Honggu Entered the Mountain, Changxi Left the Sect

Chongming Sect, Beast Garden

Elder Duan Anle, the Beast Taming Elder, stood with his hands behind his back, watching Duan Yunzhou, who was also nearing the age of elephant taming, use a beast talisman to tame a Golden-Eyed Leopard.

Because Zhou Xinran's path to immortality was hopeless in previous years, and Duan Anle failed to establish his Foundation Establishment and could not cultivate, the couple had three more children within ten years.

Unfortunately, even though both husband and wife are Qi Refinement cultivators, the probability of their offspring inheriting Spirit Root is still not high.

Apart from their eldest son Duan Yunzhou, who possessed Spirit Root, the couple's other son and two daughters did not have this affinity for immortality. They had no choice but to send them to Chongming City after they were a little older, entrusting them to the care and protection of the city lord's mansion and the Duan Household.

Although the two were heartbroken, it was something even a Nascent True Person Nascent Soul couldn't do anything about. After preparing a lifetime of wealth and luxury for their three children, there was nothing more they could do, so they could only focus on cultivating their eldest son.

Fortunately, Duan Yunzhou's Spirit Root surpass those of his father and mother. Although his Triple Spirit Root are not considered outstanding in the current Chongming Sect, they are still ranked in the upper-middle range. With the careful guidance of Duan Anle, a Foundation Establishment True Cultivator, his future prospects will surely be stronger than the latter.

The Golden-Eyed Leopard wasn't considered a particularly powerful Demon Beast; even when it reached adulthood, it often struggled to break through to the Second Tier. Moreover, the one facing Duan Yunzhou was still in its early First-Tier Middle-Grade. Although Duan Yunzhou expended some effort, he ultimately managed to subdue the beast smoothly using a beast talisman.

Duan Anle wasn't exactly a strict father. He could understand that Duan Yunzhou had always cultivated peacefully within the sect, unlike his parents who had to fight and wield Law Artifact from the age of ten.

Therefore, even though Duan Yunzhou's skills were inferior to his own at the same age, Duan Anle did not show any eagerness. After all, if all his hard work over the years were to be wasted on the next generation, then all his hard work would be in vain.

It is said that the true core members of families like the Great Wei clan, the Liaoyuan Gui Household, and the Yukun Han Household often do not study Daoist methods before reaching the Foundation Establishment, and they do not even come into contact with the various arts of cultivation. They spend their days chanting scriptures, contemplating the mysteries, and comprehending the principles.

For these types of disciples, all offensive techniques are taught by specialists after they have reached the Foundation Establishment, which can achieve twice the result with half the effort. Good.

These True Person seemed to appreciate this matter quite a bit, which led many noble children of slightly lower social standing to follow suit. However, this matter could only be afforded by families with substantial wealth, and it did not spread throughout the entire Great Wei Immortal Dynasty.

Chongming Sect was, after all, just a small sect located in a border state. Even though Sect Leader Kang Da had worked hard to build up some merit over the years, it was still slowly getting better. It was impossible for him to be so lenient with his disciples.

Although Chongming Sect still has fewer disciples than other Foundation Establishment sects, the number of usable manpower it possesses is enough to make even False Core forces like Stone Mountain Sect in Pu Prefecture envious.

Compared to the years when they first acquired the spiritual land, Chongming Sect's manpower was no longer stretched thin.

In response, Ye Yaoling, the steward of the Nurturing Qilin Hall, suggested to Pei Yi that the five-year training period for new disciples in the Nurturing Qilin Hall be extended to seven years. The latter agreed wholeheartedly, since most of the immortal seedlings who had participated in the Chongming Sect's Immortal Ascension Assembly in previous years were only six or seven years old.

When the five-year term ends and they graduate from the Nurturing Qilin Hall to become outer disciples, they are often only eleven or twelve years old. Even if they have entered the Dao, their temperament is still far from mature. If they are allowed to grow wildly at the most crucial time of laying the foundation, it may have a long-term impact on them.

In the past few years, some disciples were assigned to various places as soon as they left Nurturing Qilin Hall. Although Chongming Sect was relieved of its immediate crisis, it was probably not a good thing for these disciples in the future.

Pei Yi's temperament is much more impatient now than before. He had already mentioned this matter in a small discussion ten days ago. Sect Leader Kang Da was quite interested, but before he could speak, the matter was put aside.

