“ cǐ zhū ， míng wèi 【 líng jīng suǐ 】。”
“此珠，名为【灵晶髓】。”
"This gem is called [Spirit Crystal Essence]."
dì nǚ de liǎn shàng ， shǎn guò yī sī ào yì ：“ shì dì guó zuì jìn de yán jiū chéng guǒ 。”
帝女的脸上，闪过一丝傲意：“是帝国最近的研究成果。”
The Empress's face showed a trace of pride: "It’s one of our recent research achievements."
“ bǎi yú nián qián ， wǒ men céng zài mǒu xiē yì shòu tǐ nèi ， fā xiàn le néng gòu gōng xiū shì xī shōu 、 xiū liàn de yāo hé 。”
“百余年前，我们曾在某些异兽体内，发现了能够供修士吸收、修炼的妖核。”
"Over a hundred years ago, we discovered in some anomalous beasts the ability for their妖核 to be absorbed and cultivated by cultivators. The flesh and blood power of these beasts actually generated spirit crystals within their bodies. Although the purity was low, this phenomenon caught the attention of the previous emperor."
“ yì shòu de xuè ròu zhī lì ， jìng rán huì zài tǐ nèi shēng chéng líng qì jié jīng 。 suī rán líng qì chún dù hěn dī ， dàn shì zhè ge xiàn xiàng hái shì yǐn qǐ le shàng yí dài dì guó huáng dì de zhù yì 。”
“异兽的血肉之力，竟然会在体内生成灵气结晶。虽然灵气纯度很低，但是这个现象还是引起了上一代帝国皇帝的注意。”
"After over a century of relentless research, we initially mastered the technology of synthesizing spirit energy. While it requires vast amounts of flesh as feedstock, our cultivated spirit crystals are nearly as pure as the top-grade spirit stones in the Xuanhuang Realm."
“ jīng guò bǎi duō nián jiān chí bù xiè de yán jiū ， wǒ men chū bù zhǎng wò le 【 hé chéng líng qì 】 de jì shù 。 suī rán xū yào dà liàng de xuè ròu zuò wéi sì liào ， dàn shì wǒ men péi yù chū lái de líng qì jié jīng ， chún dù yě shí fēn jiē jìn xuán huáng jiè de shàng pǐn líng shí le 。”
“经过百多年坚持不懈的研究，我们初步掌握了【合成灵气】的技术。虽然需要大量的血肉作为饲料，但是我们培育出来的灵气结晶，纯度也十分接近玄黄界的上品灵石了。”
Upon hearing this, Xu Bai's eyes flashed with surprise.
xǔ bái wén yán ， yǎn zhōng bù jīn shǎn guò yī sī yà yì zhī sè 。
许白闻言，眼中不禁闪过一丝讶异之色。
Carefully examining the [Spirit Crystal Essence] before him, he nodded slowly: "Impressive. With such means, if you give us enough time, I see no reason why we couldn't transform this world into a small realm suitable for cultivators to reside in. But even so, it still wouldn’t greatly help the situation. Even without our Interdimensional Alliance, any reliable faction in the Xuanhuang Realm would lack spirit stones."
zǐ xì duān xiáng yǎn qián de 【 líng jīng suǐ 】， tā huǎn huǎn diǎn tóu ：“ liǎo bù qǐ 。 yǒu rú cǐ shǒu duàn ， zhǐ yào gěi nǐ men zú gòu de shí jiān ， wǒ kàn wèi bì bù néng jiāng cǐ fāng shì jiè gǎi zào chéng shì yí xiū shì jū zhù de xiǎo shì jiè 。 dàn ruò jǐn jǐn rú cǐ ， duì yú jú shì ， què réng méi yǒu tài duō bāng zhù 。 bié shuō wǒ men wàn jiè lián hé huì le ， xuán huáng jiè rèn yī kào pǔ de shì lì ， dōu bú huì quē líng shí zhè wán yì 。” xǔ bái yǒu xiē yí hàn dì shuō dào 。
仔细端详眼前的【灵晶髓】，他缓缓点头：“了不起。有如此手段，只要给你们足够的时间，我看未必不能将此方世界改造成适宜修士居住的小世界。但若仅仅如此，对于局势，却仍没有太多帮助。别说我们万界联合会了，玄黄界任一靠谱的势力，都不会缺灵石这玩意。”许白有些遗憾地说道。
The Empress seemed unsurprised by Xu Bai's reaction: "Of course I know this. If the [Spirit Crystal Essence] were merely to provide spirit energy, I wouldn’t have ranked it so highly after the Celestial Tracker."
