The Last Paragon in the Apocalypse

"Ancient Forbidden Relics?" Fruity asked, puzzled. Deep down, he knew he knew something about it, but he just couldn't recall what.

"I'm sorry, Master, but I don't know much. All I know is that this relic is one of the nine Ancient Forbidden Relics from the Primordial Era," Yuying answered. "But even though I don't know much about it, I do know that if you manage to fuse with it, you will obtain the legendary Seven Divine Beasts Art," she added.

"Now, that's something to go on," Fruity smiled. The Seven Divine Beasts Art—he knew about it, or more like his past self knew about it. Conveniently, he also needed to know about it at this very moment.

It was a powerful technique that, once cultivated, allowed one to transform any of their elements into a beast form. If Fruity managed to fuse with the relic, he would obtain the Seven Divine Beasts Art, which would allow his elements to transform into seven Divine Beasts said to have gone extinct after the Primordial Era.

"It's of no use then. The Seven Divine Primordial Beasts are long extinct. I would need at least a part of them to activate their spirits using the Forbidden Diagram," Fruity said. However, immediately when he said that, something seemed to click making him raise an eyebrow.

"I'm sorry, Yuying. You'll have to stand guard—I need to meditate for a while."

Yuying nodded, and Fruity assumed a lotus posture, closing his eyes and entering a meditative state.

He had just remembered something he shouldn't have, which made him wonder what else was hiding beneath the surface, waiting for him. As someone who cultivated two powerful mind techniques, Fruity knew when something was off in his mind. So, he entered meditation and remained seated, eyes closed, for the next two days.

On the third day, he opened his eyes and sighed. "It's of no use. Even with this relic and the technique, I still don't have anything containing the essence of the Seven Divine Primordial Beasts."

He went through his memories but couldn't find anything that could help him. However, he did come across some information on the Seven Star Forbidden Diagram. But it all boiled down to whether he would be able to secure the essence of such primordial beasts.

"Don't worry, Master. I know someone who might be able to help with that. He's some kind of collector of ancient artifacts, so if we can get to the Central Region, we should be able to learn something from him," Yuying said, noticing the defeated look on her Master's face.

"You said you were created during the Primordial Era, right?" Fruity asked. Although he still hadn't accepted the fact that he was the one who created her, he could at least pretend he wasn't affected by it.

"Yes, Master. All nine of us," she replied with a smile.

"Then what can you tell me about the Seven Divine Primordial Beasts?" Fruity asked. "I have some knowledge, but it's foggy."

"It's a long story, and I can't share everything, but it's said that during the Primordial Era, nine separate phenomena occurred. Nine stars fell from the sky, birthing different beings or things. From one of these stars, seven eggs said to be divine in nature birthed seven Divine Beasts: the Diamond Horned Qilin, the Vermillion Flame Phoenix, the Celestial Thunder Serpent, the Abyssal Leviathan, the Jade Wind Tiger, the Golden-Eyed Abyss Dragon, and the Radiant Solar Lion.

These seven Divine Beasts were the guardians of one of Hell's Dark Dreadful Gates. I can't say much more, but when I awakened the next generation, they were gone, along with the Primordial Era. Nobody knew where they had gone or whether or not they were still alive.

However, I think you already know what happened, so there's no need to speak it out," Yuying said.

Fruity sighed. Indeed, the Primordial Era was destroyed. While some things from that time might have survived, many perished. So it was only natural to assume that the Seven Divine Beasts had also perished with them.

"I guess I can't have everything," Fruity said, placing the disc on the floor. "At least with this, I can somehow use my elements more efficiently." He sighed.

"You should probably step back, Yuying," Fruity said, and Yuying moved back several meters.

Taking a dagger from his soul ring, Fruity cut his palm and dripped his blood onto the disc, which immediately absorbed it. After a few more drops, it started to glow red, and with a subtle burst of energy, a huge diagram appeared beneath him.

He then began to rise slowly from the ground along with the disc. After rising to about 20 meters, the disc started to release a wave of energy that forced Yuying to step back even further.

After a while, the disc stopped spinning, but it reduced in size to a very small, thumb-sized die, which then moved and embedded itself in Fruity's forehead.

The moment the die entered his forehead, Fruity felt his entire body fill with a strange energy. His consciousness immediately fell into slumber while still hovering in the air.

This process took a whole week before suddenly, a wave of powerful energy burst from his body, and a magnificent ring with seven stars inside it appeared behind him.

The moment the ring appeared, he underwent some slight evolution that changed some aspects of his appearance. While his monk's attire was still perfectly clad around his body, it seemed to have undergone some modification that added a layer of security and finesse to it.

It looks cooler when instead of it tied with a cloth around his waist, this time, a golden belt with some pattern on it appears to tie the robes well. But it wasn't only his attire that went through the changes.

He became more handsome, even for a monk, but I suppose he wasn't a normal monk. His eyes were silver violet, reminiscent of his hair, which had now extended further behind him. His facial features had also enhanced, making him seriously handsome for a monk.

His muscles became slightly refined, giving him the athletic warrior physique that, under normal circumstances, a 23-year-old shouldn't have. Yet nature had been kind to him. He had become an incredibly eye-catching human.

But appearance aside, Fruity sensed that his energy had become incredibly powerful and thicker.

"It's Star Qi, Master! You have unlocked Star Qi," Yuying said with an excited smile. She retrieved her sword and swung it in a wide arc, sending out a quick sword light that cut a chunk off the mountain.

"Finally, I can use it again!" Yuying was more than happy.

"What happened?" Fruity asked. He was the one who awakened Star Qi, so why was she happier than he was?

"Master has awakened Star Qi. This means the Paragon Star has started to awaken, which also means all the Paragon Guards will start to awaken. And we can now use Star Qi, just like Master," Yuying said with a beaming smile.

"Great, then. But why does it seem like yours is weaker than mine? I can sense it, and it's not as strong as what is flowing through me," Fruity inquired. Besides his enhanced appearance and the unlocking of a new form of energy, he also felt a stronger connection with Yuying.

"That's because we are not the true owners of this energy; we are just tapping into yours, so automatically, we won't have the real deal. But even if it's only 60% of the true Star Qi, it's still many times stronger than the strongest energy in the heavens," Yuying said, her shoulders high.

"Good, then. We will need it for the journey to the North and Central Regions," Fruity said. "First, however, let's head to the domain of the Quick Finger Ratmouse. I have something to claim there."

Fruity, along with his excited servant, guard, and teacher, left as they began their journey to the North, but first, they had to make one important stop.