jin’s heart shook, he was very curious on how Lan Zao determined the fat
ball flying fish’s position.
“My Lord!” Zi Di’s voice came from inside a tent.
In addition, the heads of Bai Ya and Cang Xu stretched out from other palm leaf
tents.
As it turns out, they were all hiding in the tents.
Even if common fish bones were shot at them, the layered palm leaves would
cover them.
Seeing that they were safe and sound, Zhen Jin’s heart relaxed
With rapt attention, he looked at Lan Zao and saw several fish bones had
pierced his body.
“The fish bones hit him, but he didn’t die from poison?” Zhen Jin’s heart was
puzzled.
He fished out a dart and inwardly guessed: “That means the poison is
comparatively mild against humans. Is the toxin more of a response against the
lizards?
“We must kill these fat ball flying fish immediately. The lizard group has
already scattered, and the vast majority of the school is coming back. If we
continue to delay, the fighting here will surely attract the school of fish! If
that happens, I can only rely on my battle strength, I cannot protect the
others.”
Under such a situation, Zhen Jin could only fight.
The young knight was incapable of finding the fat ball flying fish, however he
could transform.
He immediately shifted his position so Cang Xu and the others couldn’t see his
eyes. Afterwards, he narrowed his eyes and activated the magic core.
With the help of the lizard eyes, he immediately found the fat ball flying fish
in the air.
Factoring out one Lan Zao killed, there were only five fat ball flying fish in
the temporary camp.
Of the remaining ones, three appeared a weak red color, however the one with
the biggest build appeared scarlet, it was clear that this fat ball flying fish
was an iron level magic beast.
Swish swish swish swish swish!
After a moment, five darts violently shot through the empty sky and hit the
remaining flying fish at nearly the same time.
The three ordinary flying fish immediately died and had no time to self-
detonate. But the iron level fly fish detonated itself during its final moment
of life.
The explosion was like a rainstorm that covered the entire camp.
The fish bones were very strong, and the palm leaf tents could not stop them.
Zi Di immediately cried out, she was hit!
Zhen Jin’s heart tensed up, he promptly rushed to the former.
A pitch-black fish bone had pierced a spot below Zi Di’s right shoulder and
near her chest.
“My Lord!” Zi Di looked nervous.
“Let me see!” Zhen Jin squeezed his torso into the tent, embraced Zi Di, and
requested she take off her apprentice robe so the wound could be exposed.
On Zi Di’s fragile skin, the naked eye could see the pitch-black poison rapidly
spreading.
“This is indeed an iron level toxin!”
Zhen Jin immediately pulled out the fish bone, after that he tightly put his
lips on the wound and suddenly sucked it.
In that split second, Zi Di’s pupils shrank, and she felt her stomach take in a
strong breath.
She subconsciously touched Zhen Jin’s chest.
But Zhen Jin was motionless, his body and arms were like cast iron that firmly
embraced Zi Di’s bosom.
Most of the toxin did not spread due to Zhen Jin sucking most of it out.
Zi Di’s face blushed as she stammered: “My, my Lord, I have medicine. It can,
it can remove this toxin.”
Saying this, she took out a delicate glass bottle from her handbag.
The liquid inside appeared to be light blue and a bit sticky.
Zhen Jin took off the bottle cork and in accordance with Zi Di’s request,
poured the blue liquid on her wound.
Upon meeting the blue liquid, the pitch-black toxin immediately dissipated.
Zhen Jin: ……
The young knight realized that he had been rude and impetuous, he looked
somewhat awkward as he coughed: “That’s good. I will go take a look at the
others.
Zhen Jin crawled around Zi Di and withdrew from the tent to check up on the
others.
Bai Ya and Cang Xu were already in their tents, Zi Di had disturbed
detoxification potions to them. But their luck was great, none of the fish
bones hit them.
But Lan Zao suffered a calamity.
There were several pitch-black fishbones embedded in his body, currently he was
kneeling on the ground and was clenching his teeth with glowering eyes as he
used his sword to support himself.
But quickly, his face blackened as he felt the subsequent dizziness.
Lan Zao could no longer support himself and he fell to the ground with a bang.
Bai Yan and Cang Xu promptly crowded around him, plucked the fish bones from
Lan Zao’s body, and then dumped the blue liquid onto his wounds.
The toxin in Lan Zao’s wounds slowly dissipated, however Lan Zao’s face turned
darker.
“It's too late. He has too much poison.” Zi Di said as she tidied her clothes
and crawled out of the tent.
“No, senior Lan Zao, you saved our lives. You must persevere!” Bai Ya shouted,
he forcefully pried open Lan Zao's mouth and poured the blue liquid into it.
As it turns out, Zi Di was hit by a fish bone not long after returning to camp.
She tried many potions and found that the blue liquid had a dissolving effect
on the toxin. She immediately gave the rest the potion, this included tossing
Lan Zao a bottle.
Lan Zao had been motionless in a tent as he wholeheartedly sought for death.
But the fat ball flying fish launched their attack and under the threat of
death, he readily swallowed the blue potion, loudly roared, and beat back the
danger.
Lan Zao’s actions went beyond Cang Xu’s and Zi Di’s expectations, when they
found that Lan Zao seemed to have the ability to distinguish where the fat ball
flying fish were, they immediately gave Lan Zao a sword.
Lan Zao’s crazy counterattack in the camp attracted the attention of all of the
fat ball flying fish.
Whenever a fat ball flying fish got close to Lan Zao, he seemed to sense it and
forced it to retreat.
In this way, Lan Zao won precious time and succeeded in delaying until Zhen Jin
arrived to assist.
One could say that without Lan Zao’s perseverance, Zi Di and the others might
have already died.
“I want to live……”
“I don’t want to die. I really don’t want to die.”
“Please help me.”
“My Lord, help me……” Lan Zao weakly pleaded on his deathbed as he grabbed Zhen
Jin’s leg.
People really were strange.
Before Lan Zao wanted to die and did not hesitate to starve himself. But as
death truly approached, he revealed his intense desire to live.
Zhen Jin was emotionally moved!
“I will do my best to save his life!” The young knight commanded, revealing his
resolute willpower.
Although Zhen Jin did not know the entire situation at the moment, he could
speculate on how hair-raising the fight was in the camp.
Lan Zao had saved Zi Di, Bai Ya. and Cang Xu.
What touched Zhen Jin more at that moment was that he saw himself in Lan Zao!
“I will do my best.” Zi Di examined Lan Zao’s wounds, she then untied her waist
handbag and began to mix an emergency potion.
After ten breaths, Zi Di poured the potion she had mixed into Lan Zao’s mouth.
The blackness on Lan Zao’s face slowly vanished, his wounds began to darken
again, and pitch-black blood flowed out of them.
But Lan Zao’s aura became more and more weaker, he was nearing death.
“I still need to mix.” Zi Di clenched her teeth, her forehead was already
soaked in sweat. Upon looking at what had transpired, she mixed another potion
at once, the speed of her hands seemed to exceed her usual limits.
“He will die soon! Bai Ya worriedly ran around in circles.
“Keep persevering.” Zhen Jin shouted; yet Lan Zao’s eyelids began to close.
“Oh dear……” Cang Xu sighed with a dark gaze.
“Let me through!” Bai Ya suddenly shouted. He drank the blue potion, threw
himself at Lan Zao’s body, and then used his mouth to suck in the black blood
flowing from Lan Zao’s wounds.
“Stop!” Cang Xu prevented him at once, he grabbed Bai Ya’s shoulder and wanted
to pull him off, “Using your mouth to take in the toxin could reduce the
concentration in the wounds, however it is very dangerous and could poison you!
You are only an ordinary person Bai Ya.”
Bai Ya was slightly pulled away; however, he was still kneeling and shook off
Cang Xu.
Without turning around, he shouted: “This is not just a human life, it is our
savior senior Lan Zao!
He once again lowered his head and gulped down the toxin.
Gurgle gurgle gurgle……
On his deathbed, Lan Zao once again heard the sound of waves.
In his hazy field of view, he saw the blue sky and the dark blue ocean.
He looked at the yellow beach he bumped into and then collapsed onto it.
“Older brother, older brother, pull yourself together!” A child Huang Zao
shouted as he put a great amount of effort in to flip Lan Zao on his back.
There was a multi-colored starfish on Lan Zao’s stomach.
Huang Zao tore off the starfish and exposed Lan Zao’s poisonous wound.
Huang Zao immediately lowered his head, used his mouth to suck in the poison,
and then spat out blood and water.
The starfish was not toxic; however, it could cause the limbs of a human to go
weak and numb.
Lan Zao fainting was not caused by the starfish’s poison, rather it was because
of his limpness and drowning after not breathing air for a long time.
Lan Zao gradually regained consciousness.
“Younger brother……” He mumbled as he looked at Huang Zao.
“Older brother, you woke up! Don’t die on me and leave me alone older brother!”
The child Huang Zao tearfully wailed.
Lan Zao heard Huang Zao’s cries and strived to show a smile.
He was speechless; however, he did his best to console his underage younger
brother.
But at that moment, the voices around his ears gradually changed.
“He woke up, he’s alive! He didn’t die!” It was Bai Ya’s voice.
After that, Lan Zao’s field of view also became clear.
The child Huang Zao disappeared, and the black bloodstained face was replaced
by Bai Ya’s excited one.
Lan Zao’s heart had nothing in it, however he still strove to show a smile.
He also did not know if he laughed.
He opened his mouth and wanted to speak.
He wanted to say: “I want to live; I don’t want to die.”
“I want to continue to survive!”
But at that moment, he lost consciousness.



****** Chapter 83: Reentering the Forest ******
Eight days later.
Zhen Jin and the others came to the border between the desert and the forest.
This time they finally got the right direction. They succeeded in leaving the
desert and in coming to the forest zone once more.
Stepping forward would bring them into the lush vegetation. And behind them was
a yellow desert that stretched as far as the eye could see.
The towering trees stretched to the sky above. The unbroken green “city wall”
blocked the scope of their field of view. The “city wall” blocked sandstorms
and contained thriving vitality within it.
Cang Xu spat and took out a sheepskin map.
He took out a charcoal pencil and began to sketch on the map.
“Although this isn’t the same place where I reentered the forest for the first
time, it should not be far from here.
“Lord Zhen Jin, I suggest we do not go deep into the forest, rather we should
walk along the border until we find where the exploration team was prior.
Cang Xu said while drawing on the map.
Zhen Jin’s gaze flickered, he carefully reflected over Cang Xu’s proposal.
Based on how much time had passed, there was still abundant time until the next
teleportation. If they had the misfortune to be teleported into the desert
again, the more complete the map they had, the more it would help them.
“Indeed, spending a bit of time exploring is necessary to improve our map.”
“However, I have stayed long enough in the desert. Let us enter the forest
first.” Zhen Jin said.
Just as he said that someone at his side cheered like an animal that had been
locked up for a long time, thrown off the hunting hounds, and had escaped to
the forest in front of them.
“Ah, ah, ah!”
The youth happily exclaimed as he rushed into the forest.
He looked up, stretched out his arms, breathed in the forest air, and used his
hoarse throat to cry: “This scent, this is the scent of the forest! Ah, how
fragrant and sweet.”
After that, he kneeled on the ground and caressed the grass like the hair of
his beloved lady: “How supple, how dense!”
He then got up, threw himself at a tree, hugged the tree trunk, and kissed the
tree bark with his black lips: “This is where I ought to be.”
This youth was Bai Ya.
Bai Ya was the son of a hunting family, he grew up in a mountain village, and
was most familiar with forests.
After nearly dying, he felt that he had returned home when he came into the
forest.
He had changed a lot since the last time he had been in the forest.
His lips had thickened like fish intestines and were very black. His voice also
became very hoarse.
These changes had happened because he had used his mouth to suck out poisonous
black blood from Lan Zao’s wounds.
Zhen Jin had also sucked blood from Zi Di’s wound; however, the young knight’s
vitality was very strong, it was nothing to him. However, Bai Ya was only an
ordinary person, although he had taken a potion beforehand, the action had
lasting repercussions.
Bai Ya’s changes were not only external, it also affected his temperament.
Going through the tempering of life and death seemed to open Bai Ya’s heart, a
reserved individual bloomed into an outgoing one. It seemed to him that if he
didn’t say everything he wanted, he would feel painful and regretful.
“This guy Bai Ya……” Everyone laughed, they all understood Bai Ya’s mood.
Only Lan Zao’s face was expressionless.
He brought up the group and carried many water bags. Most of these water bags
were made from acid lizard stomachs with only a minority being made of pottery.
Perhaps the oasis earth had issues for Cang Xu failed repeatedly and could only
make a few finished products.
However, the fat ball flying fish and Zhen Jin collaborated to force the green
lizards to abandon many corpses at the oasis.
By the time the fat ball flying fish returned to the lake’s depths, Zhen Jin
and the others had processed the green lizards, cut up their flesh, made
leather clothes, and cleaned out their stomachs to sew into crude water bags.
Benefiting from Bai Ya’s risky action, Zi Di was able to mix a potion that
saved Lan Zao’s life.
The originally calm and robust middle aged man also greatly changed. He became
habitually silent, unable to say a word for a day. This gave others the
misconception that he lost the ability to speak.
He only responded to Zhen Jin’s order.
“Yes master.”
“Understood master.”
“I will follow your order carefully my master.”
Zi Di’s expression suddenly changed, she stepped forward, grabbed Bai Ya’s
shoulder, and pulled him back.
Bai Ya turned his cheek from the tree trunk and looked at Zi Di with doubt:
“Lord Zi Di?”
Zi Di unhappily pointed her finger at the tree trunk: “You have been poisoned.”
Bai Ya was stunned: “Wha, what?”
Zhen Jin attentively looked at the tree trunk and saw it had a layer of green
moss.
“Is this the moss that poisoned me in the past?” Zhen Jin immediately
understood.
He could now use the magic core to transform into that poisonous moss!
Afterwards, Zi Di gathered the moss and used it to mix a potion to detoxify Bai
Ya.
“Although we have returned to the forest, don’t forget we are still on a
dangerous and strange island. We cannot be careless.” Cang Xu warned Bai Ya.
Bai Ya’s bitter experience calmed everyone down.
The dense trees were like a gigantic silk umbrella, they were rooted in the
earth’s depths and their unrestrained growth of branches and leaves provided
shelter from the vicious sun.
The temperature in the forest was a lot lower than in the desert.
At noon, Zhen Jin and the others did not dare trek through the desert, more
often than not they would take a breather behind a sand dune.
But in the forest, they could continue their journey and greatly improve their
travel efficiency.
Zhen Jin walked in front of the group.
Three iron feather birds suddenly dropped from the sky!
These birds were also the work of the island master, they were the size of an
adult human’s fist and liked to climb up trees. Jumping from the treetops, they
could use gravity to kill other lifeforms.
The iron feather birds pounced with the speed of a fired crossbow arrow.
Two flung themselves at Zhen Jin and one at Zi Di.
Zi Di lifted her head and had enough time to cry out in alarm when she heard
the sharp noise.
Afterwards, the iron feather bird pouncing on her was hit by a wooden dart and
was thrown in a horizontal direction.
Bang, the dart embedded the iron feather bird into a tree trunk like a kebab,
its body was motionless.
At almost the same time that iron feather bird died, Zhen Jin’s left hand
firmly held a wooden spear and keenly struck twice like a viper.
The two iron feather birds attacking him, upon being hit by the spear’s point,
immediately lost their momentum, and fell to the ground dead.
A crisis had suddenly descended and was perfectly solved by Zhen Jin in a
flash.
Lan Zao’s hand was on his sword and Bai Ya’s hair was standing up as his
muscles tensed up.
Everything became tranquil.
“Wow, wow, wow! Lord Zhen Jin, you really are ferocious. How many times have
these iron feather birds attacked us? You have saved us yet again. Your martial
skill is simply……simply……” Bai Ya shouted, he brightly gazed at Zhen Jin with
adoration and worship overflowing from the bottom of his heart.
“Concise, refined, simple, and without magnificence, yet every time you fight
it resolute and impressive.” Cang Xu finished Bai Ya’s sentence.
“Yes, those are the words.” Bai Ya looked at Cang Xu, “Senior scholar, you are
always able to say what the bottom of my heart wants to.”
“My Lord……” Zi Di smiled at Zhen Jin.
Lan Zao remained silent, but his eyes were not calm as they looked at Zhen Jin.
After the party of five had entered the forest, Zhen Jin took the lead and
perfectly dealt with many attacks by himself.
Originally everyone was nervous, exploring this fast was very risky. But under
Zhen Jin’s protection, any attack was fought off by him.
Hearing everyone’s assessment, Zhen Jin first controlled the magic core to
transform his eyes from a lizard’s back to a human’s.
After he changed back his body, he looked at everyone and smiled with his
handsome face. Even though his blond hair was dirty, it seemed to glisten along
with his eyes.
“After passing through a tribulation, my martial skill seemed to enter a
different state. Obviously, I cannot use battle qi and the power of each attack
hasn’t changed. However, it is as if I do not need to think about my actions,
it is all naturally done. Thus, it is as if I can use opportunities faster than
before.”
In reality, Zhen Jin had used the green lizard eyes to see any lifeforms hiding
around.
For example, the iron feather bird, although it concealed itself between the
lush leaves, it appeared red in the lizard’s field of view and was very
conspicuous.
Therefore, Zhen Jin could take precautions ahead of time.
Whenever the birds launched a surprise attack, Zhen Jin was already ready and
would dispose of them promptly.
Of course, the green lizard eyes had a flaw, it could not see things clearly.
Therefore, after the first time Zhen Jin used it at the oasis, he improved its
usage.
Currently he had one eye transformed and the other maintaining its human form.
Every so often, the two eyes would switch their usage.
Because he was walking in front of everyone and narrowed his eyes when
surveying, he kept the others in the dark.
Cang Xu muttered to himself: “Perhaps this is……the power of the spirit?”



****** Chapter 84: The Shining Young Knight ******
“What is the power of the spirit?” Bai Ya’s heart was immediately doubtful, “It
sounds imaginary.”
Cang Xu smiled: “I cannot cultivate, and I am also not very clear about what
power of the spirit is. As far as I know, there are actually many that can use
it.”
“In the Austerity Continent lives many barbarian tribes, they are elite
fighters and most of them possess an intuition for dodging. When they are
attacked or even ambushed, they can dodge it. According to a scholar’s
research, it is believed that the essence of this intuition is power of the
spirit. This strong ability can also perceive traps.”
“The Austerity Continent has many areas with collapsing ice, there is a
critical point on every ice sheet that will cause it to collapse. On all other
points, one can recklessly hop and run without issues. But as long as that
critical point in the ice is even lightly stepped on, the ice sheet would
instantly shatter, and one would often lose their life when they slipped.”
“Explorers of other ethnic groups often lost their lives in the collapsing ice
zones or died from an ambushing magic beast that was buried deep in the snow.
However, the elite barbarians, after having their dodging intuition reach the
level to where it can perceive traps, can dodge in advance and walk safely in
the snow.”
“As this ability improves, barbarians will no longer fear being surrounded in
battle. They can rely on their intuition to prevent pincer attacks as much as
possible.”
Hearing this, Zhen Jin’s heart could not help but be touched.
He thought of the time when he took a risk and attacked the lizard group in
order to save Zi Di, Cang Xu, and the others.
Facing attacks from all sides, his heart did not become panicked or confused,
he handled everything calmly, and skillfully dodged while attacking
continuously, it was actually just like the barbarian race.
Cang Xu continued: “In the Wilderness Continent, there is a storm sword saint.
He has saint level strength and had specialized in long swords since he started
cultivating. He did not need armor nor any other weapon, all of his energy went
into upgrading his swordsmanship. Rumor has it that every time his sword comes
out, it is so fast that others cannot see it clearly. His swordsmanship is so
extreme that every time he swings, it can take away at least one opponent’s
life.”
“Among the beastmen, this storm sword saint has extremely high fame and
influence with many beastmen worshiping him. Because his battle qi cultivation
is very ordinary and his bloodline is not outstanding, however reaching such a
high level caused the vast majority of beastmen with low aptitude or battle qi
cultivation to look at him as a model that they desire to be.”
“As far as the beastmen asking him for advice are concerned, the storm sword
saint had already explained——a peak mind and a peak sword. People guessed that
he developed power of the spirit
“Is there such a person among the beastmen?” Bai Ya exclaimed in admiration,
“If that is the case, why have the beastmen not beaten humanity back when we
arrived?”
Zhen Jin shook his head and solemnly said: “Do not underestimate the beastmen.
The entire Wilderness Continent is the beastman’s personal fiefdom, naturally
they have many towering figures and heroes. Although the imperial occupation is
winning, it is in fact only making a breakthrough against a single tribe. The
beast race’s true war potential has not broken out yet.”
Bai Ya was only an ordinary nobody who held a dream of leaving for the
Wilderness Continent to try and become a knight.
There were many people like this.
Imperial propaganda deliberately downplayed the beastmen’s strength, it
proclaimed that the war was in for their benefit and future, thus enticing many
forces in the imperial hierarchy to rush towards the Wilderness Continent.
Zhen Jin and the Bai Zhen Clan were among them. However, as a noble, Zhen Jin
had a greater scope of things compared to Bai Ya.
Those of the lower class only had optimism for their futures in the Wilderness
Continent. The upper elites knew this was only the early stage of the human
invasion in order to establish a foothold. In the future, a true war needed to
take place to define the outcome of the two races.
“The size of the Wilderness Continent is at least double that of the Shen Ming
Continent and also has that storm sword saint. He is special, bloodlines are
still the cornerstone of strength. Comparing integrated strength, we humans are
far greater than the beastmen.” Zi Di issued her opinion, “In the human and
beastmen war, we will be the winners!”
Zi Di having a positive outlook on the future was how humans universally
perceived it.
She also had to win.
The Shen Ming Continent had no space for the Wisteria Merchant Alliance to
expand, in order for it to grow, it needed the war between the humans and
beastmen.
Zhen Jin did not say his opinion.
He found that as long as he spoke a point, Cang Xu would expand upon it. The
others respected Cang Xu’s opinion more than his.
But Bai Ya clung to the topic and did not respect the others: “How can I gain
the power of the spirit? I also want to become such a person!”
He did not have an outstanding bloodline and was merely an ordinary hunter,
Miss. Xi Qiu also did not subside him. Therefore, Bai Ya was very interested in
the power of the spirit.
Zi Di gently smiled and said: The storm sword saint has already answered your
question——a peak mind and a peak sword. He says that you must concentrate your
heart, your whole attention, and your energy into a singular point. Therefore
Bai Ya, to imitate the storm sword saint you must first forget Miss Xi Qiu.
“Eh, how is that possible?! Bai Ya was stunned as he repeatedly shook his head.
Everyone laughed again.
Bai Ya heard the laughter, looked at everyone, and realized he was being
teased.
He felt his face turning red.
But despite feeling embarrassed, Bai Ya still gritted his teeth and looked at
Zhen Jin with worship and admiration: “Lord Zhen Jin, what do you know about
this?”
After a pause, Bai Ya continued to question: “You know how to use the power of
the spirit, however you are completely different from the storm sword
saint——you love Lord Zi Di!”
Lan Zao and Cang Xu glanced at Bai Ya, he was truly brazen.
Lan Zao was middle aged and Cang Xu was already an old man, in their plentiful
life experience, they understood the chasm between the upper and lower class.
If they were in Bai Ya’s position, they would never, as an ordinary person,
question the cultivation methods of a templar knight.
But Bai Ya was only a youth, he had only lived a short amount of time. It is
because of that that he fell in love with his Lordship, Miss Xi Qiu.
Bai Ya had a youngster’s romanticism and naivety.
His heart had already determined: Miss Xi Qiu was waiting for him to become a
knight and after he returned in glory, he would take her as his wife.
In addition, he had experienced many things on this island and had been
threatened by death.
All kinds of reasons made him thirst for personal strength.
But he also understood that reality was cruel. He did not have an advantageous
bloodline or cultivation resources, therefore even though the power of the
spirit sounded imaginary, it was his only hope.
This was also the charming reason that the storm sword saint had so much
influence.
Bai Ya’s bluntness made Zi Di involuntarily size up Zhen Jin secretly, her gaze
exposed her bashfulness.
Zhen Jin coughed and secretly rolled his eyes: “Only demons know what the power
of the spirit is!”
He had done everything by cheating with the magic core.
But he also did not want to continue lying.
Constantly lying would create even more lies.
Because as long as it was a lie and not the truth, it would be a flaw. When a
flaw appears in a lie, another lie must be told to cover it up.
In this way, more and more flaws would appear, until finally a man would be
reduced to drinking poison in hopes of quenching one’s thirst, trapping
themselves in a dire situation.
In addition, there was another thing more important to Zhen Jin——telling lies
went against the templar creed!
In fact, when Zhen Jin had covered up his lizard eyes with a lie, he was
already feeling a lot of pressure.
Thus, he decided to speak frankly: “Bai Ya, this might disappoint you. I do not
understand anything pertaining to the power of the spirit. Maybe……it is related
to my experiences. Going through many life and death experiences allowed my
spirit to sharpen itself.
“Ah, is that so.” Disappointment spread across Bai Ya’s face.
The youngster worshiped and trusted Zhen Jin and did not believe that Zhen Jin
was hiding anything deliberately.
Zhen Jin wanted to comfort Bai Ya, however when he opened his mouth, he didn’t
know what to say. He had to look towards Cang Xu.
Cang Xu did not disappoint him.
After a moment, Cang Xu said to Bai Ya: “What Lord Zhen Jin has said was
reasonable.”
“Based on the analysis and conclusions of many scholars, the true meaning of
the storm sword saint’s cultivation is that he puts the sword above his life,
in every fight and even every time he cultivates, he will confront death. Under
the stimulation of death, he gradually gained the power of the spirit. And on
this island, Lord Zhen Jin has experienced this, the storm sword saint
activating abandoning armor and fighting power enemies to the death to
cultivate is just a different method leading to the same result.”
Bai Ya perked up his brows: “So, to gain the power of the spirit, I have to
actively explore and provoke the stimulation of death? That, isn’t that
extremely dangerous?”
Cang Xu replied: “That is the reason why the storm sword saint has many
disciples yet hasn’t cultivated the next storm sword saint. Although many
outstanding seeds have sprung up, most of them died prematurely. His
cultivation method is too dangerous, one could say that luck is a large element
of it. To this day, a true inheritor disciple to the storm sword saint has not
appeared.”
Bai Ya sighed; he could only receive what had been said.
Although Bai Ya wished to take a chance in order to obtain the power of the
spirit, he still had his bottom line. In order to pursue the power of the
spirit, he had to court death everywhere, this already crossed his bottom line.
Like Zhen Jin shouldering the responsibility of revitalizing his clan, Miss Xi
Qiu’s love and expectations were Bai Ya’s motivation and his yoke.
At that moment, Bai Ya looked at Zhen Jin with even more adoration.
“Lord Zhen Jin, you are indeed amazing! You are young yet you have the power of
the spirit. Compared to the storm sword spirit, you have a more outstanding
bloodline. Among the templar knights, you are the most extraordinary. I am
indeed honored that I could meet and follow your Lordship!” Bai Ya’s heart
lamented.
Zhen Jin: ……
“It is not just an honor; it is also a hope.” Zi Di took after Bai Ya and
looked towards Zhen Jin with tender sentiments.
Cang Xu laughed and said with positivity: “Lord Zhen Jin’s innate skill is
extraordinary; it is absolute that his future is even brighter than the storm
sword saint’s. But the thing I admire most about you Lord Zhen Jin is your
moral character. With you, the Bai Zhen Clan will surely rise once more.
Lan Zao did not speak, but when he heard what Cang Xu said, he silently nodded.
Like Cang Xu, he also approved of Zhen Jin’s moral character.
At this moment, Lan Zao’s mind couldn’t help but shallowly remember the things
that had happened since he had met Zhen Jin.
He and Huang Zao were kneeling on the ground when Zhen Jin pardoned their
crimes——that was mercy.
Zhen Jin toyed with the bronze level bellwether, killed the flying squirrels,
and much more——that was bravery.
Zhen Jin genuinely listened to the recommendations of Cang Xu, Zi Di, and
others——he would hear the ideas of others.
Zhen Jin led the entire exploration group, when faced with a difficult
situation, he resolutely resolved to lumber wood for bows and succeeded in
hunting the flying squirrel group—— that was a wise leader.
Poison, food shortages, pursuing beast groups in the desert, and other crises,
Zhen Jin had always boosted the morale of others——that was steadiness and
optimism.
Zhen Jin promised: he would do his best to save everyone, although only five
people remained in the exploration team, they could not blame Zhen Jin, he had
done his best and had fulfilled his promise——he kept his word.
And the things that made Lan Zao feel the most ashamed about yet admired were
the experiences he had heard Cang Xu and Zi Di go through. In the volcanic cave
and at the most dangerous time, Zhen Jin had held fast to a knightly mentality
despite Cang Xu willingly sacrificing himself and did not treat humans as
food——what a noble moral character!
No one understood it more than Lan Zao, to hold fast when confronted with
death, such a mentality and morality was so noble, so rare, and so
praiseworthy.
After leaving the volcanic zone, Zhen Jin suffered from an empty stomach and a
lack of food, yet he gave Cang Xu and Zi Di the bits of lizard and rat meat he
had——that was pitying the weak and altruism.
The thing most assiduously engraved in Lan Zao’s heart was that even though
Zhen Jin knew of his crime, he still pitied him, did not abandon him, and
finally let Lan Zao decide to keep on living.
Although Zhen Jin did not say anything to console Lan Zao, Lan Zao firmly
believed——Lord Zhen Jin understood him!
Seeing the young knight before him, his handsome face, his blond hair, and his
graceful smile, the silent Lan Zao’s eyes became wet.
He did not see Zhen Jin nor a templar knight, he saw a sun.
In his eyes and in his heart, Zhen Jin seemed to incessantly emit light from
head to toe!
The light existing was not because of Zhen Jin’s status as a templar knight,
nor was it because he was the Bai Zhen Clan’s sole heir, nor was it external
sunlight reflecting off of him, rather it was because of his moral character
and mentality.
He stood there appearing average and normal, yet he was a flag, a knight’s
flag!
It made Lan Zao’s heart want to follow the flag.
These past few nights when resting, Lan Zao had to face himself alone, during
that time he recalled his memories and imagined things.
“If at that time when we found Zi Di, Cang Xu, and the others trapped on the
sand dune and surrounded by lizards, me, and my younger brother in spite of our
personal safety, went to go save them, we would have joined back up with Lord
Zhen Jin. If that happened, would the current result have happened?”
“But at that time, I listened to my younger brother and did not choose to aid
them. Was it the gods and fate that punished and admonished us brothers?
“Lord Zhen Jin, you even saved a sinful person like me and did not abandon
anyone!”
“From this day forth, I will do everything to follow you until I faithfully
die!”
“Once you saved my younger brother, yet when your fiancé landed in danger,
Huang Zao and I chose to escape and abandon her. From now on, I will use my
life to atone for my crimes!”
“Following such a person, can my……maybe……can my darkness wane? Can I reduce my
sins?
“Like the sunlight, you melt away the darkness……”
From the oasis and until now, Lan Zao had been habitually silent, his
psychological process was not known to anyone.
He had demoted himself to a slave that vowed loyalty to Zhen Jin. However,
because Huang Zao had offended a person like Zhen Jin, Lan Zao had no choice
but to do so.
But now, Lan Zao’s silent vow of loyalty and devotion was of a completely
different nature.
This kind of loyalty and devotion was because there were few with Zhen Jin’s
noble dignity. What's more, Zhen Jin understood and acknowledged the latter, in
addition, Zhen Jin saving his life and soul was a great benevolence.
Apart from this, Lan Zao still felt guilty and was trying to redeem himself,
this feeling came from the depths of human nature trying to go towards virtue.
Lan Zao expressionlessly looked at Zhen Jin, however his heart was in a complex
mood, between the surges in his heart, his eyes gradually became red, and his
field of view became increasingly fuzzy.
Zhen Jin looked at Bai Ya, Zi Di, Cang Xu, and also Lan Zao, and felt his head
go numb.
All of these people looked at him with fervor, adoration, love, respect,
loyalty, appreciation, and much more.
The young knight couldn’t get over it.
What made him feel even more frightened was when Lan Zao unexpectedly started
weeping.
“What is he thinking?!”
“I definitely only sprinkled a small lie so that I could cover up the magic
core in the future, nothing more.”
Everyone reacting so strongly was beyond his expectations and Zhen Jin
gradually could not bear it, he promptly shook his head: “You guys value me too
much. Ok, let us not speak of these things, we need to continue our journey.”
Zhen Jin turned around and continued to guide the way forward.
The others did not know, but did Zhen Jin even know himself?”
He knew: his abilities were in fact finite.
He knew even more: despite showing resolute exterior, he was indecisive,
bewildered, and hesitant in the depths of his heart
He yearned for courage yet feared death.
He was a noble, a knight, yet he was at the same time an ordinary person.
“Right, I almost forgot! Lord Zhen Jin also has a humble character!” Lan Zao’s
eyes shined.
“It is very difficult to imagine a person of his age with such accomplishments
to still maintain a modest and cautious mood. There was absolutely no
pretentiousness! I venture to affirm that this modesty comes from his heart. I
really think that Lord Zhen Jin will accomplish many grand achievements in the
future.” Lan Zao exclaimed with admiration as he looked at Zhen Jin’s back with
a sighing heart.



****** Chapter 85: I am a Green Lizard ******
The night forest was quiet, with only the occasional unknown beast howl or the
song of a nightingale being heard.
Via a crack in the trees, one could see the bright moon in the gathering
darkness.
Three hammocks were already built.
At the oasis, Zhen Jin had transformed into a spear scorpion leader and hunted
many green acid lizards. With the green lizard stomachs acting as water
pouches, Cang Xu and the others focused their labor on making hemp rope and
coarse cloth.
They first made hemp rope of unequal sizes and then used the thinnest hemp rope
to weave coarse cloth.
Using the coarse cloth and the hemp rope, they made hammocks.
Because the oasis had comparably few supplies in it and because it took a lot
of labor, in the end Zhen Jin and others only made three hammocks.
However, although they had five people, they didn't need to use so many.
Every night, there were at least two people keeping watch. In the small group
of five, there were just three that could enjoy the hammocks.
With the scare supplies, these three hammocks were very precious assets to the
small team.
In the middle of the three hammocks was a burning fire.
Without the effect of wind, the fire emitted an orange light and occasionally
spat out a few sparks with a crack.
The surroundings had already been carefully inspected by Zhen Jin and there
were no signs of fire-poison bees.
Because Zhen Jin nearly lost his life to the fire-poison, he was naturally on
guard against it.
However, in reality, even if Zi Di had promptly informed Zhen Jin of the fire-
poison bees’ existence then, Zhen Jin did not have the ability to scout out his
surroundings.
Speaking of which, Cang Xu, Lan Zao, and those in the exploration team who met
Zhen Jin did not know about the fire-poison bees. They repeatedly lit fires in
the forest yet were not attacked by the fire-poison bees.
Eating dinner satisfied the five people.
Currently the group had adequate food reserves. Even though after coming out of
the oasis, the five did not replenish their food and water supplies that much.
They prepared a lot in the oasis.
After finally entering the forest, a place with far more abundant supplies than
the desert, everyone’s worries about food and water declined.
Cang Xu was next to fire as he stared at the map in his hands. He was old and
had declining vision, he had one hand holding the goatskin map and one hand on
his lenses as he pressed the map close to his eyes.
Sometimes, his eyes would shift across the map and he would talk to himself as
if he were calculating something. His hand would also respond as it drew lines
in the soil.
Sometimes, he would take out a charcoal pencil and cautiously add black lines
to the map.
The charcoal pencil he used was a burnt piece of firewood that had been cut
thin.
After some studying, Cang Xu started to smile and reported to Zhen Jin: “Lord
Zhen Jin, we are making fast progress. According to my assessment, as long as
we keep walking, we will reach the place where we entered the forest within one
to two days.”
It was mainly because of Zhen Jin’s protection that the exploration team’s
advancement greatly surpassed Cang Xu’s expectations.
“However, I also have some bad news——we do not have much pink potion left.”
Said Zi Di, she had been grinding some materials when she heard Cang Xu.
The materials she was grinding had been collected in passing during the
journey.
Among them were iron feather bird feathers, blood, the moss that poisoned Bai
Ya, and more.
The forest had ample resources; the desert could not match it at all.
However, the main ingredient of the pink potion was a hot and shining ore. That
ore was the food of monkey tail brown bears.
And Zi Di was unable to gather this material.
The exploration team needed the pink potion to mark the path forward. Doing
this not only prevented everyone from getting lost in the forest, it also
sometimes served as a signal for help.
“How long will it last?” Zhen Jin asked.
Zi Di had long calculated it and directly answered: “Based on using the most
frugal usage, it will last three days.”
Zhen Jin nodded and after thinking for a while, he replied: “That is enough
time, we do not need to deliberately look for ore, our primary objective is
still to reach where the team first entered the forest.”
No one had any complaints.
After the things that had happened, Zhen Jin had supreme authority and
influence among the five people.
After deliberating again, Cang Xu, Zi Di, and Bai Ya slept in the hammocks.
Tonight, Zhen Jin and Lan Zao were on watch.
In the desert, two people would alternate with each watching for one half the
night.
But in the forest, one’s field of view was obstructed because of the trees
everywhere, thus it was adjusted to have two people keeping watch.
The night scene became more and more dense.
The forest seemed deeper and more frightening.
Predators usually fed during the night.
This made the forest far more dangerous at night than during the day.
Lan Zao was vigilant and if the wind blew the grass even a little, he would
respond somewhat.
Bai Ya and Lan Zao recovering greatly eased Zhen Jin’s burden.
Zhen Jin felt energetic, despite acting as the vanguard during the day and
keeping watch during the night.
It really wasn't that his endurance was upgraded, rather it was because the
green lizard eyes were so effective!
Any concealed threat in the forest could not hide in front of Zhen Jin.
“With regards to practical value, the green lizard eyes are absolutely ranked
first.” Zhen Jin had a deep impression of it.
If he didn’t have the green lizard eyes, the young knight could only slowly
forge ahead, slowly explore, have a tense state of mind, and passively guard
against any sneak attacks.
With the green lizard eyes, Zhen Jin could find the threat, actively control
the situation, and actively allocate his stamina and energy.
There was an enormous disparity between how much stamina and energy a person
used in a passive state of affairs and how much they used in an active state of
affairs.
It was a qualitative change.
Squeak squeak!
Suddenly, the shrieking of an ambushed animal disseminated from the forest.
Lan Zao immediately became alarmed, he put his hand on his sword and pinched
himself.
But at that moment, squeaking came to a spontaneous end and no longer arose.
Lan Zao scowled with a grave expression.
Without a special bloodline, although Lan Zao was a bronze level elite, he did
not have night vision. He could only use the feeble flame to examine his
surroundings.
In the distance, he could only see pitch-black, he could not distinguish
anything in the darkness or the evil wolf or viper it concealed.
In the dark forest, a scene pertaining to survival was underway, the hunter and
the prey.
The fire of the temporary camp dispersed many beasts but seemed to attract some
existences.
Something in the dark forest was getting increasingly restless. Sometimes, the
sounds of broken twigs were heard. Sometimes, a mysterious roar was heard.
Lan Zao nervously stood up, he seemed to sense something slowly and stealthily
approaching the camp.
“I will go scout it out. If the situation requires it, I want you to shout
loudly without delay.” Zhen Jin explained to Lan Zao.
“Yes master.” Lan Zao immediately responded.
Zhen Jin made his way through the darkness and quickly faded away from Lan
Zao’s field of view.
He also did not have night vision; thus, he activated the magic core.
His field of view radically changed.
The hue of the night forest was even more gloomy, without wind, life that moved
about emitted red, yellow, green, and other colors that were more conspicuous
during the day.
During the day, Zhen Jin had one human eye and one lizard eye. But at night, in
the dark forest, human eyes were worthless, thus he transformed both eyes into
lizard eyes.
Zhen Jin first patrolled around the camp surroundings, precisely killed any
beasts, and temporarily cleared out any threats near the camp.
After that, he looked in a specific direction and went deep into the forest.
After going a certain distance away from camp, Zhen Jin slowed his steps and
started to undress.
He stripped naked, then he climbed up a tree and carefully arranged his clothes
on top of it.
After that, he firmly remembered the location.
If he forgot, he could only return to camp naked. This kind of situation would
be very awkward if Zi Di and Cang Xu found out
Zhen Jin climbed down to the ground, examined the area around him, and after
confirming there were no people around, he activated the magic core.
The mysterious and strange blood red magic from the magic core rushed forth and
rapidly covered Zhen Jin’s entire body.
In the red light, Zhen Jin’s human form seemed to collapse like snow in the
sunlight as it then transformed into the form of a lizard.
The red light rapidly dissipated, Zhen Jin had disappeared and was replaced by
an acid green lizard.
The acid green lizard had four robust limbs, a long tail, and was green from
head to toe.
Zhen Jin examined himself, he could only see himself as a weak green outline in
the lizard’s field of view.
“My field of view is lower, but it is greater than the spear scorpion’s.
Zhen Jin suddenly tried to sniff the air and suddenly found the lizard’s sense
of smell was far keener than a human’s.
“The air, it's as if……water has a scent?”
He slightly gaped, spat out a huge purple-black snake tongue, and succeeded in
issuing a serpentine cry.
Zhen Jin then controlled the vigorous lizard limbs and body to walk around in
the dark forest.
Zhen Jin walked very smoothly.
Because the green lizard had four legs, it felt close to how a human crawled on
the ground.
Another reason was that this was not the first time Zhen Jin attempted to
transform into a complete green lizard. Earlier in the desert, he took
advantage of the time he was on watch alone to transform many times.
“Anyways, this is still very different from a human using their hands and feet
to crawl.” Zhen Jin stopped walking and silently summed up his experience.
He turned his head and looked at his behind.
The biggest thing he could distinguish on his behind was his thick and solid
lizard tail.
When transforming into a scorpion leader, the slender scorpion tail stuck up
and did not affect Zhen Jin much. However, when he transformed into a lizard,
the lizard tail was very thick and long, it seemed to be a hindrance as it
dragged across the ground.
Most of all, when Zhen Jin walked forward, the lizard tail would slightly shake
to the left and right. This swaying affected Zhen Jin’s balance, the faster
Zhen Jin went, the more pronounced the affect.
“When the acid green lizard runs, not only are the limbs and the torso
coordinating, but also the tail. Regardless of whether it is walking or
running, all of its parts move at a perfect and natural rhythm.”
“Perhaps lizards would be clumsy the moment they drill their way out of its
eggshell. However, as time passes, they will gradually grow up, experience what
it is like to eat food, flee, make amusing noises, and more. After these
activities develop their skills, they will automatically grasp this rhythm of
movement.”
“But I do not have that.”
“I am like an infant lizard that was just born, but I have a mature lizard’s
body.”
“Despite me utilizing the night and training myself repeatedly, I cannot
properly grasp how to run as a lizard.
Zhen Jin felt his tail was quite the hindrance, but he didn’t know what to do.
It was like when he was secretly practicing the spear scorpion form, he still
could not turn at high speeds.
In the end he was a human, the time he had spent transforming into the forms of
magic beasts was too short.
“There really is water here.” Zhen Jin followed the scent of water and found a
small pool.
“As long as I have sufficient training, I can completely grasp the green lizard
form at some point in the future!”
Zhen Jin’s heart encouraged himself and began to train himself near the pool.
He first shook his thick and long tail and produced a whooshing sound.
Afterwards began to charge at a large tree and after brushing past it, he used
his tail to attack the tree.
The tree consequently swayed slightly, the lush branches swayed even more, and
the tree leaves rustled, however none of the leaves fell.
Pop pop pop……
In a series of sounds, Zhen Jin used the tree to train his tail.
After a spell of training, he began to alter his pattern of attack.
He first charged at the tree, then he used his limbs to suddenly change his
orientation, and then used the enormous inertia of his body to fling his tail
at the tree.
Pop!
The tree swayed, large amounts of tree bark fell, and the branches echoed as if
they were in a gale.
That attack was much more ferocious than prior ones.
“With that kind of firepower, even if calvary is charging me, I can fling them
from their horse.”
“Eh? That’s not good.”
“The lizard’s four limbs are too short; I cannot reach the rider.”
“Perhaps I can attempt to lift my body in a high posture in the split second I
fling my tail. Thus, the tail can hit a higher area.”
Zhen Jin thought about that and attempted to try it.
The outcome of the first attempt was that he did not restrain his strength. He
lifted up his legs too fiercely when he swung his tail and ended up on his
back.
On the second attempt, he incorrectly adjusted his strength, he had made
progress in reducing his strength, however his forward momentum increased which
led him to faceplant into the mud.
Zhen Jin’s four feet pushed the ground, his mouth opened to spit out mud and
grass, then a spurt of gas came from his nose that shook his head and cleaned
out his nasal and oral cavity.
The next two attempts were failures, but they did not discourage him, rather it
motivated him even more to keep trying.
After trying several times, Zhen Jin’s movement became more proficient, however
after thinking a bit, he stopped training that way.
“Although I can hit a higher area, the back half of my body is suspended in the
air which leads to the force of the swung tail being much weaker than swinging
it on four legs.”
“In addition, suspending the back half of my body in the air will cause me to
slow in the air. It is too much of a flaw.”
Zhen Jin was well acquainted with how knights fought, and he quickly simulated
a scene in his mind.
A cavalryman was charging him as his powerful green lizard body went up. Just
as they approached, he suddenly stuck up the back half of his body and flung
his tail at the cavalryman.
But at the same time, the cavalryman thrusted their spear and seized the
opportunity to aim at……uh……the green lizard’s buttocks.
Zhen Jin thought of that but did not want to imitate it.
Adjusting his drifting attacks again, Zhen Jin engrossed himself in training.
Hiss hiss……
Zhen Jin constantly opened his mouth to breathe air.
“I twisted my tail!”
The tail seemed to be in deep pain, the pain from the somewhat swaying tail
felt like an iron whip striking him all over and thrashed Zhen Jin’s mind.
Under this kind of situation, Zhen Jin could only stop training his tail and
start training another part.
He crouched to the ground, raised his neck, and swelled his Adam’s apple into a
spherical bag.
The spherical bag rolled from his neck and into his oral cavity.
Zhen Jin opened his mouth wide.
After a moment, a ball of green acid shot from his mouth.
The green acid accurately hit a tree.
The thick tree being corroded by the acid sizzled and emitted a pungent and
thick smoke.
After a few breaths, a large hole was corroded in the tree trunk, the trunk
could no longer support its foliage as it fell to the ground with a groan.
Zhen Jin retreated a few steps and continued to shoot other trees.
He violently ejected liquid and nearly hit every target accurately, only one of
them scrapped the tree bark and hit a rock.
After a few breaths, the trees suffered a calamity and for a moment, there was
an unbroken rumble.
The rock also unfortunately suffered a calamity, although it had a small size,
it too went up in smoke. This was normal, the lizard acid could corrode
granite, what was an ordinary stone. If it were the acid of a silver level
green lizard, an iron level spear scorpion would instantly lose its life and
only a silver level spear scorpion could withstand it.
Spitting so many times also made Zhen Jin feel weak, his head could not help
but droop and his spirit was somewhat downcast.
Shooting green acid was not how green lizards usually fought, rather it was its
biggest trump card.
Only if a green lizard had no alternatives would it use that trump card.
But as far as Zhen Jin was concerned, such a long range weapon suited him the
most. Because he still had the Bai Zhen Clan’s gift of accuracy. Despite
practicing only a few times, the acid Zhen Jin shot was more ferocious than an
actual green lizard, anything he shot would almost always hit its target.
After taking a breather, Zhen Jin gradually regained some strength.
His entire body felt weak.
His four robust limbs felt soft, and his lizard body became heavy.
At the same time, Zhen Jin sensed he had a dry mouth and tongue.
He was dehydrated.
Green lizards had great amounts of water inside them that could be synthesized
into corrosive acid. This implied that after a green lizard shot acid, it would
be dehydrated.
At the moment, even if Zhen Jin wanted to shoot acid, he could not for the time
being.
Because his body lacked water, the synthesis speed of acid also dropped to rock
bottom.
Zhen Jin stepped over to the water pool.
The pool was not deep, and the green field of view did not detect any lifeforms
in it.
But Zhen Jin had a prudent motive, he did not immediately drink water but
decided to work out how green lizards dealt with water.
Zhen Jin first extended his snake tongue, licked the water, and finding that
there were no problems, he drank a big mouthful of water.
A great amount of water flowed in this stomach; Zhen Jin then painstakingly
stored it into his three stomachs.
“That really quenched me.”
Zhen Jin secretly sighed, he then began to control his internal organs to try
and speed up the production of acid.
The water stored in his stomach was squeezed out, flowed into the sac under his
neck, and started to change into acid.
“At this rate of change, I can have a full sac of acid in roughly a night. Like
before, shooting twenty times is not a problem.
Zhen Jin had already discovered: when he transformed his human form into a
complete green lizard, his acid reserves were only half full.
After training for several times, he also gained the ability to shoot acid.
Under normal circumstances, when a green lizard shot their acid, they would
often go empty after a single shot, at most they could shoot two or three
times.
But every time Zhen Jin only shot out a small ball, he meticulously controlled
nearby muscles and thus raised the number of times he could shoot.
Zhen Jin lowered his head again and drank water.
This time was unlike the last time he drank water, this time he controlled
different organs and muscles.
This time, the water directly entered his poison sac and not through his
esophagus and into his stomach.
This was how green lizards took in poison.
After suffering the venomous sting of the fat ball flying fish, the green
lizards could take poison from each other and thus detoxify themselves.
In addition, absorbing the poison would store it in the venom sac, where not
only was it unlikely to endanger other organs, it also could mix with the acid
to form a more fearsome venom.
This kind of situation was not rare in nature.
Cang Xu had mentioned a type of desert beetle in hindsight. The beetle preyed
on ants and deliberately gathered formic acid. By the time the beetle
encountered a predatory meerkat, it could shoot out the formic acid it had
collected into the meerkat’s face, thus allowing it to flee.
After lying next to the pool without moving about for a long time, Zhen Jin’s
body felt cold
The temperature of a lizard also had a large effect on its mobility.
This was the reason why at daybreak, the green lizards would hurry over to the
granite boulders and use the boulders’ temperature to warm their bodies. After
their body temperature rises, their mobility would be stronger.
“Tonight's training is almost finished.”
Zhen Jin returned to the trees.
The trees had fallen to the ground, most of them had been corroded, but there
were still some branches and leaves remaining.
The acid’s corrosive ability had clearly weakened.
After all, under Zhen Jin’s meticulous control, the quantity shot was greater,
but the amount of acid each ball shot was smaller.
Even if these trees will certainly corrode cleanly, Zhen Jin could not wait.
He touched the remnants of a tree trunk and activated the heart core.
A red light formed and twisted around the tree, in an instant it recycled it
and left only some carbon ash behind.
Even though the tree was ordinary, it was still a lifeform.
As long as it is a life form, the bloodcore could absorb it.
But it could only convert a small amount of magic.
After processing all of the trees, Zhen Jin’s heart core also did not have the
ability to transform into a tree.
“The acid damaged the tree’s life essence, thus I absorbed very little of the
corresponding bloodline.
“If I directly absorbed a great number of trees, I should be able to transform
into a tree.”
Time was nearly up.
Zhen Jin returned, transformed back into a human shape, climbed up the tree,
and put on his clothes.
It was worth mentioning that the hole on the back of his trousers had been
fixed.
Zi Di had unexpectedly found Zhen Jin secretly fixing it and helped him repair
it.
He returned to the temporary camp.
“Master, you came back!” Lan Zao looked at Zhen Jin, his wrinkled brows
immediately relaxed, and his gaze showed clear admiration.
Not long after Zhen Jin had left, he had heard a rumble that sounded like trees
toppling over.
“Master you must have certainly caught some ferocious beast and fought it hand
to hand.”
“With such a violent impact, the beast hidden in the darkness must have surely
been formidable!”
“But now my master has returned without a hair missing or even his clothes
damaged, or even a bloodstain.”
“How ferocious!”
“Worthy of one that grasps the power of the spirit.”
“Even though the dark is pitch-black, it cannot block my master’s steps!”
“I know that on this island, my master can only rely on the strength of his
corporeal body……if he could truly activate his battle qi, what kind of scene
would I behold?”
Lan Zao closely gazed Zhen Jin without blinking and with increasing fervor.
Zhen Jin coughed: “What is your situation here?”
“The camp was very safe under your hand master.” Lan Zao immediately answered.
Zhen Jin nodded, Lan Zao’s gaze was a bit unbearable: “You stay here and
continue to patrol about, I will survey the other side.”
“Yes master.” Lan Zao immediately agreed.
His gaze followed Zhen Jin’s back until a tree hid Zhen Jin.
“Master has gone through a fierce battle, yet like the clouds and the wind, he
is calm and collected, this is the demeanor of the strong.
“Or perhaps in other words, the fight in the darkness only allowed him to
stretch out his muscles and bones.” Lan Zao’s heart was full of praise.



****** Chapter 86: A Mysterious Accomplice ******
The chirping bird songs reverberated through the forest.
In the wake of Zhen Jin and the others approaching, the birds frantically flew
away.
Perhaps because this place was near the desert, there was no morning fog and
the sprinkling sunlight shone between the green trees and filled it with a
fresh scent.
Zhen Jin was still the one in front.
Although nothing could be seen externally, Zhen Jin’s coccyx and buttocks were
somewhat sore.
His body was healthy and had recovered from his injuries in the desert since
entering the forest.
As an ordinary person, Bai Ya’s fracture had improved for the better, but until
now, he still could not draw a bow.
“It seems yesterday’s training was a bit too much.” Zhen Jin’s heart mulled.
He knew this soreness was because he had been training his lizard tail.
After Zhen Jin returned to his human form, although he no longer had a lizard
tail, his body still received an injury close to where it was on the lizard
form.
Like the injuries his human form received, transforming into another creature’s
form would not instantly heal him.
“Using my tail to whip trees and rocks is unlikely to injure me. After all, I
transformed into an iron level lizard.
“It seems there is a problem on how I am using my lizard tail.”
“I bruised my tail while training it.”
“If I did not have a strong recovery ability, I fear I would be walking funny
today.”
Zhen Jin secretly sighed.
After entering the forest, it was no longer convenient for him to train late at
night.
In the desert, the exploration team had only one person keeping watch.
Now that there were two people keeping watch, Zhen Jin could not leave camp for
too long. Leaving for too long would make the other one anxious, cause them to
go searching for him, and attract more inconveniences.
Zhen Jin could also transform into a spear scorpion and into a complete fat
ball flying fish. But last night, he only trained how to use the green lizard
form and not the other forms.
“As far as the spear scorpion form is concerned, I am already very familiar
with it.”
“As for the fat ball flying fish……” Zhen Jin had secretly transformed into it
while in the desert and found that the shape was not practical.
The fat ball flying fish’s stronger attack was ejecting its black and poisonous
fishbones.
But to use that attack, the fat ball flying fish needed to self-detonate.
It was mutual destruction.
Sometimes, a fat ball flying fish would die too suddenly and without time to
self-detonate.
Zhen Jin was undoubtedly committing a fancy suicide if he used this.
In addition to this, the fat ball flying fish could turn invisible.
But after Zhen Jin transformed into one, he found: although a human’s eye could
not see him, the fat ball flying fish form would produce croaking sounds as it
floated about. In the case that Zhen Jin shut up the croaking voice, he would
be unable to exchange air and could not quickly float through the sky.
The croaking sound was very loud and reduced the usable value of the
invisibility.
As a result, Zhen Jin was not willing to train his fat ball flying fish form.
After reflecting, he felt that the green lizard form had the most practical
value.
The green lizard eyes aided him immensely.
And spraying green lizard acid could be said to be the strongest long range
attack Zhen Jin currently knew. The green lizard acid’s might was stronger than
wooden darts with little differences in effective range. Zhen Jin had unusually
good precision and had formidable strength when he combined the two,
The green lizard form was only at an iron level, but it was also an advantage.
The silver level spear scorpion form would rapidly consume the magic in his
heart core. Comparing the forms, the iron level green lizard one would use
comparatively less magic.
The iron level lizard was the normal method of fighting while the silver level
spear scorpion was used as a trump card when faced with a powerful enemy.
This was Zhen Jin’s plan.
He originally did not think this way.
After genuinely controlling the heart core, besides feeling curious and amazed
about it, he also became more afraid of the consequences and was on his guard.
Originally, he did not plan to use the magic core often, however after being
pursued by the fat ball flying fish, Zhen Jin’s opinion changed.
“If I did not have the green lizard eyes, I would have been unable to see the
fat ball flying fish.
“Everything would have boded ill for me and Zi Di, Cang Xu, and the others
would not have survived!”
“On this island anything can happen, and danger could descend upon me at any
moment.”
“Obviously, I have the magic core that can absorb bloodlines and seize
abilities that can deal with these dangers. But because of my caution and the
wiping of earlier preparations, I can only wait to die when danger descends
upon me. If that is the result, wouldn’t that be too pedantic?”
Holding these opinions, for the sake of him, Zi Di, and the others, Zhen Jin
decided the clench his teeth, use the heart core, and prepare as much as
possible.
Prepare for a rainy day just in case.
The complete fat ball flying fish form was a result of this way of thinking——at
the oasis, Zhen Jin hid from the others, secretly killed many fat ball flying
fish, gathered an intact bloodline, and could transform into an iron level fat
ball flying fish.
“Eh? Wait a moment.” As he advanced, Zhen Jin suddenly saw something unusual
and immediately stopped walking.
Everyone immediately tensed up.
Since entering the forest, Zhen Jin never stopped walking at his own accord.
Could it be that there was a huge threat concealed nearby?
Zhen Jin slowly walked ahead to the left, and after ten steps, he stopped under
a tree.
He touched the tree bark, there was a chunk missing from it that seemed to have
been caused by a sharp weapon.
Zhen Jin looked around and quickly found more minute marks.
Then his gaze stopped, as if he found something.
He entered the lush underbrush and stooped to pick up a piece of silver armor.
The others came over, Cang Xu looked at the armor in Zhen Jin’s hand and said
with amazement: “This is a piece of armor. It is made of the highest quality
steel.
Zhen Jin nodded and continued to search his surroundings.
There were all kinds of footprints, leftover bloodstains, toppled trees, and
exposed soil……Zhen Jin found more traces, but he could not simulate what kind
of fight took place.
“A fierce battle definitely happened here.”
“The surviving party intentionally cleaned the battlefield; I have nothing to
determine what happened here.”
Zi Di’s eyes blinked: “So, are there other people nearby?”
Bai Ya asked: “And they are fighting something?”
Zhen Jin wrinkled his brows and said without certainty: “It seems to be a giant
beast with a body bigger to an explosive blazing horse and is very heavy. Its
main attack seems to use its head.”
“The group of people should have won. Magic beasts do not intentionally clean
the battlefield.
Zhen Jin issued a judgement with difficulty.
“Are you sure it was a human?” Zi Di questioned closely.
Zhen Jin shook her head: “I can only judge that they were of human shape,
however since they could clean the battlefield, such remarkableness illustrates
that they definitely have advanced intelligence.
Cang Xu crouched the ground and touched a footprint: “This fight happened
several days ago. What I care about is why did they clean up the battlefield
and dispose of traces?”
Cang Xu’s question was also something Zhen Jin was worried about.
When Zhen Jin and the others encountered attacking magic beasts, they did not
clean up the battlefield usually. At most they would clean up the bloodstains
to prevent the scent from attracting other predators.
But this group of people not only cleaned up the battlefield but did it very
meticulously.
This was in accordance with common sense.
Using this kind of effort to clean up the battlefield was something where the
gains do not make up for the losses. Because doing this would use up a lot of a
person’s time and stamina, and on this island, every bit of resource and
stamina needed to be used sparingly.
Even if traces were left behind, the predators of the forest did not have high
intelligence and were unlikely to gain any benefits from them.
But this group of people did that.
What did they need to guard against?
Who were they? Were these sailors of the Hog’s Kiss or……islanders?
Zhen Jin looked into the distance with absent-minded eyes as he reflected.
An unexpected situation had appeared.
Now, he had two options in front of him.
The first option was that they move according to their original plan and go to
the place where Cang Xu and the others entered the forest. Thus, they could
verify and pad out their map.
The second option was that they give up on that plan, act according to these
traces, and recklessly go towards these mysterious accomplices.
This was very risky.
The military power of these mysterious accomplices was unknown, but it should
not be low. The number of them, their race, and their intentions were also
unknown.
Everyone was silent, some of them continued to observe the traces and some
vigilantly watched their surroundings.
They waited for Zhen Jin to decide.
Without wasting too much time pondering, Zhen Jin quickly decided: “We will be
abandoning our previous plan and will be following these traces. We must be
careful.”
“Understood.” Bai Ya replied.
“Yes master.” Lan Zao was concise.
Cang Xu and Zi Di nodded, no one objected.
The small group of five herby changed directions, no longer would they walk on
the border between the desert and the forest, rather they would officially go
through the forest.
After two hours, a river appeared in front of everyone.
Zhen Jin gazed into the water and could not help but sigh.
The traces stopped here.
He originally had been following the traces; however, the group of people had
been cleaning up their traces.
They were experienced, efficient, and unscrupulous. After several days, Zhen
Jin’s best could barely identify their route.
But at the riverbank, the mysterious group’s traces had vanished because of the
river.
“The river is flowing slowly, and the riverbed is also shallow, the water will
only reach up to an adult human’s knee. They crossed the river here; however,
they did not immediately climb onto the opposite bank. There is no way to know
whether they followed the river or went against the current, nor where they
made landfall.
“However, this also implies that this river is not dangerous.”
Zhen Jin narrowed his eyes, transformed them into lizard eyes, and found almost
no life in the water, at most there were a few small fish and shrimps.
“Continue forward.” After thinking for a moment, Zhen Jin led the group across
the river and to the opposite bank.
Without traces to follow, Zhen Jin walked towards where Cang Xu had assessed
the location of the beach where the Hog’s Kiss had run aground.
After roughly an hour, Zhen Jin was the first to hear an ear-piercing noise.
As they closed the distance, the party of five unexpectedly found a camp in the
forest.
The camp had a ring of stakes surrounding it, the camp’s area was not large,
however to one’s surprise, there was a wooden house in it.
A beast group was currently wreaking havoc on the camp and the camp’s personnel
all withdrew into the hall, their situation anything but reassuring.



****** Chapter 87: I’m Dead ******
“What are those things?”
“I don’t know, this is also my first time seeing them.”
Zhen Jin and the others squatted behind some tall trees to mask their presence
as they looked at the beasts devastating the camp.
These beasts had physiques similar to monkeys. Their bodies were covered in
black hair, their long foreheads had two small pitch-black horns, and they had
a pair of wide bat wings on their backs.
They had sharp claws, and when they screeched, their mouths would open and
expose a full mouth of pointed teeth.
Some of them fluttered through the sky and would occasionally swoop down to
ferociously smash against the wooden house. Some were bouncing through the mud
and grass around the camp.
After Cang Xu observed for a short time, he shook his head: “Their horns make
me associate them with demons, however I am certain they aren’t any type of
demon. They greatly resemble monkeys, but they have bat wings. For the time
being, let us call them bat monkeys.”
Zhen Jin and the others all pursed up their brows, the bat monkeys’ screeching
was very ear piercing.
The noise Zhen Jin had heard first previously were sounds produced by these bat
monkeys.
There was no lack of bronze level and iron level monkeys in the group, however
the magic beast level monkeys flying in the sky were not participating in the
attack. It was mainly ordinary monkeys encircling the wooden house, constantly
scratching its walls, and wanting to find a place to break through.
All of the doors in the wooden house were tightly shut.
The wooden house had a large chimney that was currently emitting thick smoke,
any common monkey that wanted to go in it would immediately be driven away by
the choking smoke.
The bat monkey group’s assault did not make much headway.
“What is a wooden house doing here? Don’t tell me that these were the people
cleaning up the battlefield?” Zhen Jin guessed internally.
He did not recklessly go out to help them.
Firstly, it was difficult to distinguish friend and foe, he did not know which
the people in the wooden house were.
Secondly, the camp situation was in a deadlock and immediate action was
unnecessary.
Thirdly, there were many nimble and savage bat monkeys constantly leaping about
and soaring through the air. If they moved and provoked these bat monkeys, it
would likely lead to terrible things happening to Cang Xu and the others.
In the small exploration group of five, only Zhen Jin and Lan Zao could resist
these bat monkeys. If Bai Ya and the rest were surrounded, it was certain these
bat monkeys would tear them to pieces.
“My Lord……this camp seems like something I would set up.” At that moment, Zi Di
said something unexpected.
“Did you come here?” Zhen Jin blankly stared.
Zi Di shook her head.
“I led the others through the rainforest to find you my Lord. Your Lordship was
in a coma and could not wake up. I decided to build a camp nearby. I planned to
heal you there and cure you as early as possible.”
Speaking of this, Zi Di once again looked at the camp and nodded with
confirmation: “Not bad. I have a deep impression of this wooden house and camp.
In order to keep your Lordship safe and to have a suitable place for medical
treatment, I wanted to stay there for a while.”
Bai Ya was amazed: “How is this camp here……ah, I know, teleportation!”
It was just like when the camp of Zhen Jin and the others was teleported into
the desert. The camp that Zi Di had abandoned was also affected and ended up
being teleported from the rainforest and into the forest.
After that, a mysterious group occupied it. They renovated Zi Di’s base,
extended its area, and turned it into a bigger camp.
Bai Ya gazed and repeatedly nodded: “Lord Zi Di is correct. I have also
discovered that the wood used in the wooden house is different from arrow
lodges. I am familiar with the wood of arrow lodges; it is from forest trees.”
Cang Xu had misgivings: “Strange……Lord Zi Di built the camp before being
teleported. We all know about the teleportation, but do those cronies inside
know? Have they even been teleported? Are they not worried about being
teleported?”
If they were not worried, that would imply that they are a part of the island
master’s faction. Contacting this group of people was very risky.
Zhen Jin pondered: “The situation is unknown; we cannot move rashly. First let
us withdraw to a safe distance, then let me quietly capture a monkey bat. After
some research, perhaps Zi Di can create a targeted potion.”
“I will do my best.” Zi Di nodded.
Just as she finished speaking, a shutter in the wooden house suddenly opened
and a yellow faced middle aged man holding a strange crossbow from inside the
house loudly roared: “Drop dead you brutes!”
As he said that, his left hand held the crossbow up and his right hand grabbed
the crossbow’s trigger.
He firmly pressed the trigger and a short arrow shot out.
He took his finger off the trigger and the crossbow string rewound itself.
Pressing it down again, a second arrow shot out.
With this kind of constant firing, the yellow faced man managed to shoot twelve
arrows in a short amount of time.
“There is a person in the wooden house!” Bai Ya whispered.
“Is that someone from the Hog’s Kiss?” Zhen Jin soon questioned.
Everyone shook their heads.
It was both possible and not possible.
The Hog’s Kiss was a large ship that could cross the ocean between two
continents. The Hog’s Kiss had many personnel and miscellaneous people on it,
it was impossible for Cang Xu, Zi Di, and the others to know all of them.
“They have a crossbow. What kind of crossbow is capable of shooting like that?”
Zi Di wrinkled her brows.
Zhen Jin had a grave complexion: “The crossbow is good; however, his archery
skill is below average. He has no accuracy and is only firing blindly. How
rotten!”
The aggressive yellow faced man’s chaotic shooting caused the nearby bat
monkeys to retreat.
But the bat monkeys quickly swarmed and counterattacked.
The yellow faced man upon seeing things was anything but good, promptly moved
the wooden pole supporting the shutter, the heavy shutter then closed with a
bang.
But in that short period of time, two nimble monkeys already made their way in.
The wooden house immediately echoed with screeches and curses.
“Should we go and save them?” Zhen Jin bit his teeth in hesitation.
“Ah, move, move, move, dodge!” In the wooden house, a fatty shrieked while
wanting to get under a table.
It was very possible that because he was especially portly, the two monkeys
looked at him first.
One of the bat monkeys suddenly crawled on the wall, dodged incoming attacks,
and attacked the fatty.
The wooden table the fatty was hiding under immediately broke into pieces with
a bang. Saw dust scattered into the air and after a pause, the monkey grabbed
the fatty.
The fatty’s eyes nearly fell out, at that moment his extreme fear dispelled any
thoughts of dodging, his mind went blank, and he sat paralyzed on the ground
like a stone statue.
At that crucial moment, a guard bravely stepped forward and used his sword to
repel the bat monkey.
But at that moment, the other bat monkey seized the opportunity to fly onto the
guard’s head.
“Ah——!”
The guard screamed.
The bat monkey immediately dug out his eyeballs.
The sharp pain caused him to crazily swing his sword and forced back his
companions that wanted to help.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, the bat monkey suddenly opened its large
mouth and sunk it into the guard’s neck.
Plop.
With a horrifying sound, the bat monkey ruthlessly raised its head, blood
bubbled forth like a fountain from the large hole in the guard’s neck
The bat monkey’s wings flapped, the wings’ great strength lifted its small body
up and it immediately flew onto the ceiling.
The bat monkey hung upside down on the ceiling, a small piece of a windpipe was
hanging from its mouth.
The bat monkey inhaled the windpipe, chewed it over, and then swallowed it.
“Bastard!!!” The people in the house were indigent.
After finally eating something, the blood stimulated the bat monkey’s vicious
nature even more.
They were very fast, were outrageously agile, and those in the wooden house
were in complete confusion.
The fatty fell paralyzed to the ground, upon seeing everyone acting confused
and another dying in an instant, he incessantly cried out in fear: “Save, save
me.”
The yellow faced man with the crossbow that had opened the wooden shutter now
turned towards the bat monkey to kill it.
He lowered his head immediately to dodge the swooping bat monkey and his sorry
figure rolled three times on the ground.
The pouncing bat monkey hit the ground. It quickly stopped itself and its four
claws scarred the ground
It then faced the yellow faced man to attack again.
The yellow faced man could not fight back as he was still getting up from the
floor.
At that moment, the pouncing bat monkey was suddenly stabbed from behind by
another man’s sword.
The slender sword pierced the bat monkey’s face and skull.
The bat monkey was too fast, it slashed the sword’s hilt and cut its flesh.
But the bat monkey was not dead yet.
Under the sharp pain, the bat monkey struggled while its wings fiercely
flapped.
The man holding the sword ferociously threw the bat monkey.
The bat monkey fell to the ground, frantically screeched, and recklessly
struggled. But after five breaths, it fell to the ground motionless.
The man holding the sword pulled the yellow faced man up and angrily said: “Mu
Ban, this is all your fault. You didn’t need to open the shutter! Isn’t it ok
to wait for the others to return?”
Mu Ban coldly snorted with a stiff neck: “I have a treasure in my hands that
will kill all of these trifles.”
Saying this, he pulled the trigger again and shot more than a dozen arrows.
There was only one bat monkey in the wooden house and the momentum of the
arrows was vast, thus none of the arrows hit the target.
Instead, someone was shot in the thigh, with grief and indignation, he
bellowed: “Mu Ban, you shot me!”
One after the other, the people dodged the arrows.
Whoosh.
A vibrating arrow pierced the ground.
The paralyzed fatty that was sitting on the ground saw the arrow land close to
his crotch, after reacting, his eyes rolled over, and he lost consciousness on
the spot.
“Mu Ban, stop at once!”
“Come everyone, stop Mu Ban now.”
“He is more dangerous than the monkey!!”
The people howled and looked at Mu Ban malevolently.
Mu Ban dodged and, in the frenzy, lost his crossbow.
“Kill the monkey, kill the monkey!” Another person shouted.
Just a moment ago, the bat monkey injured another person.
Everyone put their attention on the monkey bat again, and after surrounding it,
the monkey bat was also killed.
Holding a sword was a youngster.
He had black hair, black eyes, dark skin, and naturally curly hair.
“Good work Hei Juan!”
“I didn’t expect a boy like you to have such skill.” Everyone praised him with
pleasant surprise.
Hei Juan coldly snorted, the thin rapier in his hand was a beautiful flower
sword. Just as he was about to sheath it, he heard thuds and booms, it was like
if someone was beating a war drum.
“What is that sound?” The people listened with misgivings as the sound grew
louder.
“Not good!” Hei Juan who was listening with rapt attention, suddenly realized
what it was and threw himself to the left.
At that moment, a huge rhinoceros crashed into the wooden house with extreme
unreasonableness and peerless ferocity.
Those that did not dodge were flung to the ground.
The huge rhinoceros kept walking and immediately walked into the wooden house
in a giant cloud of smoke and dust.
Without a wooden wall to obstruct them, the bat monkeys perked up with
excitement as they all looked to kill everyone inside.
“Oh no! I’m dead!!” Seeing bronze and iron level bat monkeys diving down, Hei
Juan sank into despair.



****** Chapter 88: A Knightly Hero! ******
“No, I don’t want to die, I will not die!” Hei Juan’s heart roared, a strong
longing for survival flooded his chest.
He quickly got to his feet.
The rolling dust obstructed most of his vision and the screams and calls for
help of his comrades lingered in his ears.
Creak……
The damaged roof of the wooden house made a creaking sound, and the remaining
walls were on the brink of collapsing.
“This place is done for! Staying here will definitely kill us.” Hei Juan
gritted his teeth, turned around sharply, and ran out of the wooden house.
A common bat monkey above him swooped down.
Hei Juan immediately rolled forward and nimbly evaded the bat monkey’s attack.
The common bat monkey’s attack missed; however, it did not continue to entangle
itself with Hei Juan, rather it charged into the wooden house.
But just as Hei Juan was getting up, he saw another bat monkey flapping towards
him.
This was different from the previous one, this bat monkey was a bronze level
magic beast.
Hei Juan’s heart shook as he pulled out his sword.
Tinkle, the rapier he pulled from his waist seemed like a silver lightning
bolt. The nimble action of pulling his sword displayed Hei Juan’s solid
swordsmanship training.
However, in the flurry, Hei Juan was unable to hit the bronze level monkey’s
vitals. The sharp sword hit the bat monkey’s abdomen but did not pierce its
ribs.
The bronze level bat monkey was injured, it then revealed its vicious nature as
it used its bat wings to speed up and shift the sword away, its talons then
tried to grab Hei Juan’s eyes and nose.
Hei Juan’s eyes flashed with panic, after falling to the ground, he used the
ground to support his back and lifted his right foot to ruthlessly kick the bat
monkey.
Hei Juan kicked at the bat monkey, but the bat monkey did not move. Its
flapping pair of wings and four limbs made it a shadow in Hei Juan’s eyes.
Hei Juan’s strength was not enough to drive it back.
Hei Juan felt that he was kicking like a wild colt.
He continued to kick, however contrary to his hopes, the bat monkey’s talons
slashed his boots and wounded his lower leg.
Hei Juan was worried that more bat monkeys would surround him, thus he had no
choice but to swing his arms and abandon his sword.
The bat monkey did not think resistance would suddenly dissipate, while it was
caught off guard, Hei Juan shoved it to the floor with the sword still in its
chest.
Hei Juan took that chance to crawl away and run towards the forest around the
camp.
However, the bat monkey quickly recovered, screeched, and flew towards Hei
Juan.
As the gale approached him, Hei Juan’s heart filled with a chill and his
bloodshot eyes showed his desperation.
“Damm it, don’t tell me I am going to die here?”
At that moment, something whistled.
A delicate shadow shot out and brushed past Hei Juan.
“Was that a dart?!”
The strong burst of wind forced Hei Juan to narrow his eyes in bewilderment.
Afterwards, he heard the bat monkey behind him mournfully scream.
“The others!” Hei Juan was overjoyed, he did not dare to turn around as he used
all of his strength to run towards where the dart fired from.
The bronze level bat monkey seemed to suffer serious damage as it did not
continue to pursue.
Hei Juan madly ran into the woods and found several people behind a tree.
“That’s not Xi Suo……and the others.”
Hei Juan’s eyes shined when he saw Zi Di among them, he couldn’t help but look
pleasantly surprised. He blurted: “Zi……”
“You’re Hei Juan!” At the same moment, Zi Di recognized Hei Juan’s face and
slowly called, “He is a mercenary I hired!”
“Lord Zhen Jin, the people in the wooden house all should be from the Hog’s
Kiss.” Zi Di said to Zhen Jin.
Zhen Jin nodded: “I have to save them as soon as possible! You guys stay here.”
Zhen Jin quickly got up, after a few breaths, he walked over Hei Juan and
quickly sized up the dark skinned youngster before him: “Can you still fight?”
Hei Juan stood in place blankly staring and did not respond for a moment,
Zhen Jin secretly shook his head: “It seems he has already lost his courage.”
Zhen Jin had observed Hei Juan fleeing.
The young knight then told Lan Zao: “Take good care of him, I will be going.”
“Yes master!” Lan Zao immediately responded.
“Lord Zhen Jin, you must be careful!” Zi Di ran a few steps with her hands held
to her chest and gazed at him with concern.
Zhen Jin nodded towards the girl, then he accelerated into the camp.
“Don't……”
At that moment, Hei Juan finally reacted, he opened his mouth and wanted to
stop Zhen Jin.
“You are going to throw your life away!” Hei Juan then wished he didn’t say
that because at that moment, he saw Zhen Jin fish out some wooden darts.
Whizz whizz whizz!
Zhen Jin threw three darts and three common bat monkeys fell from the sky.
More bat monkeys attacked Zhen Jin.
Zhen Jin’s arm powerfully shook, his wrist lightly flicked, and three monkeys
dropped to the ground.
Hei Juan’s Adam’s Apple rolled, Zhen Jin’s darts were too accurate, each had
unfailing accuracy with not a single one missing!
A bronze bat monkey dropped to the ground and used its hands and feet to attack
Zhen Jin.
It quickly dashed forward and in a startling move, it did not attack in a
straight line, rather it zig zagged on the ground as it charged at Zhen Jin.
“Good brute!” Some of the chill in Hei Juan’s heart poured out.
Zhen Jin’s darts were very accurate against flying monkeys. But on the ground,
the bat monkey’s ever changing position made it hard for Zhen Jin to aim.
“It seems this bat monkey does not have low intelligence.” Zhen Jin stopped
walking and no longer threw darts, rather he waited for the bat monkey to
charge in.
“What is he doing?! Hurry up!” Hei Juan could not help but shout.
At that moment, Zhen Jin’s right hand naturally grabbed the rapier hilt.
The rapier was the one Hei Juan had, when the bat monkey’s body was blocking
him, he had no choice but to abandon it.
The bronze level monkey was knocked to the ground and with the rapier in it, it
pursued Hei Juan until Zhen Jin ended its life with a wooden dart.
The rapier’s point was stuck in the ground.
The bat monkey suddenly dashed forward, its delicate purple and black body was
like an artillery shell and in the blink of an eye, it was next to Zhen Jin’s
face.
But Zhen Jin already had a sword in hand!
Whoosh.
The sound lightly echoed.
Everyone in the woods felt there was a flower before them as they watched Zhen
Jin smoothly lift up the sword. The rapier pierced the bronze level bat
monkey’s head and suspended it in the air.
It wasn’t dead yet as it continued to struggle.
But at that moment, Zhen Jin swung the flower sword in a glittering silver arc.
The bronze level bat monkey was thrown to the ground, it wanted to get up and
support itself, but its strength was leaking like the brains and blood from the
hole in its head.
At that moment, it fell to the ground, its eyes wide with shock, and its face
filled with disbelief and fear.
Hei Juan breathed.
He gazed at Zhen Jin’s back and shook.
“How can he have such frightful strength?”
“Battle qi cannot be used here.”
Against the bronze level monkey, despite using all of his strength in the
thrust, Hei Juan’s attack was stopped between the monkey’s ribs. It was evident
that the skull was the thickest bone.
Zhen Jin’s sword thrust directly penetrated the bronze level monkey’s skull.
That kind of strength was inhuman!
“Hei Juan.” At that moment, Zi Di, Lan Zao, and the others came over.
“Miss Zi Di.” Hei Juan tidied up his mood and greeted Zi Di.” His Lordship
is……”
Zi Di smiled and was just about to answer.
But the previously silent Lan Zao was the first to speak: “He is my
master——Lord Zhen Jin! He is Lord Zi Di’s fiancé, the Bai Zhen Clan’s sole
heir, a true templar knight, and White Sands City’s future master. He is my
life saving benefactor and now he is also yours.”
Zi Di nodded: “I hired you all to protect me when traveling to the Wilderness
Continent and White Sands City, Lord Zhen Jin was always hiding at my side. The
purpose of that was to pull wool over the eyes of others and to guard against
malicious rivals that wish to obstruct our journey. I believe that Lord Zhen
Jin will lead us out of this island alive.”
“So that’s how it is.” Hei Juan’s Adam’s apple rolled, and he quickly accepted
this reality.
Zhen Jin held a sword in one hand and a dart in the other.
He threw darts at the bat monkeys that approached.
He used the rapier to reap the lives of the bat monkeys near him.
He seemed to have a human form, but in actuality under his clothes, his arms
had already transformed into bear arms.
His powerful strength and innate accuracy turned the darts and rapier into
death’s sickle.
Those in the wooden house were being attacked and were in an abyss of
suffering.
But gradually, they felt the number of attacks they had to bear was lessening.
Originally, the entire camp was filled with the bat monkeys’ ear-piercing
screeches.
But now, the camp became strangely silent.
“What is the situation?” Mu Ban was leaning on a wooden wall powerless with a
bloodstained chest, suddenly he felt someone come over to take a look.
The dust was now slowly scattering.
Mu Ban looked at the youngster, he was blond, handsome, and had a noble’s
posture and grace.
He held a sword and a dart as he slowly walked over.
The surrounding bat monkeys were flying in the air or lying on the ground
grimacing in pain and malice.
But the blonde youth did things at a leisurely pace, he strolled through the
battlefield like it was some elegant garden.
An impatient bat monkey suddenly rushed like a wild dog.
Whoosh.
A dart suddenly shot out and pierced the bat monkey.
The bat monkey died on the spot, however because of inertia, its body was flung
into the distance and left a scarlet path in its wake.
Zhen Jin lightly lifted his fee, stepped over the bloody trail, and arrived in
front of Mu Ban.
Mu Ban looked up foolishly at the youngster.
Although the youngster’s crude clothing had been damaged in battle, Mu Ban
swore at that moment, that he felt the youngster’s body was covered in silver
armor, he was riding a white horse, and that there was a flag fluttering behind
the noble knight.



****** Chapter 89: Your Lordship, I Wish to Work for You ******
“Still alive?” Zhen Jin indifferently inquired.
Mu Ban nodded.
“Lend that to me.” Zhen Jin looked at the crossbow Mu Ban was holding.
Mu Ban blanked out, however his body subconsciously acted, both hands offered
up the crossbow.
Zhen Jin grabbed the crossbow trigger in one hand while continuing to hold the
sword in the other.
Upon seeing this, Mu Ban wanted to say: your posture is wrong, you should have
a hand under the crossbow to stabilize it. The other hand was just for
operating the trigger.
After a moment, another bat monkey pounced.
Zhen Jin’s hand lightly trembled, as did the crossbow when it fired a single
arrow.
Plop.
The pouncing monkey died.
Zhen Jin’s wrist swayed, and the crossbow’s top notch bow string tightened with
a click.
Another bat monkey screeched, it cunningly attacked Zhen Jin from behind.
Zhen Jin did not turn his head; he simply pointed his crossbow and fired an
arrow.
The arrow pierced through the bat monkey’s big mouth, penetrated its spine, and
shot out of its back.
The bat monkey kneeled to the ground, slid across the ground from its inertia,
and arrived next to Zhen Jin’s heel.
Its face looked up because of its upright body, but it then fell forward into
its stomach. It seemed it was using its life to beg forgiveness from Zhen Jin.
But offending one’s elders and offending a noble knight was an unforgivable
sin!
“Who is that person?”
“What skilled archery!”
“Am I in a dream?”
The people being saved shouted as they gazed at Zhen Jin.
Zhen Jin attracted the attention of all of the bat monkeys, however every time
they charged in, they would die on the approach.
Zhen Jin stood in place with bat monkey corpses piling up around him.
His posture and control of the crossbow was extremely lax and nonstandard. But
every time he fired; he would expertly hit a bat monkey’s weak point.
Even if a bat monkey got near Zhen Jin, the ice-cold silver flower sword would
surely reap the bat monkey’s fiery life.
Seeing the bat monkey group was suffering disastrous damage, the iron level bat
monkey in the air lost its patience.
It curtly screeched repeatedly.
Hearing its order, the bat monkeys routed.
“Think you can run?” Zhen Jin perked his brows.
His wrist trembled as he shot an arrow towards the iron level bat monkey.
The iron level bat monkey flapped its wings and dodged the arrow.
Then it suddenly sucked in air and puffed up its chest.
At that moment, it opened its mouth and screeched, the intense sound could be
seen by the naked eye as a translucent sound wave.
The sound wave grew bigger and enveloped the entire wooden house. Everyone was
in pain, they bent their backs, and did their best to block their ears in an
attempt to isolate themselves from the sound, however it was useless.
Zhen Jin’s brows creased, his bodily essence surpassed that of ordinary beings,
however the sound wave immediately made him nauseous.
After a few breaths, he felt dizzy.
Based on the current trend, his eardrums would invariably suffer serious
damage.
The crossbow continued to fire, however the iron level monkey either dodged
them or caught the arrows.
The iron level bat monkey was nimbler and had a stronger body than a bronze
level bat monkey.
But at that moment, Zhen Jin suddenly threw a dart.
The dart had followed an arrow and hit the iron level monkey’s left eye.
The iron level bat monkey was seriously hurt, and its screeching came to a
spontaneous end. It had a dart in its left eye, blood flowed from it, however
it did not take revenge, rather it turned and fled at once.
The remaining bat monkeys turned around, gathered into a group, and fled into
the forest.
The ruined camp quickly became tranquil.
Half an hour later.
Some fighters were dispersed to investigate around the camp
Others began to fix the fence around the camp, the arrow lodge, and some were
pulling up posts to reinforce the wooden house.
From time to time, they looked towards the camp and whispered amongst each
other, phrases like “major character”, “formidable warrior”, and “knight” were
said again and again.
Some of the seriously injured were sitting on the ground, some were looking up
at the sky, and some were still unconscious.
Zi Di examined these injuries and pondered about what kind of potions she
needed to make.
“Lord Doctor, I don’t want to die, please save me.” A wounded person weakly
implored.
Zi Di smiled: “I am not a doctor; I am a pharmacist. Be at ease, your injury is
not fatal. Although you do not have a light injury, staunching the bleeding in
time allows for proper treatment, nothing will happen to you.”
Her mouth was consoling, however Zi Di’s heart understood: to recover, one
needed to rest, however she did not know how long this one needed to. This
place was not safe. During the recuperation process, those seriously hurt could
only be tended to, not only were they powerless to do anything, they also would
consume a lot of resources.
“Lord, Lord President? Is, is ,is it you? It is really, really you?!” A voice
interrupted Zi Di’s train of thought.
Zi Di turned around and saw a large weeping fatty.
“Your awake Fei Lao?” Zi Di smiled and greeted him.
Hearing this, the fatty kneeled to the ground, covered his face with his fat
right hand, and looked up with a crying face: “Boo hoo
hoo……ama...amaz...amazing, our president has grown up and isn’t dead. You, you
are still alive.”
Tears flowed down his cheeks and formed two tear stains.
“Good, good, come here.” Zi Di had to walk over to pat the fatty’s shoulder,
“Follow me, let us pay our respects to Lord Zhen Jin.”
“Zhen, Lord Zhen Jin, Lord? Isn’t that Lord your fiancé?” Fei Lao took his hand
back and expressed his doubts.
Zi Di explained: “I ask Fei Lao not to blame me for hiding a few things from
you all. When going to White Sands City, I did go before the Bai Zhen Clan. The
true intention of this was to cover our tracks and escort Lord Zhen Jin to
White Sands City in advance. The troops provided by the Bai Zhen Clan met with
misfortune along the way, when I and Lord Zhen Jin discussed this incident, we
felt that this was a malicious rival obstructing us.”
“One can only run for City Master within a certain time period. If Lord Zhen
Jin did not run within that time period, he would miss a majority of the share.
In order to prevail over a rival plot, I traveled under pretense, concealed
Lord Zhen Jin’s identity, and together we climbed aboard the Hog’s Kiss.
“So, that’s what happened.” Fei Lao suddenly realized.
In the camp clearing, Zhen Jin sat on a wooden bench with Lan Zao standing
behind him with a sword.
Zhen Jin sized up the crossbow in his hands.
This was the crossbow he had been shooting with during the battle.
It was different from ordinary crossbows; it could continuously fire arrows
from a cuboid box. The arrow box had a black “8” written on it and could hold
many arrows.
The trigger for the rapid firing crossbow was a wooden handle. Constantly
pressing it up and down could wind up another arrow.
“Did you design this?” Zhen Jin’s gaze shifted from the crossbow to the one in
front of him.
A middle aged man was kneeling in front of him, he had a yellow face and an
injury on his stomach that had been wrapped up.
It was Mu Ban.
Mu Ban said at once: “Yes Lord Zhen Jin, I designed this rapid fire crossbow.”
“What does this 8 stand for?” Zhen Jin pointed at the arrow box, “Is this your
eighth work?”
Mu Ban shook his head: “No. The lumber used to make the rapid fire crossbow was
from the highest quality wood I could find around camp. The lumber had the 8
written on it.
After stopping for a moment, Mu Ban presented: “Not only can I make this kind
of rapid fire crossbow, I also can make ordinary crossbows. Only the lack of
metal crossbow mechanisms prevents me from mass producing them.
Zhen Jin nodded.
The finest part of a crossbow was the mechanism. Normally, this component was
made of metal.
Zhen Jin looked at the rapid fire crossbow, although the trigger was special,
the metal mechanism inside was still the same.
Zhen Jin had just used this rapid fire crossbow.
Compared to an ordinary crossbow, the rapid fire crossbow had a smaller range
and weaker arrows. When dealing with the iron level bat monkey, Zhen Jin’s
darts had results, however the rapid fire crossbow could not hit or harm the
iron level bat monkey.
The fire rate of ordinary crossbows had always been a subject of criticism.
The rapid fire crossbow solved that issue and instead, made its fire rate its
biggest advantage.
Designing such a special crossbow proved that Mu Ban was undoubtedly talented.
“So, you are a crossbow craftsman?” Zhen Jin asked.
“Yes, your Lordship. I Mu Ban, wanted to go to the Wilderness Continent to show
off my skills. Your Lordship saved my life, thus this humble one wants to work
for you!” Mu Ban immediately replied fervently.
Zhen Jin’s status was already known in the camp.
The Bai Zhen Clan’s sole heir, a member of the templar knights, and a
participant in the White Sands City owner competition!
No matter which identity it was, all of them were enough for Mu Ban to actively
seek to help from the one who had them.
Normally, he would not have such access to such a large person!
“Good, very good, I await your performance.” Zhen Jin encouraged Mu Ban while
internally planning.
With a crossbow craftsman, he could make a lot of crossbows.
Previously, he thought that way.
However, the situation prevented it and there was nothing to make crossbow
mechanisms from.
But it was no longer like that.
He had an experienced artisan that could make crossbow mechanisms. When Zi Di
was at the oasis, she had gathered a great amount of lizard acid. With those
materials, as long as one made a mold, they could make many metal crossbow
mechanisms.
“Crossbows are more powerful and have a father ranger than a short bow. But the
best part is that it is easy for novices to use. Bows need training.”
“Crossbow training is far shorter than short bow or longbow training.
“The problem is that a crossbow’s rate of fire is low, however as long as we
make some rapid fire crossbows, it can make up for the deficiency.”
“My only misgiving is the one Zi Di had warned me about. If a person has a
crossbow, they are a hidden threat to their fellow comrades.
“However……”
Zhen Jin thought to himself of the things he had experienced on this island.
“I can now transform and increase my strength to deal with greater threats. Lan
Zao, Bai Ya, and the others are my devoted subordinates. Even Mu Ban, Hei Juan,
and these people have been saved by me.”
“The most crucial point is that this island is very dangerous. Leaving this
place alive is hard! I feel that if these people face a beast group without
proper equipment, they will lose their lives. If that happens, even if there is
a ship, there will not be enough people to sail it.
Zhen Jin thought of this and decided.
Despite the risks and dangers in equipping many with crossbows, to contend with
the external dangers and to increase our hopes of leaving as much as possible,
these risks must be carried.
“My Lord. This is Fei She, an elder in the Wisteria Merchant Alliance. When we
left for White Sands City, he was my assistant.” Zi Di had come over with the
fatty.
“Fei, Fei She pays his respects to his Lordship.” Fei Lao promptly saluted at
Zhen Jin with a smile.
He naturally had a good opinion of Zhen Jin.
Because everyone knew the Bai Zhen Clan and Wisteria Merchant Alliance were in
a union of benefits.
Although Fei Lao did not personally see Zhen Jin, as a high ranking member of
the Wisteria Merchant Alliance, he had already seen relevant information that
painted a portrait of Zhen Jin.
Zhen Jin nodded: “tell me, why are you all here? I seem to have heard that you
all were forced to leave? Is someone starting an armed rebellion?”
Fei Lao nodded, his complexion sunk: “Inform, informing your, your Lordship,
yes, that’s what happened.”
“Stop.” Zhen Jin held out his hand and stopped him at once.
He thought that Fei She was nervous, but upon hearing it the second time, he
realized that Fei She had a stutter.
Zhen Jin looked at Mu Ban: “Start talking.”



****** Chapter 90: My Lord, You are a Hero Sent by the Gods! ******
“Originally everything was sailing smoothly, but suddenly a strange disaster
struck the ship.”
“The Hog’s Kiss broke into two, but fortunately this island was nearby, thus
almost all of us escaped to the shore.”
“Finding that the captain was missing, the first mate took command……”
Mu Ban’s narration was detailed.
What he said was not much different from what Zhen Jin had heard from Huang Zao
and Cang Xu.
The survivors gathered on the beach, all of them wanted to leave and none of
them wanted to remain on this island.
The most important issue swinging in front of everyone was food.
As a result, the first mate dispatched Lan Zao, Huang Zao, and the others in
the exploration team to explore and find resources, with the best result being
they found a steady water and meat source.
Cang Xu had volunteered to join the exploration team at his own accord.
However, the exploration team everyone put their hopes in mysteriously
disappeared.
Those left on the beach became even more frightened of this dangerous and
mysterious island, leaving this place became a more urgent matter.
The ship had ruptured into two and everyone knew to leave this island, they had
to build a new one.
Trees were not scarce, even the desert had a rainforest near it.
However, lumbering, processing the wood, and building the ship was a huge task.
The people grew more tired, used up more of their strength, and consumed even
more of their food.
From the ship wreckage, the people found floating casks and did their best to
search everyone for resources. Even the corpses of humans were not let off.
However, without a steady external food source, even if they had a considerable
food reserve, it could not sustain continuous consumption.
As time passed, the large unit found the days harder to bear.
The first mate had no choice but to ration food which irritated everyone.
Food shortages, a bleak outlook, and hard work every day made the people voice
their discontent, have a fickle mood, and made it hard to maintain stability.
A ship that could travel to continents and resist the attacks of the ocean’s
fishmen naturally had impressive fighting strength.
The sailors were united and complied with most orders.
Thus, although internal friction grew by the day, things were still mostly
stable.
But food reserves soon declined to a critical level, forced by the situation,
the first mate attempted to establish a second exploration team.
Some considered the general situation and bravely stepped forth to join the
second exploration group. However most did not think they could face the
dangerous jungle. Why would they leave the large unit when they had something
to eat every day?
The first mate understood this could not continue. Since most people were
unwilling to go, he was forced to proclaim that they were to draw lots.
The outcome of the lots caused an uproar amongst the people.
The reason was relatively few sailors got picked, the vast majority of the
winners were passengers.
The people suspected the first mate had secretly rigged the lots and
deliberately discriminated against them. The people requested a redrawing.
The first mate was very hesitant. Because the sailors did not want to explore
the dangerous rainforest. The sailors also supported the first mate the most,
thus the passengers and sailors opposed each other.
The internal conflict then changed; an emergency had ignited the entire
deadlock.
“The other day I was sleeping on the beach exhausted. Late into the night, I
suddenly heard a woman shriek somewhere around me.”
“At first I thought someone had been killed in the jungle. But soon after, more
movement came from over there, I heard a man bellowing and cursing, along with
the sounds of fighting.”
“As I got up from my straw bed, a frightened sailor informed me to take a
weapon, and left to support the first mate. The sailor told me that a passenger
had ambushed the first mate’s tent with bad intentions.”
“Although I was not a sailor, because of our working relationship, I had been
sleeping with the ship’s fourth craftsman. Where I was sleeping was near the
incident.
Of course, the fourth craftsman and others picked up their swords and charged
towards the first mate’s tent. I was also following behind with a crossbow.”
“When I neared the tent, I found there was already fighting there.”
“A party of attacking passengers had surrounded the first mate’s tent. We
wanted to get through but were beat back twice.”
“Luckily on the third time, the fourth craftsman called his foolish son over.
We all called the orphan the fourth craftsman took in an idiot. He was a giant-
human hybrid. He was three meters tall, had incredible strength, and could
uproot a tree. The idiot listened to the fourth craftsman and used a tree trunk
to sweep away the passengers, utterly defeating them.”
“Just when we thought we were victorious, Zong Ge stopped us.”
“He was a half beastman and was the leader of the rebellion. He was wearing a
thick steel armor that resisted the oaf’s sweeping tree. He then stepped onto
the tree, ran across it and jumped at the oaf. He then used his fist to punch
the blockhead to the ground, the blockhead’s reckless counter attacks were all
neutralized by Zong Ge, in the end he begged Zong Ge for forgiveness.”
“By defeating the oaf, Zong Ge had defeated us. He tied the first mate up and
explained the entire story to everyone.”
“According to him, the first mate had been secretly stockpiling food for
personal usage. During that night, he also decided to fancy a female passenger.
He used knockout medication to capture the female passenger and had her brought
to his tent, however Zong Ge had found out and ended up fighting a fierce
battle.”
“We followed Zong Ge into the first mate’s tent, and sure enough, we found food
reserves that did not belong to the public stores.”
“The female passenger called Qiao Shan also woke up and confirmed Zong Ge’s
words.”
“After I realized the truth, I decided to stand on Zong Ge’s side. The majority
also did the same as I. Many of the sailors were also wavering.”
“Under the definitive evidence, the first mate could only admit his crimes. In
spite of the sailors’ opposition, Zong Ge forcibly put the first mate to death
and by relying on his strong combat power, he became the camp’s leader.”
Upon hearing this, Zhen Jin nodded: “Although Zong Ge is a half beastman, his
conduct is that of a hero’s. What is his relationship with Qiao Shan?”
Mu Ban shook his head: “The two of them are not acquainted. Like your Lordship,
I originally thought that since Zong Ge stepped forward to help a stranger, he
would be a more qualified and outstanding leader.”
“We began to suffer raids.”
“Almost every night, someone would tragically die.”
“We examined the corpses, their mortal wounds seemed to have been caused by a
beast.”
“But everything near the camp had been disposed of. The camp was on a beach and
one could see everything in a single glance. Where was the beast coming from?”
“Zong Ge personally led a team to stand watch all night, at first no one died.
But soon after, someone lost their life in broad daylight.”
“Zong Ge wasn’t made of iron, he could not stand watch without sleep or rest.
The others organized another team to keep watch, but they too could not block
the slaughter from continuing.”
“All of us were afraid and the camp was anxious.”
“Numerous rumors rose. One of them said that Zong Ge was the true assassin. He
was a brutal and untamable half beastman that enjoyed human flesh. If he did
not eat human flesh., he would go mad. If he became mad, he would eat more
human flesh. Those that mysteriously died in camp, whose wounds seemed to have
been torn at by beasts, was actually done by Zong Ge. Because he was half
beastman!”
“At first, I and the majority of the people were unconvinced by this rumor.
Until one day, someone saw a corpse floating in the sea.”
“There was an extreme food shortage, thus the person who found the corpse was
pleasantly surprised because he saw the corpse had intact clothes and other
possible resources on its body.”
“The finder risked his life to swim a long distance in order to retrieve the
corpse.”
“The floating corpse was the captain. The wound on his body was that of a
piercing kind, it was very clear that a spear type weapon had caused it.”
“The captain was assassinated!”
“Thus, the disaster that had befallen the boat was also a manmade conspiracy.”
“The finding of the captain's corpse caused a commotion. The third mate, the
captain’s son, wailed on the captain’s body and publicly declared that he must
find the captain’s murderer and take revenge for his father.”
“All of us were angry, we were all guessing at who the culprit was, why would
they murder the captain, why would they destroy the ship?”
“Based on the captain's mortal wound, we began to guess who had such spear type
weapons.”
“No one was more suspicious than Zong Ge.”
“It was because not only did he have formidable steel armor, but the most
noticeable thing he had on him was a pair of short spears on his back. Even
when dealing with the oaf, he did not use those spears. Without a doubt, with
those spears in his hands, he definitely had considerable battle strength.”
“The captain had iron level strength, Zong Ge was his equal.”
“The sailors had all united at Xi Suo’s side, however everyone knew Zong Ge’s
strength.”
“The attacks continued and began to occur even more, almost every day someone
would die.”
“On the food side, although the food the first mate had pilfered had padded the
public stores, it was also consumed, thus Zong Ge was forced to attempt to
establish an exploration team.”
“That time, many crew members voluntarily joined, and the team quickly formed.
“The same day the exploration team set off; the fourth craftsman covertly came
to me. He informed me of Xi Suo’s scheme.”
“Xi Suo knew for the time being, he could not openly confront Zong Ge, thus he
left with the sailors to make a boat on his own.”
“I knew the fourth craftsman was a master shipbuilder, thus I decided to join
them.”
“Not long after the exploration team set out, Zong Ge found that Xi Suo, Hei
Juan, and I were missing. Realizing that he had been swindled, he immediately
led a team to pursue and attack us.”
“We fled the entire journey and just as we were about to be overtaken, the
world suddenly changed! The environment was no longer a forest, but a
rainforest.”
“A mysterious force had sent us here, soon after we found this camp.”
“This camp is very strange, the wooden house sat on top of the ground with no
foundation, it was as if some giant had pulled it from the ground.”
“Xi Suo was very happy, he believed that this was a miracle from the gods that
both delivered us from a savage enemy and bestowed upon us a temporary camp.”
“We renovated the camp and garrisoned ourselves here. Because I and the fourth
craftsman were very happy——the wood in this forest was better material for
making a new ship.”
“Afterwards, we split into two groups. Xi Suo, the fourth craftsman, and a few
others went out to do lumbering. We continued to build up the camp here. But we
did not expect the bat monkeys would attack, we are fortunate that your
Lordship saved us!”
“Having such a hero appear on the scene was surely arranged by the gods! We
will leave this fiendish place under your leadership!”
As Mu Ban spoke of this, his tone became fanatical.



****** Chapter 91: Zong Ge, a Powerful Enemy ******
Mu Ban’s clear narration arisen naturally, him regarding Zhen Jin as a hero
arranged by the gods had left a deep impression on him.
Zhen Jin remained silent, but his heart was greatly moved by Mu Ban.
“If this was all arranged by the gods, why didn’t they ever respond to my
prayers?”
“As a templar knight, shouldn’t Emperor Sheng Ming be watching me attentively?”
“Don’t tell me……not responding to my prayers was a part of Emperor Sheng Ming’s
plan?”
“Maybe……everything that has happened to me was Emperor Sheng Ming intentionally
testing me?”
“Is the magic core in my heart also a part of this test?”
“Wait a moment, you said that it has only been a few days since you all have
been teleported here?” Cang Xu questioned. He was also around.
“Yes. To be more precise, it has been five days.” Mu Ban replied.
Cang Xu and Zhen Jin glanced at each other.
They did not doubt Mu Ban’s words, after all it was easy to tell if he were
lying at this point. There were still many people around.
Of course, it did not rule out that everyone conspired to sing from the same
hymn sheet.
But it was unlikely, more crucially, lying right now was not beneficial in the
slightest.
“Ah!” Cang Xu sighed, “I did not expect so many things to happen after I left
the camp.”
Zhen Jin’s complexion was serene: “This is very normal. We know from
experience, the pressure on people as they helplessly watch food be consumed or
the pressure of death usually drive people insane, cause them to sink into
hysteria, and make them disobey their norms.”
Lan Zao was moved, his eyes hung down, veins popped from his hand as he
clenched his sword, and his breathing became chaotic.
“A true leader should not be engulfed by selfish desire nor should they consume
the lives and blood of their subordinates like a parasite. The first mate had a
proper end.”
“If it were me, I would have personally led an exploration team into the
rainforest after the first team mysteriously disappeared and would look for
more food and water for everyone. This is how a leader should act.” Zhen Jin
stated.
Lan Zao stood behind Zhen Jin, after looking at the young knight’s back, his
eyes brightened, and his breathing became steady.
In front of everyone, Cang Xu loudly proclaimed: “My Lord, I do not doubt your
determination. You are brave and virtuous; you are the reason why we have
reunited and are able to obey your orders. This island is the devil, it is full
of tribulations and perils. Mu Ban is right, you are a hero dispatched by the
gods to save us!”
“With you Lord Zhen Jin, I am only worried about a single thing.”
“Xi Suo, the old boat craftsman, and the others went out to cut wood and have
not returned yet.”
“Eh?” Zhen Jin frowned and looked at Mu Ban, “Before they left, when did they
say they would be back by?”
Mu Ban looked at the sky: “Based on what they said, they should have been back
fifteen minutes ago.”
“Did they also suffer a beast group attack?” Mu Ban grew worried.
“Be, be at ease, you fool, fool, foolish man.” Fei She said.
Hei Juan shook his head and heavily said: “Although they had that idiot with
giant blood with an iron level life level, he only relies on brute force and
has no cultivation martial skills. The thing that smashed into the wooden house
was a silver level rhinoceros, what can he do? Even if there wasn’t a silver
level magic beast, getting surrounded by a bat monkey group would endanger the
idiot’s life.
Life level did not determine the outcome of a battle.
“Lord Zhen Jin, there is another thing on my mind.” Cang Xu continued, “How did
the bat monkey group get a silver level rhinoceros to attack the wooden house?”
“Five days ago, they were teleported into the forest and began to renovate this
camp. Inside those five days, suffered a beast group attack.”
Zhen Jin’s brows wrinkled deeply: “What do you mean Cang Xu, if this camp was
invading on the beast group’s territory, then they should have attacked again
within one or two days. Delaying the attack until the fifth day is very
strange.”
“Not only that.” Cang Xu continued, “Why would a silver level rhinoceros attack
this place with the bat monkeys? These are two different species of magic
beast. After the silver level rhinoceros crashed into the wooden house, it left
the camp. Such an action is unnatural.”
“Although there isn’t enough proof, I have a strange feeling that something
artificial is controlling them.
“Artificial control?” Upon hearing this, the others could not help but look at
each other with dismay.
“What a disaster, don’t tell me we are facing a taming master?” Fei She asked.
Cang Xu heavily said: “It is not necessarily a taming master. The vast majority
of magic beasts have a limited mental capacity. As long as one is familiar with
their habits and properties, they can exploit them. For example, we put high
level magic beast feces around our camp to chase away inferior ones. Another
example is fishing bait, isn’t this also a manipulation of wildlife?”
Hearing this, Zi Di’s complexion changed slightly, and her heart became chilly.
She looked at Zhen Jin and called: “My Lord, that armor……”
Zhen Jin had already taken out the armor as she spoke.
“Who wears armor of this material?” Zhen Jin urgently inquired, realizing what
might have happened.
Mu Ban shook his head: “As you can your Lordship, that is high quality steel,
we cannot use such high-level goods. The vast majority of our warriors wear
leather armor. Even if we had some, it would be chainmail and not steel plate.”
“Ah, ah, ah! Yes, yes it’s his!” Fei She suddenly shouted with panic.
“Who is he?” Zhen Jin questioned with narrowed eyes.
“He, he, he, is, is, is……” Fei She nervously stuttered.
It’s Zong Ge’s!” Hei Juan said nervously, “Of everyone on the ship, only Zong
Ge had such high quality armor. I have seen it many times and when he defeated
the idiot, he had worn such steel armor!”
“Impossible.” Mu Ban overruled, “How can Zong Ge be nearby? We have already
thrown him off.”
“No, all of you were teleported.” Zi Di eyes flickered, “Didn’t you just say
that when Zong Ge was pursuing you guys, all of you were teleported? It is also
very possible that Zong Ge’s companions were also teleported.”
Zhen Jin caressed the armor with a grave expression.
All of the clues indicated that Zong Ge and his force was also teleported.
The traces Zhen Jin had seen had been left behind by Zong Ge and his
companions. The goal of them sweeping the battlefield should be to guard
against Xi Suo, Mu Ban, and their comrades.
“It must be Zong Ge’s! Hei Juan suddenly shouted without hesitation, “The bat
monkey group and the silver level rhinoceros were also lured into attacking
this camp by Zong Ge.”
Cang Xu stared at him: “What are you basing this on?”
“Humph! Don’t forget, he is a half beastman. He definitely related to beasts;
thus, he definitely has a method that can influence beasts.” Hei Juan said.
Zhen Jin shook his head: “Being a beastman and having a half beastman’s
bloodline can indeed allow one to get close to beasts, however this is not
proof that Zong Ge is the one plotting to murder the people in this camo.”
“Your Lordship.” Hei Juan clenched his chest and bowed to Zhen Jin, “You
deserve to be called a templar knight who upholds the spirit of justice and
fairness. However, my suspicions about Zong Ge are not unfounded.”
“He has received strict battle training!” Hei Juan continued.
Everyone looked at each other with dismay.
Hei Juan proceeded: “Each mercenary and perhaps each sailor receives battle
training. This battle training I speak of is not ordinary training, rather they
are military exercises.”
“I am certain that he definitely served in the army at one point. Only by
passing such stringent military exercises and serving in the army can he have
the aura of a soldier on him, this I am most clear about.”
“Zong Ge has an iron level cultivation along with ferocious skill. I saw with
my own eyes him efficiently defeating the oaf with three punches and two kicks.
He displayed his full strength then!”
“The most crucial point is on this island, we cannot use battle qi and magic,
in order to fight, we can only rely on martial skills and the speed and
strength of our bodies.”
“Zong Ge has the lion-man bloodline on him, his strength, speed, endurance, and
other attributes are far greater than us of pure human blood. Thanks to his
high quality armor, he can even resist the oaf’s sweeping tree.”
“Everyone, there is no harm in thinking this way. With this kind of strength,
why would he not remain in the army? In what army, as long as it was possible,
would ever let such an elite go? As long as he felt at ease serving in the
army, his future prospects would have been very radiant! Unless of course, he
made a significant mistake that made the army realize he was an evil believer
and expelled him.”
Hei Juan’s analysis had some basis and Mu Ban, Fei She, and the others could
not help but slightly nod upon hearing it.
In fact, the people that took the risk to sail the Hog’s Kiss to the Wilderness
Continent could not be regarded as ordinary.
Most of them could not mix with those in the Sheng Ming Continent or were
unsatisfied with their lives. In spite of the danger to their lives, they
wanted to use the war as a chance to gain profit.
Take Bai Ya, he wanted to become a knight.
Take Cang Xu, he was a fugitive.
Even Zhen Jin, he shouldered the mission of revitalizing the Bai Zhen Clan.
Zhen Jin stroked the sword hilt and sunk into contemplation.
From the accounts of Mu Ban and Hei Juan, as well Fei She’s panicked
expression, he regarded Zong Ge as someone difficult to deal with.
Zong Ge was a beastman-human half-breed, his half beastman status was not well
regarded in human society. To say it more accurately, he had suffered
discrimination.
However, on this island, Zong Ge’s half beastman status magnified his battle
strength.
“If I did not have my transformations, I fear I would be unable to defeat Zong
Ge.”
“Transforming is a stratagem that ensures success. However, others cannot see
my transformations, if I use the magic core, then it will guarantee that Zong
Ge will die!”
Zhen Jin sensed a pressure.
He could not use battle qi, his prayers to the gods remained unanswered and
without a divine spell, he could only rely on the power of his body.
He had never known what his cultivation level was, although his vitality
surpassed that of ordinary people, he did not know if his strength, speed, and
other attributes did too.
If it were not for the heart core, some luck, and Zhen Jin’s tenacious
willpower, Zhen Jin would have died already.
“So, my opponent this time is not a magic beast, but a person?”



****** Chapter 92: Rescuing the Boat Craftsman ******
Many times, people were usually more formidable than magic beasts!
A half beastman was a lifeform with advanced intelligence and could use
strategy.
Another point that worried Zhen Jin was that Zong Ge had excellent equipment.
He had high quality steel armor and a pair of war spears. He had never used his
war spears in public, perhaps because Zong Ge found the crises he encountered
unworthy of their usage.
Intuition told Zhen Jin that Zong Ge’s battle spears were beyond ordinary, they
even might be of a higher rank than his steel armor.
In comparison, Zhen Jin only had a rapier that belonged to Hei Juan.
“Regardless of that, we first need to go search for Xi Suo and the others and
make sure they return safely.” Zhen Jin tidied up his mood and immediately
resolved.
Xi Suo was the third mate, and the old fourth boat craftsman was proficient at
shipbuilding, these were key people of talent. They were important in leaving
this island.
“Lan Zao, Hei Juan, you two are coming with me.” Zhen Jin looked at the two of
them.
Although he wanted to move alone, after some consideration, Zhen Jin knew he
needed more manpower to search for Xi Suo and the others in the forest.
It was too inefficient for him to search alone.
Regardless of whether it was Lan Zao or Hei Juan both had bronze level
strength.
“Let us proceed.” Zhen Jin then gave Hei Juan back his rapier. He was a templar
knight and he would never covet another’s equipment.
“It’s a good sword.” Zhen Jin praised Hei Juan.
Hei Juan took the sword and was just about to speak.
“My Lord.” Zi Di suddenly spoke with a worried heart, “If Zong Ge was the
culprit controlling the beast group and saw your Lordship Zhen Jin interfering,
he abandoned the attack on the camp. However, since he already knows your
Lordship is heroic and valiant, will he be watching you when you enter the
forest? Is this a scheme from Zong Ge’s force to lure you out?”
“That is possible.” Zhen Jin pursed his brows, “So, what do you think?”
Zi Di: “I want to move with your Lordship. I will use all of my strength to
help your Lordship, don’t worry I have medicine to protect myself and I will do
my best to not be a burden on your Lordship.”
Zhen Jin immediately hesitated.
Zi Di turned around and said to Hei Juan: “Hei Juan, I know your sword is not
ordinary, I ask that you temporarily give it to Lord Zhen Jin so he can use
it.”
Hei Juan stared blankly, and his complexion changed slightly: “But this sword
is my family heirloom.”
Hei Juan expressed his refusal.
He was only Zi Di’s hired mercenary, not Zi Di’s nor Zhen Jin’s underling.
Zhen Jin faintly laughed: “Zi Di, it is unnecessary to make things difficult
for him.”
Zhen Jin could transform into a silver level spear scorpion and a spear
scorpion tail could threaten steel armor.
“My Lord, that won’t do!” But Zi Di insisted, “Based on our recent analysis,
Zong Ge is a strong opponent. He also has top notch armor made of high quality
steel and impressive war spears. Your Lordship only has ordinary weapons, if
you and Zong Ge fight, there would be little difference from simply coming
unarmed.”
Zhen Jin stared blankly and then bitterly laughed. He understood that Zi Di’s
words had a lot of thought behind them, she was “bullying” Zhen Jin’s knightly
creed of pitying the weak and protecting his comrades.
But at the same time, Zhen Jin had no choice but concede that Zi Di’s words
were reasonable,
His strength and confidence came from his transformations.
But if he fought in front of everyone, he could not recklessly use the core.
Especially now with various eyes around, unlike the small team of five, Zhen
Jin could not be reckless now.
“My Lord!” This time, Hei Juan offered the rapier of his own accord, “This
ignoramuses’ scope was too narrow. This sword can display its true worth in
your Lordship’s hand. The name of my family heirloom sword is Silver Lightning.
It is bound to blossom brightly and brilliantly in your Lordship’s hand.
Zi Di smiled: “Hei Juan, for this employment, I will pay you double.”
Hei Juan immediately smiled.
“That’s good. I will treat this sword well and do my best to return it to you
intact.” Seeing Hei Juan’s attitude, Zhen Jin calmly received the sword.
He scrupulously abided by the templar knight’s creed, but he was not
inflexible.
Since it was for his sake, for the sake of others, and to keep the heart core a
secret, it was only natural that borrowing the rapier now was not a problem.
Previously when he had used and observed the rapier, he found that it really
was a good sword.
Hei Juan did not exaggerate when he said it was his family heirloom.
As far as soldiers and knights were concerned, armor and weapons were expensive
and something to pass onto future generations. Because equipment was expensive,
many nobles that enlisted knights would only pay for their provisions and not
their weapons and horses because it was too financially difficult.
Of course, weapons also had ranks. There were many factors in evaluating
whether a weapon was outstanding or shoddy.
The most important element among them was how well the weapon conducted battle
qi.
Zhen Jin did not know how well Silver Lightning conducted battle, however it
already had outstanding hardness, sharpness, and toughness.
After a brief negotiation, Zhen Jin Zi Di, Hei Juan, and Lan Zao set off.
He could not take everyone.
The many seriously injured people stayed in camp to recuperate.
Cang Xu, Mu Ban, Fei She, and the others had no battle strength. On the
battlefield, they would be a burden to Zhen Jin.
Mu Ban’s team wanted to join, however Zhen Jin refused them. Zhen Jin was still
carrying his rapid fire crossbow, such a thing in Mu Ban’s hands would endanger
his comrades.
If a portion of Zong Ge’s force attacked the camp, Mu Ban would shoot a signal
flare, Zhen Jin would then turn back and rapidly reinforce them.
It was impossible for Zhen Jin to give up saving the boat craftsman and the
others because he had misgivings about some conspiracy.
As for the flare gun, not only did the camp have one, Xi Suo also carried one
too.
Xi Suo and the others were cutting wood in a place that was two kilometers to
the southeast.
Just as Zhen Jin and the others were halfway there, they heard a gun fire and a
pink flare rise into the air.
“That is a signal for help! They really are in danger. Run!” Zi Di cried.
“Not necessarily. Let’s play it safe. We can’t be sure this is an enemy
deliberately baiting us to entice us to speed up and reduce our guard against
our surroundings.” Hei Juan said.
“You guys maintain your pace; I will examine the situation first.” After saying
this, Zhen Jin immediately sped up.
Although Hei Juan was reasonable, keeping the boat craftsman alive was crucial,
without him it was unlikely the others could construct a large ship that could
cross the ocean.
It was possible this was a trap set by Zong Ge but was just as likely it was
the others.
The faster Zhen Jin went, the more likely the boat craftsman’s life would be
saved.
The young knight’s pace increased as he ran through the forest.
He then activated the heart core and quietly transformed his right eye to give
himself thermal vision.
By doing this, even if Zong Ge and the others were lying in ambush, Zhen Jin
could find them in time.
Zhen Jin quickly heard the distinctive screech of bat monkeys.
He sped up again and wildly rushed through the forest until he arrived at a
hillside.
The hill was not steep and on the top, there were many people surrounded by bat
monkeys.
It was clear these were the same bat monkeys that had attacked the camp, among
the group there were seven bronze level bat monkeys, and one iron level bat
monkey.
The bat monkeys constantly attacked and nearly everyone was injured, all of
them were in imminent danger.
Zhen Jin did not stop, as he charged up the hill, he shot the rapid fire
crossbow.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh……
The arrows flew with incomparable accuracy.
Ordinary bat monkeys that were shot fell like penguins diving into the sea as
they dropped to the ground in a lingering bang.
“Someone has come to save us! Everyone cheered.
The bat monkeys were enraged, and several bronze level bat monkeys threw
themselves at Zhen Jin.
Zhen Jin stopped shooting the crossbow and pulled out Silver Lightning.
The distance between him and the bronze level monkeys closed.
In an instant, Zhen Jin’s rapier suddenly threw a bright silver light!
Soon after, he and the bat monkeys intertwined.
The bronze level bat monkeys seemed to break in the air, they then fell to the
ground as their life aura rapidly dissipated.
Zhen Jin displayed his battle strength and for a moment, the sailors became
somewhat absentminded.
The sole iron level bat monkey was provoked, it flapped its wings, puffed up
his chest, and suddenly screeched.
Its screeching rippled the air and the sound waves rapidly approached Zhen Jin.
Zhen Jin already knew about this special sound wave attack, in an instant, he
transformed his arm into a bear’s and threw a dart.
The dart hit the iron level bat monkey and pierced its left wing.
The iron level bat monkey was alarmed, with few bat monkeys left, it turned
around to fly away.
Zhen Jin did not pursue, rather he hurried over to the hillside to see the
sailors’ leader.
Their leader was a youngster with a tall and thin stature.
“Are you Xi Suo?” Zhen Jin attentively asked.
The youngster promptly nodded: “Who are you, your Lordship?”
“Where is the boat craftsman Lao Si?” Zhen Jin asked as he swept his eyes in a
circle.
Xi Suo promptly pointed in a direction: “When we were attacked by the monkeys,
the idiot was furious and rushed out. The old boat craftsman was worried about
the idiot’s safety and ran after him.”
Zhen Jin bit his teeth, followed Xi Suo’s direction, and rushed off again.
There were clear traces showing the path and Zhen Jin quickly found his
objective, another hill.
A small three meter giant was crazily waving a wooden log around.
This small giant appeared to be young, had an exposed upper body, wore a yellow
leather skirt that covered his lower body, and had enormous straw sandals on
his feet.
He had disheveled hair, was constantly shouting, and occasionally spat saliva
all over the place.
“Die, you houseflies will die!”
“This big guy will smash you all!”
The small giant repeatedly roared, the heavy wooden log he had could easily
pulverize boulders, smash trees, and would create small holes in the ground
while splashing soil everywhere.
There were a few individuals around the giant shouting at him to calm down.
But the giant was completely infuriated by the bat monkeys and would not
listen.
“The old boat craftsman is here!” Zhen Jin’s pupils enlarged when he saw an old
man between the small giant’s legs.



****** Chapter 93: He is Zong Ge ******
The boat craftsman was in a critical situation.
The bat monkeys were moving nimbly as they used their powerful limbs to bounce
while using their wings to fly through the air.
Although the oaf was strong, he did not have cultivation martial skills, he
could only rely on his physical strength to fight and protect the old boat
craftsman.
So much so that the oaf was a threat to himself.
Zhen Jin was extremely worried, when the giant moved his feet, he could trample
the old man into a flatboat.
“Roar roar!”
“Fuck off annoying houseflies!”
The idiot swung the wooden log; however, he did not hit any bat monkeys. As his
injuries accumulated, he began to lose his rationality.
A bat monkey suddenly swooped below to attack the old boat craftsman.
The idiot did not respond to the attack.
But at that moment, a dart shot out and killed the bat monkey.
After the idiot sensed what had happened, he stared at the dead bat monkey.
In that split second, another bat monkey threw itself onto the oaf’s head,
wanting to dig his eyes out.
Meanwhile, two more bat monkeys approached the old craftsman from the left and
the right.
If the idiot wanted to save his eye, he could not protect the old boat
craftsman. If he protected the craftsman, he would go blind.
At that crucial moment, the oaf did not hesitate as he grabbed towards the left
monkey and attempted to hit the monkey flying in from the right with his wooden
log.
He would rather sacrifice his own eye to save the old craftsman!
The left bat screeched, it flapped its wings in retreat and dodged the idiot’s
grab.
The right bat ducked to the ground to avoid the wooden log.
The monkey on top of the idiot’s head had already inserted its talon into his
eye.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
At that moment, three arrows appeared out of the blue, shooting all three bat
monkeys dead!
The idiot starred again and subconsciously looked towards where the arrows flew
from.
He saw a young knight with blond hair and blue eyes charging onward with a
crossbow in one hand and a sword in the other.
It had taken a great effort for Zhen Jin to get to the idiot and with his long
range firepower, he had saved the idiot and the boat craftsman’s life.
However, at that moment, screeches suddenly disseminated through the forest.
Flap flap flap……
Large quantities of attacking bat monkeys suddenly flew out of the forest, it
was the biggest bat monkey group Zhen Jin had ever seen. There were three iron
level bat monkeys, thirty bronze level bat monkeys, and hundreds of ordinary
bat monkeys.
“What terrible luck.” Zhen Jin’s eyes contracted; he helplessly watched the bat
monkeys surround him enroute.
The bat monkeys attacked from all directions.
Zhen Jin dodged from side to side, sometimes jumped, and sometimes rolled,
indeed not a single bat monkey could hit him.
“This feeling……” Zhen Jin recalled the time when he single-handedly attacked
the lizard group. His current situation was very similar, despite him being
surrounded by enemies, he was not panicked, maintained an ice-cold cool, and
seemed to have an instinct that allowed him to evade optimally and to prevent
getting caught in a pincer attack.
Zhen Jin returned fire as he dodged.
The arrow box quickly emptied, and twenty ordinary bat monkeys died, none of
Zhen Jin’s arrows missed.
However, there were too many bat monkeys around him.
New bat monkeys came and eight of them concentrated on him.
Swapping out arrow boxes for the crossbow was actually very simple, however
Zhen Jin was surrounded and had to dodge, thus never giving him the opportunity
to do so.
Under this situation, Hei Juan giving him Silver Lightning immensely helped
him.
The rapier in his hand was like shiny lightning that cut off the bat monkeys’
limbs, splattered their blood, and caused their fellow bat monkeys to scream.
The rapier was worthy of being Hei Juan’s heirloom as it easily impaled and cut
the bat monkeys. Hei Juan could not do the same since his strength could not
compare to Zhen Jin’s.
That’s right, Zhen Jin had already transformed his arms into bear arms.
As for whether the iron level bat monkeys were a threat, that remained to be
seen.
The three iron level bat monkeys were flying in the air as they gazed at Zhen
Jin unwaveringly, they did not screech, nor did they leave or enter the fight.
Although Zhen Jin was winning and constantly reaping the lives of bat monkeys,
he was held in place and could not support the boat craftsman.
Without the support of Zhen Jin’s arrows, the idiot once again sunk into a
crisis.
“Don’t hurt my father!” The oaf defended the old craftsman and constantly drove
the bat monkeys back, however the bat monkeys were free to come and go and
wherever a gap appeared, they would pounce and tear off a piece of the oaf’s
flesh.
The old boat craftsman was also attacked several times.
Seeing the old boat craftsman's new injuries, the blockhead was incessantly
anxious. He then suddenly loudly roared, stooped down, and covered the old boat
craftsman with his body.
The bat monkeys excitedly swarmed about and tore at the idiot’s body.
The idiot quickly became riddled with scars and his blood flowed without end.
But he rigidly bit his teeth, lowered his head, and bore the pain of the
attacks as he curled up his limbs as much as he could and did his best to
protect the old boat craftsman.
His back, arms and thighs became badly mutilated.
“Damm it!” Zhen Jin sensing the situation, moved quicker and more violently as
he tried cutting a bloody path out of the battlefield.
But at that moment, the trees trembled with a loud thumping.
A rhinoceros charged into the battlefield.
“Is that the silver level rhinoceros?!” Zhen Jin looked at the rhinoceros
charging him.
The rhinoceros had a thick and solid physique, it seemed to cast from silver,
and it was two meters tall.’
It had hooves larger than a grindstone and every time it stepped, it would form
a shallow hole in the ground!
Zhen Jin dodged at once, it was not known if the rhinoceros had wisdom.
Even if he had suspicions and even if he could transform into a silver level
spear scorpion, in front of the charging rhinoceros he was afraid he would be
crushed and flattened.
Fortunately, the rhinoceros charged perfectly straight and could not shift its
direction. It was too heavy and had too much inertia, if it wanted to change
direction, it needed to slow down a lot first.
The bat monkeys were also intimidated by the charging rhinoceros and dispersed
in confusion.
Its path was extremely clear, and Zhen Jin also easily avoided the rhinoceros.
But at that moment, the dispersed bat monkeys surrounded Zhen Jin again.
The silver level rhinoceros finally crashed into a tree and with a boom, it
knocked down three trees. For a moment, the earth shook, and tree leaves
whirled in the air.
Boom boom boom……
The silver level rhinoceros shook its head, adjusted its direction, stepped
forward, and charged again.
But this time, it did not target Zhen Jin, rather it changed to the close and
more conspicuous idiot!
“Shit!” Seeing the silver level rhinoceros, Zhen Jin’s complexion changed.
“Idiot, move now!” A sailor on the hillside hastily reminded.
But the idiot shook his head and shouted: “Big guy will not hide; big guy will
protect father!”
He buried his head and did not look at the silver level rhinoceros charging at
him.
Zhen Jin wanted to assist him, but the bat monkeys were obstructing him.
The idiot would soon be trampled by the silver level rhinoceros and it seemed
the rhinoceros would turn the old boat craftsman into paste. But at that
moment, a tall figure suddenly jumped from the treetops and blocked the silver
level rhinoceros’ charge.
Bang!
The silver level rhinoceros crashed into the tall figure with a giant clamor.
But the tall figure did not go flying nor did it topple over!
He was still standing straight, and his steel armor tenaciously resisted the
silver level rhinoceros’s horn.
His leg muscles bulged, pressed against the floor, and firmly supported his
tall body.
The rhinoceros’s charge was extremely strong and carried the figure forward all
the way.
“Ah——!”
The tall figure’s roar shook the entire area.
The charging rhinoceros grew slower and finally stopped.
The tall figure was pushed back one hundred meters and he was submerged up to
his ankles in soil. His chest armor was completely deformed by a sunken crater.
His ribs were certainly broken!
The tall figure’s roar was followed up by the rhinoceros stopping, man and
beast firmly gazed at their counterpart.
Suddenly, the tall figure coughed out blood.
“Ha ha ha!”
Nevertheless, he was still howling with laughter.
After a moment, he put his left hand on the rhinoceros’ horn and lifted his
curled right fist.
Bang!
Bang bang!
Bang bang bang……
His fist smashed the silver level rhinoceros’ hard skull like torrential rain.
The silver level rhinoceros howled, it wanted to gore the figure with its horn
but failed.
Its horn was firmly grabbed by the tall figure while its head and eyes were
being frantically punched. Sharp pain and dizziness made the rhinoceros
furious, its four hooves crazily stomped the ground, and its thick leg muscles
produced a strong driving force. However, its head was still tenaciously pushed
to the ground by the tall figure
The tall figure was over two meters tall, had a full beard, and had brown
shoulder-length hair. His eyes were a yellowish brown, and his exposed skin had
a layer of spare lion hair on it.
“You aren’t escaping this time. Ha ha ha!”
The tall figure constantly shouted, his berserk arrogance alarming the hearts
of others.
“He is definitely Zong Ge!” Zhen Jin’s eyes flashed heavily, “Is this guy
really at an iron level cultivation?”



****** Chapter 94: Attracting Zong Ge ******
Zong Ge had blocked the silver level rhinoceros’ attack and saved both the
idiot’s and boat craftsman’s life.
His fist beat the rhinoceros’ skull with dull thuds.
Finally, the silver level rhinoceros unexpectedly collapsed onto the ground,
its body not moving an inch.
Zong Ge had bravely suppressed the silver level rhinoceros and had also shaken
the hearts of everyone nearby, even the screeches of the bat monkeys grew
quiet. Terror appeared on each of the monkeys’ faces and none of them dared to
swarm around Zong Ge.
Splurt.
After a moment, Zong Ge coughed out blood.
The blood spattered onto the silver level rhinoceros’ face, causing an uproar
in the recently quelled magic beasts.
“We have come to support you Lord Zong Ge!” A group of people came from the
woods, their leader was a goblin.
“Go help them.” Zong Ge laughed, his eyes were fixed on the silver level
rhinoceros as he loudly rebuffed their aid.
The silver level rhinoceros began to stir, its keen beastly intuition sensed
that Zong Ge was weak. It opened its big eyes and observed Zong Ge.
Because its head was smashed into the ground by Zong Ge, it could only look up.
From its point of view, the sunlight was very harsh. It could not see Zong Ge’s
face clearly, under the white sunlight, it could only see Zong Ge’s giant-like
black figure.
In the center of the black figure, Zong Ge’s yellow eyes emitted a callous and
serene light.
When the silver level rhinoceros looked into those eyes, it suddenly whimpered
as if it was looking at a myriad beast king!
With the previous provocation and counterattack on its mind as well as Zong Ge
calming looking down on it, the silver level rhinoceros’ body trembled, and it
began to retreat backwards.
After retreating more than ten paces back, it turned around and fled in a
panic.
Zong Ge was still watching it calmly as it fled and did not pursue.
Currently in the battlefield, a great amount of bat monkeys had been
slaughtered.
Only the humans received reinforcement.
The fighters that had rushed from the forest had decent skills.
The most noteworthy thing was the group was nearly composed of those who did
not have pure human blood. A half elf, many half beastmen, goblins, dwarfs, and
many more. There were height discrepancies and irregular equipment, they looked
like a mob.
However, based on their live auras, there were bronze level elites among them.
The goblin leader emitted an iron level aura.
The goblin had leather attire, deep green skin, had long ears, and was bald. He
had a white cotton scarf wrapped around his neck and head that covered his
mouth. His distinctive long goblin nose was protruding outwards.
This goblin moved quickly and ran close to the ground.
When a bat pounced towards him, he immediately rolled forward by tucking in his
hands into his legs. He had a dagger strapped to his lower leg.
He then pulled out a dagger and cut the bat monkey’s throat.
His movement and strength combined with the dagger in a brilliant semicircle
slash.
The semicircle touched the bat monkey and ended its life.
From time to time, he rolled on the ground like a spinning top with only a
small dagger, yet the bat monkeys could not resist his strikes.
He was experienced in using daggers and had a ruthless and sinister martial
skill. His dagger was also not ordinary if it could effortlessly reap the life
of a bronze level bat monkey.
Zhen Jin keenly noted that the goblin had two additional daggers on him. One
was on his waist and one was on his back. However, the goblin did not use them,
he only used one to rout the bat monkeys.
On the other side, Zong Ge began to walk slowly as the silver level rhinoceros
ran away scared.
“Villain, come back, this big guy will crush you!” The idiot loudly warned Zong
Ge.
The amount of bat monkeys near him had greatly decreased.
Because Zong Ge, the goblin, and the rest had attracted the ire of the bat
monkeys.
The boat craftsman was still unconscious.
The idiot was riddled with scars, his body had borne the brunt of previous bat
monkey attacks, blood was constantly flowing from his body and had already dyed
the ground under his feet red.
The oaf knelt to pick up his wooden log, but as he was standing up again, his
body began to shake, and he felt dizzy.
He was heavily wounded and had lost too much blood.
Zong Ge coldly snorted, he expressionlessly looked at the oaf, light flickering
from his brown lion eyes: “I have come to save you both, if you put your hand
on me, I will kill your father. Obediently surrendering will save both your
lives.”
The idiot stared blankly, then angrily as he used his wooden log to beat the
ground: “This big guy does not trust you; you are a villain, I will let my
father know that this villain lies.
Zong Ge stared blankly, then his gaze became darker.
The idiot’s attitude went against his expectations.
He immediately gave up persuading and secretly stored up his strength so he
could dominate the latter.
Relying on his quick and violent martial skill, he had no problem knocking the
idiot unconscious in a few breathes.
Although the idiot had an iron life level, he did not have cultivation skills,
the disparity between him and Zong Ge was too big.
However just as Zong Ge was approaching him, an arrow suddenly flew out from
his right and landed in front of him.
This was a clear warning.
“Zong Ge stop!” Zhen Jin had arrived finally.
Because the amount of people around had greatly increased, the pressure around
Zhen Jin had suddenly decreased, this reduction resulted in a qualitative
change. It was clear that the iron level goblin leader could also warp the
battlefield.
Zhen Jin with Silver Lightning in hand, had an easier time escaping.
Zong Ge stopped and turned around.
Seeing Zhen Jin, Zong Ge’s gaze grew increasingly darker, when he was in the
trees, he had naturally seen Zhen Jin being besieged by bat monkeys, yet with a
sword in hand, Zhen Jin had killed everything around him.
The looks of both men intersected, and Zhen Jin immediately felt something
constricting him.
Zong Ge was more than two meters tall while Zhen Jin was only a sixteen year
old knight. On top of that, Zong Ge had shown off his boldness and power, thus
when he and Zhen Jin confronted each other, his grandeur immediately suppressed
Zhen Jin.
“Who are you?” Zong Ge deeply said after sizing Zhen Jin up.
Zhen Jin was just about to speak when Lan Zao indignantly called from close
off: How audacious! Does the vulgar and lowly half beastman still not salute?
Standing in front of you is my master Zhen Jin, he is a noble templar knight,
the Bai Zhen Clan’s sole heir, and also White Sands City’s future master!”
Zhen Jin turned around and saw Xi Suo, Zi Di, Lan Zao, Hei Juan, and the
others.
They finally arrived.
“Humph. A pretty boy noble!” Zong Ge looked down on Zhen Jin, however his gaze
did stop temporarily on the rapier strapped to Zhen Jin’s waist as he
indifferently assessed it. ”However……that sword is pretty good.”
Zhen Jin slightly smiled, he gazed at Zong Ge’s broken steel battle armor:
“Your armor is also pretty good.”
Apparently seeing new human reinforcements, the three iron level bat monkeys
knew things were far from good, they screeched together, and the remaining bat
monkeys fled the battlefield.
They were fast and more crucially, they could fly, thus everyone gave up
pursuing them.
Without the beast group attacking, the atmosphere became even more tense.
“Commander Tripleblade?” Upon seeing the goblin, Zi Di was pleasantly
surprised.
The full name of the goblin was not known, however his nickname Tripleblade had
been spread around mercenary circles.
Tripleblade was very skillful, however what people know most about him was that
he was very honest and kept his promises. It was very difficult to imagine that
a goblin could be honest and trustworthy, however Tripleblade was, he would use
all of his strength to abide by his words and practices, thus he was still on
good terms with most humans.
“President Zi Di.” Tripleblade saluted Zi Di, however his face was
expressionless and had a cold attitude.
Zi Di’s eyes shined: “Commander Tripleblade, it’s great to see you here.”
Tripleblade’s mercenary corps was one of the two mercenary corps she had hired.
However, Tripleblade shook his head: “President Zi Di, I am very sorry, but my
mercenary corps has already dissolved.”
Zi Di was stunned: “What?”
Tripleblade continued: “I was saved by Lord Zong Ge, thus in order to repay my
benefactor’s kindness, I would henceforth follow him as his attendant.”
“A benefactor’s kindness……” Zi Di coughed and reluctantly smiled, “Indeed you
need to repay such a thing. I understand how you Commander Tripleblade do
things, however did we not agree to and sign an employment agreement?
Tripleblade immediately answered: “This is my explanation to you President Zi
Di. The former president had subsided and aided our mercenary group through a
great crisis. At the time, I promised the former president that I would do my
best to help the old president one time, even if it cost my life to repay his
kindness. That one time was when I accepted your employment regardless of the
risks. However, the ocean nearly extinguished my mercenary corps and Lord Zong
Ge saved my life. One can say that old life has already been paid and given to
your merchant alliance, the business between us is already settled.”
Zi Di was dumbstruck.
She understood Tripleblade was a resolute goblin, if she tried to argue more,
she would inevitably fail.
Thus, Zi Di looked at the people at Tripleblade’s side: “Those are?”
The “mob” looked at each other for a bit before someone yelled:
“If we did not accept your employment, many of us would not have died!”
“Forget it, what happened in the sea is not Zi Di’s bad.”
“Our mercenary corps has already dissolved. However, since Lord Tripleblade is
following Lord Zong Ge, we will also join him together.”
Tripleblade was charismatic boss, despite dissolving his mercenary corps, all
of its remaining still wanted to follow him.
Zi Di did not pry at those who were in Tripleblade’s mercenary corps, her mind
shifted, and she looked at Zong Ge: “Zong Ge, you are a warrior. The one
standing before you is an imperial noble whose body flows with a noble
bloodline. Not only that but he also possesses outstanding virtue, he is a
genuine templar knight, and he is also White Sands City’s future master. Are
you willing to dedicate your bravery to Lord Zhen Jin to reap honor and wealth
with him?



****** Chapter 95: The Equitable Templar Knight ******
Zi Di had made a good backup plan. Since she had hit a brick wall with
Tripleblade and the mercenaries, she simply targeted their leader.
As long as Zong Ge agreed, Zhen Jin could use those related to him like
Tripleblade and the others, and most importantly, Zi Di did not need to pay
them.
The “mob” did not say anything, they only glanced at each other.
Although this was their first time seeing Zhen Jin, they knew by Zhen Jin’s
golden hair, handsome face, and tall body that his identity was not simple.
To tell the truth, Zi Di wanted them to think that way.
Mercenary life was difficult, they earned a living by fighting and had to
maintain their equipment in order to survive. Even if they had some extra
money, mercenaries often squandered it at taverns, by gambling, and on
prostitutes.
Competition in mercenary corps was also very intense, most mercenaries died
abroad with few ever retiring with disabled bodies and in wretched poverty.
If they followed a noble and broke away from a mercenary status, they would
become soldiers. Even if they were only in an auxiliary army or the city guard,
it would still be more stable than being a mercenary.
In peacetime, they never had such an opportunity. But now on this impoverished
island, under a chance coincidence, an opportunity had appeared before them.
Grabbing onto it perhaps would not ensure it, one cannot say if they would
excel, but it would be a step up!
Tripleblade deeply glanced at Zi Di, he thought to himself that the young lay
really was worthy of being called a president of a large merchant alliance, one
could not scorn her because of her age.
Tripleblade then looked at the “mob” next to him, although he personally
dissolved his mercenary corps, it was customary that they envisioned him as
their commander.
Thus, despite Tripleblade not being attracted by Zi Di, he did not immediately
express his refusal.
He knew that if he refused, these mercenaries would also follow his decision.
In addition, Tripleblade had only followed Zong Ge for a short time, he did not
know Zong Ge’s opinion.
Thus, Tripleblade looked at Zong Ge and deeply said: “Lord Zong Ge, whatever
you decide to do, I will follow as your attendant.”
Nevertheless, Zong Ge sneered: “Bai Zhen Clan? What does a defeated southern
noble have to flaunt? Templar knight? Can you even fight me? And the position
of White Sands City’s master, don’t you need to compete for it? As far as I
know, you should have been arriving at White Sands City at this time. Because
of the shipwreck, you have already missed it! What are you relying on that
makes you so sure that you can get that position?”
Zong Ge was arrogant and obstinate, he did not attach any importance to Zhen
Jin.
What amazed Zi Di even more was that Zong Ge, a half beastman, seemed to
understand upper class situations.
“Knowing that one needs to compete for master of White Sands City is not
strange. However, understanding what a delay will do……” Zi Di immediately
realized, “It seems Zong Ge’s status is not simple!”
Zong Ge directly refused her offer.
Tripleblade and the mercenaries were naturally the same.
“Based on Lord Zong Ge’s strength, there will always be someone attempting to
attract him!”
“However, we are going to fight the beastmen, we do not need to worry about not
having a place to use our skills.”
“Hmph, insignificant half beastman, you indeed are incapable of recognizing the
good intentions of others!” Lan Zao was very angry.
Xi Suo also disapproved that Zhen Jin was attracting Zong Ge, he came to Zhen
Jin’s side and pointed his finger at Zong Ge: “Lord Zhen Jin, he has been
hunting us. Letting such a vicious and evil man stay would be a disaster, he is
a threat to all of us!”
Tripleblade sneered: “Hunting? If we did not, the idiot and the boat craftsmen
would already be dead.”
Xi Suo coldly snorted, he then deeply looked at where Zong Ge had spat blood.
He then said to Zhen Jin: “Lord Zhen Jin, that lowly half beastman is seriously
hurt, this is a good opportunity to eliminate him!”
“What did he say?”
“Wretch!”
The mercenaries were spitting anger and they placed their hands on their hilts.
The atmosphere became even more tense, it seemed as if a fight could happen at
any moment.
“Why?” Do you wish to murder those you cannot attract? Is this the path of a
templar knight?” Zong Ge indifferently said as he gazed at Zhen Jin.
He was really wounded and also knew Zhen Jin controlled those opposing him.
Zhen Jin shook his head: “The goblin Tripleblade is correct, Zong Ge really did
save the old boat craftsman and the big guy and allowed them to narrowly escape
from disaster. That is a fact.”
“I feel regretful that you have rejected my offer, however I do not think it
offends my honor.”
“I am a templar knight, tolerance and kindness are a part of my templar creed.
If I took out my anger on those who refuse my solicitation, I would have never
become a believer of Emperor Sheng Ming!”
“My Lord……” Lan Zao was despondently standing behind Zhen Jin.
Zhen Jin’s words had placated him and also eased the situation.
However, as Tripleblade and the others were heaving a sigh of relief, Zhen Jin
said: “However if your comrades ruthlessly hunted and coerced the innocent,
that is another cup of tea.”
Saying this, Zhen Jin’s gaze seemed like a sharp sword thrusting towards Zong
Ge.
Zong Ge pursed his brows.
Hunted?” Someone at Tripleblade’s side loudly refuted, “We did not hunt anyone.
We only chased after them to get the boat craftsman back. On the contrary, it
is you guys, your despicable people who want to put us to death!”
These words intensely resonated with the others.
One after the other, they lashed out and bellowed with rage.
“You guys took the boat craftsmen away, we had no one left that could build a
ship. How could we continue to work?”
“You guys have been plotting and scheming against us and Lord Zong Ge for a
long time.”
“When was Lord Zong Ge untrustworthy to you all? For your sake, he overthrew
the shameless first mate. Even if he became our leader, he would still fight on
the frontlines with us.”
“None of you guys had any respect for Lord Zong Ge. The excuse you eternally
say over and over again is that he is a half beastman, a half beastman!”
“But as a matter of fact, a half beastman has saved you. However, you pure
blooded humans are not even the slightest bit grateful, instead you bite the
hand that feeds you!”
“That right, this is naked betrayal!”
Zhen Jin’s brows were also tightly creased.
“Isn’t it the truth? Besides the boat craftsman, who else can build a ship?” He
looked at Xi Suo.
Xi Suo evaded the gaze, hemmed and hawed, and did not respond.
“I’m afraid he is correct, master.” As a sailor, Lan Zao had some understanding
of the crew, “For a ship to resist the stormy seas and the raids of seabed
fishmen, the ship did not have an ordinary structure. The old boat craftsman is
also not ordinary, he was once a high level member in the boat craftsmen guild,
and it was his biggest lifelong dream was to personally make the greatest ship
ever.”
Zhen Jin muttered to himself for a moment.
Zong Ge’s gaze never left Zhen Jin, and now he spoke again: “Ah Zhen Jin, you
are indeed a grand templar knight. What do you say, when we found out we were
abandoned, that the sole boat craftsman was taken away, do you think chasing
after them was an excessive action?”
Pressure passed onto Zhen Jin, Zong Ge’s words were as brave as his fighting
style, he had directly forced Zhen Jin into a corner.
Zhen Jin raised his head and calmly looked at Zong Ge, face to face: “Your
choice was indeed reasonable and fair.”
Those words slightly disturbed the idiot, Xi Suo, and the others.
“My Lord.” Zi Di came to Zhen Jin's side and could not help but whisper a
warning.
Zhen Jin turned his head to his fiancé and faintly smiled, indicating the
latter to be at ease.
Afterwards, He put his left hand on Silver Lightning’s hilt and strolled
between the two opposing sides.
He looked around, his body was very straight, and his golden hair brilliantly
sparkled in the shining sunlight.
He clearly said: “As a templar knight, I will uphold the doctrine of
impartiality. I did not personally experience what happened in the camp, I can
only listen to your accounts. However, I can still distinguish what is right
and what is wrong.”
“At the same time, I will not show favor due to my human identity, likewise I
will not disdain half beastmen, half elves, or goblins because of their
identity.”
“When the shipwreck occurred, we were all stranded on this island together. We
must unite together and aid each other, only by doing this can we increase our
chances of escape.”
“Xi Suo and the boat craftsman snuck away, such an action was a mistake for
abandoning one’s comrades is considerably selfish.”
“Lord knight!” Xi Suo immediately shouted, anger spread across his face.
Likewise, the sailors behind him no longer looked at Zhen Jin with kindness and
respect.
“You don’t understand!” Xi Suo’s finger was pointed at Zong Ge and his voice
was trembling because of his indignation, “He killed my father!”
Zhen Jin nodded and looked at him: “I have heard of this affair and I
understand your feelings. However……where is the proof?”
Xi Suo immediately replied: “My father’s body had a wound that only a spear
could make. As long as we can compare the Zong Ge’s spears to the wound, that
would be the proof!”
Zhen Jin looked at Zong Ge.
Zong Ge crossed his arms, lifted his chin, and responded to Xi Suo and the
others with contempt: How can I use my battle spears so frivolously?”
“You see Lord Zhen Jin!” Xi Suo shouted, he pointed at Zong Ge and looked at
Zhen Jin again, “He has a guilty conscience! He does not dare to validate
anything! What else can be said?”
Zhen Jin fixed his eyes on Zong Ge.
Although this was their first meeting, Zong Ge’s dauntlessness and toughness
left a deep impression on Zhen Jin.
Just by the naked eye, everyone knew the spears on Zong Ge’s back were of fine
quality.
But when facing the silver level rhinoceros’ charge, even though Zong Ge paid
with a serious injury, he did not use his short spears.
“Do they have something too embarrassing to mention?”
Zhen Jin’s heart guessed while looking at Xi Suo: “What other evidence do you
have?”
Xi Suo’s eyes glared, he looked at Zhen Jin with unbelief: “What more evidence
do you need? Zong Ge’s attitude is the cleanest proof! He does not dare verify
anything because he murdered my father. I admit that he is very strong, however
because of that, he has the ability to assassinate my father!”
Nevertheless, Zhen Jin shook his head: “Zong Ge’s unwillingness to go and
verify things is naturally his business. Without definitive proof, we can only
speculate and strive to prove things, however we should not slander anyone. In
fact, even if the wound matches Zong Ge’s spears, it is not conclusive
evidence.”
Xi Suo could not help but step back, misery filled his face as he loudly
questioned: “My Lord, you would rather believe a half beastman than one of your
own race?!”



****** Chapter 96: I am Willing to Invite You All ******
The sailors became more unstable, their looks towards Zhen Jin showed their
doubts.
“Xi Suo, pay attention to your words!” Lan Zao stepped forward.
But at that moment, Zhen Jin blocked him with his hand.
Zhen Jin used his azure and serene eyes to look at the incessantly emotional Xi
Suo: “I am only seeking the truth from the facts and upholding fairness,
nothing more.”
“The status of a half beastman is not something that should obstruct us as we
search for the culprit.”
“Suppose Zong Ge was not the culprit, think about it Xi Suo: you would have
framed an innocent person, in addition, because you secretly took away the boat
craftsman as retaliation, you are implicated in the deaths of those innocent
people. We cannot say for sure the culprit is even still alive, they might even
be at your side regarding the fight between you, Zong Ge, and the others as a
good drama.”
“If it is like that, don’t you think what you are doing is a crime that will
blind justice?”
Zhen Jin’s tone was steady, the questions he asked made Xi Suo’s face turn red,
however Xi Suo had no choice but to remain at a loss for words. .
The sailors’ fragmented comments also quieted down, they had to concede that
Zhen Jin’s words made sense.
“If you ever have conclusive evidence, I will certainly uphold justice for you.
Believe me, I Zhen Jin promise this to you as a templar knight.” Zhen Jin
clapped Xi Suo’s shoulder.
Xi Suo opened his mouth, he looked at Zhen Jin but did not say anything, then
he looked at Zong Ge blankly and said with frustration: “Lord Zhen Jin, I trust
you.”
Zi Di narrowed her eyes: “But Lord Zhen Jin, we found the traces of Zong Ge,
Tripleblade, and their companions. They intentionally cleaned up battlefields
and tidied up their footprints. This action in itself contains malice, does it
not?”
“That is something I habitually do.” Zong Ge gave a rare explanation, Zhen
Jin’s words had left a deep impression and changed his view on the young
knight.
“I must be responsible for myself and for my group. Even if the boat craftsman
does not wish to come with me, I will do my best to ensure he lives!” Zong Ge
did not conceal his intentions.
“Villain!” The idiot indignantly shouted as he smashed his wooden log into the
ground.
Zhen Jin then recalled what Hei Juan had guessed at.
He gazed at Zong Ge: “That is the style of a soldier. Were you forced into
military service? Which army?
Zong Ge coldly snorted, he did not refute anything, however he did not answer
either, rather he said: “Are you interrogating a prisoner templar knight?”
“Of course not. “Zhen Jin shook his head, “However this matter needs to be
settled. Good communication is a prerequisite for collaboration. If you
repeatedly refuse to prove yourself, how can we believe anything you say?”
Zong Ge sneered: “You want me to prove myself? What proof do you have of your
own status? You have a few runaways addressing you as lord, saying you are a
templar knight, don’t tell me we can’t believe them? I heard that every templar
knight is watched attentively by Emperor Sheng Ming all the time. Perhaps you
should pray to the gods, if a divine spell falls on you, we can firmly believe
it without any doubts.”
Zhen Jin immediately grabbed his sword hilt, his brows deeply wrinkled, his
complexion sunk, his gaze became as chilly as ice, and he growled: “Zong Ge,
pay attention to your words! You have the audacity to scorn the gods! My body
sustains the gaze of Emperor Sheng Ming, this is the blessing of the gods.
Divine spells are the gods giving more favor, they are not something to show
off or used to proof status. Apologize to me at once! If not, you invite a
templar knight’s fury!”
As Zhen Jin said that, he stepped forward and approached Zong Ge.
Behind him, Lan Zao, Hei Juan, and the others touched their weapons. Zi Di’s
hand entered her handbag and the oaf picked up his wooden log with a low growl
from the depths of his throat. By this time, the small giant’s wounds already
staunched.
Zong Ge’s complexion slightly changed, he realized he had said something wrong.
He crossed his chest with his right arm and bowed to Zhen Jin: “My mistake, by
what virtue do I dare scorn a god? This is my sin. I pledge to contribute three
hundred gold to the Sheng Ming temple as a penalty for my mouth’s insolence. In
addition, I will kneel to a Sheng Ming priest and confess today’s sin to them.
This was an age of gods.
The gods indeed reprimanded those that slandered them.
Just like how nobles were high above others, belief had a real impact on
people.
Even the people that followed Zong Ge and Tripleblade, upon hearing what Zong
Ge had said, also became frightened as they privately thought that Zong Ge
really was being too impetuous.
Seeing Zong Ge honestly admit his mistake, Zhen Jin’s complexion somewhat
cleared up.
Hei Juan suddenly said: “Hold on! Zong Ge, do you dare swear to the gods that
you did not attack or camp or murder the captain?”
“A camp was attacked?” Zong Ge was puzzled.
“Our camp was attacked by bat monkeys and a rhinoceros; do you dare swear that
you did not influence such an assault?” Hei Juan continued to reproach and ask.
Zong Ge coldly snorted, crossed his arms, raised his head, and did not reply.
Tripleblade and the others were angry about such a laughable matter: “You
really have a vivid imagination!”
“Use your brain, all of us are here.”
“How can we control these ferocious beasts?”
Hei Juan sneered: “Can you explain how those of us in camp, Xi Suo, and the
boat craftsman were all just attacked by beast groups?”
“We were also attacked by a beast group, for what reason do you doubt us?!”
Hei Juan gazed at Zong Ge with narrowed eyes: “You are a half beastman, even if
you do not have a special method, the people at your side might have one!”
Tripleblade looked at Hei Juan coldly and indifferently replied: “Can a half
beastman even control a beast group? Is it because of the beastman bloodline?”
Hei Juan sneered: “How was your rescue of the idiot and boat craftsman so
timely? How can you explain that?”
“Are you saying that our timely rescue of the boat craftsman was a mistake?”
“Didn’t your Lord knight also appear without delay?” Someone immediately
questioned.
“You are saying all of this and doubting us because we are not of pure human
blood!” Tripleblade’s people felt indignant at injustice.
“All of you shut up.” Zong Ge held up his hand and stopped the dispute. He then
looked at Zhen Jin and his attitude became indifferent and tough once again, “I
cannot explain this matter. I also do not want to give you guys an
explanation.”
Zhen Jin deeply sighed, he had also stopped the blaming and questions of those
behind him
“Continuing to argue is meaningless.
“Come, we are returning to camp together.” Zhen Jin took the initiative to
invite Zong Ge and the others.
“What?”
“My Lord!”
“Your Lordship, do you really want to bring this trash back to camp?”
Xi Suo’s and the others’ eyes opened wide, Zhen Jin’s decision had startled
them.
Zhen Jin’s blue eyes slowly swept over Xi Suo’s people, his gaze was clear and
sincere: “If not, then what?”
“We were all on the same ship, and we were all victims of the shipwreck.”
“We currently have wounded that need to return to camp. They also have wounded
people because they rescued the boat craftsman. I have seen this personally.”
“What you see may not be the truth my Lordship.” Hei Juan started speaking,
“Isn’t there a chance this is a wretched show or a trick where the enemy
injuries themselves to gain their enemy’s confidence?”
“Many thanks for your warning.” Zhen Jin praised Hei Juan, “What you said is
reasonable, this is a possibility. However, there is another possibility isn’t
there?”
“Before all of the possibilities and doubts are truly confirmed, I should not
reject one of them because of another. It is possible that Zong Ge is wrongly
accused, isn’t it?”
“Everyone, I ask you to imagine that if he was a pure blooded human and not a
half beastman, wouldn’t your suspicions of him be greatly diminished?
Everyone was dumbstruck.
Zhen Jin then turned around and looked at Zong Ge’s side.
“We come from many places and we have different identities, but here, we are
all impoverished victims on this island that want to escape.”
“Our objective is the same. We must unite together, any doubts, coldness,
hatred, opposition, and other ill feelings will make our cooperation difficult,
thus lessening the chance of our escape from this place.”
“I am the templar knight Zhen Jin. This is my promise to everyone, I will treat
everyone fairly, regardless of their background, race, or bloodline. I will
also punish criminals and the culprits; no crime will evade my retribution. I
will do my best to fight on the frontlines and lead everyone together in the
hope of rescue.”
For a moment, everyone looked at the blond youngster, his words were resolute,
decisive, and touching.
“You……want to invite us?” Tripleblade was startled.
As a mercenary commander, he had dealt with many types of existences. However
even if he had a rich life experience as a goblin, he had rarely seen a noble
treat everyone equally!
Zhen Jin smiled: “I am a templar knight, I will not deceive you with lies.”
“Templar knight……” many people thought over this word, some of them were absent
minded.
“Interesting.” Zong Ge stroked his chin, he deeply looked at Zhen Jin as he saw
the young knight before him in a new light.
At that moment, the brave soldier's tone propagated: “Good! I will follow you
back.”
“My Lord?” The people at Zong Ge’s side were amazed.
Like how Xi Suo and his people were on guard against Zong Ge, Zong Ge’s people
were the same against their counterparts.
Tripleblade immediately declared his position: “Your Lordship’s decision is my
decision.
Any objections the mercenaries had were immediately silenced.
Zhen Jin successfully rescued Xi Suo and the boat craftsman while also
silencing any objections the mercenaries had.
Although the bat monkeys’ and silver level rhinoceros’ offensive was ferocious,
everyone had only sustained injuries, no one had died.
The journey back to camp was smooth, everyone steadily returned.
“There is an arrow lodge here?”
“How did they build up this camp so quickly?”
“A beast group also attacked this place.”
“Didn’t we say so? It was the bat monkeys and that silver level rhinoceros!”
Tripleblade’s people were discussing spiritedly.
Mu Ban and the others looked at Zhen Jin, at first they were elated when they
saw Xi Suo and his people, but upon seeing Zong Ge, they became bewildered.
After Hei Juan and the others explained and after Zhen Jin had placated them,
Mu Ban and the others reluctantly accepted it as fact.
However, declared that Zong Ge was not invited into the camp itself, rather he
would stay in a place nearby.



****** Chapter 97: Giving Pointers to Bai Ya ******
The boat craftsman slowly opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was the
wooden house’s shattered roof.
“Father, you are awake! You are alive again!” The oaf yelled.
The thunderous voice intimidated the befuddled old boat craftsman.
He pursed his brows and loudly berated: “Shut up, I am not your father. I
cannot have such a foolish son!”
Hearing signs of activity, the sailors came into the wooden house.
Hearing the old craftsman’s berating someone laughed: “That’s enough, when you
picked up that abandoned baby, you did not wish to throw him away. You also
raised him up through feces and urine. If you are not his father, then who is?”
Someone else said: “You were unconscious, so you didn’t see what happened. Your
foolish son used his body as a shield to protect you. If not, those bat monkeys
would have torn you to pieces.”
“This big guy protected father! Father doesn't need to worry.” The oaf beat his
chest with a slamming sound.
The old craftsman looked at the oaf and coldly snorted: “I am a pure blooded
human; at best I am considered your foster father.”
“Foster father!” The old boat craftsman repeated again.
His tone was full of disdain, however his gaze nevertheless revealed
tenderness.
Seeing the idiot bandaged from head to toe, he exposed his concern.
“How are your injuries, let me look……” The old boat craftsman waved.
“Don’t look at them, if you can walk, then you should hurry and go pay your
respects to Lord Zhen Jin.”
“Lord Zhen Jin?”
The sailors then told the old boat craftsmen everything that had happened.
The old boat craftsman was amazed, he knew that if Zong Ge did not stop the
silver level rhinoceros, he would have entered the underworld already.
He could not help but feel a spell of lingering fear.
At the same time, worry stirred in his heart: “This Lord Zhen Jin, did he
actually take the initiative to invite Zong Ge and his companions to this
camp?”
“He is a templar knight, but isn’t he too young?
“Alas, regardless of the explanation, I will go see this major character
first.”
The boat craftsman was supported by another as he left the broken wooden house.
In the camp clearing, several bonfires were burning. Large chunks of lizard
meat were roasting in the fire, the aroma they emitted became increasingly
dense.
There was plenty of drinkable water.
Zhen Jin even had a small bottle of rum in his hand. This came from the
sailors’ supplies.
This was the first time the boat craftsman had seen Zhen Jin; he immediately
placed his arm on his chest and knelt to pay his respects to Zhen Jin.
“Stand up.” Zhen Jin seemed happy as he smiled.
“We will need to rely on you a lot in the future, old boat craftsman, if we are
going to understand how to build a ship.” Zhen Jin encouraged.
The old boat craftsman got up; however, his head was still drooped: “This
humble one will do his best!”
Zhen Jin raised his hand: “Go eat and take care of your body.”
The young knight then took some well roasted meat and gave it to Zong Ge’s
group.
Zong Ge’s people had gathered on one side and Zhen Jin’s on the other, they
were as separate as the rivers Jing and Wei.
As Zhen Jin stepped over, he attracted the gazes of everyone. With countless
eyes gazing at him, Zhen Jin came in front of Zong Ge, and gave him the roasted
meat.
“For you, taste the lizard meat’s flavor.” Zhen Jin laughed, his handsome face
shined in the flames and his eyes dazzled with radiance.
Zong Ge calmly took the lizard meat, he tore off a mouthful, and after chewing
for a bit, he swallowed it.
“Is this the acid spitting green lizard that lives in the desert?” Zong Ge
graded the flavor and soon faintly frowned, “It seems there is nothing great
about it. Perhaps a silver level green lizard leader has better quality meat?”
“I have also eaten a silver level green lizard’s meat; the taste is nearly the
same. If you want to listen Zong Ge, I can give you a detailed description.
Actually, exchanging information will benefit all of us.
Tripleblade gazed at Zhen Jin with an expressionless face: “We have already
heard from the others’ mouths the tale of how your Lordship Zhen Jin battled
through the island, pitied the weak, and saved others like a hero.”
Zhen Jin forced a smile: “What kind of hero am I? I did my best, yet I only
have four companions. On this island, my abilities are very limited.”
“Take it.” Zong Ge took some meat from the fire and gave it to Zhen Jin,
“Perhaps silver level bear meat is even tastier.” Eh……for the time being let's
call it a bear, even though it has a long monkey tail and orangutan hands.”
“The monkey tailed brown bear?” Zhen Jin’s heart said, his pupils could not
help but contract, however his smile did not change in the slightest as he
naturally took the bear meat.
“Oh, right. This can heal the injuries on your body. Miss Zi Di urges that you
use it with all speed. After a day, potion will lose its effectiveness.” Zhen
Jin tossed a bottle of potion to Zong Ge.
Zong Ge subconsciously took it, he wanted to reply but Zhen Jin had already
departed.
After this exchange, Zhen Jin and Zong Ge did not say anything else to the
others.
After Dinner finished, Zong Ge and his people left the camp and returned to the
tents they had built.
“My Lord, I have another bat monkey for you.” Bai Ya had brought a dead bat
monkey from Cang Xu’s tent.
With the supplies of Xi Suo and the others, Cang Xu finally stopped needing to
sleep in a hammock. Zhen Jin specifically arranged things, so he had his own
tent.
In the tent, there was a plank bed and a long wooden table.
The wooden table had a few lit candles on it, the table was drenched in blood
with bat monkey wings, skulls, and eyeballs scattered across it.
Cang Xu was still wearing his shattered spectacles as he used an iron rod to
pry open a bat monkey’s throat and used the candlelight to attentively gaze
inside it.
“Its resilient vocal cords match with its exceptional lungs, it's no wonder it
could produce such an intense sound wave.” Cang Xu murmured, he did not look at
Bai Ya, he only stated. “Put the bat monkey down.”
Bai Ya listened and put the bat monkey down, just as he was about to leave, he
heard Cang Xu ask: “Is this bat monkey from the goblin Tripleblade?”
“Yes it is.” Bai Ya answered, “I chose this bat monkey corpse according to your
request. I also got the others to verify it.”
Cang Xu gently stroked the incision on the bat monkey’s neck: “Direct and
efficient, he is a knife expert.”
Bai Ya stood in place, he hesitated in opening his mouth, but in the end, he
voiced the doubts in his heart: “Those people are dangerous. Why did Lord Zhen
Jin still bring them back to camp? Shouldn’t we be on our guard?”
Cang Xu began to use a knife to trace the incision on the bat monkey’s neck:
“Do you think it would be easier to guard against them if we threw them into
the murky woods or placed them under our noses?”
Bai Ya stared blankly.
He then asked shortly after: “Since Lord Zhen Jin is on his guard, that also
means he definitely does not trust Zong Ge. Why does he not directly
interrogate him then? His Lordship is a templar knight and a noble. No one
would oppose him interrogating a half beastman. His Lordship really is too
benevolent.”
Cang Xu gave Bai Ya a quick glance and then looked back at the dead bat monkey
on the table.
Cang Xu lowered his head: “You should also hear what other people have to say.
Zong Ge, this half beastman……is very strong.”
Bai Ya immediately refuted him: “But he has injuries.”
Cang Xu faintly nodded, he pressed his hand down and used the knife to
completely sever the bat monkey’s neck: “He has injuries. However what
condition are they in? Don’t look at the time he coughed out blood twice, that
might have been an act.”
Bai Ya’s eyes opened wide: “Is that really possible?”
“Why is it not? Youngsters like you lack fighting experience.” Cang Xu laughed,
“Furthermore, the most crucial point is that Zong Ge saved the old boat
craftsman. Without his help, the boat craftsman would be dead. As a result of
his actions, Zong Ge was wounded, our Lord Zhen Jin does not want to loot a
burning house or throw stones at those who fell down a well.”
“His Lordship, sigh……” Bai Ya deeply sighed.
Cang Xu began to saw into the bat monkey’s skull: “Moreover, Tripleblade’s
mercenaries are far stronger fighters than the sailors. If arguments arouse, it
will spark a melee. Even if his Lordship could defeat Zong Ge, protecting Zi Di
and the old craftsman at the same time would be difficult. In the case where
the opposite side rushes in and is forced to kill the old boat craftsman, we
would be unable to build a ship to escape from this island. Besides, Lord Zi Di
would be at his Lordship’s side. Lord Zi Di cannot use magic; she only has
potions to protect herself. Why would his Lordship place his fiancé in danger?”
Bai Ya nodded: “It seems his Lordship has carefully deliberated.”
Cang Xu had been sawing for a while, yet the bat monkey’s skull still resisted
the saw teeth.
He stood up and beckoned Bai Ya over with a wave: “Come, help me saw.”
Bai Ya did not excuse himself or hesitate, he immediately came over to the
table and took the saw.
He used his fractured hand that was still recovering to stabilize the bat
monkey’s head and used the other to saw with all of his strength.
Cang Xu stepped to the side, gasped for breath as he watched Bai Ya working
hard, and decided to say a few more words to the youngster.
After all, Bai Ya had saved his life.
Even if Cang Xu had publicly proposed to treat Bai Ya as food. However, it was
of course because of a severe food shortage, the circumstances had forced him
to choose it against his will. Under those circumstances, Cang Xu was even
willing to contribute himself as food for Zhen Jin.
Under the current situation, Cang Xu naturally treated Bai Ya differently.
Cang Xu then said: “There are actually many benefits from his Lordship doing
this.”
“Firstly, his Lordship keeping these people around increases the possibility
that he will be able to recruit them.”
“Didn’t they refuse?” Bai Ya was doubtful.
“Did they really want to?” Cang Xu smiled, “If you were one of them, would you
want to follow Zong Ge or Lord Zhen Jin?
“Of course, I would choose Lord Zhen Jin.” Bai Ya said without the slightest
hesitation.
“Yes you would.” Cang Xu gave a long sigh, his heart sighed with sorrow, “The
mercenary life is a cruel competition, there are only a few mercenary corps
that stand at the top. Tripleblade’s mercenary corps is not one of them.”
“The goblin Tripleblade only has an iron level cultivation. His mercenary corps
would be considered average at best, nothing more.
“How many mercenaries have a true happy ending?”
“Youngsters like you are perhaps naive, however these mercenaries have already
lived half a lifetime, they already understand reality and recognize who they
are. What kind of people are they? What kind of bloodline do they have?”
Cang Xu sneered: “The chance to follow Zhen Jin is an incredible enticement
because it is a possible opportunity to change their entire life! Receiving the
favor of such a major character like Zhen Jin and being allowed to follow him
is a rare opportunity! It is unlikely they are unaware of it.”
“Then why did they refuse?” Bai Ya asked.
Cang Xu laughed: “People follow the crowd, those mercenaries obediently follow
Tripleblade, they cannot change for even a moment. Moreover, this is the first
time they have seen Lord Zhen Jin, they realize how noble his Lordship is.
However, Lord Zi Di has already planted the seed in their hearts. In the
future, that seed will germinate and when Lord Zhen Jin offers to recruit them,
failure will be nonexistent!”
“It is essential that he recruit them.”
“This island is too dangerous; you too have experienced it.”
“As a result, we must unite with anyone we can. We must cherish every bit of
valuable manpower.”
“Think about it, a future where we perhaps succeed in building a ship. As we
sail the ship, we get caught in a storm. Due to a lack of sailors who are
unable to drop the sails in time, we will capsize and drown to the seafloor.”
“Although this is an extreme scenario, who knows what the future truly holds?”
“Did you think the shipwreck would happen?”
Bai Ya shook his head.
Cang Xu: “Lord Zhen Jin has the advantage in the recruitment of these people.
Zong Ge is just a half beastman, his status and bloodline are his biggest flaw.
As long as they keep in contact, these people will naturally be attracted to
Lord Zhen Jin.”
“But Zong Ge is likely the murderer!” Bai Ya softly called, he stopped sawing.
“Continue, don’t stop.” Cang Xu immediately warned.
“Oh.” Bai Ya started sawing the monkey head again.
Cang Xu looked at the youngster engrossed in his work and silently smiled: “Do
you think Zong Ge is the murderer?”
“How would I know?” Bai Ya shook his head.
“Then why do you think it is so?” Cang Xu changed his questions.
“Is he not the most suspicious? Xi Suo said that many times during dinner……”
Bai Ya wanted to relay the story but Cang Xu soon interrupted him.
“I want you to reflect upon it yourself Bai Ya. Carefully think back to how
Zong Ge acted. Do you think he is the murderer?” Cang Xu continued to guide Bai
Ya.
Bai Ya earnestly thought back and said with uncertainty: “I feel Zong Ge is a
haughty man, as if he is someone who can't assassinate another.
Cang Xu declined to comment on Bai Ya’s guess, rather he analyzed Zong Ge’s
actions: “I can say that Zong Ge saved the boat craftsman for his own sake.
However, Tripleblade and his people did not make a move on Zhen Jin, Xi Suo and
their group, right? Based on the current circumstances, Zong Ge and the others
had a good opportunity to kill the oaf and forcefully take the unconscious boat
craftsman captive. But they did not do such thing.”
“Although he was not respectful towards Lord Zhen Jin, and said offensive
things, he did not attack and instead negotiated with Lord Zhen Jin.”
Bai Ya thought of something and became indignant: “That negotiation of his? He
had the audacity to request his Lordship use a divine spell to prove his
identity!”
“Ha ha ha, I think that was just probing and not Zong Ge being rude and
impetuous. He does not understand how strong Lord Zhen Jin is. After all, a
divine spell is a god bestowing power, it is different from battle qi and
magic. Zong Ge is unsure if this island can prohibit the usage of divine
spells.”
Bai Ya’s eyes shined: “So, Lord Zhen Jin actually saw through it. His berating
of Zong Ge made Zong Ge fear the consequences, thus Zong Ge did not dare to
rashly attack.”
“Good. You can think through these things well. Next, let us talk about Xi
Suo.” Cang Xu said.
“What is going on with Xi Suo? He is a very good person, although he is the
third mate, he is not arrogant and is very amicable.” Bai Ya replied.
“Xi Suo is not simple.” Cang Xu pushed up his lenses, “Think about it
carefully, the captain was his father. In other words, Xi Suo was the heir of
the Hog’s Kiss. The Hog’s Kiss was the captain’s private asset. How have the
sailors regarded Xi Suo? Even if he is not a young master, he is still their
future boss. Xi Suo is also the third mate, one can easily imagine his status
on the ship.”
“When the shipwreck happened, the survivors landed on the beach. Do you think
Xi Suo knew the first mate was keeping a large amount of food hidden?”
“If I were the first mate who served as the leader, the first thing I would
strive to do is to obtain the backing of the sailors. The third mate has a
special status among the sailors, as the first mate, in order to stabilize
morale and my personal image, I would also privately show consideration to the
third mate.”
“However, the first mate was overthrown by Zong Ge. Zong Ge became their leader
and even if he reformed the ship construction process, it did not matter to Xi
Suo. As his time as leader grew, so did his influence. In the beginning, the
sailors would follow Xi Suo, but as time passed, they would follow Zong Ge.”
“Without a ship and without sailors following him, what would Xi Suo have
left?”
Bai Ya listened blankly.
Cang Xu gently stroked his white beard: “Let us examine the captain’s wound.”
“The captain's corpse was discovered after Zong Ge took power. It is a great
coincidence that the corpse had a piercing wound that resembles one caused by a
spear. What is more of a coincidence is that Zong Ge carries two war spears all
day long that greatly attracts the eyeballs of others.
Bai Ya could not help but have his jaw drop, his hand stopped sawing once
again.



****** Chapter 98: Let Me Challenge Zhen Jin ******
In the tent, Cang Xu continued: “However, Zong Ge is undoubtable strong, he
also has not chosen the solitary path——Tripleblade is following him.
Tripleblade was a mercenary.”
“The oppressive rumor that the half beastman eats humans and that he is a
suspect in the captain’s murder, caused opposition between the mercenaries and
sailors to form.”
“Because the mysterious attacks continued, with someone dying almost every
night, the camp was on high alert. Should they leave the camp to avoid the
attacks? All of them must have had such thoughts.
“As their fear and the external dangers increased, the stronger their desire to
attach themselves to the strong. Despite all kinds of rumors aimed at Zong Ge,
Zong Ge was stronger than Xi Suo, thus Xi Suo’s influence continued to fall.”
“Under such circumstances, if Xi Suo did not take advantage of his influence to
start a new path, the sailors would attach themselves to the half beastman Zong
Ge.”
“Despite the people looking down on half beastmen, such preferences are
considered secondary when concerning their life and death.”
“If that was the tentative plan, Xi Suo establishing a second exploration team
and secretly instigating the departure of his people is not strange.”
Bai Ya gazed at the old scholar before him, blinking again and again as he was
left speechless for a moment.
It was as if a door to a new world had opened. Now Bai Ya’s heart was thrilled
and fearful, yet it was also delighted. The complex mood that irritated the
youngster was hard to put into words.
“I understand!” Bai Ya suddenly shouted.
“I understand why Zong Ge did not go to verify the wound. Is it just arrogance?
No! It is because he also knows that such verification is meaningless! Xi Suo
would still try to prove he was the murderer. If the Zong Ge’s spears matched
the wound, it would be definitive proof for Xi Suo. If it does not match, then
Xi Suo could say the wound deformed due to seawater.”
“So, even if Zong Ge verified things, it would not prove his innocence. It is
possible that he would have sunk into Xi Suo’s trap and be framed.”
Cang Xu nodded and gratefully said: “Youngster, you finally learned how to use
your brain. Maintain this good habit and it will provide you with endless
benefits.”
Bai Ya pursed his brows again: “However, Zong Ge is stronger since Xi Suo is
only at the bronze level. Him daring to frame Zong Ge is very brazen. Zong Ge
understands Xi Suo is plotting against him, why is Xi Suo not worried that Zong
Ge will just kill him?”
Cang Xu explained: “Zong Ge is a strange half beastman, if he were a pure
blooded human, it would be different. Xi Suo saw an opportunity because of that
fact. More importantly, it is human nature to be greedy and selfish. Aren’t
there a few people with avarice in their heart who would take a risk out of
desperation for their own benefit?”
“However.” Cang Xu’s appeared solemn as he deeply gazed into Bai Ya’s eyes,
“You must understand that what we have talked about is mere speculation, there
is no evidence, if this got out, it would make you the camp’s biggest fool!”
Bai Ya could not help but feel depressed.
He believed that this was the truth of the situation, but he couldn’t speak of
it!
“Everyone is confused. Some are actually confused, and some are only pretending
to be confused.”
“Once I was truly confused, but now I have to pretend that I am confused?”
Bai Ya’s mood became even more complex.
Cang Xu reiterated: “Unity is the most important thing currently. You have to
understand that!”
“At the same time, our discussion really is just speculation. Like what Lord
Zhen Jin said, the truth is not clear, and the facts have not been proven.
Don’t believe others easily and don’t be overly convinced by your own
judgement. Our hearts need to be open; they need to have the courage to accept
and be prepared to accept any possibility.”
“So, Lord Zhen Jin actually saw that something was fishy. Before this I was
still dim-witted, ah……he really deserves to be called Lord.” Bai Ya lamented
with adoration.
Cang Xu smiled: “Did you know what the Bai Zhen Clan motto is——it isyou should
not overestimate people and you should not underestimate people. Lord Zhen Jin
is a true templar knight and he has noble virtues, however at the same time, he
is also a qualified noble. In this power game, he is handling a butcher’s
cleaver with ease.”
“But Lord Zhen Jin is extremely tolerant, he even gave Zong Ge a healing
potion!” Bai Ya gasped.
“Ha ha, that shows his Lordship’s brilliance!”
“Don’t tell me it was a fake potion?” Bai Ya’s eyes opened wide.
“That is unlikely. Lord Zhen Jin is not that kind of person.” Cang Xu replied.
“Then if by chance, what do we do if Zong Ge is healed? Wouldn’t it be
disadvantageous to his Lordship? Bai Ya was worried.
Cang Xu’s smile became profound: “Lord Zhen Jin really gave a potion and Zong
Ge also accepted it. The question is whether Zong Ge……dares to use it?”
When Zong Ge returned to his camp, he was still sizing up the potion in his
hand.
The potion was in a small glass bottle, it appeared to be a liquid, and it
seemed to have a faint blue color.
But Zong Ge did not plan to use the potion.
Because he did not have the means to tell if this potion was harmless.
This was the first meeting between him and Zhen Jin. Others told stories of
Zhen Jin’s nobility and knightly spirit, however Zong Ge believed his judgement
more.
“Perhaps Zhen Jin is unlikely to use such a base scheme, but what about that
small girl Zi Di?”
“This potion was made by Zi Di, I can’t say for sure if Zhen Jin hid something
in it.”
Zong Ge could not use battle qi, if he had battle qi, even if the potion was
poisonous, he had the ability to resist it.
“I cannot use battle qi, but my bodily essence is greater than Zhen Jin’s. Zhen
Jin also cannot use battle qi, but a divine spell……I cannot say for sure.”
The memory of the boat craftsman rescue and subsequent confrontation appeared
in Zong Ge’s brain.
Zhen Jin had displayed a tough attitude and really was on the brink of
attacking. To add onto that, he took the initiative to invite Zong Ge and his
companions at dinner when he gave him a healing potion in front of everyone.
“All of this shows that Zhen Jin knows he has backing!”
“So, it is very possible that when he prays, he receives a divine spell.
Zong Ge’s gaze deepened as he sat contemplating.
It was quiet inside the tent, but outside of it, the faint discussion and
conversation of Tripleblade and the mercenaries could be heard.
Zong Ge’s ears slightly trembled, his lion man bloodline gave him keen hearing.
“Should we use these potions? Are there any issues with them?”
Not only did Zhen Jin publicly give Zong Ge a potion, he also gave Tripleblade
and his people one afterwards.
“Bah, what is there to be afraid of. Would Lord Zhen Jin really scheme against
us nobodies? Don’t look at yourselves too highly.”
“Be at ease, I used it and it made me feel better than the potion I applied
onto my body.”
“Alas, I spent a lot of money on this magic potion, yet it had no effect here!”
“Help me apply it, I can’t reach my back.”
“Wow, how refreshing, the pain was immediately alleviated, it really is
effective……”
“Hold on, your buttocks are injured. I will apply some on it!”
“What……I will do it myself.”
“Can you see it? Obediently lie on your stomach. Oh, are you embarrassed?
That’s not something I usually see.”
“Get lost! If you want to apply it, do it without delay and speak less
nonsense.:
Pop, pop, pop!
“Sssssss……I only let you apply it; you're slapping my wound!”
“With this force, the medicine will seep into your body. Don’t you understand?”
“Give me that you old man!!”
“Ha ha ha……”
After that outburst, all of the wounded smeared the potion onto themselves.
The subject of conversation naturally changed to Zhen Jin.
“Did you guys hear what they said in camp? Lord Zhen Jin’s fiancé is always
standing by him. He has saved the small and weak many times. When there was a
food shortage, he gave his own food to an old man and gave his water to a dying
and unconscious person.”
“Aren’t those things being spread deliberately?”
“I also heard something similar. Untrue rumors are unspecific, but in this
matter is very definite with even the smallest details being talked about.
“Other than that, seeing Lord Zhen Jin invite us to this camp is proof that he
is different from other nobles!”
“He is indeed a templar knight!”
“What I really loathe is that Xi Suo and that gang of people don’t want us to
sleep in their camp. We saved them today.”
“The camp is too small, and they are afraid we will harm them.”
“That gang of sailors have no regard for others, they are unworthy of our
trust. If it was Lord Zhen Jin, how would there be such a disgusting first
mate?”
“I heard that Lord Zhen Jin was onboard to travel to the Wilderness Continent
and compete for the position of White Sands City’s master. It's a pity that
because of the shipwreck, he has missed that opportunity.”
When that was said, other different conversations ceased.
When the talking resumed, Zhen Jin seemed to be thrown to the back of their
minds and no one took the initiative to mention him again.
In the tent, Zong Ge was plastered with agony.
He understood what these mercenaries were thinking about.
They had received discrimination, they could not live how they pleased, and
they longed to be recruited.
“My Lord, are you sleeping?” Tripleblade’s voice could be heard.
He was absolutely quiet when he walked, even Zong Ge could not sense his
footsteps. As he spoke, Zong Ge sensed Tripleblade’s position.
“Come in.” Zong Ge replied.
Tripleblade lifted the tent flap and arrived in front of Zong Ge.
He knelt to the ground, saluted Zong Ge, and looked at the ground under Zong
Ge’s feet: “My Lord, tomorrow morning, allow me to challenge Zhen Jin to verify
how things stand with him!”
“Eh? Why do you want to do that?” Zong Ge’s eyes flashed.
Tripleblade lifted his head, still kneeling: “Lord Zong Ge, although I have
only followed you for a short time, I can feel your heart and ambition. You are
wearing elite equipment and you left embarked alone to the Wilderness
Continent, surely you want to accomplish something.”
“If you want accomplishments, although being unaccompanied means you are
unconstrained, building up a group will make your Lordship’s worth increase.”
“Although the boat craftsman was saved by your Lordship, he only paid a formal
visit to Zhen Jin.”
“Our statuses restrict us. Compared to Zhen Jin, your Lordship’s greatest
advantage lies in your strong battle strength, as long as everyone realizes
that your Lordship is the strongest in the camp, Zhen Jin’s status advantage
will be greatly reduced.”
“Zhen Jin cannot compare to your Lordship’s body! The only worry is that he has
a divine spell.”
“Allow me to find a path for your Lordship, tomorrow morning, I will understand
the ins and outs of Zhen Jin!”



****** Chapter 99: I am a Bat Monkey ******
Under the faint yellow candlelight, Zong Ge calmly looked at Tripleblade.
The goblin kneeling before him had a white scarf covering his mouth, however
his eyes were filled with sincerity and resolve.
At that moment, Zong Ge’s understanding of Tripleblade suddenly deepened.
Apart from being his savior, Tripleblade followed Zong Ge for another reason,
identity.
We are all the same, people on the fringes of society. All of us are pushed
aside, suppressed, and discriminated against. If we were pure blooded humans,
our lives would definitely be better. But in reality, even if we have strong
abilities and have outstanding contributions, we will never receive fair
treatment.
As a result, Tripleblade wanted Zong Ge to succeed compared to Zhen Jin.
Zong Ge was silent for a moment before indifferently speaking: “Tripleblade, I
understand your loyalty. However……you cannot do something so rash.”
“Zhen Jin, this youngster, is very skilled.”
“He publicly invited us in spite of the opposition, during dinner he gave us
roasted meat and potions in front of everyone, and even actively suggested we
share information. These kinds of actions are deeply embedded into the popular
feeling.
“Regardless of your justification tomorrow, as long as you challenge him, it
will enrage the others. They will believe you fail to appreciate kindness and
don’t know gratitude. They will surely believe that this was pushed by me and
not your original idea because you follow me.
Zong Ge laughed: “It’s like how they are framing me as the captain’s murderer.
The truth is not important, only the will of the people is.”
“But my Lord, if we do not take measures as soon as possible……” Tripleblade bit
his teeth and showed his hesitation.
Zong Ge continued: “If you challenge Zhen Jin now, the person who would benefit
the most would be him.”
“Do you know why we were invited and why we are staying in a nearby camp? Not
only is he guarding against us or perhaps enticing our people, he is also
deepening his influence over the sailors.”
“He only met Xi Suo today, yet he immediately ascended to leader and seized
power from Xi Suo’s hands. Why did Xi Suo not rebel but would rather swallow a
bitter fruit?”
“Not only is it because of Zhen Jin’s status, it is also because Zhen Jin saved
the camp and their lives, and even more so on the account of our presence.
“Really.” When Tripleblade was reminded, he suddenly realized, “If I challenge
Zhen Jin, it will surely cause Xi Suo to attach himself more to Zhen Jin and
the gap between them will decrease to a negligible degree because of my
actions.
Zong Ge nodded: “I cannot incite more conflict and increase the opposition
between each other. Status and bloodlines are our weak points, we need to gain
more of the sailors’ trust. If not, even if we beat them, how can we sail a
ship?”
“We need to unite, at this time my and Zhen Jin’s views are identical. This is
also why I agreed to come to their camp.
“This island is very dangerous.”
“I still have no idea what mysterious culprit attacked the beach camp.”
“Regardless of whether it was Xi Suo or us, we were both attacked by bat
monkeys and a silver rhinoceros. This is very fishy, and I have always felt
that something is pulling the strings!”
“The most important thing still is to leave this place.”
“The time Zhen Jin declared that he was inviting us was the time he challenged
me.”
“However, this challenge does not only include me and him, it includes you
guys, Xi Suo, and more importantly, our chances of escaping this place.”
“I agreed to come to this camp and accept his challenge.”
“I already had a premonition that this is a fight that will break a new path.
Our strategy cannot be crude Tripleblade, or else we will lose.”
“Examining the ins and outs of Zhen Jin’s battle strength is something we do
not need to do urgently. I had a premonition that the bat monkey and rhinoceros
attacks are unlikely to stop, on the contrary, they will become more intense.”
Tripleblade’s heart shivered, and he promptly gave in: “I completely understand
my Lord.”
“Ok, you may leave.”
“This subordinate is excused.”
Tripleblade respectfully withdrew from the tent just as Cang Xu entered Zhen
Jin’s tent.
“Come in scholar, sit.” Zhen Jin smiled; he had already waited a long time.
Earlier when he had left the camp to rescue the boat craftsman and Xi Suo, Zhen
Jin tasked Cang Xu to dissect bat monkeys and to report his findings.
Cang Xu bowed: “My Lord, before I give my report, I ask that you order the camp
surroundings be lit up with bonfires and torches. This is because I have found
these bat monkeys have strong fighting capabilities.
Zhen Jin looked solemn; this discovery was significant.
At night, human vision was greatly limited. If the bat monkeys attacked,
without light, they would be at a disadvantage.
Zhen Jin followed his advice and immediately gave the order.
A group of people that were just about to sleep had no alternative but to get
up and work after receiving the order.
Zhen Jin also did not forget to notify Zong Ge’s group.
After returning to the tent and hearing Cang Xu’s report, Zhen Jin scowled: “So
according to your report, bat monkeys cannot see things at night, rather, they
can produce a sound our ears cannot hear and through its echo, they can
determine everything in their surroundings?”
Cang Xu nodded: “That is the case. It is like a person shouting in a valley,
the valley will duplicate the shout’s contents by echoing it. Bats that soar
through the night and nimbly avoid obstacles utilize ultrasound to detect any
hindrances in front of them.”
Seeing Zhen Jin’s doubtful expression, Cang Xu continued to explain: “The so-
called ultrasound is a sound on a frequency higher than what our human ears can
hear. Likewise, infrasound is a sound on a frequency lower than what our human
ears can hear. Scholars have already researched these things. I once read many
books regarding this topic at the Silver Bridge College.”
Zhen Jin was even more doubtful: “Ultrasound……and infrasound……”
Cang Xu nodded: “Research indicated that there is a limit to the things the
human ear can hear. There is an upper limit and a lower limit. We cannot hear
anything outside of those limits. Sound above the upper limit is ultrasound.
Sound below the lower limit is infrasound.”
Zhen Jin scratched his head: “That word you mentioned, frequency, what is
that?”
Cang Xu was patient: “The exact definition of frequency is the number of times
the source of a sound vibrates in one second. When I oscillate a plank, the
plank representing a source of a sound, the more effort I put into oscillating
the plank, the more the plank moves and the more vibrations per second the
plank produces, thus increasing its frequency.”
“When we chime a bell, because the copper bell is struck, it will produce
minute vibrations, thus producing the sound of a bell.”
“When we humans speak, because of our vocal cords vibrating, we are able
produce sound.”
“So that’s how it is.” Zhen Jin felt his scope on the topic suddenly widen.
Cang Xu continued: “When I was dissecting a bat monkey, I discovered that they
had strong vocal cords and that the structure of their throats resembled those
of bats. At the same time, their ears are very developed, their nasal cavities
look the same as monkeys, however inside their cavities, there is a large
amount of folded skin. Bat noses can produce ultrasound because they have
similar complex folds that can assist their vocal cords.”
“The bat monkey’s lungs, vocal cords, and nose all perfectly match up. Don’t
look at the bat monkey’s small body, its lungs have excellent contraction
abilities and can even double in size.”
“Bat monkeys do not have night vision, however when they fly at night, they
will constantly produce ultrasound of different frequencies. When the
ultrasound hits an object, it will reflect back to the bat monkey. Bat monkeys
can distinguish between the echoes of different frequencies, then they will
nimbly dodge, making it unlikely they will run into any obstructions.”
“So that’s how it is.” Zhen Jin sighed incessantly, “A truly wonderful bodily
structure! Then are you saying these bat monkeys can “see” in thick fog?”
Cang Xu nodded: “Your Lordship understands.”
“You have worked hard Cang Xu, go rest well.”
“Yes your Lordship.”
After Zhen Jin slept in the tent until midnight, he got up and went to the
barracks.
“My Lord.”
“Lord Zhen Jin.”
When those on night watch saw him, they saluted him one after the other.
“You all are working hard.”
“This is the first night and I am not at ease, continue guarding. I will go
scout out the surroundings.”
Zhen Jin said goodbye to these people indifferently.
Seeing the young knight’s back from a distance, the guards could not help but
quietly converse.
“Why is his Lordship entering the forest? It is very late into the night.”
“He he, didn’t you hear, Lord Zhen Jin has gone through life and death trials,
he has grasped the power of the spirit and can anticipate dangers. Any sneak
attack on him is ineffective.”
“He is actually so ferocious?!” The guard exclaimed in astonishment; this was
the first time he had heard of this.
When Zhen Jin entered the forest, the first thing he did was transform his eye
into a lizard one, after verifying that no one was around, he began to undress.
After stripping naked and putting away his clothes, he canceled the lizard eye
transformation and began to transform into something different.
After the red light flickered, he transformed into a bat monkey!
Regardless of whether it was in the camp or when rescuing the boat craftsman,
Zhen Jin had killed many bat monkeys. On top of what the others had killed,
there were many bat monkey corpses.
Zhen Jin had asked for most of the corpses for Zi Di’s medical research,
however he only gave some of them to Zi Di.
The portion he had embezzled was quietly refined by his magic crystal.
This allowed him to have a complete transformation, increasing the amount he
had from three to four.
The moment he completely transformed into a bat monkey; Zhen Jin felt the
entire world change!
Countless sounds imbued his ears, there was the muffled hum of insects, there
was sharp whistling, there was a clamorous rustle, and there was the snapping
of chewing.
Originally, the quiet forest only had the occasional nightingale or beast roar.
But now, it sounded like Zhen Jin had suddenly arrived in a city center from
the outskirts.
“So, this is what the bat monkeys experience, it is too noisy.” At first, Zhen
Jin did not feel good, he had never heard so many sounds. The sounds mixed
together into his ears like agitated multi-colored water, the disturbance made
him jittery and disgusted.
Zhen Jin resisted the noises with difficulty and began to move his limbs.
Bat monkeys had similar bodies to humans, this allowed Zhen Jin to master the
body quickly.
After using the bat monkey body to run and jump, Zhen Jin controlled his
excitement and began to flap his bat wings in an attempt to soar.
Although he had once transformed into a fat ball flying fish that could also
fly, it was very slow. Rather than saying it could fly, it would be more
accurate to say that it floated.
“I can really fly now.”
“Give me air!”
The wings on Zhen Jin’s back strongly flapped and then fiercely fluttered.
The ascending force drove Zhen Jin’s small body upwards in an abrupt leap.
Thump.
After flying into the air, his head hit a treetop with a dull echo.
Soon after, he lost control, the more he flapped, the faster he fell to the
ground.
Finally, he faceplanted into the soil.
“As it turns out, flying is not easy.”
Zhen Jin pulled out his face from the ground and wiped the soil and grass
plastered to his face with his hand.
He stabilized his mentality, informed himself that he could not be impetuous,
and began to flap his wings separately.
After the left wing flapped a few times, the right wing would flap again.
The wings’ ample strength produced a strong ascending force.
Zhen Jin tried to flap his wings together, and with putt putt, Zhen Jin slowly
flew up, staggering side to side as he flapped.
He attempted to stabilize his figure at all costs, and when he soon ran into a
tree branch, he reached out and grabbed it at once.
After a moment, he stopped flapping his wings, he then used his arms to turn
himself over and sat on the tree branch.
That awkward matter happened again.
He did not have enough time to put away his wings, thus they got stuck between
the lush branches.



