Chapter 290 : Not a Bandit

Chapter 290: Not a Bandit

"Good lad!"

The Thunder Roc Beast King gave a cold snort, a trace of displeasure flickering in his heart.

Though he had merely told his offspring to give it a try without harboring high hopes, Chen Beiwu's swift and resolute rejection, without even a moment’s hesitation, truly felt like a snub against the Golden-Winged Thunder Roc.

While the Five Qi Vine was indeed extremely rare, one of the few Heavenly-Gang Mystic Beasts capable of enhancing a cultivator’s chances and quality in Core Formation and Nascent Soul stages, the Golden-Winged Thunder Roc lineage was by no means inferior.

Even without reaching its peak bloodline evolution, it could still command lightning to assist cultivators in tempering their physical bodies and refining their Dharma Body and Dharma Aspect. It was a Companion Beast longed for by countless prodigies of the Immortal Alliance.

The Thunder Roc Beast King wasn’t boasting—on ordinary days, there were plenty of True Venerables and prodigies bearing jade invitations who trampled through his threshold just to seek a Companion Contract.

Although Chen Beiwu was, in his eyes, a true dragon among men even among Immortal Alliance elites, he was not the only choice.

Seeing the Beast King's expression, the Violet Yao Beast King slightly raised her brows, showing no particular concern.

The Golden-Winged Thunder Roc clan was especially prideful. Now that its cub had been utterly defeated and then decisively rejected, it was only natural for the Beast King—an elder who had sired late and doted on his child—to feel annoyed.

But annoyance was one thing. Out of respect for True Venerable Changqing of Dongming, the Thunder Roc Beast King would never personally make a move over such a trivial matter to bully someone younger. At most, his attitude might cool slightly.

‘This is a bit troublesome.’

The Violet Yao Beast King lowered her gaze to her child, brows lightly furrowed.

For Chen Beiwu to reject even a Golden-Winged Thunder Roc without hesitation showed how determined he was to obtain the Five Qi Vine.

Even though the Seven-Tailed Violet Fox lineage was more illustrious than the Golden-Winged Thunder Roc, it would likely be difficult to sway Chen Beiwu in a short time.

"Ying?"

Nestled against the fullness of her chest, a palm-sized fluff ball looked up and tilted its head, letting out an adorably silly chirp.

Behind it, seven short, fluffy tails swayed gently like blooming violets, devoid of any of a Heavenly-Gang Mystic Beast's usual might.

The Violet Yao Beast King's expression immediately softened.

Meanwhile, having received Chen Beiwu’s response, the Golden-Winged Thunder Roc’s eyes dimmed slightly but didn’t reflect deep disappointment.

After all, its father had already told it that the other party wasn’t an ordinary Immortal Sect prodigy—he had most likely come specifically for the Five Qi Vine.

Even if it was willing, the probability of successfully forming a Companion Contract wasn’t high.

"Thank you for going easy on me. Thunder Roc Dao-friend’s Heaven Net Thunder Cage is, by far, the strongest Heavenly-Gang Mystic Power I’ve seen so far."

Chen Beiwu lightly tapped the Three-Edged Two-Bladed Saber with his fingertip, causing Golden Egg to revert into the Three-Aspects Mystic Flood Dragon. Then, turning to the Golden-Winged Thunder Roc, he spoke solemnly.

Hearing this, the Golden-Winged Thunder Roc suddenly raised its head and closely observed Chen Beiwu’s expression.

Noticing the other seemed unconvinced, Chen Beiwu turned over his hand, revealing a slightly scorched palm.

Heaven Net Thunder Cage was no ordinary Mystic Power.

Though he had used Companion Beast Transformation to wield the Three-Edged Two-Bladed Saber and casually sliced through it, the Heaven Net Thunder Cage's final backlash had still broken through his defensive mana in a flash, dealing him a minor injury.

"You praise me too highly!"

Realizing that Chen Beiwu’s words came from the heart and not as empty flattery, the Golden-Winged Thunder Roc's eyes brightened faintly.

It could afford to lose—but the reputation of the Golden-Winged Thunder Roc lineage could not fall with it.

To be acknowledged by a powerhouse like Chen Beiwu—this level of recognition meant that, even if it lost this battle, it would not disgrace its lineage.

After all, Chen Beiwu was a peerless prodigy even the Four-Realm Beast Kings took seriously. Losing a two-on-one fight to him was understandable.

