บท 22: Chapter 22: Beast Language

The little demon chicken, ignoring Lin Xiao's confusion, excitedly continued, "The spiritual energy here is so abundant! I'm so happy! I want to stay here!"

Ah, so that's why.

Lin Xiao smiled slightly and said, "That won't work. This is the residence of the Lingxian Sect. Uninvited guests—including demons—are not allowed to enter."

The little demon chicken, which had been so excited just a moment ago, suddenly deflated. Its emotions visibly wilted as it muttered, "Cluck... I really like it here..."

Seeing its pitiful expression, Lin Xiao couldn't help but feel a little sympathetic. He stopped teasing it and said, "Of course, if you become a part of our sect, staying here would be no problem at all."

The little demon chicken immediately perked up, raising its head proudly. Its beady black eyes gleamed as it stared intently at him. "Cluck! I want to be a part of it!"

Lin Xiao chuckled and asked, "Alright, then tell me—what's your name?"

The little demon chicken quickly replied, "I don't know! What's a name?"

Lin Xiao paused and explained, "A name is something that represents you, so others can address you. I can't just keep calling you 'little demon chicken,' right?"

The chicken tilted its head in thought before saying, "Then I should be called Luan."

"Luan? Who gave you that name?" Lin Xiao asked.

The chicken shook its tiny head, "I just am called that."

Alright then.

Lin Xiao decided not to press further and continued with the formalities. "Luan, are you willing to join my Lingxian Sect, become a member, and cultivate earnestly?"

The little demon chicken eagerly nodded, "Willing! Willing!"

[Ding—Congratulations to the host for successfully recruiting a demon member. A hidden reward has been sent to your storage. Please check.]

A hidden reward?

Lin Xiao was puzzled. Recruiting a little demon chicken could earn him a hidden reward?

He opened his storage and saw two new items: Beast Cultivation Formula and Spirit Grain Seeds x20.

It seems the system also supports raising chickens!

Lin Xiao exited the hut, lifted the restriction on entry and exit, and told the others, "Alright, from now on, this little demon chicken is one of us. You can call it Daoist Luan. I also have a spell called Beast Language that allows communication with animals that have gained intelligence. If any of you want to talk to Daoist Luan, you can come to me for a copy once you reach the first stage of Qi Refining."

Speaking of which, Lin Xiao thought that with more people and techniques, it wouldn't be sustainable to keep handing out everything individually. It seemed like they would need to build a small library or something in the future. After all, both people and techniques would only increase.

The others found the idea of treating a demon chicken as a fellow Daoist quite novel. And hearing that there was a spell to learn, their passion for cultivation was reignited!

Even Lin Yun, who had been planning to go down the mountain to learn woodworking from Old Master Lin, hesitated—should he stay a bit longer to cultivate?

But being the honest person he was, Lin Yun still left for his woodworking lessons on time.

The rest of the group took turns inspecting their newly added Daoist Luan before settling into their own cultivation routines.

Except for Jiang Youfu.

He stared at Lin Xiao with bright eyes and said, "Xiao Ge'er! I'm at the first stage of Qi Refining!"

Amused, Lin Xiao flicked his forehead and said, "I know, I know. I haven't forgotten about you." With that, he pulled out Beast Language and Purification Technique from his pocket.

"Here, you can practice both of these spells. But be careful—right now, you can only practice the first stage of the Purification Technique, which is the Dust Removal Spell. You'll need to wait until you're at the third or fourth stage of Qi Refining to practice the second stage, Aura Cleansing, or you might harm your meridians. Don't mess around and end up crippling yourself."

Jiang Youfu nodded quickly, "Don't worry, Xiao Ge'er! I won't mess around!"

He took the two spell books from Lin Xiao's hands, his cheeks trembling with excitement.

He could finally practice spells!

He could talk to demons!

He could make his teeth whiter!

The others looked enviously at the two spell books in Jiang Youfu's hands.

It's just the first stage of Qi Refining! Let's get to it!

And so, that day, the enthusiasm for cultivation in Lingxian Sect's humble hut reached unprecedented heights.

Outside, the sky gradually darkened. Before anyone realized it, clouds had gathered thickly overhead.

The gentle spring breeze, carrying the scent of budding grass, seemed to grow sharper and cooler as the day progressed, hinting at the arrival of the first spring rain.

By evening, the sky, which had been gloomy all afternoon, still held back the rain, but it grew darker by the minute.

Having spent the afternoon cultivating with the others, Lin Xiao finally reached the fourth stage of Qi Refining just before finishing his practice for the day.

He quietly marveled at how uneventful the journey of immortal cultivation could be. At this rate, though the time needed for idle cultivation would double with each stage, based on his current progress, Lin Xiao estimated that it wouldn't take more than three months for him to reach the Foundation Establishment stage.

Shaking off these thoughts, Lin Xiao noticed how dim the surroundings had become.

He poked his head out and saw the heavy clouds in the sky.

The weather had turned chilly.

He turned to the others and said, "Let's call it a day. It's about to rain. Let's head home early."

The group agreed, realizing how much darker it had gotten compared to usual. They quickly packed up and prepared to descend the mountain.

In this era, getting caught in the rain could be dangerous—it could easily lead to a fatal fever.

Once they were ready, the seven of them began their descent, leaving little Luan to stay in the hut alone.

Before leaving, Lin Xiao gave little Luan some instructions.

"When you need to poop, go to that spirit field nearby. And don't touch the sprouts in the field—got it?"

Little Luan glanced at the green sprouts in the spirit field, eyes shining, "Are they for me to eat?"

Lin Xiao lightly tapped its small head, "Don't even think about it! If I find any missing tomorrow, I'll kick you out of the sect!"

"Oh..." Little Luan drooped its head in disappointment, scratching at the dirt with one claw in a bored manner.

Just then, Jiang Youfu seemed to remember something. He rummaged through his pocket and pulled out a small handful of roasted wheat, offering it to little Luan, "Daoist Luan, here, have this!"

He had been so focused on cultivating today that he had forgotten to eat the snacks his grandmother had prepared for him. Now, with dinner approaching, this leftover roasted wheat could serve as a treat for little Luan.

Little Luan looked up at Jiang Youfu's outstretched hand. Being so small, it couldn't see what was in his hand.