"This place is awful..." Xiao Wu whimpered. Her current cultivation of a Spirit Grandmaster (Rank 20+) didn't mean that her instinctive experience as a former beast was lost yet she found the dark, damp patch of the forest utterly unwelcomed and it would be the same should she be in her previous body. Xie Xan and Ja Yin gave Xiao Wu a sidelong glance.
Being a little repulsed was alright... but did she have to make things THIS obvious?
As she whimpered, Xiao Wu continued to clutch Ja Sun's arm and didn't mind how she looked while pressing herself against him. And being the sage and a saint he has always been, Ja Sun naturally sacrificed his personal space for others' comfort. Keeping one arm on her thin and luscious waist that was capable of wild contortions... like her mother, he reassured her with a confident smile, "Don't be afraid, sweetheart."
"Hm?" Xiao Wu cocked her head sideways and shook her head, "I'm not scared. This place is just filthy." She declared.
The remaining trio blinked and thinned their lips but continued to move as Xiao Wu snuck glances toward Ja Sun's face and then his shameless hand over her waist before smiling even wider and resting her head on his shoulder as they walked. A soft tune began to hum through her lips... but in such an eerie forest where Xie Xan and Ja Yin heard odd snaps of twig and haunting chatters of deadly insects, this tune may as well be the most frightening thing for the time being. Curbing their discomfort, the duo followed.
After Ja Sun had taken control of the forest, he encouraged many beasts to bring other 100000-year-old beasts. This was done because Ja Sun needed body parts from many different kinds of beasts to form the nine golden wardrobe rings to the pinnacle of the mortal artifacts. These nine rings were just a shy away from the realm of the divine and now that these were refined into the bodies of his team, as they progress and eventually reach the strongest stage, the rings will grow stronger themselves and produce tougher material. That's why Ja Sun said that the ability of this ring depended on their study of various materials. Heck, the rings could even produce Di Tian's scales but while these would be a notch weaker without his aura, the scales will be one of the strongest materials themselves!
Right now, Ja Sun and others were in the patch of the forest provided to a newcomer beast. Although Ja Sun had lost several immortal herbs to feed the beasts who brought in new members, it was a fulfilling task since the original beasts were a step stronger than the newcomers and there wasn't any useless battle. It wasn't an arachnid beast, well, for now, they hadn't gone to one's location.
*Trrrrt*
The sound of something crawling at a quick pace made everyone but Ja Sun flinch as a weak, almost desperate but cackling whisper haunted the stretch of forest adventured into by the group.
"The Beast God and the Fortuitous Empyrean visit this lowly muk, please, how may I serve you this damp morning?"
The creepy tone behind the voice already made their skins crawl as Ja Yin scowled and Xiao Wu finally grew more sincere about the horror she felt. The odds were evened out since the speaker was a 100000-year-old beast itself.
"Hey, doing well? I've come to you with an interesting proposition so you can show yourself," Ja Sun beckoned with his free hand and the voice chuckled. The wind picked up around them and Xie Xan was still unsure who the beast was. Every spirit beast attended the wedding reception but all of them were in their human form so as pale grey leaves continued to collect and mold themselves into a rather ghastly form of a centipede longer than 20 meters and easily 3 meters thick. The leaves themselves began to congeal as the figure secreted a glossy substance that soon covered its body and gave its once fragile body a sense of hardened and polished external skeleton.
The same grey leaves twisted and twirled before connecting and forming a hundred legs that allowed the beast to surround the group with its body and then lower its head in front of Ja Sun until it touched the ground.
The beady yellow eyes viewed the group and found Xiao Wu's frightened expression amusing, as observed from its gaze but it soon stopped releasing its might in fear that it would ruffle some wrong leave... pun intended.
"Is the King's Lair treating you well, Scatter?" Ja Sun questioned with a gentle smile and Xie Xan who was present when Ja Sun encouraged a spirit beast to commit suicide found the smile quite similar. But things clearly cannot be the same for 100000-year-old beasts who are intelligent, sometimes, smarter than humans even.
"Indeed, it has. My brethren find this land and its leaves the most scrumptious," the centipede's mandibles twitched as its squeaky voice emerged once again.
"Then I am relieved," Ja Sun chuckled good-heartedly and pointed towards Ja Yin, "It's all thanks to Yin. She has the effect of increasing the fortune of others so many find what they are looking for. In fact, I feel that today might be an opportunity for you."
"Opportunity? Beast God, I'm afraid I'm unaware of what you mean."
"Don't worry," Ja Sun smiled, "Let me be clear and then give it a minute. You'll be aware soon enough."
---
Scatter Ghost Centipede is one of the most dangerous predators of the Star Dou Great Forest and could rival the infamous species of arachnids in this regard— The Man-faced Demon Spider. While the Man-faced Demon Spider uses its natural abilities to incapacitate and trap opponents, the Scatter Ghost Centipedes are... evasive. More so than other spirits. The only reason this 'newcomer' and his brethren were even 'persuaded' to enter the King's Lair was because of the beast that tailed them itself.
It was Zi Ji herself who brought these beasts here once Bi Ji had been recovered and was rewarded appropriately. And now, the Scatter Ghost Centipede felt pressured. He couldn't possibly attack the Beast God and live to tell the tale.
