Chapter 4087: Calm Under Pressure Wang Qingshan

The Chaotic Continent.

Vast, rolling emerald mountain ranges stretched endlessly, teeming with numerous five-colored chaotic beasts.

In a colossal valley encircled by mountains on three sides, a humanoid eight-colored chaotic beast stood anxiously before a massive, constantly swirling black tower. One by one, chaotic beasts led immortal cultivators into the black tower, then departed.

Jin Yulan's face was pale, and Meng Yudie's expression was one of terror. Some immortal cultivators pleaded for mercy, while others hurled curses, but the chaotic beasts paid them no heed.

A six-colored chaotic beast, resembling a gigantic bear, clutched a black vine, dragging Jin Yulan and six other Golden Immortal cultivators into the black tower. The hall was spacious and brightly lit, with a large, empty pool in its center.

The six-colored chaotic beast tossed the seven cultivators, including Jin Yulan, into the pool. A dazzling black light surged skyward, engulfing their forms. "No..."

Jin Yulan let out a cry of despair as her body visibly disintegrated into nothingness. "Alright, now that the offerings have been made, enter the Chaotic Pool. Whether you can mutate or not depends on you." A young male voice resonated.

"Yes, Lord Teng."

The six-colored chaotic beast strode into the pool. Countless mysterious black runes flew out, adhering to its body. The beast let out a loud roar, its massive form trembling.

After the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, the black runes dissipated. "Why didn't I mutate!"

The six-colored chaotic beast was greatly disappointed. "Your offerings were too few, and the energy was insufficient. If you were five-colored, your chances of mutation would be higher. Next!" The young male voice sounded again.

Most chaotic beasts aspiring to mutate rely on the Ten Directions Mother-Child Pagoda. By offering immortal cultivators, they gain a chance at mutation. The higher the cultivation level of the offered cultivators and the greater their number, the higher the likelihood of mutation. However, the higher a chaotic beast's own cultivation level (indicated by more colors), the lower its chance of mutating.

To mutate, they must capture more immortal cultivators, preferably those with higher cultivation levels. This is closely related to the strength of the chaotic beast tribe they belong to. The more powerful a chaotic beast tribe, the more immortal cultivators it captures, and the more likely it is to produce mutated chaotic beasts. This, in turn, strengthens the tribe, enabling them to capture even more immortal cultivators.

Weaker chaotic beast tribes, having captured fewer immortal cultivators, find it harder to produce mutated individuals, leading to a decline in their strength. They eventually wither and become vassals of larger tribes, with their members often sent to the front lines as cannon fodder during tribal sieges.

Over time, weaker tribes grew weaker and vanished into the annals of history, while stronger tribes grew ever more powerful. The sacrificial ceremony was an opportunity for smaller tribes to change their fate and for the chaotic beast tribes to reshuffle their hierarchy. Immortal cultivators referred to it as the "Great Immortal Tribulation."

The six-colored chaotic beast exited, and another humanoid six-colored chaotic beast entered, dragging fifteen Golden Immortal cultivators strung together by a black vine.

True Monarch Yuchan was among them, his face pale and eyes wide with terror.

"Don't kill me! I've only just advanced to Golden Immortal; give me a chance, I'm willing to serve you!" a corpulent old man in a golden robe pleaded, his face contorted with fear.

True Monarch Yuchan remained silent, not out of nobility, but because he knew the chaotic beasts would never let them go. For cultivators, chaotic beasts were cultivation resources; for chaotic beasts, cultivators were a chance for mutation.

True Monarch Yuchan felt a pang of regret. Had he known this would happen, he would have taken a gamble tens of thousands of years ago, seeking great opportunities in the Hulan Mountain Range, perhaps even acquiring a priceless treasure.

The six-colored chaotic beast threw them into the Chaotic Pool. A dazzling black light surged skyward, engulfing the forms of True Monarch Yuchan and the other fifteen.

Their bodies visibly vanished into dust and ashes. "The offerings are quite good; enter the Chaotic Pool!"

A young male voice resonated. "Yes, Lord Teng."

The six-colored chaotic beast stepped into the Chaotic Pool, and countless mysterious black runes flew out, gradually adhering to its body.

