Chapter 139: Luo Feng’s Dilemma

The night of January 13, 2060!

The Palace of Warriors!

Most of the God-of-War level fighters and nearly all the council members had arrived, including Hong, Thunder God, Luo Feng, and Qin Ming. Even the leaders of various nations were present, their expressions somber.

The very fact that a meeting was being held in the top-floor conference hall signaled that a major event affecting the entire globe had occurred. Since the inception of the Palace of Warriors, there had been few occasions that necessitated a meeting here.

"Councilor Qin, you've arrived as well!" Jia Yi walked over.

Qin Ming nodded. "I heard about the beast tide in North America. I came immediately after receiving the notification. Do you know the specifics?"

"I know a little," Jia Yi said, his expression grave. "This beast tide erupted with shocking suddenness. No one expected it; it broke out before we even detected it. A terrifying Beast Emperor appeared and swallowed the North American base guarding the sea pass in an instant!"

"That base—a five-hundred-meter-long war fortress built entirely of alloy—was swallowed whole!" Li Dawei approached, his face still etched with shock. "Compared to this, the two Beast Emperors from before were nothing!"

Just then, a man appeared on the conference platform—it was the President of that region. His brows were tightly knitted, and his expression was heavy as he spoke with pain, "I have summoned you all here to tell you that our doomsday has arrived—a true doomsday. Early this morning, a beast tide erupted, resulting in over a million deaths and the destruction of North America's largest war base."

A murmur of discussion broke out among the crowd; clearly, many of the warriors were still unaware of the details.

"For the specifics, look at the screen," he said with a wave. A massive monitor displayed the scene as it had unfolded.

On the shore, where the blue sea met the sky, stood a war base constructed from countless tons of alloy. Measuring five hundred meters in length and dozens of meters in height, it was equipped with all manner of war weaponry, capable of repelling even King-level monsters.

Suddenly, however, the sea began to boil, and countless sea beasts surged forth. Led by six King-level monsters, they launched a surprise attack that caught the base completely off guard. Since the two sea-based Beast Emperors had been slain by Qin Ming and most of the Beast Kings eliminated, the planet had been peaceful for a long time, with even land-based beast tides becoming rare. Consequently, surveillance had gradually slackened.

The base was initially overwhelmed, though it quickly adjusted and began a counterattack, barely managing to hold the line. Soon, several councilors arrived to provide support, temporarily stabilizing the situation.

But then, a Beast Emperor appeared.

It was a creature that had never been seen before: it possessed a body like a Qilin, powerful hooves, and sharp claws. Its entire body was covered in scales that shimmered with a metallic luster, and it sported a pair of massive wings, a long tail, and a single horn atop its head. Its dark golden pupils radiated a cold, ruthless, and savage intent. By rough estimation, the beast was over 180 meters long.

"What kind of beast is that?" Luo Feng walked over. "Even though it's not huge, watching it on the screen sends a chill into my very marrow. I even feel a trace of fear rising in my heart, a desire to retreat."

"A terrifying creature!" Qin Ming said, then called out in his mind, "Babata, come out!"

"Why are you calling me?" Babata, being an artificial intelligence, could naturally enter the virtual space. He materialized on Qin Ming's shoulder. "I was in the middle of a lively chat with some young ladies!"

Qin Ming couldn't help but chuckle. Luo Feng, standing nearby, rolled his eyes.

"Take a look at this!" Qin Ming pointed to the screen.

"This is...!" After seeing the monitor, Babata began to jump up and down on Qin Ming's shoulder, extremely agitated and unable to remain calm. His rapid, urgent voice sounded only in the ears of Qin Ming and Luo Feng. "That is a Star-Devouring Beast! A Star-Devouring Beast! The legendary Star-Devouring Beast, a creature with a terrifying bloodline—how could one appear on Earth? It's impossible, simply impossible!"

"It has already appeared; that is the reality," Qin Ming communicated mentally. "As for why it came to Earth? Is there any shortage of secrets on Earth today? An extra Star-Devouring Beast doesn't seem so hard to understand!"

