Chapter 128: 128. Discovery
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Three falcon chicks hatched at dusk, wriggling amongst the soft cloth as little balls of fluff, their wet feathers covering their eyes.
The little ones, upon emerging, did nothing but gape with hungry mouths, waiting to be fed.
The two sisters quickly brought over the prepared raw meat, tearing it into strips to feed them.
Lu Yao then scraped off a rice grain-sized piece of a "Wisdom Spirit Pill" and fed it to them as well. This elixir could enhance the chicks' resistance to disease.
After a while, the chicks' feathers dried, and there appeared three fluffy grey balls.
Nourished by Inner Breath in the eggs, they were much sturdier than their peers, and they had already started to nudge each other, attempting to push their siblings out of the nest.
In the wild, this behavior serves as training and a way to get more food.
The sisters were incredibly fond of them, their faces brimming with joyful smiles as they gently played.
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Lu Yao flipped through the old Daoist's notes, reading that in the Otherworld, wild beasts that had eaten some miraculous natural treasures or had sudden enlightenments, becoming capable of cultivating on their own, were collectively referred to as Monster Beasts.
In ancient times, these were formidable enemies of mankind, capable of destroying cities and lands, and some could even transform into human forms to wreak havoc.
After Immortal Qin, they gradually became extinct for unknown reasons, and the chances of ordinary wild animals turning into Monster Beasts also dropped significantly.
Now, only in the remote borderlands do a few remain, and those that could destroy cities and lands, those Ancient Unique Breeds, have not been seen anymore.
A Spirit Pet, on the other hand, is a wild beast that has been domesticated and trained by humans to cultivate.
There is no fundamental difference between Monster Beasts and Spirit Pets; it's just a matter of allegiance.
Anyway, as long as they reach the Blood-Exchange Realm, they can easily carry their masters and fly in the sky, displaying the grandeur of a cultivator.
But this "grandeur" comes with a hefty price.
There are two ways for a Spirit Pet to grow quickly:
First is to spend a lot of money—feasting on "Wisdom Spirit Pills" and various supplements. What people can eat, Spirit Pets can eat;
Second is to spend a lot of effort—transferring Inner Breath to the Spirit Pet, massaging, and pushing acupoints.
Zhou He focuses on the latter…
Lu Yao felt that he should stick to his forte of spending money.
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With ample nutrition and a continuous supply of "Wisdom Spirit Pills," the three little ones opened their eyes on the third day. Their wild counterparts would need seven days to do so.
The first thing they saw were the beaming faces of Lu Yao and the two sisters, overwhelmed with joy.
The three falcon chicks flapped their small wings and used their heads to gently nuzzle the fingers of the three people to show affection.
Liao Qe laughed heartily. "Let's name them."
Liao Ya wholeheartedly agreed: "Junior Brother, it's thanks to your blessing that we can raise Spirit Pets. You should do the honors."
Lu Yao thought for a moment and said, "Let's call them Ji Xiang, Ru Yi, and Ping An."
Liao Qe praised, "What auspicious names."
Liao Ya was a bit speechless as she had envisioned names like "Star Flash" or "Lightning Speed," but then she thought that in these chaotic times, living a good life is what matters most.
So she smiled and said, "Then mine will be called Ji Xiang."
Liao Qe cooed, "Mine is Ru Yi~ Together we are Ji Xiang Ru Yi~"
And so, Lu Yao's was named "Ping An."
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In the days that followed, Lu Yao spent some very comfortable days.
Practicing martial arts daily, feeding the birds, and testing the depth of his relationship with the young women.
Zhou He, having heard that Lu Yao had bought falcons, came to visit especially and offered many valuable tips.
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Lu Yao copied Tong Jia's method for taming falcons and shared it with the old Daoist, exchanging knowledge.
The three young falcons, under meticulous care, had already shed their feathers once, but still looked like grey, disheveled, bald chickens, wobbling around on the ground, a fair distance away from soaring in the sky. However, their sharp beaks and talons faintly hinted at their future majesty as birds of prey.
