C7 Beast Tide

"The Rank One Spirit Beast Inner Core contains an astonishing number of Gene Points!"

He reached out and touched the ring on his finger, and a display materialized before him.

Xu Ming: Human.

Strength Level: Martial Dao Grade Nine.

Gene Grade: Ordinary Grade Nine.

Gene Points: 969 points.

Gene Evolution: 1,000 Gene Points required to evolve to God Level Gene.

Beast Soul: None.

"Just one more Rank One Spirit Beast Inner Core, and I'll break through to the God Level Gene and attain a God Grade Bloodline!"

Xu Ming was ecstatic. Just six months prior, he was merely an ordinary Grade Two Bloodline, with the strength of Martial Dao Grade Two. Now, half a year later, he was on the verge of a breakthrough to a God Level Bloodline, and his strength had surged to Martial Dao Grade Nine!

"The suffering I've endured over the past six months has all been worth it!"

At first, Xu Ming consumed everything from snakes to insects, some providing Gene Points, others not. He lost count of the number of useless creatures he had ingested.

Moreover, the Gene Points gained from consuming the same type of animal would diminish with each subsequent meal. Some would even be a one-time deal, offering a boost in Gene Points initially, but none thereafter.

"This one better not let me down!"

The Vital Spirit enveloped the Spirit Beast Inner Core as he swallowed it whole. The familiar voice echoed once more:

"Digesting the Spirit Beast Inner Core, Beast Soul None, Gene Points gained: 13."

"Digesting the Spirit Beast Inner Core, Gene Points gained: 12."

...

"Gene Points gained: 9."

"Gene Points gained: 8."

...

"68 Gene Points!"

Xu Ming's heart raced with excitement. His Gene Points had soared past a thousand, reaching 1,037 points!

That was precisely the amount needed to ascend to the God Level Gene!

"It's still not enough. Far from it. This is just the threshold to reach the God Grade Gene. I must consume a Rank Two Spirit Beast Inner Core!"

Xu Ming felt a surge of anticipation. How many Gene Points would the Rank Two Spirit Beast Inner Core yield?

As the Rank Two Spirit Beast Inner Core was enveloped by the Vital Spirit and entered his stomach, the system swiftly absorbed and transformed the immense energy.

"Upon devouring the Rank Two Initial Grade Spirit Beast Inner Core, I've obtained the Soul Absorbing Gale Divine Soul and 108 Gene Points!"

"After devouring another Rank Two Initial Grade Spirit Beast Inner Core, I've gained 107 Gene Points!"

"..."

"I now have 5,886 Gene Points! I've acquired the Soul Absorbing Gale Divine Soul! This is the first time I've obtained a Beast Soul!"

Xu Ming's heart was quivering with excitement. The Rank Two Spirit Beast Inner Core had such an extraordinary effect; what could be expected from Rank Three, Rank Four, or even Rank Five?

He hurriedly accessed the information interface, and his excitement momentarily subsided:

Xu Ming: Human.

Strength: Martial Dao Grade Nine.

Gene Grade: Ordinary Grade Nine.

Gene Points: 6,623 (Upgradeable)

Gene Evolution: Can evolve to a God Grade Bloodline with 6,623 points.

Beast Soul: Gale Divine Soul (Can increase the host's speed tenfold)

Xu Ming felt as though a stampede of alpacas had just thundered through his mind. "Having evolved to the God Grade Bloodline, the next minor level up will be measured in tens of thousands!"

This was a hundredfold increase from when he first acquired the system!

Feeling a touch of disappointment, he proceeded with the bloodline evolution. Instantly, a warm sensation spread throughout his body, a sign of some sublime enhancement, leaving him thoroughly refreshed.

God Level Bloodline!

Evolution successful!

"The journey of cultivation is far from over. I must continue to strive hard. Future transformations will not come this easily."

Reflecting on the future requirements for Gene Evolution, Xu Ming sighed, then turned his attention to the Beast Soul and decided to merge it with his own soul. Testing his new speed, he was indeed more than ten times faster than before!

It was only then that Xu Ming retrieved the black object that had been stored alongside the Spirit Beast Inner Core. He was clueless about the material of this black item; it resembled a piece torn from a decrepit iron pot, soft to the touch yet appearing like rusted, battered iron.

It didn't look like much, but the black object had inexplicably drawn his attention. There had to be more to it.

"Boom! Boom~"

All of a sudden, a rumbling akin to an earthquake reverberated from the distance.

"Crack, crack—"

"Whoosh, whoosh—"

In the distance, the endless vegetation seemed to be ravaged by a ferocious force. A dark, wave-like Beast Tide surged toward us.

"Roar! Roar—"

Angry bellows emanated from the Beast Herds, carrying an unstoppable momentum. The Beast Tide was vast, easily numbering in the tens of thousands.

"What's happening?"

Xu Ming was taken aback. He had lived here for six months, and nothing like this had ever occurred. In the forest, Spirit Beasts of all levels maintained a strict order; higher-level Spirit Beasts would never venture out of the woods.

Yet, the presence of Rank Three and Rank Four Spirit Beasts within this Beast Tide was significant!

"Damn it!"

Abruptly, Xu Ming noticed that at the forefront of the Beast Tide, the third elder and his companions were drenched in blood—whether their own or that of the Spirit Beasts was unclear. Their faces were ashen. What was once a group of over a dozen now dwindled to just three, desperately striking at the White Cloud Beast, trying to fend off the Beast Tide's onslaught.

"Xu Le, did you intentionally bring the Beast Tide here? Are you trying to desecrate my ancestral tomb?"

Glancing at his mother's grave and then at the relentless Beast Tide, Xu Ming employed his movement technique in tandem with the Gale Divine Soul, swiftly gliding toward the northeast. "Xu Le, if the Beast Tide desecrates my mother's grave, I'll hold you responsible! This will not end until one of us perishes!"

