Chapter 68: The Golden-Winged Peng and the Talisman Hound

Pu Hanzhong gave a wry smile. “You can’t buy them. We have to go into the mountains to catch them ourselves. After we catch them, we tame them. This is the art of ‘Control,’ one of the Six Arts of Cultivation. It is an extremely important field of study.”

“The Six Arts of Cultivation?” Qin Haoxuan felt a pang of embarrassment. Although Elder Chu had lectured on the topic, he had spent most of that time in a meditative slumber. Xu Yu’s notes were insightful in their own way, but they lacked the depth of the elder’s direct explanations.

“The Six Arts are: Laws, Alchemy, Forging, Talismans, Formations, and Control,” Pu Hanzhong elaborated. “Laws refer to spiritual techniques and Daoist arts. Alchemy is the art of refining spiritual pills and wondrous medicines. Forging is the art of creating various magical artifacts. Talismans is the art of crafting all kinds of spiritual talismans. Formations is the art of setting up arrays. And Control is divided into two types: the methods for controlling artifacts, and the taming and controlling of beasts.”

He continued, “The beast-taming aspect is further divided into many sub-categories, such as taming wild beasts, taming spirit beasts, nurturing spirit beasts, and advancing their cultivation. It’s a vast subject.”

Listening to his explanation, Qin Haoxuan felt the profound complexity of the immortal path. Just one of the Six Arts was already so intricate. He thought to himself that if he could get a troop of those Mighty Apes, regular farm work would no longer be a problem. He could tend to his crops without delaying his own cultivation—a perfect solution.

“Senior Brother Pu, where can we catch these Mighty Apes? How long would it take to get ten of them?”

“Not far from the Spirit Field Valley is a place called Hundred Beasts Mountain,” Pu Hanzhong replied. “The mountain is enormous, and there are even spirit beasts deeper within its forests, so it can be very dangerous. Mighty Apes aren’t considered particularly powerful among wild beasts, so we should be able to catch them on the mountain’s outskirts. Capturing ten should take about seven days.” He then added, “It will be good for you to get some real-world experience. After the Trial of the Immortal Path comes the trial of Entering the Mortal World. It’s good to see different things before then. It will also show you that cultivation isn’t just about farming and meditating. If you’re lucky, you might have a fortuitous encounter out there, and your cultivation speed could increase ten or even a hundredfold. Of course, that’s only if your foundation is solid.”

With that, Qin Haoxuan wasted no more time. He and Pu Hanzhong headed back to their quarters to prepare for the trip to Hundred Beasts Mountain. Seeing them leave, Xu Yu hurriedly followed. She had overheard their conversation and was worried. She had learned from Luo Jinhua that the beasts on that mountain were formidable; even she wouldn’t dare to venture there alone. Pu Hanzhong was only at the Tenth-Leaf Realm, and Qin Haoxuan had just sprouted. Wasn’t it madness for them to go now?

She had to stop them. It was just about needing Attendants, right? She could discreetly give him a couple of hers. But after a few steps, she stopped, realizing that such a handout would be an insult to Qin Haoxuan’s fierce pride.

“Xu Yu,” Luo Jinhua said softly, patting her on the back. “Pu Hanzhong is an old hand in the Taichu Sect. He knows what he’s doing. There won’t be any problem. You don’t want to wound Qin Haoxuan’s pride, do you?”

Xu Yu nodded, looking at her senior sister. “Are you sure it’s not dangerous?”

Luo Jinhua smiled and nodded back. “The Nature Hall’s cultivation may not be impressive, but for them to have survived until today, they must have their own unique strengths, don’t you think? This isn’t Pu Hanzhong’s first time in the mountains. Don’t worry.”

Reassured, Xu Yu let her worries subside, silently praying for Qin Haoxuan’s safe and swift return.

Their conversation was not only heard by Xu Yu. Zhang Kuang and Yelu Qi, who had been keeping a close eye on them, had caught most of it as well. When they learned Qin Haoxuan was heading to Hundred Beasts Mountain, Zhang Kuang’s heart leaped. Wasn’t this a god-sent opportunity to eliminate him?

The murderous thought arose, but he quickly reined it in. I’m already an Unsurpassed Purple Seed at the First-Leaf Realm. Qin Haoxuan is just a newly sprouted Uncolored Seed. Why am I still so hung up on him? He searched for a reason and concluded that the memory of Qin Haoxuan breaking his ribs still infuriated him. A chance to teach him a lesson and reclaim his pride would be a fine thing indeed.

Estimating that Qin Haoxuan and Pu Hanzhong were already on their way, Zhang Kuang began to plot. His guide, Pu Hanzhong, is at the Tenth-Leaf Realm. My guide, Yelu Qi, is at the Twentieth-Leaf Realm. If I can convince Yelu Qi to go after them, dealing with those two would be effortless. But how do I persuade him?

His gaze fell upon Yelu Qi and saw that he, too, was staring in the direction of Hundred Beasts Mountain, a sharp glint in his eyes. Zhang Kuang suddenly recalled how Yelu Qi had been subtly questioning him the previous night about Qin Haoxuan, particularly about whether he had any fortuitous encounters or special treasures. He instantly understood his guide’s intentions.

He leaned in close to Yelu Qi and whispered mysteriously, “Senior Brother Yelu, I just remembered… that Qin Haoxuan often disappears at night. He rarely sleeps in his room…”

The deliberately ambiguous tone made Yelu Qi’s eyes flash. “Oh? Is that so?”

