Wild Beasts held a low status on the Blood-Net Continent. Some were tamed and used as mounts, while others were directly slain for their bodily materials.
In short, Wild Beasts had always been suppressed by humans.
How could a mere wild beast like Qiniu hold such a lofty position within the Celestial Temple? Even if it possesses immense power, it remains a beast, not a true immortal. For it to rise so high within the sacred halls of the Celestial Temple is utterly unfathomable! The Celestial Temple is the supreme ruling authority over the entire Blood-Net Continent.
Luo Feng’s mind reeled with shock, yet he maintained his composure. With utmost reverence, he bowed before the mighty Qiniu Beast in the grand corridor. “Exalted Qiniu!” he greeted, his voice filled with deference.
The Qiniu Wild Beast stood in the corridor, looking down at the tiny figure before it.
“Hmph!” A scorching breath erupted from Qiniu’s nostrils, like two blazing heat waves. Its blood-red eyes stared fixedly at Luo Feng.
Boom!
In an instant, it felt as if heaven and earth were collapsing. An invisible pressure slammed onto Luo Feng’s soul, like a heavy hammer striking it. Luo Feng couldn’t help but let out a low groan, beads of sweat appearing on his forehead. Yet he gritted his teeth and stood upright, refusing to yield.
“Honorable Qiniu!” Squad Leader A Yi hurriedly called out, “Ninety-Seven is merely at the Cloudy Peak stage.”
“Hmm.”
A deep sound rumbled from the Qiniu’s nasal cavity, and then the oppressive force finally vanished.
“This Ninety-Seven is not bad!” The Qiniu Wild Beast’s thunderous voice echoed, “He probably has strong endurance against the killing aura. Here are two Blood-Net Crystals! A gift from me, Honorable Qiniu. Integrate them well, and after successfully fusing both, come back to me for the third.”
Two triangular prism-shaped crystals abruptly appeared midair, then floated toward Luo Feng.
As they drifted, the blood-red crystals were so beautiful they could steal one’s breath.
“Blood-Net Crystals?” Luo Feng’s eyes lit up as he quickly reached out to receive the two crystals.
“Quickly thank Honorable Qiniu,” Squad Leader A Yi urged.
“Thank you, Honorable Qiniu.” Luo Feng bowed deeply.
“Hmph.”
Two streams of hot air blew from the Qiniu’s nostrils. It snorted, then slowly stepped forward with its thick, powerful bovine hoof. As the hoof landed, the Qiniu had already reached the far end of the corridor and vanished from sight.
“This Qiniu Wild Beast has such a mighty pressure and incredible power. Previously, the Blood God Guard Captain said this Qiniu was even stronger than Blood God Baqi. That must be true.” Luo Feng watched the Qiniu disappear, yet a surge of joy welled up in his heart. He happily examined the two Blood-Net Crystals in his hands. These two were the easiest ones he had ever obtained.
Previously, in the Yan Gang City, he had obtained 14 Blood-Net Crystals (three from the Shifeng brothers, one from Chun Yu Tao, and ten from the Temple Envoy). Later, during the ambush in the Ancient God Ruins by four prodigies from the Immortal Temple, Luo Feng had slain one and taken one Blood-Net Crystal from him.
A total of 15 Blood-Net Crystals! Each obtained through bloodshed. Only these two in his hands…
“Ninety-Seven, as long as you can integrate them, Honorable Qiniu will generously provide more Blood-Net Crystals for you,” said the tall, muscular bronze-clad warrior ‘A Yi’ beside him, laughing heartily. “Among the Blood God Guards now, only five have successfully integrated three Blood-Net Crystals and become ‘Blood Warriors’! I have high hopes for you.”
“Understood!” Luo Feng nodded eagerly, then asked curiously, “So does that mean we can get as many Blood-Net Crystals as we want?”
“Of course not.”
