Chapter 22: Nine Netherhound!_1

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining a Nine Netherhound cub!]

[The reward has been distributed to the System Space, and the host can check it at any time.]

An image of a small creature, dark as the abyss and resembling a wolf or a dog, emerged from the big wheel, accompanied by a system notification sound.

"A Nine Netherhound cub?"

Lu Changsheng paused, his face lighting up with joy.

Although it wasn't the cultivation technique he wanted most,

he also considered pet beasts quite nice.

After all, those who played games in their previous lives know the importance of having a good 'pet'.

It's pretty much the same in this cultivation world.

If one has a good spiritual pet to accompany them as they grow, it can provide considerable help in both combat power and other aspects.

Although he had never heard the name 'Nine Netherhound,' Lu Changsheng was unsure of what rank this demon beast was,

but after the previous three draws, Lu Changsheng had some trust in the system.

He knew that while products from the system might sometimes be useless, they were never trash.

Lu Changsheng directed his mental spirit to look at the Nine Netherhound in the System Space, and information immediately surfaced.

[Spiritual Pet: Nine Netherhound]

[Rank: Heaven Grade Middle Grade]

[Description: An ancient fierce beast variant, with Heaven Grade Middle Grade bloodline, possessing a trace of the primordial True Spirit Nine Netherhound bloodline, can grow to its peak in five hundred years and become a Fourth Rank demon beast.]

"Hiss! A Heaven Grade Middle Grade bloodline, and it even has a trace of the primordial True Spirit's bloodline."

"As long as it grows to its peak, it can become a Fourth Rank demon beast!"

Upon seeing the information about the Nine Netherhound, Lu Changsheng gasped in surprise and felt a wave of exhilaration.

In the cultivation world, besides the human race, there are many other races.

Such as winged, feathered, scaly, insect, flora, and fauna that can cultivate and ascend, are all collectively called demons.

However, most demons are unenlightened with little intelligence and are also known as demon beasts.

The strength division of demon beasts is very straightforward.

From low to high, they are classed as: First Grade, Second Grade, Third Grade, Fourth Grade, Fifth Grade...

Corresponding to the Qi Refinement Realm, Foundation Establishment Stage, Core Formation Stage, Nascent Soul Stage, and Divinity Transformation Stage of the human cultivators.

The difference between demon beasts and humans is that humans possess a Spiritual Root and strengthen themselves through cultivation techniques.

While demon beasts cultivate and grow stronger through the bloodline inheritance within their bodies.

The higher the bloodline rank, the greater the potential.

As far as Lu Changsheng knew, the bloodline ranks for demon beasts were divided into: Low Rank Bloodline, Middle Grade Bloodline, High Rank Bloodline, Earth Grade Bloodline, Heaven Grade Bloodline,

and the legendary True Spirit Bloodline!

Low Rank Bloodlines, also known as Mixed Bloodlines,

will never break through to become Second Rank demon beasts in their lifetimes without some sort of fortuitous encounter that purifies or mutates their bloodline.

Middle Grade Bloodlines will grow into First Rank demon beasts, but there's hope to grow into Second Rank demon beasts.

High Rank Bloodline demon beasts will mostly be Second Rank at their peak, with a chance to become Third Rank.

Earth Grade Bloodline demon beasts are Second Rank in their mature stage, and at their peak, they have a high chance of reaching Third Rank.

As for Heaven Grade demon beasts, they are Third Rank in their mature stage and can hope to reach Fourth Rank at their peak.

This Nine Netherhound obtained by Lu Changsheng not only had a Heaven Grade Middle Grade bloodline but also a trace of the primordial True Spirit bloodline.

Therefore, given five hundred years, it could smoothly grow to its peak and become a Fourth Rank demon beast.

That is equivalent to a human cultivator at the Nascent Soul Stage!

"A Fourth Rank demon beast is equivalent to a human Nascent Soul True Lord!"

"According to the information I've seen in the Lu Family library, within the Jiang Country Cultivation Realm where I'm situated, the Nascent Soul Stage is the ceiling.

"Only the 'Heavenly Sword Sect' has a Nascent Soul True Lord in residence, even the Qingyun Sect that I tried to enter through the assessments doesn't have a Nascent Soul True Lord presiding over it!"

