Bear Overlord

"Absorb!"

Inside the Void Heaven Mirror.

As Song Chengan's thought fell.

The two tiny Phantom Bodies that had already completed their training were instantly absorbed. As they were absorbed, two new sets of memories appeared in Song Chengan's mind.

One was the method for making tracking cranes from the Monster Catcher's miscellany of the Yu family.

First, special runes were drawn on talisman paper, then activated with True Qi or essence blood to create a special tool.

It counted as a variation of talismans.

The other was the method for refining Spirit Essence Pills.

Among the hundred arts of cultivation.

Both talismans and Alchemy Skill were considered superior crafts.

But likewise, learning either of these crafts required an enormous investment.

Neither pill refinement nor talisman drawing had a one-hundred-percent success rate.

Every alchemist and talisman master had been fed countless resources.

One could not become a grandmaster of alchemy through armchair strategy.

Thus, there was a saying in the Cultivation World.

When looking for a Dao Companion, find one who refined pills or drew talismans.

Their household would be wealthy.

"Seems there aren't any martial techniques I need to study."

"I'll study the Fire Cloud Staff Technique some more."

"And the Water Repelling Art!"

Song Chengan thought for a moment.

Then he condensed two more Phantom Bodies and had them continue studying the Fire Cloud Staff Technique and the Water Repelling Art.

"I wonder whether there'll be a higher realm after mastery."

"But I don't have any martial arts to deduce right now, so I'll just practice the Fire Cloud Staff Technique and the Water Repelling Art."

"I wonder if The Boss will return tomorrow. If he still doesn't return, I'll have to head back to Lingqiu City first."

Song Chengan had taken leave from Captain Wu. If The Boss did not return tomorrow, he would have to leave first.

"Song, The Boss sent me to fetch you!"

Speak of the Buddha, and the Buddha arrived.

Song Chengan had just been thinking about when First Boss Bai would return when a Grey Squirrel crawled out from the grass beside him and spoke.

"You go on by yourself."

"I'm going with Bear to raid a beehive for honey."

After speaking, the Grey Squirrel—whose bee-stung face was still swollen and bruised from last time—left.

"Senior Bai."

When Song Chengan arrived, First Boss Bai was drinking tea.

The last time, Song Chengan had brought First Boss Bai some tea leaves. Since then, First Boss Bai had fallen in love with drinking tea.

"Come, have a cup."

First Boss Bai poured Song Chengan a cup.

"Is your father named Song Zhengxin?"

Song Chengan nodded.

"My father is indeed Song Zhengxin."

"What is it?"

Song Chengan asked curiously.

He remembered that he had never told First Boss Bai his father's name.

How had First Boss Bai known?

Had First Boss Bai investigated his background because he was teaching these monsters?

That was probably it.

"Nothing."

"I've already heard about your matter."

"I'll go speak with Mother Hundred Flowers in a while."

"When the time comes, I'll have her send your nephew's soul to you."

Mother Hundred Flowers.

Was that the flower demon's name?

"Senior Bai, is what Mother Hundred Flowers said true?"

"About what happened between her and Lu Jingcheng back then."

First Boss Bai nodded. "It's true."

"She attained the Dao earlier than any of us spirits and monsters. Speaking of origins, hers was better than all of ours."

"If she had remained on Mount Luo, she would likely have attained the Golden Core Dao Fruit by now."

A Golden Core Dao Fruit?

Song Chengan clicked his tongue.

That exaggerated?

Then the question was this.

Mother Hundred Flowers had been on the verge of attaining a Golden Core Dao Fruit, yet First Boss Bai could confine her to Mount Luo for a hundred years with a single word.

Just how terrifying was First Boss Bai?

"Right, I found a True Qi art outside."

"It's a Middle Sixth Grade True Qi. You may be able to learn it."

"Low-grade True Qi has its limits, after all."

As First Boss Bai spoke, he carefully handed Song Chengan a Daoist scripture.

"This is the Southern Bright Illusory Fire True Qi?"

Song Chengan cried out in surprise.

Southern Bright Illusory Fire True Qi.

It was likewise one of the Daoist seventy-two orthodox qis.

It ranked seventh among Mid-grade True Qi.

Legend said its divine abilities came close to High-grade True Qi.

More importantly, it and the Heavenly Radiance Dao Qi both belonged to the seventy-two orthodox qis.

Both were Daoist True Qi arts capable of driving away demons and warding off evil.

They would not conflict with one another.

If Song Chengan switched from the Heavenly Radiance Dao Qi to the Southern Bright Illusory Fire True Qi, it would be as natural as water flowing into a channel.

"That's right, it's this True Qi art."

"As for how to cultivate it, comprehend it yourself."

"I only remember that it requires Earth Fire as an aid."

Song Chengan knew about Earth Fire.

It was flame from within volcanoes.

In cultivators' understanding, it was flame containing the mighty power of the earth.

A force on par with heavenly lightning.

And this True Qi art required fire for cultivation.

"Senior Bai, this is far too precious."

"I don't have that many Talisman Coins."

Song Chengan said.

First Boss Bai shook his head.

"Just take it."

"Come to think of it, you and I had some ties in the past."

"I'm rather tired. I want to rest."

Song Chengan thought for a moment, then solemnly bowed to First Boss Bai.

"This True Qi art is too precious."

"And I don't have that many Talisman Coins... If Senior Bai ever has need of this junior in the future, this junior will brave ten thousand deaths without refusing."

First Boss Bai laughed upon hearing that.

"I imagine there's nothing I need your help with."

"Even if there is, I would probably only ask you to look after the spirits and monsters in these mountains."

"I don't wish for them to stray onto the crooked path."

