Chapter 68: Transformation in Dihua

Lu Yu and Qi Changhai were both unaware that Qi Wei had just jumped from one pitfall into another.

Nor did they expect that, after all the twists and turns, it would still be him…

However, from the very beginning, Lu Yu had not noticed that an old classmate of his was also mixed in the crowd. If he had known, he probably would have exclaimed with emotion, “The extraordinary trait coalescence – Qi Wei’s law!”

At this moment, he was sitting in a carriage formed of lanterns, feeling the boiling dark-golden spiritual force around him. He could vaguely see a brilliance as dazzling as the stars themselves.

Although it was only a thread, it felt much stronger than the combined total of that majestic dark-golden spiritual force.

It was a leap in quality.

And this was precisely the nascent form of star spirit that only a Morning Star-class beast tamer could possess.

Desiring the promotion to Morning Star-class, Lu Yu had also learned that three conditions must be met.

The primary requirement is to go deep into Mother River. Golden-class can enter Mother River for exploration, but to delve deeper, one must either be a peak Golden-class beast tamer or possess some special methods to guarantee personal safety.

This condition, the difficulty is not considered high.

The second point is the need to ignite the spark of the spirit.

The path of the beast tamer is to harness spiritual energy; if there isn’t a sufficiently firm will, one can fall into chaos due to absorbing a vast amount of spiritual energy during the promotion to Morning Star.

At best, it impacts the spirit; at worst, it gets eroded by the massive spiritual force, resulting in deformations.

The spark of the spirit represents the will of the beast tamer. Some yearn for wealth, others for power, and still others for slaughter… No matter the emotion, using the power of the supreme Mother River, one can ignite the will into a spark of the spirit.

Hence, the personalities of beast tamers are particularly paranoid, or one might say, mad!

Once the spiritual metamorphosis is successful, one gains the privilege to purify the soul, and a trace of star spirit is born, which has stronger resistance to corruption and ushers in a quantum leap in strength.

After such metamorphosis, the beast tamer is then strong enough to sweep the ordinary Golden-class.

However, the process is arduous, and those with unsteady wills can easily be struck by the power of Mother River, leading to severe mental trauma.

Lu Yu had seen in some ancient travelogues that there are clever ways to go through this process.

However, they are top secret techniques of great schools, families, and secret societies, which also come with significant costs – not accessible to someone minor like him.

The last point requires at least one core pet beast, with two or more skills honed to a perfect proficiency level.

This condition is easily achievable for Lu Yu’s pet beasts, thanks to the proficiency template’s enhancement.

However, for ordinary pet beasts, honing skills not only requires a lot of time but often, due to not knowing the correct approach, involves frequent battling to explore. If injured in the process, a long healing time is needed; in severe cases, it may even impact potential.

Thus, every pet beast that meets this condition has undergone long years and arduous honing, and their innate talents are exceptionally strong.

After all three conditions are met, one can enter the supreme Mother River, arrange the ritual tracks, and hold an ascension ceremony.

For pet beasts of different attributes, the ascension ceremony also varies!

Once the ascension is successful, one is elevated to Morning Star-class, receives the Mother River’s blessing, the beast tamer undergoes metamorphosis, the pet beast gains ability enhancements, etc…

In short, one essentially becomes a lord of the area, just like the rank designation for the pet beast suggests.

The person in front of Lu Yu, Sun Jie, by all appearances should belong to the military, his bearing so replete with the air of martial splendor it was unmistakable. Since he has a background, then the first two requirements wouldn’t stop him; he likely got stuck on the pet beast aspect.

Lu Yu, using the Eye of Truth, glanced at the Ghost Soul Lantern under his feet and saw that the critical racial skill [Spectral Ghost Fire] was stuck at 99% proficiency at the master level.

The next moment he could experience an epiphany, or it might require a prolonged period of honing, or might even forever be stuck below Morning Star.

And this problem, to someone with the Eye of Truth who can point in all the correct directions like Lu Yu, isn’t difficult. However…

Why help him?

Without kinship or obligation, his priority consideration is benefits.

His previous display with the Little Hamster essentially frightened everyone, making them hold awe and can be taken as “power.”

However, Sun Jie, although wary and frightened, wouldn’t obey him implicitly; instead, he would maintain a certain distance and vigilance.

To have him at one’s service, a combination of both favor and threat is required.

Besides, Lu Yu isn’t the genuine mystical power wielder “The Collector” who has the ability to suppress dominant demons effortlessly; his real self is just an average Bronze Middle-class beast tamer.

Thus, a favor from someone who might ignite the spark of the spirit, or even a future Morning Star-class beast tamer, is still very valuable.