dì nǚ sì hū duì yú xǔ bái de fǎn yìng zài yì liào zhī zhōng ：“ wǒ zì rán zhī dào zhè diǎn 。 rú guǒ 【 líng jīng suǐ 】 de zuò yòng jǐn jǐn shì tí gōng líng qì ， nà me wǒ yě bú huì jiāng tā de zhòng yào xìng liè zài dìng guǐ yí zhī hòu le 。”
帝女似乎对于许白的反应在意料之中：“我自然知道这点。如果【灵晶髓】的作用仅仅是提供灵气，那么我也不会将它的重要性列在定轨仪之后了。”
"In reality, the main function of the [Spirit Crystal Essence] is to transfer the various abilities of anomalous beasts directly onto humans without any side effects."
“ shí jì shàng ，【 líng jīng suǐ 】 de zhǔ yào zuò yòng ， shì jiāng shǔ yú yì shòu de zhǒng zhǒng néng lì ， háo wú fù zuò yòng de zhuǎn jiē dào rén lèi shēn shàng 。”
“实际上，【灵晶髓】的主要作用，是将属于异兽的种种能力，毫无副作用的转接到人类身上。”
A red light appeared in her palm as a round gem seemed to be surrounded by flames.
hóng guāng zhà xiàn ， yī kē qí shàng sì hū yǒu huǒ yàn liáo rào de yuán zhū chū xiàn zài tā de shǒu xīn 。
红光乍现，一颗其上似乎有火焰缭绕的圆珠出现在她的手心。
"This [Spirit Crystal Essence] was made from an anomalous beast called the [Lingyan Tiger]. You can try it out," she confidently said, handing over the red gem.
“ zhè shì yǐ yī zhǒng míng wèi 【 liè yán hǔ 】 de yì shòu wèi yuán cái liào zhì zào chū de 【 líng jīng suǐ 】， nǐ bù fáng xiān shì yī shì xiào guǒ 。” dì nǚ jiàng hóng sè yuán zhū dì le guò lái ， xìn xīn shí zú dào 。
“这是以一种名为【烈炎虎】的异兽为原材料制造出的【灵晶髓】，你不妨先试一试效果。”帝女将红色圆珠递了过来，信心十足道。
"Inheriting the powers of a demon beast?" Xu Bai instantly thought of the treasures Eastern Yao had mentioned. The effects were similar, just awakening ancient bloodline abilities within his body.
“ jì chéng yāo shòu shén tōng ？” chà nà jiān ， xǔ bái jiù xiǎng dào le dōng fāng yào céng jīng tí dào guò de yì bǎo 。 xiào guǒ lèi sì ， zhǐ bù guò shì jiāng zì shēn tǐ nèi yuǎn gǔ xuè mài néng lì jī fā 。
“继承妖兽神通？”刹那间，许白就想到了东方曜曾经提到过的异宝。效果类似，只不过是将自身体内远古血脉能力激发。
Holding the red Spirit Crystal Essence in his palm, he exerted some force.
jiāng hóng sè líng jīng suǐ wò zài shǒu xīn ， xǔ bái wēi wēi yòng lì 。
将红色灵晶髓握在手心，许白微微用力。
It shattered like glass and immediately, countless red flames resembling fiery dragons surged into his body along his arm.
fǎng fú bō lí zhū bān ， shùn jiān zhà liè 。 chà nà jiān ， wú shù hóng sè huǒ yàn rú tóng dào dào huǒ lóng ， yán zhe xǔ bái de shǒu bì ， zuān rù tā de tǐ nèi 。
仿佛玻璃珠般，瞬间炸裂。刹那间，无数红色火焰如同道道火龙，沿着许白的手臂，钻入他的体内。
"Roar!"
