CHAPTER 364: CHAPTER 27 SPIRITUAL BEAST, PREPARATION FOR CITY CONSTRUCTION

The return of the Spiritual Beasts made Chen Jiuge’s life much more colorful.

Green Bamboo Realm

Yue Meng watched the Alchemy Furnace before her shake continuously, her eyes focused. Her Medicine Mortar transformed into a ceremonial mace, scattering specks of moonlight and casting a rosy glow that illuminated half of the Green Bamboo Realm.

Chen Jiuge, in the small courtyard, was awakened by the commotion and hurried to where Yue Meng was refining elixirs.

Observing the gradually receding glow, Chen Jiuge asked in surprise, "Yue Meng, are you refining Immortal Pills?"

Refining ordinary Elixirs wasn’t challenging. For an Alchemy Master, it was a trivial task that wouldn’t expend much mental energy. However, Immortal Pills were different. Regardless of their Grade, an Alchemist needed to devote all their mental energy to refining them, a very exhausting process. Ever since Yue Meng had broken through to the True Immortal Realm by refining Immortal Pills, she generally wouldn’t attempt it unless absolutely necessary.

Wiping the sweat from her forehead, Yue Meng carefully took out several soybean-sized Immortal Pills from the Alchemy Furnace and explained in a low voice, "Didn’t Bai Ya get some scars on her face? I refined these Scar Removal Immortal Pills especially for her. As long as she takes them, any scar will instantly disappear."

"Scar removal?" Chen Jiuge looked puzzled. Making such a fuss just to refine a Scar Removal Pill, and she even raised it to Immortal Rank?

Yue Meng responded, dissatisfied, "Having scars on a woman’s face is a very serious matter. You’re not a woman; you wouldn’t understand."

Bai Ya showed a somewhat embarrassed smile to Chen Jiuge and then eagerly swallowed the Immortal Pill. A faint rosy glow emanated from her. Sensing it, Chen Jiuge realized, Wow, it really is just a scar removal function!

Looking at Bai Ya’s rosy complexion and smoother skin, Yue Meng said with satisfaction, "The scar is gone, but the whitening effect isn’t that great. It needs improvement next time."

Chen Jiuge shook his head helplessly. Well, things are quite stable now, and resources aren’t lacking. Let the little ones do as they please.

In the Green Bamboo Realm, aside from Chen Jiuge’s Contracted Spiritual Beasts, there were also the Green Wood Tri-horned Oxen sent over by his Master. There were thirty True Immortals amongst this batch of Green Wood Tri-horned Oxen, though they were Spiritual Plant Masters and not adept in combat. Previously, Chen Jiuge had arranged for them to cultivate Spiritual Medicines here.

The docile Green Wood Tri-horned Oxen were very well-behaved, eating, drinking, and relieving themselves near the Medicine Fields. Their manure could even accelerate the growth of some lower-Grade Spiritual Medicines. In the mornings, they would check the growth of the Spiritual Medicines. The strongest True Immortals took turns casting Spells beneficial to the plants’ growth, while the Green Wood Tri-horned Oxen that weren’t True Immortals dealt with the manure and watered the ordinary Spirit Plants. This mundane life had continued for quite some time.

But today, this calm and dull life was disrupted.

Yue Li came to this area with Li Kui, pointing at the oxen with his muscular arm and declaring, "Today, we’ll use these oxen to settle our long-standing grudge once and for all!"

Li Kui snorted dismissively. "Oxen? Is it a contest of who can slaughter more?"

"Wrong! It’s about who’s stronger," Yue Li quickly interrupted. A contest of slaughter? That depends on whose wallet is fatter! Doesn’t he know I’m famously broke, living hand-to-mouth?!

"Strength?" Li Kui was puzzled.

"Yes, we are both Master’s Spiritual Beasts and shouldn’t engage in killing. Besides, if it really came to a life-or-death fight, I probably wouldn’t stand a chance against you," Yue Li said, somewhat self-mockingly.

Li Kui looked at Yue Li in surprise, then nodded. "Fine."

