Chapter Ninety-Five: The Frosted Silver Fox

Qi Fei had learned within the city that a group was set to enter the Beast Mountain Range tonight. Most of the cultivators in these adventuring teams were temporarily assembled; though their realms and cultivation levels varied, those daring enough to venture here had at least some confidence in their own strength.

Qi Fei knew well that with his current cultivation, hunting level five or six beasts on the outskirts of the mountain range would be straightforward. Yet facing higher-level beasts, especially those with awakened intelligence and formidable physical bodies, was beyond his ability to handle. This was largely because beasts typically roamed in packs.

Adventuring teams were mostly made up of scattered cultivators, which meant unity was rare. There were schemers and those vying for beast cores. Qi Fei had long witnessed such dark, shadowy struggles back on Danxia Mountain.

Following the adventuring party along the mountain path deeper into the beast forest, every independent cultivator had to contribute a certain amount of spirit stones or beast cores as a token. The amount was small, merely a deposit. Upon returning from the mountain range, the beast cores they collectively obtained would be distributed according to the shares initially contributed.

By the time they entered the mountain range, the sun had completely dipped below the peaks. The forest was eerily silent except for the fluttering of unknown birds. The crescent moon rose in the east, casting deep shadows that added a layer of gloom to everyone’s hearts.

Suddenly, several points of red light appeared ahead, drawing closer and closer. Most of the group had gone to scout for a campsite—a spot relatively flat for rest and meals. Qi Fei was puzzled: why rush into the mountains so late at night?

He and a few others broke off from the group. Someone whispered ahead, “Ice Silver Foxes! Damn these beasts—they’re highly intelligent level five creatures. Their cores are ice-elemental, incredibly rare. Unexpectedly, we’ve encountered them. Looks like my luck’s on today’s side. Entering the mountain near the end of the month is when these beasts are most active!”

Hearing this, Qi Fei made a quick decision. These people clearly harbored ill intent—he realized his own recklessness in joining such a team on a whim. He had hoped to slip away unnoticed earlier and then take advantage of his “Immortal Execution Triple Technique” to easily handle any beasts below level seven encountered in the forest.

But these men intended to kill and seize the spoils. Qi Fei touched the healing pills hidden in his chest left by the Blood Shadow True Lord.

He shouted fiercely, “You’re courting death!”

Coldly, he flicked out several prepared throwing darts. It was clear these four had planned thoroughly to ambush him using the ice silver foxes. Qi Fei showed no mercy. From overhearing their conversation, he sensed the sudden gathering of so many ice silver foxes was no accident. Normally, such pack beasts numbered only a dozen or so at most, rarely gathering in such large numbers.

Evil deeds always bring ruin, and those who commit them must be punished.

With muffled “pfft” sounds, the four men driving the foxes suddenly stiffened, then collapsed silently into the dust. Among the encircling beasts, falling motionless meant certain death.

These ice silver foxes were clearly wild, not tamed by the four. Once the men fell, dozens of the foxes surged forward, devouring them instantly before any cries could escape. When the foxes dispersed, only piles of bones remained where the men had lain.

Scattered near the skeletons were several very old books and some fragmented pills.

Looking back, Qi Fei saw the tallest man in the adventuring group and his followers still fiercely engaged in battle with the foxes. Seeing no immediate danger around him, Qi Fei moved toward the four men’s remains to retrieve their belongings.

However, because of these men’s deaths, the area they had guarded was now entirely controlled by the ice silver foxes. Qi Fei faced the dilemma of having to confront dozens of level five beasts to retrieve the items.

Reluctant to reveal his full strength, this posed a headache.

Yet, having set his mind on it, Qi Fei would not give up halfway. He called toward his Spirit-Linked Treasure Desire, “Old Crane, help me fetch those books and pill fragments, will you?”

Old Crane’s arrival was always strange. When the Blood Shadow True Lord had passed him the Spirit-Linked Treasure Desire, he had said it was no ordinary artifact. But Qi Fei never expected that inside it lurked the spirit of a fallen powerful cultivator from the ancient Shenzhou mainland. Discovering this secret had amazed him deeply, and in recent days, Qi Fei’s actions were greatly influenced by this old man’s persuasion to focus on hunting beast cores for future alchemy.

If not for Old Crane having saved his life and helped him form his primordial spirit, Qi Fei would never have obeyed him. But now that Old Crane dwelled within him, it was at least convenient to consult him about many matters. Although Old Crane no longer had cultivation power, his mind retained vast knowledge and secrets.

Qi Fei’s request seemed reasonable, but Old Crane shook his head firmly: “If you want it, go yourself. I’ve said before, I won’t interfere in your journey of growth. You can ask me questions, but don’t expect me to fight for you. This is your own path. If you always want my help, better go hide back in Suixian and forget about ascending to the innate realm.”

Embarrassed, Qi Fei blushed slightly and said, “Alright, I’ll figure it out myself.”

After a moment, he relaxed and glanced back at the tall man and others still locked in fierce combat. Seeing they were too busy to notice him, he gripped a handful of throwing darts and strode boldly forward. Within a few breaths, he had stepped deep into the territory encircled by the ice silver foxes.