“ hǒu ！”
“吼！”
Before him appeared a raging fire tiger made of flames, emitting an angry,不甘的怒吼.
yǎn qián fǎng fú chū xiàn le yī tóu yóu huǒ yàn gòu chéng de kuáng bào yāo hǔ ， fā chū fèn nù 、 bù gān de nù hǒu 。
眼前仿佛出现了一头由火焰构成的狂暴妖虎，发出忿怒、不甘的怒吼。
Xu Bai coldly snorted; the illusion shattered instantly.
xǔ bái lěng hēng yī shēng ， huàn xiǎng qǐng kè jiān pò suì 。
许白冷哼一声，幻想顷刻间破碎。
A warm current flowed through his body before vanishing in his brow.
yī gǔ rè liú zài tǐ nèi liú zhuǎn yī quān hòu ， zuì zhōng xiāo shī zài le méi xīn 。
一股热流在体内流转一圈后，最终消失在了眉心。
Closing his eyes to sense it, Xu Bai felt a red flame appear in his palm after a moment.
xǔ bái bì mù gǎn wù ， piàn kè hòu ， yī mǒ hóng sè de huǒ miáo ， chū xiàn zài tā de shǒu xīn 。
许白闭目感悟，片刻后，一抹红色的火苗，出现在他的手心。
It flickered continuously, distorting the surrounding air with its heat.
bù tíng tiào dòng ， jiāng zhōu wéi kōng qì hōng kǎo de niǔ qū qǐ lái 。
不停跳动，将周围空气烘烤的扭曲起来。
Xu Bai's expression turned serious.
xǔ bái mù lù níng zhòng zhī sè 。
许白目露凝重之色。
This fire did not draw on any spirit energy or techniques. It was like breathing—part of his body’s instinct.
yīn wèi zhè tuán huǒ yàn ， bìng méi yǒu diào dòng rèn hé líng lì yǔ shén tōng 。 ér shì jiù xiàng hū xī bān ， shǔ yú shēn tǐ de běn néng 。
因为这团火焰，并没有调动任何灵力与神通。而是就像呼吸般，属于身体的本能。
---
yī niàn jiù kě fā dòng 。
一念就可发动。
One thought and it could be activated.
huǒ miáo suí zhe xǔ bái de xīn yì ， biàn huàn chū bù tóng xíng zhuàng 。
火苗随着许白的心意，变幻出不同形状。
The flame changed shape according to Xu Bai's will.
ér suí zhe bù duàn cāo zòng huǒ yàn ， guān yú rú hé shǐ yòng huǒ yàn néng lì de yī dào dào jì yì ， yě suí zhī fú xiàn zài tā de nǎo hǎi zhōng 。
而随着不断操纵火焰，关于如何使用火焰能力的一道道记忆，也随之浮现在他的脑海中。
As he manipulated the flames, memories about how to use them began to surface in his mind.
kàn dào xǔ bái dì yī cì xī shōu 【 líng jīng suǐ 】， jiù néng rú cǐ shú liàn de zhǎng wò yuán běn shǔ yú yì shòu de néng lì ， dì nǚ yě sì hū xiǎn de jí wéi chī jīng 。
看到许白第一次吸收【灵晶髓】，就能如此熟练的掌握原本属于异兽的能力，帝女也似乎显得极为吃惊。
Seeing Xu Bai so proficiently grasp the abilities of a demon beast after absorbing the [Spirit Crystal Essence], the Empress seemed equally surprised.
shì shì pà xǔ bái wù jiě ， tā lián máng bǔ chōng dào ：“ shí jì shàng ， tōng guò 【 líng jīng suǐ 】 jì chéng yì shòu de lì liàng ， bìng bú shì bǎi fēn bǎi néng chéng gōng de 。 chú le gēn gè rén de zī zhì 、 tiān fù yǒu guān ， yě gēn yì néng de qiáng dà chéng dù yǒu yí dìng de guān xì 。”
似是怕许白误解，她连忙补充道：“实际上，通过【灵晶髓】继承异兽的力量，并不是百分百能成功的。除了跟个人的资质、天赋有关，也跟异能的强大程度有一定的关系。”
To avoid any misunderstanding, she quickly added: "Inheriting the powers of anomalous beasts through the [Spirit Crystal Essence] isn't guaranteed. It depends on individual talent and the strength of the ability."
