Chapter 12

"Mana!"

Feeding pills to spirit beasts could also grant mana—this was beyond Yu Zhangsheng's expectations.

He felt the mana within him approaching Qi Refining Fourth Layer, unsure whether this reward was a random trigger or if feeding Spirit-Enhancing Pills would always grant it.

If he could gain it every time, then a single Spirit-Enhancing Pill could practically be used as two! Moreover, he wouldn't need to painstakingly refine pills himself; he could hand them to the spirit beast and enjoy the fruits of its labor! If he contracted more spirit beasts in the future, feeding one pill each, he might break through a realm in a single night! Just thinking about that scene was simply wonderful.

"Surely I must learn Alchemy in the future, so that neither my realm nor my spirit beast's realm falls behind."

"By the way, how is Chi She Wang doing?"

Yu Zhangsheng turned his head, and the system's information appeared before his eyes.

【Denomination】: Chi She Wang

【Realm】: First Rank Fifth Layer

【Comprehension】: 55 【Current Status】: Excited "First Rank Fifth Layer!"

Yu Zhangsheng felt a surge of joy in his heart.

Chi She Wang's breakthrough filled him with confidence.

And Chi She Wang wagged its tail, excitedly circling Yu Zhangsheng, wishing to give its Master a big hug.

In just one month, it had broken through from First Rank Third Layer to First Rank Fifth Layer; if the spirit beasts in the Beast Garden knew this speed, they would surely be filled with envy and jealousy.

The rise in realm and the transformation of its race filled Chi She Wang with hope for the future, resolving never to be lazy again, cultivating four hours a day—no, five hours a day! It wanted to become diligent, making up for the time wasted in the Beast Garden, until it could match a Golden Core Cultivator, then it would have the power to kill those villains and avenge its parents! Chi She Wang was smarter than other spirit beasts; shortly after birth, it had followed Wei Lao at the Beast Garden, knowing its parents died in a Quest, and an Inner Sect Disciple—its parents' Master—had perished with them.

And the culprit behind all this, that Sect, it always kept in mind.

Previously, knowing the gap was too great, it had chosen to give up; now seeing hope, it naturally had to strive! Chi She Wang nuzzled its head into Yu Zhangsheng's embrace, turning around ingratiatingly.

It secretly resolved in its heart that it would surely protect its Master well.

"Stop turning, turn any more and you'll strangle me."

Yu Zhangsheng patted Chi She Wang's head, dispelling its suffocating affection.

"What a pity about the last Spirit-Enhancing Pill; if I had fed it to you, I might have broken through to Qi Refining Fourth Layer."

He secretly regretted it, after all who could have imagined that feeding spirit beasts could bring an increase in his own mana; it seemed he would have to try more in the future, to see if he could develop new rewards! Yu Zhangsheng lowered his head to observe his panel.

【Name: Yu Zhangsheng】

【Realm: Qi Refining Third Heaven】

【Constitution: Spirit Beast Affinity】

【Arts: Changchun Gong Familiarity (5/10000) Lian Shen Gong Familiarity (12/10000) Beast Taming Art Entry (15/1000)】

【Spells: Fireball Technique Familiarity (65/1000), Wind Travel Technique Familiarity (175/1000), Wood Shield Technique Entry (15/100), Rainmaking Technique Entry (10/100)】

【Skills: First Rank Spirit Plant (5/1000)】

【Spirit Pet: Chi She Wang】

【Remaining Essence: 2320】

Without allocating points, the data had not changed much compared to a month ago.

And after more than a month of diligent feeding, minus the consumption from the transformation and fusion, a staggering 2320 points of Essence remained.

This was all of Yu Zhangsheng's stock.

"What I lack now is defensive power and offensive power."

Yu Zhangsheng carefully considered his flaws and strengths. A Divine Sense range of nearly sixty meters allowed him to anticipate the enemy's attack methods earlier; the movement speed from Wind Travel Technique was already sufficient, so there were only two options to allocate points to.

"Allocate points to Fireball Technique and Wood Shield Technique!"

In the blink of an eye, Fireball Technique and Wood Shield Technique both broke through to Mastery! The chaotic knowledge in his mind instantly twisted into a single rope, becoming increasingly clear.

"I see, I understand!"

Yu Zhangsheng comprehended, raised his finger, and condensed a large fireball.

The wooden hut was instantly illuminated, the air filled with scorching heat; the fierce flames caused Chi She Wang beside him to hastily retreat, shocked beyond measure.

After the spells reached Mastery, he no longer needed Hand Seals to cast them instantly.

As long as a thought arose, the mana within him would respond.

"This fireball is no longer something a Qi Refining Cultivator can cast."

"Its power should be able to melt an iron sword instantly."

Yu Zhangsheng extinguished the large fireball on his finger and exhaled a breath.

"The only problem is the consumption is too great; I estimate my mana will be exhausted after casting two or three spells."

He had never imagined that one day, a single Fireball Technique could consume so much mana.

But this was a normal phenomenon, after all, no cultivator could cultivate Fireball Technique to Mastery at Qi Refining Third Layer! "Come, strike me."

Yu Zhangsheng intended to test Wood Shield Technique's defense, gesturing to Chi She Wang.

Chi She Wang tilted its head, looking confused, not knowing why its Master made such a strange request.

It was a First Rank Fifth Layer Demon Beast, its flesh extremely hard, shattering rocks with one strike was nothing; looking at its Master's frail body... Chi She Wang shrank its head, truly afraid of striking its Master dead with one blow.

Yu Zhangsheng saw through its thoughts, laughed helplessly, and could only hold his palm flat, first casting Wood Shield Technique.

A green light shone, the rich Wood Spirit Qi in the air instantly gathered, forming a wooden shield two meters wide and high before his palm.

"Can you rest assured now? My wooden shield isn't that fragile."

Yu Zhangsheng felt mana constantly flowing away, the wooden shield becoming hard, and shouted loudly at Chi She Wang: "Don't be afraid, strike me hard!"

Chi She Wang heard the command, its expression turned fierce, its huge Snake Body shot out like a spring, its head striking hard at the wooden shield.

With a "Boom!"

Chi She Wang felt pain from its head, its head involuntarily tilting back, while also seeing its Master flying backward.

"Hiss!" Yu Zhangsheng took a deep breath, landing by the door, having flown a full five meters from his previous position, nearly flying out of the house.

And before him, the wooden shield did not shatter, firmly resisting the previous attack, but the impact could not be perfectly dissipated, his palm stinging sharply.

"Being able to block an attack from a First Rank Fifth Layer demonic beast means blocking a mid-to-late stage Qi Refining cultivator is no problem!"

"The consumption is lower than the Fireball Technique. If not attacked, it can probably be maintained for the time it takes to burn one stick of incense; if attacked, the greater the attack, the greater the consumption—three minutes might be the limit."

Yu Zhangsheng calculated the time and was very satisfied.

The enemy's mana isn't endless; is there any Qi Refining Period cultivator who can attack without interruption for three minutes?

Thinking this way, even if he fell into a siege, he could protect himself without obstruction.

Yu Zhangsheng recalled the Chi She Wang into his Inner Landscape, his heart filled with a sense of security.

Tonight he could finally get a good night's sleep.

(Chapter End)