Huang Feihu sat astride his talisman bird, glaring at the Gray-Feathered Sand Goose flying alongside. The beast's mocking look made him grit his teeth in silence.
To be looked down on by a spirit beast and unable to vent his frustration, his mood was foul indeed.
"Ahem." He coughed twice, then said,
"Senior Brother, the talisman bird is too slow; it'll only drag down your speed. Why don't you head to the Fragrant Pavilion first? I'll catch up there."
Ji An thought he was embarrassed to hold him back, so he nodded.
"Very well. If I arrive early, I can call Brother Wei and the others. Junior Brother, I'll go on ahead, let's meet at Fragrant Pavilion."
He gave the sand goose a light pat. The beast immediately flapped its wings hard, soaring ahead at great speed.
Since joining the sect, the only friends Ji An had made were Wei Songnian and the others. Having now formally become a disciple under a master, he wanted to treat them to a spirit meal.
They were honest, dependable people connections worth cultivating.
...
An hour later, inside a private room at Fragrant Pavilion.
Wei Songnian drained his cup, set it down, and sighed.
"I still remember the day I escorted Junior Brother to the spirit fields by Bihai Lake. Time flies. In just a few short years, you've apprenticed under a renowned master. Your prospects are limitless. I can't help but envy you."
He had witnessed Ji An's swift rise firsthand and felt a certain pride by association.
Especially now, Elder Ge Ying was famed for her alchemy. If this junior learned even a fraction of her craft, it meant he had a direct link to a Foundation Establishment alchemist.
Wei Songnian felt increasingly grateful for the decision he'd once made to sponsor Ji An.
"Truly enviable," Liang Qiu and Huang Feihu chimed in together.
"It was just luck arriving at the right time," Ji An replied with a smile. He raised his cup once more. "Let's keep striving together."
He noticed the wine jug was empty, so he ordered several more bottles of spirit wine. Then he said:
"By the way, Senior Brother Wei, I have a favor to ask. I want to buy a puppet to guard my spirit fields from birds."
If he had known he would soon have a master, he would have purchased one directly back in Qingyun Immortal City.
"No problem. When do you need it?"
"As soon as possible. I'll be spending less and less time in the fields, and the Jadegrain Rice is about to ripen. I worry that too much will be ruined by birds."
"Understood."
Wei Songnian nodded, though his brows furrowed slightly as he thought about where he could find a suitable puppet.
Time was short. The puppets sold within the sect were mostly for combat; they consumed spirit stones far too quickly to be worth using as field guardians.
"I can place my grandfather's old puppet in Senior Brother's field," Huang Feihu offered. "That'll give Brother Wei enough time to find a proper one."
He understood Wei Songnian's dilemma. Guardian puppets weren't commonly used and usually had to be imported from other immortal cities.
"What do you think, Junior Brother? Truth be told, it's a bit of a rush. The puppet masters in our sect can't be bothered with such low-grade constructs."
Wei Songnian laughed. "Most scarecrow-style puppets are just training pieces from apprentices; you can't always count on them being available."
Ji An asked, "But what about your own fields, Junior Brother? You've planted several mu of spirit grain yourself."
Huang Feihu waved dismissively.
"Bah, I'll just keep watch myself. It's only half a month or so."
The evening sun bathed the mountains in crimson light, painting the forests gold.
Riding the gentle wind, Ji An urged his sand goose homeward.
"Gaaah!"
The bird cried out in excitement as soon as they entered the boundary of Verdant Cliff.
The density of heaven-and-earth qi here was far greater than at the Beast-Taming Hall; it felt invigorating even to the beast.
Ji An felt the cloth pouch at his waist stir. The Spirit-Seeking Rat, sensing the rich qi, was eager to come out for a breath of air.
He lifted the furry creature into his palm while guiding the sand goose to descend.
At the foot of Verdant Cliff stood a crescent arc of bamboo lodges surrounding a central courtyard.
Now, bathed in twilight glow, that open space held three figures seated around a table, Li Lingyu and the others, enjoying their dinner.
Li Lingyu looked up and called out with a smile,
"Junior Brother, where have you been? I've been looking for you everywhere."
Du Huaiyuan stood up with a hearty laugh.
"Our new junior brother was still riding a talisman bird yesterday, and today he's already astride a spirit beast. Looks like he comes from a wealthy background."
