Yu Ling Sect - Back Mountain, Thunder Pool Holy Land.
The massive body of the Seventh-Order True Spirit - Azure Thunder Beast of Purple Firmament bathed in the Thunder Pool, while above, the lightning gathered by the Thunder Prison Grand Formation continuously struck down like a blue waterfall.
Seeing Venerable Lei Hong leading Li Mu into the Thunder Pool Holy Land, the Seventh-Order True Spirit - Azure Thunder Beast of Purple Firmament quickly shrank its form, strode out of the Thunder Pool, and appeared before Li Mu.
“Little Friend Li, why do you have time to come see me?” the Seventh-Order True Spirit - Azure Thunder Beast of Purple Firmament asked excitedly, its pair of purple vertical eyes fixed on Li Mu.
“I came specifically to bid farewell to Senior, and while I’m here, I wanted to ask you a question about the True Spirit Thunder Tribulation – what are the precautions for Undergoing Tribulation, and how can one safely pass the True Spirit Tribulation?” Li Mu directly stated his purpose to the Purple Azure Thunder Beast.
“True Spirit Tribulation! Are you asking for that Fire Phoenix? Or that Twin-Horned Flood Dragon? The True Spirit Tribulation is not easy to overcome!” The Seventh-Order True Spirit - Azure Thunder Beast of Purple Firmament’s expression turned solemn, and it sighed with lingering fear.
During this rescue, the Seventh-Order True Spirit - Azure Thunder Beast of Purple Firmament unexpectedly discovered Li Mu’s Heavenly Talent in Spirit Control and became invested in his Spirit Beasts.
Venerable Lei Hong looked at Li Mu in surprise; only after hearing the Purple Azure Thunder Beast say this did he realize that ‘Li Jianxian’ also commanded two Spirit Beasts on the verge of Undergoing True Spirit Tribulation, meaning his Spirit Beast Foundation was even stronger than their Yu Ling Sect’s!
The Disciples of the Yu Ling Sect primarily focused on Spirit Beasts, and the Seventh-Order True Spirit - Azure Thunder Beast of Purple Firmament was the Sect's most powerful backing, having existed for thousands of years. Yet, Li Mu actually commanded two Spirit Beasts of such a Rank?
“The Fire Phoenix is still too early to undergo True Spirit Tribulation, and the Twin-Horned Flood Dragon has a powerful Bloodline and abundant Foundation, so I’m not worried about them Undergoing True Spirit Tribulation. The main concern is another Spirit Beast; it’s a Spiritual Plant that gained sentience, but its Spiritual Consciousness has been sealed for too long, and its Foundation is damaged. If it attempts the True Spirit Tribulation, I fear it might perish under the Lightning Tribulation,” Li Mu explained, his Face showing a grave expression.
“I know a bit about Spirit Beasts as well. If you don’t mind, summon your Spirit Beasts, and I’ll take a look,” Venerable Lei Hong interjected, his spirit lifting as he looked at Li Mu in astonishment.
“Indeed, Lei Hong has inherited the true Legacy of the Yu Ling Sect, and his Spirit Beast, the Six-tier Silver-winged Thunder Roc, is also about to undergo True Spirit Tribulation. He has quite a bit of research on the True Spirit Tribulation,” the Seventh-Order True Spirit - Azure Thunder Beast of Purple Firmament nodded in agreement.
Li Mu pondered for a moment, then summoned Little Gold, Little Tile, Crimson Refining Fire Phoenix, and Double-Horned Azure Moon Flood Dragon from his spirit control treasure bracelet, immediately capturing Venerable Lei Hong’s full attention.
The four Spirit Beasts appeared by the Thunder Pool. The moment they manifested, their gazes vigilantly turned towards the Purple Azure Thunder Beast, as the powerful Spiritual Pressure of the Seven-rank True Spirit put considerable pressure on them.
Little Gold stared intently at the Purple Azure Thunder Beast, its Face resolute, with a hint of envy in its eyes.
