Chapter 1082: Unifying the Imperial Beast Sect
Chapter 1082: Unifying the Imperial Beast Sect
Xu Ke gripped the Beast Wheel in his hand, not daring to relax his focus for even a second.
After a long moment, the restless horde of demonic beasts slowly quieted down. It wasn't Xu Ke's doing, however, but the appearance of Emperor Sanmo.
It was an interesting turn of events. During the Sacred Beast Assembly on Nanming Mountain, the mere mention of Emperor Sanmo had drawn sneers from these same beasts; they had denounced him as a traitor to their kind, a pariah that every beast had the right to hunt down. Yet now, with Emperor Sanmo standing before them in the flesh, the entire horde was deathly silent. Not a single one dared to make a sound.
A question formed in Xu Ke's mind.
"Lord Blackbird, why do I get the feeling that in their eyes, Third Grandpa is even more terrifying than Emperor Yi?"
Li Fan chuckled. "As the king of demonic beasts, Emperor Yi must consider the welfare of his entire race, balancing reward and punishment. Under normal circumstances, as long as you don't provoke him, you're in no danger. But this Emperor Sanmo here has openly betrayed the beasts and defected to the humans."
"A traitor to his kind, yet not only is he alive and well, he even helped human cultivators establish the Imperial Beast Sect..."
"Take a guess. Over the years, who do you think has killed more demonic beasts: Emperor Yi, or Emperor Sanmo?"
With Emperor Sanmo personally stepping forward to assert control, the horde of demonic beasts naturally fell into line, at least on the surface.
However, Emperor Sanmo didn't press them too hard, nor did he force them all to join the Imperial Beast Sect and suffer enslavement by human cultivators.
He simply marked out a large swath of land within the sect's territory to serve as a temporary habitat for the beasts.
It was a bit cramped, but it was more than enough for them to survive.
After listening to Xu Ke's account of what had transpired, Emperor Sanmo asked, "What was your reason for saying those things to Emperor Yi?"
Xu Ke was prepared. He replied with a composed expression, "Senior Emperor Yi said that a great calamity is coming to the Xuanhuang Realm, so he plans to split the world and depart. He may be able to escape, but we cannot. To face this disaster, we must unite with every ally we can find. With the strength of this beast horde on our side, the Imperial Beast Sect's chances of surviving the calamity will be significantly higher."
Emperor Sanmo remained silent, contemplating.
Those words didn't sound like they could come from a child. But Emperor Sanmo had lived for far too long to judge a person's wisdom by their age alone.
After a moment of silence, he spoke in a flat tone. "Since you're the one who invited this trouble, you will be the one to handle it. From now on, if any of these brutes stir up chaos or break the sect's rules, I will hold you personally responsible."
With that, Emperor Sanmo tossed a disc over to him.
It was quite similar to the one Emperor Yi had bestowed upon Xu Ke.
Except the carvings of the demonic beasts on its surface were far more intricate and lifelike.
"This is..."
"The sect's ultimate treasure, the Beast Controlling Wheel?" Xu Ke quickly recognized the artifact Emperor Sanmo had given him and instinctively tightened his grip on it.
Before he could say anything more, Emperor Sanmo's figure vanished.
"He just... gave this treasure to me? Just like that?" Xu Ke looked bewildered, the whole experience feeling completely surreal.
Li Fan, meanwhile, was mentally comparing the two different Beast Wheels.
The one from Emperor Yi, while only depicting the types of beasts that had migrated with Xu Ke, exerted a much stronger suppressive force. Even the most powerful among them, a creature comparable to a human cultivator at the Longevity stage, would live or die at the whim of the wheel's holder. This was a function of the fact that all demonic beasts in the Xuanhuang Realm were derived from Emperor Yi's own essence.
As for Emperor Sanmo's Beast Controlling Wheel, it seemed to encompass every demonic beast in existence, save for the Emperor Beasts themselves. Its power of control, however, was comparatively weaker. After all, a wise sage can only offer guidance; they cannot dictate the choices others make.
"I wonder if memories of techniques and abilities gained in this Great Heavenly Venerate's trial will be erased upon leaving," Li Fan mused.
"If I can absorb and adapt the principles of these two Beast Wheels, the Empire might genuinely be able to cultivate atavistic beasts."
Within the Empire's small world, a particular hypothesis had long been considered.
Strange beasts were believed to have evolved from demonic beasts, and all demonic beasts shared a common ancestor. Therefore, within every strange beast lay the complete genetic blueprint of all demonic beasts.
The creation of the fused beast that resembled Emperor Yi had been based on this very theory.
However, with so little data on ancient demonic beasts, they were unable to conduct targeted atavistic experiments. If they could, recreating an age where ancient beasts roamed the land might not be such a difficult feat.
"Whatever the case, I must record them in detail first."
The information contained within the two Beast Wheels was incredibly complex; even with Li Fan's current capabilities, fully grasping it was a strain. Furthermore, likely because they were not native to the Xuanhuang Realm, the information presented by the wheels in this illusion seemed somewhat incomplete compared to their real-world counterparts.
But that didn't stop Li Fan from commandeering both Beast Wheels for his own study.
From that point on, the narrative of "The Turmoil of the Imperial Beast Sect" began to diverge from all previous simulations.
Xu Ke no longer received a mission to travel to the Divine Brush Sect in search of the Split Boundary Whale. Instead, he dedicated himself to managing the new beast population within the sect.
"Unite all who can be united" appeared to be the core challenge of this second act.
When calamity looms, a Great Heavenly Venerate must demonstrate an extraordinary capacity for coordination. The factions of the Xuanhuang Realm were a tangled mess of conflicting interests and hidden agendas, but they were, in the end, all human.
The conflicts and contradictions among them were surely not as profound as the chasm between humans and beasts.
At least, that was the impression that needed to be projected.
If he could properly manage the relationship between this beast horde and the Imperial Beast Sect, he would surely pass this trial.
"Don't resort to the Beast Wheel's power every time you face a challenge. You must persuade the beasts with reason..."
"What will you do if, one day, the Beast Wheel no longer works?"
"In the ancient days of the Xuanhuang Realm, there was a Sage Emperor who, despite having no physical strength, spoke with sincerity and treated others with genuine warmth. All who conversed with him felt as if they were basking in a spring breeze. From the highest officials to the common folk, there was no one who did not revere and submit to him."
While studying the Beast Wheels, Li Fan continued to cultivate and increase his own power.
Simultaneously, he guided Xu Ke on how to manage and lead the demonic beasts.
Compared to humans, beasts were far less prone to scheming; they were, in fact, quite simple-minded.
Under the personal tutelage of Grand Preceptor Li, Xu Ke only resorted to using the Beast Wheel's power three times over the ensuing years. For the vast majority of crises, he relied on his words and actions alone to find a resolution.
Gradually, he began to earn the trust of the entire beast population.
Finally, the great calamity arrived: the law could not be cultivated together.
Because every member of the Imperial Beast Sect practiced the exact same cultivation method, they couldn't hold out for long. Soon, the entire sect showed signs of imminent collapse.
"So this is the terrifying calamity... that the law cannot be cultivated together..."
A grim expression settled on Xu Ke's face.
(End of Chapter)
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