And what the Beast God had shared was essentially the doubt in the heart of every spirit beast who attended his wedding reception. They could sense spirit beasts from Bibi Dong and Hu Lana but Ja Sun itself was a force that intimidated them and made them resist the urge to question about it. Meanwhile, Ja Sun and Ah Yin could cover the scent of beasts on them through Divine Intent.
But Ja Sun had made it clear from the beginning when he stated that this information was quite secretive to the point that he directly utilized his divine intent to communicate with the beast and being one of the more shrewd predators, the Scatter Ghost Centipede could read in between the lines.
Ja Sun wouldn't reveal the existence of Spirit Souls to him aimlessly. Thus, the Beast God's arrival here was quite naturally a cause of concern. After all, the only reason the Beast God would come here with this piece of knowledge would be to warm up the conversation for the main objective, and quite rightly, Ja Sun smirked.
"And here lies your opportunity. I'm going to make you a spirit soul."
"Absolutely not!" Scatter Ghost Centipede denied instantly. He wasn't here when Ja Sun wrecked this location as if a natural disaster or a tribulation brewed by gods themselves. He wasn't here when Ja Sun dominated every beast alone at once!
To these newcomers, all these were bits and pieces of exaggerated 'myths.' Of course, beasts like Er Ming and Da Ming who used to live with Xiao Bei and Xiao Wu realized how strong Ja Sun was and conceded to his might but there were many who still weren't clear on the more specific details of the situation. For instance, how many bones he can break in their bodies with a single punch, how many heads he can shop with a single slash. Stuff like that.
And demonstrating how ridiculous Scatter Ghost Centipede's refusal sounded to Ja Sun, he tilted his head and inquired with a muted tone, "Did I stutter?"
The body of the centipede instantly began to disperse. Or at least, it wished to. Despite the outrage, he felt in his heart, the 100000-year-old Scatter Ghost Centipede knew that someone who could defeat the monstrous Zi Ji was not something he could contend with but his escape was instantly suppressed as a wave of terrifying energy rippled from Ja Sun's body that made many misty streams to congeal into tiny and weaker Ghost Centipedes all around them.
"Yah!" Xiao Wu yelped and Xie Xan looked around in amazement. Ja Yin remained relatively unimpressed but had marked this territory for good practice sessions alongside Violet.
"Beast God, I came here with peaceful intentions but I will not be enslaved! Please! Do not force my hand. You should know that I can self-explode or worse— trigger my second tribulation!"
However, as if amused, Ja Sun shrugged, "Oh, come now? Enslavement? You haven't even heard the full extent of what spirit souls are."
If Ja Sun had to say what he missed the most about the Three-eyed Silver Lion then it would be its ability to beguile beasts weaker than oneself. Sage and Empyreans, however, cannot wield that trait to a large extent as they are no longer the 'gems' of the forest but the Sage and Conqueror. There's a difference. And older beasts are definitely harder to come to terms with.
"I have heard enough. I will not be made to force into a human vessel!"
"Alright, it's your choice in the end. I will just erase your conscience and then use your emptied husk," Ja Sun shrugged.
"Wait!" The beast claimed sharply, "What? You are supposed to protect us from humans, not join them!"
"What... are you smoking?" Ja Sun didn't feel the need to continue the conversation as he stretched his hand while his gauntlet glowed with mighty shock energy, "I am not supposed to protect disobedient beasts."
Seeing the air visibly coil around his fist by the sheer virtue of the strength gathered in that fist and his body locked down by Divine Intent that would not allow him to move or evade, the Scatter Ghost Centipede felt desperate.
Xiao Wu didn't know what they conversed but she could understand the basic outcome that conformed to the rule of the jungle and even if she felt a little reluctant about it, she kept her quiet like Ja Yin and Xie Xan who didn't have anything to say, really.
"It was nice to see you at the wedding, though." Ja Sun smiled gently and attacked as the Centipede screeched loudly and roared out loud, "Stop! Alright— I get it!"
"You know none of the other beasts can hear you, right?" Ja Sun smiled knowingly as the centipede's beady little eyes widened.
"Ehm... I raised my voice in panic... Beast God. I will be willing to hear you out. You said that this is beneficial for beasts and humans, and is considered a form of cooperation?"
Meanwhile, everyone thought internally— This does not seem much like cooperation.
"Indeed," Ja Sun continued, unabashed, "It will benefit both of you. Now that you are calm, let me explain things with even greater detail."
Ja Sun chuckled.
The benefits for the spirit soul were evident in this case.
First, they can cultivate at a breakneck speed by absorbing 1℅ of every spirit ring and if Ja Sun does things himself then they can devour the entirety of someone's cultivation.
Second, they aren't bound by the laws of tribulations and can continue to cultivate until the level of million years without any bottleneck.
Third, even if Xie Xan happens to die, the spirit soul can bind itself to another and continue to live on.
And these benefits were certainly worth mulling over now that Scatter Ghost Centipede was forced into this absolute situation.
The conclusion happened to be obvious, too.
***
Hidden Title: Only a Sith deals in Absolutes
***
Shoutout to Alireza Akram, Michael Behrens, and SupremeRuler17 for support!!
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