This feud, spanning centuries, would officially be settled today. To ensure fairness, quite a few impartial judges were present. Ao Li, Ao Yi, Yang Huan, and War Song, these four good comrades, sat on small stools, each holding popcorn and cola snatched from Da Bai. They looked both worried and excited, unable to stop stuffing popcorn into their mouths to ease their emotions. Ming Yujing and Bali, the two snakes supporting Li Kui, hadn’t transformed into human form. They watched quietly, though Bali seemed to be drooling slightly, somewhat ruining the atmosphere.

After friendly negotiations with the thirty True Immortal Realm Green Wood Tri-horned Oxen, this group of oxen, already bored to tears, excitedly agreed to the competition.

As the referee, Chen Jiuge took out the Holy Weapon Vajra Lock, split it in two, and declared, "Alright, let the contest begin! After this battle, the conflict between you two will be considered resolved."

Yue Li and Li Kui looked at each other and nodded in unison. "No problem."

Logically, a tug-of-war was about strength; the two beasts should simply pull against each other. However, Yue Li refused this approach, claiming he would perform better in a tug-of-war against the oxen. Hence, this unconventional contest.

"Start with three for me."

"I’ll do the same."

Watching both sides prepare, Chen Jiuge shouted, "Begin!"

BOOM!

The ground caved in, and both parties were instantly locked in a stalemate.

Unconsciously, Chen Jiuge took a packet of potato chips out of his Storage Ring. "I didn’t expect Li Kui to be so strong."

"Add more oxen! Add two!" Yue Li roared, a massive phantom appearing behind him.

The eager oxen quickly joined in. With five True Immortal Realm Green Wood Tri-horned Oxen now exerting their strength alongside him, Yue Li began to pull steadily forward.

"Giant Spirit!" A rabbit-like shadow clad in black armor with a stern, murderous expression appeared behind Yue Li. The situation stabilized, and the scales of victory even began to tip in Yue Li’s favor.

Li Kui, naturally, wouldn’t show weakness. However, compared to Yue Li, who specialized in strength, Li Kui was somewhat lacking. Facing five oxen, he was almost instantly overwhelmed. Only by relying on his immense killing intent to intimidate his opponents was he barely able to hold his ground, though he was clearly struggling.

"I underestimated you! Use your full strength! Add ten oxen for me!" Li Kui shouted.

As his words fell, a roaring true form that seemed to look down on everyone emerged behind him. A dark red, baleful aura flowed into Li Kui’s arms like a living entity, and for a moment, he held his own against the ten oxen.

"Add them for me too!" Yue Li gritted his teeth. The Giant Spirit Dharma Form behind him began to slowly expand and change, taking on the appearance of a rabbit with three heads and six arms.

BOOM!

A quarter of an hour later, both beasts were exhausted and pulled to the ground by the ten oxen.

Looking at the two beasts lying on the ground, gasping for air, Chen Jiuge was surprised. I didn’t expect their strength to have progressed so much!

"Who won?" Yue Li asked anxiously.

Chen Jiuge looked at Yue Li, who had a hint of hope in his eyes, and said with a smile, "Congratulations, you won. You lasted one-tenth of a breath longer than Li Kui."

Watching the cheering Yue Li, Chen Jiuge smiled and turned to Li Kui, who had a trace of dissatisfaction on his face. "Alright, strength isn’t your forte. There’s no need to be so concerned about it. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to fight in the future."

"Mm," Li Kui grunted, indeed feeling much better upon hearing this.

Looking at the Spiritual Beasts, who were gleefully celebrating, Chen Jiuge touched his chin. Resolving this small dispute among the Spiritual Beasts is a good thing.

As for the other Spiritual Beasts, Da Bai, Tian Que, and Mo Yu had been dispatched by Chen Jiuge to construct the city—this was also to prevent Da Bai from running wild again.

