Chapter 217

Chapter 217

"Has your grandfather responded?" Mu Chen inquired.

Ye Shi sighed softly, "My grandfather and a few pinnacle experts from the Cangqiong Empire are currently pursuing the injured Golden Winged Bird. If it recovers and strikes again, the situation will be dire. So, they're trying to finish it off. They can't come back for now."

Mu Chen nodded, "It's the right thing to do. Seems we'll have to wait a bit longer."

Though there are over a hundred Martial Emperor experts across the four nations, there are only two at the Nine-Star level. Qu Kun is one of them, holding a significant status among his peers.

Ye Shi glanced at Mu Chen hesitantly, "With those twelve Rainbow Lotus Seeds and the insights left by the Martial Emperor, do you think my grandfather can ascend to that level?"

Mu Chen gave a wry smile, "I'm not sure."

None of the four nations possess a Martial Emperor, but Qu Kun has a chance, especially since half the reason for Ye Shi's talents is the inheritance from Qu Kun.

"However, there's a concern..." Mu Chen hesitated.

Ye Shi asked in confusion, "What's the issue?"

"We might not have enough Yuan Stones," replied Mu Chen.

Ye Shi paused, "Right! When I ascended, it cost me billions. To reach Martial Emperor, it might even require hundreds of billions."

Mu Chen squinted, "It seems we need to find a way to amass Yuan Stones quickly, preferably reaching that hundred-billion mark." Ye Shi's eyes widened, "That much? How can we possibly earn that?"

Mu Chen shrugged, "Not even sure if that's enough."

Ye Shi, narrowing his eyes, said, "With that many Yuan Stones, how can it not be enough?"

Mu Chen shrugged again, "It'll suffice somehow."

"How are we going to earn that many Yuan Stones?"

Looking outside the formation, Mu Chen remarked, "Aren't the monsters outside essentially Yuan Stones?"

Despite the frequent monster waves, the potential danger couldn't deter merchants from venturing out. Those willing to pay a hefty price for the bodies of weaker monsters were always aplenty.

As He Jingzhi entered, he overheard Mu Chen's last words, "Aren't the monsters outside essentially Yuan Stones?"

Biting his lip, He Jingzhi thought, "In Mu Chen's eyes, even the most feared monsters equate to Yuan Stones?"

"Young Master Mu, the Blood Moon Empire has sent a plea for assistance," He Jingzhi said, trying to steady himself.

"A plea?"

Taking the letter, Mu Chen's eyes narrowed, "The Blood Moon Empire reports eight Martial Emperor level monsters detected at their defenses."

Ye Shi's eyes widened, "Eight? That many?"

Mu Chen nodded, "That's what the letter states," and the number is still increasing.

A shocked Ye Shi uttered, "What did the Blood Moon Empire do to deserve this? Should we help?"

Mu Chen nodded and remarked, "Why wouldn't we go? Those monsters can be transformed into elemental stones!"

Ye Shi nodded in agreement, "That's a fair point."

With his head lowered, Ye Shi thought, "Since advancing to the Emperor rank, the strength of the Sky Devouring Bees seems somewhat inferior. But I'm out of elemental stones to feed them. Without stones, there are always monsters. I'll let them fend for themselves."

…………

"Grandfather," Mu Mingfeng stood before Mu Zhan, respectfully calling out.

Mu Zhan expressed with satisfaction, "Impressive! You've reached the Five-Star Martial King level. Among the younger generation, aside from Mu Chen and Ye Shi, no one is a match for you."

In the past, Lu Yao was outstandingly talented. But now, even if he were here, he might not measure up to my grandson."

As for Mu Chen and Ye Shi, Mu Zhan shook his head. Those two prodigies are not something ordinary people can compare to.

Mu Mingfeng modestly smiled, "Give me another month or two, and I'm confident I can advance to the Eight-Star or even Nine-Star Martial King rank."

"By the way, Grandfather, during my trip, Lu Xingfeng was tailing us," Mu Mingfeng suddenly mentioned.

Mu Zhan acknowledged, "I'm aware. Lu Xingfeng and others created quite a commotion at the underwater gate, attracting several Emperor rank practitioners. However, by the time they broke in, the place was deserted."

Those emperors were quite frustrated with Lu Xingfeng for that needless hustle.

Mu Mingfeng squinted, "I assume Lu Xingfeng must be furious?" Mu Zhan scoffed, "That spineless old man. I heard when he learned of the beast tide, he fled early on. But now, hearing about the relic, he risked returning. Truly shameless."

…………

"Master, where's Mu Chen? Wasn't he said to have returned?" Xin Rugao inquired.

Jing Chiyang sighed, "He left again. A distress call from the Blood Moon arrived, and they departed for the Blood Moon."

Xin Rugao paused, "The Blood Moon? What happened there?"

"The distress signal from the Blood Moon indicates a significant move by the monsters there. It's feared that eight level-six monsters may appear, hence Mu Chen and Ye Shi headed there to assess the situation," Jing Chiyang explained.

"Eight level-six monsters? Could there be a mistake?" Xin Rugao asked, aghast.

"I doubt they'd be raising alarms without a reason," Jing Chiyang replied.

