Chapter 141: A Decision Made (Part Two)

The Golden Horned Beast sensed the impending danger and suddenly shrank its body, causing Qin Ming’s strike to merely graze its skin. Despite the significant increase in defense that came with its reduced size, the blade still left a series of long, deep wounds.

Hum...!

Seizing the opportunity, the Golden Horned Beast fired a beam of destructive light from atop its head. In a flash, the beam struck Qin Ming, piercing his silhouette.

However, it was merely an afterimage—a remnant left behind by Qin Ming’s Phantom Void Step. Within his own domain, it was nearly impossible for any star-level entity to pose a threat to him.

"Again!"

"Void-Slicing Blade Technique, Second Strike!"

Qin Ming had already relocated to the other side and brought his blade down once more. This strike twisted the very space around it; the sharp, piercing aura of absolute destruction sent the young Golden Horned Beast into a terrified screech. It sensed the cold touch of death.

The next moment, the beast’s body expanded abruptly, growing to over a thousand meters in length. Yet, the killing blow only managed to sever its tail. The Golden Horned Beast’s speed surged, and it instantly attempted to flee into the distance.

"I am the king within my domain. Space, distort!"

Qin Ming smiled slightly. Within his thirty-kilometer domain, a subtle, inexplicable sensation took hold. The Golden Horned Beast, which should have been able to blink through space, found itself spiraling around Qin Ming in a rapid, futile flight. It paused for a fraction of a second, then shifted its form, flying at an oblique angle.

"Though the Golden Horned Beast possesses a metal attribute, it is also highly accomplished in the way of space, with a vast ancestral heritage. It is only natural that it would perceive something amiss," Qin Ming thought, as his domain shifted once more.

His speed surged, and with a seemingly inexplicable movement, he intercepted the beast. While he hadn't achieved true teleportation or total control over space, he moved in a way that defied conventional understanding.

"You cannot escape!" Qin Ming laughed.

At the same time, he communicated mentally with Babata: "Have Luo Feng come here. This is a rare opportunity; if he misses it, he will regret it for the rest of his life. Tell him that by possessing the Golden Horned Beast, he can easily reach the Undying realm and gain eternal life. He will also be able to protect his family, granting them at least ten million years of lifespan. If he refuses, his parents and his beloved will surely die within ten thousand years, and he himself will not live past a million. The choice is his to make."

"Understood!" Babata replied.

Swish...!

Qin Ming’s blade descended, severing half of the Golden Horned Beast’s skull. The creature did not die, but instead began to regenerate at a speed visible to the naked eye. Qin Ming was well aware that the beast’s life core lay within its star nucleus; severing its head would not kill it, only severely wound it.

Swish, swish, swish!

The blade light danced, and in an instant, over a dozen more wounds appeared on the Golden Horned Beast, stripping away almost all the flesh from the star-beast’s frame. Its life force plummeted, and its speed slowed significantly.

***

In Yangzhou City, Mingyue Residential District, Luo Feng’s family was having dinner. He had his parents, his younger brother, and his beloved. His brother, Luo Hua, who had once been paralyzed, had been healed by Luo Feng with the Water of Life and had since embarked on the path of cultivation, though he had only reached the rank of an initial-level War God.

"Brother, I heard a beast tide broke out in North America, with countless casualties. Is that true?" Luo Hua asked, setting down his bowl and chopsticks.

"Didn't the ocean remain peaceful after the two sea beast emperors were slain? Why has a beast tide broken out again?" Luo’s father asked, confused.

Luo Feng swallowed his last bite of rice, placed his chopsticks down neatly, and said, "Another emperor-level sea beast appeared, but Qin Ming has already gone to deal with it. It shouldn't be a major problem."

"That's good, that's good. Councilor Qin is truly a martial arts genius who has stunned an entire generation!" Luo’s father sighed. "Back during the East China Sea battle, he defied the odds and killed two beast emperors, quelled the chaos in the ocean, and brought us years of stability. Now that another beast emperor has emerged, he didn't hesitate to act. With him around, everything will be fine."

"But speaking of which, brother, your class produced a monster like Councilor Qin, and then you rose rapidly to become a councilor yourself," Luo Hua laughed. "Your old classroom has even been cordoned off as a historical exhibit!"

"Two of the youngest councilors from a single class!" Luo Feng’s wife, Xu Xin, smiled. "That is truly a legendary story."

Yet, Luo Feng was distracted. He had known the moment Qin Ming left for the ocean to intercept the Golden Horned Beast. He hoped for Qin Ming’s victory, but he knew that once victory was achieved, he would face a choice.

"What's wrong?" Xu Xin noticed his mood and asked softly.

At that moment, Luo Feng’s body trembled as he communicated with the intelligent lifeform, Babata.

"Luo Feng, your senior martial brother has completely suppressed the Golden Horned Beast and will be able to capture it soon!" Babata’s voice was unusually grave and serious. "He left a message for you. I have recorded it exactly as it was, and I’m forwarding it to you now."

