Making a magnetic field capture device was not difficult. With sufficient materials, Jingjing completed its construction in less than a day.
Afterward, Zheng Dong arrived at Walrus Island.
Following the incident, Walrus Island had become an uninhabited island, with no one venturing there for training or adventure.
Zheng Dong had left a clone on Walrus Island, making it easy for him to locate the spherical magnetic field.
Using the magnetic field capture device, he successfully captured it and moved it to the Mythical-grade ruin space.
The next step was to figure out how to quickly awaken consciousness within the spherical magnetic field.
This was also simple: it required building a stable electromagnetic field to continuously supply elemental energy to the spherical magnetic field.
Zheng Dong, however, did not know how to build it.
Fortunately, Jingjing did.
With Jingjing's current intelligence, even if she didn't know, she could quickly gather information online, learn, and master it.
Using the money earned from the competition, Zheng Dong purchased a large quantity of resources and built an elemental energy power station. He then constructed an electromagnetic field with the Scythe of Original Sin as its core.
The Scythe of Original Sin could release Original Sin Lightning, making it suitable for generating an electromagnetic field.
Finally, he layered the spherical magnetic field on top, allowing it to continuously receive elemental energy.
However, it was uncertain how long it would take for consciousness to emerge.
It might take days, or it might take months!
Next up was the team competition of the Master Cup.
The champion team would receive a prize of 35 million, along with seven Grade Seven resources.
The competition primarily involved battles, but each participant could only use one mechanical pet, with no replacements allowed throughout.
This would test their teamwork and pet synergy.
Zheng Dong and Qi An had not trained together.
Therefore, the final decision was for Qi An and the other six to form a team and cooperate, while Zheng Dong fought freely.
This combat formation unexpectedly caught their opponents off guard.
Jingjing, with her mastery of spatial teleportation, excelled in hit-and-run tactics, making her incredibly effective.
This forced many participating teams from various clubs to change their formations, sending individual beast masters to counter Zheng Dong.
Unfortunately, these beast masters were no match for Zheng Dong in one-on-one combat.
In the end, Zheng Dong and his team secured the championship in the team competition.
After the competition concluded, Zheng Dong headed to the Imperial Capital.
He wasn't going to see Hu Maoxue, but rather to the headquarters of the Special Affairs Bureau to meet with the legendary Zeng Zuo.
Legendary Zeng Zuo was in his usual state, sitting in his office, enjoying hot pot and a small drink.
The winter in the Imperial Capital was as cold as ever.
"You brat, you're finally here. If you hadn't come soon, I would have dragged you from the competition grounds."
"What's so urgent?" Zheng Dong asked, puzzled.
"Our people obtained crucial intelligence in the Qingqiu Kingdom. A secret realm has appeared in the border area between the Qingqiu Totem Kingdom and the Divine Tree Totem Kingdom.
I won't explain the secret realm in detail; I'll send you the relevant information later for you to review.
This secret realm connects to another world controlled by the fox demon tribe.
As a result, the Qingqiu Totem Kingdom has naturally colluded with the fox demons from the other world. They plan to conquer the surrounding totem kingdoms before making a move against us!"
The situation had not been this dire initially.
When Legendary Zeng Zuo first approached Zheng Dong, he simply wanted Zheng Dong to infiltrate the Qingqiu Totem Kingdom and investigate the secret realm.
Before Zheng Dong could act, new intelligence regarding this secret realm was received.
This escalated the situation considerably.
The reason Zheng Dong was chosen for this mission was that his publicly declared beast-taming talent was skill sharing. He had mastered numerous pet skills, with mimicry and disguise being the most suitable for infiltration.
Zheng Dong frowned.
This mission seemed a bit dangerous!
"Just me alone?"
"No, you brat, you're going to rescue someone first. Our person in the Qingqiu Totem Kingdom has been captured. Try your best to rescue her.
After you, Legendary Jin Heng will also lead a team to the location. This matter is of great importance, and we must understand the strength of the fox demon tribe from the other world."
As he spoke, Legendary Zeng Zuo produced a stack of documents and a photograph.
The photograph showed a very beautiful woman with red hair and red eyes, but her facial features were not foreign, rather similar to those of the Yanhuang people.
Another mixed-blood?
"Her name is Jian Zhu. Her father is also one of our people, and her mother is a mixed-blood nine-tailed fox. After her father's death, she joined our Special Affairs Bureau. This intelligence was obtained by her.
Although she was not born in Yanhuang, she has provided us with a lot of valuable intelligence. Her capture this time was to buy time for our other colleagues to escape, so you must do your utmost to rescue her," Legendary Zeng Zuo said.
Zheng Dong nodded.
Rescuing someone was a manageable task.
If he had to enter the secret realm and investigate the situation of the fox demon tribe in the other world, he wouldn't go.
Afterward, Legendary Zeng Zuo prepared a lot of equipment for Zheng Dong.
