Daily life of a cultivation judge-Chapter 973: Nine hearts deer
Seeing the young boy’s reaction, Yang Qing broke into a light-hearted laugh.
"I am," Yang Qing answered with a bemused expression, taking in the young boy’s reaction, who seemed skeptical about it if his facial expressions were any indicator.
"So, do you want to try or are you frightened?" Yang Qing said in a mildly goading tone and look that seemed to work perfectly.
"Mmph, who’s afraid?" the young boy said as he pumped his chest and rolled up his sleeves, boldly walking toward the podium.
When he was a few centimeters away from it, he paused briefly, turning his face from the podium to Yang Qing.
"I don’t mean to doubt you, but in case someone appears like you did and asks what I am doing. I will tell them you permitted me. I won’t lie," the young boy said, feigning a look of righteousness to hide the nervousness within, showing clearly, that he still didn’t believe Yang Qing was the judge.
After all, when looking at Yang Qing, one wouldn’t think of him as a judge. He lacked that special presence, that regal authoritative bearing that one would expect from someone who regularly decided the fates of countless.
Yang Qing had a carefree and easy-going aura to him. Then there was also the fact of his age. There was also the fact that Yang Qing didn’t look much older than him. The youth looked to be about fourteen and fifteen, and Yang Qing not spotting a beard, and with his green wavy hair, and laid-back look, he looked to be about the same age.
If he was older, the young teen assumed it wouldn’t be by much, maybe two or three years at most. He found it hard to believe that a judge would be that young, especially in an outer palace court. It was his first time here and thus wasn’t exactly an expert on the matter but Yang Qing’s visage went far beyond what he expected the judge to look like.
"So are you going to touch it or not? We have other things to handle," Yang Qing softly said pulling the young teen from his thoughts.
"You really are the judge?" asked the teen, narrowing his eyes.
"I am," Yang Qing succinctly answered, his demeanor less playful than it had been, having a little bit of solemness to it.
The teen stared at him intently trying to see through him and detect any hint of falsehood or anything that would prove Yang Qing’s words true. Eventually he gave in as he said with a defeated sigh,
"Fine, I’ll believe you," the youth pretentiously said. His insatiable curiosity couldn’t be hidden from Yang Qing’s eyes, which was likely what propelled the statement.
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Almost as if he was reaching out for something delicate, the teen stretched out his hands. When he made contact with it, his eyes instantly lit up as a change beset his body and his hair and eyes flashed briefly with four different colors. These were earthen red, blue, green, and gold-white before his hair settled back to its original color of ash grey with matching pupils.
"Explains how he has such a high cultivation base at such a young age," thought Yang Qing as he took note of the brief change in the teen.
Even without the heart steel stone, thanks to his dao and the difference in their realms, Yang Qing could tell the bone age of the teen. He was just fifteen years old, and that fifteen-year-old was a third-stage core formation cultivator. At his age, Yang Qing had been at the peak stage of the qi refinement realm making preparations to breakthrough to the foundation establishment realm.
Yes, part of the reason he took so much time was the time he took to cultivate in the body refinement realm, moving up the stages before finally acquiring the peerless jade physique. Then the time got extended when he was trying to achieve the perfect qi circulation in the qi refinement realm.
But even without all that, he had doubts if he would have reached the core formation realm as a fifteen-year-old like the youth before him, not unless he had talent that went beyond the realms of heaven-defying or if he maybe stumbled onto a heavenly treasure that could instantly give him such a leap in strength.
When he saw the teen he had been curious as to how he attained his strength and he had his suspicions as to how based on the fluctuations he released and the qualities the vigor in his blood showed, but his guesses were only confirmed when the teen’s eyes changed.
"Nine-heart deer bloodline," thought Yang Qing as he analyzed the teen who had completely forgotten Yang Qing was even there as he started frantically talking to himself about how immaculate the wood used for the podium was, and the energy it still contained and whatnot.
