https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-581-The-Tenth-Tier-Earth-Rhino-Dragon/12938184/
Chapter 582: A Win-Win Solution
Chapter 582: A Win-Win Solution
Xuanchenzi stared blankly at the scene, his face full of disbelief.
How could it be that the Sand Disc being broken didn't make the Earth Rhino Dragon a threat?
Instead, Chu Ning managed to capture its Essence Spirit in just a couple of exchanges.
The Earth Rhino Dragon, lying on the ground, was clearly thinking the same thing.
Lying in the sand, it finally came to its senses.
"This person is only a Mid-stage Nascent Soul, but his skills far surpass those of ordinary Late-stage Essence Incarnation cultivators. I originally thought that the Yellow Light Barrier was his strongest means. Now it seems that was just a casual move on his part."
After considering this, the Earth Rhino Dragon immediately spoke up.
"Esteemed Daoist, your skills are remarkable. I am willing to become your contracted Spirit Beast."
Hearing the Earth Rhino Dragon’s plea, Chu Ning slowly landed in front of it.
"Do you now wish to become a contracted Spirit Beast?"
"Yes!" The Earth Rhino Dragon struggled to stand up, nodding its massive head.
"
Chu Ning smiled faintly upon hearing this.
"However, I have changed my mind. I have my eyes on your Tier 10 Beast Essence Spirit."
As he spoke, Chu Ning waved the Earth Spirit Sword in his hand.
"After my magical treasure consumes your Essence Spirit, its power will increase significantly."
The Earth Rhino Dragon’s eyes flashed with a complex expression upon hearing this.
After a moment of silence, it raised its head to look at Chu Ning, its gaze more determined.
"I am willing to become your contracted Spirit Beast and also hand over my Essence Spirit to enhance your magical treasure."
"Really?" Chu Ning looked at the pragmatic Tier 10 Beast with some surprise.
"But without your Essence Spirit, most of your cultivation and abilities will be wasted. You might survive, waiting for the day you can regain your freedom. However, for me, a Tier 10 Beast without an Essence Spirit and combat power is not very useful."
The Earth Rhino Dragon shook its head and then transmitted a message.
"You might not know, but as an Ancient Divine Beast, we Earth Rhino Dragons possess a secret technique. We can split our Essence Spirit into two, nurturing two Essence Spirits. It takes only about three years to nurture both to the same strength. If you return my Essence Spirit first, in three years, I will offer you another equally powerful Essence Spirit."
"Really?"
Chu Ning was quite surprised by the Earth Rhino Dragon’s words. This was the first time he had heard of such a secret technique among Spirit Beasts. The Earth Rhino Dragon truly lived up to its reputation as an Ancient Divine Beast.
Chu Ning couldn't help but ask curiously:
"How much lifespan will you need to split your Essence Spirit, and why didn't you split and nurture two Essence Spirits earlier?"
"This secret technique only awakened in my memory after I advanced to the ninth level," the Earth Rhino Dragon replied.
"The amount of lifespan required for splitting and nurturing Essence Spirits varies depending on the stage. The earlier it is done, the less lifespan is needed. Now that I have advanced to the tenth level, it will cost me three thousand years of lifespan to split."
With that, the Earth Rhino Dragon looked at Chu Ning with a complex expression.
"I have lived in the Nine Transformations Spirit Mountain for tens of thousands of years, and although I still have a considerable lifespan, sacrificing three thousand years is not an easy decision."
Chu Ning nodded slightly, believing the Earth Rhino Dragon's words to some extent.
Three thousand years of lifespan, even if it were only thirty years for a human cultivator, would be a significant sacrifice.
After some thought, Chu Ning asked again:
"How did you end up in the Nine Transformations Spirit Mountain, and how many other Spirit Beasts are there now?"
"As far as I know, I am the only one left in this mountain."
T
"Too much time has passed. When I was first brought into the Nine Transformations Spirit Mountain, I was only at the first stage. Soon after, the owner of the Spirit Mountain ascended, and the Nine Transformations Spirit Mountain became a secret realm. We could no longer leave. Over tens of thousands of years, some Spirit Beasts were killed by human cultivators who entered every thousand years, while others passed away when their lifespans ended. Only I, with my long lifespan and my tendency to avoid human cultivators, have survived until now."
Chu Ning raised an eyebrow upon hearing this.
"If you avoided human cultivators for so long, why did you provoke them this time?"
"I don't want to either!"
Surprisingly, the Earth Rhino Dragon's tone carried a hint of grievance.
"There are too many cultivators who entered the Spirit Mountain this time, and among them are those who have reached the Demigod Realm, as you humans call it.
I've been discovered and attacked by human cultivators several times. If I hadn't escaped quickly, I would have been killed long ago.
Later, I encountered your companion in this sandstorm, and I couldn't hold back my anger, so I attacked."