"If the Nine Netherhound can grow into a fourth-rank demon beast, I could walk sideways through Jiang Country's Cultivation Realm with complete impunity,"

Lu Changsheng said with a trace of excitement and exhilaration.

In the Cultivation Realm of Jiang Country where he resided, the strongest power was known as 'Heavenly Sword Sect'.

Within its gates sat a Nascent Soul True Lord.

Beneath it were Qingyun Sect, Luoxia Sect, and Spirit Taming Sect, the Three Great Immortal Sects.

Although these Three Great Immortal Sects didn't have a Nascent Soul True Lord at their helm, they each possessed several Nascent Soul Immortals and had very profound foundations.

Beyond the Three Great Immortal Sects were two sects, three cities and three aristocratic families, making up eight great powers.

All eight powers were headed by a Nascent Soul Immortal and were considered the pinnacle forces within Jiang Country's Cultivation Realm.

As for Cultivation families like the Lu Family of Qingzhu Mountain, which only had a Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator at their helm, there were many, and it was impossible to record them all in the books.

Moreover, Lu Changsheng noted that the book he saw was almost a hundred years old.

The content recorded therein was likely to have changed considerably by now.

But a moment later, Lu Changsheng shook his head again.

"Even if one cultivates to the peak of the Qi Refinement Realm, one would only have a lifespan of a hundred years. Breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Stage would only extend one's life by another hundred years, living to be a bit over two hundred."

"Only a Nascent Soul Immortal can have a lifespan of five hundred years!"

"Therefore, if I can't break through to the Nascent Soul Stage and become a Nascent Soul True Lord myself, even if the Nine Netherhound grows into a fourth-rank beast, it wouldn't mean much to me."

The lifespan of demon beasts is generally several times that of humans.

For demon beasts, a Nine Netherhound managing to grow into a fourth-rank within five hundred years is already quite fast.

But for humans, this period is a bit lengthy.

After all, even the lifespan of a Nascent Soul Immortal barely exceeds five hundred years.

Even if one consumes life-extending elixirs or heavenly treasures, at most a few more decades or a century could be added, but ultimately, it is limited.

Only after breaking through to the Nascent Soul Stage can one's lifespan surpass a thousand years.

"With a five hundred year pinnacle period, reaching maturity in two or three hundred years shouldn't be a problem."

"Maturity should be equivalent to a third-rank beast at the Core Formation Stage. So, growing into a second-rank beast in around a hundred years would also be feasible."

"Looking at it this way, it seems not too bad."

"Moreover, in the world of cultivation, there are methods to tame and control beasts, including many techniques that can speed up the growth of demon beasts."

Lu Changsheng licked his lips, thinking to himself.

The growth of demon beasts can be divided into infancy, growth, maturity, and peak – four stages.

The Nine Netherhound cub he won in the lottery naturally was in its infancy.

But according to the hundred arts of cultivation he knew of, there existed a skill called beast taming.

It involves domesticating demon beasts into spiritual beasts for cultivators to utilize.

The pet beasts that Lu Changsheng's system awarded naturally didn't need domestication and were absolutely loyal to him.

However, within these beast taming techniques, there were many husbandry methods capable of accelerating the growth of spiritual beasts.

Lu Changsheng was aware that the Spirit Taming Sect, one of the Three Great Immortal Sects, was renowned for nurturing spiritual beasts, with each disciple taming and controlling a spiritual pet.

"This isn't urgent at the moment; I can look into it later if I get the chance to obtain the method for nurturing spiritual beasts. For now, I'll just raise it normally."

"But right now, it's inconvenient for me to take the Nine Netherhound out of the System Space."

"Otherwise, if others see that I seemingly conjured a demon beast cub out of thin air, I'd have no way to explain."

"It just so happens that I need to make a trip to the secular world soon. When I return, I can take it out and claim I bought it to guard the house or to be a companion for the children."

After some contemplation, Lu Changsheng decided not to take the cub out of the System Space but to continue keeping it inside.

Like system rewards, keeping it within the System Space without taking it out doesn't affect it in the slightest.

But once it's taken out, there's no way to put it back in.

PS: Thank you 'Book Friend 20180320084218622' for the 5000 coin reward, I feel a deep sense of recognition.

Also, thank you 'Fatty Head' for the 500 coin reward, and 'Book Friend 20200911024200054' for the 100 coin reward.