I Tame Beasts by Feeding

On the summit of Sword Control Peak, within the Sword Cleansing Pool, more than four hours had passed since Yu Changsheng and Shen Xingchen entered.

By now, the quenching of their physical bodies was nearing its end. The atmosphere had become more relaxed, and they were able to sit and chat idly.

"To be honest, no matter how you look at it, the Beast Taming Lineage was originally the main branch of the Wanxiang Sect. Even if it’s declined now, it’s still a pillar of the sect."

"Looking back at the Wanxiang Sect’s development over the years, the ones who have truly led the sect to greater heights have all come from your Beast Taming Lineage."

Shen Xingchen remarked with a sigh, glancing casually at Yu Changsheng.

"Perhaps," Yu Changsheng replied noncommittally.

"Now, with you here, Changsheng, it seems the Beast Taming Lineage is poised for a complete resurgence."

Shen Xingchen’s tone suddenly shifted. He chuckled, but his voice held no trace of humor.

"Senior Brother Shen, you jest."

Yu Changsheng waved his hand dismissively, but a strange sense of vigilance rose within him. ’Is this Senior Brother Shen trying to flatter me to death?’

"If we’re really talking about leadership, we should be looking to you, Senior Brother Shen. You’re so young and already have an Eighth-Layer Celestial Spirit Platform in the Foundation Establishment Realm."

Yu Changsheng returned the compliment at the opportune moment.

"You’re too modest, Changsheng. Aren’t you the same?" Shen Xingchen replied with a faint smile.

"Not at all. I only have a Seventh-Layer Spirit Platform. I can’t compare to you, Senior Brother Shen," Yu Changsheng said with a wry smile, speaking frankly and without hiding anything.

Shen Xingchen was visibly startled, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. It was gone in an instant, however, and he resumed his normal, smiling expression. He patted Yu Changsheng on the shoulder and said:

"Don’t worry about it. A Seventh-Layer is already extremely impressive. Besides, you’re a Beast Master. If you find the right opportunity later, it’s not too late to improve it."

In truth, Shen Xingchen was genuinely surprised. In his mind, Yu Changsheng’s performance had been so dazzling that he should have had an Eighth-Layer Celestial Spirit Platform at the very least. Even a Ninth-Layer wouldn’t have been out of the question.

A Seventh-Layer was enough to be considered a genius, a rarity in the Wanxiang Sect who would be highly valued. Yet, with a shining jewel like Shen Xingchen preceding him, he didn’t seem quite as dazzling.

It even meant that in future elections for Chief Disciple, Shen Xingchen would be given priority over Yu Changsheng.

This was because the Foundation Establishment Realm was particularly special; a single layer’s difference in the Spirit Platform could lead to a world of difference in future achievements.

"Thank you for your comforting words, Senior Brother Shen, but such opportunities aren’t so easy to find. We’ll still have to rely on you."

Yu Changsheng gave a bitter smile, playing along. In his heart, however, he wasn’t too concerned about the matter.

He was indeed a little disappointed about the Seventh-Layer, but he wasn’t exactly dissatisfied.

"Opportunities are the sort of thing that will always appear if you’re looking for them. Perhaps you’ve already come across one, and you just didn’t notice."

Shen Xingchen spoke slowly, giving Yu Changsheng a profound look.

Yu Changsheng’s head snapped up. He frowned slightly, ran a hand through his hair, and looked puzzled. "What are you trying to say? Please speak plainly, Senior Brother."

Shen Xingchen nodded, took a deep breath, his gaze deep and complex, and began to speak leisurely.

"Did you know that the Four Swords of Annihilation haven’t been used by anyone for many years? Before Huang Suyu, the last person to use them was Cao Jinxian."

"And aside from him, there are very few detailed records of the Four Swords of Annihilation Technique within the sect."

As Shen Xingchen spoke, a fiery glint flashed in his eyes. He turned his head, his expression holding an inscrutable meaning as he deliberately yet casually observed every minute change on Yu Changsheng’s face.

