Chapter 36 Senior Brother 3: Encountering the Azure Flame Beast Again
Petals fluttered down, and the peach branch slipped from his hand. Xu Xing exhaled, slowly collapsed, and leaned against a rock, somewhat resenting himself for having inexplicably accepted the peach branch.
After Shen Du's "teaching," she was so exhausted that she didn't even have the strength to move a finger.
"All sword techniques evolved from the most basic moves such as thrusting, chopping, parrying, and blocking. If you learn just one move, you might be able to save your life in a critical moment."
Shen Du kept his word and truly only taught Xu Xing one move: "Thrust".
At first, Xu Xing thought to himself, "It's just one move, surely she can learn it?"
As it turns out, this trick isn't so easy to learn.
"Senior brother, how about we learn it another time? I really don't have the energy."
Xu Xing thumped his arm.
Unlike the bare peach branches beside Xu Xing, the peach blossoms on the branch in Chen Du's hand were still vibrant. He stroked the petals and whispered, "Is it fun?"
Xu Xing thought about it and realized it was indeed quite fun.
Thrust, thrust, upward thrust... there are countless variations of the single move of "thrust".
"Senior brother, how long have you been practicing swordsmanship?"
Xu Xing leaned to one side and lay on the rock, asking curiously.
"It's been about thirty years."
Shen Du couldn't remember exactly how long he had been practicing cultivation. From the moment he decided to cultivate immortality, he had always been accompanied by his sword, his Dao heart steadfast and unwavering.
"Thirty years..."
Xu Xing did some mental calculations. Most of the disciples who entered the Immortal Dao Academy were around ten years old, which meant that Shen Du was probably not even fifty years old this year.
A Golden Core cultivator who is not even fifty years old—such talent is one in ten thousand!
Xu Xing, who was nearly forty years old across two lifetimes, looked at Shen Du with bright eyes, as if she were watching a future Sword Master rising to prominence. She had already recognized his talent and latched onto his coattails.
Shen Du placed the peach branch on the stone beside her, saying, "You stay here and meditate. I'll go check on the cave."
The mountainside of Xuanjian Peak is suitable for building a cave dwelling. It is still very simple now. If it were only Chen Du, he would not bother to decorate it. But since Xu Xing is going to stay there, it has to be tidied up.
He flew down, and the mountainside was very open. There were already three cave dwellings, one large and two small, which were just right for Xu Xing to live in. Shen Du did not plan to open up any new ones. He would live in the quiet room at the top of the mountain.
A golden sword light swept across, clearing away the surrounding weeds and creating a wide platform. Stone tables and chairs were then carved from mountain rocks and placed in the center for rest.
The largest cave was empty, left for its owner to add. Chen Du touched the storage bag in his sleeve and had an idea.
"The cave in the middle of the mountain is yours. You can move it here in three days, okay?"
As Xu Xing played with the peach branch, he saw Chen Du fly up again.
“Okay!” Xu Xing didn’t suspect anything. Three days was just right; she could take stock of her belongings.
After leaving Xuanjian Peak, Xu Xing returned to the Immortal Dao Academy and slept soundly until the sun was high in the sky. The fatigue in his body and mind was finally swept away.
Just as she was about to leave, Wang Lianhua came looking for her. "Xu Xu, Tong Yuanbai came to see me. He wants to ask if we will still sell pills after graduation."
The disciples of Yaoguang Academy weren't stupid. They sold the pills issued by the Immortal Dao Academy and bought Xu Xing's pills to consume, making a profit of a few spirit stones from the transaction. Who knew that the Immortal Dao Academy would run into trouble? Although they had all graduated, no one knew what would happen to them afterward.
Quite a few ambitious disciples are already planning to join places like the Thousand Machines Academy or the Beast Taming Arena.
After all, the disciples of Yaoguang Academy only possess four spiritual roots. Apart from those with backgrounds like Li Yuan and Wen Yao, it is difficult for them to be noticed by high-level cultivators and taken as disciples. Their future paths mostly involve working within the sect and being driven by others.
