Deep within the bamboo forest, a secluded little dwelling stood.

Under the poignant and beautiful night, moonlight sprinkled across the courtyard carpeted with red leaves—serene and lovely.

In the southeast corner of the courtyard, there was a bamboo table and bamboo chairs, neatly arranged.

At this moment, Du Yu was sitting on a bamboo chair with his eyes closed, resting his mind, while the Demon Breath swirling around his body grew ever thicker.

By his feet lay a Dust Spirit Deer, sleeping soundly.

Du Yu wasn't about to advance—no matter how fast his cultivation speed was, he still had to wait a while yet.

At this moment, Du Yu was meticulously sculpting the Demon Soul inside his Yutang Acupoint—Little Du Yu.

With the help of the Shadow Gu Tower, pure Demon Soul was continually channeled into the Yutang Acupoint.

Du Yu had become a stonemason, using his willpower as a hammer and chisel, constantly carving the body lines of Little Du Yu.

Wisp after wisp of Demon Soul swirled within the Yutang Acupoint, now and then mending Little Du Yu, transforming the carefully carved Demon Soul back into a rough bodily outline.

Again and again, this cycle repeated itself.

Little Fen Yang had said, this wasn't wasted effort. For a Demon Tamer, the careful sculpting of the Demon Soul was the process of gathering the soul, shaping it, and merging the spirit within.

"Shasha~" The night wind gently brushed, stirring the bamboo sea outside the courtyard, making the scattered bamboo leaves within dance lightly in the air.

This was Du Yu's third week dwelling in the Bamboo Grove, and it was nearing the end of February.

During this period, the two of them had visited many tribes, meeting all kinds of bears and encountering all sorts of bamboo.

They had accompanied the Chi Bears in martial arts drills, guided by Master Qing, with Du Yu acting as a sparring partner.

They had been invited to the Chi Bears' bonfire parties, circling the Tai Sui Bamboo with the round bundles of fluff, joyfully celebrating a tribesman's advancement.

They'd even attended classes as auditors at the Chi Bear academy, sitting blank-faced through a lesson amid the chorus of "ying-ying-ying" bear cries...

But after every bout of hustle and bustle came silence and tranquility.

After all, that was Master Qing's nature.

She disliked noise; Du Yu had long anticipated this.

Accompanying Master Qing in seclusion had completely changed Du Yu's way of life.

Drinking Bamboo Leaf Tea, eating wild fruit on most days—that was what you called pure and restrained living.

At first, when the Chi Bears sent fruit, they would also bring Du Yu a few fish, but later on, Du Yu didn't even eat fish anymore.

It sounds unbelievable, but spending his days refining his mind, nurturing his nature, and wholeheartedly sculpting the Demon Soul, Du Yu felt he had imbued himself with a trace of immortal aura…

"Buzz!"

Suddenly, Du Yu opened his eyes wide.

Under the night's veil, all of the Bamboo Grove slumbered deeply, a world in stillness. But inside, Du Yu could not remain calm!

Xiaoyan is about to advance?

Du Yu was overjoyed. There was no need to disturb the soundly sleeping Little Fen Yang—for his own body was filled with Demon Breath, more than enough to nourish Princess Yan's advancement.

"Whew~"

In just a few short minutes, a ring of fire spread out from his body!

Little Fen Yang's words really ought to be changed. It should be: "Humans are so weak~"

For Du Yu to advance to a Small Tier would require hours of preparation and a difficult breakthrough.

But for Xiaoyan, a Demon Beast, to go from Celestial Level·Minor Achievement Stage to Celestial Level·Great Success Stage, it took only a few minutes—there wasn't even such a thing as a "threshold"!

"Xiaoyan?"

"Nai?" Xiaobai opened sleepy eyes, lifted her deer head, and looked at her master.

"Ying~" As Fire Demon Breath surged across Du Yu's forehead, a three-tailed Fire Fox quietly appeared.

He quickly reached out and scooped the little one into his arms.

Under the moonlight, Xiaoyan's golden-brown fox eyes flickered bright and dim.

The gold-furred tip of her tail gently stroked across Du Yu's cheek, leaving a delicate mark upon his lips.

"Congratulations, you're one step closer to Spirit Level—oh." Du Yu's words of congratulations weren't finished when Hu Xiaoyan blocked his mouth with her big tail.

"Ying~" Xiaoyan looked at Du Yu with a smile in her eyes, blinking her fox eyes.

Du Yu: "..."

Was His Majesty just teased?

Hmm... well, that's fine. Might as well savor these moments while they last.

Once the Demon Pets reach Spirit Level and gain fully formed Demon Souls, who knows how things might change.

Thinking this, Du Yu couldn't help but say, "Once you reach Spirit Level, don't get too cold and distant, okay?"

Wait, that sounds kind of familiar.

I think I said the same thing to Bai Yujing?

Xiaoyan leaned forward her fluffy little head and nuzzled Du Yu's neck: "Ying?"

As her puzzled voice sounded, Du Yu immediately sensed something different and looked up at the Bamboo House.

Inside the house, a fiercer surge of Demon Breath began rippling out!

Du Yu's expression stiffened—this is… an advancement?

Is it Master Qing herself who's advancing, or is it one of her Demon Pets?

Whichever it was, this was a free ride!

Du Yu hurriedly lowered his head: "Xiaobai, don't sleep—huh? When did you wake up?"

Bai Yujing gazed silently at Du Yu, her gaze deep and mysterious.