****** Chapter 100: Nature’s Beauty, The World’s Great Love ******
Zhen Jin spent a moment of effort tossing his bat wings from side to side to
free them from the branches.
The youngster was unaccustomed to having a pair of wings.
However, the excitement of another flight attempt quickly filled his heart.
His first attempt to take off from the ground was not effective.
Afterwards, Zhen Jin had an idea, he would climb a tree, jump from the treetop,
open his large wings, and practice gliding. This experience would allow him to
accurately determine the relationship between the air and his wings.
After changing the way he trained, Zhen Jin’s training efficiency immediately
increased, the more flying he experienced, the deeper he understood it.
The training had an additional gain.
It was tree climbing.
Bat monkeys had four strong limbs, their hands were similar to humans and their
feet’s big toes could also hold things, this kind of body structure made tree
climbing easy.
After practicing for a while, Zhen Jin improved both his flying and tree
climbing skills!
He could now stealthily climb up trees by using his limbs and after a few
breaths, he could flee from the canopy.
Sensing his progress, Zhen Jin changed the way he trained again.
He began to learn how monkeys jumped between trees. First he would climb up a
tree, then he would jump into the air and spread his bat wings, after receiving
lift from his wings, he would glide to another tree.
This kind of training greatly improved his gliding and efficiency. At the same
time, he also tempered his jumping abilities.
“When Zong Ge saved the boat craftsman by intercepting the silver level
rhinoceros, he had been jumping between branches and seemed to have dropped
from the sky.”
“He must have trained in this aspect; from this point I can infer that his
martial skills are not lacking.”
“Compared to him, my current form cannot lose to him in tree jumping. The
monkey physique is extremely suited to move between branches.
Zhen Jin then practiced flying for a while before taking the initiative to
stop.
“With this kind of training efficiency, I estimate that in three days, I will
know how many times I should flap my wings, making it unlikely that I will hit
any obstacles again.”
“It will take a long time to fly quickly and nimbly by instinct.”
Zhen Jin evaluated himself.
He could still fail at flying. Gliding was more successful, however when
genuinely flapping his wings, even if he did his best to control his body, it
was hard to avoid a crooked flight.
However, he had adapted to the bat monkey body, it was improbable that his
wings would get stuck in branches again.
After stopping flight training, Zhen Jin was sitting on a tree branch when his
emotions suddenly stirred.
There were countless sounds in the tranquil forest.
There was the soft wind, the rustling tree leaves, the murmur of a distant
brook, the voices of invertebrates, beast roars, and the song of nightingales.
“I have also adapted to the bat monkey ears.” Zhen Jin understood what was
going on.
In the beginning, he was hearing too much, it was too noisy, and it made him
sick. But after focusing his attention on flying, the noises were tossed to the
back of his head.
During the training, he had gradually adapted to his outstanding hearing
ability.
As he calmed his heart, he immediately discovered that he had made great
progress in this aspect.
The sounds, the countless sounds were all received by his flourishing ears.
At first Zhen Jin attempted to differentiate between the sounds and guess at
their sources, however he quickly found himself wallowing in the symphony of
sound.
His mouth hung open and his eyes lost focus.
He was like a young bird that just soared through the blue sky for the first
time. He was like a drop of water assimilating into an ocean.
At that moment, he deeply felt a type of beauty.
It was the beauty of nature!
Previously on this island, Zhen Jin had no clothes on him, no food on his
stomach, he was between life and death, and was full of anxiety and impudence.
In a past moment, he had sat on a granite boulder and gazed into the night sky,
transforming his heart so that it was no longer impatient and worried.
In a past moment, he, Zi Di, and Cang Xu gazed at two pieces of roasted meat,
their laughs turned their torment into calm optimism.
And now, such a moment came again.
This time, Zhen Jin forgot about himself.
He was like an orphan searching for his mother’s embrace after wandering for
countless years.
He had realized his own insignificance, he had sensed nature’s beauty, and he
finally sensed the great love of the world.
That kind of beauty was boundless, and that kind of love was moving!
The emotion produced was so powerful, so unexpected, that it seemed to pound
against Zhen Jin’s heart like a tidal wave and spread across his entire body
and mind.
He could not see; he could only listen.
He heard nature’s majesty, nature’s abundance, and nature’s beauty.
Cang Xu had said that the human ear had limits, it could only hear things
within a fixed frequency.
“Yes, humans have limits.”
“As a bat monkey, I can experience happiness that ordinary people are incapable
of perceiving.”
Zhen Jin’s train of thought consciously diverged, as he immersed himself in the
murky happiness, he was unable to free himself for a moment.
He thought of druids.
He understood the druids.
“Druids can transform into bears, wolves, and eagles. They can also draw power
from the forms of different living beings, they can feel how beautiful nature
is. That is the reason why druids are fond of peace. Anything that tramples and
destroys nature will make them angry. Nature is beautiful this way! If anything
tramples and destroys it, it would be a great pity. The murderer is certainly a
repulsive being!”
He thought of the core again.
“My bat monkey transformation was given to me by the core.”
“Perhaps this core is not as dangerous as I thought. It is like a sword; the
important part is who uses it. Regular use is regular use, using it for evil is
to be evil.”
Then, Zhen Jin inexplicably thought of Xi Suo.
His understanding of Xi Suo deepened a layer.
According to Zhen Jin’s speculation and rumors in the beach camp, the wound in
the captain’s corpse should have come from Xi Suo’s hand.
Xi Suo was treacherous and despicable. However, he was shipwrecked, orphaned,
lost all his property, and with the death of the first mate, he had lost a
close supporter. He urgently wished to grab anything that made him feel safe,
that verified his value, and that allowed him to remain the sailors’ leader.
“He is despicable and hateful; however, he is also pitiful.”
“Perhaps this is the true meaning of benevolence and tolerance.”
Zhen Jin wiped his cheek clean.
He wept.
He understood the excitement bards felt when they saw ancient works, and the
surge painters feel when they see an exceptionally beautiful scenery.
That kind of pure beauty touched the heart.
This beauty can create all kinds of other beauty, like the light and goodness
in human nature.
“Unfortunately, all humans lack the ears to hear this beauty.”
As time passed, Zhen Jin’s mood gradually calmed down.
“There is still a bit of time left, I can still practice something……perhaps
ultrasound.”
If Cang Xu did not tell him, Zhen Jin would not have transformed into a bat
monkey that night with the intent to shout loudly.
But now, he tried to shout.
The screech echoed under him a moment after.
“This isn’t ultrasound.”
Zhen Jin deeply breathed, he tried to control his vocal cords to make his voice
sharper.
This time, his yell also made him slightly jump. At this level, it was similar
to the screeching bat monkeys made when fighting.
“But this too is not ultrasound.”
Zhen Jin felt excited again because he had found the correct path.
Next, he constantly raised his voice like a man pitching his throat.
The frequency of his shouts became higher, like fingernails scraping a
chalkboard. However, when using the monkey ears, those sounds were within a
tolerable range, unlike human ears who found those sounds intolerable.
After a short period of time, Zhen Jin succeeded in producing an ultrasound
wave.
At almost the next moment, he heard the echo.
“There is a tree there and a tree on a boulder over there.” After hearing it,
Zhen Jin automatically sensed the position of the trees, a boulder, as well as
a portion of a shape.
This kind of sensation was quite wonderful.
In the deep night, Zhen Jin could not see anything in the pitch-black.
However, with this sensation, Zhen Jin heart felt without explanation, a large
tree and a tree leaning on a boulder coming into view.
Zhen Jin immediately flew over to verify it and found his senses were correct!
“Bat monkeys do not have night vision, however when they fly at night, they
will constantly produce ultrasound of different frequencies. When the
ultrasound hits an object, it will reflect back to the bat monkey. Bat monkeys
can distinguish between the echoes of different frequencies, then they will
nimbly dodge, making it unlikely they will run into any obstructions.” Cang
Xu’s words appeared again in Zhen Jin’s mind.
Zhen Jin immediately realized the most crucial point——different frequencies!
Thus, he continued to produce ultrasound waves, by controlling his vocal cords,
each ultrasound wave was different from the other.
The ultrasound waves echoed and were received by Zhen Jin’s ears.
Because of the different frequencies, Zhen Jin easily distinguished between
them.
As a result, his surroundings revealed itself in his heart, it was like an
artist drawing an outline on a pitch-black canvas with a white pen.
……
In the wake of Zhen Jin’s constant ultrasound waves, the canvas in his heart
rapidly expanded to two hundred meters, five hundred meters, eight hundred
meters……
The fuzzy things in the canvas became increasingly clear.
A sense of control arose involuntarily.
A sense of security came along with it.
I know of everything and can detect any changes within eight hundred meters.
Zhen Jin’s heart grew increasingly excited.
Although he had the lizard eye, the range of infrared vision was smaller than
his hearing.
Zhen Jin was constantly calculating the time in his heart.
Now that there were more people, he could not go out by himself for too long.
After sorting out his mood, he returned to where he was previously, transformed
back into a human, and put on his clothes.
Following his original path, he returned to camp.
“Lord Zhen Jin, you came back!” The guards saluted him in succession.
Zhen Jin encouraged them with a few words and returned to his tent.
He laid down on his bed, but for a long time, he could not sleep.
His crooked flying certainly irritated him and his experience with ultrasound
was also wonderful, all of these things gave him a rich aftertaste.
After transforming back into a human, he could only walk on the ground with his
legs, he could not hear the beautiful sounds, and worst of all, he could not
use sound to detect things a kilometer around him.
It immediately seemed as if he were a bird that suddenly lost his wings or like
an ordinary person that went blind.
A dim feeling of frustration seemed to ripple across the lake in his heart and
Zhen Jin’s heart could not help but ripple with it.



****** Chapter 101: My Arrows Never Miss ******
The next morning.
Thump!
With a dull echo, an iron hatchet chopped into a tree and buried its sharp
blade into the trunk. Afterwards, the axe handle wobbled, pulling out the blade
along with some wood shavings.
The one using the axe was a dwarf from Tripleblade’s former mercenary corps.
His body still had bandages, and because he was chopping wood, blood seeped out
and stained the white bandages.
Zhen Jin walked over, examined the dwarf’s injuries, and asked: “Did the potion
have an effect?”
“Yes, Lord Zhen Jin.” The dwarf put down his axe at once, bowed to and saluted
Zhen Jin, and gratefully said.
“Good, continue working.” Zhen Jin patted the dwarf’s shoulder and walked away.
However, even if it was a simple greeting and pat, it made the dwarf’s face
glow.
The people that saw this also looked on in envy.
This was a noble, a templar knight expressing his greetings!
The dwarf swung the axe again and felt it had become somewhat lighter.
The dwarf had injuries, however in order to lumber as fast as possible, those
injuries were flung to the back of his mind. After yesterday’s fierce battle,
although only a few people were killed, many were seriously injured and had to
recover in camp.
Those with minor injuries had to work like the one cutting wood with all speed.
Not only was it because food and water needed to be found, it was also because
of the teleportation. Zhen Jin and Cang Xu originally thought the period
between teleportations was fixed. However, they discovered from Mu Ban and the
others that the teleportation interval was not like what they had presumed.
Perhaps the teleportation had a regular pattern, however they had not
discovered it yet.
As a result, swiftly cutting wood was the optimal plan.
If they procrastinated and got teleported again without enough wood, it would
be terrible.
During today’s breakfast, Zhen Jin and Zong Ge negotiated this matter and had
their groups work together to lumber.
The lumbering still took place on the hillside where the boat craftsman got
into danger, the trees there seemed more lofty than anywhere else.
Zhen Jin continued to walk and quickly saw Zong Ge.
Zong Ge shouted as the shadow of his axe cut the sky and imbedded itself deep
into the tree trunk.
Tree bark flew and the large tree shook tremendously.
Zong Ge chopped a second time and then pushed the tree trunk with his foot. The
large tree groaned and slowly accelerated as it loudly fell to the ground with
astonishing momentum.
“Lord Zong is mighty!”
“He only took two swings……”
The mercenaries exclaimed in admiration as they looked at Zong Ge with
admiration.
Zong Ge faintly smiled, stepped on the fallen tree trunk, and looked at Zhen
Jin walking over.
Because he was cutting wood, he had taken off his chest armor, he was still
wearing his lower armor though. His stomach had been wounded with bandages
twisting around his stomach and back.
Still, Zong Ge’s massive pectoral muscles were hard to cover up. Due to his
toiling, his upper body hair was glistening, on top of that, his heavy
breathing, flowing sweat, and sticky brown hair made him appear all the more
formidable.
Zhen Jin arrived in front of Zong Ge.
The young knight was not fully mature, his height only reached Zong Ge’s
stomach. Compared to Zong Ge’s robust body, Zhen Jin’s build seemed flimsy.
“Are you going to try?” Zong Ge gave Zhen Jin his axe.
Zhen Jin smiled and shook his head: “I have come to give you guys potions.”
He gave Zong Ge a bag.
“These are the new potions Zi Di swiftly mixed last night, they can expedite
your recovery.” Said Zhen Jin.
Zong Ge stared, laid down his axe, and took Zhen Jin’s bag.
“Many thanks.” He faintly replied.
“All of us are victims stranded on this island, we should help each other as
much as possible.” Zhen Jin’s tone was sincere, “Oh by the way, do you know if
you still have any bear meat? Zi Di said that if she had some bear meat and
blood mixed into her potions, the efficacy of them would increase somewhat.”
“I can exchange my lizard meat for your bear meat.”
“No exchanges are necessary; I will give it all to you both.” Zong Ge loudly
said.
“Good.” Zhen Jin’s smile became more genuine, “Then I will take my leave
first.”
Just as he walked a step, he saw a distant flock of birds suddenly fly into the
air.
The birds chirped with fright as they fled into the sky.
Everyone cutting wood stopped working one after the other as they looked at the
birds, they were troubled.
They quickly heard a faint spell of clamorous roaring.
As the roaring became more distinct, everyone knew what the source was.
“It's the bat monkeys!”
“Quick, prepare to fight.:
Everyone cried in succession.
“Put on my armor.” Zong Ge deeply said.
“Yes my Lord!” Someone immediately got his chest armor and put it on him.
Zhen Jin accelerated his steps and returned to the boat craftsman’s and idiot’s
side.
“Don’t panic, this time not only do you have me, you also have Zong Ge and his
people.”
“United together, we will surely prevail like the last fight.”
Under Zhen Jin’s motivating words, everyone’s gaze grew more resolute.
The bat monkeys attacked again, however before setting out, everyone was
mentally prepared for this, thus after some panic, everyone calmed down.
Zong Ge’s group, Zhen Jin’s group, these two groups quickly formed up and
calmly awaited the bat monkey group’s arrival.
In a moment, everyone on the right and left side heard the bat monkeys
screeching.
“Are we surrounded?”
“How many bat monkeys are there?”
Everyone inevitably became agitated.
The momentum of this beast group invasion far exceeded the ones of the two
previous battles.
The forest blocked everyone’s line of sight, the people did not know which
direction had the most bat monkeys and where the strongest offensive was
headed.
Their formation was a square, most of their power was concentrated in the front
and the sides, leaving their rear quite weak.
“I could use ultrasound to determine how many there are and where their main
force is.” An idea flashed in Zhen Jin’s mind, however he quickly vetoed it.
If he wanted to scout it out, he had to transform.
If he wanted to produce ultrasound, he had to transform his throat and nasal
cavity.
If he wanted to hear ultrasound, he had to transform his ears.
People could easily detect these things.
“Hold formation!” Zhen Jin loudly reminded, there was no time to adjust their
formation, they could only brace themselves for battle.
Quickly, bat monkeys appeared in front, on the left, and on the right, charging
towards Zhen Jin and the others.
The boat craftsman, Hei Juan, and the others picked up their crossbows. Zhen
Jin also raised his rapid fire crossbow.
As the arrows flew, the bat monkeys screeched incessantly as corpses
continuously fell to the ground.
Zhen Jin quickly emptied his arrow box and had remarkable battle results. He
had killed twenty ordinary bat monkeys by himself.
He lowered the rapid fire crossbow, dropped the empty arrow box, and replaced
it with a full one that was hanging from his waist.
……
Whoosh whoosh whoosh……
His companions were constantly firing arrows into the sky, the shadows they
shot each killed a bat monkey. Because of Zhen Jin’s shooting skill, the bat
monkeys’ frontal offensive became bogged down momentarily.
After emptying his second arrow box, Zhen Jin began helping his companions on
the sides.
Under Zhen Jin’s covering fire, both sides’ line of battle rapidly stabilized.
Seeing Zhen Jin’s shot almost never miss, the sailors’ morale greatly rose.
After Zhen Jin changed to a third arrow box, the bat monkeys were routed.
Zhen Jin did not slack off, he immediately assisted Zong Ge’s group.
Zong Ge and his people were still fighting.
They were fighting as many bat monkeys as Zhen Jin’s group was, however because
they were using close combat, although they were winning, their killing
efficiency was comparatively low.
With the support of Zhen Jin’s arrow, those bat monkeys were also routed.
The battle was already decided.
Everyone cheered.
Zong Ge and Zhen Jin met, both sides were worried.
“Although there was a great amount of bat monkeys, there were only a few bronze
level bat monkeys and only two iron level monkeys, all of which escaped.”
“That silver level rhinoceros also did not appear.”
As the two people discussed, a pink flare suddenly exploded in the sky.
“The camp! They are under attack.”
“We need to support them together!”
Zhen Jin and Zong Ge glanced at each other, and without hesitation, quickly
returned to camp with the group.
All of the wounded, Zi Di, and Cang Xu were in camp. If they fell to the
attack, the losses would be inconceivable!
Fortunately, the lumbering site was not far from camp and everyone quickly
returned to camp.
In the camp, the silver level rhinoceros was wreaking havoc.
The renovated wooden house had already been trampled by the rhinoceros.
However, the people in camp suffered few casualties.
Because the camp was surrounded by a thick smoke.
Zi Di had thrown a potion she had mixed into the torches and bonfires to create
the thick smoke. The thick smoke targeted the bat monkeys by irritating their
sense of smell. Thus, the bat monkeys did not dare to penetrate the smoke.
The silver level rhinoceros was not afraid of the thick smoke, however it only
charged straight ahead, making it easy to dodge.
There were few structures that could stop the silver level rhinoceros, but at
the same time, it gave the people adequate time to get out of the way.
“I will handle the bat monkeys, Zong Ge, I ask that you kill that rhinoceros!”
Zhen Jin growled.
Zong Ge nodded, not because he was willing to follow Zhen Jin’s orders, but
because it was the most rational plan. Since the situation was urgent, Zong Ge
did not bother arguing with Zhen Jin much.
There were not many bat monkeys in the sky, however they were clearly an elite
group with a considerable amount of bronze and iron level monkeys in it.
Zhen Jin first let the group into the thick smoke and then shot his crossbow.
The thick smoke obscured everyone’s line of sight, but fortunately, the bat
monkey feared the smoke’s scent and did not charge in.
Sacrificing accuracy for everyone’s safety was a worthwhile tradeoff.
Only Zhen Jin’s arrows were still sharp.
Because he had narrowed his eyes and transformed his left eye into a lizard’s.
With infrared vision, the thick smoke seemed to vanish.
The bat monkeys did not dare charge into the thick smoke and could only be
reduced to arrow targets.
“Presently, I can only transform into a bronze level bat monkey. That kind of
strength is too low, only by killing a few iron level ones can I strengthen the
transformation.



****** Chapter 102: I am Certain the Crotch is the Bat Monkey’s Weak Point


******
Zhen Jin observed his target and threw a dart at it.
With the bear arm’s strength, the dart’s destructive power could threaten an
iron level bat monkey’s life.
The iron level bat monkey had always been flying the highest, changed
directions more nimbly than the bronze level ones, and was faster.
Zhen Jin tried several times but failed.
Then he was hit by inspiration, he first shot the crossbow in his left hand and
then threw a dart with his right hand.
With no choice but to dodge the crossbow arrow, its predicted path was limited,
and as the dart shot out, the bat monkey did not have enough time to move out
of its predicted path, it would be hit more times than not.
Zhen Jin's repeated attempts had some successes and some failures. After he
killed three iron level bat monkeys, he suddenly heard a strange roar.
The remaining iron level bat monkeys immediately screeched
Zhen Jin did not pursue them, rather he immediately ran to camp to aid Zong Ge.
After a few steps, he saw Zong Ge walking over with a deformed long sword.
“That rhinoceros has tough skin that let it escape.” Zong Ge regretfully said.
“If you used the short spears on your back, would that still be the case?” Zhen
Jin’s heart asked.
However, that was not something to focus on.
Zhen Jin swept his eyes around, after seeing Zi Di, Cang Xu, and the others
were safe and sound, he said to Zong Ge: “I heard a strange roar, I suspect it
was from the hidden hand in the shadows!”
“Eh?” Zong Ge’s eyes flashed.
Zhen Jin had a grave expression: “This hidden hand is not simple, not only can
they mobilize the bat monkeys and the silver level rhinoceros, they also have
impressive tactical skills. They split their force into two with one simply
meant to pin us down and another focused on the main target, the camp. They
understand that the camp is our weakest and most important area.”
“Good. We must eradicate them!” Zong Ge nodded.
“Then let us move with just the two of us, the others will just be a burden.”
Zhen Jin took the lead, Zong Ge then threw away his sword before following.
“My Lord!” Tripleblade shouted. He wanted to say something but hesitated, he
was worried that this might be a part of Zhen Jin’s scheme to put Zong Ge at a
disadvantage.
Nevertheless, Zong Ge was courageous, he knew Tripleblade was warning him, and
he nodded: “I will return. Clean the battlefield.”
In that pause, Zhen Jin had already walked off.
Zong Ge rushed off and quickly overtook Zhen Jin by the camp entrance.
“After that strange sound, the bat monkeys immediately retreated. They went
this way!” Zhen Jin began to run after explaining.
“What kind of strange sound was it; can you describe it?” Zong Ge questioned
closely, he spoke as he sped up.
Zhen Jin scowled and deliberated: “It resembled a dog bark.”
Saying this, he then jumped over a thick tree root.
After ten breaths, the two people hit their maximum speed.
The wind whistled in their ears.
Trees seemed to whiz past them as they quickly disappeared behind their backs.
Zhen Jin did not hear the strange bark again, however he had faith that he
would find traces of the bat monkeys’ retreat enroute.
They could still faintly hear the bat monkeys screeching.
As the chase grew longer, Zong Ge’s amazement of Zhen Jin did too.
“Although I am injured, I have a beastman bloodline.”
“Zhen Jin is currently relying only on his body, yet he can match me in speed
and endurance, without even showing any signs of fatigue.
“The Bai Zhen Clan’s bloodline is only outstanding in the aspect of precision.”
“I fear this youngster is a genius, I don’t even know his true battle qi
cultivation!”
After running for a spell, the two people did not even see the shadow of the
hidden hand that controlled the beast groups.
“I can barely hear the bat monkeys. Are they up in the trees? Zong Ge anxiously
said.
“Yeah.” Zhen Jin nodded, he then immediately climbed up a tree, not even
slowing down during the crucial process.
Zong Ge saw with his own eyes Zhen Jin climbing up the tree, the latter
efficiently climbed up the tree like he was fleeing from something.
What amazed Zong Ge even more was that he sensed that Zhen Jin’s movement had a
natural feel to them, as if it were natural and unforced.
“Don’t tell me the templar knights are now trained to climb trees?”
Zong Ge’s heart had misgivings as he too quickly climbed up a tree.
On top of tall trees, the two’s field of view opened up.
The forest was different from the rainforest, although the trees were lush
here, their branches and leaves were not as thick as the rainforest’s.
The two were jumping across the branches
Zong Ge’s amazement grew.
Zhen Jin’s jumping brimmed with wild nature. As Zong Ge secretly observed, he
discovered that Zhen Jin’s limbs had exceptional coordination and jumped in a
way that seemed to save the most effort.
“What kind of training does he have?”
“It is not in the style of a templar knight.”
“Don’t tell me the Bai Zhen Clan hired an Eastern Imperial military to teach
Zhen Jin some wrestling technique?”
Zong Ge could not help but guess things.
“Zhen Jin, it seems we cannot catch up!” After a short time, Zong Ge gave an
exasperated sigh.
When he climbed up the tree, he could still see the distant figures of the
retreating bat monkeys. But now, he could only see the green layers of leaves
and could no longer hear the screeches of the bat monkeys.
“No, we will persevere. You continue to chase them, I will run over that hill
and perhaps cut them off.”
According to the bat monkey traces, they made a detour around a hill.
Zhen Jin and Zong Ge still had a chance, not all hope was lost.
Zong Ge pondered before nodding his consent.
The two then separated.
Zhen Jin climbed over the small hill.
After inspecting the surroundings and finding that Zong Ge had not followed
him, he immediately stripped naked and transformed into a bronze level bat
monkey.
Zhen Jin clenched his teeth and secretly roused his spirit.
Although he only had one night of practice, under the current circumstances, he
had to push beyond his abilities.
After Zhen Jin transformed into a bronze level bat monkey, his movement speed
doubled!
The bat monkey physique really was suited for jumping between branches. When
encountering steep cliffs, lofty hills, and the like, Zhen Jin would
immediately unfold his bat wings and glide down in a straight line, it was
extremely convenient!
“Oh that’s right, I can also use ultrasound to scout out my surroundings.” As
he glided, Zhen Jin thought of that method again.
He immediately attempted to produce an ultrasound wave.
Bang.
At that moment, he crashed into a tree and fell, after smashing several twigs,
a thick branch obstructed his crotch.
“Ow!”
The sharp pain caused Zhen Jin to subconsciously screech.
His two legs divided as he rode the branch; his body could help but curl up
from the pain. He grabbed the branch and did his best to separate his crotch
from it.
After a few cold breaths, Zhen Jin relaxed.
“So, the crotch is still the bat monkey’s weak point!” As far as this discovery
was concerned, it had made a deep impression on the young knight.
“What is going on with me? Did I actually believe I could produce ultrasound
while flying?”
Zhen Jin felt a burst of regret.
He had only trained for a single night, no half a night. He still could not fly
or run while producing ultrasound.
Currently, he could only produce ultrasound when he was stationary.
“First I need to scout around.”
Zhen Jin was not in a rush since his crotch was still sore. He still needed to
relax.
Taking advantage of his skill, he tried several times and quickly produced an
ultrasound wave again.
The canvas in his heart slowly unfolded and rapidly expanded.
One hundred meters, four hundred meters, eight hundred meters, one kilometer.
Then Zhen Jin looked pleased, he had finally caught the defeated bat monkey
group’s tail.
“Finally, some luck. As expected, the bat monkey group ran around the hill.”
“According to their path, I can cut them off.”
Zhen Jin once more jumped through the undergrowth and glided with his bat wings
from time to time.
After quickly running for a distance, Zhen Jin stopped again to produce more
ultrasound.
This time, he only needed two tries to produce an ultrasound wave.
As he was persisting in his efforts, three bat monkeys jumped to his side.
Zhen Jin’s head tensed up and he nearly attacked them.
Because he saw that two of the bat monkeys were wounded, it was obvious that
these were the bat monkeys he had fought.
However, the three bat monkeys did not attack, rather they stopped in front of
Zhen Jin, shouting and waving towards him.
Zhen Jin stared blankly: “Right, I am a bat monkey currently!”
The three bat monkeys shouting became impatient after discovering that Zhen Jin
was a bit foolish.
They shouted and moved even more.
Zhen Jin surmised: “What on earth are they thinking? It's as if they are
communicating with me?
The three bat monkeys found that Zhen Jin was not a bit foolish, rather that he
was very foolish. Eventually, one of the bat monkeys immediately jumped next to
Zhen Jin and pushed his back.
Zhen Jin resisted the urge to punch it, he then looked at the other two bat
monkeys jumping away as they waved to him again with an attitude that they were
leading the way.
“They want me to go with them?” Zhen Jin suddenly understood.
Seeing that he was motionless, the bat monkey behind him shouted again, as if
it were urging him.
Zhen Jin’s mind rapidly turned, he might as well leave and run with these three
bat monkeys.
After some jumping and flying, Zhen Jin began to see more and more bat monkeys.
Finally, he was sandwiched between bat monkeys when he arrived in a forest
clearing.
A large amount of bat monkeys had gathered here along with the silver level
rhinoceros!”
Some of the bat monkeys sat on tree branches, some were climbing on trees, some
were jumping across the ground, and some were flying in the air. As bat monkeys
landed on branches, the branches would quickly bend and break under the bat
monkeys’ weight, causing the bat monkeys to fly away.
There were several injured bat monkeys that had other bat monkeys attending to
them.
An attending bat monkey would approach its comrade’s wound, then it would
deeply breathe and swell up its chests.
Afterwards, the bat monkey would bite its teeth, block one of its nostrils, and
place the other nostril on the wound.
“Why on earth does it want to blow its nose?” Upon witnessing the event, Zhen
Jin had endless doubts.
After a moment, the bat monkey’s chest deflated, and it emitted many large
ultrasound waves from its nostril.
Under the enveloping ultrasound waves, the blood drenched wound seemed to heat
up and the surface of the wound quickly congealed, emitting a burnt scent.
However, by doing this, the bat monkey’s nasal cavity was also greatly injured.
Of the bat monkeys that quickly treated their wounded comrades, every single
one had blood flowing from their nostril.
“They can unexpectedly heal with ultrasound!” Zhen was very surprised.
After that, he saw some bat monkeys climbing down from trees and producing
ultrasound waves on the ground.
After producing for a spell, the bat monkeys on the ground came to a certain
area, dug the earth out their claws, and pulled out a type of white insect from
the muck.
The white insect looked like an earthworm; however, it was fatter than one.
The bat monkeys placed the white earthworm into the mouths of the most heavily
injured. The bat monkeys’ bit into the white earthworms, causing the earthworms
to burst into a rich juice. The white juice was similar to cow’s milk.
“It seems like those white earthworms are very nutritious, do they serve as the
bat monkeys’ tonic?”
“The bat monkeys unexpectedly found these white earthworms in the depths of the
earth, so is that why they used ultrasound to examine the ground?”
“What level of ultrasound is needed to probe things in the soil?
The amazement in Zhen Jin’s heart shot up.
He had only been here for ten breaths and had already learned so many things.
“They stopped here to rest and reorganize; did the three monkeys I saw earlier
treat me as a straggler? Then who is the hidden hand?” Zhen Jin had
accidentally intruded into the enemies ranks and did not forget the reason he
was here as he looked all around him.
At the next moment, a silhouette entered the forest clearing.
Zhen Jin’s pupils shrunk.
“It is actually……” His heart shook.



****** Chapter 103: I Have a Great plan to Lure, Conceal, and Behead ******
It was a silver level magic beast.
It had deep blue fur and the shape of a wolf.
Zhen Jin had a deep impression of it.
Because when he had woken up in the rainforest, the first thing he saw was that
silver level magic beast.
He and Zi Di named it the blue haired evil wolf!
The blue haired evil wolf nearly killed Zi Di, and Zhen Jin only defeated it by
chance and with the help of an external force.
Zhen Jin did not expect to find a second blue haired evil wolf here.
“Bark bark bark!”
The blue haired evil wolf walked into the center of the clearing and suddenly
issued a sound that resembled a dog bark.
Zhen Jin stared blankly: “Was the sound I heard previously produced by this
blue haired evil wolf? Is it not a wolf?”
After hearing the dog bark, the surrounding bat monkeys all gathered around the
blue haired evil wolf.
“Sure enough, it’s the one controlling the beast groups!” Zhen Jin’s heart
shook.
Most of the bat monkeys dropped to the ground and squatted around the blue
haired evil wolf. However, there were a few bat monkeys that stayed in place
with no intent of joining in.
The bat monkeys on the ground called out to their unmoving comrades, they
constantly screeched and waved at them.
The stationary monkeys began to waver, some of them were screeching and some
communicated with each other. Some were hopping between the branches, and some
were flying or gliding between the trees, they were trending towards leaving.
After the silver level rhinoceros heard the dog barks, it also hesitated. It
circled around the forest clearing but did not attack the bat monkeys or the
blue haired evil wolf.
The blue haired evil wolf kept its spirit up as it began to shake its tail and
dispersed a strong fragrance.
The fragrance quickly saturated the entire clearing and the restless bat
monkeys gradually calmed down.
As the bat monkeys near the wolf breathed and absorbed the fragrance, they
became infatuated.
After the stubborn bat monkeys smelled the fragrance, they too no longer caused
a commotion. They put away their wings, stopped on a branch, and began to
breathe in the fragrance.
“Bark bark bark.” After ten breaths, the blue haired evil wolf barked again.
This time, all of the bat monkeys in the trees climbed down and gathered around
the blue haired evil wolf, lining up behind the other bat monkeys.
The silver level silver level rhinoceros also calmed down, it no longer paced
back and forth, rather it looked at the blue haired evil wolf, seemingly
awaiting its next order.
Upon seeing this, Zhen Jin’s heart could not help but be greatly shaken.
“The blue haired evil wolf can control the bat monkeys and the silver level
rhinoceros to this extent?”
“Bark bark bark!” The blue haired evil wolf barked again.
At the same time, it also looked at Zhen Jin.
“Eh, why me?” Zhen Jin looked around and found that he was the only one left on
a branch.
The blue haired evil wolf suspiciously looked at Zhen Jin. It shook its tail
again and the strength of the fragrance in the air immediately increased.
The surrounding bat monkeys as well as the silver level rhinoceros deeply
breathed it in and enjoyed the fragrance.
“It really does smell good; however, it has no effect on me!” Zhen Jin
relinquished his worries.
The blue haired evil wolf barked again; it could not help but show doubt as it
looked at the still aloof Zhen Jin.
Zhen Jin gazed at a nearby squirrel and some woodpeckers. They were also
unaffected.
“I understand.”
“Only the manmade magic beasts are affected by the fragrance and barking.”
“I am a natural human; thus, I too am not affected.”
If the blue haired evil wolf could control people, it would have done so. But
in reality, Zi Di and I never found that any of our comrades were being
controlled.
Zhen Jin was thinking this as he glided to the ground.
He had studied the other bat monkeys’ expression; he then deeply breathed in
the fragrance and showed an infatuated appearance.
However, the blue haired evil wolf did not relinquish its suspicions.
It left the center, walked past many bat monkeys, and came in front of Zhen
Jin.
Zhen Jin was only a pace away from it.
“I am only a bronze level bat monkey, if it bit me, I would be seriously
injured.
“If it did not let me go and made the other bat monkeys attack me, I would fall
into danger. If I am not mindful, I will lose my life.”
Zhen Jin naturally felt nervous.
Although he had disposed of one blue haired evil wolf, he knew the silver level
magic beast was formidable.
The blue haired evil wolf carefully examined Zhen Jin, it did not let a single
detail slip by as it moved around Zhen Jin, including Zhen Jin’s swollen
genitals.
The doubt in its eyes gradually dissipated.
Because the exhibit before it was a bat monkey.
“Bark bark bark.” The blue haired evil wolf barked at Zhen Jin again.
A question mark popped into Zhen Jin's mind, he did not know how to respond, so
he wisely stood in place.
Seeing that the blue haired evil wolf was within reach, an idea grew stronger
in Zhen Jin’s heart: “If I attacked now, could I kill the wolf?
The blue haired evil wolf could control all kinds of creatures on top of its
outstanding intelligence that was comparable to a human’s. These two aspects
combined produced a qualitative change!
It had intentionally divided the beast group into two groups. One was to impede
Zhen Jin, Zong Ge and the others while the other focused on attacking the camp.
It knew to attack the enemy’s weak point.
Generally speaking, the bat monkeys and the silver level rhinoceros could not
coexist. But now, because of the blue haired evil wolf’s existence, they calmly
knew their place in the forest clearing and were not aggressive. When they
attacked, the silver level rhinoceros would attack the fortifications while the
bat monkeys attacked the enemies, this pair was very compatible.
The blue haired evil wolf made different animals cooperate and formed a monster
legion that could use tactics. It was extremely formidable!
“I must eliminate this wolf!” Zhen Jin’s killing intent grew stronger.
However, at the same time, he also looked at the surrounding bat monkeys and
the silver level rhinoceros, all of them were watching him attentively.
If he suddenly attacked now, the ferocious beasts would definitely surround and
kill him.
At that moment, the blue haired evil wolf suddenly lowered its head, it no
longer circled around Zhen Jin, rather it walked forward and used its nose to
sniff Zhen Jin.
Its nose nearly touched Zhen Jin’s monkey hair!
Seeing its exposed neck, Zhen Jin smelled the fragrance even more and his
killing intent grew towards violence.
“I am only a bronze level bat monkey; thus, the blue haired evil wolf is very
careless. It believes that there is nothing I could do to threaten it and has
unexpectedly lowered its guard.”
“Relying on my current state, I am naturally not its opponent. But I have the
magic core, if I suddenly attacked the blue haired evil wolf while activating
the core, what would happen?”
As long as he touched his target, the core would be unleashed.
Zhen Jin had once used that method to directly refine a silver level spear
scorpion.
“Forget it.”
“Attacking now is too risky.”
“Activating the core requires time. Although it only takes a brief moment, it
is enough for the blue haired evil wolf to tear me to shreds.
“I need to wait until Zong Ge appears to cause chaos among the beast group.
When the blue haired evil wolf’s attention is focused on Zong Ge, I will take
advantage of the crisis to assassinate it.”
“Could I break away and transform into a silver level spear scorpion?”
“The scorpion’s shell has outstanding defense; it could rush straight into the
beast group and kill the blue haired evil wolf.
“No, the blue haired evil wolf is also a silver level magic beast, it is
unlikely that I would kill it quickly. The silver level rhinoceros is also
here, it is about to trample me and would definitely not be good if the silver
level scorpion provoked it. Furthermore, there are the bat monkeys, if the bat
monkeys produce sound waves, the silver level scorpion cannot withstand them
for long.”
Zhen Jin knew that silver level scorpions also had a keen sense of hearing.
Under sound waves, having a keen sense of hearing was no longer an advantage,
rather it was a weakness.
“That will happen if I transform into a spear scorpion early. I will
deliberately “capitulate” to the blue haired evil wolf and wait until I can
approach it, then my scorpion spear will pierce it! If that happens, the bat
monkeys cannot screech, and the rhinoceros cannot charge because I am entangled
with the evil wolf.”
“I cannot kill the silver level evil wolf quickly if I rely on the spear
scorpion. However, I can use the core to eradicate it!”
As Zhen secretly planned his attack, the blue haired evil wolf finally lost its
interest in Zhen Jin, it seemed to think this bat monkey was an anomaly because
it was quite foolish.
The blue haired evil wolf turned around and leisurely left Zhen Jin.
Seeing its back, Zhen Jin suddenly altered his plan slightly.
“No, I should not rush to eliminate it.”
“Currently the evil wolf and its beast group are not threatening the camp.”
“I should do my best to gather some information!”
After finding a second blue haired evil wolf, there would naturally be a third
and a fourth.
After experiencing many life and death moments, Zhen Jin first thought of the
future and considered the worst situations possible.
If he didn’t take the opportunity to gather information now and increase his
understanding of his enemy, what would he do if he encountered another blue
haired evil wolf in the future?
“The most crucial thing is that the blue haired evil wolf can emit a fragrance
that can subdue all kinds of creatures.”
“At the same time, the fragrance’s effects should have a time restriction.”
“The most important thing now is figuring out what that time limit is. At the
same time, I also need to figure out if all the artificial magic beasts are
affected by the fragrance.”
Zhen Jin did not hurry; he chose to stay with the fragrance affected magic
beasts.
Besides gathering information, he was waiting for Zong Ge.
Zhen Jin’s plan to use the spear scorpion shape to kill the evil wolf was
likely to have external interference. However, if he used Zong Ge well, Zhen
Jin could save effort when making the kill.
Zhen Jin decided to wait for Zong Ge.
“Bark bark bark.” The blue haired evil wolf walked into the center and barked
again.
Afterwards, it took the lead and left the forest clearing.
The bat monkeys and the silver level rhinoceros set out, closely following the
blue haired evil wolf.
Zhen Jin mixed in with the large bat monkey army as they jumped through the
trees, ran across the ground, and flew through the air.
The blue haired evil wolf was leading, its fluffy tail rocking back and forth.
As Zhen Jin observed that detail, his heart said: “When the wolf tail droops,
it doesn’t shake. That is not a wolf tail, on the contrary, it more resembles a
fox tail.”
“Calling it a blue haired evil wolf is not accurate. Perhaps it should be
called a fox wolfdog? A wolfdog fox? A fox dog wolf?”
The blue haired evil wolf gradually moved the beast group away from the hill as
it increased its speed.
“Where is Zong Ge?” Zhen Jin began to worry that Zong Ge had lost the trail
because the distance between him and the small hill was growing.
Zhen Jin waited for a good while, after not seeing Zong Ge’s figure, his heart
grew impatient: “Should I wait for him or should I just transform into a spear
scorpion to carry out my plan to lure, conceal, and behead?”



****** Chapter 104: The Strong Life White Rhinoceros ******
As Zhen Jin hesitated whether or not to start his plan, the bat monkeys in
front suddenly screeched.
Zhen Jin’s heart stirred, then he realized: “So, it turns out that we ran into
a new bat monkey group.”
“Bark bark bark!” The blue dog fox wolf barked a few times.
Half of the bat monkeys next to Zhen Jin flew out and disappeared into the
undergrowth.
After a moment, those bat monkeys flew back out with many more new bat monkeys.
It was just like when Zhen Jin was pulled into the army by the three bat
monkeys, just on a larger scale with over twenty being pulled in.
The bat monkeys dropped next to blue dog fox wolf, the latter then shook its
tail and dispelled its strong fragrance.
After the fragrance seeped into them, the blue dog fox wolf’s magic beast corps
immediately gained over twenty new members.
“Bark bark bark.” The blue dog fox wolf ordered again.
The new members flew and jumped away, returning to their ethnic group.
After a short period, they returned with no less than forty other bat monkeys.
It was clear that the first group had a stronger conviction.
The blue dog fox wolf followed its recipe and subdued the additional bat
monkeys too.
Next it immediately commanded an attack. More than half of the monkey group had
defected, however there were still ten bat monkeys remaining, including the
iron level bat monkey leader.
Under the blue dog fox wolf’s fragrant onslaught, the bat monkeys could not
run, and they became Zhen Jin’s new comrades in arms.
“What insanely high efficiency!” Upon witnessing this, Zhen Jin’s heart
chilled.
There were artificial magic beasts everywhere on the island, in other words,
the blue dog fox wolf could replenish its forces anywhere and with anything.
In just one harvest, it had replenished thirty percent of what it had lost in
the camp battles.
The blue dog fox wolf continued to lead the magic beast corps forward.
The Bat monkeys were the most numerous species in the forest. .
In one morning, the blue dog fox wolf had run into three bat monkey groups in a
row. Through its effort, its ranks gained five new iron level bat monkey
leaders, a dozen bronze level bat monkeys, and a great number of ordinary bat
monkeys.
By noon, they came across a flying squirrel group.
The magic beast corps charged into the flying squirrel group’s territory and
immediately attacked the flying squirrels.
As far as the flying squirrels were concerned, Zhen Jin was not unfamiliar with
them. At the time, he had ordered the exploration team to make wooden bows,
arranged a battlefield, and lured a flying squirrel into it to hunt them, thus
successfully aiding the exploration team’s food shortage.
Now, the blue fox dog wolf encountered an even larger flying squirrel group,
the group had three iron level chieftains and one silver level leader.
“Flying squirrels discharge electricity, when close quarter fighting occurs,
the bat monkey group will take great losses. Zhen Jin inwardly smirked, he was
familiar with both beast groups, thus he could assess the military capabilities
of both sides.
It was different from the bat monkey groups, there were no flying squirrels in
the magic beast corps, thus there were no peaceful invitations.
The blue fox dog wolf suffered disastrous losses, an advantage to the humans in
camp.
But after a moment, the blue fox dog wolf barked.
All of the bat monkey group’s iron level chieftains flew into the air, deeply
breathed, and produced an offensive soundwave together.
The ear-piercing sound created a translucent ripple in the air.
The flying squirrel group charging the blue fox dog wolf was immediately
overwhelmed by the soundwave.
The entire flying squirrel group collapsed with a loud bang, most of the
ordinary flying squirrels died, the bronze level ones were shrieking miserably,
and the iron level ones were struggling. Only the silver level flying squirrel
leader stumbled as it persevered with its assault.
Flying squirrels had weak vision, however they had outstanding hearing, this
advantage caused their collapsing war situation.
“Bark bark!” The blue fox dog wolf gave another order, the silver level
rhinoceros then immediately charged out.
The flying squirrel sidestepped it, unfortunately many behind it were trampled
by the rhinoceros and died on the stop. Among those that died was an iron level
flying squirrel chieftain.
The blue fox dog wolf seized the opportunity to shake its tail and quickly
enveloped the battlefield with its fragrance.
The flying squirrels' resistance rapidly declined; however, the silver level
flying squirrel was still resisting as it bit into the rhinoceros’ right hind
leg while discharging a burst of intense electricity.
The silver level rhinoceros gasped and screamed, its body then violently
twitched and toppled to ground with a loud rumble.
It fainted as white smoke emitted from its open mouth and nostrils, it seemed
that its internals had been scorched by the electricity in an instant.
“Good! This silver level rhinoceros is dying.” Zhen Jin watched with
exultation.
But at that moment, the blue dog fox wolf suddenly attacked.
Originally it was standing in place, it had been like that since the two beasts
started fighting and never moved a step.
Now it had suddenly turned around faster than a fired arrow!
This was the first time Zhen Jin had seen the blue dog fox wolf charge with all
of its strength, it could easily cross one hundred meters in just a few
breaths.
It arrived next to the silver level rhinoceros just as the silver level flying
squirrel was ruthlessly tearing into the rhinoceros.
It rammed the silver level flying squirrel into the air, causing the squirrel
to fall to the ground and roll into the distance.
The blue dog fox wolf struck while the iron was hot and opened its mouth, ready
to bite.
It seemed the silver level flying squirrel consumed too much of its strength
because it had electrified the rhinoceros into unconsciousness, it had sunk
into a powerless state and was unable to retaliate in time or discharge more
electricity.
Thus, the blue dog fox wolf ferociously crunched the silver level flying
squirrel with its wolf teeth and smashed it up.
The silver level gave a blood curdling screech, its life aura then dissipated
as it died from the blue dog fox wolf’s bite.
“It didn’t want to subdue the silver level flying squirrel leader?” Zhen Jin
was puzzled.
At the same time, the youngster was also secretly happy: “During this encounter
with the flying squirrel group, the blue dog fox wolf lost the silver level
rhinoceros and only gained two iron level flying squirrels, some bronze level
squirrels, and the few ordinary squirrels that survived. It has a massive
deficit!”
The flying squirrels that were still alive defected under the blue dog fox
wolf’s fragrance.
Just a moment ago, both sides were fighting to the death, now all of them
obediently submitted to the blue dog fox wolf and peacefully coexisted, as if
they had been doing so since ancient times.
As long as the blue dog fox wolf subdued them, different species could coexist.
It was quite scary.
“What’s scarier is that the blue dog fox wolf can order all the iron level bat
monkeys to clamor at the same time.”
“Why did it not use this attack when it attacked the camp.”
“Was it scared that we would find it while it was commanding and behead it in a
surprise attack?”
Zhen Jin surmised; the blue dog fox wolf’s intelligence made his heart skip a
beat.
Regardless of whether it was Zong Ge or Zhen Jin himself, if they found out
about the blue dog fox wolf, they would charge through the enemy lines and
behead this key existence.
The blue dog fox wolf knew this, as a result it had always hidden itself well.
“Thinking carefully, according to the time calculated, the first opponent the
blue dog fox wolf found was Zong Ge, Tripleblade, and their people.” Zhen Jin
recalled everything that had happened.
“Zong Ge fended off the silver level rhinoceros and it seems Tripleblade’s
people’s formidable military strength made the blue dog fox wolf think it had
an error of judgement.”
“Since they were all people, it might not have discovered that Zong Ge’s and Xi
Suo’s split up and opposed each other. As a result, when it attacked the camp
it did not show itself, rather it controlled things from a distance and did not
reveal the magic beast corps’ true strength.”
“Maybe it wanted to appear to fight, however I had already arrived with darts
that could threaten iron level bat monkeys. When the blue dog fox wolf saw the
war situation, it took the initiative to order a retreat. That is the reason
why the silver level rhinoceros only charged once and then withdrew. Perhaps I
missed the blue dog fox wolf’s bark because of the distance or simply me not
paying attention.”
“Afterwards when the blue dog fox wolf wanted to kill the boat craftsman, Xi
Suo, the big guy, and their people, I and Zong Ge joined hands to beat it back.
“During today’s lumbering, the blue dog fox wolf still actively attacked the
camp until disastrous losses forced it far away in order to replenish its
troops.
Even after these attacks, Zhen Jin, Zong Ge, and the others never found a trace
of the blue dog fox wolf. Until the attack this morning when Zhen Jin heard the
dog bark and at last caught a clue.
“Bark bark bark.” Next, the blue dog fox wolf started ordering the bat monkeys
to clean the battlefield.
The bat monkeys only gathered the flying squirrel corpses while the defecting
flying squirrels entered their own nest and took all of their food out and gave
it to the blue dog fox wolf as an offering.
A pile of food quickly amassed in front of the blue dog fox wolf.
The pile of food was at the silver level rhinoceros’ side. The silver level
rhinoceros was still motionless.
As all of the beasts gazed at it, the blue dog fox wolf began to enjoy its
lunch first——the silver level flying squirrel.
Its sharp teeth easily tore the flying squirrel’s flesh and easily broke its
bones.
The silver level squirrel quickly became a pile of bones, almost all of its
flesh, internal organs, and brain fell into the blue dog fox wolf’s belly.
The blue dog fox wolf then gave two barks, the bat monkeys then began choosing
and eating food from the pile.
From this, Zhen Jin discovered the bat monkeys were in fact omnivores. Because
some of the bat monkeys were gnawing on flying squirrels and some gathered and
ate potatoes and nuts.
Zhen Jin did not want himself to be too much of an anomaly, thus he followed
the bat monkeys to the food pile. He did not want to eat a flying squirrel,
instead he chose a tree fruit.
The fruit he ate was one the exploration team had discovered many of in the
flying squirrel group’s food reserves after eliminating them. After confirming
that the fruit was harmless, Zhen Jin found the tree fruit was actually tasty
with its sweet and sour taste.
However, his action caused the surrounding bat monkeys to look at him
strangely.
Zhen Jin took a bite of the tree fruit.
“Ah pah pah pah!”
His entire tongue numbed in an instant and the intense bitterness attacked his
heart, causing him to nearly vomit on the spot.
The surrounding bat monkeys looked at Zhen Jin’s embarrassed form, they could
not help but laugh and jump with joy!
Some of them shoved Zhen Jin and looked at Zhen Jin like they were looking at
an idiot.
“It seems this food does more harm than good to bat monkeys, or else it would
not be so painful to taste.
Zhen Jin was on bad terms with these lesser beasts, he tossed the half-eaten
tree fruit and looked at the many flying squirrel carcasses.
Zhen Jin’s emotions were unaffected: “Although the blue dog fox wolf ate the
silver level flying squirrel, after my magic crystal absorbs these flying
squirrel carcasses, I can transform into a complete iron level flying squirrel.
“In addition, the silver level rhinoceros is quickly dying. Although it has no
personal strengths, it is still a silver level magic beast. If I can absorb it,
regardless of what I can transform into, it will strengthen me.”
Ever since the silver level rhinoceros was electrocuted, it had fallen
motionless on the ground.
Its mouth and nose have already stopped smoking, its eyes were still rolled
over, and its life aura was nearly gone as it continued to drop.
“It really is dying.”
Despite Zhen Jin’s emotions, he did not act blindly without thinking.
Because after the blue dog fox wolf finished eating the flying squirrel leader,
it sat next to the silver level rhinoceros, as if preparing to eat it too.
But the blue dog fox wolf did not move.
As time passed, the blue dog fox wolf calmly sat next to the silver level
rhinoceros, it seemed to be waiting for something. The other bat monkeys and
flying squirrels did not receive any orders as they crowded around it, none of
them scattering.
After a dozen minutes, the silver level rhinoceros suddenly moved.
Zhen Jin thought his eyes were fooling him.
But soon after, he sensed the silver level rhinoceros’ aura rapidly
strengthening. It had been inaudible at first, but quickly it's breathing
became as solid as ever.
Then the silver level rhinoceros’ eyeballs suddenly rolled back.
Its immense body suddenly trembled, then its limbs seemed to regain their
strength, after a spell it miraculously stood up again.
“This silver level rhinoceros has a strong recovery ability!”
Zhen Jin was stunned.
The silver level rhinoceros was undoubtedly dying, its internals had been
electrocuted and burned. But by forcibly relying on its recovery ability, it
managed to keep living.
The silver level rhinoceros stood up and scattered the surrounding bat monkeys
and flying squirrels. Previously, many bat monkeys and flying squirrels had
been sitting on the rhinoceros’ body, treating it as a dead thing.
Only the blue dog fox wolf was not surprised as it slowly got up.
Zhen Jin suddenly realized: “As it turns out, the blue dog fox wolf did not
want to eat the rhinoceros, rather it was waiting for it to recover.”
“This silver level rhinoceros seemed to be mediocre with no oddities, however
its recovery ability and vitality is extremely strong. It would be better to
call it the strong life white rhinoceros!”
“If I could absorb it and possess that kind of self-recovery, how could I ever
be worried about sustaining injuries?”



****** Chapter 105: Luring and Killing the Blue Dog Fox Wolf ******
Zhen Jin had realized what the strong life white rhinoceros’ special ability
was, and it made his heart beat harder.
The strong life white rhinoceros did not die; thus, the blue dog fox wolf made
a steady gain when it annihilated the flying squirrel group and enlisted the
survivors.
“Why hasn’t Zong Ge come yet?”
“I deliberately made many obvious traces.”
“Don’t tell me he encountered some mishap enroute?”
Zhen Jin gradually grew impatient.
As time passed, the blue dog fox wolf’s force grew stronger, subsequently
increasing the problems Zhen Jin’s beheading plan had to deal with.
After the strong life white rhinoceros came back to life, it buried its head
into the food pile.
It ate a great amount of food, including fruits, leaves, and more, leaving only
the meat behind.
It was still not enough for the strong life white rhinoceros as it began to eat
the grass on the ground.
“It seems that although its recovery ability is strong, it consumed a great
deal of its internal energy. After it recovers, it urgently needs nourishment.”
“Bark bark bark.” The blue dog fox wolf barked again at that moment.
After the bat monkey and flying squirrels heard the order, they immediately
dispersed.
They pulled out the grass or plucked out tree fruit and placed them next to the
strong life white rhinoceros’ mouth.
In order to conceal his identity, Zhen Jin went with the crowd and did the
same.
It was the first time he had fed a wild silver level magic beast; it was a
novel sensation.
With the beasts’ assistance, the strong life white rhinoceros did not need to
go through the trouble of moving as it ate from the steady pile of food before
it.
After eating for a good while, the strong life white rhinoceros finally
stopped.
The blue dog fox wolf gave another command, making the bat monkeys carry the
leftover flying squirrel carcasses or piling them on top of the strong life
white rhinoceros’ back.
“This blue dog fox wolf is beginning to stock army provisions!” As he observed
more, Zhen Jin became more fearful of the blue dog fox wolf.
The troops set out once more.
Perhaps since they just ate their fill, the blue dog fox wolf knew its military
strength had dropped greatly, thus it deliberately slowed their speed.
During that time, they encountered two bat monkey groups and one flying
squirrel group, with nearly all of them assimilating into the blue dog fox
wolf’s ranks.
When dusk arrived, the magic beast corps arrived next to a hillside.
The current scale of the magic beast corps was larger than when it attacked the
camp that morning.
“I must kill that blue dog fox wolf, as long as it does not die, it can subdue
numerous magic beasts and continue to constantly attack us!” The killing intent
in Zhen Jin’s heart grew even deeper.
There was a cave under the towering hill.
There were three monkey tail brown bears under the cave, all of them silver
level magic beasts.
The blue dog fox wolf had been watching them, concealing itself in the
underbrush as it observed them for a long time.
“If the blue dog fox wolf subdues these three monkey tail brown bears, it will
increase its strength massively.” Zhen Jin was worried.
“However, this is also my opportunity!”
After so long, Zhen Jin had already lost hope that Zong Ge would come.
He decided to set in motion his beheading plan.
“If the blue dog fox wolf first needs to deal with the three bears, its
strength will fall. After that I will transform into a spear scorpion and lure
it into subduing me.
Otherwise, if Zhen Jin had transformed into a silver level spear scorpion
earlier and joined the magic beast corps, perhaps the blue dog fox wolf would
have used him to deal with the three bears.
However, what Zhen Jin did not expect was that the blue dog fox wolf did not
decide to directly deal with the three bears.
It first used a small portion of bat monkeys and flying squirrels to lure out
two of them, leaving the youngest of the monkey tail brown bears behind, then
it commanded the rest of its forces to encircle and annihilate it.
The strong life white rhinoceros was the main force that dealt with the monkey
tail brown bears. Both magic beast species had enormous builds and they fought
each other with great prestige.
The monkey tail brown bear stood up like a human and became taller than the
strong life white rhinoceros. Its hot claws could easily impale through the
strong life white rhinoceros’ hide.
The strong life white rhinoceros was heavier than it, when it charged, the
monkey tail brown bear did not dare meet it, it could only dodge it.
Both sides were evenly matched, however don’t forget that the blue fox dog wolf
controlled an army of bat monkeys and flying squirrels.
From time to time, bat monkeys would fly through to help the strong life white
rhinoceros or harass the monkey tail brown bear.
The monkey tail brown bear killed many of the bat monkeys and flying squirrels,
however as a result, the strong life white rhinoceros grabbed the opportunity
to attack, it charged straight ahead. The monkey bear had no hope of making a
comeback unless the two other monkey tail brown bears returned in time to help
it.
The blue dog fox wolf barked while emitting its fragrance.
Finally, after six magic beasts from the bat monkeys and flying squirrels died,
the monkey tail brown bear lost as its fighting spirit fell. It tried to escape
first, but after a few steps, it stood in place.
After a few breaths, it was completely taken by the fragrance as it sluggishly
turned around and walked to the blue dog fox wolf. It then leaned forward and
exposed its neck to the blue dog fox wolf to express its allegiance.
“The magic beast corps has strengthened again!” Zhen Jin sighed in his heart.
From start to finish, the two other monkey tail brown bears never returned.
The disparity between having intelligence or not was too great.
When the blue dog fox wolf wanted to deal with other artificial magic beasts,
its attacks simply descended on them.
However, the blue dog fox wolf did not go to subdue the two other monkey tail
brown bears, rather it made the bat monkeys plunder the cave of its ores. Then
it led the corps away to rest and reorganize nearby.
“This blue dog fox wolf is absolutely a qualified high ranking officer; it
understands what the corps’ military strength is.
Zhen Jin followed the large army and saw the bat monkeys beginning to treat
each other.
They used ultrasound to cauterize wounds, thus stanching the bleeding.
As for the strong life white rhinoceros, it relied on its recovery ability as
it voluntarily bled. After a short period, its mangled body was already
beginning to scab.
“I fear that after a while, the rhinoceros’ blood scabs will fall off. It’s as
if time is sped up for it!”
The monkey tail brown bear that had been subdued limped over and began to gorge
itself on ore.
It could heal itself by devouring a great amount of ore. Zhen Jin had a deep
understanding of that point when he was between life and death.
And the most dazzling of them all, the blue dog fox wolf, sat motionlessly as
the magic beasts healed, its eyes closed and its aura weak.
“It seems very tired.”
“Is it because it was frequently emitting fragrance, and in particular, because
it subdued a second silver level magic beast?”
Zhen Jin also keenly discovered that the bat monkeys on the outskirts were
beginning to recover their monkey nature, they became unruly and no longer held
a united attitude.
“That is the first batch of bat monkeys. It has been roughly ten hours since
they ingested the fragrance.
“So, it seems the fragrance lasts less than ten hours. Because along the way,
the blue dog fox wolf repeatedly emitted its fragrance and subdued many beast
groups. These bat monkeys also constantly absorbed more fragrance during that
process.”
Zhen Jin had spent most of the day following them, finally he had obtained the
information he had wanted most.
“I can’t wait any longer.” Zhen Jin snuck into the forest after finding an
opportunity.
After putting some distance between him and the magic beast corps, Zhen Jin
transformed into a green lizard.
He spat a ball of acid onto a stone.
The acid quickly corroded the stone and melted hemispheric indentation into it.
Afterwards, he transformed into a spear scorpion and soaked his tail in the
stone bowl.
Zhen Jin tried his best to amplify the scorpion tail’s threat potential by
soaking it in the stone bowl.
The acid could not corrode the scorpion tail; however, the acid could not stay
on the scorpion tail for long.
Zhen Jin’s attempts failed.
“Wait a second I have another transformation.” Zhen Jin was gazing at his
scorpion tail when divine inspiration flashed through his mind.
He thought of the poisonous green spot moss.
He could transform into a highly poisonous plant.
After a moment, the magic crystal in Zhen Jin’s heart intensified and his
scorpion tail radiated with a wonderful blood light.
After the blood light faded away, a layer of green moss had grown all over the
golden scorpion tail.
“It worked!” Zhen Jin was happy; it had been the first time he tried doing such
a thing.
With the scorpion form, Zhen Jin began to hurry over to the magic beast corps.
The bat monkeys in the corps began to give warning cries.
The blue dog fox wolf quickly opened its eyes, it then lifted its head and
attentively listened to the bat monkeys’ cries.
Soon after, it barked a few times and then turned around to flee.
The bat monkeys, flying squirrels, and the rhinoceros followed close behind.
“The wolf is running away? It really is cautious!” Upon discovering this, Zhen
Jin could not help but feel depressed.
The cunning blue dog fox wolf did not hold its hand, if it continued to hide,
it was likely Zhen Jin’s beheading plan would be fruitless.
Zhen Jin could transform into many things, however his strongest one was the
silver level scorpion, followed by the iron level green lizard.
“Did the blue dog fox wolf take the initiative to retreat because I am at the
silver level?
“What would happen if I transformed into an iron level lizard?”
Zhen Jin shook his head.
If he transformed into an iron level lizard, the likelihood of the blue dog fox
wolf retreating of its own accord was small. However, Zhen Jin could not rely
on that form to deal with the blue dog fox wolf. Just the strong life white
rhinoceros could make Zhen Jin accept the consequences.
Zhen Jin could also transform into a fat ball flying fish to hide his tracks.
However, the blue dog fox wolf had bat monkeys who didn’t use eyes to see,
rather they used echoes to probe around.
Zhen Jin could not stealthily approach the blue dog fox wolf with the fat ball
flying fish form, he would be besieged by bat monkeys and likely be torn to
shreds by iron level bat monkeys.
“I will not give up!” Zhen Jin chose to persevere.
After being chased several times, the blue fox dog wolf stopped running,
instead it charged towards Zhen Jin.
Zhen Jin happily sunk into a predicament.
He had to guard against the silver level monkey tail brown bear and strong life
rhinoceros, while at the same time, guarding against a possible sneak attack
from the blue dog fox wolf. Finally, there was a great amount of bat monkeys
and flying squirrels disturbing him with occasional sneak attacks.
Zhen Jin relied on his hard scorpion carapace and bit his teeth as he
persevered for a good while. After his scorpion carapace was covered with claw
scars, Zhen Jin began to retreat.
The blue dog fox wolf barked twice and used all of its willpower left in its
weak body to produce its strong fragrance.
Zhen Jin was fundamentally aloof, however on the surface, he showed hesitation.
Afterwards, he used what he learned from the monkey tail brown bear as he
obediently turned around and crawled towards the magic beast corps.
After the blue dog fox wolf barked, the strong life white rhinoceros and monkey
tail brown bear no longer troubled Zhen Jin, rather they opened the path for
him at their own accord.
Zhen Jin came in front of the blue dog fox wolf; he then sat on his stomach and
placed his tail on the ground.
The blue dog fox wolf seemed excited, it was a spent force, yet it had subdued
three silver level magic beasts, what amazing luck!
The blue dog fox wolf circled around Zhen Jin as it observed its new
subordinate.
Just as the blue dog fox wolf drifted out of his line of sight, Zhen Jin
suddenly crushed its tail with his enormous pincers.
Its tail was weak and nearly pinched off by Zhen Jin pincers as the blue fox
dog wolf immediately gave a world shaking scream.
It turned around towards Zhen Jin, subconsciously it did not want to run, but
to pounce!
But its teeth were at a disadvantage, the scorpion carapace only caved in a
little from the teeth marks.
In Zhen Jin’s exultation, the scorpion tail ejected like lightning.
The blue dog fox wolf tried its best to dodge, but its left eye was still hit
by the scorpion tail!
“Die!!” Zhen Jin’s heart loudly roared.



****** Chapter 106: One Man Murders an Army ******
Even if the blue dog fox wolf possessed an intelligence not inferior to humans,
it never could have foreseen a magic beast it had subdued, turn traitor and
bite its master!
At that crucial moment of life and death, it broke out with unprecedented
strength to escape. It would retreat regardless of anything, even if its tail
would snap off in Zhen Jin’s pincers, it would not hesitate.
Zhen Jin’s scorpion tail was still in its left eye, when the blue dog fox wolf
violently moved, it caused more blood to spurt from its eye.
“Bark bark bark bark!” The serious injury made the blue dog fox wolf sink into
a rage and snarl.
The surrounding magic beasts were roused one after the other and proceeded to
besiege Zhen Jin.
Zhen Jin originally thought that a spear through the blue dog fox wolf’s eye
would stab its brain and kill it. However, he also did not think that the blue
dog fox wolf would explode with a lightning fast response time and speed under
the stimulation of death.
To the extent that Zhen Jin only destroyed the blue dog fox wolf’s eye.
When the monkey tail brown bear ruthlessly attacked, Zhen Jin had no choice but
to abandon his pursuit of the blue dog fox wolf and dodge to the side.
The strong life white rhinoceros also charged as Zhen Jin threw his scorpion
tail to assassinate a bronze level bat monkey, the strong life white rhinoceros
brushed dangerously close to him.
Zhen Jin had already tangled with these two silver level magic beasts for a
long time; thus his scorpion carapace was currently riddled with scars.
The silver level scorpion carapace was very hard, however in front of the
strong life white rhinoceros and the monkey tail brown bear, it could not be
excessively relied upon. It could not resist many attacks, thus choosing to
evade was sensible.
The magic beast corps erupted like the tide and flooded Zhen Jin.
With great difficulty, Zhen Jin cut a bloody path out of the battlefield and
escaped.
There were magic beasts everywhere, him pursuing the blue dog fox wolf would
bring about his own destruction!
“Bark bark bark!” The blue dog fox wolf howled; it was burning with the flames
of vengeance.
The magic beast corps pursued Zhen Jin closely and relentlessly.
Zhen Jin was greatly troubled.
He was not good at running as a scorpion, especially in a forest where trees
and rocks often appeared, forcing him to constantly change directions. Running
in a straight line was tolerable but changing directions under high speeds
often made him flip over.
If he flipped over onto his belly, it was difficult for Zhen Jin to instantly
get back on his feet. In front of the monkey tail brown bear and the strong
life white rhinoceros, he would be a living target.
Zhen Jin could only do his best, but changing directions caused an unavoidable
drop in speed.
An iron level flying squirrel took advantage of this opportunity to pounce Zhen
Jin’s back.
It exploded with intense electricity and paralyzed Zhen Jin in an instant.
The strong life white rhinoceros soon hurried over, it then suddenly raised its
head to jab its horn into Zhen Jin’s bottom, Zhen Jin was immediately flung
into the air and flew over several trees before falling to the ground.
The iron level flying squirrel’s electricity greatly caused a great amount of
interference for Zhen Jin.
The bat monkeys were just as threatening.
“Bark bark bark!” The blue dog fox wolf loudly barked again.
After a moment, the iron level bat monkeys produced a soundwave together.
The spear scorpion Zhen Jin had broken countless branches as he fell. The sound
wave surrounding him made him dizzy and his eyes blurry.
But the other magic beasts were in a worse situation.
The flying squirrels caught in it screamed as they were paralyzed in place, the
sound wave even killed some of them on the spot.
The rhinoceros and monkey tail brown bear were also affected. The monkey tail
brown bear stopped in place and used its orangutan palms to block its ears. The
strong life white rhinoceros could bear the sound wave; however its charge
speed was cut sharply in half.
The blue dog fox wolf was between life and death and it was very emotional.
Presently, its mind was filled with killing Zhen Jin, the evildoer it could not
understand, to the extent that it lost its normal calmness.
The entire magic beast corps was also in chaos.
When Zhen Jin finally hit the ground, he landed on his back and needed a moment
to turn himself over.
The young knight promptly activated his core and transformed into an acid green
lizard.
He had done this after careful deliberations.
The silver level scorpion form’s greatest strength was its outstanding defense.
However, in the forest, with its many trees, rocks, bulging tree roots, and
more, Zhen Jin could not quickly escape.
The bat monkey form was faster; however, it was only at the bronze level. If it
was surrounded, the other bat monkeys would tear it to shreds, the monkey tail
brown bear and strong life white rhinoceros would not be needed.
The lizard form was not his strongest, but it was also not his weakest, it was
at the iron level unlike the bat monkey which was at the bronze level. Zhen Jin
had mastered this form; it was easier to run in than the spear scorpion and was
not as affected by the forest environment. In addition, compared to the spear
scorpion form, the lizard form used less of the magic crystal’s energy.
Thus, Zhen Jin transformed into an acid green lizard.
The sound wave still made him feel unwell.
The green lizard form also had impressive hearing.
However, the bat monkeys that were pursuing him, as well as the strong life
white rhinoceros, lost their target.
After Zhen Jin finished his transformation, with their intelligence, even if
they had watched the transformation process, they would have found it
incomprehensible.
“When dealing with these magic beasts, I can transform into another form and
cause them to lose their target.”
Zhen Jin had discovered another clever use for his core.
That was the benefit of practice and usage, one could discover good things
deductions and training could not.
Of course, if the blue dog fox wolf saw it, it would definitely target the acid
green lizard.
“The blue dog fox wolf is not dead yet! Since the entire magic beast corps
threw themselves at me, there is nothing next to the blue dog fox wolf. I must
bypass them and attack the blue dog fox wolf again!”
Zhen Jin was undaunted by repeated setbacks; each failure just invigorated his
fighting spirit even more.
He began to move immediately.
“Bark bark bark!” But after a moment, the blue dog fox wolf barked again.
After receiving the order, the black iron bat monkeys stopped producing a sound
wave, the bat monkey group then scattered and started massacring every living
being.
Small squirrels, forest birds, rats, ants, and more, all were murdered.
The strong life white rhinoceros and monkey tail brown bear soon rushed over to
join in on the massacre.
“The blue dog fox wolf seems to have gone insane!” Zhen Jin lamented.
One has to say, the blue dog fox wolf’s crazy order really was inconvenient for
Zhen Jin.
The acid green lizard was the biggest target around.
Many of the bat monkeys pounced at Zhen Jin.
Zhen Jin rapidly swelled his round bag, the round bag then slipped into Zhen
Jin’s lizard mouth.
His large lizard mouth then opened up and sprayed a ball of corrosive acid.
The acid accurately hit the pouncing bat monkeys, causing them to immediately
scream and fall to the ground. First their bat wings corroded, then their fur.
After corroding, an unbearable burning stink rose. Their flesh corroded soon
after and changed into pus.
All of the bat monkeys hit died in a few breaths.
The bat monkeys were frightened and showed clear hesitation, they did not want
to charge at Zhen Jin and throw away their lives.
“The blue dog fox wolf’s control over the bat monkeys is weakening!”
Zhen Jin keenly discovered.
It was considerably good for him.
After all, he had just transformed and only had half his acid. It was not
enough to kill every bat monkey.
The monkey tail brown bear and the strong life white rhinoceros chased after
him.
Zhen Jin’s current speed was nearly the same as theirs.
He ran in a circle while turning around to spray acid.
Both the bear and the rhinoceros had a massive surface area; thus, the acid was
unavoidable.
However, they were both silver level magic beasts, the corrosive acid did not
have an ideal effect on them. The monkey tail brown bear’s thigh was wounded,
causing it to quickly stumble and slow down. The acid was ineffective on the
rhinoceros’ thick hide or skin.
Zhen Jin shook off the monkey tail brown bear, however it could not lose the
strong life white rhinoceros.
As he ran, Zhen Jin suddenly had a bright idea.
He sprayed acid at a tree trunks in front of him.
After the acid corroded a giant hole into the tree trunks, the tall trees
slowly began to fall.
Zhen Jin quickly ran through the danger zone, however when the rhinoceros soon
arrived, it exacerbated the vibrations in the ground and caused the trees to
topple one after the other.
At least eight trees toppled over, some of them smashing into the rhinoceros’
back, and some blocked the rhinoceros’ path forward.
The rhinoceros could not run and jump, it could only make a detour or start
charging through the trees. Regardless of what it chose, it could not overtake
Zhen Jin in the short term.
Zhen Jin charged towards the blue dog fox wolf’s last known position.
“Bark bark bark.” The blue dog fox wolf’s barking disseminated through the
forest.
The bat monkeys, bear, rhinoceros, and recuperating flying squirrels all began
to draw close to the blue dog fox wolf.
“This?!” Because of this change, Zhen Jin’s attack plan had fizzled out.
“It calmed down? It seemed to sense my attempt!” Zhen Jin had endless regrets
as he watched the magic beast corps surround the blue dog fox wolf and escape.
“Should I give chase?” Zhen Jin hesitated.
At this moment, the sun was sinking under the horizon, the sunset glow shined
on Zhen Jin’s green lizard form and the messy battlefield.
The messy battlefield before him made Zhen Jin determined.
“Give chase!”
The blue dog fox wolf would be too much of a threat if it were left alive. He
did not want the camp to become as dilapidated as this battlefield in the
future.
Zhen Jin started moving his four legs and chased after the blue dog fox wolf.
Just as he was about to leave the battlefield, he stopped again.
He had arrived in front of the magic beast corps’ provisions.
The blue dog fox wolf’s escape was too hasty, it did not have the time to take
the provisions.
Most of the provisions were flying squirrels, there were also bat monkey
corpses and a pile of ore——the monkey tail brown bear’s food.
Zhen Jin activated the core, absorbing and converting all of the corpses.
The core’s magic was greatly replenished and had a few qualitative changes.
“I can now transform into a complete bronze level flying squirrel; my bat
monkey form has also been upgraded to the iron level!”
After finishing, Zhen Jin continued his pursuit.
The blue dog fox wolf had received a serious injury that caused it to
incessantly bleed as it ran.
Zhen Jin had found the blue dog fox wolf’s sprinkled blood along the way.
After the magic beast corps retreated a distance, the blue dog fox wolf stopped
temporarily to rest.
Whenever the green lizard Zhen Jin closed in, the bat monkeys would cause a
commotion and give warning cries.
The blue dog fox wolf had no choice but to flee again.
Zhen Jin discovered that whenever he approached the magic beast corps, the
corps would rapidly retreat and never let Zhen Jin near it.
Zhen Jin realized: “It is very frightening! It also knows I am pursuing it.”
“With the bat monkeys probing with ultrasound, it seems that when I use the
green lizard form, there is nothing I can do that can get me close to them.”
“The fat bat flying fish form is also out of the question. Although it can go
invisible, the bat monkeys can find it with ultrasound. Besides, the fat bat
flying fish will make frog noises.”



****** Chapter 107: I Can also Do Treatment ******
After pondering, Zhen Jin transformed into an iron level bat monkey.
Following this, he did not immediately rush towards the magic beast corps,
rather he went in a diagonal direction while pretending to be a lone and wild
bat monkey that happened to be passing through by chance.
This time, the bat monkeys no longer made any warnings.
The blue dog fox wolf stayed somewhere temporarily.
Zhen Jin gradually approached the magic beast corps.
Some of the bat monkeys were leaving the magic beast corps and entering the
forest.
“The blue dog fox wolf is seriously injured, and it seems it cannot replenish
the fragrance in these bat monkeys. It just lost its control over them.
After discovering this, Zhen Jin was naturally happy.
The bat monkeys would start moving without restraint and will create a chaotic
situation, if this happens, it will give Zhen Jin an opportunity.
Zhen Jin quickly flew into the magic beast corps without arousing any
vigilance.
He found that the magic beast corps had been divided into three defensive
layers, each of them separated clearly.
The outermost layer had ordinary bat monkeys and flying squirrels.
The middle layer had magic beast bat monkeys and flying squirrels.
The innermost layer had the monkey tail brown bear and the strong life white
rhinoceros.
The two large silver level magic beasts surrounded and protected the blue dog
fox wolf, they were loyal, devoted, and meticulous.
Zhen Jin took note: The acid injury on the monkey tail brown bear’s thigh had
already stabilized and there was barely a scar on the strong life white
rhinoceros. Its recovery ability really was absurd.
As for Zhen Jin’s target, the blue dog fox wolf was resting with its head on
the ground, it was in weak health.
Its left eye was a blood hole, currently an iron level bat monkey was using its
nostril and ultrasound to staunch its bleeding.
But its blood did not stop.
There were traces of green in the blood that flowed from its eye socket
“Don’t tell me that the poisonous spotted green moss is effective on the blue
fox dog wolf and is preventing it from healing?” Zhen Jin inevitably guessed.
As the iron level bat monkey repeatedly and quickly treated the blue dog fox
wolf, its ultrasound grew more and more weaker.
The blue dog fox wolf became angry, it suddenly opened its mouth and bit the
iron level bat monkey’s neck, killing the latter on the stop.
Soon after, the blue dog fox wolf grabbed the iron level bat monkey’s carcass
with its claws and began to eat it.
It quickly ate the iron level bat monkey.
“Bark bark bark!” The blue dog fox wolf barked and used its remaining eye to
look at another iron level bat monkey in the middle layer.
The iron level bat monkey immediately came to the blue dog fox wolf’s side and
used its ultrasound to treat the blue dog fox wolf’s wound.
After treating it for some time, the bleeding did not slow down even a little.
The blue dog fox wolf flew into a rage and ate the iron level bat monkey.
Seeing the iron level bat monkey die before their eyes, the other bat monkeys
grew fretful and began to stir.
The blue dog fox wolf’s control over them was growing weaker.
Zhen Jin immediately realized: “This might be my chance!”
If he suddenly transformed into a spear scorpion leader and stormed in now, he
would have little hope of killing the blue dog fox wolf. The previous fight
would likely repeat itself.
However, he could pretend to be a bat monkey, if the blue dog fox wolf chose
him for treatment, Zhen Jin could approach it again.
At that time, with such a short distance and the blue dog fox wolf being so
weak, Zhen Jin transforming into a spear scorpion and assassinating it would be
a cinch.
Using the time when the blue dog fox wolf was immersed in tearing apart its
food, Zhen Jin stealthily flew into the second defensive line.
The second defensive line had magic beast bat monkeys and flying squirrels.
There were a number of them standing around or resting, Zhen Jin was not
conspicuous when sneaking in.
However, after waiting for a good while, the blue dog fox wolf did not point at
him.
The iron level bat monkey could not treat the blue dog fox wolf’s injury. With
blood still incessantly draining from its injury, not only was the blue dog fox
angry, it was panic-stricken as it ate a third bat monkey.
“Why did it not pick me?” Zhen Jin was a bit gloomy.
He could not help but guess as he saw the bat monkeys healing each other:
“Don’t tell me the blue dog fox wolf only chooses those that successfully treat
their comrades?”
Zhen Jin had been standing still and hadn’t blindly acted, that kind of calm
display contrary to expectations, did not enter the blue fox dog wolf’s scope.
Zhen Jin pondered for a while, he increasingly felt that his guess made sense.
He looked around and saw an iron level bat monkey next to him.
The bat monkey had a wound on its back, seeing Zhen Jin at its side, it
immediately cast an odd gaze.
Zhen Jin first cleared his throat, then he blocked one of his nostrils, then he
placed his other nostril on the bat monkey’s wound.
After seeing Zhen Jin’s movement, the injured bat monkey immediately relaxed,
his eyes also showed a hint of appreciation.
“I must succeed in producing ultrasound.” Zhen Jin silently said as he puffed
up.
He was not skilled in this and would fail fifty to sixty percent of the time.
But luckily, he succeeded the first time.
He produced ultrasound; however, Zhen Jin did not shut his mouth, causing
nearly all the soundwaves to come out of his mouth, bombarding the bat monkey’s
hand.
The bat monkey’s body immediately swayed, its ears were buzzing, and its eyes
were blurred. The sound it felt seemed like a thunderclap heard by human ears!
The surrounding bat monkeys were also scared by Zhen Jin’s action, they jumped
or flew away from Zhen Jin.
The wounded monkey steadied its body, then it indignantly glared at Zhen Jin
and shouted at him.
Its hair exploded, despite Zhen Jin not knowing the bat monkey language, he
completely understood the wounded bat monkey’s opinion.
Zhen Jin promptly looked at the blue dog fox wolf, he found that the latter was
still eating the iron level bat monkey and wasn’t paying attention.
Zhen Jin’s heart mouthed: “Quiet, quiet!”
At the same time, he put his hand on the wounded bat monkey’s shoulder, however
the bat monkey shook off his hand and ran away alone.
Zhen Jin helplessly watched it distance itself and was forced to choose another
target.
However, when the other bat monkeys saw Zhen Jin approach, they left at their
own accord and did not let Zhen Jin treat them.
“What happened to basic trust between monkeys?”
Zhen Jin was incessantly vexed.
At that moment, the blue dog fox wolf selected another bat monkey and ignored
Zhen Jin again.
“I’ve got a solution!” As Zhen Jin looked at the ground, he suddenly had an
idea.
He dropped to the ground and used ultrasound to probe for underground food.
He quickly found his target and began to dig with his hands. After a while, he
dug out a white fat earthworm from the ground.
The white and fat earthworm immediately attracted the attention of the other
bat monkeys.
The blue dog fox wolf’s order limited the activities of these bat monkeys, they
could heal each other but they could not break away from their sentinel
positions.
“One is not enough……” Zhen Jin dug out three more.
The white fat earthworm had a strong fragrance, it resembled high quality cow’s
milk and had a wonderful sweetness.
Almost all of the bat monkeys stared at the four earthworms in Zhen Jin’s
hands.
“You are still the most heavily injured.” Zhen Jin looked at the iron level bat
monkey that had run away from him.
This time, as if being enticed by the earthworms in Zhen Jin’s hands, the iron
level bat monkey remained still as it watched Zhen Jin approach.
“I will give you one first.” Zhen Jin put one white fat earthworm into the
injured bat monkey’s mouth.
The wounded bat monkey immediately opened its mouth and ate the white fat
earthworm.
The other bat monkeys looked on helplessly at the injured bat monkey’s constant
chewing, as if they were secretly choking on their saliva. Finally, one of the
iron level bat monkeys was unable to hold back, it then imitated Zhen Jin by
falling to the ground and starting to dig up earthworms.
The wounded bat monkey that had eaten a white fat earthworm wanted to eat more.
But at that moment, Zhen Jin clapped its shoulder and put his nostril on its
wound.
The injured bat monkey hesitated but did not run away.
Zhen Jin was inwardly happy, this time he closed his mouth and blocked his
nostril as he produced ultrasound.
After a moment, pop!
Scarlet blood sprayed from his nostril, with a great amount of it directly
spraying onto the bat monkey’s wound.
The wounded bat monkey was startled, it then jumped onto a tree.
“The ultrasound this time was too energetic.” Zhen Jin was very embarrassed; he
had discovered that his nostril had a grave injury and blood was incessantly
flowing from it.
At last, this action had attracted the attention of the blue dog fox wolf.
Seeing Zhen Jin fail to heal his comrades and instead wounding his silly self,
the blue dog fox wolf clearly looked inquisitive, skeptical, and doubtful.
“Am I……overreaching?” At that moment, Zhen Jin had a feeling that he had been
hoisted by his own petard.
“No, I can do it.”
Zhen Jin flew to where the wounded bat monkey climbed to, he had to prove as
soon as possible that he could heal his comrade.
After a second white fat earthworm, the wounded bat monkey accepted Zhen Jin’s
treatment.
This time Zhen Jin took note of his power as he smoothly applied ultrasound to
the bat monkey’s wound.
However, the wounded bat monkey was unsatisfied as it shouted.
Zhen Jin understood that his power was too small as he began to gently increase
it.
But in the end, he was still a novice that could not stabilize the power of his
ultrasound, causing the power of the ultrasound to fluctuate between strong and
weak.
The wounded bat monkey was being tortured, however when Zhen Jin fed it the
last two white fat earthworms, it persevered through Zhen Jin’s treatment.
……
Finally……its wound finally cauterized and stopped bleeding.
Zhen Jin also paid a price——blood was also flowing out of his healthy nostril
because of his repeated usage of ultrasound.
The wounded bat monkey looked at the bleeding Zhen Jin, its manner becoming
tender.
Casting a gaze at Zhen Jin’s swelling genitals, the wounded mother bat monkey
expression grew a bit more tender.
It lightly grabbed Zhen Jin’s hands, then it unfolded its wings and covered
Zhen Jin’s back, as if embracing Zhen Jin in her bosom.
This action intimidated Zhen Jin and he jumped away.
The mother bat monkey quickly raised her wings and released her hands.
Zhen Jin then detected the bat monkeys’ gaze, as if something was amiss.
Especially the male bat monkeys, who seemed to look at him with hatred and
envy.
Then, the wounded mother bat monkey spat into both its palms, it then put both
palms on Zhen Jin chest and smeared the saliva across him.
This time, the surrounding bat monkeys became agitated, an abundance of them
wanted to row with Zhen Jin.
“What is the meaning of this?” Zhen Jin felt both stupid and somewhat nauseous.
Howl!
At that moment, the blue dog fox wolf had an unusual change.
It raised its head and gave a howl.
“As it turns out it can howl. But why did it suddenly howl?” This immediately
attracted Zhen Jin’s interest.



****** Chapter 108: The Whistling Moon and Death ******
The blue dog fox wolf’s howl destabilized the weather and when Zhen Jin heard
it, he felt his blood rush.
Pop.
The blue dog fox wolf’s howl was suddenly interrupted by a mouthful of blood.
The blue dog fox wolf lowered its head and vomited green laced blood onto the
ground.
After vomiting, the blue dog fox wolf opened its mouth and gasped for breath.
It seemingly wanted to persevere and did not want to lie down again. However,
it was extremely weak, and its situation was not good, Zhen Jin could clearly
see its legs trembling in the moonlight.
Finally, the blue dog fox wolf no longer had the strength and was forced to lie
down again.
After resting for a while, it did not make a bat monkey give it treatment,
rather it used it strength to straighten its back, hold up its head, and howl
at the crescent moon in the sky.
The howl was shorter than the previous one.
Because the blue dog fox wolf quickly coughed up blood again.
It laid down again and rested for even longer. In addition, the corners of its
mouth had blood foam and its ice-blue eyes became dim, as if a layer of mist
was covering them, its eyes were no longer as clear and sharp as before.
As it gasped for air, its belly rapidly undulated, giving people the impression
that its situation was hopeless, it seemed to spare no effort every time it
breathed.
After gasping for breath for a good while, the blue dog fox wolf crawled back
up and howled for a third time.
The wolf howl was already weak and was even briefer
The blue dog fox wolf lay on the ground again.
A thought suddenly leapt into Zhen Jin’s mind: “It’s dying!”
The poisonous spotted green moss’ efficacy greatly surpassed Zhen Jin’s
expectations.
Although Zhen Jin had at least a silver level cultivation, he was a human. The
blue dog fox wolf was a silver level magic beast, its bodily essence was far
stronger than Zhen Jin’s.
“Perhaps it was too gravely wounded, not only did I stab out its eye, I also
snapped off its tail. It had been violently running throughout its journey and
lost too much blood.
Following this, the blue dog fox wolf howled several times.
The blue dog fox wolf’s howls became increasingly muffled and fleeting, it
seemed to resemble an elderly coughing.
However, Zhen Jin calmly listened, when he saw these changes, he did not find
the blue dog fox wolf’s sorry figure funny, instead sorrow sprung up unbidden.
The blue dog fox wolf seemed to have magnificent aspirations; however, it was
already at its life’s end. It still wanted to run, it still wanted to attack,
and it still wanted to control the beast groups, however it was indeed at its
life’s end.
In the end, it fell to the ground and waited for death to come.
The blue dog fox wolf seemed to have a premonition, it did not want to resign
itself to the ground, it wanted its legs to support its body.
But it could not do so.
It used all of its strength; however, it could only slightly squirm and claw
its way out of its pool of blood.
Its breathing had already ceased.
Its eyes fell and lost their luster.
Its body lay as motionless as a statue.
Under the moonlight, a statue stood in a pool of blood.
The night wind slowly blew and faintly brushed its fur. It seemed to be the
last of its vitality and its final stubbornness.
When it completely died, its magic power also rapidly dissipated.
Zhen Jin was in a complex mood.
As he degenerated and struggled to survive on this island, he had encountered
many magic beasts. Things like the python vines and the gigantic lava turtles
have reached the gold level. The spear scorpion, monkey tail brown bear, and
blade spider made him face death. However, the thing that gave him the deepest
impression was still the blue dog fox wolf.
This was the second blue dog fox wolf he had killed.
In fact, when he discovered that Zong Ge and his group were sweeping their
traces, Zhen Jin had already started a battle of wits against the blue dog fox
wolf.
Later Zhen Jin saved the camp, quickly helped the boat craftsman and the
others, then invited Zong Ge. Because of Zong Ge and his people along with
those guarding the camp, Zhen Jin began to unravel the blue dog fox wolf’s
cruel diversionary tactics.
If Zhen Jin made a strategic error, it might have led to a chain of defeats and
would have left the blue dog fox wolf as the final victor.
The fight this morning in the camp was the turning point in the war between
Zhen Jin and the blue dog fox wolf. When Zhen Jin heard the dog bark, he did
not hesitate to rely on his heart’s intuition. Thus, he tenaciously grabbed the
flaw and exposed the blue dog fox wolf.
Later during the pursuit, Zong Ge gave up but Zhen Jin persevered.
After dealing a serious injury to the blue dog fox wolf, Zhen Jin definitely
knew the following risks were greatly increased, however he still persevered
and took risks, his determination remained incomparably resolute.
Finally, he snuck into the magic beast corps again, took the trouble to act and
wanted to deal a fatal blow to it, until at last, the blue dog fox wolf
succumbed to its injuries.
Seeing the wolf corpse in a pool of blood, Zhen Jin’s heart was full of
admiration, accomplishment, and a faint feeling of loss.
……
If it were a human, he would definitely salute his counterpart. So much so that
Zhen Jin might recall this time in his later years……perhaps in a snowy paradise
where his aged body was lying on a couch, with a fireplace illuminating his
elderly spots and a group of children surrounding him, his vision would sink
into the depths of his memory as he perplexed over and analyzed this great
adversary.
However, the blue dog fox wolf was only a blue dog fox wolf.
Zhen Jin also wasn’t a human, he was only an iron level bat monkey currently,
nothing more.
The monkey tail brown bear and the strong life white rhinoceros stuck at the
corpse’s side. The bat monkeys and flying squirrels also did not scatter.
There was still time before the blue dog fox wolf’s fragrance reached its time
limit.
Zhen Jin sorted out his feelings as he swept his eyes around his surroundings,
his eyes became burning hot.
These were all good prey that could be absorbed and converted by the core!
Zhen Jin was used to thinking and was more deliberate.
It could be said that most of what happened to the blue dog fox wolf, was due
to the core. Without the core, Zhen Jin could not have pursued it or carried
out his plan to lure, conceal, and behead it.
“Look at how suave the monkey tail brown bear’s body is, look at its muscles
and its bear legs.”
“Look at the strong life white rhinoceros again with its frightening recovery
ability, what injury would I fear if I had it?”
“The most crucial thing is the blue dog fox wolf. If I am able to emit the
fragrance, I can subdue other magic beasts. With it, I can go anywhere on this
island.
“Of course, it is not likely I can transform into a complete blue dog fox wolf
by just absorbing one.”
It doesn’t matter.
Zhen Jin was full of hope.
Because this was the second blue dog fox wolf he had encountered.
“With two, would a third and fourth be close?”
Howl——
As Zhen Jin was thinking, wolf howls were suddenly heard from the northeast and
the southeast.
Zhen Jin was stunned and his heart quaked.
He was familiar with these wolf howls.
The two wolf howls signified that at both ends, there was a blue dog fox wolf.
Zhen Jin had his wishes come true, he wanted a third and fourth blue dog fox
wolf, and they had appeared.
But Zhen Jin did not laugh one bit.
“As it turns out, it was calling out to its companions before it died!”
“It seems to have left its will through its wolf howl. What did these blue dog
fox wolves exchange between each other?”
“Did it expose the camp’s location? Did it expose that the fragrance cannot
control spear scorpions?”
“No way! These two blue dog fox wolves will also die. I will simply kill them
when they are alone!!”
Zhen Jin’s heart held a strong killing intent.
The beast group here had not scattered; thus, it could be disregarded.
The two new blue dog fox wolves were the biggest threat.
However, when Zhen Jin used ultrasound to probe, he was astonished to find that
both blue dog fox wolves were not alone, both were leading their own magic
beast corps.
From the ultrasound image, Zhen Jin found the familiar silhouettes of bat
monkeys, flying squirrels, and monkey tail brown bears.
In addition to this, he found a type of immense snake. The immense snake’s head
was pointed, it had an enormous build, and a very obese tail.
“This is far from good! In the short term, I cannot kill them.”
Zhen Jin’s intuition informed him: if he transformed into a spear scorpion
again and wanted to use the same plan as before, he feared that both blue dog
fox wolves would beat him at his own game.
Zhen Jin gave up on killing the blue dog fox wolves, he decided to fly away
from the magic beast corps and then transformed into a green lizard.
The green lizard once again charged into the alerted magic beast corps, its
constant acid spraying attracted the interest of the monkey tail brown bear and
strong life white rhinoceros, as well as the bat monkey and flying squirrel
groups.
Zhen Jin rotated around them in a circle, then he transformed into an iron
level bat monkey and hurried to the wolf corpse.
He then transformed into an iron level lizard and carried the corpse away.
Without the blue dog fox wolf’s commands, the magic beast corps lacked a leader
and had limited intelligence, thus they were duped by Zhen Jin’s simple scheme.
The blue dog fox wolf’s corpse was finally in his hands!
Zhen Jin hoped that after the core converted it, he had the organ that emitted
the fragrance.



****** Chapter 109: My Lord, Your Nose is Bleeding ******
The moonlight tonight was not bright, and the forest made it seem even darker.
A green lizard was walking through the forest. Strangely, the green lizard was
carrying a silver level wolf corpse, the corpse’s blood decorated the path with
its blood.
“Doing this is making me easy to track.” The green lizard was a transformed
Zhen Jin. When he sensed the bloodstains, he stopped.
His current position was far from where the blue dog fox wolf had died.
Zhen Jin sunk into pondering: “It would be unfortunate if all this wolf blood
fell to the ground. Perhaps I can gather it and give it over to Zi Di for
research, she can examine why the poisonous spotted green moss can restrain the
blue dog fox wolf. Maybe Zi Di can make more poisons.”
Thinking of this, Zhen Jin tossed the wolf corpse to the ground, then sprayed
acid.
He emptied his venom sac of acid and made sure it was completely clear.
Then, he put his mouth onto the wolf corpse and used the special muscles in his
mouth and neck to produce a strong suction force.
Zhen Jin quickly sucked in all of the wolf corpse’s remaining blood into his
venom sac.
Even if Zhen Jin weren’t worried about being poisoned, he could use his magic
crystal to detoxify himself.
Turning around, Zhen Jin decided to scout out the magic beast corps and their
associated blue dog fox wolf.
“Wait a moment.” Zhen Jin was just about to transform into a bat monkey when he
suddenly had a new notion.
He thought of before, when he overlaid the spear scorpion transformation with
the poisonous spotted green moss transformation.
“What if I used the green lizard body but transformed my head into a bat
monkey’s?”
Zhen Jin tried to do this and quickly succeeded.
Now he was a green lizard with a bat monkey head.
“If I spray acid now, I will certainly die. The acid can travel through the
green lizard neck, however when it arrives at the bat monkey mouth, it will not
shoot out of it.
With this form, Zhen Jin attempted to produce ultrasound.
His vocal cords were similar to a bat monkey’s; however, his lungs were still
that of a green lizard’s.
After failing twice, Zhen Jin succeeded the third time.
The probing sounds echoed without a hitch.
The area he was originally at was in chaos, the magic beast corps left behind
was being pincered by the other two magic beast corps.
Without a blue dog fox wolf commanding them, the remaining magic beast corps
was sure to lose and have its survivors annexed.
What made Zhen Jin amazed was: “These two magic beast corps are not fighting
against each other and the two new blue dog fox wolves are not hostile to each
other, as if they are in some cooperative relationship.
“Do they want to first annihilate the remnants of this magic beast corps before
attacking each other?”
“Or have they begun to join hands because of the prior howling?”
Zhen Jin guessed, if it were the latter situation, that would indicate that the
dying blue dog fox wolf might have left behind a lot of information in its
howls.
Zhen Jin then stopped producing ultrasound and transformed back into a complete
green lizard.
“The overall result is still pretty good.”
Perhaps because the green lizard had a longer neck and airflow compared to a
bat monkey, Zhen Jin was able to have an adequate perception and controlled his
airflow better.
As a result, the ultrasound he produced no longer swung between extremes, it
maintained a frequency range.
However, the frequencies this form could produce was far lower than what a bat
monkey could produce.
“I was using green lizard lungs, in contrast, bat monkey lungs can contract and
expand, making them more powerful.
“Anyways, I really managed to combine the life forms of the bat monkey and the
green lizard together!”
“How wonderful, the green lizard is a cold blooded animal while the bat monkey
is a warm blooded one, it is a contradiction for both to coexist together.”
Zhen Jin had once asked Cang Xu for guidance.
Every lifeform had their own unique system, it was not possible to combine the
best parts of each creature to create the strongest beast.
But now, Zhen Jin clearly was trending towards this achievement.
To his surprise, the bat monkey head and the green lizard body coexisted
harmoniously.
“However, this multilayered transformation severely consumes the core’s magic!”
Zhen Jin’s eyes suddenly flashed.
“Maybe I found the reason. The position of these body parts does not need to
rely on themselves to be assembled and coexist. Their real core is my magic
crystal.”
“By constantly consuming the magic core’s magic, I can transform and possess
the form and organs of other creatures.”
In fact, Zhen Jin had already done a multilayered transformation earlier. When
he was dealing with the fat ball flying fish in the oasis, he had transformed
his arm into a bear’s and his eye into a lizard’s.
Zhen Jin’s thoughts continued to diverge.
“Hold on, can I sprout bat wings as a green lizard?”
A pair of bat wings quickly sprouted from Zhen Jin’s green lizard form, he
seemed to resemble a wyvern.
Zhen Jin tried to flap his wings.
He could fly; however, it was very strenuous. Regardless of whether it was the
altitude, speed, or flexibility, all were inferior to a bat monkey’s.
“Bat monkeys have special muscles on their backs that allow them to flap their
wings more powerfully and at a higher frequency.
“The muscles on a green lizard's back are for running or swimming. It is very
tough for these muscles to support a pair of bat wings.
With practice came real knowledge.
After trying, Zhen Jin immediately had many profound experiences.
“I got a little carried away. Now is not the time to be experiential.” Zhen Jin
quickly reversed the spell and canceled the transformation, then he continued
to run with the wolf corpse.
Without wasting too much time, he finally returned to the hilltop he had jumped
off of.
He succeeded in finding his clothes and equipment.
Looking at the wolf corpse again, Zhen Jin sank into hesitation.
“What should he do with it?
Zhen Jin knew he had two choices.
The first choice was to return with the intact wolf corpse and give it to Cang
Xu for dissection, maybe he could analyze the secrets behind the fragrance the
blue dog fox wolf used to control other beasts.
The second choice was to absorb and convert it with the core.
The first was dependable while the second was actually a gamble. Zhen Jin
understood that absorbing just one blue dog fox wolf would not allow him to
transform into a complete form. However, if his gamble paid off, Zhen Jin would
have the organ that produced the fragrance, it would be extremely profitable.
Zhen Jin thought for a while, then decided to gamble.
He used a spider blade to cut off a few blue wolf hairs. Then he poured out the
water pouch and sprayed the wolf blood in.
Then, he activated the core to absorb and convert the wolf corpse.
“Now I can transform……a wolf nose? And wolf hair?”
Zhen Jin felt very regretful.
His gamble failed. There was nothing great about the two options.
The wolf nose’s sense of smell exceeded a human’s; however, Zhen Jin had the
spear scorpion and green lizard form, both of which had a pretty good sense of
smell.
The wolf hair could protect against the cold, however in this weather it was
unnecessary.
Without any other options, Zhen Jin transformed back into a human, put on his
clothes, strapped on his sword and water bag, then set out once again.
After a few steps, he pursed his brows.
He had been fine when transforming into other forms, but after he had put on
his clothes, every movement caused his clothes to chafe genitals, deepening the
pain and injury there.
“If I eliminated the strong life white rhinoceros and absorbed it, with luck
this injury would not pose a problem for me.”
Zhen Jin sighed, he had no alternative but to take off his clothes and
equipment and transform again.
He transformed into an iron level bat monkey, he then grabbed his clothes,
rapier, boots, and water pouch as he flew through the night sky.
Flying through the treetops saved him a lot of time.
He would fly for a bit, then stopped to scout with ultrasound to guard against
anyone seeing this particular scene. Although at night, human line of sight was
greatly limited. However, if by any chance?
Zhen Jin was still very cautious.
His trip to camp went smoothly and no inconveniences were encountered.
He then dropped into a dark corner and transformed into a human. After putting
on his clothes and enduring his indisposed crotch, he arrived at the camp’s
large gate.
“Who are you?!” Zhen Jin’s appearance caused the guards to become vigilant.
When the other guards clearly saw him, they shouted with pleasant surprise:
“Ah, it’s you Lord Zhen Jin.”
“Lord Zhen Jin, it really is Lord Zhen Jin.”
“Lord Zhen Jin has returned!”
The two guards opened the gate together. Zhen Jin came and saw a gigantic snake
corpse.
“Is that?” Zhen Jin’s eyes flashed.
The snake corpse was six meters long and resembled a forest boa. However, its
head and tail were unusual. It had a crocodile head and a bloated tail that
looked like a giant hammer.
Zhen Jin scanned again and found that the snake’s scales were also nonstandard,
they looked like crocodile skin.
“The prey Zong Ge killed was a silver level magic beast.”
“Cang Xu has dissected a portion of it and called it crocodile head hammer tail
boa!”
The two guards had introduced Zhen Jin to it.
“So that’s how it is.” Zhen Jin nodded and asked, “How did Zong Ge eliminate it
and is he wounded?”
The guards shook their heads, indicating that they did not know.
“Your Lordship and Zong Ge pursued the hidden hand together, Zong Ge has
returned with something, but your Lordship has not.”
“Lord Zi Di, Lan Zoa, Hei Juan, and the others went over to the other camp to
interrogate Zong Ge.”
“Zong Ge gave us this crocodile head hammer tail boa.”
“It is truly good that your Lordship has returned.”
Zhen Jin muttered to himself, the guards found that he looked a bit sorrowful.
It was clear that when Zong Ge returned while he was missing, Zi Di, Cang Xu,
and the others were faced with great pressure.
“Ah, Lord Zhen Jin it really is you!” Xi Suo was the first to hear the
commotion and ran over.
Although Zhen Jin had seized his authority, his heart was joyous when he saw
Zhen Jin.
Zhen Jin nodded to Xi Suo and commanded: “Now that I have returned, there is an
important matter I need to discuss with everyone, in addition, please ask Zong
Ge and Tripleblade to come over.
Half an hour later.
The wooden house.
On the wooden table, there were many candles illuminating a pile of wolf hair.
“That is approximately what happened.” Zhen Jin had finished narrating to the
others in the house.
Mu Ban gasped in surprise: “That is hard to imagine! With just a scent, it can
control other beast species?”
“Scholar Cang Xu, what is your opinion?” Zhen Jin inquired.
Cang Xu muttered: “Scents have a wide range of effects on creatures.”
“Take the ant for example. When ants are searching for food, they will leave a
scent behind so others can follow it and collaborate to find food.”
“Another example is bucks. When bucks are seeking for a mate, they will wipe
their bodies on trees and leave behind their scent. When a doe smells the
scent, they will search for the buck at once.”
In addition, hyenas, lions, wolves, and others all use urine to mark their
territory, and as road signs so they don’t get lost.
“Skunks use foul odors to defend themselves by assailing an enemy’s nose so
they can flee. Ring tail lemurs use foul odors to duel each other, whoever wins
acquires a higher status in the lemur group.”
As Cang Xu spoke of this, he shook his head: “But I have never heard of a scent
subduing other types of beasts.”
“The actions of the blue dog fox wolf are actually similar to that of a
sheepdog’s.”
“Farm owners keep sheepdogs that help the farm raise sheep, prevent the escape
of cows, goats, and horses, and defend against the attacks of bears and wolves.
Zi Di started talking: “According to Lord Zhen Jin’s description, only the
artificial magic beasts are affected. It is extremely likely that the effects
of the blue dog fox wolf’s scent were specifically arranged by the island
master.”
“Think about it everyone, the island master so many conflicts and weapons, how
could there not be an army? The island owner made the blue dog fox wolves to be
the commander of the beast groups.”
Zi Di had always been a supporter of the weapons conjecture, in fact, she was
the first to mention it.
Afterwards, Cang Xu also changed his mind and backed this conjecture.
“It's a pity that we do not have an intact wolf corpse on hand, otherwise I
could dissect it and understand more of its secrets.” Cang Xu shook his head
regretfully.
Zi Di immediately retorted: “No, what Lord Zhen Jin did was correct. How could
his Lordship carry such a heavy wolf corpse so far in the woods late at night?”
“His Lordship had been tailing the beast group for a long time, and just as the
blue dog fox wolf attempted to subdue a monkey tail brown bear, he risked his
life to ambush and kill the blue dog fox wolf.”
“Lord Zhen Jin, to just use a human’s strength to resolve the persistent threat
to the camp is already extraordinary.”
Zhen Jin looked at the girl’s beautiful amethyst eyes, he slightly smiled and
reached out to hold Zi Di’s hand on the table.
Zi Di subconsciously pulled back her hand slightly, however she stopped and let
Zhen Jin hold her hand.
Zhen Jin continued: “Unfortunately I heard two additional blue dog fox wolves
howling. I do now understand what the howls were expressing and passing on.
However, we must be vigilant, according to the worst circumstances——we might
very well be faced with the combined forces of two blue dog fox wolf magic
beast corps!”
Everyone looked grave.
“It seems we need to change our strategy.” Mu Ban said, “We cannot just cut
wood, we need to make powerful crossbows with all speed. Lord Zhen Jin once led
the exploration team and annihilated a flying squirrel group with short bows.
We can draw from this success.”
“We know many models of crossbows and we discussed it with Lord Zi Di during
dinner. Lord Zi Di can provide potions that can corrode metal. As long as we
have enough metal crossbow prods, wood, and time, we will have a steady flow of
crossbows.”
Everyone listening nodded, this was a good suggestion.
Zong Ge then opened his mouth: “It is extremely likely the blue dog fox wolves’
magic beast corps will continue to trouble us. Rather than passively waiting
for their attacks, it would be better to take the initiative and attack them.
“We are a lone army in a boundless sea of trees, that is too risky.” Xi Suo
immediately shook his head.
Zong Ge laughed: “I am of the opinion that we should purge all beast groups
near the camp!”
Everyone’s eyes shined.
Tripleblade agreed: “Lord Zong Ge is right. According to Lord Zhen Jin’s
information, the fragrance has a time limit. The scopes of the magic beast
corps are also limited by food, they cannot increase without restrictions.”
“If all nearby beat groups are cleanly purged, the blue dog fox wolves cannot
find support. At the same time, we can obtain beast meat and increase our food
reserves by purging them.”
“If we want to do this, we need more detailed information first.” Zhen Jin
muttered.
Zong Ge laughed heartily, there seemed to be spears behind his gaze as he
looked at Zhen Jin with a challenging attitude: “Then let's investigate first.
You are in charge of half and I will be in charge of the other. Let's use the
camp as the center and investigate all the terrain and beast groups within a
kilometer. What do you think about that templar knight?”
Zhen Jin looked at Zong Ge silently for a moment.
He knew what Zong Ge was thinking.
This time, Zong Ge had massacred a silver level magic beast, but in the end,
lost track of the blue dog fox wolf. But Zhen Jin had achieved that, even
according to the description he gave, he had used his human strength to kill
the greatest threat, the blue dog fox wolf.
This accomplishment would certainly be made public, and everyone would know
about it.
Thus, Zong Ge would undoubtedly be compared.
Zong Ge’s status was a flaw, and with the addition of being compared to this
military success, Zhen Jin’s influence over the group would rise rapidly.
Zong Ge did not want to see this happen.
“Perhaps because you have trained in the army, you are well acquainted with
intelligence gathering. But is it really beneficial to have a competition with
me?”
After thinking of this, Zhen Jin sighed and slightly nodded: “Then let's do
that.”
The discussion ended and everyone dispersed.
As Zhen Jin was thinking, he came to Zi Di’s tent.
“Zi Di, are you sleeping?”
“I’m still awake, my Lord. Please come in.” Zi Di’s voice came from inside the
tent.
Zhen Jin opened the flap and entered.
Zi Di was still wearing her hooded magic gown, the spacious magic gown made the
girl appear more petite and pitiful.
Seeing Zi Di’s appearance, Zhen Jin sighed as he walked over to Zi Di and
hugged her.
Zi Di’s body slightly trembled, but she did not resist.
“What are you afraid of?” Zhen Jin quietly comforted.
He understood that the blue dog fox wolf had been an immense psychological
shadow over Zi Di.
“With your Lordship here, I am unafraid.” Zi Di softly replied.
“Yes, I will always be by your side. The first blue dog fox wolf died under my
foot and the second one is dead too. The third and the fourth, even if more
appear, as long as you have me, none of them will harm you. I guarantee you!”
Zhen Jin consoled.
Zi Di raised her head up in Zhen Jin’s chest: “Lord Zhen Jin, I trust you.”
As if sensing something, the girl’s expression became peculiar.
“Oh, right. The main reason I found you was because of some blood.” Zhen Jin
smiled at Zi Di.
“I need you to do something covertly.”
“Don’t tell anyone else about the outcome.”
Zi Di’s face suddenly blushed.
“My Lord, what……do you want to do?”
Zhen Jin looked at Zi Di’s expression, after a moment of reflection, he
realized that she had misunderstood him.
“Don’t misunderstand me, I am referring to……” His words were interrupted by Zi
Di.
“My Lord, your nose is bleeding.”
“Ah.” Zhen Jin also felt the blood flowing down as he said with extreme
awkwardness, “Listen to me Zi Di, it is not the thing you are thinking of.”



****** Chapter 110: My Lord, please be Nervous ******
The sky was filled with the glow of sunset, the red made people palpitate.
A rain of blood showered.
“Awoo——!”
With the wolf howl, two murderous blue dog fox wolves arrived. With bodies as
massive as a strong life white rhinoceros, they smashed into the camp gate.
The people in the camp were fleeing in panic.
“My Lord, save me!” As she was running Zi Di tripped.
The two blue dog fox wolves stepped closed in on the girl, their sharp teeth
bared, and red gums exposed. They expressed their malevolence and their eyes
seemed to shine green, as if showing their extreme hunger.
“Zi Di, don't be afraid, I am here.” Zhen Jin shouted as he ran over.
But when Zi Di saw Zhen Jin, she instead shrieked: “Ah, don’t come any closer!”
Another blue dog fox wolf! Sorry, I can’t save you.” Hei Juan shouted, and he
began to flee Zi Di’s side. His trembling tone revealed his intense dread.
An arrow pierced the air and hit Zhen Jin’s back.
“I hit it!” Bai Ya cheered from a distance.
Lan Zao with a knife in hand, pounced Zhen Jin and cut his belly, causing blood
to flow from it.
Lan Zao indignantly gazed at Zhen Jin as he shouted “Even if my master is gone,
I will use my life to protect his mistress! Get lost brute.”
“Let me handle it.” Suddenly there was a figure under him, it was Zong Ge.
Zong Ge’s hands were holding the short spears that had been on his back, he
used them to pierce Zhen Jin’s chest and stab his heart.
Zhen Jin had suffered a mortal blow, and his eyes widened as he fell to the
ground with a bang.
“Lord Zong Ge killed a blue dog fox wolf!” Tripleblade yelled.
The remaining two blue dog fox wolves fled in fear.
“Zong Ge! Zong Ge!” The camp’s cheers echoed.
At that moment, Zhen Jin reverted from a blue dog fox wolf form back to his
human one.
The cheering stopped spontaneously, everyone encircled the body and gazed at
Zhen Jin’s fallen body with shock, doubt, disdain, disgust, and more.
Zi Di suddenly burst into the crowd, knelt to the ground, sobbing as she
embraced Zhen Jin’s head: “My Lord, you are bleeding!”
After a moment, Zhen Jin opened his eyes suddenly in the tent.
“Pant pant pant……” He gasped as his eyes focused and found himself still
sleeping in the tent.
He slowly sat up and touched his forehead, it was covered in cold sweat.
“Another nightmare!”
After realizing this, Zhen Jin gradually calmed down.
There was no light source in the tent, the candle in it had already been
extinguished by Zhen Jin.
Sunlight passed through small cracks in the tent, it was already dawn.
Outside the tent, there were sounds of people moving about.
“How long did I sleep?”
Zhen Jin stood up, tidied up his underwear, and put on his leather armor and
boots. Finally, he strapped the rapier, his water bag, and a few rations on his
waist. Putting on these supplies was a habit that was immediately formed after
Zhen Jin had been teleported.
Before opening the tent flap, Zhen Jin examined himself.
He found that the swelling in his genitals had already gone down.
In a split second, yesterday's awkward scene in Zi Di’s tent floated into his
mind.
Originally, Zhen Jin wanted to ask Zi Di for some potions that reduced
swelling, however in the end, he did not bring it up, instead he gave a hurried
goodbye to Zi Di.
Fortunately, after resting for half a night, Zhen Jin’s recovery ability had
already restored him.
After leaving the tent, Zhen Jin found Lan Zao. The latter was standing
straight as he meticulously guarded the tent.
Detecting Zhen Jin’s arrival, Lan Zao immediately saluted and respectfully
said: “Good morning my master.”
Zhen Jin nodded: “Have you eaten?”
“Not yet master.”
“Then let's go eat together.”
“Yes master.”
With Zhen Jin in front and Lan Zao behind him, they walked into camp.
The camp was doing repairs everywhere. At the most important wooden house, the
small giant was beating stakes with his fist. The stakes penetrated deep into
the soil, creating a new foundation for the wooden house.
The small giant’s injuries had already disappeared, one of the benefits of the
giant bloodline was a powerful recovery ability.
On the other side, Mu Ban’s team was using axes, saws, and other tools to
process wood.
“Don’t use that kind of saw, use this one!”
“Stop, let me see how you did.”
“You simply wasted wood doing that!”
Mu Ban was constantly berating his subordinates, his anger was not small.
At Zi Di’s tent, a sunroof had been intentionally opened, black pungent smoke
rose from it. It was evident that she was mixing potions.
Zhen Jin and Lan Zao stopped in front of the bonfire.
There was an iron cooking pot on the bonfire, the broth bubbling in it gave off
a strong aroma.
The camp still did not have a kitchen, and it was unlikely to get one in the
future. At most, a work shed would be built to shield against rain and wind.
However, there was a specialist in charge of cooking.
Breakfast was quickly presented to them.
Breakfast was simple, it was the meat broth. However, having boiling water
already made Zhen Jin happy. The meat flavor was decent, and most crucially, it
had chewiness.
“Is this the meat of that crocodile head hammer tail boa?” Zhen Jin asked.
The cook immediately replied: “Yes my Lord. Lord Zi Di has already inspected it
and found no traces of poison. The snake really is huge, it’s body can feed us
for three whole days.
“Ok.” Zhen Jin, with the bowl, walked over to the corpse of the crocodile head
hammer tail boa.
He had returned late last night; he did not have time to examine it carefully.
After the emergency discussion with everyone and consoling Zi Di for a while,
he returned to his tent and slept.
He had been sleeping until now.
Zhen Jin drank the broth while examining the giant snake corpse.
The crocodile head hammer tail boa’s body was enormous, if one calculated its
weight, it should be heavier than a strong life white rhinoceros.
Of all the magic beasts Zhen Jin had seen on this island, only the gigantic
lava turtle was larger and heavier than the crocodile head hammer tail boa.
“It seems it cost Zong Ge a lot of effort to kill this silver level magic
beast.”
Zhen Jin surveyed the entire snake corpse, he did not find any spear wounds,
instead he found many bite marks.
“Lord Zhen Jin.” At that moment, Bai Ya came to pay his respects to Zhen Jin.
His arm was still bandaged, the fracture on his arm, according to a normal
person’s recovery ability, would take at least one to two months to heal.
“At dawn, Zong Ge and his people went out to investigate.”
“My Lord, I grew up in a small forest. Maybe I cannot hunt now, but I can
surely help your Lordship in reconnaissance!” Bai Ya enthusiastically
volunteered at his own accord.
Zhen Jin smiled: “Have you eaten?”
“I already ate my Lord.” Bai Ya’s face was fervent, he wanted to hear Zhen Jin
say——We will set off at once.
But Zhen Jin gave Bai Ya the wooden bowl: “Then get me another bowl, I still
need to eat a bit more.”
Bai Ya was stunned, he soon reacted and took the bowl: “It is my honor your
Lordship.”
Zhen Jin began to leisurely eat a second bowl of broth.
Lan Zao ate a bowl and followed Zhen Jin, maintaining his silence.
Bai Ya looked at the unhurried Zhen Jin, his heart becoming increasingly
impatient, he wanted to urge but couldn’t open his mouth. After all, he knew
that Zhen Jin had returned to the camp late into the night.
“It seems my heart still has fear after all.” Zhen Jin sighed as he recalled
his dream.
Zong Ge’s investigation challenge was not in Zhen Jin’s heart, because he knew
he held victory in his hands.
However, he had taken in Bai Ya’s entire expression and it touched his heart.
“Move.” After eating his fill, Zhen Jin led a group of people out of camp.
Outside of Bai Ya, the group consisted of a few others, including Lan Zao and
Xi Suo.
This was all Cang Xu’s arrangement, Zhen Jin had already approved it during
last night’s meeting.
Just one person conducting investigation work was very inefficient.
This place prohibited the usage of magic and battle qi, Zhen Jin would be more
effective as the reconnaissance team’s protector.
Nothing about drawing a map was easy.
The pink potion was quickly depleted——of course there was not much of it left.
At noon, Zhen Jin’s team returned to camp for lunch.
Bai Ya reported to him with worry: “Lord Zhen Jin, we have not seen Zong Ge,
nor his people return. They should have eaten outside.”
When evening came, and as the sun fell below the treetops, Zhen Jin’s team had
already returned to camp.
Bai Ya reported again: “My Lord, Zong Ge and his people still haven’t returned.
They are using their full strength!”
The phrase “full strength” moved Zhen Jin’s heart.
He suddenly realized: he felt pressure under the current situation, and Zong Ge
was surely feeling even more than him.
“It's not easy.” Zhen Jin sighed.
Bai Ya slightly glared, he thought his well-meaning advice and tactful
persuasion would arise vigilance and nervousness in Zhen Jin, he did not expect
a sigh of regret.
Bai Ya was really anxious: “My Lord, we can also carry rations, continue our
investigation past noon, we need not squander valuable time going back and
forth from camp.”
“Ok, that is a good proposal, let’s do that tomorrow.” Zhen Jin was willing to
accept his advice.
This was his original plan. Although victory was in his grasp, he still needed
to pretend to prevent others from having doubts.
When the curtain of night completely descended, movement was heard near camp,
Zong Ge’s group had finally returned.
Because of the bloodlines in Zong Ge, Tripleblade, and the others, there must
be one among them that had night vision.
But Zong Ge still returned. They had used their full strength during the day,
all of them were physically and emotionally exhausted, their military strength
had drastically declined.
There were many predators in the night forest, it was a risky place.
The most crucial thing was the intelligence Zhen Jin returned with, it was
likely the two blue dog fox wolves would try to find trouble with everyone.
As a result of that, even if Zong Ge was brave, he was still worried about the
magic beast corps launching a surprise attack.
This choice was very convenient for Zhen Jin.
After eating dinner, he went into the forest alone, justifying that it was a
patrol.
The pretext he had intentionally tossed out was already effective, no one
doubted his intentions.
After going far from camp and confirming no one was around, he took off his
clothes and practiced all kinds of magic beast forms.
With the silver level spear scorpion form, he mainly practiced turning at high
speeds.
With the iron level bat monkey form, he used ultrasound more proficiently.
With the bronze level flying squirrel form, he attempted to discharge an
electrical attack.
“Time is too short!”
“The amount I need to practice has also increased.”
Zhen Jin spent half the night strenuously training, almost never stopping to
rest.
When it was very early in the morning, Zhen Jin turned back to camp, entered
his tent, and took a nap without delay.



****** Chapter 111: It is Time to Take it Out ******
When the second day arrived, Zhen Jin was awakened by a noise.
“What is going on?” Zhen Jin opened his hazy eyes.
After listening attentively for a moment, it seemed like he was hearing Zong
Ge’s voice.
Because he had been engrossed in training last night and was really tired, Zhen
Jin hadn’t taken off his leather armor, he only threw off the rapier and his
water bag before sleeping.
This time, he got up, put on the rapier, lifted the tent flap, and left the
tent immediately.
The dispute had just ended, and Zong Ge and his people were leaving.
There were crossbows in their hands.
“Lord Zhen Jin!” When Xi Suo saw Zhen Jin, he seemed to find his spine.
He promptly ran to Zhen Jin and pointed to Zong Ge and his people: “Those
people are too barbarous; they are running off with most of the crossbows!”
When the people at Zong Ge’s side saw Zhen Jin arriving, they stopped one after
the other with nervous expressions.
Zong Ge calmly gazed at Zhen Jin and indifferently said: “Yesterday we explored
for a distance of eight kilometers and were met with no less than twenty
attacks. The more crossbows we have, the more we can investigate and decrease
our losses.”
“Templar knight, I think you should understand what the current situation is.”
Zhen Jin looked at Zong Ge, staying silent for a moment.
After the youngster keenly observed, he found his impression of Zong Ge’s armor
had changed, it was cruder and had been modified a lot, in particular, there
were clear traces of a gigantic squeezing force around the waist.
In addition, not only were there two short spears on Zong Ge’s back, there was
also an enormous white bone hammer.
The bone hammer was astonishingly dense and very heavy, it was obvious that it
was a remolded crocodile head hammer tail boa tailbone.
Zhen Jin knew about this point.
Yesterday, Zong Ge dispatched some people to take away the crocodile head
hammer tail boa’s tailbone. They were unexpectedly quick and after a day, Zong
Ge added this new weapon to his arsenal.
Zhen Jin did not speak and neither did Zong Ge.
Both sides sunk into a brief silence and the deadlocked situation gradually
turned tense.
“That bone hammer doesn’t seem half bad.” Suddenly, Zhen Jin slightly smiled
and smashed the silence.
“Anyone wounded? Any casualties? Perhaps I can arrange something and have Zi Di
mix some potions.” Zhen Jin continued.
Without knowing why, when Zong Ge saw Zhen Jin’s smile, his heart instead
became even more tense. But Zong Ge seemed considerably tranquil on the
surface: “Our casualties are small, please don’t bother Miss Zi Di with other
things. Just have Miss Zi Di make more corrosive potions and more triggers. We
need more crossbows now.”
“The more the better.” Zong Ge reiterated again.
Zhen Jin nodded: “It seems our opinions are unanimous. So, I hope your day goes
smoothly.”
“My Lord……” Xi Suo was stunned, he did not expect that Zhen Jin would
immediately release Zong Ge and his companions.
Contrary to expectations, Zong Ge was not surprised. He nodded to Zhen Jin, his
expression caused the mercenaries to relax, and left camp.
Seeing Zong Ge’s back, Zhen Jin found that his new weapon was very crude, it
was just a pole inserted into the bone as a handle.
It was similar to the time Zhen Jin used a spider leg as a sword.
Thus, Zhen Jin spoke again: “Tonight ……”
When Zong Ge’s people heard Zhen Jin suddenly speak, they immediately breathed
and turned around in succession.
Zhen Jin continued: “You can give us the bone hammer; Mu Ban’s craftsmanship
will make it better.”
Zong Ge stopped walking, but he did not turn around.
The majestic half beastman continued to walk away and past the camp gate, only
then did he leave a word——“Many thanks.”
Xi Suo looked at these people leaving the camp smoothly with crossbows: “My
Lord, you are letting them leave immediately?”
Zhen Jin smiled: “They really need those crossbows.”
Xi Suo shook his head: “But, those were most of the crossbows on hand. We don’t
have enough.”
“It doesn’t matter.” Mu Ban came over, he had heard what Xi Suo had said, “We
can make more. With President Zi Di supplying corrosive potions and my
manufacturing template, we can make batches of triggers. The quality of these
triggers will get better and the crossbows we make will become stronger.”
“As for those Zong Ge and his people took away, those have gone through
seawater and battle, while not being maintained well, all of them are defective
goods. Dealing with and using them is fine.”
“What do you understand?” Xi Suo glared at Mu Ban.
Mu Ban yielded and said no more.
He was just an ordinary person, while Xi Suo was a bronze level cultivator.
“No, when we have new crossbows, you will supply Zong Ge with a portion.” Zhen
Jin replied.
“Ah? My Lord if we do that……” Xi Suo was stunned.
Zhen Jin looked at Xi Suo, his dark blue eyes became abstruse: “Compared to
some crossbows, I want to know how Zong Ge and his people entered camp more.”
“Who is on duty right now?” Zhen Jin asked.
“Me, your Lordship.” Xi Suo yielded at once, but soon wrangled again, “Zong Ge
and his group came here with tumultuous momentum and asked for crossbows. If I
kept the gate closed, I feared it would have led to more conflict. You know I
am just a bronze level sailor, nothing more. As a result, I had no alternative
but to let Zong Ge and a small portion of his group into camp.”
Zhen Jin asked again: “Why did you not inform me?”
Xi Suo licked his dry lips: “My Lord, I was just about to send someone to
inform you. Originally I planned to socialize with Zong Ge and persevere for a
time, how was I to know that Zong Ge would push aside common sense and directly
walk to the arms storehouse to forcefully take away crossbows!”
Zhen Jin was silent and did not speak, he only looked at Xi Suo.
It seemed the incorporeal pressure of Zhen Jin’s gaze gradually became hard to
bear as Xi Suo lowered his head.
As Mu Ban saw this, his heart could not help but be inwardly carefree.
Zhen Jin suddenly said: “Xi Suo.”
“My Lord, I await your command.” Xi Suo replied at once.
Zhen Jin lightly sighed: “All of us are pure humans, we should not scorn each
other’s intelligence, isn’t that right?”
“My, my Lord……” At this moment, the spirit of Fei She seemed to possess Xi Suo.
“This time, your performance has really disappointed me.” Zhen Jin continued.
“However, I understand you, I know the pain and worry in your heart. But I also
ask you to understand the situation before us, you participated in yesterday’s
meeting, correct?”
“Go and personally guard the gate. If today’s situation reappears, shouldn’t
you know what to do?”
Xi Suo knelt to the ground, in that short time, he was already covered in cold
sweat. He then put his hand to his abdomen and promised Zhen Jin: “My Lord, I
will hold the gate with my life! If Zong Ge and his people return, I will guard
the gate to the best of my capabilities!”
“Very good, then I await your performance. Go on.”
After going through Zhen Jin’s admonishment, Xi Suo put away his small
thoughts. He guarded the gate all day long, he even ate his three meals there.
Regardless of how he genuinely thought, accepting punishment already satisfied
Zhen Jin.
Today, the young knight was still investigating the surroundings with Bai Ya
and the others.
Last night he had trained for a long time and did not sleep enough, without
enough rest, the mountainous trek made his back and waist ache constantly.
As a result, Zhen Jin returned to camp earlier than the previous day.
During dinner, Bai Ya came to Zhen Jin: “My Lord, Zong Ge’s group has not
returned. However at noon, they returned with a seriously injured person. I
heard that they walked over ten thousand meters that morning. After calculating
in today’s investigation results, they have completed a tenth of their
assignment.
Bai Ya then said: “Since we did not return to camp at noon, we can also eat
dinner outside. Doing this will squeeze out more time for more investigations.”
Zhen Jin looked at Bai Ya’s worried face with a warm heart, he then clapped his
shoulder: “Don’t be anxious Bai Ya. Investigative work is meticulous, and more
importantly, we need to guarantee the safety of our own, this cannot be
advanced prematurely. The forest is full of dangers, one must be vigilant at
all times. If one is even a bit careless, a beast will ambush them. So, we must
rest.”
After eating dinner, Zhen Jin returned to his tent and gave himself as much
rest as possible.
Then late into the night, he set out under the pretense of patrolling so he
could train secretly.
This persisted for three days.
The pace of Zong Ge’s group had already surpassed Zhen Jin’s.
Bai Ya became impatient: “My Lord, we are about to lose! I heard that your
Lordship patrols every night. It's no wonder your Lordship has no energy during
the day. Lord Zhen Jin, I ask you to stop doing this. Xi Suo guards the camp
seriously, he is enough.”
Zhen Jin shook his head: “Before marching to battle, one needs to relax Bai
Ya.”
Bai Ya anxiously glared: “But my Lord, every day we rest well with nowhere to
vent our energy. We can walk more and investigate further.”
Zhen Jin smiled: “You do not understand my opinion. I said that as Zong Ge and
his companions exert themselves to investigate their surroundings, their
military power is severely declining and every day they have wounded.”
“If the blue dog fox wolves attacked at this time, what could we do?”
“Therefore, we must retain a portion of our battle strength. If at that crucial
time Zong Ge’s group cannot display their military strength, then they can rely
on us”
“So that’s what your Lordship believes.” Bai Ya stared blankly, “My Lord, you
are too benevolent. You take the big picture into consideration. That repulsive
half beastman Zong Ge is surely using your Lordship’s big picture and
benevolent heart!”
“Lord Cang Xu mentioned to me that Zong Ge was intentionally doing this. He
initiated this investigation challenge of his own accord, if he could defeat
your Lordship in this, his influence would greatly increase. He deliberately
marches every day and makes his ranks bear crises but contains the damage. This
is clearly the mannerism of a soldier. As the people at his side stay in
danger, their hearts will evolve to rely on Zong Ge’s strength. Every crisis
Zong Ge resolves will deepen his influence over his people, even deepening it
into appreciation or adoration. My Lord, Zong Ge is directly challenging your
authority!”
Zhen Jin nodded: “His sharp sight is worthy of a scholar’s.”
“My Lord!” Bai Ya anxiously stamped his feet, “The will of the people is now
changing.”
“Our comrades are beginning to slack off. Some people believe that our laziness
makes Zong Ge’s group sacrifice more and that we are reaping what we have not
sown.”
“There are also some who are unsatisfied. According to this kind of trend, the
half beastman, goblin, and the rest will beat us. But we can definitely work
harder, we are not doing our best.”
“Zong Ge’s group also had some windy speeches for us.”
“They despise us, believe we fear danger, are too prudent, and are not manly.”
“There is even a rumor being passed between the wounded.”
Saying this, Bai Ya became very indignant.
“Eh? Say it.”
“The rumor says that your Lordship didn’t actually behead a blue dog fox wolf.
Perhaps there were two blue dog fox wolves initially and your Lordship only
picked up some wolf hair off the ground. When you returned to camp, you saw the
crocodile head hammer tail boa Zong Ge killed, you were anxious that this
military success attacked your position and thus told a lie about the wolf hair
you were holding.”
“Your Lordship’s true military might cannot compare to Zong Ge’s. They can tell
what kind of person your Lordship is from the investigation outcomes of the
past few days.”
Bai Ya finished with more anger and some anxiety.
Zhen Jin laughed: “That is an interesting rumor, it seems Zong Ge is
inseparably close with his people.”
“My Lord, are you not angry about this misunderstanding? Bai Ya was baffled.
Zhen Jin smiled: “Didn’t you also say this was only a rumor?”
“But my Lord……”
Zhen Jin continued: “I am more concerned about the casualties in Zong Ge’s
group. Didn’t they say that two of them died?”
“Yes, one was killed on the spot by a viper, the other lost his footing and
died halfway back to camp. In addition to this, ten of them are wounded.”
“His casualties are somewhat large.” Zhen Jin sighed, “Looks like it's time to
take out the completed map.”



****** Chapter 112: A Spell of Silence ******
In the dim light of night, Zong Ge was leading his people back to their camp.
“Lord Zong Ge, Lord Tripleblade, you’ve returned.” A person garrisoning the
camp welcomed them at once.
“Ha, they’ve finally returned!”
“Today was also a hard day.”
“What I really want to do now is drink some hot water.”
“No time to chat, I still have some potion in my tent I should apply to my
wounds.”
Everyone began to disperse through the camp gate, everyone had rumbling
stomachs and completely exhausted, some of them even had new injuries.
But Zong Ge and Tripleblade did not rest, rather they went into a big tent
first.
This tent was originally Zong Ge’s swelling, however because of the increase of
wounded people and the fact that tending to oneself was inconvenient, Zong Ge
allowed the wounded and their caretakers to stay here of his own accord.
Opening the tent flap, Zong Ge began to examine the wounded.
The large tent had an area of about fifty to sixty square meters, candles were
used to dimly illuminate its interior.
There were many wounded, each of them was lying on a straw bed.
Hearing movement, the sober wounded people opened their eyes and looked at Zong
Ge with reverence.
“It’s Lord Zong Ge!” One of them struggled to sit.
Another had been groaning, their eyes had only opened a sliver, the pain was
already unbearable for them.
In addition, some were unconscious and had high fevers.
“No need to get up.” Zong Ge stopped them without delay.
“How is your situation?” He questioned the nearest wounded; his face was
wooden.
“Give me two days and I will be able to join your Lordship’s investigation
group again!” The wounded person shouted.
Zong Ge laughed and patted his shoulder, his mouth was full of praise, but his
heart knew that this person’s leg wound needed at least a week.
“You?” Zong Ge looked down at another wounded person.
The wounded person was an old dwarf, a jumbled white beard encompassed his
face.
The old dwarf laughed: “I am almost dead, Lord Zong Ge. My dying wish is that I
want a cup of beer. If I can have a cup before death, I will die with no
regrets.”
Zong Ge was silent.
Tripleblade mocked: “Old bastard, do you want to drink again? Your injuries
won’t kill you.”
The old dwarf looked miserable: “I fear I cannot live without alcohol. If there
is no beer, rum is fine too.”
Zong Ge was forced to say: “I have a way.”
The old dwarf's eyes immediately brightened: “Many thanks your Lordship, as
long as you have alcohol, you can end my old life!”
After the inspection, Zong Ge walked into the innermost part of the tent.
The wounded person here had a serious injury, his entire body was inflamed and
his wounds no longer oozed blood, but pus. This individual stunk.
The wounded person did not react to Zong Ge’s arrival.
He was not unconscious, to be more precise, he was in a coma.
If he stopped breathing, no one would be surprised
Tripleblade’s gaze darkened. He knew this person well, he had fought, drunk,
and trekked with this person for ten years.
Everyone knew that he did not have much hope.
Zong Ge stroked his forehead, it was boiling.
He checked the wound on his back, it was in a frightening situation.
Zong Ge warmed a dagger on a fire and used it to open the wound’s rotting
flesh. Afterwards he used a wet clean cloth to tentatively clean the wound. The
water was boiling but soon cooled down.
Finally, Zong Ge actually leaned over and used his mouth to suck up the wound’s
seeping pus and watery blood.
After treating him, Zong Ge sprinkled a potion on the wound.
The comatose man did not respond, his breathing seemed to weaken again.
During this, Tripleblade had been standing in place, watching Zong Ge actions.
This was not the first time Zong Ge had done this.
Three days ago, because of where this person was standing, he had
unintentionally protected Zong Ge from a poisonous attack. He had fallen into a
coma after returning to camp that evening. The potions Zi Di had were not
effective.
Ever since that day, his situation grew worse, and his hopes of survival grew
increasingly uncertain.
When Zong Ge did this the first night, it caused Tripleblade to stop him, and
shocked the others.
He did this every day.
Tripleblade no longer stopped him.
When the surrounding people saw Zong Ge do this, their shock gradually changed
into reverence, love, and respect.
After finishing everything, Zong Ge and Tripleblade left the big tent
In the camp there were many bonfires, with people circled around them, eating
their dinner and chatting with each other.
From time to time, there would be a peal of laughter.
At this time, they had adequate food and water and their tense nerves were also
relaxing.
After Zong Ge arrived, the mercenaries shifted their buttocks and made space
for the two.
Zong Ge and Tripleblade sat close to each other.
The flames reflected on Zong Ge’s shoulder-long yellow hair and bits of warmth
passed through chinks in his steel armor, seeping into his body.
Zong Ge pulled out his steel dagger and softly cut some roasted meat.
After blowing once, he ate the meat slice.
He silently ate as he listened to the people around him conversing.
“Did you know? When I thought that bronze level magic was about to pounce me
and bite my head off, I nearly pissed myself. Just when I thought I was really
dead, a big white hammer smashed down, brushed past my scalp, and pounded into
the bronze level magic beast, my face was covered with blood and brains! I
swear I will never forget this for the rest of my life.”
“Ha ha ha.” The surrounding people guffawed.
“Two of us sent the bone hammer to that guy named Mu Ban. Boss Zong Ge indeed
has strength; he can hold and swing that hammer with one hand.”
“At least ten magic beasts died under the bone hammer today!”
“Indeed, this crocodile head hammer tail boa’s bones are hard, I heard that the
old scholar’s constant grinding as he dissected it, I can say that this
crocodile head hammer tail boa’s head is as thick as its tail.”
“Saying that, it is a true pity that its meat is very chewy. We suffered a loss
when Boss Zong Ge sent them the crocodile head hammer tail boa.”
“Huh, did you dare eat it at the time? Did you dare to bet your life that it
wasn’t poisonous?”
“Returning to the main topic, how is the progress of Lord Zhen Jin’s group?”
Someone asked.
This time, the wounded that stayed at camp shared their information.
“Lord Zhen Jin led his group back when evening came.”
“So early again.”
“It seems our win is determined, ha ha ha ha.”
“There is nothing extraordinary about templar knights.”
“Hey, you're speaking loudly. Do templar knights even care about you?”
“He he he, I adore Boss Zong Ge the most. Boss Zong Ge saved my life, from now
on, whatever the boss wants me to do, I will do it!”
“Hey, you didn’t say that earlier, you only shouted that when the boss sat
down. You bootlicker!”
Everyone roared with laughter.
“Humph, this is my team.” Zong Ge had remained silent as he ate his meat, he
was gazing into the fire as if looking for his future in the flames.
“Continuing like this……is good.” Tripleblade sat next to Zong Ge and looked at
the spectacle of everyone uniting.
“In just a few days, his Lordship has carved his authority in their hearts. By
following his Lordship, I will surely reach a height I cannot attain alone.”
Tripleblade was also full of hope.
At this moment, the gate guard came to report to them.
After getting Zong Ge’s permission, the gate guard brought a youngster.
“Are you called Bai Ya?” Zong Ge looked at the youngster and spoke first.
Bai Ya was somewhat overwhelmed with favor: “I did not expect that Lord Zong Ge
would remember this humble one’s name.”
Tripleblade spoke: “What have you come for?”
Bai Ya fished out a map and lifted it above his head, he then said with a tone
full of arrogance: “This map is a record of the camp’s surroundings, all of the
terrain within three thousand meters as well as the scattered beast groups are
in it.”
“This was just bestowed by Emperor Sheng Ming during Lord templar knight Zhen
Jin’s evening prayers. All information related to the camp’s surroundings was
imparted into Lord Zhen Jin’s mind.”
“Lord Zhen Jin promptly drew out two maps from memory, then he dispatched me to
gift your Lordship Zong Ge one map.”
“What? Why are you guys staring at me?”
The prior raucousness and guffawing vanished without a trace, the only thing
that remained was the jumping flames and the sound of burning firewood.
“That is, that is really good news.” Zong Ge serenely said as he broke the
silence.
Tripleblade was roused by those words, he stood up at once and took the map Bai
Ya was offering.
Soon after, Tripleblade impatiently sat down, opened the map, and showed it to
Zong Ge.
Everyone present gazed at the map, the only sound in the peaceful environment
was the spinning of the map.
The map’s distinct lines and rigorous structure now exhibited themselves in
front of Zong Ge and the others.
Zong Ge and Tripleblade had another spell of silence.
After a long time, Tripleblade hoarsely said: “It seems this map is real. In
the regions we scouted, there are no differences between this map and ours, in
fact this map is more accurate and detailed.”
“Of course it’s real!” Bai Ya raised his tone, “We have also compared this to
our map, our investigation gains over the past few days completely match with
it. It’s a miracle! Of course, there are many of you who don’t believe in
Emperor Sheng Ming. If you still don’t believe it, you can continue to
investigate and validate.”
Another absolute silence.
“No need.” Zong Ge faintly said, his hand caressed the map, “Saying this is a
miracle is exaggerating it somewhat. But it really is a god’s power. Because
one can scout out the terrain, however every scattered beast group is on it,
with their scale, quantity, and even life rank all meticulously detailed.
Although we can accomplish this, it is hard to imagine how much time and energy
it would cost.”
“As expected of Lord Zong Ge.” Bai Ya praised, “When Lord Zhen Jin dispatched
me, he said that Lord Zong Ge has intelligence, he can definitely verify this
map’s authenticity.”
Zong Ge: ……
Bai Ya continued: “Lord Zhen Jin is still anxious about your Lordship’s
casualties, considering your Lordship has risked too much investigating to the
best of his abilities. Lord Zhen Jin said that when we purge the beast groups,
the magic beast groups that have silver level magic beasts are our
responsibility to clean up.
The surroundings were silent again.



****** Chapter 113: This Shall be a Fair Competition ******
The trees here were more towering than normal.
The emerald layers of branches and leaves nearly covered the sky.
Zhen Jin led a group of people here; however, he did not penetrate deep into
the forest. Because he knew that there was a group of bat monkeys there.
Zhen Jin and the others entered the fringe of the bat monkey group’s territory,
and soon stopped.
“Start.” With Zhen Jin’s order, Bai Ya led the group in putting the firewood
and other things on their backs into several piles, then they crowded around
them.
A number of them took out some spark stones and struck them together to create
sparks. The sparks dropped onto the fluffy sawdust and quickly ignited them.
Afterwards the team members put the sawdust onto the piled firewood, igniting
them. The flames gradually roared, and many large bonfires smoothly formed.
Zhen Jin fished out some paper bags and gave them to everyone.
The others went to the bonfires, taking advantage of the fires’ small size to
get close, they then opened the paper bags and exposed the brown medicinal
powder in them.
As they sprinkled the medicinal powder on the fires, the smoke of the fires
quickly changed color.
The thick smoke rapidly expanded, it did not circulate upwards with the heat,
rather it remained on the ground, enveloping the group, and expanding out to
the surrounding area.
A screech seemed to sound out in the distance, as if a bat monkey had
discovered something odd.
Zhen Jin had an arrow quiver on his back, he now took out one arrow.
This arrow was specially crafted by Mu Ban personally, it had a hollow arrow
shaft, a hole in the arrowhead, and holes in the arrow shaft——it was a
whistling arrow.
Zhen Jin also grabbed a crossbow off of his back.
He had three crossbows, two rapid fire crossbows and one waist crossbow.
Aside from magic crossbows, there were three types of ordinary crossbows that
could be wound with manpower. They were arm crossbows, foot lever crossbows,
and waist crossbows.
As the name implies, the bowstring of arm crossbows used arms.
Foot lever crossbows used leg strength to wind itself.
Waist crossbows have waist hooks, when a crossbowman sits on the ground and
winds it, they step on the crossbow with both feet and use the waist hooks to
wind the bowstring. When winding it, the crossbowman not only uses their leg
strength to step on it as much as possible, they also use their back and arms
to wind the crossbow.
Human leg strength typically surpassed human arm strength.
As a result, there were more waist crossbows than foot lever crossbows, and
more foot lever than arm crossbows.
Zhen Jin now held a waist crossbow, the three crossbows he had were the best
the camp had to offer.
When the waist crossbow was placed on the ground, it was taller than Zhen Jin’s
waist. The crossbow was also wider than Zhen Jin’s body.
But Zhen Jin did not have any waist hooks, he directly reached out to pull the
bow string, while simultaneously using the crossbow pedal.
Afterwards, he used his arm strength to pull the waist crossbow taut.
His every movement was watched by the others, and after seeing Zhen Jin easily
tighten the crossbow, the surrounding peoples’ eyes shined with excitement and
admiration.
Zhen Jin placed the whistling arrow on the crossbow, then he easily lifted it
like it was a rice straw.
This movement also made everyone’s’ heart exclaim in admiration.
Zhen Jin lightly pulled the trigger and the whistling arrow shot out at a
diagonal angle.
The whistling arrow cut a parabola through the air, sharpy whistling as it flew
into the depths of the bat monkey group’s territory.
Bat monkeys were very susceptible to sound.
The forest quickly became thoroughly agitated. Most of the bat monkeys flew
into the sky, and upon discovering Zhen Jin and the others, they immediately
attacked.
Zhen Jin lifted the waist crossbow and shot several iron arrows, almost none
missed as he immediately annihilated three iron level bat monkeys.
The two remaining iron level bat monkeys promptly hid in the forest, their
constant shrieking made the bronze level bat monkeys the leaders of the attack.
As the distance closed, Bai Ya and the others were constantly returning fire
with their crossbows.
Bat monkeys were constantly dying from arrows and falling to the ground
enroute.
When three tenths of the bat monkeys finally reached Bai Ya and the others,
they smelled the thick smoke’s odor.
This odor attacked their sense of smell, no, to be more accurate, it destroyed
their sense of smell!
The bat monkeys’ charge was eliminated, and their formation soon became
disorganized. Some of them were circling in the air, some were running on the
ground, and some were jumping in the undergrowth, they were not enough.
The thick smoke made the bat monkeys step back.
This was a compound Zi Di had mixed, once it had bought time when the blue dog
fox wolf attacked the camp, and one could say that it had saved the camp.
The same thing happened here, with the bat monkeys incapable of breaking
through the smoke while Zhen Jin and the others were turning the bat monkeys
into living targets for a firing exercise.
The hunt quickly stopped.
All of the surrounding bat monkeys were corpses.
Zhen Jin commanded everyone to move deeper into the bat monkey group’s
territory after finding that the two iron level bat monkeys had already
disappeared without a trace.
Zhen Jin and the others were not surprised.
This was not their first fight with bat monkeys, bat monkeys had an extremely
nimble temperament, and if a battle were going poorly, it was very likely that
they would choose to flee.
And when the bat monkeys fled, outside of shooting them, there was nothing Zhen
Jin and the others could do.
They were not stronger than this beast group, rather they used the thick smoke
as a clever method.
Meanwhile on a hillside, as Zhen Jin was cleaning the battlefield,
Tripleblade was wildly running as he escaped out of a cave.
Behind him, was a pursuing monkey bear.
The bear’s stout body was deceiving and was very fast when it charged. The bear
could double the speed of any creature of equal life level.
Tripleblade was only at the iron level while the monkey tail brown bear was a
silver level magic beast.
As the distance between both closed with Tripleblade soon being overtaken, the
ground under the monkey tail brown bear collapsed.
The monkey tail brown bear fell into a pitfall.
The pitfall was very deep and had many sharp wooden spears in it.
After the monkey tail brown bear fell it, it loudly roared with anger.
The wooden spears did not cause it great harm, and after many spears punctured
the bear’s skin, they snapped under the heavy weight.
The monkey tail brown bear looked up and saw a group of people covering the
pitfall.
“Not bad Tripleblade.” Zong Ge praised.
Tripleblade wiped the sweat off his head, gasped for breath, and gave a rare
nonreply. His heart was still beating, he had just sensed the aura of death.
Of course, the pitfall was arduously dug by Zong Ge and the others. It was very
deep, even if the monkey beat stood up, it could not even reach half the
pitfall’s depth.
“Shoot.” Zong Ge waved, the surrounding team members took out their crossbows
and shot the monkey tail brown bear.
For a moment, the monkey tail brown bear seemed to suffer a downpour.
In the end, the monkey tail brown bear was a silver level magic beast and
suffering through a rain of arrows made it indignant. Its orangutan palms
changed, its iron cast like fingertips became a burning red, they looked as if
they were taken out of a railroad.
The monkey tail brown bear inserted its fingertips into the wall while
simultaneously using its strong leg muscles to quickly climb up the wall.
However, just when it emerged from the pitfall, a massive white bone hammer
ruthlessly beat its head!
The dull bang made the hearts and livers of the surrounding people tremble.
The powerful attack threw the monkey tail brown bear into the pitfall again.
Its head swayed, and after dispersing its dizziness, it stood up ready to fight
as it angrily roared at the main culprit, Zong Ge.
The response it got was another rain of arrows.
Thus, the monkey tail brown bear's continuous attempts to climb out were met by
Zong Ge constantly knocking it back into the pitfall.
With endless sullenness and hatred, the silver level magic beast collapsed into
a pool of its own blood.
As the setting sun’s afterglow illuminated the horizon, Zhen Jin’s group
returned to camp first.
They returned with a great quantity of bat monkey corpses; it was clear that
their main target today was a bat monkey group.
Among the dozen iron level bat monkeys, two to three of them had been
dismembered by Zhen Jin’s rapier.
The thick smoke was not a big deterrence to iron level bat monkeys, and if an
iron level bat monkey were sufficiently angry, they would charge into the smoke
to kill.
However, all of the iron level bat monkeys that tried this died by Zhen Jin’s
hand.
From this, one could also see that the nature of beasts was certainly
enigmatic.
Zhen Jin’s victorious return made the camp cheer.
When Zhen Jin’s group was eating dinner, Zong Ge’s group returned.
Xi Suo blocked them as he guarded the camp gate.
After reporting to and getting Zhen Jin’s consent, Zong Ge’s group was able to
enter the camp.
They returned with no less than three monkey tail brown bear corpses!
The people in camp were greatly shocked.
After all these were three silver level magic beasts.
As Zong Ge gave Mu Ban the bone hammer on his back for repairs, the people’s
vision straightened somewhat. Because they discovered the bone hammer’s wooden
handle had already snapped from the ferocious force applied to it.
Zong Ge’s dauntlessness frightened the people’s hearts.
Zong Ge looked around and saw Zhen Jin sitting next to a distant bonfire, then
he looked at Mu Ban: “Can you repair it?”
Mu Ban gave a supercilious look and put his hands together: “In this case,
repairing it is an arduous and thankless task, it would be better to build a
new wooden handle. This will happen with how you use it, unless you exchange a
wooden handle for an iron one.”
Zong Ge shook his head: “Just improvise. Iron had better be used for
arrowheads, wooden arrow heads cannot be used, and bone arrowheads are barely
effective.
Zi Di walked over at this time: “Although my potions can dissolve and purify
iron, it wears and tears it greatly. Only with a great quantity of iron ore can
we make enough iron arrowheads. Perhaps you can lead some people to go mining
Zong Ge.”
Zong Ge shook his head, he was not interested in mining.
But then Zi Di gave him a list of items.
Zong Ge glanced at the list of items, his complexion changing slightly: “One
silver level brown bear can either be exchanged for ten foot lever crossbows,
two waist crossbows, or twenty newly made arm crossbows. What is this pricing?
Some insignificant crossbows need to be exchanged?”
“When all is said and done, we are not an army Zong Ge.” Zi Di smiled, “I
believe this is fair.”
Zong Ge was just about to sneer when Zhen Jin also walked over, the young
knight then said: “I use my reputation to swear that I will also act in
accordance with the established exchange. This is a fair competition.”
Zong Ge looked at the waist crossbow on his back: “Templar knight, what did you
exchange for that crossbow? Today was bat monkeys? This list of items doesn’t
say you can buy or sell on credit.”
Zhen Jin shrugged his shoulders: “Of course don't forget that in a previous
fight, I killed a blue dog fox wolf.”
Zong Ge slightly raised his eyebrows, he thought of the crocodile head hammer
tail boa he had killed.
But Zi Di then said: “Your battle result has already been exchanged Zong Ge,
don’t forget, you took crossbows from our camp already.”
Zong Ge and the others: ……



****** Chapter 114: Purging a Silver Level Bat Monkey Group ******
“She really is the president of the Wisteria Merchant Alliance. It seems I
underestimated her.” Zong Ge looked at Zi Di in a new light.
At the time, Zong Ge led his group in taking away crossbows by force. Of
course, he did not act without justification and sensible reasons; the
crossbows would lessen casualties while investigating the environment around
the camp.
However, when Zhen Jin produced the map, a problem emerged.
Because Zong Ge and his group were benefiting from Zhen Jin’s map. Zong Ge’s
group’s investigative results were completely covered by Zhen Jin.
Even more so, when the map appeared, it also ferociously shook the hearts of
Tripleblade’s mercenaries, the map was a blow to their pride and enthusiasm.
From then on, the mercenaries thoroughly understood the significance of Zhen
Jin’s identity, there were no more delirious utterances or contempt for Zhen
Jin.
All of them realized one thing: even if Zhen Jin was impoverished on this
island without his clan’s power to assist him, he still had a patron. This
patron was comparable to heaven and earth; templar knights believe in Emperor
Sheng Ming, a living god, and even quite possibly, the strongest living god!
Zong Ge’s group invested a huge price, did their utmost, left early and
returned late every day, had two people die, and many others wounded, yet in
the end, it was all inferior to Zhen Jin’s prayer.
This ice-cold fact exhibited itself now, it told everyone again the immense
disparity between their identities.
After this lesson, Zong Ge’s group had Zhen Jin in the forefront of their
minds, even if Zhen Jin was just standing there, it made them feel pressure
from him.
Many of them even subconsciously slowed their breathing.
“Templar knight……” For a long while, Zong Ge gaze was lost in Zhen Jin, his
voice seemed to become hoarse, “Then I can only believe your reputation.”
“Certainly. Zong Ge, I use the Bai Zhen Clan’s honor and my knightly name to
guarantee this is fair!”
Zhen Jin’s speech was straightforward and vigorous.
“I ask you to believe me, sirs. We are not an army, nor are we a mercenary
corps, this system will simply unify us closer together. Let everyone
understand how much we can contribute to each other as a group. And each
contribution should have positive feedback that corresponds to it. We should
not allow any of our members that invest, fail to receive reciprocation.
Regardless of who they are or what their identity is, they cannot bleed or
sacrifice their life in vain.”
Zong Ge’s eyes flickered coldly, he always sensed that Zhen Jin’s words had
deep meaning and contained hidden thorns.
The rest of the people’s eyes were concentrated on the blond youth, their
doubtful appearances gradually waning.
Zi Di added on: “Sirs, the contents of this list of items are not unchanging,
if you have any ideas or believe something is too unreasonable, we can discuss
it properly.”
Everyone’s complexion eased somewhat.
Tripleblade still looked indifferent, he had dealt with merchants many times.
Previous experiences told him: merchants usually had strong communication
skills, their debates can help them survive and typically, it is the
mercenaries who get the worst of it.
But at this time, Zong Ge gave him the list of items: “Tripleblade, do you see
anything good to exchange for?”
Zong Ge’s words allowed Zhen Jin and Zi Di to relax.
Since Zong Ge already approved of this system, there was nothing Tripleblade
could do.
He carefully looked at the list’s contents, his mercenary commander experience
allowed him to immediately sense the list had valuable things: “We need
crossbows and iron arrows. The stronger the crossbows, the less attrition our
personnel will take.”
“Of course, it also depends on what your Lordship is hunting next.”
“If it’s still monkey tail brown bears, we shall exchange for the strongest
waist crossbows. If it’s bat monkeys, flying squirrels, and so one, then we
shall exchange for arm crossbows, so each person has as many as possible.”
“The crossbows we obtained before were terrible; most of them have already been
scrapped.
Zong Ge nodded: “Then exchange for waist crossbows.”
This implied he still wanted to hunt monkey tail brown bears.
“We only have two waist crossbows, and it will take at least three days to
finish a new waist crossbow.” Zi Di warned.
Tripleblade slightly frowned, only having two waist crossbows was not enough.
He could only settle on the second best thing, foot lever crossbows.
But following his inquiries, Zi Di informed: Zhen Jin’s group had already
exchanged for the foot lever crossbows.
After all, Zhen Jin returned to camp earlier.
Tripleblade was angered but found it laughable: “Are you saying, we can only
exchange for arm crossbows? You might as well negotiate frankly.”
Zi Di smiled: “This list of items also has many potions that I believe are
essential supplies. I did not calculate in the potions Lord Zhen Jin gave to
you previously.”
That influential hold was Tripleblade’s weak point, causing him to choke his
retorts and be at a loss.
Zi Di showed clear regret and her tone became more sincere: “Sires, all of know
what situation we are in now. We have a small foothold here and have a thousand
things to do. Our supplies are limited; we also don’t have a workshop or
assembly line, therefore regardless of whether it is potions or crossbows, the
output of them is small.”
“The goods on this list of items are in short supply, it is normal that this
matter will continue for a long time. I hope you all can comprehend this.”
The surrounding people looked at each other, some of them subconsciously nodded
and acknowledged Zi Di’s words.
Zhen Jin now looked at Zong Ge: “In fact, I still strongly suggest that you
exchange for arm crossbows Zong Ge.”
“Today, we purged three bat monkey groups. We found that when most iron bat
monkeys found themselves in an unfavorable situation, they would lead the
retreat. The other bronze level and ordinary bat monkeys would also retreat
too.”
“Bat monkeys can fly through the trees at an astonishing speed, we cannot
pursue them.
“According to scholar Cang Xu’s deductions, the bat monkeys live together. When
these bat monkeys flee, they can reassemble into a new beast group. It is
possible that the new group will absorb most of the old bat monkey group.”
“Thus, the more bat monkey groups we purge, the greater the amount of leftover
bat monkeys, this will make hunting more troublesome.”
“Zong Ge, this is my opinion, let us cooperate together and annihilate the
biggest bat monkey group in the vicinity of the camp!”
Zong Ge thought of the information on the map.
The biggest bat monkey group had a silver level bat monkey leader.
It really was the most threatening beast group.
Zong Ge pondered for a moment then he nodded his consent.
According to the list’s contents, a silver level monkey tail brown bear could
be exchanged for twenty arm crossbows. Zong Ge killed three, altogether he
could exchange them for sixty arm crossbows.
However, there were only forty arm crossbows in camp.
After Zong Ge and Tripleblade discussed for a while, they first got all of the
arm crossbows so every single one of their people had one. Soon after, they
exchanged for potions, such as the pink road sign potion, the bat monkey smoke
repellent potion, and more.
On the second day, Zhen Jin, Zong Ge, Tripleblade, Lan Zao, Hei Juan, Bai Ya,
and others set off to purge the biggest silver level bat monkey group.
As before, the smoke potion tactics were employed.
A whistling arrow attracted most of the bat monkeys over.
First Bai Ya’s group half squatted on the group and fired their foot lever
crossbows. After waiting until the bat monkeys rushed closer, Tripleblade’s
group also fired their arm crossbows.
The more bat monkeys they shot dead, the angrier the entire beast group got.
The silver level bat monkey quickly rose to the sky with over twenty iron level
bat monkeys and closed in on Zhen Jin and the others.
Zhen Jin silently observed them, he found the silver level bat monkey leader
was bigger than the iron level ones and had wider wings, if it were not
squatting on the ground, it would be almost as tall as Zhen Jin!
“If I convert it, my bat monkey form can be upgraded to the silver level.”
Zhen Jin relying on himself to kill the silver level bat monkey leader was
highly troublesome. After all, the bat monkey leader had many bat monkeys
surrounding it.
But now with the strength of everyone, the common bat monkeys suffered
disastrous casualties, with the bronze level bat monkeys losing many also.
In particular, the bat monkeys’ charge was forced back by the thick smoke and
disrupted their formation.
At this close distance, Bai Ya’s group’s accuracy was greatly upgraded, causing
the bat monkey group’s casualties to instantly build up.
The one with the most outstanding military success was of course Zhen Jin.
He had a rapid fire crossbow in each hand. A rapid fire crossbow needed two
hands to control it, one to steady the crossbow arm and one to pull the
trigger. However, Zhen Jin only held the triggers, causing his arms to
constantly shake.
The constantly trembling rapid fire crossbows’ flying arrows nearly created a
dashed line.
Wherever the dashed line went, every bat monkey in it would fall. Zhen Jin’s
efficiency in slaughter was entirely worthy of being number one.
Even Zong Ge was shocked, his heart lamenting the Bai Zhen Clan’s bloodline.
Although he had trained his archery skill for many years, he paled in
comparison to Zhen Jin.
The purging of the silver level bat monkey group was a stage Zhen Jin used to
demonstrate his archery skills.
The silver level bat monkey leader was finally angrily provoked, it then led
all of the iron level bat monkeys to fly with it. Their target was Zhen Jin!
Zhen Jin’s iron arrows shot towards the silver level bat monkey, but it easily
evaded them. Its flexibility was above an iron level bat monkey, it looked like
a purple-black demon.
“Coordinate together.” Zong Ge suddenly shouted.
The silver level bat monkey ran into the thick smoke, Zhen Jin had been
standing in place until he suddenly withdrew and allowed Zong Ge to step
forward bravely.
The gigantic white hammer ruthlessly swung into the silver level bat monkey,
swatting it like a ball.
The silver level bat monkey sharply screamed as it crashed into a tree trunk,
its back breaking the large tree.
It spat a mouthful of blood as its gaze exposed its terror. It then immediately
flew high into the air and no longer dived down.
When the iron level bat monkeys saw their leader do this, a portion of them
flew up with it, while another portion still continued the assault, dying under
the well prepared hands of Xi Suo, Lan Zao, Tripleblade, and the others.
Casualties also appeared in their ranks.
The iron level bat monkeys’ numerous sacrifices had some results.
Seeing eighty percent of its beast group gone, the silver level bat monkey
leader sorrowfully roared.
Soon after, it deeply breathed and issued a soundwave attack.
More than a dozen iron level bat monkeys issued soundwaves with it. Even if all
of the iron level bat monkeys’ soundwaves were added together, their power was
inferior to the silver level bat monkey’s.
As the soundwave traveled, a translucent ripple appeared in the air.
The sound wave greatly disturbed the smoke and caused it to rapidly spread.
According to this trend, the smoke would be quickly cleared away.
Bai Ya’s group did their best to cover their ears as they fell to the ground,
howling in grief and pain. They already had things stuffed in their ears.
Lan Zao, Xi Suo, and a few others’ bodies shook, they were unable to stand
firmly. The arrow rain stopped at once.
Only Zong Ge and Zhen Jin still remained standing straight.
Zhen Jin resisted the feeling of jitteriness and dizziness, he quickly ordered
someone to replenish the powder while shooting his waist crossbow
intermittently at the bat monkeys.
The waist crossbow was the heaviest crossbow, and it severely interfered with
the bat monkeys’ preservation of the soundwaves.
Many iron level bat monkeys were shot dead by Zhen Jin, until finally, the
silver level bat monkey was also disturbed by a flying arrow, causing its sound
wave to stammer, preventing it from displaying its true might.
Zong Ge had already left the front and proceeded to wantonly slaughter the
ordinary bat monkey group.
The huge white hammer had a vicious and impressive power, even if it was an
iron level bat monkey, it would immediately die as long as it was hit.
Finally, the silver level bat monkey sorrowfully screeched and retreated to its
home at its own accord. Under the cooperation of Zong Ge and Zhen Jin, the
largest bat monkey group was nearly eliminated. The remaining iron level bat
monkeys also dispersed and escaped, none of them followed the silver level bat
monkey.
After resting and reorganizing in their current location, everyone cleaned up
the battlefield and returned in triumph.
The camp was in jubilation, the unprecedented pile of bat monkey corpses was
then temporarily placed in a corner as it was difficult to handle them in a
timely manner.
On the basis of Zhen Jin’s opinion, Fei Sha was in charge of management.
Everyone then held a simple and crude feat to celebrate heroic deeds. Even if
food was short in supply, the feast’s atmosphere was warm from beginning to end
because of the wine.
Everyone centered around Zhen Jin, greatly praising him for his heroism and
unfailing archery skills.
The former mercenary corps members also looked at him with reverence.
It was because Zhen Jin’s interference forced the silver level bat monkey
leader to retreat, Zhen Jin was absolutely a critical character in the battle.
Zhen Jin was the lead in the feast and the focus of everyone’s gaze. Zong Ge
only had Tripleblade at his side, although the two were sitting in conspicuous
spots, it gave the people the impression that they were sitting in the corner.



****** Chapter 115: The Mysterious Monster’s Terrifying Murders ******
“My Lord, this is newly crafted crocodile boa leather armor.” That night, Cang
Xu paid a formal visit to Zhen Jin and brought an entire set of leather armor.
The leather armor was made from a crocodile head hammer tail boa, and although
its workmanship was crude, because it was made from silver level materials, its
defensive power far exceeded Zhen Jin’s ordinary leather armor.
It was so strong that even thin iron armor and chainmail were inferior to it.
Zhen Jin was greatly interested, saying as he tried it on: “Tell me, what have
you gained from dissecting the crocodile head hammer tail boa? What are its
weaknesses and strengths? There are still three silver level magic beasts near
camp, how should we handle them?”
Cang Xu reported: “When it comes to weaknesses, its biggest failure is its
inferior hearing.”
“Most snake species lack outer and middle ears; they only have inner ears. They
do not have eardrums, tympanic cavities, or ear pharynxes, only ear bones. As a
result, when a sound travels through the air, snakes cannot hear it. However
because the ear bone is connected to the inner ear oval window, external bones,
and square bones, snake bones are very sensitive to vibrations. This is the
reason why ordinary snakes are frightened when we beat the ground and
underbrush ahead of us with wooden sticks.”
“The hearing of snakes is inferior by itself, and this crocodile head hammer
tail boa’s hearing is even worse. Because what I found during the dissection,
is that its hearing structure is more in line with a crocodile’s.”
“Crocodiles don’t have ears, instead they use a small bone in their tongue to
sense vibrations.
“Anyways, the crocodile head hammer tail boa has a crocodile head, as a result,
its sight is stronger than a snake’s, and is especially good at prying into
things above water as it lays below the water’s surface. Its eyes have
nictitating membranes, a natural diving lens no terrestrial snake has. Its
throat also has a biological valve in it that can block its respiratory tract.
Thus, the crocodile head hammer tail boa can open its large mouth underwater
without worrying about water pouring into its throat.”
“From this I can also infer the fighting strength of this silver level
crocodile head hammer tail boa underwater is no small matter.”
“Besides the crocodile mouth’s terrifying biting strength, the crocodile head
hammer tail boa’s strongest weapon is its twisting snake body. Your Lordship
probably saw Zong Ge’s steel armor and all the deformations on it the crocodile
head hammer tail boa created.”
“Its third weapon is the crocodile head hammer tail boa’s hammer tail. Its tail
bone is extremely dense and when it is swung, it can easily smash wood.”
“Snake scales do not cover the crocodile head hammer tail boa’s body, rather it
is covered with sturdier crocodile skin. This can blow almost any crossbow
arrow, only an iron arrow shot by a waist crossbow can truly harm it.”
When Zhen Jin heard this, he could not help but ask: “Then how does it compare
to a spear scorpion leader?”
Cang Xu thought for a moment, then immediately answered: “The scorpion carapace
is tougher than crocodile skin, even if the arrow was shot by a waist crossbow,
I fear it could not pierce a silver level scorpion carapace.”
Zhen Jin nodded. Presently, he had already put on the set of crocodile leather
armor and was not putting on the leather helmet.
He first felt heavy.
The second thing he felt was that his actions were restricted, it was very
inconvenient.
After all the man who made the leather armor was not a specialized smith or
tailor.
However compared to the previous leather armor, wearing it would upgrade
defense beyond a level.
To an ordinary person, this leather armor had more advantages than detriments
to them. But to Zhen Jin, the crocodile leather armor was instead a burden.
Currently, it was an inconvenient time to say this, thus he could only falsely
praise: “It's a good set of leather armor.”
Cang Xu replied: “I will not hesitate to remind your Lordship that the
defensive power of this armor will constantly drop as time passes. We processed
it too crudely.
Of course, the crocodile head hammer tail boa’s skin was a magic material.
But this place prohibited low level magic and battle qi, as a result, the
leather armor on Zhen Jin was simply cut up and sewn together, it only utilized
the lifeform’s properties and hadn’t truly been deeply processed.
In time, this leather armor would end up like Zhen Jin’s spider blade.
Seeing Zhen Jin’s slight nod, Cang Xu also said: “There is one more thing I
want to remind your Lordship of——be careful of Zong Ge.”
“Killing this crocodile head hammer tail boa with his own strength is
sufficient proof of Zong Ge’s formidableness.
“Your Lordship’s equipment is still inferior to Zong Ge’s. Zong Ge’s steel
armor surpasses your Lordship’s, his bone hammer is also very threatening, even
a monkey tail brown bear cannot withstand it. Furthermore, he has never used
those short spears, however one can see they are extraordinary weapons.”
“Based on my years of experience, I know Zong Ge is not an accepting person.
Even though today he agreed to the exchange system, it does not signify he is
giving in.”
“My Lord, please be careful of this person. If he challenges your Lordship
publicly, it would be very inconvenient. His beastman bloodline gives him a
unique advantage on this island.”
“Many thanks for warning me, I understand.” Zhen Jin had Cang Xu retire.
Resting was difficult while wearing crocodile boa leather armor, so despite it
being annoying to remove, Zhen Jin still took it off.
He rested on the best for a few hours until it was late into the night, then he
put on the crocodile boa leather armor without trouble.
After arranging all of his equipment, he left camp again.
The guards were already familiar with Zhen Jin’s nighttime patrols.
After arriving at an uninhabited nook in the dark forest, Zhen Jin took off all
of his equipment and transformed into an iron level bat monkey.
The bat monkey Zhen Jin traveled through the forest with unconstrained
nimbleness. Sometimes he would jump between branches, sometimes he would glide
with his wings, and sometimes he would stop on a treetop to smell the light
night wind.
His nose had already been transformed into a blue dog fox wolf nose.
In previous training nights, he discovered a clever use for the wolf nose.
It could find surrounding beast groups by means of scent.
This is also why blue dog fox wolves could lead magic beast corps, they could
accurately sense the position of beast groups in the boundless ocean of trees,
and thus be able to travel to them to subdue them.
But this time, Zhen Jin was not looking for beast groups, instead he was
pursuing that silver level bat monkey leader.
During the day, Zhen Jin relied on everyone to defeat the entire bat monkey
group, now most of the bat monkeys became their food reserves.
The silver level bat monkey was wounded and fled from its difficult situation.
When Zhen Jin was cleaning the battlefield, he intentionally picked up the
arrow stained with the silver level bat monkey’s blood and firmly remembered
its scent.
The remaining scent left a distinct trail for Zhen Jin’s wolf dog nose.
The silver level bat monkey leader’s current position was beyond the
ultrasound’s investigative range.
“The ultrasound probing range is very wide and is very accurate, however, to
pursue the trail, I still need to use scent.” Zhen Jin summed up as he
practiced.
“Found it!” Not long after, Zhen Jin found his target in the ultrasound canvas.
It was the wounded silver level bat monkey leader, although it fled, it did not
flee far and was still nearby.
It converged with some iron and bronze level bat monkeys, along with many more
ordinary bat monkeys.
The silver level had the power to rally supporters and to stand out from the
masses. It was like when people curried favor and attached themselves to Zhen
Jin’s and Zong Ge’s strength, it was in the habit of bat monkeys to act this
way.
Without hesitation, Zhen Jin charged at the silver level bat monkey.
At this moment, he had canceled the wolf nose transformation, allowing him to
appear as an iron level bat monkey.
This resulted in Zhen Jin being able to fly into the silver level bat monkey’s
perimeter while the other party remained still.
When Zhen Jin was about three hundred meters away from it, the silver level bat
monkey screeched, unfolded its wings, and straightened its body to make itself
more imposing.
Zhen Jin lowered his head and showed a servile appearance.
The bat monkey was greatly satisfied, it had already discovered Zhen Jin at an
earlier time, that is why it stopped here in order to subdue Zhen Jin.
The bat monkey Zhen Jin put away his wings to look subdued, thus he jumped to
get closer to the silver level bat monkey.
The silver level was not vigilant, it had already gathered bat monkeys like
this many times in the past ten hours. Otherwise, where did the bat monkeys at
its side come from?
Only when Zhen Jin climbed onto the branch the silver level bat monkey was
standing on did the magic beast have some suspicions——this new little brother
seemed enthusiastic about it.
However at that exact moment, a red light emerged and transformed Zhen Jin’s
head into a crocodile head.
Zhen Jin opened his large mouth and suddenly bit down on the silver level bat
monkey’s head!
As the silver level bat monkey leader sustained the attack, it immediately
scratched at Zhen Jin subconsciously.
An iron level bat monkey’s body could not resist a silver level bat monkey’s
claws, however Zhen Jin had foreseen that and transformed his chest into a
scorpion carapace.
The bat monkey leader’s claws nearly broke when it scratched the scorpion
carapace.
The instant the silver level bat monkey realized Zhen Jin’s strength, it
fiercely flapped its bat wings while simultaneously breathing fiercely, it
wanted to produce a soundwave.
Under the stimulation of death, the bat monkey leader erupted with an
unprecedented soundwave.
But Zhen Jin’s senses were on better terms than when he was in human form!
The hearing of the crocodile head hammer tail boa was quite lacking.
After this Zhen Jin also transformed his arms into thick bear arms. The bear
arms’ two four fingered orangutan hands grabbed the base of the bat monkey’s
wings.
After a moment, the bear arms pulled.
Whoosh, the silver level bat monkey’s wings were forcibly torn apart by Zhen
Jin!
For a moment, blood squirted out as the silver level bat monkey mournfully
screamed; its sound wave attack came to a spontaneous end.
Without the soundwave’s interference, Zhen Jin bit it again. The crocodile head
exploded with a terrifying bite power, and with a bang, the bat monkey leader’s
head was crushed into pieces.
The silver level bat monkey died tragically on the spot.
The surrounding bat monkeys shrieked and started to flee in fright.
Everything happened too quickly.
Just as the silver level bat monkey realized something was out of place, Zhen
Jin repeatedly transformed and firmly secured victory.
The bat monkey leader only struggled and resisted for a few breaths; Zhen Jin
had been plotting to kill it for a long time.
The other bat monkeys seemed to see something similar to them suddenly
transform into a monster with a crocodile head, a pair of bear arms, and a
scorpion carapace chest!
Not only was the terrifying monster savage, the bat monkey leader’s sound wave
only dealt negligible damage to it. The strong leader crazily struggled but
could not escape death.



****** Chapter 116: Frustration ******
It was a moonless night.
In the pitch-black forest, the cold wind resembled traveling ghosts.
The silver level bat monkey’s corpse was still intact and because it was a
warm-blooded animal, its corpse was not yet cold.
Zhen Jin now transformed into a complete iron level bat monkey.
The multi-transformations consumed a lot of magic.
“According to my prior speculation, transforming into a pure creature shape
means the organs and the positioning between them are harmonious, thus the
burden is carried mutually. But during multi-transformation, the magic crystal
is burdened even more, causing magic to be used up more violently as a result.
Zhen Jin pushed down this speculation as he looked at the bat monkey corpse
before him, he wanted to try something new.
After activating the core, four blood threads appeared again in his palm.
The blood threads twisted and permeated themselves. After a few breaths, the
blood threads appeared again to completely change the bat monkey’s bat wings
into essence, then they transported the essence into the core.
After Zhen Jin examined once, his heart became happy.
“Now, I can transform into a complete silver level bat monkey.”
Just as this thought left him, a red light rushed forth and covered his entire
body.
In the red light, his vague figure rapidly grew, and his wings became wider.
After the red light dissipated, a silver level bat monkey stood where Zhen Jin
was.
“My strength has increased a bit; however it is no match for a monkey tail
brown bear.”
“Sound……”
Zhen Jin took a deep breath and listened, he then realized a silver level bat
monkey had a stronger sense of hearing and could receive sound at a broader
range compared to an iron level bat monkey.
He tried to produce an ultrasound wave.
The first try succeeded.
In the scene that appeared in his mind, all kinds of things now presented
themselves on the canvas. The canvas rapidly spread until it became blurry at
two thousand meters.
“It seems the silver level bat monkey’s ultrasound examination range is double
the amount of an iron level bat monkey’s.”
Zhen Jin shut himself up and stopped producing sound, then he opened his mouth
again.
Ultrasound was produced successfully again.
And so as he tried over and over again, he discovered each ultrasound wave came
out without a hitch.
“It seems I’m correct.”
“A silver level bat monkey has more stable vocal cords and stronger sound.”
“Every night I train these days, when the iron bat monkey form produces
ultrasound, there will be some failures for every ten ultrasound waves I
produce. Now that I am a silver level bat monkey, I have achieved a one hundred
percent success rate.”
“My test this time has another result. Because I have absorbed many low level
lifeforms of the same type, my bloodline information reserves are very
complete. Absorbing a high level lifeform, even if it's incomplete, I only need
a portion to obtain the bloodline information that allows me to transform into
a complete high level lifeform.”
Zhen Jin quickly cleaned up the environment.
He also had another matter to do.
Tonight’s objective was not just a silver level bat monkey.
He used his feet to grab the rest of the bat monkey corpse, then he flapped his
wings to rapidly ascend into the sky, leaving the scene of the murder.
After a half hour, he came to the habitat of a flying squirrel group.
This was the biggest flying squirrel group near the camp, and it had two silver
level flying squirrels.
Zhen Jin flew to the edge, then he threw the silver level bat monkey corpse
onto a tree and used ultrasound to scout out the area.
Flying squirrels were living in tree holes as well as underground, however
under the ultrasound, all became visible.
Because there were differences between the flying squirrels’ life levels, there
were differences in body types. There were some minute differences between iron
level and bronze level flying squirrels, this allowed Zhen Jin to judge what
their life level was.
Seeing there was no difference between this and prior results, Zhen Jin
immediately flew into the flying squirrels’ territory.
Sensing an intruder, the flying squirrel group became agitated. Under the
leadership of a silver level flying squirrel, the group flew at Zhen Jin.
Zhen Jin looked at the flying squirrel group approaching as he stood proud on a
branch.
After waiting until they were sufficiently near, he opened his mouth and
suddenly produced a soundwave attack.
He had mastered this sound wave attack technique earlier.
As far as practicing was concerned, producing ultrasound was harder than this
soundwave attack for Zhen Jin.
Human ears could hear the soundwave, but they could not hear ultrasound. The
essence of the soundwave attack was not a high frequency, but a strong breath
that spurred the vocal cords into producing a louder sound.
Flying squirrels had a keen sense of hearing.
This organism dug underground to look for food, here sight could not work, but
a strong sense of hearing would.
This advantage under the soundwave, became their fatal weakness.
Originally, Zhen Jin saw for himself a blue dog fox wolf command many iron
level bat monkeys to produce soundwaves together, sustaining that attack could
wipe out a silver level flying squirrel group.
Now that Zhen Jin was a silver level bat monkey, the soundwave attack he
produced was more powerful than the one the iron level monkeys produced
together.
Under the shroud of the soundwave, the still aggressive flying squirrel group
collapsed with a loud bang; many flying squirrels were screaming and many of
them immediately died from the soundwave.
The silver level flying squirrel still wanted to resist, however when Zhen Jin
increased the volume again, the silver level flying squirrel died on the spot.
In a split second, Zhen Jin settled the fight.
Wanting to escape, more flying squirrels fled from their holes.
In a sense, bat monkeys could be considered the flying squirrels’ natural
enemy.
The first to flee was the other silver level flying squirrel.
Of course Zhen Jin was not going to let it off. With another soundwave, he
killed most of the flying squirrels and knocked out the other silver level
flying squirrel.
Next, he used the core to absorb the flying squirrel corpses all around him.
The core’s magic reserves steadily rose, and eventually reached a new pinnacle.
Currently, Zhen Jin had not discovered the limit of his magic reserves.
Zhen Jin reflected as he killed, absorbed, and converted the two silver level
flying squirrels.
After doing this, Zhen Jin’s flying squirrel form was also upgraded to the
silver level!
“It's a pity I cannot produce an electrical discharge.”
In this aspect, Zhen Jin had tried many times but could never unearth this
electrical discharge technique.
Zhen Jin could learn how bat monkeys produced ultrasound because ultrasound
came from vocal cords trembling. Zhen Jin himself used vocal cords to speak,
thus these actions were similar.
But discharging electricity was not.
Humans have never discharged electricity.
According to Cang Xu’s dissection, flying squirrels discharged electricity via
tiny, sliced muscles throughout their bodies. These tiny, sliced muscles were
similar to those in electric eels.
As a result, flying squirrels discharged electricity by moving their internal
muscles. But Zhen Jin was unfamiliar with this, it was a blank space for him.
The problems with learning how to discharge electricity was greater than
learning how to produce ultrasound.
Therefore, this time Zhen Jin did not kill the comatose bronze level and iron
level flying squirrels, he intentionally preserved some of them.
“These are my house pets.”
Zhen Jin wanted to observe them and learn how they discharged electricity.
After cleaning the battlefield again and removing the ash the core’s conversion
left behind, Zhen Jin took the silver level bat monkey carcass, the silver
level flying squirrel carcass, and the comatose flying squirrels, and set off.
Due to consuming a lot of time and being far from camp, Zhen Jin decided to
return.
The silver level bat monkey Zhen Jin soared through the air.
Because his hands and feet were holding carcasses, he could not jump through
the undergrowth as he wished.
The cold night wind could not cool the boiling blood in Zhen Jin’s body.
Once, in order for Zhen Jin to deal with a flying squirrel group that only had
one iron level chieftain, he had commanded everyone he led to use all of their
strength.
After this night, his bat monkey and flying squirrel forms had been upgraded to
the silver level.
The spear scorpion form was also at the silver level.
Because he had been eating a lot of bear and snake meat these days, he could
transform into many parts of a monkey tail brown bear and a crocodile head
hammer tail boa. The monkey tail brown bear form in particularly, was nearly
complete.
“As long as I have enough time, I can become this island’s ruler!”
The cold wind whistled in Zhen Jin’s ears as he nimbly flapped his bat wings
and controlled every gust of wind.
The spacious bat wings streaked across the treetops; the countless beasts in
the pitch-black forest felt Zhen Jin’s life aura, and every single one of them
either fled in a panic or cowered into a shivering ball of fear.
Zhen Jin looked at the forest under him, at that moment, he felt he was
trampling the forest and the earth under his feet!
Despite not seeing anything, Zhen Jin could use ultrasound to examine all
things within two kilometers, nothing could escape his ascertains.
“I am now the greatest hunter. No prey can escape my pursuit!”
“The reason why I am not killing them is simply because I don’t want to, not
because I can’t.”
Soon after, the fires of the camp appeared at the edge of the horizon.
Zhen Jin looked for where he took off his clothes, then he temporarily
discarded the magic beasts he was holding and changed back into a human form.
After putting on his clothes and equipment, and tidying up properly, he took
the possibly dead or living magic beasts to the camp gate.
“It's Lord Zhen Jin!”
“Goodness gracious, what did he come back with?”
After the guards discovered Zhen Jin, they began to cry out in surprise.
Zhen Jin faintly smiled, but his heart softly sighed, an unavoidable feeling of
disappointment bubbled forth from it.
“Compared to my magic beast forms, my current body really is weak. I can only
see the environment because of the flames and my ears seem to be stuffy.”
“My human form does not have much that can deal with Zong Ge. I must learn how
to discharge electricity as soon as possible; steel armor conducts electricity
easily.”
“There seems to be movement over in that part of camp? In a tent, Zong Ge
seemed to sense something in his sleep, “Zhen Jin returned?”
Zong Ge’s heart guessed; he also knew of Zhen Jin customary nighttime patrols.
Tonight’s celebratory banquet made him worried, the exchange list made him even
more sleepless tonight.
He already heard that this system had been designed and supplied by the scholar
Cang Xu.
“This old fellow has great political skill.” Zong Ge’s understanding of Cang Xu
deepened a layer.
If Zhen Jin forcefully incorporated people to his side, it would be a bad
thing. It would be too impetuous because Zhen Jin could not truly resolve the
contradictions between the two opposing sides.
The sailors were represented by Xi Suo while Zong Ge and Tripleblade
represented the mercenaries. Because of the deep conflict between them and each
guarding against the other, neither party genuinely felt at ease with the
other.
If Zhen Jin forcefully incorporated them together, there would definitely be
layers of severe internal contradictions that would reduce his authority and
energy. If the contradictions were handled improperly, it would trigger
terrible changes.
As long as they were handled improperly, Zong Ge would have a real chance. As
long as these mercenaries lost hope in Zhen Jin, Zong Ge had an opportunity he
could exploit that could bind these people to himself.
But Zhen Jin accepted Cang Xu’s system, and never gave Zong Ge an opportunity.
With this kind of system, Zhen Jin controlled crucial manufacturing technology,
one could say his control was rising.
Fair?
Genuine fairness does not exist!
By controlling the manufacturing technology and precious means of production
used to make crossbows and potions, Zi Di could set the prices of the exchange.
This in itself contained ample profits.
The exploitation had already begun when Zong Ge exchanged for the first time.
Continuing to use the exchange system was likely to give Zhen Jin’s side the
biggest benefits. Take the foot lever and arm crossbows as an example. Zhen
Jin’s group controlled the stronger foot lever crossbows and were starting to
suppress Zong Ge’s group’s long range military strength.
Reusing a previous example, giving small private favors and benefits was likely
to move the mercenaries to tears. Say for instance, if according to the
exchange list you could only exchange for two bottles of potions, but I gave
you an extra bottle because I found you to my liking, would you not be happy?
By actively controlling these gifts, even if Zhen Jin didn't do it personally,
he could attract the hearts of the people, if it continued like this, Zong Ge
would become a solitary person.
It was not that Zong Ge could not see it or did not understand it, but he had
no methods to deal with it.
There was the close threat of the blue dog fox wolves, along with the distant
difficulty of escaping the island that required sailors to control a ship.
Zong Ge knew he had to collaborate.
Since collaborating, his fighting methods were limited.
Cang Xu’s underhanded tactics did not spill blood, but like Zhen Jin’s map, it
practically dug its way into the deepest part of Zong Ge.
The less cards one had, the more losses they suffered.
Originally, Zong Ge was at a disadvantage, and now this disadvantage had been
exacerbated; Zong Ge already saw himself losing this battle.
“No, as long as I still breathe, I Zong Ge will never give up.”
“I still have a chance.”
“I am a silver level cultivator, even the gold level is just a step away.”
“If I cannot even keep this group of people, how can I stand out among my peers
and be true to myself?”
“How can I achieve my father’s expectations and make him proud of me?”
The weak candlelight flickered in Zong Ge’s eyes as it gradually turned into
light and shadow.
In the light and shadow, Zong Ge saw himself on the battlefield where his
outstanding military service and honor constantly increased.
In the light and shadow, Zong Ge saw himself returning to his childhood castle
with honor, his head high and his chest out. This time, he did not reside in a
damp and tiny room.
He forged into the hall and partook in a ball.
The hall had a scarlet carpet, a crystal hanging lamp, and a long banquet table
with fine food. Its walls had gigantic fine tapestries and invaluable famous
paintings.
His heart sighed, finally he could truly enter this place.
He took the leading role in the ball and was the focus of countless debutantes.
After a dance, his father, because of formidable strength, had always
maintained his appearance as the middle aged master of the castle. He was Zong
Ge’s greatest lifelong idol, and now, he stood up and raised his full red cup
of wine.
Afterwards, Zong Ge heard his father’s words echo through the hall: “Now, I
have the great honor of introducing everyone to Zong Ge, he is also my son!”
The candlelight extinguished.
The light and shadow dissipated.
Zong Ge’s spirit returned to the dark tent as he gently caressed his arm.
Of course a layer of thick body hair was a distinctive feature of beastmen.
As he experienced countless times throughout his life, with this time being no
different, Zong Ge felt a spontaneous feeling of disappointment at the bottom
of his heart.
“If I were a pure blooded human, things would be so much better……”



****** Chapter 117: This is the Lord Zhen Jin I Follow ******
The sun that, yet again, released its heat all day long, began to fall towards
the west.
The vast forest gradually turned dark, causing everyone’s shadows to lengthen
in the sunset, the shadows completely covered the deep pitfall trap before
them.
In the deep pit, a monkey tail brown bear was shouting.
Its shouts were extremely weak and soon, its aura vanished as it fell into a
pool of its own blood.
Its body was full of arrows; the pit was also a mess; it was filled with many
shattered wooden stakes the bear had bumped into. The pit’s four walls were
also not smooth, it was clear the monkey tail brown bear had spent a lot of
effort climbing up.
Thump.
Zong Ge was the first to jump down.
He leaned over to inspect the monkey tail brown bear’s situation, after
determining the latter was completely dead, he called the others to come down
and process it.
Blood was also gathered, since it could be exchanged for goods, it could not be
squandered.
Because the entire bear was too big, it started to be dismembered. Each part of
the carcass was tied onto a harness and pulled out of the hole through
everyone’s cooperation.
After spending roughly half an hour, the monkey tail brown bear carcass was
processed.
Zong Ge led everyone back to camp.
Besides four monkey tail brown bears, there were several monkeys, squirrels,
and snake carcasses, and a half elf corpse.
After killing the monkey tail brown bear, this half elf was the first to jump
down, they wanted to harvest the bear carcass. But the bear was not completely
dead, rather it was comatose. After waking up from the pain, it slapped the
half elf’s waist and smashed a kidney to pieces.
With such a heavy injury, and without a divine spell or magic, after the half
elf gasped for a few breaths, they completely died.
Since then, Zong Ge was always the first one to jump down so he could
personally inspect the monkey tail brown bear’s condition.
The sunset twilight illuminated the entire group.
As the group returned from a rewarding journey, although a comrade had died,
everyone’s face welled up with joy from the harvest.
People laughed as they returned.
They were once employed by a mercenary corps; they already viewed the deaths of
themselves and their comrades indifferently. Some were even happy for the half
elf——this guy no longer needed to endure this strange island!
Zong Ge walked in front, he still remained cautious as he concentrated his
attention into detecting possible sneak attacks.
Tripleblade walked in the middle of the group.
He scampered over to Zong Ge’s side and fished out a map: “My Lord, there
aren't many bears. I believe that we better annihilate these ones tomorrow. If
we march like this, we can lessen the time and energy we consume.”
Zong Ge took a glance, seeing where Tripleblade’s finger was pointing to, he
knew the route Tripleblade looked into was no different than the one he
tentatively planned out.
As for the map, Zong Ge had already memorized it. This was an outstanding
tactical accomplishment he had cultivated in the army.
Tripleblade was deeply worried and sick at heart: “After killing these last
three monkey tail brown bears, we need to choose another target.”
“My Lord, I believe we cannot touch flying squirrel groups for the time being.
Flying squirrels are very small, not everyone has extremely reliable archery
skills. Most of us are close combat experts, but magic beast flying squirrels
can discharge electricity, this restrains us too much.”
“My Lord, how do you feel about crocodile head hammer tail boas?”
“On the exchange list, a crocodile head hammer tail boa is worth almost as much
as a monkey tail brown bear.”
Zong Ge shook his head slightly.
He had encountered a crocodile head hammer tail boa before, they were a
difficult foe.
“The boa has thick skin and most of our arrowheads are either wood or bone. We
don’t have many iron arrowheads, and only iron arrowheads can injury the
crocodile head hammer tail boa.”
“If we really want to deal with crocodile head hammer tail boas, I cannot
impede it head on. Pits do not limit the crocodile head hammer tail boa’s
climbing.”
Zong Ge explained his reasoning.
“In that case, the target we will take on will still be bat monkey groups.”
“That is also Zhen Jin’s target.”
“On the exchange list, bat monkeys are not worth much, but victory nets a lot
of them. In the forest around the camp, the most common beasts were bat
monkeys.”
“But if this happens, we will be fighting Zhen Jin’s group over these bat
monkey groups. Comparing archery skills, we are still somewhat inferior to
them.”
Tripleblade analyzed.
His precise vision accurately evaluated the strengths of both parties.
Zhen Jin’s party indeed had stronger long range firepower, and Zhen Jin himself
was a formidable crossbowman. The other sailors were all ordinarily trained
archers. After all on a sailing ship, cannons and crossbows were conventional
weapons.
Tripleblade rolled up the map and put it inside his clothes, then he took out
the exchange list.
Ever since he had received this list, he mulled over it whenever he was free.
Tripleblade was a goblin, even if he had integrity, his ethnic shrewdness did
not disappear. He was once the commander of the Tripleblade Mercenary Corps,
and he knew how expensive oil, rice, salt, and sugar were.
“My Lord, this is my analysis. We have already exchanged for new arm crossbows;
thus our hunting efficiency has gone up a lot today. Drop the talk about the
other crossbows, exchanging for foot lever crossbows and the like is not
worthwhile in the short term. Replacing the arm crossbows sooner than planned
would be tantamount to squander.”
“The thing we need most now is iron arrows!”
“The iron output is consistently low; thus I propose we first exchange our
stock for iron arrows, then exchange for other goods.”
Zong Ge nodded and clapped Tripleblade’s shoulder: “Good, your analysis is
great, let’s follow that plan then.”
After receiving Zong Ge’s approval and affirmation, Tripleblade’s eyes quickly
flashed with happiness.
However, when they wanted to implement their beautiful exchange plan in camp,
they were informed that all the iron arrows had already been rounded up by Zhen
Jin.
“He, they returned earlier. The first, the first exchanges first.” Fei She was
in charge of the exchange.
“Last time was the foot lever crossbows, this time its iron arrows……this won’t
do! Why can’t we ever exchange for the most valuable goods?” Tripleblade was
very angry.
“You, you guys can return, return earlier.” Fei She replied.
Tripleblade sneered: “The reason why we returned late is because we spent time
purging beasts. Look, this is our harvest today, no less than four monkey tail
brown bears!”
“We paid a big price to kill so many silver level magic beasts, we even lost
one of our members.”
“But because time is a burden, this instead resulted in us not being able to
acquire the goods we want. Do you think this is fair? Is this fair?”
“I remember that the templar knight Lord Zhen Jin once guaranteed fairness to
us. But now, this thing is unfair.”
“Hold on, what is that?”
Tripleblade’s sharp gaze saw Bai Ya holding an iron cage while walking towards
a distant tent.
Tripleblade immediately ran in front of Bai Ya, his eyes glaring with anger:
“An iron cast cage? I really am not mistaken. Who can give me an explanation?”
“The iron output is continuously small, yet you guys use iron this way?”
“We want iron arrows, but you guys made it into a cast cage. Don’t you guys
know how many iron arrows we could have made?!”
Bai Ya blocked Tripleblade and looked at the goblin, although he was an iron
level cultivator, Bai Ya did not fear him.
He held the iron cage and used his height to look down at the goblin: “Lord
Tripleblade, this iron cage is far more useful than you can imagine.”
“Oh? Boy, I want to see what kind of excuse you can find.” Tripleblade crossed
his arms and sneered.
Bai Ya smiled: “It seems you guys don’t know, well just yesterday, Lord Zhen
Jin received god’s instructions during his night patrol. He courageously
penetrated deep into the night forest alone; there he found that cowardly
silver level bat monkey had killed a flying squirrel group in the middle of the
night.”
“Lord Zhen Jin killed the silver level bat monkey, seized the opportunity and
eliminated the biggest flying squirrel group near camp, and brought back many
comatose magic beast flying squirrels.”
“This iron cage is used to imprison iron level and bronze level flying
squirrels.”
“With these live flying squirrels, Lord Zi Di can constantly test her potions
on these flying squirrels and greatly improve potions that target them.”
“We all understand that with our current methods and strength, purging flying
squirrel groups is very hazardous.”
“What?” Tripleblade and the others exposed their astonishment.
Even Zong Ge’s eyes contracted.
This indeed was the first time they had heard this information.
They were veterans of a hundred battles, and they understood that Zhen Jin’s
new accomplishment was greater than the four monkey tail brown bears.
Because the four monkey tail brown bears were easy to deal with, eliminating
the chaotic flying silver level bat monkey as well as the largest flying
squirrel group was far harder.
“Emperor Sheng Ming……directed Lord Zhen Jin again?”
“Such good luck!”
“Templar knight……”
“That’s just how luck is, anyways, who would even dare venture into the forest
alone? The territory of that flying squirrel group is extremely far from camp.”
“It seemed like a bargain, but in fact, it was a huge problem. The silver level
bat monkey was not heavily injured……Lord Zhen Jin is truly gallant.”
The people discussed this.
Bai Ya’s smile grew, and his face gradually looked up
Even though Bai Ya had heard such comments many times already.
During the whole day, everyone in camp had been discussing Zhen Jin’s
accomplishment, everyone praised it.
Bai Ya still felt pride, honor, and joy when he heard these people assessing
it.
“This is the Lord Zhen Jin I follow……”
Zong Ge was silent, his hand subconsciously touched the hammer on his back as
he inwardly made a decision: “This cannot continue, I must fight Zhen Jin as
soon as possible! A sacred duel……a templar knight has no justification to
refuse me.”



