As soon as he stepped out of the small courtyard, Chen Jiuge checked the Storage Bag, gasped, and said, "As expected of a Mahayana Realm big shot! To actually have three thousand Upper Spirits!"
To not let these three thousand Upper Spirits go to waste, Chen Jiuge was very dedicated this time.
He carefully selected at the Spiritual Beast Pavilion, purchasing three thousand Second Rank Wood Vipers and three thousand Second Rank Golden Light Pangolins. Wood Vipers possessed the Bloodline of the Sixth Rank Wood Dragon. The Wood Dragon's combat power wasn't strong; although named Wood Dragon, it was, in reality, a weak Dragon Species, not even comparable to the Flood Dragon Bloodline. But it was sufficient, especially for the little girl, Chen Zi.
The Second Rank Golden Light Pangolins also had the Bloodline of the Sixth Rank Golden Light Beast. While not a Dragon-type, the Golden Light Beast's combat power was outstanding. Its single horn was virtually invincible. It was just right for Chen Hua.
After buying the Spiritual Beasts, Chen Jiuge rented a cave mansion and began extracting the Bloodlines from these beasts, artificially creating a Wood Dragon and a Golden Light Beast, each with a Sixth Rank Bloodline.
Pleased with his own masterpiece, Chen Jiuge was satisfied. It was just a shame that such an ability could only be used occasionally. If he were to use this ability without restraint, he feared he might end up in solitary confinement.
But this time, he had made a huge profit. Buying the Spiritual Beasts had cost less than a thousand Upper Spirits. Furthermore, the Bloodlines of the remaining Second Rank Spiritual Beasts had been purified considerably, making them worth around a thousand Upper Spirits themselves. Perhaps I should just start a large-scale ecological breeding operation.
"Why bother with so many thoughts? Important matters come first. Deliver the Spiritual Beasts first, let these two quickly form Contracts and adapt. The Myriad Beasts Sect's assessment is only a few days away," he murmured, casting aside the grand plans in his mind.
The processes of bloodline extraction and injection didn't take much time. More time was spent on the metamorphosis of the two Spiritual Beasts.
To save time, Chen Jiuge spent a large amount of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures to accelerate this process. Fortunately, although their Bloodlines were high-grade, the actual Cultivation of these two beasts was only Second Rank. This equated to resources worth only a few hundred Upper Spirits—not much at all.
After collecting the two transformed Spiritual Beasts, Chen Jiuge returned to the small courtyard.
"Jiuge, you're back so soon?" The Third Elder was surprised to see Chen Jiuge return in just one day.
Waving his hand, Chen Jiuge released the two Spiritual Beasts: a green snake with tree-like patterns covering its body, and a small, golden, horned beast. Both crouched obediently on the ground.
"Chen Hua, you form a Contract with this Golden Light Beast. Chen Zi, this Wood Dragon is for you," Chen Jiuge directed the young boy and girl.
"Thank you, Uncle Thirteen," the two replied politely.
"Jiuge, two Spiritual Beasts with Sixth Rank Bloodlines... I fear the Spirit Stones I gave you weren't enough," said the Third Elder with a concerned frown.
"Third Elder, it was enough. These two Spiritual Beasts don't possess high Spiritual Wisdom yet and will need some Divine Soul-enhancing Treasures in the future. Their value isn't as high as that of typical Spiritual Beasts with Sixth Rank Bloodlines," Chen Jiuge said, shaking his head.
"Alright, you two youngsters go and form Contracts with these Spiritual Beasts. I have some Soul Treasure Liquid here; you can give it to them afterward," Chen Wen told the two youngsters.
"Yes, Third Elder."
"Big Brother, what about mine?" Chen Xiaoyu couldn't wait to join the conversation as soon as there was an opportunity.
"Don't you already have the Longevity Turtle?" Chen Jiuge retorted.
"I don't care! Turtle is Turtle, but I want something else too," Chen Xiaoyu said cunningly.
"No rush. Once you pass the entrance exam, I'll choose another one for you," Chen Jiuge said, shaking his head.
"Fine, but you better not lie to me, Big Brother," Chen Xiaoyu said, somewhat disappointed.
After comforting his little sister, Chen Jiuge looked toward the Third Elder with anticipation. He's a Mahayana Realm expert! Ah, I can't miss this opportunity to ask about Cultivation problems.