With this thought, the Golden-Winged Thunder Roc didn’t turn to leave immediately. Instead, it forced itself upright and began discussing Dao with Chen Beiwu.

"Strongest Mystic Power? Not bad. This kid has good judgment."

Among the Beast Kings, the Thunder Roc Beast King nodded slightly, all displeasure vanishing from his face.

In his eyes, his cub’s failure meant little.

Back in the day, he had undergone countless Dao combats and defeats to finally temper a Dao Heart that remained unshaken by victory or loss—thus achieving the pinnacle of the Four-Realm Beast King stage.

His cub had been too arrogant in daily life. A defeat today was a good lesson.

What had irked him earlier was Chen Beiwu’s attitude—one that seemed to dismiss all other Heavenly-Gang Mystic Beasts before the Five Qi Vine.

But now, it seemed he had grown too accustomed to seclusion and hadn’t sharpened his temperament enough—he had misjudged this young prodigy.

At those words, the surrounding Beast Kings all cast strange glances at the Violet Yao Beast King.

Though the Golden-Winged Thunder Roc’s exclusive Mystic Power was formidable, it couldn’t quite compare with the innate Mystic Power of the Seven-Tailed Violet Fox.

The Violet Yao Beast King said nothing, silently weighing her thoughts.

The Golden-Winged Thunder Roc clan might care about face, but she did not.

To her, the title of strongest Mystic Power was mere vanity. Rather than fuss over such labels, it would be better to find a worthy cultivator for her daughter—reviving their bloodline and reclaiming the glory of the Nine-Tails.

……

As time passed, half an hour quickly went by.

The more they discussed Dao, the more astonished the Golden-Winged Thunder Roc became. The innate arrogance in its heart gradually faded, replaced by growing respect as it gazed at Chen Beiwu.

"Goodness… so this is the peerless prodigy Father spoke of!"

From a single bout of combat alone, the other had discerned the flaws in Heaven Net Thunder Cage.

That was one thing—it was due to its own lack of mastery, failing to fully unleash the Mystic Power’s potential. If flaws were exposed, it had to own them.

But Chen Beiwu’s understanding of lightning arts was actually no weaker than its own. During their discussion, a few seemingly casual remarks hit right at the crux, leaving the Golden-Winged Thunder Roc shocked and deeply impressed.

‘The lightning guide clone lagged by half a breath.’

‘The Dao rhythm of lightning in Heaven Net Thunder Cage is too rigid.’

‘If the true body infused its bloodline as a medium and entered the formation itself, the Mystic Power’s might could increase by thirty percent.’

The more the Golden-Winged Thunder Roc reflected on and analyzed Chen Beiwu’s words, the more it gained—until it suddenly felt that its father’s teachings had been somewhat misleading all along, always full of incomprehensible arcane terms.

When explaining critical points of mana circulation or Mystic Power activation, his guidance often amounted to vague instructions like “go by feeling” or “follow your bloodline’s instinct”—like a bogus teacher putting on airs without real substance. He couldn’t hold a candle to Chen Beiwu’s clarity and directness.

Soon, the Dao discourse came to an end. Chen Beiwu took out some spirit pills refined by Golden Egg in daily practice and shared them with the Golden-Winged Thunder Roc.

"What’s this?"

The Golden-Winged Thunder Roc accepted the pill, transmitting its voice via divine sense.

"Second-tier spirit pill—Five-Flavor Pill. It suppresses hunger and lets one taste the true flavors of all things. Tastes great—comparable to dragon liver and phoenix marrow."

Chen Beiwu smiled, then popped two into his mouth with Golden Egg, showing a satisfied expression.

The Golden-Winged Thunder Roc didn’t hesitate either—it bit down right away.

"Delicious!"

Upon tasting the Five-Flavor Pill, a numbing, smoky fragrance blossomed across his tongue—the Golden-Winged Thunder Roc's pupils dilated, a brief daze overtaking him.

Seeing this, Chen Beiwu was unsurprised.

The Five-Flavor Pill was a special elixir crafted by Iron Egg, based on pill formulas from sects in the Southern Wastes. It didn’t exist in the Immortal Alliance.

The one he gave the Golden-Winged Thunder Roc was tailored specifically for the taste preferences of thunder-attribute Treasure Beasts—smoky and numbing. It seemed effective on Heavenly-Gang Mystic Beasts as well.

