As Zhong Shenxiu waited, spatial fluctuations erupted around him, a ghostly purple figure flickering between three distinct points, making it impossible to predict its true point of emergence.
Good, a bit of skill! Zhong Shenxiu praised inwardly. He knew this creature was attempting to distract him. If his estimation was correct, those three points were mere feints; the real attack would come from elsewhere!
Indeed. A fourth spatial ripple began to form, shockingly, right beneath his feet.
This revealed the sheer cunning of the magical beast; with three disturbances already active, the fourth was almost impossible to notice.
This was only thanks to Zhong Shenxiu and Robin. Any other person would have undoubtedly fallen for the trap.
Zhong Shenxiu remained perfectly still. This was a counter-ploy: using himself as bait to lure the beast into striking.
Just then, a massive, razor-sharp claw shot up from the ground, aimed directly at the unsuspecting Zhong Shenxiu.
Zhong Shenxiu chuckled, casually stepping back just enough to evade the strike. Then, with one hand, he formed a strange mudra, pointing forward in mid-air. The monstrous beast that had just emerged instantly slammed flat against the earth, unable to budge an inch no matter how hard it struggled!
The disparity in strength was too great; there was none of the expected thrill of a proper battle!
Zhong Shenxiu observed the creature with curiosity. It was easily more than twice the size of the previous beasts he had encountered. Its hide was a mottled pattern of purple and black fur, and its colossal claws resembled sharpened steel blades. Cold light occasionally glinted from its eyes, which were a mixture of red and black!
Though Zhong Shenxiu did not know the beast's name, after a careful study, he had formed a clear understanding of its nature!
Zhong Shenxiu was very pleased with these beasts. He decided that after he was done studying them, he would gift one to Angeliya and one to Rhys as their own magical pets.
(Charlotte already had a magical beast—the Level Seven "Twin-Tailed Fire Lion." Although officially Level Seven, Zhong Shenxiu's modifications had pushed it far beyond that limit; calling it a Level Nine beast wouldn't be an exaggeration!)
The next challenge was figuring out how to transport them. Since they were "Spatial Magic Beasts," merely placing them inside Robin’s storage bracelet felt inappropriate. What was to be done?
After some thought, Zhong Shenxiu decided to forge a unique artifact specifically for this purpose, similar to the invincible artifact "Chaos Tablet" he had used to subdue spectral entities!
Even with Zhong Shenxiu’s current strength, crafting such an artifact felt like a waste of materials, but it was a necessary measure.
To minimize the expenditure, Zhong Shenxiu worked with painstaking slowness, taking over an hour to forge a miniature version of the "Chaos Tablet." He considered adding a chain so it could be worn as a necklace! After a brief reflection, Zhong Shenxiu ultimately named this newly forged artifact the "Beast King Tablet." While its power wasn't as monstrous as the "Chaos Tablet," it could easily contain hundreds of thousands of magical beasts!
A flash of light, and the beasts on the ground were instantly sucked into the "Beast King Tablet"! With this artifact, encountering any future magical beast would be far more convenient—he could accept any challenger without hesitation!
(This "Beast King Tablet" must be distinguished from the previously crafted "Longevity Tablet"—the latter was used specifically for collecting entities without physical forms!)
.
Time flew by, and four days passed in a blink.
One morning, Nibenzer was reviewing his ledgers when an aide burst in, his expression frantic.
"Report!" The voice arrived before the man did.
Nibenzer frowned, taking in the panicked aide, and asked sternly, "What is the meaning of this haste?"
"Reporting to the Patriarch, those... those two children have emerged from the ancient tomb!" the aide stammered out, his tone laced with horror.
"What?"
Nibenzer shot up from his chair with a thump, his eyes wide with even greater alarm as he bellowed, "Say that again!"
"Replying to the Patriarch, just now, the two children exited the ancient tomb. They are currently walking outward. Your subordinate dared not act rashly and did not impede them. Please advise, Patriarch!" the aide hastily clarified.
"Do not stop them! Absolutely do not stop them!" Nibenzer's heart hammered wildly against his ribs. "Transmit my command: regardless of where these two children go, they are not to be hindered, questioned, or approached. Maintain maximum distance!"
