The Beast Camp—the newest department in Cloud Peak—was overseen by Yuanyuan, the granddaughter of Li Daqian.
Her body, far more mature than her age, made the young girl appear like a teenager. At this moment, she was holding a stool, washing a strange little creature in a large basin.
It was a one-month-old level-five Lion-Nosed Hound pup.
Lion-Nosed Hounds were tamed monsters. Their levels were generally low, with adults only reaching four or five. Their combat ability was weak, even among peers; they were relatively feeble.
However, these monsters, only slightly larger than domestic dogs, had one outstanding ability—an extreme sensitivity to smells.
Liu Zhenghong said these creatures could distinguish tens of thousands of scents and remember them firmly. Under favorable weather conditions, their sense of smell could detect scents up to a hundred kilometers away! Even in the most complex environments, Lion-Nosed Hounds could easily locate the source of a remembered scent within twenty or thirty kilometers.
The Beast Camp wasn’t just about training qualified mounts. Ye Zhongming intended to build it into a multifunctional mutated-life camp, and these Lion-Nosed Hounds were one of the functional beasts.
The pup’s mother lay obediently beside the large basin, watching Yuanyuan, whom she was already familiar with, bathe her offspring. If the pup misbehaved, she would nudge it back with her large, sensitive nose.
Yuanyuan laughed beside them, carefree.
The gorilla grunted; the wound no longer hurt, and it even enjoyed being pressed and prodded by these people. Its owner watched and smacked its head in exasperation.
Outside, many others were handling various tasks related to the beasts. The Beast Camp was now fully operational.
With the recent opening of the passage to Black Dragon City and rumors of an upcoming expedition, the Beast Camp was slightly busier than usual.
Suddenly, the usually peaceful and docile tamed beasts all turned to look in one direction, standing up in unison.
The scent-sensitive Lion-Nosed Hound beside Yuanyuan sniffed the air, and its blue eyes tinged with red—a sign of anger or battle readiness.
“What’s wrong, Big Nose?” Yuanyuan reached out to pet the usually affectionate dog, but suddenly, the Lion-Nosed Hound grabbed its pup in its mouth and ran madly in one direction.
The basin overturned, spilling water everywhere.
By the time Yuanyuan chased outside, the Lion-Nosed Hound was already gone. She saw all the beasts in the Beast Camp going berserk, running in the same direction, ignoring their owners’ and caretakers’ shouts and attempts to stop them.
The Beast Camp was instantly in chaos. Yuanyuan and the other evolved stood bewildered, unsure of what was happening.
The same phenomenon occurred elsewhere. Little Tiger had been feeding his mount when the usually obedient creature suddenly broke free and vanished, leaving him staring at the food in his hand. He took a bite and muttered, “Not spoiled, still tasty.”
Meanwhile, the beasts that had returned with Ye Zhongming—Yellow Ball, Yangos, the ice bird, and others—immediately rushed toward the testing grounds.
Except for those not in the stronghold, all the beasts ran toward the testing grounds. These mutated creatures seemed frenzied, with some of the larger ones crashing through buildings as they ran, collapsing countless structures in Cloud Peak’s interior.
These mutated creatures belonged to the stronghold, most with owners. Even those in the Beast Camp without contracts had dedicated caretakers, yet none obeyed.
The beasts’ sudden movement triggered Cloud Peak’s defense system. Various defensive weapons aimed at the running creatures, but since they were part of Cloud Peak, the high-clearance defense troops didn’t dare fire without orders from above.
But how could the higher-ups agree? These beasts included their own treasures!
Thus, the beasts collectively rushed to the testing grounds where Ye Zhongming was.
The female guards and other core members who had noticed the anomaly had already gathered around Ye Zhongming, fearing the frenzied beasts might harm him.
Yet, upon arriving, the beasts gradually calmed down, softly calling out in a manner resembling their usual affectionate or playful behavior with owners and caretakers.
