owlsbooks Chapter 225 - 170: Myriad Beasts Universe
Chapter 225 - 170: Myriad Beasts Universe
In the mid-air of the Immortal Mansion, a Three-legged Golden Crow materialized and unleashed an endless torrent of flames, its light and heat generously showering all living beings on the ground below.
As Fang Qingyuan’s Primordial Spirit entered the Immortal Mansion, he looked out at the vast, empty Land Realm and felt a deep sense of satisfaction.
The Immortal Mansion had now expanded to a staggering one hundred acres. As Fang Qingyuan achieved Foundation Establishment and the Magical Power within him liquefied from its previously tenuous, gaseous state, the Land Realm within the Immortal Mansion had also grown immensely.
However, while his Magical Power was now nearly twenty times greater than it was during the Qi Cultivation stage, the Immortal Mansion had only grown fivefold in size. Fang Qingyuan couldn’t figure out the reason for this disparity.
Still, one hundred acres was already huge, and Fang Qingyuan had no room to feel dissatisfied. His Primordial Spirit roamed back and forth across the newly appeared land within the Immortal Mansion, already forming plans in his mind.
Within his sea of consciousness, the largest Dao Fruit on the Five-Colored Treasure Tree was still ceaselessly absorbing the pure primordial qi inside the Immortal Mansion, converting it into Fang Qingyuan’s Innate Primordial Qi. In just over half a month, it had already absorbed qi equivalent to more than twenty years of life.
Although the rate was slowing, this recent drain of primordial qi was already making the living creatures within the Immortal Mansion feel unwell.
This primordial qi wasn’t generated from thin air; it was the accumulated essence that the many Spirit Plants and living beings had released over the years within the Immortal Mansion. The Scorpion-tailed Poison Bees, in particular, had grown quite sluggish lately, their vitality sapped. They had clearly been drained by Fang Qingyuan’s Innate Qi Divine Techniques.
The prosperity of the life within the Immortal Mansion was directly tied to his own future lifespan, a matter Fang Qingyuan took very seriously. He intentionally controlled the rate at which his Innate Qi Divine Techniques drew from the Immortal Mansion, maintaining it at a low level to allow the creatures within to catch their breath.
Fang Qingyuan’s Innate Primordial Qi now amounted to a lifespan approaching eight hundred years. To him, such a vast expanse of time was an unimaginable life journey.
Even if he were to forcefully drain more primordial qi from the Immortal Mansion to extend his life, it would only be a change to that eight-hundred-year number. He couldn’t yet grasp the true meaning it held.
Fang Qingyuan was not yet fifty years old. He had cultivated for nearly thirty years to rise from a mere mortal to the Foundation Establishment realm. He planned to savor the scenery to come, climbing step by step, not wanting to miss any of the beauty along the way.
To realize the vision in his heart, he needed Protective Measures. With this in mind, Fang Qingyuan’s thoughts turned to the other two Dao Fruits.
After exploring them for some time, Fang Qingyuan had made a depressing discovery: at his current Cultivation Realm of First-Layer Foundation Establishment, he couldn’t use either of these two Divine Techniques.
’God-Slaying Intent’ and ’Five-Colored Light’ were simply too high-level. Although Fang Qingyuan had already absorbed them as his own Innate Divine Techniques, his Magical Power and realm didn’t allow him to use them easily.
To use these two Innate Divine Techniques as effortlessly as he used the Vertical Earth Technique, Fang Qingyuan estimated, would be a struggle even after he reached the Golden Core realm. Perhaps only at the Nascent Soul realm could he unleash their true power. And even then, he had no idea how far they would fall short of the original versions in his memory.
Staring at a mountain of treasure but unable to touch it—the feeling was awful. Unwilling to accept this, Fang Qingyuan thought of a clever workaround: using his Lifebound Primordial Qi to substitute for the Magical Power consumption.
In other words, he would have to burn his own life!
In the Cultivation Realm, many Cultivation Techniques required burning one’s life. They all shared a common feature: burning Innate Primordial Qi and consuming one’s own lifespan in exchange for a moment of immense power.
In terms of grade, Innate Primordial Qi was undoubtedly one of the highest forms of energy in the Cultivation Realm. Compared to the Magical Power of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, a single strand of Innate Primordial Qi was dozens of times more potent.
’Since my own Magical Power can’t support a single use of ’God-Slaying Intent’ or ’Five-Colored Light,’ I’ll just have to power them with Innate Primordial Qi. That way, I can at least manage to use these two Divine Techniques.’
