I tamed beasts and achieved immortality in the world of cultivation.

Chapter 13 Spirit Beast Cave

Chen Qing and Song Yang bypassed the Valley of a Hundred Beasts and walked along a hidden mountain path deeper into the Beast Taming Peak.

The further you walk, the more remote the area becomes, and the denser the surrounding trees grow. Occasionally, you can see a few ancient trees that would take several people to encircle, their trunks covered with moss, their age unknown.

As Chen Qing was walking, he suddenly sensed a faint fluctuation of spiritual energy coming from ahead.

The aura was deep and steady, unlike that of a spirit beast, but rather like...

"A formation?" he blurted out.

Song Yang turned and glanced at Chen Qing, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes: "Junior Brother Chen has good eyesight."

Song Yang pointed to a mountain wall in front of him: "The Spirit Beast Cave is behind that mountain wall. There are three layers of formations outside, for concealment, defense, and spirit gathering. They were all set up by Ancestor Wang Bu Huo himself. If it weren't for our Beast Taming Peak disciples leading the way, outsiders wouldn't be able to find it even if they got close."

Chen Qing looked in the direction he was pointing.

All that could be seen was a bare mountain wall, with grayish-blue rocks exposed and covered with vines, blending seamlessly with the surrounding mountains and showing no signs of abnormality.

However, Chen Qing could sense the faint fluctuations of spiritual energy emanating from behind the mountain wall by concentrating his senses.

The two walked to the mountain wall, and Song Yang took out a jade tablet from his pocket and pressed it against the mountain wall.

The jade plaque emitted a faint blue light, and the next moment, the mountain wall rippled like water, revealing a gate about ten feet high. Behind the gate was a deep passageway, with luminous pearls inlaid on both sides, illuminating the passageway as bright as day.

Song Yang carefully put away the jade token and went in first: "Let's go, Junior Brother Chen, let's go in and take a look."

Chen Qing took a deep breath and stepped through the door.

……

The moment Chen Qing stepped into the Spirit Beast Cave, he felt the spiritual energy around him suddenly become several times denser.

The spiritual energy was pure and gentle, and when inhaled, it even carried a hint of sweetness.

He looked around and found that the spirit beast cave was much larger than he had imagined.

At the end of the passageway is a huge cave with a ceiling tens of feet high, adorned with countless stalactites and stalagmites, and filled with a spiritual atmosphere that creates a faint mist within the cave.

Inside this cave, there are more than a dozen mythical beasts, some lying down, some standing, some walking, and some leaping.

Chen Qing's gaze swept over it, and his pupils contracted slightly.

Silver Moon Wolf, Gale Sparrow, Rock Armor Bear, Fire Spirit Fox, Crimson Fire Python, Azure Horned Spirit Deer...

A total of seventeen spirit beasts, all with second-tier potential!

Is this the true wealth of Beast Taming Peak?

Seeing Chen Qing's stunned expression, Song Yang raised his thick eyebrows and chuckled, "How about it? Impressive, right? These are all spirit beast cubs that our Beast Taming Peak has accumulated over a thousand years. Each one has the potential to reach the second tier. Some were brought back by disciples who went out for training, and some were born by the spirit beasts on the peak themselves. They are raised here, waiting for a destined person to form a contract with them."

Chen Qing snapped out of her daze, a slight smile playing on her lips.

That's more like it.

Even if Beast Taming Peak has declined, it can't be without a few decent spirit beasts.

Song Yang chuckled and said, "Junior Brother Chen, take your time choosing. Just tell me which one you like, and I'll go get the contract talisman for you."

Chen Qing nodded as he watched Song Yang leave, then stepped into the cave.

The cave was shrouded in a misty haze, where seventeen spirit beasts with remarkable potential lay or stood, drinking or playing, creating a scene of tranquility and peace.

Chen Qing's gaze swept over them one by one, silently making plans in his mind.

Which one should we choose?

After a moment's thought, Chen Qing took a small coarse cloth bag from his waist.

The spirit grain that had been taken from the spirit sheep chicken was long gone, but it did contain quite a lot of ordinary fruit.

He took out a green pear, wiped it on his clothes, and handed it to the nearest silver moon wolf cub.

The wolf cub was about half a year old, with soft, fluffy silver-gray fur. Its pair of deep green eyes stared at him curiously. It came closer, sniffed the green pear, stuck out its tongue to lick it, and then opened its mouth to take a bite.

