Beast Taming Immortal Clan

Chapter 155 Family Matters, Silver Lightning Python's Advancement [Please Subscribe]

Pagoda Peak, Zhongping Hall.

"Vice Clan Chief, the Crimson Flame Vajra Monkey is too rare. I know that my contribution to the clan is not as great as that of many clansmen, so I dare not even dream of it."

"But since the Eight-Horned Water-Splitting Deer can be bred in large numbers, it's not unreasonable for me to ask for one for my son as a contracted spirit pet, is it?"

"Although my son's spiritual root aptitude is somewhat lacking, he is still a direct descendant of the family bloodline, and has always been loyal to the family and gets along well with the clansmen. These are all things that the clansmen have witnessed, and I am not just boasting!"

Inside the main hall, a Zhou family cultivator with graying hair was excitedly telling Zhou Chun his request.

This Zhou family cultivator's cultivation level was not high, only at the ninth level of Qi Refining. Given his age and cultivation level, it was clear that his status in the Zhou family was not high either, and he had only risen to that level through age.

This old man's name is Zhou Jia Kui, the twenty-third in his generation, and he is currently an elite member of the Zhou family.

He came to Zhou Chun today to ask for an eight-horned water-repelling deer as a contracted spirit pet for his son, Zhou Zhenghuan.

He had spoken with great emotion and reason, and Zhou Chun should have considered the elder's request.

But when he thought of his son Zhou Zhenghuan's information, Zhou Chun couldn't help but shake his head.

He could only say kindly, "Uncle, it's not that I'm heartless, but it's just that my eighteenth brother isn't suited to raising such a delicate spirit pet as the Eight-Horned Water-Repelling Deer. He almost killed even an easy-to-raise spirit pet like the Rock-Armored Boar. You should give up on this idea!"

The Zhou family is a family specializing in beast taming, but not every cultivator in the Zhou family is skilled in beast taming.

Just like Zhou Zhenghuan, the son of Zhou Jia Kui, the old man in front of Zhou Chun, he was naturally dissolute and unruly, always wandering around, drinking and bragging with people, and had no ambition or sense of responsibility at all.

There was even a time when he put his pet Rock Armored Pig in a spirit beast bag, then left the bag in a corner of his residence, forgetting to open it or feed it for a long time.

As a result, the Rock-Armored Pig was trapped in the spirit beast pouch for too long. Finally, it couldn't stand it anymore and had no choice but to disregard its master's orders and forcibly break open the pouch to find food.

How could Zhou Chun possibly feel at ease letting such a person raise the eight-horned water deer that needs to eat fresh grass every day?

Moreover, Zhou Chun didn't even need to think to know that the prodigal son wanted to contract the Eight-Horned Water-Splitting Deer because he probably planned to take the spirit pet out of the family and roam around after it came of age.

However, as a father, Zhou Jia Kui naturally had a biased view of his son.

She immediately defended her son, saying, "That incident was just my son being careless. Everyone makes mistakes sometimes. Deputy Clan Chief, you can't deny my son's abilities because of this one incident!"

"Uncle Twenty-Three!"

Zhou Chun suddenly raised his voice, looking at him seriously, and said, "I respect you as my elder, so I don't want to say anything too harsh, but you should also respect yourself!"

"If there are many Eight-Horned Water-Splitting Deer, you can exchange them however you like, as long as you are willing to contribute your family's good deeds. However, if the number is limited, the family will definitely prioritize finding suitable people to contract with them!"

"This has always been our family rule. Do you expect the younger generation to make an exception for you?"

By the end, Zhou Chun's tone had become quite stern.

He was indeed always very polite and courteous to his elders, but as the deputy clan head in charge of family affairs, he had more than just politeness; he also had a temper.

He would usually respond politely to requests from elders, regardless of whether he could grant them.

But if someone treats his politeness as bargaining power, like Zhou Jia Kui is doing now, he won't be polite anymore.

Seeing Zhou Chun's stern face, Zhou Jia Kui trembled and dared not say anything more.

He could only sigh softly and say, "Yes, Vice Clan Chief, you are right. I offended you with my words just now, and I apologize!"

After saying that, he bowed to Zhou Chun with his hands clasped in greeting.

"Uncle Twenty-Three, you should go back now. If you can find a way to change Eighteenth Brother's personality, and he comes to me again in the future, I will definitely help you with this matter."

Zhou Chun waved his hand, signaling the guest to leave.

But upon hearing his words, Zhou Jia Kui's face darkened even more.

He left Zhongping Palace with a look of utter disappointment.

Thus, some people refused and some agreed. Zhou Chun basically did a fair and just job, assigning owners to all the unborn monster cubs.

The same applies to the offspring of the Crimson Flame Monkey.

Zhou Zhengyong's son, Zhou Xinlan, is quite promising. He has now successfully entered the Dao and has reached the first level of Qi Refining.

Once you successfully enter the Dao, you will have the ability to contract with demonic beasts.

