The Master of Beasts

The gathering this time was quite lively:

Wudao Tian and his Daoist couple, Die Luowu;

Jin Yuanbao and his cousin Jin Xiao, who was covered in injuries;

Bai Yao and her Daoist couple, Jun Sandao;

The brothers Yue Jun and Yue Feng;

And Yue Yinghua, Li Yao, Gao Danyan.

...

"This lineup could probably annihilate a minor Sect directly," Chen Jiuge mused aloud, looking at the group.

"Big Bro, Big Bro, I was wrong! Please stop hitting me!" Jin Xiao pleaded, offering a lamb leg to the fiercely glaring Zheng beside him.

Zheng looked at the young man and sneered. This little whelp actually wants to become my master's Daoist couple? He must be dreaming!

Gao Danyan, somewhat helplessly, patted the extremely protective Zheng. "Alright, no fighting for now. Let's eat first."

Zheng docilely nuzzled Gao Danyan's palm, then began to eat the roasted lamb leg with an air of sophistication.

"Junior Brother, when do you and Junior Sister Wen plan to hold your grand ceremony? Or are you not planning to have one at all?" Wudao Tian asked, his words muffled by a mouthful of meat.

Chen Jiuge felt rather helpless. "Well, I..."

Just as Chen Jiuge was at a loss for words, Wen Ruo interjected, "We're not considering it for now. After all, our Master isn't here. As for a grand ceremony, we won't hold one. When things are settled, we'll just invite you all for a meal."

Chen Jiuge looked at his Senior Sister, her expression serene, and thought to himself, She accepts things so readily!

「Later that day」

With all the excitement at Chen Jiuge's home, his Spiritual Beasts naturally wouldn't miss a chance to scrounge a meal.

Thus, an amusing incident occurred involving Zheng and Li Kui.

Both being among the Ten Evils, when the two Spiritual Beasts met, it was like heavenly thunder clashing with earth fire. They didn't even bother eating and ran outside to fight. Of course, Li Kui was the one getting beaten, as his Cultivation had yet to reach the True Immortal realm; fighting a Heavenly Immortal naturally meant taking a pummeling.

Fortunately, Zheng also suppressed its Cultivation, so one could say they were somewhat evenly matched.

"I never expected Junior Brother to have a Hou!" Gao Danyan said, a hint of envy in her voice.

"Doesn't Senior Sister have Zheng?" Chen Jiuge scratched his head. They're both among the Ten Evils, what's there to be envious about?

"Senior Sister Gao dreams of gathering all Ten Evils and learning Ancestor Heavenly Fire's Ten Evils Great Method," Wudao Tian explained.

"Oh, I see! Da Bai, introduce your good brothers to Senior Sister. See if any of them are willing to go with her." Chen Jiuge generously had Da Bai contact Wang Hai to check if there were any young Qiongqi whose parents were unwilling to raise them.

"You can count on me!" Da Bai declared, pushing up its sunglasses with an expression that screamed, 'I'm on the job, you can relax!' Of course, provided one ignored its broken legs, this assurance might have seemed somewhat reliable.

It was a rather tragic tale. In the past few days, the Blood Battle Cattle herd had entered their mating season, becoming extremely irritable. After a fierce battle, both Qi Daoyuan and Da Bai had suffered broken legs. It was Yue Li, who had gone to find them earlier, who carried them both out and brought them to this feast.

Although Gao Danyan was a bit skeptical that this pitiful-looking little creature could bring her news of one of the Ten Evils, she didn't voice any doubts, merely nodding politely as she began to ask Da Bai.

Seeing Da Bai puffing up, ready to boast, Chen Jiuge warned it, "Senior Sister Gao is a Core Disciple with Heavenly Immortal Cultivation. Her Master is the Second Elder, and there are even more powerful Grandmasters above him. You better be straight with her."

Da Bai looked at the woman before it and couldn't help but swallow nervously, a wave of apprehension washing over it. I almost made an outrageous demand!

It obediently took out Wang Hai's Sound Transmission Talisman and tried calling several times before finally getting through. "Brother Wang, what are you up to?"

