Though Weak, A Mother's Strength Prevails

General Tiger Shark's words carried a grim implication: Roxane was effectively a lost cause. "Our Sea Clan's Military Priests, at the very least, are powerless to save her!" he seemed to convey. "Yet, if you could somehow reprise that extraordinary feat which salvaged Leihaite's life, perhaps Roxane might still cling to a thread of hope!"

This was his teacher's Divine Pet; Du Chen's anxiety was palpable. He recalled his past actions: the sacred artifact he'd stolen from Zigurd when they were strangers, crippling the stubborn old man's power. A faint pang of guilt still lingered. If Zigurd were to lose his Divine Pet now, his strength would suffer another devastating blow! As a student, how could he stand idly by and watch his teacher's cherished companion succumb to the vast, unforgiving sea?

Du Chen's gaze swept over those gathered in the cavern. "Hawkins," he declared, "the life of my teacher's Divine Pet is at stake. I must go investigate immediately! Prince Gode, would you..."

Gode, however, cut Du Chen off with a dismissive wave. He nodded profusely, his manner almost obsequious towards Deboning. "I shall accompany you at once! Wouldn't that be splendid?"

General Tiger Shark swiftly interjected. "Dean Zigurd's Divine Pet, Roxane, teeters on the brink of death. Should she truly perish within our domain, the consequences would be immense. Any mishandling of this affair could severely jeopardize the delicate balance between Battle God Academy and the Sea Clan. Your judgment, Prince, is supremely sagacious!"

"Sycophant!" Gode scoffed, rolling his eyes before sidling up to Du Chen. "Mr. Francis, you've just endured a fierce battle and exhausted your battle qi to save Leihaite's life, so you must be utterly spent. Yet, the moment you hear of your teacher's Divine Pet in peril, you immediately rush to her aid. Truly a paragon of reverence for your master and the Dao! Heh, I find myself particularly fond of humans like you, for I, too, uphold the sanctity of teachers and the Dao!" He cast a sidelong glance at Deboning, but was met only with a disdainful snort.

Hawkins, still harboring reservations about Du Chen, naturally fell in step with him. Leihaite, his wounds yet to mend, was entrusted to the care of the Sea Clan. Du Chen, with urgent strides, followed Gode towards the incident-stricken sea.

The Palkin Sea stretched south of Battle God Isle, and it was in its northwestern reaches that the Sea Tribe army had found Roxane. A few dozen nautical miles further north, however, lay a location deeply familiar to Du Chen: Mount Tianshan!

Roxane's form... was perhaps already a corpse, clinging to just a single, faint breath. She drifted in the water, encircled by a squad of Sea Clan warriors. Beyond them, several Sea Clan Military Priests observed with detached gazes or shook their heads in mournful resignation. None dared approach to offer succor, for they had long since tried, their efforts proving utterly futile.

Du Chen's first sight of Roxane brought a moment of astonishment. When he'd heard her pained moans on Battle God Isle, he'd imagined a colossal behemoth. Yet, Roxane was, in fact, barely half the size of a common human.

She was strikingly beautiful, indeed, even adorable, much like a vibrant koala. Her entire body was covered in variegated, shimmering fur, and her limbs, palms, and soles bore a distinct simian resemblance. Her facial features included a subtly flattened nose. What truly struck Du Chen, however, were the Tyran Beast's ears—a pair of vast, fan-like appendages, so wing-like that he mused Roxane might even be able to fly with them when in robust health.

Roxane's limbs were tightly drawn to her chest as she floated serenely in the water, slowly drifting upwards. Her injuries were concentrated around her shoulder blades, ten elongated crimson gashes continuously weeping blood, staining the surrounding sea a ghastly red. Upon closer inspection, bloody fluid continued to seep from her tightly coiled limbs... It was a horrific image: she had been impaled through the chest by ten sharp weapons, literally pierced alive!

"Clear the area! Establish an outer perimeter, now!" Gode thundered the moment he arrived. The Sea Clan soldiers, who had been observing and guarding, scattered instantly.

Du Chen manifested the Lotus Azureveil Shield, its cerulean glow merging seamlessly with the surrounding water as it radiated light upon Roxane. "Brook," Du Chen commanded, "assist me in examining her!"

Deboning nodded and moved forward, with Gode, ever astute, stepping up to assist him. Hawkins, observing from the side, spoke with a grave tone, "This was certainly the work of a Battle God of Rank Nine or higher. The battle qi residual is formidable, and the lethality undeniable. However, there's something... peculiar about these wounds."

