A Mortal's Start in the Spirit Beast Mountain

Chapter 461 Jin Kui Arrives

"Haha, I knew you liked this. Here you go!" Luo Ming chuckled and, without hesitation, flicked his wrist, sending the deep blue bead arcing through the air as it was precisely tossed toward the silver firebird.

The silver firebird let out a clear, excited cry, opened its small beak, and swallowed the blue bead whole, its movements swift and decisive, as if it had merely swallowed an ordinary spiritual fruit.

However, only two or three breaths later—

"Buzz!"

A terrifying wave of icy cold suddenly erupted from the silver firebird's body! The silver firebird's originally smooth and elegant figure suddenly froze, and then its silvery body was rapidly dyed into a deep, beautiful, yet chilling blue at a speed visible to the naked eye!

In the blink of an eye, the firebird transformed into an ice bird, its body a deep blue, as if sculpted from ice crystals, radiating a chilling aura. The temperature inside the sealed room plummeted, and a thin layer of frost even formed on the ground.

It appears beautiful, but it is actually deadly! This deep blue color is the manifestation of the power of the Azure Ice Flame!

"Hey——!"

A sharp cry filled with anger and pain rang out from the "Ice Bird"! Clearly, the Azure Ice Flame was unwilling to be devoured and launched a fierce resistance inside the Silver Firebird's body.

The silver firebird was utterly enraged! As a unique flame of heaven and earth, it had its own pride, how could it allow its "prey" to run rampant inside its body? It suddenly flapped its wings, and its body expanded in an instant, growing from the size of a palm to about a foot long. The silver flames around its body rose violently, fiercely fighting and intertwining with the deep blue ice flames inside its body.

The next instant, a strange change occurred. The expanded silver firebird suddenly shrank inward, no longer maintaining its bird form, but transforming into a strange ball of light the size of a fist, with silver and blue light intertwined and slowly flowing like liquid!

Silver and blue constantly erode, merge, and churn within, as if waging a silent yet fierce war.

The Devouring Silver Flame clearly held the home-field advantage, constantly trying to envelop, devour, and digest the Dry Blue Ice Flame. However, the Deep Blue Flame was also extremely tenacious, releasing terrifying extreme cold power to resist the erosion of the Silver Flame. It could even occasionally launch a counterattack and freeze some of the Silver Flame.

Luo Ming's expression was solemn, his eyes fixed on the silver and blue orb suspended in the air. He extended his divine sense to carefully sense the changes in energy within it and the vague intent transmitted by the silver flame.

A moment later, his brows relaxed slightly, and he stretched out his right hand. The silver and blue orb seemed to be drawn in and slowly fell into his palm. It was quite strange to touch, with its temperature alternating between warm and cold.

"As expected, the two are not much different in rank. Although the Silver Flame has the ability to devour, it cannot quickly refine this Dry Blue Ice Flame." Luo Ming felt the tug-of-war between the two forces within the light sphere.

Judging from the current situation, Yin Yan has a slight advantage, but it will probably take several years, or even more than ten years, to completely devour and fuse with Qian Lan Bing Yan.

However, Luo Ming was not worried. With a thought, he opened his mouth and inhaled, and the silver and blue light ball containing terrifying energy in his palm transformed into a stream of light, which he absorbed into his abdomen and sank into his dantian.

Within his dantian, the nascent soul sat cross-legged, its body enveloped in a misty aura of spiritual light. A silver-blue sphere of light hovered nearby, slowly rotating.

The nascent soul opened its eyes, opened its small mouth, and spewed out a stream of pure and condensed pale golden infant fire, which enveloped the silver-blue light sphere and slowly heated and nurtured it.

With the assistance of Luo Ming's natal infant fire, the process of refining the Azure Ice Flame with the Devouring Spirit Silver Flame will be more stable and smooth, and it will also accelerate the fusion process.

After dealing with the Azure Ice Flame, Luo Ming adjusted his breathing slightly and sensed that Yuan Yao's aura in the quiet room next door was stable, indicating that she was at a critical moment in breaking through her bottleneck.

He withdrew his gaze, no longer disturbing him. Then, he slowly closed his eyes, formed hand seals, and his aura gradually settled, entering a deep state of meditative cultivation.

He needed to use this time to consolidate his newly achieved body refinement cultivation, then refine the small bottle of Undying Golden Marrow he had obtained earlier. At the same time, he also needed to use his Infant Fire to help Silver Flame refine the Azure Ice Flame.

The secret chamber returned to silence, with only the faint flow of energy around Luo Ming and the slowly rotating, silver-blue orb of light within his dantian indicating the quiet passage of time during his cultivation.

Half a year has passed in the blink of an eye.

On this day, Luo Ming was meditating in a secret room with his eyes closed, nurturing the silver and blue light sphere in his dantian with infant fire while cultivating. Suddenly, his brows twitched slightly and he opened his eyes.

