Buzz, buzz, buzz!
Upon seeing their Queen Bee attacked, the bee swarm instantly entered a berserk state, turned their weapons, and charged toward The Disciple.
Rustle!
However, just as they got close, they suddenly paused in mid-air as if their souls had been ripped out.
Their insect eyes dimmed, and they fell straight to the ground.
A silent rain of death began to fall, weird and quiet.
His arrival seemed to represent death and finality.
"What a weird ability!"
The crowd, finally able to catch their breath, looked at the figure descending the Flock of Ravens Ladder with complicated expressions.
They never would have thought that The Disciple, who had already toyed with the Queen Bee and them, taken what he wanted, and left, would actually return once more.
And it was a complete departure from his previous escape when he was being chased by the bee swarm.
Even when facing the powerful Queen Bee who had beaten them into a panicked retreat, he suppressed her with a casual wave of his hand!
Utterly domineering!
It made everyone feel like they were on a roller coaster, their hearts thumping wildly, feeling as if they were watching a brilliant drama full of constant reversals and climaxes, unable to help but look forward to the subsequent plot.
And they were both the viewers and the supporting roles.
As for the… protagonist,
There was only one!
"Which one is the real him?"
A soft whisper came from the crowd, but no one spoke, because they could no longer tell.
Beneath the elegant and calm mortal shell of The Disciple, lay an essence of madness, chaos, and disorder.
Everything about him was false, undefinable.
Perhaps even his current appearance was just a mask!
Even the infamous Faceless Brotherhood couldn't compare to this, could they?
"We're saved!"
Qi Changhai also breathed a sigh of relief.
He had just been preparing for the worst, ready to burn his soul to empower the Gold-armored Baboon, then use his flesh and blood to wrap up Qi Wei and the Silver-armored Baboon and charge out of the Miasma Wall, sacrificing himself so that the two children could live.
Fortunately, he had delayed for a moment while waiting for the right opportunity, otherwise, he would have suffered a huge loss.
Although The Disciple's intentions were unclear, it was obvious he was hostile to the Queen Bee. With two top-tier Spirituality Transformation experts clashing, no matter the outcome, they would have a chance to fish in troubled waters.
As for Qi Wei at his side… he was already dumbfounded, because he never would have imagined, not even in death, that such an entrance method existed.
These ravens, normally seen as omens of misfortune, could actually be used as a staircase, descending step by step with an inexplicable elegance!
Just how did The Disciple's brain work?
It was simply too brilliant!
Ever since leaving school, Qi Wei felt that the people in the outside world had far too many ways of showing off.
Thankfully, he had been holding his camera the whole time, recording every scene.
If he could make it back safely this time, he would make a video editing special of The Disciple.
It would definitely be a huge hit!
Filming Lu Yu was for a living, but filming The Disciple and the Collector was his dream!
On the other side, under everyone's gaze, The Disciple set foot on the ground. His expression was calm, but inwardly he let out a sigh of relief.
'I still need to get a flying-type pet beast. Otherwise, I can only use the Flock of Ravens Ladder to get over this Miasma Wall, and now I have to walk down step by step…'
He deeply felt the importance of a flying-type pet beast.
Although the appearance of the Curse Ravens was cool, they were just a product of Spirit King Curse Thread condensation. They could only attack, not defend, and could easily be shot down.
At that time… it would be a social death moment!
'When Eggy evolves into its complete form, it should be able to fly, right? It's not like there are Ancient Dragons or pure-blood dragons that can't fly, right?'
Lu Yu had great expectations for Eggy. Leaning on his civilization cane, he looked at the increasingly ruined Miasma Valley and said calmly:
"Old friends meeting again, do you really plan to just hide underground and till the soil?"
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
The moment his voice fell, the ground around Lu Yu instantly shattered.
One after another, creatures condensed from miasma, dozens of meters long and resembling both dragons and snakes, burst out from underground. Wreathed in a dense aura of decaying life, they opened their bloody maws and bit at him.
