"Aaaaaah!"
With a bang, the spirit beans exploded in the Black Bear Monster's mouth. As black smoke poured from his mouth and nostrils, his composure blew up as well.
"Aaaah!"
He glared furiously at Elder Mo, Lin Jing, and the Pineleaf Squirrel, who stood frozen like a wooden chicken.
This...
Lin Jing and the Pineleaf Squirrel were utterly horrified. Those tempting spirit beans actually exploded the moment they entered one's mouth?
Thank goodness they hadn't eaten any themselves!
"I knew it. I kept feeling something strange about those spirit beans' spiritual energy fluctuations. They've actually become 'fierce plants'!" Elder Mo exclaimed. Spirit Plants contained abundant nutrients, while fierce plants offered little nourishment and were extremely dangerous.
Beans that exploded were clearly fierce plants...
"I'm mad enough to burst! You thought they were fierce plants and still made me eat them!!!" the Black Bear Monster raged.
"What does a demon beast with a formed demon core have to fear from spirit beans made by a Qi Refining Pineleaf Squirrel? If you failed to notice, that only proves you weren't vigilant enough!" Elder Mo snorted.
The Black Bear Monster ground his teeth, yet could find no way to argue back. He felt he was still too naive.
"All right, you can go back to sleep now." Paying his pet beast no further attention, Elder Mo put the Black Bear Monster away, then looked at Lin Jing and the Pineleaf Squirrel as though admiring rare treasures.
"It doesn't improve quality, but changes properties instead. Excellent, excellent. It may not be a top-tier divine ability, but it's certainly no slouch!"
"The Glazed Immortal Eyes don't count as a top-tier divine ability?" Lin Jing thought the Glazed Immortal Eyes were already incredibly powerful.
"You're underestimating treasure beasts far too much." Elder Mo laughed heartily. "The divine abilities spirit beasts awaken when they mutate into treasure beasts may well be inherited from immortals in the Immortal Realm. Compared with this trick of turning stone into gold, plenty of treasure beasts possess even stronger divine abilities."
"The Ancient Emperor's clan, for instance, has a treasure beast called the Boundary-Breaking Bird, which can help cultivators break through the limits of their cultivation realms. Under its blessing, an exceptionally gifted ancient prince of the imperial clan not only reached the unprecedented thirteenth layer of the Qi Refinement Realm, but even cultivated a second and third physique in the Foundation Establishment Realm, possessing three special cultivation physiques in a single body."
"The Spirit Dao Sect also has a treasure beast called the Enlightenment Fish. The fact that so many of its cultivators can cultivate spell spirits owes a great deal to that fish."
"Besides those, the Heavenly Secrets Tower... the Lotus Merchant Association..." Elder Mo listed many treasure beasts he knew of, all of them held by top-tier powers.
Of course, the powerful treasure beasts were extraordinarily powerful, while the ordinary ones were quite ordinary. Elder Mo also mentioned treasure beasts that had awakened only bizarre divine abilities and thus found their way into ancient records. One rabbit spirit, for example, had awakened the Hundred-Fragrance Divine Ability, allowing it to emit over a hundred immortal fragrances. Before long, however, an old Spirit Transformation monster caught and ate it, preparing it in all sorts of ways. History called it the Hundred-Fragrance Rabbit, the finest delicacy of all time.
"In short, treasure beasts with heaven-defying powers possess divine abilities capable of affecting high-level cultivators even while they themselves are still weak. By comparison, neither its spirit beans nor its Red Flying Leaf has gone beyond the scope of Qi Refining. Even so, they're already quite good. We mustn't be too greedy," Elder Mo said.
"Yes." Lin Jing chuckled. "Elder Mo, could we sell the resources it synthesizes within the sect to earn some spirit stones?"
As he spoke, he explained the effects of the golden spirit rice.
After listening, Elder Mo shook his head. "I wouldn't advise it. Compared with ordinary spirit rice, that golden spirit rice you mentioned is remarkable, but it isn't irreplaceable."
"Among first- and second-grade pills... there are pills that aid digestion. Beast Taming Sect disciples can buy them with sect contribution points. Likewise, although those exploding spirit beans are particularly good at luring others into a trap, they can essentially be replaced with offensive talismans."
