Chapter 608: Recalling the Past, Hearing of the Present

Bai Zichen had once slain a Tier Four Top-Grade Great Demon, so a mere Tier Three Spirit Beast was of no use to him.

But he had raised Genggeng since it was young and was quite attached, so he was happy to see it successfully break through.

“Tai Chi Bears aren’t known for their long lifespans among Demon Beasts, but reaching Tier Three means you’ll live a good seven or eight hundred years… Who knows, out of everyone around me, you might be the one to accompany me to the very end.”

He pinched Genggeng by the scruff of its neck and lifted it into his arms. The long years of separation hadn’t created any distance between Bai Zichen and his Lifebound Spiritual Beast; in fact, it only seemed more affectionate.

Ordinary Tai Chi Bears can only grow to Tier Two Peak. Genggeng’s breakthrough to Tier Three was thanks to the other bloodlines mixed within it.

From now on, unless it encountered some incredible stroke of luck, it would remain at its current Realm for a long time.

Once its bloodline’s potential was fully tapped, it was thousands of times harder for a Demon Beast to advance through its own Cultivation than it was for a human Cultivator.

Even so, the lifespan of a Tier Three Demon Beast was enough to make any Cultivator envious.

When Bai Zichen returned to the Observatory Pavilion, the disciples in charge of the Spirit Land were unfamiliar; they were clearly new.

He had been away from the Sect for over seventy years. For an ordinary person, that was an entire lifetime, from a young child to a wizened old man.

For even a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, it was equivalent to a third of their life.

But for a Nascent Soul True Monarch, it was merely a long and exciting journey.

The world remained, but its people had changed. It was a perfect portrait of the relentless passage of time.

‘But Genggeng isn’t a pure-blooded Tai Chi Bear. The other bloodline in its body is very likely above Tier Three. Otherwise, besides its appearance, its size and temperament wouldn’t be so completely different from a Tai Chi Bear’s, with its original traits suppressed so thoroughly.’

Bai Zichen lifted Genggeng up to eye level. The small bundle weighed several hundred pounds.

“Why don’t you tell me yourself? What kind of bloodline are you mixed with, and is there any chance for you to advance again? If there’s hope, I’ll get you whatever you need, be it Exotic Treasures or Great Demon Essence Blood.”

Back when it was just a Tier One Spirit Beast, Genggeng’s Spiritual Sense was already comparable to that of a Core Formation Cultivator, proving its talent for finding treasure.

Even renowned Tier Three Demon Beasts with treasure-hunting Divine Techniques, like the Treasure Dog or the Treasure Storage Rat, couldn’t achieve such a feat.

That was why the disciples of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect had said they might have misjudged Genggeng’s bloodline, and that it was very likely the offspring of a Tier Four Great Demon.

Furthermore, Genggeng’s combat abilities were significantly weakened, leading to the strong suspicion that all that power had been channeled into its treasure-hunting Divine Techniques instead.

If it could grow stronger again, there would be few Treasures in the Human World that could remain hidden from Genggeng.

“Greetings, Master Ma.”

“There’s no need for formalities. I’m just looking around and will be on my way. Have you been diligently cleaning the Observatory Pavilion?”

“This is the Ancestor’s sanctum; how could we disciples dare to be lax? But… the Ancestor’s black-and-white Spirit Beast has been running wild in the pavilion all day, and we dare not offend it.”

“Genggeng, right? I’ll go get it.”

The voices from downstairs carried up clearly, accompanied by the sound of light footsteps. Bai Zichen already knew who it was.

Dressed in practical attire that gave her a heroic air, Ma Ruoxi ascended the stairs. When she saw the messy traces scattered about, she could only shake her head with a wry smile.

Genggeng was a Tier Three Spirit Beast. Even if it was poor at fighting, its physical strength alone was too much for one Foundation Establishment Steward and a few Qi Refining Disciples to handle.

Besides, who in the Sect didn’t know? This picky-eating, lazy, wandering Tai Chi Bear might look perpetually small and harmless, but few people, from the highest to the lowest, dared to offend it. It was Ancestor Bai’s Spirit Beast, after all.

Originally, Bai Zichen had planned to take it with him. However, considering the long journey and the inevitable intense Combat along the way, he had left the Tai Chi Bear behind at the last moment before his departure.

Its daily treatment was nearly on par with that of a Core Formation True Man.

Ma Ruoxi used a Dust-Removal Technique to clean the floor, put the meditation cushion back in its place, and continued forward.

She noticed that the Artifact Refining Room at the very back was open and quickened her pace.

There was an Earth Fire vent inside. If Genggeng had broken the Forbidden seals and caused flames to shoot out, setting the Observatory Pavilion on fire, that would be a real disaster.

“Genggeng, if you keep running around, I’ll have someone cut off your supply of Spiritual Bamboo snacks…”

Ma Ruoxi stepped into the room and saw Genggeng nestled comfortably in the arms of a young man, wriggling its body to find a cozier position.

There was only one person in the entire Sect who could appear in the Observatory Pavilion without a sound and be treated this way by Genggeng.

“Master, you’re finally back…”

The young man sitting in the seat of honor overlapped with the familiar figure in her memory, unchanged after so many years. Ma Ruoxi knelt and kowtowed, murmuring the words.

“Rise… You’ve done well for yourself, successfully reaching Core Formation while I was away.”

Bai Zichen glanced at her. Early-Stage Core Formation, clear True Essence, and an aura that was gentle yet firm. She had clearly achieved Core Formation some time ago.

She was only just beginning to form the basis of a Pill Discussion, which meant she hadn’t established one during the Foundation Establishment Stage and hadn’t deliberately pursued a Perfect Core Formation.

This fourth disciple of his had caught his eye during the first mass recruitment of disciples after they conquered Hejian County.

She possessed the Water Stone Spiritual Body, and coupled with the need to stabilize morale at the time, he had taken her in as a disciple.

He hadn’t expected that once her Water Stone Spiritual Body was paired with a suitable Spiritual Object, it would exhibit a Cultivation speed comparable to that of a Celestial Spiritual Root.

Moreover, beyond her Spiritual Root aptitude, Ma Ruoxi’s Comprehension was astonishing, and her Sword Dao Talent was the best among his four disciples.

Afterward, he had kept her by his side, guiding her meticulously, intending for her to inherit his Sword Dao legacy.

Otherwise, how could the great Time Sword Monarch face the world if he didn’t have a single Sword Cultivator among his disciples? He couldn’t afford that humiliation.

It seemed that Ma Ruoxi was smoothly following the path Bai Zichen had laid out for her, and in her heart, she held deep respect and concern for her master.

If she hadn’t come to the Observatory Pavilion so frequently and regularly, he wouldn’t have run into her by chance.

“If not for Master’s guidance, Xi’er would certainly not have made it this far.”

Ma Ruoxi wore no makeup or jewelry. She was dressed in a neutral style, with a sword carried on her back.