After entering his assigned room, Avinash quietly shut the door behind him. The moment the door closed, the outside world seemed to vanish. He sat cross-legged on the simple bed, taking a deep breath. Without wasting a second, he activated the Heavenly Immortal Dao Codex.
In that moment, celestial runes began circulating within his meridians. The air around him shimmered faintly, and the chaotic energies hidden deep within his blood began to stir. With the awakening of the Chaos Qilin Bloodline, Avinash's cultivation talent had already transcended mortal comprehension.
After only one hour of cultivation, he could feel a tremendous surge within his dantian—he was already at the cusp of breaking through to the Core Formation Realm.
"System," Avinash said in a low voice, eyes still closed. "Make sure no one notices this breakthrough. Let it seem as though I'm deliberately hiding my cultivation. Let only Princess Smriti, with her Destiny Eye Technique, see through the illusion."
[Ding! Affirmative, Host.]
A soft hum echoed in the room as an invisible blue barrier quietly enveloped the space. Instantly, all traces of his spiritual fluctuations were sealed.
Avinash's breathing deepened as he began pushing the Heavenly Immortal Dao Codex to its limits. Suddenly, an ethereal Qilin phantom appeared behind him, its massive body covered in divine scales and blazing with light. It opened its maw and began devouring the surrounding heaven and earth qi in vast quantities, channeling it directly into Avinash's dantian.
The scene was awe-inspiring. The sheer volume of qi being absorbed was enough to alert every cultivator aboard the flying beast ships—yet, thanks to the system's concealment, not a single person noticed.
Well… almost no one.
Elsewhere on the ship, Princess Smriti was also cultivating in her private chamber. Midway through her meditation, her delicate brows furrowed.
"Hm? Why has the spiritual qi thinned all of a sudden?" she murmured. "Could it be... we've entered a barren qi zone?"
But moments later, she sensed something strange. The qi wasn't just thin—it was being pulled. Flowing in a specific direction.
Her eyes narrowed.
"What... could be devouring this much qi?"
Without hesitation, she shut her eyes and then suddenly reopened them—the pupils now gleaming with a resplendent golden light.
She had activated her Destiny Eye Technique.
First, she scanned her own ship. To her shock, despite the thinning qi, no one seemed to notice—not even Ye Chen, bearer of the Beast Emperor Physique.
Then, following the flow of spiritual qi, her gaze slowly shifted. She froze.
There was a single room on the ship surrounded by a glowing blue barrier, veiling it from all perception. Even her Destiny Eye struggled to pierce through.
Her curiosity spiked.
She forced her gaze deeper—and then she saw it.
A young man dressed in black robes, his face refined and expression serene, sat in meditation. Behind him loomed a majestic Qilin phantom—its massive form half-manifested, assisting in the absorption of qi with divine speed. A beam of golden light surged from his dantian, threatening to tear open the sky—only to be quietly contained by the barrier.
"He's breaking through to the Core Formation Realm… and he has a True Qilin Bloodline?!" Smriti's eyes widened in disbelief. "No, not just true… that's at least Immortal Grade!"
Her heart pounded in excitement. "I've been wasting time chasing Ye Chen… when someone like him was hiding right beside me all along."
She continued staring at Avinash like he was a priceless divine treasure, a rare jade untouched by dust. As she noticed the breakthrough nearing completion, she finally averted her gaze, her face flushed slightly.
"I have to get close to him," she whispered, trembling with anticipation. "Even if I have to become his concubine… so be it. I will take my revenge. With him by my side, I am sure i can do it."
But her smile faded slightly. "The problem is… he's clearly hiding his strength. His behavior shows he has no interest in me. And after I helped Ye Chen earlier… he might misunderstand my intentions."
Just then, a spark lit in her eyes.
"Maybe… this plan will work."
Meanwhile, inside his room, Avinash slowly opened his eyes. A faint glimmer danced in his gaze as he looked in Smriti's direction through the barrier.
"Heh… fish has been hooked."
He smirked to himself, then lay down on the bed. Technically, with his rising cultivation, he no longer needed rest—but there was nothing better that sleep in this world.
Five hours later…
A warm, golden beam of morning sunlight crept in through the window and landed softly on Avinash's face. He stirred slightly, then sat up.
Ding! Ding!
A soft chime echoed outside the room.
"Mn… morning already?" he murmured, rubbing his eyes. "Looks like we're about to arrive at the Beast Mountain Range…"
He yawned, casually threw off his thin blanket, and began freshening up—cleansing his body with qi instead of water.