"Ah, Little Brother Da Bai, don't even get me started! The clan elders think I'm too idle, so they've dumped a load of miscellaneous tasks on me, plus this disobedient cub. I'm about to lose my mind!" Wang Hai grumbled, grabbing the small Qiongqi perched on his head and giving it a sharp flick on the forehead.

"You little rascal, if you climb on me again, I'll tan your hide!"

The small Qiongqi wasn't scared in the least. It opened its little mouth and let out a defiant roar, spraying saliva all over Wang Hai's face.

"Brother Da Bai, as you can see," Wang Hai said with a helpless expression, "this is the child of some very distant relatives of mine—my aunt's uncle's nephew, to be precise. They live a wild and unrestrained life, and as a result, they've left me with this troublesome little fellow."

Gao Danyan, who was watching the projection on the side, felt her eyes light up the moment she saw the small Qiongqi. Now, hearing that its parents didn't want it, she thought, They don't want him? Isn't this my opportunity?

Da Bai was quite perceptive. Seeing Gao Danyan's expression, it immediately grinned at Wang Hai. "See, Brother Wang? That's why I'm here—to help you share your burden!"

"How so?" Wang Hai asked curiously, still holding the constantly roaring small Qiongqi.

"Let me introduce you. The one beside me is a Core Disciple of the Myriad Beasts Sect. She is the sole disciple of a Golden Immortal, and her Grandmaster is a Daluo Immortal Golden Immortal! Her own Cultivation is also at the Heavenly Immortal realm, and she's currently looking for powerful Spiritual Beasts. Quite a coincidence, wouldn't you say?" Da Bai said with a wide grin.

"You want to... to have her form a Contract with my little... uh... junior clansman?" Wang Hai stammered, unsure how to refer to the little creature, finally settling on "junior clansman."

"Fellow Daoist Wang, I will form an equal Contract with him," Gao Danyan said, her voice tinged with excitement.

Wang Hai was inwardly ecstatic. The people of the Myriad Beasts Sect truly are good folks! However, he maintained a grave expression and said, "But this is a member of my clan."

"I'll offer two Red Blood Evil Crystals," Gao Danyan said, feeling a pang of reluctance.

"Deal!" Wang Hai agreed instantly.

"Will you come to pick him up, or shall I deliver him personally?" Wang Hai asked eagerly.

"I'm coming right now!" Gao Danyan replied, already in a rush.

After ending the communication, Gao Danyan got a disposable Sound Transmission Talisman for Wang Hai from Da Bai and immediately made a beeline for Beast City. The onlookers were secretly amazed. Who would have thought a simple meal could lead to acquiring a Ten Evils cub?

"Tsk, tsk. Who would've thought our Junior Brother's Spiritual Beast actually had connections with the Qiongqi clan? Junior Sister Gao really benefited from Junior Brother's influence this time," Li Yao remarked admiringly.

"There's still a lot you don't know," Wudao Tian said, shaking his head.

「Later」

Chen Jiuge didn't know when he woke up, only that it was still dark. The group from earlier was gone.

Stepping out of his room, he saw his Senior Sister Wen Ruo chatting with Chen Ziteng in the small courtyard. Seeing how happily the little one was laughing, he knew his Senior Sister must have been amusing her.

"Junior Brother, you're awake. Senior Brother Yue left a little something for you," Wen Ruo said with a smile.

"A little something? Let me see." Chen Jiuge opened a box left by Yue Jun. Inside, he found an exquisite sand table, a Spiritual Beast Storage Bag, and a letter.

After reading the letter, Chen Jiuge roughly understood the situation.

It turned out that Yue Jun had been unhappy about constantly losing to Chen Jiuge during their sand table Insect War games. During a recent battle against the Demon Clan, Yue Jun had managed to learn some small-world military tactics and had also improved his own army formations. He intended to challenge Chen Jiuge again but had to leave on a mission, so he could only leave the sand table behind for now.

