[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-monsters-are-coming":3,"chapter-the-monsters-are-coming-monsters-are-coming-chapter-329":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Monsters Are Coming",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2250178,4069,"Chapter 329: Eliminating Harm for the People, The Path of a Monarch","monsters-are-coming-chapter-329",329,"\u003Cp>Seeing the private message from Little Mage, Yu Chuan and the rest of his squad instantly froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This game ID was simply too famous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the Spirit Breath Campaign that once shook the forums, players had happily farmed sacrificial power throughout, only to stumble right here at the hands of their own countryman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Little Mage had proven through his actions that when traveling abroad, one must beware of fellow countrymen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His series of maneuvers were still dug up even today to be criticized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, he joined the Spirit Breath Clan, an enemy faction to the players, at the very start, leading the Super Beast Legion to slaughter players on a large scale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later, he even employed schemes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the circumstances at the time, the two Great Thrones of the Spirit Breath Clan, along with their subordinate Super Beast Legion, jointly blockaded the spatial channel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For players wishing to happily farm sacrificial power in the Spirit Breath World, they faced multiple challenges.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First was the high packet loss rate when crossing the spatial channel; before even entering the field, there was a 50% chance of going straight to the little black room, entering a one-hour resurrection cooldown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Secondly, upon exiting the spatial channel, they had to Iron Face the encirclement and killing by the Super Beast Legion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if they escaped, they still faced pursuit by the roaming hunting squads of the Super Beast Legion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those who could survive back then were powerful player squads that gave the Super Beast Legion a severe headache.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Little Mage's scheme was ruthlessly vicious; knowing his fellow players' greed for high-value resources, he used profit as bait to set a trap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He posted on the forum claiming he had triggered a hidden quest, and entirely unaware of the specific situation, he acted as a proxy for the Blood King's memories, which led to the disaster of attacking his own countrymen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Little Mage's post, he spoke with tears streaming down his Iron Face and even released relevant videos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the problem was, the video could not reveal Little Mage's inner thoughts; whether he was simply going with the flow following the hidden plot, or had temporarily lost his player memories with the Blood King's memories driving him to act according to the Blood King's will, remained unknown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although other players could ask the Guide, the Guide would refuse to answer any questions involving other players.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The specific reason was not hard for forum players to understand, after all, it involved players' personal privacy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every player's information received a certain degree of protection, just as in real life, one cannot casually pry into another's privacy without their permission.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Guide of the Monster World also followed similar rules.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When players asked about specific information regarding other players, behavioral motives, or other questions falling within the scope of privacy, the Guide would choose silence to protect every player's rights and prevent information from being abused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, regarding the truth behind the Little Mage incident, players could only rely on their own deduction and speculation, making the truth increasingly elusive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, Little Mage's act of posting to prove his innocence and expressing willingness to compensate the slaughtered players still gained affirmation from a large number of players.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were willing to believe that Little Mage had joined the villain faction without knowing the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Subsequently, Little Mage's decision to withdraw the resources from the Super Beast Legion's treasury and distribute all of them to other players completely ignited the enthusiasm of the forum players.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was precisely this action that instantly silenced the players who had been arguing about \"conspiracy theories.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wind direction on the forum immediately reversed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But no one could have expected that this would actually be a trap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through a conspiracy, he gathered all players wandering in the Monster World into a city ruin, then swept them all up in one net.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He swept all his fellow countrymen out of the Spirit Breath World in one go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, Little Mage was thoroughly branded with the label of traitor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Little Mage occasionally posted on the forum to explain, what greeted him was nothing but furious scolding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The shocking reversal of sweeping everyone up in one net thoroughly nailed Little Mage to the pillar of shame of the player faction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among the legendary players on the forum, Little Mage's notorious reputation spread far and wide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although his combat power ranked at the very top of the forum leaderboard, no player was willing to have any interaction with Little Mage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many players who had newly obtained qualifications had previously participated in the Monster World as tourists, so they all knew of this figure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both veteran players and new players held consistent attitudes toward Little Mage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, seeing the purchase request private message sent by Little Mage, Yu Chuan and the squad members fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Directly refusing was obviously the safest option.