As long as he has the “Collector” disguise to deter in secret, when he actually approaches them, there’s no need to test human nature; the other party will surely fulfill their promises.

Lu Yu weighed his options, having already made a decision, as he looked at Sun Jie, who sat upright before him like an eager student.

He probably couldn’t imagine that Lu Yu need only exert a tiny effort to squash the enigmatic powerhouse before him.

Thinking so, Lu Yu’s eyes deepened, and the Eye of Truth quietly opened, focusing on Sun Jie.

Sun Jie always assumed the mysterious person in front of him was an ageless old one and was somewhat nervous inside.

However, as Lu Yu kept staring at him, scanning up and down, he couldn’t help but tense up, a chill running from his tailbone straight to his brain.

Thinking that since the Collector loved to take demons as collectibles, some powerful beast tamers might not be inferior to extraordinary creatures…

Could it be…

He fancied him?

Before he could regret drawing a wolf into his den, he heard Lu Yu’s voice, full of profound meaning, from beneath the mask:

“The greatest sound is silence, the largest shape is formless.”

This is a famous saying from Tao Te Ching, suggesting that the greatest of sounds is like silence, and the largest of forms is essentially formless.

While worldviews and cultures differ, the philosophical truths contained in the peak of knowledge are universal, not difficult to understand.

In summary, it is about a phrase: Return to the natural state.

Sun Jie was struck as by lightning, frozen in place, muttering incessantly,

“The greatest sound is silence, the largest shape is formless… The greatest sound… without… form…”

With continuous recitation, his voice growing louder, his expression became increasingly excited and somewhat maniacal, laughing out loud,

“I’ve realized it; I’ve understood!”

Upon his words settling, the lantern carriage underneath instantly blazed with a fierce fire. The restrained spectral blue flames surged and devoured the entire Ghost Soul Lantern in an instant. The fabric and skeleton that composed its body were burnt to ashes.

Yet, the carriage itself did not disappear but transformed into a hellish chariot that stretched across the sky, like a black fire meteor descending upon the entrance of a mysterious market in blazing fervor.

This spectacle garnered many astonished gazes within.

“Yi yi!”

As the ghostly fire chariot landed and dispersed, a cluster of spectral blue flame in the form of a Ghost Soul Lantern floated out, its ghost fire burning and forming four faces of flame.

It joyously spun around, like a small sun, dazzlingly bright, its aura more than half as strong as before.

“I’ve been ignoring all along that the essence of the Ghost Soul Lantern is ghost flame; the lantern is just a facade. I kept having the Ghost Soul Lantern restrain the fire with spiritual energy to avoid burning the outer layer. Now, returning to its primordial state, the Spectral Ghost Fire has automatically reached the perfect level…”

Sun Jie murmured, with surprise in his heart, but what shocked him more was that the Collector had seen through with just one look the principle he hadn’t grasped for decades. With barely eight characters, he swept away the final hindrance to becoming a Morning Star.

Such profound wisdom!

Full of gratitude, he turned his head only to find the Collector standing atop a massive boulder, looking up at the sacred silver moon in the sky.

The pure white radiance shrouded the yellow robe fluttering in the wind, seemingly in humbleness as if it was an ancient sage stepping out of old legends, turning his back on all beings.

He stood still, his figure as firm as a pine tree, motionless, as though merging with the boulder beneath him that had weathered eons, a silent observer to the world’s incessant changes.

And to all that had just transpired, it could not draw his glance.

How come this esteemed one suddenly moved so far away to that rock?

Rock…

The rock!

Ever since being enlightened, Sun Jie felt that every move of such powerhouses contains profound significance.

After pondering for a brief moment, he suddenly realized!

Isn’t this another subtle guidance from the other? What’s called power, strength, wealth, in face of the long years, are but dry bones, while the sun, the moon, and the rocks endure forever.

To see through illusions and return to one’s true natural self.

This isn’t indulgence; it’s to control it from the root!

He should not be swayed by momentary gains or sadness; instead, settle one’s self like sediment, so the will can be steadfast as rock.

Especially after the ghost fire’s apparent combustion, although it became stronger, it was more prone to loss of control, requiring an even more peaceful mind.

Sun Jie put away the sliver of pride in his heart. If before his feelings for the Collector were more of fear, now they morphed into respect and adoration.

Worthy of being a sage through ancient times, silently giving pointers once again!

Yet what he didn’t know was Lu Yu atop the giant rock, gazing through the mask at the gleaming primitive moon, sighing in his heart,

“Never again will I pretend to be impressive mid-air, almost thought I’d crash, my legs are still a bit weak right now…”