Explanation

Gu Zhi and the others set off toward the Core Area. Aside from Zhu Zhuqing and the others insisting that the little fellow on his shoulder lead the way, which he found somewhat baffling, the journey went remarkably smoothly.

"Good grief! The Emperor Auspicious Beast has way too much authority! All the Soul Beasts along the way were scared into running off!"

"No way! So this was possible all along! How many chests has Gu Zhi picked up on the way? Then what were their earlier Demon Pill antics supposed to be?"

"What else could they be? They were just enough of a Demon Pill! Those Soul Beasts had already planned to run the moment they sensed the Emperor Auspicious Beast's aura! Who would've thought two Demon Pills would pop up behind them and insist on chasing them through several streets?"

"Picking up chests without any obstruction is great! But I still miss the sight of these two Demon Pills chasing Soul Beasts everywhere! It was way too entertaining!"

"Just wait! A Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast can't be this easygoing too, can it? I'll bet a spicy strip that they'll definitely get chased by the Titan Giant Ape later!"

"Don't make Sister Qiu'er laugh! Would the Titan Giant Ape dare act arrogant before the Emperor Auspicious Beast? Isn't he afraid Di Tian will come out and show him who the real boss is?"

"Di Tian is a Ferocious Beast! My brothers Da Ming and Er Ming are Ferocious Beasts too! Why don't you ask whether Di Tian fears my brothers!"

"When my brothers Da Ming and Er Ming join forces, who could possibly withstand even one exchange with us?"

"The stench is overwhelming; no extra salt needed! Why don't you ask whether the Sky Azure Bull Python would dare say that to Di Tian's face!"

The comments erupted into a debate, though they were probably mostly just trading memes. After all, Di Tian was the foremost of the Ten Great Ferocious Beasts. There were very few Soul Beasts in the world stronger than him.

Besides discussing the combat power of Ferocious Beasts, the comments were most flooded with talk about Gu Zhi and the others' repeated gains. The closer they traveled to the Core Area, the more chests there were, and the better their quality became. In just half a day, the rewards they had obtained were already more generous than the total from the previous two days!

"The boost from grinding map chests is just insane! Gu Zhi's stats should have gone up by 200 across the board by now, right? That's equivalent to raising his Soul Power by five levels!"

"And there are all kinds of rewards too—pills, formations, spirit talismans, magic artifacts, Soul Tools, attribute boosts, overall enhancements, and all sorts of treasures! I say Gu Zhi is now on par with a Soul King. Anyone disagree?"

"He should be stronger than a Soul King! We still haven't seen Gu Zhi go all out! I'd guess he has no rivals among anyone below six rings!"

"If you count formations, spirit talismans, magic artifacts, Soul Tools, and all kinds of treasures, he should be the strongest below Soul Emperor! But it would be hard to use formations in a match, right? Better be conservative and call him the strongest below level fifty-five!"

"It's a shame Gu Zhi's stats are powerful, but he still lacks some decisive mechanic-based power! Look at Zhu Zhuqing and the others. Their stat boosts weren't as high as Gu Zhi's, but every one of them gained some decisive mechanic-based power!"

"Zhu Zhuqing has speed converted into damage and armor penetration, Ning Rongrong has percentage-based damage reflection, and Meng Yiran has summoning builds. The ones with lower stats all received mechanic-based power!"

"After all that, aren't you still valuing stats the most? Unless they're at the same level, Zhu Zhuqing and the others' mechanic-based power can't even touch Gu Zhi's raw stats!"

"That's true! But once Zhu Zhuqing and the others raise their stats, the tables will turn completely!"

"And Zhu Zhuqing and the others have been getting more and more of the pills and treasures they picked up! Once they leave the Star Dou Great Forest and cultivate diligently for a while, their stats will leave people their age far behind!"

After discussing the battle prowess of Ferocious Beasts, the comments began discussing Gu Zhi and the others' strength. Some favored the raw stats of Gu Zhi, Liu Erlong, and Wang Qiu'er, while others preferred the mechanics of Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong, and Meng Yiran. There were also some chaos lovers hoping they would fight...

Of course, since their main mission was still to find and rescue Xiao Wu, Gu Zhi and the beauties mostly focused on traveling. If there had not been so many chests along the way, they would not have received such abundant rewards.

At the edge of the Core Area.

Downstream from the Lake of Life.

"Are they almost here?"

Xiao Wu sat on Er Ming's shoulder and gazed into the distance in the direction Gu Zhi and the others were traveling, estimating how far away they still were based on the comments' descriptions.

"Sister Xiao Wu, is that person the one you mentioned, the one who can change our fate?"

Er Ming waited obediently where he was. He still did not quite believe in the future fate Xiao Wu had described to him. She said that in the future, they would all sacrifice themselves to the same human. How could he possibly accept that?

"That's right! I have to help you change that future!"

Xiao Wu had not hurried back to Tang San's side because she still needed Gu Zhi's help. The future that had belonged to her, Da Ming, and Er Ming in the original story was far too cruel. Even if the comments said it would have a happy ending, she could not accept it!

"I believe you! But how are we supposed to obtain this person's help? Logically speaking, he has no obligation to help us."

The Sky Azure Bull Python's voice came from beneath the lake. As his true body emerged from the water, the aura of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast was displayed in full.

"We can invest in him! There must be a Gold Chest here, and we also have the many treasures we've collected over the years. I'm sure he'll be tempted!"

Xiao Wu knew she had no standing to demand that Gu Zhi help them, but she could follow the comments' suggestion and invest all the treasures accumulated over the years in Gu Zhi.

Given Gu Zhi's character, as long as he accepted Xiao Wu's investment, he would at least be able to keep Da Ming and Er Ming safe!

"This is the family fortune we worked so hard to build! Are we really giving it to him?"

Er Ming was still somewhat reluctant. These spirit herbs, treasures, Ten Thousand Year Soul Bones, and the like were rare treasures even to them. Xiao Wu wanted to give them all to Gu Zhi with a single sentence, so naturally his heart ached terribly.

"He might not even think much of these... You may not believe it, but what he possesses is far beyond anything we have!"

Xiao Wu looked at the treasures nearby and still did not feel very confident. These things might be priceless to others, but they might not necessarily suit Gu Zhi's tastes.

However, after seeing the comments say that beauties such as Zhu Zhuqing had given Gu Zhi the treasures they collected, receiving equal returns from him in exchange, she felt much more at ease.

And her advantage over Zhu Zhuqing and the others was that this was the gathering place of three Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts. There had to be a Gold Chest nearby.

Given the system's usual habits, this Gold Chest was most likely connected to her, Da Ming, and Er Ming. When the time came, if Gu Zhi wanted to obtain it, he would have to negotiate with her no matter what.

With a Gold Chest and so many treasures as gifts, Gu Zhi would not refuse even such a small request from her, would he?

"Found you! Xiao Wu, we're here!"

Just as Xiao Wu was lost in thought, Ning Rongrong's shout carried over from afar. Xiao Wu, Da Ming, and Er Ming immediately looked toward the handsome, extraordinary man at the center. There was no denying that Gu Zhi was even more outstanding than the comments had described.

But Gu Zhi was completely dazzled by the glittering chest of gold beneath the Sky Azure Bull Python's feet!