Chapter 36: The Formation of the Beast Soul
Chapter 36: The Formation of the Beast Soul
Black Cliff bore scars from thunder and lightning strikes, its surroundings barren and lifeless—not a single plant grew there.
Without The Source Pearl, Cheng Lingyu would never have suspected spiritual herbs could exist in this place.
The proximity to the Circular Chasm meant constant danger—any carelessness might alert the monsters within.
Cheng Lingyu approached cautiously but found nothing at first glance. The stark cliff face revealed no spiritual herbs, not even a blade of grass.
Puzzled, he retrieved The Source Pearl again and discovered the herb hidden within the stone wall itself.
After thorough searching, he located a narrow cave entrance just wide enough for a person to squeeze through.
Inside the cliff lay a natural cave. Upon entering, Cheng Lingyu immediately spotted the spiritual herb—a thunder-patterned plant crackling with electricity. The Thunder Grass had two leaves, each marked with lightning patterns that sparked and sizzled between them.
Beside the herb lay two Colossal Snakes—one Green Snake, one White Snake—coiled together in sleep, their scale armor glinting as they radiated powerful energy.
Cheng Lingyu’s arrival startled the snakes awake. They untangled swiftly, launching attacks.
Cursing, Cheng Lingyu dodged and weaved through the cave without retaliating.
The Green Snake blocked the exit while the White Snake opened its cavernous maw, inching toward him.
Cheng Lingyu’s sharp gaze pierced through the snakes’ bodies, revealing the beast pills they’d formed—a sign of their terrifying strength.
As the White Snake’s gaping mouth loomed closer, Cheng Lingyu shifted position carefully.
Without warning, the White Snake struck. Its stinking maw and icy fangs lunged to devour him whole.
A cold smirk crossed Cheng Lingyu’s face. His body snapped taut like a drawn bowstring—then he sprang forward, walking right into the trap.
The transparent curved blade flashed in his hand as he plunged into the snake’s mouth. A swift wrist twist sent blade energy shredding through entrails, drawing agonized shrieks from the White Snake.
The fatal strike came too fast for the serpent to react. By the time it understood, Cheng Lingyu had already reached its belly, seized the beast pill, and swallowed it.
Soaked in snake blood, Cheng Lingyu absorbed the Essence through both blade and skin, hastening the White Snake’s death.
Enraged, the Green Snake coiled around its dying mate, crushing inward to squash Cheng Lingyu.
Though the Green Snake’s constricting power was immense, its efforts came too late.
Feeling the immense pressure, Cheng Lingyu slashed outward with his blade. A crimson arc tore through both snakes, nearly cutting the Green Snake in half.
He then burrowed into the Green Snake’s body, blade whirling as he destroyed organs, pushing it toward a Desperate Situation.
The thrashing Green Snake battered itself against cave walls, shaking Cheng Lingyu violently.
Gritting his teeth, he swallowed its beast pill and absorbed the blood’s essence until, after one incense stick’s worth of time, the Green Snake finally stilled.
Cheng Lingyu emerged blood-drenched, storing the Thunder Grass in his Spirit Cloak Ring before commencing cultivation.
Two hours later, he awoke to roaring true essence within him—its surging currents sounded like crashing waves.
“Success! I’ve reached True Martial, Third Level – Wave Stage.”
His true essence reserve had reached fifty percent—still early in the Wave Stage, but progress nonetheless.
He flew from the cave and returned to Qu Wei and Jin Miaoyi.
“That bloodstained look tells me you’ve profited again.”
Qu Wei teased.
Jin Miaoyi stated, “Not only has he progressed, but he’s also reached the True Martial, Third Level – Wave Stage.”
Cheng Lingyu laughed, “All thanks to the beast pills.”
Qu Wei gasped, “Your advancement speed’s insane! We’ve been on Green Island less than a month, yet you’ve jumped from Nine Levels of Mortal Martial Arts to True Martial, Third Level. It’s unbelievable!”
Jin Miaoyi warned, “Rapid advancement can backfire. Your foundation must stay solid even if other aspects lag.”