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If other players learned they were cooperating with Little Mage, the future troubles would be endless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The players Little Mage had offended back then numbered at least tens of thousands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many of those players had now become big shots in their own regions or had formed powerful fixed teams... the friends and families of these players also viewed Little Mage as an enemy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under these connections of favoritism, Little Mage could be described as an enemy of the entire populace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long while, the squad members, looking at each other in blank dismay, still said nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The captain's gaze swept over his teammates, and with curiosity, he typed a line of text into the private chat box: How much are you offering?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that the captain had actually replied, the assassin in the team couldn't help but complain:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Captain, I've already taken a screenshot; I'll post it on the forum in a moment. Unless you pay me ten thousand sacrificial power to buy my silence, you might as well wait for death.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The captain glanced sideways at the assassin, grinning broadly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You are my dearest friend and relative; if something happens to me, you won't be able to escape either.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as they were about to bicker, Little Mage sent another message:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Three hundred thousand sacrificial power, how about that?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The captain pondered briefly, then typed a line of text into the private chat box:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Eight hundred thousand.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the captain asking for an exorbitant price, the teammates couldn't help but burst into laughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Captain, you're treating Little Mage like a pig to be slaughtered,\" Yu Chuan teased with a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to his unaware teammates, he had heard the truth behind the Spirit Breath Campaign from the Star Net; if Little Mage's actions were exposed on the day when everyone ascended, he would likely be cursed even more severely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don't laugh, I am eliminating harm for the people,\" the captain retorted with a solemn expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing these words, the teammates couldn't help but burst into loud laughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as they thought Little Mage would refuse, the other party sent a reply:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Deal. Give me coordinates; I'll collect the goods first, then transfer the sacrificial power to you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that Little Mage was truly willing to give eight hundred thousand, the squad members felt surprised, then shook their heads.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Little Mage's reputation on the forum was negative.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they gave the Soul Beast Seed first, they would likely not receive even one point of sacrificial power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The \"trap\" from back then was still vivid in their minds; the price of trying to be honest with Little Mage would most likely be getting swindled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, the captain sent a message:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You know clearly what your reputation is on the forum. Selling without receiving goods first is out of the question, but we might consider selling if you pay the sacrificial power first.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'm afraid you'll take the money and not deliver the goods.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And I'm afraid you'll take the goods and not pay.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this exchange of dialogue, both sides fell into a stalemate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without the ability to use the trading system, transactions based on mutual distrust were difficult to advance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as the captain was preparing to close the private chat, block Little Mage, and unwilling to take this order,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Little Mage sent another private message:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How about this: I'll give a deposit of three hundred thousand sacrificial power first, and after receiving the goods, I'll transfer the remaining five hundred thousand to you. Isn't the deposit price enough to buy this Soul Beast Seed? You won't lose out no matter what.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that Little Mage was actually willing to pay the sacrificial power first, the captain instantly showed a pained expression, turning his gaze to his teammates:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is three hundred thousand sacrificial power, possibly even eight hundred thousand. What do you all think?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don't sell it. If the act of selling him the Soul Beast is exposed on the forum, how will we survive in the future?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sell it. This is eight hundred thousand; we can consider it eliminating harm for the people. This Little Mage really is rich.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regarding whether to sell or not, the teammates held different opinions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ultimately, they decided to determine whether to sell the Soul Beast Seed to Little Mage through a vote.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Chuan was now a member of the squad and also possessed one vote.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Faced with profit, all the squad members appeared extremely tormented.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eight hundred thousand sacrificial power; this price was comparable to the Rule Fragment that some unlucky squad had once listed at a low price on the Trading Row back in the day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Except for Little Mage, no other player could offer such a high price.