Beastmaster of the Ages

Everyone, welcome to 2021!  2020 has been an absolutely horrid year for many people on many levels, and I think many (most? all?) of us are glad to leave it behind.  With that said, I wanted to give everyone a preview for some of the things that are coming up in the coming few months for Wuxiaworld.

Front-End Site Redesign - This one has been a long time coming!  Historically, we've focused more on incremental changes and feature build-out rather than overhauling the site itself, but for quite a few months now...

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Tianming had been practicing Sky Shatter in front of the Trivita Pugilist’s tomb for less than three hours when Shenxiao Mountain was enveloped in brilliant rays. Crimson flames and black thunder were born almost at the same time. The flames raged, lighting flickered, and thunder roared. This heralded Ying Huo and Meow Meow’s successful evolutions after refining their celestial manna.

Although it wasn’t considered a real evolution, it signified real growth and a way to break their bloodline bindings, as well as unearthing the extraordinary abilities that truly belonged to Primordial Chaos Beasts. The raging flames and roaring thunder were so terrible that Tianming could feel their transformations despite being separated by several mountains. 

It almost seemed as if two primordial wildbeasts lay dormant. Such violent, powerful auras belonging to Primordial Chaos Beasts had merely raised its head and set all beasts below fourth-order saint beasts to trembling.

Tianming was overjoyed. Celestial manna was already the best that the Grand-Orient Sect had to offer. He temporarily paused his cultivation of Trivita Fiendfist and left Li Wudi to return to Shenxiao Mountain.

Upon setting foot on the mountain, Tianming finally caught a glimpse of their new appearances. Meow Meow, whose size and appearance remained quite the same, was still cute, temperamental, and silly. The only change was that its pink paws had turned blood-red. On its four legs, twenty Venomfiend Bloodclaws gleamed with a bloodthirsty luster, sharp and thorny—completely incompatible with Meow Meow’s temperament. Without a doubt, the most obvious change was the forty-seven stars in its eyes, proving it was now a fourth-order saint beast.

"Even refining celestial manna and becoming saint beasts have failed to make you more domineering. I’m very disappointed in you two," Tianming sighed. He had expected at least some growth in size. After all, in the images Tianming had seen, Ying Huo was so massive it had once swallowed the sun. Yet with more than forty stars, Ying Huo was still the fresh, delectable little chick. It was embarrassed to see Tianming.

"What do you know? This just means Primordial Chaos Beasts are so terrifying that we’re beyond your imagination!" argued Ying Huo.

Ying Huo had a point. Celestial manna had such an insignificant effect on their growth. Besides, Tianming had seen the endless river of stars in its eyes, a testament to how fearsome the Aeternal Infernal Phoenix was.

Tianming picked up the little chick and carefully observed it, noticing that the fluff on its wings had turned into sharp, golden feathers that blazed with flames and surged with sword ki.

"Meow Meow's Venomfiend Bloodclaws are now as hard as ordinary saint beasts, and so are my Goldflame Featherblades. Our growth will prompt an increase in toughness so they can be used as weapons. They’re even harder than your sword," boasted the little chick.

"Let’s give it a go!”

Tianming drew Onyx Dragon, coming to clash with Ying Huo’s Goldflame Featherblade, the two sides locked in battle. The chick’s wings weren’t only hard and sharp, but also possessed Goldflame sword ki, which led to an increase in the lethality of Ying Huo’s Demise of Man-Earth-Heaven and Voidgod Sword Intent.

"Amazing!" Tianming acquiesced to the power of the Goldflame Featherblade, which had resulted in a rise to forty-nine stars. Who would believe that a lifebound beast was capable of cultivating battle arts to this degree? 

"Would you like a taste of my Venomfiend Bloodclaw?" gushed Meow Meow.

"Get off me. Don’t you dare climb on my shoulders again," warned Tianming.

It was no laughing matter. A strike from Ying Huo would result in a flesh and blood injury at most, but a scratch from Meow Meow meant blood poisoning that might lead to death.

"Trash."

"Wimp." With an arm around the other’s shoulder, the beasts smiled triumphantly.

"Meow Meow, I apologize for my brother’s cowardice ruining your fun."

"Chicken Bro, it’s fine. He won’t be the only coward who cowers under my claws."

Was this how a lifebound beast should behave? It was clearly rebellious.

"Stop showing off and start cultivating!" Tianming snapped.

He had many fine wines stored in his own spatial ring. Thus, he stood before Li Shenxiao's tomb. "First ancestor, descendent Tianming offers wine in gratitude for your blessings. Ancestor, my two lifebound beasts have evolved and broken numerous bloodline bindings. It’s time for us to cultivate together and enhance my physique. Please bless us with a momentous breakthrough to the next stage."

Tianming lit up Li Shenxiao’s tomb, allowing the eighty-one saintly heavenly patterns to shine once more. 

"Li Shenxiao’s tomb gathers the spiritual energy of heaven and earth for me, while my lifebound beasts are supported by the Prime Tower in my lifebound space. Now that they’ve broken more of their bloodline bindings, there’s no better time than the present. Based on this premise, I should also be able to transform."