"The people from the Punishment Hall have turned the Immortal Path Academy upside down. I'm thinking of not selling it yet, and waiting until this matter is over before making a decision. What do you think?"
Wang Lianhua was a little worried. So many disciples of Yaoguang Academy were safe, which was quite conspicuous. What if someone with ulterior motives found out about Xu Xu?
Xu Xing knew that if they really investigated, they would eventually find her, but she wasn't the only one selling pills in the sect. Many alchemists sold pills privately, which wasn't a violation of the sect rules.
Her only concern was that the effects of the pills she refined were different from those of ordinary pills. As the saying goes, "The tallest tree in the forest is bound to be felled by the wind," and Xu Xing did not want to be the first to stand out.
However, after her experience at the trial platform, Xu Xing realized that she not only needed to continue selling pills, but also needed to start selling magic artifacts, such as spirit shield beads, which even low-level cultivators could afford.
"Aunt Lian, I don't have much stock on hand. Let's stop for a month and start selling again after a month."
Xu Xing pulled Wang Lianhua to sit down. "I have an idea. I wonder if Aunt Lianhua would be willing to join in."
"I'd like to open a shop, and if you'd like, I'd like you to manage it."
"Open a shop?"
There is a Golden Street outside the gate, lined with various shops run by cultivators. The shops are rented from the Thousand Machine Academy, and anyone from the Jade Cloud Sect can open one as long as they can afford the spirit stones.
The Pill Pavilion is the pill trading place opened by the Alchemy Institute on Liujin Street. The Weapon Refining Institute also opened a Spirit Weapon Shop, but there are also many small shops that sell pills and magical artifacts.
Since Wang Lianhua started helping Xu Xing sell pills, she has earned a lot of spirit stones every month. Moreover, Xu Xing often gives her and Lingling pills. She always feels that she has not done anything but has received a lot of benefits. She always thinks that she would like to help Xu Xing a little more.
"The rent for the shop is not low, you can use these."
Without saying a word, Wang Lianhua took out the spirit stones she had saved up over the years. "As long as you don't mind my low cultivation level, I'm willing to help you manage them."
Xu Xing refused to accept it. "Aunt Lian, I have enough spirit stones. How about this, could you ask Tong Yuanbai for his opinion? If he's willing, you can be the manager and he can be the steward of the shop. It will be handed over to the two of you."
Xu Xing had already made plans, but she didn't intend to rent the shop from Qianji Academy herself. Her cultivation level was too low. Although the sect had its rules, after what happened to Yao Dong and Zhai Yuzhi, she no longer believed that Yuxiao Sect was a safe place.
Since she was going to open a shop, one alchemy furnace wouldn't be enough. Xu Xing planned to buy a better one to refine second-tier pills. She also needed to figure out how to refine weapons. It wasn't a long-term solution for her to always rent a weapon-refining room from the weapon-refining academy. It would be great if she could have her own weapon-refining room...
Unfortunately, it's too expensive, and she still needs to buy materials, so she doesn't have enough spirit stones right now.
After discussing the shop with Wang Lianhua, Xu Xing began preparing for the items he wanted to sell.
Besides commonly used pills for cultivators like the Spirit Gathering Pill and the Mind Concentration Pill, she also plans to select two other pills from the recipes unlocked by her [Medical Skills] skill to sell: the Strength Pill and the Lightness Pill.
The "Power Pill" is naturally designed to strengthen the body and increase strength, and the ingredients are inexpensive. If it is sold cheaply, it should be very popular among body cultivators and martial artists.
The Lightness Pill increases movement speed, making it a perfect tool for escaping and very convenient for cultivators who go out to train.
In this world, cultivators mostly use speed-up talismans to accelerate their movements; there aren't any specifically designed for speed-up. If they sell well, they might become a shop's signature item.
