The black heavenly pattern barrier Bai Zijin had brought out provided Tianming with a most stable cultivation environment. He began contemplating the third stage of Shenxiao Sword Art. It was now time for Meow Meow’s nap, and due to its constant coaxing and cajoling, Tianming let it out.
With innocent, wide open blue eyes, Meow Meow raised its pink paws as it bounced up and down and walked toward Bai Zijin curiously. It cocked its head to the side and blinked its cute eyes. Such means of "capturing" mounts was a tried and tested method.
Bai Zijian merely glanced at it.
"Meow." Meow Meow opened its tiny mouth. Its pink nose looked extremely adorable.
"Go away," glared Bai Zijin.
"Meow?" Surprisingly, Meow Meow’s cute act missed the mark today.
"Go away." Bai Zijin turned to Tianming and said, "Where's your little chick? Let it out so I can play with it."
Meow Meow felt like it had been struck by lightning.
In the midst of cultivating the sword, such a sentence almost shocked Tianming into being possessed by his demons. It took him a considerable amount of time to respond to the fact she was referring to Ying Huo.
"You have quite a unique taste!" remarked Tianming.
He tossed Ying Huo to Bai Zijin. In that instant, Ying Huo thought he was dreaming.
"Dammit, the tables have turned," cried Meow Meow.
……
"Olympos Imperius. Pyros Imperius. Fulguros Imperius."
Tianming repeatedly practiced the three moves within the black heavenly pattern barrier.
"Rather than integrating the first and second stage of Shenxiao Sword Art, I think it’s better to reintegrate the three moves. Like three legs of a tripod, I must find a balance point. Olympos Imperius is the bottom, while Pyros and Fulguros Imperius are on top, forming an inverted triangle."
The stability of the earth, the eternal burning of flame, and the explosion of lightning was combined into one move. From Lan Huang’s Mountainstream Will, Tianming grasped the meaning of Olympos Imperius.
Three moves in one!
At that moment, three different kinds of Heavenly Will, on top of Tianming’s Imperial Will, converged in the Grand-Orient Sword and he unleashed an attack. The flames, lightning and Olympos Imperius formed a chaotic sword ki that resulted in a lethal wave. He had finally mastered the third stage of Shenxiao Sword Art.
“Well done.” Bai Zijin raised both of Ying Huo’s wings in applause.
Ying Huo looked weak and dreary. After Bai Zijin had played with him for three days, it was truly drained. It had gone from the excitement on the first day, to numbness, and now exhaustion. Every time it would try to escape, Bai Zijin would catch it and continue playing with it. Now, what Ying Huo wanted to say most was, "Meow Meow, you can have this superb mount."
"Tianming, you’re still in Heavenly Will, yet you’re able to cultivate a saintly battle art; the Shenxiao Sword Art at that. Your talent is better than I imagined. From my observation, you would’ve been Divine Capital’s top genius if you’d grown up here!" Bai Zijin had received yet another surprise.
"Top genius?"
Just three days ago, he had defeated the Qin brothers. Eighteen- or nineteen-year-olds at ninth-level Heavenly Will far exceeded the standards of the Grand-Orient and Earthorigin Realms.
"What cultivation level were those at my age?" asked Tianming.
"How old are you?"
"I’m fourteen this year," Tianming shamelessly replied.
"Bullshit. You look at least eighteen!"
"Haha,” laughed Tianming. Despite that, he thought to himself, That means I look young!
"When you arrive at the Decimo Dao Palace five months from now, you’ll be able to see what level a true genius is on. It’s definitely beyond your imagination. In the past forty years, the Ancient Qilin Clan has given birth to many highly talented children, but unfortunately, they’ve been affected by the Lifetime Curse, which has inhibited their cultivation. But in any case, they’re stronger than you are now."
This was Bai Zijin's conclusion upon seeing him defeat the three Qin brothers. In the Ancient Qilin Clan, there were quite a few youths of seventeen or eighteen who had reached the Saint stage. This was something people of the Grand-Orient Realm could never imagine. Back in the Realm Wars, one would be considered an elysian child at ninth-level Unity.
"I can't remain a frog in a well."
Upon recalling Exalted Mo Yu’s words, Tianming felt annoyed.
"Within the Infernal Soul Purgatory are many peers who are stronger than you. Try to catch up, young man," said Bai Zijin.
"No problem."
"By the way, Big Sister Bai, you said the Infernal Soul Purgatory is huge, and there’s wildbeasts around the volcano. Are there any demon beasts?" asked Tianming.
"Yes. There’s quite a few underground regions around the Infernal Soul volcano that are within the Infernal Soul Purgatory. These underground areas have bottomless pits leading to the Abyssal Battlefield, and their numbers are in the hundreds. Therefore, many wildbeasts live in the Infernal Soul Purgatory. It’s impossible to stop them, or kill them all," replied Bai Zijin.
"I see." Tianming nodded.
