**Chapter 30: The Mysterious Beast Tower
The Ye family's ancestral hall was also built against the mountainside, spanning two floors. The roof tiles were intricately carved with two dragons seizing pearls, creating a majestic and imposing atmosphere.
At the entrance stood a large incense burner, emitting a massive plume of blue smoke, resembling a rising dragon.
Ye Jingcheng had been to the ancestral hall before, when he first entered the mountain, but back then, he was just a child of barely ten years. The incense burner had not been this large then.
Ye Xingliu continued walking, bypassing the incense burner and entering the ancestral hall.
Ye Jingcheng followed closely behind.
As he passed through the rising blue smoke, Ye Jingcheng was overwhelmed by its pleasant fragrance, making him inhale deeply. Soon, he felt his consciousness weakening and becoming increasingly dazed.
His head felt heavy, and a bench appeared behind him. He fell onto it.
"Who are you?" Ye Xingliu's cold voice sounded.
"Ye Jingcheng!" Ye Jingcheng mechanically responded, unable to control his thoughts, only able to answer numbly.
"What is your purpose for coming to the Ye family?"
"To cultivate, to achieve longevity!"
Ye Xingliu's expression shifted slightly, but then Ye Jingcheng added:
"This is also my home. I have grown up here!"
Ye Xingliu nodded, lightly tapping Ye Jingcheng's forehead.
Ye Jingcheng's body relaxed, feeling his head become even heavier. Within moments, he fell into a deep sleep.
In his dream, Ye Jingcheng saw more spirit beasts of the Ye family. He saw himself successfully establishing his foundation, his fourth brother Ye Jingyu becoming the family head, and the Ye family flourishing.
The dream was unusually long and extraordinarily beautiful.
Until a few coughs woke him up.
Ye Xingliu was still in his immaculate family robe, as if he had been waiting for a long time.
With consciousness returning, Ye Jingcheng still felt some discomfort.
"Family Head…"
Ye Xingliu solemnly said:
"Jingcheng, what you see, hear, and feel next is the highest secret of the family. You must not disclose any part of it, even to other family members. Violators will be excommunicated and have their cultivation revoked. Do you understand?"
"Jingcheng understands!" Ye Jingcheng nodded and stood up from the bench, following Ye Xingliu.
Ye Xingliu then walked into the ancestral hall, and Ye Jingcheng quickly followed.
Inside, there were still many memorial tablets, an Eight Immortals table, an offering stove, two red candles, and three meditation mats.
"Sit on the meditation mat!" Ye Xingliu ordered and was the first to sit.
Ye Jingcheng nodded, knowing he had just undergone a test.
The next step would likely involve the family's true secrets.
Sitting on the mat, Ye Jingcheng seemed to hear chanting voices.
The chants were unclear and extremely complex.
He tried to listen further but was startled when he suddenly found himself inside a treasure tower. Instead of memorial tablets, the tower was adorned with lifelike spirit beast sculptures!
The sculptures were vivid, some sitting, some standing, some flying, and some stationary.
"Jingcheng, leave as many spiritual patterns as possible!" a figure's voice echoed in his mind.
Ye Jingcheng was somewhat confused but memorized the instruction.
Boom!
Suddenly, with a cracking sound, the stone statues began to crack. As the stones fell off, the spirit beasts charged fiercely at Ye Jingcheng. The scene was utterly bizarre!
Ye Jingcheng started to flee. The fierce beasts were clearly not ordinary, but the limited space in the tower meant he was quickly caught!
Boom!
A trembling sensation spread, and Ye Jingcheng was directly penetrated by the spirit beasts.
A faint spiritual light pattern appeared on his body.
The pattern visibly dissipated.
Soon, more spirit beasts charged at him!
Each collision made his head spin for several minutes.
[Translator: sauron]
Each time he was hit, a new spiritual pattern appeared on his arm.
Three small patterns combined to form a three-inch long pattern.
When three three-inch patterns appeared, they merged into a five-inch long pattern.
However, Ye Jingcheng felt his head nearly explode.
After two more spirit beasts passed through him, he had a five-inch long pattern on his arm, plus two one-inch patterns.
At that moment, the treasure tower vanished, and Ye Jingcheng was back in the ancestral hall!
His face still showed signs of pain.
"Not bad! Your Beast Pattern is five inches long!" Ye Xingliu praised upon seeing the patterns on Ye Jingcheng's arm.
Noticing Ye Jingcheng's confusion, Ye Xingliu revealed his own arm, which also bore a five-inch long pattern. He then easily made it disappear.
"This spiritual pattern is called the Beast Pattern and is the family's greatest secret. Once your pattern is fully stabilized, you can control it like I do, hiding it inside or outside your body!"
"The greatest benefit of this pattern is that it allows communication of spiritual energy with spirit beasts!"
"If there is a significant disparity in cultivation levels between a cultivator and a spirit beast, the Beast Pattern can rapidly close this gap, and even eliminate it entirely in the end!"
"Of course, this rapid enhancement is only several times faster than normal, effectively sharing the spirit beast's talents!"
"Moreover, many beast taming secret methods within the family are related to the Beast Pattern. As you are still at the Qi Gathering stage, you cannot access them yet. Just be aware!"
Ye Jingcheng's heart was already in turmoil.
His previous doubts were resolved.
The Ye family did not value spiritual roots because, with a highly talented spirit beast, a cultivator's talent could be significantly enhanced through shared spiritual energy.
Even if a spirit beast's growth slowed down after adulthood, it could still inherit the Ye family's spiritual beasts.
For example, Ye Jingcheng's cultivation progress would likely be guided by the Red-Flame Fox!
With the Beast Pattern, he would continuously benefit.
The Red-Flame Fox, when it matures, could reach the Foundation Establishment stage.
For Ye Jingcheng, it felt like a dream!
His internal ancient book was meant to enhance the spirit beast's talent, from a single tail to two tails, and even up to nine tails in the future, representing a qualitative leap.
The key was that spirit beast enhancement relied mainly on strong bloodlines and consumption!
"This is how to use the Beast Pattern. Record it, then destroy the jade slip!" Ye Xingliu said, taking out a jade slip.
"Thank you, Family Head!"
"When there are no outsiders, just call me Third Uncle. Our Ye family is not so formal!"
(End of Chapter)