Of course, there are indeed powerful pills like the Panacea in the medical field that can restore a large amount of spiritual power, but at this stage, this shop only plans to sell first- and second-tier pills, and suddenly bringing out such a good item would be too conspicuous.
As she pondered, Xu Xing dismounted from the Roc. This wasn't her first time at the Beast Taming Arena. The manager at the entrance smiled when he saw her, "Little Fellow Daoist Xu, are you here to see the Azure Flame Beast?"
“Yes.” Xu Xing skillfully took out a few spirit stones and handed them over. “This time I’m here to retrieve the flames of a second-tier Azure Flame Beast.”
The flames of the Azure Flame Beast have the attribute of wood. Taking fire from it is much more cost-effective than directly buying wood-attribute spirit fire. Some junior alchemists who cannot afford monsters often do this. Xu Xing immediately joined in after learning about it. She never misses an opportunity to save money.
The steward handed her a small bottle and reminded her, "The second-tier Azure Flame Beast looks fierce, but it can't hurt anyone if it's kept in a cage. Don't be afraid, just follow this path to the end."
Xu Xing nodded and followed the path. Passing a group of first-tier Azure Flame Beasts, Xu Xing found it amusing that several of them were calling out to her expectantly, "I didn't come here to see you this time."
Upon hearing this, the Azure Flame Beasts drooped their heads in dejection, and the flames on their bodies weakened considerably.
"Fairy Xu? Is it Fairy Xu?"
A deep male voice rang out hesitantly. Xu Xing turned his head and saw that the man who emerged from behind the Azure Flame Beast looked somewhat familiar.
"You are... Kang Cheng?"
"Yes, it was me." Seeing that Xu Xing still remembered him, the dark-skinned, thin man gave a shy smile.
Xu Xing thought to himself, the only person who could call her Fairy was this martial artist from the Martial Arts Academy; it would be hard not to remember him.
"Why would a fairy come here?" Kang Cheng noticed the fire-gathering bottle in her hand and exclaimed, "So you're here to retrieve the Azure Flame. Do you need the second tier?"
"That's right. I heard you say you were working in the Bird Forest back then. Have you been transferred to the Animal Park now?"
Kang Cheng's expression darkened. There was competition among these martial artists. The work in the Flying Bird Forest was relatively easy. One martial artist bribed the manager and was successfully transferred there.
Kang Cheng had been taking care of his younger brother's health over the years and had little savings, so he couldn't offer him any benefits. As a result, he was transferred here and had to deal with the excrement of beasts like the Azure Flame Beast every day, which was very hard work.
However, he did not say these words. Looking at the clean and refreshed Xu Xing, he awkwardly wiped his hands and stammered, "This humble one is willing to lead the way for the fairy. There is a Qingyan Beast with excellent flame quality, but it committed a crime in its early years and has been imprisoned elsewhere ever since."
"Thank you very much then." Xu Xing followed Kang Cheng inside, and as they walked further and further into the secluded area, she felt a chill in her heart and quietly held the spirit pearl in her hand.
In the dimly lit corner, Kang Cheng finally stopped, opened the gate, and knocked on the fence. A rather large Azure Flame Beast slowly strolled out.
"This is it."
Xu Xing was taken aback. Why did this Azure Flame Beast look somewhat familiar?
Thanks to her [Beast Taming] skill, she could easily distinguish between monsters that all looked the same to others, and the appearance of the Azure Flame Beast in front of her was quite familiar.
Remembering what Kang Cheng said about it committing a crime, Xu Xing suddenly realized that it was the same animal that had tried to hurt Wen Yao at the gate of the Immortal Academy back then!
"green?"
"roar--"
"It's you again, you strange little thing."
The much thinner Azure Flame Beast lazily shook its mane, and a few wisps of flame fell onto the ground engraved with arrays and quickly went out. It patted the fence with its paw and roared twice, as if urging it on.
