This is even more than I expected. I originally just thought about hunting the Nine-Colored Deer and gathering a component for the Dragon Transformation. I didn't expect to accidentally come across a nest of Red-Tailed Bees, obtain over a thousand strands of First Realm Evil Qi, and unlock the ability to Shape Shift into a small bug.

Chen Ku looked at the Transformation Diagram of the Nine-Colored Deer's Evil Qi within his field of view.

A Third Realm Nine-Colored Deer requires nine strands of Third Realm Evil Qi to advance it to the Transformation Level and gain all its abilities.

Just right. Last time the Flower Fox Mink clone went out, it brought back nine strands of Third Realm Flame Qi that require nine days for complete Refining. Only two days have passed, and I've refined two strands; I still have to wait another seven days.

Let's try our luck, give Shape Shifting a shot.

Chen Ku eagerly gazed at the Nine-Colored Deer.

Just from today's contact, I've perceived several of the Nine-Colored Deer's abilities: an ability to sense danger from five or six miles away, a graceful gait as if flying, the Charm to command all beasts, and most crucially, the power of Invisibility...

[Nine-Colored Deer Transformation!]

[Nine-Colored Deer Shape Shifting]

[Nine-Colored Deer: Possessing one ten-millionth of the Ancient Divine Beast Bai Ze's Bloodline. Cloaked in nine colors, it can hide with the light. It treads upon the gentle breeze, as light and ethereal as if flying. It possesses the King's Aura. Its antlers grow an additional prong for every advancement in Cultivation level, allowing it to learn one more Beast Language. It is capable of distinguishing nine kinds of Beast Languages, including human speech.]

[Transformation Part: Three-pronged White Jade Deer Antler (Proficiency in three types of languages)]

Language proficiency?

Chen Ku was slightly stunned.

Indeed. When the Nine-Colored Deer was hung at the Grey Clothes Tower, I heard that its antlers could allow a person to obtain a Beast Language after processing. But I didn't expect it was because the Nine-Colored Deer inherited from the Bai Ze Bloodline; this is a natural ability of the antlers. The antlers are divided into nine realms and nine prongs according to the Cultivation level, capable of recognizing nine kinds of Beast Languages in total. This Nine-Colored Deer is of the Third Realm, with three-pronged antlers, representing three languages. The process of recognizing Beast Languages requires touching a certain beast with the antlers; this way, one can learn the language of that beast.

Currently, this Nine-Colored Deer has learned three languages: Sparrow Language, Mouse Language, and the elegant language of Yuan Country.

Instantly, Chen Ku felt he had acquired knowledge of three more languages.

"CHIRP, CHIRP, CHIRP, CHIRP..."

He immediately slipped outside. Seeing a few small sparrows on a nearby grey tree trunk, he simulated their calls.

WHOOSH!

In an instant, those sparrows suddenly stopped chirping and all flew away.

Chen Ku was slightly taken aback.

Then he seemed to understand. The sparrows seeing him speak was no different from a human seeing a sparrow talk; their initial fright was normal.

So, he found a rat hole. This time, I'll switch to another language.

He placed some corn kernels at the entrance of the rat hole. Then he emitted a "SQUEAK, SQUEAK" sound.

After a while, a big fat rat emerged, completely unguarded. It made a beeline for the pile of corn kernels, and then...

The big fat rat seemed to sense something, sniffed around with its nose, and then slightly lifted its head.

All it saw in front of it was a white rat about its own size, but this one had two wings under its ribs.

SQUEAK~~

The big fat black rat was so scared that it jumped a foot high on the spot, its four little legs flailing, becoming a blur as it dashed into its hole like a wisp of smoke.

Chen Ku, now Shape-Shifted into a Flower Fox Mink, was speechless.

He then sighed.

It seems that just understanding Beast Language isn't enough. I also need the King's Aura of the Nine-Colored Deer, or let's say its Charm. Otherwise... when I greet these creatures, it's hard to say if they'll even acknowledge me. They're all scared to death, so how can they help?

Fortunately, only seven days remained until the nine strands of Third Realm Evil Qi could be completely absorbed. When that time comes, for these ubiquitous 'two of the four pests,' with my knowledge of Mouse Language and Sparrow Language, wouldn't it be like having little Ear Report Gods constantly providing information and letting me eavesdrop on gossip?

"Hey, Young Shopkeeper, you're up early?"

By this time, some Disciples from the Butcher Court were also getting up.

Chen Ku managed a weak smile. "It's alright."

He hadn't slept at all last night.

After greeting this Senior Brother, Chen Ku patted his mouth and yawned. "I'm going to request a day off today."

