Chapter 50: The Four Aspects of the Heavenly Essence Sutra
Ye Jingcheng was the first to take the jade slip of the spiritual beasts. Although Ye Haiping was a bit puzzled, Ye Jingcheng wanted to see if the spiritual beast imagery would affect his treasure book.
He placed the jade slip on his forehead, and suddenly a picturesque valley appeared before his eyes, filled with chirping birds and fragrant flowers. Various spiritual beasts emerged in his vision.
These spiritual beasts included the single-horned barbarian ox, a golden-edged python, and even the red-crowned snow eagle.
They soared, ran, and even cast various spells to hunt their prey.
Each one had sharp eyes, exuding fierce power.
As he continued to examine the jade slip, a dozen or so aged spiritual beasts appeared before Ye Jingcheng. Without exception, all of them were at the late stage of the first rank, comparable to the eighth or ninth levels of Qi Refinement.
However, the treasure book remained completely still. Ye Jingcheng recalled how he had sensed the presence of the treasure book even from a distance when the Blood Leech Egg appeared, although it hadn't fully activated at that time.
This time, however, the spiritual beasts didn't give him the same feeling. Instead, they seemed to have reached their potential limit.
They might serve as transitional beasts or guardians, but Ye Jingcheng, already possessing two spiritual beasts, no longer needed them.
No wonder Ye Haiping had advised him against choosing a spiritual beast.
It was likely that Ye Jingyong's red-armored beast was of the same type.
Ye Jingcheng set the jade slip aside and began examining the other jade slips on the wooden shelf.
He took a deep breath, knowing that what mattered most to him was a cultivation technique.
He skipped over the yellow-grade techniques and went straight to the black-grade ones.
With his seven-inch Beast Communication Pattern, it wouldn't be a problem for him to command several spiritual beasts in the future, and his cultivation speed wouldn't be slow. Thus, choosing a better technique to establish a solid foundation was clearly more important.
The first jade slip he picked up detailed a black-grade lower-level technique called the *Great Primal Flame Sutra*. This technique could be cultivated to the peak of Foundation Establishment, and once mastered, it could condense a fiery dragon, making it quite powerful.
However, Ye Jingcheng merely glanced at it and shook his head. This technique was essentially an upgraded version of his current *Leaving Fire Technique*, which didn't particularly interest him.
He moved on to the second jade slip, which contained the *Three Pure Green Sea Sutra*.
Upon briefly scanning it, he found that this technique focused primarily on water attributes, supplemented by wood and earth attributes. It was best suited for cultivators with three spiritual roots.
Once again, Ye Jingcheng shook his head. His strength lay in fire attribute techniques, and the highest potential among his spiritual beasts at the moment was the Red Flame Fox.
He couldn't abandon his strengths.
He picked up the third jade slip, but frowned again, as it was another earth and wood attribute technique.
After an hour had passed, he had already reviewed six black-grade lower-level techniques. Although some were suitable, none felt quite right. Finally, he reached the last technique.
He placed the jade slip against his forehead, revealing a technique called *The Four Aspects of the Heavenly Essence Sutra*.
This technique was quite unique. Unlike traditional four-element techniques, *The Four Aspects of the Heavenly Essence Sutra* accommodated four attributes, which were not fixed.
Cultivators with four or even five spiritual roots could practice it, as it was designed for compatibility.
It didn't require specific attributes to be present.
Additionally, it included a considerable number of second-rank spells.
The only drawback was that after reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, if the spiritual energy within the cultivator was not balanced, it would greatly hinder their breakthrough.
In essence, a cultivator would need to refine the four types of spiritual energy to their peak in order to break through successfully. If one type of spiritual energy lagged behind, the chances of a breakthrough would be significantly reduced.
However, conversely, if the balance was maintained, it could increase the chances of a successful breakthrough, with fewer bottlenecks. It could even assist in breaking through major realms.
Ye Jingcheng hesitated. Choosing this technique would align well with his seven-inch Beast Communication Pattern, but he would need to find at least three more spiritual beasts with potential to match his attributes. Otherwise, practicing two techniques would be too difficult given his talent.
On the other hand, he couldn't ignore the benefits this technique offered in breaking through major realms.
After all, only by breaking through to a higher realm could a cultivator significantly extend their lifespan.
Qi Refinement granted a lifespan of 120 years, Foundation Establishment 250 years, Purple Mansion 500 years, Golden Core 1,000 years, and Nascent Soul 2,000 years!
Each breakthrough was a temptation that no cultivator could resist.
"Jingcheng, *The Four Aspects of the Heavenly Essence Sutra* is technically a mid-level black-grade technique. However, it requires four Foundation Establishment-level spiritual beasts to function properly. Even with a five-inch Beast Communication Pattern, it wouldn't be enough!"
"That's why it's classified as a lower-level black-grade technique. If this technique were given to ordinary cultivators with four or five spiritual roots, it would probably be considered a yellow-grade technique. Mastering it requires a massive amount of time and resources," Ye Haiping advised from the side.
[Translator: sauron]
Seeing that Ye Jingcheng had lingered over the last jade slip for too long, he became concerned.
Although Ye Jingcheng's Red Flame Fox and Golden Scale Beast both had decent potential, they were still in their infancy. Their bloodlines might give them an advantage now, but as they reached the Foundation Establishment stage, their growth would slow down significantly.
The Ye family did have some recorded methods to improve the bloodline of certain spiritual beasts, but the conditions were too harsh.
Unless Ye Jingcheng could find the offspring of a high-potential Purple Mansion spiritual beast, the likelihood of success was slim.
"Granduncle, I'd like to give it a try!" Ye Jingcheng ultimately chose *The Four Aspects of the Heavenly Essence Sutra*.
He had the treasure book, which could enhance the bloodlines of his spiritual beasts. As long as his alchemy skills kept up and he could find enough spiritual herbs to refine pills, he could enhance their bloodlines, and his cultivation speed wouldn't suffer.
The only challenge would be finding four corresponding spiritual beasts.
The Jade Ring Mouse barely counted as a wood attribute beast, but its growth potential was slower than even Ye Jingcheng's. It could sense danger, but that was about it.
The other reason Ye Jingcheng wanted to try the technique was that *The Four Aspects of the Heavenly Essence Sutra* was, at least, a mid-level black-grade technique. It had fewer bottlenecks, and even if it slowed his breakthrough progress, that wouldn't happen until he reached Foundation Establishment and needed to form true essence.
By then, he would likely be another 40 or 50 years older, with a lifespan of 250 years. He would have ample time to search for more suitable spiritual beasts.
"Granduncle, I sense that the Red Flame Fox won't stop at the second rank!" Ye Jingcheng added when he noticed Ye Haiping's disapproving expression.
Hearing this, Ye Haiping finally showed some emotion. His gaze deepened, as if recalling something, and he ultimately concluded that Ye Jingcheng's assessment might be true.
For spiritual beasts, the most important factor was their bloodline. The Ye family usually judged a spiritual beast by its species, but if a beast's bloodline was extraordinary, it could surpass its original limits.
"Since you've made your choice, stick with this technique. Just remember to work even harder. Also, memorize *The Four Aspects of the Heavenly Essence Sutra* while you're here. When you leave, act like you're disappointed. After all, the Ye family is merely a bottom-tier Foundation Establishment clan," Ye Haiping reminded him.
**(End of Chapter)**