Chapter 275: An Unexpected Turn, Gold-Eating Beetle Bloodline

"The third layer of the Pluto Seal… Die!"

Zhou Chen's eyes were blood-red as he desperately squeezed every bit of power from his body, letting out a world-shaking roar.

"Pluto Mansion… Soul Suppression!"

A terrifying black light, capable of destroying heaven and earth, erupted from his body. It transformed into a pillar of annihilation, slamming fiercely into the Five Poisons Beast trapped within the chaos bell.

"No—"

The Five Poisons Beast only had time to let out a shrill scream before its massive body dissolved inch by inch within the black pillar of light, turning into fly ash in an instant.

An adult Five Poisons Beast of the Fourth Layer of Emperor Realm was instantly annihilated!

Zhou Chen recalled the chaos bell, his body swaying as he forced himself to crawl up from the ground.

He stumbled into the cave, grabbed the shivering Five Poisons Beast cub, and put it into his spirit beast pouch.

He couldn't come all this way for nothing!

By the time he finished, the world before his eyes had already begun to spin.

The toxins had fully erupted, and his sanity was on the verge of being extinguished.

Using his last bit of strength, Zhou Chen summoned the chaos bell once more.

"Space-Time Cage…"

The chaos bell enveloped both him and the now completely maddened Xi Linger.

Having done this, Zhou Chen could no longer hold on. His vision went black, and he collapsed heavily to the ground.

His consciousness fell completely into a boundless darkness.

At this moment, not a shred of clarity remained in Xi Linger's beautiful eyes, replaced only by primal blurriness and desire. She clung to Zhou Chen like a koala.

"%@#…"

She murmured unconsciously, her voice so alluring it felt as if it could melt one's bones.

Even more fatally, as their bodies touched, the toxins within them seemed to be catalyzed, erupting violently.

In his stupor, Zhou Chen felt as if his head had been struck dozens of times by a sledgehammer; his entire being felt like it was falling apart.

Vaguely, he heard strange sounds.

Like large and small pearls falling onto a jade plate, ting-ting-tang.

Interspersed with rhythmic, clear beats, dong-dong-qiang.

"Something's not right…"

Zhou Chen forced his eyes open, and the scene that met his vision left him completely stunned.

Xi Linger's eyes, usually as cold as frost, were now filled with a hazy fog, and her cheeks were so flushed they looked as if they might drip blood.

"Damn this He Huan Gu poison!"

Zhou Chen instantly understood what was happening. He tried to push Xi Linger away, but found his body completely limp, making it difficult even to lift a hand.

More critically, that Gu poison was still rampaging wildly inside him, causing his sanity to slip away once again, bit by bit…

Inside the Space-Time Cage sustained by the chaos bell, the two figures continued their quantum entanglement.

…

…

…

An unknown amount of time passed.

In a daze, Zhou Chen felt as if he were in a very long dream.

In the dream, there were clashing weapons and armored horses, a Xianxia romance, and those cold yet enchanting eyes…

Three days later.

"Mm…"

Zhou Chen slowly opened his eyes, feeling his head still a bit groggy.

"I am…"

Memories flooded back like a tide, making him instantly alert.

“Holy crap! I didn't actually…”

Zhou Chen bolted upright, only to find himself completely naked with quite a few scratch marks on his body.

Looking beside him, Xi Linger was lying there quietly, a lingering flush still on her exquisite face.

"This time I'm really finished!"

Zhou Chen wanted to cry but had no tears; his mind was a complete blank.

It wasn't that he regretted it—after all, a beauty of Xi Linger's caliber was someone he wouldn't have even dared to dream of in his previous life.

The key was that this had happened while both of them had lost their minds. When Xi Linger woke up, wouldn't she hack him into a thousand pieces?

"No, I have to think of how to explain…"

While carefully tidying his clothes, Zhou Chen secretly observed Xi Linger.

Strangely enough, the cold and domineering Yao Race Saintess looked surprisingly cute while fast asleep.

