Beast Sect (Combined 4.2k)

Huo Yuqing hesitated at the unfamiliar term, then shook her head. "Beast Sect...? I've never heard of it. What exactly is Beast Sect?"

The name Beast Sect sounded like the name of a sect. Huo Yuqing had heard of sects before when she lived at the Duke's Mansion.

On Douluo Continent, sects wielded tremendous influence, especially Soul Master sects with long histories. In a sense, the Duke's Mansion itself could be considered a major sect.

Beast Sect... it was probably a sect related to Soul Beasts.

When Beast Sect was mentioned, Wang Rui raised his brows in slight surprise and listened attentively.

Beast Sect was a sect Wang Rui had spent ten thousand years establishing, one where humans and Soul Beasts coexisted.

It was the Imperial Auspicious Beast's most important move for influencing human society, the most important window for communication between the Star Dou Great Forest and the outside world... and a pilot project for easing the conflict between humans and Soul Beasts.

It had indeed secured a certain standing in the human world.

Everything the outside world's human Soul Masters knew about Beast Sect had been selectively disclosed.

As for how Beast Sect appeared to be a human-founded sect while, in truth, it was backed by a whole host of Fierce Beasts and Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts... humans did not know that.

Wang Rui was now rather curious about how Beibei would evaluate Beast Sect.

"Beast Sect is an ancient sect that is both mysterious and highly unusual." Beibei smiled at Huo Yuqing. "It was founded around eight thousand years ago. By now, Beast Sect should be one of the foremost powers in the world."

"It's actually such an ancient sect!" Huo Yuqing blinked in surprise.

"Hmph, hmpf..." Tang Ya, the down-and-out Tang Sect leader, hummed sourly. She was no longer staring at the grilled fish. "I heard Beast Sect's inheritance is very broad. Any Soul Master who accepts Beast Sect's ideals can enter the sect to study. Of course its inheritance wouldn't die out over such a long period of time."

"Beast Sect has five affiliated cities." Tang Ya explained to Huo Yuqing, her tone carrying a touch of envy. "But sooner or later, I'll also..."

Tang Ya stopped herself in time. She still had the basic vigilance to know that the more she said, the more likely she was to make a mistake. Naturally, she would not reveal too much about herself to strangers she had just met and barely knew—even if they were only eleven- or twelve-year-old children.

Still, Tang Ya firmly believed that one day, she would develop the Tang Sect until it became even stronger than Beast Sect.

Beibei smiled at Tang Ya. The girl's eyes were filled with fighting spirit, her determination to restore the Tang Sect's legacy. That was precisely what he liked about Tang Ya—her refusal to admit defeat.

"However, most of the people living in those cities are ordinary citizens who accept Beast Sect's ideals." Beibei continued. "Very few direct disciples of Beast Sect travel the continent, and no one knows where Beast Sect's headquarters are located."

"Huh? Why?... Ah, your grilled fish is ready." Huo Yuqing hurriedly handed the bamboo skewer of grilled fish to Beibei.

The pheasants and rabbits Beibei had brought back took longer to cook. They were still sizzling over the flames, dripping grease.

"Wow! Finally! It smells so good, I've been dying for it!" Tang Ya snatched the grilled fish from Beibei's hand and took a huge bite.

"Careful, it's hot..." Beibei said it too late.

Tang Ya was already hopping around from the scalding fish in her mouth, hissing through her teeth. Even so, she could not bear to spit it out and forced herself to swallow it. Beibei could only shake his head with a smile.

"What are Beast Sect's ideals? Why do so few Beast Sect disciples appear on the continent?" Unable to suppress her curiosity any longer, Huo Yuqing asked.

"I don't know much about Beast Sect either, so I can only answer your second question." Beibei calmly tore off a piece of fish. His table manners were far more refined than Tang Ya's.

"I heard from the elders in my family that Beast Sect's cultivation method is exceptionally special. Beast Sect disciples can tame Soul Beasts. They cultivate alongside Soul Beasts, cultivate much faster than ordinary people, and can even learn the abilities of their Soul Beast companions. That is why Beast Sect disciples travel together with their Soul Beast companions..."

