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Chapter 367: Night Visit to the Beast Enclosure
Chapter 367: Night Visit to the Beast Enclosure
The quad-winged Thunderclash Tiger cub became much more docile after watching the images on the two Water Mirror Talismans, no longer exhibiting the wild and unruly behavior it had shown before.
It flew slowly back to its beast enclosure, looking deep in thought.
"Such bloody and violent images... I wonder if they'll traumatize this young spirit beast," Lu Chen mused to himself.
He realized that neither of his film choices for the spirit beasts had been very wholesome. The first time, to encourage Zhong Hao's pair of Yin-Repelling Beasts to mate, he had shown them the "Sutra of Extreme Pleasure," an experience that had left them both quivering from start to finish.
And now, the movie he had chosen for the quad-winged Thunderclash Tiger was a bloody, violent, and terrifying thriller, especially the part where a cultivator dissected one of its own kind. The psychological impact was undoubtedly profound.
"But who cares what type of movie it is, as long as it gets the job done! Other movies probably wouldn't have had any effect anyway," Lu Chen thought to himself.
The effect of the two Water Mirror Talismans on the quad-winged Thunderclash Tiger was remarkable. During the subsequent taming process, it no longer displayed any signs of aggression and obediently carried out every task and request given by Lu Chen.
Its performance could be described as outstanding, and it was a strong contender for the top spot among the spirit beasts of the Celestial Sword Sect.
The ten or so young beasts were in the midst of intensive training, and after each day's training, they did not return to their own homes but stayed in the stone palace.
There were several beast enclosures within the palace, and simple array restrictions were set up outside to prevent the young beasts from causing trouble during their nightly rest. Lu Chen would activate these restrictions before the beasts went to sleep.
Late into the night, the lion-bird beast cub stayed in its enclosure, its eyes wide open as it tried to recall the knowledge Lu Chen had imparted to it during the day.
But the more it thought about it, the more confused it became, and its mind grew muddled.
"Roar!"
It felt its head getting heavier and heavier, and it couldn't help but let out a low roar as it slammed its head against the wall.
"Haste makes waste, there's no need to rush," a gentle voice suddenly spoke, interrupting the lion-bird beast's thoughts. The voice seemed to carry infinite power, immediately calming the beast.
It was Lu Chen, who had decided to pay a night visit to the beast enclosure upon sensing the lion-bird beast's growing insecurity. He stepped out of the shadows, a smile on his face, and looked at the lion-bird beast.
"During these past few days of training, I noticed that you seem to be carrying a heavy psychological burden, finding it hard to fully focus on the tasks at hand. So, I came here specifically to see if I could help you with this problem," Lu Chen said softly, his voice carrying a soothing effect on the beast's troubled mind.
The lion-bird beast's eyes lit up at Lu Chen's words, and it looked at him with gratitude, nodding vigorously.
"Let me ask you directly: do you feel inferior because of your uncertain origins and mixed bloodline? Do you feel like you're somehow less than the others?" Lu Chen asked straightforwardly, having sensed this insecurity in the lion-bird beast from the start.
The lion-bird beast cub froze for a moment, as Lu Chen's words struck a deep chord within it, exposing its raw wound.
Ever since it was old enough to understand, it had been aware of its uniqueness—its strange appearance and noticeably lower spiritual intellect compared to other spirit beasts of its age. The cultivators of the Celestial Sword Sect who tended to it had even called it a "mutt."
This had only served to deepen its sense of inferiority as it grew up.
"Within your veins flows the blood of two different high-grade spirit beasts," Lu Chen continued.
"Have you ever thought that while on the surface, some may call you a 'mutt,' a more positive way to view it is as a 'hybrid'? A hybrid combines the strengths of two different bloodlines.
"But I've also noticed a great strength of yours—your pure and focused thoughts." Lu Chen reframed the lion-bird beast's low spiritual intellect.
"Out of all the young beasts, you are the most diligent. Hard work makes up for shortcomings, and the early bird catches the worm. As long as you keep up this persistence, you won't fall behind the other spirit beasts."
"Also, and most importantly, your physical prowess is likely the strongest among all the spirit beasts. You should be even more confident because of that."
"Believe me, you will be exceptional!" Lu Chen was serving the lion-bird beast a hearty bowl of metaphorical chicken soup for the soul.
With his spiritual senses, he perceived that the young beast's mindset had shifted from 'I can't' to 'Can I?'
A faint smile appeared on his face as he felt like a doting grandfather, tending to the needs of a protagonist-like beast.
"Alright, let's reinforce what we practiced today. If we have enough time, we'll also explore the power hidden within your bloodline."
The lion-bird beast nodded vigorously, its eyes gleaming with determination.
And so, every few days, Lu Chen would pay a nocturnal visit to the beast enclosure, giving the lion-bird beast extra guidance. The young beast did not disappoint him; despite its lower spiritual intellect, it remained diligent and did not fall too far behind the other young beasts.
A month passed in the blink of an eye.
Lu Chen hovered in the air, his gaze sweeping over the numerous spirit beasts below.
"Your training progress during this period has been quite satisfactory and has made me very pleased."
"Today, we'll have a small pop quiz. It will mainly focus on two aspects: first, assessing your grasp of the previous training content, and second, evaluating your combat abilities."
Whether guarding the sect's important locations or carrying out external missions, the spirit beasts needed strong combat prowess to avoid various unforeseen situations.
Keeping this in mind, the young beasts that had been chosen were all fourth-grade beasts, and upon maturity, they would possess strength equivalent to the middle and late stages of the Foundation Establishment realm.
Lu Chen divided the ten or so young beasts into four groups, first selecting the top eight, and then having them compete for the top spot.
The four-winged Thunderclash Tiger, the lion-bird beast, and the Seven-colored Peacock Demon, the ones he was most concerned about, all smoothly advanced to the top eight.
The former two had aerial advantages. The four-winged Thunderclash Tiger excelled in thunder and lightning techniques and possessed unmatched speed, advancing through the ranks with overwhelming force.
The lion-bird beast, on the other hand, relied on its robust physical body to overcome one opponent after another.
As for the Seven-colored Peacock Demon, its illusion abilities were exceptionally powerful. During battles, it would hide itself using illusions while pulling its opponents into layer after layer of illusory techniques, effortlessly defeating them without breaking a sweat.
In the semi-finals, the four-winged Thunderclash Tiger faced off against the Seven-colored Peacock Demon.
The Thunderclash Tiger cub was momentarily caught off guard and fell into the illusion, finding it difficult to break free.
This, however, stirred up its demonic nature, and with its remaining rationale, infinite thunderbolts erupted from its body, showering down relentlessly and exposing the Seven-colored Peacock Demon hiding in the corner.
Next up was the lion-bird beast against the Black-horned Spirit Rhino. Both possessed robust physical bodies, one specializing in offense and the other in defense. It was a battle of the spear against the shield, and in the end, the lion-bird beast emerged victorious.
And finally, the moment everyone had been waiting for—the grand finale between the four-winged Thunderclash Tiger and the lion-bird beast!
(End of Chapter)
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