164: Chapter 163 The man in the tattered robe wants to turn into a human! How could I? Let's stay calm first.
The Taotie was dead.
The crater remained; the vitrified sand and soil were still glowing, sparkling like shattered stars.
Lin Feng stood by the edge of the crater, watching the pile of remains being collected into the wanxiang ring, and let out a long sigh of relief.
That ball of black matter floated behind him; it had stopped crying, but it was still sobbing, like a child hiccuping after a crying fit.
Lin Feng turned around and looked at it. "Done crying?"
The black ball lowered its head and didn't speak.
It had no eyes, but Lin Feng could sense its embarrassment.
It floated there like a ball of rain-soaked cotton, withered and limp.
Lin Feng sighed. "Let's go. Time to find other things."
He stepped forward and walked into the distance.
The black ball followed behind him like a shadow.
After a few steps, it spoke, its voice very soft, as if afraid of disturbing something. "You... will you really help me with the Fusion of a body?"
Lin Feng paused for a moment but didn't look back. "I will."
The black ball fell silent again.
It followed him, floating very close behind him, as if afraid of getting lost.
After about dozens of steps, it spoke again. "When... when will you help me with the Fusion?"
Lin Feng didn't answer and continued walking.
"Didn't you just say that you'd help me with the Fusion once we found the Materials?" The black ball's voice rose slightly, carrying a hint of urgency.
"You promised me. You said when we get out, you'd help me find the best Materials and fuse the best body. Handsomer than that guy. You said it."
Lin Feng stopped and turned to look at it.
The black ball floated before him, the size of a fist, pitch-black, looking like a crumpled piece of paper.
It was trembling—not from fear, but from urgency.
It was afraid Lin Feng would back out, afraid he would forget, afraid he had just been speaking casually.
Lin Feng looked at it, his feelings somewhat complicated.
He had indeed promised, but that was just a temporary measure.
At the time, the Taotie was about to emerge, and he needed the help of its Formation.
If he hadn't agreed, it might not have come with him.
But now the Taotie was dead, the Formation was shattered, and it was useless.
He could completely just walk away and ignore it.
But it had stood guard for ten thousand years—guarding an empty coffin, guarding a stone, guarding a Seal that was about to break.
It had no body, no hands, no feet, no face.
It was just a pitch-black thing that didn't even look human.
But it had stood guard for ten thousand years.
Lin Feng sighed. "I remember. I promised you, and I won't back out."
The black ball stopped trembling.
It suspended there, motionless.
Then it spoke, its voice very light and soft, like the wind. "Thank you."
Lin Feng waved his hand. "Don't thank me yet. I haven't helped you yet. Thank me after I'm done."
The black ball nodded. "Then... when will you help me?"
Lin Feng thought for a moment. "When we find enough Materials. The Fusion of a body is no small matter; it requires many Materials, and the quality must be high. You don't want to fuse an ordinary person's body, do you? If we're doing it, we're fusing the best one."
The black ball nodded frantically. "Yes, yes, yes! The best! Handsomer than that guy!"
Lin Feng smiled. "Alright. Then let's find the Materials first."
He turned around and continued walking.
The black ball followed behind him, no longer nagging this time, quiet as an obedient puppy.
But after a few steps, it spoke again. "Um... what kind of Materials do you think are the best?"
Lin Feng thought for a moment. "I don't know. It's my first time performing a Fusion of a body for someone too. Before, I've only performed Fusion on equipment, Medicinal Pills, and skill books; I've never performed Fusion on a living thing."
The black ball was stunned. "You... you've never fused a living thing?"
Lin Feng shook his head. "No."
The black ball started trembling again. "Then... then can you do it?"
Lin Feng looked at it. "Do you have any other choice?"
The black ball fell silent.
It had no other choice.
It was the Artifact spirit of the Taixu Dojo, trapped here for ten thousand years.
It couldn't get out, and no one could take it out.
Only Lin Feng.
Only he could take it out, and only he could help it with the Fusion of a body.
It lowered its head. "No."
Lin Feng smiled. "Then that's that. Don't think too much; we'll talk once we find the Materials."
He continued walking, and the black ball followed behind, no longer nagging.
But Lin Feng didn't know what it was thinking.
He didn't want to guess either.
Right now, he only wanted one thing—to find treasures.
The Taotie was dead, but the Secret Realm was still there.
There were still many places here he hadn't visited and many good things he hadn't taken.
He couldn't let them go to waste.
He took the Living Soil out of the wanxiang ring.
Xiao Jin was still on the Living Soil, holding half a golden Spirit Stone and munching happily.
Seeing Lin Feng, it looked up and chirped.
That chirp was full of excitement, as if saying—"You finally let me out!"
Lin Feng patted its head. "Xiao Jin, time to work. Go find some treasures."
Xiao Jin's eyes lit up; it threw the Spirit Stone aside and jumped down from his palm.
Its six golden legs moved rapidly, carving trails into the sand.
It ran very fast, like a black ball rolling across the ground.
Its purple antennae waved quickly in the wind like two antennas, detecting something.
It ran in a circle, stopped, and chirped in one direction.
The chirp was urgent and sharp, as if saying—"This way! There's good stuff this way!"
Lin Feng followed.
The black ball also followed.
One person, one ball, and one dung beetle traversed the wasteland.
The wind blew from the west, carrying sand and the smell of blood.
