Chapter 168 : Water and Wood as Illusion
Chapter 168: Water and Wood as Illusion
After advancing to the Second Realm, there was no significant change in the innate water essence within Golden Egg’s Origin Meridian. It remained a Mystic-Grade Origin Meridian, providing Chen Beiwu with three points of spiritual root enhancement.
This was very normal.
Even if Golden Egg evolved through bloodline into a Third-Tier Treasure Beast, limited by his cultivation realm, it was impossible for its Origin Meridian to transform into the legendary Legendary-Grade Origin Meridian.
After all, even Fourth-Tier Mystic Beasts did not necessarily possess such a thing.
Thinking of this, Chen Beiwu’s mind stirred, and he looked toward Golden Egg’s Attribute Meridians.
“Metal 90, Wood 83, Water 94, Fire 18, Earth 79.”
Chen Beiwu’s pupils contracted, surprise flashing in his eyes.
A cultivator’s spiritual root aptitude was difficult to change, even if one’s cultivation realm advanced. The purity of spiritual roots was hardly ever altered.
Unless one cultivated specific spiritual root purification methods or consumed heaven-and-earth treasures aligned with the Five Elements, there was no way to change spiritual root aptitude.
But Companion Beasts were different!
Because they were cherished by heaven and earth, as their cultivation realms improved, the bloodline within them became purer, and their Five Element Attribute Meridians strengthened accordingly.
Compared to before, Golden Egg’s Five Element Attribute Meridians had increased by one point each in Metal, Wood, and Water roots.
This was an aptitude so terrifying that even Third-Tier Treasure Beasts might not possess it!
“Hu!”
Chen Beiwu exhaled a turbid breath, suppressing the joy in his heart.
He needed calmness, not arrogance!
According to the Immortal Alliance records, Golden Egg’s Five Element Attribute Meridians merely surpassed the Third-Tier Lower-Grade Treasure Beast Gold Dragon Carp, but were still inferior to the Third-Tier Upper-Grade Treasure Beast Gold-Horned Flood Dragon.
Meanwhile, Golden Egg swam joyfully around the Cultivation Room, occasionally raising its head above the pool’s surface to admire itself, wearing an intoxicated expression.
Clearly, Golden Egg was very satisfied with its post-advancement changes, and its loyalty toward Chen Beiwu was skyrocketing.
The only regret Golden Egg felt was that its head remained somewhat round—it was still a fish’s head.
It had not developed a dragon’s head, whiskers, mane, claws, or tail, and thus did not yet appear sufficiently majestic or awe-inspiring.
Chen Beiwu activated his divine sense, gazing into Golden Egg’s Law Meridian. Ninety-nine basic Dao Marks glowed brilliantly.
“Not bad, to actually possess ninety-nine years of cultivation!” Chen Beiwu was very satisfied.
For human Foundation Establishment cultivators, one small realm equated to a Second Realm Lesser Beast’s hundred years of cultivation.
Simply put, an early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator was generally equivalent to a Second Realm Lesser Beast with 50–150 years of cultivation.
By extension:
Mid-stage Foundation Establishment: 151–300 years.
Late-stage Foundation Establishment: 301–400 years.
Foundation Establishment Peak: 401–499 years.
In theory, a Second Realm Lesser Beast that had just advanced would only possess about fifty years of cultivation.
Golden Egg’s astonishingly high cultivation was most likely due to the medicinal power of the Yin-Yang Blood-Purifying Pill.
At this thought, Chen Beiwu’s eyes lit up with anticipation. His divine sense probed deeper into Golden Egg’s Law Meridian, discovering four newly-formed Companion Beast Imprints imbued with the rhythm of heaven and earth.
【Might of the Flood Dragon】
【Flower in the Mist】
【Truth or Illusion】
【Ruyi】
Chen Beiwu’s spirit trembled. With a thought, he borrowed the strength of the Companion Beast Imprints and effortlessly activated Golden Egg’s first innate gift.
“Weng!”
Before Golden Egg’s incredulous eyes, an intangible might of a flood dragon exploded from Chen Beiwu as the center.
Golden Egg’s body sank, crashing from mid-air to the ground, faintly hearing a dragon’s roar echo by its ears.
“Gulu?”
Golden Egg tilted its head, confusion brimming in its gaze.
‘What, you don’t even recognize your own innate gift?’ Chen Beiwu chuckled.
