Chapter 39: The Sect Guardian Beast, Reincarnation Dragon Centipede
Chapter 39: The Sect Guardian Beast, Reincarnation Dragon Centipede
Taming ferocious beasts has always been notoriously difficult, but that never stopped some cultivators from trying.
After all, conquering a savage beast makes for an impressive bragging right.
The fact that Three Saints Sect’s founder managed to domesticate a Star Realm beast as their guardian speaks volumes about both his strength and how utterly bored he must have been.
In the original storyline, the sect guardian was an alligator dragon—essentially just a giant crocodile.
Prolonged immersion in spirit liquid had dramatically extended its lifespan.
But what form the guardian beast might take now, even Su Ming couldn’t say for certain.
One thing was undeniable though—it was down there right now, in the midst of giving birth.
In the original plot, Chu Fan discovered this spirit liquid pool and dove in to absorb its energy.
Only to encounter the guardian alligator dragon during its delivery.
Despite the lifespan extension from the spirit liquid, it was already on its last legs.
Forcing childbirth under such conditions was practically suicide.
Originally, the alligator dragon would have died during labor, its offspring stillborn due to the failed delivery.
But Chu Fan used his bloodline power to extend the beast’s lifespan, successfully assisting the birth.
In gratitude, the alligator dragon gifted its newborn to Chu Fan along with three drops of its lifeblood essence.
This very offspring later helped Chu Fan pummel the Devouring Heaven Demon Lord, preventing him from gaining any advantages in the Three Saints Secret Realm.
Now the tables had turned—Su Ming would be the one gaining the guardian beast’s allegiance and its newborn.
If Chu Fan could assist the birth using bloodline power, Su Ming’s Supreme Chaos Body could achieve the same with even better results.
“Though the secret realm opened a few days later than in the original timeline… I hope nothing’s gone wrong…”
With slight apprehension, Su Ming dove into the spirit liquid pool.
The moment he entered, his Supreme Chaos Body automatically activated, voraciously absorbing the surrounding spirit liquid.
Recognizing this, Su Ming promptly took out his Chaos Transformation Bottle to collect and refine the liquid.
Meanwhile, he expanded his senses to their limits, searching for any trace of the guardian beast.
After the time it takes an incense stick to burn, the pool’s water level had noticeably dropped from Su Ming’s absorption, yet no guardian beast appeared.
Within this vast pool, Su Ming only detected the aura of a single Mortal Realm beast.
“Why only a Mortal Realm… Wait!” Realization struck, and Su Ming moved toward the beast’s location.
A spirit liquid pool this large couldn’t possibly host just one Mortal Realm creature!
With this much spirit liquid, at minimum a Nirvana Realm beast should emerge—unless… this was a newborn!
Su Ming soon found the creature.
Only about eight centimeters long, its body was covered in dark blue crystalline scales with rows of fine white lines along its sides and three sesame-sized white dots on its head.
Watching it wriggle vigorously in the spirit liquid, Su Ming extended his hand, letting it crawl onto his palm.
Only then did he realize it was a centipede—those “white lines” were actually its countless legs, moving in such dense undulations that it could trigger trypophobia.
Upon contact, the centipede’s antennae twitched rapidly before it immediately scurried up Su Ming’s sleeve to his waist.
Before Su Ming could react, it had already slipped into the Chaos Transformation Bottle and started guzzling the Chaos Spirit Liquid right under its owner’s nose.
In the brief moment Su Ming was stunned, it drank one-tenth of the liquid, its cultivation skyrocketing from Mortal Realm to Transcendent Realm.
Su Ming promptly fished it out.
The creature squirmed in protest.
“This is mine. What gives you the right to drink it? You’re not even my battle pet.”
At his words, the centipede stopped moving. Then a beam of light shot from the three white dots on its forehead straight into Su Ming’s brow.
By the time Su Ming realized what happened, the centipede had formed a lifebound contract with him, becoming his battle pet.
[Congratulations Host for seizing Chu Fan’s major destiny opportunity by claiming his destined battle pet. Destiny Points awarded.]
The system notification confirmed Su Ming’s suspicion—this centipede was indeed the guardian beast.
“From alligator dragon to centipede… that’s one hell of a downgrade,” Su Ming remarked, releasing his grip to let it return to the bottle for a feast.
The newborn beast lacked independent strength now. Feeding it Chaos Spirit Liquid would enhance its potential and make it more combat-ready in the future.
Its originally dark blue crystalline scales were already shifting toward black-purple.
With his objective secured, Su Ming relaxed.
He summoned his Battle Puppet via the system, instructing it to collect treasures throughout the secret realm.
He added one rule: don’t take anything already claimed by other disciples.
After his experience at Canghai Sword Sect, Su Ming had realized something.
Only Li Jianping was his true enemy—most Three Saints Sect members were innocent.
If he ransacked the place and left, where would the thousands of cultivators here go?
Human nature being complex, some among these thousands would inevitably grow to hate him.
These would likely become Chu Fan’s allies against him.
As a certain great teacher once said: make as many friends as possible, and as few enemies as possible.
Hence Su Ming avoided destructive plundering.
Especially since after dealing with Li Jianping, he’d likely become the next sect master.
By extension, Three Saints Sect would become his property.
And who would want to wreck their own assets?
Moreover, with Chu Fan’s destiny veering toward blood sacrifice ascension, it was even more crucial for Su Ming to maintain a righteous image.
“If destiny wants to craft a paragon of virtue as its protagonist, then as the villain, I simply can’t let that happen, can I?”
With this thought, Su Ming closed his eyes to cultivate with the Creation Origin Canon.
No matter the plan, everything hinged on personal strength.
