I Tame Beasts by Feeding

"I can’t believe you actually refined it, kid. Not bad, not bad at all. It seems heroes really do rise from the youth. Looks like the alchemy branch of our Wanxiang Sect has finally produced a genius."

Yang Tianyi let out a breath, stepped forward, and lightly patted Yu Changsheng’s shoulder with a chuckle, the surprise in his eyes plain to see.

"It was just a stroke of luck. It’s all thanks to Master’s excellent guidance." Yu Changsheng chuckled, scratching his nose as he looked toward Gongsun Yang.

Gongsun Yang shook his head slightly, a flicker of pride in his eyes. He was clearly pleased by the words, but his expression remained mild as he smiled and said, "I can’t take all the credit; it was your own hard work that paid off."

"Alright, that’s enough. The fact that you could refine a Blood Nourishing and Dao Nurturing Pill with Two Pill Patterns speaks volumes about your skill in alchemy."

Yang Tianyi shook his head, shot a glance at Gongsun Yang, then turned his gaze to the elixir in Yu Changsheng’s hand, pondering for a moment.

The Blood Nourishing and Dao Nurturing Pill was bluish-red and the size of a dragon eye. It was a Third-Grade Elixir with two patterns, wreathed in a faint Pill Mist. The Pill Fragrance, however, was not strong—it was almost imperceptible. This indicated that the elixir’s medicinal effects were almost entirely concentrated within, without the slightest bit of waste.

Even someone with Yang Tianyi’s discerning eye couldn’t help but marvel at it. The pill was flawless.

"I must also thank you, Elder Yang, for allowing me to use this excellent location and the Alchemy Furnace. Things certainly wouldn’t have gone so smoothly otherwise."

Yu Changsheng carefully put away the elixir and spoke respectfully to Yang Tianyi, his face showing no hint of complacency.

Even Yu Changsheng himself hadn’t expected such a result from his first attempt at this refinement. On the one hand, his increased cultivation had made the alchemy process much easier. On the other, he had benefited from the fact that this Alchemy Furnace was no simple tool and possessed a certain enhancing effect.

"Your own skill was still the deciding factor. I gave you enough ingredients for three attempts. Since you succeeded on the first try, you can keep the rest for yourself."

"This..." Yu Changsheng faltered, looking to Gongsun Yang at his side. After Gongsun Yang smiled and nodded his approval, Yu Changsheng finally cupped his fist in a salute toward Yang Tianyi. "Then I won’t stand on ceremony. Thank you, Elder Yang."

The ingredients for the Blood Nourishing and Dao Nurturing Pill were not cheap, especially a few of the main components, which were incredibly valuable.

In other words, no Third-Grade Elixir was ever cheap.

"No need to be so polite," Yang Tianyi said with a warm gaze and a chuckle. "With a talent for alchemy like yours, you shouldn’t let it go to waste..."

After some thought, Yang Tianyi paused before continuing, "From now on, if you need anything, or if there’s anything you don’t understand about alchemy, you can come directly to me. If you weren’t already Brother Gongsun’s disciple, I would have taken you as my own."

Hearing this, Yu Changsheng could only scratch the back of his head and nod awkwardly.

Gongsun Yang chuckled and shook his head. "Then I’m afraid we’ll have to trouble you in the future, Younger Brother Yang."

Yang Tianyi, his expression gentle, led them out of the Alchemy Room. As he personally brewed a pot of Spirit Tea for his guests, he spoke.

"It’s no trouble at all. I simply see hope in Changsheng. For so many years, not a single other Tier Four Alchemist has emerged in the Wanxiang Sect besides me."

"But with Changsheng, I feel that if he’s properly nurtured, his future achievements won’t be limited to just becoming a Tier Four Alchemist. A truly great Pill Master, one who can go far, needs not only outstanding talent for alchemy, but also a formidable talent for cultivation."

Yang Tianyi took a sip of tea as he spoke, and after swallowing, he slowly exhaled a puff of warm air.

"From what I can see so far, your disciple’s cultivation talent is enough to be called prodigious, even when compared to the whole of the Wanxiang Sect."

Gongsun Yang nodded in agreement.

"He is indeed remarkable. At the very least..." Gongsun Yang trailed off, reminiscing. He glanced at Yu Changsheng and, after a moment, chuckled. "I remember when I first met Changsheng, he was only at the Qi Cultivation stage. And that was less than two years ago."

Listening to their conversation, Yu Changsheng rubbed his nose and didn’t say anything, merely offering an awkward smile.

