"Thank you, Principal. I'll get started then!"
Chen Shu grinned, feeling no reservations now that Qin Tian had given his assurance.
The only thing he needed to be mindful of was the tight schedule.
The Dragon Abyss Beast Emperor wouldn't allow him to hunt Monarch-level fierce beasts indefinitely. However, they were currently occupied with the siege of Dragon Abyss City, leaving them no time to deal with Chen Shu.
"Dali, how many more uses do you have for that 'Soul-Poisoning Chicken Soup'?"
"What chicken soup?"
"The one that attracts Monarchs."
Chen Shu glanced at him. "It's made from the heart of a King-level contracted spirit, so of course, it's Soul-Poisoning Chicken Soup."
"..."
Zhang Dali's mouth twitched. Couldn't this guy come up with a better name?
He thought for a moment. "I can probably attract two to four more Monarchs..."
Although the 'chicken soup' could lure Monarchs, it still required time and luck, given how vast the异空间 (yì kōngjiān -异空间, alternate dimension) was.
"That's not quite enough..."
Chen Shu frowned. He had intended to call Qin Tian, but remembering he was occupied, he turned to call Liu Feng instead.
"Hello, Teacher Liu."
"Chen Shu, you've been in the 异空间 for so long, and now you finally have time to call me?"
"I have something I need your help with..."
Chen Shu chuckled, not hiding anything.
"Oh? Is there anything you can't do, kid?"
Liu Feng's expression flickered, a premonition of suspicion stirring within him. With Chen Shu's current capabilities, he could achieve almost anything a King-level cultivator could.
"Alas, your student is facing a dilemma."
Chen Shu sighed, his tone becoming hesitant. "It's... uh... I..."
"Spit it out, don't waste my time!"
Liu Feng frowned. "If I can do it, I will."
He wasn't making a definitive promise, as he didn't want to be caught off guard if it was something he couldn't manage.
"You definitely can!"
Chen Shu's tone was firm, his hesitation gone. He continued, "Well, is there any possibility that you could give me the heart of your contracted spirit?"
"???"
Liu Feng was utterly dumbfounded, even thinking he had misheard. Was this even a human speaking on the other end?
"Hello, Teacher Liu?"
Seeing the silence, Chen Shu quickly asked, but there was still no reply.
After a long pause, Liu Feng took a deep breath. "Do you think that's something a person would say?"
"..."
Chen Shu's mouth twitched. He then added, "Is there anything unreasonable about this request?"
"Hmm, no, not at all."
Liu Feng chuckled strangely and said calmly, "Come on, tell me the location, and I'll send it over."
"Really? That easy?"
Chen Shu was taken aback. He then continued, "Teacher, I'm not asking for much, just four or five."
"..."
Liu Feng's expression froze. "I only have five contracted spirits in total..."
"However, the price is not low. Can you afford it?"
"No problem, whether it's Huaxia points, money, or other beast taming resources, I have them all!"
"Actually, Teacher, I don't need much..."
Liu Feng smiled faintly. "I only need one thing."
"What?"
"Your ashes."
"..."
Chen Shu's mouth twitched. As expected, things weren't that simple. He became serious and said, "Seriously, Old Liu, is there any channel to get this stuff?"
It wasn't just that Liu Feng was unwilling; even if he were willing, the old man would likely not spare Chen Shu...
"What do you need this for? Are you hungry?"
Liu Feng frowned, unable to fathom its use.
"It's for a great purpose."
Chen Shu didn't offer a specific explanation, planning to surprise everyone later.
"Well..."
Liu Feng pondered for a moment. "We don't have this in our official stores, but it might be available abroad."
"Abroad? Isn't it war-torn there now? Are they still trading?"
Chen Shu rubbed his chin, not expecting it to be so troublesome.
"The more chaotic it is, the more businessmen there are..."
Liu Feng said lightly. "The profits during such times are incomparable to peacetime."
"Mm..."
Chen Shu was slightly taken aback, then understood. "Do you have a channel?"
"Of course. I'll ask around for you later."
Liu Feng nodded. "However, the price will be quite steep, so be prepared."
"Alright, the price doesn't matter."
One heart could allow him to hunt at least five or six Silver Monarchs, which was a price in the tens of billions. Moreover, the heart of a King-level contracted spirit wasn't very useful, not even comparable to the flesh and blood of a Silver Monarch, so the price wouldn't be exorbitant.
"You're looking for the essence and blood of a contracted spirit, aren't you?"
Liu Feng guessed. "Some contracted spirits don't have hearts."
"No heart?"
"Your little sprite, for example, doesn't have a heart or lungs."
"..."
Chen Shu glanced at the Otherworldly Despot. Liu Feng wasn't wrong.
"Dali, you need the essence of a contracted spirit, right?"
Seeing Dali nod, he gave Liu Feng a definite answer.
"Okay, if I get any news, I'll contact you again."
With that, Liu Feng hung up.
"Let's go, Dali."
Chen Shu had already locked onto his next Monarch target!
...
A month slowly passed.
"Crisis: The world's first medium-sized power, the Superstar Nation, has been overrun by fierce beasts. Their top powerhouses are fleeing with the remnants of their citizens..."
"At 8 AM today, a legendary beast tamer of the Free Alliance engaged in a fierce battle with three Beast Emperors. The specific casualty figures are unknown..."
"70% of Blue Star's oceans are now occupied by fierce beasts. All beast tamers venturing out, please exercise caution!"
News from Huaxia rolled in real-time, broadcasting the immense global crisis. As more and more factions fell, people began to realize the ferocity of this beast invasion. The only good news was that the medium to large countries were holding their ground, especially the four major powers, whose strength provided some solace to humanity. Their millennia of foundation allowed them not only to maintain the situation but also to show signs of counter-attack. However, while the major powers could hold, other factions were in a stalemate. As more were breached, more formidable forces would be unleashed by the beasts. At that point, even the major powers would face severe challenges.
...
On the streets of Huaxia, people lacked their usual ease, feeling a heavy weight in their hearts.
"Sigh, doesn't it feel like the apocalypse is coming?"
"Don't worry too much. The fierce beasts aren't daring to come here, which proves they can't afford to provoke us."
"Yeah, if the beasts really dared to invade, we wouldn't need to be humanitarian and just send out Brother 'Fierce Bandit'..."
"Indeed. Do you think the beasts are afraid of him?"
"It's best not to deploy Fierce Bandit. If nuclear bombs were thrown without restraint, Blue Star might not be destroyed by fierce beasts..."
Despite their heavy hearts, the situation wasn't too dire for them. At the very least, they didn't have to worry about survival, which alone put them in a better position than many other countries and factions. For a moment, people felt a sense of honor for being born in Huaxia.
And while people were discussing Chen Shu, this fellow had already gone on a rampage...