Chen Qing smiled slightly, then took out a few more fruits and distributed them to the spirit beasts that had gathered around.

The seventeen spirit beasts, though each possessed a fierce aura and extraordinary potential, showed no repulsion towards him due to his affable nature. Instead, they gathered closer and closer, with some even rubbing their heads against his legs.

Chen Qing squatted down, his gaze sweeping over them one by one.

The screen before my eyes flickered, and messages appeared one after another—

Silver Moon Wolf Cub

[Realm Level: First Tier, Low Grade]

[Potential: Mid-grade Tier 2]

Bloodline: Normal

[Status: Close & Curious]

【…】

【Young Finch of the Gale】

[Realm Level: First Tier, Low Grade]

[Potential: Mid-grade Tier 2]

Bloodline: Normal

[Status: Close & Satisfied]

【…】

【Red Fire Python】

[Realm Level: Mid-Grade First Tier]

[Potential: Tier 2, High Grade]

Bloodline: Normal

[Status: Mild, Observant]

……

Chen Qing looked around and nodded to himself.

Second-tier superior grade!

That Crimson Fire Python actually has the potential to be a second-tier high-grade creature!

If he is properly nurtured, he will at least reach the late Foundation Establishment stage in the future, and may even have the potential to break through to the Golden Core stage, and this is without him using the "essence" to cheat.

Chen Qing's gaze lingered on the Crimson Fire Python for a moment, but he ultimately shook his head.

While a second-tier superior-grade item is good, it is still inferior to the Spirit Monkey that contains the bloodline of the Xuanhuang Ancient Ape, and can only be considered as a backup option.

He continued reading.

Rock Armor Bear Cub, Tier 2, Mid-grade.

Pangolin cub, mid-grade second tier.

Golden-feathered Thunder Eagle chick, second-tier superior grade.

……

Of the seventeen spirit beasts, the one with the lowest potential is at least a mid-grade second rank, and including the Crimson Fire Python, there are several high-grade second rank beasts.

This is the wealth accumulated by Beast Taming Peak over thousands of years. Even though it has declined, its foundation remains.

But Chen Qing glanced around and his brows furrowed slightly.

No.

Not a single one.

These seventeen spirit beasts all had "ordinary" bloodlines, none of them possessing an "unactivated true spirit bloodline" like the Spirit Monkey.

Chen Qing sighed inwardly, "Indeed, true spirit bloodlines are something that can only be encountered by chance. It was already incredibly lucky that I stumbled upon that Spirit Monkey; how could I possibly hope to encounter another one in this Spirit Beast Cave?"

He stood up, preparing to take a closer look at the several second-tier high-grade spirit beasts, when his gaze swept over the corner of the cave and suddenly stopped.

There was another one squatting there.

When he came in, he clearly remembered the locations of all seventeen spirit beasts—which one was lying on the rock, which one was lying by the stream, and which one was hiding behind the stalactites.

But that one...

Chen Qing raised an eyebrow slightly.

It was a large, snow-white bird, about five feet (1.6 meters) tall, standing on one leg in a shallow spot in the corner of the cave. Its long neck was slightly bent, with black neck and white feathers, and a touch of crimson on its head. It was preening the feathers under its wings with its long beak.

Chen Qing was slightly taken aback.

Red-crowned crane?

He had seen it in the zoo in his previous life; its slender figure and elegant posture were exactly the same as the one in front of him.

But the problem is—

How come there are red-crowned cranes in this mythical beast cave?

Chen Qing suppressed his doubts and stepped forward.

When the red-crowned crane saw him approach, it raised its head and stared at him quietly with its black bean-like eyes, just like the clever monkey it had met yesterday. It neither flinched nor became friendly, but simply watched him quietly.

Chen Qing took out the last green pear from her bag and handed it over.

The red-crowned crane looked down at Chen Qing, then looked up at him again, as if trying to confirm something.

A moment later, it stretched out its long beak, took a light peck, and then raised its head to continue looking at him.

Chen Qing seized the opportunity to focus his gaze—

Red-crowned crane chicks

[Realm Level: First Tier, Low Grade]

[Potential: Tier 3, Low Grade]

Bloodline: Normal

[Status: Calm and Observant]

Chen Qing's pupils contracted slightly.

Tier 3, Low Grade!

Early stage of Golden Core!