Chapter Five: Heavenly Steed

Since the sealing of the gods was decreed and the Five Saints ascended to heaven, the perception of monsters across the great divine continents has undergone a revolutionary change.

Some monster flesh strengthens the body; certain monster bones can be forged into weapons; some innards are used in medicine; the alluring eyes of rabbit and fox monsters make them favored playthings; fierce yet tamable ox, dog, and pig monsters become war beasts; solitary, powerful tigers, wolves, eagles, and leopards serve as beast pets—uses abound beyond counting.

Yet, the most widely utilized are monster cores. Ordinary monster cores aid cultivators, adventurers, and swordsmen in their training, enhancing constitution or assisting in absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Special cores can be refined into treasures, used in talisman creation, ward off misfortune, or even drive mechanical beasts and help command war machines—truly remarkable in their utility.

The mechanical beasts used by the Tianma Trading Guild are called "Centipede," crafted by the Mojia artisans in Luoyi, large constructs meant for carrying heavy loads in the wild. Their driving force is the monster nucleus within the talisman furnace. This nucleus, taken from ox monsters and also known as "Yellow of the Ox," differs from others in that once its power is exhausted, it can be placed in a specially drawn spirit-gathering formation and, within days, be fully recharged—repeatable up to a hundred times. It is much like a rechargeable battery of later times.

Driven by profit, numerous monster-hunting guilds sprang forth. Some organized troops to enter forbidden lands and perilous realms to capture beastly creatures. Others deployed scouts to investigate and hunt hidden monsters among mortals. Still others boldly ventured into the domains of the other three great tribes, abducting monsters and trafficking them.

The Tianma Trading Guild stands as the largest monster-hunting guild in Yuyang of Great Yan, adjacent to the capital city of Ji. Their primary business is trading all manner of monster materials—cores, slaves, pets, and beasts, all available. Supported by esteemed patrons, they rank among the top three in all of Great Yan. While Yi Bao’s claim of unrivaled supremacy may be an exaggeration, it is not far from the truth.

Nonetheless, this entry into Meishan marks the first such expedition since the guild’s founding—a truly extraordinary event.

At the guild’s command, everyone moved swiftly. Within half an hour, they located a water source. After Uncle Bai Li confirmed its suitability, the wooden centipede arrived, unloading all manner of materials and equipment. Each person took their place, beginning to construct the encampment.

Giant logs, as thick as the waist, were felled to build walls—double-layered, with wooden planks above and below, forming a simple yet effective barricade. The corners rose a yard higher, transforming into small towers for observation and archery. Eight Ox Crossbows, fire-tipped arrows, and horn bugles were set, enclosing the entire camp.

The mechanical beast carried ample supplies; only the walls required freshly cut timber. Everywhere else, the necessary tools were already prepared. Several short-coated men emerged from the beast’s talisman furnace, guided by a burly, short-limbed man in a black robe. They divided the centipede into segments, securing and assembling materials into frameworks, then covering them with beast hides and cloth, quickly erecting various buildings.

The most time-consuming were the cages—some large, spanning several yards, constructed with wooden bars and hemp nets; others small, cast in bronze, thick and sturdy, half-buried in the earth, almost immovable.

Bronze and iron pillars, likewise half-buried, were planted. Each pillar sprouted two spikes, as thick as a child’s arm and razor-sharp. Stone locks were affixed on all sides; those bound to the pillar would first be pierced by the spikes, then their limbs locked, making escape nearly impossible regardless of strength.

Beside the cages stood houses—wooden frames with pits dug beneath, axes and blades hung on the walls, tree stumps set in the center, and piles of salt and nitre in the corners. Ropes and hooks for hanging meat were stacked nearby.

The cage area was vast, occupying nearly half the camp, encircled by another wooden wall—not as tall as the outer barricade, but heavier and thicker, with three layers of stout stakes. Ropes were tied around the walls, bells hung, and finally, red cords wrapped around the perimeter.

Next to the cages lay the slaves’ dwellings—low huts built against existing trees and rocks, barely half a person tall, covered with branches and grass, heaped with earth on top, offering only minimal shelter.

The quarters for the rest—the soldiers, swordsmen, and adventurers—were better by comparison. Though likewise dependent on natural trees and rocks, they used the mechanical beast’s parts as pillars, adding wooden beams to create rooms over a person tall, with floors of planks and hides, divided into sections. Simple, yet enough to keep out wind and dampness.

The finest tents stood at the camp’s center, reserved for Uncle Bai Li and the two cultivators. Not far off, several smaller tents housed the guild’s key members—commanders, artisans, accountants—each dwelling separately to show favor.

Everyone worked tirelessly. For the Tianma Trading Guild, such construction was routine; all tasks were handled with speed and skill. Uncle Bai Li merely inspected, delegating the particulars—no need for his direct involvement. Had they not entered Meishan, he might have skipped even this, simply enjoying tea and rest.

Even the two cultivators were not idle, inspecting the surroundings and confirming no sign of great monsters or demon kings, finally at ease.