The Third Elder was quite astute and discerned Chen Jiuge's intentions. Smiling, he said, "There's nothing pressing at the moment. Jiuge, if you have any difficulties in your Cultivation, feel free to ask me. After all, I am a Mahayana Realm cultivator."
Hearing the modest words of the Third Elder, Chen Jiuge smiled shyly and said, "Third Elder, you're too humble. In this world, few can achieve immortality. The Mahayana Realm is already the pinnacle for Cultivators."
The two sat down on the ground, and Chen Jiuge continuously brought up the problems he encountered in his Cultivation. The problems a Golden Core Cultivator encountered were mere child's play for a Mahayana Realm expert.
As his doubts were resolved, Chen Jiuge's suppressed Cultivation began to rise slowly. Fortunately, he realized it in time to avoid advancing on the spot.
"Jiuge, your Cultivation is already very solid. Why do you keep suppressing it? Isn't it better to advance to the Nascent Soul Realm sooner?" the Third Elder asked, somewhat puzzled.
"Elder, you might not be aware, but of my three Lifebound Spirit Beasts, only one has advanced to the Nascent Soul Realm. So, it's not yet time for me to advance," Chen Jiuge said with some distress.
Allowing Lifebound Spirit Beasts to drive one's Cultivation can create a more robust foundation. Chen Jiuge's Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment and his high-grade Golden Core were both achieved this way. Therefore, to advance to the Nascent Soul Realm, his two underperforming companions had to advance first.
"Hmm, the Myriad Beasts Sect has its unique Magic Techniques. You just focus on your Cultivation. It's about time to set off," Chen Wen nodded.
So soon? Chen Jiuge was somewhat surprised; it felt like only a short while had passed.
Over these three days, the three little ones had also rested well, their small faces full of excitement.
Hundred Dragon City was part of the Green Dragon Region's Outer Sect, so the entrance examination for new disciples naturally took place in this area.
Having Chen Jiuge, an experienced disciple, to guide them was very convenient.
For today's newcomer examination, flying was barred in the Outer Sect. High-altitude flight was disallowed, so the group could only walk to the foot of the mountain.
Looking at the dense crowd, Chen Jiuge's scalp tingled. Aren't there too many people? It hasn't been this crowded the last few times.
The queue included quite a few Divinity Transformation and Returning to Void Cultivators. Even occasional Mahayana Realm Cultivators and True Immortal Level Elders could be seen. They, naturally, didn't need to queue and could fly directly, making Chen Jiuge quite envious.
「After a full two hours.」
It was finally Chen Jiuge's group's turn.
"Senior Brother Chen, why are you queuing too? If you had just told me, I could have let you through directly," said the disciple guarding the mountain, who happened to know Chen Jiuge, while recording their names.
"Haha, Junior Brother, you're too kind. I'm just accompanying my family's juniors for their assessment. Queuing is fine; we're not in a particular hurry," Chen Jiuge laughed it off, collected the examination Tokens for the three little ones, and headed up the mountain.
"Big Brother, you're actually so influential! Mother always said you're like a turtle, always cooped up at home," Chen Xiaoyu said, full of surprise.
Hearing that, Chen Jiuge gently thumped her on the head and said, "What do you know? This is called being prudent. Stop being mischievous. We're about to enter the main assessment, so don't embarrass me."
Chen Xiaoyu made a face, afraid her older brother would flick her again, and quickly ran behind the Third Elder.
Seeing this, Chen Jiuge, who wasn't really angry, didn't continue to tease her. Instead, he turned to the other two youngsters and said seriously, "The Myriad Beasts Sect's examination has only one component: the Mirage Dragon Illusion Realm. The assessment primarily focuses on one's Dao Heart, secondarily on Divine Soul, and finally on Spirit Root. Therefore, your mindset is crucial."
"Remember, stay true to your own heart, no matter what you encounter in the Illusion Realm. Always stay true to your own heart."
"Do you understand what your Uncle Thirteen said?" the Third Elder emphasized, also taking it very seriously.
The Chen Family was just a Small Family. They needed to constantly send talented individuals from the family to Major Sects to secure their family's status. Every Major Sect examination was taken very seriously, especially this one, which was personally led by the Mahayana Realm Chen Wen.