A Greater Phantasmal Demon Cub?

"It all made sense now."

Ten minutes later, Xu Qianqian sat on the hotel bed and learned everything from Su Ming. Her expression grew grave.

"I didn't expect this matter to involve the possible existence of a Greater Phantasmal Demon. This really is troublesome."

Xu Qianqian bit her finger. Her expression was just as uncertain as Su Ming's had been when he first learned of the matter.

There was no helping it. Anything related to a Greater Phantasmal Demon was of extraordinary importance. Even a great family like the Xu Family couldn't ignore the threat posed by one.

That was a monster that required at least a Four-star Hunter and a Four-star Warlock to deal with.

And that only meant they would have a chance to deal with it. Whether they could successfully hunt it was another matter entirely.

To Su Ming and Xu Qianqian, who had yet to graduate, such an existence was utterly beyond their reach. The same was true for most professional Hunters and professional Warlocks.

Thus, if a Greater Phantasmal Demon came from the Spirit Fiend Abyss into the mortal world and appeared among humanity, even a Base City would have to become vigilant and take it seriously.

A Phantasmal Demon of that level posed far too great a threat to humanity.

Of course—

"Whether a Greater Phantasmal Demon has actually appeared is still uncertain." Su Ming said to Xu Qianqian, "I'm only making a guess. There are still several doubts in it. I called you here because I wanted to hear what you think."

Su Ming didn't arrogantly assume that his deduction was definitely correct.

Even though the deduction was supported by a certain amount of evidence, Su Ming didn't want to blindly jump to a conclusion.

He had called Xu Qianqian over precisely because he wanted her opinion.

This young lady of the Xu Family might be somewhat inexperienced in worldly affairs, but she was well-informed and knowledgeable. Perhaps she would have a different perspective.

Sure enough—

"Your deduction makes sense, but I think there may be some discrepancies."

Xu Qianqian thought for a long while before offering her opinion.

"Leaving everything else aside, if a Greater Phantasmal Demon had really appeared in Longyao City, this Base City absolutely wouldn't be as peaceful as it is now. A major incident would have happened long ago."

That argument wasn't without merit.

"I think so too." Su Ming nodded in agreement. "Phantasmal Demons all feed on blood. Their essence and even their power are concentrated in their blood. Once an ordinary Lesser Phantasmal Demon comes to the mortal world, it will cause quite a few murders while hunting for blood. As for an existence like a Greater Phantasmal Demon, if it came to the mortal world, it would inevitably cause a catastrophe over its need for blood."

The power of a Greater Phantasmal Demon was utterly incomparable to that of a Lesser Phantasmal Demon.

Correspondingly, a Greater Phantasmal Demon's need for blood was also far greater than a Lesser Phantasmal Demon's.

To put it simply, a Greater Phantasmal Demon had a much bigger appetite and needed far more nourishment than a Lesser Phantasmal Demon. Moreover, as evolved individuals, they craved fresh blood to continue improving and evolving. That hunger was far beyond what lesser trash like Lesser Phantasmal Demons could compare to.

"If a Greater Phantasmal Demon really appeared in the mortal world, especially if it appeared directly inside a Base City, with tens of millions of 'meals' right in front of it, it couldn't possibly remain indifferent, much less restrain itself from attacking." Su Ming continued, "Given its need for blood, it would be absolutely impossible for it to appear without causing thousands of deaths."

That was the point Su Ming and Xu Qianqian found suspicious.

"If that suspicious group really is pursuing a Greater Phantasmal Demon, then the Greater Phantasmal Demon couldn't possibly have failed to cause a massive massacre in Longyao City, even if only to fill its belly." Xu Qianqian said, "Besides, I don't believe a Greater Phantasmal Demon could be chased around by a group of suspicious Hunters and Warlocks."

That was true.

Although the Hunters and Warlocks in that suspicious group were all professionals, based on Su Ming and Xu Qianqian's observations, they had concluded that the group's Hunters and Warlocks were at most Three-star.

For example, the leader was probably a Three-star Hunter. It was unlikely that he had reached Four-star or above.

Every Hunter of Four-star or above was a renowned figure. Even the higher-ups of a Base City had to treat them with caution.

An existence like that was unlikely to be casually ordered around by a Base City's higher-ups and sent running after an unknown, mysterious Phantasmal Demon.

Considering this, the highest star rank in that suspicious group was probably only Three-star.

One-, Two-, and Three-star Hunters and Warlocks were collectively known in the industry as Low-level Professionals. It wasn't very difficult for a Base City's higher-ups to order around, recruit, or even train Professionals of that level.

Four-, Five-, and Six-star Hunters and Warlocks were known in the industry as High-level Professionals. They were far fewer in number than Low-level Professionals and much stronger as well. For a Base City's higher-ups to casually order around, recruit, or train them was extremely difficult.

As for Seven-star Hunters and Warlocks, they were existences equivalent to Hunter Kings and Grand Warlocks.

Figures of that level were as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns in the human world. Most Base Cities didn't even have a single Seven-star Hunter or Warlock.