"Hehe." Du Yu grinned in embarrassment, setting Xiaoyan on his shoulder, then said, "Hurry inside, cultivate within Master Qing's body!"

Master Qing advanced to Demon Taming General last September; it's now the end of February—half a year later, perhaps it really is her advancing again!

The chance for a substitute trainer is rare—he must seize it!

Come to think of it, advancing a Small Tier within half a year is also incredibly fast—a true prodigy, awakened as a Demon Tamer at age ten.

By the looks of it, her cultivation has gone very smoothly lately. No matter how deeply the loss of her beloved Demon Pet struck her, that persistent, seeking heart has never wavered!

"Let's go, Xiaobai." Du Yu grabbed her antlers and led her toward the Bamboo House.

He walked her all the way to Master Qing's room, then finally stopped.

"Nai~" Bai Yujing carefully nudged the door open, poked her head in and peered around for a while before sneaking inside.

Feeling the dense Demon Breath swirling around, Du Yu immediately returned to the courtyard.

For a Demon Taming General's advancement within a Small Tier, there'd be no wrath from the heavens, but Du Yu still didn't want to disturb his mentor.

He spent that night in the courtyard.

By dawn the next morning, intense Demon Breath still cloaked the Red Bamboo Courtyard, lingering and undissipated.

This suggested that it likely wasn't Master Qing's Demon Pet advancing—otherwise, it would've succeeded already.

"Ying~"

"Ying~!" At six o'clock sharp, a troop of Little Chi Bears knocked on the Red Bamboo Courtyard's gate.

Du Yu strode over and opened the gate.

There stood twelve fluffy, round Little Chi Bears, lining up curiously on tiptoe, peering in the direction of the Bamboo House.

Only the leading Little Chi Bear waved a paw at Du Yu, greeting him politely: "Ying~"

"Good morning, but you can't train here today. Master Qing is cultivating and can't teach you," Du Yu squatted down, smiling at the silly and adorable little ones.

They, like Little Tai Sui, were all Earth Level Chi Bears, each about 50 or 60 centimeters tall.

Two Little Chi Bears carried small bamboo baskets, filled with the Red Bamboo Leaf Tea and wild fruits they'd gathered.

As for tea and fruit, the tribe leaders of each clan required the bear cubs to pick and deliver them to honored guests every day.

This also counted as the Little Chi Bears' tuition fee.

This group, handpicked from every clan, were all a match for Little Tai Sui in strength—and naturally, they'd become Little Tai Sui's playmates.

Every day, while delivering tea, the Little Chi Bears would also train with Little Tai Sui, and squeeze in some martial arts lessons from Master Qing.

Of course, it's also possible that the Chi Bear Clan Leaders hope Du Yu will take a liking to one of the cubs, and have the Ancient Golden Crow help awaken their bloodline...

However, Du Yu's Acupoint Home was already full. Not long after settling here, he had contracted Hongye again.

On the one hand, with Hongye as a guide, communication between man and bear was much easier with a contract bond.

On the other, Du Yu genuinely wished to help her cultivate faster and better.

It was funny, really—when Hongye re-signed the contract and returned to Du Yu's body, she was absolutely shocked!

The Mother of the Demon Spirit Realm· Tai Sui Bamboo emanated a far stronger Demon Breath than Du Yu did, and with her dual wood and fire attributes, was even more suited to Hongye's cultivation.

But the thing was, Du Yu didn't just give her Demon Breath—he could infuse her with Demon Soul as well!

She'd been cultivating like this for weeks, and Hongye still didn't understand what on earth was going on…

"Ying~"

"Ying..." The Little Chi Bears didn't really understand what Du Yu was saying, but Hongye appeared just in time to translate.

Immediately, their beady black eyes filled with disappointment—a few even rolled around on the spot.

Indeed, their way of acting out was quite unique~

Clearly, they were very fond of the human woman living here.

That lady was so powerful, yet so gentle—far more so than the Chi Bear instructors, at least she never hit them with bamboo canes.

Du Yu cheerfully took the two bamboo baskets, then summoned Little Tai Sui as well.

"Go on—play with your little friends." Du Yu patted Tai Sui's head. "But remember to finish your daily training first. Don't be lazy.

The tribal tournament is coming up at the start of March. I'm counting on you to earn me a good ranking."

Little Tai Sui, brimming with energy, nodded vigorously!

He whipped out a hollow bamboo shoot with his paw and pointed it grandly toward the mountains, like a true leader: "Ying!"

With Little Tai Sui leading the charge, the fluffy crowd waddled after, shaking their little butts.

A dozen or so Little Chi Bears, utterly unable to hold a formation!

Crying "ying-ying" as they tumbled along, each one took off in a different direction...

Leaning on the doorway, Du Yu watched as Little Tai Sui and his friends vanished into the bamboo. For some reason, he suddenly felt like an old father?

Hongye glanced at the Red Bamboo Wood House: "Ying."

Receiving her contract's message, Du Yu turned and answered, "Yes, it should be Master Qing preparing to advance."

"Ying."

Du Yu: "When you serve her tea, congratulate her in person. Oh, and Master Qing has been given permission to contract a Chi Bear—I wonder if she'll be interested."

"Ying?"

"Before we came, Master Qing completed a very dangerous mission and lost a beloved pet.

But I haven't told her about the contract qualification yet."

Sighing softly, Du Yu carried the two bamboo baskets toward the courtyard table. "The tribal tournament is coming up in a few days. Let's see if there's one she might take a liking to."

Hearing this, Hongye nodded gently, her expression thoughtful.

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