"They travel with Soul Beasts?" Huo Yuqing was somewhat surprised.

She thought about it. Tang Ya had believed Aunt Rat was her spare Soul Ring simply because Huo Yuqing traveled with her. She could not help sighing. "Wouldn't people set their sights on their companions' Soul Rings, then?"

"Of course." Beibei nodded. "But Beast Sect is extremely powerful, and the few Beast Sect disciples permitted to enter the world for training are generally strong enough to protect their companions... At least, I have never personally met anyone like that."

"You treated that brocade rat so well that I instinctively thought you were a Beast Sect disciple out training in the world." The young man smiled apologetically.

"I'd never even heard of Beast Sect before this." Huo Yuqing shook her head.

"It isn't taming. It's an equal contractual relationship where both sides benefit. Beast Sect disciples regard Soul Beasts as family and partners... If you ever truly encounter a Beast Sect disciple, don't say that carelessly. They care deeply about it." Wang Rui naturally took over the conversation, sounding as though he had nothing whatsoever to do with Beast Sect.

Then he handed the two rabbit legs he had set aside to Huo Yuqing. "Here. Eat something first, and take a little better care of yourself."

Huo Hang was probably the kind of guy from his previous life who, whenever a group went out for barbecue, fed everyone equally like some kind of adoptive father. Wang Rui reflected on that for a moment.

Huo Yuqing was somewhat hungry as well. She took the rabbit leg and nibbled at it delicately. After all, she did not have an iron mouth immune to heat. The grilled rabbit, which had cooled down somewhat, was just right for her.

Beibei looked at Wang Rui with some surprise. "Brother, you're quite knowledgeable."

The red-haired youth did not speak from the perspective of someone from Beast Sect, but there had to be an extremely powerful force behind him. Otherwise, he would not know such obscure secrets... Perhaps he was a talent from some reclusive family who had just entered the world?

"When you're traveling outside, you naturally have to be careful. You have to learn more. What if I offend someone's taboo and get beaten up in a sack? Where would I go to cry?" Wang Rui shrugged, lies slipping easily from his lips as he maintained his carefully crafted persona.

Though considering his true identity, his words seemed to carry a rather sarcastic undertone.

"As for Beast Sect's ideals..." Wang Rui considered how much he should reveal. "Beast Sect hopes humans and Soul Beasts can coexist in relative harmony."

"Legend has it that eight thousand years ago, a human infant was abandoned by his parents near the Star Dou Great Forest." Wang Rui began telling the widely circulated origin story of Beast Sect on Douluo Continent.

"That infant was raised by a female Moon Shadow Wolf whose cub had died young. Later, his martial soul awakened naturally. Whether by coincidence or because it changed after birth, his martial soul happened to be a Moon Shadow Wolf as well.

"Perhaps because he had always traveled with the wolf pack, that Soul Master developed a cultivation method suited to himself by observing them, and his cultivation progressed remarkably quickly. When advancing, he could even directly absorb the Soul Rings of the wolf pack's prey. Later, he learned many Soul Skills from the wolves that were not restricted to Soul Rings... As a result, his strength far surpassed that of other Soul Masters at the same level."

"Back then, people called him Wolf Pack Douluo." Beibei picked up the story. "I read in history books that Wolf Pack Douluo later became the wolf king of the pack. Although he returned to human society, every time he appeared, he would fight alongside the wolves. Perhaps because they had grown up together, his wolf pack was much more intelligent than Soul Beasts of similar cultivation. Back then, Wolf Pack Douluo even stopped a beast tide by himself."

Wang Rui nodded and continued, "Because of his own experiences, Wolf Pack Douluo believed humans and Soul Beasts could coexist peacefully. But as a human, his lifespan was far shorter than that of Soul Beasts, so he worried that after his death, the wolf pack would be harmed by human Soul Masters. Thus, in his later years, he established Beast Sect in the buffer zone at the edge of Star Dou, accepting disciples willing to coexist peacefully with Soul Beasts and teaching them his cultivation method. He also promised the three great empires that Beast Sect would resist beast tides and protect commoners from Soul Beasts."