The Crimson Refining Fire Phoenix and Double-Horned Azure Moon Flood Dragon, with vigilance and solemnity in their eyes, were not intimidated by the might of the Seventh-Order True Spirit - Azure Thunder Beast of Purple Firmament, appearing audacious and eager to contend.
Little Tile, on the other hand, was the most timid. Its four limbs pressed to the ground, it secretly scanned its surroundings, looking as if it would burrow into the ground to hide if things went awry.
The personalities of the four Spirit Beasts were clear at a glance.
“These… these are all your Spirit Beasts?” Venerable Lei Hong’s body trembled; he was no longer calm looking at the Spirit Beasts before him.
The Double-Horned Azure Moon Flood Dragon had a robust physique, its twin horns like steel, its scales dense, and clear signs of Dragon Transformation. Being at the Peak of the Late Stage of the sixth-tier, it had surely passed the Shape Transformation Tribulation but couldn't transform, indicating its pure Bloodline. Once it passed the True Spirit Thunder Tribulation, advancing to a Seven-Rank True Dragon would be effortless.
The Crimson Refining Fire Phoenix was small in stature, clearly still in its infancy. However, its entire body exuded immensely powerful fire elemental Qi, not inferior to the strength of an adult six-tier fire-elemental Yao Beast. At such a young age, to possess such strength, its Aptitude must be extraordinarily exceptional. If it continued to grow, Undergoing True Spirit Tribulation directly would be effortless.
Is this a five-tier Peak Green-Eyed Golden Ape?
Aren't Green-Eyed Golden Apes four-tier Yao Beasts? This Golden Ape actually broke through its Bloodline limit? This body is like a body of steel, its strength is extraordinary, and it still has potential for further growth…
This Rock Lizard, why does it have characteristics of a Flood Dragon? It must be a mixed-blood Yao Beast. Its personality appears honest, but it is actually cautious and cunning! It’s also at the five-tier Peak, just a step away from the Shape Transformation Lightning Tribulation!
Incredible! Truly incredible!
The quality of these Spirit Beasts is far superior to the entire Yu Ling Sect!
Venerable Lei Hong carefully observed them, gaining a general understanding of the four Spirit Beasts, and finally understood what Celestial Venerable Kun Ling had said earlier!
Venerable Lei Hong looked at Li Mu, his gaze complex. The front wave was pushed by the back wave; he had a feeling he had already been surpassed.
“Senior Lei, how are the Aptitudes of my Spirit Beasts? Can they safely pass the Lightning Tribulation?” Li Mu looked at Venerable Lei Hong, asking with concern.
Venerable Lei Hong quickly adjusted his mindset, carefully observing the state of the four Spirit Beasts, and analyzed, “This Fire Phoenix has extraordinary Aptitude, but it is still young, so it’s too early for it to undergo tribulation. With proper nurturing, achieving a True Spirit body will be effortless.”
“The Flood Dragon has the potential for Dragon Transformation, but from its Heart-Nature, I observe it has a strong killing intent. During the True Spirit Tribulation, it might fall into the Heart Demon tribulation. It’s best not to rush to increase its strength for tribulation; instead, temper its Heart-Nature and gain some experience first.”
“This Golden Ape and this Rock Lizard originally have ordinary Aptitude. However, the Body Refining Legacy they Cultivate is extremely extraordinary, breaking through their original Bloodline limits. Their growth status is excellent, and further advancement to undergo Shape Transformation Lightning Tribulation is not an issue. But their Heart-Nature is slightly lacking; they should have been raised in captivity since childhood. If they wish to advance further, they still need to undergo extensive tempering!”
Venerable Lei Hong immersed his Divine Sense, gaining a detailed understanding of the four Spirit Beasts, and commented on each one individually.