’It’s true my cultivation is fast, but that’s only because I’m using a cheat.’

"Mm," Yang Tianyi nodded. He was already quite familiar with Yu Changsheng—or rather, Yu Changsheng’s reputation in the Wanxiang Sect was now quite considerable.

"For my part, I was just thinking that if your disciple can advance to Tier Four Alchemist sooner, then I can relax a bit," Yang Tianyi laughed, turning nonchalantly to look at Yu Changsheng, his eyes bright. "So, how about this: from now on, set aside two days a week to come practice alchemy with me. There are some areas where I can give you specific instruction."

"Huh?" Yu Changsheng was stunned. Seeing that Gongsun Yang seemed to be in full approval, he thought for a moment and then readily agreed.

"Then I’ll be in your care, Elder Yang."

’To be honest, I’m not that interested in alchemy itself. As long as I have enough Essence Points, farming them is simple. But, practicing alchemy at Elder Yang’s place also means an unlimited supply of ingredients.’

’I was just worrying about how to farm more Essence Points. After thinking it over, it seemed like feeding was my only sustainable, long-term option within the sect.’

’But as my Beast Taming Cultivation advances, feeding it ordinary items no longer yields many Essence Points. The Spirit Beast Garden is constantly expanding, and I get more and more Essence Points from feeding the beasts there, but it’s still not enough to meet my needs.’

’So, this opportunity to practice alchemy at Elder Yang’s place couldn’t be better. Every elixir I refine can be used to feed my beast, which will in turn increase my Essence Points.’

Since it was such a great opportunity, and Gongsun Yang had no objections, Yu Changsheng couldn’t have been happier.

A short while later, Yang Tianyi gave Yu Changsheng a personal Token. Yu Changsheng then took his leave, leaving Gongsun Yang and Yang Tianyi to continue their pleasant conversation.

The main topic of their conversation, however, was Yu Changsheng.

Watching Yu Changsheng’s departing figure, Gongsun Yang fell silent for a long moment. He took a sip of his tea, shook his head, and then cupped his fist in a formal salute to Yang Tianyi. With a solemn expression, he said:

"I won’t say much else. From now on, I’ll be counting on you, my brother, to look after my disciple. His talent for alchemy is the most outstanding I have ever seen. As for his future, I’ll have to trouble you to nurture him."

"At this point, I’ve reached the limit of what I can teach him."

Gongsun Yang finished with a somewhat heavy sigh.

"You’ve mentioned this to me before. It’s a wonderful thing, so why would I possibly refuse? After all, the sect would be overjoyed to have another High Tier Alchemist."

Yang Tianyi’s expression turned serious, but he offered Gongsun Yang a small smile.

"Before, I wasn’t fully convinced of just how astonishing your disciple was. Now, I see this boy is truly worth me putting in my full effort to train. You can rest assured."

"Excellent. That’s for the best."

Gongsun Yang let out a breath and patted his chest, his fingers gently tracing the rim of his teacup as he fell into thought.

After bidding farewell to Yang Tianyi, Yu Changsheng wasted no time and returned to the Odd Demon Pavilion.

’That Elder Yang is really generous. The ingredients for the Blood Nourishing and Dao Nurturing Pill, especially the Soul-Stabilizing Fruit, are anything but cheap, yet he just gave them to me. I guess High Tier Alchemists really aren’t short on money.’

Muttering a few words to himself, he patted his Storage Pouch. With a light smile and a wave of his sleeve, Yu Changsheng summoned the Red Purgatory Dragon from his Inner Realm.

"Take this elixir. It will be good for you."

Gazing at the still-excited Red Purgatory Dragon, Yu Changsheng smiled gently and personally fed it the Blood Nourishing and Dao Nurturing Pill.

[Consumed one Blood Nourishing and Dao Nurturing Pill. Successfully fed to the Red Purgatory Dragon. Acquired 10,000 Essence Points!]

Following the system prompt, the elixir went down. The Red Purgatory Dragon shuddered visibly as a faint, blood-red light flashed across its body. To Yu Changsheng, the beast’s entire presence felt different.

Its previously unfocused aura grew more condensed, its draconic might more solid, and the majesty within its draconic eyes more intense. The overall impression it gave was one of being more complete and perfectly formed.

"Not bad. It really worked. All that effort wasn’t for nothing."

After carefully sensing the Red Purgatory Dragon’s status, Yu Changsheng nodded in satisfaction.