Fang Qingyuan had secretly tested it once before, and the cost had been heartbreaking. A single use of ’God-Slaying Intent’ consumed ten years of his lifespan, while ’Five-Colored Light’ cost about fifteen.
’If I didn’t have the Immortal Mansion to replenish my primordial qi, how many times could I even use a true Innate Qi Divine Technique?’
’Looks like these two Divine Techniques can only be used as trump cards. It’s best not to use them unless it’s a critical moment. Otherwise, if I get into the habit of using Divine Techniques for everything, my ego will probably inflate to who knows where.’
The power of these two Divine Techniques was truly astonishing. ’God-Slaying Intent’ specialized in attacking the Primordial Spirit. Once unleashed, it couldn’t be stopped, no matter how much baleful energy surrounded you or how thick your Body-Protecting Spirit Shield was.
Fang Qingyuan had tested it. In the face of ’God-Slaying Intent,’ a Tier 2 high-grade Protective Magical Artifact was like a sieve riddled with holes. ’God-Slaying Intent’ followed the fluctuations of the Spiritual Power conversion within the artifact, cut straight through, and turned the brain of the Spirit Beast protected inside into mush.
Observing its power, Fang Qingyuan estimated that an Early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator with no special tricks wouldn’t be able to withstand it at all. A Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator who took a direct hit would be severely injured, if not killed. Only a Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator could barely endure it, and even they would end up coughing up a few mouthfuls of blood.
Compared to the tyrannical nature of ’God-Slaying Intent,’ ’Five-Colored Light’ was a bit more plain and simple. This Divine Technique had only one effect: it severed one’s consciousness and captured both body and spirit. After a flash of the Five-Colored Divine Light, a Cultivator would lose all five senses, their mind becoming a muddled mess. When used on a Magical Artifact, as long as it was of the five elements, the original owner’s spiritual imprint would be instantly erased, and the item would become Fang Qingyuan’s.
Of course, although the Divine Technique was powerful, everything depended on the Cultivation Realms of the two parties involved. If the opponent’s cultivation was far higher than Fang Qingyuan’s, then no matter how he used it, it would be useless.
With these two Innate Divine Techniques, Fang Qingyuan felt much more secure. For the longest time, he had felt a little timid whenever he encountered a Foundation Establishment Cultivator he didn’t know, but that mentality had finally changed. Now, on his own turf in the Southern Border, with Yuanling Mountain and Lechuan backing him, he could probably walk sideways with impunity.
Thinking of this, Fang Qingyuan felt the weakness in his body and wanted to laugh but couldn’t. In the end, his expression was placid as he gazed at the distant mountain mists, allowing the thin fog on the peak to envelop his figure.
.....
Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, it was the day of Fang Qingyuan’s apprenticeship ceremony. Over the past three months, his body had returned to normal. Thanks to the numerous nourishing Elixir Pills from Celestial Gate Mountain, Fang Qingyuan was even stronger than before.
Fang Qingyuan’s breakthrough to Foundation Establishment was, in itself, an insignificant matter—at least to the other Beast Taming Sub-Sects. But Lechuan taking on his final Closed-door Disciple? That was a major event that the surrounding Beast Taming Sub-Sects paid close attention to.
Lechuan came from an extraordinary background, and his pedigree was among the top tier of all the Beast Taming Sub-Sect Leaders. Adding the Huo Family behind him to the equation, the other Beast Taming Sub-Sects all sent representatives to offer their congratulations on account of these connections.
But that wasn’t all. The neighboring Nanchu Sect had also sent a Golden Core Ancestor—Chu Duo, a man with deep, cold features, an aquiline nose, and narrow eyes that, when they looked at you, felt like a viper gnawing on your bones. He exuded an aura of arrogant, vicious gloom.
When the master of ceremonies announced Chu Duo’s name, Fang Qingyuan, standing beside Lechuan, could clearly feel his master’s surprise.
Chu Duo’s current Cultivation Realm was already Late-stage Golden Core. Furthermore, rumors in the outside world claimed that his Cultivation Technique was sinister and ruthless, completely lacking the magnanimous and grand style of the Qi Yun Sect. In other words, Chu Duo was extremely dangerous and a formidable fighter.
Upon seeing Chu Duo, the fur on Heiye, who was standing nearby, stood on end. It was only after Lechuan stepped forward to greet the guest that Heiye calmed down.
Chu Duo’s visit plunged the atmosphere into a strange tension. Fortunately, the Sub-Sect Leader of the Earth Cave Fire Domain was also present. He had brought a Golden Core Companion Beast with him. Between that, Heiye, and Lechuan, the Beast Taming Sect had four Golden Core-level combatants, preventing Chu Duo from completely overwhelming all the Beast Taming Sect Members present by himself.
