Transported through the Bottomless Pit, the siblings arrived at the Abyssal Battlefield. Thunder boomed as countless lightning bolts snaked in the sky above. Dark clouds hung overhead, creating a depressing atmosphere.
The Abyssal Battlefield was the reverse side of the Flameyellow continent, and had violent spiritual energy in the Grand-Orient Mountains on this end. Only wildbeasts that had existed here for many years could absorb the berserk spiritual energy.
Such rich spiritual energy of heaven and earth gave birth to extremely ferocious wildbeasts, as well as spirit ores and herbs with superior heavenly patterns.
The Grand-Orient Sect was located in the south of Grand-Orient Mountains. In fact, it was closer to Vermillion Bird than Heaven’s Elysium. Surrounding the towering Grand-Orient Mountains were thousands of miles of barren hills. As such, looking out from the Abyssal Battlefield, the mountains seemed like dark giants overlooking the earth, looming into the sky as far as the eye can see.
Such a world was obviously suited for these wildbeasts.
Tianming and Qingyu walked out of the Hall of Hunters built on Azure Immortal Mountain.
Every Bottomless Pit was built with a Hall of Hunters, with Grand-Orient guardians defending against wildbeasts that might cross the Bottomless Pit into the sect. Several Grand-Orient guardians of the Hall of Hunters were stationed here, while others intensively patrolled the four major domains.
They didn't interfere in disputes between disciples, or in field cultivation. However, in the case of formidable wildbeasts, they would deal with them. Rumor had it that a quarter of the Grand-Orient guardians were stationed in the Abyssal Battlefield. At their cultivation levels, adapting to the spiritual energy of the Abyssal Battlefield posed less of a challenge.
The four major domains were the Bladeriver Domain, Skyhang Domain, Desolate Domain, and Grandpeace Domain—all located in the vicinity of the Grand-Orient Sect. Since the borders were guarded by the Grand-Orient guardians, the four major domains were relatively safe and suitable for cultivation.
But across from those four domains, the world contained horrors and terrifying beast tides that no ordinary disciple could imagine. All disciples in the sect, even the prime disciple, had been warned against crossing the boundaries of the four major domains. Otherwise, their lives would be at stake. The secrets of the Abyssal Battlefield were mysteries incomprehensible to mere mortals.
"Qingyu, can I have your sister-in-law back?" said Tianming as soon as they had left the Hall of Hunters and entered the forests of Grandpeace Domain.
"Ling’er hasn’t said anything about being my sister-in-law. You’re clearly taking advantage of her,” Qingyu retorted.
Feiling left Qingyu’s body and returned to Tianming's side. Her spirit converged before him, the extraordinary light orbs a sight to behold. Only Tianming could be permanently attached to her spirit.
"Big Brother, we were just talking about Qingyu’s birthday. What should we do about her engagement?" fretted Feiling.
Upon further contemplation, Tianming said, "Don't worry, Qingyu. They can't take you away."
"Do you have a solution?" asked Qingyu.
"Not yet, but I’m determined," he replied. Although his words sounded like mindless bragging, the girls knew Tianming’s determination was worth more than a solution.
"Big Brother, my mindset has changed recently. I can’t thank you enough. You’ve made me like you, fearless and unyielding. So I’m not afraid of this engagement. Worse comes to worst, I’ll fight, even if it means losing my life,” she declared.
"I’m glad you think of it that way." Tianming nodded. "There’s only one way to solve everything in this world, and that’s power!"
That was Tianming's principle. Instead of racking his brains, he might as well gain so much power that no one can control him, until all living beings had to crawl before him.
"Ling’er, you’re up next," said Tianming. What he required now was profound manna. The Li Saint Clan were penniless, and manna from the Grand Hall was exorbitantly expensive. His only option was to try his luck in the Abyssal Battlefield. However, with Feiling by his side, Tianming wasn’t taking an unpredictable gamble.
"Sure thing!"
Thus, the three of them formally entered the Grandpeace Domain, wandering among the mountains. Upon hearing their goal, the little chick excitedly sped up.
The other two lifebound beasts, Meow Meow and Shuo Yue, were resting in their lifebound spaces. Shuo Yue’s cold, aloof character formed a sharp contrast with Ying Huo.
"Sister Qingyu, what’s Yueyue’s favorite food? Earthworms? What about fish? What?! She’s a fish? But isn’t she a kun? Oh, kun are also fish.” The noisy little chicken hung on Qingyu's shoulder and rambled on, drawing a wide grin from the girl. For a moment, thoughts about her engagement had completely faded.
They soon came upon a wildbeast!
