"What... You, you're going to die?" Xu Luo asked in surprise, a faint wave of sadness unexpectedly washing over him.
"Senior, you seem so full of life and vigor. How could you be dying?" Master Mao asked, puzzled.
Xu Su also stood to the side, looking with concern at the indistinct form of the giant beast before them. He said, "Senior, you're so powerful. How could you die so easily?"
"I have lived for far too long. Where there is life, there is death. This is the law, and I have not yet reached a state where I can transcend it." The Thunder Beast sensed the sorrow of the little ones and said with a faint smile, "So there's no need for you to be sad. I was already old and decrepit, my body reeking of decay. The vigor you sense is rely a ans for to maintain my final dignity."
Xu Luo suddenly recalled the scent of decay he had slled at the fake door in the ruins... He thought to himself: 'No wonder I slled that scent back then. It must have been coming from this dying Holy Beast.'
"Alright, what's in here is everything the Ancient Emperor Tribe left behind in the past. Alas, such a glorious tribe was also swallowed by the river of ti. Fortunately, their legacy can see the light of day once more, finding descendants to carry it on... You two little human children, rember your identity. You are the descendants of the Ancient Emperor Tribe..."
As the Thunder Beast spoke, a huge tal chest floated over from so unknown place, landing softly before the two of them.
It was unclear what tal the chest was made of. It emanated a cold aura, and its surface, which shimred with a dark golden light, was filled with a sense of antiquity.
"Well, my task is complete. Farewell, little ones..." As the Thunder Beast spoke, it glanced at Master Mao, who was lying there obediently. Its eyes were full of affection, as if it were reminiscing about sothing. A faint smile even seed to grace the corners of its massive, bloody maw.
It said, "Since we've all co here together, it must be fate. Little one, let give you a gift..."
As it spoke, a drop of blood... was squeezed out from between the Thunder Beast's brows.
It was only a single drop of blood, the size of a bean. Compared to the Thunder Beast's mountain-like body, it seed utterly insignificant.
But the mont the Thunder Beast forced out that drop of blood, it instantly grew weak.
Master Mao cried out in horror, "Senior... You can't do this! This... this gift is too precious! This junior cannot accept it! AHHHHH!"
Master Mao forgot all about etiquette. He was so agitated that he couldn't help but shout.
Others might not understand what that drop of blood signified, but how could Master Mao not know? That was the blood essence of a Holy Beast! It contained the very core of the Holy Beast's entire life!
Normally, if he had seen such blood essence—a peerless treasure for the Beast Race—Master Mao would have charged forward with a greedy look on his face, ready to fight to the death with anyone who tried to take it.
But this Thunder Beast... Master Mao had actually heard of it. Back in the era of the Ancient Sacred Beasts, it had indeed been a friend of the Heaven-Swallowing Fox clan.
That ant it was practically one of Master Mao's own ancestors!
Normally, before a Holy Beast dies, it will either pass its blood essence to its own descendants or let it dissipate naturally—ashes to ashes, dust to dust—and scatter between heaven and earth.
As for giving it to an outsider... especially one from a different race, that was simply unthinkable!
"Heh heh... Little one, no need to refuse. I have lived from ancient tis to this day; there is nothing I cannot let go of. Humans can also use my blood essence, but as a fellow mber of the Beast Race, you will obviously be able to draw out its ultimate effect. Perhaps... with this, you can restore the glory of your ancestors!"
The Thunder Beast's voice now was completely different from before. Though still loud and clear, it had completely lost its thunderous might.
As the Thunder Beast spoke, the drop of blood essence slowly floated to the spot between Master Mao's brows and, with a WHOOSH, drilled into his forehead.
Large teardrops stread from the corners of Master Mao's eyes. He prostrated himself on the ground, kowtowing to the Thunder Beast. "If this junior should ever et Senior's descendants in the future, I will protect them with my life!"
"There is no need for that. All things are subject to fate and opportunity." At this mont, the Thunder Beast was like a wise elder who had seen through everything and held no lingering attachnts to this world. After saying this, it fell silent.
Imdiately after, its body... began to slowly dissipate within this space.
It transford into countless specks of light that floated in the air. As if they had a will of their own, they circled Xu Luo and the others a few tis before completely vanishing into the darkness.
The space returned to a darkness so deep you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.
At that mont, down below this mysterious space, inside a weathered and ancient Divine Hall, a statue's eyes suddenly snapped open, shooting out two beams of light... before slowly closing again.
A soft sigh echoed through the Divine Hall.
"SOB... SOB..." Master Mao finally broke down and cried aloud. He had never dread that a dying Holy Beast would give its most precious blood essence to him. He was so moved that he could only express his feelings through tears.
Xu Luo's and Xu Su's hearts were also filled with sorrow. The whole experience felt like a dream, giving them a strong sense of unreality.
Falling from the Great Marsh into this place, eting a Holy Beast, being told they were descendants of the Ancient Emperor Tribe, then receiving their inheritance, and finally seeing Master Mao receive a drop of blood essence that could change his destiny before the beast passed away...