Xin Rugao bowed her head, contemplating, "If the distress call is accurate, this is dire. If the Blood Moon Empire's defenses are breached, the Xuanfeng Empire would not be spared either."

"Mu Chen and Ye Shi just came back, and now they've left again," Xin Rugao said somewhat helplessly.

Jing Chiyang sighed softly, "There's little we can do."

"During his return, Mu Chen left numerous inscriptions. As long as there aren't numerous level-six monsters here, we shouldn't face major issues."

A spaceship swiftly approached the defense line of the Blood Moon Empire, steadily hovering above.

"I wonder which esteemed individual has arrived," a Martial King shouted upon seeing the spaceship.

Mu Chen and Ye Shi disembarked from the spaceship, leaving the Martial Kings below utterly shocked.

"Ah, Young Masters Mu and Ye have graced us with their presence. Our seniors have been eagerly waiting for you," said one of the kings, abandoning his earlier arrogance and adopting a reverent tone.

Mu Chen nodded, "Please, lead the way."

The Martial King turned to a few youths behind him, "Continue patrolling the defense line. I'll be back shortly." Mu Chen and Ye Shi followed him, leaving behind several students murmuring amongst themselves.

The Martial King leading Mu Chen and Ye Shi was an instructor from the Qilin Academy, and the youths were students of the academy. Due to the national crisis, even the academy students found themselves on the front lines. "Are they Mu Chen and Ye Shi from the Saint Star Academy? They may not be strikingly handsome, but their presence and charisma are unparalleled compared to those in our academy," a young girl remarked.

"I've heard they've both reached the Emperor rank already. To achieve that rank at such a young age is quite remarkable," another youth commented.

"Can it be true? Such young Emperors?"

"The rumors suggest so, it must be true."

…………

The defense line of the Blood Moon Empire was eerily calm, but a palpable oppressive aura loomed, making everyone feel suffocated.

Mu Chen extended his soul force, sensing the surroundings and then retracting it.

"Did you find anything?" Ye Shi inquired.

Mu Chen, folding his arms, replied indifferently, "Indeed, there are eight intense auras. They most likely belong to level-six monsters."

Ye Shi gritted his teeth, "This is going to be troublesome!"

Mu Chen narrowed his eyes and nodded, "Indeed. If I'm not mistaken, eight level-six monsters wouldn't gather without a reason."

Ye Shi narrowed his eyes, saying, "Are you suggesting that among those eight Level-6 beasts, there might be a leader?"

Mu Chen nodded, saying, "It's a possibility."

Ye Shi clenched his teeth, remarking, "If that's the case, we're in for real trouble."

A Level-6 beast, though sentient, generally has limited intellect. If a leader emerges among these beasts, its intelligence would likely be superior. If all the beasts start following orders... The warrior king nearby listened anxiously to their conversation.

At the defense line of the Blood Moon Empire, seven or eight warrior emperors gathered, all with solemn expressions.

"Something's amiss. With so many Level-6 beasts outside, none have attempted to breach the city."

"They must be plotting something."

"If they all rush in, we're in deep trouble."

The warrior emperors debated heatedly amongst themselves.

"Elders, Mu Chen and Ye Shi from the Xuan Feng Empire have arrived," a powerful warrior king announced.

"Bring them in quickly!" Meng Qingru exclaimed joyfully.

Meng Qingru had sought Mu Chen and Ye Shi earlier, but was told they were in retreat. Nobody knew their whereabouts, leading Meng Qingru to suspect they had fled in fear.

Surprisingly, after just a few days, both reappeared, having advanced to warrior emperor status, catching everyone off guard.

While both were formidable before, they were still warrior kings. Some warrior emperors viewed them as juniors. Now as emperors, they were treated as equals.

"I've heard that Mu Chen and Ye Shi found the tomb of a martial ancestor, which led to their rapid promotion."

"Such luck! I've also heard that several warrior emperors who escaped from the Fran Empire eyed that tomb. But when they entered, everything valuable was gone, not even a low-grade spirit herb left."

"Those people shouldn't have been spared."

Led by a warrior king, Mu Chen and Ye Shi entered the council chamber.

"Mu Chen pays his respects to the elders."

"Ye Shi pays his respects to the elders."

Both Mu Chen and Ye Shi bowed in greeting.

Zhang Ke looked at them and chuckled, "Seeing you two makes me feel old."

"Indeed. They truly embody the term 'young talents'," Tao Ying remarked.

Mu Chen gave a wry smile, saying, "Enough with the compliments. Let's discuss the situation. I surveyed the outside briefly; there are many Level-6 beasts. Strangely, they're not advancing. I wonder what they're waiting for."

Hearing Mu Chen's observation, the faces of the warrior emperors shifted uneasily.

"We suspect that a beast king might have emerged among them," Zhang Ke said hesitantly.

Ye Shi widened his eyes, whispering, "Should we run?"

Mu Chen glared at him, "Don't spout nonsense!" Even if they had to flee, it shouldn't be mentioned aloud.

"A beast king is a Level-7 beast!" Ye Shi protested. A Level-7 beast, comparable to a martial ancestor, could command myriad creatures. Dozens of warrior emperors wouldn't stand a chance.