Chapter 1085: Myriad Beasts Illusionary Realm, Young Spirit Controller Lady!
Great Teacher Hu received the cube from Lu Zhiruo, flipped it to and fro to take a look, and then felt stumped.
(What the hell is this?)
He couldn't understand at all.
The cube was made from some kind of metal, and it felt a little cool to touch. He didn't recognize the material, and there were some fragmented images on the cube.
"Are these ancient beasts? Could the fragments need to be pieced together?"
Great Teacher Hu guessed.
"How is it?" Nangong Xun came over and asked in a soft voice, "Can you do it or not?"
"Why are you so anxious? There's no trifling matter in spirit control. If there's any mistake, then it'll be over for me."
Great Teacher Hu argued then started to twist the cube. However, after just one twist, he froze on the spot, as if he had lost his soul.
"Huh?"
Everyone was given a fright.
"His soul has entered the Myriad Beasts Cube."
Lu Zhiruo explained.
"Where is this place?"
Great Teacher Hu looked up.
The place he was at was spacious grassy plains. Birds were chirping, flower fragrance drifting, and there were white clouds in the sky. Suddenly, a huge ferocious beast barged into his vision.
(F*ck, is it trying to eat me?)
Great Teacher Hu started to run frantically.
This was an endless attempt to flee. More and more huge beasts gathered behind and chased after him, leaving Great Teacher Hu in tenterhooks.
This was the Myriad Beasts Illusionary Realm. If Great Teacher Hu couldn't even clear this stage, then he wouldn't have the right to enter Lu Zhiruo's room and piece up the ancient beasts' pictures.
The people outside quickly noticed that things weren't going well.
Great Teacher Hu's body had only frozen for a minute, but his entire body was becoming thinner at a rate that could be seen by the naked eye. His skin shriveled and he looked haggard.
"F*ck your mom. What happened?"
"To think that this secret treasure is so dangerous?"
"What are you still standing there for? Hurry up and save him!"
The great teachers actively discussed amongst themselves.
"Zhiruo?"
Sun Mo turned and looked toward the papaya girl.
"I... I have no idea either!"
Lu Zhiruo looked toward the little sunny egg.
"The situation doesn't look right. This didn't happen to me when I touched it the other time."
Li Ziqi was perplexed.
Sun Mo had planned on letting Lu Zhiruo save Great Teacher Hu, but when he heard this, he immediately suppressed this idea. What if he were to lose the lucky mascot too?
Saving him himself?
Don't be kidding. Sun Mo wasn't that selfless.
Moreover, Nangong Xun hadn't asked for help yet, so why would he need to feel anxious?
"F*ck, is this guy going to die?"
A person with sharp six senses noticed that Great Teacher Hu's breathing was getting increasingly weaker.
"What did you guys do?"
Nangong Xun suddenly turned and stared at Lu Zhiruo.
"Why are you being so fierce?"
Li Ziqi stood out, blocking in front of the papaya girl. "I told you that this secret treasure is very dangerous. People without talent won't be able to use it. However, you insisted on letting him appraise. Now that there's trouble, of course you're the one to blame!"
"Rubbish!"
Nangong Xun lashed out.
"Cast your consciousness onto the cube and go save him then!" Li Ziqi said.
Gulp!
Nangong Xun gulped, looking at his stiffened good friend and not daring to move.
"Why? Are you scared?"
Li Ziqi sneered.
"I'm not a spirit controller. Why do I have to withstand such pressure that I'm not supposed to?"
Nangong Xun argued.
"But he's your friend. He was put in danger for your sake."
Li Ziqi reproached.
"Wouldn't it be fine if you guys do something about it?" Nangong Xun urged, "This secret treasure belongs to you guys."
"Is there something wrong with your ears? I said earlier that this secret treasure is very dangerous. Even if Zhiruo uses it, if any mishap happens, she'll also die," Li Ziqi repeated.
"Let me do it!"
