Chapter 473: Lin Chao's Lingering Thought

The divine bird chirps, its voice melodic.

In Yu Yaonu's eyes, there is fire everywhere.

The divine bird hovers in the void, divine fire overflowing; the prostrate believers are ignited by the fire, their skin charred, flames spreading across their entire bodies, yet their expressions remain devout.

"The cinnabar phoenix chirps, upon that high ridge."

She seems to see countless believers rushing forward to die one after another, using their own bodies as kindling to ignite the heavens.

This emotion spreads continuously.

Yu Yaonu is somewhat moved.

The Zhuque governs Fire, and the divine bird is ailing; these believers wish to use themselves as fuel to let the fire spread across the four seas and eight wildernesses, subsequently allowing the divine bird to recover.

This fanatical spirit of dedication seems somewhat foolish, but it is also moving.

However, without delving into the reasons behind it, Yu Yaonu finds it difficult to judge this matter.

She can only treat it as everyone having their own way of living.

It is just that...

Suddenly, Yu Yaonu's eyes change slightly.

She perceives a cluster of flames suddenly igniting within her heart.

Within this cluster of flames, endless emotions are contained.

Dedication, sacrifice, Zhuque supremacy, the Human Race...

This cluster of flames seems to be influencing her personality.

Yu Yaonu instantly thinks of what Yaoyue said: all who are Favored Ones are great.

Yet, the Qinghua that Yu Yaonu knows is not great at all, and is even exceptionally selfish.

Now she understands that to become a Zhuque Favored One, this kind of transformation in personality... is real.

Although these emotions and personality traits are all above morality.

But for some reason, Yu Yaonu feels some resistance.

And at this moment, a wisp of white light flashes within her body.

She knows that perhaps the Pet Beast she has contracted has sensed her abnormality and is bearing these things for her.

Yu Yaonu is moved within her heart.

That cluster of divine fire extinguishes, and Yu Yaonu opens her eyes, only to see a shocking scene.

Five hundred Beast Masters have their eyes closed, their expressions solemn, as divine fire ignites upon their bodies.

Their skin is already charred, their hair completely gone, yet their faces are filled with expressions of compassion for the world.

From their mouths, they are still chanting, indistinct, yet exceptionally firm.

"The paulownia grows, facing that morning sun."

How similar is this scene to the one she saw when her eyes were closed?

These five hundred Beast Masters, according to the Zhuque messenger's words, are here to bear the immense pressure of the inheritance for them.

Now it seems, it is actually at the cost of their lives.

The woman in red, the Zhuque messenger, sees Yu Yaonu open her eyes and reveals a satisfied smile.

The sooner one opens their eyes, the higher their disposition and the more powerful their talent.

She sees the doubt in Yu Yaonu's eyes, and her voice is stern: "To achieve a Zhuque Favored One, it requires the soaking of ten thousand bloods.

They use their own deaths to suffer the calamity for you, allowing you to peacefully become a Zhuque Favored One; I hope you will not let down their expectations and will, for them... burn to ash the enemies invading their homeland!

They are all sacrificing themselves voluntarily; no one forced them."

Of course, the Zhuque messenger still concealed one point.

That is, in fact, not everyone is qualified to join this group of Beast Masters.

The purpose of their existence is not merely to suffer the calamity for the Zhuque Favored One.

These five hundred Beast Masters are people of the purest nature selected from various worlds.

They are of noble character and are willing to die for their homeland.

The divine fire burns their bodies and refines their souls; their spirits will merge into the body of the Zhuque Favored One, subsequently influencing the Zhuque Favored One's personality.

Therefore, for all Five Saints Favored Ones, no matter how terrible their past was or how bad their personality was, once they accept the inheritance, their personality will change drastically, their character will tend toward nobility, and they will have a sense of Self-Sacrifice.

"Yaonu, you will replace them... replace the entire Human Race, and Slay the alien races!" the Zhuque messenger says.

Yu Yaonu feels the responsibility on her body is heavy.

"Do not feel guilty, do not overthink.

Facing life and death, even those above the Mythical can practice Self-Sacrifice.

We small folk, Ordinary people, are also loving this world and guarding this world in our own ways.

Quickly receive the Zhuque; once you succeed, you will rush to the front lines and can also fulfill the wishes of those here who have practiced Self-Sacrifice."

Yu Yaonu's heart feels heavy.

In the face of great righteousness, in the face of the survival of the entire world, individual life and death are indeed unimportant.

Their life and death are only for the sake of creating a few Zhuque Favored Ones.

This seems very unfair.

Every living being should be equal.

However... at a time concerning the survival of the race, fairness is something that can be discarded.

Snake Letter World.

Big Prosperity City.

Cold rain drifted and swayed, the dim streetlights being pelted by the rain with a pitter-patter sound.

Zhou Sen held books in his arms and ran over from the end of the street; he walked on tiptoe, afraid of getting his trouser cuffs and shoes wet, but still splashed up a sheet of Water.