"Hmph! Strange wounds are hardly uncommon!" Deboning snorted. After a quick examination, he rejoined Du Chen. Without uttering a word, he subtly gripped his left wrist with his right hand and gave a slight, yet incredibly telling, tug—a discreet signal understood by Du Chen alone.

"Tendon-Severing's handiwork?!" Du Chen's heart lurched. He understood now. "The pieces fall into place!" he inwardly exclaimed.

Tendon-Severing's presence implied Brockman's. Thus, one of their objectives this time must be the Tyran Beast mother and her offspring!

***

In the waters nearing Mount Tianshan, a dark, black-sailed vessel, emblazoned with the academy's banner, sliced through the waves.

Brockman stood on the deck, his brows deeply furrowed, cradling a soundly sleeping infant. "Tendon-Severing," he muttered, "you were far too heavy-handed! Roxane's death was entirely unnecessary! Her demise could unleash severe consequences, potentially grave enough to destabilize the delicate balance between Battle God Isle and the Holy Church! This is deeply problematic!"

Tendon-Severing shot a cold look at the slumbering infant, then pursed his lips. To be precise, the infant wasn't human, though it bore a striking resemblance—a juvenile Tyran Beast, its ears and fur still underdeveloped, making it appear like a thickly-furred, unusually large-eared human baby!

"Lord Brockman," Tendon-Severing retorted, "surely you can't lay blame at my feet? You explicitly stated you would oversee Roxane, while dispatching me to patrol the periphery to guard against any academy pursuit. Yet, where were *you*?"

Brockman shook his head. "You speak truly. I harbor no blame for you; this was unequivocally my misjudgment. My entire concentration was consumed by researching how to dismantle Francis's Sacred Artifact Box. I never anticipated the Tyran Beast's desperation—that innate ability, the Life-Draining Qi Pact... Alas, Roxane's willingness to sacrifice her own lifespan to escape her confines and retrieve her child is, I must admit, quite admirable!"

Tendon-Severing shrugged. "Under those circumstances, to avoid detection, my only option was to instantly neutralize Roxane! Regardless, our mission is accomplished. Roxane is dead, and we've secured the juvenile Tyran Beast! The Battle God Academy phase of the 'Dazzle' plan is a success, even if not entirely flawless!"

Brockman gently patted the deeply sleeping infant in his arms, a self-deprecating laugh escaping him. "Imagine," he mused, "if in a few years, this child were to use her Innate Racial Power to guide our legions, leading Lord Philip's Blade of The Undead directly to her father in the Papal Curia! What a spectacle that would be! The Marshal's 'Dazzle' plan is undeniably ingenious, yet also undeniably cruel!"

"Lord Brockman," Tendon-Severing interjected, "your sentiments are utterly superfluous!" He seemed to be mocking Brockman's perceived "womanly softness."

Brockman sighed, his eyes settling on a box near his feet.

This was the very box he had pilfered from Du Chen's dormitory. To his vexation, after Brockman painstakingly employed the Art of Artifact Annihilation to crack open the first compartment, he discovered yet another box nested within. And after he poured all his might into opening the second, a *third* box materialized!

The third box was exceptionally strange; it was riddled with small perforations, yet nothing could be discerned through them. It was clearly a Sacred Artifact Box, and an utterly mundane Rank One Sacred Artifact Box at that! Yet, Brockman, an Eight-Star Battle God wielding the Art of Artifact Annihilation, found himself utterly unable to open it!

What truly infuriated Brockman was a note beside the third box, addressed to a son: "My son, you must open this box using your genuine skill. Should you attempt to pry it open with brute force, both it and its contents shall be irrevocably destroyed..."

Brockman seethed with frustration. Why was he, of all people, unable to open a Rank One box?! He had effortlessly dismantled the initial two layers of Rank Three and Four Sacred Artifact Boxes, only to be confounded by a mere Rank One! The indignity! He had no choice but to take the box back and meticulously study it.

Unfortunately, Du Chen would never deign to enlighten him: *You imbecile, the locking mechanism of this Sacred Artifact Box has been utterly re-engineered by me! No one in this entire world, save for myself, can open it without resorting to brute force! Unless, of course, your 'Divine Skill' somehow reaches my zenith... though it appears you'll be waiting a few centuries for that particular feat.*

Mount Tianshan now loomed on the horizon. Brockman ceased his musings and issued a command. "Tendon-Severing, survey the surroundings once more. This time, Yakun's faction accompanies us back to base. There are many of them, making for a substantial target, so remain vigilant!"

Deboning nodded, then shot into the air, dissolving seamlessly into the depths of the sea.

