novelHire Chapter 905: Death or a Chance for You?
Chapter 905: Death or a Chance for You?
"Husband, are you alright?"Li Qingran was the first to notice Chen Huaian's restored state.
Simultaneously, the dark clouds and thunder in the sky gradually dispersed, and that majestic aura from the Cangyun Realm also faded away.
"Your Master is fine."
Chen Huaian shook his head and comfortingly patted Li Qingran's head.
But his hand simply passed right through, making him involuntarily frown.
Even after absorbing two million-year World Rings, his physical body still showed no signs of recovery.
He couldn't possibly... continue living in the form of a Battle Soul forever, could he?
Without a physical body as a vessel, one is ultimately fragile.
The dark clouds completely vanished, and daylight broke through.
That suffocating pressure also dissipated.
Bixixi straightened her disheveled papal robes and looked at the man in white. The awe in her eyes was now as vast as a surging river.
Even "Heavenly Punishment" couldn't do anything to him.
Just how strong was this man...
And what kind of background did he have?
She didn't dare to think about it. Could he be the avatar of some deity?
"Esteemed Sir..."
Bixixi stepped forward, her posture extremely deferential.
She pointed at the mountains and plains of World Beast corpses in the distance, and the three shivering hundred-thousand-year World Beasts:
"These World Beasts... how should they be dealt with?"
Even though she and her subordinates had killed many of these World Beasts, Bixixi understood that if not for Chen Huaian, they would have already died in the bloody maws of the north and south green bean hikikomoris. Therefore, all these World Beasts belonged to Chen Huaian, which could also be considered repaying his life-saving grace.
Before Chen Huaian could speak.
Li Qingran had already rushed out like a diligent little bee.
"Don't move! Everyone, don't move!"
She rummaged through the mountain of corpses and sea of blood, completely indifferent to the foul-smelling blood staining her skirt.
Soon, her eyes lit up as she dug out a crystalline leg bone from the corpse of a ten-thousand-year ghost tiger.
"Found it!"
The young girl held the World Bone as if it were a rare treasure.
"Husband! This bone looks like it has very full marrow! It must be very nourishing!"
Chen Huaian's mouth twitched.
This little lass still hadn't given up on using big bones to make soup to restore his physical body...
Well, fine. It was just a low-grade World Bone anyway, so trying it out wouldn't hurt.
A quarter of an hour later.
Right on this devastated battlefield, a large black pot, found from who-knows-where, was set up.
Bubble, bubble.
The soup broth churned. It was a thick ten-thousand-year World Bone soup simmered slowly with Phoenix True Fire.
Fragrance wafted everywhere, carrying a wild, meaty aroma.
Li Qingran scooped a bowl full and handed it to Chen Huaian with expectant eyes:
"Husband, drink it while it's hot."
Chen Huaian looked at that bowl of soup.
Then he looked at Li Qingran's sparkling eyes, bright with anticipation.
Then he looked at his own pair of... transparent hands.
He helplessly scratched his head.
"Qingran."
"Your Master... it seems... can't drink it."
Upon hearing this, Li Qingran pouted, her eyes dimming a little.
She lowered her head, gently kicking a pebble on the ground with her toe, her voice tinged with a hint of grievance:
"Master is so powerful, even if you're just a Battle Soul, you definitely could drink it... Are you just making an excuse to brush me off?"
"Does Master... not want to restore your physical body? Does Master... not want to touch Qingran?"
"Every time I want to hug you, I pass right through... like hugging a ball of air." The girl's voice carried a slight sob.
"I don't want to hug air. I want to hug my husband. A husband with body warmth, with a heartbeat."
Chen Huaian's heart softened.
He remained silent for a moment.
Without explanation, he slowly lowered his head and leaned close to the bowl of soup.
Divine Soul circulation.
Whoosh—
The essence within the bowl of soup transformed into wisps of white vapor, which he inhaled through his nose.
As the essence was absorbed, his soul body did indeed solidify a bit, but only a bit.
That was ultimately a replenishment of Soul Power, not a regeneration of flesh and blood.
"See."
Chen Huaian spread his hands, giving a helpless smile.
"World Bones nourish the soul, not the physical body."
Li Qingran looked at the still-empty bowl, feeling somewhat sullen.
Although such a result was somewhat expected...
"It's alright."
Chen Huaian's illusory hand rested on top of her head.
Although there was no tactile sensation, that gentleness was still conveyed.
"There are many paths."
"The urgent task at hand is to help you become stronger."
"When you become strong enough to tear apart the rules of this world, perhaps you'll find a way for your Master to reshape his physical body."
