The Master of Beasts

The Five Elements Secret Realm of the Myriad Beasts Sect is truly unique.

"I never expected it to be like this inside," Chen Jiuge said with some emotion as he looked at the peculiar sight before him.

In the Fire Secret Realm, a large number of flame Spiritual Beasts, constructed from fire, aimlessly wandered the realm. Occasionally, they would stop to taste the Spirit Plants, even though those plants were also illusions created from flames.

Chen Jiuge casually restrained a flame Spiritual Beast. A hint of interest flickered in his eyes as he observed the faint Spirit Light within its. "How fascinating. They aren't living creatures but are purely constructed with the Fire Element Law at their core."

"Let me uncover the mystery within."

As his Divine Sense slowly penetrated the core of the little flame deer before him, Chen Jiuge recognized the familiar Runes. With his other hand, he sketched these Runes in the void, and a fireball with a diameter of over three meters appeared. He found it somewhat hard to believe. "Could it really be the Fireball Technique?"

"If the deer is based on the Fireball Technique, then what about these?"

Chen Jiuge began to probe the cores of other flame Spiritual Beasts.

"Fire Rain Technique."

"Rocket Technique."

"Sunshine Technique."

"They're all actually constructed with Fire Element Spells as their core! The mastery of this Magic—no, the comprehension of the Fire Element Law must be incredibly profound to achieve this!" Chen Jiuge was astounded. This was almost like creating an entirely new race.

Although he was very curious about the creator, Chen Jiuge did not forget his true purpose for coming here.

"Let's first get a good grasp of the Fire Element Law. After I leave, I'll ask who created these Magic Spiritual Beasts in the Secret Realm."

Completely engrossed in the core of one Fire Element Spiritual Beast, Chen Jiuge was fascinated. Unlike his superficial observation before, the core contained a hidden layer of intricate Runes. This was the main reason the Magic could take the form of a Spiritual Beast.

While Chen Jiuge was deeply immersed in his Cultivation, a major incident—or rather, two—took place in Eden Garden.

First was Yue Meng. As an ancient Divine Beast, the Moon Rabbit, her aptitude was undeniable. Even though her Bloodline had been somewhat incomplete before, after many years of replenishment, it had reached an exceedingly pure state. She was now an authentic descendant of an ancient Divine Beast.

"It seems to have worked!" He Chong could hardly believe his eyes.

"Grandfather, did Lady Yue Meng succeed in refining an Immortal Pill?" He Qianqian asked excitedly.

He Chong was too shocked to respond to his granddaughter. Yue Meng, with only Mahayana Cultivation, had somehow refined an Immortal Pill—something only Immortals were supposedly capable of! Could this be the foundation of a Major Sect?

As a rich Dan Qi blasted the Pill Furnace open, a dazzling golden Immortal Pill soared into the sky.

"Is this the Immortal Pill's Heavenly Tribulation? I never imagined I'd witness an Immortal Pill's Heavenly Tribulation in my lifetime! Truly, truly, I can die without regrets!" He Chong stammered, his words disjointed.

He Qianqian, however, noticed something amiss. Aren't the tribulation clouds a bit too thick?

Looking up at the sky, Yue Meng, tired yet smiling, muttered, "I didn't expect the inheritance to be real; I thought it was a lie."

It turned out that the Bloodline Chen Jiuge had synthesized using his Golden Finger was not without an inheritance; it merely arrived late. Once the Bloodline reached a certain concentration and settled for a period, the inheritance would naturally appear, as it now did for Yue Meng.

Half the power of the Tribulation... I should be able to handle it, right? Yue Meng thought, looking nervously at the black clouds in the sky.

Wen Ruo, who was coaching Chen Dahu and Chen Xi in their Cultivation in the courtyard, frowned deeply upon seeing the tribulation clouds nearby. After sweeping the area with his Divine Sense, his expression changed drastically. "You two, don't wander off," he warned.

On the way, Wen Ruo felt a surge of worry. Why is Yue Meng undergoing her Tribulation now? Her foundation shouldn't be sufficient yet. This Tribulation could be dangerous.

Thinking of the consequences if Yue Meng failed her Tribulation, Wen Ruo shuddered. Failing an unprepared Tribulation could be deadly. Moreover, Yue Meng was Chen Jiuge's Lifebound Spiritual Beast; she was important in every conceivable way.

"I'm too late." Wen Ruo's heart sank when he saw the two Alchemists who had assisted Yue Meng with her Alchemy at the edge of the tribulation clouds.

"Senior," He Chong said, holding He Qianqian's hand and speaking with some restraint.

"Tell me what happened," Wen Ruo commanded in a solemn voice.

After hearing the grandfather and granddaughter's account, Wen Ruo had a general understanding of the events. He pondered inwardly, She began undergoing Tribulation because she refined an Immortal Pill?

The Moon Rabbit is an ancient Divine Beast. Could there be a connection between these two things?

As a bolt of Heavenly Tribulation descended, the Immortal Pill in mid-air absorbed half its power. The remaining force that struck Yue Meng did not injure her, only charring some of her fur.

With each subsequent thunderbolt of the Heavenly Tribulation, Wen Ruo realized that with the Immortal Pill dispersing the Tribulation's power, Yue Meng might indeed successfully overcome it.

However, when the final, most powerful nine Thunderbolts descended, Wen Ruo noticed Yue Meng seemed to be crying from the pain.

Yue Meng's small eyes blinked, and tears—SWOOSH, SWOOSH, SWOOSH—streamed down her cheeks. With a sob in her voice, she cried out, "It hurts, it hurts! Master, save me!!!"

Wen Ruo's face darkened. Such a large beast, and with outsiders present too! Couldn't she give my Junior Brother some face?

