I Tame Beasts by Feeding

At first, the three phantoms were faint and indistinct. But as Spiritual Power from the world rushed madly into them, the three Beast Shadows gradually solidified.

Waves of pressure unique to Spirit Beasts grew increasingly potent. The phantoms solidified, the Beast Shadows roared, and they took on the forms of the Red Refining Snake, the Colorful Star Deer, and the Golden-Winged Eagle—so lifelike they looked ready to take flight.

Yu Changsheng was slightly stunned. He reached out to touch one and discovered it wasn’t just a phantom—it felt like flesh and blood. Without a closer look, one might not even realize they were condensed from Magic.

Their auras, their appearances, even their breathing—everything was imitated with astonishing realism.

Yu Changsheng pondered, then extended his Divine Thought to cover the phantoms. He split it into three seeds and slowly planted one in each. The next second, the Beast Shadows flashed with light, and as they stirred, their Spirituality intensified.

With a single thought, relying on his powerful Divine Sense, Yu Changsheng could command the three Beast Shadows as easily as his own limbs, making them perform various actions. He even realized that each Beast Shadow truly possessed a portion of its corresponding Spirit Beast’s power and Divine Techniques.

The cost, however, was that this Divine Technique consumed not only his Magical Power but also the power of his Divine Sense—and the demand on the latter was much higher than on the former.

’No wonder this Technique is so difficult to master,’ he thought. ’Without a Divine Sense that’s more profound than one’s Cultivation to support it, even someone who comprehended this Divine Technique would find it incredibly taxing to use.’

Yu Changsheng sighed with emotion. Once again, he was reaping the rewards of his powerful Divine Sense.

’After I raise my Cultivation, I need to improve my Refining God Technique as well.’

Three streaks of light flashed. With a thought, Yu Changsheng summoned the Colorful Star Deer, the Red Refining Snake, and the Golden-Winged Eagle from his Inner Realm.

HISS! What’s this?

The Red Refining Snake slapped its tail on the ground, its pair of big, kohl-rimmed eyes staring curiously at its own Red Refining Snake Beast Shadow.

The Beast Shadow was identical to the Red Refining Snake in both appearance and size. Moreover, the snake could also feel an invisible wave connecting them through the Spirit Beast Contract.

The Colorful Star Deer curiously nudged its Beast Shadow. Yu Changsheng’s expression remained unchanged as he directed it with his thoughts, and the Beast Shadow of the deer nudged the real one in return.

"This is a new Divine Technique I’ve comprehended. Now, hold back a little and try sparring with them."

Yu Changsheng coughed twice, explaining to his three Spirit Pets.

Flicking its tongue, the Red Refining Snake immediately lashed out, mercilessly striking its own Beast Shadow with a devastating tail whip.

Reeling from the blow, the Red Refining Snake’s Beast Shadow became unstable before dissipating into countless motes of light.

Yu Changsheng suddenly felt a sharp, piercing pain in his mind, as if pricked by a needle. The seed of Divine Thought within the Red Refining Snake’s Beast Shadow had shattered along with it.

Yu Changsheng: "..."

"Go easy on it! They’re just Beast Shadows, they don’t have real physical bodies!" Yu Changsheng said, exasperated.

The Red Refining Snake recoiled slightly, its tail swaying gently.

After a short rest, the Red Refining Snake’s Beast Shadow was formed once more. This time, the Spirit Pets held back, cautiously launching their attacks against the Beast Shadows.

CRACKLE! CRACKLE! CRACKLE!

Poisonous Fire spread, Black Wind swept across, and a sea of trees sprang up. Within this small area, a tempest of sand and stone raged, an earth-shattering sight.

Two identical Red Refining Snakes coiled around each other, tearing and biting as Poisonous Fire spread across their bodies, filling the air with a scorching heat.

Low in the sky, sharp cries that could pierce metal and shatter stone echoed through the clouds. A fierce gale raged as black Wind Blades clashed and annihilated one another, dissolving into gentle wisps of wind that drifted back down to earth.