As he said this, a trace of desolation appeared on his face.

Song Chengan nodded. "Rest assured, Senior. In the future, this junior will do everything in my power to look after the demons of Mount Luo."

"So long as they do not bring calamity upon others."

First Boss Bai nodded.

Song Chengan prepared to take his leave.

But as he was about to leave the room, he hesitated before speaking.

"Senior, judging by your appearance, you seem to have aged several years?"

First Boss Bai smiled at this. "Birth, aging, illness, and death are the common course of humanity."

"Senior, do you truly have no wish to switch to a method that prolongs life?"

First Boss Bai still shook his head.

"Why?"

Song Chengan could not help asking.

In his view.

A pure seeker of the Dao like First Boss Bai, whose heart was set upon the righteous path, should not be attached to power.

Wouldn't living longer give him a better chance to advance further?

He had cultivation experience. Even if he switched cultivation methods, it would merely take more time.

Perhaps it would take longer than it would for a human, but one must not forget that demons and monsters also possessed long lifespans.

First Boss Bai looked at Song Chengan.

"I'm simply too lazy to bother."

"Right, remember to pay respects to the old locust tree at the village entrance."

"Perhaps there may be some fortuitous opportunity there."

Seeing that First Boss Bai truly had no desire to switch to a life-prolonging method, Song Chengan did not wish to say more.

He guessed.

Perhaps First Boss Bai feared that, once he lost his power, he would no longer be able to suppress the demons of Mount Luo.

After all, the reason these monsters now leaned so firmly toward the righteous path was because of his guidance.

And among the Demon Race, strength had always been revered above all.

The reason these monsters had initially been willing to listen to First Boss Bai was that they could not defeat him.

Old Bear had once said.

At first, he had wanted to eat First Boss Bai, but First Boss Bai beat him once a day for half a month. Only then had he finally submitted.

Song Chengan felt that this guess was seven or eight parts close to the truth.

Mount Luo could remain bright and clear despite being occupied by demons only because of First Boss Bai's deterrence.

If First Boss Bai died, the order of Mount Luo would likely collapse.

"Scholar Song, come on, come on! I caught a wild boar."

"We're having roast wild boar today."

"And Monkey Wine."

The moment Song Chengan appeared, he saw the Black Bear Spirit.

"Teach me a few more characters while you're at it."

A smile appeared on Song Chengan's face.

Now that An Mingxu's Wisp of Soul had a lead, his mood had improved as well.

And after spending these days together, he had discovered that this bear demon had a good nature.

He now sincerely regarded the bear demon as a friend.

"Right, do you eat honey?"

Song Chengan hurriedly waved his hands.

"No, no."

He was afraid that if he said he ate it, the Black Bear Spirit would come looking for him with a huge swarm of bees.

"That honey is delicious."

"Will you at least eat the roast pig?"

"I prepared some excellent Monkey Wine."

"I'll eat!"

"But before that, I have to go pay respects to the old locust tree."

"Do you know where the old locust tree in the village is?"

"Old locust tree?"

"I know!"

"Come with me!"

Song Chengan followed the Black Bear to the middle of the village.

It was an open space.

The ground was bare, scorched black, dry and hard.

One glance showed that people often came here.

Even without seeing it for himself, Song Chengan could imagine the old people sitting beneath the old locust tree to enjoy the cool in summer, while children ran about and played.

Everything in Luo Village had turned to ash in that Lightning Calamity.

Including the old locust tree.

Song Chengan did not see the old locust tree.

He only saw half a charred stump.

Song Chengan did not know why First Boss Bai had told him to come worship this old locust tree.

He was not naive enough to truly think there was some fortuitous opportunity here.

Perhaps it held some meaning.

Song Chengan knelt down with utmost respect.

"What are you doing?"

Song Chengan turned around.

At some point, the bear monster had knelt down as well.

He was copying him.

He even looked the part.

Song Chengan was speechless.

Could it be that First Boss Bai had also told you to come worship some fortuitous opportunity?

"They said..."

"This old locust tree used to be a sacred tree."

"But it suffered calamity along with the village."

"One must hold sacred trees and divine statues in reverence!"

the Black Bear said.

Song Chengan nodded.

That made quite a bit of sense.

If one held reverence in one's heart, one would not offend gods or ghosts, and would avoid much trouble.

"You don't eat people because you hold reverence in your heart too?"

Song Chengan asked.

"Not really." The Black Bear shook his head.

"Actually, when I first gained spiritual intelligence, I wanted to eat people too."

"All us monsters eat people. We're born wanting to eat people."

"But later, I heard something First Boss Bai said. It made a lot of sense, so I stopped eating people."

"After that, I never ate them again."

"What did he say?" Song Chengan was somewhat curious.

The Black Bear said, "The greatest cultivation in this world is restraining greed."

"Whether human or monster."

"I thought it made sense. From then on, I treated restraining myself as my cultivation."

"Do not kill in anger, do not take from greed, do not eat people out of desire..."

"This Old Bear can't put it into words, but it means restraining yourself, holding back, and thinking more whenever something happens."

Song Chengan froze for a moment.

The greatest cultivation in this world was restraining greed?

It was self-restraint, holding oneself back?

After a long while, a smile appeared on Song Chengan's face.

He looked at the Black Bear. "By the way, do you have a name?"

"A name?"

"I don't."

"They all call me Bear."

"How about I give you a name?"

"What do you think of Bear Overlord?"

"The ba in domineering?"

"Bear Overlord?"

"Bear Overlord."

"Bear Overlord!"

"This Old Bear has a name!"

"This Old Bear has a name!"

"Bear Overlord, hehe!"

The Black Bear danced with joy.