In English, the term 'beast' carried with it a negative or derogatory connotation. It was often used to describe another as lower or less intellectual than oneself. But in the context of actual beasts, as in a group of living beings, that was far from the truth.
First of all, it was important to understand what a beast was in the context of the cultivation world. A common misconception, at least amongst humans, was that beasts were animals that began cultivating. They could not be judged for having this view, for this often was the case for many species of beasts who had an animalistic nature and lacked intelligence whilst in the mortal realm. But strictly speaking, that was not what defined a creature as a beast.
In the cultivation world, a beast was a creature whose cultivation depended upon heritage and would, while growing in cultivation, slowly undergo evolution until it achieved the species that stood at the apex of its heritage.