"Can I have another one?" the Golden-Winged Thunder Roc asked hesitantly. "I can trade a third-tier Treasure Herb—Crimson Pearl Flower—for it."

As the words fell, a Crimson Pearl Flower appeared in his sharp beak. It bore three thunder-patterned pearls at its heart, with veins shaped like lightning and a stalk as clear as amethyst crystal.

"We were just exchanging Dao. To speak of trade is to treat me like a stranger. It's only a few pills—hardly worth anything."

Chen Beiwu handed the Golden-Winged Thunder Roc a vial of Five-Flavor Pills and waved him off.

Crimson Pearl Flower was a top-grade third-tier Treasure Herb. It produced one thunder pearl every three hundred years—and this one had three, meaning it was nine hundred years old.

In terms of value, a nine-hundred-year Crimson Pearl Flower could potentially be exchanged for half a portion of a fourth-tier Mystic Herb. It was indeed a precious item.

Seeing Chen Beiwu refuse, the Golden-Winged Thunder Roc froze in place, unsure how to persuade him.

It was his first time offering a treasure and had expected Chen Beiwu to accept it gladly—as a way of repaying the favor from their Dao discourse.

The supposed trade for the Five-Flavor Pill was just a pretense.

The Golden-Winged Thunder Roc wasn’t stupid—no mere tongue-pleasing pill could compare to a Crimson Pearl Flower.

"Ying!"

At that moment, a soft, childish whimper echoed in the distance.

Chen Beiwu's eyes flickered. A fluffy snow-violet puffball was looking up at him with its tiny head raised.

Its eyes were peculiar—round, mismatched pupils. The left shimmered like amethyst; the right gleamed like white jade, filled with innocent curiosity.

Tap!

Tap!

Tap!

The palm-sized young beast dashed forward like a stream of moonlight, its seven yet-to-mature, fluffy tails flowing behind it like blooming petals in a dreamscape.

Plop.

Perhaps it had been too focused on him—one of its tails tripped it, and it toppled forward, dispelling the graceful aura it had just built.

It shook its head, got up, and continued running toward Chen Beiwu.

To ordinary cultivators, this Seven-Tailed Violet Fox would seem like an adorably harmless beast cub.

But in Chen Beiwu's eyes, strands of purple aura—neither cloud nor mist—swirled around it, indescribable in words.

If he wasn't mistaken, Crimson Dragon Fortune symbolized a Nascent Soul True Monarch, while Purple Qi Rising from the East indicated a Divine Transformation True Venerable.

This meant that the young Seven-Tailed Violet Fox before him had the potential to sprint toward Divine Transformation, with bloodline aptitude comparable to a fifth-tier Origin Beast.

Of course, he might have guessed wrong—perhaps Purple Qi Rising from the East was more like Golden Fate, representing the pinnacle of a Nascent Soul True Monarch rather than Divine Transformation. But Chen Beiwu found that unlikely.

‘Just who did this foolishness take after?’

Watching her daughter trip while running, the Violet Yao Beast King silently raised her hand to her forehead, sighing inwardly.

‘So it finally arrives.’

The Golden-Winged Thunder Roc’s eyes narrowed, but he didn’t expose anything—he simply watched the Seven-Tailed Violet Fox cub run to Chen Beiwu.

"Ying?"

The little Seven-Tailed Violet Fox stood up on its hind legs, raising its front paws toward Chen Beiwu in a playful gesture, showing no fear of Golden Egg lurking nearby.

‘This little one looks quite unique!’

Chen Beiwu bent down. Just as his slender fingers touched the snow-violet fluff, the Seven-Tailed Violet Fox rolled into his palm, kicking its soft, pink paw pads in the air joyfully.

‘Smells nice!’

His nose twitched—there was a sweet, warm milky scent.

【Name】: Seven-Tailed Violet Fox

【Attribute】: Possesses all Five Elements, primary Earth

【Bloodline】: Fourth-Tier Supreme Grade (Heavenly-Gang Mystic Beast)

【Cultivation Years】: ???

【Mystic Powers】: Violet-Luo Heavenly Barrier, Seven Lives Seven Realms...

Violet-Luo Heavenly Barrier: Fourth-tier supreme Mystic Art. When the seven tails unfurl, they form seven layers of spatial barriers that block all divine sense probing and spell attacks, creating a world of its own.

