2026-05-19 13:28:22Mo Qinghe guided Lin Yuan and Chen Ming into the Newbie Cultivators room. As Mo Qinghe entered the room, 10 students inside the room stood up, bowing to him in respect. Mo Qinghe introduced the new students to all of them.
“Introduce yourself,” Mo Qinghe stated, darting his head towards Lin Yuan and Chen Ming.
“Ni hao, I am Lin Yuan. Baby Beast Realm - Mid Stage Cultivator,” Lin Yuan introduced, coming forward, facing students. After introducing Lin Yuan bowed, and stepped back.
Immediately Chen Ming stepped forward. “I am Chen Ming, Baby Beast Realm - Mid Stage Cultivator. Same as Lin Yuan.” Chen Ming bowed, and stepped back.
“Take your seats,” Mo Qinghe stretched his hands forward, guiding Lin Yuan and Chen Ming.
Lin Yuan and Chen Ming walked towards empty seats, and sat.
“Yeah! Now! Let's start!” Mo Qinghe grunted, clasping his hands on back. “What is the foundation of cultivation?”
Silence followed across the room for a brief moment. Students exchanged glances at each other.
Then, a sturdy, black-haired boy stood up confidently.
“The foundation of cultivation is talent, master. Without any talent… one cannot progress forward.” Zhang Wei – the black-haired boy answered, confidently.
Mo Qinghe stared at the boy, no denial or no praise. “Sit, Zhang Wei.”
In an instant, another student stood up, he looked calm, his hair was brown in color, whipping sideways.
“It was the core beast. A stronger beast leads the cultivator into the strongest pathway. So, the core beast is the foundation of cultivation, master.” Li Xun answered nervously.
“Sit,” Mo Qinghe nodded his head slightly.
After a minute, a sharp, blue-eyed girl got up.
“Resources, Master. Without them, one cannot cultivate. So it was the foundation.”
“Sit,” Mo Qinghe darted his head slightly, his expression unchanged. All the answers sounded correct, but none felt complete.
After a long, painstaking minute, a black-haired boy stood up, his eyes shimmering in brown color.
“Master… I think the foundation of cultivation is bond,” Chen Ming hesitated, but his voice echoed across the room. “Even if the beast is strong… if the cultivator cannot control it, it’s useless. Even with talent… without stability, cultivation fails. So… My opinion and answer is that the foundation should be the connection between cultivator and beast and how well they grow together.”
Mo Qinghe turned his head toward Chen Ming, a faint smile crawled on his lips. “Correct!” His words echoed softly, but heavily.
“Yes… Talent, Resources, and beast ranks… These are just advantages.” Mo Qinghe continued, stepping forward and raising a finger. “But the true foundation of the cultivation is stability.”
“Stability of the body. Stability of the mind. And most importantly… Stability of the bond between you and your core beast.” Mo Qinghe stated, walking across the hall.
The students listened silently, but intently.
“Without stability, talent becomes arrogance, power becomes destruction, and mainly you will break first before you rise.” Mo Qinghe said, darting his eyes through the hall. “Remember this point: Many strong cultivators fall… not because they lack power,but because they lack foundation.”
Mo Qinghe’s eyes briefly linger on Lin Yuan, as if he sensed something different from him.
“Okay! Enough with theory!” Mo Qinghe announced.
Instantly, the atmosphere changed. Murmurs of the students started across the hall, but Lin Yuan stared at Mo Qinghe.
“Master Mo Qinghe, I think he is at Core Beast Realm - Lower Stage… I can say that by sensing his core aperture’s aura.” Lin Yuan analysed, his eyes darting on to Mo Qinghe. “Chen Ming, Do you know which beast master Mo Qinghe has?”
“Yes, it's a serpent,” Chen Ming stated, patting Lin Yuan’s back. “And you are correct… Master cultivation realm is Core Beast Realm - Lower Stage.”