Qin Ming’s voice rang out: "Have Luo Feng come here. This is a rare opportunity; if he misses it, he will regret it for the rest of his life. Tell him that by possessing the Golden Horned Beast, he can easily reach the Undying realm and gain eternal life. He will also be able to protect his family, granting them at least ten million years of lifespan. If he refuses, his parents and his beloved will surely die within ten thousand years, and he himself will not live past a million. The choice is his to make."

Luo Feng’s body shook, and the hesitation on his face deepened.

"What is it?" his father asked. They had all noticed his strange behavior.

"It's nothing. I just thought of a difficult problem," Luo Feng smiled, then communicated with Babata: "What if it fails?"

"Then you will die!" Babata remained completely rational. "Qin Ming will suppress the Golden Horned Beast’s life force to the brink of death. If you attempt possession, you have at least an eighty percent success rate. You must understand, across the entire universe, who could boast an eighty percent success rate for possession? No one! But there is always a one-in-a-million chance. If it fails, you will die."

"If I die, what about my family...!"

"Your family will at least reach the planetary level. Anything higher, I cannot guarantee. But regardless, they will live out their lives without worry. You know Qin Ming; he is capable of ensuring this, and he will do it."

"I don't doubt that. But if I succeed, how do I face my parents?"

"Once you explain it, it will be fine! In the future, we can find a secret technique to forge a human clone, and all problems will be solved!"

"Babata, honestly, I just want to live a quiet life!"

"Luo Feng, don't be naive. Do you really believe in a 'quiet life'? You’ve studied history; the dark age of the Great Nirvana descended suddenly. In the course of your own growth, how many battles and dangers have you faced? And how many unknowns still exist on Earth today? I can guarantee that sooner or later, cosmic humans will arrive on Earth. Those who explore the universe are often cosmic pirates. Once they discover a life-sustaining planet, they enslave the inhabitants and sell them as slaves. Do you know what a slave is? A cosmic slave! Once a control chip is implanted, your life and death are at the mercy of another’s whim. Have you ever considered that? If you encounter such people, death would be a mercy. I once knew an individual—a cosmic-level being who was enslaved. His master was a sadist who forced him to watch as others bullied his wife and daughter. Do you know what that feels like? He couldn't even self-destruct!"

"This...!" Luo Feng’s face turned pale.

"Brother, what's wrong?" Luo Hua asked with concern.

The others were also looking at him.

"Nothing!" Luo Feng cut off his connection with Babata, forced a smile, and after a moment of contemplation, spoke solemnly, "I am facing a choice. If I fail, I might die; if I succeed, then in the future, Earth will essentially be safe from any major threats."

"I don't want you to take such a risk!" Xu Xin grabbed his hand, her eyes reddening. "But if it concerns the whole world... I will listen to you. Whatever decision you make, I support you!"

Xu Xin squeezed his hand tightly.

"How great is the risk? And how could it affect the future? Besides, Qin Ming is there!" his father said, puzzled.

"It's an opportunity for my strength to skyrocket, with an eighty percent success rate. If I succeed, I can catch up to Qin Ming and perhaps even surpass him in the future. If I fail, I will die. I can't make up my mind," Luo Feng said simply.

"Feng-er, I only want you to live a safe and peaceful life!" his mother shook her head.

His father interrupted decisively: "Where in this world is there peace? It is all earned by the blood and sweat of generations. It seems peaceful now, but didn't another emperor-level beast just appear? What about the future? Who can guarantee anything? An eighty percent success rate—that's enough. Xiao Feng, this is your own affair, and it concerns your future. You need to make the decision yourself. After all, you have grown up. You are a councilor, and you have responsibilities!"

"Father, I understand!" Luo Feng nodded fiercely.

Not long after, Luo Feng’s fighter jet appeared above the ocean, and he leaped out. When he saw the Golden Horned Beast floating on the sea, barely showing any signs of life, his eyelids twitched uncontrollably.

It was miserable—truly miserable. The sight of the beast was enough to make him shudder. Its scales were gone. Its flesh had been picked clean, leaving only the skeleton. A core sat within its abdomen, and aside from that, there was almost nothing left of its internal organs.

"Is it still alive?" Luo Feng’s voice trembled.

"It is!" Qin Ming smiled. "Since you’ve come, it seems you’ve made your decision. Very good, excellent. If you hadn't come, I would have been very disappointed. Truthfully, if you don't possess the Golden Horned Beast, you will never be able to keep up with my pace; you will only drift further and further away."

"Let's not talk about that," Luo Feng shook his head, pointing at the beast. "Even if I successfully possess it, can it still live?"

"Rest assured, with the vitality of the Golden Horned Beast, it won't die. Once you possess it, just consume a large amount of Wood Ya Crystals, and it will recover quickly," Qin Ming said, sighing. "As your classmate and your senior martial brother, I am truly exhausted. I’ve put in so much effort and labor. If it were anyone else, I would have just sliced them in two with my blade!"

Luo Feng’s face flushed. "Who told you to be my classmate and my senior brother? If you don't worry about me, who will? Since everything is prepared and I am here, let's begin!"

"That's right. A man shouldn't be so sentimental. We should be clean and decisive—when it's time to act, we act!" Qin Ming laughed loudly.