Taming the Horse with Divine Soul

Chapter 43: Training a Horse with Spirit

Hong Yi couldn't wait to mount the horse right now and gallop away to see what it felt like. "I shall take my leave as well. I have the imperial examinations next month and must return to study the sages' teachings. I hope Miss Su will forgive me." Hong Yi held the Shark Slayer in one hand, walked to the side of the courtyard, took the reins of the Lightning Chaser, and bid his farewells.

"What a fine horse! What a fine blade!" Hong Yi immediately sent his spirit into a dream to observe, delving deep into the thoughts of the Lightning Chaser.

"Don't forget, don't mistreat my Lightning Chaser. I'll be winning it back next time." Young Marquis Changle said hurriedly, clearly regarding this horse as one of his most prized possessions.

Hong Yi looked up at the sun in the sky and saw it had been obscured by a large cloud. He silently cheered that the timing was perfect. If the sun were out, he wouldn't dare let his spirit leave his body. However, he shifted his gaze to see Su Mu, and his eyes grew fervent once more.

Although this horse certainly wouldn't let his spirit leave his body, Hong Yi could now use the Celestial Maiden Visualization Method to enter the horse's dream with his spirit and communicate with it.

"We just discussed profound principles? Is that so? Su Mu's temperament and radiance have already been cultivated to such a point that no man who meets her for the first time is not awestruck. Yet, I regained my composure in an instant, and she must have noticed my steady state of mind."

Of course, this was merely a comparison of raw power and physical strength. In terms of lethality, a top-tier martial master or a Xiantian Martial Master was a hundred times more formidable than a horse. When a person weighing one or two hundred jin possesses the strength and stamina of a horse weighing one or two thousand jin, it is truly terrifying.

Closing his eyes, he kept his focus inward, and his spirit leaped out from the crown of his head.

Indeed, as Hong Yi stroked the Lightning Chaser and looked into its eyes, he sensed a hint of mockery and untamable wildness within them.

Suddenly, he witnessed a shocking scene. This Huoluo horse weighed over two thousand jin; if it were to buck violently, it would be equivalent to a top-tier martial master, or even a Xiantian Martial Master. With Hong Yi's current strength, he would definitely be unable to tame it and might even be thrown and half-killed.

"Young Master Hong, wouldn't you agree?"

That was a boundless, endless battlefield!

Thinking of his mother, Hong Yi felt a sharp pain in his heart. When martial arts are practiced to the Xiantian realm, the most obvious characteristic after strengthening the internal organs is enduring stamina; one can walk as if flying, move as fast as a galloping horse, and cover a thousand li by day and eight hundred by night.

"Hmph!" Luo Yun let out a soft, cold snort through her nose and looked up at the time: "Oh my, this gathering is likely coming to an end. I have waited too long and must go to the palace to pay my respects. Everyone, please feel free to do as you wish."

Hearing Su Mu's words, Hong Yi was stunned for a moment before he understood what she meant.

"Miss Su Mu is indeed breathtakingly radiant. Fortunately, I have read a few more books by the sages and adhere to the principle of keeping a calm heart in the face of beauty, otherwise, I fear I would have become a fool unable to utter a single word." Hong Yi replied with a smile.

The first step in horsemanship is to understand the horse's nature and communicate with it. The better the horse, the fiercer its temperament; if the owner changes, it is very likely to become unmanageable.

"A woman like Su Mu is truly a peerless beauty, radiating an ethereal, Daoist aura. Anyone who isn't moved upon first sight must be a high monk, a great Daoist, or a sage of profound learning and cultivation. That I could remain calm is no wonder she holds me in higher regard, though I wonder if she has practiced Daoist arts?"