Lin Yuan analysis by sensing one’s aura is correct — he used his past life knowledge, along with some information and senses of Lin Yuan to find out one’s cultivation stage.
“How do you know all these details?” Lin Yuan asked.
“My father explained all these things, Lin Yuan,” Chen Ming smiled, his eyes locked onto Mo Qinghe.
“It’s time for a trial to boost your bond with your core beast.” Mo Qinghe announced, his voice cutting through the murmurs across the hall.
“This is your first trial,” Mo Qinghe said, walking sideways in the room. “The trial will be held in Outer Beast Ridge, and the task is ‘Hunt and retrieve the beast cores’.”
“Minimum requirement is Rank 2 Beast Core for each person,” Mo Qinghe continued. “Reward is 20 Essence stones. You may work alone… or in groups, it's your wish. But the ridge doesn't care about your talent or power, if you are careless… you will not return.”
Students began to team up with each other, and left one after other to Outer Beast Ridge.
Lin Yuan stared outside with eerie silence.
“Team up?” Chen Ming asked, stretching his hand towards Lin Yuan with an elegant smile on his face.
Lin Yuan hesitated, darting his eyes towards Chen Ming, and then his hand. But finally he reached out to Chen Ming’s hand. “Let’s go… and win 20 Essence stones.”
Lin Yuan and Chen Ming tagged together, confidently walking towards the Outer Beast Ridge, which is located at 800 zhangs straight to the academy.
*zhang = 3.33 meters
On the way to the Outer Beast Ridge.
“Today, Headmaster saved our ass, Lin Yuan,” Chen Ming whispered, a fearful grin spreading on his lips. “I have never seen such a brutal death before.”
“Don’t worry, Chen Ming. Don’t be so scared. It was the main flaw which drags us back. Let’s forget that shit and think how to find a Rank 2 Beast now.” Lin Yuan reassured, patting Chen Ming’s back.
“Rank 2 Beast… Wild Hound, Wild Dog or maybe a Normal Snake.” Chen Ming sighed, thinking about beasts. “We need to find two Rank 2 beasts now.”
“Hey, Lin Yuan…” A voice called out from the backside 30 paces away.
Lin Yuan and Chen Ming suddenly halted, pivoting their heads backward slightly. The voice was Zhang Wei’s, and two members sprinting along with Zhang Wei towards Lin Yuan’s team.
“I am Zhang Wei, Nice to meet you, Lin Yuan and Chen Ming,” Zhang Wei introduced, extending his hand for hand shake.
Chen Ming reached Zhang Wei’s hand, turning stillness into a handshake. “Nice to meet you too, Zhang Wei.”
Instantly, Zhang Wei introduced the other two beside him, gesturing the hand towards them. First, he gestured his hand towards a white-haired elegant boy, his eyes were blackish-brown.
“This is Fenglian,” As Zhang Wei said his name, Fenglian bowed. And Zhang Wei slightly moved his hand towards an orange-haired boy, his eyes were pale blue and devoid of emotion. “This is Xiao Chen.” Xiao Chen bowed.
“The answer of yours for Master Mo Qinghe’s question was splendid, Chen Ming,” Zhang Wei smirked, continuing his explanation. “You are talented… Let’s team up, Chen Ming?”
Lin Yuan has a life experience of 50 years in his old life. Don’t know why, but Lin Yuan sensed no good feeling from Zhang Wei and their group. Even though they were smiling and talking politely, Lin Yuan felt something bad and his previous life experience instincts screamed at him to say ‘NO’.
“Let’s group together and finish this tra—”
“No, we are not interested. Our team was sufficient with both of us,” Lin Yuan sneered, declining the group proposal without any hesitation.
“But, Lin—” Chen Ming tried to convince him.
“Shut up, let’s talk about it later. Just come,” Lin Yuan interrupted, scolding Chen Ming.
After rejecting the proposal of Zhang Wei, Lin Yuan and Chen Ming turned back, walking towards the Outer Beast Ridge.
