194: I, Lu Sheng, eat meat, but my brothers can't just drink soup!

Lu Sheng stood before that heavy alloy gate, but he was in no hurry to leave.

He slowly turned around, his gaze piercing through layers of rock walls, jungle, and the Void Realm, casting it toward the very peak of Gongga Mountain.

There, clouds and mist swirled, and snow remained all year round.

The mysterious Sanqing Hall stood quietly above the clouds.

"Dragon Eyes."

Lu Sheng chanted inwardly, and his pupils instantly transformed into dark-gold vertical slits. Two physical beams of light, like sharp swords, attempted to pierce through that layer of mist that never dispersed.

However...

"Buzz—!"

The moment his vision touched that sea of clouds, an ancient, obscure will filled with rejection actually bounced his probe back soundlessly, like cotton-wrapped iron.

Vaguely, Lu Sheng seemed to see a pair of extremely cold eyes dwelling high above the Nine Heavens, looking down at this group of ants struggling for survival at the foot of the mountain.

That feeling was like a human observing ants moving house.

"Interesting."

Lu Sheng withdrew his gaze, a trace of wariness flashing in the depths of his eyes.

The thing up there was definitely not simple.

It might even be more dangerous than the approaching Abyssal Corpse King!

"However, one must eat one bite at a time."

Lu Sheng suppressed the urge to rush up and investigate.

Now was not the time for exploration.

The foul stench of the corpse Qi outside was already approaching the periphery of the defensive circle. If he didn't deal with the major trouble that was the Abyssal Corpse King first, the newly established Gongga Mountain defense line would collapse instantly if they were attacked from both sides.

"Secure the outside first, then settle the inside."

Lu Sheng made his decision.

He raised his hand, pressed the communicator by his ear, and opened an encrypted channel.

"Zhou Hai, Zhao Ze, Su Li."

"Avoid Chen Yan, Liu Deshui, and the others. Come to the underground vault to see me immediately."

"Just the three of you."

...Five minutes later.

The heavy alloy gate opened again.

Zhou Hai and the other two walked in hurriedly.

As soon as he entered, Zhou Hai keenly smelled the residual high temperature in the air, as well as the heart-palpitating, terrifying pressure on Lu Sheng that had not yet fully dissipated.

"Little Lu... no, Boss."

Zhou Hai swallowed hard. Looking at Lu Sheng standing in the center of the empty secret chamber, he lowered his voice and said, "Being so mysterious, are you planning some kind of decapitation strike? Don't worry, just say the word, and even if it's the Corpse King's nest, I'll dare to charge in with you and blow it up!"

Although Zhao Ze and Su Li didn't speak, their eyes were also firm.

Clearly, they thought Lu Sheng was arranging some near-certain death secret mission before the big battle.

Looking at these three nervous guys, the serious lines on Lu Sheng's face softened a bit.

"A decapitation is needed, but not now."

Lu Sheng shook his head and waved his hand casually.

"Clatter—!"

A crisp clashing sound rang out.

Thirty egg-sized crystal cores emitting a brilliant light hovered in the air before him.

These crystal cores were transparent throughout, with extremely dense spirit source energy flowing inside. Just the leaking aura caused the spirit source concentration in the secret chamber to instantly skyrocket tenfold!

"Hiss—!!"

Zhou Hai sucked in a breath of cold air, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.

"Ad... advanced spirit source crystal cores?!"

"So many?!"

Zhao Ze was also shaken. Usually steady, his hands were trembling slightly now.

These were Advanced crystal cores!

Last time, Lu Sheng gave them one each and it allowed them to promote to Level 5 Spirit Source Users.

They still remembered the terrifying spirit source energy contained within the crystal cores.

If they were outside and other Spirit Source Users knew the function of the spirit source crystal cores, a single advanced spirit source crystal core could make those faction leaders fight to the death, even triggering a small-scale war.

And here... there were a full thirty of them!

This was a fortune that could rival a nation!

"Ten each."

Lu Sheng's voice was as flat as if he were handing out cabbages. "Take them and absorb them."

"Wha... What?!"

Zhou Hai was startled and waved his hands repeatedly, his large face turning bright red. "No, no, no! Little Lu, are you crazy? These things are too precious! Old Zhao, Ah Li, and I are currently stuck at the Level 5 Bottleneck. Once the Floating Corpse Tide hits, we can promote just by killing a few Level 4 Elite-level Floating Corpses. Using these would be a complete waste!"

"That's right, Little Lu."

Zhao Ze also declined with a solemn expression, his gaze sincere. "You know the current situation. You are the pillar of Gongga Mountain. These resources should be concentrated on you. Only if you are stronger will we have a way to survive. Giving them to us... is too wasteful."