Kang Cheng seemed to be used to being with demonic beasts. He quickly took a bundle of spiritual herbs from the hay shed and put it in, saying with a simple smile, "I know you have a big appetite, so eat up."
"Roar—"
"Why is it grass again! I want meat!"
The Azure Flame Beast lay on the ground munching on grass, complaining inwardly, but enjoying the food immensely.
There was no other way; if it couldn't get meat, it would get even hungrier if it didn't eat the grass.
Kang Cheng looked at Xu Xing and said, "This Azure Flame Beast is very strange. In addition to the meat that is regularly provided in the garden, it also likes to eat grass. It is quite well-behaved when it eats. Fairy, you can start making fire now."
"..."
No matter how he looked at it, Xu Xing felt that this Azure Flame Beast was not full from eating meat, which was why it had to eat grass. He found it somewhat amusing.
Perhaps because it had been imprisoned for too long, this Azure Flame Beast was indeed quite docile. When Xu Xing reached out to get fire, it even moved closer, showing no signs of its former frenzied nature. Xu Xing knew that it had been drugged back then, which was quite pitiful.
"Has it been kept here all this time?"
The Beast Taming Arena spared its life back then because second-tier Azure Flame Beasts weren't cheap, and keeping them locked up here indefinitely wouldn't be cost-effective.
"In recent years, some people have wanted to buy it, but for some reason, it becomes arrogant and unruly as soon as it leaves the Beast Taming Field, and it has been returned many times."
"roar--"
"My name is Qing! Those humans always give me weird names, I don't want to work for them!"
Upon hearing this, the Azure Flame Beast, having finished its fodder in a few bites, turned and disappeared into the fence, leaving only its round rear end visible to the two of them.
Kang Cheng closed the door and sighed, "Keeping it isn't cheap. If this continues, I'm afraid the Beast Taming Farm will sell it off cheaply to people for meat..."
He had worked at the Beast Taming Grounds for many years and had a lot of concern for these demonic and spiritual beasts. However, he was a nobody and could not do much except take good care of them.
As meat?
Monster meat is indeed very popular among cultivators. The thought that the monster he had interacted with might be eaten made Xu Xing feel uneasy.
"Do you know how many spirit stones it would cost to buy it now?"
After calculating the number of spirit stones he had, Xu Xing cautiously spoke.
The small amount of fire she obtained was only enough for alchemy, but if she had a Azure Flame Beast, she might be able to try using its Azure Flame to forge weapons, thus saving some money on buying spirit fire. However, if it was too expensive, she couldn't help her.
"The fairy wants to buy?!"
Kang Cheng was very pleased. After thinking for a moment, he said in a low voice, "If the fairy wants to save it, why not wait a few days? I will make arrangements and make sure the fairy can buy it at the lowest price."
"Then I'll have to trouble you."
Xu Xing pursed his lips, finally unable to resist correcting him, "Just call me by my name. I'm only at the Qi Refining stage, I don't deserve to be called a fairy."
Kang Cheng smiled but didn't say anything more. He was already a martial arts master in the Martial Arts stage, with strength equivalent to the late stage of Qi Refining. However, when facing spiritual cultivators, these martial arts cultivators were naturally inferior.
The two walked outside together. Xu Xing remembered the incident of refining pills back then and asked, "Is your brother feeling any better?"
"I'm much better now, thank you for your concern, Fairy."
"..."
After obtaining fire at the Beast Taming Field, Xu Xing returned to Xichen Residence to pack her things in preparation for moving two days later, while her future neighbor, Chen Du, arrived at Liujin Street.
"Please come in, Immortal Master—"
"Immortal Master, you wish to set up your cave dwelling? Of course, we have everything you need: a spirit wood bed, screen, and curtains!"
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Author's Note: Quiz: Xu Xu is all alone, but her senior brother left her three cave dwellings. What are the remaining two for?
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Thank you to minmin123n, 47442916, and 戏溪 for the nutrient solution! [Hugs]
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