Chapter 259: Ginseng Essence

After his identity was verified and he was let in, Hu Biao followed the Beastfolk warriors, winding his way to the middle of the camp, his eyes scanning ahead.

The square was surrounded by Exotic Beast Skin, looking like a Planting Greenhouse; a ring of Beastfolk soldiers stood about a hundred meters beyond the entire square, and the camp's troops marched around the square, unaware of what major event had occurred.

His heart was full of astonishment; he again showed his identity bone token to the Beastfolk guarding the entrance, and only then was he let in.

In the middle of the sandy square, several rows of Beastfolk stood; everyone was quiet, but the air carried an unmistakable excitement, and Hu Biao walked earnestly, daring not to ask more.

He queued at the back with the Beastfolk who had led him in, warned that the matters here must not be disclosed, and that violators would be killed.

At that moment, a familiar voice beside him rang in his ear:

"Hu Biao, it seems you're doing quite well under the Lord's hand, even managing to obtain the Ginseng Essence!" Xiang Sa tilted his eyes and looked at the old rival beside him.

Hu Biao was bewildered: "What Ginseng Essence?"

Seeing that he knew more than Hu Biao, Xiang Sa immediately felt he had the upper hand, hands on his hips, eyebrows dancing, and said, "Looks like you haven't been given much favor either; no one told you? Today the Lord had the Tiger Cunning War General bring the Ginseng Essence to give us. Ginseng is a medicinal liquid; drinking it will permanently boost our strength by a notch."

He had actually heard it from the Beastfolk beside him; because he was a planter in the Planting Base, some Beastfolk treated him well and immediately told him that the Tiger Cunning War General had obtained the Ginseng Essence from the Lord.

Xiang Sa: "This is a medicinal plant cultivated by the Lord's Wife; even if sold outside, other lords would scramble for it, and the Lord just gave it to us to drink!"

Hu Biao: "!!"

He was shocked, eyes wide open, breathing became rapid, and his mind grew even more confused.

What?? A strength‑enhancing elixir??

Hu Biao's eyes widened even more: "That can't be…."

Xiang Sa saw Hu Biao's dumb look; he himself had been stunned for a while when he heard the news, but had now recovered.

"With Lord Lin here, what could be impossible?" Xiang Sa said. "Our Holy Maiden Fruit elixir and Agave beer—have you seen these before?"

Hu Biao could not object, murmuring, "…my Beast God."

Soon the line reached Hu Biao; he followed Xiang Sa to salute the Tiger Cunning War General, who was seated in a tent set up in the square, feeling the intense gaze pressure from the war general.

The Tiger Cunning War General was meticulous, comparing scent and appearance, confirming they were the listed Beastfolk, then waved to the two: "Come up. This is a gift from the Lord and the Lord's Wife; remember your lives belong to them."

Xiang Sa and Hu Biao answered in unison, "Yes," and received their own crystal bottles; at the Tiger Cunning's signal they uncapped them and drank.

Hu Biao swallowed, his mouth making a bitter sound, and the next second his whole body surged with excitement.

!!

The energy shift in the Spirit Core was unmistakable; scorching energy pierced his limbs, and he clearly felt his Beast Form grow slightly larger than his adult baseline.

When the palpable sense of strengthening that others described manifested in his own body, he stood dumbfounded.

Aaaahhh!!

He wielded a strange, powerful feeling and tried to let out a howl to express his excitement.

At that moment, the Tiger Cunning War General's command came from below: "Enough, return to human form, keep what happened here secret, then leave."

The Tiger Cunning glanced at the gray elephant before him that resembled a small gray hill, then at the massive tiger‑like hill, understanding everyone's mood, but urging them to calm down and leave.

He was busy, then turned his head and said:

"Next batch."

A terrifying aura of intimidation radiated from the tent; Xiang Sa and Hu Biao felt as if struck on the head, their bodies softening with fear, and their brains issued a warning: flee!

In that instant, Xiang Sa and Hu Biao snapped out of the powerful surge, instantly reverting to human form, and respectfully exited the large tent.

Hu Biao's legs went weak, his heart overjoyed; his throat felt stuck from the excitement, rendering him unable to speak.

No wonder such a huge matter kept the many Beastfolk in the square so quiet… until this moment he understood.

Aaaah!!

Hu Biao wanted to roll in the desert, to release his unspent ecstatic energy, but after leaving he still could not move freely.

He and Xiang Sa followed the Beastfolk at the gate, and per the Tiger Cunning War General's orders, they arrived in the empty desert.

There lay a chaotic arena.

Two massive giant lizards were engaged in silent, deadly grappling; nearby, an elephant and sand wolves fought, a giant snake clashed with a sand cat, a wild donkey was coiled by a sand boa…

Thousands of animals battled in the dune valley, but they bore little intent to kill; in their combat, sharp teeth did not truly wound, and sand‑covered bodies slammed together, producing a muffled "puff" and raising a cloud of dust.

On a high sand dune, Hua Zheng the War General lay on the sand, relaxed, his eyes flicking across the battles in the valley below, as if assessing something.

Hu Biao's blood boiled as he watched; it seemed these were companions who had grown stronger after drinking the Ginseng Essence, showcasing their strength upward.

…Isn't this a chance to perform before the Lord!!

Hu Biao let out a low roar, his eyes flashing as he transformed into a massive tiger, intending to join the chaotic arena and perform.

Beside him, Xiang Sa rushed even faster, clearly sharing his intention.

Because of the Ginseng Essence, everyone in the fight wore joyous smiles, as if celebrating a Beastfolk Festival.

At dusk, Hua Zheng presented the gathered information on his desk to the Lord.

Lin Manzhi and Mo Lie sat together, looking at the Thin Skin Scroll presented by Hua Zheng.

It detailed each Beastfolk's data: changes in height and weight, combat power shifts, duration of Beast Transformation, and so on.

She looked for a while, not fully grasping the Beastfolk's calculations, then turned to Mo Lie and asked, "How is it? Is the six‑year Ginseng Essence effective?"

Mo Lie, after reviewing the information in his hand, said, "It's useful; a male Beast's Beast Form size is fundamentally determined by the energy in the Spirit Core."

Compared with him, Hua Zheng, and the Tiger Cunning, this batch of Beastfolk alone proved highly effective.

He turned to Lin Manzhi and slowly began to explain, "Based on the data of over two thousand Beastfolk, each race's Spirit Core power is determined by its bloodline. For example, the sand mouse: the scroll records five sand‑mouse commanders responsible for scouting, with Beast Form height 2 m and weight 410 jin. After taking the Ginseng Essence, their Beast Form became 2.2 m tall and 430 jin. As for the tiger, Hu Biao, his Beast Form was previously 5.1 m tall and 4,890 jin; after, it became 5.5 m tall and 5,640 jin."

Thus, the degree of strengthening from the Ginseng Essence varies by race; for weaker bloodlines, the six‑year Ginseng is sufficient.