Liu Zhenghong and Xia Lei, who had rushed over, exchanged glances before looking at Yellow Ball and Yangos, the “boss-level” beasts in the stronghold. After receiving confirmation, they ordered the fighters to step back.
Once the humans retreated, Yangos, the ice bird, Yellow Ball, the Three-Nosed Elephant, Nine Treasures, and other level-eight creatures took the innermost positions, closest to Ye Zhongming. Whether land, sky, or underground creatures, they all stood quietly on the ground, even the usually noisy evil dragon was now silent.
The next circle was occupied by level-seven creatures, followed by level-six, level-five, and so on.
The hierarchy among the beasts was even stricter.
“What’s happening?”
Little Tiger, who had just finished eating beast rations, arrived muttering in disbelief, though it was unclear whom he was asking.
Xia Lei, Mo Ye, and others were equally confused. Seeing Ye Zhongming aged beyond recognition, they were filled with worry.
Le Dayuan had also arrived. Staring anxiously at Ye Zhongming, he exchanged words with his wife and likewise chose to respect Ye Zhongming’s decision.
“Not sure, but it must be related to the Lan You plant. It’s growing rapidly and emitting intense life energy. This energy might not affect us, but it seems highly beneficial to these beasts. Look at Yangos—if there weren’t benefits, would it sit so properly like a schoolboy? It’s always either flying or lying down otherwise.”
Liu Zhenghong could only offer this analysis to explain the situation.
“But Zhongming’s condition…” Xia Lei didn’t care about beasts or life energy—her only concern was whether her man was okay.
Liu Zhenghong hesitated before replying, “Xia Lei, I truly don’t know. At this point, we can only trust Little Ye’s ability and luck.”
Her words made even the less fragile Miya tear up.
“Let’s wait and see. We should have faith in him.” Le Dayuan couldn’t bear it and comforted everyone.
Ye Zhongming’s consciousness remained clear. He knew all the beasts currently in Cloud Peak—likely over twenty thousand—had gathered around him. He could sense the collapsed buildings nearby.
He could even keenly detect that beneath the stronghold, the Rat King and his consort had led their rodent army here, disregarding Cloud Peak’s warnings. In the distant sky, a flock of passing mutated flying creatures was also speeding toward them, no longer fearing the dense array of demon crystal cannons on the city walls.
Even farther away, mutated creatures were growing restless.
He knew it was because of Lan You. Back in Black Dragon City, buried within the walls as a sprout, it had attracted a level-nine creature. Now, under the open sky with no obstructions, no energy-absorbing base, and having grown to this state, the peculiar waves it emitted were bound to drive many creatures wild.
However, Ye Zhongming didn’t know the exact reason for this frenzy.
Twenty full minutes had passed since he activated the Gardener skill.
Lan You had grown to two meters tall, its trunk now as thick as a bowl. The earlier leaves had become branches, and a small green tree was taking shape, though its roots hadn’t expanded much—only thickening slightly.
The life energy it emitted grew even more intense. Yangos and the other beasts wore expressions of intoxication, as if immersed in an extremely comfortable environment.
Ye Zhongming had aged to resemble a man in his seventies or eighties—hair and eyebrows entirely white, body hunched, skin withered. His life was in its final stages.
Liu Zhenghong and the others, who had initially insisted on respecting Ye Zhongming’s decision, grew increasingly uneasy. They couldn’t be sure Ye Zhongming would truly be unharmed. Xia Lei and the rest began considering forcibly stopping this process.
Even if Ye Zhongming never recovered, it was better than losing his life.
Ye Zhongming also regretted his choice. He realized that Lan You’s absorption of his life force showed no signs of stopping after all this time—in fact, it seemed to be increasing!
He could feel his life nearing its end, his body on the verge of exhaustion.
Had he made the wrong choice?
Ye Zhongming’s arm had been holding Lan You aloft—its sprout was too small initially, requiring him to raise it. But now, with his strength fading, he could no longer support the grown Lan You. With a thud, it fell to the ground.
The roots, pressed into the earth by the now-heavy trunk, instantly burrowed underground, vanishing instantly!