The Seventh-Order True Spirit - Azure Thunder Beast of Purple Firmament glanced at Venerable Lei Hong, then looked at Li Mu and explained in detail, “Little Friend Li, the True Spirit Thunder Tribulation is largely similar to the Lightning Tribulation of Human Race Cultivators, but there are some differences. The True Spirit Thunder Tribulation, based on the Bloodline power of the Yao Beast Undergoing Tribulation, its own Aptitude, and its strength during tribulation, can be divided into six Ranks: Yellow, Black, Earth, Heaven, Saint, and Divine.”
“Ordinary Bloodlines, six-tier Yao Beasts that successfully pass the Shape Transformation Lightning Tribulation and can partially transform, generally encounter Yellow and Black Rank True Spirit Tribulations when Undergoing Tribulation to Seven-rank True Spirit. There are 18-27 waves of tribulation lightning, with 9 bolts of tribulation lightning per wave. The main tribulations to pass are: Bloodline Tribulation, Soul Condensation Tribulation, Spirit Formation Tribulation, Divine Ability Tribulation…” It paused, then the Seventh-Order True Spirit - Azure Thunder Beast of Purple Firmament continued to speak endlessly.
“Spirit Beasts with extraordinary Aptitude, possessing innate Bloodline Legacy, capable of perfect transformation, or those incapable of transformation, when advancing, will undergo Earth and Heaven Rank True Spirit Thunder Tribulations. This tribulation has 36-54 waves of tribulation lightning, and on top of the ordinary tribulations, it includes: Heart Demon Tribulation, Cocoon Breaking Tribulation, and Legacy Tribulation.”
“Spirit Beasts that possess the potential of a Divine Beast, uniquely favored by Heaven and Earth, and bearing the fortune of the Heavenly Dao, when Undergoing Tribulation to Seven-rank True Spirit, will Face Saint and Divine Ranks. There will be 72-99 waves of tribulation lightning, with a thousand bolts of lightning gathering the spirit, laying the Foundation for a sacred True Spirit form. This kind of True Spirit Thunder Tribulation is not something ordinary beasts can undergo; it adds several more tribulations than the Heaven and Earth Ranks: Dao Inheritance Tribulation, and Beast God Tribulation.”
...
The Seventh-Order True Spirit - Azure Thunder Beast of Purple Firmament meticulously introduced Li Mu to the various types of tribulation lightning in the True Spirit Thunder Tribulation and analyzed the difficulties encountered during the True Spirit Thunder Tribulation.
Having never heard such knowledge, Li Mu's eyes lit up; he had certainly asked the right person!
“Senior, could you please elaborate on the details of each stage of Undergoing True Spirit Tribulation?” Li Mu looked at the Seventh-Order True Spirit - Azure Thunder Beast of Purple Firmament, continuing to press his question.
“I’ll answer this question. You should put them away first! Some things aren’t suitable for them to hear right now, otherwise, it might leave hidden dangers when they undergo True Spirit Tribulation,” Venerable Lei Hong looked at Li Mu meaningfully, interjecting to signal.
Li Mu understood, and looking at the four Spirit Beasts, he instructed, “You all go back first!”
Little Gold, Little Tile, and Crimson Refining Fire Phoenix readily complied, voluntarily returning to the spirit control treasure bracelet.
The Double-Horned Azure Moon Flood Dragon looked regretful. It had been captivated by what Venerable Lei Hong said and still wanted to learn more about the subsequent details of Undergoing True Spirit Tribulation! However, it dared not disobey Li Mu’s command. Its figure flickered, disappearing from its spot.
“Senior! It’s done!” Li Mu put away the four Spirit Beasts and cast a Restriction spell, isolating the spirit control treasure bracelet so that nothing inside could perceive the outside world.
“The Dao of Spirit Control encompasses dozens of methods, such as Heart Control, Soul Control, Spirit Control, Emotion Control, Object Control, and so on. The more powerful the Spirit Control method, the more stringent the requirements on the controller.” Seeing Li Mu put away his Spirit Beasts, Venerable Lei Hong began to introduce seriously, first imparting some Spirit Control knowledge to him.