****** Chapter 118: I am a Monkey Tail Brown Bear ******
The forest tonight was unusual.
Bear roars could be constantly heard all year round from a monkey tail brown
bear on a hill, it was the overlord here.
But now, the roar had distinct impatience, rage, and anguish in it.
What could make a monkey tail brown bear cry roar like this, what kind of
powerful and ferocious beast did it face?
As if realizing the existence’s threat, upon hearing the bear’s roars, all of
the beasts near the cave fled as fast as possible.
A monster was making things difficult for the monkey tail brown bear.
It had a silver level bat monkey body and bat wings; however its head and neck
were that of an iron level acid green lizard.
This made the monster seem mismatched with its big head and small body.
The monster spread its wings and flew into the air, as it continuously circled
above the monkey tail brown bear’s head, it would open its mouth from time to
time, roll a circular bag in its neck, wait until the bag entered its oral
cavity, and then it would spray acid.
The acid had incomparable accuracy, and with the quantity spat out considered
beforehand, even if the monkey tail brown bear moved to evade it, it would
still be hit.
The acid already covered most of its fur, making its injuries worse.
The monkey tail brown bear was indignant and its sharp orangutan claws were
already red hot. Zhen Jin once used those sharp claws to kill a silver level
blade spider.
Normally those sharp talons were like iron, they were very sharp and hard.
As the monkey tail brown bear fought this powerful enemy and was filled with
hate, the pitch-black claws turned very red and were as hot as melted iron. At
this time, the claws had terrifying might, even if Zhen Jin had a silver level
scorpion carapace, his previous attempts could not resist them!
Remember, the silver level scorpion carapace could withstand a silver level
spider blade.
However, even if the sharp claws had formidable might, they were useless if
they couldn’t reach Zhen Jin.
That’s right, this lizard headed bat monkey body monster was Zhen Jin.
The monkey tail brown bear’s huge and thick body made flight impossible and
jumping difficult. Otherwise, Zong Ge’s group’s ensnarement tactics would not
have had so many noteworthy achievements.
The monkey tail brown bear could not strike Zhen Jin, while every spit of Zhen
Jin’s acid could increase the monkey tail brown bear’s injuries.
This asymmetric battle was preordained from the beginning.
The monkey tail brown bear was indignant from its powerlessness and dread, its
heavy injuries forced it on four legs as it roared at Zhen Jin, then it turned
around and ran away into the cave.
Zhen Jin observed the monkey tail brown bear’s situation; when the monkey tail
brown bear turned around, he clearly understood its intent, he then immediately
flapped his bat wings and dove down.
Just as he closed in on the monkey tail brown bear, a red light suddenly
flashed behind Zhen Jin and grew into a scorpion tail.
Plop went the silver level scorpion tail as it flew over the monkey tail brown
bear’s back and impaled its head.
Zhen Jin took out his tail, immediately causing a mix of blood, plasma, and
brains to rush out.
Because Zhen Jin’s thrust was too quick, the monkey tail brown bear did not
seem to perceive it as it ran a dozen steps before it suddenly fell to the
ground and tumbled forward in a tiny cloud of dust.
Zong Ge consumed energy when he led his people to dig holes and entice enemies,
before shooting them. As a human, Zhen Jin was only a tenth of Zong Ge’s
group’s strength, yet he effortlessly annihilated a monkey tail brown bear.
“Multi-transformation really is powerful!”
“When a monkey tail brown bear confronts a silver level bat monkey, the sound
wave attack would at most, irritate it. If the silver level bat monkey really
wanted to deal with the monkey tail brown bear, it would need to fight in close
quarters with its monkey claws. By that time, the monkey tail brown bear would
surely teach it a lesson.”
“When an acid green lizard is faced with a monkey tail brown bear, it can only
spray acid a few times in the early stages of the fight. The monkey tail brown
bear’s quick speed is faster than a green lizard. Even if the green lizard ran
away, the monkey tail brown bear would easily overtake it and force it to pay
with its life.”
“However, after the bat monkey and green lizard transformations are overlaid
with each other, the monkey tail brown bear is incapable of retaliation. After
adding on the scorpion tail, any monkey tail brown bear that fights alone is
not my match!”
Zhen Jin’s heart was deeply moved as he landed on the ground.
After training hard these past few days, Zhen Jin began to unearth the core’s
deep fighting potential. Through actual combat, he learned more valiant and
clever uses for multi-transformation.
Zhen Jin stepped on top of the monkey tail brown bear. This silver level magic
beast, even with serious injuries, nearly killed Zhen Jin. The current
situation was completely different, now it could not harm a single hair on Zhen
Jin.
After a moment, Zhen Jin activated the core.
Four red lines emerged and wrapped around the monkey tail brown bear, it then
refined the essence of the monkey tail brown bear’s bloodline and returned to
Zhen Jin’s core.
“That’s enough”
Red light bubbled from Zhen Jin’s body once more, after the red light
dissipated, he was no longer in a bat monkey form, rather he transformed into a
monkey tail brown bear.
Originally, Zhen Jin could transform into bear claws and bear arms, but these
days he obtained a lot of bear meat. This was thanks to Zong Ge’s and his
people’s contribution. After adding this kill, he could now transform into a
complete silver level monkey bear, he had finally reached the criterion of a
complete transformation.
Seeing his palm and fleshy chest, a feeling of novelty enveloped Zhen Jin’s
heart again.
Zhen Jin stood up like a human, subsequently raising his field of view.
Regardless of whether it was his sense of smell, his hearing, or his sight, all
were extremely sensitive. However his sense of smell was inferior to the blue
wolf nose, his hearing was inferior to a bat monkey or flying squirrel, and his
sight was inferior to a crocodile head hammer tail boa and also lacked the
practicality of green lizard eyes.
But why was that; to sum it up from a certain point of view, when the monkey
tail brown bear’s three senses combined, external insight considered it a
formidable being.
The sight of bat monkeys and flying squirrels could not compare to it while the
crocodile head hammer tail boa had even worse hearing. In terms of smell, the
monkey tail brown bear was only second to the blue dog fox wolf. The spear
scorpion and green lizard were below it.
“The monkey tail brown bear’s most formidable weapon is still these eight sharp
claws.”
Zhen Jin concentrated on the fingernails of both hands; his fingernails then
quickly turned from an iron appearance to a scalding red.
Speaking of this ability, Zhen Jin had to thank it for the day he used it to
kill the blade spider.
Under the stimulation of life and death, Zhen Jin subconsciously used the bear
claws, and ever since that moment, he felt something carved in his heart.
As a result, it was easy for Zhen Jin to use them again.
But truly investigating how the claws changed was just as troublesome as the
flying squirrel electrical discharge problem. Human fingernails could not
change like this and managing this kind of ability was completely strange to
normal humans.
Currently Zhen Jin could not discharge electricity, however using these claws
was nevertheless something so familiar, he could do it with his hands tied
behind his back.
“Let’s try digging!”
Zhen Jin stopped standing up like a human, he then went ahead on four limbs.
With his green lizard experience, he was familiar with how to walk.
“The brown bear’s back legs are short and thick, making running while standing
is difficult; running on four legs suits it more.”
Zhen Jin mastered the monkey tail brown bear form quickly.
He went inside the cave, used the sharp claws to dig a hole in the cave wall,
and excavated some ore to eat.
“Eh?”
“The flavor isn’t bad!”
After eating the ore, Zhen Jin felt he was eating a rich, yet lean piece of
meat that was sweet and spongy. The meat was not roasted, rather it had been
cooked in its juices. According to the Eastern Empire’s way of speaking, this
was called simmer-fried.
“As it turns out, monkey tail brown bears eat ore like meat.”
Zhen Jin sampled a beautiful meat dish.
Every day, although he ate until he was full, the meat broth and so on lacked
salt and other seasonings, thus they had a bland flavor.
“When Cang Xu dissected a monkey tail brown bear, he found it had an
outstanding digestive ability, it was especially good at digesting iron. The
monkey tail brown bear’s claws could also absorb iron, they could then condense
and grow living iron!”
“I remember Cang Xu’s words, with the monkey tail brown bear’s digestive
ability, it could even treat iron swords as food.”
When Zhen Jin thought of this, his heart stirred.
“After returning, I can secretly try this. What does an iron sword taste like?”
A human Zhen Jin could only treat iron swords as weapons. But a monkey tail
brown bear Zhen Jin could regard them as some objects.
As Zhen Jin's living form constantly transformed, his point of view on objects
and impressions of them also changed subsequently. Some changes were so quiet
that even Zhen Jin could not sense them. While some changes turned everything
on its head.
Zhen Jin heated up the claws again, he then used them to dig out a hole in the
cave.
The hard cave appeared weak as Zhen Jin easily inserted all of his claws into
the cave wall. After lightly stirring, a large lump of ore was dug out.
“Let’s try the ore’s healing efficacy next.”
A scorpion tail grew out of Zhen Jin’s exceedingly obese bear buttocks.
He used the scorpion tail to jab himself, causing a shallow and small hole to
quickly leak blood.
Zhen Jin began to gobble the ore, causing the blood hole to quickly staunch.
Zhen Jin quietly observed as he felt the ore digesting his belly and change
into a warm feeling that flowed to his wound.
His aching weakened and as time passed, Zhen Jin’s wound gradually formed a
thin blood scab.
“The monkey tail brown bear’s digestive system is very strong, it can quickly
digest eaten ore and concentrate the nourishment on wounds in the body, thus
inducing a rapid recovery.
“However when discussing recovery ability, its ability is still inferior to the
strong life white rhinoceros’.
The strong life white rhinoceros’ recovery ability was not only stronger, it
was more practical.
Monkey tail brown bears relied on eating a great amount of a specific ore to
recover. After a strong life white rhinoceros healed, it could eat all kinds of
foods like grass, tree leaves, and fruits to replenish itself.
Zhen Jin stayed in this cave for a while, using his sharp claws to easily
excavate large amounts of ore.
“Currently iron is in short supply, and since digging with the monkey tail
brown bear form is so easy, I will excavate this entire cave!”
“My work efficiency alone can compare to that of one hundred individuals.”
“People will take these ores tomorrow; iron has always been scarce in the
camp.”
As for the excuse, Zhen Jin did not need to think about it as Cang Xu would
definitely guess——perhaps, monkey tail brown bears had a habit of storing food?
Perhaps this would become a flaw, but as long as Zhen Jin did not transform in
front of him, Cang Xu could only be skeptical of this perhaps unusual monkey
tail brown bear marvel.
The matter of vital importance in the group was getting more iron.
When time was up, Zhen Jin left the cave, transformed into a silver level bat
monkey, and flew back to camp.
His heart still reminisced over the iron ore.
“Maybe, I should covertly mine and stockpile a bit every night, then I can find
them again.”
“My mining efficiency is too high.”
“These days, Zi Di, Cang Xu, and the others planned to dig a mine, however with
insufficient manpower and mining requiring iron picks, there isn’t enough iron
to make extravagant iron picks.
“Eh?!”
At that moment, Zhen Jin’s expression suddenly changed as he leapt through the
air.



****** Chapter 119: Emergency War Preparations ******
“It's the blue dog fox wolf’s magic beast corps!”
As the bat monkey Zhen Jin flew through the darkness, he had been using
ultrasound to probe around.
The silver level bat monkey’s ultrasound could probe up to two kilometers. Just
now, at the edge of the two kilometer range, Zhen Jin had discovered great
amounts of bat monkeys and flying squirrels.
He continued to probe around, and quickly found monkey tail brown bears,
crocodile head hammer tail boas, and other large magic beasts intruding into
his probing range.
“They’ve come!”
As far this moment was concerned, Zhen Jin had foreseen it, however when it
truly happened, his heart still sank.
What shocked Zhen Jin was the corps’ perfectly straight marching route, their
target was clearly the camp!
“Can I camouflage myself, approach the blue dog fox wolves, and kill them?”
As this thought flashed, Zhen Jin’s heart echoed with a warning.
It was an excellent warrior intuition and Zhen Jin had always believed it.
Since awakening on this island, each time this intuition appeared, it was never
mistaken.
Zhen Jin thought of how the blue dog fox wolf he had killed, sadly howled
before dying, “It seems this beast passed on much crucial information, not only
my plan to lure, conceal, and sneak attack it, but also the camp’s position.”
Zhen Jin quickly returned to the crucial spot, put on his clothes and
equipment, and sprinted back to camp.
As he approached the camp gate in the forest, he slowed his steps to prevent
the guards from shooting him on accident.
“Lord Zhen Jin!”
“Lord Zhen Jin has returned.”
The guards shouted and saluted one after the other after discovering Zhen Jin.
But after a moment, they heard Zhen Jin say: “Quickly, send out three whistling
arrows and mobilize everyone, we must wage war!”
After a few breaths, the whistling arrows' sharp sound tore through the curtain
of night.
Most of the sleeping people were roused.
“What is that sound?”
“It seems like a whistling arrow……”
Then, the people heard another whistling arrow.
They immediately left their beds, quickly put on their equipment, and left
either their tents or the wooden house.
At this time, they heard yet another whistling arrow.
“Three whistling arrows represents the most critical moment.”
“The enemy, where is the enemy?”
The sailors in the barracks were shouting, on the other hand, Zong Ge and the
mercenaries were calmer and tidier.
Zong Ge left his tent, it was troublesome to put on his steel armor: “What is
going on?”
Tripleblade immediately met with him and replied: “Lord Zhen Jin has returned
from his nightly patrol with important military intelligence. Soon, the magic
beast corps will attack the barracks. Lord Zhen Jin has requested we give up
the camp and garrison the barracks. We still have roughly ten minutes.”
Zong Ge pressed down the doubts in his heart, he knew Zhen Jin would not joke
about this.
The majestic half beastman raised his head, looked around, and loudly
commanded: “Gather all of your food and water immediately, we are abandoning
our tents and entering the barracks!”
Zong Ge trained in the army, he understood the value and importance of an
army’s speed.
Ten minutes was not long, it was a short amount of time. Because Zong Ge’s
group still needed to cooperate with the sailors in the construction of
defenses.
As Zong Ge, Tripleblade, and their people quickly hurried from their camp, in
the open space behind the gate, Zhen Jin, Xi Suo, Hei Juan, Zi Di, and Cang Xu
were examining a map.
After seeing Zong Ge arrive, Zhen Jin nodded to him and took the initiative to
explain: “During my night patrol, I received my god’s instructions. They told
me different species of magic beasts gathered into an immense threat and are
coming from the northeast.”
“I think that beside the blue dog fox wolf magic beast corps, there are no
other possibilities.”
Zong Ge had no doubts: “Since the gods have indicated this, then it is
definitely undeniable.”
“What is the scale of the magic beast corps?” Zong Ge asked.
“There were only so many instructions from god. I am uncertain.” Zhen Jin shook
his head and wrinkled his brows, “But I have guessed that since the magic beast
corps is heading straight for the camp, the blue dog fox wolf must have
transferred enough information before it died. Since it is like so, in
accordance with a blue dog fox wolf’s intelligence, there is no way one decided
to attack alone. In this confrontation, it is extremely possible that there
will be two blue dog fox wolves, attacking simultaneously with an enormous
magic beast corps.”
Zhen Jin really didn’t scout it out clearly. Because after he found the magic
beast corps’ tracks, he immediately leapt with maximum speed to overtake them
and notify the camp.
After coming to camp, Zhen Jin had been in a constant rush, he had no time to
scout again.
Zong Ge and the others nodded, they approved of Zhen Jin’s guess and had no
doubts.
After all, a god’s instructions were usually indistinct and even full of
metaphorical meaning. For Zhen Jin to receive such a clear oracle, was already
comparatively rare.
Zi Di heavily said: “Fortunately, we have already studied how to guard against
the magic beast corps’ assault, and there were drills for the last several
days.”
Because of this, when Zong Ge and his group arrived, the barrack’s guards
immediately opened the gate without wasting any valuable time for
notifications.
But Zong Ge was still deeply worried: “We were training based on old
information. If the magic beast corps added new magic beasts that we don’t have
firsthand knowledge of, I fear these new magic beasts will undermine the entire
war situation.”
Zhen Jin knew what Zong Ge said was reasonable, he then secretly thought: “It
seems previous probing did not detect any new magic beasts. However I still
need to stealthily use ultrasound when people aren’t paying attention.”
After Xi Suo heard Zong Ge’s words, he sneered: “When marching to war, who can
know everything about their enemy, we could only prepare to this degree thanks
to Lord Zhen Jin, that is already pretty good. Don’t tell me you are not
content?”
Hei Juan added on: “The defense laid out is already strong. Don’t forget, we
even retained a reserve squad. If that is out of the question, we can act on
our original plan to break out. Abandoning the barracks is also possible.”
Zong Ge slightly frowned and didn’t say anything.
Giving up the barracks, as far as everyone was concerned, this would only be
chosen as a last resort.
Building this stronghold consumed a great amount of everyone’s time and
manpower, and everyone paid a bigger price purging the surrounding beast
groups. However nowadays, everyone had not gained from it yet.
They gathered wood and used most of it to build the barracks and crossbows.
They still needed more wood to make a ship!
The barracks now, after going through an energetic remodeling, was already
vastly different than when Zhen Jin set eyes on it for the first time.
The original wooden fence already vanished and had been replaced with a wooden
wall.
This wall was built entirely out of tree trunks. To build it, first tree trunks
were selected, then they were debarked, and their base was burned, finally it
was inserted into the earth’s depths. The tree trunks were arranged to be
inseparably closed, at the same time, they were fastened with hemp rope to form
a wooden wall.
Two wooden walls were built, with planks in between them to form a walkway for
people. Behind the wooden wall, there were large ladders to let people climb up
and down, while simultaneously supporting the wooden wall.
The biggest constructor of the wooden wall was the boat craftsman’s foster
son——the giant.
The giant bloodline gave him formidable strength, adding on his tall stature
that allowed him to be a natural crane and piledriver, he was the barrack’s
biggest manpower.
The tree wall even had traps and a main moat that he dug out.
More and more bonfires were being lit, good firewood had already been prepared
to prevent a night battle.
The raging blaze illuminated the barracks like the day. Beasts could see many
things at night, but ordinary human eyes could not.
Zhen Jin stood on the most forward wall, he slightly opened his mouth and
quietly produced ultrasound waves.
Regarding practical value, ultrasound was better than the lizard eyes.
Because human ears could not hear ultrasound, but humans could see the lizard
eyes.
Of course, this was a result of Zhen Jin’s diligent training.
Human bodies could produce ultrasound.
Zhen Jin secretly used the core to transform his trachea, vocal cords, and
nasal cavity to that of a silver level bat monkey.
But on the surface, nothing unusual could be discovered, he still had the
external form of a human.
Before, he had transformed into a bat monkey with a lizard head and used it to
bully a monkey tail brown bear to death. In fact the true problem of multi-
transformations lay in his body’s interior. When Zhen Jin transformed a green
lizard venom pouch, he had to arrange it in the bat monkey’s thoracic cavity.
A bat monkey’s thoracic cavity originally had a pair of strong lungs inside it,
but in order to place a venom pouch in it, Zhen Jin directly canceled one lung
to make sufficient space. Anyways, the sound wave attack had a weak effect on
the monkey tail brown bear, thus using one bat monkey lung was sufficient.
The results of the probe quickly appeared in Zhen Jin’s heart.
The magic beast corps was huge, it had twice the amount of the dead blue dog
fox wolf’s.
Zhen Jin also saw a familiar looking strong life white rhinoceros.
What made him more inwardly fearful, was that the magic beast corps did not
have many bat monkeys.
“According to common sense, bat monkeys are the most common creature in this
forest. But these two blue dog fox wolves did not incorporate these magic
beasts, rather they chose other kinds.”
“Don’t tell me, in that blue dog fox wolf’s dying words, it also divulged that
we possessed thick smoke that could restrain bat monkeys?”
If that happened, without many opportunities to use its abilities, the thick
smoke’s actual combat value would rapidly decrease.
A portion of Zi Di’s preparations also failed.
Zhen Jin still took notes, it seemed the flying squirrels were the largest
group in the magic beast corps.
This was very troublesome.
Flying squirrels had small bodies, moved quickly, and were difficult to aim at.
Flying squirrels can even discharge electricity, if that happened near a body,
its threat to a human would rise dramatically.
More and more monkey tail brown bears and crocodile head hammer tail boas
appeared, there were even three strong life white rhinoceros.
As Zhen Jin probed, his brows could not help but wrinkle.
“Hold on, they actually divided their army.” After a moment, Zhen Jin’s heart
shook upon realizing how important that information was.
The magic beast corps divided into two, with each part being guided by a blue
dog fox wolf. The comparatively larger portion was still making a beeline at
the gate. Although the other portion was smaller, it consisted of mostly flying
squirrel magic beasts. Without huge bodies like monkey tail brown bears
encumbering it, the small magic beast corps’ march quickened, it also created a
low sound at the same time to conceal itself from men.
“The barrack’s defenses must be adjusted relevantly as soon as possible.” The
battle hadn’t yet begun, yet Zhen Jin’s head was sweating coldly.



****** Chapter 120: God, I ask you to Grant Me Bright Eyes ******
The blue dog fox wolves were too cunning, their tactics were as treacherous and
murderous as before.
“How abominable, what can I do?” Zhen Jin grinded his teeth, he could not
directly warn everyone as it would surely lead to suspicions.
However if he did not warn them, could he really watch helplessly as both blue
dog fox wolves had their way?
In the end, the enemy was stronger than me.
In these brief days, the magic beast corps had already expanded to this degree.
Everyone had to do their utmost, there couldn't be any mistakes if they hoped
to win.
“They're almost here!” On the wooden wall, Xi Suo narrowed his eyes with a dry
mouth and tongue.
……
The tranquil night forest became restless, nocturnal birds flew away, while
snakes and mice fled. The sounds of the beast groups became more and more
distinct, bat monkeys screeched, flying squirrels squeaked, monkey tail brown
bears roared, and strong life white rhinoceros surged forward……these sounds
mixed together resembled an incorporeal and gigantic mallet that was constantly
hammering at the morale of everyone.
A sailor swallowed his saliva, and as he gripped his crossbow, the shivers on
his body became more and more distinct.
Whoosh.
His trembling finger pulled the trigger, shooting out an arrow.
This arrow was immediately followed by other fired arrows, forming a thinly
spread arrow curtain.
The others were amazed
Xi Suo reacted, he soon verbally abused them: “What are you guys doing? Calm
down, everyone calm down!”
Iron arrows were limited and very precious.
A dozen iron arrows had been squandered for nothing, this made all of the
nervous sailors feel ashamed with many of them bowing their heads.
On the contrary, Tripleblade’s mercenaries did not shoot, however they were
just as tense as the sailors.
Who knew what the future held; it was as unclear as the pitch-black forest
before them.
Afterall, no one could know the result or who would survive.
For a moment, even if it were Lan Zao, Hei Juan, or someone else, all of them
revealed their worry to some extent.
At this time, everyone heard Zhen Jin’s prayer.
“Grand Emperor Sheng Ming, my god, my master. Your knight is on the eve of war
and will practice your teachings. Thanks to your favor, I am armed to the
teeth. I have put on the belt of honesty, the glasses of bravery, the shoes of
peace, and the helmet of salvation. However, the night is a dense fog that
blocks my field of vision. God, I ask you to grant me bright eyes, let me see
the enemy’s power clearly, and let me lead everyone towards victory!”
This was unusual, this time Zhen Jin prayed publicly and loudly, many people
heard it clearly.
One after the other, everyone looked expectantly towards Zhen Jin.
However, after a dozen breaths, Zhen Jin as per usual, had no holy light
descending onto his body.
“How could this be?”
“A failure?”
“Don’t tell me god isn’t keeping an eye on our fight?”
Everyone’s hearts were frantic.
“Damm it!” Zong Ge could not help but curse in his heart.
He knew more inside information: not all prayers were successful, gods could
not watch every single person at the same time. It is true to say Emperor Sheng
Ming’s gaze stopped on every templar knight, however there were nine templar
knight legions, with each legion having tens of thousands of members.
Every templar knight prayer ahead of a battle that was answered with a divine
spell, was recorded in the history books.
On the whole, at least one templar legion was praying together, with one or
several templar knight commanders presiding over them, when they were fighting
ten thousand or more or perhaps when they were in the most critical battle of a
military campaign.
In addition to this, under normal circumstances, divine spells relied on
sacrifices from the bishop or priest accompanying the army.
It is impossible to get a response from Emperor Sheng Ming for every fight,
choice, duel, and so on a templar knight engages throughout their life.
In fact, the death of one templar knight is nothing to Emperor Sheng Ming. He
was a living god and the emperor that controlled the entire human empire. The
empire once lost the entire Fifth Templar Knight Legion, but were able to
quickly rebuild it within a few years.
As a result, when a templar knight’s prayer before battle goes unanswered, it
isn’t a big deal.
Another way to say it, is that it was normal and very probable.
But the general public did not understand this.
Now that everyone saw Zhen Jin’s prayer had no response, they became even more
flustered, as expected.
“In the end, he is still a youngster……with insufficient battle experience!”
……
Just as Zong Ge believed Zhen Jin was mistaken……
“Ah!” Zhen Jin’s body trembled, he tightly closed his eyes, cried in pleasant
surprise, and unexpectedly shouted, “I can see!”
The people were expressionless.
Zhen Jin immediately turned around and commanded everyone: “Quickly, the magic
beast corps has two blue dog fox wolves. They have already divided their force.
One is leading the bigger force straight at the gate. The other is leading a
flying squirrel group to flank the camp.”
The people blankly listened to this.
Then, Zhen Jin gave a detailed account of the enemy’s composition, he told them
how many monkey tail brown bears, crocodile head hammer tail boas, bat monkeys,
and other magic beasts there were.
These two things pleasantly surprised everyone!
For Zhen Jin to speak in such detail, definitely made it real.
As a templar knight, it was impossible for him to lie in the name of a god at
such a critical moment.
Because he would not benefit from it and it was easy to expose.
“His prayer really succeeded?” Zong Ge spat and lamented, “This Zhen Jin indeed
still has good luck.”
“Are the blue dog fox wolves really magic beasts? To unexpectedly divide one’s
army, that is too cunning.”
“We’ve received Emperor Sheng Ming’s illumination; this proves the gods have
blessed this battle. We can definitely win!”
For a moment, morale increased sharply.
Until finally, the forward magic beast corps rushed out of the forest, and into
everyone’s line of sight.
“Look quickly, it's just like what Lord Zhen Jin said.”
“That’s right, there are so many magic beasts!”
“We must prevail, brothers, we have god’s protection!”
If Zhen Jin did not warn them in the first place, everyone upon suddenly seeing
this enormous magic beast corps, would feel an unavoidable feeling of dread,
fear, and other negative emotions.
But Zhen Jin had prepared them ahead of time, thus everyone was not bewildered
by the amount of magic beasts, on the contrary, morale rose again.
With god’s gaze, everyone had ample stamina. Don’t speak of the magic beast
corps, even when confronting a large myriad sized beastman tribe, they would be
fearlessly calm.
The magic beast corps did not think of reorganizing their formation, after
rushing out of the forest, they exploded to their maximum speed as they charged
at the camp’s large gate.
Unless it was a castle, a camp’s wooden gate was usually its weakest spot.
“Prepare——fire!” Xi Suo loudly roared.
The volley of crossbow fire formed a thin arrow curtain.
Under the arrow curtain, many bat monkeys and flying squirrels died.
The monkey tail brown bears, strong life white rhinoceros, and other magic
beasts were hit, however they continued to charge ahead, their speeds even rose
somewhat, with the injuries and pain arousing their fearsome nature.
Everyone was a good archer.
They did not treat the large magic beasts as the primary target, rather they
wanted to first annihilate the flying magic beasts.
The bat monkeys suffered the most, followed by the flying squirrels.
Newly made crossbows combined with iron arrows, made the bat monkeys and flying
squirrels suffer much damage.
The blue dog fox wolf was indifferently hiding in a secret place within the
forest
Not many bat monkeys were subdued to begin with, and with the thick smoke
interference, they were not in a powerful position. Most of the flying squirrel
elites were with the other blue dog fox wolf, the ones here were cannon fodder,
nothing more.
In short, attracting fire was them displaying their proper function.
Their true hopes were still the galloping magic beasts on the ground.
However, the ground in front of the camp gate was level, and it was not empty.
Revolving around the camp as a ring, false horses and stakes had been
installed, in addition there were also large rocks the giant had moved.
The strong life rhinoceroses, monkey tail brown bears, and crocodile head
hammer tail boas barged through and broke every obstruction in their way,
however their charging speed also had an unavoidable decline.
After the obstruction area, they came to the trap area.
Smoke and dust sprung up everywhere, an ordinary person could walk across the
pitfall’s concealment, but the concealment could not support a monkey tail
brown bear’s body weight. The strong life white rhinoceroses and crocodile head
hammer tail boas were even heavier.
Thus, the large magic beasts successively fell into the pitfalls.
After considering the blue dog fox wolves’ human intellect, everyone knew the
gate was the camp’s weakest point, thus they concentrated most of their traps
and obstructions here.
For a moment, the monkey tail brown bears and strong life white rhinoceroses
could not escape, however the crocodile head hammer tail boas easily climbed
out of the pitfalls.
Their bodies were too big; besides one hole usually had a few magic beasts
inside.
The most forward hole had the most magic beasts in it.
With these magic beasts lying on each other, a few monkey tail brown bears
already managed to climb out.
Everyone on the wooden wall began to turn their firepower on suppressing the
trapped magic beasts.
The largest crocodile head hammer tail boa with the thickest skin, still
managed to charge the wooden wall.
With its chest out and head high, it crazily climbed up the wall until its
enormous crocodile head was level with everyone.
“I have been waiting for you!” Zong Ge laughed grimly, he had been preparing
for a long time. Seeing the crocodile head reveal itself, he tightly gripped
and swung the gigantic hammer with all of his strength.
The gigantic white bone hammer fierce sweep caused a gale!
Bang.
The gigantic hammer ruthlessly struck the top of the crocodile head, directly
stunning the crocodile head hammer tail boa and making its body soft. It
resembled a falling siege ladder as it in a loud bang, shaking the wooden wall
in its wake.
But there was no time to cheer, because there were three silver level magic
beasts charging at them.
Two monkey tail brown bears and one strong life white rhinoceros!
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Three arrows shot out and accurately hit three magic beast eyes.
Everyone looked at once, they saw Zhen Jin handling a waist crossbow behind
them.
He had two people behind him.
These two were wounded and had limited combat strength, however they could
still pull Zhen Jin’s crossbows.
Zhen Jin had just fired three waist crossbows.
Both monkey tail brown bears fell to the ground, their palms tried to pull out
the arrow in their eye as the pain made them scream.
But the strong life white rhinoceros could endure silently, even if its left
eye was shot blind, it still charged.
……
Perhaps simply because it could not adapt its field of view or because of the
pain, its originally straight charge ended up running into……the crocodile head
hammer tail boa’s torso.



****** Chapter 121: A Fierce Battle ******
Because of the pain and waking up with a start, the crocodile head hammer tail
boa, upon seeing the strong life white rhinoceros ramming a hole into its body,
angrily swung its bone hammer at the strong life white rhinoceros, causing the
entire strong life white rhinoceros to fly into the air. After flying no less
than twenty meters, it fell with a loud bang.
The crocodile head hammer tail boa then madly used its hammer tail, torso, and
even its head to continuously strike the wooden wall.
Bang bang bang……
The wooden wall could not bear such a heavy burden, it quickly groaned as great
amounts of cracks rapidly spread through the tree trunks, some of them even
splintered and splashed sawdust.
Allowing it to wreak havoc would quickly devastate the wooden wall.
“Cover me!” Zong Ge shouted, at this moment, his plan to challenge Zhen Jin was
thrown to the back of his mind. With his full body steel armor and a thick rope
around his waist, he jumped from the top of the wooden wall.
While still in the air, Zong Ge brandished his gigantic bone white hammer and
ferociously smashed the crocodile head hammer tail boa.
The crocodile head hammer tail boa suddenly opened its bloody mouth and raised
its head, it wanted to swallow Zong Ge.
“Lord Zong Ge!” Tripleblade cried out in alarm.
Time seemed to slow as the distance between Zong Ge, and the crocodile head
hammer tail boa closed.
Zong Ge could see every detail of the crocodile head hammer tail’s head, even
the shredded meat between its teeth, all could be seen clearly.
“This brute responded so quickly! Zong Ge bit his jaw, he could not avoid it in
the air, and without battle qi, he could only be swallowed and skewered by the
crocodile head hammer tail boa’s teeth.
But at that moment, two arrows brushed pass Zong Ge, and accurately shot out
the crocodile head hammer tail boa’s eyes, completely blinding it.
“Zhen Jin! Thanks for the timely assistance!” Zong Ge’s heart was exultant, and
he couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.
He didn’t need to turn his head, he knew that besides Zhen Jin, no one in the
camp could shoot like this, Zong Ge was no exception.
As it turns out, when Zhen Jin saw Zong Ge jump off to beat the crocodile head
hammer tail boa, he knew it was anything but reassuring.
He learned many things from Cang Xu.
The crocodile head hammer tail boa’s eyes were special, their visual abilities
were very strong, especially when observing things at the water’s surface while
submerged. Crocodiles didn’t need to turn their head, only their eyes to detect
any movement on the water’s surface.
Crocodiles relied on this ability to find prey.
When Zong Ge jumped down to attack, it immediately triggered the crocodile head
hammer tail boa’s instinct, it did not think as it moved to feed and bite down.
When the crocodile head hammer tail boa’s eyes were shot blind, its attack
immediately collapsed. With its head falling to the ground, it constantly
twisted and rolled, creating a large dust cloud.
Zong Ge dropped into the dust cloud and struck the center of the crocodile head
hammer tail boa’s skull.
With a loud bang, the crocodile head hammer tail boa seemed to be struck by a
meteor, with the force of the impact embedding its head into the ground.
The crocodile head hammer tail boa stopped moved as blood began to flow from
its nostrils and eye sockets.
Its head was the summit of an astonishing indentation.
But its life aura was still distinct.
It was not dead yet!
Zong Ge looked down at his hand, although his hands wore gloves, he knew his
purlicue had split open.
The gigantic bone white hammer’s shaft also had a large crack in it.
That strike had all of Zong Ge’s strength in it, it really was too vicious.
“This thing is nearly unusable.” Zong Ge curled his lip, then strutted forward.
The crocodile head hammer tail boa had lost its fighting strength, and Zong Ge
threw it to the back of his mind.
Several monkey tail brown bears climbed out of the pitfalls and charged at Zong
Ge.
“Come at me!” With the gigantic hammer in hand, Zong Ge did not dodge or flee,
he resolutely charged.
Then, he and a monkey tail brown bear ruthlessly crashed into each other, the
bloody stimulation and sincere fighting, fired up the men watching the
spectacle.
Zong Ge revealed inhuman dauntlessness, even if there were many enemies, he
still defeated many monkey tail brown bears, and lowered the vigor of these
silver magic beasts to rock bottom.
“I’m afraid the bloodline of this guy is remarkable!”
“His cultivation is at least at the silver level!”
As Zhen Jin took in all of Zong Ge’s fight, his heart was inevitably stunned.
Zong Ge’s display of power, regardless of whether it was strength, nimbleness,
or martial skill, surpassed Zhen Jin’s human form.
“If I don’t have strange winning strategy like discharging electricity, it
would be difficult for me to beat Zong Ge!”
Zhen Jin clearly contrasted their battle strengths in his heart.
“Pull Lord Zong Ge up quickly!”
Zong Ge fought lustily for a good while, with one person’s strength, he beat
back more than ten silver level magic beasts and saved the camp gate for the
time being.
But in that short period, he was already spent.
Seeing Zong Ge give the return signal, Tripleblade immediately ordered the
surrounding people to start winching him up together.
As the winch rotated, the hemp rope winded.
One end of the hemp rope was around Zong Ge.
Thus the rope around Zong Ge carried him back up.
No one felt curious or surprised, because Zong Ge had already practiced this
fighting style a few times publicly.
This tactic suited Zong Ge, but for others it did not.
Because Zong Ge had full body steel armor, even if iron arrows were shot at
him, the iron arrows typically could not penetrate the steel armor.
With this durable layer of defense, arrows were unlikely to injure Zong Ge, he
had the capital to fight alone.
As expected, this is what happened when it was carried out.
Of the arrows that hit Zong Ge, all without exception, were blocked by the
steel armor. The other iron arrows pierced the bodies of the silver level magic
beasts.
Mu Ban’s crossbows and iron arrow curtain combined together had impressive
might, many silver level magic beasts, that had their bodies filled with
arrows, were no longer as brave and fierce as before.
“Bark bark bark!” Dog barks disseminated out of the forest.
A small group of bat monkeys suddenly flew over the battlefield.
They did not get too close, because the smoke surrounding the camp was very
troublesome.
From a distance, the bat monkeys seemed to have something in their hands.
……
Buzz buzz buzz……
The things tossed smashed into the ground and immediately broke into pieces.
From within flew a great amount of poisonous bees, it was fire-poison bees!
The fire-poison bees immediately threw themselves at the bonfires.
The bonfires could not be extinguished, if that happened, people could not see
anything, making this battle hopeless.
“They really do have fire-poison bees!” Zi Di snorted in the camp, however she
was not flustered, on the contrary, she looked forward to something.
“Release soot!” Zhen Jin decisively ordered on the wooden wall.
When the fighters guarding the bonfires heard this command, they immediately
fished out a small potion bottle from their bosom. They dumped the potion onto
the collapsing bonfires.
The camp was quickly enveloped in a different smoke!
“Quickly, put a wet cloth on your nose and mouth.” Hei Juan loudly warned.
Ever since Zi Di and Zhen Jin learned blue dog fox wolves had control over the
artificial magic beasts, they immediately realized the reason why the fire-
poison bees specifically attacked her exploration team and not it.
After suffering that bloodshed, Zi Di prepared a specialized soot compound to
deal with fire-poison bees.
As the fire-poison bees flew through the smoke, everything still seemed normal
at first.
But quickly, the accumulated soot reached a qualitative change, the greasy
smoke covered the fire-poison bees’ wings.
The more fiercely the fire-poison bees flapped, the more soot adhered to their
wings, making them ever slower.
Each and every fire-poison bee fell to the ground or onto the wooden wall.
After waiting for a long time, everyone simultaneously brandished their weapons
and cleaned out the fire-poison bees.
Awoo——
A wolf howled in the forest before them
The frontal blue dog fox wolf exhausted its strategies, yet it could not break
through the gate. This wolf howl notified its companion.
As a result, just as the wolf howl was overlooked, the camp’s flank immediately
suffered an attack.
It was the same as what Zhen Jin warned of earlier, this magic beast corps were
the elites.
“Shoot!” Bai Ya led a small five man squad; they had been waiting for a long
time.
These five individuals were selected carefully, each was an excellent archer.
Altogether there were six men, and each had a rapid fire crossbow.
The rapid fire crossbows created an astonishing arrow curtain, and the
concentrated arrow curtain caused the many invading flying squirrels to back
off, greatly obstructing their military offensive.
“Bark bark bark!” The blue dog fox wolf gave a new order, causing the flying
squirrels to scatter, there were no more concentrated assaults.
Bai Ya and the others scowled, the pressure on them increased sharply while
their casualty inflicted rate slid rapidly.
Bai Ya’s group only had six people, even if they had rapid fire crossbows, they
had to stop shooting when they needed to install an arrow box.
There really were too many flying squirrels, Bai Ya and the others could not
shoot them all, their fluster was gradually giving way to occupation.
“The flank is far from good; I need to help them!” Zhen Jin used ultrasound to
examine the entire battlefield.
“You can go, don’t worry.” Zong Ge nodded as he panted.
Zhen Jin left the gate defense to Zong Ge, he then immediately dashed to the
flank.
“The flying squirrels are charging the wall!” Zhen Jin’s pupils resolutely
contracted.
No one could stop these flying squirrels, don’t speak of Bai Ya and the others,
the enemy could easily break through the entire camp’s defenses.
“God, my master, grand Emperor Sheng Ming, I ask you to grant me power, allow
me to fight to the death without retreating, allow me to practice your words……”
Zhen Jin purposely prayed loudly; however he hadn’t even finished his prayer
when a flying squirrel interpreted him.
It was a magic beast flying squirrel, if it discharged electricity while
biting, it would kill an ordinary person
“Fuck off!” Zhen Jin roared.
The mighty voice surged to create a translucent soundwave that dispersed around
Zhen Jin’s heart, causing all of the invading flying squirrels hit by the halo
to lose consciousness.
Since Zhen Jin could secretly transform his body’s internals to produce
ultrasound waves, imitating the bat monkey soundwave attack was easy for him.
“Get lost——!”
“Die!”
“Kill kill kill!!”
Zhen Jin with the rapier in hand, walked back and forth along the wooden wall.
As long as there were flying squirrels approaching, he would immediately roar
at them and cause them to lose consciousness.
“His Lordship’s prayer was effective again!”
“We have a templar knight!”
“These squirrels are dying, all thanks to his Lordship’s halo’s rapid attacks!”
On the wooden wall, the spirits of Bai Ya and the others were greatly roused.
“Bark bark bark!” The blue dog fox wolf issued another order.
All of the flying squirrels targeted Zhen Jin.
For a moment, Zhen Jin could only wearily respond, for at this moment, the blue
dog fox wolf suddenly scuttled out of the woods and started climbing the wooden
wall.
No one knew how it climbed the wall as if it were treading on level land but
combined with its speed that made it seem like blue lightning, it climbed to
the top of the wooden wall in but a few breaths.
The blue dog fox wolf bared its teeth, and ferociously pounced at Zhen Jin.
It knew Zhen Jin was the most crucial person! As long as it killed him, it
would win this battle.



****** Chapter 122: This is——a Human?! ******
This was Zhen Jin’s third confrontation with a blue dog fox wolf.
The young knight felt surprised the blue dog fox wolf could be so suicidal.
Zhen Jin narrowed his eyes and focused all of his attention on his enemy, his
train of thought flickering like lightning.
“Until now, blue dog fox wolves would always hide and rely on the forest to
protect themselves, I did not expect it to be so courageous now.”
“No, this kind of magic beast has always been ruthless! At the time, that blue
dog fox wolf also personally attacked Zi Di’s rescue team.
“It seems the blue dog fox wolf felt its gathering of other magic beasts was
required before it engaged. It’s like what Zi Di said before, that pursuing
blue dog fox wolf utilized a poisonous bee swarm.”
“Hold on, when I saw the blue dog fox wolves previously, why did both have a
magic beast corps?”
Just as this question rose up, Zhen Jin immediately pushed it back down into
his heart.
Because this blue dog fox wolf pounced already!
Zhen Jin immediately rolled to avoid the blue dog fox wolf’s pounce.
But just as the blue dog fox wolf flew over Zhen Jin, it ferociously swept its
tail and struck Zhen Jin’s back.
Zhen Jin felt as if his back had been hit by an iron hammer.
“What hit me?” Zhen Jin continued to roll, then he reduced his momentum and
immediately knelt on the ground.
“I obviously got out of the way.” Zhen Jin was confused; the wooden wall was
narrow and there wasn’t much space to maneuver. His roll had already taken him
to the edge of the wooden wall.
Zhen Jin’s gaze focused on the blue dog fox wolf’s posterior, that fluffy tail.
“That thing can be regarded as a weapon?” Zhen Jin realized.
Blue dog fox wolves had a high human-like intelligence, to the extent that its
level of body development was also high.
Its fox tail was not the blue dog fox wolf’s conventional weapon, instead it
should be considered a weak point. But through meticulous training, the blue
dog fox wolf turned it into a weapon.
If the blue dog fox wolf was perhaps dealing with strong life white rhinoceros
and so on, its tail would be useless. But when dealing with Zhen Jin, a human,
in particular one without the aid of battle qi, the blue dog fox wolf’s tail
was stronger and harder than this human.
Zhen Jin coldly snorted and secretly activated the core.
After a moment, red light bubbled from inside his body, transforming his bones
and muscles into that of a monkey tail brown bear’s.
The blue dog fox wolf stared, it felt the youngster had changed somewhat, but
as it carefully watched, it saw nothing change.
The blue dog fox wolf attacked again.
Its lightning speed made it appear light blue lightning, and in nearly a blink,
it was in front of Zhen Jin.
Zhen Jin raised Silver Lightning and used it to firmly block the blue dog fox
wolf.
The always successful blue dog fox wolf’s attacks were blocked by the slender
rapier, just as it felt stunned, Zhen Jin’s fist swept across it.
Thump.
Hs fist smashed the blue dog fox wolf’s ear, the incredible power of the blow
caused it to fly away.
After the blue dog fox wolf rolled three times on the wooden boards, it
immediately stood back up. As it stood on four feet, its head was constantly
swaying, it was dizzy.
“Bark bark!” The blue dog fox wolf snarled at Zhen Jin as it revealed a very
human expression of shock.
Was this——a human?!
Zhen Jin appeared to be a young immature human; how could he have such powerful
strength?
Hearing the blue dog fox wolf’s snarl, the surrounding flying squirrels charged
at Zhen Jin from all directions.
Zhen Jin breathed deeply, his two lungs had transformed into bat monkey lungs,
and for a split second, Zhen Jin’s chest swelled because of the great amount of
air he took in.
“Fuck off——!” Zhen Jin suddenly opened his mouth; his roar evoked a translucent
ripple in the air all around him.
The attacking flying squirrels simply brought their own destruction onto
themselves, most of them fell to the ground with the comparatively stronger
ones shrieking and rolling, while the majority of them lay motionless, they
were not unconscious but dead.
Zhen Jin waved Silver Lightning, in the twinkling of the blade, flying
squirrels bawled.
Seeing Zhen Jin harvest the flying squirrels’ lives, the blue dog fox wolf
charged at Zhen Jin again.
Zhen Jin raised the rapier and stood his ground.
But this time, the blue dog fox wolf did not jump at him, it remained on the
wooden planks.
As the distance between both parties swiftly decreased, Zhen Jin suddenly swung
the rapier down.
The blue dog fox wolf suddenly ducked to dodge the rapier, and with its belly
nearly touching the wooden planks, it ran behind Zhen Jin’s back.
Hearing the wolf roar explode behind him, Zhen Jin turned around while cutting
across with the rapier.
But the strike hit only air.
Just the blue dog fox wolf howling forced Zhen Jin to swing.
After Zhen Jin swung the rapier and used his strength, a weak point arose for a
split second.
The blue dog fox wolf’s eyes seemed to flash green; this was its true pounce.
“Fighting this brute feels like fighting a martial master!” Zhen Jin’s heart
greatly shook, the blue dog fox wolf had created and seized the opportunity,
there was no time for him to dodge.
At that crucial moment, Zhen Jin raised his left arm as a shield to protect his
neck from the blue dog fox wolf’s bite.
Seeing Zhen Jin give up his left arm, the flying blue dog fox wolf opened its
big mouth excitedly.
Then, it ruthlessly bit down on Zhen Jin’s left arm.
Its full mouth of sharp teeth could shatter even an iron helmet.
However, Zhen Jin’s left arm was not broken by its bite.
Instead several of the blue dog fox wolf’s teeth snapped!
As it turns out, at that crucial moment, Zhen Jin covered his left arm in a
layer of tenacious silver level scorpion carapace.
The pain of breaking several teeth made the blue dog fox wolf’s body tremble,
but the silver level magic beast’s vicious nature was aroused even more. With a
mouth full of blood, it rigidly bit into Zhen Jin’s left arm with the momentum
of its body knocking Zhen Jin down.
Zhen Jin and the blue dog fox wolf had been fighting on the wooden wall, but as
one bit the other’s left arm, they fell off of it.
“Ah, Lord Zhen Jin!” Bai Ya cried out in alarm, he followed them down at once.
On the ground, he saw Zhen Jin get up.
“Damm it, It ran away while on my sword!” Zhen Jin violently coughed as he
looked at the bloodstained trail the blue dog fox wolf left behind; it had
disappeared between some tents.
Of course falling from a high place was not good, the blue dog fox wolf
believed it used its silver level vitality to bully Zhen Jin.
But Zhen Jin had bear bones and flesh, and so while falling, he seized that
opportunity to run his rapier through the blue dog fox wolf’s belly and back.
“Good sword.”
“It's a pity it did not pierce the blue dog fox wolf’s vertebrate.”
“I must find it; a wounded magic beast is more dangerous!”
“Bai Ya, stay behind to purge any remaining flying squirrels.” Zhen Jin loudly
ordered Bai Ya, “I will pursue that blue dog fox wolf, if this flank is
secured, go assist Zong Ge at the main gate.”
At this stage, the blue dog fox wolf’s focused attack against the camp’s flank
had already been neutralized.
The flying squirrels were completely restrained by Zhen Jin’s roars, they
couldn’t even display a tenth of their strength.
The fleeing blue dog fox wolf was the last trouble.
“I understand my Lord.” Bai Ya looked at Zhen Jin with admiration as he ran
into the distance.
At that moment, with a loud bang, the camp gate……collapsed!
“How could this be?!” All of the other people in the camp turned pale with
fright.
“Something ate Zong Ge!” Because of this unforeseen event, Zhen Jin also
stopped moving,
He looked towards the gate while using ultrasound.
A pitch-black hole appeared where the gate once was.
A yellow-white magic beast was withdrawing back into the dark hole, Zhen Jin
barely caught a glance of its silhouette.
This silver level magic beast seemed to be an expert of underground attacks!
“The blue dog fox wolf had a hidden trump card!”
“I never found it; it must have been always slinking underground.”
Because the magic beast corps was led by the blue dog fox wolves, they employed
all kinds of tactics. Zhen Jin blocked the surprise flank attack but didn’t
anticipate a subterranean magic beast.
Ultrasound readings had their limits.
Although it could probe underground, one had better press against the ground.
Zhen Jin’s probing had always taken place on the tall wooden wall.
Even if he pressed up against the ground, he feared that he could not find the
trail of this mysterious magic beast in the short term. Because it had dug too
deeply.
The camp gate collapsed with a loud bang, along with a portion of the wooden
wall.
Although the hole that knocked the gate down was deep, it was not wide.
Monkey tail brown bears, strong life white rhinoceros, and crocodile head
hammer tail boas could charge into camp.
In the camp, there was an additional reserve team.
“They’ve come, this giant was getting impatient!” The small giant was
brandishing a large club and with a vicious voice, he retaliated, “I will give
a fervent welcome to this magic beast corps.”
These silver level magic beasts had all kinds of injuries, while the small
giant was in peak condition.
The giant bloodline gave him extraordinary physique and strength, and his
sweeping wooden club beat back two to three monkey tail brown bears.
A strong life white rhinoceros charged over.
“This road is blocked!” The giant directly resisted it, resulting in his belly
being pierced by the rhinoceros’ horn.
The slowest of them, the crocodile head hammer tail boa, also came over to
twist and squeeze the giant’s body.
The giant quickly fell into a disadvantageous position as he tangled with the
crocodile head hammer tail boa.
Suddenly a gigantic arrow shot into the center of the crocodile head hammer
tail boa’s torso.
The arrow was very long, longer than a meter. It had an iron arrowhead and was
shot with extraordinary force, greater than even Zhen Jin’s waist crossbow.
Although the crocodile head hammer tail boa had thick skin, the arrow still
penetrated it.
Despite suffering a serious injury, the crocodile head hammer tail boa still
tenaciously trapped the giant. The giant’s cheeks turned red, he already found
it difficult to breathe.
“Don’t hit my son!” The boat craftsman shouted from the wooden house.
“Do you think I am Mu Ban?” The archer was Hei Juan, he was operating a
ballista.
That’s right, it was a ballista!
The ballista was naturally built by Mu Ban, and he didn’t just build one, but
three.
Ballistae were large-scale war arms; Mu Ban was ordered to build them
specifically in order to deal with large magic beasts.
Unfortunately, the wooden wall did not have the space for a ballista, its
planks could only support people.
As a result, the ballistae could only be set up inside the camp.
The magic beasts that rushed in after the camp gate were the three ballistae’
targets!
……
Thump thump thump……
Large arrows shot out, some piercing monkey tail brown bears, some scaring
strong life white rhinoceros, and some hitting only air.
Shooting a ballista was also very troublesome and winding it was very
inconvenient, both needed many people.
The three ballistae had wounded people winding them with all their strength,
despite their injuries.
Hei Juan displayed his formidable archery skill, he was a master marksman.
The three arrows he shot all hit the crocodile head hammer tail boa.
Blood from the crocodile head hammer tail boa’s heavy injuries filled the
earth, causing its strength to gradually wane until finally, the giant started
to struggle free. The giant used his wooden club to crazily hammer its head
until it fell to the ground motionless.
The reserve team’s good performance soon obstructed the charging magic beasts.
“Run for it!” At that moment, Zhen Jin quickly came over and yelled at Hei Juan
and the others.
Hei Juan stared blankly for a moment, but soon ran, leaving the ballista
without the slightest hesitation.
After a moment, the ground split open. A gigantic loach-like monster sneak
attacked from underground.
It didn't seem to have eyes, was completely yellow, had no skin, was greasy all
over, and it resembled an enlarged earthworm.
In its open mouth, was a circle of inseparably close sawtooth teeth.
The monster swallowed the ballista and cut it down with its teeth.
After a few breaths, the ballista was sliced into sawdust.
Hei Juan and the others were panic-stricken, if they were swallowed, even full
armor could not protect them.
The subterranean worm quickly chewed up the ballista and dug back underground.
In desperation, Zhen Jin could only throw himself at the empty area.
When he used ultrasound, before finding the blue dog fox wolf, he discovered
the mysterious subterranean magic beast.
The worm wasn’t digging deeper, rather it was digging through a shallow layer
of earth.
Thus, Zhen Jin warmed Hei Juan and the others in advance, saving their lives.
“My god!”
“What kind of monster was that thing?”
“This old man almost died……”
All of the survivors had endless lingering fear.
There were still two ballistae, however Hei Juan and the others did not go to
them, fearing additional surprise attacks.
They were not soldiers, only mercenaries and sailors, none of them had a
suicidal or sacrificial mentality.
Most crucially of all, the gigantic worm had no warning signs the people could
act on.
Zhen Jin put his palm onto the ground, slightly opened his mouth, and emitted
ultrasound.
“Found it!”
After a moment, Zhen Jin felt a mix of fright and anger, the worm was not
heading towards the remaining ballistae, but the wooden house.
Cang Xu, Zi Di, and some other people were hiding in the wooden house.
“Zi Di, Cang Xu, run for it!” Zhen Jin anxiously roared as he ran towards the
wooden house.
Zi Di, Cang Xu, and the other people had been observing the outside situation,
they too saw the gigantic worm. When they heard Zhen Jin’s shout, they all ran
out of the wooden house without hesitation.
Rumble!
Just as they ran twenty steps from the wooden house, the gigantic worm attacked
again.
The renovated wooden house had been reinforced, however half of it instantly
collapsed under the gigantic worm’s attack.
Zhen Jin and Hei Juan promptly met up with Cang Xu, Zi Di, and the others with
them.
Zhen Jin continued to charge at the gigantic worm, however the latter escaped.
Too cunning!
The gigantic worm’s disposition seemed different from the other silver level
magic beasts, it liked sneak attacks and disliked direct attacks.
Hei Juan, upon seeing Zhen Jin charging again, loudly proposed: “My Lord, the
camp can’t last much longer. We need to break out!”
Zhen Jin shook his head, the current predicament did not discourage him, rather
it aroused his fighting spirit: “Hei Juan, you are in charge of breaking out.
Protect Zi Di, Cang Xu, Mu Ban, and the boat craftsman, they are important.”
Zhen Jin’s ultrasound found the gigantic worm attacking another ballista.
This time, the young knight did not rush at thin air.
He used the time the earthworm took swallowing the ballista, to deeply stab its
lower body.
The gigantic worm did not shudder, as if that piercing blow did not exist, it
then immediately withdrew back underground with Silver Lightning.
“My, my sword?!” Hei Juan was flabbergasted.
Zhen Jin then lashed out and reprimanded him: “You still haven’t broken them
out!”
“Let me at it!” Zong Ge rushed over at this moment, “Where is it?”
Zhen Jin no longer looked at Hei Juan as he leaned over to put his palm on the
ground, his face was discolored as he shook his head: “The divine force within
my body is rapidly weakening, I cannot see it as clearly, hold on! Thirty
meters that away!”
Zong Ge ran there at once as the gigantic worm emerged once more.
This time, it wanted to attack a lone and wounded person.
The lone and wounded person cleverly rolled forward, dodging the gigantic worm.
Zong Ge smashed down, hitting the center of the worm’s head.
However the half beastman’s complexion changed, the flesh he felt was soft and
greasy, and due to that, the bone hammer’s attack had weakened severely.
Zong Ge’s complexion became grave, he then yelled to Zhen Jin: “The offensive
on the camp gate has already stabilized. We must kill this subterranean magic
beast!”
Zhen Jin was still kneeling in the ground, as if using the power of a divine
spell to investigate all over: “There is also a blue dog fox wolf hidden
somewhere in the camp.”
“I know.” Zong Ge nodded. Because Bai Ya and the others assisted at the camp
gate, he knew this information. With the appearance of the subterranean magic
beast, Zong Ge could no longer sit around, he had to assist Zhen Jin.
Zhen Jin continued to focus his attention on scouting with ultrasound.
Because of his human form and the fact another person was at his side, Zhen Jin
could not go all-out.
At the same time, the efficacy of ultrasound was greatly reduced in underground
areas.
The large and formidable subterranean magic beast could move underground, it
could even be said that prior to its attack, there were no warning signs.
But under Zhen Jin’s ultrasound, its trajectory appeared.
This was not the first time Zhen Jin and Zong Ge coordinated with each other.
As early as when they wanted to purge the bat monkey groups, they had
coordinated with each other for the first time to deal with a silver level bat
monkey.
They now coordinated closely, and after a few breaths, their cooperation became
a mutual understanding.
Each time the gigantic worm attacked, Zhen Jin would first determine where it
would be, then Zong Ge would rush over to beat it.
Although bone white hammer’s attack power was weakened by the gigantic worm’s
carapace, it could not withstand the increasing number of attacks. As its
injuries increased and grew heavier, its actions clearly began to slow down.
As Zhen Jin’s judgement grew more accurate, Zong Ge’s attacks had more results.
After beating back the gigantic worm three times, the magic beast fled into the
earth’s depths, left the camp, and disappeared from Zhen Jin’s ultrasound
probing range.
Nevertheless, fire was spreading in the camp.
“Fire, fire!” Someone cried out in alarm upon discovering it.
“It’s that blue dog fox wolf, it's burning everything with a torch in its
mouth.” Zhen Jin got up. He had found the blue dog fox wolf earlier; however he
did not run after it.
The gigantic worm had to be disposed of first.
The blue dog fox wolf was lighting everything on fire but wasn’t attacking
anyone. To Zhen Jin, this was a good thing.
Sacrificing the camp won valuable time.
As long as the people were still alive, the camp could be rebuilt.
“I will dispatch of it; you go to the front.” Said Zhen Jin.
“Don’t try to be brave. You don’t even have an inch of steel on you currently.
Zong Ge looked at Zhen Jin, his brows wrinkled.
Awoo——!
At that moment, a wolf howl came from the main gate.
“Another magic beast assault!”
“The second blue dog fox wolf also appeared!!”
There were cries of alarm at the main gate.
It was clear the blue dog fox wolf knew the gigantic worm had fled, under the
pressure of losing its trump card, it launched a final assault.
Zong Ge’s brows wrinkled even tighter.
The battle had entered its final phase.
The gigantic worm had destroyed the camp’s three ballistae, while the giant was
covered in blood and heavy injuries, he was unable to walk. The camp’s reserve
team was considered to be done for.
Nearly all of their military strength was concentrated at the main gate, at
this point in the battle, they were as spent with their strength being at rock
bottom.
Zong Ge had to protect these retreating people.
The mercenaries and sailors were not a standing army, and even if they were,
they would still flee.
The effects of the blue dog fox wolf’s arson appeared, not only was the camp
burning down, so was the morale of the people.
Morale was gloomy.
If the situation was not strongly suppressed, these people might desert.
One deserter would appear, then a second, and then a third, a rout might happen
in the blink of an eye.
Of course, at this stage, the magic beast corps’ losses were even more
disastrous.
But the magic beast corps had more power as a whole, they had enough strength
for a final assault.
“I have to return, but what about here……” Zong Ge hesitated.
Zhen Jin coldly snorted: “A lack of weapons is not an excuse to avoid combat.
It is my prey; you are needed over there.”
Zong Ge’s heart trembled with fear, the young knight before him was not clean,
he was covered in dirt and his blonde hair was bathed with sawdust.
However, the youngster’s blue eyes shined in the flames, revealing his firm and
determined will to kill.
This was a determined warrior!
Zong Ge looked at those eyes, and for a split second, time seemed to freeze.
“This boy is a true man!” There was praise in Zong Ge’s heart.
This was a man he could look face to face!
There was no need for pity or consideration between men, only the weak needed
such things. Between men, perhaps the only thing needed was trust.
“Go.” Zong Ge slightly smiled as his deeply wrinkled brows smoothed out.
He brushed past Zhen Jin: “If the situation goes south, I will retreat.
Fighting these brutes to the death……is not worth it! You are a good rival,
don’t die, I still plan to swap pointers with you.”
Zhen Jin glanced at Zong Ge and coldly snorted.
The two men looked at each other, and gradually ran from each other.
One towards the gate, and one to the blue dog fox wolf arson.
“Come, I am here!” Zhen Jin quickly appeared before the blue dog fox wolf; the
young knight provoked it of his own accord.
The blue dog fox wolf dropped the torch, the camp was already on fire.
It did not see the rapier that injured it, however it tried to guard against
Zhen Jin’s attacks.
Zhen Jin retreated several times, until the blue dog fox wolf came into the
wooden house.
The wooden house was also on fire, flames raged everywhere inside it.
One human and one wolf confronted each other in a sea of flames.
The burning walls exuded thick smoke that obstructed the vision of other
humans.
Seeing Zhen Jin walk into a predicament, the blue dog fox wolf seemed to think
he was drawing from the environment to cause mutual destruction.
After a moment, the blue dog fox wolf barked and immediately attacked. After
running a few steps, it jumped into the air and pounced at the youngster.
This vicious style of attack was the one the blue dog fox wolf was most
proficient at.
As it targeted the youngster’s throat, its sharp teeth seemed to flicker with
cold light!
Zhen Jin saw the blue dog fox wolf pouncing at him, however he stood in place.
After a moment, a red light emerged, the core transformed him.
The blue dog fox wolf was just about to bite into Zhen Jin’s throat, when its
eyes suddenly went black.
Zhen Jin’s head transformed into a crocodile head, his wide mouth was bigger
than the blue dog fox wolf’s, then he bit down, crushing the wolf’s head and
neck in his mouth.
Blue dog fox wolf: ??!!
If it were a human, its heart would have definitely roared: “My, my bite? Who
bit me?”
The blue dog fox wolf’s neck and head were bitten by the tenacious crocodile
teeth, The blue dog fox wolf’s eyes looked ahead, it had a good view of
something fermenting in Zhen Jin’s mouth.
hei……tui
Kraaa……ptuh!
After a moment, a dark green acid bubbled up and shot across the blue dog fox
wolf’s face.
The blue dog fox had no time to close its eyes, thus the acid dissolved them.
The acute pain made it howl miserably, at the same time, its four feet crazily
scratched at Zhen Jin’s body.
Zhen Jin proudly stood in place and did not move.
His entire body had bear bones and muscles, with a scorpion carapace covering
his skin.
All of the blue dog fox wolf’s claws bled, it broke through Zhen Jin’s
crocodile head hammer tail boa leather armor, but could only leave scars on the
scorpion carapace, nothing more.
Then, Zhen Jin extended both arms and transformed them into monkey tail brown
bear arms.
The core’s magic frantically rushed forth, turning Zhen Jin’s fingers as red
hot as melted iron.
Zhen Jin inserted both hands into the blue dog fox wolf’s body, the blue dog
fox wolf was a silver level magic beast, however it could do nothing to resist
the claws.
Zhen Jin felt he was stabbing kraft paper, with just a little strength, he
could pierce it.
His palms sank deep into the blue dog fox wolf’s body.
However, there was an even more ruthless attack coming afterwards!
After Zhen Jin’s bear hands wore off, he transformed again, this time
transforming his fingers into blade spider legs, these blades then quickly grew
through the blue dog fox wolf’s body.
In the next moment, the shining sharp blades penetrated the blue dog fox wolf’s
body, stabbing its heart and backbone.
The blades collided with each other, tinkling a few times.
As blood spurted out, the blue dog fox wolf’s body trembled. It still scratched
at Zhen Jin, however its strength quickly weakened, and after a few breaths, it
seemed to weakly caress Zhen Jin’s body.
After a few more breaths, Zhen Jin opened his mouth, dropping the motionless
blue dog fox wolf to the floor.
The acid changed its face beyond recognition, its eyeballs had suffered the
most, but it still retained them.
Zhen Jin’s acid was only at the iron level.
The blue dog fox wolf was dead.
It seemed to want to howl, it wanted to leave its dying words, however with
Zhen Jin’s teeth firmly biting into it, it could only whimper or mournfully
howl at best.
Its wolf eyes were open wide, as if it was not resigned, and also as if it were
shocked.
It seemed to still be gazing at Zhen Jin, as if it were heartlessly accusing
Zhen Jin, and it seemed to finish a single phrase——are you a human?!
The flames and thick smoke concealed everything.
Red light gushed in the core, forming blood lines that covered the blue dog fox
wolf’s body.
The blue dog fox wolf faded away, changing into a pile of ash.
The wooden house collapsed in a loud bang, forming the largest bonfire. Zhen
Jin’s whereabouts were unknown.
……
……



****** Chapter 123: This is a Knightly Romance ******
The raging inferno illuminated the nearby forest.
The burning camp was collapsing, occasionally causing rumbles.
“The camp……is gone.” Someone said with incomparable dismay, as they watched the
flames tower over the treetops.
“Fortunately, the outside wood was preserved.” Mu Ban happily said.
Zi Di commanded these people to wrap the giant’s wounds.
The giant’s injuries were severe, after stumbling here, he fell unconscious.
The boat craftsman was around Zi Di, he looked at the girl: “Lord President,
how is the giant?”
Zi Di wanted to say she was only a pharmacist, not a doctor, however upon
seeing the boat craftsman’s worried face, she still said: “Be at ease, he has a
giant bloodline that gives him a strong recovery ability. With my corresponding
medicine, nothing will happen.”
“That’s good, that’s good.” The boat craftsman spat, his worry gradually
retarded.
Zi Di added: “His injuries are simply heavier than last time. For the next half
month, he can only recuperate, he cannot move as he wishes.”
After saying this, Zi Di questioned the boat craftsman: “He has iron level
strength, why didn't you guys want to train him? If he had gone through even
some of the most basic training, he would not have been injured this much.”
The boat craftsman sighed: “My Lord, it’s not like I didn’t want to. But the
giant’s mind does not function well, sometimes he goes crazy. When that
happens, only I can communicate with him, he does not listen to anyone else.
Zi Di nodded, she understood.
As she looked around her, the girl’s face slowly grew worried.
The person in her heart had not shown up.
After parting ways with Zhen Jin, Zong Ge came to the gate a step too slow. The
group at the gate already routed.
The blue dog fox wolf led the remaining magic beast corps against them.
Luckily by Zong Ge rushing over, the magic beast corps’ charge was stopped.
Surrounded by layers of magic beasts and fighting the blue dog fox wolf hand to
hand, Zong Ge’s steel armor bled from monkey tail brown bears and his bone
white hammer shaft broke from the fierce battle.
In fact, during the battle, he had already broken a hammer shaft.
But Mu Ban made Zong Ge spare shafts.
Under the valiant Zong Ge’s leadership, Tripleblade, Lan Zao, and the others
dauntlessly attacked the enemy, sinking both sides into a momentary deadlock.
But Zong Ge knew his side was spent, this was their final stretch. However the
magic beasts’ strength had been overdrawn, that is why he broke out first.
Zong Ge used the burning buildings in camp and did everything he could to shake
off the pursuing magic beasts.
Then, Zong Ge did his best to save everyone in camp and lead them away.
After escaping the camp, Zong Ge and his group converged with Hei Juan, Zi Di,
Cang Xu, and their group.
The magic beast corps seemed to temporarily stay in the camp, thus Zong Ge sped
up the rest and reorganization of the group. At the same time, he ordered Bai
Ya to shoot a whistling arrow at fixed intervals.
After getting the signal, a dispersed companion would occasionally return to
the larger group.
“Cough cough cough.” The coughing sound in the forest immediately attracted the
attention of everyone.
At the next moment, a blood-soaked Zhen Jin slowly came from the forest.
“It's Lord Zhen Jin!”
“I said he wasn’t dead.”
“Master!!” Lan Zao shouted. The first to walk forward was Zi Di, she supported
Zhen Jin with her arm.
Zhen Jin was tethering, his entire body was covered in blood, and it seemed his
injuries were serious.
Everyone looked at the gaze, their pleasant surprise turning into shock and
admiration.
Zhen Jin’s boa leather armor had already changed beyond recognition, together
with the gashes and scars, the youngster seemed to have fought a thrilling life
and death battle!
As a matter of fact, Zhen Jin’s leather chest plate and shoulder pad had been
damaged by the blue dog fox wolf’s claws.
However in other places, Zhen Jin actually transformed wolf claws and a wolf
head to scratch and tear at them.
“With the help of the fire, I beat the blue dog fox wolf, however I couldn’t
kill it and allowed it to escape.” Zhen Jin explained.
“Don’t speak, let me check your injuries.” Zi Di came to Zhen Jin, her voice
choked with emotions. She extended her thin hand and carefully explored Zhen
Jin’s leather armor, she wanted to take off the dilapidated leather armor.
But Zhen Jin stopped her.
His body was undamaged, and if the leather armor was taken off, it would be
exposed.
:Give me some potions, I will treat myself!” Zhen Jin’s tone was resolute, “My
injuries are not important.”
Zong Ge walked over: “Regardless of how gallant or fearless a warrior is, they
need to learn how to take care of their body. Your sword.”
Zong Ge gave the rapier, Silver Lightning, to Zhen Jin.
Zhen Jin took it and inserted it back into its scabbard.
Behind Zong Ge, Tripleblade explained: “When the blue dog fox wolf at the gate
organized a final charge, that gigantic worm also participated. However it
encountered Lord Zong Ge and was routed once more.
“It was Lord Zong Ge who saw the sword stuck in its body, he risked falling
into the hole to retrieve this rapier.”
Zhen Jin nodded, he looked at Zong Ge: “It must have been a marvelous fight.”
“Many thanks! Its return is very timely, now we can pursue the retreating
enemy.”
Besides Zong Ge and Cang Xu, the others were gob smacked.
Zhen Jin had one hand on the sword hilt and one hand on his waist. Although his
breathing was unsteady, his voice was magnified: “Everyone, currently neither
of the two blue dog fox wolves are dead. We cannot ignore them no matter what,
although we purged the surrounding beast groups, the blue dog fox wolves have
identified us. As long as they have time, they can replenish their military
strength to what appeared today, or even bigger!”
“What I am more worried about, is the possibility of these two blue dog fox
wolves calling out to others of their kind, if that happens, our troubles will
increase to the point where we cannot handle them, at that point, we can only
die.”
Everyone’s complexion was ugly.
They did not think about this, they only wanted to escape.
It was not strange, rather it was human nature.
If Zong Ge and Zhen Jin were not around in today’s fight, everyone would have
certainly suffered a crushing defeat. The outcome would have been: the camp
burning, large amounts of casualties, and a surviving magic beast corps, each
an element that would destroy morale.
They could have prepared many days for the battle and done their best, yet
defeat was still possible.
Thus fear arising in everyone was natural, none of them wanted to think about
it.
But Zhen Jin’s words nevertheless forced this difficult problem back onto
everyone.
Zhen Jin attempted to boost morale: “Everyone, there is no need for fear. Think
carefully!”
“The magic beast corps still hasn’t appeared to pursue us, aren’t they burning
to death in a sea of flames?”
“The blue dog fox wolves are cunning; they will absolutely lead them out of the
camp.
“But why aren’t they pursuing us?”
“If they were strong, they would have pursued us already, they certainly would
not have left us off.”
“However, they did not, this illustrates their weakness and exhaustion. In the
eyes of the blue dog fox wolf, the magic beast corps is no longer our
opponent.”
“They are weak, as long as we rouse our courage and fight with all we got, we
can hope to fight our way out.”
However, everyone remained silent.
Wherever Zhen Jin looked, people would lower their heads or look to the side to
avoid Zhen Jin’s gaze.
Zhen Jin’s heart could only deeply sigh.
After he eliminated the blue dog fox wolf, he observed the status of the gate
battle. He wanted to attack the remaining blue dog fox wolf, however intuition
warned him that doing so was very dangerous.
Indeed, the blue dog fox wolf had many magic beasts protecting it. After losing
contact with the other blue dog fox wolf, it was extremely vigilant. Even if
Zhen Jin transformed into a complete magic beast, it would frantically attack
if he approached.
Zhen Jin did not want to expose too much of his circumstances in front of the
blue dog fox wolf.,
Wolf howls could pass on a lot of information, and he had suffered a lot the
first time it had happened.
Realizing his prior luring stratagem was ineffective, Zhen Jin decided to not
risk it. He instead returned to the large group, wanting to use everyone’s
strength to reduce the magic beasts near the blue dog fox wolf.
It was like he said, the blue dog fox wolf had to be eradicated! If he appeased
them, troubles would rapidly increase beyond what Zhen Jin and the others could
handle.
This is the reason why Zhen Jin lied about the two blue dog fox wolves, because
even if it burned, there would still be a charred blue dog fox wolf corpse left
behind. But in fact, the blue dog fox wolf had been completely converted by
Zhen Jin, and without proof, it would be a weak point.
To the other people, there seemed to be two blue dog fox wolves. After this
battle, the cunning of the blue dog fox wolves birthed fear in these people,
however there was only one left.
Perhaps if Zhen Jin told the truth, it would alleviate the pressure in the
people’s hearts.
Zhen Jin spat and gazed with incomparable steadiness: “Fine, it's your choice,
I will not force anyone. Even if it is just me, I will dispose of those blue
dog fox wolves.”
“My Lord!” Zi Di cried.
The others were also emotionally moved.
“Master, I ask you to let me meet death with you!” Lan Zao’s face was serene as
he stood at Zhen Jin’s side.
Zhen Jin nodded to him.
Zong Ge laughed and smiled: “How interesting. I will come too.”
“I will follow your Lordship, no matter the place.” Tripleblade also stood by
them.
“Lord Zong Ge, Lord Tripleblade……” The opinions of the other mercenaries also
shifted.
Bai Ya’s complexion fluctuated, his heart was struggling.
It was extremely dangerous!
Although he had once risked his life and saved Cang Xu from the mouth of a
green lizard, it had been an impulse from Bai Ya’s heart he did have time to
think about. Now that he had adequate time to consider, he realized the
dangers, this made him feel great fear.
Tripleblade discerned their body language and did not wait for them to speak:
“You guys don’t need to go, we are enough. The situation in the forest is
complex, if something happens, we won’t have enough time to help.”
“No, don’t Lord Zhen Jin, I ask you to remain here by my side.” In a rarely
seen act, Zi Di blocked Zhen Jin. Until now, this girl never opposed Zhen Jin’s
decisions.
“Don’t try to persuade me, you should be the one who most understands me.
Ignoring them will surely kill us. But if we dispose of them now, at the least,
we will have hope. Zhen Jin lovingly gazed at the girl, his heart sighing.
He knew: the blue dog fox wolf was an enormous psychological shadow over Zi Di.
With Zhen Jin seemingly injured currently, yet still wanting to bravely pursue
the blue dog fox wolf, it made Zi Di lose faith.
“Let me at least heal your injuries.” Zi Di insisted.
“I must make every second count.” Zhen Jin shook his head.
Zi Di fixed her eyes on Zhen Jin, and as if forgetting about everything nearby,
tears flowed from her beautiful amethyst eyes.
“During the time I was gone, Zi Di must have been worried for me. Actually I
have enormous confidence, as long as someone attracts the firepower for me. But
I cannot tell her these things, I can only allow her to be deeply worried about
me.”
Zhen Jin was also gazing at Zi Di, concealing the truth caused him to feel
guilty. In addition, dense affection also rose in Zhen Jin’s heart.
The next moment, Zhen Jin slowly hugged Zi Di.
Zi Di’s body slightly trembled.
Zhen Jin put the tip of his nose on Zi Di’s ear and softy said: “I will return,
I guarantee I will return.”
After saying this, Zhen Jin released Zi Di and walked away.
Zong Ge and the group followed close behind.
The others remained silent as they watched the four gradually disappear.
“That is a hero!” Someone sincerely sighed.
Those words touched the depths of Bai Ya’s heart, causing the youngster to
roar: “My Lord, wait for me!”
Bai Ya rushed out of the crowd; his face no longer had any hesitation.
At that moment, the adventurous spirit and honor filled his heart, making him
lose reason.
“Stop him quickly.” Zi Di immediately ordered.
“Give me a break smelly youngster.” Xi Suo tripped Bai Ya to the ground, “You
are throwing away your life.”
Bai Ya stood up, he still wanted to follow Zhen Jin: “I want to become a
knight, how can a knight cower?”
“Bravery is not stupidity, youngster.” Cang Xu sighed, then he persuaded,
“Perhaps one day, you will become a knight. But you are still an ordinary
person right now, and that……belongs to a knightly romance.
Bai Ya still wanted to speak.
“Shut up!” Hei Juan knocked Bai Ya unconscious, he looked resentful.



****** Chapter 124: To Save Them or Not? ******
Zhen Jin and the others came into the forest, they seemed to see traces of
disorderly beasts, as if the magic beast corps had disintegrated, it seemed the
blue dog fox wolf had lost control.
“How can we pursue?” Zong Ge tightly scowled, he was a soldier not a hunter,
and he was no expert at differentiating between beast footprints.
Bai Ya was certainly an expert, but he was too weak.
“A remnant of the god’s power is still within me; I can barely see it. The blue
dog fox wolf went that way!” Zhen Jin had already secretly used ultrasound,
thus he now pointed out the correct direction without hesitation.
“A remnant of the god’s power is still in Zhen Jin? This kind of concern is
extremely unusual. Zhen Jin……maybe he is not an ordinary templar knight!” Zong
Ge deeply glanced at Zhen Jin, hiding his amazement in his heart.
He had heard from Bai Ya: Zhen Jin had received a new godly blessing during the
battle, making it so his roar could directly make flying squirrels lose
consciousness.
Everyone ran through the forest; their pursuit was in full swing.
Finding fewer and fewer beast footprints along the journey, Tripleblade felt
exultation: “It seems the blue dog fox wolf’s scent has reached its time limit,
it cannot constrain the beast groups and soon, it will be alone. It’s no wonder
that after they attacked the camp, they did not pursue us and instead wandered
off.”
Lan Zao also guessed: “Perhaps the thick smoke Lord Zi Di’s potion made, could
disturb the blue dog fox wolf’s scent!”
A short while later.
“Overtake it!” Zong Ge laughed heartily as he charged at the blue dog fox wolf.
Seeing the pursuing force, the blue dog fox wolf lost its head out of fear, it
then accelerated to escape into the forest.
As the pursuit unfolded, Zhen Jin grew hesitant: “I have a bad feeling about
this.”
While running, Zong Ge looked at Zhen Jin, he had the same feeling.
Suddenly, the blue dog fox wolf stopped running and howled, agitating the
forest. Magic beasts poured out from all directions and surrounded Zhen Jin and
the others.
“It deliberately divided its force, faked the scattering of the beast groups,
then it showed weakness to lure us in so it could surround us!” Zong Ge
growled, his expression heavy.
Lan Zao and Tripleblade had ugly complexions, they had not foreseen the blue
dog fox wolf’s scheme.
“First we break out, then we shall counterattack!” Zhen Jin shouted; their
current formation was too unfavorable.
His ultrasound had probed everything, nothing was unexpected.
Zong Ge took the lead, with his white bone hammer whistling in the wind.
Zhen Jin was at his side, with the sharp Silver Lightning.
With their attacks combined, the ring surrounding them immediately
destabilized. These magic beasts had just gone through a battle and hadn’t had
the time to rest and reorganize, every single one of them had injuries.
Tripleblade and Lan Zao were somewhat weaker, but with Zhen Jin and Zong Ge
looking after them, all four broke out of the encirclement.
“If there were more people, I wouldn’t have been able to look after all of
them.” Zong Ge spat.
“Horrifying! This blue dog fox wolf still schemed against us; it purposefully
divided its force. If we pursued with a large force, with different individual
speeds, we would have lost our formation, thus taking disastrous casualties.”
Tripleblade had post-traumatic stress.
Zhen Jin’s expression was as heavy as iron: “Leaving this kind of opponent
alive, will cause extreme trouble and worry for us. I must eliminate it! I am
afraid this is our final chance.”
“That’s right!” Zong Ge’s will was also resolute.
The four people reorganized their formation and continued the pursuit.
Against the assembled magic beast corps, they could rely on Zhen Jin’s
ultrasound to fight like guerillas and eradicate the magic beast corps’ outer
strength.
The magic beast corps also had bat monkeys, and every time Zhen Jin and the
others attacked, they would guard against them in advance.
But at the magic beast corps’ weakest side——they didn’t have any long range
firepower.
Zhen Jin and the others had crossbows and many arrows. They avoided close
quarters fighting with the magic beast corps, instead after getting close
enough, they would shoot at them.
When the magic beast corps counterattacked, they ran away.
The magic beasts were extremely tired, they could not run at peak speed. Even
if they overtook Zhen Jin and the others, the magic beasts’ formation would
inevitably become disorderly, allowing Zong Ge and Zhen Jin to meet them head
on, and kill them.
In the end, although the blue dog fox wolf was cunning, the intelligence of the
other magic beasts was lacking. The blue dog fox wolf could not pass down
precise or specific orders, it could not keep the magic beasts in formation
after they charged.
Doing this, Zhen Jin and the others only paid with arrows, while the magic
beast corps paid with their lives.
Finally, the blue dog fox wolf knew the battle was lost, and with some elites,
it sped up its escape into the forest. It left the weak, old, young, and
injured to obstruct Zhen Jin and the others.
The four of them attempted to take a detour, however the magic beasts left
behind also followed. The blue dog fox wolf’s scent made them loyal and
devoted, they had no thoughts for personal safety as they intercepted the four
people.
Zong Ge grew impatient, he then took the lead and charged forward. After some
close quarter killing, the four managed to barely break through the defensive
line.
There were still some relatively quick and annoying magic beasts behind them.
“My Lords, continue pursuing, we will lead these magic beasts away!”
Tripleblade loudly proposed while running, they had already procrastinated
enough.
Zong Ge and Zhen Jin agreed in a flash.
Tripleblade and Lan Zao left and attracted the magic beasts’ attention.
Zong Ge and Zhen Jin continued their pursuit.
After sensing the situation, the blue dog fox wolf left magic beasts behind to
constantly obstruct them.
“If this continues, the blue dog fox wolf will escape, we need to separate
too!” Said Zhen Jin.
Zong Ge hesitated for a moment, the blue dog fox wolf still had some military
strength by its side, with just Zhen Jin or himself alone, they would not be
its match. But Zong Ge still nodded: “Regardless of who overtakes the blue dog
fox wolf first, just focus on entangling it, wait until backup arrives before
attacking it!”
Zhen Jin nodded; the two humans rapidly separated.
A strong life white rhinoceros charged at Tripleblade and Lan Zao.
Lan Zao was entangled with flying squirrels and was about to be run over by the
strong life white rhinoceros.
“Leave!” Tripleblade shoved Lan Zao out of the way in time.
Lan Zao was caught off guard, he cried out in surprise and rolled three times,
avoiding the rhinoceros.
But now the goblin Tripleblade stood where he was.
The silver level magic beast’s physique was lofty, while the goblin’s was short
and small.
Just as the rhinoceros was about to collide, Tripleblade suddenly crouched into
a small ball and rocked in place.
As the rhinoceros charged through, Tripleblade still remained where he was, he
had perfectly dodged the rhinoceros’ hooves.
“Ama, amazing!” Upon seeing this, Lan Zao could not help but show shock and
admiration.
But at the next moment, a crocodile head hammer tail boa swept in, causing Lan
Zao and Tripleblade to flee once more.
Against these magic beasts, they were somewhat weak.
Tripleblade was fine, but Lan Zao nearly died a few times already.
“Go assist your master! I will stall here.” Tripleblade shouted.
Lan Zao hesitated and shook his head: “My life should be sacrificed here, even
if it only gives my master a few more seconds, it is worth it!”
The goblin was verbally abusive, but did not persuade further, rather he
attracted the crocodile head hammer tail boa and quickly left the area.
“Don’t interfere!” Tripleblade cursed before leaving.
“Thanks!” Lan Zao could only express his thanks in his heart, because he was
quickly swarmed by a flying squirrel group.
As far as the strong life white rhinoceros was concerned, after charging, it
chased after the blue dog fox wolf. Tripleblade and Lan Zao were incapable of
stopping it.
Lan Zo was only at the bronze level, yet at this moment, not only was he
surrounded by bronze level flying squirrels, there were also two iron level
magic beasts!
How could Lan Zao dare stay where he was, he could only continue to flee
ignominiously.
Sensing Lan Zao’s departure, Tripleblade sighed in his heart: “I have already
done my best.”
Typically, he and Lan Zao were unfamiliar with each other, but during this
pursuit, he approved of the human’s bravery and loyalty.
Like how he looked after new mercenary members, he also looked after Lan Zao.
Boom!
The crocodile head hammer tail boa suddenly crashed into a large boulder.
Tripleblade had no choice but to come out from his hiding place, and in the
spitting image of a flea, he nimbly climbed up a big tree.
The crocodile head hammer tail boa raised its head up to Tripleblade’s eyes and
continued to attack.
“Come then!” Tripleblade wanted to create this opportunity.
He suddenly let go, releasing a branch he had been deliberately pushing down,
the thick shower of branches and leaves allowing him to hide from the crocodile
head hammer tail boa’s field of view.
The crocodile head hammer tail boa subconsciously closed its mouth and slightly
recoiled.
At the next moment, Tripleblade suddenly rushed out from the branches and
leaves, and jumped onto the crocodile head hammer tail boa.
With his small and tricky dagger, he ruthlessly fell like a shooting star as he
stabbed one of the crocodile head hammer tail boa’s eyes.
But the crocodile head hammer tail boa reacted with lightning speed, it
suddenly flung back its head and tossed Tripleblade off.
While Tripleblade was in the air, the crocodile head hammer tail seized the
opportunity and flicked its tail.
If it hit, Tripleblade could not rely on his leather armor to protect him, he
would definitely die on the spot.
But at the most crucial moment, Tripleblade suddenly waved his hand. A
grappling hook buckled itself to a nearby tree, and by pulling on the rope,
Tripleblade pulled himself onto a tree.
However the crocodile head hammer tail boa still hit his right arm.
It fractured and completely paralyzed his right arm!
After the crocodile head hammer tail boa flicked its tail, it charged again.
Tripleblade had just gotten on the tree trunk, the only thing he could do
during this calamity, was go behind the tree trunk.
Snap.
The crocodile head hammer tail boa took a massive bite out of the tree trunk.
Tripleblade, after fighting for a bit of time, threw himself off to avoid that
mortal blow.
After throwing himself to the ground, Tripleblade immediately rolled and got
up.
This action involved his right arm, making him turn pale and grimace in pain.
“Damm it!” Tripleblade also discovered he had lost his dagger.
The crocodile head hammer tail boa was slowly approaching again.
Tripleblade’s head filled with cold sweat, with no way out, he knelt to the
ground and grabbed a knife at his waist with his left hand.
“I really didn’t want to use this knife. But there is nothing I can do!”
Tripleblade took a deep breath and breathed out, then with a tinkle, he pulled
out the dagger.
The dagger was not made of iron, instead its blade was as thin as paper. The
blade flashed with a layer of green tint.
The crocodile head hammer tail boa attacked again!
Tripleblade moved quickly and violently, he avoided the attack and brushed past
the crocodile head hammer tail boa.
The blade in his left hand softly cut through the boa’s body and skin, creating
a spray of blood.
After causing this wound, Tripleblade immediately returned the dagger to its
scabbard.
At the same time, he rapidly left the battlefield.
The crocodile head hammer tail boa was pursuing close behind him.
Tripleblade frantically ran, jumping occasionally when he heard the crocodile
head hammer tail boa attacking.
After ten breaths, the crocodile head hammer tail boa suddenly fell to the
ground. Its body was still slowly struggling, but it could no longer move.
Tripleblade continued to run, after running for a good while, he stopped on a
tree trunk, opened his mouth, and started breathing.
“I nearly died! Ahaha……” Tripleblade fiercely breathed for a spell, allowing
concern to rise up, “Lan Zao? I need to look for him, if by any chance he
returns to find me, he will bring about his own destruction!”
In accordance with the impressions and battle traces, Tripleblade quickly found
Lan Zao.
“You!” Tripleblade’s heart shook.
In the shattered woodland, a still standing and blood-soaked Lan Zao was
holding two swords.
By him, there were over a dozen flying squirrel corpses.
Although none were iron level magic beasts, there were eight bronze level ones.
Seeing Tripleblade, Lan Zao, who had long reached his limit, fell to the ground
unconscious.
Zong Ge ran through the forest.
The blue dog fox wolf’s voice appeared ahead of him.
This made the half beastman’s spirit rise!
“Zhen Jin should have succeeded in overtaking and entangling it.”
Zong Ge’s speed was a burden. However before rushing over and providing
support, he had to dispose of a strong life white rhinoceros, iron level flying
squirrels, and more.
After charging through some dense undergrowth, Zong Ge saw a small hill, then
he saw Zhen Jin surrounded by the blue dog fox wolf and a few monkey tail brown
bears.
“What terrible luck!” Zong Ge’s heart sank.
This was completely different from his expectations.
Zhen Jin did not use his crossbow, instead he fell into an encirclement.
Zhen Jin did not have full body steel armor, and without Zong Ge providing
support, everything boded ill!
Zong Ge was just about to step forward when his heart suddenly moved.
He suddenly had a thought: “Should……I save him?”



****** Chapter 125: Hmph, Zong Ge! ******
Zong Ge could see everything happening in the stimulating battle.
The blue dog fox wolf’s right back leg was wounded, it was lying on its stomach
and howling.
After receiving their orders, the monkey tail brown bears with unexpected
coordination, surrounded Zhen Jin with an impenetrable encirclement.
Zhen Jin brandished Silver lightning, although it was very sharp, with each
thrust causing bleeding and pain that could force the monkey tail brown bears
back, it became visible that he did not have good enough armor, this made his
attacks strong and his defense weak, thus he could not break out of the
encirclement.
“Zhen Jin isn’t stupid enough to try a frontal assault.”
“The blue dog fox wolf must have used itself as bait to lure him in.”
“Zhen Jin did not believe these monkey tail brown bears would have such
coordination. No, even if it was me, I would not have believed this blue dog
fox wolf commanding could reach such a level.
At that moment, Zong Ge sunk into hesitation.
Zhen Jin……templar knight……the Bai Zhen Clan’s sole heir……
And him, a half beastman, although he had an even better family background, he
could not speak of it.
During the camp battle, Zhen Jin’s influence certainly rose again. Zong Ge
originally thought that was a chance for him to display his formidable battle
strength. However in the end, he was constantly covered up by Zhen Jin’s
radiance, so much so that the youngster covered up that development.
“This youngster is indeed outstanding!”
If he was being honest, Zong Ge envied Zhen Jin.
If he swapped identities with Zhen Jin, he would have done very well.
Everything he longed for could be rationally achieved.
And now, after squandering so many years and entering middle age, he still had
achieved nothing. Only by leaving to the Wilderness Continent, could he try his
luck.
And Zhen Jin?
He was to compete in the White Sands City Lord competition. If he succeeded,
his career starting point would far outstrip Zong Ge’s accomplishments. Maybe,
if Zong Ge worked for ten years, he could become a City Lord.
Jealousy?
Zong Ge recognized he had some.
He often asked himself——
“Why are there such massive differences between people?”
“Why are some born into riches, while some are born in the dirt?”
“Why can bloodlines, status, and race prejudice make even the best of efforts
seem insignificant and weak?
“Why after striving for so many years, did he have no choice but to keep
company with mercenaries, why was he still struggling in the lowest rungs of
society?”
And Zhen Jin?
He did not need to ponder over these questions.
He never had Zong Ge’s perplexions.
He had his fiancé, Zi Di, the president of the Wisteria Merchant Alliance.
He had the Bai Zhen Clan’s support.
He had Cang Xu, Mu Ban, and others at his side. The talented people Zong Ge
longed for, cheerfully attached themselves to that youngster.
He was a human, a pure blooded human, a noble, and a templar knight.
He was a natural leader, and through his noble light, almost all men would feel
inferior to him, kneel to the ground, and follow Zhen Jin. For most, it was
their greatest honor!
It was too much.
Zhen Jin had too many things, if Zong Ge desired them, he would need to invest
ten-fold the effort.
There were even some things, even if Zong Ge used all of his strength, he would
never be able to obtain.
In Zhen Jin, Zong Ge saw his childhood, he saw his childhood castle, and he saw
his half-siblings. Those people had groups of servants, amicable house keepers,
and devoted guards.
Zong Ge detested them!
In his childhood, he cursed his siblings.
“Why do you have such things?”
“With you around, father will look at you first, then me.”
“He will always inquire of you first, then me.”
“It is because of you, that I am here.”
During his childhood, Zong Ge would curl up in his bed.
He had to curl up in his bed, because he grew up quickly and made his plank bed
seem small. If he stretched out, his feet would hang off the bed’s edge.
His bedsheets were worn out and his meager layer of hemp garments were stained.
With no way of acquiring more, he only had this set of clothes.
He had to wait for a sunny day to wash them, otherwise if they did not dry, he
could only wait in his small room all day long without going out. Of course, he
could not eat during this time.
Whenever Zong Ge did laundry, he would curl up in his bed and flood his mind
with dark notions. He would curse his siblings and wish they would all drop
dead.
Death.
A crazy horse made one fall off and die.
Due to mistakes during a sword competition, two of them stabbed each other
dead.
One died when they slipped and fell off the castle during rainy weather.
Death……
Death.
Death!
“Death made me my father’s only son.”
“Death can make me the strongest person in the exploration team, no man would
be more suited as the leader than I. It would make it more likely to turn these
people into my team!”
“I don’t need to do anything.”
“I don’t need to be burdened, I don’t need to be a murderer, I only need to do
nothing, that is enough.”
“After you die fighting, I will kill the magic beasts around you. I will gather
your corpse and return, I will be sorrowful, I will cry tears, and I will
become the team’s sole leader.”
“Perhaps this is a fate given opportunity!”
“How many years have I been longing for such an opportunity?”
“Relax a little, I don’t even need to do anything! I only need to watch; I only
need to wait for things to happen……”
As the child Zong Ge turned in his dismal train of thought and curled up in his
bed, his eyes did not look at god, but at the wooden door.
Bang!
The wooden door was suddenly pushed open.
The harsh sunlight stabbed into the room like countless swords.
The darkness screeched and frantically cowered until it was reduced to bits in
the corners.
A familiar shadow appeared in front of the young Zong Ge.
Because of the sunlight behind them, his complexion was fuzzy, however his
boorish voice had long been etched into Zong Ge’s heart: “Stand up smelly
youngster, you are leaving this small and dark place. You will study swords
with me!”
“Teach, teach me……” The young Zong Ge was stupefied.
His imagination loudly finished.
Zong Ge still found himself on the hillside, he was charging out of the
undergrowth with a foot still in the air, he wanted to be a savior.
His imagination was long, however only one second passed in reality.
“Hmph, Zong Ge!”
Zong Ge’s heart coldly snorted at him.
He seemed at a loss as his complex mood was suddenly cleaned out.
He clutched the shaft of his bone hammer and pridefully lifted his head.
Each step he took, left a deep footprint in the ground.
“Ah——!” He bellowed to the sky.
He took another step forward.
He began to run.
Under the illumination of the sunlight, his long hair fluttered in the breeze.
His thick body hair and resonant voice were physical signs of his half beastman
nature, making it seem like a pouncing lion was running down the hill.
His constant bellows made it look like his chest was opening, allowing the
external sunlight and majestic courage to imbue his heart.
His strides began to grow bigger.
As he charged, his speed increased more and more.
With the wind whistling in his ears, the distance between him and Zhen Jin was
rapidly closing.
The wind seemed to change into a loud instructing voice: “Correct, do that, do
that. Charge, charge. I am a soldier, and you are also one too. Charge, support
your comrade in arms!”
“Persevere templar knight!” Zong Ge roared, although he did not hurry to Zhen
Jin’s side, he still wanted to first give Zhen Jin his courage and hope through
his roar, “Your reinforcement has come!!”
His loud voice echoed through the woods, even the ground seemed to tremble.
“Bark bark bark!” When the blue dog fox wolf discovered Zong Ge, it turned
around and barked a few times.
The next moment, the entire ground seemed to rock, earth splattered all over,
and an enormous monster opened its bloody mouth wide and pounced at Zong Ge.
It was the gigantic worm that had run off.
As the ground caved in, Zong Ge immediately fell into the hole, the only thing
he could do was raise his bone hammer to protect himself.
Although the gigantic worm’s mouth was big, it could only swallow less than
half of the bone hammer.
The creaking noise produced was ear piercing. The gigantic worm’s sawteeth was
frantically grinding the bone hammer.
With one hand on the bone hammer, Zong Ge punched and kicked the gigantic worm
with all his strength.
The gigantic worm’s fat body absorbed Zong Ge’s attacks, greatly reducing his
striking power. Zong Ge’s punching and kicking did not hurt the gigantic worm.
After a few breaths of deadlock, the gigantic worm suddenly raised his head and
spat out the bone hammer.
Many of its teeth were grinded flat, while the gigantic bone white hammer had
many teeth marks and bone shavings rubbed off of it.
“What are you waiting for? The army has lighting speed, quickly, quickly
quickly! The instructing voice seemed to say.
Zong Ge coldly snorted and jumped into the hole.
Next, he swung his bone hammer and knocked down the gigantic worm. Then he
stepped on its body and used it to jump out of the pit.
“I am coming!” Zong Ge bellowed again.
However after running ten breaths, the ground opened again, and the gigantic
worm threw itself at him again.
“Another one?!” Zong Ge turned pale.
Changing directions in a flash, he had doubts: “If there were two of them, why
did it not use both to attack the camp?”
Further observations eliminated his doubts: “No, there is only one. As it turns
out, this gigantic worm has a big mouth on its head and tail!”
The gigantic worm used one end to attack and the other to dig away, it made
fleeing easy.
However under the control of the blue dog fox wolf, it fought with all of its
strength.
Thus, when peril appears, it did not dig away at once.
But at the same time, both ends attacking made Zong Ge sink into a predicament,
he could not advance.
It was already difficult for Zong to deal with one end, two of them attacking
suppressed the half beastman.
On the other side, Zhen Jin was surrounded by perils.
“No!” Zong Ge bellowed, “Persevere!”
He wanted to come over.
“Wretched worm!” At that moment, the half beastman had no choice but to dodge.
“You have to take a chance; a man must take chances! All battlefields have
risks, don’t fear, if you face fear, you will live and win!” The instructing
voice echoed again in his heart.
Zong Ge shouted, suddenly stretched out his left arm, and allowed the gigantic
worm to bite him.
The gigantic worm had a huge body, however after biting Zong Ge’s left arm, its
mouth pulled back and its body shrunk to half its size. But Zong Ge tenaciously
trapped it and did not let it escape.
At the same time, the other end threw itself at Zong Ge’s back.
In this moment of calamity, Zong Ge waved the bone hammer and ruthlessly
slammed the gigantic worm’s head.
In order for the gigantic worm to bite Zong Ge, its body shrunk and became
solid, it no longer had any defense against blunt attacks.
As the gigantic bone hammer beat it, the gigantic worm twitched about, its
struggling body warping and twisting on the ground.
Zong Ge occasionally flung it to the ground and occasionally lifted it into the
air.
Even if heaven and earth turned over, Zong Ge would only focus on his target as
he hammered the gigantic worm’s head.
Under the ruthless pounding, the rigid enormous worm died on the spot!
Upon dying the gigantic worm’s red mouth let go, allowing Zong Ge to free his
arm. His left arm was badly mangled, the steel gauntlet had been sawed through
and his skin had long ago been mutilated, there was even some bone visible. The
remaining steel armor embedded itself into his skin and flesh, it was a
terrible injury.
The acute pain made Zong Ge profusely sweat, some of it going into Zong Ge’s
eyes, making his field of view fuzzy.
“Don’t give up, don’t give up! Stand up, don’t lie down. Do you want to be
trampled on and die? Are you still not a soldier? Stand up, even if you die,
you will die standing!” The instructing voice seemed to repeat in Zong Ge’s
ears.
“Shut up for me! Loathsome father.” Zong Ge retorted.
He dragged his unresponsive left arm and his bone white hammer and charged
towards Zhen Jin.
This time, no barrier could stop him.



****** Chapter 126: Earlier, You said You didn’t Want to Save Me ******
Roar!
The two monkey tail brown bears behind Zhen Jin threw themselves at him.
Zhen Jin immediately cut a bead of blood out with Silver Lightning. Because of
the painful wound, the movement of the monkey tail brown bear behind him began
to change.
Zhen Jin pulled back to avoid the monkey tail brown bears in front of him.
However, perhaps because he had not been looking behind him or perhaps because
the wounded monkey tail brown bear obstructed his peripheral vision, he did see
the other monkey tail brown bear come over.
As the monkey tail brown bear came to attack, Zhen Jin showed his surprise and
could only block with the rapier.
With a pow, his rapier was slapped away by the monkey tail brown bear.
“Bark bark bark!” Seeing this, the blue dog fox wolf excitedly barked.
Without Silver Lightning, Zhen Jin’s situation became even more distressed and
hard-pressed.
He could only dodge now, no longer having the ability to hit back.
He also seemed to know if this battle continued, he would die. Thus he tried
his utmost to break out.
But as long as one monkey tail brown bear was blocking him, Zhen Jin could not
break out. He could only rely on the monkey tail brown bears’ movement to
create gaps in their formation.
However, wasn’t this easier said than done?
The blue dog fox wolf was commanding nearby, and its constant barks saw through
Zhen Jin’s attempts.
Thump.
With a dull thump, Zhen Jin was knocked to the ground by a monkey tail brown
bear.
He rolled continuously to avoid the monkey tail brown bears’ follow up attacks.
After a moment of being in the dirt, he found himself kneeling on the ground.
“No!” Zong Ge shouted from the hillside.
Even if he was attacking with all his strength, because the giant worm delayed
him too much, he was still a distance away from Zhen Jin.
Seeing Zhen Jin about to run into misfortune, he could only run wildly.
“Bark bark!” The blue dog fox wolf barked, as if saying——finish him!
The monkey tail brown bears approached again.
At that moment, Zhen Jin began to loudly pray.
“Emperor Sheng Ming, my master, your knight does not retreat from this fight to
the death, nor does he fear death! Please grant me strength, give me the
strength to stand.”
Just as he said this, Zhen Jin’s body began to expand.
Originally he was a short youngster with a frail body, but now his body seemed
to swell with air, making him as tall as the monkey tail brown bears.
This led to his well-fitting leather armor collapsing to the ground. His body
now only had a few strips of cloth on it.
Seeing Zhen Jin’s armor suddenly crumble and him standing with his head up and
morale high, Zong Ge and the blue dog fox wolf were startled. The monkey tail
brown bears’ charge was also weakened by a lot.
Zhen Jin continued to pray loudly: “Emperor, my master, I ask you to give me
golden armor that can make me indestructible!”
At that moment, all of Zhen Jin’s exposed skin transformed into a scorpion
carapace.
The silver level spear scorpion’s carapace was dark gold.
The monkey tail brown bears finally reached Zhen Jin.
But Zhen Jin had already transformed into a small giant with golden armor.
Even Zhen Jin’s head was covered with scorpion carapace, the only cracks in it
were for his nostrils and eyes!
Zhen Jin swung his fist and hit the closest monkey tail brown bear.
The monkey tail brown bear howled, it immediately fell to the ground and
covered its nose.
Zhen Jin leaped, after dodging their attacks, he punched back.
……
Thump thump thump……
He did not run, rather the monkey tail brown bears’ attacks made his grandeur
become even more brave.
The monkey tail brown bears were already in a bad situation, as they attacked
with unheated claws, their blows could only rock Zhen Jin at most, they could
only tickle the scorpion carapace.
But Zhen Jin was well acquainted with the weak points of monkey tail brown
bears.
There was no way he could transform into a complete monkey tail brown bear;
thus he did many covert transformations.
This was the result of his hard work.
Zhen Jin used his metal fists to beat the monkey tail brown bears into the
ground!
Zhen Jin stepped forward and dashed towards the blue dog fox wolf.
Seeing the golden giant about to crush it, the blue dog fox wolf’s face warped,
as if it were saying——what is this thing?!
Then the blue dog fox wolf reacted, its first thought was——run.
First retreat, save myself, this opponent is too strange, it could actually
become so strong and terrifying!
I am a lone wolf; how can I face such an abnormal adversary?
Gathering another magic beast corps to gang up on him was the correct strategy.
The laying blue dog fox wolf now stood up and ran away.
Zhen Jin was already wise to the escaping blue dog fox wolf; he suddenly pushed
off the ground, stopped running, and immediately threw himself at the blue dog
fox wolf.
Perhaps the injury it got while retreating made the blue dog fox wolf’s
movement somewhat slower.
Perhaps it was also because Zhen Jin’s sudden transformation caught the blue
dog fox wolf off guard.
Just as the blue dog fox wolf turned around, it suddenly stopped and felt a
giant hand firmly grab its tail.
At that moment, a tremendous force pulled on its tail.
The blue dog fox wolf exposed its fright as its four legs tenaciously gripped
the ground.
But the force behind it was immense, the blue dog fox wolf left long pawprints
in the ground as its entire body was dragged.
“Nowhere to run!” Zhen Jin shouted in a muffled voice.
The blue dog fox wolf frantically howled, upon receiving the order, the monkey
tail brown bears immediately came over to save it.
Zhen Jin ferociously swung his arms, unexpectedly treating the blue dog fox
wolf in his hands as a weapon.
At that moment, the blue dog fox wolf’s head streaked across the sky in an arc
and ruthlessly lashed into a monkey tail brown bear’s stomach.
The monkey tail brown bears immediately stopped charging. Because of the sharp
pain, the blue dog fox wolf’s barking came to a spontaneous end, the powerful
attack had made it dizzy.
……
Bang bang bang……
Zhen Jin rushed into the bear group and beat them up with the blue dog fox
wolf.
The pitiful blue dog fox wolf coughed blood, its skull and bones were cracked.
The monkey tail brown bears wanted to save the blue dog fox wolf, but without
receiving its commands, the monkey tail brown bears’ hands and feet were tied.
The violent collisions caused the blue dog fox wolf to quickly fall
unconscious.
But Zhen Jin’s attacks still continued!
The monkey tail brown bears he beat fled ignominiously.
Awoo——
Suddenly, the blue dog fox wolf mournfully howled, the acute pain had woken it
up.
After the blue dog fox wolf regained consciousness, its eye contracted, it saw
the small giant’s hand holding its tail and saw itself on the ground not too
far away.
Zhen Jin had flung it everywhere and ended up tearing off its tail.
But it didn’t matter, at that moment, Zhen Jin extended both hands and grabbed
the blue dog fox wolf’s hind legs.
“Awoo!!!”
The blue dog fox wolf howled, as if yelling: Don’t! Let me go!
But the terrifying golden giant began to drag it again, the blue dog fox
alarmed, frightened, and with tears in its eyes, could only use its two front
feet to frantically grip the ground, leaving behind distorted claw marks in the
dirt.
All of its efforts were futile.
It was still thrown around by Zhen Jin and treated as a weapon that was wielded
in a brutish manner.
Zong Ge slowly stopped walking.
All of this was inconceivable!
He had seen everything with his own eyes, a portion of his prior anger and
worry still remained on his face.
But next the next thing he saw was this: when the golden giant discovered the
blue dog fox wolf’s life aura had completely dissipated, he tossed away the
corpse and started beating up the monkey tail brown bears with his metal fists.
The anger and worry on his face entirely dissipated, now his eyes opened wide.
As he slowly came down the hillside and into the battlefield’s edge, all of the
monkey tail brown bears next to Zhen Jin were on the ground, Zhen Jin had
beaten them to death!
Zong Ge subconsciously stopped, stood in place, and stared blankly at Zhen Jin.
His heart seemed to ask: why on earth did I need to run over?
Zhen Jin’s armor rapidly dissipated into ash that fell to the ground, his body
also recovered its youthful form.
Zhen Jin also showed confusion.
He looked at his hands with pleasant surprise and curiosity.
On the hillside, a greenhead suddenly appeared.
It was Tripleblade.
Tripleblade had an unconscious Lan Zao on his shoulder.
Tripleblade swept his eyes over, the scene he saw on the hill stupefied him.
“How could this be?” His eyes looked blank.
The blue dog fox wolf was dead, its body was severely deformed, its tail had
been ripped from its body, and it was clear it had a cruel death.
Several monkey tail brown bears were on the ground and encircled the standing
Zhen Jin, showing who the final victor was.
·
Zhen Jin’s body only had some cloth on it, he was nearly naked as he gazed at
himself, seemingly both bewildered and happy.
And at the edge of the battlefield, a blood-soaked Zong Ge was holding his left
arm while dragging his bone hammer, his injuries looked very serious!
With a light echo, Zong Ge let go of the wooden shaft, dropping the bone hammer
to the ground.
He spat and sat on the ground.
“Cough cough cough.” In his burst of coughing, he spat up some blood. After
spitting it out, his breathing became unobstructed, allowing him to slowly
recuperate, “I didn’t want to save you earlier!”
Hearing Zong Ge’s complaint, Zhen Jin suddenly lifted his head as if he was
woken up with a start.
He looked at Zong Ge, his gaze focusing on Zong Ge’s worst injury, his left
arm.
Feeling his gaze, Zong Ge grinned: “It’s not serious, it's just a small
injury.”
His tone was reckless and thoughtless, however he brightly gazed at Zhen Jin.
For a long time, whenever the half beastman opened his mouth, he used either a
strange, helpless, or an indignant tone: “Hey, Zhen Jin, is a youngster like
you really……a divine scion knight?”
“A divine scion knight?” Zhen Jin’s nice looking brows perked up, “I am a
divine scion knight? Can I be considered one? I don’t understand.”
Zhen Jin shook his head, he appeared confused.
“Hey, are your Lordships alright?” Tripleblade called from the hill, “Who can
tell me what has happened here?”
Zhen Jin looked at Zong Ge, Zong Ge looked at Zhen Jin, neither spoke.
A cool breeze blew, and Zhen Jin suddenly realized his situation.
“Quickly Tripleblade, give me Lan Zao’s clothes.” Zhen Jin yelled.
Tripleblade’s eyes opened wide.
I painstakingly carried my comrade and risked coming here, all for the purpose
of delivering clothes?
Tripleblade could do nothing but obey.
Zhen Jin’s current situation really was unbecoming.
Speaking of which, stealing a man’s clothes was still a little unusual.
“I am actually experienced in searching corpses. But this is the first time I
have done such a thing.” The goblin murmured, he wanted to dispel the
embarrassment in his heart.
“You, what are you doing?!” Lan Zao had woken up, and upon seeing the goblin
peeling off his clothes, he immediately shouted.
“I’m, I’m not dead yet. Besides, why are you peeling all of my clothes off when
searching “my” corpse?!”
“Shut up, your master wants your clothes!”
“Lord Zhen Jin? You swindling demon!!”
“Don’t believe me, look down the hill.”
“Ma, master?!”
Zhen Jin gave a slight nod to Lan Zao, his face had already recovered its
normal tranquility.
“Beat it!” Lan Zao slapped his hand, “I will take them off myself!”
“No one wants to help you!” Tripleblade angrily jumped, “Hey, why are you
pulling on my scarf?!”
“It gives me a little something to wear.” Lan Zao stamped vigorously.
Tripleblade was indignant: “Where do you think you're wrapping the thing I wear
around my neck, you bastard!”
“Tripleblade!” Zong Ge finally spoke.
Tripleblade: ……



****** Chapter 127: Divine Scion Knight ******
The pursuit had concluded.
To Zong Ge, only one blue dog fox wolf was dead, and despite his serious
injuries, he was unresigned, however his searching was fruitless.
Only Zhen Jin knew there had been only one left.
“As the power of god imbued my eyes, I could see my target, I could even
overlook heaven and earth to analyze my path towards my target. However just as
I overtook the blue dog fox wolf, the power of god in my eyes blinded my field
of view.” Zhen Jin answered.
Zong Ge and the others had no choice but to accept this.
Zhen Jin tried to pray publicly again, but this time, the god did not respond.
Of course there was no response!
Zhen Jin still wanted to continue praying, but Zong Ge prevented him: “Don’t
abuse it, the gods do not have infinite kindness Zhen Jin.”
The four people cleaned up the battlefield and returned to the temporary camp
with their spoils of war.
“Look, they’ve returned!” The sentinel in the undergrowth shouted loudly.
The temporary camp stood up in jubilation and immediately flocked over.
“They and Lord Zhen Jin have returned?”
“Where are they?”
The forest obstructed everyone’s field of view.
The sentinel on the tree could see clearer, he stood up and shouted again:
“Hold on, I see it. Lan Zao is carrying a carcass.”
“Goodness gracious, it's a blue dog fox wolf!” The sentinel then shouted.
The crowd under the tree immediately cheered.
“Goodness gracious, they succeeded!”
“They did it! They killed the main culprit.”
“Inconceivable……they really succeeded.” Hei Juan remained in camp, when he
heard the people cheering, he exposed his astonishment.
The magic beast corps’ attack on the camp caused many casualties and burned
down the camp. The blue dog fox wolf’s cunning and treachery gave everyone
enormous psychological pressure.
Most of them did not have faith in Zhen Jin’s decision to pursue it.
“Templar knight, this is a templar knight!” Bai Ya had already regained
consciousness, when he heard the cheering, he yelled, rushed out of his tent
with a feverish face, and charged into the crowd.
Hei Juan glared at him for a glance, but Bai Ya was unaware as Hei Juan only
stared at his back.
Passing through the small cracks between the trees, the people saw Zhen Jin,
Zong Ge, and the others greeting them.
“Lord Zong Ge!” Some people immediately cried as they got near.
Zong Ge’s left arm injury alarmed them, even if they didn’t see the fight, from
that injury everyone immediately understood how bitter and dangerous the fight
was.
“How odd……” Soon, everyone was puzzled.
“Lan Zao, why are you naked? Why is there only a white cloth around your
crotch?”
“That white cloth seems a bit familiar.”
The people were curious.
How bitter was this fight, that it managed to break all of Lan Zao’s clothes
off of him?
“Hold on, Lord Zhen Jin seems to be wearing Lan Zao’s clothes. Where is his
Lordship’s armor?”
The people were even more puzzled.
“Lord Tripleblade!”
“I say the white cloth around Lan Zao is quite familiar!”
The mercenaries at the front waved at Tripleblade, most of them were
suppressing their laughter.
From beginning to end, Tripleblade’s black face didn’t have a scarf covering
it. His smooth and bald head was exposed, his neck also seemed thin when
compared to it.
This made him seem comical and ridiculous.
It’s no wonder he wore it all day long, without such an important decoration,
it would greatly harm his reputation as a mercenary commander.
“My Lord!” The young lady Zi Di had run all the way over. After coming in front
of Zhen Jin, her eyes blushed and she seemed to want to throw herself into his
arms. However, the many people and her embarrassment stopped her.
“I said I would return.” Zhen Jin smiled at her.
Zi Di nodded: “My Lord, I have come to heal you.”
Zhen Jin shook his head: “My injuries have been treated already; they are not
serious. This battle is hard to explain, I will put off discussing it until
later, right now all I want to do is sleep.”
Zi Di immediately nodded: “Your tent is ready.”
Everyone stepped aside.
Everyone was exhausted.
The blue dog fox wolves’ magic corps had attacked at night.
Zhen Jin not only bitterly fought during the night, facing the blue dog fox
wolf and other formidable magic beasts, he also pursued the blue dog fox wolf
throughout the day.
“May Lord Zhen Jin rest well!”
“Quickly everyone, treat Lord Zong Ge.”
“First, find a way to open the shattered steel armor!”
“Lan Zao, tell me what kind of fight it was. Why are you naked?”
Lan Zao: ……
Although the camp had burned down, there were still some tents.
In fact, not only were there tents, there was food, water, and supplies, all of
which had been buried in places outside of the camp in advance.
This was Cang Xu’s proposal——don’t put all of your eggs into one basket.
Entering the tent, Zi Di carefully inspected Zhen Jin’s entire body. After
confirming his injuries were not serious, Zi Di spat some air, carefully
assisted Zhen Jin clean his wounds, put medicine on them, and bandaged them up.
Zhen Jin reclined onto his new bed and quickly fell asleep.
He really was tired.
For the first half of the night he had trained his monkey tail brown bear form.
After warning everyone in the middle of the night, he led everyone in defending
the camp from the attacking magic beast corps. In the burning wooden house, he
finally found an opportunity to kill a blue dog fox wolf. As the camp burned
and as day arrived, Zhen Jin aroused Zong Ge and two others to pursue and kill
the other blue dog fox wolf together.
This pursuit was not a simple one, Zhen Jin also used the blue dog fox wolf to
club the monkey tail brown bears, all of which occurred in front of Zong Ge.
Not only was Zhen Jin’s body tired, his mind was even more so.
This sleep lasted until evening.
Zhen Jin slowly opened his eyes; he saw the bonfire through the cracks in his
tent and also heard the people discussing while eating their dinner.
“Are you saying, with just four people their Lordships eliminated one blue dog
fox wolf?” The boat craftsman inquired.
“That’s right, only one.” The one who replied seemed to be Mu Ban.
The boat craftsman sighed: “In that case, don’t we still have a large problem?
When the other blue fox wolf raises another magic beast corps, it will invade
again. It might even summon more blue dog fox wolves!”
“Nothing we can do about it. Their Lordships have already done their best! Did
you not see Zong Ge’s injuries?” Mu Ban also sighed, his heart was deeply
worried.
“Sorry……” Zhen Jin’s heart apologized.
As a matter of fact, both blue dog fox wolves were already dead, but Zhen Jin
couldn’t state that.
However, by leaving the facade of a surviving one, the people were kept alert
and felt they were in a crisis. This wasn’t a bad thing.
Mu Ban’s and the boat craftsman’s tents were near Zhen Jin’s, other
conversations were not as audible.
This was not a problem to Zhen Jin.
After diligently training for many uninterrupted nights, Zhen Jin had a deeper
control over the core.
At that moment, he transformed both his ears into that of a bat monkey’s.
But the fine point was this; Zhen Jin’s outer ears still retained their human
shape, only his inner ears were secretly transformed.
Actually, even just transforming this part was dangerous.
The rest of Zhen Jin’s body was still human, increasing his sense of hearing
would be hard on his nervous system.
But the core could consume magic to bear the contradictions between different
lifeform body parts.
This allowed Zhen Jin to hear more voices, while at the same time, preserving
his safety as he continued to quietly listen.
Quickly, he heard Bai Ya asking Cang Xu for advice.
“What is a divine scion knight?” Bai Ya asked. The youngster was curious about
everything pertaining to knights.
Cang Xu slowly explained: “A so-called divine scion is someone a god cares
deeply about.”
“Lord Zhen Jin is a templar knight, he believes in Emperor Sheng Ming. Is he
considered someone Emperor Sheng Ming deeply cares about?” Bai Ya continued to
ask.
“Of course!” Cang Xu replied without hesitation, “In last night’s fight, you
personally saw that every time Zhen Jin prayed, there was a response. You also
heard what Tripleblade, and Lan Zao have said. When Zhen Jin is faced with
desperate straits, Emperor Sheng Ming will aid him and allow him to turn the
tide!”
“This kind of situation is very rare.”
“The gods attentively watch each of their believers, but the amount of godly
responses is few.
“But nearly every time Lord Zhen Jin prayed, Emperor Sheng Ming would
immediately respond. The Emperor repeatedly intervened, helped his believer,
and granted whatever his knight asked for!”
“If this isn’t godly concern, what can still be considered godly concern?”
“Lord Zhen Jin is a divine scion knight!!” Cang Xu was certain of his
conclusion.
Bai Ya’s face was full of yearning and adoration, he quietly whispered: “Lord
Zhen Jin is a templar knight, he is also a divine scion knight……a divine scion
knight……”
“Looking back now, it’s not at all strange.” Cang Xu gently stroked his beard.
Seeing he had attracted the gaze of more people, he spoke frankly and with
assurance: “Lord Zhen Jin himself is an outstanding cultivator, his innate
talent is outstanding.”
“He has a noble bloodline, is a templar knight, and offers all of his
conviction towards Emperor Sheng Ming.”
“These already make him one in ten thousand, however what is more praiseworthy,
is his scrupulous abiding of knightly morality. He uproots the strong, supports
the weak, upholds virtue, condemns evil, attends to the small and weak, and
even if he has to sacrifice his life, he shall never violate the templar knight
doctrine.”
“He is an fearless hero, is impartial, is willing to accept any person, and
views everyone as his comrade. From these traits, one can make out his
expansive vision as well as his merciful and benevolent nature.”
“Don’t tell me such a person shouldn’t receive godly concern?”
Hearing Cang Xu’s analysis, the audience subconsciously nodded, conveying their
approval.
Cang Xu sighed a number of times: “Perhaps, the shipwreck and surviving on this
island is Lord Zhen Jin’s opportunity. On this island, Lord Zhen Jin never
feared death, he eternally worked to benefit everyone, and heroically fought in
order to save others, regardless of the perils. All of these things made god
follow him closely, as a result, he showed deep concern. Lord Zhen Jin is
absolutely worthy.”
“Let’s analyze again, although god’s will cannot be apprised, Emperor Sheng
Ming is a living god and the ruler of the empire”
“He has dispatched numerous templar knights to the Wilderness Continent and to
the city lord competition. A war between humanity and beastmen will certainly
happen, and these templar knights will become the vanguards and pillars of this
war. As far as exceptional templar knights are concerned, Emperor Sheng Ming
would not be stingy with his concern.”
“Perhaps because of the shipwreck and distinguishing himself in advance, Lord
Zhen Jin became Emperor Sheng Ming’s most interesting believer. I have a
premonition; he can definitely become a dazzling nova in the humanity-beastman
war. In this grand war among races, a hero of humanity must appear! Even the
imperial gods need new heroes amongst humanity. Sirs, maybe we are in the
middle of witnessing a hero, a character whose birth and sudden rise will be
recorded in history, how honored we are to witness such a thing!”
Everyone stared after those words, and for a moment, only the night wind moving
around the bonfires traveled through the temporary camp.
“Lord Zhen Jin is coming!” Bai Ya suddenly shouted.
Zhen Jin opened the tent flap, he had heard Cang Xu analysis and his
accomplishments; Zhen Jin’s face was burning hot.
Everyone looked at Zhen Jin.
Zhen Jin could only nod and smile at everyone.
What a perfect smile!
It did not simply look like a haughty noble smile, it resembled sunlight, the
rain and the dew, it was sensitive to the needs of the people, and it was warm,
graceful, and calm.
Everyone’s eyes gradually shinned.
“Zhen Jin, Zhen Jin, Zhen Jin!” Bai Ya stood up to cheer first, and soon, more
and more people also stood up to cheer Zhen Jin’s name together.
Even Tripleblade’s mercenaries were also cheering.
At that moment, Zhen Jin’s influence over these people had attained an
unprecedented apex.
The title divine scion knight, Cang Xu’s description of his incomparably bright
prospects, and Zhen Jin’s consistent performance made everyone look at him with
increasingly more adoration, reverence, love, respect, and even zealotry.
In the corner, Zong Ge and Tripleblade were still sitting down.
Zong Ge extended his left arm, Tripleblade had just removed all of the
shattered steel armor from it.
This was troublesome work, and Tripleblade was already brow beaded with sweat.
Hearing the cheering for Zhen Jin, despite Zong Ge preparing his heart, he
still inevitably felt a sense of frustration.
Zhen Jin became the bigger power, and Zong Ge also lost his courage to
challenge it. Why challenge it? The golden armor Zhen Jin received after
praying was deeply carved into Zong Ge’s heart.
Zong Ge silently looked at the bonfire in front of him.
The fire jumped in the half beastman’s eyes.
He seemed to see into the past……
The battle had finished.
He sat under a tree, the sunlight passing through the leaves and sprinkling
onto his armor. He silently used a cloth to wipe his armor clean.
Not far away, the voices of high ranking officers were bestowing rewards for
meritorious deeds.
“Please, without my cavalry flanking them from behind, how could anyone break
their formation?”
“Hmph, was it not my squad that held back the enemy’s main force, where did
your opportunity come from?”
“Regardless of what you guys have said, none of you killed as many jackals as
my squadron. Don’t believe your headcount can compare to ours.”
“Ha ha, to think your kill count can compare to ours. But so what? Our
Commander Da Shu is the one who always attacks the most enemies. How can you
compare to that?”
“Snort! He is indeed Commander Da Shu, with his lofty ambitions, he wants to be
an important and talented general! We are common folk; how can we compare to
him? I still should have contributions; this is the reality.”
The Commander Da Shu the officers spoke of was naturally Zong Ge.
Every time a battle finished, he would sit under a tree alone, wiped his armor
clean, kept silent, and never argued for meritorious deeds.
Because he knew he could not argue against his own reasoning. He had
experienced it many times, every one of his outstanding military services were
reduced and even falsely claimed by others.
Who made him a half beastman?
No human commander took the initiative to understand and talk to him.
He could only be alone, forever a solitary person.
“Ss……” The sound of pain could be heard, Zong Ge’s light breath had interrupted
his memories.
“Sorry your Lordship, this thing is hard to deal with.” Tripleblade apologized,
he had been pulling on the steel armor, however what he did not expect, was
instead of being pulled apart, the armor rebounded and knocked against Zong
Ge’s wound.
Zong Ge was about to speak, when a figure arrived in front of him and
obstructed the flames.
Zong Ge raised his head and found the young knight Zhen Jin.
“I want to express my gratitude for your help Zong Ge.” Zhen Jin said
sincerely.
“Don’t mention it.” Zong Ge indifferently replied.
Zhen Jin nodded and took out Silver Lightning: “Let me help you.”
Zong Ge extended his left arm.
Zhen Jin deeply breathed, and the rapier sparked repeatedly in front of Zong
Ge, a dozen silver lightning flashes appeared at once.
At that moment, no matter what was bound to Zong Ge’s arm or stuck in his
flesh, all of it was cut out by Zhen Jin.
Zong Ge lightly shook his left arm, all of the broken armor fell off.
“Good swordsmanship, truly worthy of the Bai Zhen Clan’s bloodline.” Many
thanks.” Said Zong Ge.
“No need, we are comrades in arms, aren’t we? This is some medicine Zi Di just
made, it should be very effective.” Upon saying this, Zhen Jin gave the
medicine to Tripleblade.
“Comrades in arms……” Those words reverberated in Zong Ge’s heart.
Zhen Jin’s voice suddenly magnified: “Without your help, this pursuit would
have been impossible. In fact, without you Zong Ge, impeding and killing many
silver level magic beasts, I could not have such a military accomplishment!”
The entire camp quieted down; everyone focused their eyes on Zhen Jin.
Zhen Jin’s voice spread through the camp: “As a result, we should not be
cheering for just my name, we should also cheer for Zong Ge, Tripleblade, and
Lan Zao, cheer for our warriors!”
“Zong Ge!” After speaking, Zhen Jin shook his arm, looked around, and shouted
first.
“Zong Ge, Zong Ge, Zong Ge!” Everyone shook their arms; they went along as a
chorus.
Zhen Jin then yelled: “Tripleblade!”
“Tripleblade! Tripleblade! Tripleblade!”
Regardless of whether it was Zong Ge or Tripleblade, both were in a daze as
they looked at the blond youngster.
Zhen Jin shouted again: “Lan Zao!”
“Lan Zao, Lan Zao, Lan Zao!” Everyone’s mood rose to their highest point.
Lan Zao pursed his lips tightly and his body faintly shivered.
Bai Ya in high spirits, clapped Lan Zao’s shoulder.
Zhen Jin left Zong Ge and Tripleblade and came into the crowd. He then shook
hands and shouted other names, causing a spell of shouting.
In the celebration, everyone yelled with their companions in the wake of the
flames, their voices resonating in the nearby forest.
Seeing the young knight in the crowd and the bonfires being covered by his
radiance, Zong Ge sighed and said to Tripleblade:
“Apply the medicine.”



****** Chapter 128: Capture it alive, We can Make a Bundle of Money! ******
The inside of this tent reeked with the scent of blood.
The blue dog fox wolf had already been dissected; its tragic injuries displayed
in front of everyone.
Its skull was fragmented, its skeleton was almost completely shattered, and
because of the broken bones, most of its internal organs had been smashed to
pieces.
Because Zhen Jin used it as a weapon to beat the monkey tail brown bears, its
muscles were mushy, and its tendons had been squished together.
Its tail had been placed near its buttocks.
That was the closest spot to where it was before Zhen Jin tore it off.
“Truly wretched……” This was the first thought nearly everyone had when seeing
this corpse.
Then, everyone looked at Zhen Jin. they inevitably felt curious about this
oddity.
Despite them learning about the battle from Zong Ge’s mouth, they could not see
that the blonde youth with a sunshine smile, a weak body, and a rapier had
actually transformed into a golden armored man, comparable to Zong Ge, and had
treated the blue dog fox wolf as a weapon.
Feeling the gazes, Zhen Jin said to Cang Xu: “Old Scholar, let's discuss the
subject at hand.”
“As you bid your Lordship.” Cang Xu nodded and extended his palm towards the
blue dog fox wolf corpse, “Everyone look, this is a genuine silver level magic
beast.”
“Although it is broken, from its fur, muscles, and bones one can make out its
terrifying strength, its impressive speed, and its defensive capabilities.
“Its skull capacity is bigger than a normal wolf’s, dog’s, fox’s, etc. Although
its brain is in a poor state, we can still distinguish between its cerebrum,
cerebellum, brain stem, and diencephalon. The most crucial thing is here, its
well-developed frontal lobe. Such a thing is rarely seen in beasts.”
“Nature does not have this kind of magic beast wolf; it is definitely a
creation of the island master. Its brain composition is close to a human’s.
Perhaps this is the reason why it’s intelligence is comparable to ours.”
“So, where does its scent come from?” Zhen Jin inquired; this was the thing he
cared most about.
“Everyone please look here.” Cang Xu pointed at the blue dog fox wolf.
In the dissection area, there was a distinct sack-shaped thing.
“This sack is a strong musk gland, it was located in the blue dog fox wolf’s
rear abdomen, near its genitals.”
“The blue dog fox wolf’s scent is distributed by this.”
“Essentially from a certain point of view, its and a green lizard’s acid sack
are not so different, they are both something we customarily call a biological
spice bag.”
Cang Xu spoke with honest confidence: “This kind of biological structure
actually exists in many beasts.”
“This I know.” Zi Di gave a rare interruption, “Deer, cats, and rats have this
sort of biological spice bag.”
Cang Xu smiled and nodded his approval: “That’s right. The island master gave
the blue dog fox wolf this biological structure and a foxlike tail. Look at its
tail, although it has suffered damage, I can guess that the tail is normally
very fluffy and flexible.”
“To produce its scent, the blue dog fox wolf uses the muscles around its spice
bag. Here, these muscles are packed together and are distinctly different from
surrounding muscles. When used, these muscles will squeeze the spice bag,
allowing its scent to bubble forth from its gland.”
“The scent is not discharged from its anus or urethra. Everyone, what happens
next is very subtle.
As Cang Xu spoke of this, his brows stood up and his tone became even more
excited: “The scent will flow into the blue dog fox wolf’s tail. Look at its
tail bones, they are actually hollow, like a bird’s skeleton. The hollow bones
form a conduit that allows the scent to flow through.
“There are many tiny holes scattered on the surface of these bones. These small
holes are linked to small and large sweat glands, allowing them to emit from
the tail.
“Generally speaking, the sweat glands of dogs or wolves are not as developed as
human ones, they are mainly concentrated in their tongues and toes. If they
want to dissipate heat, they need to stick their tongue out often. But the blue
dog fox wolf is not like this, it has highly developed sweat glands and most of
them are concentrated in its tail.”
“Ordinally, it does not need to stick its tongue out to dissipate heat. When
the blue dog fox wolf squeezes its spice bag, it can emit a scent that makes
other magic beasts serve it. Lord Zhen Jin once observed: every time the blue
dog fox wolf emitted its scent, it would always shake its tail. This is a
deliberate action that allows the blue dog fox wolf to disperse its scent
faster.”
Everyone suddenly understood, and new suspicions were born.
Zong Ge tightly asked: “In that case, why is the blue dog fox wolf’s scent
capable of control other magic beasts? Can we mix this kind of perfume to
control other magic beasts? If that’s out of the question, can we mix something
that can interfere with the scent’s effects?”
This was an important question; everyone was concentrating on Cang Xu.
But Cang Xu shook his head: “I am afraid I will disappoint everyone. How the
scent controls other artificial magic beasts are not something I can discover
simply through dissection. I believe the scent’s effects should have a more
source-based explanation. When the island master created so many magic beasts,
they should have anticipated how they would have controlled them.”
“Currently, the island master is using this scent to control the magic beasts.
When he made different magic beasts, he must have added an internal weak point
into all of them. Smelling this scent can make these magic beasts obedient.
This is also why the scent has no effect on normal species.”
“If I had a living blue dog fox wolf, I could give it a try. Unfortunately this
blue dog fox wolf is already dead, and its spice bag is also empty.” Zi Di
looked at the corpse, her purple eyes dazzling bright.
The magic beast corps was huge, to control so many magic beasts, an immense
amount of perfume had to be consumed. The blue dog fox wolf’s spice bag being
empty was normal.
“So Miss Zi Di, how certain are you in this respect?” Zong Ge’s eyes flashed
with pondering.
“I am not certain!” Zi Di candidly shook her head, “But the prospect of this is
immense.”
“Yes……” Hei Juan sighed on the side, “If we can have this kind of perfume and
control many magic beasts, what can stop us on this island?”
Cang Xu shook his head, he had a different opinion: “Even with the perfume
subduing many magic beasts, we cannot command them like the blue dog fox wolf
because to give orders, we need its specific dog speech.”
Hei Juan stared blankly.
Zhen Jin also stared blankly; he had also missed this.
But Zi Di overruled them: “No, that is not the prospect I am talking about. If
I can make a perfume based on the blue dog fox wolf’s, that perfume might
possibly be one of the highest quality.
Everyone: ???
Cang Xu slightly frowned: “Do upper class women like to apply this kind of
perfume?”
Zi Di nodded and shook her head at Cang Xu: “Don’t tell me you don’t know?
Perfume has been popular among noble women for a long time. Presently, not only
are women using it, it is also starting to become prevalent in men. There are
already many business figures forecasting perfume is going to turn into a major
commodity.”
The others looked in dismay, everyone was discussing magic beasts, the battle,
and survival, yet Zi Di drew the topic at hand to perfume.
Jumping to this topic was a bit extreme.
Seeing everyone’s confused expressions, Zi Di stood up to present and talked
nonstop: “Perfume was an invention of Duchess Ai Mei. At first, she discovered
girls and boys had many body fragrances. Usually, teenage boys and girls
between 16-24 years old could not smell their own body fragrance. In many
cases, people with body fragrances projected exceptional charm.”
“Duchess Ai Mei loved beautiful things the most, her research not only invented
all kinds of perfumes, she also developed a complete set of standardized
perfume criteria.”
“Did you know? A good perfume has three fragrances. They are known as the first
taste, the middle taste, and the aftertaste.”
“When perfume is sprinkled on the skin, we will first smell the first taste,
then the middle taste, and finally the aftertaste. These three fragrances fit
and flow together like a graceful, pleasant, and beautiful melody.”
“Currently, there are many types of perfumes including: citrus fragrance types,
natural fragrance types, single flower fragrance types, hundred flower
fragrance types, aldehyde fragrance types, element core fragrance types,
eastern fragrance types, strange fragrance types, wood fragrance types, pungent
grass fragrance types, and smoked leather skin fragrance types.”
Everyone hearing this was mystified.
Zi Di pointed at the wolf corpse, her excitement increasing: “However, you all
have heard and seen how unique the blue dog fox wolf’s perfume is. Its perfume
is one that does not belong to any type, but that’s good news. It is like a
snow lotus herb on an iceberg, indiscernibly pure and mysteriously elegant. The
glacier’s toughness and the petals’ delicateness combined with the ice’s
cruelty and the snow lotus herb’s vitality form a contrast, making everything
there beautiful and harmonious. If applied to human skin, women will feel
noble, lovely, and pitiful, and men will feel tough, this is burning succulent
eroticism. For the time being, regardless of the perfume’s magic beast subduing
effect, I am already certain this is a perfume of the highest quality!”
Everyone: ……
Lan Zao suddenly sniffed and asked with bewilderment: “Why can I only smell the
odor of blood?”
Everyone had a similar impression.
Zong Ge answered: “There really is still some perfume remaining.”
The half beastman had a different nose from humans, his nose was keener.
“Is it really that good?” Zong Ge looked doubtful, the soldier did not
understand anything pertaining to perfume.
Zi Di nodded with affirmation: “Of all compounds, I have spent the most time
and energy studying perfumes. It is unlikely my nose is mistaken.”
“Do you know what this signifies?”
“Money!”
“Wealth!”
“An unending stream of riches!!”
Speaking of these things, Zi Di’s amethyst eyes sparkled, everyone seemed to
sense the glittering in her eyes.
Seeing Zi Di sink into excitement, everyone remained silent.
Contrary to what one might expect, Zhen Jin did not find Zi Di strange, after
all when he and Zi Di were surviving and exploring together, he gained a deep
understanding of her temperament.
“It seems, the psychological shadow the blue dog fox wolf gave you no longer
exists.” The young knight made fun of his fiancé.
Zi Di looked at Zhen Jin with her sparkling eyes: “Capture it, you must capture
one alive. Let me try to mix perfume. With it, we can make a bundle of money!”



****** Chapter 129: Offering a Sacrifice ******
“In our current situation, isn’t thinking about making money off of perfume a
bit farfetched?” Hei Juan looked at the excited Zi Di, the corner of his mouth
twitching somewhat, “We still need to leave this island alive.”
“Yes, yes.” Many people endorsed Hei Juan.
Zi Di’s excited eyes scared them a little.
Nevertheless Zhen Jin was pondering inwardly, Zi Di’s proposal had actually
made his heartbeat faster. Because the Bai Zhen Clan suffered isolation and
suppression, and with a vast ocean separating them, even if they could assist
Zhen Jin, he feared any help would not come in time.
When Zhen Jin reached White Sands City in the future, it is only natural that
the more gold coins he had on hand, the better. Zhen Jin only had one slave,
Lan Zao. Everyone else required a salary. If he became White Sand City’s Lord,
building a new city and operating it needed a large amount of invested funds.
Blindly relying on the clan was unacceptable, it would be best if Zhen Jin
could be self-sufficient and even fund his clan.
Unlike those who were worried, Zhen Jin knew the truth.
“I have the core, the more time I have, the stronger I become! The main threat
on this island are the magic beasts. But these magic beasts, with regards to
me, are already becoming increasingly weaker.”
“The impression of a divine scion knight has already had a real impact on the
people. In the future when I transform in front of everyone, as long as it’s to
a finite degree, it won’t arouse suspicions in others.”
“The two blue dog fox wolves are already dead. Currently the entire group is
very safe, the sole worry is the teleportation……”
In the tent, Zhen Jin was the one most affected by Zi Di’s proposal.
The young knight looked at the girl’s purple eyes, his gaze exposing his
appreciation.
“Perhaps my fiancé learned medicine in order to study how perfumes are made?”
“Danger contains opportunities. I would have never though the blue dog fox
wolf’s perfume could be such a business opportunity! Zi Di deserves to be
called the President of the Wisteria Merchant Alliance.”
Zhen Jin’s thoughts lingered in his mind, however he still remained silent and
did not stand by Zi Di.
Upon seeing no one supporting her, Zi Di immediately said: “Then don’t bother
with money making or popular commodities, in order to increase our chances of
survival, I believe it is still necessary to capture a blue dog fox wolf alive.
As long as I have the perfume as a basis, I can make a corresponding compound
that can subdue other magic beasts or destroy the effects of the blue dog fox
wolf’s perfume, either would be extremely helpful.”
Everyone remained silent.
If Zi Di had not said such strange things either, they definitely would have
approved profusely.
But now, everyone understood Zi Di’s true intentions.
Cang Xu coughed: “As far as I know, all high grade perfumes are magic potions.
Their refinement costs are very high, require alchemists and pharmacists, and
even need to use magician towers as workshops. Perfume storage and
transportation costs are also enormous, besides the target market is only
limited to nobles and the upper class.
Zi Di immediately retorted: “This is a magic potion!”
She pointed at the wolf corpse: “Don’t tell me you think that is an ordinary
fragrance? Can an ordinary fragrance influence a silver level magic beast? Or
even many at once? The blue dog fox wolf should have abundant magic power that
far exceeds any other silver level magic beast. It is precisely because of its
internal magic power, that it can make such a perfume.”
“Hold on, doesn’t the blue dog fox wolf lack an internal magic crystal? It
cannot balance the magic power in its body.” Someone immediately refuted.
Zi Di shook her head: “It is not actively using it, rather it is doing so
passively. It is like using a magic material to a shallow degree. Building on
this analogy, it is like Zong Ge’s bone white hammer and Lord Zhen Jin’s spider
blade. As a result, pure magic was not combined to make the perfume, rather it
uses the magic power accumulated in some material. Such as the blue dog fox
wolf’s blood? Or its internal moisture?’
“When Lord Zhen Jin brought back information, he saw the blue dog fox wolf kill
and eat a silver level flying squirrel leader. At the time, I found that quite
strange. Thinking about it now, it is very possible the blue dog fox wolf
needed to replenish its magic power to process more perfume in its body. Based
on the blue dog fox wolf’s intelligence, it understands the benefits of keeping
the silver level squirrel leader. But it still chose to eat it, doing so must
have had more benefits than detriments, otherwise it wouldn’t have done that.”
Everyone’s expressions became solemn, Zi Di’s analysis was reasonable.
The purple eyed girl then excitedly said: “If it is like this, then we don’t
need to hire alchemists and pharmacists, employing them is too costly. Loyalty
is also a crucial thing, as long as the enticement is big enough, even the most
tightly protected medical formula will be leaked.”
“We only need to keep many blue dog fox wolves to make their perfume. We can
even gather and sell the base perfume directly, or perhaps add some alcohol
into the mixture.”
“Eh……the cost of feeding might be high, but as long as a blue dog fox wolf eats
magic beast meat, it can produce perfume. After a comprehensive calculation,
our perfume manufacturing costs should be lower than normal producers.”
“Our raw materials, transportation, and manufacturing costs are bigger. However
as long as we control the blue dog fox wolf, the source of the perfume, we can
monopolize this kind of perfume. A monopoly makes business simple, because we
can set the perfume’s price.
“Huge profits give leeway; it allows us to travel a high-end route and create a
luxury good. As we walk this path, we can make complimentary soaps and
shampoos, creating a plethora of goods to display.”
“This is something well worth doing!”
“Perfume is already popular among upper class humans, in the wake of war and
trade, we can spread our perfume to the upper class of other continents; like
the Lava Continent, the Life Continent, the Secluded Devil Continent, and even
the Wilderness Continent.”
“The perfume market is very vast!”
Zi Di words were confident and frank.
Everyone was dumbfounded, why had the subject returned to this again?
Everyone looked at the wolf corpse, feeling an unexpected and inexplicable
bitterness from it.
The blue dog fox wolf had been a huge threat to them, and it was a crafty
enemy. Zhen Jin and Zong Ge seemed like heroes going through a challenge when
they had used all of their strength to kill one.
This kind of existence ought to be shown sufficient respect, but this young
president now considered it a source of easy money.
“It's a pity, a real pity. I cannot study the perfume with a dead blue dog fox
wolf.”
“If we can capture one alive, I can extract its perfume and conduct a series of
tests.”
“Hold on my Lord, isn’t there still one alive?”
Zi Di’s eyes glistened.
Everyone was in a somewhat strange mood, after hearing Zi Di’s analysis, it
seemed having a blue dog fox wolf still alive was a good thing?
“No, I already converted that one.” Zhen Jin shook his head internally, then he
opened his mouth, “The magic beast corps is formidable, we have to fight them
while simultaneously struggling to grab their commander. That is very
troublesome. Currently, everything is for survival. Only by surviving, is
everything else possible.”
Zhen Jin’s words made everyone nod and let them breathe in relief.
Everyone somewhat understood Zi Di’s nature, and at this moment, they felt the
young knight was more reliable.
“If this wolf corpse does not have much value, I wish to offer as a sacrifice
to my master, Grand Emperor Sheng Ming.” Said Zhen Jin.
The atmosphere in the tent immediately turned solemn.
“Of course!” After reacting, Cang Xu was the first to reply.
Zhen Jin looked at Zong Ge, the latter immediately smiled and said: “Templar
knight, this is your spoil of war.”
Although Zi Di wanted to dismember the wolf corpse into potion materials, she
supported Zhen Jin without the slightest hesitation: “Our survival and victory
was all thanks to Emperor Sheng Ming’s protection, we indeed should sacrifice
to him!”
Even Hei Juan suggested: “We must build an altar, then hold a sacrificial
ceremony. It’s a pity we don’t have a priest to preside over it.”
This is a world of gods, even if some don’t believe in them, they are respected
deeply.
Sacrificial offerings were common, one can say they even happen frequently. In
humans, beastmen, fishmen, and other races, there exist many sacrificial
ceremonies for all sorts of gods, the absolute majority of which have already
become traditional festivals.
There are many exquisite things involved when giving offerings to the gods.
Usually a particular god has distinct tastes when it comes to offerings.
The drow race’s main god is the Spider god, it likes trials by fire, if the
trials by fire succeed, the corpses of others from them are the best offering
to it.
Humanity’s Great Duke Mai Xiang is also a living god, his believers offer the
first of their rice crops on his altar.
Offerings are not limited to materialistic things.
For example, every Dharma Great Duke is one of humanity’s greatest magicians
while simultaneously being one of the living gods. Believers that give them new
research can usually receive their rewards and even concern.
Offerings can also be some kind of action.
For instance, in beastmen tribes, sacrificial ceremonies are usually used to
start a war against other tribes. Regardless of the result, all wars were the
best sacrifices to these gods.
As far as Emperor Sheng Ming was concerned, he was a god of wisdom, light, and
victory.
His believers after obtaining a great victory, as an individual or as a legion,
will use their outstanding military service as an offering. After building a
simple altar or temple, they will hold a large amount of sacrificial ceremonies
and wholeheartedly praise Emperor Sheng Ming. The larger the sacrifices, the
number of participants, pious believers, and outstanding military services, the
more Emperor Sheng Ming pays attention and promotes the priest overseeing it,
he even might bestow his godly favor.
Sacrificial offerings were normal and often a serious affair.
As a divine scion knight, Zhen Jin wanting to sacrifice the blue dog fox wolf
to Emperor Sheng Ming was very normal.
Everyone not only understood this, but also suggested: build an altar, hold a
sacrificial ceremony, and include other beast corpses in the offering.
Everyone was afraid of neglecting the gods.
But Zhen Jin shook his head: “After escaping this place, I will hold a vast
sacrificial ceremony in White Sands City. But doing so now is out of the
question!”
“My master is a wise god; he would be disappointed if he saw me squander
valuable manpower right now.”
“I will offer a sacrifice alone, this wolf corpse is not the best offering, but
it is still a suitable one.”
“The other magic beast corpse should serve as magic potion materials, weapon
materials, or as food.”
No one had any objections.



****** Chapter 130: I am a Fat Ball Flying Fish ******
“This forest is a bit unusual!”
A half elf mercenary slightly stamped his foot, he vigilantly looked at the
forest before him, sensing a rotten odor disseminating from it. Regardless of
whether it was the trees or the color of the leaves, both made the forest seem
darker and gloomier.
Compared to normal humans, this half elf had slightly more pointed ears and
smaller eyes, these were known——the half elf bloodline in his body was
comparatively thin.
Despite this, the half elf bloodline still helped him adapt to the forest more
than usual. Without a reference, he could still roughly approximate his
direction in the forest.
The exploration team appointed him as their scout, and he was doing his best.
“Should this be the place……” The half elf gradually turned solemn; he was
thinking of the intelligence pertaining to the blade spiders.
Such information had already been transmitted to everyone, in order to increase
everyone’s odds of surviving.
The half elf was prudent, slowing down greatly as he penetrated the dark
forest.
After a short period, his body filled with cold sweat, and he returned to where
he had come from.
“Unmistaken! There is a large group of blade spiders dwelling in the area
ahead.” The half elf quickly informed the large group of this important
information.
“Are there spider webs?” The boat craftsman excitedly asked.
The half elf shook his head.
The boat craftsman sighed: “According to our information, a blade spider’s webs
had adhesive properties and are extremely tough. They could be used to build a
ship and might even be the best material we have to glue planks together!”
“Don’t worry, we will secure some.” Zhen Jin smiled, “It is almost dusk, let us
pitch camp here, then we will dispose of this blade spider group!”
“Yes your Lordship.” Everyone accepted the order.
After the camp burned down, everyone rested and reorganized for a few days.
Then after a joint discussion, they began to travel through the forest.
It seemed to almost all of them that a blue dog fox wolf was still alive, thus
continuing to stay in place was meaningless. It was very possible that
establishing a new camp would be met with an even bigger magic beast corps
attack.
The farther they went from the original camp, the better.
Outside of this reason, there were still a few other important ones.
First, a huge ship could not be constructed in the forest. Because moving a
ship into the sea exceeded the engineering capabilities and manpower of
everyone. Only if luck was good, could the boat be teleported to the beach.
Second, a sea going ship was not a river boat. A ship could not be flat
bottomed, it needed a hull. This kind of structure needed to withstand stormy
seas and wind. Launching a hulled ship was difficult, if it dragged along the
bottom, it would destroy the hull. As a result, everyone needed a dock, and
docks were naturally near water.
Third, the workload to build a ship was massive and needed an enormous amount
of manpower. Returning to the beach and merging with the remaining survivors
would give them the most amount of manpower. At the same time, determining how
much manpower they had, would determine how big they would make the ship.
Building too big was unnecessary, squandered time and manpower, and increased
possible risks. Building too small would force them to leave some people on the
island, Zhen Jin did not want to see this happen.
Zhen Jin’s orders were rapidly passed on, the group stopped, and everyone began
to methodically arrange things on the ground.
Cang Xu was in charge of the arrangements.
Xi Suo had someone drive off snakes and rats with weapons and fire. After
ensuring the area was safe, a circular camp was set up, and tents started to be
built.
Bai Ya led some people in the construction of traps around the camp.
Hei Juan and others took one of Zi Di’s compounds, sprinkling them around the
camp and in the tents.
Mu Ban was sitting on the ground and inspecting some trailer carts.
These trailer carts were designed and made by him. Altogether, twelve trailer
carts were made to make it far more convenient for the team to transport
supplies.
The trailer carts relied on manpower to go forward, eight of them being pulled
by the giant, with the rest given to those with comparatively strong strength
and stamina.
Mu Ban was mainly inspecting their axles.
“This one is cracked. Giant, hold the wood up, we need to replace it.” Mu Ban
called at the giant.
The giant sat on the ground; he was covered in sweat. After looking at the
undersized Mu Ban, he shifted his gaze.
Mu Ban helplessly shook his head, he yelled at the nearby boat craftsman:
“Quick, say something to your son.”
“How many times are you going to say that, he is not my son.” The boat
craftsman immediately retorted, but soon raised his voice, “Quickly, hold up
the cart.”
“Yes father.” The giant immediately stood up and dragged his beaten body.
He had a giant’s bloodline and was practically a human crane. Using his arm, he
lifted the wood and threw it to the ground, causing it to roll a few times.
Mu Ban seemed to stamp and jump on his foot, saying with anger and worry:
“Idiot, gently, gently, you boorish chap. This wood was moved here with great
difficulty, don’t ruin it. Even if we are in a forest, this kind of good wood
is rarely seen!”
“Slow down a bit, put it down softly, understand?” The boat craftsman yelled
loudly.
“Understood father.”
“Don’t call me father!”
After the shouting, the wood on the cart was unloaded, at the same time, the
giant turned the cart over, allowing Mu Ban and others to dismantle the axle.
“There aren't many spare axles left.”
“If we are staying here for longer than normal, we can use this occasion to
make some more.”
Mu Ban was planning in his thoughts.
Most of the tents were built, but not everyone had one.
Tents were still in short supply.
Several individuals crowding into a small tent was not rare.
Of course, Zhen Jin’s tent was the biggest and the first one built.
As the tents filled with a sunset glow, thick smoke began to spiral from Zi
Di’s tent roof.
The smoke had a strange odor—— this was Zi Di seizing the moment to dissolve
ore and extract the iron from within.
Speaking of which, when the group left the camp, Zhen Jin intentionally led a
small group around to look for a lot of ore in caves.
These heavy ores were secretly dug out by Zhen Jin, who had secretly
transformed into a monkey tail brown bear, in the following nights after the
battle.
This discovery made Cang Xu speculate: perhaps monkey tail brown bears had a
habit grinding their claws.
Regarding the old scholar’s misunderstanding, Zhen Jin could only feel sorry in
the bottom of heart, he didn’t have a good explanation.
As the sun completely dropped and night fell, the camp became calm. The
building had already been completed, and with bone fires burning, the people
began to eat dinner.
Even if fire-poison bees invaded now, they weren’t worried.
Zi Di’s potions distinguished themselves repeatedly, regardless of whether it
was with the bat monkeys or the fire-poison bees, all of their threat levels
fell because of her potions.
Zhen Jin, with a pleased heart, looked at the team members sitting, chatting,
discussing, and sometimes laughing.
At that moment, it seemed that identity, racial misunderstandings, and
prejudice didn’t appear to exist.
Previously, the group had been split into two large factions, but now everyone
was harmonious.
This was all thanks to the invading magic beast corps. At the same time,
another reason was Zhen Jin’s outstanding status——in everyone’s hearts, the
youngster was not a simple templar knight, rather he was a divine scion knight!
Of course, in order to unify everyone, after the camp battle, Zhen Jin summoned
Xi Suo for a conversation and explicitly guaranteed: he would help Xi Suo
construct a new ship.
But who could have imagined Xi Suo would actually refuse this offer, instead he
knelt to the ground and expressed his wish to follow Zhen Jin, something he
thirsted and prayed for.
Rather than following his father’s footsteps, it seemed Xi Suo would rather
swear loyalty to Zhen Jin. Following a divine scion knight had bright
prospects, under normal circumstances, even if Xi Suo wanted to embrace such a
thigh, he could not. But the shipwreck gave him a unique and golden
opportunity, he couldn’t allow himself to miss it.
Zhen Jin thanked Cang Xu for his speculation and spread it. On the other hand,
he accepted Xi Suo’s vow of loyalty.
While Xi Suo was vowing his loyalty, Zong Ge also gave in. His ambitions
vanished and he no longer challenged Zhen Jin’s authority.
This outcome was sufficient proof that Zhen Jin’s prior decision to pursue the
blue dog fox wolf was correct.
He intentionally showed off his formidable battle strength in front of Zong Ge.
Not only did it make it more convenient to use a portion of his transformation
abilities in public, more importantly, it deterred this strong half beastman.
Zong Ge could observe the general situation, if not he would not have
overthrown the second mate or agreed to return to camp with Zhen Jin.
After realizing that even if he challenged Zhen Jin to a duel, he would still
not be Zhen Jin’s rival, Zong Ge decided to cooperate with him.
Zong Ge trying his best to save Zhen Jin also caused Zhen Jin to take notice of
this half beastman, decreasing his vigilance and increasing his trust.
In short, under Zhen Jin’s untiring efforts, the group had the best result when
phasing together.
He did his best to preserve the group’s strength from the confrontations and
internal friction occurring due to a schism.
He annihilated the magic beast corps and killed three blue dog fox wolves.
Perhaps only he understood the tribulations and hazards his contributions had.
Wearing the crown was certainly heavy.
Zhen Jin secretly shouldered many things, exceeding the expectations of any
ordinary person.
Maybe, this was the price of becoming a leader.
When it was late into the night, Zhen Jin once again left the camp.
His habitual nighttime patrols were already known by everyone. As a leader and
noble, Zhen Jin set an example through his silent investments. His crucial
nighttime patrols were almost never suspended and persisting in this action
made everyone love and respect him even more.
However what no one knew, was that every time Zhen Jin got far enough from
camp, the first thing he did was strip naked.
After the camp battle, Zhen Jin no longer had armor, even his clothes had been
destroyed. But not long after, he gained a new set of clothes and crocodile
head hammer tail leather armor.
After arranging his armor appropriately, Zhen Jin transformed into a silver
level flying squirrel.
After training hard for a while, he gave a discouraged sigh.
Still no electrical discharges.
He couldn’t sense which muscle he should exert.
Speaking of which, Zhen Jin once captured a few flying squirrels, however all
of them died in the camp battle.
However because Zong Ge temporarily acknowledged his allegiance, Zhen Jin
grasping this electrical discharge skill was not as urgent as before.
After practicing the flying squirrel form for a spell, Zhen Jin switched and
turned into a silver level bat monkey.
During daytime marches, he would slightly open his mouth and use ultrasound
often to examine their direction and to examine the nearby situation.
Scouting with ultrasound was very convenient, it was still more practical than
the lizard eyes.
But even if there was a strong magic beast around, as long as it was not
threatening the group, Zhen Jin would feign ignorance.
Before the half elf found the spider group, Zhen Jin had already discovered it,
however he remained silent about it.
Of course he could use god’s name to “predict” some affairs, but if he always
did this, it would give the people the impression that “Zhen Jin is abusing
god’s favor, this templar knight is unable to recognize the good intentions of
others.” Both Cang Xu and Zi Di were intelligent people, this would arouse
suspicions in them.
“One, two, three……” Zhen Jin came near the spider forest, and by using
ultrasound, he quickly found where all the spiders were located.
This spider group was bigger than the last one he encountered.
There were two silver level spider leaders.
Zhen Jin did not use the bat monkey form to fly in, instead at that moment,
Zhen Jin transformed into……a fat ball flying fish.
Gu gu gu……
The fat ball flying fish Zhen Jin flapped his shark fin, swayed his fish tail,
and slowly ascended. After reaching the treetops, he wobbled and flew over the
spider forest.
Then as he looked down, he vomited his saliva.
The fat ball flying fish had a high internal temperature and could spit boiling
water. This kind of attack was very weak, the fat ball flying fish’s truly
strong attack was its dying self-detonation.
However, Zhen Jin’s fat ball flying fish saliva had gone through a qualitative
change.
Every bit of saliva had in it, the blue dog fox wolf’s perfume!
The perfume sprayed all over the place, and because of the evaporation, it was
not long until the scent pervaded the entire spider forest.
Zhen Jin waited for a moment, then he canceled the fat ball flying fish form,
transformed into a bat monkey, and dropped into the trees.
The spider calmly looked at him, this beast group had already acknowledged
their allegiance to him!



****** Chapter 131: I am a Blade Spider ******
Currently, Zhen Jin could not transform into a complete blue dog fox wolf.
Even if he had killed three blue dog fox wolves, all of them were at the silver
level. He used the core to absorb and convert two of them. Although the final
one had been dead for a long time, had almost no internal magic power left, and
suffered Zhen Jin’s dismemberment and Cang Xu’s dissection, it still helped him
get to a nearly completed form, only a few parts were missing.
From this, as far the core was concerned, to gather a completed form, quality
and quantity were needed.
Quantity was the base. Zhen Jin had the spear scorpion, green lizard, and brown
bear forms because he had absorbed and converted great amounts of the
corresponding magic beasts.
Quality could break through limits. Zhen Jin had absorbed many green lizards,
however the lack of a silver level lizard meant he never had a silver level
lizard form.
Both quality and quantity were indispensable, both sides needed to be balanced.
Sufficient quality with insufficient quantity would not do. Just like the
strong quality of the blue dog fox wolves Zhen Jin had been absorbing, each was
a silver level magic beast. However the small amount meant he still could not
transform into a complete blue dog fox wolf.
However as far as Zhen Jin was concerned, he did not care about having a
complete blue dog fox wolf form, he could already transform the most crucial
organ——the biological spice bag.
From that point onward, Zhen Jin could disturb a man’s strong bodily fragrance!
But he lacked the wolf tail transformation.
The biological spice bag was the core, however without a complementary tail,
Zhen Jin could not rapidly distribute the perfume.
Zhen Jin tried many times for this reason
At first, he used the core to link the spice bag to his sweat glands. After
strenuous exercise, as long as he was sweating, each sweat drop had the perfume
in it.
Since then, Zhen Jin had become a fragrant and sweaty man.
Although this attempt succeeded, he discovered this method was too slow.
Thus, Zhen Jin connected the spice bag to his ureter.
If that happened, Zhen Jin could spray the perfume through his urine.
Although this second attempt also succeeded, its practical value was still low.
After all, suddenly urinating during a fierce battle was always awkward. Its
only benefit is that it might make a negligent opponent see Zhen Jin as scared
when he urinated——look Zhen Jin is so scared, he pissed himself!
Zhen Jin did not want to pee during a battle as a templar knight, even if the
urine had the perfume in it.
The third attempt showed Zhen Jin’s usage of the core had gotten deeper.
He first transformed into a green lizard, then he took out the green lizard’s
poison gland and venom sack, substituting them for the biological spice bag.
This attempt also succeeded.
Thus, he no longer sprayed out acid, rather he……uh……sprayed fragrant saliva?
For the past few nights, Zhen Jin examined how this attack performed in actual
combat.
His opponents, some magic beasts, had their faces often covered in Zhen Jin’s
saliva. After a moment, they surrendered at once.
The fragrant saliva still had real combat value.
However, Zhen Jin also discovered a shortcoming.
He spat up too much at once.
The magic consumption needed for the spice bag to make perfume, was far more
compared to the consumption required to make the same amount of corrosive acid.
The fragrant saliva could only be shot at one target, then as the fragrance
freely evaporated, it would influence its surroundings. The follow-up effects
had low efficacy, this made Zhen Jin displeased.
Looking at the cost-performance ratio, the fragrant saliva attack was too
wasteful.
After Zhen Jin reflected over this, he tried for the fourth time, the method he
was currently using.
His fat ball flying fish form and the biological spice bag matched with each
other.
Until now, although Zhen Jin could transform into a complete fat ball flying
fish, the form was not practical, and after practicing with it several times,
he put it on the back burner.
After many attempts, Zhen Jin finally transformed into a fat ball flying with
the spice bag.
The fat ball flying fish attacked by spraying boiling water, thus this turned
the perfume scalding.
The perfume’s high temperature accelerated its evaporation, making its effects
quicker than a blue dog fox wolf’s tail.
Although this form’s attacks, defense, and speed were inferior to all other
forms, with this creation, it immediately became Zhen Jin’s strongest trump
card.
At this moment, the blade spiders’ allegiance was sufficient proof of this
form’s avant-garde strength.
“Unfortunately, the perfume I make cannot be used as materials.” Zhen Jin was
still somewhat regretful.
He did experiments.
He intentionally sprayed some perfume out and sealed it up.
It wouldn’t work without a seal; the perfume was an easily evaporated liquid.
However, after sealing it for a night, when Zhen Jin came back the next day, he
found the perfume had turned into a layer of carbon dust
Zhen Jin was disappointed but unsurprised.
Because in previous tests, he tried something similar with the green lizard
acid.
After time passed, the acid would turn into a handful of carbon ash.
“The reason why I can transform into all kinds of lifeforms, is all because of
this magic core. Its magic serves as a power source, to bear the burden of
contradictions and pressure between different kinds of lifeform shapes.”
“Regardless of whether it is the perfume or the acid, both are a part of the
body. They are equivalent to hair, saliva, and the rest, the only difference
between them and something like an arm or a thigh, is that they are easier to
separate from the body, nothing more.”
After Zhen Jin grasped this point, he also understood why every time he
transformed into a green lizard, he always had some venom reserves.
As the bat monkey Zhen Jin sat on a tree, red light bubbled from the core and
flowed around his head.
After a moment, the red light scattered, giving him a wolf head.
Not only did he have a wolf head, Zhen Jin also transformed his vocal cords
into ones similar to a wolf’s.
Seeing the blade spiders concealed in the tree leaves, Zhen Jin coughed twice
and began to try an unknown amount of times.
“Bark (^) bark (ˊ) bark (v) bark (ˋ).”
Zhen Jin issued dog barks, his voice modulating.
The blade spiders were silent.
“Bark (ˋ) bark (^) bark (v) bark (ˊ)?”
Zhen Jin barked again, this time changing his pitch.
The blade spiders were aloof.
Bark (^) bark (ˋ) bark (^) bark (ˋ)!”
Zhen Jin’s barks increased in volume.
The blade spiders looked like puppets, there were no responses.
Perhaps Zhen Jin’s series of strange sounds attracted them, but their gazes
seemed to change, outside of acknowledging their allegiance to Zhen Jin, they
seemed to regard him as an idiot.
“They are actually moving……” Zhen Jin sighed.
It was too difficult for him.
Learning a foreign language really wasn’t easy. To date, he had never even been
introduced to this language.
“To learn the dog language, I must capture a blue dog fox wolf alive! Relying
on my own fumbling will not work.”
Zhen Jin eventually understood reality completely.
Like Zi Di, he also wanted to capture a blue dog fox wolf alive.
Only the former wanted to extract the blue dog fox wolf’s perfume, while he
wanted to learn the wolf’s language.
Without the blue dog fox wolf’s language, Zhen Jin could not command the beast
group in front of him.
The only action his test brought, was the magic beasts shifting their attention
to him.
While having their attention and allegiance, the magic beasts silently followed
him.
This had benefits and troubles.
The benefits were clear, when Zhen Jin rushed into other magic beast groups,
the artificial magic beasts following him would defend him and attack the
aggressors.
The trouble was Zhen Jin could not secretly accumulate magic beasts.
Because when Zhen Jin returned to camp, these magic beasts would also follow
him. This would cause conflict between the magic beasts, Zong Ge, and the other
people.
Human ears could not hear ultrasound, but people could smell the perfume.
Zhen Jin also once thought, with the help of the god’s name, he could say god
bestowed upon him a wonderful ability.
But that was unreasonable.
In recorded history, Emperor Sheng Ming’s godly favor was never like this.
Emperor Sheng Ming’s power always manifested through light!
If it was the Flower god, the Beast god, the Demonic Flesh god, and so on, this
kind of bestowment would have fit.
Zhen Jin had already taken a risk when transforming in front of Zong Ge. After
suffering when he saved Huang Zao, he would never underestimate anyone.
As a result, Zhen Jin actually only had one choice.
Following this, he came in front of every blade spider, used the blade
transformation, and beheaded them. Afterward, while the corpse was still warm,
he absorbed and converted them all with the core.
The blade spiders served Zhen Jin, even if death caused an uproar, none of them
could truly resist.
Zhen Jin couldn't help but sigh a multitude of times.
It was too easy!
He effortlessly slaughtered this enormous blade spider group. The easiness of
it surpassed his imagination.
If someone told him that one day in the future, these blade spiders would
calmly sit in place and allow Zhen Jin to kill them, Zhen Jin would have
certainly believed that individual was insane.
But sometimes, reality was more inconceivable than one’s imagination.
By annihilating this blade spider group, Zhen Jin raised the core’s magic
reserves to a new height.
Currently, Zhen Jin still did not know what the magic core’s magic reserve
limit was.
Another gain, was that he now had a complete blade spider form.
Beforehand, he could only transform spider blades, nothing more.
“Let's give the blade spider form a try.”
The next moment, red light rushed forth, the bat monkey Zhen Jin disappeared,
and was replaced with a blade spider Zhen Jin.
In a split second, Zhen Jin felt like he was squeezed into a wooden chest.
Regardless of whether it was sight, hearing, smell, or his other senses, all
had declined by a substantial amount.
This made Zhen Jin somewhat out of sorts.
Lizard eyes, bat monkey hearing, and a blue dog fox wolf sense of smell were
all strong, while the spider blade form had dropped them all to their lowest
point.
However as time passed, Zhen Jin discovered the blade spider’s sharpest
sense——touch.
Although his legs were blades, there were still spider feelers at the ends of
his blades. Regardless of whether they were on his limbs or on the surface of
his torso, all of it was covered in a thick layer of fine fur.
When the wind blew, the fur would slightly tremble accordingly, thus Zhen Jin
would immediately “hear” the wind and “smell” the forest.
As a nightingale flew past, the nightingale wings would make noise and vibrate
the air, this was all transmitted through Zhen Jin’s fur.
Zhen Jin immediately became aware that there was a flying nightingale in that
direction!
Accompanying the vibrating fur, the flying nightingale’s route was also clearly
portrayed in Zhen Jin’s mind.
A strong intuition told Zhen Jin: if he sprayed spider webs in that direction,
he could definitely catch the small nightingale.
Wanting to act, Zhen Jin immediately opened his mouth.
A spider web shot out, at first it was a ball, but it then opened up in the
air.
Just as the nightingale flew past, it collided with the spider web. The spider
web tied it up and glued it to a tree.
The nightingale shrieked constantly and frantically struggled, however the
spider web, nevertheless, grew tighter around it.
The Bai Zhen Clan’s bloodline was compatible with any long range attacks, thus
bringing the best in each other.
A silver level blade spider could spray strong spider webs. Anything less than
a blade spider, could only weave nets and setup traps.
Next, Zhen Jin tried to extrude silk.
Strictly speaking, it was not called silk. Perhaps we can call it “vomit juice”
to be more accurate.
In addition, this vomit did not come from the mouth, rather it came from Zhen
Jin’s blade spider behind, there something similar to buttocks was spinning the
vomit.
The spinner was a type of blade spider organ, in that organ, there was a
spinning and weaving gland where the juice was being produced.
This was a milky-white and sticky juice.
After being discharged by the spinner and encountering the air, it immediately
stiffened, thereby turning into spider silk.
Spider silk was wonderful, it was tenacious, fine, sticky, and flexible.
“This feels fantastic.”
“It’s a bit similar to defecating and urinating.”
“Summing it up, it's like using one’s anus to urinate.”
After Zhen Jin’s good experience, he saw a jumbled ball of spider silk behind
him, it looked like a yarn ball a cat or dog had messed up, this caused the
young knight to sink into silence.
“Weaving is also a life skill!”
Zhen Jin was vexed.
Without lots of practice, he could not grasp this skill.



****** Chapter 132: All are Frightened by Zhen Jin ******
“What is going on?”
“Are you certain?!”
The next day, Zhen Jin, Zong Ge, and other elites came to the blade spider
habitat.
In the end, the half elf came back with news that surprised and bewildered
everyone.
The half elf scout was somewhat pale, he shook his head and affirmed: “Nothing,
not even a single spider! I am absolutely certain.”
“How can this be?”
“Don’t tell me the entire spider group went out to hunt for food?”
“Unlikely, don’t these blade spiders hunt with their webs? They should still be
guarding this place.”
Everyone had endless doubts.
“Are there none nearby?” Xi Suo wrinkled his brows as he asked.
The scout shook his head again.
“Don’t tell me another beast group destroyed the spider group? Tripleblade
suggested.
“Impossible!” The half elf scout overruled that, “There isn’t even a trace of
fighting in the forest!”
“Really?” Zong Ge also could not help but pursue his brows.
This situation was too weird, Zong Ge thought there would be a difficult
battle, however when he arrived in the spider forest, the powerful enemy was
gone!
The half beastman looked at Zhen Jin, finding the young knight also had tense
brows and appeared perplexed.
As if sensing the latter’s gaze, he nodded to Zong Ge, then he looked around
and ordered: “Regardless of what theories we have, we need to explore the site
first. Everyone increase your vigilance, perhaps there is an immense trap in
front of us!”
After a short period, everyone was standing in the depths of the spider forest.
“There really are no blade spiders!” Zong Ge’s face exposed his amazement.
“This is so strange, there aren’t any signs of fighting, don’t tell me the
spider group realized we were here and ran away of their own accord?” Xi Suo
guessed.
Those unintentional words were intently listened to by Zong Ge, whose heart
slightly jumped.
In the half beastman’s heart, he felt a horrifying notion emerge, and he could
not help but look at Zhen Jin again.
Zhen Jin’s brows were deeply creased.
“It seems he is also thinking of that!” Zong Ge looked at Zhen Jin’s
expression, he sighed in his heart and buried that opinion, leaving it
unstated.
“Since we verified this place is safe, let’s move. Regardless of where the
blade spiders are, they left their spider webs behind. These things can help us
make a boat, everyone do your best to be gentle, collect them carefully.” Zhen
Jin commanded.
“Yes!” Everyone immediately accepted.
In the spider forest, not only were there many spider webs on the ground, there
were more suspended between the branches, the latter of which stored the
spiders’ food reserves.
It was not yet noon when a small hunting group returned to their temporary
camp. The people had returned from a rewarding journey; however their hearts
were all worried.
Zhen Jin immediately gathered everyone up and told them what had happened that
morning.
“This is an extraordinary situation!” Cang Xu sighed, while Zi Di looked
unwell.
Hei Juan turned white, horror mixed into his tone: “Wait a moment, the blade
spider group disappeared, has that blue dog fox wolf been stealthily following
us?”
The atmosphere in the tent grew heavy.
That was Zong Ge’s opinion in the spider forest, both Cang Xu and Zi Di also
thought of this possibility.
Zhen Jin killed three blue dog fox wolves; however everyone only knew of two of
them, thus they had always thought the magic beast corps hadn’t been completely
wiped out, there was still a living blue dog fox wolf.
Lan Zao bit his teeth: “If that blue dog fox wolf is following us, why hasn’t
it attacked during our many days of trekking? We don’t have a solid camp, every
day we are exhausted, and our combat strength is at an all-time low. With the
blue dog fox wolf’s intelligence, it is impossible that it can’t see our poor
health.”
Hei Juan shook his head: “Even if our combat strength is declining, we still
have Lord Zhen Jin and Zong Ge. The blue dog fox wolf is afraid of the
consequences!”
“Besides this reason, it still might be wounded and needs time to recover. We
destroyed its magic beast corps, and after its near destruction, it also needs
time to subdue other magic beast groups. Just like now, the blade spider group
must have been subdued by the blue dog fox wolf! If not, how could this blade
spider group disappear?”
Mentioning this, Hei Juan said with near certainty: “All of the evidence is
here! It is unlikely the blade spider group would voluntarily move, it is even
less likely they would flee, for that was indeed their birth nest! However
without any fighting or killing, they vanished. This must be the blue dog fox
wolf leading them away.”
“The blue dog fox wolf has too few troops, perhaps in its analysis, it could
not depend on the blade spider group to annihilate us. As a result, it made the
blade spiders retreat, its goal being to build up its magic beast corps. After
reaching a certain level, it will attack us with the magic beast corps again!”
The tent was silent.
This included Lan Zao, who slightly bowed his head and stopped questioning.
“Sorry everyone.” Zhen Jin’s face was grave, but his heart apologized.
He had destroyed the entire spider group, but without a concrete explanation,
he could only let his companions guess.
Currently, regardless of whether it was Xi Suo, Hei Juan, Zi Di, Cang Xu, and
even the half beastman Zong Ge, all of them would be frightened by his way of
thinking.
“Lord Zhen Jin, what should we do next?” Xi Suo looked anxious, “Should we
build a fortified camp here to defend against another magic beast corps
invasion?”
“Certainly not, in fact you guys are quite safe. Every day I use ultrasound, in
addition whenever there is a magic beast ahead or near us, I will dispose of it
during the night.” This was what Zhen Jin said at the bottom of his heart, but
of course, he did not say such words.
He shook his head and replied: “Xi Suo, we shouldn’t be excessively cautious.
Our most important goal is building a ship that can leave this island. If we
build a fortified camp, we will squander too much time and manpower. How can we
leave this place if that happens?”
“There are additional survivors from the Hog’s Kiss on the beach, we need to
converge with them with all speed. Without our assistance, how long can they
last?”
“Furthermore, if we stay here temporarily and build a camp, we will instead be
in the clutches of the blue dog fox wolf. It no longer needs to waste time and
energy tracking us, instead it has more freedom to subdue more magic beasts.”
“Don’t forget about the teleportation. Before we thought the teleportation had
a regular pattern, however ever since receiving your and Zong Ge’s information,
we know we don’t understand the pattern, there might not even be one! If
teleportation happens, our firmly established camp will collapse in an instant.
It is very possible the nearby magic beast corps will be teleported along with
us. Like the time I pursued that scaly black horned leopard group.”
“We must go forward, and to keep going forward, we must accelerate our speed!”
When speaking of this, Zhen Jin raised his voice and appeared staunch.
Everyone’s hesitation and bewilderment were all cleaned out by this
staunchness.
This was a leader!
Even now, Zhen Jin’s prestige enveloped the entire group and had a real impact
on them.
“You are truly deserving of being my Lord, after expressing your opinion, my
heart has calmed.” Cang Xu complimented.
Zi Di silently looked at Zhen Jin tenderly.
Lan Zao straightened his chest, although his eyes were wooden, his prideful
appearance seemed to say: this is the master I vow loyalty and devotion to!
Hei Juan murmured: “This is very risky. While marching, a magic beast corps
ambush is very possible.”
“We must take risks.” Zhen Jin firmly gazed at Hei Juan.
Hei Juan and Zhen Jin glanced at each other, he quickly shifted his eyes and
lowered his head, however he still insisted: “Then we should increase our
scouts and expand our detection scope.”
Zong Ge took the initiative to speak: “Let my people do that then.”
Some of his people had elf bloodlines, despite having thin half elf bloodlines,
they were the best candidates for scouts currently.
But Zhen Jin shook his head and vetoed it: “Not necessary.”
“Our current detection scope is already huge. With our current precautions, if
the magic beast corps invades, we will have enough time to respond.”
“Investigating on this island is very dangerous. We can’t use low level battle
qi and magic; we can only rely on and risk our bodies.”
“I have said, as everyone’s leader, I will treat everyone equally. Regardless
of whether they are pure humans, half elves, half beastmen, goblins, or any
other race.”
“We were on the same ship; therefore we will assume the risks together, share
our food together, and face the enemy side by side!”
There was absolute silence in the tent.
Lan Zao was entranced by Zhen Jin, at that moment, he felt a light bravely
emitting from Zhen Jin’s body.
It was the light of knightly glory, the light of benevolence, and the bright
light of the martial spirit!
The goblin Tripleblade was also emotionally moved, he opened his mouth and
wanted to say something, but in the end, he didn’t speak.
Nevertheless Zong Ge’s brows were still creased, he shook his head and replied:
“Templar knight, I understand your intention, I deeply understand it! However I
approve of expanding our detection scope and our number of scouts.”
“I was once a soldier, war was cruel, and no amount of benevolence can change
that. Let the half elves form a small reconnaissance team, because they are the
most suitable.
“If these people sacrifice their lives while investigating, as long as they
send back information that can warn us ahead of time, even if it is just a
minute, it is completely worth it!”
Seeing Zong Ge persist in this viewpoint, Zhen Jin had a massive headache.
Sometimes, having this kind of upright comrade that saw the general situation,
was an inconvenience.
“Don’t worry Zong Ge, my comrade.” Zhen Jin smiled at the half beastman,
showing his pure white teeth.
“If we do this, even if the scouts do not encounter the magic beast corps,
there will be casualties because the forest contains many dangers.”
“Of course, I understand your persistence. Because I am a knight, who also
received many military teachings.”
“As such, I will pray to my master, if I could receive such a vision
beforehand, perhaps he can find the blue dog fox wolf and the magic beast
corps.”
“We could attack them in advance and eliminate them, that would be the best
outcome.”