But, beside them Zhang Wei clicked his tongue. “This fucking bastard, Lin Yuan,” Zhang Wei cursed. “He dares to reject my treaty… I will kill him.”
Lin Yuan’s intent was correct. Zhang Wei’s intention to reach them was suspicious. Zhang Wei was jealous, because as a newcomer, Chen Ming answered the question instantly and got the best impression in the eyes of Master Mo Qinghe.
“Lin Yuan and Chen Ming, you will not go alive from the Outer Beast Ridge,” Zhang Wei whispered, his eyes filled with anger and jealousy.
The other two in the group of Zhang Wei also know about Zhang Wei, but they are with him in the cunning plot of Zhang Wei.
****
After a half-hour walk towards the Outer Beast Ridge.
Lin Yuan and other teams reached the Outer Beast Ridge. It was a vast forest. Every group split from all and walked inside the forest. Lin Yuan and Chen Ming walked slightly to the right side of the forest. Zhang Wei and their group observed Lin Yuan’s team direction.
“Humph.. Finally we are in, Chen Ming,” Lin Yuan gasped, letting out a pale breath. “Now, we need to search until a Rank 2 Beast appears before us.”
“Haha… We need to search… It’s a trial… and also we need to find the beast faster than other teams, Lin Yuan,” Chen Ming smirked, pushing Lin Yuan forward.
SWISHH!
A bush moved slightly, and a small rabbit came out from the bush. Lin Yuan and Chen Ming stared at the rabbit. It's a Rank 1 Beast. Lin Yuan and Chen Ming exchanged their looks.
Lin Yuan stood still without moving, meticulously turning his hand towards the rabbit. It was such a precise movement, the rabbit couldn’t find out that Lin Yan moved.
“Shell Strike!” Lin Yuan whispered.
Immediately, a beam of green light shot out from Lin Yuan’s hand. The rabbit tried to jump sideways, but Lin Yuan was a genius. He aimed the shot sideways, but he took one gamble: he aimed his hand to the right side of the rabbit. The gamble here is the side which rabbit tries to jump.
Lin Yuan grinned, luck is on his side. The rabbit jumped right side, leaving the beam piercing through its neck perfectly. The rabbit stunned in mid-air, and fell on the ground with a loud thud. With the sudden drop impact, the left eye popped out from its sack. The rabbit is dead.
Lin Yuan sprinted towards the rabbit, and placed his left hand on the rabbit. After a few seconds, a pale-white Rank 1 beast core was extracted from the rabbit. With a snap of his right hand, the beast core instantly vanished into his command. Lin Yuan's group acquired a Rank 1 Beast core now, but the target is Rank 2 Beast core.
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Dawn
The dawn that broke over the academy the following morning was thin and watery, painting the granite compound in dreary shades of slate and ash. A low, clinging fog rolled in from the surrounding peaks, pooling thick around the ankles of the fourteen disciples as they stood assembled before the heavy iron-reinforced doors of the underground sectors. The air was bitingly cold, carrying the damp, ancient smell of subterranean stone and rusted gears.Lin Yuan stood in his usual position at the rear flank, his shoulder lightly resting against the moss-slicked brickwork of the main entrance wall. His posture remained perfectly loose, his hands tucked into the wide sleeves of his simple grey robes. Within his soul aperture, the thirty-one percent jade-green essence pool sat with a heavy, glassy stillness. The grueling compression exercises from the day before had entirely smoothed out any remaining volatility in his meridians; his energy no longer felt like a fluid current, but rather a sol
Thirty-one percent
The morning sun could not pierce the heavy gray clouds that hung over the academy. On the large granite square, the air was still cold. Gu Fang Xin had just been carried away by the medical disciples. His broken arm was a clear warning to everyone else. The remaining thirteen disciples stood in a straight line, their eyes fixed on the stone floor. No one spoke. The absolute silence was heavy.Master Teng Lianhua walked slowly to the center of the square. His heavy leather whip smacked against his thigh with a dull sound. He stopped right in front of Lin Yuan. His dark eyes were sharp like needles."Look at him," Lianhua said. His voice was low and rough. It carried to every corner of the granite square. "Lin Yuan easily defeated the other disciples. Why?"He paused and glared at the line of students. Chen Ming was holding his bandaged ribs, listening intently. Xiao Lanxue stood perfectly still, her face pale."Because you all treat your beast essence like a performance," Lianhua growl