Boom!
Accompanied by a violent sound, several decaying dragon-snakes slammed head-on into numerous shining Thousand Faces Shields. The collision instantly triggered a terrifying shockwave that spread in all directions, pulverizing all the flying rocks into fine powder and causing the surrounding ground to sink.
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
The Miasma Dragon-Snakes' assault did not let up. They continued to attack, crashing over and over again.
The aftermath directly caused a small-scale earthquake, yet the Thousand Faces Shield remained motionless, like the Holy City guarding an ancient king.
It even protected the ground where The Disciple stood, leaving it standing like a Heavenly Pillar in the middle of a deep pit.
He only showed the crowd his silhouette,
Aloof and elegant!
"This guy was definitely acting before!"
The crowd watched, dumbfounded, recalling the Judgment Light Blade from Liang Kui's desperate strike, which had nearly shattered over a hundred shields.
Yet now, facing Miasma Dragon-Snakes that were each as powerful as Liang Kui's full-force attack, he blocked them with just a few dozen Thousand Faces Shields, which didn't even show a single crack.
By this comparison, what The Disciple was holding back before wasn't just some water, it was a whole sea!
This was pure fishing behavior!
As for whether The Disciple's strength had skyrocketed in this half-hour?
They never even considered this point, or rather… they didn't dare to guess in that direction.
After all, in this world, improving one's strength wasn't just about increasing spiritual energy; the most important thing was to stabilize one's own reason.
Otherwise, even if you were given a rapid rank-up, you would most likely suffer from a spirituality imbalance, heading toward aberration and becoming a monster.
Therefore, unless it was an ancient existence reawakening, it would be possible to improve like that, but that possibility was too terrifying.
They were more willing to believe that everything before was just The Disciple's twisted humor.
This guy was hiding way too deep!
At this point, even if The Disciple suddenly became a Morning Star Rank powerhouse, they wouldn't be surprised.
"Quiet!"
Lu Yu said faintly. Strands of Thousand-Faced Soul Tree Rootlets intertwined, forming a spear thrust that instantly pierced through the Miasma Dragon-Snakes, and then…
A sharp suck!
Slurp!
The Miasma Dragon-Snakes were instantly devoured, consumed by the soul tree rootlets.
This decaying miasma, which was a potent poison to living beings, was just another type of food for the Thousand-Faced Soul Tree. It was just that…
"So disgusting, like a spoiled watermelon,
blegh
~"
Little Mouse, hidden in Lu Yu's shadow, couldn't help but cover its mouth, feeling a strange taste.
Fortunately, it cut off the senses transmitted from the Thousand-Faced Soul Tree in time, or it would have almost thrown up.
Even so, a small tuft of the yellow hair on its head turned green.
It only returned to its original color after the digestion was complete.
If you want life to go on, you have to wear a little… on your head.
"This infuriates me!"
Little Mouse got angry and directly manipulated the Thousand-Faced Soul Tree rootlets into a giant hammer, smashing it toward the ground, preparing to force the Queen Bee out from underground.
"Beehive Barrier!"
Thud!
With a loud bang, the Beehive Barrier reappeared and blocked the attack.
Buzz, buzz, buzz!
The earth cracked open, and a huge beehive flew up from underground. A vast mental power swept out, hurling countless pieces of rubble, but they were consumed by Shadow Devour and instantly annihilated.
Several exchanges of blows made the eyelids of a group of Spirituality Transformation Beast Tamers twitch wildly. These two fellows were both infinitely close to the Morning Star Rank.
Once they successfully advanced in the Mother River, they would definitely be monsters among monsters, the kind that could sweep through their peers.
The water in the Borderlands is too deep!
The Queen Bee's expression was indifferent as she looked down upon The Disciple on the ground and said calmly:
"I didn't expect you to dare to come back!"The Disciple said gently, "After all, I received the Queen Bee's hospitality, so I wanted to return the favor."
