Chapter 183 - 181: Perfectly Willing
Secretary Zhong’s gaze was scorching as he stared at the Dantian in Cyan Treasure’s lower abdomen.
There, a Bronze Tripod shimmered with a metallic luster. It had four legs and a round mouth, and its body was engraved with ancient Dragon Race patterns. The lines were powerful, as if a True Dragon were coiled around it.
Inside the tripod, an Ancient Dragon Illusion churned and surged. Though its features were too blurry to discern, its aura was overwhelmingly majestic.
As Teacher Zhong observed the Dantian, the Dragon Elephant Illusion within the tripod opened its massive draconic eyes. Its brilliant golden pupils met his Divine Sense’s gaze, making contact.
A low HUM.
His mind trembled slightly, and his expression went blank. It was as if he’d heard the tripod vibrate, or perhaps the voice of the Dragon Race. He felt as if he’d dreamed his way back to antiquity, falling into an unknown wilderness.
His spirit jolted, and he tried to focus his attention, wanting to observe the Dragon Race culture of that era.
Suddenly, he was pulled back to reality, back inside the Dantian Realm, his gaze locked with the Dragon Elephant Illusion.
He couldn’t observe that era!
Just three short seconds of observation was enough to make his heart pound.
The Light Grass Dual Spiritual Roots that had so intrigued him before now seemed to lose all their luster in the face of this Dragon Pattern Bronze Tripod.
The most crucial point was that this tripod stood upon the Dantian.
No, the word "stood" didn’t accurately describe the situation.
He spent another full minute observing it, his brow furrowing deeper the longer he looked, growing more and more perplexed.
"Ahem, Teacher Zhong, when do you think would be a good time to teach him? This is his class schedule for the week."
Teacher Zhang spoke up from the side, handing over a phone that displayed Gu Ming’s schedule.
Teacher Zhang had highlighted the important classes; the rest were non-essential and could be skipped.
Teacher Zhong didn’t even look at the phone. His entire attention was fixed on that Foundation Establishment Platform, and he blurted out, "What exactly is that Bronze Tripod?"
Teacher Zhang looked troubled. "I’m not too clear on that myself."
Teacher Zhong raised an eyebrow. It was then that he finally remembered Gu Ming was the Cultivation Technique genius Teacher Zhang had raved about.
’Could this be a Cultivation Technique?’
’This must be the result of nourishing the body with various medicinal ingredients over a long period, combined with a specific digestive Secret Technique used in Cultivation, to refine it into a magic treasure for the Dantian,’ Teacher Zhong thought.
He looked at Gu Ming, who replied, "Teacher Zhong, I’m not sure of its origin either. If you’re not in a hurry, you can give me a year. I’ll organize my findings into a paper, and I can show it to you when it’s published."
The meaning was clear: he couldn’t reveal anything for now.
Given Teacher Zhong’s standing, few people would dare to refuse him.
After all, he worked for a top-500 national pharmaceutical company and had a vast network. Countless people sent him gifts, hoping to get him to create a custom six-month development plan for them.
Today, however, the tables had turned.
He was utterly consumed with curiosity about this nameless Bronze Tripod.
Even though Gu Ming refused to disclose its secrets, he was still willing to cooperate and help Cyan Treasure learn the Combat Skills of the Sub-dragon Race.
Besides, after just one or two minutes of observation, he also understood why Teacher Zhang had asked him to teach Cyan Treasure.
The reason was this very Bronze Tripod inside Cyan Treasure, engraved with the patterns of an Ancient Dragon.
These profound Dragon Race patterns held the lingering might of a powerful, ancient Dragon Clan Daoist Skill.
If one were to practice the Cultivation Skills of the Dragon Race or Sub-dragon Race, the benefits would be immeasurable.
Logically, Gu Ming was the one asking him for a favor.
All Secretary Zhong had to do was put on a stern face and use this as leverage, and he’d have Gu Ming right where he wanted him.
But the reality was the exact opposite.
He was a little displeased, but he couldn’t suppress his curiosity. Once again, he used his Divine Sense to observe the Foundation Establishment Platform, remaining silent for a long time.
He watched for the time it takes half an incense stick to burn.
During this time, no one disturbed him.
In the training room, students trickled in to practice. They glanced over, sensed the powerful Spiritual Fluctuation coming from Secretary Zhong, and assumed some high-ranking leader had arrived. None of them dared to approach, and they all went about their own business.
