Chapter 236: Chapter 228: I swallowed it in one bite!_2
"The initial form of the Beast?" Chu Yi speculated. Soon, he saw this group of newborn Beasts looking at each other as if they were food. They revealed a sense of hatred and began eating one another.
Not long after, a Beast that had eaten its fill, resembling a Limb-Attaching Demon, pieced together characteristics of various other Beasts. It had the heads of a fierce tiger, a moose, and a goat. Draped in an ancient robe to disguise its deformed body, it drifted out from among the withered trees under the guidance of the white mist. This scene of nurturing Gu-like creatures amazed Chu Yi. So this is how Beasts are formed.
"Within the fruit lies a trace of a weak rule. Devouring each other strengthens this Power of Rules, leading to the Beast’s growth." Chu Yi wrapped his hand in gray mist, picked up a Meat Tumor Fruit, and after comprehending its essence, tossed it into the kitchen. He glanced at the withered trees; each bore very few fruits, at most only seven or eight.
Good stuff, of course, I should take it all! Chu Yi’s eyes sparkled. A wild idea bloomed in his mind: If these withered trees were planted in the Chaotic Burial Mound, leveraging its characteristics, wouldn’t it be possible to cultivate a batch of Beasts loyal to me!? This would be much stronger than a skeleton army! Chu Yi’s breath hitched and grew heavy. Essentially, I’d be ’fleecing’ these eerie withered trees.
Hold on, this seems to be a unique ecological environment specific to the Nether River. Chu Yi observed the white mist and the decayed, soft soil underfoot. These elements formed an integral whole with the withered trees, much like a volcano, glacier, or prairie environment. To cultivate these withered trees, these elements are indispensable.
Let’s take another look. Leveraging a wisp of Bone Fire he had embedded in the Lantern Girl’s body, Chu Yi took Nine Infants and gave chase.
In no time, the Lantern Girl, dressed in an ink-black skirt like a drifting dark cloud, danced gracefully in the sparse, withered forest. Wherever she passed, the withered trees swayed. Each Meat Tumor Fruit revealed a venomous face before disappearing beneath her splendid skirt, followed by a rustling, chewing sound. It was as if a monstrous creature was hidden within the skirt.
Almost there, Chu Yi thought, scanning his surroundings. Everything was clear within his Clock Eye; there were no surprises. Still, better to stay vigilant.
Ready to unleash the Flower of Desire at any moment, Chu Yi instructed Nine Infants. She laughed charmingly, her red palace dress fluttering, as her slender hands shot out several resilient threads, instantly binding the Lantern Girl.
Tailor’s Rule!
"Damn it!" the Lantern Girl roared. Intense Soul Power surged around her, and a torrent of hatred, almost tangible, burst forth. Venomous human faces emerged from her skirt.
Chu Yi swiftly struck, no longer hiding. His whole body started squirming, transforming into a violently expanding mass of flesh and blood. Countless tentacles shot out, oozing dark green foam, and dense scarlet eyes emerged from its surface.
Mimicry: Divine Eye + Madness Mountain Range!
Before this monstrosity, the Lantern Girl seemed like a fragile girl being brutally ravaged by a Tentacle Monster.
BANG!
Faced with the carefully laid ambush, Chu Yi gave the Lantern Girl no chance to counterattack. The surging mass of flesh opened a maw like that of a giant whale, lined with rings of fangs. "I’ll wolf this down in one bite!" it seemed to declare, lunging and swallowing the Lantern Girl’s figure whole, including the decayed soil beneath her.
The next moment, the mass of flesh squirmed, emitting a horrifying chewing sound. Then, the Nether Bone Fire quickly ignited, transforming the mass into a chilling fireball that plunged into the earth, igniting the surrounding soil as well!
[Sleepless Sequence—Lantern Girl*1]
Not long after, Chu Yi, having reverted to his original form, burped. He had collected another massive soul in the Chaotic Burial Mound, which was now crammed full. The Soul-Calling Banner was his own human skin. The feedback from his Beast Taming ability made his face flush red. He also extracted a Sequence Profession rule for Nine Infants to consume. Chu Yi also shared the excess energy with Nine Infants. Together, they quickly devoured everything that had been the Lantern Girl.
Phew... With Chu Yi’s assistance, Nine Infants finished refining the Lantern Girl’s Sequence Profession. Her essence was that of a handmaiden to the Desire Mother Goddesses. Thus, she inherently possessed a higher status than the Lantern Girl, making the refinement of Sequence Professions remarkably straightforward.
Speaking of which, professions like Tailor, Chef, and Dancer were also part of the Desire Sequence; they merely lacked specific professional tools.