The young falcons were very familiar with the three people, Lu Yao, Liao Ya, and Liao Qe; perhaps accustomed to their Inner Breath, they were not afraid of humans and often nuzzled up affectionately.
At this moment, Lu Yao was teasing "Ping An"'s neck with his fingers, thinking that once these little ones grew up and developed some Spiritual nature, they would be able to understand simple commands.
Moreover, being domesticated meant their physical strength would far exceed that of their counterparts. Eventually, carrying a hundred pounds of bombs like a bomber, the thought was quite amusing...
After all, falcons possess some of the best flying techniques among raptors.
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While Lu Yao was lost in his playful thoughts, Liao Ya suddenly approached him, mustered her courage and said in a soft voice, "Junior Brother, let's use the 'Art of the Dragon Slayer Manual' on each other, shall we?"
A massage once a week was advisable, but it had been almost a month since the last time.
Liao Ya was really too shy to ask, but the massage was too important, so she had to brazenly suggest "mutual" assistance.
Lu Yao had no objections. Even if it wasn't just to indulge his craving for practicing the technique, assisting his Senior Sister in her cultivation was his undeniable duty.
The two immediately went inside. Liao Ya had carefully chosen this moment, having arranged for her sister to go out and buy diesel ahead of time.
She first gave Lu Yao a massage, a bit bashful, she said, "My technique is far inferior to yours..."
Due to her lower Spirit Refinement Realm, Liao Ya was barely satisfactory, far from Lu Yao's skill level.
As Lu Yao was carefully feeling the small, fair hands pressing over his body, he quickly said, "Not at all, it's quite comfortable. Come on, it's my turn to massage you."
Liao Ya lay on the bed and said softly, "Junior Brother, focus on massaging the Gao Huang and Xin Shu points, and don't press the wrong spots..."
Both of these places were at higher locations on the back, so it wouldn't be as embarrassing as last time.
Lu Yao flexed his fingers confidently and said, "Don't worry, Senior Sister. I'm now in the realm of Spirit Refining Oblivion. Every vital point will be attended to under the synchronized trembling of 'organs, sinews, and acupoints'!"
Having said that, Lu Yao entered the Oblivion state, channeling Inner Breath through all ten fingers precisely as he pressed down.
Back acupoints and reflex zones were stimulated almost simultaneously, which caused Liao Ya to let out a high-pitched, melodious scream that frightened the three young falcons playing merrily in the yard, making them topple over.
"Spirit Refining Oblivion" was quick to respond and precise in control, clearly monitoring Liao Ya's body condition while adjusting the Inner Breath during the massage, perfectly utilizing the 'Art of the Dragon Slayer Manual.'
Liao Ya felt her blood circulation speed up by threefold, and many spots that were difficult to cultivate suddenly became clear.
The Inner Breath easily swept through with the blood, expelling countless impurities from her body, making her feel so comfortable she nearly floated away.
By the time she regained her senses, her body was already sticky, especially around the Huiyang Point.
And this time, Liao Ya had forgotten to open her pores to sweat...
Lu Yao twiddled his fingers, somewhat stunned.
Master Liao took a deep breath, forced herself to be calm, and slowly got up, saying composedly,
"Thank you, Junior Brother! The impurities in my marrow have been expelled, and I feel a lot looser all over. Your massage technique is good enough for you to be an elder in top sects like Wudang and Shaolin."
"If it's useful, that's good."
"I'm going into seclusion."
Suppressing her embarrassment, Liao Ya, still carrying the demeanor of the eldest senior sister, dashed to the washroom at the highest speed possible.
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After washing his hands, Lu Yao remarked, "Senior Sister is also a... woman who's rough on the bed sheets, eh."
Ping An ran over to his master's feet, seeking affection. Lu Yao casually passed a wisp of Inner Breath to him, making him squirm in joy.
Just then, a Paper Crane flew over the wall!
Lu Yao leaped up to catch it and saw it written on it: "Bring silver and come to White Cloud Observatory immediately."
"The old Daoist wants me to bring silver to White Cloud Observatory!?"