“Master!”
Soon after the soldier’s report, Wu Song returned with the magnificent Perfect Tiger Soul Saber in his hand and a translucent brown skin covering his body!
That was the skin that the Sludge Monsters left after they died. The Twin Dragon Mount wasn’t interested in such items that didn’t have any spoils stats until Elder Jiao discovered in his creative research that such skins could filter and exchange air within water.
Theoretically speaking, a “bubble” made of such skins could allow someone to submerge in water for a long time. With enough skins, the Twin Dragon Mount even had the potential to create submarines ahead of the age!
“It’s really Wu Song! He has slashed a hostile Hero apart!”
At this moment, Wu Qiao, who had finished the registration and learned something about the Twin Dragon Mount from Su Nongying, was slightly shocked when she saw the grand parade.
As a beta tester, she was well aware of the requirements for the prominent heroes to arrive.
At this moment, she couldn’t help but hold back her pride as a beta tester who passed the initial trial. She knew that this settlement could contain many great men!
“This is an offering. It’s a Sludge Monster’s heart. It was cut into halves by me but then rejoined after it came to be spoils.”
Walking to Ji Ye, Wu Song laid down the skin and showed a black ball the size of two fists of a regular person to Ji Ye.
[Heart of the Sludge Monster]
[Level: Extraordinary Rank-3]
[Rarity: Excellent]
[Introduction: This is the heart of an Extraordinary Sludge Monster. It’s the foundation of the Sludge Monsters’ ability to compress air. Some heroes may be interested in it.]
“According to the information, its heart can possibly unleash certain special extraordinary power that might strengthen their ability to absorb and launch stones. However, my saber was too fast for them to do that!” Wu Song smiled and said.
The regular Sludge Monsters could already absorb and launch stones and trees with their body structures as powerfully as small catapults. When an Extraordinary Sludge Monster did that, with its ability to compress air, it would be as powerful as a cannonball and trickier to deal with than regular heroes over a certain distance.
Unfortunately, the Extraordinary Sludge Monster had run into Wu Song who was “Perfect”.
Even though it had the level advantage, it had been killed before it could launch an attack.
“This thing does look like a cannonball… Master, are we going to introduce a new chief to our fort?”
Elder Jiao came in from the outside and remarked after seeing the item. Then, he asked Ji Ye with great interest.
Next to him were Lu Zhishen as well as a couple of soldiers and players. The artillery battery they worked on must’ve been completed, and they returned quickly after receiving the news.
“Since everybody is back already, let’s initiate the welcoming ritual!”
“Huh. I remember that some offerings were left earlier, right? Let’s put them into use too!”
“Now that the City of Humans is closed, it’s time for the quest of Ten-Species Competition!”
Ji Ye nodded.
No welcoming rituals were performed before mainly because he was in the Battlefield of Providence and the power of providence in the settlement had to be steady and sufficient. Now that he had returned, and with the power of providence he gathered, it was enough for the cost of the welcoming ritual.
…
“Hurry up, the ritual is about to start.”
“I wonder if my brother will be recalled in this batch.”
“Don’t worry. With Master and the two chiefs, all of us will be reunited with our families.”
At the Temple of Providence in the Twin Dragon Mount, dozens of offerings had been placed.
Hum!
The ritual started, and two bright yellow dragons of providence appeared.
This time, they spewed out the power of providence to all the offerings and Souls of Civilization down below.
In the blink of an eye, all the offerings were covered in a golden sheen. They all had different changes after being activated.
Splash!
The most eye-catching of all was the Heart of the Sludge Monster that had been placed on one side alone. Illuminated by the golden light of providence, illusionary mud emerged from it and formed a Sludge Monster almost ten feet in diameter.
There seemed to be a minor problem.
Hadn’t Ji Ye brought the Black Mountain Armor, an Extraordinary Rank-5 Superior Offering, back from the Battlefield of Providence?
Why did he only use the Heart of the Sludge Monster, which was only an Excellent and Extraordinary Rank-3 offering, on such an important occasion?
It was because Ji Ye was worried that the ritual might fail if he were to use the Black Mountain Armor.
Yes, rituals were not guaranteed to be successful on the Land of Inheritance!
According to the information Ji Ye learned from the forum, if the two parties were on the same level and had the same rating, the welcoming ritual would be unlikely to fail. But if there was a gap between the two parties, failures might happen.
When the offering’s level was lower than the Soul of Civilization’s, the hero who was contacted might be unsatisfied with the offering and refuse to arrive.
When the offering’s level was higher than the Soul of Civilization’s, the figure that was concentrated based on the Soul of Civilization during the ritual might not be able to subdue or absorb the offering’s power, which would also result in failure!
Of course, the second case had a silver lining. If the target being welcomed was really able to subdue and absorb the offering that was above their level, his strength and even rarity would be slightly improved after the ritual.
That was only when the level gap between them wasn’t too huge, and if the offering wasn’t strongly recalcitrant.
However, the Black Mountain Armor was an Extraordinary Rank-5 Offering made by Black Mountain himself.