****** Chapter 133: Sorry to Frighten You All ******
Zhen Jin’s suggestion immediately stabilized Zong Ge, it also sparked new hope
in the others.
However, they were bound to be disappointed.
Because without a foundation, Zhen Jin could not raise a magic beast corps they
could murder. He could not even transform into a complete blue dog fox wolf.
Therefore, Zhen Jin could only tell them in the afternoon: He prayed, but god
did not respond.
Although everyone was disappointed, they didn’t suspect anything.
After all the gods stood high above, even if a divine scion knight prayed, not
responding was normal. During the camp battle, it was abnormal when Zhen Jin’s
every prayer had a response!
Without the spider group blocking the path, after repairing the axles, the
group immediately set off.
The ambience in the group was heavy.
They took precautions and were on tenterhooks, lest the magic beast corps
ambush them.
One moonless night.
A tree loudly collapsed, shaking the ground.
The main culprit causing this was a crocodile head hammer tail boa currently
pouncing at Zhen Jin, its mouth wide open.
Zhen Jin had transformed earlier; he used the monkey tail brown bear shape as a
base and covered it all over in a dark gold scorpion carapace.
He suddenly crouched, dodging the crocodile head hammer tail boa’s large mouth.
“Now!” Red light suddenly bubbled from the back of Zhen Jin’s hands.
After the red light faded, four sharp spider blades grew from his hands.
Clang.
The spider blades stabbed into the crocodile head hammer tail boa’s torso,
there was nothing it could do to resist the blades.
Zhen Jin ran, and used his arm to drive the spider blades into the crocodile
head hammer tail boa, creating over a dozen holes in its body!
This was a fatal injury.
A large amount of blood squirted from its body, causing the crocodile head
hammer tail boa to howl, causing it to fiercely counterattack under the sharp
pain.
But Zhen Jin had ample battle experience, foreseeing the counterattack, he
rolled backwards, transformed into a silver level bat monkey, and immediately
flew into the air.
Crocodile head hammer tail boa: ?!
It went berserk at death’s door, it wanted to take down its enemy with it, but
with the enemy flying, it couldn’t reach it.
The enemy then transformed its head into a lizard head, angering it more
through a constant bombardment of acid.
The crocodile head hammer tail boa with its last sparks of life, brutality,
anger, and other emotions, could only vent its feelings on the surrounding
innocent trees and rocks.
After tossing side to side for a while, the crocodile head hammer tail boa lost
its strength, as it fell to the ground dying.
Zhen Jin flew onto its body, and from his feet four blood threads appeared to
twist around the crocodile head hammer tail boa.
Quickly, a scene Zhen Jin was familiar with occurred.
The core absorbed and converted the crocodile head hammer tail boa, with the
only thing being left on the battlefield being a line of carbon ash.
The night wind blew, completely dispersing this ash.
After every battle, Zhen Jin would sum up his gains and losses, this was a
habit of his.
“I have moved a step closer to a complete crocodile head hammer tail boa form.”
“My magic reserves have decreased somewhat; multilayered transformations
consume my magic severely. This fight went on a bit too long.”
Zhen Jin had a method to achieve a rapid victory, the flying fish fragrant
attack could easily dispose of this crocodile head hammer tail boa.
But Zhen Jin needed meticulous practice, only through constant tempering could
he improve his battle strength.
Practice was very important!
So this fight, he tested an all new fighting style.
Zhen Jin fused the blade spider form’s advantages into his body.
As far as this form’s first attempt was concerned, compared to Zhen Jin’s blade
spider transformations, this attempt was extremely shallow.
As the group continued their journey these days, Zhen Jin deeply unearthed the
blade spider form’s potential.
The blade spider had three strengths. One was touch, one was its spider webs,
and the final one was its sharp blades.
The thing Zhen Jin was most interested in, was the spider blades.
They were strong, tenacious, and most importantly, Zhen Jin didn’t need to
maintain them!
In fact, Zhen Jin still took advantage of Silver Lightning being in his hands,
however that weapon, when all was said and done, was not his. It was Hei Juan’s
family heirloom, after Zhen Jin left this island, he would return to Hei Juan.
Previously, Zhen Jin could only grow spider blades from his fingers. Limiting
the spider blades to just there greatly reduced their usable value.
Now Zhen Jin could transform spider pincers, feet, and limbs.
In this battle, Zhen Jin first transformed his metacarpal bones into spider
ambulatory legs and also grew ambulatory legs from the back of his hands. Then
Zhen Jin wrapped a scorpion carapace around his ambulatory legs, then allowed
them to grow out of the carapace.
This way, Zhen Jin had four blades on the back of his hand.
These four sharp blades effortlessly cut away the crocodile head hammer tail
boa’s life.
Zhen Jin could also grow ambulatory legs from his ribs and allow them to extend
out from his body. If that happened, from his armpits down to his waist, he
would have four spider blades on each side.
When Zhen Jin tried this, he found he could do savage frontal attacks. Under
the shining blades, a large tree would be cut into fragments after a few
breaths.
But during real combat, Zhen Jin found just using the hand blades was easier.
Ease of use was very important.
Because these beast forms went against the human body, if Zhen Jin wanted to
adapt to them properly, he had to invest large amounts of time to train them.
Zhen Jin was still most familiar with a human form.
As a result, his most used form was the monkey tail brown bear form. Because
this magic beast form was close to a human form, and compared to a bat monkey,
had tougher skin.
Even strong firepower like the scorpion tail wasn’t used much by Zhen Jin.
Because fighting with the scorpion tail was relatively difficult. Against
stronger opponents, using unfamiliar shapes, would instead be a flaw for Zhen
Jin.
Currently, Zhen Jin needed immediate battle strength.
The group traveled through the endless trees.
As the sunlight passed through the leaves, the fragments formed star-like
facula.
Under a rare tree, the group stopped temporarily.
This tree had dense leaves and bulging roots that protruded out of the ground.
“This tree is at least a millennium old, excellent, very excellent!” Mu Ban’s
eyes burned, happiness covering his face as he constantly circled around the
tree.
“Quickly, chop it down, with it we can create a suitable keel.” Mu Ban yelled.
Thus, the crowd slowly circled around.
But Zhen Jin was looking at a distant mountain, and through ultrasound, he
discovered many monkey tail brown bears there.
Late into the night.
In a narrow cavern with sultry air and glowing ore, there was no darkness.
Awoo!
A monkey tail brown bear pounced at Zhen Jin, its massive and heavy physique
creating a hole with every step.
Zhen Jin with a naked body, stood motionlessly in place as he looked at the
approaching monkey tail brown bear.
Suddenly, red light bubbled from his body, and in a blink of an eye, he
transformed into a gold armored monkey tail brown bear!
“Come!” Zhen Jin brazenly lashed back and ruthlessly collided with the monkey
tail brown bear.
Both the monkey tail brown bear and Zhen Jin immediately stood up, and with
their respective palms, began to constantly smack their counterpart.
During this, Zhen Jin’s palm hit flesh while the monkey tail brown bear hit the
scorpion carapace, producing dull echoes.
The monkey tail brown bear opened its mouth to bite, likewise Zhen Jin did too.
Zhen Jin bit into the monkey tail brown bear’s shoulder, ripping its flesh. The
monkey tail brown bear bit into the scorpion carapace, nearly shattering its
teeth!
Currently, Zhen Jin was easily winning.
After a spell, the monkey tail brown bear turned around and retreated.
Don’t attack, I’m in a terrible state!
Zhen Jin did not pursue, rather he stood in place and reviewed his fight with
the monkey tail brown bear. He deliberately studied the monkey tail brown
bear’s fighting style, he thought that through experience, he could learn the
correct way to apply force.
After a short period, Zhen Jin returned, feeling he had a considerable harvest.
A bear’s body was different from a human body, thus the way either applied
force was different. Although monkey tail brown bears didn’t have high
intellect, by relying on their beastly instincts they applied force and
attacked in a concise way that most effectively utilized their muscles and
skeleton.
This was different from having a teacher.
Additional fights would greatly increase the efficiency of Zhen Jin’s monkey
tail brown bear form.
The monkey tail brown bear form was very practical, thus Zhen Jin wanted to
master it.
For the next several days, Zhen Jin came to this place at night and practiced
with the monkey tail brown bears here.
As time passed, after the monkey tail brown bears received a bitter lesson,
they would flee when seeing Zhen Jin.
“Then I will give you something to delight over.”
Zhen Jin’s bear head transformed into a blade spider head, he then sprayed
something from his mouth.
A ball of spider web flew out, forming a milky white net in the air. The net
then covered the face of the monkey tail brown bear in front of him.
The monkey tail brown bear promptly retreated; at the same time it used its
palms to pull the spider web off.
The spider web covered its field of view, in addition it was very sticky and
tough, thus for a moment, the monkey tail brown bear could not tear it apart.
Zhen Jin suddenly jumped in the air, curved his left arm, and protruded his
elbow.
Suddenly, a thick spider blade covered the front of his elbow.
Zhen Jin fell into the monkey tail brown bear.
At that moment, the monkey tail brown bear’s head and his arm collided, causing
a fountain of blood to fly from its neck.
Zhen Jin did not look back as he slowly moved towards the other monkey tail
brown bears.
“It's your turn next.”
After getting over their shock, the monkey tail brown bears began to
frantically flee.
It was a bloody night.
As the curtain of night waned, sunlight began to sprinkle through the woods.
“Good, to the left a bit, a little more to the left.” Mu Ban loudly directed
everyone.
After doing their best, everyone finally managed to put the gigantic tree onto
a special trailer cart.
The boat craftsman and Zi Di went to find Zhen Jin together.
“Only using wood won’t do, we still need iron. Without iron, we cannot make
ship tools. We still need a lot of iron bars, iron sheets, and iron nails.”
Said Zi Di.
The boat craftsman added: “Iron nails rust easily, but there is nothing we can
do about that. Right now we can find minerals and do large scale refining for
iron.”
Zhen Jin nodded: “So, we still need a lot of ore?”
Zi Di confirmed: “to be more accurate, we need tons of ore. Yesterday, our
scouts found caves nearby with only monkey tail brown bears living inside.
“They are all already dead, and I dug up a lot of ore in passing.” Zhen Jin
heart said, but on the surface he nodded, “Then have Zong Ge go ahead with a
group to eliminate them, we need to start gathering ore.”
Zong Ge, Tripleblade, and the others were filled with thoughts of battle.
After half an hour, they came back with worried and heavy faces.
“All of the monkey tail brown bears have disappeared, there were some traces of
fighting near the cave, but not many.”
“That blue dog fox wolf is still following us!”
“The magic beast corps has strengthened again, what should we do?”
Zhen Jin’s brows also faintly pursed, however his heart sighed: “Sorry
everyone. As long as I am here, the ‘blue dog fox wolf’ will always be
following you.”



****** Chapter 134: Putting One’s Hand on the Gold Python Vines ******
The sun rose, fell, rose, fell……
The sky was bright, then dark, bright again, then dark again.
Through day and night, Zhen Jin led the group across the forest, and during
that, the menacing blue dog fox wolf was like a boulder pressing down on almost
everyone’s mind.
Occasionally small crises would tense up everyone’s nerves.
The group’s food and water were being constantly used, and despite replenishing
along the way, their reserves were still being depleted.
The giant was clearly becoming thin, he had a giant bloodline and didn’t eat
his fill, yet he did the heaviest and straining work.
The group would eat and sleep outdoors, even the preferential treatment Zhen
Jin and Zong Ge received was limited.
The wear and tear of everyone’s leather armor and weapons were aggravated, even
Zong Ge’s steel armor lost its shine.
A half elf collapsed enroute.
Under the menacing blue dog fox wolf, Zong Ge, Hei Juan, and the others
insisted on expanding their detection range and the number of scouts, while
Zhen Jin did his utmost to clamp down on this proposal.
But he didn’t expect Zong Ge to secretly expand the scouting groups.
Zhen Jin could only move normally during the night, and the many scouts were a
clear obstruction. During the day, he needed to stay with the group most of the
time, assuming responsibility as their leader.
With regards to the half elf dying, Zhen Jin could only sigh.
From a certain point of view, he knew Zong Ge’s decision was correct, Zong Ge
could not be gentle to his force, and prompt information was important to the
group.
The team member’s death did not cause confrontation, discontent, or schisms.
For a long time now, the mysterious blue dog fox wolf’s magic beast corps was
the greatest external pressure.
This incorporeal pressure was like a large hammer that refined the entire
group. This included Zhen Jin, Zong Ge, Cang Xu, Zi Di, and everyone else. This
pressure made them more intimate with each other, more understanding, and more
harmonious.
As the group continued forward, every difficult situation made them more
resolute. Every casualty made them more unified.
Eventually, the rainforest appeared in front of everyone.
Regarding thick vegetation, the rainforest had far more than the forest.
The air was moist, and within the layers of vines, there lived numberless
snakes, ants, and mosquitos.
Cang Xu held a map, sketching on it while he used the sunlight to orient his
direction.
“Our direction is correct, continue ahead.” Cang Xu informed everyone of the
good news
However, there was trouble.
The current group was far bigger than when it had left.
Many more supplies.
There were close to thirty trailer carts pulling wood and ore.
Going through the forest was difficult, and in the rainforest, this difficulty
increased tenfold.
In the rainforest, the group could only travel half the distance they did in
the forest.
The lush vines, shrubs, knee high grass, and traps covered layers of decayed
leaves would all make moving the trailer carts hard.
To these things, Zhen Jin couldn’t do anything about them, he could only set an
example as he struggled ahead with a spider blade in hand.
These spider blades were from the one or two spider groups Zhen Jin
intentionally left behind. After Zong Ge and some others purged them, the group
acquired these sharp weapons.
The spider blades were very sharp, cutting all of the vines and tree roots
blocking their path.
Zhen Jin and some others first cleared up a path first, so the trailer carts
could barely pass through after.
But sometimes, everyone had no choice but to first move the trailer cart
supplies, then drag the trailer carts through complicated terrain.
The humid air was not amicable.
Even just standing still made people sweat profusely.
Just going a small distance caused everyone to be covered in sweat.
The murmur of river water became more distinct.
A river quickly greeted the eye.
“Be careful everyone!” Zhen Jin’s face was heavy, after probing with
ultrasound, he knew there were python vines growing in the water.
They were indeed the gold level magic plants that easily eliminated a silver
level blue dog fox wolf.
Everyone was very cautious.
All information pertaining to the python vines was already well known.
Not long after traveling along the river, everyone stopped by the riverbank.
This section of river had high banks on each side, making it the ideal crossing
point.
Everyone unloaded wood from the trailer carts, and with the cooperation of the
giant, Zong Ge, and some others, built a workable wooden framework to the
opposite riverbank.
As the wood was put together, it formed an interim wooden bridge.
The nimble team members were the first to climb onto the bridge, they then used
hemp rope to tie the wood together, stabilizing them into a workable state.
After finishing this, everyone pulled the trailer carts across the bridge.
On the opposite bank, they first undid the hemp rope, retrieved the wood, and
reloaded it back into the trailer carts.
After resting and reorganizing for a while, the group continued their journey.
Hei Juan circled back to gaze at the river: “Perhaps, we can rely on this river
to shake off the blue dog fox wolf.
Zong Ge shook his head: “At most it will get rid of a portion of the magic
beast corps.”
These days, everyone had suspicions; why hadn’t the magic beast corps attacked
or even ambushed them once?
Zhen Jin gazed ahead, he did not look back, however his heart kept thinking
about the python vines in the river.
Since he had woken up on this island, that had been the first gold level magic
plant he had seen.
“If I use the core to absorb those python vines, what could I transform into?”
Zhen Jin’s heart was secretly moved.
That night, Zhen Jin used the bat monkey form to return to the riverbank.
As he flew through the air and climbed across the ground, a small group of
scaled leopards was pursuing him closely.
Most of these scaled leopards were common beasts, only one individual had a
bronze level aura. Under the effects of Zhen Jin’s perfume, they had no power
to resist and completely served Zhen Jin.
Zhen Jin flew over the river, causing a disturbance in the scaled leopard
group, however they still followed Zhen Jin.
They could not fly; thus they could only hop into swim through the river.
Of course, tigers and leopards can swim, and sometimes, they can hunt in the
water. The scaled leopards’ swimming abilities were more outstanding, even
surpassing Zhen Jin’s expectations a little.
“It seems you guys aren’t covered in a layer of fish scales for nothing. Why
haven't the python vines attacked yet?” Zhen Jin landed on the opposite bank,
his gaze sharp and his body tense.
Crash!
Suddenly, the river water fiercely sprayed up, a thick green python vine
launched a terrifying offensive.
The scaled leopards still in the water were not the python vine’s opponent,
thus they immediately took disastrous casualties.
The python vine was agile and savage as it dragged the majority of the scaled
panthers underwater. The scaled panthers were like mosquitos in a spider web,
after struggling slightly, all of them died on the spot.
“This python vine isn’t stupid, it intentionally waited until the vast majority
of the scaled leopards were in the water before it launched its offensive.”
“An opportunity!” Zhen Jin’s eyes flickered.
There were many scaled leopards, and although the python vine was entirely
beyond them and could effortlessly harvest them, there were still some that
made it to the opposite bank.
Just like Zhen Jin, the python vine did not plan to let its food slip away.
Vines emerged to quickly overtake those on the shore, wrapping themselves
around the black panthers, then gently dragging them back.
Zhen Jin pounced during this time.
He transformed into a monkey tail brown bear, wrapped his body in a scorpion
carapace, while simultaneously growing four long spider blades from his hands.
The blades ferociously cut into the contracting python vines.
But the blades only left four lines in the python vines!
The attacked python vine immediately launched its counterattack at Zhen Jin.
Zhen Jin’s heart shook, his warrior intuition frantically warned him: he could
not get tangled, otherwise he would die!
Zhen Jin retreated at once, with the python vine pursuing close behind,
unwilling to let him go.
However its length was finite, that attack on Zhen Jin had occurred at the very
edge of its attack range.
Unable to reach Zhen Jin, the python vine contracted again.
Zhen Jin struck it again with his blades.
However the normally sharp spider blades could only cause insignificant damage,
again leaving only four lines in the python vine.
“I must attack the same spot constantly, in order to cut off a section of its
body!”
After Zhen Jin realized this, his heart filled with agony and frustration.
The python vine did not stand still, rather it crazily flailed about like a
wild python. Its frightening offensive could easily break trees.
Zhen Jin had to pay attention on when to dodge, if he was even somewhat
careless, he would be seriously injured and even defeated.
Under this kind of situation, constantly slicing at the same place was as
difficult as ascending to heaven.
Zhen Jin counterattacked, the python vine pursued, Zhen Jin ran away, the
python vine contracted back, Zhen Jin counterattacked again……
And so, after a few rounds of this, Zhen Jin was profusely sweating as he
jumped and scuttled on the edge of life and death.
Although the python vine was a gold level magic plant, its intelligence could
not compare to Zhen Jin’s, thus Zhen Jin could always control it.
However Zhen Jin was in a terrible state, that short effort already made him
feel exhausted.
This exhaustion not only came from his severe consumption of stamina, it also
came from his tense heart. The fact that he was always dodging and couldn't be
even a bit careless lest he suffer grave consequences, was hard for him to
handle.
“I must take a risk!”
Zhen Jin suddenly removed the spider blades, transformed both hands, turned his
ten fingers red hot, and ran them through the python vine.
The python vine was finally pierced by Zhen Jin; however it was too thick, Zhen
Jin’s fingers could not penetrate it completely.
At that instance, Zhen Jin wildly activated the core.
Four bloodlines immediately came out, covered a small section of the python
vine, but they never permeated it!
The python vine counterattacked, with the other sections of vines whipping at
Zhen Jin.
Zhen Jin immediately canceled the monkey tail brown bear transformation, red
light bubbled from his body, and transformed into a bat monkey while on the
ground.
The bat monkey Zhen Jin ruthlessly kicked his legs, spurred his body, and
jumped into the air.
Finally, his wings fiercely flapped, allowing him to fly higher into the air.
At nearly the next moment, the vines ruthlessly whipped his previous position.
Ultimately, as Zhen Jin flew in the air, he had no choice but to watch the
python vines return into the water.
“My core is ineffective against gold level lifeforms!”
At that moment, Zhen Jin clearly sensed the magic core’s limits.
Nervousness waned, allowing disappointment, frustration, and other emotions to
spread through his heart.
“Alas……” Although the young knight was mentality prepared, he was still
somewhat dismayed upon discovering the truth.
His attempt was finished; thus he flapped his wings and sorrowfully flew back
to the temporary camp.



****** Chapter 135: Family and Hope ******
Inside a tent.
“Cough cough cough……” The boat craftsman was lying on a grass bed, his
complexion was flush, his breathing was weak, his skin was swollen, and
everything he saw was fuzzy.
“Sorry, my Lords for……troubling you all.” The boat craftsman said dispiritedly.
“Rest well, don’t think too much, with me here, no one will be abandoned.” Zhen
Jin did his best to soothe the boat craftsman.
Soon after, he, Zi Di, and some others slowly left the tent.
“How are things?” Hei Juan immediately inquired, “We cannot lose the boat
craftsman, how is his illness?”
Zi Di shook her head and sighed: “I have said to you all a few times, I am just
a pharmacist that specializes in perfume, I am not a doctor.”
“I can’t find the reason for why he is sick.”
“It shouldn’t be poison or magical corrosion that is making him ill.”
“If it were an ordinary illness, I would have been somewhat certain about it.
But it is very possible this kind of illness is related to the environment
here; I don’t even know where to start.”
Zong Ge’s voice was gloomy: “Not only does the boat craftsman have this
illness, there are also a few others that are sick. I suspect this is a
contagious disease.”
Everyone’s expression changed.
“Contagious disease……” Zhen Jin’s complexion was grave and he inwardly sighed.
It had already been ten days since entering the rainforest, and now he had
encountered another predicament.
This predicament was not fierce magic beasts, or food or water shortages,
rather a disease had struck.
“Although the severity of the symptoms among the sick are varied, they are all
similar. Should we abandon these people?” Tripleblade asked Zhen Jin.
“Abandon?” Hei Juan shook his head, “Without the boat craftsman, how can we
build a ship?”
Zong Ge sighed: “We cannot let the sickness infect more people, this time it is
necessary, we have no other choice……”
He did not finish his sentence, but everyone’s heart shivered.
Zong Ge’s conduct was full of the army’s style, it was callous and efficient.
Zhen Jin shook his head: “Don’t abandon anyone so easily. Look again at what
happens next, the boat craftsman is very important, but the others also have
the right to live, they are all our comrades!”
“Templar knight, sometimes being too benevolent is being too indecisive, that
will cause greater damage.” Zong Ge gazed at Zhen Jin, his attitude just as
firm as it had been in the past.
Zhen Jin did not hesitate to look at the half beastman square in the eyes: “I
understand your reasoning, but this has just happened, this isn’t the time for
cruel resolution, right?”
Zong Ge did not retort, instead he turned around to leave.
The two parted in bad terms, this made the ambience heavier.
For the next several days, the disease spread, with many more people
discovering they had the same illness.
“I lack instruments.” Zi Di complained to Zhen Jin, “I cannot use magic, and my
medicinal techniques and skills are not enough. Currently, I can only mix some
simple herbal medicines to alleviate their pain.
Zi Di didn’t have any methods.
Zong Ge looked for Zhen Jin again to repeat his previous proposal, this time
Cang Xu also came along.
Cang Xu was also a very rational man, he stood by Zong Ge and informed Zhen
Jin: in many areas with plague, without enough doctors and chaplains, the local
lords would lead knights to behead and burn the sick in order to contain the
spread of the disease. If the plague was constrained, the massacred civilians,
lords, and knights involved would receive high level imperial condemnations
that would all be placed in the palace hall.
“It is not yet time.” Zhen Jin refused the two’s suggestion again, “Currently
the disease hasn’t killed anyone, furthermore haven’t you two discovered
something? Only ordinary people have fallen ill, this is not an extraordinary
or disastrous illness. Perhaps this is due to the abrupt change in air
temperature and caused by mental pressure as well as exhaustion.”
Zhen Jin cut down their distance traveled per day, and every night he had them
pitch camp to rest.
He gathered all of the ill people and did his best to separate them from the
others.
Every day he would visit these sick people.
“My Lord, please don’t abandon us……”
“I still want to live! “My Lord, will I die?”
“Lord Zhen Jin, you are worthy of being called a templar knight. If I die, can
you give this money to my wife and child?”
Zhen Jin could only use language to placate these people.
“Don’t panic.”
“This is just a small ailment; you must believe in yourselves.”
“You must believe in me! I am not just a templar knight, I am a divine scion
knight.”
“You all must understand, perhaps Emperor Sheng Ming is watching this place!”
Zhen Jin still maintained his nighttime patrols.
Every night, he did his best to eliminate the nearby beast groups and gave the
group better security.
However, as more and more people fell ill, Zhen Jin also felt he was in poor
health.
“The core is ineffective against gold level lifeforms.”
“Even if I can transform into many things, I cannot treat illnesses.”
“What should I do in the end?”
“What is the correct thing to do?”
The patients longed to see Zhen Jin every day, despite understanding Zhen Jin
could not treat them and his mouth could not grant them god’s favor, every time
they saw Zhen Jin, their hearts would stabilize——it was proof Zhen Jin hadn’t
given up on them.
Zong Ge, Cang Xu, Hei Juan, and some others became increasingly upset, with
more and more people standing at their side.
The belief that “Zhen Jin was too young and benevolent” was privately endorsed
by even more people.
The situation grew ever more critical, Zhen Jin began to worry Zong Ge was
acting secretly, like when he privately ordered more half elves to serve as
scouts and expanded the detection range.
Zi Di still supported Zhen Jin, just as she had in the past. From the time Zhen
Jin regained consciousness to this current journey, Zi Di had always acted like
this. But this time, she used a soft tone to persuade Zhen Jin: don’t visit
these patients as much as possible, catching the disease by chance would be too
terrible.
Lan Zao especially stood by Zi Di’s admonishment, he asked Zhen Jin many times
for orders, he wanted to replace Zhen Jin as the one visiting the patients.
But how could that happen?
Zhen Jin knew the patients were scared.
Lan Zao could not replace Zhen Jin.
The group was not big, but the people’s hearts were different, and pressure
from all sides pressed down on Zhen Jin’s heart.
It was only natural this would make Zhen Jin doubt himself——maybe Zong Ge’s
proposal was sensible. Is my decision wrong? Will I drag the entire group into
the abyss of eternal damnation?
This question could not be determined.
Because he was not a prophet, and he did not have a rich life experience.
People judge on whether something is right or wrong based on their outcome. But
when an outcome occurs, it would be too late.
Zhen Jin sensed he was lonely; this was how a leader felt.
There were naturally difficulties behind the scenes.
Every day became very long, the constant coughs of the isolated people made it
especially unbearable.
Zhen Jin still stood up to all the pressure.
After one week, the situation began to improve.
The patients began to get better, and their bodies began to slowly recover.
Another week later.
The majority of the patients clearly recovered this proved Zhen Jin’s strategy
was valid.
Zong Ge, Cang Xu, and the others no longer expressed their previous proposal,
and the team members no longer privately discussed “the templar knight Zhen
Jin’s excessive benevolence”, rather they praised him as wise and as someone
who deserves the title divine scion knight!
As the people finally traversed through the jungle and arrived the beach, upon
seeing the spacious sea, the people could not restrain their emotions as they
cheered.
At this time, the boat craftsman was a lot better. At his strong request,
someone supported him as he walked to the beach, and upon seeing the great
waves, he silently wept tears.
Zhen Jin had suffered, the boat craftsman and the patients even more so. During
that time, their hearts were filled with the fear of death.
At this moment, the group hadn’t reached their destination yet.
Zhen Jin and the others still needed to follow the beach up north, they needed
to first find the camp and converge with the other survivors.
“This is the final stretch, then we can converge with them!” Zhen Jin informed
everyone of the heartening news.
The people still looked at the young knight with admiration and respect,
however compared to before, it was as if there were some new changes.
The journey suddenly became relaxed.
Because everyone no longer needed to cut down vines, chop a way forward, drag
the wooden carts along, or frequently relocate supplies.
Comparing the beach to the rainforest, although the beach had reefs, it was far
emptier, and it had a very level terrain.
Thus the group’s morale rose at a steady pace.
Then one day, an excited Bai Ya came back to the group.
As a scout, he had a small cast on him.
“Hey, what is this thing I found on the beach?” Bai Ya’s voice quickly
attracted many people.
“That must be cargo from the Hog’s Kiss.”
“I guess it has good things inside?”
“Open it quickly, I am itching to see what’s inside!”
Everyone opened the cast and found a dozen or more bottles of rum inside.
As a result, the group cheered again.
After getting the news, Zhen Jin smiled and declared that a bonfire banquet
would be held that same evening.
The banquet was extremely crude, food and water were limited, but the people
were very excited as they sat around the bonfires.
Zhen Jin specifically appointed Bai Ya as the rum pourer
Most of the rum were reserve supplies, thus only a few bottles were used.
As Bai Ya walked in front of a team member, the team member immediately clasped
his hands together and gazed at Bai Ya’s rum bottle.
The rum quickly filled up his hands.
But the team member was still unsatisfied: “Pour more, pour a bit more!”
“Get lost! It is this old man’s turn.” Another team member loudly urged.
Ultimately, everyone only had a pitiful mouthful of rum, however the fire
shined upon every one of their happy smiles.
Sometimes, obtaining this kind of happiness was simple.
At the edge of the group, Zhen Jin was sitting on a reef, his eyes sweeping
around.
He looked at the tattered clothing and scraggly beards that made everyone look
like savages. He looked at Bai Ya earnestly pouring rum, he saw Fei She sucking
up wine from his hands, he saw Zi Di’s ragged magic gown, and he saw Cang Xu
wiping his eyes clean. After passing through the jungle, his spectacles only
had one lens left, the other side of the frame was empty.
Mu Ban held an empty rum bottle, his finger caressing the surface——this was the
feeling of human civilization.
Zong Ge and Tripleblade were discussing in low voices.
The giant was sitting on the ground and was respectfully listening to the boat
craftsman’s song.
Lan Zao was still loyally standing on the beach behind Zhen Jin.
Hei Juan gave the wine in his hands to someone near him. He gazed to the west,
towards the Sheng Ming Continent, his home.
Zhen Jin gazed at the night sky.
A vast sky of stars continued as far as the eye could see.
The waves undulated with the sound of gurgling water.
The seawater’s obscene odor assailed the nostrils.
He gazed into the east, towards the Wilderness Continent, White Sands City, his
duty, and his future hopes.



****** Chapter 136: Converging Together at Last ******
Black clouds covered the entire sky, a large wave struck a reef and smashed
into pieces.
A torrential downpour of rain darkened the horizon and made visibility low.
Anything outside of fifty steps seemed to merge with the sky.
Zhen Jin’s group did not travel in the rain, rather they left the beach and hid
in the nearby rainforest.
Although Zhen Jin and Zong Ge were not afraid of moving through the rain, the
group was mostly composed of ordinary people. Even if Lan Zao and Xi Suo were
at the bronze level, their bodies have not reached a qualitative change.
As far as those people were concerned, braving the rainstorm while dragging
critical supplies was very dangerous.
Strenuously exercising while being drenched at the same time made illness very
likely.
After going through the recent sickness ordeal, Zhen Jin and the others would
never actively seek out this trouble.
The rainforest this time became everyone’s natural shelter.
The lush foliage and thick vegetation made it easy to find places of shelter,
and combined with the tents, they could even have a warm and dry spot to stay
in.
Hearing the vast rainfall outside his tent, Zhen Jin’s heart was peaceful.
He was constantly using ultrasound to examine everything in his surroundings.
He found, although ultrasound could not penetrate the rain, it was reflected
back well. However in a rainstorm with concentrated raindrops and water vapor
filling the air, the range of ultrasound was greatly weakened and the results
it gave became more indistinct.
Despite that, the ultrasound still enveloped the entire camp, Zhen Jin would
immediately detect any sudden outbursts.
According to the ultrasound, beside the brave guards outside in the rain and
the rest in the tents, there was nothing restless or jittery.
“The will of the people is currently stable.”
“The contributions of those dozen bottles of cheap rum cannot go unnoticed.”
“The rain stopped……”
Zhen Jin had expectations.
However, those expectations had to be postponed for several days.
As the rainstorm continued, everyone became twitchy and worried. However
whenever Zhen Jin appeared in front of them, without Zhen Jin needing to speak,
everyone’s twitching, and worry were greatly slowed.
Zhen Jin’s influence had a real impact on the people.
Food was quickly consumed, and contrary to expectations, their water reserves
were at their limit.
The twitchiest of them all was the boat craftsman.
He came to Zhen Jin alone and reported: “This situation is troublesome my Lord.
If the rain is incessant, we will have to build a dock. But this small one
isn’t an engineer; I am worried the lumber we prepared for the ship isn’t
enough.
“Even if we made a dock entirely out of rainforest wood, it would consume a
great amount of manpower.
“In the original plan, there were many parts we could make outside. However if
the current downpour is unending, all of the work would have to be done in a
dock. If that happens, we would need to expand the dock many times over!”
Zhen Jin could only console the boat craftsman: “Among us, you are the one most
studied in ship building. I don’t have any good ideas, but even if we make a
dock, doesn’t it only take some time and effort, right?”
“As long as we succeed in building a ship and leave this place, everything we
invested would be worth it, don’t you say?”
The boat craftsman stared blankly, but soon submitted cheerfully: “My Lord, an
ordinary person would find it difficult to reach your perseverance and
patience. After hearing your opinion, I feel much better.”
Eventually the rain diminished.
Sometimes it was a rainstorm, sometimes it was a light drizzle, and sometimes
the sky was cloudy with a bone-chilling sea breeze.
During times of no rain or drizzle, the group continued forward.
When the rain seemed to increase, they would stop to rest.
“This wretched rain!” Hei Juan cursed, if there was no rain, according to their
distance traveled, they should have arrived at the base camp on the island.
“We must protect the wood. Especially the wood used to make the keel!” The
fourth boat craftsman was very worried about that and had always paid a high
degree of attention to it.
When night descended, Zi Di secretly came to Zhen Jin’s tent: “My Lord, this is
a potion I made, it was made from a poisonous mushroom. The potion has a slight
toxin that can raise one’s vigor, most of all, it can expel the cold and
increase one’s senses.”
This was a small useful thing.
Hearing this, Zhen Jin’s eyes shined: “Can you make more? Can you give it to
everyone?”
Zi Di shook her head: “Only those with strong bodies can ignore the toxin. They
must have at least an iron level life level.
“Thank you Zi Di.” Zhen Jin tenderly said.
Zi Di answered by smiling sweetly.
The rainstorms grew fewer, and the drizzles became longer, sometimes lasting
for an entire day.
The group bathed in the drizzle as they continued forward.
“Very strange.” Xi Suo spoke to Zhen Jin, “According to the time, the rainy
season hasn’t arrived. But for many weeks, it has always been rainy weather.”
Cang Xu gave a guess: “Perhaps, the island’s weather is not natural. The island
master is likely controlling the weather where, as a result, the island has the
ability to divide itself into all kinds of distinct landforms. These landforms
have different climates and even as time goes on, the landforms are kept
constant.”
Zi Di raised a new question: “Then why has the rainforest’s climate suddenly
changed? Does this imply the island master’s methods of controlling the weather
have failed?”
Cang Xu shook his head: “Unknown. We have not been on this island for long,
rainforests having this kind of rainfall is actually very normal. But if the
desert, forest, or volcano areas had this kind of rainfall, it would be
abnormal.”
Unfortunately, no one had a way of knowing what was going on currently in the
desert, forest, and volcano areas.
Zhen Jin’s ultrasound also could not reach that far.
That afternoon, it was still drizzling, and dark clouds enveloped the sky, the
sun could not be seen.
A half elf scout returned: “I saw it, the base camp is that way!”
Everyone stared, then they cheered all together.
After trudging for so long, experiencing hardships, and braving many dangerous
lifeforms, they finally returned to base camp.
Zhen Jin was not surprised; he had found the base camp long ago with
ultrasound.
“But……why is the camp devoid of people?” Zhen Jin’s heart was heavy.
The scout returning with good news led to morale surging, and everyone
unconsciously sped up.
Zhen Jin sensed this, thus he immediately ordered everyone to return to their
original speed, at the same time, he sent a scouting group ahead to communicate
with the people in the base camp.
This prudent and dependable way of handling things gained Zong Ge’s secret
admiration.
The half beastman volunteered to go to the base camp first.
Zhen Jin gave his consent and kept an eye on everything.
Zong Ge actually could not wait, originally when he pursued Xi Suo and the boat
craftsman, he anxiously ran away with a large quantity of battle combatants. He
only left behind a surrogate leader and eight combatants.
“Is the camp well?”
Zong Ge led a number of people towards the base camp.
No one greeted them, there weren’t even any guards.
The silent camp made Zong Ge feel discouraged as he cautiously entered the camp
to investigate.
After leading the scouting group around the entire place for a short while, his
tight brows loosened a bit.
Converging with the larger group, Zong Ge then gave a letter to Zhen Jin.
Zhen Jin glanced at it and understood the whole story.
At first, the base camp began to suffer the attacks of a murderous and
mysterious beast. Because of this, Zong Ge personally patrolled the camp and
for a while, he prevented the mysterious killings.
But following Zong Ge’s pursuit of Xi Suo, the murders began to happen again
and more frequently.
The people in the base camp were anxious, they had no one that could find the
murderer or anyone that could protect their lives. As the situation progressed
into a later stage, almost every day, someone would die.
Even the surrogate leader Zong Ge left behind was killed.
The people’s state of mind collapsed, they believed the base camp was cursed
and that the devil was snatching away their comrades’ lives.
Everyone left the base camp and were now residing in a small ravine within the
rainforest.
When Zong Ge or the first exploration team returned to the base camp, the paper
left behind would indicate the ravine’s exact location.
Understanding the situation allowed Zhen Jin to relax his breathing, he then
ordered, on the spot, a group to go find those lost in the ravine.
A small ravine.
A panic-stricken group had gathered together.
“Dead, another one disappeared!”
“It was here, it was there!”
“The devil didn’t stay in the base camp, it followed us. Without us dead, it
was never going to let us go!”
Everyone shouted, their frantic mood propagated and made everyone even more
anxious.
It was a group that lacked a leader.
The surrogate leader died, and the mysterious beast’s murders became more
frightening——previously it left a corpse, but now all of the bodies vanished.
“I don’t think it's a devil, rather it’s a magic beast. It came from
underground, in every mysterious disappearance, there is a hole at the scene of
the crime. There were normal tunnels and sometimes holes in the mountain walls.
There were also some crime scenes near water, we didn’t see a hole there, but I
believe it is very possible river water or vegetation covered them up.” A
distinctly feminine voice came through.
Everyone was stunned, countless eyes focused in on the voice.
The one speaking was Qiao Shan
She wore a dark green cheongsam, had black hair that reached her hips, and was
delicate and pretty, but her green eyes, perfectly round chest, and fiery
stature made her look like a hybrid of both the Eastern and Western people of
the empire.
With many people suddenly watching her, Qiao Shan appeared somewhat cramped and
nervous, but she still continued: “We must unite, we have to counterattack, if
not that mysterious subterranean magic beast will pick us off one by one!”
Qiao Shan’s analysis was rational and in accordance with what they knew, with
it, she had unmasked a part of the mysterious beast’s veil.
However, everyone was very hesitant on her proposal of counterattacking.
“What can we do to deal with it?”
“Is it really a magic beast?”
“Many people have died, even the surrogate leader died. What can we do to it?”
“Xi Suo and the others ran away scared. Zong Ge and his people were not
necessarily at fault, but is it still the truth that they pursued after Xi Suo
and the other?
“I think, counterattacking is actively throwing away our lives, it would be
better to separate. Xi Suo, Zong Ge, and the rest did that.”
“Utter rubbish!!!” Suddenly, a resonant voice rang out.
Besides his left arm, a half beastman, with full steel armor, strode from the
undergrowth and appeared in front of everyone.
It was Zong Ge.
Everyone was stunned but turned ecstatic shortly after.
“Zong Ge, it’s Lord Zong Ge!”
“You finally returned.”
“Goodness gracious, am I hallucinating?”
Everyone looked at Zong Ge, but Zong Ge took a step back and made way for
someone else.
At that moment, a young knight slowly walked in.



****** Chapter 137: I am a Prestigious Leader ******
Every person’s gaze concentrated on Zhen Jin.
Dense curiosity, suspicion, and other emotions flowed out from their eyes.
Zhen Jin’s snow white skin and blonde hair gave him a very handsome appearance.
Judging from the outside, it was clear he hadn’t lived long, he looked like a
fifteen or sixteen year old, but no one scorned him.
Although Zhen Jin’s leather armor was a slipshod work, it was obviously made
from a magic beast.
Those with the eyesight also observed the rapier at his side, from the sheath,
one knew the rapier was not an ordinary weapon.
Zhen Jin tightly pursed his lips and did his best to appear prestigious. All
kinds of risks and powers made his body disseminate calmness, steadiness,
strength, and other unique temperaments, all of which were at odds with his
young fleece.
More importantly, as he walked ahead, a group of people followed from behind.
……
Those following close behind included a spirited Lan Zao, the steel armored
half beastman Zong Ge, Zi Di wearing a magic gown, the sailor leader Xi Suo,
and the giant……
Past tribulations made these people reveal a different mentality, they resemble
a dark glossy reef that had endured the beatings of ocean waves.
These people were the elites. Crowding around Zhen Jin made it clear he was
their leader, who must be even more extraordinary!
Without saying a word, everyone subconsciously stepped out of Zhen Jin’s way.
This ravine was a piece of open land and had high rocky outcrops around it, a
natural tower.
Under a thousand staring eyes, Zhen Jin climbed onto the tallest rocky outcrop.
He put his hand on his sword hilt and overlooked everyone with a tranquil gaze.
Those following him, Cang Xu, Zi Di, Zong Ge, Lan Zao, and others, stood on
lower rocky outcrops.
Everyone was silent, only the sounds of footsteps, or the friction of clothing
or armor could be heard.
As Zhen Jin’s party stood up, the open area sank into a peaceful and silent
state.
Lan Zao stood on the second highest rock and loudly proclaimed: “Listen with
open ears! What stands before you is my master——Lord Zhen Jin. He is the Bai
Zhen Clan’s sole heir, a noble templar divine scion knight, and White Sand
City’s inevitable future lord!”
Noble, city lord, templar knight, divine scion knight!
Each and every title was like a bomb being thrown in everyone's heart, lifting
gigantic waves within each of them.
Without Lan Zao ordering them, everyone bowed and curtsied to Zhen Jin.
Generally speaking in normal times, besides a slave doing it to a master, the
amount of times people would get on both knees and kowtow, was few.
When commoners paid respects to a noble, or a lesser noble paid respects to a
greater noble, they would curtsy to them.
When saluting, one had to bow one’s head and stoop. Based on the differences
between both parties, the level of bowing and stooping would change. If one did
not stoop low enough, they would be punished.
At that very moment, almost everyone deeply lowered their heads and arched
their backs greatly.
Everyone had different expressions, including shock, joy, and doubt.
Was there really such a big player hidden on their boat?
Zhen Jin looked around, his keen sight finding many stealing a glance at him.
This kind of behavior was uncustomary.
But Zhen Jin was unsurprised——these were people that actively wanted to fight
in the war that would break out on the Wilderness Continent, who were they? The
absolute majority of them were speculators, criminals, ambitious families, and
other deviants.
Despite seeing uncustomary behavior, the people did not call Zhen Jin’s
identity into question or show any noncompliance.
They were the weakest and had meager battle strength, although they were
numerous, they were essentially a mob.
Seeing everyone salute, Zhen Jin slowly opened his mouth, his voice echoing all
around.
“Regardless of whether it is the mountains, ocean, swamps, or island, my
master’s holy light shines over it all. The imperial flag flies eternally in
the wind and will never fall!”
“Nothing can obstruct my path. I will gain glory, and by following me, it will
be your glory too.”
“Beginning now, this place follows my commands.”
“Any objections?”
Not a single voice could be heard.
Zhen Jin gave a satisfied nod.
Including Zi Di, the looks of many people changed. In the past, the young
knight never had such boldness and such a majestic presence.
Zong Ge’s face was blank, he observed the general situation and knew the group
needed a voice. It would also be if it were the voice of a single individual.
If that happened, everyone could mobilize and react faster.
Regarding Zhen Jin’s abilities, Zong Ge still trusted them.
Next, Zhen Jin began to assign residences.
The ravine had many different sized caves, they were not from monkey tail brown
bears, but naturally formed.
Many of the original people living in them were driven out.
The biggest and brightest cave, of course, was set aside for Zhen Jin.
Apart from this, Zhen Jin assigned the better surrounding caves to Zi Di, Cang
Xu, Xi Suo, and Zong Ge.
The people driven out were naturally not pleased, but from start to finish,
none of them openly protested.
Because in everyone’s eyes, this kind of arrangement was justified.
Those with high positions and strength should enjoy better treatment. Different
social classes, and a system that valued the strong and scorned the weak, was
prevalent in every race.
The public supply storage also fell under Zhen Jin’s control.
Zhen Jin began to command the people in the ravine and had their supplies
brought to the public storehouse.
Following the arrival of Zhen Jin and the others, everyone rested.
The people in the ravine were more vigorous than them.
“This group of people was well off, if they tasted our hardships, they might
have cried for their father and mother.”
“Although there is that mysterious murderer, most of the people should still be
alive.
“If they walked half as far as us, they would lose their lives.”
“Hey, be careful! That wood needs to be placed gently, don’t ruin it. We moved
it here with great difficulty!”
Seeing these people work, the returning members felt a layer of superiority.
When those working saw someone overtly resting, they would shout at them, but
even if there were a few complaints, no one was dissatisfied.
“Didn't you see, the strong Zong Ge is at Lord Zhen Jin’s beck and call.
“In addition, Xi Suo and his group also returned. We have the boat craftsman!”
“It seems we have a real hope of leaving this terrible place.”
“They moved so much wood, maybe it's for a new ship.”
“Is it necessary to go through such trouble? Lord Zhen Jin is a big character,
perhaps tomorrow his clan reinforcements will come to the island.
No one felt humiliated because of Zhen Jin’s orders, instead they felt very
excited and honored.
Zhen Jin was a noble, they had never interacted so intimately with such a big
character.
The ravine was noisy, and inside Zhen Jin’s cave, a beauty had arrived.
Qiao Shan.
She saluted Zhen Jin, bent her waist, and showed her white chest as much as
possible. But despite her well-developed build, her dress did not reveal any
skin. The Eastern Empire had relatively traditional customs, and combined with
Qiao Shan’s distinctly eastern face, it gave her a unique charm.
It’s no wonder the first mate wanted her.
She really was a rare beauty, considering her beauty was only slightly inferior
to Zi Di’s, nothing more.
After finishing the curtsy, Qiao Shan got up and sized up Zhen Jin, her gaze
filled with curiosity. She understood Zong Ge to an extent, and she knew how
prideful and reserved the half beastman’s heart was. To make the strong half
beastman comply, it was clear the youngster before her was not a simple person.
Naturally, the reason Qiao Shan came here was because Zhen Jin summoned her.
“Tell me the things you have observed concerning the mysterious magic beast and
the caves.” Zhen Jin opened his mouth.
“Yes Lord Zhen Jin, I will tell you all I know!”
Qiao Shan’s information was only surface level.
After Zhen Jin heard her, she withdrew disappointed.
Sitting on a rock stool, Zhen Jin muttered to himself.
Assuming control over the people in the ravine went smoothly and wasn’t
troublesome.
This was within Zhen Jin’s expectations.
Because Zhen Jin was the strongest person and had sufficiently high status, it
was natural for him to hold a position of leadership.
He was not cut off from others, he still had a tight group of subordinates
following him.
The fighting strength of these people also exceeded that of the people in the
ravine.
Adding on the survival situation, since attaching oneself to the strong
increased the hope of living, everyone in the ravine capitulating to Zhen Jin
was naturally easy.
Only the number of people increased, based on Zhen Jin’s recent observation and
after a slight evaluation, there were at least two hundred people!
With so many people, the way Zhen Jin led had to change.
By exposing his noble prestige and blank face, he silently reminded everyone
that he was their leader and stood above them!
At the same time, he also wanted to establish the positions of his group, he
wanted his group to be slightly above the people in the ravine.
Thus, his subordinates would support him more and ensure his authority.
This was one of the underlying reasons why he ordered his subordinates to rest
while making the ravine people work.
“Because Xi Suo and his sailors ran away earlier, everyone in the ravine hates
them. The half beastman Zong Ge, Tripleblade, and the mercenaries are also in
an awkward position because of their racial identities.
“This is all fine.”
While standing up high, how Zhen Jin regarded things and his point of view were
naturally different from that of ordinary people.
“The next important thing to do is to find the mysterious culprit murdering the
survivors.”



****** Chapter 138: Because I Follow Lord Zhen Jin ******
Compared to the forest, the rainforest was flatter, and mountains were rarer.
This ravine was not big and taking in two hundred people along with a large
quantity of supplies made it seem narrow.
The small ravine was lined with trees, and large amounts of vegetation, shrubs,
and tightly packed vines layered on top of each other.
Besides the open space in the middle, everything else was covered with verdant
branches and leaves.
Inside the small ravine, there were many large caves, some deep and some
shallow, these were natural residences.
The ravine also had a deep pool of spring water, this steady supply of
drinkable water was very valuable. It was also the main reason why everyone in
the base camp chose to relocate here.
Unfortunately, that mysterious murderer also followed close behind.
After relocating here, more than a dozen people mysteriously disappeared, this
affirmed that everything pointed towards disaster.
Resting and reorganizing for a night eliminated most of their exhaustion. Now,
Zhen Jin, Cang Xu, and some others arrived at a cave.
This shallow cave was one of the crime scenes.
The person living here had already mysteriously disappeared.
It was obvious at a glance that after the person here vanished, no one dared to
reside here again.
There were still some livelihood goods inside the cave, and inside, there was
the faint smell of fungi as well as the reeking of blood.
The thing that attracted the most attention was a boulder.
The boulder was located below the cave mouth.
Zhen Jin glanced at Lan Zao, the latter soon understood, then stepped forward
to move the boulder.
This master and servant had met in the forest, and had experienced the
sandstorm, desert, volcano, and oasis……that adventure allowed a mutual
understanding to develop between them.
After the boulder was moved, a tunnel immediately appeared.
This tunnel was roughly 1.7 meters in diameter, very deep, and pitch black.
Even if a stone or torch was dropped in, one would not see either hit the
bottom. The only way to reach the bottom, was for someone to dig to it.
This tunnel was extremely dangerous.
According to Qiao Shan’s speculation, the mysterious culprit came from this
hole.
This was a natural opinion, after all it was extremely obvious when a tunnel
suddenly appeared.
But everyone had no way of solving this problem, and no one wanted to risk
digging down. This hole was extremely narrow, if one encountered the mysterious
culprit, they would simply bring about their own destruction,
Zhen Jin and the others delicately sized up the tunnel entrance.
Cang Xu extended a wizen hand and stroked the tunnel’s edge. He felt the grease
on the tunnel wall. .
Zi Di took out a potion bottle and sprinkled it around the tunnel.
The colorless liquid quickly reacted and disseminated a pungent and strange
odor.
“That’s definitive proof, it should be that gigantic subterranean worm .” Zi Di
affirmed.
Zhen Jin nodded, and the other also held similar expressions.
During the camp battle, everyone had discovered that silver level magic beast
for the first time. It could dig through the ground, had a massive body, and a
vigorous body. It had fought Zong Ge several times and for a time, was a
massive threat to the camp.
When Zhen Jin was pursuing the blue dog fox wolf, Zong Ge crushed the worm to
death.
Naturally its carcass was not wasted, after the others dragged it back, it was
immediately dissected by Cang Xu.
This was Cang Xu’s analysis: the gigantic subterranean worm was assembled from
at least three species of worms, with the bulk of it being made from a
sandworm.
Sandworms were also called ocean earthworms. Under normal circumstances, they
were as big as earthworms and mostly lived on the beach.
Everyone’s understanding of the gigantic subterranean worm immediately
deepened. After Zong Ge and Tripleblade learned of this, someone guessed: was
this the magic beast that had been attacking the base camp?
Beach terrain was different from other terrains, the holes the gigantic
subterranean worm dug in the sand would collapse. Adding on the rainy weather
and always moist beach, it was beyond human ability to distinguish any traces
left behind.
If the magic beast attacked from below and escaped underground, then everything
made sense.
Cang Xu made another analysis: The gigantic subterranean worm secreted a greasy
bodily fluid, making it easier for the worm to rapidly dig and travel through
tunnels.
Zi Di gathered this bodily fluid and mixed a specialized potion. If the potion
encountered this bodily fluid again, it would react and produce a strange odor.
Now, the guess of Zong Ge and the others was confirmed.
After everyone examined a few more tunnels, Cang Xu spoke with a grave tone:
“This gigantic subterranean worm grows quickly, the caliber of these tunnels
makes that clear.”
“This is the most likely situation. There were worm larvae under the beach,
after being attracted by human activity, some began hunting.”
“At the time it was still young, thus it could only hunt, it could not drag a
person under or swallow them whole.”
“Later, when the people began to migrate and abandon the base camp, the
gigantic subterranean worm sensed it and followed underground, treating the
small ravine as its new hunting ground.”
“Because it had a steady flow of food, it grew quickly. Its body became huge,
and its strength was increased greatly, now the gigantic subterranean worm
already possesses the ability to pull people down or consume people whole!”
“Because of this, the people on the beach were murdered, but there were only
mysterious disappearances in the ravine.”
Everyone approved of Cang Xu’s analysis.
Zi Di added on: “We have surveyed a few tunnels and we have not found any
bloodstains near them. If a person was dragged down by the gigantic
subterranean worm, it would have definitely left traces. As a result, I am more
inclined to believe the gigantic subterranean worm is eating people whole.”
“It always attacks during the night. It seemingly takes advantage of sleeping
people. With this kind of tactic, swallowing a person became an easier affair.”
“How should we deal with it?” Zong Ge expressed his worry.
The amount of gigantic subterranean worms was currently unknown.
It would only dig when it was hunting.
But this is where the challenge lay, through its sense of touch, it could
precisely detect the movements of living beings.
As a result, until now, it had always struck at the weak points and found those
that were alone. This was the reason why Zong Ge and the others, despite
patrolling all night, were not able to catch it or even see its shadow.
Purposely hiding, setting traps, or even everyone hunting it seemed to have no
effect on the gigantic subterranean worm.
“Be at ease, I have a way.” Zhen Jin’s heart said.
He had ultrasound, when the gigantic subterranean worm moved, he would know.
He also had the perfume, controlling the gigantic subterranean worm was not
difficult.
He could dig into the tunnels as a spear scorpion or as another form.
However, Zhen Jin also publicly displayed a confused expression.
“Zi Di, I hope you can mix a potion that can attract the gigantic subterranean
worm, I think the best option is to have the potion give off a flavor it is
fond of.”
“Since the gigantic subterranean worm likes killing isolated targets, Zong Ge,
I ask you and everyone else to do your best to rest together.”
“As for me……”
“Don’t disturb me, I must be alone at this time.”
“I will pray to my master!”
Hearing Zhen Jin’s final sentence, everyone’s eyes shined.
A black cloud enveloped the sky over the beach, neither the moon nor sun could
be seen. The sky was drizzling, and a burst of sea wind made Mu Ban shiver.
“The Hog’s Kiss……” Bai Ya looked at the snapped hull on the beach, his
complexion complex.
He wanted to become a knight, his dream was to stand out among his peers, and
for these things, he had suffered his hunter father’s rebukes and opposition.
However, those rebukes instead excited Bai Ya’s rebellious nature, the
youngster had stolen his family wealth to barely buy the cheapest ticket on the
Hog’s Kiss.
He could have never anticipated the Hog’s Kiss, the ship he chose to ride on,
would be shipwrecked.
“I will go investigate around first, after confirming our safety, you guys can
tear apart the boat.” Tripleblade said, “If I don’t come back, don’t help me,
it would be better to report back to either Lord Zhen Jin or Lord Zong Ge.”
Mu Ban and Bai Ya nodded at the same time. They knew they had weak battle
strength, if Tripleblade fell, running in to help him was the same as throwing
away their lives.
Mu Ban, Bai Ya, Tripleblade, and some others were dispatched by Zhen Jin to
dismantle the Hog’s Kiss.
The Hog’s Kiss’ supplies were already raked clean, however the abandoned boat
wreckage still had enormous value.
There were many usable planks, masts, and especially boat nails, these were all
things Zhen Jin, and the others had a scarcity of.
Tripleblade’s figure quickly appeared on the tilted forward deck.
He waved to everyone on the beach and yelled: ”Come up, this place is safe.”
Mu Ban, Bai Ya, and twenty others walked in a line with hammers, saws, and
other tools.
The Hog’s Kiss had two decks, a deckhouse in the ship’s bow, and a deckhouse in
the aft. With only half the hull currently here, the aft and so on were
naturally gone.
The deckhouse in the ship’s bow had the captain's quarters, half of the
sailors’ quarters, and normal commodities at the bottom.
Based on the boat craftsman’s orders, everyone tore down the masts first.
In a rare occurrence, the front mast was well preserved. Meanwhile, the central
mast was snapped in half, but still had value.
These were torn down, inside and out.
For a moment, the wreckage of the Hog’s Kiss was filled with the shouts of
everyone, the sound of sawing wood, and the sound of hammers smashing things.
They arrived in the morning, rested at noon to consume the rations and water
they brought, and continued to work in the afternoon.
There were no beast invasions or accidents.
Earlier, the survivors investigated the boat wreckage, cleaning out anything
they could use and eat.
By dusk, Bai Ya and some others tore open the captain’s quarters and made a
small discovery.
In the corner, Bai Ya found a small bottle of ink, a damaged quill, and a
folded paper in a drawer.
Bai Ya showed a happy expression.
Hu!
A strong breeze blew through and fiercely rocked the entire ship hull.
“Get out, the Hog’s Kiss is collapsing!” Bai Ya heard Mu ban roar.
The ship wreckage was unsteady of course, after being dismantled all day long,
only a skeleton remained of it,
Bai Ya and the others immediately ran away.
But just as he was about to exit the captain's quarters, Bai Ya bit his teeth,
suddenly turned around, and ran in the opposite direction!
The others at his side did not pull him back, after hesitating once, they ran
out first.
After ten breaths, the ship loudly collapsed, lifting smoke and dust as far as
the eye could see.
“Bai Ya?”
“He suddenly ran back in!”
He is still inside!”
After discovering this, everyone ran back into the smoke.
They quickly saw Bai Ya.
Bai Ya was lying on the beach, he was covered in dirt, and just half a meter
from him, there was a mountain of shattered hull pieces.
Seeing this, Tripleblade, Mu Ban, and the others feared for Bai Ya.
But nothing harmed the youngster, he soon stood up and ignorantly smiled.
That night, while holding lit torches, everyone returned to the ravine to
unload their supplies.
The atmosphere in the small ravine was enthusiastic, while Tripleblade and Mu
Ban were scouting, Zhen Jin and the others found the mysterious culprit and
killed it. It was a gigantic worm, malevolent and hideous!
Everyone was happy, after an exhausting day, this news seemed to sweep away all
the tiredness from their bodies.
That same evening, Zhen Jin and the others held a celebratory banquet.
At the edge of a cliff cave, Bai Ya leaned against a wall and sat on the damp
ground.
He carefully opened a paper on his thigh, then he dipped a quill pen into a bit
of ink and in the light of a fire, he began to write.
My respected and loved Miss Xi Qiu,
I haven’t written a letter to you for a long time, please forgive me.
The shipwreck occurred too suddenly, and the things afterwards were
challenging, dangerous, and marvelous, all of it was beyond anything I had
previously experienced.
……
……
Bai Ya wrote many things, but not everything could not be put into writing,
thus he stopped for the time being.
At the end of the letter, he wrote——
When we returned, we saw a gigantic dead worm in the small ravine.
The subterranean worm was still young, it did not have the physique of the worm
that attacked the forest camp.
People were cheering, circled around to beat the worm’s corpse, cursed at it,
and vented their feelings.
I can imagine their shocked hearts, their joy, as well as their adoration of
Lord Zhen Jin!
Lord Zhen Jin achieved this.
This is entirely unexpected to me.
This is simply a trivial matter to him. How does the eastern empire say it?
Easy as a hand turn, is that it?
Lord Zhen Jin saved my life, he is a true templar knight. I think the gods
caring for him is inevitable and right. If they didn’t care about this person,
who would they care about then?
I believe everything will get better.
As long as we make a new boat, we can leave this island.
I can fight bravely in the Wilderness Continent and reap glory.
Because I follow Lord Zhen Jin!



****** Chapter 139: Shipbuilding ******
Inside a rock cave, a long sketch of a ship was laid out.
Zhen Jin, Zi Di, Cang Xu, Zong Ge, and some others sat around it, every gaze
focused on the sketch.
The sketch included a lateral view, an overhead view, and a perspective view of
the ship.
The artist of the sketch——the fourth boat craftsman, introduced it: “Adding all
of us up, there are 247 survivors altogether. We have already dismantled the
Hog’s Kiss, after calculating in the wood we transported here and the amount of
iron we can produce, I have designed this ship.”
“This new boat is estimated to be 42 meters long, 16 meters wide, 8 meters
high, and have a displacement of 300 metric tons.”
“As you can see, the new ship will have two decks, five cannons can be deployed
on the uppermost layer.”
“Altogether there are three masts, with every mast having a mast house.
“This is the mainyard.
“The masts and the mainyards have all the primary square sails. According to
our ocean map and sailing route, the wind blows in a steady direction, thus
square sails will be the most practical choice. To be more precise, they are
three corner sails.
“I estimate our main sail will exceed 200 square meters.”
“The bow deckhouse will mainly be the giant’s quarters. The aft deckhouse will
have Lord Zhen Jin’s room. Behind the aft deckhouse, there is a balcony with an
open light of sight, one can appreciate the beautiful sea surface there.”
To that end, the fourth boat craftsman smiled, showing he wanted to curry favor
with Zhen Jin.
The new boat was smaller than the Hog’s Kiss. The Hog’s Kiss was 76 meters
long, it was a large-scale trading ship, capable of transporting merchandise
and personnel over long distances.
According to the sea distance, this island was located at the midpoint between
the Sheng Ming Continent and the Wilderness Continent.
Zhen Jin’s and the others’ goal was not to make a well performing ship, rather
it was to leave this island with all haste and complete the second half of
their voyage, thus they were rushing to the Wilderness Continent.
“What materials are we lacking?” Zhen Jin inquired, smashing the silence.
The boat craftsman replied: “Mainly boat nails. We need a lot of iron; this is
the aspect with the greatest shortfall.”
“We still don’t have enough ore?” Zhen Jin felt doubt, he had been afraid of
this, thus spent many nights as a monkey tail brown bear to mine. All of the
ore currently on hand had likely been dug up by Zhen Jin.
Zi Di answered: “We need to thank those monkey tail brown bears for a
sufficient amount of ore. However we are currently using potions to melt the
ore and extract the iron. We do not have enough potions.”
“So that’s how it is.” Zhen Jin nodded and gazed at everyone, “This problem,
does anyone have a solution?”
Zi Di showed frustration: “Currently I am looking for substitute materials,
however I am uncertain if I can find any in the end. After all this is the
rainforest, not the forest. Maybe we can organize an exploration team to
collect raw materials from the forest.”
Cang Xu shook his head: “Too troublesome, too risky. Lord Zhen Jin needs to
stay in the ravine, our military strength cannot support an exploration team.
Using potions to extract ore, in itself, is unconventional. I suggest we make
an earthen kiln. Not the kiln I made in the oasis, but a large scale one. Using
charcoal as fuel, we can melt the ore and obtain pig iron.”
“Can you build a large scale earthen kiln here?” Zhen Jin questioned closely.
He remembered in the oasis, Cang Xu had failed in his attempts to make an
earthen kiln.
But Cang Xu nodded: “It is possible. The soil here is different from the
oasis’, in fact, someone has already made one. He is a smith, and compared to
me, he is more experienced in the making of kilns.
A large percentage of the survivors were craftsmen. These people went to the
Wilderness Continent for work.
Humanity needed to establish itself in the Wilderness Continent, to win this
war of aggression, castles, barracks, and other fortifications needed to be
built.
These defensive fortifications represented work opportunities that paid far
more than the standard salary in the Sheng Ming Continent.
Zhen Jin nodded: “In light of Cang Xu’s proposal, we will build an earthen
kiln.”
After deciding this, Zhen Jin looked at the boat craftsman again.
“There are additional shortfalls.” The boat craftsman replied.
One shortfall was sails. Sails needed a great amount of cloth, at first the
boat craftsman hoped to take the sails from the Hog’s Kiss. However after this
dismantlement, there were only fragments of sails left. Because beforehand, the
air temperature in the base camp dropped, thus the survivors there tore the
sails apart and used them as clothing to stay warm.
Another shortfall was glue. Boat planks used flat level technology; small gaps
existed between planks. Under normal circumstances, pitch, hemp rope, glue, and
other padding was used to stick the gaps to each other.
A third shortfall was sailors. Zhen Jin and the others needed to train some
temporary sailors.
The last one was supplies.
There was a lot of food and water remaining, but it was not enough.
Building a ship consumed a lot of stamina, this would also aggravate food
consumption.
After the ship was built, sufficient supply reserves were required. During the
voyage, it was difficult to replenish them.
Perhaps someone would say, just fish.
Those were amateur words.
Fishing operations were carried out in fishing grounds, fishing in other waters
was very inefficient.
Working on a ship was very burdensome, if the people had to fish inefficiently,
travel speed would slow, the time needed would be longer, and more food would
be consumed, the gains did not make up for the losses.
From this point of view, the ocean wasn’t much different from a barren
wasteland.
“How much time do we need to build the ship?” Zhen Jin asked the most crucial
question.
The boat craftsman replied: “Normally, ships are built in two years. It is
difficult to assess the completion date for this new boat, however it will take
at least half a year.”
“Too long, can we not cut that down by a little?” Hei Juan was unsatisfied by
this time estimate.
The boat craftsman sighed: “That is already the fastest we can do. It is that
fast mainly because of Lord Zi Di, her potions can speed up the drying of wood.
Usually, ship wood needs to be dry, and all moisture needs to be eliminated,
such a process generally takes a year or more.”
“Fortunately, we have many artisans.”
“Without the two hundred people in the ravine, if we just relied on just our
prior personnel, even if we had four to five years, we still might not have
been able to make a ship.”
This answer disappointed Zhen Jin, after half a year, he feared the White Sands
City lord competition might have already been decided.
The imperial officials could not wait for Zhen Jin alone forever. There were
two other templar knights competing for city lord, they wouldn’t wait for Zhen
Jin either.
But nothing could be done about that.
Unless rescue arrived during the ship building, Zhen Jin had no choice but to
accept this passage of time.
The ship would be built in the ravine.
As long as it was remodeled slightly, the open area in the small ravine would
make a great shipbuilding site.
Making a dock was too troublesome.
Of course, the wood needed to make a dock was not as strict as the ship, and
the rainforest did not lack wood.
Hei Juan, Tripleblade, and some others organized lumbering teams and patrols.
A steady flow of wood poured into the ravine.
They were mainly cutting in the area between the ravine and the beach. By
clearing the forest here, tracks could be easily built, making it easy for the
ship to smoothly enter the ocean.
Compared to building a dock, the tracks were a smaller engineering project.
After spending several days, the open area in the small ravine was isolated
from rain drops. During rainstorms, the ground would remain dry.
Shipbuilding needed a dry environment.
The boat craftsman and some others started to work on the largest tree trunk,
it was the best material for the keel. According to the boat craftsman and Mu
Ban, even if the Sheng Ming Continent had many large harbors, it was difficult
to find such good material!
Under Cang Xu’s overall plan, all of the survivors in the ravine were busy,
everyone had to work.
Lan Zao and Bai Ya were in charge of remodeling the ravine, they were to build
fortifications, lay traps, and install warning devices around the ravine.
Fei She assisted Cang Xu, while Zi Di was in charge of medicinal development.
Zhen Jin, Zong Ge, and some others were mainly purging the surrounding beast
groups and replenishing their food supplies.
Qiao Shan led the women and wounded in the manufacturing of hemp rope and
cloth.
When the keel was made, the boat craftsman and his team, without stopping to
rest, began to make the masts. Because of the lack of suitable lumber, six
masts were made and joined together in pairs to make the foremast, the
mainmast, and mizzenmast.
At the same time, Fei She, with some people under him, smeared compounds on the
keel. The compound would dry the keel quicker.
The amount the keel needed almost exhausted Zi Di’s stock.
Zi Di was forced to break down the manufacturing procedure and delegate
different parts to others, so the output could be increased.
This needed new manpower.
Luckily Cang Xu had abundant experience, he quickly transferred sufficient
personnel and prevented any project from slowing down too much.
With ultrasound, Zhen Jin did not miss any beast group near the ravine.
In every operation, he harvested many.
Zong Ge no longer competed with Zhen Jin, and his accomplishments were second
to Zhen Jin’s.
As the boat craftsman, Mu Ban, and the other artisans built the ship,
everything within a five kilometer radius was cleared out.
But the purging of beast groups still continued.
Because beast groups were naturally mobile, to beast groups, free territory and
abundant food were huge enticements.
Beast groups were no longer purged as often, and at the same time, it was no
longer as dangerous.
The things attracted were comparatively weak beast groups or magic beasts.
Formidable beast groups or magic beasts were the overlord of their territory,
they didn’t need to migrate.
Zhen Jin gradually gave this work to Zong Ge, Hei Juan, and others.
During surplus fighting time, he privately trained the many forms in the core,
making much progress in it.
The frequency of devastating rainstorms declined more and more, there were now
more sunny days than rainy days per week.
The weather would clear up in the evening.
The setting sun reflected on Zhen Jin and a group of scaled leopards.
While Zhen Jin was privately training, this scaled leopard group charged into
his ultrasound range.
When magic reserves presented themselves, Zhen Jin kindly accepted them.
After a close quarters fight, the battlefield became tranquil.
“Too easy……as long as I touch a scaled leopard, they will be electrocuted by
me.” Zhen Jin exposed a satisfied smile.
This was the result of long lasting perseverance and diligent training.
He could now discharge electricity with ease!
“I am different from a silver level flying squirrel, the latter will
immediately become dispirited after discharging electricity, but when I do it,
it will just accelerate magic consumption, my body is unaffected.”
“Someone?” Using ultrasound again, Zhen Jin suddenly found someone in the
distance.
Zhen Jin’s complexion changed.
During the fight, he stopped the ultrasound, and with his attention mainly
focused on discharging electricity, he didn’t sense the person in time.
Who was the person watching?
When did they arrive? What did they discover?
Zhen Jin had the scorpion carapace on his body, it was easy to make the
connection between that and what Zong Ge saw.
Who was this individual?
Zhen Jin wildly rushed at that person.
Sensing this, the person madly ran back to the ravine!



****** Chapter 140: Should I Kill Him or Not? ******
Red light bubbled from inside and out of Zhen Jin’s body!
Between a twinkle of an eye, he transformed into a silver level bat monkey.
Two feet stepped on the ground, then two wings flapped, thrusting the bat
monkey Zhen Jin into the sky.
He flew up like a thrusting sword.
He traveled through the undergrowth, occasionally flapping his wings and
occasionally using his hand and feet to jump across the branches. His movement
was filled with a wild nature and his limbs were extremely coordinated, there
was no difference between him and a true bat monkey.
These were the results of hard training.
Zhen Jin was filled with anxiety.
“I must stop him(her)!”
“Who was it?!”
“I was careless! I shouldn’t have transformed during the day.”
Anxiety was followed by regret.
Of course, Zhen Jin always transformed at night. It was unlikely people would
travel in the curtain of darkness, because the night limited a person’s field
of view and movement.
But during the day, even if this place was five kilometers from the ravine,
there might still be people around.
Zhen Jin wanted to practice many magic beast forms.
Especially the electrical discharge ability, something he had recently grasped.
He resembled a child who had obtained a novel toy, and the scaled leopard group
made for a great practice target.
Ordinarily, Zhen Jin would emit ultrasound at small and fixed intervals.
For that one time, when he was fighting the scaled leopard group, his entire
mind was being used on his muscles to discharge electricity, thus the interval
between ultrasound waves increased.
This kind of situation was rare, but it unfortunately happened, and it was a
real issue!
The mysterious person was fast, faster than any ordinary person.
But after sprinting wildly for a spell, the person reached the limits of his
stamina and slowed down.
A treetop suddenly vibrated behind them, when the mysterious person heard it,
they turned around to examine it, their face full of fear.
He had dark skin and curly hair, because of his mad sprint, he was covered in
sweat and gasping for air.
It was Hei Juan.
Pausing in place for a few breaths, and seeing no more movement from the
treetop, Hei Juan spat and continued to run.
The thick and lush treetops hid a silver level bat monkey.
Even if thick monkey hair covered his face, it was difficult to conceal Zhen
Jin’s overcast and indeterminate face.
“It's him, it's Hei Juan! Zi Di’s mercenary.”
“Why was he here?”
“No, he should be here. I gradually transferred the clean-up work to Zong Ge
and him, he is a bronze level cultivator, him appearing here is not strange.”
“But hold on, why is he alone by himself? Where are the other team members?”
“What did he see in the end?!”
For a moment, Zhen Jin looked at the fleeing Hei Juan, and watched the latter’s
figure enter into the rainforest and rapidly disappear from view.
Zhen Jin was at a loss.
And flustered
“What should I do?”
He had been too anxious; he didn’t even think much when pursuing the latter. He
particularly wanted to examine the other clearly, he wanted to know who saw
him.
Just a moment ago, he got an answer.
Afterward, he was at a loss.
He did not know what should be done!
A thought constantly swelled in the young knight’s mind.
Kill him!
I can kill him.
He was only at the bronze level, there is an enormous disparity between our
strength.
“Kill him, no one will know I killed him.”
“It’s very normal, he is alone, there are many fierce magic beasts in the
rainforest, a magic beast killed him. This is a strong reason, very natural,
right?”
“I will cover up the battlefield traces, I am already skilled in this aspect! I
have deceived Cang Xu and Zong Ge in the past, it will be like last time!
The thought of killing Hei Juan became increasingly strong.
“No, I cannot!” Zhen Jin’s fingers subconsciously pinched off tree bark.
“I am a templar knight, not a murderer.”
“I uphold benevolence and defend justice, how can I, for selfish reasons and on
a suspicion, take a human life?”
Hei Juan is not my foe, in fact, he helped me greatly. He lent me Silver
Lightning, that was his family heirloom!”
With great effort, Zhen Jin pushed down the malicious thought, however it
quickly bounced back with more power, striking Zhen Jin’s bottom line and
ruthlessly swaying his heart.
“That’s enough! Zhen Jin, don’t let morality bind you, was the spear scorpion’s
lesson inadequate?”
“Have you forgotten? How long have you forgotten it?”
“When the spear scorpion wanted your life, you shouted in your heart, I want to
survive! Other creeds and family mottos, those are for other people. What, hell
is at one’s feet, depravation is instantaneous……that’s nothing but bullshit!”
“That’s right, I must survive, I must survive with my chest out and my head
high, I will revive the Bai Zhen Clan and become White Sands City’s Lord.
Others will no longer doubt me, demand explanations from me, loathe me, or
disdain me!”
“You are a templar knight, not a monster. If they find your secret, how will
they look at you? What will happen to you?”
Despite the bat monkey Zhen Jin’s hand holding onto a tree trunk, his body
teetered on the edge of collapse.
His conscience was also shouting in his heart.
“No, they can understand, as long as I give a clear explanation!”
“From beginning to end, I have saved many lives, and after investing so much
into them, they remember me fondly. They will comprehend me, understand me, and
accept me.”
“Ha ha ha!” It seemed there was another Zhen Jin sneering in his heart.
“Wake up Zhen Jin. Don’t have such unrealistic delusions!”
“You let Hei Juan go, this means your secret has been completely exposed, this
large aspect has been completely ruined.”
“How will the people see you? A divine scion knight? No, he is only a monster,
a devil wearing human skin!”
“Think of Zong Ge! He is a half beastman, yet he has a human bloodline. He has
formidable battle strength, yet he is despised and hated, so what about you?”
“You are not a half beastman, you are merely a monster!”
“Kill him.”
“Kill him!”
Zhen Jin breathed heavily, he continued through the undergrowth and started
chasing Hei Juan again.
But at the same time, his heart continued to fight between man and heaven.
“No, I am not a monster. I am Zhen Jin, I am a templar knight.”
“If I killed someone over just some suspicions, I would be a true monster!
Regardless of what is going on externally, my heart pumps red human blood. If I
kill Hei Juan, what difference is there between me and magic beasts?”
“Eh he he. Then why are you pursuing him?” Said the other “Zhen Jin” in his
heart. In just a sentence, it made Zhen Jin incapable of refuting.
The young knight had an extremely dry mouth and tongue, he could not control
himself at that moment. His body moved on its own and his mind’s train of
thought was numerous and disorderly.
The “Zhen Jin” in his heart yelled once more:
“Hei Juan is not your foe, but he will quickly become one. He will destroy
everything good, if the people discover your secret, they will doubt you and no
longer trust you. The people will split up, confront each other, and internal
friction will follow. Zong Ge has exuberant ambition, he won’t let that
opportunity go! Zi Di? Think of your pitiful fiancé. She has always followed
you and supported you, do you want to make your fiancé worried? Do you want her
in danger?”
“Zhen Jin! You must be a templar knight, you must be a divine scion knight.
Only with those can you lead these people, only the ability you were born with
can unite the people’s strength.”
“The ship is already built, the beast groups are no longer a threat, and there
are food and water reserves.”
“Who knows how much effort you have invested into this and how many times you
have risked your life.”
“Because with a word, can’t Hei Juan ruin everything?”
“Kill him! Kill him!!”
Zhen Jin’s face occasionally turned sinister and occasionally turned sorrowful.
He felt himself fall into the abyss; his conscience was growing weaker.
“No, no, this is a living person.”
“He is my comrade!” Zhen Jin weakly yelled in his heart.
But the voice immediately denounced Zhen Jin: “Comrade? This person jeopardizes
the general situation, it is like rat feces, you cannot let it into the soup!”
“You don’t owe him anything.”
“You saved his life, have you forgotten?”
“Without you, he would have been dead! Dead under an iron level bat monkey’s
claws.”
“Yes, he lent you Silver Lightning, that rapier indeed assisted you greatly.
But if he died, who would the sword be returned to?”
“Kill him, don’t hesitate again.”
“Treat it as if you were a step too slow in the past, treat it as if you didn’t
save his life!”
“Do this not only for yourself, but for the general situation.”
“Didn’t you understand what Cang Xu said earlier? The victors do not bother
with trifles, some successful people are vile, repulsive and shameless, but
their radiance and victory cover such things up.”
Almost everyone in this world doesn't care about how someone succeeds, they
usually only care about the results, they only care if you succeed or fail.
“Think about it, when you save these people and lead them off this wretched
island, you will be a hero, you will be the life benefactor of over two hundred
people. You will be missing Hei Juan nothing more, what’s alarming about that?
You are a templar knight, you will receive honor. Through your constant
struggles, you have always kept hope and have said you will never abandon
anyone, that will make you a role model.”
“You absolutely cannot be a monster!”
“If this secret is exposed, even if you rescue these people, what will you get?
Even leading these people from this place might fail.
“To save over two hundred people, all you need to do is sacrifice Hei Juan,
that’s all.”
“He is very suspicious.”
“Very suspicious!”
“Why did he go outside alone, did he discover your secret?”
“He must have evil intentions towards you!”
“It must be like that!”
Countless blood veins filled Zhen Jin’s eyes.
The killing intent in his heart rapidly grew!
He overtook Hei Juan again and looked down at Hei Juan’s head and back.
“From here, he looks small and weak.”
“Now, as long as you fly down, you can easily kill him!”
“Actually you have many methods that can take his life.”
“A mouthful of acid can change him beyond recognition.”
“A spear scorpion’s tail can penetrate his head. Are his bones harder than a
monkey tail brown bear’s? A bronze level human?” He he.” The laughter was like
crisp open paper.
“Kill him, quickly kill him!”
Zhen Jin’s breathing grew more hurried, his killing intent strengthened ever
more.
“Who are you?!” At that moment, another person suddenly shouted ahead.
Zhen Jin’s heart trembled, he stopped moving and hid behind a large tree.
“It's me!” Hei Juan yelled.
The yell immediately relaxed the man.
There were more than a dozen people, after seeing Hei Juan, they greeted him
one by one: “My Lord.”
Hei Juan nodded: “I followed a peculiar sound, after exploring for a long
distance, I didn't find anything. Let’s go, we will return to camp now.”
“But it is still early.” Someone objected.
“There isn’t enough time, we are already far from camp, if we return now, we
will arrive just in time to eat some warm food.”
Hei Juan shook his head and continued: “Don’t be worried, we have already
explored this place, if another beast group comes, the traps will surely warn
us.”
Seeing Hei Juan’s attitude, the others also stopped insisting.
“That’s good.”
“Let’s listen to Lord Hei Juan.”
An additional person laughed: “I always thought you were hard to interact with
Lord Hei Juan, looks like the truth was completely different from the rumors.”
“Good, don’t listen to rubbish, let's leave without delay.” Hei Juan urged.
Seeing Hei Juan converge and leave with more than a dozen people, Zhen Jin
slowly emerged from behind the tree trunk.
“It seems, Hei Juan heard some sounds and went to investigate them alone.
“He is at the bronze level; his speed could easily leave the others behind.”
“So, that is what caused the prior outcome.”
“The most crucial thing is, what did he see? Why is he in a rush to return?”
“What should I do in the end?”
“What should I do……”
Zhen Jin’s complexion was no longer perplexed, rather it was warping and
struggling.
Obviously he hadn’t moved much, but at this moment, he was already covered in
sweat.
In this state, he realized, as it turned out, he had been the one avoiding
himself
Suddenly that day, he had no choice but to confront his heart’s deepest fears.
Making the relevant decision was challenging, Zhen Jin had already fallen below
his past standards.
If this was a normal situation, Zhen Jin would have used ultrasound earlier to
discover this group of people. But as he chased and followed Hei Juan, his
heart fought a war between itself and his brain turned to paste.
“Hei Juan was afraid!”
“I could feel it!”
“He must have discovered my secret……why am I still hesitating?”
“Don’t be so cowardly, kill him as a transformed magic beast.”
“The others being there is good, they can serve as witnesses and as my proof.”
“Who knows the magic beast murderer was you?”
“If you're still not at ease……you might as well kill everyone! Death ends all
troubles!”
The bat monkey Zhen Jin’s breathing grew heavier, the killing intent in his
heart was hard to control.
He struggled at all costs.
He was very hesitant.
“This is not the morality of a knight!” This roar grew weaker in his heart.
“If the secret is exposed, the consequences are too horrible to contemplate!”
Another voice grew stronger.
Zhen Jin continued to follow Hei Juan and the others, many times, he was on the
verge of attacking.
The small ravine now appeared in everyone’s field of view.
Hei Juan and the others returned to camp.
The voice in Zhen Jin’s heart seemed to increase dramatically in volume, as if
howling: “Dispose of them quickly! If you don’t attack now, it will be too
late.”
The sun fell below the horizon, it was night.
The night wind hysterically blew, the bat monkey Zhen Jin’s breathing mixed
with it, he could not hear clearly.
His fingers grabbed some wood and tree bark and smashed a portion of it to
pieces.
Zhen Jin’s face was filled with ruthlessness, his eyes were filled with
incomparable malevolence.
Howl!
He raised his head and bellowed to the sky.



****** Chapter 141: Can't go Back ******
The bat monkey’s beast howl alarmed the nearby birds, causing them to flee into
the air.
Hei Juan and the others also took note of this activity.
They subconsciously stopped and turned to look behind them.
“What is that sound?”
“Did you guys just hear something?”
“It sounded like a bat monkey howling.”
“How is that possible? Hei Juan smiled, “Bat monkeys live in large groups, even
if an expelled bat monkey group drifted here, they would not venture near the
ravine.”
“Should we go investigate?” Someone suggested.
Hei Juan shook his head: “Unnecessary. A single wandering bat monkey is not a
threat, wait did something just happen? Why didn’t I hear it? The wind, the
wind is getting louder. The camp is in front of us, aren’t some of you too
nervous?”
Everyone knew Hei Juan’s strength, since a bronze level elite said this,
everyone felt relieved.
“It was just the wind, that’s all.”
“Good, let’s return to camp.”
Hei Juan’s group entered the ravine.
A distant cluster of trees.
The bat monkey Zhen Jin no longer howled, rather he was now biting his jaw.
That recent howl seemed to vent his heart’s killing intent and impulses.
“No, no!”
“I am Zhen Jin.”
“I am Zhen Jin!”
The bat monkey Zhen Jin half-knelt on the tree branch, and bent his back, as if
he was bearing a heavy burden.
“I am......a templar knight.”
His forehead was already wet, how strange, it was unlikely his prior running
would have caused him to sweat so much.
The fog of perplexion in his eyes gradually vanished, there seemed to be a
candle flame within the fog. The candle flame flickered, then burned, gradually
becoming steady.
“I am not a murderer, I cannot, I should not kill Hei Juan.”
“I protect the kindhearted, the small, and the weak, I defend justice and
fairness. I will never slaughter the innocent, absolutely not!”
Zhen Jin unceasingly swore in his heart.
He took deep breaths, this moment seemed to exhaust his strength.
He felt himself collapsing.
Finally, he glanced deeply at the ravine, turned around, and with a stumbling
posture and weak steps, he went back the way he came.
“Leave, don’t delay”
“Your secret is exposed.”
“Leave, don’t return again. Treat it as if ‘Zhen Jin’ is already dead, at least
you can leave a reputation. If your secret is verified, the Bai Zhen Clan will
be shamed as a result!”
“Shut up!” Zhen Jin roared in his heart.
“I will never shirk my duties, I am a leader, I will lead these people off this
island. Regardless of how they regard me, I will practice my knightly
principles, I will fulfill my responsibilities as their leader. If my secret is
completely exposed, then I will confront it. Even if they misunderstand me,
hate me, and reject me. Because those things should be done to me!”
On the way back, Zhen Jin steadied his heart.
Finding his equipment again, Zhen Jin put them on neatly.
Although he had worn them many times, this time, he felt how heavy they were.
Zong Ge’s steel armor was heavier.
The youngster’s footsteps seemed to grow heavier.
He returned to the ravine again, his face expressionless.
The dim and murky rainforest with its layers of vegetation filled one’s field
of view, it seemed like a wall. The dense night seemed like his lightless
prospects.
This was a challenging path!
Obviously Zhen Jin habitually trekked through the rainforest, this path
definitely did not have any vicious magic beasts waylaying it.
However to Zhen Jin, this was an incomparable challenge, as if every step
greatly sapped his body and mind.
Deep in his heart, there was still a weak voice, this voice was constantly
praying——make this path eternal, allow him to walk forever and never reach the
end.
But the return journey was finite, and in the end, Zhen Jin still arrived at
the ravine.
He looked at the ravine camp gate and at the flames inside, he finally sensed a
human presence.
In the past, every time he returned and saw these indications of humanity, his
heart would warm. But now, regardless of whether it was the gate, the guards,
the fire, or the cooking aroma, all of them seemed to separate him. That layer
of separation seemed to be the distance between heaven and earth!
Zhen Jin deeply breathed, strived to straighten his chest, and like hurrying to
an execution group, he walked to the gate.
“Lord Zhen Jin?”
“Lord Zhen Jin has returned!”
After the guards said hello, they promptly opened the gate for Zhen Jin,
looking at him with adoration, respect, and love.
However those words and expressions were not as warm as before, but they
motivated Zhen Jin to move forward. They were like sharp arrows shooting at
Zhen Jin’s heart, their piercing blows made him twitch in secret suffering.
Walking past the camp gate, Zhen Jin quickly arrived at the ravine clearing.
This place had already been transformed into a dock, the keel, masts, and a
great amount of hemp rope were lying in a corner, all of them had been smeared
by Zi Di’s potions. After drying in the shade and in the sun, the hemp rope
would become more durable and could serve as sailing rope.
Walking past the clearing, and halfway to his cliff cave, Zhen Jin saw many
people.
These people recently finished working, currently they were sitting around a
wooden table and eating tonight’s dinner.
Zhen Jin’s arrival caused these dining people to stand up and salute.
This was an entirely spontaneous action.
Now when Zhen Jin faced these people, all he could feel was an incorporeal
oppression!
“They still don’t know, when my secret is exposed, how will they look at me?”
Zhen Jin’s heart was filled with agony, at the same time, he smiled at them,
indicating they didn’t need to be too polite, and that they should continue
eating.
Passing by the eating crowd, Zhen Jin saw Bai Ya.
“Lord Zhen Jin, you’ve returned. Everyone was just about to look for you, they
are all currently gathered in the big cliff cave.” Bai Ya respectfully said.
Zhen Jin nodded and went to the large cliff cave.
This was the largest cliff cave in the ravine, it was used to hold meetings and
discuss important matters. Previously, the boat craftsman displayed his ship
diagram here.
Now, Zong Ge, Zi Di, Cang Xu, and some others were here.
It was clear they already heard about the situation from Hei Juan.
In front of the large cliff cave, Zhen Jin unavoidably stopped walking.
At that moment, his feet seemed to be standing on a mountain peak, his flight
instinct in his heart grew louder.
He did not step away!
The cliff cave in front of him seemed to constantly change, the entrance became
pitch-black, as if it was the entrance to an all-swallowing abyss.
Zhen Jin took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and opened his eyes.
He controlled his heavy breathing, summoned up his courage, and entered the
cave.
Just like his expectations, his arrival immediately attracted the gaze of
everyone.
Cang Xu, Zi Di, Zong Ge, Tripleblade, Hei Juan, and the others there were
seated around a rectangle rock table, the main seat was still empty, it was
Zhen Jin’s seat naturally.
“My Lord.” Zi Di sat to the left of the main seat, she smiled at Zhen Jin, who
could only force one back.
The others had serious expressions.
Hei Juan still looked terrified.
“He’s ruined everything already......” Zhen Jin’s heart sighed.
“Maybe we have a large inconvenience.” Zong Ge started speaking.
Zhen Jin felt his mouth and tongue dry, he stood in place like a criminal
hearing his judgement.
Zi Di said: “Hei Juan, repeat your information again.”
Hei Juan swallowed his saliva and spoke with lingering fear: “Far from here, I
saw a monster, it was terrifying! A large group of scaled leopards was not its
opponent. It attacked in a strange way, when it lightly touched those scaled
leopards, no matter how strong they were, all of them would fall to the ground.
It was an absolute massacre, a complete massacre. There were at least scaled
fifty leopards, yet the monster annihilated them as easily as drinking water.”
“How dreadful.”
“Truly terrifying!”
“I sense we were not its opponent. After discovering it, I immediately returned
to camp to report this important information. In order to prevent panic, I have
not told the others.
Zhen Jin: ......
“Based on our analysis, this terrifying magic beast is at least silver level.”
Zi Di used a grave tone.
“No, even a silver level magic beast, for instance the blue dog fox wolf,
cannot massacre a scaled leopard group so easily. It is a gold level magic
beast most likely!” Zong Ge expressed his opinion.
“Gold level?” Zhen Jin thought this status over, he slowly pursed his brows,
then he slowly walked over to his seat and sat down.
“What kind of magic beast was it in the end?” Zhen Jin questioned Hei Juan.
Hei Juan shook his head: “At the time I was too far from it, I could not see it
clearly. In fact, my discovery of it was an accident. I was attracted by a
strange sound. The others were not as fast as me, thus I left them to
investigate the sound. When the strange sound faded away, I looked into the
distance and discovered that terrifying magic beast. I believe this is
important information, the magic beast also seemed to take note of me, so I
immediately retreated and did my best to return to camp.”
Zong Ge coldly snorted, he was dissatisfied with Hei Juan’s performance, he
then looked at Zhen Jin: “He had a vague glance, even the magic beast’s
physique and characteristics are unknown. He only saw a gigantic ape with
golden hair. To deal with this magic beast, we need more information!”
Hearing this, Zhen Jin leaned back, closed his eyes, and coughed.
Then, he heard Zi Di’s voice: “We really need more information; however I
believe Hei Juan didn’t make a mistake. According to the magic beast’s fighting
strength, Hei Juan was not it’s opponent, if he hesitated even a little, it was
likely the magic beast would have killed him.”
Zhen Jin opened his eyes after hearing this.
Beforehand, there might have been a minor dispute here.
Zong Ge was dissatisfied with Hei Juan, he believed that if he did not flee
like a coward, he definitely could have brought back more information.
As Hei Juan’s employer, Zi Di would undoubtedly defend him.
As expected, Zong Ge immediately snorted: “If Hei Juan was slaughtered, would
it have escaped our detection? Corpses can also speak; we would have gotten
more information that way. His actions have already gone against our rules.
After converging with his small group, he should have at least sent two people
back to inform us, then continued investigating. Currently we only know some of
the magic beast’s exterior appearance, the rest is unknown! In this boundless
forest ocean, trying to find a magic beast is too challenging. If we can’t find
it, we have to guard against its surprise attacks, this kind of passive defense
will take a great amount of attention and energy.”
“Zong Ge.” Zhen Jin waved his hand, “I understand you, however you should also
try to understand some of them. Hei Juan is a mercenary, not a soldier.”
Zong Ge no longer spoke.
Zhen Jin looked at Zi Di and Hei Juan again, turning the thread of discussion:
“Of course Hei Juan, your actions indeed violated our rules. Your proceeding
actions and orders really made us miss a golden opportunity to acquire
information.
“But I don’t believe that was because of cowardice.”
“You are not timid; I distinctly remember the first time I saw you; you were
fighting a bat monkey to the death.”
“The information you came back with is a great contribution, but the others
have large objections about what you saw. Your next mission is to investigate
this magic beast, tomorrow you will lead a small group through the rainforest
and investigate any relevant information. I hope you can accomplish this
mission and eliminate the objections towards you.”
Just as Zhen Jin’s voice finished, Hei Juan immediately stood up straight and
loudly said: “Lord Zhen Jin, I accept this mission! I will make the others shut
up.”
After he spoke, he angrily looked at Zong Ge.
Zong Ge coldly snorted and didn’t bother bickering.
The meeting was finished, Zhen Jin and the others left the large cliff cave.
His heart rejoiced.
He did not expect he could still use the templar knight identity after leaving
that cliff cave.
“The truth was unexpectedly like that, Hei Juan didn’t see me clearly.”
“Thinking about it now, of course it was like that. Human eyesight is limited,
they are not eagles. Looking at a fuzzy figure from so far, the golden scorpion
carapace could look like fur, considering Hei Juan’s vision surpasses that of
an ordinary person.”
“A close call, a close call......if I didn’t control myself and killed Hei Juan
or even that small group of people, what would have happened?”
“From that moment forward, I would have been tormented by remorse and guilt.”
“Fortunately in the end, I stuck to my knightly standards!!”
Grumble......
Zhen Jin’s stomach bellowed.
After completely relaxing, he immediately felt hungry.
After gorging himself, Zhen Jin returned to his residence.
He was exceedingly tired.
Not as tired as after defending the camp though.
He reclined in his bed and took long breaths, his dark blue eyes glittered with
hope.
“I am still a templar knight and a divine scion knight, the people are not
suspicious of me!”
“From now on I will be especially attentive, I will only transform and practice
secretly at night. I will do my best to not transform during the day, if I need
to transform, I will definitely use ultrasound to clearly scout out my
surroundings.”
“To those people frightened and worried as a result of this, I can only say
sorry. However like the blue dog fox wolf, after believing this for a time, you
all will gradually get used to it.”
“No practicing tonight, I need to rest well for once.”
“Today really was extremely tiring......oh, I didn’t absorb those scaled
leopards......”
“Forget it, let Hei Juan find them.”
And so, Zhen Jin dizzily fell asleep.
Soon after, he suddenly opened his eyes and sat up.
He gasped for breath; he just had a nightmare. Everyone discovered his secret,
he found himself utterly isolated, even Zi Di questioned and examined him.
“It was just a nightmare.”
Zhen Jin clenched his teeth and slept again.
After a short time, a nightmare woke him up again. The contents of the
nightmare were virtually the same, but this time, Zi Di defended him while
everyone else treated him as a monster.
After calming down, Zhen Jin sank back into his dreams.
After being woken up by a third nightmare, he sat silently on the bed for a
long time.
Physically and emotionally exhausted, and with a haggard face, the young knight
finally realized a fact——
His secret hadn’t been exposed, and nothing seemed to change.
But in fact......
He can't go back.



****** Chapter 142: God, I am Guilty ******
The dense vegetation nearly covered the entire sky, the air was also moist and
hot.
Because it had rained a few days ago, there was still a lot of water left on
the ground. As Hei Juan’s group traveled through the underbrush and vines, they
quickly became damp all over.
“Ahead of us is the edge of the containment zone, everyone take care!” Hei Juan
said as he creased his brows.
“Ok!” The ten people behind him responded.
A short while later.
Hei Juan led his group around a messy battlefield.
The battlefield had already been cleaned up.
But there were still many traces, such as scaled leopard scales.
“A battle happened here!”
“It didn’t happen too long ago, it’s very possible that it occurred yesterday.
“The scaled leopard group was actually the losing party!?”
“No, it was not a simple loss. These scaled leopards could not retaliate, they
were easily and cleanly massacred. Their opponent was most likely a magic
beast!”
“So……could it be a gold level magic beast?”
Everyone felt shock, then fear.
After all, this was a monster that easily slaughtered a large scaled leopard
group.
Hei Juan looked gloomy, he stood in place and looked around him: “This is
important information, you two bring it back to camp. The rest follow me, we
will continue investigating the environment, we must find the mysterious magic
beast’s trail.”
They quickly found a trail.
The trail pointed away from the ravine and towards the rainforest’s depths.
Hei Juan bit his teeth and led the remaining team members onward.
The two team members returned to camp as fast as possible, gasping for breath
while relaying the information.
Learning about this information, the higher ups became gloomier.
Cang Xu pondered: “It can unexpectedly clean up the battlefield, it seems we
cannot look down upon this mysterious magic beast’s intelligence.”
Zong Ge deeply gazed: “It is only a magic beast; how could it clean up the
battlefield? Does it have companions or is it a part of a blue dog fox wolf’s
magic beast legion, what is the likelihood of this?”
Hearing Zong Ge’s reminder, everyone became unsightly.
That “mysterious” blue dog fox wolf and its underlings followed them into the
rainforest and had repeatedly subdued magic beast groups, however an enormous
magic beast corps had never appeared.
Zi Di glanced at Zhen Jin with worry: “My Lord, last night you were still
patrolling. Please don’t do that anymore, ok? A massive magic beast corps might
be hiding near us, that blue dog fox wolf might have learned something new and
subdued new kinds of magic beasts. My Lord, although you have spirit power,
during the night you are just a lonely person”
Zhen Jin looked very serious.
Of course, he was the one who cleaned up the battlefield.
After continuous nightmares and being unable to sleep again, he went out on a
nighttime patrol.
He hurried to the battlefield; it was packed with scaled leopard carcasses.
Zhen Jin absorbed and converted all of them, boosting his magic reserves.
“It would still be for the best if these carcasses disappeared.”
“If Hei Juan cleans up this battlefield tomorrow, all of this will be returned.
With someone as shrewd as Cang Xu, it is very possible that from the carcasses,
they can find out after the leopards were electrocuted or paralyzed, I sliced
them up with my blades.”
This was detrimental to Zhen Jin.
Naturally, the fewer flaws one had, the better.
After yesterday's fright, Zhen Jin became very cautious, he feared if he
divulged anything, it would become a flaw.
Even if the flaws were very small, each and every one accumulating would cause
the people to connect them together.
Although Zhen Jin could now discharge electricity, no one else knew about it.
But in the future?
If by a chance situation, Zhen Jin publicly used his electrical discharge
ability, if he had not dealt with the scaled leopard carcasses, it would become
a flaw.
“Lord Zi Di is very reasonable. Master, your individual safety is related to
the general situation. For a long time now, because you were here, we were able
to unite, build a ship, and collaborate together in order to flee this place.
Without you leading us, we will become like a sheet of loose sand. You are too
precious; you shouldn’t risk yourself.” Lan Zao also advised.
Cang Xu and the others nodded one after the other.
Even Zong Ge opened his mouth: “Templar knight, we understand your mood and
bravery, you have never avoided your responsibility as our leader. But because
of this, we must be more careful. If late at night you are besieged by a magic
beast corps or attacked by that mysterious magic beast, it would cause immense
damage.”
Zhen Jin was expressionless.
If this was before Hei Juan detected him, Zi Di’s concern, Lan Zao’s esteem,
Zong Ge’s approval, and so on might have made him feel better, and excited his
sense of honor and responsibility.
But now, the warmth rising in his heart quickly became ice-cold.
He could not help but think: if my secret was known, what kind of attitude
would they have?
The young knight’s heart was filled with complex feelings, these feelings were
hard to express and something he did not dare express.
Finally, he nodded: “I will think over your proposal. Many thanks for
everyone’s concern!”
That same night, Zhen Jin went on patrol again.
He transformed into a scaled leopard, this creature form was currently at the
iron level, it was also his newest form.
The feeling of novelty over a new form already vanished completely.
He had transformed into a monkey tail brown bear, a bat monkey, a spear
scorpion, a green lizard, and more, compared to his previously inspired and
striving heart, his heart seemed to be crushed by a boulder currently.
He practiced discharging electricity again, obviously this muscle movement was
from a thousand bitter hardships, until he finally fumbled his way through with
a trace of inspiration and some luck. He should have felt accomplished,
especially after the electrical discharge ability shined during yesterday’s
combat.
But he appeared calm.
Even if his heart had a faint trace of jitteriness and loathing.
Previously, even if things were challenging and exhausting, as long as Zhen Jin
thought of his responsibility, his fiancée, Cang Xu, Mu Ban, and the others, he
would have endured hardships gladly.
But thinking of them now, Zhen Jin’s heart no longer felt warm, rather it was
now somewhat cold.
Many misunderstandings.
Many things to guard against.
His secret hadn’t been exposed, those people still treated Zhen Jin the same,
but Zhen Jin was no longer the same.
“Emperor Sheng Ming, my master, your holy illumination penetrates me, allow me
to discover I am a helpless sinner. You are a grand victor and a savior. Lend
me your kindness, I concede I am a guilty child and wish to repent of
everything. I beg of you, absolve me of all my crimes, help me, use your holy
light to wash me clean, let me continue walking the knightly road you
indicate!”
After training finished, Zhen Jin knelt, faced the Sheng Ming Continent, and
bowed in prayer.
He hadn’t behaved in this manner before.
But like every other prayer, Zhen Jin didn’t get a response.
Contrary to Zhen Jin’s silence, the beast roars and bird songs made the night
forest seem very lively.
Sunrise and sunset.
The rain stopped; the rain appeared.
Although there was nothing like that full week of rainstorms, the weather was
often cloudy and rainy.
The decision to make the ravine a dock seemed all the wiser and more correct.
The ravine clearing gradually filled with boat planks. Some of the boat planks
were perfect straight and some were curved. The boat craftsman displayed his
skill again, he guided everyone in the sand burial method. This method involved
wood being placed into moist sand, the liquid mixture making the wood softer
and more flexible.
Following Cang Xu’s overall plan, the people worked hard, and each engineering
team coordinated with each other, none of them hindered or restricted the
other’s progress.
Zi Di led a group in the difficult task of supplying potions and medicine.
A large scale earthen kiln was constructed, although the environment was moist,
it only hindered its construction for a time.
The kiln worked smoothly and began to provide a steady supply of pig iron.
Zi Di could finally breathe slowly.
The purging of beast groups was constantly carried out. Beast groups often
broke into the five kilometer perimeter.
Although the rainforest was vast, under Zhen Jin’s ultrasound, no fish escaped
the net.
The patrolling team members became increasingly skilled with crossbows, and
because of the kiln, iron arrows became abundant, increasing their military
strength.
Ordinary beasts and comparatively weak magic beasts were killed by arrow
volleys, while stronger magic beasts fell by Zhen Jin’s and Zong Ge’s hand.
After killing every magic beast, Zhen Jin would receive the adoration and
worship of onlookers.
However, these praising voices were not as beautiful as before, rather they
were like rocks smashing into the lake in Zhen Jin’s heart. The lake would wash
away the joyous ripples, and when the stones sank to the bottom of his heart,
Zhen Jin would feel a faint pressure.
Despite Zi Di’s, Zong Ge’s, and the others’ advice, Zhen Jin still patrolled
every night.
It seems, after beginning to grasp the magic core, he hadn’t stopped training
every night.
After Hei Juan’s investigation, Zhen Jin trained harder and longer.
He found that only after tormenting and exhausting himself every night, could
he sleep for a few hours before dawn.
He slept deeply and no longer had nightmares. Or perhaps, he had nightmares but
didn’t remember them when waking up.
After training every night, he would pray to Emperor Sheng Ming.
Hei Juan’s investigation caused Zhen Jin to reflect on himself and review his
experiences.
He began to examine himself——had the magic core led him astray?
During the camp battle, he repeatedly used Emperor Sheng Ming’s name to deceive
everyone. Despite having good motives, goodwill, and the disastrous consequence
if he didn’t do that, he indeed used a god’s name to deceive others.
This was the sin of deceiving the world with the name of a god!
“Why didn’t I realize how serious my sins were”
“Did I lose myself in power?”
“No, I did these things because there was no alternative. For the sake of
everyone, in order to save as many people as I could, I did these things, I am
not a bad person!”
“Maybe……I really am a bad person.”
“I confess to you, my master, my god.”
“I know I cannot be irreverent; however I was blind. I should not slight you,
grand Emperor Sheng Ming.”
“God, I beseech you to absolve all my previous sins, grant me the ability to
walk a just path. Let what I think and say be acceptable to you.”
Zhen Jin constantly reflected and constantly prayed.
The god never responded, but he still prayed.
He believed: maybe this is a test the god bestowed on me alone?
Late into the night, after Zhen Jin finished his bitter training, he dragged
his beaten body back to the ravine.
Fei She had been waiting respectfully outside his cave for a long time.
“Zhen, Lord Zhen Jin.” Fei She respectfully saluted.
“What is going on?” Zhen Jin was somewhat puzzled.
“This, this small one hesitated for a long time, although he knows, knows what
is appropriate for the times, he could not endure.” Fei She cautious said.
Zhen Jin grew curious: “Please, you don’t need to burden yourself, we are all
on the same side.”
The young knight smiled, the smile and the words ‘same side’ let Fei She relax.



****** Chapter 143: Nothing ******
“My Lord, this humble one would like to remind you, President Zi Di’s birthday
is the day after tomorrow.” Said Fei She.
“Birthday?” Zhen Jin slightly raised his brows; he did not expect Fei She to
say something like this.
Fei She raised his eyebrows and sighed: “Long ago, I followed the former
President and left my former life to pursue success. I watched Miss Zi Di’s
birth, first steps, and her gradual growth to adulthood.”
“In the past, Zi Di was the pearl in the President’s palm, he loved and
indulged her. As long as it was Miss Zi Di’s birthday, he would always hold a
birthday banquet for her, regardless of the scope. In fact, in the wake of the
Wisteria Merchant Alliance’s growth and the older Miss Zi Di got, the larger
her birthday banquets got.”
“I still remember, during Miss Zi Di’s 11th birthday, the entirety of Garden
City was a merry ocean, even Garden City’s Lord personally presented his
blessings. That was during the Wisteria Merchant Alliance’s greatest golden
age.”
“The old President spent a large sum of money for a famous baker to make Miss
Zi Di’s birthday cake. The cake reached 11 layers and dazzling colors, it
looked like a rainbow. Its ingredients used many valuable magical materials,
eating it could make people feel happy and taste the sweetest flavors of the
world. Each cake layer had a different effect. Some could increase magic
capacity, some could stimulate the spirit, and some could double the power of
physical attacks. Even if that birthday banquet occurred several months in the
past, people still enthusiastically discussed that rainbow cake.”
As Fei She spoke of this, his eyes flickered with the light of commemoration.
But quickly, this light died out and Fei She’s tone became serious: “After the
old President had an accident, the Wisteria Merchant Alliance also
disintegrated, now no one thinks of Miss Zi Di’s birthday banquets.”
“After Miss Zi Di took over as president, we have proposed many times over the
last two years to hold a birthday banquet, all were rejected.”
“I think the young lady might be scared of recalling the old President.”
“But things are different now.”
“Lord Zhen Jin, you showed up at Zi Di’s side. You are a templar knight, have
god’s deep concern, are the Bai Zhen Clan’s sole heir, and Miss Zi Di’s fiancé.
With you, everything will improve, the Wisteria Merchant Alliance’s future will
be bright.”
“I think……”
“You don’t need to say anything else.” Zhen Jin deeply breathed, he approached
Fei She, clapped the latter’s shoulder, and sincerely thanked him, “Many thanks
for your reminder, you speaking was the correct thing to do, I understand what
to do. For Zi Di, I will hold a birthday banquet and give her a pleasant
surprise. She deserves this from me!”
“That is very good my Lord, many thanks, I am very thankful for your Lordship.”
Fei She hastily expressed his gratitude, showing his devotion to the old
Wisteria Merchant Alliance President.
Seeing Fei She’s back leave, Zhen Jin sank back into reflection again.
“In recent times, was I too focused on myself? I seemed immersed in my own
world and neglected the others at my side.”
“No matter how many troubles I have, how can I ignore those at my side?”
“Me being like this really was a little selfish.”
Because of Fei She’s words, Zhen Jin’s mood and reflecting began to diverge.
“Recalling this entire journey, I woke up and saved Zi Di, then during the
fire-poison bee attack, she wanted me to leave her behind.”
“In the monkey tail brown bear cave, I risked my life to fight for her, then
she did her best to heal me.”
“When Huang Zao called out for help, she gave me advice. Huang Zao betrayed me
and fled alone, thus we faced the ferocious blade spider together.”
“She invented that pink potion that could make a path, helping us record our
journey.”
“When we made the mistake of eating that goat meat and suffered magical
erosion, she discovered the truth and detoxified everyone. Without her
contributions, we would have been trapped and unable to explore.”
“She used a potion to melt a tunnel through the sandstorm and protected many
companions. She refined an acidic potion that countered the green lizards
surrounding everyone, successfully supporting everyone until I saved them.”
“As we were pursued by the scorpion group and in desperate straits, she still
remained at my side. Even though her body cowered as death approached, we never
separated.”
“Her potions expelled bat monkeys and dealt with fire-poison bees. If those two
threats still existed, more people would have died during the camp battle.”
“Her potions also corroded metal, helping Mu Ban make a steady flow of
crossbows. In addition, during the initial stage of shipbuilding, her potions
refined a great amount of iron.”
“Without Zi Di, I would not be walking today.”
“Her contributions really were huge, however she never showed off. She actively
and was delighted to stand behind me, she set aside the biggest limelight for
me, and allowed me to bear the weight of everyone’s adoration and respect.”
“She has always silently supported me, she almost never opposed any of my
decisions. The times she had done so, was because she was worried for my
safety!”
Zhen Jin constantly thought back, bit by bit, he recalled every interaction
between him and Zi Di. shame quickly flourishing in the bottom of his heart.
The young knight had decided, he must hold a birthday banquet, present food,
and comfort Zi Di.
Zi Di absolutely deserved this from him.
Her established contributions would also shut anyone up.
However, Zi Di would sense Zhen Jin’s preparations.
She was the current Wisteria Merchant Alliance President, and very astute.
“Don’t do this my Lord. I received your kindly feelings, that is enough.”
“Holding a birthday banquet, that is too inappropriate.”
“Our environment might be hiding a magic beast corps and a terrifying gold
level magic beast.”
“Our food reserves are constantly declining, and shipbuilding makes the people
work hard, our consumption cannot keep up replenishment.”
“Also alcohol We only have a few bottles of rum, they are not enough to support
our passage to the Wilderness Continent.”
Sailing needed alcohol.
Because while sailing in the ocean, it was difficult to obtain potable water.
The water stored on board, because of finite storage technology, would become
green before too long, with germs and bugs growing inside.
The potable water would smell strange and be hard to swallow, but sailors had
no choice but to drink it.
During that time, alcohol was needed.
Alcoholic beverages could mask the strange odor while disinfecting it.
As a result, sailors being drunk sometimes was not odd.
Zi Di would do her utmost to fight against a birthday banquet, even if Zhen Jin
was the one justifying and inspiring it. The recent rumors concerning the
frightful magic beast already spread throughout the camp, making everyone
alarmed and restless.
Zi Di’s attitude of refusal was very firm, this allowed Zhen Jin to understand
Zi Di more, while simultaneously making him feel more ashamed.
A notion suddenly appeared in the young knight’s mind—— “Perhaps, I will make a
mistake this time. I shouldn’t cover up the truth from her, I should tell her
of my transformations.”
“I didn’t want to make her worried at the time, but step by step, it ended up
like that.”
“If this continues, I will be more tongue tied, and the misunderstandings will
grow deeper!”
“Maybe, I am too prideful.”
“I did not want to make her worried, besides that tenderness, I feel if I don’t
tell her, I cannot resolve the magic core in my heart.”
“I believe she can, why is that?”
“For a long time now, Zi Di’s potions helped me and the others many times.”
“Maybe, she doesn’t really have the ability to resolve the core and my
transformations. But of everyone at my side, who is the best to receive these
facts, accept my ugliness, and forgive my sins? It must be her.”
“It must be her!”
“She is my fiancé!”
Thinking of this, Zhen Jin’s sigh twinkled more and more.
He looked like someone who had found a trace of light in the darkness or a
drowning person whose hand grabbed the shore.
His heart was under immense pressure.
Carrying this secret and his sins made it hard for him to face those adoring
him, and his respect for everyone.
He wanted to come out.
He wanted to say everything.
He longed for someone to share with, he longed for genuine approval!
“Zi Di, Zi Di……” Zhen Jin tenderly called out in the bottom of his heart.
But his mouth did not say anything.
“I need an opportunity.” The young knight realized.
Day two.
He stayed far from the ravine and crossed the five kilometer control perimeter.
A gigantic beehive was suspended in a tall tree.
This was a fire-poison beehive, Zhen Jin’s ultrasound had unintentionally
discovered it.
Before starting, Zhen Jin cautiously inspected around with ultrasound, after
ensuring no humans were around, he attacked the fire-poison bees.
He lit a bonfire and used a potion to form soot.
The entire fire-poison beehive came out, and one by one, they were defeated by
the soot. After Zhen Jin transformed, the fire-poison bees’ poison could not
harm him.
On the night of Zi Di’s birthday, Zhen Jin went to Zi Di’s residence alone.
“Happy birthday Zi Di.” Zhen Jin smiled and brought out a bowl of amber honey
from behind him.
Zi Di covered her mouth, startled and pleased.
“Thanks.” She looked up at Zhen Jin, her intonation was filled with deep love
and her amethyst eyes brightened.
“Although I don’t have a rainbow cake right now, this honey has a very sweet
taste.” Said Zhen Jin.
Nevertheless, Zi Di’s complexion changed: “My Lord, you ate the honey? It’s
poisonous!”
“Ah? I, I didn’t taste any poison.”
“Your Lordship probably hasn’t tasted many things. This honey contains the
fire-poison’s essence, if the dosage was magnified, even someone at the gold
level would be injured.” Zi Di quickly said, she soon blamed herself, “Blame
me! I didn’t inform your Lordship of my latest research gains. I remember, the
ravine does not have any beehives nearby. My Lord, going on an expedition
alone, even with the soot potion, is excessively dangerous.”
“I was willing to risk it for you!” Zhen Jin blurted out.
“My Lord!” Zi Di coldly glanced at Zhen Jin, bashfulness springing up on her
face.
“Fine, I admit I was stupid. My actions really were impulsive. From now on, I
will pay attention.” Zhen Jin raised his hands in apology.
In fact, he was capable of transforming into a fire-poison bee. With this
transformation as a foundation, he was able to sample the honey at his own
accord. The fire-poison honey was a product of fire-poison bees, it was
definitely harmless to fire-poison bees.
Zhen Jin helplessly put down the honey.
Zi Di walked in front of Zhen Jin and took the young knight’s hand of her own
accord.
Speaking of which, this was the first time she had done such a thing.
She deeply gazed into Zhen Jin’s eyes and softly said: “Thank you.”
Zhen Jin shook his head and looked at the bowl of honey, somewhat discouraged.
Zi Di then turned her eyes and suddenly said: “Thank you for the cake.”
“Cake?”
“Yes, this big cake is made from harmless honey, did you not see it?” Zi Di
released Zhen Jin’s hand, then with both hands, she traced the form of a cake
in the air.
Zhen Jin couldn’t help but laugh, he followed along with Zi Di: “Eh, of course
I see it. The cake is very big, its many layers resemble a rainbow cake
somewhat.”
“No, it only has one layer.” Zi Di shook her head, “It does not resemble a
rainbow cake at all. It……is sweeter than a rainbow cake!”
Saying this, Zi Di’s extended her slim index finger and lightly poked the air,
as if she was touching the cake cream.
She softly put her finger in her mouth, sucked on it, and narrowed her eyes.
Then she showed a joyous expression: “Really sweet!”
“Don’t you want to taste it? She gazed at Zhen Jin.
Zhen shook his head and laughed: “Many thanks for your concern……”
His words were stopped short, because Zi Di poked the air again and put her
finger into Zhen Jin’s mouth.
Zhen Jin’s blocked mouth subconsciously sucked Zi Di’s finger.
When Zi Di took out her finger, he could not help but say fondly: “Very
sweet……”
With rapt attention, he gazed at the girl’s purple eyes, his heart began to
speed up and throb.
“It was really sweet.” The young knight followed with a similar movement he
used a finger to touch the air, sucked it, then extended it back into the air,
drawing an arc in the air.
“Today is your birthday, please eat a bit more.” Zhen Jin stretched his finger
towards Zi Di, his finger seemed to touch a large clump of cream.
“Wow!” Zi Di gave a malicious expression, her small mouth suddenly opened wide
and then sucked Zhen Jin’s finger.
“Tasty.” Zi Di mumbled, she mischievously bit Zhen Jin’s finger.
Zhen Jin's rough breathing grew heavy, Zi Di’s face also blushed red, causing
the latter to open her mouth at once. With deeper love, Zhen Jin gazed at Zi Di
and took a step forward.
Thus, the two people were only a hand length from each other.
The cliff cave’s ambience became charming and gentle.
Zhen Jin deeply breathed and slightly bit his teeth: “Zi Di, I have
something……”
Roar!
At that moment, a noisy disturbance suddenly happened outside the cave.
“He’s gone mad!”
“The idiot has gone mad!!”
“Run, he will kill us.”
Zhen Jin’s and Zi Di’s complexion abruptly changed, and they immediately rushed
out of the cave.
Zhen Jin was faster and came to the ravine clearing first.
He saw the giant crazily roar with red eyes and his hand frantically waving a
broken mast all around him. Some people did not have time to escape and were
lying on the ground, some were lying in a pool of blood and some were groaning
miserably.
“My Lord, come save us!” Another group of people was trapped in a corner, when
they saw Zhen Jin, they promptly called out for help.
The cry for help provoked the giant, the broken mast in his hand ruthlessly
swung at those people.
But at that moment, Zong Ge rushed over and smashed the mast with his bone
hammer.
Zhen Jin sped up like an arrow and charged at the giant.
The giant slapped his chest, bellowed, and flew at Zhen Jin.
Zhen Jin was a martial master, by simply moving a little, he dodged the giant’s
strike and jumped onto the latter’s back.
Zhen Jin slapped the giant’s neck, causing the giant’s eyes to roll back and
fall unconscious on the spot.
“Saved!” The survivors cheered.
“Kill him, kill that monster!!” Hatred and anger quickly crammed everyone’s
heart.
The wounded and untouched people were unanimous.
“No, don’t! I beseech everyone, consider my contributions and spare him.” The
boat craftsman loudly appealed with fright plastered across his entire face.
“Can you see? Those are the good deeds of your son!”
“We have worked on that for at least a week.”
“That is not the crux of it! He is too dangerous, when he became mad on the
boat, we trembled in fear.”
“Who knows when this illness will repeat itself? It's too dreadful! He is an
enormous hidden danger.”
“You see how much he eats every day? Without him, it is unlikely our supplies
will become scarce.”
“Kill him!”
“Don’t kill him while he is on the ground, after all he was our comrade. We can
expel and exile him.”
Everyone’s tongue was wagging, all of them wanted to punish the giant.
“Enough!” Zhen Jin shouted, his face seemed submerged in water, “He is our
comrade, previously and currently!”
“He has an illness, we know. The boat craftsman informed us earlier.”
“He indeed caused harm; however we can rejoice that none of us died. He
destroyed a lot of ship equipment and ate a lot of food, but his contribution
far surpasses his demands!”
“Why could he remain on the ship and live together with people for many years?
This proves coexisting with him is realizable.”
“Why can’t we do that?”
“I will never rashly abandon any person, let alone a sick person!”
“He is not a monster!”
“He is not!!”
“He is our comrade……a sick comrade. None of this was his intention.”
Zhen Jin shouted loudly; he had never displayed such a strict attitude.
Everyone was intimidated by him; the entire audience was completely silent.
At this moment, Zi Di caught up, this eased Zhen Jin’s complexion somewhat.
Then he assigned everyone to clean up the area, fix up the damages, and attend
to the wounded, this naturally included the giant.
Dealing with this properly took several hours.
Afterwards, only Zhen Jin and Zi Di were left, the two were walking side by
side.
“I do not know where to start with the giant’s illness.” Zi Di said with worry,
“I am not a doctor, in fact the boat craftsman actually said, he always tried
to treat the giant’s illness, however every doctor was unable to help. The boat
craftsman even spent a large sum of money to hire a chaplain to treat the giant
with a divine spell.”
“We must consider this hidden threat. If, when the ship is mostly built, the
giant suddenly went mad again, he would cause inconceivable damage.”
Zhen Jin remained silent late into the night.
Near their residences, the two people parted ways.
“Oh that’s right, my Lord, beforehand……what did you want to talk to me about?”
Zi Di asked.
Zhen Jin stopped walking and slowly turned around. The corner of his mouth
twitched into a smile, then he opened his mouth.
“Nothing.”



****** Chapter 144: I Hit You Out of Love ******
The light of sunset reflected on a hillside.
On the hillside’s relatively flat side, there was a straw shack.
Inside the grass shack was the giant, this was his residence. The caves in the
ravine were big enough, however the giant snored when he slept, causing echoes
and loud noises.
As a result, after more and more people protested, the old boat craftsman built
this shack for the giant.
Zhen Jin, Cang Xu, Lan Zao, and three others were greeted by the boat
craftsman.
“Villain!” The giant withdrew to his shack and bared his teeth at Zhen Jin.
“Shut up you idiot.” The old boat craftsman insulted, “You must thank Lord Zhen
Jin, he protected you, you idiot, thank him now!!”
The stupid giant was still baring his teeth, he scratched his head in confusion
and scowled at the boat craftsman with suspicion and outrage: “But father, he
hit me!”
The old boat craftsman shook his head: “He did hit you.”
The giant became even more dumbfounded, he also shook his head: “Hitting me, is
wrong, that is wrong.”
The old boat craftsman coldly snorted: “Have I ever hit you?”
The giant blankly stared; his mind immediately recalled countless scenes.
Often during childhood, he ate too much food.
The boat craftsman had finite things and often went hungry.
After one exhausting day, the boat craftsman only wanted to sleep.
But when he returned to his residence, he was flabbergasted.
His cabin was in disarray, with the baby giant continuing to overturn trunks
and boxes.
“What are you doing? You are a small scoundrel!”
“Ah, did you eat all my tobacco? You idiot, idiot!” The old boat craftsman
violently slapped his buttocks.
Giant: “Wa wa wa……”
Late into the night.
The old boat craftsman was woken up by pain.
“Are you biting me? You moron, I am not a woman, there is no milk here!”
The wounded boat craftsman flew into a rage and slapped the still small giant’s
buttocks again.
Giant: “Wa wa wa……”
Later on, in the giant’s life.
“Good, do you remember? The deck is wiped with this cleaning rag and water. If
there is not enough water, go to the side of the boat and draw some water. Work
hard, this boat does not raise useless people, do you understand?” The boat
craftsman warned repeatedly.
The giant nodded: “Father, be at ease.”
“What are you doing? My god!” After half a day, the boat craftsman saw cracks
everywhere, there was even a hole in the deck. Upon seeing this, he tore his
hair out and nearly lost his mind.
The giant squatted at his side, he was very puzzled: “Father, you told me to
‘work hard’.”
The boat craftsman closed his eyes, raised his head, and took a deep breath,
then he walked in front of the giant and raised his fist.
Thump thump thump.
“Wa wa wa……”
A ship battle had just finished, and blood flowed across the ship deck.
The boat craftsman wrapped up the giant’s wounds: “I said don’t charge ahead
you blockhead!”
“But they hit you father! They are villains!” The giant retorted.
“You even learned how to talk back!” The boat craftsman angrily glared at the
giant, “Damm it, not enough medicine. The blood won’t stop! Damm it, how
wretched.”
“Father don’t worry, I am not in pain.” The giant comforted.
“Shut up for me!” The boat craftsman subconsciously slapped the giant’s face,
but just as he did that, he realized how it was inappropriate and withdrew more
than half his strength at once.
The boat craftsman’s cabin room was tightly closed.
The giant squatted outside the door, overcome with boredom, he gazed at a
flying insect.
The insect buzzed in front of him while a man and a woman gasped for breath
inside the cabin.
“You devil……”
“He he, Madam, don’t look at my old appearance, I am actually quite strong!”
“Eh……ah……eh……ah……”
Bang.
All of a sudden, the giant knocked open the cabin door.
“Father!” The giant shouted.
“Ya——!” The women shrieked.
The boat craftsman was indignant: “What are you doing!! You said, no matter
what you heard, you wouldn’t move.”
“But father, you sounded like you were in pain. You were constantly gasping for
breath, you were tired! You're dying!”
The boat craftsman’s eyes bulged: “Dying?!”
His canthus twitched, he immediately leapt out of the bed and kicked the giant
constantly: “You said I was dying? You said I was dying?!”
The giant cried and fled ignominiously.
Returning back to reality.
Seeing the giant lost in thought, the boat craftsman repeated: “Have I ever hit
you?”
“You hit me many times.” The giant answered honestly.
“I hit you, but have I ever genuinely harmed you?” The boat craftsman
continued, “Never? Therefore, those beatings are different from others. These
beatings love and protect you. Understood?”
“Without Lord Zhen Jin knocking you unconscious, you would have caused more
damage and more trouble!”
“Your Lordship hitting you is for your own good, understood?”
“Giant does not understand……” The giant shook his head.
“What?!” The boat craftsman glared and raised his fist.
The giant promptly nodded: “Under, understood.”
“Good.” Seeing the boat craftsman stabilize the situation, Zhen Jin smiled,
“Seeing you guys being energetic is good.”
Saying this, the youngster looked at Cang Xu.
Cang Xu nodded and entered the grass shack.
The boat craftsman yelled: “Don’t move.”
The giant was motionless, allowing Cang Xu to stand around and create
difficulties. Cang Xu then waved, making the giant lower his head.
Of course, the giant would not normally do this, but the boat craftsman quickly
ordered him to do so.
Cang Xu lifted the giant’s eyelids and carefully looked at his pupils. The boat
craftsman then made the giant open his mouth, Cang Xu had to tolerate the
giant’s fishy breath as he examined his teeth.
After observing like this for a long time, Cang Xu withdrew from the shack.
Returning to Zhen Jin’s side, the old scholar shook his head: “My Lord, I fear
I have disappointed you.”
“Don’t hesitate, everyone knows you're not a doctor.”
The old scholar replied: “It is clear, based on many physical signs indicating
his giant bloodline, he is a half breed. The giant bloodline is very thin, it
seems very low leveled. Your Lordship knows, many giants have worrying
intellect. Perhaps because of this low level giant bloodline burdening him, the
giant never had an ordinary person’s intellect.”
“I am unable to determine the cause of his insanity. But I suspect it has
something to do with his brain. If we opened his skull and dissected it, I
might be able to find the root cause.”
Cang Xu’s words immediately scared the boat craftsman.
But luckily, Zhen Jin immediately opened his mouth: “Don’t bring up dissection
at the drop of a hat, I understand. The giant will rest for the next few days,
he shall not work. We will return first.”
The boat craftsman respectfully sent them off at once.
On the way back, Zhen Jin looked at Cang Xu: “What is the best way to deal with
the giant?”
Cang Xu analyzed: “The giant is very valuable. Although he eats more food, he
works more than anyone. He has worked hard and contributed much. Sometimes, the
giant can accomplish many things, while others take longer or even fail doing
the same work.”
“Although the giant’s madness caused damage, after adding everything up,
because your Lordship promptly stopped him, there wasn’t that much. Many people
were injured but no one died.”
Cang Xu analyzed with consistent calmness and rationality.
At this moment, Zhen Jin looked at Lan Zao behind him: “I am quite curious, the
giant has great strength, his madness must have been a great threat to the
ship. Why was he allowed to remain on the Hog’s Kiss?”
Lan Zao was silent for a time, then said: “The main reason was the old boat
craftsman. He had been on the boat longer than me, I also heard from others
that for the old craftsman to bring up his son, he had paid a heavy price.”
“Master, you have seen the old boat craftsman's excellent skill, ordinary
people cannot build a ship.”
“Of course, because we were constantly guarding against the giant, whenever we
were near the giant, we were all scared and on edge. That greatly reduced the
damage the giant caused.”
Zhen Jin slightly frowned: “But I saw some sailors among the wounded”
“Yes master. Since coming to this island, the giant never had symptoms. After a
long time, the sailors focused all their attention on how to survive and escape
this place. Overlooking the giant’s danger is normal, I was one of them.”
Lan Zao continued: “In fact, in order to protect the ship and confront the
giant, the captain spent a great deal of money on a magic item.”
“Maybe……that was the reason.”
Saying this, Lan Zao’s tone became somewhat hesitant: “We suspect the giant’s
symptoms are also a warning sign. Whenever danger approaches, the giant will
show symptoms.”
“Eh?” Zhen Jin and Cang Xu stopped walking.
Cang Xu was skeptical: “During our entire journey, we encountered many dangers,
yet the giant never showed symptoms.”
“Is it accurate?” Zhen Jin scowled.
“It is not accurate.” Ashamed, Lan Zao smiled, “In fact, we cannot confirm
anything.”
“But one year, it happened several times. No long after the giant showed
symptoms, a storm, gale, or tsunami would appear.”
Cang Xu question closely: “How many times per year does the giant show
symptoms?”
“Twenty? Thirty?” Lan Zao shook his head, “We don’t count them up.”
Cang Xu laughed and shook his head: “Many times, the climate of the deep sea
has the temperament and mood of a young romantic lass, it is impossible to
predict.”
“However, sailors have narrow lives in ship holds, every day there is hard work
and every day they are faced with an endless ocean, with such large pressure on
them, sailors will invest their hopes into anything. As a result, sailors are
more pious than people living on dry land.”
“My Lord, please allow me to be excused.”
“You may leave.” Zhen Jin nodded his head, he knew Cang Xu had the hard
assignment of managing the overall plan and was mired in minor details.
After Cang Xu parted ways, the master and the servant arrived at the cave where
the wounded were being treated to express their sympathies.



****** Chapter 145: The Giant ******
Zhen Jin protected the giant and didn’t harm his credibility with the people.
Perhaps they did not understand him somewhat, but they still adored and
respected Zhen Jin.
Zhen Jin was a divine scion knight, a templar knight, the heir to the Bai Zhen
Clan, the future Lord of White Sands City, and had the strongest battle
strength. He also had close followers around him and his strongest competitor,
Zong Ge, deferred to his judgement.
As Zhen Jin expressed his sympathies to the wounded, he received many thankful
words.
The people loathed and were wary of the giant, not Zhen Jin. In fact, without
Zhen Jin knocking out the giant, they would have been in more danger.
It was Zhen Jin who had saved them.
If the giant was an unpardonable murderer, perhaps some of them would demand an
explanation from Zhen Jin——was this the fairness of a templar knight?
However, the giant had an illness. This illness had been around for a long time
and was not concealed by the boat craftsman.
Despite everyone’s mentality being this way, after expressing his sympathies,
Zhen Jin still privately ordered Xi Suo to plan some interactions between the
sailors and the wounded and provide an introduction to sailing.
“Speaking of which, it is reasonable to treat madness as a warning.” Zhen Jin
indicated to Xi Suo, “But I will not lie to you, this will instead lead to weak
points and mistakes. Make the sailors, who have interacted with the giant for a
long time, tell the truth.”
“I understand my Lord, I guarantee I can accomplish this task!”
Xi Suo was very inspired. Speaking of which, he had been recruited by Zhen Jin
a while back, but never had a chance to perform.
He did not have Zong Ge’s battle strength, the loyalty of Lan Zao or Bai Ya,
nor did he have Cang Xu’s knowledge or Zi Di’s medicinal skill.
Xi Suo’s heart was under immense pressure. He wanted to stand out, however the
people around him covered him up.
For the first time, Zhen Jin arranged an assignment for Xi Suo.
“This work is personal!” Xi Suo was excited, he faintly felt he had found an
opportunity for advancement.
“Right, I may have to do some personal and dirty work for his Lordship. Why
didn’t I expect that beforehand?”
“Even though his Lordship is a templar knight, who scrupulously abides by his
knightly path and has light in his heart, there will always be some
inconveniences he needs to deal with, such as this matter.”
To most people, the giant’s symptoms were a vile event that ruined things. But
as far as Xi Suo was concerned, this was an opportunity.
“This is a good thing; it can deepen my impression on Lord Zhen Jin. I must
manage this matter well!” Xi Suo’s ego was impassioned, and he moved
vigorously.
In the meantime, after the giant interrupted the two, Zhen Jin found it
increasingly hard to tell Zi Di his secret.
The days seemed to go back to how they were, every night he would train hard,
he would sleep a few hours in the morning, then he would purge beast groups in
the afternoon.
Each successful hunt and return with quarry continued to strengthen his
authority and status.
He constantly reminded everyone that he was a formidable leader, putting an end
to any dissenting thoughts.
At the same time, he also quietly raised his vigilance, after all according to
some, the giant’s symptoms were a warning sign.
But after some time, nothing disastrous happened.
After every dinner, Zhen Jin would visit the wounded and occasionally bring
medicine.
The medicine Zi Di made was personally provided by Zhen Jin.
The act of providing medicine seemed minute, however it actually had a deep
meaning.
The wounded all urgently needed medicine, and in the entire camp, it seemed
Zhen Jin was the only one who could provide some. According to the Eastern
Empire, this was called sending charcoal in snowy weather, or providing
necessities for people.
The small potions provided by Zhen Jin displayed more than their innate value.
However, without the giant, shipbuilding slowed down a lot.
It was just as Cang Xu said, the giant played a critical role in the work.
After almost a week, Zhen Jin returned to the grass shack and consulted with
the boat craftsman about having the giant return to work.
The boat craftsman did not hesitate, he agreed on the spot.
Because over the past few days, he clearly saw Zhen Jin continual expressions
of sympathy had eliminated the grief and indignation of the wounded. The
actions of Xi Suo and a string of sailors behind the scenes also contained Zhen
Jin’s influence.
“My Lord, you are a wise leader.” At this moment, the boat craftsman served
Zhen Jin with his heart.
Previously, when he woke up in the forest camp and heard Zhen Jin had accepted
Zong Ge, Tripleblade, and their people, he was worried, I believed Zhen Jin was
too young.
During their journey, the boat craftsman revised his point of view on Zhen Jin.
Now, the boat craftsman thoroughly realized: the knight before him, even if he
was a youngster, was not a simple believer. He upheld his knightly principles,
but at the same time, he was not unashamed of his noble identity and
bloodline——he had profound tactics and strategies.
“Tomorrow you will continue, work well. When the others scold you, what will
you do?” The boat craftsman asked the giant in front of Zhen Jin.
“Act like I can’t hear them.” The giant replied.
“If they hit you?” The boat craftsman asked.
“If it does not hurt me, such as a rock throw at me, I will not shout. If it
does hurt, I will shout. If someone harms and makes me bleed, I will shout for
father.” The giant replied fluently.
The boat craftsman gave a satisfied nod, he turned his head and guaranteed Zhen
Jin: “My Lord, the giant is ready. He really isn’t stupid; he understands how
to respond. This is all the same old stuff I have previously taken care of; you
can be at ease!”
Zhen Jin gazed at the giant in the grass shack.
The latter obviously had a huge physique, however at this moment, he was curled
up in a ball on his grass bed.
These past few days, the boat craftsman had been hammering in his teachings.
At the same time, Zhen Jin also speculated, as the giant lived on the Hog’s
Kiss, he had to endure rejection and hate. He frequently received insults and
even beatings. Most sailors had violent temperaments, and the giant was
definitely a target to throw stuff at.
If the giant was not in pain, he would not speak.
He only had two weapons to resist.
One was shouting.
One was calling out for his father……
The curled up giant looked the same, yellow teeth and an ugly appearance. If
one looked carefully, they would see he had a big body, a small head, and other
deformities. It seemed living on the boat gave him a habit of lowering his
head. It seemed he feared Zhen Jin as he looked away and appeared constrained.
On the basis of this external appearance, the giant was unliked and even
attracted disgust.
This was human nature.
But now, as Zhen Jin heard and saw these things, his heart was momentarily in a
complex mood.
He was very uncomfortable.
Besides pity and other things, there was something blocking his words and
thoughts. He wanted to express it but couldn’t.
It made him flustered.
For the next several days, Zhen Jin paid close attention to the giant.
No accidents occurred.
The giant restrained himself and actively made way for others, whenever someone
approached him, he would quickly withdraw to a corner.
Some people found his giant curled up body funny. Many could not help but laugh
and gradually relax their minds.
But Zhen Jin did not smile when watching these things.
His heart instead grew heavier.
The boat craftsman’s repeated warnings seemed to make the giant work harder.
With the giant’s participation, ship building progressed by leaps and bounds.
One day, the weather was sunny and cloudless.
Almost everyone gathered in the ravine clearing, they had important work to do.
“Right, do that, slow down a bit, put it in that hole, the mast must be
inserted here.” The boat craftsman managed.
“You must slow down a bit.” The boat craftsman warned, he did not feel
reassured.
Under his father’s warnings, the giant looked extremely serious. He prudently
placed the mast into a small hole in the keel.
“Very good!” The boat craftsman praised happily.
All of the masts were fastened into the keel, doing this made the masts as
stable as possible. If the masts were simply placed on the deck, after the
sails opened, the wind would break them and endanger the entire ship.
The first mast was inserted properly, according to the boat craftsman, this was
the fore mast.
“Good, next is the mizzen mast. Eh?” The boat craftsman looked up, he
discovered the giant was weirdly silent, this was very abnormal.
The giant had lowered his head and put his hand on the mast, his entire body
was motionless.
Zhen Jin immediately narrowed his eyes; a faint warning rose in his heart.
The boat craftsman yelled many times, but the giant did not respond.
His face was also panic-stricken.
The giant began to gasp roughly like a collapsing old bull, he grimaced in pain
and his eyes grew increasingly red.
“Damm it!” Upon seeing this, the boat craftsman immediately sank, but he didn’t
give up and still roared: “Calm down, calm down now you repulsive boy!”
“Run for it, he has gone mad again!!” The experienced sailors shouted as they
ran away.
For a split second, the ravine clearing was a disorderly mess.
Roar!
The giant roared.
He suddenly pulled out the mast and threw it.
The fore mast snapped in half, with one half stuck inside a cave.
The giant began to punch the keel.
But at that moment, Zhen Jin, with a body like lightning, went against the flow
and got behind the giant, striking his nape again and knocking him unconscious.
Everything started and ended in an instant.
The entire situation was under Zhen Jin’s control.
“The keel is fine, nothing happened to it!” The boat craftsman loudly shouted;
he was extremely glad.
The others returned, all of them were doubtful and had lingering fears.
“The giant went mad again.”
“Hasn’t it been only a few days?”
“No, I cannot work in the same place as him again, I don’t want such a dubious
death.”
“His every day performance is a pretense! He cannot not deceive us again. His
body has a giant bloodline, I heard giants eat people!”
“This illness cannot be treated; didn’t you hear from those sailors? This idiot
cannot remain near us, who knows when he’ll go mad again?”
Zhen Jin stood behind the giant and strictly swept his eyes around him,
immediately cutting off most conversations.
The “Good” youngster leader then shouted, “Today’s work ends here, go eat
dinner!”
He then told a few mercenaries and Lan Zao to drag the giant back to his grass
shack.
“Lord Zhen Jin, I can put manacles and leg-irons on the giant.” The boat
craftsman ran to Zhen Jin, and with a worried face, he spontaneously said,
“Frequently on the boat, the giant often put them on, he is accustomed to
them.”
Zhen Jin pursed his brows and patted the boat craftsman’s shoulder: “Be at
ease, I do not blame you nor do I blame the giant. It’s an insignificant fore
mast, we can easily build another.”
When the boat craftsman heard Zhen Jin’s words, he relaxed a bit, however he
still wanted to put the giant in shackles.
From the bottom of his heart, Zhen Jin did not want the giant to be shackled,
it disgusted him. But what could he do beside that?
Zhen Jin privately called Xi Suo: “Do you know what I want you to do?”
“I understand your Lordship, this time will be simpler. We don’t have any
casualties thanks to your Lordship’s brilliant martial skill! Seeing those
scared and extremely cowardly people, some frigid irony and scorching satire
will stimulate their bravery.”
Seeing Xi Suo understand his idea, Zhen Jin gave a satisfied nod: “Go do it.”
Zhen Jin needed the giant to work, not only because of the large amount of
work, but to appease the talented boat craftsman. The young knight wanted to
deepen his force——he wanted to help and protect the giant, he wanted to find a
way for the giant and other people to coexist together.
The same evening the giant’s symptoms appeared; an unexpected event occurred.
Bang, rumble.
The earth trembled, broken rocks rolled, and immense trees toppled over.
Most of the sleeping people were roused and terrified, fleeing from their caves
to the ravine clearing.



****** Chapter 146: One of Us ******
“An earthquake broke out!” Zhen Jin quickly returned from the rainforest.
When the earthquake struck, he had been training the crocodile head hammer tail
boa form.
What made Zhen Jin gratified, is that he didn’t see a chaotic situation upon
returning.
Although he was not present, with Cang Xu, Zi Di, and Zong Ge joining hands to
quickly stabilize the situation, camp repairs had already begun.
The earthquake was not big, it came and went quickly.
The things Zhen Jin was most anxious about, the keel, mast, and other ship
parts, were undamaged. The construction site’s square plank ceiling showed
great merit, it firmly withstood the tumbling rocks and protected everyone’s
work.
An inspection later, with many piles of crushed rocks on the plank ceiling,
there were many holes and even more cracks in it.
Mu Ban looked at Zhen Jin seriously and reported: “My Lord, the plank ceiling
not only needs to be rebuilt, it also needs to be reinforced.”
Zong Ge tensely scowled: “We have been on this island for so long, yet this is
the first earthquake.
Faced with this kind of natural disaster, even the strong half beastman felt
powerless.
Zi Di followed up: “Is there only one earthquake? From the bottom of my heart,
I have a bad feeling about this. If earthquakes continue to happen, our current
residence is very dangerous.”
Everyone lived in caves, if a more intense earthquake occurred that collapsed
the mountain, the people sleeping in the caves would be crushed or buried
alive.
The ship building also had a big problem.
Originally, they used the ravine as a construction site in order to use it as a
dock, thus saving a lot of labor, material, and time.
But if earthquakes continued to happen, the small ravine would become a
dangerous place, a worse place than being in the open or in a flat area.
This time only a few small rocks broke, but if the next earthquake had a
stronger magnitude, the large stones tumbling down might cause massive damage
to the ship.
Zhen Jin sighed, then decisively said soon after: “The giant’s madness served
as our warning sign.”
Cang Xu was slightly stunned, but he soon nodded in approval: “Indeed it is
like this, it seems the giant has an influential role to play. His symptoms
were a wonderful occurrence for us!”
Zhen Jin gave Cang Xu an appreciative glance, then said: “Tonight don’t sleep
in the caves. Everyone will use tents to sleep outside.
“Beginning tomorrow, we will clear out all the trees around the ravine. We will
make a smooth track that extends from the ravine clearing. If an earthquake
happens, we can quickly evacuate the hull and other important ship sections.”
As Zhen Jin finished saying this, his eyes swept around him and stopped on Xi
Suo.
Xi Suo’s complexion slightly changed, he soon realized Zhen Jin wanted him to
continue propagating his ideas, Xi Suo then nodded and after sending his
greetings to Zhen Jin, he quietly left.
Zhen Jin’s heart was clear, this time the giant’s madness was a warning sign,
but it was still unreliable.
But this pretext could change everyone’s impression of the giant by a lot.
Zhen Jin needed the giant to work, he needed the giant’s important manpower.
Others might have additional words or opinions, but under the current
situation, Zhen Jin could not attend to them.
A leader’s most basic responsibility was to distinguish the most important
priorities.
“To the truth, I and President Zi Di have felt something approaching. An
earthquake has never happened before, yet it now suddenly occurred, it seems
there are unknown and radical changes occurring in the other regions.
Everything is starting to become fishy.”
“Following this, we must use all our strength to build a sailing ship as fast
as possible.
Speaking of this, Zhen Jin looked at the boat craftsman, his gaze strict.
“Regardless of how, you must compress the completion date.
“I can skimp on the job and materials and jerry-build!”
“First we need a ship that can sail, any projects that can be done on the ship
can be delayed until we set sail.
The boat craftsman stooped at once and accepted the order: “I understand my
Lord.”
That night, the boat craftsman stayed up constantly planning until he finally
made a new rough shipbuilding diagram.
The diagram was different from the last one, the ship had shrunk by one fifth
and many ship holds were canceled.
Originally everyone had hammocks to sleep in, however in the planned hammock
area, there only remained some grass beds on the diagram.
The masts used to be connected on top of each other. Now, all the heights of
the masts were cut by at least half. In the future, the mast height would be
increased enroute.
Originally, beside cannons, the blueprint had ten ballistae. But now, only
three cannons and half the ballistae remained.
The cannons were salvaged from the Hog’s Kiss wreckage, the original plan was
to build a dozen ballistae that could substitute for cannons to a degree.
Sailing the distant seas without firepower won’t do.
Regardless of whether it was fishmen, sea monsters, or pirates, all of them
were immense threats to ships.
But now, the number of ballistae no longer increased, as for the ballistae on
the diagram, those were all the ones the camp currently had on hand.
“Ships need many things, we can have people contribute a respective piece of
clothing, putting these clothes together will form a simple and crude sail.
Actually, male underwear can also be used.” In order to cut down on time
needed, the boat craftsman also took risks.
Zhen Jin’s orders were quickly transmitted, with the earthquake scaring the
people, they built the ship with even more zeal.
During the day, Zhen Jin even began to personally manage everyone’s work in the
ravine clearing.
With Zhen Jin there, everyone’s heart was free from anxiety, they were no
longer afraid of the giant’s madness.
Everyone’s heart was under great pressure, this resulted in their manufacturing
efficiency being upgraded greatly.
For the following week, the giant didn’t have any symptoms.
An earthquake also didn’t reoccur.
But food was being quickly consumed.
The people genuinely risked their lives to work, with many people actively
requesting to work throughout the night, they feel that when they sleep, they
are resting too much!
After all, constructing a new ship related to everyone’s life.
During the day Zhen Jin personally supervised the construction site.
All of the masts were placed in the keel.
The beams were built and combined with the frame, forming a visible embryonic
form of the new ship.
The sails were built quickly, this was mostly due to have plenty of spiderwebs
in reserve. It was like the boat craftsman’s previous assessment; blade spider
webs were a suitable material for sails.
As the third sail was being built, another earthquake occurred.
But the giant did not show symptoms.
No one haggled over this affair, in fact, Xi Suo directed the sailors earlier
to indicate the giant’s madness could not predict things accurately.
The island became more and more dangerous, everyone’s greatest concern was
whether they could escape or not.
The people prayed the earthquakes to stop, but in reality, everyone’s
expectations ran counter to their prayers.
As time went on, not only did the earthquakes become more frequent, they became
bigger.
The plank ceiling had to be reinforced many times, however in the end, it
broke.
Zhen Jin was forced to order everyone to move the fledgling ship outside the
ravine.
The outside rainforest had been cut and burned down, forming a new construction
site.
The new construction site was completely in the open, there already was no time
to make a new dock. In fact, because of the earthquakes, a dock would collapse
and smash the fledgling ship.
The difficulty, apart from earthquakes, was rain.
Moisture was a big enemy for ship building.
The hull in particular, needed to be dry and have all moisture eliminated from
the wood.
Zi Di’s potions played an immense role, in addition to her, the people also
dismantled their tents and reassembled them together, during rainy weather, to
form a giant tent they could work inside of.
When sunny days came back, the tent would be dismantled, allowing the sunlight
to shine on the fledgling ship and do its best to expel all the moisture.
After eight earthquakes, between the quaking earth and shaking mountains,
everyone became overwhelmed with horror. They had discovered a column of lava
and fire on the horizon.
According to Cang Xu’s evaluation, Zhen Jin and the others were on the island’s
edge, while the volcano was located on the island’s center, it was the island’s
core.
From Zhen Jin’s position, seeing the spectacular volcanic eruption from here
was far more frightening than seeing it in the volcanic zone.
“The end is practically approaching!”
“Can we really escape from this place?”
“If the island sank tomorrow, I would not be surprised.”
Everyone was anxious.
Sensing this, Zhen Jin held a bonfire banquet not long after.
He publicly made a speech, using his divine scion knight status, the empire,
honor, and contributions as excuses to boost everyone’s morale.
The speech had a clear effect.
Everyone looked at Zhen Jin, once again realizing they had a reliable leader at
their side. Not only was Zhen Jin strong and had a noble character, he ensured
he would not abandon anyone, and everyone believed him.
The roasted meat assailed the nostrils, and ten bottles of rum were provided.
Everyone only got a small portion, but the splendid taste infatuated everyone.
This time brought relief to everyone’s tense nerves; tight brows gradually
relaxed as laughter grew.
Zhen Jin carried a large piece of meat and arrived at a bonfire in the corner.
This was where the giant and boat craftsman were.
Zhen Jin gave the meat to the giant.
The giant didn’t dare receive it, but after the boat craftsman admonished him,
he cowered and took it.
“These days you have done well, without you, the ship would not have been built
so quickly. You must continue to try hard. Under everyone’s eyes, Zhen Jin
encouraged the giant.
The giant curled up his body as he sat, seeing Zhen Jin smiling at him, he
promptly lowered his head in embarrassment and stared at the meat in his hands,
not knowing what to say.
Zhen Jin did not stay long, after a moment, he turned around to leave.
The boat craftsman respectfully sent him off, sincerely sighing: “My Lord, you
really are different from others! I have never met someone as noble as you.”
As the father gave his cordial expression of gratitude, his words were choked
with emotion and his eyes grew faintly red.
Zhen Jin patted his shoulder, looked around and attracted everyone’s attention
onto himself.
He raised his voice slightly: “Everyone has a place on this ship, no one will
be left behind.”
“In other words, we are all in the same boat.”
“I know, differences exist between us.”
“There are all kinds of differences between our statuses, bloodlines,
appearances, and temperaments.”
“But these differences should not become doubts, antagonistic, or reasons for
internal conflict. We must tightly unite, only by doing so can we have the
greatest chance of escaping.”
“We are all……one of us!”
Zhen Jin used a particular tone to emphasize that final word.
He did not expect his impromptu speech would win everyone’s acclaim.
Many found themselves in love with Zhen Jin’s speech, they wanted Zhen Jin to
speak more.
Zhen Jin’s words soothed their frantic hearts, their serenity allowed them to
be filled with hope and motivation.
Zi Di gazed at the young leader.
Cang Xu wore a laudable smile.
Bai Ya seemed to burn with zealotry and Lan Zao maintained his usual silence.
Hei Juan quietly made a fist.
The always calm Tripleblade was also somewhat despondent.
“One of us?” Zong Ge stared into the bonfire, those words caused a past memory
to appear before him.
He collapsed onto an ice-cold floor tile, a foot tenaciously stepping on his
head.
“One of us?” The foot stepping on Zong Ge said in a young voice, “Ha! You
actually said to me that you were one of us?”
The young Zong Ge struggled, however he could not resist the youngster’s
strength and could barely open his mouth: “The same blood flows in our bodies,
we have the same father, we are half siblings, don’t tell me I am not one of
you?”
After saying this, Zong Ge felt the foot on his head suddenly increase in
strength.
That gorgeous boot still grinded at Zong Ge’s temple.
“Shut up! You mixed breed!” The youngster stepping on him shouted.
The other youngsters standing around also yelled in succession.
“Who is your sibling?”
“Your body is filthy and muddy, by what virtue can you stand shoulder to
shoulder with us? You indeed have a noble bloodline, but that is precisely your
tragedy. Because it draws attention to the essence of your inferior qualities
and incompetence.”
“You are our clan’s shame!”
“You tarnish our clan’s reputation!”
“Bastard!”
“An insignificant half beastman actually thought he could stand side by side
with us!!”
“Wishful thinking!!”



****** Chapter 147: One Man Wipes Out an Army ******
The young Zong Ge opened his eyes.
His fuzzy field of view became clear and caught sight of the fine floor tile,
the pain in his body made him recall what had happened.
His half siblings ganged up and beat him unconscious.
Silent tears flowed from his eyes.
Despair, anger, hatred, doubt, and all sorts of emotions flooded the young Zong
Ge, he curled up and sobbed quietly and convulsively.
Suddenly footsteps could be heard, stopping finally in front of Zong Ge.
In Zong Ge’s tearstained field of view, he saw a pair of indistinct boots.
“Sigh.” The owner of the boots deeply sighed.
Just the sigh allowed Zong Ge to realize the person’s identity.
The next moment, the man pulled him to his feet.
“Teacher……” Zong Ge helplessly called.
The teacher gazed at him, he did not hug the young Zong Ge, instead he gave him
a sword.
“Continue training the sword.” The teacher stated.
Hu, hu, hu……
The middle aged Zong Ge’s feet were as broad as his shoulders, with his hand
holding onto the bone hammer’s handle, constantly swung vertically down.
This was one of the most basic movements of swordsmanship.
Zong Ge acted strictly according to his training.
The heavy bone hammer in his hands was as light as rice straw.
What would have made that swordsmanship master more moved, was each of his
movements seemed to be the same, neither the angle nor speed, from top to
bottom, varied in the slightest.
Swinging three hundred times already made the strong half beastman sweat
profusely. Because his long brown hair was sweaty, it stuck to his forehead.
The banquet had finished long ago.
The late night did not have wind or the moon.
At this moment, Zong Ge was standing at the edge of the temporary camp, behind
him was bright bonfires and in front of him was the serene rainforest.
Hearing “one of us” from Zhen Jin’s mouth made Zong Ge recall the past, under
his silent expression, was a jittery heart.
Whenever this happened, Zong Ge would train the sword.
As long as it involved swordsmanship, even if it were the most basic movements,
it could alter his heart, allow him to focus his attention, and get rid of many
feelings.
Zong Ge’s restless mood gradually became serene.
The uninteresting sword movements, to him, was actually almost entertaining.
“One of us?”
“It is only the circumstances forcing us together, nothing more.”
Zong Ge sighed bitterly as he stopped and leaned on his hammer,
But at the next moment, his ears slightly trembled and his complexion abruptly
changed.
In the distance, he seemed to hear a wolf howl.
One night later.
After Zong Ge informed him, Zhen Jin personally led a team to investigate.
Five kilometers from the ravine, Zhen Jin and the others found a large area
full of messy beast tracks.
“There are monkey tail brown bear paw prints, strong life white rhinoceros
footprints, and crocodile head hammer tail boa snake trails……this undoubtedly
confirmed this is a magic beast corps!”
Zhen Jin’s heart sank.
Continuing to investigate, the results were more serious than his expectations.
There was a corps in the northwest and the southwest, two magic beast corps.
The third magic beast corps wandered at the edge of the ravine control
perimeter; it did not penetrate too deeply.
Returning with the information, all of the higher ups had heavy expressions.
“There are at least three blue dog fox wolves coveting our camp!”
“Is it just one magic beast corps, but split up by the blue dog fox wolf to
mislead us?”
“No, the scale of the corps that attacked the camp is definitely the blue dog
fox wolf’s control limit. The beast group left behind different kinds of
tracks. Besides, making these beasts pretend to leave traces is very difficult.
After all, the blue dog fox wolf is extraordinary.”
“Since these magic beast corps deliberately don’t approach the camp, it proves
they have already discovered us. The reason they aren’t attacking now, must be
because they are still growing their power!”
“It might be that blue dog fox wolf who had been tailing behind us, it must
have called more of its comrades!”
The situation became terrible.
Everyone had to build the ship while defending against the magic beast corps.
With the blue dog fox wolves commanding the magic beast corps, it was
comparable to having ten times the beast groups attacking!
More discouraging, the volcano was still erupting, the island seemed to be in
the middle of some dramatic change. If the ship was built too late, everyone
might be buried on this island.
The higher ups discussed how to respond; they had dealt with magic beast corps
before.
But regardless of how ingenious a method was, someone had to implement it. If
manpower was transferred, shipbuilding would slow down.
No one wanted to see this, but nothing could be done about it.
“No, I have a method!” Zhen Jin’s heart said, but his mouth did not speak.
Fortifications started to be built and strengthened, and when everyone was
sleeping at night, Zhen Jin began to move.
After transforming into a bat monkey, he quickly traveled through the
rainforest.
His ultrasound finally detected a magic beast corps.
The bat monkey Zhen Jin rapidly flew to a higher altitude.
In the sky, he saw the blue dog fox wolf settled in the middle of the corps,
heavy layers of protection safeguarding it.
The next moment, Zhen Jin activated the core and transformed.
The red light radiated in the air, the bat monkey form soon dissipated, and was
replaced with a crocodile head hammer tail boa Zhen Jin!
The crocodile head hammer tail boa Zhen Jin did not have wings nor a way to
stay suspended in the air, moreover his body was fatter than an ordinary
crocodile head hammer tail boa.
Zhen Jin immediately fell from a high altitude!
The magic beast corps naturally also had bat monkeys, at first they were not
vigilant against Zhen Jin, but when the crocodile head hammer tail boa Zhen Jin
fell from the air, the bat monkeys together screeched in alarm.
Just as the blue dog fox wolf reacted, rumble, the crocodile head hammer tail
boa Zhen Jin smashed into the floor.
Thick trees collapsed and were crushed under his weight, along with many
unlucky magic beasts.
A crocodile head hammer tail boa was covered in crocodile skin, it displayed
formidable defensive abilities. But just relying on the skin was insufficient,
there was also a thick layer of fat under the skin.
This fat was not something crocodile head hammer tai boas possessed, instead it
came from the subterranean sandworm.
When Zhen Jin killed the subterranean sandworm, he naturally converted some of
it secretly. Although he could not transform into a complete form, its thick
fat was now one of his transformation choices.
The fat fiercely trembled, offsetting the opposite reaction of the ground.
The blue dog fox wolf jumped back, then suddenly; Zhen Jin’s figure quickly
approached the blue dog fox wolf. Soon after, he extended his head and opened
his crocodile mouth in a lightning surprise attack, biting the blue dog fox
wolf.
The blue dog fox wolf attempted to howl, but at that moment, a large amount of
acid bubbled from Zhen Jin’s throat.
The flowing acid choked the blue dog fox wolf, forcing it to cough.
It frantically scratched, its hind legs constantly pawing at the ground.
Unfortunately, at that moment, Zhen Jin had already raised his snake body,
lifting the blue dog fox wolf into the air, despite its hind legs’ best
efforts.
Soon after, four blood threads formed in Zhen Jin’s mouth and tied up the blue
dog fox wolf.
As the blood threads permeated the blue dog fox wolf, the magic beast corps
crazily attacked from all sides.
The quickest act were not the monkey tail brown bears or strong life white
rhinoceros near Zhen Jin, but the flying squirrels.
A great amount of flying squirrels.
But Zhen Jin had foreseen this, although he was in a crocodile head hammer tail
boa form, he could still use a silver level bat monkey’s sound wave attack.
Upon suffering the sound wave attack, the flying squirrels immediately sprawled
out on their backs and fell to the ground, they were no longer a threat.
The two strong life white rhinoceros charged over; Zhen Jin did not have enough
time to avoid them. He was not skilled enough with the crocodile head hammer
tail boa form, even if he made evasive maneuvers, it was unlikely he would
dodge them.
Therefore, he simply did not dodge, rather he transformed the crocodile skin
into a scorpion carapace.
The strong life white rhinoceros ferociously rammed the scorpion carapace,
although they did not break the carapace, the power of their immense strength
was still transmitted.
The fat under the scorpion carapace once again dampened the blow, it violently
fluctuated and dispersed the force, perfectly ready to take on the next charge.
Meanwhile, red light sparkled in Zhen Jin’s mouth, converting and absorbing the
blue dog fox wolf, reducing the latter into a pile of carbon ash.
Killing the blue dog fox wolf greatly roused Zhen Jin’s spirit. Having a blue
dog fox wolf and not having one were two completely different situations!
The perfume’s effects still persisted.
After helplessly watching the murder of their commander, the magic beasts sank
into insurrection, allowing Zhen Jin to launch a crazy offensive.
Some of the magic beasts were better off. The monkey tail brown bears, with
their crucial red talons, could penetrate the scorpion carapace and roast the
fat, producing a nice food-like fragrance.
Zhen Jin rolled on the spot and crushed a path out. Red light glittered, he
dissipated the huge crocodile head hammer tail boa form and transformed into a
silver level bat monkey again, allowing him to fly into the sky.
All of the bat monkeys chased after him, while the other beast could only snarl
powerlessly from the ground.
Zhen Jin soared through the sky with great speed, only two silver level bat
monkeys could barely keep up with him.
Zhen Jin suddenly turned around and attacked the silver level bat monkeys.
He transformed a lizard head, but with spider mouthparts.
Two balls of milky white spider webs sprayed out at the two silver level bat
monkeys, binding their wings.
The silver level bat monkeys screeched as they fell to the ground.
The other bat monkeys extended a helping hand, catching their leaders in the
air.
But this was all Zhen Jin’s plot.
Holding the height advantage, he constantly sprayed spider webs at the bat
monkeys.
Quickly, only Zhen Jin remained in the air.
Without bat monkeys tangling him up, Zhen Jin began to spray acid.
The magic beasts could only roar and shout, but they could not touch Zhen Jin.
The acid killed ordinary beasts and bronze level magic beasts, while seriously
injuring iron level magic beasts.
Fighting this way for a good while, Zhen Jin consumed most of his magic core’s
magic reserves, while the entire magic beast corps he tormented was extremely
exhausted.
“It is time!” Seeing his opportunity, Zhen Jin flew down and transformed into a
monkey tail brown bear.
He immediately fell on a strong life white rhinoceros.
His bear claws directly pierced the strong live white rhinoceros’ skull, then
his fingernails transformed into spider blades, allowing him to penetrate its
brains, in addition, at the tip of each blade was a bee stinger.
Another strong life white rhinoceros charged over, at the same time, a
crocodile head hammer tail boa attacked Zhen Jin from behind.
Zhen Jin instantly transformed into a silver level flying squirrel, and shot
out like lightning, successfully avoiding its attack.
The strong life white rhinoceros and crocodile head hammer tail boa collided
into each other.
Zhen Jin immediately crashed into a monkey tail brown bear; he then took
advantage of its slow reactions to unleash a strong electrical shock.
Bang.
The monkey tail brown bear collapsed, smoke fuming all over its body.
Unlike the strong life white rhinoceros, that attack directly killed it, there
was no chance of it coming back to life.
But that kind of electrical shock consumed the most magic. Following that, Zhen
Jin no longer attacked in such a way.
Even without using the electrical shock, he still beat the magic beast corps
into chaos,
Without a blue dog fox wolf, and with the limited intelligence of these magic
beasts, Zhen Jin could move how he wished, the idea of a formation basically
did not exist. Many of their attacks even struck their comrades' bodies.
The most crucial aspect was Zhen Jin’s strong transformations.
For a long time now, he had bitterly and relentlessly trained, accumulated many
achievements and made remarkable progress in many aspects. For example, Zhen
Jin could never transform so quickly in a fierce battle, but now he could do it
smoothly.
Before battling this magic beast corps, Zhen Jin lacked a chance to thoroughly
test himself.
Now an opportunity has arrived!
“Rejuvenated! Extremely rejuvenated!!” The more Zhen Jin battled, the more his
blood raced.
To start off, he used all kinds of magic beasts forms he was not proficient
with, especially mutual transformations between magic beast forms.
But during the fierce battle, he became increasingly proficient and calm.
Many movements did not flow during daily training. But under attacks from all
sides and outside pressure, those movements became smoother and easier.
Qualitative changes lead to fundamental changes, Zhen Jin could feel himself
becoming stronger!
He was becoming stronger every second!
“A bit stronger!”
“Get even stronger! Zhen Jin’s heart roared.
“Slow, too slow!” He overtook a monkey tail brown bear and chopped off its head
with the blade on the back of his hand.
“Weak, too weak!” His foot stamped on a spider web bound bat monkey, the stomp
directly killing it.
Corpses were strewn across the ground; blood filled the earth.
Zhen Jin as one man, matched an army and carried out a bloody and brutal
slaughter.
The magic beast corps was nearly destroyed, with its remnants beginning to flee
in disarray.
Zhen Jin launched a ruthless pursuit.
No magic beast could escape his pursuit.
As the final strong life white rhinoceros collapsed near a small lakeside, Zhen
Jin couldn’t help but raise his head in laughter.
“Ha ha ha!” The confusion, depression, and pressure of many days were
unburdened and discharged.
The scorpion tail on his buttocks skillfully penetrated the strong life white
rhinoceros.
Soon after, the blood threads converted and absorbed the strong life white
rhinoceros.
“As it turns out, I am already this strong!”
“What can stop me?”
“Hm? What else?”
“Even if there are many magic beast corps, how can they catch me?”
In a fine mettle, Zhen Jin showed disdain for his environment.
The dark clouds scattered and exposed the moonlight.
At that moment, the entire rainforest became silent, as if it were taking in
his ominous prestige.
Zhen Jin swept his eyes around him and suddenly stopped; he saw himself in the
lake water.
Presently, he had a long scorpion tail, a lizard head, was covered all over in
a scorpion carapace, had a bear body, and had two spider blades growing from
his hands.
A……monster.
Zhen Jin stared blankly.
The happiness and surging killing intent in his heart seemed to retreat like
the tide.
He looked like a statue.
After a moment, his body trembled, as if reacting.
He slowly drew back until he could no longer see his image in the lake water.



****** Chapter 148: My Abilities are Limited ******
“Shoot!” Lan Zao roared through his teeth.
Whoosh
At that moment, a volley of crossbow fire formed a black arrow curtain.
Shrouded by the arrow curtain, bat monkeys fell to the ground one after the
other.
On the hillside, the remaining large magic beasts tried to charge forward. A
monkey tail brown bear was at the forefront of them.
Death.
Suddenly a giant crossbow arrow, similar to a war spear, cut the wind and in a
flash, hit the monkey tail brown bear. It hit its chest and pierced through its
body.
The monkey tail brown bear was shot dead while the arrow continued to launch it
back somewhat.
“Good kill Hei Juan!”
Seeing this, morale greatly rose.
The giant arrow was fired from a ballista controlled by Hei Juan.
Regarding his archery skill, he was publicly known to only be second to Zhen
Jin.
“Bark bark bark……”
From the magic beast corps’ rear, some blue dog fox wolves barked together,
signaling the magic beast corps’ retreat.
“Success!”
“Victory, we defended this place.”
“All thanks to Lord Zhen Jin and Lord Zong Ge!”
Everyone cheered, almost every gaze was directed at Zhen Jin and Zong Ge.
A fortnight had passed since Zhen Jin’s night attack that had annihilated a
magic beast corps.
During that fortnight, the situation had rapidly worsened.
Sensing the isolated magic beast corps had been annihilated, after Zhen Jin’s
first ambush, the remaining blue dog fox wolves chose to assemble in one place.
This made Zhen Jin’s work hard.
During this time, he tried to dispose of them many times.
To kill the blue dog fox wolves, one needed to kill many magic beasts. However,
he had fallen into the blue dog fox wolves’ scheme and had been attacked from
all sides, his body receiving serious wounds in the process.
Fortunately, things were very different now with Zhen Jin’s core.
He could transform the flesh of a strong life white rhinoceros.
This strong life white rhinoceros’ flesh was far more practical than that of
other magic beasts. After Zhen Jin’s wounds changed to strong life white
rhinoceros’ flesh, it gained the strong life white rhinoceros’ powerful
recovery abilities, by the next day, he was no longer injured.
Strong life white rhinoceros needed to eat a lot of food to replenish the
energy it took to heal. But Zhen Jin had the core, he simply used the magic in
the core.
He used magic to discharge electricity, and he also used magic to heal.
He discovered more and more practical things he could use the magic for.
“This time, a new blue dog fox wolf appeared.” Zhen Jin sighed to Zong Ge as
they returned victorious.
This was the current situation: not long after killing a blue dog fox wolf, one
or even two new ones appeared.
Each blue dog fox wolf commanded a magic beast corps of varying scopes.
Zhen Jin was silent.
During the initial discovery of the magic beast corps, he relied on all of his
strength to neutralize this crisis to the camp.
The starting situation was great, using his power, he destroyed an entire magic
beast corps.
But when two other blue dog fox wolves, hovering by the border, quickly
discovered the destruction of their comrade and its magic beast corps, they
immediately gathered together.
The two blue dog fox wolves together made it hard for Zhen Jin to attack them.
He tried to ambush them but failed when a blue dog fox wolf survived.
After learning about Zhen Jin, the blue dog fox wolf acted properly. It ordered
all its flying squirrels to take cover underground.
These flying squirrels were good at digging holes in tree trunks and in the
ground.
By hiding underground, Zhen Jin’s sound wave attack was ineffective.
As Zhen Jin began his assault, after receiving the blue dog fox wolf’s order,
these flying squirrels would attack in a wave.
Regardless of what Zhen Jin transformed into, none of his forms were immune to
electricity.
Although he also defended himself with a thick white muscle membrane, it only
protected his internal organs, brain, and so on, it did not protect his flesh.
Every electrical shock produced paralysis and halted his movements.
It was very annoying.
The blue dog fox wolf was even more cunning, it did not dispatch all of the
flying squirrels at once, rather it used small waves of them to beat back Zhen
Jin.
Seriously hurt, Zhen Jin retreated.
The next night he wanted to attack again and destroy the remaining magic beast
corps, however to his shock, he discovered two new magic beast corps!
He and the magic beast corps were in a deadlock, the more information he
divulged about himself, the more counters the blue dog fox wolves responded
with.
The blue dog fox wolves emphasized their own safety.
Zhen Jin attempts to assassinate them failed repeatedly, once a blue dog fox
wolf exploited Zhen Jin’s strategy and intentionally showed a weak point, using
itself to bait Zhen Jin into a trap.
The other blue dog fox wolves surrounded Zhen Jin.
Fortunately, Zhen Jin could fly and escape.
But afterwards, the blue dog fox wolves brought in blade spiders, these were
huge threats to the bat monkey Zhen Jin.
Zhen Jin could only fight with all his strength during the night.
After the magic beast corps gained a foothold, they began to penetrate the
defensive perimeter and attack the ravine.
Zhen Jin could not stop this, he was only a lone warrior, he could not obstruct
these enormous magic beast corps.
“If I could completely transform in coordination with the others, perhaps I
could kill all these blue dog fox wolves.” Zhen Jin’s heart emitted an idea.
But soon after, he dispelled that idea.
Unless it was as a last resort, he would never do that.
He was very restrained even when transforming his human body. Generally, he
would transform when charging. Even if he transformed near others, he would
quickly charge into a beast group.
Luckily, Zi Di and Cang Xu could not fight, they were always in the rear and
never observed Zhen Jin’s transforming body up close.
Every time Zhen Jin prayed to Emperor Sheng Ming, it would be ineffective.
Everyone considered this normal, and no one suspected anything.
“Perhaps dramatic changes have already happened, then all our hopes lie in our
new ship.” Zhen Jin replied to Zong Ge as he gazed into the distance.
The volcano never stopped erupting, although there were intermittences,
eruptions were increasing in frequency.
The distant sky was pitch-black.
It was volcanic clouds.
Although the sky above the rainforest was still clear, the volcanic clouds were
visible to the naked eye, as they extended to all directions, they would soon
cover the entire island.
Zong Ge also looked at the erupting pillar of lava and nodded.
Zhen Jin took his leave while the half beastman continued to oversee the
defensive line. He was the main commander in the defensive battle, he was not
an ordinary soldier, but served as a high ranking officer with considerable
talent.
Cang Xu was in charge of logistics and had received praise from Zong Ge many
times.
Zhen Jin mainly watched over the construction site.
The higher ups explicitly divided up the work.
In the small ravine, most of the hull was already constructed successfully, and
great amount of ship planks had finally been installed on the framework.
The ship planks used the advanced flat joining method, not the backwards
connection method.
Most working around the ship hull, were the wounded.
The defensive line needed military strength; the wounded could only provide
labor.
These days, they have been working energetically. Almost every day they sweated
like pigs, their wounds would open again, and each evening, they went to sleep
extremely exhausted.
The situation was critical, and the viewpoint that the ship was the only way to
escape this island, became the consensus.
In the ravine clearing, nothing was more conspicuous than the giant.
The giant’s labor played a critical role, but he was also a hidden danger.
If he went mad and destroyed the hull, everyone would lose their hopes of
escape.
As a result, Zhen Jin had to oversee the area, if the giant went mad, he would
promptly knock out the latter.
Only when the defensive perimeter was hard pressed, would Zhen Jin come over.
During this fortnight, over ten earthquakes occurred, they happened frequently.
The giant also had around ten outbreaks, all of which were promptly stopped by
Zhen Jin.
After each time the giant showed symptoms, everyone would move the hull outside
the ravine, and contrary to what one might expect, they avoided several
earthquakes.
No one troubled the giant, with the immense external pressure of the magic
beast corps, almost all internal contradictions were disregarded.
Bai Ya dragged his beaten body to a cave entrance.
Next to a bonfire, he placed some parchment on top of his leg. He dipped a
quill pen into some ink, it was a small movement, but it made him grimace in
pain.
His arm was bandaged, with spots of blood seeping out of the bandages.
During today’s fight, he was injured because a bat monkey bit his forearm.
The humid air made his clothes sticky.
Only his full stomach made him happy.
After Bai Ya gasped a little and slowed his rushed breathing, he began to
write.
Dear Miss Xi Qiu:
Please forgive my extended absence between letters. Also forgive me that these
letters still cannot be delivered to your hand.
……
The magic beast corps attacked again, during that, I shot a dozen or more bat
monkeys dead and wounded many more magic beasts……
We originally thought these magic beast corps were not a problem, but in
reality, they have a steady flow of reinforcements.
Our situation is getting nastier. Today a new magic beast corps appeared,
making our weeklong fighting and carnage vanish like smoke in thin air. The
magic beast corps can replenish troops so easily.
Fortunately, we hold the ravine. This terrain is easier to defend than the
forest camp.
Most obviously are the ballistae being set up in high locations.
Recently, Lord Hei Juna’s prestige has increased rapidly, because he is very
skillful with a ballista. The huge crossbow arrows have terrifying might, often
it can heavily injure silver level magic beasts.
More admired is Lord Zong Ge. Although he is a half beastman, he possesses
extraordinary courage and strength. Although his left gauntlet was destroyed,
by relying on an iron shield, he is often on the frontlines to personally hold
back the attacking magic beasts. That huge shield is nearly as tall as me and
is very heavy, however Lord Zong Ge can easily carry it.
The one I most adore, will forever be Lord Zhen Jin!
Whenever the defensive line reports an emergency, he will appear where he is
needed most.
Every time he appears, he will immediately chop down magic beasts. Not only
does he stabilize the situation, he will also lead a counter charge.
Each time we see his figure, our fearful and hesitating hearts will quickly
turn serene, and our downcast morale will quickly rise.
Lord Zhen Jin is a believer of Emperor Sheng Ming, with the Emperor's deep
love, he gives us light and victory.
With his Lordship, our victory is certain!
……
Dear Miss Xi Qiu:
Today’s fight made my body coldly sweat.
Our defensive line had been thoroughly scouted out by the blue dog fox wolves;
they then engineered a sinister sneak attack. All of the strong life white
rhinoceros grouped together and charged down the slope.
Our defensive line was smashed, and the other magic beasts were pouring through
the gap when Lord Zhen Jin appeared.
I will never forget that scene.
After Lord Zhen Jin loudly prayed, another miracle appeared!
He changed into a giant larger than Zong Ge, wore golden armor, and possessed
incomparable strength.
The strong life white rhinoceros could not harm him, and when he prayed,
Emperor Sheng Ming, as expected, gave him a sharp sword.
With the lightning sword tightly grasped, he pierced a strong life white
rhinoceros’ head and cooked its brain with electricity.
Wherever Lord Zhen went, the magic beasts there would suffer a crushing defeat,
all of them routing one after the other.
He continued to charge up a hillside, scaring off those blue dog fox wolves
like frightened rats!
Although it was a victory, the battle gave everyone post-traumatic stress.
If we didn’t have Lord Zhen Jin, we would have lost.
As a result, after Zhen Jin, Zong Ge, as well as Cang Xu, Zi Di, and some
others discussed with each other, it was decided that the number of ballistae
and crossbows would be increased.
Doing this would slow down the construction speed of the ship.
But nothing could be done about it.
The giant is also a hidden danger, I once told you he has an illness.
Someone suggested we put the giant on the defensive perimeter, because many
people are worried: there might be a day when the giant goes mad when Lord Zhen
Jin is on the defensive perimeter. If he destroyed the ship, it would be
terrible.
But after the scholar Cang Xu calculated everything, he informed us the giant’s
labor force was equivalent to fifty men. The giant was even a skilled
shipbuilder!
He seemed clumsy, but he was actually very skillful. He grew up on a ship and
continuously received the boat craftsman’s instructions, this made him very
experienced in ship repairs.
The giant played a critical role in the ship building. If he was sent to fight,
ship building efficiency would hit rock bottom.
Cang Xu’s words did not convince everyone, but of course, I believed scholar
Cang Xu. After Lord Zhen Jin explicitly supported Cang Xu, no one objected.
As Bai Ya wrote his letter, beads of sweat tumbled down and he turned pale. The
intense fighting did not allow him to recuperate or relax.
……
Dear Miss Xi Qiu:
There was another fierce battle today.
The magic beast corps’ offensives have been getting more frequent and
ferocious.
I feel numb.
My heart isn’t numb, in fact, as long as Lord Zhen Jin is here, my heart will
eternally be filled with hope and the will to fight.
My body is numb.
I fell ill.
Perhaps it is my accumulated injuries, new and old, encumbering me. Another
possibility is after some beast bit me, it left behind some kind of poison in
my wound.
My eyes are dark, whenever I quickly turn my head, the sky will spin, and I
even feel the illusion of a mountain pounding at me.
I have lost my sense of touch, I can definitely grab a crossbow, but my fingers
cannot feel the bowstring or the trigger.
My tongue is also numb, it may be said I don’t have a sense of taste.
Lord Zi Di gave me some medicine, after drinking some, I can feel better in
half a day.
But after half a day, my body feels it is in an oven. It seems like my body
cannot hold my soul and I feel my soul floating and dispersing.
I don’t know if I can go through this.
But I guarantee you, since the shipwreck, I was never timid. From beginning to
end, I did my best in battles. I imitated Lord Zhen Jin’s bearing, I especially
hope, one day, I can be as strong as him.
Unfortunately, I am only an ordinary person.
If, If I cannot endure this crisis, I will lose my life here. I request of you,
I earnestly request of you, for the sake of these letters, to look after my old
mountain parents. Tell them of my death and ask them to forgive this unfilial
son. Let me be an example to educate my younger brother and sister, let them
take this as a warning.
I must admit, after sniffing the smell of death, I felt regret.
But I will never regret my acquaintance with you, my beautiful and most loved
Miss Xi Qiu.
Your smile has always been in my heart.
……
But I also ask you to understand me, my abilities are really too limited……
Writing this, Bai Ya’s quill point stooped, then in the wake of his falling
hand, the quill point streaked across most of the parchment until it finally
fell to the ground.
With a bang, Bai Ya fell to the ground.



****** Chapter 149: No Difference ******
“How is the situation?” Zhen Jin entered Bai Ya’s residence.
On a grass bed, lay a deathly pale Bai Ya between life and death.
Zhen Jin used ultrasound and a transformed internal ear structure to find that
Bai Ya was still breathing somewhat.
The breathing was extremely weak and short, it was on the brink of vanishing.
“His situation is far from good.” Cang Xu turned around.
Zhen Jin sank into silence.
Bai Ya……
This youngster was once an immense contributor to the exploration team. He was
young, innocent, and yearned for knighthood.
Now, he lay with tightly closed eyes, death’s sickle was already on his neck.
Despite experiencing so much, he still collapsed here.
During this time, the ravine camp had many new casualties and no shortages of
death.
If it was the past, morale would have dropped. But with Zhen Jin’s supreme
prestige and existence, the group still maintained excellent morale.
As far as Bai Ya’s situation was concerned, Zhen Jin was not surprised and even
felt regretful.
With a different family background and bloodline, combined with his fighting
spirit and willpower, perhaps things would be different.
Bai Ya, he really was too ordinary.
He was only an ordinary person and a mediocre human. His youthful energy and
enthusiasm seemed naive and even stupid.
However, this “stupidity” sometimes seemed praiseworthy.
Bai Ya was willing to help others, this was his nature. When the expiration
team was poisoned, he looked after the others and gained good relationships
with them.
When breaking out of the green lizard encirclement, he stupidly saved Cang Xu,
reversing their situations. If Zhen Jin did not return to save him, he would
have lost his life on the spot.
At the oasis, he also saved Lan Zao, unafraid of being poisoned himself.
He blindly adored Zhen Jin and was Zhen Jin’s most feverish follower.
“I am very sorry for coming late.” Zi Di’s voice came from behind him.
“Zi Di, diagnose him quickly.” A new hope immediately burned in Zhen Jin’s
heart.
But after Zi Di examined him, she only responded with silence.
The hope in Zhen Jin’s heart rapidly waned.
“Oh dear.” Cang Xu deeply sighed, “My Lord, take a look at this.”
Cang Xu found some letters in the grass bed.
“These should be letters he wrote.” Cang Xu quickly skimmed over the contents
and slightly pursed his brows, his calm rationally giving way to rarely seen
anger.
According to his judgement, Miss Xi Qiu played with Bai Ya and used a false
romance to deceive the inexperienced youngster. This made his risks and
sacrifices a laughing matter.
Zhen Jin shook his head: “Cang Xu, the truth is not known, nothing is certain.”
The young knight’s heart did not want to see Cang Xu’s conjecture as correct.
Taking the letters from Cang Xu, Zhen Jin quickly ran his eyes over them.
The handwriting in the letters were terrible, messy, and had no sense of
beauty, however it was clearly written by Bai Ya. It was clear he had only
learned how to write a short time ago.
Many parts of the letters were empty, these were the words Bai Ya could not
write.
The characters in the letter also changed color, turning purple, it seemed the
ink had deteriorated.
In the letters, Bai Ya expressed his love for Miss Xi Qiu and his adoration for
Zhen Jin.
In the final letter, he wrote his regrets.
Seeing Bai Ya’s regrets, Zhen Jin’s heart couldn’t help but tremble.
Without previous life and death crises, it was impossible for him to have such
a sincere resonance to this!
Zhen Jin respectfully gazed at the unconscious Bai Ya and seriously said: “I
pledge to you Bai Ya. If you are unfortunately sacrificed, I will personally
give these letters to your most beloved. If Miss Xi Qiu sincerely loves you, I
will inform her of everything, I will tell her she did not misjudge you and
that you possessed a knightly spirit. You fought gallantly, did your best,
always walked the path of kind heartedness and justice, and never cowered from
danger. But if she was merely toying with you, then I will uphold justice for
you, she will be tried by a templar knight!”
After finishing this, Zhen Jin solemnly stored the letters in his pocket.
Bai Ya’s end already seemed preordained as everyone left the rock cave.
“My Lord, please stay.” Zi Di suddenly spoke, at the same time, she glanced at
Cang Xu. Cang Xu bowed to Zhen Jin and quickly left.
In the passageway, there was only Zi Di and Zhen Jin.
A spell of silence.
“My Lord, let me hold onto those letters for safekeeping. After all, you often
charge on the frontlines.” Said Zi Di.
“Please keep them safe.” Zhen Jin nodded and gave the letters to Zi Di.
“My Lord I……” Zi Di replied.
Zhen Jin smiled: “No need to console me. Although indeed, my mood has been
gloomy since my comrade collapsed. I do not have the ability to save him, and
many times, my abilities really are limited.”
“My Lord, in the end, we are simply humans, not gods. Even some gods are not
experts in this field.” Zi Di drew in both of Zhen Jin’s hands, “My Lord,
please don’t blame yourself too much.”
“How can I not blame myself?” Zhen Jin bitterly laughed, “I neglected him too
much. He was an outstanding contributor, but after more people covered up his
abilities, I neglected him.”
“Thinking back now, did I treat him as a tool? When this tool went unused or
lost its usefulness, did I throw him to the back of my mind?”
“Am I a qualified leader? I often speak publicly and say I treat everyone
equally, but do I really treat everyone equally? What have I really
accomplished? If I valued Bai Ya a bit more, would I have discovered his
worsening situation earlier and have a different outcome?”
“My Lord!” Zi Di called, she stepped forward, throwing herself into a hug with
Zhen Jin at her own accord.
Both her hands embraced Zhen Jin’s waist as she tightly embraced the young
knight: “Lord Zhen Jin, you are absolutely qualified, no, you are an
outstanding leader. You are a knight, my……knight, please don’t doubt yourself.”
Her soft and tender body definitely encouraged him and mitigated Zhen Jin’s
dispirited expression.
The youngster lifted his hand and caressed Zi Di’s shoulder.
At that moment, the youngster felt a warm feeling from Zi Di’s body. This warm
feeling constantly flowed into his heart, and the ice cube hidden in his heart
seemed to melt.
Intangible misunderstandings seemed to dispel.
Once again, Zhen Jin felt an urge, he wanted to tell Zi Di his secret and
everything on his mind.
But at the next moment, his expression changed, his ultrasound discovered there
was an emergency on the front line.
The fighters were already escaping to the ravine clearing.
“We need to go. I still need to look after the giant.” Zhen Jin softly pushed
away Zi Di.
“Ok.” Zi Di released her hands and deeply gazed at Zhen Jin with her amethyst
eyes, she then watched him leave and disappear behind a corner.
When the fighters came to the ravine, they easily found Zhen Jin.
Zhen Jin left, soon after, he routed the magic beast corps again and stabilized
the defensive line.
That same night, he moved alone and tried to trouble the magic beast corps.
But he could only cause a limited amount of casualties, the blue dog fox wolves
had strong defenses at their sides. The death of each blue dog fox wolf was a
bloody lesson that made the surviving ones more experienced.
Although Zhen Jin could also produce perfume, it could not disturb the magic
beast corps.
Zhen Jin risked his life and did his best to kill many magic beasts, then he
returned his beaten and inflexible body back to camp.
The night guards gazed at him with adoration and respect.
Zhen Jin could not rest for long. Of all the higher ups, he worked the most.
However, these gazes full of love, respect, zealotry, and praise could not give
Zhen Jin pure warmth and motivation. They were like a cold light that offended
his eyes.
As per usual, the next day, the magic beast corps launched another offensive.
The people relied on natural barriers and their defenses. Under Zong Ge’s
command, they did their best to kill or injure the magic beast corps. If this
didn’t happen, under the magic beast corps’ constant reinforcements, the
situation would have collapsed.
However, the people risked their lives in close quarters combat and caused
disastrous casualties to the magic beast corps. However, as time passed, the
magic beast corps instead became more numerous.
The people finally realized how many blue dog fox wolves were on this island.
However, after carefully thinking about it, this island was massive. It was
normal the vast jungle and deep forest could sustain many blue dog fox wolves.
The situation was in a temporary deadlock
The earthquakes grew weaker; however they became more frequent. Sometimes,
three or four would occur in a single day.
The giant also had constant symptoms.
Roar.
The giant roared and bellowed.
“Run for it, he has symptoms again!” The people fled in a panic.
Like lightning, Zhen Jin jumped up and hit his nape.
Bang.
Just as the giant’s roar finished, his eyes rolled over as he fell to the
ground.
Roar.
“Run for it, he……”
Zhen Jin already attacked.
Bang.
Just as the giant roared, he fell to the ground.
Roar.
“Quickly……”
Bang.
The giant fell to the ground.
Roar.
Bang.
The giant just opened his mouth and wanted to roar.
Zhen Jin immediately disposed of him.
Bang.
As the number of times the giant was knocked out increased, the more skilled
Zhen Jin became. Beside practice making perfect, he eventually replaced his
attack with a stone, with the right amount of force applied on the giant’s
nape, he could use the stone to knock out the giant.
To the extent that every time the giant saw Zhen Jin, he felt a faint burst of
pain in his neck.
Each time Zhen Jin suppressed him, in the beginning the giant feared Zhen Jin
as a result, but soon after, this fear changed to numbness and then into
calmness.
This was the giant’s position: you can knock me unconscious whenever you want,
I can’t resist it anyways.
Finally, in his calmness, an unexpected trace of intimacy appeared.
It seems the boat craftsman’s words, “I hit you out of love”, was recorded in
his heart.
Indeed, Zhen Jin did not injure him. Every time Zhen Jin promptly stopped the
giant’s symptoms and didn’t allow him to harm the ship or the lives of others,
the more tolerable the giant became to a human environment.
As the giant continued to fall to the ground, the new ship grew more refined.
The boat planks were flattened well, and the aft and rudder were constructed
and reinforced with iron.
Most of the deck was also completed.
Altogether, the ship had two decks. After the two decks were finished, next
were the bow deckhouse and the aft deckhouse.
Currently, the people were rushing to build the essential ship hold.
In order to build a ship, everyone used all their strength and did their best.
During this time, the frontal battlefield line constantly retreated in defeat.
At first, the defensive line was mended, but as the situation developed, the
people had to abandon it.
The defensive line retreated from the foot of a mountain to a hillside.
At first, in order to protect the ravine, the people suffered great damage.
Mu Ban then came up with an outrageous idea, after obtaining the boat
craftsman’s confirmation, the people dragged the boat to the top of a hill.
This way, the defensive area shrunk, and with military power pulling back, the
defensive line stabilized.
The reason that caused this was Zhen Jin constantly losing personnel while the
blue dog fox wolves received constant reinforcements.
The scales of victory were slowly tilting towards the magic beast corps.
On the other hand, the blue dog fox wolves used a few subterranean sandworms.
Zhen Jin and Zong Ge could not quickly kill these sandworms, they could only
watch as their countless attacks destroyed their defensive fortifications.
Zhen Jin fulfilled his responsibility as a leader.
Despite the front constantly retreating, he continued to boost morale and fight
on the front lines.
The new boat continued to be improved, giving everyone something to place their
hopes in.
Everyone persevered with clenched teeth.
Like the iron in the kiln, the constant burning and forging gradually condensed
the people into a true team, all of them became inseparably close and mutually
understood each other. Misunderstandings, hate, suspicions, and so on
disappeared, replaced with the camaraderie and trust of comrades-in-arms.
From start to finish, there were no deserters.
It was unlikely there would ever be any deserters, because they had nowhere to
desert to.
Finally, after paying fifty casualties, the new ship was finished.
That day, the weather was sunny and cloudless.
An earthquake occurred at noon; thus the magic beast corps did not attack.
After the earthquake, the magic beast corps became tranquil for a time.
On the hillside, a simple and crude ceremony was being conducted.
“My Lord, please strike with this hammer.” The serious boat craftsman gave Zhen
Jin an iron hammer.
“No, you contributed the most. The final hammer should be yours.” Zhen Jin
shook his head.
The boat craftsman still wanted to second guess himself, but Zhen Jin
persisted: “Go, that is an order.”
The boat craftsman could only comply, under a thousand staring eyes, he waved
the hammer and nailed the last boat plank in.
Everyone cheered.
The boat craftsman's eyes were red with glistening tears, he returned to Zhen
Jin’s side and spoke, his tone somewhat choked with emotion: “My Lord, all my
life, I wanted to build a ship. I did not expect to achieve my heart’s desire
on an island, instead of a dock. Of course, this ship has many defects. For
example the masts, we only had short poles. only after being put together can,
they meet the height required. Take the sails, our sail faces are too small,
they are unable to harness enough wind. In addition, the boat planks and hull
sides need to be reinforced with iron, their current structural strength is
worrying. Ah, there is also the boat anchor, we still lack a qualified boat
anchor……”
“Good, good.” Zhen Jin laughed and clapped the boat craftsman’s shoulder,
interrupting his words, “We can make up for these deficiencies while we are
sailing.”
“Now is a time for celebration, go, gorge and drink well.”
“Today you are the most brilliant star!”
“Many people are waiting to toast to you.”
Zhen Jin pushed the boat craftsman towards everyone.
Because of Zhen Jin’s honor, the boat craftsman nearly wept on the spot.
The boat craftsman flowed into the crowd, and cheers instantly rose.
Over the last several months, this banquet was a one of a kind.
The new boat was finished, even if only the foundation was finished, and it
barely achieved a passable score.
But it held extraordinary significance! From now on, Zhen Jin and the others
could attack, retreat, and defend.
Of course, the new ship still needed to slide into the water. The original
sliding track had been destroyed by the magic beast corps, however on the other
side, there was a secondary sliding track hidden under a shallow layer of
ground.
This was Zong Ge’s proposal, and everyone was grateful for his vision and
wisdom as a high-ranking military officer.
Besides the sliding track, when the new boat entered the ocean, it would
attract the magic beast corps’ attention, causing them to send additional
military power there.
A large battle was inevitable!
“Don’t think about those things, today I need to rest.” Zhen Jin also wanted to
gasp, during these days, as a leader, the most pressure was undoubtedly on him.
The boat craftsman was in the center of the crowd, it was a glorious moment in
his life.
Of course, Zhen Jin was not snubbed.
Xi Suo, in an excited mood, knelt to the ground, put one hand across his chest,
and used his other as a wine cup: “My Lord, because of your leadership, we had
the ability to persevere. You are a model templar knight and our bright light!”
“My Lord, I ask you to allow this humble person to offer you this insignificant
piece of roasted meat.”
Lord Zhen Jin, all of our praise cannot describe you. With your leadership, we
have the happiness we hoped for all our lives.”
It seemed the celebratory atmosphere had an influence, in the cave with all the
injured, Bai Ya slowly opened his eyes.
However, the praise, admiration, and celebratory atmosphere of the banquet
could not influence Zhen Jin.
He sat in the main seat and looked at the laughing people. Despite him also
being happy and wearing a smile, he still felt a barrier, a dense barrier. He
was placed here and also placed outside, he seemed to be in a different world
than them.
Since that time, he was unable to confess his secret to Zi Di, he could not
open his mouth.
The banquet continued, taking advantage of everyone celebrating, Zhen Jin
silently left the crowd.
He arrived at a distant hillside and looked at a grass shack.
In the shack that could not shield anyone from the elements, the giant curled
up in his grass bed.
“Here.” Zhen Jin gave the giant some roasted meat.
The giant silently took it.
Zhen Jin walked a few steps and sat on a boulder.
He gazed at the sky, above him there were dense and black volcanic clouds.
Apparently because of them, there hadn’t been any rain recently.
The new hull had one less obstacle.
Zhen Jin gazed at a distant location again.
On the tall hillside, he could see the ocean.
The ocean was not yet covered by the volcanic clouds, the setting sun could
still be seen as it descended below the sea.
Under the evening light, the tranquil ocean surface glittered like fish scales.
The new boat was also in the hillside,
When the obstacles were cleared out, it would follow the sliding track down.
After it charged down and cut its way through thistles and thorns, it would
break into the ocean and splash the water into the sky.
This beautiful scene was not only Zhen Jin’s dream, it was everyone’s. This
dream was their biggest motivation to date.
His ears could hear the giant eating the meat, it was boorish, but it gave Zhen
Jin serenity.
Compared to the banquet, he found he liked this place more.
His heart a faint trace of elation.
Zhen Jin was also surprised, at that moment, he did not look for Zi Di, but
came to the giant’s side.
Under the setting sun, the young knight’s solitary shadow lengthened and spread
over the grass shack.
In the grass shack, the giant had finished eating, crawling out after looking
at Zhen Jin’s back.
He crouched in a distant place and imitated Zhen Jin, he too looked at the
setting sun.
Sensing the giant’s action, Zhen Jin glanced and faintly smiled at him.
Shortly after, the young knight gazed at the sun again, the scenery before him
was magnificent, however his forehead was always creased, he had unresolvable
worry in him.
The giant gazed at the sun and quickly became bored.
He glanced at Zhen Jin and slid his buttocks closer to the young knight.
Zhen Jin did not react.
The giant silently looked at the setting sun for a moment, then moved closer to
Zhen Jin again.
Zhen Jin still didn’t react.
The giant moved again and again, at first, the time between movements was long,
but after some time, he moved more frequently.
Zhen Jin suddenly turned to look at him.
The giant had just pushed his buttocks off the ground with his hands, he was in
the process of moving.
Zhen Jin’s glance immediately turned him into a stone statue.
A burst of sea wind blew, slightly moving his hair.
Zhen Jin was amused; he laughed and patted a sitting stone next to him.
The giant immediately grinned, exposing his yellow teeth.
Finally, he finished moving his lower half, placing it on the stone next to
Zhen Jin.
“Do you not fear me?”
The giant shook his head and honestly said: “This giant will keep you company.”
“I knocked you unconscious many times, do you not hate me?”
The giant shook his head again: “You are just like this giant.”
Zhen Jin’s heart shook, and he stared blankly on the spot.
Under the setting sun, the two shadows lengthened together.
On the surface, there was no difference.



