Chapter 38: Dear Xiao Bai
Ao Tian said: “Of the five masters, ‘Pill, Artifact, Charm, Music,’ except for Beast Tamers, not a single master does not rely on soul power. Taking Talisman Masters as an example, although they are mainly divided into Talisman Makers and Array Masters, whether it’s drawing talismans or setting up formations, both require soul power as support.”
“If soul power is strong, talismans are strong, and formations are strong; if soul power is weak, talismans are weak, and formations are weak. If there is a lot of soul power, there can be many talismans and large formations; if there is little soul power, there can be few talismans and small formations.”
“I can see that although your soul power is slightly higher than ordinary Golden Core Stage cultivators, it doesn’t even have the capacity of a small stream. Naturally, the talismans you draw are few, especially since you drew a formation, which consumes the most soul power.”
“Soul power is consumed quickly, but its replenishment is far from as rapid as spiritual power. If you continue to draw forcefully like this, you will only end up with a collapsed sea of consciousness and your soul power dispersed.”
In other words, Ming Zhaoshuang would become an idiot.
Ao Tian added:
“Although Beast Tamers do not rely on soul power, for a Beast Tamer to reach the pinnacle, they must possess powerful soul power. After all, even the most top-tier spiritual beasts require a combination of grace and might to become one’s aid.”
Ming Zhaoshuang thought, “So that’s how it is,” and then gave Ao Tian a particularly bright smile:
“Then thank you, my dear Xiao Bai.”
Ao Tian blushed at her smile and said, curling his tail, “How can you not know such basic common sense?”
“Then teach me.”
Ming Zhaoshuang looked at the proud dragon and said with a smile.
“Our dragon race is not good at teaching others.”
Ao Tian’s golden eyes indifferently glanced at Ming Zhaoshuang. Seeing a fleeting look of disappointment in her eyes, he coughed again and said:
“However, your candies are delicious, and they can serve as the tuition for me to teach you.”
Ming Zhaoshuang’s eyes lit up: “Really!”
Ao Tian once again feigned a prim cough: “I also need many storybooks like this.”
As he spoke, his dragon claw pointed to a corner of a scroll on the desk. Ming Zhaoshuang looked closely and saw several large characters written on it—”The Sect Master’s Daughter is Five and a Half, Doted on by the Entire Sect.”
Ming Zhaoshuang found it amusing that this dragon disliked cultivation classics and actually liked such nutritionally devoid novels; it was indeed a little cute.
She stood up, took several similar novels from the bookshelf, placed them in front of Ao Tian, and said to him with a smile:
“Then, my dear Xiao Bai, can you teach me now?”
She had to admit, she also enjoyed reading these nutritionally empty novels when she had nothing else to do.
Ao Tian lowered his eyes and indeed saw titles that satisfied him:
《 To Ascend, One Must Fall in Love 》
《 The Immortals Kneel, the Ninth Miss Feng Doesn’t Want to Go Mad Today 》
《 Must Fall in Love to Ascend 》
《 All Immortals Kneel, Miss Feng Jiu Doesn’t Want to Be Mad Today 》
《 Sweet Daily Life with His Majesty the Dragon King 》
《 Martial Uncle, Stop Acting Aloof, the Dragon Consort Has Arrived, Please Welcome Her 》
“I think you need to start from the very basics.”
Ao Tian concealed the smile in his eyes and said with feigned seriousness:
“Compared to sword cultivators, other professions are less common in the cultivation world, so many clans and sects do not have dedicated institutions for learning them.”
“Even the relatively popular ‘Pill, Artifact, Charm, Music’ masters only have a few clans and sects that establish them. A major reason for this is that practicing these offers no possibility, or rather, no qualification, for ascension.”
What is the purpose of cultivation? Isn’t it for ascension? If one cannot ascend, what is the meaning of cultivation?
“Why is that?”
Ming Zhaoshuang asked, “Aren’t these all forms of cultivation? Why is it only sword cultivators who can ascend?”
A faint golden light flickered in Ao Tian’s eyes:
“Perhaps it’s the rules of the Heavenly Dao. Since ancient times, there have been no ascenders other than sword cultivators.”
“Even among the Dragon Race, no dragon has ascended except for sword cultivators. Even if one did, it’s because they primarily practiced the sword, as dragons are naturally capable of learning any spell.”
“The same applies to the top practitioners in ‘Pill, Artifact, Charm, Music’.”
“Medicine Saint Yixu was born with a poisonous body and could make pills like scattering beans, commanding troops and generals. However, despite living for eight thousand years, she only reached the Tribulation Crossing Mid Stage before she died.”
“Artificing Saint Ou Ziye was born with divine strength and could forge a thousand divine weapons, surpassing all things. But after five thousand years of exhausting effort, he only reached the Tribulation Crossing Mid Stage.”
