Senior Uncle's Personal Jade Slip

Hundred Herbs Peak.

Bamboo House basement, Pill Chamber.

Blue light swirled along the four walls of the cave dwelling, connecting at the center to the blazing red earthfire.

Above the earthfire stood an enormous Profound Iron Pill Furnace, while an inverted Eight Trigrams Array floated above it.

True Person Yinyue stood to one side, operating the pill furnace and refining medicine for the Sect Leader True Person.

Since her Cultivation Level was still far from Mahayana and the pill formula was especially aggressive, the furnace had exploded several times, leaving her somewhat disheveled.

Suddenly, she discovered that Xiao Ran and Chunwa and Qiuchan were on their way over. She hurriedly dressed herself up carefully so she could meet them properly.

Purple Maple Cliff, bathed in beautiful autumn light.

She stood with her hands behind her back, her elegant and alluring figure restored. Pale blue sky and water reflected in her radiant eyes, as though they embraced the vast immortal firmament with boundless tenderness.

Xiao Ran arrived at the cliff with the two girls in tow. Seeing Martial Aunt Yinyue's elegant, gentle charm, he could not help recalling the mad scientist in thin gauze during the Body Dissection.

"After half a day's parting, Senior Uncle, I have come again."

"You two, go to the Pill Chamber and check the furnace fire."

After sending Chunwa and Qiuchan away, True Person Yinyue smiled.

"You stayed here for three days, left only this morning, and came back this afternoon... You really are impatient. You will not even let Senior Uncle rest for a moment."

Xiao Ran sighed.

"The Wraith is coming. I cannot afford not to be impatient."

True Person Yinyue glanced at his lower abdomen and shook her head. "A Body Integration Realm Flood Dragon Pill will need ten days to completely fuse with your Pill Wall. Once it does, even with only Qi Refining cultivation, you will be able to withstand ancient Sword Intent. You will have a strong chance of ascending the Sword Tomb."

Xiao Ran thanked her respectfully.

"Senior Uncle has troubled herself greatly."

True Person Yinyue had originally intended to tell him the truth, but then remembered that Yue'er had asked her to keep it secret, so she said nothing of the details.

Xiao Ran presented True Person Yinyue with fresh strawberries, grapes, papayas, and crisp melons.

"This is a small token of this disciple's appreciation."

It was True Person Yinyue's first time encountering a cultivator expressing goodwill with fruits and vegetables.

Still, though these fruits and vegetables were of low grade, they were not ordinary goods. Xiao Ran had planted them himself, and perhaps she could glimpse his talent for Farming through them.

Moreover, these fruits were all excellent for preserving beauty and nourishing the complexion. They were difficult to refuse.

After accepting the gift, True Person Yinyue asked, "Have you come to learn medicine refinement from me?"

Xiao Ran said, "I would like to ask Senior Uncle to help me refine a medicinal herb formula."

True Person Yinyue sighed softly.

"It seems you have realized your Master's physical condition. Unfortunately, Senior Uncle does not have medicine capable of curing Yue'er completely."

Xiao Ran took out a sheet of yellow paper.

"This disciple has a Medicinal Wine Uterus-Warming Pill Formula. I do not have the materials, nor am I capable of refining it. I ask Senior Uncle to refine it for me."

"You know how to formulate medicine too?"

A ripple passed through True Person Yinyue's gentle eyes as she took the yellow paper and read it.

"Let Senior Uncle see how much talent you have for compounding medicine."

At first, her expression was relaxed. She smiled now and then, with a hint of approval.

Very soon, her smile gradually faded. She began to frown and nod, her expression turning somewhat grave.

In the end, fine sweat appeared on her snowy forehead, and her chest rose and fell. Her graceful, alluring eyes were filled with incredulous shock.

After looking for a long while, she suddenly raised her head. Her voice softened as she asked an utterly inappropriate question, "Do you... still need disciples?"

"I..."

Last time she wanted to be my Master. This time she wants to be my disciple?

Xiao Ran was speechless. He could only give his Senior Uncle a thumbs-up in his heart.

