Big Black Evolves

He raised his hand and pointed back at the people filling the courtyard.

"Remember this, we are not Rogue Cultivators."

"A Rogue Cultivator gets into trouble, and he has to take the blame all by himself; the worst that can happen is death."

"We are a large family."

"If any of you causes trouble, the entire Lineage will take the blame for you."

"In this cultivation world, don't underestimate someone just because they seem easy to bully. Who knows who might be backing them?"

He paused, his tone softening slightly.

I won't say anything threatening to you.

"Just think about your own family, think about your parents, think about your wife and children."

"Don't let momentary greed blind you and bring disaster upon the entire clan."

Everyone in the courtyard listened with their heads down, and no one uttered a sound.

Zhao Jiufeng withdrew his gaze, looked at his eldest son, and gave him instructions.

"Go and arrange for people to properly handle the aftermath with the Wang Household."

"Bury the dead properly; don't leave them to rot in the wilderness."

"Then select some people from the clan who are unable to cultivate, move them there, and take over the Wang Household's fields and houses."

"At least we'll have one more industry."

"This is a kindness they've shown us; let's accept it and remember this favor."

The clan chief nodded.

"Yes, Father, I'll arrange it right away."

Zhao Jiufeng waved his hand, said nothing more, and turned to go back to the inner courtyard.

Shen Jingchuan rode Big Black for more than ten miles along the mountain path.

Big Black suddenly slowed down, and a voice echoed in his mind, sounding somewhat embarrassed.

"Master, I... I'm tired. Let's find a place to rest for a while."

Shen Jingchuan smiled and patted its neck.

"Alright, I know what you're trying to do."

Big Black's thoughts were exposed. Its ears twitched, but it remained silent. Instead, it took off running forward with all its might.

Shen Jingchuan looked up and saw a small grove of trees providing shelter from the wind by the roadside.

He patted Big Black's neck.

"Come on, let's go into the woods and rest for a while."

"Weren't you tired?"

Big Black responded, and though somewhat embarrassed, plunged headfirst into the woods.

Shen Jingchuan dismounted, took Big Black by the hand, Divine Sense, he and his horse entered the Heaven and Earth Ring.

Xian'er was waiting when she floated over.

Shen Jingchuan took the jade pendant out of his Ring and held it in his palm.

"Big Black."

Why are you so interested in this jade?

Big Black came closer, sniffed again, and exhaled two puffs of white breath from its nostrils.

I can't explain it either.

"It's the smell that's so appealing to me, it's like... it's something I really want."

Xian'er carefully examined the jade pendant before speaking.

"Try it, see if you can open it."

Shen Jingchuan nodded and carefully examined the jade pendant.

But the jade was a single piece, warm and smooth to the touch, and he couldn't find any mechanism to open it.

He then released his Divine Sense and probed into the jade.

As soon as the Divine Sense approached, it was as if it were blocked by something; it couldn't see through it no matter what it did.

He withdrew his Divine Sense and frowned.

"Strange, it seems to be sealed off here."

Xian'er also came over and probed with her Divine Sense, but she couldn't see through it either.

"That's enough."

"Slowly channel your Spiritual Power and break it apart."

Shen Jingchuan responded, closed his five fingers, gathered his Spiritual Power, and pinched the jade pendant.

The jade looked hard, but when he squeezed it, a crack appeared on the outer layer.

He broke off another piece, and the jade shell peeled away, revealing a little bit of reddish-brown inside.

A warm scent wafted towards me.

Upon smelling it, Big Black suddenly raised its head, its eyes lighting up, and barked in his mind.

"Master! This is it!"

"This is exactly what I want!"

Shen Jingchuan lowered his head and slowly peeled away the jade shell bit by bit.

Inside was a lump the size of a pigeon egg, entirely crimson and translucent, like a solidified flame.

At its center, a tiny flame, no bigger than a bean, burned faintly, neither smoking nor extinguishing. If you got too close, your face would feel hot from the heat.

Big Black stared at the thing, his whole body trembling slightly, letting out a low whimper, unable to look away.

Shen Jingchuan glanced at it.

"Big Black."

"Are you sure it's okay to eat this directly?"

Big Black nodded emphatically, his voice urgent.

"No problem!"

"I can tell from the smell that it's mine; it's definitely safe to eat."

Shen Jingchuan didn't ask any more questions, and handed over the crimson jade marrow.

Big Black opened its mouth and swallowed the thing whole.

Beside them, Little Black and Treading Snow had somehow joined in and were watching.

That thing possessed pure fire energy, and they looked at it with a hint of greed in their eyes.

But now that they've all gained intelligence, they're no longer the same as before. Knowing this is Big Black fortuitous opportunity Dahei, no one went forward to snatch it; they just watched quietly.

Big Black swallowed the ball of fire, closed its eyes, and stood there for a moment.

After a short while, it swayed and slowly lay down on the ground.

Mucus began to seep from its skin, first in a thin layer, then gradually thickening until it completely enveloped the animal.

They looked exactly the same as when Little Black and Treading Snow broke out of their cocoons.

In no time at all, Big Black's body was completely covered and covered in a bright red cocoon.

Shen Jingchuan glanced over and saw that Qingshu and Qinghua were cultivating not far away, so he didn't go over to disturb them.

He turned around and said goodbye to Xian'er.

"Sis, I'm going out now."

"I'll leave the rest to you, Big Black."

Xian'er nodded.

"Go ahead, I'll take care of things here."

Just as he was about to leave, Treading Snow approached him, her voice echoing in his mind.

"Master, let me go out with you."

"I'm getting bored inside, I want to go out for a walk."

Shen Jingchuan raised his hand, stroked its mane, and smiled.

"Good."

With a thought, he left the space, carrying Treading Snow with him.

Once out of the woods, he climbed onto Treading Snow's back.

With Treading Snow its four hooves, it soared into the air and took flight steadily.

It didn't fly as fast as Little Black, but it wasn't slow either.

Ordinary cultivators at the Qi Refining Great Perfection probably can't catch up with it; compared to ordinary cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage, it's not much different, and might even be a bit faster.

After all, it's a second-tier spirit beast.

A man and a horse traveled at a leisurely pace through the air, chatting casually as they flew.

The journey of less than a hundred miles took only ten minutes.

Spirit Creek Market is just ahead.

Shen Jingchuan, mounted on his horse, looked down and sighed inwardly.

In fact, Shen Jingchuan himself could also fly on a sword.

But once he was riding on the Pegasus, he realized even more how many advantages it had.

Firstly, when Treading Snow flies through the sky, a faint Spiritual Power shield rises around his body, blocking the wind, the cold air, and the fierce winds at high altitudes, all without him having to worry about it.

He didn't expend any Spiritual Power; he simply sat and enjoyed the scenery as he traveled.

I was always brimming with Spiritual Power, so when we suddenly started fighting, I gained a lot of advantages.

Another advantage is speed. When Little Black flies at full speed, it's at the speed of Foundation Establishment Middle Stage cultivator; even this Treading Snow can match the speed of Foundation Establishment Early Stage cultivator.

These days, traveling is so much more convenient.

He thought of the Big Black in the space, which was forming a cocoon, and his anticipation grew even stronger.

I wonder what form Big Black will take this time.