novelraw Chapter 279 - 246: Beast Taming Talent (2)
Chapter 279 - 246: Beast Taming Talent (2)
"Elder, how is my talent for Beast Taming?"
"Quite good."
"That’s wonderful."
Huang Mengyang was thrilled to hear the answer. After hitting a wall with Alchemy and Artifact Refining, he had begun to doubt whether he had any talent for the Hundred Skills of Cultivation at all.
He had a talent for Beast Taming.
In the future, he and his older sister, Huang Mengzhu, could complement each other.
"From now on, come find me on the first and fifteenth of every month, and I will impart my experience in Beast Taming to you." As Han Fenglin spoke, he already regarded Huang Mengyang as his own apprentice.
With the talent from his Abnormal Spirit Root, it was only a matter of time before Huang Mengyang became an Inner Sect Disciple—by next year at the latest.
If he were to give Huang Mengyang a little more help, perhaps the boy could even break through to the late-stage of Qi Refining before the end of the year.
...
The conflict between the Celestial Cloud Sect and the Celestial Demon Sect intensified.
Battles at the Foundation Establishment Stage became more frequent.
Many Elders from Battle Peak had already clashed with Foundation Establishment Demons from the Celestial Demon Sect.
After these battles, a certain piece of news could no longer be kept secret.
Upon receiving the news, Jiang Yingtian, the Master of the Celestial Demon Sect’s Soul Destruction Hall, immediately convened a meeting.
All Soul Destruction Hall Elders who were currently in the sect were required to attend.
They also invited the best Artifact Refining Elder in the Celestial Demon Sect.
"Your deduction was wrong, Elder Ren. Look how little time has passed, yet the Spirit Refiners have already created a Lower Grade Spiritual Artifact to counter us." The Spirit Destruction Hall Master looked thoroughly displeased.
According to Elder Ren’s previous claims, it should have been impossible for the Spirit Refiners to create a Lower Grade Spiritual Artifact to counter them for at least a century or two.
Lower Grade Spiritual Artifacts and Upper Grade Magical Artifacts were completely different in nature.
While Upper Grade Magical Artifacts could only affect the disciples of the Celestial Demon Sect, Lower Grade Spiritual Artifacts could now affect most of the sect’s Elders.
"Normally, they shouldn’t have been able to create a Lower Grade Spiritual Artifact that is so effective against us this quickly," Elder Ren insisted, sticking to his opinion.
After all, they had made very little progress on refining their own Middle Grade Magical Artifacts to counter Spirit Refiners.
This just went to show how difficult it was to refine such magical artifacts.
"You say it’s impossible to create them so quickly, but they’ve already done it! If I hadn’t reacted fast enough and burned my blood essence to escape, I would be dead at the hands of a Celestial Cloud Sect Elder by now."
The Celestial Demon Sect Elder who had spoken looked extremely weak—a result of losing too much blood essence.
His life had been saved, so the loss was certainly worth it.
"Perhaps they had already created the Lower Grade Spiritual Artifact by the time we discovered these Upper Grade Magical Artifacts," Elder Ren said, proposing what he believed was the most likely possibility. "If they created the Lower Grade Spiritual Artifact first, it would be much easier to then create the Upper Grade Magical Artifact."
"And you’re just going to assume they made the Lower Grade Spiritual Artifact first?"
"You’ve never seen a Middle Grade Magical Artifact designed to counter us, have you?" Faced with the doubts from the Soul Destruction Hall Elders, Elder Ren quickly presented his second reason.
"This..."
The Spirit Destruction Hall Master replied, "We have indeed never seen that kind of Middle Grade Magical Artifact."
He had the most comprehensive information, and there were no reports from any Sect Disciples about such Middle Grade Magical Artifacts. The ones they encountered were all Upper Grade.
"Then we can boldly speculate that Fang Yun of the Celestial Cloud Sect must have unintentionally created this Lower Grade Spiritual Artifact, then subsequently developed the simpler Upper Grade Magical Artifact," Elder Ren said, growing more confident in his theory.
Only his theory could explain so many things.
This was especially true given his previous speculation that Fang Yun of the Celestial Cloud Sect wouldn’t have been able to create a Lower Grade Spiritual Artifact to counter them even if he used up his entire Life Span.
"Then tell me, Elder Ren, when do you think Fang Yun of the Celestial Cloud Sect will be able to create these Middle Grade Spiritual Artifacts?" the Spirit Destruction Hall Master asked, looking at Elder Ren.
If the spiritual artifacts used against them reached the Middle Grade, the vast majority of the Sect Elders would be affected.
"Are you certain that the Celestial Cloud Sect’s Elders haven’t used any Middle Grade Spiritual Artifacts against us?"
As Elder Ren asked this, he scanned all the Soul Destruction Hall Elders in attendance.
"I haven’t encountered one."
