The group gathered again, and Qing Mian and Zheng Zhu Liu breathed a sigh of relief to see Nannan safe and sound.
“What is this thing?” Zheng Zhu Liu looked curiously at Ba Yu Fang, who resembled an alligator with a broken tail.
“This is that Ba Yu Fang,” Fang Ming said, stifling a laugh. He couldn’t help it; Ba Yu Fang’s current appearance was too comical.
“???” Zheng Zhu Liu couldn’t comprehend it. This lump was the terrifying monster that had loomed like a mountain just moments ago. It was too unbelievable. How had it changed?
“Alright, alright, let’s not talk about this for now,” Fang Ming interrupted, lowering his head to look at Ba Yu Fang. “Do you know how we can leave this space?”
“Wuwu.” Ba Yu Fang nodded, then stomped its small foot. A terrifying power rapidly spread out, and the entire space began to shatter like glass.
The shattered space turned into specks of fluorescent light that fell onto everyone, slowly melting into them.
“This is…?” Fang Ming was greatly alarmed. These fluorescent lights were incredibly pure resentment energy!
Ba Yu Fang shook its head. It also didn’t know what was happening. It only held the key to leaving this space and knew nothing about its composition.
As the fluorescent light continued to merge into everyone, their powers underwent earth-shattering changes.
“My body!” Zheng Zhu Liu cried out in horror. The others looked at him and saw that Zheng Zhu Liu’s skin was slowly beginning to grow scales!
He was being infected by resentment energy!
Qing Mian quickly intervened, wrapping Zheng Zhu Liu in a surge of resentment energy. His physical transformation finally began to recede.
Suddenly, Fang Ming felt a surge of swelling pain.
“Ah!” Fang Ming cried out in pain and fell to the ground with a thud. Nannan immediately tried to check on him but was stopped by Qing Mian.
“His body is still evolving,” Qing Mian said, looking at Fang Ming. As a professor’s experimental subject, he recognized this scene as likely the professor’s doing!
Though he didn’t know what the professor was truly after, based on their journey, he shouldn’t harm Fang Ming. It seemed he considered Fang Ming some kind of experimental subject as well.
Fang Ming’s body continued to change rapidly, his form reverting to that of a Shazhong. His ten-meter-tall body struggled on the ground as more and more fluorescent light merged into him.
The scales on his body became finer, his legs and tail gradually merged into one massive, thrashing tail. His body continued to grow, and his hair turned into a cascade of snow-white silver strands. Unlike the white hair of an elder, his hair was lustrous and bright, each strand filled with resentment energy!
This hair effectively became Fang Ming’s mobile resentment reservoir!
Half an hour later, the space had completely shattered. Fang Ming lay panting on the ground, his body having completely transformed into a human-snake form. However, unlike the human-serpents of myth, he also had a pair of hard horns, blood-red pupils, and his entire body was covered in fine scales.
Fang Ming and the others finally returned to the eighteenth layer of the ancient tomb. However, the abyss was gone. Instead, it was a graveyard of rubble the size of a football field, with ancient structures of varying sizes collapsed. In the center, a jade coffin lay open, lying alone on a central stone platform.
Fang Ming understood this sight immediately. The eighteenth layer he had seen for the first time was also an independent space. Now, looking around the eighteenth layer, there was no clue to enter the White Mist World.
He felt a wave of disappointment. All their efforts had been in vain.
He then shifted his body back into human form, used resentment energy to materialize ordinary clothes, and stood up from the ground.
“Ba Yu Fang, do you know how to enter the White Mist World?” Helpless, Fang Ming placed his last hope on Ba Yu Fang.
But Ba Yu Fang looked confused and hadn't even heard of this White Mist World, let alone known how to enter it.
“Forget it, forget it,” Fang Ming waved his hand, a hint of melancholy in his voice.
“Fang Ming, are you sad?” Nannan asked softly.
Fang Ming stroked Nannan’s head. “No, just a little regretful.”
“Fang Ming, is your body okay?” Zheng Zhu Liu asked with concern.
Fang Ming closed his eyes and sensed his condition. It was surprisingly good. Now, he could clearly feel the surge of resentment energy within his body. In other words, his compatibility with resentment energy had improved.
His overall strength had also increased significantly. Purely in terms of power, he was even a notch stronger than Qing Mian!
“Very good, my strength has greatly increased,” Fang Ming said with a smile. This was probably the greatest gain from this adventure.
Oh, no, there was one more even greater gain.
Fang Ming picked up his backpack, opened it, and realized that anything he pulled out would be enough to instantly turn an ordinary person into a millionaire.
To avoid missing anything, Fang Ming took out his diary and began to read.
“Nannan defeated the Blood Relative King, and we arrived at the true eighteenth layer. However, there was no entrance to the White Mist World. Helpless, we had to return the way we came, through the direct passage to the first layer. Then Ba Yu Fang broke through the soil, and we left.”
It seemed there was truly nothing more to gain.
Fang Ming put away his diary with a sigh.
“Let’s go, there’s nothing left here worth lingering for.”
“Leaving already?” Zheng Zhu Liu seemed reluctant. After raiding so many tombs, this one had truly been the most exciting experience of his life.
“What else?” Fang Ming spread his hands. “Let’s go home.”
Nannan obediently took Fang Ming’s hand and walked towards the direct passage.
“I say, aren’t you going to search for anything else?” Zheng Zhu Liu was still somewhat unwilling.
“You search. We’re leaving,” Qing Mian said calmly, then followed Fang Ming. Ba Yu Fang gave Zheng Zhu Liu an arrogant glare, remembering that he had called it some sort of “thing,” then happily trotted after them.
