Demon beasts had little rationality. No matter how high their grade, without a lucky chance to improve their intelligence, they would remain creatures driven purely by wild beast instincts until the day they died.
On the other hand, spirit beasts possessed a degree of intelligence, though it was quite limited. They could not comprehend overly profound concepts, which made them the preferred choice for human cultivators to contract.
As for spiritual demons, they possessed intelligence comparable to that of an adult human cultivator from birth. Most were incredibly powerful and had heaven-defying aptitude. They knew to avoid human cultivators during their infancy, and once they reached adulthood, they became overlords of their respective regions. Almost no cultivator could form a contract with them.
The ones before Wen Jingshu's eyes were all sixth-grade spirit beasts with limitless potential. If they encountered a great opportunity, it was not impossible for them to transform into spiritual demons.
Looking at this group of cubs, Wen Jingshu was once again struck by her sister's casual display of wealth.
Things that Wen Jingshu, the talisman cultivator, had spent her entire previous life unable to obtain were now laid out before her to choose from as she pleased!
The seven cubs looked harmless and innocent, whimpering and squeaking as they explored their surroundings. Looking at this scene, Wen Jingshu felt as though she had fallen into a nest of spirit beasts.
“Shushu, which ones do you like?”
Wen Jingshu took a careful look around and chose the pure blue Illusion Fox, the pure black venomous snake, and the white tiger with the strongest combat capability.
One to create illusions, one to ambush enemies, and one to act as a bodyguard. Perfect.
“You don't like the others?”
Wen Jingshu replied, “I'm not a disciple of the Beast Taming Sect, so why would I need so many spirit beasts?”
Hearing this, Wen Shuyi found it quite reasonable.
They were just spirit beasts, after all. If she wanted more later, she could always contract them then.
After contracting the three spirit beasts, Wen Jingshu placed them all into her Yunling Bracelet. She then spent some more time wandering around and playing in Yundan City, not returning to Misty Peak until nightfall.
Because Wen Jingshu had achieved Foundation Establishment immediately upon drawing Qi into her body, her cultivation had risen too quickly, which might lead to instability. For the time being, she was in no hurry to raise her cultivation level further and planned to focus on comprehending a cultivation mantra.
“This 《Sheng Tian Yan》 is a Heaven-grade wood-attribute cultivation mantra that Mother found in an immortal's secret realm. Its contents are infinitely profound, but unfortunately, it is only the first volume, barely enough to cultivate to the Soul Transformation Stage.”
“Although this 《Lian Hua Po》 is only an Earth-grade manual, it is a complete cultivation mantra, and cultivating with it all the way to ascension won't be a problem.”
Cultivation mantras and techniques were divided into four grades: Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow. Yellow-grade was the lowest and most common, while Profound-grade was slightly better, and most sect disciples studied Profound-grade techniques.
The cultivation mantra distributed by the Qingyun Sect to its outer sect disciples upon entry was of the Profound grade, and other Profound-grade mantras could be exchanged for just one hundred contribution points. This alone showed how immensely wealthy the leader of the four major sects was.
As for Earth-grade and Heaven-grade techniques, they were entirely in the hands of the great powers of the cultivation world. If a newly initiated cultivator wanted to obtain one, they either needed a heaven-defying opportunity or a powerful background.
Currently, Wen Jingshu belonged to the latter category.
Looking at the top-grade cultivation mantras laid out for her to choose from, Wen Jingshu, the talisman cultivator, swallowed hard once again, feeling rather unpromising.
She had never seen anything like this before—it was as if they were picking out common cabbages.
Within a single breath, Wen Jingshu adjusted her state of mind and chose 《Sheng Tian Yan》 without any hesitation.
“Are you sure you want to study this incomplete volume?”
A cultivation mantra was different from a combat technique. A cultivation mantra stayed with a cultivator for their entire life. If they wished to switch midway, they would have to disperse all their cultivation and start over.
“Since you gave me this option, Sister, it must be because you can also sense how extraordinary 《Sheng Tian Yan》 is.”
“Besides, this is a wood-attribute technique, and cultivating it to the Soul Transformation Stage is already enough. For my lightning attribute, I can just cultivate a complete technique.”
With her dual dantians, as long as the cultivation of one dantian reached the Tribulation Passage Stage, she would be able to sense the pull of ascension.
As long as her lightning spiritual root's cultivation was high enough, she could either search for the second volume of 《Sheng Tian Yan》 or deduce the remaining half herself when the time came.
Clearly, Wen Shuyi had also considered everything Wen Jingshu had thought of. Hearing her younger sister's words, the cold woman's lips curved slightly as she handed 《Sheng Tian Yan》 to her.
“Go and comprehend it.”
Since Wen Jingshu had taken the Intelligence Awakening Pill, Wen Shuyi was not at all worried that she would be unable to comprehend a Heaven-grade cultivation mantra.