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, the voting results came out; they decided to take the risk and secretly sell the Soul Beast Seed to Little Mage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, the captain sent a private message:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Transfer the money, and we'll sell it to you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next second, Little Mage's transfer of three hundred thousand entered the balance column of the captain's Spatial Sack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let's run,\" a teammate urged at this moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Can't run at all; I'm not that kind of person,\" the captain said, his eyes holding both the joy of receiving sacrificial power and helplessness regarding the risk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What I'm curious about is how Little Mage will collect the goods. He doesn't dare return to the Novice Village now; once he enters, he can't get out. How can he come to the Senluo Forest Realm area?\" Yu Chuan asked with some curiosity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'm not clear on that either; how he collects the goods is his problem,\" the captain shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This question was soon answered as Little Mage sent a message:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Send a spatial coordinate. I'll come to collect the goods within two hours. Just place the Soul Beast Seed at the coordinate location. Do not choose a location inside or near a spatial node.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This answer made the squad members realize that Little Mage likely possessed abilities on the level of spatial teleportation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Facts were indeed just as they had predicted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Half an hour after the captain provided the spatial coordinates, the sky was torn open by a tiny rift, which continuously expanded as time passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The squad members all retreated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They saw the Soul Beast Seed placed in the center of the open ground suddenly tremble; an invisible gravitational field spread outward from the spatial rift as its center, causing gravel and fallen leaves on the ground to slowly float into the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Subsequently, under this invisible force, the Soul Beast Seed shot toward the spatial rift.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment it touched the rift, it was swallowed whole.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rift immediately began to contract rapidly, restoring itself to its original state in the blink of an eye, as if nothing had ever happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The squad members looked at each other in disbelief, seeing shock reflected in each other's eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Xiao Fashi's slight display of power made them realize that this public enemy's strength had significantly improved once again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least at the current stage, Xiao Xiao Fashi was the only player capable of skillfully mastering spatial techniques in the Monster World.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do you think we'll still receive the final payment?\" The squad leader rested his chin on one hand, gazing thoughtfully at the spot where the sky rift had vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Knowing Xiao Xiao Fashi's character, the deposit was the full payment; don't even think about the balance.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This guy is truly rich; he handed over 300,000 so easily without fearing we'd run off.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Having 300,000 is good enough; making a profit is what matters.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as the squad debated whether they would receive the final payment, a challenger notification popped up on the light screen hovering before their leader:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Challenger Notification: Player \"Xiao Xiao Fashi\" has privately transferred 500,000 Sacrificial Power to you (received).]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The squad members: ...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They hadn't expected Xiao Xiao Fashi to actually settle the final payment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Although he is black-hearted and ruthless, I didn't expect him to be so principled.\" The squad leader gave a thumbs-up to the void, then lowered his head to scan his team:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Next, we split the earnings. Brothers, keep this matter rotting in your bellies; never mention it to anyone again, just pretend it never happened.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone nodded in agreement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were all participants and beneficiaries in selling the Soul Beast seeds; spreading the news would only invite trouble upon themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The group of veteran players Xiao Xiao Fashi had offended back in the day were not people to be trifled with.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This action would inevitably earn them the label of traitors among the forum community, leading to iron fists wherever they went in the future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Earthsong Continent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rising morning light pierced through the scattered clouds, plating the earth with gold leaf.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Viewed from high above, the Illusory Flower Plain featured seas of colorful flowers stretching for ten thousand li, swaying and undulating in the wind like waves in an ocean.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The newly built city stood like a dagger plunged into the heart of the flower sea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Warriors of the Lingxi Clan worked day and night here, striving to construct the city's defensive system architecture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From a high-altitude perspective, this city was not built from cold steel and piled stones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, it was covered by natural plants and living tissues resembling flesh and blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Massive vines coiled like dragon spines to form the city walls, their surfaces covered with hard biological keratin layers that gleamed with a bronze luster under the sunlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The multiple charging towers within the city grew from living Super Beasts; inside flowed fluorescent fluids like blood, which would illuminate themselves at twilight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In times of war, they could even rise from the ground to transform into war behemoths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The view dove from the sky, sweeping past Lingxi Clan warriors manipulating giant beetles to transport construction materials.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The focus finally settled on the highest point of the city wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A solitary figure stood atop the wall; his blood-red robes fluttered wildly in the wind, the dark golden patterns on the hem resembling burning flames.