A First Encounter, the Giant Bear Clan's Designs!
The hall fell silent.
A few breaths later, an aged laugh rang out, "How dare you!"
Shi Jian stepped into the hall, his purple-gold vertical pupils sweeping across the room.
The main hall was extremely spacious, with several Nascent Spirit Transformation stage figures standing on each side; each aura was as solid as a mountain, and the three strongest among them had already reached the Late Spirit Transformation.
The one in the center was entirely gray-black, with yin and yang energies slowly flowing within its vertical pupils.
He was the ancestor of the Mysterious Bear Lineage, named Xuan Jian; he Late Spirit Transformation three Immortal Foundation below the [Lesser Yang] fruit level: [Yang Spring Yin], [Seek Chongming], and [Yang Siming].
It was he who spoke just now.
Xuan Jian stared at Shi Jian, a smirk playing on his lips. "Shi Jian, you're ruthless enough; this barrier around the palace gate was erected by all seven of us clans together."
"You shattered it with that palm strike, aren't you afraid of losing face?"
Shi Jian's expression remained unchanged. "Respect is earned, not given; Senior Xuan, are you planning to test your skills against me?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the purple-gold lightning seal between his brows suddenly shone brightly.
Boom!
A vast surge of Divine Sense erupted like a tide, coalescing in the void behind him; in just a few breaths, it transformed into a pale, giant bear phantom.
The giant bear was surrounded by purple-gold lightning arcs, and its vertical pupils were surging with lightning; its aura was as vast as the sea, causing the entire hall to hum.
Myriad Lightning Giant Bear!
This is a phantom manifestation of Shi Jian's Divine Sense, and also a concrete manifestation of the Daoist essence of his Purple Pivot Lightning Immortal Foundation.
The expressions of all the Nascent Spirit Transformation in the hall changed.
On the left, an old bear with an earthen-yellow body whispered, "Such a solid Divine Sense. This kid already had Spirit Transformation level divine soul when Nascent Soul stage. Now that he has broken through to the Spirit Transformation, he has probably reached the mid-stage."
On the right, a giant bear with a completely crimson body narrowed its eyes. "Dao of Lightning Immortal Foundation, extremely domineering; this kind of Dao power is far stronger than that of an ordinary Early Spirit Transformation."
"How long has it been? Has he already begun to condense his second Immortal Foundation?"
Xuan Jian remained silent, only staring at the phantom of the Myriad Lightning Giant Bear behind Shi Jian, the speed at which the Yin and Yang energies circulated in his vertical pupils suddenly increased.
"Good."
He stood up, and his aura suddenly exploded.
The next instant, two streams of energy, one black and one white, burst forth from his body, swirling and intertwining in the void behind him; in just a few breaths, they transformed into a gigantic yin-yang phantom.
The two fish, one yin and one yang, head to tail, slowly rotated; with each rotation, the void of the entire hall twisted a little more.
Dao Wei, at the Late Spirit Transformation, was even more powerful than Shi Jian.
"Come on, let this old man see just how skilled you really are with your Dao of Lightning."
Xuan Jian raised his hand and pointed.
The Yin-Yang fish suddenly accelerated, transforming into a black and white beam of light that charged straight at the Myriad Lightning Giant Bear behind Shi Jian, confronting it head-on.
Shi Jian snorted coldly and activated his Divine Sense at full power.
The Myriad Lightning Giant Bear roared to the sky, its body crackling with purple-gold lightning arcs; in the next instant, the giant bear raised its thunderous claw and slapped it at the attacking Yin-Yang Pisces.
Boom!
Two Divine Sense manifested and collided in the void within the hall, unleashing a deafening roar.
The purple-gold lightning intertwined with the yin and yang energies, transforming into a chaotic torrent; the torrent surged in mid-air, tearing cracks into the surrounding void.
Shi Jian's expression remained unchanged, his Divine Sense continuously surging forth, urging the Myriad Lightning Giant Bear to unleash its claws repeatedly.
