Beast Taming Clan: I Have a Jade Book Chapter 6: Entering the Mountains

Situated at the farthest northern edge of the Great Yu Cultivation Realm, the Taihang Mountain Range lies within the Yan Kingdom's domain.

Layer upon layer, the peaks rise and plunge dramatically.

Legend holds that not even a Nascent Soul True Monarch has ever reached the Taihang Mountain Range's outer limits.

One should note that within this Cultivation Realm, the stages consist of: Qi Cultivation, Foundation Establishment, Purple Mansion, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Divinity Transformation!

Divinity Transformation Cultivators are able to achieve Feathered Ascension and rise to the Spirit Realm; the fact that a Nascent Soul True Monarch fails to map out the entire Taihang Mountain Range highlights its immense scale.

Of course, whispers also circulate about the overwhelmingly powerful Demon Emperors atop Jade Dragon Peak in the Taihang Mountain Range.

Ye Jingcheng had no way to confirm such tales; he simply reclined against the left side of the wooden vessel, wind roaring past his ears, while his sharp eyes pierced ahead.

Though fierce Gang Wind raged around them, it failed to touch the four travelers.

A faint Spirit Shield enveloped the wooden vessel, warding off the Gang Wind effectively.

At that instant, the Spiritual Ship soared over hill after hill, unveiling ever grander summits before their eyes.

The once-impressive Lingyun Peak now appeared unremarkable and overshadowed amid this vast mountain chain.

The Jade Ring Rat huddled close beside Ye Jingcheng.

Just as a horse exhausts itself endlessly chasing endless mountains ahead, after a full day of flight spanning countless ridges, the group finally descended to the mountain range's base as nightfall descended.

"We’ll rest here tonight and venture into the mountains come morning!" Ye Jingyu declared, meticulously scouting ahead of a modest hill.

Before long, he discovered a cave, one evidently used often by the Ye Family. After scrutinizing the branches scattered at the entrance and finding nothing amiss, Ye Jingyu guided the others within.

"Don’t disturb the branches on the ground; these are markings left by the elders!" Ye Jingyu cautioned, and the rest nodded in understanding.

The cave's interior proved remarkably dry, free of any moisture. Deeper in, several Moonlight Stones that glowed on their own illuminated the space.

With that, the cave's depths lit up clearly.

"Everyone, release your Spirit Beasts!" Ye Jingyu commanded once more, then he produced a set of Array Disc and Array Banner at the entrance, setting them up with skillful precision.

"Old Four is an Array Master too, and he's highly skilled at it!" Ye Jing Yong caught Ye Jingcheng’s intrigued look, clapped his shoulder, and elaborated.

Ye Jingcheng gave a nod, shifting his attention to Ye Jing Yong’s Flying Cloud Leopard and Cyan-Scaled Snake, noting they matched their records from the Demon Hunting Hall.

The Flying Cloud Leopard had grown substantially larger, evolving from puppy-sized to the stature of an ordinary house dog.

The Cyan-Scaled Snake's hue had merely intensified; spotting Ye Jingcheng eyeing it, Ye Jingli flushed with mild shame, especially since Ye Jingcheng still tended a Red Flame Fox, and the Jade Ring Rat outpaced his own in cultivation.

Remember, he himself was an Artifact Refiner, on par with Ye Jingcheng in generating Spirit Stones.

Ye Jingcheng remained oblivious to Ye Jingli’s private musings, focused instead on assessing the Spirit Beasts' development rates.

Deep down, this reinforced his grasp of the Ancient Book within him.

Evidently, that Spiritual Light spurred Demon Beasts' advancement, likely synergizing with the Spirit Nourishing Pill.

Reaching this realization, Ye Jingcheng resolved to conserve Spiritual Light for the Jade Ring Rat going forward; the Red Flame Fox's special talent was decent enough, and with no duplicates in the Ye Family, but the Jade Ring Rat was common among kin—too rapid progress would invite suspicion.

In short order, Ye Jingyu completed the Array setup and returned.

The four shared Beast Taming insights once again.

Naturally, they mostly sought advice from Ye Jingcheng, for though the Jade Ring Rat had filled out nicely, its faint Spiritual Light surpassed the others.

Ye Jingcheng brushed it off by citing Spirit Nourishing Pill and Spirit Fragrance, a claim backed by his Grandpa Nine, Ye Haitian.

