The Urban Cultivation Grandmaster

Chapter 27: Taming Spirit Beasts—The Demeanor of a Grandmaster!

This sudden, startling (zhuang) shout (bi) instantly drew the attention of everyone present. Even the spirit beasts and human cultivators, who had been locked in a fierce battle, each stepped back and temporarily ceased fighting. Everyone wanted to see just who this mysterious figure was who dared to act so arrogantly. This was especially true for the spirit beasts, who had already been on the verge of victory and were about to drive the human cultivators out of the arena—yet now someone had actually dared to step forward and provoke them. So, all eyes turned to the person who had spoken. The man was clad in ragged clothes and wore a mask. As he surveyed his surroundings, standing with his hands clasped behind his back, he exuded the air of a grand master; even setting aside other factors, his bearing alone was extraordinary. But what was the situation before them? Ferocious spirit beasts certainly wouldn’t care about any extraordinary presence. Yet the spirit beasts did not attack; instead, they stared intently at the man with a mocking gaze, their cold eyes filled with the complex emotions unique to humans. Their every move seemed to mock the masked man. The human cultivators were also at their wits’ end. What kind of hothead had shown up? It was like an old man hanging himself—he must be tired of living. Facing such ferocious and terrifying spirit beasts—what else could this be but courting death! At this point, the human cultivators just wanted to scrape by and escape with their lives; they didn’t even dare to think about Spirit Wood Crystals or anything like that. What’s the point of looting them if you don’t have the life to use them? The three Wei brothers had been lucky in the earlier melee; though they were all injured, their wounds were not life-threatening. At that moment, they, too, were watching the Masked Man. Others might not know the masked man’s true identity, but the three of them certainly did. Master Daowen, Mu Tian! Has he gone mad? The three Wei brothers exchanged glances, their eyes filled with disbelief. The masked man—that was Mu Tian. Under the gaze of the entire crowd—many of whose eyes were filled with malice and ferocity—Mu Tian remained calm, as serene as the waters of the Three Lakes Region, undisturbed by the turmoil. As the saying goes, “Great skill breeds great courage,” and Mu Tian appeared completely at ease. Compared to ordinary wild beasts, spirit beasts have undergone a revolutionary evolution in intelligence, even rivaling that of humans. However, unlike humans—who are full of deceit and treachery—spirit beasts, especially those that have only recently evolved, actually possess a simple and innocent heart beneath their ferocious exterior, much like that of a child. “If you’re kind to me, I’ll be kind to you; if you dare to be mean to me, I’ll bite you to death.” This is the true nature of many spirit beasts today. Under the gaze of the entire crowd, Mu Tian raised his arm and gently tapped the massive wild bull spirit beast with his finger, scolding it with a mix of frustration and disappointment: “You! You big dumb ox! Just look at yourself—you’re a complete disgrace to your ancestors. You’re supposed to be a fine demon ox, but look at what you’ve managed to condense—some sort of hybrid monster?!” Although Mu Tian spoke in Huaxia, a faint tremor of his soul could be detected in his voice, so the many spirit beasts present all understood him. The human cultivators were all dumbfounded, staring at Mu Tian as if he were a lunatic. The wild ox spirit beast, having understood Mu Tian’s words, snorted furiously through its nostrils, looking as if it were about to charge at any moment. “Watch this!” As soon as Mu Tian finished speaking, the “Ancient Wild Ox” he had visualized and condensed in his mind materialized. One after another, peerless demon bulls—their heads reaching the heavens and their hooves planted firmly on the earth—reappeared before the world, as if emerging from time immemorial. A mysterious aura imbued with the spirit of the primordial wilderness swept across the entire arena. The essence of the Ancient Wild Ox came to life vividly in that moment. That indescribable divine “presence” overwhelmed the entire arena, causing even the ferocious, towering beasts to flinch. Though Mu Tian’s display held no hint of aggression, every living creature present felt a pressure as overwhelming as a tidal wave. The human cultivators who practiced the Ancient Wild Ox Visualization Diagram were also utterly stunned. Wang Jian, in particular, felt a storm of shock surge through his heart. To this day, he had seen only two geniuses who had cultivated the Ancient Wild Ox Visualization Diagram to such a level: one was Grandmaster Daowen, Mu Tian, and the other was the very person standing before him now. “Like a god”—that phrase perfectly described the figure standing before him! Perhaps the most deeply moved of all was the wild bull spirit beast. Though it had been furious moments ago, it now wore an expression of intense focus, gazing upon the scene with reverence. The wild bull spirit beast understood: the human before it was teaching it how to cultivate. It immediately immersed itself in the process. The bull’s blood within it boiled; the dormant genes in its bloodline seemed to have been awakened by Mu Tian’s single punch. Every inch of its body rumbled, and the “Demon Bull” within its heart grew ever clearer, as if it were about to break free from its bonds and reappear in the mortal