Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
[Monster Name]: Skeleton Tyrant
[Monster Grade]: Legendary
[Monster Level]: Level 46
[Ingredients for Promotion to Legendary Grade]: Flames of Darkness, Commander Bones, Thousand-Year Heart of Darkness, and the Essence of the Undying Heart…
These were the main ingredients Dumby needed in order to advance to Legendary-grade. Gao Peng had already collected three of them, plus a few other miscellaneous items. The only ingredient he was missing right now was the Essence of the Undying Heart.
Judging from their names, these ingredients seemed almost mundane. However, it was an established fact that various elements could be combined to bring out the best in each other.
For instance, one could mix potassium nitrate, sulfur, and charcoal together in fixed proportions to produce one of humanity’s most destructive weapons: gunpowder.
[Ingredient Name]: Essence of the Undying Heart
[Description]: An arcane crystal formed in a mountain of corpses. It is capable of ridding the soul of its impurities and healing its scars and can usually be found in a place of death and serenity.
Gao Peng closed his eyes. At first, he had thought that the Essence of the Undying Heart could be found in Changping village. However, the village didn’t seem to fit the image of “a place of death and serenity.”
The 400,000 soldiers that had perished in the Battle of Changping hadn’t exactly died in serenity.
Gao Peng had euthanized Zhao Kuo in the laboratory. The Commander Bones and Thousand-Year Heart of Darkness were, respectively, his bones and heart. Gao Peng could have extracted both of them from his body without killing him outright.
However, a life without one’s bones or heart wasn’t a life worth living. Zhao Kuo was better off returning to his grave.
At that moment, in the northwestern region of the Gao Ping base city, thousands of ghost soldiers suddenly stood stock still. Each of them could feel the invisible chains binding their souls to the mortal plane gradually fading away alongside the consciousness that had been controlling their every thought.
One by one, the ghost soldiers began to walk around in circles.
Some of the soldiers simply sat on the ground, staring at nothing in particular. Some were completely enthralled by a cicada chirping on a branch. The rest picked up their weapons and began walking away from the place. The only thing they wanted to do right then was leave that place as soon as possible.
“Let’s go home, let’s go home…” muttered one of the ghost soldiers. His eyes gazed emptily at the horizon. He had picked up the smell of home. Resolutely, he began the long and arduous journey towards his home.
“Sorry. I messed up this time,” said Lin Xinrui apologetically, her cheeks flushed.
Since signing her employment contract with the Southern Sky Group, she had received all kinds of benefits from the company in addition to her monthly salary.
This was the first time one of her missions that had ended in failure. This made her feel quite ill at ease. Even though she wasn’t specialized in combat, she still had a reputation to uphold as a World Hunter.
Xu Heti had reported Lin Xinrui’s performance in the field to Gao Peng. It was satisfactory. Not only had she come prepared with sufficient knowledge of all the ins and outs of her mission, but she also hadn’t shown the slightest hesitation in combat. The only thing she was lacking was combat power.
Even though she had come fully prepared for the mission, her Crystal Peacock Mantis Shrimp still hadn’t been able to take out Zhao Kuo instantly. It seemed that her familiar’s explosive attacks still needed work.
“Just be careful next time,” said Gao Peng, smiling. Feeling that he had done more than enough to console her, he turned around and left the building.
In the northern wing of the manor, a large patch of soil had been brought in. This particular type of soil was a vivid shade of purple.
This purple-colored soil was known as Frozen Crystal Soil, one of Russia’s major exports.
It was a particularly fertile soil that contained all kinds of nutrients and minerals beneficial for the growth of most Plant-type monsters. Commonly found underneath a layer of ice, the Frozen Crystal Soil was also said to be as soft as jelly. The only downside to it was its exorbitant price. One acre of soil cost around 15 Alliance credits. Gao Peng had bought 30 acres in one go.
The Yin Yang Calendula happily planted its roots in the Frozen Crystal Soil. Gao Peng could feel its happiness through their Blood Contract.
The Yin Yang Calendula had reached Level 31. As long as it received enough nutrients through its roots, it would be able to grow even more quickly than other monsters.
When Gao Peng was finished preparing the ingredients for Dumby’s evolution, he went back to the manor to rest.
The next morning, he went to the Tiange Academy alongside Dazi. Everything was still the same in the academy, or so it seemed. In front of the gates stood two bronze statues. On the left was the statue of Guan Yu, while on the right was a shorter statue of Qin Qiong.
Gao Peng stared at the statues, stunned. Where did the smaller one come from?! he thought.
“Principal, you came back just in time,” said a security guard, jogging up to Gao Peng. He held his hand against his chest in an effort to steady his breathing as he came to a stop before Gao Peng.
“Principal, we tried to call you yesterday, but you didn’t pick up, so we thought something must have come up and decided not to disturb you,” the security guard began.
Gao Peng swept his gaze over the other copper statue. At first, he thought he was looking at an ordinary statue, then suddenly, its stats popped up before him.
[Monster Name]: Animated Bronze Statue (Qin Qiong)
[Monster Level]: Level 41 (Lord-tier)
[Monster Status]: Healthy (Impassive)
[Monster Grade]: Normal
—
[Monster Name]: Animated Bronze Statue (Guan Yu)
[Monster Level]: Level 44 (Lord-tier)
[Monster Status]: Healthy (Impassive)
[Monster Grade]: Excellent
Both of them seemed to be of the same species. However, the Guan Yu Statue was three levels higher than the Qin Qiong statue. It also seemed to be slightly wider than the latter. The statues looked like a pair of siblings standing side by side for a family picture.
“Where did the other statue come from?” asked Gao Peng stonily.
“No idea. It just came down from the mountains yesterday,” replied the security guard, shaking his head.
From the mountains?
“Has Teacher Guan gone anywhere recently?”
“No, sir. Teacher Guan hasn’t moved a muscle. The only times he moved were when a monster appeared before him.”
Gao Peng didn’t find this hard to believe.
“When the other bronze statue appeared yesterday, it simply made eye contact with Teacher Guan for a moment and took his position here beside him. It hasn’t moved an inch ever since,” said the security guard, warily glancing at the Qin Qiong statue.
The Guan Yu Statue stood solemnly on the left side of the school gates, while the Qin Qiong statue stood on the right side. Both seemed to be keeping a watchful eye over the school together.
If only things were as simple as they seemed…
He had every reason to be wary of a Lord-tier bronze statue that had suddenly popped up in front of his school out of nowhere. He wasn’t the type to wait for it to go on a rampage.
At this thought, Gao Peng narrowed his eyes at the Qin Qiong statue.
The statue’s appearance was way too good to be true. There was definitely something fishy about it.
It definitely hadn’t stayed out of respect for the Guan Yu statue!
Frowning, Gao Peng said, “Let’s take it back home… Let it stay with Stripey for a while. After that, I’ll see if it has what it takes to stand guard at the school.”
The Guan Yu statue had gone through the same process before coming there. It was, after all, a wild, nigh untameable creature, the word “untameable” being the operative word.
Gao Peng wasn’t going to place the safety of the school on the whims of a monster he had never seen before. He decided that he should at least let it know who called the shots here.
“Da Zi! Take it down,” said Gao Peng.
Gao Peng bared its mandibles at the Qin Qiong bronze statue. “Hisssss!!!”
Arcs of lightning exploded across the ground and wrapped around the Qin Qiong statue like a dazzling spider web.
Boom!
A thunderous sound exploded in front of the school gates.
