Chapter 108: Section 109: Sir, You Have a Nosebleed


    The moonlight tonight was not bright, and the forest under its glow seemed deeper and darker.


    At this moment, an acid-liquid green lizard was sprinting through the forest. Oddly, it was carrying a silver wolf corpse on its back, and blood spilled from the wolf, scattering along the path like flowers of fresh blood.


    “This way is too easy to be tracked,” the green lizard thought, revealing itself to be Lord Zhenjin, who had noticed the blood trail and stopped.


    He was now quite far from where the blue dog fox wolves had perished.


    Lord Zhenjin pondered, “It would be a pity to simply let this wolf blood go to waste. Maybe I can collect it and give it to Zi Di for research, to see why the green-spotted poison moss is so effective against the blue dog fox wolves. Perhaps Zi Di could create even more potent potions.”


    With this thought, Lord Zhenjin flung the wolf corpse to the ground and began to spray out acid liquid.


    ...


    He emptied his venom sack completely, shooting out all the thick liquid within.


    Then, he extended his mouth toward the wolf corpse and, with specific muscles in his mouth and neck, produced a strong suction force.


    The remaining fresh blood from the wolf corpse was quickly sucked into the venom sack within Lord Zhenjin’s body.


    Even if Lord Zhenjin were poisoned, he would not be afraid, as he could use the magic crystal in his heart to detoxify.


    Looking back in the direction he had come from, Lord Zhenjin decided to investigate the remaining Demon Beast Army, as well as those two newly appeared blue dog fox wolves.


    “Just a moment,” Lord Zhenjin thought of transforming into a bat monkey but then had a new idea.


    He remembered how he had, in his gun scorpion state, stacked the transformation with the green-spotted poison moss.


    “What if I use the body of the acid-liquid green lizard and then transform it into a bat monkey’s head?”


    Lord Zhenjin attempted this, and soon, he succeeded.


    He had now become a green lizard with a bat monkey’s head.


    “Now I surely can’t spray out acid liquid. It can pass through the lizard’s neck, but when it reaches the bat monkey’s mouth, it has no exit.”


    Lord Zhenjin began to attempt emitting ultrasound in this form.


    His vocal cords were still those of a bat monkey, but his lungs remained those of a green lizard.


    After failing twice, Lord Zhenjin successfully made a sound on the third try.


    The results of the detection were smoothly relayed back to him.


    The original scene had descended into chaos, the left-behind Demon Beast Army was resisting the pincer attack of two Demon Beast Armies.


    Without the leadership of the blue dog fox wolves, the remaining Demon Beast Army was sure to be defeated, and the survivors would be assimilated.


    But what surprised Lord Zhenjin was, “These two Demon Beast Armies are not fighting each other. The two new blue dog fox wolves don’t seem to be hostile to one another; they appear to be in some kind of cooperative relationship.”


    “Do they want to eliminate the remaining Demon Beast Army first and then turn on each other?”


    “Or have they allied because of the wolf howl heard earlier?”


    Lord Zhenjin speculated that if it were the latter case, it would mean that the deceased blue dog fox wolf might have shared a lot of information in its dying howl.


    Stopping the ultrasound, Lord Zhenjin transformed back into a complete green lizard.


    “The overall effect is still acceptable.”


    Perhaps because the green lizard’s neck was much longer than that of the bat monkey, the airflow through it allowed Lord Zhenjin to control it more steadily.


    Thus, the ultrasound he emitted was no longer fluctuating wildly, and the sound frequency could be maintained within a very stable range.


    However, the maximum frequency of the ultrasound in this form was much lower than that of the bat monkey’s.


    “I’m using the lungs of the green lizard; the ability of the bat monkey’s lungs to expand and contract is much more powerful.”


    “Regardless, I have really combined two life forms, the bat monkey and the green lizard!”


    “It’s marvelous, the green lizard is a cold-blooded creature, the bat monkey warm-blooded; coexistence between the two is inherently contradictory.”


    Lord Zhenjin had once consulted Cang Xu on this.


    Each living organism has its unique system. Simply piecing together the strongest parts of animals does not create the strongest beast.


    But now, Lord Zhenjin clearly trended towards achieving such a feat.


    The bat monkey’s head and the green lizard’s body apparently coexisted harmoniously.


    “However, this kind of multi-layered transformation consumes much more demon energy from the heart core!”


    Lord Zhenjin’s eyes suddenly flashed with insight.


    “Perhaps I’ve found the reason. These parts of life forms do not rely on their own to assemble and coexist. Their real core is the demon crystal within my heart.”


    “It is the continuous consumption of demon energy that supports my mutation, possessing the organs and characteristics of other life forms.”