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His blood-red hair was tied back, with golden threads entwined among the tips, and a mark symbolizing the Lingxi Royal Lineage was branded upon his forehead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His features were stern, his brow ridge sharp, and his dark golden pupils shimmered faintly in the morning light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was precisely the master of this living city, the strongest monarch of the Lingxi Clan at the current stage, and the sole arbiter of this flower sea: Xiao Xiao Fashi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He rested one hand on the living vines of the city wall, lowering his gaze to contemplate the new city under fervent construction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An accident a year and a half ago had made him one of the Eight Kings of the Lingxi Clan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From initial resistance to current acceptance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From a player to the Blood King of the Lingxi Clan, his heart had traversed a tortuous journey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a path he had never envisioned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Initially, he only wanted to escape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted to hurry back to the player faction to wash away the sins upon him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He considered himself a player, here for game entertainment, not to become some NPC king.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But many questions could not be explained, so he ultimately chose to accept his fate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet accepting fate did not equate to acceptance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was only during his time accompanying the Lingxi Clan that his mindset shifted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching these Lingxi warriors struggling for survival in the cracks of the Monster World... he was, after all, a person with emotions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially half a year ago, when the Lingxi Clan suffered an attack from descending forces, the old priests dragged their broken bodies in front of him while he was heavily injured, burning themselves with all their might; that scene touched him deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those hunched backs resembled old trees on the verge of snapping.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he woke, he found himself surrounded by Lingxi physicians.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They used their most precious medicinal ingredients to save him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just because he was the clan's king, he deserved to enjoy the clan's most precious resources, but he also ought to shoulder the future of the race.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, he had always been planning how to return to Emperor Tomb Village and rejoin the player faction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But many things had happened over these years, changing his thoughts. For instance, one dawn, he encountered a returning Lingxi squad beneath the city walls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lingxi warriors carrying packs walked by in silence, thick scabs of dried blood congealed on everyone's armor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A youth with a broken horn walked at the rear, clutching the bone urn of a fallen comrade, while cold morning dew dampened the cloak of the leading commander.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that moment, these Lingxi warriors appeared so vivid in Xiao Xiao Fashi's eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His feelings of resistance gradually dissipated through contact, and he began trying to integrate into this race.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Drop by drop, accumulating day by day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When one late night, standing on the city wall, he discovered he was seriously planning the development route for the Lingxi Clan over the next decade, he was startled to realize he was no longer a passerby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, he would feel joy at his subjects' laughter and fly into a thunderous rage at enemy incursions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those Lingxi clansmen he once viewed as data streams were now many living beings whose names he could call out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The morning breeze blew; he retracted his thoughts, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the vines of the city wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Below, several Lingxi cubs spotted him on the wall and excitedly waved their arms at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The corners of his mouth lifted slightly; he raised his hand to condense a few glowing orbs and let them drift down, eliciting cheers and jumps from the children.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"King!\" A tender voice rang out exceptionally clearly in the morning light; a Lingxi child raised a mud-stained small hand, offering him a freshly picked wildflower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Xiao Xiao Fashi nodded gently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After arriving in the Monster World, the reproductive seal on the Lingxi Clan was completely unlocked; these children were the first generation of the Lingxi Clan born in the Monster World.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They appeared to be five or six years old, but their actual age was only one year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nourished by abundant spiritual energy, the new generation possessed physical qualities far superior to the previous one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in the Monster World, this alone was far from enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Lingxi Clan still occupied the lowest stratum of the Monster World, living in constant fear, as a sudden crisis could destroy this race at any moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was only one path that could guarantee a future for the Lingxi Clan: joining the player faction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even existing as NPCs would allow the Lingxi Clan to escape their predicament of survival.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had asked the Guidance regarding this issue: could the Lingxi Clan join the player faction?