Spirit Beast Azure Ox

It was fortunate that Song Wen's identity as a talisman master was merely a cover. If he truly had to rely on drawing talismans to make a living, his cultivation would likely never advance another inch for the rest of his days.

As Song Wen passed by the Peony Tower, a local pleasure house, he happened to cross paths with Ai Kun, who was just stepping out of the establishment.

Noticing Ai Kun's somewhat unsteady footsteps, Song Wen remarked, "Senior Ai, you don't seem quite as formidable as you boasted. We only parted ways three quarters of an hour ago, and the walk alone takes two. Those three Spirit Stones of yours seem poorly spent."

Ai Kun's weathered face flushed red, and he retorted testily, "What do you know? At my advanced age, being able to charge freely through the sea of flowers is already a rare feat. Besides, my form was off today, so I had to sound a hasty retreat. On any ordinary day, I would press the assault for at least half a double-hour, leaving them utterly routed."

Amid Ai Kun's grandstanding, the two walked back toward their residences.

Ai Kun lived on the same street as Song Wen, making him practically a neighbor.

Suddenly, two figures flying high across the sky caught their attention.

The man possessed striking features, a straight nose, and a tall, elegant posture. He was exceedingly handsome yet retained a sharp, martial bearing. His brilliant eyes seemed to flicker with arcs of lightning, commanding the attention of all who looked.

Beside him, the woman had bright eyes, pearly teeth, and finely arched eyebrows. With skin like congealed cream and a jade-like grace, she resembled a celestial maiden descending to the mortal realm, radiant and enchanting. She moved as gracefully as light clouds obscuring the moon, or snow swirling in a gentle breeze.

The man possessed a Foundation Establishment initial-stage cultivation and rode a flying sword, looking exceptionally dashing.

The woman was only at the ninth layer of Qi Refining, yet she rode through the air upon the back of a rare spirit beast.

The beast resembled an ox, its entire body snow-white and devoid of horns. Its four hooves trod upon clusters of white clouds, within which faint cracks of lightning flashed, giving it an incredibly divine appearance.

As the pair flew overhead, they quickly drew the admiring gazes of most cultivators in the market.

A youth as flawless as jade, a young master without peer.

They were truly an extraordinary pair.

Seeing Song Wen's gaze fixed on the sky, Ai Kun, who loved to boast about being well-informed, bragged, "Do you know who those two are?"

When Song Wen shook his head, Ai Kun continued, "That man is Lei Tianyu, the direct son of the current Lei Family head. Before even reaching twenty-five years of age, he successfully achieved Foundation Establishment. His thunder-attribute arts are practiced to absolute perfection, making him the most exceptionally gifted genius among the Lei Family's younger generation."

"The woman is Kou Chang, a direct disciple of the Beast Taming Sect. At a mere twenty years old, she has already reached the ninth layer of Qi Refining. Furthermore, the spirit beast Azure Ox she is contracted with is rumored to possess a trace of bloodline from the ancient divine beast, the Kui Ox. The Azure Ox actually advanced ahead of her, becoming a Tier 2 spirit beast two years ago, making it comparable to a Foundation Establishment cultivator."

Song Wen did not pay much attention to the gossip. What truly caught his eye was a faint, barely perceptible aura of a demonic cultivator's blood path clinging to Lei Tianyu.

This Lei Tianyu must have recently devoured the essence blood of others, and in no small quantity.

Other cultivators might not notice it, but Song Wen, who frequently refined essence blood himself, was exceptionally sensitive to this specific aura and recognized it instantly. Of course, it was also possible that higher-level cultivators had noticed the blood path aura as well but simply did not want to invite trouble by pointing it out.

Furthermore, since Lei Tianyu belonged to the Lei Family, he undoubtedly possessed their secret thunder arts. Having witnessed the sheer destructive power of the Heavenly Lightning Talisman, Song Wen had been constantly yearning to acquire a thunder art.

Turning to Ai Kun, Song Wen asked, "Senior Ai, how much do you know about thunder arts? Why is it that some can master them, while others struggle to even reach the Novice stage their entire lives?"

Ai Kun looked at Song Wen with a teasing glint in his eyes and said, "What? Have you taken an interest in thunder arts?"

"The might of thunder arts is indeed immense, but cultivating them is no simple matter. Take Palm Lightning, the most widely circulated thunder art, for example. Countless cultivators have attempted it, but how many have truly mastered it?"

"It is said that according to past records, everyone who successfully cultivates thunder arts possesses a fire spiritual root. Yet, not every cultivator with a fire spiritual root can successfully learn them."

"Some speculate that the key lies in the fire spiritual root undergoing a rare mutation, transforming into a thunder spiritual root. However, this mutated root cannot be detected by normal testing; one can only learn the truth by attempting to cultivate a thunder art and seeing the result."

Watching the distant figures of Lei Tianyu and Kou Chang land and disappear behind the buildings, a thought flashed through Song Wen's mind.

'So, I must actually attempt to cultivate Palm Lightning to find out if I have the talent for thunder arts.'

Bidding farewell to Ai Kun, Song Wen returned to his courtyard.

Sitting cross-legged, he calmed his mind and focused his spirit before swallowing one of the purchased Blood Qi Pills.

The medicinal effect left him disappointed.

Just as he had anticipated, the commercial pill contained a pitifully small amount of refined essence blood. If Song Wen had not been meticulously monitoring the state of his internal essence blood, he would have barely noticed the tiny wisp that was consumed.

Because the essence blood consumed was so minor, the resulting increase in True Essence was naturally negligible.

Holding the remaining pill in his palm, Song Wen looked at it with blatant disdain.

'Must I refine the pills myself?'

Back when he slew Ji Yin, Song Wen had obtained the man's personal notebook, which recorded the exact formulas and refining methods Ji Yin had used for every batch of Blood Qi Pills.

Deciding to act immediately, Song Wen disguised his appearance, altering his aura to look like a young male cultivator at the third layer of Qi Refining. After ensuring the street outside was empty, he slipped out of his courtyard.

He wandered the market district for a turn, spending twenty Spirit Stones across several roadside stalls to gather the spiritual herbs required for ten batches of Blood Qi Pills.

Next, he entered a Magical Artifact shop and spent eight hundred Spirit Stones to purchase a Middle Grade pill furnace.

Upon leaving the shop, Song Wen crossed paths with Lei Tianyu and Kou Chang once more.

The pair were inside a spirit beast establishment.

Lei Tianyu was handing a heavy sack of Spirit Stones to the shopkeeper, who in turn presented a jade bottle, which Lei Tianyu handed directly to Kou Chang.

Receiving the item she desired, Kou Chang flashed a sweet, radiant smile at Lei Tianyu.

Her beautiful eyes sparkled with delight, and Lei Tianyu seemed completely lost in the sight of her crescent-moon smile, staring infatuatedly at her exquisite face.

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