Chapter 533 - 523: Bane of Poison

Chapter 533: Chapter 523: Bane of Poison

However, the sensation came and went in a flash. He was only dazed for a moment before recovering. When Mu Chen came to, he found everyone staring at him blankly. Zhu Jiuqian, in particular, wore an incredibly strange expression. Nami, meanwhile, had already returned to Mo Qing’s side.

This left Mu Chen completely baffled. He rubbed his nose and asked uncertainly, "Did something happen just now?"

...

"..." Zhu Jiuqian fell silent for a moment before speaking. "Indeed. Just now, Nami showed an interest in you. If the fact that Nami would become a human’s Magical Beast partner was shocking, then her showing affection for a male is simply unbelievable. According to legend, Nami is the solitary queen of her sea region. Of course, the title of queen is just something humans call her; it doesn’t mean she is the true ruler of the seas. The Sea Domain remains a mystery to humanity. However, I have never heard of Nami showing affection for any male creature. That is precisely why she earned the title of Sea Queen."

"But why would she do that with me?" Mu Chen wondered, suddenly recalling the surge of Spiritual Power that had entered his Extreme Spirit Pearl. He fell into thought.

"Never mind, it’s not important. Let me see everyone else’s Magical Beasts." Zhu Jiuqian seemed to have grown accustomed to the shocks Mu Chen delivered. In his eyes, Mu Chen could make the impossible possible.

As he spoke, Zhu Jiuqian glanced around at the other six Magical Beasts, his expression already numb.

"You... you bunch of monsters..."

This was what Zhu Jiuqian muttered after a long, stunned silence, because the remaining six Magical Beasts were as follows:

Zhan Peng’s Black-toothed Tyrant Bear, a beast whose defense and attack grow in tandem. Its entire body was pitch-black, giving it excellent camouflage at night. However, one look at Zhan Peng’s Black-toothed Tyrant Bear and it was obviously just a cub; it stood only about a meter tall, and its roar still sounded a bit immature. Once it fully matured, however, its Demon Beast Realm would reach the Seventh Rank Peak.

Jilal’s Holy Light Electric Eel, a dual-attribute Magical Beast with Lightning and Light Unity. Not only did it possess extremely high healing and self-healing abilities, but it also had terrifying explosive power. The benefits of having it as a Magical Beast partner were immense. Although its maximum potential was only the Seventh Rank Peak, its practical combat applications far surpassed its Demon Beast Realm.

The Magical Beasts of these two weren’t the most shocking of the bunch, but they were certainly high-level partners. In the Outer Realm, the so-called guardian beasts of mid-sized sects were merely Tier Seven. Yet any one of the partners these disciples had chosen would reach the Seventh Rank Peak upon maturity. That was more than enough to be proud of!

However, the appearances and types of the remaining three members’ Magical Beasts were truly peculiar. Liu Feiyuan’s partner alone was enough to take one’s breath away.

This Magical Beast was not a living creature either, but a bizarre, four-meter-long sword of green light. Just above the hilt was a lively, vertical pupil that darted left and right, curiously observing its surroundings.

"Hm? Another Elemental Magical Beast?"

Liu Feiyuan nodded. He grasped the longsword of green light and closed his eyes. The green light abruptly collapsed, transforming into a golden orb of light that landed in his hand. Upon closer inspection, the orb was dazzling. A single eye was embedded within it, swiveling about from time to time. It looked a bit strange, yet also quite cute.

"It’s a Golden Spirit Beast."

Liu Feiyuan was a man of few words. Since arriving at Holy Tomb Mountain, he had spoken less than anyone else, with the sole exception of Guo Zijie—and Guo Zijie didn’t speak at all.

"A Golden Spirit Beast?"

There was no need to search the Ten Thousand Beasts Record, as it didn’t have a separate category for Elemental Magical Beasts. This type of Magical Beast seemed not to have existed a hundred thousand years ago, only slowly coming into being over the subsequent eons. Mu Chen shook his head helplessly. ’My knowledge is too limited,’ he thought. ’I’ll be stuck if this continues. I have to visit the Inner Mountain Book Tower when I get back.’ For now, he could only listen to Elder Zhu’s explanation.

