The words "repaying a kindness" hovered on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn't utter them.
Not long ago, he had indeed contemplated ending his life.
But the words "benevolent kingly virtue" he had heard last night were still vivid in his mind. He… didn't want to die like this! He didn't want to continue being hunted by demonic beasts, nor did he want to let the Tiger Clan continue to harm the entire beast race!
He… wanted to be the Beast King again! To atone for his past irresponsibility.
He had a premonition that Jin Bao'er would be his only hope for recovering his strength and reclaiming the throne of the Beast King!
"Wait… wait!"
Seeing Jin Bao'er's retreating back about to disappear, he finally activated his divine sense transmission…
Jin Bao'er seemed not to hear him, her speed not faltering in the slightest! She wasn't a saint! Although she knew his identity and current predicament, she honestly didn't want to invite trouble upon herself!
What Bear Clan, Tiger Clan, Fox Clan, what king of the beast race, had nothing to do with her! Didn't it?
The man in black also realized that he had no leverage! To put it bluntly, Jin Bao'er had already helped him twice. Why should he demand her selfless devotion?
"Wait! I have the Cornerstone of the Great Dao! If you help me, I will gift it to you!"
He gritted his teeth, his heart filled with extreme reluctance. That was a treasure he had prepared for comprehending the power of the Great Dao and advancing to the pinnacle of the Great Dao! There might be only one such item in the entire Upper Realm! But now, even the most precious thing was useless against his shattered beast core! He could even vaguely sense that the reason he could maintain his Heavenly Dao King cultivation despite his shattered beast core was because he had absorbed the power of the Cornerstone of the Great Dao before.
Although the power of the Great Dao defied the heavens, it was useless to those with low cultivation. Only after reaching the Heavenly Dao Emperor stage could one absorb its power and, with luck, comprehend it… If he wasn't mistaken, Jin Bao'er's power also carried the aura of the Great Dao! She could use it!
Indeed, the moment his words fell, Jin Bao'er's figure suddenly stopped…
She turned back, her expression calm.
The man in black thought she was tempted. Though his heart ached with reluctance, he also felt a sense of relief! Perhaps some things were destined to be out of his reach.
With that thought, he quickly approached Jin Bao'er, a trace of weariness and excitement appearing in his deathly still eyes.
"I don't ask for much. As long as you help me find a way to restore my original strength and protect me before then, I will absolutely give you the Cornerstone of the Great Dao!"
His words sounded good, but the Upper Realm was already short of alchemists. Trying to repair a beast core was akin to a fool's dream! Why did he believe Jin Bao'er had the ability?
Jin Bao'er's divine sense scanned his expression. She didn't detect any deception, but she still found it strange.
"You think I can help you repair your beast core? You think I can protect you amidst so many Heavenly Dao Emperor demonic beasts? And you think I would agree to this for that confounded Cornerstone of the Great Dao?"
To be frank, she didn't even know what the Cornerstone of the Great Dao was.
However, the moment she heard those words, her heart trembled. Just by the name, she knew it was a treasure! Anything related to the word "Great Dao" couldn't possibly be junk.
The man in black froze, his expression becoming very peculiar for a moment…
He had thought that Jin Bao'er, being so powerful at such a young age, knowing so many strange things, and being quite intelligent, must have heard of the Cornerstone of the Great Dao. He hadn't expected her to truly not know…
To think that such a beautiful woman, who appeared mysterious and powerful, as if everything were within her grasp, would be unaware of a treasure that many had heard of!
He pursed his lips and told her the use of the Cornerstone of the Great Dao.
In simple terms, it was a stone possessing the power of the Great Dao that had appeared in the Upper Realm at an unknown time. Some rumors said that whoever obtained this stone would inevitably comprehend the power of the Great Dao! But no one had ever seen it, and he had obtained it by chance!
He didn't know if the rumors were true, but the Cornerstone of the Great Dao had been in his possession for hundreds of years, and he hadn't comprehended the power of the Great Dao… Fortunately, he had absorbed some of its power and tempered his body. He assumed his current cultivation was also thanks to this.
Jin Bao'er was slightly surprised. She hadn't ascended for long and truly hadn't learned about the wondrous matters of the Upper Realm, so it wasn't strange that she didn't know this! It sounded rather good. Since she had nothing pressing to do with the Dragon Clan at the moment, staying here was somewhat dangerous, but she was quite interested in the Cornerstone of the Great Dao.
"I cannot guarantee that I can repair your cultivation. We'll have to see first."
She didn't agree directly. What if she couldn't do it? Wouldn't that be embarrassing?
The two parties reached an agreement. The most important thing now was to find a safe place for Jin Bao'er to examine his condition! She was an alchemist, and medicine cultivation was a related field. She had performed repairs on Dantians several times, but this would be her first time repairing a beast core. Whether it would work depended on the situation.
He understood her meaning. Seeing that she wasn't overconfident, his trust in her grew! He straightened his expression and bowed slightly to Jin Bao'er.
"My name is Kuang Hou. Before… thank you for helping me kill that person!"
The "before" referred to the time Jin Bao'er had killed Elder Qin. Thinking of the hundred years of humiliation, his expression was complex yet restrained.
Jin Bao'er, sensing his movement, directly averted her gaze and took a step back.
"Since you've decided to return to your throne, then you are the Beast King!"
She agreed to help partly because she couldn't stand it, especially since he had offered some benefits! A king should fight to the death and never yield!
Kuang Hou instantly understood her meaning. A flicker of astonishment crossed his eyes, but he quickly retracted his previous demeanor, regaining his original coldness and dominance! His perception of Jin Bao'er changed once again…
Proud but not arrogant! Strong but not reckless! Intelligent but not overly so! Publicly and persistently pursuing!
Such a person… how could the mere Upper Realm contain her?!
Jin Bao'er was unaware of his thoughts!
After some deliberation, Kuang Hou decided to take her to the Lion Clan's habitat, which was atop a high cliff! As the foundation of the Beast King, it was naturally rich in spiritual energy and covered by a naturally formed barrier, preventing ordinary demonic beasts from entering.
Kuang Hou had also wanted to enter at first, but he couldn't bear his current powerlessness, so he had been lingering outside. Now that Jin Bao'er had asked for a safe place, his first thought was his own territory.
Soon, with their speed, they arrived outside the Lion Clan by noon that very day!
It was a grassland surrounded by cliffs and precipices, like a vast circular platform. The mountain body was very hard, yet surrounded by empty valleys. Looking down, it was pitch black…
In such a situation, how could it be possible to stealthily steal the Beast King's son?
She didn't voice it. The two stopped in a cave beside the cliff. Judging by the furnishings, a demonic beast had lived there before, but it seemed to have been abandoned for many years.
She waved her hand, sealing the cave entrance with a barrier to prevent their aura from leaking. Then, she had Kuang Hou lie on the stone bed, using her divine sense and spiritual power to permeate his meridians, constantly circulating.