Chapter 77

The second day, early morning.

Yuan Ming arrived at the forge early. The task of selecting materials was not difficult for him; on the contrary, he was adept at identifying materials and sieving crushed stones, quickly completing all the work at hand.

He did not waste time resting but instead picked up the casting hammer and began the tedious yet challenging task of forging blanks. However, despite his hard work, progress was not smooth.

He did not become too disheartened by this. After completing his tasks for the day and having lunch at the dining hall, he hurried to the Beast Taming Hall.

Yuan Ming now knew that among the three peaks of the sect, the shortest one in the southeast belonged to the Furnace Hall, which was under the jurisdiction of the Second Cave Master and was mainly responsible for planting the sect's spirit herbs and refining elixirs.

The central peak, of course, was the Fire Refining Hall, under the jurisdiction of the Third Cave Master, responsible for refining the sect's magical artifacts.

The highest peak in the northeast was the Beast Taming Hall, under the jurisdiction of the Great Cave Master, the most powerful and prestigious hall in the sect.

Without his own spirit beast, Yuan Ming had to rely on his legs to travel. By the time he reached the territory of the Beast Taming Hall, an hour had already passed.

The situation at the Beast Taming Hall was completely different from the Fire Refining Hall.

Its buildings were scattered throughout the entire peak, with a circular reception hall at the foot of the mountain.

As soon as Yuan Ming entered, he saw a robust disciple with a black tattoo on his face walking toward him.

"Hehe, this junior brother looks unfamiliar. Have you just joined the sect?" the disciple asked with a smile.

Yuan Ming was taken aback by the sudden warmth and could only nod.

"Junior brother, there's no need to be拘束 when you come to the Beast Taming Hall. We are here to serve all the disciples of the sect, and our prices are very fair. We can meet all your needs! Do you want to rent or buy a spirit beast? I can introduce them to you." The disciple's smile grew wider as he asked.

Yuan Ming was surprised. It turned out he was just trying to do business, no wonder he was so enthusiastic.

"Senior brother, you misunderstood. I received a task from the Administrative Hall to learn the basics of spirit beast cultivation," Yuan Ming said with a smile, shaking his head.

The disciple was taken aback, his smile gradually fading, and his tone becoming more relaxed.

"Oh, I see. Since you have a task, do you have a signed document from the Administrative Hall?"

Yuan Ming was well-prepared and took out the document from his pocket and handed it over.

The disciple took it casually, glanced at it, and frowned. "Why do you only have the seal of the Administrative Hall but not the signature of an elder?"

Yuan Ming frowned. He had confirmed with the Administrative Hall that a seal was sufficient, and it was clear that the disciple was deliberately making things difficult for him.

"Go back and get the signature, then come again." The disciple casually threw the document back and turned to leave.

At that moment, a figure walked into the hall and immediately approached Yuan Ming.

"Hey, isn't that... Junior Brother Yuan Ming?"

Yuan Ming looked up and recognized the disciple who had taken care of the fire spirit the previous day.

"Senior Brother Legong, what a coincidence to see you here." Yuan Ming raised his eyebrows and bowed.

"Junior Brother Yuan Ming, it seems you have made up your mind to challenge yourself," Legong said, glancing at the document in Yuan Ming's hand and smiling.

"Ah, Senior Brother Legong, you know each other..." The disciple laughed awkwardly.

Legong glanced at the disciple's expression and knew he was making things difficult for others. He waved his hand and said, "I'll take Junior Brother Yuan Ming into the mountain. You don't need to worry about it. Go about your business."

"Alright." The disciple immediately turned and left without mentioning the signature again.

"Junior Brother Yuan Ming, follow me." Legong led Yuan Ming through the hall and out the back door.

After leaving the hall, Yuan Ming first arrived at a spacious square, where he saw a huge circular building made of stone, looking very sturdy.

Seeing Yuan Ming's curious gaze, Legong explained, "This is the Beast Arena. Sect disciples can bring their spirit beasts here to compete. If they win, they can earn a large amount of contribution points as a reward."

"When do the competitions usually take place, and can we watch?" Yuan Ming asked, suddenly interested.

"Usually once a month, with the number of matches varying depending on the number of participants. Elders and disciples who do not participate can also watch, but they need to pay ten contribution points as an entry fee," Legong said.

"Of course, it's not free..." Yuan Ming thought to himself.

"Speaking of which, each competition is very lively! Spectators can also place bets based on their judgment. If the side they bet on wins, they can earn contribution points based on the odds," Legong said excitedly.

"Is that possible?"

While Yuan Ming said this, he thought, "Isn't this just gambling? I didn't expect cultivators to be no different from ordinary people in this aspect."

