Beast Taming: I Have an Immortal Mansion-Chapter 76: Faint Ripples

The moment the wisps of Gold Spirit Power entered the Immortal Mansion, they were instantly devoured by the Immortal Mansion Space. No matter how much poured in, it swallowed it all.

This was Gold Spirit Power at the Nascent Soul Origin Level, its quality countless times greater than that of first-tier Spirit Wood and other spiritual materials. As the Immortal Mansion Space continuously absorbed the Gold Spirit Power, Fang Qingyuan could even feel his comprehension of the Path of the Metal Element deepening.

Fang Qingyuan’s Metal Spirit Root aptitude had originally been his worst. Now, nourished by this Nascent Soul Level origin power, it seemed his Metal Spirit Root could overtake the others and, in a single leap, become the strongest of his five Spirit Roots.

An hour later, with most of his spiritual energy depleted, Fang Qingyuan decided to quit while he was ahead. He stopped absorbing the Gold Spirit Power that was entrenched in his lungs.

Closing his eyes to perceive it again, Fang Qingyuan discovered that the Gold Spirit Power, which had felt as vast as an ocean to his senses, had now diminished ever so slightly.

It wasn’t much, but after a quick estimation, a look of joy spread across Fang Qingyuan’s face. Previously, only the little bear cub could absorb this Gold Spirit Power. But now, with his Immortal Mansion drawing it out, he wouldn’t need a hundred years. In just seven or eight years, he could escape the terrible fate of being blown apart from the inside.

Furthermore, after just that brief period of absorption, Fang Qingyuan took out a Magical Artifact to test himself and discovered that his Metal Spirit Root aptitude had already risen by two points.

His current aptitudes were: Wood at twenty-seven, Earth at twenty-one, Water at sixteen, Fire at thirteen, and Metal was now twelve.

’Two points in just one hour... this Nascent Soul Level Gold Spirit Power is incredibly nourishing.’ However, this resource was originally left for the little bear cub by the underground Nascent Soul Giant Beast, and now he had hijacked it.

Looking at the small bear cub in his hands, Fang Qingyuan felt no guilt about this whatsoever. ’A Spirit Beast is nice, but I have to put myself first.’

’Besides, this little cub has the Innate Divine Technique of Swallowing Gold and Chewing Iron. It can just eat metal-based spiritual materials. This Gold Spirit Qi is far too refined and soft—it wouldn’t be good for sharpening the little one’s teeth. I suppose I’ll just have to take on this burden myself.’

At this thought, Fang Qingyuan laughed heartily. He gave the area one last look, then summoned his Magic Sword, soaring into the sky and heading back toward his small courtyard.

...

Back at his home, Yinbao was still snoring away, fast asleep. Fang Qingyuan went over for a look and discovered that the ten-day supply of food he had left for it was long gone.

Looking at the blissfully sleeping Yinbao, Fang Qingyuan, who was in a good mood, decided not to give it any trouble. Normally, for devouring ten days of rations in just three or four days, he would have made it skip at least two meals as punishment.

Upon entering his Quiet Chamber, Fang Qingyuan thought for a moment before linking his consciousness to the Immortal Mansion. He placed the little bear cub inside and fashioned a cozy little nest for it.

The bedding was a piece of high-grade fur, and beside it, he placed a bowl of Golden Jade Flower Honey for the cub to eat when it got hungry.

After instructing the Bee Queen to keep a careful watch and not to disturb the cub, Fang Qingyuan finally relaxed, lay down on his bed, and drifted into a deep sleep.

The past few days underground had been difficult to endure, with the immense pressure and Geomagnetic Power. On top of that, he had encountered a Nascent Soul Giant Beast—and a paranoid one that wasn’t quite dead enough, at that. Dealing with it all so carefully had taken a severe toll on his mind; he was completely exhausted.

Fang Qingyuan slept for two straight days before finally stirring. He opened his drowsy eyes, and the first thing he did was send his consciousness into the Immortal Mansion to check on the little bear cub.

He saw the little cub curled up, sleeping soundly while nestled in the thick fur. Only then did Fang Qingyuan’s heart settle.

The Immortal Mansion was far safer than the outside world. Fang Qingyuan had been worried that some accident might befall the little creature while he was unconscious. A cub that was only a few days old probably couldn’t even win a fight against a stray cat.

The more powerful a species, the weaker its offspring are at birth. The calves of antelopes and wildebeests can run like the wind just hours after they are born.

