Volume Six: Stealing Is Robbing - Chapter Three: The Chaos of the Spirit Beasts (Part Two)

The Scarlet Flame Martial Master merely cast one final glance at Kuang Chi before vanishing into the sky.

Following his departure, Kuang Chi collapsed onto the scorched earth. The members of Tyrannosaurus Peak, who had ceased their fighting the moment that hollow voice resonated, immediately swarmed around him, forming a tight protective circle. Ah San rushed to his side and roared, "Someone go find a change of clothes for the Young Master! What are you all standing around for? Go!"

After shouting, he quickly began channeling his internal energy to tend to Kuang Chi’s wounds. Kuang Chi waved a hand to stop him, saying, "Immediately notify the brothers on the ship to be on high alert. The person who spoke just now is likely a Martial Master-level expert from the Demon Sect. Be careful; don’t let him sneak aboard."

No sooner had Kuang Chi put on the ill-fitting clothes brought by his men than Jing'er ran over, looking rather cross while clutching the troublesome little creature in her arms. She circled him with concern before asking, "Fatty, are you alright?"

Before Kuang Chi could answer, Duke Yelu interjected with a wry smile, "Jing'er, I told you Young Master Kuang would be perfectly fine. For an ancient sect like the Divine Martial Palace, the Kuang family carries even more weight than our Piao Feng Empire. Why wouldn't you believe your uncle? Why would I lie to you? See, Young Master Kuang is completely fine now, so stop being angry with me."

Upon hearing this, Jing'er shot a disgruntled look at Duke Yelu and retorted, "I used to think you were a man of integrity, Uncle, but now I see you’re just a coward."

The Duke was left between laughter and tears. He glanced apologetically at Kuang Chi before saying to Jing'er, "How am I a coward? I was only worried about your safety. Besides, staying here would only have caused trouble for Young Master Kuang and his men; we wouldn't have been of any help."

Jing'er kept her head turned, refusing to look at the visibly anxious Duke. Kuang Chi actually agreed that the Duke’s decision to take Jing'er away was correct. Fists and kicks have no eyes; had she been caught in such a chaotic melee, the men of Tyrannosaurus Peak would have been forced to exercise restraint, likely resulting in greater casualties.

Seeing the Duke’s pleading gaze, Kuang Chi finally spoke up: "Jing'er, the Duke was not wrong. He took you away for your own good. Staying here would not have helped us; it would only have distracted us from protecting you."

Just then, the men from the Giant Axe Security Company, who were also resting, silently withdrew from the plaza. This left the Tyrannosaurus Peak members, who had expected the fight to continue, looking on in confusion.

Seeing the situation settle, Kuang Chi asked Ah San, "What are our casualties?"

Ah San surveyed the area and laughed, "Nothing serious. Only a dozen brothers are injured somewhat heavily, but they'll be fine in a few days after taking some of the sect’s medicinal concoctions. These minor scrapes are nothing to us. Back on the Forgotten Star, fighting top-tier monsters, we were always covered in wounds." He paused for a moment before adding, "We haven't had a chance to stretch our limbs in a while. It felt great to finally let loose today."

Laughter erupted around them; it seemed the Tyrannosaurus Peak men were exceptionally satisfied with the brawl.

Only Duke Yelu looked at the ruined plaza with a bitter, internal sigh. The Green Leaf Star was secretly controlled by the Yelu family, so the damage to the plaza was effectively his own loss. However, he dared not ask the Tyrannosaurus Peak men for compensation—not that they had any money, as all their funding was currently provided by the Duke himself.

Kuang Chi looked around and said, "Alright, all of you head back to the ship to rest. Don't wander off much these days, and stay vigilant even when you are out."

Upon returning to the hotel, Kuang Chi realized his entire body was aching; it felt as though every single muscle had ceased to function normally. Hearing Kuang Chi’s involuntary groans, Jing'er asked with concern, "Fatty, what’s wrong?"

Before Kuang Chi could speak, his muscles betrayed him, and he went limp. Fortunately, Jing'er reacted quickly, catching him before he hit the ground.