However, regardless of whether this matter can be carried out, it has nothing to do with Duan Yunzhou, who is already fourteen years old. He does have a talent for beast taming, which was evident when he was cultivating in the Nurturing Qilin Hall. At the age of ten, he had already become First-Tier Lower-Grade beast master.

Therefore, Duan Anle disregarded public opinion and selected Duan Yunzhou to enter the Beast Garden, assigning him to the duties of the Beast Garden disciples.

Now, Duan Yunzhou has been in the Beast Garden for three years, and he can be said to have become proficient in his duties. He is not far from being able to take charge on his own in the future.

However, compared to Duan Yunzhou's mastery of beast mastery, his combat skills were not much like his father's, but rather somewhat similar to his maternal family's. That's why Duan Anle wanted to take advantage of the time to relax while switching Cultivation Method to give him a good workout.

Duan Yunzhou looked somewhat disheveled at this moment, but Duan Anle did not reprimand him. Instead, he encouraged him, saying, "Not bad, but you are still not as good as your Uncle Kang. You need to catch up."

"Father, which Uncle Kang is it?"

This child didn't even inherit Duan Anle's inner beauty; his question sounded somewhat silly. Duan Anle shook his head and laughed for a while before finally explaining with a faint smile, "Is there even a need to ask? He's far inferior to any of them."

As soon as Duan Anle finished pointing out and explaining the mistakes Duan Yunzhou made in his battle against the Golden-Eyed Leopard, Kang Changxi and He Chang arrived together.

Duan Anle's face lit up with joy. He mentioned Duan Yunzhou and asked him to come and pay his respects to his two senior uncles.

After accepting the He Chang, He Chang laughed and said, "Since I couldn't find Brother Senior Brother Duan, I had no choice but to bother you, Senior Brother." He then handed over a dark-colored beast token bearing a Qilin mark. "Senior Donkey, I'll need Senior Brother Duan to extend my time a little longer."

The golden-haired old donkey has been exclusively used by He Chang in recent years, which is already Chongming Sect secret among the cultivators of Chongming Sect. Duan Anle naturally wouldn't ask any more questions. He simply picked up Spirit Sealing seal, dipped his talisman brush in spiritual ink, and wrote down the Immortal Seal Script.

As Duan Anle began writing, he also spoke to the former, "Recently, a small group of Cloud-Treading Colt have fallen ill with a plague. Even after I asked Senior Dragon to administer potent medicine, they have not recovered."

There's no other way now, so I can only ask the younger generation to temporarily separate them and see if things will turn out well after letting them roam freely for a while.

If that still doesn't work, then we'll just have to slaughter him early and give him to the sons-in-law working in Little Ring Mountain as a treat. Hey, didn't Junior Brother He just get back? Why are we being sent on another mission already?"

The Qilin mark on the beast token lit up along with the Immortal Seal Script. He Chang's smile faltered when he heard Duan Anle's question. After taking the beast token and hanging it on his waist, he said, "Junior brother was thinking that if I could do more errands, it would be good for preparing for the sect's small test for future advancement to True Disciple."

Duan Anle clearly admired He Chang's words, and said with a laugh, "Junior Brother is quite farsighted. These days, the sect's annual small tests set by Martial Uncle Pei are becoming increasingly difficult. One of our inner disciples in the Formation Hall is having bad luck, and his skills are indeed somewhat lacking. He has been a late-stage cultivator for three years, but he still hasn't mastered the True Disciple. If this continues, I'm afraid it will jeopardize his future."

He Chang's popularity was far inferior to Duan Anle's; the latter was a free spirit and well-liked among his fellow disciples, so this was the first time he had heard such news. However, he wasn't as worried as Duan Anle had seemed with his previous perfunctory words. He accepted the beast token and was about to speak when he heard Kang Changxi beside him ask:

"Senior Brother Duan, this time I'm also going with Brother Chang, and we'll need a mount. I heard from the Beastmaster that Senior Brother Duan recently captured an Azure-Armored Earth Tiger in the Cold Crow Mountain and tamed it as a mount. I wonder if any fellow disciples have one available for rent? If not, I hope you can lend it to me."

Duan Anle shook his head and said, "There are no fellow disciples who have come out yet. Moreover, Senior Long is a bit different from what Junior Brother said. This Azure-Armored Earth Tiger was not captured by me. Rather, it was captured by Junior Brother Yuan with the Crimson Zhang Guard after a small family head in Cold Crow Mountain reported to the police that this beast was extremely cruel and harmed mortals."

