Chapter 542: Chapter 342: The Newcomer of Special Interest_2
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Upon hearing this, Yan Xiaobao’s lips curled into a bitter smile. He couldn’t help but feel helpless. He had willingly shed the extra weight, making it impossible to activate his inner energy. As the red mist passed through his body, his eyes turned crimson, and his body transformed into a massive werewolf. His hind legs were now ten times stronger than before, and his hands—equipped with sharp claws—were deadlier than ever. His vision improved drastically, along with enhanced senses of smell and taste.
However, as Yan Xiaobao allowed this transformation to occur, he himself was forcefully pushed aside, and the red mist took complete control over his body.
When Wan Qiao witnessed the young man transforming before her eyes, she was utterly stunned. Formerly, he carried Lan Feng’s divine beast energy and presence. Upon closer inspection, Wan Qiao was able to conclude he was indeed human, as his human aura emerged beneath Lan Feng’s aura, though faintly detectable.
At this moment, Yan Xiaobao no longer emitted Lan Feng’s aura, nor any human aura. The only aura Wan Qiao could sense was an overwhelming presence, one that exceeded even her own discarded aura.
Although Wan Qiao was at the peak of Saint-level, she still felt the oppressive weight of this malicious aura as it assaulted her. The wolf-like entity before her, with its cunning and swift claws, seemed ready to tear her to pieces.
Seeing this, Wan Qiao breathed a sigh of relief. Feeling the aura, Wan Qiao immediately realized that this beast, whatever it may be, had once been a king among kings—a Beast Monarch. Yet, despite being such a revered creature, it was now bound to the host body, Yan Xiaobao’s body.
The red mist had drastically amplified Yan Xiaobao’s prowess, though he had just entered the Duke level and was far from Wan Qiao’s strength. Even with his increased power, it posed no real threat to the woman.
Nevertheless, the red mist bowed to no one. It would rather face annihilation than succumb to anyone’s influence. It refused to allow anyone to dictate its fate, and even when facing an overwhelming opponent, the beast energy within the mist resisted with relentless fury. Despite the suicidal nature of its attack, the wolf-like entity flashed forward mockingly at lightning speed. The red mist condensed into blades fashioned from pure red energy, and these charged forward in an attack. One blade swept toward Wan Qiao, who simply raised her hand and directly countered using her physical strength.
*Boom!*
When the blade collided with her hand, a deafening explosion erupted. The impact was so intense, it reverberated throughout the palace, as though an earthquake had struck. All the lights trembled, bookshelves toppled, chairs and tables clashed, and the residents fell to the ground.
Wan Qiao’s private chamber was utterly destroyed. The energy unleashed in the attack far surpassed Wan Qiao’s expectations, utilizing all the fog energy stored by the beast.
Now, within the Dantian Cave containing the Demon Core, only a faint, translucent strand of red mist remained, spinning inside.
Yan Xiaobao was motionless, as was Lan Feng. Both of them seemed trapped within the Dantian Cave, their entire bodies drained by the red mist. However, as the last remnants of the mist returned to the tiny hollow of his Lower Dantian, Yan Xiaobao suddenly felt an overpowering loss of energy. His consciousness regained control of his body only to experience the world fade to black around him, and he collapsed onto the ground.
Wan Qiao gazed at the unconscious young man before her. The sensation of standing before a sovereign beast vanished, and now Lan Feng and a human aura returned to prominence.
Seeing this, Wan Qiao smiled faintly. She stepped toward the young man, lifting him into her arms. With a tender expression, she carried him through the castle toward the room she had lent him. Along the way, the already chaotic castle erupted further with rumors.
Wan Qiao was known as the Ice Queen. She had never shown any interest in the opposite sex, nor expressed any intention to produce offspring. Yet here she was, in the middle of the day, carrying a young man with a gentle smile on her face.
As for her thoughts, nobody knew—even she herself didn’t. She walked steadily until she reached Yan Xiaobao’s room. After placing him on the stone bed, she left a note on the table, instructing him to come to her room when he awoke.
Wan Qiao was filled with amazement—someone transforming into such a mythical beast was something beyond her wildest imagination. It felt as though this young man was overflowing with secrets, with countless mysteries hidden deep within him.
She recalled his unique healing ability when she struck him, along with how he had managed to cultivate to Duke-level before turning twenty. Wan Qiao inferred he possessed an extraordinary number of secrets—secrets she was eager to uncover, for he might play a pivotal role in her forthcoming plans.
Letting out a sigh, Wan Qiao returned to her room and gazed out the window. Her eyes fell upon the sprawling city stretching to the horizon—the gorgeous architecture, temples, shops, and homes. It was all she hoped to protect, her world as the last pillar. She was the final standing Beast Monarch.
Thinking of this saddened Wan Qiao; however, her eyes quickly hardened, knowing she had no time to dwell in sorrow. Instead, hope filled her resolve. Having witnessed Yan Xiaobao’s inner strength and seen his capabilities earlier, she felt that finally, someone could become her second pillar of support.
She needed to ensure his rapid growth personally. She needed him, for whenever she looked into the distance, all she could see was chaos and warfare. She knew war was imminent—a war where only the strongest would survive. The thunderous drums of war echoed across the Divine Domain as every Forest King prepared armies for battle.
Yan Xiaobao slept deeply for a long time. His body was utterly exhausted, and his consciousness drifted in a pitch-black space.
In this dark void, Lan Feng suddenly manifested. His awareness floated toward Yan Xiaobao, and the two clung to each other until another entity suddenly appeared within the vast emptiness.
This being was unfamiliar to both Yan Xiaobao and Lan Feng. No, it was the wolf that Yan Xiaobao had transformed into while releasing the red mist within his Dantian.
As the wolf spotted Yan Xiaobao and Lan Feng, it swiftly morphed from a wolf into a werewolf. It began slowly advancing across the void toward Yan Xiaobao and Lan Feng. The three of them converged in this abyss—a place devoid of anything, an infinite void.
Walking through the void, the wolf approached Yan Xiaobao and Lan Feng, its blood-red eyes curiously fixed on Yan Xiaobao.
"Who are you?" Yan Xiaobao asked, looking curiously at the wolf before him. The usual malicious aura was nowhere to be found. The crimson eyes bore no intent to kill; instead, they shimmered with wisdom. Its tail wagged incessantly as though impatient, its arms crossed over its chest.
"Who am I?" it repeated mockingly, but after a long pause, a deep sigh escaped its lips. "I am you," it finally replied. "I used to be you."
"Used to be me?" Yan Xiaobao asked with curiosity. Lan Feng had previously suggested that these occurrences might relate to a past life, but hearing outright confirmation that he was this vicious, bloodthirsty wolf was entirely different.
"I lived on another plane," the wolf began. "A plane dominated by beasts. Humans did not exist, and I was the strongest one there. I was the sovereign among them all; every beast bowed before me. But to hold such power, I had to kill countless beasts. I killed all who stood in my way." The wolf’s killing intent began to surface.
"Until one day, God descended to our realm. The battle lasted forty-seven years, but in the end, I had no power left. My only choices were either to submit to Him or to die with dignity.
"It wasn’t a hard decision at all. I had lived countless years, and ending it was something I wished for. Our fight devastated the entire continent; we built ravines beneath the deep sea, valleys in the deserts, and cratered the land with massive holes. The battle was magnificent! I would love to experience the thrill of life-and-death combat once again. It was worth exchanging my life for."
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