"In the past, the Infernal Soul Race used a method of making special sounds that could lure wildbeasts to attack the Infernal Soul Barrier. At the time, the Ancient Qilin Clan had to send a large number of troops to stop the beast wave. However, the situation’s been much better in recent years, and the Infernal Soul Race hasn’t made a sound," added Bai Zijin.
"There’s been no movement over the past few years?" Tianming recalled the images he had seen two days ago. He thought to himself, Can it have something to do with the Soul Sacrifice?
"Yes, why do you ask about wildbeasts?" Bai Zijin wondered.
"I’d like to take three or four days to look for wildbeasts so that I can practice my swordsmanship. At the same time, perhaps I can add spiritsource abilities to my lifebound beasts," said Tianming.
"As you wish. It's boring here, anyway. Let's go."
"Big Sister Bai." Tianming looked straight at her.
"What is it?"
"Return the little chick to me. It’s suffering." Tianming pointed to Ying Huo.
"Useless thing." Glancing at the little chick, Bai Zijin tossed it back to Tianming.
Ying Huo was finally relieved.
"I’m never touching another mount again." Back in the lifebound space, Ying Huo collapsed.
"Chicken Bro, summon up your courage. Start all over again and make a comeback." Meow Meow patted it on the shoulder, laughing mischievously.
With the black heavenly pattern barrier temporarily put away, Tianming realized that those who were cursing at him had finally left.
"Let’s go."
Bai Zijin led the way as they traveled across the Infernal Soul Barrier, attracting the attention of many.
"Where are they going?"
"I don't know."
"Let’s catch up!"
"Aren’t you afraid of being beaten?"
"I can't beat them, but others can. If it weren’t for our previous lack of numbers, how would he have the chance to be this arrogant? If he wasn’t a coward, why would he choose to hide himself?"
In a short time, a group of Ancient Qilin Clan youths followed them.
"They just won’t stop. It’s so annoying."
Irritated, Bai Zijin pulled Tianming close and sped up. At the time, their clothes rustled in the howling wind. Bai Zijin’s long dress fluttered in the sky, her sweet-smelling, long hair waving in Tianming's face. At the speed of the Saint stage, they soon lost the Ancient Qilin Clan disciples.
In front of them was a barren underground mountain. It was very dark, so they couldn’t see far. The complicated terrain was made up of red-hot rocks on the ground, piled up into mountains.
"Most that come from the Abyssal Battlefield are ordinary wildbeasts, there aren’t many first-order demon beasts. I’ll help you look for them." Bai Zijin scanned the vast, complex underground space ahead.
"Thank you."
"It’s no trouble."
Tianming followed the white figure at full speed. Bai Zijian acted so efficiently that it was a comfort to him.
"First-order demon beasts will be a little easier to deal with than a first-level Earth Saint."
Bai Zijin was right—there weren’t many demon beasts in the Infernal Soul Purgatory. Half an hour later, they arrived at an area far away from the Infernal Soul Volcano.
"If we keep walking farther in this direction, we’ll have left the Infernal Soul Purgatory. However, there’s more wildbeasts in this area."
In such a desolate place, he could attack at will.
"Look, there’s a first-order demon beast, an Electric Hellwolf."
In the serene valley ahead, where Bai Zijin was pointing, were countless blue-colored electric snakes twisted around the subterranean trees. A gigantic wolf was hunting amidst the surging lightning; however, the vast valley provided many hiding spots for the wolf.
"You’re only at ninth-level Heavenly Will. Do you really wish to fight this demon beast?" asked Bai Zijin.
"I’m at sixth-level Heavenly Will," confessed Tianming, though he was well aware she would never believe him.
"You little bastard, are you trying to fool me? You’ve got quite some courage!" Bai Zijin rolled her eyes.
She believed that no one could overcome a gap of so many levels to defeat their opponent. However, as a triple Primordial Chaos Beastmaster with the help of the Grand-Orient Sword and a Sky Saint battle art, Tianming could achieve such feats.
"The beast soul of a demon beast is a Saintbeast War-Soul! A war-soul that’s refined on the spot is better than one that’s been inherited after thousands of years."
He stared at the first-order demon beast, moving forward quietly. With their tiny bodies, Ying Huo and Meow Meow approached their prey, one on the left and the other on the right. As for the noisy Lan Huang, its contribution would be left until the last moment.
As Tianming gradually closed in, he noticed that the wolf was hunting several eight-star wildbeasts, Tricolor Elks. Covered in steely fur, the Electric Hellwolf was fierce and powerful, wrapped in electric rays, and its blood-red eyes were filled with ferocity. The demon beast seemed to lack intelligence and appeared no different from ordinary beasts.
"The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind." Tianming drew the Grand-Orient Sword in pursuit of the wolf.
While Ying Huo advanced from the left, Meow Meow flashed into the dark forest. Amidst black electric snakes, the black cat with its blood-red claws quietly approached its prey.
"Now!"
Using spiritual communication, Tianming and the two lifebound beasts acted the moment the wolf began its hunt.