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Guidance's answer was vague, stating: Perhaps; the current Lingxi are too weak and unworthy of joining the player faction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Guidance's reply was cruel, yet it allowed him to see a glimmer of hope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps, if the Lingxi Clan could grow strong enough, they could enter the player faction in the form of NPCs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was, in his eyes, the core direction for the future development of the Lingxi Clan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Continuously raising their life ranks, breaking through layer upon layer of life shackles, until evolving to become \"worthy\" in the eyes of the Guidance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He did not know how long this would take, but he would strive tirelessly toward this direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recently, the core infrastructure project in the city's second-phase expansion was the \"Spirit Absorption Array,\" deploying a large-scale formation covering the entire Lingxi City to continuously draw external spiritual energy to irrigate the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This would allow the Lingxi residents within the city to thrive under the nourishment of spiritual energy in the Monster World, ensuring each subsequent generation would be stronger than the last.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crafting rules, life evolution, city construction, resource mining... he truly shouldered the responsibilities of a \"King,\" becoming the helmsman of this race.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The shift in his level of thinking also changed the way he approached problems.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whenever he gazed at the gray, hazy horizon in the distance, he could always sense crises lurking in the shadows, worrying over them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The encounter with a herd of Killing Axe Beasts during the previous migration when they abandoned their new tribal lands had left one-fifth of the Lingxi warriors forever in the Flower Sea World, and new crises could descend at any time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every single day now was preparation for war.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, he was a player.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This identity endowed him with infinite possibilities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He listed resources mined by the Lingxi Clan on the Exchange Row, converting them into Sacrificial Power to purchase development resources, and even war resources like recovery potions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Secondly, he had already planned breeding farms within the second-phase construction of Lingxi City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the future, mass-producing various spiritual ingredients needed by players would become a major source of income.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But expenditures of Sacrificial Power were too huge; it was never enough, including investments in rule crafting, which was a bottomless pit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He needed to expand more channels for resource revenue to support the development of the Lingxi Clan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just recently, the Lingxi Clan's exploration legions discovered a non-node resource mining area in a valley north of the Illusory Flower Plain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The types of spiritual ore produced at this resource point had already been identified to exceed twenty varieties, with the lowest quality being Grade 2 spiritual ore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To secure this mining area, the Lingxi Clan paid a heavy price.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three Super Beast legions suffered casualties exceeding half their numbers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, they had mined a space-attribute spiritual ore within this mining district: Star Pattern Ore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a type of ore that circulated with starlight throughout its entire body; tapping it lightly would produce an ethereal echo similar to wind chimes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every naturally formed piece of Star Pattern Ore had dense silver patterns condensed on its surface, which analysis displayed as a special-quality Grade 3 spiritual ore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although its yield was far inferior to their own Void Peak domain node, it was still a very rare variety of spiritual ore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Listing it on the Exchange could fetch a handsome price, after all, the most expensive spiritual ores in the Exchange were space-attribute ores.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such spiritual ores could bring greater sacrificial power profits to the development of the Lingxi Clan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as mining went deeper, he discovered that this spiritual ore deposit suffered from severe spatial erosion radiation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This caused the worm-like \"biological mining machines\" to be usable only for short periods, with most suffering life force exhaustion and dying within three days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The breeding speed of the mining machines was limited, making it impossible to expand the output efficiency of the mining district.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The high mortality rate also turned the mining machines into consumables, and this loss further reduced resource profits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To solve this problem, the first thing Xiao Xiao Fashi thought of was improving the mining machines so they could adapt to the spatial radiation energy inside the mine caves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But optimization and improvement required a long process.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he thought of searching for solutions to the problem through channels like the Exchange and the Forum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While browsing posts, he saw a post by \"Pig Teammate\" selling soul beast seeds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As an old player, he naturally knew what a soul beast was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a rule-derived lifeform capable of devouring a target and then inheriting all of the target's abilities except those related to rules.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The post selling soul beasts reminded him of a special lifeform in the resource mine caves called the \"Glow Spider.