Beast Taming Clan: I Have a Jade Book Chapter 965 - 673: Beast Earth Dragon, The Three Rules
Within the Grotto Heaven, an odd spectacle was playing out right now.
Ye Jingcheng remained silent, and so did the Earth Dragon Demon King.
They faced one another from afar, their figures under the sun's rays looking somewhat ethereal.
At this instant, everyone felt confused, wondering if the Blood Contract had perhaps failed.
Yet the Blood Contract failures they recalled didn't resemble this at all.
Still, a closer look revealed the Earth Dragon Demon King quivering faintly, with various emotions flashing in its gaze.
Right now, Ye Jingcheng sensed the Earth Dragon Demon King's feelings fluctuating wildly between fury and serenity, then back again.
Such shifts happened more than a hundred times in just a dozen breaths.
This proved the Ye Family's safeguards were spot on.
The Earth Dragon Demon King held no ill will toward the Ye Family, yet should it ascend to Demon Emperor, escape the Beast Tide, and claim mountains or islands as its domain, the Ye Family would stand powerless against it.
At last, the Earth Dragon Demon King eyed the Two-headed Turtle, as if recalling its recent allegiance to the Ye Family; a trace of remorse appeared in its eyes before turning fully to Ye Jingcheng.
After staring long and hard, it reluctantly bowed its haughty head.
It took some time before it whispered:
"You truly are the most talented of the Ye Family!"
With an indifferent tone, the Earth Dragon Demon King spoke these words, then stepped to the side.
It pretended to start cultivating.
However, Ye Jingcheng understood perfectly that the Earth Dragon Demon King was still wrestling inwardly with the shift.
Ye Jingcheng left it alone; the Soul Contract's dreadfulness stemmed from his power to read its mind and grasp its every thought.
Besides, their Divine Souls' merger meant that even upon breakthrough, escape was impossible.
It couldn't defy Ye Jingcheng either.
Indeed, allowing the Earth Dragon Demon King time to settle and reflect would help all involved.
Ye Jingcheng examined his Divine Soul once more and detected no problems, showing he was handling the Earth Dragon Demon King's Divine Soul adaptation for now.
This reassured him greatly.
Before him, Ye Haicheng, Ye Xuefan, and the others aware of the situation all heaved sighs of relief.
With the Soul Contract secured, the Earth Dragon Demon King belonged fully to the Ye Family.
Should it rise to Demon Emperor later, it would still bear the Ye surname.
Therefore, their prior worries were now entirely dispelled.
Each picked a spot and commenced cultivation.
Returning to the Yan Kingdom would demand additional time.
Though absent for nearly two months, the immense distances and necessary detours made the trip drag on even further.
Ye Jingcheng ascended back to the mountain summit and settled into serene cultivation.
Having achieved Golden Core, tasks piled up—possibly more than ever—reforging his Five Elements Lifebound Treasure, mastering the Five Elements Divine Thunder Secret Technique, and practicing the last three Five Spirits Secret Techniques.
All these demanded substantial time.
Furthermore, at Golden Core, even aided by the Jade Qilin Flood Dragon and Two-headed Turtle Demon King, progress stayed sluggish.
The latter required no elaboration; attaining Demon King took ages.
Not even the former could boost speed dramatically.
The gap between Tier Four and Tier Three loomed enormous.
Except if Ye Jingcheng concocted the Tier Four Jade Qilin Pill.
But calculations revealed a dire shortage of Spirit Medicines.
Moreover, the three key ingredients were nowhere in sight; while Tier Four Flood Dragon Blood seemed obtainable, Ye Jingcheng's thoughts turned to the Silver Moon Demon King, given its powerful bloodline.
After pondering deeply, Ye Jingcheng shook his head.
Currently, boosting his personal power took priority; though he commanded the Jade Qilin Flood Dragon and Two-headed Turtle Demon King as Golden Core Demon King Spirit Pets, alongside the Earth Dragon Demon King, the lineup looked mighty.
Truthfully, though, his own fighting strength fell short.
Ye Jingcheng pulled out the Five Spirits True Manual and delved into the Earth Spirit Secret Technique, Qilin Profound Earth - True Hall.
…
A month slipped by unnoticed, transforming the fresh sprouts of the Golden Light Bamboo into lush new Golden Light Bamboo, shining brilliantly beneath the sun's rays.
Next to the bamboo, within the Spirit Fish Spirit Lake, myriads of Cyan Jade Lotuses bloomed profusely, several lotus blossoms unfurling silently and releasing the invigorating aroma of Spiritual Lotus.