world. After a while, the wild bull spirit beast let out an incredibly joyful moo. The look in its eyes as it gazed at Mu Tian was filled with gratitude and affection, completely devoid of the cold ruthlessness from moments before. The spirit beast even bowed with its hooves—a sight that was downright comical! However, no one could bring themselves to laugh. Everyone stood there with their mouths agape—the human cultivators were stunned, while the spirit beasts were overjoyed, each staring intently at Mu Tian with eyes brimming with longing and excitement. Mu Tian was also delighted. That wild bull spirit beast was quite perceptive and easy to train. Soon, a crimson sea of starlight drifted from the spirit beast’s body into Mu Tian’s sea of consciousness, while a small amount of crimson light came from several human cultivators who were practicing the Ancient Wild Ox Visualization Diagram. Sure enough, the crimson starlight could only be obtained through genuine Chuandao and guidance. Mu Tian felt a surge of excitement. He cast a glance from his Star Sea, directing it toward the tiger spirit beast. Instantly, a tiger appeared within the Star Sea, and countless strands of white starlight surged toward it. Upon seeing Mu Tian’s gaze fall upon it, the tiger spirit beast joyfully leaped up, causing the earth to shake and the mountains to tremble. Before long, as Mu Tian spared no expense and channeled the full power of his Star Sea’s radiance to analyze it, he quickly gained some insight into the “divine” essence of the tiger. Reaching this stage required Mu Tian to expend 50% more Starlight than usual, but he didn’t mind. Since teaching the Daowen had yielded a vast amount of white Starlight, he could easily afford this expenditure. “Little tiger, watch closely.” The next moment, Mu Tian’s body trembled as he assumed a cross-legged posture resembling a fierce tiger. A massive, striped tiger emerged, coiled behind him—exuding overwhelming might, possessing a natural, divine aura, and radiating unparalleled dominance. A thunderous tiger’s roar echoed through the heavens. The spirit beasts’ blood boiled with excitement, and they roared in unison, sending waves of crimson starlight toward Mu Tian. Mu Tian nodded in satisfaction and repeated the process, taming several spirit beasts one by one. Thus, an amusing scene unfolded: the previously intense and chaotic battlefield had vanished, and the spirit beasts—who had been brimming with ferocity just moments before—now sat crouched there like elementary school students, quietly listening to the masked man’s Chuandao. In the end, dozens of spirit beasts had been taught and civilized by Mu Tian, leaving only two giant pythons—one green and one white. Seeing Mu Tian staring intently at them, the two giant pythons grew nervous; they dared not even extend their forked tongues—which they had been flickering out from time to time—for fear of disturbing him. After instructing the spirit beasts, Mu Tian obtained a large amount of crimson Star Sea Radiance. Without hesitation, he immediately began analyzing the visualization diagram of the three ferocious dragons. Since the crimson Star Sea Radiance was limited in quantity, Mu Tian did not rush the process but allowed it to proceed at its natural pace. Consequently, the process naturally took longer, and after the analysis, Mu Tian still needed to contemplate its meaning. Thus, two hours passed, and Mu Tian was still sitting quietly, lost in thought, his gaze lingering on the two giant pythons. By this time, the Spirit Wood Crystal Core had already emerged, yet the spirit beasts showed no intention of seizing it. Not only did they not vie for it, but several of them actually surrounded the Paulownia Spirit Wood and began guarding it, as if the object already had an owner. “Could it be that these spirit beasts are protecting the Spirit Wood Crystal Core just to save it for that masked man?” The thought sent a chill down their spines; all the human cultivators felt their worldviews shattered, their faces etched with disbelief. Two hours later, Mu Tian, who had been standing with his hands behind his back, made his move—and it shook the heavens and the earth. The furious roar of a dragon echoed throughout the arena—a legendary dragon’s cry that shook the very ground. A colossal dragon leapt forth from Mu Tian’s body, soaring straight into the heavens. With three heads, four claws, and a body densely covered in dragon scales, every movement exuded supreme majesty. The Visualization Diagram of the Three-Headed Fierce Dragon—the Realm of Divine Essence! Bolstered by the radiant glow of the vast crimson starlit sea, Mu Tian finally realized that the “Realm of Divine Essence”—achieved through a top-tier cultivation technique—was even more formidable than the “Ancient Wild Ox” of the “Realm of Divine Might.” The two giant pythons—one green, one white—immediately began rolling about in excitement, hissing and roaring; even human cultivators who did not understand the language of spirit beasts could clearly sense their agitation. When it was all over, Mu Tian said little and walked straight toward the Wutong Spirit Tree, intending to retrieve its spirit wood crystal core. Instantly, the spirit beasts that had been surrounding the spirit tree’s crystal core parted to make a path. Upon seeing Mu Tian approach, they all began to fawn over him; however, due to their massive size and their fear of making too much noise, they moved with great caution. All the human cultivators were stunned. They couldn’t believe such a thing was actually possible. My goodness!