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This creature was somewhat similar to the early-stage Iron Shell Worm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had already evolved the ability to adapt to spatial erosion within the resource mine caves, allowing it to survive and move inside them for long periods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If a hatched soul beast devoured and inherited the Glow Spider's life structure, and then devoured a biological mining machine, it would possess mining capabilities while ignoring the radiation damage deep within the mine caves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although a single soul beast would not improve mining efficiency by much, the advantage of soul beasts was their ability to grow infinitely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was entirely possible to use their devouring and evolution abilities to forge them into a super mining machine with high output, continuously producing resource profits for the development of the Lingxi Clan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every time space-attribute spiritual ores were mined, they could be sold on the Exchange for a handsome price in sacrificial power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This investment looked like a guaranteed profit with no loss from any angle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was also the reason he had taken the initiative to contact \"Pig Teammate,\" wanting to purchase one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he had no confidence in whether the other party would be willing to sell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His reputation on the Forum was extremely poor, and many players were unwilling to have any interaction with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back when he had purchased rule fragments, it was done directly through the Exchange channel without needing direct contact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But soul beast seeds could not be stored in the Spatial Satchel; to buy one, he had to collect it personally, leaving him no way to hide his identity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Secondly, even if he could buy one, he would have to pay a price several times higher than that for ordinary players.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, the other party was also bearing the risk of being hostilely viewed by other players.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, he ultimately succeeded in purchasing a soul beast seed for a price of eight hundred thousand sacrificial power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, the soul beast seed had been thrown into the Blood Pool and was absorbing blood and qi energy to hatch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to the Guide's analysis, it would not be long before a soul beast cub was born.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had also embedded a control soul in advance, imprinting a control brand within the soul beast seed, and would soon be able to launch the super mining machine cultivation plan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking up at the blood-red flag fluttering loudly in the wind, Xiao Xiao Fashi soared into the air and headed toward the Blood Pool.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One day later, the Blood Pool began to boil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The originally dark bloodwater rippled with a ghostly green light, and huge bubbles constantly bulged on the pool's surface.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Standing by the pool's edge, Xiao Xiao Fashi's dark golden pupils reflected the violently churning water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through the control soul, he could clearly sense that the life structure of the soul beast was undergoing drastic changes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, the entire Blood Pool fell still.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next second.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A pillar of ghostly green light shot up into the sky, and a soul beast nearly one meter tall manifested from within it, floating in the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The appearing soul beast looked as if it were condensed from ghostly green clouds, its body structure existing between semi-void and semi-solid, with energy ripples spreading around it like phantom chains, emitting an aura of extreme evil that rushed toward the Iron Face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Xiao Fashi raised his hand and grabbed, releasing telekinetic power, causing the Glow Spider imprisoned not far away to fall into his palm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He used telekinesis to bind the Glow Spider's movements and slowly extended it toward the soul beast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the turn of a thought, under his control, the soul beast pounced on the Glow Spider like a hungry wild beast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment it touched its prey, the soul beast's energy-formed body suddenly split open with a ferocious gap, resembling a blood-filled mouth gaping wide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Glow Spider tried to struggle, but under the suppression of telekinetic power, it could not move even a fraction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Subsequently, the soul beast's mist-like body drilled into the Glow Spider's joint gaps like a living thing, with ghostly green energy penetrating through the Glow Spider's compound eyes, mouthparts, and even breathing holes like countless tiny tentacles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Spiderweb-like green light patterns began to emerge on the Glow Spider's carapace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dense sounds of bones shattering rang out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Glow Spider's body expanded and contracted unnaturally, and the flesh and blood beneath its carapace churned as if boiling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All eight compound eyes were completely covered by ghostly green energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The devouring proceeded from the inside out; the Glow Spider's originally hard carapace began to soften, revealing chain-like energy patterns identical to those on the soul beast's main body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the last part of the soul beast's body turned into green mist and completely submerged into the Glow Spider's interior, it suddenly convulsed violently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Accompanied by dense crisp sounds, the Glow Spider's form began to reorganize.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When it stood up again, it had completely transformed into the form of a Glow Spider, merely emitting an evil aura exactly like that of the soul beast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this characteristic dissipated shortly afterward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Relying solely on naked-eye observation, one could not tell at all that this Glow Spider had been possessed and replaced by a soul beast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It lay obediently on the ground, its abdomen rising and falling rhythmically, with a breathing pace no different from that of a normal Glow Spider.