Chapter 16: If You Do Not Mind, Senior, I Am Willing to Acknowledge You as My Adoptive Father
Zhang Peng was the 6th Consecrated Elder of the Holy Spirit Cult, while Hate Douluo was the 6th Elder of the Holy Spirit Cult.
Although both were ranked 6th, and their positions seemed to correspond to one another, giving the impression that their strength should be similar, in reality, the gap between an Elder and a Consecrated Elder was enormous, even though both were Titled Douluo.
Aside from the elusive Grand Elder of the Holy Spirit Cult, the strongest among the Elders was the 2nd Elder, Heavenly Scorpion Douluo Nan Gong Wan, who was only Rank 93. Although Hate Douluo was also a Titled Douluo, his Spirit Power was merely Rank 91, placing him at the very bottom of the Titled Douluo hierarchy.
But Zhang Peng, as the 6th Consecrated Elder, possessed Rank 96 Spirit Power.
In theory, Elders and Consecrated Elders were of similar status, but in reality, everyone knew that the Consecrated Elders, who were either semi-Evil Spirit Masters or not Evil Spirit Masters at all, far surpassed the 8 Great Elders, who were true Evil Spirit Masters.
Whether it was Martial Soul, Spirit Power rank, comprehension, or combat experience, Zhang Peng completely surpassed Hate Douluo in every aspect. Zhang Peng could easily suppress Hate Douluo with a single hand.
A trace of fierceness flashed through Zhang Peng's eyes. As he released a little of his aura, Hate Douluo immediately felt as if his neck had been tightly gripped, making it hard for him to breathe.
Faced with such overwhelming power, Hate Douluo, who had been aggressive just moments ago, instantly calmed down. He lowered himself before Zhang Peng and bowed obsequiously.
"Yes, 6th Consecrated Elder, you are right. It was this junior who failed to control himself."
For an Evil Spirit Master to survive all the way to Titled Douluo, talent alone was not enough. One also needed the ability to adapt to circumstances and the skill to preserve one's life. Most stubborn Evil Spirit Masters had long since been eliminated, either by outsiders or by their own kind. Only a few with extremely powerful backgrounds had managed to survive.
When facing a mere Spirit Master like Chen Ming, Hate Douluo struck with ruthless force. But when facing Zhang Peng, who was vastly stronger than himself, Hate Douluo instantly became submissive and did not dare show the slightest dissatisfaction when Zhang Peng made his displeasure clear.
Looking at Hate Douluo, Zhang Peng did not bother wasting more words. He merely sighed, grabbed Chen Ming by the shoulder, and transformed into a shadow, merging into his beast Martial Soul as he took Chen Ming away from Hate Douluo's residence.
Even long after Zhang Peng had already left, Hate Douluo only dared to slowly raise his head. He did not dare say a single bad word, nor reveal the slightest sign of resentment.
Looking at his grandson Lu Genggeng, who had already eaten both infant fetuses from the jar, Hate Douluo patted him on the back and spoke in a low, gloomy voice.
"Remember this, Genggeng. In the future, you must cultivate well. Understand?"
"Yes, Grandfather."
Lu Genggeng's eyes were full of malice. His teeth ground together as he firmly marked Chen Ming as an enemy in his heart.
Unlike Chen Ming, who still possessed a sense of right and wrong, Lu Genggeng had been born and raised within the Holy Spirit Cult, surrounded by Evil Spirit Masters since childhood. He did not possess normal human morality. Instead, he had developed the twisted, evil, and predatory mindset typical of Evil Spirit Masters.
To Lu Genggeng, Chen Ming, who had rejected his "kindness" and even caused his grandfather to lose face, was the greatest enemy and a traitor. Although Lu Genggeng would never dare show the slightest malice toward Zhang Peng, there was no way he would let Chen Ming off so easily.
Hate Douluo returned to his room in a gloomy mood, and before long, the sound of things being smashed came from inside.
Evil Spirit Masters were never known for having a good temper, and Hate Douluo in particular was extremely petty. Zhang Peng's actions today, first delivering someone to him and then directly taking that person away, were no different from a slap to his face. If not for the huge gap in strength between them, Hate Douluo might truly have fought Zhang Peng on the spot.
Even though Zhang Peng had already made his attitude clear and chosen to protect Chen Ming, Hate Douluo was still thinking of ways either to kill Chen Ming or make his life worse than death.
The bearing of a senior expert? The magnanimity of a Titled Douluo?
Not to mention Evil Spirit Masters, even among ordinary Spirit Masters, there were few who possessed such qualities nowadays.
After wrapping Chen Ming inside the beast Martial Soul and traveling through darkness for a long time, Zhang Peng finally brought Chen Ming to a simple cave.
When Chen Ming was released from the beast spirit's cover, Zhang Peng stared directly into his eyes, his gaze cold yet carrying an emotion that was difficult to describe.
"Thank you, Senior, for saving my life."
Chen Ming was not an ungrateful person. Facing Zhang Peng, he immediately knelt and knocked his head to the ground several times.
A true man knew when to bow, and a true man knew when to kneel. Right now was exactly such a time.
"Why didn't you eat? You should know that it would have been beneficial to both you and your Martial Soul. Hate Douluo would have been the most suitable teacher for you in the entire Holy Spirit Cult. If you had accepted, your future would have been limitless. Why didn't you kneel to Hate Douluo? Why didn't you eat?"
"You were clearly suffering."
Zhang Peng's voice was low as he asked.
"Senior, as a human, one must have principles." Chen Ming lowered his head and spoke slowly.
"I can consume Spirit Beasts without guilt, because they are not my own kind. They are another species. Spirit Beasts eat humans, and humans eat Spirit Beasts. That is the natural order."
"Even wild beasts usually do not eat their own kind. Even low rank Spirit Beasts have their instincts. Only a few special cases will prey upon their own kind, and only in extreme circumstances will creatures turn on those of their own race."
"I am a human. Even though I have awakened an Evil Martial Soul, I am not evil. I do not accept the way others see me, and I do not accept the evil label they force onto me. I know who my enemies are, who I must take revenge on, and who I must hate."
"I do not want to increase the suffering of others, and I do not want to become someone who can easily take another person's life for the sake of revenge. I will oppose evil Shrek, but I will not let Shrek's accusations define me as evil."
"My will is not that strong. I can feel the urges and instincts of my Martial Soul. But precisely because of that, I will never try to consume human flesh. I am afraid that if I do, I will end up being controlled by my Martial Soul and become a monster wearing human skin."
"If I truly had no other choice, if I were starving and completely overwhelmed by my Martial Soul's instincts, then I might lose control and consume a human being. But as long as I still have even a trace of reason left, I will never do such a thing."
"Perhaps I am foolish. Perhaps I am old-fashioned... but I do not want to lose my last remaining bit of humanity. If I lose even that, then I may no longer be able to understand my own actions in the future..."
Zhang Peng listened quietly to Chen Ming's words. He stroked his chin and looked at the fear, resolve, and determination in Chen Ming's eyes, as if lost in thought.
After a long while, Zhang Peng let out a sigh, as though he had finally come to a decision.
"I have no descendants, and I have no Disciples. In my old age, I still need someone to look after me. Since handing you over to Hate Douluo would be no different from pushing you into a pit of fire, you may remain by my side for now."
Hearing Zhang Peng's words, Chen Ming's eyes lit up. Without the slightest hesitation, he knocked his head to the ground 3 more times.
"Chen Ming greets Adoptive Father!"
.....
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