The sand goose landed at a distance from the table. The Spirit-Seeking Rat leapt onto its master's shoulder, gazing adorably at the steaming bowls of spirit rice on the table. Cooked rice was so much tastier than raw grain.
Ji An pulled a few bottles of spirit wine from his storage pouch and strode forward.
"Taking a master's is a joyous occasion. I gathered a few old friends to share a drink.
Heh, after all, we've helped each other through several years. Now that we'll see each other less often, I wanted to chat a bit longer."
"Haha, then I won't stand on ceremony," Du Huaiyuan said, tucking the wine into his storage pouch.
"As if you ever did," Li Lingyu teased, exposing him. Then she pointed at the Spirit-Seeking Rat.
"Has Junior Brother named this beast yet? A spirit rat with this much intelligence is rare."
"No, not yet."
"You should give it one."
"Gaaah!"
From behind its master, the sand goose craned its neck, black eyes gleaming like dark lakes.
That cry drew chuckles from everyone. Li Lingyu pointed at the goose, laughing.
"Look, even this beast agrees!"
Ji An couldn't help but laugh as well. The thing had actually learned to steal the spotlight.
"I'll think of a name later. But I haven't seen Senior Brothers or Sisters raising spirit beasts?"
Mu Qingwan's voice, usually cool and distant, softened slightly as she answered:
"It's mostly unnecessary for now. But once you reach Foundation Establishment, you'll definitely need one.
Our sect is called the Golden Spirit Sect. The word 'Gold' refers to artifact forging. The word 'Spirit' naturally refers to beast-taming."
During the Qi Refining stage, most disciples remained within the sect and rarely traveled. Spirit beasts weren't of much use then. But after reaching Foundation Establishment, it was inevitable to receive missions outside the sect. A good spirit beast could serve as an extra hand.
"Junior Brother, sit down and talk," Du Huaiyuan said.
He cast a control spell, pulling a chair over with a wave of his hand.
The four chatted casually for a while before the topic shifted to cultivation. Ji An cupped his hands and asked:
"My cultivation method is the Clear Source Sutra. At the ninth level of Qi Refining, I need to condense a cyclone of spiritual power, but no matter what I try, I can't seem to succeed. I hope Senior Brothers and Sisters can enlighten me."
Following the secret techniques, he had managed to condense a cyclone in his dantian, but it always collapsed shortly after, leaving him quite troubled.
"How long has Junior Brother been at the ninth level?"
"Just a few days."
"That explains it," Du Huaiyuan said, scratching his head.
"The reason the cyclone won't hold is simple: your total spiritual power isn't enough. You just broke through. Normally, you can't stabilize the cyclone yet.
Don't rush. After a few months of cultivation here, it'll come naturally."
He took out a yellow gourd, took a sip, then added:
"For most people, the difficulty in Foundation Establishment isn't accumulating enough spiritual power; it's tempering the strength of the divine sense.
The sect doesn't provide any methods for training the spiritual sense during the Qi Refining stage. Unless you were born with an unusually strong one, you'll have to spend years grinding it out slowly."
I'm the exact opposite, Ji An sighed inwardly. He had enjoyed the benefits of the Stone Tortoise, but now he had to deal with its drawbacks.
As night fell, the group cleared the table and returned to their rooms.
Fortunately, the bamboo lodge was large, with several compartments; otherwise, Ji An would have had to squeeze two beasts into one room.
He sat cross-legged, circulating his cultivation method. With the dense spiritual qi of Verdant Cliff and a belly full of spirit food, it was the perfect time to advance.
When his immortal meridians began to ache from the flood of qi, he stopped and activated the secret technique to nourish them with his own spiritual power.
Anything that could improve his aptitude was what he valued most.
An hour later, after finishing this nourishment, he began to practice the Sharp Metal Art. Golden light danced at his fingertips, grains of radiant sand swirling between them.
Suddenly, Ji An sensed an unusual fluctuation in the surrounding spiritual qi. He stopped the technique and stepped outside the bamboo lodge.
The crescent moon hung like a hook; the night was clear and cool as water.
He noticed the spiritual qi of heaven and earth surging toward one of the bamboo lodges. In the moonlit courtyard, two figures already stood.
As he walked closer, he heard Du Huaiyuan say in a low voice:
"Qingwan is attempting Foundation Establishment. By dawn tomorrow, we'll know the result."
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