Her understanding of medicinal principles was not much worse than his own max-level medicinal knowledge. Yet for such a tiny difference, at her age, she still possessed such a thirst for knowledge and exploration, even wanting to take a master and study medicine. She was truly a model of living and learning until old age!

"You misunderstand."

Seeing that Xiao Ran had been frightened, True Person Yinyue hurriedly resumed her elegant bearing.

"Chunwa and Qiuchan are mischievous and refuse to study. They know nothing whatsoever about compounding medicine. I see that they quite like you, so I thought I would have them spend some time each day at Sword-Wielding Mountain learning the basics of medicine compounding from you... Only if you agree to this will I help you refine the medicine."

A roundabout way to save the nation, huh!

Xiao Ran had no other choice but to agree.

"Very well. I will come tonight to collect the medicine."

True Person Yinyue paused slightly, looking somewhat disappointed.

"You are leaving so urgently?"

Xiao Ran said, "Master has drunk too much cold wine. I am afraid it will worsen her condition, so I want to go to Sword-Tempering Mountain and find some Fire-Type Spirit Fungus to warm the wine."

There was such a method?

True Person Yinyue forced herself to remain calm, thinking that Yue'er truly had not misjudged him.

"For a thousand years, Yue'er has endured pain beyond what ordinary people could imagine. I do not know whether it is because you have only recently entered the sect, with vigorous energy and lingering passion, but I hope that as time passes, you will remain devoted to Yue'er from beginning to end."

As long as the system lives, my filial devotion will never cease! Xiao Ran nodded with extreme seriousness.

"Even if the world ends, this disciple will still show filial devotion to Master."

More than filial devotion...

True Person Yinyue sighed softly and took out a Purple Bamboo Slip from her robes.

"This is my Ten Thousand Beasts Valley Beast Hunting Jade Slip. It allows unrestricted beast hunting, while its Spirit Severing Realm Defensive Spirit Pattern will protect you from accidental injury."

"Hm?"

Xiao Ran did not understand.

True Person Yinyue explained, "One of the ingredients in your formula, High-Grade Female Black Sheep Hide, is not available here. Go search for it in Ten Thousand Beasts Valley. If it is not there, you will have to go to East Floating City."

Xiao Ran accepted the Jade Slip and immediately felt coolness and warmth intertwining. It gave off a faint medicinal fragrance mixed with a subtle body scent.

"Thank you, Senior Uncle."

Ten Thousand Beasts Valley was Zongzhi Mountain's beast ranch.

It lay in a basin to the northwest, surrounded by layer upon layer of rolling mountains. Its area was not particularly large, only twenty li across.

The highest-ranked Spirit Beasts there were only at the Golden Core Realm.

At the entrance stood a White Jade Bone Tower.

The person responsible for managing Ten Thousand Beasts Valley was the Beast Taming Instructor, True Person Guiyan, an old woman with black hair and a faintly stern face.

True Person Guiyan was at the Golden Core Realm. She was about the same age as Baili Qingfeng of Great Valley Peak, yet her vitality and spirit were far better.

Normally, the Beast Taming Elder was a permanent elder position in a major sect.

However, after Zongzhi Mountain's previous Beast Taming Elder died, not a single inner-sect beast-taming disciple had entered the Nascent Soul Stage. The elder position had therefore remained vacant, with Beast Taming Instructor True Person Guiyan temporarily overseeing Ten Thousand Beasts Valley.

Though True Person Guiyan was an old woman, she was tall and lean, standing ramrod straight with a certain pride about her. Yet she showed Xiao Ran some respect and clasped her hands courteously.

"Senior Brother Xiao, I have long admired your great name!"

Xiao Ran returned the gesture respectfully.

"Greetings, Senior Sister Guiyan."

True Person Guiyan brought over a White Beast Bone Jade Slip.

"This is a Beast Hunting Defensive Jade Slip. It will preserve your life and prevent you from being injured if Golden Core Realm Spirit Beasts attack you together. Senior Brother only needs to register here."

Xiao Ran smiled and took out True Person Yinyue's pale-purple Jade Slip.

