Chapter 1112: The Effect of the Bright Lamp

Dong Rui immediately said, "The hard part is right now. All this effort is to nourish its innate constitution! Once it's born successfully, things will be much easier. Look at the Ghost Ape and the Snail Toad; they're much less trouble and expense now, aren't they?"

He Lingchuan glanced at the Ghost Ape. The monkey was two sizes fatter than when it arrived on the island and had cost him tens of thousands of taels of silver.

Like its master, it was freeloading on his island.

Saving money? Ha, that was only true compared to the unborn Netherbeast cub.

Dong Rui mused for a moment, then continued, "Actually, there's another important reason why I'm so invested in the Child-Eating Netherbeast. It aligns perfectly with one of my research projects."

He Lingchuan asked casually, "What research?"

"Humanoid transformation."

"Wait a minute!" He Lingchuan, thinking he had misheard, tapped the table. "What does that mean?"

"When birds and beasts become demons, their appearance remains that of birds and beasts, merely changing in size or undergoing specific localized mutations, but they cannot transform into human form." For instance, a highly cultivated fox demon might grow more tails, which is a localized mutation.

No matter how many tails it has, it still looks like a fox; it can't become human-shaped.

Such are the laws of the world, with only a very few exceptions, like a Ba such as Fu Shanyue.

Of course, the strangest example is Grand Tutor Shuangye. To this day, He Lingchuan still doesn't know what kind of demon he is, as his appearance is indistinguishable from a human's.

He had inquired about this in Lingxu City, but everyone he asked shook their heads without exception.

There were many high-ranking officials and prominent figures among them.

They could find out the Demon Emperor's dinner menu for that night, yet they knew nothing about Grand Tutor Shuangye's origins.

"Hey, hey, stop spacing out." Dong Rui called him back to attention. "Do you know why this little Netherbeast is prone to dying right after birth? Another reason is that it was forcibly modified with divine blood, elongating its lower limbs and neck, and altering its pelvis and spine, making it more suitable for, uh, more suitable for..."

He couldn't immediately think of the right word to describe it.

He Lingchuan blurted out, "Upright walking!"

"Exactly, more suitable for upright walking!" Dong Rui gave him a look that said, "You understand me." "But this poor little thing is a failed experiment, constantly on the verge of collapse, which is why it had to fall into a deep sleep. That's why He Jing, the Heavenly Palace's Cloud Emissary, brought it to battle—he wanted to find an opportunity to use it up."

Since it was already a defective product, they might as well get some final use out of it.

"I knew it! To use this demonic creature as a Child-Eating Netherbeast, the Heavenly Palace must either be incredibly wealthy or simply wasteful. Now it seems there was indeed a reason."

The more He Lingchuan listened, the more something felt off. "Wait! If it's on the verge of collapse at any moment, why am I still spending so much money to save it?"

Sorry, he was just a boss with an ugly demanding side, who always expected a return on his investments.

"Just because they couldn't do it doesn't mean I can't," Dong Rui said proudly. "Didn't I tell you, I've already been researching the humanoid transformation of demon puppets. Lately, I've tried every possible method to clear the deformities caused by the divine blood. Thanks to the recent successive arrivals of the Emperor's Dew, this little one's body has stabilized, and its birth is only a matter of time."

"So it will be human-shaped?" Incidentally, the Emperor's Dew had descended several times, and this little Netherbeast had never missed it, making its luck far better than its kin.

"No! No!" Dong Rui shook his head like a rattle drum. "Didn't I say that the deformities caused by the divine blood have been cleared? However, the divine blood's influence has already taken effect, so this little one's appearance will definitely change."

He Lingchuan hummed. "Why would the Heavenly Palace conduct research into transforming Netherbeasts into human form?"

In his view, Netherbeasts were like the Heavenly Palace's bioweapons. As weapons, they should be as powerful as possible.

What was the point of forcing a human shape?

Would the Heavenly Palace engage in something so pointless?

Dong Rui shrugged. "I'm not sure. Anyway, it was idle, and the Heavenly Palace has more than one person. Someone does this, someone does that. As long as there's a pretext, funding can be secured."

He Lingchuan asked with a smile, "You seem to know a lot about it. So why are you researching humanoid transformation?"

"Well, it was just a whim."

He Lingchuan smiled faintly. "Before, no matter where you were, you were like a rat crossing the street, hated by everyone, living a hard life. How could you have had such a whim then?"

This fellow was truly hard to fool! Dong Rui hesitated before saying, "Back then, my face was ruined, and I wore a mask all day, unable to get close to people. I only had demon puppets around me, so I thought, 'Could I transform them into human form?' That way, *cough*..."

He Lingchuan stared at him for a long time, so long that Dong Rui was on the verge of embarrassment and anger, before finally speaking with a look of sudden realization, "Were you trying to change them into the appearance of women?"

"Nonsense!" Dong Rui slammed the table and stood up, his face flushed with indignation. "What do you take me for?! Could I do such a thing? I just... wanted them to be more like people."

Back then, he was all alone, surrounded by beautiful scenery but feeling utterly lonely. He occasionally wished for a companion.

The room suddenly fell silent.

The two stared at each other, neither speaking a word.

Then, He Lingchuan coughed. "So, the Heavenly Palace's experiment failed, right?"

Dong Rui immediately sat down. "Ah, yes. The laws of heaven and earth aren't that easy to break!"

