Turmoil

For the next three days, aside from accompanying Liu Wenyin to buy groceries every day, Su Ze spent all his remaining time diligently practicing his dance skills in the courtyard.

Since both Liu Wenyin and Aunt Yun had already seen him dance, Su Ze no longer felt embarrassed and practiced openly.

The results were quite good. With Swan Dance and the Body Conditioning and Digestion Tablets, at his current pace, he would completely digest the Immortal Salamander extract in another four or five days.

However, practicing Swan Dance too much also placed quite a burden on his body, leaving his waist sore, his back aching, his butt numb, and his hips cramping. Su Ze stopped once he had practiced enough each day, spending the rest of his time learning some Evolutionary Science from Liu Wenyin.

It was worth mentioning that during this period, Liu Wenyin successfully completed her second evolution and became a Cocoon Breaking Stage evolver.

Of course, without any combat skills, she was still utterly useless in a fight.

Moreover, while buying groceries these past few days, Su Ze and the others had constantly heard that something unusual was happening in the Black Rock Mountain Range.

Besides the continued discovery of exotic beast corpses, it was said that someone had encountered a foul-smelling madman in the mountains.

Su Ze and the others naturally thought of Feng Buqing at once.

It was not difficult to guess that most of the dead exotic beasts in the Black Rock Mountain Range had been killed by Feng Buqing.

Although Feng Buqing seemed hostile toward no one after going mad, exotic beasts would actively attack humans. As Feng Buqing wandered recklessly through the Black Rock Mountain Range, he would inevitably provoke many exotic beasts into attacking him, only to be killed in return.

No traces of exotic beasts above Tier 4 had ever been found in the Black Rock Mountain Range. Feng Buqing could run rampant in there without restraint.

Su Ze and Liu Wenyin exchanged a glance, each seeing a hint of concern in the other's eyes.

They both sensed that the area around the Black Rock Mountain Range would not remain peaceful.

If Feng Buqing kept going mad like this, sooner or later he would cause an even greater commotion, drawing the attention of the Mu Kingdom and Luofan Kingdom authorities. And since the Netherworld Organization had lost a Saint-level elder, they certainly would not give up searching for him.

When that time came, these three forces might stir up a great storm over Feng Buqing.

Black Rock City and Mengka City, which lay right beside the Black Rock Mountain Range, were undoubtedly at the center of that storm.

Su Ze said, "Once Aunt Yun has recovered enough, we'll leave Mengka City immediately."

Liu Wenyin's expression darkened. "That is Aunt Yun's intention as well. She does not have much time left. Before she goes, she wants to escort us back to the Dongli Kingdom."

Su Ze froze, then asked, "How much time?"

"About two months." Liu Wenyin sighed. "Using the Dream Weaver's Eye before caused irreparable damage to her body. A great deal of her vitality was drained away. At most, she only has two months left."

"Is there no solution?"

"Almost none."

"Almost none? Then there is one."

After a moment of silence, Liu Wenyin said, "The best and most direct way is for Aunt Yun to complete her fourth evolution and break through to Saint level. Her lifespan would naturally be extended."

The first three evolutions merely improved the human body's physical condition, making it healthier, but they did not directly extend one's lifespan.

Only by completing the fourth evolution and becoming a Saint-level lifeform could one gain a longer lifespan. Saint-level lifeforms could live to at least two hundred years old.

In other words, as long as Aunt Yun could break through to Saint level, she could extend her life by at least a hundred years.

"Which stage of the Butterfly Transformation Stage is Aunt Yun currently at?" Su Ze asked, unwilling to give up.

"She has absorbed two vials of extract," Liu Wenyin replied.

Su Ze fell silent.

To evolve from the Butterfly Transformation Stage to Saint level, one needed to absorb Tier 4 extract—the extract of Saint-level exotic beasts.

Aunt Yun had currently absorbed two vials of Tier 4 extract and was still one final vial short.

Extracts of this level were already priceless and impossible to buy even with money, but that was not the key issue.

Su Ze believed that although Tier 4 extract was scarce, the Dongli Kingdom could still produce it. If not, he still had one million Evolution Technology points and could purchase a vial of Tier 4 extract himself. He could consider it an investment; giving it to Aunt Yun would be no problem.

Even setting aside personal ties, spending one million points in exchange for a Saint-level backer would be absolutely worthwhile.

But the problem was that Aunt Yun had only two months left. That little time was not even enough to digest the extract, let alone attempt a fourth evolution.

Su Ze could only say, "Once we return to the Dongli Kingdom, perhaps there will be a way there."

"Mm." Liu Wenyin nodded, though neither she nor Su Ze held much hope.

What Su Ze and Liu Wenyin feared still happened.

The very next day, explosive news spread through Mengka City's evolver circles.

A team of Hunters had entered the mountains to hunt and happened upon the legendary foul-smelling madman. They recognized the ring on the madman's hand as a treasure and tried to seize it.

The result, of course, was total annihilation.

Only one female evolver on the team survived. Because she was a healing-type evolver and had not participated in the battle from beginning to end, the madman did not kill her.

It was this survivor who brought back the news. At the same time, she confirmed the madman's strength: a Saint-level evolver who had evolved four times!

Saint-level powerhouses were supreme beings in the eyes of ordinary people. Telling them now that a Saint-level powerhouse had gone mad and was slaughtering everything in the Black Rock Mountain Range was no different from a fantasy tale, and many could not believe it.

But the deaths of so many people were undeniable.

The news spread like the wind through Mengka City and Black Rock City, making Hunters on both sides too afraid to enter the mountains to hunt again.

As the news spread further and the incident grew larger, more details and deeper information were uncovered.

The Tainted One, cursed by the God of Evolution for absorbing the extracts of their own kind and giving off a foul stench, entered the public eye for the first time.

Ordinary citizens knew that the laws of every nation strictly prohibited absorbing human extract, but they did not know that doing so would also cause one to reek. Previously, only evolvers of relatively high standing knew this information.

Upon learning that the mad Saint-level evolver in the Black Rock Mountain Range was a Tainted One who symbolized evil, the residents of both cities became fearful for their safety, afraid that Feng Buqing would come to the cities and begin a massacre.

Neither Black Rock City nor Mengka City had a Saint-level powerhouse stationed there. Once Feng Buqing came to kill, no one would be able to stop him.

For a time, those with the means fled with their entire families to other cities. Those without the means could only seek help online, asking the nation to send Saint-level powerhouses to kill Feng Buqing and restore peace to the two cities.

The Hunters of both cities also pressured the authorities through their respective channels.

As long as Feng Buqing remained, they would not dare enter the mountains to hunt, cutting off their income. Furthermore, the various evolution-related items produced by the Black Rock Mountain Range were an important economic pillar of both cities.

Under the pressure of overwhelming public opinion, the Mu Kingdom and Luofan Kingdom authorities both had no choice but to act.

The authorities of both nations immediately stated that they would dispatch Saint-level powerhouses to the Black Rock Mountain Range at once.