In the outside world, as Wang Hui savored his chocolate, he cast a thoughtful gaze downward, silently admiring the undeniable talent of Nalan Xia.
Recently, countless little ones had come into contact with the Celestial Crystal, yet only a handful from the Nalan family had managed to resonate with it and enhance their cognitive prowess.
This may serve as a testament that even the imperfect utilization of primal energy is not a feat achievable by everyone.
Relatively speaking, the Nalan lineage boasted a plethora of intelligent individuals, with Nalan Xia standing out distinctly among them!
"Compared to augmenting wisdom, directly consuming the Celestial Crystal, as Huiyuan Wu does to fortify his body, seems rather simplistic and crude.
Yet, there must be a corresponding threshold; if one's physical constitution is inadequate, consuming the Celestial Crystal will likely lead to dire consequences..."
Wang Hui shifted his gaze towards the eastern plains.
There, he observed Huiyuan Wu, who towered above his peers, brimming with energy!
If not for this seasoned leader serving as the main combat force, the Huiyuan clan, lacking sturdy fortifications, would have suffered significantly in the event of an ambush—perhaps even worse than the Nalan family.
Ultimately, Wang Hui's attention settled on the western hills, and his expression grew peculiar.
With a discerning eye, he noticed that many young horses in the pasture were adorned with scales, exuding vigor and strength.
"These must be the scaled horses, descendants of the divine beasts that Nalan Xia spoke of...
In just over three years, they've produced such a large progeny—how has this not exhausted you?"
After a thorough search, he found no sign of the dragon horses in the pasture.
Wang Hui then glanced towards the outskirts, discovering the dragon horses and Zuo Qiu Yue wandering by the banks of the Pinchuan River.
While hunting the purple-skinned beasts, they were also safeguarding those of their kin who relied on fishing to supplement their food supply.
Calculating, Wang Hui realized that his first fused beast had now spent three microscopic years with the Zuo Qiu clan.
Having fought alongside Zuo Qiu Yue for an extended period, they appeared to have developed a certain rapport, no longer displaying the initial aversion.
"Overall, the dragon horse has fulfilled its role as a guardian beast...
But what of the griffin?"
Wang Hui scrutinized the entire microcosm twice yet found no trace of the griffin, prompting him to furrow his brow.
This creature, forged from the essence of top predators, should undoubtedly excel in combat and possess the ability to fly...
Surely it could not have fallen victim to the purple-skinned beast?
Lost in thought, Wang Hui submerged his consciousness once more.
As his projection landed, a gaping maw filled with sharp teeth suddenly lunged at him!
"Up close, this purple-skinned beast is even more hideous than from a divine vantage."
Upon his arrival in the microcosm, Wang Hui materialized near a tributary of the Pinchuan River.
Barely steadying himself, a purple-skinned beast erupted from the ground, lunging at him and sinking its teeth into his arm!
Countless serrated teeth clamped down fiercely, producing a chilling "crunching" sound that sent shivers down his spine.
Yet Wang Hui remained calm and collected, even taking the time to scrutinize the ambushing creature.
The vitality level of his true form directly influenced the strength of his projection.
Reflecting on his initial descent, he recalled that he had been on par with the explosive prowess of the elder leader Huiyuan Wu.
He was relatively strong, yet not exceptionally so.
Without the aid of the ancestral artifact, the Yin-Yang Fish, he would undoubtedly have struggled to repel the hundred cavalry pursuing Zuo Qiu Yue.
But since ascending to level C, his vitality had undergone a qualitative transformation!
Merely standing there, the purple-skinned beast's claws and fangs found it challenging to breach his defenses!
"Gu?"
The purple-skinned beast, having gnawed and bitten for some time, gradually sensed something amiss.
Despite its appearance as a surface creature, how could it possess such formidable resilience? It made no sense...
Suddenly, the beast found itself confounded as Wang Hui's other hand reached out with lightning speed.
It instinctively tried to evade, but Wang Hui seized its throat with the precision of a striking viper!
"Hiss... gu... ga..."
The creature thrashed and struggled in desperation, yet Wang Hui's grip was akin to iron, unyielding!
As Wang Hui's fingers slowly constricted, the purple-skinned beast's neck began to cave in.
Moments later, a sharp crack resonated, and its elongated limbs dangled lifelessly.
"I suspect its biting force surpasses that of an ordinary male lion, coupled with swifter movements and greater agility."
Casually, Wang Hui discarded the carcass of the purple-skinned beast to the ground, forming a preliminary assessment of its capabilities.
If only a few were present, they posed little threat.
Yet with numbers in the thousands, capable of orchestrating coordinated ambushes and creating illusions...
It was no wonder that the three clans had suffered devastating losses!
Wang Hui reached out, feeling a surge within the purple-skinned beast's chest.
Soon, a Celestial Crystal flew forth from its mouth, landing in Wang Hui's palm to be absorbed.
"According to Nalan Xia, it would typically take the hunt of dozens of purple-skinned beasts to yield a single Celestial Crystal; it seems I am fortunate today."
Wang Hui chuckled, then focused intently on controlling the Yin-Yang Fish within him, allowing his consciousness to extend outward.
The auras of the three fused beasts quickly revealed their positions.
Curiously, the griffin's aura appeared erratic, resembling a flickering light, far less stable than that of the dragon horse or Huiyuan Wu.
"Is it injured? Or...?"
Wang Hui's expression tightened as he hastened towards the source of the griffin's aura.
Following the Pinchuan River eastward, he swiftly dispatched over twenty purple-skinned beasts along the way, delighting in the acquisition of two additional Celestial Crystals.
The Zuo Qiu and Nalan warriors, who had been facing off against the purple-skinned beasts, were momentarily blinded; the creatures that had just been growling and snapping at them suddenly collapsed, lifeless!
"What just happened?"
The two clans exchanged bewildered glances, having failed to comprehend the events unfolding before them.
Ultimately, they could only attribute it to divine intervention... and perhaps they were not entirely mistaken.
...
Wang Hui raced onward, swift as the wind, soon arriving at his destination.
Before him lay a small basin, overgrown with grass that reached his ankles.
He spotted a pride of lionesses resting there, along with several peculiar cubs frolicking about.
Their bodies resembled those of ordinary lions, yet they bore distinctively pronounced hooked noses.
They sported small feathered wings, though incapable of true flight, they could only glide.
"Are these the offspring of the griffin and lioness? Their abilities have clearly not been perfectly transmitted."
The cubs of the griffin fusion beast... let us refer to them as "feathered lions."
Upon noticing Wang Hui, the little feathered lions abruptly ceased their playful antics, instinctively folding their wings and lowering their heads.
With the bloodline of a fused beast coursing through them, they felt an ingrained reverence before their creator, who wielded the Yin-Yang Fish!
Seeing this, the once snarling lionesses gradually settled down.
Some had witnessed the griffin's submissiveness to Wang Hui, and their warning growls transformed into whimpers, as if pleading for assistance.
Wang Hui approached, and the lionesses and their cubs instinctively parted to reveal an entrance to a den they were guarding.
"You haven't merely failed to protect this world; instead, you ventured forth to assault the lair of the purple-skinned beasts?"
Sensing the griffin's aura deep below, Wang Hui's expression softened.
This creature had not become so enamored with nurturing its young that it neglected its duties...
He glanced at the pleading eyes of the lionesses surrounding him and said with a gentle smile, "Rest assured, I will bring the griffin back."
With that, Wang Hui leaped into the den!