Sun Mo let out a sigh. He couldn't possibly let Great Teacher Hu die here.
"No!"
Li Ziqi immediately pulled Sun Mo back.
The judges couldn't sit still anymore and came rushing over.
Ancestor Bei only took a glance and liked this cube.
"A masterpiece!"
After saying that, Ancestor Bei placed his hand on the cube. Then, his body shook and his eyes lost focus. His entire body stiffened up on the spot.
His consciousness had been sucked into the Myriad Beasts Illusionary Realm as well.
(That ferocious beast that looks like a moving mountain and is engulfing all creatures from the mountains and river couldn't be the Taotie [1], could it?)
(That huge bird that flies past like a meteor... could it be a phoenix?)
(And the carp in this stream. To think that it became a huge dragon after a leap, soaring with the wind as it left?)
...
(This... is this a paradise?)
Ancestor Bei was immersed in this place. As a spirit controller, there was nothing more agitating than being able to see such divine beasts from ancient myths and legends.
As for saving people?
Ancestor Bei had forgotten about that.
Riding huge birds and flying in the sky while singing out loud, climbing trees and playing in the forest with huge apes, fishing in front of the waterfall, strolling in flower seas, crossing sand dunes, looking at the rare beasts in the world... Even if he was offered to be a god, he wouldn't trade such a good life for it.
Ancestor Bei lost himself.
Of course, there were also a lot of dangers. However, given Ancestor Bei's capabilities, he was able to subdue the ancient beasts with ease.
What the people outside saw was Ancestor Bei frozen on the spot, wearing a blissful smile while drooling with greed.
He must be seeing a beautiful dream.
He must have entered a beautiful daydream of being a winner in life, right?
"Look, Ancestor Bei is fine. This shows that Teacher Hu isn't capable and talented enough to solve this Myriad Beasts Cube!"
Li Ziqi sneered, feeling slightly at ease.
If Great Teacher Hu were to die, he could only blame himself for being weak. Zhiruo wouldn't be implicated.
Five minutes passed. Ancestor Bei still seemed to be enjoying himself, but Great Teacher Hu's condition didn't seem too good.
"Teacher Sun, think of a solution. We can't possibly continue to wait like this, right?"
Tong Yiming frowned.
"Judge Tong, it's this Teacher Nangong who's refusing to relent on this matter." Li Ziqi shrugged. "Moreover, with Ancestor Bei stepping forward, Great Teacher Hu should be fine."
"You sly girl!"
Tong Yiming threw a glance at Li Ziqi. She had pushed all the responsibilities to Ancestor Bei.
The current situation was all the result of Nangong Xun's pestering. Moreover, even if someone were to die, it could only be blamed on Ancestor Bei's failure.
"Teacher Sun, wake the two of them up. We can't let things continue like this."
Liang Hongda spoke up.
"I feel that there are still people who aren't convinced. How about this? All the great teachers present can come forward to attempt to figure this Myriad Beasts Cube out."
Li Ziqi spoke in a loud voice, "If anyone were to be successful, we'd offer it to him or her with both hands!"
"Ziqi!"
Jiang Leng frowned. (You're putting too much on the line.)
"Don't worry, anyone who touches it will die!"
After seeing Ancestor Bei's situation, Li Ziqi understood that Lu Zhiruo was the only one who could handle this thing.
Spirit controllers relied mostly on their talent, and hard work would never be able to catch up to inborn talent.
(Since young, Zhiruo has been able to understand animals' talk. Moreover, she is also born with a kind heart. Can you guys do the same?)
She had never treated the spiritual beasts as her battle pets, letting them kill for her. Instead, she treated them as her playmates and friends.
Who amongst these spirit controllers was like this?
"Is that true?"
There'd always be people who thought of themselves as the chosen one. Upon hearing Li Ziqi's words, over ten of them immediately stepped forward, reaching out to the Myriad Beasts Cube to touch it.
For some of them, their consciousness directly dissipated and sank in. However, a minority of them looked baffled and at a loss. (I don't seem to be able to sense anything.)
