Chu Shaoye had not expected to break through so quickly. According to the book, someone like him, whose Natal Spirit Companion was a low-tier Spirit Beast, would need anywhere from half a year to several years to achieve Drawing Qi into the Body. Yet he had taken only two shichen.
Could this be what made the Immaculate Fox special?
The sky gradually darkened. Chu Shaoye rested for a while, then climbed to his feet once he had recovered his strength.
His clothes were almost completely soaked with sweat, clinging to his body and leaving him sticky and uncomfortable. Chu Shaoye rekindled the extinguished fire and went into the stream to bathe.
Chu Shaoye changed into a clean set of clothes, then took a large chunk of roast Ironhide Lizard left over from midday out of his Storage Bag.
The Storage Bag could not keep food warm, and the roast Ironhide Lizard had gone completely cold. Chu Shaoye set the meat over the fire to roast again, then took out the pot of broth the little fox had not finished and reheated that as well.
The Golden-Striped Treasure-Seeking Mouse stared unblinkingly at the roast lizard, a drop of drool dangling from the corner of its mouth, just about to fall.
Chu Shaoye shook his head with an amused laugh. Why were all the little creatures he raised such gluttons?
He had originally planned to contract the Golden-Striped Treasure-Seeking Mouse after advancing to Tier Two. But now he had arranged with Wang Zhi to duel Hou San in three days, and with the little fox injured, he urgently needed a Spirit Companion strong in attack. Contracting the Golden-Striped Treasure-Seeking Mouse would have to wait for now.
Still, after this morning’s test, Chu Shaoye had great confidence in the Golden-Striped Treasure-Seeking Mouse. The little fellow had a conscience and probably would not run away. It would not be too late to contract the Golden-Striped Treasure-Seeking Mouse once he became a Tier Three Spirit Lord.
Fat sizzled on the roast lizard. After this second roasting, the outer layer of meat had turned golden and crisp.
Chu Shaoye sliced off a piece, tore it into small chunks, and placed them in the Treasure-Seeking Mouse’s own little bowl.
The Golden-Striped Treasure-Seeking Mouse immediately buried its head in the bowl and tucked in. Watching the little glutton, Chu Shaoye felt that his earlier worries about the Golden-Striped Treasure-Seeking Mouse running away had been completely unnecessary.
He took three shimmering Tier One Spirit Cores out of the Black Jade Ring and placed them before the Treasure-Seeking Mouse.
“Pick one. Thanks to you finding the spirit herb for Xuewu today, this is your reward.”
The meat in the Golden-Striped Treasure-Seeking Mouse’s mouth suddenly lost its appeal. It looked at this one, then at that one, circling the Spirit Cores without knowing which to choose.
Finally, it hugged the largest golden Spirit Core in the middle, while its left eye watched the one on the left and its right eye watched the one on the right. The whole mouse looked as though it were about to split in two.
He chuckled. “You can’t digest too many Spirit Cores at once. I’ll give you the others later. They’re all yours.”
The Golden-Striped Treasure-Seeking Mouse’s eyes lit up. In one gulp, it tucked the Spirit Core into its cheek pouch and affectionately rubbed against Chu Shaoye’s finger.
Chu Shaoye summoned the little fox. After half a day’s rest, the little fox was much more spirited. Its body was no longer limp, and it had regained some strength.
Spirit Lords and their Spirit Companions complemented one another. Chu Shaoye’s advancement to Tier Two had affected the little fox as well, helping its injuries heal considerably. Had it not been injured, it should have advanced alongside him.
Chu Shaoye filled a bowl with broth and handed it over. “Drink up.”
The little fox stuck out its tongue. A bitter taste rose in its mouth before it even took a sip, but it obediently drank anyway. It sneaked a glance at the clay pot; there was only a tiny bit of broth left inside. Once it finished this meal, surely it would not have to drink any more next time?
Once the human and his two companions had eaten and drunk their fill, Chu Shaoye put them away and cleaned up the traces they had left beside the stream. Only then did he mount the Spirit Deer and return to Lumang Peak.