"As Beast Sect grew stronger, more and more Soul Masters who shared its ideals joined. Beast Sect's headquarters were moved to an unknown location, while the city Wolf Pack Douluo built in those days became Moon Shadow City, one of Beast Sect's five affiliated cities."

"I've never heard of any vicious incident where Soul Beasts slaughtered villagers on the edge of Star Dou. As far as I know, Beast Sect indeed played a major role during the beast tide several hundred years ago. In the end, it was through Beast Sect's mediation that Star Dou Forest agreed to sign a peace treaty with humanity." Beibei spoke thoughtfully.

Everything Wang Rui had said was true. He had merely omitted the role that the Star Dou Fierce Beasts and he himself had played in driving the founding of Beast Sect.

"Beast Sect's goal is rather naive, though. Soul Masters need Soul Rings to break through their bottlenecks. How can humans and Soul Beasts truly coexist harmoniously? After all, Soul Masters need Soul Rings to advance." Tang Ya said without any concern for her image, her mouth stuffed with fish.

"Beast Sect won't stop Soul Masters from obtaining Soul Rings. They merely hope humans will not slaughter Soul Beasts indiscriminately or kill too many of them." Wang Rui shrugged.

Soul Beasts also devoured one another. Powerful Soul Beasts hunted weaker ones, while weaker Soul Beasts evolved powerful reproductive abilities to cope with predation.

A two-hundred-year-old top human Soul Master truly needed only nine Soul Rings. Yet a high-level Soul Beast living for two hundred years would devour far more Soul Beasts than that, including some with cultivation comparable to its own.

In truth, the Soul Beasts that raised their cultivation by devouring other Soul Beasts, then were branded evil by that God King surnamed Tang, had been truly wronged.

All Soul Beasts increased their cultivation through the energy in food. Some simply ate more and converted energy more efficiently, while others merely had more ordinary appetites.

That was why the number of Soul Beasts decreased as their cultivation rose.

Wolves ate sheep, and sheep ate grass.

This was the forest's inherent ecological cycle, and it gave Soul Beast cultivation a staggering pyramid-like distribution.

With the Imperial Auspicious Beast overseeing it, Soul Beasts in Star Dou Forest cultivated much faster. Overall, however, it remained a virtuous cycle.

So long as humans did not slaughter Soul Beasts wantonly for Soul Bones, hides, fur, blood, and flesh, or even use secret methods to exterminate entire species, the simple demand Soul Masters had for Soul Rings would remain within the forest's capacity for recovery and would not disrupt its ecological balance.

Ecological balance... both fragile and resilient. Never underestimate the power of life.

And now, the Star Dou Great Forest had been transformed by the Imperial Auspicious Beast into something as impenetrable as an iron barrel, with Fierce Beasts' eyes everywhere.

It was certainly impossible to completely prevent ordinary Soul Masters from obtaining Soul Rings... If ordinary Soul Masters truly could not leave Star Dou alive, then the three great empires would not be far from joining forces to attack the Star Dou Great Forest.

The forest could not withstand such damage.

But if anyone wanted to farm Soul Bones, or if a great power like the Body Sect wanted to acquire several Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Rings in one go...

Heh heh.

The most resolute faction of Fierce Beasts advocating war in the Star Dou Great Forest was already itching for a fight.

...But they could only control Star Dou.

Although Evil Demon Forest on the Sun Moon Continent and the Extreme North Ice Plain had also adopted the Imperial Auspicious Beast's model of supervision, those two Soul Beast gathering places lacked an Imperial Auspicious Beast. Their top-level strength was far inferior to Star Dou's, and Soul Beasts of the various races could not unite among themselves. Naturally, they could not effectively monitor humanity.

In the future, Wang Rui intended to promote Beast Sect's contract method, accelerating the cultivation of some Soul Beasts within the forest while using contracts to restrain humanity's excessive slaughter.

The contract he had researched actually used the Power of Destiny to facilitate the merging of the fortunes of humans and Soul Beasts who already shared an emotional bond, allowing both parties to advance and retreat together for mutual benefit. But only he himself could use it, and its conditions were extremely demanding, so it could not be widely promoted.