“ gēn jù wǒ men de yán jiū ， yuè shì qiáng dà 、 xī yǒu de néng lì ， yuè nán bèi rén lèi zhǎng wò 。 ér rú guǒ zài jì chéng guò chéng zhōng shī bài ， xià cì xiǎng yào chéng gōng de gài lǜ ， jiù huì dà dà jiǎn xiǎo 。”
“根据我们的研究，越是强大、稀有的能力，越难被人类掌握。而如果在继承过程中失败，下次想要成功的概率，就会大大减小。”
"According to our research, the stronger and rarer the abilities are, the harder they are for humans to master. If the attempt fails, the chances of success in future attempts decrease significantly."
“ dān gè xiū shì suǒ néng jì chéng de yì néng shù liàng yě yǒu yí dìng de xiàn zhì 。 yǐ jīng zhǎng wò de néng lì yuè duō ， zài néng jì chéng xīn néng lì de jī lǜ ， yě jiù yuè xiǎo 。”
“单个修士所能继承的异能数量也有一定的限制。已经掌握的能力越多，再能继承新能力的几率，也就越小。”
"There is also a limit to how many abilities an individual cultivator can inherit. The more abilities one has mastered, the smaller the chance of acquiring new ones."
dì nǚ xiáng xì de jiè shào zhe 【 líng jīng suǐ 】 de shǐ yòng guī zé 。
帝女详细的介绍着【灵晶髓】的使用规则。
The Empress detailed the rules for using the [Spirit Crystal Essence].
ér xǔ bái zé shì zhuā zhù le wèn tí de hé xīn ：“【 líng jīng suǐ 】 de zhì zào nán dù zěn me yàng ？ duō shǎo tóu yì shòu ， néng gòu zhì zào chū yī méi 【 líng jīng suǐ 】？”
而许白则是抓住了问题的核心：“【灵晶髓】的制造难度怎么样？多少头异兽，能够制造出一枚【灵晶髓】？”
Xu Bai seized on the core issue: "How difficult is it to manufacture the [Spirit Crystal Essence]? How many anomalous beasts are needed to produce a single gem?"
dì nǚ yuán běn tāo tāo bù jué de huà yǔ dùn shí zhǐ zhù 。
帝女原本滔滔不绝的话语顿时止住。
The Empress's flowing speech suddenly stopped.
liǎn shàng fú xiàn chū yī mǒ yān hóng ， dì nǚ yǒu xiē jiǒng pò dào ：“ jī hū shàng qiān tóu yì shòu de xuè ròu ， cái néng zhì zào chū yī méi 【 líng jīng suǐ 】。 bù guò ， dì guó de péi yù jì shù yǐ jīng hěn chéng shú le ， rú guǒ zī yuán zú gòu de huà ， bìng bù yòng dān xīn 【 líng jīng suǐ 】 de chǎn liàng wèn tí 。”
脸上浮现出一抹嫣红，帝女有些窘迫道：“几乎上千头异兽的血肉，才能制造出一枚【灵晶髓】。不过，帝国的培育技术已经很成熟了，如果资源足够的话，并不用担心【灵晶髓】的产量问题。”
A hint of blush appeared on her face as she awkwardly said, "Nearly a thousand anomalous beasts' flesh and blood are required for one [Spirit Crystal Essence]. But our breeding technology is quite advanced. If resources are sufficient, there’s no need to worry about the production."
xǔ bái wēi wēi diǎn tóu ：“ zhè dí què suàn de shàng yī méi bù sú de chóu mǎ 。 yì shòu zhī lì ， jī hū jiù xiāng dāng yú yī mén ruò huà bǎn de shén tōng le 。 shēng sǐ xiāng dòu ， rú guǒ néng chū qí bù yì de shǐ chū ， dāng yǒu qí xiào 。”
许白微微点头：“这的确算的上一枚不俗的筹码。异兽之力，几乎就相当于一门弱化版的神通了。生死相斗，如果能出其不意的使出，当有奇效。”
Nodding slightly, Xu Bai said: "This indeed counts as a valuable asset. The power of these beastly forces is equivalent to weakened versions of techniques. In life-and-death combat, if one can use it unexpectedly, it might have surprising effects."