"Your 'return favor' is to kill me?"
The corner of the Queen Bee's mouth rose slightly, forming a faint smile, but there was no hint of mockery as she said indifferently:
"But the strength you've hidden has indeed exceeded my expectations.
Humanity truly is the favored child of the Mother River. Every so often, a genius like you appears.
No wonder you were able to rise in the Ancient Era and occupy half the world.
Even I, who carry a noble bloodline, was captivated by his talent and willingly became his pet beast…"
Is the Decay Miasma Poison Bee really considered a noble bloodline?
Lu Yu snarked in his heart.
The Queen Bee seemed to have seen through his thoughts, but she wasn't angry. Instead, she said:
"Your strength is so great that it even gives me worries. So, as long as you choose to retreat now and let me complete the ritual with these sacrificial offerings, I can still give you the conditions I mentioned before."
"How about it? You can obtain treasures and the secret technique to advance to the Luminous Moon rank and even higher without a fight.
This is my sincerity."
Hearing the Queen Bee's words, everyone's heart tightened, terrified that The Disciple would nod in agreement.
But he would most likely agree!
After all, The Disciple had no ties to the crowd; they were even adversaries before. Faced with such generous conditions, they had to admit that even they themselves would be tempted to agree.
The Disciple stroked his chin, a look of interest on his face, and murmured:
"That does sound very tempting…"
Hearing this, despair filled the crowd's hearts, but they felt no resentment. Their current predicament was the result of their own actions.
Greed wasn't wrong; what was wrong was greed without the strength to back it up.
The crowd exchanged glances, already prepared for a desperate struggle.
Since they were going to die either way, they might as well make the Queen Bee pay a price.
"But unfortunately, I refuse!"
As his voice fell, the Queen Bee's smile froze, and her gaze turned icy as she said:
"Do you know what you're saying?"
Lu Yu pressed down on his felt hat and smiled.
"Your offer is very generous, but I still prefer to say… no, to overly confident people. Besides, this delightful drama can't end like this!"
Never mind whether this woman would go back on her word.
Once the Queen Bee successfully completed her ritual and metamorphosed, she would definitely hunt him, this "traitor," down like a mad dog.
Most importantly, Lu Yu wasn't sure if it knew the sealing location of the Incarnation of the Mother of Dusk.
If it broke free and then helped unseal it, it wouldn't just be a matter of losing a single material.
It would directly affect Great Abyss City, and even the entire Borderlands!
His own house was still there!
Besides, such a powerful bug-type material was incredibly rare.
If he missed this chance, it would be gone forever.
For both public and private reasons, he could not let this thing succeed.
However, the crowd didn't know all this. Hearing his words, a single thought surfaced in their minds:
"Lunatic!"
A complete and utter lunatic, who did whatever he wanted, purely for pleasure!
The Queen Bee could see that Lu Yu wasn't joking.
She lowered her eyes and said faintly:
"If your confidence comes from that nether earth demonic beast behind you, then that's not enough…"
"Then what if we add her?"
Lu Yu interrupted the Queen Bee. A summoning array appeared behind him, and a slender figure emerged.
When Qi Wei saw the new pet beast summoned behind The Disciple, his pupils contracted violently, and he exclaimed in shock:
"How is that possible!?"
From the summoning array behind The Disciple, walked out a breathtakingly beautiful girl wearing a white blindfold. She was dressed in battle nun attire with platinum-gold sun patterns, and a silver cross hung between her impressive chest.
She held the black sword obtained from the Temple of the Hidden Bones Emperor, her face pious and holy, as if she were a Sword Nun meant to purify the world of its sins!
"A human… how can a human be contracted?"
Qi Wei was stunned. However, Qi Changhai at his side was more experienced and explained in a low voice:
"Humans naturally can't be contracted, but a Heroic Spirit can!"
"A Heroic Spirit?"