However, this beast is extremely ferocious. Junior Brother Wei Gu tried it once before, and even with his Qi Refinement Ninth Layer, he had difficulty controlling it using his beast token. Junior Brother, would you like to try again?"

Kang Changxi laughed and replied, his young age already exuding a heroic spirit. "Haha, the Dragon Beast Master told me that this Azure-Armored Earth Tiger retains a trace of the Essence Blood of a Third Tier Demon Officer, which might allow it to be freed from the constraints of bloodline and advance to the Demon Officer in the future. That's why I came here specifically to find it. Since no fellow disciples have offered it, how could I not give it a try?"

Since even his master's own son had spoken so earnestly, Duan Anle had no reason to refuse. However, he still had to add a few words of advice, "Although this Azure-Armored Earth Tiger also retains Demon Officer bloodline, it is far inferior to the extraordinary senior that Master tamed. If you are just curious, use it for a short time as a way to pass the time, and don't expend too much effort on it."

Kang Changxi smiled slightly, bowed, and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother."

Seeing Kang Changxi's enthusiasm, Duan Anle stopped trying to persuade him. He lightly tapped a dark-colored animal-shaped ring hanging at his waist, and the old soldier in rough clothes on the ring seemed to come alive, puffing out his mouth and blowing a bronze whistle, which sounded very crisp and pleasant.

After the crisp whistle sounded, several more cries of cranes echoed from afar.

The Duan Household father and son didn't take it seriously, but Kang Changxi and He Chang both turned their heads to look. They saw eight Red-Headed Crane with wingspans of about ten feet and blue feathers flying over from a distance, carrying iron chains in their beaks.

Below the eight iron chains was a steel cage, inside which was locked a ferocious beast. Because the steel cage was covered with various talismans, the spiritual light was mixed and confusing, so even though Kang Changxi was dozens of feet away, he still had some difficulty seeing the beast's face clearly.

Flying to the group of cultivators, the Red-Headed Crane loosened their sharp beaks. The steel cage, which must have been as heavy as a small mountain, fell slowly like a leaf, without even stirring up much dust.

Duan Anle took out a handful of pills and threw them into the air, where the Red-Headed Crane devoured them in a few breaths.

"Even the lowest grade is First-Tier Supreme-Grade Red-Headed Crane, and the first-order crane is even Second-Tier Lower-Grade. Senior Brother Duan has been quiet for the past year or two, and everyone thought he was focusing on switching to cultivation Cultivation Method, but unexpectedly, he has already advanced to the Second Tier in beast mastery. No wonder even Mother said that among all the senior brothers, Senior Brother Duan is the most steady."

Kang Changxi's thoughts were interrupted by a ferocious roar. Duan Anle flicked his fingers, and the talismans on the steel cage leaped up one by one. The cage door suddenly collapsed, revealing a ferocious beast with thorns on its back.

The ferocious tiger, crouching on the dark red rock, slowly raised its head, its emerald pupils narrowing into two slits.

The bluish-gray scales, about the size of copper coins, spread from the forehead to the tailbone, each scale edged with a dark, moss-like copper rust color. The short, thick barbels on either side of the snout hung down like broken bronze chains, dragging fine marks through the gravel as the nostrils twitched.

As it turned its eye sockets covered by bone spurs, its hexagonal irises seemed to be swirling with thoughts, but after seeing the beast token in Duan Anle's hand, the ferocity in its eyes subsided somewhat.

When Duan Anle handed the beast token to Kang Changxi, he was still worried and whispered, "This beast has not yet been completely tamed. Its wild nature has not been eliminated. Even if you hold the beast token, it still requires a high level of Divine Sense from its master."

Junior brother, if you find it difficult, please don't push yourself. This beast is indeed quite capable. Last time, when Junior Brother Yuan led the Crimson Zhang Guard to arrest him, even the second patriarch of the Rainbow Mountain Yang Household was almost injured."

In most cases, apart from beast masters, other cultivators need to use beast talismans or beast tokens to control demonic Demon Beast. Even if a cultivator manages to subdue Demon Beast captured from outside and extract its soul threads to make a beast token, it is not something that just anyone can control.

There are countless examples of those whose virtue does not match their position and who suffer the consequences of being devoured by beasts. Duan Anle naturally had to give Kang Changxi a good warning to prevent him from being careless.

"A mere First-Tier Supreme-Grade Demon Beast can injure Foundation Establishment?"

Duan Anle frowned. He could hear the excitement in Kang Changxi's tone, and a hint of regret arose in his heart. He leaned closer to the latter almost imperceptibly, just in case.

