Chapter 316 - 105: The Fated Demon Tree! I, Zhang Jiao, Set the Exotic Star Ablaze!

Xu Ran stared: "Didn’t detect any danger, right? Is there any contamination?"

Zhu Yuheng shook his head: "No, I couldn’t sense any danger, instead, I could detect some benefits, but I don’t know what exactly."

Xu Ran nodded: "That’s good. You can gain energy from the gem, which is enough. From now on, communicate with the gem every day and strive to absorb all of the energy inside. Accumulate enough of it, and perhaps there will be a qualitative change, granting you brand new abilities."

"Also, I have plenty of Universal Flames here that you can use first, to increase your physical strength to 120,000 points."

"As for Tiger Girl, Tang Chichi, Guan Xin, and Ningshuang, you still need to absorb 3 drops of Venerable Golden Blood before you can use the Universal Flames. Let’s talk about it in a month."

Tiger Girl nodded earnestly: "Alright, I’ll listen to you, big brother."

The other three: "We’ll listen to the captain."

Xu Ran slightly nodded: "Good. When Tang Chichi’s shield can transfer the damage you’ve received onto me, then I can take you out for training."

"Of course, Tiger Girl, you still need to hone your spatial movement skills. You must at all times control the situation so that the entire team can be moved away by you instantly when encountering danger."

"Furthermore, if you can perfect your technique, you can even reverse the situation when teammates can’t defend against attacks, changing them from defenseless to attackers. The team members also need to get used to this mode."

Tiger Girl’s face was full of seriousness: "I am working hard!"

She knew that this mode was very formidable, almost invincible, but it especially tested her combat talent.

However.

She brimmed with confidence, firmly believing that she could achieve it.

"By the way, big brother, my Space Slash can cut through Crystal Beasts with Qi Blood Value of 50,000, but I’ve also developed a new ability to enhance the dangerous illusion of Space Slash. Even Crystal Beasts with Qi Blood Value of 300,000 will be intimidated and not dare to attack."

The Intimidation Slash, mainly for intimidation, creates a sense of imminent danger for the enemy—if they don’t dodge, they’ll be instantly torn apart.

Relying on the Intimidation Slash, Tiger Girl reversed dozens of battles, all of them against opponents with Qi Blood Value of 250,000, through intimidation, spatial movement, breaking defenses with the golden little tower, Tang Chichi’s shield, and Ningshuang’s amplification. Their ability to fight beyond their rank reached terrifying levels.

Xu Ran raised an eyebrow and praised with a smile: "Impressive, Tiger Girl, truly the queen among Celestial Punishers."

Tiger Girl smiled amiably: "Hee hee. Also, my golden little tower has amplification abilities too. Currently, the amplification rate is 10%, when my physical strength reaches the Yue Realm, it should amplify by 20%...and with stronger amplification, it could be even higher."

Xu Ran was surprised: "You’re this versatile?"

Tiger Girl’s smile was bright: "I don’t know. But no matter how versatile, I’m not as terrifying as you, big brother. You’re the true monster."

"Does this amplification conflict with Ningshuang’s?"

Ningshuang shook her head: "No conflict, Liuli’s amplification is quite unique."

Xu Ran pondered slightly: "Let’s test your three amplifications with mine later to see if there’s any conflict. If there isn’t, that would be best."

If there’s no conflict, then at this stage, their amplifications can enhance Xu Ran’s combat power by 30%, and later, directly double it.

This kind of amplification, without any conflict, is undoubtedly frightening, making Xu Ran somewhat expectant.

Although currently, due to devouring 200 drops of Venerable Golden Blood, the gap between Xu Ran and his teammates is substantial, the battle with the Exotic Star is not something that can be resolved overnight.

Just learned... Qin Han had also fought with Exotic Star monsters.

And most likely lost.

So Xu Ran would not underestimate his opponents.

He understands that in battles to kill strong enemies, fighting alone might be possible, but for a war of annihilation, more strong fighters need to be cultivated to invade the Exotic Star and eradicate all pollution. And cultivating more strong fighters naturally starts with his teammates...

Moreover.

The enemies would also have Heaven-Gifted Divine Techniques and would certainly form teams. He couldn’t face them alone like a fool.

That’s too foolish.

The team discussed.

Meanwhile, mom had already prepared sixteen dishes.

"Dinner time!"

Everyone hurriedly washed their hands, sat at the dining table, grabbed their bowls and chopsticks, and devoured the food enthusiastically. Especially Tiger Girl, who happily praised the food between bites, making mom beam with smiles, her face full of satisfaction.

