Born as an ant, I was summoned to ascend to immortality.

Chapter 62 Whispering in the Pavilion

Young Master Ye took a sip of the spiritual tea in his hand, closed his eyes to savor it for a moment, and then said, "Fellow Daoist Zhou, do you know that this cup of 'Hundred-Beak Fragrance Tea' in your hand takes three years to process and goes through the four halls and eight stages of my Ye family before it can be produced?"

"The forest patrol disciples need to drive the 'Wind Listening Sparrow' to pick spiritual fruits every few days. This bird has an extremely sensitive sense of taste, and the spiritual fruits it picks are all nine-tenths ripe. This is the sparrow's selection."

"A hundred kinds of spiritual fruits are harvested within a year, and then used as bait by the 'Fragrant Bird' for three months. After that, the tea servant mixes them with bamboo tea and roasts them for half a year. Then, the 'Red Kite' is used to slowly simmer them away from the fire for forty-nine days. Finally, they are sealed and aged for a year to become the true Hundred-Beak Fragrant Tea, which is the best tea for entertaining guests in the Ye family."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Li's expression turned solemn. He took a small sip and sincerely praised, "The tea soup is amber in color, and at first, it has the fragrance of a hundred flowers. It tastes like a hundred fruits entering the throat, and there is also a pure spiritual energy contained within it. It is indeed a rare and excellent tea."

Young Master Ye sighed softly: "To you, fellow Daoist, this tea is just a cup of tea, but to me, it represents the hard work and dedication of several disciples of my Imperial Spirit Pavilion over three years, and is an epitome of the thousands of years of heritage of my Ye clan."

"Therefore, I, Ye, sit comfortably in the hall, enjoying the family's offerings. How could I dare to slack off in the slightest? If I cannot keep this behemoth, with its various functions and orderly succession, running smoothly, how can I face the sweetness contained in this tea?"

Young Master Ye's eyes were extremely serious: "To savor its flavor, one must willingly bear its weight; this is the flavor that this Hundred-Beak Fragrance Tea gives me."

Zhou Li stared intently at Young Master Ye, feeling a surge of admiration. At such a young age, he possessed such a sense of responsibility; it was no wonder that the Ye family's Imperial Spirit Pavilion could rival the Changtian Sect.

The tone shifted abruptly, and Young Master Ye's expression became serious: "Fellow Daoist Zhou, let's not beat around the bush. We came to this ship specifically to target the Demon-Fighting Platform at the bow!"

"The Demon-Fighting Arena?" Zhou Li asked.

"Fellow Daoist Zhou, have you heard of the 'Spirit Beast Battle'?"

Zhou Li was hearing this for the first time and guessed, "Is the betting game based on the outcome of a battle between spirit beasts?"

Young Master Ye nodded slightly: "That's right. The two of them will each send their spirit beasts to the stage to fight. They can only control them with incantations and cannot fight themselves."

"These spirit beast duels are divided into two types: literary duels and martial duels. Literary duels involve ordinary stakes, such as spirit stones and precious materials, or magic techniques and scriptures."

"As for this martial arts competition," Young Master Ye took a deep breath, "besides the stakes, the winner can also take the spirit beast that the loser brings to the stage and re-establish a blood pact."

Her gaze dimmed, and she lowered her eyes, saying, "Spirit beasts are like companions on my journey; they are people I could never part with, but..."

Zhou Li already understood: "Young Master Ye, did you... lose the martial arts bet?"

A look of solemnity and helplessness appeared on Young Master Ye's face: "On this Demon-Fighting Stage, there is a lame Taoist priest known as Jiang Liulang. I have been searching for him for several months. He is raising a rare mirage demon, which is of great importance to my Ye family and we must obtain it."

"However, that mirage demon possesses a unique innate supernatural power called the Mirage Thousand Illusions, which is extremely unpredictable. It can instantly create hundreds or even thousands of clones, each of which is perfectly formed and indistinguishable from the original, making it impossible for people to tell them apart."

"Previously... I lost a spirit beast that had been my companion for many years because of this, yet I never even recognized its true form." As she said this, her slender white fingers clenched slightly, clearly indicating that she was overwhelmed with emotion and unable to let go of her feelings.

She gazed intently at Zhou Li, her expectation tinged with earnestness: "I need your discerning eyes, fellow Daoist, capable of piercing through superficial illusions and discerning the true nature of water, to point me to the true form of the Mirage Demon on that demon-fighting platform. In just a moment, I have the means to strike decisively!"

"As a token of our appreciation, you may take anything in Shannan Pavilion that you find useful."

Zhou Li remained silent for a moment. He was well aware of the dangers of the Demon-Fighting Platform, but he also knew that fortune and honor were found in peril.

"Very well, since I have this opportunity, I really can't bear not to try my luck." Zhou Li thought to himself, but not for the hundreds of delicacies of the southern mountains, but for other reasons.

