Legendary Beast Cultivator

The crimson maple leaves continued to swirl across the mountain paths as the five groups pushed higher into the steep slopes of Red Sun Peak. The peaceful, heavenly scenery that had greeted them earlier had slowly begun to disappear.

The further they climbed, the heavier the surrounding atmosphere became, weighing down on their shoulders. Even the cheerful chirping of mountain birds had faded into silence. Only the occasional, distant growls of wild beasts echoed through the forest.

Every disciple had become noticeably more cautious. The academy Headmaster’s instructions remained crystal clear and fresh in their minds.

Reach the Azure Mist Peak.

Cross the river.

Claim one of the three altars in Red Sun Peak.

Only one group could claim each altar.

So there will only be three winning groups. The disciples had known this reality from the very beginning. The first group to successfully solve and pass the trial of an altar would obtain its inheritance. Once an altar was claimed, it would seal itself shut, and no other group could receive its reward.

The second altar would go to whichever team reached and conquered it next. And the third... The third altar was whispered to be the most difficult of them all.

Therefore, whether they admitted it out loud or not, every group had begun competing against the others. Nobody wanted to arrive late or wanted to leave Red Sun Peak empty-handed.

Somewhere at Group Four.

Gu Fang Xin suddenly stopped mid-step on a rocky cliff, his fire serpent raised its head from his shoulder, its split tongue hissing out against the moist air.

Chi Ruyan immediately crouched into a low, balanced stance, his eyes darting across the bushes. "What is it, Fang Xin?"

Gu Fang Xin narrowed his eyes, pointing his finger toward a clump of crushed bushes ahead. "Something is right nearby."

Rustle!

The dense bushes burst apart in a cloud of dirt and shredded leaves. A beast leaped out onto the path, roaring fiercely. Its broad body resembled an armored lizard, covered in thick, dark-green scales that glinted like jade. The two sharp horns protruded ominously from its wide forehead.

A Rank Two Earth-type beast — an Armored Horned Lizard.

"Only a Rank Two?" Gu Fang Xin grinned, his previous disdain instantly turning into fierce confidence. "Perfect! Easy target!"

His fire serpent instantly lunged forward, shooting from his arm like a crimson spear. The flames wrapped around its body as it collided with the armored lizard.

Boom!

The two beasts crashed against one another, kicking up loose stones.

Chi Ruyan’s Lightning Serpent attacked vehemently from the side, unleashing crackling yellow sparks into the lizard’s soft eyes, while Lian Mei Lin’s Lightning Boar charged into the creature’s front legs, knocking it off balance.

The battle ended astonishingly quickly. The lizard beast collapsed onto the path under the three disciples coordinated attack.

Gu Fang Xin stepped forward, drew his wooden knife, and retrieved the shimmering green beast core from its chest. "That’s one more for our collection!"

Chi Ruyan stared up toward the far, cloud-wrapped peak above. "Don’t waste time boasting!! Keep moving."

Gu Fang Xin nodded, storing the core in the storage pouch. "Right, we need to reach the altars before the other groups reach them!"

Without resting, they immediately resumed their rapid climb up the rocky slope.

At the Group Five, farther up the eastern face of the mountain... Teng Haoran’s group encountered something dangerous.

High above in the red leaves’ canopy, Teng Haoran’s Wind Falcon suddenly screamed in contempt, fluttering its wings wildly.

"Something’s coming from above!" Teng Haoran murmured, his expression changing instantly.

The solid ground under their boots trembled. A gigantic, terrifying spider slowly crawled out from behind the trunk of a massive maple tree. Its eight thick legs were covered in sharp, stiff black bristles, while crimson poison spats spread across its dark abdomen like a burning flame.

It was a rank three Spider.

Huo Luo Ren swallowed hard, his voice cracking as he took a step back. "A Rank Three..."

Chen Yu Ming’s water wolf lowered its body beside her, growling ferociously. "Stay together! Don’t let it defeat us!"

The massive spider opened its sharp mandibles. A thick, sticky strand of white silk shot toward them like a cannon ball.

"Move!" Teng Haoran shouted, waving his hand.

The three disciples scattered instantly in three directions. The white web struck the ground where they had been standing, instantly hardening like liquid iron around the roots of the tree.

Teng Haoran’s wind falcon flew upward into the sky. "Chen Yu Ming, clear the webs!"

"Got it!" Chen Yu Ming’s water wolf released a crushing wave of water from its mouth, washing away the spider’s traps before they could limit their movement.

Huo Luo Ren’s deer rushed in from the left flank, its antlers blazing with fire. The giant spider twisted with an immense speed and struck out with one of its forelegs.

Bang!

The Fire Deer was thrown backward into the dirt, skidding a few paces.

"Huo Luo Ren!" Teng Haoran screamed, taking a frantic step forward.

"I’m fine! Keep pressuring it!" Huo Luo Ren yelled back, forcing his deer back to its balance.

Teng Haoran immediately re-analysed their tactic. "Don’t waste energy attacking its main body, target the joints of its legs!"

