Chapter 256: Chapter 249: Double-Headed Lion?_i

Qin Niu pricked up his ears to listen, for usually, touching upon such profound cultivation knowledge was very difficult.

It turned out that after reaching the Innate Realm, the next level was the Spirit Qi Realm.

The books occasionally mentioned Spirit Masters who could control swords to eliminate demons, likely referring to this very realm.

What kind of miraculous realm was that?

“After breaking through to the Spirit Qi Realm, every subsequent breakthrough is like a chasm in the heavens. You have broken through three realms in just sixty years, which is already monstrously impressive. As for the disciples of the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect, many of them have the lingering influence of their parents and a plethora of resources at their disposal, which is why they can meet the selection criteria of the sect before the age of sixty. We grassroots folks have to fight for everything ourselves, so naturally, we can’t compare to them,”

Master He Shan’s eyes were filled with longing as he mentioned the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect.

Almost every cultivator ultimately aspired to enter the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect.

But entrance to the Immortal Gate is difficult, and those lucky enough to be accepted by the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect are few and far between.

One must admit that having a good father at birth can save one thirty years, or even fifty or sixty years, of struggle.

For those with an Immortal Master as a parent, first and foremost, they can practice the highest-quality cultivation techniques from the start, and if there’s anything they don’t understand, they have guidance. This alone is something that many people might not achieve even after thirty years of hard work.

Then, when they encounter bottlenecks in their cultivation, parents will definitely find a way to obtain elixirs that can help break through these boundaries.

Qin Niu, thanks to a single elixir, had broken through directly from the Acquired Realm to the Innate Realm.

This was enviable good luck that made countless commoners weep.

But to those children whose parents were already Immortal Masters, this was nothing at all.

No exaggeration, some second-generation immortals could literally treat Boundary-breaking Elixirs like snacks and munch on a couple whenever they pleased.

In this world, being a rich or official second-generation doesn’t count as true nobility.

But to become a second-generation immortal definitely means defeating 99.999% of people from the moment of birth.

Beyond cultivation techniques and elixirs, there’s also the cultivation environment to consider.

The children of Immortal Masters, if not practicing in naturally spirit Qi-abundant blessed lands, would at least cultivate in man-made environments like the Fang Family Forbidden Land.

The spirit Qi there is several times denser than in the outside world.

Moreover, dragons beget dragons, phoenixes beget phoenixes, and the son of a mouse will be good at digging holes.

Immortal Masters themselves are exceedingly exceptional beings, so their offspring are naturally gifted as well.

It’s hard to believe that any Immortal Master would randomly choose a mortal-level beauty as a companion.

As for temporary pleasures, that’s another matter entirely.

Normally, even an emperor would consult with a eunuch before indulging in a moment of pleasure, asking whether to keep or not to keep the favored lady.

If the emperor says not to keep, then the eunuch will take that woman to be cleansed and to take medicine.

Her chances of bearing offspring are almost none.

Immortal Masters needn’t be mentioned; even if tempted by pleasure, they wouldn’t easily impregnate a mortal woman.

What’s more, many Immortal Masters are devoted to cultivating diligently, busy concocting elixirs, cultivating medicinal herbs, searching for those herbs, taming beast pets, focusing on improving their cultivation, and practicing martial arts, with little time for indulgence.

There are rumors that genuine cultivators in pursuit of eternal life are typically detached and serene, devoted to quiet cultivation.

For indulgence in pleasure would ruin one’s Dao heart.

In this regard, whether orthodox cultivators or heretic ones, they are much the same.

Assuming that all demonic cultivators indulge in pleasures of the flesh and kidnap beauties for their enjoyment is something only an idiot would think.

Real demonic cultivators are all ruthless and detached, focused solely on becoming stronger.

“No time to delay, commanders heed my command! Qi Fei, Peng Tianlei, you two lead your soldiers and envelop the enemy from both flanks. Fang Yue, Gao Zongzheng, Sheng Fan, the three of you lead your soldiers to block the powerful enemy at the front. Master He Shan, you command the Insect Master regiment and deal with all the insects on the battlefield. The remaining commanders, join me in laying an ambush, and strive to annihilate the encroaching enemy in one fell swoop,”

Bai Xuezhu issued the battle commands.

This left Qin Niu, who hadn’t had his fill of listening, feeling quite regretful.

“Yang JiangHe, Zhao Yu, Tang Fangfang, immediately gather your Insect Masters under your command and follow me into battle. Qin Niu, you shall temporarily stay close to me as a small soldier, in case of danger, I can look after you a bit.”

Master He Shan was quite protective of Qin Niu.

Qin Niu’s current identity was just that of a third-rate soldier, far inferior to those three named Insect Masters.

However, when it came to true strength, Qin Niu might not be weaker than them.

He followed closely behind Master He Shan, and together they left the central military tent.

“The young man actually has quite good body movement techniques, and his cultivation has even reached the Innate Realm, which is somewhat surprising to me. The Nine Insect Gang has dispatched an elder this time, and the insects used on the battlefield will certainly not be limited to just the armored insects. You must not be careless. The insects of Elder Jiu Yin are extremely powerful, to say nothing of the beasts of his twelve great disciples, each of which is extraordinary.

“Stick close to me, and once you have seen their tactics for yourself, you’ll be better prepared for the next time you face them.”

Master He Shan was extremely protective of his new recruit.

And think about it, a promising young talent like Qin Niu was very hard to find.

The enemy that had come this time was unexpectedly strong, and any mishap would be a great loss for the Black Tiger Gang.

If Qin Niu were well-trained, he would surely become a fierce general in the future, formidable enough to strike terror into the hearts of enemies.

“Understood. Thank you, Master He Shan, for your care.”

Qin Niu followed closely behind Master He Shan.

Outside, the Insect Master battalion had already formed up.

There were about two hundred of them.

It should not exceed three hundred.

Insect Masters were, comparatively speaking, a rather scarce occupation.

Just here alone there were two hundred seventy or eighty Insect Masters, so the Black Tiger Gang as a whole must have had over a thousand.

In recent times, there had been continuous assassinations of Insect Masters.

It seemed like a great loss on the surface, but in reality, those who died were likely just small fry.

For example, Master Mo Sang was already considered a very formidable presence among the lower-ranking Insect Masters.

But looking around, many of these two hundred plus Insect Masters were powerful and had cold eyes.

Just from their aura, one could tell they were experts.

There were at least forty or fifty practitioners in the Acquired Realm. Many had reached the peak of the Mortal Realm, with strong bodies and agile movements.

“Move out!”

Master He Shan wasted no time with superfluous words and led the Insect Masters out.

Each of them had a warhorse.

There were also a few whose mounts were special, like fierce wild beasts such as tigers or wolves.

Qin Niu was quite envious; his little Xiao Niu was still nowhere near complete evolution. Having a mount made travel and battle much more convenient.

It also greatly increased the chance of escape when fleeing.

“Qin Niu, you ride this warhorse.”

Master He Shan’s mount was a very majestic lion.

Its neck sported a large lump of flesh that was quite unsightly.

But Qin Niu was reminded of the legendary Double-Headed Lion.

Every beast, once cultivated, could evolve.

Master He Shan’s lion might very well have the bloodline of the Double-Headed Lion, already starting to evolve towards it..