Su Li bit her lip and silently took half a step back.

Although there was a desire for power in the depths of her eyes, she knew even better what these thirty crystal cores meant to Lu Sheng.

They were the foundation for breaking through to a higher Realm.

Looking at the three of them declining, a warm current rose in Lu Sheng's heart.

In this dog-eat-dog Apocalypse, biological brothers would stab each other for half a piece of moldy bread.

Even that seemingly honest Liu Deshui was full of calculations.

Only these three fools before him.

Faced with such a Heaven-Defying Opportunity, their first reaction was actually fear of dragging him down.

"Enough."

Lu Sheng pulled back the coldness and dominance he usually showed toward Liu Deshui and the others. His tone became softer, yet carried an unquestionable firmness.

"Do you remember the first time we met in the stairwell of the Zijin Building?"

Lu Sheng looked at Zhou Hai and said softly, "Back then I was a complete rookie who knew nothing. You were the ones who accepted me. In the Zijin Building, on the blazing flame fishing boat, on Purple Gold Mountain—which time was it not you guys standing in front of me?"

"Without the original Blazing Flame Squad, there would be no Lu Sheng today."

Lu Sheng took a step forward, looking directly into their eyes, his voice gradually rising.

"Before, you protected me. Now that I am strong, if I can't even make my own people stronger, then what use is this power?"

"If I, Lu Sheng, eat meat, my brothers definitely won't be left with just the soup!"

"And..."

Lu Sheng pointed outside, his face serious. "This Corpse Tide is far larger than before and won't be so easy to deal with. We've hacked through thorns and brambles all the way to finally find a safe place to settle. I don't want anything to happen to you in this Corpse Tide."

These words made the eyes of Zhou Hai, a 1.9-meter-tall rough man, turn red. His lips trembled, and for a long time, he couldn't squeeze out a single witty remark.

Zhao Ze took a deep breath and tilted his head back, seemingly not wanting tears to fall, and heavily patted Lu Sheng's shoulder.

Su Li, who had always been cold as frost, also had slightly red eyes on her exquisite face. Then, a very faint but extremely beautiful smile blossomed at the corners of her mouth.

It was the feeling of happiness from being firmly chosen and protected.

"Alright, don't be so sentimental; you're making it sound like a final parting."

Lu Sheng broke the somewhat emotional atmosphere. With a wave of his hand, those thirty crystal cores flew precisely into the arms of the three.

"When we've slaughtered that Corpse King, the four of us will find a place and have a damn good drink!"

"Now, sit down!"

"Absorb the spirit source! I will personally act as your Protector!"

"Yes! Boss!!"

The three no longer acted coy and roared in unison, completely changing their previous way of addressing him.

They knew Lu Sheng was already powerful enough to protect them. At this moment, the least coy way to repay him was not to decline, but to get stronger!

If they didn't risk their lives to improve their strength, that would be truly failing Lu Sheng's intentions!

The three sat cross-legged, with ten advanced spirit source crystal cores hovering in front of each person.

If Zhang Daoxuan or Ye Hongyu from outside saw this extremely luxurious way of Cultivating, they would probably be so jealous they'd cough up three liters of blood on the spot.

"Begin."

Lu Sheng stood with his hands behind his back, Dragon Eyes activated, like a guardian deity standing quietly behind the three.

Inside the secret chamber, a spirit source storm suddenly arose.

As the three began to absorb with all their might, those thirty advanced spirit source crystal cores seemed like ignited powder kegs, releasing a violent and pure torrent of energy.

Lu Sheng stood to the side, golden light swirling in his Dragon Eyes, monitoring the physical condition of the three at all times.

At the same time, he released a faint trace of dragon might, which, like an invisible large hand, forcibly suppressed those restless spirit source energies into being docile and tame, helping the three comb through their Meridians.

This nanny-level treatment as a Protector was something that, in the entire Apocalypse, probably only Lu Sheng could provide.

"Boom—!"

The first one to undergo a change was Zhou Hai.

This guy already had a violent temper, and the Flame Blaster Sequence he had awakened was even more domineering.

At this moment, as the spirit source energy of ten Advanced crystal cores poured into his body, he instantly turned into a cooked prawn, his skin crimson as blood.

"Break... for me!!"

Zhou Hai growled through gritted teeth, veins popping on his forehead.

The originally orange-red flames, under the catalysis of the massive energy, saw their temperature climb sharply. The color began to shrink toward the center, gradually transforming into a heart-palpitating cyan-blue!

This was a sign of the flames undergoing a qualitative change!