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

Chen Qing stood at the entrance of the Valley of a Hundred Beasts, gazing at the shadowy spirit beasts within, and had already made up his mind.

He turned and cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards Zhou Ruoqing and Song Yang:

"Senior Sister Zhou, Senior Brother Song, I'm going in now."

"Go."

Zhou Ruoqing nodded, then added, "We'll wait for you here before sunset."

Chen Qing responded and started walking into the valley.

A low voice came from behind: "Senior Sister Zhou, how many do you think he can bring out?"

"have no idea."

Zhou Ruoqing said calmly, "But if the Fire Spirit Fox takes the initiative to approach, at least it won't leave empty-handed."

Upon hearing this, Chen Qing's lips curled up slightly.

Returning empty-handed?

He looked down at a small, coarse cloth pouch at his waist, which was bulging with three jin of spirit grain—the very grain he had painstakingly saved from the spirit sheep chicken's rations over the past two weeks.

I originally kept it for emergencies, but I never expected it to be used here.

……

The moment Chen Qing stepped into the Valley of a Hundred Beasts, he felt a sense of stillness all around him.

The sounds of wind and birdsong outside the valley entrance seemed to be separated by an invisible barrier, replaced by the sounds of the spirit beasts in the valley—the deer by the stream raised their heads, the monkeys in the forest stopped playing, and the spirit snakes in the grass poked their heads out, all eyes falling on him.

Chen Qing paused slightly, took a deep breath, and continued walking forward.

The spirit beasts stared at him for a few moments, then suddenly dispersed, some drinking water, some playing, and some sunbathing, as if he were just an insignificant passerby.

Chen Qing understood.

This is the effect of "affinity".

If a cultivator without affability had entered, these spirit beasts would have kept their distance even if they hadn't attacked, instead of ignoring them like this.

He walked for a while and saw that there were more and more spirit beasts around him, so he stopped and took out a handful of spirit grains from the cloth bag at his waist.

The grains of Linggu are plump and have a faint, fresh grain fragrance.

Chen Qing threw it in front of him.

Golden grains of rice fell among the green grass, causing all the surrounding spirit beasts to pause in surprise.

A moment later, several nearby rabbits came over first, sniffed the food, and then began to peck at it. Soon after, several pheasants also flapped their wings and rushed over to join the food-grabbing frenzy.

Chen Qing didn't rush to leave. Instead, he squatted down and looked at the few spirit rabbits.

The next moment, the light screen in front of him flickered slightly—

【Spirit Rabbit】

[Realm Level: First Tier, Low Grade]

[Potential: Tier 1, Low Grade]

Bloodline: Normal

[Status: Full & Close]

Chen Qing smiled slightly.

He had previously guessed that the system's function was not just as simple as displaying "contracts/harvests".

Since the essence is obtained through "feeding, caring for, and until maturity", the system must have a way to track the creatures he has fed.

Therefore, he had previously tested it with Xiao Chunan's blue carp, and the result was as he expected: any spirit beast he had personally fed could be displayed in more detail on the light screen.

His realm, potential, bloodline, and condition are all crystal clear.

Chen Qing stood up, took a few steps forward, and scattered another handful of spirit grains.

This time, a spirit deer and several spirit pheasants surrounded them.

[Grey Deer]

[Realm Level: First Tier, Low Grade]

[Potential: Mid-grade Tier 1]

Bloodline: Normal

[Status: Full & Close]

【Lingzhi】

[Realm Level: First Tier, Low Grade]

[Potential: Tier 1, Low Grade]

Bloodline: Normal

[Status: Full & Close]

Chen Qing shook his head.

Its potential as a mid-grade first-tier spirit beast is at most equivalent to the sixth level of Qi Refining. Contracting such a spirit beast would be a pure waste of slots and essence.

He continued walking in, scattering as he went.

More and more spirit beasts gathered around, and messages kept popping up on the light screen—

[Spirit Deer], mid-grade first rank, with potential for mid-grade first rank.

[Spirit Monkey], Tier 1 Low Grade, Potential Tier 1 Low Grade.

[Spirit Serpent], Tier 1 Low Grade, Potential Tier 1 Low Grade.

[Spirit Sable], Tier 1, Low Grade, Potential Tier 1, Mid Grade.

……

Chen Qing became increasingly disappointed as she looked at the photos.

It's not that these spirit beasts are bad; in the eyes of ordinary people, each one is a spirit creature that can understand human nature. But for him, there are only two contract slots, so he must choose carefully.

Zhou Ruoqing's three spirit beasts—the Fire Spirit Fox, the Gale Sparrow, and the Mountain King—all possessed second-tier potential.

Song Yang's two beasts were a low-grade second-tier Silver Moon Wolf and a mid-grade second-tier Rock Armor Bear.

Even if Chen Qing is not the best, he can't be worse than Song Yang, right?

