513: Chapter 513 Exposure

Several days ago.

Star Academy.

Spiritual Qi gathered and surged above the Peach Blossom Palace, as the phantom of a Golden-Winged Great Peng manifested in mid-air, its terrifying pressure sweeping across most of the city.

Tong Xiao's Rank 6 peak Bloodline was far too extraordinary; his Breakthrough triggered a phenomenon of heaven and earth that even the Star Array of the Peach Blossom Palace could not suppress.

A pair of sharp eyes looked down from the heights, and all Yao Beasts below the Golden Core stage in the Peach Blossom Palace prostrated themselves uncontrollably.

Even the Golden Core Great Demons could not stop their Divine Souls from trembling; their demonic power and blood flow became sluggish, and their overall strength was suppressed by more than half.

Even Nascent Soul Demon Lords like Yun Yao and Bai Jie felt a Bloodline-level pressure when they looked at the Great Peng phantom in the sky, as if the opponent were born of a higher status than themselves.

Such a disturbance had already been dampened by a layer of the array Liu Xuan had set up; without the array's concealment, there was no telling how much impact it would have caused.

"What terrifying pressure!"

"It's just a Breakthrough to Golden Core Great Demon, yet it can produce such a phenomenon. Even a Rank 4 Bloodline wouldn't go this far, would it?!"

Within the Star Immortal City, the majority were Beast Taming Sect Cultivators, and everyone paid close attention to the Bloodlines of Yao Beasts.

As the phenomenon vanished, someone immediately exclaimed in wonder.

"Who knows? We Qi Refining Cultivators can hardly even get close to a Foundation Establishment Demonic Beast; how could we distinguish between Rank 3 and Rank 4?" a Qi Refining Cultivator grumbled in a low voice.

Qi Refining Cultivators had limited vision and could not tell exactly what Rank of Bloodline the breaking-through Yao Beast possessed.

However, the Star Academy had many Cultivators, with Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, and even Nascent Soul True Lords staying there; they were very knowledgeable.

"A Rank 5 Bloodline Yao Beast!!"

"There is very likely a Rank 5 Bloodline Yao Beast inside the Peach Blossom Palace!"

In the Beast Taming Sect, a natal spirit beast was one of their foundations; a contracted beast with a high Bloodline Rank directly affected one's prospects on the Great Dao.

Countless gazes turned toward the depths of the Peach Blossom Palace, the greed in their eyes almost condensing into substance.

A Rank 5 Bloodline Yao Beast! What did that imply?

It meant that as long as no accidents occurred, it was destined to break through to the Hua Shen Demon Saint Realm, standing almost at the very peak of the Cultivation World.

Possessing such a natal spirit beast meant that even if one's own talent was mediocre, there was a chance to be pushed through to the Soul Transformation Realm.

Even if they couldn't reach Soul Transformation, they were guaranteed to become a Nascent Soul True Lord—and a Nascent Soul True Lord with a Soul Transformation Spirit Beast at that, belonging to the highest tier among True Lords.

However, as good as the Opportunity was, one had to see if they were qualified to snatch it.

Those below the Golden Core Immortal Revered Master level didn't even need to consider it; the beast had already reached the Golden Core stage, and a Rank 5 Bloodline Golden Core Great Demon would never submit to an ordinary Golden Core Immortal Revered Master.

Nascent Soul True Lords also had to weigh their options carefully. The Peach Blossom Palace was the territory of the Peak Nascent Soul Peach Blossom Demon Lord. Even if she wasn't there, two Early Nascent Soul Demon Lords were stationed there, and with the reinforcement of the Star Array, even a Late Nascent Soul True Lord might not come out ahead.

"Sigh!"

"How could such an Opportunity be for me to enjoy?"

An academy Golden Core Immortal Revered Master shook his head with a bitter smile, the greed in his eyes slowly fading as he muttered to himself:

"I remember Daoist Lord Lihuo once offered a reward for information on a Rank 5 Bloodline Yao Beast; the compensation was extremely generous!"

"The great Opportunity isn't for me to consume, but it shouldn't be too much to take a portion of resources, right?"

Glancing at his fellow Cultivators who were still immersed in the phenomenon, he immediately performed an escape technique and sped south toward the location of the Lihuo Sect.

When he reached the Lihuo Sect, he was told by Li Xihe's Disciple, Jiang Wanying, that the True Lord was currently receiving a guest.

"Fellow Daoist Jiang, may I ask whom the True Lord is seeing?" His heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly pressed for an answer.

