Chapter 1875 - 2067: Before the Final Battle (1)

"Elder, I’ve absorbed the substance from the meteor now. Does that mean I’ll end up like that person from before?" Ling Chen asked hesitantly. Everyone fears death and seeks longevity. He felt tempted, but just the thought of becoming heartless during the evolution made him shudder. Longevity is good, but he won’t betray his nature for it.

"Well..." The elderly Taoist nodded and said, "You probably will. Of course, if you don’t want to become like that person, you can remove the Soul Stone from your body. Since you’re still young, even without the Soul Stone sustaining you, your body still has strong vitality. People like He Honggang have lived for hundreds of years because the power of the Soul Stone provides them with longevity. Once they lose the Soul Stone, they will age rapidly."

Hearing this, Ling Chen breathed a sigh of relief; as long as he could return to normal, it would be fine. However, he couldn’t remove the Soul Stone just yet. There was Zhu Hong still unresolved, and he needed more strength. As thoughts raced in his mind, he suddenly thought of something, and his face changed slightly as he urgently said, "That’s right! Elder, have I passed the first stage of evolution now?"

He knew very well the changes required to complete the first stage of evolution. If he were to turn into a bloodthirsty monster, it would be better to kill him directly, to avoid causing innocent casualties. The elderly Taoist patted Ling Chen on the shoulder and smiled, "Don’t worry, you’re fine now. The pill that He Zhishen gave you provides you with sufficient power, plus the special substance from the meteor, you’ve smoothly completed the first stage of evolution." Pausing, he continued, "Back then, that person also didn’t turn into a bloodthirsty monster after ingesting the special substance from the meteor. Thus, it appears that anyone who first comes into contact with the meteor doesn’t undergo abnormal changes; the mutation you fear will only happen in future generations."

"I see." Ling Chen exhaled deeply and slowly got up from the bed.

"Elder, how did you know I was here?"

"I intended to travel far, uncertain when we’d meet again. So, that day, I was preparing to go to the base to find you and bid farewell. By chance, I saw you leaving and looking unwell, which piqued my curiosity, so I followed you all the way." The elderly Taoist grinned, revealing slightly yellow teeth, and said, "Earlier, I was hungry, so I went up the mountain to hunt some game. When I returned, I found you all missing from the cave. Fortunately, this wooden cabin is near the cave, making it easy to locate."

"Where does the elder plan to go?"

"I’ve lived far too long, yet there’s not many places I’ve truly visited, so I decided to roam everywhere."

"I see." Rubbing his still slightly sore forehead, Ling Chen took out his cellphone and checked the time. He was surprised to find two days had passed since he followed He Zhishen into this cabin.

He hadn’t contacted the base for so long; everyone was likely worried about his safety.

As he pondered, suddenly hurried footsteps sounded outside the cabin, with bright lights shining through the window. Ling Chen frowned slightly. This place was remote and deserted, who could it be?

"Chen, Chen, are you inside?" Upon hearing a familiar voice from outside, Ling Chen’s heart jolted. It was Jiang Hao’s voice. He hurriedly opened the door, only to see Jiang Hao holding a flashlight and looking anxiously over.

"Jiang Hao, how did you end up here?"

"Chen!" With a happy expression, the latter rushed over, mumbling incessantly, "Finally found you. Hu told me you went missing, so Xiong and I brought people to search here. We’ve been searching the entire mountain for two days and nights."

"You mean the chubby? Where’s everyone else, aren’t they with you?"

"Hu and Xiong are searching on the other side. I’ll report to them." Saying this, Jiang Hao picked up the walkie-talkie to contact Hu Fei and Zhao Zhengxiong. In less than twenty minutes, Hu Fei and Zhao Zhengxiong came over with a large group.

After regrouping, Hu Fei punched Ling Chen in the chest and complained, "You made us search hard for you."

Ling Chen rubbed his nose and asked, "Chubby, are you rushing here because something happened at the base?"

Hu Fei nodded, his expression serious, "Shortly after you left, Zhu Hong led people into the base demanding we hand you over, or he’d kill everyone. Miss Nanrong sacrificed herself as a hostage to protect us and left with Zhu Hong. Zhu Hong said that in three days, he would wait for you at Qiu Nanshan to witness his and Miss Nanrong’s wedding. Two days have already passed; if you don’t go, it’ll be too late."

Upon hearing this, Ling Chen’s face slightly changed, and he said sternly, "You say Wanqing was taken by Zhu Hong?"

"Correct, Ling Gengqiu has led people to Qiu Nanshan. Regardless of whether you appear or not, they will attack the mountain top with all efforts to rescue Miss Nanrong. But you know Zhu Hong’s power now; he’s no longer a human but a terrifying monster. Even if we mobilize everyone, success isn’t guaranteed."

"Don’t worry, we have allies." Saying this, Ling Chen looked at the elderly Taoist behind him. Although he hadn’t witnessed the elder’s prowess, given he survived so long, his strength mustn’t be weak. Plus, with He Zhishen who completed the second stage of transformation, combined with their four forces, they should be able to deal with Zhu Hong.

Faced with Ling Chen’s pleading gaze, the elderly Taoist hesitated for a moment and smiled, "I suddenly think the five million I charged you last time was too little."

...

After descending the mountain, Hu Fei had prepared a vehicle. Following Ling Chen’s arrangement, Jiang Hao and Zhao Zhengxiong returned first to East Sea City while Ling Chen and Hu Fei took the elderly Taoist directly towards Qiu Nanshan.

After about a ten-hour car ride, the group finally arrived at the foot of Qiu Nanshan. Getting off, Ling Chen looked around to see a dozen or so tents set up not far away, with Qiu Yong, Ling Gengqiu, Tong Zhentian, and He Ziyun all there.

Ling Chen quickly approached, skipping the pleasantries, and directly inquired about the situation on the mountain.

"Currently, what we can confirm is that besides Zhu Hong, Chen Quan, and Nanrong Wanqing on Qiu Nanshan, there are several dozen members from the Heavenly Dragon Sect." Tong Zhentian said, "Zhu Hong gave us three days, with the final deadline being tonight at nine o’clock. If we want to reach the summit before nine, we should set off soon."

Ling Chen nodded, "No problem." After speaking, he glanced at the crowd present, and suddenly a hint of doubt flashed in his eyes.

"Elder Tong, didn’t He Zhishen come with you?"

"He Zhishen? Wasn’t it supposed to be you who sought him out? None of us have seen him."

Strange! He Zhishen didn’t go to East Sea City to meet Ling Gengqiu? Ling Chen frowned slightly. The elderly Taoist told him that He Zhishen had already left the mountain. If he didn’t go to East Sea City, where did he go? Did he not fulfill their agreement?

Thinking about this, he chuckled bitterly. At this moment, he simply didn’t have extra time to find He Zhishen.