As the most talented direct descendant cultivator of the "Xin" generation in the family, and with his father being a core member of the family who had made great contributions to the family, the fact that he chose the Crimson Flame Vajra Monkey cub as his first spirit pet is also a way for the family to support and cultivate its younger generation.

This alone was enough for Zhou Chun to justify refusing other people's requests.

Time flies, and two years have passed in the blink of an eye.

During this period, the Zhou family also conducted two secret transactions with the Hualong Sect, acquiring many rare items.

During this period, the Zhou family's second and third Crimson Flame Vajra Monkeys were born one after another, completely announcing the perfect success of the populationization of this hybrid demon beast.

Furthermore, several new eight-horned water deer have been added to the deer park, and their breeding rate is increasing rapidly.

Even the fragrant musk deer that Zhou Chun brought back successfully impregnated two ordinary female musk deer.

The other monster species in the Beast Garden also showed positive growth, with an increase in the number of new monster cubs born each year.

Meanwhile, under the protection of the Zhou family's security team, the number of independent cultivators coming to the Zhou family to cultivate has increased compared to a few years ago, resulting in a significant increase in the Zhou family's rental income.

These happy events made Zhou Chun and other members of the Zhou family very satisfied and pleased, which relieved them of a lot of worries.

For Zhou Chun personally, he has also gained a lot in the past two years.

Not only have he mastered the two secret techniques he had previously cultivated, but he has also refined his meridians through more than a dozen tempering sessions to the point where they can withstand a small amount of metal energy without being damaged.

This cleared a major obstacle for him to formally switch to practicing the "Golden Cauldron Mystic Art" later.

Meanwhile, under his tireless nurturing, the Silver Lightning Python, through the slow digestion of century-old spiritual herbs, finally accumulated its cultivation to the peak of a first-tier demon beast.

Having reached this point, it would take at least several more years for it to break through by gradually accumulating experience.

However, the three-hundred-year-old Dragon Blood Ginseng that Zhou Chun had previously obtained was enough to save it this hard work.

On this day, Zhou Chun summoned the Silver Lightning Python, which was cultivating on the mountain, to the courtyard.

"Bai Bai, you must do your best this time and succeed in breaking through."

In the courtyard, Zhou Chun gently stroked the white forehead of the Silver Lightning Python, and under its expectant gaze, fed it the Dragon Blood Ginseng.

After swallowing the Dragon Blood Ginseng, it immediately coiled up on the dragon-shaped pillar that Zhou Chun had specially built for it in the courtyard, and slowly fell asleep to digest the powerful medicinal properties contained in the Dragon Blood Ginseng.

The rock tortoise, which was also lying in the yard, saw this scene and couldn't help but feel envious.

It actually reached the first-order limit much earlier than the Silver Lightning Python.

However, due to its bloodline, it couldn't break through and advance like the Silver Lightning Python by consuming powerful elixirs.

Or rather, one needs to consume certain elixirs containing special powers in order to break through and advance.

Zhou Chun hasn't had time to find a spiritual object for it to break through and advance, so it can only follow Zhou Chun's teachings and try to develop new applications for its innate spells and explore its potential in this area.

"You don't need to be envious, Stone. Once Bai Bai successfully breaks through, we'll be stronger and better able to find the spiritual items you need for your breakthrough."

"Don't worry, no matter what, I will never give up on you."

Seemingly noticing the envy in the rock tortoise's eyes, Zhou Chun turned around and comforted the spirit pet.

Zhou Chun was not a fickle person; moreover, since Yan Tu Gui had followed him, he had saved his life many times and helped him a great deal, making him a true meritorious veteran.

He certainly wouldn't treat this old fellow unfairly; he would do everything in his power to help him get promoted.

Since it was anticipated that the Silver Lightning Python would need a considerable amount of time to successfully advance, Zhou Chun instructed the Rock Tortoise to take good care of the house before leaving his residence to go to the Zhongping Hall to work.

Upon entering the Zhongping Hall, the Vajra Monkey, who had already taken up his post as the guardian spirit beast, immediately bowed and greeted him.

After more than two years of training by the Green Wood Spirit Ape, the old monkey's old monkey habits have been changed a lot. Now it has become enlightened and understands the importance of pleasing humans.

Zhou Chun would also give it pointers when he had time, helping it to better develop and utilize its innate magical power.

Of course, [Qingmu Lingyuan] provided more guidance in this area; he is the true master in this field.

At this moment, Zhou Chun nodded slightly to the old monkey and began to look at the documents that the copyist had arranged and placed on the desk.

Recently, the Wang family sent a letter proposing to hold a new round of joint martial arts competition among the five major cultivation families. It seems they intend to have the Zhou family organize this event.

This was originally a great thing, a recognition of the Zhou family's strength.

However, the Zhou family's current situation is somewhat awkward.

There are almost no talented people in the youth group under the age of thirty. The highest-ranking person is only at the eighth level of Qi Refining!