The six-colored chaotic beast let out an agonizing roar, its body trembling. A bloody hole tore open on its back, and a black, shimmering spear emerged before the wound healed.

Mutated chaotic beasts are considered the supreme prodigies among immortal cultivators. Their strength is determined by their number of colors, the laws they comprehend, and any weapons they possess. Mutated chaotic beasts that master ordinary laws are common and are the weakest among them. More powerful ones master special laws or wield weapons. Even stronger are those that master supreme laws, and beyond that are the King Beasts.

"Thank you, Lord Teng." The six-colored chaotic beast expressed its gratitude, seizing the black spear.

"Work hard. I hope in the future you can offer cultivators at the Grand Unity Golden Immortal stage. Next!" A young male voice resonated.

The six-colored chaotic beast turned and exited. A five-colored chaotic beast, resembling a falcon, flew in, clutching a thick, long black vine. The vine strung together five Golden Immortal cultivators, including Lady Yuzhu and Zhang Yilei, who all looked terrified.

One by one, chaotic beasts herded immortal cultivators into the black tower, offering them as sacrifices to the sub-pagoda to gain a chance for mutation.

***

Xuan Jade City, a secluded manor.

Wang Qingshan, Wang Yingjie, Wang Mengbin, and others were seated in a green stone pavilion, deep in conversation.

"The Murong family lost twenty-five Golden Immortal cultivators? That can't be right! The Murong family is not weak; they are, after all, the top power in the Sky Morning Sea Realm," Ye Haitang said, puzzled.

The losses from the Profound Cities under Yunlang City were released. According to data reported by various factions, the Murong family lost twenty-five Golden Immortal cultivators: five were killed, and twenty were captured.

The Murong family abandoned multiple cities, retaining only two Profound Cities and over thirty Yellow Cities.

Liu Hongxue analyzed, "The Murong family must be exaggerating their losses. However, they were willing to abandon three Profound Cities, so it seems their losses are indeed significant. We have more than ten Golden Immortal cultivators defending Xuan Jade City, and Ancestor Haitang and two others were severely wounded. If not for mastering the Body Fusion Art, we wouldn't have been able to kill the seven-colored chaotic beast. It's understandable for the Murong family to have suffered greater losses."

Wang Qingshan voiced his opinion. "The Murong family's losses are certainly not small, but their abandonment of three Profound Cities is indeed strange. The Qian family and Seven-Hues Palace also abandoned their Profound Cities. When we first arrived in the Immortal Realm, the Murong family openly had no fewer than thirty Golden Immortal cultivators. After all these years, they must have at least forty Golden Immortal cultivators. Losing twenty-five wouldn't necessitate abandoning three Profound Cities, unless this is just the beginning of the Great Immortal Tribulation, and more brutal battles will erupt later."

"I agree with Ancestor Qingshan's view," Wang Yingjie said, expressing strong agreement. "Don't forget Immortal Luo Shui; she's a Golden Immortal stage diviner who can predict heavenly secrets."

"Qingfeng, Xueli, immediately return to the Sky Morning Sea Realm and bring back another mid-grade Immortal Slaying Arrow," Wang Qingshan commanded. "Yingjie, send people to collect the corpses of five-colored chaotic beasts and hand them over to the Divine Weapon Hall for refining into Chaos Armor and low-grade Immortal Slaying Arrows. Hongxue, organize alchemists to refine healing elixirs. Haitang, lead the array masters to set up formations and conscript personnel from the Sky Morning Sea Realm. Qingling and Qingxiao will remain in the Sky Morning Sea Realm; their mission is to guard Green Lotus Island well."

"Seventh Brother, should we send someone to look for father and mother?" Wang Qingfeng suggested.

"Ninth Uncle and Ninth Aunt must be engaged in something very important," Wang Qingshan said gravely. "Send people to search for them, but do it discreetly, so other factions don't discover it. Even if Ninth Uncle and Ninth Aunt aren't here, we can still defend Xuan Jade City. Our family only just managed to secure this territory; we absolutely cannot lose it."

Wang Qingfeng and the others agreed, then went their separate ways.