If she truly could not comprehend it, it would only mean that she lacked the fated affinity for 《Sheng Tian Yan》.
Wen Jingshu happily took 《Sheng Tian Yan》 back to her quarters to comprehend it.
“Sheng Tian Yan gives life to all creation; with wood as the source of vitality, it conceives and nurtures heaven and earth.”
As soon as Wen Jingshu opened the jade slip and saw these fourteen characters of the true mantra at the very beginning, she gasped.
Conceiving heaven and earth—what an incredibly bold thought!
Wen Jingshu spent three days and three nights in comprehension. Although the process was obscure and difficult to grasp, her harvest was fortunately abundant.
With just a single glance at Wen Jingshu, Wen Shuyi knew that her younger sister had made the right choice.
Sigh, to think that she had also tried to comprehend 《Sheng Tian Yan》 back then, but alas, it was not her destined opportunity.
A top-grade mutated wood spiritual root was indeed not just for show. As someone with a chaos spiritual root, she couldn't help but feel envious.
“Take this time to enter a proper secluded cultivation. Once you emerge, prepare to acknowledge a master at the Qingyun Sect.”
Now that she had a wood-attribute cultivation mantra and the issue of her hidden dantian was resolved, it was time to put a lightning-attribute mantra on the agenda.
The original plan was for Wen Jingshu to stay in the Pill Sect for five years to learn the basics of alchemy, but it had only been three years, and she was already fully prepared.
The reason Wen Jingshu insisted on going to the Qingyun Sect was that Daoist Lord Beili of the Qingyun Sect also possessed a heavenly lightning spiritual root, and the cultivation mantra he practiced was a Heaven-grade lightning-attribute technique.
For this reason alone, Wen Jingshu had to enter Beili's lineage.
Clearly, Beili thought so too.
Back when Wen Jingshu had her spiritual root tested as a mortal, Beili had already learned of her and specifically designated her to become his personal disciple.
If not for the interruption caused by Wen Jingshu taking the Intelligence Awakening Pill, the master and disciple would have met long ago.
Wen Jingshu also knew that she could not afford to wait for a lightning-attribute cultivation mantra. After undergoing several bouts of secluded cultivation over the course of more than a year, she finally emerged.
The young, original Wen Jingshu would have wanted to enter the Qingyun Sect quietly to make a name for herself on her own, but Wen Jingshu, the reborn talisman cultivator, did not think that way.
With such a powerful backer like Wen Shuyi, she would use her influence whenever necessary, saving herself from being troubled by short-sighted fools.
On a bright and beautiful afternoon, a young man dressed in purple robes arrived at Misty Peak.
The young man had a robust build and an aura of righteousness on his face. Although he had restrained his overall presence, he was still not someone to be underestimated.
However, that was only before outsiders. In front of Wen Shuyi and her four Dao protectors, Beili's cultivation was completely negligible.
Then again, cultivators with higher cultivation levels than Beili were all busy trying to break through and seek opportunities, and they no longer accepted disciples.
“Beili is here to pay respects to Daoist Sovereign Ziyang.”
Having a master eagerly come in person to pick up a disciple was a complete reversal of the natural order of things, and she was probably the only one who could enjoy such treatment.
Yet, her future master was more than happy to do so, feeling as though he had obtained a great opportunity.
Of course, being able to build a connection with an Eighth-Grade Alchemist was indeed a tremendous opportunity.
“Daoist Lord Beili is too polite. I shall entrust my younger sister to your care,” Wen Shuyi said.
After saying this, Wen Shuyi gave Wen Jingshu a gentle push. With a solemn expression on her face, Wen Jingshu walked up to Beili and bowed with her hands clasped:
“Greetings, Daoist Lord Beili.”
Beili did a brief scan of her and discovered that Wen Jingshu was already in the early stage of the Foundation Establishment Stage. Her spiritual energy was dense and robust, definitely not the result of being piled up with medicinal pills.
He had heard rumors about Wen Jingshu and had already been looking forward to taking her as his disciple. Now that they had met, he was extremely satisfied with her.
“Daoist Lord Beili, I still have a few things to discuss with you,” Wen Shuyi said.
“My younger sister does not possess a simple lightning spiritual root, but rather a heavenly lightning spiritual root. Back when she participated in the Qingyun Sect's spiritual root test, I tampered with the results so that it only showed a top-grade lightning spiritual root.”
“As for her cultivation... my younger sister achieved Foundation Establishment immediately upon drawing Qi into her body three years ago, and she has yet to cultivate a lightning-attribute cultivation mantra.”
Hearing Wen Shuyi's words, Beili's pupils dilated in shock.
Achieving Foundation Establishment immediately upon drawing Qi? Wasn't that something from legends?
He was actually witnessing a legend???