"So it begins." Within the Myriad Monarch Sect's spectators abode, they, and all the others, watched as the world below changed. The peaceful scenery of lush green had become a spectacular light show of grey, white, silver, and gold. They shot into the sky like heaven-rising pillars. They continued until they touched the platform that surrounded the planet.
Each pillar of light was a young participant that had survived, meeting the requirement of earning Spirit Points to proceed to the next trial. They earned their spot and now was the time for them to showcase their truest of talents before the world. Even the spectators, regardless if they were experienced old foxes, those other talents ineligible to enter due to varying reasons, or ancient monsters of the cultivation world, they all watched with bated breath.
The Trial of Beasts were merely a light prelude to what will likely be a display of violence unlike anything else. The fighting of beasts versus other cultivators were fundamentally different, and that had to do with the numerous dimensions of fighting. Furthermore, it was hard to test your cultivation against those who cultivate an entirely different system.
Qin Rui, Yao Zhen, and Ji Changkong were paying extra attention to one particular light, one particular person: Wei Wuyin. His light was absolutely monstrous, glaring and unsurpassed.
"He tamed three Gold-Starred Beasts. His points are fifteen hundred. Quite ridiculous," Ji Changkong couldn't help but say with a breath of disbelief. Wei Wuyin had revealed a truth that many hadn't expected, his exceptional talent for cultivation. While his cultivation base had improved swiftly, far beyond his average peers in terms of speed, it wasn't too suspect. After all, he was an Alchemic King.
Seventh-Grade products were designed to help propel those at the lower-phases of the Astral Core Realm. It wasn't much in their eyes, especially if they factored in the legend of the King of Everlore. One of these legends was about how the King of Everlore found a servant, this servant was actually the San Clan Ancestor, and with his support, the untalented peasant at the time had become a Realmlord in a year's worth of time.
This was but one of many legends that further highlighted the outrageous benefits of alchemy in the cultivation world. It helped establish its importance and built a foundation of reverence within the hearts of future generations. While there were likely all sorts of factors contributing to this feat, it was spectacular nevertheless.
Yao Zhen couldn't help but feel a sense of loss. As for where it came from, he wasn't sure. His eye sockets that contained violet flames dimmed and swirled as he said, "Even Yao Wei, that little brat, had only tamed a few silver-starred beasts. Yet...he barely reached a hundred points." A slight sigh could be heard in his voice. There wasn't a hint of happiness that was to be expected from a normally praise-worthy feat..
After all, Yao Wei had cultivated for over a hundred years, reaching the Sky Ruler Phase. Despite that, he was still considerably lacking compared to Wei Wuyin, someone who hadn't even reached fifty years of age yet. While his case was special, it still caused him as a father to suffer some mental loss.
Usually, Ji Changkong would leap at the chance to denounce Yao Wei and prop his Shudao up in turn, but Shudao was in a similar situation and he felt similar feelings in his heart. He could stay silent.
"The worst thing in this world is comparing oneself to others, similarly comparing your disciples or your children to others. If we take the whole picture in, they're already in the top twenty of participants," Qin Rui comforted. But even she was startled by the huge difference.
The Monarch Spirit Trials was designed in a way that allowed a balance based on the conventional belief of cultivation and limitations. Those at the World Sea, Sky Ruler, and Soul Idol Phases should have similar scores based on their relative talent and strength. The disparity should not be this amazing. If this was taken at face value, Wei Wuyin was not just a little ahead of the others.
Furthermore, ten years ago, was he not stuck within a lacking continental flat earth? To reach this level so quickly, it was truly heart-shaking and heaven-defying.
If Qin Rui, Ji Changkong, and Yao Zhen knew that there were monsters like Yuan Longshi and Lin Ming present in the starfield, they might feel differently and see how unfair the world truly was. Even with all their love and effort into developing their selected inheritor, be it disciple or family member, a single moment can allow these figures to bypass it all. Soon, they would reach levels that they, who cultivated for nearly a thousand years, could only look up to.
While they felt all sorts of emotions, a Prime Imperial Sage unwittingly said aloud a few words: "Wouldn't this paint a huge target on Heavenly King Wei's back?" This question caused a few to become solemn. That was right. This trial was designed to allow others to know of the tallest tree and conjure up enough wind to knock it over. Their eyes flashed with worry.
Would Wei Wuyin suffer from his brilliance?
"With three tamed Gold-Starred Beasts and his own prowess, shouldn't we be worried about what would happen if...Wei Wuyin goes on a unrestrained slaughter?" A more astute individual asked.
"..."