****** Chapter 150: Father ******
“You’re talking rubbish!” As Zhen Jin stared blankly, the boat craftsman’s
voice suddenly berated him from behind.
The young knight and the giant turned around and saw the boat craftsman with a
bucket of wine in one hand and a lump of roasted meat in the other.
It was clear the boat craftsman remembered the giant; he had escaped from the
banquet and had heard what the giant just said.
“Lord Zhen Jin, please forgive me. This idiot absolutely did not intend to
offend you! The boat craftsman knelt to the ground with a worried expression.
The giant looked puzzled.
Zhen Jin laughed and smiled: “Stand up, how can I not know your son? I indeed
knocked him out many times. From some sense, his words are not wrong. We are
all stranded here, all of us are on the same boat.”
The boat craftsman replied with incomparable appreciation: “My Lord, you are
noble, not only in your status and bloodline, but also in your spirit and
character. You saved us, and our interactions with you during this time will
certainly be engraved in our memories all through our lives. Your heroism,
tolerance, wisdom, vision, and other virtues will inevitably be praised in the
future.”
Zhen Jin nodded; those words felt different
He said to the boat craftsman: “Don’t overestimate me, boat craftsman. Don’t
underestimate yourself either, in fact, you were very crucial. Without you, how
could we make a new boat? Your son also contributed greatly, without his great
efforts, our completion time would have been a long way off.”
Hearing this, the giant suddenly laughed happily.
His great efforts were recognized.
The boat craftsman’s arrival made Zhen Jin want to leave.
The youngster jumped off the boulder.
“My Lord, please allow me to send you off.” The boat craftsman put the things
he was holding in the grass shack.
Zhen Jin saw the boat craftsman was still worried: “Be at ease, I will not
bother the giant.”
After Zhen Jin guaranteed him three times, the boat craftsman felt relieved.
Nobles and knights took care of their reputation seriously. If most nobles and
knights heard what the giant said, they would have considered it a personal
insult.
“My Lord, you truly are different from other big characters!” The boat
craftsman sighed and spoke truthfully, “Please forgive my presumptuousness, no
one beside me has ever gotten close to the giant.”
“You might not understand completely, as I watched you and the giant sit side
by side, my heart was astonished greatly.:
“Before meeting you, no one regarded him as an equal, never have we encountered
such a person.”
Zhen Jin bitterly laughed: “Indeed, I’m not too different.”
He patted the boat craftsman’s shoulder: “Although you never stated it, I can
imagine the things the giant has experienced in his life.”
“He was an abandoned infant that you took in. His giant bloodline appeared from
birth, thus he suffered peculiar gazes.”
“He got stronger and bigger, all while suffering from his madness. Because of
this, almost everyone discriminated against him, hated him, reviled him, and
cursed him.”
“He has been hearing, and heard everything being whispered behind him, he has
heard everyone around him curse him, sneer at him, and detest him.
“He only has you to provide him fatherly love.”
“Therefore, he is always intimate with you. I saw it with my own eyes, during a
fight, even if he doesn’t have a bit of martial skill, he is willing to pay
with his life to protect you.”
“You must have also invested a lot into him.”
“Seeing his curled up appearance in that grass shack, it seems he is avoiding
others actively. I know you must have taught him to do that so he can survive
as a monster in a world of humans.”
“You must be worried, worried that one day, many people will use the slogan of
justice to execute him. You must also be very grieved seeing others bullying
and humiliating him, while he is unable to retaliate. Because your teachings
say, he cannot retaliate, otherwise the consequences will be worse!”
“As a result, he has no martial skill and is used to restraining himself.”
“Is he ugly? No, he is merely different. Compared to others, his heart is more
kindhearted.”
“Is he powerful? No, who says having great strength and a strong physique means
one is powerful? Which powerful person’s only weapon of self-defense is to call
out for his father when he feels pain? He is actually very small and weak.
“A kindhearted and weak person……is this not someone a knight should defend?”
“My, My Lord……” The boat craftsman’s eyes became red as he choked up on emotion
and surging tears. The praise, affirmations, and so on that he heard in the
banquet, even if it happened again a hundred-fold, they still could not compare
to Zhen Jin’s speech.
Because Zhen Jin truly understood him!
Understanding those words seemed simple, when in fact, they were difficult to
comprehend.
“You are a good father.” After leaving these words, Zhen Jin left.
The boat craftsman left behind stood in place and gazed at Zhen Jin’s back.
The setting sun submerged under the sea, and the afterglow disappeared.
Because of the boat craftsman’s tears, Zhen Jin’s silhouette appeared somewhat
monstrous in his fuzzy field of view, however it seemed to emit……light.
The new ship was successfully built, it now had the ability to sail. This
matter made the survivors’ morale soar.
For the next several days, Zhen Jin and the others began to prepare for the
ship’s oceanic entry.
If there were no blue dog fox wolves, putting the ship in the ocean was an easy
affair. But nowadays, the magic beast corps had a heavy perimeter around them,
making implementing this affair a hundred times more troublesome.
Everyone rejoiced that at the time, Zong Ge had proposed they build a reserve
track.
But the usability of this track was still an issue.
After all, the island had countless earthquakes, and in order to prevent
damage, the track was buried in a shallow layer of earth.
Even if the track was not damaged, to use it, they still needed to clear the
things covering it.
According to Mu Ban’s assessment, it was extremely possible small portions of
the track had been disconnected and damaged. This means the track needed to be
rebuilt in advance before it could be used.
The blue dog fox wolves’ intelligence also complicated the maintenance of the
track
If the blue dog fox wolves sensed everyone’s intent, the plan to put the new
ship into the ocean would face stronger obstacles and even fail.
After Zhen Jin and the others discussed, it was decided that they would attract
the blue dog fox wolves’ attention, while that was happening, they would
covertly dispatch a small team to inspect the sliding track and rush to repair
everything needed.
In order to raise the possibility of escape, Zhen Jin no longer trained at
night, instead he continued to harass the magic beast corps and did his best to
impair their military strength, besides this, he also personally surveyed the
sliding track’s situation.
The survey was not optimistic, the sliding track was damaged in many places,
with many places being broken into pieces.
There was a lot to repair, but it was not too troublesome——the sliding track
had a simple structure.
During Zhen Jin’s busy time, he received good news.
He came to the sick area and saw Bai Ya.
Bai Ya had been unconscious for many days, but now he was awake.
“Lord Zhen Jin……” He still had a weak breath, a deathly pale complexion, and
protruding cheekbones, he had lost weight over the past few days.
“You survived again. Recuperate carefully. Also let me tell you some good news,
the new boat is finished, and is ready to enter the ocean.” Zhen Jin smiled.
He had lost all his memories, and Bai Ya had left a good and deep impression on
him. When he left the volcanic cave, he only had Cang Xu, Zi Di, and Bai Ya at
his side.
Bai Ya nodded, shame appeared on his face: “I was unconscious for so many days,
I was a burden to everyone.”
Zhen Jin shook his head: “You are not a burden, we are all in the same boat, we
will help each other in our common goal of leaving this place.”
“These are your letters.” To the side was Zi Di, she had just returned the
letters to Bai Ya, “It seems we don’t need to deliver them.”
“Ah, that’s right. Have some new ink, the ink you were using before already
went bad, I made this bottle myself, it will not fade.”
Zi Di also gave Bai Ya a small gift.
Bai Ya was overwhelmed with favor; his voice was choked with sobs: “Meeting you
both was a truly good thing. When I was in a coma, I was like a lonely soul
drifting in a boundless darkness. I did not know where I should go or where I
came from. In my daze, I heard Miss Xi Qiu calling my name, it must be love, it
must be love guiding me……”
Bai Ya began to talk about what he experienced in his coma.
Since the oasis, he had become a talkative person. This life and death
experience seemed to aggravate his talkativeness.
Zhen Jin smiled.
He knew how Bai Ya felt, and even understood his feelings. Because he had also
been on the edge of death many times.
It really was a great thing to say so much! It was the feeling of life!
Bai Ya’s reawakening seemed to bathe Zhen Jin’s heart in sunlight.
For the next several days, Zhen Jin’s heart was bright.
Every night Zhen Jin prayed to Emperor Sheng Ming, Zhen Jin told himself: “It
will get better, everything will get better. I can lead Bai Ya, Zi Di, Cang Xu,
and the others from this island alive.”
“By the time I arrive at White Sands City, I will forget the core and my
transformations. Perhaps I will ask a chaplain or a doctor to expel the hidden
dangers in my body.”
The sliding track maintenance was finally finished.
The higher ups were in a cheerful mood, they were all glad the maintenance was
less troublesome than predicted.
They don’t know that whenever the small maintenance group moved about, Zhen Jin
personally left by himself to disturb the magic beast corps. In order to do his
best in attracting the blue dog fox wolves’ attention, Zhen Jin frequently put
himself in danger as he rushed into the enemy, causing him to retreat with
heavy injuries.
These days, the boat craftsman, Mu Ban, and the others were not idle.
Previously, the new ship was only the foundation of a finished work, there were
still many things to follow up and work on.
Currently on the new ship’s hull had long wooden planks reinforcing it. The
boat planks and decks were padded with shredded hemp rope, afterwards they were
glued together with Zi Di’s potions.
The boat craftsman also taught some people how to process wood into standard
quality pulleys
Sail ropes needed many pulleys.
High-level pulleys were made from metal and were genuine wheels.
But the new ship only used wooden parts, wood was cut into the shape of a
wheel, and smeared with grease to lubricate the surface.
The most glamorous ship section was the bow.
Mounted on the bow, was a ramming horn. It was formed from a tree trunk and
resembled a knight’s spear.
The bow had been reinforced by many planks, giving the appearance of a shield.
The spear mixed with shield, and combined with ramming speed, provided charge
strength that even a crocodile head hammer tail boa could not resist.
The day when the new ship entered the sea was imminent.
However, that night.
Bang rumble……
The sound of a volcanic eruption seemed to pass over them.
The people were woken up with a start, from the hillside, the volcanic eruption
formed an unprecedented lava column that soared to the sky!
Soon after, the earth violently shook and rocks tumbled down, smashed onto the
planks covering the new ship.
This was an unprecedented earthquake!
With unmatched horror, the people watched as immense cracks appeared in the
ravine they treated as a home.
The cracks traversed the ravine, soon after, the ravine collapsed!
“Quickly, run for it!”
The crowd frantically began to flee ignominiously. Zong Ge wanted to stabilize
the situation but failed.
“Protect the ship!” The boat craftsman seemed to shout, but no one listened to
him.
When the earthquake occurred, Zhen Jin was with the magic beast corps.
When he returned to camp, the small ravine no longer looked like what he
remembered, there were crushed rocks, broken wood, and dead humans everywhere.
“No!” Zhen Jin turned deathly pale, he immediately rushed deeper into the
ruins.
There might be aftershocks or an even bigger earthquake, however the people in
the ruins began to save themselves.
“The ship! We must dig the ship out!”
“Help me move these stones quickly.”
“Oh no, we are finished, the ship was definitely destroyed, our hope is gone.”
The people were noisy, some had ashen looks as they did their best to excavate
the stones, while others wailed, their state of mind had collapsed.
It was only a small possibility, the ship that sustained their hopes survived.
“I said earlier, the small ravine was dangerous, it would be terrible if a
landslide occurred. You didn’t listen to me!” Someone shouted, constantly
grumbling and blaming others.
Even more people were silent.
Another person verbally abused with an agitated mood: “Utter rubbish! Without
the ravine, could you obstruct the magic beast corps?!”
Zhen Jin did not stop anyone from venting their feelings, they needed to vent,
and after doing so, they calmed down.
In fact, Zhen Jin also wanted to vent his feelings.
Gazing at the ruins, he felt anger, shock, and panic, but as a leader, he could
only push down these negative emotions to the bottom of his heart.
Just as he was about to give orders, a rock suddenly shook, exposing a large
hand.
“Help, help me……” Soon after, the giant’s voice came from below.
“So, son!” After he couldn’t find the giant, the boat craftsman had been
running around in circles. After hearing the voice, he immediately sprinted
over and frantically lifted the rocks. “Persevere, persevere!”
The old boat craftsman constantly shouted.
Zhen Jin, Zong Ge, and the others also lent a hand, and with everyone’s
strength, the rocks were quickly moved.
The giant appeared; his legs were being pinned by a boulder. He was heavily
injured and definitely had fractures.
But the giant still used both hands to hold back the boulder.
Seeing the boat craftsman again, the giant happily took credit: “Father look. I
protected the ship!”
With red eyes and in a daze, the boat craftsman looked at the giant.
Seeing the giant still alive, his heart was naturally ecstatic.
But when he saw the giant’s injuries, he sank into regret and blamed himself.
“Bad father, bad father!” The boat craftsman wept.
During the landslide, he yelled to protect the ship in a moment of desperation.
Besides the giant, no one could even hear it, not even himself.
“Father don’t cry, the ship’s here, the ship is still here.” The giant promptly
consoled the boat craftsman, he knew the significance of the ship to the boat
craftsman.
“Inconceivable, the hull is only slightly damaged, that’s it!” Mu Ban loudly
reported after his inspection.
“Thanks to the giant, in the event the boulder actually smashed into the ship,
the ship definitely would have been destroyed!”
“The giant is a good person.”
“It was all thanks to you……”
After understanding the situation, the people expressed their gratitude.
The giant looked somewhat stupefied; this was the first time he faced such a
spectacle.
Only the boat craftsman hurried to the giant’s side, he looked at the boulder
and the giant’s severely deformed legs: “Are you in pain?”
The giant nodded, then shook his head: “Don’t cry father, this giant isn’t in
pain.”
“Quickly, let me move the boulder!” Zong Ge roared.
“We cannot move it; it will injure the giant’s legs a second time. We need to
smash this boulder to pieces or corrode it first.” Zhen Jin shook his head.
Just as he was about to give the order, he suddenly heard a wolf howl.
Awoo——!
The wolf howls repeated continuously.
Everyone heard it clearly, causing their complexions to change dramatically.
The magic beast corps were attacking!



****** Chapter 151: No Choice but to Completely Transform ******
“Aren’t the magic beast corps unable to attack after earthquakes?!”
“What do we do now? Our defensive line has collapsed!”
The crowd was noisy and frantic.
Zhen Jin deeply pursed his brows; the situation had suddenly reached its most
critical moment.
“Withdraw, we can’t risk fighting them.” Someone proposed, it was one of
Tripleblade’s mercenaries.
For a long time, the survivors dealt with the magic beast corps by holding the
high ground, relying on their defenses, crossbows, and other long range weapons
to suppress the advancing magic beast corps.
It was the correct tactic.
Because this island prohibited the use of low level magic and battle qi.
But after the earthquake, the ravine collapsed and they had a lack of
crossbows, thus they no longer had defenses. With just their bodies, most
ordinary people could not deal with common beasts, let alone magic beasts.
“We can’t withdraw. This ship is still here!”
“We can build it again!”
“How much time do you need to build it? I think this wretched island is nearly
done for.”
The people began to quarrel, their opinions were not unified.
Indeed, in recent times, the island’s weather had clear anomalies, volcanic
clouds covered the sky, and earthquakes constantly happened.
Perhaps this island will meet its end by either being shattered into pieces by
earthquakes or by being completely covered by lava.
The boat craftsman mournfully yelled: “We can’t withdraw, my son cannot
escape.”
The giant was still under the boulder.
The people became even more frantic.
“Calm down!” Zhen Jin suddenly shouted.
In an instant, everyone’s gaze concentrated on Zhen Jin.
“Fate……” The young leader’s heart darkly sighed, he couldn’t help but smile
bitterly.
Obviously the prior situation was really good, but in the blink of an eye, he
sank into desperate straits and was confronted with a difficult choice.
However, since waking up and struggling on this island, hadn’t he confronted a
few difficult choices?
This time, compared to his previous decisions, Zhen Jin was more decisive!
His steady gaze looked at his surroundings: “Withdraw? Where can we withdraw
to? Some of us can withdraw, because our bodies exceed that of ordinary people.
But for most of you, won’t the bat monkeys, crocodile head hammer tail boas,
and cunning blue dog fox wolves chase you down and kill you?
Everyone was silent.
“Everyone, this is our most critical hour! Although we don’t have camp defenses
or sufficient weapons, and suffered heavy losses from the recent earthquake, we
have no choice but to fight to the death, there will be no retreat!”
“We must fight while clearing away the obstructions that block the ship’s
sliding track.
“We must put the ship into the sea and break through every hindrance!”
“When we triumph over our foes, when we celebrate on the sea, when we look at
those dammable magic beasts drowning in lava and watch this island sink into
the sea, we will thank our great efforts, and rejoice that we never gave up in
our most desperate hour.”
“Believe me, we shall be the final victor!”
Shouting this, Zhen Jin took out Silver Lightning.
He raised the rapier in front of him and began to loudly pray: “Emperor Sheng
Ming, my master, please pity me somewhat, I earnestly request you to gaze here.
Your knight is fighting to the death while continuing to practice your
principles. Let the imperial flag wave, allow me to save these people and
assist the good and the weak, even if it costs my life!”
Just as his words finished, his body seemed to inflate and rapidly expand.
His clothing immediately tore as a dark golden armor grew from Zhen Jin’s
limbs, body, and head, it even wrapped around his feet.
Zhen Jin raised his hand and tossed Silver Lighting to Hei Juan.
Just as the people saw that, his right hand transformed a spider leg, it too
was covered with the scorpion carapace.
Then Zhen Jin’s hand curled into a fist, growing the spider leg’s tip into a
spider blade as it extended from his fist, there was lightning lingering on the
sharp blade’s surface.
This was Zhen Jin’s newest training achievement. The flying squirrel’s
electricity and the spider blade combined into an electric blade. Not only
could it lessen the magic consumed, his attacks also received a qualitative
upgrade.
Everyone cried out in surprise.
This was the first time Zhen Jin completed a transformation amongst them.
“Divine scion knight!”
“This is a miracle.”
“Emperor Sheng Ming is watching us attentively.”
“Our victory is certain.”
As morale stabilized, the flame of hope began to burn in the people’s eyes.
Nevertheless, Zhen Jin’s heart was heavy.
This was a last resort.
Ordinarily, there was no way he would transform before everyone. But the
situation was critical, he had to placate the people as fast as possible, and
so he took a risk.
“The following fight, even if we win, will be a pyrrhic victory, casualties are
bound to be disastrous.” Zhen Jin’s heart explicitly judged.
If he was by himself, the magic beast corps could not deal with him.
But he had to protect many people, like Zi Di and Cang Xu.
He had to save as many people as possible.
Because he was a templar knight, and because a ship needed many people to
operate. It’s hard for a dozen people to operate it. Even if it could set sail,
in howling rain or even large waves, it was difficult for them to resist such
things.
Without superfluous words or changes in formations, under the command of the
blue dog fox wolves, the vast magic beast corps charged.
Everyone stood their ground in the ravine ruins and risked their lives to
resist the magic beast corps.
Zhen Jin and Zong Ge proudly stood in front.
Zong Ge also put on his helmet, he was fully armed.
Under the armor, the two people had grave expressions.
The magic beast corps were coming in too fast, there wasn’t enough time to do a
headcount. Because of the earthquake, most people hid or ran away hastily, they
were still unarmed.
“Fire, I will quickly set up a fire!” Zi Di swiftly called.
The young girl opened her handbag, inside there were many neat rows of spare
potions.
“Quickly, make haste.” Mu Ban commanded, he was helping the wounded clear a
path.
“Son, persevere, your father will leave with you in a moment!” After consoling
the giant, the boat craftsman immediately joined Mu Ban’s team.
Bang rumble.
The beast tide looked like a gigantic black wave.
Many people swallowed their saliva, in the past they occupied the high ground
and shot from a distance. Now that they faced the beast groups on even ground,
they immediately felt the magic beast corps’ terrifying might.
But the beast groups’ charge suddenly slowed.
The ravine caved in; numerous stones hindered their charge.
Zong Ge and Zhen Jin looked at each other, they saw an opportunity in battle.
“You preside over the front; I will charge first.” Zhen Jin shouted.
Zong Ge nodded. He knew Zhen Jin was stronger, and more suitable for this
matter.
Zhen Jin charged in alone and immediately broke into the magic beast corps,
attacking in all directions.
He repeatedly roared; no flying squirrel could get near him.
Bat monkeys and blade spiders could not deal with the scorpion carapace.
The blade spider webs were immediately cut through by Zhen Jin’s hand blade.
Only the red hot monkey tail brown bear claws could inconvenience Zhen Jin,
however they were not too troublesome.
The young knight used ultrasound and held fast to his battle talent, allowing
him to find the most suitable attack route in the chaos.
He stirred the magic beast corps into complete confusion, with his flickering
lightning blade, nearly every swing killed a magic beast, even silver level
magic beasts.
Zhen Jin’s fighting silhouette raised everyone’s morale and fired them up.
“Bark bark bark.” The blue dog fox wolves barked again.
The magic beast corps rapidly changed, leaving a portion behind to deal with
Zhen Jin, two beast groups came from the left and right, charging at the
others.
“These crafty brutes!” Zong Ge cursed as he commanded everyone into battle.
Crossbows were sparse; thus the beast group didn’t get shot much. As the
distance closed, everyone threw stones to obstruct ordinary beasts, but to the
monkey tail brown bears, even if they were hit, it only tickled them.
The closer the magic beasts got, the more the survivors were not their
opponent.
With miserable bawls, the people instantly suffered disastrous casualties.
Zong Ge, Tripleblade, Hei Juan, Lan Zao, and some others were cornerstones,
however they could only stand their ground for a moment before the pressure
forced them to retreat again and again.
The subterranean sandworms ambushed them, bat monkeys swooped down, and in all
directions, there were strong life white rhinoceros, monkey tail brown bears,
or crocodile head hammer tail boas.
No one could hold them back!
“Retreat, retreat!” Zong Ge hoarsely shouted in a moment of desperation.
He had been a talented high-ranking officer, he understood that a retreat could
easily trigger a rout. But without options and staying being a death sentence,
he could only take a risk.
Luckily at that crucial moment, Zhen Jin saw the discouraging events and killed
his way back.
He and Zong Ge fought side by side, after breaking through, ruthlessly killing
many magic beasts, and instilling fear in them, he allowed everyone to retreat
to the new ship.
Seeing the force quickly retreating to their side, Mu Ban, the boat craftsman,
and the others showed fear.
They did their best, but they hadn’t even cleaned up even half of the
obstructions.
There was simply not enough time!
The crafty blue dog fox wolves, with just one strategy, forced the survivors
into a corner.
The primary situation really was too passive.
During the first confrontation, more than half of the force was dead or
injured.
“Bark bark bark.” The frightening dog barks resonated across the battlefield
again.
The blue dog fox wolves did not want to give Zhen Jin and the others any time
to breathe.
The magic beast corps charged again.
Everyone despaired, even with Zhen Jin at their side.
“I have to completely transform!” Zhen Jin threw his apprehensions into the
back of his mind, replacing it with determination.
“Zong Ge, defend this place. I will charge ahead, as long as I kill the blue
dog fox wolves, the magic beast corps’ threat will fall greatly.” Zhen Jin
shouted.
This was the only chance!
Simply defending, even while completely transformed, would not do. After all,
Zhen Jin was just one person.
Now he could only attack instead of defending.
You want to kill my people, then I will get rid of you.
At such a large disadvantage, Zhen Jin could only use this tactic and fight
with all his might!
“My Lord!” Zi Di’s came from behind him, “You must be careful!”
The bonfire was ignited.
Zi Di sprinkled her medicinal powder, the thick smoke forced the flying
squirrels, fire-poison bees, and bat monkeys to retreat, greatly lessening the
pressures on the defense.
But the disaster continued.
These reserve potions only made up a small section of her handbag.
“You must also take care of yourself.”
Zhen Jin could only leave these words with his fiancé, before fearlessly
charging ahead!



****** Chapter 152: Crazy Beastification ******
Charge charge charge!
Zhen Jin directly attacked the magic beast corps’ rear; his bitter and decisive
grandeur frightened the magic beasts around him.
“Bark bark bark!”
Under the blue dog fox wolves’ orders, a great number of magic beasts
surrounded and pursued Zhen Jin.
On the spot, Zhen Jin dodged a crocodile head hammer tail boa’s bite, and
brushed past a monkey tail brown bear, all while swinging his sword to split a
bat monkey into two.
He suddenly jumped onto a strong life white rhinoceros’ back, rolled to the
ground, and continued his assault!
When the flying squirrels attacked, he bellowed, causing them to fall to the
ground and howl incessantly.
A subterranean sandworm struck from underground, however Zhen Jin’s ultrasound
already detected it, allowing him to get out of the way in advance.
From a high altitude, the magic beast corps looked like a huge wave, yet Zhen
Jin, a lone human, sailed against the current!
The blue dog fox wolves did not panic, Zong Ge and the others did not know Zhen
Jin’s identity, but they already guessed it. After all, Zhen Jin harassed them
almost every night, his scorpion carapace and fighting style had clear
characteristics.
By the time Zhen Jin charged halfway to them, the assembled blue dog fox wolves
suddenly scattered, only one was left behind.
“Bark bark bark!”
Getting the new order, half the magic beast corps launched an assault on the
ship, Zong Ge, and the others!
For an unknown reason, these blue dog fox wolves hated the survivors, they
would never give up on exterminating them.
The remaining blue dog fox wolf still commanded a lot of magic beasts that
consumed Zhen Jin’s stamina. It was the fearless position of “I dare you to
kill me”!
Zhen Jin was unafraid to sacrifice his life, however the blue dog fox wolves
also did not fear sacrifice either.
The blue dog fox wolves’ tactic was clear-cut——
I indeed cannot deal with or catch you Zhen Jin. But even if one or more blue
dog fox wolf dies, you will certainly lose more people, excluding you Zhen Jin,
everyone else will die in battle!
Outside of killing these people and destroying the ship, we will continue to
tire you out. Regardless of whether you escape or kill the magic beast corps,
you will never leave this island, your end is already preordained!!
Zhen Jin’s heart suddenly sank, seeing the blue dog fox wolves’ tactic, the
thing he was most afraid of happened.
Unbroken howls could be heard behind him, and Zhen Jin couldn’t help but turn
around, he angrily stared at Zong Ge’s and the others’ situation.
Zong Ge was covered in blood, while Tripleblade, Xi Suo, and others were
wounded.
If Zhen Jin returned now, he could save them and stabilize the situation. But
it would only be for a time, and in their current state, the survivors could
not keep up the defense.
If Zhen Jin did not return, even if he completely transformed, he would only
kill one or two blue dog fox wolves, in exchange he would lose his comrades and
the new ship, his end would also be ordained.
With the blue dog fox wolves’ intelligence, even if Zhen Jin was strong, he was
still bound to lose!
Zhen Jin gazing behind him created a weak point.
The subterranean sandworms attacked together, although Zhen Jin managed to
avoid two of them, a third swallowed him, then quickly vanished into the earth.
“Father, hide in the boat!” The giant howled.
“Get on the boat now!!” Zong Ge also shouted.
Originally everyone wanted to protect the ship, however with the anomalous
magic beast attack, Zong Ge and the others no longer cared about the future.
Everyone entered the ship, relying on the ship planks and other barriers to
temporarily stabilize themselves.
“No!” The boat craftsman mournfully yelled.
The giant was still outside the ship!
Time was too scarce, no one had enough time to remove the boulder crushing the
giant’s legs.
The giant immediately suffered as the magic beasts attacked from all sides, his
flesh was lacerated and his blood wildly flowed.
He was not martially skilled, at the same time, with the boulder on him and his
back to the enemy, he simply had no way of resisting.
“Throw him a blade, let him chop his legs off, then climb up!” Zong Ge shouted
as he battled fiercely.
The cruel proposal made the boat craftsman tremble all over.
Although the giant had a giant bloodline, a robust vitality, and a strong
recovery ability, cutting off his legs would create an injury he could not
recover from.
However, if he didn’t cut his legs off, he would die!
The boat craftsman turned pale, and his hands shuddered, nevertheless he threw
the blade.
“Catch it, aim it at your knees, and chop your legs off!!” The boat craftsman
yelled at the giant.
Bang bang bang.
Zi Di threw several glass potion bottles, forming a green smoke around the
ship. The smoke stopped many magic beasts, however strong magic beasts could
still fight in the smoke, beasts like strong life white rhinoceros, monkey tail
brown bears, and crocodile head hammer tail boas could still fight freely.
The giant howled miserably, he chopped off his legs.
As the blood flowed, he was able to escape and recover his freedom.
He frantically swung the iron blade around him and temporarily forced back the
magic beasts around him, then he dragged his body with his hands and climbed
onto the ship.
“Get up quickly!” The boat craftsman leaned out and reached to the giant,
despite knowing his inadequate strength, he wanted to pull the giant in.
But the giant did not crawl onto the ship.
He looked up and smirked at the boat craftsman.
He threw away the iron blade, then with his chest and hands, he began to do his
utmost to push the ship: “Father, leave now!”
A few bat monkeys pounced on him, biting into his shoulder and back.
But the pain they produced was only a mere trifle, the most pain the giant felt
was from his legs.
The unbearable pain caused the giant to nearly faint, however he still pressed
his stumped legs onto the ground to support his body.
Regardless of injuries or pain, all of it was unimportant……
As long as father survives, as long as father survives, it would be fine!!
“Ahhhh——!” The giant frantically roared.
As he pushed with all his might, the ship began to move. At first only an iota,
then a centimeter, then two centimeters, as speed gradually built up, it became
faster.
“How is the ship moving?!” Someone shouted with bewilderment.
“The giant……” Many eyes flushed.
“Son, my son!” The boat craftsman was in a lot of pain, “Come up for your
father, give me your hand now, climb up now! Do what you are told, listen to
your father!!”
The giant no longer spoke, he buried his head and didn’t dare look at the boat
craftsman.
He pressed his forehead onto the boat, contributing its force into more
velocity.
His heart apologized to the boat craftsman: “Sorry father, sorry, for once……I
will not listen to you!”
Seeing the giant not resist, nearly all the magic beasts piled onto him,
brutally tearing him up.
The giant instead, sensed his pain was decreasing.
As a matter of fact, this was a dangerous omen.
When the human body suffered too much pain and was in mortal danger, the brain
would stop using pain to warn the person. Because too much pain would interfere
and hinder the person from saving themselves.
The giant did not want to save himself.
Step by step, he pushed the ship across the ground.
He only wanted to protect his father and send him off to sea!
Everyone on the boat was strongly affected.
The ship bumped into all kinds of rocks and stones, but as long as it strived
ahead, it would break through all obstacles and go onto the sliding track.
Before all this, the sliding track had been repaired by the maintenance team
and reinforced against earthquakes.
With its speed, as long as it went onto the sliding track, it was very likely
the ship would enter the sea!
As long as it entered the sea, the magic beast corps couldn’t threaten their
lives.
“Come up now for your father……” The boat craftsman’s cheeks were streaming with
tears, he was in extreme pain.
The giant’s strength was used up.
His injuries were too heavy, he had lost too much blood.
A boulder tripped him, causing him to fall to the ground and break his head.
Magic beasts instantly flooded around him.
“Push again.” Hei Juan desperately shouted when the ship slowed down, “Do you
want your father to survive?”
The giant dizzily lied on the ground, but when he hears those words, he lifted
his mangled hands to the ship planks.
Push!
The giant couldn’t stand, but he still wanted to push the ship.
The hearts of many were beating wildly.
While resisting the beast tide, they gazed at what lay ahead of the ship.
It was the final obstruction remaining!
“No, Lord Zhen Jin still hasn’t returned.” Zi Di yelled.
“He will return, we need to leave first, we cannot trouble him!” Hei Juan
shouted.
“No!!!” At that moment, the boat craftsman suddenly yelled and jumped from the
ship.
He crazily brandished a long wooden log and actually managed to drive off the
magic beasts on the giant.
“You don’t want to live?!” Someone next to him glared, he wanted to grab the
boat craftsman, but wasn’t able to do so in time.
“Father!” Seeing the boat craftsman jump down and come to his side, the giant
used the last of his energy to protect the boat craftsman with his arms.
“Persevere son, you are leaving with your father!” Just as the boat craftsman
finished yelling, a blade spider craftily charged in, dodged the giant’s arms,
and stabbed the boat craftsman’s chest.
The boat craftsman shook violently, scarlet blood contaminated his clothes, and
all of his strength flowed out of his wound.
“Father!” The giant mournfully screamed.
Finally seeing an opportunity, Zong Ge jumped off and crushed
But upon seeing the boat craftsman’s injuries, his heart sank to the bottom.
This was a fatal wound; nothing could be done.
“Get on the boat, I will be right behind you.” Zong Ge roared at the giant.
But the giant stupidly looked at the boat craftsman, he turned a deaf ear to
Zong Ge.
“Push it now you damned idiot.” Hei Juan urged the giant.
The giant suddenly got up.
Disregarding his life, he crawled to the boat craftsman and expelled the magic
beasts, he then used his body to protect the boat craftsman, despite many of
his wounds cutting to his white bones.
Seeing this, Zong Ge deeply sighed.
He howled to the people on the boat: “Some people need to get off and remove
the stones ahead. Another group needs to push the boat!”
But under the circumstances, with a beast tide crowded around the hull, who
would carry out such a dangerous assignment?
Only Tripleblade and some mercenaries jumped down, while Zong Ge was busy
saving himself.
Bark bark bark!
Sensing their actions, the blue dog fox wolves barked again.
As a result, the beast tide immediately shifted their objective.
They gave up on the boat craftsman and the giant, changing course towards the
ship, and attacking Zong Ge and the others.
Potions, do you have any other handy potions?!” Hei Juan shouted to Zi Di.
His eyes were very red, the pressure of death drove him crazy and caused him to
lose his normal state of mind.
Zi Di faintly shook her head: “Already used up.”
“Damm it, damm it!” Hei Juan used Silver Lightning to kill a bat monkey and
looked down.
Zong Ge, Tripleblade, and the others had bleak futures, don't even mention
clearing the obstructions or pushing the ship.
A strong life white rhinoceros charged at a ship, creating a hole in the hull
with each charge.
Hei Juan looked around him, he seemed to be at a loss.
People were screaming, the hull was shaking, and the sky was ashy, everything
looked like a nightmare.
“Oh, Emperor Sheng Ming, if this is a nightmare, allow me to wake up. I beseech
thee!” Hei Juan prayed in his heart.
Pushed to his limit by the immense pressure, his wisdom was about to collapse.
Awoo!
Suddenly, a beast howl made Hei Juan shiver.
He glanced subconsciously.
A beast roared right in front of him, but it was not a pouncing magic beast,
rather it came from a person.
However, at the next moment, the person’s hair grew, their body swelled, and
their head changed into a tiger head.
“What is going on?!”
Hei Juan’s staring eyes nearly fell to the ground.
Then, he saw the tiger head comrade suddenly counterattack, using their sharp
teeth, they immediately bit a monkey tail brown bear to death!
Beast roars echoed in succession.
Not only from the tiger person, but from many others.
They instantly sprouted talons, teeth, tails, and horns.
“What is going on?!” Cang Xu, Zi Di, and the others revealed their extreme
shock.
These beast comrades seemed to lose their rationality, they only wanted to
kill.
The magic beasts lost their lives one after the other, and even the nearby
humans were attacked.
“They're insane.”
“Kill with our comrades!”
“Get out of their way!”
The survivors huddled together and hid in a corner of the ship’s aft house.
They were shocked and suspicious of their beastified comrades’ counterattack.
These beastified people carried out a crazy slaughter, their delirium caused
them to disregard their lives, allowing them to slowly rout the magic beasts.
Until now, the human body was weak, even with successful battle qi cultivation
increasing the quality of one’s body, there was usually a large disparity when
comparing bodies to magic beasts of a similar life level.
But after these humans beastified, their strength, defense, speed, and other
attributes completely exceeded the magic beasts!
For the first time in the battle, the magic beast corps’ offensive was
obstructed.
The magic beasts around the hull were quickly cleared out as the beastified
people continued to charge.
It seemed they dealt with whatever threatened them the most.
Zhen Jin appeared, he had completely transformed underground and beheaded all
the sandworms, allowing him to finally escape.
He returned to the frontlines at once and discovered the beastified humans.
At that moment, Zhen Jin was extremely shocked and suspicious.
“How could this be?”
“Don’t tell me they also have cores?!”



****** Chapter 153: Father!!! ******
The beast tide retreated.
After the beastified people appeared and launched a crazy counterattack, all of
the magic beasts were killed.
The blue dog fox wolves commanded at all costs, displaying their exquisite
tactics. If Zhen Jin wasn’t around, perhaps their efforts would have succeeded.
After seeing the beastified people’s explosive counterattack, Zhen Jin barely
resisted the shock and suspicions in his heart as he continued hunting the blue
dog fox wolves.
Most of the magic beast corps’ strength was on the front lines, around the
ship.
They tactically ignored Zhen Jin for the time being, but because of the
beastified people’s sudden appearance, Zhen Jin held the initiative.
After killing three blue dog fox wolves, the last blue dog fox wolf fled far
away with a ruined army.
It was too late for Zhen Jin to pursue.
In fact, his stamina was nearly gone.
Beheading the commanders was very troublesome, especially in an open
battlefield.
Losing ninety percent of their military strength, the remaining magic beasts
were no longer a threat. The blue dog fox wolf also fled in terror; it would
not cause trouble in the short term.
Not long after the magic beast corps retreated, all of the beastified people
fell to the ground, each and every one was dead.
“We survived!” Many people sat frozen on the ship.
“I actually survived.” Soon after, many people cried tears of joy.
“What in the hells just happened?!” Hei Juan was on the ship, he looked at the
dead beasts and beastified people around the ship.
Fear still remained on his face.
Everything had happened too abruptly; he was still deeply shocked.
Zhen Jin hurried back.
He still had the golden scorpion armor.
Because of the beastified people, he did not completely transform during this
battle.
Finding Cang Xu, Zi Di, and the others alive with minor injuries, Zhen Jin
couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Although they were the victors, the survivors had disastrous casualties.
Originally there were two hundred people, but after the earthquake and battle,
there were only fifty remaining. There were many minor injuries and a few
seriously injured people, because of the intensity of the battle and the lack
of reserve teams, anyone who was seriously injured, died soon after.
The others could wallow in their emotions, but as their leader, Zhen Jin could
not.
Under his orders, the people quickly cleaned up the battlefield and treated the
wounded.
“The boat craftsman is still breathing, and the giant is still alive, but their
situation is anything but reassuring.” Someone reported not long after.
This outcome was somewhat unimaginable, because many people died on the ship.
But the father and son outside the boat were still on their last breaths.
As a matter of fact, this was all thanks to the blue dog fox wolves, their
orders caused the magic beasts to temporarily let off the father and son.
Zhen Jin walked over at once.
The giant had fallen to the ground, but his arms were still around the boat
craftsman, his heavy injuries might cause others to think he was dead. His
stumped legs were badly mangled, however because of his giant bloodline, his
blood vessels automatically stopped the bleeding.
The boat craftsman had received a mortal wound and was lying motionless on the
ground. Because he lost too much blood, his entire face was an ashen color.
When he saw Zhen Jin, his dull eyes suddenly flashed, it was clear he wanted to
say something.
“Zi Di, can you do anything?” In his grief, Zhen Jin appealed to his fiancé.
Zi Di did not want to disappoint him, and quickly fished out a small potion
bottle from her handbag.
Zhen Jin took it and poured it into the old boat craftsman’s mouth.
The old boat craftsman’s face immediately turned red.
“Lord……Lord Zhen Jin……I have a request for you. Please, you must agree, take my
son, take him……” The boat craftsman weakly appealed.
“He is still alive; I will take him. He is a true warrior!” Zhen Jin
immediately responded.
“No father. I want to be with you!” The giant wailed, with his chin on the
ground, he impatiently gazed at the old boat craftsman. His injuries were too
heavy, he did not have the strength to get up.
His giant bloodline still kept him alive.
However, signs of death were on his face, if the old boat craftsman died, he no
longer wanted to live.
The old boat craftsman could not stand, he couldn’t even turn his head. He
couldn’t see the giant, but he knew the giant was behind him.
The old boat craftsman bitterly smiled, and with a voice filled with regret,
sadness, reluctance, and hope, he said: “Sorry son, your father is leaving.”
“But you must keep on living.”
“You are still so young.”
“Father, I don’t want to leave, I want to accompany you. If you die, then we
will die together.” But the giant was still determined, realizing the old boat
craftsman’s death was inevitable, tears streamed down his cheeks.
“You……idiot.” The old boat craftsman wanted to scold the giant, however his
weak tone seemed like he was comforting and doting on the latter.
Regardless of what the boat craftsman advised; the giant was not willing to
change his attitude.
Zhen Jin was also worried.
Even if he knocked the giant out, he could not force him to keep living. He
understood he could not prevent the giant from attempting suicide.
After the boat craftsman said those words, he lost energy and sensed his life
was quickly slipping away.
This couldn’t drag on!
In that moment of desperation, a spark suddenly flashed in his mind.
He barely managed to raise his voice a little:” Foolish youngster, I am not
your father.”
“No father, you cannot drive me away. I will die with you. You are my only
relative.”
But the boat craftsman looked at Zhen Jin: “You idiot, Lord Zhen Jin……he is
your father! Your birth fathers.”
“?!” The giant glared, “What did you say father?”
Hearing this, everyone was also startled.
The boat craftsman looked at Zhen Jin, his entire face pleaded.
Zhen Jin silently nodded to the boat craftsman.
The boat craftsman was extremely grateful, he then violently coughed up blood
and continued speaking to the giant: “You actually knew about these
circumstances earlier, you foolish youngster. I am only your foster father,
nothing more. Sigh……at this stage, I no longer want to hide this secret.”
“I also have a human bloodline.”
“You idiot, I am only an ordinary boat craftsman, how can I have a ridiculous
relationship with a female giant?”
“For a time, didn't you ask me? Don’t you want to know who your birth parents
are? I will tell you now. Your father is before you, it's him, Lord Zhen Jin!”
The giant’s jaw dropped, he foolishly looked at the boat craftsman and Zhen
Jin.
The others kept silent, they knew that in order for the giant to keep living,
the boat craftsmen had deliberately deceived him.
Zhen Jin sighed and looked at the giant: “It is just as he said. Giant,
you……are actually my son.”
“No, no!” The giant shook his head, he took it to be true, however this
information attacked his spirit too much, and for a moment, he could not accept
it.
“Why not?” On his deathbed, the boat craftsman was very anxious, “Your father
is stronger than you, while this old man is simply an ordinary person. Your
father also understands you and loves you. He has knocked you out so many
times, yet never injured you. Do you think anyone else can accomplish this? He
also cares about you and has never shown any discrimination. You don’t think
it’s strange? You wanted to get close to him, correct? That was very natural,
because your bloodline relationship created an unconscious attraction between
the both of you. This is the bloodline between father and son!”
The old boat craftsman’s nonsense caused the others around to grin, forcing
them to strongly restrain themselves.
But as for the giant, the boat craftsman’s words were so loud that even the
deaf could hear it, every sentence was like an ironclad fact.
“I continued to hide this secret, because if it was exposed, it would harm your
birth father. He is a noble and a knight, it would be disgraceful if he had a
bastard like you. However, idiot, because you wholeheartedly wanted to join me
to death, I had no choice but to reveal it. Forgive me, foolish youngster, I am
only your foster father. You must keep on living with your birth father,
quickly call your father!” The boat craftsman urged.
His words were indeed factual.
A human noble having this kind of half giant son, would be a lifelong stain and
destroy their reputation. What’s more, Zhen Jin was also a templar knight.
As the old boat craftsman was dying, he had a chance to implore Zhen Jin for a
favor.
If this was a regular noble, they would have berated and even flogged the boat
craftsman for talking rubbish.
But Zhen Jin was different!
During this time, the boat craftsman realized many times, Zhen Jin was a unique
noble!
He truly had a heart filled with sympathy, benevolence, and extensive vision,
despite these things being inharmonious with his young age.
The boat craftsman exploited Zhen Jin’s sympathetic heart; however he was also
worried Zhen Jin would back out. As a result, in one breath, he wanted to
confirm the “relationship” between the giant and Zhen Jin.
If that happened, Zhen Jin had no leeway to back out.
Of course, the boat craftsman did not believe Zhen Jin would back out, but as a
father, especially a dying father in his last moments, he wanted to grab every
chance that raised the likelihood of everything.
The giant was speechless.
He believed the boat craftsman, in fact, for a long time now, he believed
anything the boat craftsman said.
But he did not say anything.
He did not know why, but in front of the boat craftsman, he could not shout
“father” to two people!
After not hearing the giant respond for a long time, the boat craftsman’s eyes
darkened.
“I am already content with handing you over to your birth father.”
“Foolish youngster, I want you to keep living……”
“You must keep on living. Obey and listen to your father’s words, small child.”
The boat craftsman hadn’t said the nickname small child for a long time, and
the giant trembled upon hearing it.
Death approached.
The boat craftsman clearly sensed its approach.
“So, this is how death feels……”
“I still want to call him my son……”
But he couldn’t.
He needed to deceive the giant.
A past memory began to flash before him.
The Hog’s Kiss’ hold.
“Wawawa……” A baby wailed, prompting a hired sailor’s investigation.
“My goodness, everyone, look at what I found, what is this thing?” The old boat
craftsman came out of a corner with a baby.
“My god, it really is a child!”
“Someone gave birth on the Hog’s Kiss and left it behind for us.”
“Who would be so wicked?”
“I fear it’s a bastard, ah only a truly heartless mother would immediately
abandon a child.”
After a burst of discussion, everyone turned around and walked away.
The boat craftsman foolishly held the child: “Hey, what should we do with this
brat?”
None of the sailors took responsibility as they shrugged their shoulders, there
were even some who burst into laughter: “Old fourth, you picked up that child,
you are responsible.”
“Nonsense!” The boat craftsman was indignant, the baby in his hands resembled a
scalding sweet potato he really wanted to throw away.
The sailors dispersed, none of them wanted that inconvenience.
With no alternatives, the old boat craftsman could only find the captain.
“Pitiful brat, being born into this world really was your misfortune.”
“Perhaps you should euthanize him, how can a ship raise a child?” The Hog’s
Kiss’ captain replied.
The boat craftsman shook his head, he did not want to do that!
The captain then said: “Then in port, go find a suitable person and entrust
this child to them.”
The old boat craftsman nodded.
However, how could he find a suitable person?
The Hog’s Kiss docked many times, but only for brief periods of time. In that
short time, it was difficult for the boat craftsman, a stranger in a strange
land, to find someone suitable and trustworthy.
“I can only survey the next harbor.” Holding this notion, the boat craftsman
looked after the infant on the Hog’s Kiss.
“Damm it, he defecated again! He eats too much and shits too much.” The
miserable boat craftsman changed the infant’s dirty underpants.
“A fever. What can I do? What should I do?” The boat craftsman paced in a
circle.
“Why are you crying incessantly? Is your belly hungry? You definitely ate your
fill.” The old boat craftsman couldn’t find the reason, he could only learn how
to sing cradle songs, “Small darling, don’t cry, small darling, don’t be noisy,
let me dote on you……”
The surrounding sailors laughed: “Hey boat craftsman, that was splendid, where
is that lullaby from?”
Time passed, and after a year, the infant began to display its abnormalities.
He ate too much.
The amount he ate was beyond the boat craftsman’s means.
In the messy cabin, the baby giant also continued to overturn trunks and boxes.
“What are you doing? You tiny scoundrel!”
“Eh, you ate all my tobacco? You idiot, idiot!” The old boat craftsman spanked
his buttocks.
Plop.
The old boat craftsman collapsed on the deck.
“What a day!”
“Your insane boat craftsman. You gave that infant all your rations and still
worked yourself so hard that you fainted from hunger.”
“You should rejoice that today isn’t very windy.”
“Why are you doing so much? I really don’t understand you.”
“Like I said before, you should get rid of him!”
The sailors shook their heads, displaying their confusion.
“I should get rid of him, but who will take him?”
……
Late at night.
The old boat craftsman was woken up by pain.
“Are you biting me? You moron, I am not a woman, there is no milk here!”
The wounded boat craftsman flew into a rage and slapped the still small giant’s
buttocks again.
Giant: “Wa wa wa……”
Landfall.
The old boat craftsman arrived at a bar.
Seeing his friend, the bartender smiled and said: “Old boat craftsman, do you
want rum or beer?”
“Do you have cow’s milk?”
The bartender stared blankly.
“Human milk will also do.”
The bartender was dumbfounded, then he sized up the boat craftsman again: “Old
codger, your tastes have changed a lot, what irritates you?”
The sailors around him ridiculed him.
He’s lost his mind!”
“It's not for him, it’s for his son.”
“That absolute monster, I’ve never seen a baby eat so much! By the heavens, his
appetite is bigger than mine.”
……
“What are you doing? My god!” After half a day, the boat craftsman saw cracks
everywhere, there was even a hole in the deck. Upon seeing this, he tore his
hair out and nearly lost his mind.
The giant squatted at his side, he was very puzzled: “Father, you told me to
‘work hard’.”
The Hogs Kiss’ captain had a gloomy complexion: “Throw him out. If he stays,
one day my deck and sails will cease to exist. Maybe when I wake up from a nap,
the entire ship will be gone!”
The old boat craftsman implored him, however the captain’ attitude was firm.
Plop.
The old boat craftsman bent both knees and kneeled on the ground: “No matter
the price, I will compensate for it! I am a ship builder, and when you
recruited me onto this ship, didn’t you fancy my abilities?
The captain narrowed his eyes and looked down at the boat craftsman: “Am I
misremembering, isn’t there a debt you still owe me? It will be a long time
before you can pay back your debts and regain your freedom.”
“Then I will prolong my debtor’s term!”
The captain coldly snorted: “You are so old, so according to your pay and
calculating in the damages, if you want to pay back your debt, you need to work
for three years. But in those three years, will the giant make mistakes?”
“Don’t be foolish!”
“He is an imbecile; he can’t learn anything and messes everything up.”
“Looking at this trend, your lifetime debt is still unclear.”
The boat craftsman lifted his head and straightened his body: “Then it shall be
a lifetime!”
The captain was at a loss for words.
……
A ship battle had just finished, and blood flowed across the ship deck.
The boat craftsman wrapped up the giant’s wounds: “I said don’t charge ahead
you blockhead!”
“But they hit you father! They are villains!” The giant retorted.
“You even learned how to talk back!” The boat craftsman angrily glared at the
giant, “Damm it, not enough medicine. The blood won’t stop! Damm it, how
wretched.”
“Father don’t worry, I am not in pain.” The giant comforted.
“Shut up for me!” The boat craftsman subconsciously slapped the giant’s face,
but just as he did that, he realized how it was inappropriate and withdrew more
than half his strength at once.
Late at night.
The giant was snoring on the deck.
The boat craftsman sat in front of him, looked at his bandaged body, sighed,
and quietly spoke to himself: “Foolish youngster, your father isn’t heartless.”
“It isn’t easy staying on this ship.”
“No one likes a useless person, you must contribute.”
“I am your father, and my body is getting worse every day. I hope one day,
without me around, you can survive on your own.”
……
After some affection.
The madam advised the boat craftsman: “I have been widowed for many years, and
I have a small manor on the outskirts of Garden City. Leave with me, the manor
doesn’t have wind or waves, and with my support, you can personally build a
ship. I know shipbuilding is your dream.”
“But I have to abandon him, right?” The boat craftsman sat on the bedside, bent
his waist, and looked outside the door.
He knew, the giant must be squatting on the ground and impatiently gazing at
the door.
“Naturally.” The madam had no hesitation, “He is a bastard with a giant
bloodline and an idiot. If he returns with me to the manor, everyone will
ridicule me.”
“Then I refuse!” This boat craftsman shook his head, he was still determined.
“This is the third time I have brought this up.” The madam pursed her brows and
looked annoyed, “Are you certain? You are not related to him by blood.”
“I am certain, honorable madam.” The boat craftsman sighed, “I can exist
without him, but he cannot exist without me, in this world, he only has me.”
“I appreciate your favor madam; it was the most fortunate thing in my life. I
am very grateful for it, thank you.”
The madam’s voice went cold: “Do you know what you have given up?”
The boat craftsman looked at the cabin door and smiled: “Do you know what I
have gained?”
……
As the potion dispersed, the boat craftsman felt his eyelids grow increasingly
heavy, he did his best, but he could barely crack his eyes open.
His energy was gone, and unparalleled exhaustion enveloped his body and mind.
“So tired, this time, I can finally rest.”
“But……”
“I am not at ease.”
“Could I have done more?”
“Lord Zhen Jin is an extraordinary character. As long as a little leaks from
his hands from now on, that foolish youngster will be provided for. After all,
that foolish youngster is also very competent.”
“He acknowledged my lie, and I believe in his morals.”
“It is just some regret.”
“At the end of my life, I want to hear it again.”
“I want to hear it again.”
“Even a voice is fine……”
The boat craftsman's breathing grew weaker and weaker.
The giant lifted his body and used his hands to crawl towards the boat
craftsman.
Seeing his dead father, his movements halted. The immense sadness he felt was
like a tsunami that submerged his body and mind.
Besides sadness, he also felt endless loss and terror.
He no longer had the one person he relied on to survive in this cruel world.
He no longer had tenderness supporting him as he confronted this cruel world.
He seemed to suddenly fall from a high altitude and was like a frail leaf
fluttering in the abyss.
His body was enormous, but his spirit was weak.
At that moment.
Zhen Jin walked over, kneeled to the ground, faced the giant, stretched out his
arms, and hugged him.
The giant stared blankly, in that split second, his floating heart seemed to
fall to the ground.
The youngster sighed and quietly said: “If you want to cry, then cry.”
The giant’s mouth bent, his closed lips constantly shivered.
He resisted; he didn’t want to cry.
Because when he was small, the boat craftsman taught him his loud crying was
very annoying and troublesome.
The giant tenaciously bit his lips; however, tears were already flowing.
A moment of silence.
Finally, he could no longer persevere against the anguish and sadness in his
heart.
“Father!!!”
He suddenly bellowed.
He was extremely sad and grieved.
Soon after.
“Wa——!” He cried into Zhen Jin’s chest.
He exhausted his strength crying, the sound wave created vibrated the broken
ship and echoed through the rainforest.
The emergency bonfire lit during the battle was still burning.
The flames shined on the breathless boat craftsman.
But the corner of his mouth seemed to rise somewhat, as if……
He was smiling.



****** Chapter 154: Desperate Straits ******
The new ship’s storehouse was supposed to store supplies; thus, it was the most
spacious.
In it, the beastified people were laid out in a row.
The dissection had already finished.
Zhen Jin, Cang Xu, and the others left the ship.
“They didn’t have any bloodcores, why is that?” Zhen Jin had been present and
watched the entire dissection. The facts were inconsistent with his
expectations, increasing his suspicions.
After returning from the discussion in the ship, Cang Xu couldn’t help but
sigh: “It’s hard to imagine……but this beastification is not magic, instead it
is their bloodline that has been altered. How fascinating!”
“They originally had human bloodlines, but now, all of them are beastmen-human
hybrids. Based on the dissection alone, I cannot find any flaws, it is as if
these people were born that way!”
Zhen Jin inquired: “So, what caused the transformations?”
Cang Xu shook his head and sighed: “It is currently unknown. I can only perform
a simple dissection, not being able to determine the hidden causes is normal
because I am not a magician.”
“No, even a magician might not be able to determine the cause either.” Zi Di
said heavily, “The island master is too incomprehensible. Maybe our guesses
were wrong, perhaps those remodeled magic beasts were not created in an alchemy
room or bred in a magician tower, rather they were formed on this island. The
entire island is his breeding ground!”
“What did you say?” Zong Ge frowned.
“Don’t you feel these beastified people and those remodeled magic beasts are
similar?” Zi Di replied.
“Of course, regardless of whether it is the beastified people or the remodeled
magic beasts, all of them seem to be combined from various pieces of different
lifeforms.” Said Tripleblade.
Zhen Jin knew Zi Di’s opinion, and said with anxiety: “So the most crucial
question is, what caused our comrades to change into their current appearances?
Zi Di, what have you discovered?”
Zi Di shook her head: “I have no evidence, only guesses. The island master has
constructed a gigantic magic spell on this island or made other arrangements.
These arrangements forcibly teleport us, form the magic prohibition
environment, and even control the weather. Apart from this, it can also
secretly influence and change all lifeforms on the island, I fear this is the
cause of our comrades’ beastification.”
“Then why haven’t we transformed?” Someone objected.
“Is it individual strength?”
“It can’t be that, both ordinary and bronze level people were beastified and
died.”
“Is it something we ate here?”
“Who hasn’t eaten magic beast meat here, who hasn’t drunk the water here?”
“Were injuries the cause?” Someone guessed.
“All of us are wounded.”
“No, I am referring to serious injuries! Maybe it is getting injured in a
relatively special way.”
“That doesn’t add up. I can’t even remember all the times I got injured on this
island.:”
Hearing everyone’s comments, Zhen Jin’s heart jumped.
He suddenly recalled the fire-poison bees, he was extremely injured at the
time, then afterwards, he was imbued with monkey tail brown bear blood.
Cang Xu’s voice sank: “Perhaps all of us have already changed, we simply
haven’t attained the qualitative change that results in beastification. Maybe
beastification needs the mind to be stimulated to the max, otherwise when we
relied on natural barriers to defend ourselves, one or two people would have
transformed.”
Hearing Cang Xu’s conjecture, everyone’s head sank.
Cang Xu continued: “Maybe……these remodeled magic beasts were originally not
beasts or magic beasts.”
Hei Juan turned white: “What do you mean?”
“Don’t you feel the blue dog fox wolves are too smart? If they were originally
people……” Cang Xu looked down through his lenses, his calmness made the people
feel dread.
Horror rapidly spread through everyone's heart.
Cang Xu continued: “Imagine this everyone, were we really the only victims?
After we all converged, I did my utmost to question many people about the
sudden shipwreck. All of the sailors say that evening, the Hog’s Kiss was in
good condition, there were no signs of a shipwreck occurring.”
“The island master didn’t need to personally attack us if they had arrangements
near the island. Based on their might, destroying the Hog’s Kiss is an
effortless affair.”
“If I may brazenly guess again, the Hog’s Kiss is not a special case, nor was
it the first victim. If other ships fell into dire straits, where did those
survivors go?”
“These people have beastified to varying degrees, some have slightly changed
while others have changed dramatically. Maybe this illustrates that
beastification does not occur to a fixed degree, rather it is constantly
getting worse. If a complete beastification occurs, what would one transform
into?”
“Would they transform into a monkey tail brown bear, a crocodile head hammer
tail boa, or a blue dog fox wolf?”
Including Zhen Jin, everyone’s complexion grew very ugly.
Xi Suo was continuously blinking while listening: “For the last hundred years,
ship technology has been getting better, and every continent deals with each
other frequently. Pirates have grown more numerous and active in shipping
lanes. The Hog’s Kiss’ shipping route was relatively dependable. I always
thought those missing ships did not disappear from great waves but were seized
by pirates.”
“But hold on, if these remodeled magic beasts were originally people, then they
are also victims. Why aren’t they assisting us in overthrowing the island
master?”
Cang Xu shook his head: “Their temperament changed dramatically. It is like the
beastified people who tried to kill us, despite being our comrades a moment
ago. Maybe after becoming a magic beast, their hearts know they can no longer
come back after being transformed, thus they hate us even more. The island
master is also probably involved in this change of temperament.”
Despite surviving on this island for so long, the truth was still shrouded in a
heavy fog. Cang Xu’s words seemed to blow a corner of the fog away.
However, the truth was cruel and hideous, it made almost everyone shiver in
fear.
Hei Juan grabbed his curled hair and cursed through gritted teeth: “I have had
enough of this wretched place! After guessing so much, we still need to repair
the ship and leave this place as soon as possible.”
“Yes, we must restore it, if we delay for too long, the magic beast corps will
return with new reinforcements.” Lan Zao agreed.
Xi Suo shook his head and bitterly laughed, and with a heavy tone, he declared
a fact: “The situation is worse than you think, the ship cannot be repaired.”
“How is that possible?!” Many people glared.
“Sigh……” Xi Suo deeply sighed, “Don’t glare at me, I am just like you. Of
course, I want the ship’s situation to be better, but it is in a terrible
state. Although I am not the boat craftsman, the ship’s situation is clear.
Regardless of who you ask, as long as they have some experience, they will
affirm this ship cannot sail.”
“Don’t just look from the inside, sure the structure there hasn’t been damaged
too much, and it seems only a little of the hull has been destroyed, but
nothing in it works! The keel nearly snapped off! We can barely restore it, so
it can struggle in a calm ocean. However, it cannot steer through a stormy sea.
During our remaining trip, how likely are stormy seas? In fact, compared to the
first half, the latter half will have choppier water. Using this boat to sail
will bring about our own destruction!”
The ship sank into a deathly silence.
“Build another ship?” After a long time, someone broke the silence.
“We don’t have the boat craftsman.” Xi Suo deeply sighed.
Hei Juan retorted: “But we have the blueprint, we also have many experienced
people that participated in the ship building.”
Xi Suo shook his head incessantly: “Too difficult. Do you think building a ship
is easy?”
“The boat craftsman’s blueprint was based on the materials available at the
time. Perhaps we could amend the blueprint, but what about wood and iron? We
need to gather more materials. The rainforest wood is mostly substandard, we
need the forest wood. This ship has many materials but dismantling it will take
a lot of labor and time. During the dismantling, the forceful destruction will
manage many things.”
“We need iron ore and a new kiln. We only have a quarter of the people left,
reconstructing a new ship will take too long, and if the magic beast corps
attacks us during that time, what can we do?”
“In other words, it's hopeless?!” Hei Juan scowled.
“Perhaps, all we can do is wait for help.” Speaking of this, Xi Suo couldn’t
help but look at Zhen Jin.
His implication was clear, if a big character like Zhen Jin fell into dire
straits, the Bai Zhen Clan would definitely save him.
Zhen Jin bitterly laughed and shook his head: “There is no guarantee of a
rescue, we have no way of sending out a message for help.”
Hei Juan also shook his head, his face was dark: “It has already been several
months, yet after so long, there hasn’t been any support. It is clearly
abnormal.”
“I know the Hog’s Kiss’ shipping route, the waters have been explored and there
are relatively few pirates around. But despite so many ships, none of them
found this island.”
“This island can isolate and hide itself from the outside world!”
Everyone discussed for a time, but no one knew what to do.
It seemed there was only one option, wait for help.
“Rest first, we cannot think throughout the night.” Zhen Jin finally spoke.
The new ship couldn’t sail; however, it still made an optimal camp.
The night sky had many stars.
The giant was sleeping on the deck. The front deckhouse hadn’t been built;
thus, the giant didn’t have a suitable room.
Zhen Jin sat in front of the giant, each of the giant’s breaths and chest
undulations made his heart laugh bitterly.
After experiencing that fierce battle, Zhen Jin was extremely exhausted.
However, the worry, doubt, frustration, helplessness, and other emotions didn’t
allow him to sleep peacefully.
The boat craftsman entrusted the giant to him on death’s door, but now it was
hard for him to ensure his own survival.
Wait for help?
His heart’s intuition told Zhen Jin; no help was coming.
Raising his head to look at the stars, the young knight’s heart filled with
misery.
He painstakingly risked his life to survive, but after so many life and death
struggles and surmounting so many failures, he still ended up in this plight.
“We almost succeeded.”
“If we had known earlier, we should have sped up a little, curtailed the time
allocated, and finished the ship earlier.
Unfortunately, that's how reality was, does the world have regret?
At least Zhen Jin didn’t.
He had no way of starting over.
Lowering his head, he looked at the giant’s broken legs.
He had to admit, right now, they were like those stump legs, they were trapped
on this island with nowhere to go.
They were in desperate straits.



****** Chapter 155: Set Sail ******
In these desperate straits, Zhen Jin’s heart was still filled with doubts.
“They didn’t have cores, yet I have one, why? What circumstances led to its
creation?”
“What caused the core to form? Was it poison? Was it because I was more
seriously wounded and had a great amount of fire-poison in my body? Was it luck
or willpower? Maybe my strength, luck, and wounds were all integrated factors.”
Besides his doubts, Zhen Jin’s heart also had many fears: “Will I transform
into a beastified person one day? Will I sink into bloodlust and madness, lose
all rationality, and kill my companions?”
“Did the core really not influence my temperament?”
Following Zhen Jin’s constant reflection, the fear in his heart grew deeper.
“No, I fear I was greatly influenced!”
“Previously, I feared the core, but after my circumstances forced me, I used it
many times and began to accept it unconsciously. Now, I deeply depend on it.
Midway through, if I didn’t maintain my introspection, I fear I would have been
enchanted by it.”
“Whenever I use the core to transform into a monster, my temperament seems to
become insolent, and my heart despises every weaker lifeform. Absorption and
conversion. I immersed myself in these powers and gradually controlled them.”
“My actions and my thoughts, as a matter of fact, have already deviated from
the path of a templar knight!”
“I seem to be……constantly……degenerating?!”
“God, my master, grand Emperor Sheng Ming. I beseech thee for a response, I
beseech thee to pity me, I beseech thee to save me. Thou has a lost lamb
here……”
Zhen Jin knelt again, turned towards the Sheng Ming continent, and bowed his
head in prayer.
And like all previous prayers, there was still no response.
This prayer was also unlike his most recent ones.
Zhen Jin’s heart no longer gained any tranquility or comfort from it.
Because he finally realized his own degradation; he also realized a
possibility——wasn’t the reason why Emperor Sheng never responded to him, was
because he was already depraved?
“Could it be, I became a disdained and depraved knight?”
“What should I do then?”
“Should I be honest? I should inform the others that I can also transform, that
I am also actually a……beastified monster?”
“No, I can’t do that.”
As the leader, Zhen Jin clearly understood that the current situation was
dangerous, it could collapse in a thought. Previously they had hope in the
ship, but now everyone was trapped.
“Even if I am already depraved and no longer a templar knight, even if I am
actually a beastified remodeled magic beast, I should still act as a good
leader.”
They needed a leader, they needed a templar knight, they needed something to
rely on, they needed a new hope.
Even if Zhen Jin had no one to rely on or hope in.
A leader should assume this heavy burden!
Zhen gradually felt that he could no longer breathe.
After experiencing all kinds of tribulations, his mental state had morphed many
times, things had been different for a long time. The heaviness that stopped
his breathing attacked him again.
He realized his naivety again.
He feared, not just his environment, for his future, or for his companions’
safety.
……
Now……he also feared himself!
“If one day, I completely beastify, lose my rationality, and harm the others,
what should I do?”
“I might even kill Cang Xu, Lan Zao, and Zi Di with my own hands, if that
happens, what should I do?”
“Can I control all kinds of transformations?”
“In the short term, it seems like it. It seems I have a core; the core should
allow me to perfectly control my transformations……right?”
Zhen Jin had no way to see the bigger picture, there was nothing he could do to
determine how the core was formed.
Perhaps, he was already close to beastification and insanity. Maybe after a few
days, he’d be next.
“Maybe, I am not the only one with hidden dangers.”
“The others also have it! Those dead beastified comrades were simply the first,
that's all. There will be a second batch, a third batch……even the last
survivors will be reduced to the magic beasts we see on this island. They hate
all outsiders as magic beasts, with their humanity and memory gone.”
The future was very cruel, and when Zhen Jin thought of it, his heart felt a
chill.
He suddenly thought: “Hold on, did this happen because I lost my memory?”
“Why did the beastified people sink into insanity? Maybe native memories
severely conflict and contradict between lifeform transformations, and when one
form is unable to accept them, insanity occurs as a result.
“Why am I the only one capable of controlling my transformations? Am I the only
one with a core? Maybe my missing memories were a major factor.”
“It’s because I lost my memories yet continued to persevere in my beliefs and
hold onto my knightly principles, as a result I didn’t suffer conflict and
retained the most humanity.”
“How does the island master beastify people? Maybe the environment he remodeled
constantly drains the humanity of others. Spending a long time here, will cause
our humanity to erode into beastliness and be gradually engulfed. The more that
is engulfed, the greater the beastliness. Finally, after completely losing
one’s humanity, the beast will cover them, causing complete insanity.”
That time, I persisted in my principles and bottom line, and my humanity
triumphed over beastliness. That victory accumulated and resulted in the core,
allowing me to rationally control my transformations, but the others are
incapable of doing this.”
“If this conjecture is true, then could I absorb the beast transformations from
my comrades, could I remove the beastliness and restore their rationality?”
“Incorrect, my core absorbs bloodlines. After beastification occurs, the magic
beast and human bloodlines are mixed. I will absorb all of the bloodlines!”
“I actually have all of the magic beast bloodlines. But I don’t have human
bloodlines, if I increased those human bloodlines, could I stabilize my
humanity? Will it delay my insanity?”
Thinking of this, Zhen Jin suddenly trembled and became pale.
“Damm it!”
“What is going on with me?”
“I unexpectedly thought of attacking my human comrades?!”
However, a voice echoed in Zhen Jin’s heart.
“Don’t restrict your actions. You should be more brazen, we are already in
desperate straits, if you tie your hands and wait until death approaches, then
it will be too late to do anything! You cannot start over from the beginning,
correct?”
“Besides, you're not killing a living person. You are simply absorbing those
dead fellows, they are to be buried and have no other value, they are simply
waste material to make use of!”
“Hurry, do it now, otherwise it will be too late. These people have died
recently, if you absorb them now, you will gain more than doing it later!”
“Don’t forget your clan, besides you also need to consider the others. If these
people were not encumbering you, you could completely transform and escape this
island.”
“Because of them, you stayed here, isn’t that so?”
“Don’t recklessly hold onto these things, think back carefully, how many times
have you regretted? When the spear scorpion nearly killed you, what were you
thinking? Just a moment ago, don’t tell me you didn’t feel regret?”
“Do you still want tragedy to reoccur?”
“This time it was the old boat craftsman, who's next? Lan Zao? Cang Xu? Zi Di!?
“No, don't say anymore! Stop speaking!!” In extreme pain, Zhen Jin knelt on
both knees, dropped his head, and buried his face in his hands.
His intense emotional state and suspicions that he was a degenerate had
dissipated most of the self-confidence supporting him.
He started to become confused.
In his confused thoughts, he couldn’t tell which were rational advice and which
were depraved temptations!
Zhen Jin sank into unprecedented wavering and confusion.
After a moment, he was really wavering.
Bang rumble!
A gigantic boom shook heaven and earth.
Again, the earth quaked, and the mountains shook!
The sleeping survivors all shouted in alarm and did their utmost to flee out of
the ship hold.
Another earthquake approached; its magnitude was greater than any other!
The ground before everyone split open with a loud bang.
The island shifted, and cracks from the volcano spread to the beach, forming
estuaries.
Saltwater and water clashed in surging waves.
After twenty breaths, the earthquake slowly settled down.
A new river now flowed before everyone, seeing the wide river channel, everyone
was shocked and dumbfounded.
After a good while, the frightened and doubtful people gradually reacted.
Qiao Shan kneeled to the ground and softly wept: “Can we really press on? Can
we really escape from this place?”
No one answered her questions, even Zhen Jin was silent.
“Even if we can persevere, this island won’t preserve for long!” Hei Juan
deeply sighed.
Everyone despaired, a dark cloud of worry surrounded the survivors.
“Maybe, I still have one way.” Zi Di suddenly said.
Those words immediately attracted everyone’s gaze.
But Zi Di’s face showed hesitation.
“Say it, why are you still hesitating?” Hei Juan urged.
Zi Di deeply breathed and suddenly pointed at the volcano: “We can go to the
most central area, perhaps our hope of survival is there!”
Almost everyone stared, doubting the words they heard.
Cang Xu, Zhen Jin, and Zong Ge also starred, but all of them reacted shortly
after and muttered to themselves.
Zi Di continued: “Do you remember the contents of our analysis? This island has
a master, and he is certainly mighty! He transformed this island, remodeled the
magic beasts, and even controls the weather. He seems to breed living weapons
here, however regardless of whether it is the magic prohibition environment,
the weather control, or the teleportation, all of them are magical formations.”
“This island must have a control hub for these magical formations, a magician
tower.”
“As long as we seize control of the control hub, we have hope.”
“Please, how are we the island master’s opponent?” Xi Suo yelled, he also
stared blankly. He blankly stared at the river, gazed at the erupting volcano,
and at the black volcanic clouds.
Xi Suo suddenly shouted: “Maybe the island master met with a mishap! The
erupting volcano and earth splitting are signs that the magic formations are
clearly out of control! No, wait a minute, when we returned to the beach, the
weather became very abnormal, it was a continuous downpour that none of us ever
encountered. Its possible things were already out of control then.”
“Perhaps earlier.” Zhen Jin opened his mouth, “Earlier, when we encountered a
blue dog fox wolf, it was a lone magic beast. However, when we encountered them
in the forest, they formed magic beast corps.”
“Controlling the magic beast corps is very burdensome for the blue dog fox
wolves. Making perfume consumed magic. The longer the blue dog fox wolves
controlled the magic beast corps, the more they had to eat to continue making
perfume.”
Cang Xu nodded and added: “The larger the magic beast corps, the more they
burdened the environment. All of those magic beasts eat! Therefore, the blue
dog fox wolves’ magic beast corps are clearly abnormal.”
“While we stayed in the ravine, the magic beast corps actively invaded and
received constant reinforcements. This attitude is obviously them wanting to
clean out their enemies. I might as well brazenly guess, it’s possible the
island master ordered the blue dog fox wolves to kill all outsiders.”
“If their situation was good, I fear it would only take one of their skills to
end us, it is also unlikely they would allow such upheaval on the island.
“But they didn’t do that, they ignored the island no matter what happened and
only ordered the magic beast corps to deal with us.”
“This proves they are in poor health, they can only fight with the blue dog fox
wolves, and are afraid of our escape, thereby exposing this place.”
“They even might be dead already.”
“Maybe, some outside cause impeded them, thus they can’t return in time!”
Zong Ge nodded: “It really might be this way. The best time to attack the
control hub is now! Continuing to delay, will only lead to a dead end.”
Everyone was baffled for a spell.
Hei Juan swallowed his saliva: “Then why do we need to hurry to the center? The
volcano just erupted, are you sure the control hub is there?”
Cang Xu fished out a map: “According to our exploration map, the central zone
is the volcanic area. Basically, all magical formation control hubs or say,
magician towers, are located in the central zone.”
Zi Di added on: “Magical formations need a huge volume of energy; the island
master might be extracting the surrounding elements and is also using a
magician tower’s magical power reserves. After issues appeared, the most
seriously affected area was the volcano, thus it is the most likely location
for a control hub or magician tower.”
Hei Juan frowned: “These are all guesses, none of you have proof!”
Zong Ge nodded and smiled: “Who can obtain proof? But it is already enough to
gamble, besides what other path can we walk?”
Everyone was silent again.
“No.” Hei Juan said, “We can wait for help. Attacking the island center is too
crazy! A volcano just erupted there, besides there are magic beast corps along
the road, we will die enroute.”
“No, we will use the ship.” Zhen Jin’s voice sounded out, “That will cut down
the distance and save time.”
Hei Juan stared blankly.
Xi Suo’s eyes shined, then he yelled: “That’s right, we can repair the ship.
Although it can’t sail, there is no wind and waves in the river before us. With
the volcanic clouds above us, even rain is unlikely!”
Zhen Jin continued: “In fact, even if we wait for help, a hidden danger still
remains. Don’t forget our dead beastified comrades. We might be trapped in the
environment’s erosion and in the island master’s tricks. Can their almighty
methods be easily neutralized? Can we randomly find a chaplain that can purify
us?”
“Furthermore, how dare they recklessly toy with and humiliate us, even if we
are their enemy?”
“Just now, Emperor Sheng Ming illuminated me!” Zhen Jin pointed at the river.
Everyone stared blankly again.
“Could it be, did Emperor Sheng Ming make this river?”
“It's no wonder no one died.”
“The gods have insurmountable willpower!”
“Divine scion knight……” Cang Xu deeply bowed to Zhen Jin, and sighed endlessly,
“Perhaps this is your heroic journey. My Lord Zhen Jin!”
Almost everyone’s scalp felt somewhat numb.
They seemed to feel they were witnessing history!
If this future heroic epic were passed on, would we have a role in it too?
Zhen Jin looked around him, after determining the will of the people had
changed, he loudly ordered with incomparable staunchness: “This is my decision,
we will use all of strength to repair the boat, we shall cremate our comrades,
and we shall do our best to gather as many supplies as we can. We shall set
sail and proceed towards……the island’s center!”



****** Chapter 156: Zhen Jin, You’ve Arrived at Last ******
Moving a piece of crushed rock, Zhen Jin personally led everyone in excavating
as many buried supplies as possible.
Ultrasound displayed its value again, allowing Zhen Jin to accurately determine
where the supplies were.
With continuous banging sounds, the holes in the ship were patched up with
layers of planks. The most important part, the keel, was repaired with a great
amount of wood and iron, then fastened with iron nails.
The sails were not seriously damaged, because they were all tied to the masts.
Several days later, the sliding track was also repaired.
“One, two three!” Everyone shouted and worked together, with even the giant
pitching in.
The ship sped up as it slid down the track, until it finally hit the water,
spraying it everywhere.
After the boat rocked a few times, it stabilized in the river.
The ship had become very ugly, there were patchwork planks on the ship railing
and decks. In addition, the sides of the ship were higher than the deck, with a
row of holes on each side of the ship.
From each row of holes, extended ten long wooden oars. There was an especially
large oar at the rudder, it was specifically prepared for the giant.
His broken legs and the boat craftsman’s death made the giant depressed, he was
uncommunicative and would cry to himself nearly every night.
In accordance with the boat craftsman’s dying words, the giant really treated
Zhen Jin as his birth father, and only listened to Zhen Jin’s commands. Only
when Zhen Jin gave him food and water, would he eat.
Zhen Jin first led the giant into the ship hold. The giant could not walk;
thus, he used his hands to crawl.
Soon after, the others walked in.
Eighteen people went to the lower deck, each of them was assigned to an oar.
The giant sat at the very back, he alone was responsible for two oars.
The remaining people moved on the deck, they were in charge of opening the
sails, straightening the rope, weighing the anchor, and other tasks, meanwhile
Xi Suo operated the rudder.
During the shipbuilding process, Cang Xu had the sailors lecture many times,
thus basically everyone was trained in how to operate a ship.
Following drumbeats, the sails opened. Twenty oars dipped into the water
simultaneously, after an unhurried rowing movement, the oars extended from the
water before dipping back into the water again.
The ship moved without a hitch.
As they moved through the turbulent river water, Zhen Jin regularly stood on
the ship’s bow.
He secretly used ultrasound to probe the situation below the water surface.
He was worried a fierce artificial magic beast would appear; he was even more
worried the gold level python vines would appear in the water.
The following passage was a pleasant journey.
There were no artificial magic beasts or python vines, however the water was
murky, there were often whirlpools, and the unstable riverbank would often
collapse.
The new river was the optimal shortcut to the island center.
The shortcut did not lack hazards.
Bat monkey and flying squirrel groups often attacked.
But with Zhen Jin, Zong Ge, and the others defending, these beast groups were
routed and added to the survivors’ food reserves.
Nearly all of the survivors had a crossbow, furthermore, to survive the many
cruel natural selections, those still alive were either the elite or had
abundant luck.
Operating the ship was very difficult, and during the beginning, everyone
beside Zhen Jin was flustered. The ship even bumped into the riverbank because
it could not change direction in time.
Fortunately, nothing broke during the bump, but despite that, Zhen Jin still
ordered everyone to conduct emergency training on the shore for a day.
The surviving sailors were immensely helpful as they skillfully controlled the
ship without any abnormalities.
The ship left the jungle and smoothly sailed through the forest.
Leaving the forest, it entered the desert.
The air became blistering hot and the volcanic eruption’s lava pillar became
more conspicuous.
Black “snow” fluttering through the air, volcanic ash.
Because of the hot weather, the glue and pitch between planks began to melt.
Water constantly seeped into the hold.
As the ship left the desert and entered the volcanic area, the water seepage
got worse, it was getting harder for Zhen Jin and the others to keep it under
control.
The river was also gradually getting narrower, and when the ship could no
longer sail ahead, Zhen Jin commanded everyone to leave the ship.
They promptly moved their supplies, and after an hour, without any survivors
bailing out the ship, everyone watched the ship sink into the river.
Everyone watched silently.
Zhen Jin deeply breathed and brightly shouted: “We no longer have a way out,
onward!”
The path ahead was very challenging.
The scalding ground made it hard to walk.
With every breath, the scorching air burned almost everyone’s nose, windpipe,
and lungs.
There was a layer of yellow fog in the air.
The extremely pungent sulfur made everyone uncomfortable.
Because the volcanic clouds covered the sky, it was dark. Only when lava
erupted would the horizon look somewhat distinct.
Earthquakes constantly accompanied the survivors.
The closer they got to the island core, the stronger the earthquakes got.
While they sailed, earthquakes lifted waves that covered the sky. Now as they
walked, the earthquakes became even more threatening. It would shake the ground
and cause magma to bubble out.
Just a day after leaving the ship, three people died.
Two days later, the group encountered a gigantic lava turtle.
The gigantic lava turtle was in a fishy state, its eyes were red and was crazy,
no longer was it docile and harmless.
It actively charged at the group.
As it was indeed a gold level magic beast and Zhen Jin was certainly not
stupid, he led everyone in a prompt escape.
Luckily the gigantic lava turtle had insufficient intelligence and was slower
than the people, thus after Zhen Jin and the others put enough distance between
them and the turtle, it no longer pursued them.
Compared to the previous day, the dangers the group faced increased ten-fold.
Because they encountered a magic beast corps.
Zhen Jin and Zong Ge fought bravely and smashed the magic beast corps blocking
their path.
But everyone's mood was heavy.
Because of the three blue dog fox wolves, they only killed two, with one
escaping alive.
Blue dog fox wolves had outstanding intelligence, and that blue dog fox wolf
would definitely return with more magic beast corps.
After Zong Ge suggested it, Zhen Jin had no choice but to risk it and increase
the group’s speed.
This made the survivors suffer unspeakable misery.
A few days later.
Everyone gazed at the volcano, with many of them having numb expressions.
Despite searching the whole journey, they found no signs of a magician tower or
the center of a magical formation.
“Shouldn’t the magician tower be hidden in the volcano?”
“As a matter of fact, that is extremely possible! The source of this island’s
upheaval is the erupting volcano.”
“But how do we get in?”
“Lord Zhen Jin, we are dying!”
Everyone looked dismal.
These past few days, they had been pursued by the magic beast corps.
In the volcanic area, there were many blue dog fox wolves, with each of them
commanding a small magic beast corps.
Were it not for Zhen Jin and Zong Ge fighting bravely on the front lines every
time, the group would not be here.
Covered in dirt, Zhen Jin no longer looked handsome, but his eyes were still
unflinching.
“Rest and reorganize here, we need to think of how we are going to enter the
volcano.” Said Zhen Jin.
Cang Xu, Zi Di, and the others looked distressed.
The air was very hot, an ordinary person was already at their limits, and if
they continued walking forward, their lives would be in danger.
Only those with outstanding bodies could walk closer.
As Zhen Jin and the others discussed, their expression suddenly changed.
“A magic beast corps is attacking! Quickly, prepare for battle.” Zhen Jin
shouted.
No one doubted Zhen Jin’s prediction, during the journey they had relied on
Zhen Jin’s predictions to battle against the magic beast corps, allowing them
to kill their way here.
Time was limited, after picking a somewhat elevated location, everyone stood in
formation, with Zhen Jin and Zong Ge on the front lines.
Not long after, they saw a large wave of beasts and magic beasts rushing at
them.
“Too many, it can’t be just one magic beast corps!”
“There needs to be at least five blue dog fox wolves to gather this many.”
“We need to flee!”
Zhen Jin clenched his teeth and shook his head: “Where can we flee to?”
At that moment, his heart was also shrouded with despair.
Even if he abandoned all his apprehensions and completely transformed, it would
still be difficult to hold off this amount of ferocious beasts.
Against this beast tide, preserving Zi Di’s and the others’ lives was simply a
fantasy!
“I knew this would happen, we should have stayed in the rainforest and waited
for help!” Hei Juan shouted, however it was too late for regrets.
The magic beast corps did not care if the people had regrets as the corps
charged their position.
“Don’t save iron arrows, use as many as you can!” Zong Ge shouted.
Zhen Jin, Zong Ge, and the others fought for their lives, unexpectedly holding
their position against the beast tide.
“Strange, this magic beast corps isn’t as good as it looks!”
“I still haven’t seen a blue dog fox wolf, where did they go?”
“Why do I feel these magic beasts aren’t actually attacking us, rather……they
are running away?”
“Yeah, if you look carefully, many of them are wounded.”
The people had endless doubts when Zhen Jin looked into the distance, his
expression suddenly changing.
People!
He had always been using ultrasound; however, he did not detect these people as
they suddenly appeared over the horizon.
There were six strangers altogether, they were effortlessly chasing and killing
all the magic beasts that could be seen.
They actually chased the magic beast corps away!
It's no wonder there were no blue dog fox wolves, they feared these people.
They only had six people, yet they routed the massive magic beast corps.
What was especially breathtaking and noteworthy to Zhen Jin and Zong Ge, was
the glittering holy light on their bodies, and their clean clothes, all of it
was inharmonious with the environment.
They had extraordinary power!
“Templar knight Zhen Jin, you’ve arrived at last.” The middle aged group leader
opened his mouth, although the distance between the two groups was still far,
his voice still clearly echoed in everyone’s ears.
The survivors were astonished and ecstatic.
“Could it be, help had arrived?!”
“But how did they go deeper into the center than us?”
“That is a Sheng Ming priest, those behind him are his templar guardian
knights.”
“You are?” Zhen Jin slightly saluted.
The white clothed priest smiled and introduced himself: “My name is Jia Sha.”



****** Chapter 157: The Island Master’s Identity ******
Jia Sha.
He was a middle aged man, wore white priestly garments, and had an ordinary
appearance some might even consider ugly. Because his face had a scar that
traveled from the bottom left of his forehead to his right ear.
This malevolent scar split his face into an upper right and a lower left
section, it was extremely conspicuous.
His hands were empty; however, he wore a necklace, a holy insignia.
The necklace was a hollow silver disk that was bigger than an adult human’s
palm.
The necklace was a circular pendant, with a horizontal eye and a vertical eye
superimposed on each other. Both the horizontal eye and vertical eye were human
shaped and formed from moderate curves, putting the eyes together, they vaguely
formed the shape of a cross.
The two eye sockets were hollow, those were the hollow parts of the disk.
This was Emperor Sheng Ming’s holy insignia, by wearing it, Jia Sha represented
his belief and service to Emperor Sheng Ming.
A silver level aura dispelled from Jia Sha’s body; it was not masked at all.
He was an extraordinary silver level senior!
Zhen Jin already knew about Jia Sha. Earlier, when he and Zi Di helped each
other, Zi Di told him of Jia Sha’s existence.
Zhen Jin knew as a templar knight and for the sake of the Bai Zhen Clan, he
traveled to the Wilderness Continent to compete in the White Sands City lord
competition.
Altogether, there were three templar knights competing in the White Sands City
lord competition, and one of the officials conducting it was Jia Sha.
The competition was intense.
It was very possible one of his rivals used their power behind the scenes to
destroy the troops the Bai Zhen Clan dispatched to aid Zhen Jin.
After Zi Di and Zhen Jin discussed, they stealthily traveled aboard the Hog’s
Kiss.
On the one hand, his two rivals had already left, and in order to not let the
hidden hand prevail, Zhen Jin and the others needed to snatch time and prevent
delays.
On the other hand, it was because Jia Sha was traveling on the Hog’s Kiss. If
he could build a relationship with the main examiner or leave a good
impression, it would be a big help in the future city lord competition.
Later, the shipwreck happened.
After being stranded on this island, Zi Di also mentioned to Zhen Jin: if
possible, find Priest Jia Sha, help him, and leave a good impression with him.
And now, they finally found Priest Jia Sha.
It’s just that, Zhen Jin and others did not help the priest, rather it was the
priest who helped Zhen Jin.
“Templar knight Zhen Jin, you’ve finally arrived.” Jia Sha’s hoarse voice
seemed to reverberate in Zhen Jin’s ears.
Zhen Jin finished saluting and asked with a puzzled expression: “Priest Jia
Sha, thank you for your assistance. But how did you know I would come, from
your tone, it seems you have been waiting for me for a long time?”
Jia Sha’s right hand caressed the holy insignia and deeply said: “With the
Heavenly Emperor’s sight, the future has signs I can follow.”
Zhen Jin’s heart immediately shook as he recalled a divine spell——the extreme
eye spell!
The gods were omnipotent, but each had their specialties.
Each god’s clergy was different, and each had different contributions in
different fields.
Emperor Sheng Ming was the god of victory and light; the extreme eye spell was
one of his divine spells.
The so called extreme eye surpassed the limits of sight, it didn’t see space,
instead it saw time. When one successfully used the extreme eye spell, they
would see the results of actions.
In a nutshell, it was a prophecy spell!
“Priest Jia Sha unexpectedly grasped the extreme eye spell?” Zhen Jin’s heart
was shocked.
Jia Sha looked at everyone, soon understanding everyone’s exhaustion.
“What you most need now is rest. Follow me, our camp isn’t too far.” Said Jia
Sha.
Zhen Jin and the others didn’t refuse, they really needed to rest.
But when everyone followed Jia Sha and the other five, they were awed on the
spot by the hillside before them. Many were dumbstruck, the hillside was strewn
with magic beast corpses.
“The magic beast corps that “attacked” Zhen Jin and the others really were
scattered remnants Jia Sha and the others were pursuing.
The magic beast corps Zhen Jin encountered was actually five times bigger, but
now it was all corpses.
“Jia Sha’s group only had six people, yet they were able to behead so many
magic beasts?”
“How did they accomplish this?”
“It's obvious, Jia Sha can use divine spells!”
“It seems this place can only prohibit magic and battle qi, but not divine
spells.”
“Strange, Lord Jia Sha’s scar can obviously be healed by a minor healing divine
spell, why doesn’t he heal it?”
“That is not important, the most important thing is that he might have grasped
the extreme eye spell!”
“What is the extreme eye spell?”
“This divine spell indeed can only be grasped by a considerably pious believer.
Generally speaking, bishops in the Sheng Ming Sect have the ability to grasp
it.
“Ah? But Jia Sha is obviously just a priest.”
“So, what your saying is he is not a simple priest, that his future is not
limited to that. I guess we can regard him as a quasi-bishop.
During the journey, talk pertaining to Jia Sha did not stop.
Like Jia Sha said, his camp was not far off. It was small, simple, and crude.
After all, they only had six people.
The ground was scalding, however in the small camp, it didn’t even feel hot.
“This is the divine spell——shelter.” Zhen Jin said to himself, although he had
lost most of his memories, his general knowledge was not lacking.
Shelter could build a suitable recuperation site.
“Wait a moment everyone.” Jia Sha wore a smile, shortly after he held the holy
insignia, lowered his head, and began to silently pray.
After a moment, a holy light dropped from the sky. After it hit the ground, the
pure white light gradually disappeared, it seemed to seep into the environment.
Many people cried out in surprise.
They sensed the sudden changes in the environment, and after a split second,
the torrid heat retreated.
It was still the divine spell shelter, however the divine spell this time had
ten times the range.
Of course, this divine spell did not simply modify the temperature, allies that
rested here also got other benefits, such as an accelerated recovery speed,
increasing the effects of sleep and food, and other advantages. As for how
strong these effects were, it usually depended on the prayer’s power.
After everyone settled down for the time being, Jia Sha invited Zhen Jin over
for a chat.
With a complex mood, Zhen Jin entered his tent.
On the one hand, he was very apprehensive. He pretended to be a divine scion
knight, when in fact it was his core producing the transformations. He
repeatedly faked the god’s decree to raise morale, although his original
intentions were good, the nature of his actions were still extremely vile.
On the other hand, Zhen Jin also felt Jia Sha was cordial and reliable. As a
templar knight, Zhen Jin fought for his god, while as a priest, Jia Sha
announced his god’s words and expanded his religion.
When a templar knight regiment fought, there was a chaplain, priest, or bishop
accompanying it. During a battle, they would use divine spells in the
backlines, providing immense aid to the templar knights.
At the same time ordinary people gave more preferential treatment to chaplains,
priests, and bishops of the Sheng Ming than to templar knights.
“He really is one of us!”
“Should I tell Jia Sha about the core?”
Ultimately, Zhen Jin basically informed Jia Sha of everything he had
experienced during his journey, however he still concealed the core.
“These were all the people I could save. Priest, my abilities were very
limited.” Zhen Jin felt incomparable shame.
Jia Sha shook his head, caressed Zhen Jin’s shoulder, and with a gentleness and
admiration, he said: “Child, you did your best, you have already achieved your
limits. You continuously abided by the knightly principles, was fearlessly
heroic, protected the weak, and forgave others. Personal cultivation is simply
a shallow aspect of us, because we serve the gods. Perhaps your strength is
weak for the time being, however, your spirit is formidable and full of light.
In this aspect, you have surpassed the majority of templar knights.”
“Now, tell me more about beastification.”
“Your former comrades suddenly went crazy, completely lost their rationality,
and even when they died, they still retained the traits of beastification?”
Jia Sha was clearly interested in this.
Zhen Jin’s heart thumped, he concealed the core, but not the beastification.
Because he was unable to hide it.
Zhen Jin had no choice but to repeat what he knew again, to the best of his
abilities.
“If we had a priest present, none of us would have died from beastification.”
Zhen Jin sighed ruefully.
But Jia Sha shook his head and deeply sighed: “My abilities are finite; I am
incapable of purifying them. Your conjectures are very fascinating and are
reasonable. Maybe this island really is a breeding ground, although you all
survived, perhaps you were also stricken, maybe the beastification is still in
your bodies.”
Zhen Jin pursed his brows: “Don’t tell me Lord Priest, you are incapable of
purifying us?”
“Of course, I cannot. According to my guess, the island master is indeed at the
legend rank.”
“My Lord, you know the island master’s identity?”
Jia Sha nodded: “Before I was uncertain, but after learning about the
beastification, I am certain.”



****** Chapter 158: War Merchant ******
Hearing Jia Sha knew the island master’s identity, Zhen Jin consulted him at
once.
For a long time, the mysterious island master was an immense shadow that
shrouded Zhen Jin’s and the others’ hearts.
Jia Sha: “He is someone you should know about. He is one of the ten most wanted
criminals, War Merchant.”
Zhen Jin’s heart immediately shook.
Every organization, nation, and even continent had countless arrest warrant
lists. In the last century, bounty guilds have been collaborating closer,
gathering and collating arrest warrants to form one large list.
On this list, the top ten most wanted criminals almost never changed, their
status was extremely firm. Because every large empire, every big sect, and even
every major guild was helpless against these ten major criminals.
These ten not only had astonishing strength, but also era-startling
specialties.
“War Merchant……goblin race, legend rank magician, a grandmaster alchemist, and
the seventh most wanted……”
Some information about War Merchant immediately appeared in Zhen Jin’s mind.
Bronze, iron, silver, gold, saint, legend, god……War Merchant’s cultivation was
at the world’s peak, second only to the gods. A legend rank magician had a
magician tower, prohibition magic spells, and magical equipment. After
calculating them all in, a legend rank magician had the military strength to
massacre a god!
War Merchant was simply his nickname, for few knew his true name.
But as his nickname stated, he relied on war to be prosperous. The many
continents’ justification for his arrest is that he had provoked wars in every
large continent, allowing him to profit off arms sales.
Seeing Zhen Jin’s expression slightly change, Jia Sha continued: “It seems you
remember; this place should be War Merchant’s Mystifying Monster Island.”
“Mystifying Monster Island……” Zhen Jin’s mouth muttered.
He thought of the rumors pertaining to Mystifying Monster Island; War
Merchant’s headquarters was Mystifying Monster Island, according to legend, it
was in a demi-plane, he didn’t expect it would be located in the main world.
Zhen Jin slightly frowned, his heart had two suspicions: “If Mystifying Monster
Island isn’t in a demi-plane, why hasn’t it been found after being wanted for
so many years?”
“Furthermore, Lord Priest. War Merchant is an alchemy great grandmaster, I know
he is an expert at refining munitions. Arrows, warheads, and more, as well as
his signature product: explosive flasks. But I never heard he was an expert at
life alchemy.
Jia Sha nodded: “Actually, in more recent years, War Merchant seems to have
adjusted the direction of his alchemy development, he has gradually shifted
from alchemy goods to the field of life alchemy.”
Zhen Jin frowned, he suddenly understood somewhat: “Don’t tell me, beastified
people have appeared on battlefields?”
Jia Sha smiled and deliberately asked: “What are you speculating?”
Zhen Jin faintly lowered his head: “Lord priest, you said you were very
interested in beastification. After I repeated my information, you said you
almost certainly knew the island master’s identity.”
Jia Sha couldn’t help but look at Zhen Jin with admiration: “Child, your
creativeness is very shrewd. It is certainly like that, since you don’t have
access to a lot of intelligence, you were unable to guess the island master’s
true identity. In fact, you have done enough by judging the island master’s
situation from the omens and also having the valor to carry out a final fight.”
Continuing, Jia Sha narrated his own experience: “After the shipwreck, I and
six guardian templar knights arrived on this island.”
“The island’s artificial landforms and magic beasts amazed me.”
“Although the island prohibited low level magic and battle qi, it could not
block the power of god, thus my strength did not decrease in the slightest.”
“Relying on all kinds of divine spells, we explored the island. As we attempted
to walk toward the island center, we were teleported.”
“Every time we approached the central volcanic area, we were forcibly
teleported out.”
“After many months of this, the situation changed. The forcible teleportation
no longer occurred; it was replaced with magic beast corps obstructing us. The
deeper we went into the center, the greater the resistance.”
“Just as you guessed, I also thought: did War Merchant have a problem? Perhaps
he suffered a backlash during meditation, or a newly refined alchemy article
exploded. If he didn’t have a problem, why hasn’t he disposed of us? Why would
he allow this island to sink into the abyss of destruction?
“Just yesterday, when I used the extreme eye spell, I foresaw the outcome of
battle and discovered your arrival.”
“I wanted to converge with you first, but the magic beast corps launched an
attack.”
“Templar knight Zhen Jin, I know you are the Bai Zhen Clan’s sole heir, I also
know you want to compete in the White Sands City lord competition. However, the
things before us are a greater and more difficult opportunity than the lordship
of White Sands City!”
“For the last century, although the top ten most wanted is occasionally
revised, the top ten most wanted almost never change.”
“If we can eradicate War Merchant, the seventh most wanted, do you know how
much contribution we would gain? You can be immediately promoted to a great
operations officer, you can become at least the lord of ten cities, and even be
promoted to an earl. If you don’t want territory in the Wilderness Continent,
you can directly apply to the Imperial family to exchange territory, by
exchanging for territory in the Sheng Ming Continent, you can restore the Bai
Zhen Clan’s past splendor!”
Zhen Jin muttered to himself.
Jia Sha laughed and continued: “Of course, we are fully aware of the immense
risks. But what can we do? We are at the end of our rope, only this fight
remains.”
Zhen Jin inquired: “Lord Priest, since this place cannot stop you from using
divine spells, can you not rely on prayers to ask the Sheng Ming Empire for
help?”
Jia Sha’s complexion sank: “My master has not clearly responded to my prayers.
According to my conjecture, War Merchant has a method that protects him from
the gods’ perception. Because of this, Mystifying Monster Island can hide in
the world and from the gods’ sight.”
“This island used to prohibit divine spells, but because of some damage, I have
some leeway to use divine spells.”
“Now Zhen Jin, tell me your decision.”
Zhen Jin bitterly laughed, extended both hands, and said to Jia Sha: “What
other choice do I have? From the bottom of my heart, I am uncertain of what
shall happen in this final fight. But I am honored to fight side by side with
your Lordship!”
“Very good templar knight Zhen Jin.” Jia Sha revealed his happiness, “You
haven’t disappointed me. I have observed your performance. If we fail but
survive by a fluke, I will make you the lord of White Sands City!”
Fate really was hard for people to ponder.
The White Sands City lordship was no longer prospective, because too much time
had passed. But he did not expect he would gain a fine opportunity.
Who would have thought Jia Sha, the main examiner, would also be stranded on
this island?
After returning, Zhen Jin informed Zi Di, putting her in a cheerful mood.
From their point of view, converging with Jia Sha and the others greatly
assisted them in the final fight.
Divine spell: water.
Jia Sha prayed with the holy insignia and caused holy light to descend.
Foundationless drinking water appeared in every cup, water canteen, and pot.
Divine spell: food.
Holy light descended again, causing a great amount of rations to appear on a
sailcloth.
Divine spell: restoration.
Holy light swept through everyone’s armor and equipment, instantly restoring
them.
Divine spell: elemental protection.
Holy light dropped in succession, after everyone bathed in the light, they
received its protection. Even when everyone left the shelter, they no longer
felt the torrid heat.
The gods were omnipotent, thus divine spells naturally covered many aspects.
As long as divine spells were not prohibited, Jia Sha was a well-rounded
logistics master.
“Don’t eat the magic beasts or drink the island’s water for the time being. I
will supply food and water.” Jia Sha smiled.
Everyone promptly expressed their gratitude.
: :
Because of their beastified comrades, these people were wary of the magic beast
meat and the water collected on this island. Jia Sha’s offer was immediately
approved and welcomed.
After leaving the shelter, everyone quickly suffered a magic beast corps
attack.
According to Jia Sha: he fears all of the blue dog fox wolves, beasts, and
magic beasts have assembled here to protect War Merchant and block all
outsiders.
However, regardless of how many magic beasts there were, none of them could
stop Jia Sha, Zhen Jin, and their group.
Divine spell: blessings.
Divine spell: frighten.
Divine spell: stable mind.
Divine spell: tenacious.
Divine spell: flash.
Divine spell: root
Divine spell: invisibility.
Divine spell: extreme eye.
The divine spell blessings greatly increased the attack power of Zhen Jin and
the others, the frightened spell made the magic beast corps panic, stable mind
steadied morale, flash blinded the magic beasts, and root trapped them in
place, forcing them to helplessly watch as the humans easily slaughtered them.
Jia Sha’s existence changed the entire war situation!
Those at the silver level were normally city lords and the leaders of small
organizations. Tripleblade was a mercenary commander, as his cultivation level
was only at the iron level.
After the battle, Jia Sha also used the therapy spell and the detoxify spell.
The five templar guardian knights were also in charge of a section, each of
them was at the iron level.
Templar guardian knights were different from templar knights. Templar knights
exclusively belonged to Emperor Sheng Ming and his legions while templar
guardian knights were put together from the best of every large sect.
The five templar guardian knights had strong martial skill and deep battle
attainment. Originally there were six of them, but while they were on the
island, one of them sacrificed their life.
Jia Sha also presided over daily prayer and confession, with him, morale would
never crumble.
A week later.
After overcoming all the obstacles in the way, everyone finally arrived at the
foot of the largest volcano.
Divine spell: detect mechanisms.
Divine spell: detect magic.
“As expected, this is the place!” Jia Sha looked pleased.
Divine spell: teleportation gate.
Everyone entered the teleportation gate and arrived in an underground area.
They found themselves in an immense plaza.
“It seems, this place is War Merchant's underground alchemy factory!”



****** Chapter 159: Munition Refinery ******
The immense plaza was an estimated four hundred meters long, three hundred
meters wide, and four meters taller than the giant.
The floor was very glossy, it was not made of tile, but entirely made of a
white metal. Not only was the floor made, but the walls and ceiling were also
made of the metal.
On the ceiling, there was a blue light source.
In the plaza, there were many small and large boxes. The large boxes were
bigger than a gigantic lava turtle, while the smallest box was three meters
long, two meters wide, and one meter tall.
The boxes seemed to be made of iron, however they were in fact made from a type
of iron wood.
Zhen Jin looked at the surface of a box and immediately recalled when he
awakened, and his failure to break the branches on the riverbank. The branches
at the time were iron wood.
Em-096Sg-734ID5D-VR-862
The iron wood boxes also had red paint on their surfaces that displayed letters
and numbers such as: Em-096, Sg-734, ID5D-VR-862, and so on.
After verifying there were no enemies in the plaza, Jia Sha grasped the holy
insignia and began to pray.
After a few breaths, holy light descended.
Divine spell: detect traps.
There were no traps in their surroundings.
Divine spell: detect magic.
In a split second, almost all of the boxes within the detection range shined
brilliantly. This proved that almost every box had magical goods inside.
Divine spell: detect machinery.
Like detect traps, nothing was discovered.
After the detections, Jia Sha smiled and ordered: “Open these boxes.”
A small box was opened.
A layer of dried, fluffy, and yellow rice straw appeared in everyone’s eyes.
After the rice straw was taken out, everyone saw a bundle of arrows.
All of the arrows were dark red, like rusted metal. But when someone picked one
up, they found one was lighter than a chicken egg.
“These are alchemy arrows——flame arrows.” Zi Di’s eyes shined as she identified
them.
Bang bang bang.
Every small box was pried open.
Almost all of them had alchemy arrows inside.
Most of them were fire arrows, but there were also frost arrows, torrent
arrows, wind arrows, smoke arrows, sluggish arrows, flash arrows, and more.
There were many kinds of arrows and an astonishing amount of them.
Many people swallowed their saliva, they never expected to see such an
astonishing scene.
Alchemy arrows had a considerable construction cost, it was rare to see a box
full of them.
“Can we use these arrows?” Tripleblade’s heart beated constantly, he pet the
arrow shafts like he was emotionally caressing skin.
Zhen Jin, Zong Ge, as well as the templar guardian knights, to the contrary,
had indifferent expressions.
As a mercenary commander, Tripleblade’s financial resources were limited, he
seldomly used these types of weapons. But regardless of whether it was Zhen
Jin, Zong Ge, or the templar guardian knights, these alchemy arrows were
everyday equipment to them. Beside the quality being better, there weren’t any
differences. After all, the Sheng Ming Empire officials supplied them with such
things.
A moment after Zi Di carefully identified the arrows, she shook her head in
disappointment: “These arrows only have a branch of a magic spell on them, they
need the corresponding source spell to display their true might, otherwise when
they are fired, they are inferior to our improvised wooden arrows.”
But Tripleblade was not disappointed, rather he looked excitedly towards the
unopened boxes.
“There should be crossbows in there!” The mercenary commander couldn’t help but
shout.
Thus, everyone unboxed with more enthusiasm.
More and more boxes were opened.
Mostly arrows and warheads were found.
The vast majority of the arrows were triangle shaped, with a minority
possessing barbs. The arrows had different colors, but all of them had a semi-
transparent crystal texture.
“These arrows can be used! We only need to hit a certain level of force.” Said
Zong Ge.
As a former high ranking military officer that served for many years, the half
beastman was very familiar with commonly seen equipment.
Then there were the warheads.
These warheads were ball shaped, the small ones were the size of an adult
human’s fingertip, while the larger ones were triple the size of the smaller
ones.
These were flintlock rifle bullets.
All sizes of bullets matched with all kinds of flintlock rifle models on the
market.
The warheads and arrowheads were the same, they only needed the standard
striking force to trigger.
But no one had a flintlock rifle on them.
Opening the largest box, the people found small boxes neatly arranged inside.
“What is this?” After opening a small box, someone took out a flask.
The grenade seemed to be made from glass and had liquid inside, one half seemed
to be a yellow oil, and the other half seemed to be a red liquid.
How fantastic, these liquids were entirely different yet neither seeped into
the other.
“Softly let it go now, don’t shake it.” Hei Juan’s complexion suddenly changed,
and his tone faintly shuddered.
Many people gathered around the voice.
Zong Ge stared: “Explosive flasks……”
“The Music Shaker.” Tripleblade stated the weapon’s nickname.
There were many explosive flasks, basically all of the boxes here stored them.
“It seems this really is War Merchant’s alchemy factory.” Jia Sha reaffirmed.
Those weapons are War Merchant’s signature product, after fiercely shaking one,
the two liquids would mix and explode within a fixed amount of time. The fiery
oil from the explosion will attach and burn the target for a time. The
temperature of the flames was ten times hotter than ordinary fire!
This single-use throwable had a reputation, when a mercenary used a Music
Shaker, the music could cause Death to appear to a degree.
“Haha, we finally found some!” After a moment, Tripleblade laughed heartily.
In one of the large boxes, they finally found alchemy crossbows.
But quickly, Tripleblade’s smile dwindled into anxiety.
Because in the underground factory, magic was still prohibited, thus these
crossbows were unusable.
“There are also rifles here.”
Most of the rifles were alchemy products.
But like the crossbows, they were low level alchemy items and were restricted
by the environment, rendering them useless.
“These bullets seem to be made from bone?”
In the rifle box, the people also found unusual warheads made from twisted
bones.
When Jia Sha looked at them, his complexion immediately sank.
Zi Di also seemed bewildered: “Wraith bullets? Isn’t that Hei Bian Zi’s
signature product?
This bullet had been on the market for the last century and continued to get
more popular.
It used the power of necromancy magic, and every year high level imperials and
others on other continents died from this bullet.
The school of necromancy had risen within the last one hundred years,
traditional defense methods were ineffective against its strange ferocity.
If one was exposed as a necromancer, they would be a fugitive and attacked by
everyone.
The founder of this school of magic was called You Can, their race was
unverifiable. Someone said he was once a great beastman shaman, and others say
he was once a great heretical priest who stole a lot of the gods’ divine power.
As the greatest founder of necromancy, he was currently the sixth most wanted,
one position greater than War Merchant.
Hei Bian Zi was a newcomer in weapons commerce that had emerged prominently in
the last one hundred years.
She was a dark elf.
“Why are her signature products here?” Zi Di was puzzled.
Jia Sha sneered: “It's very simple, Hei Bian Zi is simply a false identity of
War Merchant, nothing more.”
The people then opened the final large wooden box.
“I wonder what’s stored in here? Wow! A large and thick weapon.” Mu Ban
whistled.
It was an alchemy cannon!
There was a golden veined pattern stitched around pitch-black cannon’s body,
giving the people a feeling of tenacity. Under the cannon was a silver white
pedestal, forming a battery.
“This is a gold level alchemy cannon!” Zi Di’s eyes cheerfully shined.
The immediate implication was that this alchemy cannon could be used in this
environment.
“There are also compatible artillery shells!” Someone cried out in surprise
upon their discovery.
The sphere shaped artillery shells seemed to be solid bullets; however, they
were colored differently and portrayed a roaring dragon head on their
exteriors.
“This is Da Hong’s whistling dragon shell.” Zi Di breathed out.
Da Hong was a giant, he was also a new weapons merchant who had sprung up in
the last hundred years. The whistling dragon shell was his signature product.
Everyone’s heart sank.
This implied Da Hong, a newly promoted arms dealer, was likely just another
identity of War Merchant, nothing more.
“Honk——! Honk——! Honk——!”
Just as the people were dragging out the alchemy cannon, a sharp alarm echoed
through the plaza, at the same time, the blue ceiling light changed red and
constantly flickered.
“Warning! Warning!”
“An intruder has appeared in the warehouse; an intruder has appeared in the
warehouse.”
A mechanical voice resonated through the entire plaza.
Everyone’s complexion changed.
“A tower spirit?!” Jia Sha was ashen.
“I fear this alchemy factory is War Merchant’s magician tower.”
“Prepare now, we must fight!”



****** Chapter 160: Discarded Golems ******
The constantly flickering red light shined on everyone’s nervous face.
Gods were very rare; thus, the legend level was already the apex of the world.
Customarily someone at that level would be the lord of a main power, the master
of a large coalition, the leader of a school of thought, and so on. Zong Ge and
Jia Sha were extraordinary people at the silver level, usually those at that
rank were city lords or leaders of medium sized organizations. The immense
disparity between the two was obvious at a glance.
Legend level characters were usually heard about through rumors. Even without
personal experience, by looking at the alchemy munitions stored in the boxes,
everyone could sufficiently feel War Merchant’s power.
Everyone stopped messing with the gold level cannon.
Take any box of alchemy arrows, in the prohibition environment, one tenth of
the arrows would easily destroy the survivors.
“Quickly, quickly, quickly!”
“Those arrowheads can be taken!” A templar guardian knight shouted.
With them around, Zong Ge was no longer a leader.
In the prohibition environment, intact alchemy arrows as well as alchemy
crossbows were not as ordinary crossbows and arrows.
Alchemy flintlock rifles were also like that. Without being imbued with magic
or battle qi, they could not shoot bullets.
Everyone took the alchemy arrowheads and took out arrow shafts from their
person.
Regretfully, none of these boxes had armor or shields. Regardless of whether it
was War Merchant, Hei Bian Zi, or Da Hong’s products, none of it was defensive
equipment.
The giant used all his strength to move the cannon, but the gold level cannon
didn’t move a single jot.
His leg injuries had been treated well for the last several days.
Everyday Jia Sha used a divine spell to treat his severe injuries, the divine
spell: limb rebirth. Thus, the giant finally freed himself from the miserable
situation that was crawling with his hands, but he still had relatively weak
stamina.
The cannon was very heavy. Finally, after Zong Ge, Zhen Jin, and the giant
collaborated together, they dragged the cannon out and aimed it at a large
door.
Everyone formed up and stood at the ready.
Above them, the red light still flashed over everyone’s head while the door
showed no signs of activity.
“It looks like our previous guess was correct, War Merchant must be in
trouble!”
“It seems his situation is terrible; he unexpectedly doesn’t have the strength
to defend the alchemy factory.
“Don’t be careless, perhaps there is an army assembling behind that door.”
Jia Sha, Zhen Jin, and the others discussed among themselves.
A short while later,
Divine spell: detect magic.
Divine spell: detect magic.
Divine spell: detect magic!
Jia Sha used the divine spell three times in a row, but none of them could
detect what lay behind the door.
“Ugh……” He sighed, “This sliding door is a portion of the alchemy factory, my
detection magic is only at the silver level, I cannot detect any useful
information.”
According to speculation, the alchemy factory was War Merchant’s magician
tower, the grade of a legend level’s magician tower was very high.
The detection magic worked on the wooden boxes because the alchemy munitions
were not a part of the alchemy factory.
Everyone comprehensively sifted through their equipment.
Arrowheads were exchanged for alchemy arrowheads, in addition each person got
at least three explosive flasks.
Zong Ge and some others were allocated more.
Hei Juan expressed his worry because it was easy to injure allies or even
oneself while using explosive flasks.
No enemies appeared from any direction.
With nothing they could do, everyone could only wait with tense nerves. Staying
in this situation for a long time would greatly consume stamina and the mind.
“Since this is the case, we shall attack first!” Zhen Jin’s proposal received
unanimous approval.
First, they needed to destroy the tightly closed door before them.
Everyone first used alchemy arrows, then some small scale explosions, but the
door remained completely intact, with only a layer of ash being left on its
exterior.
“I will throw an explosive flask.” Zong Ge warned, everyone then prudently fell
back.
Zong Ge frantically shook the flask in his hand and then threw it.
The flask hit the door, and with a loud boom, raging flames ignited.
The scalding gas waves constantly pounded against everyone’s checks, causing
them to withdraw farther. For many, this was the first time they had seen the
explosive flask’s might, and it visibly shook them.
Zong Ge, Hei Juan, and some others had different looks.
A guardian templar knight reassessed the flask in his hand: “These explosive
flasks are a lot stronger than I remember, these should be a new and improved
version.
However, after the flames waned, the door was still undamaged.
“It seems, only the alchemy cannon can be used.” Zhen Jin clenched his teeth.
Everyone had grave complexions.
Using a cannon in this sealed off underground area was very dangerous. If the
cannon was too powerful, it would cause a cave in and jeopardize everyone’s
survival.
If the shell did not hit the door, the explosives and flames in this narrow
space would cause disastrous damage to everyone.
But beside that, there was nothing else they could do.
Although Jia Sha could fully display his strength, offensive divine spells had
finite might, and they were helpless against the door.
Everyone withdrew more as Jia Sha controlled the alchemy cannon.
To enable the cannon, it needed to be imbued with magic or battle qi. Due to
the prohibition environment, Jia Sha was forced to use divine power.
When enough divine power was imbued, the alchemy cannon began to issue a strong
grandeur as its surface was enveloped in a layer of radiance.
The cannon shells were taken out and arranged behind the cannon.
“Solid shot, chain shot, grapeshot……it seems this alchemy cannon was made for a
ship. I wonder who ordered these goods, to use this kind of cannon, the ship
definitely isn’t simple.” Cang Xu sighed.
There were many artillery shells, choosing which one to use was hard.
The alchemy cannon didn’t need to be charged constantly, thus Jia Sha could
suspend the process and use divine spells to appraise the artillery shells.
The artillery shells were also gold level. After Jia Sha used several silver
level gauging spells, he learned this information.
After ten gauging spells, Jia Sha chose the artillery shells with green
symbols.
The giant then placed the artillery shells into the cannon through its
posterior.
Jia Sha used the extreme eye spell to foresee the outcome of the bombardment.
The outcome pleased him.
After a moment, he finally finished filling the cannon, the task exhausting
him.
Normally, if a gold level cannon was operated alone, it would be by a gold
level practitioner. If not, it would be operated by a team of silver level
people. If the alchemy cannon was installed onto a ship, it could be filled by
the ship’s magical power reserves or supplied by a magic furnace.
Now, with Jia Sha doing it alone, he nearly squeezed himself dry.
“I am in a terrible state, if the door splits open and a fight occurs, I will
be unable to provide any support. We had better rest for now.” Jia Sha gasped
for breath.
No one objected.
Jia Sha was the most crucial existence, without him, even though Zhen Jin could
completely transform, none of them could break through the magic beast corps.
Dealing with War Merchant without Jia Sha was out of the question.
Despite his exhaustion, before Jia Sha slept, he reluctantly led everyone in
prayer.
Chaplains and priests were extraordinary, and there were many differences
between them and magicians or fighters. A chaplain’s power is essentially
borrowed from the gods, it is not their own power.
However, chaplains and priests do cultivate themselves.
They cultivate everyday through prayer, though dedicating themselves to their
convictions, they prove their devotion.
How much power the gods lend is based on how devout and dedicated a sect member
is.
By constantly bathing in and using divine power, the bodily essence of
chaplains, priests, bishops, and so on will be improved appropriately.
From the gods’ point of view, how they lend divine power is how they want to
build a believer,
The more devout a chaplain, priest, and so on is, the finer their bodily
essence. The more the gods support him/her/it, the more divine power they
receive,
Jia Sha prayed before going to sleep, then once more after waking up, allowing
him to completely restore his strength.
Jia Sha fired the alchemy cannon, immediately a dragon whistled as the
artillery shell shot out.
After the door was shot, it echoed dully, soon after a great quantity of green
liquid splattered everywhere.
Everyone had already retreated as far as they could, they didn’t see the green
liquid spread.
The green liquid corroded the door and quickly melted a small hole. Within ten
breaths, the small hole quickly expanded to the size of a person, then two
people, until finally, the hole was big enough that even the giant could pass
through with his head held high.
Everyone cheered, it was all thanks to Jia Sha.
There were no enemies behind the door, only a long passage.
The passage’s four metal walls blended into each other, like the storehouse, it
was made from a white metal. At the same time on the ceiling, the red light
source still constantly flickered.
Divine spell: detect magic
Divine spell: detect traps.
Divine spell: detect machinery
As everyone walked forward, Jia Sha used three divine spells in turn, but they
only yielded minimal results.
“I am unable to find anything, but it doesn’t mean there isn’t anything here.
This is War Merchant’s alchemy factory.” Jia Sha sighed helplessly.
The ambiance in the group was heavy, it seems they could only use lives to find
a safe route.
“Wait a moment, perhaps we can use those wooden boxes.” Tripleblade suddenly
said, “Think about it, this passage obviously transports large quantities of
goods.
This was a good idea.
Quickly, a wooden box was brought over.
Divine spell: heavenly messenger.
A small light appeared and condensed into a pure white bird that flew into the
door, it looked like a dove.
Jia Sha’s pigeon entered a wooden box, afterwards the giant kicked the wooden
box, causing it to slide across the metal surface with no issues.
Jia Sha then ordered the pigeon to open the box and fly back.
It hadn’t flown one hundred meters when suddenly, from the ground and both
sides, countless spears extended. With a tinkle, the bird was stabbed and died
in a sprinkle of white-gold blood.
Everyone couldn’t help but gasp.
“Warning! Warning!”
“An intruder has been discovered in the commodities passage; an intruder has
been discovered……”
The tower spirit’s voice appeared again.
“Mobilizing the stationed guardian golems to annihilate the intruder.”
Everyone’s heart immediately jumped.
After a moment, the tower spirit: “No guardian golems detected, now conducting
an emergency mobilization of transportation golems.
Just as everyone’s heart settled down, they jumped again.
“No transportation golems detected, three discarded golems detected, emergency
maintenance in progress.”
“Emergency maintenance successful, now dispatching discarded golems!”
Soon after, everyone saw holes open in all directions, from within, a raised
platform with an iron humanoid golem appeared.
The golem was as tall as an adult human, its head was an inverted dish, its
crystal eyes emitted red light, it had a large wrench in each of its two hands,
and its head rotated in a spiral.
The discarded golem immediately charged at everyone.
“Fire!” At nearly the next moment, a large amount of arrows was shot.
Water, fire, acid, and electricity covered the giant all over, nevertheless the
golem pressed forward and quickly crashed its way through the passageway.
As everyone fell back, Zong Ge threw another explosive flask.
He had received training in throwables, thus he had great accuracy.
After it exploded, the discarded golem halted for the first time as flames
burned all over.
However, just as everyone was about to cheer, it moved again and charged at
everyone.
Everyone’s complexion was ugly.
Zhen Jin’s mood was also heavy.
“This is just a discarded golem, nothing more!”
“If I completely transform, perhaps I could resist it.”
“But can I even do that?”
Zhen Jin was very worried.
Jia Sha was currently at his side. He was a Sheng Ming priest; it would be hard
to deceive him.
If Zhen Jin transformed, even if it was limited, if Jia Sha made out a flaw,
how would Zhen Jin explain it?



****** Chapter 161: Production Workshop ******
Bang!
A gigantic bone hammer ruthlessly smashed into the discarded golem’s right
side.
The discarded golem could not withstand it, and its cracked upper body
disintegrated. However, its lower body still remained, every breath, each of
its iron made legs twitched and sparked.
“Finally defeated it!” Zong Ge spat out, a moment after verifying the golem no
longer possessed a threat.
“It was just a transportation golem, why was it so powerful?”
“It's mainly because we cannot use battle qi. If we had it, just Lord Zong Ge
alone would be enough to deal with it.”
“Next time pay attention to how many explosive arrowheads are used; I could
barely breathe in this narrow space.
Everyone discussed profusely as they grimly stared at the remains.
Jia Sha was just a priest; he was not good at close quarters combat.
Despite him providing shielding to the fighters, it was inferior to battle qi.
The five iron level templar guardian knights worked together, yet they couldn’t
stop the discarded golem’s charge.
In the end, Zhen Jin and Zong Ge stopped the golem by force, because their
strength was greater.
Although it was a victory, a haze shrouded everyone’s heart.
They understood the tower spirit’s words, this was only a transportation golem,
a discarded one at that. Yet with its strength, it forced everyone to use the
weapons in the storehouse.
If it were a guardian golem or another common defensive measure, how would the
fight have gone?
“Continue forward!”
“Besides going forward, we have nowhere else to go.”
“The enemy does not dispatch standard golems; this proves this place is
extremely empty.”
“The tower spirit also seems to be heavily damaged; its mind is in disorder.
When we came in, and even when we were opening all the alchemy munitions, it
didn’t react.”
“Its voluntary announcement made us aware of the fact that there are no
guardian golems, and that this golem is a maintained discarded golem.”
“I can already see the dawn of victory! My master is the god of light and
victory, he shall guide us towards victory!”
Jia Sha shouted loudly.
Everyone’s morale stabilized and no longer dropped.
Without the discarded golem obstructing them, the next passageway didn’t have
any hindrances.
Based on Tripleblade’s method, everyone entered a wooden box. The boxes were
comparatively light as they were pushed by the giant, Zong Ge, and some others
through the passageway,
Each of the boxes had someone inside, enabling them to cleverly avoid the
mechanisms.
“The alchemy factory’s tower spirit shouldn’t have let us exploit this
loophole.”
“Speed up a little, we need to snatch time!”
“Father, don’t abandon me.” With pain, worry, and fear on his face, the giant
approached Zhen Jin as he watched the number of people around him grow smaller.
The passageway’s height was suitable for an ordinary person, but for the giant,
he was forced to lower his head and bend his waist.
Zhen Jin patted the giant’s thigh: “Be at ease, I will never abandon you. We
will leave together!”
The giant was still a little worried and remained close to Zhen Jin.
In the end, the alchemy cannon was dragged out, allowing Zhen Jin and the giant
to enter its box together.
From the opposite side, Zong Ge, the five templar guardian knights, and
everyone else pulled on hemp rope with all of their strength, gradually
dragging the box with Zhen Jin and the giant through the passage.
In this part of the passage, there were three junctions.
“Don’t worry, let me investigate.” Jia Sha began to use the extreme eye spell.
With the five guardian templar knights, he picked the leftmost passage first
and casted the extreme eye spell, producing blood red light.
“Going this way will severely injure me.” Jia Sha’s heart immediately flashed.
He and the guardian templar knights walked to the middle passage, under the
extreme eye spell, their field of view turned dull grey, then completely dark.
Jia Sha’s heart shook: “If I walk along this path, I will die!”
Following the set pattern, Jia Sha examined the third passage.
“It seems there will be a fierce battle here, however it isn’t an issue for me
and the templar guardian knights.”
Without hesitation, Jia Sha selected the third passage.
Even if War Merchant had a situation, the tower spirit was a problem. This
legend level alchemy factory was still a dragon’s den or a tiger cave. The
extreme eye spell became exceedingly crucial, without Jia Sha showing the way,
Zhen Jin and the others would have rushed in confused, with a complete wipeout
likely to occur.
And so, everyone gradually made their way through the alchemy factory.
Occasionally there was a fierce battle, trap, or machine that would kill two to
three people.
As the survivors got closer to the alchemy factory’s center, the greater the
battles and problems.
All of the guardian templar knights were wounded, while Zhen Jin’s group lost
more than a dozen people.
If Jia Sha didn’t possess a divine spell that could heal, because of their
injuries, only half of the wounded would have survived. In addition, the
wounded would greatly encumber their comrades.
Two days, three days……
Although there was no daylight, Jia Sha had a divine spell that could calculate
time.
Zhen Jin’s worry continued to grow stronger.
During the last several fights, the intensity of the battle nearly forced him
to transform and use the bloodcore.
Zhen Jin sank into hesitation.
Perhaps he could hide his transformations from everyone else, but not from Jia
Sha.
“If there is an occasion for confession, should I be forthcoming? Thus, during
a fight, I no longer need to bind my limbs.”
“However, will Jia Sha understand me? Will I be forgiven?”
“Should I trust him?”
“But if this continues, it will be a real danger.”
“If I am overly cautious and decide not to use the core, causing damage to
myself, it will be excessively pedantic and stupid.”
Several times, Zhen Jin wanted to confess to Jia Sha and explain the causes and
effects of the core.
But in the end, he gave up.
He didn’t even have the courage to tell Zi Di.
“So, I still have fear and cowardice in my heart.” Zhen Jin laughed bitterly.
Another fork in the road, but this time there were five passages.
After using the extreme eye spell eight times, Jia Sha gritted his teeth and
pointed to the most central passage: “This way!”
These days, he was becoming increasingly haggard.
The closer they got to the alchemy factory’s center, the heavier the monolith
pressure pressed down on Jia Sha’s heart.
He could sense that the extreme eye spell’s effects were being suppressed. The
closer to the control hub they got, the more obvious the suppression. This
greatly increased the burden on him, forcing him to rest more frequently.
“Perhaps, my decision was wrong.”
“No matter what War Merchant’s situation is, a person like me can’t handle
him.”
Jia Sha felt he was walking on a precipice, if he was even a little careless,
he would die in the abyss.
But in a flash, the perplexion in his eyes quickly disappeared, and filled with
fire again.
“No!”
“This opportunity only happens once in a blue moon, if I give up and cower, I
will regret it for my entire life!”
“Riches and honor……are stored inside infinite risks.”
“If I capture War Merchant, my contribution will promote me to a bishop, no,
maybe even a cardinal!”
“At that time, I will be imbued with divine power and reach the gold level or
even the saint level. I will master stronger divine spells; I will return to
that bishop and watch him salute me at his own accord. Then I will smile and
ask him: ‘Who do you think was right, me or you?’”
“My Lords, I have an astonishing discovery!” Tripleblade returned from his
reconnaissance, interrupting Jia Sha’s thoughts.
Because the extreme eye spell was restricted, the survivors began to dispatch
elites to scout and find a path.
After a short period of time, everyone traveled through a passage and arrived
at a destroyed door.
“Someone destroyed this already!”
“It requires fierce battle qi to break through by force!”
“But this place prohibits battle qi and magic.”
“At most it prohibits the low levels. Look at the marks, this is at least gold
level battle qi.”
“It's the saint level!” Jia Sha's eyes opened, he had used a divine spell to
obtain the answer, “At least three saints forcibly broke through here.”
It was very clear these saints were War Merchant’s enemy.
Who were they? Which power were they from? Why were they War Merchant’s enemy?
The answers to these questions were unknown.
Behind the gate was a production workshop.
“This should be the area where alchemy arrows are produced.” Tripleblade
guessed, “Be careful, there are still defensive measures here.”
Standing next to the destroyed door, everyone looked at where Tripleblade was
pointing, and saw in the corner, several ballistae moving in the corner. These
ballistae were on rotating platforms and seemed capable of spinning at high
speeds.
The production workshop was severely damaged, much of the alchemy machinery was
destroyed, along with many worker and guardian golems. Everything was broken
and disorderly.
In the battlefield ruins, if one carefully examined it, one could see the
minute fragments of alchemy arrows.
Everyone’s heart immediately had a deduction.
At least three saint level enemies broke through the door. In the production
workshop, large quantities of guardian and worker golems fought them fiercely
while the ballistae constantly shot.
But ultimately, the small squadron of saints destroyed nearly everything here
and swaggered off. They left behind the ballistae because they didn’t care
about them.
“Have you been inside?” Jia Sha asked Tripleblade.
Tripleblade immediately shook his head: “Not yet. Without battle qi protecting
my body, facing those alchemy arrows is too dangerous!”
“A safe choice.” Jia Sha nodded, “I will shield you……”
“I refuse.” Before Jia Sha finished, Tripleblade interrupted him.
Jia Sha stared blankly.
“I refuse.” Tripleblade lifted his jacket and exposed his wounded abdomen,
“This wound hasn’t recovered yet, it will encumber my speed. Perhaps these
ballistae cannot handle saint level characters, but I am not certain if I can
escape unscathed.”
Jia Sha smiled slightly: “I was negligent, I shall heal you at once. Alas, I am
only a priest, not a bishop, I consume divine power too fiercely, while the
divine spells I use every day are limited.”
Tripleblade also smiled: “I completely understand you Lord Priest. Therefore,
you can see that the five guardian templar knights have always been doing fine.
They are also iron level cultivators, make them go, they are the most
suitable.”
“I agree.” Zong Ge added on.
The smile on Jia Sha’s face gradually vanished.



****** Chapter 162: Exterminators ******
In a flash, it had been four days since the survivors arrived in the
underground alchemy factory.
This unusual magician tower was very big. The survivors hadn’t traveled far
during those four days. Each byway needed a divine spell to determine the
correct path. Every passage needed to be investigated for traps, machines, or
other hazards.
Everything depended on Jia Sha alone.
It was a considerable burden on Jia Sha. Every time his situation deteriorated,
he could only rest.
Without his protective shields, blessings, and other divine spells, no one’s
fleshy body could vie with a transportation golem.
The closer they got to the alchemy factory control hub, the bigger the
problems.
Loss of personnel was unavoidable.
Tripleblade’s mercenary corps suffered the most losses.
This seemed normal to Jia Sha. Half-breeds were treated like this, so much so
that when he healed with divine spells, he preferred treating Zhen Jin and
those of pure human blood.
Of course, it was a fact that Jia Sha’s divine spells and divine power were
limited.
But Tripleblade and Zong Ge were naturally unsatisfied.
Seeing his commands defied, Jia Sha’s smile vanished. He then quietly looked at
Tripleblade and Zong Ge and released an incorporeal pressure.
But Zong Ge and Tripleblade had no fear, they looked at Jia Sha square in the
face without wavering.
The templar guardian knights grimly stepped forward, some grasping their
weapons.
The small ballistae models in the alchemy workshop were something they had
never seen. Nothing was known about how fast they fired or the might of the
alchemy arrows they shot.
In addition, there might be some functional golems hidden in the wreckage.
These things needed to be probed out.
This was the work of cannon fodder, and something that had always fallen to
Zong Ge’s and Tripleblade’s people.
This was normal.
When many feudal lords went to war, they would hire mercenary corps to serve as
cannon fodder.
But as the implicated party, Tripleblade and Zong Ge undoubtedly didn’t want to
do that.
In the deadlocked situation and subtle atmosphere, Jia Sha’s gaze shifted
towards Zhen Jin.
Zhen Jin smiled: “You had better use heavenly messenger.”
Jia Sha’s face went blank, while some of the templar guardian knights pushed
their brows.
Heavenly messenger looked like a bird, but it wasn’t created from magic, rather
it was a bird that lived in the heavens.
Jia Sha’s summoning spell was strictly defined as an otherworldly summoning
spell——where an otherworldly object comes to its master’s world.
Since entering the alchemy factory, most of the investigating work was done by
heavenly messenger.
However, sacrificing heavenly messenger too many times was disadvantageous to
Jia Sa.
The next moment, Priest Jia Sha deeply gazed at Zhen Jin with worry, then
sighed: “Heavenly messenger has been sacrificed too many times, if I summon it
again, it will be more difficult to get a response, while simultaneously using
up a lot of divine power. Currently, using heavenly messenger uses almost as
much divine power as the extreme eye spell. It isn’t cost effective, if I use
up too much divine power, I will need to rest more frequently, slowing us all
down.”
“It has already been four days.”
“Perhaps War Merchant is in the middle of recuperation, and all of the
obstructions we met are to buy him time.”
“Naturally, we need to make the attack faster.”
But Zhen Jin shook his head, he was very firm, even when confronting a priest
that shared his beliefs: “We embarked together and were shipwrecked together,
we are all comrades. Every life is valuable, and we should save as many as
possible. If in the future, we fight War Merchant in hand to hand combat, every
military strength is very important.”
Zong Ge, Tripleblade, and some others gazed at him. The fact that Zhen Jin was
still on their side was somewhat beyond their expectations.
Jia Sha stared blankly, but soon after his expression alleviated into a smile:
“Your words are reasonable, maybe my heart was too pressured and caused some
misunderstandings among everyone. Since this is the case, heavenly messenger
shall continue to be used to probe out the situation.”
“Wait a moment, everyone.” This time, Zi Di suddenly opened her mouth, she
pointed at the workshop’s ceiling, “Look there, do you have an investigation
magic spell you can use?”
With rapt attention, everyone gazed up. The ceiling had been destroyed, not
deliberately, but from the fighting. In the shattered ceiling, all kinds of
magical formation lines were visible.
Jia Sha shook his head: “I don’t have a great understanding of magical
formations.”
He was a priest, to gain strength, he only needed to pray and prove his
piousness while contributing to his sect and god.
Comparatively, although Zi Di was only at the iron level, her understanding of
magical formations was above Jia Sha’s.
Zi Di continued: “I have seen this magical formation before, if it was
undamaged and activated, it would show a true field of view. It would eliminate
all invisibility, disguises, and other methods of that nature.
After this was said, Zhen Jin, Jia Sha, Cang Xu, Zong Ge, and the others
couldn’t help but show their pondering.
Zi Di: “Since this magical formation was created and concealed by War Merchant,
if it were not destroyed, no outsiders could find it. In that case, it proves
this workshop needed it. I think, no matter whether it is the small ballistae
or golems, both of them need a true field of view, if not, they will be unable
to discover camouflaged enemies.”
“Good discovery Miss Zi Di, it seems I can try the invisibility spell.” Jia Sha
nodded.
Divine spell: heavenly messenger.
Divine spell: invisibility.
A silver level invisibility spell not only made something invisible to sight,
the thing was also invisible to the senses of smell and touch.
Sure enough, the invisible heavenly messenger flew around the workshop and
returned safely.
“Now, we need a brave warrior to enter the workshop, approach the ballistae
while invisible, and destroy them.” Said Jia Sha.
A brief spell of silence.
If the invisibility spell was used, the body couldn’t be shielded. If the
ballistae hit the person in question, they would almost certainly die!
Tripleblade and the others didn’t budge, it was clear they didn’t want to do
this task.
“Xi Suo, come here.” Jia Sha suddenly said.
Xi Suo blankly stared and looked embarrassed. But with Jia Sha’s eyes on him,
he still nodded and agreed.
Jia Sha smiled, with deep intent, he looked around him until finally stopping
on Xi Suo: “Mr. Xi Suo, your contribution shall not be overlooked, I believe
you need this.”
Xi Suo nodded repeatedly: “I understand, Lord Priest.”
“Altogether there will be four people, three are still needed. We will fill two
of them with Xiong Dun and Chai Zha.”
Jia Sha spoke, causing two guardian templar knights to step out.
Xiong Dun had a large stature and was taller than Zong Ge. In his hand, he held
a shield that was half the height of a human.
Chai Zha was a middle aged man, he had an aquiline nose and a sword in each
hand.
“We still need one more warrior!” Jia Sha shouted.
“May I? Lord Priest. Bai Ya volunteered at his own accord.
Jia Sha looked at Bai Ya and gently nodded his head: “Of course you can,
courageous youngster. It is clear you possess some of the knightly spirit.”
After the four individuals were selected, Jia Sha used the invisibility spell
on them.
The rest stayed outside the door temporarily and tensely gazed at the
production workshop. They could not see the four people, but not long after,
they witnessed the four ballistaebeing destroyed.
Perhaps the ballistaeoriginally had rigorous defensive measures that might have
killed the four while they were destroying the ballistae.
The four retreated smoothly, Bai Ya and Xi Suo had excitement on their faces.
The two templar guardian knights followed standard tranquility.
“Nice job!” Everyone admired them.
Jia Sha canceled the invisibility spell on heavenly messenger and had it fly
around the workshop.
Nothing happened.
“It seems safe.” Jia Sha canceled his summon spell, sending heavenly messenger
back to its original plane of existence.
Everyone walked in a line.
They began to plunder the workshop. There were golem fragments everywhere, some
melted into glass, some were covered in frost, and some were pulverized. From
them, some of the three saints’ methods could be distinguished.
“Warning! Warning!”
“Intruders discovered in production workshop 8, intruders discovered in
production workshop 8.”
As the people searched, the tower spirit’s voice suddenly came through.
Everyone was ready to face a great enemy.
One after the other, everyone exited back through the door, Jia Sha then used a
series of shields to protect the guardian templar knights, Zhen Jin, Zong Ge,
and some others.
“Destroyed ballista system detected, no guardian golems detected, initializing
the release of the cleaner.
Soon after, everyone saw mechanisms raise the walls of the production workshop,
exposing a few passages.
The passages were very narrow, they were as big as a small pile of books.
Everyone tensely waited for a spell.
But after ten breaths, nothing appeared from the passages.
“Dammit! I jumped in fear.”
“Ha ha, it seems these exterminators have been destroyed too.”
But at that moment, an enormous warning suddenly rose in Zhen Jin’s heart, he
jumped back at once as a strand of hair was cut from his head.
“Ah!” Meanwhile, the heartily laughing comrade's entire head was cut into two.
Because of the splashing blood, his murderer’s silhouette appeared a little
before disappearing from everyone’s field of view.
“What is that thing?”
“It looked like a frisbee!”
“Be careful, these exterminators are invisible!!”
Many people shouted with panic and subconsciously curled into balls.
They had just used invisibility to destroy the ballistae, now they were
suffering the attacks of invisible enemies.
Not knowing their foes’ positions, many people began to shoot recklessly.
Jia Sha promptly used a divine spell repeatedly, finally sniffing out the
invisible exterminators.
Under everyone’s counterattack, the four exterminators were destroyed, their
smashed fragments falling to the ground.
This attack killed three people and seriously injured Qiao Shan.
The attackers resembled a three bladed fan, the fan blades were very sharp and
could easily remove a man’s head.
Scared and on edge, everyone entered the workshop again, fearing the tower
spirit’s voice would appear again.
But during their entire rest, nothing had happened.
“These fans, even if I transformed the scorpion carapace, it would be difficult
to resist. If I didn’t transform and these exterminators successfully ambushed
me, I would have died.” Taking advantage of others not paying attention to him,
Zhen Jin tested the fans, the result was not optimistic.
“It seems I must tell Jia Sha of my transformations.” Zhen Jin sighed.



****** Chapter 163: Magma Battlefield ******
Since the new ship couldn’t sail, heading towards the island’s control hub for
a final fight was the only thing Zhen Jin and the others could do.
Meeting someone like Jia Sha, who could use divine spells, and his group made
Zhen Jin feel fortunate.
These days, anything related to Zhen Jin being a divine scion knight as well as
the crazy beastification incident were naturally known by Jia Sha.
But Jia Sha never questioned Zhen Jin about his divine scion knight status.
It seemed to signal benevolence.
After the miserable fight in the ruins, the beastification was an immense
hidden danger everyone was fearful of.
Jia Sha’s actions were extremely crucial, without him, none of them would have
advanced through the alchemy factory!
Zhen Jin knew he had to tell Jia Sha ahead of time, or else if he was forced to
transform in the future, Jia Sha would misunderstand his beastification and he
would suffer the attacks of his comrades, a terrible fate.
Even if he wasn’t attacked, it would be difficult to avoid suspicious from Jia
Sha and the others if Zhen Jin suddenly transformed.
“Our biggest enemy currently is War Merchant.”
“If we cannot cooperate in good faith, and have internal suspensions and
apprehensions, we cannot use our full strength and our hands will be tied, that
is stupid.”
“I don’t want to see my comrades harmed because I cannot use my full strength.”
“I don’t want to feel remorse……”
Holding these opinions and emotions, Zhen Jin went alone and found Jia Sha,
using a heavy tone: “Lord Priest, I want to confess something.”
Filled with deep thought, Jia Sha smiled at him: “Young templar knight, did you
know? I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time.”
“Priest, I am guilty!” Zhen Jin creased his brows and revealed a pained
expression.
“Everyone is guilty.” Jia Sha shook his head, his gentle tone contained
encouragement and consolement, “You are courageous to confront your own sins,
this will lead you on a sagacious path.”
Zhen Jin nodded.
The confession began.
With a heavy mood, the young knight half-knelt on the ground and faced Jia Sha.
Zhen Jin said: “Since waking up on this island, my master never responded to my
prayers. Without battle qi, I could only rely on my master.”
“But my master never responded to me, I could not help but feel frustrated,
disappointed, and even resentful.”
“I am guilty!”
Jia Sha nodded.
Zhen Jin continued: “I didn’t think the problem lay with me, rather it the
special island environment and War Merchant’s methods that disconnected me from
connecting with my master.”
“I underestimated my master’s power, and actually considered him weak.”
“I blamed the outside world for my problems and didn’t genuinely reflect upon
myself.”
“I am guilty!”
Jia Sha sighed: “Child, by recognizing and confessing this, you have already
eliminated half of your sins.”
Zhen Jin’s brows tensed as he painfully grinded his teeth: “When I saw you pray
everyday Lord Priest and be imbued with divine power, I realized this island
does not prohibit divine spells.”
“But I didn’t dare confront the truth, my weakness didn’t allow me to perform
an in-depth investigation on myself.”
“I misread my master, I underestimated my master, and I even fooled my master!”
“Many times, in order to improve morale, I used my master’s name and falsely
pretended to be a divine scion knight. From start to finish, I was never one, I
never received a response from my master.”
“My sins are very serious!”
Jia Sha nodded, he was unexpectedly unsurprised: “Child, my master’s wayward
lamb, you are a pitiful and venerated person. I meet you with happiness and
gratitude, because you seek to return to your original path.”
“Anything else? Continue speaking, good child.”
“My master’s vision is omniscient, maybe he has been watching you all along,
but you didn’t understand what he was looking for.”
Jia Sha caressed Zhen Jin’s hair, he used a divine spell to placate Zhen Jin’s
painful and heavy state of mind.
Zhen Jin felt his spirit warm.
The pure white light that bathed his body made him feel like an exhausted man
finally returning to his family.
The young knight deeply breathed and opened his mouth. He wanted to declare
secret, that he could personally control his transformations, however the words
seemed to stop in his throat.
He deeply breathed and opened his mouth again, but he still couldn’t say
anything.
Zhen Jin’s breathing became more hurried and slightly chaotic, there seemed to
be a mountain crushing his heart, making the holy light around him seem flimsy.
“There is an important situation!” At this time, Zi Di’s voice suddenly
appeared in the distance.
Soon after, a templar guardian knight responded: “Please stop, President Zi Di.
The Lord Priest is presiding over Lord Zhen Jin’s confession.
The interruption eliminated the courage Zhen Jin drummed with great difficulty.
The pressure overwhelmed his heart, he could only deeply sigh: “Nothing else
Lord Priest. That was everything I wanted to confess.”
Jia Sha stopped in place and looked down at the kneeling Zhen. After a moment
of silence, he said, “Good, I understand.”
Afterwards he lowered his head, gripped the holy insignia with both hands, and
chanted softly:
“Master, great Heavenly Emperor Sheng Ming, my god.”
“Thou are the god of hope, thou are the god of victory, thou are the god of
light.”
“At this moment, I have templar knight Zhen Jin before thee, only thou knows
his heart. I am powerless to change Zhen Jin, only thou can. I beseech thou to
help Zhen Jin understand what caused him to leave thee. I beseech thee to
enable Zhen Jin’s convictions and provoke the longing for reconciliation in
him. I beseech thee to make him loathe sin, I beseech thee to do everything
required to shatter his cowardice and prejudice, however I also beseech thee to
be gentle. During Zhen Jin’s life I beseech thee to encourage him to return to
thy side.”
After saying these things, Jia Sha held out his hand and helped Zhen Jin stand.
“Child, you must have faith in yourself.”
“Even more important, we must have faith in our master.”
“His benevolence is greater than the ocean and the blue dome of heaven.”
From beginning to end, Jia Sha’s attitude was gentle, he looked like an old
father. His words had deep meaning, and Zhen Jin’s recent hesitation was very
obvious.
Zhen Jin nodded, and the two people left the corner together.
Blocked by the templar guardian knight, Zi Di’s face was grave when she saw
Zhen Jin and Jia Sha coming over: “The scouts have returned, the situation
ahead is very different!”
Zi Di detailed the frightening information, causing Jia Sha and Zhen Jin to
look at each other in dismay.
Not long after, everyone came to the entrance of a ruin.
It was clear an intense battle had happened here.
Previously, as Zhen Jin and the others passed through a few workshops, the
destruction they saw grew worse. Finally, here, the metal passage completely
vanished, replaced by a huge cave mouth.
Despite not entering the cave yet, the astonishing heat inside assaulted their
senses.
The scouts were cautious and hadn’t entered the cave yet.
Jia Sha, Zhen Jin, and the others discussed for a while after using a divine
spell. Then the scouts returned again with information, shaking as they
incoherently babbled.
Everyone stealthily infiltrated the cave, inside was a massive battlefield that
was nearly the side of a township.
Dark red light was everywhere, the floor and ceiling were bumpy, nothing was
level, there were golem fragments visible everywhere, and there were
bloodstains left behind from the ambushing saint level people.
Everywhere, there were traces of battle.
Nearly half of the battlefield had transformed into magma. Because of the
rumbling magma, there was a dark red light and a terrifying heat present.
Without the divine spell elemental protection, an ordinary person could not
breathe here.
The other half was walkable and full of golems.
“So many guardian golems!”
“There is also a big one……”
After everyone avoided a boulder by hiding in the divine spell shelter, they
sized everything up with grave expressions.
Since seeing them in the first workshop, the survivors finally encountered
unshattered guardian golems.
The golem was at least twice as strong as a transportation golem!
To destroy the guardian golem, everyone needed to use all of their strength.
Ten guardian golems could be seen standing on the battlefield!
The most attractive thing in everyone’s line of sight, was an enormous monster.
It was also a golem; however, it did not have a humanoid shape. It had a dragon
head, a pig’s body, elephant legs, and a python tail.
Some guardian golems stood in place, while others were constantly moving about,
there didn’t seem to be any patterns to their patrol routes.
The monstrous golem was six meters tall; it constantly opened its mouth and
devoured the golem fragments on the ground. In its mouth, the golem fragments
were mashed into smaller pieces.
“The battle that happened here exceeded the limits of our imagination! There
should have been an alchemy factory defensive position, but all the
installations were destroyed, beaten into the abyss and even into the magma!”
“How dreadful, there are golem fragments everywhere, untold numbers of golems
have died here!”
“Have you noticed, some of the fragments are special, they look like gold. They
should be from a golem that is bigger than the magic beast golem, currently we
still haven’t encountered one.”
“Who won in the end?”
“I feel like the saint level people did.”
“It is also possible they died in battle and their bodies were taken away.
These guardian golems are still moving, while that big one is clearly cleaning
the battlefield.”
War Merchant could make and sell that alchemy cannon, this proves making
batches of gold level equipment is completely within his abilities. From this,
we can speculate making batches of gold level golems is extremely possible for
him.
Although those at the saint level were strong, if there were many gold level
enemies, they could still form an immense threat to them.
“How do we get across? The guardian golems all have a true field of view.
Everyone felt awkward.
“This is impossible to get through. If we forcefully charge in, just three
guardian golems can land us in a crisis.”
“We should take a detour and walk around.”
Most of the people approved of this proposal.
But Jia Sha, Zhen Jin, Zong Ge, and a few others hesitated.
“It's a little strange.” Zong Ge said, “There are so many defenses here, why
weren’t some transferred to annihilate us? The tower spirit already discovered
our intrusion.”
“Do you know what’s strange?” The guardian templar knight Xiong Dun curled his
lip, “The tower spirit is clearly somewhat broken.”
“Lord Priest, how about using the extreme eye spell again?” Zhen Jin suggested.
Jia Sha nodded and quietly activated the divine spell.
After a moment, his complexion turned deathly pale: “I can only see magma, and
the dark red magma assaulting our senses.”
“We had better retreat and find an alternative path.” Xiong Dun also suggested.
Just as Jia Sha was about to nod, a sound suddenly echoed in everyone’s ears.
Roar!
From the manga, an intense dragon roar disseminated. At the same time, hundreds
of gigantic golden light beams shot out from the magma.
The shadow of a huge dragon appeared in the magma.
“That is……a flame dragon king!” Zhen Jin’s and the others’ heart quaked.



****** Chapter 164: Seizing an Opportunity ******
The flame dragon king——Yan Shan!
This was a famous, well known, and powerful expert of the Sheng Ming Empire.
Like many dukes and earls, there were many statues of it in every major city.
As a result, Zhen Jin and the others recognized it.
Yan Shan was a flame dragon with legend level strength, it was also Great Duke
Quan Fa’s mount.
“It seems, not only was War Merchant confronted by a small squad of saints, but
also a legend level dragon!”
“Yan Shan is no ordinary dragon, with its great strength, it was named the
flame dragon king, it's no wonder War Merchant is in such a state.”
“Hold on, it’s sealed!”
Yan Shan’s weak reflection struggled in the magma. It constantly roared,
however whenever it did so, an immense translucent alchemy magic formation
appeared on the magma’s surface.
The alchemy formation seemed to be the seal that suppressed Yan Shan in the
magma.
Yan Shan’s attempts to break out failed repeatedly, he could only roar and roll
in the magma.
Every time the flame dragon king collided with the formation; it would cause
immense shaking that vibrated everything underground. Zhen Jin and the others
lost their balance while broken rocks fell from the cave walls and ceiling.
Everyone turned pale.
After Zi Di recognized it, she suddenly realized: “This alchemy formation is
linked to the entire alchemy factory, in order to seal the flame dragon king,
it transmits the force of every collision to the outside.”
“I finally know why there were earthquakes and volcanic eruptions!”
“The flame dragon king wants to break through the seal, this resulted in the
island being shaken and destroyed. The volcano and earthquakes were the results
of its battle against the seal.”
Everyone’s complexion changed, and Hei Juan was stunned: “If even the flame
dragon king can be sealed, how strong is War Merchant?”
“No one knows. The top ten most wanted are those with the highest bounties, if
they didn’t have terrifying strength, how could they survive being on that list
for so many years?” Cang Xu shook his head and sighed endlessly.
Zong Ge had already calmed down, he muttered to himself: “The flame dragon king
is sealed, it seems War Merchant has won this battle. But the volcano eruptions
and earthquakes have intensified and become more frequent, this proves War
Merchant doesn’t have the strength to clean up this mess.”
“Yes, in order to suppress the flame dragon king, the entire island split open.
If this continues, the flame dragon king will escape sooner or later.” Said
Tripleblade.
“Can we help it escape?” A guardian templar knight suggested.
“There are so many golems around, yet you want us to destroy the formation?”
Hei Juan glared at the one who suggested that.
Jia Sha also shook his head: “Even if these golems were not here, and we were
free to move around, we cannot destroy this alchemy formation.”
“This alchemy formation was personally arranged by War Merchant; he must have
paid a disastrous price.”
“We cannot contend with the handiwork of a legend level.” Zong Ge also shook
his head.
“Then what do we do next?” Qiao Shan weakly spoke.
Jia Sha, Zhen Jin, and the others were troubled.
The magma battlefield’s defenses were too strong, as far as they were
concerned, it was a dead end.
However, withdrawing and attempting to find another path wasn’t necessarily a
good choice.
All kinds of signs indicated War Merchant ultimately won, however he paid a
tremendous price and was probably recuperating, for the time being, he couldn’t
sort out the situation.
If possible, no one wanted to attack this place.
Zhen Jin and the others were forced into a tight spot, they had no choice but
to try to find a way to escape.
But they had explored the alchemy factory for so many days, yet they still
hadn’t found a feasible path.
Perhaps in the alchemy factory control hub or in a treasury, some method might
exist that could aid their escape.
In this situation, time was crucial to Zhen Jin, Jia Sha, and the others.
If they retreated and chose another path, resulting in them wasting valuable
time, they would give War Merchant time to rest and recover, that was the path
to ruin.
“Let me take a look first.” Jia Sha quietly used the divine spell extreme eye.
His complexion changed, if they chose to return, their future was blackened
ash.
“If we go back now, we will die……” Jia Sha’s was heavy.
Everyone was alarmed.
“We cannot retreat, and we cannot advance, what is this?! Everyone was in a
deadlock.
“We can first use the alchemy cannon to create chaos, then we can take
advantage of the chaos to try to rush through the battlefield. We all know
these guardian golems are slow. Under most situations, they rely on the alchemy
factory’s formations to slow down enemies. The formation here has already been
completely destroyed.” Zong Ge proposed a risky plan.
Hearing this, everyone’s heart jumped. This plan would have a bitter outcome,
most of the people would become cannon fodder that attracted the golems, buying
time for the last survivors.
Ultimately, there would only be a few survivors.
A complete extermination was also probable.
“Although the priest can see the consequences if we turn back, surely the
problems we face aren’t greater than the ones we face if we charge ahead. I
don’t believe there are enemies as strong as the ones in front of us, blocking
our escape route.” Zhen Jin shook his head and analyzed, “We can turn back
first, after comparing the true situation of both choices, we can decide then.”
These words made many slightly nod.
But at that moment, the entire underground fiercely shook, the flame dragon
king had roared again, and rays of light burst out of the alchemy formation.
The magma violently rumbled, forming gigantic red waves.
Most of the waves were stopped by the alchemy formation, however a few
penetrated the formation and splashed onto the other half of the battlefield.
After the magma hit the ground, they condensed and formed into something.
In a flash, a hundred fire element creatures were born.
Each of these fire elementals had huge builds, they were almost as big as the
giant. Their robust and stocky upper bodies were humanoid shaped, and they had
thick arms.
Possibility due to the flame dragon king creating these lifeforms, each of them
had a dragon head.
Their lower body was shaped like a flame elemental tornado.
Because they were condensed from fire elements, they were a bright red-yellow.
Their minds were simple, and their only action was to attack the alchemy
formation.
Like a stinging nest of hornets, all of them crazily attacked the guardian
golems as well as the immense dragon head-pig body golem.
Extremely hot fireballs exploded, and multi-colored rays shot in all
directions, for a moment, the situation was extremely chaotic.
The survivors were stupefied.
Divine spell: extreme eye!
Immediately after, Jia Sha began to foresee the future.
“Wait five seconds, then run there!” Jia Sha revealed a cheerful look.
“Five.”
“Four.”
“Three.”
“Two.”
“One, follow me!”
With an opportunity present, the survivors ran as if their life depended on it.
After leaving from the corner, they entered from, they attracted the attention
of the golems, fire elementals, and everything else in the battlefield.
Including the flame dragon king in the magma, who blankly stared for a bit.
Soon after, its boorish voice resonated through the entire battlefield: “A
Heavenly Emperor Sheng Ming priest? You’ve arrived just in time, attack
quickly, help me escape. I promise you generous spoils of war, your
contribution will promote you all to nobles!”
“Move now!” But Jia Sha didn’t seem to hear the loud roars.
The flame dragon king was indignant: “Small priest, you unexpectedly disobeyed
Yan Shan’s command openly! Roar!
Everyone ran faster.
“Come back here you reptiles!” The flame dragon king roared angrily.
It viciously rammed the alchemy formation, however the earthquake it created
wasn’t as fierce as the prior one.
It was tired.
Its recent attack consumed the strength it had saved.
“Get back here! You dare steal Yan Shan’s contribution? You base reptiles, even
if you are successfully promoted to nobles, I won’t let any of you off!!” Yan
Shan madly bellowed.
Zhen Jin and the others slowed down.
Not because of Yan Shan, but because of intercepting golems appearing before
them.
Three guardian golems!
“I already used the extreme eye spell to foresee it, we are not their match,
and we cannot stay here.” Jia Sha roared, “Scatter and retreat, we will
assemble on the other side of the battlefield!”
Everyone scattered at once.
The effects were instant!
There were only three guardian golems, while the survivors were numerous.
Many people smoothly moved around, watching their unlucky compatriots quickly
die under the golems’ hands.
“Abominable!” Zhen Jin grinded his teeth, he could only watch his comrades be
sacrificed.
He looked after Zi Di, Cang Xu, and a few others while the giant was running
behind him, encumbering his speed.
Just as they were about to break away from the battlefield, a man suddenly had
his head cut off. Before his body slowly fell, blood bubbled from his neck like
a fountain.
“Dammit, it's those invisible exterminators!” Zhen Jin’s heart sank.
Bang bang bang……
The ground shook, the gigantic dragon head-pig body golem also charged at the
youngster Zhen Jin.
“Run father, this giant will protect father!” The giant shouted as he suddenly
stopped and snarled at the gigantic golem.
It was clear he wanted to stay behind and use his life to give Zhen Jin more
time.
“No, enough of our comrades have already been sacrificed. Be obedient, come to
me now!” Zhen Jin roared. As he spoke, his body expanded, and his skin grew
dark scorpion carapace. With Zi Di and Cang Xu in his arms, his speed increased
dramatically.
The giant hesitated for a moment, but he still listened to Zhen Jin and
followed.
His immense build and large steps allowed him to quickly overtake Zhen Jin.
However, the gigantic golem was faster, and the distance between the two was
quickly closing!
Pop.
With a light noise, the sailor in front of Zhen Jin was suddenly cut into two!
Upon seeing this, Zhen Jin’s pupils shrank, while Zi Di and Cang Xu had shocked
faces.
Zhen Jin couldn’t see the invisible exterminators, regardless of whether he
used ultrasound or the green lizard eyes. The exterminators’ invisibility was
almost as strong as Jia Sha’s invisibility divine spell, they could hide from
sight, hide their heat signature, couldn’t be felt, and more.
Suddenly, a massive warning rose in his heart, causing him to subconsciously
tilt his body.
Soon after, a ray of blood shot out, his left shoulder was wounded. The
exterminator was extremely sharp, if Zhen Jin didn’t have that layer of
protection, his body would have been cut in half!



****** Chapter 165: I’m Alright ******
“Lord Zhen Jin, abandon me, remember my final wishes!” Cang Xu shouted into the
wind.
Zi Di also said: “Zhen Jin, put me down, it will allow you to speed up a
little.”
“Stop joking, I am a templar knight. Giant, run ahead and catch them!” Zhen Jin
roared.
The giant stared, soon he saw Zhen Jin suddenly moving his arms, tossing Zi Di
and Cang Xu forward.
His immense strength threw Zi Di and Cang Xu through the air in a parabola, the
two flew over the battlefield and landed in front of Jia Sha’s party.
The giant subconsciously ran, after a dozen steps, he stretched out his arms as
he fell to the ground, catching Zi Di and Cang Xu in a thrilling experience.
“Too reckless!”
“How did they fly over there?!”
A few guardian templar knights nearly ran into the giant, all of them were
dumbstruck.
“Lord Zhen Jin!!” Zi Di and Cang Xu stood up and turned around to see wounds
and blood flowing from Zhen Jin’s body.
“Behind you father!” After catching Zi Di and Cang Xu, the giant turned around
at once and saw the gigantic golem charging at Zhen Jin, he couldn’t help but
stare in anger.
He charged back out again, he wanted to help Zhen Jin.
But Jia Sha used a divine spell to slow the giant down.
“Villain, you’re playing tricks!” The giant bellowed at Jia Sha; his eyes
filled with cold killing intent.
Jia Sha glared at him and reprimanded: “Idiot, going back now will only
inconvenience him!”
“Come.” At the same time, Zhen Jin suddenly turned around and faced the
gigantic golem.
He crossed his arms in front of his chest, just like a shield.
The next moment, the gigantic golem rammed Zhen Jin.
Bang, Zhen Jin was launched into the air, flying faster than Zi Di and Cang Xu
and soaring over Jia Sha and the others, becoming the frontrunner.
After landing and rolling a few times, Zhen Jin immediately stood up while
simultaneously removing his transformations.
There was no pain, Zhen Jin’s arms were numb, as they had been completely
deformed when his arm bones shattered.
Zhen Jin shouted to Jia Sha and the others: “Run for it! They are chasing
after!”
Jia Sha gave the others the discharge divine spell, speeding up everyone’s
footsteps.
The gigantic golem stopped pursuing, because Zhen Jin, Jia Sha, and the others
squeezed into a passage.
The passage was narrow, its body could not pass through.
The other guardian golems were slow, thus Zhen Jin and the others quickly
escaped them.
The exterminators were the greatest threat.
However, Jia Sha began to use divine spells, after a few divine spells, the
exterminators were forced to reveal themselves, allowing everyone to fire their
crossbows at them.
Not long after, the pursuing exterminators were all destroyed.
The situation had stabilized!
“We got through that battlefield.” The guardian templar knights cheered,
however their cheers were quickly substituted with sorrowful expressions.
There were only four guardian templar knights left, during the escape, one had
sacrificed himself to protect Jia Sha.
“There are still many people in there, I will save them.” Zhen Jin returned to
the battlefield, taking advantage of that time, he restored his arms.
“Lord Zhen Jin!” Zi Di opened her mouth, she wanted to stop him, but it was too
late.
The giant wanted to follow, but Jia Sha stopped him again.
Once again, Zhen Jin became a small scorpion armored giant with a spider blade
in his hand, the edge of the blade
“Divine scion knight!”
“Lord Zhen Jin, it's you!”
“Thank you for saving my life!!”
Zhen Jin’s assistance helped many comrades that nearly fell in the battlefield.
With how Zhen Jin currently was, he could directly resist the guardian golems.
As for the exterminators, although Zhen Jin still couldn’t find them, he had
discovered whenever an exterminator was attacking him, his heart would warn
him.
Using the warnings, Zhen Jin successfully dodged ten of them.
Even if it was simply side stepping them, doing so would turn a fatal blow into
a lesser injury.
Zhen Jin was quickly soaked in blood.
“Lord Zhen Jin……”
“He is a genuine hero!!”
In the passage, everyone watched Zhen Jin’s blood-soaked figure fight bravely,
one by one, each of them was moved.
Jia Sha gazed at the distant Zhen Jin; he didn’t know what to think.
“Alas, this look must be inappropriate to Jia Sha. After this battle, I had
better confess.” Zhen Jin’s heart said.
He might be able to deceive the others, however Jia Sha was a Sheng Ming
priest, he must know things didn’t add up.
“The amount of fire elementals is rapidly decreasing, fortunately that gigantic
golem wasn’t watching me as it wantonly massacred the fire elementals.
“Who else needs my help?”
Zhen Jin quickly looked around.
Suddenly, he concentrated his attention on footprints in the ground.
The footprints were very new, they were likely from one of his companions.
Bloodstains accompanied the footprints.
“This companion is wounded!”
Following the footprints, Zhen Jin ran to a nook in the battlefield.
There was a hillside here, it was a good hiding spot for people.
“I’ll save this person and leave……I don’t have much time left.” The fire
elementals were at a disadvantage, Zhen Jin could only save his comrades as
long as he didn’t endanger himself.
However, just as he arrived at the nook, Zhen Jin didn’t find anyone, and a
warning suddenly rose in his heart.
He dodged at once, yet a massive wound sliced across his back.
Against the attack, the scorpion shell was as thin as paper!
“This isn’t an exterminator!”
Zhen Jin didn’t see his enemy; however, he could feel the enemy’s strength from
his wounds. It was from something of unprecedented sharpness!
Zhen Jin couldn’t find the enemy and Jia Sha was not at his side. With another
warning appearing in his heart, he immediately sank into a bitter struggle.
In the passage, everyone waited for a good while. No comrades had converged
with them for some time and there weren’t any traces of Zhen Jin.
The giant roared, he was still struggling against the divine spell: “I will
find father, let me go you scoundrel!”
“You two go look for Zhen Jin, spare no effort to return with him!” Jia Sha
ordered while maintaining the divine spell.
“Ok.” The two guardian templar knights accepted the order and returned to the
battlefield.
Complete transformation!
The lizard head Zhen Jin wildly sprayed.
It was not the green acid that was sprayed, rather it was the fat ball flying
fish’s hot water.
Steam quickly filled the air, creating a thick fog, at the same time Zhen Jin
discharged electricity with all his strength!
For a split second, the electricity lit up the invisible enemy in the fog.
“There!” Zhen Jin roared as he wildly swung.
The unusual exterminator was abnormally nimble, it moved behind Zhen Jin and
suddenly attacked the back of his head.
If it hit, Zhen Jin would die on the spot, the scorpion carapace couldn’t
defend against the attack.
But everything was Zhen Jin intentionally exposing a weak point.
The next moment, a scorpion tail suddenly skewered the invisible enemy.
The exterminator suffered a mortal strike, its fans suddenly broke down as it
launched towards Zhen Jin.
Zhen Jin didn’t dodge enough, a fan had pierced his shoulder and his ear was
nearly cut off, only a bit of skin held it together.
The scorpion tail was no longer sharp, its point was nearly grinded in half.
When the exterminator died, it revealed its true appearance.
“Sure enough, it's an exterminator. But a common exterminator has three fans,
this one has five.”
In the thick fog, Zhen Jin knelt to the ground.
At that moment, red light gushed out, covering the scorpion tail and his
wounds.
His ear and shoulder transformed into strong life white rhinoceros flesh,
allowing them to heal at a speed visible to the naked eye.
The grinded scorpion tail was restored to its peak original condition.
The thick fog gradually dispersed.
Suddenly, he heard a strange sound.
“Another exterminator!” Zhen Jin’s heart jumped, and like a snake, the scorpion
tail stabbed at the sound’s origin.
Plop.
The strike didn’t feel like it hit an alchemy article, rather it ran through
flesh.
Zhen Jin’s complexion suddenly changed.
He promptly removed the scorpion tail, then at the next moment, he saw a
kneeling man with his head on the ground.
“No!” Zhen Jin cried out in alarm, he then ran over and held the companion in
his arms.
A familiar face appeared in Zhen Jin’s eyes.
It was Xi Suo!
“No!” Zhen Jin’s pupils suddenly shrank as he shouted, pain and shock filled
his face.
He suddenly remembered, Xi Suo was one of the scouts. Every time scouts were
dispatched; Jia Sha would give them the invisibility divine spell.
Xi Suo gazed at Zhen Jin, however his expression showed fear.
In his eyes, Zhen Jin was a lizard headed monster!
“You……beastified……not a divine scion……”
Xi Suo had a hard time speaking as blood flowed from his mouth.
He had been invisible and watched Zhen Jin completely transform during the
fight.
Zhen Jin’s heart bulged, and his pulse quickened. He immediately explained: “I
am still Zhen Jin! Be at ease, I still have my rationality. I will save you; I
will save you……”
Zhen Jin comforted Xi Suo while inspecting his injuries.
Seeing his injury, Zhen Jin stunned himself.
Xi Suo’s heart had been pierced by Zhen Jin, without Jia Sha present, this was
a mortal wound!
“Lord Zhen Jin, where are you?” Suddenly, a guardian templar knight’s voice
could be heard.
The two guardian templar knights followed the footprints Zhen Jin left behind
to the nook in the battlefield.
They found Zhen Jin.
He was kneeling on the ground and was covered in a lot of blood.
On the nearby ground, there were scattered exterminator components.
The two guardian templar knights quickly determined a fierce battle had taken
place here.
“That isn’t a common exterminator!”
“Lord Zhen Jin, are you alright? Can you still walk?”
The motionless and kneeling Zhen Jin seemed to turn a deaf ear to their shouts,
this strangeness made them concerned.
At the next moment, Zhen Jin slowly lifted his head, his eyes were bloodshot,
and his voice was hoarse.
“I’m alright.”
The youngster stood up with a numb expression: “I suffered an ambush here.
Let’s go, there isn’t……anyone here.”
“Then let’s return without delay.”
“Everyone is waiting for you.”
The two guardian templar knights didn’t doubt him, and they turned around to
leave.
Almost all of the fire elementals were slaughtered, if they didn’t leave now,
they would never leave.
Zhen Jin followed close behind.
He quietly sprinkled the carbon ash behind him.



****** Chapter 166: The Lonely, Depraved Knight ******
“Your Lordship, please allow me to follow and devote myself to you.” Inside a
tent, Xi Suo sincerely knelt in front of Zhen Jin.
“Eh? You would rather give up being compensated with a ship, and instead want a
chance to follow me? Why have you decided to do this?” Zhen Jin was interested.
Xi Suo breathed, then raised his head to gaze at Zhen Jin: “Lor Zhen Jin, you
are a templar knight, the Bai Zhen Clan’s sole heir, and the future lord of
White Sands City! The chance to follow a character like you is a stroke of luck
that might never happen again in my lifetime.”
“If I am compensated with a new ship, at most I will accomplish what my father
before me has, I will own a ship. In order to live, I have to brave stormy
waves and fight against the ocean. Every voyage, we have to do our utmost and
rack our brains. If we encounter strong pirates or ferocious sea monsters, my
ship runs the risk of being sunk, just like the first shipwreck.”
Zhen Jin nodded: “Your answer is very honest, what I’ve heard comes from the
bottom of your heart.”
“Very good Xi Suo, I will allow you to follow me.”
“But I also ask you to remember this moment, remember your sincerity.”
“I hope you can maintain your outstanding character.”
Xi Suo was exulted, he excitedly stuttered: “I, understand your Lordship, I
understand!”
But the next moment, scarlet blood gushed from Xi Suo’s mouth.
Xi Suo suddenly opened his eyes and looked at Zhen Jin with shock: “You……you
are not a templar knight!”
“Monster, you are a monster!”
He suddenly grabbed his chest; he didn’t know when his chest had been run
through with a mortal wound.
“I……misjudged you……”
Pop, Xi Suo breathlessly fell to the ground.
“No!” Zhen Jin cried out in alarm, soon after he awoke from his nightmare.
His entire body was covered in cold sweat.
He gasped several times to stabilize his state of mind.
He looked around at his tranquil surroundings.
Although the sun and moon were not visible in the underground alchemy factory,
regardless of whether it was Cang Xu, Jia Sha, or Zi Di, each of them had a way
to measure time.
Currently it was very late into the night.
After crashing their way through the magma battlefield, only thirty people were
left.
Because the fire elementals seemed to attract attention to themselves, Zhen Jin
and the two guardian templar knights immediately set off and smoothly returned,
nothing pursued or obstructed them.
The guardian golems were artificial things, they had low intelligence and
relied on the tower spirit to direct them. But the tower spirit’s voice did not
appear in the magma battlefield.
In the middle of the passage.
Jia Sha used the extreme eye spell to find a spot to rest, with no problems
arising, he ordered everyone to rest.
He had almost exhausted his divine power, thus healing the others was a
difficult task.
After finishing his daily prayers, Jia Sha sank into a deep sleep with two
guardian templar knights protecting him.
“How should I explain things to him? When I charged through the magma
battlefield today, the priest must have seen my appearance, but he didn’t
mention it.”
Zhen Jin knew Jia Sha was waiting for him to confess.
But what could Zhen Jin say?
“Xi Suo……”
“I killed him with my own hands!”
Remorse and powerlessness rushed into his mind simultaneously.
Zhen Jin painfully closed his eyes, sat up, and leaned against the metal wall.
The metal wall’s coldness seemed to transmit to the depths of his heart.
The young knight sank into self-blame: “At the time I should have stayed my
hand, I shouldn’t have been so heavy handed. I should have remembered the
scouts were invisible. Why did I forget? Why did I only forget that point?”
However, from the depths of his heart, a voice disseminated: “Don’t be too sad,
this was only an accident, that’s all.”
“No, I’ve become depraved……I am already depraved. My hands have been polluted
with my comrade’s blood.”
“Repulsive, I definitely wanted to save him!”
“I definitely wanted to save him!!”
With this fact, Zhen Jin clenched his teeth and covered his eyes with his right
palm. The back of his head was touching the ice-cold wall and his left fist was
clenched tightly.
The scene of killing Xi Suo replayed in his mind again.
When he found Xi Suo, Zhen Jin was shocked.
However, when he wanted to help Xi Suo, he discovered the fatal injury and Zhen
Jin immediately sank into bewilderment.
Faced with Xi Suo’s denouncement, he subconsciously retorted.
When he suddenly heard the guardian templar knights’ voices, Zhen Jin’s heart
jumped, without enough time to think, he suddenly activated the core and
absorbed Xi Suo!
“No!”
“I vowed that I would never put my hands on a human. But not only did I do
that, I even killed my own comrade.”
“Why did I destroy any trace of his corpse? Why?!”
That question tormented him the most.
He couldn’t avoid this question.
“I was weak, afraid, and worried of misunderstandings.”
“I can explain things clearly. I can.”
“How can you explain this?” Another voice in his heart sneered.
“Why did I kill him, isn’t it because I was afraid of him spilling my secret?
With that injury, he was already toast, you might as well forget about it. Some
things shouldn’t be said, wouldn’t that just cause complications for me?”
“Think about it, didn’t I save Xi Suo’s life?”
“But he didn’t know how to be grateful, he still wanted to make things
difficult for me! He would have caused the guardian templar knights to
misunderstand me, the consequences would have been severe!”
“No!” Zhen Jin held his head in his hands and shouted in his heart: “Go away, I
don’t believe that I am not a despicable and sinister person!!”
The voice in his heart laughed: “Then let me put it in a way you can
understand.”
“Hmph……I cannot be misunderstood, because I am responsible for this body!”
“The revival of the Bai Zhen Clan, protecting my fiancé, and successfully
leading these survivors off this island are my responsibility. I promised them
that, correct?”
“Therefore, I cannot die or be misunderstood, nor can I fail to live up to the
expectations of others.”
“No, no, no, this is quibble, all of this is quibble.” Zhen Jin’s head was
nearly buried in his stomach, he did his best to vie with the darkness in his
heart.
“I’ve become depraved! I’ve always been in the abyss of depravity!” At that
moment, the young knight felt he was as weak as tree leaves in the wind.
But quickly, the voices in his heart said together: “Depravity? What is
depravity?”
“Is violating the templar knight’s path depravity?”
“Relax, I am only doing the most correct choice. My choice was rational, it
proves my intelligence.”
“Look around, no one else knows the truth. No one thinks you killed Xi Suo.”
Zhen Jin suddenly opened his eyes, and with light flickering in them, he loudly
refuted in his heart: “No, I will confess, I will be honest, I will atone for
my crime!”
“Hahaha, of course you will……” Unexpectedly, the voice in his heart didn’t
block him.
“Do it!” The voice hooted.
But Zhen Jin no longer retorted, his face grew paler, he looked like a dead
person.
His breathing weakened, as if he were a breathless dead man.
At that moment, he understood he didn’t have the courage to speak of Xi Suo’s
murder or to expose the core.
Previously, every time he roused enough courage, at the final push some affair
would suddenly burst in or another person would destroy it.
But as a matter of fact, was it really like that?
It wasn’t.
If he really wanted to say something, he could have said something most of the
time.
“In reality, I didn’t speak out because I didn’t want to!”
“For example, I only wanted to confess to the priest because of external
pressure, nothing more.”
“Who doesn’t want to be bright and beautiful, who doesn’t want to hide their
darkness and unworthiness? I want to, I especially want to!”
Remorse, frustration, pain, and sorrow tormented the youngster, by torturing
and questioning his heart, the youngster also understood the true opinions the
deepest parts of his heart held.
A tormenting night passed.
Everyone set out again.
Scouts were required to investigate ahead.
“Let me come.” Zhen Jin asked to be assigned.
Everyone was amazed and opposed him.
Zhen Jin shook his head and stood firm: “Everyone needs to rest more, while I
am in relatively good condition. In addition, after the magma battlefield,
perhaps the road ahead is more dangerous and needs stronger people to
investigate it.”
He needed to keep himself busy, too busy to ponder.
Scouting needed more than one person.
A bronze level sailor kneeled at his own accord and excitedly told Zhen Jin:
“Lord Zhen Jin, you have saved my life more than once. Please let me follow
you, let us move together!”
Zhen Jin’s actions yesterday in the battlefield inspired this sailor.
But Zhen Jin pursed his brows, at that moment, he seemed to see Xi Suo: “No, I
will go alone. Stand up for me!”
The sailor blankly stared.
Realizing his reaction was a little excessive, Zhen Jin complemented:
“Currently, the road ahead has no byways. Only I am needed, you need to
recuperate more.”
With these words, Zhen Jin received the praise and esteem of everyone.
Yet, when faced with these eyes and attitudes, Zhen Jin only wanted to escape.
The investigation went very smoothly, so smoothly that Zhen Jin was somewhat
suspicious.
Following this, everyone was in disbelief, they didn’t encounter any golems,
exterminators, or traps.
And so, they advanced like this for two days.
A day dragged past like a year for Zhen Jin.
“Your Lordship, you don’t need to feel sad for those sacrificed. It is more
important to lead those still alive and escape this place together.” Advised
Cang Xu.
“Lord Zhen Jin don’t blame yourself. We never blamed you. You have already done
enough.” Bai Ya also consoled.
“Is there anything you want to say to me. There is a lot I want to say to you.”
Zi Di privately found Zhen Jin.
“Child, you must remember, Master Sheng Ming’s gaze shines over everything, in
it there are no shadows.” Jia Sha also encouraged Zhen Jin.
However, these encouragements, consolement, advice, and other words only made
Zhen Jin feel more ashamed.
More……lonely.
“There is a dead body ahead!” A scout returned with important information.
The corpse of a strong saint level person lay in the passage.
There were traces of a fierce close quarters battle everywhere.
“He should be one of the attackers. Hold on, that apparel……”
“He comes from the Blood Light Punishment Institution!”
Everyone hurried over, all of their hearts were equally shocked.



****** Chapter 167: Finally Seeing War Merchant ******
The dead saint level person wore a blood red gown, their hands were covered
with iron gloves, their feet wore iron boots, an iron helmet was on their head,
and an iron mask covered their face.
Around the blood red gown, circled nine platinum stars.
This was the apparel of the Blood Light Punishment Institution.
The Blood Light Punishment Institution……
This was a famous institution, practically everyone had heard of it. It was
also known as “The gods’ whips, it existed in the Sheng Ming Empire to whip the
enemies of the gods.
In the Sheng Ming Empire, all of the dukes as well as the emperor were living
gods.
These gods were experts of their domain and each of them had a powerful sect.
As they influenced and led humanity forward, they helped and restricted each
other, like old, intertwined tree roots.
Those that became the gods’ enemy, even if they could fight the gods directly,
also had strong concealment, disguise, or escape capabilities. The gods were
also aloof and remote, typically they rarely disposed of anything personally.
In order to conveniently arrest the wanted and pursue the gods’ enemies without
interfering with each other, the gods joined hands to establish the Blood Light
Punishment Institution.
The Blood Light Punishment Institution didn’t have many people, however each of
them was strong. All of them came from the great powers of the Sheng Ming
Empire and were valued characters.
The Blood Light Punishment Institution’s power was enormous, they could kill or
arrest anyone in the Continent, often acting first and reporting later. Their
power was above the templar knight regiments, templar magician regiments, many
sects, influential clans, the Magician Alliance, and other groups.
Official members could enter almost any area in the empire, access the absolute
majority of secret information, and had the authority to suddenly mobilize
almost any garrison in the empire at will.
“It seems Great Duke Quan Fa’s mount Yan Shan was dispatched with the Blood
Light Punishment Institution. Yan Shan should also be a member of the Blood
Light Punishment Institution.”
“I still think Great Duke Quan Fa was the one who ordered War Merchant’s
death.”
“How strange, why did the Blood Light Punishment Institution attack War
Merchant? War Merchant isn’t an enemy of the gods.”
“Maybe, he was blasphemous and sinful behind the scenes.”
“I think the empire might have needed War Merchant’s remodeled magic beast
technology. Think about it, if the empire mastered this technology, when they
deal with the beastmen in the future, less humans will be sacrificed.”
Everyone was discussing.
“Who is this saint level person?”
A curious person wanted to walk over to the corpse and take off their mask.
“Don’t touch!” That action immediately caused Jia Sha to give a strict warning.
Saying this, Jia Sha looked at the templar guardian knight Xiong Dun.
Xiong Dun lifted his leg and kicked a rock on the ground.
When the rock flew into the corpse, it immediately turned gold.
“According to my information, War Merchant’s magic spell, gold hand, has
reached the legend level. This Blood Light Punishment Institution person has
been killed by that magic.”
“Their clothing has completely covered their skin, however as long as they are
observed by a divine spell, once can find they have thoroughly become a golden
statue.
Jia Sha had mentioned this in time, and the survivor who wanted to take off the
iron mask turned deathly pale.
Their strength was too low, even if the saint level person was a dead corpse,
they couldn’t touch the corpse.
Carefully avoiding the corpse, everyone continued forward.
Next, they saw even more concentrated marks of battle.
The people saw some unknown blood, severed arms, many golems, magical
artifacts, and the fragments of weapons and equipment.
Jia Sha analyzed: “In the magma battlefield, War Merchant crossed swords with
the small Blood Light Punishment Institution squadron, although Yan Shan was
sealed, he was severely wounded.
“He urgently withdrew while the saint level people pursued him with all their
strength.”
“Not long after, War Merchant was overtaken, he had to fight while retreating.
“During this process, one of the saint level people was killed, that was the
corpse we saw earlier.”
“The rest continued to pursue, no matter how disastrous the price they paid.”
This is also why no defensive measures were encountered.
“Move, I sense the control hub isn’t far off!” Jia Sha’s tone carried
excitement.
Zi Di’s eyes also shined.
The more they went forward, the wider the passage got.
Not long after, everyone stopped in front of a gigantic door.
This gigantic door was bright and clean, as if it were new, however on the
lower left, there was a hole in it. From the hole, one could see behind the
door.
“That’s a really thick door!”
“Quickly look, it's different inside, it's an extremely wide room.”
“There are many coffins!”
“Magic beast corpses practically fill the ground!!”
Everyone looked inside through the lower left gap, and one after the other,
they cried out in surprise.
It was not bright inside and everything was in disarray. There were many
remodeled magic beast carcasses, including bat monkeys, scaled leopards, blue
dog fox wolves, and more, it was evident a bitter battle took place here.
The Blood Light Punishment Institution’s people pursued him in, this door did
not stop them for long.” Someone guessed at what happened in the battle.
“Maybe, this was a trap War Merchant made for the Blood Light Punishment
Institution.”
“These coffins were arranged very close together, although many were destroyed,
some are still intact. What were they used for?”
“Even if this isn’t the control hub, this is an important place!”
Everyone was already excited and nervous.
Divine spell: detect magic.
Divine spell: detect traps.
The two divine spells were used by Jia Sha repeatedly, eventually he determined
there was nothing to this gigantic door, it was just a door.
“Break through this door!” Jia Sha ordered.
However, the four guardian templar knights failed, even Zong Ge’s bone hammer
couldn’t leave a dent on the door.
Jia Sha pursed his brows, even after giving everyone divine spells, they still
couldn’t leave a mark on the door.
Jia Sha naturally was not resigned; he personally used an offensive divine
spell on the door. The divine spell’s radiance collided with the gigantic door
and broke into countless beams, however it didn’t do anything.
“I fear this door is made from legend level materials!” Zi Di’s tone was heavy.
“What can we do?” Hei Juan was bewildered, he tried using Silver Lightning but
could only leave behind a scratch.
“We should have brought that cannon with us.” Cang Xu sighed.
When they crashed through the magma battlefield, everyone focused on making
every second count, thus they abandoned the heavy alchemy cannon.
“Don’t tell me we need to return with the cannon?”
This proposal made many people shake their heads.
The magma battlefield still had guardian golems and invisible exterminators,
going back for the cannon was bringing about their own destruction.
“Zhen Jin, perhaps you can have a try at it.” Jia Sha encouraged Zhen Jin with
a smile.
Zhen Jin’s heart immediately thumped.
“Yes, your Lordship if your prayer succeeds, perhaps the power of a divine
scion knight can break through this door. Hei Juan shouted.
In a split second, nearly everyone concentrated their attention on him.
Zhen Jin breathed sluggishly.
With a wooden face and heavy footsteps, he approached the door, then with his
back to everyone, he began to silently pray.
A long time passed.
He turned around dismayed: “Sorry, my master didn’t respond to me.”
Everyone sighed, but no one blamed Zhen Jin.
“My Lord don’t be too difficult on yourself. This must have been Heavenly
Emperor Sheng Ming’s intentions.” Zi Di consoled.
Zhen Jin nodded, then walked into the crowd.
Jia Sha clenched his teeth, his burning eyes glared at the gigantic door: “To
use legend level materials on this door, maybe the control hub really is
inside. Hateful! We are unexpectedly obstructed by a door.”
Everyone was at their wits end and gradually despaired.
“Perhaps there is another path.”
“There can’t be just one road that leads to the control hub, right?”
Someone suggested he look for another path.
At that moment, the giant suddenly shouted: “I have a way, I think I have a
way.”
“What is it?” Everyone asked with varied expectations.
“Let me try.” Nevertheless, the giant’s heart was full of confidence.
He ran to the door and began to pull at the lower left hole.
“Could it be he thinks we can get through that way?”
But the next moment, the giant bit his teeth and used his entire body to drag
the door to the side.
At first the gigantic door was motionless, however after a few breaths, it
trembled, then slowly moved to the right.
Many people were dumbstruck.
Jia Sha laughed heartily: “Hahaha, good, very good!”
Everyone had been thinking in circles, yet the giant with his simple thoughts,
had used the simplest method to open the door.
However, if the tower spirit was here and if this place hadn’t been damaged in
battle, this door would have been locked, it wouldn’t have had such an obvious
gap.
The giant quickly used up his strength, but the gigantic door had been pulled
enough for a petite person to pass through.
Zong Ge, Zhen Jin, the four guardian templar knights, and a few others with the
aid of Jia Sha’s divine spells, continued to pull the gigantic door.
After a great effort, everyone was dripping with sweat, finally the gigantic
door had been pulled enough that even the giant could barely get through.
With the gigantic door opened, the situation inside could be easily viewed.
Behind the gigantic door was a vast room with spherical walls, forming an
arena-like layout.
Hundreds of coffins were distributed around in a tight formation, like the
seats in an arena.
Many of the coffins were opened or destroyed, they seemed to have stored blood.
There were also many intact coffins.
These destroyed coffins combined with many magic beast corpses vividly
portrayed the Blood Light Punishment Institution’s people’s assault.
Starting from the gigantic door, they charged straight into the center of the
magician tower.
That’s right, this vast underground room was a towering magician tower.
Most magician towers were different from each other, this magician tower was
short and fat, with only four floors.
The magician tower’s door had been severely damaged, from a distance, everyone
saw a small mound of magic beast corps and huge golem fragments.
Jia Sha’s heart jumped; his tone was certain: “This is the alchemy factory’s
control hub!”
Everyone became excited and nervous.
They moved through the ruined battlefield.
Nothing unexpected happened, and they smoothly arrived at the magician tower.
After stepping across the mountain of magic beast carcasses, they entered the
magician tower.
Human shaped bodies jumped into their eyes.
Three Blood Light Punishment institution saint levels, as well as a goblin.
This goblin wore a fine golden magical gown, as he lay on the ground, the
remaining legend level life aura remaining on his corpse revealed his identity
without a shadow of a doubt——the alchemy great grandmaster——War Merchant!