Xuan Jian narrowed his vertical pupils, and the Yin-Yang fish also accelerated their rotation, the black and white energies like knives and swords, constantly cutting into the Thunder Bear.
Two Divine Sense clashed fiercely in the hall, one black, one white, and one purple-gold, illuminating the entire hall with flickering light.
The other Spirit Transformation inside the hall all took several steps back, not daring to approach that chaotic area.
Such a clash of Divine Sense could easily damage one's soul if not handled carefully; even though they were Spirit Transformation, they still had to be cautious in the face of these two.
The exchange lasted for several dozen breaths.
Xuan Jian suddenly stopped, and the Yin-Yang fish transformed into light and retreated back into his body.
Shi Jian also withdrew his Divine Sense, Myriad Lightning Giant Bear slowly dissipated.
The void within the hall returned to calm, leaving only the unhealed spatial cracks as proof of the intensity of the battle that had just taken place.
Xuan Jian stared at Shi Jian for a long time before grinning and laughing loudly, "Good lad, your Divine Sense is not much weaker than mine."
"In terms of the sheer power of your Dao, your Purple Pivot Lightning Immortal Foundation is even more domineering than my Lesser Yang Immortal Foundation."
He paused, then said, "However, your cultivation is still shallow, with only one Immortal Foundation; I, on the other hand, have three Immortal Foundation, which is why I am slightly stronger than you."
"If you cultivate a second Immortal Foundation in the future, you might be able to truly contend with me. You are indeed a formidable young man!"
Upon hearing this, the expressions of all the Nascent Spirit Transformation in the hall changed slightly.
Xuan Jian was implicitly acknowledging that Shi Jian's talent surpassed his own.
For an old monster in the Late Spirit Transformation to give such high praise to a junior who had just broken through in front of so many people of the same level, this was enough to make all the Demon Cultivator present take notice.
The old bear with earthen yellow skin stepped forward, its Earth Dao aura surging around it; it transformed into human form, revealing the appearance of Wan Shanling.
"Shi Jian, since you are my son-in-law, I will not fight you."
Shi Jian cupped his hands in greeting. "Father-in-law."
Shan Wanling nodded, then looked at the demons in the hall. "Gentlemen, this is my son-in-law; he has now broken through to the Spirit Transformation and cultivated the Purple Pivot Lightning Immortal Foundation."
"From now on, the Lightning Bear Line will be the eighth main lineage of my Giant Bear Clan; does anyone have any objections?"
The hall fell silent.
A moment later, the crimson giant bear on the right snorted coldly, "Shan Wanling, you speak so lightly; how can you decide the position of the main branch with just a few words?"
"Although the Lightning Bear Line has Spirit Transformation at its helm, its foundation is shallow, with only nine Nascent Soul Nascent Soul under its command; what makes it think it can stand on equal footing with the seven lineages of us?"
Before Shan Wanling could speak, Xuan Jian turned to the bear demon and said, "Chi Tie, if you're not convinced, you can try fighting Shi Jian."
"Anyway, I'm convinced."
Chi Tie's expression froze, a hint of apprehension flashing in his vertical pupils.
He had clearly seen the exchange just now; Shi Jian's Divine Sense strength was no weaker than that of Middle Spirit Transformation. If they were to actually fight, he might not be able to gain the upper hand.
"Hmph, I never said I wouldn't acknowledge it."
Chi Tie turned his head away and said no more.
The other Nascent Spirit Transformation in the hall exchanged glances and tacitly agreed.
Shi Jian's strength is undeniable; a direct confrontation would only be pointless. Moreover, this was something the Ancestor Egu himself approved—who would dare to truly oppose it?
Seeing this, Xuan Jian said loudly, "Since there are no objections, then this matter is settled."
"From this day forward, the Lightning Bear Line is the eighth main lineage of our Giant Bear Clan; enjoying all the rights and responsibilities of the main lineage."
He paused, then added, "Furthermore, the Ancestor Egu has given an order."
All the Spirit Transformation in the hall turned solemn.
