Foreign Land Reclamation By a Vegetable-growing Skeleton
Chapter 1589 - 1150: The Will to Grow, Vivid Souls

Chapter 1589: Chapter 1150: The Will to Grow, Vivid Souls

When in the Master Plane, no one could explain clearly what the key was for the Black Crystal to advance into the Chaos Black Crystal. Even the Monarch himself couldn’t explain, for he was the only specimen. Without a comparison, he couldn’t identify the key elements.

But after evolving into the Primordial Body, those previously elusive, inexplicable things seemed to come into view. Standing on the ground and looking at the mountain peak requires a lot of imagination; but looking at the peak from a higher vantage reveals everything at a glance.

"The key for the Black Crystal to step into the Chaos Black Crystal is the ability to have a ’growth of will,’ or what Ange referred to as ’increment,’" the Monarch explained.

"Increment? What does that have to do with the wisdom of an Undead Soul? Don’t ordinary Undead Souls have increments too?" Negris asked, puzzled.

The Monarch shook his head, "No, from the moment they die, they stop growing. The expansion of their souls is merely the accumulation of the breath of death. Do you understand?"

Negris rolled his eyes, "As long as you explain clearly, I’ll understand. If I don’t get it, it means you haven’t explained it properly."

The Monarch was embarrassed; only this Dead Fatty Dragon in all the Void dared to challenge him like this. Scratching his head awkwardly, he said, "It’s something I can’t quite describe, but I want you to understand, you know? I don’t know if I can make it clear."

Negris nodded. He understood now; this old fellow was treating him like a translator, expecting him to fill in the gaps where he couldn’t articulate.

The Monarch raised his arm, pointing to the starlike specks within. "These things represent change—they are increments, the growth of will. Only by becoming a Chaos Black Crystal can I be inexhaustible and self-sustaining in the Void."

"I didn’t understand this before, but you know me—I’ve always been courteous and kind..." The Monarch spoke without the slightest blush or hesitation.

"Bah! Courteous and kind? Would a kind person have Locke beat me up and imprison me until I died? Change your tune, or I’ll flame you," Negris retorted angrily, nearly jumping up in frustration.

"Alright, alright, I’m courteous but not kind—but also not cruel, okay?" The Monarch quickly corrected himself. To be fair, he didn’t have much confidence saying that to the Little Fat Dragon; back then, Locke had indeed beaten him senselessly to the point of psychological trauma.

Negris snorted coldly but didn’t outright refute the Monarch’s claim. Compared to other Undead creatures, the Monarch indeed wasn’t cruel.

Though he was Undead and naturally indifferent to death—for Undead, after all, death is merely the beginning of a new existence—he wasn’t one to kill randomly.

Under the reign of the Undead Empire, as long as you didn’t break any laws, no one would bother you. Furthermore, since the Undead consumed so little and had almost no public expenditures, taxes were virtually nonexistent, making it easier to live there than in many human nations.

Moreover, with the Monarch suppressing things, even brutal characters like Giant Hand Balu couldn’t cause trouble, rendering the realm of death a place of peace.

"Those brutal types stagnated after reaching the Black Crystal stage. They would slaughter all living creatures at the first opportunity to convert them into Undead Souls for consumption. I didn’t kill, which allowed me to breakthrough. However, in the past, there were too few wise Undead Souls. The growth was slow, and I couldn’t figure out where the increments were coming from."

"Only now, after Ange deliberately left these wise Undead Souls for me, have I been able to confirm my earlier hypothesis." As the Monarch spoke, he made a grabbing motion downward. A speck of light appeared from nowhere, transforming into tiny sparkles that fell into the Monarch’s palm.

Negris couldn’t help but ask, "Do you always have to grab them like that? Wouldn’t that mean you could never leave here?"

"Of course not. This is my Soul Network. As long as it’s within the range of Soul Contact, this energy will naturally gather toward me. I’m merely demonstrating it for you to make it easier for you to understand—so that I can also better recognize the ’growth of will’ in a more tangible way," the Monarch explained.

"What do you mean by ’tangible way’?" Negris asked, looking perplexed.

"You can’t see it, but for example, over there is a Witch Demon." As he spoke, the Monarch gestured with his hand, and an image appeared before them.

In the image, a Witch Demon was holding a bottle of Holy Essence Liquid, hesitating. Naturally, a beauty enthusiast would use it on their face, yet she didn’t.

After some hesitation, she poured a bit into her mouth, gargling to let the liquid coat her throat and oral cavity until it was fully absorbed.

Then, she cautiously cleared her throat. Her voice was full, no longer the hoarse, dry rasp typical of a Witch. This change lit up her eyes.

Taking a deep breath, the Witch Demon began to test her voice, tone by tone, from low to high. Once convinced her pitch and timbre were accurate, she started to sing.

It was a simple melody, telling the story of a child holding a stalk of foxtail grass, skipping and frolicking behind an adult, returning home under the setting sun.

The Witch Demon was enraptured by her own voice, a happy smile appearing on her wrinkled face. Though her face remained aged and creased, her voice was melodious and captivating.

A Witch Demon, having bought a beauty kit with Essence Liquid, used it not to enhance her looks but to moisten her throat. To her, a beautiful voice was far more valuable than outward beauty.

"Such a soul is fresh and vibrant. Back then, witches also loved to sing. If only there had been such potions then. This was developed by Ange, wasn’t it?" the Monarch mused.

"No, it was originally invented by the Church of Light as a Holy Essence Liquid for treating external wounds. Later, after Ange seized their God Status, he redefined ’holy,’ giving it its vibrant properties. But those properties were actually developed by Lisa. Strictly speaking, it was her research," Negris replied.

"Oh, Lisa, huh? Feilin’s Saintess wife. I heard that after transforming into a Witch, she thought herself too ugly and gave herself a facelift—quite an image-conscious human. She, too, was a vibrant soul," the Monarch commented.

Negris gave him a startled look. "Huh? Wait a minute, Old Immortal. While it’s true you’ve met Lisa before, how do you know she’s Feilin’s wife? And that she’s a former Saintess? Even about her vanity? And that you’re familiar with Feilin as well?"

The Monarch laughed, "Heh, Locke and the others love projecting themselves into Zombie Skeletons, wandering all over the place. The people at the transfer stations call them Observers, don’t they? I enjoy doing the same. When Feilin and Lisa were still human, I had already met them."

Negris smirked, "Typical. I knew you were up to such antics too."

Returning to the main topic, "So you’re saying that these wise, rich, vibrant, growth-capable souls are the key to increment, right? Mindless Zombie Skeletons wouldn’t ever consider such things."

"Correct. I heard Ange has a massive Dimensional World. There must be plenty of vibrant souls there, right?" the Monarch asked.

"Yes, there are. But they’re all living. Do the living count?" Negris inquired.

The Monarch opened his mouth to reply but suddenly turned his head toward the direction beyond the Undead City.

The Undead City stood in the heart of a wasteland, surrounded by countless floating objects scattered everywhere like natural barriers. If someone deliberately approached using the floating objects as a cover, it would be challenging to spot them from the Undead City unless outposts were established atop those floating objects.

However, the Monarch’s perception clearly extended far beyond those outposts. Turning his gaze, he saw a fleet of airships stealthily advancing, using the floating debris as cover.