Otherwise, all the schemes in the world would crumble before overwhelming power—and he’d just look like a clown.
Outside Three Saints Secret Realm.
Through the entrance, Li Jianping caught a glimpse of the Battle Puppet and immediately understood Su Ming’s intentions, his heart leaping to his throat.
“Where’s the guardian beast? Why no reaction?”
Risking exposure, Li Jianping used his sect master token to check the secret realm’s status.
He saw Su Ming cultivating in the spirit liquid pool, with the guardian beast—now a wrist-wrapped centipede—contentedly curled around him.
“Impossible! How could he coincidentally encounter the Reincarnation Dragon Centipede during its rebirth cycle? And make it submit?!”
Their sect’s thousand-year guardian beast, just handed to Su Ming on a silver platter?
The cumulative shocks finally overwhelmed Li Jianping. The peak Star Realm powerhouse blacked out, muttering, “Why him? Why him…”
Legend spoke of an ancient era when Torch Dragon, the terrifying beast representing time, accidentally shed a drop of lifeblood into a lower world.
A millipede happened to be struck by this drop.
Thus was born a new species—the Reincarnation Dragon Centipede.
Their “reincarnation” prefix came from their innate ability inherited from Torch Dragon.
When nearing death or reaching an insurmountable cultivation bottleneck, this ability activates.
The centipede can voluntarily molt and revert to infancy.
Though this means abandoning previous cultivation and some memories, combat and cultivation experience remain.
Thus, through repeated rebirths, they grow progressively stronger.
Legend says if one completes nine thousand successful rebirths, it evolves into an “Eternal Dragon Centipede,” capable of manipulating karma and yin-yang.
Three Saints Sect’s founder expended tremendous effort capturing this creature, and taming it proved even harder.
Even after domesticating it as guardian beast, they never made it submit.
Yet Su Ming accomplished this effortlessly.
No coercion—just one sentence.
Of course, this was partly because the centipede had just undergone rebirth, losing most memories.
Otherwise, how could Chu Fan—a mere Longevity Realm cultivator—make a Star Realm beast submit? Even a tamed one would never bow to such weakness.
Destiny paved the way for Chu Fan, only for Su Ming to reap the rewards.
With just some Chaos Spirit Liquid, Su Ming secured the centipede’s allegiance.
Three Saints Secret Realm, Spirit Liquid Pool.
Having broken through to Longevity Realm’s fifth layer, Su Ming finally opened his eyes—a day and a half had passed since entering.
He noticed the Reincarnation Dragon Centipede coiled around his wrist.
Sated on Chaos Spirit Liquid, its scales and legs had turned completely black-purple.
At a glance, it resembled an ornate bracelet.
“Hmm… I’ll call you Shen Ming.”
Su Ming scratched its carapace.
Retaining more memories than typical beasts, the centipede communicated more easily. Its twitching antennae conveyed satisfaction at the name.
With the secret realm’s closure approaching, Su Ming took out storage rings to collect spirit liquid.
The already diminished pool shrank further from his harvesting.
Only when all spare rings were full did Su Ming depart contentedly.
Sensing his emergence, the Battle Puppet immediately presented another storage ring.
A quick inspection brought a satisfied nod.
As expected of Three Saints Sect’s treasure trove—far richer than their vaults.
Storing the puppet, Su Ming leisurely headed for the exit, eager to see Li Jianping’s expression.
Unbeknownst to him, Li Jianping remained unconscious until an elder arrived to report.
“Sect Master! Are you alright?”
The elder’s shouts finally roused him.
“What happened? Did the thief attack you?”
Li Jianping hesitated—how could he admit he’d fainted from rage?
“Ahem… Overexertion from cultivation, compounded by sect affairs. My apologies for the scare.”
“Please don’t overwork yourself—the sect depends on you! I bring good news that might lift your spirits.”
“What news?” Li Jianping couldn’t imagine anything positive lately.
Had Su Ming dropped dead?
“Former Saint Qin Kaiwu has returned from training! He’s reached Nirvana Realm!”
“What?! Truly?”
“Absolutely!”
Li Jianping perked up immediately.
Qin Kaiwu was once a prodigy who dominated his generation during the Hundred Sects Tournament.
Had he not chosen to wander the world rather than cultivate peacefully in the sect, Su Ming would never have become Saint.
Proud by nature, Qin Kaiwu might clash with Su Ming over the stolen title…
Though unfair to Qin Kaiwu, any chance to humble Su Ming was worth seizing.
“Have Qin Kaiwu wait in the main hall. I’ll meet him after closing the secret realm!”
“Yes, Sect Master.”
After the elder left, Li Jianping clenched his fists.
He could already envision Qin Kaiwu beating Su Ming into humiliation.
Clearly unhinged, Li Jianping now cared only about seeing Su Ming suffer, consequences be damned.
He even ignored their age and cultivation gap—openly intending for Qin Kaiwu to bully the junior.
As time passed, Li Jianping cleared his throat to announce throughout the realm:
“All disciples heed—Three Saints Secret Realm closes in half an hour. Those remaining will be treated as spies!”
The moment he finished, Su Ming emerged with a benign smile.
Deliberately raising his left wrist, he asked, “Sect Master, I tamed this in the secret realm. Do you know its name?”
Li Jianping’s briefly stabilized mood exploded anew.
“That is the Reincarnation Dragon Centipede. Our archives contain records. I must oversee the realm’s closure—forgive my brevity.”
“I see. Thank you for the information. Since it’s documented, I’ll visit the archives first.”
Su Ming slowed his pace, maintaining eye contact until passing Li Jianping.
Throughout, his undisguised amusement was palpable.
Back turned, Li Jianping seethed silently: “Su Ming! Just wait—your glory days are numbered!”