Elsewhere, giant trees sprouted from the void, soaring toward the sky. Endless vines spread out, forming massive cages that would sometimes lash out like sharp blades, mercilessly coiling around each other. Beneath this canopy, the two Colorful Star Deers’ antlers glowed as they clashed with their full power.

As for Yu Changsheng, he sat cross-legged on the spot, his mind split three ways. He was multitasking, observing the entire battlefield while simultaneously controlling the Beast Shadows to launch one attack after another.

For a moment, it seemed as if they were evenly matched.

Of course, this was only because the three Spirit Pets were not truly attacking with their full strength. If they had been, the fight would have been over in an instant. After all, the shadows were ultimately just phantoms, condensed from Magical Power and thought. While they shared some traits with Spirit Beasts, a significant gap still remained when compared to the real deal.

Still, to achieve even this much was a testament to how astonishing this Divine Technique was.

An hour later, Yu Changsheng ended the trial, opening his eyes with a hint of fatigue. He felt mentally drained.

Splitting his mind three ways to control the Beast Shadows for such a long time... if not for his powerful consciousness, an ordinary person would have collapsed long ago.

After a yawn and a long, satisfying stretch, Yu Changsheng stood up, regulated his breathing, and a faint smile graced his lips.

’Finally, I have a decent Divine Power in my arsenal. Used to catch an enemy off guard, these Beast Shadows are practically my fourth Spirit Beast!’

His heart surging with excitement, Yu Changsheng took out the Yun Shou Small Pills that Gongsun Yang had refined and fed one to each of his three Spirit Pets.

[You have successfully fed the Red Refining Snake. Consumed: One Two-Stripe Beast-Storage Pill (Small). Acquired: 2000 Essence!]

[You have successfully...]

...

As the system prompts faded, he had acquired another 6000 Essence. This surprised Yu Changsheng. ’These Beast-Storage Small Pills, meant for daily nourishment before a major breakthrough, can actually yield this much Essence?’

After a moment of reflection, Yu Changsheng understood why.

’It must be because these elixirs are of very high quality, reaching the rare Two-Stripe grade.’

And after consuming the Beast-Storage Small Pills, the three Spirit Pets’ Cultivation levels had indeed risen, and the energy they had expended during the spar was restored to its peak.

’According to the Pill Formula,’ Yu Changsheng mused, ’the Beast-Storage Pill doesn’t just increase Cultivation and heal injuries. It can also gradually unlock a Spirit Beast’s latent Physique, boosting its potential until it can finally achieve a breakthrough.’

Yu Changsheng considered this.

’In that case, I’ll nourish them for a period of time first. I’ll also use this opportunity to practice refining the Beast-Storage Small Pills. Once I’ve completely mastered the use of my Void Fire, I’ll refine the Beast-Storage Great Pills and use them to help my beasts break through to become Tier Two Spirit Beasts.’

Generally speaking, when a Beast Master’s Cultivation breaks through—especially a major advancement in Realm—their Spirit Beasts will also break through, provided they have sufficient potential. The reverse is also true. A Spirit Beast’s breakthrough can, in turn, trigger a breakthrough in the Beast Master’s own Cultivation.

The two are intrinsically linked, complementing and reinforcing one another.

This is why so many people place great importance on a Spirit Beast’s potential. With a good Spirit Beast, it’s not just the Beast Master cultivating the beast; the beast is also cultivating the Beast Master.

Many disciples from prestigious sects, these second-generation Beast Taming Disciples who would rather just give up and coast, will have their parents form a Contract with a powerful Spirit Beast on their behalf. They let the Spirit Beast do all the hard work while their only responsibility is to lie back and provide the resources...

That’s what you call winning the birth lottery—being born into a Beast Taming Noble Family.

As for Yu Changsheng, he had already formed Contracts with three Spirit Beasts while still in the Qi Refining Realm. Even if his Cultivation broke through to Foundation Establishment, he likely wouldn’t be able to pull all three Spirit Beasts into the next stage with him. He just couldn’t carry them all...