Chen Qing made up his mind and continued deeper into the valley.

Gradually, the surrounding spirit beasts began to sparse, replaced by denser forests and undulating rocks. Occasionally, a few spirit beasts with stronger auras could be seen, but most of them flashed by and did not come close.

Chen Qing wasn't in a hurry and continued scattering as he walked.

The spirit grain was consumed very quickly; of the three catties of spirit grain, only a little less than half a catty remained.

Just as he was hesitating about whether to be more frugal, a rustling sound suddenly came from ahead.

Chen Qing looked up.

Ahead, on a large, bluish-gray rock, sat a small monkey.

The little monkey was about two feet tall (66 centimeters), even smaller than an ordinary monkey. Its body was covered in grayish fur, making it look unremarkable. However, it had three golden hairs on its head that shone brightly in the sunlight, like three thin golden needles.

Its posture while crouching on the rock exudes an indescribable sense of composure.

What's most special about it is its eyes.

Those were golden-brown eyes, quietly gazing at Chen Qing, neither flinching nor showing affection, simply watching.

Chen Qing's heart stirred, and he took out a handful of spirit grains from his bag and gently scattered them in front of the stone. The little monkey looked down at them, then looked up at Chen Qing, as if trying to confirm something.

A moment later, it leaped down from the rock, squatted in front of the spirit grain, and picked it up one by one to eat.

Chen Qing seized the opportunity to focus his gaze—

【Lingming Monkey】

[Realm Level: First Tier, Low Grade]

[Potential: Mid-grade Tier 2]

[Bloodline: Contains a trace of the ancient true spirit Xuanhuang Ancient Ape bloodline (not yet activated)]

[Status: Curious & Observing]

Chen Qing's pupils contracted slightly.

Second-tier, mid-grade!

Mid-stage Foundation Establishment!

This was the spirit beast with the highest potential he had seen since entering the valley; Song Yang's rock-armored bear was only of this potential.

But that's not the most crucial point.

The most crucial line is the last one—

[Bloodline: Contains a trace of the True Spirit Xuanhuang Ancient Ape bloodline (not yet activated)]

Xuanhuang Ancient Ape!

The book "Complete Encyclopedia of Monsters in the Canglan Domain" that Chen Qing bought at Wanshufeng flashed through his mind.

The book not only recorded various spirit beasts in the Canglan Domain, but also included several pages of "Ancient Tales" at the end, which specifically talked about those ancient true spirits that only existed in legends.

True spirits are neither demons nor beasts, but spiritual beings nurtured by heaven and earth, born with the ability to communicate with heaven and earth.

They may control wind and thunder, or command water and fire, or traverse the void with their physical bodies, or shake down stars with a single roar.

Dragons, phoenixes, unicorns, white tigers, and vermilion birds are all true spirits.

And the Xuanhuang Ancient Ape—

Chen Qing remembered clearly that the book said the following:

The Xuanhuang Ancient Ape, one of the ancient true spirits, resembles an ape, with golden fur covering its body. Its body is as strong as a pillar of heaven, possessing the strength to lift cauldrons and uproot mountains. Its body is impervious to all magic. An adult Xuanhuang Ancient Ape can fight dragons and phoenixes, making it the overlord of the land.

Chen Qing snapped out of his thoughts and looked at the dusty little monkey.

This unassuming monkey actually possesses a trace of the Xuanhuang Ancient Ape's bloodline.

Chen Qing took a deep breath to suppress the excitement in his heart.

When he looked at the little monkey again, his gaze was different.

After the little monkey finished eating the spirit grain, it looked up at Chen Qing and let out a low whimper, as if asking: Is there any more?

Chen Qing came to his senses, gave a wry smile, and poured out the last bit of spirit grain from his bag.

The little monkey didn't stand on ceremony and continued eating.

Chen Qing squatted to the side, watching it quietly, his mind racing.

With the potential of a mid-grade second-tier talent, if the Xuanhuang Ancient Ape bloodline can be activated, it might be able to break through to the third or even fourth tier.

The third rank corresponds to the Golden Core, and the fourth rank corresponds to the Nascent Soul.

If one could truly raise a Nascent Soul stage spirit beast containing the bloodline of the Xuanhuang Ancient Ape...

Chen Qing felt a surge of warmth in his heart.

But he quickly calmed down.

This is just potential, not a certainty.

The bloodline is not activated, which means that it needs opportunities, resources, and a lot of essence to cultivate. Right now, he only has 3 points of essence, which is not even enough to purify the bloodline of the Spirit Sheep Chicken, let alone activate the Xuanhuang Ancient Ape bloodline.

"We have to take it slow." Chen Qing thought to himself, "Let's settle this first, and then figure out how to get the essence and resources once we enter the Beast Taming Peak."

He looked up at the sky.

The sun was already setting in the west, and sunset was not far off.

Chen Qing stood up, glanced at the little monkey again, and turned to walk back.