However, research into the contract method had currently reached a bottleneck. To make further improvements, he needed Electrolux to provide new ideas... Judging from the neighboring "Throne of Seal," the contract magic of the Holy Demon Continent had tremendous reference value.

Wang Rui knew absolutely nothing about magic from another world. During those ten thousand years, he had tried researching Soul Spirits out of boredom, but he could not even find the door... There was nothing to be done about that.

If the Soul Spirit technology from the original work could be completely mastered by the Soul Beast clan, it would undoubtedly be enormously beneficial to Soul Beasts.

But whether contracts or Soul Spirits, both were merely ways to temporarily ease the conflict between Soul Beasts and humans.

To completely resolve the problem of Soul Rings, they would have to proceed gradually and wait until Soul Beasts could break through the laws and become gods.

"Beast Sect has always been striving for harmonious coexistence between humans and Soul Beasts. As far as I know, Jade City, one of Beast Sect's five cities, once signed an agreement with other major powers on the continent not to slaughter Soul Beasts indiscriminately." Beibei said.

The party that had signed the agreement with Jade City was naturally Shrek City.

About three hundred years ago, Shrek Sea God Pavilion had sought aid from Jade Douluo, the lord of Jade City, which was how the agreement had been made. However, even Beibei did not know much about the details.

Huo Yuqing also began to feel a trace of longing for Beast Sect. It was not that she coveted Beast Sect's legendary cultivation method that could accelerate cultivation. The relatively innocent girl simply envied a sect where humans and Soul Beasts could coexist peacefully.

Perhaps in that sect, someone would respect Aunt Rat instead of merely seeing her as a disgusting old rat.

After she successfully avenged herself in the future, perhaps she could visit one of Beast Sect's affiliated cities.

But first, she had to obtain her first Soul Ring before she could think about anything else.

"Big Sister, your grilled chicken and rabbit are ready." Huo Yuqing removed the sticks skewering the pheasants and rabbits from the bonfire.

"So fragrant, so fragrant!" Tang Ya, who had just eaten three grilled fish, took the roasted meat and blissfully inhaled its aroma.

Huo Yuqing smiled. She walked over to the stream, washed her hands clean, then took out a water skin from her bundle and filled it.

"Big Brother Bei, Big Sister Tang Ya, I'll be leaving now." The girl slung her bundle over her back and bid them farewell with a smile. "I'm very happy to have met you. I hope we meet again if fate allows."

Then she turned and waved to Wang Rui, but did not say much else. Huo Yuqing had a vague feeling that she would see Wang Rui again soon.

"Goodbye," Wang Rui said softly.

See you in half an hour, Wang Rui thought. He could already smell Sky Dream Ice Silkworm nearby.

Watching Huo Yuqing's departing figure, Tang Ya stared at Wang Rui in surprise. "Aren't you two together?"

"No." Wang Rui was a little speechless.

Forget it. It was not Tang Ya's fault for failing to notice. Carefree, thoughtless, and especially warmhearted—that was simply who she was.

"Then I'm leaving too." Wang Rui stood up and patted off dust that was not there. "You two take your time eating. Farewell, if fate allows."

This chapter explained a whole bunch of settings. It feels like there might be too much information, and it might be a little boring too. (┯_┯)

But I still had to throw out this relatively core Beast Sect setting!

After all, the protagonist has been in Douluo for over ten thousand years. He couldn't have done absolutely nothing, right?

When I was outlining this, I considered starting directly with the process of establishing Beast Sect bit by bit. But after thinking it over, I figured everyone might prefer getting to the Unrivaled Tang Sect storyline faster, so it ended up like this.

Some of the process behind Beast Sect's founding and similar things will be inserted into flashbacks where important!

Oh, and there's also the issue of Soul Beast cultivation. In my setting, Soul Beast cultivation does not necessarily mean they have lived for the corresponding amount of time! Personally, I think even Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts themselves would not know whether they had truly lived for a hundred thousand years—try counting from one to one hundred thousand yourself; even humans would have trouble counting it clearly, let alone Soul Beasts. ()

Soul Beast cultivation speed probably depends on race and talent.

Finally, please leave comments and recommendations!

Swaying Eel loves you!