Zhou Hao held the Ring of Holding Murong had returned to him. She had not touched any of the three bottles of pills inside, and he planned to take the Metamorphosis Pill.
He did not know what effect it would have, but Murong had said the Metamorphosis Pill would benefit him, so taking one more should not be a problem.
Zhou Hao acted as soon as the thought struck him. He poured out the Metamorphosis Pill and swallowed it in one gulp.
This time, the reaction was slower than before. The cool sensation coursing through his body was also far less memorable than last time. His body had probably developed a certain degree of resistance, so the medicinal effect would be much weaker.
Even so, a great surge of energy still washed through every meridian in his body before finally gathering at his Dantian and condensing into a Green Core slightly smaller than the first one.
After the medicinal effect ended, Zhou Hao looked inward and discovered that two inner cores had appeared in his Dantian, one large and one small, like mother and child.
Zhou Hao decided to call them "Core Number One" and "Core Number Two." Naturally, Core Number One was the larger one.
He withdrew from his inner vision, rose to his feet, and put away the remaining Body-Reforming Pill and Supreme Rejuvenation Pill.
He had no use for those two pills for the time being. The Body-Reforming Pill only worked when the first pill was consumed, while the Supreme Rejuvenation Pill was a holy medicine for healing injuries, which he did not currently need.
Zhou Hao clapped his hands, looked around every corner of the secret chamber, and murmured, "It's time to leave."
He had now reached the Spiritual Consciousness Fifth Stage, exceeding the level requirement Du Tianhong had left behind. He intended to leave this secret chamber now.
He had stayed here so long these past few days that he was practically growing mold.
"Jinyin Yuanbao, come here." Zhou Hao beckoned to Zhou Yuanbao and the others.
Zhou Yuanbao and Mu Jinyin immediately flew over and called out in unison, "Dad."
Zhou Hao studied them for a moment, then asked thoughtfully, "Can you become smaller?"
With his height added to Zhou Yuanbao and Mu Jinyin, this coffin did not seem large enough to fit them all.
"Of course!" With a whoosh, Zhou Yuanbao became a tiny loach around ten centimeters long.
Mu Jinyin shrank as well, turning into a little red chick and flying onto Zhou Hao's head.
Zhou Hao stared at them in surprise. Though he had guessed they possessed the ability to grow and shrink, seeing it with his own eyes still startled him.
He calmed the astonishment in his heart and beckoned to Zhou Yuanbao. "Wrap around my wrist. You can serve as an accessory."
"One divine crystal." Zhou Yuanbao unexpectedly said.
Zhou Hao stared at him in astonishment and grumbled inwardly, Good heavens, he's really heading down the path of a money-grubber.
His face immediately darkened. "I'm your dad. You want money even for doing a little thing for me?"
"Exactly." Mu Jinyin cut in. "Dad, I suggest you stop giving him divine crystals in the future and give them all to me instead! This unfilial son."
The corner of Zhou Hao's mouth twitched nonstop, and veins bulged on his forehead. Were these two really young cubs that had only just been born? Their thoughts were far too impure.
He immediately plucked Mu Jinyin off his head and set him beside Zhou Yuanbao, then pointed at them both again and again. But because he had not thought of the right words to scold them with, he was temporarily speechless.
At last, he finally forced out, "If you two don't behave, I'll tell your mother. The next time she comes, you'll be in for it."
Surprisingly, those words worked. Zhou Yuanbao and Mu Jinyin immediately became much more obedient.
What could they do? Their mother was powerful—and rich!
Seeing the two of them like this, Zhou Hao could only sigh inwardly, Murong really is the one who can handle them!
He shook his head, sighed, and beckoned to Zhou Yuanbao again. "Come here."
This time, Zhou Yuanbao obediently went over and wrapped himself around Zhou Hao's wrist joint.
Not bad at all—a bracelet shaped like a golden dragon looked quite good.
Zhou Hao rubbed the bracelet with satisfaction and smiled. "Be a good bracelet. If you perform well, I'll give you divine crystals."
The "bracelet's" eyes lit up as he happily replied, "Yes, Dad."
"I can perform well too," Mu Jinyin hurriedly chimed in.
Zhou Hao smiled smugly and nodded. "Fine. As long as you behave well, there'll be no shortage of divine crystals for you."
In truth, he could use a spell technique to restrain them, even force Zhou Yuanbao and Mu Jinyin to obey orders. But he did not want to use such a method; it went against his conscience.
Zhou Hao steadied his mind, turned his gaze toward the coffin, and raised a smile.
He was finally leaving this place. He was finally going to see daylight again. He wondered what kind of scenery awaited outside.
With anticipation in his heart, Zhou Hao took a firm step toward the coffin.
Over these past days, he had gone from nothing to something. Put in more modern terms, he had unlocked a whole lot of cheats.
His strength had reached the Spiritual Consciousness Fifth Stage. He possessed a set of clothes of unknown grade, a sword of unknown grade, two Green Cores in his body, a body improved by the Body-Reforming Pill, completely opened meridians, and a heap of crystals along with divine crystals.
Most importantly, he had the two divine beasts, Zhou Yuanbao and Mu Jinyin. With their strength, there was nothing to fear wherever he went.
And most, most, most... most importantly, a powerful Empress so formidable she barely seemed human was standing behind him now.
With all these cheats, wouldn't he be able to swagger sideways after going out?
Zhou Hao thought smugly as he stopped before the coffin. He turned back for one final look around the secret chamber. It was time to say goodbye.
He took a deep breath and stepped decisively into the coffin.
The overturned coffin lid flew up under the control of his spiritual consciousness and perfectly covered the coffin.
Darkness fell before Zhou Hao's eyes. He immediately released his spiritual power and poured it into the coffin.
The spiritual power flowed along the patterns carved into the coffin. Once it filled the entire coffin, a dazzling flash erupted, illuminating the whole secret chamber as brightly as day.
The flash lasted only an instant before vanishing. Once the light disappeared, the secret chamber fell into a scalp-numbing silence...
Zhou Hao's eyes suddenly brightened, and the scene had already changed. When he raised his head to inspect his surroundings, he saw a bloody sight that left him utterly shocked.
A village stained red with blood appeared before his eyes. He could even hear people roaring and screaming.
Zhou Hao's mind instantly went blank. "What... is this?"
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