As a man who grew into a valiant general in a world of cultivators, Black Mountain was by no means weak. Ji Ye only managed to kill him with Katerina in the Battlefield of Providence at the cost of getting heavily wounded. He wouldn’t have dared to do that without the Rejuvenation Bead.
This Soul of Civilization, on the other hand, was two ranks lower than the Black Mountain Armor. Even if a Liangshan hero with godly backgrounds were to come, it would remain unknown if they could overcome the offering.
Therefore, after much deliberation, Ji Ye decided to perform the ritual with the “Excellent” offering that Wu Song acquired.
Of course, it was partly because he had guessed who might be directed here based on the special features of the offering.
“Chief Lu!”
“Thanks, Chief Wu!”
“Honored to meet you, Master!”
As the ritual started, the Common and Elite Souls of Civilization failed to put up much resistance because their corresponding offerings were suppressed by the power of providence of the Twin Dragon Mount.
So, the welcoming ritual succeeded. The previously empty Temple of Providence soon became crowded. Many people were paying respect to Lu Zhishen, Wu Song, and Ji Ye who were standing out of the temple!
“Awoooo… Woof!”
However, a weird howl suddenly echoed!
It was from an Ordinary Rank-7 Elite Soul of Civilization. Unlike the other Souls of Civilization which were transformed into human beings, from this one dashed out a phantom wolf that was half an adult’s height. After it took shape, it charged to a bone offering, which was moon white yet had smoke popping up, before swallowing it.
Awoo…
However, the moment the phantom wolf bit the bone, the black smoke on the bone surged at it.
It was because this was a Moon Dog’s Bone, which was an Extraordinary Rank-0 Offering.
Theoretically speaking, it must’ve been shaped after the Soul race killed an Extraordinary creature and baptized it with the power of soul.
Although the extraordinary power in it couldn’t be directly triggered because it was Rank-0, it wasn’t something that any Common Rank-7 Elite creature would dare to absorb!
“You’re really greedy, aren’t you?”
Rendered speechless, Ji Ye shook his head.
The identity of this phantom wolf was obvious. It was exactly the alpha wolf that followed him in the world of A Chinese Ghost Story. Because of its keepsake “Wolf Hair”, it could be directed to this world.
However, it had chosen too challenging an offering, and it remained unknown if it could successfully arrive!
“Awoooo… Woof!”
But Ji Ye realized that he had underestimated the determination and resolve of the “husky”.
Although it was shaking and flashing under the blast of the soul power, it would not let go of the bone from its mouth.
Finally, after a moment of impasse, the wolf really weathered it through.
However, because of the blast of soul power from the offering, its fur had become gray and white beyond its control. Its two eyes now had dark circles around them too.
Nobody would have any doubt if the wolf was claimed to be a husky.
“Awoo!”
After the fusion completed and it became substantial, the husky roared excitedly and became as perky as if it were back on the Battlefield of Providence. It ran to Ji Ye and tried to rub its head against Ji Ye’s legs.
However, it had been pushed out of the temple by the crowd behind before it succeeded in doing so.
That was because the Commander-level Soul of Civilization finally had some changes, and the poetic announcement resounded again in the Temple of Providence!
“His cannonball breaks cities when it falls, frightening gods and ghosts alike. The Heaven Shaking Thunder rises with the wind and spreads his name to the fourteen states…”
Boom, boom, boom…
Along with the announcement, the noises of the bombardment were echoing too.
Thud, thud, thud!
Apart from that, there were also drumming noises.
Those noises came from the Commander Sludge Monster’s heart, which had just started to beat intensely. It was also attracting all the air in the temple to it.
As a result, the civilians and soldiers who had just arrived hurriedly left the Temple of Providence.
Hum!
When a figure took shape in the Soul of Civilization, the phantom Sludge Monster was compressed into the shape of a cannon.
Then, it burst out a dark item toward the figure violently!
Pa!
However, the person simply turned his head aside, allowing the black “cannonball” to brush past him with a distance of millimeters.
Then, the cannonball was blocked by the obstacle formed by the power of providence before it hit the wall. It then fell back into the figure’s iron hand. It turned out to be the Sludge Monster’s heart.
“Your cannonball was fired with a good angle and precision. However, it didn’t have any changes even though it was fast, and anyone could see your preparation. It’s hard for you to hit anyone face to face.
“Such an amazing ability is truly a waste to be left on you.
“You’d better give it to me!”
Pu!
The black ball exploded and turned into a form of power, fusing into the newcomer.
The arrival this time wasn’t too astounding. The battle between the two parties was brief. After melting with the offering’s power, the hero turned out to be a mediocre-looking middle-aged man who was wearing a red cloak.
“Ling Zhen is honored to meet you two and Master!”
[Ling Zhen]
[Level: Extraordinary Rank-3]
[Rarity: Excellent]
[Introduction:
Title: Earthly Axis Star
Nickname: Heaven Shaking Thunder. He ranks tenth among the sixteen constructors in the Liangshan Marsh, responsible for forging the cannons of all sizes. He’s known as the greatest artilleryman of Song!]