Instantly, boundless energy seemed to surge through the deer’s body. It pawed the ground twice with its hooves and then bolted wildly down Anning Street!
Upon closer inspection, one could see that its internal bones and muscles had been tempered and polished to perfection. Even its Skin Membrane faintly shimmered with a jade-like luster!
If this were to be classified according to the Martial Artist’s Power Barriers, it had already achieved Skin Refining Attainment, earning the right to refine its Horizontal Bone and speak human words.
It was all thanks to following Ji Xiu and eating plenty of the precious dried grasses and fodder that Old Huang kept stored in the Medicine Hall.
When could it ever have enjoyed such a life back in the deep mountains and ancient forests?
As a Spirit Monster with a few hundred years of Dao Practice, it had not been easy to cultivate to this level by relying solely on absorbing the essence of Heaven and Earth and the moon, and feeding on Spirit Grass and Spirit Stones.
Just one more step...
...and it would become a ’Spiritual Object’ bathed in cultivated Qi!
Spirit Monster, Spiritual Object, Auspicious Omen!
These were the classifications for Spirit Beasts, distinguishing them from the Demon Fiends that devoured flesh and blood and were tainted by the Abyss Ruins Qi.
Spirit Monsters were easy to find.
But those that could maintain such benevolent habits while transforming into a ’Spiritual Object’ were few and far between.
Countless Qi Cultivation Grandmasters within the prefecture dreamt of acquiring such a ’Spiritual Mount,’ but they were nearly impossible to obtain, no matter the price.
This was to say nothing of a peerless Spiritual Object that appeared like an ’Auspicious Omen’ from the moment of its birth, alarming an entire province.
And this Jade Deer clearly had the potential to transform into a ’Spiritual Object’.
Stroking its smooth, green-sheened fur, Bai Shuo couldn’t help but think to herself:
’Creatures with spirit are born of Heaven and Earth. They will also choose a master of upright character to serve. To be able to tame a Spirit Monster like this—one poised to advance into a Spiritual Object—while only in the Bone Tempering Realm...’
’Its master, that Young Hero Ji, must have won it over with virtue, causing this obedient little deer to submit so wholeheartedly that it willingly left the deep mountains to follow him.’
The Jade Deer with Green Horns was galloping at full speed, completely unaware of what the young woman stroking its fur was thinking.
If it could have heard and understood...
...it probably would have stopped on the spot and launched into a tearful tirade.
’Won it over with virtue?’
’That was clearly forcing an innocent into servitude!’
Meanwhile, Qin Yu, the disciple of the Flying Immortal Temple who was still dazed from the resounding slap his master, the Flying Immortal Temple Master, had given him, was still clutching his pouch, his mind fixated on his precious Great Pill.
But in the next instant, the young lady and her servant, whom his master had ordered him to guide into Anning County, hopped on the deer and vanished in the blink of an eye. He was left on the verge of tears, unable to even cry out.
’If I’d known this would happen,’ he thought, ’I never would have scrambled over here trying to suck up to that Lord Tao and claim credit.’
’With his personality, so greedy for money and obsessed with fame and profit...’
’He’d sell me, his own disciple, in a heartbeat for the right price. What kind of Disciple does that make me?’
’Clearly, I’m just a ’fair-weather disciple’ to him!’
But despite his internal complaints, he had already paid his silver coins. If he just slunk away without learning a single thing...
...that would be an even bigger loss!
And so, with that thought, though his heart was filled with reluctance, Qin Yu could only break out in a sweat and chase after them. He couldn’t afford to mess this up.
Meanwhile, Qin Zhuo, the lead disciple of the Celestial Blade School, and Ye Ningzhi of the Brocade Workshop darted out at the same time. The moment they saw each other, they recognized the other’s background, and a single thought flashed through both their minds:
"That boy really is the disciple of Junior Martial Uncle Duan/Duan Chenzhou!"
"Otherwise, why would the legacy of the Celestial Blade School/Prefecture Official Ye Luan be here?"
Their eyes simultaneously filled with caution.
Qin Zhuo of the Celestial Blade School thought to himself:
’Prefecture Official Ye Luan defeated Junior Martial Uncle Duan forty-eight times in a row back then. They were both young, only in their twenties.’
’Now... after more than a decade of stagnation, my junior martial uncle has finally become a Qi Cultivation Grandmaster, and the disciple of his old rival has come running.’
’Could it be that the peerless Jinghong Sword Immortal, Ye Luan, is also here?!’
Every muscle in Qin Zhuo’s body tensed. He felt it was best not to linger. He had only just arrived and couldn’t cause trouble for his junior martial uncle and his new disciple. With that, he turned to leave.
Meanwhile, Ye Ningzhi gritted her teeth and gripped her sword, warily scanning her surroundings. When she saw Qin Zhuo depart without the slightest hesitation, her eyes narrowed.
’The lead disciple of Chen He, the Sect Leader of the Celestial Blade School, is leaving without a word?’
’He must know where Duan Chenzhou and his disciple are staying.’
’If I follow him, I’ll save myself the trouble of asking for directions later.’
’Hmm...’
’My master defeated Duan Chenzhou forty-eight times straight, more than ten years ago, before she even became a Prefecture Official or a Qi Cultivation Grandmaster. He probably doesn’t have much of a leg to stand on in her presence, right?’
’So if I show up at their door to fight his disciple, he shouldn’t fly into a rage from humiliation and bully a junior like me... right?’
The young woman pinched her chin, pondering to herself.
She had originally planned things differently. Seeing that Ji Xiu hadn’t even achieved Golden Bone while she had already reached two Body Great Limits—’Golden Muscle and Jade Veins’ and ’Mercury Blood Silver Marrow’—had given her pause. In the Prefecture City, the only thing that made her weaker than the twenty-something Skin Refining youths was her younger age and lower realm. If she just kept pressing on and obtained the Purple Ribbon Immortal Robe, she would be the next ’Duan Chenzhou’ or ’Ye Luan’ of Jiangyin Prefecture’s younger generation.
Therefore, she hadn’t planned on bullying the weak by challenging the disciple of her master’s great rival. Instead, she wanted to wait until he was on equal footing with her, and then defeat him soundly and honorably.
Then, he would come to Jiangyin Prefecture seeking revenge, only to be repeatedly crushed by her dozens of times after she reached Skin Refining. He would be completely broken, body and soul, thus cementing her future title as the ’Number One of Jiangyin’s Younger Generation’...
Ye Ningzhi had the entire script planned out in her mind.
But plans can never keep up with change.
Just when the Flying Immortal Temple Master had extravagantly produced a Great Pill to help Ji Xiu achieve a breakthrough to Golden Bone, at the very instant the boy broke through...
Ye Ningzhi decided.
It was time to make her move.
One after the other, the two of them sped away from the docks.
Huang Xiuwen watched this unfold, a fire of anger flaring in his chest. But the circumstances were beyond his control, and he managed to swallow his rage.