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Chapter 279 - Backlash
🕑 Added 2025-04-01 07:02:01 +0000 UTC"How can it detect you just like that? That seems... terrifying," Tamina said, her voice tinged with unease.
"Kekeke. That tree is terrifying. Do you see how big it is? Now, try to imagine its roots," Lapin said, pausing dramatically to let the image sink in.
"Are you saying its roots have covered the entire world?" Anda guessed, her eyes widening as the implications dawned on her.
"Ding ding ding! You are spot on," Lapin said, clapping his hands with a grin. "Its roots stretch deep underground, capable of sensing potential enemies through the earth. Not only that, but it has also taken over the world's core—well, a portion of it. Why do you think this world has a flying prohibition? It's all that tree's doing. It's changed the laws of the world with the portion of the core it controls, ensuring everything remains under its dominion."
"And since cultivators pose the greatest threat to it, the tree decided to eliminate the humans first before they could figure out how to deal with it. After that, the tree didn't act much. It only makes a move when a demonic beast evolves to the General Level. Hmph, that stupid tree is so annoying. If my bloodline ability didn't bypass the flying prohibition, I might have died long ago," Lapin said, his expression darkening as he spoke. The sheer hatred in his voice was palpable.
Anda and Tamina exchanged a glance, their minds reeling. They had come to the Mystic Realm seeking treasures, not to get caught up in a world-ending catastrophe!
If possible, they would gather their group and leave as soon as they could. But the problem was, they were stuck here. They didn't even know where the portal was!
"So, going back to my request—after hearing the story, will you help me? Of course, I'll reward you fantastically for your help. Think of it as a transaction," Lapin said, his tone light but his eyes serious.
"How are we supposed to help you, Senior Celestial Cloud Lapin?" Anda asked, still struggling to see how they, mere Core Formation Realm cultivators, could assist a being of his power. If anything, they were the ones who needed help to return to their world.
Lapin leaned forward, placing both feet firmly on the ground. His expression turned earnest as he explained, "The solution is simple. Plant a spiritual imprint in me. Make me your spirit beast. That way, you can hide my aura from the law and bring me along through the portal on your return trip."
"What? Become a spirit beast?" The two ladies exclaimed in unison, their voices filled with shock. A King Level Demonic Beast offering to become their spirit beast? It was almost too absurd to believe.
"Kekeke. Don't be so shocked. It's only temporary—until we reach your world. I'm a Celestial Cloud Rabbit, after all. It took a lot of effort and planning to reach this level. Of course, I want my freedom. So, once we arrive in your world, you'll disperse the spiritual imprint, and the deal is done. We go our separate ways. Sounds good, doesn't it?"
Anda and Tamina relaxed slightly, their initial excitement fading. For a moment, they had truly thought they might gain a King Level Spirit Beast as a permanent ally. That would have been glorious!
Though Anda didn't entirely believe everything Lapin said because she had no way to confirm his intentions—she reasoned that someone of his power had no reason to concoct such an elaborate lie. If she were in his position, she would also act nice and build good relation with the people who will be helping her crossing the world instead of using force. What was the point of escaping for survival if it meant making new enemies? A peaceful transaction like this was the most logical approach.
After a long silence, Lapin spoke again, his voice breaking through their thoughts. "So... which of you human ladies will make a deal with me?"
"Senior Celestial Cloud Lapin, even if I agree to help you, it would still be impossible for us to do so because we don't even know how to return to our world. Something happened during our journey, and we were scattered randomly throughout this world. We don't even know where to find the portal," Anda explained, pointing out the crux of the problem.
Lapin smiled, his large front teeth gleaming. "This, you don't have to worry about. I'll help you search for it using my Celestial Clouds. I can search the entire world with them."
Anda and Tamina's eyes lit up with hope. For the first time since their arrival, they could see a clear path back home. It was an issue that had been weighing on them all this time.
"Senior Lapin, can you help find my husband and my sisters too?" Anda asked, her voice tinged with urgency.