He keenly sensed that the spiritual energy of heaven and earth within a hundred miles of Mingyue Tower was becoming restless and disordered at an abnormal speed, and was beginning to slowly converge in a certain direction.

At first, it was just a gentle breeze causing ripples of spiritual energy, but soon, this convergence became obvious and intense, forming a visible stream of spiritual energy that seemed to be forming a huge vortex of spiritual energy high above the secret chamber!

"The Nascent Soul Formation Phenomenon!" Luo Ming scanned the area with his divine sense and instantly locked onto the source of the unusual spiritual energy movement, which was the quiet room where Yuan Yao was.

A genuine smile appeared on his face as he murmured to himself, "Finally, I'm taking this step—"

Although he was quite confident in Yuan Yao's preparations, the process of forming a nascent soul was extremely dangerous, and any accident could lead to the failure of all previous efforts or even death.

He dared not be negligent. With a flicker of his body, he vanished from his spot like a ghost, and the next moment, he appeared in mid-air outside the Bright Moon Pavilion, standing with his hands behind his back. His divine sense was locked onto the quiet room below, and at the same time, his divine sense spread out like mercury, vigilantly scanning his surroundings. At this moment, he would not allow anyone to disturb him.

In the area where Mingyue Tower is located, the spiritual phenomena are becoming increasingly obvious. High in the sky, a five-colored spiritual energy vortex with a diameter of over a hundred feet has taken shape and is slowly rotating, frantically absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth from all directions. Such a commotion naturally could not be hidden from the cultivators on Silver Shark Island.

The disciples and retainers belonging to Mingyue Tower were initially stunned when they sensed the powerful fluctuations in spiritual energy and the changes in the celestial phenomena. Then, they were all overjoyed and ran around telling each other.

"It's the poster! It must be the poster trying to break through to the Nascent Soul realm!"

"If you succeed, Master, Mingyue Tower will gain another Nascent Soul Ancestor!"

"Quickly, pass down the order: strengthen security! No one is allowed to approach within ten miles of the Master's secluded cultivation area!"

Meanwhile, cultivators from forces that were on good terms with or neutral towards Mingyue Tower watched from afar, their expressions a mix of envy, jealousy, and deep awe.

Everyone knows that once Yuan Yao successfully forms her Nascent Soul, it will mean that Mingyue Tower will officially have its second Nascent Soul cultivator!

Moreover, these two Nascent Soul cultivators are Daoist partners and have a close relationship. For a newly established force that was less than a hundred years old and originally just a place in the outer sea, to be able to produce Nascent Soul level combat power one after another is enough to make any force take notice.

Even in the inner star sea where powerful figures abound, having two Nascent Soul cultivators in charge would be enough to make one a hegemon and dominate a region!

As the cultivators on the island were lost in their own thoughts, and the vortex of spiritual energy in the sky spun faster and faster, with faint sounds of wind and thunder gathering at its center, Luo Ming, halfway in the air, suddenly frowned. His gaze, sharp as lightning, shot towards a seemingly empty cloud layer about ten miles northeast of Mingyue Tower, and he shouted in a deep voice, "Which fellow Daoist has arrived? Since you've come, why hide your head and face, acting so furtively?"

His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly pierced through the swirling noises of spiritual energy, echoing in that small area.

"Hehe, Fellow Daoist Luo, your divine sense is indeed sharp. My little concealment technique is quite laughable." A strong voice rang out.

Immediately afterwards, the cloud layer that Luo Ming could see rippled out like water, and a ball of pale golden flame suddenly ignited. The flame rapidly expanded and deformed, and a middle-aged cultivator emerged from it, wearing the Star Palace's signature star-patterned Daoist robe, with a dignified face and eyes that gleamed with a sharp light as they opened and closed.

It was none other than the Grand Elder of the Star Palace—Jin Kui!

"Elder Jin Kui?" Luo Ming's pupils contracted slightly, and a hint of surprise appeared on his face, but several thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant.

This person actually came to Silver Shark Island in person?

When did they arrive? What is their purpose? News of Ling Yuling and Miaoyu has probably already reached back. It's not surprising that the Star Palace received news that the demon race might launch a holy war, but sending such a heavyweight figure as Jin Kui in person is probably not just for delivering messages or observing the situation.

Jin Kui revealed himself, standing in mid-air. His gaze lingered for a moment on the magnificent Nascent Soul formation phenomenon below, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes. He then turned to Luo Ming, looking him up and down, his face revealing undisguised amazement and admiration: "Fellow Daoist Luo, decades have passed since we parted. Truly—one should look at a person with new eyes after three days' absence. That girl Yu Ling sent a message saying that your strength is unfathomable. At first, I was somewhat skeptical, but now that I have seen it with my own eyes, I know that what that girl said is true."

Early Nascent Soul stage—no, fellow Daoist, with your surging blood and qi, and this restrained yet powerful aura, your body cultivation has probably reached an unbelievable level, comparable to that 'barbearer', right? In just a few decades, from Core Formation to such a realm, fellow Daoist's talent and opportunities are truly astonishing."