Seven Lives Seven Realms: Fourth-tier supreme Mystic Art. Harnesses the essence of "harvest," drawing the Five Elements into the body to form a cycle and command a world’s power—mana becomes nearly inexhaustible.

【Description】: In ancient times, a peerless Great Beast once possessed nine tails and, in the form of a Void Sky Fox, attained the Dao as a Primordial Dao Venerable.

It is said that the Seven-Tailed Violet Fox carries traces of the Void Sky Fox’s bloodline, excels in spatial Mystic Powers, and can open its own realm, unleashing unparalleled Heavenly-Gang might.

Recalling the vague records on the Seven-Tailed Violet Fox, Chen Beiwu couldn’t help but feel tempted.

The fewer the records in Immortal Sects, the more formidable the lineage tended to be.

In the Celestial and Earthly Beasts Confidential Exam Volume, the Seven-Tailed Violet Fox was among the top, rivaling even the Five Qi Vine in prestige.

Moreover, this cub had extraordinary bloodline and aptitude, with the potential to ascend to the Fifth-Realm Beast Sovereign and aid him in attaining the Divine Transformation True Venerable realm.

After all, the innate Mystic Power of the Seven-Tailed Violet Fox could forge a world, shaping Heaven and Earth itself—this was a far cry from the True Realm created by Nascent Soul True Monarchs.

Still, despite his temptation, Chen Beiwu suppressed his stirring thoughts when he remembered the importance of the Yuanshi Golden Core.

There were two reasons: first, the Seven-Tailed Violet Fox had a racial inheritance. Unlike Iron Egg, even with the Companion Contract, he couldn’t freely expose his secrets.

Because he didn’t dare bet on whether, in the fox’s heart, he was more important—or the clan.

To be blunt, a Companion Contract wasn’t unbreakable.

Even without one, Iron Egg's trustworthiness in his eyes far surpassed Golden Egg’s.

Second, Immortal Alliance cultivators weren’t limited to contracting just two or three Companion Beasts. They could form as many as they wanted—it just depended on their own cultivation planning.

However, having too many Companion Beasts, while speeding cultivation, would dilute mana purity.

The reason he hadn’t contracted Iron Egg yet was because his goal was clear—straight to the Yuanshi Golden Core. He didn’t want to disrupt his plans.

There was also the matter of wanting to leave Iron Egg for his father.

But considering Iron Egg’s loyalty over the years and a past favor, Chen Beiwu had already decided to find a good fire-attribute Treasure Beast for his father—to help Iron Egg ascend to Beast General or even Beast King.

"Hu."

Chen Beiwu let out a long breath and set down the Seven-Tailed Violet Fox.

She blinked her eyes, then quickly scampered up to perch on his shoulder.

Seeing this, the Golden-Winged Thunder Roc looked a little surprised.

Though it was reluctant to admit it, compared to the Seven-Tailed Violet Fox, its own lineage was indeed inferior.

Even she could be rejected—Chen Beiwu's heart for the Dao was truly unwavering. His mind was wholly fixed on the Five Qi Vine.

"Thunder Roc Dao-friend, do you know anything about the Five Qi Vine?" Chen Beiwu asked bluntly.

His recent refusal of the Crimson Pearl Flower and leaving that favor unreturned was precisely to prepare for this moment—for firsthand information.

"That fellow… is difficult to speak of. Its temperament is quite peculiar. Even among Five Qi Vines, it’s a rare oddball. I suggest you abandon the idea of contracting it," the Golden-Winged Thunder Roc said hesitantly.

"Peculiar how?" Chen Beiwu was intrigued.

The Golden-Winged Thunder Roc glanced around, then leaned close to Chen Beiwu’s ear and whispered:

"My father once said, in the past, the Five Qi Vine was always a great thief that dominated other beasts. But this generation’s Five Qi Vine… only dabbles in petty theft and has no heart for cultivation."

Chen Beiwu was stunned.

A Five Qi Vine with no heart for cultivation—that sounded like utter dereliction!

If that were true, everything he’d done in the Yuqing Mountains would have been like winking at a blind man—pure wasted effort!

No. If it were truly a waste, he wouldn't have acquired this key intelligence on the Five Qi Vine.

Seeing his expression, the Golden-Winged Thunder Roc added in a hushed tone, "Remember, this is between us. Don’t spread it around. That fellow is extremely petty—I don’t want it targeting me."

Chen Beiwu: "…"