"Using the Glazed Immortal Eyes presumably takes quite a toll on it. Rather than selling resources, I'd recommend keeping what it synthesizes for your own use! That saves you the trouble of exchanging for resources through the sect, which indirectly amounts to earning spirit stones."
"Putting your mind on earning spirit stones will inevitably affect your focus on cultivation. Rest assured, I'll raise your disciple benefits again starting today. I won't leave you worrying too much about resources."
"Thank you, Elder Mo." Lin Jing's defining virtue was taking good advice.
"Just concentrate on improving your cultivation," Elder Mo said. "Besides, you have a longevity body, so there's no need to be too impatient. Along the way, learn more things and read more books. That will serve you better when you venture into the cultivation world in the future."
Lin Jing nodded. Suddenly, something occurred to him, and he asked, "Elder Mo, didn't you leave this time to investigate the Corpse Yin Sect? How did it go?"
"There were no results," Elder Mo said. "However, the Corpse Yin Sect probably has no time to concern itself with you right now."
"I learned from a friend serving in the Demon-Slaying Bureau that the Heavenly Origin Grand Gathering is approaching. Prodigies from the major sects are heading out to gain experience, and the Demon-Slaying Bureau and the top-tier sects will intensify their crackdown on the Corpse Yin Sect. They'll barely have time to hide."
"Oh, right. Do you know about the Heavenly Origin Grand Gathering?"
"No..." Lin Jing shook his head.
"The Heavenly Origin Grand Gathering is a grand event in the Heavenly Origin Ancient Kingdom, held once every sixty years. Cultivation sects and lineages from all nine domains of the kingdom participate, and the Ancient Emperor attends in person."
"During the gathering, prodigies from the various cultivation sects compete in magical combat. Powers that perform outstandingly receive the favor of the True Dragon of Fortune, increasing their sect's fortune."
"The sect master has been away recently because he's taken several of our true disciples to the Ancient Domain to gain experience in preparation for next year's Heavenly Origin Grand Gathering."
"Of course, our Beast Taming Sect has always played a supporting role at such gatherings. Top-tier immortal sects like the Spirit Dao Sect and the Heavenly Sword Sect are the main players. But even so... we must contend for our place! If we don't contend, why cultivate immortality?"
Elder Mo said, "When I was young, I participated in the Heavenly Origin Grand Gathering too. Unfortunately, compared with those true prodigies, my performance was utterly unremarkable. I could only serve as a backdrop. Back then, I made a great vow: one day, I would make the name of our Beast Taming Sect resound throughout Heavenly Origin!"
"As I grew old, I realized that my own talent would make that goal difficult to achieve. So, once I had no hope of forming a Nascent Soul, I retreated behind the scenes and began nurturing disciples, hoping to raise more outstanding juniors for the sect."
"Are you curious why the Pineleaf Squirrel mutated into a treasure beast?"
"When you joined the sect, I didn't tell you that anyone with a special cultivation physique has a tiny chance of causing their pet beast to mutate by forming a bloodline contract with it!"
"Because of that information, I applied to the sect master for a large amount of resources specifically to seek out promising seedlings with special cultivation physiques and recruit them into the Beast Taming Sect. Unfortunately, from attribute spirit bodies to a primordial yang body like Ouyang Hao's, none of the six disciples with special cultivation physiques managed to make their pet beasts mutate!"
"But you... with your longevity body, along with the Pineleaf Squirrel, are the first and only case among the disciples I've recruited to finally produce a mutated pet beast!" Elder Mo laughed heartily. "Now, when the sect master returns, I'll finally have something to show him."
"This Heavenly Origin Grand Gathering may be out of reach, but at the next one, even if your Longevity Body Cultivation is slow, with a treasure beast's help, you'll surely be one of the main players. You must contend with those immortal sect prodigies and spread the might of our Beast Taming Sect."
"For now... isn't the Rising Dragon Festival coming up? I find the Pineleaf Squirrel's Red Flying Leaf quite extraordinary. Start by giving a good performance at the festival. Show your talents as fully as possible. The sect has its rules. Only then will it regard you as the future of the Beast Taming Sect and spare no effort in nurturing you."
"Stop trying to fleece those few scraps of wool from sect missions. If you can take first place at the Rising Dragon Festival, there will be resources, and there will be Storage Bags too."
Before you continue