Chapter 75: Sincerity is Repaid with True Affection

Master Guyun’s amiable, spectral image appeared before the four elders, and they instantly understood the reason for Qin Haoxuan’s rapid progress. But they were still puzzled. With three Purple Seeds up for grabs, why would the Master of the Ancient Cloud Hall fixate on this Uncolored Seed? What was he thinking?

After a moment of confusion, Elder Xu had a flash of insight. Guyun was playing the long game! By supporting Qin Haoxuan, he was currying favor with Xu Yu. An Unsurpassed Purple Seed was the ultimate prize, and Xu Yu’s greatest weakness was Qin Haoxuan himself. It was said that whatever he asked of her, she would do without question.

Having grasped the key to the puzzle, Elder Xu immediately sent a paper crane back in reply and then explained his theory to the other three. They, too, understood, though they were somewhat disappointed. If this had been a genuine testing error, correcting it would have earned them merit with the Sect Master. Now, that opportunity was gone.

Elder Xu left the private room and sighed at Qin Haoxuan. “The initial test was correct. You are indeed an Uncolored Seed,” he said, his tone now laced with a hint of patronizing pity. “To have achieved what you have is truly remarkable. Continue to work hard.”

Having found nothing special about him, the elders’ interest waned. They waved him away. Qin Haoxuan, maintaining his calm demeanor, bowed respectfully and left.

Once he was down from Emperor Peak, he leaned against the great stone gate bearing the sect’s name and gasped for breath. Only then did he realize his back was completely soaked with cold sweat. He was incredibly fortunate to have given his things to Xu Yu beforehand. Otherwise, his secrets would have been discovered, and there was no telling what would have happened next.

The distance from Emperor Peak to the Spirit Field Valley was vast. It had been easy for them to bring him here, but it would take him days to walk back. What a waste of cultivation time. These elders truly had no regard for anyone else’s time. Just as he was preparing for the long trek, an Immortal Cloud Carriage descended from the sky. The door opened, and Pu Hanzhong waved at him.

Qin Haoxuan was deeply moved. The Nature Hall didn’t own any carriages; Pu Hanzhong must have rented this one just to pick him up. And renting one was not cheap.

“Junior Brother Qin, quickly now!” Pu said with a warm smile. “Master was worried that it would take you days to walk back and delay your cultivation, so he had me rent a carriage to get you.” He looked at him with concern. “They didn’t give you any trouble, did they?”

A genuine smile spread across Qin Haoxuan’s face, and he shook his head.

Pu Hanzhong looked relieved. “Master told me to wait. If you hadn’t appeared within a day, he was going to see the Sect Master himself.”

Another wave of warmth washed over Qin Haoxuan. He was just a lowly Uncolored Seed, yet the Hall Master had shown him such concern, even being willing to approach the Sect Master on his behalf. The Nature Hall had treated him with such kindness; he swore he would not fail them in the future.

He settled into the carriage and, after answering a few more of Pu Hanzhong’s questions, closed his eyes in thought. Without the supplemental power of a spirit herb, his cultivation speed with the Dao Heart Seed Demon Art alone would be more than ten times slower. His plan to grow a leaf within a month was now ruined. Should he risk returning to the Immortal-Slaying Poison Valley to find more treasures?

If I find and consume another spirit herb, he thought, its residual energy will linger in my body. If another elder takes it upon themselves to inspect me, I won’t be so lucky a second time. But if I don’t, my cultivation will stagnate, and I’ll gradually fade into mediocrity. Zhang Kuang may be dead, but Zhang Yang and Li Jing will certainly not let me go once they become stronger.

Caught in this dilemma, a flash of insight struck him. Cultivation itself is a process of defying heaven and seizing one’s own fate. If a cultivator dares to defy the heavens, why should they fear a few other cultivators? If trouble truly comes, he would simply have to find another way to solve it. With that, he made his decision. He would go to the Immortal-Slaying Poison Valley tonight. He could not let his cultivation speed slow down. And in the days to come, he would have to be even more careful and low-key.

Pu Hanzhong, seeing his junior brother’s brow furrowed in thought one moment and set with determination the next, assumed he was still shaken from the ordeal. “Junior Brother Qin,” he said gently, “when we get back, I’ll start teaching you the Art of Taming. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Cultivation is a long journey. You must be patient and avoid rushing for quick results.”