This included communication devices, positioning equipment, listening devices, and forbidden bombs, among other things.
This time, Zheng Dong took 18 medium-sized forbidden bombs. He didn't take any small ones.
Using small forbidden bombs was less effective than using a few more of Ling'er's explosive fruits.
Finally, Legendary Zeng Zuo cautioned him:
"You brat, be careful on your way. If things become unmanageable, contact Legendary Jin Heng and see how he decides.
Also, many customs and rules in the Qingqiu Totem Kingdom are different from Yanhuang. Don't slip up, or you might not even find a body to hold a funeral for!"
That last sentence almost choked Zheng Dong.
"Don't worry, you won't be attending my funeral. You should take care of yourself and not have a funeral before I even get there."
Then, Zheng Dong left the Imperial Capital and, piloting the warship transformed by Jingjing, flew towards the Qingqiu Totem Kingdom.
At Jingjing's current flight speed, it would take four to five hours to reach the Qingqiu Totem Kingdom.
Moreover, they could only go to the border and not deep into Qingqiu.
Flying directly into Qingqiu Totem Kingdom territory would be too conspicuous, and if discovered, it would mean certain death.
During this time, Zheng Dong reviewed the information provided by Legendary Zeng Zuo.
It included not only a detailed map of the Qingqiu Totem Kingdom but also information on its power distribution, customs, and rules.
The Qingqiu Totem Kingdom had nine cities, with the capital located in Qingqiu City on Qingqiu Mountain.
Currently, the Qingqiu Totem Kingdom was ruled by the Nine-Tailed Fox Empress Yin Yue.
Yin Yue was a top-tier totem, stationed on Qingqiu Mountain.
The other eight cities were governed by Yin Yue's siblings, who were also totems.
Nominally, Yin Yue held sway over the Qingqiu Totem Kingdom, but in reality, every matter required the support of most totems to be implemented.
Currently, five totems in the Qingqiu Totem Kingdom were willing to support Yin Yue's cooperation with the fox demons from the other world.
The remaining totems, even if they opposed it, were powerless.
The secret realm's location was relatively close to Fox Moon City, still a considerable distance from Qingqiu Mountain.
However, Jian Zhu, whom Zheng Dong was supposed to rescue, was on Qingqiu Mountain.
Because Jian Zhu was mixed-blood, her status in the Qingqiu Totem Kingdom was much higher than that of human beast masters, making it easier to gather intelligence.
After her capture, she was imprisoned in the Heavenly Prison on Qingqiu Mountain.
Zheng Dong's mission was to infiltrate the Heavenly Prison, rescue her, and bring her back to Yanhuang.
Upon reaching the border of the Qingqiu Totem Kingdom, Zheng Dong's primary concern was not how to rescue the person, but how to ensure his own survival.
The Qingqiu Totem Kingdom was not small, and if he were discovered in its heartland, he would need to prepare in advance to escape quickly.
Therefore, Zheng Dong instructed Ling'er to condense a large number of clone seeds.
He planned to have Ling'er's clones spread throughout most of the Qingqiu Totem Kingdom.
This way, if he encountered danger, he could use spatial teleportation to quickly escape the Qingqiu Totem Kingdom.
To achieve this, Zheng Dong had Xiao Zi condense numerous clones, carrying these clone seeds, and plant them in various locations throughout the Qingqiu Totem Kingdom.
Xiao Zi condensed a total of 365 clones. Each clone was to use the earth-遁 skill to burrow underground and spread out in all directions, planting a clone seed from Ling'er at regular intervals.
These clones of Xiao Zi also possessed spatial teleportation, allowing them to cover the entire Qingqiu Totem Kingdom within four to five days.
In addition, Zheng Dong had Xiao Qing condense water and ice clones, carrying some of Ling'er's clone seeds, and plant them in nearby cities bordering the Qingqiu Totem Kingdom.
Having secured an escape route, Zheng Dong used mimicry and disguise to blend in as a mixed-blood and infiltrate the Qingqiu Totem Kingdom.
Within the Qingqiu Totem Kingdom, the highest-status mixed-bloods were those with the bloodline power of nine-tailed foxes, followed by those with the bloodline power of other extraordinary creatures.
At this moment, Zheng Dong's appearance did not resemble a human but rather a member of the fox demon tribe, complete with a pair of fox ears and a silver fox tail.
The mixed-blood he was disguised as possessed the bloodline power of a nine-tailed fox and controlled spatial attributes, placing him just below the nine-tailed foxes in status.
He arrived at Qingqiu Mountain using spatial movement by the next morning.
Qingqiu Mountain enjoyed a spring-like climate year-round, more pleasant than the Imperial Capital.
Looking up at Qingqiu Mountain, a vast garden city stood majestically on the slopes.
Thick white clouds drifted like cotton candy across the azure sky.
Foxes were seen everywhere, along with humans dressed in simple attire.
