Chapter 41 Beast Pets 2: Beast Taming Skills
Xu Xing was full of doubts. When he arrived at the breeding area of the New Moon Rabbits, he saw several cultivators running back and forth, and hundreds of New Moon Rabbits running around, creating a rather chaotic scene.
Upon seeing this, the steward quickly stepped forward and asked, "Why did the New Moon Rabbit escape?"
"Oh dear! Some ferocious beast has escaped and eaten a lot of Crescent Moon Rabbits! It even opened the door! Are you from Snowheart Fox's place? Quickly check if any are missing!"
Upon hearing this, the manager hurriedly left.
Xu Xing took two steps forward and saw some remaining fur in the grassland. Some of the remaining Crested Rabbits were hiding deep in the grass, trembling, while others were running around in a panic.
The Crescent Moon Rabbit was too unintelligent and timid to be a pet. Xu Xing saw one of them running towards him in a panic and wanted to help catch it, but then he saw a blurry figure pounce towards him with lightning speed!
She was startled; the speed was too fast for her to react. The next moment, a shard of ice shot out from nowhere, striking the beast and causing it to groan before quickly disappearing into the bushes. The whole process was so fast that she didn't even see what it was.
"Um...it seems like the creature that ate the Crescent Moon Rabbit's food ran past just now."
Xu Xing grabbed one of the stewards and pointed in the direction the shadow had fled.
"What? Thanks for reminding me!"
Several stewards immediately grabbed their weapons and disappeared into the bushes to search.
The place was in chaos, so Xu Xing didn't linger. Anyway, there were beast-taming shops on Liujin Street, so buying some spirit beast meat would be easy.
She glanced at the ice that had melted rapidly after she landed, and seemed to smell a familiar, faint fragrance again. Could the mysterious person who had saved her several times be skilled in controlling ice?
But why is the other party unwilling to show up?
At the entrance of the Beast Taming Arena, Xu Xing, who was on his way back to Xuanjian Peak, encountered an unexpected person: Jia Xinhong.
All the instructors and cultivators of the Immortal Dao Academy were taken to the Hall of Punishment. Jia Xinhong and the others had no collusion with Zhai Yuzhi, and were released after the investigation was completed.
However, after this incident, they could no longer stay at the Immortal Dao Academy. The Immortal Dao Academy is now closed, and disciples who have not yet become disciples have been moved to the outer sect. No one has announced how the Zhai Yuzhi incident will be handled. All the news is circulating only among high-level cultivators, and Xu Xing has no idea.
Having confirmed that the other party was looking for him, Xu Xing went up to greet them, "Senior Jia."
"Xu Xing." Jia Xinhong's face was somewhat pale, and he didn't seem to be in good spirits, but he managed a weak smile.
"I'm sorry, the protective artifact you lent me that day is now destroyed, and I'm afraid it can't be repaired..." Xu Xing took out the broken artifact.
Jia Xinhong waved his hand, "Don't worry about it. It's just a magic artifact. You can use it to save many disciples, which is more valuable than any magic artifact."
"I've come to see you today because..."
Jia Xinhong glanced around, then led Xu Xing to a secluded spot and set up a soundproof array before whispering, "Do you still remember the Xuan Shuo Trial?"
Xu Xing nodded. This was her first trial. At that time, she did not know that the cultivators outside could see the performance of the disciples in the secret realm through the light screen. She almost exposed her difference. After learning about this, she was very careful in the subsequent trials.
"If I'm not mistaken, you should be able to communicate with demonic beasts, right?"
Jia Xinhong's gaze was gentle and without malice. Xu Xing hesitated for a moment and remained silent.
Jia Xinhong didn't care and continued, "There weren't many people who saw you escape unscathed from the Iron-Eating Beast King that day. One of them was Zhai Yuzhi. It was she who spoke up to explain that Shen Du was behind you, which dispelled the doubts of the others."
"Furthermore, not long after you took the Iron-Eating Beast away, the light barrier around you inexplicably broke down, and we can no longer see what you did in the secret realm..."
Jia Xinhong kept this matter in mind. Over the past four years, he had observed Xu Xing intentionally or unintentionally, but after looking at him, he could only feel that Xu Xing was a lazy disciple. Although he was close to the demon beasts, he had not gained anything else.
But the Five Elemental Pearls that control the light screen are controlled by Zhai Yuzhi, so how could they have malfunctioned by such a coincidence? Jia Xinhong couldn't think of any other explanation other than Zhai Yuzhi deliberately covering it up.
Xu Xing thought that he suspected that he had a connection with Zhai Yuzhi, so he quickly explained, "Instructor Jia, I have no connection with Dean Zhai and do not know why she did this."