Qi Wei immediately understood.
After all, Heroic Spirits did exist in this world.
After some beings died, their soul and spirituality did not dissipate but transformed into a special soul form.
Although they lost their memories, they inherited their power from life.
They could even receive a boon from the Mother River and awaken special abilities corresponding to the legends sung by bards.
They belonged to a special-type of pet beast.
"But aren't most Heroic Spirits of other races? Even if a human Beast Tamer dies and becomes a Heroic Spirit, they wouldn't have much power, right? It's more likely they'd become an Imagination Body…"
"You yourself said 'most,' which means there are exceptions."
Just as Qi Changhai was about to speak, a white-haired old man in the crowd spoke up, proactively explaining:
"To the Supreme Mother River, the countless worlds are but grains of sand at the river's bottom.
The world we are in is one of them, albeit one of the largest grains, which is why we can roam the Mother River and freely explore the unknown. In this process, there is a chance to encounter other worlds.
Since we Beast Tamers have the blessing of the Mother River and can filter spirituality through pet beasts, then the humans of other worlds might have received other blessings, or entirely different power systems, to absorb spiritual energy and directly transform themselves. All of this is essentially a metamorphosis of one's life level, where great power belongs to the self.
And these Heroic Spirits from small worlds were all heroes and legendary figures of their worlds, so their potential is limitless.
Usually, they are contracted after encountering them when exploring the Mother River and entering other worlds.
Some Heroic Spirits also enter the main world through various accidents via the Mother River. No matter which method, it requires a great deal of luck.
As for freely exploring and searching for other worlds in the Mother River, that's probably something only magnate-level powerhouses can do.
However, I've heard before that in a certain great domain, there is a special Heroic Spirit ecosystem that has attracted a large number of Heroic Spirits, with the lowest having commander potential.
So, young man, you need to get out and see more of the world, otherwise you'll become a frog in a well…"
"I see…"
Although he had been lectured, Qi Wei wasn't angry. Instead, his heart was filled with longing.
He also wanted to contract a Heroic Spirit and see the wider world.
As for this Heroic Spirit also wearing a blindfold, no one thought much of it.
After all, such a trope was quite common among nuns.
Well… that's what they say in the adult manga!
"As expected of a bunch of know-it-alls, they've helped me fill in the backstory perfectly…"
The corner of Lu Yu's mouth twitched slightly, and he couldn't help but sigh.
The commentary from the audience seats was truly the most helpful.
The one who appeared was, of course, not a Heroic Spirit, but Little Spider!
However, to cooperate with his alternate identity and hide his true one, he had used the Power of a Thousand Faces to apply some disguise, giving Little Spider an alternate identity as well.
He originally planned to use the appearance of the Heavenly Nun to act as a special human-shaped demonic beast.
But after the old man finished speaking, Lu Yu decisively changed it to [Heroic Spirit: Heavenly Nun].
The scummy beast tamer is plagiarizing the viewers' comments!
After seeing Little Spider, the Queen Bee's gaze also sharpened. She felt the pressure and was about to speak:
"You…"
Before she could finish, Little Spider's figure flashed, and she instantly appeared in front of the Queen Bee, swinging the black sword in her hand.
Boom!
The aura of death spread out. The moment it collided with the Beehive Barrier, it instantly shattered it, turning it into a sky full of dissipating miasma.
"
Ying!
"
Little Spider's killing intent boiled as she continued to swing her sword!
Great Black Heaven Sword Art—Sinking World Moon!
The sword qi swept across, aimed straight for the Queen Bee's neck, preparing to decapitate her with a single strike!
"Bee Swarm Command - Bee King Shield!"
The Queen Bee reacted swiftly. Her thoughts were instantly transmitted through the hive network to the entire bee swarm.
The latter gathered, twisting their spirituality into a single mass, forming a giant shield made of Decay Miasma Poison Bees.
Crack!