"But the laws of heaven and earth have changed before, for instance, with the emergence of primal energy." Originally, there was no primal energy in the world; some even believe it only came into being after the war between gods and immortals, after a fragment of the Heavenly Net Star fell, or even after the Great Square Pot appeared.

"It's very difficult to break through the laws of heaven and earth with human power," Dong Rui said seriously. "However, judging from the Child-Eating Netherbeast's condition, the Heavenly Palace's research wasn't without progress. I just don't know how far they got."

He touched his own face. "In any case, I'm not doing that kind of research anymore."

Now that he had a proper face, he could enjoy himself in the human world. Why would he need humanoid demon puppets for companionship?

He Lingchuan took out an envelope. "Since you insist on coming along, listen to the mission assigned by Grand Tutor Wang."

Wang Xingyi was the decision-maker of Mount Ling, responsible for assigning missions and coordinating various parties.

Fang Canran, as He Lingchuan's contact with Mount Ling, was to receive missions from Grand Tutor Wang and then pass them on to He Lingchuan.

"A month ago, a tribute from the Carefree Sect to the State of Mu was hijacked at Julu Port," He Lingchuan said, pointing to a marked location on the sand table. "Julu Port is located in the Yiling Strait and serves as a crucial hub where sea routes transition to inland waterways. Goods from the outer seas are loaded and unloaded here, then transported via the Yiling Canal to the interior of the Golden Flash Plains."

"So it's a port," Dong Rui observed seriously. "If the tribute was lost, the Carefree Sect is responsible for recovering it, right?"

"No. The escort for the tribute was dispatched by the State of Mu. That means the tribute was lost while in their custody, and it has nothing to do with the Carefree Sect."

Dong Rui asked, surprised, "Wait a minute, aren't tributes usually escorted by the originating state from their own territory all the way to the destination?"

As for presenting tribute, if the Carefree Sect didn't escort the tribute to the capital of the State of Mu, how could they demonstrate their sincerity?

Furthermore, the act of presenting tribute was also a part of court etiquette and diplomacy.

A great nation like the State of Mu certainly needed the prestige of having all nations pay homage.

"All other tributes follow this procedure, but this one is an exception. The State of Mu dispatched a capable team to bring it all the way from the Carefree Sect back to the State of Mu's capital." In other words, the State of Mu was uneasy about letting others transport it.

Dong Rui's curiosity was piqued to its highest. "What kind of treasure is it that the State of Mu values it so highly?"

Even if it wasn't as rich as Beijia, the State of Mu certainly didn't lack exotic treasures. Why would they be so concerned about a tribute from another region?

"The information provided by Fang Canran states that this item is called the 'Bright Lamp Bowl,' but its specific effects aren't mentioned."

He Lingchuan's curiosity was greatly aroused by this treasure.

In the Coiling Dragon World, Zhong Shengguang had sent Shao Jian to the Golden Flash Plains to search for the Bright Lamp Bowl. He Lingchuan was inclined to believe that this had also happened in history, though perhaps other warriors had been dispatched.

In other words, General Hong needed the Bright Lamp Bowl.

Now, the State of Mu also needed this treasure; not only did they designate it as a tribute from the Carefree Sect, but they also sent their own guards to retrieve it personally across the ocean.

What magical effect did this item possess that could captivate two major powers, one after another?

Before Dong Rui could speak, the eyeball spider perched on He Lingchuan's shoulder exclaimed, "What 'bowl'? Say that again?"

"...Are you Eldest Sister or Second Sister?"

"Of course it's me!"

Hearing such a straightforward tone, "Oh, it's Eldest Sister."

Eldest Sister Zhu immediately asked, "What else was written in Fang's information?"

"It only says that it's a rare spiritual herb in the world, currently growing only on the Carefree Sect's Great Snow Mountain and nowhere else. The Bright Lamp Herb blooms only once every thirty years, and the fruit it bears is called the Bright Lamp Bowl." He Lingchuan read from the letter, "Hmm, it says the Bright Lamp Bowl is an important medicinal ingredient, but it doesn't specify what medicine it can create."

This time, Second Sister Zhu chimed in, "Even to this day, are there still people who haven't given up?"

The tones of the spider demon sisters were different; He Lingchuan could now distinguish them instantly.

Eldest Sister Zhu: "Humans, heh heh!"

He Lingchuan, being a human himself, could only humbly ask, "My two grand-aunts, what riddle are you speaking?"

Second Sister Zhu organized her thoughts. "Do you know about the mystery of the prenatal state?"

"I've heard of it."

"In the past—I'm referring to ancient times—even immensely powerful high immortals who wished to seize another's body faced the dilemma of the prenatal mystery. Body snatching had many strict requirements and couldn't be done casually. But even with the highest cultivation, the strongest divine soul, and the most thorough preparation, there was still a chance their memories would be wiped during the process, resulting in a completely new, blank soul." Second Sister Zhu sighed. "Among the demon immortals I knew, two perished because of this."

He Lingchuan understood. "That's no different from death."

The "self" is predicated on memory. Without memories, there is no personality; it becomes a completely new soul.

If one could not break through the prenatal mystery, for the divine souls of these immortals, it was both a new beginning and, more significantly, destruction.

"In an environment of declining spiritual energy, I used spider molting to reduce my cultivation and adapt to the surroundings." Ultimately, this was like cutting one's feet to fit the shoes – an unspeakable despair and agony.