Chapter 537: The Shadow
Chapter 537: The Shadow
"Judging from this Ruler's demeanor, he must be a Battle Ruler..."
Many Rulers had the habit of keeping their Heart Beasts outside.
Some lacked the necessary space equipment due to financial constraints.
Others preferred to have their Heart Beasts protect them at all times.
However, as they passed each other, Fang Xing still felt a slight stir in his spiritual sense.
"How can an old one-eyed wolf have such rich emotions in its eyes?"
With a slight thought, he flicked his fingers, and a speck of powder landed on the old one-eyed wolf.
Rulers were always vigilant, especially when it came to their Soul Beasts, as they were highly sensitive to foreign objects.
But ordinary Heart Beasts didn't have this issue.
It was common for a wolf to get dirty.
The powder Fang Xing released wasn't toxic; it was just a medicinal powder.
However, Pipi Dog had been trained to be sensitive to this scent.
This made tracking possible.
...
Half a day later, Fang Xing watched as the middle-aged Ruler entered an inn, silently memorizing his room number.
After a few days, he had gathered enough information about the man: "Xia Feimang, a Battle Ruler, with a Soul Beast that's a type of insect... He specializes in controlling various insects, no wonder he was attracted to the old one-eyed wolf's combat power and wanted to keep it by his side."
For Battle Rulers, most Warrior Rank Rulers faced financial difficulties.
Whether it was feeding their Heart Beasts, learning skills, or investing in heavenly treasures during advancement, they were always strapped for resources.
Specializing in insects was a necessity.
Insect Heart Beasts grew quickly and didn't require much food, making them a popular choice for Warrior Rank Rulers.
Of course, rapid growth meant they lacked staying power, and their attack power was never high.
Later on, they either had to abandon them or develop them towards poison-based abilities.
Xia Feimang clearly wasn't committed to the insect path, and his acquisition of the old one-eyed wolf was likely an experiment.
"In any case, he's not that strong... I can give it a try."
...
Three days later.
Xia Feimang left Greenseen City, heading towards Azure Dragon Mountain.
Even with minimal consumption, the life of an insect Ruler was still challenging, requiring them to take on various tasks or engage in hunting and gathering...
Their harvests were clearly no match for Fang Xing's.
By Xia Feimang's side, the old one-eyed wolf sauntered lazily, occasionally scanning the surroundings with alertness.
Suddenly, it lifted its head, gazing at a black-clad figure that had appeared ahead, a hint of astonishment on its wolfish face.
"As I thought... it's not the real one-eyed wolf. Its vigilance is too poor; for a Heart Beast roaming the wilderness, losing alertness is akin to death..."
Fang Xing, his face covered with a black cloth, stared at Xia Feimang.
"What do you plan to do, my friend?"
Xia Feimang took a few steps back, and a Black Iron Grade Heart Oracle appeared in his hand.
He opened it, and three pages of the spatial book glowed, releasing three Heart Beasts: an Upper Rank Warrior 'Mad Needle Bee', an Upper Rank Warrior 'Confusion Butterfly', and a Lower Rank Warrior 'Hard-Horned Rhinoceros Beetle'...
"Three summoned beasts, plus your Soul Beast, a one-eyed old wolf... a very standard five-type battle formation."
Fang Xing's voice was low, with a hint of amusement: "You seem even more impoverished than I imagined. Is it because you don't have extra space in your Black Iron Canon that you're keeping the old one-eyed wolf outside?"
As he spoke, the Guardian Aura on his body grew stronger, almost tangible.
In his hand, a Bronze Canon appeared: "Or, do you want to have a battle with me and learn the ways of combat?"
"General Rank?"
Xia Feimang exclaimed, quickly bowing: "I have no intention of challenging you..."
In truth, if a fight broke out, he would discover that the mysterious figure before him was just a crippled Ruler with a General Rank Heart Beast.
Of course, that was still no match for him.
The reason why victories of the weak over the strong were so renowned was simply because they were so rare.
Slap! A pouch of money landed on the ground, its mouth open, revealing a golden glow within.
"One hundred taels of gold..."
Fang Xing spoke: "I want to buy your one-eyed wolf."
"This..."
Xia Feimang looked at the wolf beside him, hesitating: "It's just an old wolf..."
In truth, after spending time with the wolf, he had realized its uniqueness.
Although it wasn't proficient in many wolf skills, it had a very human-like intelligence.
Over time, Xia Feimang had come to regard the old one-eyed wolf as a true partner.
The old one-eyed wolf, with its remaining eye, stared at the black-clad figure before it, as if remembering something, a hint of terror in its wolfish eyes, as it bit the corner of its Ruler master's garment.
"You only need to answer me, yes or no."
Fang Xing's voice was muffled as he spoke, the pages of the Bronze Canon in his hand flipping noisily.
It seemed that in the next moment, a powerful General Rank Heart Beast would leap out.
In truth, if Xia Feimang insisted, he would discover that Fang Xing only had a Black Flame Hound and a young Earthquake Bear Cub...
Of course, Pipi Dog alone was enough to annihilate the five Warrior Rank Heart Beasts.
If they were to compare purely based on cultivation years, it would take at least ten Upper Rank Warrior Heart Beasts to match Pipi Dog's strength.
But when considering the quality gap, the difference was like a chasm.
"I agree."
Finally, Xia Feimang nodded with difficulty, crouching down to pat the old one-eyed wolf's back: "My partner... you're free!"