"Divine Sense?" Kang Changxi, holding the beast token, stepped in front of the Azure-Armored Earth Tiger that was pretending to be meek and submissive. He was quite bold; he plucked the tiger's whiskers, which were as thick as grains of rice, and lifted its enormous head to meet its gaze.

The two pairs of eyes, one large and one small, were so close they were only inches apart, that even He Chang was standing to the side, was almost startled and jumped up by Kang Changxi's bold move.

Duan Anle frowned, about to speak, when he saw the Azure-Armored Earth Tiger, who was about to retaliate, being sent flying by Kang Changxi's punch. One punch after another, although it was a cliché, Kang Changyi's fists rained down on the Azure-Armored Earth Tiger.

Even though they knew this junior brother had remarkable talent in body refinement, the two junior brothers beside them were still quite shocked. Although the Azure-Armored Earth Tiger's strength had greatly diminished after its ordeal, it was still a force that most Qi Refinement Ninth Layer cultivators would find difficult to defeat. Unexpectedly, it was Kang Changxi, a young man who was not even as old as a dancing elephant, who took the initiative and suppressed it without any power to fight back.

Duan Yunzhou to the side, was also amazed and murmured, "How can we possibly catch up?"

Kang Changxi was unaware that a fellow disciple of the same age was admiring his actions. He only looked at the pleading Azure-Armored Earth Tiger and sighed, "If only I could learn Father's Full Moon Visualization Method, I'm afraid I wouldn't have to expend so much effort."

However, his low spirits quickly dissipated. He flipped over and leaped onto the beast's back, urging He Chang, "It's getting late, Brother Chang, let's hurry up and set off."

Half a month later, Two Instruments Sect and Heavy Lead Peak

"Junior Brother Peng has not returned yet?" Pu Honggu's face was displeased. This old cultivator rarely got angry, and when he was so sullen, even Li Yun, the Two Instruments Sect leader of the Yi Sect, who was standing below him, did not dare to speak loudly.

He didn't know why the Grand Elder was so anxious about Daoist Peng's whereabouts, and dared not ask a question. He could only cautiously speak based on his own conjecture:

"He left a month ago and hasn't returned. However, my junior brother just sent Jiang Yuan, the peak master of Black Sand Peak, to check on Senior Brother Peng Dao's corpse-raising grounds. The two Third Tier- tier bronze corpses are unharmed and are still absorbing evil energy. It seems that Senior Brother Peng shouldn't be in any serious trouble."

Li Yun could not speak with certainty, after all, given Daoist Peng's background, he would not feel at ease leaving a soul lamp in the Two Instruments Sect Hall.

Therefore, having no other choice, Li Yun had to use this method to determine the latter's life or death.

Pu Honggu felt a little relieved. After all, it was rare for Golden Core cultivator to disappear for several years. However, before Daoist Peng went out, he had assured him that he would return in ten days. But a whole month had passed in the blink of an eye, and Daoist Peng still hadn't sent back a single message. Pu Honggu couldn't help but feel nervous.

After all, this Daoist Peng still had the responsibility of communicating with the Demon Officer. Even if this matter was privately instructed by Bai Canhong, the Master of the Star-Picking Pavilion, once it was exposed, colluding with Demon Cultivator would be an unforgivable crime!

Even if Bai Canhong has some sense of responsibility and wouldn't sacrifice the Two Instruments Sect to protect the king, the situation of Zhaixing Star-Picking Pavilion would likely become extremely awkward after the incident.

In these turbulent times, if the Star-Picking Pavilion is truly implicated and becomes the target of public criticism, the Two Instruments Sect will certainly not have an easy time either.

Moreover, does the Master of the Star-Picking Pavilion truly possess the responsibility to shoulder this burden?

Pu Honggu was filled with unresolved worries, but he knew that there was no point in rushing. He knew that he must not lose his composure, especially at times like these. So he turned to Li Yun and instructed him, "Send more disciples to inquire about Junior Brother Peng's whereabouts. Don't be stingy with Spirit Stone stones at Fearless Tower. I don't need them to make any guarantees, just promise to search diligently."

If She Fu Yi tries to use 'seclusion' as an excuse, then I won't give her any face. Within half a year, no matter how well those cowardly fellows hide, I guarantee that in every prefecture and county under the jurisdiction of the Two Instruments Sect, there won't be a single place for their Fearless Tower!