Zhang Kuang nodded solemnly.

“I see. There must be something suspicious going on. He could even be consorting with demonic cultivators,” Yelu Qi whispered back, his eyes darting around as he adopted a tone of righteous gravity. “As disciples of the righteous path, we must stand firm against such evil. Come, let’s follow them quietly. If they truly have ill intentions, we shall eliminate them both!”

Zhang Kuang smiled. Whether they were demonic or not was irrelevant. Although he no longer saw Qin Haoxuan as a serious threat, if he could use his senior brother to conveniently get rid of him, why wouldn’t he?

The two exchanged a look, a silent understanding of each other’s true motives passing between them.

“You all can handle this,” Zhang Kuang said, tossing the farm work to his Attendants. He and Yelu Qi then slipped away, heading in the direction of the mountain.

“Senior Brother, we can’t see them anymore…” Zhang Kuang said anxiously. Yelu Qi had agreed to pursue them, but his pace was maddeningly slow. They had lost sight of their targets a while ago, yet he seemed completely unconcerned.

“Patience,” Yelu Qi said, wagging a finger. “Pu Hanzhong is a Tenth-Leaf cultivator, after all. If we follow too closely, he’ll spot us, and we’ll lose our chance.”

He then took out a piece of talisman paper, folded into the shape of a small dog. After blowing a breath of air onto it, he produced a white jade bottle sealed with a soul-suppressing talisman. He tipped it, and a single point of yellow light emerged and attached itself to the paper dog. With a series of complex hand seals and a muttered incantation, he sent a surge of spiritual energy into the talisman.

After about thirty seconds, the paper dog began to tremble. It then suddenly leaped to life, shaking its head, wagging its tail, stretching, and licking its paws just like a real dog.

Zhang Kuang was astonished. “Senior Brother Yelu, what is this?”

“This is a Talisman Beast, an application of the Art of Talismans from the Six Arts,” Yelu Qi explained. “You fold a talisman into the shape of an animal, bind a captured animal soul to it, and use a combination of talismanic arts and taming techniques to bring it to life for your use. This is a low-grade one, of course. High-grade Talisman Beasts require long periods of refinement and complex formations inscribed upon them. The Sect Master himself possesses a Golden-Winged Peng Talisman Beast. A single flap of its wings can summon wind and thunder. It was a sight to behold on the Netherworld Battlefield.”

As he was explaining, a field mouse scurried out from the undergrowth. The paper dog let out a sharp bark and pounced, killing the mouse in moments and letting out a low, guttural growl.

Zhang Kuang was stunned again. The paper dog could actually attack.

“I made this one by slaying a full-grown mastiff and taking its soul,” Yelu Qi said. “The original beast was quite ferocious, and the talisman inherited its temperament. It’s a rudimentary Talisman Beast, good for tracking by scent from a distance, and it has some combat ability. Its strength, of course, depends on the user’s skill in Taming.”

He added, “This talisman dog is nothing special. Truly powerful Talisman Beasts can command tigers and lions, even ride dragons and phoenixes! Our Taichu Sect’s guardian beasts are incredibly formidable. They once saved the sect when a horde of demonic cultivators launched a surprise attack. To make a Talisman Beast, the first requirement is to obtain a soul, preferably from an animal slain in its prime.”

Seeing the talisman dog and recalling its ferocious display, Zhang Kuang was filled with desire. “Senior Brother Yelu, do you have any more of these?”

Yelu Qi smiled. “Crafting one is no simple matter. I do have a tiger talisman, which is much stronger than this dog.” He produced a folded tiger talisman from his robes.

Zhang Kuang’s eyes lit up. “Can I control one?”

“You’ve already grown a leaf. The First-Leaf Realm is sufficient to control a basic Talisman Beast. After we’ve finished our business, I’ll give this dog to you.”

With that, Yelu Qi began to teach Zhang Kuang the basic methods for controlling a Talisman Beast. “The key to making them is in the Talisman and the Law. How you control them is all about Taming. With your current spiritual energy, you should be able to control it for about the time it takes half an incense stick to burn.”

“Only half an incense stick?” Zhang Kuang frowned, but then, with a hint of an arrogant smirk, he began to form the hand seals and recite the incantation. Nothing happened.

Yelu Qi smiled. “The art of Taming requires practice.”

Zhang Kuang’s smirk widened. He said nothing, simply tried again. In his mind, repetitive practice was for those with inferior talent. An Unsurpassed Purple Seed like him should master anything on the first try.

He failed three times in a row, but on the fourth attempt, the talisman dog responded, moving and acting according to his will, albeit clumsily.

A wide grin spread across Zhang Kuang’s face. He was thrilled to have successfully controlled his very first Talisman Beast. He was already imagining how he would command it to tear Qin Haoxuan to pieces. Seeing his smile, Yelu Qi also felt pleased. A single talisman dog was a small price to pay to form a bond with Zhang Kuang and eventually pull him into the Summer Cloud Hall. His master would be overjoyed.

Such a fast learner! Yelu Qi was genuinely shocked by how quickly Zhang Kuang had picked it up. His eyes were filled with envy. The Unsurpassed Purple Seeds truly are the favored children of the heavens! It took me three full days to master this, and he succeeded after only three failures. Such talent is simply heaven-defying!

Masking his shock, Yelu Qi said, “Junior Brother Zhang, I’ll give you the talisman dog after we’ve finished our task.”

(End of Chapter)