"That's a fair point!" Babata calmed down slightly. "The more I investigate, the stranger Earth seems. This tiny planet is buried under so many secrets that I am left with numerous questions."

"You still haven't told us what kind of Star-Devouring Beast this is," Luo Feng interjected mentally.

"It is a type of Star-Devouring Beast known as the Golden-Horned Beast. Once it reaches adulthood, it can reach the level of a World Lord—a terrifying existence!" Babata explained. "The Golden-Horned Beast belongs to the metal element; it grows rapidly and continuously by devouring metal. This type of Star-Devouring Beast is extremely savage and highly aggressive. I never expected one to appear on Earth. Judging by the situation, it seems to have reached Star Level 1. It's over, completely over. Luo Feng, Earth is doomed. No—wait, there is still hope. You still have Qin Ming!"

"Me?" Qin Ming was stunned.

Babata nodded fiercely, his eyes flickering as if he were calculating something. He then excitedly transmitted, "A Star Level 1 Golden-Horned Beast possesses countless ancestral memories and secret techniques; even a human at Star Level 9 might not be a match for it. Among humans, it can be called invincible at the Star Level—truly terrifying."

"However, Earth is incredibly lucky to have someone like Qin Ming, who is no less capable!"

"Right now, Qin Ming is at Star Level 3, and his spatial domain has reached the fourth stage. He is fully capable of contending with the Golden-Horned Beast, or even defeating it!"

"This is great, absolutely great!"

"Qin Ming, you must cripple the Golden-Horned Beast and let Luo Feng possess it. That way, Luo Feng can shed the weaknesses of the human bloodline and grow at a terrifying speed. Adulthood means becoming a World Lord, and with my cultivation, reaching the Undying level won't be difficult either. In the future, you two brothers can stand side by side and conquer the universe!" Babata was incredibly excited.

"Is a Star Level Golden-Horned Beast truly invincible among human Star-level fighters? Qin Ming is only Star Level 3—is he confident?" Luo Feng frowned.

"Of course he has a chance!" Babata narrowed his eyes. "It would be best to test it first, to see what abilities the Golden-Horned Beast possesses. That will increase the odds of success!"

"Let's not talk about that for now," Luo Feng said. "If you want me to possess it, I'm only at Planet Level 3 right now. Possess a Star-level creature? A Star-Devouring Beast at that? Babata, you're asking me to commit suicide!"

"Didn't I just say? First, have Qin Ming cripple it. Do you understand? Once it's crippled, its energy and spirit will be depleted, and its willpower will drop to its lowest point. Plus, you have the soul seal left behind by the old master—the chances of success are very high!"

"Even if I succeed, wouldn't I become a Golden-Horned Beast? How could I continue to live among humans? I have parents, a younger brother, and a wife!"

"What does that matter? The body is merely an outward appearance; the soul is fundamental. Your soul is human; no matter what species your body becomes, in your heart, you remain human. As for your wife? Well, ahem..." Babata rolled his eyes. "That's nothing! I've browsed human databases and checked historical records. It seems that before the Great Nirvana, there were legends: Ning Caichen was with a ghost—that is, he bonded with a soul; Xu Xian was with a snake and even had a very smart baby; and there's that show 'The Journey of Flower' where a character named Luo Shiyi slept with a caterpillar. Compared to them, what is this to you?"

Luo Feng felt a headache coming on.

Qin Ming couldn't help but grin. "When I was reading through the archives, I discovered that there are secret techniques in the universe for creating clones. Luo Feng, after you possess the Golden-Horned Beast, your cultivation will surely be extremely fast. Once we find the secret technique for creating clones in the future, won't that solve the problem? You have seen it yourself: even such special life forms as Star-Devouring Beasts have appeared on Earth. Surely, powerful beings from the universe will descend in the future. If we don't improve our strength now, how will we face them then?"

"Let me think, let me think carefully," Luo Feng scratched his head. "Let's just defeat the Golden-Horned Beast first. Otherwise, everything else is just empty talk."

"Agreed, let's take down the Golden-Horned Beast first!" Qin Ming nodded.