Beast Taming Clan: I Have a Jade Book Chapter 1056 - 737: Azure Fox Shadow, Spatial Node

Even though it was the dead of night at Chixia Ridge, the air remained stiflingly warm.

A gentle breeze swept through, surprisingly carrying a hint of heat, which inexplicably nudged at one's temper.

Ye Jing Hu cautiously made his way through the winding mountain paths, his initial surge of excitement having long since dissipated.

In its place was a growing sense of incredulity.

He had believed his preparations were sufficient, yet he couldn't shake the possibility that this might be a Teleportation Array that had been tampered with by a Demon Saint.

He cast another glance at the Spirit Disc, which mapped the movements around the Shadow Wood Puppet. No anomalies were detected.

The Spirit Disc remained as placid as ever; occasionally, a bird would alight on the desolate, towering tree, offering no clue, no trace of a Beast Shadow, and no sign of pursuit.

Even the basic Sensing Array he had established near Half Moon Lake remained untouched and undisturbed.

This unnervingly smooth progression began to sow seeds of apprehension within him.

After a moment's deliberation, he retrieved the Clan Token that Ye Xuefan had used to contact him, rereading the family's mission directive.

The family's objective was to ascertain the presence of the Spatial Jade and, if found, to meticulously record the spatial node data contained within it.

He had now far surpassed the original scope of the mission.

The entire Teleportation Array had been secured. Although numerous components were damaged, a Tier Three Array Master would be capable of effecting repairs.

After all, the most vital element of any Teleportation Array was the Spatial Jade itself.

Once the Teleportation Array was operational again, the link between the Ye Family's Desert Sea and the Yan Kingdom's Cultivation Realm would be re-established, clearing the path for the Ye Family's ambitious future expansion plans.

Ye Jing Hu couldn't help but reflect on his past oversights, a creeping unease returning, akin to a persistent Heart Demon.

Faint whispers seemed to echo in his ears.

Taking two deep, steadying breaths, he re-examined every detail of the day and the preceding half-month.

Finally, he activated the Clan Token once more, relaying these subtle concerns to Ye Xuefan and Ye Jingcheng.

He knew he had exercised extreme caution, yet a nagging worry persisted that he might have overlooked something crucial.

This particular day on Chixia Ridge had been eerily tranquil.

He resolved to alter his immediate course, heading towards a more secluded sector of Chixia Ridge.

Within that area lay the location of a Tier Three Blood Flame Crystal Vein.

"Blast Array!"

"Void Destruction Jade!"

Moments later, the Clan Token pulsed with incoming messages from Ye Xuefan and Ye Jingcheng.

A long, relieved sigh escaped Ye Jing Hu's lips upon seeing them.

While his own certainty remained somewhat shaky, the burden of decision-making now fell to others!

He felt assured that no errors would be made.

A Tier Three Spirit Jade materialized in his palm.

The creation of Spatial Jade is an exceedingly intricate process, demanding mastery of a Tier Five Array, achievable only by Nascent Soul Cultivators, and requiring the precise mapping of complex spatial nodes.

Nonetheless, the spatial node information housed within the Spatial Jade could be successfully transcribed using a Spirit Jade.

Armed with this spatial node data, any Nascent Soul Cultivator would possess the capability to refine a Spatial Jade that could interface with the Ye Family’s Desert Sea Teleportation Array.

However, before this could be realized, the Ye Family would need to secure the assistance of a Nascent Soul Cultivator to forge the Spatial Jade, thereby establishing a completely new Teleportation Array.

This process would inevitably reveal information regarding the Desert Sea Teleportation Array.

Nevertheless, the Ye Family planned to establish two additional Teleportation Arrays: one at the Desert Sea and another within the Taihang Mountain Range.

Ensuring the flawless execution of the initial transmission was of paramount importance.

Ye Jing Hu swiftly reached a mountain known as Red Peak, its entirety adorned with vibrant Fire Maple Trees.

Although not yet the season for their full fiery display, the leaves already bore a distinct crimson hue.

Glimmering under the sparse starlight, they resembled flickering embers at the canopy's edge.

Executing a rapid descent, Ye Jing Hu employed his Earth Escape Skill, plunging into the very substance of the mountain.