As he said this, it was as if an invisible thread connecting them had snapped, and even his Heart Power decreased slightly.
After forming a contract with a Heart Beast, if one actively breaks it, there will naturally be a price to pay.
However, this cost can be recovered through future cultivation.
Compared to offending a powerful General-rank Ruler and losing one's life, one's own survival is naturally more important.
After losing its master, the old one-eyed wolf seemed dazed.
But in the next instant, a stream of light enveloped it.
It was the Bronze Heart Oracle in Fang Xing's hand! Compared to the Earthquake Bear cub, this old one-eyed wolf struggled a bit.
However, the previous disconnection seemed to have also affected its spirit, and it was still in a state of mental shock. Finally, it turned into a stream of light and landed on the bronze pages.
Next to a lifelike gray-white old wolf, lines of text appeared:
【Gray Wolf】
【Senior Age】
【Cultivation: Eight Years】
【Quality: Black Iron】
【Skills: Bite, Claw Strike】
Not a single mistake, not a single error, not a single change, not a single word, not a single sentence, not a single paragraph, not a single chapter, not a single book, not a single glance!
...
'It looks so ordinary, is this an illusion?'
Fang Xing spoke to himself, looking at Xia Feimang.
"Sir, may I leave now?"
Xia Feimang stood up, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, and asked.
"Yes, take the one hundred and fifty taels of gold with you. It's what you deserve."
Fang Xing nodded and watched Xia Feimang leave.
He turned around and started running.
After a while, he entered a small grove.
This place was not far from human settlements, and it was unlikely to find wild Heart Beasts, only traces of ordinary beasts.
At this moment, he patted the Bronze Heart Oracle again, releasing the old one-eyed wolf.
The old wolf looked dazed, and then it remembered to bare its teeth.
"Woof!"
At that moment, a stream of light flashed from Fang Xing, and Pipi Dog jumped out.
Its body, over three meters long, immediately made the old wolf look a little intimidated.
Even its eyes showed a hint of awe.
"As expected, you recognized the Black Flame Hound, and you also guessed my identity..."
Fang Xing casually pulled off his face covering, revealing his true face. "And... your eyes have already betrayed you. You are so powerful that you could even hide from the Bronze Heart Oracle's appraisal... But I still need to confirm something."
However, the old wolf remained confused, seemingly intimidated by Pipi Dog.
"Go!"
Fang Xing pointed, and Pipi Dog pounced forward, biting the old wolf's neck and pinning it to the ground, exposing its belly.
Exposing its vulnerable areas without reservation was a way for canines to show submission, even if forced.
"Since it's like this..."
Fang Xing squatted down and placed his palm on the old wolf's forehead. "I never expected that the first foreign Heart Beast I would tame would be you..."
Hum!
A burst of light suddenly erupted from his eyes.
Then, using his Heart Power as a link, he prepared to form a contract with this gray wolf!
No!
Something was wrong!
With Fang Xing's current mental power, he could sense that the subject of the contract formation was not the gray wolf in front of him.
It was the wolf's shadow! It was like a 'possession', controlling the wolf's every move.
But after sensing Fang Xing's Heart Power, the shadow of the wolf immediately reacted in surprise, transforming into a human shadow surrounded by a circle of hazy gray mist.
"Ghost Shadow?!"
A fitting name popped into Fang Xing's mind.
Then, his Heart Power spread out, and he unceremoniously formed a contract with this Ghost Shadow.
Boom!
In an instant, information about this Ghost Shadow appeared in his mind:
【Ghost Shadow】
【Youth】
【Cultivation: Eight Years】
【Quality: Emperor】
【Skills: Fraud, Ghost Possession】
...
"Hiss..."
"An Emperor-quality Heart Beast? No... This gray mist seems familiar... Are you Fang Leng's Heart Manifestation?"
Through mental communication, Fang Xing immediately understood.
Fang Leng had indeed died, but his Heart Manifestation remained, and with a special ability, it possessed the gray wolf.
Since it was Fang Leng's Heart Manifestation, it retained some of his memories, which was why the old wolf's expression was so complex when it saw Fang Xing...
"Back then, at the Heart Shrine's Dugu Fang, it seems they made a mistake in their appraisal... Fang Leng's Heart Manifestation wasn't a Foul Wood Quality 'Gray Mist', but an Emperor Quality 'Ghost Shadow'... Of course, it's not their fault, as 'Ghost Shadow' is skilled in fraud and can even deceive the Heart Manifestation Canon's appraisal..."
"I never expected that the rumors about powerful Rulers' Heart Beasts not disappearing after their deaths, but instead becoming wild Heart Beasts, would come true for me..."
From Ghost Shadow's memories, Fang Xing discovered the truth about what happened that night three years ago.
"That night, Fang Leng went out alone and encountered a Heart Beast, dying from its bite... But even though 'Ghost Shadow' was just a Heart Manifestation, it had a special ability and didn't disappear. Instead, it used its 'Ghost Possession' ability to possess the old wolf, secretly absorbing Heart Power over the years, eventually forming a Heart Beast... If it hadn't met me, it might have grown into an extremely powerful Heart Beast, becoming Xia Feimang's golden finger?"
"No, if Fang Leng hadn't gone out that night and accepted his fate, then in a few more years... he might have discovered the secret of his Heart Manifestation and risen to power..."
"My brother's Heart Manifestation has become my wings? I never expected, Fang Leng, that you would give me a golden finger?"
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
