CHAPTER 37: BE THE NEW BEAST KING IF YOU'RE A MAN!

"There's a stash of storage bags in the center of the room. Want me to grab one for you?"

"No need. I've got my small world. I'll take care of it once I'm out."

Lu Chen then turned around, only to see Wind Dragon standing behind him. Startled, he asked, "Ah... Wind Dragon? When did you get here?"

He instinctively took two steps back, bumping into the bookshelf behind him.

Thud...

Two glowing scrolls slipped from his pocket and dropped to the floor.

Seeing the scrolls fall out, Lu Chen became even more flustered. He stammered, barely able to get a sentence out, "I... I was just tidying up, I didn't... didn't mean to take anything."

Wind Dragon noticed Lu Chen's panicked look and teased him. "The spirit weapons in the center of the room... they're all high-grade Earth Tier? You didn't take any?"

"What? They're all high-grade Earth Tier? I thought they were just ordinary treasures, so I didn't..."

Just then, Lu Chen realized he had said too much. He quickly tried to cover for himself, "No, no, no, I didn't even know there were treasures here."

"Heh, don't worry about it. Go ahead and take them. I don't need any of this stuff anymore."

Wind Dragon shrank down and coiled himself atop Lu Chen's head.

"Once you take control of the Beast King Manor's core and link it to your small world, all these scrolls and treasures can be transferred there."

"Really?"

"Would I lie to you? I meant it when I said they're all yours."

"Hahaha, then I guess I won't hold back."

Hearing that everything was being given to him, Lu Chen beamed with joy. He gave himself a quick shake, and a heap of gold coins, jewels, scrolls, and artifacts tumbled out.

Staring at the pile on the ground, his eyes lit up with mischief.

"Wind Dragon, do all dragons have a hoarding habit or something? Otherwise, why would there be so much gold?" Lu Chen asked while chuckling.

Wind Dragon couldn't help but get slightly annoyed, lightly smacking Lu Chen with his tail. "You little brat, are you mocking me?"

Lu Chen stumbled and landed face-first on the ground.

He scrambled back up, brushing the dust off himself. "No, no, I wouldn't dare! I was just curious, seeing how many treasures you've got."

"Brat, don't go poking around. Come on, let's head straight to the fifth floor."

Lu Chen asked, puzzled by the sudden urgency, "Aren't we going to check out the other rooms?"

Wind Dragon rolled his eye. "You're hopeless. We still need to deal with the other four chieftains. If we go looting now, we're just asking for trouble. They're all at peak Earth Core Realm[1]. I couldn't beat them before. What makes you think I could win now?"

Lu Chen stepped out of Wind Dragon's quarters and made his way toward the central staircase.

Wind Dragon suddenly called out from behind, "Little Lu, wait."

Lu Chen turned back and was about to ask what was wrong, only to see Wind Dragon trembling from head to toes.

"Wind Dragon, what's wrong? Is the violent energy acting up again?"

"No... I'm fine. Let's just keep moving."

This time, Wind Dragon hurried ahead, spiraling up the staircase.

But even from behind, Lu Chen could still see his body shivering. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Lu Chen reached out and gently pulled Wind Dragon into his arms, softly stroking the dragon's head.

"I'm fine. It's just... I've been gone a long time. I guess... I'm scared to go up."

Wind Dragon lifted his head, and memories of his life with the Beast King began flooding back. "Sigh... In the blink of an eye, six thousand years have passed. Let's go. It's time I faced it."

With that, Wind Dragon gathered himself together and dashed toward the fifth floor.

Lu Chen followed close behind.

"This is the fifth floor?"

The fifth floor was far less grand than Lu Chen had expected. If anything, it was downright bare.

The room was no more than five meters across. At its center stood a three-meter-long offering table. Behind it, a single worn-out chair.

Wind Dragon coiled atop the chair, his gaze locked on the window across from it. "This was Lord Beast King's private chamber."

The Wind Dragon inched slightly to the side and motioned for Lu Chen to sit. "Back then, Lord Beast King loved sitting here and watching the view outside."

Lu Chen took a seat beside him. Through the window, the vast medallion world stretched out in full view.

Lu Chen murmured, "Sitting here... it really feels like the whole world is within reach."

At the same time, he observed the ever-shifting patterns of the Innate Bagua Diagram unfold within the small world.

Wind Dragon stretched out, letting his body relax. "Yes. Lord Beast King used to say the same thing. Back then, before the Green Emperor ascended, the ten of them would sit right here and gaze out at the world. In the end, they decided to open the passage to the world beyond and ascend together."

Lu Chen glanced around, a bit puzzled by what he was seeing. "Isn't the fifth floor where the Beast King lived? Why is it so plain?"

Wind Dragon stood from his seat and replied, "The Beast King spent most of his life searching for demonic beasts. He rarely returned here."

He walked over to a hidden compartment in the table, opened it, and carefully pulled out a bamboo scroll. Then, he slowly unrolled it. "This is the control scroll for the Beast King Manor. It carries the remnants of the Beast King's power, enough to preserve the scroll for ten thousand years."

Lu Chen accepted the scroll. At its center was an image of a Fire Phoenix, engraved into the scroll to form shallow grooves.

"What should I do?" he asked.

"Relax. I'll guide you."

Wind Dragon opened his jaws and bit into Lu Chen's palm. Blood trickled down, drop by drop, flowing into the Fire Phoenix groove.

"What is this? Why is it drawing in my blood?"

As the groove gradually filled with blood, the Fire Phoenix carving began glowing with life. Its wings fluttered, shimmering with radiant light as it flew out of the scroll and circled above Lu Chen's head.

Lu Chen looked up at the Fire Phoenix in amazement. "Incredible... How is this happening?"

