Chapter 738: Chapter 738
Shen Long had no intention of letting them fight alone, but rather formed groups to fight the enemy, opting for group beatings over one-on-one duels, and fully leveraging their collective strength.
The Thunder Manta and Shen Die had not yet grown to the fifth rank, and with the passage of time, the number of members in the Spirit Beast Corps would only increase.
Of course, cultivating a large number of high-rank Spirit Beasts required a lot of resources, but fortunately, Shen Long was capable of refining supreme elixirs, and the current pressure was not too great.
He and Chu Buyu had become dual cultivation partners, and with Chu Buyu’s skills in Artifact Refining and creating Puppet Beasts, she could help alleviate some of his burden.
The two Golden Flame Lions would also spar with Shen Peng, while the Red Fire Monkeys watched from afar, with Shen Lang providing commentary.
The Golden Flame Lion summoned its Dharma Nature, and Shen Peng summoned his as well.
The giant lion’s image roared to the heavens, emitting a red soundwave that rushed straight towards the opposite side.
At the same time, a multitude of red fireballs appeared in the void, more than a thousand, heading straight for Shen Peng.
"Did you see that? The giant lion image is the Dharma Nature of the Golden Flame Lion, and the Thunder Roc Image is Shen Peng’s Dharma Nature. You are currently at the fifth rank, and if you encounter an enemy able to summon a Dharma Nature, run as far as you can. If you can advance to the sixth rank, you will also be able to summon a Dharma Nature," Shen Lang explained.
"So, a Dharma Nature is just an enlarged version of oneself?" asked the Sea-Stepping Turtle curiously.
"Of course not. The Dharma Nature of cultivators is an enlarged version of themselves, but Monster Beasts are different. Generally speaking, Monster Beasts with ordinary bloodlines have Dharma Natures that are enlarged versions of themselves, and these Monster Beasts have ordinary Divine Skills. If they have a powerful bloodline and a high Purity of Bloodline, then the Dharma Nature is an ancestor,
Take the Sea-Stepping Turtle as an example, presently your Purity of Bloodline is five, and if you are evolving towards Xuanwu, then your Dharma Nature will be Xuanwu. Both are tortoises, but the Divine Skills of Xuanwu are much stronger than those of ordinary Monster Tortoises. By summoning the Xuanwu Dharma Nature, you can use some of the Divine Skills of Xuanwu, which is one of the benefits of having a powerful bloodline," Shen Lang said slowly.
"So, if it advances to the sixth rank, it will be able to summon the Xuanwu Dharma Nature?" the Red Fire Monkey inquired further.
"That’s not necessarily the case. It depends on whether its Purity of Bloodline can increase to six. If its Purity of Bloodline reaches six, then it is likely evolving towards Xuanwu. If not, then it is definitely not evolving towards Xuanwu,
It’s not essential to evolve towards a powerful bloodline either. You can also forge your own path. True Spirits are not always hereditary; ordinary Monster Beasts also have the chance to grow into True Spirits, it’s just that this path is extremely challenging. In fifty thousand years, there has been only one example in the Realm of the Spiritual Pivot," Shen Lang explained.
"Who is this example?" the Wind Thunder Centipede asked eagerly.
"The Golden Flood Dragon Beast. It didn’t inherit a powerful bloodline, and its Dharma Nature was itself. After advancing to the eighth rank, its Purity of Bloodline reached nine, and it became a True Spirit. It could withstand the Xuantian Treasure, with few rivals in the Realm of the Spiritual Pivot. It is said to have ascended to the Immortal Realm," Shen Lang patiently explained.
The Red Fire Monkey and the others had a solid foundation in basic cultivation knowledge and naturally knew the might of the Xuantian Treasure.
Most Mahayana Cultivators used Supreme Sky-reaching Spiritual Treasures, and only a few had Xuantian Treasures.
"Spirit Beasts with a high Purity of Bloodline have a higher chance of advancing to major realms, and their Divine Skills are also more powerful. This is one of the reasons why I helped you awaken your spiritual intelligence. However, how far you can go still depends on yourselves," Shen Lang said.
"We will work hard. I certainly don’t want to die at the fifth rank," the Red Fire Monkey declared.
The two Golden Flame Lions were no match for Shen Peng and were quickly defeated, the gap in strength was too wide.
