Tianming Pavilion, Resource Library.
The heavy, cold alloy door slowly opened under the authority of "Master," revealing a dazzling array of items inside.
This was the core of Shanghai's Tianming Pavilion, storing resources collected from all over the world.
Master, shedding his usual aloofness and wariness, turned to Ren Shitou beside him, a remarkably gentle smile gracing his face.
"Ren Shitou, previously... we misjudged you."
His voice carried a hint of emotion and relief.
"The Heavenly Secret has been divined; Destiny is with you. We, mere mortals, must follow the will of Heaven and not go against the tide."
Ren Shitou looked at the rows of shelves before him, at the medicinal herbs glowing with a faint light, at the cultivation techniques and secret manuals, and snorted heavily.
He said nothing.
But in his eyes, all of this was what he deserved!
What Destiny, what following the will of Heaven.
It was merely a group of weaklings finding a grand excuse for their own shortsightedness.
Seeing Ren Shitou's unruly demeanor, Master not only wasn't angry but became even more convinced of the Heavenly Secret's judgment.
How could a King of Destiny not have pride?
"These are a small token of the association's goodwill."
Master pointed at the items in the vault, speaking generously:
"Dragon's Blood Grass for strengthening the body, Life Elixir that can instantly restore stamina, and this Vibranium shard extracted from an extraterrestrial meteorite..."
"Take whatever you fancy."
Ren Shitou was not at all polite, sweeping his hand and collecting all the items Master had pointed out into his possession.
These were all what he deserved after his awakening!
...That night.
Ren Shitou soaked himself in a huge bathtub, feeling the energy of the "Dragon's Blood Grass" medicinal bath continuously seeping into his limbs and bones.
His power was rapidly increasing!
Just as he comfortably closed his eyes, the cold, mechanical voice in his mind suddenly rang out!
Unlike before, this time the prompt box was an unprecedented, crimson red!
[Main Quest: The King of Destiny's Hunt!]
[Quest Background: A sleeping "Ferocious Beast" has awakened in Shanghai. Its existence is a blatant challenge to the King of Destiny's authority. Go defeat him, devour his power, and let him be the first cornerstone on your path to coronation!]
[Quest Objective: Codename "Butcher," a former Tianming Pavilion member, expelled for cultivating an evil art and devouring his peers. He is currently hiding in Shanghai's underground black market boxing scene.]
[Quest Reward: Massive experience points, unlock new talent — Wild Devour!]
[Failure Penalty: Revert to original form.]
The King of Destiny's Hunt?
Ren Shitou abruptly stood up from the bathtub, water splashing everywhere.
His battle intent was boiling!
He immediately put on his clothes, found his Destiny Device, pulled up the internal database, and entered the codename "Butcher."
The next second, a file popped up.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Master also received the news.
"What?"
"Ren Shitou is looking up information on Butcher? What does he want to do?"
Jueying's expression became incredibly grave:
"Butcher... he's a complete lunatic! He awakened the [Gluttonous System], which allows him to grow stronger by devouring the flesh and blood of powerful individuals!"
"Three years ago, when he defected, his strength had already reached the peak of purple-tier! We organized several encirclement campaigns, but he always escaped!"
"No!"
Just as everyone was filled with doubt, Mr. "Heavenly Secret" in the corner slowly pushed his gold-rimmed glasses, his eyes gleaming with a fervent, almost frenzied light.
"You don't understand!"
"This isn't suicide; this is... the King of Destiny's trial!"
He stood up, walked to the map, and pointed at the glowing dot representing Ren Shitou.
"A wicked abomination like Butcher, who cultivates evil ways, is inherently intolerable to the Heavenly Dao! And Ren Shitou, as the King of Destiny born in response to the times, his mission is to personally clean up this era's trash!"
"This is Heaven testing him, and also using his hand to set things right!"
"We cannot stop him! We should even... fully assist him!"
Heavenly Secret's words were decisive and resounding.
Master, Jueying, and the others, listening to this "logical" authoritative interpretation, their expressions of doubt instantly transformed into sudden realization.