A section of the shield was shattered, and a large number of bees were minced, their severed limbs and dark green blood flying through the air.
"Bee Swarm Command - Bee Swarm Colossus!"
The Queen Bee waved her jade-like arm, and tens of thousands of bees changed formation, forming a Bee Swarm Colossus. It stretched out a giant hand made of densely packed bees and grabbed toward Little Spider, exuding a rolling miasma that corroded life.
Little Spider was not afraid at all. She swung her sword fiercely, this time imbued with the sword qi of the Blood-Corroding Insects.
Boom!
The moment the two collided, a powerful shockwave erupted. The Blood Corrosion Sword Qi spread, corroding vitality.
Large numbers of Decay Miasma Poison Bees withered rapidly, turning into fly ash, while Little Spider's face became rosy, having been replenished.
She pursued relentlessly, unleashing one ultimate sword technique after another as if they were normal attacks, transforming into a Life-Taking Sword-Maiden that cut through all things.
She was ready to take revenge for being crushed earlier!
Such a brutal scene made everyone's scalp go numb.
The Disciple's pet beasts… every single one of them was truly terrifying!
"This is… a sword art evolved from the Life Provisions Art!"
The Queen Bee was shocked, not expecting to encounter a demonic beast with such high sword talent.
But she did not daze. Instead, she became even calmer and increased the intensity of her attacks.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
She manipulated the bee swarm to fill the gaps, demonstrating an absolute art of command, controlling tens of thousands of Decay Miasma Poison Bees as if they were her own limbs. She did not hesitate to sacrifice a large number of poison bees to create opportunities for attack.
The merciful do not command troops!
Every top-tier expert of the Beast King System was definitely a cold, calculating war commander!
Slave beasts were just bargaining chips in their hands!
All actions were for the final victory!
Although Little Spider's strength had increased after her promotion, because she couldn't use her signature abilities like dreamscape and spider silk, she fell into a disadvantage against such a fierce offensive.
"The opportunity is here!"
A trace of disappointment flashed in the Queen Bee's eyes.
She waved her jade-like arm, and several Miasma Dragons condensed and roared out. But as soon as they appeared, they were pierced by several Thousand-Faced Soul Tree rootlets and instantly devoured.
"Did you forget about me?"
Little Mouse, hidden within the ghostly power, made its appearance. Its Gigantification skill activated, its body expanding.
Behind it, the reflection of the Thousand-Faced Soul Tree appeared, spreading out numerous rootlets like the Hands of the Yellow Springs, grabbing at the Queen Bee, trying to drag her into the endless Nether Earth.
Thousand-Handed Little Mouse has arrived!
"Damn it!"
The Queen Bee controlled the Corrupt Beehive to retreat.
At the same time, the honeycomb cells on the beehive writhed, and the flesh and blood that had been attached to it rapidly decayed, turning into Decay Spirituality. It was compressed and transformed within the beehive's special structure, bursting forth with streams of dark green light.
Myriad Corruption Bee King Cannon!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
At this moment, the countless honeycomb cells on the Corrupt Beehive all became cannon muzzles, unleashing beams of corrupt life force that swept out and collided with the Thousand-Faced Soul Tree rootlets.
Boom!
The collision instantly annihilated the soul tree rootlets, kicking up a cloud of dust and sand.
And within this vision-blurring smoke, Little Spider, in her Heavenly Nun form, suddenly rushed out, the black sword in her hand swinging down.
"Bee Swarm Command - Bee King Shield!"
The Queen Bee reacted decisively.
However, Little Spider's sword strike was not a sweeping sword qi, which made her freeze for a moment!
Lu Yu smiled faintly.
"It's over!"
Before the Queen Bee could react, the light in the world before her was suddenly devoured by an invisible force, and a region of absolute darkness appeared, as if the Great Black Heaven had descended.
"Damn it!"
The Queen Bee decisively abandoned the bee swarm and retreated from this dark area. However, this move was never intended for her.
