Chapter 215 : Fish Leaps Over the Dragon Gate
Chapter 215: Fish Leaps Over the Dragon Gate
The cultivation grades of Companion Landscape Methods were not much different from the division of cultivators’ Spiritual Roots, separated into four grades: Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow.
The higher the grade of a Landscape Method, the greater the difficulty in cultivation, and also the greater the potential ceiling of the Landscape one could forge. However, it did not represent the lower limit of a Landscape.
Thus, compared with the grade of the Landscape Method, what was even more important for ordinary cultivators of the Immortal Alliance was the strength of their Companion Beast’s bloodline.
But for the peerless prodigies of the Immortal Alliance, both the bloodline of the Companion Beast and the grade of the Landscape Method were equally important.
When the two were combined, they could most likely forge a supreme and incomparably powerful Landscape.
The methods inherited by the Yuqing Immortal Sect, Shangqing Immortal Sect, and Taiqing Immortal Sect were none other than the renowned Legendary-Grade Landscape Method of the Immortal Alliance, the [Three Purities Companion Landscape Immortal Method].
This method was a tightly guarded secret, and its might was no weaker than the [Cave-Heaven Companion Landscape Immortal Method] of the Five Great Grotto-Heavens.
Yet, it had a flaw that could not be ignored—the entry threshold was extremely high, and without heaven-defying comprehension, it was almost impossible to begin cultivation.
It was no exaggeration to say that even within the Upper Three Immortal Sects, prodigies who could comprehend the Three Purities Companion Landscape Immortal Method during the Foundation Establishment stage were as rare as one in a thousand.
True Monarch Ni Xia, Su Miao, was no exception.
She had failed in cultivating the Three Purities Companion Landscape Immortal Method during her Foundation Establishment stage, and instead switched to the Immortal Alliance’s commonly used Earth-Grade method, the [Beast-Taming Companion Landscape Method].
This Earth-Grade Landscape Method had a much lower threshold. Seven or eight out of ten prodigies who entered the Thirteen Immortal Sects could comprehend it at the peak of Foundation Establishment.
The disciples of the Seven-Nine Upper Sects, however, were far inferior, with most needing to reach Golden Core True Person before they could begin comprehension.
It was precisely because of this that True Monarch Su Miao had taken notice of Chen Beiwu.
As the only peerless prodigy on the Newcomer Rankings with dual top-grade comprehension, Chen Beiwu might very well have a chance to comprehend the Three Purities Companion Landscape Immortal Method.
Thinking of this, True Monarch Su Miao lightly tapped her fingertip. The flowing Companion Landscape before her shifted once more, revealing the vivid image of a young Mirage Flood Dragon.
“Observation of form is not done with the eyes, but with destiny.”
“The body of the Companion Beast is a stele forged by heaven and earth, its bloodline the inscriptions upon it.”
“To forge the Initial Landscape, you may use the essence blood of the Companion Beast as the key to unlock the stele, and with your own divine sense and spiritual power as the brush, inscribe the image of the Companion Beast’s True Spirit.”
Finishing her explanation, and seeing that the gathered students had gained some insights, True Monarch Su Miao smiled faintly.
“Now begins free practice. Students whose names are called may come forward to visualize the True Spirit of their Companion Beast, and I will point out the flaws one by one.”
“Li Hang.”
“Jiang Xiaojun.”
“Deng Xuanfeng.”
“……”
As students went on stage one after another, visualizing and sketching out all kinds of True Spirit images—most of which deviated greatly from the evolutionary paths of their Companion Beasts—True Monarch Su Miao’s gaze turned toward him.
“Chen Beiwu.”
Hearing his name, Chen Beiwu rose and walked to the stage, taking out the Gold Egg from his Spirit Beast Pouch.
“Gulu!”
The moment it appeared, the Gold Egg was startled by the nearby True Monarch Su Miao, immediately shrinking back behind Chen Beiwu.
‘Interesting. This mutated Golden Scale actually bears a faint resemblance to a flood dragon.’ True Monarch Su Miao’s interest was piqued, curious to see what Companion True Spirit Chen Beiwu would visualize.
Ignoring the stares of senior brothers and sisters below the stage, Chen Beiwu entered the state of Tai Xuan Guarding the One, condensing his divine sense to the utmost limit. He recalled the vision he had seen when his flawless foundation was forged, when his soul had left his body.
“Buzz!”
