What an effective show of force that had been.
The smile on Xu Ziqing’s face did not change. Inwardly, he was deeply relieved, yet also somewhat displeased.
He had always treated others gently and conducted himself with courtesy and humility. But bowing out of respect for another person and being forced to bend one’s back were entirely different things.
Xu Ziqing had lived two lives. In his previous life, his family had doted on him, and even though his temperament was mild, no one had ever dared show him the slightest disrespect. In this life, he had been born into a great aristocratic family as a legitimate son and grandson. Even after the family estate was seized, the servants had not dared neglect him. He had once worked as a menial worker, but only because he truly cherished spiritual trees and herbs and had willingly chosen the work. Even then, he had never bowed his head.
Thus, although he appeared gentle and elegant and never made things difficult for others, deep in his bones was a refined pride nurtured by blood and upbringing. He did not flaunt it before others. Instead, he turned it inward, holding himself to exacting standards.
This time, so many high-level cultivators far stronger than he was had exerted pressure on him. As the junior present, Xu Ziqing could originally have gone along with the force, bent at the waist in a bow, and avoided the ordeal. Yet a sudden unwillingness had risen in his heart. He did not want to be compelled into yielding.
And precisely because of that stubbornness, some of the high-level cultivators felt that he had slighted their dignity and increased the pressure, determined to subdue him. The situation had nearly become awkward for both sides.
Xu Ziqing turned, bowed slightly, and said gently, “Greetings, Seniors.”
He had endured their pressure and successfully preserved the quiet pride within himself. Now that he bowed, it was out of respect for them.
Seeing this mild and elegant young man conduct himself in such a way, even the elders who had felt some displeasure moments earlier softened their expressions. At the same time, the stiffness in the hall dissipated.
The middle-aged man sitting on the central meditation cushion stroked his beard with a smile and nodded. “Young Friend Xu is indeed a remarkable young talent. For my unworthy disciple to make your acquaintance may count as progress for him as well.”
The instant he finished speaking, two meditation cushions appeared from thin air behind Xu Ziqing and Su Xin.
Xu Ziqing accepted the gesture with ease. Lifting the hem of his robe, he sat cross-legged and said, “Alliance Master praises me too highly. A-Xin is a man of true temperament. To have become his friend is this junior’s good fortune.”
Seeing that Xu Ziqing’s face was slightly pale but his spirits were still sound, Su Xin relaxed somewhat. He sat on Xu Ziqing’s left and complained unhappily, “Master had me invite Brother Ziqing here, so why did you start by bullying him? During the battle with the Blood Demon a few days ago, Brother Ziqing saved my life several times. I was delighted to become friends with him, but then Master refused to give my brother any face. Isn’t that rather improper?”
The middle-aged man laughed heartily. “It was merely a greeting. Young Friend Xu has a tenacious will. We old fellows became excited at the sight of such talent and inevitably went a little too far. I hope Young Friend will forgive us.”
He took no offense at Su Xin’s words and was clearly very indulgent toward him. Seven or eight cultivators sat on either side, all with relaxed expressions and no objection whatsoever to what the middle-aged man had said. It was obvious how high Su Xin’s standing was within the Rogue Cultivator Alliance and how deeply the many elders cherished and valued him.
Of course, the courtesy they showed now also had something to do with Xu Ziqing’s own strength.
Earlier, they had only heard Su Xin say that Xu Ziqing was merely two years older than he was yet already possessed such profound cultivation, implying extraordinary aptitude. The elders had thought Su Xin might be exaggerating, but they also wished to test Xu Ziqing. That was why, the moment he entered, each of them had released pressure comparable to the ninth layer of Qi Refinement and joined their forces to bear down on him.
They had originally thought that lasting several breaths would already be impressive. They had not expected Xu Ziqing to perform so outstandingly under the test, enough to make everyone regard him several levels more highly.
After sitting down, Xu Ziqing looked around at the people in the hall.
