Chapter 1, Dragon Claw Huai
The disciple with the surname Xue also felt that he was a bit fanciful. The fact that this snow fox could escape was likely just a coincidence. He smiled and said, "Senior Brother Xu is right; it is indeed impossible for the snow fox to possess intelligence. However, it is undeniable that it has shed its tail. In any case, let's catch it first and then send it to the inner sect elder for identification"
A small white shadow darted along the ground, standing out vividly among the lush green mountains and forests. It quickly dashed to the outside of the Spirit Beast Academy, scurrying back and forth at the base of the wall, appearing to have no way to escape
Xu Zhi turned his head to look at the back of Xie Danzhu, sighed slightly, and thought: "It is said that Danzhu was abandoned by her biological parents when she was just a few months old, and was adopted by a family with the surname Xie in Shitian Town, Wufengyi. Master Xue, who oversees the selection of inner disciples, mentioned that Danzhu's three souls and seven spirits show signs of having been frightened, indicating that she must have experienced great terror in her infancy, resulting in damage to her soul. Such a person could never cultivate to the third level of the Central Realm; I fear she may not even reach the first level of the Heroic Spirit Realm."
The sound of hurried footsteps approached, and two disciples from the Spirit Beast Academy arrived. One of them had a black-cloaked iron-claw hawk draped over his shoulder. The iron-claw hawk is a second-tier spirit beast, used for hunting, and can be considered a natural enemy of lower-tier spirit beasts such as the snow fox.
The senior brother Xu Zhi, who oversees the Spirit Tool Workshop, holds a favorable view of Xie Danzhu. Among the ten new outer disciples assigned to the Spirit Tool Workshop this year, Xie Danzhu stands out as the most exceptional. Not only is Xie Danzhu skilled and resourceful, but he is also hardworking and eager to learn. In just six months, he has been able to independently craft low-grade spirit tools. Xu Zhi has been at the Spirit Tool Workshop on Zixia Mountain for twenty years and has never encountered such a bright and studious young person.
Only outer disciples must serve for three years before they can be taught the first level of the Soul Refinement technique. Moreover, outer disciples are required to engage in heavy labor, leaving them with little time for cultivation. Furthermore, their innate qualifications are often lacking. Therefore, over the past thousand years since the establishment of Zixia Mountain, very few outer disciples have been promoted to inner disciples.
Of course, this is impossible. I have only heard that ancient trees that have attained a certain level of spiritual essence can transform into spirits to roam, but their true forms must remain rooted in place. Who has ever seen a tree walk or relocate? Even if Zixia Mountain is filled with various wonders, it cannot be so. Therefore, it must be a coincidence that there are indeed two identical Dragon Claw Sophora trees in the world, much like identical twins among humans. The senior brothers from the Spirit Tool Workshop also mentioned that there was originally a Dragon Claw Sophora tree here. However, Xie Danzhu still wants to verify this and wishes to return home to see the Dragon Claw Sophora tree in his family's backyard. The outer disciples of Zixia Mountain have the opportunity to return home once a year to visit their families. He has been in the mountain gate for nearly a year now, and in another half month, he can apply to return home. I wonder how his father, elder brother, and younger sister are doing?
The leader bowed to Xu Zhi and asked, "Brother Xu, have you seen a fleeing purple-eyed snow fox?"
The creation of spiritual artifacts is arduous. Out of the twelve hours in a day, six are spent in the workshop carving wood and inscribing talismanic arrays. Although it is manual labor, sitting and working like this every day not only causes calluses on the hands but also leads to calluses on the backside. For the fifteen-year-old Xie Danzhu, this is truly a source of great frustration. It is only when she sees the spiritual artifacts she has crafted—such as the spiritual kite, spiritual crane, spiritual horse, and spiritual ox—transform into living beings after being embedded with bronze crystal stones that she feels a sense of novelty.
The dragon-claw locust tree is located on the left side of the front yard of the spirit tool workshop. Whenever Xie Danzhu looks up while crafting spirit tools inside the workshop, he can see the green, umbrella-like dragon-claw locust tree outside the window. Every branch and leaf of this tree evokes a sense of familiarity in him, leading him to suspect that the dragon-claw locust tree from his family's backyard has followed him here.
Another person, instead of Xie Danzhu, replied: "Not only that, I will soon reach the Central Realm, and the inner disciples are stable."
Xu Zhi led several disciples from the Spirit Beast Academy into the Spirit Tool Workshop to search for the purple-eyed snow fox, while asking: "Junior Brother Xue, how could a young fox escape when your Spirit Beast Academy has a talisman array in place?"
Laughter erupted from the crowd
Xie Danzhu was unaware of the method for refining the Yingpo. He only knew that after reaching the first level of cultivation, one's physical strength and speed would increase exponentially. He thought to himself, "If I strengthen my body a bit more now, and then refine it into the Yingpo realm, my strength and speed will double. Wouldn't that be even more formidable? The starting point is crucial, just like a baby; even if it multiplies its strength tenfold, how much power can it really have?"