Captain A Yi shook his head with a smile. “Blood-Net Crystals are the most treasured artifacts of the Blood-Net Continent. However, each person can only integrate a very limited number. For countless years, there has not been a single Black Warrior capable of integrating ten Blood-Net Crystals. As for Honorable Qiniu, supplying Blood-Net Crystals for us Blood God Guards is naturally more than sufficient.”
“I see.” Luo Feng nodded slightly.
So it seemed…
The distribution and storage of Blood-Net Crystals under Blood God Baqi’s command were actually handled by this Wild Beast Qiniu.
“You know everything now,” A Yi said, nodding. “You can either train inside your cultivation room in the palace or find another place outside to train alone. You’re here as a guard, not a prisoner. But there is one requirement—you know it already, right?”
“Unauthorized departure within 100,000 kilometers of the Lord is strictly prohibited,” Luo Feng said with a smile.
“Exactly.”
A Yi nodded and then left directly.
…
Third floor of the palace, Room 97.
Luo Feng put on the bronze-colored battle armor and the communicator wristband, shaking his head inwardly, “This communication device is so primitive—just a basic communication and positioning system. In terms of technology, it’s about the same as the communication watches back on Earth.”
“Blood God Baqi, Wild Beast Qiniu, 96 Blood God Guards.” Luo Feng’s mind raced with thoughts. “Based on the information I’ve gathered, Blood God Baqi is at the peak Sovereign Master level, having integrated eight Blood-Net Crystals. He is a once-in-a-billion-years genius within the Immortal Temple, holding an extremely high status.”
“Wild Beast Qiniu is even stronger than Baqi. They are close friends and Qiniu is likely the second-in-command of this faction.”
“The 96 Blood God Guards are all extremely talented—two Sovereign Masters and ninety-four Domain Lords.”
“Now, in the Ancient God Ruins… it’s mainly because Blood God Baqi is in seclusion for cultivation.” Luo Feng instantly understood why he hadn’t detected any cultivators at the bottom of the pit during his two years in the Great Pit Mansion. Baqi had been in deep cultivation, so the other Blood God Guards dared not wander off.
“In that case…”
“Although I’ve become a Blood God Guard, things should be relatively easy from now on.” Luo Feng, dressed in bronze battle armor and wearing bronze battle boots, was about to walk out when five figures suddenly entered.
“Ninety-Seven!”
“Ninety-Seven!”
The five Blood God Guards, all wearing bronze battle armor and varying in height and build, greeted him with smiles.
“Twelve, Nineteen, Thirty-Three, Seventy-Eight, and Eighty-Three.” Luo Feng greeted them by their numbers fluently.
“We were in our cultivation rooms when we noticed Honorable Qiniu coming,” said Twelve, a slender figure who looked like a young boy, with a grin. “According to the old tradition, Honorable Qiniu must have given you two Blood-Net Crystals, right?”
“Yeah.” Luo Feng nodded.
“Ninety-Seven, have you ever integrated a Blood-Net Crystal before?” asked the extremely fat and muscular Nineteen in a booming voice.
“I’ve integrated one.” Luo Feng replied.
The five Blood God Guards chatted casually with Luo Feng, who had already prepared a fabricated background for himself. They talked for quite some time, and after half an hour, the five were about to leave. Before departing, Twelve solemnly reminded him, “Ninety-Seven, remember, whenever you meet Qiniu, you must respectfully address him as ‘Honorable Qiniu.'”
“Right, never show the slightest disrespect. If anyone dares to offend him, Honorable Qiniu will be furious.” Handsome Eighty-Three added.
“Oh?” Luo Feng inquired with curiosity, “I truly don’t comprehend. How is it that Qiniu’s power even surpasses that of the Blood God?”
“Haha…”
“Wild Beasts are divided into four ranks. Rank One Wild Beasts, when mature, are merely at the ‘Earth’ level. Rank Two are at the ‘Sky’ level. Rank Three at the ‘Cloudy Peak’ level. And Rank Four at the ‘Domain’ level.” Twelve explained quickly, “And Qiniu is a Rank Four Wild Beast, naturally possessing the ‘Metal Domain.'”