Zhou Sen stopped in front of a bookstore; his face was covered in rainwater, and the books in his arms were also quite damp.

He knocked on the Gate: "Boss, open up, I've come to return the books."

After about ten-odd breaths of time, the bookstore's Gate opened, and orange light shone out, carrying a bit of warmth.

Zhou Sen felt a little warm, and the chill on his body dissipated quite a bit.

"Boss, returning your books." Zhou Sen held the books up, a look of embarrassment on his face.

"Mm, come in and sit." The boss was also a person of not many years, with a very magnificent appearance.

Hearing the boss's voice, a trace of strangeness flashed in Zhou Sen's eyes.

For some reason, he felt that today's boss was slightly different from before.

The previous boss, although he looked to be only in his twenties and was also very handsome, had twilight in his eyes, did things slowly, and had an aura of decay about him, just like a little old man.

Now, however, he felt that there was a trace of brightness in the boss's eyes, and also a bit more vitality.

"Boss Lin, the *Cangqiong War Chronicles* comic book mentioned last time, has it been stocked?" Zhou Sen knew the boss's surname was Lin, but he did not know the boss's specific name.

Boss Lin glanced at Zhou Sen and said with a chuckle: "It's on the second floor, go take a look yourself."

After Boss Lin finished speaking, he turned and left.

Zhou Sen looked at Boss Lin's back, and not knowing what he thought of, he couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow.

The past had nothing to do with him.

He forcibly suppressed the bitterness in his heart and went to the second floor.

On the first floor, only Boss Lin remained.

The boss sat on a chair, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes.

He raised his own hand, looked at the skin upon it, and let out a sigh.

"This is a puppet; am I now just a wisp of a remnant thought?

The main body... where is it?"

This bookstore boss was Lin Chao, or rather, a remnant thought of Lin Chao.

"My memories... are somewhat incomplete, only preserved from when I embodied the Heavenly Dao and entered the Great Beast-Taming World at the beginning.

It seems... the main body failed.

Even after creating the Five Sages, I still failed to truly annihilate Red Pupil, and was instead backstabbed."

Lin Chao felt helpless.

It could be said that his past reincarnations were almost all smooth sailing.

Even when facing the Fallen Immortals, when he was Xiang Long, he dared to block the Heavenly Palace alone, fighting for a thousand years.

Although he suffered indelible, heavy injuries, that lifetime, apart from the butterfly bird, could be considered complete.

Unfortunately, this reincarnation seemed unsatisfactory.

"Ten thousand years have passed since I left Iron Stone City, yet I remain muddled and unaware."

His memories were now missing, and he had no idea what had happened in these ten thousand years.

He only simply remembered a few things.

After the main body descended into this world, it coincided with the invasion of Red Pupil.

The main body was also targeted by the supreme powerhouse within Red Pupil.

In the confrontation against Red Pupil, there were victories and defeats on both sides.

But in the end, the main body's scheme...

A sharp light flashed in Lin Chao's eyes.

"No, it wasn't a failure either.

Everything was within the main body's calculations.

This defeat was for the sake of..."

Lin Chao did not know either.

"Perhaps, only when the main body awakens will I know exactly what happened."

As he was now, he was merely a puppet, just carrying a wisp of Lin Chao's remnant thought.

"The main body left this remnant thought, is it to..."

Lin Chao pondered.

This time, the main body faked its death partly because the enemy was truly too strong and it was forced into a corner; the other part was for a greater scheme.

Leaving this remnant thought certainly wouldn't be a useless stroke.

"Destruction... vitality..."

"Life and death revolve; within them lies the supreme principle of the Dao... reincarnation."

"Comprehend life and death, grasp the opportunity of reincarnation."

"So that's how it is."

Lin Chao understood what he needed to do next, but the first thing to do was to restore his strength.

Without strength, doing anything was futile.

After all, the Great Beast-Taming World was no ordinary world.

The Main Gods within it were not just in the double digits.

There were even the legendary Main God Above.

Thinking this, Lin Chao couldn't help but look toward the second floor.

His gaze pierced through the floor, looking at the young boy who was reading a comic book, a look of doubt appearing in his eyes.

"The bloodline is somewhat familiar..."

"Is it a descendant of an old acquaintance?"

"I just don't know if they are an enemy... or a friend..."

Lin Chao pondered.

The Snake Letter World where he currently resided was a special place.

This world had once fallen into the hands of a beast army, but fortunately, it had not yet been eroded by Red Pupil.

After being ravaged by the beast army for several decades, an army of Beast Masters counterattacked and took back the Snake Letter World.

The original inhabitants of the Snake Letter World were almost all dead.

The people now were mostly descendants of later scavengers.

The civilization here was slowly recovering, but it was ultimately inferior to those worlds that had not been occupied.

The order of the entire world had somewhat collapsed.

However, the Snake Letter World held a special status as one of the ten transit worlds between the three domains.

Therefore, it also attracted many people to come here.

In the Snake Letter World, there was even a heavy force from the Yuan Palace stationed to prevent this world from being occupied by beasts again.