Wind Dragon gave no response. He continued to bite into Lu Chen's hand.

Meanwhile, the Green Sovereign Divine Tree inside Lu Chen stirred. Drawn by a mysterious force, it emerged in the air.

"Chiiirp!!!"

The Fire Phoenix let out a high-pitched cry and landed on the Divine Tree, plucking a branch from it. With a powerful beat of its wings, it flew one loop around the fifth floor before diving toward the spiral staircase.

"It worked! Little Lu, let's go. We're following the Fire Phoenix!"

Wind Dragon's body rapidly expanded. He lifted Lu Chen onto his back, grabbed the scroll, and dashed after the phoenix.

"Chirp!!!"

As it flew downward, the phoenix gradually crushed the tree branch in its beak, scattering the fragments across each floor.

***

The third floor of the Beast King Manor.

A phoenix cry echoed from the spiral staircase.

"Our chance has come! Everyone, follow the king!" Bai Ze shouted.

Seeing the Fire Phoenix, Wind Dragon, and Lu Chen rush past from above, Bai Ze quickly transformed into his true form, which was a winged beast with a single horn and four hooves.

The Golden Dragon, Nine-Tailed Red Fox, Kui Bull, and the Golden Lion all followed suit, revealing their true forms as well.

They thunderously chased after Lu Chen, raising clouds of dust in their wake.

***

On the second floor, a serpentine beast raised its head. "They're here. Let's go."

Watching Lu Chen charge down from above, it understood that the Beast King Manor's control was changing hands. Freedom was within reach.

It rallied the beasts of the second floor, and together, they raced after Lu Chen. By the time they reached the first floor, all two thousand five hundred massive gates had opened wide.

A hundred thousand beasts of two thousand five hundred different races emerged from them. The sheer presence of their collective aura sent a thrill through the air. The massive horde steadily moved forward.

Wind Dragon noticed the Fire Phoenix nearing the main gate and knew the time had come. With a loud roar, he grabbed the Fire Phoenix, then turned to Lu Chen and shouted, "Little Lu, are you a real man? If you are, then take up the mantle! Become the new Beast King!"

Before Lu Chen could respond, Wind Dragon flung the scroll toward the main gate. "Now! Spirit-Sealing Scroll!"

The scroll struck the door and stuck fast. Crimson, intricate patterns spread outward from the scroll, with the Fire Phoenix at the center. The scroll's power spread rapidly, linking with the entire formation of the Beast King Manor, extending into every room.

"This is it. Little Lu, repeat this incantation with me! With spirit as command, the exotic reigns supreme. A hundred thousand spirit beasts, a hundred thousand lines of beast blood!"

A flash of green-black light glimmered in Wind Dragon's eyes as he carried Lu Chen through the intricate web of glowing lines the scroll had created.

Lu Chen repeated the chant right after him, "With spirit as command, the exotic reigns supreme. A hundred thousand spirit beasts, a hundred thousand lines of beast blood!"

A drop of blood emerged from the Fire Phoenix and slowly merged into Lu Chen's body. The beasts behind him each released a single drop as well. They entered Lu Chen's body in turn.

A hundred thousand leaves from the Green Sovereign Divine Tree fluttered down, transforming into marks that fused into the beasts.

"Roar!" Wind Dragon let out a resounding roar as the pact was sealed.

A Fire Phoenix-shaped mark appeared at the center of Lu Chen's forehead. It gradually sank into his skin and disappeared.

Wind Dragon carried Lu Chen through the scroll's barrier. "Let's go."

The light of the Spirit-Sealing Scroll also merged into Lu Chen's body.

"It's done!"

"It's done?" Lu Chan uttered. Standing atop Wind Dragon's head, he shouted with pride. "Ahhh! From this day on, I, Lu Chen, am the ruler of all beasts!"

Behind him, over a hundred thousand spirit beasts thundered across the ground. The wind stirred by their charge tossed his hair wildly, and the sheer force of the moment amplified the unshakable grandeur radiating from him.

Then, just ahead, he caught sight of Nantian Wan'er. She was sitting cross-legged beneath the thick Green Sovereign Divine Tree with her eyes closed, sensing the changes in the Twin-Fish Medallion's world.

The tree's vibrant life force flowed steadily into her, mending her injuries and strengthening her body with each passing moment.

Lu Chen shouted, "Wan'er... Look at me, I've become the Beast King!"

At the sound of his voice, Nantian Wan'er opened her eyes and looked up toward the sky. Spotting him, she immediately raised her hand and waved excitedly. "Lu-gege! I'm here, I'm right here!"

Lu Chen brought Wind Dragon to a gentle stop before her.

At that moment, the Fire Phoenix seemed to sense the pure Phoenix Ancestor bloodline flowing through Nantian Wan'er. It struggled free from Wind Dragon's hold and dove straight into her forehead.

A deep crimson seal formed between her brows.

Nantian Wan'er touched the mark in wonder. "Lu-gege, what just entered my body? My blood feels like it's on fire!"

Wind Dragon muttered, "Huh? I completely forgot about this girl. The Fire Phoenix entered her body... It might be able to restore its spirit qi through her. If that happens, her bloodline could rise to an entirely new level."

Just as he finished speaking, Lu Chen sensed the Fire Phoenix's aura flaring within the Heavenly Pool. The Fire Phoenix continued absorbing spirit qi, gradually enhancing Nantian Wan'er's bloodline.

Since both of them shared the same Heavenly Pool, he could also feel the Phoenix Ancestor bloodline stirring within his body. Its density increased dozens of times over, and a tiny Fire Phoenix could be seen flying within his blood now.

1. Since it's the first time this is introduced, and it's done without an explanation, this might be a bit confusing. So, for all those wondering about it, the Earth Core Realm is what comes after the Core Breakthrough Realm ☜