The rising sun pierced through the night, casting golden light over the Cloud-Mist Mountain Range. A crow, looking majestic with shimmering feathers, stood upon a massive boulder with an extraordinary aura.
As the first ray of sunlight touched the bird, a dense and powerful force of fire and solar energy suddenly surged around it, dying its feathers a dark gold. When it opened its eyes, a flicker of golden-red flame burned within, and the flame mark on its forehead radiated a dazzling light...
Far away from the black crow, thousands of bees emitting a dangerous aura circled the area. At the center of the swarm stood a handsome youth in simple clothing. A small flower sprite with pale purple wings perched on his shoulder, and a snow-white spirit fox lay in his arms. The fox's dream-like eyes watched the big crow curiously.
"Chirp chirp... (Boss, is Ya Ya about to break through to Rank 2?)" the little fox asked.
"Yes..." Qi Ping nodded.
After all this time, one of his four animal companions was finally about to reach Rank 2, and Qi Ping was extremely happy. Initially, he had hoped to use the power of the Plant Growth skill to help the flower sprite break through quickly, but no matter how much energy he infused into it, the sprite remained at the peak of Rank 1, unable to cross the threshold.
This taught Qi Ping that Plant Growth was not omnipotent. Even for plant-based spirit beasts, the skill could not replace the beast's own effort and comprehension; it could only accelerate its natural growth. However, the sprite's foundation had become incredibly deep under the influence of the skill, and it had trained its Hundred-Eyed Demon Realm to a level of extreme proficiency.
Now, Ya Ya was about to charge into Rank 2 through its own hard work and the resources Qi Ping provided. This swept away the traces of frustration in Qi Ping's heart!
"Chirp chirp... (Ya Ya is so amazing. I wonder when I can break through? I want to grow up quickly too!)"
"Chirp chirp... (That way, I can help the boss just like Ya Ya.)"
"As long as you eat your fruit on time and train hard, you'll grow up fast!" Qi Ping comforted the little fox, patting its head.
"Chirp chirp... (I will work hard!)"
On the other side, Ya Ya, surrounded by fire and solar energy, launched its charge toward Rank 2 without hesitation.
"Caw caw... (Rank 2!)"
"Caw caw... (Lord Ya is coming!)"
For so long, it had used various fire-attribute honeys provided by Qi Ping to strengthen its spiritual energy and physical body. After evolving into a Solar-Fire Crow, it had absorbed a massive amount of solar energy, tempering its foundation to an exceptionally solid degree. Combined with its constant bathing in solar power, its will, Spirit-Soul, and body had all undergone subtle transformations.
Taking advantage of the first ray of morning light, it swallowed a sliver of purple qi coming from the sun and no longer suppressed its physical body's urge to transform.
With a tremor of the earth, a powerful physical and spiritual pressure suddenly erupted, its intensity far exceeding the limits of Rank 1! The Solar-Fire Flames burned fiercely, driving the transformation of Ya Ya's body.
Mysterious golden light began to emanate from the bird's pitch-black feathers, followed by the appearance of faint, golden patterns. The flame mark on its forehead became increasingly majestic, and a mysterious pressure suddenly exploded, causing every living thing in the vicinity—including Qi Ping—to tremble involuntarily.
'What is this pressure?'
Qi Ping's heart shook at the sudden, mysterious pressure. He felt a sense of sacred majesty and vast, infinite power within it. Even the Solar True Fire hidden deep in his blood vibrated violently.
The other animal companions were even more affected. The spirit fox instinctively curled up into a ball, and many bees fell from the sky, taking quite a while to crawl back up.
'Good heavens!'
Qi Ping's shock deepened. Was this the bloodline pressure of a high-level spirit beast? The spirit fox was somewhat better off, but the bees' performance was quite poor. However, Qi Ping knew this was normal. After all, the bloodline of the Golden Marrow Bees was quite distant compared to Ya Ya, who possessed the Golden Crow lineage.
Furthermore, Ya Ya was at a critical moment of bloodline enhancement and breakthrough; it might even successfully awaken the rare Great Sun Physique. It was only natural for the bloodline pressure to be at its peak.
Perhaps if the bees successfully devoured the Demon Insect King's bloodline after reaching Rank 2, things would be different. If the swarm could produce a few mutated types with that bloodline, their strength would reach an unimaginable level.
At the moment the mysterious pressure exploded, Ya Ya instantly fell into a deep sleep. But its transformation did not stop—it grew even more intense. The flames around it raged, and it continuously absorbed the high-year spirit honey placed nearby. The solar energy surrounding it became increasingly dense.
As the transformation continued, Ya Ya's aura surpassed the Rank 1 level, and its size and physical strength slowly increased. As the sun rose higher, Ya Ya's figure was completely covered by flames and solar energy, vanishing from Qi Ping's sight.
Though Qi Ping could sense that Ya Ya's state was excellent and had enough confidence in the bird, he couldn't help but feel a sliver of worry. The path of cultivation was a journey where each step up was like climbing a new heaven. To say there was no risk would be a lie; history was full of brilliant geniuses who fell at this very step.
"But with Ya Ya's foundation and bloodline, there shouldn't be a problem. I believe in Ya Ya!"
Pushing down his anxiety, Qi Ping summoned his Fire True Meaning and began to slowly sense the unique fire-attribute power around Ya Ya. This kind of special energy generated during a breakthrough was worth contemplating—it was a rare opportunity he wouldn't miss.
This state lasted from sunrise to sunset. The flames around Ya Ya gradually receded, and a black, egg-like substance had firmly encased the bird, blocking out all its aura—save for a powerful heart beating steadily within.
Qi Ping stopped his meditation and watched the surroundings closely. The closer they got to the end, the more careful they had to be. Ya Ya had likely passed the most dangerous stage and was just one step away from fully becoming a Rank 2 spirit beast. If someone interfered now and caused the effort to fail, it would be more than just frustrating—all of Ya Ya's hard work would be for nothing. Qi Ping had seen every drop of sweat the bird had shed, and he would not let anyone disturb the breakthrough.
Fortunately, no such interference occurred, and Qi Ping's heart slowly settled. This continued until the next day. When the sun rose again, the flames reignited, and solar energy surged toward the giant black egg like a tide. This time, the solar power was far denser than ever before.
'The Great Sun Physique must have awakened successfully!'
Feeling the powerful aura rising within, Qi Ping grew more certain. This was a delightful surprise; a Solar-Fire Crow with the Great Sun Physique was on an entirely different combat level than one without it.
This continued until noon. When the sunlight reached its peak, a terrifying figure suddenly shattered the black shell, and a divine, extraordinary form was revealed...