Lin Chao sat on a chair, his breathing steady.

The Spiritual Qi of this world was ultimately mottled and not very suitable for Immortal Cultivation.

Otherwise, beast taming would not have become the mainstream.

For Lin Chao, obtaining the ability to protect himself was not a difficult task.

The night gradually deepened, and Zhou Sen was still reading the comic book with great interest, as if his whole heart and soul had merged into the story within the comic book.

Lin Chao spoke at this moment: "It's late. If you really like it, why not take the book back to read."

Only then did Zhou Sen stand up and rub his sore arms.

"Xiao Ye doesn't like me reading these..." There was some disappointment in Zhou Sen's eyes.

Xiao Ye was the daughter of his foster parents; Zhou Sen could ignore the thoughts of others, but he cared very much about his younger sister's thoughts.

Lin Chao looked at Zhou Sen with a smile and said nothing.

Zhou Sen also tactfully put down the book and left the bookstore.

He always felt that today's bookstore owner was somewhat different from before.

Leaving the bookstore, the rain outside had stopped, and Zhou Sen ran toward his home.

Passing through a cramped alley, Zhou Sen arrived at a low, single-story house.

Outside the house was a small shed, located to the right of the Gate, inside which were placed plastic buckets, an iron pot, and a small table containing some bowls and chopsticks.

This was the kitchen of Zhou Sen's home.

Zhou Sen knocked on the door.

"Who is it?"

"It's me."

"Brother, you're back. It's raining outside; are you soaked? Do you want to take a hot shower?"

"It's fine, I stayed at the bookstore for an hour on purpose just to use the owner's heater to dry my clothes."

The door opened, and Zhou Sen entered.

The room was not large, only about ten square meters, and inside were two beds, some tattered quilts, and bags of clothes of various sizes.

His younger sister Zhou Ye was sitting on the edge of the bed, writing something in a notebook.

Zhou Sen knew that his sister was calculating their accounts.

Ever since their parents died, Zhou Sen had depended on Zhou Ye for survival.

Life was very hard, but to Zhou Sen, it was precious.

"Brother, we don't have much money left." Zhou Ye frowned, her eyes filled with a trace of anxiety. She looked at Zhou Sen, wanting to speak but stopping, and finally, she gritted her teeth and said: "Brother... how about I become a Beast Master?

That way I can earn money, and we won't have to..."

Zhou Sen looked at his sister's petite frame, his gaze suddenly becoming cold and sharp: "Absolutely not! You cannot become a Beast Master!"

"Why?" Zhou Ye was puzzled.

She knew that her brother had always resisted becoming a Beast Master.

Her brother clearly had such high Beast Tamer Talent, yet he was very hostile toward Beast Masters and would rather die than become one.

But now, the family's situation was too difficult, which was why Zhou Ye thought about becoming a Beast Master herself.

That way, she would have some combat strength, be of some use, and be able to earn money.

If that were the case, her brother wouldn't be bullied by those street thugs anymore.

"Absolutely not, Xiao Ye, you must never become a Beast Master!" Zhou Sen showed a painful expression, "If you still consider me your brother, then listen to me."

Zhou Ye nodded.

The painful expression on Zhou Sen's face dissipated slightly: "Xiao Ye, in this world, it is not only Beast Masters who can make us stronger; there are other paths that can also make us stronger.

For example... a Lone Walker!

If I become a member of the Lone Walkers, I can also possess the power to protect you!"

Mentioning Lone Walkers, Zhou Sen's eyes were filled with longing.

"But... it is too difficult to become a Lone Walker.

Moreover, we cannot afford the cultivation techniques and required materials for a Lone Walker."

Zhou Ye was somewhat worried.

Lone Walkers, although their individual strength is very strong.

But compared to Beast Masters, they are still far inferior.

Moreover, in the current environment, Lone Walkers only dare to operate in the shadows.

After all, the Three Palaces have defined the organization of Lone Walkers as rebels.

Any Beast Master who slays a member of the Lone Walkers can obtain Contribution Value.

Zhou Ye is also worried that this will endanger her and her brother's safety.

"Rest assured, I heard these past few days that in another month, a member of the Lone Walkers will come to Big Prosperity City; this is our chance," Zhou Sen said with a solemn expression.

This news was also something he obtained by chance.

"Mm-hmm." Hearing this, Zhou Ye was also happy for her brother.

After all, now that her brother has become a Lone Walker, as long as he is not overly ostentatious, ordinary Beast Masters will not come to cause him trouble.

Her brother will have some ability to protect himself.

The two chatted for a while, full of longing for the future.

"Little sister, I want to take a bath." The night was deep, and Zhou Sen thought of something and said softly.

Zhou Ye's face turned red all of a sudden: "I'll go out for a moment."

The room was very small, and it didn't even have a bathroom.

Every time they took a bath, one person would go to the door.

"Don't go too far, just stay at the door; it's not safe at night."

"Mm."

(End of this chapter)