Chapter 487 - 479: The Origin of the Resentment

Chapter 487: Chapter 479: The Origin of the Resentment

Only after a quarter of an hour did Mu Chen try to clench his fist. When he found he could, he drew in a sharp breath. If you were to get close to Mu Chen right now, you would discover that his robes were completely soaked... drenched as if he had been caught in a torrential downpour...

"What... just happened?"

Staring at his empty palm, a sense of unreality welled up within him. The Holy Soul Essence Pill had simply vanished from before his eyes. But if it hadn’t, what would have happened? ’That ferocious killing intent and resentment probably would have annihilated me directly,’ he thought.

However, just as Mu Chen was in a daze, a ripple of soul fluctuation suddenly emanated from his Sea of Souls. Immediately after, a white-jade-colored Scroll floated down from before his eyes and landed in front of him.

’This is the kind of Scroll Master always uses.’

Slightly startled, Mu Chen picked up the Scroll with a trembling right hand. With a flick of his wrist, it unrolled. Looking closely, he saw that there wasn’t a single word on the Scroll, only a simple yet strange crimson symbol. Mu Chen had seen this symbol before. It was the same kind the Profound Old Ghost had used in the Profound Ice Palace to leave him a message before falling into slumber—a Communication Symbol used to transmit recorded words.

As expected, after just a moment, the Communication Symbol flickered, and with a WHOOSH, the Profound Old Ghost’s figure emerged from the Scroll.

"Master."

Although he knew this was just the Profound Old Ghost’s illusionary projection, years of ingrained habit made Mu Chen call out to him. Strangely, the illusory Profound Old Ghost seemed to hear Mu Chen’s words, nodding before speaking, "Xiao Chenzi, I originally didn’t intend to appear. But when I saw you were about to tamper with the Holy Soul Essence Pill, I simply couldn’t stand by and watch you get devoured by it."

"Devoured?" Mu Chen recalled the horrifying scene from just moments ago, still shaken by the experience.

"You foolish boy, don’t you ever use your head? If this Holy Soul Essence Pill were so easy to absorb, why wouldn’t that kid called the Thunder Demon have just taken it for himself instead of leaving it behind? Was he intentionally waiting for you to come and get it?" As he spoke, the Profound Old Ghost’s projection actually rolled its eyes.

’Oh, right.’

Mu Chen had a sudden realization. Based on how his Primordial Power had triggered it, the Holy Soul Essence Pill was clearly formed by a Holy Beast with a Rare Attribute, the Thunder Attribute. If it were truly that easy to absorb, the Thunder Demon, a Martial Artist who already possessed the Thunder Attribute, would have absorbed it long ago. It would never have been his turn.

At this thought, Mu Chen’s face flushed red with embarrassment. He, who had always been so level-headed, had acted impulsively just because of a Holy Soul Essence Pill.

The projection couldn’t have a real conversation with Mu Chen, so before Mu Chen could speak, it continued on its own, "It’s not your fault. Anyone who saw a Holy Soul Essence Pill would have the same reaction. Some might even be so overjoyed they’d fall into a state of madness. So, I can understand what just happened."

"But..."

Just as he was about to ask why the Holy Soul Essence Pill behaved that way, Mu Chen abruptly remembered that the Master before him was merely a projection. Still, knowing his Master’s habits, he was sure that even if he didn’t ask, the old ghost would explain everything that was puzzling him.

"With that curious mind of yours, you’re bound to ask why. So, I will first tell you why this Holy Soul Essence Pill contains so much resentment and so many negative emotions."

"Remember when I told you before that Beast Soul Essence Pills are things condensed only by Magical Beasts that pursue extremes? Once this thing is formed, it cannot be retracted or expelled. Magical Beasts are like humans; many of them are also impulsive. The result of that impulse is that their Cultivation speed is halved for the rest of their lives, unless they can break through to the Emperor Realm!"

"You know, the Cultivation of Magical Beasts is completely different from that of humans. With the same realm and Cultivation Talent, a human might only need a year or a few years to break through. But for a Magical Beast, it takes decades, or even centuries, to reach the same level. And that’s just at a normal Cultivation speed. If that speed were to be halved again, the Magical Beast’s progress would be abysmal. For them, this is a gamble! Win the bet, and they can directly break through the Saint realm to become an Emperor, shedding their mortal form and ascending to godhood! Lose the bet, and the only result awaiting them is death..."

’Death?’ Upon hearing this, Mu Chen felt he could understand why that would be the final outcome.

"A Beast Soul Essence Pill is a huge burden on the body that creates it, but for other Magical Beasts with mediocre aptitude, it is a true ultimate treasure! This is because if a Magical Beast can absorb a Beast Soul Essence Pill within its lifetime, its aptitude and talent will receive a terrifying boost. It is a treasure that defies the heavens and rewrites fate!! A treasure that can turn trash into a genius!!"

"So, once a Beast Soul Essence Pill is condensed, it means that not only will predatory humans be your enemy, but even your own clan and your own kind will become your enemies! Therefore, Magical Beasts that possess a Beast Soul Essence Pill all have incredibly powerful escape abilities."