"The Hong family actually has such an outstanding descendant. Although his martial arts are only at a superficial level, his mind is so steady. My Taishang Dao Celestial Maiden Visualization Method has already reached the realm of manifestation. Without using spells to bewitch the mind, just by moving, with spirit and flesh as one, I possess the aura of a celestial maiden. Yet he regained his composure in the blink of an eye? Could it be that he has truly reached the realm of 'keeping the sage in one's heart'? Is his spirit so firm that it is filled with a vast, righteous energy? Still, there are a hundred times more scholars in the world than Daoists; it's not strange for there to be a few outstanding ones." Su Mu watched Hong Yi's retreating back, thoughts flashing through her mind before settling into calm.

"However, I have never ridden a horse before. I am unfamiliar with its habits. If I get on and get bucked off, it would be a huge joke." After laughing, Hong Yi did not mount the horse but led it out all the way.

"Lightning Chaser, you are tired. Sleep now. Relax your whole body, as if you are in clouds as soft as cotton." Hong Yi's spirit left his body, performing various visualizations, his thoughts projecting directly into the Huoluo horse's mind.

Hong Yi suddenly felt a stir in his heart, remembering the time in the West Mountain valley when he couldn't communicate through language, and how his spirit had left his body to speak with the little foxes.

As she spoke, Luo Yun shook her fan, said her goodbyes, and was escorted out by her guards.

However, Hong Yi's spiritual cultivation had already reached the level of a Day Wanderer, and having lived with foxes, he knew that animals, like humans, have emotions and intelligence. Especially high-quality warhorses that are frequently in contact with humans and have been trained, while not as spiritually gifted as foxes—which can learn to use fire, cook, farm, and study—they can still understand human intent very well, especially when it comes to their masters.

This was a feeling bordering on spiritual connection, something ordinary people could never hope to perceive.

"Right, I might as well use spiritual arts to communicate with it." Hong Yi knew that as soon as he mounted, this horse would surely buck violently and throw him off.

"This Huoluo horse has sturdy hooves and full muscles, with not an ounce of excess fat. In terms of strength and stamina alone, it is almost equivalent to a top-tier martial master, or even a Xiantian Martial Master." Hong Yi recalled the records of the Huoluo horse in the Martial Classic's chapter on mounted archery.

"A good opportunity, the clouds have covered the sun."

"Not at all, Young Master Hong is joking."

"Haha, so this horse is called 'Lightning Chaser'? Truly a fine name. Young Marquis, don't worry, I will take good care of it." Hong Yi held the reins in one hand and stroked the magnificent horse with the other, feeling exceptionally happy.

Seeing Hong Yi not speaking, Su Mu asked again.

Young Marquis Changle watched his "Lightning Chaser" being led away, his eyes following it as if his wife or concubine were being abducted.

This "Sleep Induction Method" is the most basic form of spiritual bewitchment, recorded in the Daoist Classic. Thus, he could discern the Lightning Chaser's thoughts. This demeanor once again stirred the hearts of the young nobles, leaving them unable to extricate themselves.

Now that Hong Yi had cast it, the horse's eyes were first filled with confusion, then a bit of daze, and finally, it actually fell asleep.

Dressed in fine clothes, riding a fierce horse, with a long sword at his waist, galloping freely—this scene had long been a fantasy in Hong Yi's heart, and now he finally had the chance.

Su Mu smiled charmingly, her light green gauze dress fluttering slightly in the wind like a celestial maiden about to ride the wind away, creating an urge in others to rush forward and seize her.

Hong Yi thought, "Since this Su Mu enjoys discussing profound principles, she must have practiced Daoist arts. Otherwise, as the number one talented woman in Yujing, living daily in a den of tigers and wolves without any ability to protect herself, that would be impossible. My mother had a similar status back then, but why did she have no ability to protect herself? If she had, she wouldn't have vomited blood and died of grief..."

Having just used spiritual visualization to resist Su Mu's radiance, this was already a silent discussion of profound principles.

After leading the horse out, Hong Yi did not return to the Marquis Mansion but led it all the way out of the city gate to a quiet section of the official road, carefully weighing the key points of horsemanship in his heart.