He passed through dense clusters of Blood Flame Crystals.

Descending into the earth's depths.

Beneath Chixia Ridge, the geological activity was clearly abundant with Fire Veins; he could feel the intense heat radiating from the planet's core.

It was hardly surprising, then, that Blood Flame Crystals were formed in this region.

As Ye Jing Hu probed the area with his Divine Sense while traversing the Blood Flame Crystal Vein cluster, his perception barely penetrated an inch into the surrounding rock.

Content with this finding, he understood that even the formidable Divine Sense of a Demon Emperor or Demon Saint would be severely limited in its reach beneath this dense layer of Blood Flame Crystals!

With this realization solidifying his plan, he deployed the Teleportation Array, initially meticulously constructing a Concealment Array as if its genuine purpose was to hide the Teleportation Array itself.

Following the completion of the Concealment Array, he proceeded to set up a Self-Destruction Array.

The Array Disc he utilized was a Tier Two Top-Grade artifact, more than sufficient to obliterate a Teleportation Array.

After a brief period of focused thought, he produced two Chixiao Talismans and a Four-Colored Bone Fire Bead.

Now, he was truly leaving nothing to chance!

With the arrays fully established, Ye Jing Hu brought forth the Spirit Jade, commencing the crucial task of replicating the spatial node information from the Spatial Jade.

After successfully copying the node's information, he produced another Tier Three Spirit Jade, intending to duplicate the array etched within the Spatial Jade. However, the Spirit Jade soon fractured, disintegrating into a multitude of crystalline shards. Ye Jing Hu remained unperturbed. Inability to replicate the array was the norm; success would have been the anomaly! Following this initial failure, he attempted the process two more times. Discovering that not even a fraction of the array could be reproduced, he ultimately abandoned the endeavor. As he prepared to depart, he retrieved the Space Jade. Just before initiating the destruction sequence for the Teleportation Array, a thought struck him: What if the Demon Saint or Demon Emperor, operating from the shadows, held no particular interest in the Teleportation Array itself? This possibility seemed quite plausible. After all, without the oversight of a Demon Saint or Demon Emperor, the Ye Family would have expended a Teleportation Array in vain. While other components of the Teleportation Array could be salvaged and refined by the Ye Family, the loss of the Space Jade would undoubtedly inflict immense future costs upon them. With newfound resolve, Ye Jing Hu journeyed a significant distance along the Blood Flame Crystal Vein, utilizing the Earth Escape technique. He relocated to an entirely different ore vein mountain, eventually arriving in a new Blood Flame Crystal territory. Employing a similar strategy, he erected a Concealment Array and a Self-Destruction Array around the Space Jade. Additionally, he positioned the Four-Colored Bone Fire Bead and the Chixiao Talisman nearby. Upon completing these preparations, he returned to the previous mountain and deployed a Shadow Wood Puppet. After ensuring all these measures were in place, he released two Northern Star Ladybugs. These ladybugs possessed a keen sensitivity to Spiritual Power. While often not particularly useful, their potent sensory capabilities were precisely what he required at this moment. Having made these arrangements, Ye Jing Hu did not immediately trigger the detonation. If his suspicions were correct, the Demon Emperor or Demon Saint orchestrating events behind the scenes, having deliberately left the Teleportation Array intact, would undoubtedly reappear once it was repaired. This would allow them to capture the Ye Family in a single, decisive move. However, by detonating it, he anticipated the opponent's immediate appearance. Consequently, Ye Jing Hu employed Earth Escape to tunnel underground for over half a day. Upon sensing the presence of a vast river, he decided now was the time to detonate. This river was identified as the Jade River, one of the sources of the Cyan River, which flowed directly into Taihang Commandery before merging into the Taiqing Commandery and ultimately connecting to the Cyan River. Ye Jing Hu promptly produced a Water Escape Talisman and began floating downstream along the river. Simultaneously, he activated the Array Disc he held in his hand. Ye Jing Hu commenced intently monitoring the Shadow Wood Puppet. From beneath Fire Maple Mountain, a muffled roar emanated, accompanied by flames erupting skyward. Yet, the array did not fully detonate. The presence of the Blood Flame Crystal Vein below meant the Teleportation Array absorbed the brunt of the violent Spiritual Power, preventing the destruction of the Blood Flame Crystal itself. In response to the roar, numerous Three-Eyed Demon Rocs converged on the area. These were the same Three-Eyed Demon Rocs that had been stationed at Chixia Ridge, and their numbers were not substantial, even including several young fledglings. At this moment, they circled overhead with distressed cries, clearly bewildered by the source of the commotion. Even the surrounding demon beasts not directly involved were affected. The Northern Star Ladybug quivered noticeably, evidently fearful of being preyed upon by the Three-Eyed Demon Rocs. However, these Three-Eyed Demon Rocs displayed evident concern, flying back towards their nests. They were apprehensive about potential intruders secretly entering Chixia Mountain via Chixia Ridge, as this was the central domain of the Three-Eyed Demon King, and any disturbance was unacceptable. Gradually, the sky grew quiet, the stars remained visible, and Fire Maple blazed, creating a scene of tranquil beauty. Observing this, Ye Jing Hu experienced a profound sense of peace. At this juncture, he felt that Ye Jingcheng and Ye Xuefan had perhaps been overly cautious. He placed the remaining Array Disc aside, having no intention of activating it again. But in the very next moment, he witnessed the Northern Star Ladybug explode. Simultaneously, a figure clad in cyan descended from the void. The individual was adorned in a cyan fox fur robe, reminiscent of the female cultivator on Taiyi Illusion Peak who displayed a pronounced fondness for fox fur embellishments. Upon closer inspection, however, it became apparent that this was unmistakably an elderly woman. This revelation sent a wave of panic through Ye Jing Hu. He hastily activated the remaining arrays, a chilling sensation prickling his skin. This was, without a doubt, a Nascent Soul Demon Emperor! Ye Jing Hu was unfamiliar with the Qingqiu Fox Race or the Fox Saint, but from his perspective, a Demon Emperor represented an insurmountable obstacle. In that moment, he was once again confronted with the brutal realities of the Cultivation Realm and the pervasive nature of schemes. Had he not sought counsel from Ye Jingcheng and Ye Xuefan on two separate occasions, he might still be harboring a misguided sense of complacency regarding the recovery of the Teleportation Array.