The middle-aged man seated on the central cushion was undoubtedly the Alliance Master of the Rogue Cultivator Alliance. He had refined features and a keen light hidden in his eyes. The cultivators seated on either side were the elders, men and women alike, each distinctive in appearance. Whatever their sincerity, at least they all looked amiable.
Every cultivator there carried a powerful sense of pressure, but none of it was directed at Xu Ziqing any longer. He understood that this was merely the aura high-level cultivators naturally emitted. Since his cultivation was weaker than theirs, he would sense it even when they were not deliberately targeting him. There was nothing unusual about that.
Even so, the scattered pressure did not make Xu Ziqing afraid. He guessed that this was perhaps because those with even higher cultivation had not appeared.
Xu Ziqing’s guess was correct.
The Rogue Cultivator Alliance had its own rules. Anyone whose cultivation reached Essence Transformation became a Supreme Elder and devoted themselves to secluded cultivation in spiritually rich mountains and treasured lands, seeking to advance still further. Unless the Alliance faced a matter of life and death, they rarely emerged from seclusion.
Therefore, among the cultivators currently in the hall, the highest cultivation was merely late Foundation Establishment. Yet anyone who had not reached Foundation Establishment could not become an elder qualified to deliberate matters in this inner hall.
The elders and Alliance Master also examined the green-robed young man before them. They found his expression upright and his eyes clear. He met others’ gazes without the slightest evasion, plainly open and candid, as though he had never done anything that weighed on his conscience.
They doted on Su Xin and all knew how sincere he was. After hearing him praise Xu Ziqing so often, they had inevitably worried that he might have been deceived. That was the reason for this meeting.
Now that they had met Xu Ziqing and tested him as well, they could finally put their minds at ease.
And once they were at ease, naturally there was no more wariness or guardedness when they spoke with Xu Ziqing.
Both sides let the slight unpleasantness at the entrance pass, and the atmosphere gradually became harmonious.
Then the Alliance Master said, “Xin’er told us about how the two of you fought the Blood Demon together. It was truly perilous. Young Friend looked after Xin’er many times. As his elder and master, this old man should also show some appreciation.”
After speaking, he traced several exceedingly profound paths through the air with his fingers.
At once, an Immortal Crane painted on the hall’s ceiling suddenly came to life. Its eyes turned intelligently as it fluttered down.
Its long legs touched lightly against the air. A wooden box was held in its long beak, and it came before Xu Ziqing as gracefully as if performing a solitary dance. After setting down the box, it beat its wings and flew back into the mural.
The art was extraordinarily ingenious.
Although Xu Ziqing knew it was probably only a clever illusion, he was still captivated by the hand seal and became somewhat absorbed.
The box touched the floor with a soft click.
Xu Ziqing returned to himself and politely declined with a smile. “A-Xin and I have already become friends. Everything I did was simply what I wished to do. How could I accept a gift for it? Senior, please take it back.”
The Alliance Master smiled instead. “One should not refuse what an elder bestows. It is only a modest gift. Young Friend need not take it to heart.”
Seeing the pleasant atmosphere, Su Xin tugged repeatedly at Xu Ziqing’s sleeve. “Brother Ziqing, if Master is giving it to you, why wouldn’t you take it? Hurry and put it away!” When Xu Ziqing still hesitated, he simply said, “Could the bond we forged fighting side by side be worth less than one little box?”
After hearing him put it that way, Xu Ziqing stopped standing on ceremony and directly slipped the box into his sleeve. “Then this junior will accept it with gratitude.”
Su Xin laughed. “That’s more like a good brother!”
The Alliance Master also found it amusing. “Xin’er has never defended anyone like this before. It seems you and Young Friend Xu truly are intimate friends.”
Su Xin’s face reddened, making him look exceptionally beautiful. “So what if I’ve acknowledged this elder brother?”
At that, Xu Ziqing chuckled and answered, “Indeed,” while all the elders laughed as well.
