"Previously, we spent enormous manpower just to bring down a peak Foundation Establishment fierce beast.
Inside its body, we discovered nine drops of essence blood."
As soon as Aether said this, Lumine gave him a suspicious look.
"Don't tell me you people drank the essence blood of a peak Foundation Establishment beast!"
"Uh… how did you know?"
"So you really did drink it?!"
Lumine stared at him with an expression of you've got guts, then sighed.
"Do you even realize that a beast's essence blood contains the largest concentration of its spiritual power?
According to Senior Sister Ningguang's calculations, even a top Archon would explode from drinking a single drop—unless they cultivated a martial body."
"You think spiritual power is some kind of juice? That's condensed, chaotic energy on a massive scale.
In terms of raw density, it utterly surpasses all the power of this world."
"You got lucky that it was only a peak Foundation Establishment beast. If it had been late Refining Essence into Qi, just one drop would've paralyzed you for life."
"You really are reckless!"
Lumine scolded him fiercely. Of course, Aether knew she was worried about him—after all, no matter how much they bickered, they were still each other's only family.
But that tone of hers still made his face darken.
Lumine always acted like, just because she became a cultivator, she could lecture him.
"This kind of idiotic stunt—directly drinking essence blood—I've never even heard of it in Mount Shu. At most, I've read about it in old records.
Once, a Refinement cultivator tried drinking the essence of a late Refining Void and Unity beast. He exploded on the spot."
"Do you know that even Liyue's innate martial masters wouldn't dare drink a whole drop of late Foundation Establishment essence alone? Three of them would split it."
"And that's only because they had martial manuals. You people had nothing, and just gulped it down—how many died?"
At that, Aether curled his lip.
"Hate to disappoint you. None of us died. Not only that—we forged our very own martial path."
"I call it: Fierce Beast Martial Arts."
With that, he raised his hand like a claw.
Scarlet blood-qi condensed in his palm, and his eyes faintly glowed crimson.
He hurled it backward—
The nearby hill instantly shattered into rubble.
Lumine's eyes narrowed. She was surprised.
"Such destructive power? Stronger than most martial cultivators of the same stage."
She wasn't exaggerating. Strictly speaking, this was perhaps the strongest system of power beneath cultivation itself.
Indeed… from disaster came blessing?
"The power of Beast Martial Arts truly surpasses even our own innate strength," Aether admitted with a smile.
"Its ceiling seems very high. At least for now, even Liyue's 'earthly immortal' stage isn't its limit."
"So we don't need Liyue's martial system."
Lumine stroked her chin, extending her spiritual sense for analysis. She shook her head.
"Pure destructive force alone isn't enough. In terms of defense and versatility, it lags far behind the martial system Zhongli created.
Control is weak. This path is born only for destruction."
Aether could only nod helplessly.
"As much as I'd like to argue, you're right. Beast Martial Arts is less balanced than Liyue's.
But it can be improved—that's why I want you to help exchange some manuals on power control."
"That way, its true potential can be unleashed."
That small request, Lumine naturally wouldn't refuse.
She didn't even need to spend her own contribution points—
Just 100 low-grade spirit stones to Zhongli could buy such basic manuals.
And she had mountains of spirit stones anyway. Jiang Yan occasionally handed her piles of them; she carried tens of thousands at the moment.
Perks of being a Divine Physique prodigy.
"Manuals aren't a problem," she said, "but I'm curious. You being able to drink beast essence blood isn't strange—annoying as you are, you're still very strong.
But your Abyss subordinates—how did they survive it?"
"A whole drop of peak Foundation Establishment essence! Did all their bodies surpass martial cultivators?"
Aether nodded slightly, voice low.
"Most likely.
The curse of undying gave them pain, but centuries of enduring Abyssal erosion tempered their bodies far beyond normal Teyvat folk.
Especially the Abyss Heralds—each one rivals a high-level Archon's familiar. The stronger ones can match even a top familiar.
And yet, even so, drinking that essence nearly killed them.
But those who survived became true Beast Martial Artists."
"At present, though, we have very few. The limiting factor is resources—we lack beasts."
He subtly hinted at Lumine, making her frown.
"Yeah yeah, I get it—stop poking at me!"
"I still want to know," Lumine pressed, "how exactly you cultivate this Beast Martial Arts."
Aether had no reason to hide it. After all, only Abyss folk had the natural physique to practice it anyway.
And this was his sister—he trusted her.