“ chú cǐ zhī wài ne ？ hái yǒu shén me jīng xǐ me ？” xǔ bái yòu wèn dào 。
“除此之外呢？还有什么惊喜么？”许白又问道。
"Are there any other surprises?" Xu Bai asked.
dì nǚ dùn shí miàn lù chí yí zhī sè 。
帝女顿时面露迟疑之色。
The Empress hesitated for a moment before saying: "This technology isn’t fully mature yet..."
guò le hǎo yī huì ， cái huǎn huǎn shuō dào ：“ zhè yī xiàng jì shù ， hái wèi chéng shú ……”
过了好一会，才缓缓说道：“这一项技术，还未成熟……”
"Don't worry; the Alliance values potential. If truly promising, we won't hesitate to provide support," Xu Bai assured her.
“ wú fáng ， lián hé huì kàn zhòng de shì qián lì 。 rú guǒ zhēn de qián tú wú liàng ， nà me wǒ men jué bú huì lìn sè zhī yuán de lì dù 。” xǔ bái bǎo zhèng dào 。
“无妨，联合会看重的是潜力。如果真的前途无量，那么我们绝不会吝啬支援的力度。”许白保证道。
Without immediate reply, she turned and looked at Xiao Qing outside the treasury.
dì nǚ méi yǒu mǎ shàng huí yìng ， ér shì zhuǎn tóu ， jiāng shì xiàn tóu xiàng dì guó bǎo kù zhī wài de xiǎo qīng 。
帝女没有马上回应，而是转头，将视线投向帝国宝库之外的小青。
Seeing Xiao Qing nod in agreement, she took a deep breath and led Xu Bai deeper into the treasury.
jiàn xiǎo qīng diǎn tóu mò xǔ zhī hòu ， tā shēn xī yì kǒu qì ， dài lǐng xǔ bái lái dào bǎo kù zuì shēn chù 。
见小青点头默许之后，她深吸一口气，带领许白来到宝库最深处。
Here stood a large metal furnace with thousands of different anomalous beasts carved on it, lifelike.
zhè lǐ ， bǎi fàng zhe yí gè shuò dà de jīn shǔ róng lú 。
这里，摆放着一个硕大的金属熔炉。
Though no fire was visible, the temperature seemed extremely high.
róng lú shàng diāo kè zhe chéng qiān shàng wàn zhǒng bù tóng de yì shòu ， xǔ xǔ rú shēng 。
熔炉上雕刻着成千上万种不同的异兽，栩栩如生。
Even from a distance, Xu Bai felt a slight warmth.
bú jiàn liè huǒ hōng kǎo ， dàn róng lú de wēn dù sì hū jí gāo 。
不见烈火烘烤，但熔炉的温度似乎极高。
"Bang! Bang!"
jí biàn gé zhe xiē jù lí ， yǐ rú jīn xǔ bái de shí lì ， jìng rán dōu lüè wēi gǎn dào sī sī chì rè 。
即便隔着些距离，以如今许白的实力，竟然都略微感到丝丝炽热。
Occasional loud impacts echoed from within the furnace.
“ pēng ！ pēng ！”
“砰！砰！”
Listening closely, one could faintly hear the cries of many beasts intertwined.
bù shí yǒu jù liè de pèng zhuàng shēng zì róng lú nèi zhuàn lái 。
不时有剧烈的碰撞声自熔炉内传来。
Terrifying.
zǐ xì qīng tīng ， hái néng yǐn yuē tīng jiàn wú shù jiāo zhī yī chù de yì shòu āi háo zhī shēng 。
仔细倾听，还能隐约听见无数交织一处的异兽哀嚎之声。
The Empress seemed wary of this furnace and stood farther away than Xu Bai.
shèn rén bù yǐ 。
渗人不已。
She whispered: "This is called the [All-Encompassing Furnace]."
dì nǚ sì hū duì yú zhè róng lú shí fēn jì dàn ， lí dé bǐ xǔ bái hái yuǎn 。
帝女似乎对于这熔炉十分忌惮，离得比许白还远。
"It originated from a guess—or perhaps a fact."
tā qiǎo shēng jiě shì zhe ：“ cǐ wù ， míng wèi 【 wàn xiàng róng lú 】。”
她悄声解释着：“此物，名为【万象熔炉】。”
"All anomalous beasts in the world once belonged to the same body at the dawn of ancient times."