The Three Realms of Soul Concentration are: the Realm of Life Soul, the Realm of Earth Soul, and the Realm of Heaven Soul
Thinking of this, Xu Zhi truly felt a pang of sympathy. The dreams of youth shattered, the arduous efforts yielding no reward; how disappointed Dan Zhu must have been at that time. However, this is an unavoidable reality. Even among the inner disciples, how many can break through the seventh realm of refining the soul to reach the third realm of soul condensation? The vast majority will age and perish just like the outer disciples
Upon reaching the first level of the Spirit Realm, the body's strength and speed will double compared to before. For instance, if the original physical strength is five jun (where one jun equals thirty jin), then after attaining the Spirit Realm, it will suddenly increase to ten jun. The speed will also increase exponentially. If one can cultivate to the seventh level of the Heavenly Surge Realm, at that time, the seven spirits will coalesce, resulting in astonishing changes in physical constitution. Not only will strength, speed, and agility be a hundred times that of an ordinary person, but the five senses—sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch—will also far exceed those of an ordinary individual.
The disciples of the Spirit Tool Workshop finally realized that it was a Purple-Eyed Snow Fox. The Purple-Eyed Snow Fox is a second-tier spirit beast, and an adult one is valued at 400 low-grade bronze crystals. However, this particular Purple-Eyed Snow Fox has a short tail, indicating that it is not yet mature. An adult Purple-Eyed Snow Fox possesses a beautiful, large tail.
Although Elder Zixia Mountain deemed Xie Danzhu unsuitable for cultivation and unqualified to become an inner sect disciple, she did not lose heart. The six hours of crafting each day were already quite exhausting, and the other youths who came with her would collapse into sleep after their work. However, Xie Danzhu still dedicated half an hour each morning and evening to rigorous practice, focusing solely on enhancing her physical strength and speed
At dusk, after finishing dinner, groups of disciples from the Spirit Tool Workshop gathered on the high platform at the workshop entrance, chatting and laughing as they watched the purple clouds at sunset and the weary birds returning to their nests, enjoying the rare leisure time of the day. At this moment, Xie Danzhu happened to return from her workout, drenched in sweat.
The disciple with the surname Xue shook his head repeatedly and said, "Senior Brother Xu, you do not know, this snow fox is extremely cunning. Moreover, for some reason, it can actually shed its long tail and transform it into a short one, making us mistakenly believe it is still immature, so we did not sell it. A snow fox can be sold after six years of domestication. Over the years, batches of snow foxes have been sold, but this cunning snow fox has remained in the Spirit Beast Academy. Junior Sister Yun discovered something was amiss with this snow fox three years ago and has been keeping a close watch on it. Yesterday, she found that it had once again shed its long tail for a short one. We intended to capture it, but unexpectedly, this cunning creature took advantage of the moment when the talisman array was being changed and the spirit stones were replaced, escaping during the lapse of the restrictions. I suspect this snow fox may have already developed spiritual intelligence."
The selection of disciples at Zixia Mountain occurs once every five years, with fifty individuals chosen each time. Among them, the number of inner disciples does not exceed ten. Therefore, even the outer disciples of Zixia Mountain are the aspirations of over twenty thousand young men and women from the eight counties and sixty-four towns of Zixia. However, once they enter the mountain, their horizons broaden, leading to higher pursuits. Watching those selected as inner disciples, each one appearing as if they are the favored of heaven, Xie Danzhu cannot help but feel a sense of loss. Possessing abilities far beyond the ordinary, the power to fly and traverse the earth, and even the prospect of immortality has been his dream since childhood. Yet, the daily toil and hard work seem so distant from those lofty, passionate dreams.
Xu Zhi replied: "There is a snow fox that has escaped into the courtyard of the Spirit Tool Workshop. Several of you come with me—"
Upon first seeing this Dragon Claw Sophora, Xie Danzhu felt very strange: how could the Dragon Claw Sophora on Zixia Mountain be exactly the same as the one in his family's backyard
Xu Zhizheng sighed, suddenly hearing a cacophony of shouts coming from the Spirit Beast Institute. The noise grew louder, approaching the Spirit Tool Workshop. Xu Zhi and the others all stretched their necks to look south. The Spirit Beast Institute is located in the valley to the south of Zixia Mountain and serves as a place for the training of spirit beasts.
As for the higher realms above the three realms of soul condensation, such as Soul Pill, Soul Infant, the Great Tribulation of Wind and Fire, and the True Nature of Life Soul, Xie Danzhu did not consider them at all. Those concepts were simply too ethereal; what use is it to aim too high and far? His current goal is to cultivate to the third realm of soul refining—Central Realm. This is because there is a rule in Zixia Mountain that if outer disciples can reach the Central Realm, they can be promoted to inner disciples, allowing them to focus on cultivation without the burden of miscellaneous tasks. His current goal is to cultivate to the third realm of soul refining—Central Realm. This is because there is a rule in Zixia Mountain that if outer disciples can reach the Central Realm, they can be promoted to inner disciples, allowing them to focus on cultivation without the burden of miscellaneous tasks
... ...