"The Golden Spirit Beast is one of the Gold Attribute Elemental Magical Beasts. It’s a fairly high-level existence, though not particularly intelligent. However, that doesn’t diminish its value. A Martial Artist who possesses a Golden Spirit Beast has almost no need to carry weapons, as the Golden Spirit Beast is like an armory in itself. As long as you feed it a sufficient number and variety of weapons, it can transform into any weapon it has devoured. It will even enhance the weapon’s original strength and can eventually develop a degree of sentience!"

"In short, the Golden Spirit Beast is a universal Artifact Spirit. As a Gold Attribute Martial Artist, this is indeed the best partner for you. As it grows, your weapons will become incredibly powerful. For a Gold Attribute Martial Artist, their weapon is their second life. You’ve chosen well."

Zhu Jiuqian nodded at Liu Feiyuan, calmly analyzing the beast’s traits. This particular ability reminded Mu Chen of Little Spirit—no, he should say, it reminded him of his sister. The only difference was that any weapon Little Spirit transformed into would become a Nine-Turn Immortal Soldier. Furthermore, she didn’t need to devour any weapons; she could transform based on thought alone. As he thought this, he conveyed the sentiment to the Shattered Star Lock Chain on his right arm. A gentle warmth spread from it, as if in response.

"Thank you." Liu Feiyuan showed no sign of joy at Zhu Jiuqian’s praise. He merely shot Mu Chen a complicated glance before letting the Golden Spirit Beast leap onto his shoulder. Then, he turned to look at Shi Mu Hua.

At that, everyone couldn’t help but rub their noses. The reason was simple: the Magical Beast was greeting them with a mischievous grin. That smile was all too familiar.

"Heh... My Magical Beast needs no introduction. You already saw it when we entered Holy Beast Mountain." Shi Mu Hua snapped open his folding fan with a flourish, fanned himself twice, and smiled gently.

He was right; they had indeed seen this Magical Beast before. Wasn’t it the Dragon Eagle that had flown past when they first entered Holy Beast Mountain? But was it really just an ordinary Dragon Eagle? Although they hadn’t heard it speak, its expressions and gestures suggested an intelligence far greater than that of a typical Seventh Rank Magical Beast, almost on par with a Holy Beast. It was also the only fully matured Magical Beast among their new partners. Moreover, after fusing with his Little Black Illusion Spirit, Mu Chen could clearly sense a familiar aura from this Dragon Eagle.

’Jiu Feng?’ Mu Chen shook his head. ’No, if it were related to Jiu Feng, a fully matured Dragon Eagle wouldn’t be at such a low Demon Beast Realm. Unless... the Bloodline Power of Jiu Feng it absorbed was insufficient to trigger a full awakening.’

"A Dragon Eagle. Mmm, not the best, but the most suitable. Just as I said when I first saw it, it’s a perfect match for a Wind Attribute Martial Artist. And you, the little fellow in the black robes, if I recall correctly, you’re a Poison Cauldron Master, right? Where’s your Magical Beast? I just saw your Summoning Array Map light up, so why don’t I see it?"

Zhu Jiuqian didn’t look at Guo Zijie with any prejudice. On the contrary, he admired him. Here was someone who, in pursuit of the Martial Dao, had given up his dignity, friendships, and family to take on a role reviled by everyone on the continent. Was he a criminal for it? No! Compared to those who could have followed the proper Martial Dao but chose to become Poison Cauldron Masters and slaughter civilians, he had done nothing wrong.

Guo Zijie was highly sensitive to the way others looked at him. But since arriving at Holy Tomb Mountain, he had discovered that no one here discriminated against or feared him. This had allowed him to shed the false, distorted persona he once wore and be himself again. As a result, he was willing to answer when spoken to, though he still wasn’t accustomed to initiating conversations.

Extending his arm with the back of his hand facing up, Guo Zijie said, "My Magical Beast partner is here."

Hearing this, Zhu Jiuqian focused his gaze. The sight made him jump, and he subconsciously stumbled back a few steps. He swallowed hard and stammered, "Th-that’s your Magical Beast partner?"

