Chapter 475: Fourth-Rank Demon Saint

Qin Ming gazed at the silver spiritual patterns on the Shi Tian Shu, finding them increasingly familiar the longer he looked.

"Aren't these the silver spiritual patterns from my innate spiritual plant, the Ageless Immortal Vine?"

"Could this fellow have actually absorbed my luck?"

Above the firmament, gray tribulation clouds pressed down heavily, filled with the destructive aura of the Dao.

Terrifying transformation heavenly tribulations fell one after another.

At this moment, the Shi Tian Shu had transformed into a thousand-zhang giant demon, inhaling and exhaling demon power, employing every trick in its book to forcibly withstand the heavenly thunder.

Such a shocking scene truly lived up to its earlier words about making the world see it rise above others; indeed, it was now stealing the entire show.

At the same time.

Within the Beast Cry Mountain Range, Demon Saint Gushan, Demon Saint Silver Moon, and others had already reached the border of the Wei State, where they all sensed from afar the majestic aura of this transformation heavenly tribulation.

Besides these two, behind them stood a middle-aged man clad in black feathered robes and a golden-haired elder, both of whom also radiated the aura of a fourth-rank Demon Saint.

It seemed they happened to be together and thus came along to observe the Tribulation Crossing.

After all, since they were fellow demons, it was only natural to pay some attention.

Yue Lingyan wore a palace gown, her beauty toppling cities, her figure dignified and luxurious, her temperament extraordinary.

She had long known that the Shi Tian Shu was about to undergo its tribulation, but she hadn't expected it to happen so soon.

"I never thought that the third-rank Shi Tian Shu King from back then would one day reach this step," said Demon Saint Gushan, his iron-tower-like frame extremely conspicuous, his tone slightly moved as he spoke.

Beside him rang out Yue Lingyan's ethereal voice: "It was only a matter of time; being able to keep pace with Daoist Qin counts as a tremendous fortune for it."

"Otherwise, with its capabilities, let alone transforming, it probably wouldn't have been able to escape from under the Green-Faced Poisonous Flood Dragon."

As for the man in black feathers and the golden-haired elder, they remained silent, saying little, merely gazing quietly at the giant figure amidst the great transformation tribulation, their expressions calm, seemingly lost in thought.

At the same time.

Deep within the core of the Beast Cry Mountain Range lay a place isolated by a natural moat formed by deep rivers and vast marshes.

This land was like a paradise hidden from the world, rarely visited by humans.

Almost no demonic beasts or humans were able to break into this area.

A small cottage resembling a farmhouse was hidden within, the environment serene and undisturbed by anyone.

Beside a emerald-green pond, a handsome young man dressed in white lounged lazily in a wooden chair, holding a bamboo fishing rod in one hand while pouring spiritual wine from a gourd into his mouth with the other.

Just then.

Someone entered from outside, draped in colorful feathered robes; it was none other than the fourth-rank Demon Saint of the Kong Que clan, the Kong Que Saintess.

She passed through the outer fence and wooden gate, then gracefully approached the man in white, bowed with utmost respect, and reported:

"Master, that Shi Tian Shu Demon King you specifically instructed us to monitor is today attempting to break through to the transformation realm at Moon Gazing Lake."

"Would you like to go and take a look?"

Upon hearing this, the man in white fell silent for a moment, then, without even lifting his head, a slight smile playing on his lips, he said: "Oh? So quickly?"

"Since it possesses such opportunity, it is no bad thing for it; let it be."

"The transformation realm holds no more interest for me, so I shall not go to watch; we can discuss it another day."

"Yes!" The Kong Que Saintess then bowed once more and respectfully withdrew, walking out of the small courtyard.

After she had left.

The narrow eyes of the man in white shifted slightly; he took a swig of wine and murmured in a low voice:

"Qin Zhenjun, huh? That is somewhat interesting..."

On Moon Gazing Island, at the site of the tribulation, lightning flashed and thunder roared.

After consuming the Great Dao Lei Jie Tea, the Shi Tian Shu was surrounded by electric light, resembling a primordial giant beast devouring the tribulation thunder, forcibly enduring fourteen bolts of Lei Jie.

The final few bolts of Lei Jie that followed possessed several times the power of the previous ones, and the Shi Tian Shu no longer dared to meet them head-on with its body.