Although he didn't know what Spirit Control method Li Mu used, the fact that he could command so many high-quality Spirit Beasts at once meant his Spirit Control method was certainly extraordinary.
Li Mu nodded knowingly, understanding the deeper meaning in Venerable Lei Hong’s words. The Spirit Control Contract he Cultivated followed the Dao of Soul Control, implanting a contract Seal in the Spirit Beasts’ Divine Souls to directly control their freedom. Contracting so many Spirit Beasts at once placed a considerable burden on his Divine Soul. Therefore, he had to choose to contract young beasts, or Yao Beasts that lived in the Painting World Treasure Mansion and were naturally not free, making them easier to control.
“The Dao of Heart Control is the most superior, placing no Restrictions on the Spirit Beast, and thus it will not cause backlash to the controller. The Beast God is precisely the Heart Control True Spirit of our Sect's Ancestral Master!” Venerable Lei Hong introduced, looking at Li Mu.
“Stop with the nonsense! Quickly tell him about the True Spirit Thunder Tribulation!” The Seventh-Order True Spirit - Azure Thunder Beast of Purple Firmament felt it was losing Face and urged impatiently.
“Alright!” Venerable Lei Hong nodded with a chuckle, then his expression turned serious as he earnestly introduced to Li Mu, “The Seven-Rank True Spirit Tribulation is extremely difficult. Once the tribulation is successfully passed, it will be a complete rebirth for the Spirit Beast.”
“There are eighteen common types of tribulation lightning in the True Spirit Tribulation, namely: Bloodline Tribulation, Soul Refining Tribulation, Heart Demon Tribulation, Body Tempering Tribulation, and so on.”
“The Bloodline Tribulation, based on the Bloodline of the Spirit Beast Undergoing Tribulation, carries the effect of purifying the Bloodline and refining it through fire. The more solid the Foundation, the easier the tribulation will be. This Golden Ape and this Rock Lizard, if they pass the Shape Transformation Tribulation, their Body Refining ability will allow them to safely pass this tribulation without issue.”
“Soul Refining Tribulation, as the name suggests, this Lightning Tribulation targets the Divine Soul of the Spirit Beast Undergoing Tribulation. The tribulation lightning contains the effects of refining the Divine Soul and purifying the heart to guide the spirit. This tribulation will erase the Divine Soul Restriction on the Spirit Beast. If Soul Control is used, and the Spirit Beast successfully passes this tribulation and achieves Seven-rank True Spirit, it will regain its Divine Soul freedom and is highly likely to backlash against the controller. You must know, True Spirits cannot be humiliated!”
At this point, Venerable Lei Hong looked at Li Mu meaningfully and introduced seriously.
Upon hearing this, Li Mu suddenly understood the meaning behind Venerable Lei Hong’s words and also realized why he had been asked to put away his Spirit Beasts and not mention it in front of them.
Venerable Lei Hong must have discerned something and confirmed that he was following the Dao of Soul Control!
However, the contract Seal left in the Spirit Beasts’ Divine Souls by his fully leveled Spirit Control Contract shouldn’t be so easily erased by the True Spirit Tribulation.
Moreover, Little Gold and Little Tile had been with him since they were young, and even for the Double-Horned Azure Moon Flood Dragon, he had treated it well, providing Dragon Transformation Spirit Grass, various Spirit Pills, and even a six-tier spirit treasure generously.
If it passed the Seven-Rank True Spirit Tribulation and gained freedom, would it backlash against him?
Li Mu frowned, feeling a little unsettled.
Other Spirit Beasts were fine; they had followed him since childhood and had built deep affection. Only the Heart-Nature of the Double-Horned Azure Moon Flood Dragon was something Li Mu couldn't be sure of.
