Chapter 417: Xu’s Fake Pregnancy Illusion

Make the Forbidden Zone stop spreading?

This statement was said so matter-of-factly…

Yet it completely surprised the shadow phantom.

After all, from the shadow phantom’s perspective, this Forbidden Zone spreading seemed to be caused by those two Mist Monsters.

Judging by the Formation Master’s previous attitude, it appeared he wanted to send the Mist Monsters out of the Forbidden Zone to stop its spread.

And Heavenly Net’s meaning was clearly to explore the center of the Forbidden Zone.

In this situation, how could he possibly be willing to leave the Forbidden Zone?

But now he says to make the Forbidden Zone stop spreading?

Just as he was thinking this, he heard another voice say: “No.”

This voice came from the chubby guy, his tone quite firm.

The shadow phantom frowned, about to ask something, when another rather forceful voice emerged from his belly:

“You say no and that’s it? Don’t tell me you have a better, faster method to find the Forbidden Zone’s center?”

The chubby guy frowned, not yet answering, when the Formation Master’s voice emerged from the Array Disk:

“I also believe making the Forbidden Zone stop spreading is the best way to find its center.”

“Since we agree, please release the two Mist Monsters, shadow phantom.”

The shadow phantom nodded, thinking they indeed agreed.

Heavenly Net and the Formation Master agreed.

As for the chubby guy’s “no,” perhaps it wasn’t important.

However, just as he prepared to reach into his belly for the Mist Monsters,

he heard another “no” emerge from his belly.

This time, this “no” came from Heavenly Net.

This left the shadow phantom completely confused.

What? Wasn’t the idea to stop the Forbidden Zone’s spread your suggestion?

Now that we all agree, what else do you have to say “no” about?

But the shadow phantom ultimately favored Heavenly Net more.

After all, those two Mist Monsters were currently residing in his belly, so they were essentially one entity.

So he didn’t urgently pull out the Mist Monsters.

Then he indeed heard Heavenly Net’s explanation:

“When I said make the Forbidden Zone stop spreading, I didn’t mean sending me out of the Forbidden Zone.”

“If I’m not mistaken—”

“To locate the Forbidden Zone’s center, the Formation Master should have other arrangements.”

Hearing this, the shadow phantom pondered briefly and quickly understood.

Heavenly Net’s meaning was probably that the Formation Master should have other methods for stopping the Forbidden Zone’s spread.

So, there was no need to send the two Mist Monsters out.

He thought so—exploring the Forbidden Zone’s center was something Heavenly Net wouldn’t miss.

But…

The shadow phantom’s gaze turned toward the Array Disk.

He somewhat doubted the Formation Master would be so accommodating.

Sure enough—

The Array Disk buzzed again, emitting an arrogant snort.

“Since you’re unwilling to contribute…”

Before finishing,

another voice emerged from the shadow phantom’s belly:

“Who said I’m unwilling to contribute?”

Accompanying this voice, the shadow phantom suddenly felt…

a swelling pain throughout his body?!

This wasn’t right!

His untargetable ethereal form shouldn’t have sensations like a normal physical body!

Just as he was shocked and suspicious, he quickly discovered—

This swelling sensation mainly came from his abdomen!

If compared to a real physical body…

This peculiar feeling would be equivalent to… abdominal bloating?

Or perhaps… stomach pain??

While still shocked, the shadow phantom then saw—

His originally damaged body was quickly repaired by the Mist Monsters!

Even his constantly swelling, painful belly grew larger and larger!

Visibly, the abdominal area of his humanoid form protruded unnaturally!

Almost like he was pregnant!

This? What the??

The shadow phantom was shocked senseless!

Soon he felt an overwhelming pressure emanating from his belly.

Then, the voice from his belly changed.

It sounded somewhat similar to the previous ventriloquism-like voice,

but seemed more authoritative, deeper, and more forceful.

As if the previous Mist Monster voices didn’t come from the real Heavenly Net.

And this current voice was truly Heavenly Net.

This voice didn’t say much, just repeated the previous statement:

“Who said I’m unwilling to contribute?”

Then added: “Are you sure you don’t need my contribution?”

The buzzing Array Disk suddenly lost its momentum.

Soon, the Formation Master’s voice emerged from it, becoming more neutral: “Then wait.”

As he spoke, the Array Disk’s sounds gradually ceased.

But the shadow phantom’s enlarged belly didn’t shrink back.

The more authoritative voice emerged from his belly again, this time asking the shadow phantom:

“Do you still have any Blood Realm Worms on you?”

The shadow phantom felt numb inside, feeling an instinctive fear toward this creature residing in his belly.

He shook his head: “No…”

Then, meaningfully glancing at the chubby guy, added:

“During Jiang Ye’s mutation, the Guiwen Master took them all…”

The large belly then turned toward the chubby guy’s direction:

“Card Master, you objected just now—do you still have Blood Realm Worms? Or perhaps other methods to open the Forbidden Zone’s center?”