However, among the elite group under sixty years old, the Zhou family has many cultivators who can compete for the top ten.

However, because the Zhou family's performance last time was too outstanding, the He family, Sun family and other families all expressed that they should restrict the Zhou family cultivators' spirit pets from participating in the competition, otherwise they would not participate in this martial arts competition.

However, if spirit pets are restricted from participating in the competition, it will be very difficult for the Zhou family's cultivators to achieve any good results.

Therefore, Zhou Chun did not agree for the time being, and planned to hold a martial arts competition within the clan first to test the strength of these clansmen.

"Well, those first-tier magic artifacts I discarded are pretty useless anyway, so I'll take out a few as prizes!"

Zhou Chun stroked his chin and thought for a moment, and soon came up with an idea for the rewards of the martial arts event.

Now, the clan leader Zhou Daoyi is focused on cultivation and no longer cares about clan affairs. He can't be bothered unless it's something extremely important.

Such matters as clan martial arts competitions need not be disturbed by him.

So after Zhou Chun had prepared the prizes, he notified all the clansmen who met the participation requirements to prepare.

Several days later, on the day the event began, Zhou Chun and several elders arrived at the scene.

Before the contestants officially took to the stage to compete, Zhou Chun, the deputy clan chief, also gave a speech.

"Fellow clansmen, the purpose of this martial arts competition is to test your cultivation results and let the clan leaders see your abilities."

"Therefore, you must not harbor any selfish thoughts, but must do your utmost."

"Those who perform exceptionally well today will receive a reward from the family."

After a brief speech, at Zhou Chun's signal, the fourth elder, Zhou Jiarui, who was acting as the referee, went up on stage and began calling out names to invite people to come on stage.

Among the people participating in today's martial arts competition, there were many acquaintances of Zhou Chun.

His peers, such as his third sister Zhou Zhengjing, eighth brother Zhou Zhengtao, and tenth brother Zhou Zhengyong, were all participants in this elite group.

The weakest among them was at least at the tenth level of the Qi Refining stage, and they had all cultivated first-grade high-quality demonic beasts and spirit pets, making them relatively strong among cultivators of the same realm.

There are also some cultivators of the "family" generation who, before the age of sixty, have cultivated to the tenth or eleventh level of the Qi Refining stage.

"Given the current situation, if a joint martial arts competition is indeed held, our Zhou family can only focus on the elite group. If even one person from the youth group can make it into the top ten, we'll at least save face!"

In the audience, Zhou Jiapeng, the newly appointed sixth elder of the Zhou family, looked at the Zhou family cultivators participating in this competition and couldn't help but shake his head repeatedly, not optimistic about them at all.

He also participated in the elite group's martial arts competition last time and even made it into the top ten.

Therefore, he undoubtedly has a lot to say on this matter.

"Actually, this is normal. According to the rules of these families, the martial arts competition held every ten years or so is almost impossible for any family to perform well twice in a row."

Zhou Chun spoke calmly about her opinion, saying she had nothing to regret.

A family of cultivators might be able to produce cultivators at the Purple Mansion level and Foundation Establishment level in every generation.

However, it is unrealistic to expect a new generation of outstanding individuals under the age of sixty or thirty to emerge every ten years or so.

This is also why several cultivation families would jointly organize such martial arts competitions.

Since no family can always excel, everyone has a chance to stand out, which makes participation meaningful.

That being said, the elders still felt somewhat uncomfortable at the thought that their family might be at the bottom.

The Third Elder, Zhou Daoquan, couldn't help but chime in, "Actually, it was just that our Zhou family happened to be in the wrong place at the right time. If it were a few decades earlier, before we came to Jingguo, it wouldn't have been difficult for a few cultivators under the age of thirty to reach the tenth level of the Qi Refining stage every ten years or so."

"If it had been twenty years later, by the time the younger generation of the family had grown up, they would be able to shoulder responsibilities and take on important duties!"

That's as good as saying nothing at all.

Decades ago, the Zhou family would never have looked down on small families like the Wang and He families; they were not even in the same league!

Therefore, the other high-ranking members of the Zhou family, including Zhou Chun, could only smile wryly at this moment.

He didn't respond to that.

I know the recent chapters have been a bit scattered, but this is, after all, a family-based cultivation novel. Without these elements, it's like a soup without scallions—it just doesn't taste right! As for the inclusion of other family geniuses, which some readers are concerned about, that's definitely going to happen. However, this book is still in its early stages; the protagonist has only recently taken power. I need to ensure you're familiar with him and don't let his presence become too prominent. Once the protagonist's presence is established enough that you can tolerate him not appearing for two or three chapters, then we can introduce the supporting family characters. This is a necessary hierarchy; after all, few authors can handle a multitude of characters without a super-powerful figure! Also, tomorrow's chapter will be much more exciting! The clan leader will break through, the Azure Cloud Python will transform into a dragon, and the protagonist will successfully switch cultivation techniques. These are all things to look forward to!

(End of this chapter)