As Grey Wolf's words fell, the pitch-black Shadow Wolf with a huge sack on its back sprang into action!
Shadow Wolf's enormous body leaped into the air. Its form twisted as it charged straight at Qin Chuan with a ferocious momentum, its fists whistling through the air and looking immensely intimidating.
Looking at the menacing Shadow Wolf charging toward him, then glancing at Grey Wolf's wild grin, Qin Chuan simply stood where he was, his expression calm and unruffled.
"Looks like I have no choice but to fight." He murmured the words, casually releasing a wisp of golden spiritual power and sending it crashing forward with the force of a thousand catties.
Pfft!
There was no earth-shattering boom, only a faint sound of shattering.
His domineering, pure spiritual power crushed everything in its path. Shadow Wolf, fierce beyond compare, couldn't even last a second before it shattered inch by inch, turning into a shower of black fragments that soon vanished completely into the air, leaving not a trace behind!
One move!
Just one casual move!
Grey Wolf's strongest trump card had been reduced to ashes.
The entire scene fell into utter silence.
Grey Wolf's grin froze completely on his face. His eyes bulged, his mind went blank, and he was utterly dumbfounded.
My Shadow! My invincible Shadow Wolf bruiser!
That damn guy had just wiped it out with one casual blow?!
Overwhelming fear swept through Grey Wolf in an instant. His whole body trembled, and his legs went weak with terror. Without the slightest hesitation, he bowed his head and begged for mercy:
"G-Godly big brother! Thank you for saving my life—"
"I've actually been controlled by this Shadow Demon all along. He even forced me to catch the little sheep. Everyone in Green Green Grassland knows I'm on the best terms with the little sheep... Now that the demon's been killed by you, Godly big brother, I'm free too. Thank you, Godly big brother!"
The shadows summoned by the Shadow Hammer had another weakness besides only lasting for an hour: their summoner felt whatever they felt.
When Qin Chuan shattered Shadow Wolf with a punch, Grey Wolf felt his stomach churn, but he forced himself to endure it so he wouldn't get beaten up.
Qin Chuan's face twitched slightly, but he managed to hold back his annoyance. "Why haven't you released the little sheep you caught yet?"
"Yes, yes... I'll let them out right now..."
Thoroughly frightened, Grey Wolf no longer dared to scheme. He hurriedly untied the sack on his back.
The five little sheep and Slow Sheep immediately crawled out of the sack. They were all still shaken, gasping for breath and trembling with lingering fear.
After dealing with the shadow and intimidating Grey Wolf, Qin Chuan remained composed and spoke casually:
"Since you've admitted your mistake, I'll let you off this time."
"But the way of nature is what it is. You live on meat, so it's only normal that you've hunted over the years. I can't expect you to eat grass every day either. How about this..."
As his words fell, Qin Chuan's thoughts stirred.
Whirr!
The enormous carcass of a giant bear appeared out of thin air on the ground.
It was the Diamond Violent Bear he'd casually slain earlier in Star Dou Great Forest. It had plenty of meat and cultivation, making it perfect to eat.
"I'll give you this Diamond Violent Bear's carcass as compensation."
"That's the end of today's business! Behave yourself from now on, and don't slaughter the sheep anymore. Then you can live in peace. I'll be keeping an eye on you."
Staring at the enormous carcass with its succulent meat, Grey Wolf couldn't hear a word Qin Chuan said. His eyes were shining!
The bear was like a small mountain, and its meat had to be far tastier than skinny little sheep! He wouldn't even have to risk catching it; this was a top-grade ingredient he got for free!
He'd never eaten bear before—
Though he'd never eaten little sheep either.
Grey Wolf hurriedly nodded and thanked him over and over. "Thank you, Godly big brother! I'll behave, I promise! I won't catch sheep ever again! Well, I'll be heading home now. My wife is waiting for me..."
With that, Grey Wolf eagerly dragged the bear carcass away. Just as he was about to leave, Qin Chuan suddenly called out:
"Give me your Shadow Hammer. Since you were controlled by the Shadow Demon, that artifact is too dangerous. It would be safer in my care."
After all his scheming, Qin Chuan had finally revealed his real motive.
On this trip, he wanted to befriend the wolves and sheep, who were the locals and even the protagonists—and Grey Wolf's invention had him practically drooling.
It could summon a shadow of its user to fight for them... That shadow was made entirely from the user's own template, and with special methods, one could even summon a shadow stronger than oneself.
There was a similar ability in mythology, a mighty divine power called One Qi Transforms Into Three Pure Ones.
As for the one-hour limit and the so-called shared pain...
Thinking of this world, and all the inventions and gadgets made by Grey Wolf and Slow Sheep, Qin Chuan felt a surge of ambition. He'd come up with the idea of building a treasure vault of his own.
And his greatest asset in building that vault...
"Shadow Hammer?" Grey Wolf asked, confused, but immediately pulled it out. As far as he was concerned, this thing wasn't worth a meal. It had just been beaten to pieces in an instant, and he despised its inventor from the bottom of his heart.
"Godly big brother, you are truly righteous, sacrificing yourself for others. From now on, I, Grey Wolf, will follow your lead..."
After saying a whole lot and handing the Shadow Hammer to Qin Chuan, Grey Wolf held back his drool and gazed at him hopefully.
"Godly big brother, can I leave now?"
"Go on, go on!" Qin Chuan waved him away in high spirits.
With permission granted, Grey Wolf unleashed a startling burst of strength, dragging the bear carcass as he raced off in a flash, afraid that the true god might change his mind.
At last, the woods grew quiet again.
Pleasant Goat, Pretty Goat, Boiling Goat, Lazy Goat, Warm Goat, and the elderly village chief Slow Sheep all stood where they were.
They stared uneasily at the blurry figure ahead, shrouded in divine light.
Qin Chuan noticed their reaction and stirred his thoughts.
He put away the Shadow Hammer in his system inventory.
Then the golden divine light that his spiritual power had manifested around him slowly receded, sinking back into his body until he once again looked like a human youth. His air was gentle now, no longer carrying the chilling pressure he'd exuded while pretending to be a god.
He walked slowly toward the little sheep, his expression calm. "Are you all right, friends?"
"What kind of animal are you? Why do you look so strange?" The little sheep tensed up at once, hurrying to shield Slow Sheep as they eyed Qin Chuan with wary curiosity.
Slow Sheep adjusted his reading glasses and studied Qin Chuan for a long while, his aged eyes filled with doubt. At last, he was the first to ask:
"You look like this... Are you human?"
Qin Chuan nodded slightly, smiling with ease. "That's right. I'm human."
At that, the little sheep exchanged glances, their faces full of astonishment.
Pleasant Goat asked in confusion, "Village chief, what kind of animal is a human?"
Slow Sheep explained slowly, "I once read an ancient book. The ancient books of Green Green Grassland mention humans. Humans are mysterious outsiders, powerful and dangerous animals..."
As he spoke, Slow Sheep looked wary. Still, the questions in his heart wouldn't go away, and he continued to press him:
"But the way you looked just now was nothing like an ordinary human described in those ancient books. Who exactly are you?"
Qin Chuan's gaze swept over the little sheep. His tone was calm, yet carried an unquestionable air of absolute control as he spoke slowly:
"As you said, I am indeed human."
"But at the same time, I am the future sole ruler of this world. To put it simply, I am the one and only god of this world."
As soon as he said this, the breeze stopped.
The atmosphere in the entire forest seemed to freeze in an instant.
"A-a god?" The little sheep were completely stunned, their faces filled with disbelief!
Before you continue