“Hey, hey, wait for me.” Zheng Zhu Liu had no choice but to hurry after them. Although the Blood Relative King was dead, there were still many fierce Shazhong in this ancient tomb. Staying behind alone as a novice would be suicidal!
They reached the first layer very quickly, as the dangers in the direct passage had been completely eliminated. The Shazhong in the upper layers of the passage had also been easily dispatched by Nannan.
“Ba Yu Fang, break through the soil.”
Hearing this, Ba Yu Fang’s body rapidly grew, and the entire first layer began to shake.
Outside, centered around the eighteenth floor, a rumbling sound erupted. As the ground continuously cracked, the back of a colossal being was exposed. The eighteenth floor and some nearby buildings, unable to bear the weight, collapsed with a bang!
Countless Shazhong and fierce beasts escaped from the eighteenth floor. However, it was broad daylight, and the sun was scorching. Some weaker Shazhong screamed and turned to ash, while stronger fierce beasts fled into nearby tall buildings.
A few thugs guarding the eighteenth floor witnessed this scene and were instantly stunned. Their leader, Brother Ji, was so scared that he wet his pants.
“B-Brother Ji, what are those things?” one of his subordinates stammered.
In broad daylight, they had seen those fierce beasts clearly. They were definitely not earthly creatures!
“Gulp.” Brother Ji swallowed hard, his trembling hands fumbling for a pack of cigarettes to light one, but his hands shook so much he couldn’t strike a match.
*I wish I knew what those things were!* Brother Ji roared inwardly.
“Boom!” Ba Yu Fang extended a giant foot out of the ground. Fang Ming and Zheng Zhu Liu walked out along Ba Yu Fang’s body. As for Nannan and Qing Mian, they had transformed into Shazhen patterns, Nannan on Fang Ming’s right chest and Qing Mian on his left arm.
“We’re finally out!” Fang Ming exclaimed. The sunlight was truly warm!
Zheng Zhu Liu didn’t have much of a reaction. He had experienced returning to the surface from ancient tombs many times before and had no emotional fluctuations.
“Ba Yu Fang, seal the hole,” Fang Ming instructed.
Ba Yu Fang’s body gradually shrank and ran out of the ancient tomb. As it emerged, the soil above the tomb began to collapse, quickly burying it.
Fang Ming knew this was merely fooling himself. Related personnel would likely come to investigate soon. However, it was just an ancient tomb, and they wouldn’t blame him for encountering fierce Shazhong.
“Huh? Don’t you hate sunlight?” Fang Ming asked in surprise as Ba Yu Fang ran beside him as if nothing had happened.
Ba Yu Fang pointed at its scales with its small foot. Fang Ming suddenly realized that the scales had protected it.
Inside the building, Brother Ji and his gang also saw Fang Ming and were even more terrified. These two… weren’t they the ones who entered the eighteenth floor? What was that colossal being just now? How did it turn into a pet? Was it a monster?
So, are there Ultramen in this world?
“G-get down!” Brother Ji nervously kicked one of his subordinates. The group trembled and hid inside the building, afraid Fang Ming would see them.
“Fang Ming, I’m going back,” Zheng Zhu Liu suddenly said.
“…” Fang Ming fell silent for a moment. Throughout their journey, they had gone from enemies to teammates. The sudden departure now felt unsettling.
But all good things must come to an end.
“Take care!”
“Take care!”
After exchanging contact information, Zheng Zhu Liu turned and left, his expression becoming somewhat somber. Despite having weathered many storms, this experience would be etched in his heart forever. Fang Ming, this person, would also live on in his memories.
Fang Ming stood still, watching Zheng Zhu Liu’s retreating figure disappear, and sighed.
“Let’s go, Wangcai,” Fang Ming called out to Ba Yu Fang and headed towards his home on Bei’an Street.
Wangcai? Was he calling me? Ba Yu Fang paused for a second, finding the name rather strange. But it didn’t matter; it couldn’t figure it out anyway.
Seeing Fang Ming leave, Ba Yu Fang quickly followed.
…
In the eighteenth layer of the ancient tomb, three figures appeared.
If Fang Ming were there, he would recognize their identities at a glance.
The Principal, the Professor, and… the Blood Relative King!
However, this Blood Relative King’s power fluctuations were somewhat weak, and his expression was grim.
“The divine child has already absorbed the good body of the relative, and a mark has been planted within him,” the Professor said, then asked the Principal, “What about the artist?”
The Principal smiled. “Everything has been arranged.”
“I hope this divine child you’ve cultivated is truly that strong,” the Blood Relative King sneered. For this plan, he had not hesitated to split into good and evil bodies. After being strengthened by formations, he had poured ninety percent of his power into the good body for the divine child to devour!
“My goal is the same as yours. I would never joke about my decades of planning,” the Principal’s face darkened. He absolutely would not allow anyone to question him!
“I apologize. I apologize on behalf of Lord Relative,” the Professor quickly stepped in to mediate.
“Humph!” The Principal snorted and his figure vanished.
Watching where the Principal had disappeared, the Blood Relative King suddenly asked, “How is the plan progressing?”
“Chang Sheng has fallen into the trap and handed over all the keys to Fang Ming. Fang Ming’s physique, with my improvements, has already met the requirements of a vessel. As long as Fang Ming grows to become a Ming Sha, we can eliminate the Principal and Chang Sheng and seize the Chang Sheng Realm!” the Professor cackled.
What Principal? What Chang Sheng? Weren’t they all being played by him? Did Chang Sheng really think he hadn’t seen him hand over the keys to Fang Ming in the battlefield memory?
Ridiculous! A bunch of brainless fools.
The Blood Relative King’s lips slowly curled into a smile. Everyone was merely his tool!
Another major plotline concluded. Some buried main storylines are emerging. The next volume, the Ancient Ship Arc, is about to unfold. Please support with votes.