Chapter 461 - 301: Calligraphy and Painting Fusion, Qi Rhythm White Light, [Book and Painting Realm]_2

"The battle between the four-headed exotic beasts with the East Mountain Green Python and the South Lake Auspicious Beast is inevitable."

"In this way, the Astronomical Bureau will detect anomalies..."

Chu Ming brooded over this in his heart, analyzing the current situation.

"The four Tier Five exotic beasts, much like those Mountain-shaking Beads and Torrential Wave Beads, are likely a means to an end, being discovered so easily is evidently unreasonable."

"Either the exotic beasts haven’t been released yet, or they’ve been released but are being restricted and masked by something, or... the so-called Tier Five exotic beasts are not exotic beasts at all, but are instead dead entities, just waiting to be awakened."

Chu Ming contemplated various possibilities.

The first possibility is not worth analyzing—if they haven’t been released, there’s nothing to think about.

The second possibility is unlikely, the Sword Gourd Spirit, since its breakthrough, has only failed once with Master Ji Wujiang; even those in the Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm find it hard to avoid detection.

"As for the last one..."

Chu Ming’s eyes slightly narrowed, as something came to mind.

"Blood Guard."

The Blood Evil Sect uses corpses in its refining process, with blood bells to control the Blood Guard.

Is this corpse necessarily limited to a human body?

He knows the refining method of the Blood Guard, naturally aware that a complete exotic beast, supplemented with treasures, and refined through a special method, could also possibly produce something akin to an exotic Blood Guard.

After pondering for a moment, Chu Ming dismissed this idea.

Even when not activated, a Blood Guard would still emit Blood Evil Qi, which shouldn’t be difficult to detect.

With this in mind, he continued his search in the hunting ground.

By the latter half of the night, he had already scoured the entire hunting ground several times, understanding where there were mountains, lakes, and what exotic beasts resided, yet he still couldn’t find those four-headed exotic beasts.

Moreover, he had stumbled upon Tang Guang and Hoong Xiao from the Astronomical Bureau, who were both in the Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm several times.

"Forget it, let me ask the master, let’s first clarify the power of the Mountain-shaking Bead and Torrential Wave Bead."

Even if he found the four Tier Five exotic beasts, Chu Ming might not be able to hunt them down; rather, those nearly a hundred Mountain-shaking Beads and Torrential Wave Beads were more valuable.

...

Gusty snowy night.

Qin Capital, Xiang Mansion.

Xiang Yue was seated cross-legged inside, cultivating, with a surge of Qi and blood within him.

Outside the room, a black shadow silently dropped from the eaves and entered the chamber.

"Hmm?" Xiang Yue suddenly opened his eyes and fiercely punched out with his fists.

"Master, it’s me." Chu Ming extended his hand, effortlessly catching Xiang Yue’s attack.

"You little rascal, not even pretending when receiving my moves now, huh." Xiang Yue leapt up, shaking his hand, "Got quite some strength there."

Chu Ming bowed in respect.

"Have you advanced the cultivation technique to the Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm?" Xiang Yue asked with slight expectation, eyeing Chu Ming.

"..." Chu Ming paused for a moment and said, "Master, advancing the cultivation technique to Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm isn’t that easy."

"Indeed." Xiang Yue dismissed the expectant gaze, secretly relieved, thinking that at least this kid remained somewhat human, not crafting a Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm technique within just a few days...

"Disciple observes a robust mastery in Master’s aura, is it a breakthrough?"

"Yes, some progress indeed." Xiang Yue lightly waved his sleeve, "How was the power of Master’s punch?"

"Quite powerful." Chu Ming replied.

"Haha," hearing this made Xiang Yue quite happy, he then added, "Seeing you here, it seems Fang Xiao doesn’t need to come back anymore."

"How did Master know?"

"Of course, I’d know, ever since the Crown Prince requested people, I had my guesses." Xiang Yue pointed to a chair, and the two sat down, "You’ve survived multiple Blood Evil Sect assaults unscathed, rumors have long suggested a mysterious master protecting you."

"With your current strength, you could probably wrestle with a Lower Realm Perfection powerhouse in the Meridian Unlocking Realm, right?" Xiang Yue sensed the power in that recent punch, "Lower Realm Perfection in the Meridian Unlocking Realm is already the strongest below the Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm."

"The Crown Prince is ambitious and has a broad vision, and since you’ve joined that First-Grade Cold Family, he must have conducted thorough investigations into you, inevitably speculating on the strength of your mysterious backer."

"So, if there’s no speculation, the Crown Prince intends to use Fang Xiao to win you over, or rather, to win over your so-called mysterious master, who is also you."

Chu Ming remained silent.

"Fang Xiao was implicated by me; it’s good if he can leave." Xiang Yue’s expression dimmed a bit, then asked, "You coming here in the dead of night, is not for Fang Xiao, is it?"

"Mm," Chu Ming nodded and asked, "Does Master know about the Mountain-shaking Bead and Torrential Wave Bead?"

"Mountain-shaking Bead? Torrential Wave Bead?" Xiang Yue raised his eyebrows, "Did you encounter the North Snow Army?"

"Does Master know about the two pearls?"

"I do know, the Mountain-shaking Bead and Torrential Wave Bead are treasures owned only by the King of North Snow, extremely fearsome in power." Xiang Yue said with solemnity, "If you encounter them, do not engage in battle, run as far as you can."

"Could Master elaborate on the power of the two pearls?"

"Let me recount the battle records of the two pearls for you." Xiang Yue paused momentarily, then continued, "Fifteen years ago, a Ten Thousand Soldiers Commander of the North Snow Army used two Mountain-shaking Beads to annihilate Lower Realm Six Meridians powerhouse in the Meridian Unlocking Realm from Xue Di Kingdom, and that Ten Thousand Soldiers Commander was merely at the initial stage of Upper Meridian Unlocking Realm."

"Ten years ago, a battalion of the North Snow Army used three Mountain-shaking Beads to destroy two Lower Realm Perfection generals in the Meridian Unlocking Realm from Xue Di Kingdom, annihilating and capturing fifty thousand enemy troops in one fell swoop, and that Commander, was only at the late stage of Upper Meridian Unlocking Realm."

"An Upper Meridian Unlocking Realm late-stage using treasures to annihilate two Lower Realm Perfection powerhouses indicates its power."

"But that isn’t the most shocking; the reputation of the two pearls stems mainly from a battle nine years ago between the North Snow Army and Xue Di Kingdom."

"The North Snow Army heavily wounded a Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm powerhouse of Xue Di Kingdom with five Mountain-shaking Beads, and subsequently used eight Torrential Wave Beads to obliterate another Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm powerhouse!"

"Though the two pearls should not be easily refined, they were only used in these very critical battles."