Chapter 2122: Taming the Phosphor-Scale Beast

"Your divine essence pill is poisonous?" The Phosphor-Scale Beast's body stiffened, its whole form tensing.

Since meeting this person, it had only consumed one divine essence pill given by him. It had carefully examined it at the time and found nothing unusual before swallowing it. Could there be something hidden inside?

But...

What kind of poison could make it feel an overwhelming pressure from heaven and earth, leaving it utterly powerless to resist?

"Smart of you!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

As a top-tier expert who had roamed the Master Teacher Continent and the Firmament, his worldly experience was nothing short of monstrous. How could he casually trust a young man who appeared out of nowhere in the dead of night, drinking wine, with such high cultivation?

Thus, he had prepared in advance, hiding several strands of true qi in the divine essence pill he gave the beast.

If the beast meant no harm, those strands of true qi would aid it—helping to clear meridians, improve skin, even enhance beauty... But if it had ulterior motives, those nourishing true qi would instantly transform into deadly poison, carrying the oppressive force of the Heavenly Dao, burrowing into the most delicate parts of its body. No matter how strong, none could withstand it.

"Very well... But don't celebrate too soon. The mutton and wine you just ate also contain poison I placed. At worst, we can exchange antidotes..." The Phosphor-Scale Beast gritted its teeth.

"Poison in the wine?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Do you think I'd believe that now?"

As a poison master, he could easily detect whether something was poisonous. The beast was clearly trying to create confusion, hoping to unsettle him.

"My wine has no toxins, but it's brewed from a special fruit meant only for me, a Phosphor-Scale Beast. Other beings who drink it won't suffer immediate harm, but after half a day, scales will grow all over their body, they'll itch unbearably, and wish they were dead..." the Phosphor-Scale Beast said. "If you give me the antidote, I'll teach you the remedy, let you leave, and won't cause trouble..."

"No need!" Zhang Xuan shook his head.

"You don't believe me?"

"No, I believe what you say. But... thanks for the reminder. I've already neutralized the poison you placed." Zhang Xuan said.

The Phosphor-Scale Beast froze, incredulous. "You're lying..."

Zhang Xuan smiled slightly. "Your wine is brewed from the unique [Zi Zhen Fruit] found only in this canyon. This fruit is the best supplement for maintaining your Phosphor-Scale's strength. That's why you can't leave here—you know that without Zi Zhen Fruit, your so-called invincible defense would become a joke!"

"You..." The Phosphor-Scale Beast was stunned.

Was this guy a monster?

How could he know such a secret?

The Lord of Nightmare City had come to tame it, offering generous terms. In the past, it wouldn't have hesitated to refuse outright. But now, with the divine realm's spiritual energy declining, staying here would only weaken it further.

Yet it still hadn't agreed—all because of this Zi Zhen Fruit!

This fruit was the key to its formidable defense. As long as it kept consuming it, it would grow stronger. But if it stopped, it would gradually weaken, and its advantage would vanish.

Moreover, this fruit could only be cultivated with its blood and couldn't survive outside the Falling Cloud Valley. So it had to stay here, unable to leave.

This was its greatest secret, one it couldn't let anyone know. Thus, no matter who came to tame it, it refused outright, even risking its life to drive them away.

And this guy... had blurted it out!

How did he know?

"You brew Zi Zhen Fruit into wine to hide it from others and make it unrecognizable. Also, regular consumption maintains your defensive strength. Since it's cultivated with your blood, ordinary people indeed can't drink it—they'd experience discomfort. But to me, it's nothing!" Zhang Xuan smiled slightly.

The most toxic things in the world were nothing before Heavenly Dao true qi, let alone wine brewed from some fruit.

"Alright!"

Having explained, Zhang Xuan waved his hand and sat down where the divine beast had been sleeping earlier, looking over calmly. "I'll give you two choices. First... give me a hundred Zi Zhen Fruits and two liters of your blood. Of course, I won't ask for nothing—twenty divine essence pills. Don't worry, these are poison-free."

"Second, die from the poison. The poison I placed is guaranteed to be incurable. Even if you find the Nether Soul Heaven or the Sovereign of Qiankun, they'll have no way."

"I'll kill you..."

The Phosphor-Scale Beast roared and was about to attack the young man, but found its body tightening. The poison placed inside it had instantly locked its meridians, leaving it unable to release any of its strength.

"What poison is this?" Its pupils contracted, and it trembled.

Countless experts had tried to tame it, many using poison. Thus, it knew something about poisons. With its powerful body and defenses, it could block most toxins. But this one... left it utterly helpless!