He put down his teacup and met Young Master Ye's gaze: "Young Master Ye, I do have a request, but I am not suited for this place south of the mountain. I was just walking through the market when I noticed a few beast-taming techniques. Not only were they incredibly expensive, but it was also uncertain whether their depth of knowledge could surpass that of the sect's collection. I dare not attempt them lightly."

Zhou Li stood up and cupped his hands in greeting: "Therefore, what I seek is a beast-taming technique that is unparalleled in the world. If your esteemed establishment can provide it, I will do my utmost for this trip to the Demon Battle Arena."

After he finished speaking, he stared intently at Young Master Ye, his heart filled with trepidation.

Zhou Li knew that the Ye family did indeed possess a beast-taming technique that was unparalleled in the world, which was the very same Spirit Pivot Construction method that Yuwen Zhao used to control his fighting insects!

During this period of time, as he controlled his spirit, he increasingly felt that the construction of the spiritual pivot in his sea of ​​consciousness was not smooth enough, and that some parts were stiff and sluggish, making it difficult to continue.

Zhou Li gave up many precious materials in order to ask for the beast-taming technique, hoping to take this opportunity to extract the secrets of the Spirit Control Pavilion and get a glimpse of its methods.

Upon hearing this, Young Master Ye smiled. Since Zhou Li had something to ask for, this matter could be discussed.

She didn't reply, but instead pointed to the ant on Zhou Li's collar: "I find this spirit insect quite peculiar, fellow Daoist. Could it be that you're plotting something against it?"

"That's true. Ants are not as intelligent as ordinary spirit beasts. Even if they form a blood pact, there are still many obstacles. Therefore, they urgently need a beast-taming method that allows them to communicate with each other to control them freely."

Young Master Ye said thoughtfully, "It's quite a coincidence that I knew someone who, like you, loved ants. However... he passed away not long ago, otherwise we could have become sworn brothers."

Zhou Li's heart skipped a beat; she was talking about Yuwen Zhao!

However, he remained calm and said, "It's a pity. But I don't raise these ants for insect fighting. I just happened to get them from the mountains and forests and found that they are quite intelligent."

"Oh?" Young Master Ye's expression was somewhat intriguing. "Fellow Daoist Zhou's insight is indeed extraordinary. I haven't even mentioned that this person is raising ants for insect fighting..."

Zhou Li's heart skipped a beat, realizing he had spoken rashly in his panic. He composed himself and chuckled, "Most people raise insects, but eight or nine out of ten do so for insect fighting. Is Young Master Ye's friend an exception?"

Despite his outwardly polite words, Zhou Li had a thread in his mind that connected everything: why was the Yuwen family entangled with Gu Siwei? They must have found out about Yuwen Zhao's death and the loss of the Soul Jade.

Gu Siwei had previously come under the Yuwen family's scrutiny because of the Soul Jade incident, so naturally the investigation had reached her, and the Yuling Immortal Pavilion must also be aware of this matter.

Soul Jade, Ants, Yu Po Luo, Purple Cloud Peak... Anyone with a discerning eye can piece these fragments together and discover the intricate connection between him and Yuwen Zhao; this connection cannot be hidden.

A sense of urgency washed over Zhou Li, who was secretly annoyed. Had he known this would happen, he would have had Yu Polu destroy Yuwen Zhao's body that very day.

Fortunately, Young Master Ye did not delve too deeply into this matter, but simply shook his head: "We are not friends, just acquaintances."

She then steered the conversation back to the purpose of her trip: "The beast-taming techniques circulating in the world, even if some are worth considering, are all bound to be mundane. How can they compare to the thousands of years of tradition passed down in my Ye family? If Fellow Daoist Zhou agrees to help me, I, Ye, am willing to give you my family's secret technique, 'Lingxi Wanhua Yin,' as a token of my gratitude."

"Throughout the entire Eastern Continent, there are only a handful of beast-taming techniques that can rival this one. Even among the disciples of the Spirit Control Pavilion, not everyone is qualified to cultivate the Ye family's 'Spiritual Rhinoceros Transformation Guide'."

Zhou Li pondered for a moment before saying, "I can agree to this matter, but I can only feel at ease if Young Master Ye first passes on the 'Lingxi Wanhua Yin' to me."

A glint of light flashed in Young Master Ye's eyes, and he said cheerfully, "That's only right!"

She raised her hand and summoned a translucent, jade-like bone fragment, handing it to Zhou Li.

Zhou Li reached out to take it, but Young Master Ye grabbed her hand and leaned forward slightly, saying in a deep voice, "Once it's in your hands, don't tell anyone else."

"Although I trust you, Fellow Daoist, I must still remind you that you must not spread this technique to others, otherwise my Ye family will seek justice from the Changtian Sect."

Young Master Ye's slender hand touched Zhou Li briefly, like a dragonfly skimming the water, and then parted. Zhou Li felt a soft, smooth touch, and his fingertips hovered in mid-air, as if a faint fragrance still lingered.