It immediately shook its claw, and a massive black steel trident suddenly appeared in its grasp; this was precisely the fourth-rank spiritual treasure 'Immortal-Slaying Halberd' that Qin Ming had helped it upgrade by incorporating extraterrestrial strange metal.

Wielding the giant halberd, the Shi Tian Shu continuously struck at the purple-gold dual-colored tribulation thunder falling from the sky.

Boom-crack! The final few terrifying bolts of the great transformation tribulation created a spectacle so immense it resembled an apocalyptic scene.

The cultivating onlookers watching this all felt a deep throb of fear in their hearts.

Having undergone the tribulation to this stage, the Shi Tian Shu was covered in wounds from head to toe, its skin split and flesh torn, marked with horrifying injuries.

Yet, having heard Qin Ming's words, it stubbornly refused to use that tortoise-shell Profound Spiritual Armor.

"Is this Shi Tian Shu's bloodline truly that strong? To actually withstand all the heavenly tribulations relying solely on its physical body."

"This somewhat defies common sense; after all, the rat demon clan is not known for physical defense," said the man in black feathered robes standing beside Demon Saint Gushan, sounding somewhat puzzled.

Hearing this, Demon Saint Gushan replied without turning his head: "What is so strange about that? Once one has swallowed enough heavenly treasures and earthly materials, withstanding the Lei Jie is not impossible."

The moment his words fell.

Before the shocked gazes of the crowd.

The Shi Tian Shu spat toward the sky, summoning forth a pitch-black, dark-colored demon core.

The instant its demon core appeared, the Lei Jie in the heavens seemingly became even sharper.

In a flash.

Suddenly, a power as dead and silent as the void erupted from the dark demon core; like a black hole, it actually absorbed and devoured the final two most powerful bolts of purple-gold dual-colored Lei Jie.

Once the Lei Ting plunged into it, they vanished without a trace.

The tribulation clouds, radiating an ominous aura, rapidly dispersed.

Above the sky, the rain cleared and the sun emerged, giving rise to a colorful, misty auspicious cloud that hovered over the spiritual island, appearing magnificent and spectacular.

A terrifying spiritual pressure belonging to a fourth-rank transformed great demon radiated outward from Moon Gazing Island in all directions.

"He actually succeeded in crossing the heavenly tribulation! A fourth-rank Demon Saint has actually been born in the Southern Wild Immortal Realm!"

"A form-transforming great demon!"

Everyone revealed looks of disbelief.

Especially those Jin Dan elders from the Southern Wild, such as Gu Qingzhao, Nalan Xi, as well as Wei Wuya and True Person Xuan Yu, who had dealt with it quite a few times.

At this moment, the Shi Tian Shu had soared straight up, becoming an existence they all had to look up to.

From the void, a melody like heavenly music rang out above the Nine Heavens, seemingly celebrating the birth of a new Demon Saint.

Sweet dew of the Great Dao descended from the rosy clouds, beginning to nourish and repair the Shi Tian Shu after its tribulation crossing.

Qin Ming's expression immediately brightened with joy. "This fellow hasn't wasted my efforts in cultivating it; let's see what form it has transformed into."

Subsequently, his figure blurred and vanished without a trace.

When he appeared again, he was already before the Shi Tian Shu.

The Shi Tian Shu sat cross-legged inside its cave abode; the wounds it suffered during the tribulation, under the nourishment of the Great Dao, healed quickly, revitalizing its life force.

The scorched black patches on its body gradually sloughed off like a shedding shell, growing brand new fur.

Gradually, the Shi Tian Shu's figure began to shift, its body starting to manifest a human form.

Half a cup of tea later.

A naked, plump white child quietly appeared. Its body seemed carved from fine jade; within its tiny frame lurked immense demonic evil power, resonating with heaven and earth with every breath.

The pressure of a fourth-rank form-transforming great demon forced ten thousand cultivators into submission.

Qin Ming stroked his chin, a smiling expression hanging on his face as he gazed at the plump white child before him.

"I didn't expect that after transforming into a human form, it would turn out looking like this; truly, it is somewhat beyond my expectations."