    In fact, Lord Zhenjin had already started multiple mutations earlier. Originally, when he faced the Fat Ball Flying Fish in the Oasis, he had simultaneously mutated bear arms and lizard eyes.


    Lord Zhenjin’s thoughts continued to diverge.


    “Wait, can I make the Green Lizard grow bat wings?”


    Soon, a pair of bat wings really grew out of the back of the Green Lizard Zhenjin, making him look akin to a low-level sub-dragon.


    Zhenjin then tried to flap the wings.


    He could fly, but it was very strenuous. Whether it was the height, speed of flight, or agility, it was incomparable to the Bat Monkey.


    “The Bat Monkey’s back muscles are particularly well-developed, allowing the bat wings to flap more powerfully and at a higher frequency.”


    “The muscle growth on the Green Lizard’s back is suited for running, or swimming in the water. To support a pair of bat wings is completely overtaxing these muscle groups.”


    Practice yields true knowledge.


    After trying it out, Zhenjin immediately gained many profound experiences.


    “I got a little carried away. Now is not the time for experiments.” Zhenjin quickly regained his senses, cancelled the bat wing mutation, slung the Wolf Blood carcass back over his shoulder, and continued to run.


    Having spent quite some time, he finally returned to the mountain top he had initially leaped over.


    He successfully found his own clothes and equipment.


    Once again looking at the Wolf Blood carcass, Zhenjin fell into hesitation.


    What should he do with it?


    Zhenjin knew he had two choices.


    The first option was to bring the Wolf Blood carcass back intact and let Cang Xu dissect it, which might reveal the secret of how the Blue Dog Fox Wolf could control other wild beasts with its scent.


    The second option was to directly let the Heart Core absorb and transform it.


    The first option was very safe, while the second was essentially a gamble. Zhenjin was well aware that simply absorbing and transforming a Blue Dog Fox Wolf wouldn’t allow him to completely become this life form. But if the gamble paid off, and Zhenjin gained the organ capable of emitting a strange fragrance, then the rewards would be immense.


    Zhenjin pondered for a moment and decided to take a gamble.


    He used his Spider Blade to cut off some of the Wolf Blood fur, keeping it on his person. He then emptied the water from his water bag and squirted in the Wolf Blood.


    After that, he activated his Heart Core and absorbed the Wolf Blood carcass entirely.


    “Now can I transform into, uh… a wolf’s nose? And Wolf Blood fur?”


    Zhenjin felt quite regretful.


    He had not won the gamble. The two new options he gained were not very impressive.


    The wolf’s nose had a sense of smell that surpassed humans, but the olfactory senses of Zhenjin’s Gun Scorpion and Green Lizard forms were also not bad.


    Wolf Blood fur could keep warm, but in the current temperature, it was completely unnecessary.


    Zhenjin had no choice but to revert to human form, got dressed, strapped on the thin sword, filled the water bag, and set off once again.


    After walking a few steps, he furrowed his brow.


    When he transformed into other forms, things were fine, but as a human dressed in clothes, every movement caused the fabric to rub against his lower body, intensifying the pain and exacerbating the injury.


    “If I could take down that Strong Life White Rhinoceros, absorb and transform it, with luck, these injuries wouldn’t trouble me.”


    Zhenjin sighed and had to take off his clothes, remove his gear, and mutate once again.


    He transformed into a Black Iron Bat Monkey, grabbing his clothes, thin sword, boots, and water bag in hand, and spread his bat wings as he flew into the night sky.


    Flying in a straight line above the canopy saved him a great deal of time.


    He would fly for a while, then stop to use ultrasound to scan his surroundings, preventing anyone from witnessing this odd scene. Although in the darkness, human vision was greatly limited. But, what if?


    Zhenjin remained very cautious.


    All the way to the vicinity of the camp, he encountered no troubles and everything went smoothly.


    Landing in a dark corner, he transformed back into a human shape, got dressed, donned everything again, and, bearing the discomfort below, arrived at the camp’s gate.


    “Who goes there?!” Zhenjin had just appeared when he alerted the guards.


    When the guards saw clearly, they suddenly cheered in surprise: “Ah, it’s Lord Zhenjin.”


    “Lord Zhenjin, it really is Lord Zhenjin.”


    “Lord Zhenjin is back!”


    The two guards cooperated to open the camp gate. As Zhenjin stepped inside, he immediately saw a huge snake carcass.


    “What is this?” Zhenjin’s eyes flashed sharply. Sёarch* The n?vel_Fire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The snake carcass was six meters long, resembling a forest boa. However, both its head and tail were peculiar; its head was like that of a crocodile, and its swollen tail resembled a huge round hammer.


    Upon closer inspection, Zhenjin noticed that the snake’s scales were not standard either, resembling the skin of a crocodile.


