“Instinctual Cultivation”
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then the interface shifted—letters rearranging, columns reshaping themselves.
The interface shimmered, and a single result appeared.
Just one.
Its title emerged in a darker hue, tinged with dull crimson around the edges—like old blood etched into lettering.
Even the number looked reasonable. Ten thousand.
I blinked twice, leaned in, and opened the method’s description.
I stared at the page in silence.
It existed.
Beastial Adaptation. Power without control.
This wasn’t just a cultivation method—it was a gamble. A promise of strength at the cost of identity, demanding you surrender the very thing that made you who you are to claim it.
A cultivator who walked this path without the Primal Beast Constitution would slowly erode, losing their sense of self. Until eventually, all that remained was a creature—strong,but lost.
Was it still cultivation… if it ended in losing your mind?
I dismissed the projection of the Ledger with a faint gesture, watching it dissolve into specks of light. I glanced around. My group members were still scattered across the table, heads buried in scrolls, quietly transcribing notes or sketching the beasts they had just read about.
Having read through the details of the cultivation method, I understood why it was on the lower end—at least in cost. Compared to something like the Nine-Petal Amethyst Sutra, it was crude. But it offered incredible power. Power that came at a steep price. That was the trade-off—its cost wasn’t measured in resources, but in what you were willing to lose.
The path of a cultivator isn’t lit by lanterns or lined with guides. It’s carved by choices. And some paths… once taken, can’t be turned back from.
But I hadn’t chosen it. Not yet.
The Bestial Cultivation Method would remain exactly where it was—untouched. A reminder that strength without wisdom is just another road to ruin.
I looked down at the book still open in front of me and gently turned the page.
There was still more to learn. I hadn’t come here to lose myself.
Behavior and Intelligence
Spirit beasts are not mindless.
They may lack human language, etiquette, or cultivation technique—but that does not mean they lack thought. In fact, the longer a spirit beast lives, the more intelligent it tends to become. Age and accumulation of Qi don’t just change their bodies, they refine their minds as well.
Most spirit beasts possess territorial awareness. They remember previous intrusions, they observe patterns, and some even recognize individual humans. To mistake a spirit beast’s silence for ignorance is one of the most common causes of death among new cultivators.
Some are cunning enough to lay traps. Others feign weakness to draw in their prey. There are even those that mimic sound to confuse or isolate a target. These aren’t simple predators—they’re tactical, reactive, and often a step ahead of anyone foolish enough to rely on brute strength alone.
Only the youngest, lowest-grade spirit beasts fight without thought. The more intelligent ones observe, wait, and strike only when the odds are in their favor.
There are also documented cases of spirit beasts forming hierarchies or packs. Some bond to stronger beasts, acting as scouts or guards. Others form symbiotic relationships with particular environments, embedding themselves so deeply into their surroundings that removing them can destabilize entire ecosystems.
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Lastly, there are whispers—unconfirmed, of course—of ancient spirit beasts capable of reading, mimicking cultivation techniques, or even negotiating with both humans and other beasts. Such beings lie beyond the scope of this text… but should not be taken lightly. Encounters with them are rare, and most are said to dwell in realms far beyond our own.
If nothing else, remember this:
The more a beast survives, the more it learns. And the more it learns… the harder it becomes to kill.
I sat back slightly, my fingers resting on the edge of the page.
Realm beyond, huh?
The idea of something so powerful that even the strongest cultivators avoided it…
But if I remembered correctly, the first realm after the Mortal Realm was the Spiritual Realm. That was the starting line for true cultivation. The gate that had rejected me not long ago.
What lay beyond that? How many realms were there? What did one need to do to step into them?
There was so much I needed to learn.
So much I didn’t know.
Sometimes it felt like I was drowning in questions—every answer giving birth to more uncertainty. But that wasn’t a reason to stop.
It was a reason to keep going.
Danger Levels and Classification
To treat all spirit beasts as equal in threat is not only ignorant—it is suicidal.
Spirit beasts, like cultivators, differ vastly in power. While no formal cultivation realms apply to them, their strength is categorized using a tiered system recognized across all sects.
Below is the commonly accepted classification:
- Feral Class (Grade I)
Typically recently awakened beats with minimal spiritual presence. Weak, but unpredictable. Equivalent to a common mortal’s threat with a twist of Qi.
- Awakened Class (Grade II)
Beasts with growing Qi. Capable of basic territorial control, heightened senses, and raw combat strength. Often comparable to Body Tempering cultivators.
