Astral Pet Store (WN)

"Even Senior Sister Xueqing was wounded?"

Everybody was alarmed. Their fourth senior sister was a Heavenly Lord, invincible in the Ascendant State; even Celestials would have a hard time beating her. And yet, she had been wounded!

"Are things really that terrible right now?" mumbled a white-haired young man.

The others also had grim looks.

…

In the virtual arenas' plaza.

Phew!

Su Ping took off his helmet and relaxed his body.

"Five minutes. That went beyond my expectations. Not bad," remarked Elder Yan with mixed feelings, "Although the 80th and the 90th are both peak Star Lords, the 80th is at least 50% stronger than the one in the 90th spot!"

Even a tiny gap between two top experts could be the deciding factor in a battle, let alone such a massive difference!

"You've just entered the Star State, and so have your pets. The training program Master prepared for you has yet to be initiated, and still you've already set a foot on the Divine Lord Rank. You'll have a chance of making it to the top three rankings once the program is completed," Elder Yan said.

He thought highly of Su Ping.

He had helped train many of Shen Huang's students, but none were as talented as Su Ping. So, he was also looking forward to Su Ping's future performance.

"Let's hope so," said Su Ping after nodding, "Make another appointment for me, please."

"Another appointment?" Elder Yan was stunned. Then, he thought that the young man could be reluctant to admit his current shortcomings. He nodded. "No problem. More battles, more experience."

Su Ping knew that the elder had misunderstood him. He shook his head and said, "I already won. My last opponent was much stronger than the 90th; I almost lost. Please make an appointment with the 75th. I'd like to have a sense of where my limits are."

Elder Yan gazed at him with widened eyes. "Did you just say you won this recent challenge?"

He was stunned, seeing how calm Su Ping was.

Having just defeated the 90th, he also managed to defeat the one in the 80th place?

Did the advancement of his pets boost his combat ability to such a degree?

The elder fell silent upon remembering the level-9 Heavenly Tribulation that Su Ping's pets had invoked. He looked at Su Ping thoughtfully and said, "Master predicted that you would make it to the top ten of the Divine Lord Rank in a century, but I think it'll only take twenty years at most. You'll be a brilliant Heavenly Lord if you create a path of your own and reach the Ascendant State!"

"A path of my own?"

Su Ping's eyes glittered. He hadn't thought much about that yet, and he preferred not to waste time overthinking. One step at a time. He could work on it once he became a Star Lord.

Soon after, Elder Yan made a new fighting appointment.

Su Ping entered the virtual battlefield once again.

Ten minutes passed. Su Ping then put down the equipment, clearly exhausted. Even though the battle had only lasted that long, it had been fiercer than he had previously imagined. He ended up failing in the end.

I'm not strong enough…

I thought I had inexhaustible power, but then I found it wasn't enough when I needed it…

Su Ping pondered about the battle and concluded why he had failed. He barely made any mistakes; he was also sufficiently confident about his experience and reactions. He might still be a Star State warrior, but he had been through countless dangerous battles in the cultivation sites.

The only thing that he had been short of was the amount of power.

His opponent had been a genius Star Lord, who had much more power than he did.

He's only at the 75th spot; I wonder how strong the top ten are, including the one at the very top. Every Star Lord is different. Clowe, the one in the 100th place, is very likely unable to resist even for a short while. As for the normal Star Lords, they would have been killed instantly!

Su Ping remained silent.

Every level was the same. There were normal guys, excellent guys, top guys, and monstrous guys.

One could extrapolate with ordinary people; there were those who tried to make ends meet, and those who lived as elites.

"Did you win? Or did you lose?" Elder Yan didn't interrupt Su Ping's contemplation. He asked when he saw that Su Ping was once again alert.

This time, he didn't assume that Su Ping had failed, lest he was slapped in the face again.

"I lost," said Su Ping.

Elder Yan was somehow relieved; he could live with that. He would have suspected that something was wrong with him if Su Ping won again. Everybody in the universe would have been shocked if a newcomer to the Star State defeated that many people from the Divine Lord Rank.

"Your training program will be officially activated. You will be strengthened each day, to make a huge progress before long," said Elder Yan.

Su Ping asked curiously, "What kind of training program is it?"

"Master has made it for you. There are six rings in the Star State. You will improve significantly with every ring you attain. Normally speaking, you'll become strong as a peak Star State warrior, above the 70th holder on the Divine Lord Rank, by the end of the six rings!

"However, considering your circumstances, you'll probably make it to the top fifty by the end of the six rings!"

Elder Yan added with a smile, "The program was tailor-made for you, including the faith power absorption. Master has also prepared a gift for you!"

Su Ping's eyes glittered. He didn't expect that he would receive a special training program on top of unlimited resources. Was that the privilege of a top genius?

That explained why the big organizations were never short of geniuses. Even the ordinary stock could grow and turn into distinguished "geniuses" with that many resources!

It was just like being standing at the height that most people couldn't reach after a lifetime of hard work since the moment they were born!

"The first part of the training program is to refine your body!"

Elder Yan continued, "Master has bestowed upon you the blood of the Immortal Phoenix to reshape your body. He said that you carry the bloodline of the Golden Crows, which were ferocious creatures in the primordial times. The blood of the Immortal Phoenix can very likely activate your bloodline, further awakening its power and hardening your body!"

Su Ping became somewhat solemn. He didn't expect that his master would consider that much for his benefit.

"I'll remember Master's favor for the rest of my life!" declared Su Ping solemnly.

Elder Yan smiled and said, "His favor will be returned as long as you create your own path and reach the Ascendant State."

Su Ping was indeed extremely gifted, with a chance to later become a Celestial State, but the Ascendant State was still a huge test and divider. He was worried that Su Ping could fail to overcome such a step.