Her long eyelashes fluttered slightly, her nose was delicate and upturned, and her lips were as red as cherries.

That face, which was usually covered in frost, now looked like a harmless little white rabbit.

"Hmm… there's even a bit of a gap moe…"

Zhou Chen stared a bit too intently, and a hint of guilt actually rose in his heart.

Just then, the long-awaited System notification sounded in his mind.

[Ding! Congratulations to the Host for successfully intercepting the Five Poisons Beast cub, triggering a ten-thousand-fold return. Congratulations to the Host for obtaining the Gold-Eating Beetle Bloodline (Beast Use).]

"Holy crap, Gold-Eating Beetle Bloodline?"

Zhou Chen's spirits were instantly lifted.

The Gold-Eating Beetle was a legendary ancient vicious insect that specialized in devouring metallic minerals. Once adult, it could easily bite through an Emperor Weapon. If it continued to grow, it was hard to imagine how terrifying it would become.

The Five Poisons Beast was already ridiculous enough. If the Five Poisons Beast cub fused with the Gold-Eating Beetle Bloodline, wouldn't it become Heaven-Defying?

"But then again, I stole her Opportunity and also did that to her…"

Zhou Chen looked at the still-sleeping Xi Linger, and the feeling of guilt in his heart grew heavier.

Although he couldn't be entirely blamed for this, it was still his bad luck that caused it.

"Forget it, I'll give the Five Poisons Beast to her. Consider it… compensation."

Zhou Chen sighed and took out the spirit beast pouch containing the Five Poisons Beast cub from his storage ring.

The little fellow was still sleeping, its body curled into a ball, looking quite adorable.

"Little guy, sorry to trouble you, but you're getting a new master."

Zhou Chen reached out and lightly stroked the Five Poisons Beast's head, then without hesitation, he injected the Gold-Eating Beetle Bloodline into it.

Instantly, the Five Poisons Beast cub's body began to undergo a violent transformation.

Its originally multicolored scales gradually took on a metallic luster, and its body slowly grew larger.

More importantly, the aura it emitted was climbing wildly!

First Layer of Saint Realm… Fifth Layer.

Eighth Layer of Saint Realm… Quasi-Emperor… Half-Emperor… First Layer of Emperor Realm!

"Whoa, it broke through directly to the Emperor Realm?"

Zhou Chen looked at the Five Poisons Beast in disbelief, feeling both excited and pained at the loss.

However, since he had decided to give it away to make amends, Zhou Chen wouldn't go back on his word.

Besides, the Five Poisons Beast was originally Xi Linger's Opportunity; he was just returning it to its rightful owner now.

And after fusing with the Gold-Eating Beetle Bloodline, this little guy's potential was more than ten times stronger than before!

"Consider this your compensation…"

Zhou Chen sighed softly and carefully placed the Five Poisons Beast into Xi Linger's spirit beast pouch.

Having done all this, he sat back in his original spot and began to think about what to do next.

Given Xi Linger's personality, once she woke up and discovered what had happened, she definitely wouldn't let it slide.

Even though this wasn't his subjective intention, explaining it would indeed be rather weak.

"Or should I just run away now?"

As soon as this thought popped up, Zhou Chen shook his head and rejected it.

You can run, but you can't hide. If Xi Linger really wanted to find him, running to the ends of the earth wouldn't help.

Moreover, although Zhou Chen wasn't some noble gentleman, what was done was done. What would running away even mean?

"Forget it, come what may. At worst, I'll just let her give me a beating."

Zhou Chen gave a bitter smile and shook his head, his gaze falling on Xi Linger once more.

It had to be said, this enchantress's figure was truly top-tier.

Curvy in all the right places, she was perfectly sculpted according to a man's fantasies.

Especially that face; usually as cold as an iceberg, it now carried a hint of mature charm.

*Gulp…*

Zhou Chen swallowed hard and quickly looked away.

If he kept looking, he was afraid he might commit another crime.

Just then, Xi Linger's eyelashes fluttered a few times.