Duke Yelu scrambled to take the spirit beast from Jing'er’s arms and then hurried to examine Kuang Chi. After a long moment, he exhaled a long breath and said, "Young Master Kuang is not in any grave danger. His muscles are just damaged, possibly from the Scarlet Flame Martial Master’s true fire. He will recover after a few days of rest."

Jing'er suddenly recalled the ant-blood bath Kuang Chi had installed on the Ghost Pirate Ship, modeled after the one in the Qian family residence—the ant blood was excellent for healing. Without another word, she hoisted the limp Kuang Chi into her arms and hurried back to the Ghost Pirate Ship, where she anxiously submerged him, clothes and all, into the pool.

The moment Kuang Chi touched the ant blood, he groaned again; his body felt as if it were being bored into by a thousand ants.

In truth, Jing'er had stumbled upon the right solution by pure accident. Kuang Chi’s condition was far more severe than the Duke realized. Kuang Chi’s "Tyrant Moon Body Refining Technique" had always been practiced on the frigid Forgotten Star, which acted as a catalyst for his evolutionary path. Consequently, his body had developed special adaptations to the cold, much like the naturally icy internal energy cultivated by the men of Tyrannosaurus Peak.

When this constitution encountered the intense heat of the Scarlet Flame Martial Master’s true fire, it triggered a catastrophic reaction. A Martial Master's "true fire" is essentially "fire poison." It is not merely heat; it is an abnormal energy that embeds itself in the victim’s body, corroding their meridians. While Kuang Chi’s technique initially masked the effect, the poison began to manifest once he stopped channeling his energy at the hotel. For his specific constitution, this was lethal.

However, the ant-blood pool—made from dozens of ant crystals donated by Tyrannosaurus Peak—was the perfect counter. Ants of this type are creatures of magma, and their energy is inherently fire-based. This energy, combined with the fire poison, triggered a series of chain reactions in Kuang Chi’s body. Guided by his own internal evolutionary mechanisms, it began to reshape and temper his physique. That sensation of being chewed by thousands of ants was the sound of his body being forcibly rebuilt.

After a long time, Kuang Chi’s groaning finally ceased, and he regained control of his mouth. He spat out, "Damn it, that itched like hell."

This brought a wave of relief to Jing'er and the others. Jing'er, with a mixture of relief and annoyance, squatted down and gave him a sharp tap on the head. "Fatty, what happened? You scared me to death!"

Kuang Chi finally remembered that he weighed several hundred pounds and that Jing'er had carried him into the pool herself. Jing'er seemed to realize this too; her face flushed, and she quickly rose, taking the still-fledgling creature from Duke Yelu’s arms.

Kuang Chi remembered the origin of the fight and asked the Duke, who was standing by with a smirk, "Duke, what exactly is this spirit beast?"

Duke Yelu smiled at Jing'er, who was looking at the small creature with pure joy. "A spirit beast isn't just a 'thing.' It is a designation for monsters with special abilities. Essentially, they are mutations. For unknown reasons, they undergo strange changes and possess abilities their parents lack. We call these mutated monsters spirit beasts, and they are much more likely to evolve into cosmic-level monsters."

He paused, then continued, "Once humans discovered this, they began raising them. A single spirit beast is often raised for thousands of years. Nowadays, the strength of a family is often measured by the number of high-level spirit beasts they possess. Most spirit beasts possess high intelligence from birth, unlike cosmic-level monsters, which require ages to develop a sapience comparable to humans."

Jing'er interjected, "Fatty, you said you were giving this spirit beast to me. No backing out—it’s mine now!"

Kuang Chi laughed from the pool. "When did I say I wanted it back? If I said it’s yours, it’s yours."

Duke Yelu added with a smile, "While their growth cycle is long, a juvenile spirit beast is a rare treasure, especially one like this, whose eyes haven't even opened yet. They are ideal, as they often imprint on the first creature they see as their mother." As he said this, he cast a cryptic, amused glance at Jing'er.