As the old saying went, a sapling would never grow straight without pruning.
Just look-after a group beating, they were clearly much better behaved. The results were immediate.
Chen Qianqiu stretched lazily.
Having only just brought them together, he needed to keep creating conflicts among the Four Great Clans, letting their grudges accumulate and turning them against one another.
Through this method, he would steadily wear down their spirit, lest they stop to think and develop ideas they should not have.
Actually, Chen Qianqiu was not surprised by Tai Nuo's dirty trick yesterday. It suited the man's simple-minded character perfectly; it would have been strange if he had not done it.
As for why the Strength Clan felt so secure, that was easy to explain. They were simply overconfident in their abilities, believing that Spirit Hall needed something from them-that Spirit Hall needed their help forging equipment.
Perhaps Qian Xunji might need that, but Chen Qianqiu did not care about it at all. Even if every one of them had Lou Gao's abilities, it would be of little use, a chicken rib not worth chewing.
What use were those flashy weapons? Compared with ore, they were even a little hard on his teeth. Eating ore directly was far more convenient: its original flavor intact, with no nutrients lost.
"Good morning, my lord. Here is breakfast."
"My lord, your foresight truly is divine. These people are much better behaved now. Rest assured, my lord, there will absolutely be no problems with the quality of today's ore."
Lor Diarra popped out of nowhere and said respectfully:
"Also, my lord, I have some connections in Gengxin City and can contact the most professional blacksmiths, men with discerning eyes. If you are interested, I can invite them here, saving you the trouble of personally inspecting the ore's quality."
His voice was respectful beyond belief, and his dragon-flattery left Chen Qianqiu feeling as though he were basking in a spring breeze.
Lor Diarra had been very active lately, coming up with all sorts of suggestions and ideas one after another.
Chen Qianqiu reckoned that the fellow must have grown tired of his position as a Cardinal. Clearly, he wanted to advance.
"That was thoughtful of you, but there's no need. I'm enough."
That was no boast.
Because of Chen Qianqiu's devouring trait, different ores had different textures and flavors in his mouth.
For example, the rubbish Tai Nuo had brought him yesterday had given him terrible heartburn when he ate it, just like dry, hard black bread.
But the rare ores in the treasury tasted like flaky pancakes with a double helping of sweet and spicy sauces, stuffed with sliced meat, ham sausage, and chicken strips. Every bite was immensely satisfying.
There was probably no one on the entire continent who understood ore better than he did. Tai Nuo's petty schemes had nowhere to hide before him.
"Understood."
"If there's nothing else, you may leave. Come straight to me if anything unusual happens."
Lor Diarra acknowledged the order and withdrew, not discouraged in the slightest. He believed that as long as he performed well, he would one day become a Platinum Bishop and bring glory to his ancestors.
Over the next three days, Chen Qianqiu spent almost all his time devouring the contents of the Four Great Clans' treasuries.
The wealth those filthy rich clans had accumulated over nearly a century all went into Chen Qianqiu's stomach.
Every mouthful was pure essence, and with every swallow, he could feel the power within him growing.
Meanwhile, the system Chen Qianqiu had established for the Four Great Clans began to stabilize. Their output increased by the day, and they could generally fulfill their daily quotas.
These people had grown accustomed to life under Chen Qianqiu: work, deliver goods, collect food, rest, day after day, the cycle repeating endlessly.
Whenever one clan tried to play clever little tricks, the other three would be even more eager than Chen Qianqiu to set them straight.
No one wanted to suffer collective punishment. With work this strenuous, going hungry for a day would leave them half-dead the next.
Several days later.
Chen Qianqiu swallowed the last mouthful of medicinal herbs and let out a satisfied belch.
At last, he had eaten everything in the treasuries.
His body had also undergone noticeable changes.
Most obviously, two winding, towering horns had grown from his head.
The horns looked as though they had been cast entirely from refined iron. They were a deep black, curving slightly backward, with a few scattered markings on their surfaces that conveyed the vast desolation of countless passing ages.
Chen Qianqiu could clearly feel the devouring power within him growing ever stronger.
Suddenly, he felt an itch in his throat.
It was a strange sensation, as though something were about to burst out of his throat.
Chen Qianqiu raised his head and opened his draconic jaws.
"Roar!!!"
A deep dragon's roar resounded across the sky!
Immediately afterward, a pitch-black breath surged from his mouth!
Wherever it passed, flowers and grass withered and wilted at a speed visible to the naked eye. Like maggots clinging to bone, it ravenously devoured everything it could reach.
In mere breaths, the once-green grassland in its path had lost every trace of life. Even the air was filled with deathly stillness.
"This is..."
Chen Qianqiu froze.
He could feel the terrifying power contained within that deathly black breath.
"Dragon breath?"
New bloodline memories flooded his mind, and Chen Qianqiu understood. He had finally awakened a new skill.
Moreover, the destructive power of his dragon breath far exceeded that of conventional dragons. Because of Nidhogg's traits, Chen Qianqiu's ability had evolved into the Breath of Death, capable of devouring life and destroying everything!
"Interesting."
Light blazed in Chen Qianqiu's draconic eyes.
With this ability, his combat strength had risen another level!
After testing his new ability, Chen Qianqiu suddenly remembered that he had not seen Qian Renxue for several days.
He had been so busy these past few days that he had not had time to visit that little blonde.
"I really do miss that girl a little. Speaking of which, why hasn't she come looking for me?"
Muttering to himself, Chen Qianqiu spread his wings and took flight. Soon, he spotted Qian Renxue on a small hillside.
The little girl sat alone on the grass, hugging her knees, her long golden hair fluttering in the wind. She looked especially lonely.
Chen Qianqiu noticed that Qian Renxue's shoulders were trembling.
She was crying.
Chen Qianqiu's heart tightened. He sped over and landed beside Qian Renxue.
"Why are you crying? Who bullied you?"
There was a trace of anger in Chen Qianqiu's voice.
"I'm not crying."
Qian Renxue kept her head lowered, her voice thick with tears.
"Xiao Xue, be good. Raise your head and look at me. Tell me, who bullied you?"
Only then did Qian Renxue lift her head. Her little face was covered in tear tracks, and her eyes were red.
When she saw Chen Qianqiu, her tears flowed even harder:
"It was Xiao Hei. Xiao Hei, you bullied me..."
"???"
Chen Qianqiu looked utterly bewildered, as though he had drawn his sword only to gaze around in blank confusion.
I bullied you? I haven't even seen you these past few days. How did I bully you?
"You've turned bad. You're ignoring me."
Qian Renxue said between sniffles:
"You haven't come to see me these past few days, and when I went looking for you, I couldn't find you... Boohoo..."
"Xiao Hei, are you ignoring me because I... because I'm useless now...?"
"Xiao Hei can find things to eat on his own now, and so many people are finding food for you. You don't need me anymore. I have no value anymore... Boohoo..."