    “This is a prey brought down by Zong Ge, a Silver Level Magic Beast.”


    “Cang Xu, the Scholar, dissected part of it and named it the Crocodile Head Hammer Tail Boa!”


    Two guards introduced it to Zhenjin.


    “I see,” Zhenjin nodded, then inquired, “How did Zong Ge take it down? Was he injured?”


    The guards shook their heads, indicating they did not know.


    “Lord, you and Zong Ge were chasing the manipulator behind the scenes, but Zong Ge returned without you.”


    “Consequently, Lord Zi Di, along with Lan Zao, Hei Juan, and others, went to question Zong Ge at his camp.”


    “Zong Ge then handed over this Crocodile Head Hammer Tail Boa to us.”


    “It’s truly wonderful that you’ve returned, Lord.”


    Zhenjin fell silent, thinking. He had only just shown his face, and the guards immediately spotted him. Evidently, with the return of Zong Ge and his own disappearance, Zi Di, Cang Xu, and others faced tremendous pressure.


    “Ah, Lord Zhenjin, is it really you?” Xi Suo was the first to hear the commotion and ran out.


    Although Zhenjin had usurped his authority, Xi Suo was genuinely delighted to see Zhenjin at this moment.


    Zhenjin nodded at Xi Suo and commanded, “I have returned. There is important business to discuss with everyone. Also, summon Zong Ge and Sanda here.”


    Half an hour later.


    In the central wooden cabin.


    On the long wooden table, multiple candles were placed, illuminating a pile of blue wolf fur.


    “The course of events is roughly as follows,” Zhenjin finished recounting his own narrative to the brokers in the cabin.


    Mu Ban exclaimed, “Inconceivable! To command other species of beasts solely with scent?”


    “Cang Xu, the Scholar, what is your opinion on this?” Zhenjin inquired.


    Cang Xu pondered, “Scent serves a very broad role for animals.”


    “For instance, ants. When ants find food, they will leave a scent trail on their way back. Other ants will then follow this scent trail and collectively gather food.”


    “Or take the stag. During mating season, they rub against trees to leave their scent. Female deer, smelling this scent, will find the stags.”


    “Hyenas, lions, wolves, and such, mark their territory with urine, serving as waymarkers to prevent getting lost.”


    “Skunks use their foul odor as a defense, to ward off enemies. Ring-tailed lemur use odor for offense, they fight amongst one another, and the stenchiest one wins, securing a higher position within the lemur hierarchy.”


    Cang Xu shook his head as he spoke, “But I have never heard of scent being used to subjugate wild beasts of other species.”


    “The activities of the Blue Dog Fox Wolf, however, are somewhat akin to those of a shepherd dog.”


    “Farmers’ shepherd dogs can help herd sheep, prevent cows, sheep, horses from escaping, and also protect them from the attacks of bears and wolves.”


    Zi Di spoke, “According to Lord Zhenjin’s description, only man-made magical beasts were influenced. The scent of the Blue Dog Fox Wolf having such an effect is likely a deliberate arrangement by the Island Master.”


    “Consider this, the Island Master has created so many war living weapons, how could there be soldiers without a commander? The Blue Dog Fox Wolf is just that—a commander of the beasts, created by the Island Master.”


    Zi Di had long been a proponent of the weapon theory hypothesis, indeed, she was the first to propose it.


    Subsequently, Cang Xu also came to support this guess.


    “What a pity, we don’t have a wolf corpse at hand. Otherwise, if I could dissect it, I would uncover many more secrets,” Cang Xu lamented.


    Zi Di immediately objected, “No, Lord Zhenjin did the right thing. How could you carry a heavy wolf corpse for such a long distance, traversing the night forest?”


    “Lord tracked the beast pack for a long time before risking his life to ambush and kill the Blue Dog Fox Wolf while it attempted to assert control over the Monkey-tailed Brown Bear.”


    “Lord Zhenjin, by your solitary efforts, you resolved the enduring threat to the camp. You have done exceedingly well.”


    Zhenjin looked into Zi Di’s amethyst-like eyes, smiled slightly, and reached out to hold Zi Di’s hand resting on the table.


    Zi Di’s hand instinctively flinched but remained still, allowing Zhenjin to hold it.


    Zhenjin continued, “Sadly, the final howling of the wolf attracted two more Blue Dog Fox Wolves. I am not clear on what exactly the howls conveyed or communicated. We must be vigilant, and prepare for the worst-case scenario—we might soon be facing an onslaught from a Demon Beast Army led by a pair of combined Blue Dog Fox Wolves!”


    Everyone’s expressions were solemn and grave.