Qin Haoxuan nodded. “Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother Pu. I will remember it.”

Upon arriving back at the Spirit Field Valley, Pu Hanzhong led him straight to their quarters. They had wasted the entire morning; it was time to make sure his precious junior brother didn’t fall behind. On their way, they ran into Zhang Yang, who was boasting to a few of his followers, a wide grin on his face. When he saw Qin Haoxuan walking calmly beside Pu Hanzhong, completely unharmed, his smile froze.

After they had passed, Zhang Yang muttered to himself in disbelief. “Impossible. I clearly reported to the elders that he had a great treasure, and Elder Xu even went to the Nature Hall to take him away! Does he really not have a treasure? Then how could a mere Uncolored Seed sprout in three months? And if he does have one, how could the elders have possibly let him go?”

Pu Hanzhong and Qin Haoxuan led the dozen Mighty Apes to a secluded, empty area and began the lesson on the Art of Taming. It was an important discipline within the Art of Control. Aside from heaven-defying geniuses like the Purple Seeds, even a cultivator with good aptitude would need a considerable amount of time to grasp the basics.

Pu took out a three-inch-long silver needle and inserted it into an ape’s temple. He then fed the beast a small, black pill. “This is a Beast Taming Pill,” he explained. “It allows us to control its mind while preserving its natural instincts. The needle is a Beast Taming Needle. It prevents more powerful beasts from resisting your commands or even turning on you. It reinforces the pill’s effect.”

He smiled sheepishly. “Of course, a true master of Taming can control a beast with just the pill and the spiritual art. The needle is just an extra measure for those of us whose skills aren’t as refined.” He continued, “But it’s not as simple as just feeding it a pill and sticking it with a needle. You must use your own spiritual energy in conjunction with hand seals and incantations. Watch my hands carefully, and listen to the incantation.”

Pu Hanzhong pressed his palms together, then interlocked his middle and ring fingers. He drew on his spiritual energy, which pulsed with every movement of his hands, and began to chant loudly. As he did, the silver needle in the ape’s temple slowly sank deeper. The ape’s expression went slightly slack. As Pu’s hand seals quickened, the ape began to move, mimicking his actions, though it often looked uneasy, its eyes filled with fear. Occasionally, it would even make a move that went against his intentions.

“With the pill and the needle, the taming process is foolproof,” Pu explained. “But you still need to coordinate your spiritual energy, hand seals, and incantations perfectly to achieve true control. The more intelligent and powerful the beast, the higher the demand on your skill and spiritual energy.”

As he spoke, his hands continued to move through different seals. With each change, the ape would perform a corresponding action. Whenever it resisted, the needle in its head would activate, reinforcing the taming art’s effect, making its expression more vacant and its obedience more absolute. But Qin Haoxuan could see that the wildness in its eyes was never extinguished, only suppressed. That must have been the work of the Beast Taming Pill. From the flashes of defiance in its eyes, it was clear the ape was not yet fully subdued.

Pu Hanzhong then took some honey-coated dried figs from his pack—these ones without the knockout powder—and tossed them to the ape. The beast, having not eaten all day, hesitated for a moment before its hunger won out. It snatched up the fruit and began to eat. After eating, the wariness and fear in its eyes lessened. Pu then tossed a few more figs at his own feet. The ape, still hungry, thought for a moment, and seeing that the human meant it no harm, cautiously approached and ate those as well.

While it was eating, Pu Hanzhong removed the silver needle from its temple and gently stroked its head. He then began to perform the taming art again. This time, even without the needle, the ape showed no resistance. It followed his commands perfectly, tumbling, rolling, and climbing trees.

After the demonstration, Pu Hanzhong stressed, “For the next six months, you’ll need to feed it one Beast Taming Pill a month. After that, once it’s used to obeying you, it will no longer be necessary.”

Having watched the entire process, Qin Haoxuan nodded thoughtfully. “What about taming more powerful beasts, or spirit beasts?” he asked. “Is the method the same?” As he spoke, he thought to himself: This method seems crude. It works on a simple-minded beast like the Mighty Ape, but what about a creature that is not only physically powerful but also highly intelligent? What about a spirit beast?

(End of Chapter)