Golden Egg shook its head.
Of course, it knew its own innate gift.
It was only astonished that the Might of the Flood Dragon Chen Beiwu released was so pure, so powerful, as if it came from kin.
“Flower in the Mist?” Seeing this familiar gift, Chen Beiwu’s gaze flickered with interest.
If he recalled correctly, Flower in the Mist should be the first realm of the sect’s secret art Mirror Flower, Water Moon.
“You try releasing Flower in the Mist first.”
Upon hearing this, Golden Egg exhaled a breath of white mist, condensing a Mist-Flower Mirror at the boundary of reality and illusion.
Chen Beiwu’s mind stirred, instantly casting the Water Prison Technique upon Golden Egg.
Hundreds of icy-blue chains shot skyward, encircling Golden Egg completely.
The next moment, the Mist-Flower Mirror before Golden Egg shone with brilliance.
The overwhelming icy-blue chains immediately reversed direction, binding Chen Beiwu—the very caster—instead.
Chen Beiwu’s eyes shone with delight.
He had guessed correctly. Unlike the crude prototype Golden Egg had grasped after consuming the Mirror Flower, Water Moon Jade Slip, this was the true 【Flower in the Mist】.
“Could it be?” Chen Beiwu’s gaze shifted toward the Truth or Illusion gift.
Though he had only acquired the first realm jade slip of Mirror Flower, Water Moon from the Transmission Hall, he was aware of the second realm’s name.
“Gulu.”
Understanding Chen Beiwu’s intent, Golden Egg closed its eyes and activated the Truth or Illusion gift.
In the next instant, a gale swept forth, and a lifelike True Dragon manifested before Chen Beiwu’s eyes.
Its head bore coral-like horns, its eyes blazed like molten gold torches, long whiskers trailed from its jaw, a mane grew from its spine, its claws grasped clouds, and its tail danced with wind and thunder, radiating divine majesty.
Chen Beiwu extended a finger, gently tapping the dragon scales, clearly sensing their impregnable defense.
The second realm of Mirror Flower, Water Moon was called Distorting Reality and Illusion—the realm of “Zhuang Zhou Dreaming of a Butterfly, Truth or Illusion.”
A cultivator stepping into this realm could use spiritual power to create illusions, confuse others’ six senses, shake their mind with falsehoods, and even imperceptibly alter memories.
Its power far surpassed the Second-Tier Spiritual Art Mist of Phantoms that Chen Beiwu had mastered.
The reason Golden Egg suddenly appeared as a True Dragon in his eyes was because he had fallen into the illusion woven by the Truth or Illusion gift.
‘That’s enough, release it.’
As Chen Beiwu’s thought fell, the True Dragon instantly reverted to Golden Egg.
Taking a deep breath, Chen Beiwu’s gaze toward Golden Egg had completely changed.
In his view, there were two possibilities for Golden Egg’s ability to evolve the second realm of Mirror Flower, Water Moon.
First, the Mirror Flower, Water Moon jade slip might have secretly contained the second realm, though he had failed to comprehend it. After Golden Egg devoured it with its Sea-Absorbing gift, it naturally assimilated and mastered it.
Second, Water and Wood formed Illusion. The Heaven Book of the Divine Tree, All Laws Converge, was extremely compatible with Mirror Flower, Water Moon.
Coupled with Golden Egg’s extraordinary talent in illusions, after grasping Flower in the Mist, its bloodline had spontaneously evolved Truth or Illusion.
The first possibility was slim. Chen Beiwu leaned toward the second.
After all, the sect was not a charity. It would not hand out two realms of a secret art without reason. Instead, it would use such methods to keep cultivators tethered with sect tasks.
“Gulu?”
Golden Egg happily swam up to Chen Beiwu, pride written all over its face.
Even a false dragon was still a dragon!
To activate Truth or Illusion and transform into a True Dragon was no different from fulfilling a dream for Golden Egg.
Yet once the illusion faded, the emptiness in its heart only intensified its longing to truly evolve into a dragon.
Chen Beiwu nodded, his divine sense sweeping past the familiar Ruyi Spiritual Art, settling on the two beams of treasure light blooming within Golden Egg’s Law Meridian.
These were, without a doubt, Third-Tier Treasure Arts—something only Third-Tier Treasure Beasts could possess!