"No, I'm telling you this not because I doubt you. If I did, I would have told the Punishment Hall long ago."
Jia Xinhong smiled faintly: "I just suspect... that Dean Zhai at the time was probably not completely possessed, at least her remnant soul is still there."
"The Punishment Hall found out that Zhai Yuzhi's body could not be integrated with the body of a demon, so her strength was greatly reduced. In the past few years, she has been searching for a suitable body among the female disciples of the Immortal Dao Academy."
Jia Xinhong checked and found that, apart from Xu Xing, the other light screens that went black that day all contained female disciples with good aptitude and yin constitutions.
"You mean... Dean Zhai's remnant soul protected me?"
Xu Xing suddenly recalled the scene on the day the Xuan Shuo Trial began, when Dean Zhai Yuzhi appeared riding a Wind Spirit Deer. At that time, she was graceful and charming, like a gentle breeze and fine rain, making people yearn for her.
“I don’t know either,” Jia Xinhong sighed, his gaze drifting towards the direction of the Immortal Academy. “I just feel it’s necessary to tell you this…”
After Jia Xinhong left, Xu Xing stood there, unable to come to his senses for a long time.
After forming a pact with the Wind Spirit Deer, she did try to ask it if it knew about Zhai Yuzhi, but the Wind Spirit Deer had sensed that its master's soul had been replaced four years ago. After that, it tried to attack, but failed to expose the true nature of the demon. Instead, it was imprisoned by her in the name of devouring its master.
As for when the demon infiltrated Zhai Yuzhi's body and what it wanted to do, Feng Linglu had no idea.
Unable to get any information, Xu Xing didn't pay much attention at the time, since the matter was already over.
But if Jia Xinhong hadn't specifically come to find her today, she might never have known that she had escaped a calamity because of a senior's last act of kindness...
Thinking back to the day he encountered the Wind Spirit Deer in the forest, and the way "Zhai Yuzhi" looked at him, Xu Xing guessed that "Zhai Yuzhi" at that time must not have known that he could communicate with spirit beasts, otherwise she would not have let him go so easily.
Xu Xing was still very puzzled. With such ordinary talent, why would the demons want to take over her body? Did she have something that the demons valued? Life skills? But the demons didn't know she had these skills.
The more Xu Xing thought about these mysteries, the more complicated they became, and she felt somewhat frustrated. She only felt much better after returning to Xuanjian Peak. She let out a soft breath. The demons had been defeated, and whatever he had wanted to do back then had failed.
Soon, the Beast Taming Arena sent Kang Cheng with the Azure Flame Beast.
The Beast Taming Arena has a special method for signing contracts between cultivators and spirit beasts, but Xu Xing always signs a more equal contract with them. He vaguely declined Kang Cheng's offer to help him form a contract, and instead gave him a few bottles of Gathering Essence Pills. These pills are equivalent to Spirit Gathering Pills for cultivators. There are many martial artists in the Jade Cloud Sect, and there are shops selling them on Flowing Gold Street, but they are not cheap.
Kang Cheng refused to accept it, but Xu Xing mentioned his younger brother who was still recovering, and only then did he accept it with tears in his eyes.
"I have no way to repay the kindness that Fairy Xu has shown me. If Fairy Xu wishes to recruit martial artists to serve me, I am willing to follow you!"
Tong Yuanbai had previously mentioned a disciple named Shu Wenshi who was willing to work under her, and now Kang Cheng is saying the same thing...
Xu Xing had a vague idea in her mind, but her shop hadn't opened for business yet. Although she believed that the Spirit Shield Beads would sell well, nothing had started yet, and she couldn't make any boasts. However, if the shop's business got on track, she would definitely need manpower to help.
Xu Xing, still thinking about the woman in white, inquired with Kang Cheng, assuming that Kang Cheng also didn't know her identity. However, Kang Cheng revealed that he had seen her once before.
"That was when I was still in the Flying Bird Forest. Once, a spirit crane broke its wing, and I saw a fairy in white standing beside it. I thought she was a cultivator who had come to buy a spirit beast because she looked unfamiliar. But before I could go up and ask her anything, she disappeared..."
“By the time the veterinarian arrived, Linghe was already better,” Kang Cheng scratched his head. “I think that fairy definitely wasn’t from the Beast Taming Grounds.”
So much time had passed that he had gradually forgotten, but Xu Xing asked him about it today, and that's when he remembered. Kang Cheng had always felt that the woman was someone of extraordinary status, but he had never mentioned it to the managers of the Beast Taming Arena.
As expected, they weren't from the Beast Taming Arena. Xu Xing sighed inwardly, which made finding them even more difficult.
If she really saved him, why did he avoid seeing her?
"You should go back now. If I need your help in the future, I will definitely let you know."