Xu Ran: "This is really delicious. When I was in the Contaminated Area, I could only eat those small contaminated hazel chickens, eating them was just like chewing clay."

After gulping down several bowls of rice, Xu Ran couldn’t help but complain, the food in the Contaminated Area is really not fit for human consumption. If it weren’t for feeding the stomach to satisfy hunger and letting one’s spirit recover greatly due to satiety, Xu Ran really wouldn’t want to eat hazel chicken.

This is already with the taste purified by talismans and smeared with Spiritual Qi, yet it still tasted awful.

Mom was stunned: "Is it so?"

Xu Ran nodded repeatedly: "Yes, there’s nothing much to eat there. Hazel chicken is edible, but the taste is awful. If it wasn’t necessary to satiate the stomach, who would eat it?"

Mom’s face was full of heartache: "It seems like my dear Xiao Ran has it hard."

Xu Ran smiled faintly: "That’s why I’m thinking, when can I get a portable space, bring a batch of instant noodles there, that would be great."

"Tiger Girl, can your little tower carry instant noodles?"

Tiger Girl, busy eating, poked her head out of the bowl and shook her head, meaning it couldn’t carry other items.

Xu Ran: "..."

"Alright, this is a headache. If we can find a solution to create a space that can easily carry a batch of supplies, that would be excellent."

Only those who have stayed in the Contaminated Area know the importance of supplies.

If not for Xu Ran’s amazing willpower, he probably couldn’t last for 270 days.

And if there were some kind of magical space that could carry a batch of supplies without adding too much weight and without taking up much volume, that would be perfect!

Mom laughed: "Isn’t that what Miracle Root Bone is supposed to do?"

Xu Ran: "I’ll try my best!"

After saying that.

Xu Ran continued to enjoy, as cultivators have a big appetite, especially Xu Ran, who after eating five bowls of rice, continued to serve himself, mixing the juice from the dishes into the rice and swallowing it down.

After seven bowls of rice.

Xu Ran was content.

"No wonder it’s mom’s cooking, delicious!"

Tiger Girl blinked her golden eyes: "That’s my line! Aunt Lin’s cooking! Delicious!"

Tang Chichi couldn’t help but laugh, mimicking Tiger Girl’s actions: "Aunt Lin’s cooking, delicious!"

Even Zhu Yuheng couldn’t help but mimic: "Aunt Lin’s cooking, delicious!"

Mom was overjoyed with the compliments.

These little guys, when Xu Ran was away for training, would visit her every now and then, just like her own daughters.

"Alright, you guys rest. Little Liuli, you have to teach later this afternoon, right?"

Tiger Girl nodded: "Yes. But now that big brother is back, shouldn’t he be the one to teach?"

Xu Ran thought for a moment: "I can check it out."

"But, the Crystal Beast Egg that I brought back, hasn’t it shown any sign yet?"

"This thing hasn’t hatched after over 400 days?"

Mom: "The egg in your room? The principal still provides a drop of True Blood every three days, but indeed it shows no sign of breaking out."

Xu Ran: "...I’ll go have a look."

Tiger Girl: "We want to go too."

"Let’s go together."

Xu Ran led everyone to the upstairs balcony.

There, the soft light fell on the Crystal Beast Egg, making it more brilliant than ever, with some strange patterns emerging on its shell, but still no sign of hatching.

Xu Ran walked over: "You little guy, you’re not just here for free meals, are you?"

Xu Ran couldn’t help but suspect; this guy consumed a lot but hadn’t hatched in over 400 days.

Could it really be just freeloading?

A flash of greedy intent crossed Tiger Girl’s eyes: "Why don’t we roast it and eat it? A Crystal Beast nurtured with over a hundred drops of True Blood must be delicious."

"No, better to wait for it to hatch and nurture it for a year or two before eating. The egg is too small, not enough for six people!"

Tiger Girl’s vision was long-term...

Xu Ran: "...Eating it is not an option, there’s a sunk cost here... Hopefully, it will hatch into something good. Otherwise, even killing it wouldn’t satisfy the resentment."

Xu Ran’s gaze was icy.

The Crystal Beast Egg trembled; it was too scared. Was it its fault for the long incubation period?

It didn’t want to either...

Uh... should it confess the incubation time? If it did, would the owner roast it immediately?

The frightened Crystal Beast Egg could only play dead...

However.

At that moment.

Zhu Yuheng placed his hand on the Crystal Beast Egg and felt carefully.

"Xiao Ran... this egg still needs twenty more years to hatch."

As soon as these words came out, the Crystal Beast Egg felt a chill all over, its heart nearly shattered with fear...