"You don't need to know. Two paths are before you. Choose the second, and after you die from poison, I can still collect your blood and Zi Zhen Fruits without spending a single thing!" Zhang Xuan said.

Knowing he spoke the truth—once dead, everything would be his—the Phosphor-Scale Beast's face alternated between gloom and brightness. "Is there a third path?"

"Yes!" Zhang Xuan clasped his hands behind his back and stood up. "Become my beast pet. When I need blood, you provide it on demand. I can let you leave the Falling Cloud Valley while maintaining your current defense, even stronger... And I can help you break through your bottleneck and reach the Heavenly God realm!"

"Help me leave here and break through to the Heavenly God realm?"

The Phosphor-Scale Beast shook its head. "That's impossible..."

It had already taken human form and could enter cities to enjoy a life of luxury and indulgence. It wouldn't refuse, but... reality made it impossible. It had once sneaked into Nightmare City and sought out people to inquire, but all were helpless.

Could this young man in his twenties accomplish that?

And help it break through?

If the Heavenly God realm were so easy to reach, Nightmare City wouldn't have only its lord at that level!

"Nothing is impossible!"

Zhang Xuan lifted his chin slightly, his gaze profound. "Zi Zhen Fruit strengthens your defense, but you know its side effects are severe. As you said, it causes unbearable itching and a wish for death. You must keep consuming Zi Zhen Fruit to alleviate it, like tobacco—addictive and impossible to quit."

Having read books, he knew the divine realm also had tobacco, and most who smoked found it hard to quit.

"Even if you know, what can you do?" the Phosphor-Scale Beast said.

It knew this all too well, but what could it do?

If it could quit, it wouldn't be stuck here.

"All things in heaven and earth complement and balance each other. Where venomous snakes appear, an antidote is found within seven steps. That's the principle. Since Zi Zhen Fruit has side effects, there must be something to counteract them... As for helping you break through to the Heavenly God realm, that relies on this very thing. If I'm not mistaken, years of consuming Zi Zhen Fruit have numbed your body with its power, and your meridians are no longer as sensitive as before!"

Zhang Xuan said.

"How do you..." It was about to ask how he knew, but seeing its secrets laid bare before him, it stopped and nodded. "Yes."

Long-term consumption of Zi Zhen Fruit had indeed dulled its meridians, making true qi flow harder to control.

It was like a hammer—if you want it to have power, you can't expect it to be nimble.

With invincible defense, fine control over true qi naturally degraded. Nothing in the world was perfect.

"If you could restore sensitivity to your true qi control, could you break through to the Heavenly God realm?"

Zhang Xuan smiled.

"Of course!" the Phosphor-Scale Beast nodded.

With restored sensitivity to true qi control, given its years of accumulation, breaking through that realm wouldn't be hard.

"Then it's simple..." Zhang Xuan flicked his finger again.

Zizi!

The strand of true qi inside it, which had caused pain and rendered it powerless, transformed into a nourishing force, flowing swiftly through its meridians.

The stiff meridians, hardened by its enhanced defense, softened in an instant, and blockages cleared.

"This..." The Phosphor-Scale Beast's eyes widened in disbelief.

The deadly poison had turned into a nourishing substance at his whim—and with such powerful effect. How was it done?

Its meridians softened, and the power within stirred, as if it might break through to the Heavenly God realm at any moment. Just as it was about to push through, the strand of true qi stopped.

Hula!

Its meridians stiffened again, and the urge to break through was sealed, unable to advance further.

In an instant, it fell from heaven to earth, the crushing disappointment nearly driving it mad.

Zhang Xuan smiled. "The power inside you is too weak to sustain the effect for long. But in that brief moment, you should understand that what I said is true, no deception. The choice is yours."

Heavenly Dao true qi could soften its stiff meridians, but only temporarily. Besides, since the beast hadn't made its choice, he wouldn't help it break through just yet.

"I..."

The Phosphor-Scale Beast fell silent.

If it had doubts before, when that power coursed through its body, it was certain: this man could indeed resolve the problems caused by Zi Zhen Fruit and even help it break through!

Given that, which of the three paths to choose... even a fool would know.

"I am willing to become your beast pet, never to leave, with no regrets unto death..."

Gritting its teeth, the Phosphor-Scale Beast prostrated itself. With a mental command, a drop of essence blood flew out.

"Very good!"

Relieved, Zhang Xuan smiled and pointed, drawing the soul imprint contained in the blood into his brow, successfully taming it.