Section 44: The Path of the Beast King, Austere Cultivation in the Mountains
Author: Gu Zhenren
2013-02-09
Section 45: Hatching a Demonic Beast Egg
Mountain winds swept by, bringing with them fresh air. The sky was high and clear, as pure as crystal. This peak, once filled with birdsong, was now tranquil and serene, having been cleared by Chu Yun’s Spirit Monsters.
Chu Yun’s upper body was bare, his waist wrapped only in a clean linen cloth. His feet were bare; broad-shouldered and thick-backed, his muscles bulged in simple, rock-like lines. Anyone present would have felt a wave of masculine energy wash over them.
Hatching a demonic beast egg was an intricate process. The first step was cleansing oneself, washing the body to remove any odors. However, hatching within an Immortal Pouch could bypass this step.
This was because the Immortal Pouch was filled with the Monster Tamer’s aura, pure and potent, ensuring the newborn demonic beast would imprint on its master’s scent.
The mysterious demonic beast egg contained its radiance, appearing like an ancient, oval-shaped stone covered in moss. Yet, upon closer inspection, a faint, aquamarine crystal glow emanated from its surface.
Chu Yun had already thoroughly cleaned the egg’s surface. It now lay quietly at the bottom of the Immortal Pouch, its form appearing even more round and pure.
Beneath the demonic beast egg was a pile of Tiangang Stone Coins, arranged to form a perfect and solid nest. Disha Stone Coins could also be used; the Sky Fox had hatched using them.
The type of stone coin used made no difference. The key was to ensure it could provide sufficient Vital Energy for the newborn demonic beast to establish its foundation and advance its cultivation.
The steps for hatching a demonic beast egg were: first, cleansing oneself; second, cleansing the egg; third, selecting a location; and fourth, building a nest. All these steps had been meticulously completed, and the arrangement was both delicate and sound. With the memories of his past life and the insights from the Ten Thousand Beasts King’s scroll, Chu Yun had performed these steps flawlessly.
The fifth step was blood sacrifice. Chu Yun took a mouthful of Jade Dew Water. This hatching material was as precious as pearl tears. He then bit his tongue, spitting a mouthful of heart’s blood into the Immortal Pouch, precisely onto the demonic beast egg.
The demonic beast egg immediately trembled. In an instant, its aquamarine crystal glow flickered and contracted; the entire process was so swift it was almost illusory.
Soon, the blood on the eggshell’s surface slowly vanished, absorbed into the egg.
Seeing that the time was right, Chu Yun slowly closed his eyes and entered a meditative state.
In this dark space, he first perceived his own Spirit. The Spirit resembled a large lantern, illuminating the surroundings with white light.
When he had hatched the Sky Fox, his Spirit had been merely a fist-sized ball of white light, its glow flickering unstably like a candle in the wind.
Now, his Spirit had expanded more than a hundredfold, like a grand lantern, its white radiance steady and peaceful, illuminating the surrounding darkness.
Within this Spirit, further changes were evident. On closer examination, it was not the pure milky white color it had been during the Sky Fox’s hatching.
Instead, dozens of phantoms existed within it, like watery bubbles.
Among these bubbles, seven figures were most prominent. A Riot Ape King sat in the center, beating its chest and roaring, its presence the most formidable. Surrounding it were the Cloudwing Tiger King, the Mo Tian Zi Jiu, the Fu Du Bi Hu, and the other six Tribulation Demons from the Endless Forest.
The illusory forms of these seven Tribulation Demons interconnected, occupying most of the space within Chu Yun’s Spirit.
The other, smaller half was dominated by the Sky Fox. Pure white, with its eight tails elegantly curled, it exuded a refined spirit. Beside it, specters of the Drunken Snow Saber, the Hurricane Bow, and others were gathered. While they couldn’t rival the Tribulation Demons, their formation was stable and held immense potential for growth.
Moreover, their illusory forms were more solid and distinct than those of the seven Tribulation Demons.
“The Sky Fox and the others signed a ‘Master-Servant Contract’ with me. The seven Tribulation Demons merely have an ‘Alliance Contract,’ which is not as profound as a ‘Master-Servant Contract,’ hence their forms are more ethereal.”
Chu Yun was not surprised by this. The Ten Thousand Beasts King’s scroll had provided detailed explanations.
Next, he channeled his Spirit, following an unseen thread, guided by the slight connection established during the blood sacrifice, and slowly drifted into the depths of the darkness.
Time seemed to cease in this space. After an unknown duration, Chu Yun first saw a faint light. As the distance shortened, the light grew larger and brighter, finally revealing its full form before Chu Yun’s eyes.
“Good, very good. This Spirit is already comparable to the Sky Fox’s Spirit back then,” Chu Yun rejoiced inwardly. The Spirit before him was abundant, comparable to the ancient Sky Fox egg.
Of course, the Sky Fox was now a Spirit Monster, its Spirit rapidly advancing with its cultivation. This present Spirit was not comparable.
However, this was enough to demonstrate the potential of this demonic beast egg.
“Supreme grade, truly a Supreme grade demonic beast. Its Spirit is abundant, placing it at the pinnacle of Supreme grade demonic beasts. Among demonic beasts, foxes, cats, snakes, and monkeys often possess highly spiritual natures. I wonder what kind of mysterious demonic beast this is?”
Chu Yun’s thoughts raced as he channeled his Spirit, slowly approaching the other.