Tianming stuffed the two beasts back into his lifebound space. Every moment before the Realm Wars was a race against time.

"When Yuwen Shengcheng’s lifebound beast evolved from an eight-star to a second-order saint beast, its bloodline was upgraded. During symbiotic cultivation, that all contributed to his breakthrough. However, Ying Huo and Meow Meow evolved directly from eight-star lifebound beasts to fourth-order saint beasts."

What earth-shaking changes had taken place in the Aeternal Infernal Phoenix and Genesis Chaos Thunderfiend? What would happen when those changes were transferred to him? 

Tianming was eager to find out. "Let’s begin!"

The three became one in symbiotic cultivation. It seemed almost like Tianming's first symbiotic cultivation with Ying Huo. At the time, its beast veins were like dragons, compared to Tianming's measly earthworms. At this moment, its infernalsource resembled a lake, while Tianming’s mirrored a small pond. Not only had its infernalsource expanded, but even its physique, talent, strength, and beast veins had surpassed Tianming by several times. This was the breaking of bloodline bindings prompted by the celestial manna. 

Although Ying Huo and Meow Meow’s exteriors had hardly changed, their internal changes were mind-blowing. Even Meow Meow’s lightningsource had expanded to the size of countless Genesis Chaos Thunderfiends.

The infinite power of their bloodlines, as well as their other physical qualities infused Tianming. The process was equivalent to creating another Primordial Chaos Beast, a result of the integration between symbiotic cultivation and the Primordial Chaos Beasts becoming lifebound beasts. The significance of symbiotic cultivation was exhibited at this moment.

Tianming wasn’t plundering their bloodline, but inheriting and sharing. It was equivalent to duplicating both the Aeternal Infernal and Genesis Chaos physiques and perfectly integrating them in his own body. During this process, his flesh and blood rapidly grew. Tianming now resembled a dual-type thunder and fire Primordial Chaos Beast. The metamorphosis of his flesh alone was enough to place him far above his peers.

The sheer resilience he now possessed would be of great benefit in combat. But this was merely external; the true change was reflected internally. His beast veins grew several times thicker, so circulating beast ki became incomparably effortless, and his two enormous spiritsources expanded tremendously, allowing him to gather immeasurable spiritual energy. 

"My spiritsource is almost equivalent to fifty or sixty times the size of others. Even the super nexus in my unity field has reached a similar scale. Although Ying Huo and Meow Meow have slightly over forty stars, in fact, their bloodline abilities are comparable to fifth-, or even sixth-order saint beasts."

Consequently, the amount of beast ki Tianming could gather was infinite in comparison to beastmasters of the same stage, not to mention the quality. Any disadvantage in beast ki could be offset, or at least greatly compensated.

In the middle of such a momentous event, Tianming simultaneously activated the Aeternal Infernal Codex and Genesis Chaos Codex while accepting the power of the Primordial Chaos Beasts’ bloodlines. Together with Ying Huo and Meow Meow, he gathered the spiritual energy from both the saintly heavenly patterns on Li Shenxiao’s tomb and the Prime Tower at a speed several times faster than before.

The newly expanded infernalsource and lightningsource happened to be empty at this moment. But with the passage of time, when the beast ki filled both infernalsource and lightningsource to the limit, a change occurred.

"Sixth-level Unity!"

Black and crimson beast ki surged. The two kinds of beast ki were terrifying in nature, and had only grown more majestic and imposing with his advancement. 

If Yuwen Shengcheng could make a breakthrough by seizing the opportunity, Tianming’s breakthrough after a life and death battle seemed inevitable by comparison. 

Having just broken more of their bloodline bindings, Ying Huo and Meow Meow had a thorough understanding of their own cultivation techniques. This time, with the help of Li Shenxiao's tomb and the Prime Tower, they were on a roll, completing the process in just one day.

"This was my fastest breakthrough!" Tianming exclaimed. "After all, it was only two days ago that I broke through to fifth-level Unity in the Prime Tower.”

Two days! Tianming’s speed would most likely break records in the Flameyellow Continent that had stood since ancient times. After all, this was Unity, not the Beast Vein stage. 

"However, my growth was substantiated by the successful severing of bloodline bindings, as well as the miraculous effect of Li Shenxiao's tomb and the Prime Tower. A breakthrough like this is an unexpected fortune. Their evolution into fourth-order saint beasts, as well as my talents, means comprehensive improvement. In fact, the combination of the Primordial Chaos Beast and decabane physiques embodies a terrifying existence. But with the enhancement of the Aeternal Infernal and Genesis Chaos physiques, my talent has grown once more. The potential brought about by the power of bloodlines is more extensive than any growth from my bane-rings, cultivation techniques, or advancement in stages.”

Tianming recognized what he had to do to advance through the next few levels of Unity. It was only a matter of time until he reached the peak of Unity. Many people might expect him to slow down, but the power of bloodlines helped him gain further momentum. As long as they continue evolving and breaking their bloodline bindings, his potential would be limitless!

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