"I’ve fought a mid-stage Foundation Establishment Spirit Refiner from the Celestial Cloud Sect, and the Middle Grade Spiritual Artifact he used was a normal one."
The other Soul Destruction Hall Elders who spoke up all said something similar.
"If you are certain, then I estimate it will take Fang Yun of the Celestial Cloud Sect another seventy or eighty years to create such a Middle Grade Spiritual Artifact."
This time, unlike before, Elder Ren didn’t think that Fang Yun would be unable to make progress even if he exhausted his entire Life Span.
The leap from an Upper Grade Magical Artifact to a Lower Grade Spiritual Artifact is a huge one. In comparison, the step from a Lower Grade to a Middle Grade Spiritual Artifact is smaller.
"Seventy or eighty years... Fang Yun of the Celestial Cloud Sect had better not live that long."
"Is there any way to make Fang Yun leave the Celestial Cloud Sect on his own accord?"
"Don’t even think about it. If you were Fang Yun, what would make you leave the Celestial Cloud Sect? Given the current situation, isn’t it better to just stay obediently within the sect, focusing on Artifact Refining and Alchemy?"
"If I were a Supreme Elder of the Celestial Cloud Sect, I would do whatever it takes to keep Fang Yun from leaving the sect during this time."
The topic of how to get Fang Yun to leave the Celestial Cloud Sect was mentioned only in passing before being quickly dropped.
The vast majority of the Soul Destruction Hall Elders didn’t believe Fang Yun would leave the Celestial Cloud Sect at a time like this.
Once the discussion about the Lower Grade Spiritual Artifacts used against them by the Spirit Refiners concluded, Elder Ren left the Soul Destruction Hall.
The Soul Destruction Hall’s meeting continued.
Elder Di Shanhai had returned from Iron Tiger Manor, a Foundation Establishment Influence, for the meeting.
"Elder Di, has your investigation yielded any results?"
As soon as the Spirit Destruction Hall Master asked, most of the Elders present turned their gazes to Di Shanhai.
"Not yet." Di Shanhai shook his head. "The only lead we have is that the deaths of the Stone Demon Sect’s Leader and Vice Sect Leader, as well as the annihilation of the Feng Family, were very likely the work of a single person."
"Who could be that capable?"
"Within the Celestial Cloud Sect, the most likely Spirit Refiner is Long Xiangwen," Di Shanhai said.
Long Xiangwen is a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. He possesses impressive stealth techniques and is the third-ranking figure on the Celestial Cloud Sect’s Battle Peak.
Although there was no definitive answer yet, besides Long Xiangwen, the other suspects were highly unlikely.
The trouble for Di Shanhai was that the Spirit Destruction Hall Master required a definitive answer, not this vague speculation.
"Long Xiangwen... Very well, I understand. Elder Di, from now on, you no longer need to focus your efforts at Iron Tiger Manor on this matter."
"Yes, Hall Master." Di Shanhai was secretly delighted and responded at once.
He hadn’t expected the Spirit Destruction Hall Master to let him off the hook so easily.
If Mo Yuanhai were still alive, he would definitely be making snide remarks from the sidelines right now.
From this perspective, he found the death of his rival quite satisfying.
"Your duties will be heavier in the future. Instead of wasting your energy on this, you should be figuring out how to eliminate one or two of the Celestial Cloud Sect’s subordinate Foundation Establishment Influences."
Di Shanhai’s expression stiffened slightly.
This new task was undoubtedly much more difficult.
As long as the Celestial Cloud Sect could provide timely reinforcements, eliminating their subordinate Foundation Establishment Influences was an incredibly difficult task.
"Yes."
Di Shanhai could only brace himself and nod in agreement.
With the forces he could command, it wasn’t impossible to wipe out one of the Celestial Cloud Sect’s subordinate Foundation Establishment Influences. The real problem was that finding such an opportunity was exceptionally difficult.
...
「Celestial Cloud Sect, Artifact Casting Peak.」
Inside Fang Yun’s residence.
Bai Qinying had come to give Fang Yun some news.
"Junior Brother, the fact that you can refine Lower Grade Spiritual Artifacts specifically to counter Demons... the Celestial Demon Sect’s Demons probably know about it by now..."
After delivering the news, Bai Qinying briefly explained what had transpired.
An Elder from their Battle Peak had used one of the Lower Grade Spiritual Artifacts you refined but failed to kill an early-stage Foundation Establishment Demon from the Celestial Demon Sect.
It was a complete failure.
Bai Qinying knew better than anyone how effective the Lower Grade Spiritual Artifacts refined by Fang Yun were.
"The Celestial Demon Sect’s Demons are only just finding out now? I’m already making some headway on a Middle Grade Spiritual Artifact to counter them."
"Oh?" Bai Qinying’s eyes lit up. "Junior Brother," she asked immediately, "when do you think you’ll be able to reliably create that kind of Middle Grade Spiritual Artifact?"