The Master of Beasts
Chapter 47 Fire Qilin Audition

Chapter 47: Chapter 47 Fire Qilin Audition

That noon, the originally red pillar of light suddenly burst with intense heat, heat so strong it seemed to cause the entire pillar to detonate.

It was then that Chen Jiuge saw Senior Sister Zhu: her delicate features, graceful figure, clad in red battle armor with wings on its back, looking valiant and striking.

The moment the pillar disappeared, the strongest few in the core area leaped into the air. Before Chen Jiuge and the others could react, a violent explosion thundered in the skies. The enormous mushroom cloud dispersed, and the valiant Senior Sister Zhu returned to her original spot, her face covered in soot.

Zhu Yingque murmured in disbelief, "To think there are Heavenly Immortals this shameless! Truly despicable." _{free.webn\ove(l)(.)c(o)m}

A Fire Qilin emerged from the dissipating light pillar, leaving trails of flames in the air it crossed. Its blood-red fur resembled molten magma, its robust body radiated an extraordinary might, and its domineering head turned to the crowd as it spoke, "Are you all planning to form a Contract with me?"

No one below answered. The aura emanating from the Fire Qilin clearly indicated the Divinity Transformation Stage, and not merely an initial one. This was simply too outrageous, considering the Secret Realm’s cultivation limit was supposed to be below the Divinity Transformation Stage. One could truly say this Fire Qilin was being incredibly cunning.

As a Divine Beast, its combat power at the same cultivation level was something only the most outstanding prodigies could contend with. Now, it had even surpassed that by a major Realm and an unknown number of minor Realms. If anyone misspoke, what if it became displeased and sent them to the Western Heaven?

Observing the silent crowd below, the Fire Qilin was a bit puzzled. I’ve chosen to reincarnate and cultivate in the Human Clan’s territory specifically to find a wealthy patron. What’s with their silence? Do I really need to spell it out for them?

Silence. A deathly silence. The dozen or so strongest individuals had been blasted back to their original positions with a single move. The power displayed by this Fire Qilin was already invincible within the Secret Realm, and its arrogant stance made the cultivators dare not utter a word.

After about fifteen minutes, the Fire Qilin couldn’t hold back any longer and grumbled to itself, I never expected that my first task after manifesting in this world would be to find myself a master—it’s utterly humiliating! But, for the sake of the Golden Immortal path, I’ll endure it.

"AHEM. All of you came to this Secret Realm for me, correct?" the Fire Qilin cleared its throat and finally spoke.

A moment later, a bold Loose Cultivator spoke up, "Senior, we are indeed here for you. We mean no disrespect."

"Sigh, let’s not dwell on disrespect. Those of you young ones who’ve come to the Secret Realm surely have elders from your clans accompanying you outside, right? With my current Cultivation, I can’t exactly run away either. Since you’re all here for me, I’d like to choose as well. So, tell me about your family backgrounds. I’ll take them into consideration."

Hearing the Fire Qilin’s words from below where he was just another underling, Chen Jiuge suddenly had a ridiculous thought. Is this Fire Qilin trying to pick a son-in-law or something? Are all Heavenly Immortals so capricious?

"Considering there are so many of you, how about this: let those of you who have Heavenly Immortals in your family, or who are disciples of a Heavenly Immortal master, come up into the air and speak with me," the Fire Qilin added.

Ah, this... Chen Jiuge was certain. This Fire Qilin was truly being selective, playing favorites.

Watching as various cultivators rose into the air, a phrase unexpectedly popped into Chen Jiuge’s mind: Please welcome the first female guest to the stage.

Coincidentally, one of them truly was a woman. From above the Bihai Immortal Sect’s encampment, a Female Cultivator immediately began, "Venerable One, I am Bi Luoyun. My direct ancestor is a Heavenly Immortal, and I am a disciple of the Bihai Immortal Sect. My master is also a Heavenly Immortal. I possess an Innate Five Elements Water Spiritual Body, and though not yet sixty years of age, I have already reached the Perfect Nascent Soul stage."

It was unknown what kind of strict orders the Heavenly Immortal from the Bihai Immortal Sect had given, but this Female Cultivator was so thorough she practically stopped short of announcing the color of her underwear.

The Fire Qilin simply nodded after listening, saying nothing.