Following his intent, under Chen Beiwu’s concentrated visualization, an ancient Divine Tree that pierced through heaven and earth slowly took form. It exuded an aura of primordial wilderness, but it lacked the heart-shaking might of True Monarch Su Miao’s demonstrated Initial Landscape, [Mirage Clouds Birth the Flood Dragon].
‘???’
‘Wasn’t the Golden Scale a water-type Spirit Beast? How did Chen Beiwu visualize a Divine Tree?’
‘Water nourishes wood, and wood can also be born from water. Seems this dual-top-grade prodigy has ambitions far beyond the ordinary.’ Li Hang revealed a look of amusement, as if watching a good show.
Companion Landscapes could, to a certain degree, influence the future evolutionary path of a Companion Beast’s bloodline.
For example, a cultivator who forged the [Great Sun Golden Crow World-Burning Supreme Landscape] could, through the Landscape’s stimulation, awaken the latent bloodline of a bird-type fire Companion Beast, gradually transforming it toward the legendary Golden Crow of the Great Sun, even seizing the authority of the Sun itself.
A cultivator who forged the [Heavenly Gang Sword Mound Dragon-Burying Supreme Landscape] could allow a sword-type Companion Beast to bury ten thousand weapons and prove the Dao, gradually awakening into the supreme immortal sword said to have buried true dragons.
A cultivator who forged the [Ten Thousand Thunders Kui Ox Tribulation-Treading Supreme Landscape] could lead a thunder-type Companion Beast to draw upon the power of heavenly tribulation, using the Landscape’s might to refine its force, step by step becoming the Kui Ox that governed thunder tribulations.
It was no exaggeration to say that every prodigy of the Immortal Alliance dreamed of forging a Supreme Landscape.
Yet, forging such a Landscape was exceedingly difficult.
The more a cultivator visualized, and the more they sought to construct a world-shaking Supreme Landscape, the more likely they were to fail.
After all, cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage had low cultivation bases. For a first-time lecture to result in the visualization of a Companion Beast’s True Spirit was already proof of remarkable talent.
In Li Hang’s eyes, however, Chen Beiwu’s attempt to soar to the heavens in a single step by visualizing an Initial Landscape was nothing short of arrogance.
‘Too forceful.’ True Monarch Su Miao was somewhat surprised.
For Foundation Establishment cultivators, visualizing the Companion Beast’s True Spirit was not about being as strong as possible, but about being appropriate.
Though Chen Beiwu’s visualization of the Heaven-Piercing Divine Tree had some charm, it was inconsistent with the true nature of the mutated Golden Scale’s attributes.
“Buzz!”
The next moment, under the guidance of Chen Beiwu’s vast divine sense, the illusory Divine Tree suddenly collapsed, causing the earth veins to surge, transforming into a silver heavenly river that connected heaven and earth, endlessly flowing.
And within that boundless river, a thread of golden light surged upstream, leaping high, revealing a pair of vertical golden dragon eyes radiating unrivaled majesty.
In the instant those dragon eyes appeared, the entire Fish Leaps Over the Dragon Gate True Spirit Image abruptly shattered.
Chen Beiwu’s face turned pale, his divine sense nearly exhausted within his Spiritual Platform, unable to continue the visualization.
It was clear that with his current cultivation base, he was still far from being able to construct a complete Initial Landscape.
“Not bad. To reach this level in your first visualization of a Companion Beast’s True Spirit… are you interested in becoming my personal disciple?” True Monarch Su Miao’s eyes brightened.
The Yuqing Immortal Sect possessed countless prodigies.
She had taught many with excellent comprehension, who could, after a single lecture, visualize the True Spirit of their Companion Beast.
Yet compared to those who merely repeated what they were taught, Chen Beiwu gave True Monarch Su Miao an entirely different feeling.
Simply put—Chen Beiwu was more creative!
From that Fish Leaps Over the Dragon Gate True Spirit Image, it was evident that Chen Beiwu had profound understanding of the All Laws Converge, Heaven Book of the Divine Tree, enabling him to draw inferences from one method to another, combining the true intent of that cultivation method with the Beast-Taming Companion Landscape Method. Thus, he visualized the embryonic form of an Initial Landscape perfectly attuned to his own path, standing above all other students present.
“Forgive me, True Monarch,” Chen Beiwu said with a troubled expression. “This student has already taken a master—his teacher is True Venerable Changqing of Dongming.”
At this name, True Monarch Su Miao’s pupils constricted slightly, but she quickly regained her calm.