For a time, the atmosphere was warm and harmonious. Later, when the Alliance Master and elders asked in greater detail about how Xu Ziqing and Su Xin had fought the Blood Demon, everyone spoke and laughed like familiar acquaintances, with not the slightest trace of tension.
Just as the conversation was at its liveliest, spiritual power suddenly surged outside. Before long, drifting clouds and rising wind accompanied an alluring female cultivator in red robes and skirt as she strode quickly inside, like a blaze of fire rushing into the hall, dazzlingly red at first glance.
It was Huo Tong.
Upon entering the hall and seeing both Su Xin and Xu Ziqing, Huo Tong first greeted him with a smile. “Young Friend Xu has been in the Alliance for several days now. Has anyone neglected you?”
Xu Ziqing rose. “Thank you for your concern, Senior. No one has neglected me.”
Huo Tong smiled again, then walked close to her husband, the Alliance Master, and transmitted a message directly into his ear.
A faint gleam flickered in the Alliance Master’s eyes, though his expression did not change.
Seeing this, Xu Ziqing did not sit down again. Instead, he inclined his body and took his leave. “Alliance Master, Senior Huo, and honored elders, this junior has suddenly remembered that I still have important matters to attend to. I should not delay here any longer and will likely have to leave first.”
How could anyone fail to understand that he was being considerate? They had already held some appreciation for the green-robed youth; now their impression of him improved by several degrees.
The Alliance Master said, “In that case, we will not keep you. Let Su Xin escort you down the mountain. If you have time in the future, you are welcome to come here and visit.”
Xu Ziqing smiled faintly. He did not take the invitation literally and merely said, “Many thanks for Senior’s kindness. This junior will take my leave.”
Su Xin could also tell that his Master’s Wife had something to discuss with his master and the elders, so he rose and left together with Xu Ziqing.
Because he was busy cultivating, Su Xin only escorted Xu Ziqing back to the High Guest Residences before departing.
Qingfeng and Miaoyue, however, were delighted to see their master return so early. Miaoyue in particular hurried off to prepare a meal for Xu Ziqing.
After eating, Xu Ziqing turned and entered his quiet room once more.
Before entering meditation, he first took out the box the Alliance Master had given him and opened it.
When the lid came up, Xu Ziqing froze for a moment.
Inside the box were ten porcelain bottles arranged in perfect order. When he picked one up and examined it, he was slightly surprised.
The words on it read: “Beast Spirit Pill.”
As the name suggested, Beast Spirit Pills were medicinal pills intended for beast pets. They strengthened a beast pet’s physique, prevented illness, and kept it from suffering hunger. The pills were refined from demon-beast cores and spiritual herbs and contained Five Elements qi suitable for beasts to absorb. Compared with absorbing the qi of heaven and earth, beast pets could take in this energy far faster and make much greater use of it.
Beast Spirit Pills were very difficult to obtain, however, and few cultivators kept beast pets, so they were rarely seen even in the Trading Hall. Xu Ziqing had not noticed any earlier and had never imagined that he would now be given so many bottles.
He had to admit that these Beast Spirit Pills were exactly the kind of gift Xu Ziqing most wanted.
Chonghua had followed Xu Ziqing for several years. Xu Ziqing’s cultivation had never been especially high, and trouble frequently occupied his attention, so he often could not care for Chonghua as carefully as he wished. Chonghua would instead fly high through the sky and hunt for itself, never adding even the smallest burden to him. Xu Ziqing therefore felt both guilty toward it and deeply affectionate.
He had originally planned to reach Foundation Establishment as soon as possible and then find spiritual pills and wondrous medicines for Chonghua. Now, with these Beast Spirit Pills and the demon-beast body-refining method Yun Lie had given Chonghua, the eagle should be able to advance further and form a demon core sooner.
In truth, Chonghua’s situation was rather unfortunate.