"The Emperor has said that the lifespan of the Treasured Earth Dao Venerable of the Dao Realm is nearing its end; if our Beast Realm wishes to claim his position, all the Earth Dao prodigies of each race must comprehend the six types of Immortal Foundation beneath the Treasured Earth Dao Fruit."
"[Fertile and Moist Governance], [High Ramparts and Peace], [Earth Nurtures Spirit], [Mountain Returns Qi], [Vast and Broad Earth], [Ten-Thousand-Layered Edge]."
"The more people who comprehend these six types of Immortal Foundation, the faster the Treasured Earth Dao Venerable's essence will be lost; when he passes away, the Treasured Earth Dao Fruit will change, and our Beast Realm will surely plot against him."
Xuan Jian's gaze swept over the demons. "By order of the Ancestor Egu, each lineage must quickly select Earth Dao and nurture them with all the resources of their clan; this matter concerns the future of our clan and must not be neglected."
The Spirit Transformation in the hall responded in unison, "Yes, sir!"
Upon hearing this, Shi Jian Dao of Darkness to himself: This is the royal family's scheme—to devour the Dao Venerable's essence and forcibly seize a position.
That's really ruthless.
After Xuan Jian finished speaking, he looked at Shi Jian and said, "Shi Jian, although your Lightning Bear Line mainly cultivates the Dao of Lightning, if there are any people in the clan with talent in the Earth Dao, they should also be cultivated."
"This is for the benefit of our people; we must not slacken our efforts."
Shi Jian nodded. "This junior understands."
Xuan Jian smiled with satisfaction, "Alright, that's enough for today."
"Your Spirit Transformation Ceremony will be held in three days; at that time, all the Nascent Soul Golden Core cultivators from various sects will come to witness the ceremony; today is merely a small gathering of the sects to see you."
Go back and prepare yourself; do not lose your composure.
Shi Jian bowed and said, "Thank you all, seniors."
After saying this, he turned and walked out of the hall.
As soon as he stepped out of the palace gate, Xuan Jian's voice rang in his ears. "Boy, I have high hopes for you; if you can attain the Divine Firmament Dao Fruit in the future, don't forget this old fellow."
Shi Jian paused slightly, a slight smile curving his lips.
"Of course not."
He strode out of the main hall, a flash of purple-gold lightning around him, and then he transformed into light and headed towards Lightning Mountain.
Inside the hall, Shan Wanling watched Shi Jian's departing figure and muttered, "That kid is truly a ruthless character."
Xuan Jian stroked his chin. "Ruthless, yes, but he's ruthless enough; thirty years to Spirit Transformation stage, his Divine Sense rivals that of the mid-stage. Such talent is extremely rare, even in the entire Beast Realm."
"If he can really reach that point in the future..."
Xuan Jian didn't continue, but a hint of expectation flashed in his vertical pupils; [Blood Body], [Treasured Earth], [Divine Firmament], these three positions, any one of them would be of great value to his Giant Bear Clan.
Those will all be earth-shattering improvements!
The best option is to seek the [Blood Body], and then to seek the Dao of the Physical Body Dao Embryo; if successful, the royal family will be upgraded to a regional imperial family.
The Giant Bear Clan will become the supreme ruler of the Nine Realms, rising above all other races!
The best choice is to pursue [Divine Firmament]. If one succeeds in achieving Divine Firmament, one can continue [Profound Lightning]. If the Profound Lightning Beast Emperor is willing to support one, one can then seek the Dao of Lightning Dao Embryo.
The Giant Bear Clan is also a dominant force in the Nine Realms.
The worst choice is to plot against [the Treasured Earth] to help Peak Mountain Emperor Lord seize the fourth fruit position; if the Giant Bear Clan has a younger generation that can seek proof.
The Peak Mountain Clan will most likely have vacant positions, which the Peak Mountain Emperor Lord will naturally support; thus, the Giant Bear Clan is deeply bound to the Peak Mountain Clan.
They do not aspire to dominate the Nine Realms, but they can become one of the strongest royal families below the imperial family.
The future is also promising.