In Thunder Mist Ravine.
After Shen Shihuang swallowed Protector Jin, he immediately sat down cross-legged and began circulating the Ten Thousand Year Technique.
Advancing the Ten Thousand Year Technique required a soul body, which was completely different from advancing the Taisui Flame.
Seeing Shen Shihuang swallow Protector Jin, Zi Yan's big eyes widened in shock. "He actually... ate him?"
But.
The moment Zi Yan approached Shen Shihuang, the Thunder Origin Beast went from docile to ferocious. It stared fixedly at her, while lightning crackled around the horn on its head.
It seemed that the instant Zi Yan came any closer to Shen Shihuang, it would strike her with a bolt of lightning.
Seeing the Thunder Origin Beast act like this, Zi Yan pouted. If it had been any other magical beast, how would it dare behave like that in front of her?
Origin Beasts were completely unaffected by bloodlines.
They were born from a certain source of power and were not constrained by the bloodlines of the continent.
They could only be described as terrifying.
They were also exceedingly mysterious. In fact, no Origin Beast had been born in tens of millions of years.
"That guy sure is lucky!"
Watching the Thunder Origin Beast, Zi Yan sighed helplessly. Origin Beasts were like them: some were powerful, while others were weak. There was no need to wonder what kind had emerged from the Thunder Origin—it was certainly among the powerful.
Was there any force of nature in the world more powerful than thunder?
Of course, there was the power of heaven and earth.
When those two forces formed the perfect combination, there was a chance an Origin Beast could be born.
After Shen Shihuang swallowed Protector Jin's soul body, the cultivation pathways inside him widened visibly. If the flow of Dou Qi had once been a brook, it had now become a river.
His Dou Qi surged through him, making Shen Shihuang feel as though his strength had doubled.
"With Dou Qi circulating at this speed and intensity, if I use the Dragon Subduing Seal again, I'll probably be able to form the seal in an instant." His cultivation technique had advanced rapidly. Once Protector Jin's soul had completely merged into the Ten Thousand Year Technique—
The technique, which had originally been Early Earth Tier, had now become Middle Earth Tier.
Though it had only advanced by one level, a Middle Earth Tier technique was more than enough for Shen Shihuang to use at present.
About an hour later.
Shen Shihuang slowly opened his eyes. His cultivation level had not changed at all, but his strength had grown considerably.
Whoosh!
He breathed out a mouthful of stale air, looked around, then fixed his gaze on a mountain peak and punched toward it.
"Tyrant's Fury!"
Rumble!
Shen Shihuang blasted half the mountain peak apart, sending rocks tumbling down.
"So that's where this guy was hiding."
Two fragrant white plants fell into Shen Shihuang's hands.
"Moonlight Spirit Heart Grass?"
Seeing the moon-white plants in Shen Shihuang's hand, Zi Yan's eyes lit up with delight.
Shen Shihuang carefully examined the two Moonlight Spirit Heart Grass plants in his hands. The soul energy they contained gave even him a start.
"No wonder it's a treasure that can increase a magical beast's intelligence."
The soul energy was so potent that Shen Shihuang felt tempted to take one himself.
There were far too few ways to strengthen one's soul.
Now that he had such a medicinal herb, if not for the question of cost-effectiveness, Shen Shihuang really would have taken it himself.
He looked at the Thunder Origin Beast.
Without hesitation, Shen Shihuang held one of the plants to its mouth. "Go ahead and eat it."
The Thunder Origin Beast.
It had been born while he was absorbing the power of thunder. Unlike other magical beasts, this Thunder Origin Beast had come into being because of him. In a sense, he had brought about its birth.
Their bond.
It was closer than any other kind of relationship.
He could even tell the Thunder Origin Beast to self-destruct, and it wouldn't hesitate.
The Thunder Origin Beast sniffed the Moonlight Spirit Heart Grass, then looked up at Shen Shihuang with its big eyes. It nudged his hand with its head, pushing the plant toward him.
As if to say:
You eat it.
Shen Shihuang smiled at this, stroked the Thunder Origin Beast's big head, and said gently, "You'll benefit more from eating it."
"Go on."
Seeing Shen Shihuang insist, the Thunder Origin Beast gave a series of "hng, hng, hng" sounds. The lightning around its horn grew increasingly intense, as if it were about to strike.
Wow!
The Thunder Origin Beast opened its mouth wide and swallowed the Moonlight Spirit Heart Grass. Nothing changed right away, but Shen Shihuang knew that within three days, the herb's effects would be fully realized.
By then.
The Thunder Origin Beast's strength would likely increase by quite a bit.
"Zi Yan, this one's yours."
Shen Shihuang pushed the remaining Moonlight Spirit Heart Grass toward Zi Yan. It floated through the air and stopped in front of her.
Zi Yan caught the herb and swallowed it in two bites without even chewing.
"It tastes pretty good."
"Much better than other medicinal herbs."
Zi Yan closed her eyes and savored the "delicacy" as she spoke.
Shen Shihuang: "...!"
An Ancient Void Dragon was an Ancient Void Dragon.
In such a tiny body, she dared to swallow any medicinal herb whole.
Simply terrifying!
"Hng!" "Hng!" "Hng!"
The Thunder Origin Beast seemed to want to speak, but something was stopping it from opening its mouth.
"It's all right. Once you've finished digesting it, you might be able to talk." Shen Shihuang stroked its big head as he spoke.
"Hng!"
"Hng!"
The Thunder Origin Beast gave two more huffs, then tossed its head and sent Shen Shihuang right onto its back. Shen Shihuang looked at it and said, "How about I give you a name?"
Hearing that, Zi Yan hurried over.
She said excitedly, "Let me name it! From now on, we'll call it Big White. Look, its whole body is covered in white fur. Isn't that a perfect fit?"
Big White?
Shen Shihuang's eyes brightened. The name was simple and suited the Thunder Origin Beast's appearance. He was just about to nod when the Thunder Origin Beast began huffing again.
It seemed it wasn't very happy with the name Big White.
Shen Shihuang thought for a moment. "Whenever you gather lightning, you make that huffing sound. Since you don't like the name Big White, I'll call you Heng General from now on."
"From now on, you'll be the great thunder general who guards my side!"
This time.
The Thunder Origin Beast didn't huff. Instead, it nodded its big head, clearly very satisfied with the name.
Zi Yan saw this.
She pouted. "I still think Big White is better."
Shen Shihuang pulled Zi Yan onto Heng General's back and said with a smile, "It's fine. You can keep calling it Big White. It's just a name."
Zi Yan immediately smiled again.
She stroked Heng General's head.
"Big White."
Heng General: "Hng!"
Zi Yan: "Big White?"
Heng General: "Hng!"
Shen Shihuang patted Heng General and said, "It's all over. Let's head back."
Heng General turned around.
It cloud-skipped toward a certain direction. The clouds beneath its four hooves were tinged with lightning, and it raced through the sky in a flash of crackling sparks.
"Heng General, you're going the wrong way!"
Looking at the direction Heng General was flying, Shen Shihuang saw that it wasn't headed toward Jia Nan Academy at all.
He hurriedly reminded it.
However.
Heng General showed no intention of turning around. It let out a string of huffs...