"Still one Extreme Skill Point..."
Chen Shu recalled Er Ha into his beast-taming space and began contemplating the last point for enhancement.
The sole function of an Extreme Skill Point was to raise any skill, other than Divine Skills, to its maximum level!
The previous Extreme Skill Point had caused a qualitative leap in Little Yellow's Charge, transforming it into an expert at crushing weaker opponents.
"I won't use it for now..."
He glanced at the various skills of his contracted spirits, refraining from impulsive use and deciding to save it.
"I need to assess Ling Chen's abilities and find a way to counter him..."
Chen Shu's eyes held his own strategic thoughts, maintaining absolute calmness and composure.
"Whether I can win depends on Er Ha and the potions..."
He closed his eyes, simultaneously opening his system space, where rows of incredibly valuable magical potions were stored.
Even now, the system was continuously crafting magical potions.
After all, he had plundered the royal treasury last time and was now rolling in wealth. Instead of hoarding resources, he preferred to convert them into potions to enhance his strength.
"It's a shame I haven't advanced to King-level..."
He sighed, a hint of disappointment surfacing.
The system's vast beast-taming power had propelled him further, allowing him to sense that threshold. However, breaking through required a bit more accumulation and opportunity.
"Come on..."
Chen Shu closed his eyes, calming his mind and preparing to face the battle in his peak condition.
...
Half a day passed in a blink.
In the Hua Country's command center,
The old man stood with his hands clasped behind his back, observing the virtual screens surrounding him, which displayed real-time footage of the entire battlefield.
His body emanated a brilliant glow, and his immense soul power surged outwards, connecting with the bodies of every heroic spirit.
"It's sooner than I expected for you to be deployed..."
The old man shook his head. Ling Chen's defection was also something he hadn't anticipated, but as it stood, the situation wasn't too dire.
Just then, an urgent message arrived.
"Chen Shu has left the continent?"
The old man was slightly taken aback, then exclaimed, "Wasn't he supposed to be resting at home?!"
According to intelligence from the front lines, someone had seen Chen Shu riding a Slime, leaving the continent and heading west.
"Is it because of Ling Chen?"
The old man's intuition was sharp, and he immediately sensed the problem, saying,
"Investigate his last known location!"
The officials acted instantly, and within moments, a middle-aged man entered the command center.
"Old man, the information you requested..."
"Hmm?"
The old man looked at the virtual screen before him, which showed Chen Shu conversing with Xie Fengyu.
"Fang Si has been captured?"
The old man's brow furrowed, and he asked, "Why wasn't I informed beforehand?!"
"Old man, everyone was busy dealing with the uncontrolled entities and the main battlefield at the time..."
The middle-aged man quickly explained.
Moreover, only a select few knew that Ling Chen was a traitor. The others had not paid much attention to Ling Chen's departure with Fang Si.
The old man's brow remained furrowed, but he didn't reprimand further, as he himself had overlooked it.
"Ling Chen actually lured Chen Shu away. The situation is looking grim..."
Chen Shu's importance was now undeniable. To some extent, he represented the future of humanity!
The middle-aged man's expression was also grave, asking, "Old man, should we send reinforcements?"
"Ordinary beast tamers are useless. Unless I personally intervene..."
The old man's eyes held a hint of hesitation. "But that brat has captured Fang Si. I'm really hesitant to make a move easily."
If his actions were to lead to Fang Si's demise,
Chen Shu would undoubtedly turn against him immediately, even harboring animosity, which was something no one wished to see.
"Forget it. Since he dared to make a move, he must have his own confidence..."
The old man sighed, ultimately deciding to trust Chen Shu.
"Tell all the beast tamers to rest well. The heroic spirits cannot hold on for much longer."
Now, after the fierce battle, the heroic spirits' bodies had dimmed slightly, signifying that their lives were slowly fading...
"Yes!"
The middle-aged man nodded respectfully and turned to leave the command center.
"I hope everything goes smoothly..."
The old man rubbed his head. Even with his immense capabilities, he felt constrained at every turn.
In this great era, individual strength always seemed a bit insignificant...
...
At this moment,
Chen Shu silently crossed the sea and arrived near Lan Country.
Lan Country was located southwest of the Western Imperial Continent. It had no major powers, but was composed of nine medium-sized kingdoms and dozens of smaller kingdoms.
Lan Country was one of the unremarkable smaller nations among them...
However, due to the World Championship involving Lin Han, Lan Country had been thoroughly searched by various factions, but the trace of the Savior Church was never found.
At present, Chen Shu, perched atop Little Yellow, looked at the continent that had fallen into ruin before him and stopped.
His plan had encountered a slight snag.
That was, Er Ha was still evolving and had not yet awakened...
And Ling Chen had only given him half a day!
"I must stall for time!"
Chen Shu's brow furrowed, his eyes constantly contemplating strategies.
Er Ha was his primary damage dealer. If he couldn't summon Er Ha, his combat power would be significantly reduced.
As he hesitated, a faint voice suddenly reached his ears:
"Since you're here, why not come closer?"
"Hmm?"
Chen Shu's expression stiffened, and he instantly became extremely vigilant, scanning his surroundings.
At this moment, Rabbit's expression shifted. It pulled out its giant carrot and stared directly at the continent before them!
A purple light appeared, eventually transforming into Ling Chen's face!
"Come! I'm waiting for you!"
Ling Chen's gaze was calm. "Don't tell me you're scared?"
"Scared? Your Brother Bandit is afraid you're too weak!"
Chen Shu's expression changed, and Rabbit beside him instantly moved before the purple light, simultaneously swinging its carrot ferociously!
The next second, the purple light dissipated from its location...
Without further hesitation, Chen Shu, riding Little Yellow, decisively stepped onto the fallen continent.
The ferocious beasts on it were all filled with terror, frantically fleeing back into the异空间 (dimensional space). The entire continent seemed to exude a sense of oppression.
In less than ten minutes, Chen Shu had traversed the ruins of various kingdoms and arrived in Lan Country.
Upon a massive ruin tens of meters high, Ling Chen stood with a smile, gazing at Chen Shu in the distance.
Ling Chen waved his hand and said, "Long time no see..."
"I'm here. Where is Fang Si?"
Chen Shu's expression was cold as he asked.
"Don't worry, she's safe for now. She's merely bait to lure you out."
Ling Chen appeared exceedingly calm. "We've interacted quite a bit, so one could consider this an old friend's reunion, right?"
"..."
Chen Shu remained silent, but his heart grew increasingly calm.
Ling Chen said lightly, "Did you ever imagine we'd end up like this?"
"Not only did I imagine it, but I also dreamed of it!"
"Oh?"
Ling Chen was slightly taken aback. "You suspected me before?"
"No."
Chen Shu shook his head. "In the dream, I was the bandit, and you were the one pursuing me!"
"..."