Su Ping nodded. That goal was too far away from him at the moment, and he couldn't make any promises. He also knew it was difficult to reach the Ascendant State. There were countless Star Lords in the universe, and only Ascendants were treasured and respected in every galaxy.

Elder Yan then led Su Ping back to his appointed special training room.

Thanks to being Lord Supreme's disciple, Su Ping had as splendid a residence as the other disciples did. However, those who were Heavenly Lords had even more magnificent abodes.

"This is the blood of the Immortal Phoenix. There's a three-star Holy Fire Furnace in your room, which is perfect for absorbing such a material. It'll help in accelerating the absorption and digestion process. Are you ready?"

Inside the training room—Elder Yan turned his hand upside down, showing a handful of glowing and fiery blood in his hand. Its brilliance had almost made its red hue nonexistent; the substance had a mist-like appearance.

"Yes." Su Ping nodded with hope.

He knew his Solar Bulwark was different from what his master had imagined. His Golden Grows bloodline had been obtained elsewhere. Besides, he had already become a young Golden Crow after cultivating the fourth level of the Solar Bulwark, and could transform into one at any time.

Being an ancient, mythical species, Golden Crows were already extremely horrifying at a young age. They were as sturdy as Star Lords, and their flames could burn through Star Lords' small worlds.

The Divine Lord rankers Su Ping had challenged were top geniuses. He could have crushed them had they been normal Star Lords!

Soon, the astral array inside the room was activated.

The temperature instantly rose. Astral runes appeared and were interconnected, surrounding Su Ping like a furnace.

Elder Yan then pushed the blood of the Immortal Phoenix over to Su Ping. The blood covered him and crawled into his pores in a frenzy, the moment it touched him.

Su Ping instantly sensed the tearing and corruption taking place. Then he heard Elder Yan say, "Focus and erase the remains in the blood, so that it belongs to you!"

Su Ping closed his eyes and concentrated on refining it.

The astral runes around him shook and rippled, turning into a scorching red.

Su Ping was practically invisible as he basked in the brilliance; all that could be seen was a glowing figure. However, as the refining progressed, the luminosity on Su Ping's body was absorbed, and thus he was revealed again.

He sat gracefully at the center of the astral array; just like an unparalleled Heavenly Lord, shrouded in dazzling light.

A long while later—

The divine brilliance on Su Ping's body was completely gone, and the red symbols on the array surrounding him turned blue again. Su Ping opened his eyes; they had a golden color, while his pupils were black and vertical. Two streaks of golden light darted out like two spears.

Soon, the light was gone, and Su Ping's pupils were back to normal.

The black vertical eyes were Su Ping's Sorcerer Constitution, and the golden color was the manifestation of the Golden Crows' bloodline.

"Fire…"

Su Ping raised his hand. Flames manifested in his palm and burned the immediate space. The astral array around him was also melting like a candle too. The entire training room was heated to such an extent that even the sun would have evaporated!

Su Ping saw some vague images during the absorption and purging; some depicted the Golden Crows, while others involved the Immortal Phoenix. The most vivid recollections were related to the flames of each species.

The flames seemed to be burning eternally, as if they could never be put out.

Su Ping also detected a sense of pride in them. That was the fire's will!

"This seems to be… the path of flames!

"Are the Ascendant State experts expected to create such a path?

"However, the normal Ascendants are probably unable to create such an everlasting path," Su Ping mumbled to himself.

There were many paths in the world. Laws were the will and features derived from the paths.

Some paths disappeared with the passage of time, but the central and most powerful paths remained.

Elements of all classes were born from the paths.

Without the path of flames, there would be no fire in the universe!

Without the path of light, there would be no light in the universe!

Without the path of darkness, darkness would not exist in the universe; only the void would be seen!

Su Ping knew that the paths upon which the universe was founded had been created by the most brilliant and greatest beings in the ancient times.

"Elder Yan."

Su Ping extinguished the flames in his hand, then looked at Elder Yan to ask, "I'd like to know more about the Ascendant paths. Can you name some?"

"The Ascendant paths?" Elder Yan was stunned. Su Ping is already delving into matters of the Ascendant State?

It was still too early for Su Ping's current level.

He remembered what he said earlier. Did I provoke Su Ping, making him desperately want to reach the Ascendant State?

Elder Yan shook his head and said, "It's too early for you to consider that. Don't aim too high. You are talented, but you shouldn't waste your time on things you can't achieve."

"But I only want to know more about it," Su Ping insisted.

Once he saw the determination in Su Ping's eyes, Elder Yan frowned and said, "Fine, but just listen, don't do anything yet."

After that reminder, he continued, "Let me tell you about your senior brother's paths. Lan Ruotian, who holds the 49th spot, has the path named 'Divine Ruler'. He's invincible in the space he has measured!"

"Is he a Heavenly Lord?"

"No." Elder Yan shook his head. "His path is powerful, but it's obviously flawed and can be dealt with."

Su Ping nodded.

Elder Yan continued, "Your 36th senior brother Kalo has the path named 'Round Wood'. It's still too complicated for you to understand. Unfortunately, it is also flawed, so he can't become a Heavenly Lord. Still, he's unparalleled in the Ascendant State."

"Round Wood?"

Su Ping frowned. Indeed, it was hard for him to understand what it entailed.

Elder Yan introduced a few more. After listening to all of them, Su Ping asked, "What path does Senior Brother You Long have?"

"His path is named Edge of the World, which focuses on speed and has only a few shortcomings," said Elder Yan. "Actually, that applies to most Heavenly Lords' paths.. They're extremely comprehensive, or unparalleled in a certain aspect, which makes up for any shortcomings."