Beyond that, he feigned complete ignorance.

After all, he was still just a Beast Taming beginner.

In return, he gleaned numerous unusual Beast Taming techniques from Ye Jing Yong and Ye Jingyu.

Besides Beast Taming matters, Ye Jingcheng quizzed Ye Jingyu on cultivation guidance.

He sat at Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer, Ye Jingyu at Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer, Ye Jing Yong at Qi Cultivation Sixth Layer, Ye Jingli at Qi Cultivation Fifth Layer; so even Ye Jingli offered valuable pointers.

Ye Jingcheng remained incredibly modest, as the trio guided him thoroughly without holding back, clarifying all the confusing aspects from before.

Deep into the night, the group of four continued their rotating night watch duties, and Ye Jingcheng handled the initial shift because he'd only managed the wooden boat for half the day.

The presence of four Spirit Beasts alongside the cave's Array made the job far from burdensome.

Since they hadn't pushed far into the mountain range, Demon Beasts were scarce, and no ordinary wild animals could breach the Array.

Once the first watch ended, Ye Jingli arrived to relieve Ye Jingcheng.

"Jingcheng, could I buy some Spirit Nourishing Pills from you? At the family's Spirit Pill price." Ye Jingli finally asked, obviously accepting Ye Jingcheng's earlier claims about Spirit Pills laced with Spirit Fragrance.

"Of course." Ye Jingcheng agreed with a nod. Per the rules for selling pills, he supplied the family at one Contribution Point, which matched one Spirit Stone.

Yet for fellow Ye Family members, each pill went for one and a half Spirit Stones, allowing him a modest gain.

"Brother Liu, I don't have a lot on hand—here's three pills for four Spirit Stones!" Ye Jingcheng handed over a Pill Bottle.

Three Spirit Nourishing Pills lay within, and as the bottle was uncorked, a rich fragrance wafted out.

Ye Jingli's face lit up with delight.

"Jingcheng, no need for excessive thanks from me. Now that I can forge Tier One Lower-grade Spiritual Artifacts, bring me the materials and I'll craft them for free!" Ye Jingli vowed excitedly.

Transaction sealed, Ye Jingcheng retreated further into the cave to gradually cultivate his technique. Known as the Li Fire Scripture, this Yellow Tier Middle Grade Cultivation Technique ranked as mediocre in the Ye Family—its progress was slow, and the Spiritual Power lacked density.

Its sole advantage lay in superior control over Fire Manipulation, ideal for aspiring Alchemy Masters or Artifact Refiners, much like Ye Jingli who practiced it too.

Li Fire Scripture's Spiritual Power flowed with intense warmth, banishing the night's mountain cold as it surged through the meridians.

After completing a single Circulation, Ye Jingcheng was drenched in sweat.

The night passed without incident, the moon faded silently, and dawn of the next day broke in a flash!

The quartet gathered once more at the cave mouth, but this time, they left the Spiritual Ship behind.

Flying held the status of a grave prohibition in the Taihang Mountain Range.

Flying Demon Beasts swarmed the area, after all, and soaring through the skies invited their attacks easily.

So the four activated Light Body Skill, holding their formation tight as they sped further into the mountains.

Leading the way dashed the pair of Flying Cloud Leopards, while the Jade Ring Rat rode atop Ye Jingcheng’s shoulder.

Here, the Jade Ring Rat's talents truly sparkled, chittering wildly at every noise with clear alarm.

Ye Jingyu would then shift their path accordingly.

In this manner, after yet another half day, a serene valley unfolded before the four.

This valley lay deeply hidden, shielded by towering peaks all around.

Lush greenery filled it, radiating tranquility.

Spotting an ideal location, Ye Jingyu started laying out defenses at the valley's entrance once again.

"This valley features a sunken spring and a small Tier One Lower Grade Spiritual Vein, perfect for drawing in plenty of Tier One Lower Grade Demon Beasts—it served as the former lair of those two Flying Cloud Leopards!" Ye Jingyu described as he worked on the setup.

With the Array fully prepared by Ye Jingyu, Ye Jing Yong marched toward the valley's interior, only for Ye Jingyu and Ye Jingcheng to halt him.

"Brother, we should scout ahead more!"