The Master of Beasts

For a Mirage Dragon well-versed in dreams and highly skilled in transforming reality, simulating such a grand Spiritual Beast battle was a breeze.

In less than an hour, ninety-nine percent of the mischievous Spiritual Beasts had been thoroughly eliminated, leaving only those that appeared highly capable of combat.

However, didn't one of those Spiritual Beasts seem a bit off?

Looking at the figure vigorously waving a large ladle, Chen Jiuge was speechless. Wasn't this the Spirit Chef Monkey cultivated by the Maitreya Buddha stallholder?

Then, a new round of competition began. Chen Jiuge noticed that the super chef's opponent was his own projection of the Silver King. He silently mourned for it, hoping its end wouldn't be too tragic.

The appearance of the super chef was merely a minor episode. Chen Jiuge's attention was still on a few other clearly powerful Spiritual Beasts.

A tiger-like creature with saber-toothed features, black and white stripes, and wings on its back boasted the Wind and Thunder Dual Phase. It was fast and had powerful attacks. Chen Jiuge felt that his Silver King might not stand a chance against it.

There was also a small red bird, likely possessing the Vermilion Bird Bloodline. The temperature of its flames seemed incredibly high.

And the large, completely white turtle, with its strong water-controlling abilities and extremely tough shell, was probably unbeatable unless faced with specific countermeasures.

Apart from the aforementioned Spiritual Beasts, many others were no less impressive than the Silver King, but luckily there seemed to be fewer than a hundred. Reaching the top hundred would not betray the expectations of our forebears or the resources he had invested.

The super chef had already fallen to the Silver King. Its owner, the chubby Maitreya Buddha, strolled over to Chen Jiuge and said, "The Silver Iron Eagle cultivated by Junior Brother is very impressive. It seems hopeful to reach the top hundred. Oh, by the way, I am Lei Cheng. May I know Junior Brother's name?"

Chen Jiuge looked at Lei Cheng. Although somewhat surprised, he responded, "Ah, so it's Senior Brother Lei. My name is Chen Jiuge. Senior Brother Lei, the super chef you cultivated is essentially a Spirit Chef, yet it still managed to pass the first round. I greatly admire that."

Lei Cheng waved his hand and said, "You're too polite, Junior Brother. But this Beast Breeding Competition suddenly changed its rules; I wonder how many people are annoyed and regretting it now."

"Senior Brother, wasn't it always like this?"

"Of course not. Otherwise, how could so many functional Spiritual Beasts appear? In the Cultivation World, strength is respected. Normally, we treated it as an entertaining competition, a way to practice our Spirit Beast Breeding abilities and relax," Lei Cheng hinted.

"The previous years?" Chen Jiuge was inwardly shocked. This Senior Brother must be another old monster. Judging by his tone, he probably had attended the Beast Breeding Competition many times, an event that happens only once every eight hundred years.

Wen Ruo, who had been silent by his side, suddenly spoke up, "Are you that Lei Cheng from Giant Ape Peak? The Lei Cheng whose Spiritual Beast became an Immortal ahead of schedule, causing you to be unable to face your Heavenly Tribulation for three thousand years?"

Wen Ruo's statement made Lei Cheng's face show a hint of embarrassment. "That's not important, not important at all. Let's watch the competition."

Watching Lei Cheng intently staring up into the sky, Chen Jiuge quietly transmitted a message to Senior Sister Wen Ruo, asking what was going on with this Senior Brother.

After hearing his Senior Sister's explanation, Chen Jiuge mostly understood.

The Beast Taming Magic Technique of the Myriad Beasts Sect, combined with the fundamental Magic Technique, was indeed strong—even capable of controlling Spiritual Beasts across two or three Realms. However, crossing between the realms of mortals and Immortals was another matter entirely. The gap between an Immortal and an ordinary Cultivator was simply too vast.

Because his Spiritual Beast had become an Immortal first, the Heavenly Tribulation Senior Brother Lei Cheng had to face was probably ten times harsher than that of a normal Cultivator. Hence, he hadn't dared to face the Tribulation for three thousand years. The excess fat on his body was also a result of practicing too many Body Refining Techniques. He was in a truly pitiable state.