“Next, I’ll focus on introducing the Heart Demon Tribulation within the True Spirit Tribulation. This tribulation, and the Heart Refining content of the Lightning Tribulation experienced by Human Race Cultivators, differ slightly. In the Dao of Yao Beasts, emotions are often indifferent, thoughts are simple, and dispositions are unstable. The Heart Demon mainly experiences: killing, greed, gluttony…”
...
Venerable Lei Hong’s discourse flowed slowly, meticulously introducing Li Mu to different types of Lightning Tribulations and the situations that would arise during the tribulation process.
Li Mu listened with rapt attention, carefully noting down Venerable Lei Hong’s explanations.
Under Venerable Lei Hong’s introduction, Li Mu gained a general understanding of the characteristics of Undergoing True Spirit Thunder Tribulation and how to improve his four Spirit Beasts’ future ability to Face this tribulation.
Currently, Little Gold and Little Tile had grown too comfortably under his protection, needing some experience. Li Mu couldn't help but have an idea, deciding to let them go out and experience some hardship first.
As for the Double-Horned Azure Moon Flood Dragon, it wasn’t suitable to restrict its freedom too much either. Hadn’t he obtained a map of a relic containing Dragon Transformation Spirit Grass from Yun Xiaozi? He would let it take Little Gold and Little Tile out for an adventure and let them blow off some steam!
As for the Crimson Refining Fire Phoenix, it was still young; it would continue to stay by his side for another forty to fifty years until its mind matured before making further arrangements.
“Regarding the True Spirit Thunder Tribulation, that’s pretty much all there is to say. Little Friend Li, do you have any other questions?” The Purple Azure Thunder Beast patiently asked, seeing Li Mu lost in thought.
“Hmm! Senior, I have another Spirit Beast whose situation is quite special. It’s a Spiritual Plant. If it undergoes the Seven-Rank True Spirit Thunder Tribulation, what kind of changes will occur?” Li Mu came back to his senses, looking at the Seventh-Order True Spirit - Azure Thunder Beast of Purple Firmament, and asked with concern.
After speaking, Li Mu immersed his Divine Sense into the Painting World Treasure Mansion and summoned the Azure Jade Ginseng King, which was planted in the Linhsu Soil.
Looking at the Azure Jade Ginseng King before them, which resembled a withered radish root, showed no obvious spiritual essence, yet contained immense Spiritual Pressure, the Seventh-Order True Spirit - Azure Thunder Beast of Purple Firmament and Venerable Lei Hong exchanged glances, both feeling astonished.
“Little Friend Li, are you sure it’s a Spiritual Plant? I can’t detect the spiritual essence contained within this medicine king ginseng!” The Purple Azure Thunder Beast observed for a while, then couldn’t help but look at Li Mu and asked with a hint of complaint.
“Indeed, if you hadn’t brought it out and placed it elsewhere, I truly wouldn’t have discovered its ‘true appearance’,” Venerable Lei Hong empathized, unable to help but feel ashamed of his poor eyesight.
This Ginseng King was too well hidden! If one didn't immerse their Divine Sense into it, it would be extremely easy to overlook its existence.
Hearing their questions, Li Mu couldn’t help but feel a little exasperated. If it weren’t for his Heavenly Talent of Identifying Myriad Spirits, he would have thought the same!
Li Mu took a deep breath and explained in detail, “Seniors, this Ginseng King has ten thousand years of medicinal spirit. However, after being captured by myriad races, it sealed its Spiritual Consciousness. The time has been too long, so it requires some methods to awaken it.”
“However, the Cultivation it has accumulated is enough to attract the True Spirit Thunder Tribulation. Once awakened, it will trigger the descent of the Lightning Tribulation,” Li Mu added.
“Hmm! For a Spiritual Plant to undergo True Spirit Thunder Tribulation, the success rate is extremely low, perhaps one in ten thousand. Maybe it sealed itself because it feared the True Spirit Thunder Tribulation!” Venerable Lei Hong nodded, speculating.
Upon hearing this, Li Mu’s heart sank. Perhaps there really was such a possibility. (End of Chapter)