In Longyao City, for example, the highest star rank in the entire Base City was Six-star.

The neighboring Qilan City and QH City were the same. Their highest star rank was only Six-star.

Only Yinze City, whose population exceeded ninety million and which ranked first among the four coastal Base Cities, had a Seven-star Hunter.

Under such circumstances, in a Base City like Longyao City, whose highest star rank was only Six-star, it wasn't impossible for the higher-ups to possess a High-level Professional as a private soldier, but the possibility wasn't very high.

If a Hunter or Warlock of that level appeared, the Base City would have long since regarded them as a central force in protecting the city.

Facing the threat posed by Phantasmal Demons, humanity already had little room to spare. Once a family or faction produced a High-level Professional, they would certainly join forces to demand that person officially register as a professional Hunter or professional Warlock and contribute to the Base City and even all of humanity.

Therefore, even if the higher-ups of a Base City truly trained a High-level Professional, they couldn't use that person as a private soldier. The other higher-ups of the Base City would never allow it.

And under the banner of unity and justice, even the most powerful family had to compromise.

In light of this, it would be extremely difficult for a High-level Professional to become anyone's private soldier.

All these circumstances told Su Ming and Xu Qianqian that the suspicious group was unlikely to contain a Four-star Professional.

The problem was—

"If that suspicious group doesn't have a Four-star Professional, then they couldn't possibly hunt a Greater Phantasmal Demon even if they wanted to."

Su Ming went straight to the heart of the matter.

"Exactly." Xu Qianqian nodded deeply. "Without a High-level Professional taking action, for Low-level Professionals to subjugate a Greater Phantasmal Demon, they would need to mobilize at least a hundred-person team."

That hundred-person team would also have to include at least ten Three-star Professionals and thirty Two-star Professionals. Everyone else would have to be outstanding and capable One-star Professionals. Only then might they have a chance of subjugating a Greater Phantasmal Demon.

That was what made Greater Phantasmal Demons so terrifying.

Considering all this, the mysterious existence being pursued by the suspicious group probably wasn't a Greater Phantasmal Demon.

However—

"If they're pursuing a Greater Phantasmal Demon cub, then everything makes sense."

Xu Qianqian suddenly threw out that possibility.

"A Greater Phantasmal Demon cub?"

Su Ming froze.

"Exactly." Xu Qianqian nodded. "Phantasmal Demons are different from humans. They have many methods of reproduction."

"Some reproduce asexually. Some reproduce by splitting off body parts they no longer need. Some can reproduce through special powers. Some can even reproduce through infection."

Xu Qianqian continued.

"Of course, the results produced by these different methods of reproduction are also different."

"Take reproduction by splitting, for example. Since the life-form is made from discarded body parts the original body no longer needs, Phantasmal Demons created this way are generally much weaker than the parent."

"Reproduction through special powers works the same way. The amount of power the parent consumes while reproducing directly determines the potential and strength of the offspring."

"As for methods like infection, there's even less to say. Usually, what's born is merely a lower-level individual of the parent that served as the source of infection. For example, if a Greater Phantasmal Demon reproduced in large numbers through infection, its offspring could only all be Lesser Phantasmal Demons."

At this point, Xu Qianqian paused before slowly describing another possibility.

"Yet in the Spirit Fiend Abyss, where all kinds of reproductive methods exist, there have also been cases of Greater Phantasmal Demons giving birth to Greater Phantasmal Demon cubs."

"For example, some individuals so powerful that they rank among the strongest Greater Phantasmal Demons have the ability to give birth to cubs that are also Greater Phantasmal Demons."

"Furthermore, before dying, some Greater Phantasmal Demons may use all the blood and power in their bodies to reproduce, allowing their offspring to inherit all their strength. Such offspring are Greater Phantasmal Demons from birth."

Xu Qianqian's words caused Su Ming's expression to gradually darken.

He had already guessed what Xu Qianqian wanted to say.

Her next words confirmed his suspicion.

"If a Greater Phantasmal Demon cub came to the mortal world and was discovered, anyone would be ecstatic."

Xu Qianqian spoke softly.

"Because it's a cub, even if it's a Greater Phantasmal Demon, its power would be greatly reduced before it fully matured."

Such a Phantasmal Demon cub would be an enormous treasure in humanity's eyes.

Its body could be used to forge powerful weapons, create potent items, and refine mighty elixirs.

A Phantasmal Demon Elixir refined from its blood might allow a human to directly acquire the bloodline of a Greater Phantasmal Demon. It would not only grant them terrifying power, but also give their descendants an outstanding bloodline and the chance to rise above the ordinary.

Even the great families couldn't ignore such a treasure.

After all, maintaining, refining, and strengthening one's bloodline, making it more powerful and purer—that was what every Hunter Family did.

How tempting would the bloodline of a Greater Phantasmal Demon be to these families?

It was obvious!

In other words—

"I suspect that someone among the higher-ups of Longyao Base City wants to secretly monopolize this Greater Phantasmal Demon cub. That's why they sent private soldiers to hunt it down."

That was Xu Qianqian's conclusion.