"I’ve said so much, but it probably seems like it has little to do with what I wanted to explain, right?" the Profound Old Ghost suddenly asked with a smile.

Mu Chen nodded repeatedly. At least so far, he hadn’t heard the connection between all this and the resentment!

"On the contrary, it’s very much related!" The Profound Old Ghost suddenly grew serious. "The path of Cultivation is difficult and should be cherished. Humans understand this, and so do Magical Beasts. Since it condensed a Beast Soul Essence Pill, Cultivation became a task it had to complete. But think about it. When you got ahold of this Holy Soul Essence Pill, besides the abundant benefits you could gain from absorbing it, what else came to mind?!"

’What else could I think of?’

The question stunned Mu Chen. Connecting it with what the Profound Old Ghost had said earlier, he suddenly had a realization and murmured, "This was a Holy Beast that had condensed a Beast Soul Essence Pill..."

"Correct, a Holy Beast!! This was a Holy Beast! It permanently lost half its Cultivation speed! It was permanently cast out from the protection of its clan and its own kind! It spent its entire existence on the run, fighting for its life, all while never missing a single moment or opportunity to cultivate!! To cultivate all the way to a Holy Beast! How much immense perseverance, how much time, and how much desperate hope would that take?!"

At this point, the Profound Old Ghost’s voice grew impassioned and loud, and a deep anger flashed in his eyes! It was a kind of hatred and regret that Mu Chen had never seen from him before!

"I don’t know if you saw it clearly just now, Xiao Chenzi, but after you triggered the Holy Soul Essence Pill’s Attribute with your Primordial Power, I personally saw the Thunder Power wrapped in gold within that Primordial Pill! Do you know what being wrapped in gold means? It means it had finally endured its difficult life and was about to step into the Emperor Realm! A Magical Beast with a Beast Soul Essence Pill has no Emperor Realm bottleneck, but it still needs to undergo a tribulation."

"For a Magical Beast, there are countless tribulations to cross in its lifetime; undergoing them is commonplace. This is true even for ordinary Magical Beasts, let alone a Beast Soul Magical Beast that specializes in survival and escape, right? Success in this tribulation should have been a certainty! But the final result was failure... It didn’t pass the tribulation. Why?"

As the Profound Old Ghost’s hysterical tone faded, Mu Chen fell silent. ’Yes, why? Wasn’t the reason simple enough?’ Mu Chen shook his head with a bitter smile. He finally understood why such tangible resentment and indignation emanated from that Holy Soul Essence Pill!

Just imagine, if it were you, after enduring all the world’s pain and loneliness, after suffering through endless monotony and harm, after experiencing countless years on the brink of life and death, you finally see the hope of breaking through it all. You finally see the finish line you’ve been chasing! But in the very instant you see that hope, that finish line, tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of years of effort are all for naught... Wouldn’t you be resentful?! Could you accept it?! Wouldn’t you be in agony?!

DRIP, DRIP...

Tears fell from the corners of Mu Chen’s eyes. Although humans and Magical Beasts were adversaries, in the face of such a tragedy, even Mu Chen could feel the resentment of that Magical Beast as it roared at the heavens—a resentment born from a rage that burned through its veins and pierced the very sky!!

It was just like him all those years ago, cursing the heavens in his pain and helplessness! He had the Profound Old Ghost to save him, but who could have saved this Magical Beast, forsaken by the heavens? He understood the feeling of utter despair... better than anyone...

Hidden within the Extreme Spirit Pearl, the Profound Old Ghost quietly watched the young man in the outside world, a hint of gratification in his eyes. He sighed softly and said, "Do you see? No one in this world is truly alone. Neither are you. There will always be someone who can understand you, who can feel pain because of your pain, who can feel sorrow because of your sorrow, who can shed tears for a true story they have only heard but never witnessed. This is the first time I have seen him cry... for you..."

"AWOOO!!!"

An incredibly desolate wail came from beside the Profound Old Ghost. Shifting his gaze, he saw that the source of the mournful cry was not a Magical Beast, but a pearl enveloped in golden light. At its center, purple-gold lightning crackled, just like a beating heart.

Gently stroking the pearl’s surface, the Profound Old Ghost revealed a benevolent expression and said softly, "What’s done is done. No amount of pain or hatred can bring back what you’ve lost. You have clung to this for so many years, hated for so many years. Aren’t you tired?"

"COO...."

Unexpectedly, the pearl reacted in a very human-like way, nestling gently against the Profound Old Ghost’s touch as if it were nodding.

The Profound Old Ghost smiled. "In that case, let me point you toward a path where you can witness miracles and the pinnacle of power. A path you can never reach yourself, but one you will be able to see. How about it?"

"Are you asking me to help that human outside?"

Quite abruptly, the pearl spoke in the human tongue. The Profound Old Ghost was not the least bit surprised by this strange occurrence, for he, too, had once entrusted all of his Spiritual Power to a certain object.

But when the Holy Soul Essence Pill asked this question, the Profound Old Ghost said nothing more. He knew that now, he no longer needed to speak. He only needed to listen.