In less than three hours, the camp took shape. Five hours later, bonfires blazed and the entire encampment was complete, transformed once more into a beast lurking in the night, waiting in silence.

※

Who knows how long passed before Six Ugly finally awoke from deep sleep, first feeling the pangs of hunger. Remembering there were still monster carcasses in its vessel-world, it checked its body, finding itself fully recovered, then shifted its mind and returned to the world inside the vessel.

The monster corpses lay untouched as before. Six Ugly, unfazed by raw meat, pounced and feasted. When it felt full, the deer beast’s corpse was nearly gone, and only then did it notice its appetite had grown.

Fortunately, the deer beast’s core remained; Six Ugly had not been so famished as to swallow it whole.

Monster cores can indeed boost monster power, but only if one swallows those from creatures of higher rank, and even then, the energy absorbed is limited—the conversion rate is low by modern standards. Yet, with the Monster Refining Vessel, all types of monster cores can be used, and the refined elixirs are exceptionally potent—a world of difference.

Such a disparity could be sensed even by Six Ugly. How could it waste a core by swallowing it directly?

After eating, Six Ugly remembered the process of unlocking the Jiachen Vessel. The time should have arrived, and even before it could reach for it, the tassels on the vessel began to flow, gradually revealing characters:

“Unlocking the Jiachen Vessel still requires twenty-four units of spiritual essence; currently, twenty-five have been stored…”

Three monster corpses yielded twenty-five units? By this calculation, each core provides eight to ten units—varying slightly. With four more corpses in the vessel-world, unlocking the Jiachen Vessel would be simple.

Knowing it could proceed, Six Ugly felt no urgency. It understood well: while it could battle monsters who had formed cores or even taken human shape, the risk remained high. Given the circumstances, further strengthening its body was more pressing; unlocking could wait.

Thus, Six Ugly commanded the vessel to refine a body-tempering elixir. Unexpectedly, words appeared:

“Jiachen Vessel refining body-tempering elixir—how many monster cores to consume? Awaiting command.”

Six Ugly realized that the number of cores consumed in refinement could be chosen. The first-grade Foundation Pill must have been due to only a single bear beast corpse being available. This time, it selected two.

Upon locking onto two corpses, the vessel displayed the time required:

“Threefold refinement time: three quarters of an hour…”

So, one corpse requires a quarter, two require three quarters, three would take an hour and a quarter. It seems each monster’s refinement time is just over a quarter but less than half an hour—easily waited.

Freshly awakened and energetic, Six Ugly was in no hurry to leave. It used the time to approach the four arched doorways in the walls. All four were shrouded in mist—what lay beyond was indistinct, though each seemed different. When Six Ugly tried to step through, an invisible wall of air blocked the way.

“Indeed, entry must await the doors’ opening.” Combining information from the vessel’s inscriptions, Six Ugly made its judgment.

Aside from these four arches, nothing else in the vessel-world warranted attention, so Six Ugly returned to wait by the Monster Refining Vessel. At last, the crisp chime sounded, and another pill shot from the mouth.

This time, the pill was green, not the milky white of the initial Foundation Pill. Instinctively, it checked the inscription on the vessel’s bronze mirror, and found:

“Shadow Pill, second grade.”

Shadow Pill—what was this, and why not the Foundation Pill?

Six Ugly puzzled briefly, then abandoned the question and simply swallowed the Shadow Pill. This time, there was no fiery surge, only a cool sensation coursing through its body, circulating until it faded.

When all settled, Six Ugly checked itself and found no significant bodily change, but its speed had increased dramatically—nearly matching core-formed monsters!

It seems the pills refined from the vessel’s triple refinement are not of a single type, each targeting different attributes.

Thus, Six Ugly abandoned the plan to unlock the vessel—opting to place the remaining monster corpses into the Monster Refining Vessel one by one, obtaining two more pills: one was the familiar white Foundation Pill, the other a yellow pill, the Vitality Pill.

Swallowing the Vitality Pill increased strength.

After re-experiencing the Foundation Pill’s effect, Six Ugly’s physique was further enhanced.

From this, the uses of the three pills were clear:

White, Foundation Pill—enhances physique;
Green, Shadow Pill—increases speed;
Yellow, Vitality Pill—boosts strength.

Yet it remains uncertain how many types of attribute pills the vessel can refine—whether one can choose, or if it depends on the monster type.

Six Ugly pondered and asked the Monster Refining Vessel, but no inscription appeared—unclear if there was no answer or if, lacking a vessel spirit, it could not comprehend the question.

It tried several ways to ask; finally, when it directly requested the ability to select pill type, inscriptions appeared:

“Vessel spirit lost, unable to select… vessel spirit lost, unable to select…”

From the wording, pill types can be chosen, but a vessel spirit is required. Without one, all is left to chance—what pills are produced depends on fate.

The only consolation was that all pills serve to temper the body; none are poisonous. That is fortunate, indeed…