Trial of Combat (3)
The clearing was dead silent save for the ragged, desperate gasps of the remaining disciples struggling within their respective water locks. The fine blue mist from Lin Yuan’s shattered sphere hung in the air like a shimmering shroud, slowly dampening the iron-hard earth.Master Teng Lianhua did not speak immediately. His dark eyes remained fixed on Lin Yuan, his massive chest rising and falling as the Abyssal Water-Bear behind him slowly dissolved back into his shadow, its dark blue form rippling away like a receding tide. The shock within the instructor’s mind was profound. In the long history of the academy, no disciple at the Spirit Beast Realm had ever dismantled a Core Beast Realm intent lock through pure, unadulterated spatial calibration."Stand down, Lin Yuan," Lianhua finally rasped, his voice carrying a rare, heavy gravity that cut through the sounds of the clearing. He waved his hand toward the remaining four spheres, manually dialing back their internal pressure before the
Trial of Combat (2)
The dissipation of the sensory suppression array felt like a sudden, violent tearing of a heavy silk veil. As the invisible grey barrier dissolved into the damp forest floor, the true atmosphere of the outside world rushed back into Lin Yuan’s senses. The air inside the deep, rocky ravine became lighter, and the suffocating pressure that had choked his mind for forty-eight continuous hours vanished into the canopy of the iron woods.Before him, the towering split-will phantom of Master Teng Lianhua flickered twice, its translucent grey form dissolving into a scattering of harmless spiritual sparks that merged back into the ambient air.Lin Yuan stood entirely still in the center of the clearing. His simple robes were torn at the hem and marked with the dark dust of the iron trees, but his skin was completely unmarked by a single welt or laceration. Inside his aperture, the newly refined leaf-green essence pool settled with an oceanic, heavy stillness. It rested at a solid twenty-nine
Trial of Combat
The skewering doors of the assembly hall closed behind the fifteen disciples as they filed out into the blinding midday sun. The air outside was warm, but compared to the suffocating, iron-heavy atmosphere of Master Teng Lianhua’s gravitational array, it felt like a brief reprieve. Yet, no one was celebrating. The ominous promise of the long trial lingering over the disciples like a gathering storm cloud.Lin Yuan walked at the back of the crowd, his steps light and unhurried. Inside his aperture, the newly refined leaf-green essence pool settled comfortably at twenty-six percent. The microscopic calibrations he had forced his body to make during the Flash-Point Skirmish had ironed out the residual turbulence from his sudden breakthrough to the Mid Stage of the Spirit Beast Realm. He could feel the quality of his energy; it was no longer just a loose mass of spiritual power, but a highly compressed, responsive force coiled tightly around his body.As they crossed the central courtyard
Combat training
The heavy stone doors of the central hall groaned as they were pulled shut, cutting off the crisp morning air and locking the fifteen disciples inside a chamber of cold granite and shadowed pillars. The absolute silence within the walls was a stark contrast to the chaotic roaring that had filled the colosseum just a day prior. The iron-tinged scent of vaporized blood and the rancid, sulfurous odor of demonic essence had been scrubbed from the stone tiles outside, but the mental stains left by the final match remained deeply embedded in the minds of everyone present.Lin Yuan stood near the back of the assembly, his arms crossed loosely over his chest, his back leaning against a smooth, nameless stone column. His posture was entirely devoid of the rigid tension that characterized the other students. Inside his aperture, the leaf-green essence pool swirled with a slow, deliberate fluidity, like deep river water settling after a violent storm. His victory over Gu Shiyan had been absolute,
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