Chapter 538: Pterodactyl
Chapter 538: Pterodactyl
Fang Xing stared at the humanoid shadow shrouded in gray mist, feeling both amused and exasperated.
"A ghost shadow of Emperor quality, its first skill is Fraud, which is different from Concealment. It directly deceives others and external objects, unlike hiding one's cultivation like Pipi Dog. For example, after the Bronze Heart Oracle was deceived, it wouldn't just fail to identify the ghost shadow, even if I had it identify the Earthquake Bear as a Commander or Sovereign Grade, it would still show the result as genuine..."
This ability was a godsend for thieves and con artists!
"And its second skill—Ghost Possession! The ghost shadow can possess the body of a heartbeast it kills, completing a 'body snatching' and absorbing the cultivation of that heartbeast... The ghost shadow was originally just a heart manifestation, but by continuously absorbing Old One-Eyed Wolf's cultivation, it finally transformed into a heartbeast..."
"This ability is almost invincible... If I feed Old One-Eyed Wolf to a Heavenly King or even a Legendary Rank heartbeast, the ghost shadow should be able to take control of it as well, right?"
"Wait, it seems there's a limit. In its lifetime, it can only use this ability three times... The possession of Old One-Eyed Wolf counts as one, so there are two chances left..."
"And after each use, there's a 'dormant period' during which, if it dies, it's truly dead?"
Fang Xing sensed with his Heart Power and found that the dormant period of the ghost shadow's Ghost Possession skill hadn't passed yet.
However, with his Heart Power's assistance, he should be able to accelerate this process.
"But Ghost Possession isn't omnipotent; there's probably a cultivation or even quality restriction..."
Fang Xing immediately thought of something; no matter how powerful the ghost shadow was now, it was still only a low-level Warrior Rank.
It might have a chance of possessing a General or even a Lord Rank heartbeast.
But possessing a King Rank heartbeast at this moment was just a pipe dream.
"Besides the number of uses and cultivation, there might be other restrictions."
"In this world, there's no such thing as an invincible heartbeast, only invincible Rulers!"
He lifted the restriction, allowing the ghost shadow to possess Old One-Eyed Wolf again.
Old One-Eyed Wolf let out a howl and stood up.
Witnessing this, Fang Xing finally confirmed one thing: "Fang Leng truly died that night, and the one who survived was his Soul Beast. Now it's in my hands... Ah, my blood brother, becoming my wings... Quite the poetic justice, but I should thank the old pal for his heartbeast gift."
"This ghost shadow is clearly a death attribute, which should greatly aid in comprehending the Law of Death..."
...
Months later.
Deep within Azure Dragon Mountain.
"Thunder Cloud!"
Pei Ziyue summoned her Soul Beast, and a dark cloud appeared, with faint thunder rumbling within.
"Excellent, your Soul Beast has already reached the upper tier of the Warrior Rank... It's time to tame your second heartbeast."
An old man wearing a bamboo hat and a straw cape stood beside Pei Ziyue.
"Teacher..."
Pei Ziyue's face immediately showed reverence.
Her teacher was none other than the lord of Greenseen City, a powerful Farmer Ruler.
At this moment, the old lord held a seemingly ordinary wooden staff.
The staff appeared to have been freshly cut from a tree, still covered in bark and sprouting several fresh branches with green buds.
Thud! The old lord tapped the ground with the staff, and strange seedlings began to grow.
Their leaves were dark green with a hint of purple thunder light.
Before long, the rice ears were filled with heavy grains.
"Your Thunder Cloud heartbeast is best suited to consuming 'Thunder Cloud Rice'... Combined with the 'Thunder Crystal' you used during your manifestation, you've managed to cultivate to the upper tier of the Warrior Rank in just a few months..."
The old lord taught her some techniques for feeding Thunder Cloud, then continued, "However, a Ruler's strength also depends on the combination of other heartbeasts... Now it's time for you to tame your second heartbeast. With your initial heartbeast being of Bronze quality, your second heartbeast should be at least Bronze or Commander Grade, or even a youngling of higher quality..."
"Yes, Teacher."
Pei Ziyue was excited.
She thought of her two classmates; although they competed fiercely in the academy, their strengths had become apparent after leaving.
'That Fang Xing, I heard he came to Azure Dragon Mountain to venture, and he's probably still in the outskirts... His second heartbeast might only be Black Iron quality, wasting his potential...'
'But it can't be helped; not everyone has a Lord Rank teacher to hunt heartbeasts with them when they're at the Warrior Rank...'
"I've had dealings with several Lord Rank heartbeasts in Azure Dragon Mountain, and I might be able to find a suitable youngling for you... If raised from a young age, even if it grows into a Lord, it won't be a threat to you..."
The old lord smiled and sent out a white cloud from his hand.
The cloud rose into the sky, expanding to cover an area of several dozen or even a hundred li...
Pei Ziyue looked on in awe.
To be able to change the weather within a hundred li with a simple gesture, this was the true power of a Lord Rank Ruler!
"Your Thunder Cloud possesses both thunder and cloud attributes... There's no need to intentionally tame a Thunder Beast, leaving a spot open for a combat-focused heartbeast."
The old lord smiled and took out a silver canon, flipping to a certain page.
On the page was a hazy rainy season, and a sprite dancing in the rain.
Whoosh!
A light rain fell, covering an area of a hundred li in misty rain.
"Ziyue, remember, we Farmer Rulers either don't act or act with the advantage of heaven's timing... Conceal yourself with clouds and mist, and use the 'Rain Sprite's' reconnaissance skill. There's no way any major movement within a hundred li can escape my notice."
"The old City Lord spoke with a hint of pride, "Now... let's go and meet that 'Pterodactyl'..."
Among the Commander Grade Heart Beasts, there are also varying degrees of strength.