- Dominion Class (Grade III)
Beasts that have claimed territory, influence local Qi flow, and possess unique spiritual abilities. Comparable to low to mid-tier Foundation Realm cultivators.
- Elder Class (Grade IV)
Ancient beasts—hundreds of years old—intelligent, aware, and uniquely adapted to their region. Highly dangerous. Capable of hunting humans intentionally. Often match or surpass advanced Foundation to early Core cultivators.
- Heaven-Class (Grade V and beyond)
Beasts of legend. Sightings are rare. Some only appear during celestial events, spiritual disasters, or in sealed regions. They do not simply exist—they influence the world around them. To see one is to know that death is close behind. These are threats only top sect cultivators dare approach—and even then, often with regret.
These classifications serve only as a guide—and are limited to our realm. Higher realms may host spirit beasts of classes beyond our understanding. After all, spirit beasts do not conform to charts or labels. A cunning Grade II can be deadlier than an enraged Grade III.
Context is everything.
Feral… Awakened… Dominion… Elder… Heaven-Class.
They sounded like mere labels at first glance, simple divisions to make sense, but the more I thought about it, the more weight each name carried.
Each one told a story of escalation. Of how even a harmless-looking creature, newly awakened to Qi, could become a regional threat within a few decades—if it survived.
What struck me most was how closely these grades mirrored the cultivation world itself. It mentioned things like Body Tempering and Foundation Establishment, but I didn’t really know what they were—or what they meant. Still, I could tell they were the next stages of cultivation… and yet another thing I’d have to study. Eventually.
But Elder-Class…
That was where the line blurred. Where beasts stopped being animals and started becoming land-bound forces of nature. Some even smarter than the cultivators who hunted them.
And then the final known tier—Heaven-Class. Beasts of legend. Things that didn’t just live—they shaped the world around them. The kind that even sect leaders thought twice about approaching.
And then, just as I thought the chapter had finished… I turned the page, and saw the final section:
Spirit Beast Companions and Soulbound Contracts
While spirit beasts are known for their wild nature and territorial instincts, they are not inherently opposed to humans. Under certain conditions, a cultivator may attempt to form a Soulbound Contract with a spirit beast—a practice that links the spiritual energy of both parties through mutual consent.
This bond allows the spirit beast to fight alongside the cultivator, sense their emotions, and grow in collaboration with their spiritual development.
In theory, such a contract can be formed with beasts of any grade.
In practice, however, the higher the grade of the spirit beast, the less likely it is to submit to such a bond—especially willingly. Dominion-Class and above often possess enough intelligence to understand the implications of a contract and will rarely agree unless defeated or otherwise convinced through long-term coexistence.
For this reason, new cultivators are strongly encouraged to form contracts with Feral-Class (Grade I) spirit beasts early in their journey. These creatures are more instinct-driven and easier to imprint upon, making them ideal companions during the formative stages of cultivation.
Once bonded, a spirit beast’s growth becomes closely tied to its master’s. Through Qi resonance and shared cultivation, both can evolve in tandem—often unlocking unique traits influenced by the cultivator’s own spiritual path.
Hence why it is recommended for new cultivators to form a contract with a Grade I beast: both can grow at a similar pace, supporting each other’s development.
It’s not just a bond of strength… but one of trust.
A soulbound spirit beast...
The thought stirred something deep in my memory.
That bird. The old master’s companion.
From my first life—back when I had nothing but a rusted sword, raw hands, and the foolishness to believe I could break fate by sheer repetition.
He had only come once—the old master cultivator. And the bird he rode on.
It was massive and large, its wings wide enough to cast a shadow that could swallow me whole. Every beat of its wings carried the scent of high skies and mountain air.
Wind obeyed it. The very air around it moved with reverence.
It descended from the clouds with such speed, touching down with a grace that defied its size. And atop its back, seated as naturally as one might on a horse, was the old master. No reins or saddles.
It wasn’t a beast. It was a companion. An equal.
Back then, I hadn’t understood what I was seeing. I thought it was just another glimpse of power far beyond my reach.
But now… now I knew.
That was a soulbound spirit beast.
And not just any beast—it was likely his first. One chosen long ago, nurtured through centuries of shared cultivation.
It was the bond of two souls walking the same path.
And now, sitting in this dusty corner of a library with a book open before me, I felt the echo of that moment as if it had happened yesterday.
Maybe one day… I’d earn something like that too.
A true companion.