mchenry-crisis.org Chapter 336 Ducks Know First When the River Warms
Chapter 336 Ducks Know First When the River Warms
"One hundred billion." Chen You placed the blade against Lao Mo's neck. "Did a duck hatch?"
"It's no ordinary duck!" Old Mo screamed, feeling the chill on his neck.
"It's a divine creature! Look at its fur, that's called 'Nine Netherworld Profound Yellow Qi'! Look at its cry, that's called 'Great Dao Heavenly Sound'! Look at its webbed feet..."
"I'll cut you down."
"Sir! Take a good look! Check its attributes!" Old Mo roared with his eyes closed.
"The system doesn't lie! This is definitely a variant of the Netherworld Guide Beast!"
Chen You snorted coldly, without sheathing his sword, but instead diverted a wisp of his mind to check the attributes of the little duck.
A pale blue light screen unfolded before Chen You's eyes.
【Name: ? ? ? (Unique/Mythical Mutant Larva)】
[Level: 1]
[HP: 10/10]
[Status: Extremely hungry.]
[Talent Skill 1: Guide to the Underworld (Passive). This creature is naturally extremely sensitive to the laws of the underworld, able to detect the location of the Underworld even in dire circumstances.]
[Talent Skill 2: Devouring Gold and Transforming Qi (Active). As a mythical-level mutant, it refuses to eat regular feed.]
Only by absorbing items containing a high concentration of the power of laws (such as gold coins, divine stones, and high-level magic treasures) can they be converted into energy.
[Review: You might think it's a duck, but it's actually a ruthless money shredder. Take it with you, and your wallet will experience true hell.]
After looking at the panel, Chen You fell into a long silence.
He sheathed the Jade Emperor Sword and rubbed his throbbing temples.
Is the game system designer out of their mind?
A mythical-level mutated larva? 10 HP? Even a random chicken in the starting village could easily crush it.
The most outrageous one is the one about "swallowing gold and turning it into qi".
Does it mean it's a bottomless pit?
"Master, you saw that!" When Old Mo saw Chen You sheathe his sword, he immediately scrambled up from the ground like an eel and dusted himself off.
"I told you, the creatures hatched from my 'Cradle of Life' are no ordinary items! This is a unique, top-tier divine pet!"
"Gah!"
The little yellow duck seemed to understand Old Mo's flattery, and very cooperatively puffed out its chest, flapped its two featherless little wings, and then...
"Pfft."
A pool of indescribable yellowish-green substance landed precisely on Chen You's shoe.
Old Mo's expression froze instantly.
Chen You: "..."
"I'll do it!" Old Mo hurriedly knelt down again and wiped Chen You's shoes clean.
Chen You sighed.
"Alright, enough nonsense." Chen You pulled a handful of gold coins from his backpack.
The moment the golden light shone, the little yellow duck that had been wandering on the ground suddenly turned its head.
A glint of green light, like that of a hungry wolf, suddenly appeared in those clear, seemingly foolish black bean eyes.
Whoosh!
Chen You felt a blur before his eyes and his palm suddenly went empty.
He looked down and saw the little yellow duck already perched on his feet, its flat beak bulging and making a "quack quack" chewing sound that made his teeth ache.
A few seconds later, it looked up at Chen You again, its face full of unsatisfied desire.
Gold coins came one after another.
The little yellow duck accepts all comers, its flat beak like a bottomless pit.
The faster it eats, the shinier its fur becomes.
Its original bright yellow color gradually took on a dark golden luster.
After eating about five thousand gold coins, the little yellow duck finally let out a satisfied burp.
A cloud of dark purple mist spewed from its mouth, and the surrounding temperature plummeted.
"Gah!"
The little yellow duck has grown a size larger, and a single tuft of hair has sprouted from its head.
The single strand of hair was a deep blue, like an antenna, swaying slightly in the air.
Chen You stopped what he was doing: "That's it?"