Once ready, he opened the door and stepped outside.
The deck of the flying beast ship was already bustling. Dozens of youths stood with eager expressions, gazing ahead at the distant horizon. Their eyes sparkled with anticipation and reverence.
Avinash glanced around calmly.
It didn't surprise him. After all, they were about to become deciple of one of the pillars of power in the Central Continent—the Supreme Beast Sect.
Soon, a majestic flying beast boat descended from the skies, landing gracefully near the towering Beast Mountain Range.Then a powerful presence swept across the air as an elder from the Supreme Beast Sect stepped forward, adorned in silver-white robes with beast patterns embroidered in golden threads. His arrival silenced the murmurs of the crowd as the selection ceremony was about to begin.
With a calm yet authoritative voice, the elder declared, "From this moment onward, all of you are considered outer disciples of our Supreme Beast Sect. However, as I have said before, your cultivation resources, treatment, and rank within the sect will be determined by the potential of the beast you tame. Talent alone is not enough—your actions in the next three days will decide the path of your future."
Even though the youths had heard these words countless times before, it did not stop them from secretly clasping their hands in prayer, hoping for luck from the heavens.
"This," the elder continued, gesturing toward the vast expanse ahead, "is the Beast Mountain Range—our sacred ground. You have only three days. Whether you rise to glory or fall into mediocrity will depend on the effort you show during this time."
Then, without another word, he took out a jade token engraved with a radiant peacock sigil. A dazzling beam of light erupted from the token, striking the massive formation that sealed the Beast Mountain. With a rumble, the formation began to open—slowly, a gateway enough to the size of a flying boat emerged, revealing a mysterious realm beyond.
The elder raised his hand and gestured forward. "Enter."
Like water bursting through a broken dam, the eager youths surged forward. Even Ye Chen, the son of luck with the Supreme Beast Emperor Physique, was among the first to rush in. Princess Smriti stood still for a moment, watching everything unfold with calculating eyes.
Her gaze lingered—naturally, it found its way to Avinash.
Avinash, as usual, remained calm and unreadable. He noticed her gaze but didn't respond, acting as if he hadn't seen her. Just as the crowd was thinning, he disappeared silently—vanishing without a trace.
He had activated the power of the Celestial Reincarnation Eyes, slipping into the beast mountain undetected.
Princess Smriti's expression shifted. A flicker of surprise, then realization. "He's gone…" she murmured, her brows furrowing slightly. She began scanning the surroundings, searching here and there for his figure.
This sudden shift in her behavior didn't go unnoticed. Many disciples glanced her way, after all, she was one of the dazzling beauties of this selection and naturally attracted attention. Even the Young Master of Norway City, who had been eyeing her for a while, couldn't help but approach.
"Princess Smriti," he said with a smile, "would you like to enter the mountain with me? I'm willing to protect you with my life."
Smriti turned to him, her expression calm. She was about to ignore him outright, but then, a glint of cunning flashed in her eyes.
"No need," she said sweetly. "I believe my Ye Chen can protect me better."
Before the Young Master could respond, she vanished—using her unique movement technique to disappear from everyone's sight.
The Young Master's smile froze. He clenched his fists, his pride wounded. "So… it's him."
He turned toward his subordinates. "Ye Chen has already entered, huh? Perfect. I originally planned to deal with him later, but now… seems like the heavens have granted me an opportunity."
Indeed, to many of these proud scions, Ye Chen—despite him because he—was just a rogue cultivator with no true background. If it weren't for the sect's protection, they would've already tried to get rid of him.
"Killing him inside the Beast Mountain won't raise suspicion," one of them muttered, eyes gleaming with killing intent.
Thus, a small group began secretly moving to hunt Ye Chen.
But Ye Chen, unaware—or perhaps uncaring—walked leisurely through the beast mountain. Even if he knew of their petty plans, he wouldn't have cared. In his eyes, these people were just ants. He had grander goals.
Meanwhile, deep within the heart of the Beast Mountain, Avinash stood atop a mist-covered cliff, completely focused. He had no interest in playing games with children.
As for Ye Chen? Naturally, Avinash would deal with him later.
After all, hunting a son of luck wasn't something that could be rushed. He had a plan.
Right now, his priority was to find the Snow Empress.
She was once a peerless genius of immortal snow place before she sealed her memory and come to this realm for awaken her ancient physique. By now, she should have become an elder of the Beast Sect—at least two hundred years old.
Conquering her before her full awakening memory and physique would not be easy….