Demon beasts and spiritual beasts were born with inner cores, while ordinary birds and beasts that cultivated step by step needed a hundred years to form one. Chonghua’s father possessed a trace of the ancient Great Peng bloodline and was an innate demon beast, while its mother was an ordinary black eagle that had cultivated into a demon, making her an acquired demon beast. The two eagles produced an egg, and although Chonghua’s hatching had been accompanied by an extraordinary phenomenon, no inner core had formed within its body.
Thus, even after cultivating the body-refining method for several years, Chonghua had gained little beyond sharper steel talons and beak, together with speed and five senses somewhat superior to those of an ordinary eagle. It still could not truly be called a demon beast.
An ordinary eagle had a short lifespan, and Xu Ziqing naturally could not bear the thought of losing Chonghua. As he continued cultivating in the future, he would likely have to enter many dangerous and deadly places. If Chonghua could not advance further, how could it accompany him? Yet if he left Chonghua behind, with how dependent it was on Xu Ziqing, how could the eagle possibly agree?
For now, the only solution was for Xu Ziqing to cultivate quickly and gather more cultivation resources for beast pets. Only then could Chonghua advance, allowing master and pet to remain together forever.
Xu Ziqing took out one porcelain bottle, delighted, and curled a finger to whistle.
Chonghua had been perched on a branch outside the residence. At the sound, it swooped straight inside. Xu Ziqing opened the restriction and extended his right arm, letting the eagle’s steel talons grasp it and settle there.
Xu Ziqing was affectionate with Chonghua. Seeing it rub against his arm, a teasing glint entered his eyes. He waved the porcelain bottle before Chonghua and asked, “Chonghua, can you guess what this is?”
Chonghua tilted its head and cried. Its beak darted forward and pecked the stopper free. A faintly bitter scent immediately spread out. Chonghua lowered its head to peck at the pills, only for Xu Ziqing to move the bottle aside and leave it pecking empty air.
Xu Ziqing laughed. “I can’t let you eat as much as you please.”
Chonghua gave a low cry that sounded almost coaxing.
Xu Ziqing laughed softly, poured out one pill, and slipped it into the eagle’s beak. “Greedy Chonghua, eat it quickly and circulate your cultivation method.”
Chonghua’s beak moved several times, its eagle eyes half closing as if it were enjoying itself immensely.
It was Xu Ziqing’s first time feeding Chonghua a Beast Spirit Pill, and he felt somewhat nervous. Once he saw the eagle swallow it, he watched without blinking, intensely focused.
The Beast Spirit Pill was indeed marvelous. Chonghua began to change almost immediately after swallowing it.
All the black feathers covering its body suddenly trembled slightly. Tiny wisps of demon qi appeared over every feather and continuously spread outward.
The layer of golden plumage over its black feathers abruptly flashed with a trace of brilliance, making the colors blaze with splendor. For an instant, it was like sunlight shining over gold and jade, dazzling and extraordinarily beautiful.
Xu Ziqing gathered spiritual power in his eyes, and two clusters of pale green light appeared within them.
Then he saw an extremely faint ring of ripples encircling Chonghua. Beginning at its tail feathers, the ripples swept soothingly over every feather on its body in sequence, leaving all its plumage even smoother than before.
Demon qi gradually filled the quiet room, drifting unpredictably, with Chonghua at its center.
Xu Ziqing could even hear Chonghua’s heart and organs beating now, each pulse strong and powerful. The ring of demon qi expanded and contracted with every beat until, at last, all of it sank into the feathers.
At that moment, Chonghua opened its eyes, lifted its head, and released a clear, resonant cry.
The radiance that had covered its body returned to normal, but somehow Chonghua felt quite different from before.
Xu Ziqing relaxed slightly and smiled. “Chonghua, how do you feel?”
Chonghua opened its eyes wide and nodded its head repeatedly. When it looked again toward the bottle in Xu Ziqing’s hand, a trace of greed had appeared in its gaze.