Spirit Fish darted forward one by one, nudging the lotus leaves to sip the dew drops cascading down.
The full expanse of the Grotto Heaven painted a vibrant scene of resplendent summer splendor.
Right then, atop the mountain peak, Ye Jingcheng rapidly formed hand seals, pulling together vast streams of Earth Attribute Spiritual Light that coalesced into a majestic golden palace hovering in the heavens.
Simultaneously, a Qilin Spirit Shadow flickered above the palace, yet it scattered once more before fully taking shape.
Ye Jingcheng rose involuntarily, letting out a deep sigh.
Manifesting the palace represented just the entry phase of the secret art; attaining Minor Achievement demanded the emergence of the Spirit Shadow.
Even so, at the basic level, the created True Hall brimmed with formidable might, its oppressive force proving exceptionally potent.
Furthermore, Ye Jingcheng foresaw that after completing the Earth Dragon Demon King Beast Communication ritual, channeling the Earth Dragon Demon King’s True Essence into this secret technique would dramatically amplify its potency.
As the Spirit Technique concluded, the palace dissolved alongside the yellow radiance.
Ye Jingcheng descended from the elevated platform, spotting the Earth Dragon Demon King already awaiting him in the distance.
Clearly, throughout that month, the Earth Dragon Demon King had reflected deeply.
Having accepted this altered fate, it chose to adapt and chase the breakthrough into Demon Emperor realm.
"Dragon Ancestor, have your injuries healed?" Ye Jingcheng inquired with utmost respect.
Regardless of the situation, the Earth Dragon Demon King belonged to the same era as Ye Xuecang and his peers, having genuinely aided the Ye Family before. With no break in relations, Ye Jingcheng preferred to maintain this address.
"Yes, I’m fully recovered. Could I speak with you alone?" the Earth Dragon Demon King requested.
After brief contemplation, Ye Jingcheng nodded.
He cast a look at Ye Xuefan and Ye Haicheng.
The other two nodded promptly:
"We’ll go and check with Haisheng if the Spiritual Ship has arrived in Jin Kingdom!"
With the pair gone, Ye Jingcheng reactivated the array.
Ye Jingcheng anticipated the Earth Dragon Demon King’s wish to converse.
"Is this the legendary Soul Contract?" As the grand array took form, the Earth Dragon Demon King waved to erect an earth-yellow barrier, then voiced its question.
Its gaze had clearly softened from its prior intensity.
"Yes!" Ye Jingcheng confirmed with a nod.
"I want to know, what will be different from before?" The Earth Dragon Demon King pressed further.
"Dragon Ancestor, it will naturally be the same, but since Jingcheng is inheriting the position of the Spirit Beast Clan Elders in the family for the first time, if anything is amiss, I hope Dragon Ancestor will be tolerant!" Ye Jingcheng explained straightforwardly.
In other words, absent special issues, relations would mirror the past, yet Ye Jingcheng differed from Ye Xuecang or the prior Ye Family Elders.
Thus, the Earth Dragon Demon King could no longer assume its former stance!
Harmonious collaboration would render the Soul Contract practically invisible.
Ye Jingcheng lacked the inclination to provoke the Earth Dragon Demon King needlessly.
Truthfully, he worried the Earth Dragon Demon King might grow resentful and defy the Ye Family, even courting death.
"Alright, then I have three points to state: First, I have the right to be informed about family affairs. Second, my direct descendants must not be used as cannon fodder. Third, if your lifespan is insufficient, I reserve the right to choose!" The Earth Dragon Demon King declared.
Ye Jingcheng mulled it over momentarily before nodding in assent.
The Earth Dragon Demon King’s stipulations proved reasonable, and listing these three showed its genuine alignment with the Ye Family.
Concerning lifespan limits, Ye Jingcheng believed the Earth Dragon Demon King possessed ample patience.
He hadn’t yet tasted a Peach Fruit, and his Golden Core granted a thousand years of vitality. Should his Peach Wood evolve two further stages, devouring four or five fruits would prolong his existence by no less than five or six centuries.
Besides, Golden Core marked no endpoint for him.
Hence, the third condition presented no challenge to Ye Jingcheng.
"Dragon Ancestor, please accept this Chenjing Jade!" Now that all terms were settled, Ye Jingcheng freely presented the Chenjing Jade.
He had detected the Earth Dragon Demon King’s emotional waves just moments ago, verifying that its devotion to the Ye Family was utterly real.