***

In the abyssal depths, after Roxane had been suffused by Du Chen's Holy Light for a full quarter-hour, her body at last began to stir with a faint tremor. Her mouth opened and closed in slight gasps, as if a thread of life had returned!

Du Chen exclaimed with delight, "Brook, quickly, clear the surrounding seawater! In her current state, Roxane lacks the power to project her voice underwater!"

Before Deboning could even stir, Gode swiftly declared, "There's no need to trouble Excellency Brook. My coral formation is capable of replicating a terrestrial environment beneath the waves!" He personally swam to retrieve a black coral from afar, then struck it firmly. The coral instantly erupted, manifesting an aura shield that encased their entire group.

"Ch... child..." Roxane's barely audible voice reached Du Chen's ears. Her eyes remained closed, her limbs still tightly clutched to her chest, a grip she refused to relinquish even in her near-death state.

"Roxane!" Du Chen whispered, but the Tyran Beast remained lost in its daze.

"Young Master," Deboning stated, "her life is secured, but full recovery will require time. At present, she is likely quite disoriented."

By now, the grievous wounds on Roxane's back had begun to scab. She murmured "child" a few times, then slowly, painstakingly, unfurled her tightly held limbs. Clutched in her grasp was a small tuft of downy fur—the precious fur of a newborn Tyran Beast cub!

Furthermore, only when her limbs uncoiled did they all realize Roxane's belly remained distended. This startling discovery indicated that she carried yet another child!

Du Chen was momentarily aghast, then filled with overwhelming emotion. *Though weak, a mother's strength prevails!* No wonder Roxane, even at the precipice of death, had kept her limbs tightly coiled, shielding her abdomen! It was all for her beloved children!

"Give me back my child!" Roxane shrieked, her voice frantic. In her chaotic mind, only one thought resonated: retrieve her newborn!

Du Chen let out a mournful sigh. He desperately wanted to help the Tyran Beast recover her offspring, but where in the world would he even begin to search?!

Gode gazed at Roxane with a profound empathy. The surrounding waters were already under the vigilant surveillance of the Sea Tribe army, yet no anomalies had been detected. Perhaps Roxane and her child had been separated in another location, and she, fleeing alone, had finally collapsed here, unable to press on...

Gode spoke softly, "Can you hear me?! I am the Prince of the Sea Clan. If you can communicate, tell me where you and your child were separated in the sea. I can dispatch the entire Sea Tribe army to aid in your child's recovery—provided he is still within the ocean's embrace!"

Just as Deboning had predicted, the Tyran Beast Roxane was utterly disoriented. Yet, Gode's single word, "child," resonated with crystalline clarity in her fractured mind! A single, burning thought ignited within her throbbing skull: *I don't know where we were separated, we were held captive in a ship's cabin, but... I am a Tyran Beast!!*

Abruptly, she convulsed upright, her limbs splayed, eyes still tightly shut. But her resplendent, multi-hued fur bristled, each strand standing on end, its vibrant colors flickering erratically!

With a sickening *thump*, the ten chest-piercing wounds on her body, which had already begun to scab, once again erupted with fresh blood.

Deboning frowned faintly. "Young Master, she appears to have recently activated a life-draining Innate Racial Power. Even if you manage to preserve her life today, it will undoubtedly cost her many years from her lifespan in the future..."

"Ah, the boundless compassion of parents everywhere!" Du Chen declared. "I must do everything in my power to save her!" He shook his head, pouring his Lotus Internal Force without reserve into the Azureveil Shield, fully compensating for Roxane's rapidly dwindling life aura!

A ragged gasp escaped her.

Roxane exhaled a long, shuddering breath, then collapsed dramatically. Gode, being nearest, swiftly caught her. Roxane, gathering her final shred of strength, clutched Gode's hand and rasped, "Northwest... Mount Tianshan... Please, save my child!"

A keen glint sparked in Du Chen's eyes; a realization dawned upon him. The Tyran Beast's plight was likely caused by her extraordinarily potent Innate Racial Power! "Prince Gode, you..."

Gode entrusted the now unconscious Roxane to a Military Priest, then, without hesitation, unsheathed the long blade from his back and roared, "First Legion! Abandon all non-essential gear and make haste for Mount Tianshan! Second and Third Legions, divide into two forces, bringing your sacred artifacts of war, and encircle Mount Tianshan! Fourth Legion, maintain the rear! Royal Guard, with me, now!"

Du Chen cast a questioning glance at Hawkins. "And you, Excellency?"

Hawkins nodded, gesturing towards the Tyran Beast. "She is a warrior worthy of respect! I shall join you!"

"Excellent! To Mount Tianshan, then, to reclaim Roxane's child!"