The real target was…
Little Mouse!
As Little Mouse entered the dark screen, it immediately triggered the [Night's Favor] skill. Being in a dark environment would increase its strength.
Thus, Little Mouse's shadow energy surged. At the same time, Lu Yu activated The Herder Puzzle, which directly transformed into a corresponding shadow-attributed pasture.
The silent Dark Pasture descended, reflecting behind The Disciple, directly and specifically amplifying Little Mouse, causing its combat power to skyrocket.
"Dark Starfall!"
Shadow Control had long been infinitely close to the pinnacle of perfection.
Under such amplification, its power was even greater.
Therefore, Little Mouse instantly condensed a huge shadow sphere, like a miniature dark star, exuding an aura of destruction.
"Time to die!"
Little Mouse threw it out fiercely, chasing right after the Queen Bee.
At this moment, the bee swarm was still trapped in the dark environment and could not react in time.
It was impossible to form the Bee Swarm Shield, and they were completely in a deadlock.
This series of operations left the onlookers stunned, feeling the superb tactical command level of his cautious advancement.
That weird pasture phantom made them feel as if their souls would be devoured just by looking at it.
But in the end, The Disciple had the upper hand.
When this attack landed, although it might not kill the Queen Bee, it would definitely grievously injure her!
However, to everyone's surprise, when the Queen Bee looked at this huge shadow sphere, the look of fear and anger on her face suddenly disappeared, replaced by relief. She proactively abandoned all her defenses and opened her arms to welcome it.
Boom!
The power of shadow engulfed the Queen Bee, instantly annihilating her entire body. In the end, only a ruined beehive remained, which fell to the ground.
"Is it over…?"
Although everyone was puzzled by the Queen Bee's actions, a peaceful end was a good thing.
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
But the next moment, the entire mystic realm began to tremble.
Not only did the nodes of the ritual not end with the Queen Bee's demise, but their operation accelerated, and pillars of light lit up, spreading throughout the mystic realm.
Hum!
The phantom of the corrupt Flower of Life appeared, blooming to its fullest.
At this moment, the earth shook and the mountains trembled, trees collapsed, and huge cracks split open in the land of the mystic realm. From them flew out streams of dark green light.
A closer look would reveal that they contained sections of white bones.
They gathered together, landing on the Flower of Life, and quickly assembled into a fifty-meter-long, enormous dragon bone.
Sizzle!
The corrupt Flower of Life then melted, turning into a pool of dark green liquid. As if coloring a magnificent painting, it covered the dragon bone, merging with it.
First, sinews grew, then flesh and blood, and finally scales… In the blink of an eye, a giant dragon covered in dark green scales, with dragon horns and two blade-like tails made entirely of jade, appeared before everyone.
Its eyes were tightly shut, and its body exuded a vast, chaotic aura of corrupt life, causing a large number of plants to begin growing in the Miasma Valley, lush and verdant.
"Disciple, you truly did not disappoint me. My repeated guidance was not in vain.
You really did help me shatter that [Dream of Jade] which had rotted away over a thousand years, allowing my memories to escape the insect body shackles…"
The Queen Bee's voice rang out again, but this time, it came from this giant dragon.
"How is that possible!?"
Everyone's eyes widened, revealing expressions of utter disbelief.
The Queen Bee… had turned into a dragon!
The Disciple, in Lu Yu's form, still had a calm expression, but it was unknown what he was thinking.
In the sky,
The green dragon slowly opened its eyes, revealing a pair of emerald-like pupils.
It looked at Lu Yu and said slowly:
"I haven't properly introduced myself before. I am…"
"The Dragon of Decay and Strife!"
"Fan Lü!"
A six-thousand-six-hundred-word mega-chapter, the relevant foreshadowing has already been laid.
The Queen Bee never once admitted she was an insect from start to finish. If you want to see a review, I can post one tomorrow, but if you have the time and interest, you can try to find it yourselves.