Chapter 157: Chapter 148 Choosing a Prize
"Who is Zhou Leng?" the Black-bearded Dwarf shouted in very standard Mandarin.
Everyone looked towards Zhou Leng.
"Greetings, General Julu!" some dwarves shouted, a bit nervous, some excited.
Julu grinned, revealing a neat row of wide white teeth, and looked at Zhou Leng.
"Junior Zhou Leng greets Senior Julu," Zhou Leng clasped his fists in respect.
Julu grinned widely, showing his big teeth, and laughed heartily, "Good! Good! Good! How is it, getting used to living here?"
"Everything is great," Zhou Leng replied.
"Come on, let’s chat in your room. You all continue with your cultivation."
Zhou Leng led Julu back to his room.
Julu entered the room, picked up an apple from the table, took a chomping bite, and while tossing the apple playfully, he chewed.
He paced around the room, looking here and there, not treating himself like an outsider at all.
After a round of wandering and finishing the apple, he cheekily jumped onto the table, sat at the edge, his legs swinging.
He tilted his chin and asked, "What do you want?"
Zhou Leng was taken aback, not expecting Julu to be so direct, then candidly said, "The Giant Body of Wonders."
"As expected..." Julu said, "However, that thing is very difficult, and even for me, I only obtained it with some means after reaching the Innate later stage."
Zhou Leng looked at Julu in confusion.
"Means?"
The likes of Molten Hammer often talked about Julu, saying he was a genius of the Dwarf Race, reaching the Peak of Innate at a young age.
Soon after, he would easily ascend to become a Grandmaster, one of the young generation’s most likely geniuses to become an Ancient King among the dwarves.
Julu grinned, "After all, I am a descendant of the Mountain Melting Furnace, so I have certain privileges. You must understand, all humanoid races have the eligibility to receive ’Giant’s Shelter.’ This means your competitors, besides humans, include dwarves, beastmen, and giants, and if unlucky, you may even encounter demons or Half-blood Sea Sirens."
"I have read some materials," Zhou Leng had skimmed over some related information from Jax yesterday.
"If you are an Ancient Dwarf King descendant and your ancestors contributed to the Giant Race, you can naturally employ some ’means.’ But if not, no matter the great achievements among dwarves, the giants will not care."
Zhou Leng nodded slightly.
"Therefore, even if you are a major success in our race, you can only be ensured entry into the Giant Trial, but cannot guarantee obtaining the ’Giant’s Shelter.’
"But I believe, you dwarves must have a path most suitable for me, right?" Zhou Leng asked.
"Of course. If you really want to choose the Giant Body of Wonders, we will help you design the best acquisition plan, and there will be multiple backup plans. If it doesn’t work once, then twice, if twice doesn’t work, then three times, trying gradually."
"Is that possible?"
"Of course. However, you must understand, even the simplest plan, the easiest Giant Trial, carries a risk to your life. As I said earlier, your opponents are giants, far stronger than humans, dwarves, and beastmen."
"I heard that the strength of giants is close to intermediate civilization?"
"Indeed. After all, the Giant Race houses powerful bloodlines within them, once fully activated, unimaginable. Giants, like the Giant Dragons, apart from their scarcity, have almost no flaws. Have you seen giants or Half-blood Giants in the human world?"
Zhou Leng remembered the Mountain and River Origin and Mountain River Oak, nodding, "I’ve seen them. A new Half-blood Giant freshman crushed all the martial arts students in Rucheng with no hope for first place."
"So, you must be mentally prepared to be suppressed in the Blood Transporting Period, suppressed in the Body Refining Period, and suppressed in the Vitality Stage, and upon reaching the Innate Realm, likely still suppressed by Innate Giants, leading to trial failure..."
Julu gave a self-deprecating smile and said, "That is my experience. Those bastards are as brutal as Chen Shouhu. Only someone like the madman Chen Shouhu can oppress giants of the same realm."
"There is no other way to obtain the Giant Body of Wonders?" Zhou Leng asked.
"Yes, join the Giant Race, fight for them, kill the Giant Dragons. Kill enough, earn enough war merits, and you will qualify to exchange for ’Giant’s Shelter,’ obtaining the Giant Body of Wonders."
"Specifically, what is Ancestral Protection? You dwarves and giants seem to have it, beastmen seem to have it too," Zhou Leng asked.
Julu thought for a moment and said, "The source of this power is only speculation. You humans understand the universe far more than us dwarves, but can you humans determine the size of the universe?"
Zhou Leng shook his head and said, "Human understanding of the universe is basically limited to the ’observable universe,’ which means that beyond this, there is an even greater universe."
Julu said, "In our Dwarf Race, there is a legend that all dwarves are descendants of the remnants left by divine spirits. However, our powers have not been activated. Ancestral Protection was an accidental discovery in Dwarf history, a way to awaken one’s own powers."
"I see," Zhou Leng said.
Julu placed both hands on the table, leaning back slightly, and said, "The Giant Body of Wonders, we can’t directly allow you to obtain it, but we can let you directly participate in the Giant Trial, because next, you will be enfeoffed as a ’Dwarf Duke,’ possessing many privileges."
"Dwarf Duke..." Zhou Leng knew this was the second-highest title in the dwarf world, very rare.
Dwarven Commoners, Dwarven Warriors, Dwarven Elites, Dwarven Generals, Dwarven Dukes, Dwarven Princes.