"The few of you can leave now!"
Li Ziqi informed them.
"Why?"
They felt displeased.
"It's because you guys can't even cross the threshold!"
Li Ziqi lashed out.
Bang!
Great Teacher Hu fell to the ground like noodles, but his right hand was still clutching tightly onto the Myriad Beasts Cube.
Tong Yiming was given a fright and immediately dashed over, putting his hand to Great Teacher Hu's nose, checking his breathing.
"He's dead!"
Tong Yiming looked toward Sun Mo.
These words caused some spirit controllers, who were planning to give it a try, to immediately stop in their footsteps.
"Teacher Sun, hurry up and get this resolved!"
Liang Hongda urged because he discovered that Ancestor Bei was already immersed in it, unable to pull himself out. It'd definitely be useless to want to rely on him.
"Teacher Nangong, your good friend died trying to help you. Why don't you show any reaction at all?" Li Ziqi questioned, "Is your blood cold?"
"I... He..."
Nangong Xun stuttered.
Who'd have expected that one would die from appraising a secret treasure? Moreover, to speak the truth, even though they were friends, they weren't close enough to risk their lives for each other.
It was a relationship in which one would definitely refuse if the other were to ask to borrow 1,000 spirit stones from them.
"Teacher Sun, it's time to stop this farce!"
The judges were all ancestor-level experts. When their expressions turned solemn, the pressure was very great.
"I'll give it a try, but I can't guarantee that everything will go smoothly."
Sun Mo made his stand clear.
"Teacher, let me do it. It's very dangerous inside."
Lu Zhiruo was worried that something bad might happen to Sun Mo and thus touched the Myriad Beasts Cube before he did, sending her consciousness inside.
Lu Zhiruo appeared in the spacious room, looking at the teachers' figures amidst the mosaics on the wall.
"It's so troublesome!"
Lu Zhiruo had no choice but to go all out, trying to piece the fragments together.
After Ancestor Bei's image was completed, his consciousness returned to his body.
"Hmmm? Where is this place?"
Ancestor Bei felt a little confused. After he realized that he had left the place, he instantly felt upset and flew into a rage. "What are you guys up to? I almost caught that Arowana."
Ancestor Bei complained and wanted to enter the Myriad Beasts Illusionary Realm once again.
"Hold on!"
Everyone quickly stopped him.
"If you enter again, you'll die!"
Liang Hongda felt helpless.
"Huh?"
Ancestor Bei was surprised. He lowered his head and checked himself out. Only then did he realize that he had become thinner.
Fear instantly crept up his spine, causing his hair to stand up. He broke out in cold sweat.
"What a terrifying secret treasure!" Ancestor Bei gasped.
"What happened inside?" An ancestor-level judge felt curious and asked.
"It's mysterious and beautiful. I believe that any spirit controller would be willing to die inside."
Ancestor Bei felt emotional.
Lu Zhiruo pulled out all the consciousness stuck in the Myriad Beasts Illusionary Realm. She herself also slimmed down at a rate that could be seen by the naked eye. Her face turned horribly pale.
This was a sign of over-depleting mental energy.
"Zhiruo, hurry up and stop it!"
Li Ziqi tried to stop her.
"But if I stop, they'll die."
Lu Zhiruo couldn't bear to let that happen.
"If you don't, you'll be the one dying."
Li Ziqi urged.
"Let me try a little longer. It'd be good to save even one more life!"
Lu Zhiruo was very kindhearted, not caring that these people had touched the Myriad Beasts Cube because they wanted to obtain it.
Nangong Xun's countenance turned extremely grim. Such a kindhearted young girl was really too attractive. As her opponent, he appeared like a great villain.
It was all over!
He had lost both physically and mentally.
[1] Ancient Chinese mythological creatures that were commonly emblazoned on bronze and other artifacts during the 1st millennium BC. Taotie is one of the "four evil creatures of the world".