After seeing Kang Cheng off, Xu Xing stroked the smooth fur of the Azure Flame Beast. Although it had been pretending to be sick, it hadn't eaten much and had lost weight.
"Qing, your willingness to cooperate with Kang Cheng in feigning illness means you agree to form a pact with me, right?"
"Hmph! It's not that easy. I'll see if you can feed me every day."
The Azure Flame Beast snorted arrogantly and flicked its slender tail.
The Azure Flame Beast, which has no flames, looks somewhat like a lion. Xu Xing has always been very patient with his pets. "Alright, then you can stay for a few days. Once you're satisfied with the food, we can form a contract. If you don't want to, I'll let you go."
As she spoke, she took out two second-tier beast spirit pills. "Here, eat these to replenish your strength."
"You actually have Beast Spirit Pills?!"
With a flick of its tongue, the blue flame snatched two pills from Xu Xing's hand. As soon as the pills were swallowed, blue flames ignited, but this time, even though Xu Xing was very close, he was not burned by the flames at all.
Qing flicked its tail and let out a low growl, appearing quite reserved, but its inner voice couldn't wait to say, "Let's form a bond!"
Seemingly trying to justify its eagerness to form a pact, it snorted again, indicating that it only knew that Xu Xing was going to refine pills, since it would be more convenient for her to use the Azure Flame at any time after the two formed a pact.
Knowing how alluring the Beast Spirit Pill was to these beast races, Xu Xing found it somewhat amusing, but he didn't expose it. Instead, he suppressed a laugh and coaxed, "Alright, Qingdu is doing this to help me."
After the contract was formed, the wind spirit deer that was resting under the peach grove slowly strolled over and said, "Master."
Xu Xing introduced the two beasts, "This is Yin Xue, this is Qing, and there's also an Iron-Eating Beast named Tuanzi... By the way, where's Tuanzi?"
The Azure Flame Beast was arrogant by nature. Although it was only at the second tier, it showed no fear of the fourth-tier Wind Spirit Deer. Knowing that Xu Xing actually had so many beast pets, and that it was only the third, it was somewhat dissatisfied. "You actually have so many beast pets! You fickle human!"
"That's not how you use the word 'womanizer'..."
Yin Xue turned to look at the other side of the peach grove. "Over there."
During this time, Shen Du opened up a large area on the other side of the peach forest on the mountainside. He not only scattered some spirit grass seeds that the Wind Spirit Deer liked to eat, but also piled up some black iron ore that the Iron Devouring Beasts liked to eat around it, specifically for Xu Xing and his beast pets to frolic in.
Xu Xing walked around the peach grove and saw a large black and white ball lying on the black iron ore in the distance. It was very conspicuous. Chen Du was standing next to it, holding a piece of black iron ore in his hand, as if he wanted to feed it. However, the ball turned its back to him and ignored him at all.
Tuanzi and Xu Xing's friends are all familiar with each other. Even Xiang Yuquan, whom they don't see often, gets along quite well because of the barbecue they had that day. Only Chen Du is not liked by Tuanzi and always avoids him.
Even the gentlest of the Wind Spirit Deer treated Shen Du with politeness but not with affection.
"That annoying Xiu lives here too? He's such an eyesore."
Hearing Qing's thoughts, Xu Xing sighed helplessly. Well, it seems that the Azure Flame Beast doesn't like his senior brother either.
Xu Xing was very puzzled by this. Although his senior brother was a bit indifferent, he was not cold. He really didn't know why these beast pets were not very close to him.
It doesn't matter if you're not close, but Xu Xing already considers Shen Du a very good friend. She earnestly advised, "You may not like Senior Brother Shen, but he is a very important person to me, so I hope you won't offend him."
"Please rest assured, Master."
"snort!"
While Xu Xing was communicating with her pet, Chen Du, on the other side of the grassland, also sensed her presence and casually put away the black iron ore.
Upon seeing the Azure Flame Beast, he asked knowingly, "You bought it?"
"Well, thanks to my senior brother, Manager Liu gave me a much better price." Xu Xing told Shen Du about Manager Liu, and then joked, "I can't raise any more, or I won't have time to refine the Beast Spirit Pills."
Seeing Tuanzi lying motionless on the black iron ore, Xu Xing was puzzled. Usually, Tuanzi would rush over when it saw him, so why was it so quiet today?
"Dumplings?"
Chen Du nodded slightly to the listless dumpling and said softly, "It's about to advance in rank."
Advanced?
Xu Xing was startled. When she formed a bond with Tuanzi, she knew it was a first-tier Iron-Eating Beast, but now, only four years later, it was about to advance to the second tier so quickly?
