"Mr. Fen, what took you so long!" Su Ze put on a pitiful look. "If it weren’t for my good luck, I’d have died several times over by now."

Chen Suifeng felt a little embarrassed. He was the one who had insisted on bringing Su Ze out to hunt, but he never expected so much to happen. He truly hadn’t done a good job protecting Su Ze.

He felt a pang of guilt, wondering how he could make it up to Su Ze, but then he suddenly realized something. ’Is this really my fault?’

’I’m a Venerable Powerhouse, taking a junior in the Butterfly Stage out hunting. What danger could there possibly be?’

’Wasn’t it Su Ze who insisted on that whole "luring the snake out of its hole" plan? And I actually fell for his nonsense and agreed to it.’

’Initially, he hadn’t thought it would be a big deal. But who could have predicted that this kid, Su Ze, was such a trouble magnet? Luring out a few Saint-level Overlords was one thing, but he even managed to draw out the Pope of the Evolution Divine Teachings!’

’And now? He’d been gone for just a moment, and the kid had already managed to provoke two fifth-rank beasts.’

’What kind of trouble magnet are you?!’

’What normal person in the Butterfly Stage could possibly provoke so many fifth and sixth-rank powerhouses?’

’Wait a second... that Tree-man doesn’t seem to be a monster, nor is it a Spiritual Plant.’

Only then did Chen Suifeng notice something strange about Feng Bqing. Being well-informed, he immediately made a connection and figured out Feng Bqing’s identity.

At that moment, Feng Bqing and the River Fish Monster were locked in a fierce battle. Countless vines sprouted from Feng Bqing’s body, piercing the River Fish Monster and frantically draining its blood.

The River Fish Monster’s main advantage, on the other hand, was its massive size, which it used to crush everything in its path.

Because of its large frame, the power of all its skills was greatly enhanced.

For instance, its Air Cannon, Pufferfish Poison Thorn, and so on.

This wasn’t just a simple increase in size; every physical attribute, along with all its skills, grew stronger as its body expanded.

To Su Ze’s surprise, Feng Bqing appeared to be at a disadvantage, constantly suppressed by the River Fish Monster that was ten times his size. In reality, however, he was relying on his powerful regenerative abilities and the constant blood-draining from his vines. Any injury he sustained healed in an instant.

Moreover, the River Fish Monster’s toxins didn’t seem particularly effective against the half-man, half-tree Feng Bqing.

If this kept up, Feng Bqing would likely wear down the River Fish Monster and eventually kill it. However, a fifth-rank monster wasn’t a fool; it would surely flee if the situation became unfavorable.

The crucial point was that the evolutionary light emanating from Feng Bqing was still green!

This meant he had only undergone four evolutions, making him equivalent to a human Saint-level Overlord. If one considered him a tree, he would be a fourth-rank Spiritual Plant. Yet, he was currently suppressing a fifth-rank monster, fighting above his rank.

’How strong would he become if he completed his fifth evolution?’

Su Ze couldn’t help but marvel, ’What kind of monster did I create with my own two hands?!’

The only question was how Feng Bqing was evolving now. Was it by absorbing extracts like a human evolver, or was he absorbing natural energy to evolve on his own, like a Spiritual Plant?

The person Feng Bqing wanted to kill was Su Ze, but he was currently tied up with the River Fish Monster. Now, seeing Chen Suifeng appear beside Su Ze, he knew his chances of killing him were gone.

Feng Bqing said resentfully, "Su Ze, sooner or later, you will die by my hand!"

"People... or trees, for that matter, should know to be grateful. If it weren’t for me, would you be as strong as you are now?"

"You..." Feng Bqing was so angry he could have spat blood. The price for this power was being turned into this ghastly thing; he would rather have done without it.

"What about me? You’re disgusted with what you are now? You think your old self, reeking of a stench ten times more nauseating than a dung-eater’s, was really any better?" Su Ze’s words were mercilessly sharp. "All I did was help you turn from a reviled cockroach into a big, green, eco-friendly tree."

’Though he’s still stinky as a tree...’

"That’s enough." Chen Suifeng pulled Su Ze back, afraid that if he provoked Feng Bqing any further, the man-tree might risk injury to attack them. "Let’s go."

Chen Suifeng had no intention of getting involved in the fight between Feng Bqing and the River Fish Monster. He just wanted to take this opportunity to leave with Su Ze.

But Su Ze, it seemed, didn’t want to leave. He had other ideas.

"Mr. Fen, what kind of monster were you planning to help me hunt?" Su Ze asked.

"Wasn’t I supposed to listen to you?" Chen Suifeng had a bad feeling. "You have a target in mind?"

"What do you think of this River Fish Monster?" Su Ze asked with a somewhat shy smile.

Chen Suifeng’s face screamed, "Are you kidding me?" He reminded him, "That’s a fifth-rank monster!"

"I know. I’ll save it and absorb it after I reach the Saint level," Su Ze said, fabricating a reason. "Honestly, I have enough money to buy a suitable fourth-rank, S-grade extract for myself right now. My biggest headache is figuring out how to get a fifth-rank extract in the future."

"But by the time you’re a Saint, you might have better options," Chen Suifeng tried to reason. "This River Fish Monster doesn’t look weak, but it’s certainly not one of the strongest among fifth-rank monsters."

Of course, Su Ze knew that. However, he didn’t want this fifth-rank extract for after he became a Saint-level Overlord; he wanted to absorb it while still in the Butterfly Stage, skipping a rank.

Absorbing a fifth-rank extract during the Butterfly Stage was much more difficult than when he had absorbed the fourth-rank Iron-blooded Honey Badger Extract during his Cocoon Stage. Therefore, he couldn’t possibly take on a fifth-rank, S-grade extract directly.

The River Fish Monster wasn’t an S-grade beast, but its "Enlarge" ability gave Su Ze an idea. The skill would be a perfect match for his Liquid Clone.

Theoretically, as long as his Spiritual Power was strong enough, Su Ze could divide into countless clones while in his liquid state. His physical size, however, limited this ability.