Chapter 1047: Magic Pod Soldiers! (2/2)

“Magic pod soldiers!” [1. This “magic pod soldiers” is actually a Chinese idiom based on a story where some magic beans turn into an army. Technically, what I’m translating as “black pod” or “blackpod” could also be translated as “black beans.” However… I’m sorry, but that’s just TOO goofy of a translation. I can’t stand the thought of Meng Hao having “black bean soldiers.” If he did, I would be tempted to add a line before he used them in which he asked his opponent “Would you like refried beans or black beans?” Besides, a pod is defined as a “two-valved seed vessel, as that of the pea or bean,” so I say it’s close enough. In any case, if anyone wants to write a fan fiction about these guys forming a band with Lord Fifth and going on tour, I can think of lots of great band names to go along with it] he thought, eyes shining. Next, he sent his divine sense into the other two stone chambers. In one of them, the black-shelled Ghost Eye Beetles were currently in the process of consuming each other. In the other chamber, there was only one beetle left, although it was currently sleeping.

Meng Hao could sense that it wouldn't be very long before two more blackpod imps would be emerging from the stone chambers.

Muttering to himself, he summoned five more black beetles, which he placed into the chamber with the broken door, then fed some more spirit-immortal stones. Then he waved his hand, causing a glittering shield to appear that replaced the shattered door.

It was about this time that the puppet boy flew down through the water and the shield, and then entered the residence. He clasped hands to Meng Hao, and then handed over a bag of holding.

Meng Hao immediately looked very excited, and instantly put the matter of the Ghost Eye Beetles aside. He grabbed the bag of holding, scanned it, and then his brow furrowed. There were obviously far fewer spirit stones and Immortal jade inside than had been in the bag before.

Of course, it was better than nothing. It was still a hefty sum, even if it was less than before. Meng Hao waved his hand to send the puppet boy away, then sat down cross-legged and once again began to use the copper mirror to duplicate the Paragon's blood.

Time passed, and Meng Hao’s life of sitting there duplicating with the copper mirror began once again. His eyes were bloodshot, and he continuously uttered vile curses. The copper mirror’s ability to consume spirit stones, and the pain that came along with it, was something that he thought he had grown numb to. However, as it turned out, he was anything but numb.

Thankfully, his supply of Paragon's blood was growing larger. About a week later, he now had eighty portions!

During that time, he had sent the puppet boy out over ten times. Each time, he came back with fewer and fewer spirit stones and Immortal jade. Right now, Meng Hao was just looking up and taking a deep breath as the puppet boy returned again.

Unfortunately, this time the puppet boy had no bag of holding, only a jade slip.

When Meng Hao jaw that it was a jade slip, he smiled bitterly. He'd already had a bad feeling about what had been happening, so he wasn't surprised when he picked up the slip, scanned it with divine sense, and heard the enraged voice of Ling Yunzi.

“No more! What do you do with all the spirit stones, boy, eat them?! Or do you just crush them into bits for fun!?!? It's only been half a month! Do you have any idea how many spirit stones and Immortal jade you've taken away!?!?

“The Nine Seas God World has been saving up Immortal jade and spirit stones for countless years, and you’ve already sucked away ten percent!!

“Dammit! I know I said all the resources of the sect were available to you, but... but the way you’re clearing us out is intolerable! No more! Until we open the Windswept Realm, we have no more! Do you hear me!?”

Meng Hao felt a bit awkward. Although the jade slip only contained divine sense, and Ling Yunzi hadn't come personally, Meng Hao could imagine how enraged he, as well as Granny Nine and Godmaster, must look.

“I don’t want to waste so many spirit stones either,” he grumbled. “It hurts me too!” He was also shocked at the wastage of spirit stones and Immortal jade, and it truly did pain him inwardly. He felt a bit wronged, actually. He hadn't actually calculated how much he had spent, not because he couldn't, but because he was worried that if he knew for sure, he might pass out from the pain of it all.

“Besides, it was a measly ten percent, that’s all! The Nine Seas God World is so mighty, and yet so stingy!” Clearing his throat, he continued to use divine sense to examine the message Ling Yunzi had sent.

“I bet you're not convinced, are you, kid? You think that ten percent isn't very much. Well let me tell you, you little whippersnapper, our faction only has access to forty percent of the total cultivation resources of the Nine Seas God World. The Demonic Cultivator Horde controls thirty percent, and the other two factions control fifteen percent each.

“If you want more cultivation resources, well, we can’t give them to you. Go challenge the golden door stone stele trials by fire. Win some rewards there. Because you’re in the Echelon, the rewards you can get will be double or more. When you win those rewards, the cost is divided out among all the factions!

“If you’re skilled enough, then in the following two and a half months you can clear out all the resources of the Nine Seas God World, but at least then the other factions will lose out as well, not just ours!!” Ling Yunzi’s last words were uttered through clenched teeth. Clearly, the last half month had been one long headache for him, Granny Nine, and Godmaster.

If Meng Hao weren’t in the Echelon, they would most likely have long since descended upon him and slaughtered him and put an end to this no-good, spirit-stone devouring black hole of a glutton.

Meng Hao frowned as he retracted his divine sense from the jade slip. He looked over at the copper mirror, and then at his 80 vials of Paragon's blood.

“I still need twenty vials!” His eyes then began to shine with a frightening light, and a glimmer of obsession. For the sake of completing the Paragon’s blood, and for the sake of fully absorbing his Nirvana Fruits, Meng Hao was even beginning to think about resorting to robbery and theft.

“I guess I should go check out the trials by fire!” With that, he clenched his jaw, rose to his feet, and walked out of the residence.

As soon as he stepped outside, he heard the sound of organized, choral singing coming from the pool of water.

“Come, come, sing with Lord Fifth. No singing out of key, now! Here we go! I was a bad kid when I was young, I’m a little seafood dish! Lalalalala! Seafood dish. Dobedobedoooo.... seafood dish.”