"With that concentration, one of his parents must be a full-blooded rainbow deer, and the other likely a human considering his current appearance," mused Yang Qing as he touched his chin thoughtfully.
The Nine heart deer was quite the unique spirit beast in that it had nine hearts though that wasn’t always the case. The bloodline would have to be extremely pure for the deer to have nine hearts. Each of the hearts gave the deer an attunement to an element. They were a representation of an element.
Thus a pure-blooded nine heart deer with all nine hearts unlocked would have an affinity with water, fire, earth, wood, metal, wind, lightning, and yin and yang elements. It would be able to freely control and manipulate said energies thanks to its heart.
Of course, its control over said energies was up to a point otherwise it would hands down be one of the most powerful spirit beasts around. It couldn’t compare to a phoenix when it came to the manipulation of fire, it could not compare to a roc when it came to the manipulation of wind, it could not compare to a black tortoise or kunpeng when it came to the manipulation of water, it could not compare to a white tiger in the manipulation of metal.
It fell short of said creatures, and not only them but even a certain caliber of cultivators who were experts in the individual fields. If one was to rank its skills with said elements it would be at a slightly above average standard. But even then, being able to freely manipulate nine elements made it a force to reckon with, especially when one considered how it could freely combine them even provided it had enough training. The versatility it had was what made it dangerous and also the fact that it would be able to survive death at least nine times thanks to its nine hearts that not only granted it mastery over nine elements but also gave it nine lives.
Of course, in front of a truly powerful cultivator having nine hearts meant nothing, if said cultivator was powerful enough to obliterate its entire body in an instant. It was still a worthwhile life-saving ability to have nonetheless.
Sadly though nine lives never seemed enough for their species. Just like the crystal heart glazed physique where its users were hunted down because consuming their hearts would provide insights on how to break through to the domain realm, an almost similar situation occurred with the hearts of the nine hearts deer. Consuming their heart would improve one’s understanding of the element imbued in that particular heart.
The hearts of nine hearts deer were considered to be the best natural tonics for breaking bottlenecks when it came to delving into the profound mysteries of the elemental dao, as such they are hunted down with avaricious greed by cultivators all around, and even their fellow spirit beasts since their hearts have been known to purify the bloodline of a few of them.
Bolin, the rainbow mist toad, a new addition to his team, was one such spirit beast. If he was to consume the hearts of the nine hearts deer, his abilities would skyrocket to an astronomical level, especially if he consumed the yin, water, and wood-related hearts which were the core of his inherent abilities.
Yang Qing couldn’t help but sigh as he thought back to the contents of the scroll. It had not mentioned that a nine hearted deer was involved, but now the contents of that scroll made sense.
"Hopefully it is a matter that will be easily resolved," thought Yang Qing, his expression turning slightly as he pictured the likely scenarios and none of them pretty.
"Are you satisfied," Yang Qing asked, pulling the young teen from his reverie.
"Sorry," the young teen said as he smiled sheepishly reluctantly pulling his hand away from the podium.
"Are you a craftsman?" Yang Qing curiously asked. The interest the young teen had shown didn’t seem to be just because of the quality of the material.
"I try to be," the young teen said as he rubbed the back of his head, looking slightly embarrassed.
"Without anyone to judge, I don’t know if I could be considered one. But I enjoy doing it, it’s a good way to pass the time," he added with a glow in his eyes.
"When we are done here, maybe you can show me some pieces. Who knows I may even buy a few,"
"Really?’" the young teen asked in an excited state.
"Yes," Yang Qing said with a warm smile before he turned solemn an instant later.
"But before that, we have something to discuss. Its concerning the matter you brought before the Order,"
The young teen’s look instantly turned downcast, as a multitude of emotions flashed in his eyes, from worry to anger to helplessness, to loneliness, to hope before worry overrode the other emotions.
"Okay," the young teen said as he clenched his fists.
"Let’s go some place else," Yang Qing said as he waved his sleeves, triggering an array beneath them that transported them to his chambers.