The three disciples shifted their targets at a time. The wind falcon leaped low from above, obscuring its multi-eyed face; the water wolf distracted from the front; and the fire deer slammed its burning hooves onto the spider’s leg joints!

The giant spider’s movements became unstable as its joints cracked. Finally, Teng Haoran’s wind falcon descended like a falling guillotine blade, a pressurised wind forming into a crescent blade.

CRACK!

The main joint shattered, and the massive rank three spider collapsed onto its side, its life essence fading away.

Teng Haoran cautiously approached the fallen monster and took out a shimmering, blue beast core from its chest. He stared at the glowing orb for a quiet moment. "A Rank Three core..."

Huo Luo Ren dusted off his clothes, grinning widely. "That’s going to be worth a fortune back at the academy!"

Chen Yu Ming looked up toward the thinning pathway ahead. "Save the celebration for later. Keep moving, the peak is close."

****

The forest path grew steep and jagged. Xiao Yanrui led the way at a brutal, unwavering pace. Chi Fenglian followed closely behind, while Huo Ren continuously looked up toward the upper slopes with anxiety.

"We’re falling behind," Huo Ren muttered, wiping the beads of sweat from his forehead. "I can feel it."

"We don’t know where the other groups are on their paths." Xiao Yanrui remained silent, his breathing steady and calm.

"But someone has probably already reached the top by now!" Huo Ren frowned, clicking his tongue. "What if all the altars get claimed before we even arrive?!"

"Then, just move faster," Xiao Yanrui’s eyes narrowed, nodding his head.

His massive ice bear appeared beside him in an obscure of white frost. The enormous beast let out a thunderous growl that echoed up the cliff. The temperature surrounding the group two instantly plummeted, freezing the leaves under their legs into crunching ice.

With the ice bear clearing obstacles ahead, they increased their speed to climb. A few intense hours passed... and then the bright sunlight weakened, turning into a twilight. The trees became thinner.

"We’re here!" Xiao Yanrui suddenly stopped mid-step, his eyes widening slightly as he looked ahead.

Chi Fenglian and Huo Ren immediately rushed up beside him, panting for air, and looked forward.

The final path of the mountain opened up into a large, flat ruin-like area. Above the ruins, an endless ocean of white clouds stretched as far as the eye could see under the setting sun. The world below seemed to have fallen away, leaving only the sky and the area.

"We... we reached the top first!" Huo Ren whispered in sheer disbelief, a grin spreading across his face.

Xiao Yanrui didn’t answer immediately. His sharp, intense gaze was locked upon something standing proudly at the center of the region.

It was the First Altar. The three disciples slowly walked forward across the ancient stone floor. Their footsteps echoed in the vast, open silence. The structure before them was towering.

A circular stone platform nearly fifty meters wide occupied the area. The complex, intricate beast carvings covered every inch of its surface — boars, apes, deer, wolves, serpents, falcons, bears, panthers, and legendary creatures far more majestic than anything they had ever seen and heard in the story books and from story tellers.

At the center of the platform stood a tall stone pillar. The pillar rose nearly thirty feet straight, carved with ancient runes.

Floating silently at its topmost tip was a translucent, pristine jade crystal. The crystal emitted a soft golden light that shimmered against the evening air. The ancient characters covered the base of the altar, but none of the three disciples could immediately decipher their meaning.

"What does that mean?" Huo Ren slowly stepped forward, staring up in awe.

Chi Fenglian murmured, looking at the large pillar. "This isn’t just a simple altar... it feels like a massive puzzle."

Xiao Yanrui’s expression became solemn. He remembered headmaster Lin Cangxuan’s words before their departure from the academy classroom:

"Only one group can claim each altar... The altars cannot be broken or forced open. What they require is understanding."

"Solve it first... and receive the inheritance," Xiao Yanrui murmured softly.

The three disciples exchanged brief glances. Then, the ancient stone altar suddenly trembled violently.

Boom!

A powerful wave of golden energy erupted outward across the area. The ruin was so vast across the area, and the other two altars are somewhere at the edges of the ruin.

The beast carvings engraved into the stone began shimmering simultaneously in various colors. The floating jade crystal above slowly descended a few feet, stopping at eye level, as ancient golden characters illuminated the stone platform under their legs.

Huo Ren’s mouth fell wide open. "What the hell is happening?!"

Chi Fenglian stared in disbelief, stepping back. "This is..."

Xiao Yanrui slowly clenched his fists, his heart hammering against his ribs. Their fatigue vanished instantly.

This was no ordinary trial mechanism. It was an ancient inheritance, and they were the first group on Red Sun Peak to reach it. Xiao Yanrui took one final step forward onto the main platform. The exact moment his boot made contact with the glowing stone, the mountain shook rhythmically. A deep voice echoed across the area, lingering in the minds of every living soul on the mountain: "The Altar of Wisdom has awakened."

The three disciples froze in place. The translucent jade crystal above them shone, and somewhere below on the mountain slopes... the remaining four groups paused, looking at a shimmering light coming from the peak in shock.