"The Hall Master possesses extensive Divine Skills; we admire you," one Golden Flame Lion flattered.
"Yes! Even together, we are no match for the Hall Master, you are too powerful. Of course, there is still some gap between the Hall Master and Your Excellency," said the other Golden Flame Lion in agreement.
For the sake of convenient management, Shen Long brought together the Golden Flame Lions, Red Fire Monkeys, Sea-Stepping Turtles, and others, forming a Spirit Beast Hall, with Shen Peng as its head, and the Nine-Headed Ghost Pigeon, Iron Tail Scorpion, Four-Tailed Spirit Fox, and others as deputy heads.
As the number of spirit beasts increased, the Spirit Beast Hall was upgraded to a Spirit Beast Legion, with Shen Peng, the Nine-Headed Ghost Pigeon, and the Iron Tail Scorpion all taking on important positions. If the Golden Flame Lion, Red Fire Monkey, and Sea-Stepping Turtle could keep up, they would naturally be the backbone of the Spirit Beast Legion.
"Less flattery, you all made some mistakes just now. Go back and reflect on them. If you were fighting with other cultivators, you would have been killed by now,"
"Take them back to their respective nests!"
Shen Long instructed.
Shen Lang complied with a sound and took the Golden Flame Lion and the others away.
He was a clone of Shen Long and could come and go freely in the Myriad Beasts Tower.
Shen Long took out a green cloth bag, tossed it into the void, and injected a spell into it.
The green cloth bag emitted a beam of green rosy light, and two five-colored beetles flew out from it.
They had a pair of thin wings on their backs and a pair of exposed fangs. Both of the Five-Colored Worms were fifth rank, middle stage.
As soon as they appeared, they immediately flew towards the distance.
Shen Long formed a spell with his fingers, and a giant human-shaped phantom appeared in the void above his head, giving off an aura that dominated the eight desolations.
"All beasts bow to my command, heed my order, quell."
The human-shaped phantom spoke.
Upon these words, the two Five-Colored Worms fell from the sky and landed on the ground.
Shen Long fed each of them a Supreme Enlightening Pill; their bodies emanated a dazzling five-colored spiritual light.
After a short while, they spoke in a raw tone, "Master, please don’t kill us."
They had only just awakened their spiritual intelligence and didn’t know much at all.
"I have no intention of killing you, provided that you are obedient. If you’re not, then there’s no need to keep you,"
Shen Long said in a grave tone.
At this time, Shen Lang returned.
"These two Five-Colored Worms are now under your care for training. First arrange accommodations for them and feed them some fifth-rank minerals, then teach them the basic knowledge needed by cultivators,"
Shen Long instructed.
Shen Lang agreed and gathered the two Five-Colored Worms back into the green cloth bag.
Shen Long left the Myriad Beasts Tower and saw a Voice Transmission Paper Crane.
He injected a spell into it, the runes on the body of the Voice Transmission Paper Crane glowed brightly, and Sun Lin’s voice rang out, "Uncle Shen, Senior Ni has arrived and is currently in the Golden Roc Garden."
Shen Long stepped outside and upon reaching the outside, he saw Ni Tianting and Lin Yuyuan sitting in a green stone pavilion, with Sun Lin standing by the side.
"Taoist Friend Ni, Fairy Lin, you have finally arrived,"
Shen Long said with a smile on his face; he hadn’t expected Ni Tianting to agree to come to the Dual Cultivation Ceremony, especially since they had little acquaintance.
"It’s been many years, Taoist Friend Shen. Congratulations on advancing to the Refinement Void Phase and your joyful union with Fairy Chu. We’ve come to enjoy a cup of your celebratory wine,"
Ni Tianting’s tone was warm.
Ni Tianting had decided to participate in Shen Long’s Dual Cultivation Ceremony because of Shen Long’s good performance at his own ceremony, coupled with Shen Long’s identities as an Ascender and an Alchemist.
Of course, the main reason Ni Tianting came was because Yuling True Monarch personally approached the Divine Weapon Sect to ask for a marriage alliance.
It wasn’t long after the departure of Yuling True Monarch and two others when the descendants of the Ni Family visited the Divine Weapon Sect and learned of this matter, subsequently informing Ni Tianting.
Yuling True Monarch placing such importance on Shen Long had led Ni Tianting to hold Shen Long in higher regard as well.