“ tā de yuán qǐ ， nǎi shì yí gè cāi cè 、 huò zhě shuō shì shí 。”
“它的缘起，乃是一个猜测、或者说事实。”
"That was their origin, containing unimaginable power."
“ tiān xià suǒ yǒu yāo shòu 、 yì shòu ， zài yuǎn gǔ zhī chū ， dōu céng jīng guī yú tóng yī gè shēn qū 。”
“天下所有妖兽、异兽，在远古之初，都曾经归于同一个身躯。”
"Over countless years, individuals separated from it in uncountable numbers."
“ nà shì suǒ yǒu yāo shòu men de qǐ yuán ， yùn hán zhe nán yǐ xiǎng xiàng de lì liàng 。”
“那是所有妖兽们的起源，蕴含着难以想象的力量。”
"So, could we reverse this process and re-melt all these anomalous beasts into... that original individual?"
“ wú shù nián lái ， cóng tā de shēn shàng fēn lí chū le shù liàng nán yǐ gū suàn de gè tǐ 。”
“无数年来，从祂的身上分离出了数量难以估算的个体。”
Her eyes sparkled with an enigmatic light.
“ nà me ， kě bù kě yǐ ， fǎn qí dào ér xíng zhī 。 jiāng tiān xià yì shòu ， chóng xīn róng liàn huí ……”
“那么，可不可以，反其道而行之。将天下异兽，重新熔炼回……”
"Even if we can't know every demon beast that ever existed, finding enough varieties to勉强融合出 a weaker form should be possible."
“ nà ge zuì chū de gè tǐ ne ？”
“那个最初的个体呢？”
"In fact, ten years ago, we briefly fused together a terrifying demon beast."
dì nǚ de yǎn jīng zhōng shǎn yào zhe mò cè de guāng máng 。
帝女的眼睛中闪耀着莫测的光芒。
"The power it exuded seemed more fearsome than this nine-headed bird. Everyone present, even the Green and Red Sage Masters, were paralyzed with fear at its appearance."
“ jí biàn wǒ men wú fǎ jǐn zhī shì shàng céng jīng chū xiàn guò de suǒ yǒu yāo shòu ， dàn zhǎo dào zú gòu duō de pǐn zhǒng ， miǎn qiǎng chū ruò yì diǎn róng hé tǐ 。”
“即便我们无法尽知世上曾经出现过的所有妖兽，但找到足够多的品种，勉强出弱一点融合体。”
"Unfortunately, it didn't last long before dissolving on its own."
“ yīng gāi yě shì néng zuò dào de 。”
“应该也是能做到的。”
(End of chapter)
"This gem is called [Spirit Crystal Essence]."
The Empress's face showed a trace of pride: "It’s one of our recent research achievements."
"Over a hundred years ago, we discovered in some anomalous beasts the ability for their妖核 to be absorbed and cultivated by cultivators. The flesh and blood power of these beasts actually generated spirit crystals within their bodies. Although the purity was low, this phenomenon caught the attention of the previous emperor."
"After over a century of relentless research, we initially mastered the technology of synthesizing spirit energy. While it requires vast amounts of flesh as feedstock, our cultivated spirit crystals are nearly as pure as the top-grade spirit stones in the Xuanhuang Realm."
Upon hearing this, Xu Bai's eyes flashed with surprise.
Carefully examining the [Spirit Crystal Essence] before him, he nodded slowly: "Impressive. With such means, if you give us enough time, I see no reason why we couldn't transform this world into a small realm suitable for cultivators to reside in. But even so, it still wouldn’t greatly help the situation. Even without our Interdimensional Alliance, any reliable faction in the Xuanhuang Realm would lack spirit stones."
The Empress seemed unsurprised by Xu Bai's reaction: "Of course I know this. If the [Spirit Crystal Essence] were merely to provide spirit energy, I wouldn’t have ranked it so highly after the Celestial Tracker."
"In reality, the main function of the [Spirit Crystal Essence] is to transfer the various abilities of anomalous beasts directly onto humans without any side effects."
A red light appeared in her palm as a round gem seemed to be surrounded by flames.