But Lin Feng didn't care; he was in a great mood.
The Taotie was dead, the Secret Realm was almost fully explored, and he had a massive harvest.
He felt himself getting closer and closer to Rank 50, and closer and closer to the Void Corridor.
Xiao Jin ran ahead, darting left and right like a nimble rabbit.
After running for a few minutes, it stopped in front of a pile of rubble.
In the rubble pile, there was a hole, very small, only enough for a hand to reach in.
Xiao Jin crouched at the entrance of the hole and chirped inside.
Lin Feng walked over, crouched down, and looked inside.
It was very dark inside the hole; nothing could be seen.
He reached out his hand and probed inside.
He felt something round and smooth, like a bead.
He pulled it out; it was a Spirit Stone, golden and of very high quality.
He put it away.
He felt something else, hard and cool, like a piece of metal.
He pulled it out; it was a command medallion made of bronze, with the character 'Dan' engraved on it.
He put the command medallion away.
He felt something else, soft and warm, and it was moving.
He was startled and jerked his hand back.
Chirping sounds came from inside the hole.
It was Xiao Jin.
It had crawled inside.
Lin Feng laughed. "Xiao Jin, come out!"
More chirps came from the hole, and then Xiao Jin rolled out.
It held something in its mouth—a Medicinal Pill, golden and round, like a golden bean.
It placed the Medicinal Pill in Lin Feng's palm and tilted its head proudly, chirping.
[Taixu origin-nurturing pill (Gold)]
[Quality: Gold]
[Effect: After consumption, permanently increases spirit +200, Physique +200, and max mana +500,000]
[Description: A top-grade Medicinal Pill refined by the master of the Taixu Dojo, who only refined three in his entire life. This is the second one.]
Lin Feng's eyes lit up as he read the description.
Two hundred spirit, two hundred Physique, and five hundred thousand mana.
He put the Medicinal Pill away and patted Xiao Jin's head. "Good job!"
Xiao Jin squinted its eyes and rubbed against his hand contentedly.
Then it turned around and ran off in another direction.
Lin Feng followed.
The black ball followed as well.
After running for a few minutes, Xiao Jin stopped in front of a withered tree.
The tree was very tall, at least ten meters, and the trunk was so thick that it would take several people to hug it.
The bark was black, as if it had been scorched by fire.
There were no leaves; the bare branches reached toward the sky like a withered hand.
The roots were exposed on the ground, twisted and gnarled like dead snakes.
Xiao Jin crouched by the roots and chirped at a hollow in the tree.
Lin Feng walked over, crouched down, and looked inside.
The tree hollow was very dark; nothing could be seen.
He reached out his hand and probed inside.
He felt something long and hard, like a staff.
He pulled it out; it was a staff, entirely emerald green, looking like jade, bamboo, or emerald.
The top of the staff was inlaid with a bead; the bead was white like the moon, emitting a soft glow.
[Taixu Staff (Gold)]
[Quality: Gold]
[Magic Attack: 12,000-15,000]
[Effect 1: spirit +500, intelligence +500]
[Effect 2: All Spell skill effects +200%, consumption -50%]
[Effect 3: Casting speed +100%, cooldown time -50%]
[Effect 4: Comes with the skill "Taixu Shield"]
[Taixu Shield: Generates a shield that absorbs 5,000,000 points of damage, lasting for 30 seconds, with a 1-hour cooldown]
[Rank Requirement: Rank 45]
[Description: The staff used by the master of the Taixu Dojo, containing the power of Taixu. With this staff in hand, the world is mine.]
Lin Feng's eyes went wide as he read the description.
A magic attack of twelve to fifteen thousand—even higher than the dragon slaying sword.
Plus five hundred spirit, five hundred intelligence, skill effects increased by 200%, halved consumption, doubled casting speed, halved cooldowns, and a five-million-point shield.
He put the staff into the wanxiang ring, planning to equip it once he got out.
Although the dragon slaying sword was good, he was a mage; a staff was more suitable.
Xiao Jin ran off again.
It ran even faster, its six golden legs leaving trails in the sand.
Lin Feng followed, and the black ball followed.
One person, one ball, and one dung beetle traversed the wasteland.
Xiao Jin ran for over an hour and found more than a dozen items.
Spirit Stones, Medicinal Pills, equipment, Materials, jade plaques, and Talismans were piled together like a small mountain.
The black ball followed behind, nagging the whole time.
"When will you help me with the Fusion of a body? Are the Materials you found enough? Can these Materials fuse a body? What Materials will you use for the Fusion? What will you fuse me into? Will I be handsomer than that guy?"
Lin Feng got a headache from its nagging. "Shut up."
The black ball was stunned. "You... you're being mean to me?"
Lin Feng took a deep breath. "I'm not being mean. I'm just telling you to stop asking. Once I find enough Materials, I will naturally help you with the Fusion. If you keep asking, I won't help."
The black ball immediately shut up.
It floated there, motionless, like a blob of solidified ink.
But Lin Feng didn't know what it was thinking.
He didn't want to guess either.
Xiao Jin ran off again.
It ran even faster, like a black meteor.
Lin Feng followed, and the black ball followed.
One person, one ball, and one dung beetle traversed the wasteland.
The wind blew from the west, kicking up sand that stung as it hit his face.
But Lin Feng didn't care.
He was in a very good mood.