The Gale Divine Soul wasn't a High Level Martial Skill, yet it possessed capabilities that such skills lacked.

While Martial Skills required potent Spiritual Energy for support, the Gale Divine Soul had merged with Xu Ming's soul, becoming second nature. The Beast Soul he had acquired from the system could be utilized without any need for Spiritual Energy.

In just a few moments, Xu Ming soared like a martial arts master, traversing hundreds of meters to alight upon a towering tree nearly a hundred meters tall.

This direction conveniently skirted the path of the Beast Tide.

Perched atop the giant tree, Xu Ming gazed southwestward. The third elder and two Martial Master Stage subordinates were on the brink of being engulfed by the pursuing Beast Tide.

The White Cloud Beast that the three individuals were riding was merely an ordinary Mutated Spirit Beast, its greatest strength being its speed. Yet, even with the White Cloud Beast's swiftness, it was still just a common mutated variety. Within the Beast Tide, there were plenty of Rank Three and Rank Four Spirit Beasts whose speed rivaled that of lightning!

In the blink of an eye, the Beast Tide had caught up to them.

A Rank One Spirit Beast had just begun to awaken its spiritual wisdom, while a Rank Two could discern human speech. The intelligence of Rank Three Spirit Beasts was comparable to that of a three to five-year-old child, and Rank Four Spirit Beasts were likely even more astute. The third elder and his party, having done something to incur the wrath of the forest, had triggered the Beast Tide's pursuit. From the original group, only three remained, each bearing injuries.

After an extended chase, the third elder and his companions were utterly exhausted, with the Spirit Beasts relentlessly on their heels.

In an instant, the gap between them closed dramatically. Xu Ming could clearly see the third elder's face etched with terror. The two Martial Master Experts at his side were deathly pale, perched atop the White Cloud Beast, their bodies beginning to shake.

"If only the Beast Tide could finish off these three," Xu Ming thought, a desperate hope rising within him that the Spirit Beast Tide would slay the third elder and his companions.

The Xu family was one of the three major families in Four-direction City. For the sake of personal interests, the third elder had drawn many from the family into opposition against the family head. Xu Ming vividly recalled how, after his mother's passing, his father, Xu Sheng, had intended to bury his concubine in the family's ancestral grave. It was only due to the third elder's lineage's resistance that he was forced to abandon the idea.

"Even if the third elder survives, his reputation within the family will surely suffer," Xu Ming mused, his mouth twisting with a bitter taste. "But what does the rise or fall of the Xu family have to do with me?"

Suddenly, a chorus of beastly roars, tinged with excitement, filled the air. But in a mere moment, the third elder and his remaining companions were engulfed by the relentless tide of beasts.

"Third Elder, we must leave at once!"

At that critical moment, the two Martial Master Experts flanking Third Elder Xu Le drew their weapons and formed a protective circle around him. Meanwhile, the White Cloud Beast was swiftly torn to shreds by the Beast Tide.

"Leave? But where can we go?"

Despair had taken hold of the Third Elder. The relentless Beast Tide teemed with Rank Three and Rank Four Spirit Beasts, and the Third Elder, being at the Martial Master Peak, was only a match for a Rank Three Spirit Beast.

Our escape routes were cut off by the Beast Tide; there was no hope for escape.

"Puff—"

A Martial Master Expert bravely slew a Rank Two Spirit Beast, his body drenched in its blood. "Third Elder, Young Master Xu Yang would never wander into the forest without reason. And if he did, he certainly wouldn't venture so deep. At most, he would linger near the edge. Something about this doesn't add up."

"What could possibly be amiss? My grandson was a paragon of filial piety, having reached Martial Dao Grade Seven. To think he met his end at the claws of these beasts... It's tragic that we lack the strength to avenge Xu Yang."

The Third Elder opened his palm, revealing a jade pendant: "This is the proof. Yang'er must have gone deep into the forest and was devoured by these creatures."

From a distance, Xu Ming's pupils narrowed, a smirk playing on his lips: "Good thing I wasn't tempted by this jade pendant back then."

When Xu Ming had slain Xu Yang, he found the pendant but chose not to take it. He didn't even take Xu Yang's Space Ring, leaving its contents untouched. He had only looted the bodies of the two brothers, stripping them bare and discarding them in the forest. To craft a convincing deceit, Xu Ming had braved the dangers of the forest, venturing nearly a hundred miles in.

He was now beyond suspicion.

Xu Ming breathed a sigh of relief inwardly. Having lived two lives, he understood the value of caution. It was just unfortunate that the Third Elder and his party had indeed ventured deep into the forest, inciting the Beast Tide, yet had not perished.

"Third Elder, I suspect that the Beast Tide was triggered because we removed the Accompanying Essence from the Rank Four Lion Tiger Beast cub. Perhaps if you relinquish the Accompanying Essence, we might still stand a chance of survival."

A Martial Master Expert, while fending off the relentless Spirit Beast attacks, offered this suggestion.

"Accompanying Essence... I see now."

Perched atop a massive tree, Xu Ming had a moment of realization. It made sense why the Third Elder and his group had set off the Beast Tide; they had ventured deep into the forest and stolen the Accompanying Essence from a Rank Five Lion Tiger Beast cub.

The Lion Tiger Beast, a Rank Five Spirit Beast, was unique in that it lacked territorial instincts. Much like a nomad, it made its home wherever it roamed, and encountering one within a hundred miles of the forest was not out of the question. The Accompanying Essence is an energy exclusive to the Lion Tiger Beast, a birthright of its cubs. Once a Lion Tiger Beast cub reaches three months old and consumes the Accompanying Essence, it can evolve and awaken its bloodline.