He sent out a call with his Spirit, which initially seemed lost in the vastness. But Chu Yun was patient and persisted.
Finally, the Spirit before him trembled, as if awakening from slumber. It was full of spiritual essence and responded vaguely in its nascent state.
This connection grew stronger, like an invisible gravitational force, drawing the Spirit into Chu Yun’s own.
In an instant, as if a swallow returning to its nest or a weary bird to its roost, the small Spirit found its anchor.
The Master-Servant Contract was instantly forged. An extremely close connection resonated between their hearts.
“Emerge, I await you.” After issuing his first command, Chu Yun withdrew his consciousness and exited his meditative state.
With the successful completion of the sixth step, the spiritual call, the seventh and most crucial step of hatching arrived.
Breaking the Shell and Establishing Foundation
*Crackling…*
The egg began to shake more violently, and tiny cracks appeared on its surface. The cracks gradually widened, and finally, the shell shattered.
“What’s going on?” At this moment, Chu Yun’s eyes widened.
He saw the shell break but not the form of the awaited demonic beast. Yet, through the connection of his Spirit, he knew the newborn demonic beast was there.
At this moment, it was opening its bright, clear eyes, observing the unfamiliar World with curiosity and trepidation.
It “saw” Chu Yun nearby. Its heart settled, and a feeling of joy and contentment radiated from it.
“What demonic beast is this? It’s like an invisible Rainbow Demon; I can’t see it, but it can see me,” Chu Yun chuckled wryly, filled with astonishment.
This invisible demonic beast was clearly different from the invisible Rainbow Demon. The invisible Rainbow Demon was essentially a swirl of rainbow light, constantly shifting to blend with its surroundings, thus appearing invisible.
However, this newborn demonic beast was truly formless and insubstantial, reminding Chu Yun of the ancient Demon Soldier, the Heart-Intent Whip.
“It’s starting to absorb Vital Energy.” Chu Yun couldn’t see the specific process, but he could sense it through the Master-Servant Contract.
Vital Energy churned within the Immortal Pouch. After being transformed by the Tiangang Stone Coins, it formed a type of Vital Energy Chu Yun had never encountered before.
This Vital Energy was both familiar and alien, seemingly formless. The rapid consumption of the Tiangang Stone Coins startled Chu Yun.
“A mysterious demonic beast absorbs mysterious Vital Energy. And transforming this peculiar Vital Energy requires more Tiangang Stone Coins,” Chu Yun narrowed his eyes and immediately took out a large handful of Tiangang Stone Coins, throwing them into the Immortal Pouch.
One year of cultivation, two years, three years…
The newborn demonic beast’s cultivation surged at an astonishing rate. By the time it reached five years of cultivation, the value of the Tiangang Stone Coins consumed was equivalent to what the Sky Fox had used.
When it reached ten years of cultivation, the consumed stone coins were more than double that of the Sky Fox.
*Crack*
Suddenly, a clap of thunder exploded. Chu Yun felt a pressure in his heart. Clearly, the Lesser Demon Tribulation had arrived.
“What kind of demonic tribulation is this?” Chu Yun looked up at the sky, his eyes wide, momentarily stunned. The sky was crystal clear, without a cloud in sight, the sun shone brightly, and the day was fair.
“A peculiar demonic beast, even its demonic tribulation is so strange.” Chu Yun was greatly alarmed. He could feel the pressure of the demonic tribulation, but he couldn’t see it in the sky.
How could he defend against an unseen tribulation?
Before he could devise a plan, his body suddenly trembled. His heart felt as if it had plunged into a bottomless abyss, and he was instantly enveloped in a dream.
He returned to his past life.
His adoptive father’s death, his expulsion from Shu Island, his wandering life, struggling to survive… the buried pain, the unbearable past, all replayed.
At first, he could resist, but then the surrounding scenes flashed by like a revolving lantern, making him dizzy.
Various emotions flooded his heart. Pain, anger, sorrow, grief, despair…
“How could this be? A demonic beast’s tribulation feels like an attack from the Dream Conch Shell, full of illusions. Fortunately, these past few days, I’ve been cultivating rigorously in the mountains, following the path of the former Ten Thousand Beasts King. Experiencing nature, comprehending Heaven and Earth. No matter how many emotions arise, they cannot shake my heart.”
Chu Yun’s heart was like stone, his will like steel, his resolve unshakable, even if the heavens collapsed. Almost simultaneously, the space vibrated violently, and he returned to reality.
This demonic tribulation was exceptionally strange, arriving and departing swiftly.
From the mysterious demonic beast’s side, Chu Yun sensed emotions of joy and relief. It had clearly passed this tribulation as well.
“What demonic beast is this? I couldn’t identify the egg, and even after hatching, I can’t see through it.” Chu Yun was speechless. The legacy of the Ten Thousand Beasts King was profound and mysterious, far beyond his comprehension.
“Wait, it has already comprehended a Dao spell from birth.” Chu Yun’s expression suddenly changed; he had made a new discovery. “Spirit Communication? What kind of Dao spell is this?”
Just as he was about to delve deeper, a long laugh echoed from the mountain behind him.
“Heart Distortion Tribulation? Brat, what damnable luck did you stumble upon to obtain the Spirit Communication Snake, which went extinct in ancient times? Hehehe, present it to me, and I, Yu Shusheng, can offer you unimaginable wealth and glory.”