The former territory of the Shadow Clan had officially become the domain of the Horn Shadow Clan and was now named Horn Shadow City. As a bona fide Cultivator, Chen Jiuge naturally wouldn’t allow the Horn Shadow Clan to continue as a tribe; building a city was the best option. It would not only strengthen the effectiveness of the Array but, if it developed further in the future, a market could be opened to increase revenue.

Pointing at the Asuras polishing Shadow Stones, Mo Yu said to Da Bai, "Brother Chen wants to build Horn Shadow City here. I’ve roughly calculated it; the reserves of this Shadow Stone vein are very high and are even continuously producing new Shadow Stones. So the plan is to build the city entirely out of Shadow Stones."

"As for the polishing of Shadow Stones and such, I’ve already arranged for people to handle it. Now, I just need an Artifact Refiner to help refine these Shadow Stones to make it easier to engrave Array Patterns later and strengthen the city walls."

Da Bai pointed at the hundreds-of-meters-high pile of Shadow Stones before him, his face showing disbelief. "You want me to refine it all by myself? Are you trying to work me to death?"

This was not the same as refining Magic Artifacts for the newly born Horn Shadow Clan. Those Fourth Rank and Fifth Rank Magic Artifacts, though numerous, were just a bit tiring for Da Bai and not particularly difficult. But the city walls were a different matter. Never mind other considerations; at the very least, each city wall brick had to be meticulously refined. The sheer quantity was far beyond what ten thousand Magic Artifacts could compare to.

CLAP! CLAP!

Mo Yu clapped her hands, and dozens of short Purple Butterfly Clan members appeared. Each of them exuded a dense fire energy; they were all Seventh Rank Artifact Refiners, just like Da Bai.

"These are your assistants. The matter of the city walls is up to you now, Da Bai," Mo Yu said, leaving the group to assist him and departing cheerfully.

Though Da Bai was usually unreliable, he understood the importance of the city walls. I can’t possibly entrust this to outsiders. Among our Spiritual Beasts, only I know Artifact Refining. No matter how difficult this task is, I have to take it on.

THUD!

Tian Que, with a large piece of beast meat dangling from his mouth, dropped the Shadow Stone he had just finished polishing and mumbled indistinctly, "Brother Dabai, time to get to work! We’re just waiting on your refining. The foundations for the city walls will be laid soon!"

Da Bai sighed, feeling weary. "I know."

KREEE—!

A clear eagle’s cry echoed. The Silver King had returned.

"Master, they are willing to submit. However, they stated their warriors must be allowed to join the army and receive the same treatment as other clans affiliated with the Asuras," the Silver King said, handing two silver Communication Talismans to Chen Jiuge. "These are the Communication Talismans of their Clan Leaders."

Chen Jiuge gently caressed the two Communication Jade Talismans, a thoughtful expression on his face.

The former Shadow Clan, though a small clan in the eyes of the Asuras and the Netherworld King Clan, was undeniably the strongest clan in this region. In this region, the Infinite Snake Clan and the Gray Elephant Clan offered tributes to the Shadow Clan every year just to survive.

The Infinite Snake Clan were descendants of the Infinite Snake, which had already achieved Dao Integration. Snakes were known for their lascivious nature, and given how long that ancient creature had lived, who knew how many descendants it had left behind? Even if this branch of the Infinite Snake Clan were to be completely wiped out, it was uncertain if that ancient being would even react.

The Gray Elephant Clan’s background was much simpler. They were one of the most common races in the Star Sea Realm. Gray Elephants were thick-skinned and strong but rather dull-witted. Their combat prowess against peers of the same rank was quite average. It’s somewhat surprising that their Clan Leader actually dared to state conditions, Chen Jiuge thought.

After some consideration, Chen Jiuge decided to contact them first. I’m currently building Horn Shadow City, and all the Asuras are being used for stone polishing—what a waste. Gray Elephants seem ideal for infrastructure work. If the Infinite Snake Clan can be used effectively, even if I can’t establish a direct connection with a Great Power like the Infinite Snake, I could at least leverage its reputation. Besides, the Infinite Snake’s stealth abilities are excellent—perfect for filling the gaps for Scouts in the army.