Li Yun's opinion on Fearless Tower coincided with Pu Honggu's. The so-called number one spiritual sect in Shannan Circuit was nothing more than a lowly, frivolous force.

The rumors among the people were incredibly exaggerated, but for a major sect leader like Li Yun, there was not the slightest reverence for the Fearless Tower. If it obeyed, he would grant it a favor; if it disobeyed, he would launch a massive purge. It was not a troublesome matter at all.

So Li Yun bowed and replied, "That woman has always been sensible; I suppose she wouldn't disobey my senior brother."

Even after giving his explanation, Pu Honggu was still somewhat uneasy. Leaving aside whether his collusion with Demon Cultivator had been exposed, there were still several unclear aspects to the refining method of the Crimson Realm Life-Prolonging Pill, which he needed to discuss with Daoist Peng.

However, such a private matter was not something that could be discussed with Li Yun, nor could it be done in a way that showed too much eagerness in front of the latter. So, after clearing his throat, the Grand Elder of the Two Instruments Sect changed the subject:

"Is Jiang Yuan still the current leader of Black Sand Peak? If I remember correctly, Junior Brother Jiang's lifespan is coming to an end, isn't it? In that case, does Junior Brother, the sect leader, have a preferred candidate for the next leader of Black Sand Peak?"

Li Yun was surprised to find that his senior brother, who always focused on managing and steering the situation, would suddenly bring up such a trivial matter as the selection of the head of the side peak. He almost showed surprise in his eyes.

However, having served as the sect leader for the past century, he had already considered this matter carefully. After thinking for a while, he replied, "As is customary, the best candidate will be chosen from among the peak members. Black Sand Peak was originally a new lineage established by Senior Brother Peng after he joined the sect. As Senior Brother Peng's first disciple, Junior Nephew Jiang Yuan has also made great contributions over the years."

Therefore, the junior brother favored Song Xueqiao, one of the three peak masters of Black Sand Peak, to succeed him as peak master, but he had not yet had a chance to discuss it with his senior brother and senior brother Peng.

"Song Xueqiao? That name does ring a bell for me. Is he also Junior Brother Peng's younger brother?"

"He is indeed Registered Disciple of Senior Brother Peng, and he was already Foundation Establishment Peak cultivator sixty years ago. Now that he has accumulated enough Merit Points, he is about to use spiritual objects to form False Core."

"Highly confident?"

"Nephew Song's preparations are fairly thorough, perhaps thirty percent successful, which is not low," Li Yun calculated for a while, then whispered, "Oh, this boy once fought with the Daoist Black Shoes to a draw, so he is worthy of being cultivated."

Pu Honggu raised an eyebrow and murmured, "The Daoist Black Shoes?"

Although the Two Instruments Sect had never met the Daoist Black Shoes, the latter had been causing trouble in Shannan Circuit for so long that his name was already imprinted in Pu Honggu's mind.

"Even False Core isn't bad. Once he emerges from seclusion, please have my junior brother bring him to see me."

"Yes, respectfully seeing off Senior Brother."

Li Yun breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Pu Honggu leave Heavy Lead Peak. If it weren't for the fact that rotating the position of the Two Instruments Sect leader was an ancestral rule established since the founding of the Liangyi Sect, and that the people of Heavy Lead Peak were hoping that he would take on this responsibility, Li Yun would really not want to sit in the position of the Two Instruments Sect.

He was originally a man of quiet and unassuming nature. If things were still peaceful and uneventful as before, that would be fine. But having to contend with so many people in this position is proving to be beyond his capabilities.

Moreover, the higher-ups have already tacitly approved of the Kuang Household's involvement in Shannan Circuit; how can a mere upper-level cultivator like him possibly stop them?

The disciples of the side sects also had many complaints. These minor cultivators were blinded by their own limited knowledge and were completely ignorant of the situation. They actually believed that the loss of the Hongyi Sect, their staunch ally, and the fact that the five prefectures of Jing, Yun, Ye, Pu, and Ding had broken out of the Hongyi Sect Two Instruments Sect were both due to the incompetence of their sect leader.

Filled with resentment, Li Yun withdrew his gaze, sighed deeply, and murmured, "This position will be handed over in a few years anyway. Let's see if the successor has the ability."

However, Li Yun was unaware that the moment he withdrew his gaze from Pu Honggu's back, the Xuan Bird runes on the latter's brocade robe suddenly shone brightly.

A pair of wind wings sprouted from the old man's back, and then quickly turned him around, heading straight towards Cold Crow Mountain.