Everyone was stunned by his reaction. Why would someone as powerful as Zhu Jiuqian act this way? Even Guo Zijie was bewildered.

Zhu Jiuqian, realizing his loss of composure, wiped his forehead. "Er, that’s... a personal issue. I’m rather afraid of scorpions."

He was right. Resting on the back of Guo Zijie’s hand was a palm-sized, entirely jade-green scorpion. At first glance, it was as translucent as a finely carved work of art—truly beautiful. Its beady little eyes were locked on Zhu Jiuqian, and its transparent tail, segmented by nine black rings, swayed slowly, as if poised to strike at any moment.

"The Nine-Sectioned Jade Scorpion!"

The moment he saw the Magical Beast, Mu Chen instantly recalled its information. It was a species of Magical Beast that had survived from Ancient Times, not yet extinct. Even so, no one dared to give them a second glance—not even Poison Cauldron Masters!

Why?

Aside from its incredible Stealth Ability and its incurable venom, it was because it possessed an extremely special constitution! This constitution allowed it to devour any poisonous Magical Beast, plant, or even person on the Extreme Martial Continent!

Anything related to poison could become its food, nourishing its body and enhancing its strength! This was why it had another name: Poison’s Bane!

This very trait made it the most coveted Magic Pet for all Poison Cauldron Masters. But all things have their paradoxes, and the one between this scorpion and Poison Cauldron Masters was particularly pronounced.

It was the perfect partner for a Poison Cauldron Master, yet due to the nature of Poison Cauldron Masters, it was utterly impossible to capture. No matter how powerful the Combat Skills or Secret Techniques a Poison Cauldron Master unleashed, the scorpion would indiscriminately devour them all, using them as fuel for its own growth.

This led to a bizarre situation. What kind of situation? Wherever one found Poison Cauldron Masters, one would inevitably find Nine-Sectioned Jade Scorpions. And whenever the scorpions got hungry, they would actively attack the Poison Cauldron Masters, forcing them to use their Combat Skills or Secret Techniques as a free meal.

This behavior left Poison Cauldron Masters feeling indignant and helpless. They couldn’t subdue the scorpions, and watching something so coveted yet untouchable was frustrating enough, let alone having it show up demanding food whenever it felt like it. If that happened to you, wouldn’t you be annoyed?!

And yet now, a Poison Cauldron Master had somehow managed to subdue one and make it his partner. And that person was none other than Holy Tomb Mountain’s one and only Poison Cauldron Master.

"Put it away! Now!" Zhu Jiuqian urged. "Put it away, and then I’ll tell you about it."

Guo Zijie pursed his lips but did as he was told, recalling the Nine-Sectioned Jade Scorpion into his Summoning Space. Only then did Zhu Jiuqian wipe the cold sweat from his brow and tell Guo Zijie everything about the beast.

"Therefore, you are the first Poison Cauldron Master in known history to successfully form a Contract with a Nine-Sectioned Jade Scorpion. It’s rumored that a Poison Cauldron Master and a Nine-Sectioned Jade Scorpion can perform dual cultivation, allowing you to grow stronger together. But no one has ever tested it, so there’s no way to know for sure. When you get back, you should try to communicate with it and see."

After saying this, Zhu Jiuqian immediately averted his gaze from Guo Zijie, his eyes still filled with terror.

"Hahaha! You old bastard, has it been a thousand years? And you’re still terrified of that little critter?" the Golden-Winged Emperor Eagle up ahead cackled, its tone dripping with ridicule.

Zhu Jiuqian snorted irritably. "If I weren’t afraid of scorpions, I never would have formed a Contract with an old bird like you! Enough! Why are you backing away? I’ve been watching you for a while now, cowering back there. Are you a man or not? Hurry up and summon your Magical Beast!"

Suddenly, Zhu Jiuqian barked at someone near Mu Chen. Mu Chen turned to look and immediately felt his face darken. Unbeknownst to him, Long Xiaotian had backed away nearly three meters from the group. He wore a bizarre expression, like someone who’d just been caught cheating.

"What are you doing?" Mu Chen asked, dumbfounded.

Long Xiaotian hemmed and hawed for a long moment before finally mumbling, "Can I... maybe not summon it...?"