Hearing this question, the shadow phantom instinctively thought it impossible.

After all, he had a connection with the Blood Realm Worms.

If the chubby guy really had them, he should be able to sense it.

But upon second thought, maybe not.

After all, once the Blood Realm Worms fell into the Guiwen Master’s hands, perhaps his connection to them was severed.

Moreover, the chubby guy and the Old Woman’s situation in the Forbidden Zone was likely similar to the Formation Master’s.

Their current forms were clearly problematic.

Meaning, they might not be their true selves.

The true bodies of these two seniors might be somewhere else entirely.

So it was normal he couldn’t sense Blood Realm Worms from mere external manifestations.

And since this more forceful Heavenly Net asked this way…

Perhaps the Card Master really did have Blood Realm Worms?

Or even other methods to open the Forbidden Zone’s center?

The shadow phantom thought about it and stopped interrupting, becoming just an observer.

He saw the chubby guy staring at his protruding belly, his expression not good.

He didn’t directly answer Heavenly Net, instead turning to the Old Woman and asking seriously: “What do you say?”

The old woman remained silent.

But the shadow phantom sensed something—

Perhaps this old woman, or the Defenders’ Alliance behind her, really did have other methods to open the Forbidden Zone’s center!

After all, exploring the Forbidden Zone was mainly the Defenders’ Alliance’s initiative.

However, just like the Formation Master questioning Heavenly Net earlier,

this group wasn’t united.

The Formation Master questioned Heavenly Net’s lack of contribution and wanted to teleport him away.

Later, seeming to realize Heavenly Net had other uses, he relented.

This old woman belonging to the Defenders’ Alliance likely had similar concerns.

The Defenders’ Alliance might indeed have other means to open the Forbidden Zone’s center.

They just weren’t willing to contribute effort only to let others benefit for free.

Tsk tsk…

Such is human nature.

But the shadow phantom belatedly realized—

Even though the Forbidden Zone environment was dangerous and difficult for ordinary people to survive,

the Defenders’ Alliance, determined to explore the Forbidden Zone, probably still controlled, or even prepared, something.

The shadow phantom couldn’t help but think of the little girl Yuan Qiu who previously followed the Old Woman…

And that Reincarnation Ghost impersonating Zhou Yuling.

Ghosts…

Right, if Mist Monsters could survive in the Forbidden Zone, what about that Reincarnation Ghost?

The shadow phantom didn’t know that Xiao Bai, that Reincarnation Ghost, had been captured by the chubby guy.

The Old Woman knew, however.

Facing the chubby guy’s “what do you say,” she didn’t directly answer.

First giving a meaningful glance, subtly referring to Xiao Bai who fell into the chubby guy’s hands.

Then she said leisurely, unhurriedly: “I have nothing to say.”

This sounded like a meme reference, too perfunctory.

But fortunately, the Old Woman then added:

“But if the Left Alliance were here, they’d probably have plenty to say.”

The chubby guy didn’t ask why Lin Ling hadn’t entered the Forbidden Zone yet.

He just glanced at the shadow phantom’s bulging belly, his expression clearly conveying to Heavenly Net—

Hear that?

Even if there really were methods to open the Forbidden Zone’s center, they’re with the Left Alliance!

For a moment, the entire snow-white space fell into complete silence.

But the shadow phantom knew that while this place was silent, the outside world was probably experiencing massive upheavals!

Indeed…

Many Jiang Ye clones outside were experiencing internal turmoil.

As the saying goes, the greater the storm, the more valuable the fish!

The increasingly valuable Jiang Ye felt numb…

The Jiang Ye outside didn’t know that inside the Forbidden Zone, he had directly generated three SSS-grade light clones!

Nor did he know that while these three SSS-grade light clones were being drained of blood, his mutated clone had awakened.

But he knew—

Inside the Forbidden Zone, he had gained another Desiccated Corpse!

This “knowing” didn’t just come from the shared terrifying sensation during blood drainage by all clones.

It came more from—

He saw that Desiccated Corpse!

Hmm…

The clone that saw the Desiccated Corpse wasn’t exactly a proper clone either.

It was the one that transformed into a Blood Person under the Blood Pool, then was bottled by the Formation Master—the Blood Person clone!

To be honest, Jiang Ye himself didn’t know what kind of existence this Blood Person clone was.

After all, this clone had completely lost its physical body, becoming just a pool of blood.

Yet it still retained consciousness!

Originally, this conscious pool of blood was stored in some spatial equipment along with other bottles and jars containing who-knows-what.

When it suddenly saw daylight again, it saw that Desiccated Corpse.

