Golden-Scaled Beast's Ownership (Please Read On)

Ye Xinghe was still speaking with Ye Xingliu, except they had already switched to voice transmission.

On the surface, they seemed to be discussing the spoils and the aftermath of this incident, but Ye Jingcheng knew that it likely also involved the anomaly beneath the lake.

Though he could not see their expressions, Ye Jingcheng faintly sensed a far more solemn atmosphere.

At this moment, Ye Jingcheng felt relieved as well.

In a cultivation family, if there were truly kindness without reservation, truly no secrets at all, then that family would not survive for long.

Since he could not obtain the Blood Leech, and was not even worthy of knowing news about it, Ye Jingcheng could only spur himself to cultivate with even greater diligence.

Being able to earn the family's trust and obtain the method for cultivating the Beast-Link Mark, he had already gained an enormous amount.

Ye Jingcheng could not help looking at Xu Xiuqing. She was still forcing herself not to sob, but the eyes exposed beneath her black robe had already grown completely wet.

Holding Old Xu's body, she took out a coffin as black as ink. Clearly, she had anticipated something before coming here.

She gently placed Old Xu into the coffin, then heavily kowtowed three times. With no farewell wine to send him off, she took out some spirit water and poured a bowl for Heaven and Earth, then another for Old Xu. Finally, she drank a third bowl herself through tears.

Before she could even speak her words of farewell, she silently closed the coffin lid.

Then she swiftly stored it away in her storage pouch.

On the other side, everyone from the Ye Family had finished clearing away the traces in the valley. Ye Xingliu even took out a second-tier treasure boat.

The treasure boat remained quite small. They were still within the Taihang Mountain Range, and keeping a low profile was never a bad thing.

Once he saw that Xu Xiuqing had no further reaction, Ye Xingliu controlled the spirit boat toward the distance.

Rarely, no one spoke aboard the spirit boat. Everyone seemed to remain immersed in the battle they had just fought.

Younger members such as Ye Jingcheng had witnessed the terror of blood cultivators and were now reviewing the encounter, while the elders were refining the entire process of the battle.

Reviewing a battle was the first lesson Ye Family elders taught every cultivator of the family.

It was not merely a matter of growing wiser after being stung once; even after tasting honey once, one had to reflect on it.

Only then could cultivators live longer, and only then could the family travel farther.

Xu Xiuqing was seated on the spirit boat as well, beside Ye Jingcheng. He could feel her body trembling faintly.

This time, the spirit boat had not activated its spiritual barrier.

Amid the gale winds, her sobs could not be heard.

But Ye Jingcheng knew that she was profoundly heartbroken.

Yet for cultivators blessed with long lifespans, failure and parting were bound to be commonplace.

As a cultivator at the sixth level of Qi Refinement, he was not qualified to console anyone.

"Thank you!" Ye Jingcheng had not spoken, but Xu Xiuqing took the initiative.

Her voice was extremely low.

"No need to thank me. I did not help much." Ye Jingcheng shook his head.

It would have been different if they had saved Old Xu. But they had not.

"At least you let my father keep his body intact!" Xu Xiuqing still insisted.

After saying that, she spoke no more. Only the gale winds in the air howled with piercing harshness.

Ye Jingcheng fell silent for a moment before adding, "Please restrain your grief. We were born into the world of cultivation, where helplessness is simply part of life. But because we were born into the world of cultivation, we can also forge immortal arts!"

"One day, with a three-foot sword in hand, we will slaughter evil cultivators until none under Heaven dare raise their eyes or lift their heads!"

Ye Jingcheng did not know how to comfort people, much less female cultivators. After forcing out those words, he said nothing further and closed his eyes.

Xu Xiuqing had not expected it. She raised her eyes after a moment and nodded.

"Mm!"

The spirit boat fell silent once more. The sound of the gale winds grew louder and louder, and after an unknown amount of time, the mountaintop where they had gathered was already close at hand.

Crunch, crunch!

At the front of the spirit boat, Ye Xinghe had taken out quite a few spirit pills and was feeding them to Lizard Elder. Lizard Elder had contributed greatly in this battle.

After finishing the spirit pills, Lizard Elder vanished once again, concealing himself aboard the spirit boat.

Ye Xinghe then took out another spirit boat.

"Little Friend Xu, let us return to the market town first. Regarding your honored father, Ye is deeply grieved as well!" Ye Xinghe looked toward Xu Xiuqing, Ye Jingcheng, and Ye Xingyu.

Clearly, Ye Jingyu and the others still needed to return to Soaring Cloud Peak of the Ye Family, while Ye Jingcheng needed to return to the market town.

Naturally, Ye Jingcheng was more than satisfied with that arrangement. In the market town, he could refine more spirit pills and might even have a chance to obtain the Golden-Scaled Beast. What could be better?

"Jingcheng, how do you feed your Crimson Flame Fox?" At this time, as they were about to part, Ye Jingyong sent Ye Jingcheng a voice transmission.

Ye Jingcheng did not know how to answer.

Indeed, his Crimson Flame Fox had grown rather quickly. Anyone with eyes could see that Ye Jingcheng's Crimson Flame Fox was capable of casting the Greater Fireball Technique and was now likely comparable to a cultivator at the eighth level of Qi Refinement.

Yet their two Flying Cloud Leopards had probably not even reached the sixth level of Qi Refinement.

They spared no effort in cultivating spirit beasts as well.

"It was probably because the spirit fox had considerable vitality to begin with. It survived wounds like that—perhaps spirit beasts, too, have the saying: survive a great calamity, and blessings will surely follow," Ye Jingcheng could only answer vaguely.

Ye Jingyong could not help slapping his thigh, looking somewhat regretful.

"Jingcheng, I truly envy you. What a pity your second brother had no eye for it!" When they had chosen their spirit beasts, Ye Jingyong had been ahead of Ye Jingcheng.

Only behind Ye Jingyu.

Ye Jingcheng did not answer again. Ye Jingyong was hardly the only one who had lacked discernment.

So he also offered a farewell salute to his fourth brother, Ye Jingyu.

Finally, he bade farewell to Ye Xingliu, Ye Haiyi, and the other clan elders.

Only then did he board Ye Xinghe's spirit vessel and head for the market.

This time, the spirit vessel traveled much more slowly. By the time they reached the market, a fine drizzle had begun to fall from the sky again.

The light rain washed many of the emerald bamboo stalks until they looked fresh and renewed, while countless insects stirred in the air.

Xu Xiuqing's eyes grew even dimmer.

Before long, the four of them disembarked from the spirit vessel and returned to the shop.

Seeing Ye Jingcheng and the others return safely, Ye Xinghong and Ye Jingli hurriedly poured each of them a cup of spirit tea.

Ye Xinghe put away the black spirit robes, but, unusually, did not take back Xu Xiuqing's.

He merely handed her a cup of spirit tea.

"Thank you." Xu Xiuqing accepted the tea and drank half a sip, still utterly listless.

She took a jade slip from her robes and handed it to Ye Xinghe.

"Senior Ye, this is where the spirit mine is located. My father found it together with several Rogue Cultivator friends. We originally thought..."

"Alas!" Xu Xiuqing had wanted to say more, but at the thought of Old Xu, her words turned into another long sigh.

The spirit mine had already been given to the Ye Family. There was little point in saying any of that now.

"Senior Ye, give the Golden-Scaled Beast to Big Brother Ye Jingcheng. There's no need for spirit stones," Xu Xiuqing said again.

The moment those words came out, Ye Jingcheng could not help being startled.

He wanted to speak, but Xu Xiuqing had already left behind her half-full cup and departed from the shop!