Although they had only exchanged a few words with the Thundering Saint Beast, it had been like a kind yet powerful elder, leaving them with a feeling of imnse warmth.
They hadn't expected to lose that feeling of being protected so quickly.
Just then, Master Mao stopped crying. He took a deep look at Xu Luo and Xu Su and said, "I understand now. The Thundering Saint Beast gave its blood essence because it wants to take its place and beco the Guardian Beast for the descendants of the Ancient Emperor Tribe... Even though Senior Holy Beast tricked into it, I accept this sche willingly."
"Does that an from now on, you have to do whatever I tell you to do?" Xu Luo asked, looking at Master Mao with a mischievous grin.
"Get lost! I am your Guardian Beast, not your slave!" Master Mao's fur stood on end. He sneered at Xu Luo, "So you'd better give up on those dirty little ideas of yours, you little bastard."
"Ahem..." Xu Luo's mouth twitched. He thought to himself: 'This guy gets a drop of the Thundering Saint Beast's blood essence and he's back to being his cocky old self. Whatever. Since you've already agreed to be our Guardian Beast, I won't stoop to your level...'
"Let's just see what's in this chest," Xu Luo said.
Ultimately, both Xu Luo and Xu Su were having a hard ti accepting that they were descendants of the Ancient Emperor Tribe. These ancestors had appeared so suddenly, and they were complete strangers.
They knew absolutely nothing about them. The Ancient Era was simply... too long ago.
So long ago that they couldn't find any connection at all.
The two of them didn't even know what kind of tribe the Ancient Emperor Tribe was, or what kind of people had lived in it... They had no concept of it whatsoever.
Therefore, the unknown tal chest before them might hold the answers to their questions.
Thus, even though they were still saddened by the Thunder Beast's death, they were also very much looking forward to what was inside the chest.
"How do we open it?" Master Mao circled the tal chest, looking extrely interested. A greedy glint flashed in his eyes from ti to ti, as if he were ready to snatch any treasure the mont the chest opened and make a run for it, betraying his new friends.
Xu Luo pushed Master Mao aside, stared at the chest for a mont, and pointed to a spot on the lid. "It should be right here."
Xu Su nodded. He had also seen the mark in that spot, which was identical to the one on his own palm. He cautiously placed his hand on it...
Instantly, his entire palm erupted with a blinding light, completely enveloping his hand and hiding it from view. Imdiately after, the strange tal chest also burst with a ball of light, instantly illuminating the entire underground space!
The brothers, Xu Luo and Xu Su, subconsciously looked around, only to find that the distant surroundings were a chaotic void.
"This place... it really is like a completely separate dinsion," Xu Luo said.
CLICK.
At that mont, the tal chest made a crisp sound as the lid ca open.
With a mix of nervousness and excitent, the two slowly lifted the lid. Master Mao also leaned in, his eyes wide as he peered inside.
The light from the chest did not dim when it was opened, so they could now clearly see its contents.
The first thing they saw were three ancient tos lying side-by-side, which looked as if they were cast from black iron. The text on them was obscure and difficult to understand. Xu Su stared at them for a long ti but couldn't recognize what was written, so he shifted his gaze to the other items.
Next to them was a box made of nearly the sa material as the tal chest, about a foot square, though it was impossible to tell what was inside. At the edge of the chest, there was also a long, narrow box.
Other than these, there was nothing else in the chest.
Master Mao pursed his lips and grumbled, "And here I thought there'd be so incredible treasures inside. Turns out it's just so hocus-pocus the ancients left behind to fool people..."
"What the hell do you know!" Xu Luo stared at the three ancient tos with a look of pleasant surprise. "Looks like we've really struck it rich this ti!"
Xu Su glanced at Xu Luo. "What is it? Is it so kind of Unparalleled Technique?"
"No. These three books are the foundation of a powerful sect!" Xu Luo's eyes glead as he murmured, "Back when Qiqi was studying Ancient Texts, I learned a little along with her. Of these three ancient tos, one is called the Pill Scripture. Of the remaining two, one is called chanical Skill, and the other is called Casting Skill!"
"Is that supposed to be a big deal?" Master Mao scoffed from the side. "Any random sect would have things like these, right?"
"But we don't!" Xu Luo shot a look at Master Mao, ignoring his taunt. "The reason sects are powerful isn't just because they have resources beyond the imagination of ordinary people, but because they possess this kind of foundational knowledge that can change everything!"
"That's right. With Alchemy, you can refine Elixirs that enhance a person's strength. With chanical Skill, you can fortify a sect until it's impregnable. With Casting Skill, you can forge powerful weapons..." Xu Su said. "These things are indeed the very foundation of a sect."
"Maybe these three ancient tos only contain ordinary Alchemy, chanical Skill, and Casting Skill. But even if they're just ordinary, to us, they are like priceless treasures!" Xu Luo said with so excitent. "Besides, look at the material these tos are made of. Do you really think... the knowledge recorded inside them is going to be so run-of-the-mill stuff?"
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