"Beast Martial cultivation is similar yet different from Liyue's.
Our power is called blood-qi.
It's stored in the dantian, which is first opened using beast essence to spark the first trace of blood-qi.
Afterward, one tempers the body with spiritual energy, drawing more blood-qi from it into the dantian.
Alternatively, through daily food—refined into blood-qi. That's the easiest way.
Beast flesh contains huge amounts of blood-qi, the best resource for cultivation. Essence is even better, of course.
But the body has limits. My strongest Beast Martial Artist is roughly at the Grandmaster level now.
Yet even he says he cannot absorb a second drop of peak Foundation Establishment essence anytime soon.
He must first temper his body and dantian further."
Lumine and Paimon exchanged looks.
Paimon scratched her head.
"Lumine, this sounds awfully familiar…"
"Isn't this just like the cultivation of those Xuanjia Liuli Beasts in the Nine Nether Secret Realm? Almost identical—tempering their bodies endlessly."
At that, Paimon clapped in excitement.
"Right! The Xuanjia Liuli Beast! The Sect Master said their flesh is the best in all the cultivation world!"
She was already drooling.
Aether grew intrigued.
"These beasts also cultivate the body?"
Lumine nodded.
"The Xuanjia Liuli Beast is unique among demon beasts. They don't cultivate spells or demonic power—only the flesh.
Some even transcend tribulation relying solely on their body."
Aether's eyes lit up.
"Then their blood-qi must be unimaginably dense!"
"More than that."
Lumine spread her hands.
"Master said their bodies are so tough, their bones are the best materials for spirit weapons.
Their scales are impenetrable except by true artifacts.
Their bodies are top-grade alchemy ingredients. And they even have both a demon core and a beast's physique."
Aether swallowed hard. He could already imagine how perfect they'd be for Beast Martial Arts.
One bite, and he'd ascend to heaven!
But before he could speak, Lumine waved her hands quickly.
"Don't even think of asking me to hunt them. They live in the Nine Nether Secret Realm. And that realm is already in chaos thanks to the Seven Kings' strife.
The Xuanjia Liuli Beasts live in a forbidden zone—one even the Seven Kings fear.
I'm just a mid-Refinement little cultivator. You want me to go die?"
"In their herds are even late Refining Void and Unity ones. Zhongli himself would bow before them.
So stop scheming. I still want to live a few more years."
Hearing this, Aether felt regret.
But then he let go of the idea. No matter how good the beasts were, he wouldn't risk Lumine's life.
He knew all too well what the Nine Nether Secret Realm was like—especially its death zones.
He thought for a while, then said quietly:
"No need for Xuanjia Liuli Beasts. Just help me hunt some ordinary fierce beasts and demon beasts.
There are many peak Foundation Establishment beasts in Jueyun Karst, but we don't dare enter.
First, it's Liyue territory. You know the Abyss isn't welcome there. A large-scale hunt would make us public enemies."
Lumine smirked.
"You're sugarcoating it! The Abyss isn't welcome anywhere in Teyvat.
And more importantly… lots of people are already eyeing Jueyun Karst's beasts. Liyue especially. They're using them to raise martial artists.
If your Abyss fights them over beasts, it's no different than robbing Liyue blind.
Once Ningguang and the rest find out, they'll definitely send martial armies against you.
Tens of thousands of postnatal fighters, thousands of innates, plus a horde of cultivators—
Even if you grew four pairs of wings, you wouldn't escape.
And you really don't want a late Refining Void and Unity Mount Shu deputy chasing you down, do you?"
Aether's face darkened, ignoring her jibes.
"Anyway—the point is, those peak beasts are critical for us. But they're clustered deep in Jueyun Karst.
There must be hundreds there. Even I would struggle if they surrounded me.
And I can't act freely in Teyvat.
Since we slew that one before, the Abyss hasn't gained any more."
"But in the stormy times ahead, we need Beast Martial Arts."
"So I'm asking you—help me hunt beasts through Mount Shu."
Lumine waved dismissively.
"That's no problem. Master has me hunting beasts and demons every day anyway.
And honestly, selling them back barely earns contribution points. Giving you some wouldn't hurt."
"But in Mount Shu, beasts are at least late Foundation Establishment, mostly peak.
Now, with spiritual energy growing richer, early Refinement beasts are becoming the norm."
"If I go hunting, I'll mostly target Refining Essence into Qi ones. Can your people handle that?"
At this, Aether's face broke into joy.
"That would be perfect."
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