****** Chapter 168: Divine Artifact! Green Jade Gold Coffin ******
War Merchant was laying on the ground, his back facing upwards. An unusual two
meter spear penetrated through his back and into the floor.
This thin spear seemed to have vines twisting and winding around its shaft.
It mortally wounded War Merchant.
No one knew which saint level person threw it, it might have been the final
attack before death, causing the scene of mutual destruction everyone saw in
front of them.
“This wooden vine spear seems to be the legend rank weapon——Thorn (Wood) Vine
Spear.” Zong Ge identified a moment later.
The spear emitted a legend level aura, it was very peculiar, it resembled a
living magic plant.
“The last record about the Thorn Vine Spear says it was in Great Duke Zhan
Wan’s arsenal. This should be it. All legend rank weapons possess distinct
characteristics.”
“It's no wonder War Merchant was also killed. The Blood Light Punishment
Institution squadron not only assaulted with a legend level flame dragon king,
but with a legend level weapon!”
But Zi Di shook her head: “This is War Merchant’s headquarters; the alchemy
factory is a portion of his magician tower. If it were an open fight, the
outcome would be uncertain. Crucially, this small squad came prepared, they
didn’t storm the magician tower, rather they rushed through the interior of the
alchemy factory. In truth, War Merchant was caught unprepared.”
Zi Di’s analysis won Cang Xu’s approval.
The old scholar nodded, gazed at War Merchant’s body, and deeply lamented: “A
legend level magician with their magician tower can even vie with the gods. I
never expected such a legendary magician to die in such a way.”
“His magic gown should also be legend level, unfortunately it couldn’t compete
with the Thorn Vine Spear.” Someone took note of this point.
“Even if the legend level magic gown was damaged, the material it is made of is
priceless, what’s more, it could still be restored!”
“Don’t touch him. When facing death’s door, who knows what magic War Merchant
prepared.” Replied Cang Xu.
Those words made everyone suddenly think of the first saint level
corpse——touching that corpse would turn a person into a golden statue.
Everyone’s heart shivered and sighed.
The disparity was too high, it was impossible to collect these corpses.
“Don’t touch the Thorn Vine Spear either. It is very tyrannical, capable of
absorbing almost all matter and energy. It can absorb the water, fire, and
flesh it touches. Therefore, it is very taxing on a magician's protective
spells.” Zong Ge warned.
Hearing these words, everyone sorrowfully backed away from War Merchant.
“If this is how things are, how do we clean up the battlefield?”
“Yeah, how are we going to retrieve our spoils of war?”
“I didn’t expect that after falling into dire straits, we could have such an
immense harvest! Ah, fate is too inconceivable.”
“This will be an immense contribution; War Merchant’s bounty is indeed an
immense number. He was the most confident of the most wanted!”
“Hahaha……not just a reward.”
“We’ve collected a big bargain. As long as we return and give these things to
the empire, we might receive titles and land. Our tale will be spread
throughout the entire continent, making us the envy of countless adventurers.”
Everyone stood around War Merchant’s corpse, gradually as they discussed, their
voices grew louder, their breathing became hoarser, and many faces blushed with
excitement.
Zong Ge was also like this, he thought of his father, although he hadn’t
stepped foot on the Wilderness Continent yet, establishing himself with this
kind of meritorious service would undoubtedly bring him closer to his goals.
Tripleblade’s face was also beaming with joy.
Once he was a commander of a mercenary corps, in order to achieve this, he had
struggled for half a lifetime. He didn’t expect that after being stranded on
this island and disbanding his mercenary corps, that his life would
unexpectedly turn around!
Nevertheless, Zhen Jin faintly frowned, he looked at War Merchant’s cheek and
couldn’t help but be puzzled: “Strange, why do I get a sense of familiarity
when I look at him?”
Everyone knew War Merchant’s appearance, after all as the seventh most wanted,
his portrait was spread widely in every continent.
However, Zhen Jin understood this sense of familiarity wasn’t from looking at a
portrait, it was from personal experience.
Cang Xu suddenly spoke: “Everyone, this great bargain certainly isn’t easy to
collect. War Merchant was the Blood Light Punishment Institution team’s kill,
how can we offer these things? How will the Blood Light Punishment Institution
react?”
“When we passed through the magma battlefield, Yan Shan explicitly warned us to
not covet this meritorious service.”
“Yan Shan is not only a legend rank fire dragon; his master is Great Duke Quan
Fa.”
Cang Xu’s words made everyone calm down.
“That’s right.”
“This contribution is too big; we cannot take it.”
“My small body isn’t enough to resist a finger of the flame dragon king!”
Everyone was worried, and it appeared on everyone’s face.
Jia Sha coldly snorted: “Everyone, you must understand, fate has presented all
of this to us!”
The priest gazed at everyone and loudly preached: “Originally, we were safely
sailing to the Wilderness Continent. However, a Blood Light Punishment
Institution squad assaulted Mystifying Monster Island, dying together with War
Merchant. The island crumbled, the tower spirit went out of control, and the
mighty force of this sank our ship.”
“We are victims of that disaster; thus, we were stranded on this island. For
several months, we painfully struggled. We fought against all kinds of magic
beasts, traveled over land and water, we all had to gather food and water, and
exhausted ourselves to survive. Finally, we were forced to come here, seeking
to struggle free from desperate straits and find reprieve from death.”
“We succeeded!”
“We reached this place.”
“Look around, we have sacrificed so many, bled and sweated so much, and
survived through so many dangers. We helped each other and relied on our
efforts and indispensable luck to stand here.”
Jia Sha pointed at War Merchant’s corpse: “We deserve this.”
“True!”
“That’s right.”
“Lord Priest is correct!”
Everyone was deeply touched by Jia Sha’s words.
Zhen Jin, Zong Ge, and a few others remained silent.
Jia Sha continued: “Indeed, if we take credit for this, we will offend the
Blood Light Punishment Institution, Yan Shan, and Great Duke Quan Fa. However,
if we don’t take credit for it, I will definitely regret it for the rest of my
life!”
“As everyone knows, I am a priest. I believe in my master——the great Heavenly
Emperor Sheng Ming! In my holy sect, I have my respected teacher, my superiors,
and many colleagues. I was also the son of a great noble once, my clan
background can also make things easier for me.”
“Therefore, I will use all my contacts and relationships to fight for this
contribution.”
“That’s right!” Bai Ya shouted, “Don’t forget, we also have Lord Zhen Jin.”
Everyone focused on Zhen Jin.
“Yes, we have always been following Lord Zhen Jin.”
“He is a templar knight and a divine scion knight!”
“The Bai Zhen Clan will definitely help us and ensure we get credit!”
Zong Ge looked pensive, he thought of his own father.
Hei Juan smiled.
“Very, very good.” Fei She wiped away years, “You have grown up your Lordship,
our Wisteria Merchant Alliance will also, also be rejuvenated.”
But at that moment, Zi Di maintained a rarely seen calmness: “Everyone, it's
too early to be happy. Our main goal isn’t seeking contribution. War Merchant
and the Blood Light Punishment Institution squadron killing each other was
beyond our expectations. We still need to escape this place alive.”
“Even if we have not felt an earthquake after entering the alchemy factory,
those earthquakes have not disappeared since Yan Shan is the origin of the
earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.”
“If we don’t seize the moment and find a way to escape, this island will
collapse, and we will die with it. If Yan Shan escapes, we will also suffer a
calamity.”
Everyone trembled in fear.
Zi Di was right, causing everyone to sober up a bit.
“Quickly, let’s look upstairs.
“The magician tower must have the alchemy factory’s control hub. There must be
a way to control the entire alchemy factory in here.”
“Surely there is a hidden storehouse with a passage out of here, like a
teleportation door, or something else. War Merchant should have an escape
route.”
“Seize the moment, find the control hub!”
“Are these coffins the control hub?”
On the first floor, besides the damaged door, War Merchant, the dead saint
levels, and the legendary weapon Thorn Vine Spear, there was a coffin in the
center.
The coffin seemed to be forged from gold and a jade relief sculpture traced
with silver was inlaid on its surface, the sculpture depicted a winged snake.
The coffin was 3 meters long and 1.8 meters wide. It was a dazzling sight
beyond comparison.
The coffin was not intact, no one found the coffin’s lid.
Carefully approaching it, everyone found there were twelve black murals inside.
These murals had a simple style and portrayed the birth, worship, life, and
legend of a god.
“This god seems to be……the Feather Snake god.” After a moment Jia Sha
identified it, his complexion slightly changing.
The Feather Snake god wasn’t a human god, rather it was one of the great devil
gods.
In present times, the devil race was nearly extinct, thus the Feather Snake god
fell long ago.
Jia Sha’s eyes shined; he was certain: “This coffin should be the Feather Snake
god’s divine artifact——the Green Jade Golden Coffin!”
“The Feather Snake god and its clergy had the divine power to control life and
reproduction. According to written accounts, whenever it was seriously injured,
it would hide in this coffin to cure itself quickly and completely. The Green
Jade Golden Coffin’s therapy abilities were extremely strong, some have even
speculated that it has the power to revive the power of a god!”
“I didn’t expect to learn War Merchant had the main part of it.”
“Unfortunately, he didn’t have the coffin lid, this artifact is incomplete.”
I understand now.”
Saying this, Jia Sha suddenly turned around to look at War Merchant: “He was
heavily wounded; thus, he withdrew to the control hub to use the Green Jade
Golden Coffin to treat himself. He nearly succeeded, but in the end, he still
died in the final stretch.”



****** Chapter 169: A Second Core ******
Divine artifact——Green Jade Golden Coffin!
No one expected this divine artifact would be in the alchemy factory control
hub’s first floor.
Everyone was shocked, however after carefully thinking, as the seventh most
wanted and as a legendary alchemist, it was not strange for War Merchant to
have this.
“We must bring this divine artifact with us! If we give this to the empire, we
will receive an unimaginable amount of contribution.” Someone shouted.
“In order to prevent accidents, don’t touch it for the time being, it should be
the core of an alchemy formation.” Zi Di inferred after seeing some clues, “The
countless coffins outside should be copies of it. Through an alchemy formation,
War Merchant could copy the divine artifact’s power, allowing him to make all
kinds of magic beasts from the counterfeit coffins.”
Cang Xu nodded: “It seems my previous conjecture was wrong, the island’s
artificial magic beasts were not beastified people, rather they were forcibly
created here. The Green Jade Golden Coffin is indeed inconceivable!”
“After all, It is a divine artifact……” Jia Sha sighed endlessly, he was the
first to circle around the magnificent divine coffin, “We had better go
upstairs without delay and find a way to control this place.”
Besides the dead bodies and coffins, the magician tower’s first floor had a
staircase.
Jia Sha used divine spells to examine his surroundings and the things in front
of him.
But it was ineffective, he couldn’t detect anything.
Even if things were out of control here, because the materials and alchemy
technology here were at the legend level, a silver level investigative divine
spell was useless.
As a result, Jia Sha didn’t walk ahead, instead he made others find a path.
Everyone cautiously approached the staircase, but nothing unexpected happened.
“Listen, it sounds like sea waves!” Lan Zao suddenly said.
Many people nodded, they also heard it.
“Could it be that the second floor has a teleportation door, can we leave
Mystifying Monster Island through it?”
“Perhaps this is a defensive magic being enabled……”
Everyone discussed incessantly while Zhen Jin’s heart secretly bounced: “This
feeling……”
He suddenly felt a call, something above was attracting him. As he stepped up
the staircase and got closer to the second floor, this attraction grew
stronger.
“What is on the second floor?” Holding this intense curiosity, Zhen Jin and the
others came to the second floor.
On this floor, the sea wave sounds unexpectedly disappeared.
The second floor was nearly empty, there was no teleportation door, only a
shell floating in the air.
The mediocre shell didn’t look strange, it looked like a large old fashion
washbowl with green-black moss all over it.
Everyone felt the aura of life, proving the shell was alive.
But it wasn’t a magic beast, based on its life aura——it was just an ordinary
shell.
Why would War Merchant place an ordinary shell on the second floor?
It seemed this shell was more important to War Merchant than the Green Jade
Golden Coffin on the first floor!
In the middle of everyone’s hesitation, Jia Sha’s expression suddenly changed
as he thought of something.
“Don’t tell me, that is the Mermaid Fairy Tale?” Jia Sha was uncertain.
“What is that?”
“Fairy Tale?”
Everyone was endlessly puzzled; it was difficult to connect this shell to fairy
tales.
Contrariwise, Cang Xu recalled some information and explained: “I think the
thing Lord Priest is referring to, is the Blue Charm god’s divine artifact. Its
divine artifact’s name is Mermaid Fairy Tale.”
Seeing everyone staring at him, Cang Xu continued: “The Blue Charm god is a
revered fishman god, they are an expert at deceit and disguise. Their torso is
a mermaid and is fond of emitting its charm to entice the males of different
races from ships. However once upon a time, it encountered one of the human
dukes……it is inappropriate to narrate what happened next.”
Everyone immediately understood, one by one, they recalled rumors of a sex
scandal happening to some great character in the empire.
“I always thought that was a rumor.”
“Many things aren’t baseless.”
Don’t say anything, that affair is taboo, be careful, a loose tongue may cause
a lot of trouble!”
Everyone actively stopped discussing this subject, then they looked at the
ordinary shell again.
“I’m still uncertain.” Jia Sha shook his head, “But if it is the Mermaid Fairy
Tale, then everything is clear.”
“War Merchant relied on and used this divine artifact to deceive and hide from
the gods, allowing him to hide his headquarters in the world. As a result, the
gods were unable to find Mystifying Monster Island, ships were unable to come
here, and us arriving at this place was a complete accident!”
Zong Ge gazed at the large shell and said with a respectful tone: “War Merchant
deserves to be called a legend level alchemist; he could even utilize divine
artifacts.”
Divine artifacts, as the name implies, they were the gods’ implements. The vast
majority of divine artifacts were forged by a god alone, in order to make it as
close as possible to their divine power.
Only with a god’s permission, can another use their divine artifact.
However, War Merchant clearly hadn’t gotten the Feather Snake god’s or the Blue
Charm god’s permission, through his own methods, he forcibly excavated a
portion of the divine artifacts’ power, from this, the apex of War Merchant’s
alchemy mastery was undoubtedly revealed.
War Merchant was not a believer, to steal the power of these divine artifacts
through alchemy was blasphemous and offended the Feather Snake god and the Blue
Charm god. If this was discovered, he would be an enemy of the gods.
However, these two gods had fallen long ago, thus War Merchant didn’t bring
about any trouble.
From this, one could also see War Merchant’s prudence, he behaved appropriately
by only targeting fallen gods.
“We will go to the third floor.” Jia Sha headed to the stairs.
Like before, no one dared to touch the large shell. All of them cautiously
walked around, lest they trigger something by getting too close.
Zhen Jin shot a final glance at the divine artifact; he didn’t have any
familiar feelings when looking at it.
But the youngster’s gaze grew heavier, because he felt the mysterious call and
attraction grow stronger.
“As it turns out this call is not from the second floor, rather it is from an
upper floor!”
“Why is this hidden thing calling to me?”
“Why does the control hub seem somewhat familiar?”
“Don’t tell me I have been here before?”
“Impossible, how could I come to this place?”
Jia Sha used divine spells, he still didn’t detect any traps, while the people
ahead were safe and sound. Everyone quickly reached the third floor.
This floor is similar to the second floor, there is nothing here except the
thing in the middle, as well as the flights of stairs in the corner.
“What is that thing?”
“Don’t tell me it's another divine artifact?”
“War Merchant placed this on the third floor, this proves that in War
Merchant’s heart, it is more important than the Green Jade Golden Coffin and
the Mermaid Fairy Tale!”
But regardless of whether it was Jia Sha, Zong Ge, or Cang Xu, all of the
scowled and puzzled, they didn’t recognize the object.
In everyone’s eyes, it was a smooth, round, and small ball.
It was only the size of a thumb, its entire body was scarlet, its surface
wasn’t glossy, it resembled a small walnut, and it had fine vein lines wrapped
around its body.
It had a texture similar to a transparent crystal, with blood light radiating
from inside it.
Zhen Jin also had a doubtful expression; however, his heart was shocked.
“It's a core!!!”
With regards to that strange item, he was the one most familiar with it,
because his heart concealed one of them.
Regardless of the size, shape, or texture, it was a carbon copy. Only the vein
lines on the surface were different.
Without the core, Zhen Jin would have already died in some corner on Mystifying
Monster Island. By constantly excavating the core’s power and transformations,
Zhen Jin was able to come to this place.
“War Merchant also has a core!”
“Did he make this core?”
“He put it on the third floor, that must mean he feels its value exceeds that
of the Green Jade Golden Coffin and the Mermaid Fairy Tale!”
Zhen Jin didn’t feel surprised or baffled.
Earlier, Zhen Jin had speculated the constant fights on Mystifying Monster
Island were perhaps happening to make a core.
The young knight thought of Jia Sha’s information again, in recent years, War
Merchant had mastered the human beastification technology and had already begun
to sell them as weapons for external use.
“But why am I attracted so strongly to it?”
Zhen Jin couldn’t help but roll his Adam’s apple, the core floating in the air
feverishly called out to him.
It wasn’t calling out to Zhen Jin, but the core in Zhen Jin’s heart.
Inside Zhen Jin’s heart, strange red lights emitted from the core, and each
flash of light seemed to shout to Zhen Jin: “Eat it! Eat it! Absorb it now!!”



****** Chapter 170: Victory Suddenly Descends ******
The young knight had an intense intuition——he would greatly benefit if he
absorbed that core!
But under a thousand staring eyes, how could he grab it?
Like the Green Jade Golden Coffin and the Mermaid Fairy Tale in the lower
floors, no one had permission to touch these things. Who knows what defensive
methods War Merchant had on the more important third floor.
Zhen Jin could only quietly endure.
“Does this floor not have the alchemy factory’s controls?” Hei Juan was a bit
worried.
“The fourth floor must have it!” Answered Zi Di.
Everyone avoided the core and went up the stairs.
Quickly, the scout at the front opened his mouth: “The fourth floor is
deserted, there’s nothing here!”
“How is that possible?”
“What kind of situation is this?”
“My god, what do we do?”
Everyone quickly climbed up the fourth floor, it really was empty, leaving them
somewhat flustered.
“Abominable, if we can’t find a way to control this place, it will be hard to
use the magical formations here to escape.”
“Even if there are many divine artifacts, what use are they to us?”
“The island is collapsing; we will die here. No, if Yan Shan gets out, we will
be crushed like ants!”
Many people held their heads, they looked hopeless.
“We still have time.” Bai Ya consoled.
“Don’t tell me this isn’t the control hub?” Cang Xu frowned, he was puzzled.
“War Merchant chose to retreat here. This is the control hub’s most likely
location!”
“But why isn’t there a factory control panel?”
“Don’t tell me it was on War Merchant’s body?”
“Perhaps there is another magician tower in this alchemy factory.”
As everyone guessed, Jia Sha’s complexion suddenly changed.
He suddenly seemed pleasantly surprised: “Wait a minute, this is it! This is
the control hub!”
He immediately attracted everyone’s interest.
“This magician tower, no, to be more accurate, this floor controls the alchemy
factory!” While saying this, Jia Sha began to imbue the walls with divine
power.
At first nothing happened, but after a moment, results began to show.
Everyone looked at the pure white divine power radiating from Jia Sha’s hands
as it flowed into the four floor’s walls. After the divine power flowed into
the walls, straight and curved lines, as well as words began to appear.
These words and lines illuminated in the wake of the divine power, gradually
everyone began to see small parts of some magical formation.
“Outstanding, truly outstanding.” Jia Sha grew happier, following the divine
power’s intrusion, his understanding of the magician tower rapidly grew.
“War Merchant really deserves to be called the greatest alchemist in the
world!”
Afterwards, Jia Sha slightly changed color and said with lingering fear:
“Fortunately the tower spirit is in a bad state, if it were in good condition,
this floor would have killed us!”
“I have said it to everyone! This is a gift from fate.”
Everyone was exultant.
“Wonderful!”
“You really proved yourself Lord Jia Sha.”
“If this continues, we can control the entire alchemy factory!”
“Quickly look around, is there anything that can help us in our escape?
During that lively discussion, the tower spirit’s voice suddenly echoed again.
“Warning! Warning!”
“The alchemy factory control hub has been invaded; intruders have appeared on
the fourth floor.”
“Immediately carrying out the elimination……no tower defenses detected.”
“Waking elemental warriors……no elemental warrior vital signs detected.
“Releasing poisonous gas……control valves unresponsive.”
“Convening golems outside the tower……suffering interference, unable to contact
any.”
“Emergency termination of breeding process, waking magic beasts……awakening
successful!”
The tower spirit’s voice made everyone’s heart a mess, and those final words
made everyone’s expression greatly change.
Awoo!
From below the control hub, everyone heard a resonant and violent beast roar.
After a few breaths, the beast roars were increasingly concentrated. The
countless roars intertwined to form a mountain of clamors.
Jia Sha turned pale: “The tower spirit opened those coffins; all of the intact
coffins have released a great amount of magic beasts that are attacking this
place!”
“We must block them!”
“Buy me time, as long as I imbue this entire place with divine power, the tower
spirit will be unable to stop us!!”
Everyone knew this was the most crucial moment, one by one, they went down to
the first floor to kill.
The first floor’s door was thirty percent gone, leaving an enormous hole in it.
Crocodile head hammer tail boas, monkey tail brown bears, blue dog fox wolves,
strong life white rhinoceros, spear scorpions, and other magic beasts surged
like the tide in a turbulent ocean.
Their berserk vigor made everyone sense enormous pressure.
“Shoot!” Hei Juan commanded, his voice trembled.
One arrow curtain, two arrow curtains, three arrow curtains……
Although the survivors were few, and only formed a thin arrow curtain, they
were using alchemy arrowheads.
These were explosive, fire, frost, or lightning arrows……their outstanding power
caused great casualties to the beast groups.
However, these magic beasts were very brutal, their eyes were bloodshot, and
possibly because their breeding process was interrupted, even if they hadn’t
been attacked, blood flowed from every pore of their bodies.
The tower spirit seemed to arouse their vitality, in spite of the consequences
afterwards.
The magic beasts charged at the survivors, trampling each other’s corpses.
Divine spell: holy shield!
Pure white light suddenly came from the control hub’s fourth floor walls and
fell onto everyone’s body.
This divine spell had arrived just in time, relying on the holy shield, the
giant, Zong Ge, and the others stabilized the front at the foremost hole.
“Persevere, I can now use the control hub to transmit my divine power.” Jia Sha
yelled from the fourth floor.
Zhen Jin had already transformed golden scorpion armor and had two spider
blades in his hands, his “divine scion” form.
With the flashing blades, a monkey tail brown bear’s head was severed by Zhen
Jin!
A whirlwind of blood shot out, covering Zhen Jin’s eyes.
Suddenly, a huge crocodile head hammer tail boa crashed through the watery
blood.
Zhen Jin couldn’t avoid it, nor could he, with his comrades behind him, he
could only endure this attack.
With a dull bang, he was knocked back into one of his comrades, nearly crushing
their ribs!
“We can’t stay here!” Zong Ge bit his teeth, “Quickly. withdraw to the second
floor.”
Human physical power was finite, it couldn’t compare to a magic beast’s.
This confrontation between man and beast was extremely intense, after only
fighting for a bit, Zong Ge already felt it was difficult to hold on, and the
bone hammer in his hands became heavy.
“Lord Jia Sha, have you succeeded yet? We can’t keep retreating!” Someone
yelled.
“Wait a moment, I have already succeeded in taking over the first floor’s
magical formation.” Jia Sha’s voice could be heard shortly after.
The next moment, holy light flowed from the upper floor, and into an alchemy
magical formation on the first floor.
In nearly a wink, the pure white holy light flowed into the Green Jade Golden
Coffin.
The Green Jade Golden Coffin suddenly exploded with a mix of green and golden
light, whoever the light hit had their injuries, spirit, and physical strength
restored to peak condition.
Then the Green Jade Golden Coffin’s light started to spread, healing many magic
beasts that bathed in the radiance!
“Sorry, I could only control it to a limited degree.” Jia Sha’s voice
transmitted again, “I already undid the alchemy magical formation, you can now
safely touch this divine artifact. Take advantage of this time, bring the Green
Jade Golden Coffin up for me!”
Everyone promptly hauled the Green Jade Golden Coffin up the stairs, and onto
the second floor.
The magic beasts pursued close behind.
“Go first father, I will protect your rear!” The giant brought up the rear of
his own accord.
After withdrawing to the second floor, the pressure on everyone immediately
dropped by a lot.
Because they had a smaller area to defend and could attack from the high
ground, giving them the advantage.
However, after attacking for a while, Jia Sha’s annoyed voice came through:
“Don’t use alchemy arrowheads. Destroying the tower will seriously interfere
with me!”
Everyone could only fight in close combat.
And so, the line of battle gradually withdrew.
The magic beasts were unafraid of death, their frantic offensive rapidly
increased everyone’s injuries, in addition, the divine spell shield had also
weakened substantially.
However, the protection divine spell was quickly casted again on everyone’s
body.
Meanwhile, holy light inscribed a large alchemy magical formation around them,
until finally converging on the large shell floating in the middle.
With a bang, the divine artifact fell to the ground, startling the sweating
survivors near it.
“Bring it up, you can remove it now!” Jia Sha yelled.
“Priest, have you succeeded yet?! Everyone was frightened and happy.
But Jia Sha replied: “Not yet, the tower spirit is still in control of the
teleportation door, I still need more time!”
“You still haven’t succeeded yet?!” Hei Juan resentfully screeched.
Jia Sha coldly snorted: “My control over the control has just deepened, soon or
later I will wrestle control of the teleportation door. Without my assistance,
how could you touch those two divine artifacts?”
“No matter what these divine artifacts are, we can’t use them!” Someone
retorted loudly.
“No, these are fate’s gifts, do you know how much I can get from high level
imperials? You can’t imagine it!” Jia Sha roared.
The fierce battle continued, and the survivors’ casualties gradually increased.
A huge crocodile head hammer tail boa suddenly bit a survivor’s arm and dragged
him away.
“Save me!” The survivor fearfully shouted.
Zong Ge pulled his other arm at once, however the crocodile head hammer tail
boa had terrible strength, if Zong Ge didn’t immediately let go, he would have
been dragged away too.
The survivor soon drowned in the beast tide and was almost instantly eaten by
them.
Two survivors staggered back; their left arm had been severed by blade spiders.
Another had their belly pierced and intestines burned by a monkey tail brown
bear’s claws.
With a gap in the front, Zhen Jin promptly mended it, blood-soaked and fighting
at the risk of his life, he staked it all to kill many magic beasts and
stabilize the front.
Withdraw to the third floor, withdraw!” A survivor collapsed, from now on, all
they wanted was to be the first to climb to the third floor.
But at that moment, the bolt of lightning unexpectedly struck from nothing,
killing the deserter on the spot.
Soon after, concentrated lightning bolts struck in succession, killing all the
magic beasts in the tower.
Afterwards, the lightning rapidly spread, extending out of the tower and
striking the remaining magic beasts.
Zhen Jin and the others weren’t attacked by the lightning.
Victory had emerged too suddenly, and everyone stood in place, blankly staring.



****** Chapter 171: Teleport the Divine Artifacts or the People First? ******
“Lord Priest?” With unbelief, Hei Juan gazed at the dead magic beasts.
“I did that!” Jia Sha’s voice came through, pleased with himself, he laughed,
“I now have authority in the control hub to manipulate the entire island’s
weather, that was just a small demonstration, nothing more.”
“Lord Jia Sha, you really are strong!”
“Safe at last……” Some people collapsed onto the ground.
“We are victorious!!” More people cheered.
However, just as the cheering began, an enormous pressure instantly arose as
space warped.
Teleportation occurred!
A massive volume of magic beasts, far larger than the last group, instantly
flooded the control hub and surrounded the magician tower.
Awoo!
After a moment, countless magic beasts attacked again.
Everyone turned pale with fright.
Jia Sha’s angry voice mingled with the noises: “It was the tower spirit; it
used its teleportation permissions to teleport all of the artificial magic
beasts around us!”
“Quickly, use the lightning!” Someone shouted.
Jia Sha didn’t need the reminder; he was already doing exactly that.
Lightning broke out, causing disastrous casualties to the magic beast corps.
But no matter how many the lightning killed; the same amount was teleported in
to continue the attack.
The scale of the lightning was rapidly dwindling.
“Priest, what’s going on?!” Everyone was bewildered.
“No more, if I continue doing that, my entire magic power reserve will dry up
completely. No matter whether it is lightning or teleportation, they consume my
magic power reserve. Without magic power, we can’t open and maintain a
teleportation door! Don’t forget, we still need to bring back these divine
artifacts, it will consume a lot of magic power to teleport them!”
Regardless of whether it was divine power or magic being used, both could
teleport.
But Jia Sha’s teleportation divine spell couldn’t even save himself, its range
was too small.
The survivors had to use the teleportation door in the alchemy factory. The
teleportation door was far stronger than Jia Sha’s divine spell. Even War
Merchant’s personal teleportation spell couldn’t compare to this teleportation
door.
But the teleportation door needed magic to activate, every time it teleported,
it would consume an amount of magic power based on the number of people, life
level, amount of articles, and article level.
More magic power would be consumed during teleportation depending on the number
of individuals, their life levels, the number of articles, and their levels.
To move the two divine artifacts, the Green Jade Golden Coffin and Mermaid
Fairy Tale, a frightful amount of magic power would be consumed.
“At this time, we still need to remember the divine artifacts!”
“Then what should we do?”
Everyone sank into another predicament.
Although they had lightning, they couldn’t annihilate the magic beast corps.
Because the tower spirit would teleport in and replace any magic beast they
killed.
Who knows how many magic beasts were surviving on this island?
If all of the magic power was used up, everyone would have a bleak conclusion.
The tower spirit had no fear, and could not be persuaded, it simply did not
have any survival instincts.
The lightning’s range rapidly shrunk, until finally dissipating completely.
Without lightning attacks, the magic beast corps immediately flooded into the
control hub, then charged up.
Jia Sha shouted: “Unless it’s absolutely necessary, I won’t cast any more
lightning. I will do my utmost to confront the tower spirit and seize
teleportation authority from it! During this, you must fight bravely with all
your strength to obstruct these magic beasts!”
Jia Sha was in the middle of a meticulous fight for control.
They couldn’t kill too many magic beasts, because the more that died, the more
the tower spirit would teleport in, this would also consume magic power.
The tower spirit had no apprehensions, it only wanted to kill these intruders.
But the survivors wanted to escape, they had to save magic power.
Everyone ran down a floor to establish a defensive line.
Close quarters fighting!
The giant, Zhen Jin, Zong Ge, and a few others were on the front lines.
The light of Jia Sha’s divine spells also sprinkled down, protecting and
supporting everyone.
This fight was different from the last, this time, Zhen Jin and the others
fought to injure these magic beasts, not kill them.
This battle was at least twice as troublesome.
Strong alchemy arrows could not be used.
The stamina, strength, defense, and other attributes of nearly every person
here, was not on the magic beasts’ level. Fortunately, with the aid of divine
spells, everyone persevered and fought with these advantages.
But these advantages, against gold level magic beasts, immediately appeared
negligible.
The previous wave of magic beasts came from the coffins, it didn’t have any
gold level ones. It seems the stronger artificial magic beasts were all used to
deal with the Blood Light Punishment Institution’s people.
But now, there were many gold level magic beasts mixed into the teleported
magic beast corps.
With all of his strength, Zhen Jin kicked a monkey tail brown bear down.
Zhen Jin had already cut off this monkey tail brown bear’s claws, greatly
reducing its threat, yet it fought to the death and didn’t retreat.
Every time Zhen Jin forced it back, he used its fleshy body to jam the magic
beasts behind it.
But this time, a gigantic lava turtle charged in.
The gigantic lava turtle stomped on the monkey tail brown bear, killing it,
then it opened its mouth and lunged at Zhen Jin.
Zhen Jin bit his teeth and used all of his strength to vie with it. This
resulted in him nearly flying a dozen steps back and breaking an entire
formation.
“Withdraw!” Zhen Jin coughed some blood and promptly shouted; he knew he could
not compete with this strength.
The survivors withdrew to the second floor at once.
During the retreat, they abandoned their comrades’ bodies.
The gigantic lava turtle squeezed into the first floor, but it couldn’t enter
the second floor.
It couldn’t crawl up the stairs, it was too narrow for its massive build.
Everyone returned to the second floor, the pressure on them plummeting as a
result.
The gigantic lava turtle took up a lot of space, the other magic beasts behind
it couldn’t enter.
After several attempts, the thing Zhen Jin was most worried about happened.
Thick smoke began to emit from the many black holes on the gigantic lava
turtle’s shell, this smoke began to float up to the second floor, causing
everyone to start coughing.
The air temperature rapidly ascended, and in the thick smoke, lava began to
bubble out.
The second floor was full of smoke, as everyone fiercely coughed, they heard
the other magic beasts miserably howl because of the lava.
“If this goes on, lava will bubble up to us.”
“Quickly, use the coffin to block it!” Bai Ya thought of a good method.
Zong Ge pulled the Green Jade Golden Coffin to the stairway entrance.
Although there were small chinks, most of the thick smoke and hot air was
blocked off.
Slam!
The gigantic lava turtle began to hit the Green Jade Golden Coffin with its
head, nearly launching the Green Jade Golden Coffin into the air.
Zong Ge, Zhen Jin, and the others promptly moved it back and used all their
strength to keep it in place.
After persevering for a while, the survivors reached their limit.
The Green Jade Golden Coffin was already boiling hot, it could cook an egg. The
heat was not the only thing obstructing them, it was also hard to breathe on
the second floor.
“Lord Jia Sha!” Hei Juan shouted for help.
Jia Sha sighed, and lighting appeared again.
For a moment, thunder filled their ears, everything near the control hub was
cleared, with the gigantic lava turtle falling dead after suffering the most
lightning.
Teleportation occurred, then a replenished magic beast corps rushed into the
control hub again.
Everyone relied on the stairs, but quickly they couldn’t hold on.
A gold level magic beast deer charged in.
It looked like a milu that had long and immense bone white antlers that looked
like warped branches, and huge snow white wings on its back.
This was what Cang Xu, and the others had an accidental glimpse of near the
snowy mountains, Cang Xu had named it the bone feather deer.
The bone feather deer couldn’t get through the stairs either, but it used its
antlers to attack.
The antlers were not solid, after crumbling to pieces, they changed into cold
air that corroded the survivors.
A few survivors were caught off guard, they could only amputate their
frostbitten limbs, then have their lives saved by Jia Sha’s treatment divine
spells.
The second floor quickly became flooded with cold air, it nearly became an ice
cave.
“We need support, priest!” Compelled by circumstance, everyone shouted again.
But Jia Sha didn’t respond.
What’s going on?”
“Have magic beasts been teleported onto the fourth floor?”
While everyone was bewildered, Jia Sha’s voice suddenly echoed: “Look at what I
found!”
As he spoke, the magic beasts outside the tower suddenly began to massacre each
other.
“I seized a portion of the tower spirit’s authority; it was actually the method
to control these magic beasts.”
“They were controlled through scent.”
“Although I haven’t seized complete authority, I already closed the scent
distribution equipment here, hahaha!”
Jia Sha laughed heartily.
The pressure on everyone defending suddenly dropped to rock bottom, however the
bone feather deer was still attacking the Green Jade Golden Coffin with its
antlers.
This gold level magic beast was a crane in a flock of chickens, even if the
artificial magic beasts restored their independence, almost all of them did
their utmost to avoid this gold level magic beast.
The air grew colder, and everyone’s hair was layered with frost.
With no alternative, everyone had to retreat to and defend the third floor.
Finally, they could gasp for breath.
The survivors avoided the floating core, as the cold air continued to erode up,
the people used the Green Jade Golden Coffin to block the stairs again.
“If this continues, the third floor will also be reduced to an icy cave.”
“Quickly, kill it with lightning.”
“Lord Jia Sha, do you have the authority to use teleportation?”
Everyone was talking at once; they were extremely exhausted.
“Out of the question, I need to save magic power. That clumsy deer is stuck in
the stairs and is also blocking other magic beasts. We are already safe for the
time being.” Jia Sha’s voice relayed.
“Xiong Dun, Chai Zha, bring up the coffin and large shell first.” Jia Sha
suddenly ordered.
Most of the people blankly stared. Zhen Jin, Zi Di, Zong Ge, Cang Xu, and the
others reacted first as their complexions slightly changed.
The two guardian templar knights then responded, they bit their teeth and
approached the divine artifacts, however Zhen Jin and Zong Ge immediately
stopped them.
“Lord Priest, what is the meaning of this?” Zhen Jin coldly snorted as he gazed
at the guardian templar knights.
Jia Sha sighed: “Divine artifacts cannot be misused; they are too important.
The tower spirit was wounded too heavily, it was not my opponent. I will
succeed soon. After the teleportation door is formed, we will teleport the two
divine artifacts first.”
This proposal was resolutely vetoed by Zhen Jin: “No, teleport the people
first, then the divine artifacts!”



****** Chapter 172: Zhen Jin’s Death ******
Jia Sha’s proposal was refused by Zhen Jin, causing the priest to suddenly turn
around: “Templar knight, you must think of the general situation.”
Zhen Jin’s gaze was firm: “I think of my comrades more, priest!”
Jia Sha coldly snorted, suddenly lightning appeared and flashed towards Zi Di.
Zi Di didn’t have enough time to respond as she helplessly watched the
lightning strike next to her foot.
After being startled, everyone was in an uproar.
“Lord Priest, what have you done?!”
“Was that lightning bolt controlled by you?”
“What are you up to?!”
“What am I up to?” Jia Sha snarled, “I only want to save time! Now is not the
time to doubt each other, give me the divine artifacts so I can teleport them!
If not, the next lightning bolt will not be as random.”
“Xiong Dun, Chai Zha, why are you two still dawdling?”
“Teleport the divine artifacts now.”
“That is an order!”
“Be at ease, they won’t block you. Because we consider this templar knight’s
comrades.”
During that last sentence, Jia Sha’s tone was clearly sneerful.
Xiong Dun, Chai Zha, and the other guardian templar knights stepped forward and
looked at Zhen Jin: “Sorry your Lordship.”
Zhen Jin grinded his teeth and was in a deadlock with the guardian templar
knights for a few breaths, until finally, he stepped aside.
Under everyone’s gaze, the four guardian templar knights brought the Green Jade
Golden Coffin and the Mermaid Fairy Tale to the fourth floor.
“Lord Jia Sha?!” The four guardian templar knights’ hearts jumped and revealed
their shock.
Looking at Jia Sha again, they discovered the priest had changed beyond
recognition.
Jia Sha was originally hale, hearty, and in the prime of his life, but now he
appeared withered and emaciated, his brows were wrinkled, his expression was
twisted, and veins popped from his forehead.
Jia Sha looked at the four, bitterly smiled, and used a voice that only they
could hear: “You think there isn’t a price paid to invade the control hub? In
the end, I am only a silver level priest, while this place is a legend level
alchemist’s headquarters!”
Because of belief, priests, chaplains, and pious believers could, more or less,
pour divine power into their bodies. Under normal circumstances, Jia Sha’s body
contained and was nourished by divine power. As time passes, Jia Sha’s bodily
essence would also be upgraded, especially his vision.
However, to invade the control hub, Jia Sha’s divine power was not enough,
besides the process here, he had repeatedly used divine spells during the
battle, consuming a lot of divine power.
His divine power was not enough to invade the control hub; thus, Jia Sha could
only use an admonished method.
He squeezed his own vitality and over drafted his future advancement potential
to explode with extraordinary divine power.
“Lord Jia Sha……” The guardian templar knights’ hearts shook, choked with sobs,
they understood how immense Jia Sha’s sacrifice was.
“It doesn’t matter.” Jia Sha laughed, “As long as these two divine artifacts
are teleported, and the higher ups are informed, the contribution and reward we
will receive will exceed our costs. When that moment comes, I might even become
a red clothed archbishop. And you all will no longer be just guardian templar
knights.”
“My Lord, when can we leave this place?”
“I have almost succeeded. The wounded tower spirit has suffered defeat after
defeat, the teleportation door will soon open.” Speaking of this, Jia Sha’s
eyes confidently shined.
Awoo!
A monkey tail brown bear attempted to charge into the third floor.
The large bone feather deer was stuck on the stairs from the first to second
floor, however artificial magic beasts like the monkey tail brown bear weren’t
deterred.
Zong Ge brandished his bone hammer and beat back the monkey tail brown bear.
The monkey tail brown bear flew into a crocodile head hammer tail boa, the
latter then began to drag and swallow it.
A few bat monkeys were about to charge over, when acid hit them, causing them
to fall to the ground.
The green acid caused a scorpion group to trample a strong life white
rhinoceros in their frantic escape.
The second floor was in chaos, without a scent to unite them, these artificial
magic beasts massacred each other.
The pressure on the survivors defending the third floor fell rapidly.
Ironically however, Zong Ge thought a bit of pressure was good.
“This situation isn’t wonderful Zhen Jin. Jia Sha controls the control hub, and
most crucially, we don’t know how much progress he’s made!” Taking advantage of
this time, Zong Ge spoke to Zhen Jin.
Zhen Jin’s brows tightened, and his face scowled as he sighed: “What can we
still do? We don’t have divine power; thus, Jia Sha is the only one that can
invade the control hub.”
“He also controls the lightning……”
“Be at ease, in the end he is Heavenly Emperor Sheng Ming’s priest, his divine
spells aren’t fake.”
Seeing Zhen Jin’s response, Zong Ge couldn’t help but stare blankly, soon after
his mood became worse.
The half beastman’s head lowered as he suddenly realized: “This is bad. Zhen
Jin is heroic and just, but he is too benevolent. That is his weakness, and Jia
Sha has seen and manipulated it. Zhen Jin wholeheartedly wants to save the
others, especially his fiancé. He is too young!”
“In addition, Zhen Jin is a templar knight and Jia Sha is a Sheng Ming priest,
these two are closely related. As a result, despite the priest deliberately
using the lightning to threaten Zhen Jin, Zhen Jin doesn’t believe the priest
would entrap him.”
Templar knights belong to Emperor Sheng Ming’s armed forces, while priests,
chaplains, and the like belong to Emperor Sheng Ming’s civil services. Both
systems share the same beliefs.
If both sides have internecine strife, their god will be discontent. If Zhen
Jin attacked Jia Sha, his templar knight identity would be stripped and he
would be a wanted man. Conversely, if Jia Sha harmed Zhen Jin, the sect would
excommunicate him and even mark him as renegade.
As a result, Jia Sha’s lightning did not go towards Zhen Jin, but Zi Di.
However, the lightning did not hit Zi Di, it was only a warning.
Zong Ge closed his eyes and analyzed the situation: “The current situation is
far from good, only Jia Sha has the ability to invade the control hub. He has
already done so for a long time, by controlling most of the control hub and
lightning, he occupies the initiative.”
“I cannot judge how much of his words are true or false. I fear the magic power
reserve is drying up. However, it is also possible he has already started to
open the teleportation door.”
“Those two divine artifacts being teleported is truly terrible. We have lost
our biggest bargaining chip to suppress Jia Sha.”
“But if we didn’t relinquish them, the lightning might have killed us!”
“Listening to his words, this priest’s mind is full of contribution and more
contribution. It is very clear that in his heart, the divine artifacts are more
important than people!”
“Zhen Jin is a templar knight, he doesn’t have to worry about this. But with
our identities, Jia Sha is unlikely to care about us. If it is like this, we
are in grave danger.”
“The only things giving Jia Sha worries are these artificial magic beasts.”
“Dammit!”
“Previously I wanted these magic beasts to die, can they please launch a
stronger offensive to guarantee my safety?”
“Truly ironic!”
Zong Ge was a man of steel, he was deeply versed with the hard handed reasoning
of the army and knew the benefits of conducting himself in a dignified manner.
With regards to Zhen Jin, he was both disappointed at and understanding of him,
after all Zi Di was the young knight’s fiancée.
“What must I do, what a headache.”
Zong Ge wasn’t good at these things. Although his father had a high position,
as a bastard that had to train martial skills from childhood, he was never
educated in such matters.
Otherwise, after joining the army and having outstanding military successes, it
would be unlikely he would have still been crowded out by his colleagues.
More or less, the others shared Zong Ge’s opinion.
Jia Sha threatening Zi Di with lightning made everyone frightened and
bewildered. Seeing Zhen Jin forced back, everyone’s morale rapidly declined.
Thus, despite the magic beasts killing each other, whenever the occasional
magic beast attacked, the survivors’ defensive line was clearly unstable,
showing how unstable the will of the people was.
“Hold onto me!” Jia Sha’s keen vision clearly saw the situation, in fact, he
had prepared for this.
He then shouted repeatedly: “As long as the final crisis is passed, we will be
rescued!”
With the contribution in your hands, all of you can start afresh.”
“Don’t forget Zhen Jin, I am your examiner. Like I said earlier, with our
contribution, there is no way you’ll merely be White Sands City’s lord.”
“Mu Ban, you stole many bow blueprints from the guild, with this contribution,
you can return to the guild and even become its president!”
“Cang Xu, you might not know, but the Sha Ta Clan’s internal strife has already
been settled, although your son betrayed you, his faction has been implicated
and jailed. The Sha Ta Clan has just set things right. With your contribution,
I will vouch for you in the future and repeal the Sha Tan Clan’s arrest warrant
and recognize it as a mistake, you can be a scholar again.”
“Zi Di, your Wisteria Merchant Alliance and Zhen Jin’s clan have united,
however you are still in a predicament. After this battle, I will pull strings
and have a portion of the Sheng Ming parishes be your trading partners. You
should understand how important this is to your Wisteria Merchant Alliance.”
“Tripleblade, you really are honest. But because of your honesty, your
mercenary corps does a lot of dirty work right? Although it is disbanded, I can
find positions for you and your people, like guard posts in a city. If you can
genuinely believe in Heavenly Emperor Sheng Ming, I can even put you into a
templar legion!”
“Zong Ge……I know your identity, you are a bastard, you want to accomplish your
goals, you want to return home with your head high and chest out and take back
everything that belongs to you. Then you should grab this opportunity, right?”
……
Jia Sha’s words emotionally moved the survivors again.
He actually understood these survivors thoroughly, as if he understood
everyone’s opinions and demands.
He clearly remembered every survivor’s name, he didn’t miss anyone, and even
ordinary people like Bai Ya were not an exception.
This was a preacher’s outstanding attainment!
He guaranteed Bai Ya, as long as he cooperated, this contribution was bound to
make him a knight in the future!
“Lord Priest, I……believe you!” Bai Ya expressed his yearning.
Everyone’s morale no longer fell, and the front stabilized a bit.
This was mainly because Jia Sha held too much initiative, without any way to
counter him, everyone had to believe him.
However, on the fourth floor.
After Jia Sha finished his speech, he coldly snorted as loathing and disdain
spread across his face: “As if we will allocate this contribution to this group
of dregs. Just die here and atone for your crimes.”
“Lord Priest?”
“There is a templar knight here.”
“We were all on the same boat, and helped each other throughout the journey……”
The guardian templar knights were disturbed.
Jia Sha coldly snorted: “Of course I will save the templar knight!”
“But I won’t let the others leave.”
“When I invaded the control hub, I obtained a lot of information. Based on War
Merchant’s teleportation records and current magic power after I barely managed
to teleport the two divine artifacts, I can only take a few people.”
“Aren’t you all comrades? Do you still want the contribution?”
Jia Sha’s sharp eyes looked around, cowering the guardian templar knights, none
of them dared to look the priest in the face.
Pleased with himself, Jia Sha laughed. However, at that moment, a gold level
magic beast charged in.
It didn’t have a big build; it was actually a gold level bat monkey!
No one could beat it, and the front collapsed.
“Dammit, I still haven’t undone the third floor’s magical formation, that
strange hemocyte cannot be taken away.” Jia Sha was impatient, “Zhen Jin! Go up
and do your best.”
“I know your misgivings, those are unimportant!”
“Be at ease, with me, I will purify everything in you.”
Zhen Jin’s expression greatly changed.
Currently he was in his “divine scion” form, and Jia Sha implied he undoubtedly
saw through Zhen Jin’s transformations.
He seemed to understand Zhen Jin’s biggest secret!
Zhen Jin hesitated for a moment, but he still grinded his teeth and charged in.
But he didn’t charge at the gold level bat monkey, but up the stairs to the
fourth floor.
“Stop!”
“Zhen Jin, what are you doing?”
“If you don’t stop, you will suffer the consequences!”
Zhen Jin turned a deaf ear and sped up.
Everyone was stupefied, no one expected Zhen Jin would be this rude and
impetuous.
After a moment, everyone shook with even more fear.
A few lightning bolts fell and hit Zhen Jin, striking the young knight on the
spot.
“No——!” After blankly staring, Zi Di mournfully screeched, she wanted to run to
Zhen Jin’s body, but Hei Juan stopped her.
“Too dangerous!” Hei Juan shouted, “President Zi Di, please calm down.”
“Father!!!” The giant bellowed, after reacting, he charged over to Zhen Jin’s
body.
The giant ran over with all of his strength, and kneeled to the ground, despite
the floor tiles chafing his knees.
He carefully flipped over Zhen Jin’s body, Zhen Jin’s body was blackened and
housed no life.
“Father, father, wake up, wake up……”
However, it was clear, Zhen Jin was dead.
Everyone no longer sensed his life aura.
After all, in this prohibition environment, how could the human body resist
lightning? Those artificial magic beasts also collapsed under the lightning.
“No, this cannot be.”
“Lord Zhen Jin……is dead?!”
“Don’t tell me Jia Sha has gone insane? He actually murdered a templar knight!
Even if he has overflowing contribution, he will never be able to overturn
this!”
Zong Ge and the others struggled to resist the gold level bat monkey, step by
step they were routed, they couldn’t believe what had just happened.
“Murderer! Murderer!! Die my father’s murderer, I will kill you!!” The giant
bellowed, with a malevolent expression, he charged up the stairs.
“Don’t go!!” Zi Di shrieked.
But it was too late.
The next moment, more lightning fell onto the giant, causing him to fall,
twitch all over, and froth at the mouth, he couldn’t even budge.



****** Chapter 173: I am Zhen Jin! ******
Everything had happened too suddenly.
After a few breaths, Zhen Jin had died before everyone.
Zi Di mournfully cried, the giant rushed up the stairs, then collapsed on the
ground……
The crowd was silent for a moment, then it exploded.
“Let go of me!” Zi Di tried to shake off Hei Juan’s hand, however Hei Juan
still held her arm with a grim complexion.
“Dammit, dammit!” Zong Ge resisted an intruding magic beast while fuming with
rage, his entire face burned with anger.
“Master!!!” Lan Zao roared; he also ran to Zhen Jin’s body.
“Take care!” Zi Di’s heart jumped as she warned again.
But this time, when Lan Zao flew over to Zhen Jin’s body, lightning didn’t drop
onto him.
“Master……” Lan Zao held Zhen Jin’s body in his hands and painfully lamented.
His eyes were red, and tears streamed down his cheeks. Because he had retreated
from the front and was waiting to be treated by a divine spell, even Lan Zao
didn’t immediately perceive Zhen Jin’s charge.
By the time he moved, it was too late.
Lan Zao’s stooped figure tightly held Zhen Jin. At that moment, he felt the
light in his life dissipate as he sank into boundless darkness again.
The boundless pain and bewilderment seemed to form an abyss that swallowed him.
At the same time, boundless regret and hatred towards Jia Sha quickly
flourished in the darkness!
“Lord Zhen Jin!! You killed our Lord Zhen Jin!” Many people raged.
With their hands behind their head and an expression as blank as a statue,
someone incredulously looked at this scene: “Lord Zhen Jin died? He
unexpectedly died by one of our people’s hands?”
“No!” Bai Ya shouted, after reacting, he rushed over to Zi Di, “Lord Zi Di,
quickly quickly quickly, we can bring his Lordship back to life!”
These words struck like lightning, breaking Zi Di’s astonishment, causing
silent tears to flow from her eyes.
“Fuck off!” Seeing Bai Ya come close in a crazy state, Hei Juan pulled Zi Di’s
arm and kicked Bai Ya to the ground.
“Hei Juan, what are you doing?!” Cang Xu sternly inquired.
“Release my president now!” Fei She slowly approached.
“Youngster, you had better let go of Lord Zhen Jin’s fiancé. This is no place
to behave atrociously!” Tripleblade held his dagger, his eyes glared with
intent.
“Hehe, hehehe, hehehehehe……” But Hei Juan slyly laughed and used a sneering and
contemptuous gaze, he wasn’t the least bit afraid.
“You are an ignorant group, ignorant believers!” With his head high and chest
up, Hei Juan shouted, “I am Zhen Jin, I am the real Zhen Jin!”
Everyone was astonished.
“What did you say?”
Are you insane?!”
“Don’t tell me you cracked under the unbearable pressure?”
However, at that moment Jia Sha’s voice came through again: “He really is Zhen
Jin, a templar knight, the Bai Zhen Clan’s sole heir, and someone you want to
follow wholeheartedly.”
“Didn’t you hear me idiots!” Hei Juan scowled.
After a moment of silence, everyone became tumultuous.
“These two are insane!”
“Jia Sha also went insane, no wonder he did that!”
“Perhaps this isn’t the priest’s mistake, but the tower spirit playing tricks
again.”
“No, maybe it's that divine artifact——Mermaid Fairy Tale deceiving us! All of
this is fake.”
Cang Xu sank into silence, he gazed at Zi Di, Hei Juan, and at Zhen Jin’s body,
exposing his pondering.
“Who told you the criminal I struck was truly Zhen Jin?” Jia used a sneering
tone, “Do you guys really believe I would so stupid to openly murder a templar
knight as a Sheng Ming priest? IF I did that, what use would this contribution
be to me?”
“In addition, don’t you think Zhen Jin’s recent actions were very impulsive and
strange?”
“Why did he charge towards the fourth floor? It's simply because I made him
realize that his identity was already exposed.”
Everyone’s tumultuous voices quieted down.
“But he is a divine scion knight, almost every prayer was answered by the
Heavenly Emperor!” Someone retorted.
“He was a divine scion knight? Do you know what a genuine divine scion looks
like?” Jia Sha was indignant, “Examine his armor and swords carefully! They
resemble a spear scorpion carapace and blade spider legs!!”
Everyone’s eyes focused, each and every one of their complexions changed.
Jia Sha’s voice slowly changed and became gentle: “I know your thoughts and
understand everyone. In fact, don’t tell me any of you guys think the fake Zhen
Jin’s appearance looked suspicious? Do you not associate him with scorpion
carapaces and blade spider legs?”
“You all only wanted to escape this place alive, and you wanted to follow Zhen
Jin to bright prospects. As a result, you deliberately overlooked these
suspicious aspects.”
“This false Zhen Jin is indeed tricky, he made use of the greed and selfish
desires in your hearts to deceive you into helping him.”
Jia Sha paused, then solemnly declared: “All of you were deceived by him!”
Everyone was bewildered. Meanwhile, Bai Ya was sitting on the ground and
constantly shaking his head: “No, this isn’t true, this isn’t true.”
Hei Juan sneered and looked at everyone around him: “Look at your wonderful
expression!”
“If you don’t believe me or the Sheng Ming Sect priest, then I have an
additional witness.”
“Zi Di, my fiancé, tell them the truth now!” Hei Juan breathed down Zi Di’s
neck.
But Zi Di was already crying, despite Hei Juan holding her arm, she blankly
gazed at the youngster’s body with a bewildered expression, as if she didn’t
hear Hei Juan’s words.
Hei Juan coldly snorted, dissatisfied with Zi Di, he looked around: “Are you
guys really foolish or just acting stupid? She has already agreed.”
Indeed, Zi Di’s strange state already validated Hei Juan’s and Jia Sha’s words.
Everyone was deathly still.
Only the magic beasts fighting downstairs could be heard.
At that moment, Hei Juan felt very satisfied. He deeply breathed and despite
the atmosphere not changing, he felt an unprecedented carefreeness.
Standing before the deathly silent crowd, Hei Juan proudly declared again: “You
should all understand now, I am really Zhen Jin.”
“I am Zhen Jin!”
I am Zhen Jin……
A child Zhen Jin stood in a pool of blood, around him were his siblings’
corpses.
The assassin was now squatting in front of Zhen Jin, their delicate and pretty
face held an enchanting smile.
The assassin extended a slim pure white hand and lightly stroked Zhen Jin’s
hair, tenderly comforting: “What is your name child.”
The child Zhen Jin’s pupils had long ago shrunk to the size of a needle, he was
stiff all over and his entire body and mind was full of fear.
“If you don’t answer your older sister, you will die.” The assassin beamed.
The child Zhen Jin trembled all over, he wanted to open his mouth, but his
teeth shivered, he couldn’t say anything.
He was very frightened and anxious, cold sweat was constantly flowing from his
forehead and down his cheeks.
“Hehehe, good child, don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid.” The assassin patted
Zhen Jin’s small head again, then she snuggled close to Zhen Jin’s ears and
whispered: “You don’t need to say, I already know. You are called Zhen Jin,
correct?”
The assassin chuckled and smiled: “Be at ease, your older sister is merely
joking. This older sister won’t kill you; you will live. Who made the Heavenly
Emperor decide to forgive your Bai Zhen Clan?”
“According to your older sister’s kindly feelings, you are all degenerate
traitors, and all of the great southern nobles that surrendered should be
exterminated. Tsk tsk……it is indeed a pity.”
However, although the Bai Zhen Clan will continue to exist, it will be nearly
exterminated. The Heavenly Emperor will only allow the Bai Zhen Clan one heir,
do you know why your older sister chose you?”
Because you are too cowardly, these siblings near you, they are courageous and
have their hearts filled with hate, they want to revitalize the Bai Zhen
Clan……and so, they died.”
“You must thank your weakness and cowardice, that is your nature, and you
better keep it child.”
“Did you hear me?”
The child Zhen Jin trembled again; he began to nod frantically.
“How obedient!” The assassin smiled and stroked Zhen Jin’s head before getting
up to leave.
Looking at the corpses nearby, her face exposed the joy and satisfaction this
massacre brought her. Looking at the nodding child Zhen Jin again, she
inevitably revealed a trace of regret.
She turned around and left, leaving behind the child Zhen Jin, who still nodded
like a puppet.
……
In a bright, pure-white temple hall, where the sun shone through the towering
variegated stained-glass windows, illuminating its interior, a group of youths
were gathered together, and Zhen Jin found himself amid them.
The atmosphere was sublime, solemn, and somewhat feverish, there Zhen Jin and
the other youths swore an oath together—
“I so vow, to respect and love the living god, the master of the grand Empire,
Emperor Sheng Ming!
I so vow, to follow in the footsteps of my commander, to advance bravely!
I so vow, to protect my loved ones, to brave perils!
I so vow, to treat my friends with good faith, to reject hypocrisy!
I so vow, to be loyal in love and until death together, to never forsake!
I so vow, to fight injustice, to have compassion for the weak!
I so vow, to remain fair, to oppose all falsehoods!
From today forth, I am a Templar Knight!”
“How wonderful!” After the oath finished, the youngster Zhen Jin’s heart filled
with emotions, “I have become a templar knight, our clan now has a patron and a
safe future!”
……
The sky was gloomy and rainy.
In an empty training ground.
A group of teenagers formed a circle around as Zhen Jin fell to the ground.
The teenagers looked down at Zhen Jin and laughed and taunted with faces of
disdain.
A blue haired burly figure with hair sticking out from his head like steel
needles took the lead.
The blue haired teenager while crossing his arms and stepping on Zhen Jin’s
shoulder said: “Zhen Jin, you gave me something good to remember. Your Bai Zhen
family has fallen from grace and is defeated! Did you really think you could
stand on equal footing with us?”
The blue haired teenager suddenly raised his foot and kicked Zhen Jin’s head
and smiled: “Today we gave you a lesson! From now on, no matter where you see
us in the castle, you must obediently bow your head and get out of my way.”
“A lesser noble must act like one. If I ever see you look at me Qing Kui, I
will cripple you.”
“Do you understand?”
Qing Kui growled as he slammed Zhen Jin’s head into the mud.
“I under...understand. Cough cough cough!” Zhen Jin gasped; his heart was
dread.
“Hahaha.” Qing Kui smirked, lifted his foot and walked away.
Before leaving, he spoke again: “Of course Zhen Jin, if you are not convinced,
you can challenge me any time. I Qing Kui will be waiting anytime anywhere!”
“Cough cough cough.” Zhen Jin struggled to sit up.
He wanted to say he would never challenge him and so on, however as he opened
his mouth, muddy water inevitably flowed back into his throat, causing him to
have a coughing fit again.
Seeing his depressed look, the teenagers lost interest.
“Pooh, what a person!”
“Did he really think he could challenge young master Qing Kui? With what?”
“An embroidery needle? Hahaha.”
With the rain falling hard, the teenagers grouped around Qing Kui and burst
into laughter as they entered the castle.
Zhen Jin sat in the mud and let the rain hit him.
He shivered, his heart felt very wronged: “I was treated unjustly, I only
wanted to be your friend Qing Kui, I never wanted to challenge you!”
……
It was an evening in the fall.
Zhen Jin was in a study.
It was dim inside with the only light coming from a narrow window in the stone
wall.
Seated behind the desk was Zhen Jin’s father, The Bai Zhen Patriarch.
He was a middle aged man with a thin figure, a pale complexion, and had two
thin and straight beards. His brows were slightly frowning and gave off a stern
temperament: “Zhen Jin, my son, do not bow your head,” he said in a slightly
hoarse voice.”
Zhen Jin lifted his head and looked at his father as an equal, but shortly
after, he fearfully shifted his gaze.
“Why? Half a month has passed my son and you still have made no progress on the
qi restraining skill?” The middle aged man’s voice continued.
Zhen Jin’s head trembled; he didn’t dare to speak.
The man clearly spoke: “I understand your feelings. You have never been
interested in the qi restraining technique. You feel that our clan's battle
techniques are weak, don’t you?"
“You feel that our Bai Zhen clan's bloodline does not give you a strong body of
either strength or speed, that it is inferior to even the low-class nobles to
the empire, right?”
Zhen Jin was silent.
The nobleman sighed deeply, stood up, and walked around the desk next to Zhen
Jin: “Come with me.”
The two left the study through a dark corridor with motley stone walls and came
to the castle garden.
“Battle technique——Hundred Needle Wind!”
The man drew his sword.
This was not an edged sword, but a slender rapier.
The rapier in the man’s hands seemed to never stop attacking and creating
afterimages. In particular, the top of the rapier was covered in battle qi, it
seemed like golden stars shining, brilliant and dazzling!
The tree winged butterflies were swept away by the wind and golden energy and
began to fall to the ground.
After a few breaths, the ground was covered by the parasol “leaves.” Hundreds
or even thousands of tree winged butterflies failed to escape!
“Good, amazing!” Zhen Jin was flabbergasted.
“Cough cough cough.” The man put away his sword, coughing as his face paled,
““Do you think our Bai Zhen clan is weak now?”
Zhen Jin shook his head.
“Every noble clan has its secrets. Not to mention, our Bai Zhen clan was once
great nobles of the south! Hundred needle wind is our signature battle
technique and our clan's heritage. Outsiders do not know of this secret.”
“Running a clan requires strategy. Sometimes we need to stand out like a beast
with its teeth and claws bared. But sometimes we need to lay low. Just like
right now, our Bai Zhen clan needs to show weakness and reduce our presence.”
After pausing, the man continued: “Do you know what the basis for learning the
hundred needle wind is?”
Not waiting for Zhen Jin to reply, the man continued: “It is the qi restraining
technique.”
“Huh?” Zhen Jin was surprised.
“Patience, accumulating power, and only erupting suddenly. This qi restraining
technique can hide our qi, making it hard for outsiders to sense it or making
them underestimate our battle techniques. Simultaneously this technique can
also gather power. Only when you are proficient in the qi restraining technique
can you use techniques like the hundred needle wind. It can be said that this
qi restraining technique is the cornerstone of our clan's battle skills. Zhen
Jin, you are the heir to the Bai Zhen clan. You must practice well.”
“I understand, I will work harder father!” Zhen Jin's eyes lit up in
excitement.
He finally found a reason.
“That’s right, I only need to endure silently, I am not a coward, I was never a
coward.”
“I am saving my strength; I suffer in silence for my clan!”
……
In a dimly lit old tavern filled with chattering people
“We are victorious!”
“Drink to your heart’s content”
The new fifth templar knight legion was celebrating heroic deeds.
The knights’ armor, cloaks, or bodies had new scars, but everyone was excited.
Zhen Jin was also included.
“Commander, tell us, we know you are a veteran of many wars. For instance, tell
us about the siege of the Iron Banner Castle, the campaigns against the blood
knights, or the protection of the Griffin Cliff. Which one of these battles do
you think was the most difficult?” Someone asked.
The old commander only had one eye, with the fire reflecting on him, he began
to think of the past.
He began to speak: “When it comes to difficult battles, it would have to be
that one, six years ago at Jackal Valley."
“I know, that was the Fir Knights massacre!” Someone shouted excitedly.
Many people narrowed their eyes and glared at Zhen Jin.
The commander nodded and continued: “That's right it was at Jackal Valley.
Those southern nobles are all treacherous scum. They are despicable, shameless,
capricious.
“We had been marching for five days. We had just entered Jackal Valley when our
allies suddenly betrayed us! We were surrounded by thousands of murderous Fir
Knights."
“The fifth legion that had just retreated from the front lines were attacked
without warning. Thirty percent of them died on the spot and almost all of the
remaining thousand were injured."
“We lost!”
“The entire fifth legion died, only I was left.”
“The emperor personally saved a dog like me. He asked if I wanted a reward.”
“I begged him to provide me with knights so that I could rebuild the 5th
legion!”
“That’s why you kids are here right now, did you know that?”
“Do you know of any other way the Templar Knights could have recruited new
knights so easily?”
“You brats have got shit luck. Do you think you youngsters are the greatest
because of the recent battle?” The commander shook his head and continued to
drink.
He spoke briefly but roughly, yet the faces of the young knights in the tavern
were all shocked.
They excitedly discussed amongst each other.
“What I know is that, in the battle of Jackal valley, the 5th legion with only
1000 knights were enough to destroy 5000 Fir Knights and destroy three of their
regiments.”
“The Fir Knights had been cleaning the battlefield when three templar legions
struck as quick as lightning, burying them all in Jackal valley.”
“The Fir Knights were the Southern Alliance’s number one trump card. This
battle crippled the backbone of the Southern Alliance!”
“Those are our templar knights all right!”
“No one can surpass us. No one can stop us!”
“Even trapped in dire straits, we will hold our heads high and meet death head
on.”
“Charge, charge, charge to meet death!”
The atmosphere of the tavern became lively once more, as the young knights
faces became red by wine or their excitement.
Only Zhen Jin was sitting in the corner, he sank into silence and was no longer
absent minded. The glory of victory seemed to thoroughly peel off of him, no
one wanted to sit next to him.
……
It was a martial arts tournament packed with people.
The showdown in it was nearing its end.
The templar knight Qing Kui was forced into desperate straits, his opponent was
the Bai Zhen Patriarch.
In the crowd, Zhen Jin shouted in his heart: “Like that father, kill that
wretched guy! In the templar legion, he has always taken advantage of me. Ever
since I joined the fifth templar legion, he has never stopped bullying me!”
There were many familiar templar knights crowded around Zhen Jin.
“Qing Kui, surrender if you can't win!”
“His opponent is too powerful, and he is too young. There is no shame in
losing.”
“Think of your younger sister Qing Kui, don’t be stubborn.”
The young templar knights shouted many things.
Qing Kui’s sister was also present, right now her face was completely pale, and
her body trembled like a pitiful little flower in a howling wind and fierce
storm.
Zhen Jin inwardly sneered: “Qing Kui’s younger sister? Very good! It won’t be
over when Qing Kui dies! If I have an opportunity, his younger sister will
atone for her brother’s crimes.”
However, in the final round.
The Bai Zhen Patriarch lost his sword hand, and Qing Kui fainted to the ground.
“Fath- father!” Zhen Jin cried; his voice was trembling violently.
“Impossible, this is impossible! How could an insignificant Qing Kui injure my
father!” Zhen Jin could not believe the facts before him.
“Kill him, kill him now father!” Zhen Jin wanted to shout, but he never had the
courage to do so.
At that moment, the old commander entered the arena and declared the duel was
finished.
“No, how can this be!?” While the surrounding people cheered, Zhen Jin seemed
to fall into an icy cave.
“Father!” He ran like the wind and lent his arm to the Bai Zhen Patriarch.
The middle aged man looked around and took in the surrounding spectacle, his
face had already regained tranquility: “My son, look at me. Tell me the clan
motto.”
“You should not overestimate people and you should not underestimate people.”
Zhen Jin could barely lift his head, his tone was choked with sobs, and his
heart trembled.
……
The range only had two people.
“Lord father, I have obeyed your summons.” Zhen Jin spoke first.
The Bai Zhen Clan patriarch nodded: “It has already been a few days since you
have returned from the imperial capital. I have come to check whether you have
been training hard in the imperial capital. This time we will compare arrow
techniques. If you can win, I will bestow you a swift bee.”
Zhen Jin’s heart shook, with sadness and hesitation, he said: ““But Lord father
your arm……“
The Bai Zhen Clan patriarch, however, didn't care at all: "It's okay, you shoot
first."
Zhen Jin picked up a longbow and shot an arrow, with his gloomy mood, he didn’t
hit the bullseye
It was the Bai Zhen Clan patriarch’s turn
“Keep your eyes open my son.” The Bai Zhen Clan patriarch used his index and
middle finger to grasp one of the white crystal needles, then flicked it.
Whizz!
Zhen Jin’s ears suddenly echoed with the whistling sound of the needle as it
pierced through the air.
At the same time, he saw the golden needle streak across the air as it left a
bright ray of light behind.
The ray of light flew straight into the center of the archery target, soon
after with a loud bang, the entire target completely shattered!
“This is?!” Zhen Jin slightly opened his mouth as his face was full of shock.
“This is the trump card that was passed through the Bai Zhen Clan for
generations——Needle Point Explosion. Do you want to learn it?”
“Based on your current total battle qi, you should barely be able to imbue and
throw one needle.” The Bai Zhen Clan patriarch made an estimation.
Zhen Jin bitterly laughed: “Lord father, if that happens, isn’t using this
secret skill a bit dangerous?”
The Bai Zhen Clan patriarch’s smiling face gradually dwindled and his
expression turned grim.
He stared at Zhen Jin and said with profound meaning: “My son, reality is
always cruel. Regardless of whether it is a battle or something else, you will
always be faced with risk.”
“Many times, you will find that using your full strength for that one shot is
the wisest choice.”
“It is very uncomfortable when using up all your battle qi, that kind of empty
pain can be very uncomfortable. Sometimes, we have no choice but to do it.”
“Don’t be scared of the risk and don’t be afraid of sacrifice!”
“Sacrifice?” That word made Zhen Jin’s heart tremble.
……
It was a meticulously arranged and luxurious room. Paintings drawn by famous
masters hung on the walls, expensive perfume wafted through the air, and rose
gold curtains were pulled up to block most of the sunlight, causing the room to
appear dusky and ambiguous.
The female women’s exotic silk clothes from the northeastern empire and purple
veil made her womanly features even more spellbinding and attractive. She had a
seductive allure and a curvy figure. Her dancing clothes were mostly red mixed
with gold. They were short and close-fitting, exposing her slender arms and
snow white belly.
As the dance music finished, the three youngsters stared in awe.
After reacting, they clapped one after the other.
Zhen Jin mainly concentrated his attention on one of the youngsters, the one
who possessed an extraordinary status.
Barely holding down his reluctance, Zhen Jin smiled and asked: “An Ge, didn’t
you ask me to show you how Ji Si dances? How is it? I can give you this young
lady. You can use her to warm your bed tonight. Hahaha.”
However……
“Difficult, it is indeed difficult to deal with the enticing loveliness of
women.”
“This beauty has no value to me. I do not want her.”
My clan’s motto is this—— hell is at one’s feet, depravation is instantaneous.
Our family motto reminds us to maintain vigilance, desire is an abyss and
faltering even a bit will turn us into demons that are no longer humans.”
“Zhen Jin, we are colleagues. This time you have helped me, thus I will advise
you. Cultivating yourself must be the main focus, blindly currying favor with
others will only be leaves fluttering in the wind.”
Upon saying this, An Ge got up to leave despite Zhen Jin’s unsightly
complexion.
“Repulsive, hateful!” Waiting until no one was present, Zhen Jin smashed his
cup, “They look down on me, they all despise me!!”
……
“What?! Lord Father, you want me to compete for the position of White Sands
City lord?”
“This, this won’t work.”
“I am only an iron level cultivator; stately city lords should at least have
silver level cultivation!”
Zhen Jin constantly shook his head.
The Bai Zhen patriarch coldly snorted: “Who told you not to cultivate hard
every day? Look at your colleagues, Qing Kui, An Ge, and others, who among them
aren’t at the silver level?”
Zhen Jin lowered his head and mumbled to himself: “They have deep backgrounds
and much more resources, how can I compare to them?”
The Bai Zhen patriarch coldly snorted again: “Although our Bai Zhen Clan is
lonely, there are many that support you.”
“This is an opportunity to revitalize our clan. You must seize it!”
“Because you are the Bai Zhen Clan’s sole heir.”
“I will dispatch elites and have Bi Wa lead a team to assist you in the city
lordship competition.”
Zhen Jin immediately exposed his happiness: “Ah, Uncle Bi Wa?”
“In addition to this, I have also won over external help for you.
Congratulations my son, not long ago, I chose an outstanding fiancée for you.
She is called Zi Di, the President of the Wisteria Merchant Alliance.
“What?!” Zhen Jin’s cheerfulness vanished, “Lord father, she doesn’t have a
noble bloodline, why must I marry her? If it were the former Wisteria Merchant
Alliance, this could be discussed. But the current Wisteria Merchant
Alliance……”
“Hmph, I called you over to inform you that you need to prepare, I will not
listen to your complaints. Leave.” The Bai Zhen patriarch waved his hand.
Zhen Jin opened his mouth, he was clearly unwilling, however his father’s
authority stopped him, and he could only sulk away.
……
“You are Zi Di?” Zhen Jin slightly raised his head and sized up the girl’s
purple eyes. Although she was expressionless, Zi Di’s complexion lifted great
waves in his heart.
“A truly beautiful person!”
“Even if she has a disgraceful identity and even might be a laughingstock in
circles, this light complexion appears valuable
“Lord Zhen Jin.” Zi Di was actually nervous, “I am very sorry for rushing you
over here, but there is an emergency. The manpower your noble clan dispatched
was completely wiped out.”
“I know.” Zhen Jin nodded, revealing his anger, “If Uncle Bi Wa personally led
that team, that wouldn’t have happened.”
Zi Di continued: “I am very worried currently; the other competitors will reach
White Sands City first and establish an early advantage. As a result, this is
my proposal. We will falsify that we are staying somewhere temporarily, when in
fact, we will disguise our identities and travel secretly on the Hog’s Kiss.”
Zhen Jin’s pupils compacted, cowardice grew in his heart, however he didn’t
want to appear weak in front of a beauty, thus he could only coldly snort:
“This is a good plan, but it is also very risky. I only have an iron level
cultivation, if we move too impetuously, I will be entrapped, and all our plans
will just be prattle.”
Zi Di smiled: “Please be at ease, your Lordship. I have something that will
ensure your Lordship’s safety. First, we will use a powerful mercenary corps to
protect us. Next, we will act quietly, we might not be discovered. Also, the
Hog’s Kiss has an examiner for the White Sands City lordship competition, the
Sheng Ming Sect Priest Jia Sha. Finally, I strongly suggest that your Lordship
disguises his identity, pretend you're a common mercenary while we use a body
double in public situations to act as bait.”
Zhen Jin was attracted by Zi Di’s smile, feeling a burst of awe, he forced
himself to purse his brows: “Will this……work?”
“It will work your Lordship. We will use transformation potions that Duke Ai
Mei personally mixed. After a person drinks it, they will change their skin
color, hair, maybe their nose will grow a bit, their eyes might enlarge, and so
on. Most importantly, its distinct effects are very safe and hidden. If it were
normal magic or magical artifacts, magic power must be consumed, causing
fluctuations.” Zi Di persuaded.
“This……seems like a good plan.” Zhen Jin’s tone was indecisive, “What about my
body double?”
“Believe me Lord Zhen Jin, you will see him shortly and be very satisfied with
him!”



****** Chapter 174: Memory Crystal ******
A wharf.
On the quietly anchored Hog’s Kiss, a few sailors left behind took care of
things on the ship, most of them were at the wharf’s taverns, gambling and
amusing themselves.
There was a warehouse on the wharf.
A hard and exquisite wooden box’s lid had been opened, exposing the commodity
inside.
“Ah, this is?!” Zhen Jin was unable to restrain his emotions as he stood in
front of the box.
This what he saw: laying in the box, there was a blond youngster with closed
eyes, as if he were asleep. No matter whether it was the wing of the nose,
eyebrows, arms, or ankles, they were an exact copy of Zhen, he was even the
same height.
“My Lord, this is the body double prepared for you.” On the side, Zi Di smiled.
“Incredible! Too incredible. It isn’t possible to find such a perfect body
double!?” Zhen Jin exclaimed repeatedly.
Zi Di explained: “Of course I didn’t find it; this was made and transformed. He
is a beastified person.”
“A beastified person?” Zhen Jin’s pupils slightly contracted, he soon recalled
some relevant information. “This kind of living weapon seems to be becoming
very popular. Especially in recent years, they have appeared in more and more
wars in every continent.”
“As expected, your Lordship has extensive knowledge.” Zi Di lightly clasped her
hands during that sentence.
A beauty fawning over him made Zhen Jin very comfortable.
Zhen Jin faintly grunted, then pursed his brows again: “But why is he a carbon
copy of me?”
Zi Di answered: “Because this beastified person was specifically custom-made
for your Lordship.”
“How can it be custom-made?” Zhen Jin’s eyes flickered with awe and his heart
inwardly exclaimed in admiration, “The Wisteria Merchant Alliance deserves to
be called only second to the six great merchant alliances, it’s no wonder
father agreed to this marriage connection. The Wisteria Merchant Alliance has
immense connections, they have access to many dark corners and hidden and
dangerous characters. Even if it was ruined, it cannot be despised.”
Zi Di continued the presentation: “The weapons manufacturer made this
beastified person according to our request. You can see he has your exact
appearance, height, and so on. More importantly, he is just like your Lordship,
a knight that cultivates battle qi. His battle qi has already reached the
silver level.
Zhen Jin’s heart immediately shivered as he asked: “Isn’t it hard to capture a
silver level knight, a possible city lord?”
Zi Di shook her head and smiled: “Our Merchant Alliance didn’t engage in such a
dangerous affair. It was supplied by the weapons manufacturer.”
Zhen questioned closely: “then, what is his identity? Is he a noble child or a
commoner promoted to knighthood?”
Zi Di continued to shake her head: “We don’t know, be at ease, his original
memory has already been wiped, currently he is a blank slate. Even if he woke
up now, he wouldn’t know who he was. He will be loyal, devoted, and listen to
our commands until death.”
“This beastified technology really makes things easy.” Zhen Jin sighed while a
feeling of crisis grew in his heart.
With a silver level knight around, wouldn’t his iron level cultivation become
even smaller?
“Anyways, I and Zi Di are connected by marriage, I am also a templar knight and
the Bai Zhen Clan’s sole heir. They wouldn’t dare to harm me.”
Thinking on the spot, Zhen Jin’s brows creased deeply, he made out how the
beastified person could be abused: “A blank body double, how can it act like
me?”
“Regarding that, please look at this, your Lordship.” Zi Di revealed an object
to Zhen Jin, “We naturally have preparations.”
Zhen Jin looked and found a milky white crystal pillar in Zi Di’s palm.
“Angel tears?” Zhen Jin slightly raised his brows, “No, that is You Can’s
memory crystal!”
Zi Di smiled: “Your Lordship’s deep insight and knowledgeable words of this
tool is a truly delightful affair.”
You Can was the legendary founder of necromancy and the sixth most wanted in
the world.
Their exact race was unknown and unsearchable, most intelligence referred to
him as a successful heretical priest that stole the divine power of many gods.
That was a difficult task.
They repeatedly deceived the gods successfully, made them think they were their
believer; thus, they imbued their divine power into You Can.
Many strong figures guessed this, maybe You Can stole so much divine power for
private research, allowing him to successfully create necromancy magic.
You Can also deceived many divine artifacts, letting him develop memory
crystals.
From the outside, this crystal seemed similar to angel tears. This artifact
could modify and duplicate the memories of living beings.
Every time You Can changed their identity and believed in a different god, he
would place his memories into the memory crystal and inject false memories into
themselves.
Thus, he deceived himself without any flaws, then he deceived various gods.
“Excellent!” Zhen Jin rubbed his hands and laughed heartily, “As long as we
duplicate memories, we can instill them into the body double. If that happens,
he will practically be my lookalike.”
“But……” Zhen Jin thought of something that produced a new apprehension.
Zi Di knew what he was thinking and immediately persuaded: “My Lord, despite
your misgivings, the Bai Zhen trump card and secrets of the templar knight
legion will not leak. After being instilled with memories, he will only believe
he is Zhen Jin, why would he leak secrets that harms himself? We will tightly
control the memory crystal and modify him if necessary. We will not transfer
some critical memories to him. We will be the only ones handling this memory
crystal. I am indeed your Lordship’s fiancée and a magic cultivator; I don’t
want or need these trump cards. Our interests are identical, Lord Zhen Jin.”
Zhen Jin nodded: “You are right. In fact, the clan’s battle skills, trump
cards, and more have already been leaked. As losers, these things have already
been hoarded in the imperial library. These battle skills and trump cards also
require our Bai Zhen Clan bloodline to display their true worth.”
Zhen Jin looked at the sleeping body double, his heart growing increasingly
satisfied: “Not bad, by using this body double, I will be very safe. Silver
level battle qi is also enough to compete for the White Sands City lordship
position. My battle qi is too low. My Lord father really proved himself. I now
wholeheartedly approve of his decision to collaborate with the Wisteria
Merchant Alliance, the benefits truly are amazing.”
Seeing Zhen Jin’s expression change, Zi Di knew he approved of her plan, thus
she softly said: “Lord Zhen Jin, next you will duplicate your memories, and
there are some things you need to pay attention to.”
“First, we don’t need to duplicate unnecessary memories. Because people are
forgetful, even we can’t remember everything that happened in the past.”
“Second, I ask you don’t overlook any important moments in your life. If any
are omitted, the body double might treat an enemy as a friend, complicating
things for us.”
“Third, please do your best to duplicate positive memories, allow the body
double to think he is a templar knight and an outstanding noble child. This
will display more of his value.
Zhen Jin’s appearance turned solemn as he repeatedly nodded.
Zi Di’s words were reasonable, and he quickly thought of Qing Kui, An Ge, and
some others: “Haha, let my silver level body double deal with them. When they
see me suddenly promote to silver level cultivation at last, they will surely
be amazed.”
A short period of time later.
“My Lord, how are you feeling right now?” Zi Di inquired.
Zhen Jin slightly shook his head: “Besides the memory duplicating causing a
headache, I am fine.”
He attentively gazed at a mirror in front of him.
In the mirror, was a youngster with a rapier around his waist. He had black
hair, black eyes, and dark skin, with his hair naturally swept up.
Zhen Jin looked at the novelty in the mirror: “As expected from potions mixed
personally by Duke Ai Mei, I am a completely new person! What’s a good name for
me?”
Zhen Jin thought for a bit and declared a few names, but Zi Di shook her head
and vetoed all of them: “My Lord, your names are too noble. You are acting like
a mercenary now; a mercenary name needs a bit of vulgarity. It would be better
to call you Hei Juan.”
“Hei Juan? What a terrible name.” Zhen Jin shook his head, but soon shrugged
his shoulders, “No matter, let's use that name.”
Zi Di looked at Zhen Jin’s rapier: “My Lord, please give that rapier to the
body double.”
To that, Zhen Jin was very firm in his refusal, without the slightest
hesitation, he shook his head again and again: “No, that is out of the
question.”
“My father personally bestowed this to me, its name is Silver Lightning, it is
a gold level weapon and an auxiliary sword of the nine Wonderful Light Swords.”
“This precious sword must be in my care!”
Looking at Zi Di, Zhen Jin then said: “However you can feel at ease, although
the Wonder Light Swords are world renowned, there are many auxiliary swords, it
is rare for others to know of one.”
Zi Di nodded; “In that case Lord Zhen Jin, you can rest now. Your Lordship’s
room is already ready, it also has the wharf’s most beautiful female dancer in
it. Of course, she doesn’t know your true identity. Treat it as something that
will familiarize yourself with your new identity.”
“Hahaha.” Zhen Jin laughed heartily, “I’ve never done these activities with the
identity of a bottom rung mercenary, this will be very amusing. Ah Zi Di, all
of this has made me very satisfied, you're not bad. I already approve of you,
perhaps in the future, you really can qualify as my wife. But will you not
accompany me tonight?”
Zi Di smiled, she bent her knee and bowed her head, covering her despicable
expression as she softly said: “I am very sorry your Lordship, the Hog’s Kiss
will be sailing tomorrow, but there are still many things that need to be dealt
with.”
“Hahaha.” Laughed Zhen Jin, “Then go do your business. You must continue to
work hard; it is not easy if you want to become a noble’s wife with your
identity and bloodline.”
“I will keep your Lordship’s words in my heart!”



****** Chapter 175: Get Your Hands Off of Me! ******
On the Hog’s Kiss.
Standing in the cabin assigned to him, Zhen Jin had an ugly look: “Don’t tell
me after I get on the boat, I still have to act as Hei Juan? Is there not a
bigger cabin?”
The cabin before him was very normal, this kind of treatment was normally given
to iron level mercenaries.
Zi Di softly advised: “My Lord, don’t forget we are in disguise. We issued a
facade that you are staying temporarily, and as your fiancée, I will be the
only one leaving to the Wilderness Continent to make advance preparations.”
“There aren’t many differences between the cabins on the Hog’s Kiss. The
biggest is occupied by Priest Jia Sha. The rest are about the same size.
Zhen Jin reluctantly nodded: “Then when does the body double appear?”
“We will wake up the body double when we reach White Sands City. At that time,
we will surely shock our two competitors.” Zi Di laughed.
“Haha.” Zhen Jin daydreamed for a bit, “I can already see their faces.”
“Forget about it, I will only be crammed in this cabin for a few days.”
“Tonight, you can keep me company.”
Zi Di suddenly revealed a perfect regretful look: “Lord Zhen Jin, despite my
desire to do so, don’t forget, Lord Jia Sha is on this boat.”
“In fact, according to our plans, information on us has already been accidently
leaked to the guardian templar knights.”
“Next, we will cause a chance encounter and set up a first meeting with your
Lordship’s examiner ahead of time.”
“If we disguise ourselves and move secretly, I fear living together will give
Jia Sha an exceedingly bad impression.”
Zhen Jin’s complexion turned somewhat ugly again: “You are right. Hmph, then I
will endure for the time being.”
……
The deep curtain of night.
The Hog’s Kiss quietly sailed above the ocean.
Zhen Jin turned over in his sleep when suddenly, the bed turned upside down and
threw him to the floor.
The fall woke Zhen Jin up, he opened his eyes and saw the floor filling with
water. At the same time, his ears heard many yelling in panic.
“What is going on?!”
Just as he reacted, the cabin door was suddenly pushed open by rumbling
seawater.
“I……” Zhen Jin wanted to cry for help, but seawater ferociously poured into his
mouth, completely submerging him.
……
Zhen Jin gasped for air, making his way through the waves, his feet finally
touched the sand.
His body was dripping with water, after staggering a dozen steps, his knees
fell to the ground.
The surroundings were in chaos, many survivors had also swum to shore. Some
prayed, some wailed, some sobbed spasmodically, and some tried to assist
others.
“Hey, quickly come over, help us save the others.” Upon seeing Zhen Jin,
someone ran over and yelled at him.
But Zhen Jin did not react, his head was buzzing, as if he was isolated from
the entire world.
He blankly stared for a good while, words repeating in his mind.
“A shipwreck happened?”
“How can this be!”
Zhen Jin seemed to fall into an icy cave, and dryly wept.
The increasing amount of survivors helplessly watched as half the Hog’s Kiss
completely sank while the other half ran aground on the beach.
“We were really shipwrecked!”
“What terrible luck.”
“Hold on!” Zhen Jin’s body trembled, he reached towards his waist, after
touching Silver Lightning, he immediately relaxed.
“That’s good.” As for how to equip this sword during disasters, Zhen Jin did
not know.
He now felt joy and lingering fear.
Everyone around him began to call out the names of their relatives and friends,
Zhen Jin also began to search the crowd for Zi Di and other mercenaries.
He saw some familiar faces, but never saw Zi Di’s figure.
“My fiancée……perished!” Zhen Jin’s heart sank to rock bottom.
……
“The ship captain is missing; I am the first mate. This shipwreck was very
strange, there were no signs before it happened. Speaking of the shipwreck
origin, I feel we should also think of a way to escape this place.”
“Currently, we don’t have much food and water. But this island is covered in
rainforests, there must be ample supplies here. First we need to establish an
exploration team to scout out the terrain here and look for large and steady
sources of food and water.”
The first mate exclaimed publicly.
Zhen Jin was in the crowd; he saw a group of people gather and Cang Xu
requesting that he join them.
“These people are taking a risk! This island is very strange, it actually
prohibits the usage of magic and battle qi, the prohibition limit is unknown,
yet they unexpectedly dared to go exploring.”
“Zi Di is dead, Jia Sha and his people are also missing, everything is pointing
towards disaster!”
“Oh dear, I still need to stay here first, I have concealed my identity, thus
the others will think I am a mercenary.”
“I will wait until my clan searches for and rescues me, it won’t be too late
then to reveal my identity.”
……
Zhen Jin breathed as he threw an axe to the ground.
“All day long, it's been chopping trees, and chopping more trees.”
“I am a grand templar knight, yet I have to do these kinds of things!”
“Shipbuilding? When will that happen? Waiting for help is still more reliable.”
“I am the Bai Zhen Clan’s sole heir, yet I lost the Wisteria Merchant Alliance
President as well as Priest Jia Sha here. Someone will definitely rescue me!”
“Eh? What is that sound!”
Zhen Jin had iron level cultivation, with a bodily essence that exceeded
ordinary people, he heard a rustling sound.
He followed the sound and found an old man eating.
“Old fellow, what are you hiding?” Zhen Jin happily drew near.
After the old man sensed Zhen Jin’s iron level cultivation, he immediately lost
his head out of fear: “My, my Lord, this is mine. I brought it to the island. I
am very hungry, I beseech your kindness, don’t accuse me. I am willing to share
these things with you.”
The exploration team had not returned for a long time, without a steady
external food source, food reserves continued to be consumed around the clock,
especially because trees were being chopped down for a new ship. Therefore, the
first mate implemented rationing, no one could steal or hide food.
Zhen Jin coldly snorted, kicked the old man down, and snatched all of the food
away.
The old man held onto Zhen Jin’s lower leg: “My Lord, please be charitable,
give me a bit to eat. If I don’t eat, I will starve to death.”
“A rubbish ordinary person, isn’t death good for you? Why must you still
squander food!” With incomparable contempt, Zhen Jin ruthlessly kicked the old
man and ran off.
The old man’s back was nearly broken by this kick.
However not long after, three sailors found Zhen Jin.
“Hei Juan, I heard you stole some food. Do you not know the current rules?”
“Child, speak tactfully and obediently hand over the food.”
“That’s right, this benefits all of us.”
Zhen Jin looked at the head sailor, sensing the same iron level life aura from
him.
“The old man must have indignantly announced that secret! Dammit.”
“There are many sailors, I can’t risk my life. When my clan rescues me, I will
humiliate these guys!”
Scheming in his heart, Zhen Jin smiled on the surface: “I have something else
that will benefit us more.”
Saying this, he pulled out three gold coins.
Seeing the gold coins, the three sailors’ eyes shined.
“Good, this is indeed better.”
“Speak youngster.”
“How did you make so much money as a mercenary?”
Zhen Jin beamed: “I purely want to make friends with everyone, also I ask
everyone to be easier on me from now on.”
The sailors laughed, and the lead sailor clapped Hei Juan’s shoulder:
“Youngster, you have a clear view of things.”
After the sailors walked away, Hei Juan disdainfully swept his shoulder,
spitefulness coloring his entire face: “This group of bottom trash, just three
gold coins was enough to make you leave. When my clan saves me, you will all
regret your attitudes today!”
……
Food reserves reached a critical level, and the first exploration team was
missing, thus the first mate tried to organize a second exploration team.
“The lots drew my name; I will be in the second exploration team……”
After the first mate made his announcement, everyone protested.
“Why hasn’t a single sailor been picked?”
“I doubt these drawn lots were fair!”
“Resign, resign!!”
Zhen Jin hid in the crowd and looked at the indignant people like he was
watching a good show.
He didn’t appear on the list, instead he bribed the sailor in charge with
another gold coin.
……
Very late into the night.
A noise woke Zhen Jin up: “What happened?”
“Someone take the lead; the sailors are attacking!”
“What?!” Zhen Jin was shocked, he promptly took Silver Lightning and went up to
watch.
He witnessed Zong Ge take the lead, his rival, effortlessly defeat the giant,
bear witness for Qiao Shan, and publicly execute the first mate.
“This half beastman is too strong, and his equipment is excellent! This place
prohibits battle qi and magic, and on the contrary, that half beastman’s filthy
bloodline makes him the strongest person.”
“I was correct to conceal my identity, who knows how much these half beastmen
and half elf bastards would hate me.”
“All of these sailors are rubbish!”
“Without a good cause, that thing has grown so big, yet it doesn’t have any
martial skills.”
“Hateful!”
“The sailors lost their power; my investment of gold coins has been
squandered.”
……
Zong Ge replaced the first mate and began to control the situation.
However, every night, the survivors suffered a mysterious attacker, and people
died one after the other.
“Absurd, truly absurd!” Zhen Jin cursed.
“What demonic thing killed these people?”
“Dammit, help is too slow, when will they arrive?”
……
The sailors that were bribed the most by Zhen Jin secretly came to him.
“Hei Juan, follow us closely. The captain was assassinated, and we suffered
mysterious attacks, I fear that half beastman Zong Ge is playing tricks on us!”
“We plan to organize an exploration team to slip away together.”
“Who do you have?” Zhen Jin’s heart was startled as he handed over a gold coin.
The sailor happily agreed to answer: “Lord Xi Suo, the boat craftsman, Mu
Ban……to tell the truth, only the boat craftsman can build a new ship. You
understand?”
Zhen Jin repeatedly nodded; “I understand!”
Being under a half beastman made Zhen Jin feel humiliated.
Besides, every night mysterious attacks happened here, and the living
environment was very nasty, thus Zhen Jin no longer wanted to stay in this
place.
……
Xi Suo, Hei Juan, and the others secretly mixed into the exploration team,
however they were quickly detected and pursued by Zong Ge’s group.
During the pursuit, teleportation occurred.
When they accidently found a strange camp, Xi Suo shouted: “This must have been
arranged by the gods, they allowed us to break away from our savage and
treacherous enemy, while also bestowing upon us a temporary camp!”
The camp was renovated, but quickly suffered the attacks of bat monkeys and a
strong life white rhinoceros.
“No, I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die!” Zhen Jin’s heart roared, and
extreme longing for survival filled his chest.
“This place is already finished! Staying here is certain death.” Zhen Jin
grinded his teeth, he suddenly turned around like a cat and rushed out of the
wooden house.
During a life and death battle against a bat monkey, Zhen Jin received
unexpected help.
“People!” He was overjoyed at the unexpectedly good news; he didn’t dare to
turn around as he ran towards where the dart was shot from.
Quickly dashing into the woods, Zhen Jin found a few individuals behind a tree.
“That’s not Xi Suo’s people……hold on.”
Zhen Jin could not believe it, and his heart was ecstatic. He unexpectedly
found Zi Di, his fiancée was still alive!
His eyes suddenly brightened, showing a pleasantly surprised expression, he
blurted out: “Zi……”
“Its Hei Juan!” At the same moment, Zi Di saw Hei Juan’s appearance and
shouted, “He is a member of the mercenary corps I hired!”
“Eh?” Zhen Jin’s thoughts went blank.
“Lord Zhen Jin, the people in the wooden house should be from the Hog’s Kiss.”
Zi Di told the young knight at her side.
“That person? That’s my body double!” Zhen Jin’s heart suddenly saw the light.
The young knight nodded: “I have to save them as soon as possible! You guys
stay here.”
He quickly walked forward, after a few breaths, he came in front of Zhen Jin
and quickly sized up the dark youngster: “Can you still fight?”
Zhen Jin stood in place and blankly stared at the body double.
“He really looks like me!”
His heart filled with laments, for a moment he couldn’t respond.
The young knight secretly shook his head: “It seems he has already lost his
courage.”
He had observed Zhen Jin’s escape.
As the young knight charged into camp, Zhen Jin promptly opened his mouth to
block him: “Don’t……”
You are my body double, don’t stupidly throw away our life. Don’t take risks,
come back and protect me!
But after a moment, Zhen Jin saw the body double’s formidable battle strength.
Zhen Jin safely watched the body double’s back, exposing his shock.
“How can he have such terrifying strength?”
“Battle qi cannot be used here.”
Yes, he was a beastified person.
Before his transformation, he was a silver level knight, his bodily essence
greatly exceeds mine.
How did he compare to Zong Ge?
“Hei Juan.” Zi Di, Lan Zao, and the others walked over.
Hmph, his acting is well done. Do I want to continue covering up the truth? No,
exposing the truth now does not benefit me. Let that idiotic body double
sacrifice his life for me.
“Miss Zi Di.” Zhen Jin tidied up his mood and bowed to Zi Di, “His Lordship
is……”
Zi Di smiled and was just about to answer.
But the previously silent Lan Zao was the first to speak: “He is my
master——Lord Zhen Jin! He is Lord Zi Di’s fiancé, the Bai Zhen Clan’s sole
heir, a true templar knight, and White Sands City’s future master. He is my
life saving benefactor and now he is also yours.”
Zhen Jin: “???”
“Who is this idiot?”
“It seems an opportunity has been seized; I have received a slave that will
give his life for me. Not bad.”
Zi Di nodded: “I hired you all to protect me when traveling to the Wilderness
Continent and White Sands City, Lord Zhen Jin was always hiding at my side. The
purpose of that was to pull wool over the eyes of others and to guard against
malicious rivals that wish to obstruct our journey. I believe that Lord Zhen
Jin will lead us out of this island alive.”
“So that’s how it is.” Zhen Jin’s Adam’s apple rolled as he thought to himself.
“Your words aren’t bad my fiancé, clan support is no longer reliable, thus
helping myself is the way forward!”
……
After beating back a beast group, Zhen Jin received a warm welcome, everyone
treated him as a hero.
“That body double is actually pretty good.” Zhen Jin was secretly gratified.
Zhen Jin secretly found Zi Di and conversed with her alone.
“My dear Zi Di, nothing has happened to you, that’s amazing! During the days I
thought you were dead, I felt incomparable sorrow.” Zhen Jin stepped forward
with outstretched arms, he wanted to hug Zi Di.
Zi Di stepped back, nervously looking around: “My Lord, be careful of others
seeing us.”
Afterwards, she continued to speak in an emotional tone: “After the shipwreck,
I and another group of people landed on another beach on the island. My Lord, I
have always tried to find you. Not all of us are dead! Look around you, I
nearly shouted your identity in excitement, fortunately when I saw your
Lordship’s hinting gaze, I sobered up.”
Zhen Jin rubbed his chin, this beautiful misunderstanding immediately dispelled
many grudges in his heart, he laughed: “Your intelligent communication indeed
caused no trouble and saved effort.”
“How is the current situation? Have you sent out a distress message? Did you
get a response?”
Zi Di shook her head and sadly said: “No response, this island is very strange
and dangerous. I was forced to wake up the body double. Without him, I would
have died already.”
“You have done well. What kind of strength does the body double have?”
Zi Di shook her head: “He is a beastified person, but he was not imbued with
complete memories, and I discovered he can beastify parts of himself. As for
his battle strength, I don’t think many can match him.”
Zi Di gave a detailed narration on some matters.
Zhen Jin couldn't help but show his disappointment: “It seems, he cannot beat
Zong Ge.”
“Someone is coming.” Zi Di suddenly warned.
Zhen Jin could only terminate his brief interaction with Zi Di and quickly
depart.
……
Following the two’s conversation, when the body double took out some armor,
Zhen Jin’s heart couldn’t help but shake, “Not good, it seems Zong Ge was also
teleported, I have to warn them!”
“My Lord.” Zhen Jin clenched his chest and bowed to the body double, “You
deserve to be called a templar knight who upholds the spirit of justice and
fairness. However, my suspicions about Zong Ge are not unfounded.”
“He has received strict battle training!” Zhen Jin continued.
Everyone looked at each other with dismay.
Zhen Jin then proceeded: “Each mercenary and perhaps each sailor receives
battle training. The battle training, I speak of is not ordinary training,
rather they are military exercises.”
“I am certain that he definitely served in the army at one point. Only by
passing such stringent military exercises and serving in the army can he have
the aura of a soldier on him, this I am most clear about.”
His opinion had never been said publicly before, and the body double and Zi Di
attached great importance to it.
……
Zong Ge and the others were hiding outside, while Xi Suo, the boat craftsman,
and the others with them were still missing. Thus, the body double immediately
decided to look for them
“It’s a good sword.” The body double returned Silver Lightning to Zhen Jin.
Zi Di suddenly said to Zhen Jin: “Hei Juan, I know your sword is not ordinary,
I ask that you temporarily give it to Lord Zhen Jin so he can use it.”
Zhen Jin stared blankly, and his complexion changed slightly: “But this sword
is my family heirloom.”
“He didn’t think about it as he flatly refused.
The body double faintly laughed: “Zi Di, it is unnecessary to make things
difficult for him.”
“My Lord, that won’t do!” But Zi Di insisted, “Based on our recent analysis,
Zong Ge is a strong opponent. He also has top notch armor made of high quality
steel and impressive war spears. Your Lordship only has ordinary weapons, if
you and Zong Ge fight, there would be little difference from simply coming
unarmed.”
The body double stared blankly and then bitterly laughed
Zhen Jin shook his head: “Yes. I should give this rapier to the body double,
Zong Ge is very strong and must have more equipment than the body double.”
“He takes my place in combat! If he loses because he lacks a weapon, the one
out of luck will be me.”
“Zi Di is very considerate, she considers my needs.”
“Giving the body double my rapier lessens the risk to me!”
“My Lord!” Thinking of this, Zhen Jin changed his plan. He advanced with cupped
hands and offered the rapier of his own accord, “This ignoramuses’ scope was
too narrow. This sword can display its true worth in your Lordship’s hand. The
name of my family heirloom sword is Silver Lightning. It is bound to blossom
brightly and brilliantly in your Lordship’s hand!”
Zi Di smiled: “Hei Juan, for this employment, I will pay you double.”
Zhen Jin immediately smiled.
“That’s good. I will treat this sword well and do my best to return it to you
intact. “Seeing Zhen Jin’s attitude, the body double confidently received the
rapier again.
Pleased at the bottom of his heart, Zhen Jin laughed: “Good, shed every gram of
strength for me.”
……
Zhen Jin, the body double, Zi Di, and others successfully saved Xi Suo, the
boat craftsman, and the others with them.
The body double and Zong Ge confronted each other.
“Humph. A pretty boy noble!” Zong Ge looked down on the body double, however
his gaze did stop temporarily on the rapier strapped to the body double’s waist
as he indifferently assessed it. ” However……that sword is pretty good.”
The body double slightly smiled, he gazed at Zong Ge’s broken steel battle
armor: “Your armor is also pretty good.”
Zhen Jin secretly observed, his heart was incessantly nervous: “You must not
fight!”
Seeing Tripleblade, Zong Ge, and the others reject Zi Di’s offer, his heart was
nearly unable to restrain his anger, he secretly vowed: “To my surprise, you
group of hybrids and dregs refused to become my subordinates. You despised me!
This proves your identities are deserved?! Very good, this disgrace is already
engraved in my memory, there will inevitably be a day where I will make you all
regret this!”
When Zong Ge made the body double use a divine spell to prove his identity, he
made the body double indignant.
The body double immediately grabbed his sword hilt, his brows deeply wrinkled,
his complexion sunk, his gaze became as chilly as ice, and he growled: “Zong
Ge, pay attention to your words! You have the audacity to scorn the gods! My
body sustains the gaze of Emperor Sheng Ming, this is the blessing of the gods.
Divine spells are the gods giving more favor, they are not something to show
off or used to proof status. Apologize to me at once! If not, you invite a
templar knight’s fury!”
As the body double said that, he stepped forward and approached Zong Ge.
Behind him, Lan Zao, Hei Juan, and the others touched their weapons. Zi Di’s
hand entered her handbag and the oaf picked up his wooden log with a low growl
from the depths of his throat.
Zhen Jin’s heart immediately jumped into his throat, he nervously sweated:
“Dammit! Why is he so rude and impetuous? You cannot fight Zong Ge!”
Following Zong Ge withdrawal, Zhen Jin finally felt himself finally retreat
safely from a precipice: “This body double is a little too heroic.”
The body double then publicly admitted Zong Ge’s group, taking the initiative
to invite them back to camp.
Zhen Jin wanted to stomp in anger: “You don’t show the wolf into the house!
This stupidity is simply beyond redemption!
After returning to camp, Zhen Jin privately found Zi Di again, the body double
deciding something without his permission made him feel very resentful.
He was angry at Zi Di: “He really thinks he is still a templar knight. He also
said things about fairness, impartiality, and treating everyone equally……this
teased Zong Ge’s group, ha ha, this is simply stupid!”
Zi Di was helpless: “My Lord, previously I did not state the situation clearly
enough, many grave issues have arisen in the memories given to the body
double.”
“It is not good to retort the body double’s actions to his face. That is your
Lordship’s authority.”
“His actions are actually very beneficial; it is a perfect pretense. Even Zong
Ge believes his identity with absolute certainty.”
Zhen Jin deeply sighed; he was finally convinced.
……
The lumbering team and the camp suffered simultaneous attacks.
During the defense, the body double found clues of a hidden hand.
The body double had a grave expression: “This hidden hand is not simple, not
only can they mobilize the bat monkeys and the silver level rhinoceros, they
also have impressive tactical skills. They split their force into two with one
simply meant to pin us down and another focused on the main target, the camp.
They understand that the camp is our weakest and most important area.”
“Good. We must eradicate them!” Zong Ge nodded.
“Then let us move with just the two of us, the others will just be a burden.”
The body double took the lead, Zong Ge then threw away his sword before
following.
Zhen Jin watched the two people leave camp, he felt both joy and concern.
“This guy takes too many risks. What does he remember that makes him so
reckless and brave?”
“This is too risky.”
“Alas, I hope he can return safely!”
Zong Ge returned with a crocodile head hammer tail boa corpse, causing a
commotion, but the body double hadn’t returned yet.
Zhen Jin found Zi Di: “We paid a huge price for his body double and just took
possession of it. We cannot let him act so independently!”
“He unexpectedly penetrated the forest alone; this is mindlessly risky.”
“We need to be good at using him, make him protect our safety, and produce the
most value for us.”
“You are right, your Lordship.” Zi Di acknowledged him and was also vexed, “But
what should be done?”
“This……”
Zi Di then said: “Truth be told, I hope the body double can return safely, I
have already prayed to the heavens.”
Zhen Jin sighed again: “Alas, I also want that too.”
……
Not only did the body double return, he eliminated a blue dog fox wolf and came
back with crucial information about the hidden hand.
Zi Di said: “His Lordship had been tailing the beast group for a long time, and
just as the blue dog fox wolf attempted to subdue a monkey tail brown bear, he
risked his life to ambush and kill the blue dog fox wolf.”
“Lord Zhen Jin, to just use a human’s strength to resolve the persistent threat
to the camp is already extraordinary.”
The body double looked at the girl’s beautiful amethyst eyes, slightly smiling,
he reached out and held Zi Di’s hand on the table.
Zi Di subconsciously pulled back her hand slightly, however she stopped and let
the body double hold her hand.
“He really deserves to be called my body double!” Zhen Jin also took part, he
was very pleased with himself, “Well done……fart!”
“Dammit, he went as far as to hold my fiancée’s hand!”
“Let go now you brute!!”
“It seems we need to change our strategy.” Mu Ban said, “We cannot just cut
wood, we need to make powerful crossbows with all speed.”
Everyone began to discuss how they were going to respond to magic beast corps
commanded by blue dog fox wolves.
But Zhen Jin was concerned with the body double touching Zi Di’s hand.
“He still hasn’t let go? When will you let go!?”
He was very indignant, he wanted to immediately stand up and stab Silver
Lightning into the body double’s forehead.
But he couldn't!
“Calm down, calm down. Currently I am only Hei Juan, he is Zhen Jin!”
“Furthermore……”
“Silver Lightning is in his hands.”



****** Chapter 176: She is Merely Playing Along ******
Inside a tent, Zhen Jin and Zi Di had a whispered quarrel.
“Tell me the truth my beautiful and adorable fiancée, has the body double
touched you?” Zhen Jin narrowed his eyes and rigidly gazed at Zi Di, a
dangerous aura emitting all over his body.
Zi Di scowled and shook her head, she looked at Zhen Jin with incredulity:
“What are you suspecting your Lordship? Of course not!”
“No, please wait.” Zi Di extended her palm and pressed down, “This isn’t
crucial. I believe your Lordship has secretly come over to discuss the blue dog
fox wolves and magic beast corps. This is our most pressing concern!”
“Of course, I am concerned about that, however I also care about my fiancé!”
Zhen Jin glared, showing his fury, “Especially when another man holds my
fiancé’s hand in front of me! I haven’t even held your hand yet.”
Saying this, Zhen Jin reached out and grabbed Zi Di’s hand.
Zi Di immediately withdrew her hand, causing Zhen Jin to grasp empty air.
Just as Zhen Jin was about to get angry, the body double’s voice came from
outside the tent: “Zi Di, are you sleeping?”
Zhen Jin was startled.
“Quick, hide now.” Zi Di also stood up panic-stricken, she silently opened her
mouth and gestured to convey her thoughts.
Fortunately, Zi Di’s tent had many furnishings, allowing Zhen Jin to promptly
hide in some nook.
“I’m still awake, my Lord. Please come in.” After deeply breathing a few times,
Zi Di spoke with a tranquil voice.
The body double lifted the flap and entered.
Zi Di was wearing her hooded magic gown, the spacious magic gown made the girl
appear more petite and pitiful.
Seeing Zi Di’s appearance, the body double sighed as he walked over to Zi Di
and hugged her.
Zi Di’s body slightly trembled, but she did not resist.
In the dim nook, Zhen Jin secretly saw this, he immediately glared in anger
with bloodshot eyes, and nearly jumped out.
“What are you afraid of?” The body double quietly comforted.
He understood that the blue dog fox wolf had been an immense psychological
shadow over Zi Di.
“With your Lordship here, I am unafraid.” Zi Di softly replied.
“Yes, I will always be by your side. The first blue dog fox wolf died under my
foot and the second one is dead too. The third and the fourth, even if more
appear, as long as you have me, none of them will harm you. I guarantee you!”
The youngster consoled.
Zi Di raised her head up in Zhen Jin’s chest: “Lord Zhen Jin, I trust you.”
As if sensing something, the girl’s expression became peculiar.
“Dammit, dammit!” Zhen Jin gnashed his teeth in the darkness, after a few
laborious breaths, his mind already smashed the body double more than a dozen
times.
“Oh, right. The main reason I found you was because of some blood.” The body
double smiled at Zi Di.
“I need you to do something covertly.”
“Don’t tell anyone else about the outcome.”
“Eh?!” The hiding Zhen Jin only felt anger constantly rushing from his stomach
to his head.
“What are you up to!?”
“Dammit, this is too daring! You are only a body double; you are a fake!!!”
“You dare……you actually dared to lust after things that don’t belong to you!”
Zi Di embraced the body double, her face appeared to blush: “My Lord, what……do
you want to do?”
Upon seeing this passion, Zhen Jin’s pupils immediately shrunk, and he felt
unprecedented humiliation: “This girl……this girl!!”
Ever since he met Zi Di, he had never seen her show such breathtaking
bashfulness. What’s worse, his fiancé revealed her torment and bashfulness in
the arms of another man!
“Don’t misunderstand me, I am referring to……” The body double’s words were
interrupted by Zi Di.
“My Lord, your nose is bleeding.”
“Ah.” The body double also felt the blood flowing down as he said with extreme
awkwardness, “Listen to me Zi Di, it is not the thing you are thinking of.”
Zhen Jin felt himself burst with rage!
“Burning anger! All from a bleeding nose. Wretched thing, wait until the whole
truth is revealed, I will castrate you!!” Zhen Jin madly roared in his heart.
After the body double left, Zhen Jin immediately jumped out and pointed at Zi
Di, his body shivering all over: “You! You just said he didn’t do anything to
you! Speak, tell the truth, don’t hide anything from me!”
“I told you the truth!” Zi Di tensely said, feeling wronged, “My Lord, why
don’t you believe me?”
“Why don’t I believe you?! Ah? You just threw yourself into another man’s
arms!” Zhen Jin shouted.
“Whisper, do you want him to hear? He is a silver level cultivator; his hearing
is keener than ours.” Zi Di prompt warned.
Zhen Jin immediately lowered his voice.
After a moment, he felt wrong and even more humiliation.
“I am your fiancé, I am the real Zhen Jin, yet now I have to speak to you in
secret, so that fake doesn’t find out?!”
“My Lord, great plans can be ruined by just a touch of impatience! Do you think
I want to do this? Do you think I want to spoil myself and play along with the
body double? Isn’t this all for the sake of our safety and plans?!” Zi Di’s
Zhen Jin was sluggish.
Zi Di continued: “If the body double discovered the truth, what do you think
will happen? Do you know our current strength? Can we control him?”
“We can’t!”
“Not only that, we also have to rely on him to cope with Zong Ge and the blue
dog fox wolf magic beast corps!”
“Allow him to think he is your Lordship, allow him to do his utmost for us,
allow him to risk traveling through the forest, and allow him to fight on the
frontlines while your Lordship stays safely in the rear, wouldn't all of his
accomplishments and reputation belong to your Lordship?”
Zhen Jin could not retort, he lowered his head and placed his hands on his
hips, his mouth constantly gasped as his malevolent expression flashed between
anger and hesitation.
Zi Di continued: “If he discovers he is a fake, what do you think he will do?”
“My Lord, do you think he will accept the truth?”
“After he discovers your Lordship’s identity, wouldn’t he kill and replace
you?”
Zhen Jin’s body immediately trembled, fear filled his eyes: “Zi, Zi Di, you are
correct. This island is dangerous, Zong Ge is dangerous, but he is even more
dangerous.”
“Cover up the truth! We must continue hiding this!”
Zi Di coughed: “Your Lordship has proven himself; you did not disappoint me.
Outsiders do not know the burdens victors carry, others cannot bear this
pressure, yet your Lordship has. We will succeed, we will leave this place, we
will become White Sands City’s Lords, in the end the body double is only a body
double, and one day in the future, he will disappear with no one noticing.
Without anyone knowing of this, nothing will happen. People will only praise
you and admire the accomplishments you’ve obtained.
“Your right.” Zhen Jin nodded repeatedly, soon remorse appeared on his face,
“I’ve wronged you my fiancé. My attitude was a bit aggressive.”
“My Lord, it is good you understand me. Everything I have done is for the sake
of our plans, safety, and future!”
Zhen Jin nodded: “That’s right, everything is done for our beautiful future!”
……
After the blue dog fox wolf was discovered, Zong Ge openly challenged Zhen
Jin’s authority by holding a competition on which group could investigate and
gain more information.
At daybreak, Zong Ge led his group to investigate while the body double,
because of his harsh training last night, was in the middle of napping.
Zhen Jin had already eaten a while ago, currently he was standing outside a
tent with growing impatience: “This wretched guy, how long is he going to be
lazy? Does he not understand the situation! If he ignores Zong Ges’
provocation, my authority will be gravely weakened.”
“The sun is already up, yet he’s still sleeping!”
“This won’t do, I will urge him on and make him act faster! Of course……I won’t
be the one to warn him.”
Zhen Jin looked around, his eyes ultimately fixing onto Bai Ya.
Bai Ya was inexperienced with the world, under Zhen Jin’s shrewd communication
skills, he quickly spilled everything he knew.
“On behalf of Lord Zhen Jin, I am really worried.” Zhen Jin sighed with a
concerned face.
“What’s going on?” Bai Ya curiously asked.
Zhen Jin slightly glared: “Don’t you know how delicate the situation is? That
half beastman harbors malicious intentions, he went as far as to challenge Lord
Zhen Jin’s authority. That’s how things are……”
After quickly learning the details, Bai Ya anxiously stood up.
After the body double appeared, Bai Ya promptly paid his respects.
“Lord Zhen Jin.”
“At dawn, Zong Ge and his people went out to investigate.”
My Lord, I grew up in a small forest. Maybe I cannot hunt now, but I can surely
help your Lordship in reconnaissance!” Bai Ya passionately volunteered.
At noon, the body double’s team returned to camp for lunch.
Zhen Jin felt aggrieved: “This wretched guy, does he not understand the
situation? To my surprise, he’s still leisurely returning to camp for lunch!
Investigate for me without delay!”
He secretly informed Bai Ya of Zong Ge’s efforts.
Bai Ya reported to him with worry: “Lord Zhen Jin, we have not seen Zong Ge,
and his people return. They should have eaten outside.”
When night fell as the sun dropped below the treetops, the body double had
already returned to camp.
Bai Ya reported again: “My Lord, Zong Ge and his people still haven’t returned.
They are using their full strength!”
“It's not easy.” The body double sighed.
Bai Ya was really anxious: “My Lord, we can also carry rations, continue our
investigation past noon, we need not squander valuable time going back and
forth from camp.”
“Ok, that is a good proposal, let’s do that tomorrow.” The body double was
willing to accept his advice.
“He is finally starting to try hard!” Zhen Jin secretly relaxed his tone.
Then, he felt sullen again, like he had some phlegm in his throat he couldn’t
spit out, it was very painful!
“This wretched person, he carries my name, enjoys everyone’s praise, covets my
beautiful fiancé, and takes advantage of me! I still need to worry about and
help him secretly?!”
“God, why did it turn out this way?”
As far as Zhen Jin was concerned, this was a terrible thing to experience.
……
Following Zhen Jin’s worries, the body double obtained an intact map, and was
victorious over Zong Ge’s group’s investigative results.
Zhen Jin secretly found Zi Di.
“How did he obtain a comprehensive map? My fiancé, don’t tell me he is a divine
scion knight that received my master’s favor.”
Zhen Jin questioned Zi Di.
Zi Di shook her head, blankness filling her eyes: “I don’t know the specific
details of this situation, this map appearing surpassed my expectations.”
“However, this is good, isn’t it?”
“Zong Ge’s challenge failed in an ugly way.”
“No, no!” Zhen Jin shook his head, “This is a fishy development! He has broken
away from our control! If this continues, it will get more and more dangerous.”
Zi Di was puzzled: “My Lord, was he ever in our control? Indeed, our control
over him is weak, however I believe it will allow him to use all of his
strength.”
“No, no this won’t do.” Zhen Jin continued to shake his head, his complexion
growing more solemn and heavy, “I see a trend. He is getting harder to
control.”
“For what reason would he take out a comprehensive map? How were all the beast
groups clearly scouted out?”
“He even dared to use my master’s name to openly deceive them!”
“We know the truth; he must have grasped a method or ability we don’t know
about.”
Zi Di nodded: “My Lord, you're anxious. He is a beastified person, he can
freely control parts of beastification. My guess is that he should have
obtained an investigative method!”
“What can he beastify into? Zhen Jin demanded.
“I don’t know.” Zi Di replied.
You don’t know?!” Zhen Jin glared with a doubtful face.
Zi Di bitterly laughed: “My Lord, he is custom-made. Although the weapons
manufacturer responded to my custom-made request, they informed me other
aspects could not be guaranteed. It’s like this, a person cannot swim while
sleeping. According to my understanding, this should be the limits of the
beastification technology.”
“Do you mean, the weapon’s manufacturer does not know what his specific
abilities are?” Zhen Jin pondered.
“Yes. The weapons manufacturer stated that it was already very difficult to
attain his custom-made appearance. Besides, your Lordship should also know
ordinary beastified people are a single-use commodity, when beastification
happens, madness sets in as those affected attack the biggest threat, they have
no concept of teamwork.”
“Thus, weapons manufacturers don’t thoroughly test beastified people, because
when beastification happens, the beastified person is wiped out.”
“The body double can beastify parts of himself and freely control them, this is
considerably rare.”
“In fact, I’ve always believed that if the weapons manufacturer discovered
this, they might have forcibly recalled him and not sold him to us. At least,
not at the given price.”
Zhen Jin attentively gazed at Zi Di for a long time, then nodded. Accepting Zi
Di’s expression, he helplessly sighed: “It seems, we were lucky to obtain him.”
……
After the camp surroundings were clearly scouted, the body double and Zong Ge
changed the competition to killing beast groups.
Using smoke Zi Di made, the body double, Zong Ge, and the others dealt with the
largest bat monkey group.
During that fight, the body double had an exceedingly bright performance,
almost every crossbow shot hit, and he was fully deserving of being number one
in kills.
Even Zong Ge raised his eyebrows, lamenting the Bai Zhen Clan’s bloodline in
his heart. Although he had trained his archery skills for many years, he paled
in comparison to the body double.
Zhen Jin secretly competed with him and also lost.
“Abominable!” Zhen Jin darkly clenched his fists.
After feeling unreconciled and beneath his dignity, he sneered.
“What am I thinking? He has silver level cultivation, while I am only at the
iron level, losing to him is normal.:
“However, no matter how strong you are, you are merely my body double.
Everything you accomplish belongs to me!”
“Who was the weapons manufacturer that transformed him? How could he possess
such strong archery skills that surpass even a Bai Zhen Clan descendant like
me? Maybe……before his transformation, he was a knight with extraordinary
archery skills.”
……
Zhen Jin secretly found Zi Di again.
He immediately got to the point: “I heard someone gave him some crocodile head
hammer tail boa leather armor? I also want some!”
Zi Di smiled: “My Lord, please be at ease. I remembered your need for
equipment. Only the first one was given to the body double, after all he
represents your Lordship.”
“As long as new crocodile head hammer tail boa armor is made, your Lordship
will surely take precedence. After all, the Hei Juan identity is a mercenary I
hired. It is only natural I equip our people, isn’t that so?”
Zhen Jin couldn’t help but smile, he was pleased with Zi Di’s response.
But shortly after, he pursed his brows again: “I heard some information. The
body double unexpectedly picked up a big bargain last night. He harvested that
silver level bat monkey and an entire flying squirrel group.”
“How did he do that?”
Zi Di shook her head: “The map is a clue; we already know he has a powerful
investigation method. Perhaps with this ability, he found a lucky opportunity
where the silver level bat monkey and the flying squirrel group fought against
each other, thereby picking up a bargain.”
Zhen Jin sighed: “He is getting increasingly excessive, time and again, he uses
my master’s name to explain his actions. He patrols every night, that’s
strange. His body has many secrets.”
“Yes, your Lordship is right. However, there are many secrets we should keep in
the dark, isn’t that right?” Zi Di laughed.
Zhen Jin also smiled and unfolded his brows somewhat, nodding: “You are
correct.”
……
Two blue dog fox wolf magic beast corps began attacking the camp.
Everyone heard the body double loudly pray.
“Grand Emperor Sheng Ming, my god, my master. Your knight is on the eve of war
and will practice your teachings. Thanks to your favor, I am armed to the
teeth. I have put on the belt of honesty, the glasses of bravery, the shoes of
peace, and the helmet of salvation. However, the night is a dense fog that
blocks my field of vision. God, I ask you to grant me bright eyes, let me see
the enemy’s power clearly, and let me lead everyone towards victory!”
Nothing happened.
“This idiot!” Zhen Jin anxiously glared, “Do you really think you are a templar
knight? You went so far as to pray in front of everyone?! Even if you were a
commander, you wouldn’t dare to pray as you wished!”
Zong Ge also believed the body double made a mistake, when suddenly, the body
double’s body trembled as he opened his eyes and shouted in pleasant surprise,
“I can see!”
The body double immediately turned around and commanded everyone: “Quickly, the
magic beast corps has two blue dog fox wolves. They have already divided their
force. One is leading the bigger force straight at the gate. The other is
leading a flying squirrel group to flank the camp.”
After Zhen Jin foolishly stared, he realized: “As it turns out, he used his
detection abilities. How is he investigating? I didn’t see him beastify? No, it
shouldn’t be beastification, even partial beastification won’t work. If others
saw him, what would they think of me, Zhen Jin?”
“But tonight’s battle will surely be dangerous! If I die without him
beastifying, then he had better beastify.”
“Afterwards, I will redeem my reputation.”
However, the following fight made Zhen Jin expand his scope.
Seeing the body double kill everything around him, Zhen Jin realized more
things: “I underestimated his battle strength! If it's like that, then he
really can compete with Zong Ge. It's no wonder he had confidence; it seems my
long held concerns were for nothing. The prior investigation information was
from……this the wretched guy!”
Because of the subterranean sandworm’s surprise attacks, the survivors were
caught in a disadvantageous position.
“Run for it! “The body double rushed over to shout to Zhen Jin and the others.
Zhen Jin stared blankly for a moment, but soon ran, leaving the ballista
without the slightest hesitation.
After a moment, the ground split open and the ballista was swallowed and
crushed into countless fragments.
Zhen Jin’s body was covered in cold sweat, and he felt endless lingering fear:
“I almost, I almost died there. The body double saved me? Well done!”
Cang Xu, Zi Di, and others were hiding in the wooden house.
“Zi Di, Cang Xu, run for it!” The body double anxiously roared as he ran
towards the wooden house.
Zi Di, Cang Xu, and the other people had been observing the outside situation,
they too saw the gigantic worm. When they heard Zhen Jin’s shout, they all ran
out of the wooden house without hesitation.
The subterranean sandworm attacked air again.
Zhen Jin was exulted: “He also saved my fiancé!”
He loudly suggested to the body double: “My Lord, the camp can’t last much
longer. We need to break out!”
The body double shook his head, the current predicament did not discourage him,
rather it aroused his fighting spirit: “Hei Juan, you are in charge of breaking
out. Protect Zi Di, Cang Xu, Mu Ban, and the boat craftsman, they are
important.”
The body double’s ultrasound found the gigantic worm attacking another
ballista.
This time, the young knight did not rush at thin air.
He used the time the earthworm took swallowing the ballista, to deeply stab its
lower body.
The gigantic worm did not shudder, as if that piercing blow did not exist, it
then immediately withdrew back underground with Silver Lightning.
“My, my sword?!” Zhen Jin was flabbergasted.
“My family sword, my Silver Lightning! Body double, you're an idiot!!!” He
roared in his heart.
“We need to break out now.” Zi Di reminded him.
Zhen Jin ruthlessly grinded his teeth, compared to a sword, his life was more
important.
The flames soared in the burning camp.
Zi Di was worried: “Lord Zhen Jin still hasn’t returned yet?”
Zhen Jin blankly stared, soon after he realized his fiancé was referring to the
body double, his heart was also worried, After all, it was his body double.
When the body double finally appeared, he was covered in blood.
His seemingly injured body made Zhen Jin secretly sigh sorrowfully: “Too risky!
But really good, I am very pleased with you, body double.”
“With the help of the fire, I beat the blue dog fox wolf, however I couldn’t
kill it and allowed it to escape.” The body double explained to everyone.
“Don’t speak, let me check your injuries.” Zi Di came to the body double, her
voice choked with emotions. She extended her thin hand and carefully explored
Zhen Jin’s leather armor, she wanted to take off the dilapidated leather armor.
But the body double stopped her.
Zhen Jin speechlessly watched this scene, as he quietly clenched his fist with
a jealous heart, he had to actively explain to himself: “She is merely playing
along, this is fake, all of this is fake.”



****** Chapter 177: Have You Fallen in Love with Him?! ******
Zong Ge gave the rapier, Silver Lightning, to the body double.
Behind Zong Ge, Tripleblade explained: “When the blue dog fox wolf at the gate
organized a final charge, that gigantic worm also participated. However, it
encountered Lord Zong Ge and was routed once more.
“It was Lord Zong Ge who saw the sword stuck in its body, he risked falling
into the hole to retrieve this rapier.”
Zhen Jin was relieved: “It always returns, I was worried Zong Ge would have
kept Silver Lightning.”
The body double nodded, he looked at Zong Ge: “It must have been a marvelous
fight. Many thanks! Its return is very timely, now we can pursue the retreating
enemy.”
“What? Pursue the enemy?” Zhen Jin was secretly gob smacked.
But the body double’s following words were reasonable, if they let it slide,
the future would be more dangerous. Instead, they would take advantage of the
weakened magic beasts and pursue now.
The body double sought help, however when he looked around, the people either
lowered their heads or turned their eyes, avoiding his gaze.
The body double was very determined: “Fine, it's your choice, I will not force
anyone. Even if it is just me, I will dispose of those blue dog fox wolves.”
“My Lord!” Zi Di cried.
The others were also emotionally moved.
Zhen Jin scowled to himself: “You are courting death, scoundrel, do you know
how much it cost us to purchase you?!”
Lan Zao, Zong Ge, and Tripleblade came up and joined the body double in the
attack.
“This group of idiots, to pursue the magic beast corps through the forest, is
following the path of doom!! This is simply insane; we just suffered a crushing
defeat that ended with the entire camp burning!” Zhen Jin blew his top
endlessly, but he couldn’t stand up to refute this plan.
In fact, he also believed the body double must have his reasons.
“Let me at least heal your injuries.” Zi Di insisted, stopping the body double.
“I must make every second count.” The body double shook his head.
Zi Di fixed her eyes on the body double, and as if forgetting about everything
nearby, tears flowed from her beautiful amethyst eyes.
“During the time I was gone, Zi Di must have been worried for me. Actually, I
have enormous confidence, as long as someone attracts the firepower for me. But
I cannot tell her these things, I can only allow her to be deeply worried about
me.”
The body double also gazing at Zi Di, concealing the truth caused him to feel
guilty. In addition, dense affection also rose in the body double’s heart.
The next moment, the body double slowly hugged Zi Di.
“I……” Seeing this scene, Zhen Jin immediately shot flames from his eyes.
“Another hug! You hugged my fiancé again!”
“This time in front of so many people!!”
“You're screwed, screwed!”
Zhen Jin’s incessant fury thundered in his heart.
Zi Di’s body slightly trembled.
The body double put the tip of his nose on Zi Di’s ear and softly said: “I will
return, I guarantee I will return.”
After saying this, the body double released Zi Di and walked away.
Zong Ge and the group followed close behind.
The others remained silent as they watched the four gradually disappear.
Zhen Jin panted for air; his head was dizzy.
“Go to hell, I never want to see you again!!”
“It would be best if you died along with those blue dog fox wolves!”
“That is a hero!” Someone sincerely sighed.
Those words touched the depths of Bai Ya’s heart, causing the youngster to
roar: “My Lord, wait for me!”
Bai Ya rushed out of the crowd; his face no longer had any hesitation.
At that moment, the adventurous spirit and honor filled his heart, making him
lose reason.
“Stop him quickly.” Zi Di immediately ordered.
“Give me a break smelly youngster.” Xi Suo tripped Bai Ya to the ground, “You
are throwing away your life.”
Bai Ya stood up, he still wanted to follow the body double: “I want to become a
knight, how can a knight cower?”
“Bravery is not stupidity, youngster.” Cang Xu sighed, then he persuaded,
“Perhaps one day, you will become a knight. But you are still an ordinary
person right now, and that……belongs to a knightly romance.
Bai Ya still wanted to speak.
“Shut up!” Zhen Jin knocked Bai Ya unconscious, he looked resentful.
“Do you also want to seek knightly glory? Snort!” Zhen Jin coldly harrumphed,
his heart becoming increasingly resentful.
This resentfulness was complex.
He didn’t sense it, but his resentfulness was a mix of admiration and envy he
felt towards the body double.
……
While the body double Zong Ge, and the others were pursuing the blue dog fox
wolf, Zhen Jin and Zi Di quarreled with each other again.
“I never want to see you throwing yourself into his arms again, do you
understand me!” Zhen Jin strictly warned Zi Di.
Zi Di shook her head, gazing innocently and grieved at Zhen Jin: “My Lord,
please don’t use that wording, I never threw myself at him!”
“I know, but you never rejected his advances!” Zhen Jin circled around, he
appeared very violent.
“My Lord, if I avoid him, wouldn’t that cause too much suspicion?” Zi Di
retorted, “How do you want me to respond, how can we continue our plans? Please
teach me.”
Zhen Jin was left speechless, then he flew into a rage out of humiliation:
“That is not my concern! Did you know? When he hugged you, I could hardly
control myself. Fury charged into my head, at that moment, I wanted to kill him
and everyone else!”
“Lord Zhen Jin!” Zi Di shook her head, she appeared dumbfounded, “I understand
you, but what caused the jealousy in your heart? He shouldn’t make your
Lordship jealous, he is only a body double, a pitiful tool we keep in the dark.
Everything he does paves your Lordship’s future.”
Zi Di’s advice and comfort finally calmed Zhen Jin’s breathing: “I forgot my
manners. Your right, he is only a tool. A very good tool. Unfortunately…… I
don’t think he is returning this time.”
Zi Di stared blankly, soon after she showed her sorrow and worry.
Zhen Jin keenly saw Zi Di’s changing expression, his heart suddenly welled with
emotion.
“Hold on.” He gazed at Zi Di, “What are you thinking? My fiancé, are you
worried about him? Worried about a body double, a chess piece?”
Zi Di immediately glared, her prior expression disappeared: “My Lord! What is
going on? Is worrying about him wrong? If he loses our plans will sink. This
will greatly affect our future! After all, he is a silver level cultivator,
while you are still at the iron level.”
Intense resentfulness dashed into Zhen Jin’s head, making him glare at Zi Di.
“Soon, sooner or later I will be a silver level knight!”
Zi Di seemed to also realize her words were a mistake, promptly remedying: “My
Lord, with your aptitude, anyone with eyes can see that being a gold level
knight isn’t the end for you. Sorry, I was simply nervous. If the body double
loses, how can we ensure our safety afterwards? How can we escape this place?”
Zhen Jin’s attention then engrossed itself in his own safety, he suddenly
stopped looking at Zi Di so seriously.
“Your right.” He sighed deeply, “The body double is dying too early.”
“I feel we should maintain hope.” Zi Di insisted.
“If only……hope is really uncertain.” Zhen Jin weakly answered.
……
But the body double, Zong Ge, and the others all returned victoriously, after
producing the blue dog fox wolf, Zhen Jin was shocked.
“Inconceivable…… they really succeeded.”
“My Lord!” The young lady Zi Di had run all the way over. After coming in front
of the body double, her eyes blushed and she seemed to want to throw herself
into his arms. However, the many people and her embarrassment stopped her.
Seeing this, Zhen Jin’s heart relaxed.
During the celebratory banquet, the body double was entirely worthy of having
the leading role.
The people adored and looked at the body double with reverence, while talking
about divine scion knights.
Zhen Jin sat in a corner; his heart filled with disdain.
“Divine scion knight?”
“Hehe, if he is a divine scion knight, I can swallow Silver Lightning!”
“Even Zong Ge was deceived! Hmph, half beastmen really don’t have brains.”
“Anyways……what kind of beastification can go so far as to sprout armor?”
Seeing the body double being praised, Zhen Jin’s heart grew more envious, he
hated he couldn’t replace the body double.
Then, Zhen Jin heard Cang Xu speak.
“Lord Zhen Jin himself is an outstanding cultivator, his innate talent is
outstanding.”
“He has a noble bloodline, is a templar knight, and offers all of his
conviction towards Emperor Sheng Ming.”
“These already make him one in ten thousand, however what is more praiseworthy,
is his scrupulous abiding of knightly morality. He uproots the strong, supports
the weak, upholds virtue, condemns evil, attends to the small and weak, and
even if he has to sacrifice his life, he shall never violate the templar knight
doctrine.”
“He is an fearless hero, is impartial, is willing to accept any person, and
views everyone as his comrade. From these traits, one can make out his
expansive vision as well as his merciful and benevolent nature.”
“Don’t tell me such a person shouldn’t receive godly concern?”
Zhen Jin sank into silence.
In his mind, a difficult question suddenly appeared——
“If that were him, could he accomplish everything done?
Could he?
“Hmph, this is a meaningless question.”
“He is a beastified person, and a silver level knight before his
transformation, his strength is greater than mine.”
“If I had silver level cultivation, I could……should be able to.”
Zhen Jin grew increasingly silent.
The body double’s voice spread throughout the camp: “As a result, we should not
be cheering for just my name, we should also cheer for Zong Ge, Tripleblade,
and Lan Zao, cheer for our warriors!”
When the body double divided the credit and glory between Zong Ge, Tripleblade,
and Lan Zao, he had everyone cheer their full names, yet Zhen Jin was as silent
as death, and his complexion also became somewhat pale.
……
As the wolf corpse was being dissected, Zi Di excitedly talked about perfume.
The camp burned down, thus the survivors set out with the wood.
Because of the divine scion knight title, Xi Suo took the initiative to rely on
the body double, while Zong Ge also gave in, the joint experience of fighting
together made both groups more harmonious, they were no longer separate
factions.
“What a body double. Now, he genuinely is the leader of everyone!” Zhen Jin’s
heart lamented incessantly.
A spider group originally blocking them suddenly disappeared mysteriously.
Zhen Jin connected this to the surviving blue dog fox wolf, and fear grew in
his heart: “Has that blue dog fox wolf been secretly following us? The spider
group was unlikely to voluntarily migrate or flee because they fear us, this is
their nest! But without any fighting or killing, they vanished, it must be that
blue dog fox wolf. It actively led the blade spider group away, its goal is to
continue accumulating its corps and after attaining a certain level, it will
attack us with its corps again!”
Almost all of the monkey tail brown bears also disappeared.
The survivors couldn’t hide their concern and worry.
“All of the monkey tail brown bears are missing, there are some traces of
battle in the nearby caves, but not many.”
“That blue dog fox wolf is still following us!”
“The magic beast corps expanded again, what should we do?”
During the long and difficult trek, disease spread through the survivors.
“Although the severity of the symptoms among the sick are varied, they are all
similar. Should we abandon these people?” Tripleblade asked the body double.
“Abandon?” Zhen Jin shook his head, “Without the boat craftsman, how can we
build a ship?”
The body double insisted on looking after the ill.
“How should I act in the current situation? That body double is too deep in his
role, higher ups should maintain their safety, it would be better to put others
in charge of this!”
Zhen Jin secretly scoffed at the body double’s behavior while also being
worried.
But unfortunately, he couldn’t control the body double’s actions.
The disease waned, and the people began to promote the body double’s correct
decision and brilliant leadership.
Reaching the shore, Bai Ya found a barrel of rum.
During the beach bonfire banquet.
The survivors’ clothes and facial hair were ragged and unkempt, making them
look like savages.
Bai Ya divided up the wine earnestly. Fei She lowered his head and lapped wine
out of a shell.
Cang Xu cleaned his eyes, after passing through the jungle, his spectacles only
had one lens left, the other side of the frame was empty.
Mu Ban held an empty rum bottle, his finger caressing the surface——this was the
feeling of human civilization.
Zong Ge and Tripleblade were discussing in low voices.
The giant was sitting on the ground and was respectfully listening to the boat
craftsman’s song.
Lan Zao was still loyally standing on the beach behind the body double.
The body double gazed at the night sky; the sky was full of stars tonight. He
looked towards the east, the Wilderness Continent, White Sands City, his duty,
and his future hopes lay there.
Zhen Jin looked at the wine in his shell and sneered in his heart: “Hmph, rum.
I am the grand Zhen Jin; how could I degrade to this degree?”
Rarely seen cheap rum did not give Zhen Jin joy, but shame.
He shunned the rum and gave it to someone else, then he gazed to the west,
where the Sheng Ming Continent and his home was.
The weather became strange and fickle, rainstorms poured down incessantly.
When the body double wasn’t present, Zhen Jin found Zi Di and questioned her:
“The other night, someone saw you sneaking into the body double’s tent. What
were you doing there?”
Zi Di slightly stared, soon replying after: “I gave him some medicine your
Lordship, then quickly left afterwards.”
“Hmph, of course I know you didn’t stay long, if not, my present attitude would
be different!” Zhen Jin was gloomy, “Why did you take the initiative to go to
his tent? He didn’t tease you, but you actively teased him! Medicine, what
medicine?”
“A warming potion. It is made from a poisonous mushroom. The potion is slightly
toxic, but it can stir the mind, however those with low life levels can’t use
it.” Zi Di answered.
“Why do you care so much about him? Warmth? He needs to warm himself? Before
his transformation he was a silver level knight, afterwards he is a beastified
person that is stronger than Zong Ge!” Zhen Jin’s gaze became sharp, as if he
were piercing the depths of Zi Di’s heart.
Zi Di shook her head and replied with grief: “My Lord, we cannot control him,
thus we need to get closer and use other methods to restrain him. I have always
carried out the plan we agreed on.”
Zhen Jin examined her: “My fiancé, you're somewhat fishy!”
“Then may I ask, what’s fishy about me? Everything I’ve done is for our sake!”
Zi Di’s expression slightly changed as she immediately retorted.
Zhen Jin shook his head: “As long as you know I am Zhen Jin, and that other guy
is a fake. When he no longer has any value, he will die. This wretched island
is not the entire world. You must remember, you are Zi Di, the Wisteria
Merchant Alliance President, and my fiancé!”
Zi Di glared: “I know! Lord Zhen Jin, what are you suspecting?”
“You better behave.” Zhen Jin coldly snorted before quietly leaving.
……
“Regardless of whether it is the mountains, ocean, swamps, or island, my
master’s holy light shines over it all. The imperial flag flies eternally in
the wind and will never fall!”
“Nothing can obstruct my path. I will gain glory, and by following me, it will
be your glory too.”
“Beginning now, this place is under my command.”
“Any objections?”
Not a single voice could be heard.
The body double gave a satisfied nod.
He led everyone now, after finally converging with the other survivors, he
successfully controlled these people.
At that moment, the body double displayed boldness and a majestic presence he
had never shown in the past.
“Not bad, I……should be like that!” In the crowd, Zhen Jin looked up at the body
double, feeling expectations, gratification, happiness, envy, and excitement,
while at the same time, feeling a trace of fear and hesitation.
……
After dispatching of the subterranean sandworm, disassembling half of the Hog’s
Kiss, and the boat craftsman finished his new ship design, the people began to
build a ship while purging nearby beast groups.
After preparing for a long time, Zhen Jin finally had an opportunity.
He climbed over a hillside and witnessed the body double transforming and
slaughtering a scaled leopard group.
“He is this powerful! Monster, simply a monster!!” Zhen Jin shuddered.
Suddenly, the body double turned around and looked at him.
“He found me! Dammit, run for it!!” Zhen Jin’s heart madly jumped as he turned
around and sprinted to the ravine!
“Why?”
“How did he find me?”
“Did he react to my gaze?!”
“Faster, must go faster. If he captures me, I will be silenced through death!”
The extreme fear stimulated Zhen Jin, allowing him to break out with
unprecedented speed.
The constant sprinting made him gasp for breath and drip with sweat.
A tree suddenly shook behind him, when Zhen Jin heard movement, he suddenly
turned around to look.
“What is that thing?”
“Is it the body double?”
“How is he so fast?!”
“Am I going to die? Am I going to die?”
“No, don’t scare yourself. Run for it, run for it!”
After stopping for a few breaths, the vibrating tree no longer moved.
Nevertheless, Zhen Jin’s heart was in turmoil.
“Am I scaring myself?”
“No! It was probably the body double. He……hesitated. Yes, he hesitated!”
“My memories molded him, he believes he is a templar knight, why would he
attack a comrade like me? But I saw him beastify.”
“Not good, not good!”
“Should I reveal my identity? No! Doing this will provoke him and encourage my
death.”
“Run, pretend you didn’t see anything, run away!”
“Sprint!”
Zhen Jin spat, and pretended to be somewhat relieved, then he continued to run.
Shortly after, Zhen Jin converged with the others in the patrol.
“Lord Hei Juan.” The team members greeted Zhen Jin.
“According to my worst calculations, the body double is right behind me.”
“Based on the body double’s combat strength, two to three minutes is enough to
slaughter the entire patrol!”
“I need to explain first to stabilize him.”
Zhen Jin’s emotional state was anxious as he nodded: “I followed a peculiar
sound, after exploring for a long distance, I didn't find anything. Let’s go,
we will return to camp now.”
“But it is still early.” Someone objected.
Zhen Jin’s heart flew into a rage: “What is earliness?! Do you not know that at
any second, all of us might die!”
Controlling his heart’s intense mood, Zhen Jin smiled: “There isn’t enough
time, we are already far from camp, if we return now, we will arrive just in
time to eat some warm food.”
“Don’t be worried, we have already explored this place, if another beast group
comes, the traps will surely warn us.”
Seeing Zhen Jin’s attitude, the others also stopped insisting.
“That’s good.”
“Let’s listen to Lord Hei Juan.”
An additional person laughed: “I always thought you were hard to interact with
Lord Hei Juan, looks like the truth was completely different from the rumors.”
“Good, don’t listen to rubbish, let's leave without delay.” Zhen Jin couldn’t
help but urge.
But his heart roared: “Run you idiots!!! If we don’t we’ll die!”
Finally, under an extremely apprehensive mood, Zhen Jin and the others returned
to the ravine camp.
Awoo!
Suddenly, the body double’s bat monkey beast howl alarmed the nearby birds,
causing them to flee into the air.
Zhen Jin’s entire body quivered, his intuition strongly told him: “It's him,
the body double! Perhaps he really followed us and is hesitating whether to
attack me!”
“What did he resolve to do in the end?”
“Does he want to kill me?”
“No! That can’t happen, how can I die here?”
“My own body double kills me?! That is too lamentable, too comical!”
The others also took note of the activity.
“What is that sound?”
“Did you guys just hear something?”
“It sounded like a bat monkey howling.”
They subconsciously stopped and turned to look behind them.
“Run now you hoodlums!” Zhen Jin roared in his heart, he didn’t dare to show
anything abnormal and succeeded to this point. If by any chance he stimulated
the body double’s killing intent and died, he would be indignant and
unresigned.
“How is that possible? Zhen Jin smiled and retorted, “Bat monkeys live in large
groups, even if an expelled bat monkey group drifted here, they would not
venture near the ravine.”
“Should we go investigate?” Someone suggested.
“If you want to die, I’m not stopping you!!!” Zhen Jin wanted to throttle the
guy who suggested that.
But his rationality stopped his urges.
Zhen Jin shook his head; he did his utmost to maintain a tranquil look:
“Unnecessary. A single wandering bat monkey is not a threat, wait did something
just happen? Why didn’t I hear it? The wind, the wind is getting louder. The
camp is in front of us, aren’t some of you too nervous?”
Everyone knew Zhen Jin’s strength, since a bronze level elite said this,
everyone felt relieved.
“It was just the wind, that’s all.”
“Good, let’s return to camp.”
As he formally returned to camp, Zhen Jin’s heart was streaming with tears: “I
am finally back! I really escaped with my life.”
“No, that won’t do!”
“I have to completely eliminate his suspicions, if the body double’s suspicions
aren’t dispelled, I can’t say for sure if one day, I’ll be assassinated in
camp!”
“Find Zi Di!”
“Only she can help me now!!”
After Zi Di learned of the situation, she stared at Zhen Jin with disbelief:
“My Lord, how could you do this?! That was too risky and fundamentally
unnecessary. We need to use our full strength to escape this.
“Wrong, why was it unnecessary?” Zhen Jin shook his head, “We needed to
investigate, our understanding of him is too small. We cannot offend his
current authority, it is too disadvantageous for us, we have no way to
retaliate!”
“This time, you must help me.”
“If he assassinates me in the future, we’ll be done for. In my father’s anger,
he’ll completely destroy your Wisteria Merchant Alliance.
Zi Di bitterly laughed and shook her head: “Lord Zhen Jin, be at ease.
According to your account, the body double had been following you. But during
the journey, he never killed you, you are safe!”
“No.” Zhen Jin refuted at once, “What happens if he changes his mind in the
future? I’m still in danger, you must quickly think of a method that will
dispel his doubts about me.”
“You don’t understand him, your Lordship.” Zi Di sighed.
Zhen Jin tenaciously gazed at Zi Di: “I don’t understand him, do you understand
him?! Why do you think he isn’t going to murder me, what is the reason? Is it
because you have a close relationship with him I don’t know about? Or do you
believe, even if he killed me, it makes no difference?”
“Hehe.”
“Zi Di, I must tell you. If I die, in several days, there will be many letters
with our secrets concerning the body double inside.”
“I’ve probed into information; how can I not create some countermeasure?”
Zi Di suddenly changed: “My Lord, you're playing with fire! Where are the
letters?”
Zhen Jin laughed: “The letters are special; you’ll never find them.”
Zi Di deeply breathed: “Lord Zhen Jin, please calm down, I will help you,
because we are always on the same side. Don’t act so drastically, please calm
down first?”
“If I continue to calm down, the body double might kill and replace me!” Zhen
Jin roared.
“How is that possible?” Zi Di rolled her eyes and was dumbfounded, “Even if he
resembles you and has the same bloodline, he cannot replace you. The empire has
a strict examination system, every grand duke is a god that can see everything
clearly, and there has never been a case where an imperial higher up has been
replaced over a long time!”
“But I am in danger now, if he changes his decision and kills me, who will
protect me?!” Zhen Jin continued to roar; the pressure of death made him
hysterical.
“Hold on!”
Zhen Jin suddenly narrowed his eyes: “You reacted strangely my fiancé!”
“You don’t seem worried about my safety, yet I am your fiancé. Our marriage
connection has already been declared, if I die, your Wisteria Merchant Alliance
will die too!”
“What did you just say? I don’t understand the body double. You trust the body
double too much; do you really think he is a knight? A divine scion knight?”
“Hold on!” Zhen Jin’s gaze became incomparably sharp, he firmly stared at Zi
Di’s eyes and roughly asked, “Have you fallen in love with him?!”
Zi Di rolled her eyes and clearly blew her top: “My Lord, what is your mind
thinking? I fell in love with him? A body double? A beastified person?”
“Ahahaha. Zhen Jin sneered endlessly; doubt spread across his face.
“Yes it's ridiculous, to love a body double, a beastified person……that isn’t
sensible, and isn’t something a Merchant Alliance President should be doing.”
“But romance……is really unpredictable.”
“When love dashes into a muddled brain, even the most rational person in the
world becomes an incurable idiot!”
“You’re very dangerous Zi Di, your current performance makes me feel you are
very dangerous.”
“I hope you can recognize reality.”
“Even if you’ve fallen in love with him, it will only be a tragedy!”
“Think about it, when he learns the truth, when he learns he isn’t a templar
knight, and is only a mere body double, when he learns the one he loves most,
who he always thought was his fiancé, was actually the one deceiving him the
most, what will he do? How will he see you?”
Zi Di held her breath.



****** Chapter 178: I will Disregard Your Criminal Mistakes ******
“Stop stop stop!” Zi Di reached out with her hand, “My Lord, these are forceful
fantasies, please stop while you still can! I have had enough of them already!”
Zi Di brushed her hair behind her ears, then deeply breathed. After a few
breaths of striving to stabilize her mood, she began to speak: “I have a way, I
will think of something Lord Zhen Jin, you must calm yourself first to hear my
pleasant words……”
“Was only a portion exposed? Will he mistakenly think I didn’t see him clearly?
That will work.” Zhen Jin nodded and approved Zi Di’s plan.
After that meeting, regardless of whether it was the body double’s or Zhen
Jin’s crisis, both were relieved for the time being.
The next day, Zhen Jin examined the battlefield again, but found it was already
cleaned up.
After sending the information back, the higher ups discussed it again.
Zi Di glanced at the body double with worry: “My Lord, last night you were
still patrolling. Please don’t do that anymore, ok? A massive magic beast corps
might be hiding near us, that blue dog fox wolf might have learned something
new and subdued new kinds of magic beasts. My Lord, although you have spirit
power, during the night you are just a lonely person”
The body double’s mood was heavy. Of course, he was the one who cleaned up the
battlefield.
“This girl……” Zhen Jin lowered his head to hide his gloomy expression.
“Lord Zi Di is very reasonable. Master, your individual safety is related to
the general situation. For a long time now, because you were here, we were able
to unite, build a ship, and collaborate together in order to flee this place.
Without you leading us, we will become like a sheet of loose sand. You are too
precious; you shouldn’t risk yourself.” Lan Zao also advised.
Cang Xu and the others nodded one after the other.
Even Zong Ge opened his mouth: “Templar knight, we understand your mood and
bravery, you have never avoided your responsibility as our leader. But because
of this, we must be more careful. If late at night you are besieged by a magic
beast corps or attacked by that mysterious magic beast, it would cause immense
damage.”
“Truly ridiculous and lamentable! If they knew the body double’s true identity,
what would their expression be?” Zhen Jin sneered incessantly in his heart.
The ship building made a lot of progress; however, the giant went mad,
earthquakes struck, volcanoes erupted, and many more magic beast corps besieged
the ravine camp.
Under this difficult and miserable situation, the new ship was finally
constructed.
The body double quietly left the celebratory feast.
“Where is he going?” Zhen Jin secretly followed him, and quickly found the body
double and the giant sitting on a hillside.
“Hmph, as expected, birds of a feather flock together, a beastified person and
a half giant, monsters!” Zhen Jin sneered and returned to the feast.
However due to earthquakes and two magic beast corps attacks, the new ship was
ruined.
In that critical juncture where Zhen Jin was about to become beast food, many
people suddenly beastified and frantically counterattacked,
The old boat craftsman on his deathbed was still unable to let the giant go,
thus he implored the body double.
“Don’t agree! With an idiot like him, what will happen to my noble reputation!”
Zhen Jin was opposed but couldn’t do anything.
He looked helplessly at the body double agreeing to deceive the giant.
“Two monsters sympathize with each other, truly nauseating!” Zhen Jin secretly
disdained.
During the beastified person dissection, Zi Di was suspicious: “The island
master can secretly influence all kinds of lifeforms on this island, I fear
this is the cause of our comrades’ beastification.”
“Am I also infected? I have been on this island for a long time, maybe I was
also transformed surreptitiously.” Fear grew in Zhen Jin’s heart.
Cang Xu proposed the strange magic beasts were perhaps all humans once, causing
everyone to shiver.
Zhen Jin grabbed his curled hair and cursed through gritted teeth: “I have had
enough of this wretched place! After guessing so much, we still need to repair
the ship and leave this place as soon as possible.”
But reality was cruel——the new ship was damaged and couldn’t sail.
Another earthquake created a brand new, gigantic river in front of everyone.
Zi Di suggested they go to the volcanic area and attack the control hub.
“No.” Zhen Jin shook his head, “We can wait for help. Attacking the island
center is too crazy! A volcano just erupted there, besides there are magic
beast corps along the road, we will die enroute.”
“We will use the ship.” The body double’s voice said, “That will cut down the
distance and save time.”
Zhen Jin stared blankly.
“Just now, Emperor Sheng Ming illuminated me!” The body double pointed to the
river.
Everyone stared blankly again.
Zhen Jin nearly facepalmed, what inside information do you have, that I don’t
know? Your still deceiving these people to death!
“Could it be, did Emperor Sheng Ming make this river?”
“It's no wonder no one died.”
“The gods have insurmountable willpower!”
“Divine scion knight……” Cang Xu deeply bowed to the body double, and sighed
endlessly, “Perhaps this is your heroic journey. My Lord Zhen Jin!”
Almost everyone’s scalp felt somewhat numb.
They seemed to feel they were witnessing history!
If a future heroic epic was passed on, would we have a role in it too?
“We’re done for! You idiots!!” Zhen Jin’s heart filled with despair, “He is not
a hero, he can beastify, he is the greatest threat!”
The body double looked around him, after determining the will of the people had
changed, he loudly ordered with incomparable staunchness: “This is my decision,
we will use all of strength to repair the boat, we shall cremate our comrades,
and we shall do our best to gather as many supplies as we can. We shall set
sail and proceed towards……the island’s center!”
No one opposed him.
Zhen Jin’s heart madly howled: “Insane, the body double is insane, Zi Di is
also insane, this group of people is insane, we are all following the path
towards our doom!”
……
As everyone went forward, they had to abandon the boat and were ambushed by
magic beast corps.
Jia Sha appeared: “Zhen Jin, you’ve arrived at last.”
“Jia Sha?! He’s still alive!” Zhen Jin was inwardly overjoyed at the
unexpectedly good news.
“My Lord, we will succeed!” Zi Di quietly found Zhen Jin, “With Lord Jia Sha’s
divine spells, our hope has increased greatly. Jia Sha and the body double have
already reached an agreement, he will use all of his strength to support you as
White Sands City’s lord. With the next great merit, it won’t just be one city!
Although the shipwreck was an accident, it was filled with opportunity. The
body double has worked hard for us, as long as this continues, we’ll have
immense gains.”
“Ok, your news is pretty good.” But Zhen Jin was still concerned, “With the
body double in front of us, we’ll be safer. Alas, I hope we can succeed in the
end.”
“We have no other choice, your Lordship. If we stay in place and wait for help,
our hopes are insignificant.” Zi Di replied.
“I understand.”
The two people discussed for a bit, then after seeing Zi Di depart, Zhen Jin’s
eyes became serene.
Journeying together brought many opportunities, and when Zhen Jin finally found
one, he privately found Jia Sha: “Priest, I crave a confession.”
During the confession, Zhen Jin confessed everything.
“Interesting!” It was hard for Jia Sha to cover up his surprise, “Regardless of
whether it is your body double or your fiancé, both are very interesting.”
“Zhen Jin, you have chosen the most sensible option.”
“But for now, this conversation between us never happened. Do you understand
me?”
“I understand, Lord priest!” Zhen Jin deeply bowed.
……
Under Jia Sha’s leadership, everyone broke through the alchemy factory and made
their way to the control hub.
When the body double was struck by lightning, Zhen Jin grabbed Zi Di and
confessed everything to everyone.
The magic beasts were in utter chaos as they massacred each other, adding on
the narrow stairwell, only a few could break through.
“Don’t panic everyone. Now that the truth has been disclosed, everyone has
benefited. Only the body double is dead, I am still alive!” Zhen Jin began to
persuade the other survivors.
“Lan Zao, you should understand that I am now your master.” Zhen Jin looked at
Lan Zao.
Lan Zao still held the body double’s body, his face was lifeless, the truth had
completely toppled his perception.
Zhen Jin turned to smile at Bai Ya and the others: “If you want to follow me,
I’ll gladly allow it. With my templar knight identity and noble status, loyalty
is sure to receive commendation. Follow me, and you will obtain glory,
splendor, wealth, and rank.”
“God, what is going on?!” Bai Ya held his head, his emotional state was in
chaos.
Cang Xu was silent.
As the half beastman beat back magic beasts, he coldly snorted: “Shut up! You
coward, what qualifications do you have to lead us? Your body double is more of
a templar knight than you!”
Zong Ge believed Jia Sha’s and Zhen Jin’s words, because priests were unlikely
to joke about their beliefs, however he did not approve of Zhen Jin.
“Regardless of whether you are or aren’t Lord Zhen Jin, please release my
president first.” Fei Sha glared.
Zhen Jin shook his head and refused: “She is your president, but she is my
fiancé.”
Zi Di was dazed, her eyes remained fixed on the body double.
Seeing his fiancé like this, Zhen Jin stopped breathing and roared: “Enough,
you’re going to sober up a bit for me.”
At that moment, a number of flying squirrels flew in.
“Be careful!” Zong Ge loudly warned.
Everyone’s thoughts were in chaos, morale was rock bottom, and the sudden
flying squirrel attack flustered them.
Zhen Jin dragged Zi Di while he was shooting flying squirrels and retreating.
Zi Di didn’t want to move, she even wanted to rush over to the body double,
however Zhen Jin quickly found out and stopped her.
“Enough!” Zhen Jin howled.
“Zi Di, it is normal for youngsters to make mistakes.”
“I researched your information; I know you’ve never experienced love. Don’t
think the sky has fallen onto you.”
“Think of your merchant alliance, think of your remaining youthful years.”
“I will disregard your criminal mistakes if you follow me! We are a most
suitable pair, we need each other!”
Zi Di still struggled.
Frustrated, Zhen Jin had to whisper into her ear: “We are going up a floor
now.”
“I don’t trust him; his brains are already filled with contribution. Of course,
if it were me, I’d be the same! Who wants to divide up the contribution with
others?”
“Jia Sha won’t dare to kill me, but he definitely doesn't care about you!
Follow me and you will live!”
“Besides, Jia Sha is the body double’s murderer. Don’t you want to save your
life and avenge your beloved?!”
In a moment of desperation, Zhen Jin could only use this persuasion.
Zi Di’s body shook, and she no longer resisted as she followed Zhen Jin to the
highest floor.
The other survivors looked on helplessly, someone wanted to follow, but
lightning fell and split the area in front of them.



****** Chapter 179: Please Resurrect Him! ******
Zhen Jin and Zi Di successfully entered the highest floor of the control hub.
“Lord Priest, what happened?!” Seeing Jia Sha again, Zhen Jin barely believed
his eyes.
Jia Sha was old and gray haired, he looked thin, and had eye bags, compared to
when the four guardian templar knights brought up the divine artifacts, his
body looked worse and more concerning.
Zi Di’s heart jumped, she suddenly realized: Jia Sha was squeezing too much
divine power from his body!
Chaplains and priests relied on prayer to be imbued. The more pious and higher
rank a clergy was, the more divine power they received.
Divine power poured into the body and transformed the clergy at all times,
increasing their body and cultivation.
However, the number of prayers per day was fixed.
Normally, one would pray to Emperor Sheng Ming three times a day. Once in the
morning, once at noon, and once at night.
The amount of divine power Jia Sha received each day was finite.
To invade the control hub, the divine power stored in his body and from prayer
was not enough, thus he could only squeeze it from his body.
“It is very clear Jia Sha is sacrificing his potential, his aptitude has been
greatly damaged and even his life energy has been exchanged for more divine
power!”
Zi Di analyzed Jia Sha’s obsession over contribution internally, and suddenly
understood something!
He paid a great price, too great in fact, even if he escaped this place with
his life, he’d be a cripple (of course the aptitude of sect clergy took
precedence) and would only live for two to three more years.
If possible, Jia Sha would have never risked it all.
But there was no other way!
Low level magic and battle qi was prohibited here, he could not count on
others, he could only push up. If he didn’t push up, he wouldn’t escape, and if
he couldn’t escape, he would die. In front of death, what is there to say about
aptitude, lifespan, and the future?
As an intruder, he couldn’t use the spirit, he could only access the control
hub tower. He had to attach divine power to the spirit, by the divine power’s
powerful erosion, his spirit in the tower stepped towards victory and routed
the tower spirit’s control, allowing him to wrest control of its scope of
authority.
Why did Jia Sha thirst for the divine artifacts?
Because there was only one road ahead of him, he had to exchange the divine
artifacts for contribution and use it with the sect and even gods to redeem his
prospects.
If not, without heavenly contribution, even if he survived, he would be a
cripple, a life worse than death!
Facing Zhen Jin’s bewildered gaze, Jia Sha closed his lips, he merely glanced
at Zhen Jin and didn’t reply, nothing could distract him.
Suddenly, he heard a loud roar.
After a moment, a blue light appeared on the fourth floor.
Soon after, the blue light spread to form an oval door of light.
A teleportation door!
Regardless of whether it was Zhen Jin or the guardian templar knights, all of
them happily looked at it.
“Hahaha!” Jia Sha laughed heartily, but quickly, because of his weak body, he
fiercely coughed.
“Lord Priest, you succeeded! We can leave now; hurry let’s leave this place!
Zhen Jin impatiently urged.
“Don’t worry, I already plundered half of the tower spirit’s teleportation
privileges, this teleportation door is under my control, it is very stable, the
tower spirit cannot interfere with it. Now……I am the one who says who goes
first and last.” Saying this, Jia Sha deeply gazed at Zhen Jin.
Zhen Jin’s heart thumped, then he forced a laugh: “Of course Lord Priest, you
are our leader aren't you?
Zi Di was pale.
Jia Sha no longer looked at Zhen Jin, rather he ordered the guardian templar
knights: “The Green Jade Golden Coffin will be teleported first.”
“Yes my Lord!”
The four guardian templar knights lifted the Green Jade Golden Coffin through
the teleportation door, completely bringing it to the other side.
As the divine artifact was teleported, the teleportation door violently
fluctuated for a bit before stabilizing again.
As for where the divine artifact went, no one knew besides Jia Sha.
Jia Sha’s investment was valuable, he controlled teleportation door privileges
and firmly held the initiative in this situation.
“Very good, very good.” Jia Sha exposed a smile; his original nervousness had
alleviated by a lot.
Sending off the Green Jade Golden Coffin had consumed a great amount of magic
power.
But there was still some magic power remaining.
Enough for another divine artifact, Jia Sha, and a small number of people.
“Now, send off the Mermaid Fairy Tale.” Jia Sha ordered.
Just as the guardian templar knights acted, the tower spirit’s voice suddenly
came through: “Warning, warning!”
“Detecting loss of teleportation privileges, 55, 56, 58, 59, 61……”
“Teleportation gate has just opened, the artificial magic beast alchemy core
module has been lost, attempting to shut it……”
“Unable to close the teleportation door.”
“Warning, warning. 65% of teleportation privileges lost. Tower spirit is unable
to resist, currently losing, currently losing.”
Everyone was nervous for a spell, but quickly relaxed.
“Hahaha.” Jia Sha laughed again, “A false alarm, victory is already in my
grasp!”
But at that moment, everyone heard the tower spirit say: “Tower spirit requests
aid, requesting assistance.”
“No feedback from requested target.”
“68”
“Warning, 68% of teleportation privileges have been lost.”
“No response to requests.”
“Starting an emergency distress call, searching for external assistance.”
“Beginning detection privileges.”
“Scanning for those with level ten privileges……none.”
“Scanning for those with level eleven privileges……none.”
……
“Ding, sensing one with level eighteen privileges——Miss Zi Di.”
“The mystifying alchemy factory tower spirit requests your aid; it hopes you
can lend a helping hand.”
“Your contribution will be recorded. Based on your contribution, you will
obtain a corresponding reward from the tower spirit. You will receive a good
impression and friendship from the alchemy factory master. From now on, you
will get a discount on everything you purchase from this factory.”
“May I ask whether you accept this call for help?”
Under everyone’s dumbstruck gaze, Zi Di quickly responded and replied: “Yes!”
Magic light sprinkled, forming a formation contract in the air.
After a moment, the formation concentrated and landed on Zi Di’s forehead,
forming a magic formation tattoo.
The tower spirit said: “Contract established.”
“Please aid the tower spirit Miss Zi Di, defeat the intruder and seize the
control privileges again. Priority targets are as follows: teleportation
privileges are first, weather privileges are second, artificial magic beast
privileges are third……”
“No!” Jia Sha madly roared, he raged violently as he suffered Zi Di’s attacks.
The attacks were relentless, with vengeful snarls, the privileges Jia Sha had
obtained with great difficulty were being quickly lost.
The Blood Light Punishment Institution and War Merchant ended in mutual
destruction, during that bitter struggle the tower spirit was heavily damaged,
it was in a terrible state.
As the control hub brain, it couldn’t control the alchemy factory, most of the
time it was forcibly dormant, or else it would have been completely destroyed.
As a result, as a silver level priest corroded the control hub, the tower
spirit couldn’t resist.
During the contest over authority, Jia Sha was successful in every endeavor.
The true restriction was the silver level priest’s divine power. Through divine
power, he could invade the control hub.
In the mental fight over authority, divine force was a carrier of the mind.
However, the current situation was different.
After Zi Di agreed to help, her spirit was accepted by the entire control hub.
She was a magician that hadn’t used any magic; thus, she was in good condition.
Although she only had iron level cultivation, her spirit exceeded that of an
ordinary person.
Jia Sha was a priest, he had risked his life up until now, and was already a
spent force. He resisted, his spirit had to attach to the control hub and erode
it.
The conclusion of this contest was obvious, with Zi Di’s new strength and
masterful spirit usage, Jia Sha’s spirit retreated again and again.
Not long after, the teleportation gate closed.
Zi Di didn’t close it, rather Jia Sha did it at his own accord.
If he didn’t close it, Zi Di could learn where the teleportation door led to.
“How can you have authority? You’ve been here!” Jia Sha tenaciously glared at
Zi Di.
Zhen Jin also looked at Zi Di, stupefied.
Zi Di didn’t fear Jia Sha’s glare, then she glazed at Zhen Jin and sneered: “So
Lord Zhen Jin, where do you think the body double came from?”
“An insignificant iron level magician!” Jia Sha’s heart was furious, arousing
his full strength. However, he had reached his limit, even if he summoned all
of remaining energy, he wasn’t Zi Di’s opponent.
“Do you know what you're doing?! Do you want to betray the empire? Zhen Jin, do
you want to betray your convictions? Do you want to become a depraved knight?”
Jia Sha asked.
Zi Di gently laughed: “Lord Priest, please don’t say such frightening things.
We would never betray the empire; you also don’t need to unjustly accuse Lord
Zhen Jin of betraying his convictions. We have no intention of being enemies,
we only want to have a proper conversation.”
Jia Sha gnashed his teeth.
He really wanted to order the four guardian templar knights to kill Zi Di. But
crucially, Zhen Jin was in front of Zi Di, Zi Di already saw through the
situation and treated the templar knight as her protective talisman.
This skillful arrangement was truly unfavorable, and Jia Sha didn’t dare to
give the order.
Feeling a slight dizziness in his mind, Jia Sha knew it was pure anger! But he
couldn't do anything but calm himself.
“What do you want to speak about?” Jia Sha asked.
“Let's discuss contribution! Zi Di immediately responded, “During the whole
journey, your Lordship Priest has the biggest, this we recognize. But can our
contribution be negated?”
Zhen Jin reacted after and immediately added words with an attitude that
clearly favored Zi Di.
Now was not the time to investigate Zi Di’s secret connection with War
Merchant.
“I never wanted to negate your contribution!” Jia Sha gloomily said as he
sweat.
“Then may I ask, where was the Green Jade Golden Coffin teleported to?” Zi Di’s
voice was sharper than Silver Lightning.
Jia Sha coldly snorted and was exceedingly resentful: “Do you believe I would
easily say that?”
Zi Di sneered: “But we also contributed to the acquisition of the Green Jade
Golden Coffin. Lord Priest, you just said that you wouldn’t negate our
meritorious services and contribution, but your actions don’t match your
words.”
“If I didn’t receive the tower spirit's approval by a fluke, Priest Jia Sha,
did you want to abandon us?”
Jia Sha’s head was faintly sore, he didn’t expect Zi Di’s sharpness and
unreasonableness.
He shook his head, then spat, his complexion had calmed down: “Discussing this
now is unnecessary! Even if I explained it better, with your lack of trust, you
wouldn’t believe me. It’s like how I don’t believe you, thus I’m not saying
where the Green Jade Golden Coffin was teleported to.”
“It doesn’t matter.” Zi Di smiled. “Wait until my spirit completely defeats
you, after I grasp all teleportation privileges, I can check where it was
teleported to!”
Jia Sha immediately turned pale.
If he controlled all of the teleportation privileges, he could remove the
teleportation records. But his teleportation authority never reached 100%.
“Haha, Zi Di, beautiful work!” Zhen Jin laughed heartily.
“Perhaps we can make a transaction.” Zi Di said, her tone also became gentle,
“We won’t force you priest, and we admit, your contribution is greater than
ours. We only want to protect ourselves.”
“What do you want in the end? Say it now!” Jia Sha was extremely jittery, with
no way out, Jia Sha could only compromise under Zi Di’s pressure.
Zi Di gazed serenely: “It’s very simple, I only want your Lordship Priest to
use a resurrection spell to immediately revive Zhen Jin’s body double.”
“What??!!” Zhen Jin was stunned, he turned around and angrily glared at his
fiancé.



****** Chapter 180: Zi Di Fights Jia Sha ******
Zhen Jin was livid.
Any man who saw their fiancé’s heart tied up with another man would be furious.
Zhen Jin originally planned to squeeze all of the value out of the body double,
then make him die violently. But not long ago, the body double already died!
There was no point at being angry at the dead.
Pressured by the situation, Zhen Jin chose to forgive Zi Di for the time being.
But who would have thought, Zi Di actually wanted to resurrect his body double!
Although Zhen Jin didn’t open his mouth again, he seemed to shoot flames and
denounce:
“He is in your mind constantly! What’s so good about him anyways?”
“You want to revive your lover in front of me, then what am I to you?!”
Zi Di placated: “Lord Zhen Jin, we have to revive the body double. Because
after leaving this island, there will no longer be a prohibition environment.
We face a silver level priest and four iron level guardian templar knights.
I’ve already taken back much of the teleportation privileges, if a second
divine artifact is teleported, there will only be enough for a few individuals
to escape!”
Gazing at Zi Di’s flickering eyes, Zhen Jin’s heart shivered.
“Your words are reasonable!”
“Yes, after escaping, if Jia Sha reneges on us and plunders our spoils, we
don’t have the strength to resist.”
“This woman is still very shrewd, with a greater vision of the future, she
deserves to be called the Wisteria Merchant Alliance President. But is that the
only layer to her plan?”
Zhen Jin’s mood was complex, and his train of thought was somewhat chaotic.
Jia Sha sneered: “Resurrect the body double? Templar knight, it seems your
fiancé’s relationship with your body double is extraordinary. I just killed the
body double, and now she is simply seeking death.”
“Ahehe. Templar knight, do you really trust her?”
“She concealed her secret relationship with War Merchant from you. Are you not
afraid that after the body double is resurrected, he will replace you?”
Zhen Jin coldly snorted: “Lord Jia Sha, I am also a noble and a templar knight!
These words don’t deceive me.”
“If imperial nobility was so easy to impersonate, then human society would have
already been turned upside down. First, bloodlines are extremely hard to forge,
next higher ups are inspected at set intervals by divine spells. Who can
deceive the gods?”
“Zi Di and I have an engagement, this is a strict magic agreement. If we betray
each other, a disastrous price will be paid.”
“And crucially, the Wisteria Merchant Alliance is an optimal partner to my Bai
Zhen Clan, our interests are identical! If I die from her betrayal here, the
Wisteria Merchant Alliance will perish.”
“As for her secret connection with War Merchant? Hehehe, what relationship?
Many imperial nobles contact demons for secret transactions! A huge merchant
alliance connected with a hidden character like War Merchant is very normal.”
Seeing Zhen Jin speak frankly, Jia Sha slightly stared.
He originally despised the timid Zhen Jin from the bottom of his heart, but he
didn’t expect that at this moment, he would be so unmovable, it was beyond Jia
Sha’s expectations.
“Wretched noble. If it involves his personal benefits, he usually becomes
incomparably shrewd!”
“Don’t tell me I really need to compromise with these two?”
Jia Sha felt ridiculous and angry. He paid a huge price, but in the end, an
outsider grabbed a bargain.
The priest was not resigned.
He continued to shake his head and blame others: “Resurrection spell? Miss Zi
Di, do you have any common sense in this aspect? Only a bishop can use this
divine spell, and I am a silver level priest, nothing more. You're simply
making things difficult for me.”
Zi Di sneered: “Lord Jia Sha, you can investigate the passengers of the Hog’s
Kiss. How can I not investigate your information? In fact, according to your
contribution and common sense, you should have been promoted to bishop already.
You can already use the resurrection spell; this is evidence of your
outstanding aptitude.”
“Lord Priest. I know this is more than you imagined but act quickly.”
“Impossible.” Ji Sha shook his head, “I am only a silver level priest, to
activate the resurrection spell, I need to be in peak condition, everyone can
see what state I am in currently. I don’t even have a tenth of the divine power
required for resurrection, if I forcibly use the divine spell now, I will throw
my life away.
Zhen Jin slightly changed color.
Zi Di’s eyes flickered indeterminately: “How can I believe you priest, you are
continuing to invade the control hub, yet tell me you don’t have enough divine
power?”
“It's because I am invading the control hub, therefore I am consuming a lot of
divine power. Deceiving you is unnecessary, we aren’t really enemies, isn’t
that so? At most, we are only disputing how contribution is allocated.” Jia Sha
attempted to slow the mood.
Zi Di narrowed her eyes slightly: “Lord Priest, do you really lack divine
power? Perhaps there is some power leftover to deal with us after the
teleportation, that sounds like a good plan!”
Jia Sha’s look changed; the skillful discussion had covered his forehead in
sweat.
This was because while him and Zi Di were discussing, her spirit never stopped
attacking Jia Sha and taking back his authority.
“Miss Zi Di, don’t be too excessive!” Jia Sha couldn’t support himself, as his
authority was being constantly lost, his field of view began to become blurry.
Zi Di emphasized again: “Resurrect the body double, and I can postpone my
offensive! In your state, you cannot be my adversary, isn’t that so?”
“You are forcing me to die!” Jia Sha’s rage burned his body.
“It’s hard to imagine that I, the grand Jia Sha, a silver level priest, am
being coerced by an insignificant female merchant/
“This is a shameful day!”
Seeing Jia Sha’s sinister expression, Zhen Jin turned to Zi Di and said:
“Perhaps we should believe him, after all, hounding Jia Sha to death will harm
us.”
Zi Di slowly shook her head: “I agreed to the tower spirit’s contract, I must
destroy or banish Jia Sha’s spirit from the tower control hub.”
“As long as this is accomplished, my contract will be fulfilled.”
“Not only do we receive the tower spirit’s reward, we also weaken Jia Sha’s
battle strength greatly. When we leave this island, he is unlikely to touch
you, but he has no apprehensions about me.”
“Lord Zhen Jin, do you think my analysis is reasonable?”
Zi Di’s words were very reasonable, thus Zhen Jin could only nod.
Zi Di signing a contract with the tower spirit seemed very reckless. But as a
matter of fact, if she didn’t agree, they wouldn’t have reached this deadlock
and Jia Sha would have completely controlled the spoils of war.
“So!” Zi Di gazed at Jia Sha again and urged: “Death really isn’t the end, Lord
Priest, as long as you resurrect the body double, everyone can be discussed.
Even if you pass away, we will use this overflowing contribution to appeal to
the gods and resurrect you in a shrine.”
Jia Sha sneered: “Miss Zi Di, your thoughts are too savage. The resurrection
spell has limits, if the time limit is passed, a dead person’s soul will
dissipate. Without a soul even if the gods personally used the resurrection
spell, they can’t revive me! How can you guarantee that you can revive me after
death? Even if we use the teleportation door, we can only teleport to nearby
islands.”
Zi Di’s complexion sank.
She was also worried about this, if it weren’t like this, she wouldn’t force
Jia Sha to use the resurrection spell.
“Hold on, I thought of something, we bring back the Green Jade Golden Coffin
and use it! Can’t that divine artifact revive the dead?” Zhen Jin lit up and
yelled.
Jia Sha laughed grimly: “Teleport the Green Jade Golden Coffin here and back
again? There isn’t enough magic power!”
“Furthermore, the Green Jade Golden Coffin is a divine artifact, we can’t use
it. Most of War Merchant’s alchemy formation has already been destroyed, even
if it weren’t, the alchemy formation can only remodel magic beasts, it cannot
revive the dead.”
“If it’s like that……” Zhen Jin tightly scowled, and did his utmost to ponder,
anxiety spread across his face.
At that moment, Zi Di obtained another immense victory.
Jia Sha suddenly changed color, alarm and anger occurred at the same time.
As it turns out, Zi Di had been saving for a short time, then she suddenly
attacked. She didn’t seize teleportation privileges, but the weather
privileges.
“Zi Di, you're good!” Jia Sha was caught unprepared, he promptly resisted to
protect his remaining authority.
The priest couldn’t help but respect Zi Di even more.
He originally wanted to rely on the weather manipulation privileges to explain
the situation to Zi Di, he didn’t expect the latter to think of that and
suddenly attack it, removing a card Jia Sha intended to use.
Moment by moment, Zi Di’s spirit stepped towards victory, and he would lose
that bargaining chip.
Helpless, Jia Sha had to attack ahead of time.
“You forced me!” Jia Sha roared as he used the weather controls to fire
lightning from the walls.
Zi Di clenched her teeth, with the authority she had just seized, she attempted
to stop the lightning.
Kacha, kacha.
From a concentrated state, the lightning spread out, any artificial magic beast
hit by it were either severely injured or killed.
“What’s going on?” The survivors on the third floor were bewildered.
Previously, the tower spirit’s and Zi Di’s conversation made them learn there
was an incident on the fourth floor, but no one dared to risk going up.
“Tower spirit, come help me now.” Zi Di couldn’t shut down the lightning, she
could only call for reinforcements.
The tower spirit appeared, helping Zi Di confront Jia Sha.
But beyond the two people’s expectations, the tower spirit didn’t directly help
Zi Di, rather it took advantage of the situation to separate the lightning
control from Jia Sha, causing the lightning to be disorderly.
Tripleblade was caught off guard and was nearly struck by lightning.
“What happened on the fourth floor?!”
“Priest Jia Sha, why are you striking us!”
The survivors sank into confusion.
Jia Sha’s voice came through: “I can no longer control the lightning. Zi Di,
this is your fault! Because of you, your comrades will die.”
Zi Di quickly responded: “Hide near the bloodcore, anyone within a three meter
radius from the bloodcore is safe!”
Hearing the warning, everyone withdrew to the Bloodcore.
Lan Zao carried the body double and went there.
Zong Ge and the others took a risk to drag the still twitching giant over to
the crowd.



****** Chapter 181: I’m Truly Fed Up with You Both! ******
Lightning constantly fell, reflecting on the survivors’ overcast faces.
The magic power reserves were being quickly consumed.
Receiving Zi Di’s warning, the survivors cowered near the Bloodcore, allowing
them to be safe for the time being.
But the artificial magic beast suffered a calamity, being struck as they
massacred each other.
However, the amount of magic beasts didn’t noticeably decline, because the
tower spirit was still teleporting magic beasts in.
Zi Di’s expression changed: “Tower spirit, cease teleportations now!”
Tower spirit: “Request rejected, destroying the intruder and protecting the
control hub tower mission is the greatest……priority……”
No matter how much Zi Di shouted, the tower spirit went dormant again.
“Dammit!” Zi Di had a grave look, the situation had become terrible.
The old dog Jia Sha, despite seeming to topple at the slightest breeze,
actually still had energy remaining. This caused Zi Di’s surprise attack and
plan to seize all privileges over weather controls to fail.
More frightening was the tower spirit’s unexpected interference, it wanted to
annihilate all outsiders except for Zi Di.
After three entanglements with each other, a tight situation was created.
Zhen Jin’s face couldn’t conceal his worry, he promptly advised Zi Di and Jia
Sha: “Calm down, we are companions, we don’t need to be so noisy.”
“Ahehehe.” Jia Sha sneered, “It's too late, the lightning is already beyond
both my and Zi Di’s control, it is free to strike anywhere. She also took most
of the teleportation privileges, if It were under my control, the tower spirit
wouldn’t be able to teleport so many magic beasts in!”
Zhen Jin’s head was filled with cold sweat.
If the lightning and teleportation continued, the magic power reserve would be
dried up. When that happened, no one could escape!
“Zi Di, my fiancé!” Zhen Jin turned to look at Zi Di, besides anxiety, there
was pleading in his eyes.
Zi Di shook her head, her gaze was ice-cold: “I can’t return authority, if I
deliberately lose to Jia Sha, the contract will take my life. Only by stripping
all of Jia Sha’s authority, can I escape.”
“When that moment comes, while the tower spirit is dormant, I can stop the
weather control, I can stop the lightning and magic beast teleportations. We
can win!”
Zhen Jin looked at Jia Sha again: “Priest, take a step back. The Green Jade
Golden Coffin is yours; we have no interest in it!”
“Hahaha!” Jia Sha howled with laughter, “For what reason? During this whole
journey, I have led you, treated you, supplied food, and protected your bodies
with divine spells. Without me, none of you could have entered this alchemy
factory!”
“Why must my contribution be given to you?”
“What did you contribute?”
“A despicable merchant, a cowardly knight! When I relied on you in the final
moments, you suddenly turned traitor, do you think I will submit to your
blackmail?”
Zhen Jin glared: “Lord Jia Sha, can you calm down a bit? If no one concedes,
all of us will die! Only you can back down now, my fiancé has a contract on her
body.”
Jia Sha sneered, and gazed at Zhen Jin and Zi Di with ridicule: “Why can’t your
fiancé back down, why must I back down?
“Besides, who knows the specific contents of that contract? Templar knight, are
you sure your fiancé isn’t deceiving you?”
Zhen Jin stared blankly.
In the end, the three sides had a severe lack of trust.
At first, it was merely striving for benefits, however with all three sides put
on the spot, it was difficult for anyone to control the situation.
It was impossible for them to stop halfway.
“Lord Jia Sha, Miss Zi Di, please be a bit rational.”
“Yes, pointless internal strife only allows the tower spirit to prevail.
“War Merchant is already dead; we can already escape. If this ends in mutual
destruction, it’s not worth it.”
The guardian templar knights were also panicking.
Jia Sha laughed grimly; his bloodshot eyes were filled with killing intent:
“Then kill Zi Di first! As for Zhen Jin, anything is fine as long as he doesn’t
die!”
The guardian templar knights hesitated, thoughts gradually moved in them.
As guardian templar knights, their duty lay in protecting the sect, none of
them wanted to fight a templar knight.
However, the current situation was tense, killing Zi Di and harming Zhen Jin
seemed to be the best option.
Besides, they also always listened to Jia Sha’s orders.
Seeing the guardian templar knights becoming threatening, Zhen Jin nervously
stood up. If they truly attacked, his two hands against four enemies made it
very hard to protect Zi Di.
“Zi Di, transmit my voice downstairs!” Zhen Jin said to Zi Di.
Thus, at the next moment, the survivors heard Zhen Jin’s voice: “Zong Ge,
Tripleblade, Lan Zao, as well as the other everyone else, I Zhen Jin, templar
knight and the sole heir of the Bai Zhen Clan, summon and enlist everyone.”
“The imperial flag waves above our heads, and everyone’s honor will increase.”
“Quickly come up, fight by my side!”
“I Zhen Jin, swear on my honor, that I will treat no one unfairly.”
The crowd stood up, disturbed.
Previously, Zi Di’s and Jia Sha’s conversation were unknown to outsiders, it
was limited to those on the fourth floor. Everyone only saw the constant
lightning and teleportation; they were completely ignorant of the internal
situation.
Now that Zhen Jin was suddenly summoning them, the people were bewildered.
“What is going on? What is happening upstairs?”
“They encountered an enemy? Don’t tell me a remodeled magic beast was
teleported upstairs?”
Zhen Jin’s temporary enlistment effort achieved nothing, none of the survivors
budged.
“It’s no use.” Zi Di’s complexion was dark, “This is why I need the body
double.”
“Abominable, I am Zhen Jin, a grand templar knight!” Zhen Jin gnashed his
teeth, in order to instigate these people into confronting Jia Sha and the
guardian templar knights, he was deliberately vague.
But the crowd was indifferent, this made Zhen Jin feel ashamed.
Currently, Jia Sha already lost his ability to control the weather, he couldn’t
use the lightning to attack a specific target. However, the free and disorderly
lightning, in the eyes of the survivors, was the biggest threat.
“To rush into the fourth floor, one needs to risk their life!” Zi Di said.
Zhen Jin looked pensive, saying with disappointment: “If the body double was
still alive, surely he could incite these people?”
“Not necessarily.” Zi Di shook her head, “You revealed your true identity, his
prestige has also dropped to rock bottom, making it difficult for others to
believe him. Lord Zhen Jin, I told you many times that you must maintain this
secret! If you exposed your identity, we would suffer tremendous damage.”
“Blame me!!” At that moment, Zhen Jin felt regret.
He wiped away his cold sweat: “Has the magic power reserve dried up yet? We can
still open up a teleportation door first. You four can leave first!” Zhen Jin
stated to the four guardian templar knights.
Upon hearing these words, the restless guardian templar knights hesitated
again.
Because most of the teleportation privileges were in Zi Di’s hands, the
situation was beyond anyone’s control, if they left first and preserved their
lives, that would also be a good choice.
Jia Sha’s heart immediately sank.
Currently, he and Zi Di were in a deadlock, although he suffered one defeat
after the other, he still had the power to resist.
Even if Zi Di won in the end and seized all authority, it would take too long.
At that time, the magic power reserve would be completely dry, and no one could
be teleported.
Neither Jia Sha nor Zi Di wanted to see this happen, therefore both sides had
to change the situation in advance.
After Zhen Jin’s enlistment efforts failed, the four guardian templar knights’
choice was the biggest factor.
The guardian templar knights were in an awkward situation.
They wanted to survive, they also wanted contribution. They didn’t want to deal
with Zhen Jin, they also didn’t want to go against Jia Sha’s orders.
Zi Di looked at the hesitating guardian templar knights, and immediately said
with a happy heart: “Do you not see? Priest Jia Sha has already gone insane!
Perhaps during the authority invasion, he suffered a counterattack and became
mentally confused. In fact, he doesn’t fear death. Because even if he dies, his
soul might also attract Heavenly Emperor Sheng Ming, he will enter his divine
kingdom and even become a martyr spirit.”
“But you? Do you have such treatment? You're in the same situation as us!”
The guardian templar knights’ hesitation became denser.
But the next moment, Zhen Jin said with alarm: “Zi Di, my good fiancé, I don’t
want to die. There are standards for a soul to enter the divine kingdom, my
belief in Heavenly Emperor Sheng Ming isn’t pious enough. You will open the
teleportation door so I can escape first!”
Zi Di blankly stared.
When Zhen Jin suggested to open the teleportation door earlier, Zi Di still
thought Zhen Jin wanted to stabilize the guardian templar knights, she didn’t
expect that he was the one who wanted the teleportation door.
Under the immense pressure of death, Zhen Jin exposed his nature, his
rationality collapsed as his strong longing for survival rose.
Jia Sha and the guardian templar knights’ looks slightly changed, Zhen Jin’s
panic allowed them to instantly seize a giant flaw in Zi Di’s party.
Zi Di remedied it at once, she callously said to Zhen Jin: “My finance, you're
leaving, do you want to leave me alone with no protection? Wasn’t the reason I
accepted the tower spirit’s contract for our future?!”
Zhen Jin stammered: “I will do everything to resurrect you! I swear!!”
Zi Di sneered: “Even if you can resurrect me, I will die at their hands,
today’s contribution will belong to them! Are you willing to see that happen?”
“My fiancé let’s not speak of contribution now, we need to save our lives
first! Look at that Jia Sha, he is already insane and doesn’t fear death! This
is normal, he is not a merchant, he is a pious believer of the god of victory!”
Zhen Jin yelled, pleading spread across his face.
Zi Di closed her eyes and slowly shook her head, at that moment, she completely
lost hope in Zhen Jin.
The guardian templar knights became threatening again.
Zi Di suddenly opened her eyes and sneered repeatedly: “Kill me, none of you
can escape. Jia Sha, how can I not understand your situation?”
“You no longer have any power left!”
“Even if I die, you have spent too much divine power and spirit on invading
privileges. How much divine power do you have? Your spirit has also suffered
heavy losses as it confronted mine.”
“In other words, if I die, no one can open a teleportation gate!”
The guardian templar knights hesitated again.
They wanted contribution, but they wanted to live more!
Jia Sha laughed, deliberately using a resonant tone to draw attention to his
situation: “I underestimated you too much Miss Zi Di.”
“You are an insignificant iron level; how can you understand the silver level?”
“I have plenty of power left! Your frightening words reveal your weakness.”
“My spirit is still vigorous; I even have enough divine power to cast the
resurrection spell. But will I resurrect the body double?”
“If I resurrect him, will he instigate the others downstairs to attack me? I
have already seen through your plans!”
The guardian templar knights moved again.
Zi Di also sneered: “Your spirit is still vigorous? Then why did you retreat
again and again, why have I taken back your authority……”
The guardian templar knights hesitated again.
“Enough! You two! I’m truly fed up with you both!” Suddenly, Zhen Jin exploded.
He grabbed his hair and roared with a red face: “You two wretched people, what
do you want to do in the end?! We can already escape, what are you doing?”
“Ah! The magic power is drying up, yet none of you are willing to concede!”
“Do you want to die?”
“Do you want to die, why do you want an early death? Why do you want to die on
the road? Why don’t you just jump into the mouths of those magic beasts? Why
are we still here?”
“The longer time goes on, the smaller our contribution and hope of survival. Do
you not understand this?”
“Both of you are idiots!!!”
Zhen Jin repeatedly roared, venting the anger and panic in his heart.
“Lord Zhen Jin is right!!” The four guardian templar knights nodded, the
neutral party agreed with him.
“Since I am correct, you four wretched guys will listen to me, don’t influence
the words of these two!!” Zhen Jin’s rage overflowed.
The four templar guardian knights looked at each other in dismay, then their
faces became steady as they heavily nodded at Zhen Jin.
Jia Sha’s and Zi Di’s expression changed at the same time.
The situation had suddenly turned, Zhen Jin’s fiery outburst had unexpectedly
altered the situation!
Now, his attitude and choice were the key to success.