"Hm? Senior Brother Shen, what are you getting at?"

Yu Changsheng frowned.

"What I mean is, besides Cao Jinxian, it’s unlikely anyone else knew the Technique for the Four Swords of Annihilation. So..."

Shen Xingchen paused for a moment, the meaning in his eyes deepening. "So, how do you think Huang Suyu managed to get it?"

"Furthermore, I recall that when Huang Suyu fought you, Changsheng, he had already reached the Peak of Foundation Establishment Second Level. And that was not long after he first broke through to Foundation Establishment."

"That rate of cultivation... all I can say is that Huang Suyu was truly exceptionally talented. Foundation Establishment Pills are priceless and virtually unavailable, yet he went on one trip and came back to successfully achieve Foundation Establishment. You could really call him a Son of Destiny."

Shen Xingchen said all this in one breath. Yu Changsheng remained silent, carefully processing the information. As he lowered his head, a realization dawned on him.

This was no longer a mere suggestion from Shen Xingchen. As long as you weren’t an idiot, and you connected it to what he’d said earlier, you could figure out what he was trying to say.

"Perhaps Huang Suyu had an expert guiding him from the shadows?" Yu Changsheng asked after a moment’s hesitation, seeing how tense the atmosphere had become.

Shen Xingchen just shook his head, his expression returning to one of mysteriousness as he winked at Yu Changsheng.

"I don’t know the specifics myself. It’s just my personal speculation, so don’t take it too seriously."

"It’s just... I’ve only heard that since Cao Jinxian was a member of your Beast Taming Lineage, wouldn’t anyone who happened to stumble upon his inheritance just take flight?"

Shen Xingchen said this as if by chance, his tone casual. "I do know that Cao Jinxian’s life was dazzling. He only practiced Cultivation for a little over fifty years, and he never found a disciple to inherit his legacy. In a situation like that, he must have left something behind, don’t you think?"

Yu Changsheng’s gaze narrowed. He said nothing, but suddenly looked up at Shen Xingchen, his mind racing with a thousand thoughts as a conjecture began to form.

’Back then, inside Huang Suyu’s ring, besides the Four Swords of Annihilation, what else was there?’

Yu Changsheng fell into deep thought.

’Besides the Spirit Stones, there was also a Beast Hide Scroll I couldn’t decipher. All I could tell was that it seemed to be a map drawn on it. Could it be...?’

His thoughts moved like lightning. Yu Changsheng’s breathing quickened almost imperceptibly, and as he lowered his gaze, a flash of astonishment crossed his face.

"Think about it. If someone were to unintentionally obtain Cao Jinxian’s inheritance—whether it’s his Sword Dao inheritance or his Beast Taming inheritance—wouldn’t they soar to the heavens and have a meteoric rise? He was an existence close to the Divinity Transformation Realm!"

Shen Xingchen exclaimed, a look of admiration on his face. A smile appeared as he watched Yu Changsheng with a scorching gaze.

"As for me, being a Sword Cultivator, if I could subdue the Profound Celestial Giant Sword, I would have no regrets in this life."

Yu Changsheng remained silent as Shen Xingchen continued to speak.

Nothing Shen Xingchen had said today seemed spontaneous; rather, it felt as if he had prepared it all long in advance. This inevitably made Yu Changsheng suspicious. But why would he do all this?

Yu Changsheng grew suspicious and thought to himself:

’Unless... Shen Xingchen suspected from the very beginning that I had a clue to Cao Jinxian’s inheritance. Or rather, he suspected Huang Suyu, but then I killed Huang Suyu. So now he’s trying to get on my good side and probe me for information...’

’If that’s the case, then everything makes sense.’

Yu Changsheng sighed internally. At the moment of his realization, he couldn’t help but give a helpless, bitter smile and say:

"All this talk is too far removed from us. Whether that so-called inheritance even exists is another matter entirely. Even if it does, we have no idea where it is. There isn’t a single clue."