"Sigh!"
He suddenly let out a sigh and shook his head.
He had been looking for a long time, but he couldn’t figure anything out.
Other than hearing what sounded like the voices of the ancient Dragon Race, he couldn’t find a single clue.
How was this made? What medicines were used? What kind of digestive Secret Technique? He didn’t understand. He really didn’t understand.
Observing it with his Divine Sense, it was a genuine Bronze Tripod. From a distance, it looked like metal, but up close, it seemed to be made of "flesh." It possessed a distinct Life Power, sharing the same origin as the aura of Cyan Treasure’s Dantian.
It was like... forcibly stuffing a foreign object into the Dantian Realm.
One must understand that the Dantian is the foundation of a Pet Beast. Inserting a foreign object into it would damage its Dao Foundation.
However, judging by Cyan Treasure’s condition, this Bronze Tripod wasn’t standing on the Dantian; it had grown out of it.
And it was precisely this word, "grown," that made him grasp the key point.
As a Grass Element Beastmaster, he knew very well that anything new "growing" inside a Pet Beast’s Dantian possessed extremely high research value.
So much so that, as a researcher of Cultivation Techniques, the more he observed, the more his curiosity gnawed at him.
He had to admit, Gu Ming had him wrapped around his little finger—so tightly that he had no desire to resist.
If Gu Ming were to stop him from observing Cyan Treasure, he would be absolutely miserable.
After a moment of silence, Secretary Zhong took the initiative to speak.
"I can teach Cyan Treasure the Skills of the Sub-dragon Race, but a flash course is too short."
"I hope to be able to observe it continuously until you participate in the competition. How does that sound?"
"Wait, Teacher Zhong, what about your work?" Teacher Zhang asked, stunned.
Teacher Zhong had come here on personal leave, not on a work assignment.
The original plan was for him to teach for two days and then return, providing remote guidance via video call afterward.
Then, on the weekend, Teacher Zhong would fly over personally to check on Cyan Treasure’s progress. If there were problems, he’d correct them; if not, the course would conclude.
This teaching process wasn’t long, and a Three-star Beastmaster would find it difficult to guarantee quality instruction.
But a Five-star Beastmaster was different. They had a higher Star Level, greater abilities, and were always on the front lines.
A single week was enough time to teach a Pet Beast how to practice Combat Techniques.
After that, the Pet Beast would rely on self-study to slowly grind its way to Entry Level Skill Level.
In big cities, this was known as "flash education"—a short process with quick results and low time cost.
If the Pet Beast couldn’t learn it, one could cut their losses in time and have it switch to a different Cultivation Technique.
The top students in big cities would typically use this flash education method over two or three months to learn various Skills, thereby determining which one best suited their Pet Beast.
In small cities, people didn’t have such good conditions.
You learned whatever was available; there wasn’t much time for picking and choosing.
Families who weren’t in a hurry could afford to have their children repeat a year and retake the college entrance exam.
As long as one had the Talent and sufficient financial resources, they could definitely get into a university. At worst, they’d just be starting a year later than everyone else.
"It’s simple. I’ll just make this official business."
Teacher Zhong clapped his hands together loudly, his face flushed with excitement.
The Bronze Tripod inside Cyan Treasure was the rarest case he had ever seen in his life. It was perhaps one of a kind in the entire world.
This point alone held immense research value.
He boldly estimated it would be a guaranteed publication in a Five-Week Journal.
If he was lucky and unearthed a powerful Daoist Skill System, he might even be able to get it published in a Six-star journal and earn himself a promotion and a raise.
Hearing this, Teacher Zhang was completely taken aback, unsure if this was a good thing or a bad thing.
If a whole group of people were brought in to study Cyan Treasure, that wouldn’t be good. It would delay its Cultivation.
Besides, Gu Ming had no intention of publishing the Foundation Establishment Evolution Method.
The Foundation Establishment Method was too advanced. If he published it now, others would only surpass him.
It would only be suitable for publication once Gu Ming had fully mastered it, or at least mostly mastered it.
"Don’t worry, I know your concerns. I’ll keep my lips sealed. No other colleagues will be involved," Teacher Zhong said earnestly.
He was practically drooling as he looked at Cyan Treasure. How could he dare expose it to his colleagues? That would be like shooting himself in the foot.