"This [Spirit Crystal Essence] was made from an anomalous beast called the [Lingyan Tiger]. You can try it out," she confidently said, handing over the red gem.
"Inheriting the powers of a demon beast?" Xu Bai instantly thought of the treasures Eastern Yao had mentioned. The effects were similar, just awakening ancient bloodline abilities within his body.
Holding the red Spirit Crystal Essence in his palm, he exerted some force.
It shattered like glass and immediately, countless red flames resembling fiery dragons surged into his body along his arm.
"Roar!"
Before him appeared a raging fire tiger made of flames, emitting an angry,不甘的怒吼.
Xu Bai coldly snorted; the illusion shattered instantly.
A warm current flowed through his body before vanishing in his brow.
Closing his eyes to sense it, Xu Bai felt a red flame appear in his palm after a moment.
It flickered continuously, distorting the surrounding air with its heat.
Xu Bai's expression turned serious.
This fire did not draw on any spirit energy or techniques. It was like breathing—part of his body’s instinct.
---
One thought and it could be activated.
The flame changed shape according to Xu Bai's will.
As he manipulated the flames, memories about how to use them began to surface in his mind.
Seeing Xu Bai so proficiently grasp the abilities of a demon beast after absorbing the [Spirit Crystal Essence], the Empress seemed equally surprised.
To avoid any misunderstanding, she quickly added: "Inheriting the powers of anomalous beasts through the [Spirit Crystal Essence] isn't guaranteed. It depends on individual talent and the strength of the ability."
"According to our research, the stronger and rarer the abilities are, the harder they are for humans to master. If the attempt fails, the chances of success in future attempts decrease significantly."
"There is also a limit to how many abilities an individual cultivator can inherit. The more abilities one has mastered, the smaller the chance of acquiring new ones."
---
The Empress detailed the rules for using the [Spirit Crystal Essence].
Xu Bai seized on the core issue: "How difficult is it to manufacture the [Spirit Crystal Essence]? How many anomalous beasts are needed to produce a single gem?"
The Empress's flowing speech suddenly stopped.
A hint of blush appeared on her face as she awkwardly said, "Nearly a thousand anomalous beasts' flesh and blood are required for one [Spirit Crystal Essence]. But our breeding technology is quite advanced. If resources are sufficient, there’s no need to worry about the production."
Nodding slightly, Xu Bai said: "This indeed counts as a valuable asset. The power of these beastly forces is equivalent to weakened versions of techniques. In life-and-death combat, if one can use it unexpectedly, it might have surprising effects."
"Are there any other surprises?" Xu Bai asked.
The Empress hesitated for a moment before saying: "This technology isn’t fully mature yet..."
"Don't worry; the Alliance values potential. If truly promising, we won't hesitate to provide support," Xu Bai assured her.
Without immediate reply, she turned and looked at Xiao Qing outside the treasury.
Seeing Xiao Qing nod in agreement, she took a deep breath and led Xu Bai deeper into the treasury.
Here stood a large metal furnace with thousands of different anomalous beasts carved on it, lifelike.
Though no fire was visible, the temperature seemed extremely high.
Even from a distance, Xu Bai felt a slight warmth.
"Bang! Bang!"
Occasional loud impacts echoed from within the furnace.
Listening closely, one could faintly hear the cries of many beasts intertwined.
Terrifying.
The Empress seemed wary of this furnace and stood farther away than Xu Bai.
She whispered: "This is called the [All-Encompassing Furnace]."
"It originated from a guess—or perhaps a fact."
"All anomalous beasts in the world once belonged to the same body at the dawn of ancient times."
"That was their origin, containing unimaginable power."
"Over countless years, individuals separated from it in uncountable numbers."
"So, could we reverse this process and re-melt all these anomalous beasts into... that original individual?"
Her eyes sparkled with an enigmatic light.
"Even if we can't know every demon beast that ever existed, finding enough varieties to勉强融合出 a weaker form should be possible."
"In fact, ten years ago, we briefly fused together a terrifying demon beast."
"The power it exuded seemed more fearsome than this nine-headed bird. Everyone present, even the Green and Red Sage Masters, were paralyzed with fear at its appearance."
"Unfortunately, it didn't last long before dissolving on its own."
(End of chapter)