Chapter 269 - 262: Eye of Karma, Making a Name

Chapter 269: Chapter 262: Eye of Karma, Making a Name

"Junior Sister, you don’t understand."

"The Forbidden Land is far more dangerous than you can imagine. The Beast God Tree Forbidden Land can make Spirit Beasts stronger, but the Demon Beasts inside also become stronger."

"And the Demon Beasts within the Forbidden Land are vastly different from those in the outside world."

"They are more brutal, more fearless of death."

"Outside, a Demon Beast might be beaten into fleeing in disarray. But inside the Beast God Tree Forbidden Land, the fighting only stops when either the Demon Beast or one of us is dead."

"We might need Huahua and the others to fight continuously, so injuries will be unavoidable."

"As for that Gu Changqing, for him to have become a famous Spirit Beast Doctor, his ability to heal Spirit Beasts can’t be weak."

"Not only that, but he must have an extremely deep understanding of Demon Beasts. What he sees when he looks at a Demon Beast is probably completely different from what we see."

"It’s just like how your eyes, Junior Sister, can perceive the faint connections between all things in the world. This man’s eyes are most likely the same. Otherwise, how could someone his age become a moderately famous Spirit Beast Doctor in such a short time?"

"Of course, the most important reason I want to invite him is that he has an excellent reputation."

"I have a fellow cultivator and friend who sought him out to treat her Spirit Beast before, and she spoke very highly of him."

"That friend of mine is notoriously picky. Her judgment can be trusted."

Jie Qiu shook her head and explained.

She had another fourth-tier Spirit Beast and a third-tier Spirit Beast.

Including Huahua, the large white dog, she only had the fighting strength of two fourth-tier Spirit Beasts.

And besides her special eyes, Xie Xiuyue was, without a doubt, a liability.

With only the power of two fourth-tier Spirit Beasts, if their luck was even slightly bad, Jie Qiu would barely be able to fend for herself, let alone protect Xie Xiuyue.

If Xie Xiuyue wasn’t indispensable for entering the Beast God Tree Forbidden Land, Jie Qiu would have never brought her along.

If she hadn’t run into Jiang Zuo, Jie Qiu had been planning to find one or two more people outside the Beast God Tree Forbidden Land to team up with before going in.

Now that she had met such a suitable candidate in Jiang Zuo, she naturally wouldn’t let the opportunity pass.

"I understand, Senior Sister."

"But, Senior Sister, if we bring him along, won’t my eye ability be exposed?"

Xie Xiuyue asked worriedly.

Only her master and Jie Qiu knew about her eye ability.

The reason Xie Xiuyue had never been able to make progress in her Cultivation within the Beicang Sect was also due to this special ability of her eyes.

Her eyes could see faint Cause and Effect Lines, but this wasn’t a passive sight; she had to actively use her eye ability.

Activating her eye ability consumed Divine Sense.

Therefore, unless it was absolutely necessary, Xie Xiuyue would not use her eye ability lightly.

Not long ago, however, Xie Xiuyue had unintentionally glanced at Huahua’s Cause and Effect Lines.

She discovered that Huahua originally had a Cause and Effect Line that could lead to it becoming stronger, but that line had now grown very faint.

The reason Huahua had been able to advance from an ordinary large white dog all the way to the fourth tier was because Xie Xiuyue had followed that Cause and Effect Line to a wilderness area Huahua had once visited, where she found a predecessor’s cave.

The cave had been left by a Three Flowers Realm Cultivator. This Cultivator had left a message saying he had entered the Beast God Tree Forbidden Land and found a small drop of Celestial Dog Blood Essence. This blood, he wrote, could allow a canine Spirit Beast to soar to incredible heights.

Xie Xiuyue found a diluted sample of the blood in the cave. After Huahua drank it, its Cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds.

The once-ordinary large white dog grew even faster than Xie Xiuyue, a young prodigy in Cultivation.

The Three Flowers Realm Cultivator had also described the surroundings where the Celestial Dog blood could be found.

As for a map, there was naturally none.

In a place like the Beast God Tree Forbidden Land, maps were basically nonexistent.

Every so often, the space within the Forbidden Land would become disordered.

A recent map might be of some use, but using a map that was even a few years old was no different from seeking death.

Xie Xiuyue had originally planned to wait until she was strong enough before going to the Beast God Tree Forbidden Land to search for the Celestial Dog Essence Blood. But seeing Huahua’s major Cause and Effect Line, she knew that if she delayed any longer, the Celestial Dog Essence Blood would probably disappear forever.

Without the Celestial Dog Essence Blood, Xie Xiuyue knew with certainty that Huahua would likely be stuck at the fourth tier forever, with no possibility of further advancement.

Xie Xiuyue went to her master, hoping she would help and take her to the Beast God Tree Forbidden Land.

But she was soundly reprimanded and told not to risk her life for a dog.

Although her master was a Cultivator in the early Dao Fruit Realm with great combat power, Cultivators were suppressed inside the Beast God Tree Forbidden Land. The higher their Cultivation, the stronger the suppression.

An early-stage Dao Fruit Realm expert entering the Beast God Tree Forbidden Land was not much different from a late-stage Three Flowers Realm expert going in.