The solmenness and worry for Wei Wuyin slowly, very slowly, changed to horror.
The image of Wei Wuyin fighting and dominating three Gold-Starred Beasts remained fresh in the spectators' minds. As for those who unknowingly missed it live, they were immediately given various recordings of the event. It was a horrific representation of strength that caused endless exclaims of awe and a subversion of conventional belief. They had thought that Heavenly King Wei, a potential Alchemic Emperor, was a carbon copy of the King of Everlore.
The title Prince of Everlore had unwittingly overlapped the legends and stories of the King of Everlore with his own. Furthermore, the Princess of Everlore had exacerbated this issue. She had a confirmed Alchemic Astral Soul. This meant, just like the King of Everlore, she had little to no combat abilities.
But watching the awesome scene of Wei Wuyin devastating the beasts until one fled far in an attempt to escape with its life had overturned this image. Wei Wuyin wasn't a carbon copy of a legend, no...he was far, far more terrifying.
When those with keen minds and ample foresight witnessed his light shot into the sky and act as a sign on the same grand level as the North Star, they realized this wasn't going according to the normal script. Furthermore, the various pillars of lights, which represented these hot-headed and youthful elites, were already converging. Whether out of curiosity of what such a blaring light meant or a desire to test oneself against a heavenly genius, it attracted a majority of those present.
When these lights started to converge with purpose, the expressions of those watching turned pale from fear. Not for Wei Wuyin, but those rushing forward in the maw of uncertainty.
A young woman with black hair and pure black eyes directed her gaze towards the grey-colored light that pierced into the sky. There was no other light that matched it. In fact, its intensity was so great that the immediate hue of the sky in the range of tens of thousands of miles had turned greyish.
Her valiant beauty was highlighted as a slight curve of her lip revealed a smile, an expression that had rarely surfaced before. As a rare sight, those who missed it were merely out of luck.
"Lord Wei," beneath Su Mei was an azure-colored serpent with scales that rippled like water. She lightly used her index finger to tap it and its gigantic head lifted. Without hesitation, it started to slither through the forestry and fields, its destination: Wei Wuyin's light.
"AH-WOO!" A cacophony of howls erupted. Hundreds of various beasts of canine lineage faced the grey light that pierced through the sky. Zuhei stood at the center of this impromptu pack, clearly the alpha that commanded the rest. His scarlet eyes lifted and met the brilliant grey light that outshone the rest.
"Master." Zuhei's expression similarly lifted into a smile, but it contained a hint of vicious and combative intent. From where he stood, he took a step. His figure vanished and the pack of wolves numbering hundreds howled in a unified manner before dashing off, causing the rumbling of the earth with their powerful legs.
"Yawn!" A handsome young man was riding an elephant through the forest with a casual and carefree manner. A spear in hand, he was rather laid back. When his jade tablet shot into the sky and colored the immediate sky silver, he sighed.
He had two hundred and fifty points, having tamed a Gold-Starred Beast with his own power. If Wei Wuyin was the most dazzling pillar of light that painted the sky, then he was definitely the second or third most. Yet most hadn't even realized his brilliance and feat, their eyes focused on Wei Wuyin instead.
"Oh?" His eyes widened slightly as he noticed a grey-colored pillar of light shot into the sky. The intensity was nearly eight times greater than his own, shocking him slightly. A trace of seriousness emerged between his brows for the first time in years.
"Did this person gather an army of Silver-Starred Beasts? I wonder who…" Considering the purpose of the Trial of Beasts, it made sense that some beast-tamers who focused their cultivation towards that direction would be able to achieve such feats. Furthermore, beastmen had a slight advantage when facing and subduing those of a similar species.
For example, Zuhei was someone from the canine lineage as a whole and his bloodline pressure could easily subdue those of that nature. To further this thought, canines usually traveled in groups and packs, so it would be easier to develop or grow their forces. If an aquarian or avian beastman appeared, it wasn't entirely impossible to gather a school of fish or flock of birds as an army.
"Well, whatever. I want to see who has this ability." The elephant-like beast trumpeted its three trunks and made way towards the light. In the wake of its path was crushed ground and fragments of trees.
Wei Wuyin realized from this development rather quickly that he wouldn't have a moment of rest unless he demonstrated an invincible ability, leveraged his status, or hid. Unfortunately...the last two weren't his style.
'Whatever.' The light shrug of his shoulders carried a sign of apathy but the glint of excitement that flickered at the edge of his eyes betrayed his expectations.
It wasn't long before the ground startled to rumble as numerous figures started to make their way towards his directions. From the distance...he heard...howls?