Cheng Lingyu nodded, “I’ll remember. Let’s eat before nightfall.”
The trio gathered around a fire, roasting meat while monitoring Soul-Luring Forest and the Circular Chasm.
“After True Martial Realm comes Soul Martial Realm, where cultivators merge with martial souls—usually Beast Souls. Green Island swarms with monsters, but do Beast Souls exist here?”
Qu Wei snapped at Cheng Lingyu’s question, “Stop daydreaming! You’re still crawling yet eyeing sprints!”
Jin Miaoyi interjected, “Don’t scold him. He clearly isn’t familiar with these basics. While monsters abound here, Beast Souls remain scarce.”
“Why?” Cheng Lingyu pressed.
“Beast Souls form uniquely, unlike plant souls. Though cultivators prefer merging Beast Souls for combat power during Soul Martial Realm, most end up with plant souls instead.”
Cheng Lingyu blinked. “Plant souls?”
Qu Wei lectured, “All things cultivate. Humans reign supreme, beasts follow, then plants. Minerals struggle most. Beast Souls emerge when monsters refine their monster cores into soul power to evolve into spirit beasts—but failure’s common. Fewer than thirty percent of monsters develop cores. Of those, only ten percent dare attempt evolution. Survival rates post-failure dip below fifty percent. Thus Beast Souls number merely one-third of plant souls.”
Jin Miaoyi added, “Plant souls aren’t weak. They offer defense, detection, soul-stealing, formation-building, and unique attacks.”
Cheng Lingyu frowned. “Do monsters without refined cores stagnate?”
Qu Wei answered, “Beasts progress from wild to ferocious to monster—that’s the threshold. Beyond monsterhood lie two paths: refine cores into supernatural powers to become Monster Kings, or gamble cores to leap through Dragon Gate into spirit beasts. Few succeed—it’s either ascension or regression.”
Cheng Lingyu murmured, “So that’s how spirit beasts originate.”
Jin Miaoyi corrected, “Two types exist: original spirit beasts and weaker half-spirit beasts. Qu Wei described the latter.”
“Original spirit beasts are born, not made?”
Qu Wei clarified, “Spirit beasts inherit bloodlines. A half-spirit beast mating with true spirit beast bears spirit beast offspring. Mating with monsters yields hybrids with partial spirit traits.”
“If Beast Souls are rare, why so many Soul Martial cultivators?”
Jin Miaoyi chuckled, “Humanity’s two genders versus countless beast species and plant varieties. Total soul numbers stay vast.”
Cheng Lingyu rubbed his neck. “Forgot that detail.”
Night brought chaos to Soul-Luring Forest—monster roars mingling with cultivator screams.
A strange light erupted from the forest, drawing Qu Wei and Jin Miaoyi’s gaze.
“Look! Divine light—the treasure rumors were true!”
Cheng Lingyu glimpsed purple radiance coiling above the forest like glowing clouds, its dim glow suggesting immaturity.
Throughout ferocious beast region, cultivators swarmed toward the forest. Monsters in Circular Chasm ambushed them, sparking nocturnal bloodshed.
“Let’s investigate.”
Cheng Lingyu soared toward the chasm, flanked by Qu Wei and Jin Miaoyi. They discovered titanic beasts—some hundreds of feet long—spewing divine light amid thunderclaps, their combat strength terrifying.
Ordinary cultivators neared only to be devoured, bones pulverized instantly.
Cheng Lingyu scanned for the mountain-hidden monster core’s chasm entrance when movement caught his eye—a young man in white clothing rode five-colored clouds, golden sword shadow overhead unleashing devastating sword energy.
A Giant Bird dove, iron claws ripping air with cyan streaks.
The youth smirked. His golden sword trembled, releasing dragon-like roar and blinding golden light that bisected the bird midair.
Another Giant Bird shrieked, charging madly while firing sword-like beams.
Unfazed, the youth’s sword unleashed golden light that split sky and shook earth.
The unstoppable strike vaporized a hundred-foot bird into bloody mist, obliterating its core.
Cheng Lingyu gaped. This youth—barely twenty—wielded unimaginable power.