Fang Qingyuan’s apprenticeship ceremony was an extremely grand affair. There were five Golden Core cultivators present to witness it, along with thirty or forty other Foundation Establishment Cultivators.
Among them, about twenty were Foundation Establishment Cultivators from the Southern Border itself, and another dozen or so were from other Beast Taming Sub-Sects who had come to pay their respects.
Even Jiuye Square sent someone to offer congratulations, showing no lingering resentment for what Fang Qingyuan had done in the past.
After Fang Qingyuan completed the apprenticeship rite, Lechuan took out a long, banner-like Magical Artifact in front of everyone and handed it to Fang Qingyuan, instructing him:
"As your master, I don’t have many suitable gifts for you. This ’Ten Thousand Beasts Qiankun Banner’ was a Magical Artifact I used back in the day. I’m giving it to you now. I hope you will treat it well in the future."
As Lechuan spoke of the banner, his expression was filled with nostalgia. It was clear the banner held many memories for him.
Fang Qingyuan first offered his thanks before carefully examining the Magical Artifact in his hands. The staff of the banner was about ten feet long. The banner itself hung down about five feet, its width just over a foot. It was pitch-black, and the surface was inscribed with simple line drawings of birds and beasts. Though rendered with only a few light strokes, they were imbued with profound spirit.
There were also complex runes, as small as grains of rice, covering the staff. Fang Qingyuan hadn’t studied such things much, but just by looking at the Spiritual Light emanating from the banner, he knew this was no common, mass-produced item.
Seeing this, Zhao Liangde chimed in with a hint of sourness in his voice:
"Junior Brother Qingyuan, you’re truly lucky. The Music Master actually bestowed this Magical Artifact upon you! The Ten Thousand Beasts Qiankun Banner, as its name implies, can contain ten thousand beasts. It’s a rare Top-Grade Magical Artifact, capable of gathering all sorts of Spirit Beasts inside it. When needed, you can wave the banner to release them, instantly forming a tide of Spirit Beasts. It’s the Divine Artifact most desired in the hearts of countless Beast Taming Sect Members!"
After hearing Zhao Liangde’s explanation, Fang Qingyuan finally understood that Lechuan had given him an incredibly valuable apprenticeship gift. As a Top-Grade Magical Artifact, the Ten Thousand Beasts Qiankun Banner was just one step away from birthing an Artifact Spirit and ascending to the rank of a treasure. More critically, with this banner, he could now openly summon an army of Spirit Beasts from his Immortal Mansion. This would be a qualitative leap for his combat power.
At this thought, Fang Qingyuan gripped the Ten Thousand Beasts Qiankun Banner tightly and bowed his thanks to Lechuan once more.
Lechuan helped Fang Qingyuan up, his face breaking into a brilliant smile. After the ceremony, a lavish banquet was served, allowing the two thousand Qi Cultivation disciples and the many Foundation Establishment Cultivators to eat and drink to their heart’s content. Meanwhile, Lechuan led Fang Qingyuan, Zhao Liangde, and a group of his disciples into the Grand Council Hall, along with the other head seats and Sub-Sect Leaders of the Beast Taming Sub-Sects.
Situ Jingyu followed beside her Sect Leader, her posture rather demure. If one were to ignore her brawny physique, she might even possess a certain quiet grace.
After presenting his gift, Chu Duo was in no hurry to leave. He declined Lechuan’s invitation to enter the hall and instead found a table for himself outside to drink alone.
The people at that table, upon seeing Chu Duo, were so frightened they all made excuses and scurried away. Only one young, world-weary Cultivator seemed completely unbothered, even gesturing for Chu Duo to join him for a drink.
This person was none other than Zhang Yuan. He had already drunk too much. Today was the happiest day for him. Fang Qingyuan had reached Foundation Establishment and was even taken as a disciple by Lechuan. Seeing his good old friend doing so well, Zhang Yuan was genuinely happy for him.
Chu Duo looked at the very drunk Zhang Yuan and shook his head. He took the wine jug, had a sip, and then waited quietly.
A moment later, Chu Duo’s figure flickered and vanished from the spot. Only Zhang Yuan remained, frequently raising his cup to the empty seat.
Meanwhile, inside the Grand Council Hall on Celestial Gate Mountain, Zhao Liangde was busy and diligently entertaining the guests. The two main figures of the day, Lechuan and Fang Qingyuan, had also disappeared.