Yuan rested in his room for a week.
After he recovered somewhat, he decided to read the book gifted by Senior San. To his surprise, it was more than a simple guide; it was a small encyclopedia containing info on a thousand beasts, detailing their habitats, strengths, and even training techniques. Yuan devoured the knowledge eagerly, taking a step toward his dreams of becoming a Beast Master.
This book was a priceless treasure for him. If someone asked him what he would choose between the cultivation technique and this book, he definitely would choose this book without any hesitation. Just as he was about to immerse himself in the book, PM Meng entered with Xu'er and Mother Bing.
"Brother!" Xu'er jumped on the bed and leaped in his arms. Yuan smiled happily as he gently patted her head.
"What are you reading?" Mother Bing gently asked.
Before Yuan could reply, a knock interrupted them. A guard stepped in, bowing. "Pavilion Master, the representative of Purple Light Valley, Miss Qiu Zhi, is here to visit the young master."
Yuan exchanged a glance with his parents, curiosity flickering in his tired eyes. What did Purple Light Valley want with him now?
PM Meng nodded at the guard. "Let her in."
"The representative of Purple Light Valley wants to meet me? Why?" Yuan's brow furrowed in confusion.
"You don't know, you dofas?" Mother Bing knocked on his head lightly, though harder than usual, before explaining. "It's all your fault. After you left the arena, representatives from almost all the major factions visited the pavilion. They wanted to recruit you. But when they heard you couldn't cultivate, they left—except for Miss Qiu Zhi. She waited for your return and insisted on speaking with you directly."
"What could I have done to attract so much attention?" Yuan scratched his head, unable to recall anything extraordinary about his performance in the tournament.
Both parents exchanged knowing looks and shook their heads. They knew it was useless to talk with him now.
Moments later, the guard ushered in Miss Qiu Zhi. PM Meng and Mother Bing both welcomed her warmly.
"You guys talk," PM Meng said and left the room with the guard. Mother Bing invited Qiu Zhi to sit on the couch and poured her a cup of tea.
"Thank you," Qiu Zhi said politely before turning her attention to Yuan.
Her eyes widened at the sight of him. Yuan's once-youthful face was now thinner and replaced with wrinkles. Though he'd recovered significantly, he was far from his peak condition. She knew he'd been injured but hadn't anticipated the extent.
"What happened to you?" she blurted out before clapping a hand over her mouth, realizing she was out of bounds.
Mother Bing observed her with a mix of amusement and sympathy. Despite Qiu Zhi's cultivation and high status, there was an unmistakable innocence in her demeanor. "He was ambushed in the forest," Mother Bing explained without elaborating.
Qiu Zhi nodded, understanding the unspoken boundaries. There was a saying "For a smart person, only a signal is enough."
"Yuan, I'm Qiu Zhi, the representative of Purple Light Valley," she introduced herself.
"Hello," Yuan greeted her politely.
"I assume you know why I'm here?" she asked.
Yuan nodded, though his expression was uncertain. "But why? You know I can't cultivate."
Her lips curved into a knowing smile as if anticipating his question. "No special reason. Just a gut feeling."
Her immediate response baffled both Yuan and Mother Bing. Before they could question her further, Qiu Zhi continued, "I want to recruit you because you're a talent worth nurturing. Besides, who said you can't cultivate? You can focus on body cultivation and become a body cultivator."
Her words stunned Yuan. He stepped forward in a surge of excitement. "Are you saying I can cultivate my body in your sect? Does your sect have body cultivation techniques?"
He learned about the importance of body cultivation from Senior San. Especially for him body cultivation techniques were more important.
Qiu Zhi blinked, taken aback by his intensity. She misunderstood his thoughts. She thought he was desperate to cultivate.
"Ahem." Mother Bing coughed. Both Yuan and Qiu Zhi's faces turned red when they realized how close they were to each other. Yuan immediately took a step back while Qiu Zhi also adjusted herself as a small blush appeared on her face in embarrassment.
Qiu Zhi composed herself. "Yes, our sect has an elder who specializes in body cultivation. He's as strong as our sect master, if not stronger."
"Miss Qiu Zhi, can he learn body cultivation from that elder?" Mother Bing interjected. She was more knowledgeable than Yuan so she understood the crux problem. It might be true that Purple Light has such a senior but whether he was willing to teach Yuan was a different story altogether.
Qui Zhi looked toward Mother Bing for a moment and sighed helplessly. Her face grew serious. "That senior is strict about who he teaches. Yuan would have to pass his test. But even if he fails, our sect has numerous body cultivation manuals he can study."
She explained the advantages of body cultivation in detail, though Yuan's mind raced ahead. He already understood its importance, especially after Senior San guidance. All he thinking about now was how to acquire a body cultivation technique.
After some thought, Yuan asked for three days to decide. Once their conversation concluded, Qiu Zhi took her leave. PM Meng returned soon after and Mother Bing filled him in on what had transpired.
"Dad, what do you think?" Yuan asked earnestly.
Before PM Meng could respond, Mother Bing spoke first. "Since you can cultivate now, there is no need for this. You can cultivate here."
"Mom, I've tried cultivating before. It took me an hour just to sense the surrounding qi and complete a single small cycle. Senior San also mentioned I need a stronger body to cultivate properly and completely unblock my meridians."
Although Yuan avoided revealing the full truth about the sealing formation, he hinted at the obstacles he was facing.
"Senior San also examined my spirit roots," Yuan helplessly added another point, when he saw her remaining silent. "I have five-element spirit roots. Cultivating will be difficult no matter where I train."
Although Mother Bing knew he had valid points, she still rolled her eyes when she heard that and grunted, "Since you have already decided to go, why are you asking me and saying so much nonsense?"
Yuan face turned serious as he said, "If any of you does not want me to go, I would rather die than go. Maybe I am useless and don't know much but I am your son and always will be. I need your permission before making any decision"
One look and they knew he was serious. Tears welled up in Mother Bing eyes. She sighed, "Talk with your father before coming to any decision."
Both father and son talked for an hour before joining Mother Bing and Xu'er for dinner. After an hour-long discussion, the father and son joined the family for dinner. After dinner, Xu'er began playing with Red and Silver. Yuan took out the book Senior San gave him and passed it to his father.
"What is this?" PM Meng frowned, puzzled, as he accepted it. However, as he began reading, his eyes widened in shock. "Yuan, where did you find this book?" he asked, his voice trembling with awe.
"Senior San gave it to me. He said it's essential for a Beast Master to understand every type of beast." Yuan replied as he extended his hand to take back the book.
But before his hand could even reach the book, PM Meng hid the book behind his back.