"Thank you for your kind intentions, Senior Sister. I have Senior Uncle Yinyue's Elder Jade Slip, which can protect me from attacks by Spirit Severing Realm Spirit Beasts."

True Person Guiyan was inwardly shocked.

Elder Yinyue had actually lent her Personal Jade Slip to a male disciple?

And this was an unrestricted Beast Hunting Jade Slip. Senior Brother Xiao was trying to empty out her Ten Thousand Beasts Valley! Xiao Ran stated the purpose of his visit: a female high-grade Black Horn Sheep.

True Person Guiyan hurriedly said,

"Although Senior Brother will not face any safety concerns on this trip, hunting a high-grade Black Horn Sheep will not be easy. Junior Sister Zhehui, who has Golden Core cultivation, can accompany Senior Brother into the valley."

With that, she called for a woman downstairs to come up.

Xiao Ran looked over and saw that this Junior Sister Zhehui was hunched over, grinning to reveal yellow teeth. She looked like she needed someone to support her while crossing the road, far older than even True Person Guiyan.

This was not the junior sister I wanted! Moreover, Xiao Ran had heard that True Person Guiyan had always been stingy and strictly controlled the outflow of Spirit Beasts from the valley.

Having Junior Sister Zhehui accompany him this time was likely because she feared he would be too greedy. She wanted someone watching him, placing a little pressure on him so he would be too embarrassed to go overboard.

But Xiao Ran held an unrestricted Beast Hunting Jade Slip. If he did not take advantage, it would be a wasted opportunity!

"Thank you for your kind intentions, Senior Sister. Hunting alone can also be a form of trial. Just tell me the general area where the Black Horn Sheep are active."

True Person Guiyan said,

"..."

Ten Thousand Beasts Valley's environment differed somewhat from the rest of Zongzhi Mountain.

There were many caves and wetlands, with abundant vegetation. It was dark and damp.

Blue Silver Grass emitted a faint blue radiance, illuminating the small mountain streams.

Whispering Spirit Flowers swayed without wind, humming and singing softly as their fragrance drifted through the air.

A Winged Tiger with protruding, jagged bones drank beside a pool. It extended its sharp claws and suddenly seized at a Swimming Fish, only to be dragged into the water by Piranhas. In an instant, gleaming white bones remained.

An Eagle-Winged Bat as large as a cloak extended its long pointed beak and suddenly dove down, only to be bound by a giant python disguised as a Mottled Snake. It was swiftly dragged into the snake's den...

It was still a scene brimming with life.

Xiao Ran arrived at the Black Horn Sheep's activity area. He flew around it several times on his sword, sweeping back and forth with his divine sense, and found only a dozen or so Black Horn Sheep.

There were even fewer female Black Sheep. Only one was at the Foundation Establishment Realm, while the rest were at Qi Refining or were unranked young lambs.

Good, you will do! Hunting a Foundation Establishment Realm Spirit Beast was not actually difficult.

Even as a mortal, Xiao Ran had easily killed Red Spotted Tigers with Resonance Power, thoroughly crushed a certain Giant Disciple, and defeated Chen Hefei with his Qi Refining fully unleashed.

After reaching Qi Refining, he had directly and thoroughly crushed Ye Fan at the Foundation Establishment Realm.

First-stage Resonance Power demonstrated a cheat-like ability to suppress opponents one level above him. Especially when enemies lowered their guard because his Cultivation Level was low, he could often kill them in a single strike.

After choosing his target, Xiao Ran quietly descended. Using Resonance Power to listen to all things, he adjusted his Dantian's frequency to blend into the valley and crept through the grass.

Step by step, he approached that beautiful Black Horn Sheep!

At some unknown point...

Faint Gray Mist gathered and spread above his head.

Xiao Ran turned his gaze.

He discovered that seven Black Rams had surrounded him! These beasts can actually detect me? Looking closely, he saw that among the seven rams, the leader was a Golden Core Black Sheep, while the other six were at the Foundation Establishment Realm.

Even more strangely, there was no anger in those seven pairs of sheep eyes. Instead, they held a dim darkness, like Gray Mist swirling within them.

This Sheep Village... no, something is wrong!