Only spirit beasts and their descendants should have a spirit beast soul. A half-breed human cultivator born with a pure beast soul would be rare. Not completely beast nor human, a half-breed’s beast soul enjoyed benefits from both worlds, as they could also practice techniques belonging only to the spirit beast races. An ancient spirit beast soul was a blessing of ten lifetimes.
What were ancient beasts?
Powerful existences with pure and old bloodlines, capable of shaking the Heavens, each one of their lineages wielded great power. One could call them spirit beasts, beast race, or monster race, the latter a broader term referring to all kinds of non-human existences.
Spirit beasts could be ordinary such as those Ming Ren tamed in the woods, extraordinary beasts with special and rare abilities, or creatures with an ancient origin and bloodline. Some were born at the Body Tempering Realm, others inborn as immortal beasts, like Little Red.
An important point made Ming Ren frown as he searched his memories and knowledge, “That’s impossible! There has never been, even in the Upper Realms, a human cultivator with an inborn ancient spirit beast soul. It always appeared in clans with monster blood. So, half-breeds.”
“I am surprised you know. You must have found quite the artifact,” the veiled figure said.
“You have an inborn beast soul, that is an unmistakable truth. Not a single drop of monster blood, and yet, a beast soul. Besides…” The figure scanned him again, “…Your soul is unique. Not only human, nor beast. There’s something else in there, something not even I can understand.”
What? Not only a beast soul, not human, but something else? Ming Ren felt faint. Was this because of the Bright Scripture?
He shook the head, ‘No, that’s impossible. It only strengthened my soul because of what I experienced and learned, it couldn’t change it. Changing someone’s soul would be beyond the scripture, beyond anything that should exist in this world.’
“Senior, you said bloodlines? More than one?” The Bright Clan’s powerful bloodline laid dormant in his body. He experienced the true arts of the clan and their formidable power inside the scripture. After being expelled from their ancestral grounds, the bloodline power waned, almost disappearing. Aside from some other heaven-defying means, only at their ancestral grounds the bloodline of the Bright Clan could awaken. But what other bloodline did he have?
“Powerful ones of human ancestry. They lie dormant, yet it is but a simple task for me to inspect them,” one of the creature’s eyes behind the veil grew, becoming bloody red. Ming Ren felt naked in front of that power. Some dried blood in his clothes became liquid again and flew to the creature, “Interesting! Interesting! To think I would find the Bright Clan’s bloodline here!”
“Senior knows my clan?”
“How could I not? A dominant power back in my master’s era. Everyone heard of the Bright Clan,” the figure talked too much since it felt close to the youth.
“Perhaps senior know more of what happened to it?” The details of what happened were still unclear. Which powers attacked? Why? What exactly happened to the clan members? The Bright Scripture had no information since it came to the Lower Realms.
“No, back then I was still too weak. The Upper Realms are so vast. How would I know what happened to a specific clan, even if famous? All I heard was they were wiped out. Who would have thought their bloodline lived on here in this small world?” The figure suddenly felt nostalgic.
Ming Ren sighed. He was still so small and weak, not even able to find his clan members and parents. How could he think of the Upper Realms?
“As for that bloodline, even I can’t understand it in this dormant form. The other bloodline is quite special, but not an Upper Realm heritage.”
Ming Ren thought of something. His mother was from the Jade Clan of the River Province. The other bloodline would be from the Jade Clan.
“This bloodline is pure, without an attribute. It probably originated long ago from a human with the [Clear Body Physique]!” The veiled figure said.
‘Clear Body Physique!’ Ming Ren also knew it, a physique without a dominant attribute, compatible with everything under the Heavens. No matter what it came into contact with it would never cause a rejection. Mixing bloodlines, several true elements, and rare energies? Poison and medicine? Everything would be possible as long as one had the Clear Body Physique.
The figure laughed, “Hahahahaha, you truly are blessed, my friend. As long as you awaken your bloodlines you will stand at the summit of this world, maybe even the Upper Realms. With your unique soul, I can only say the Heavens should fear you!”
Ming Ren sensed deep sadness and envy as it mentioned the Heavens. The figure noticed it gave away much of his thoughts and regained composure, “An ancient spirit beast soul is powerful. I don’t even know from which ancient beast the soul came, but I feel as if it was my kin. I have been here alone for too long, it seems even I long for company.”