Old Mo stammered, "Grandpa, it seems... it hasn't eaten enough yet."
Chen You remained expressionless.
He opened the recharge panel and recharged another 200,000 gold coins.
Then he waved his hand.
Splash!
Gold coins cascaded down like a waterfall, piling up into a mountain of gold in front of the little yellow duck.
"Eat as much as you want. If you can't lure out the Road to the Underworld today, I'll turn you into roast duck," Chen You said coldly.
The little yellow duck seemed to understand the threat and trembled.
It suddenly opened its flat mouth, and a powerful suction force erupted.
Ten thousand gold coins transformed into a golden torrent, continuously flowing into its mouth.
When the last gold coin was swallowed, the little yellow duck's body suddenly swelled up.
boom!
A dark golden beam of light shot into the sky, reaching straight into the clouds.
Within the beam of light, the little yellow duck's shape underwent a dramatic change.
Its wings spread, and its feathers transformed into sharp, dark gold scales.
Its feet became thick and powerful, and its claws gleamed with a cold light.
Although its beak is still flat, a row of fine serrations has grown along its edge.
What's most eye-catching is the single tuft of hair on its head, which has now transformed into a crown burning with eerie blue flames.
A system notification sounded:
[Ding! Your pet has absorbed a massive amount of energy and entered its growth phase.]
[Unlock exclusive title: Duck Prophet.]
The beam of light dissipated.
A giant rubber duck, radiating a mythical aura, appeared before Chen You.
"Gah—!"
The giant rubber duck raised its head and let out a long cry, its voice as loud as a great bell, making people's heads buzz.
Chen You covered his ears: "Old Mo, you call this a duck prophet?"
Old Mo scrambled to his feet, his eyes gleaming: "Grandpa! A divine pet! A true divine pet! Look at its eyes, they're full of great wisdom!"
The giant rubber duck lowered its head and looked at Chen You with its still clear and foolish black bean eyes.
Then, it stretched out its serrated, flat mouth and rubbed it against Chen You's boots, looking ingratiating.
Chen You kicked it away disdainfully: "Get to work. Where's the entrance to the Underworld?"
The giant rubber duck quacked, turned around, and walked heavily toward the west gate.
Chen You and Lao Mo followed behind.
A man, a duck, and an old man arrived at the bank of a dry moat outside Cangxing City.
The riverbed was cracked and filled with weathered bones and rubble.
The giant rubber duck walked to the edge of the riverbed and stopped.
Its deep blue crown began to flash intensely.
"What is it doing?" Chen You asked.
Old Mo stroked his beard, adopting a mysterious air: "Sir, haven't you heard of that poem?"
"What poem?"
"The ducks are the first to know when the river warms in spring," Old Mo said in a serious tone.
"The water of the Yellow Springs is the most yin and cold substance in the world, formless and without appearance, hidden deep underground."
"Ordinary methods are completely ineffective in detecting it; only this Netherworld Guide Beast possesses an innate and absolute sensitivity to the Yellow Springs water!"
Chen You's lips twitched: "You mean, it wants to go swimming in the river?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the giant rubber duck leaped into the dry riverbed.
boom!
A muffled thud.
The giant rubber duck didn't crash onto the rubble; instead, it hovered in mid-air.
Its large webbed feet began to move back and forth in the air, just like it was really swimming in water.
As it moved, the surrounding space began to distort.
Wisps of black vapor seeped from the bottom of the dried-up riverbed and gathered around the giant rubber duck.
"Gagaga!"
The giant rubber duck swam more and more energetically, flapping its wings along with it.
The black vapor grew thicker and thicker, gradually forming a huge vortex.
From the center of the vortex, faint sounds of ghostly wails and howls could be heard.
The system notification sounded again:
[Ding! The Duck Prophet has located the entrance to the Underworld.]
[Hidden Map: The Nine Netherworlds are now open.]