The cubs of lions and tigers, however, are born with their eyes sealed shut. This is because antelopes and wildebeests cannot effectively protect their young, whereas apex predators like lions and tigers have no such concerns.

Although the little bear cub was currently weak, its growth rate was astonishing. In just two days, it had already grown a full size larger than when it was born.

Setting aside thoughts of the cub for the moment, Fang Qingyuan was getting a headache from Yinbao’s racket outside. Having polished off ten days’ worth of food in three, the beast was now whining and grunting for more now that it saw he was back.

Fang Qingyuan figured that if he hadn’t come back, Yinbao would have been fine; at worst, it would have just endured hunger for seven or eight days. But now that it had seen him, it refused to suffer the indignity of an empty stomach.

’Ah, forget it. It’s the Spirit Beast I chose. A good appetite is a blessing, and eating more will help it advance sooner. Spirit Beasts need to eat a lot and sleep a lot to grow. Yinbao isn’t a glutton; it’s just extraordinarily talented.’

Fang Qingyuan consoled himself with this thought, then pulled out a large handful of dried fish and stuffed it into Yinbao’s mouth. Watching Yinbao’s beady eyes narrow with happiness, Fang Qingyuan stepped onto its back and said,

"Hurry up and eat. When you’re done, we’re heading to the Scripture Pavilion at Celestial Gate Mountain."

Fang Qingyuan wanted to go to the Scripture Pavilion to look up some information. Tianshan Villa had been established here for a century and had amassed a vast collection of books. He hoped to find records pertaining to the war of expansion from that era.

Having seen the corpse of the Nascent Soul Giant Beast underground and obtained its cub—a posthumous child from that long-ago war of expansion—Fang Qingyuan was worried there might be hidden troubles down the road.

Knowing more of the inside story would help guide his future actions. Besides, opportunities could be hidden in the details.

When they arrived at the Scripture Pavilion, Yinbao was still chewing. Fang Qingyuan paid it no mind, placing it in the Beast Cage before entering the pavilion himself.

The moment Fang Qingyuan stepped inside, he saw Jiang Kui. She was sitting cross-legged on the floor, lost in thought as she held a jade slip.

Fang Qingyuan was delighted to see Jiang Kui. With this resident expert who practically lived in the Scripture Pavilion, he wouldn’t have to waste time searching for the records himself.

Ever since the Elder Dean’s death, Senior Sister Jiang had stopped getting involved in the affairs of Tianshan Villa. She spent her days either holed up in the Scripture Pavilion or cultivating in seclusion at her own residence.

She led a truly reclusive life. As a Core Disciple, Jiang Kui should have been shouldering some responsibilities, but—perhaps out of guilt—Lechuan never forced her to take on any duties.

And so, a Core Disciple ended up whiling away her days in the Scripture Pavilion. This was how even Fang Qingyuan and Zhang Yuan, the two laziest Inner Sect Disciples, had gradually grown closer to her.

Fang Qingyuan waited until Jiang Kui lowered the jade slip before he approached her.

"Senior Sister Jiang, do you know where the sect keeps the records about the war of expansion from two hundred and seventy years ago?"

Hearing Fang Qingyuan’s question, the distant look in Jiang Kui’s eyes slowly came into focus. She looked at him and said,

"Oh, those records. To your left, third shelf, fourth tier. They’re the third, fourth, and sixth jade slips in the middle."

A pleased look appeared on Fang Qingyuan’s face, and he was just about to go and grab them when he heard Jiang Kui continue,

"There are also the four jade slips in the middle of the second tier on the seventh shelf, and on the tenth shelf..."

As he listened to Jiang Kui rattle off the location of one jade slip after another, Fang Qingyuan’s expression grew a little stiff. After a moment, Jiang Kui seemed to realize she had said too much. She stood up, walked over to him, and said,

"Never mind, I’ll help you find them. There are quite a lot, actually. It’s a shame no new jade slips have come in recently. I’m about to run out of reading material."

Watching Jiang Kui’s receding figure as she went to search, Fang Qingyuan considered something, but then restrained himself.

He had been tempted to ask Jiang Kui directly. He was discovering that she seemed to know everything, from the notes of a Spirit Plant Cultivator he’d sought at the very beginning, to the Vertical Earth Technique, and now the records of the war of expansion. There was apparently nothing she wasn’t familiar with.

However, Fang Qingyuan warned himself internally, ’Don’t reveal my true intentions just for a moment of convenience.’

So, Fang Qingyuan simply watched as this graceful Senior Sister bent down, searching for the jade slips for him one by one.

Her actions sent a small ripple through his heart.