****** Chapter 182: It is Only Because I am Jia Sha ******
The four guardian templar knights betraying Jia Sha seemed surprising, but
thinking about it carefully, it actually wasn’t strange.
The four defecting to Zi Di was impossible, but Zhen Jin was treated
differently.
Zhen Jin had a noble bloodline, was genuine noble, and a templar knight.
Zhen Jin and Jia Sha had similar statuses, and they believed in the same god.
Sheng Ming Sect clergy often coordinated with templar knights in battles. Every
templar knight commander was equal to a red clothed archbishop, a level above
bishops.
The guardian templar knights weren’t really under Jia Sha’s personal command,
the original six simply received orders to protect Jia Sha, now there were only
four left.
Jia Sha’s situation seemed fishy, moreover, contribution was more important to
Jia Sha, it was still a question of how much the four guardian templar knights
would get.
The magic power reserve was being drained too fiercely, the four guardian
templar knights also worried that if there wasn’t enough, they would become
expendable.
After all, templar knights and priests couldn’t harm each other, but with the
status and identities of these four, that wasn’t a problem.
To the four people, preserving their lives came first. Zhen Jin, the one who
sought survival above all else, was the optimal target to swear loyalty to!
Now, Zhen Jin’s attitude and choice was the key to success.
“Lord Zhen Jin!” Zi Di shouted.
Seeing his fiancé, Zhen Jin nodded and turned around to strictly glare at Jia
Sha.
The priest’s heart sank.
“Lord Priest, I now ask that you withdraw from the fight over authority!” Zhen
Jin shouted.
Zi Di spat, beyond her expectations, Zhen Jin still chose to side with her at
the most crucial moment.
Jia Sha was furious.
“Even if you kill me, I won’t withdraw from this fight!”
Zhen Jin shook his head and said with a mild tone: “Why would I put my hands on
you? I will only knock you unconscious.”
“Knock me unconscious?” Jia Sha sneered; soon holy light gushed from his body.
The present condition of his body was very worrisome, it seemed there was only
skin around his bones.
The holy light from his body, instead seemed to horrify others.
“You think I don’t have the power to retaliate? In this prohibition
environment, none of you can use battle qi, how can you resist my divine
spells?” These words suddenly made Zhen Jin and the four guardian templar
knights hesitate.
Jia Sha then said to the four guardian templar knights: “I understand your
choice. But doing this, even if you leave this place alive, what will you face?
You have trained not to defend the sect, but its priests. Watching with folded
arms is tolerable, but if you really dispose of me, think, even if you live,
you will face punishment and blame, that is a fate worse than death!”
“This……” The four guardian templar knights looked at each other with dismay,
their complexions extremely heavy.
Jia Sha’s words were very sharp, instantly making the four guardian templar
knights feel awkward.
They only looked at Zhen Jin, their gazes pleading that Zhen Jin undertake this
task.
Zhen Jin blankly stared.
He also didn’t dare!
During the whole journey, he sufficiently sensed how powerful divine spells
were.
He had to deal with Jia Sha now? It is possible, a divine spell would descend
and kill him.
With Jia Sha’s body and mental state, was he really not able to massacre a
templar knight? Zhen Jin didn’t dare to gamble.
Even Zi Di also hesitated: “Be careful, your Lordship, you can’t be rude and
impetuous.”
Currently Zhen Jin was her protective talisman, if Zhen Jin died, it was self-
evident who the four guardian templar knights would listen to.
Zhen Jin grinded his teeth and gazed at Jia Sha to probe him: “You can’t kill
me!”
Zi Di’s heart cooled; Zhen Jin’s words undoubtedly revealed the fear in his
heart.
As expected, Jia Sha’s next sentence was: “Haha, templar knight, you can try,
see if I don’t dare! Under pressure, I can do anything.”
Zhen Jin clenched his jaw; his expression became more hesitant.
He sank into a plight over what to choose.
That is why he got angry and wanted nothing else but to live. But Jia Sha’s
strange obstinacy really tied Zhen Jin’s hands.
“If I try to knock Jia Sha unconscious and he dies while using a divine spell,
wouldn’t that be too unjust?”
It was too risky, and Zhen Jin stepped back.
The pressure of death made his mind whirl in unprecedented ways.
He quickly organized his words and advised: “Jia Sha, if we take too long, too
much of the magic power reserve will be dried up. A divine artifact won’t be
able to be teleported.”
“Currently, the only reason why we are in a deadlock of endless contradictions,
is contribution being distributed unevenly!”
“I propose that all the contribution be divided equally between us.”
“Divided equally?” Zi Di raised her eyebrows, she didn’t want that.
“Please shut your mouth! My fiancé, don’t tell me you want to die?” Zhen Jin
turned around to severely reprimand.
Zi Di no longer said anything.
“Divided equally? Certainly not!” Jia Sha sneered, he already forced Zhen Jin
to give in, he was not satisfied with small gains, why would he stop now?
Jia Sha continued: “Do you know how much I paid? Moreover, do you think an
equal division of contribution can be achieved? The evaluation and bestowment
of merit is the higher ups’ business. Can you meddle in their judgment and
decision?”
Jia Sha’s attitude became tougher.
Zhen Jin clenched his teeth: “Good, then I will concede, we don’t want that
thing on the third floor! Of the two divine artifacts, we will only take away
this large shell. The Green Jade Golden Coffin will be yours.”
“That won’t do!” Jia Sha roared.
Zhen Jin blankly stared, then got really angry as he snarled: “Do you
understand what you are doing? Lord Priest! You are bringing about your own
destruction.”
“I really don’t understand, why do you want so much contribution?”
“Can’t you distribute some to us?”
“Yes, your contribution is the biggest, but haven’t we all contributed? Without
our comrades’ sacrifice, could you have come here unscathed? Maybe you would
have been sacrificed earlier. At least, there wouldn’t be four templar guardian
knights here.”
“Hahaha.” Jia Sha laughed; his laughter was becoming more deranged.
Regardless of whether it was Zhen Jin’s outburst, or his negotiation with Jia
Sha, during the entire process, Zi Di never stopped attacking Jia Sha.
In order to resist Zi Di, Jia Sha could only keep squeezing himself, regardless
of anything else.
He was now even older, and his old hair gradually fell, exposing a veined bald
head. His red eyeballs bulged, and his emaciated form made it seem like he
could die at any moment/
“I will not concede!”
“Die, everyone will die together!”
“Why must I concede to you dregs?”
“All of the contribution will be mine, all of it will be mine! If you don’t
allow it, we will die together!”
Jia Sha raged with a twisted face, as if he had completely lost his
rationality.
“Lord Priest!”
“Can you calm down a bit?”
“We aren’t forcing you!”
The guardian templar knights panicked.
“I will never concede. I will never concede these things to you!” Jia Sha’s
mouth mumbled in repetition, constantly stressing it. His lifeless gaze gave
others the impression that he was delirious.
“The reason? We can discuss it; we can settle this dispute together.” Zhen Jin
howled, faced with the prejudice and unyielding Jia Sha, he had an unceasing
headache.
After some time, Jia Sha reacted: “The reason?”
“Hahaha.”
“There is only one reason. You can hear it.”
Zhen Jin promptly replied: “I will listen respectfully!”
After a moment, Jia Sha spat and used a weak but determined tone to quietly
say: “Because I am Jia Sha.”
“What?” Zhen Jin was incredulous.
His facial expression amused Jia Sha, with a warped smile, Jia Sha repeated:
“That’s right, it is only because I am Jia Sha!!”
The others shook, it seemed Zi Di’s words were correct, the priest had over
drafted too much of his vitality and suffered heavy spiritual damage, he was
truly delirious——he was insane!
“I am Jia Sha……” The priest’s field of vision gradually grew fuzzy, at that
moment, he saw his past.
Sheng Ming Continent, the west coast.
The tepid sea breeze passed through a tall window and blew through a church.
The soft sunset light illuminated the stained glass windows, exaggerating the
spellbound ambience.
Priest Jia Sha suddenly opened a door, and quickly entered the large church.
His face was angry, quickly passing by pews, he arrived in front of the
lectern. He plainly asked: “Bishop Ping Yi, why did you veto my promotion?”
“I have already been in this parish for three years! For the past three years,
I have cautiously and conscientiously contributed to this parish, was there
ever a day I didn’t get up early or go to sleep late? Most of the small
churches constructed in the parish were supervised by me, and many churches
were grown through my efforts over these years. I worked day and night while
racking my brains in order to do this. My contribution is enough to promote me
to bishop, I have been pious to Heavenly Emperor Sheng Ming, my aptitude is not
a problem, and I can even use the resurrection spell as a priest!”
“I want to become a bishop! This has always been my goal during the past three
years of hard work.”
“Why did you deny it, everyone else agreed, but your rejection caused my three
years of work to turn into a mirage!”
“Why?”
“Are you scared? Jealous?! You are jealous, that at a young age, I will be on
equal footing with you as a bishop.
Bishop Ping Yi listened to everything calmly, then he finished his prayer and
turned around to look at Jia Sha.
He was very old; his head and beard were snow white. He was tall, but because
of his age, his back was crooked.
Even if he was verbally abused and lashed out on, his gaze remained gentle and
benevolent.
“Young and promising Jia Sha, your anger will not harm me, it will only injure
yourself.”
“The reason why I denied your promotion is because you are still unfit for the
office of bishop.”
“Unfit? Why am I unfit?!” Jia Sha raised his eyebrow and erupted again.
Bishop Ping Yi extended his wide palm and pushed towards Jia Sha.
Even though Jia Sha’s anger rushed through his heart, in the wake of Bishop
Ping Yi’s action, his mood was alleviated somewhat.
Bishop Ping Yi slowly said: “Three years ago, there was an incident of theft. A
young guard in the city lord’s troops was found stealing the city lord’s
treasure. His corpse hung over the city gate for a year. You were the accuser
in this affair?”
Jia Sha’s eyes coldly flickered: “Not bad! This is the truth, the young guard
attempted to elope with the city lord’s daughter. Before acting, the young
guard confessed his betrayal of the city lord and the guilt he felt over his
distant parents, at the same time, he also prayed that his eloping would
succeed.”
“Hmph, that peasant, he relied on a somewhat handsome appearance and flowery
words in hopes of climbing higher. The city lord’s daughter was naive, thus he
deceived her.”
“How could I tolerate such disrespectful behavior? The city lord gave him a
chance to be a guard, it was a great favor. He went as far as to bite the hand
that feeds him!”
“Thus, my heart filled with anger and I informed the city lord of this matter
that very night. Was I wrong?”
Bishop Ping Yi shook his head: “Confession, is a mortal’s intimate moment with
god. We should forgive, it is a sacred thing, we shouldn’t exploit it. You have
violated our religious rules.”
“Two years ago, when Archbishop Mi Hong came for an inspection, you were in
charge of receiving him. During the seven day reception, several hundred people
died in the parish. Is this true?”
Jia Sha nodded: “It’s true!”
“But Bishop Ping Yi, you understand our parish the most. It is too infertile
here, the only specialty we have here is silver fish. I mobilized many
believers and offered large rewards to encourage them to capture the freshest
and rarest silver fish for Bishop Mi Hong’s reception. Because of this, Bishop
Mi Hong praised me to high heaven! Although capturing silver fish on the
seafloor is very dangerous, when the believers heard it was for Bishop Mi Hong,
all of them willingly took that risk.”
Bishop Ping Yi sighed: “The coin you used is what the believers dedicated
themselves to. I originally planned to use that money to purchase better seeds,
they were to be given to the people free of charge in order to improve the
parish’s food supply. This will allow the people to eat real food, not biscuits
made from earth, butter, and clay.”
Jia Sha raised his eyebrows and furiously said: “That is a good plan, but I
don’t believe using the money on Bishop Mi Hong was wrong! My usage is also
correct, I never embezzled anything. To this day, I have never tasted silver
fish!”
“The lower class devoting themselves to the upper class is simply heaven’s law
and earth’s principles.”
“We don’t need to value these people too much, they are like weeds, many die,
and even more are born. What is the greatest thing in the parish? It can’t be
these people?”
“Bishop Ping Yi, I know you are a commoner who was promoted, I understand your
attitude. But you sympathize with the lower class too much.”
“In fact, human society isn’t much different from the jungle or the ocean.”
“When everyone is born, their identity and class is henceforth decided.”
“The upper class are like sharks and fierce tigers, while the lower class are
like shrimps and rabbits. They are nature’s sacrifice to nourish the flesh of
the upper class. This is our human society.”
“No, to be more accurate, elves, beastmen, dwarfs, and the other races, which
of them aren’t like this?”
“The strong rule the weak, the upper class rules the lower class, only through
social rankings can society be stable. With the social order of clans, the
empire has hope!”
Bishop Ping Yi shook his head incessantly: “Because that coin had other
purposes, a year ago there was a famine, and many people were desperate. You
conformed with the feudal lords to suppress these people and slaughtered all of
them. I remember I told you not to do that, correct?”
Jia Sha sneered: “Indeed, your Lordship Bishop’s opinion at the time was to
mediate the conflict, that is what you told me.”
“But I was unwilling!”
“It was a mob of people! They dared to rebel against their lords, just thinking
about it makes me angry! Worms should live in the mud, that is the trajectory
of their lives. Those that lust after the upper class, are filled with greedy
and unwilling scum, they must receive a bloody lesson!”
“I killed all of the rebels, from then on, the parish was peaceful and no
longer rebelled! That is my contribution!!”
Bishop Ping Yi was silent.
After a short period, he sighed: “Jia Sha, I remember you were a noble bastard,
right? You didn’t have the qualifications to inherit the territory, so you
chose to be a clergy. In that case, I ask you to please understand these
ordinary people. To some degree, their situation is similar to your own.”
Jia Sha burst out in laughter: “Bishop Ping Yi, how can you appraise me like
this? Sure enough, as someone born from commoners, you cannot comprehend the
ideology of nobles.”
“I will tell you the truth, I wasn’t a commoner’s bastard, but the son of the
first wife, the eldest son!”
“But I voluntarily gave up my rights to the territory.”
“Why?”
“Because my bloodline was not outstanding, its density was too low, and my
younger brother’s potential was greater than mine.”
Bishop Ping Yi blankly stared.
“What do you think the world is? What is the cornerstone of the empire? Bishop
Ping Yi!” Jia Sha spread his arms; his loud voice resonated through the church.
“It’s because our ideology is correct!”
“By birth alone, his bloodline decided his life.”
“The mud an ordinary person without a bloodline lives in all his life, is
actually protecting him. You want an earthworm to climb upwards, only for it to
burn to death in the sunlight.”
“Although I have a comparatively outstanding bloodline, however, my clan peers
were better. For the sake of the clan, I conceded. A pride of lions is
eternally competitive, the strongest cubs must eat the best meat, this is how
every generation has the strongest lion king!
“The empire is just like my clan. Because it’s like this, humanity has the
power to push through the world and become the number one overlord.”
“Priest Ping Yi, don’t you know your opinions are dangerous?”
“These ordinary people are unworthy of your concern! In order to save them, you
have sacrificed the benefits of the upper class, this will only make the lion
kings weaker, and over time, humanity will steadily deteriorate and fall below
the other races.”
Bishop Ping Yi appeared gentle, but his gaze was firm: “If ordinary people are
unworthy of concern, then what am I?”
“It is the impartiality of fate.”
“Among countless mortals, there will always be one or two lucky ones that rise
above the others.”
But what does that mean?”
“It means your body is a marvel. Putting it into a clan context, won’t a noble
clan produce a steady flow of both practitioners and ordinary people? There
might not be one in thousands of people over several years. From the empire’s
perspective, almost all of the upper echelons are noble born! Even those born
from commoners are exceptional cases amongst the untold masses.
“Forget about it, seeing your expression, I know your bigotry.”
Jia Sha spat, then sneered: “You have not convinced me, nor have I convinced
you. So, it has come to this, Bishop Ping Yi, I formally challenge you to a
sacred duel.”
Sacred duels were one of the Sheng Ming Sect’s distinguishing features, because
Emperor Sheng Ming was the god of victory.
If an endless quarrel happened, the winner of the sacred duel would also win
the dispute.
The duel continued through the night.
Several days later, Jia Sha said goodbye to Bishop Ping Yi.
“Your face is scarred; I can cure it for you.” Said Bishop Ping Yi.
“No need, I left it on purpose.” Jia Sha looked tranquil, but his eyes were
resentful, “I will carry it for the rest of my life.”
“I will make it remind me at all times, that I suffered humiliation and defeat
here.”
“A day will inevitably come, I will inevitably return one day and tell everyone
what is correct!”
Ping Yi was silent.
Jia Sha turned around, lifted his head, and left the church.
In the fuzzy field of view, memories of struggle allowed Jia Sha to clearly see
Zhen Jin, Zi Di, and the four guardian templar knights again.
Their anger and fear increased the joy in Jia Sha’s heart.
“I will never concede!”
“Don’t your lowly bloodlines and iron levels disgrace me?”
“As for you Zhen Jin, you shame your clan and bloodline!”
“How can nobles concede to dregs?”
“Even death……”
A deathly stillness
Zhen Jin was dumbstruck, if a person didn’t fear death, what could they do?
No one could size Jia Sha.
“Then drop dead!” Zi Di regretfully fumed.
“Lord Priest, are you forcing our hand?” The guardian templar knights began to
stir.
Jia Sha only snorted coldly.
The four guardian templar knights glanced at each other, they scattered into
four directions and slowly approached Jia Sha.
The aura of defeat assaulted his senses.
Jia Sha knew himself, he had always been bluffing, he really was a spent force
with not much divine power left. He also knew he wasn’t very rational, but as a
matter of fact, without anger and unwillingness sustaining him, he would have
collapsed already.
Perhaps this was who he truly was.
Ordinarily, some people are unknowingly dominated by emotions, but at a crucial
moment, they are as calm and rational as ice. Some people are usually calm and
rational, but during critical moments, emotion muddles their brain.
“Can I escape this?”
At the gateway of defeat, Jia Sha’s eyes suddenly exploded with light.
“Hold on!” He blurted.
At that moment, lightning flashed through his mind.
The lightning tore through the darkness and unexpectedly lit up the path to
victory.
“My grand master……” Jia Sha sighed, then his gaze jumped to the guardian
templar knights, then to Zhen Jin, until stopping on Zi Di.
“Did you sink the Hog’s Kiss Miss Zi Di?”
Everyone:??!!
Zhen Jin was enraged: “Priest Jia Sha, you’re babbling nonsense, stop stalling
for time. This cheap trick……”
“Hahaha!” Jia Sha suddenly howled with laughter; madness roused his spirit.
His gaze was like sharp arrows locking onto Zi Di as he repeated: “In the end,
I am victorious! Because……you sank the Hog’s Kiss!”



****** Chapter 183: My End ******
Jia Sha’s certainty inevitably made Zhen Jin and the four guardian templar
knights somewhat bewildered.
Zi Di’s heart sank, but on the surface she sneered: “Ha. Priest, do you want to
struggle? With a one-sided statement?”
“I have proof!” Jia Sha shouted.
First, you possess level eighteen authority. That kind of authority is
remarkable, someone who does simple business transactions or deals with War
Merchant can’t reach that level of authority. I have already researched this,
there are fifty levels of authority, and the eighteenth level is very high, you
are at least an associate. Therefore, your relationship with War Merchant isn’t
simple!
Second, you just admitted that Zhen Jin’s body double was custom-made by War
Merchant. Zhen Jin confessed to me; thus, I know the first time he saw the body
double, it was at a wharf. Before that, you didn’t reveal his body double to
him. This proves, after you bought him from War Merchant, it was transported to
the wharf warehouse. I guess that beforehand, you have already set foot in
Mystifying Monster Island then returned to the wharf with Zhen Jin’s body
double.
“You have also said that these are all guesses. Zi Di shook her head.
“Don’t worry, there is a third point, after the shipwreck happened, you
disappeared. Most of the survivors ended up on the closest beach, but there was
no sign of you. Why did you land far from the shipwreck? After the sinking, why
didn’t you swim towards the nearest beach, and instead, swam to a farther one?”
“What is this? I was carried by the sea waves.” Zi Di was unconcerned.
Jia Sha’s gaze grew sharper: “Hahaha, good excuse! Your slip up proves you were
already prepared to deal with such questions.”
“However, if the sea waves carried you involuntarily, that would be weirder.
Why did you land on this island with a squadron of people following you? Why
did you have the fortune of having Zhen Jin’s body double in your care? Don’t
tell me you believe in the Ocean god? Did you receive a god’s concern, so that
not only did the sea waves carry you onto a beach, they also carried in people
that would defend you?”
Zi Di sneered: “Wasn’t your group scattered? Then can’t I harbor suspicions of
you, did you collude with the guardian templar knights to create the
shipwreck?”
“No, it is very clear, Jia Sha used a divine spell to unite all of the guardian
templar knights. On the ship, almost all of the guardian templar knights were
at Jia Sha’s side.” Zhen Jin shook his head, he actually negated Zi Di’s words
and began to look at his fiancé with bewilderment.
Zi Di’s complexion sank.
“Hahaha!” Jia Sha laughed, “Templar knight, it seems you aren’t stupid.”
“Then I can conclude after the shipwreck, you gathered a team and boarded small
boats, then after finding a relatively familiar place, you landed on the
island. You came prepared!”
Zi Di refuted: “If I came prepared, I wouldn’t have landed in that spot, that
is an immense flaw. You can easily make it out, thus others can too, would I
easily expose myself like that?”
“So, you wanted to land on Mystifying Monster Island and were somewhat
prepared, however the opportunity was too urgent, and you didn’t prepare
enough. Maybe this was because your manufactured shipwreck was a last minute
scheme!”
“Your original plan was to travel with Zhen Jin to the Wilderness Continent and
assist him in the White Sands City lord competition.”
“But while sailing on the Hog’s Kiss, you discovered Mystifying Monster Island
had an unforeseen event!”
“The Blood Light Punishment Institution squad ambushed the alchemy factory,
where they died along with War Merchant. Because you have level eighteen
authority, you learned of this situation.
“From your point of view, If War Merchant was severely injured, you could save
him, that would be an immense contribution. If War Merchant died, you could
immediately take over his assets. If the Blood Light Punishment Institution was
victorious, you could feign innocence and take the time to destroy any evidence
of your Wisteria Merchant Alliance’s connection with War Merchant!”
“But when you decided to act, you found you couldn’t do it publicly, only
secretly. Furthermore, there was another inconvenience, you and Zhen Jin have
an agreement that stated you both were leaving to the Wilderness Continent.”
“Success or failure in the White Sands City competition concerned your future.
But War Merchant and Mystifying Monster Island was an opportunity that came
once in a blue moon. By seizing this, perhaps you could alter your entire
life!”
“I have to admit, you have an adventurous spirit. In fact, if you could really
come here, you really might have been the first to inherit War Merchant’s
assets.”
“Unfortunately, your small team was too weak, and it didn’t make it through the
jungle. Perhaps this is because you underestimated how dangerous Mystifying
Monster Island was. At the most desperate moment, when you nearly lost your
life, you were forced to hastily rouse the body double. Because the body
double’s memories were instilled too quickly, he only received a few, this is
what you experienced after.”
Zi Di’s eyes were evasive as she retorted: “Then why would I kill the captain?
If I really wanted to land on Mystifying Monster Island, I wouldn’t want more
people ashore to deal with, correct? Wouldn’t it be better if, after I and Zhen
Jin discussed, we secretly used a boat to land? Why would I be superfluous, why
would I kill the captain and create the shipwreck to have more people land on
Mystifying Monster Island?”
Just as those words were said, Zhen Jin and the four guardian templar knights
changed dramatically.
Witnessing their expressions changing, Zi Di also turned pale.
At that crucial moment,
Jia Sha was ecstatic, his pupils dilated as he tenaciously gazed at Zi Di: “Did
I say anything about the captain’s murder?”
Zi Di did her best to make up for her mistake and shrugged her shoulders: “What
of it? Your framing the shipwreck on me, in that case, the captain would have
been the biggest barrier and his cause of death is a mystery, I am simply that
ahead of time, because you want to frame that on me next!”
“You are a worthy Merchant Alliance President, as expected, you are eloquent!
Unfortunately, I know why you murdered the captain!” Jia Sha replied.
“Because you discovered the Hog’s Kiss’ captain was detrimental to you!”
“He is actually one of Templar Knight Fen Yi’s people. Currently, Fen Yi is one
of the competitors in White Sands City. After I understood this, I realized my
planned route was an artificial coincidence. The captain was loyal to Fen Yi’s
clan, he was placed to investigate me, and if the situation allowed it, he
would use Fen Yi’s name to be friendly with me in advance.”
“You also wanted to get close to me, as a result, you chose to travel on the
Hog’s Kiss. The captain might not have discovered Zhen Jin, but he found his
fiancé, you Miss Zi Di.”
“Of course, the captain would be a detriment to you, and for an unknown reason,
you discovered this Miss Zi Di. If you left stealthily, you might have caused
the captain to track you down. This will be a great inconvenience for you when
you land on Mystifying Monster Island. Therefore, you simply caused the
shipwreck to kill him!”
“Then how do you know this, priest?” Zhen Jin looked at Jia Sha and asked.
Jia Sha smiled: “Because Xi Suo is the captain’s son, it is only natural that
he knew the captain’s faction. However, as he struggled to survive on
Mystifying Monster Island, he chose to rely on your body double. Of course, he
believed the body double was a genuine templar knight.”
“He confessed the worries in his heart. He sincerely relied on the body double,
but he was also scared that his father’s faction would discover the body
double.”
Zhen Jin suddenly understood.
Zi Di retorted: “The Hogs’ Kiss’ captain is strong, I am a simple novice
magician, how could I kill him without any commotion?”
Jia Sha sneered: “This I don’t know. You are indeed a magician, with abundant
magical tricks. You are also proficient in medicine, there are many methods
available to you.”
“In summary, after you killed the captain, you destroyed the Hog’s Kiss,
causing it to split into two. With your most loyal and reliable men, you landed
on Mystifying Monster Island.”
Zhen Jin and the four guardian templar knights looked at Zi Di.
“Zi Di, tell me this isn’t true!” Zhen Jin’s voice shivered.
Zi Di laughed grimly: “So, everything said is merely your guesses.”
“Haha, of course I can prove it.” Jia Sha laughed again.
Divine spell: detect lies!
After a moment, Jia Sha covered Zi Di’s body with a divine spell.
“Now, if I accused you wrongly Miss Zi Di, you can prove it!” Jia Sha breathed;
his complexion was completely tranquil.
Zi Di sank into a deathly silence.
Jia Sha’s complexion changed; tranquility gradually became excitement.
He couldn’t help but be excited!
At the last moment, when he was at the edge of defeat, he still seized victory
in the end!
Indeed, everything was simply his guesswork.
He only saw one possibility.
But now, he succeeded!
Zi Di’s silence proved everything.
He barely had enough divine power, he only had enough to use a small detect
lies divine spell.
But this formerly mediocre divine spell had altered everything!
Zhen Jin and the guardian templar knights grew uglier.
“I was nearly exploited by her!”
“A malicious woman, beautiful on the outside, but dark on the inside.”
“So many have died, you should hang for this!”
“Tell me Zi Di, why did you do this?!” Zhen Jin walked over to Zi Di, emotions
covering his question.
Zi Di sighed and shook her head: “You don’t need to know that.”
Zhen Jin continued to question: “You sank the ship, but you didn’t inform me.
Regardless of whether I lived or died, you abandoned me, that is irrational!”
“We have an engagement that was announced. You sank the ship without
notification, thus attempted to kill me secretly, you have violated the
engagement, did you want to die from the contract?”
Zi Di answered with silence.
Jia Sha followed: “It’s simple, I speculate War Merchant tampered with the
engagement. He is a great grandmaster alchemist and a legend level magician!”
Zhen Jin’s eyes narrowed, gazing at Zi Di, he began to issue a dangerous aura.
The facts already proved Jia Sha’s guesses——Zi Di had betrayed him but didn’t
suffer the engagement’s backlash.
Jia Sha then said: “Think more templar knight. After Zi Di created the
shipwreck, why did she choose the body double and not you?”
“Speaking of which, that body double really resembles you. If you didn’t expose
him at your own accord, I also would have been in the dark.”
“Your body double is different from ordinary beastified people. He is very
special. It is very possible War Merchant transformed him personally.”
“I fear Miss Zi Di really wanted to replace you with the body double!”
Jia Sha’s words made Zhen Jin’s body and mind tremble, soon after a coldness
bubbled from his heart that soon spread throughout his body.
“No, impossible!” Zhen Jin shook his head; his horror made his pupils shrink to
their smallest size.
“I wanted to compete for White Sands City’s lordship, my identity would have
been rigorously tested. If I became city lord, I would be examined even more!”
“Besides bloodline testing, memory will also be tested, along with detection
divine spells.” Zhen Jin subconsciously retorted.
Jia Sha sneered: “Look at these artificial magic beasts, these prove War
Merchant was the greatest life alchemist in the world. Bloodline testing to
him, isn’t a problem. Think of the body double again, templar knight, his
innate accuracy even surpasses your own. I heard he can also use the Bai Zhen
Clan’s battle skills?”
“And memory……is less of a problem. Didn’t you use a memory crystal?”
“As for detection divine spells, that really is an immense barrier. But with
regards to War Merchant, I don’t think that’s a difficult problem for him.
Look, what is that big shell?”
Jia Sha’s gaze hinted at his thoughts.
Zhen Jin’s body and mind trembled again, his mouth whispering: “The Mermaid
Fairy Tale!”
That divine artifact produced pearl bubbles that could fool all gods, it was
the world’s most exquisite disguise.
At that moment, Zhen Jin finally realized his true situation.
“I didn’t expect that a deadly viper was hiding at my side!”
Outside of horror, anger flooded through him.
“You wretched girl, you unexpectedly wanted to harm my life!”
In his emotional state, Zhen Jin pulled out Silver Lightning and thrusted
towards Zi Di.
“Keep her alive!” Jia Sha suddenly shouted at that crucial moment.
Zhen Jin’s wrist trembled, causing Silver Lightning to barely miss Zi Di’s
heart as it penetrated her body.
Jia Sha yelled: “Don’t give into your impulse templar knight!”
“I don’t have enough divine power, with just myself, I can’t seize authority.
But my spirit has always been entangled with Zi Di’s spiritual power. Her
spirit received the tower spirit’s approval, I can adjust my spirit and pretend
to be her. Only by doing this, can I control teleportation privileges and the
like.”
“Of course, If Miss Zi Di coordinates with me, it would be the best outcome.”
Zi Di sneered: “You seem really pleased with yourself.”
Saying that, she moved her spirit to ferociously attack Jia Sha again.
Jia Sha’s nose immediately bled, and his head felt dizzy.
“Very well!” Jia Sha gritted his teeth in pain and tenaciously persisted,
“Torment her for me, ruthlessly torture her!”
Following his words, Zhen Jin kicked Zi Di.
Soon after, Silver Lightning pierced Zi Di’s shoulder, fastening her to the
floor tiles temporarily.
The severe pain made Zi Di’s consciousness fluctuate, allowing Jia Sha to
counterattack and stand firm.
But Zi Di’s spirit still resisted tenaciously: “We will die together!:
“You want me to die?! Why? For what reason! Have I treated you unfairly? I
always stayed with you sincerely!!” Zhen Jin roared indignantly.
Silver Lightning thrusted again and again, soon after, more than a dozen bloody
holes were on Zi Di’s body.
Silver Lightning attacked more, breaking Zi Di’s hands and feet, and severing
her strength.
The immense pain made the girl’s body twitch.
But she firmly bit her jaw and didn’t even give a miserable groan.
This unyielding attitude increased Zhen Jin loathing and wrath, causing him to
torture Zi Di more viciously.
The magic gown couldn’t withstand Silver Lightning, Zi Di’s ear, finger, and
skin were sliced, exposing the scarlet muscles underneath.
Quickly, Zi Di lay in a pool of her own blood.
The four guardian templar knights trembled.
Zhen Jin was a proficient martial artist, and even more skilled at torture. He
understood the human body and how much pain Zi Di could sustain, for the
moment, it wouldn’t kill her.
After a short period, Jia Sha suddenly yelled, he had made a breakthrough in
the spiritual confrontation.
He began to take back the lost authority, singing loudly as he moved with
lightning speed!
Zi Di’s spirit constantly cowered and collapsed; her formerly bright amethyst
eyes had become dull.
Darkness pervaded her field of view.
“I didn’t expect my end to be this way……”
“In the end, I still lost.”
The aura of death surrounded her.



****** Chapter 184: The Princess, the Demon, and the Knight ******
In a room filled with medicinal scents, a seriously ill and weak lady laid on a
bed.
The door softly opened, and a father and a daughter came to the hospital bed.
The father’s face contained worry, and he sighed to his daughter: “Zi Di, say
your last words to your mother now……”
The child Zi Di softly called out: “Mama.”
The lady barely opened her eyes to look at Zi Di, immediately showing
affection, unwillingness, and remorse: My daughter……”
The child Zi Di was puzzled: “Mama, father said you must go somewhere else. Can
you not leave?”
The lady smiled, but her eyes quickly flushed: “I can’t, your mother also wants
to stay with you for a lifetime. But your mother can’t, I am very sorry……”
The child Zi Di lowered her head and sobbed.
Her father behind her also sank into grief but maintained his silence.
In her deep regret, the lady used all of her strength to grab Zi Di’s hand and
console: Little Zi Di, don’t weep, you must be well behaved. Before leaving,
your mother will tell you the story you love the most.”
The child Zi Di lifted her head, her big eyes were still crying, but her
attention was clearly drawn: “Is it the old story about The Princess, the
Demon, and the Knight?
“That’s right.”
“I……love hearing that one.” Choked with sobs, the child Zi Di nodded.
A very long time ago, there was a kingdom. The benevolent king loved his
citizens and queen very much; however, they only received an heir after being
married for a long time,
She was a little princess, innocent, unaffected, lively, adorable, and the most
beautiful person in the kingdom.
Regardless of whether it was the king, queen, or the people of the kingdom, all
of them loved the little princess and treated her as an angel.
One day, a bad demon sneaked into the castle and kidnaped the little princess.
The demon dragged the little princess into its lair in the abyss and trapped
her there.
The demon liked the little princess, resentfully and maliciously saying: “Marry
me little princess, you are the most adorable person I have ever seen in the
world.”
The little princess shook her head: “I won’t marry you; you are a bad demon. My
father and mother will dispatch a knight to rescue me.”
The demon laughed: “My lair is in the deepest part of the abyss, no one knows
where it is. How can a knight find us?”
The little princess gradually grew up.
The demon grimaced at the princess: “Princess oh princess, you are the most
youthful and most beautiful person I have ever seen in the world. Marry me now!
After so many years, your knight still hasn’t found this place.”
But the princess had no doubts, instead she became more resolute: “A knight
will surely find this place, I will never marry you.”
The princess gradually grew older and became an adult.
The demon grew more captivated with the princess: “Oh big princess, you are the
most charming and alluring person I have ever seen, your skin is brighter and
cleaner than snow, your face is more beautiful than the goddess of beauty, your
eyes are brighter than the night starts, and your long and soft golden hair is
like the sunlight woven into silk. Marry me now!”
“My knight will save me!” The big princess was still resolute.
The demon ridiculed: “You can’t wait any longer, after waiting for so many
years. If this continues, time will take away your youthfulness, your splendor
will wane, and wrinkles and age will stick to your body. Rather than that
happening, you are better off marrying me now.”
The big princess thought for some time, then deliberately said to the demon:
“After considering for some time, if I am happy, I will agree.”
The demon was very happy: “How can I make you happy?”
The big princess then said: “Eh, do something about your lair’s darkness and
sultriness. For many years, I couldn’t see the night sky. If I can see the vast
sky and feel the refreshing night wind, I will be cheerful.”
The demon thought for a bit, then agreed to the big princess’ request: “This is
easy to do, I will open the cover of the abyss so you can see the night sky.”
Thus, the demon opened the cover, allowing the big princess to finally see the
night sky and the stars within it.
She suddenly pulled off her headband, causing her long golden hair to fall and
spread like a waterfall.
The long hair produced dazzling sunlight, illuminating the night sky. All of
the stars in the sky were covered by its radiance.
A young, handsome, and fearless knight saw the golden sunlight, then he burst
into the abyss and found the demon and the big princess.
“Release the princess now, you despicable demon!” The knight shouted, then he
fiercely fought the demon.
The knight was very strong, and the demon was not his opponent.
But the demon was very crafty, he pointed his finger and turned the princess
into him.
Now there were two demons before the knight, and two demons simultaneously
laughing: “Knight, lay down your spear. You cannot distinguish between who is
real, and who is fake. If you choose wrong and kill the princess, that would be
terrible.”
The knight hesitated for a bit, but quickly decided.
He took out his sword and suddenly chopped the real demon into two.
The demon was heavily wounded and shouted in disbelief: “How did you know it
was me?”
“Because your body emits the scent of sulfur, although the princess looks like
you, she still smells sweet.” The knight replied.
Thus, the demon was slain by the knight.
When the demon died, his dark magic also disappeared, allowing the princess to
change back to her original appearance.
The young knight carried the princess out of the evil abyss and returned to the
castle to see the king and queen. The whole family was finally united.
The princess married the knight, and since then, had a beautiful and happy
life.
As the lady finished the story, she became increasingly weaker.
She did her best to support herself and not give into lethargy.
She used her final strength to grasp Zi Di’s small hand and say: “My small Zi
Di, my little princess, although your mother is leaving, you still have your
father’s love.”
“No matter what predicaments you face in the future, maintain hope in your
heart”
“You must be optimistic; you must be strong.”
“As long as you persevere, a knight will surely come, your knight will help you
and save you!”
After the lady finished, her strength vanished as her eyes slowly closed.
Her life aura slowly dissipated.
The mother’s blessing to her daughter was also her dying words.
The young and ignorant Zi Di still didn’t understand the meaning of it, but her
mother’s words entered deep into Zi Di’s heart.
“Child, don’t disturb your mother. She is sleeping.” Her father sobbed behind
her.
“Oh.” Zi Di cutely nodded and followed her father out the door.
“Father, when mother leaves, can I see her off?” Zi Di turned to look at the
hospital bed, she was extremely reluctant.
Her father suddenly gritted his teeth and used a shivering hand to close the
door: “I think we can……as long as you don’t sleep in and get up early.”
……
Time passed, and the child Zi Di grew up to be a small girl.
Inheriting her parent’s characteristics like the princess in the fairy tale,
she became a pleasant youth.
Her father was a bachelor again, after founding the Wisteria Merchant Alliance
his work became heavier, all the while doting on Zi Di. Maybe because he hadn’t
had enough time to see Zi Di grow, more guilt mixed into the doting.
Her beautiful complexion caused Zi Di to attract attention and feel welcome
wherever she went.
In school, the young Zi Di was pursued by many young men. Quickly, a noble
youngster from an illustrated clan defeated all of his pursuers and smoothly
distinguished himself
He was handsome, confident, tender, and considerate. Under his cordial and
varied methods of pursuit, Zi Di gradually felt a rush of excitement.
“Perhaps, he is my knight.”
However, one day, at a banquet, as Zi Di stood on a balcony, she accidently
heard a conversation between noble youngsters.”
“Hahaha, I quickly won over Zi Di!”
“I am bound to win the bet we made. She seemed difficult to chase, when in
fact, she really thinks she is a princess, that is why she is overbearing and
arrogant.”
“Hahaha, truly ridiculous! She is only a merchant’s daughter, even if the
Wisteria Merchant Alliance is huge, her bloodline is trash.”
“Princess? Little girls at her age are fond of such dreams! She definitely
affirms the delusion by wanting to marry me, with my identity, how could I
marry a merchant’s daughter? It’s practically a joke! I’ve had enough fun with
her, if any of you want to take over, I’ll allow it.”
On the balcony, Zi Di leaned on a wall, her face was pale, her hands clasped
her mouth, and tears fell from her eyes.
……
A shattered romance grievously injured Zi Di’s spirit, for a time, she felt the
world was filled with adversity.
After enduring it, she was very vigilant against her pursuers, no longer was
she easily tempted.
Her busy father could not enter the girl’s sensitive heart. She could only talk
about her countless melancholies and worries to herself.
First the princess dream was shattered, soon after, the increasing burdens of
schoolwork made her recognize how cruel reality was——her bloodline was
substandard, even if her merchant alliance provided sufficient cultivation
resources, and even if she worked hard, the greatest she could achieve would be
iron level cultivation.
Her father’s business grew bigger, and the Wisteria Merchant Alliance
constantly increased in scope. He gradually felt his insufficiencies, and his
smiles grew fewer, until almost every day, worry was almost always on his face.
Many late nights, Zi Di found the light in her father’s study still shining.
Zi Di would knock, enter the study, and remind her father to sleep earlier.
The Wisteria Merchant Alliance President usually pulled out a cigar, and with
each passing day, his fat body shrank in the spacious leather seat. The strong
smoke surrounding him actually gave Zi Di the misconception of cowering fear.
When he saw Zi Di, he would lift his head and squeeze a smile onto his face,
then he would quickly extinguish the cigar in his hand.
Not waiting for Zi Di to roll her eyes, he curried favor by taking the
initiative to acknowledge his mistake: “My daughter, don’t say anything, I
understand, I will lie down now.”



****** Chapter 185: The Princess’ Crown ******
Many changes happened during puberty. The sole constant seemed to be the
father’s doting on his daughter.
Year after year, he held increasingly luxurious birthday banquets for his
daughter.
For her eleventh birthday, her father spent a huge sum for a banquet that
included the entirety of Garden City.
“Stop here.” Her father removed his hands from Zi Di’s eyes, “Dong dong dong!”
Zi Di’s eyes suddenly shined, her small mouth dropped, and her face showed her
pleasant surprise.
Before her there was a three meter object with 11 layers. It glittered
brilliantly and each layer had its own hue, including blood orange, yellow,
green, blue, purple……it looked like an enchanting rainbow.
Zi Di cried out in surprise: “Rainbow cake!”
This classic desert was renowned throughout the empire. Only ten people in the
world could make it. Because it used many rare magical materials. Every rainbow
cake was the sweetest thing people ever tasted in the world, and it produced
relaxing, joyful, and wondrous sensations.
This special cake also boosted and amplified the growth rate of cultivators.
“Weren’t you curious about what a rainbow cake tasted like? The father smiled,
“Therefore I invited a famous pastry master to make this for your birthday!”
“Father, this is……wonderful!” Zi Di babbled excitedly, she held her father’s
arm, rested her head on her shoulders, and looked at him with glowing eyes, “I
know you love me the most father.”
“Of course, you are my princess.” The father laughed, but soon showed his
hesitation, “Oh daughter, besides this birthday cake your father has arranged
an appointment for you.”
“An appointment?” Zi Di immediately released his arm, took a step back, and
looked at her father with creased brows.
The father forced a smile: “Child you’ve grown up already, you should accept
these things. I know you’ve always disliked these things, but……”
“Fine, fine. For the sake of the rainbow cake, I will go. But don’t hope I will
lower my standards……which clan is he from?”
The father blinked a few times, he prepared for this for a long time, however
when the time came, he discovered it was hard to disclose his difficult
situation!
“He is a noble and certainly a knight, he……” The father’s voice was muffled.
“Ok I got it. You don’t want to say!” Without waiting for her father to finish,
the young Zi Di interrupted him. Then she began to circle around the rainbow
cake and clicked her tongue in admiration.
Seeing his daughter’s happy expression, the father was in a complex mood.
He wanted to speak more of what was going on.
Zi Di occasionally raised her head, glimpsed at her frozen father, and waved
her hand: “Father, are you still over there? Hurry over. Be at ease, I will
deal with it, even if he isn’t an eyecatcher I won’t offend them!”
“Then I will go.” The father sighed and reluctantly left.
Influential officials mingled in the banquet.
Zi Di fully deserved the leading role and accepted presents until her hands
went limp from exhaustion.
In the middle of the feast, Zi Di went to the second floor.
Today she was dressed in splendid clothes, a pink princess skirt with silk
flowers around it. Her feet wore white pearl heels, and her arms were covered
with long pink silk gloves. Her hair looked like rolling waves and thick
eyelashes hid her amethyst eyes, making her look adorable, noble, and charming.
Compared to earlier, she now had a bright diamond necklace, a gilded white jade
bracelet around her wrist, and a small, exquisite crown on her head. These were
all gifts from officials at the banquet. When she received them, she opened
them in their presence, happily wore them, and made each guest pleased.
A dance was happening downstairs, and the rainbow cake was still creating a
sensation.
“This has been my grandest birthday banquet.” With a joyful mood, Zi Di tapped
on a door.
“Come in.” A voice in the room transmitted.
Zi Di entered the room and saw a dumpy middle aged man sitting next to the
window. His hand held a cup filled with grape wine as he overlooked the night
garden. The moonlight illuminated his face and gave him a glossy appearance.
“City Lord.” Zi Di was slightly astonished, she didn’t expect to see the Garden
City Lord at her appointment.
“I think I might have gone to the wrong room.” Zi Di asked to leave.
“You haven’t taken a wrong turn, my beautiful child. The Garden City Lord
turned around, smiled, and sized up Zi Di, “Your appointment was with me.”
“What?!” Zi Di opened wide, and she looked at the man that was older than her
father with shock.
“That’s impossible!” Zi Di shook her head with a white face as she constantly
walked backwards, “This joke isn’t funny.”
The Garden City Lord gazed at her with interest: “Of course this isn’t a joke,
if you don’t believe me you can look at the room’s number again.”
Zi Di moved to the door and looked at the number, her franticness and fear made
her tender body tremble.
“No, no, this can’t be real……” Zi Di muttered, she couldn’t believe the facts
before her.
“Didn’t your father tell you?” The Garden City Lord was baffled.
Zi Di’s body quaked, at that moment she completely realized why her father had
such a complex expression during their discussion.
The girl’s thoughts were in a whirl.
“Oh……my pitiful small child.” The Garden City Lord slowly walked towards Zi Di,
“Look at your current appearance, you resemble a fragile flower teetering in
the elements. Be at ease, I am a charitable person, I will cherish you well.”
“No, no!” Zi Di was abruptly roused, she continued to withdraw into the hallway
and constantly shook her head, “It shouldn’t be like this, it shouldn’t be like
this……”
The Garden City Lord walked to the doorway, he compassionately teased, coldly
ridiculed, and looked down on Zi Di: “As a matter of fact, it must be like
this.”
“Do you know how the Wisteria Merchant Alliance got so big? Do you know how
many influential officials permeate it?”
“Did you know your father no longer controls the Wisteria Merchant Alliance?”
“Your father and you shouldn’t be on the table with your lower bloodline and
statuses. In his entire life both of you will only reach the iron level, yet
you two control massive riches. The Wisteria Merchant Alliance……second only to
the six great merchant alliances……a colossus……”
“I admit it.” The Garden City Lord shrugged his shoulders, “Your father has an
exquisite business sense. This is his fortune and perhaps his misfortune. He
doesn’t have the qualifications or the strength to control such a massive
merchant alliance.”
“He has also realized this, therefore he suffered untold hardships to open
relationships and finally found me.”
“At first I refused.”
“But later, your father’s bargaining chip still moved me.”
“You also know my older brother is the Great Duke Mai Xiang. Rely on me, and
you can rely on a living god for help. Only through this can your father save
the gains of his undertaking and both of your lives.”
“I will marry you and I will be your husband.”
“So, come here.”
The Garden City Lord waved to Zi Di: “Obediently approach me and enter this
room. After locking the door, throw yourself into my chest.”
“I dislike taking the initiative.”
“No, no……” Zi Di persistently shook her head, the cruel reality attacked her
mind and made it difficult for her to ponder.
“I won’t leave this doorway.” The Garden City Lord arrogantly said, “Because of
my status, I won’t woo you. Young and naive Miss Zi Di, this is only a business
transaction, I ask you to understand that.”
“Of course, you are also crucial. If we aren’t married, other imperial powers
won’t give you up. This is known as ‘politics’, one of the rules of the game.”
“I can’t marry you Garden City Lord, I don’t want to!” Zi Di’s tears flowed
down as she wept.
The Garden City Lord pursed his brows and was displeased: “Naturally you can
refuse me. In fact, I also don’t want this transaction, nor do I want to
sacrifice the valuable position that is my wife. By making you my wife, I am
wasting important political capital!”
“I am indifferent about this.”
“If you can’t decide now, I can give you time to consider it.”
“You can go downstairs now. I believe your father is already waiting for you on
the stairs.”
“You will have a good conversation between father and daughter.”
Zi Di’s complexion was deathly pale, she forgot to bow to the Garden City Lord
before stumbling downstairs.
As expected, her father was waiting on the stairs.
“Zi Di.” Her father had a complex expression.
“You deceived me!” Filled with tears, Zi Di indignantly howled at her father.
“I didn’t deceive you; I would never deceive you! My daughter.” Her father
defended himself at once.
“You decided to sacrifice my life for the merchant alliance!?” Zi Di
questioned, “Which is more important, the merchant alliance or me?”
“Of course, it is you, you are my only relative, you are my darling daughter!”
The father blurted, then he covered his face and whimpered, “But I can’t do
anything, I really can’t do anything.”
“I really want to abandon the merchant alliance; I swear to you that this isn’t
the first time I wanted to abandon it!”
“But I can’t.”
“It is impossible for me to stop halfway, the merchant alliance has too many
officials in it and I can’t control it. As the founder, I can’t resign to a
lower position. They won’t let an influential person like me off. If I don’t
pick a power and a team to rely on, I will be eaten by sharks! When that moment
comes, we will die!”
Zi Di was dumbfounded, as if she fell into an icy cave.
A good while later, she opened her mouth: “Then why didn’t you tell me?”
“What use is there in telling you the truth? What’s the point?!” Her father was
emotional, “We are merely lower class people, we only have a lowly merchant
bloodline, even if we had the resources, we can only reach the iron level.”
“Let’s say I hired a strong practitioner to protect us, even if they are at the
legend level, the imperial powers will respond to it.”
“The Wisteria Merchant Alliance……haha, although wisteria vines meander and grow
lushly, even though they cover a vast area, without a tree’s support they can
only lie on the ground and be trampled by others!”
“We must rely on a clan, do you understand my daughter?”
Zi Di’s brows pursed, and her heart contained infinite sorrow: “So, you must
sacrifice me? You’re marrying me off to an older man?”
“Sorry, sorry, sorry……” Her father wanted to walk to her and hug Zi Di.
But Zi Di quickly recoiled and resolutely yelled at her father: “The man
upstairs is not my knight! This can’t be my future.”
Saying this, she turned away sobbing.
“Zi Di, my daughter……” Her father lovingly called out.
But at that moment, the Garden City Lord upstairs urged: “President Wisteria,
you’d best hurry up for my patience is finite.”
The father’s complexion changed, as a dark cloud covered him, he anxiously
shouted to Zi Di: “Zi Di, don’t create a disturbance. Do you know how much I
paid for this business transaction?”
“You understand that for the Wisteria Merchant Alliance, your father paid so
much and braved many risks. You know how difficult it was for me!”
“I can’t look helplessly as others snatch it away from me!”
“Help your father, ah, you should return my nurturing kindness. Over the last
few years, your high tuition fees were all paid by your father. No matter how
much it costs, your father will do his best to satisfy you. Like the rainbow
cake, don’t you like it?”
Seeing her father like this, Zi Di only felt her bones chill.
“No, I don’t like that rainbow cake! Looking at it now, it is simply a means to
your plans!”
“From now on, I won’t take a coin from you. All that you have invested into me,
I will return to you!”
Seeing Zi Di’s determination, her father grew angrier: “Enough of your
nonsense, without me you couldn’t even survive for a day! By simply relying on
yourself, how could you live like an affluent woman? Listen to your father,
marry the Garden City Lord and you won’t need to worry for a lifetime!!”
“No, never!!” Zi Di roared, then she raised her skirt and ran away.
Her father’s call from behind her didn’t make her stop, rather it caused Zi Di
to accelerate.
She dashed through the building’s doorway and nearly sprained her ankle. During
this, Zi Di lost one of the pearl high heels and tossed the other one off.
She entered the garden, recklessly scraped her princess skirt in the
undergrowth, cut herself, and became extremely dilapidated.
She wept as tears fell throughout the journey.
Her ears still echoed with her father’s words——without me you couldn’t even
survive for a day! By simply relying on yourself, how could you live like an
affluent woman?
The more injuries Zi Di got, the more annoyed and grieved she became. Her
diamond necklace was pulled off and the fine bracelet was taken off and thrown
to the wayside.
She finally ran to the manor entrance; the guards were surprised to see today’s
leading role here.
The former princess and president’s beloved daughter now wore torn clothing,
gasped for breath, had tear stains across her face, and was battered and
exhausted.
“Miss Zi Di, do you need help?”
“Open the gate for me!”
“Out of the question, president’s orders.” The guards shook their heads with a
firm attitude.
“Zi Di.” A familiar voice said behind her.
Zi Di turned around and saw Fei She, her body trembled and cried: “Did you also
come to persuade me Uncle Fei She?
Fei She slowly shook his head: “I didn’t agree with your father’s decision,
come, sit in my carriage. I will persuade your father.”
Saying this, he ordered the guards: “Now, open the gate.”
“But……”
“I will explain this to the president, these bad emotions and responsibilities
won’t implicate you.” Fei She had a determined approach.
The guards were obliged to comply.
Fei She escorted Zi Di to his carriage.
“Thank you Uncle Fei She!” Zi Di was incomparably thankful as she stepped into
the carriage.
Fei She forced a smile: “I watched you grow up child. Don’t blame your father,
his secret troubles forced him to do this.”
“No, I won’t forgive him!” Zi Di bit her teeth.
She deeply gazed at the manor; it had been her home for many years.
Then she got into the carriage.
In a moment of carelessness, the crystal crown on her head hit the carriage
door and fell to the ground.
Zi Di glanced at the crown, then she turned back and shut the carriage door.
“Set off! Return to the Academy of Magic.” At the next moment, her determined
voice came from the carriage.



****** Chapter 186: Your Fate Does Not Have a Knight ******
Returning to the Academy of Magic, Zi Di relaxed and knew she was safe for the
time being.
This academy had seven legend level magician towers and had passages that led
to sixteen demi-planes inside it.
This was the empire’s best academy of magic.
Zi Di could only study here because of her father’s large investment.
The birthday banquet and her escape seemed like a dream.
Perhaps due to fame and face hindering him, the Garden City Lord didn’t raise
difficult questions. Her father also provided for Zi Di’s tuition and expenses,
never cutting her off.
Zi Di’s life appeared to have restored its past tranquility.
However, she understood her heart had changed tremendously already.
She no longer used her father’s money and began to rely on herself.
There were three types of students in the Academy of Magic.
The first were influential officials, their high level bloodlines were
naturally bestowed by their noble statuses.
The second were children of rich families, Zi Di was in this group. She had a
lowly bloodline and small magical cultivation aptitude. Although her lifelong
accomplishments were finite, a teacher took her in as an apprentice because
they received large sums of money.
The third type were commoners with outstanding aptitudes. Most of these
students had excellent spiritual power and were filtered out through layers of
the empire’s selection process, they also had their bloodlines improved. If
these students grew smoothly, they usually became faculty and even cornerstones
of imperial strength.
Zi Di no longer used her father’s capital, this made her teacher dissatisfied.
Every day there were many missions assigned, with most of them being given to
common students. Zi Di was only a bronze level magician, she could only accept
a few missions and struggled to complete them.
But she relied on these missions to barely survive.
Of course, she wasn’t self-sufficient yet, and her situation continued to
become more challenging.
She no longer wore fine clothes, began to fight students over missions that had
higher pay, and sometimes starved when her money was tight.
Her situation started to be known.
Former playmates and besties left her, some even mocked and ridiculed her,
never letting any opportunity to make cutting remarks go.
A male student constantly suggested to Zi Di——you don’t need to work so hard,
actually you can exchange your own resources to effortlessly obtain other
things. Sometimes, even things beyond your imagination.
With no expectations, Zi Di strongly refused all of these hints and veiled
requests.
She discovered another aspect of the world.
In her eyes, the once noble, tranquil, grand, and serious magic academy was now
drenched in cruel blood. The magician towers converged to form a special
jungle.
The laws of the jungle were also prevalent here.
In this jungle, every lifeform existed for their own survival.
The strong lived alone and the weak gathered together.
Of course, Zi Di wasn’t strong, at the same time, she couldn’t find a group to
accept her.
Zi Di was like a canary in a towering bird nest that suddenly fell to the
bottom of the jungle. The bottom didn’t have sunlight, and if she wanted to
continue surviving, she had to grab every shred of light, food, and water.
Like a meek lifeform and a canary, people naturally rejected her, guarded
against her, and delighted in her misfortune.
She staggered along and continuously suffered loss and hardship.
In those challenges, there were many lures and traps.
That male student never stopped hinting to her, and as her funds accumulated
with time……he reminded her that as long as she abandoned a few insignificant
things, she could reappear with splendor on the highest branches to receive
relaxation and a scenic view.
But Zi Di never wavered.
Her resolve sometimes even startled herself.
Slowly walking through the difficulties, she competed to gain a foothold in the
academy, learned to rely on herself, and became self-sufficient.
“I can finally provide for myself with my own two hands!”
This accomplishment made her body and mind cheerful and filled herself with
pride.
But at the same time, she also had low self-esteem and was discouraged.
The more she tried, the more she could sense how poor her potential was and how
dark her future prospects were.
According to her spiritual power and bloodline, her greatest achievement would
only be the iron level!
This meant that in this jungle, her lifelong efforts could only separate
herself from the mud and touch the tree trunk. She couldn’t even climb onto the
lowest branch.
Zi Di had understood this for a long time. But now, she sincerely felt the
despair more deeply.
She began to understand some of her companions, why those that spoke
sarcastically and deliberately made things difficult chose to use their own
bodies to obtain a relatively better livelihood.
Understanding did not represent approval.
As an exceedingly pretty flower, Zi Di’s perseverance and great efforts made
her unconventional and more charming.
More suitors appeared next to her, however she firmly refused all of them.
However, amongst her suitors, a mediocre one would suddenly blossom brilliantly
in the near future.
“Miss Zi Di, do you know why my strength has advanced by leaps and bounds?”
After following for a good while, the suitor finally found an opportunity to
have a private conversation with Zi Di.
Zi Di was slightly startled: “What are you talking about?”
“Are you not curious about my performance? Obviously my bloodline isn’t too
different from yours.” The suitor smiled.
“Are you saying you have a way to change your bloodline?” Zi Di asked with a
blank stare.
The male student silently smiled for a bit, then shook his head: “Changing
bloodlines, how can you have such a naive notion? Bloodlines cannot change,
they are something determined at birth.”
“Even if there is a bloodline awakening, that is just existing potential.”
“Our bloodlines and potential have already been examined when we entered the
academy, don’t have such extravagant hopes.”
Zi Di frowned: “Then you……”
The male student deeply breathed: “My adorable Miss Zi Di, you must understand
that there are many types of strength, magic, battle qi, divine spells…… There
are also many schools of magic including fire, space, lightning, air,
summoning……”
“Our bloodline potential in these schools is very low, however these schools
were also created before they flourished soon after.”
“Now, there is a new school of magic. Perhaps with your bloodline, this school
can assist you greatly.”
Zi Di’s brows creased: “What are you getting at?”
“I will give this to you.” The male student took the initiative and gave Zi Di
a scroll of parchment.
When Zi Di opened it to take a look, her eyes immediately shrank, and she
couldn’t help but gasp: “Soul Devourer spell? Necromancy? You’re insane!”
“Hahaha.” The male student sneered, “I’m insane? Indeed, reality almost forced
me towards insanity. However, I would rather become a lunatic that learns
necromancy. Because it can help me alter my current situation and smash my
preexisting limits to some degree!”
“We are the same, our aptitudes are mediocre, and our bloodlines are too
ordinary.”
“Without a bit of insanity, we will eternally be the dirt that others step on.”
“But by using this magic, I can use my soul to swallow other souls, thereby
strengthening my spiritual power!”
“So? Will you accept it?”
Zi Di turned pale.
The suitor in front of her had a wan face, darkness coming from his eye
sockets, a deranged expression, and appeared abnormal.
If she refused, the suitor would almost certainly attack her.
Since he exposed his necromancy, he was sure to silence her through death. They
were in a remote street.
“Furthermore……spiritual power……” Zi Di clearly understood the significance of
it to a magician.
While despairing over her bloodline and aptitude, it was like the suitor said,
perhaps she could become stronger in this new school magic.
Zi Di sensed her tongue and mouth drying up.
She became aware of her heartbeat.
Bloodline and aptitude confined her to the iron level for the rest of her life.
But maybe……with necromancy cultivation, I can go beyond my potential?
“This magic, I……accept it.” After hesitating for a moment, Zi Di mumbled, “Many
thanks.”
“Hahaha, first sign this contract. Be at ease, I won’t make things difficult
for you. This contract is very relaxed, it is simply to prevent you from
reporting me, that’s all.” The suitor loudly laughed.
The contract had no issues, thus Zi Di signed it.
“So, from now on, we are the same kind of people. Hahaha.” As someone passed
by, the suitor immediately hid in the shadows and left.
Afterwards, Zi Di also left with a worried heart.
In the beginning, she put the magic on the back burner and didn’t dare to touch
it.
She was hesitant to cultivate necromancy.
But as time passed, her situation grew more challenging.
Her teacher hinted many times, then after finding a clear indication was
ineffective, they finally lost their patience and stripped her status.
This made matters even worse for her.
Without bloodline aptitude, the loss of her wealth, and her unwillingness to
offer her charm, Zi Di seemed to sink into the most despairing pitfall of her
life, she had no way out and nowhere to escape to.
Finally, one late night, a lonely Zi Di used a trembling finger to open the
necromancy parchment scroll.
She started attempting to cultivate necromancy!
Her soul was gradually transformed through the power of necromancy.
“Devour…… by devouring a soul, my spiritual power can greatly increase!” This
strong enticement almost ruined Zi Di.
“No, how can I become a murderer?”
“If I take one step down the wrong path, every step will be a mistake. I can’t
slide into the abyss of sin.”
“If I think about it carefully, I only need the soul of an intelligent
lifeform! I don’t need to target humans, there are slaves of many races in the
marketplace.”
With a beating heart, Zi Di began to look for a suitable target in the slavery
market.
Bang!
With a loud noise, a house on the street exploded in flames.
“Don’t kill me, don’t kill me!”
A familiar voice caused Zi Di to blankly stare, soon after she saw the suitor,
that gave her the necromancy scroll, burst open the house’s door and wildly run
down the street.
A spear suddenly resonated like thunder. The suitor couldn’t dodge it and was
killed on the spot.
“We received a tip-off and verified it through an investigation. He was corrupt
and a necromancer!” The city guards walked out of the burning house and
explained to the circling people watching.
Accompanying them was an academy teacher.
He used magic to make the suitor’s soul visible to everyone’s eyes.
His soul radiated with thick gray light; this was a characteristic of a
necromancer.
The people cried out in alarm, then soon after they howled in succession: “Kill
the necromancer!”
“Extinguish his soul, annihilate him completely!”
“Great job city guards!”
Zi Di foolishly stared on the side, her complexion was as pale as paper.
The suitor’s humanoid soul hysterical howled with an ear piercing screech.
Suddenly, he discovered Zi Di.
Like a maniac, he charged at the girl.
“No, don’t come any closer!” The girl moved back, however in her fear, she
tumbled to the ground.
With an abrupt thunderous light, the suitor’s soul was annihilated.
“Are you also an academy student? Your battle attainment needs to be improved.”
After the magic teacher used lightning to destroy the spirit, he ran over to
support Zi Di.
“Teacher……” Zi Di’s eyes were despondent; they were filled with the sight of
the suitor being annihilated by the lightning.
“I have come to inspect whether necromancy magic has invaded you.” The magic
teacher used detection magic again.
After all, the suitor’s soul just threw itself at Zi Di.
The girl seemed to suddenly fall into an icy cave as extreme palpitation and
endless panic submerged her.
However, after the magic swept over her, nothing happened.
“You can feel relieved, you are very healthy.” After the teacher used magic to
extinguish the burning house, he left.
Zi Di foolishly sat on the ground, waiting until the guards and people
dispersed before reacting.
With a sweaty body and dazed footsteps, she departed.
After returning, she became seriously ill and never thought of touching
necromancy again.
Thus, Zi Di could only use the identity of a common student to continue living
in the academy.
But instead, she gradually became glad she was in her proper surroundings.
Her intelligent mind, keen insight, favorable reputation, eloquent mouth, and
skillfully established contacts allowed her to grab a small business
opportunity.
In the early morning, the fish market was already busy.
Zi Di had a casual dress and wandered in it.
Once she loathed the fishy smell, now she didn’t care at all.
She had come to the fish market many times to buy tuna.
There are many tuna species, they can include yellowfin, big eye, bluefin tuna,
longfin, bonito fish, and more.
Zi Di always bought the best tuna she could. She did this by making inquiries,
using the library’s abundant collection of books, as well as purchasing
experience.
Most of the academy’s professors loved eating tuna and announced this mission
almost every day. Zi Di relied on her diligence and strength to distinguish
herself from her competitors. Although the reward wasn’t much, it was around
almost every day.
Through her sharp tongue, Zi Di quickly pushed down the price to its lowest
limit and purchased a sufficient amount of tuna.
Just as she was about to leave, she suddenly heard a clamor and noisy voices.
As far as the eye could see, Zi Di could see two bronze level fishermen arguing
with each other.
Her heart understood clearly, this was an argument over the identity of the
fish king. Almost every single day, fishermen contested over who was fish king
of the day.
The fishermen’s booth who was the fish king always attracted the most
attention. Usually by mid-morning, that booth’s fish would be sold out.
The fish king contest was simple, it was whoever obtained the heaviest catch
that morning.
But today’s circumstances were somewhat complex, thus a dispute broke out.
The original fish king discovered that there was a person hiding inside his
catch!
The unfortunate person had fallen into the water and became fish food.
When the defeated fishermen saw this, they immediately expressed that the
person’s weight could not be added to the catch’s total sum.
But the winning fisherman held his hands with a tough attitude. The drowned
person had been in a fish’s belly, they should be considered part of the fish’s
weight! When he caught it, he and many others struggled against the fish’s
mass.
The other fishermen scoffed, the person in the fish’s belly must have slowed it
down, allowing it to be caught.
Both sides stuck to their own version, and their endless wrangling attracted
circles of people, each of them supporting one of the groups.
But when Zi Di saw the person’s terrible condition, she shouted: “Regardless of
what is said, we should save them first.”
“Ha, that is a barbarian, I’m not saving them!” The crowd was unconcerned.
If it were a pure human, everyone might save them, however this was a barbarian
from a different tribe in the Austerity Continent.
Zi Di didn’t have the heart to watch this person die, after a little
hesitation, she still took out a potion and poured it into the person’s mouth.
The old barbarian man woke up, however his loud shouts and incomprehensible
speech made him a lunatic.
Someone teased Zi Di, that healing potion was valuable, yet it was used to save
a madman that couldn’t pay her back.
Zi Di sighed, she couldn’t steel herself to this and had to save him without
reciprocation.
But she didn’t make any retorts, instead she bowed her head and left.
She didn’t attract attention.
Because every time she went out, she used a body transformation potion to
temporarily alter her complexion. If she used her original appearance, she
would be the focus of everyone’s gaze wherever she went.
As the days passed, the insane old barbarian gradually became part of the fish
market’s scenery.
He was as thin as dried firewood and had disheveled hair. Although he was
deranged, he didn’t pose a threat. The fishermen regarded him as a target for
their teasing, every day they would seek him to amuse themselves.
Even though the old barbarian was insane, he still had his survival instincts.
He relied on the abandoned fish organs to barely survive.
When Zi Di came to the fish market, she would sometimes find the old barbarian
to give him some food and special presents.
A few years later.
In a corner of the fish market, she found the sleeping old barbarian.
Just when she was arranging the food for the old barbarian, he slowly opened
his eyes and spoke the common language fluently: “Many thanks, young
kindhearted Miss.”
Zi Di was gob smacked.
The old barbarian took out an animal skin scroll.
“I have become more sober.”
“These are the medicinal recipes I have made; they are the barbarian race’s
tribal medicines.”
“Please accept this young Miss, we barbarians always repay our debts.”
Zi Di received it and her sight was quickly attracted to it.
“Although these recipes are for herbal medicines and not magical ones, they are
rarely seen. Even a library only has one or two copies of them. Many thanks……”
Zi Di lifted her head, her astonishment stopping her voice.
Possibly because she had been too engrossed in the recipes, the old barbarian
had already disappeared.
She realized for the first time that this old barbarian had a story.
The effects of this small, fortuitous encounter increased in the years that
followed.
Zi Di studied more meticulously and discovered the medicines on the animal skin
scroll had a different system compared to magical potions. Although it was
clearly a summary of the barbarian race’s experiences and lacked the meticulous
peer review of magicians, its practical value was considerably high.
Zi Di’s previous teacher was an expert alchemist, besides mainly cultivating
magic, Zi Di also took alchemy as an elective.
After several months, Zi Di’s studies began to show small gains.
After one year, these gains grew more abundant.
She started selling common potions and began to circulate them amongst the
ordinary city residents. Even some students that were short on money gave up on
magical potions and opted for Zi Di’s barbarian race medicines.
“After I graduate, perhaps I can open an ordinary medicine shop in the city.”
Just as she began to see a beautiful future, she suddenly received grievous
news.
Father had died!
When she learned of this information, Zi Di’s first reaction was that she
didn’t dare to believe it.
“Maybe this is just my father wanting to lure me home?”
For the past few years, she never returned home.
But then Fei She and the other elders sent successive letters that all stated
this cruel fact.
Endless sorrow drowned Zi Di.
Despite Zi Di hating her father, she never thought there would be a day when
she would learn of his death.
“He is my only relative in this world.” Zi Di bathed her face in tears.
Loneliness, blankness, and insignificance seemed like torrential waves that
washed through her heart.
Despite the fact that she had been independent and relied on herself to live
alone in this city
Despite the fact that she never accepted her father’s money.
When her father really died, she realized his true status in her heart and
life.
Although she had a falling out with and although she hated him, she also loved
him dearly.
After a few months, the Wisteria Merchant Alliance became unstable, sank into
civil strife, and was quickly plundered by officials. Most of the merchant
alliance members danced to a different tune, either actively or being forced to
rely on others.
Many letters were sent to Zi Di, most of them advised Zi Di to appear and
defend the foundation the president left behind. According to traditional
imperial laws and decrees, she was the merchant alliance’s sole heir.
But Zi Di turned a deaf ear, withdrew to the academy, and didn’t leave. Her
daily fish market missions were also abandoned.
She knew the Academy of Magic was her refuge. It was the only safe place that
would shelter her.
Finally, after a few months, feasting powers slowly descended with heavy hands.
Only the Wisteria Merchant Alliance name remained, almost all of the valuable
property now belonged to someone else.
The former super-merchant alliance that might have overtaken the six great
merchant alliances completely degenerated in a few short months.
There were sighing observers, fearful observers, vindictive observers, and
indifferent observers……
Finally, after all of the dust settled, Zi Di left the academy.
During this time, she had been hiding in the academy.
Now she needed to participate in her father’s funeral.
“Small Zi Di, don’t, don’t feel guilty. Your actions were correct, those that
advised you previously were all harboring unfathomable motives. They wanted to
use you to fight for more benefits.” Fei She led a team to support her.
“But, but you must remain careful, even though the big crocodile has eaten its
fill, the fierce piranhas are still roaming the muddy water.”
After several days of low-profile travel, Zi Di’s delegation came to a village
at the foot of a mountain.
The village was filled with a gaiety atmosphere. A circus had come to the
village to give them amusement not seen in a year.
There were clowns, fireworks, multi-colored balloons, doll shows, cycling
bears, dancing monkeys, as well as a flute dancer from the east.
Zi Di’s carriage slowly moved through the congested crowd.
In the silent carriage, Zi Di’s heart bubbled with sorrow.
The interior of the carriage was a separate world from the bright outside.
Choosing to open the window curtains, Zi Di raised her eyes and saw a manor on
the hillside.
That was once her home, the manor hadn’t seemed to change much.
Her mind flashed with childhood memories in that manor and in this village.
When the circus arrived every year, guards would accompany her as she had fun.
The circus even had a smoke parrot show that amused and captivated her when she
was young.
Now, she finally returned.
She grew up both in age and experience.
The formerly beautiful manor leaked a sorrowful aura. Recalling the mysterious
circus, Zi Di also remembered her amazement and emotions.
Everything remained the same, but the people changed.
The carriages slowly passed by a carriage that had been transformed into a
simplistic stage. Sitting on it were a group of children acting out a doll
show. That show was the story Zi Di loved the most as a child——The Princess,
the Demon, and the Knight.
Hearing those familiar words, Zi Di thought of the time she and her mother
strolled through this village.
“Mother, I will beat that vile demon! I can take it, even the gardener's son
that is two years older than me isn’t my opponent.”
Her mother laughed: “My little princess, a lady shouldn’t scuffle. Be at ease,
you don’t need to do this, you will have a knight that will protect you
throughout your life.”
“My knight?” The child Zi Di’s eyes flashed, “Where is he?”
“Eh……your mother doesn’t know. But I can be certain that he will appear in your
life.”
“Mother, what is in that tent?”
“That is a divination master’s tent.”
“What is divination? I want to take a look.”
“It's too late, your mother will take you next year, all right? My adorable
little princess, we should return home and sleep. Be good.”
“Ok……” The child Zi Di lowered her head and replied reluctantly.
The fleet finally came to the end of the street, here there was a mountain road
that led up to the manor.
A blue tent sat on the end of the street.
There were few footprints around the divination tent, a cold contrast to the
other bright vendor booths in the circus.
Divination was a type of prophecy, an abstruse field of magic.
But many diviners among the people that spoke of the gods were swindlers.
Perhaps after many years the circus coming to town, the people knew the
divination master’s background and were no longer interested.
“Stop, I want to get out.” Zi Di’s interest suddenly flourished.
She got out and left a guard outside the tent as she went in.
The inside of the tent was dark, it seemed to have been done deliberately to
make a mysterious ambience.
Engrossed, Zi Di sized up the tent’s furnishings. The years had tempered her
sharp gaze and allowed her to immediately determine that many of the potions
were fake and that a good deal of the magical implements were counterfeits.
She felt an unexpected disappointment.
“Customer, what fortune do you want to learn?” The divination master asked.
Zi Di cast her gaze at them.
The divination master was an old woman, she had deep wrinkles and nine dark
blue marks painted on her forehead.
She voluntarily sat down: “Tell me, when will my knight arrive in my life?”
The divination master began to feel the obviously counterfeit crystal ball and
talk endlessly without getting to the point. Her muttering was
incomprehensible, probably because her voice was hard to hear.
The diviner’s brows began to purse, her voice got faster, and she seemed to
encounter some predicament that was hard to ponder.
All of a sudden!
Her entire body twitched, and her eyes turned over to only show her sclerae.
Blood flowed from her canthus, nostrils, mouth, and ears!
She cried out with incomparable fright: “Ah……ah!”
“I see……I’ve seen your fate……”
“Your fate……has no knight!”
“Only, only……ah!!! A beast, no, a monster!”
“Monster!!”
Zi Di jumped up in fear and stood up involuntarily.
The guard outside the tent heard the movement and immediately entered.
The diviner collapsed onto the table, rolled her eyes, extended her old hand,
and grabbed at Zi Di.
The guard immediately advanced and pulled out his sword.
“Stop, don’t make a fuss about nothing, These are merely the frightening words
of a small cheap trick.” Zi Di calmed down and smiled.
She tossed a silver coin onto the table.
“For you.”
“It was a decent show.”
She turned around to leave with the guard following close behind.



****** Chapter 187: The Wisteria Merchant Alliance’s New President ******
An uninterrupted drizzle fell from a gloomy sky.
Zi Di’s father was buried behind the manor, next to her mother. That was Zi
Di’s mother’s dying wish and her father fulfilled it.
At the time, he used his initial profits to marry Zi Di’s mother, purchase
everything on this small mountain, and construct this manor.
To Zi Di’s father, this was a witness to his splendid life, it was where his
happiness began and also where his life ended.
A priest prayed as the coffin dropped into the grave.
A group of people dressed in black were silent in the solemn atmosphere.
Zi Di stood in front and quietly gazed at the coffin.
Her final relative in this world was buried here.
Her face was expressionless, but her heart brimmed with grief and enmity.
Falling off a horse, what a ridiculous way to die!
As the president of a super-merchant alliance, her father was an iron level
cultivator, and his body was a formidable object. Even if it were an explosive
blazing horse, he wouldn’t have died.
But this ridiculous reason was accepted by others.
Ignorant people really believed it and sighed that fate was fickle.
Intelligent people or those deeply versed in society’s rule understood——this
was actually the imperial officials giving the lower class an ice-cold
warning——even with the size of the Wisteria Merchant Alliance, the president
can still suddenly die by falling off his horse. You should understand who
rules the empire!
The priest’ prayer finished, then someone took an iron shovel and filled the
grave with earth.
Not long after, the funeral finished.
“Thank you priest.” As a family member, Zi Di acknowledged the priest.
“Beautiful Miss please lament; I honestly hope your father received the gods’
guidance and has ascended to heaven.” The priest comforted.
Zi Di’s father believed in the wealth god, but he wasn’t pious.
Most of the wealth god’s pious believers were poor, while the rich ones were
superficial believers.
This was rational.
The ability to make money all relied on one’s gains from sweat and blood, and
no one wished to contribute their wealth to the gods.
The poor longed for riches but could only pray for it, thus they were usually
pious believers.
Of course, there were rich pious believers, there were simply less compared to
the other gods.
As far as the priest’s blessings were concerned, Zi Di’s heart knew it was
impossible.
Don’t speak of her father’s beliefs, the most important part was that after her
father died, his soul also dissipated.
In this world, death doesn’t mean a burial. Regardless of whether it was magic
or divine spells, there were many methods to step over death and unearth
information.
His soul dissipating indicated the assassin was clean and skilled.
The culprit behind the scenes didn’t wish to leave behind any information. They
weren’t worried about Zi Di or the people in the merchant alliance, rather they
did it to prevent information from falling into the hands of other powers.
Zi Di and the others didn’t know which of her father’s enemies had him killed.
“However, I will still do my best to investigate the truth and avenge you!
My……father.”
Zi Di stood like a statue for a long time.
Behind her Fei She sighed and clapped her shoulder: “Don’t be too sad, little
Zi Di.”
“The president actually had a premonition.”
“He always loved you and felt ashamed of himself.”
“After you rejected the Garden City Lord, he stood up to pressure and didn’t
force you.”
“These last few years, you have refused his funds and instead worked hard by
yourself. This made him feel sorry and very gratified. Many times in private,
he used your small gains to dazzle me——he had an excellent daughter.”
Zi Di was silent for a long time: “Uncle Fei She, I want a moment alone with my
father.”
“Alright.” Fei She nodded, turned to wave, and indicated to the others that
they should move away.
Seeing they moved to a distant place, Zi Di looked at the gravestone and began
to whisper.
“How long does she want to stay? Are we going to wait too?” Someone lost their
patience.
“Hmph, if she wasn’t always hiding in the academy, the Lord President’s burial
wouldn’t have been delayed for so long!” Someone expressed their resentment
towards Zi Di, “Even if the father and daughter had conflicting views, it
shouldn’t be this bad.”
“According to the plans, there will be a meeting following this. Be a bit
faster, time is scarce.”
Fei She turned around and looked at the crowd, his different gaze indicated: if
you want to wait, you can wait. If you don’t want to wait due to time
constraints, you can depart immediately and not participate in the meeting.
The people’s discussion immediately stopped.
Fei She looked at Zi Di again with a worried heart. The group that participated
in the funeral were merchant alliance veterans or elders, but nowadays their
thoughts were all different. Some wanted to work on their own, some wanted to
revitalize the merchant alliance, and some were naturally spies. Compared to
her father, Zi Di didn’t have the prestige to keep the situation under control.
At the beginning of the meeting, Zi Di immediately said: “Currently, I still
don’t understand how to operate a merchant alliance. If anyone wants to say
something, state it directly.”
“Then I will speak, my main product is lion vulture seats. But currently all of
the merchant alliance’s alchemists have left and I cannot finish the large
order on hand. I need the merchant alliance to give me sufficient alchemists to
assist me through this crisis!”
“My business in Stone Statue City has also suffered suppression. Many merchants
in the city have united to harm their competition. They hired local gangsters
to disturb my storefront and also hired robbers to attempt to burn down my
grain depot. I captured the robbers, however the city lord and city guards
stationed there are not just.”
“My banks in the Fire Ash province have suffered consecutive bank robberies.
Currently my cash flows have fractured, and I need great amounts of capital to
support myself.
……
Everyone was in difficult situations, the previous Wisteria Merchant Alliance
had been gigantic as it flourished and rapidly expanded into many territories,
its speed even scared the president.
But now, everyone knew the Wisteria Merchant Alliance had collapsed and most of
its industry had been divided up by the large powers. As the crocodile slowly
ate its fill, the stench of blood attracted schools of piranhas. Everyone could
see the Wisteria Merchant Alliance was weak, and all of them wanted a bite.
The merchant alliance elders and employees suffered unspeakable misery, this
meeting was basically them seeking aid and gathering to warm themselves.
Faced with these requests, Zi Di slowly shook her head: “I can’t help everyone,
if fact, I simply don’t know what to do.”
“Miss Zi Di, it is actually very simple.” The banking elder smiled, “We know
that for the past few years, your father always remitted money to you for your
tuition.:
“However, that sum of money is immense, it far surpasses the amount needed for
your studies.”
“I think that is the Lord President’s rainy day fund prepared beforehand, we
can use to deal with our current situations.”
Zi Di was safe in the academy, thus the assets in her bank account there were
probably safe.
Zi Di blinked: “Are you saying you want me to lend this money to you?”
“That’s right, as long as I cross this crisis I am sure to pay you back,
beautiful miss.” The elder replied.
Zi Di nodded: “I agree to this method, in fact, I really want to do my best to
help everyone.”
The merchant alliance elders smiled, and some of them praised that Zi Di’s
benevolent and assumption of responsibility was just like her father’s.
Zi Di reflected for a while: “I am willing to lend one hundred thousand coins,
I hope you can use the Black Horse Market as collateral. There will be a ten
percent yearly interest rate.
The merchant alliance elders’ smiles didn’t move.
Fei She laughed to himself. On the road, he warned Zi Di of many things,
however after this exchange he was pleasantly surprised to find that Zi Di had
matured far beyond his expectations.
Then the banking elder’s look also changed as he got out of his seat: “You
robber!”



****** Chapter 188: Marriage Connection ******
The manor was quiet at night.
Zi Di slowly pushed a door open and entered the room.
A candle flame ignited.
Her father’s study still looked the same, it hadn’t changed much the image in
her memory.
The room wasn’t big, but it had good lightning. If it were day, sunlight would
pass through the glass and make this place very bright.
The study’s furnishings were simple, and the walls didn’t have oil paintings,
instead it had an enormous map of the continent. On it, Zi Di’s father had made
many red and blue markings on it.
Whenever the Wisteria Merchant Alliance expanded to some territory, he would
mark the corresponding change on the map.
Zi Di stopped in front of the enormous map.
A childhood memory appeared.
When she was small, whenever her father had some success, he would cheerfully
invite her mother to look at the map and inform her of the merchant alliance’s
development.
Her mother often teased him like a child.
Her father’s finger pointed to an unmarked city and told her mother: he
predicted the merchant alliance would eventually expand to this place. In those
days, when some businesses were upgraded, some businesses had their
manufacturing costs drop as a result.
Looking at her father talking non-stop, Zi Di’s mother gradually revealed her
worry.
“Don’t work too hard. This is good enough.” She would advise.
The father shook his head: “It's not enough, it's not enough, it is still too
short. I want to establish a merchant alliance branch here, here, and here! I
won’t let off any important city!”
“He achieved……” Zi Di looked at the map, all kinds of symbols filled every
important imperial city. Apart from this, there were also many unusual hamlets.
An astonishing business accomplishment!
It was difficult to imagine that an iron level could accomplish this.
But his immense success also became the cause of his death.
Zi Di withdrew her gaze and slowly paced over to the desk.
The large mahogany desk had pens, ink, document manuscripts, and small easels
on it. The easel had a drawing of her father, her mother, and Zi Di on it.
The drawing had a small Zi Di in it. At less than four years old, her father
had put her small head on his shoulder as she snored in her sleep.
Zi Di slowly sat down, this was the dermis seat her father always sat in.
Her petite body seemed to make the seat wider and larger.
The seat was very old, even if Zi Di was light, she still produced a creaking
sound.
Zi Di thought of how her father sat, then she subconsciously imitated him as
she put her elbows on the desk, clenched her hands into fists, held her chin in
her hands, and pressed it against her lips.
Late into the night, she often found her father’s study still lit up, this is
what she saw when she opened the door to remind her father to go to sleep.
“Father……”
Zi Di’s mouth murmured, she thought of the meeting she attended today.
When a good deal of the elders no longer despised Zi Di, a difficult
negotiation followed.
Despite Zi Di going through many life trials and being influenced from a young
age, in public speaking and trade talks, she was still young and tender.
Luckily Fei She publicly supported her and illuminated all kinds of traps with
his mouth.
Most matters haven’t been settled yet.
A few have reached preliminary agreements.
A portion of people publicly left and indicated their departure from the
Wisteria Merchant Alliance. Among them was the banking elder.
Zi Di let them go without making things difficult.
She outwardly showed a unyielding signal——if you want to leave, I won’t stop
anyone, even if everyone leaves, I won’t dread it!
She knew why these people didn’t attract customers, they didn’t meet the
conditions of the powers and were looked down on by influential officials.
On the surface, they merely wanted to attend the funeral. However, their true
intent was to connect with the president, fish out gains, and subsidize
themselves.
However, the Zi Di they got wasn’t the one they expected, they remembered a
pure child that hadn’t gone through the affairs of life.
Zi Di firmly controlled her benefits and never relaxed in the slightest. The
Wisteria Merchant Alliance had changed dramatically, and the position of
president had suffered the most damage. Zi Di was only interested in profitable
collaboration.
As Zi Di sank in the leather chair, she sensed two things strongly.
One was wealth.
Even if eighty percent was gone, the remaining twenty percent still made her
considerably rich.
The second was challenge.
The battles of wits and war of words in the meeting had made Zi Di’s head ache
dully.
At the same time, this was the first time Zi Di wielded so much wealth, she
didn’t have confidence in herself.
“Can I use it well? Can I hold onto this wealth? Can I maintain the Wisteria
Merchant Alliance?”
“Oh Zi Di, you must accomplish these things!”
“This was your father’s lifeblood, simultaneously, it is also your hope for
vengeance!!”
She never showed it to others, but Zi Di was already determined to get revenge.
At the funeral, Fei She had told her those words, but in fact Zi Di was already
well aware of this.
These past years had sharpened her and allowed her to understand a
principle——you can see a person more through their actions than by their words.
Her previous loathing had already disappeared, it had changed into sentimental
feelings for her father.
Who doesn’t make mistakes?
Especially when faced with almost all of the empire’s officials.
Furthermore, he never really coerced his daughter.
A mere day after taking over, Zi Di’s understanding and appreciation of her
father deepened.
“Hahahaha!” At that moment, a howling laughter smashed Zi Di’s commemoration.
Then the study’s door was suddenly pushed open.
A youngster strutted in front of Zi Di. He was as short as a dwarf.
Because of the hairstyle, his noticeable grey hair looked like a flamboyant
explosion.
He held a dagger, however in his hands, it looked like he was wielding a heroic
sword.
“Who are you?” Zi Di asked.
“Hahaha.” The ashen haired youngster laughed, “Good question!”
His voice suddenly lowered, he was obviously changing his intonation to a
rougher one: “I am from the shadows, I dance on a knife’s edge! Fate chose to
set me aside; however, I chose slaughter. The gods gave me redemption, but I’d
rather destroy. Between love and viciousness, I am me, I will be the number one
assassin genius under the heavens——Luo Shi!”
“Oh girl, I have come to collect your life. I have come to kill you!!”
Zi Di was absolutely stunned.
Although this was her first assassination, she never heard of an assassin that
killed so overtly.
No matter how outlandish this assassin was, his aura of death wasn’t fake.
“Guards!!” Zi Di shouted.
The youngster Luo Shi laughed heartily and proudly said: “Hahaha, you will
scream, you will break your throat, and no one will come to save you. Because I
have already released them from this world.”
Zi Di coldly snorted, lightly shook her arm, and tossed a handful of dust from
her sleeve.
Magic spell——lime!
Her mouth said a few syllables and performed sorcery on the materials,
exploding them. The powder exploded into a finer mist that quickly filled the
entire study.
Then she immediately jumped from the desk and rolled into a corner.
During that time, she was already utilizing the magic materials and started a
brief chant.
Magic spell——whisper!
When she stood up, the sound reduction spell succeeded, allowing Zi Di’s
actions and chants to be almost silent.
Tensely continuing, she used a third spell——mirror image.
A mirror image of her dashed towards the door.
“Wow, you’re pretty good.” Luo Shi suddenly said from behind Zi Di.
Just as Zi Di felt astonished, Luo Shi skillfully conducted battle qi through
his dagger and into Zi Di’s body, locking her in place like a rigid rock unable
to move a single step.
“The lime spell was nearly instantaneous, the whisper spell was very sharp, and
the mirror image spell was also a good choice.”
Luo Shi’s abundant comments behind her caused Zi Di’s heart to sink to the
bottom.
Following this, Luo Shi exploded with battle qi, clearing all of the powder in
the room.
“Silver level!” Seeing the battle qi, Zi Di seemed to fall into an icy cave.
While being fearful, she also felt indignation and hatred.
“Did you kill my father?!” The girl questioned.
Luo Shi shook his head: “That wasn’t me. Sneaky assassinations don’t have
enough charm to them. I am determined to become the greatest male assassin
under the heavens, I would never do something so tasteless.”
Despite only hearing one reason, Zi Di naturally believed Luo Shi’s words.
Luo Shi’s put his dagger on Zi Di’s neck.
Because of his short stature, in order to do this, both of his feet were
attached to the wall with battle qi, giving him a steady stance.
“The information told me you were busy with life and neglected magic practice.
However, it seems you secretly promoted to the iron level, in addition your
recent battle stance shows that you must train diligently.”
“Tsk tsk, you really are a crafty girl.”
“Remember the one who killed you was me, Luo Shi, the one destined to be the
greatest assassin genius under the heavens.”
“Hold on dwarf! How much were you paid; I can double it!” Zi Di yelled.
Luo Shi blankly stared, then burst in anger: “Wow, I want to burst with rage!”
“I am the most outstanding assassin in the world, I must have occupational
integrity.”
“Also, I am a human, a pure human, I am not a dwarf!!”
“Die for me!”
With anger, Luo Shi swung his dagger ruthlessly at Zi Di’s neck.
Just as Zi Di believed she was dead, she suddenly heard Luo Shi screech in
panic, soon after he disappeared without a trace.
Only a bloodstain was left on the wall.
“What just happened?” Zi Di suddenly found she could move again.
“I saved you, newly appointed president of the Wisteria Merchant Alliance.” A
goblin the size of Luo Shi appeared in front of Zi Di.
He had a goblin’s smooth head, green skin, and a long hooked nose.
“A pity, what a pity, the magic I brewed to catch him in the act was supposed
to kill him on the spot. I didn’t expect this youngster to get away and escape.
He isn’t old, yet his battle qi is near the gold level and is on the verge of a
qualitative change. This kind of aptitude is rarely seen.” The goblin gazed at
the bloodstained wall as he slowly evaluated.
“A gold level magician!” Zi Di shook, the goblin’s aura actually reached the
gold level, it's no wonder he could frighten Luo Shi into fleeing.
“You are?” Zi Di inquired after bowing.
“You can call me Lord Jian Zuan, I study under War Merchant.” The goblin Jian
Zuan arrogantly smiled.
War Merchant!
Zi Di’s heart quaked.
“Your father and my teacher Lord War Merchant have business connections.
Several months earlier, your father cried for help in a letter to Mystifying
Monster Island. Unfortunately, at that time, I was conducting important magical
experiments with my teacher, and the letter was shelved by the tower spirit.
When we discovered the letter, my teacher commanded me to help.” The goblin
Jian Zuan explained.
“Many thanks to your Lordship for saving my life!” Zi Di bowed again with
gratefulness and gladness on her face. However, in her heart, a cold stream
nevertheless flowed.
The recent situation was obviously Jian Zuan treating her as bait, he used her
to trick Luo Shi into exposing a weak point. It was clear that in Jian Zuan’s
heart, killing Luo Shi was more important than saving Zi Di.
Combined with his explanation, she knew he and War Merchant didn’t really care
about her father’s letter. If not, why did they delay because of experiments?
But Zi Di’s father should have close dealings with War Merchant.
Zi Di’s father could send War Merchant a letter for help, outside of impatience
burning him, he was certain it would have some degree of success.
Now, War Merchant dispatched his student Jian Zuan to provide assistance, this
also proved that Zi Di’s father was valuable to War Merchant.
“Thinking carefully, this isn’t strange.”
“War Merchant is the seventh most wanted, is a publicly known alchemy great
grandmaster, and a well-known munitions dealer. His best option to sell weapons
is the Wisteria Merchant Alliance. Because although the six great merchant
alliances are bigger than the Wisteria Merchant Alliance, they are completely
controlled by imperial officials.”
“Father must have helped War Merchant sell many weapons; therefore, he could
receive support.”
“A pity it came too late!”
“What bad luck.”
“Him saving me was merely a passing affair, he mainly wanted to kill Luo Shi.
This indicates he understands the Wisteria Merchant Alliance’s current
situation, I am not very valuable in his heart.
A few breaths later, Zi Di’s mind flashed with lightning and she saw the
situation clearly.
Her eyes flashed as she immediately opened her mouth: “Lord Jian Zuan, although
my father passed away, I have already assumed his position. From now on, I am
willing to serve your Lordship as well as Lord War Merchant to the best of my
abilities!”
“Eh?” Jian Zuan blankly stared as he took notice of Zi Di, “Your expression
just fluctuated, this should be the first time you learned of your father’s
secret. In order to protect yourself, you want to draw support from our
strength……haha, small girl you are fascinating.”
“Nothing escapes your Lordship’s eyes.” Zi Di was incomparably sincere, “I am
very scared, I didn’t expect the day I took over, I would provoke an assassin.
In order to save my life, I am willing to brave greater risks. And I believe
that of all the merchant alliances in the continent, I am still the only one
that is worth your Lordship’s investments.”
“Not bad.” Jian Zuan nodded, “After collaborating with your father for a long
time, we are at ease with you. Although only the Wisteria Merchant Alliance
name remains, it still has its good reputation and worldwide renown, therefore
it still poses a high value.
“But with your current strength, I’m afraid you don’t have the qualifications
to collaborate with us or receive our protection.”
“So, how do I become qualified?” Zi Di inquired with a smile.
Jian Zuan’s next words turned her pale: “Make a marriage connection.”



****** Chapter 189: Zi Di on the Island ******
“You can open your eyes.” Said Jian Zuan.
Zi Di slowly opened her eyes, she no longer found herself at a wharf, but in an
alchemy factory.
The alchemy factory was humongous, and currently, there were many long
mechanical arms precisely and quickly pouring key liquids for explosive flasks.
Jian Zuan allowed Zi Di a moment to look around, then suddenly said: My teacher
is already here; please follow me.
Passing through a gate made from legend level materials, Zi Di arrived at the
alchemy factory control hub, the countless coffins stunned her.
On the control hub’s first floor, she saw War Merchant.
This was a legend level magician, an apex great grandmaster, but at that
moment, his legend level life aura was somewhat weak.
He was clearly wounded.
Three of his fingers had been shattered and were currently soaking in the Green
Jade Golden Coffin.
The Green Jade Golden Coffin was filled with green liquid. The green liquid was
translucent and seemed to contain an extremely powerful vitality.
After a few breaths, War Merchant’s shattered fingers regrew.
He pulled out his hand and wiped off the green liquid, after moving the fingers
around a bit, he nodded with satisfaction.
Then War Merchant looked at Zi Di: “As you’ve seen, alchemy research requires a
price.”
Zi Di was stunned: “Lord War Merchant, what is that medicinal liquid? It is
actually able to instantly cure the injuries of a legend level? If that
medicine was sold, even if there wasn’t much, it would surely cause a commotion
in the world!”
“Hahaha.” War Merchant laughed, “You're just like your father, when he came
here for the first time, he was captivated by the alchemy cannons. He suggested
a price to me and formulated a set of marketing plans.”
“Although he was only at the iron level, he really had rarely seen business
abilities! I have collaborated with many merchants, but with any merchandise,
your father always sold the most.”
“Many thanks for your Lordship’s praise.” Zi Di bowed.
War Merchant nodded again, his eyes revealing his admiration: “Your courage is
comparable to your father’s, and you are very eloquent. You have succeeded in
convincing the Bai Zhen Clan, and relied on just yourself to facilitate a
marriage connection. Your choice is excellent and suitable.”
Zi Di’s mouth expressed her thanks, hiding the gloominess in her heart.
The first night she took over the Wisteria Merchant Alliance as president, Luo
Shi tried to assassinate her. If her father hadn’t sent a letter asking the
gold level magician, Jian Zuan, for help in repelling Luo Shi, Zi Di would be
dead
It was clear, someone didn’t want to see the Wisteria Merchant Alliance have a
new president with a strong disposition.
Zi Di didn’t know which power or officials were the culprits, nor did she know
the participants of that meeting the other day.
In order to defend herself, Zi Di needed a strong character’s protection.
Jian Zuan and War Merchant were the obvious best choice.
Because they were wanted criminals, and their position was naturally clear.
They needed Zi Di, and those powerful influences had plenty of alternatives.
Jian Zuan required that Zi Di forge a marriage connection, only after she had
done that, did she have the qualifications to collaborate with War Merchant and
Jian Zuan.
Currently the Wisteria Merchant Alliance was too weak, its situation completely
different from its heyday.
Previously, Zi Di refused marriage.
But now, in order to defend herself, in order to avenge her father, Zi Di had
to choose marriage.
She succeeded.
She and the Bai Zhen Clan created a close alliance by marrying Zhen Jin.
She ought to thank the Southern War, for nowadays, the feeble Bai Zhen Clan
also needed the Wisteria Merchant Alliance.
War Merchant continued: “This green liquid cannot be sold, it isn’t really the
thing healing me, rather it is the divine artifact, the Green Jade Golden
Coffin.”
Zi Di’s eyes opened wide: “Isn’t that the Feather Snake god’s divine artifact,
the one rumored to resurrect the dead?”
War Merchant nodded, then shook his head: “It really is the Feather Snake god’s
divine artifact, but it isn’t complete. As you can see, this divine artifact
still lacks a coffin lid.”
“At the same time, I am not a Feather Snake god believer, I don’t have the
corresponding divine power.”
“I used alchemy to steal a portion of the divine artifact’s power, but making
this green liquid is the extent of my abilities. If it leaves the alchemy
formation, the green liquid will immediately lose its effectiveness. Even
within the formation, the green liquid cannot revive the dead.”
“So that’s how it works.” Zi Di sighed.
“The goods are already ready and are in the warehouse.” War Merchant called for
the tower spirit and opened the teleportation door.
Zi Di followed War Merchant and Jian Zuan to the merchandise warehouse, and
finally saw the body double.
EX—866
The body double’s eyes were closed as he hibernated in a wooden box. The box
had a serial number on it: EX—866
Seeing the body double’s appearance, Zi Di’s heart quaked, such unexpected
similarity, the body double was simply a copy of Zhen Jin.
War Merchant smiled and said: “Currently, this is my finest work!”
“Appearance adjustments are mere trifles.”
“He was once a silver level knight. In order to perfectly replace Zhen Jin, I
successfully integrated the Gold Queen Bee bloodline into his body.”
Zi Di’s look immediately changed, revealing her astonishment.
The Gold Queen Bee was a legend level magic beast, and it was the source of the
Bai Zhen Clan’s bloodline.
The Bai Zhen Clan’s battle qi cultivation, battle skills, trump cards, and more
used that bloodline as a foundation, after many years of improvement, they had
a comprehensive system in current times.
“Before Zhen Jin personally imbued a memory crystal, I already imbued within
him, the memories of a strong character from the Bai Zhen Clan.”
“Passing through a series of battles and training, his muscles have also been
molded to fit with the Bai Zhen Clan’s battle skills the most.”
“His memory has also been meticulously filtered and modified; he won’t lack
common sense. When he obtains Zhen Jin’s memories, it will be very compatible
with his body.”
Zi Di’s heart trembled in fear as she listened to War Merchant.
When War Merchant finished, he deeply gazed at her: “As for the Gold Queen Bee
bloodline, I spent a great sum to secretly purchase it from the Gigantic Mouth
Hunting Group. Legend level blood……tsk tsk, I can’t help but say that our luck
was very good.”
Zi Di’s complexion turned completely pale.
“Hehehehe. It seems you’ve already sensed it.” War Merchant’s smile grew wider.
“Teacher, I’ve told you she is an intelligent human girl.” Jian Zuan agreed.
Zi Di’s mouth was dry, and her pulse accelerated: “So, the plan has been
altered?”
“Yes.” War Merchant looked on with admiration, but he didn’t explain, rather he
said to Jian Zuan, “Give her the details.”
“Jian Zuan explained: “Originally, we wanted to help and shelter you, allowing
you to sell munitions for us. Of course, the current Wisteria Merchant Alliance
is unable to collaborate with us, however you accepted my proposal, or rather
my test.”
“You passed, now you are connected to the Bai Zhen Clan by marriage, with this
identity, as long as Zhen Jin succeeds in becoming city lord of White Sands
City, your Wisteria Merchant Alliance can gain a foothold, allowing us to sell
great amounts of munitions in the Wilderness Continent.”
No matter whether it was magic cultivation or alchemy research, both of them
needed numerous tests and consumed large amounts of resources.
By selling munitions, War Merchant and Jian Zuan could acquire funding to
invest into cultivation and research.
With the results of cultivation and research, more advanced weapons could
provide more funding.
For many years, War Merchant had carried out this virtuous cycle.
In recent years, he turned more to life alchemy and contributed much to it.
“But recently……” Jian Zuan continued, “Our alchemy had a major breakthrough. We
can perfectly fuse legend level bloodlines into a living being. Of course, only
a portion of the bloodline, furthermore the lifeform must at least be at the
silver level.”
“With the memory crystal, we can directly build our own ‘Zhen Jin’, a perfect
puppet that accepts our control.”
“Our luck was really good. Fortunately, the Gigantic Mouth Hunting Group killed
a legend level Gold Queen bee.”
“We’ve ambushed the personal forces the Bai Zhen Clan dispatched; they should
all be dead right now.”
Technological breakthroughs and increases in strength allowed War Merchant and
Jian Zuan to also expand their ambitions.
They were no longer satisfied in helping Zi Di, rather they wanted to embezzle
White Sands City and even began to erode and control the Bai Zhen Clan.
“But I have an engagement contract, if I harm Zhen Jin, I will suffer a
backlash.” Zi Di expressed her worry.
“Be at ease, next I will personally alter the magical contract on your body.”
War Merchant laughed.
Zi Di’s heart was ice-cold.
She deeply realized that collaborating with War Merchant was practically
seeking after tiger skins.
Zi Di could reluctantly accept the previous plan. Because she could use War
Merchant and the Bai Zhen Clan to benefit from both sides, she could divulge
her connection to War Merchant and exploit the Bai Zhen Clan for the most
value, allowing her to ensure her freedom.
But things were different now.
Now, War Merchant wanted to deal with Zhen Jin and the Bai Zhen Clan, Zi Di was
too weak and could only be wrapped up in their conspiracy.
If this conspiracy developed against Zhen Jin, the sole heir, Zi Di would
become the Bai Zhen Clan’s mortal enemy, while simultaneously becoming the
enemy of all imperial higher ups.
The new plan was too risky, but Zi Di had no power to refuse.
“I am not collaborating with War Merchant, I am only their chess piece, nothing
more.”
Her heart was dismal, however Zi Di nodded to the master and disciple and said
with a heavy tone: “A wonderful new plan.”
Not long after, Zi Di staggered from a magical formation.
War Merchant was worthy of being a legend level magician, he had succeeded in
altering the magical contract on Zi Di’s body.
Just as the magical ritual, Zi Di felt dizzy, her spirit had been wounded
greatly.
But War Merchant was prepared, giving Zi Di a potion.
Zi Di didn’t hesitate, she drained it in one gulp and rapidly improved her
condition. After several breaths, her spirit recovered completely, and even
grew somewhat.
The girl’s complexion changed; her perfect spirit allowed Zi Di to quickly
sense the magical contract.
War Merchant smiled: “I only amended it, shifting its original target to the
body double. Thus, this magical agreement will be powerful evidence for the
body double’s disguise.”
“From now on, your life is linked with the body double, enjoy life together.”
“Of course, the highest authority is in my hands. As long I have the thought,
this magical agreement will alter in a flash, removing both your lives. Unless
I die one day, this contract will remain on your body human girl.”
Zi Di looked deathly pale.
War Merchant was rigorous, he didn’t give any room for Zi Di or the body double
to rebel.
If there were no accidents, from now on, Zi Di could only be War Merchant’s
chess piece!
“The body double now only lacks Zhen Jin’s memoires.” War Merchant sighed.
“I will give you a set of memory crystals.:
“Naturally I have altered it, as long as Zhen Jin uses this set, all of his
memories will be secretly duplicated.”
“It would be for the best if you can get him to do it voluntarily.”
“If he is forced to do it, defects will appear in the memories.”
“As for how to get him to do it voluntarily, I believe you can think of a way.”
“I Zi Di will do her best, I will live up to Lord War Merchant’s expectations!”
Zi Di bowed to the ground. This attitude made War Merchant and Jian Zuan very
satisfied.
……
Several days later……
In a wharf warehouse.
“My Lord, this is the body double prepared for you.” On the side, Zi Di smiled.
“Incredible! Too incredible. It isn’t possible to find such a perfect body
double!?” Zhen Jin exclaimed repeatedly.
Zi Di wore a smile, but her mood was very complex.
Who would have thought Mystifying Monster Island was actually in the ocean.
The people on Mystifying Monster Island had an immense influence on her life.
“From now on, is my life really connected to you?” Zi Di silently gazed at the
body double.
“Anyways, I and Zi Di are connected by marriage, I am also a templar knight and
the Bai Zhen Clan’s sole heir. They wouldn’t dare to harm me.” Holding these
opinions, Zhen Jin trusted Zi Di.
According to Zi Di’s plan, Zhen Jin used a memory crystal and disguised himself
as Hei Juan.
“Hahaha.” He began to laugh, “Then go do your business. You must continue to
work hard; it is not easy if you want to become a noble’s wife with your
identity and bloodline.”
“I will keep your Lordship’s words in my heart!” Zi Di responded.
……
After the Hog’s Kiss had sailed for some time……
Late into the night, the captain's cabin.
The captain fell to the ground, looking at Zi Di with fear.
“How can this be?” His body was paralyzed, he couldn’t budge, “I was definitely
careful and had you monitored at all times. How could you poison me?”
Zi Di smiled and looked at the ink bottle on his desk.
“Lord captain, every three days, you send word to Templar Knight Fen Yi,
reporting information about Priest Jia Sha and us.”
“That is expensive ink, are you still getting used to it?”
The captain gazed at the ink: “You poisoned it? Impossible, I already started
using it, why is it poisoned now?”
Zi Di shook her head: “You actually don’t need to know much, because it
involves the barbarian race’s herbal knowledge. You can go to sleep.”
“No, wait a minute! I can rely on you and the Bai Zhen Clan. Don’t kill me, if
you kill me, how can you sail to the Wilderness Continent without any trouble?
Without a captain, the Hog’s Kiss is very dangerous!” The captain begged for
forgiveness.
Zi Di took out a rapier she had prepared: “If you merely monitored us, I would
allow it. Unfortunately, you have deliberately slowed down these days, the
longer we take, the more detrimental it will be to us.”
Finishing, the magically imbued rapier easily ran through the captain’s body.
“You will regret……this.” Facing death, the captain glared, his eyes were filled
with the fear of death and savage vengeance.
“Not good.” Zi Di immediately realized the captain must have some kind of
hidden countermeasures.
At the next moment, the Hog’s Kiss’ magical equipment activated, splitting the
hull into two.
“Dammit!” Zi Di promptly ran out of the captain’s cabin.
She used invisibility magic, thus the chaotic crowd never sensed her.
While rushing towards Zhen Jin’s room, she suddenly stamped her feet, and stood
shocked.
The magical contract was suddenly removed!
War Merchant’s joke echoed in Zi Di’s mind again, this made her realize the
inconceivable, War Merchant had died in combat!
“This is impossible!”
“But the magical contract really was removed, there is no reason for War
Merchant to do this.”
“He’s dead!”
“What happened at Mystifying Monster Island?”
“I……must take a look!”
“I must look, immense changes must have happened to Mystifying Monster Island.”
“If War Merchant and Jian Zuan aren’t dead, they will find me again in the
future. If they are on their last breaths, I can decide at the last moment
whether to save or kill them!”
“If they are dead, I might be able to take over the Mystifying Monster Island’s
alchemy factory!”
“That’s right, that’s right.”
“I must land on the island.”
“I also have level eighteen authority; I must land on the island with all
speed!!”



****** Chapter 190: He Simply isn’t a Knight ******
After the blue dog fox wolf was kicked into the river by the body double, it
quickly aroused the gold level magic beast hidden beneath the water’s surface.
The evil wolf struggled, vanishing below the water with startled howls and
waves of blood.
The surface of the river quickly recovered its tranquility.
Witnessing everything, the body double’s heart shook: “What the hell is this
place?!”
Feeling horrified, he started to look around until he finally turned to face Zi
Di: ““Where am I?”
Zi Di was also stunned by the python vines, and her heart jumped upon hearing
the body double.
The dangerous blue dog fox wolf had been vanquished in a thrilling and
unexpected manner. Now the major uncertainties and dangers came from the body
double, her savior.
Problems arose with the memory crystals, and Zi Di needed to probe how the body
double was doing.
“My Lord!” Zi Di’s endless emotions resembled a terrified kitten as she pounced
the body double.
The body double looked at the girl, and for a moment, he was at a loss.
“Thank goodness, my Lord, you finally woke up!” The girl emotionally hugged the
body double tightly, “Lord, you woke up!”
The body double patted her shoulders, then he proceeded to push Zi Di away
slightly.
Zi Di raised her head to look at the body double, emotions and pleasant
surprise exhibited themselves in her speech.
The body double looked at the girl in his arms and her heart seemed to miss a
beat.
Her delicate face was full of tenderness, her eyes were slightly red, and she
was crying. She had a pair of beautiful purple eyes that were reminiscent of
amethyst, adding a touch of charm to her brilliance.
“Excuse me… who are you?”
Zi Di immediately showed a perfect stupefied expression.
Her eyes couldn’t help but open wide as she looked up at the body double
motionlessly.
They looked at each other for a few seconds.
Zi Di’s face gradually revealed her surprise and worry, she then introduced
herself at once: “I am Zi Di, your Lordship. I am your fiancé.”
“Fiancé?” The body double frowned.
“Zi Di……” The body double savored the name.
As the young man started to think deeper, his eyebrows started to furrow: “Wait
a minute, I……who am I?”
Zi Di’s heart thumped: “Most of the memories weren’t instilled? He doesn’t know
his own identity?”
“You’re Zhen Jin, you are Baron Zhen Jin. My goodness, your Lordship, have you
forgotten your own identity?” The girl promptly reminded him, the impatience
and restlessness on her face actually matched the emotions in her heart.
“Zhen Jin, I am Zhen Jin? Why do I not remember anything?”
“Heavens, why would this happen!?” Zi Di’s pulse sped up as she began to lie.
“Lord, maybe… your head has been hit violently, causing you to have amnesia
temporarily. There have been similar cases in the past”
“Lord, we suffered a shipwreck a few days ago. There had been a violent storm,
the ship capsized, and the survivors fled to this island….. there are many
missing people including you. I followed the clues deep into the rainforest
when I found you Lord, you were in a coma and I have tried numerous ways
without being able to successfully wake you up.”
Saying that, she changed the topic and began to say some truths.
“Wait, maybe it's because my means of waking you up had been destroyed while it
was waking you up. If that's the case then I’m really sorry, my Lord. I had no
other choice at that point in time.
Zi Di pointed her finger at Zhen Jin’s body double’s chest, there were still
many crystal fragments attached to it.
The body double lowered his head and saw the crystal fragments adhering to his
chest, “So, you were the one that woke me up?”
Then the young lady informed the body double of what she had been through in
detail and that she had the idea and took the risk of using the white crystal
to treat the body double.
Mixing truths and lies made it harder for others to see through the falsehoods.
Furthermore, the memory crystal fragments were scattered around them, forcibly
masking the truth would only make it a flaw. Calling it the medicine Angel’s
Tears and making it known willingly gave him a sense of magnanimousness while
being a way to probe him.
“I didn't realize that it was so dangerous before, thank you. Umm…. Zi Di.” The
body double complimented.
Zi Di’s heart relaxed, but she remorsefully whispered: “But Lord, you may have
lost your memories because of this”
The body double immediately comforted her: “It’s not your fault, Zi Di. On the
contrary, I would also like to thank you. If you didn’t make such a wise
choice, I’m afraid I wouldn’t have woken up in time. Then I would have been
eaten by the giant wolf at that moment. Let’s set the problem concerning my
memory aside for now. What we need to do now is to leave this dangerous place.”
“Excellent!” Zi Di’s spirits were raised as she temporarily stabilized the body
double.
“Please wait a moment. Maybe these fragments will have some assistance towards
recovering Lord’s memories in the future.” Before leaving, Zi Di gathered the
memory crystal fragments.
Who knows if Zhen Jin died in the shipwreck, furthermore the memory crystal
equipment also might have been destroyed. The shipwreck had happened too
suddenly, the men and supplies Zi Di had gathered was already her limit.
As for these memory crystal fragments, Zi Di felt they would be very useful in
the future.
“Lord, please let me check your body,”
“I’m a low-level magician. Although I can’t use my magic now, I still have all
my knowledge.”
Before departing, Zi Di put forth a suggestion.
The body double accepted her examination.
The body double was intact and had no injuries, at the same time, there were no
signs of beastification, this allowed Zi Di to breathe loosely.
“He accepted my examination, indicating that I have obtained his tentative
trust. Accelerate Zi Di, and everything will develop well!”
“Zi Di, how old am I?” The body double inquired during the examination.
Zi Di inevitably muttered in her heart: “I’m afraid only War Merchant and Jian
Zuan know your real age.”
Her mouth said: ““Lord, you are sixteen this year while I am fifteen.”
“So, am I a magician? What type of strength do I have?”
Lord, you practice battle qi, you are a templar knight!”
“Templar knight?” The body double suddenly became absent minded.
Zi Di’s heart shook: “What happened?!”
After a few breaths, the body double’s spirit returned.
“Lord, did you remember anything?” Zi Di’s face held expectations as her heart
prayed the instilled memories weren’t disorderly.
“I remembered the moment I solemnly swore to become a templar knight.” The body
double answered.
Lord, maybe you can try and see if you can use any battle qi?”
“No, I do not have any memories concerning battle qi, I didn’t even notice any
traces of it in my body and I don’t know how to use it.”
The body double’s answer allowed Zi Di to immediately understand the state of
the body double’s memories.
“Perhaps the time has not come yet. But it doesn’t matter, Lord. At least this
proves that your memory can be restored! It will... just take some time.”
Zi Di consoling the body double also consoled herself.
“Currently, it seems the memory imbuing was merely stopped midway, causing him
to be incapable of recalling them.”
“But when he recalls them, it is very natural, and the body double doesn’t
doubt them at all.”
“Maybe he can recall crucial memories soon. Maybe this environment can’t
prohibit silver level battle qi!”
Originally, Zi Di was in despair, but the body double awakening gave her new
hope.
At the same time, she didn’t abandon her guarded heart. If slip-ups appeared in
the body double’s memories, Zi Di lost her guarantees, she couldn’t say for
sure if the body double would act maliciously upon discovering Zi Di had
deceived him about his true identity.
After the two rested for some time, they set off.
On a riverbank mound, the two found a possible place to cross the river, but
they needed to build a small bridge.
The body double began to break a tree, but the tenacious branches caused him to
fail: “I’ll try again, I’m sure I can break it!”
Zi Di calmly observed and said to herself: “The body double has gone through
War Merchant’s designs and modifications; he is a silver level cultivator, and
his body should also be on the level of a silver level knight. But at the same
time, he is also a half beastman capable of beastification. The body double
doesn’t know how to do that though. Only when he is confronted with death, and
forced to act against his will, can he beastify!”
“However, a silver level knight’s strength can’t break these branches. There
are issues with this tree!”
While pondering, Zi Di said:” Lord Zhen Jin, these mounds are rather weird. The
soil is reddish brown, and the trees that grow on it seem to be more resilient
than normal trees.”
Following this, the gold level artificial magic beast, the gigantic lava
turtle, appeared.
In order to drink water, it fought a python vine until finally swaggering off.
In that short moment of seeing a gold level existence, Zi Di’s heart turned
ice-cold.
“I greatly underestimated Mystifying Monster Island.”
“With my strength alone, I cannot explore this place. The concealed magic
beasts want my life!”
“Alas……although War Merchant’s inheritance is immensely valuable, I cannot get
a share.”
This opinion had been growing in Zi Di for the last several days.
The gold level magic beasts and magic plants, today’s near death experience, as
well as the sixteen dead guards, caused her to finally change her plans.
“This island’s animals and plants are extremely weird; this is my first time
seeing any of them. We had better leave this place without delay.” Zi Di said
to the body double.
The two easily crossed the river and continued through the rainforest.
“Oh, right, Zi Di.” The body double took the initiative to ask, “What’s my
skill level like?”
“My Lord, the public thinks you have the abilities of an iron level.”
“The public thinks?”
“Yes. Your Lordship usually displayed iron levelled abilities. But from my
guess, it is definitely not the case, because the reason for crossing the sea
this time was to fight for the White Sand City Lord’s seat. A city lord must
have at least silver level cultivation in order to serve the public.”
Zi Di was already ready for this question, thus her answer flowed easily.
The speculation abilities the body double displayed also made Zi Di more
vigilant.
Not long after, the two came to the place where the blue dog fox wolf killed
the final two guards.
“Ahh, be careful!” Zi Di’s warning came too late, the body double was still
wounded by the blood-streaked snake.
Zi Di used medicine to heal the body double’s injuries.
“Fortunately, the thorns did not have poison! Sorry my Lord, I have hurt you. I
should have warned you sooner.” The girl felt guilt and remorse.
She was worried the body double would hear mistakes; therefore, she concealed a
lot of information.
The body double was wounded, causing her to realize that she had to state some
information to him.
This was undoubtedly a test for Zi Di.
If she contradicted herself and said something wrong, the body double would
doubt Zi Di. If there were too many doubts, perhaps in the end, her life
wouldn’t be taken by a magic beast, but by the young knight before her.
“No, he simply isn’t any kind of knight!”
“He was transformed by War Merchant and his memory was tampered with, there is
essentially no difference between him, the evil wolf, and that blood-streaked
snake.”
“He is a beast that I am only deceiving for the time being, nothing more.”
“Perhaps in the future, he will realize this, open his beastly mouth, and
devour his deceiver!”



****** Chapter 191: Death and Rebirth?! ******
“Strange.” The body double inspected the blood-streaked snake’s carcass, “Where
is this magic beast’s crystal core?”
Zi Di explained: this island had strong magic beasts, but none had magic cores
inside them. Perhaps because of this, these magic beasts never displayed any
proto-magic.
Explaining this, Zi Di’s mind suddenly flashed with inspiration.
“Hold on, maybe the prohibition environment here was meant for these magic
beasts!”
“These magic beasts were made by War Merchant, their internal magic power is
probably unstable, therefore they can only exist in a magic prohibition
environment.”
“If the prohibition environment disappeared, because of their unbalanced magic
power, these magic beasts would die and even explode.”
The more Zi Di thought the more she felt her guess was correct.
Since landing, she witnessed many remodeled magic beasts.
“If these magic beasts were this powerful, then War Merchant would have sold
them as weapons at an earlier date.”
“But he didn’t do that.”
“This proves these magic beasts have a fatal flaw and cannot see widespread
use.”
Zi Di glanced at the body double, motivated by her safety, she didn’t say
anything about this guess.
Zi Di pitied herself secretly: “The magic prohibition environment might have
always existed; I must have gotten special treatment when I came to Mystifying
Monster Island with Jian Zuan.”
“Crucially, I don’t know the limits of the magic prohibition environment. Is
the body double’s silver level cultivation blocked? He can’t use battle qi, but
is it because of his lost memories?”
“In short, he is the key to my survival, I had better stabilize him first!”
Night, next to a bonfire.
Zi Di gazed at the new arm guard and sighed: “If only your Lordship had this
iron arm guard earlier then the blood-streaked snake would not have hurt you.”
The body double moved involuntarily and could not help but reach out and stroke
Zi Di’s hair.
Zi Di shivered.
“Mm...my Lord. “ Zi Di bowed her head, Zhen Jin’s actions seemed to scare her,
causing her to breathe like a nervous kitten.
She really was scared, because she suddenly thought of something: “Zhen Jin was
a womanizer, did the body double inherit that attribute of his?”
“During today’s cautious journey through tonight, there was only me and him.”
“If he really wanted to try something with me, I am incapable of resisting and
there is no one around to save me!”
But the body double quickly retracted his hand and faintly inquired: “Zi Di
what kind of person do you think I am?”
This was a difficult question to answer.
If the answer wasn’t good, it would show flaws.
Zi Di subconsciously controlled her breathing as her mind whirled with
thoughts, then after carefully considering her words, she responded: “Lord Zhen
Jin, I do not know much about you.” (By setting the tone first, I can avoid
many detailed questions.)
“But based on the rumors, your Lordship was not close to women and was a loner.
Even when something big happened you do not show emotions.” (With this
expressed opinion, I hope it can reduce your attempts on me!)
“You spent most of your time at the temple as a serious and silent ascetic.
Also, your food, your clothing, and even your every move was elegant and calm
like a rich noble.”
“Although you had few friends you were very helpful, protected the weak, and
helped the poor. The lower class admired you my Lord.”
“My Lord, when you suddenly moved your hand and successfully entered the White
Sands City Lord’s competition you surprised the other templars.”
Zi Di’s words did their best to create the perfect image of a templar knight.
Since his memory was lost, this process could mold and contain him.
As for the future, Zi Di couldn’t do much to prevent the body double’s
suspicions when he learned the truth after returning to human society.
Actually, even if he had doubts, Zi Di explained it in a sentence——“Lord Zhen
Jin, I do not know much about you.”
The body double didn’t doubt himself, and because of Zi Di’s words, he quickly
sketched the figure of a sophisticated youngster in his heart.
Just as he was about to inquire about more things, fire-poison bees suddenly
invaded!
“How is there a fire-poison bee swarm here?!” Zi Di’s heart was almost startled
into confusion.
She no longer had loyal guards at her side, only a body double with lost
memories and an unknown morality.
Under the threat of death, if the body double abandoned Zi Di and ran away, Zi
Di wouldn’t find it strange.
“My life now depends on him.” At that critical moment, Zi Di’s mind flashed,
“I’ve got a solution!”
"These are fire-poison bees! My Lord, we need to run!”
“Go quickly Lord!!” Zi Di shouted urgently, revealing a deathly spirit.
“Lord, you must run. I have a potion that can detoxify me!” Zi Di urged again.
“You should escape! I can deal with the fire-poison bees.” The body double
chose to stay behind and stopped Zi Di from going forward.
Zi Di secretly relaxed and breathed.
But quickly, the body double sank into a bitter struggle against the attacking
bees.
“Don’t tell me today is my foreordained time of death?”
As Zi Di despaired, the body double suddenly used the Hundred Needle Wind
battle skill.
“This is?!” Zi Di lifted her head, pleasant surprise and shock mingled in her
expression.
The body double’s counterattack allowed her to see hope.
“This is indeed worthy of your Lordship! “I Di blurted, cheering for the body
double.
One by one, the fire-poison bees fell to the ground, the Hundred Needle Wind
battle skill had restrained them considerably.
“Lord...” As Zi Di was protected, she looked at Zhen Jin’s back, her eyes
reflecting the dying campfire, yet shined brightly.
“It seems the memory crystal has at least imbued him with some details, but
they need strong stimulation or relevant triggers.
“He continued to protect me; he must have believed my words without a shadow of
doubt.”
“In the short term, he is still reliable.”
“Dammit, he has been hibernating for too long. He has too much poison, even if
I have medicine, I cannot save his life.”
Standing behind the body double, Zi Di continued to cautiously watch with
increasing concern.
Finally, as another fire-poison bee swarm invaded, the body double knew he
couldn’t fight, thus he could only take Zi Di’s hand and escape.
The two ran through the dark jungle.
“My Lord let me stay. I can distract…..” Zi Di was short of breath.
“Shut up!” The body double suddenly turned to Zi Di.
The girl cried as she crashed into the body double’s arms.
The next moment the girl was spun around, and her vision shifted.
When she came to, she realized she had run into the body double’s arms.
Zi Di pressed into the body double’s wide chest, because of his intense
movements, she sensed his strong male odor.
She had never been hugged by a young male!
In her field of view, there was a dark shadow attacking her.
It was rainforest branches and vines.
Because she collided with the body double, they knocked into and broke several
branches and vines.
“Is this……the feeling of protection?” An indescribable feeling rippled through
Zi Di’s heart.
But quickly, she sorted her mood and calmly fished out a potion bottle. With
the help of the firefly-like glow inside, she did her best to help the body
double distinguish a path.
Then, she used another potion in an attempt to slow down the pursuing fire-
poison bee swarm.
Then teleportation occurred, but in their nervous state, the body double and Zi
Di didn’t sense it.
Finally, forced by the fire-poison bee swarm, they had to flee into a cave.
The fire-poison flared up, putting the body double in a precarious situation.
Zi Di gradually gave into despair.
Relying on his last thread of clarity, he weakly said to Zi Di: “Go, escape
now.”
But the girl fiercely shook her head, her eyes tearful as she resolutely said:
“No my Lord! I will not abandon you. It was with great difficulty that I found
you and reached this point. We cannot give up now!”
(Without you, body double, how can I escape this island alone? At worst, I’ll
die here! I simply lost my gamble, I underestimated Mystifying Monster Island
and I underestimated War Merchant; thus, I will accept this conclusion
gracefully.)
Something unexpected happened.
A monkey tail brown bear felt its territory was being encroached on as the
fire-poison bee swarm charged into the cave.
Zi Di and the body double were safe temporarily, but the body double’s
situation grew worse, putting him on the edge of death.
The body double tried to drive her away again, but Zi Di shook her head and
refused: “Facing Zhen Jin again, Zi Di shook her head: “I will not go. I will
not abandon you. My Lord, I may be able to concoct a potion, surely I can
create the correct potion! We still have a chance. We can’t give up!”
“Faster, faster, move a bit faster!”
Zi Di shouted in her heart as she took out every potion she had.
In order to save time, she immediately dumped a potion onto the ground,
corroding a small hole.
“Simple medicine cannot save the body double; I can only use temporary and
targeted potions with stronger effects!”
“Zi Di, step on it!”
“You must succeed in saving the body double, only then can you keep living and
have a chance of escaping this place!!”
The girl moved with unprecedented nimbleness as she quickly churned through the
barbarian race’s medicinal knowledge she knew by heart.
Soon after, she began to mix many of the potions together. Then she took out
many dried herbs and roots from her bosom and crushed them into a powder.
Afterwards she poured them into the hole.
Gurgle…..
The potion in the hole began to bubble with curling fumes.
Zi Di knew her hope of survival depended on whether she could do this.
Immense pressure was forced onto her, and she wept as she mixed the potion.
In order to pursue a ferocious medicinal effect, she had to take a risk and
threw in many berserk potions. She was uncertain, but she knew doing anything
else was hopeless.
Thankfully, the potion she mixed succeeded in waking up the body double and
eliminating most of the fire-poison in his body. But at the same time, the
large amount of berserk potions used as ingredients also squeezed the body
double’s vitality.
After the medicinal effects waned, Zi Di was not sure if the body double would
live or die.
The body double wanted Zi Di to flee the cave, resulting in them seeing the
fight between the scaled leopards and the monkey tail brown bear.
Because beast groups were blocking them, the body double and Zi Di failed in
escaping, forcing them to return to the cave.
The monkey tail brown bear returned triumphant and gorged itself on ore to heal
itself.
Faced with a difficult choice, the body double remembered another of Zhen Jin’s
memories, then, duty bound to not turn back, he finally decided to charge at
the monkey tail brown bear.
A bitter close quarters fight!
He was fighting for their lives.
The body double’s arm was completely snapped, both arm muscles were minced, his
body suffered many fractures, and his internal organs were severely bleeding.
The monkey tail brown bear’s talons punctured the body double’s belly and
nailed him to the ground. The boiling talons instantly cooked his intestines.
Finally, the body double and the monkey tail brown bear tore at each other,
resulting in mutual destruction!
“Both, both of them died?!”
Zi Di sat in a daze, for a good while her body shivered until she suddenly woke
up.
She rushed to the body double’s corpse and inspected his heart. After
confirming his death, Zi Di’s mood became very complex.
First was shock.
She had never witnessed such a bitter fight so closely.
Soon after it was appreciation.
“He died for me.”
“He resembles one of those heroic knightly martyrs. No, War Merchant once said,
he was silver level knight before his transformation!”
“I should have trusted him more.”
Finally, it was loneliness and dread.
“Now……only I am left!”
The body double woke up, but after one day and one night, he died.
On the massive Mystifying Monster Island and trapped in a dense forest filled
with endless magic beasts, as the last one alive, Zi Di felt very lonely.
Where should she go? How could she keep on living?
Zi Di didn’t have answers or directions, and desperation enveloped her.
She foolishly sat down and leaned on the body double’s corpse, recalled her
entire life, thought of her father’s animosity, and the shipwreck.
She was sometimes angry, sometimes hateful, sometimes remorseful, and sometimes
incredulous, it felt she was in a dream.
In the end, she was merely a fifteen year old girl!
She curled up her body, put her arms around her legs, and sensed this cave
would be her grave.
Time quietly passed; it was unknown how long had gone by.
Zi Di suddenly raised her head, her face still had tear stains, but her eyes
had steadied themselves again!
“No, these aren’t my final moments. I can’t give up just yet!”
“Even if I am alone, I still have hope of escaping this place.”
“No matter how small that hope is, I will do my best to seize it.”
Zi Di revitalized her fighting spirit, then she firmly wiped away her tears and
began to act.
The first thing she needed to do was gather materials for medicine.
In this magic prohibition environment, medicine helped her the most. Especially
the medicine in the barbarian race’s leather book.
However, as she knelt down to gather blood from the monkey tail brown bear
corpse, she heard a soft echo.
Zi Di’s heart jumped, she turned around at once and saw the body double coming
to.
Strong shock suddenly attacked, causing her heart to cry out in surprise:
“Impossible, he was definitely dead!”
Death and rebirth?!
For a moment, Zi Di couldn’t believe her eyes.
Because this place had no magic or divine spells, what could resurrect him?
“Hold on.” Suddenly, her mind flashed, “The body double was personally modified
and transformed by War Merchant, from his own mouth, War Merchant admitted he
was his magnum opus!”
“Don’t tell me, this is one of the effects of War Merchant’s transformations?”
“Thinking carefully, it seems very possible! War Merchant wanted to use the
body double to replace Zhen Jin, and even used a Gold Queen Bee bloodline. He
used all of his strength to transform him, thus the body double having the
ability to revive is very reasonable.”
After two breaths, Zi Di finally reacted.
The girl immediately hurried over to the body double’s side and shouted in
pleasant surprise: “My Lord?! Lord Zhen Jin, you woke up!”



****** Chapter 192: This Body Double is Priceless ******
The body double looked at Zi Di as he lay on the ground, he wanted to say
something, but was unable to speak. His throat and tongue were swollen, making
it hard for him to pronounce words, thus he could only smile at the girl.
Zi Di’s mind flashed like lightning, and she immediately explained: “My Lord,
the fire-poison has flared up again, the previous potion will not work again. I
was in the middle of making a new potion that will surely succeed!”
Believe me, my Lord, you must not give up! I am certain I can save your life!”
The body double nodded, however that slight movement caused him to lose
consciousness again.
Zi Di blankly stared, what happened? Unconscious again?
She promptly inspected the body double’s situation and found him in a
precarious state. It was better than being dead, but he still looked like he
was a few breaths from dying.
“Don’t tell me my prior guess was mistaken? War Merchant didn’t arrange any
resurrection methods?”
“Perhaps he was feigning death……I recall some written records of this.”
“Maybe, War Merchant really installed a self-help method, but the effects of it
can only attain this level of success?”
“Abominable! Don’t tell me my happiness was for naught?”
Zi Di clenched her teeth and gazed at the dying body double with unwillingness.
Suddenly, her mind lit up.
“Hold on, most of the fire-poison is in his blood, that is the cause of his
death. If I can remove his poisoned blood, maybe I can alleviate the burden on
his body, thereby bringing him back to life!”
Of course, this method also had hidden dangers.
The body double had gone through a bitter fight and lost a lot of blood, if he
lost more blood, he might die of excessive blood loss.
But nothing could be done.
Without expelling the poisonous blood, he would definitely die. Draining him
seemed to still have a possibility of survival!
Zi Di deeply breathed, then she began to slice into the body double arm to
discharge his poisonous blood.
Watching the blood constantly flowing out, Zi Di also nervously observed the
body double’s condition.
Her mouth constantly shouted, and occasionally, she opened the body double’s
eyes to examine his pupils.
“This is?!” In a split second, the body double’s eyes went through an
indescribable transformation, his pupils had inverted into vertical black beast
pupils with golden scleras.
Seeing those eyes, Zi Di couldn’t move a single step, she couldn’t think or
run, it was like encountering a predator!
But the next moment, the body double’s pupils changed back into a humans.
Everything had happened too quickly, and in Zi Di’s absentmindedness, she
almost thought it was an illusion.
The body double forced his eyes open again and looked around to find Zi Di
drawing out his blood.
“My Lord, I am treating you! I am drawing out your poisoned blood to weaken the
fire-poison in your body.”
The body double was silent, he didn’t dare to rashly move.
His mind was also very dizzy, if he moved too much, the dizziness would knock
him out.
The body double looked at the cave ceiling, then not long after, he died again.
“He died again?!”
Zi Di blankly stared, her heart had gone cold once again.
She brushed away the body double’s eyelids to find his pupils already diffusing
and his pulse gone, like before, he was completely dead.
If it were someone else, Zi Di would have given up.
But she knew the body double was personally transformed by War Merchant, he was
someone War Merchant placed huge expectations on, for this reason, War Merchant
even used legend level blood on him.
“Just now the body double was like this, then he suddenly revived……maybe this
too is a feigned death.”
However, this time, after Zi Di waited for a long time, the body double didn’t
revive again.
“Don’t tell me he can only revive once?” Zi Di checked the body double’s corpse
and found him ice-cold.
“Did he lose too much blood? Could it be that because I drained his blood, he
completely died?”
Zi Di began to panic.
“I have potions, but none of them can revive a dead person. I can only rely on
his life potential, and because he has lost too much blood, I need to replenish
it!”
One simple test later, Zi Di discovered her blood type was not compatible with
the body double.
Her eyes then stopped on the monkey tail brown bear corpse
“I can inject bear blood into his body!”
“He is War Merchant’s creation and has the Golden Queen Bee bloodline, this
monkey tail brown bear is also an artificial magic beast, thus both sides have
commonalities.
“This is worth experimenting with!”
At the same time, this was also the only method Zi Di had before her.
Not long after, the body double woke up again.
This time, the body double’s eyebrows wrinkled as he finally sensed intense
pain!
“It worked, it worked!” Zi Di couldn’t help but exclaim with an emotional
heart.
Soon after, the body double closed his eyes again.
“He died again?!” Zi Di was stunned, she couldn’t help but be furious.
Life and death, life and death? Which do you want in the end?!
Zi Di’s mood undulated with the body double’s life and death, sometimes it was
in paradise, and sometimes it was in hell.
Whether the body double lived or died determined whether Zi Di could escape.
Zi Di deeply breathed, then she inspected the body double again.
She soon coughed in relief.
As it turns out, the body double didn’t die this time, rather he was just
unconscious.
“He can only rely on himself now, I have already done all that I can!” Zi Di
sighed.
She had faith in the body double.
The foundation of this faith was simple——the body double had been dying and
reviving, what is unconsciousness to that?
“Wait a minute, I can use his unconsciousness to conduct a comprehensive
inspection of his body!”
“This is my best opportunity.”
“If he survives and wakes up, I will never have another chance.”
Zi Di knew she had to increase her understanding of the body double for his
body was densely layered with enigmas. How many alchemy methods did War
Merchant use on him?
Using all of her strength, Zi Di moved the body double, and took off his
equipment and clothes.
When it came time to remove his pants, Zi Di’s movements suddenly slowed.
She suddenly realized what she was doing!
Before this, she had never taken off the pants of a young male!
“I am merely doing this for research, I am only doing this for my survival, I
must do this!”
“Zi Di, make the extra effort! You can do it.”
“Who will know about this, he is unconscious!”
Despite her heart’s encouragement, Zi Di still procrastinated for ten breaths
before continuing.
By the time she put the body double’s pants on, her face was blushing like a
ripe tomato, and she felt herself burning.
For most of the day, she slowly got over herself and continued to move.
She cleaned up the battlefield and treated the monkey tail brown bear and
scaled leopard carcasses. Using the bear blood again, she mixed hunting
compounds and sprinkled near the cave to pretend the bear was still alive in
order to intimidate other existing predators.
She explored the cave until she found a dead end.
Coming back, she was pleasantly surprised to find the body double had already
opened his eyes.
“You're awake! Her mind raced as she ran a few steps and nearly threw herself
into the body double’s chest.
On the one hand, she really was emotional, on the other hand, she was also
acting.
Quickly, she sensed the body double’s hand on her shoulder and heard his hoarse
voice: “I heard you never gave up.”
“Yes!” Zi Di nodded and released the body double Her unblinking violet eyes
fixed on the teenager.
Four eyes faced each other.
Zi Di’s heart said: His pupils are very normal. Don’t tell me the beast eyes
that appeared really were just an illusion?
As her heart analyzed, the girl passionately said: “Lord Zhen Jin, you really
are a true templar knight!”
“This was all thanks to your potion.”
But Zi Di shook her head: “The situation was dire, the potion I made was too
simple and crude. To tell the truth, I didn’t know what would happen. I didn’t
know all my efforts would result in this strange effect! Perhaps……”
The body double laughed: “What do you want to ask? Don’t worry.”
Zi Di’s heart was very clear: a massive flaw had already appeared. She could
try to conceal the revival and death matter; however, the body double’s
incredible restoration abilities were in complete disharmony with Zhen Jin.
She guessed this was likely one of War Merchant’s methods, but the body double
didn’t know War Merchant. If doubts arose about this aspect, he would likely
suspect her of something.
So, she had to use words to resolve this flaw ahead of time.
Under Zi Di’s meticulous guidance, the body double’s train of thought was
greatly affected.
“Your guess might be true, but I am unable to answer you. It is because I have
only remembered a few short memories, that is all.
“My Lord, how do you feel after drinking?” Zi Di’s face was nervous and
concerned.
Finding her guidance successful, the intelligent Zi Di knew when to stop, thus
she immediately changed the topic.
“I am not feeling any pain, everything is as normal.” The body double replied.
“That’s good, but I still need to observe you.”
Zi Di was very concerned with the body double’s state, for now, she could only
rely on him.
After drinking water, the body double had to urinate.
“My Lord, let me help you.” Zi Di had been watching the body double closely and
was good at reading body language. She sensed the teenager was a bit
embarrassed and understood why.
“My Lord, I am your fiancé, there is no need to be embarrassed.” Zi Di
persuaded, but her heart said, “I already saw it.”
“Eh? The volume is different. Was his stored urine the reason……”
Zi Di helped the body double smoothly urinate, her cheeks still blushed an
adorable red and her hair slightly stuck up, as if her small head was steaming.
“My Lord, it seems that your injuries have recovered well. You can drink water
at ease. However, you need to be cautious when eating. “ Zi Di felt happy that
the body double was in a healthy state.
She then observed the body double defecating, then gathered it for analysis.
“My Lord, your body is great. It is actually astounding. This kind of body
essence is absolutely not at the silver level.”
Zi Di gazed at the body double, her purple eyes burning bright.
She suddenly realized at that moment: even if her plan to seize War Merchant’s
inheritance failed, she still had the youngster, War Merchant’s greatest magnum
opus. By thoroughly studying him, it was possibly she too could figure out War
Merchant’s alchemy achievements!



****** Chapter 193: Staying by His Side is Dangerous ******
The body double’s injuries gradually recovered, during their interactions, Zi
Di also talked about her identity.
“Wisteria Merchant Alliance?” That name does sound a bit familiar…...wait a
minute, don't tell me?
The body double analyzed his situation and got more intimate with Zi Di.
Zi Di weighed his words and observed his facial expressions with a vigilant
heart: “The body double’s analytical skills are far greater than Zhen Jin’s, I
simply divulged the Wisteria Merchant Alliance, yet he already made so many
connections.”
“Looking at his expression, he also approves this alliance of benefits. This
proves he is also an inherently pragmatic person!”
Zi Di felt pressure.
Compared to Zhen Jin, interacting with the body double was more strenuous.
The body double also inquired why he didn’t have a personal force on hand.
Zi Di plainly informed him: “Indeed we did have a staff dispatched from your
Lordship’s clan. However, they were ambushed by bandits enroute and all died.
At the same time, goblins and ogres frequently appeared in the territory of the
Bai Zhen Clan.”
The girl already knew these were not the actions of their competitors, rather
they were done by War Merchant’s and Jian Zuan’s faction.
But the body double was already misled, causing him to snort coldly: “It seems
the competition for White Sands City lord position is fierce.”
“My Lord. We traveled with a temple priest known as Jia Sha. He was the judge
of the city lord competition. It is very likely he is still alive. In that case
we might be able to find him and provide him aid to ensure the best outcome.”
Zi Di also informed him of Jia Sha’s existence.
When the body double’s injuries completely recovered, the two made ample
preparations and left the cave, attempting to escape once again.
However, to their astonishment, they discovered the land had changed.
The jungle had turned into a forest.
To a certain extent, the vastness of nature was harder to deal with than fierce
magic beasts.
The body double and Zi Di were forced to return to the cave.
“The body double is strong, but even if he could use battle qi, he can’t help
in the current predicament.”
Zi Di knew she had to stop!
“The barbarian race leather book has many medicines that can help me; however,
I lack many ingredients.”
“In that case, I can only use other medicinal ingredients to substitute them.
Luckily, I have ingredients on hand and have gathered new materials that are
close to the original prescription.”
“This is worth an attempt; I must try it!”
Zi Di’s exhausting attempt lasted through the night and into the next day, when
she finally saw the pink liquid completely dry in the hole, her heart became
excited.
“I succeeded!”
She beat the powder lumps into dust, then she packed them up into leaves to
form the pink compound.
“This medicinal powder can leave behind glamorous marks in the forest.
Regardless of whether it is tree trunks or rocks, it will stay for a long time.
No matter how much the rain scours it, it will remain for several days.”
With the pink compound’s help, the body double and Zi Di didn’t need to worry
about getting lost in the forest.
After the two started their difficult trek through the forest, they encountered
a black leopard enroute.
“Chase it quickly, it might be trying to alert the entire leap.” Zi Di
whispered a moment later.
“Follow closely, If you don’t……” Zi Di interrupted before the body double could
finish his sentence.
“Don’t worry, we still have the marking powder and can meet up somewhere else!”
Zi Di answered.
Although she would be safer with the body double at her side, the girl was very
rational, she knew if a leopard leap surrounded them, she would definitely die
tragically. After all, the body double was just one person, and it was
difficult to protect herself.
As a result, she would rather take some risks to strangle a mortal danger in
its infancy.
As the body double pursued ahead, the girl did her best to run and cut down the
distance between her and the body double.
The body double was very fast, and he quickly disappeared into the boundless
forest.
All of a sudden, Zi Di was alone.
With the body double nearby it was tolerable, but when he was far away, she
found it hard to avoid feeling panicked and lonely.
Throughout the forest, the countless tree branches and leaves seemed like
sinister existences that maliciously gazed at her.
Zi Di’s pulse sped up, right now she found herself at odds with the forest.
When she saw the body double again, her terror and loneliness suddenly
dissipated. Because she had been running, her heart was beating quickly,
however at that moment, her mind relaxed.
“It is really good the body double is here.”
“If I was surviving by myself, would this immense incorporeal overwhelm me?”
The body double and Zi Di communicated, his news caused her to feel surprised——
a person named Huang Zao was crying for help.
After careful pondering, Zi Di responded to the body double: “My Lord, I
suggest we save him.”
Next, Zi Di’s reasonable analysis made clear arrangements and defined the
objective.
“However, to rescue him, we will need to confront at least a dozen or more
bronze level spiders……” The body double felt awkward.
“My Lord, I have a solution.” Zi Di smiled, “Believe me, I would never invest
more than I can earn.”
“You are not wrong. But you have forgotten the most important point.” The body
double replied.
Zi Di’s smile instantly vanished, and she lowered her head: “Instruct me your
Lordship.”
“I am a templar knight, a knight amongst knights, it is my creed to assist the
weak and to save the dying! Even in times of distress, I will not abandon my
companions.” The body double’s powerful words echoed in the tranquil forest.
For a moment Zi Di looked at the youngster blankly.
If Zhen Jin had said those words, Zi Di wouldn’t have believed it as
spitefulness formed in her heart.
If the body double had just woken up and said those words, Zi Di also wouldn’t
have believed him.
But over the last several days, Zi Di and the body double had gone through life
and death together. In that constant peril, Zi Di saw the body double step
forward bravely, resist the bee swarm to protect her, desperately fight the
monkey tail brown bear for her sake, and watched his struggle between life and
death in the cave.
“Maybe his words are sincere. He was once a knight, and the knightly spirit was
his creed, it seems the crude memories he recalled have reinforced his fine
moral character.”
“If it is like this, then he deserves my trust!”
Thinking of this, Zi Di presented a smiling face” “My Lord, I understand.”
Using ignition and fire retardant potions, the body double fought the blade
spiders, however they discovered Huang Zao had deliberately concealed the
existence of a silver level blade spider.
When Huang Zao recovered his freedom, he was overcome by fear, causing him to
escape alone with Zi Di’s dagger.
Without a dagger to cut the spider webs, the body double sank into desperate
straits.
Bound to the ground by spiderwebs, Zi Di did her utmost to struggle as spite
and indignation raged in her heart.
“Ahhhhhh!” In her desperation, Zi Di heard the body double bellowing.
Her entire body was bound by spider webs, trapped on the floor, she could only
lift her head. As she did, she saw the body double’s hands transform into
monkey tail brown bear claws. Caught off guard, the spider was killed by him.
“Beastification! He really beastified!!” Zi Di was startled and delighted.
She didn’t find it strange at all, after all the body double was a beastified
person that had been transformed by War Merchant.
The next moment, the body double’s transformed bear claws turned into flying
carbon ash as they changed back into human hands.
Zi Di couldn’t help but stare with wide eyes: “This beastification can be
reversed? It isn’t a disposable beastification! No wonder War Merchant said the
body double was his greatest magnum opus.”
“I’m saved……” Knowing she had escaped this life threatening crisis, Zi Di
suddenly relaxed.
But shortly after, her eyes grew heavy: “No, this is terrible!”
She suddenly thought of the body double’s artificial memories. Beastification
was a tremendous flaw that conflicted with his memory and identity!
Zi Di grew more anxious, if the beastification stimulated his original
memories, what would he do when he realized he had been deceived?
Zi Di promptly lay down, since the situation was unknown, she first decided to
feign ignorance.
After beheading the silver level blade spider, the body double suddenly swayed.
He felt an indescribable feeling of weakness from the bottom of his heart.
He was not only physically but also mentally exhausted, he felt as if some part
of his body was hollowed out.
“My Lord, Lord Zhen Jin!” Zi Di’s shout at first seemed distant but soon became
louder and clearer.
The body double reacted to the urging voice.
He promptly returned to himself and helped Zi Di recover her freedom.
“My Lord, have you awakened your battle qi?!” Zi Di pretended to be pleasantly
surprised.
“No. I used my spear to cut the spiderwebs.” The body double’s heart was in
disarray, he mistakenly thought Zi Di hadn’t seen anything, and without much
thought, he subconsciously concealed the beastification secret.
Zi Di’s heart sank: “He hid it from me! Don’t tell me he discovered the truth?”
“No, don’t panic too much.”
“Maybe he hasn’t discovered a flaw, for the moment, it seems he is having a
hard time accepting his body’s transformation.”
“I still need to feign ignorance, if I rashly say the truth, I will provoke him
and likely cause him to act maliciously.”
“That abominable Huang Zao! We must find him and ruthlessly deal with him!” Zi
Di fiercely said, immediately shifting the subject.
“Hold on, that thing is usable, we cannot leave it.” Zi Di then looked at the
silver level blade spider carcass.
The body double’s beastification and his cover up of the truth made the crisis
in her heart increase dramatically. She had to seize every opportunity to
strengthen herself.
On the one hand, she needed to rely on the body double to protect her from
Mystifying Monster Island’s vicious environment.
On the other hand, she also needed to be on her guard, for at any moment, the
body double might brutally beat her to death!
Discovering his transformations, the body double’s heart was filled with
suspicion.
During the journey, he frequently showed confusion and perplexion.
All of this was observed by Zi Di.
“Currently, the body double does not know my feelings. If he confessed his
secret to me and looked for my help, I would have the biggest advantage.”
“Because if he was honest with me, it would show he still trusts me and hasn’t
found out the truth.”
“Since he continues to hide it, he is effectively in one of two situations. The
first is this, he hasn’t discovered a flaw and is merely in a phase of self-
doubt. The other one is that he is already beginning to doubt me and is
questioning his identity.”
Following behind, Zi Di discerned the body double’s thoughts from his body
language.
The body double was layered with heavy worries, and she was also under immense
pressure.
Fortunately, during Zi Di’s observation, she hadn’t found the body double
examining his own ambiguity or prying into any information.
This made her somewhat relieved.
“My Lord look, those are Huang Zao’s footprints!” Quickly, Zi Di made a
pleasant discovery.
When they drew water, Zi Di and the body double were surrounded by Lan Zao,
Cang Xu, and their group.
Zi Di’s attitude was tough: “It’s you! Hmph, we finally found you Huang Zao.”
Besides pressure in her heart, there was also joy.
“Staying by the body double alone really is too dangerous.”
“The appearance of these people is very fortunate!”
“I need some people following me, thus even if the body double finds a flaw and
wants to raise difficult questions to me, there will be a layer of many
misgivings.”



****** Chapter 194: It’s Really Good that You’re by My Side ******
Huang Zao plopped down to the ground, fiercely hit his head on the floor, and
begged for forgiveness: “My two Lords! I am Huang Zao, the one who fled. I was
wrong, I have committed an unforgivable crime! I will not resist death or
dismemberment, no matter the punishment, it is my Lords’ decisions!”
Soon after, Lan Zao also kneeled and appealed the body double for forgiveness.
Cang Xu then served as their defender.
Zi Di looked at the two kneeling brothers and couldn’t help but sneer: “This
lowly and cowardly villain deceived Lord Zhen Jin by selfishly hiding the fact
that there was a silver level magic beast. He then got cold feet and escaped at
a critical moment, putting a noble bloodline in danger, and bit the hand that
fed him! Scholar, how can you advise that we deal with such a leech lightly?”
On the surface she was like this, however the girl’s heart filled with
happiness.
The situation was better than she expected, for she originally thought a fight
was necessary to gain their allegiance.
After Cang Xu gained a lenient punishment for Lan Zao and Huang Zao, the two
brothers voluntarily became slaves.
“My Lord.” Zi Di looked at the youngster and calmly waited for the latter to
decide with a subordinate attitude. Her heart was somewhat worried the body
double would let his emotions affect his judgement.
In the end, the body double stated: “You cannot overestimate nor can you
underestimate people. This is the Bai Zhen Clan’s motto. Therefore, Huang Zao
and Lan Zao, I am willing to give you both a chance. I hope you can serve
loyally and earnestly and change my opinion of you two.”
“The light of the temple will cover every inch of land. The banner of the
empire will shelter every person of the empire. Follow me and I will lead you
all out of here alive.”
Zi Di relaxed after a breath.
The body double’s emotions didn’t affect him, instead he emphasized gains with
a very noble demeanor.
“Most of all, to put it briefly, he really resembles a true templar knight……”
One by one, everyone kneeled and recognized the body double as their leader.
“Despite being a phony, the body double with the dual identities of a templar
knight and a noble easily became their leader. If it were me, I couldn’t
accomplish this so quickly. Alas……to achieve this, I would need to spend more
time and energy, I am greatly surpassed by the body double.”
As the exploration team rested, the body double summoned Cang Xu.
“How are the body double’s leadership skills?”
“Based on intelligence and my personal observations, Zhen Jin’s leadership
skills are worrying.”
“This won’t work, I must help him.”
Since Zi Di was idle, she quickly did preliminary checks on every team member.
Soon, she reconstructed the entire truth.
“This Cang Xu isn’t simple!” When they were alone, Zi Di warned the body
double.
“You cannot overestimate people, nor can you underestimate them.” The body
double sighed, then he reminded Zi Di, “We need to keep it a secret that my
memory is broken and that I can’t activate battle qi.”
Zi Di nodded repeatedly with a respectful face: “I understand, my Lord.”
She was just about to remind the body double of this matter.
She also didn’t want this secret exposed.
Cang Xu’s appearance made Zi Di vigilant.
This old scholar was definitely intelligent, with the body double’s intellect
and agility already causing Zi Di more pressure, if Cang Xu knew more, it would
greatly harm Zi Di.
“Go make arrangements to call in each member of the exploration team one by
one, and I will speak to them alone in this tent.” The body double instructed
Zi Di before she left.
This action made the girl faintly distracted.
Soon after, she inquired about the body double’s promise from the mouths of Bai
Ya and others——as long as they performed well, they might be able to follow him
and join White Sands City! At worst, they would be guards in White Sands City.
Zi Di’s respect for the body double increased a level.
“Apparently, although he lost all his memories, he definitely still has
leadership capabilities. My prior worries were somewhat unnecessary. Could it
be because of his original identity?”
Zi Di began to become curious about the body double’s original identity.
Because she knew, if it were Zhen Jin, he never would have done these things.
Zhen Jin treated these commoners with arrogance and was unlikely to ever
dispense with posturing to interview or chat with these people in a one-on-one
format. Perhaps he would believe that these people being able to follow him was
their fortune.
In the tent, the body double, Zi Di, Cang Xu, and the others began to discuss
their next actions and travel direction.
After everyone merged the maps on hand, the body double opened his mouth:
“Right now we are located here, and our goal is to return there.”
No one opposed converging with the main group.
Zi Di’s heart sighed; War Merchant’s inheritance was still on her mind.
Previously, there was only her and the body double, however now that they
subdued a group of people, Zi Di’s ambitions rose again.
Cang Xu began to speculate and declared an astounding conjecture——the island’s
magic beasts were artificial.
The body double was surprised, because this was the first time he had heard
such a theory.
Zi Di was also surprised, as she sized up the old scholar, she became more
alert: how did he know this secret?
Cang Xu slowly explained: “Ever since I arrived on this island, I have
dissected many magic beasts. I have found that even though they have a stable
condition, and their organs work together closely, as if they were born this
way. However, upon deeper investigation, they were unnatural.”
Zi Di wrinkled her brows as she mulled over Cang Xu’s words: “Unnatural?”
Cang Xu’s explanation caused everyone to gradually accept his conjecture.
Zi Di relaxed, Cang Xu didn’t know it, his guess was merely produced through
his rich scholarly knowledge.
“This old scholar is very savvy; he wasn’t an ordinary noble housekeeper.” Zi
Di’s heart evaluated.
Lan Zao couldn’t help but ask: “In that case, who could create so many magic
beasts? Is it a great figure from the empire? Is it the gods? Only gods have
the great power of creation, right? “
Zi Di’s heart moved, through Cang Xu’s speculation, everyone’s understanding of
Mystifying Monster Island deepened by a lot.
Zi Di didn’t take the initiative to explain anything, because it would provoke
suspicion. Cang Xu was an unexpected character!
“But at this point, can I take advantage of the situation? I can advise these
people and influence them to look for the alchemy factory. As long as I don’t
create abnormal suspicion, any attempt is worth it!”
Thus, she said: “It could also be a magician. As far as I know, legend ranked
magicians can transform and operate a demi-plane. Isn’t that like imitating the
gods’ power to create?”
Cang Xu then guessed: “I think the teleportation mechanism, which seems like
terrain changing, is very possibly the island master’s method to maintain the
island’s ecology.”
Zi Di looked at Cang Xu, then advised everyone: “If these beasts were also
being teleported by the island master, it could be for the purpose of making
them fight each other and selecting the most powerful monster. It is like the
Alchemy Puppet Competition held by the Alchemy Guild, to cultivate the
strongest living weapon?”
Cang Xu smiled: “Lord Zi Di your analysis is very reasonable, that is also a
likely possibility. However, I firmly believe that it being used for
maintaining the ecology is more likely……”
Zi Di also believed Cang Xu’s words were very reasonable.
“Maybe, this teleportation mechanism has both these purposes!”
The girl opened her mouth again: “In that case, the reason why the island
master deliberately built the rainforests, forests, deserts, snowy mountains,
and other terrains is for the purpose of restricting these artificial beasts
and also to stabilize the island’s ecology and keep the natural balance?
However, why do I feel; that they want to filter out one that can adapt to all
environments, the strongest monster!”
(If someone connects this to beastified people and life alchemy, perhaps
someone can guess the island master is War Merchant from that.)
“Chaotic magic power is extremely unstable and can sometimes explode……this
unusual environment that prohibits the usage of low level magic and battle qi
protects these magic beasts, maintains their stability, and allows them to live
in the world indefinitely.”
Zi Di couldn’t help but respect Cang Xu even more.
She already guessed at the secret, but she didn’t expect an outsider like Cang
Xu would also have examined it so deeply. These were merely accomplished
through the old scholar’s erudition and wisdom.
Seeing no one wanted to search for the control hub, Zi Di finally couldn’t help
herself: “If Mr. Cang Xu’s hypothesis is true, then both this island and the
magic beasts were all transformed. In that case, this island is bound to have a
central hub. Say, what do you think will happen if we find this central hub?”
Lan Zao promptly replied: “Isn’t that too dangerous? An existence that can
transform an entire island and also create so many magic beasts is something
that we cannot resist. This is simply asking for death!”
Zi Di smiled and shook her head: “Not really.”
“Think carefully, according to our previous analysis, there are two strong
possibilities.”
“Possibility one, the island master is away and not on the island. This is the
most opportune time for us to launch an attack on the control hub.”
“Possibility two, the island master has always been here, but they have not
been observing us or making us struggle and might not care about us at all. But
if we were to successfully escape from this island, they would definitely take
action to dispose of us to maintain their secrets.”
“Therefore, rather than letting that happen, it is better to storm the control
hub directly.”
“Once the control hub is destroyed, we would be able to stop the teleportations
and restore the island’s normal environment. We would then be able to use magic
and battle qi while those terrifying beasts would perish as a result. This
would be extremely beneficial for us to escape.”
Lan Zao was dumbstruck, it makes sense when you think about it this way!
Zi Di once more looked at the body double, her eyes glittering: “Lord Zhen Jin,
we are heading to the Beastmen Continent to fight for White Sand City. If we
can obtain this kind of magic technology, we can mass produce silver level and
even gold level magic beasts. Even if these vicious beasts can only last a
short period of time, they can still self-detonate. Don’t you think this would
be a huge advantage for us?”
For a split second, the body double felt a rush of excitement.
“My Lord.” Cang Xu spoke slowly, “I do not agree with Lord Zi Di’s proposal.”
Cang Xu’s four reasons, with their clear logic and distinct arrangement,
completely moved the body double.
The body double pondered for a while, then nodded: “Your analysis is good. The
control hub is covered in fog, the risk is too high, and our strength is
lacking. Our first objective is to join with the larger groups and make a ship
to escape this island as soon as possible.”
“Repulsive!” Zi Di secretly clenched her fists with great unwillingness.
“Don’t tell me I must let War Merchant's inheritance slip away?”
“It is the inheritance of an alchemy great grandmaster!”
“If I obtain it, my life and fate will be overturned and improved!”
Zi Di couldn’t do anything, nor could she state the truth. Some illumination
might invite trouble and destroy her.
The decision had been made, however no one rushed to set out.
Because Cang Xu proposed they kill a herd of goats to gain a great amount of
food.
Zi Di also approved of this proposal, food was very important while this easy
operation was likely to deepen the body double’s prestige.
However, the affair grew beyond everyone’s expectations.
Because everyone was poisoned by the goat meat.
Almost everyone was paralyzed and collapsed to the ground.
The symptoms seemed like cold poison, however that was wrong.
In her daze, Zi Di thought of something, but she couldn’t grasp that flash of
inspiration in her mind.
“I don’t have much time!”
Amongst her impatience, Zi Di promptly made a choice.
“My Lord, the red……white mushroom cap bottle……” Zi Di pointed with a stiff
finger towards the small bag on her waist.
Zi Di could barely open her mouth as the youngster began to pour out the thick
red potion from the bottle.
As the potion entered her mouth, Zi Di’s heart suddenly shook as she captured
that inspiration.
“Hold on! Maybe it was that?”
It was too late.
The next moment, her eyes turned over and she sank into a coma.
Luckily, following this, before Cang Xu lost consciousness, he warned the body
double that they needed to return to where they hunted the goats at once.
Everyone recovered; however, they sank into panic and their morale slumped.
To stabilize morale, the body double told everyone: “Things are far from
getting out of hand, and do not forget that we have Ms. Zi Di, not only is she
a magician, she is also an extraordinarily skilled pharmacist.”
The body double seemed to have forgotten that Zi Di knocked herself unconscious
after drinking a potion.
However, there were many people who saw it and during the return trip they had
spread this fact.
Is she really competent?
The body double guaranteed: “Previously, none of us knew what caused the
poisoning and it was very normal to make mistakes during diagnosis and
treatment. When using potions, it was necessary to use the right medicine for
the illness. Now that we know the root cause, it is an entirely different
kettle of fish! How can these insignificant goat flocks stop us? Everyone, I
will guide you out of this island. It is far too early to give up now.”
Emotion sprung up in Zi Di’s heart.
She made a mistake when she couldn’t detect the poison in the goat meat. When
she detoxified herself, she also miscalculated.
Even in this situation, the body double still trusted her.
This feeling of trust felt really good……
As the body double stabilized the people’s hearts and sorted out the situation,
he was like the morning sun, his sunlight was not dazzling, but it gave them
hope.
He also resembled a flag that fluttered on top of a castle, as long as one saw
the flag in the blue sky, it would inevitably attract their interest and show
them the way.
This gave Zi Di another feeling of reliability: “Compared to Zhen Jin, his
leadership is superior.”
Congregating in a tent, the higher ups were vexed about the poisoning incident.
But Zi Di already grasped her mind’s inspiration, testing a potion on the spot,
she refined many small pellets.
She carefully watched these small pellets with shining eyes: “Everyone, I
believe I have found the true cause.”
It appeared like poison on the surface, while the true cause was the goat
meat’s hidden ice magic power. Under low temperatures, the latter was subdued,
and when everyone ate it, they suffered magical erosion.
Fortune and calamity were interdependent, for this goat meat was a very
valuable commodity.
The girl’s purple eyes shined as she looked at the body double: “Lord Zhen Jin,
if we develop and control this business, it will no doubt be a great help to
you. Regardless of the White Sand City Lord competition, if you become White
Sand City’s lord you will need a great amount of capital. This business is like
giving yourself wings! It could also bring us the support of top nobles!”
Zi Di sighed to herself: “This is only a miniscule part of War Merchant’s
inheritance, yet its value is already so high. It is truly difficult to imagine
how immense the earnings would be with War Merchant’s complete inheritance.”
Despite finding the cause, it was difficult to solve this problem, in addition
everyone was relying on Zi Di.
No one, including the body double and Cang Xu, could help.
In her closed tent, Zi Di confronted this challenge alone.
“Zi Di, you can do it, make the extra effort!” The purple eyed girl deeply
breathed and began her attempts.
When the first attempt failed, Zi Di was quickly covered in sweat.
As failures constantly appeared while success seemed far into the indefinite
future, the pressure in her heart grew.
If she couldn’t resolve this problem, they would be trapped here forever. Then,
both converging with the larger group and searching for the alchemy factory
would be extravagant hopes.
“You must perform! For father’s enemies and the Wisteria Merchant Alliance……Zi
Di, you must solve this issue!” Zi Di clenched her teeth and persevered.
Struggling late into the night alone, Zi Di put her hand into her handbag and
suddenly stopped.
“I’m out of medicinal ingredients!”
Her feet seemed to step on air as she fell into the abyss.
For a good while, she was like a stone statue that was frozen in place.
Medicinal ingredients were crucial, by using them up, it meant that she had
utterly failed!
Like a tsunami, despair and dejection flooded Zi Di’s heart.
She stumbled, nearly fell to the ground, almost cried bitterly.
“Calm down! Calm down!” Her heart advised her, however tears still silently
splattered onto the ground.
She knew panic wouldn’t help as she began to take deep breaths.
But the deep breaths were ineffective.
Her emotional state was in chaos, making it hard to ponder things.
At this time, she smelled the body double’s scent.
As early as the wharf, in order to be safe, she sprinkled some odor compound on
his body.
Only by taking the corresponding potion could Zi Di smell it.
Inhaling this scent, Zi Di’s heart slowly calmed down.
She knew as she struggled alone, the body double had always been guarding her
tent.
Suddenly, she didn’t feel so lonely anymore.
In these desperate straits, she still had someone else to confront and struggle
through these challenges together!
“He used his own style to help me……to the best of his abilities.”
“He protected me.”
“He still thinks I don’t know……”
“Despite not being a true templar knight, despite the possibility of him
finding trouble with me in the future, at this moment……”
It’s really good that you’re by my side
When Zi Di’s mood was completely serene, she quietly wiped the tears off her
cheeks.
“I still have hope!”
“Although key medicinal ingredients have been used up, I can try to use
substitutes.”
The valuable knowledge was in the barbarian race leather book.
Zi Di was unsure and inexperienced in this field, however the youngster’s
existence gave her the courage to try again.
Another failure.
Failure, an additional failure.
Continuous failures.
Zi Di no longer knew how many times she had failed, and she had already become
apathetic to a failing result. Even when success came at the last moment, she
still subconsciously tried again.
The next moment, Zi Di covered her mouth, gazed at the liquid in the medicinal
bottle, and wept hot tears.
Tidying up her mood and appearance, she softly sniffed.
The body double was still there.
Outside the tent, the sun illuminated the east and rose-tinted clouds filled
the sky.
Zi Di called out: “Lord Zhen Jin, are you still there?”
“Yes.” The youngster replied immediately.
“Please come in.”
Entering the tent, all kinds of strange scents became stronger and poured into
the body double’s nose.
But his scent was tightly caught by Zi Di.
Zi Di gazed at the body double and lifted a glass bottle: “Luckily, I didn’t
fail.”
The liquid was azure and looked like seawater. The waves on the surface weren’t
frightening, however turbulent secrets flowed in its depths.



****** Chapter 195: Because of You, I Began to Believe in Fairy Tales Again


******
 The potion was made, but its effects still needed to be tested.
After Lan Zao drank the potion, his entire face turned blue, his hands grabbed
at his throat, opened his mouth, and gagged with wide open eyes.
But what made him suffer was that he couldn’t vomit anything out.
“Older brother!” Huang Zao shouted with alarm.
The others were also bewildered.
“It's not serious, this is a normal reaction.” Zi Di said as she consoled
everyone.
Not long after, the body double also took the potion.
The body double spat out a big mouthful of blood with ice cubes the size of
thumbs mixed into it. These ice cubes issued a strong coldness and had a
strange blue color.
In a split second, the youngster’s complexion suddenly changed.
Zi Di’s heart jumped, deeply troubled, she promptly walked over: “Is there
something wrong?”
“It's nothing.” The body double shook his head.
“He seems to be hiding something from me, don’t tell me my potion causes
problems for beastified people?” Zi Di’s heart was worried.
She didn’t consider the body double’s beastified constitution, for crucially,
she was incapable of estimating War Merchant’s beastification transformation
methods.
War Merchant was an apex alchemist, while Zi Di was only a minor iron level
magician, that’s all.
Apart from this, Zi Di also had an additional worry.
That was the grass.
This discovery was a byproduct of the potion manufacturing process.
As it turns out, the goats were also victims, the truth wealth lay with the
grass growing here.
“When I developed this potion, I used much of this grass. This fact is
difficult to hide, maybe I can dupe the others, however Cang Xu will definitely
guess at this fact to some extent. I fear that the old scholar has already
learned the truth. Oh dear……what should I do?”
The sensation felt after taking the potion made the body double overly
suspicious, he became even more suspicious of his beastification capabilities.
He believed it came from a transformation potion Zi Di inadvertently mixed when
she saved him.
That same night, the body double obtained another of Zhen Jin’s memories while
in a dream.
In the early morning, he excitedly found Zi Di and quietly informed her: “Good
news, I recovered some more memories. I feel my battle strength has increased
as a result.”
Zi Di’s face immediately beamed with a smile: “My Lord, your situation is
getting better.”
“You’re right, I will test myself now. I will take my leave first.” The body
double left animatedly.
Seeing him lift the tent flap, Zi Di’s smile quickly vanished.
The body double’s actions indicated he didn’t doubt Zi Di.
However, this trust, besides making the girl relax, increased many complex
emotions.
“That memory is fake, I am deceiving him……”
“Before seeing the truth, he trusts me, does his best to protect me, and
accompanies me……”
“If he discovers the truth in the future, how should I face him?”
“Stop!”
“Zi Di, what are you thinking?”
“He is only a body double! He is only a tool. In the past, perhaps your life
and his were bound together, but now that War Merchant is dead, the contract no
longer exists.”
“If he discovers this secret in the future, then he will be executed!”
“Remember Zi Di, you must be rational, you must put the general situation above
all else!”
Zi Di reflected on her situation and had a clear plan.
In her eyes, the best outcome was her obtaining War Merchant’s inheritance. But
her attempts and influencing failed, this entire group wholeheartedly wanted to
escape Mystifying Monster Island.
With just herself, it was impossible to find the control hub or infiltrate the
alchemy factory.
Present failures did not represent future opportunities. If that was
impossible, after leaving Mystifying Monster Island, Zi Di still planned to
accompany Zhen Jin to the White Sands City lordship competition.
“Zhen Jin is still in the dark, he doesn’t know what happened to me.”
“When the shipwreck happened, Mystifying Monster Island’s environmental
influence wasn’t around, thus magic and battle qi could still be used.”
“Zhen Jin probably survived and is probably with the larger group.”
“If he unfortunately died, I will be in big trouble!”
Beforehand, Zi Di and Zhen Jin signed an engagement, this magic contract
restricted both sides, and neither could conspire against the other. But this
contract was tampered with by War Merchant, switching it to a life bound
contract between Zi Di and the body double. After War Merchant died, the
contract also lost its effectiveness.
If Zhen Jin died in the shipwreck while Zi Di still lived, it would inevitably
result in the Bai Zhen Clan suspecting and investigating her, and even settling
accounts with her.
Even if the body double could deceive them for some time, he couldn’t do it for
long.
Before, Zi Di had faith because War Merchant would have helped the body
double’s disguise behind the scenes. Now that the main force was dead, the body
double’s beastified person identity was unlikely to deceive imperial
investigators.
Last night, Zi Di faced desperate straits in her tent, during it, the body
double guarding outside comforted and boosted her.
But at dawn, after the potion was created, Zi Di had calmed down.
Like her father who established the business marvel that was the Wisteria
Merchant Alliance, the merchant blood that flowed through Zi Di, regardless of
talent or influence, was still an expert at calculating and choosing benefits
At some moment last night, she really was moved by the body double’s
protection.
But that emotion couldn’t supersede reality.
The new memory allowed the body double to master long range attacks. The body
double also tried to recruit Cang Xu and didn’t hesitate to illuminate him
about the grass’ secret.
In the end, he still failed.
But the body double didn’t leave empty-handed.
For his freedom, Cang Xu wanted to contribute his Explosive Blazing Horse
Cavalry training method to the body double.
Cang Xu then advised the body double and warned him of the exploration team’s
food shortage.
In order to solve this difficult problem, after the body double and Cang Xu
discussed, the youngster came to Zi Di’s tent alone.
Zi Di had been resting, in order to mix potion for the entire exploration team,
she had endured a large work volume and an inconvenient creation process,
leading to her becoming exhausted.
The body double paced outside of the tent, although the problem was serious,
the body double didn’t want to rashly disturb Zi Di.
“I need to let her properly rest.”
As the body double was thinking this, in the dusky tent, the sleeping Zi Di’s
nose softly twitched as she smelled the body double’s scent, then she slowly
opened her eyes.
“Is it you my Lord?” Zi Di’s voice came from the tent.
The body double was just about to leave, but upon hearing the voice he
immediately turned around: “It's me, there is something I need to discuss with
you.”
The body double informed Zi Di that his recruitment of Cang Xu failed, causing
Zi Di to believe ever more that Cang Xu was remarkable.
Regarding the body double’s proposal to use the potion to detoxify the goat
meat into food. Zi Di candidly said she couldn’t accomplish this.
Her success was mostly due to a lucky composition. Most of the critical
medicinal ingredients had already been consumed and were unable to be
replenished.
Zi Di was forced to console the body double, maybe they could find some
supplies at a camp she established previously.
The body double’s despair was obvious, and Zi Di heart was frustrated.
It was as if reality was reminding her, without solving the food shortage, the
exploration team was still in danger and helpless, how could she speak of
looking for the control hub?
Before leaving, the body double’s face flashed with hesitation, however in the
end, he still inquired: “Zi Di, do you still have the monkey tail blood from
earlier?”
Zi Di gave the bottles filled with bear blood to the body double.
“It seems the body double has always suspected his beastification was because
of a body transformation potion. But as a matter of fact, this was an ability
he received after War Merchant transformed him.”
“I really wish he could tell me this secret and seek my aid!”
If the body double did this, then it represented his great trust in Zi Di.
Scouts found a flying squirrel community, and after careful deliberation, the
body double decided to train archers and eliminate the flying squirrel group,
thereby solving the food shortage.
“The entire exploration team is in a life or death moment!”
“Victory brings hope. The body double’s prestige will increase greatly, the
group can continue to survive, and we might be able to find the control hub in
the future.”
Zi Di skipped sleep and meals as she shut herself in her tent.
After several days, she finally developed some potions.
These potions could deceive the flying squirrels’ sense of smell.
She gave them to the body double, and in his pleasant surprise, he excitedly
hugged Zi Di.
Zi Di’s body went rigid, a male had never hugged her so tightly before.
Her rational mind seemed to melt in the body double’s dense and charming aura.
Then, she heard the body double praise: “Zi Di, my fiancé, you can always give
me pleasant surprises. Many thanks for your support!”
It wasn’t until the body double left, did Zi Di’s train of thought gradually
recover.
“You also support me continuously ……” Her heart responded as she saw the body
double’s departing back.
Waiting until she was the only person in the tent, Zi Di calmed down again.
She reached out and slapped her still burning hot cheek, then she warned
herself again: “Wake up! Zi Di. He is only a body double.”
“He hid his beastification secret from you.”
“If he learns the truth in the future, how will he treat you?”
The body double’s following display of steadiness and perseverance made Zi Di
increase her respect for him again.
“Even when undoubtedly touching air on the edge of a precipice, he still keeps
his composure. That is impossible for me!”
Although the flying squirrel hunt was thrilling and had many twists and turns,
the people ultimately seized an overwhelming victory.
The body double’s outstanding performance, especially when he transformed his
arms to kill the iron level flying squirrel leader with a throwing dagger, awed
the people.
Zi Di secretly admired War Merchant’s level of mastery and guessed in her
heart: “Don’t tell me the body double can actively control his body, and can
control where his beast transformations are?”
“Previously, I found it somewhat odd that the body double’s beastification
abilities and his infiltration mission conflicted with each other.”
“But now, it seems this partial beastification is easy to conceal. Especially
when combined with battle qi, it is difficult for others to sense it.”
This triumph enormously increased the body double’s prestige.
After the battle, many people publicly expressed that they wanted to follow the
youngster.
Because of the second beastification, the body double’s doubts increased. That
same evening, he called Zi Di and indirectly asked about the situation.
“What happened? Does your Lordship still feel a hidden danger anywhere? Zi Di
inquired.
She really wished the body double could expose the beastification secret.
But to her disappointment, the body double only replied: “It's nothing, I only
want to understand. It's getting late and we will be departing tomorrow. You
should go back and rest well.”
The teleportation caught everyone off guard.
The sandstorm was like a reaper’s scythe that wanted to harvest the entire
exploration team’s lives.
In that desperate moment, Zi Di immediately used a potion to melt a hole in the
sand and quickly built a cellar to stay in.
“Body double, where are you?”
Zi Di sprinkled another potion to ignite a white flame in the dark sandstorm.
The white fire was a sign that assembled many people together.
However, to Zi Di’s disappointment, she never saw the body double.
“Get in now, Lord Zhen Jin will surely come!”
“Miss Zi Di, you are in too much danger, hide in the cellar now.”
Under their advice and Zi Di’s faltering persistence, she could only shrink
back for the time being.
A good thing didn’t last forever, and the unstable temporary cave quickly caved
in.
Luckily Zi Di still had abundant potions, beginning to pour them once again,
she attempted to enlarge the space.
Suddenly, the ground below everyone caved in, dropping them into its depths.
“There is a natural tunnel here?”
“We’re saved!”
Everyone deeply breathed, they had been starved for oxygen,
But Cang Xu’s complexion was heavy: “This tunnel isn’t natural, rather it's a
passage that beasts walk through. Since there is air, the passage should lead
to the surface.
There were distinct beast traces everywhere in the tunnel.
Everyone shivered.
After resting for a short time, the group began to prudently explore.
They found green skinned lizards.
Regarding these beasts, Cang Xu and the others were familiar with them——they
had encountered them when they were trapped in the desert.
After killing these lizards, everyone accidently came to a unique cave.
After identifying it, everyone found this was the lizard group’s nursery,
inside there were many lizard eggs. Apart from this, there were a few lizard
mothers guarding and incubating the eggs.
A fierce battle unfolded, during it, Zi Di constantly used her potions and
helped her comrades prevail in the end.
They annihilated all of the lizard mothers, however the situation became more
dangerous, because the fight drew in a steady flow of powerful lizards.
These lizards constantly attacked the nursery, and the humans could only use
the nursery’s narrow cave mouth to barely maintain their defense.
Zi Di didn’t have enough potions to melt a passage out.
Through dissection, Cang Xu speculated this lizard group was very large.
Without a solution, they could only persevere for a time before dying in the
end.
Zi Di was unresigned.
Before this, the body double’s authority was clearly consolidated when the
group eliminated the flying squirrel group and solved their food crisis. After
one night, they still fell into desperate straits.
She tried to boost morale but was ineffective.
Then struck by a brainwave, she sprinkled the pink compound on the lizards:
“When these wounded lizards retreat, as long as they return to the surface,
others can see it and we might receive support!”
This method finally gave everyone a bit of hope and stabilized morale.
“Zi Di, you can’t give up yet! I still have a chance.”
Zi Di inwardly encouraged herself while actively searching for another way out.
After an attempt, she discovered the lizard eggs were good medicinal
ingredients. She used the ingredients to mix an acidic fog that harmed many
lizards.
Cang Xu speculated these lizards went out in the early morning to forage for
food.
Zi Di used these potions to help everyone break out, after a thrilling escape,
they returned to the surface.
However, they didn’t anticipate the foraging lizard group to suffer the
scorpion group’s beating and return to their nest earlier than expected.
Zi Di and the others were chased and surrounded, forcing them to withdraw to
the peak of a sand dune.
Relying on the acid fog potion, everyone could barely support themselves.
The lizards encircled them and waited for Zi Di’s potions to run dry.
Everyone gave up all hope, and Zi Di was the same.
But Bai Ya said: Lord Zhen Jin will surely appear in time to save us and lead
us away. Because he is a templar knight.
Zi Di’s heart bitterly laughed, since the sandstorm, she especially longed for
the body double.
Currently, she couldn’t smell the body double’s scent. It was possible the body
double died in the sandstorm.
Hearing Bai Ya’s naive notion, she couldn’t help but recall her childhood fairy
tales.
The fairy tale of the princess, the demon, and the knight.
The demon captured the princess and coerced her into marrying it.
But the little princess shook her head: “I won’t marry you; you are a bad
demon. My father and mother will dispatch a knight to rescue me.”
Zi Di no longer believed in such fairy tales.
However cruel reality also caused her to secretly admire the little princess’
courage and resolve. Although she was trapped in a predicament, she maintained
hope——surely a knight would save her!
“In the end, fairy tales are only fairy tales.”
“I fear this is where my corpse will be buried.”
“Up until now, I still don’t know where the control hub is.”
“Repulsive, father’s enemies and the Wisteria Merchant Alliance……”
However, at that moment, Zi Di heard someone shout: “Look quickly everyone, is
that a person?”
This immediately attracted the attention of everyone.
“It’s a person.”
“Who is it?”
“I can’t see them clearly.”
“He is running towards us!”
Zi Di blankly stared, then she too began to gaze out.
Cang Xu narrowed his eyes: There are green skin lizards all around our sand
dune, yet this person is still charging in, they are clearly skilled and
daring.”
“It’s Lord Zhen Jin, it must be him.” Bai Ya yelled excitedly.
As the person got closer, everyone finally recognized the man’s face.
At once, cheers erupted.
“It’s his Lordship, it really is Lord Zhen Jin!”
For a split second, Zi Di’s heart throbbed, then that strong emotion forced its
way into her eyes and transformed into tears.
Her mother’s words echoed: “My little princess, be at ease, you will have a
knight that will protect you for your entire life.”
“My knight?” The child Zi Di’s eyes flashed, “Where is he?”
“Eh……your mother doesn’t know. But I can be certain he will appear in your
life.”
Now.
He appeared.