"My fiancé and my subordinates too!" Tamina chimed in, her excitement palpable.
"Kekeke! No problem, no problem! Small matters," Lapin said, waving a hand dismissively. "Now, who will imprint their spiritual imprint in me? We need to do this as soon as possible. By the way, my level far surpasses yours, human ladies. So, if the imprint isn't strong enough, it might not hold in my sea of consciousness. If it breaks while we are crossing the void tunnel, the aura camouflage will disappear and cause the tunnel to collapse. We could all die. This sounds easy but it's actually not." he added, his tone turning serious.
"Let me do it!" Anda volunteered without hesitation. To her, this was a perfect opportunity to secure a powerful ally for the Leyan Family. Moreover, if she placed a spiritual imprint in Lapin, her ability would make it far easier to detect his true intentions, confirming everything he had told them.
Obviously she was aware that this task came with great difficulty and danger. As Lapin mentioned, her spiritual imprint might not withstand his powerful sea of consciousness. This was true for any beast tamer and their spirit beast. If a spirit beast hate the owner and was stronger, it could destroy the imprint get its freedom. But in her case now, her spiritual imprint might get destroyed even if Lapin didn't do anything.
"Very good. Let's do it now. Human Anda, please create the strongest spiritual imprint you can, or it might fail," Lapin instructed.
"Sure," Anda replied, closing her eyes and focusing intently. She channeled her spiritual sense, crafting the most robust spiritual imprint she could muster. With a deep breath, she directed it into Lapin's sea of consciousness.
However, the moment Anda's spiritual imprint entered Lapin's sea of consciousness, it was met with immense pressure. The sheer magnitude of his mental energy overwhelmed her spiritual imprint, sending a searing pain through her mind. It felt like her head was being crushed under the weight of a mountain.
She gritted her teeth, trying her best to hold on, but it was futile. The imprint disintegrated within moments, unable to withstand the overwhelming force. The backlash hit her like a tidal wave, and with a gasp, she collapsed, her face pale and her body limp.
"Anda!" Tamina shouted, rushing forward to catch her friend before she hit the ground. She cradled Anda's unconscious form, her face filled with concern.
"Hmm... a failure, huh?" Lapin murmured, his ears drooping slightly. "Sigh... I knew there was a high chance this would happen, but I still underestimated the level difference between us. Only a few seconds. Is my plan not going to work after all?"
The reality was stark. If Anda's spiritual imprint could only last for a few seconds in his sea of consciousness, there was no way it would hold during the journey through the void tunnel. Even if Tamina tried, the result would likely be the same. This revelation put Lapin in a deep dilemma. This had been his most plausible plan to escape this world, but now it seemed much more difficult to execute.
"Senior Lapin, what will happen to Anda? Please, help her!" Tamina pleaded, her voice trembling with worry.
"Don't worry about it," Lapin said, his tone calm and reassuring. "She's suffered a mental backlash, but it's not that serious. Just let her rest properly, and when she wakes up, I'll help heal her injured sea of consciousness. I came up with this plan, so naturally, I've prepared plenty of medicinal treasures to heal and boost the sea of consciousness." As he spoke, he conjured a soft, fluffy cloud bed for Anda, its surface shimmering faintly with healing energy.
Tamina felt a wave of relief wash over her. She carefully laid Anda on the cloud bed, brushing a strand of hair from her friend's pale face. For a moment, she felt somewhat laughable for even entertaining the idea of having a King Level Demonic Beast as a spirit beast. The sheer gap in their power was laughably insurmountable.
"Senior Lapin, should I try it as well?" Tamina asked, turning to him with a determined expression.
Lapin shook his head, his long ears swaying with the motion. "No need. I don't think the result would be much different. Now that I've experienced it, I know very well that the gap between us isn't something that can be bridged with training or determination."
Comments
uncertain
I have a feeling that a certain panda loving protagonist (or is he a final villain?) will be chosen for his strong spiritual sense, and he'll even get power leveled by Lapin.