Shen Du also found it strange, but he knew that Xu Xing had been feeding the Iron Devouring Beast Beast Beast Beast Spirit Pills, so he guessed, "Perhaps it's the effect of the Beast Spirit Pills that makes it advance much faster than ordinary demon beasts."
He knew that Xu Xing had many secrets, but he not only had no intention of finding out, he also covered them up for her without leaving a trace.
Xu Xing frowned slightly. Although the first-tier beast spirit pills could improve the cultivation of demon beasts, she had been controlling the quantity in order not to force growth. Logically speaking, it shouldn't be this fast; it should take at least four or five years.
Suddenly remembering something, Xu Xing opened the skill panel in his mind and focused his attention on the [Beast Taming] skill.
In the game, this skill is mostly used to feed pets and mounts to increase their level. After transmigrating, this skill cannot be unlocked, but Xu Xing is able to communicate with monsters, so he always thought that this was the function of the beast taming skill in this world.
But now that I think about it carefully, the monster she formed a bond with is essentially the one she's feeding. Could it be that the [Beast Taming] skill is what allowed Tuanzi to level up?
While demonic beasts do not undergo tribulations to advance, there are always trade-offs. Compared to human cultivators who must undergo tribulations, their advancement is extremely difficult. Even if their cultivation level is sufficient, they still need a very mysterious opportunity. Although Iron-Eating Beasts can reach the third rank at most, most Iron-Eating Beasts remain at the second rank throughout their entire lives, never reaching the "opportunity" to reach the third rank.
If the dumpling can advance to the second tier under the influence of taming skills, it means that it is not impossible to reach the third tier in time, and it is even more likely to break through the limitations of the third tier and reach the fourth tier.
If that's the case...
Xu Xing stepped forward and touched the somewhat listless Tuanzi, his eyes shining with excitement, "Good boy Tuanzi~ Show me how you advance to the next level..."
The little dumpling groaned weakly twice, seemingly in great discomfort. Its body was getting hot, and demonic energy was gradually emanating from its body.
Xu Xing didn't understand how demonic beasts advanced in rank, so she asked Chen Du with some concern, "Senior brother, is there any danger in advancing? Is there anything I can do?"
Shen Du raised his hand and drew a spirit-gathering array on the grass, then placed a few spirit stones to maintain the array's operation. After doing all this, he looked at Xu Xing and said, "If you have any beast spirit pills, you can feed it one more. As for the rest, it will have to work hard on its own."
The dumpling took a whole day and night to advance. The next day, Xu Xing had just woken up from her sleep when she felt a familiar presence rush towards her. The large dumpling, which had reached her waist, was rolling around happily.
"Master! I've advanced!"
"Great!" Xu Xing touched its furry forehead and suddenly felt something was wrong. After checking, she found that the spiritual energy in her body had also increased slightly.
It turns out that the contract between her and Tuanzi was special. If Tuanzi advanced, it could also give back some spiritual energy to its master, which would benefit both parties.
"Good dumplings!"
After thinking for a moment, Xu Xing asked again, "Your advancement is so fast, isn't there something wrong with that?"
"Master, I'm fine. I always feel that my cultivation level increases faster when I'm by your side. It must be because of you that I've advanced to the next level so early."
Tuanzi nestled affectionately in Xu Xing's arms, feeling incredibly grateful for her father's decision to pair her with her master.
Although the attack power of the Iron-Eating Beast, which has been upgraded to the second tier, is not as high as that of the second-tier Azure Flame Beast, both are at the second tier, and neither can gain an advantage in a head-to-head confrontation.
Tuanzi and Qing were both a bit arrogant and ignored each other. On the contrary, Yin Xue, who had the highest cultivation level, was gentle and often acted as a mediator between the two beasts.
For the sake of the Beast Spirit Pill, Xu Xing often found himself in a "battle for favor" between two beasts, experiencing both pain and pleasure.
The reason is simple: Beast Spirit Pills are more troublesome to refine than other pills. In order to raise the three beasts, even though she had prepared enough pills for the opening, she still had to keep refining Beast Spirit Pills. She was much busier than her previous leisurely days of working three days and resting two. Even the meals were prepared by Chen Du.
Xu Xing was very satisfied to finally enjoy her senior brother's cooking. Although it couldn't compare to what she made herself, the ingredients were all spiritual rice and vegetables, so the taste was naturally just as good. The thought of her senior brother, Chen Du, soon going into seclusion filled Xu Xing with reluctance.
But no matter how reluctant she was, time flew by and the opening day soon arrived. After settling everything, Shen Du entered the quiet room at the summit and began her seclusion.
Flowers bloom and fade on Xuanjian Peak, the sun and moon revolve, and when old friends meet again, they will be a completely different person.
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Author's Note: When we met again, Xu Xu had already...
She became a rich woman!
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