“Talisman Saint Wei Shuo was born with spiritual eyes and could draw with his brush, creating talismans with immense power. However, heaven envied his talent, and he died at only fifteen hundred years old, leaving behind only the Talisman Saint’s Secret Realm.”
“Music Saint Yiqi Huang could shake mountains and stir armies. But after thirteen thousand years, only a handful of soil and a tomb remained; he could only reach the Late-stage Tribulation Transcension.”
Ming Zhaoshuang noticed that Ao Tian, the Beast Tamer, had not been mentioned and asked, “What about the Beast Taming Saint?”
“The Beast Taming Saint,” Ao Tian narrowed his eyes, a hint of darkness flashing in his golden gaze: “I thought every cultivator knew the deeds of the Beast Taming Saint.”
Ming Zhaoshuang thought that the original novel only mentioned the Talisman Saint, Artificing Saint, and Music Saint who were related to the male protagonist. The Beast Taming Saint never appeared. Beast Tamers also rarely appeared in public view, so she naturally wouldn’t know who the Beast Taming Saint was.
However, soon, that faint voice sounded, answering her doubts.
“Beast Taming Saint Feng He, envied by heaven for her talent, died at the young age of a thousand years.”
“She was not only a friend to Medicine Saint Yixu, Artificing Saint Ou Ziye, Talisman Saint Wei Shuo, and Music Saint Yiqi Huang, but also the wife, master, and beloved of Dragon King Ao Tian, the last ascender ten thousand years ago.”
Speaking of which, Ao Tian seemed to recall something and said with some amusement:
“The Dragon King was merely one of the ordinary spiritual beasts under her command. She controlled at least a hundred dragons. So, the Dragon King, seeking uniqueness, even requested to actively sign a Life and Death Contract, becoming the most subservient dragon under her command.”
After the Dragon King ascended, this almost became a topic of conversation for all dragons in the Dragon Domain during their leisure time.
“Of course, this is just one of her most inconspicuous shining points, as she herself is even more admirable than these.”
“Beast Taming Saint Feng He was born in a small place called Ao Tian Sect in the Lower Cultivation World, with humble origins, like a blade of grass. Fortunately, she had extraordinary talent, possessing two Innate Spirit Roots, which was unprecedented and unique.”
“Initially, because Innate Spirit Roots could not coexist with other spirit roots, she could only utilize the effects of her supreme Wind Spirit Root and supreme Wood Spirit Root. However, even so, she became a Deity Transformation cultivator before she was even a hundred years old and entered the Upper Cultivation World.”
“Although she is now honored as the ‘Beast Taming Saint,’ she was a genuine sword cultivator back then and the first human in the cultivation world to dare to dual-cultivate sword and beast taming. She is the only cultivator in tens of thousands of years to have successfully dual-cultivated.”
“Her swordsmanship was swift and sharp, with myriad changes, so much so that even the Dragon King could not withstand it. Every sparring session, she would beat him into repeated pleas for mercy.”
At this point, Ao Tian paused again.
Well, this was also a topic of conversation among their dragon race.
“Especially after she formed a Dao Companion with the Dragon King in the Upper Cultivation World, dispelling the influence of her Innate Dual Spiritual Roots, her ultimate wind became the nightmare of cultivators of that era. Her ultimate wood also granted her near-immortality, with the ability to revive the dead and heal flesh.”
“At the age of two hundred, she led the disciples of the Ao Tian Sect at that time to win first place in the Upper Cultivation World’s Sect Grand Competition, deeply engraving the name ‘Ao Tian Sect’ into the hearts of everyone in the Upper Cultivation World.”
“At the age of three hundred, she led the Five Sages and others to the Demon Realm, slaying rebel ministers, supporting the new emperor, and rebuilding the order of the Demon Realm. To this day, the Demon Realm respects her greatly.”
“At the age of four hundred, she ventured alone into the Underworld, battling Emperor Fengdu. A Mahayana cultivator slaying a Tribulation Crossing cultivator, she arrogantly inscribed her name and that of her companion, Ao Tian, on the Three Lives Stone.”
“At the age of five hundred, she became the youngest Tribulation Crossing cultivator in history, and her sect, Ao Tian Sect, also became the foremost sect in the cultivation world.”
“At the age of six hundred, the Devil Realm and the Underworld joined forces to invade the Immortal Realm. She led tens of thousands of beasts and birds, fighting the Devil Emperor alone in over a hundred battles without a single defeat, while the Five Sages and others played a pivotal role, each fighting against a thousand troops.”
“At the age of seven hundred, after the great victory in the Devil-Underworld War, she and her friends were jointly canonized as Saints by the world, beloved by the people, and worshipped by the living.”
“For the next three hundred years, she lived in seclusion in the Dragon Domain Outer Heaven, which is the last of the Thirty-Six Heavens, and never reappeared.”
