Chapter 1155: Shen Gongbao

Old Gu swallowed the luminous white fruit in one gulp. Faintly, a human-headed, snake-tailed creature could be seen glowing within him, then exploding into a dazzling shower of light that, with a rumble, merged into his flesh and blood.

"Agh!"

Old Gu's delicate face instantly contorted as he writhed on the ground in agony. The bloodline fruit, uniquely suited for him, began to take effect within his body, activating his latent life factors.

Many species appear to have pure bloodlines, but their ancestral origins might actually contain the essence of various prehistoric beasts, which can be awakened through specific methods.

The bloodline fruit earned its global renown, often said to defy fate, due to its stability, remarkable efficacy, and minimal side effects. It has the power to activate a hidden, potent bloodline within an individual, causing them to revert to their original, pure-blooded form.

Old Gu's body twisted, no longer human. His legs had transformed into a massive, thick snake tail, shimmering purplish-gold with glowing scales. He thrashed it against the ground, violently splitting the small, temporary island into four pieces.

"Whoa, Old Gu's revealed his true form! He's really a beautiful snake. Look at that tail—it’s shimmering purple and incredibly long. No wonder this race is rumored to be beautiful mystical beings!"

Dong Dahu, unable to stay silent, chattered away, critically assessing Old Gu. It was his first time seeing Old Gu's true form.

Old Gu was furious. "Beautiful snake, my ass!" he thought. "What kind of vision is that? I'm an ancient man who's lived since prehistoric times, and they're giving me female descriptions!" He felt like barbecuing the mutant Savage Tiger.

However, Chu Feng's comment also dealt a blow: "Old Gu, that's not fair! You're a beautiful snake, and you hid it so well! Does your elder brother Li also belong to this race?"

"Get lost!" Old Gu snapped, annoyed.

Dong Dahu shook his head, remarking, "Look, he's even embarrassed now! I never imagined Old Gu's figure could be so slender and graceful. That large tail certainly has beautiful lines, though, of course, I'm viewing it from a snake's perspective."

"Remember, this is a Dao Body, understand?!" Old Gu roared, writhing in pain yet still lecturing the two who clearly didn't understand the ancient lore of prehistoric races.

Dong Dahu pouted. "Are you kidding me? You're clearly a beautiful snake, not a 'Dao Body.' I might as well claim to be a 'Chaos Body' then!"

Old Gu exploded. "You ignorant fool! You should know how the character 'Dao' is written—it literally depicts a human head and a snake body, doesn't it? That's why I am a Dao Body, from the Dao Race!"

"Who are you trying to fool? Do you really think I don't read? Back when Earth hadn't even revived, I gained sentience in the vast Siberian snowfields, reciting the *Huangting* every day. After moving to the Greater Khingan Mountains in the northeast, I read the *Daodejing* daily. How could I not recognize the character 'Dao'? You, an ancient beautiful snake from the Yang World, insisting on telling me how the 'Dao' character is written in the Lesser Yin World—that's just too fake, isn't it?"

"You… don't understand a thing!" Old Gu spluttered, choking with anger. "In this world, some characters are universal across all realms because they represent the most direct manifestations. The character 'Dao' is one such example. My ancestors transcended from the prehistoric Dao Race to become the Savage Dao Race!"

"Is that true? You're putting on quite a show," the Northeastern Tiger said, suspicious.

"That's a big-tailed snake!" Chu Feng corrected.

Comparatively, Chu Feng experienced the least change; his body merely glowed faintly, with wisps of primal chaos energy flowing through his flesh. He underwent no significant mutation.

This unaligned fruit was perfectly balanced and mild, with no side effects. It didn't cause him to undergo any drastic transformations.

After a long wait, Old Gu stopped writhing and stood up, having reverted to his human form. Chu Feng then asked him, "Old Gu, why don't I seem to have changed at all?"