When he returned, Ren Shengping was already in their dormitory. “Brother Chu, why are you back so late? I thought something had happened to you!”
Chu Shaoye was somewhat puzzled. He had only come back a little late. What could have happened?
“What’s wrong?”
Ren Shengping said, “It’s your duel with Hou San! Word has spread all over Lumang Peak.”
Chu Shaoye grew thoughtful. No wonder Wang Zhi had agreed so readily—he had been planning to make a big stir out of the matter so that Steward Fang would lose face.
Ren Shengping said, “Not to criticize you, Brother Chu, but you acted too rashly. Hou San has been at Tier Two for years, while you’re only Tier One…”
“Huh?”
Ren Shengping carefully sensed Chu Shaoye’s aura, then exclaimed in surprise, “You’re Tier Two now?!”
Chu Shaoye nodded. “I just broke through.”
Ren Shengping’s jaw dropped. He still could not believe it. Chu Shaoye had clearly been Tier One when he left that morning, yet by the time he returned in the evening, he was already Tier Two.
He had fairly good aptitude among the Menial Disciples, yet even he had taken nearly half a year to break through to Tier Two. Chu Shaoye had actually done it in a single day.
Even so, it defied belief. Ren Shengping gave him a thumbs-up. “Brother Chu, you’re a genius.”
Chu Shaoye smiled and shook his head. “You flatter me, Brother Ren. I wouldn’t dare call myself a genius.”
Once Ren Shengping recovered from his surprise, he immediately grew excited. “Then when you fight Hou San, you’ll have a chance of winning!”
As a Menial Disciple under Fang Qingshan, he naturally sided with Fang Qingshan.
Besides, Wang Zhi had always looked down on the Menial Disciples, relying on his status as Steward Wang’s nephew and an Outer Disciple. Ren Shengping had disliked the sight of him for a long time.
Chu Shaoye took the roast Ironhide Lizard out of his Storage Bag and set it on the table, gesturing for Ren Shengping to help himself. “Brother Ren, could you tell me about Hou San? I know nothing about him.”
Ren Shengping scratched his head sheepishly. “Oh, Brother Chu, what are you doing this for? It’s only talking about Hou San, yet you’ve brought out roast meat again.”
Chu Shaoye smiled. “Don’t stand on ceremony, Brother Ren. I can’t finish it all by myself anyway.”
“Then I won’t refuse.” The aroma of roast meat had already whetted Ren Shengping’s appetite. Hearing this, he stopped standing on ceremony, took the roast meat, and spoke as he ate.
“Hou San doesn’t actually have much ability. He’s been in the Crimson Firmament Sect for over a decade, yet he’s still no more than a Tier Two Spirit Lord.”
“However, he’s very good at flattery. He became Wang Zhi’s lackey, curried favor with Steward Wang, and spends all day throwing his weight around in front of the Menial Disciples.”
“Hou San’s Natal Spirit Beast is a Tier Two Grayleaf Monkey, and his second Contracted Spirit Beast is a Tier Two Leopard-Spotted Hyena.”
“That Grayleaf Monkey isn’t anything formidable, but that Leopard-Spotted Hyena was bestowed on him by Wang Zhi, and it’s extremely vicious.”
Chu Shaoye nodded. Wang Zhi certainly knew how to humiliate people. Bestowing a Leopard-Spotted Hyena on Hou San was clearly a veiled way of calling Hou San his lackey.
A Leopard-Spotted Hyena would reach Tier Three at maturity. Since Hou San was only Tier Two, he had presumably been suppressing the Leopard-Spotted Hyena’s advancement all this time.
Ren Shengping said, “Brother Chu, you should hurry and contract a Spirit Beast strong in combat tomorrow. Your Immaculate Fox probably can’t beat Hou San’s Leopard-Spotted Hyena.”
“Thank you for the reminder, Brother Ren,” Chu Shaoye said. “Can we contract the Spirit Beasts on the back mountain of our Sect?”
“Of course, but you can only contract the Spirit Beasts in the outer area. We’re generally not allowed into the inner area. It’s said that a Tier Eight Spirit Beast lives in there.”