The intruder’s presence quickly rallied the foxes, who began to close in for an ambush.

Despite their numbers, Qi Fei regarded these level five beasts with disdain. Even as the foxes stirred, he did not bother unleashing his advanced Eight-Armed Wind Thunder Fist or Tiger Roar Fist techniques. Relying only on his own physical strength, he aimed carefully at their legs and feet, hurling stones one by one.

Step by step, he took down a fox. Before long, when he reached the scattered books and pills, dozens of foxes surrounding him limped and whimpered, no longer daring to approach. Though Qi Fei had not killed any outright, his strikes had clearly intimidated them.

Some of the foxes that persisted in attacking after injury were finally crippled, unable to move.

Beasts are not without instinct. Even the simplest birds and livestock fear certain things. So despite Qi Fei’s apparently non-lethal blows, the cunning and fierce foxes, lacking any sign of bloodshed, hesitated and shrank back in fear rather than attacking recklessly.

This allowed Qi Fei to easily retrieve the items he sought. Without drawing attention, he returned to where he had started. Seeing the tall man and others still battling fiercely, Qi Fei declined to assist. Instead, he examined the ancient book closely.

At first glance, the yellow cover seemed blank, but upon closer inspection, four subtle black seal script characters appeared: “Beast-Taming Treasure Manual.”

As the name implied, this manual recorded methods for training and commanding beasts.

“Those four men must have learned how to gather ice silver foxes from this,” Qi Fei murmured casually as he flipped through the pages.

He had assumed such manuals were fringe and unorthodox, likely no match for his true cultivation strength. Yet as he read the main text, his attention was drawn in.

Though the manual did not have multiple layers like the Proud Sword Technique, it detailed steps for hunting beasts. First came luring the beasts—as today’s scene had shown.

Interestingly, it described various ways to attract local creatures: by placing favored fruits, flowers, or special arrangements. The four men trailing Qi Fei had evidently used one such method.

After luring, one could seize the opportunity to capture preferred beasts during their growth stages—not to raise them as life companions at full maturity, but to accelerate their development via secret methods. This would allow one to obtain offspring, eggs, or young beasts, thereby starting to nurture a bonded beast.

The manual further explained that successfully birthing a bonded beast enabled the cultivator to fight alongside it. Secret techniques allowed temporary fusion with the bonded beast, granting the cultivator both their own power plus the beast’s innate talents.

For example, bonding with an ice silver fox granted enhanced agility, endurance, and natural ice-cold claw poison.

Of course, such fusion came in levels.

At the lowest, the cultivator lost rationality, acting purely on the beast’s instinctive aggression—attacking friend and foe alike, becoming a wild creature.

The next level allowed retention of one’s mind but resulted in a half-human, half-beast monstrous form.

The highest level permitted full control over the bonded beast and even illusions. The beast could transform into protective armor, offensive weapons, or merge with the cultivator’s own weapons, greatly enhancing combat strength.

This final level was the most captivating to Qi Fei.

Having read the manual twice, Qi Fei examined the pill fragments, identifying which attracted which beast species and growth stages, as described.

He judged that the four men had only recently obtained this manual; otherwise, they would have each already raised their own bonded beast.

At minimum, they should have crafted a special vessel to carry their bonded beast—a portable container regardless of the beast’s size. This intrigued Qi Fei, as such a vessel resembled the Spirit-Linked Treasure Desire artifact he possessed.

Eagerly, he summoned Old Crane again, placing the manual inside the treasure desire for him to examine. Then he asked, “Old Crane, do you think this ancient book is worth studying?”

Though the fusion stages—losing reason or becoming a half-beast—made Qi Fei uneasy, the ultimate fusion level sparked an irresistible desire to master the manual. According to the book, that last stage was truly extraordinary.

So he looked to Old Crane with great anticipation.

However, Old Crane’s response was less encouraging: “For cultivators on your continent, this is a decent training manual. Although it doesn’t say, I suspect that at the highest level, the cultivator and bonded beast grow together and share advancement experience. Still… to me, it seems like a low-level beast-taming method.”

Qi Fei was stunned, his tone heavy: “How could it be a low-level method?!”

Old Crane replied, “I haven’t studied beast-taming much. But on my old continent, there was a cultivation sect called the Hundred Beasts Pavilion. Their specialty…”

Before Old Crane could finish, the battle between the adventuring party and the ice silver foxes was nearing its end.

To Qi Fei’s surprise, the scene was not what he had expected—the adventurers were not victorious. After fierce fighting, the sixteen remaining cultivators failed to eradicate nearly four hundred foxes. Exhausted and drained of true energy, they suffered thirteen casualties at the paws of these enduring beasts.

Though the fox pack had thinned to about a hundred, the tall man and two others were in dire condition.

Their clothes were tattered, and their bodies bore ghastly wounds with flesh torn open. More critical than these wounds was the foxes’ inherent fire poison, combined with the cultivators’ depleted energy, forcing them to gasp heavily and lean on each other to avoid collapse.

Clearly, if the foxes launched another attack, these men would be doomed.

Qi Fei, after a moment of shock, shook his head regretfully and sighed, “Looks like here is where our paths part.”

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