Old Gu stared at him for a long time before sighing. "Your Human King blood is remarkably pure. The less change, the better, indicating it was already pristine. However, with time, you will eventually undergo a transformation. The color of your Human King blood will certainly no longer be blue; a secondary mutation of the King blood will occur."

Chu Feng pondered his words, then felt relieved.

If his Human King blood mutated again, his strength would undoubtedly rise, and his potential would surge.

However, this would require time. The bloodline fruit induces profound changes, affecting genetic attributes, and such transformations cannot happen overnight. That would be too overwhelming; no creature could withstand it. Instead, the changes occur gradually and imperceptibly.

For example, if Dong Dahu were to suddenly transform from a donkey into a Savage Tiger, how could that be possible? Such a drastic change would surely cause his body to collapse!

During this process, Dong Dahu's metabolism would accelerate and then surge, leading to a gradual change in his physique.

"Old Gu, tell me, what does a Savage Tiger actually look like? They seem to be extinct in the Yang World now; there aren't even any legends left about this incredibly powerful race."

Dong Dahu, feeling uneasy, also consulted Old Gu.

"It seems to be… a black and white tiger. I'm guessing your body's colors are already set."

Dong Dahu listened, stunned. His fur was already like that—black and white—but now, from his brow downwards, his left side was jet black while his right side was pure white. What on earth kind of fur coloring was this?!

His mind instantly exploded. Did this mean he would forever be a "yin-yang face" from now on?!

Dong Dahu immediately panicked. "Old Gu, I'm going to fight you! You tricked me! Fix this quickly, or how can I ever show my face in public?!"

Old Gu pondered. "It's not without a solution. We could try a fusion method. I recall you picked a leopard bloodline fruit earlier. Savage Leopards are covered in dense patterns. You could try eating a small portion of that leopard fruit this time. While it won't further mutate your bloodline, it would likely give you an additional layer of patterned fur. That way, you wouldn't look so odd, and you'd appear more like a tiger."

Without a word, Dong Dahu found the fruit, bit off a small portion, and immediately began to writhe on the ground in unbearable pain. The transformation and turmoil started anew.

Three days and three nights later!

After his initial fusion, Dong Dahu looked at his reflection on the water's surface, then immediately jumped up, roaring, "Old Gu, you bastard, I'm going to fight you!"

He chased Old Gu, ready to fight him to the death.

From a distance, Chu Feng's mouth twitched. Brother Tiger's transformation was just too…

How to put it? He still appeared primarily black and white, but was now covered in numerous spots, all shaped like ancient coins. He no longer resembled a tiger at all; instead, he was clearly a mottled, mixed-blood leopard with gaudy, garish fur. It was truly an unsightly transformation!

"Let's talk this out! Stop, don't fight!" Old Gu shouted as he fled. He felt he was in the wrong and didn't retaliate much.

"Talk what?! I've become Shen Gongbao now! Give me back my Savage Tiger body!" Dong Dahu roared, utterly enraged.

"Stop, and I'll find a solution for you!" Old Gu commanded.

Finally, things quieted down. Dong Dahu, wearing a hostile expression, glared at Old Gu. This was truly a betrayal; his appearance was becoming increasingly disheartening and absurd with each transformation.

"I was just brainstorming when I gave you that idea," Old Gu admitted. "It seems I was mistaken."

Dong Dahu immediately bristled upon hearing this. His fur stood on end as he angrily retorted, "Old Gu, you're too wicked! You mean this was just a random thought? I thought you were following some established path! You just casually experimented on me? That's despicable!"

"I thought wrong. I believe you should try a cat bloodline fruit. That race is most similar to tigers and could give you aesthetically pleasing patterns."

"Just stop it! If I listen to you again, who knows what I'll turn into!" The Northeastern Tiger's body trembled with rage. He refused to experiment on himself any further, convinced that Old Gu's methods were utterly unethical.

Old Gu comforted him, explaining that the Savage Tiger bloodline was exceptionally dominant and astonishingly powerful, capable of assimilating and merging with other racial bloodlines. Therefore, his strength would remain immense and unaffected, and his appearance would gradually revert to that of a true Savage Tiger, certainly not the so-called Shen Gongbao.