The lower-class humans on Qingqiu Mountain performed the most arduous labor, supporting a large population of foxes.
Once these foxes awakened, they were sent to specialized schools to learn various skills and knowledge. Those who performed exceptionally well could even rise to high positions within the Qingqiu Totem Kingdom.
Among ordinary humans, those who awakened beast-taming talents could become beast masters, but their status was only slightly higher than that of commoners, and they were treated as tools for cultivating nine-tailed foxes.
If a mixed-blood was fortunate enough to be favored by a nine-tailed fox, they could also obtain an official position and some authority in the Qingqiu Totem.
Zheng Dong ascended Qingqiu Mountain. Due to his mixed-blood status and the possession of nine-tailed fox bloodline power, he easily passed through the inspection checkpoints.
Upon entering Qingqiu City, Zheng Dong felt as if he had traveled back in time, reminiscent of ancient Yanhuang.
The clothing people wore was made of coarse linen, entirely handmade.
The pastries and snacks being sold were also purely natural, with no trace of technology.
In reality, ordinary people lived quite well.
The nine-tailed foxes did not excessively exploit the commoners; their needs for food and daily necessities were minimal.
They sought more in terms of faith and control over the entire nation.
Yanhuang was quite strict regarding faith.
Zheng Dong did not know why the nine-tailed foxes needed faith power, nor did he understand what faith power was.
However, temples and people worshipping the Nine-Tailed Fox Empress were visible everywhere in the Qingqiu Totem Kingdom.
Of course, sincere worship would receive a response from the Nine-Tailed Fox Empress.
After all, this also allowed the Nine-Tailed Fox Empress to gain more followers.
Zheng Dong observed the situation in Qingqiu City while searching for the location of the Heavenly Prison.
After all, he couldn't simply ask someone where the Heavenly Prison was.
Furthermore, the locals spoke with an accent.
Even with his mimicry and disguise, Zheng Dong needed some time to adapt.
As Zheng Dong approached the palace of the Nine-Tailed Fox Empress, the street ahead became lively.
People around gathered.
Several handsome mixed-blood men were also excited.
"Princess Yin Xue is choosing a consort! Hurry, Princess Yin Xue is so beautiful, there will surely be many participants."
"Yes, yes! Princess Yin Jiao wasn't chosen last time. This time, we must ensure Princess Yin Xue is chosen. Princess Yin Xue is much prettier than Princess Yin Jiao."
"Of course, Princess Yin Xue is the most beautiful in our Qingqiu Kingdom, and this is the first time she's choosing a consort."
...
Several mixed-bloods pushed their way into the crowd.
Zheng Dong followed along.
Besides satisfying his curiosity, he also wanted to see if he could have an opportunity to interact with the higher echelons of the nine-tailed foxes and ascertain Jian Zhu's confinement location.
Although Legendary Zeng Zuo said Jian Zhu was imprisoned in the Heavenly Prison, it was uncertain if she had been transferred or executed.
Following the mixed-blood men in front of him, Zheng Dong easily pushed his way to the front.
On a luxurious high platform, a stunning beast-eared girl with a calm expression looked down at the crowd.
Her skin was as fair as snow, her features exquisite, and every smile and glance was captivating.
This was a siren-like beast-eared girl.
She exuded both purity and allure.
This beast-eared girl was likely Princess Yin Xue. Flanking her were two maids dressed in white gowns.
Around them stood numerous guards clad in silver armor.
These guards were also transformed beastmen in the form of nine-tailed foxes, emanating a King-level aura.
Below the high platform, a large combat arena was demarcated by guards in black armor.
Any nine-tailed fox or mixed-blood who felt confident could enter the combat arena.
As for who Princess Yin Xue would favor, it depended on who performed well.
The mixed-bloods in front of Zheng Dong eagerly stepped onto the combat arena and began to fight each other.
This kind of combat was not a fight to the death.
It was sufficient to showcase one's strength.
After all, Princess Yin Xue might not necessarily choose just one person.
Zheng Dong had no intention of participating.
He secretly condensed clone seeds, hoping to find an opportunity to parasitize Princess Yin Xue.
If successful, he might have a chance to control her.
Presumably, it would be easier to find Jian Zhu through Princess Yin Xue.
However, before Zheng Dong could find an opportunity, Princess Yin Xue on the high platform noticed him.
She looked at Zheng Dong and silently used her ultimate skill, Lucky Perception.
Lucky Perception could determine if a person or item could bring her good fortune and change her destiny.
This was also the purpose of her choosing a consort.
Her mother, the Nine-Tailed Fox Empress, intended for her to go to the other world, partly as a hostage for their cooperation and partly to understand the strength of the fox demon tribe.
She had used her ultimate skill, Destiny Calculation, and predicted that her journey to the other world would be fraught with danger, with a high probability of death.
Therefore, she decided to choose a consort to change her luck.
It was somewhat akin to a "joyful marriage before a funeral" to ward off misfortune.