Xu Ziqing knew it had been captivated by the power in the Beast Spirit Pill, so he immediately warned it in a serious tone. “Chonghua, true cultivation must still rely on one’s own comprehension. These Beast Spirit Pills are excellent, but you cannot depend on them. They may only be used as support. Otherwise, if you neglect your own cultivation, you will be putting the cart before the horse.”
Chonghua stared reluctantly at the pills. Although it understood human speech, its beast nature was difficult to change. One Beast Spirit Pill could probably equal several months of cultivation. A beast’s instincts naturally pursued greater power, so how could it be persuaded so easily?
Xu Ziqing understood this perfectly well. But this matter was far from trivial. He could not allow Chonghua to grow lazy because of the Beast Spirit Pills, so he had no choice but to patiently teach it.
He continued, “Chonghua, don’t be impatient. You are my only beast pet, so naturally I won’t give these to anyone else. All ten bottles of Beast Spirit Pills are yours. But you may take only one pill each day. At all other times, you must diligently cultivate the body-refining method Brother Yun taught you and must not be greedy for more. Otherwise, not only will much of the medicinal power in the pills be wasted, it will do you no good either.”
At that, Chonghua turned its head away unhappily and gave a clear cry. It had agreed, though it was plainly still unwilling.
Xu Ziqing found the sight amusing and could not help adding, “If you refuse to behave, I may have to ask Brother Yun to come teach you.”
Chonghua understood at once. Its eagle eyes flew wide, and it immediately leaned over to rub against Xu Ziqing ingratiatingly.
Xu Ziqing laughed softly and stroked the eagle’s head. “I’ll give you one bottle. There are ten Beast Spirit Pills inside. Take it with you for ten days of cultivation.” After a pause, he added, “I’m trusting you this time. Do not betray that trust.”
Chonghua cried repeatedly in agreement, took the bottle in its beak, and beat its wings as it flew out of the quiet room.
The room fell silent again. Xu Ziqing sat upright on the meditation cushion and released a soft breath.
At that moment, the image of Huo Tong transmitting a message to the Alliance Master suddenly surfaced in his mind.
Xu Ziqing could not understand it. He knew Huo Tong had something she needed to explain privately to the Alliance Master. As both a junior and an outsider, he naturally ought to have withdrawn. But why did the matter still linger in his mind now?
It was truly unusual.
Xu Ziqing reflected that he had met Huo Tong only once before. There had been a slight unpleasantness with the Alliance Master and the others at first, but it had quickly been resolved. There should not have been anything improper enough to keep troubling him.
Yet a cultivator’s intuition could not be ignored. He should clearly have calmed down and focused on cultivation, but instead this matter kept distracting him. Perhaps it was some kind of premonition.
And when a cultivator experienced such a premonition, it usually concerned them personally. Only then would such vigilance arise.
But how could an important matter within the Rogue Cultivator Alliance have anything to do with him?
Xu Ziqing pondered for a long time but could not come up with an answer.
Without realizing it, he sank his consciousness into the storage ring and reached toward his white-robed friend seated on the stone platform.
“What is it?” Only when that cold voice came did Xu Ziqing awaken from his thoughts.
Xu Ziqing sighed lightly. He had not wanted to trouble Yun Lie, but apparently he had grown so accustomed to seeking him out that he had disturbed him after all. Since he was already here, Xu Ziqing told Yun Lie all of his doubts, then added, “This premonition came very suddenly. I cannot trace it to its source, and that makes me somewhat uneasy.”
Yun Lie said, “Your mind is disturbed.”
Xu Ziqing smiled bitterly. “It truly is in complete turmoil.”
Yun Lie was silent, then said, “Cast aside distracting thoughts and enter meditation. You resisted the pressure of so many cultivators today. You should have gained something from it. Circulate your cultivation method while the experience is fresh, and perhaps you can advance another step.”
Ordinarily, Xu Ziqing would naturally have obeyed such guidance from Yun Lie. Yet for some reason, a sudden impulse rose within him now, and he could not stop himself from asking, “Brother Yun, you… who are you?”