Although somewhat disdainful, Wen Ruo also knew that the Lifebound Spiritual Beasts contracted by Chen Jiuge were essentially no different from other Spiritual Beasts; not all were meant for combat. Yue Meng's main purpose was Alchemy. And perhaps to be raised like a daughter?

It was no wonder Wen Ruo had this thought. His Junior Brother's tolerance and affection towards Spiritual Beasts were extraordinarily high. Which Myriad Beasts Sect disciple, even those who reached True Immortal, hadn't experienced the death of their contracted Spiritual Beasts?

Of course, Lifebound Spiritual Beasts were different. Any disciple with some background and strength would generally prevent their Lifebound Spiritual Beast from dying to avoid damaging their own foundation.

With the end of the last Thunderbolt, Yue Meng had successfully ascended to Immortality.

Wen Ruo sensed Yue Meng's aura and frowned. Isn't this aura's strength too low? It's not even one-fifth of Sanhua's. Even if she specializes in Alchemy, the Moon Rabbit is an ancient Divine Beast. Her aura is too weak. Could it be because of the Immortal Pill?

Just as he thought of the Immortal Pill, Wen Ruo saw Yue Meng, whose snow-white fur had turned pitch black after completing the Tribulation, open her mouth and swallow the Immortal Pill.

Yue Meng's aura skyrocketed instantly, tripling in strength from before. Wen Ruo stared in astonishment.

No wonder she's an ancient Divine Beast! She can disperse the power of the Immortal Ascension Tribulation yet still receive a bounty no less generous than what one would obtain from withstanding the Heavenly Tribulation directly. I must record this. Wen Ruo nodded to himself. This level of strength is more like it.

"Senior Wen." Although she had successfully overcome the Tribulation, Yue Meng still felt a bit guilty. After all, Wen Ruo had only recently instructed her and the other beasts about the Immortal Ascension Tribulation.

Spiritual Beasts did not face the Three Calamities and Heavenly Human Five Decays like Human Clan Cultivators, so the actual power of their Heavenly Tribulation was slightly stronger. Of course, the beasts' physical constitution was also stronger, and their success rate was consequently a bit higher.

"You, oh you, honestly!" Wen Ruo couldn't help but tap Yue Meng's little head reproachfully. "Something as important as a Tribulation, and you don't say a word! You should have at least made some preparations."

"I know I was wrong. Thankfully, it was successful," Yue Meng admitted, still a little scared. Those last few Thunderbolts had really hurt.

Wen Ruo was about to criticize her further when he noticed another set of tribulation clouds appearing in Eden Garden. His vision momentarily darkened. My Junior Brother's Spiritual Beasts are truly disobedient. Weren't they all quite well-behaved in the past?

The owner of this tribulation cloud was Li Kui. As a Hou of the Ten Fierce, Li Kui originally possessed True Immortal Cultivation. Now rebuilding his cultivation, he wasn't far from his Tribulation. Fortunately, with Gao Danyan's guidance on the Zheng, he was able to face it ahead of schedule.

Unlike Yue Meng, Li Kui still carried the innate ferocity of the Ten Fierce. His approach to the Tribulation was far more violent. He actually swallowed the Thunderbolts whole, even surging into the sky to devour the tribulation clouds, causing Yue Meng's little heart to pound—THUMP-THUMP—in anxiety.

My goodness, I never would have guessed! This leopard who sleeps all day is so fierce, Yue Meng thought to herself in shock.

Wen Ruo wasn't surprised by Li Kui's display; after all, he was a Hou of the Ten Fierce. He only wondered if Li Kui could withstand the last nine Thunderbolts. Truthfully, if Li Kui had stabilized his foundation for a while longer, it would have been safer. He was a bit too hasty now. But from the looks of it, there probably won't be any major issues.

"The seventy-first," Yue Meng counted carefully.

In the sky, Li Kui was already covered in wounds, blood streaming continuously from his massive mouth—the consequence of swallowing Thunderbolts.

As the final, violet-black Thunderbolt descended, Li Kui let out a tremendous roar. He charged straight into the lightning, his dark-red baleful aura colliding violently with it.

After a massive explosion, golden streams of light showered down upon Li Kui's charred body. This was the boon from the Heavenly Tribulation; he had succeeded!

CRACK. CRACK.

The pitch-black carapace flaked off, revealing Li Kui's lithe and powerful form before the rabbit and the human.

"Why have you come?" Li Kui asked, seeming somewhat surprised.

"So it was you undergoing the Tribulation just now. I was wondering who could be faster than me," Li Kui remarked upon noticing Yue Meng's Cultivation. Then again, she's an ancient Divine Beast, practically an ultra-rare species now. It's normal for her to have some special abilities.

"Now that you've successfully overcome the Tribulation, go and consolidate your Cultivation," Wen Ruo instructed.

Li Kui naturally wouldn't contradict this cultivator, who was suspected to be his master's future Daoist couple. More importantly, he couldn't defeat her. This is a woman with a Kun—definitely not someone to provoke.

Watching Li Kui obediently return to his cave mansion to consolidate his Cultivation, Wen Ruo nodded with satisfaction. This Hou isn't so unruly after all. I asked Da Bai earlier, and he said Li Kui was the most rebellious of them all. It seems Da Bai wasn't being truthful.

Da Bai, mostly recovered from his injuries, was lounging on a reclining chair, leisurely enjoying life when he suddenly sneezed. "ACHOO! Is someone cursing me? No, they must be missing me. After all, I, Da Bai, am so adorable."

Beside him, his good friend Qi Daoyuan showed a flicker of disdain. What a shameless kinsman! Such a magnificent Bloodline, wasted. So many years, and still only at the Mahayana stage—a Mahayana who'd struggle even against a common bull. The Heavenly Dao truly is blind!