As we approached the capital of the Star Luo Empire, I was stunned by the chaos that reigned. Countless spirit beasts and human corpses were scattered everywhere. The city walls were partially destroyed, and even the houses were severely damaged.
Teacher Qi and Jiangqi also wore grim expressions as they took in the devastating scene. We had spent just one night in the Star Dou Forest, and yet, all this had unfolded.
"What could have happened here? Let's pick up the pace," I murmured, urging us to hasten our return to the capital.
At the city gates, the situation was even worse. Soldiers lay dead alongside thousands of spirit beast corpses, and access to the capital was under strict surveillance. Fortunately, due to the recognition of the imperial princes, we had no trouble entering.
Teacher Qi, known for her reputation in the capital, managed to gather information about what had occurred. The previous night, there had been a massive spirit beast attack. The assault was so sudden that the necessary defenses couldn't be mobilized in time, resulting in significant losses for the capital and other cities near the Star Dou Forest.
It wasn't just the Star Luo Empire that suffered; the Heaven Dou Empire was also affected. Thankfully, the attack lasted only one night, and for some reason, all the spirit beasts retreated at dawn.
The main targets seemed to be capitals and major sects, sparing smaller towns and villages. Even so, this served as a painful reminder of how fragile we are. A mass spirit beast attack could very well mean humanity's extinction.
At least the strongest beasts remain confined to the Star Dou Forest, which made it possible to contain the attack within that single night, minimizing losses.
Later, I learned that the blame fell on Spirit Hall. On the night of the attack, several of their experts were spotted near the forest, using a type of powder that enraged the spirit beasts. I recalled the beasts that had attacked me, unnaturally aggressive yet sparing Dai Ming for some reason. Because of this, Spirit Hall is being forced into negotiations with various forces, particularly the Star Luo Empire, which suffered the most damage.
Upon arriving at my mansion, I was relieved to find it unscathed. Fortunately, over the past six years, I had implemented various defensive and offensive formations around the property, enough to repel weaker spirit beasts.
Thanks to my ability to sense the aura of positive energy, everyone living in the mansion is trustworthy. I wouldn't want to lose any of them if I could help it.
After a relaxing bath, with the help of a few maids in my luxurious bathroom, I finally had time to rest. Sitting on my bed, I decided to examine the contents of Dai Ming's spatial ring.
To my surprise, there were many valuable items. Just in gold coins, there were at least 800,000, along with numerous herbs useful for recovery and physical strengthening.
Although alchemy in Douluo Dalu isn't very advanced, their knowledge of herbs and metals is remarkable. The continent, in particular, excels in forging.
However, what caught my attention the most were a few pills and herbs. Using my Analysis skill, I obtained detailed information about them.
"Sacrifice Pill: A pill that forces the destruction of one's Martial Spirit in exchange for a 10-level increase in spirit power. Valid only for those below level 40. After use, it induces frenzy and guarantees death within 10 minutes. Complete Analysis Available." Conducting a full analysis, I even acquired the pill's recipe.
Another intriguing find was the Vital Herb, which Dai Ming had used during our fight. I discovered it was an artificial creation with exceptional properties for healing injuries. The complete analysis even revealed how to cultivate it. Combined with other herbs, it's incredibly valuable for creating medicines and healing pills.
After exploring the ring's contents, I sat cross-legged on the bed and dove back into the Spiritual World.
Thanks to the transformation of the Spiritual Ocean, the now "Spiritual World" was drastically different. The 100-square-meter Spiritual Land resembled a small piece of earth floating in the middle of a lake. Soon, I'll need to expand it, as the space is limited, especially for cultivating rare herbs.
The young girl, who was actually Brother Daydream, stood at the edge of the spiritual land, staring blankly at the lake.
"Brother Daydream, are you okay?" I asked, approaching cautiously, only to be met with a vacant stare.
"How about returning to your Worm form?" I suggested, scratching my cheek awkwardly. To my surprise, tears welled up in her eyes.
"Even as just a soul, I can no longer assume my masculine form... or even my Worm form… I'll never be able to marry Bing Bing…" Bright pearls of tears streamed down the girl's face.
The sight left me uncomfortable.
"Brother Daydream, don't worry. Even if you're a woman now, I promise I'll still treat you as part of me, like an older sister." I patted her shoulder reassuringly, but it only seemed to make things worse.
"Who wants to be your older sister, you stupid brat?!" she shouted, shaking me angrily. I didn't resist and simply let her vent her frustration.
Once she calmed down, we were finally able to talk.
"Who is Bing Bing?" I asked curiously, not recognizing the name.
"She's the Ice Jade Scorpion Empress, the woman I fell in love with," Daydream sighed, recounting his love for Bing Bing, who never saw him as an equal. It reminded me of Huo Yuhao's second Martial Soul. Even after all these years, I'm surprised I can still recall some details.
"After becoming a 1-million-year-old Spirit Ring, I thought I'd finally have a chance. But now, with this female body, I have no hope left," Daydream murmured, looking visibly dejected.
"Well… maybe she'll like you better in your female form," I tried to console him again. I wasn't sure what had caused Daydream's gender shift, but I could only assume it had something to do with my Spiritual World, as this never happened with Huo Yuhao.
"Maybe you're right," Daydream sighed, still somewhat downcast but more composed.
Changing the subject, Daydream pointed to the formation and asked about the Xiantian energy in the Spiritual World. I explained how it worked.
"Interesting! So, if someone manually controls it, the refinement and purification of Xiantian energy are accelerated?" she asked, her voice as smooth as a gentle stream.
"Exactly. The more energy I accumulate, the faster I can cultivate," I confirmed.
Currently, I have 11 soul power, equivalent to level 11 in Douluo Dalu. To reach level 12, I'll need 20 soul power; for level 13, 30 soul power; and for level 20, 100 soul power.
It will still take some time to reach these higher levels, but with the planned improvements in the Spiritual World, the refining speed should increase significantly.
"Understood. For now, I can manually control the formation to help you refine the Xiantian energy. After all, there's not much else to do in this Spiritual World except sleep," Daydream said, puffing out her chest as if trying to look reliable. Yet all I could notice was the prominent movement of her chest. After spending so much time as a prince, I thought I'd grown accustomed to such things, but Daydream's human form is strangely alluring.
"Thank you, Sister… Brother Daydream. Your help will be invaluable. I need to go now, see you later," I said with a smile, thanking her before leaving the Spiritual World. With Daydream's help, my evolution will be significantly faster.
Even so, I can't shake a small pang of guilt toward him. Deep down, I know I prefer Daydream in her female form.