They stayed on the small island for several days, waiting for their respective bloodlines to stabilize and begin their steady evolution towards Savage bloodlines, before finally discussing their departure.

"Old Gu, look at that island! There are quite a few corpses of powerful beings there. Don't you consider indulging in a feast? For Nine Nether Ghouls to grow strong, they need to consume ancient, sentient corpses that have existed for eons. That's where your hope for ascension lies."

Dong Dahu teased him; these two now bickered whenever they had nothing else to do.

"Get lost! Do I look like an ordinary Nine Nether Ghoul? This old man has his own methods of evolution; I don't eat decaying corpses!" Old Gu glared.

Chu Feng interjected, "Stop arguing, both of you. Old Gu, do you think that ancient bloodline tree itself might be even more precious? Its medicinal properties could be far more astonishing than all the bloodline fruits combined!"

"What do you mean?" Old Gu asked suspiciously.

"Think about it," Chu Feng explained, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "This ancient bloodline tree has existed since antiquity. Every time it flowers and bears fruit, it selfishly absorbs more than half of the bloodline fruits itself. So, imagine how potent its branches and roots must be! It has fused the bloodline essence of countless races. What kind of transformation would occur if we were to consume the branches of this parent tree?"

"That's right!" Dong Dahu exclaimed, suddenly excited. "The most potent medicinal effects are concentrated in the parent tree—it's practically the ultimate supreme treasure, having merged the bloodlines of all spirits!"

Upon hearing this, Old Gu scoffed, curling his lips. "Stop dreaming. Do you think you're the first ones to come up with that idea? Historically, many other beings have had the same thought, and they all met the same fate."

"What fate?" Chu Feng and Dong Dahu asked in unison.

"Their cultivation didn't improve much, but they became 'unspeakable' prematurely. Different individuals who consumed the branches of the ancient bloodline tree transformed into various monstrous forms, all terrifying beyond measure."

"Hiss!" Chu Feng and Dong Dahu gasped, their enthusiasm extinguished.

"Let's go. It's time to return to the Yang World continent!"

Ultimately, they departed quietly, emerging from that spatial node. They then traveled across the vast sea, returned to the Divine Continent of Dongsheng, and from there, ventured deeper into the Yang World's mainland.

They continuously traversed the void, utilizing the energy of teleportation fields to travel long distances across various states.

Soon after, Chu Feng and his companions arrived in Ming Prefecture, a highly prosperous state inhabited by the Sub-Immortal Race and several ancient super-families.

As Chu Feng and his companions, having altered their appearances, entered the colossal city with its countless towering skyscrapers and monumental buildings, they spotted a carriage soaring through the sky in the distance.

This sight seemed rather out of place: a vehicle from a divine-demonic civilization entering a modern metropolis.

"Ying Zhexian!" With a swift glance, Chu Feng saw Ying Zhexian seated in the carriage pulled by a black Qilin. It seemed her status was indeed significant to have such a valuable vehicle as her personal conveyance.

After entering the city, Chu Feng and his companions were surprised to discover a gladiatorial arena, whose style seemed somewhat at odds with the modern urban setting.

The massive gladiatorial arena was indeed real.

Chu Feng saw many posters, several meters tall, all featuring gladiators.

While high-level evolvers were naturally featured, the posters also displayed gladiators of lower evolutionary stages.

Soon, Chu Feng grew unsettled. His body trembled slightly as he clenched his fists, for on one of the posters, he saw the image of an old acquaintance. How could they have fallen to such a plight?!

I actually intended to write three chapters, just to surprise you all. But then I saw a comment from a reader in this chapter's discussion section who said that if I updated three chapters today, he would livestream himself soaking his "little buddy" in sulfuric acid. After thinking it over, I decided to be merciful and let him remain safe and sound. I just couldn't bring myself to do it; I'm too soft-hearted.