Thus, he held nothing back.
The Ye Family desperately required a Nascent Soul level fighter.
Even with Soul Injection for the Earth Dragon Demon King, success in reaching Tier Five was far from guaranteed.
Failure would mean a heavy blow to the Ye Family, forfeiting the lands and riches of the Celestial Cloud Islands.
Besides, the Earth Dragon Demon King needed a secure spot for its breakthrough, and the Cyan Cloud Sea Domain was definitely out.
The beast tide there raged fiercely, almost certain to draw a Divine Monarch of Divinity Transformation and a Demon Race Demon Saint afterward.
Therefore, the Taihang Mountain Range became the only choice, despite the dangers involved.
The Ye Family couldn’t risk defeat, and letting the Chenjing Jade sit idle would squander its potential.
After all, having just stepped into Early Stage Golden Core, reaching Golden Core Peak could demand fifty or even a hundred years.
Far too slow!
So slow that the Ye Family might launch yet another venture into the Chenjing Sea.
"Thank you!" The Earth Dragon Demon King never anticipated Ye Jingcheng pulling out the Chenjing Jade.
Given Ye Jingcheng’s sharp mind and rapid cultivation progress, it figured he’d likely keep it for himself.
It had already given up hope on getting the Chenjing Jade.
Yet now, with Ye Jingcheng offering it, overwhelming joy surged through it.
This boosted its odds dramatically for ascending to Demon Emperor.
"Let’s begin the Beast Communication right away, but since I’m at Golden Core Peak, I might need a great many Beast Communication Patterns..." the Earth Dragon Demon King stated.
Its voice shifted unconsciously too.
It was aware Ye Jingcheng had linked with countless Spirit Beasts before.
"No problem!" Ye Jingcheng agreed with a nod.
After all, possessing the Seven-Inch Beast Pattern made him the Ye Family’s top expert at beast communication.
Excitement stirred in Ye Jingcheng at that instant. Through this beast communication, he could leverage the Earth Dragon Demon King to boost his Spirit Cultivation, toughen his physique, and fix a key flaw.
At the same time, his Earth Spirit Secret Technique would surge forward swiftly.
With the decision made, Ye Jingcheng and the Earth Dragon Demon King settled into cross-legged positions, facing one another.
Ye Jingcheng started forming his Seven-Inch Beast Pattern, which split into countless Spirit Shadows racing toward the Earth Dragon Demon King.
Solemnity filled Ye Jingcheng’s gaze.
Even with his mastery in this process, linking with a Tier Four Peak Demon King was no small feat.
Soon enough, as the Beast Pattern entered the Earth Dragon Demon King’s form, they swiftly returned to Ye Jingcheng.
Potent strands of True Essence flowed unbidden into Ye Jingcheng’s body.
Instantly, he sensed his Earth Phase True Essence overwhelming his Water Phase True Essence, flooding him with immense power.
The Beast Communication Ceremony had succeeded!
"Seven-Inch Beast Pattern, that explains it." After sensing Ye Jingcheng’s Beast Pattern, the Earth Dragon Demon King gained full clarity.
Still, Ye Jingcheng realized his Seven-Inch Beast Pattern was mostly filled.
Room remained for additional Beast Communications, but it was quite restricted.
Plus, should the Earth Dragon Demon King advance to Demon Emperor, it could demand even more space.
"Dragon Ancestor, start your cultivation now, for we’ll likely encounter Turtle Ancestor upon arriving in the Chu Kingdom!" This time, Ye Jingcheng shared everything openly with the Earth Dragon Demon King.
The Ye Family’s gathering spot lay not in the Yan Kingdom or Zhao Kingdom, but in the adjacent Chu Kingdom.
Though chaotic in its Cultivation Realm, it provided excellent hiding spots.
From the Chu Kingdom, they could access the Cyan River Sect’s Four Commanderies, then shift to the Taiyi Three Commanderies, finally heading back to Lingyun Peak.
Saying that, Ye Jingcheng departed.
Right now, his urge to cultivate burned strong.
The Earth Dragon Demon King’s True Essence vastly outmatched his own, so training now might not push him to Middle Stage Golden Core, but it would surely strengthen his Golden Core foundation greatly.
Furthermore, reaching the Chu Kingdom would take several more months.
He’d make the most of those months in intense cultivation.
Meanwhile, he could test the full extent of enhancements from the Earth Dragon Demon King’s Beast Communication!