****** Chapter 196: My Wrongdoing ******
“Ah, he is wounded!” Zi Di’s heart suddenly tensed.
The body double held the spider blade as he charged into the lizard group,
beheading all that came close.
“It seems that his Lordship is injured, and it is affecting him greatly!”
“His Lordship is constantly evading; don’t tell me he can’t use battle qi to
protect himself?”
“As long as the acid hits, Lord Zhen Jin will be in danger!”
“His body is injured yet he still risks death to save us, he really is a
templar knight.”
“Lord Zhen Jin……just like he said, he never gave up on us.”
After rushing into the lizard group, the body double was surrounded by iron and
bronze level lizards.
Seeing the body double encircled and surrounded by perils, everyone on the sand
dune trembled in fear.
“No, this can’t continue, I must think of something!”
“What can I do to help him?”
“Since we are trapped on this sand dune, we can only send potions via arrows.
That’s right, I made a potion to resist acid, based on the body double’s body,
he definitely can use it!”
Thinking of this, Zi Di immediately fished out a potion, poured it into an
arrow shaft, and refastened the arrowhead.
Next, Zi Di chose Bai Ya to fire it.
Bai Ya shot it with all of his strength, however it still landed a dozen paces
from the body double.
“Quickly everyone, shout together to warn Lord Zhen Jin.” Zi Di commanded.
Hearing everyone's voices, the body double pulled out the arrowhead and drank
the potion.
“Now, fire these arrows.” Zi Di took out about six arrowheads from her handbag.
After Bai Ya shot these arrows, thick green smoke cut through the sky, then
slowly fell to form a temporary wall of smoke.
Following the smoke wall, the body double broke through the encirclement,
climbed up the sand dune, and reunited with everyone.
In the split second the body double scaled to the top; Zi Di’s heart wanted to
throw herself into his arms.
But at the next moment, the exploration crowded around the youngster, each of
them endlessly excited.
“My Lord!”
“Lord Zhen Jin!”
As a result, Zi Di calmed down and was inwardly startled: “What’s happening to
me?”
From childhood until now, she never had such brazen notions.
The body double’s return greatly roused the exploration team’s morale, then
soon after, he pleasantly surprised everyone by intentionally drawing over the
scorpion group.
With the help of the scorpion group creating chaos, the body double led
everyone to charge out of the sand dune.
The body double brandished his spider blade and beheaded the lizards standing
in his path.
As the person in front, the body double assumed the greatest pressure. During
that, as Zi Di gazed from the middle of the pack, her mind was involuntarily
attracted towards him.
They successfully broke through; however, Bai Ya fell and was surrounded by
lizards.
The body double wanted to save him, however Cang Xu shouted grimly: “My Lord,
don’t run after him. If we don’t leave here, the lizards will surround us
again.”
This was also Zi Di’s true feelings, she didn’t want the body double to get
caught up in peril again.
However, for an unknown reason, Zi Di didn’t open her mouth.
Faced with that choice, the body double was decisive: “I have said that I will
not abandon anyone. Bai Ya is no exception!”
Seeing the body double duty bound to charge back, a very complex emotion grew
in Zi Di’s heart.
She worried for the body double while also feeling happy.
When the body double returned with Bai Ya, everything seemed like a romantic
tale.
The body double said he wouldn’t abandon anyone.
He achieved his promise.
Nothing was more persuasive than real action.
At that moment, Zi Di had a bright understanding: “After receiving War
Merchant’s transformation, he really became a beastified person. However, he is
still a knight, a true knight!”
After breaking away from the lizard group, the exploration team was quickly
pursued by the scorpion group.
Each time this happened, the body double bravely stepped forward and fought the
scorpion leader to maintain the situation.
“Your natural recovery ability is enough to heal it. However, we can’t break
away from this scorpion group. My Lord, you have already fought the scorpion
leader several times and you have constantly squeezed out the energy and
stamina from your body. Every time you fight, you get injured, and you don’t
have time to rest or recover at all.”
Zi Di healed the body double and felt very sorry for him.
The body double fought with all his strength and used his life to protect
everyone and to protect her.
Zi Di discovered she became a burden on the body double.
Based on the body double’s strength, he could easily abandon everyone and flee
by himself.
“This will soon be impossible as his body gets worse.” Despair gradually grew
in Zi Di’s heart, and she couldn’t think of anything that could alter the
situation.
After seeing the body double clash with the scorpion leader and healing him, Zi
Di no longer treated him as a tool.
Instead, she began to feel ashamed.
“He is a true knight. Yet I always exploited him……”
Zi Di stated to her heart: “I shouldn’t have deceived him. If I die here, I
will tell him the truth before I pass!”
Despite being the one under the most difficulties, the body double continued to
boost the people.
“As long as we are still alive, there is still plenty of hope.”
“As long as we hold on to hope and don’t give up, then until death truly
arrives, we will still have a chance for survival!”
“Only placing our hopes in external help and changes is not the act of a brave
man. It is more reliable to save ourselves.”
Zi Di quietly watched him: “He is everyone’s center, without him, the
exploration team would have collapsed already. He is an outstanding leader!”
The body double consulted Cang Xu for advice, perhaps killing a spear scorpion
was crucial.
However, this action was considerably risky.
The group spent the night at the golden granite boulders.
The night wind slowly caressed her face.
The sprinkling moonlight illuminated the desert.
Zi Di asked the body double: “My Lord, when do you think we should hunt a spear
scorpion?”
The body double was silent for a moment: “No need to rush, we will wait and
see.”
This answer made the girl’s heart bounce, and she guessed to herself: “Don’t
tell me this means he wants to do it alone tonight?”
“During the flying squirrel hunt, his arms transformed, I am certain that was
beastification.”
“Perhaps he can already control his beastification abilities.”
“During the day, he can’t beastify in front of everyone, this would lead to
misgivings. Night is suitable for his task. The golden granite boulders can
shield him from line of sight!”
However, the next day, Zi Di’s expectations were fruitless.
This allowed her to realize the truth: “It seems he still can’t actively
beastify! The last two times were stimulated transformations. But in fact, even
if death stimulates him, he might not be able to beastify. When he fought the
monkey tail brown beat, he didn’t beastify.”
The exploration team left the golden granite boulders and the scorpion group
continued to chase after them.
Everyone trekked through the blazing desert, they had to endure the scorpions
and the cruel environment as food and water grew rarer by each passing day.
As the situation grew worse, the wounded Bai Ya fell unconscious.
On the verge of desperate straits, everyone was agitated and had dreadful
thoughts. Their subconscious anger, panic, and other negative emotions changed
into words when Cang Xu raised a difficult question.
Cang Xu indifferently pointed out that the unconscious Bai Ya could serve as
food in this crucial moment.
“You all have not studied enough books; I will now tell you a truth——similar
beings can eat each other.”
“There is a type of insect known as the praying mantis. When a male and female
mantis mate, the female mantis will eat the male mantis when night comes to
nourish itself and produce offspring more successfully.”
“With regards to any lifeforms, all of them, at the basic level, exist to
survive and reproduce. If we cannot ensure our survival, what is the point of
mentioning laws or morals?”
These words made Zi Di fearful to the extent that her body faintly shuddered.
The thing causing her fear wasn’t Cang Xu’s words, rather it was a realization:
it really was their final moments, and only by doing this could they have a
chance of survival.
“Don’t tell me I also need to eat this……meat?”
“No, no!”
“If I do this, will I be any different from a beast?”
“But if I don’t eat, my chances of survival will be even more uncertain……”
“Hold on, if I die, will my corpse be eaten by the others……”
Cang Xu’s words made Zi Di understand how terrible their future was, and at
that moment, the girl trembled with fear and helplessness.
She subconsciously gazed at the body double.
The body double’s brows creased with a stern expression: “Cang Xu, I ask that
you take back your words. Bai Ya is not food, rather he is our companion. I
will not allow the atrocity of eating our companion to happen.”
For a split second, light and warmth seemed to envelop Zi Di’s body.
The girl’s resolve firmly stood up and she vowed: “Even if I die, I won’t eat
my companion’s flesh! Thank you my knight, you protected me once again……”
Persevere, clench your teeth and persevere.
Everyone left the desert and entered the volcanic zone.
Despite the environment being even more dangerous, everyone saw it as an
opportunity to finally deal with the scorpion group.
In the cave of a possibly active volcano, Zi Di used a potion to corrode the
cave walls, molding it into a advantageous battlefield for the humans.
In that battlefield, the exploration team fiercely fought for their lives and
suffered disastrous casualties.
Only the body double, Zi Di, Bai Ya, and Cang Xu remained trapped in the cave,
Passing through Zi Di’ tests, she determined the scorpion meat wasn’t edible,
thus the four people only had two water bags left.
“Nothing, I can’t think of anything to do.” Zi Di’s state of mind crumbled.
The body double comforted her: “This place where low level magic cannot be used
has always been too arduous on you.”
“No, I am the one who got you involved, Lord Zhen Jin. If it were not for my
suggestion, we would not have snuck aboard that ship. And we would not have
ended up on this island. During the encounter with the lizard and spear
scorpion group, you could have abandoned me and survived alone.”
Saying this, Zi Di suddenly realized something——
Her chances of living were uncertain; however, the body double was different.
He still had the strength to escape alone!
Consequently, she appealed: “Escape, my Lord. Don’t care for me anymore! You
can leave this place.”
After their journey together, the girl no longer treated the body double as a
tool or a beastified person.
She acknowledged that the youngster before her was a true knight!
She was the wrongdoer
She deceived him!
Despite War Merchant being the main culprit and her being forced in this
affair, she was the one who awakened the body double when the blue dog fox wolf
compelled her to take a risk.
Of course, the girl wanted the body double to eliminate the scorpion group and
escape this island with him.
But reality was not a fairytale.
“I don’t want to be a burden on you.”
“Death is my foreordained conclusion; how can I drag you down with me?”
“In this string of affairs, you are the most innocent.”
“I’m sorry for deceiving you!”
Her heart’s guilt gave Zi Di the urge to reveal everything.
Nevertheless, the body double faintly smiled, and with a trace of love, he
brushed Zi Di’s hair from her eyes: “You are my fiancé, and I am your knight.
Protecting you is my duty. I will protect you, till my life’s end.”
At that moment, Zi Di felt her heart melt.
The youngster finally made up his mind: “I will leave at dawn. After I leave
and attract as many scorpions as possible, you guys will seize the opportunity
to leave separately.”
This plan was simple, crude, and had a small possibility of success, but what
else could they do?
“At dawn, I will tell him the truth!”
“This night should be the last night in my life, I must enjoy the beautiful
time I have left.”
Small selfishness appeared in the girl.
Lying on the body double’s chest, Zi Di peacefully slept.
Late into the night, Zi Di was awoken by Cang Xu’s words.
She shrank in the body double’s chest; however, she didn’t immediately open her
eyes as she quietly listened.
Cang Xu requested that the body double eat his fill to increase his chances of
survival and also asked that he fulfill his dying wishes.
But the body double always refused.
Zi Di opened her eyes and promised Cang Xu: “If I escape, I will help you
realize this final wish.”
Then she took out some letters: “Actually, I think Bai Ya also gave us his
final wishes.”
She hoped the body double would eat something to strengthen his stamina and
increase his odds of survival. But it was very hard for her to blurt out this
advice.
She hoped the body double would transform into a beast, break out, and save
himself. However, at the same time, she hoped he would hold fast to his
knightly spirit and moral character, and not become depraved.
Ultimately, the body double still shook his head: “I will not treat humans as
food!”
His regretful gaze shifted towards Zi Di.
That gaze instantly stabilized Zi Di and eliminated all of her hesitation.
She shook her head and smiled: “My Lord, we are one, anything that you do is
what I will do.”



****** Chapter 197: Is it Him? ******
In the distance, large amounts of lava bubbled from a volcano.
The lava spewed an estimated eight hundred meters.
Black smoke obscured half of the sky. Scarlet magma spurted up, then fell.
“Fortunately, we are still at the periphery, let's get going.” Cang Xu urged.
But Zi Di was walking slowly and turned her head around to look behind her from
time to time.
Before the girl set off, she thought everything would go wrong, but when she
and Cang Xu escaped the cave, it went smoother than she could have possibly
imagined.
All of this happened because the body double attracted all of the scorpions.
“With how safe I am here, then that means he’s in grave danger!”
“How is he doing right now?”
Rationality told Zi Di that the body double might already be dead. But
sentiment impeded her footsteps, and with a trace of hope, she wanted to
continue waiting.
So much so that an idea appeared in her mind: “Even if I saw his corpse as my
final glimpse, I could die peacefully!”
“Lord Zhen Jin was in terrible physical condition, he did not eat anything, and
was short on stamina.”
“Facing the besieging scorpion group would violently consume his stamina. The
longer time went on, the more uncertain his vitality.”
“Alas……” Cang Xu sighed.
Zi Di’s heart was very jittery, and she wanted to berate Cang Xu and tell him
to shut up.
They continued to wait.
During the girl’s despair, a figure appeared in her field of view.
The figure left a profound impression on Zi Di.
Just as it appeared, Zi Di was somewhat skeptical whether it was an
hallucination or not.
But quickly, she cried out in pleasant surprise.
Her knight had returned, like the beautiful heroes of old.
“He also returned with Bai Ya.” Zi Di regretfully sighed in a complex tone.
“A true templar knight!” Cang Xu wholeheartedly exclaimed.
When both sides converged, Zi Di immediately healed the body double.
During this process, she saw the new injuries left by the spear scorpion, she
also keenly detected the body double’s mental state was completely different.
“Could it be that in his moment of life and death, his beatification was
stimulated again?”
“It should be so.”
“He can’t use battle qi, only through beastification could he defeat the
scorpion group!”
Although they had broken away from the scorpion group, the exploration only had
four people left: the body double, Zi Di, Cang Xu, and Bai Ya.
“Is this the center of Mystifying Monster Island?”
“Is the alchemy factory here?”
Zi Di had guesses, however she didn’t want to explore this place.
The environment here was too dangerous, it had erupting volcanoes and those
terrifying gold level gigantic lava turtles she had just seen with her own
eyes……
Furthermore, she couldn’t justify going deeper to the others.
She also wasn’t sure if the alchemy factory was really hidden here.
Although Cang Xu advised the body double to abandon Bai Ya, the body double
would rather bear the burden himself than abandon his comrade.
Body double: “I already said that I would do all I can to save everyone and
would never abandon a single man. This is my promise and also my
responsibility.
“My Lord, your noble character is like a bright star in the darkness of the
night sky! Cang Xu lamented internally, “You are a paragon among the templar
knights.”
The body double bitterly laughed and shook his head.
Seeing this expression, Zi Di’s heart understood more: “My prior guess should
be the truth, he beastified to prevail over the scorpion group. However, he was
inevitably vexed and bewildered as a result.”
“Templar knight bodies cannot transform.”
The body double being trapped in anger and misgivings also made Zi Di very sad.
“I should tell him the truth.”
Last night, Zi Di quietly decided that at dawn, she would tell the body double
the whole truth.
But at dawn, she hesitated again: “If I tell him the truth, wouldn’t that
disturb him? Would it make his mood chaotic? He needs to lure the scorpion
group and his situation is far more dangerous than ours!”
In her hesitation, he lost her chance.
“I should tell him the truth! Even if he isn’t Zhen Jin or a templar knight, he
was once a knight. That is all I know of his former identity.” Zi Di resolved
herself again.
Food was critically deficient, and when the four returned to the desert, they
only had a small lizard and a jumping mouse on hand.
The body double gave the precious meat to Zi Di and Cang Xu, meanwhile Bai Ya’s
state grew worse. Not only was he still unconscious, he now had a high fever.
“There is movement.” The body double’s complexion sank. “You two eat first, I
will go stand guard to drive away or perhaps kill any beasts around.”
The body double disappeared for a while then came back.
“He seems somewhat different.” Zi Di sharply detected some kind of change
appearing in the body double.
Zi Di and Cang Xu didn’t eat the meat, they wanted to give it to the body
double.
“Don’t tell me you two want to make me violate my vow? Do you want my knight’s
honor to be blemished?” The youngster’s expression became very serene.
Zi Di and Cang Xu looked at the youngster, it was as if holy light radiated
from his entire body and for a moment, their hearts shook and neither of them
spoke.
“Burp.”
At that moment, the youngster could not help but let out a satisfied burp.
Cang Xu and Zi Di:???
Zi Di’s eyes open wide: “What did I just hear?”
“A satisfied burp?”
“He ate his fill? With what?”
“No, impossible. He is a knight; he wouldn’t eat behind our backs. Perhaps this
wasn’t a burp, but just his digestive system’s acid reflux swelling with gas.
“But if he really did eat something, could it be……he beastified?”
At dawn, the four set out again.
Seeing the golden granite boulders again, the body double went ahead and into
the rocks: “I’ll be right back. If you have no choice but to move, use the pink
compound to mark your route.”
Not long after, he returned and recounted his fight against the lizard group.
Quickly, he showed the way, leading Zi Di and Cang Xu to the battlefield.
Cang Xu couldn’t help but praise: “Lord Zhen Jin, I am now beginning to believe
Lord Zi Di’s conjecture.”
“I fear you really do not only have just a silver level cultivation. To have
such strong physical strength in such malnourished conditions is not ordinary.
This lizard group had at least thirty lizards, yet you used an ordinary knife
without battle qi to kill five of them as well as forcing the rest to flee.”
……
Zi Di quietly sized up the battlefield.
Her gaze rapidly concentrated on the traces left on the golden granite
boulders, as well as the holes suspected to be caused by a spear scorpion tail.
In that brief time, the body double’s cleaning of the battlefield had limited
effects.
“He didn’t mention spear scorpions, could it be that he beastified a scorpion
tail to defeat the lizard group?” Zi Di’s heart moved.
She looked around her until she suddenly stared with a beating heart and
burning cheeks.
She saw the body double’s buttocks through a hole in his trousers.
The hole was faint because the body double’s jacket was covering it, his
intention was obvious.
“All of the clues fit together!”
“Hold on, yesterday he let out a satisfied burp. If it were lizard meat, based
on his character, surely he would have returned with a share. But he didn’t……he
did something too embarrassing to mention.”
“His food should be the golden granite rocks!”
“He can transform into a spear scorpion, and perhaps into even more beasts.
After beastifying, he can treat the golden granite rocks as food.
“But he couldn’t share the rocks as food, because normal people can’t eat these
things.”
Zi Di continued to reflect and thought back to the body double’s departure last
night and his particular inquiry to Cang Xu about the spear scorpion’s
digestive abilities.
“He was prepared in advance, in other words, before leaving he knew he could
beastify into a spear scorpion, or at least partially into one.
“But he wasn’t sure if he could eat the golden granite. Therefore, he asked
Cang Xu.”
“This implies he can actively beastify.”
“Maybe because he has beastified many times, he learned with familiarity. It is
also possible that during the spear scorpion fight, he had a breakthrough and
can now freely control his beastification.
Guessing at the body double’s secret, Zi Di’s heart tenderly welled up.
“This idiot……”
“He would rather risk eating rocks and give the food to us.”
“He must not want to beastify, because he believes he is Zhen Jin, a templar
knight!”
“However, he is forced to do so, because of the environment and to protect
me……”
At that moment, Zi Di’s heart gushed again with an urge, she wanted to tell the
truth, she wanted to stand by his side, hold his hand, and share in all kinds
of worries and vexations together.
However, that urge was muzzled and Zi Di lost her courage again.
She could only use her amethyst eyes to gaze at the body double and softly say:
“My Lord, from now on I ask you to not take such risks again. We can take our
time to decide more times than not.”
The body double didn’t know the girl already knew his secret as he nodded: “Be
at ease, I understand. In fact, ever since I got away from the scorpion group,
I experienced a sensation of being reborn. I felt like I had made a
breakthrough, but it also felt like I hadn't. When I fight now, I feel clearer
and have a greater understanding of what I can and cannot do.”
He wanted to cover up some things.
He was deliberately vague to give the others a certain impression.
In the future, after he used the magic core to dispose of threats, it would
allow the others to not think that it was strange and abrupt that he was
stronger.
The lizard meat saved the four people, now with adequate food, the four now
needed water.
According to Cang Xu’s speculation, the lizard group must have a large water
source, an oasis.
Not long after, the four found the oasis and entered it.
There, they saw Lan Zao and Huang Zao.
Huang Zao was long dead, his face was deathly pale, his body was broken, and
his bloodstained white bones were a ghastly sight.
Soon after, Cang Xu and Zi Di saw this spectacle and their footsteps abruptly
halted.
“Blegh.”
Zi Di was caught off guard, she immediately vomited almost all of the acid in
her stomach.
“It was me……it was me……”
“I killed him, I killed him.”
“I killed Huang Zao; I killed my younger brother.”
“I killed him; I killed my last living family member!”
Lan Zao wept bitter tears, and Zi Di was frightened of how beastly Lan Zao was.
Night, next to a bonfire.
Zi Di advised the body double: “We already saw Huang Zao’s corpse. Lan Zao also
admitted his crime. This is too cruel; how can we keep such a man?”
“I also discovered that it seems acid was sprayed onto Lan Zao’s back, the
wound has already putrefied, but it is clear it was tended to and bandaged.
That was obviously Huang Zao’s handiwork, and it would be impossible for Lan
Zao to treat himself to that degree.”
“Huang Zao assisted his older brother and bandaged him. But what did Lan Zao
do? He is a terrible person.”
But Cang Xu’s opinions were different, leading to a dispute between him and Zi
Di.
The body double was struggling, it was clear he felt awkward.
Late into the night and under the hazy moon, Zi Di heard the body double
praying.
“God, Emperor Shen Ming, my great master. Thine gaze is like a light on the
world that causes all shadows to flee. Now, thy believer, thy knight confesses
to thee because his spirit is mired in a swamp. I seek the illumination of thy
spirit to banish the shadows of my corruption, my hideousness, my filth. I
beseech thee to pardon my sinful thoughts……”
The long confession finished.
The soft night wind brushed the young knight’s ears.
It was as the youngster expected——his god did not respond.
The youngster sighed with disappointment and frustration.
Zi Di also sighed in her heart.
It was a good opportunity to tell the truth, but she didn’t have to courage to
truly open her mouth.
She was very scared.
Before, she was scared the body double would be provoked, act brutally, and
harm her.
But now, after experiencing all kinds of trials, he had saved her life many
times. Even if he brutally killed her, at worst she was simply returning her
life to him, that’s all.”
She was scared of how the body double would look at her, she was afraid of
seeing his thoroughly disappointed expression.
“If he is not Zhen Jin, I am also not his fiancé……”
Despite knowing the body double was not her fiancé, she still hoped he thought
that way.
The sun rose and a new day began.
The body double Zi Di, and Cang Xu once again did their best to survive
The body double hunted and explored, Cang Xu fired pottery, and Zi Di mixed
potions that expelled lower lifeforms.
She sighed again: the barbarian race’s leather book was too practical, and on
Mystifying Monster Island, that leather book had helped her so much!
According to the plan, Zi Di began to weave tents from palm leaves.
She was kneeling on the ground with her upper body inside a tent, it seemed
that she was adjusting palm leaves in the tent’s interior. Her lower body was
on the outside of the tent, her boots were no longer covered by her enchanted
gown, and because of her posture, she had a curved outline. Upon seeing this
scene, Zhen Jin’s heart could not help but shake slightly.
The body double couldn’t help but be attracted as he stopped to watch for a
good while.
“He just looked at me!” After sensing it, Zi Di’s heart was bashful and
delighted.
The body double left and Zi Di continued to build tents, during these events,
Ba Ya regained consciousness.
“Are you awake?”
“Lord Zi Di, thank you……”
“Don’t thank me. Everything was done by Lord Zhen Jin; he was the one who saved
you. In fact, we already abandoned you.” Zi Di then told Bai Ya the details
with pride and a hint of dazzle.
The lizard group came to draw water and a fat ball flying fish group appeared,
triggering a crisis.
“Run back to camp. You guys staying here will burden me!” The body double’s
complexion changed as he shouted.
Cang Xu and Zi Di immediately turned around and ran as fast as they could.
The body double killed some fat ball flying fish, then transformed into a spear
scorpion to lure away the shoal of fish.
“Where is he?” Standing on a hill near camp, Zi Di was filled with expectations
and worry.
Suddenly, her eyes were ineffably attracted to a silver level scorpion.
She looked into the distance as the silver level scorpion ran into the lizard
group.
The spear scorpion clearly attracted many shoals of fish, causing the lizards
to fall into dire straits.
“Is it him? Is it him?”
How wonderful, Zi Di had instantly determined the spear scorpion’s true
identity. Even though before this, she never believed the body double could
transform into a complete spear scorpion.
Zi Di became absent-minded.
In her eyes, the spear scorpion figure gradually changed into the body double,
he was galloping forward, wore white armor, held a lance, and weaved through
the battlefield.



****** Chapter 198: It was Him ******
After seeing the spear scorpion and the lizard group rushing out of the oasis,
Zi Di turned around and hurried back to camp.
She wasn’t thinking, for not long after she returned to camp, fat ball flying
fish came to visited.
Unfortunately, Zi Di was hit by a fishbone.
“Am I dying?” In the tent, nervousness and fear stimulated Zi Di’s sweat. She
knew no one could help her, thus she had to rely on herself!
Shortly after being hit, she immediately pulled out the fishbone and hastily
opened her handbag.
She quickly poured potions and soon discovered that a mild blue potion was
slowly dissolving the toxin.
“I’m saved!” At that moment, Zi Di rejoiced she was prepared with ample
antidotes.
Breaking away from danger, Zi Di promptly took out more blue potions and
forayed out of her tent.
“Catch, this potion can alleviate the fishbone’s toxins!” Zi Di threw the
potions to the others, even Lan Zao got a bottle.
However, just as Zi Di was about to throw it to Lan Zao, she became distracted.
She suddenly realized that this was her best opportunity to eradicate Lan Zao.
Since Lan Zao murdered his younger brother, Zi Di did not have a favorable
impression of him and was very vigilant.
But the body double didn’t listen to her suggestion of removing Lan Zao, he
always wanted to keep Lan Zao alive.
“As long as I didn’t save him, he would have died by the fishbones!” After Zi
Di entered her tent, she immediately regretted it. She had been too nervous and
wasn’t thinking as she tossed Lan Zao a potion.
The body double hadn’t returned yet, however more fat ball flying fish were
coming into camp.
Zi Di withdrew into her tent, feeling all the more frightened.
She couldn’t see the flying fish, but she could hear their croaking, it was
clearly becoming more resounding and concentrated!
“If this continues, there will be too many flying fish. If too many fishbones
hit me, I won’t have enough potions to dissolve the poison.”
As the situation grew worse, Zi Di suddenly heard Lan Zao roaring.
Soon after, she heard Lan Zao roar again as well as sounds from his clash
against the fat ball flying fish.
Zi Di took a risk and opened her tent flap. From her tent Lan Zao was insane as
he came to the center of camp, threw rocks, and battled the fat ball flying
fish.
Zi Di was amazed to discover that Lan Zao seemed to be able to discern the fat
ball flying fishes’ positions!
Seeing this, she immediately threw Lan Zao a sword. In another tent, Cang Xu
also did the same.
Now with weapons, Lan Zao instantly steadied his feet, fiercely fought the fat
ball flying fish, and attracted every shoal’s attention.
Lan Zao fought bravely to secure valuable time for Zi Di, Cang Xu, and Bai Ya,
and succeeded in delaying long enough for the body double to return.
During this time, Zi Di was hit by another fishbone.
She couldn’t help but cry out in alarm.
This was the fourth time.
When a fat ball flying fish self-detonated, fishbones shot out in all
directions. The palm tree tents could not shelter people from them.
Zi Di soon calmed down, but just as she wanted to take out the blue potion, a
person suddenly burst into her tent!
Zi Di nervously stood up, then she saw the body double.
As her heart relaxed, she heard the body double’s troubled voice: “Let me see!”
Then the next moment, the body double held Zi Di and barbarously tore open her
apprentice cloak, completely exposing Zi Di’s wound to the body double’s eyes.
Zi Di: !!!
She became a stupid statue, and even her grabbing of the blue potion also
stopped.
During that delay, the pitch black toxin was quickly and visibly spreading
across her delicate skin.
The body double was nervous, and without the slightest hesitation, he pulled
out the fishbone, lowered his head, and used his mouth to suck out the toxin!
In a split second, Zi Di’s pupils contracted, as the blood was being sucked
out, it seemed like a magical attack that was even sucking out her soul.
Due to the girl’s bashfulness as well as her naturally rebellious nature, she
subconsciously pushed the body double chest.
The body double was as immovable as a mountain.
She felt the body double’s chest seemed like a boulder.
His arms were like cast steel that rigidly imprisoned the girl in his chest.
Like a sea wave, his strong male odor engulfed Zi Di’s body and mind.
She had never been treated like this before!
Her entire body went numb, her mind went blank, and she couldn’t think at all.
She was extremely tense all over.
Her toes clenched and her leather boots subconsciously rubbed the ground.
While on her back, her eyes gaze up at the tent. In that narrow space, Zi Di
felt herself grow hotter and felt it became harder to breathe.
It seemed to be an endless century, but it was only for a few breaths.
When the body double finally finished, he released the girl.
His great efforts resulted in considerable gains, almost all of the poison in
Zi Di’s body was sucked out, and the little remaining didn’t spread.
Zi Di suddenly sensed she could breathe again, with a burning body and a
buzzing head, she stammered: “My, my Lord, I have medicine. It can, it can
remove this toxin.”
She took out a small glass bottle with the blue potion inside.
Upon meeting the blue liquid, the pitch-black toxin immediately dissipated.
The youngster: ……
The young knight realized that he had been rude and impetuous, he looked
somewhat awkward as he coughed: “That’s good. I will go take a look at the
others.
The body double left.
Zi Di suddenly felt how deserted the tent was, and soon after, a complex mood
gushed from her heart like the tide.
“What did he just do to me?”
“My goodness!”
“Why, why didn’t I resist?”
“No, no, I resisted! But I couldn’t stop him……”
“How, how could he do this to me?!”
“No, he didn’t know I had the blue potion; therefore, he didn’t violate me
deliberately. He did it to protect me……”
For a moment, Zi Di’s train of thought was in chaos, and she forgot the fat
ball flying fish were still attacking the camp.
After the body double returned, he easily killed the fat ball flying fish and
saved the camp.
But Lan Zao was gravely wounded and seriously poisoned.
“My Lord, help me……” Lan Zao weakly pleaded on his deathbed as he grabbed the
body double’s leg.
The body double asked Zi Di to lend a helping hand.
Although Zi Di advised the body double to eliminate Lan Zao and felt regretful
for throwing him a potion, she nevertheless decided to earnestly help.
“Without Lan Zao delaying, we wouldn’t have persevered until the body double
returned.
“From that point of view, we were saved by him.”
Zi Di did her best to mix potions, and with Bai Ya risking himself to suck out
the poison, they finally saved Lan Zao.
After resting at the oasis for several days, the four left and trekked back to
the forest.
Because of the body double’s actions during the poison matter, a layer of
awkwardness formed between him and Zi Di.
The two clearly interacted less frequently. Even when they looked at each
other, they quickly glanced away.
However, every time the body double and she looked face to face, Zi Di’s
heartbeat sped up.
As the body double found a path, Zi Di couldn’t help but look at his back, and
more often than not, time went by very fast as she watched him attentively.
The torturous trek seemed insignificant in Zi Di’s feelings.
Even though she didn’t talk to the body double much, the ambience made Zi Di
feel happy!
“Maybe as long as we are together, this journey will be great.”
Zi Di’s heart lamented.
But a good thing didn’t last forever.
Penetrating through the forest, the body double found the battlefield where
Zong Ge fought a beast group.
Following the traces, they quickly discovered the camp.
“That is?!” Seeing the familiar camp, Zi Di’s eyes instantly shrank.
In that camp, she and her guards were ambushed by that blue dog fox wolf.
During that calamity, she had to open the body double’s box, drag the
hibernating body double, and evacuate.
The camp should have been teleported here. Furthermore, it was being besieged
by bat monkeys and its situation was far from good.
During their cautious observation, Zhen Jin playing the role of Hei Juan, fled
from the camp.
Seeing him in that split second, a bolt from the blue seemed to strike Zi Di.
She didn’t think that she would encounter her real fiancé so quickly here!
She still wasn’t prepared.
Hei Juan seized the opportunity as he crawled out and sprinted into the forest
around the camp.
A bronze level bat monkey screeched, flapped over, and overtook Hei Juan.
“He’s going to die? He’s going to die!” Seeing her fiancé being killed by a bat
monkey, Zi Di’s mouth and tongue went dry as a mix of fear and expectations
grew in her heart.
Fate was fickle.
Her mother died, her father died, War Merchant died, and she fell in love with
a body double.
Now, her fiancé will also die.
“If Hei Juan dies, then he will be the only Zhen Jin!”
“Fooling the empire will be difficult, but that is something that can be
considered in the future.”
“His death won’t be by my hand, but by a magic beast’s.”
Zi Di never thought of marriage, and never wanted to marry Zhen Jin. Now that
Zhen Jin was dying in front of her, she felt relaxed and free.
But at the next moment!
A strong gale came from behind her as a dart whistled into the bat monkey,
killing it and saving Zhen Jin.
With a pale face, Zi Di looked behind her.
And like she expected, the one who saved Zhen Jin……
It was the body double.



****** Chapter 199: Killing my fiancé ******
The body double saved Zhen Jin, soon after he charged into camp, routed the
beast group by himself, and saved everyone.
With the camp safe, the body double was welcomed by everyone and treated as a
hero.
Besides being happy about the victory, Zi Di’s heart was actually exceptionally
heavy.
Zhen Jin’s sudden appearance doubled the pressure on her and made her endlessly
frantic.
In her original plan, she treated the body double like a tool. If she escaped
this island, she would continue to collaborate with the Bai Zhen Clan. Because
War Merchant was dead, she couldn’t implement his plan.
However now, after experiencing so many adventures, Zi Di’s opinion of the body
double had gone through earth shattering changes.
Compared to Zhen Jin, her heart thought of the body double more.
However, the body double was just a body double in the end, and with just
herself, the Wisteria Merchant Alliance, and a body double that still didn’t
know the truth, how could she resist the Bai Zhen Clan?
“I almost exposed my secret.” Zi Di paced in her tent with lingering fear in
her heart.
Everyone was currently cleaning up the battlefield.
“Hold on, he won’t be able to wait, and he will find me of his own accord. I
must stabilize him first!”
As expected, Zi Di’s guess was verified as Zhen Jin opened the tent flap and
quickly walked in.
Seeing the purple eyed girl, Zhen Jin exposed an exaggerated smile and a
cordial attitude: “My dear Zi Di, nothing has happened to you, that’s amazing!
During the days I thought you were dead, I felt incomparable sorrow.”
Zhen Jin opened his arms and wanted to hug Zi Di.
A burst of loathing suddenly welled up in Zi Di’s heart, she immediately took a
step back and feigned a nervous look around: “My Lord, be careful of others
seeing us.”
As a matter of fact, inside the tent they were isolated from line of sight, no
one could see them.
Met with refusal, Zhen Jin’s look collapsed.
Zi Di promptly pretended to be emotional, explaining and praising him: “After
the shipwreck, I and another group of people landed on another beach on the
island. My Lord, I have always tried to find you. Not all of us are dead! Look
around you, I nearly shouted your identity in excitement, fortunately when I
saw your Lordship’s hinting gaze, I sobered up.”
Hearing Zi Di’s words, Zhen Jin’s mood became better, then he inquired about
how strong the body double was.
Zi Di shook her head: “He is a beastified person, but he was not imbued with
complete memories, and I discovered he can beastify parts of himself. As for
his battle strength, I don’t think many can match him.”
She concealed many things, such as the fact the body double could transform
into an intact silver level spear scorpion.
But Zi Di continued to detail some things, although these things were of no
importance, they successfully won over Zhen Jin’s trust.
Zhen Jin couldn't help but show his disappointment: “It seems, he cannot beat
Zong Ge.”
Zi Di wanted to ask who Zong Ge was, but at that moment, they heard footsteps
coming.
“Someone is coming.” Zi Di nervously warned Zhen Jin.
Zhen Jin could only terminate his brief interaction with Zi Di and quietly
leave. .
Bai Ya’s voice came through: “Lord Zi Di, the wounded are all together.
Everyone is waiting for your treatment.”
Zi Di went over to examine the wounded and saw the unconscious Fei She among
them.
The girl felt happy and also relaxed.
This was a Wisteria Merchant Alliance elder who had followed Zi Di’s father, he
was loyal, devoted, and took care of Zi Di.
During the shipwreck, Zi Di tried to find Fei She, but couldn’t. As the ship
took in more water, Zi Di could only guide her group away.
While Zi Di was pondering what medicine to use, Fei She woke up and saw Zi Di,
exciting his emotions.
“Good, good, stand up quickly.” Zi Di was forced to walk over and clapped Fei
She’s shoulder, “Follow me, we will pay our respects to Lord Zhen Jin.”
“Zhen, Lor Zhen Jin, Lord? Your Lordship’s fian, fiancé?” Fei She withdrew his
hand with a doubtful expression.
Zi Di explained: “Please don’t blame me for hiding some things from you Elder
Fei. This trip to White Sands City wasn’t just to open a front for the Bai Zhen
Clan. Our true intent was to conceal our movements, and escort Lord Zhen Jin to
White Sands City at an earlier date. The troops the Bai Zhen Clan arranged for
Lord Zhen Jin met with misfortune along the way, after I and Lord Zhen Jin
discussed, we believed it was a malicious competitor obstructing us.”
“The city lord election only happens for some time. Without time to enter the
city and take part in the election, Lord Zhen Jin would miss a lot. In order to
not allow his competitor’s conspiracy to prevail, I acted as a pretense while
Lord Zhen Jin concealed his identity and accompanied me onto the Hog’s Kiss.
“So, so that’s how things were.” Fei She suddenly realized.
Zi Di went with Fei She to meet the body double. Currently the body double was
in camp, with people crowded around him like the stars and the moon.
Zi Di introduced: “My Lord. This is Fei She, an elder in the Wisteria Merchant
Alliance. When we left for White Sands City, he was my assistant.”
“Fei, Fei She pays his respects to his Lordship.” Fei She bowed to the body
double with a smile.
Seeing this, Zi Di’s heart became dazzled for a spell.
She couldn’t help but look forward: “If he really was Zhen Jin, things should
be better!”
“Unfortunately, he isn’t……”
At that moment, Zi Di actually wished War Merchant was still alive. Because
with his support, replacing Zhen Jin might have succeeded.
The body double asked Mu Ban about their experience.
“Originally everything was sailing smoothly, but suddenly a strange disaster
struck the ship. The Hog’s Kiss broke into two, but fortunately this island was
nearby, thus almost all of us escaped to the shore. Finding that the captain
was missing, the first mate took command……”
Mu Ban informed the body double of everything he knew.
Zi Di’s heart also came back down.
She discovered she wasn’t under suspicion, although the captain’s corpse was
found, it was Zong Ge who became the scapegoat.
At the same time, she also learned how Zhen Jin displayed himself during that
period.
“He always acted as Hei Juan and never stepped forward.”
“He is obviously a real templar knight and the true heir to the Bai Zhen Clan,
with his noble identity, he could undoubtedly obtain the support of others. But
in his weakness and cowardice, he always maintained his disguise.”
“Contrary to what I expected, a half beastman upheld justice and protected a
weak woman.”
“When I saw him, he was escaping and abandoning his comrades still fighting in
the camp, he doesn’t assume any responsibility.”
Despite Zi Di meeting with Zhen Jin earlier and recognizing his nature, at that
very moment, she still felt very disappointed.
And also found it to be ridiculously ironic.
“The real Zhen Jin is timid, while the fake Zhen Jin is a genuinely flawless
knight!”
“If these two exchanged identities, things would be better”
Thinking of this, a notion suddenly flashed in Zi Di’s mind——what if I killed
Zhen Jin?
This notion rapidly spread through her train of thought.
“Currently Zhen Jin is Hei Juan, if he died, no one would know the truth. The
body double doesn’t know this secret, he always thinks that he is Zhen Jin. War
Merchant is also dead, and after being on this island for so long, I also
haven’t seen Jian Zuan. Everything bodes ill for them! Maybe in this world, I
am the only one who knows this secret.”
“By killing him, this secret will be concealed.”
“We will go to the Wilderness Continent and be far from the Sheng Ming
Continent. I fear we can no longer participate in the White Sands City lordship
competition, but that is actually fine.”
“As long as he isn’t in a high position, who will care if a templar knight’s
identity is true or false?”
“Even if someone examines him, the inspection will be far laxer than if he were
a city lord.
“To pretend to be a city lord, I need someone like War Merchant backing me. But
just pretending to be a templar knight, maybe if I buy some magical artifacts,
could I get away with it?”
As Zi Di thought of these things, her heart shivered with terror!
The terrifying being wasn’t someone else, but herself.
A strong feeling of guilt spontaneously arose.
“What……what is happening to me? I actually wanted to kill someone?”
Zi Di always observed the law.
She refused marriage and her father’s coin, even though life was difficult, she
never took it too far.
After the Wisteria Merchant Alliance incident, she silently endured for a long
time. In order to avenge her father, she took a risk and assumed control of the
shattered merchant alliance.
Soon after, she was drawn into a bloody whirlpool.
Luo Shi tried to assassinate her, and Jian Zuan forced Zi Di to marry into the
Bai Zhen Clan.
However, on Mystifying Monster Island, War Merchant produced a more vicious
conspiracy and forced Zi Di to cooperate with his schemes.
Zi Di had no choice but to do these things.
On the Hog’s Kiss, War Merchant died, and the magical contract and engagement
lost their effectiveness on Zi Di.
The shipwreck was not a part of Zi Di’s plans.
During the escape and the struggles here, she became tangled up with Zhen Jin
and the body double, suffering greatly.
For the first time in her life, she wanted to kill her fiancé.
“Heavens, why am I thinking this way?”
“Even if Zhen Jin is unbearable, he is still an inherently innocent person.”
“For my own selfishness, I actually wanted to murder an innocent man? Oh Zi Di,
when did you become so malicious? Are you really a vicious woman?”
The criminal idea in Zi Di’s heart was firmly extinguished.
The body double and everyone conversed for a while, however the boat craftsman
hadn’t returned yet.
Something was amiss, thus the body double immediately set out to help the boat
craftsman and his group.
During the discussion, Zi Di finally understood Zong Ge’s strength, causing her
to be incessantly worried.
“Under normal circumstances, the body double should be able to resist the half
beastman. But if he uses beastification, there will be unmanageable trouble! I
must do my best to aid him.”
Seeing the body double returning Silver Lightning to Zhen Jin, Zi Di
immediately advised the body double to keep the sword.
She succeeded in convincing him and joined his party.
After successfully saving the boat craftsman’s group, Zi Di and Commander
Tripleblade met again, in addition she also gained firsthand impression of Zong
Ge.
Zi Di couldn’t move Tripleblade’s mercenary corps or recruit Zong Ge.
Zong Ge was remarkable, he saw through the youngster and refused his
attraction.
The body double and Zong Ge almost fought each other.
Zi Di was scared witless as she watched this.
Finally, the body double decided to accept Zong Ge’s group.
This made the girl more worried.



****** Chapter 200: Unwilling to Let Go ******
Zong Ge and the others returned to camp with the body double.
Zhen Jin was very resentful, he privately found Zi Di and angrily said: “He
really thinks he is still a templar knight. He also said things about fairness,
impartiality, and treating everyone equally……this teased Zong Ge’s group, ha
ha, this is simply stupid!”
Zhen Jin’s resentfulness exposed his cowardice, with disdain in her heart, Zi
Di helplessly used a conciliatory tone: “My Lord, previously I did not state
the situation clearly enough, many grave issues have arisen in the memories
given to the body double.”
“It is not good to retort the body double’s actions to his face. That is your
Lordship’s authority.”
“His actions are actually very beneficial; it is a perfect pretense. Even Zong
Ge believes his identity with absolute certainty.”
Zhen Jin deeply sighed; he was finally convinced.
Regarding the body double’s decision, Zi Di was also worried about it: “He is
filled with too much knightly spirit. If he showed the wolf into the house this
time, it would be terrible.”
After Zong Ge and the others settled down near the camp, the body double asked
Zi Di for potions to candidly give to them.
“Are these appeasement tactics truly effective? After they recover completely
and become stronger, won’t we be at a disadvantage?”
“Should I tamper with the potions?”
Zi Di had these thoughts but never acted.
“According to my understanding of the body double, he has a firm knightly
conviction, but he isn’t a pedantic person. When looking at the time Lan Zao,
Huang Zao, and the others acknowledged their allegiance, one could clearly see
it was one small item in a big scheme.”
“Since he is greeting Zong Ge and the others willingly, it proves he is
confident in his ability to control the situation.”
“In fact, since we freed ourselves from the scorpion group, he’s been
different.”
“Every night he is almost always patrolling alone. Is he familiarizing himself
with his beastified forms?”
“At the oasis, he transformed into a spear scorpion and operated with ease,
were those the results of training? War Merchant also could have given him
spear scorpion memories, after forming muscle memory, it could have been
unshackled.”
In the end, Zi Di believed the body double and gave him healing potions.
The body double used Zi Di’s research to ask for most of the bat monkey
corpses, however he only gave a portion of them to her.
Zi Di keenly sensed this secret.
“He surreptitiously confiscated so many bat monkey carcasses, is this related
to his beastification?”
She constantly experimented and mixed a potion that could restrain the bat
monkeys.
“With the help of fire, this potion can form a thick smoke that can restrain a
bat monkey’s sense of smell!”
“The deeper I study the barbarian race’s scroll the more profound discoveries I
can find.”
Although Mystifying Monster Island prohibited magic and battle qi, Zi Di
continued to improve.
Since coming to the island, all kinds of perils exhausted her mind and body as
she constantly delved into the contents of the barbarian race’s scroll.
She had a severe shortage of medical instruments and often lacked medicinal
ingredients. In order to survive, she had to devise ways and means to try to
overcome these challenges.
Most of the time, she reaped failure.
However, after much practice, regardless of where it was success or failure,
her understanding of the barbarian race’s scroll deepened ten-fold, and she was
no longer limited to the medicinal prescriptions written in it. Instead, she
was constantly innovating and mastered many secret formulations in
pharmacology.
Zi Di didn’t think about this as she used the potion the next day.
Taking advantage of the body double, Zong Ge, and others going away to chop
wood, the blue dog fox wolf commanded the bat monkey group to attack the camp
again.
The body double, Zong Ge, and the others were stalled by beast groups allocated
by the blue dog fox wolf as the bat monkeys assaulted the camp.
Zi Di, Cang Xu, and the others in camp could only ward them off and do their
utmost to save themselves.
“Use these potions!” In that desperate moment, Zi Di fished out large
quantities of the thick smoke potion.
Using their effects, the bat monkeys were controlled by the thick smoke,
causing their offensive to stagnate.
After securing critical time, the body double, Zong Ge, and the others quickly
eradicated the intercepting beasts and murdered their way into camp.
The beast groups collapsed.
The body double heard a strange barking and soon discovered the hidden hand
behind the beast groups.
Following this, he suggested that he and Zong Ge set off together through the
forest to pursue the routed beast groups and attempt to root out the culprit.
Zi Di and the others cleaned up the battlefield and waited in camp.
The body double and Zong Ge were slow to return.
After a long time, Zhen Jin covertly charged into Zi Di’s tent again with a
frightened face.
“How terrible, Zong Ge has already returned, however there is still no sign of
the body double!”
“Zong Ge was wounded, but he brought back a magic beast corpse that looked like
python.”
Zi Di’s heart immediately thudded.
Her heart was worried, however she wanted to stabilize Zhen Jin: “I have faith
in the body double, he isn’t weak, and it is unlikely that any magic beast can
easily get rid of him”
“But he might have fallen into Zong Ge’s plot.” Zhen Jin scowled and became
frantic.
“If he doesn’t die this time and returns, we cannot allow him to operate so
independently again!”
“Who does he think he is? “He unexpectedly penetrated the forest alone; this is
mindlessly risky.”
“We need to be good at using him, make him protect our safety, and produce the
most value for us.”
Zi Di did her best to conceal her heart’s disdain, she knew Zhen Jin’s anger
originated from fear.
However even if Zhen Jin wanted to do something, he couldn’t.
Zi Di replied: “Truth be told, I hope the body double can return safely, I have
already prayed to the heavens.”
Zhen Jin sighed again: “Alas, I also want that too.”
Zi Di: “If Zong Ge really plotted against the body double, what should we do?”
Zhen Jin turned white and gasped: “Then that would be terrible.”
“We must verify the situation now. We must question Zong Ge!” Seeing Zhen Jin
was indecisive, Zi Di was forced to declare her opinion.
“Find Zong Ge now?” Zhen Jin hesitated.
Zi Di strongly urged: “If the body double died, Zong Ge will be unfavorable to
us. He is currently wounded; he might stall for time until he recovers so he
has a greater chance of dealing with us successfully.”
“We must pry into his true situation. If the body double isn’t dead, and is
simply in danger, we shall immediately organize a group and leave to support
him. Without the body double, we cannot resist Zong Ge.”
Zhen Jin gritted his teeth and reluctantly nodded: “Then we will assemble
everyone and question him together!”
“No.” Zi Di shook her head, “Too many people will instead make us look weak. If
a conflict is triggered, the situation will be hard to control. Furthermore,
even with everyone, we are not Zong Ge’s group’s opponents. Quality over
quantity.”
Finally, Zi Di chose Lan Zao, Hei Juan, and a few others to go find Zong Ge for
questioning.
Zong Ge frankly said: “I didn’t encounter Lord Zhen again during the journey,
not long after splitting up during the pursuit, a python magic beast seemed to
block the path. I fought it for a good while before dispatching it.”
“Then you didn’t pursue the culprit behind the scenes? You abandoned your
battle companion Zong Ge.” Zi Di displayed a tough expression and an indignant
expression while her heart worried about the body double.
Zong Ge’s words suddenly stopped, then he gave an annoyed snort. However, he
also knew he was in the wrong and gave Zi Di and the others the magic beast
corpse in the end.
The sun set and dusk arrived
Evening came and night fell.
Zi Di suffered in that seemingly endless wait.
“If he died in the forest, what should I do?”
“No, he isn’t dead, that’s impossible!”
“Calm down Zi Di. Since he’s confident enough to chase the beast group, his
strength must be able to respond to any hazards that might appear.”
However, Zong Ge’s wound and that crocodile head hammer tail boa carcass told
the girl how frightening and dangerous this island was.
“My god, I request that you bless him and help him return safely.”
“Grand Emperor Sheng Ming, although he isn’t a real templar knight, he
absolutely possesses a knightly spirit. I request that you down your concerned
gaze.”
The girl prayed to the gods.
She vowed to herself: “If he returns, I will tell him the truth!”
She also began to question fate as she thought of that divination: “Don’t tell
this is my fate? My fate wasn’t destined to be with a knight? I’m doomed to the
pits for my entire life?”
As she let her imagination run wild, good news was finally passed to her——the
body double had returned!
When she saw the body double again, Zi Di nearly brimmed with tears of
excitement.
The body double returning with the blue dog fox wolf hair made her prostate
with fear and feel even more prideful.
“He eradicated another blue dog fox wolf!”
“It’s no wonder he returned so late.”
Because of the serious circumstances, after returning to camp, the body double
gathered everyone to deliberate.
Zi Di defended the body double: “No, what Lord Zhen Jin did was correct. How
could his Lordship carry such a heavy wolf corpse so far in the woods late at
night? Lord Zhen Jin, to just use a human’s strength to resolve the persistent
threat to the camp is already extraordinary.”
“The most important thing is that you returned safe and sound!” The girl added
in her heart.
The body double looked at the girl’s amethyst eyes, slightly smiled, and
reached out to grab Zi Di’s hand on the table.
Zi Di’s ice cold hand suddenly felt warm. Her fearful heart seemed to stabilize
in an instant.
“What bad luck, Zhen Jin is next to me!”
Soon after, Zi Di realized how bad this was and subconsciously withdrew her
hand.
But ultimately, she didn’t take back her hand, rather she let the youngster
hold it.
She was unwilling to let go of this warm and reliable feeling.



****** Chapter 201: These Emotions are Difficult to Restrain ******
Centering around the important information the body double had returned with,
everyone discussed for a while on how to deal with the blue dog fox wolves.
When everyone scattered, Zhen Jin quietly entered Zi Di’s tent again.
He was full of anger, for during the meeting, the body double publicly held his
fiancé’s hand.
This made Zhen Jin furious, and he questioned Zi Di again: “Tell me the truth
my beautiful and adorable fiancée, has the body double touched you?”
Zi Di’s mind couldn’t help but think back to the oasis, when the body double
sucked out the toxin.
But on the surface, the girl shook her head and denied it, furthermore she
reminded Zhen Jin that the most important matter at that moment were the blue
dog fox wolves.
Of course, I am concerned about that, however I also care about my fiancé!
Especially when another man holds my fiancé’s hand in front of me! I haven’t
even held your hand yet.” Saying this, Zhen Jin reached out to grab Zi Di’s
hand.
Without time to ponder, Zi Di’s instincts reacted first, causing her to hastily
pull back her hand and leaving Zhen Jin grasping air.
Just as Zhen Jin was about to get angry, the body double’s voice came from
outside the tent: “Zi Di, are you sleeping?”
Zi Di immediately tensed up, if the body double discovered another male in her
tent, what would he think? Zi Di didn’t want him to misunderstand anything,
despite the fact that she and Zhen Jin were engaged.
Zi Di promptly opened her mouth to silently indicate to Zhen Jin, Zhen Jin then
hid in a dark corner of the tent.
The body double entered the tent, found the apprehensive Zi Di, and mistakenly
thought the blue dog fox wolves were terrifying her.
The body double sighed, then hugged Zi Di.
Zi Di’s heart suddenly trembled: “What bad luck, Zhen Jin is still hiding in
here, he must be watching this!”
But the girl didn’t resist in the end.
The body double’s hug had that same feeling of warmth and reliability, and this
time, it was stronger than when he held her hand.
In the body double’s hug, Zi Di felt happy.
“What are you afraid of?” The body double quietly comforted.
“With your Lordship here, I am unafraid.” Zi Di softly replied.
At that moment, the girl’s fiancé, Zhen Jin, was thrown to the back of her mind
as she willingly indulged in the happiness the hug provided.
“Yes, I will always be by your side. The first blue dog fox wolf died under my
foot and the second one is dead too. The third and the fourth, even if more
appear, as long as you have me, none of them will harm you. I guarantee you!”
The youngster consoled.
Zi Di raised her head up in the youngster’s chest: “Lord Zhen Jin, I trust
you.”
But at this time, Zi Di sensed a peculiar hardness.
Her pulse immediately sped up and a strong shyness caused her entire body to
tense up.
“Oh, right. The main reason I found you was because of some blood.” The body
double smiled at Zi Di.
“I need you to do something covertly.”
“Don’t tell anyone else about the outcome.”
Zi Di’s body was burning, her heart jumped like a rabbit, and she couldn’t hear
properly: “My Lord, what……do you want to do?”
An “awful” guess appeared in her mind.
“Don’t tell me he wants to?
“Heavens!”
“He is a male, he entered the forest, experienced a life and death ordeal, and
beheaded a blue dog fox wolf. His mood needs to calm down, he really needs
some……eh, venting.”
“But, but, no, that’s out of the question!”
“Too, too fast! I haven’t known you long enough.”
“Hold on! Zhen Jin, he’s still hiding here.”
“If this happens, he won’t be able to endure and will jump out. At that time,
he will ramble indignantly and expose our secret. I must, I must prevent this
from happening!”
“My Lord, your nose is bleeding.” Zi Di’s eyes shined as she shifted the
subject and smashed the dangerous ambience in the tent.
“Ah.” The body double also felt the blood flowing down as he said with extreme
awkwardness, “Listen to me Zi Di, it is not the thing you are thinking of.”
The body double finally stated his true purpose for coming here.
Zi D coughed and a frustrated mood inevitably gushed from her heart.
After the body double left, Zhen Jin immediately jumped out and pointed at Zi
Di, his body shivering all over: “You! You just said he didn’t do anything to
you! Speak, tell the truth, don’t hide anything from me!”
Zi Di was actually prepared for this, ever since Zhen Jin saw the body double
hug her, she had been thinking it over.
“I told you the truth!” With a nervous face, Zi Di still felt wronged, “My
Lord, why don’t you believe me?”
“Why don’t I believe you?! Ah? You just threw yourself into another man’s
arms!” Zhen Jin shouted.
Zhen Jin’s reminder caused Zi Di to recall the body double’s hug again.
Apparently, some of the warmth from the body double’s hug still remained on
her.
The girl’s heartbeat couldn’t refrain from accelerating again.
But on the surface, she lowered her voice and deliberately threatened Zhen Jin:
“Whisper, do you want him to hear? He is a silver level cultivator; his hearing
is keener than ours.”
Zhen Jin was intimidated by her, he immediately lowered his voice and felt
humiliated soon after.
Seeing Hei Juan wanting to howl and vent his feelings, but not daring to, Zi
Di’s heart felt disdain and vindictive pleasure.
She continued to threaten Zhen Jin: “If he discovers he is a fake, what do you
think he will do?”
“My Lord, do you think he will accept the truth?”
“After he discovers your Lordship’s identity, wouldn’t he kill and replace
you?”
Zhen Jin was utterly scared.
Next Zi Di changed her tone and used her emotional strengths to successfully
placate him.
Seeing the half-hearted Zhen Jin leave, Zi Di deeply sighed and felt exhausted.
“What should I do if this situation happens again?”
“If this happens more, I fear Zhen Jin will explode!”
Rationality told Zi Di to curb her conduct. But emotions rendered Zi Di
incapable of rejecting the body double’s advances.
For this reason, Zi Di was incessantly vexed.
In order to deal with the blue dog fox wolves and the magic beast corps, Zong
Ge squarely attacked the body double’s position of leadership.
In the investigation competition, Zong Ge’s and the body double’s people
competed against each other.
Zong Ge was always in the lead, however the body double suddenly took out a
complete map with marked information and completely triumphed over Zong Ge’s
group.
Zhen Jin felt uneasy about this, thus Zi Di had to pacify him again.
In the camp battle, the magic beast corps under the two blue dog fox wolves
launched a ferocious offensive.
In the end, the camp burned down, however the magic beast corps had disastrous
casualties and took the initiative to retreat.
As the flames illuminated the darkness, the thick smoke obstructed Zi D’s sense
of smell and she couldn’t perceive the body double’s odor.
Despite her and the others safely retreating from the battlefield, she felt
lonely and worried endlessly about the body double’s condition.
When the body double appeared, he was soaked in blood.
Just as Zi Di’s nervous heart calmed down, it tensed back up again.
Looking at the body double, Zi Di knew he was heavily injured.
But even in his state, the body double still suggested that they pursue the
magic beast corps.
“That is too dangerous!” Despite knowing Zi Di’s that the body double’s
proposal was correct, emotion compelled her to block him.
But with incomparable resolve, the body double appealed to everyone and
obtained Lan Zao, Zong Ge, and Tripleblade.
Before leaving, the body double hugged Zi Di again.
Zi Di threw Zhen Jin and the others to the back of her mind again. Her heart
strongly wished that time would stop at this moment!
Due to the pressing military situation, the body double staunchly let go.
Zi Di’s worries were confirmed when Zhen Jin quietly found her again.
“I never want to see you throwing yourself into his arms again, do you
understand me!” Zhen Jin strictly warned Zi Di.
Fire appeared in Zi Di’s heart: “My Lord, please don’t use that wording, I
never threw myself at him!”
“I know, but you never rejected his advances!”
My Lord, if I avoid him, wouldn’t that cause too much suspicion?” Zi Di
retorted, “How do you want me to respond, how can we continue our plans? Please
teach me.”
Zi Di’s advice and comfort finally calmed Zhen Jin’s breathing: “I forgot my
manners. Your right, he is only a tool. A very good tool. Unfortunately…… I
don’t think he is returning this time.”
Zi Di stared blankly, soon after she showed her sorrow and worry.
She was too worried, to the extent that she was incapable of hiding the truth.
Zhen Jin’s gaze was always focused on her face: “What are you thinking? My
fiancé, are you worried about him? Worried about a body double, a chess piece?”
Zi Di was indignant and at that moment, she wanted to loudly refute: “He isn’t
a chess piece, he is a knight, a true knight! He is more outstanding than you,
heroic, full of vision, doesn’t fear sacrificing his life, and is willing to go
through fire and water for us!”
Zi Di barely blocked her desire to vent her wrath, she reluctantly opened her
eyes and forced the truth to fade from her face.
“My Lord! What is going on? Is worrying about him wrong? If he loses our plans
will sink. This will greatly affect our future! After all, he is a silver level
cultivator, while you are still at the iron level.”
A resentful thought suddenly charged into Zhen Jin’s mind, and he couldn’t help
but glare at Zi Di: “Soon, sooner or later I will be a silver level knight!”
As a matter of fact, Zi Di already regretted speaking those words.
She realized she still hadn’t contained her anger, to the point that her mellow
tone had mocked Zhen Jin.
She remedied it at once: “My Lord, with your aptitude, anyone with eyes can see
that being a gold level knight isn’t the end for you. Sorry, I was simply
nervous. If the body double loses, how can we ensure our safety afterwards? How
can we escape this place?”
Just as she expected, if Zhen Jin’s personal safety was involved, he would
immediately treat Zi Di more earnestly.
During apprehensive waits, time always became incomparably long.
The body double and the others returned victorious, making Zi Di overjoyed at
the unexpected, good news.
Unable to restrain her emotions, she ran like a small animal, panting as she
came to the body double.
“He’s still alive, amazing, he really returned!”
The girl thanked heaven and earth, and her longing and concern almost turned
into tears on the spot.
“My Lord!” She almost rushed at the body double to hug him.
But in a split second, she thought of Zhen Jin.
“Zhen Jin will surely see this!”
She could only bear the pain and forcibly restrain herself, regardless of the
surging emotions that constantly smashed into the dam in her heart.



****** Chapter 202: Beastification Potion ******
Zi Di quietly opened the tent and made her way in.
The narrow tent was dusky.
The body double was lying down and sleeping.
Zi Di softly called “your Lordship”, but the body double didn’t react, he was
sleeping very soundly.
Zi Di’s heart exclaimed: “He fought lustily last night, adventured through the
forest, chased down the remaining magic beasts, and completely squeezed out his
strength and stamina. He couldn’t support himself, therefore he sank into a
deep sleep after returning. However, it would be too reckless to not treat his
wounds.”
Zi Di prudently came to the body double’s side, knelt to the ground, and slowly
moved the body double’s clothes with her fingers.
By the time Zi Di began taking off his clothes, her movements had become very
steady.
Her heart constantly encouraged her: “Zi Di, summon your courage, you can do
it!”
“He could brave death, yet you find this impossible?”
“In any case you’ve done this before in the monkey tail brown bear’s cave.”
“This isn’t the first time!”
“But you must do it as soon as possible, the longer you procrastinate, the
higher the chance of being discovered.”
“Most of all you cannot let Zhen Jin find out about this, otherwise unforeseen
consequences will occur!”
One effort later, Zi Di’s face was soaked with sweat, and she panted heavily.
The body double was in a deep sleep and had a rigid body, it was very strenuous
for Zi Di to move him.
At the same time, the arduous task also made her feel happy and excited, as
well as the thrill of acting behind Zhen Jin’s back.
“Eh?” After a comprehensive examination of the body double, Zi Di was
surprised.
The body double had no injuries, although his skin was covered in blood and
looked dreadful, his body was in great condition.
Zi Di blinked repeatedly and blankly stared.
She suddenly realized why the body double refused her treatment, immediately
appealed to everyone, and led Zong Ge and the others in a pursuit.
“Could it be that he was never wounded?”
“Indeed, according to the others, he hadn’t sustained visible wounds in his
prior fights. Afterwards when the camp caught fire, no one saw any of his
fights.
“In this way, his battle strength is so powerful after beastification that he
didn’t even lose a single hair. However, this disagrees with common sense,
therefore he pretended to be injured?”
“Hmph, he cheated me well!”
Zi Di bit her teeth and relaxed her heart.
Looking at the body double still sleeping like a baby, Zi Di suddenly had the
urge to bite his cheek.
“So, you had a brave plan.”
“You were always certain, therefore you pursued the blue dog fox wolf and the
magic beast corps.”
“You appealed to the others to follow you, in fact the more there were, the
more suspicions you thought you could cast off? After all, if you did this by
yourself, the people would be skeptical.”
“You are a scoundrel to make me so worried!”
Zi Di pointed at the body double’s bare chest and bit her teeth. Eventually
with an itching heart, she suddenly bent over and leaned near his face.
But she didn’t bite him, rather she gave him a superficial kiss.
After doing this, she felt herself burning up.
“What is happening to me?!” She subconsciously covered her cheeks and felt
boiling steam coming from her ears.
Her heart frantically jumped about, and excitement and happiness attacked,
causing her head to sink into some kind of wonderful dizziness.
She gradually calmed down throughout the day after leaving the body double’s
tent.
“Did I fasten his clothes’ buttons?”
Zi Di discovered she didn’t remember anything, during that time her mood had
been too chaotic.
She wanted to verify this, however at that time, someone approached her.
“I should button him up.” Zi Di hesitated like a thief with a guilty conscience
for a while before hastily leaving.
Nightfall, next to some bonfires.
Everyone ate dinner while cordially discussing the body double.
The people no longer treated him like a templar knight, but a divine scion
knight!
Cang Xu speculated even more: “Looking back now, it’s not at all strange.
“Lord Zhen Jin himself is an outstanding cultivator, his innate talent is
outstanding.”
“He has a noble bloodline, is a templar knight, and offers all of his
conviction towards Emperor Sheng Ming.”
“These already make him one in ten thousand, however what is more praiseworthy,
is his scrupulous abiding of knightly morality. He uproots the strong, supports
the weak, upholds virtue, condemns evil, attends to the small and weak, and
even if he has to sacrifice his life, he shall never violate the templar knight
doctrine.”
“He is an fearless hero, is impartial, is willing to accept any person, and
views everyone as his comrade. From these traits, one can make out his
expansive vision as well as his merciful and benevolent nature.”
“Don’t tell me such a person shouldn’t receive godly concern?”
Continuing, Cang Xu mentioned the empire’s invasion of the Wilderness Continent
and the politics that were sure to separate divine scion knights from the rest.
Zi Di felt weird listening to these things.
The body double was obviously a beastified person, yet he became a divine scion
knight. That was excessive! Cang Xu’s unreasonable words came from not knowing
the truth and essentially feeling——hey, that makes sense!
Zi Di’s heart was both happy and concerned.
She was happy that the body double was popular with the people and acknowledged
by them. She was worried that if the truth was exposed, everyone would have a
massive drop in mentality, when that happened, it would be difficult to
respond.
The body double woke up and made his way out of the tent.
Zi Di guiltily tucked in her head, however the body double acted natural,
allowing her heart to relax and guess to herself: “It seems I did button his
clothes, I merely forgot about it. He shouldn’t have discovered my visit.”
The body double mingled with the crowd and received everyone’s warm praise.
But the body double chose to be the first to cheer for Zong Ge, Tripleblade,
and Lan Zao by name.
The crowd excitedly followed the body double in a roaring jubilation.
The ambience was as warm as the bonfires.
In the crowd Zi Di gazed at the shouting body double with a flickering state of
mind: “He is a true knight, and an excellent leader!”
The next day, everyone dissected the blue dog fox wolf.
“If this wolf corpse does not have much value, I wish to offer as a sacrifice
to my master, the grand Emperor Sheng Ming.” After the dissection, the body
double wanted to take the wolf corpse away.
The atmosphere in the tent immediately turned solemn.
“Of course!” After reacting, Cang Xu was the first to reply.
Zong Ge also agreed: “Templar knight, this is your spoil of war.”
Zi Di’s thoughts suddenly moved, making a connection to the times the body
double asked for bear blood, secretly embezzled bat monkey corpses, and asked
Zong Ge’s group for bear meat.
“Now it is a wolf corpse……hold on, could it be that only after the body double
eats a part of a magic beast, can he obtain a corresponding beastification?
“Is this growth or stimulation? Does it stimulate his original abilities?”
“He is War Merchant’s magnum opus, and these magic beasts were also created by
War Merchant. Perhaps all of War Merchant’s beast transformations were
concentrated in his body? After stimulation, his abilities will be aroused?”
“At the time, he fought the monkey tail brown bear to the death, but even when
he died, he didn’t beastify. However, when facing the blade spider, he
transformed a monkey tail brown bear’s claws. Maybe……it was from the bear blood
I imbued his body with in the cave?”
“He analyzed everything. It's no wonder that after leaving the cave, he
repeatedly made insinuations to me and inquired about what happened then.”
With thoughts overflowing in her mind, Zi Di supported the body double’s
decisions without the slightest hesitation: “Our survival and victory was all
thanks to Emperor Sheng Ming’s protection, we indeed should sacrifice to him!”
Under the body double’s command, the exploration team left the forest and
hurried to the beach where the larger group was at.
During the journey, they passed through the territory of many beast groups.
These blade spiders, monkey tail brown bears, and other beasts all mysteriously
disappeared.
Most of the people guessed that there was a blue dog fox wolf commanding a
magic beast corps somewhere. It was constantly tailing them and incorporating
the surrounding beast groups into its troops.
Zi Di was the only one that gradually guessed the truth.
“It was you, body double.”
“If it were a growing magic beast corps, it is impossible with our increased
scouts to not detect a single trace of it.”
“Every night you patrol alone. You were the one who disposed of these obstacles
and allowed us to gather spider webs without losing a single hair. You
annihilated all of the monkey tail brown bears and mined with your bear claws.”
“You undertook so many things, and secretly paid a price that exceeds the
imagination of the others! All of us benefit because of you, however no one
knows, not even you are aware of it!”
Zi Di felt the body double’s bitterness and grievances, for this reason, she
also felt respect and pride for him.
Under the body double’s leadership, although the exploration team suffered
pressure and difficult trek, they lost few people and had an extraordinarily
smooth journey.
They gathered many supplies and gradually entered the rainforest.
Xi Suo swore himself to the body double and stopped making things difficult for
Zong Ge.
Zong Ge also acknowledged his allegiance for the time being.
The entire exploration team was like a harmonious and integrated whole.
But Zi Di’s private worries were never reduced, instead they increased as time
went on.
“I am Zhen Jin! He is a forgery!!” A sleeping Zi Di suddenly heard Hei Juan
yelling in her tent.
“No!” Zi Di crawled out at once, ran out, and saw the body double surrounded by
everyone. He was tied to a cross with piles of firewood around him.
“Stop!” Zi Di shouted.
But at the next moment, Hei Juan ruthlessly laughed and tossed a torch. The
torch fell and immediately ignited the firewood.
A raging inferno burned.
The body double’s cries made Zi Di sprint.
Zi Di subconsciously ran into the fire, and in spite of everything, the flames
near her extinguished.
The crowd was stupefied.
Soon after, ice extended from Zi Di’s shadow, and a broken corpse slowly rose
from it.
“Father!” Zi Di was astonished.
“My……daughter……sorry, your father came……to protect you!” Zi Di’s dead father
charged into the crowd.
Everyone was alarmed and furious.
Hei Juan pointed at Zi Di and screeched: “Undead! You are a necromancer, kill
her now, burn her to death!”
Zi Di’s father was quickly chopped into eight pieces by everyone.
The flames ignited again, burning Zi Di’s body, clothes, and hair.
In her desperation, Zi Di still decided to run to the body double’s side.
As she hugged him, the body double constantly apologized: “Sorry, I am not your
knight, I am so sorry!”
Then the body double transformed, he beastified a bear head, bear claws, and
long bat wings.
Hei Juan laughed heartily: “Did you see that? You believe me now don’t you, he
isn’t a divine scion knight, he is just a monster.”
“No, he isn't!” Zi Di’s angrily hissed her denial.
But everyone bellowed: “Burn him, burn him! He attracted the beast groups.”
“Burn this cheating couple to death!”
“We were deceived by those two!”
In the flames, the body double cried with incomparable disappointment: “As it
turns out, I am actually a monster, not Zhen Jin. Zi Di, why did you deceive
me, why did you deceive me?”
“No! No!!” Zi Di suddenly woke up as her upper body abruptly rose.
The tent was dusky, and the camp was peaceful.
“Another nightmare……” Zi Di gasped for breath for a long time and gradually
slowed her pulse.
“I shouldn’t avoid this again! I should tell the body double the entire truth.”
“Apart from this, I also need to do some things for him.”
Zi Di found a potion bottle in her handbag.
The potion was oily and pitch-black. If one shook it, an attentive watcher
could also see vicious red hues in the blackness.
She didn’t just obtain the body double from War Merchant.
This beastification potion was also given to her.
Looking at this potion, Zi Di hesitated again.
She had hesitated many times before.
But this time, she finally made a firm resolution: “Compared to you, the others
aren’t as important, isn’t that so?”



****** Chapter 203: I am not Your Princess ******
Zi Di knew the body double’s secret, and for that reason, she was also worried.
Beastification and a divine scion knight were worlds apart, if his secret was
exposed, it was bound to cause an uproar beyond everyone’s expectations,
“Furthermore, there is also Zhen Jin. He also knows this secret!”
Obviously, Zhen Jin added onto the pressure on Zi Di.
Guarding this secret and assuming these worries tortured the body double and Zi
Di.
Eventually, Zi Di made up her mind and decided to use the beastification potion
War Merchant gave to her.
Zi Di diluted the potion and secretly put it into the food and water reserves.
In the beginning, everyone who consumed the food and water didn’t feel anything
peculiar. But as the number of meals increased, the more the poison accumulated
in their bodies.
Members of the group began to fall ill.
At first, everyone didn’t pay too much attention.
But as time passed, more people fell ill, in addition all of them had similar
symptoms and even the boat craftsman became sick.
“Cough cough cough……” The boat craftsman was lying on a grass bed, his
complexion was flush, his breathing was weak, his skin was swollen, and
everything he saw was fuzzy.
“Sorry, my Lords for……troubling you all.” The boat craftsman said dispiritedly.
“Rest well, don’t think too much, with me here, no one will be abandoned.” The
body double did his best to soothe the boat craftsman.
Soon after, he, Zi Di, and some others slowly left the tent.
“How are things?” Hei Juan (Zhen Jin) immediately inquired, “We cannot lose the
boat craftsman, how is his illness?”
Zi Di shook her head and sighed: “I have said to you all a few times, I am just
a pharmacist that specializes in perfume, I am not a doctor.”
“I can’t find the reason for why he is sick.”
“It shouldn’t be poison or magical corrosion that is making him ill.”
“If it were an ordinary illness, I would have been somewhat certain about it.
But it is very possible this kind of illness is related to the environment
here; I don’t even know where to start.”
Zong Ge’s voice was gloomy: “Not only does the boat craftsman have this
illness, there are also a few others that are sick. I suspect this is a
contagious disease.”
Everyone’s expression changed.
“Contagious disease……” The body double’s complexion was grave and he inwardly
sighed.
“Although the severity of the symptoms among the sick are varied, they are all
similar. Should we abandon these people?” Tripleblade asked the body double.
“Abandon?” Hei Juan (Zhen Jin) shook his head, “Without the boat craftsman, how
can we build a ship?”
“I lack instruments.” Zi Di complained to the body double, “I cannot use magic,
and my medicinal techniques and skills are not enough. Currently, I can only
mix some simple herbal medicines to alleviate their pain.
No one was suspicious of Zi Di.
These signs of illness were actually the beastification potion activating and
transforming their human bodies. Because the boat craftsman’s constitution was
relatively weak, despite Zi Di diluting the potion and using medicine, his body
was in a perilous state.
Although Zi Di seemed to be at her wits end, her heart wasn’t anxious.
Everything was in her control.
For the past few days, she already mixed an antidote that targeted the
beastification potion.
She would dissolve the antidote in other medicines, allowing those that drank
it to sustain themselves. Thus, she could save their lives.
The contagion grew more serious as more people fell ill.
Zong Ge, Hei Juan (Zhen Jin), Cang Xu, and some others began to advocate for
the abandonment of these patients, but the body double insisted on protecting
these comrades. He even continued to visit them every day and did his best to
boost their morale.
Only Zi Di supported the body double, however on the surface, she still
tactfully advised him: don’t visit these patients as much as possible, catching
the disease by chance would be too terrible.
The body double didn’t listen to her advice.
“The disease has waned, the beastification potion has taken effect.” Zi Di then
ceased her plot at once.
Those with powerful constitutions canceled out the effects. There were also
some with weak constitutions, Zi Di had to secretly use the antidote to save
their lives.
“As long as I have scattered this potion, I can trigger a sudden beastification
amongst the people.”
“But after beastification, these people will lose their rationality and gain a
violent nature. After persisting for some time, they will die on the spot.”
“I wish I didn’t need to use this potion.”
Zi Di didn’t want to target these people, she only did this to shield the body
double.
If the body double’s beastification secret was exposed, she could use the
potion to beastify some others, thus making the body double innocent.
Afterwards she could place all the blame on the island’s environment.
Leaving the damp jungle, everyone finally arrived at the beach.
Everyone traveled faster across the beach, because there were no longer any
trees or vines blocking their path.
But a good thing didn’t last forever as the weather gradually became abnormal,
heavy rain began to fall continuously.
In order to prevent the ship wood from being soaked, the group was forced to
return to the jungle and use the vegetation to escape the rain.
After setting up camp, Zi Di took advantage of the night to sneak into the body
double’s tent.
“My Lord, this is a potion I made, it was made from a poisonous mushroom. The
potion has a slight toxin that can raise one’s vigor, most of all, it can expel
the cold and increase one’s senses.”
In reality, this was the antidote.
Despite the body double’s formidable constitution, he had eaten the same food
and water, and had also ingested a lot of beastification potion.
The body double didn’t suspect anything as his eyes shined: “Can you make more?
Can you give it to everyone?”
Zi Di shook her head: “Only those with strong bodies can ignore the toxin. They
must have at least an iron level life level.
“Thank you Zi Di.” The body double tenderly said.
Zi Di answered with a smile.
The entire plan was implemented smoothly, beside the girl, no one knew about
it.
But something unexpected happened.
Zhen Jin found Zi Di and questioned her: “The other night, someone saw you
sneaking into the body double’s tent. What were you doing there?”
Zi Di promptly explained her actions.
Zhen Jin examined her: “My fiancé, you're somewhat fishy!”
Zhen Jin shook his head: “As long as you know I am Zhen Jin, and that other guy
is a fake. When he no longer has any value, he will die. This wretched island
is not the entire world. You must remember, you are Zi Di, the Wisteria
Merchant Alliance President, and my fiancé!”
Zi Di glared: “I know! Lord Zhen Jin, what are you suspecting?”
“You better behave.” Zhen Jin coldly snorted before quietly leaving.
“Did he sense something? But I still need to keep you alive……” Zi Di’s eyes
flashed. Zhen Jin also ate the food and water, but Zi Di secretly used the
antidote on him.
The group continued traveling until they eventually came to the base camp,
however there was not a soul in sight.
Reading the letter left behind, everyone went to the small ravine and finally
converged with the other survivors.
The body double seized the authority to lead everyone, afterwards he also
smoothly dispatched of the subterranean sandworm and thoroughly consolidated
his prestige.
Bai Ya and the others disassembled the beached half of the Hog’s Kiss, the boat
craftsman designed a new ship, and the people were divided into either purging
beast groups or shipbuilding.
“What materials are we lacking?” The body double inquired, smashing the
silence.
The boat craftsman replied: “Mainly boat nails. We need a lot of iron; this is
the aspect with the greatest shortfall.”
“We still don’t have enough ore?” The body double felt doubt, he had been
afraid of this, thus spent many nights as a monkey tail brown bear to mine. All
of the ore currently on hand had likely been dug up by the body double.
Zi Di answered: “We need to thank those monkey tail brown bears for a
sufficient amount of ore. However, we are currently using potions to melt the
ore and extract the iron. We do not have enough potions.”
She smiled at the body double, but he didn’t notice.
The boat craftsman then stated shipbuilding needed at least half a year.
Zhen Jin was unsatisfied with the time estimation.
The body double was also disappointed, after half a year, he feared the White
Sands City lordship competition would already be determined.
Zi Di’s heart sighed helplessly.
At the time, the reason why she eliminated the Hog’s Kiss’ captain was to buy
time. However, she didn’t expect the shipwreck, being stranded here, and being
delayed even more. Furthermore, when Zi Di landed, her mind was filled with
thoughts of finding War Merchant’s alchemy factory and inheriting his legacy.
Everyone worked as one, allowing the shipbuilding to make rapid progress.
Zhen Jin finally had a chance to spy on the body double beastifying.
In a panic, he fled to the small ravine and appealed to Zi Di: “Only you can
help me now!”
Zi Di’s heart thumped: “Don’t tell me the day has finally come? Fortunately, I
have made preparations. Nothing I can do; it seems I have to sacrifice some
people.”
But on the surface, she incredulously looked at Zhen Jin: “My Lord, how could
you do this?! That was too risky and fundamentally unnecessary. We need to use
our full strength to escape this.
Zhen Jin was frightened, he wanted to do his utmost to clear his suspicions and
dispel his body double’s intentions of eliminating him. He used letters
recording the truth to threaten Zi Di.
Zi Di appeared to have been threatened into helping Zhen Jin, however she had
already chosen to aid him.
Because she understood: “Exposing the secret would cause more harm than
benefits. Her beastification potion was a simple remedy, nothing more.”
Zhen Jin’s heart was full of terror as he questioned Zi Di: “Have you fallen in
love with him?!”
Zi Di had predicted correctly and promptly denied it: “My Lord, what is your
mind thinking? I fell in love with him? A body double? A beastified person?”
This time, Zhen Jin wasn’t easily fooled. His fear caused his mind to be
brighter than usual.
“Yes it's ridiculous, to love a body double, a beastified person……that isn’t
sensible, and isn’t something a Merchant Alliance President should be doing.”
“But romance……is really unpredictable.”
“When love dashes into a muddled brain, even the most rational person in the
world becomes an incurable idiot!”
“You’re very dangerous Zi Di, your current performance makes me feel you are
very dangerous.”
“I hope you can recognize reality.”
“Even if you’ve fallen in love with him, it will only be a tragedy!”
“Think about it, when he learns the truth, when he learns he isn’t a templar
knight, and is only a mere body double, when he learns the one he loves most,
who he always thought was his fiancé, was actually the one deceiving him the
most, what will he do? How will he see you?”
Those words were like a sharp arrow that shot into the depths of Zi Di’s heart.
Her breathing slowed.
At that moment, she suddenly realized: what she was most scared of, wasn't the
body double’s secret being exposed, it was how the body double would regard her
if the secret was revealed.
She knew, in the body double’s eyes, she was the perfect fiancé, someone good
at understanding others, genuinely concerned, and assisted considerably.
If the truth was exposed, how disappointed would the body double be?
How could she confront him?
The body double was a genuine knight, but what about her?
She was an accomplice in War Merchant’s conspiracy, she disguised Zhen Jin, she
killed the captain, indirectly caused the shipwreck, and used the
beastification potion……
“How will he regard the real me?”
This question weakened the girl and scattered the courage in her heart.
“You are a knight, but I in truth……am not your princess.”



****** Chapter 204: Missing a Golden Opportunity ******
In order to cover for Zhen Jin, Zi Di convened the higher ups for an emergency
meeting.
The body double returned.
Due to Zi Di’s coverup, the body double was deceived and still believed he
hadn’t been exposed.
However, that same night, the body double was frequently awakened by
nightmares. He realized——although nothing had changed, he could no longer
return to the past.
The body double became depressed, but still pretended to be tranquil.
This tranquil appearance made Zi Di sympathize more, she sensed the weight and
anguish in the body double’s heart.
Fei She found the body double and informed him Zi Di’s birthday was imminent.
When the body double began to prepare for Zi Di’s birthday party, Zi Di sensed
it immediately.
Although Zi Di felt happy, she was burdened by worries. Due to the pressure on
her and the body double, she wasn’t in the mood to celebrate.
Zi Di did her best to oppose the birthday party with a firm attitude.
“Maybe, I shouldn’t keep the truth hidden.”
“I should tell him everything.”
“No matter how he regards me, he ought to know the truth!”
This opinion often appeared in Zi Di’s mind, but every time it happened, she
never had the courage to truly carry it out.
Her mouth couldn’t say anything.
“Maybe, I need a ripe opportunity.”
Zi Di’s birthday was that night, and against the girl’s expectations, the body
double came to Zi Di’s residence alone.
He brought a bowl of fire-poison bee honey.
“Thank you.” Zi Di was moved.
“Although I don’t have a rainbow cake right now, this honey has a very sweet
taste.” The body double said.
Nevertheless, Zi Di’s complexion changed: “My Lord, you ate the honey? It’s
poisonous!”
“Ah? I, I didn’t taste any poison.”
“Your Lordship probably hasn’t tasted many things. This honey contains the
fire-poison’s essence, if the dosage was magnified, even someone at the gold
level would be injured.” Zi Di quickly said, soon after self-blame appeared on
her face, “Blame me! I didn’t inform your Lordship of my latest research gains.
I remember, the ravine does not have any beehives nearby. My Lord, going on an
expedition alone, even with the soot potion, is excessively dangerous.”
“I was willing to risk it for you!” The body double blurted out.
Looking at the knight before her, Zi Di’s pulse sped up and a beautiful feeling
of cherishment became abundant in her heart.
She deeply gazed into the body double’s eyes and softly said: “Thank you.”
The body double shook his head and looked at the bowl of honey, somewhat
discouraged.
Zi Di then turned her eyes and suddenly said: “Thank you for the cake.”
“Cake?”
“Yes, this big cake is made from harmless honey, did you not see it?” Zi Di
released Zhen Jin’s hand, then with both hands, she traced the form of a cake
in the air.
The body double couldn’t help but laugh, he followed along with Zi Di: “Eh, of
course I see it. The cake is very big, its many layers resemble a rainbow cake
somewhat.”
“No, it only has one layer.” Zi Di shook her head, “It does not resemble a
rainbow cake at all. It……is sweeter than a rainbow cake!”
The two began to dip their fingers into the cake and feed each other.
“Really sweet!”
“Tasty.”
The body double breathed roughly, and Zi Di’s face also blushed red, the two
then approached one another until there was a hand length between them.
The cliff cave’s ambience became charming and gentle.
Zi Di’s heart shouted: “Now, now is the time!”
“Speak, tell him everything.”
“You shouldn’t conceal the truth from him.”
Love produced courage and impulses, but as she opened her mouth, the body
double said: “Zi Di, I have something……”
Zi Di blankly stared, soon after she understood what the body double wanted to
say next.
“Thank goodness! He wants to tell me about his beastification secret!!”
For a split second, the happiness of being trusted by your beloved, instantly
swept into Zi Di’s heart like the tide.
She understood the body double telling her this secret was very risky and
showed how much he trusted her.
At that moment, she realized this was the opportunity she had persistently
waited for.
When the body double finished, she would follow and tell him the truth!
“This is the moment when we trust each other fully.”
All of Zi Di’s misgivings were thrown to the back of her mind.
However, just as the body double opened his mouth, he was interrupted.
A noisy disturbance suddenly happened outside the cave.
“He’s gone mad!”
“The idiot has gone mad!!”
“Run, he will kill us.”
The body double’s and Zi Di’s complexion abruptly changed, and they immediately
rushed out of the cave.
The body double quickly contained the situation, preventing any more damage.
But Zi Di worried about the future: “I am not a doctor, in fact the boat
craftsman actually said, he always tried to treat the giant’s illness, however
every doctor was unable to help. The boat craftsman even spent a large sum of
money to hire a chaplain to treat the giant with a divine spell.”
“We must consider this hidden threat. If, when the ship is mostly built, the
giant suddenly went mad again, he would cause inconceivable damage.”
The body double remained silent after listening to these words.
Nearing their residences, the two parted ways.
“Oh, that’s right, my Lord, beforehand……what did you want to talk to me about?”
Zi Di asked with expectations.
But the body double said: “Nothing.”
Seeing him leave, Zi Di suddenly realized her enormous mistake.
“He saw himself in the blockhead.”
“I just warned him about the blockhead, and when he heard it, how could he not
guard against his beastification?”
“Goodness gracious Zi Di, you are too clumsy, how could you make this
mistake?!”
As unparalleled vexation filled her thoughts, Zi Di immediately took a step and
wanted to overtake the body double.
She wanted to run over, brazenly hug him, and courageously inform and console
him: “Don’t misunderstand me, I wasn’t talking about you!”
However, her footsteps grew slower and heavier.
Her swelling courage and impulses had already dissipated.
All kinds of apprehensions once again extended themselves through her mind.
Obviously the two weren’t far from each other, however Zi Di felt there were
countless mountains and chasms between her and the body double.
“Sorry……sorry……” She could only apologize in her heart.
“Now is not a good opportunity, there will be more, there must be a better
chance.”
Zi Di shrank back.
She continued to wait for an opportunity.
However, she waited for an earthquake.
As the earthquakes grew more frequent, the people were forced to move the ship
out of the ravine to continue building it.
The damp rainy weather was a giant hindrance to the shipbuilding. Zi Di's
potions then displayed their immense impact, causing the girl to work hard
every day.
As the situation grew viler, not only were there earthquakes, there were
volcano eruptions as well as invading magic beast corps.
As the people built the ship, they had to drive back countless magic beasts
from the ravine.
Zhen Jin found Zi Di again.
“The situation is far from reassuring!”
“Maybe I should expose my identity and make them protect me more.”
Fear and worry were all over his face.
Zi Di appeased him: “My Lord, that is too risky. Currently, everyone approves
of the body double, if they knew the body double wasn’t the real one, the will
of the people would split and become hard to control. Morale would slide and
the front might collapse.”
“Furthermore, the body double is very threatening. If he knew he was deceived,
how would he treat you and me? Would he murder us to vent his anger?”
Zhen Jin’s dread increased.
Zi Di changed the topic: “Actually, our situation is still fine, the new ship
is almost finished.”
“We hold the ravine and have crossbows. In recent days, I often heard others
praise your Lordship in secret. When a ballista is under your Lordship’s
control, silver level magic beasts suffer serious losses.”
“Naturally. After all, I have the Bai Zhen Clan bloodline……” Zhen Jin was
gradually alleviated, “My opinions were too impetuous, and your analysis is
very reasonable. I will continue enduring. We are an inseparable pair, aren’t
we?”
“Indeed, your Lordship!” Zi Di smiled.
But as a matter of fact, Zi Di had always been looking for an opportunity to
tell the body double the truth.
However, it was not merely because she was busy, during the day the body double
was stationed at the shipbuilding site to guard against the giant’s madness,
unless he had to go to the front to provide emergency aid.
Bai Ya fell ill.
But many people were ill and injured. Almost all of them relied on Zi Di for
treatment, and there was enormous pressure on her.
Zi Di couldn’t prescribe the right medicine, thus she gave Bai Ya something to
alleviate his symptoms, however she couldn’t cure him.
Not long after, Bai Ya neared death and became deathly pale as he lay
unconscious.
Zi Di rushed over to provide critical care and found faded characters on his
letters, causing her heart to shake.
“Bai Ya used that ink!”
She instantly understood Bai Ya’s symptoms, he was an indirect casualty of Zi
Di’s plot against the captain.
Bai Ya’s letters were like a needle that suddenly thrusted into Zi Di’s heart.
She felt guilty for Bai Ya and dreaded what fate would bring about next.
Fortunately, the body double, Cang Xu, and the others didn’t know about this
secret.
“My Lord, please stop.” Leaving, Zi Di called to the body double.
They were the only two in the passageway.
“My Lord, let me hold onto those letters for safekeeping. After all, you often
charge on the frontlines.” Said Zi Di.
“Please keep them safe.” The body double nodded and gave the letters to Zi Di
without the slightest suspicion.
Holding Bai Ya’s letters, Zi Di understood if she did this, there would be
traces left behind.
“Rather than waiting until he discovers this in the future, I might as well be
honest now!”
Thinking of this, Zi Di opened her mouth: “My Lord I……”
But the body double interrupted: “No need to console me. Although indeed, my
mood has been gloomy since my comrade collapsed. I do not have the ability to
save him, and many times, my abilities really are limited.”
The body double sank into self-doubt, Bai Ya’s situation had struck him to some
degree.
Seeing the body double’s demeanor, Zi Di felt more guilty as the culprit.
“My Lord!” She frivolously called as she stepped forward to hug the body
double.
“Lord Zhen Jin, you are absolutely qualified, no, you are an outstanding
leader. You are a knight, my……knight, please don’t doubt yourself.”
Her delicate body and positive encouragement eased the body double’s expression
slightly.
The youngster lifted his hand and caressed Zi Di’s shoulder.
Feeling the body double’s chest, Zi Di sensed both of their heartbeats
gradually becoming identical.
At that moment, all of her misgivings seemed like a melted spring river that
slowly flushed away the ice cubes to expose a vibrant river.
Zi Di clenched her teeth, in that split second, she finally had enough courage.
But just as she was about to tell the truth, the body double’s expression
changed, his ultrasound had detected an emergency on the front.
“I must go!” The body double softly pushed Zi Di away.
That interruption destroyed most of Zi Di’s courage.
She was discouraged, while she detested her weakness, she could only let go and
gaze with her amethyst eyes as the body double vanished behind a corner.
This was her best chance, and also her final chance.
But she thought she would have another one.
She was too naive, and always subconsciously thought that life would be more
beautiful in the future.
When the ship was finished, during the celebration, the body double silently
left and kept the giant company.
Then an unprecedented earthquake collapsed the ravine. Then the magic beast
corps invaded, during the bitter struggle, Zi Di was forced to trigger the
beastification potion to save the others.
After the battle, everyone assembled to dissect their beastified comrades.
Zi Di purposely primed them: “Don’t you feel these beastified people and those
remodeled magic beasts are similar?”
“I have no evidence, only guesses. The island master has constructed a gigantic
magic spell on this island or made other arrangements. These arrangements
forcibly teleport us, form the magic prohibition environment, and even control
the weather. Apart from this, it can also secretly influence and change all
lifeforms on the island, I fear this is the cause of our comrades’
beastification.”
She succeeded, and no one doubted her.
But her heart had no happiness in it.
Especially when she saw the body double praying on deck, upon seeing his heavy
face, she found it hard to cover her worry.
Guilt and regret attacked.
“Others have beastified, and you can also beastify. You must be worried, you
are anxious that during a beastification, you will become berserk, lose your
rationality, and harm the others.”
“For a long time now, your heart has always been filled with doubt.”
“I can answer your doubts. But, but……”
After the beastification affair, another layer of misunderstandings appeared
between Zi Di and the body double.
“Sorry, sorry, I caused you to be like this……”
“All of this is because of my mistakes.”
Zi Di wanted to bless the body double, however her timidness and guilty
conscience made it hard for her to take the first step.
She knew her acting was very good, for now at least, the body double hadn’t
found any flaws.
But she didn’t dare to venture out.
She loved him, however the greater her love, the more she harmed him.
The ship was damaged, and another earthquake happened. Everything was
dangerous, and it seemed waiting for help was the only option.
Gazing at the fractured earth that suddenly formed an expansive river, Zi Di
bit her teeth and declared that she knew an additional choice.
“Maybe, I still have one way.” She was very hesitant, because she didn’t know
the outcome.
“We can go to the most central area, perhaps our hope of survival is there!”
“Do you remember the contents of our analysis?”
“As long as we seize control of the control hub, we have hope.”
Everyone was moved by the idea, but they were still hesitating.
At that crucial moment, the body double coordinated with her once again: “Just
now, Emperor Sheng Ming illuminated me!”
The body double pointed to the river and issued his decision.
The group set off again.
At first, they traveled by ship until they were forced ashore.
As obstructions grew heavier and halted them. Zi Di sensed unexpected
assistance.
It was actually Jia Sha!
They were still alive.
Zi Di reminded Hei Juan that he couldn’t divulge his identity rashly.
Hei Juan agreed on the surface, however due to being worried about his life, he
secretly told Jia Sha everything he knew.
With the help of Jia Sha, Zi Di and the others entered the alchemy factory,
crashed their way through the production workshop and lava battlefield, and
entered the control hub.
When the tower spirit asked for help, she was pleasantly surprised, with almost
no hesitation, she bravely stepped forward and battled Jia Sha.
However, in the end, she still failed on the final effort.



****** Chapter 205: I am not Zhen Jin ******
In his moment of defeat, Jia Sha relied on a bit of inspiration to find Zi Di’s
flaw, allowing Zhen Jin to finally see her true intentions.
“I didn’t expect that a deadly viper was hiding at my side!”
“You wretched girl, you unexpectedly wanted to harm my life!”
Zhen Jin’s fright and anger mixed as he stabbed Zi Di with Silver Lightning.
At that crucial moment, Jia Sha cried out in alarm, preserving Zi Di’s life
“I don’t have enough divine power, with just myself, I can’t seize authority.
But my spirit has always been entangled with Zi Di’s spiritual power. Her
spirit received the tower spirit’s approval, I can adjust my spirit and pretend
to be her. Only by doing this, can I control teleportation privileges and the
like.”
“Of course, If Miss Zi Di coordinates with me, it would be the best outcome.”
Zi Di obstinately resisted, causing Jia Sha to malevolently shout: “Torment her
for me, ruthlessly torture her!”
Zhen Jin kicked Zi Di down.
Silver Lightning thrusted down repeatedly, stabbing and breaking Zi Di’s limbs.
The tremendous pain made Zi Di’s body twitch, and she soon lay in a pool of her
own blood.
Zhen Jin was a proficient martial artist, and even more skilled at torture. He
understood the human body and how much pain Zi Di could sustain, for the
moment, it wouldn’t kill her.
The pain interfered with Zi Di’s spirit, and she was no longer Jia Sha’s
opponent as she was routed again and again.
Zhen Jin continued to torture the girl and wished he could flay her.
“You dare fool me, deceive me!”
“Who do you think you are? As a merchant daughter, it is a great blessing and
opportunity to marry me!”
“You went as far as to fall in love with a body double and abandon me?!”
“Ahehehe, hahaha! As expected, dregs are dregs, they are best kept under the
table.”
Zhen Jin constantly roared.
Zi Di lacked the strength to open her eyes.
Yet she still breathed.
“Beg for forgiveness, beg for forgiveness!”
“As long as you beseech me, I will stab you less, hahaha!”
However, Zi Di never planned on surrendering.
Even though she was too weak to resist, despite being trampled on and miserably
sinking in her own blood, she never said a word and never intended on
compromising or begging for forgiveness.
This made Zhen Jin angrier and Jia Sha somewhat restless.
“What’s going on?”
Despite the priest quickly seizing authority, he still felt Zi Di’s spirit
withdrawing to a corner and tenaciously resist him.
Zhen Jin’s callous and sinister torture methods also chilled Jia Sha’s heart.
“With her injuries, she should be unconscious already.”
“No, to be more precise, she is already unconscious. But why?”
“Even though she is unconscious, why hasn’t her spirit been defeated yet?”
“How is she persisting?”
“How is she persisting? Don’t tell me she still feels hope?”
Uncertainty expanded in the priest’s heart and he quickly examined the entire
situation.
On the fourth floor, he already controlled the situation. Zhen Jin and the four
guardian templar knights were on his side, and although he nearly died by Zi
Di’s hands, she had been utterly defeated.
On the third floor, chaotic lightning occasionally fell, only the area near the
bloodcore was safe. Zong Ge, Cang Xu, and the others received Zi Di’s warning
and crowded around the bloodcore, they didn’t dare to walk out lest they get
struck by lightning like the body double.
On the second and first floor, as well as outside the tower, there were many
artificial magic beasts. These magic beasts were fighting each other, and the
scene was already bloody and disorderly.
Far away, in the lava battlefield, the seal on the flame dragon king was close
to being destroyed.
Jia Sha couldn’t find the source of his heart’s uncertainty.
“Could it be that just before I succeed, I am instead worrying about personal
gains and losses?”
Darkness.
A deep darkness.
After a beast roared, a youngster consciousness converged here again.
“Where?”
“What is this place?”
“Where am I?”
As the youngster’s mind grew clearer, he began to inquire.
An infinite and silent darkness enveloped him, there was no response.
The youngster’s hope decreased, he examined himself, but couldn’t find
anything.
Bewilderment inevitably grew in his heart.
“So, who am I?”
“Who am I?”
Following this doubt, scenes suddenly came to the youngster.
A jungle riverside.
A purple eyed girl with impatience across her face: “You’re Zhen Jin, you are
Baron Zhen Jin. My goodness, your Lordship, have you forgotten your own
identity?”
“Zhen Jin, I am Zhen Jin? Why do I not remember anything?”
The girl replied: “Lord, we suffered a shipwreck a few days ago. There had been
a violent storm, the ship capsized, and the survivors fled to this island…..
……
Night, next to a bonfire.
After careful consideration, Zi Di responded: “Lord Zhen Jin, I do not know
much about you.”
“But based on the rumors, your Lordship was not close to women and was a loner.
Even when something big happened you do not show emotions.”
“You spent most of your time at the temple as a serious and silent ascetic.
Also, your food, your clothing, and even your every move was elegant and calm
like a rich noble.”
“Although you had few friends you were very helpful, protected the weak, and
helped the poor. The lower class admired you my Lord.”
“My Lord, when you suddenly moved your hand and successfully entered the White
Sands City Lord’s competition you surprised the other templars.”
……
In a sultry cave.
A templar knight was charging to meet death.
After the bitter fight, the monkey tail brown bear died, and the youngster
collapsed to the ground.
“Hehehe……” Looking at the huge bear corpse, he produced a weak laughter until
his breath dissipated.
……
In the spider forest, Huang Zao cried for help.
The youngster and the girl discussed: “You are not wrong. But you have
forgotten the most important point.”
Zi Di’s smile instantly vanished; she lowered her head: “Instruct me my Lord.”
“I am a templar knight, a knight amongst knights, it is my creed to assist the
weak and to save the dying! Even in times of distress, I will not abandon my
companions.” The youngster’s powerful words echoed in the tranquil forest.
For a moment Zi Di looked at the youngster blankly, then she smiled: “My Lord,
I understand.”
……
Lan Zao and Huang Zao relied on Cang Xu to help them.
The youngster looked around, and with his body straight as a spear, his calm
voice reached everyone’s ears.
“The light of the temple will cover every inch of land. The banner of the
empire will shelter every person of the empire. Follow me and I will lead you
all out of here alive.”
“Yes my Lord!” Everyone responded in unison as they half-knelt one after the
other.
……
Lan Zao exclaimed from the bottom of his heart: “Master, you truly have
formidable strength!”
“Lord Zhen Jin, your talent is amazing. Your bravery and accomplishments will
certainly be praised far and wide.” Cang Xu also said.
……
“My Lord, as long as we have you here, there is absolutely nothing to fear! You
are a knight, a templar knight! This time you are the one that saved us.” Bai
Ya emotionally yelled and broke the silence.
“Master, we brothers have pledged our lives to follow you, regardless of when
or where, no matter if even the sky falls to the ground.” Lan Zao also
expressed his loyalty.
……
“This is truly worthy of being the Bai Zhen bloodline! In terms of accuracy,
the Bai Zhen bloodline is strong enough to be ranked in the top five in all of
the Shen Ming Continent. Lord Zhen Jin, you are the Bai Zhen Clan’s hope and
are sure to bring back the entire clan into glory.
……
The exploration team exhausted their food and was in imminent peril.
Only by successfully hunting a flying squirrel group could they have a reprieve
from death.
The battlefield.
The youngster shouted: “Today, if we defeat them, they will be our food. If we
lose, we will be their food.”
“I, Zhen Jin, as a templar knight and the sole heir of the Bai Zhen Clan, will
be with you all. I will lead you all in overcoming this dangerous obstacle and
reaping victory. Follow me to glory!”
……
In the desert, the youngster charged out and led everyone in breaking through
the lizard group’s encirclement.
“I have said that I will not abandon anyone.” The youngster said without
hesitation. “Bai Ya is no exception!”
“My Lord!!” In Bai Ya’s most desperate hour, seeing Zhen Jin come to him had
moved him greatly. He gratefully looked at Zhen Jin with admiration, respect,
and affection.
Carrying Bai Ya, the youngster once again killed his way back and succeeded in
converging with the others.
“Follow me closely out of here.” The youngster flatly said as he charged ahead
once again.
“Yes my Lord!” Everyone echoed together as their morale increased sharply.
……
After breaking away from the scorpion group, the youngster returned to the
desert, only four people were left now.
“I already said that I would do all I can to save everyone and would never
abandon a single man. This is my promise and also my responsibility.” The
youngster said to Zi Di and Cang Xu.
“My Lord, your noble character is like a bright star in the darkness of the
night sky! Cang Xu lamented internally, “You are a paragon among the templar
knights.”
……
In the oasis, Bai Ya regain consciousness.
With red eyes and hot tears, he emotionally said: “Lord Zhen Jin, I know you
have carried me all this way. You are a noble templar knight, yet you bravely
risked your life to save such a lowly person. Lord Zi Di and Scholar Cang Xu
informed me that you also gave me precious water to drink.”
“Assisting the weak and saving the good is in itself a part of the templar
knight creed.” The youngster smiled.
……
“Lord Zhen Jin, you are indeed amazing! You are young yet you have the power of
the spirit. Compared to the storm sword spirit, you have a more outstanding
bloodline. Among the templar knights, you are the most extraordinary. I am
indeed honored that I could meet and follow your Lordship!” Bai Ya’s heart
lamented.
Cang Xu laughed and said with positivity: “Lord Zhen Jin’s innate skill is
extraordinary; it is absolute that his future is even brighter than the storm
sword saint’s. But the thing I admire most about you Lord Zhen Jin is your
moral character. With you, the Bai Zhen Clan will surely rise once more.
……
Meeting and confronting Zong Ge for the first time.
The youngster immediately grabbed his sword hilt, his brows deeply wrinkled,
his complexion sunk, his gaze became as chilly as ice, and he growled: “Zong
Ge, pay attention to your words! You have the audacity to scorn the gods! My
body sustains the gaze of Emperor Sheng Ming, this is the blessing of the gods.
Divine spells are the gods giving more favor, they are not something to show
off or used to proof status. Apologize to me at once! If not, you invite a
templar knight’s fury!”
……
“Come, we are returning to camp together.” The youngster took the initiative to
invite Zong Ge and the others.
“We were all on the same ship, and we were all victims of the shipwreck.”
“We come from many places and we have different identities, but here, we are
all impoverished victims on this island that want to escape.”
“Our objective is the same. We must unite together, any doubts, coldness,
hatred, opposition, and other ill feelings will make our cooperation difficult,
thus lessening the chance of our escape from this place.”
“I am the templar knight Zhen Jin. This is my promise to everyone, I will treat
everyone fairly, regardless of their background, race, or bloodline. I will
also punish criminals and the culprits; no crime will evade my retribution. I
will do my best to fight on the frontlines and lead everyone together in the
hope of rescue.”
……
After the camp battle, the youngster, Zong Ge, Tripleblade, and Lan Zao pursued
the escaping magic beast corps together.
The half beastman was startled by the youngster’s appearance, after a long
time, he opened his mouth and used a tone laced with confusion, exasperation,
and a trace of indignation: “Hey, Zhen Jin, is a youngster like you really……a
divine scion knight?”
“A divine scion knights?” The youngster’s nice looking brows perked up, “I am a
divine scion knight? Can I be considered one? I don’t understand.”
……
In the ravine, the youngster’s team finally converged with the larger group.
Lan Zao stood on the second highest rock and loudly proclaimed: “Listen with
open ears! What stands before you is my master——Lord Zhen Jin. He is the Bai
Zhen Clan’s sole heir, a noble templar divine scion knight, and White Sand
City’s inevitable future lord!”
The youngster proclaimed: “Regardless of whether it is the mountains, ocean,
swamps, or island, my master’s holy light shines over it all. The imperial flag
flies eternally in the wind and will never fall!”
“Nothing can obstruct my path. I will gain glory, and by following me, it will
be your glory too.”
“Beginning now, this place follows my commands.”
“Any objections?”
……
As the new ship was being built, the ravine was constantly attacked by magic
beast corps.
The youngster raised his voice slightly: “Everyone has a place on this ship, no
one will be left behind.”
“In other words, we are all in the same boat.”
“I know, differences exist between us.”
“There are all kinds of differences between our statuses, bloodlines,
appearances, and temperaments.”
“But these differences should not become doubts, antagonistic, or reasons for
internal conflict. We must tightly unite, only by doing so can we have the
greatest chance of escaping.”
“We are all……one of us!”
Against his expectations, his impromptu speech won everyone’s acclaim.
……
Bai Ya’s unconsciousness attacked the youngster.
In the corridor, Zi Di threw herself into his arms.
My Lord!” She embraced the young knight and tightly hugged him, “Lord Zhen Jin,
you are absolutely qualified, no, you are an outstanding leader. You are a
knight, my……knight, please don’t doubt yourself.”
……
The ravine collapsed, the new ship couldn’t sail, and an earthquake, in the
blink of an eye, formed a new river.
“Just now, Emperor Sheng Ming illuminated me!” The youngster pointed at the
river.
Everyone blankly stared.
“Could it be, did Emperor Sheng Ming make this river?”
“It's no wonder no one died.”
“The gods have insurmountable willpower!”
“Divine scion knight……” Cang Xu deeply bowed to Zhen Jin, and sighed endlessly,
“Perhaps this is your heroic journey. My Lord Zhen Jin!”
Almost everyone’s scalp felt somewhat numb.
They seemed to feel they were witnessing history!
This was a heroic epic!
……
In the darkness, the youngster’s consciousness condensed and came close to
forming.
“So, I am Zhen Jin.”
“I am a noble, a knight, and a hero!”
Suddenly, the youngster’s consciousness became chaotic.
After killing the monkey tail brown bear, he recuperated in the cave. The fear
of dying made him pray, confess, and appeal to Emperor Sheng Ming for pity.
No response.
During the exploration team food shortage, hunting the flying squirrel group
was very risky. Helplessly pacing back and forth, he prayed to Emperor Sheng
Ming.
No response.
When killing the flying squirrels, the youngster prayed silently.
No response.
Trapped in the desert, the youngster helpless prayed to Emperor Sheng Ming.
No response.
When helping Lan Zao in the oasis, the youngster sank into self-doubt and
appealed to the gods.
No response.
During the camp battle, the youngster deliberately prayed aloud to deceive his
comrades.
Because the gods never responded.
When the beastification secret was nearly exposed, the youngster prayed.
Suspecting the bloodcore was leading him astray and engrossing him in the lust
for power, the youngster prayed.
After the ravine collapsed, his companions beastified, and he was trapped in
desperate straits, the youngster prayed.
No response.
No response.
No response!
……
In the spider forest.
“This, what is this?!” His hands transformed and killed the blade spider
leader.
During the flying squirrel hunt.
His arms grew dramatically, allowing him to kill the iron level flying squirrel
chieftain with a throwing dagger: “How can I have a blood red magic crystal in
my heart?!”
The volcanic area.
He killed the spear scorpion leader and routed the rest: “My carapace. My tail.
Oh, I can actively control the magic crystal now!!”
Outside the small ravine.
As a man slaughtered a magic beast corps, the youngster completely transformed
into a monster and was content with himself: “Hahaha, even if there are more
magic beast corps, how can they take me?”
……
Rain shrouded a training ground.
Qing Kui stomped on a youngster’s head, after humiliating him, he swaggered off
with the other youths.
“Strange, I feel calm as if I am a bystander.” This humiliating memory now
reappeared in his heart, but it didn’t produce anger or hostility in him.
……
After fighting the monkey tail brown bear, the youngster teetered between life
and death.
Zi Di happily said: “My Lord, your body is great. It is actually astounding.
This kind of body essence is absolutely not at the silver level.”
……
He discovered a camp being attacked by bat monkeys.
“My Lord……this camp seems like something I would set up.” Zi Di’s declaration
was unexpected.
“Did you come here?” The youngster blankly stared.
Zi Di shook her head.
“I led the others through the rainforest to find you my Lord. Your Lordship was
in a coma and could not wake up. I decided to build a camp nearby. I planned to
heal you there and cure you as early as possible.”
Speaking of this, Zi Di once again looked at the camp and nodded with
confirmation: “Not bad. I have a deep impression of this wooden house and camp.
In order to keep your Lordship safe and to have a suitable place for medical
treatment, I wanted to stay there for a while.”
Bai Ya was amazed: “How is this camp here……ah, I know, teleportation!”
As the one who lifted the siege and beat back the beast groups, the youngster
granted an interview to Mu Ban.
“Yes Lord Zhen Jin, I designed this rapid fire crossbow.”
“What does this 8 stand for?” The youngster pointed at the arrow box, “Is this
your eighth work?”
Mu Ban shook his head: “No. The lumber used to make the rapid fire crossbow was
from the highest quality wood I could find around camp. The lumber had the 8
written on it.
The underground alchemy factory.
In the plaza, there were many small and large boxes. The large boxes were
bigger than a gigantic lava turtle, while the smallest box was three meters
long, two meters wide, and one meter tall.
The boxes seemed to be made of iron, however they were in fact made from a type
of iron wood.
Em-096Sg-734ID5D-VR-862
The iron wood boxes also had red paint on their surfaces that displayed letters
and numbers such as: Em-096, Sg-734, ID5D-VR-862, and so on.
……
The control hub.
The youngster sensed a call.
“Why is this hidden thing calling to me?”
“Why does the control hub seem somewhat familiar?”
“Don’t tell me I have been here before?”
“Impossible, how could I come to this place?”
When he entered the third floor, he discovered a second blood red magic
crystal.
“War Merchant also has a core!”
“Did he make this core?”
“He put it on the third floor, that must mean he feels its value exceeds that
of the Green Jade Golden Coffin and the Mermaid Fairy Tale!”
“But why am I attracted so strongly to it?”
Inside the youngster’s heart, strange red lights emitted from the core, and
each flash of light seemed to shout to Zhen Jin: “Eat it! Eat it! Absorb it
now!!”
……
Jia Sha sighed: “Divine artifacts cannot be misused; they are too important.
The tower spirit was wounded too heavily, it was not my opponent. I will
succeed soon. After the teleportation door is formed, we will teleport the two
divine artifacts first.”
This proposal was resolutely vetoed by the youngster: “No, teleport the people
first, then the divine artifacts!”
Jia Sha was impatient, and he promptly roared at the lower floor, “Zhen Jin! Go
up and do your best. I know your misgivings, those are unimportant! Be at ease,
with me, I will purify everything in you.”
The youngster hesitated, soon after he clenched his teeth and charged.
He charged towards the fourth floor’s stairs.
“Stop!”
“Zhen Jin, what are you doing?”
“If you don’t stop, you will suffer the consequences!”
The youngster turned a deaf ear and sped up.
Kakaka!
A few lightning bolts fell and struck the youngster, killing him on the spot.
……
In the darkness, the youngster’s consciousness suddenly stabilized.
He recalled everything.
“So, I am not Zhen Jin……”
The next moment, he slowly got up and opened his eyes.



****** Chapter 206: When I Awoke Once More ******
The alchemy factory control hub, the third floor.
A group of people were cautiously standing near the mysterious Bloodcore that
was floating in the air. Because only here, could they be safe.
In addition to this, lightning often struck down abruptly.
Lightning struck at random and followed no pattern. Previously, Jia Sha, Zi Di,
and the tower spirit contented with each other for authority over the weather,
leading to this outcome.
The crowd were on tenterhooks, some of them called Zi Di’s or Jia Sha’s name,
but neither of them responded.
“Repulsive……” In the crowd, Zong Ge’s brows wrinkled.
Even if he wasn’t good at strategy, he also felt far from good.
“Jia Sha’s and Zi Di’s struggle seemed to have been settled, but who was
victorious? Why hasn’t there been any movement?”
“Regardless of who won, would they save us?”
Zong Ge was incessantly worried, and many others were the same. But they
couldn’t do anything but be trapped here.
If they charged out, they might be struck by lightning.
They also didn’t dare to get too close to the Bloodcore.
While the body double was unconscious, someone brazenly thought they could
seize the Bloodcore, but as they got closer, a blood light shined and turned
their entire body into ash.
“What should we do?” Zong Ge looked around him.
The giant remained unconscious.
Cang Xu hung his head.
Tripleblade was at a loss.
Lan Zao kneeled next to the body double; his vision had gone complexly lax.
Once he wanted to follow the body double wholeheartedly, he thought with the
help of the body double’s radiance and moral character, he could redeem himself
of the crime of killing his younger brother.
However, the body double’s identity was exposed, allowing him to know that the
man he followed was nothing more than a fake.
This fact was a deep blow to him and made him increasingly dazed.
The others remained silent, every single one of them looked grave.
Many people anxiously sat on the ground and put their hands on their heads, as
if abandoning their struggle while waiting for the fourth floor to reach a
conclusion.
At that moment, Zong Ge suddenly heard someone shriek, the voice was filled
with fright.
Zong Ge’s pupils suddenly dilated, he almost thought he was seeing an illusion
as he watched the body double slowly get up.
“He, didn’t he die?”
“Alive! He is alive?!”
“Zhen, Lord Zhen Jin……” Lan Zao’s mouth opened wide, just a moment ago, the
body double was lifeless.
But soon after, someone negated Lan Zao’s address: “No, he isn't Zhen Jin! He
is only a body double.”
“You, are you a human or a ghost?”
Everyone stood up horrified.
For a moment, everyone’s eyes focused on the youngster.
The youngster sighed, kneeled on the ground, put his hands on his knees, and
slowly got up.
He looked around and touched everyone’s line of sight.
From these gazes, he saw vigilance, fear, doubt, worry, and many other complex
emotions that were hard to put into words.
The youngster sighed again and internally lamented: “The moment has finally
arrived.”
In the past, these people adored, respected, loved him, and wanted to follow
him. But now, everyone looked at him with worry and suspicion.
This was completely understandable.
Because he was not Zhen Jin, he had deceived everyone. He even died and came
back to life, everything they saw with their own eyes was a scam!
Like Zi Di’s extreme regret, when Zhen Jin announced his identity, it caused
immense incomparable damage.
“He is actually alive! He was definitely hit by lightning. Don’t tell me he
feigned death? Could it be that he is Zi Di’s hope?” Jia Sha slightly changed.
Of course, the third floor’s circumstances could not be concealed from him.
Following the body double’s revival, Jia Sha’s restlessness increased, and he
promptly informed Zhen Jin.
Zhen Jin was also shocked: “He can even resist lightning, what should we do if
he charges up?”
“Stabilize him! I’ve almost succeeded, as long as the teleportation door forms,
we can leave this place with the Mermaid Fairy Tale. After we leave, there
won’t be enough magic power for a new teleportation door, dooming those
people!” Jia Sha sneered.
“What about the third floor’s mysterious crystal?” A guardian templar knight
asked.
Jia Sha shook his head: “Unfortunately, without any means, I can only give it
up. The chaotic lightning has consumed too much magic power, we cannot escape
with that mysterious magic crystal.
Thus, under Jia Sha’s orders, Zhen Jin’s voice was quickly transmitted: “Body
double! You being alive is great, you are one of my people. Maybe you don’t
know your real identity, but in truth, I am the real Zhen Jin. As long as you
vow loyalty and devotion to me, I will use my noble honor to swear that I will
forgive you, give you your life, and grant you an opportunity to achieve your
goals.”
The body double youngster soon looked up at the fourth floor with a heavy
expression: “So, Zi Di failed, and now you stand on Jia Sha’s side?”
Zhen Jin’s heart and head shook as his mouth dropped. For a moment, he didn’t
understand how the body double could instantly understand the fourth floor’s
situation.
He wanted to declare something, but at that moment, the body double began to
speak: “If Zi Di was winning, she would have spoken herself, and not have you
speak for her.
Muttering to himself, the body double continued: “She can no longer speak,
perhaps she is already dead.”
Zhen Jin glanced at the bleeding girl, he was just about to veto the body
double’s guess, however Jia Sha interfered: “She isn’t far from death. However,
she still has a chance to live if you cooperate.”
“Cooperate?” The body double youngster laughed for a bit, then raised his
brows: “How can I cooperate with you? Will you make me kill these people so all
of the feasible contribution will belong to you?”
Everyone became alarmed and restless, many people stepped back while the fear
and vigilance in their gazes grew.
Of course, Jia Sha wasn’t fooled, and he smiled: “You don’t need to instigate
anything, I am a priest, and I will do my best to make sure they leave this
place. I need your cooperation; I simply want you to calm down a little and see
the situation clearly.”
“Zi Di is already unconscious, thus I am the only one with the authority to
open a teleportation door.:
“You have already lost, thinking it is anything else is unnecessary.”
“You really are guilty, but guilt is not death, and most of the guilt lies in
Zi Di, not you. Essentially, you were a deceived chess piece, that’s all”
“You don’t believe you hate Zi Di.”
“She cheated you, was delighted to have you sacrifice your life for her.
Although this girl isn’t very old, she deeply understands the hearts of men, is
cunning, sinister, and dangerous.”
“She is the President of the Wisteria Merchant Alliance, when it was annexed by
imperial nobles, her heart resented the empire, thus her vengeful rage caused
her to forfeit her rationality and inevitably burn herself.”
“If you still want to stand by her side, you will oppose the templar legions
and the Heavenly Emperor, that isn't a wise decision.”
“You guessed the fourth floor’s situation with just Zhen Jin’s words, this is
sufficient proof you are an intelligent youngster.”
“Do you still remember your confession with me?”
“Youngster, I know you have a benevolent heart, that you yearn for light.”
“Your body is guilty; this cannot be denied.”
“But the road to salvation is under your feet, as long as you wish to walk it,
you can choose to do so.”
“I use my priesthood to promise your redemption. But genuine salvation depends
on you. You should thoroughly understand this reasoning.”
The youngster gently laughed: “So……you’re scared?”
“I died and came back to life, and you cannot discover what’s true and false
about me, as a result, you want to stabilize me?”
“It appears you can no longer manipulate the weather, if you could send down
lightning, you wouldn’t have hesitated like the last time you struck me.”
Jia Sha strictly replied: “Youngster, you overestimate yourself too much, don’t
be too smart for your own good! The last strike was because you charged up to
the fourth floor, it was an obvious plot that was unfavorable to us……”
But he didn’t finish as the youngster cut him off: “So, you discovered
lightning cannot kill me, thus you want to stabilize me for the time being?”
“Not enough divine power? Are you not enough?”
“The magic beasts are no longer a threat, however you haven’t used a divine
spell to deal with me yet, instead you want to stabilize me. You want to stall
for time, secretly open the teleportation door, and escape with the divine
artifact?”
“You don’t seem to be worried that I will pursue……don’t tell me, the magic
power reserve isn’t enough for a second teleportation door? Also, so much
lightning would have consumed a lot of magic power.
Hearing the youngster’s guesses, the surrounding people became restless.
Jia Sha looked ashen: “Youngster, I want you to consider this. You want to
charge up, but along the way, perhaps the lightning will allow you to taste
death again. Even if it doesn't, when you come to the fourth floor, you are
simply walking into our trap to obtain our warm welcome. But if you choose to
believe me, and select the road of redemption, you might receive a longer life
and a brighter future.”
“Hehe.” The youngster sneered, “ You want me to believe you? How can I believe
you? Previously, you killed me. And before that, you would rather teleport the
divine artifacts first instead of our comrades.”
“I will kill you, but I won’t be the only person.”
Saying this, the youngster looked at the crowd.
Everyone vigilantly looked at him and didn’t react.



****** Chapter 207: I am a Monster!!! ******
The body double youngster gazed at everyone: “I don’t need to say much about
the current situation, in fact, everyone understands it from the bottom of
their heart.”
“Holding impractical delusions and hoping Jia Sha and Zhen Jin will save you
all is extremely unlikely.”
Everyone was still on guard, but their flickering gazes expressed their slight
hesitation.
The youngster’s words entered their heart, although they had only spent a short
time with Jia Sha, they couldn’t stand his actions. Jia Sha desired the divine
artifacts too much and was very unreliable.
But at that moment, Jia Sha laughed on the fourth floor: “Hehehe, body double,
if you want to throw your life away, then come. Do you think you can entice
them to risk their lives with you? You are guessing at the situation;
therefore, you are unsure. You seem to be urging them on, are you making them
share the risks with you?”
“Don’t be fooled everyone! The chaotic lightning will take your lives. Even if
you charge up, don’t tell me you think you can successfully kill me and Zhen
Jin? Kill a priest and templar knight? You will be enemies of the empire, even
if you are victorious and survive, you will be wanted by the empire, and
henceforth, can only live as fearful wanderers. If you are captured, hanging
and other cruel punishments are waiting for you.”
Naturally, Jia Sha didn’t agitate the youngster and the others, instead his
words increased everyone’s hesitation.
The body double looked at Zong Ge, as the most prestigious person in the crowd,
he needed his support.
But the half beastman tightly locked his brows and didn’t indicate anything.
Zhen Jin laughed and jeered: “Body double, do you still believe you are me? You
are not a templar knight or a noble, and a lowly bloodline flows through your
body, why would they follow you? You are just a body double, a tool. Do you
really think you can rally and lead these people to deal with us? Has the
lighting made you stupid?”
Zhen Jin imitated Jia Sha, after taunting the youngster, he continued to shout
at the others: “He wants to exploit you all so he can live, don’t be hoodwinked
again!”
“I will use my noble magic to save everyone!”
“Believe me, I am a templar knight while he is only a body double that has
always deceived you!!”
The crowd was in an uproar.
The body double youngster sighed in his heart.
Zi Di once said on the fourth floor, her understanding of the situation wasn’t
wrong. When Zhen Jin revealed his identity, it caused immense damage. The
people didn’t trust Zhen Jin and guarded against the body double. When they
looked at the body double youngster now, their eyes were evasive as they
suspected he was harboring unfathomable motivations.
“During the entire journey, you have always deceived us. In the end, who are
you?
“Who do you think you are?”
With deeply creased brows and gloomy tone, Zong Ge finally opened his mouth.
The crowd calmed down, all of them awaited the youngster’s answer.
Once they complied with the youngster, and even followed him feverishly, but
now they were cold and suspicious.
The youngster deeply breathed.
He still looked like Zhen Jin, with his fair hair, blue eyes, and heroic
appearance. But he also looked terrible with injuries and bloodstains. In
addition, because of the lighting, much of his skin and clothes were blackened.
“Jia Sha’s and Zhen Jin’s words about me are not wrong.” The youngster
declared.
Everyone almost believed they had misheard him.
But the youngster repeated himself: “Their words are not wrong.”
Using a downcast and slightly hoarse tone, but with a candid attitude, he
slowly said:
“I am not Zhen Jin.”
“I am also not a genius.”
“My body does not have a noble bloodline.”
“I am not a templar knight.”
“I once had a beautiful girl by my side, and I believed she was my fiancée.
However, she was an inherent schemer against me.”
“I am also not your leader. Because I don’t have the qualifications to lead
you.”
Everyone grew quieter.
If the youngster denied or evaded these truths, he would have increased the
doubts and vigilant attitudes.
But now, everyone began to earnestly listen to him.
The youngster exposed a bitter smile: “Who am I? I have always asked myself
this question.”
“However, even now, I cannot answer that.”
“My original memory was cleared away, and now, I only have the shattered
memories of another person.”
“Everyone knows their name.”
“I am inferior to you, because I never knew my own name.”
The youngster’s tragic tone made everyone fix their eyes on him.
“Even my own appearance looks like someone else, this should have been caused
by War Merchant’s modulations and transformations.”
“In fact, as you can see, I am a beastified person, at most I could only be
considered a comparatively special beastified person.
Saying this, the body double youngster stopped and deeply breathed, as if
summoning his courage.
“I am a spear scorpion.”
Saying this, he activated the magic core, red light then gushed out and
transformed into a hard golden scorpion carapace.
In the desert night, the spear scorpion youngster ate the golden granite
boulders, exciting his heart: “Delicious, delicious!”
This transformation made everyone cry out in alarm, and many of them took a big
step back.
“I am an acid green lizard.”
In the forest, the green lizard youngster trained his tail movement. Harming
himself, the next day his buttocks were in great pain.
The youngster suddenly transformed a tail, causing everyone to cry in alarm
again and cower another step back.
“I am also a bat monkey.”
The youngster sprouted bat wings and bat ears.
One night, the moonlight was like water. For the first time, the bat monkey
youngster heard a countless number of wonderful sounds, and sensed nature’s
deep and touching beauty.
In everyone’s constant fright, the cries became smaller, more people stood in
place, and fewer continued to subconsciously withdraw.
“I am a monkey tail brown bear.”
The youngster spread both hands, after everyone saw the bubbling red light
disappear, they saw the youngster’s hands had transformed into monkey tail
brown bear claws.
During many late nights, the brown bear youngster diligently mined in a cave.
The people no longer withdrew, as their fear and nervousness began to reduce,
they started to look in amazement.
Seeing the bear claws, Cang Xu seemed to think of some question and sank into
contemplation.
“I am a blade spider.”
The youngster transformed spider blades.
In the forest, the blade spider youngster sank into vexation: “It seems weaving
spider webs also needs diligent training!”
“Heavens. That’s the truth!” Someone murmured as he recognized it, that was the
sword the youngster commonly used to battle the magic beasts.
“I am also a flying squirrel capable of electrical discharges.”
Electricity began to curl around the youngster’s transformed spider blade.
In order to emit electricity, he had trained for a long time and didn’t
hesitate to capture live flying squirrels to be shocked by so he could find the
electrical discharge method.
“That’s right, I am a beast, a monster.” The youngster had an extremely heavy
expression, at that moment, he felt he was naked in a world of ice and snow.
Like he thought, the people looked at him with strong fear and rejection and
wanted to flee from him.
But different from his expectations, besides fear, rejection, and evasiveness,
there were many other emotions. This caused many to have complex expressions.
No sounds transmitted from the fourth floor.
This was also the first time Jia Sha had seen the youngster’s transformation,
and he felt very surprised.
The monstrous youngster continued: “Although I am a beast and a monster, I
wanted to become a knight, therefore I always used the knight’s creed to judge
myself.”
“I wanted to become someone beloved by the gods, therefore I always prayed,
however Emperor Sheng Ming never responded to me.”
“I wanted to become a noble, and the sole heir of a great clan. As a result, I
always urged myself to strive in the restoration of my clan.”
“I wanted to become a leader, therefore I tried hard to charge ahead, and
uphold fairness in my heart and soul.”
“How much I wish I was these things!”
“I almost believed myself.”
“But I am not.”
“The memories in my mind belong to someone else.”
“My name is another’s.”
“My fiancé also belongs to another.”
“Since awakening on this island, I have lived in a lie.”
The youngster forced a smile: “Did you know when I beastified for the first
time, I was shocked!”
“I suspected it was a bloodline awakening and mistakenly suspected it was some
kind of body transformation potion.”
“When I discovered at every step that I could transform into many beasts, I
endured suffering.”
“Fear, doubt, indecisiveness……I asked myself, why did I turn out this way?”
“I didn’t want to worry Zi Di, thus I didn’t dare to speak the truth.
“How I wish this was a nightmare, however it really happened to me. I wanted to
forget, however I could not, because the harsh environment always forced me to
use my abilities.”
“Gradually, I discovered parts of their bodies, was a part of me. I loathed and
evaded them, I loathed and shunned myself.”
“I sympathized with the giant, because in him, I see myself.”
“When my comrades beastified, I was the one most afraid. I especially feared a
day when I would lose my rationality, become brutal, and kill those at my
side.”
The youngster looked at Zong Ge and frankly said: “Someone said I deceived you
all, correct, I deceived everyone. If possible, I still wanted to deceive
everyone for a lifetime. If possible, I wanted to deceive myself for the rest
of my life.”
“Because I didn’t want to be a monster! I don’t want to be a beastified person,
a body double, or a tool! I don’t want to be rejected, hated, or discriminated
against.”
Everyone was emotionally moved.
The youngster bowed his head, looked at his hands, and bitterly laughed:
“Actually there were many flaws during my journey, but why haven’t I detected
them until now?”
“Because I wanted to deceive myself more.”
“I deceived myself into thinking I was a noble knight that had fine amor and
sat upon a white horse.
“I deceived myself into believing I was a noble that had a castle, a summer
manor, beautiful subjects, and a financially successful fiancé.”
“I deceived myself into thinking the gods cared for and appreciated me, I
thought I proved I had firm convictions.”
“I failed.”
“As you can see, I am no one.”
“I am nothing!”
“Now I can only tell myself: hey, you idiot, don’t deceive yourself, abandon
these ridiculous, pathetic, and unrealistic fantasies, you are nothing!
Recognize reality, you were never a normal man, you are a beastified person, a
monster.”
Saying this, the youngster’s eyes reddened.
He had revealed the truth.
Everyone was silent.
Everyone quietly looked at the youngster.
Their vigilant expressions disappeared.
“Haha, you know yourself well, body double.” Zhen Jin jeered from the fourth
floor.
The people immediately puckered their brows, and many showed their hatred.
But before he continued, the youngster’s voice suddenly increased and changed
the topic: “Although I am nothing, who thinks that of me?”
“I am nothing, but can’t I act?”
“I am nothing, but can’t I try?”
The people’s hearts shook.
“Hmph, wishful thinking.” Jia Sha was exceedingly displeased and denounced, “At
birth, a man’s identity and entire life is decided. You should recognize
reality, know your place, and be happy with what you can obtain. Greed, desire,
and lusting after things that don’t belong to you will inevitably end in
miserable darkness. This is your greatest original sin, and those that hold
this opinion are the root of society’s upheaval. Why do you have the nerve to
say this? Perhaps now you can still receive redemption and forgiveness!”
Everyone’s brows wrinkled deeply.
The body double ignored Jia Sha and continued: “If there is an opportunity, I
want to become a knight, a lord, and a divine scion knight. Don’t tell me you
don’t want these things!”
Everyone’s body and mind quaked.
“If you didn’t want these things, why are you heading to the Wilderness
Continent?! This journey and ocean crossing is very risky, why are you going to
a place filled with war and hazards?!”
“I am a monster, I have been rejected, but what about you? Don’t tell me none
of you have not been excluded, disdained, hated, crushed by big wigs, or
cheated in life? Don’t you have dreams that have tormented you?!”
The youngster’s series of rapid questions created absolute silence.
The youngster deeply breathed, slowed down his tone, and deeply said: “We are
actually the same.”
“We were born mediocre.” The youngster looked at Bai Ya, causing Bai Ya to
blush and look emotional.
“We were rejected and loathed.” The youngster looked at the giant. The giant’s
eyelids then trembled a little.
“We were betrayed by a close relative.” The youngster looked at Cang Xu. The
old scholar narrowed his eyes.
“We cannot always get impartial treatment.” The youngster looked at the half
beastman. The half beastman’s breathing had already become rough and heavy.
“We are also guilty, and incapable of forgiving ourselves." The youngster
looked at Lan Zao. Since the youngster had reawakened, Lan Zao had been
kneeling down, but now he looked up with hope.
“We were spurred, banished, wanted, and ridiculed by others. So what?”
“Should we not think about it?”
“Should we not do something about it?"
“Reality has already made us suffer, and it is unbearable to have a terrible
life. We only want to become better and do better.”
“In fact, we are always trying.”
“We were stranded on this island together and fought together. In order to hunt
for food and water, we were poisoned. We struggled in the desert, suffered
pursuing beast groups, beat back magic beasts from our camps, trekked a long
way, gathered supplies along the way, constructed a new ship in the ravine, and
broke through the alchemy factory’s obstructions.”
The youngster paced in front the crowd as he repeated his time with them.
What is our purpose?” The youngster opened his arms and asked.
“We want to survive.”
“But that is an insufficient reason!”
“Far from enough.”
“We also want to live better!”
“I’ve always believed this, and I don’t believe you don’t want this!”
“Shut up, shut up. You are a devil, you are stirring them up with false
statements, you are a disgrace. You are too guilty, if your wrongdoing
continues, redemption is impossible!” Jia Sha shouted; the youngster’s words
had made him extremely angry.
The youngster laughed: “Devil? Yes, I am one!”
He clapped his chest and brazenly admitted it.
Then, he pointed into the crowd and resonated: “But it isn’t just me. Everyone
is a devil, a beast!”
“We want to survive, we want to live comfortably, we want abundant food and
water, we want the identities and honor of others, we want divine artifacts,
and we want overflowing contribution. Therefore, you are also like us Lord
Priest!”
In an instant, Jia Sha’s pupils shrank.
The youngster shouted: “On this island, we got lost and were pursued like dying
dogs. We collapsed from hard work, with our only hope being the new ship. For
countless nights, we have prayed together that the weather would clear
tomorrow.”
He continued to stomp his feet and point his finger.
“This is War Merchant’s Mystifying Monster Island. Not only are there
artificial magic beasts here, there are also devils and monsters.”
“We seem to have lost our direction in life, but as a matter of fact, our
hearts understand how we want to move forward.”
“Everyone, listen to your heart’s voice!” The youngster emotionally slapped his
chest, “What do you want in the end? Is it to obediently die here? Do you want
to surrender? Do you trust this priest? Like a dog wagging its tail, do you
want to beg him for your life? After he swallows all of the contribution, like
a master eating everything, will you gnaw on the bone he tosses to you?”
“Bone, this giant doesn’t eat bone, this giant eats meat.” In a daze, the giant
opened his eyes. When he woke up, he saw the youngster and everyone else, and
for a moment, he didn’t react.
“I don’t have the qualifications to lead you. But I want everyone to listen
carefully to their heart, what do you really want?”
“To yield and stop, or to rise vigorously and rebel?”
The crowd was deathly silent.
But this deathly silence was somewhat different from the last one.
As long as one carefully listened, one could hear the people’s beating hearts
and coarse breathing.
“Father, you’re still alive!” The giant shouted, and he got up with ecstasy,
however because he moved too quickly and was still dizzy, he couldn’t stand up
and had to kneel on the ground.
The body double smiled at him, then looked at everyone again.
He didn’t speak again.
He was waiting.
After he waited!
“Master, no matter who you are, you will always be my master!” Lan Zao shouted
as he got up.
“You saved my life many times. I want to follow you, your Lordship.” Bai Ya
exclaimed.
“Compared to Zhen Jin, I have always believed that you are more fit to be a
noble and a knight.” Cang Xu slowly opened his mouth as he wiped his singular
lens.
“You are a hero, our hero.” Mu Ban took out a rapid fire crossbow, causing
others around him to subconsciously move away.
Zong Ge took a deep breath then deeply said: “In my entire life, this is the
most touching speech I have ever listened to. Then let us……fight together one
more time”
The giant stood up, and Zong Ge walked over with Tripleblade following closely.
Lan Zao, Cang Xu, Bai Ya……
Everyone came together at last.
In the end, they converged at the youngster side once again.
But this time.
The youngster was no longer Zhen Jin, a templar knight, a noble, or a divine
scion knight.
But……a monster!



****** Chapter 208: Charging to Meet Death! ******
Seeing everyone gathering at his side, the monstrous youngster smiled.
However, his current form was terrifying and wasn’t human at all, thus the
smile more resembled an evil grin.
He roared and pointed to the ceiling: “The imperial flag is there, noble honor
also enveloped that place, and perhaps the gods’ concern is there too.”
“But that place holds our means to survival and the treasure we desire!”
The monstrous youngster raised his head and shouted, then he took the lead to
rush out of the safe zone, and into the devastating lightning.
“Charge!” The half beastman followed close behind.
“Father!” The giant took a big step and started to run, vibrating the floor.
“Kill——!” More people shouted as they surged out.
“Dammit! They really were enticed by the body double, all of them are charging
up.” Jia Sha was ashen; this was undoubtedly the worst outcome.
Zhen Jin couldn’t see the scene on the third floor, but after hearing everyone
rallying and getting Jia Sha’ confirmation, he immediately became terrified and
promptly shouted: “What are you doing? You’re rebelling! You want to become an
enemy of a templar knight and a Heavenly Emperor Sheng Ming priest, do you want
to become wanted criminals? Do you want to be condemned? The lightning will
strike you all down!”
As if proving his words, at the next moment, someone in the monstrous
youngster’s group was struck by lightning and immediately died!
However, everyone had foreseen this, thus none of them stopped or even slowed
down.
Their charging speed even increased somewhat.
They shouted and yelled, at that moment, they looked like a beast group of
people!
“Why, why is it like this?!” Jia Sha flew into a rage out of humiliation.
At that moment, he seemed to return to the past.
He seemed to see that mob of people who rebelled against their feudal lord.
“You are inferior people! Weeds, worms! Why can’t you recognize reality?”
“Without me, you would have been swallowed up by beast groups. I also brought
you into the alchemy factory! Are you biting the hand that feeds you?!”
“The strong rule the weak, the upper class rules the lower class, this is
heaven’s law and earth’s principles! Yet you want to rebel against it?”
“What can you rebel with? In the end, you will die, all of you will die!”
As if responding to his voice, the chaotic lightning continued to wreak havoc.
Kacha!
Fei She’s eyelids trembled, after the lighting fell, he reacted.
Just a step from him, a muscular companion was turned to dust. He lost his
life, for without battle qi or magic, he couldn’t resist the lightning. The
body double was like this, let alone the others?
“Run for it, run for it!”
Fei She constantly aroused his strength while shouting vengefully in his heart:
“President Zi Di, I will avenge you!”
Despite being like this, because he was obese, he still lagged behind.
But he wasn’t the last one.
The old Cang Xu did his best to run, however he was still last. As he watched
the distance between the group and him increase, he panted for breath and
sighed: “My old arms and legs really make this difficult.”
One by one, the monstrous youngster’s comrades were felled by lightning.
At that moment, it wasn’t strength, but luck that determined their life.
From this, the charge seemed crueler instead.
But no one retreated!
Because they didn’t charge for glory, but to survive. Instead of following
behind some great character, they did it for themselves.
The lightning was like a baptism, a spiritual baptism.
As they got closer to the fourth floor’s stairs, their complexions revealed
malevolence, excitement, zealotry, and brutality.
The brutality was enigmatic.
Hearing everyone’s footsteps get closer, Zhen Jin was thoroughly alarmed.
“Priest! This isn’t encouraging!”
“The lightning hasn’t killed most of them. Most crucially, the body double is
still alive!”
“I am telling you; he is very powerful, and very terrifying! I watched him
easily massacre a leopard leap with my own eyes!”
“Of course, the massacre was also sadistic. To him, it was effortless and a
small demonstration of his impressive skills!”
“Hurry up, open the teleportation gate so we can escape!”
“Shut up for me! Rubbish!!” Jia Sha also looked malevolent, and equal parts
furious and horrified.
But he couldn’t do anything.
He still couldn’t open the teleportation gate, if he could, he would have done
so already!
“Almost there, almost there.”
“This group of wretched sinners! I shouldn’t have expected anything from them,
I shouldn’t have saved them, or used divine spells to amplify or treat them!”
“Guardian templar knights, go down and block the fourth floor stairs, let no
one charge in.”
“I need time, I only need a bit of time!”
But the four guardian templar knights showed a rare hesitation.
“Go now, I won’t make you throw your lives away!” Jia Sha also bellowed while
simultaneously using his authority to remove a crucial limitation.
The four guardian templar knights were ecstatic, they no longer hesitated as
they blocked the stairs.
Apprehensive about the lightning, they never stepped into the stairwell.
From the beginning, the monstrous youngster was at the forefront, and he was
the first to crash into the guardian templar knights.
Without the slightest hesitation, he looked up and crashed into the four
templar knights head-on.
Bang!
With a dull echo, the monstrous youngster was unexpectedly repelled and
ruthlessly thrown to the third floor’s tiles.
“Battle qi!” The monstrous youngster was not lightly wounded as he quickly got
up with red eyes.
That’s right, at that moment, the four guardian templar knights glittered with
the radiance of battle qi.
They all had iron level strength, and as four iron level knights, they could
form an extremely firm defensive line together.
For a long time, Mystifying Monster Island prohibited low level magic and
battle qi, while high level magical artifacts were weakened.
But now, Jia Sha seemed to have lifted the restriction on the fourth floor,
allowing the four guardian templar knights to use their battle qi.
Battle qi……once the monstrous youngster pursued that very thing, because battle
qi was a qualitative change that could help him kill magic beasts stronger than
him.
And now, since the enemy controlled battle qi, he was a monster restrained by
it.
“Iron level battle qi, iron level equipment……” The monstrous youngster caressed
his scorpion carapace. His carapace was at the silver level, however without
the support of battle qi, a hole was cut into it.
The monstrous youngster coldly snorted, and stood up again.
Now that he was in this situation, what could he still do?
He charged again!
Halfway up the stairs, red light emerged from his body, transforming his head
into that of a lizard’s that sprayed a large blob of corrosive liquid.
The acid shot at the four templar knights.
“Be careful!”
“That is green lizard acid.”
A templar knight shouted, he instantly recognized the ins and outs of the young
man’s attack, and quickly lifted his shield.
The shield completely blocked the acid, the acid gurgling and causing white
smoke to rise as it corroded the shield’s surface.
The shield still remained strong.
To thoroughly corrode the shield, at least a hundred more globs of acid were
needed!
Time wouldn’t allow that.
It was also known that the stairwell up to the fourth floor from the third was
also being devastated by the chaotic lightning.
The monster youngster continued to charge.
He undid the lizard form, and as red light flowed away, his head had become a
bat monkey’s.
The next moment, the bat monkey howled, the strong soundwave rippling through
the air could be seen by the naked eye.
The soundwave rushed into the fourth floor, devastating the templar knights’
eardrums.
But the templar knights did not fall, and with iron-like bodies, none even
quivered.
Iron battle qi!
At this crucial moment, they used iron battle qi to protect their eardrums.
Although the soundwave did not affect them, they did hurt Zong Ge and the big
guy, who both blocked their ears in pain.
“How vile!” The monstrous youngster was forced to undo his monkey head.
At best, the young man could only amplify the sound wave attack in a certain
direction, he could not stop it from proliferating all around him, however.
Continuing to use it would instead bring a calamity to those on his side.
Regardless of whether it was the acid or the sound wave, both were ineffective.
Yet, the monstrous youngster still kept charging at the templar knights.
He raised his silver blade while simultaneously stimulating his muscles to
ignite it with electricity.
The blade ferociously chopped down as electricity lit its tip!
The four templar knights acted in concert, two raised their shields to obstruct
the silver spider blade, while the other two thrusted their iron swords from
both sides at the monstrous youngster.
As the silver blade hit the shields, the templar knights’ two swords also hit
the young man’s scorpion carapace.
The young man shouted as he swung his other silver blade.
A templar knight shield went askew, exposing a weak point in the defensive
line.
The young man suddenly undid his silver blade and transformed his left hand
into a bear claw.
The bear claw looked like molten iron, and was incomparably hot. It exploited
the weak point and stabbed the foremost templar knight!
The templar knight had neither shield nor iron sword to protect him on time,
thus he was forced to concentrate his battle qi on his own abdomen.
Iron colored light immediately emerged from the skin of his abdomen.
The youngster’s silver level bear claw was unable to penetrate the iron colored
light!
But the templar knight was unable to offset its immense strength and was beaten
back.
An immense crack formed in the four templar knights’ defensive line.
The monster youngster’s eyes suddenly shined, he took that chance to charge
into the gap.
But the other three templar knights used their swords and shields to push back
the youngster.
The young man’s legs transformed into the legs of a strong life white
rhinoceros, giving him a strong stance.
For a split second, both sides sank into a contest of strength.



****** Chapter 209: The Most Deeply Hidden Person ******
The young man was defeated!
After two breaths of deadlock, the young man was beaten back once again, and
fell down the flight of stairs.
The monstrous youngster quickly stood up again, and looked up at the four
templar knights, his heart felt powerless.
It was different from the first time, the second time the young man had charged
up, he had exhausted his full strength, yet was still defeated. 
“This is the power of battle qi!”
Human bodies were far weaker than beast ones, but with the protection of battle
qi, they could block the silver level bear claws and greatly increase their
bodily essence, allowing them to withstand the monstrous youngster’s strength.
Sound wave attacks were also blocked by battle qi, and were useless.
The four templar knights were only iron levels, and only had iron battle qi. If
it was silver level battle qi, it could be used to both protect the body while
simultaneously imbuing their weapons and armor, making them even stronger.
“It seems that the fourth floor doesn’t restrain battle qi, as long as we
charge through, we can also use battle qi!” Zong Ge rushed over and witnessed
the young man getting punted down in its entirety.
“Correct.” The monstrous youngster took a breath, and charged for a third time.
Unlike before, this time he had Zong Ge behind him.
Liquid acid sprayed onto shields and swords clashed with each other, the four
templar knights’ coordinated defense knocked back the monstrous youngster back
again. 
Then under the youngster enormous shadow, Zong Ge charged.
But he had lost all of his armor, and against four pairs of hands, he had to
retreat wounded after the first clash.
“Father, let me through!” The big guy ran over and saw the monstrous youngster
falling onto the floor, causing him to become exceedingly indignant.
“Be careful! Protecting yourself is vital!” The monstrous youngster’s face
changed as he promptly warned.
But the big guy puffed out his chest, stepped onto the stairs, and with his
hands, pried open the door.
“Courting death!” The four templar knights exploded in anger, and two of them
swung their battle qi infused swords at the big guy’s heart. The other two
lifted their shields to protect themselves and to block the big guy’s attacks.
If the battle qi empowered swords pierced his heart, the big guy would
certainly die.
At that critical moment, the monstrous youngster rushed over and yanked the big
guy’s clothes back.
The big guy suddenly jerked back, causing the templar knights’ swords to
puncture his chest, but not reach his heart.
As the big guy tumbled to the ground, the monstrous youngster continued to
attack. 
At the same time, Zong Ge’s eyes gleamed, he leapt into the air, used the big
guy’s head to reach a higher altitude, then dove at the four templar knights.
“I don’t think so!” At that crucial juncture, the four templar knights swiftly
responded.
Three of them dealt with the monstrous youngster, while the last intercepted
the half beastman in the air.
The young man and Zong Ge were beaten back again!
The increase to battle strength battle qi empowerment gave was too much.
During this deadlock, other companions charged up the stairs.
They wanted to go up, but the young man shouted at them to stop, “Don’t be
impulsive!”
With just their human flesh, these people would be reduced to ghosts by the
templar knights and sacrifice themselves in vain, they could not help the
situation in any way.
“Dammit!” Zong Ge’s wound was constantly bleeding, but he ignored it.
His eyes glowered at the four templar knights, his mind burning with battle
intent, “How can we charge through?”
If he had battle qi, these four templar knights wouldn’t be worth looking at.
Even if he didn’t have battle qi, if this battle was on equal grounds, he had
many ways of dealing with their joint attacks.
“On the one hand, the fourth floor doesn’t restrict battle qi. On the other
hand, they have the advantage of terrain!” Zong Ge analyzed.
“The flight of stairs is very narrow, War Merchant was a goblin, and was the
only one in the control hub, thus these stairs were a comfortable size for him.
“But we humans have to go up one at a time, and cannot attack as two.”
The sturdy stairs could not be destroyed, and they were too narrow.
The monstrous youngster could only continue to charge, and they couldn’t use
their advantage of numbers.
Previously, they had relied on their position to safely defend against the
attacking beast groups. But now they wanted to overcome this very barrier, and
attack the fourth floor.
Snap!
Lightning suddenly crashed down, striking a comrade.
The comrade was turned to ash, and the closeness of his death devastated
everyone.
They had to force their way up, otherwise if they stayed on the third floor,
the lightning would strike them sooner or later!
But charging one by one only played into the enemy’s strength.  
They were at their wits’ end.
Everyone’s heart sank into hopelessness.
“I have a way!” Yet at that moment, Zong Ge suddenly spoke. With bright eyes,
he gazed at the big guy.
“What is it?” Someone immediately asked.
Zong Ge pointed at the blockhead, “He is a human catapult, let him throw us!”
Everyone stared blankly, this was barbarous stratagem!
But the monstrous youngster’s heart was moved, “A good idea!”
They were limited by the stairs, and could not use their numbers. But by using
this method, they could rush the stairs at the same time.
The monstrous youngster was the strongest of them, but he couldn’t stand
against the combined attacks of the four templar knights alone.
If someone was working with him, even if it was only a little, it could give
the monstrous youngster the time and space, this was worth doing!
The blockhead wouldn’t listen to anyone else but the youngster’s commands.
“Child, we are depending on you. You must throw accurately!” The monstrous
youngster reminded.
The big guy took a deep breath, them slapped his chest, “Watch me father!”
The monstrous youngster charged up the stairs again.
Zong Ge walked up to the giant, “Throw me first!”
The big guy bellowed, grabbed the half beastman, then threw him.
Ba thunk.
The half beastman flew into the ceiling, then fell to the floor.
“Good throw!” The half beastmanm badly battered, quickly stood back up, then
walked back to the big guy, “Be a bit more accurate!”
The big guy threw him again.
This time it was on target.
The monstrous youngster was in the middle of the stairs, and when he saw that,
he immediately charged.
He and Zong Ge coordinated implicitly, and for the first time, the four templar
knights wavered.
But they had no time to increase their gains as Zong Ge was already falling.
After all, while he was in the air, it was very difficult to use his strength.
Zong Ge ran back to the giant, battle intent surging turbulently, and roared,
“Continue throwing me, and not just me, the others too. We have to keep up our
offensive, otherwise the other side’s defense will hold.”
“Block them!” Jia Sha bellowed, he was growing impatient and restless.
Thanks to his keen battlefield insight, Zong Ge had found the fault that would
collapse their defenses.
Naturally, the four templar knights thought about killing the big guy for the
greatest insurance.
They immediately used battle skills.
A moment later, a bright blade shot out.
The big guy dodged at once, and the blade light glanced at his waist, causing
blood to bubble out.
The big guy snarled, and his eyes went red, a warning that he was about to go
crazy.
“We’re finished!” Many people cried to themselves.
“Child!” The monstrous youngster roared.
The big guy stared blankly, then by some miracle, he regained his clarity.
He snarled again, and his movements accelerated. He grabbed Zong Ge again, and
like a stone, threw him at the enemy.
One after the other, the comrades in arms flew into the air and charged at the
four templar knights in an unending offensive.
With all of his strength, the monster youngster tangled with the four templar
knights.
For a moment, the templar knights were distracted by the offensive and didn’t
have the leisure to deal with the big guy.
Finally, the monstrous youngster swept through and opened up a gap. A comrade
passed through the gap and fell onto the fourth floor.
However, before he could stand, he was impaled through the stomach.
It was Zhen Jin!
Zhen Jin had already killed the person, but his hand didn’t stop thrusting and
he dotted the corpse with holes.
“Don’t forget about me!”
“With me here, how can you be arrogant? Do you think that if you get into the
fourth floor that everything will be fine?”
I am a templar knight, a templar knight!”
“Ahaha, you will have the honor of dying by my hand.”
“Do you recognize reality? You dregs! Your rebellion shall be ended by me, why
didn’t you obediently listen to my commands?”
Zhen Jin abused the corpse while wildly shrieking his venting feelings.
He burst into laughter, for previously, the monster youngster’s and others’
assault made him nervous and fearful, now it had been superseded by the ecstasy
of victory and pride.
At that moment, everyone was focused on the stairs.
When they heard Zhen Jin’s braying, it just stimulated their battle intent
further.
“Charge, keep charging!” Zong Ge bellowed repeatedly.
The big guy grabbed more companions, and kept tossing them.
“Don’t, don’t throw me.” Cang Xu was forced towards the big guy by the crowd.
The blockhead’s eyes were flushed red, and had already mechanized the motion of
throwing people, thus he didn’t hear Cang Xu’s cries. He grabbed Cang Xu and
threw him.
The old scholar was thin, thus his velocity was greater.
“How terrible!” When the monstrous youngster saw this, he promptly exerted
himself in an attempt to save Cang Xu’s life.
But a templar knight used a battle skill and beat back the young man.
The old scholar wailed as he flew up the stairs, and towards the templar
knights’ swords.
“That’s the moment!” Zong Ge had been waiting for this opportunity, and he
suddenly jumped.
The young man had fallen down during this, and slammed his palm into Zong Ge’s
soles. 
Zong Ge accelerated dramatically and attacked upwards.
At that moment, the templar knights were reorganizing their footing.
The combined attack of Cang Xu and Zong Ge was very swift, and the four templar
knights could only intercept one of them.
They all elected independently to attack Zong Ge.
Zong Ge fought bravely and didn’t retreat.
Swords swung towards him, and with great determination on his face, the half
beastman raised his arm and used it as a shield.
Psssh.
Blood sprayed from Zong Ge’s severed arm!
He seized that opportunity to rush to the fourth floor.
“As long as I set foot on the fourth floor, I can use my battle qi!” Zong Ge
roared madly to himself.
“I don’t think so!” A templar knight shouted, and used his shoulder to collide
with Zong Ge.
Zong Ge’s eyes were sluggish, and the templar knight stopped his charge and
forced him to look on helplessly as he fell back.
But as he fell, he used his remaining hand to grab the templar knight who had
bashed him.
The two tumbled down the stairs together.
By the time the two finished tumbling, Zong Ge had already twisted the templar
knight’s neck during the fall.
At the same time, Cang Xu fell onto the tiles of the fourth floor.
Zong Ge stood up, he was soaked in blood, and turning a blind eye to his
missing arm, he shot flames at the three templar knights.
When the three templar knights saw the bloodied lion, they all took a step back
involuntarily.
“Don’t be afraid. I have already succeeded!” Jia Sha suddenly said.
A moment later, teleportation was turned on. 
“Haha, priest, well done!! We are victorious in the end, let’s leave these
people here to die!” Zhen Jin was ecstatic.
While he said that, he leapt at the unarmed and defenseless scholar, his sword
aimed at Cang Xu’s chest.
When he saw that, even someone as tough as Zong Ge couldn’t help but shudder.
This included the monstrous youngster, all of them despaired.
Cang Xu had just stood up when his heart was skewered.
Zhen Jin malevolently laughed at Cang Xu, “Old fool, on what basis did you dare
come up here? Did you come up here to receive death?” Hehehe!”
Zhen Jin’s eyes widened, he wanted to enjoy Cang Xu’s panic and helplessness as
he approached death’s door.
But neither happened.
Cang Xu instead smiled.
Ping.
A moment later, a gush of magic power undulated on the fourth floor.
Astonished, Zhen Jin was struck away by the magic power.
Jia Sha and the three templar knights were likewise astonished.
Cang Xu pulled out the rapier from his heart, “Ah, I can finally use magic.”
From his chest, a single strand of blood leaked out.
So little blood came out!
Cang Xu wiped his hand across his chest, and the wound was sewn back together.
“You…you…you……” Zhen Jin crawled up, he looked incomparably frightened.
Jia Sha tenaciously gazed at Cang Xu, his face ashen, “You are a necromancer!”
The three templar knights were stunned silent, and they suddenly realized their
blunder.
The weak and old scholar had been the most deeply hidden person.
An iron level necromancer!!



****** Chapter 210: The Swindler and The Monster ******
When some of the people on the stairwell saw Cang Xu use necromancy, they were
also alarmed.
It was when they just landed on Mystifying Monster Island.
There was not enough food, thus the first mate assembled the first exploration
team.
Cang Xu had volunteered.
Someone secretly disdained him, “That old man, does he not know himself?
Instead of obediently hiding in camp, he wants to travel into the rainforest,
he simply is courting death!”
……
Everyone that had been pursued by the scorpion group was at the end of their
rope.
Bai Ya was wounded and unconscious, and the rest berated Cang Xu.
“It was because he saved you that Bai Ya was harmed!” One of them grabbed the
old man by the collar and lifted him up.
Cang Xu coldly snorted, then suddenly waved his arm.
With a pow, the exploration team member’s grip was broken.
The exploration team member was caught off guard, and they recoiled back two
steps. He looked at Cang Xu with bewilderment, the old man’s strength seemed to
have gone against his expectations.
……
In a cave, Cang Xu had recounted his life to the body-double youngster.
“I occupied a position of power and at first, no one thought highly of me. They
believed that I was extremely feeble, that I was only a simple scholar, and
that one assassination could end my life. But in reality, I held the position
for over thirty years.”
“He was called Lan Tu and he daydreamed all day of becoming a knight. He was my
most trusted aide and assistant. After being seduced by the feudal lord’s third
young miss, the youngster decided to betray me. He accused me and claimed that
I was a dangerous criminal who had been hiding for many years, that I had
malice towards the fief and the feudal lord’s entire family, and that I had
been secretly conspiring against them.”
“You can eat me, Lord Zhen Jin!’
……
Everyone stopped their footsteps as the three templar knights fixed their
attention on Cang Xu.
The teleportation gate was emitting a blue light.
Jia Sha had both succeeded and failed.
Because Cang Xu stood in front of the teleportation gate.
Zhen Jin got up, the rapier in his hand was clearly trembling.
Jia Sha’s voice broke the weird serenity, “Hehe, I didn’t expect that the final
winner would actually be you! Hmph, an insignificant iron level.”
Honestly speaking, Cang Xu’s life level wasn’t that great, he was only an iron
level. He belonged to the lower levels of cultivation ranks.
However, right now, both sides had depleted too much of their strength, and
were approaching their limits.
The sudden reveal of Cang Xu’s iron level strength and his abundant magic power
had instantly overturned the entire war situation.
Jia Sha deeply sighed, “You win, congratulations, Cang Xu. Now you can escort
me and Zhen Jin through the teleportation gate. In the future, even if imperial
might surrounds you, you can use us as negotiation chips.”
Zhen Jin’s face changed, then he yelled, “I am the Bai Zhen Clan’s sole heir,
I. I can pay the ransom, a generous ransom!”
Below, everyone’s hearts jumped, they sensed things were anything but
reassuring.
The teleportation gate was already opened.
Cang Xu was already on the fourth floor, no one could stop him.
He could go through the teleportation gate and escape with his life!
A moment prior, everyone sincerely believed that Cang Xu wouldn’t abandon his
companions. But in the wake of Cang Xu exposing himself as a necromancer,
everyone’s confidence in him took a dive.
This was what necromancers were!
In the empire, and even every other continent had long propagated that
necromancers were callous to the extreme, killed people like flies, lacked all
humanity, and were dangerous criminals that played with souls.
Now the focus of everyone’s eyes, Cang Xu smiled, then tilted sideways to look
at Jia Sha, “You deserve to be called a Sheng Ming templar priest, that even at
this stage, you still seek to grasp victory from defeat.”
“……”
“Unfortunately, you don’t understand. Regardless of whether one is upper or
lower class, regardless of whether one is a priest or a criminal, everyone has
a heart. Even I do…a necromancer with an impaled heart.”
Just as he said that, Cang Xu ignored Jia Sha’s dramatic change in expression
as he attacked again.
Necromancy was cast, causing the three templar knights to freeze, and their
movements became stiff.
Using this opportunity, the monstrous youngster gave a rallying cry and crashed
into the three knights, finally ascending to the fourth floor!
“Great job, Cang Xu!” The young man burst into laughter.
Cang Xu smiled back.
Plop.
A moment later, the young man spat out some blood, the unbearable pain caused
him to kneel on the ground.
Cang Xu’s expression changed.
“What are you doing? Cang Xu!” Soon after, Zong Ge charged up and shielding the
young man.
Now on the fourth floor, he finally regained control, and all over him, there
was a silver light.
Silver battle qi!
This half beastman was a silver level cultivator.
“Hold on, it wasn’t Cang Xu, I am the reason.” The young man intervened on
behalf of Cang Xu.
After being struck by lightning, the young man had already realized what the
problem was.
“My transformations caused this!”
“I changed my bloodline to that of those remodeled magic beasts. Those magic
beasts were all incomplete beings, they needed the magic prohibition
environment to exist.”
“The fourth floor doesn’t have the magic prohibition, and my compound
transformations into those remodeled magic beasts are no longer stable!”
The young man tried to lessen his transformations.
Sure enough, the pain rapidly receded.
Only after he turned back into the appearance of Zhen Jin, retaining just the
scorpion shell, did the sharp pain alleviate enough that he was able to endure
it for the time being.
He slowly stood up, and his body too radiated with silver light.
Like Zong Ge, he had also awakened his internal battle qi.
The youngster spared a moment to sigh ruefully: the battle qi he had so looked
forward to was once again within his grasp on the control hub’s fourth floor.
The three templar knights retreated back to Jia Sha.
The body double youngster and the half beastman were silver fighters, and with
Cang Xu, an iron level necromancer, Jia Shan and Zhen Jin couldn’t turn the
tides.
The overall situation had been decided!
The others quickly ascended up the stairs, including the big guy, and all of
them piled into the fourth floor.
“Zi Di!” The young man cried out.
“Don’t get any closer, or else I shall skewer her head!” Zhen Jin clutched Zi
Di’s neck and dragged her up, simultaneously using his other hand to point the
rapier at Zi Di’s chin.
Zi Di was in terrible shape, she was covered in cuts and her blood drenched her
apprentice mage gown.
She was deathly pale, without blood. Her once pure and glittering amethyst like
eyes had become dull.
“Let her go, that’s my president!” Fei She growled, his mind was in complete
disarray.
“As long as you agree to let me go, I will release your beloved woman!” Zhen
Jin tenaciously stared at the body double youngster, half threatening, half
begging.
But at that moment, his movements froze, as if he had fallen into a world of
ice and snow, his entire spirit had gone rigid.
“Now!” Cang Xu urged, he had used magic on the sly.
A soundless cast!
The necromancer had a deep mastery of casting.
The body double youngster suddenly stepped forth, and like a human arrow, he
reached Zhen Jin in the blink of an eye.
Thump.
Silver battle qi flashed.
Zhen Jin coughed out blood as he tumbled away like a sack. The rapier in his
hand fell on the tiles with a clang and slid away.
The body double youngster embraced Zi Di, the latter’s heavy injuries caused
the young man’s heart to sink.
He promptly undid Zi Di’s handbag around her waist and took out healing
medicine.
The young man used a trembling hand to sprinkle the medicine on Zi Di’s wounds
and pour it into Zi Di’s mouth.
But the medicine simply wasn’t enough.
“Lord President!!!” Fei She also wanted to run over, however he tumbled halfway
there, battered and exhausted.
As if sensing the young man’s warm hug, Zi Di slowly opened her eyes.
“Zi Di!” The young man was overjoyed. 
Zi Di weakly smiled to the young man, and barely opened her mouth, “I…knew you
would come back.”
“Sorry I came late, sorry I came late.” The young man lowered his head and
wept, he was brimming with self-blame.
“No, I should be the one who says sorry. I…should have said sorry earlier. I am
not your princess, I am only…a swindler.” In the last moments of her life, Zi
Di finally had the courage to confess to the young man.
Her heart was filled with both love and remorse.
“Forgive me forgive me…” Zi Di gazed at the young man, she wanted to extend her
hand and caress the youngster’s cheek.
However, darkness surged, and her dusky field of view went black.
The girl’s hand stretched out halfway, then flopped down.
The young man’s heart trembled with horror as he reached out to hold the young
lady’s hand.
Ice cold.
Regardless of whether it was the girl’s hand or the young man’s heart.
“No, no, no…” The young man foolishly stammered, tears rolling from his eyes.
“Don’t sleep, you can’t sleep, Zi Di.”
“Wake up, wake up and look at me.”
The young man kept repeating himself, but nothing responded back.
The eyes of the girl in his arms were shut, and she no longer breathed.
“Please, please there has to be a way.”
“There must be something, there has to be something that can save Zi Di!”
“Right, the heart magic core. As long as turn Zi Di’s flesh into that of a
Strong Life White Rhinoceros, she can avoid death!”
But the young man failed.
Perhaps it was possible, but he had never tried and didn’t know what to do. The
red light couldn’t separate itself from his body, let along extend itself to Zi
Di’s.
“Help me, someone help me now!” The young man exasperatedly beseeched his
companions.
Many of them couldn’t bear to look at him.
“I can!” Cang Xu ran over.
Fei She also came to Zi Di’s side, then when he saw that Zi Di was dead, his
legs gave out and he fell to the ground, howling in grief.
Cang Xu quickly examined Zi Di, then shook his head, “She is already dead.”
“But you must have some method, right?” The young man looked up at Cang Xu.
Facing the young man’s eyes, Cang Xu gave an indeterminate nod, “Her body is
already dead, but as for her soul, I can still do something.”
“I can try to transform her soul into a ghost.”
“Gho, ghost?!” Fei She’s eyes widened with fright.
The young man’s expression also changed.
“This is the only thing I can do. At the same time, I am also very unsure about
it. Not everyone’s soul can be transformed into a ghost, and making things more
difficult, Miss Zi Di has depleted too much of her spirit. To be honest, there
is a miniscule chance she’ll be able to be reborn as a ghost.” Cang Xu stated
frankly.
He gave the body-double youngster the power to choose.
Was it better for Zio Di’s corpse to be desecrated by necromancy for that slim
chance, or should he let Zi Di pass away in peace?
A mere second later, the young man issued his decision, “Then do it, Cang Xu,
you must do everything you can!”
“Of course, my Lord. I sincerely hope that I have the power to help you.” After
saying that, Cang Xu began to chant and use necromancy.
However, when the necromancy flowed into Zi Di, she didn’t react.
Ten seconds, twenty, thirty seconds, one minute, two minutes…
Cang Xu sighed, “I failed.”
Fei She slumped down, paralyzed.
The young man was a sluggish as stone, as his entire being fell into the abyss
of despair.
On the other side, the fight Zong Ge was dominating was also spinning to its
end.
He had hacked the three templar knights to death, captured Jia Sha, who was out
of divine power, and Zhen Jin, who had been seriously wounded by the youngster,
surrendered willingly, his fighting spirit gone.
“Don’t kill me, my father will pay a great sum to redeem me. All of you will
become wealthy!” Zhen Jin shouted.
“Hehehe.” But Jia Sha actually laughed, “Even if you win, you won’t dare to
kill me, because I control the teleportation gate. Do you think you can pass
through the teleportation gate? Without my permission, you cannot escape!”
Everyone was startled.
“He is right!” Zhen Jin promptly shrieked, “Not long ago, as the tower spirit
was dying, Zi Di’s and his spirit fought over the authority. With Zi Di dead,
Jia Sha won, he is now our sole hope to escape this place!”
“That…” Zong Ge and the others hesitated.
“Don’t forget, I am also a magician. Since your spirits eroded the authority
here, I can do the same.” Cang Xu interjected.
Everyone had just begun to smile when they were extinguished by Jia Sha, “You
have the ability to, but the time has passed! The magic power reservoir has
been spent, the lightning that keeps striking the third floor is consuming your
slot to escape. Hehehe, by the time you break in and obtain the authority, the
magic power reservoir will have been long drained. The best way to escape is
cooperating with me!”  
“Don’t forget me, priest, don’t forget about me!” Zhen Jin reminded at once.
“Shut up!” Tripleblade slapped Zhen Jin to the ground.
Zhen Jin’s head hit the tiles, bloodying his skin with cuts.
After being disciplined, Zhen Jin finally shut his mouth.
Zong Ge’s expression was as heavy as water, the situation was far more critical
than he had expected, “We can all be teleported? How many can be teleported?
Can you prove what your words?”
Jia Sha glanced at Cang Xu, the latter had already begun to use his magic power
to erode authority, “Cang Xu can prove it, as long as he occupies a point of
authority, his spirit can check how much magic power is left in the reservoir.”
A half minute later, Cang Xu sighed, “He’s right. There is only a little magic
power, it can only teleport five people.
Everyone was in an uproar.
There were many present, far more than five.
Jia Sha broke out in giggles, “You better talk it over well, who will leave,
who will stay?”
For a moment, the expression of many changed, the mood shifting to a more
subdued state.  
“Don’t let that old bastard stir things up!” The body-double youngster shouted.
Everyone gazed at him, he was walking towards them, his face stained with both
blood and tears. But his eyes were still resolute and clear, “We will leave
together, if we can’t, then we will die together!!”
The direct and efficient declaration and unflinching look caused everyone’s
hearts to relax.
“That’s right, that’s how it should be!”
“We shall listen to you, your Lordship.”
“To die together, to live together!!”
“Hahaha, even if we die, we will still profit by begin buried with these
bigshots.”
Everyone shouted, all of them approved of the youngster’s words.
“These people are all insane, they are actually listening to that monster!”
Zhen Jin’s eyes widened, fear was filling them. But because Tripleblade had
slapped him, he could only madly roar in his heart, he didn’t dare to make a
sound.
Jia Sha’s expression changed, “Are you certain? Are you sure you want to give
up this last chance?”
“Hehehe.”
“I urge everyone to calm down a bit.”
“Why don’t you think about your wives, your children, your parents, or perhaps
the burdens and expectations you are shouldering?”
“Even though most of you will die, some of you can survive, why do you want to
give that up?”
“Even dead men can request many things from the survivors.”
Like a sharp arrow, the priest’s words pierced everyone’s hearts.
“Shut up, if it weren’t for you coveting the divine artifact, we could have
left already.” The body-double youngster walked over, hate filled his face.
Jia Sha smiled, “What use is it in speaking about that now?”
“You only want to see us strife with each other, and fight amongst ourselves.
Since you hold teleportation authority, the final decision on who can or cannot
escape lies with you.” As the young man said this, he drew a dagger.
It was Zi Di’s dagger, it had mainly been used for collecting medicine, and was
of extraordinary quality.
In the spider forest, Zi Di had tossed this very dagger to the body-double
youngster so he could free himself.
“What are you doing…ack!” Jia Sha suddenly scowled.
The young man ruthlessly thrusted the dagger into his belly.
“What am I doing? Taking vengeance of course! Not only for Zi Di, but for
everyone’s animosity.” At that moment, the young man looked quite terrifying,
he looked like the blackened surface of lava that, at any time, could
wrathfully rush out and swallow everything!
Sensing the youngster’s killing intent, Jia Sha stopped pretending.
What kind of person was Jia Sha?
How could he compromise with these lowly underclass people?
He only wanted to enjoy watching them tear each other to shreds as he lay
dying.
Cang Xu then spoke, “Jia Sha has deceived us, he is in an extremely terrible
state, and has exhausted all of his potential and vitality. Without immense
merits that would grant him at least a legend level divine spell treatment, he
will soon die.”
Jia Sha shrugged his shoulders high and pointlessly smiled, “Then we shall die
together.”
“Don’t worry, you won’t get off that easily.” The body-double youngster took a
step back, then looked at all the others, “Next, you all should come take your
revenge.”
Everyone stared blankly at him, but soon got his meaning.
“I will go first.” The closest companion quickly walked to Jia Sha, took the
dagger, then stabbed him once
Jia Sha grunted, his eyes seemed to be shooting flames.
Immediately afterwards, another companion took over to stab him with the knife.
Before leaving, he didn’t forget to spit on Jia Sha’s face.
The priest angrily shuddered all over, “You group of untouchables,
untouchables!!”
Another companion walked over and stabbed Jia Sha.
The young man crossed his arms, supervising this to the side.
Finally, it was Bai Ya’s turn. The youngster trembled as he took the dagger,
his eyes closed as he thrusted forth.
The dagger pierced Jia Sha’s body.
As death approached, Jia Sha nevertheless howled with laughter, “Your sins
cannot be forgiven, you will all die, all of you must die. You will never
obtain the Gods’ redemption, your souls will be cast into hell and the
abyss…ack!”
His stunned expression froze on his face.
He rigidly gazed ahead, like he was seeing some unimaginable sight.
Everyone followed his gaze and looked yonder.
A moment later, everyone else was shocked dumb.
A ghost was unhurriedly shaking out of Zi Di’s corpse and wafting in the air.
“Zi Di!” After recovering, the youngster cheered with joy.
Fei She clapped Cang Xu’s back, “You did it, you did it!”
The clap staggered Cang Xu and he almost fell, shock spread across his face,
“Her broken soul became a ghost, nigh impossible, unless…”
A possibility floated into his mind, and Cang Xu decided to ask, “Miss Zi Di,
did you once cultivate necromancy?”



****** Chapter 211: Self-destruct ******
“What, what happened to me?” Zi Di was startled to find her body and limbs
appeared to be a translucent gray color.
And on the ground, her pale body no longer breathed, because she had lost too
much blood.
“So, I turned into a ghost?” Zi Di realized in her daze.
In that moment, Cang Xu’s voice inquired: “Miss Zi Di, did you also practice
necromancy?”
Zi Di slightly stared, then she recalled her days at the Academy of Magic.
Once, a suitor gave her some taboo knowledge——the soul devourer magic
cultivation technique.
When her future was dark and when her hopeless aptitude had almost driven her
insane, she embraced the soul devourer cultivation technique she had obtained
by a fluke.
In the end, before using it for the first time, she saw that suitor killed on
the spot because he cultivated necromancy.
Although Zi Di was also tested, perhaps because she only cultivated necromancy
briefly and superficially, nothing was detected.
Thus, Zi Di was immensely frightened, and after that lesson, she no longer
touched necromancy.
“I didn’t expect necromancy would indirectly save my life.” Zi Di whispered as
she nodded to Cang Xu.
Cang Xu understood clearly: “As expected.”
He was not surprised that Zi Di could access knowledge pertaining to
necromancy.
The school of necromancy was also one of the major schools of magic. Its
founder was You Can.
When You Can first founded it, they only spread it to a few apprentices.
Necromancy was always hidden away and developed slowly.
Eventually, it was exposed one day. Both the people and the gods were
terrified!
The school of Necromancy targeted life, thus it naturally provoked hate.
Necromancy also touched the secrets of the soul, and as this was the gods’
restricted domain, they immediately ordered its destruction.
As a legend, You Can had no choice but to hide and wander all over. They became
the enemy of almost all people, and all gods.
As a way of rebelling, You Can began to scatter knowledge of necromancy and did
their best to circulate it.
Necromancy’s original advantage was that it allowed those with limited
aptitudes and talent to see new hope.
For a moment, necromancy bred like flies and continued to do so despite
repeated prohibition. This consumed every major power’s energy while allowing
the true necromancer elites to hide better.
“Many thanks Cang Xu, I definitely wouldn’t have been able to condense my soul
into a ghost.” Zi Di expressed her gratitude, “Also, thank you for killing Jia
Sha. I have now completed my contract with the tower spirit to kill that
priest.”
After the contract was fulfilled, Zi Di’s spirit was no longer burdened, only
by breaking away from this final shackle could she transform her soul into a
ghost.
“Zi Di.” The body double youngster moved toward the ghost girl, with a complex
expression he extended his hand, however he only touched air.
“Your Lordship……” The ghost girl Zi Di looked on helplessly as her fingers
passed through his, and her heart filled with emptiness and disappointment.
However, the two continued to look at each other with deep love.
“Cough cough.” Cang Xu coughed twice and couldn’t help but warn, “You two,
don’t forget we are still in danger, we should think of a way to escape this
island.”
Met with Cang Xu’s warning, the girl suddenly reacted from her entangled
emotions.
Zi Di’s face was solemn: “This is the most important place in War Merchant’s
alchemy factory control hub. I will continue to erode the tower spirit and
seize the authority here. I will find out if there is a way to escape this
place soon? It is very possible War Merchant has elemental crystals in his
storage that we can use to replenish the magic power reserve. With sufficient
magic power, we can teleport away.”
Zong Ge walked over, his severed arm had already been hastily bandaged:
“Actually we have another option, the flame dragon king. It's not out of the
question, we may be able to negotiate with it. By giving up a portion of
contribution, he can grant us a helping hand.”
“This……can only be considered as a last resort?”
“Previously, we really offended him.”
“He is a legendary dragon king; will he take us ants into consideration?”
“Perhaps, we can help him escape the seal.”
“Without us, I can still see him escaping.”
“Don’t say that, if we want to negotiate with him, won’t we need to deal with
those golems first?”
Everyone whispered and discussed.
As Jia Sha was tormented to death, the teleportation door disappeared. The
third floor still had chaotic lightning, while the second and first floor still
had artificial magic beasts tearing at each other's throats.
Everyone could only find another path.
Zi Di began to invade the privileges again.
The process was very smooth and quick.
“Without Jia Sha hindering me and the tower spirit seeming to have withered
away, my journey is unimpeded!” Zi Di quickly obtained complete teleportation
privileges, weather control privileges, and more.
She first stopped the lightning, controlled the odor again, and took command
over the artificial magic beasts the tower spirit controlled.
Under the beast groups’ watchful gaze, some people left the control hub while
the body double youngster and several others continued to protect Zi Di while
she continued to invade the privileges.
“I already control the magic power reserve, however there isn’t much magic
power left.”
“I have just gained authority over the alchemy golems.”
“There are many warehouses here, there might be some elemental crystals hidden
in them.”
Every piece of good news was transmitted from Zi Di’s mouth.
Zong Ge’s group had left the control hub and headed towards the warehouses that
might have elemental crystals.
During their journey, they encountered alchemy golems and magical traps, all of
which were under Zi Di’s control. Each of them moved quickly, it was like
galloping through a flat prairie.
Waiting until the manpower came, the warehouse metal door then automatically
opened with a rumble.
“This place has ore.”
“This place has processed alchemy materials, and even Obscure Gold!”
“These look like pieces of alchemy golems. I understand now, this is an alchemy
golem’s module.”
“Good news, we found several boxes of magic scrolls.”
There were a few healing scrolls in the bunch, they were then quickly sent to
the control hub.
On the fourth floor, the wounded used the scrolls to heal themselves. Zong Ge’s
arm was also attached; however, he still couldn’t use it in the short term as
it remained bandaged. Zi Di’s corpse also received strong treatment.
Cang Xu faintly shook his head: “That won’t work, her heart has already stopped
beating, after being dead for too long, common treatment methods can only make
a corpse intact, nothing more.”
“Her internal organs are already beginning to rot; she must be frozen to slow
down the decay.”
As a necromancer, Cang Xu was also an expert at handling corpses, thus he was
the one using the ice magic scroll.
Thus, Zi Di’s body was sealed in an icy coffin.
Bang rumble……
Another earthquake happened.
“Make haste, hurry up!”
“If this continues, the flame dragon king might escape his prison at any
moment.”
“We should control that magma battlefield.”
The exploration team was becoming increasingly nervous as they raced against
time to continue exploring.
Finally, they found their target.
“This should be an elemental crystal warehouse!”
However, everyone despaired, for the warehouse was empty.
By the wayside, there were one or two elemental crystals left on the ground.
“This passage leads directly to the magic power reserve; it seems the tower
spirit has already replenished it with elemental crystals.”
“If we can’t replenish magic power, how can we escape?”
“Search! Keep searching.”
“Maybe War Merchant’s storage has an alchemy airship, we can’t say for sure.”
Everyone suffered a blow, but none of them abandoned hope.
Another door was opened through Zi Di’s authority.
This warehouse was filled with translucent white crystal pillars.
With difficulty, everyone discovered these white crystal pillars were not
natural ore, but an alchemy product.
Zi Di was delighted at this discovery: “That is the tower spirit. Or to be more
accurate, that is the medium the tower spirit is placed in. It’s like the
relationship between the soul and the corporeal body.
Zi Di didn’t want to stay on the fourth floor.
She already obtained all privileges, no matter where she was, she could use
them.
Very quickly, she personally came to the white crystal pillars.
“There are many databases here, the memory storage and written records here
contain the secrets of War Merchant’s alchemy factory!” Saying this, Zi Di
began to invade with her spirit.
The body double youngster also felt a rush of excitement as he thought of his
magic core, those crystal pillars must contain information about it!
“I found the alchemy factory’s blueprint, there are three elemental crystal
warehouses altogether.”
“Hold on, this is a records table. All of the elemental crystals have been
consumed to replenish magic power.”
Zi Di’s reporting made the people happy for a moment, then concerned.
Tripleblade urged: “Search now, is there an airship tarmac?”
Zi Di shook her head: “No such installation, wait a minute, what is this?”
“I found records of War Merchant’s and his apprentice’s journeys……”
“An alchemy ship!”
“An alchemy ship is stored on this island, War Merchant sometimes used it to
travel.”
Zi Di’s discovery made everyone cheer.
They didn’t have a way to replenish magic power, and hadn’t found an alchemy
airship, but an alchemy ship was enough to sustain their hopes of escape.
“Warning, warning!”
“Tower spirit had been invaded by another spirit, intruder discovered,
discovered all privileges have been lost……”
The tower spirit’s voice echoed again, causing everyone to become very nervous.
However, the tower spirit’s voice soon became intermittent, after constantly
examining itself, it found all authority was in Zi Di’s hands.
“It seems the tower spirit really was dying.” Everyone relaxed for a breath
before suddenly hearing the tower spirit’s voice once again.
“Incapable of counterattacking, self-destruct countdown initialized, database
destruction initialized.”
Everyone turned pale with fright.
The immense crystal pillars also began to collapse. On their surface, countless
cracks quickly spread and broke down, turning them into dust.
“The countdown has begun; this is the final self-destruct. As long as it isn’t
War Merchant, no one can stop it!” Zi Di involuntarily shouted.



****** Chapter 212: Beast Knight ******
“We need to flee now!” Someone held their head.
“Don’t worry, we still have some time.” Cang Xu maintained his calm.
Zi Di subconsciously took a deep breath and her eyes seemed to flicker like
gold coins: “Time is limited, not only do we need to leave alive, we need to do
our best to acquire the greatest benefits! A reserve medium is in warehouse 12,
move it here. Now!”
Everyone immediately acted.
The tower spirit’s reserve medium was a gigantic crystal ball that was many
times taller than a person.
The crystal ball was pushed to the crystal pillars, then under Zi Di’s control,
the tower spirit began to move.
More than half of the crystal pillars had collapsed already.
The tower spirit was too weak, and it could do nothing to resist as it was
moved into the crystal ball.
Zi Di looked at the nearly collapsed and bamboo thin crystal pillars: “Only a
third of the memory database has been transported with the tower spirit, one
third has collapsed, and one third remains here. A real pity, these things are
extremely valuable, however we can’t take them.”
“By researching these, can we learn the truth of Mystifying Monster Island?”
Cang Xu asked.
“Certainly” Zi Di immediately moved, her spirit constantly pried into the
crystal pillars.
Mystifying Monster Island really was War Merchant’s headquarters. When a small
squadron from the Blood Light Punishment Institution suddenly attacked, War
Merchant was caught unprepared. After barely sealing the flame dragon king, he
finally died by a legendary weapon.
The Blood Light Punishment Institution’s saint levels also all died.
Both sides nearly destroyed each other.
“The third floor’s mysterious treasure is called the Bloodcore. War Merchant
used it and the first floor’s Green Jade Golden Coffin to make batches of
artificial magic beasts.” Zi Di’s words made the youngster’s heart jump.
The body double youngster was just about to ask Zi Di for his true origin, but
after hearing that, he immediately altered his thinking and rapidly asked:
“What information do you have on the Bloodcore? How did War Merchant make it?
How can it be controlled?”
“I was just investigating that……” Zi Di tightly scowled, her spirit was always
focused.
But at that moment, the crystal pillar collapsed in a bang, and turned into
white dust that fell to the ground.
Everyone was dumbstruck.
After a few seconds, Zi Di took the lead and reacted first: “Hurry, transport
everything that can be moved.”
“Abandon the raw materials that still need to be refined!”
“The alchemy golem components are too heavy; we don’t want them.”
“Does anyone still remember the goods in the plaza? We need those weapons!”
“The Bloodcore and Mermaid Fairy Tale are a must.”
“Don’t forget the boxes of magic scrolls and the tower spirit medium.”
“Hurry hurry hurry, move everything!”
The ghost girl’s high-pitched screeching voice immediately seized leadership
from the body double youngster as it commanded with incomparable power.
Everyone rapidly acted.
Most of the treasures were concentrated in one place.
Zong Ge creased his brows: “Hold on, don’t forget about the flame dragon king.
After the self-destruct, the alchemy magic formation will also break. If it
escapes, we will be at a disadvantage. Even if we have a ship, we can’t escape
far.”
Zi Di replied: “The alchemy factory’s self-destruct is extraordinary, not only
will it completely destroy Mystifying Monster Island, it will also warp space,
cause banishment, and have other effects. In other words, after the explosion,
the ruins and slag will be banished to another plane nothing will remain in its
original location.”
Zong Ge asked again: “Can the explosion kill the flame king dragon?”
Zi Di pursed her brows and hesitated: “I don’t know, after all I was only at
the iron level in life, that’s all.”
“Let me chat with it.” The body double youngster said, “We killed the Sheng
Ming priest, and are also holding a noble heir captive. If we can successfully
negotiate with it, maybe it can take the guilt off of us. But the prerequisite
to this, is we need to part with much of our spoils of war.”
Everyone’s eyes shined equally.
“If our guilt can be removed, that would be for the best.”
“Yes, no one wants to be hunted by the empire.”
“My Lord, I will come with you!”
The body double youngster shook his head: “No, I can move faster by myself.
Most of the golems in the magma battlefield were War Merchant’s direct
subordinates, without the alchemy factory's authority controlling them, it is
very dangerous.”
“Zi Di, I need you to command these artificial magic beasts to fight for time
and space so I can converse with the flame dragon king.
“No problem!” Zi Di immediately agreed.
The body double youngster entered the magma battlefield again.
Using the artificial magic beasts to attack the alchemy golems, the youngster
hid behind a boulder in a remote corner, then he fished out the second
Bloodcore.
This was a significant divine artifact and was naturally in his care.
His heart’s urge to swallow made him instinctively activate the Bloodcore in
his heart, emitting red light.
The red light extended to the second Bloodcore, rapidly melting the latter and
transforming it into a ball of red light.
After a moment, all of the red light returned.
As the two Bloodcores fused into one entity, the youngster’s Bloodcore faintly
grew.
The incomparable desire to swallow that tormented the youngster also vanished
completely.
“Bloodcore……”
There wasn’t time for the body double youngster to examine the Bloodcore’s new
changes, because the artificial magic beasts were winning.
The youngster immediately appeared and ran to the edge of the magma.
“Flame dragon king!” He shouted, opening negotiations with the flame dragon
king.
The negotiations didn’t go smoothly.
Seeing the youngster return, the flame dragon king immediately realized War
Merchant was already dead. Someone as arrogant as it didn’t wish to divide the
contribution with these small insects.
From its point of view, this was rational.
War Merchant’s death was caused by the Blood Light Punishment Institution’s
squadron. The young knight’s group was simply here by chance, nothing more. If
he wasn’t forced by circumstance, the youngster wouldn’t have tried to
negotiate with it.
“You dregs don’t have a choice!”
“Do you really think you can negotiate with a king?”
“Hahaha, ridiculous! For what reason? Are you relying on your freedom?”
“Without my help, you will all die! Even if you don’t help me escape, I can
still escape this alchemy formation, when that happens, you will face my fury!”
“Now, I order you to open this alchemy formation and grovel for forgiveness.
Perhaps if I’m in a good mood, I will spare some of your lives. Hahaha.”
The negotiation with the flame dragon king was an utter failure.
The body double youngster was frustrated and worried.
This was a failure, if the self-destruct didn’t kill the flame dragon king, the
latter would definitely demand the exploration team’s lives!
What should be done?
The Bloodcore thirsting impulse came again.
But this thirst wasn’t as strong as the last one.
The youngster’s heart was moved: “Perhaps, the Bloodcore can……”
According to his heart’s intuition, he began to use the Bloodcore.
The red light permeated through the alchemy formation and gradually covered the
flame dragon king’s enormous body.
“What are you doing?”
“Hehehe, do you also think you can harm me?!”
“Lowly insect, you cannot imagine harming a grand legend.”
One minute later.
“No, no!”
“You cannot do this to me!”
“You wretched insect……good, good! I admit you are qualified to negotiate with
me, we can speak now.”
The youngster was indifferent: “No, negotiations are unnecessary.”
After the red light completely covered the flame dragon king, it quickly melted
its body.
The flame dragon king wrathfully roared and endlessly cursed the young knight.
Then, it disappeared.
It had completely transformed into a gigantic ball of red light and a massive
pile of carbon ash.
As the carbon ash was quickly engulfed by the magma, the red light flowed back
into the youngster’s new Bloodcore.
“I, I can actually use this Bloodcore to kill a legend level existence!” The
youngster was endlessly shocked by this result.
Leaving the remaining artificial magic beasts and alchemy golems still
fighting, the youngster quickly returned to everyone else.
“Negotiations have failed.” He stated.
This outcome made everyone’s heart drop; however, it wasn’t unexpected.
“Now, we can only hope the self-destruct explosion kills it.”
“At worst, it will be banished to a different plane!”
No one knew the flame dragon king was already dead.
The body double youngster opened his mouth, but in the end his heart sighed,
and he didn’t speak of the Bloodcore.
Everyone carried the treasure and squeezed into three underground rail carts.
The rail carts quickly moved, and not long after, they stopped at an underwater
dock.
Here, they saw the alchemy ship.
It looked like a gigantic blue-gold fish.
“It is called the Deep Sea Monster Fish!” With her complete authority, Zi Di
easily led everyone through the passage and onto the Deep Sea Monster Fish.
Passing by the Deep Sea Monster Fish’s exploration equipment, the youngster had
a discovery: “As it turns out, this place is the desert oasis!”
He thought of the fierce battle that happened here, when he used the green
lizard eyes to see the fat ball flying fish, he also saw the lake had a
terrifying heat source at the bottom.
“So, that heat source was actually the Deep Sea Monster Fish!”
The Deep Sea Monster Fish dived through an underground river and rapidly
escaped Mystifying Monster Island.
After getting ten nautical miles away, Mystifying Monster Island self-
destructed.
The enormous explosion shook heaven and earth, causing a stream of water to
cover the sky.
Space quickly shattered, sea water vanished, innumerable magic beast corpses
were destroyed, and all of the island ruins were dragged into a black hole and
banished to a different plane.
In the Deep Sea Monster Fish, everyone watched with trepidation.
After space reinstated itself and the seawater became serene, they didn’t see
the king flame dragon.
“It seems it either died or was banished!”
“Woohoo! We survived.”
“How wonderful, we succeeded!!”
For a moment, the Deep Sea Monster Fish filled with wild joy.
But the ghost Zi Di was wobbling as she descended to the floor.
“Zi Di, what’s happening to you?” The youngster was incomparably nervous.
“She needs to rest immediately. It is like a tired person needing to sleep. In
the end, she is only a newborn ghost, nothing more. Fortunately, she still has
her body, it can allow her to recuperate for the time being.” Cang Xu replied.
Hearing Cang Xu’s words, the youngster relaxed. “Zi Di, rest well. I have so
many things I want to say to you.”
“Me too.” The ghost girl caressed the youngster’s face, but she went through
him.
She returned to her icy body and sank into hibernation.
Several months later.
On a tranquil sea surface, a strong radiance suddenly flashed.
A massive teleportation spell that covered a diameter of ten meters appeared
from nowhere, then disappeared shortly after.
Three human characters floated in the air and looked down on the sea.
They all wore scarlet gowns, iron gloves, iron boots, and iron masks.
On the front and back of the blood red gowns, there were nine white-gold stars.
They came from the Blood Light Punishment Institution!
“Is this the place?” The leader’s life aura was at an awe-inspiring legend
level.
“I am certain!” Another character with long black braids said, he emitted a
gold level aura, and said with a male voice: “His scent is here, he absolutely
came to this place!”
The leader nodded: “Then let me take a glimpse.”
The next moment, he used a divine spell to look back upon time. This divine
spell could repeat the sounds and images of the past directly into the leader’s
heart.
The leader’s body suddenly shook.
The shaking was keenly observed by the other two, making their hearts amazed.
They had never seen their leader lose their self-control in this way.
After a moment, the legend level leader heavily said: “The divine spell was
ineffective, some formidable power is thwarting my investigations.”
“I only barely heard some sounds.”
“I heard the frightful shouts of beast groups, the berating of a Sheng Ming
priest, a noble surrendering, and a flame dragon king desperately roaring at
death’s door.
The two others’ hearts quaked, and they lost their voice.
“What?!”
“My Lord, what is the meaning of this?”
“That’s right, my institution’s missing third squadron died here. The island
that was once here——was Mystifying Monster Island! This was once War Merchant’s
old nest!!”
Learning this information, the two characters lost their voices again.
“The alchemy great grandmaster War Merchant?!”
“Did the fight that erupted here sink Mystifying Monster Island and kill
everyone?”
The leader was unsure about this as the divine spell entered its final phase.
With a sinking heart, he continued to listen attentively.
Quickly, he heard the vague and disjointed dialogue of some people.
“We should leave……”
“As for the captain, I can only acknowledge you.”
“No, to be more accurate, all of us acknowledge you, your Lordship.”
“But I am only a beast……”
“No, no one believes that. It was you who led us, and we accept you as our
leader. You are a true knight!”
The dialogue was like a dreamy wind and quickly dissipated.
The leader sighed, knowing he couldn’t gain anything else; he stopped the
divine spell.
“Some people survived, they might have obtained great spoils and War Merchant’s
inheritance!” The leader stated.
“Who were they?” The two promptly asked.
The leader shook his head and said with extreme regret: “I cannot determine
that……I can only determine they have already decided their chief, and that
their chief has great prestige.”
“If your Lordship cannot determine it, I fear no one else in the empire can
investigate any more information.” The two were very frustrated.
The leader coldly snorted: “The darkness will only shroud for a while, in the
end, the light will pervade it. These people cannot hide forever, there will
inevitably be a day when they are revealed.”
“We will continue our mission, you, return and report this information to the
institution.”
“First let's order the arrest of these people!”
“Yes, my Lord. May I ask the code name of the wanted……”
Since they didn’t know the name, they used a code name. War Merchant was one
such code name.
The leader thought of one: “Beast Knight.”
FINIS.