As they spoke, they bypassed the Beast Arena and began walking up the mountain path toward the summit.

The trees along the way were dense, with various buildings of different sizes and specifications hidden among them, far more numerous than those in the Fire Refining Hall. Various animal roars could be heard faintly.

When they reached a spacious square halfway up the mountain, Legong stopped and instructed Yuan Ming:

"The place for non-hall disciples to learn about taming beasts is the Beast Garden ahead. I'll take you to register with the elder in charge. After learning, return by the same route and don't wander around. Our Beast Taming Hall has many rules and a strict hierarchy, especially in the area above the halfway point, which is the domain of inner disciples and is generally off-limits."

"Thank you, Senior Brother. I will remember that," Yuan Ming nodded.

With that, the two arrived at a large courtyard and entered the main hall.

The elder in charge of the area was a thin, middle-aged man with a mustache. Seeing Legong bring a stranger, he asked, "Legong, you're here. Is this disciple from the Fire Refining Hall?"

"Disciple has met Elder Moru. I am here to learn about spirit beast cultivation as part of a task," Yuan Ming said, handing over the document.

"Junior brother, your enthusiasm for learning is commendable! Come, register and pay five contribution points," the mustachioed elder said, looking at him and nodding.

Yuan Ming frowned.

He had received a clear response from the Administrative Hall that learning about spirit beast cultivation for official purposes did not require payment, which was a basic standard for a sect that specialized in taming beasts.

"What's the matter, Junior Brother Yuan?" The mustachioed elder saw Yuan Ming standing still and frowned.

Yuan Ming naturally had no contribution points and could not produce them on the spot. Just as he was about to give up and leave, Legong took out his named disciple badge and handed it to Elder Moru.

"Elder Moru, this junior brother is new and doesn't understand the rules. Deduct the points from my contribution points."

"You should teach him the rules. I'm lenient, but others might not be so kind," Elder Moru's expression softened.

He took the badge, pressed it against his own, and a light flashed in his palm. He then returned the badge to Legong and walked toward the back door.

"Thank you, Senior Brother. I will repay you later," Yuan Ming sincerely thanked Legong.

"It's a small matter, not worth mentioning! If it weren't for your help yesterday, I would have been in trouble with the Third Cave Master's fire weasel," Legong waved his hand and said in a low voice.

Just as the two were about to cross the threshold, a loud voice came from behind: "Stop."

Yuan Ming frowned, thinking, "What bad luck."

Legong, not understanding the situation, turned and saw Kun Tu, his expression changing slightly. He quickly bowed and said, "Senior Brother Kun Tu, is there something you need?"

Kun Tu ignored his question and only looked at Yuan Ming with a mocking expression.

Yuan Ming turned to face Kun Tu, meeting his gaze without flinching.

He thought the sect was so large that it wouldn't be so coincidental to meet, but fate had brought them together.

What surprised him was that Kun Tu was followed by several people, most of whom had a servile look, but one of them was wearing clothing without the Beast Taming Hall's emblem and did not have a disciple badge—Ulu.

Ulu only looked at him with a slight smile, without any malice and without greeting him.

"I thought the Third Cave Master had some important use for you. Why are you running errands in our Beast Taming Hall's territory?" Kun Tu said, looking at Yuan Ming with a challenging gaze.

"Senior Brother Kun Tu, he..." Legong was interrupted by Kun Tu's glare and immediately fell silent.

Elder Moru, who had already reached the back door, stopped and turned to look. When he saw Kun Tu, his mustache twitched, and he immediately put on a smile, running a few steps to Kun Tu and bowing.

"Senior Brother Kun Tu, what brings you here?"

"Moru, when did the Beast Taming Hall become so lax? Any stray cat or dog can come in? What if a precious spirit beast is lost? If being an elder is too difficult for you, I don't mind suggesting to the master that you focus on cultivation," Kun Tu said, looking at Moru.

"Oh, Senior Brother Kun Tu, what are you saying! I just saw this boy looking suspicious and was about to drive him away when you arrived. Hey, I'm talking to you. Is this a place you can come to just like that? Get lost!" Moru, after smiling at Kun Tu, immediately turned to scold Yuan Ming.

Yuan Ming, seeing the change in Legong's expression when he saw Kun Tu, knew that Kun Tu, although a new inner disciple, already had a significant status in the Beast Taming Hall. He knew that today's learning would be in vain, and staying would only cause trouble, possibly leading to false accusations.

He wanted to thank Legong but feared causing unnecessary trouble, so he said nothing and turned to leave the hall.

"Stop, did I say you could leave?" Kun Tu, seeing Yuan Ming ignore him, became even more sullen and shouted.

The two servile followers immediately moved, blocking Yuan Ming's path on either side.