Honestly, if he hadn’t seen another Desiccated Corpse before in the Court of Disorder,

he probably wouldn’t have recognized this Desiccated Corpse as being from his clone.

After all, this clone corpse didn’t contain his consciousness.

The Blood Person clone and that Desiccated Corpse had no connection.

He could only judge by appearance that it was probably his clone transformed into a Desiccated Corpse.

Of course, if other players drained of blood also turned into identical Desiccated Corpses, then he was just being presumptuous.

While the Blood Person Jiang Ye was contemplating, he felt himself being poured out of the bottle.

Poured onto that Desiccated Corpse.

His pool of blood was somewhat different from normal blood.

At least it didn’t flow like normal liquid.

Instead, as if sentient, it quickly covered the entire Desiccated Corpse’s body.

Thus, the originally shriveled, blackish corpse became a blood-red corpse.

This covering, enveloping state…

Strangely reminded Jiang Ye of the shadow phantom.

Jiang Ye’s mutated clone and the shadow phantom seemed to have this kind of wrapping relationship.

The shadow phantom’s body wrapped around the mutated clone’s body;

Here, the Blood Person clone wrapped around the clone Desiccated Corpse…

But the Jiang Ye outside didn’t know that inside the Forbidden Zone, the mutated Jiang Ye had already separated from part of the shadow phantom…

He was interested in testing whether this blood clone wrapped around the Desiccated Corpse, like crimson skin, could control the corpse’s movements?

Unfortunately, the Formation Master was right in front of him.

He wasn’t sure if this old guy knew his blood was conscious, so he didn’t dare act recklessly.

Thus, he could only watch helplessly—

The Formation Master with shining eyes casually flicked his hand—

Red threads instantly wrapped around the Desiccated Corpse’s limbs.

Then, controlled by the red threads, the horizontally placed Desiccated Corpse wrapped in blood-red skin was lifted up.

Under the red threads’ influence, it stood upright.

Of course, this “standing” was different from normal people.

Its head drooped, limbs hanging limply, looking like a powerless monster.

But the dwarf-like little old man looked at it with great satisfaction.

He released another thread, supporting the Desiccated Corpse’s head.

Now the Desiccated Corpse’s drooping head lifted up.

Simultaneously, the entire corpse’s body leaned forward, its head approaching the Dwarf Elder.

The Dwarf Elder deftly dug out the Desiccated Corpse’s eyeballs, then inserted an Array Disk into each socket.

Soon, the Array Disks replacing the eyeballs began buzzing.

The old man stroked his chin thoughtfully, then suddenly took out…

A ginseng fruit?!

Damn?!

The blood-form Jiang Ye, holding his breath and concentrating, saw what the Formation Master took out and was stunned!

Fortunately, he had no eyes, or he might have given himself away!

Because the ginseng fruit in this short old man’s hand looked quite similar to the Formless Leaf!

Of course, only similar.

Jiang Ye quickly judged—

That thing wasn’t the Formless Leaf.

It looked plumper than the shriveled Formless Leaf.

The Formless Leaf’s appearance was ultimately leaf-shaped, specifically a shriveled human-shaped leaf.

But the ginseng fruit in this old guy’s hand looked more like a fruit.

Though also human-shaped, it was plump.

However, it wasn’t the green ginseng fruit from Journey to the West.

This ginseng fruit’s color was yellowish tending toward off-white, looking like yellowed rice or proper ginseng.

While Jiang Ye was still shocked, he saw the old guy hesitate briefly, then stuff that ginseng fruit into his mouth!

Yes! Into the Desiccated Corpse’s mouth!

And the Desiccated Corpse’s shriveled lips were covered by the Blood Person Jiang Ye’s blood!

When Jiang Ye’s blood touched the ginseng fruit, he felt a peculiar sensation.

And when this Desiccated Corpse’s jaw was forcibly torn open, forcibly swallowing the entire ginseng fruit…

Jiang Ye’s peculiar sensation became increasingly obvious!

What kind of peculiar sensation was this?

Jiang Ye couldn’t describe it!

If forced to describe, this feeling was like itching…

Like the itching when scabbed wounds grow new flesh?

And this subtle itching mainly affected his head.

Perhaps it felt like… “growing a brain”?

Thinking this, Jiang Ye personally saw—

This dwarf-like short old guy stared at the top of his head, his eyes becoming frighteningly bright!

And the strange sensation on his head…

Made Jiang Ye suddenly realize—

Perhaps he wasn’t growing a brain.

But rather… growing hair?

Hair? What’s so special about hair?

But indeed, a blood-drained Desiccated Corpse had no hair.

Wait! Ginseng…

Jiang Ye remembered seeing an extremely expensive shampoo before that supposedly contained ginseng!

And vaguely recalled a saying.

Seemed to be from Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Traditional Chinese Medicine says, hair is the surplus of blood…

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep