Celia's [Soul Fire] is a very special dragonic flame. It can't burn physical matters like the target's body but can eliminate something that is hard to see and touch, like soul and ghost. Resentment Energy are the remnant will left behind by the original owner due to the wrenching pain they felt, injustice of how they die. In a sense, resentment energy was like a remnant soul attach to their blood. This was the reason why her [Soul Fire] could eliminate the resentment energy.
After some time, an aura fuse both with Celia and Cole. It was the EXP feature of the system.
Suddenly, a great momentum was released by both of them. A great pressure happen again as Celia was on the brink of creating breakthrough again. She spend another long time and effort before she could suppress it.
On the other hand, Cole was little different. Those EXP are from ten Peak Nascent Soul-Stage cultivators, after being split to him and Celia, he receive the EXP from five. Needless to say, the EXP are very plentiful which happen to fill what Cole needs.
His momentum increase as time goes by. He immediately sat down on ground and enter meditation. He then started to guide the energy he just received.
After some time, a loud cracking rang out inside Cole's head and his momentum reach the peak. Seconds later, the momentum was receding. When its finally gone, Cole successfully enter the Ninth-Level of Nascent Soul-Stage.
On the other side, Grand Elder Caira receive the shock of her life. Who is so lucky having a breakthrough while standing? It was understandable when he also made his move but the little girl made all the move!
Since the robbers was already disposed, there's no any more problem and they reached the temporary place of Holy Beast Mountain.
To say that it was a temporary place is definitely true. As a beast themselves, they didn't even bother to create some temporary house but just find a spot for them to rest. Some were on the ground while some are on top of the trees.
Only ten disciples are needed for every sects. For the Holy Beast Mountain, including Pristine King Crane as their protector, there were only eleven of them.
Of course, as a beast tamer, Cole is so excited when meeting this group of beast.
Almost instantly, all the informations of those reclining beast appear in his sight.
The nearest among them was a invisible beast in the trunk of the tree. It's a very special beast as if he don't have the [Heavenly Eyes], he won't know that there were such a beast hiding in there. It was called a Lurking Gecko, a hiding expert with Heaven-Rank Bloodline. Its stealth ability is so powerful that it could hide even on [Divine Sense] scanning.
On that same tree too, there's a 12-inch long, cold gray snake. It was a highly poisonous snake that could kill an opponent with stage higher than its level using it. It was called Yin Poison Snake, a Heaven-Rank Bloodline Beast too.
On the next tree, which now almost covered with frost, have a beast that resemble a cat. Without a doubt, it have the affinity with Ice. It was called Frost Lynx and it have a Heaven-Rank Bloodline.
On the other tree, there was a very beautiful bird that glows with five hue of color, greatly resembling a rainbow. It was called Princess Rainbow Oriole, a beast with Monarch-Rank Bloodline. This beast are a little special. Every color represents affinity which means that this bird have affinity with five elements. It have the affinity with five basic elements which is fire, water, earth, metal and wood.
On a shadow, just like Lurking Gecko, there were also hidden hidden beast. It was called Shadow Crow, a avian beast with affinity with Dark-Energy. In darkness, its stealth ability are top notch. It also said in its given description that could negate some of the damage receive in shadow.
On the ground was a gigantic tiger, two times bigger than a tiger that he knew. It also looks very familiar to Cole as it have a great resemblance to the tiger beast that the beast tamer league used back at Dark Forest, but this one looks more imposing and powerful. It was called a Black Sharp Stripes Sword-Fang Tiger, a Heaven-Rank Bloodline Beast. It looks more dangerous than the Earth-Rank Beast, Sword-Fang Tiger.
The remaining four are wolves beast with the same bloodline. Three of the wolves are the same while the other one looks a little different. Without a doubt, it have a higher bloodline rank.
The first three beast are called Lightningfire Wolf, a beast with affinity with both lightning and fire. These three have a Heaven-Rank Bloodline.
As for the other one, it was called Thunderfire Alpha Wolf, a more powerful beast that could use a lightning attack with additional sound damage and fire. It have a Monarch-Rank Bloodline and it was even a King level, the same with Pristine King Crane.
The last of Holy Beast Mountain disciple is the Holy-Rank Beast, Vermillion Phoenix. She's the one with fiery temper. Very prideful, probably because of her current bloodline.
Looking at the different powerful beast, Cole can't help but feel excited, not even thinking of the danger will come to him if these group of beast antagonize him at the ruins.
Heaven-Rank beast are very rare in the Azure Territory but there's a great number of them in this part of the forest.
It's no wonder there's no other beast in the vicinity, probably, those original owners of this land have gone into hiding the moment they felt the aura of many high ranking beast.
Suddenly, a voice rang out from the sky.
"Welcome," the voice of a male said. When Cole look up, it was actually Pristine King Crane along with a beautiful woman but with prideful face.
After some time, the two of them descended into the flat ground.
Pristine King Crane, who looks very amiable with his calm face and very clean appearance, only nods at Cole and Grand Elder Caira while he smile very handsomely at Celia.
Cole frown inside. They come from the sky, probably this two watched the process just a while ago. And with that smile, he could tell that they somehow learn Celia's true identity, or perhaps they felt the aura she leak when she use her parasitic techniques. Specially Pristine King Crane, who have the strength of Tier-9 and have a very sharp senses, clearly sense it. Or else, he won't be showing this kind of reaction.
Even the prideful Lady Vermillion Phoenix face turns nuetral when she look at her.
"Let us introduce ourselves first. My human name is known as Caine," he then face the lady beside her, "and this one is our little saintess, Lady Scarlet."
As if against her will, Scarlet force herself to nod.
Cole frown inside due to her attitude. Having your own pride is alright but being overly prideful is not, specially if you don't do something bas at the other party. With that attitude for her who looks down on every creature she saw, she'll easily offend many parties. Although she have a very high rank bloodline, even have the chance to awaken her True-Rank Bloodline Red Phoenix, she should've the awareness of her current strength. After all, no matter how powerful could she become in the future, she can't deny the fact that she's still very weak now. There are many ways for her to die before she could reach her full potential.
He didn't like her, he concluded.
Grand Elder Caira nodded her head and introduce her group too. "I'm known as Caira and I'm a Grand Elder of Five Element Sect," she then pointed Cole and Celia, "this one of is one of the disciple of Five Element Sect here in Azure Territory, known as Cole. The one beside him is his companion, Celia."
In the instant Caine heard the word companion, his face change for a very quick moment which immediately vanish fastly too.
However, what he didn't know is that the three of them catch that fast change.
Grand Elder Caira is an high-ranking Alchemist, her perception are very sharp due to her powerful soul. Not to say that the level between him and her and not that big. In addition, her guards are raised from the very start.
Meanwhile, Celia caught it too. She's a beast with Divine-Rank Bloodline and her specialty is even about souls. Despite how fast that change vanish, she still learn it.
As for Cole, he caught it too. After the little episode with sealed arms of World Devourer Saint, his senses have become powerful too. After all, what he had experience their are nerve wrecking, he have to use all of his senses to guard that powerful existence.
Cole's guard have tense up. If this Pristine King Crane turn hostile to them, he don't know if Grand Elder Caira could stop him. Even if Grand Elder Caira have the same cultivation level as Caine, Alchemist are renown for their weak strength. After all, Alchemist mostly use all their time making pills, their battling abilities are quite weak.
Grand Elder Caira might be able to protect the disciples from Azure Continent's hostility, but she might not if the other party have come from Eastern Continent too. Not to say that Pristine King Crane is a beast, his battle awareness are very powerful compare to human's.
After Grand Elder Caira introduce their party, Caine nodded his head and tables, chairs and tea set have appear on the ground.
"Please have a seat." He said and motion for Cole's party to sit.
Grand Elder Caira sit on the nearest chair near her, as though she didn't care about Pristine King Crane's hostility.
Without a choice, Cole and Celia also seat. They don't want to disrespect the other party. No matter what said and done, Pristine King Crane are very powerful creature, his presence requires respect, specially for them who's way lower in strength.
Caine then brew tea and serve it.
Unexpectedly, there's a surprise after tea was serve to him.
Understanding Path Tea [Heaven-Rank]
A special tea brewed with great mastery. It was made with century old Understanding Path Tea leaves and very pure water from hidden spring that could reduce mind fatigue.
Effect : Clear the mind and enter meditative state almost instantly. Increase the natural perception to one's comprehended [Concept].
The tea was very special and looks no different from pills. Just the fact that it could increase one's sensitivity to [Concept] was enough to be call heaven defying effect. If this tea is consume before entering meditation, deepening the knowledge to one's comprehended [Concept] will have twice the effect with half effort.
Cole immediately drink the tea to feel its effect. Instantly, a very warm current enter his throat which immediately flow towards his Sea of Consciousness. In that instant, he felt that the surrounding turn different as though some of the truth of the Heaven have revealed to him.
Cole smile and felt really satisfied with its effect. And as far as he remember, there were also a Understanding Path Tea Tree inside the [Inner World]. He planted that tea long ago inside and when the Summoning Grimoire upgraded to Divine-Rank, the tea tree have also receive some kind of boost. Now, it was not any inferior to this century old tea.
With this new discovery, he'll brew a tea like this when he enter, or his beast, meditation. Maybe with this, the could comprehend a [Concept] before they reach the Peak of Tier-4 Magical Beast.
"There are two reason why we call you here in our temporary base. First is about the custody of little beast you acquired from the auction. The second is about the ruins exploration." Caine started the topic. "Then let us talk about the little beast first. I want you to hand over him to us. Don't worry, the Holy Beast Mountain will pay you ten times, no, twenty times the price! In addition, you'll be a friend of our sect! If you encounter difficulties in the future, we'll help you solve them, but only for one time."
Cole shake his head and didn't even felt an excitement with his offer. "Not possible." He instantly answered. Caine immediately release his full aura, which terrify him due to great difference between their cultivation. However, Grand Elder Caira counter it with her own aura which greatly relieved Cole.
To defend himself, he added immediately, "I have already created a soul contract with the infant beast. If I handed him over to you, I will have to terminate the soul contract. If I did that, with the little beast current soul strength, he might not be able to endure the backslash."
Making a soul contract is making a soul connection between the two. If that connection is severed, no matter it was intentional or not, the two party will incur a backslash, which according to the circumstances, a backslash that damage the soul. For infant beast, like the Treasure Hunter Rat, incurring a backlash may even lead to death since their soul are not yet fully mature and a little weak. If the beast didn't die, there will be damage to its intellect in the future.
The very amiable man turn very hostile, his eyes who looks very welcoming now look at Cole with very sharp gaze.
In fact, Caine himself is not sure what specific kind of beast is that rat nor its bloodline rank. What he only know is that it have the affinity with Space. Space type beast are very rare, even for their sect who have countless beast on its rank, there were only a handful of them. This was why, despite having none very impressive bloodline, that beast will be treasures by their mountain.
While the basis of his angriness is the fact that the other party is just a brat with strength only comparable to Tier-4. As a majestic beast with Tier-9 cultivation base, being defeated in something by someone weak are like a great stain in his reputation.
"You did that move so that we'll have no choice to leave the topic that way, right? I see, the human's are still as cunning as ever."