Chen Jiuge didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I'm no military strategist; I've just seen too much of the 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms.' Now that Senior Brother Yue has learned proper tactics too, it'll be a miracle if I can win against him!

Putting away the sand table, Chen Jiuge decided to confess to Senior Brother Yue later that he really wasn't a military expert.

「Later」

Despite the awkward incident with his Senior Sister earlier, their way of interacting hadn't changed. Gradually, Chen Jiuge put the matter behind him and began to immerse himself in the grand project of modifying Jade Beasts.

Chen Jiuge had a strong premonition that his entry into the Life Dao was definitely linked to the Jade Beasts. He could already cultivate Guardian Beasts with various Spiritual Energy attributes. His next challenge was to create dual-attribute Jade Beasts.

BANG!

Looking at the Jade Beast that had exploded into countless fragments, Chen Jiuge muttered in puzzlement, "Doesn't water generate wood?"

"Then do you also know that wood can overcome water?" Yu Heng retorted, looking utterly exasperated.

"If the Five Elements were so simple that a mere True Immortal like you could fully comprehend them, then all those Heavenly Immortals who are stuck, unable to break through in the Five Elements Dao, might as well just give up and die," Yu Heng mocked.

"Then what do you suggest I do?" Chen Jiuge asked.

"Obviously, you first need to comprehend the Five Elements! Have you even tried? You're just randomly slapping different Bloodlines onto the Jade Beast. I may not understand the specifics of your method, but the way you're currently forcing two conflicting attribute Bloodlines into a single Spiritual Beast—it'd be a miracle if it *didn't* explode!"

"Comprehend the Five Elements?" Chen Jiuge frowned. It wasn't that there was nowhere for him to do so; rather, he hadn't even taken the first step into his Life Dao. If he comprehended the Five Elements too deeply and entered the Five Elements Dao first, that would be problematic.

"No need to worry so much. Isn't Five Elements Unification also a path to the Life Dao?" Yu Heng said with profound meaning.

Chen Jiuge gave Yu Heng a long, searching look. This old fellow is usually nowhere to be found. Now he suddenly appears to offer me advice on Cultivation? He's surely not doing this out of kindness. I must consult with my Eldest Senior Brother and the others first.

After Chen Jiuge left, Yu Heng picked up a jade fragment, a trace of sorrow on his face. "After countless eons, even the only familiar things remaining are incomplete. How truly tragic..."

Chen Jiuge and the others didn't know that ever since the appearance of the Red Thread of Marriage Fate, Yu Heng had recalled many past events. He wasn't some so-called avatar of a Jade Daoist; he was the *last* Jade Daoist. This was also why he was different from the other jade beings.

"Remembered now?" a red figure materialized before the Jade Daoist.

"A pity... we already failed," Yu Heng said, his voice desolate, hands clasped behind his back.

The figure's face was indistinct; only the red color of their garments could be vaguely discerned. "TEEHEEHEE, your current little appearance is quite amusing. If those slumbering Fellow Daoists were to see you now, they'd definitely make a record of it."

The somber atmosphere shattered instantly. Yu Heng exploded in fury, "You old hag! *You're* the one with a 'little appearance'!"

"TEEHEEHEE..."

The laughter slowly faded. Yu Heng, somewhat tired from his outburst, found a relatively comfortable rock and sat down, his legs dangling. He stared blankly into the distance and sighed softly. "In truth, our era has already passed. The current Dao... it might not necessarily be bad."

「Meanwhile」

Chen Jiuge, of course, had no idea that such momentous events were unfolding in his Eden Garden. After seeking the advice of various seniors, he decided to go and comprehend the Five Elements, to see if he could use them as a starting point to enter the Life Dao.

"The Heavenly Fire Secret Realm costs ten thousand Merit Points per year. How long will you need?"

"Until I come out!" Chen Jiuge declared grandly.

The Secret Realm Elder had initially wanted to ask if Chen Jiuge even had enough Merit Points to make such a bold statement. But then he glanced at the long string of zeros displayed on the Token and his eyes nearly popped out. This amount of Merit... it's truly outrageous!