"Yes!" The aide bowed and hurried out to relay the order.
Nibenzer remained frozen on the spot, his aged face etched with sheer terror!
How could this be? They had been inside for four full days. How could they possibly emerge now?
Had their strength reached an invincible level?
The more Nibenzer thought, the more terrified he became. This final sliver of hope was dashed. All he prayed for now was that the two children would refrain from seeking trouble with them for the time being, allowing them a moment to recover!
Forget obstructing the children; at this moment, he would gladly arrange an elaborate procession to escort them away rather than face them again. His heart simply couldn't take the strain, and his nerves couldn't withstand such shocks!
If he could, Nibenzer truly wanted to question the heavens—how could such monstrous beings be created?
If they were only slightly stronger than him, Nibenzer might have been able to defeat the little whelps through schemes and tricks. But at this level of sheer abnormality, he wouldn't dare attempt any stratagem, lest failure result in his own agonizing demise.
Death wasn't the worst part. The true horror was the possibility that these two children, in their monstrous cruelty, might deny him a swift death, instead subjecting him to endless torment. He had experienced it before, and he would never subject himself to that feeling again!
Since being toyed with by Robin, he had aged considerably. His former ambition had vanished; he now lived perpetually in trembling fear, merely clinging to existence!
The once autocratic Sword God had transformed into a terrified old man—the change was monumental!
Meanwhile, Zhong Shenxiu and Robin returned to the "Dark Merchant Guild" laden with their spoils.
Niu Niu had been listening to a story from Keni when she saw Robin return and immediately dashed over: "Sister Robin!"
Robin, in a rare moment, flashed a smile and reached out, lifting Niu Niu into her arms.
"Sister Robin, where did you go? Niu Niu missed you so much!" Niu Niu chirped in her sweet voice.
"Niu Niu, here you go!" Robin didn't answer directly but instead pulled a toy from her storage bracelet and presented it to Niu Niu.
"Thank you, Sister Robin!" Niu Niu happily accepted the toy and planted a kiss on Robin’s little cheek.
Keni, watching the warm scene unfold, also smiled. Robin, clearly a child herself, was unexpectedly charming in holding the younger Niu Niu; they were surely an eye-catching pair who would garner immense attention on the streets!
"Brother Xiu!" Niu Niu, descending from Robin, ran up to Zhong Shenxiu.
Zhong Shenxiu gave her a token embrace before handing her back to Keni. Despite mastering everything else with ease, holding infants remained awkward for him!
Next, Zhong Shenxiu called Angeliya and Rhys over, first inquiring about recent developments. To his surprise, Angeliya and the others had already broken into the top eight of the "Royal Tournament," with only a few matches remaining until the finals!
Angeliya and Rhys knew that Zhong Shenxiu and Robin had been missing for several days, but they weren't surprised; they were long accustomed to it!
What confused them now was why Zhong Shenxiu had summoned them. It certainly wasn't just for a casual update!
As if sensing their thoughts, Zhong Shenxiu smiled cryptically. "I called you both here today to show you something!"
Angeliya and Rhys exchanged a glance, unsure what trick Zhong Shenxiu was planning. They stared at him with intense curiosity.
Zhong Shenxiu beckoned, and the recently forged "Beast King Tablet" floated out from beneath his robes.
Both Angeliya and Rhys craned their necks, wondering what there was to look at in such a small object. Could it possibly possess a profound power?
As the two quietly speculated, Zhong Shenxiu willed it, and two imposing, powerful "Spatial Magic Beasts" were released from within!
Their sudden appearance startled both of them. Only their trust in Zhong Shenxiu—knowing he would never harm them—kept them from crying out.
Even so, they stared warily at the two beasts, which looked incredibly dangerous.
The more they observed, the more they sensed an extraordinary aura about these creatures. Though they stood still, it was clear that if these beasts unleashed their power, they would move with lightning speed!
"What do you think?" Zhong Shenxiu asked, a smile playing on his lips.
"They feel incredibly formidable!" Rhys praised sincerely.