Upon hearing this, Chu Ning couldn't help but feel a bit of sympathy for the Earth Rhino Dragon.
Born and trapped in this place for tens of thousands of years, it had witnessed the gradual demise of various Spirit Beasts and Demons in the mountain.
Every thousand years, it had to be on guard against being hunted by human cultivators.
After pondering for a moment, Chu Ning spoke, "Fine, I can agree to your request. I'll keep you by my side as a contract Spirit Beast and return your Essence Spirit to you.
But you must keep your promise and give me the split and cultivated Essence Spirit after three years.
Of course, I won't mistreat you either. In the future, if I come across treasures that can extend the lifespan of Spirit Beasts,
I'll do my best to obtain them for you to compensate for your lost lifespan."
The Earth Rhino Dragon's eyes lit up with joy as it nodded repeatedly.
Between losing its lifespan and facing certain death, it knew which was the better option.
Chu Ning didn't hesitate any longer. He squeezed out a drop of essence blood from his fingertip and, along with the contract incantation, infused it into the Earth Rhino Dragon's body.
Then, he cast several incantations onto the Earth Spirit Sword.
After two breaths, the Earth Rhino Dragon's Essence Spirit flew out from the sword.
It had just been swallowed by the sword, and although Chu Ning hadn't released the array, the Essence Spirit seemed unaffected.
As soon as it left the sword, it flew directly back into the Earth Rhino Dragon's body.
The once feeble Earth Rhino Dragon instantly became full of vitality.
Although it had just been injured by the two types of Heavenly Earth Essence Energy flames, its body still bore significant wounds.
However, through the contract's connection, Chu Ning could clearly sense that its injuries were healing rapidly.
"What an astonishing recovery ability! No wonder it has survived for tens of thousands of years.
It seems my decision was correct."
Chu Ning's face revealed a hint of surprise.
When he first saw the Earth Rhino Dragon, his initial thought wasn't to kill it to obtain its Essence Spirit but to make it his contract Spirit Beast.
He was attracted to its cultivation and incredible defensive capabilities.
Although he had crafted a Beast Spirit Ring for White Spirit, to be honest, White Spirit wasn't the most suitable for him to use the Beast Spirit Technique.
After all, White Spirit was only at the eighth rank, which was a bit lacking.
Even if he used the Beast Spirit Technique, the improvement it could bring him was probably limited.
Moreover, White Spirit excelled in breaking barriers and was average in defense.
If he really used the Beast Spirit Technique with White Spirit, his ability to withstand damage might even decrease.
But the Earth Rhino Dragon was different. As a Heavenly Earth Spirit Beast, after tens of thousands of years, it had reached the tenth rank.
Its defensive capabilities were astonishing.
If he truly utilized this beast to employ the Beast Spirit Technique, his strength might indeed experience a qualitative improvement.
"With the Mystic Life Art, this Earth Rhino Dragon might quickly recover from its injuries."
Chu Ning was already planning to heal the Earth Rhino Dragon and then teach it the Beast Spirit Technique.
However, he didn't act immediately due to Xuanchenzi's presence.
So, Chu Ning took out a Spirit Herb and fed it to the Earth Rhino Dragon.
Then, he placed it into a Spirit Beast Pouch.
It was only then that Xuanchenzi arrived, flying over and bowing to Chu Ning, "Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Chu, for taming a tenth-rank Heavenly Earth Spirit Beast!"
Although he hadn't heard the specific conversation between the Earth Rhino Dragon and Chu Ning, he had witnessed the process of Chu Ning returning the Essence Spirit to the beast.
He could guess what had transpired.
Chu Ning smiled at this.
"I have Fellow Daoist Xuanchen to thank for bringing this opportunity to me."
Chu Ning didn't want to dwell on this topic and quickly asked, "By the way, weren't you with Fellow Daoist Yuanlang? How did you end up being targeted by the Earth Rhino Dragon?"
Upon hearing this, Xuanchenzi sighed.
"After entering the Spirit Mountain, I couldn't find Brother Yuanlang. I thought that the palaces might have more cultivators, so I headed towards the Spirit Mountain Cliffs.
But when I arrived, I found that there were already many cultivators there.
Moreover, more and more cultivators kept arriving, and among them were several who seemed to be the legendary cultivators who had entered the Demigod Realm."
Xuanchenzi's face revealed a hint of apprehension.
"I sensed that there might be major trouble at the Spirit Mountain Cliffs, so I didn't dare to linger. I was about to leave for another place.
As I entered the sandstorm, I don't know how, but the Earth Rhino Dragon discovered me.
If you hadn't appeared in time, I'm afraid this old Daoist's life would have been in danger."
Xuanchenzi briefly recounted his encounter.
Without hesitation, Chu Ning turned to Fellow Daoist Xuanchenzi with a serious expression and said, "Fellow Daoist, are you planning to go to the Spirit Mountain Cliff? I advise you to reconsider."