"SQUAWK!"

The Silver King's projection emitted a metallic cry, having once again overcome its opponent.

At this moment, the number of mirrors in the sky had decreased to sixteen, leaving only thirty-two Spiritual Beasts.

Great Elder Ye Sheng's voice rang out once more: "Let the actual bodies compete!"

Then Chen Jiuge noticed that the Silver King, which had originally been on the display platform, suddenly appeared in the Mirage Dragon Mirror.

Lei Cheng exclaimed, "The Mirage Dragon's mastery of transforming illusion and reality is truly enviable."

Looking at Lei Cheng, who seemed lost in thought, Chen Jiuge always felt he was thinking about something inappropriate.

This time, the Silver King's opponent was the Spiritual Beast resembling a Saber-toothed Tiger, cultivated by a disciple from White Tiger Peak. Without the advantage of flight, the Silver King, facing the Wind and Thunder Dual Phase Saber-toothed Tiger, might indeed be at a disadvantage.

Their battlefield was a plain, devoid of any obstructions, a terrain that truly tested the raw power of the Spiritual Beasts.

Both beasts moved swiftly, constantly crisscrossing in the air, one clawing, the other slapping. After dozens of exchanges, the Silver King realized its shortcomings. Although its talons were sharp, the Saber-toothed Tiger, wreathed in wind and thunder, could always minimize the damage it suffered. Conversely, each of the tiger's blows made the Silver King tremble; its hard scales were ill-suited to withstand blunt force.

After they separated again, the Silver King swayed in the air for a moment to stabilize itself. From its sharp beak, it spat a silvery-white beam of light. This was the Silver Iron Eagle's strongest attack, relying on its unique constitution to convert Spiritual Energy into a mercury-like substance, compressing it for the assault.

Seeing the Silver King unleash its ultimate move, the opposing Saber-toothed Tiger calmly flapped its wings. Azure wind and violet lightning merged into a violent tempest of wind and thunder.

"BOOM!"

After a tremendous collision, both were unscathed. However, the Silver Iron Eagle was in worse condition; its Spiritual Energy reserves and recovery rate were slightly inferior to those of the Saber-toothed Tiger.

Chen Jiuge sighed. "As expected, its development was too rushed. Otherwise, a few more generations of cultivation could have further enhanced these aspects, and it wouldn't have been so thoroughly suppressed."

After valiantly holding on for half an hour, the Silver King still lost. When the battles in the other arenas concluded, Chen Jiuge saw his ranking: 24th place, a very respectable result.

"Junior Brother, 24th place! Our forebears would have been delighted to know. It's a pity Master is in seclusion; otherwise, he would be happy for you too," Wen Ruo said with a smile.

The reward for 24th place was an Immortal Beast Egg. Specifically, first place received an offspring of the Golden Immortal Ba Snake, second and third places received offspring of Heavenly Immortal Divine Beasts, and the rest were various Immortal Beast Eggs. The exact type of Immortal Beast one received would depend on luck, but none would be disappointing.

Cradling the egg, which was nearly half as tall as himself, Chen Jiuge joked, "Such a big egg; I wonder if a glutton will hatch from it."

Lei Cheng commented enviously from the side, "Brother Chen, I'll visit your Eden Garden when I have time. You wouldn't refuse me entry, would you?"

"Not at all, Senior Brother Lei. Come whenever you like," Chen Jiuge replied cheerfully, holding the Immortal Beast Egg.

Now that he had received his reward from the Beast Breeding Competition, Chen Jiuge planned to leave. As for the outcomes of the Spiritual Beasts still competing in the sky, Chen Jiuge was not interested; his own Beast Breeding Competition had completely concluded.

Apart from the Immortal Beast Egg, the Beast Breeding Competition offered another major benefit: widespread promotion of Spiritual Beasts.

The Silver King, having made its debut, was bound to attract the interest of many disciples in the audience. If even one percent of these disciples showed an interest in purchasing one, Chen Jiuge could make a fortune and lay a solid foundation for his future as a master of Spirit Beast Breeding.