He remained blissfully unaware that these were the very types of beasts that had troubled Sword God Nibenzer. If he knew, his astonishment would have been even greater!
Although Angeliya remained silent, her expression conveyed her thoughts perfectly.
"Guild Leader, what kind of magical beasts are these?" Rhys asked, adopting a humble, inquiring tone.
"Spatial Magic Beasts!" Zhong Shenxiu stated calmly, unaware that he himself had been stunned by them initially.
"Spatial Magic Beasts?" Rhys and Angeliya repeated, perplexed. Did such beasts truly exist? They had never heard of them! Just as they were absorbing this shock, Zhong Shenxiu delivered an even more astonishing declaration.
"I have decided to gift these two beasts to you both as magical pets!"
What?
Angeliya and Rhys’s eyes widened as they looked at Zhong Shenxiu. They felt their heart rates accelerate. They had never imagined Zhong Shenxiu would bestow such powerful beasts upon them—the joy was overwhelming!
"However, I have one condition!" Zhong Shenxiu then added, delivering a phrase that slightly deflated their excitement.
Angeliya and Rhys both questioned him with their eyes. At this moment, they were desperate to sign contracts with the beasts, as eager as a groom anticipating his wedding night.
"You must secure the championship in this 'Royal Tournament'!" Zhong Shenxiu said, his expression turning serious.
Perhaps influenced by the gravity of his tone, or perhaps spurred on by the magnitude of the reward, both nodded with unwavering resolve, promising to give their absolute all!
Zhong Shenxiu had complete faith in Angeliya and the others. He knew exactly how capable they were, having personally guided their training!
The final result of the "Royal Tournament" did not disappoint Zhong Shenxiu. His students triumphed with overwhelming strength, seizing the championship title.
All that remained was the award ceremony. Just recently, the leadership of the "Couch Potato Magic and Martial Arts Academy" had visited, beside themselves with excitement. They bowed deeply to Zhong Shenxiu and Angeliya and the others; some were even moved to tears!
From this moment forward, the "Couch Potato Magic and Martial Arts Academy" would be inscribed in the annals of the Winter Moon Empire. Its name would become known to every citizen!
From this day on, the Academy's size would surely swell, and it wouldn't be long before it ascended to the ranks of the Five Great Academies!
After the leadership departed, Zhong Shenxiu fulfilled his promise, gifting the modified beasts to Angeliya and Rhys.
This time, it was their turn to be overcome with excitement—even more so than when they won the championship!
Subsequently, Angeliya and the others left temporarily to attend the award ceremony. Zhong Shenxiu, uninterested in such formalities, remained behind.
Keni took Niu Niu to watch the festivities, and the others, unwilling to disturb Zhong Shenxiu’s contemplation, also left voluntarily. The reception room was left quiet, containing only Zhong Shenxiu and Robin.
Having now helped Wayne and the others realize their wishes, Zhong Shenxiu considered where the "Ethereal Mercenary Group" should head next. He certainly needed to visit the other three great empires, as they held secrets regarding mysterious races and professions. However, before that, Zhong Shenxiu considered visiting one specific place: the "Splendid Kingdom"!
The "Splendid Kingdom" held secrets regarding Robin’s lineage. While Zhong Shenxiu knew Robin would never leave him, he didn't want her to harbor any regrets!
Robin might not voice her concerns, but as her protector, he was obligated to consider her feelings! (Indeed, the bond between Zhong Shenxiu and Robin had long surpassed that of master and servant!)
As Zhong Shenxiu pondered, a knock suddenly sounded at the door.
Who could it be at this hour?
Robin spontaneously moved to open the door. To their astonishment, the visitor was none other than the Emperor of the Winter Moon Empire himself—Alexander!
He had actually condescended to seek out Zhong Shenxiu. Was this decision prompted by the Academy's championship victory?
"Hello, may I ask if Zhong Shenxiu is here?" Alexander inquired politely. Having learned about this young girl from Patrick, he was not overly surprised.
"Who are you?" Robin asked flatly.
"This is the Emperor of the Winter Moon Empire!" the old man in green robes accompanying Alexander stated.
"And so what?" Robin looked up, fixing the elder with a challenging glare!