Chen Yu bounced over with a plop.
Though he looked like nothing more than a harmless Slime, the scent of their fallen companions lingering on that savage carapace stabbed at the beetles' nerves.
With every step closer he came, they felt their bodies sinking into an abyss of fear.
In the end, after leaving behind several corpses, all the beetles retreated from beneath the tree and abandoned the territory they had fought over for so long.
The war ended in a hasty fashion.
Yet it was also a victory that had been only natural.
The Slime had defeated its natural enemies, completely seized Oak Territory, and become the true Oak Overlord.
But to Chen Yu, something else was clearly worth celebrating even more.
"Seja, help me gather the beetle corpses."
At the thought of soon getting to eat delicious beetle meat, bubbles of delight rose from Chen Yu's gelatinous body.
"Are you going to use these beetles to make new armor?"
Seja gathered beetles larger than fists into her arms, but her gaze fell upon the Beetle Helmet the Slime wore.
"You wouldn't know this, would you?"
"These beetles are delicious food."
"Food?"
The Slime treated its natural enemies as food?
Fortunately, Seja had long grown accustomed to how unusual the messenger was.
What she was more curious about was whether these beetles really tasted so good that the messenger was looking forward to them this much.
Digger Beetles were Demonic Beasts as hard as stone and usually dwelled underground. She had scarcely ever encountered them, much less eaten them.
"Oh, right. Help me collect the Stinger Bee corpses too."
Chen Yu hopped over to the entrance beneath the tree.
All the beetles inside had already left. Only some stone lumps he could not recognize remained, glittering brightly. They were probably treasures the beetles had hoarded.
Since the beetles had already left, they all belonged to him now.
Chen Yu swallowed all the stones in one gulp and carried them outside.
"Seja, help me see what treasures these are."
Chen Yu spat the glittering stones onto the ground, where they were still smeared with slime.
"Let me see."
Seja picked up a stone from the ground and examined it closely with her amber slit pupils.
"Huh?"
"There are Gray Grit Crystals here too?"
"What are Gray Grit Crystals?"
"Gray Crystals that can occasionally be found along the riverbank. I don't know what they are used for, but the humans across the river seem to like them. They often trade food for these stones."
"Maybe they're some kind of magical material."
Seja's tone was uncertain.
"Let me take a look."
Chen Yu's interest was piqued. He swallowed the tiny crystals again and studied them carefully.
Acid corrosion?
No change. They were harder than ordinary stone and could not be digested.
Bring them near the Magic Organ?
The Mana replenishment phenomenon he had imagined did not occur.
So what exactly was this thing for?
Was it really a magical material?
Chen Yu idly churned the Gray Grit Crystals in his stomach when, for a brief instant, he seemed to see one crystal flash.
Hm?
It did not seem to be an illusion.
Wait, could it be?!
Chen Yu's entire gelatinous body swayed and bounced several times, as if he were utterly shocked.
What had reacted with the Gray Grit Crystal just now seemed to be the Spiritual Power he had gathered.
When he continued pouring Spiritual Power into it, the Gray Grit Crystal indeed began to emit a hazy glow. Like a light bulb, it illuminated the Slime's body.
At that moment, he seemed to have transformed into light itself.
"Ah, are you returning to Putu's divine kingdom?"
Seja stared blankly at the glowing Slime and could not help beginning to pray.
"What nonsense are you talking about? This stone is glowing."
Chen Yu spat out the glowing Gray Grit Crystal. It fell to the ground and slowly cast bright, gentle light in every direction.
He thought that compared to Gray Grit Crystal, the name light bulb stone suited it better. Or perhaps it should be called Zeyarila's version of a Spirit Stone.
It might only be glowing, but it had genuinely stored the Spiritual Power he had poured into it.
If this was not a Spirit Stone, then what was?
Chen Yu felt as though the door to a new world had opened before him. With Spirit Stones, some ideas that had existed only in his mind might finally have hope of becoming reality.
What could Spirit Stones do in Xuxuantian?
Besides serving as currency, they could be used for cultivation, restoring Spiritual Power, array formation, talisman drawing...
They were basically the cultivation world's version of batteries. Their uses were simply too numerous.
He could not help recalling the Maze Formation Diagram in his possession. With Spirit Stones, perhaps he could...
Chen Yu indulged in his fantasies for a while before coming back to his senses.
"You said there are many Gray Grit Crystals along the riverbank?"
"Not many. You can only occasionally find them."
"If you want them, I can sneak back and pick up some."
"Forget it. Corrupted Believers are roaming around the riverbank. It's too dangerous to send you out."
He did not want Seja to be captured by those mad believers over a few Spirit Stones.
Chen Yu swallowed the Gray Grit Crystals again, slipped into the Swamp, and returned to the Slime Nest.
It was excellent that Gray Grit Crystals could store Spiritual Power, but they were too conspicuous. He could only bury them in the nest for now and deal with them later.
As for right now,
He was hungry!
In the camp, the bonfire crackled as it burned through the firewood. Seja pried open the beetles' shells with wolf fangs and roasted them in the flames.
The insect meat inside was golden and gleaming, like plump crab roe, and like oyster flesh blanketed in golden and silver garlic. Its rich fragrance lingered around the camp for a long time.
"So, so fragrant."
Seja's nose twitched, and she nearly drooled.
Chen Yu was focused on stuffing himself and did not notice her expression.
With a slurp, he swallowed Beetle Paste mixed with Stinger Bee meat into his gel.
The Beetle Paste was rich and savory, carrying an unusual mushroom-like fragrance.
The Stinger Bee meat had a flavor all its own. Once roasted, it resembled stretchy cheese, savory and full-bodied.
Delicious!
Chen Yu chomped away, unable to count how much he had eaten. In the end, his body swelled by a full circle and became round and plump. Only then did he lie atop a rock, bubbling happily.
Satisfied.
Though he seemed to have eaten too much and could not really move now.
Whatever. Who cared?
Chen Yu happily narrowed his eyes. Warmth gradually wrapped around his body, and he grew drowsy.
Seeing this, Seja curiously picked up a warm beetle shell, carefully leaned toward its edge, and tentatively slurped down a small mouthful.
The scorching, thick golden roe and meat had barely slid into her mouth when the flavor burst across her tongue. First came an overwhelming freshness and sweetness washing over her taste buds. The roe was unbelievably delicate, with a faint sticky softness, melting gently over her tongue and releasing an even richer, more complex fragrance.
She could even clearly hear the faint yet enticing gurgle of the thick juices being stirred around in her mouth.
Mmm?!
Delicious!
Her amber slit pupils brightened noticeably, and her tail swayed back and forth, unable to conceal the joy in her heart.
So Digger Beetles were such delicious food?
Then she took another bite of the Stinger Bee, roasted crisp outside and tender within.
She was too happy to say a word...
The bonfire burned, and the camp was quiet and peaceful. Yet at the edge of the Swamp, a storm of blood and slaughter was brewing.
Before you continue