Unbeknownst to him, however, at least one Demon Emperor had already meddled with the Teleportation Array.

As for whether Spatial Jade had been arranged, Ye Jing Hu wouldn't dare to gamble any further.

Thus, he simply detonated it at once, fearing that any further delay might lead to him being intercepted.

Fortunately, he had previously gauged the distance to be sufficiently far.

At this very moment, Ye Jing Hu could only perceive the Spirit Disc instantly becoming a blur.

Indeed, the Shadow Wood Puppet had been detected.

It had exploded into pieces.

Daring not to linger, Ye Jing Hu promptly produced a Tier Three Water Escape Talisman, accelerating his flight towards Taihang Commandery.

"Perhaps I should venture into the mortal realm and assume the role of a merchant, to train and gain experience..." While enveloped in the Escape Light, Ye Jing Hu's heart was a tempest of emotions, encompassing gratitude, defeat, and a newfound courage born from recognizing his shame.

After much deliberation, he decided against immediate seclusion. After all, even those possessing a Celestial Spirit Root, an Abnormal Spirit Root, or even a Spirit Body had been known to fail in breaking through to the Purple Mansion realm. If his mindset wasn't sufficiently honed, he risked becoming the first in the Ye Family to falter at this crucial stage.

Such an outcome would be an immense disgrace to the Abnormal Spirit Root lineage.

Furthermore, the Ye Family was unlikely to arrange the Teleportation Array anytime in the near future. His most critical objective now was to temper his mindset and successfully achieve the Purple Mansion breakthrough!

Only then would he await the family's arrangements.

Immediately thereafter, a thought struck Ye Jing Hu, prompting him to retrieve a Jade Talisman. He proceeded to meticulously record the events of the day, along with those of the preceding fortnight.

Ye Jingcheng had once employed this very method for self-improvement. He resolved to follow suit, believing that through dedicated introspection, immense gains would surely follow!

...