And if high Cultivation was all it took, the Beast God Tree Forbidden Land wouldn’t be called a forbidden land.

Knowing the dangers of the Forbidden Land, how could her master agree to Xie Xiuyue’s willful request?

Xie Xiuyue knew her master’s word was law, so she didn’t mention it again. Then, not long ago, she waited for her master to leave and secretly ran away.

It was a good thing Jie Qiu was watching her from the shadows; otherwise, she would have run off here all by herself.

Xie Xiuyue begged and pleaded. Knowing of Xie Xiuyue’s ability, Jie Qiu thought it over for a long time before finally agreeing to come with her.

She had once obtained a Teleportation Talisman in an ancient Secret Realm. As long as they didn’t venture too deep into the Forbidden Land, she could use it to teleport herself and Xie Xiuyue out if they encountered danger.

If she hadn’t agreed, even if she had dragged Xie Xiuyue back this time, her junior sister would have surely kept trying to sneak out again in the future.

If Jie Qiu didn’t notice next time, it would be even more dangerous.

"We can use Talismans to conceal your eye ability."

"Every time you need to use it, just take out a Path-Finding Talisman. We’ll just say it’s a specially crafted one. I doubt that Gu Changqing will be able to tell the difference,"

Jie Qiu said to Xie Xiuyue.

Of course, no one else could find out about Xie Xiuyue’s eye ability. The more people who knew, the more danger she would be in.

After coming to an agreement, the two stayed in the Marketplace for another two days before heading to the Beast God Tree Forbidden Land.

They didn’t travel with Jiang Zuo, but instead arranged to meet him outside the Beast God Tree Forbidden Land.

***

In a vast valley.

The path at the end of the valley led into the notorious Beast God Tree Forbidden Land.

A considerable number of Cultivators loitered within the valley.

Most of these Cultivators were at the Three Flowers Realm or the Divine Body Realm.

Three Flowers Realm Cultivators with third or fourth-tier Spirit Beasts could venture into the slightly deeper parts of the outer region to hunt for treasure.

As for those at the Divine Body Realm, they could only try their luck along the very outermost edge.

Cultivators at the even lower Dao Foundation or Qi Cultivation realms were just here to do odd jobs.

"Master Gu, you truly have miraculous healing hands! My Spirit Beast is clearly much better today!"

In the valley, a group of Cultivators had gathered under a large banyan tree.

A middle-aged man among them was praising a young Cultivator effusively.

"You flatter me, Fellow Daoist He. I accepted your payment, so naturally, I had to cure your Spirit Beast,"

Jiang Zuo said with a slight smile.

He had been in this valley for over ten days now.

At first, these Cultivators were skeptical of his ability to heal Spirit Beasts. Even though some had heard his name, not many were willing to trust him.

After all, he looked a little too young.

But there was nothing Jiang Zuo could do about it. The Beast Taming System could make him look younger, but it couldn’t make him look older.

It was easy for him to change his appearance with a disguise, but looking older would require a complete physical transformation, which could easily reveal flaws.

Once someone discovered a flaw, this entire persona of his would be ruined.

Only two Cultivators, who saw no other option, had approached Jiang Zuo as a last resort.

Jiang Zuo’s Divine Sense had recently surged, and he had come into contact with countless Spirit Beasts and Demon Beasts.

This allowed the effects of his Pet Beast Diagnosis skill to be fully displayed.

He could grasp the problems of most Pet Beasts with a single glance.

A small portion required him to keep the Pet Beast with him for a few days of observation.

And some conditions that left others helpless were actually quite simple in Jiang Zuo’s eyes.

After a few days, Jiang Zuo had made a name for himself in the valley.

Because Jiang Zuo claimed to be a Beast Taming Master and a Spirit Beast Doctor, and said his Beast Taming skills were even stronger than his healing abilities,

some of the Cultivators in the valley had simply started calling him Master Gu.

After all, it cost them nothing to call him "Master," so they might as well.

"Master Gu, please take a look at my Spirit Beast. I feel like it’s been listless lately."

"Master Gu, mine too! Please take a look at mine as well!"

Many of the surrounding Cultivators chimed in eagerly.

Their Spirit Beasts weren’t seriously ill, but Jiang Zuo’s fees were so cheap that they felt like they’d be losing out if they didn’t get a check-up.

Besides, it seemed like all of their Spirit Beasts did have some kind of minor issue.

If they could identify their Spirit Beasts’ problems for a small fee, it would be a huge gain.

"Alright, one at a time, no need to rush!"

Jiang Zuo quickly called out.

In an instant, the area under the banyan tree became bustling with activity.

"That kid looks like he has some real skill."

"Definitely. I’ve watched him treat a Spirit Beast—he has a sharp eye and his technique is very refined."

Under another large banyan tree, several Cultivators watched Jiang Zuo from a distance.

This valley outside the Beast God Tree Forbidden Land was a gathering point for numerous Cultivators.

Over time, various factions had formed here.

There were groups of Cultivators who specialized in exploring the outskirts of the Beast God Tree Forbidden Land, merchants who came here to purchase items produced in the Forbidden Land, and vendors who provided services to these Cultivators.

The most numerous of these were the Cultivator groups hoping to strike it rich by exploring the Forbidden Land. Qu Chengyuan’s group was one of them.