There were numerous wildbeasts in the Grandpeace Domain, all six-star and below; those above six stars had all been intercepted by the Grand-Orient guardians. Even so, six-star wildbeasts were rare compared to five-star beasts.
During the Abyssal Trials, the wildbeasts living within the Lake Of Islands were four star, and the only five-star wildbeast was still a larva. Right now, mature fifth-star wildbeasts ran amok in the forests of the Grandpeace Domain.
In the Abyssal Battlefield, roars of wildbeasts pierced the air. Then came the sound of their galloping footsteps.
Tianming personally witnessed dozens of five-star Miasma Wolves running across the canyon, tearing an elephant wildbeast to pieces and devouring it.
Aside from manna, Tianming wanted to find suitable beast souls for both Ying Huo and Meow Meow. At the sight of a fire- or lightning-type wildbeast, Tianming would commence battle as long as its strength was within a tolerable range. With the help of Qingyu, whose strength matched his own, slaying five-star wildbeasts was a breeze.
But after slaughtering more than twenty wildbeasts, Tianming realized stumbling upon the Jade-Scale Flaming Eagle had been pure luck. It would be a challenge for the little chick to break its bloodline fetters and awaken its abilities with these beast souls.
As for Meow Meow, with the threat of the Lifesbane, it vowed to mend its ways, buckle down, practice hard, and never sleep again. And after taking that oath, it had been asleep until now…. Sure enough, the lazy were unafraid of death.
The three of them shared life and death, and Tianming knew that time was running out. Therefore, as the beastmaster, the task of survival fell to him. He was searching for manna in hopes of allowing Ying Huo and Meow Meow to break their bloodline fetters so they could live longer.
They trekked along the foot of a volcano. The surface was burning hot, with magma coursing under the cracks. Right then, Tianming noticed a five-star wildbeast within the magma!
The wildbeast rolling in the magma was covered in scarlet spikes—a flame hedgehog.
But this was no ordinary hedgehog; it was called the Magma Inferno Demon, and fed on magma and possessed strong vitality, as well as lethality. With its ability, Infernostorm, countless blazing steel-like needles would be projected from its body, resembling a dense rain of fire.
Thus, Tianming decided to take it down with the aid of Feiling and the little chick. Meanwhile, Qingyu stood guard a short distance away. To seize the beast soul, the beastmaster must engage in solitary battle. Otherwise, the defeated beast would be unwilling, and its soul impossible to conquer.
For the first time, Tianming used the Infernal field, since most of the Magma Inferno Demon’s attacks were fire-type. For those immune to fire, their lethality was limited, at best.
After exchanging several blows, Tianming successfully slew the wildbeast and handed it to the little chick. In one gulp, the little chick swallowed the beast soul, then returned to the lifebound space and began refining it.
Tianming and the girls quickly left the area. A battle had just transpired; who knew if the wildbeast had other companions?
"Big Brother, your lifebound beast isn’t one-star, is it? Why does it only possess one humongous nexus that’s almost eight times as large as an ordinary nexus?" wondered Qingyu.
"Is that strange?" said Tianming.
"Not really. It’s probably a variation of the nexus, and occasionally happens to others. When two nexuses are close to each other, they form one large nexus. However, that kind of integration rarely occurs," explained Qingyu.
"Well, as long as it’s not out of the ordinary."
"Don’t worry about that. On the path of cultivation, there’s plenty of things that develop that are out of the ordinary. Integration of the nexus isn’t a big deal, as long as you have power."
As the words fell from Qingyu’s lips, the little chick in Tianming’s lifebound space exclaimed, "Tianming, it worked! The fetters of the bloodline have been broken. I’ll gain a new ability soon!" The little chick’s desire for power was comparable to Tianming’s. Like a freak, it practiced sword techniques using its wings everyday.
"A new ability?" Tianming expressed anticipation. After all, the little chick’s Infernal Blaze and Infernal Armor were mighty. Even the Magma Inferno Demon’s Infernostorm had failed to penetrate the chick’s Infernal Armor.
On the little chick’s Infernalsource was a blazing phoenix and fireball! At this moment, as the bloodlines come together, infinite power centered on a tiny point—a new ability was born!
It was an orb made up of innumerable blazing feathers, and despite its similar shape to the Infernal Armor, the brilliance of the blazing feathers showed a contrasting difference.
"Tianming, take a good look." The little chick rushed out of the lifebound space, with a brand-new ability that incited eagerness.
How powerful was the Aeternal Infernal Phoenix’s new ability?
The little chick flew into the sky and its tiny body suddenly burst into hot flames. In the blink of an eye, the feathers on its body had all burned up and turned into fur.
Its fur then turned into steel needles, each of them razor-sharp and fiery!