Xie Danzhu ignored the sarcastic remarks of these people, walking past with a frown, secretly vowing: "I must become an inner disciple to show these people."
The lower the level of the spirit beast, the more difficult it is to cultivate, much like outer disciples with poor aptitude, who may spend ten years in cultivation but achieve less than others do in just one year
Xu Zhi was originally an inner sect disciple, but after many years of being unable to break through to the third level of the Central Realm, he was assigned to the outer sect to oversee the Spirit Tool Workshop
The elder brother Xu Zhi, who is over fifty, reproached the disciples who mocked Xie Danzhu, saying: "Alright, alright, we are all experienced individuals, so let us refrain from sarcastic remarks. Danzhu is a very good child."
Therefore, Xie Danzhu trains very diligently, in order to one day soar to great heights
Initially, the other nine youths who joined the Spirit Tool Workshop also trained alongside Xie Danzhu. However, the daytime crafting was too exhausting, and they all gave up after just a few days. Only Xie Danzhu continued to persevere, running with a heavy load on the mountain path to the right of the workshop every morning and evening, day after day, regardless of wind or rain
The disciple who had spoken mockingly replied awkwardly: "Senior Brother, your admonition is indeed correct. In those years, we were filled with fantasies, dreaming of becoming inner disciples or achieving immortality. However, after more than a decade, all those fantasies have vanished, and we are left to honestly remain in the outer sect, crafting tools."
Above the Seven Realms of Refining the Soul lies the Three Realms of Condensing the Soul, which possess the miraculous ability to defy fate. After condensing the Heavenly Soul, one’s lifespan can reach between 600 to 800 years. Moreover, even if one fails to condense the Soul Pill during their lifetime to extend their life, their soul will not dissipate after death. If fortunate, they can continue to cultivate in the Spirit Realm. Once they achieve the Dan Formation and Condensed Infant stage, they can reshape their body and be reborn. This means that those who have cultivated to the Condensed Soul Realm still have a chance of rebirth even after death, whereas ordinary mortals experience death as a complete extinguishment, where life ceases to exist, and the soul disperses, vanishing without a trace. This stark contrast highlights the significant difference between cultivators of the Condensed Soul Realm and ordinary individuals.
Xu Zhi was taken aback: "This is impossible. The Purple-Eyed Snow Fox is merely a second-level spirit beast, and it would require at least a thousand years of cultivation to possibly possess spiritual wisdom. Moreover, our Zixia Mountain has only been established for a little over a thousand years."
With a soft "whoosh," the purple-eyed snow fox vanished beneath the wall of the spirit tool workshop
Since being assigned to the Spirit Tool Workshop indicates that Xie Danzhu is not suited for cultivation, the path of cultivation is unrelated to intelligence. It depends on the quality of the soul. Only those with three souls and six spirits conducive to forming and condensing will be accepted as inner disciples and receive careful training. Outer disciples essentially serve as laborers, engaging in tasks such as taming spirit beasts, planting spirit grains, crafting spirit tools, and mining spirit ores. However, Zixia Mountain does not neglect these outer disciples. After fifteen years of entry into the mountain, outer disciples can request to return to the mundane world. At that time, Zixia Mountain will grant them a pill that cures diseases and prolongs life, said to extend their lifespan by one generation and ensure they suffer no illnesses thereafter. Furthermore, during the fifteen years in the mountain, each year they can receive at least two hundred low-grade bronze crystals. One low-grade bronze crystal can be exchanged for forty pounds of rice, totaling eight thousand pounds of rice, sufficient to sustain a family of five for a year. Besides Zixia Mountain, there are truly no other places offering such generous wages.
The cultivation of Zixia Mountain is divided into ten levels, which consist of seven realms of refining the soul and three realms of condensing the spirit. The seven realms of refining the soul are: the Heroic Soul Realm, the Essence Soul Realm, the Central Realm, the Power Soul Realm, the Qi Soul Realm, the Spiritual Wisdom Realm, and the Heavenly Charge Realm
An experienced disciple of the spirit tool workshop mocked, "Dan Zhu, have you reached the realm of the heroic soul?"
Another person said: "Yes, yes, our outer disciples lack the aptitude, and it is fundamentally impossible for us to cultivate. Xie Danzhu will eventually understand this point. I feel sorry for him as he practices every day, sweating profusely; it is all in vain and a futile effort."
At this moment, the disciples of the Spirit Beast Academy also arrived. The first few among them were disciples at the second level of the Essence Realm, running at an astonishing speed. Those who have cultivated to the Essence Realm possess four times their own strength and speed, with agility and alertness that surpass ordinary individuals. However, despite their relentless pursuit, they were unable to catch up with the juvenile purple-eyed snow fox.