"This comprehension..."
Chen Shu's expression paused, then he patted Wang Qingxue's shoulder and said,
"Remarkable!"
"..."
Wang Qingxue chuckled, not expecting Chen Shu's praise.
Zhang Dali, standing nearby, scoffed, "I say, Chen Shu, maybe you should drop this virtue of respecting your teacher and valuing your teachings?"
"A ferocious bandit without this virtue isn't a good student!"
Chen Shu glanced at him, then smiled and said, "Qingxue, besides this, did you gain anything else?"
Next, Wang Qingxue spoke about the combat techniques she had learned, as well as the habits and combat characteristics of various fierce beasts, clearly having studied diligently.
"Good."
Chen Shu didn't skimp on his praise, "Fierce beasts are not scary; they are just livestock."
Wang Qingxue nodded. Her biggest gain was that her fear of fierce beasts had vanished. Anyone who saw tens of thousands of fierce beasts slaughtered like ants would become numb.
"Let's go home!"
The three did not use teleportation but rode slimes, leisurely embarking on their return journey.
"Chen Pi, the snow is so heavy today..."
Zhang Dali looked at the vast expanse of falling snow, his eyes filled with a bit of bewilderment and doubt.
"It is a bit heavy."
Chen Shu stroked his chin and said, "This is still in the south. It shouldn't be like this."
"Could something have happened?"
"It's unlikely. Otherwise, the officials would have already notified me, an important person."
"..."
The three flew in the sky. Despite the sudden drop in temperature, they felt nothing while wearing their medical gowns.
Two hours later, they returned to Nanjiang City.
"Qingxue, remember to cultivate diligently and don't slack off at all. Your goal is not the small Nanjiang City."
Chen Shu patted Wang Qingxue's head, his eyes filled with expectation.
"Yes, I will learn from Brother Chen Shu!"
"Good. Once your strength reaches a certain level, I will personally bestow upon you the title of Nanjiang Ferocious Bandit!"
Upon hearing this, Wang Qingxue's expression trembled as if greatly encouraged. She nodded heavily.
Chen Shu added a reminder, "Also, remember to feed your contracted spirits on time. If you run out, ask Dali for more."
After several months, Zhang Dali had also prepared a new feeding schedule for Wang Qingxue.
Wang Qingxue nodded, then landed in front of her own door, waving goodbye to the two of them.
"Still need to grow..."
Chen Shu shook his head and headed towards the residential area with Dali.
Zhang Dali spoke, "Chen Pi, don't you feel that the atmosphere in the country has changed a bit?"
"It's almost New Year's. Isn't it normal to have some atmosphere?"
"No, there are fewer people on the streets, and they're all in a hurry. It's making me a bit nervous."
"They're all going to other dimensions to earn resources, aren't they?"
Chen Shu shook his head and said, "Haven't you noticed that the other dimensions are much livelier?"
Although he had been spending a long time in other dimensions, he could still sense that the situation had become more tense.
The two chatted as they returned to their respective homes.
"Mom, Dad, I'm back."
Chen Shu opened the door and saw his father watching television in the living room, his face filled with a solemn expression.
"Son? You're back? Come and watch the big news!"
"Huh? What's wrong? Did the village launch a nuclear bomb?"
"???"
His father glanced at him and said, "Stop joking. This is serious!"
Chen Shu's gaze shifted to the television, where a prominent headline caught his attention:
[80% of Blue Star's fierce beasts have gathered in the Freedom Alliance; the Alliance may face a battle for survival]
Although the Freedom Alliance had lost contact, other factions could still gather information about the fierce beasts' movements and roughly deduce the situation in the Freedom Alliance.
In fact, the fierce beasts had no intention of hiding and deliberately wanted to demoralize humanity.
"Huh? So soon?!"
Chen Shu's expression trembled, and he muttered, "Even the great powers can't hold on?"
He thought of the legendary beast tamer Old Joe, who had been severely injured protecting Joanna last time. Now, he was likely struggling alone.
"Alas, the world is in turmoil..."
His father, Chen Ping, sighed, "The fierce beast invasion has lasted less than a year, and humanity is already starting to buckle."
"..."
Chen Shu stared intently at the news, a sense of urgency instantly filling him.
"Son, what do you think?"
"I'm using my eyes to see."
"?"
His father immediately gave him a light blow, "At a time like this, you're still joking around?"
"No, Dad, there's nothing I can do."
Chen Shu shrugged and said, "I'm just a weakling. There are so many King-level experts and legendary elders above. This is something they need to consider."
"..."
His father shook his head, "I didn't expect it to be so fast..."
"There's no other way, the fierce beasts are too strong."
Chen Shu also looked helpless. This was even when the fierce beasts were not united, and the great beasts of the Forbidden Fog had not yet emerged.
If all the fierce beasts united, humanity would not even have the slightest ability to resist.
The old man was powerful, easily beating a beast emperor.
But what about ten, twenty, or even a hundred of them?
Just then, the news above ended quickly, followed by the announcement of a chilling piece of information:
Globally, only twelve national powers remained, including four great powers and eight medium-sized countries!
The remaining factions were either completely destroyed and reduced to ruins,
Or they were remnant beast tamers still putting up a desperate resistance, constantly clashing with fierce beasts, their territories' order collapsed and plunged into chaos.
As for this situation, the fierce beasts were too lazy to bother, withdrawing their main forces to attack the next human territory.
"Only this few human forces are left?!"
His father, Chen Ping's, expression turned grave, and he even showed a hint of panic.
"Don't worry too much."
Chen Shu's heart also skipped a beat, but he comforted, "These are the strongest human forces. The fierce beasts won't break through so easily."
He was telling the truth; if they didn't have some means, these factions wouldn't have survived until now.
But there was still a fatal problem that couldn't be avoided: they could at most defend their own territories and could not launch a counter-offensive.
"It's a pity that we humans cannot unite."
His father shook his head and said, "If this continues, we will be defeated one by one."
"There's no other way, who's to say the seas belong to the fierce beasts..."
In peacetime, humanity had no measures against the other dimensions in the public seas.
The only measure was that legendary beast tamers would conduct periodic cleanups. However, each time, the fierce beasts would return to their other dimensions, resulting in minimal casualties.
Over time, the number of fierce beasts in the public seas had become unimaginable. Once a major war broke out, it would forcibly divide the human factions.
At this moment, his mother, carrying a steaming pot of soup from the dining room, said,
"What are you two father and son talking about? Come and eat quickly."
His father sighed, "Alas, the situation is dire. I have no appetite for food."
"Mom, I have an appetite. Give it all to me."
"..."
As Chen Shu wolfed down his food, he was also contemplating whether he should move his parents to the Starry Sky Relic.
The safest place would naturally be the Starry Sky Relic. It was not only hidden but also had a vast internal space. As long as there were sufficient supplies, it could serve as a place for future survival.
For Chen Shu, this was the most important function of the relic, practically a natural sanctuary.
However, he felt that leaving now might be a bit too extreme.