Li Qingran sniffled.
She raised her head, the discouragement in her eyes swept away, replaced by a glint of determination:
"Husband is right. Then I'll work hard to become stronger. When I'm strong enough, I'll gather all the treasures in the world to help husband restore your physical body!"
Not far away.
Watching those two discuss "drinking bone soup" as if nothing was wrong, the three hundred-thousand-year World Beasts huddled in the corner felt a chill run through their very marrow.
Too savage.
That woman actually really used a World Bone to make soup!
That man actually really sucked it dry!
Devils!
They're all devils!
"Then these three..." Bixixi pointed at Little Rabbit, Jadewater Jiao, and Purple-Gold Flame Bear, "Kill them?"
"No."
Chen Huaian turned around, his gaze falling upon the three beasts.
"Keep them alive."
"But their bones and rings, This Venerable One wants them."
Bixixi was stunned, and the surrounding Battle Masters looked at each other in confusion.
"Esteemed Sir... this..."
"Taking the bone and the ring means the World Beast will inevitably die. This is the iron law of the Canglan Realm."
If they don't die, how do they drop loot?
Chen Huaian paid no heed to everyone's confusion.
With his hands clasped behind his back, he walked step by step towards the three World Beasts.
Tap, tap, tap.
His footsteps were light, yet they felt like they were stomping on their hearts.
"Roar!"
Although terrified, Purple-Gold Flame Bear and Jadewater Jiao, driven into a corner, had their ferocity erupt.
They shielded Little Rabbit behind them, abruptly stood upright, ready for a desperate fight.
Chen Huaian merely gave them a faint glance.
Hum.
Two million-year World Rings manifested beneath Chen Huaian's feet.
The pressure of his Golden Immortal Divine Soul descended like an invisible mountain, instantly crushing their spines.
"Kneel."
Thud.
Two hundred-thousand-year overlords, before even the thought of resistance could arise, heavily knelt on the ground, smashing two deep pits into the earth.
Chen Huaian walked up to the shivering Little Rabbit.
The girl's human form was very cute, like carved jade, but now her face was full of terror, her ruby-like eyes brimming with tears.
Chen Huaian reached out his hand, hovering it over the top of her head.
"Don't move."
Purple-Gold Flame Bear tried to roar again, but a cold glance from Chen Huaian choked the sound back into its throat.
"Make any more noise, and This Venerable One will have an extra course for dinner tonight."
The world became quiet.
Chen Huaian closed his eyes. His Divine Sense poured out like quicksilver, instantly sweeping through Little Rabbit's entire body—meridians, bones, qi and blood.
A moment later.
He opened his eyes, the corner of his mouth curling into a knowing arc.
Just as expected.
Although the power system was different, this body structure, these meridian pathways, were largely similar to the Demon Race of the Cangyun Realm...
Fundamentally the same.
Both absorbed the Spiritual Energy of heaven and earth, tempered the physical body, and condensed a core.
Since that's the case...
"That girl of mine is soft-hearted and doesn't want to kill you."
Chen Huaian looked at Little Rabbit, his tone flat.
"But This Venerable One needs your power to aid her cultivation."
"Therefore, This Venerable One gives you, gives all of you... a choice."
He raised one finger.
"Die, reduced to ashes."
Then raised a second finger.
"Or, willingly offer your World Ring and World Bone to This Venerable One."
"In exchange..."
Chen Huaian's finger lightly tapped Little Rabbit's brow.
A speck of golden light followed his fingertip into her Sea of Consciousness.
That wasn't a Battle Technique.
It was the supreme cultivation method of the Cangyun Realm's Demon Race—"Heavenly Demon Body Refinement."
"This Venerable One will teach you..."
"How to cultivate as a demon, how to regenerate, how to... become a deity."
Little Rabbit's body suddenly stiffened.
In her mind, a grand, profound, completely world-view-shattering scripture exploded.
Demons seize the Fortune of heaven and earth, invert yin and yang and the five elements. As long as the Demon Core remains unextinguished, the demon body remains undying...
Her eyes grew wider and wider.
This... what is this?
This isn't something from this world!
This was tens of thousands of times more profound than any so-called cultivation method in her inherited memories!
If one cultivated according to this...
Forget offering one World Ring, one bone.
As long as the Demon Core remains, as long as the origin isn't destroyed, those external things could grow back after recuperating for eighty to a hundred years!
Even... become stronger than before!
This is...
Fortune!
"Choose."
Chen Huaian withdrew his hand, looking at the completely stunned Little Rabbit, and said indifferently:
"To die."
"Or to give yourselves a chance."