"There are many cultivators over there, including major sect forces, and even a Demigod Realm cultivator has appeared. It might be dangerous for you to go now."
Chu Ning's eyebrows furrowed slightly upon hearing this.
With so many cultivators and even a Demigod Realm cultivator present, there must be a significant secret at the Spirit Mountain Cliff.
Perhaps the secret realm, where one could supposedly experience the cultivation path of the Ninth Derivative Ascendant, would manifest there.
Having already experienced the wonders of the Nine Transformations Body Refining Art in manipulating Essence Energy, Chu Ning couldn't help but feel a twinge of excitement.
"Although I don't know what changes occurred with the Heavenly Earth Essence Energy back then, if my guess is correct, advancing to the Divine Transformation stage should be related to Essence Energy.
The third volume of the Nine Transformations Body Refining Art is not complete. While it can mobilize the Essence Energy within my body, it's still insufficient to perfectly fuse Spirit Energy with Primordial Power.
If I want to create my own cultivation technique, learning from the Ninth Derivative Ascendant's cultivation path is the best approach.
After all, he had already progressed halfway."
With this thought in mind, Chu Ning reassured Fellow Daoist Xuanchenzi, "Rest assured, Fellow Daoist. Knowing that the Spirit Mountain Cliff is dangerous, I will be cautious."
At this moment, Fellow Daoist Xuanchenzi didn't say more but bowed to Chu Ning again, "Fellow Daoist Chu, be careful. I'll take my leave first."
Chu Ning returned the gesture.
"Please go ahead, Fellow Daoist. I'll be on my way as well."
The two then flew off in different directions.
In just a few breaths, with the yellow sand obscuring their vision, they could no longer see each other.
As Fellow Daoist Xuanchenzi flew, he turned back to look, then shook his head with a wry smile.
"We are both at the mid-stage Nascent Soul, but our cultivation levels are worlds apart.
I knew that Fellow Daoist Chu's abilities were extraordinary, but I didn't expect them to be this powerful.
With his abilities, he could even face a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator without worry. No wonder he dares to venture to the Spirit Mountain Cliff.
I wonder if the Demigod Realm cultivator can unleash their full strength under the suppression of the Spirit Mountain's barriers."
After these thoughts, Fellow Daoist Xuanchenzi quickly flew away.
He didn't have the skills to interfere.
Chu Ning, who had flown dozens of li away, stopped and set up a barrier. He summoned White Spirit and Earth Rhino Dragon.
Both creatures were naturally surprised to see each other and could sense the unique spiritual energy of a Heaven-Earth Spirit Beast.
"White Spirit, there's reportedly a Demigod Realm cultivator at the Spirit Mountain Cliff. It might be dangerous for us to go there.
I want to teach Earth Rhino Dragon the Mystic Life Art to aid his recovery.
I'll also give him the Beast Spirit Ring so he can use Beast Spirit Techniques in emergencies."
White Spirit didn't hesitate and immediately took off the Beast Spirit Ring from her hand.
"Master, this fellow cultivator is now our companion, and you have the final say in what we do.
By the way, this Soul-linking Artifact can significantly enhance our spellcasting abilities. I'll give it to him as well."
White Spirit was about to take off the Soul-linking Artifact bracelet she had obtained from Northern Chill.
Chu Ning waved his hand, "No need. Once the Beast Spirit Techniques are used, he won't be able to control treasures.
He can only lend his body for my use. You keep the Soul-linking Artifact."
Chu Ning then began to teach Earth Rhino Dragon the Mystic Life Art and Beast Spirit Techniques.
Earth Rhino Dragon still felt a bit uneasy, especially when he heard that the Beast Spirit Techniques required him to lend his body to Chu Ning. As Chu Ning's new contracted spirit beast, he was still adjusting to the idea.
However, after learning the complete Beast Spirit Techniques, Earth Rhino Dragon's perspective changed.
He discovered that although Chu Ning was the leader, he could also unleash formidable power.
Moreover, Chu Ning didn't entirely avoid taking damage when enduring attacks, which made Earth Rhino Dragon feel better.
After an hour, Chu Ning used the Beast Spirit Techniques to heal Earth Rhino Dragon's injuries completely.
Earth Rhino Dragon was amazed, especially when White Spirit mentioned that she had followed Chu Ning since she was young.
In less than two hundred years, she had reached this cultivation level. Earth Rhino Dragon's gaze towards Chu Ning held a hint of peculiarity.
"Such extraordinary talent and aptitude, he's definitely no ordinary person.
Perhaps I've also encountered a stroke of good fortune?"
With these thoughts, Earth Rhino Dragon more readily accepted his role as a contracted spirit beast.
After healing Earth Rhino Dragon and mastering the Beast Spirit Techniques, Chu Ning didn't linger.
He transformed into a ray of light and flew towards the Spirit Mountain Cliff ahead.
(End of Chapter)
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