The next moment, Nine Infants erupted with an astonishing aura. Her lashes quivered slightly, and her beautiful eyes closed. On top of her palace gown, nine stunningly beautiful human heads were stacked together. It was an incredibly eerie yet exquisite sight, possessing a haunting beauty. As if carved from jade, fairer than frost and snow, with the elegance of flowers, each face was peerless—true paragons of beauty.
Suddenly, the nine heads began to twist like a writhing palette of colors. They emitted a cacophony of sounds—curses, cries of unwillingness, and bellows of anger—before being replaced by a single, petite, youthful face. She took a moment to adjust, her bright eyes blinking, sparkling with a lively light. Her slender little hand lifted. A white mist surged, and rules manifested, coalescing into a White Bone Lantern with a ghostly white flame ignited inside.
Chu Yi was immensely curious. Due to the linking of her Nine Infants bloodline, she had undergone a dramatic transformation, a world of difference from before. Nine Infants had replaced the Lantern Girl!
"Master, hug me..." Nine Infants uttered in a tender, deliberately cute voice, leaping into Chu Yi’s embrace. She deeply inhaled her master’s scent, an expression of delight on her face.
With a beauty in his arms, Chu Yi felt his mind stir, a sudden desire for a... deeper exchange welling up.
Something’s not right... "Did you just use your rules on me?"
Chu Yi pushed Nine Infants away, his face stern. How can she test a cadre member like this, without any regard for the occasion?
"I... I didn’t! It was Second Sister who did it." The loli-faced Nine Infants was stunned. Her delicate head was replaced by the mature, alluring face of an ’older sister’ type, who gazed at Chu Yi with deep affection and obsession, saying, "Master, let your servant attend to you."
The next moment, the mature head changed again, replaced by that of a cold, icy beauty. "Wicked Master, you’ve actually been secretly peeking at our little feet."
Then, the icy beauty’s face changed once more, replaced by that of a haughty young lady, who burst into laughter with a PUCHI sound.
"I did not! Don’t speak nonsense," Chu Yi frowned, retracting his gaze from her delicate feet. He said with an air of righteousness, "Nine Infants, what changes have you undergone?"
With a BANG, Nine Infants’ single head exploded, and nine beautiful heads emerged, stacked together, immediately beginning to quarrel amongst themselves.
Meanwhile, nine White Bone Lanterns now encircled her skirt’s edge, exuding an eerie aura.
Nine lanterns? Chu Yi was surprised. He didn’t quite understand, but her becoming stronger was undoubtedly a good thing. With the Lantern Girl’s Sequence Profession rules, Nine Infants thrived in this environment, now possessing the Lantern Girl’s Mighty Power.
Chu Yi pondered, then immediately headed to the kitchen to prepare a special concoction, ’Exchanging Toasts’. It was served in two goblets, one seemingly holding the sun and the other, the moon. By consuming this special draught, he could sense Nine Infants’ changes and also borrow the power of her Sequence Profession.
"’Aww~ Master, feed me!’"
"’Me too, me too! Master, you can’t play favorites!’"
"’Don’t trouble Master. Master, you only need to feed me.’"
"..."
When it came to deciding who would drink from the moon goblet, the nine personalities quarreled again. It eventually escalated to them making Chu Yi hold the wine in his mouth and feed it to each of them, one by one. To quiet Nine Infants down, Chu Yi reluctantly complied, only to realize he had fallen into their trap. A few cool kiss marks were left on his cheeks.
The evolved Nine Infants now possessed nine distinct personalities. Chu Yi was unsure whether to consider this a blessing or a curse.
「The army of the Succubus Princess had been repelled.」
Clad in a white and purple gown, the Moon Princess withdrew the long blade formed from Moon Cage Grass. Her cherry lips were slightly parted as she panted heavily.
That hateful King of Black Robes! Her delicate face creased into a frown. Her gaze lowered to her own slender figure, now that of a petite and delicate young girl. Her dissatisfaction with the King of Black Robes grew even more profound. His roughness was one thing, but secretly stealing my authority was truly detestable! This had led to a significant drop in her combat power. If not for the blessing bestowed by the Mother Goddess, which had intimidated the Succubus Princess, she very likely would have been defeated.
Next time we meet, I must ask him why he stole my authority, the Moon Princess thought to herself, biting her lip. A fleeting hint of delight flashed in her purple eyes. The pale purple light in her eyes shifted, locking onto a certain ’noble, wicked woman’. That woman’s proud figure was on full display as she seemed to mock her, the loser, with the tone of a victor.