He asked someone to casually inform his two Masters.

Then, Chen Ku returned to his house and fell into a deep sleep. He slept until about one or two in the afternoon, his Spirit fully recovered.

"Carrying pigs last night? Slept this long?"

When he went over to greet Shang Yunfang, his Master teased him, "I thought you were going to sleep until evening!"

Naturally, Chen Ku couldn't reveal that last night he had captured the Nine-Colored Deer—the one that had the whole county green with envy and was worth Five Hundred Thousand Taels. So, he coughed and made up an excuse, "It's just that I've reached Mystic Barrier Peak. While circulating my Qi using my Cultivation Technique, I felt full and saturated."

"Oh, so you lad want the Jade Skin Realm's Cultivation Technique."

Shang Yunfang held a tea mug, blew the tea leaf fragments from the surface, and then said slowly, "You're sensible enough. This time it's my turn to be asked."

Previously, Master Yang Luochen taught me the Cultivation Techniques for the Inner Qi Realm and the Mystic Barrier Realm, which made Master Shang feel a bit uneasy, as if he, my Master, was just a secondary one.

"It's all the same, all the same," Chen Ku chuckled.

Actually, there was something he didn't dare say. His Master Yang Luochen was probably called by the Store Manager and a few others for a meeting last night to discuss strategies concerning the Firewood Iron Shop. He wondered if Master Yang also hadn't slept all night, as he hadn't seen him yet today.

"Hmph."

Shang Yunfang harrumphed but didn't say anything more. He and Chen Ku took two small stools out into the courtyard, and he began to impart the Cultivation Technique.

"To enter the Third Realm, the Jade Skin Realm, you must first understand what Jade Skin means. 'Skin' refers to muscles, so why add the word 'jade' before it? It's not just about Refining your flesh and blood until they are as smooth and warm as jade, but also about possessing a Life Force akin to jade's quality."

The old Master continued to impart the technique, "At this stage, unlike the previous Realm where Inner Qi nourished the brain, the focus shifts. You begin to nourish the flesh and blood of the entire body, aiming to... infuse the muscles with such vitality that, like wild grass that cannot be burned away and regrows with the spring breeze, every inch of your flesh contains incredible Power. Like this."

Shang Yunfang extended his fingernail and gently scratched his palm. A wound appeared, but before blood could even emerge, the flesh had already knit together, returning to its original state.

"This is the Jade Skin Realm. The flesh's recovery capability far exceeds that of ordinary people, meaning Life Force has reached the saturation point of the human physique. You lock in vitality, preventing it from leaking. Even at an old age like mine, over a hundred years old, one can still be as vigorous as a dragon and lively as a tiger."

"The Jade Skin Realm, from entry-level to great achievement, has only two demarcation lines, determined by the color of the flesh and skin. The Red Jade Level signifies the entry-level; when Inner Qi is stimulated, the skin appears purplish-red, greatly increasing defensive capabilities while recovery ability far surpasses that of ordinary people. The Gold Jade Level is great achievement; when Inner Qi is stimulated, the flesh has the quality of Gold Jade, and ordinary swords and blades will even produce a clanging sound upon striking it."

Chen Ku listened and whispered to himself, Red Jade flesh, Gold Jade flesh.

"This is the Qi Cultivation and Flesh Nourishment Cultivation Technique from the Jade Skin Chapter of the Medicine King Hall's Everlasting Youth Classic."

Shang Yunfang imparted the Cultivation Technique to Chen Ku.

"During your Cultivation process, if anything feels wrong, come find me, your Master, anytime. I will resolve your doubts."

"Okay, thank you, Master."

After saying that, Chen Ku suddenly remembered something and asked, "Master, I've made progress in Alchemy recently and would like to learn more about our Medicine King Hall's Prescriptions. Do you have any illustrated guides or something similar?"

"An illustrated guide... I'll look for one for you."

Soon after, Shang Yunfang rummaged through his room, found a white beast-skin scroll, and said, "This scroll contains all the various medicines our Medicine King Hall sells, with annotations on their effects. Take a look. If there's any pill you want to learn to make, I'll go get the Pill Prescription for you directly."

For this treasured Disciple, Chen Ku, he had no intention of holding anything back; he even felt that all the resources of the Medicine King Hall were not enough to give to Chen Ku.

"Okay, Master, I'll take a look and then come find you."

Chen Ku took the Medicine King Hall's illustrated manual of various medicines back to his house.

Once inside his room, he began to flip through it, muttering to himself, Poison, Poison... let me see... what's the most potent Poison in the Hall...?

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