“Senior, why don’t you leave?” The formation didn’t trap it here but hid its presence. Going outside would be as easy as blinking an eye.
“I cannot leave. Now that I think of it, If I didn’t have that fit of rage you wouldn’t be here. I remembered some unpleasant matters a few decades ago and leashed out, damaging the formation from the inside. It even brought a few spirit beasts in. I suppose the same happened to you,” the veiled figure finished speaking and noticed something strange. The formation only opened briefly during the attack and nothing else came after. How did they come in? Did the formation reach the limit?
‘That damn brat, I called for him for a while now. Could it be he won’t come and fix it? Hmm? wait, it’s a longshot, but…’ Its eyes focused on Ming Ren, giving him a not so sweet sensation, “Could it be you somehow opened the formation outside?”
This youth was too mysterious.
“Oh! yes, I opened it, but only for a second. Senior, please rest assured no one else will come in. The formation got damaged but should last a few more decades with ease. As long as senior fixes it before then everything will be fine,” Ming Ren thought the figure worried about more unsolicited visitors.
Now the hundred-eyed veiled figured wanted to faint. You opened it, but only for a second? You even know how long it will last? Is fixing it that simple? When did formations become so simple? Are the youths of this era so formidable? Even though I once rampaged in the Upper Realms, I wouldn’t brag about being able to fix a formation of this rank.
“You… can fix it?” He didn’t believe he asked that to a cultivator of the Body Tempering Realm.
Ming Ren shook the head, “As I am now it would be impossible.”
The figure sighed in relief. Huh? as he was now?
“But as long as I lead, senior should be able to fix it with little trouble!” Ming Ren completed. The veiled figured staggered. A certain cultivator would die if he heard something like that.
The figure became quiet for a while, pondering about something. Maybe… this youth… Its many eyes shone with determination. He decided to gamble on him.
“I also came from the Upper Realms, but my master was born here,” the figure pointed with its eyes around the place, “You see this abundant spiritual energy? This is a phenomenon that appeared after my master reached sentience.”
Ming Ren listened full of curiosity.
“My master was a common oak tree who became aware of the world after a fateful encounter and absorbed the Qi of Heaven and Earth. From that small step, he reached the peak and went to the Upper Realms. Small and weak when I met him, I never thought of him as talented,” a faint smile appeared in its veiled face as it reminisced in the past.
“He kept going, cultivating against everything, and somehow surpassed me. Our clan became very large, my master known as the [Sacred Warrior Tree] of the Sacred Tree Clan. By that point, he already married several times, haha. But the Heavens feared him and struck him down with heavenly tribulation. If he broke through that era would definitely be his!”
Ming Ren sensed a mix of hatred and fear.
“How could our clan still stand proud without his might? Our allies deserted us, enemies attacked. Master irritated many powerful influences while searching for the apex back then. A strong one vowed to enslave his descendants forever.”
The surrounding air got heavier, killing intent spiking.
“We fought back! I murdered many, but they were too many. Our whole clan was enslaved. Master’s daughters and wives were taken. His talented sons chopped into firewood. I barely escaped with my life and spent the next thousand years in vengeance. I killed until hatred and blood tainted my heart,” the veiled figure wept.
“They finally banded together, hunted me. I could only retreat in defeat to this place. There’s a good chance they will find me the moment I leave this formation. Many years passed, but they would never forget me. Not after the ones I killed.”
Ming Ren sensed more sadness and regret. If he was stronger his master’s progeny and home would be safe. Were they still slaves? That once flourishing and strong clan, reduced to playthings and servants? Would the Heavens doom them forever? The youth wanted to say they had similar fates, but the Sacred Tree Clan’s fate was worse.
‘I couldn’t have hoped to save them and avenge my master before, but now…’ The creature wanted to gamble on this youth. Such heaven-defying monster talent could tear apart the Heavens and dominate an era. It didn’t matter if it took ten, one hundred, or a thousand years, he would wait even ten thousand years more. It decided, as a token of faith, to show its true form to the youth before asking anything. However, showing it directly would harm him.
With a flash, a creature appeared in Ming Ren’s mind…
Each of his eyes carried immense power, capable of destroying souls. A pure white giant stallion with one-hundred eyes and colossal sharp-looking wings. Its hooves were transparent like glass, and feathers covered the whole body. The tail flew as if it was the wind itself, and the mane made of living hair.
A mythical spirit beast, realm unknown. Hundred-eyed colossal pegasus!