After walking a short distance, he looked back and saw the little monkey still squatting alone on the bluestone, quietly watching him, its golden-brown eyes seemingly filled with some indescribable emotions.

……

Chen Qing walked back, seeing more than a dozen spirit beasts along the way, but none of them had the potential to surpass that little monkey.

Second-tier mid-grade is already the pinnacle of this Hundred Beasts Valley.

"Although Beast Taming Peak has declined, it was once the head of the Ten Peaks. The truly high-level spirit beasts must have other places to be placed, and they will not be free-range in this Hundred Beast Valley. Most of the spirit beasts in this valley are used for testing the new disciples, or they are 'reserve' beasts that have not yet recognized a master."

"I'm incredibly lucky to have encountered a spiritual monkey that possesses the bloodline of the Xuanhuang Ancient Ape."

Chen Qing didn't delay any longer and quickened his pace toward the valley entrance, but he suddenly stopped when he was almost there.

Behind them, a large group of spirit beasts followed closely.

Rabbits, pheasants, deer, monkeys, sables... a quick glance revealed at least seventy or eighty of them. Some were grazing, some were playing with each other, and some were simply dozing on the ground. But without exception, none of them showed any intention of leaving.

Chen Qing's lips twitched.

He tried to quicken his pace, and the group of spirit beasts quickened their pace as well.

He tried to slow down, and the group of spirit beasts slowed down as well.

He tried turning around and waving, and the group of spirit beasts looked up at him with innocent expressions.

"..."

Chen Qing took a deep breath, circulated his spiritual energy, and deliberately made his aura more ferocious.

The group of spirit beasts paused in unison and took a few steps back, but they still did not disperse. Helpless, Chen Qing had no choice but to walk towards the valley entrance.

……

At the mouth of the valley, Zhou Ruoqing and Song Yang were chatting casually.

"Senior Sister Zhou, why hasn't Junior Brother Chen Qing come out yet?" Song Yang peered into the valley. "I hope something's happened to him?"

"No," Zhou Ruoqing shook her head. "The spirit beasts in Hundred Beast Valley are docile. At most, they'll ignore him and won't hurt him."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Silver Moon Wolf suddenly pricked up its ears and let out a low growl.

Zhou Ruoqing was taken aback and looked up at the valley entrance.

Then, she froze.

Song Yang was also stunned.

The rock-armored bear was woken up, rubbed its eyes, got up, and then froze.

At the entrance of the valley, Chen Qing was stepping out.

Behind him followed a large, dark horde of spirit beasts, at least seventy or eighty, stretching as far as the eye could see.

Zhou Ruoqing opened her mouth, but for a moment she didn't know what to say.

Song Yang even swore: "My goodness..."

Chen Qing walked up to the two of them, cupped his hands in greeting, and said calmly, "Senior Sister Zhou, Senior Brother Song, I'm out."

Zhou Ruoqing took a deep breath, shifting her gaze from the large group of spirit beasts to Chen Qing's face, her expression extremely complex.

"These... all came out with you?"

Chen Qing glanced back and nodded: "I guess so."

"Consider it?" Song Yang exclaimed from the side. "Junior Brother Chen, you call that 'considering'? Back when I took the entrance exam, I worked myself to the bone and only managed to train eight! Senior Sister Zhou broke the record back then and only trained seventeen! You..."

He couldn't continue, he just pointed at the group of spirit beasts, his fingers trembling.

Chen Qing was silent for a moment, then tentatively asked, "So... I passed the test?"

Zhou Ruoqing gave him a deep look and slowly nodded.

"It's approved."

"Go back now, and come again tomorrow. I will report your matter to Uncle Shentu, and he should be willing to see you."

Chen Qing cupped his hands in thanks: "Thank you, Senior Sister Zhou."

He turned to leave, but then remembered something and looked back at the group of spirit beasts.

The group of spirit beasts all stared at him, some with reluctance in their eyes, some whimpering softly, and a few little spirit rabbits hopping and trying to catch up. Chen Qing's heart stirred slightly, but he didn't show it on his face. He simply waved his hand, turned around, and left along the mountain path.

Even after walking quite a distance, you could still hear Song Yang's loud voice behind you:

"Senior Sister Zhou, am I seeing things? Seventy or eighty? How did he manage that?"

Zhou Ruoqing did not answer.

She simply watched Chen Qing's departing figure, a thoughtful look flashing in her eyes.

The Fire Spirit Fox had somehow appeared beside her, gently nuzzling her leg and letting out a soft whimper.

Zhou Ruoqing glanced down at it and said softly, "You also think he's extraordinary, right?"

The Fire Spirit Fox flicked its tail, as if nodding.

As the sun set, the entrance to the Valley of a Hundred Beasts returned to tranquility, except for the large group of spirit beasts that remained standing in the same spot, refusing to disperse for a long time.