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wonder the Soul Return Clan was one of the strongest opponents of the Counter-Black Tide Legion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Placed in a Minor World, a single one of these creatures could destroy an entire world, eventually transforming into a super lifeform collective that devoured the memories of the whole world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the most terrifying aspect of soul beasts was never possession and devouring, but rather the characteristic of infinite expansion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Theoretically, the growth talent of a soul beast had no upper limit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Devouring one hundred sages would grant it the wisdom of those one hundred sages, and the initial memories would not be polluted by the excess of memories.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in the Monster World, even a heaven-defying lifeform like a soul beast had been beaten down into a consumable item.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Xiao Fashi raised his hand and grabbed again, dragging a two-meter-long mining machine via telekinesis to stand before the soul beast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mining machine's shape resembled a worm, its skin covered in hardened biological armor; its head had no eyes, only a spiral-shaped mouthpart containing thousands of tiny tentacles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mining process was like that of a shield tunneling machine, capable of constantly devouring and digging forward, while its stomach could decompose impurities within the ore and perform preliminary refinement of the mineral.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this ability held no significance in the Monster World.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The quality of spiritual ores in the Monster World was extremely high, making the step of the mining machine removing impurities completely unnecessary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under his control, the soul beast switched back to its main body form, its mist-like body churning and covering the surface of the mining machine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feeling pain, the mining machine instinctively opened its mouthparts, thousands of tentacles dancing wildly, yet unable to stop the soul beast's rapid erosion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ghostly green energy seeped through the gaps in the mining machine's armor, and the hard biological armor softened and changed color at a speed visible to the naked eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before long, it was possessed and devoured by the soul beast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A scan of analysis showed that compared to its birth, the soul beast's hunting level had increased by one rank, reaching level 27.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soul beast now possessed two life characteristics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Xiao Fashi grabbed the soul beast and flew out of the Blood Pool with it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next, he planned to put the soul beast into practical use.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted to see if the soul beast in its mining machine form could be completely immune to the erosion of radiation energy within the resource mine caves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swift wind swept past his ears as Xiao Xiao Fashi, carrying the soul beast, turned into a streak of blood-colored light, landing at the entrance of the Star Scar Valley mining district twenty minutes later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the deep and dark mine cave, purple energy mist visible to the naked eye churned, and radiation crystals condensed on the rock walls glimmered faintly; this was a lethal environment that even elite warriors of the Lingxi Clan could not endure for long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Go,\" he said, releasing his hand, and the mining machine form transformed from the soul beast immediately hovered up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Xiao Fashi supported his body with telekinesis, activated the Eagle-Head Demon perception, and followed behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long while, the mining machine slowly flew to the depths of the mine cave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the perspective of perception, the thick space-attribute radiation energy, upon contacting the surface of the soul beast, automatically diverted as if repelled by some force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this was precisely the innate talent unique to the Glow Spider's life structure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The experiment was a success; the eight hundred thousand sacrificial power spent was not a loss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next, he only needed to cultivate this soul beast into a super mining machine, and it would continuously produce spiritual ores for the development of the Lingxi Clan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the soul beast's mining efficiency, it could be rapidly improved through devouring and evolution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next, he prepared to take the soul beast to the Illusion Flower Plain to search for monsters to devour.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as he was about to depart, a thought suddenly erupted in Xiao Xiao Fashi's mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could he give his own Super Beast to the soul beast to devour, allowing the soul beast to inherit the Super Beast's power and life form?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His Super Beast, the \"Doomsday Behemoth,\" was usually completely idle and only activated during wartime.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the concept was feasible, the soul beast inheriting the Super Beast's power could be sent to the mining district during peacetime to dig and produce output, yet transform into the Doomsday Behemoth form during war to merge with him and fight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It could even be crafted into a combination: a summon-type special soul integrating Super Beast power, Pseudo-Rule Imprints (rule-derived brands of the Lingxi World), and soul beast power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wasn't this equivalent to possessing a special pet capable of devouring, possessing, and optimizing genetic evolution?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His heart pounded wildly; the Little Mage suddenly lifted his head to look at the Guidance Water Orb:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brother Guidance, help!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Release.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",5846,"2026-06-19T09:20:37.851Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","77604ee03f2be61f93dc8fa0c0c8e2ff25e5df1526a0ac0ef0573b734b888f90","monsters-are-coming-chapter-330","monsters-are-coming-chapter-328",393,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fmonsters-are-coming-cover.jpg"]