Chapter 24: Shifting Sands

Time is bitterly short; in the blink of an eye, ten more days had passed. The hidden currents within Golden Sands Valley grew ever more turbulent, yet only the southern slope remained as tranquil as before.

Within the Mouse Garden, Jiang Chen carefully observed each experimental mouse. Over this period, he had fed them three different types of vital blood, testing their reactions to determine the effects. The blood refined solely by murderous intent proved the least effective, eliminated first from consideration.

"As it stands, the blood tempered by the Eye-Kill Method yields the best results. Its annihilation of the will of living creatures appears most thorough."

He recorded the data and made careful comparisons, finally feeling a sense of relief. The experiments showed that blood refined by the Eye-Kill Method caused no obvious side effects even after repeated use on the mice. Yet, Jiang Chen again confirmed that each living creature truly had a limit.

No matter how many times they absorbed vital blood, none of the hundreds of mice in the garden underwent a transformation like the Mouse Prodigy. They could only reach a threshold by absorbing the blood, and after arriving at this limit, further absorption became useless. If forced to take in more, the inevitable result was bodily explosion and death.

"Such a pity."

His gaze swept over the plump, robust mice, and Jiang Chen shook his head. Though individually large, they were nothing compared to the Mouse Prodigy—merely fat rodents with little use.

Just then, in a corner of the garden, a mouse that had absorbed vast amounts of vital blood suddenly went berserk. Its body swelled, growing to the size of a hunting dog, and it broke free of its restraints, charging straight at Jiang Chen.

Jiang Chen's eyes gleamed; this was the sign of transformation.

Sensing the threat to Jiang Chen, the Mouse Prodigy at his side took a deep breath, its body suddenly expanding as it rushed toward the frenzied mouse.

With a swing of its claws, power erupted. Relying on its formidable physique, the Mouse Prodigy knocked the crazed mouse flying with lightning speed—swift, ruthless, and precise.

Seeing the mouse still struggling, a fierce glint flashed in the prodigy's eyes. It stomped down, pinning the mutant underfoot, blood gushing from its mouth, leaving it powerless to resist.

With a low growl, the Mouse Prodigy swept its cold gaze over the experimental mice. In that moment, the mice—restless from the mutant's frenzy—fell silent, heads lowered, not daring to meet its eyes.

Seeing the submission, the Mouse Prodigy grew ever more proud, surveying its domain with an air of invincibility.

Jiang Chen watched the scene, a strange light in his eyes.

"Who would have thought you possess such potential to become a Mouse King?"

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His gaze lingered on the Mouse Prodigy, and Jiang Chen had to admit it had surprised him yet again. In any population, a king beast was rare; in the days of apocalypse, he had seen such creatures lead their kin and carve out territories, and survivors could only avoid crossing their paths.

Through these experiments, he had confirmed that the effects of vital blood had limits—it could only help others reach their bodily limits, but not break them. The Mouse Prodigy's transformation was due to extraordinary power already latent within it.

"Once again, the ability to grow gigantic. Whether on Wooden Fish Island or in Golden Sands Valley, the mice share the same ancestral bloodline."

His thoughts shifted from the Mouse Prodigy to the mutant mouse. So far, he had seen three mice undergo transformation—or mutation—and in each case, their power manifested as bodily enlargement. This was no mere coincidence; the only reasonable explanation was that they all possessed the same extraordinary bloodline, awakened after being infused with vital blood.

"Keep it locked up for now. Though it's gone mad, it still holds research value."

After a brief deliberation, Jiang Chen made his decision.

Hearing this, the Mouse Prodigy hesitated, then cautiously picked up the mutant mouse. Seeing Jiang Chen offer no objection, it tossed the mouse into an iron cage and secured the lock with its tail.

Jiang Chen was unsurprised. After days together, he had gained a clear understanding of the prodigy's intelligence; its spiritual acuity was high, comparable to a human child, though it could not speak.

"Now that the most suitable vital blood has been selected, it's time for the final experiment."

With this thought, Jiang Chen walked to the depths of the Mouse Garden, where the most special specimen awaited.

As Jiang Chen focused on his research, an unexpected guest arrived quietly at Golden Sands Valley: Iron Palm Zhao Hui, another major figure under the Third Chief.

"Zhao Er has disappeared."

Standing before Qian Wen, Zhao Hui spoke words that shocked him to the core.

"How can that be..."

Hearing of Zhao Er's disappearance, Qian Wen refused to believe it, ready to argue.

Zhao Hui's broad, pancake-like face grew cold as he watched Qian Wen.

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"Zhao Er's wife and children remain on Wooden Fish Island, and his assets are untouched. It's extremely unlikely he left of his own accord. Now that he's missing, the most probable explanation is that he's been captured—or killed."

Staring coldly at Qian Wen, Zhao Hui seemed determined to read his face for clues.

"Killed? Zhao Er is a second-tier expert, skilled in movement. Who could kill him? Could it be the First Chief discovered something?"

A sudden thought struck Qian Wen, sending a chill through him. The First Chief, Iron Man Tu, was a true savage.

"The First Chief left the island some days ago, so that's unlikely. Regardless, this is a hidden threat. The Third Chief wants you to intercept all Golden Sands and erase every trace."

With icy words, Zhao Hui conveyed the Third Chief Zhao Meng's command.

Qian Wen was startled again. He did not respond immediately, instead pacing the room in agitation.

"What does the Third Chief intend?"

After forcing himself to calm down, Qian Wen turned to Zhao Hui. This was Zhao Meng's will, and he had no power to refuse. All he could do was comply, erasing all traces.

Zhao Hui silently nodded. Zhao Meng had specifically instructed him to watch Qian Wen's behavior; if Qian Wen shirked responsibility, he could be executed on the spot. Zhao Er's disappearance had rattled Zhao Meng, making him snap at everyone like a wolf, while Qian Wen was unaware he'd just escaped death.

"The Quicksand Bandits."

Zhao Hui offered a terse clue.

Qian Wen immediately understood Zhao Meng's intent.

"The Third Chief wants everyone dead. Yes—if all are killed, no traces remain, and all the Golden Sands can vanish without a word."

A cold sweat broke out on Qian Wen's back as he grasped the full implications.

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