Above them, it isn’t just about titles, for example, the Dwarven King title is only conferred upon the tribe leader or a top Grandmaster. The higher Ancient King title is conferred upon Martial Saint-level dwarves.
"I’m just a Dwarven General; I need to salute you when I see you in the future. You have such good luck. Tell me, how did you ascend the high platform?" General Julu’s eyes were wide open.
Zhou Leng dared not mention the matter of the Flower of High Earth, especially since another Eye of the Ancient God was still on him, not to mention anything involving the Divine Literature Academy might be taboo.
Zhou Leng thought for a moment and said, "In the Ancient King’s Treasure, I entered a mysterious place for learning Divine Texts, but I dare not divulge the specifics. I can only say that the great Mountain Melting Furnace might also study there. Perhaps because of this connection, the Mountain Melting Furnace was willing to open the shield for me."
"Indeed... That mysterious relic, we have sent people in several times, but none have returned. It seems only those proficient in Divine Texts can enter..."
General Julu glanced at Zhou Leng and said, "Besides this, is there anything else you want?"
Zhou Leng thought for a while and asked, "What about Zhang Xinglie?"
"Him? His Innate Armor was one of our tribe’s ’prizes’, which can be exchanged for a Dwarven Warrior title," General Julu said.
"Isn’t it exchanged for two Dwarven Commoner identities?" Zhou Leng asked.
"Of course, it can be split into two."
Zhou Leng recalled Zhang Xinglie’s words at the time and Molten Hammer’s reaction, realizing that Zhang Xinglie had voluntarily given up a higher title in exchange for two lower titles.
Zhou Leng said, "Can my Dwarven Duke title be split into two Dwarven Generals?"
"Ah? That’s impossible," General Julu said, eyes wide open. "A Dwarven Duke title is not only an honor, but there are also annual offerings based on rank. Are you really willing to downgrade for him?"
"What’s not to be willing?" Zhou Leng replied.
General Julu respectfully said, "You’re very admirable, but unfortunately, it’s not possible. That piece of Innate Armor can be considered a reward shared by both of you, but ascending the Ancestor’s high platform and taking the Eye of the Ancient God has nothing to do with him. This kind of thing can’t be ignored."
"What about his Giant Trial quota?" Zhou Leng asked.
General Julu said, "That’s much simpler, he originally could get the Dwarven Warrior title, and besides, being a Dwarven Duke, you have the right to choose followers."
Zhou Leng nodded. After all, the goal was merely the Giant Body, and as long as he had the qualification for the Giant Trial, the title was secondary.
General Julu asked, "Is there anything else you want?"
Zhou Leng thought for a while and looked at General Julu, "Please guide me, senior."
General Julu laughed heartily, "You humans, one is shrewder than the other indeed."
"Junior is ultimately inexperienced and cannot compare to you." Zhou Leng replied.
General Julu smiled warmly and said, "Since you trust me, I will help you choose some rewards. Although I’m a bit reluctant, you obtained the Eye of the Ancient God, so asking for anything is justified."
"The first reward, which you must choose, is the ’Divine Blood Lava’."
Zhou Leng’s heart was stirred, he had seen mention of it in the notes of the Beastmen and the Flower of High Earth, only knowing it was extremely precious, but not the specifics.
"When you advance to the Innate Realm, come here as soon as possible to undergo a ’Divine Blood Lava’ bath. Compared to your humans and the Demon Spirit World, we Dwarves are somewhat impoverished."
"Yet, the ’Divine Blood Lava’ is a treasure bestowed upon our Dwarf Race by the Divine Spirit. As long as you can bathe in it once, even if you can only endure for a few seconds, it’s enough to transform your body."
"The Ancestor’s Protection of the Dwarf Race and the Giant Trial qualification are both entitlements of a Dwarven Duke and don’t need to be selected."
"Now, for the second reward, you have to choose one of two options, either a custom-made Protective Inner Armor or exchange it for the Giant Race’s ’Dragon Bone Medicine’."
Zhou Leng asked, "What are the pros and cons of the two?"
General Julu said, "The Protective Inner Armor is naturally good, but it might take three years to reach you. Also, once you advance to Dwarven Prince, you’ll be entitled to better armor."
"Regarding the ’Dragon Bone Medicine’, you can take it between the Late Stage of Body Refining or the Early Period of Vitality Stage. It will be very important for your upcoming participation in the Giant Trial. Many of the Giants’ trials test physical fitness, and the Dragon Bone Medicine significantly enhances your body."
"The Dragon Bone Medicine is crafted by the Giants using various precious herbs combined with Dragon Blood. Our Dwarf Grandmasters often fight over it."
Zhou Leng said, "If I need to preserve my life, then I’ll choose the armor. But if I want to progress rapidly, I’ll choose the Dragon Bone Medicine, right?"
"Correct. The Dragon Bone Medicine has another small benefit for you..."
General Julu smiled and said, "Because it’s made from the essence and bloodline of Giant Dragons, it will make your aura resemble a Giant Dragon and be mistaken as a descendant of dragons. This way, you can access some Giant Dragon Treasures that you otherwise couldn’t."
"The Giant’s bodies are too large and are arch-enemies with Giant Dragons, but this aura is very subtle, unlike you humans."
"I see, then I’ll choose the Dragon Bone Medicine. Compared to life preservation in three years, I prefer continuous progress." Zhou Leng said.
General Julu laughed, "Good, that’s the right choice! Once you’ve advanced and gained power, why worry about losing your life?"
"As for the third reward..."