The Shi Tian Shu had long discovered Qin Ming's arrival; it opened a pair of exceptionally spirited eyes, first filled with immense joy.

"Master! I made it!!"

"Hahaha!"

Qin Ming nodded appreciatively, offering lavish praise without hesitation: "Mm, not bad, not bad!"

"I didn't expect you to have such backbone, actually using the heavenly tribulation to temper your physical body."

"But... why did you transform into the appearance of a child?"

Having said this, Qin Ming reached out and patted its belly; indeed, it was fleshy and soft, no different from a real child's.

The Shi Tian Shu, overly excited by its successful tribulation crossing, then realized it was still naked and hurriedly waved its hand, casually pulling a Bai Yu Dharma Robe from its storage bag to put on.

"Hehe! This... should be related to my innate bloodline, because even though I successfully transformed, I am still only in the juvenile stage." The Shi Tian Shu stretched out its small hand to scratch its head, explaining rather awkwardly.

Hearing this, Qin Ming felt slightly surprised and said: "Juvenile stage? Is the realm of a form-transforming great demon also just the juvenile stage?"

"Then what will happen when you grow up?"

"Aren't you of the Shi Tian Shu clan? In the records regarding the demon race... it seems this matter was never mentioned."

"I recall the 'Record of Demonic Beasts and Anomalies' stating that the Shi Tian Shu reaches a maximum of only the fourth rank."

Upon hearing these words, an arrogant expression appeared on the Shi Tian Shu's naive and cute little face as it puffed out its chest and said:

"During my tribulation crossing this time, I once again awakened the inherited memories within my bloodline. I am indeed of the Shi Tian Shu clan, but there are exceptions; some inherit from ancient great clans, with a trace of noble bloodline flowing within their bodies, hehehe."

"It's just that my current cultivation base cannot fully awaken the bloodline power, so I cannot access all the information either."

"Noble..." As soon as Qin Ming heard this word, he knew this fellow was about to get carried away again.

He quickly changed the subject.

At the same time, he also understood why, when it had previously broken through to the late third rank, it had been unwilling to reveal its semi-transformed appearance.

'So that's the reason; with its appearance as a plump little boy, plus growing a rat tail, it was probably afraid the Little Silver Fox would look down on it.'

Thinking of this, Qin Ming couldn't help but secretly chuckle.

This fellow was indeed a little ghost spirit.

"Cough! There's nothing wrong with being a child; from now on, I appoint you as the Immortal Child under my command."

"Later, I'll find you a Jade Maiden too, making a perfect pair."

"Mm, having an Immortal Child and a Jade Maiden to serve me in the future, while also taking care of the spiritual plants, is truly quite nice!"

Qin Ming revealed an extremely satisfied expression, speaking with an air of serene confidence.

The Shi Tian Shu was startled upon hearing this and hurriedly said:

"Serving you, Master, is naturally my duty, uh... but that Jade Maiden part is quite unnecessary to introduce to me."

Qin Ming glanced at him and couldn't help but ask: "So you don't want the Little Silver Fox from the Silver Moon Sky Fox clan either?"

"Cough! In that case... relieving my master's worries and difficulties is a duty we cannot shirk!" The Shi Tian Shu's little face adopted an extremely serious expression. "I, Rat-Rat, am willing to make a sacrifice..."

"Master, when are we going to fetch the Little Silver Fox to join our Moon Gazing Island?" he asked impatiently.

Qin Ming: "..."

"Let's not talk about that for now."

"By the way, now that you have advanced to a fourth-rank form-transforming great demon, what changes have occurred in your strength?" Qin Ming immediately asked.

Hearing this, the Shi Tian Shu revealed an excited expression and nodded heavily: "Naturally; the bloodline power I awakened this time is related to eating."

"Related to eating?"

Upon hearing this, Qin Ming couldn't help but frown, thinking to himself: 'Could this fellow be bluffing me, just so it can eat to its heart's content later?'

A gold-swallowing behemoth? That would be disastrous! Seeing Qin Ming's expression, the Shi Tian Shu realized he had doubts, then its eyes darted toward the two people trapped outside the spiritual island within the Blood Xue Futu, and it pulled out a black steel fork.

"Isn't it perfect that two have delivered themselves to our doorstep? Let me demonstrate for you, Master."

(End of Chapter)