Bi Luoyun withdrew with some disappointment. The Bihai Immortal Sect was still too weak. It seemed this Fire Qilin was destined to fall into the hands of either the Myriad Beasts Sect or the Galaxy Sacred Land.

"I am Xing Hun. My direct ancestor possesses a Golden Immortal Cultivation, and I am a disciple of the Great Elder of the Galaxy Sacred Land. In less than a sixty-year cycle, I have achieved Perfect Nascent Soul, and I possess the Seven-star Sacred Body," a figure from the Galaxy Sacred Land declared proudly, standing tall.

Zhu Yingque followed closely, "I am from the Myriad Beasts Sect. My ancestor is a Golden Immortal."

Seeing Senior Sister Zhu speak so concisely, Chen Jiuge couldn’t help but nod, thinking, Our Senior Sister Zhu from the Myriad Beasts Sect truly has backbone! It’s just a mere Heavenly Immortal Realm Fire Qilin, isn’t it? Even a Golden Immortal is no big deal. Our sect even has Immortal Daluo Golden Immortals, you know?

Just as he finished praising Senior Sister Zhu in his mind, he saw her produce an inner core and say, "Venerable One, this inner core should have been yours in a past life. As long as you come with me, this inner core will be returned to you."

"Youngster, are you threatening me? We are still within the Secret Realm," the Fire Qilin said darkly.

Zhu Yingque then produced a Token and continued, "This is a life-saving treasure bestowed by my ancestor. I wonder if the Venerable One believes they can withstand a strike from a Golden Immortal?"

The Fire Qilin, feeling the boundless power emanating from the Token, twitched its mouth unnaturally. "Just kidding! I’ve actually felt for a long time that you have great potential. You are, quite simply, the contract partner bestowed upon me by the heavens. Put your things away; let’s form the Contract first."

Those words left the cultivators below speechless. Was this Fire Qilin truly a Heavenly Immortal in its past life? How could it be so utterly shameless? As for Bi Luoyun of the Bihai Immortal Sect and Xing Hun of the Galaxy Sacred Land, they felt utterly helpless. Although they were favored, they possessed no such life-saving measures from a Golden Immortal. After all, a Golden Immortal would have lived for countless eons; what kind of genius hadn’t they encountered? Even the strongest family ties would inevitably grow faint over such vast stretches of time.

While those two were contorted with jealousy, Zhu Yingque and the Fire Qilin had already completed their Contract.

After a brief exchange between the two, Zhu Yingque used a spell to amplify her voice and announced, "Everyone, the Secret Realm will self-destruct in three days. If you wish to leave, you must use the core Transmission Array here. Those who wish to gather more resources should do so quickly!"

Watching Zhu Yingque enter the core area with the Fire Qilin, everyone gritted their teeth. The legacy of a Heavenly Immortal! What immense wealth that represented!

Chen Jiuge, however, wasn’t so concerned. His own lack of power left him no choice. But during these three days, he could leverage Senior Sister Zhu’s intimidating presence to harvest some of the Fire Qilin’s Bloodline. He could then directly infuse it into himself and take it out, later claiming he obtained it within the Secret Realm.

「One day.」

「Two days.」

「Three days.」

Very good, ninety-nine percent. When I get back to Immortal City, I’ll just make do; reaching one hundred percent purity should be quite simple. However, if I want a purebred Fire Qilin, I’ll have to wait until this mission is over. Using the Stone-dragon Lizard as an adapting body would be best. Later, when Bloodline Transformation evolves into a Divine Skill, I can forcibly erase the other bloodline. That will solve it, Chen Jiuge comforted himself.

Having formed a Contract with the Fire Qilin, Zhu Yingque was now the strongest individual in the Secret Realm. Under her forceful suppression, everyone else obediently lined up to exit the Secret Realm.

The ones who likely suffered the most were those from Small Families and the Loose Cultivators. Upon entering the Secret Realm, Loose Cultivators had been ambushing cultivators from Small Families. The Three Sects, on the other hand, would kill anyone who stood in their way. After the Fire Qilin was contracted and there were no more direct conflicts of interest, the Bihai Immortal Sect began to protect the Small Families, currying favor and winning hearts. Consequently, the Loose Cultivators had a miserable time. Fortunately, Senior Sister Zhu held no particular prejudice against Loose Cultivators and didn’t care for their meager belongings. Otherwise, it’s uncertain how many Loose Cultivators would have even made it out alive.