“The higher the rank, the stronger the bloodline and the more superior the body.”
“You should already know this…”
“The Blood-Net Crystals can be used by any blood-flesh lifeform. Not only humans, but Wild Beasts can also integrate Blood-Net Crystals.” Twelve grinned.
A bolt of lightning flashed in Luo Feng’s mind.
“Any blood-flesh lifeform can use them?”
“Haha, Ninety-Seven seems to not know this yet?”
“Ninety-Seven,” Blood God Guard Eighty-Three sighed, “Compared to humans, Wild Beasts have stronger and more superior bodies. Generally, they can integrate more Blood-Net Crystals than us. According to the experience of the Immortal Temple, Wild Beasts that specialize in the ‘Metal Attribute’ have an even greater advantage in integrating Blood-Net Crystals.”
“Qiniu is the highest-ranked Wild Beast—Rank Four—and specializes in the Metal Attribute.”
“Therefore, each Qiniu can integrate at least three Blood-Net Crystals. Some exceptional Qinius can even integrate ten.” Eighty-Three marveled, “Our Honorable Qiniu has integrated twelve Blood-Net Crystals and is at the peak Sovereign Master level, thus possessing terrifying power.”
Luo Feng stood there, stunned.
Silence.
“Ninety-Seven?”
“Ninety-Seven, what’s wrong with you?” the others called out.
“Uh—”
Luo Feng snapped out of his trance, exclaiming, “I’m just too shocked. From books, I know that there hasn’t been a Black Warrior for countless years. Black Warriors have become legends. Yet Honorable Qiniu has integrated twelve Blood-Net Crystals!”
“Humans and Wild Beasts are different.”
“You can’t help but envy.”
“Fortunately, Rank Four Wild Beasts are extremely rare.” They all sighed.
“Yeah, right.” Luo Feng nodded along.
Finally, the five were about to leave.
…
When they departed and Luo Feng was alone in the cultivation room, he slammed the door shut with a bang, his face instantly lighting up with ecstatic joy.
“Heavens!”
“Heavens!”
“I’m such an idiot, such a fool! I didn’t even think of this!” Luo Feng’s face beamed with excitement, clenching his fists tightly, his heart roaring with exhilaration. “Any blood-flesh lifeform can integrate Blood-Net Crystals! Blood-flesh lifeforms… Right, Blood-Net Crystals work through blood as a medium, altering the body’s cellular genes.”
“Humans are blood-flesh beings.”
“The Golden Horned Giant Beast is too!”
Luo Feng was filled with excitement. “My Earthling human form struggles to integrate Blood-Net Crystals, but what about the Golden Horned Giant Beast?”
“They also said earlier that the higher the rank, the more naturally superior the body’s genes are, making integration easier, especially for those specializing in the Metal Attribute…”
“Although I don’t know why specializing in the Metal Attribute gives an advantage in integrating Blood-Net Crystals!”
“But!”
“The Golden Horned Giant Beast is the most supreme bloodline in the universe, reaching the peak Sovereign Master level upon maturity! It naturally possesses three innate secret techniques, specializes in the Metal Attribute, and is the favored child of the universe’s Metal Origin.” Luo Feng was overwhelmed with excitement. “Compared to the Golden Horned Giant Beast, even the Qiniu Wild Beast is nothing!”
“If even the Qiniu can integrate twelve Blood-Net Crystals!”
“How many can my Golden Horned Giant Beast integrate?”
“Haha…”
Luo Feng could barely contain his joy. He had a feeling… the Golden Horned Giant Beast had always been his ultimate secret weapon. Now, integrating Blood-Net Crystals might bring about an entirely new transformation to his already overwhelmingly powerful beast!
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