So that's how it is!
Master slammed the table, "Immediately! Open all intelligence on Butcher to Ren Shitou!"
"Jueying, personally lead a team to provide covert support, and ensure this trial is foolproof!"
They believed they were following the will of Heaven and assisting Destiny.
Little did they know, they were merely using their resources to help Lu Cheng's "star employee" better complete this quarter's KPI... At the same time.
Shanghai, restaurant kitchen.
Chi Baobao stared blankly at a piece of Wagyu beef on the cutting board before him.
To ordinary chefs, these were supreme delicacies.
But to him, they tasted like chewing wax.
Ever since that night, when he cooked and tasted a small piece of the "Mammoth Meat" Lu Cheng had given him, he felt a certain switch inside him had been completely flipped.
But what followed was a sense of emptiness and hunger.
This "withdrawal symptom" made him suffer immensely.
He knew he didn't need ordinary "deliciousness," but rather... extraordinary ingredients containing "special energy"!
But where could he find such things?
Just as he was on the verge of despair, his communicator on his wrist vibrated gently.
It was a mission invitation from the Tianming Pavilion.
[Mission Content: Assist Ren Shitou in challenging the defector "Butcher," and be responsible for post-battle "cleanup" and "sample recovery" work.]
Chi Baobao originally had no interest in such violent matters.
But when his gaze swept over "Butcher's" personal information in the attachment, especially when he saw the description [Can grow stronger by devouring the flesh and blood of powerful individuals]...
Buzz—!
His Gourmet Cell System, or rather, the virus Lu Cheng had implanted in him, emitted a strong craving!
It was a greed for his own kind!
A thought so insane that it frightened him, uncontrollably bloomed in his mind.
"As fellow devourer-type ability users..."
"What would Butcher's flesh and blood taste like?"
...Lu Family Manor.
The afternoon sun was warm and gentle.
Lu Cheng was carefully pressing his ear against Gu Qingcheng's prominently swollen belly, listening intently.
Gu Qingcheng's face was flushed with happiness, one hand resting on her abdomen, the other gently stroking through Lu Cheng's black hair.
"Did you hear? The baby is so active today."
Her voice was filled with the joy of impending motherhood.
Lu Cheng looked up, feigning seriousness.
"I heard him."
"He's tattling on you, saying you secretly ate ice cream behind my back again last night."
"No way!"
Gu Qingcheng's cheeks instantly flushed crimson, and she playfully hit Lu Cheng's chest lightly.
"Don't listen to his nonsense!"
As the two laughed and joked, the room door was gently pushed open.
Luo Qingyan, with a cool and ethereal demeanor like a fairy under the moon, walked in, carrying an ancient medicine box.
Lu Cheng had called her, on one hand, for Gu Qingcheng's daily prenatal check-up, and on the other hand...
"Sister Qingcheng."
Luo Qingyan smiled gently at Gu Qingcheng, a hint of envy in her smile.
She walked to the bed, sat down, and extended two fair, jade-like fingers, gently resting them on Gu Qingcheng's wrist.
The next second.
Luo Qingyan's pretty face revealed an unbelievable shock!
This... what kind of pulse was this?!
What she felt was not a normal human pulse at all!
Each "thump" seemed to contain some profound truth of heaven and earth?
Just by feeling this pulse, the True Qi within her body began to circulate on its own, uncontrollably, boiling, and even showing faint signs of advancement!
This... was even more effective than the most top-grade spiritual elixirs!
After a long while.
Luo Qingyan slowly withdrew her trembling fingers.
She looked at Gu Qingcheng's lower abdomen, her eyes now filled with an unspeakable reverence.
She took a deep breath, turned to Lu Cheng, her voice a little dry.
"Sister Qingcheng and... young... master, are both well."
"Better... than I could have imagined."
"This kind of pulse, I... I have never heard of, never seen."
Her words were already very restrained.
But the undisguised stormy waves deep within her beautiful eyes clearly told Lu Cheng what an incredible miracle she had just glimpsed.