Jiang Wanying showed a look of confusion and shook her head slightly. "Why ask this? Do you also have major intelligence to report?"

"Dammit!!"

The Golden Core Immortal Revered Master cursed under his breath. Seeing Jiang Wanying's displeased expression, he quickly bowed and apologized, "I lost my composure, please forgive me, Fellow Daoist Jiang."

"I indeed have major intelligence to report. I ask you to please pass word of my arrival."

While speaking, he took an exquisite jade box from his spatial ring and quietly moved it to Jiang Wanying's side.

Although someone had beaten him to it, since this involved a Dao Monarch, leaving an impression before True Lord Li would also be excellent.

Jiang Wanying opened the box, looked inside, and tucked it away with a flick of her hand. "You don't look like a fraud. I'll take you in personally!"

The Lihuo Great Hall.

Complex flame runes flowed across the surrounding walls, and the Lihuo Dao charm flickered in and out of existence.

Li Xihe wore a flaming long dress, and her eyes seemed to have fire swirling within them, looking incomparably noble.

Her willow-like brows arched slightly as she looked at the two Golden Core Immortal Revered Masters below with a hint of impatience.

'A Rank 5 Bloodline Yao Beast?!'

These two fools probably don't even know what a Rank 5 Bloodline signifies!

The territory of the Beast Taming Sect was vast and boundless, containing billions of Yao Beasts. With such a massive population base, a Rank 5 Bloodline Yao Beast was still a once-in-a-millennium find. How could it be so easily encountered?

In the ten-thousand-year accumulation of the entire Beast Taming Sect, the number of Hua Shen Demon Saints did not exceed ten. If Rank 5 Bloodlines appeared easily, how could the number of Yao Saints be so low?

A Nascent Soul Demon Lord had a lifespan of three thousand years. If a Rank 5 Bloodline Yao Beast was nurtured properly, it had a chance to achieve the position of Yao Saint in about a thousand years. This was of great value even to a newly promoted Spirit Transformation Dao Lord like Daoist Lord Lihuo.

Just as she was about to reprimand these two ignorant fools, Li Xihe looked toward the door as her Disciple Jiang Wanying led another Golden Core Immortal Revered Master inside.

Before he could speak, Li Xihe questioned him, "Are you also here to report the matter of a Rank 5 Bloodline Yao Beast?"

"Reporting to True Lord, exactly!" He bowed respectfully.

"Do you know what a Rank 5 Yao Beast implies? If you are talking nonsense, are you clear on the consequences?"

"I am!" He bowed solemnly again. "I am eighty percent certain."

This person had once had the fortune to witness a Rank 4 Yao Beast forming its core; he was actually one hundred percent certain.

However, one shouldn't speak too absolutely. Deceiving a Dao Monarch was a capital offense, so he had to leave himself some leeway.

Li Xihe fell into deep thought. One or two people could be said to be ignorant, but with three consecutive Golden Core Immortal Revered Masters speaking so confidently, there might actually be something to it.

"All of you, tell me in detail exactly what the situation is," Li Xihe commanded.

"Yes!"

The three of them spoke one after another, recounting the phenomenon caused by the Breakthrough of the golden Great Peng bird at the Star Academy's Peach Blossom Palace.

"A golden Great Peng?"

Li Xihe's brow furrowed even deeper. In the entire Beast Taming Sect and even the entire Southern Border, she had never heard of a high-Rank Great Peng bird race.

'Could it be the Awakening of an ancient Bloodline?'

It didn't seem like a high-Rank golden Great Peng bird had ever appeared in history, either.

"Could it be a mutated Bloodline?"

She couldn't figure it out! Whether it was the Awakening of an ancient Bloodline or a mutated Bloodline, the probability of a Rank 5 appearing was even lower than the odds of one with an established Legacy.

Li Xihe didn't quite believe it in her heart, but the Star Academy wasn't far away, and it was the Peach Blossom Palace she was familiar with; there was no harm in taking a look.

If her luck was truly Heaven-Defying and there was a Rank 5 Bloodline Yao Beast, she would have found a treasure!

Her Revered Master, Daoist Lord Lihuo, had been searching for a Rank 5 Bloodline Yao Beast for many years. This merit would be enough to ensure she wouldn't have to worry about resources before her own Soul Transformation.

"You all stay here. Once I have ascertained the truth, rewards will naturally be bestowed!"

With that, she transformed into a streak of fire and vanished.