The Pterodactyl, without a doubt, is considered one of the top Commander Grade Heart Beasts, and more importantly... it has the ability to fly!"
Pei Ziyue's eyes lit up. "Am I going to have a baby Pterodactyl?"
A Commander Grade cub like this, when raised to adulthood, would undoubtedly be an outstanding Lord Grade Heart Beast. In fact, any Heart Beast with the word 'dragon' in its name is bound to be powerful.
And the Pterodactyl isn't even a true dragon-type Heart Beast.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly!
The old City Lord's gaze fixed on a certain direction, his expression turning extremely solemn. "Two Upper Lord Grade Heart Beasts are fighting... one of them is that ferocious Saber-Toothed Tiger with seven hundred years of cultivation!"
"Upper Lord Grade Heart Beasts are fighting?"
Pei Ziyue gasped, taking in a breath of cold air. "Is this normal?"
According to her textbook knowledge, Lord Grade Heart Beasts usually have fixed territories and don't engage in battles unless necessary.
"Of course, it's not normal. The other Lord Grade Heart Beast has a cultivation of at least nine hundred years... It's an invasion, a hunt!"
A solemn expression appeared on the old City Lord's face as he flipped through the pages of the Silver Canon in his hand.
A 'Wind Spirit' and a 'Thunder Beast' were released.
Wind, rain, thunder, and clouds... these were the standard for Agrarian Casters.
Not a single mistake, a single shot, a single miss, a single containment, a single glance, a single 6, a single 9, a single book, a single look!
Among these Lord Grade Heart Beasts, only the Soul Beast 'Wuding Cloud' and the 'Thunder Beast' were Upper Lord Grade, while the rest were Lower Lord Grade.
But working together, they could even entangle and defeat a Lord Grade Heart Beast with a thousand years of cultivation!
Hoo!
Even in the rain, Pei Ziyue heard the roars of the tiger.
Gradually, the roars changed from high-pitched to mournful, and eventually, silence.
Whoosh!
Amidst the rain, a wolf-like beast with a body length exceeding six meters and emerald green eyes appeared.
It held the head of a saber-toothed tiger in its mouth and glanced disdainfully at Pei Ziyue, causing even the Thunder Beast to shudder.
Soon, the wolf beast retreated and quickly disappeared into the rain.
"It's gone..."
The old City Lord heaved a sigh of relief but dared not recall his Heart Beast.
If they encountered a sudden attack, his protective aura would keep him safe, but Pei Ziyue would undoubtedly perish.
"Huff..."
It was then that Pei Ziyue became aware of her own heavy breathing.
She was just an ordinary Soldier Rank Caster, and facing a Lord Grade ferocious beast with nearly a thousand years of cultivation was too much for her.
However, when she recalled the blurry figure she had seen earlier, she inexplicably felt a sense of familiarity.
"Wolf... Dog... Heart Manifestation?"
"Was that a Black Flame Hound?"
Pei Ziyue blurted out. As a classmate of Fang Xing, she had, of course, seen his Heart Manifestation.
"No, it should be a Black Flame Hound of Commander Grade, or even a Black Flame Hound King of Sovereign Grade!"
The old City Lord shook his head. "An ordinary Black Flame Hound can't break the hundred-year limit and advance to become a Lord Grade Heart Beast..."
"That's true..."
Pei Ziyue nodded.
...
A hundred miles away, at some location.
Fang Xing, wearing a straw hat, stood on a cliff, gazing at the rain clouds in the distance. "A Lord Grade Agrarian Caster?"
There were many Agrarian Casters near Greenseen City, but it seemed like there was only one at the Lord Grade.
"That City Lord, why would he lower himself to come on such a dangerous mission?"
He thought about it casually and then dismissed it.
Before long, Pipi Dog arrived with the head of the ferocious Saber-Toothed Tiger, seeking Fang Xing's approval.
"Hmm, well done..."
Fang Xing nodded, satisfied with Pipi Dog's performance.
After spending several months familiarizing Pipi Dog with General Rank power, Fang Xing took it into Azure Dragon Mountain again, catching dogs and chasing chickens, specifically targeting the weak. He burned countless insects, butterflies, and small beasts with the Annihilation Flame...
Pipi Dog quickly advanced to the Lord Grade, breaking through the hundred-year cultivation limit, and its body grew significantly. It also gained an understanding of the 'Annihilation Domain' skill.
Typically, only Monarch Grade Heart Beasts have a chance to master domain-type skills, so Pipi Dog acquiring it at the Lord Grade indicated exceptional talent.
"Now that its cultivation has risen, it's like a snowball effect... However, maintaining a thousand years of cultivation is enough. It still needs to get familiar and hone its skills before breaking through to the Monarch Grade."
Fang Xing turned his attention to his other Heart Beast, Old One-Eyed, who stood by with a hint of melancholy. Despite facing Pipi Dog, he showed little fear.
'Ghost Shadow is, after all, an Emperor Quality Heart Beast, and it was held back before. Now, with high-grade ingredients for cultivation, its progress is incredibly fast... It'll soon break through to the General Grade.'
'After that, perhaps I can try to directly possess a Lord Grade Heart Beast.'
Fang Xing was usually too lazy to cultivate new Heart Beasts. Not every Heart Beast was like Pipi Dog, where constant battles and adherence to the path of annihilation led to rapid cultivation growth.
'Ghost Shadow's possession only has three chances, and I wasted it on One-Eyed Wolf... '
'This time, I must at least capture a Lord Grade Heart Beast with Upper Lord potential... to avoid wasting the opportunity.'
'Perfect timing, after my Soul Beast's advancement, I am also a Lord Grade Caster now, and supporting a few Lord Grade contracts won't be a problem...'
(End of Chapter)
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