Chapter 41: Monk Tang's Flesh

Seeing that the large and small monster before him was not an enemy, Wei Yuning finally relaxed.

"What the senior blamed me for..." He spoke frankly, explaining how he suddenly understood his body technique and then, careless, fell into the deep ravine.

"I wonder how there could be such a stupid disciple! Though it's true that Cloud Hidden Sect's disciples are getting dumber generation after generation, you're odd—your flesh is so pure. Could it be… you've been tempered by the immortal forge?" The Heavenly Whale Hermit's eyes were the size of lanterns; a single glance seemed to see right through Wei Yuning.

Wei Yuning couldn't fathom the true origins of this Heavenly Whale Hermit, but knowing it was a dao friend of the Founding Ancestor was enough to confirm it was a major figure in the cultivation world. In this spirit‑beast world, many spirit beasts possess profound cultivation, their individual strength matching that of human experts; however humans excel at group combat and can craft various tools and pills, so in the gathering places of human cultivators, spirit beasts are generally at a disadvantage.

"I don't know; I was born with this body!"

"What, an innate spiritual body? How could that be? But… you should hurry back to your sect!" The Heavenly Whale Hermit shook his huge head.

"Why?" Wei Yuning asked.

"Idiot, though an innate spiritual body makes cultivation easy, it's also fraught with danger. Any cultivator would salivate over your flesh; eating it would not only boost their cultivation but also stabilize their dao heart. If anyone who knows the truth found out, you'd already have been chopped into eight pieces! Hurry up and get away from here!" The Heavenly Whale shouted at the Mini Whale.

"Pfft‑pfft‑pfft!" The Mini Whale spat a few bubbles and began flying upward.

After a short while, the person and the two whales left the area of black mist.

Because the black mist blocked his view, Wei Yuning couldn't see the Heavenly Whale's full body until they left the mist; then the creature's huge frame was fully revealed. Besides its whale‑like head, its body was slender and over thirty meters long, with four three‑toed clawed feet underneath—nothing like a sea whale.

"Senior Heavenly Whale, you're really not a dragon, are you?" Wei Yuning exclaimed in surprise. Judging by proportion, although the Heavenly Whale's head seemed large, combined with its body it actually looked small; at first glance it resembled a dragon extremely closely.

At the edge of the black mist, a pitch‑black, spiky monster head just poked into the white mist; its skin immediately emitted a hissing corrosive sound, and it hastily retracted in fright.

"An innate spiritual body? The Cloud Hidden Sect actually still has such a cultivator?" The monster flicked out its thin tongue, licked its lips, and muttered.

The Heavenly Whale raised its head and laughed heartily: "The Heavenly Whale Lineage is originally descended from dragons and giant whales; otherwise how could it soar the skies?"

"Then who is this?" Wei Yuning pointed at the Mini Whale he was riding.

"This is my son, Little Blue Carp; he's still a baby, ninety‑seven years old, and will only end his infancy after turning a hundred. His mother is a Dragon Gate Brocade Carp, of very noble bloodline!"

The age of the Mini Whale startled him, though he hadn't expected it to still be a baby.

Could this be the legendary giant infant?

"Pfft‑pfft‑pfft!" Upon hearing himself mentioned, Little Blue Carp happily spat out bubbles.

"Up ahead are the northern foothills of Guest Arrival Peak; I haven't seen humans in a long time, so I'll let you down here!" the Heavenly Whale Hermit told Wei Yuning.

"Many thanks, senior, and fellow cultivator Little Blue Carp, for saving my life!" Wei Yuning sincerely thanked.

"No problem, your physique is naturally excellent for cultivation, but you'd best stay inside the sect to train; unless absolutely necessary, never go out. Nowadays few in the cultivation world know the exact workings of an innate spiritual body, yet demonic cultivators never forget it. That's all I have to say—go down now, and may we meet again if fate allows."

"Sigh, an innate spiritual body sounds just like 'Monk Tang's flesh'!" Wei Yuning thought.

Before he could react, the Heavenly Whale Hermit wrapped him in its flesh tendrils and hurled him toward the ground.

"Pfft‑pfft‑pfft… pfft‑pfft‑pfft…" the Small Whale bubbled as it bade farewell to Wei Yuning.

Wei Yuning's new body technique, though flashy‑free, was extremely practical— as natural as walking with a step. As soon as his body entered a falling state, the technique activated automatically; after that brief rest, his inner spiritual power had recovered to one‑third, enough to reach the ground.

After landing, Wei Yuning looked up at the mist‑wreathed sky; the silhouettes of the Heavenly Whale father and son had already vanished.

He ascertained the direction and began running toward the Beast Garden.