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

Three days later.

night.

The moon was high in the sky, and all was quiet.

In the small courtyard, under the old pine tree, beside the alchemy furnace.

Chen Qing sat cross-legged on the futon, with Qingtian perched on his shoulder, both eyes fixed on Dan Yu in front of them.

Dan Yu stood in the center of the courtyard, her slender figure casting an elegant shadow in the moonlight. Her pure white feathers were spotless, and the crimson mark on her head was even more vivid and striking.

"Are you ready?" Chen Qing asked.

"nature."

Dan Yu glanced at him and sent a faint thought, his tone as if he were talking about something trivial.

Chen Qing's lips twitched slightly.

She was so happy when she found out she was going to break through three days ago that she circled around him three times, but now she's putting on an act.

He didn't expose him, but just smiled and said gently:

"The medicinal effects of the spirit beast pill from three days ago should have been fully absorbed by now, so I'll begin."

Dan Yu nodded slightly, still holding her head high, appearing calm and composed. However, the slight tension in her neck betrayed a hint of nervousness in her heart.

Chen Qing took a deep breath and focused his mind on the light screen in front of him.

[Highlights: 4039]

With a thought, the text on the screen subtly changed.

[Target: Red-crowned Crane with Red Feathers (Tier 1, Low Grade)]

[Consume essence to increase cultivation level?]

"confirm."

Chen Qing's mind stirred.

In an instant, he felt a heat between his eyebrows, and a warm current flowed out from between his eyebrows and into Dan Yu's body.

At the same time, the numbers on the system panel began to jump—

【Essence - 10】

【Essence - 10】

【Essence - 10】

……

With every ten points of essence invested, a faint spiritual light emanated from Dan Yu's body, growing stronger and stronger, making her feathers shine brightly.

Dan Yu tilted his head back slightly, his neck straightened, and his aura began to slowly rise.

Perched on Chen Qing's shoulder, Qingtian stared in disbelief, a thought of astonishment crossing his mind:

"Niwa... is amazing..."

Chen Qing nodded slightly, his gaze fixed on Dan Yu, sensing the changes in her aura.

One hundred essences.

Two hundred essences.

Three hundred essences.

……

The spiritual light emanating from Dan Yu grew increasingly intense, illuminating the entire courtyard as bright as day. The fluctuations of spiritual energy around her also became stronger, as if something was awakening within her.

Five hundred essences.

Six hundred essences.

……

When the essence investment reaches 623 points—

Dan Yu was startled.

A far more powerful aura than before erupted from her body, scattering the fallen leaves in the courtyard and causing the wind chimes on the old pine branches to sway wildly.

The aura made Qingtian's fur stand on end. He let out a startled squeak and shrank behind Chen Qing's neck, only revealing half of his head as he timidly looked at Dan Yu.

Chen Qing smiled slightly.

It became.

On the light screen in front of us, a line of small golden words appeared—

[The Red-crowned Crane's feathers have begun to break through to the mid-grade first rank; no further investment of essence is needed.]

Essence consumed: 623

[Remaining Essence: 3416]

With a firm resolve, Chen Qing retracted the light screen and looked up at Dan Yu.

At this moment, the spiritual light around Dan Yu gradually receded, but his aura continued to rise step by step.

Her body was also slowly growing larger. Originally about five feet tall, she had now grown to more than six feet (two meters), taller than Chen Qing by a head. Her slender neck was even more graceful, and when her wings were spread, they were fourteen feet wide. Her pure white feathers shone with a lustrous sheen under the moonlight.

Qingtian peeked out from behind Chen Qing's neck, staring at the much larger Danyu, his golden-brown eyes filled with shock.

"Niwa... what happened to her?"

Chen Qing sensed his thoughts and explained with a smile:

"She's making a breakthrough."

"squeak……"

Qingtian nodded as if he understood, his gaze still fixed on Danyu, a hint of envy appearing in his previously shocked eyes.

About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

Dan Yu's aura finally stabilized, settling at the mid-grade level of the first rank.

She slowly opened her eyes, her black bean-like eyes brighter than before, a faint white flame flickering within them. She looked down at her wings, then at Chen Qing, a thought carrying a hint of joy emanating from her:

"A breakthrough has been achieved."

Chen Qing smiled and nodded: "How do you feel?"

Dan Yu tilted her head, and after sensing for a moment, a ball of white flame emerged from her mouth and hovered quietly in front of her. The flame was about the size of a fist, pure white without a trace of other colors, and emitted a gentle light, like a ball of solidified moonlight.

"This is..." Chen Qing was slightly taken aback.

Dan Yu slightly raised her slender neck, emanating a thought tinged with pride:

"Crane Heart White Flame".

"The fire of our bloodline is passed down; the purer the heart, the purer the flame."

Chen Qing nodded slightly.

Crane Heart White Flame—this name perfectly matches Dan Yu's personality: aloof, pure, and untouched by worldly dust.

"Can it become stronger as your cultivation level increases?"

"nature."

Dan Yu nodded gently, opened her mouth and inhaled, and the Crane Heart White Flame was drawn back into her body. Although her tone was still aloof, Chen Qing was of one mind with her and could naturally feel the joy in her heart.

Chen Qing smiled, took out a small porcelain bottle from his storage bag, poured out a spirit beast pill, and handed it to Qingtian on his shoulder.

"Here, have one to calm your nerves."

Qingtian took the pill, put it in his mouth and chewed it. Only then did he slowly come to his senses, and the thought "That was really scary" came to mind.

Chen Qing smiled and shook his head, then poured out another one and handed it to Dan Yu.

"You should eat one too, to solidify your cultivation level."

Danyu lowered his head, picked up the pill, and gracefully tilted his head back to swallow it.

After finishing her meal, she walked to the old pine tree, stood beside her "Nth-hand alchemy furnace," and began to preen her even whiter and more dazzling feathers. She looked just like a young girl who had just changed into a new dress and couldn't wait to dress herself up beautifully.

Chen Qing didn't disturb her. He turned around, walked to the prayer mat, and sat down cross-legged.

The cultivation boost brought by Dan Yu's breakthrough was even more substantial than he had anticipated. The spiritual energy pool in his dantian had expanded slightly, and the spiritual energy had become more condensed. He was not far from reaching the perfection of the fourth level of Qi Refining.

Chen Qing estimated that he would be able to break through to the fifth level of Qi Refining within a year, without even waiting for Qingtian to break through to the intermediate level.

"good."

Chen Qing was satisfied. He calmed his mind and began to circulate his cultivation technique to integrate his newly acquired power, so as to prevent his foundation from becoming unstable.

The moonlight, like water, spilled into the courtyard.

After Qingtian finished eating the spirit beast pill, he jumped off Chen Qing's shoulder and, following Chen Qing's example, sat cross-legged on another futon to begin refining the medicinal power.

Dan Yu stood beside the alchemy furnace under the old pine tree, occasionally looking down at himself and then up at Chen Qing and Qing Tian, ​​who were cultivating. A barely perceptible tenderness flashed in his black bean-like eyes.

A night breeze rustled through the wind chimes, making them tinkle.

The man and the two beasts quietly cultivated themselves in the secluded courtyard.

[New book recommendation period, please vote, fellow readers!]