His words were somewhat sincere. In the message Ling Yuling sent back, she spoke highly of Luo Ming, even subtly mentioning that Luo Ming might possess combat strength second only to a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator.

How could he, a veteran cultivator at the peak of the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm who had been stuck at a bottleneck for many years, not be alarmed? Therefore, when Ling Yuling returned to Tianxing City through the teleportation array to prepare for seclusion and Nascent Soul formation, the Twin Saints of Tianxing, upon learning of the situation on Silver Shark Island, secretly sent him, the Grand Elder of the Star Palace, who held a high position and possessed sufficient strength, to come here.

First, to verify the intelligence on the Holy War of the Demon Race; second, to try to win over Luo Ming, who had suddenly risen to prominence and possessed astonishing potential.

Facing this former revered elder of the Star Palace, Luo Ming was filled with mixed emotions.

Back when he went to the Void Heaven Palace, he was just a Core Formation cultivator who had to be careful and cautious in front of Nascent Soul cultivators. Now, however, he can sit on equal footing with them.

His expression was calm, showing neither arrogance nor timidity. He simply bowed and said indifferently, "Luo Ming greets Elder Jin Kui. Elder, you are very busy, yet you have personally come to this remote place on the outer sea. May I ask what advice you have for me?"

Jin Kui waved his hand, his gaze sweeping once more over the increasingly violent vortex of spiritual energy below, and slowly said, "I dare not presume to offer guidance. Fellow Daoist Luo, let's not beat around the bush. I am here on behalf of the Star Palace and the Twin Saints of the Heavenly Stars, to sincerely invite Fellow Daoist Luo, and this Fellow Daoist Yuan Yao below who is currently attempting to break through to the Nascent Soul stage, to join my Star Palace!"

Seeing that Luo Ming's expression remained unchanged, he continued, "As long as you two nod, the Two Saints will grant you the title of Star Palace Elder immediately! You will enjoy all the powers and resources of a Star Palace Elder. Furthermore, you two will not need to return to Tianxing City to participate in the war against the Reverse Star Alliance; you only need to remain here on Silver Shark Island. This place is your foundation; remaining here will both protect your foundation and allow you to enjoy the prestige of an Elder. What do you think, Fellow Daoist Luo?"

After Jin Kui finished speaking, he looked quietly at Luo Ming, waiting for his reply.

The conditions he offered were undeniably generous. The Star Palace Elders, of which there are only twelve, have historically been the strongest, most experienced, or most influential Nascent Soul cultivators in the palace, holding a prestigious position and wielding immense power.

More importantly, it eliminates the risk of returning to the front lines in Tianxing City to fight, allowing them to remain on the relatively safe Silver Shark Island. This is extremely attractive to any Nascent Soul cultivator.

However, Luo Ming sneered inwardly after hearing this.

Star Palace Elder? It sounds tempting, but the Star Palace itself is in dire straits, confined to Tianxing City. How much real power does this elder position hold? It's merely an empty title. Commanding Silver Shark Island? It seems leisurely, but if the demon race truly launches a holy war as the intelligence suggests, Silver Shark Island will be the first to suffer!

This was clearly a move to place him and Yuan Yao at the forefront, shielding the Star Palace from the demon army! Moreover, the Star Palace's higher-ups might have suspected he possessed the Void Heaven Cauldron. Joining the Star Palace would be tantamount to walking into a trap, placing oneself under their watchful eyes—the risk was too great.

Luo Ming showed no sign of being moved, but calmly shook his head, his tone resolute: "I appreciate Elder Jin's kindness. However, Yao'er and I have always been carefree and dislike constraints. We only wish to find a place to cultivate in peace and pursue the path to immortality. Elder Jin need not mention this matter again."

Jin Kui seemed unsurprised by Luo Ming's refusal. His smile remained unchanged, but the glint in his eyes intensified. He stroked his short beard and said slowly, "Why is Fellow Daoist Luo in such a hurry to refuse? As far as I know, Fellow Daoist Luo seems to possess the rare aptitude of five spiritual roots, doesn't he?"

"A Five-Elemental Root Cultivation Technique that leads directly to the Nascent Soul stage?" Upon hearing this, Luo Ming's usually impassive face finally showed a hint of surprise. He slightly condensed his light, looked at Jin Kui, and slowly asked, "What Elder Jin is referring to, could it be the legendary—Primordial Magnetic Divine Light?"

Now it was Jin Kui's turn to be taken aback, a genuine surprise flashing in his eyes: "Oh? Fellow Daoist Luo actually knows about the Yuan Magnetic Divine Light?" He really didn't expect that Luo Ming would actually reveal the name of the technique so easily.

This Primordial Magnetic Divine Light is a closely guarded secret of the Star Palace, known only to a very few core members and high-ranking officials, let alone its specific characteristics and cultivation conditions. How could Luo Ming, a rogue cultivator, possibly know about it?