    “Seems we need to change our tactics,” Mu Ban said. “We can’t just chop wood, we must quickly produce strong crossbows. Lord Zhenjin had once led an exploration team using short bows to eliminate a squad of Flying Squirrels. We can draw from that successful experience.”


    “I know there are many models of crossbows, and as for Lord Zi Di, we discussed this over dinner. Lord Zi Di can provide potions that corrode metal. As long as we have enough metal mechanisms and wood, and enough time, we will have a steady supply of crossbows.”


    Everyone nodded slightly upon hearing this; it was a good suggestion.


    At this point, Zong Ge spoke up, “The likelihood of the Demon Beast Army of the Blue Dog Fox Wolf continuing to trouble us is quite high. Instead of waiting passively for their attack, it would be better if we took the initiative to strike.”


    “The vast forest sea makes it too risky for our lone forces to venture too deeply,” Xi Suo immediately shook his head.


    Zong Ge laughed, “What I mean is, we clear out all the beast herds near our camp!”


    It was then that everyone saw the light in this idea.


    Sanda chimed in, “Lord Zong Ge is right. According to Lord Zhenjin’s intelligence, the Mutation has a time limit. The scale of the Demon Beast Army is actually limited by the food supply; it cannot grow indefinitely.”


    “By eradicating the surrounding herds, the Blue Dog Fox Wolf won’t receive any support. At the same time, the Beast Meat we clear out will also augment our food reserves.”


    “If we’re to do this, we first need more detailed intelligence.” Zhenjin mused.


    Zong Ge burst into laughter, his gaze challenging as he looked at Zhenjin like the Short Spear behind him, “Then let’s start with reconnaissance. You’re responsible for half, and I’ll take the other half. We’ll survey the terrain within a thousand meters of the camp, as well as all the beast herds. What do you say, Holy Temple Knight?”


    Zhenjin looked at Zong Ge and fell silent for a moment.


    He understood Zong Ge’s meaning.


    This time, Zong Ge had slaughtered a Silver Level Magic Beast, but after all, he had lost sight of the Blue Dog Fox Wolf. Zhenjin, on the other hand, had managed to do so; even according to Zhenjin’s account, he had killed the extremely threatening Blue Dog Fox Wolf single-handedly.


    This military exploit was certain to be publicized far and wide, becoming well-known.


    In this way, Zong Ge had undoubtedly been overshadowed.


    The shortcomings of Zong Ge’s status, combined with the comparison of military exploits, would see Zhenjin’s influence in the team rise sharply.


    This was what Zong Ge did not want to see.


    “Perhaps because of your training in the military, you are well-versed in intelligence gathering techniques. But do you really want to compete with me in this area?”


    Thinking this, Zhenjin sighed and nodded slightly, “Then let it be so.”


    After the discussion concluded, the group dispersed.


    After thinking for a while, Zhenjin approached Zi Di’s tent.


    “Zi Di, are you asleep?”


    “My Lord, I have not slept yet. Please come in and speak,” Zi Di’s voice came from inside the tent.


    Zhenjin lifted the flap and entered.


    Zi Di was still wearing her hooded Magic Robe, the oversize robe making her seem even more delicate and pitiable.


    Seeing Zi Di’s demeanor, Zhenjin sighed and walked over to her, pulling her into his embrace.


    Zi Di’s body trembled slightly but did not resist.


    “Are you scared?” Zhenjin asked softly, comforting her.


    He was aware of the immense psychological shadow the Blue Dog Fox Wolf had cast upon Zi Di.


    “With you here, My Lord, I am not afraid,” Zi Di said softly.


    “Right, I will always be by your side. The first Blue Dog Fox Wolf died at my feet, and the second one died too. The third, the fourth, even if more appear, as long as I am here, I won’t let them hurt you. I promise you that!” Zhenjin comforted her.


    Zi Di looked up while in Zhenjin’s arms, “Lord Zhenjin, I believe you.”


    It seemed as though she felt something, and her expression turned a bit peculiar.


    “Oh, right. The main reason I came to see you is about some blood,” Zhenjin said to Zi Di with a smile.


    “I need you to do it secretly.”


    “Don’t tell anyone else before we have a result.”


    Zi Di’s face immediately flushed with embarrassment.


    “My Lord, what do you wish to… do?”


    Zhenjin saw Zi Di’s expression, thought for a moment, and understood that she had misunderstood him.


    “Don’t misunderstand, I mean…” he hadn’t finished speaking when Zi Di interrupted him.


    “My Lord, you have a nosebleed.”


    “Uh.” Zhenjin too felt the blood trickling down as he became extremely embarrassed, “Listen to me, Zi Di, it’s not what you think.”


    ps: Today’s second update is a long chapter, tomorrow will only have one update; I need to correct typos and organize the outline, as well as optimize it further.