Chapter 365: Unconventional Beast Taming
After gaining some understanding of the more than ten fourth-grade cubs, Lu Xuan embarked on his beast-taming journey.
"You are all descendants of fourth-grade demon beasts, and I trust your intelligence needs no further elaboration; you should grasp the meaning behind my words," he addressed all the cubs, his gaze pausing momentarily on the Lion-Bird Beast hovering in the air.
"Let's start with a simple endurance training," Lu Xuan said, as spiritual energy surged within him, causing the rocky floor of the stone hall to churn and instantly form more than a dozen stone huts.
Each stone hut, measuring over twenty feet in length and width, appeared quite rudimentary.
"Each beast will stay in a stone hut for two hours. Do not act rashly inside, and if you leave before the allotted time, varying degrees of punishment will ensue," he explained, listing penalties including but not limited to reduced food supply, confinement, and corporal punishment.
No sooner had he finished speaking than the cubs each picked a hut to occupy firmly.
The Lion-Bird Beast, last to choose, vacillated between huts, eventually settling on one already claimed by another cub. After being warned off with a low growl, it finally found an unoccupied hut.
All the young beasts quietly remained within the areas Lu Xuan had designated for them.
Lu Xuan pulled out a tome from his storage bag. Above the stone huts, a pair of grey-white eyes appeared silently. A crack emerged in the palm of his hand, allowing him to monitor the situation of all the cubs closely.
These cubs, once tamed, were mostly used to guard various critical locations within the sect, often staying in specific areas for extended periods.
Given the simple-minded nature of demon beasts and their lack of patience, it was essential to properly train their endurance.
"It's somewhat akin to a teacher standing at the lectern, seemingly oblivious to what's happening below, yet fully aware," Lu Xuan mused, observing through the eyes that had split from the Illusionary Spirit Flute, thinking to himself.
As time gradually passed, an hour swiftly flew by.
Despite their upbringing within the sect's tranquil and uniform environment and their not insignificant intelligence, the inherent beastliness within them couldn't be completely suppressed.
Initially calm, they grew restless as time dragged on, moving about within the designated areas and occasionally emitting low roars and whistles.
Even a couple of cubs attempted to cross the low stone walls, only to retreat to their original spots as a sliver of reason in their minds prevailed.
"Still, three cubs have shown commendable behavior," Lu Xuan noted, observing the small actions of the cubs in the stone hall.
The three exemplary cubs were the Black-Horned Spirit Rhino, the Lion-Bird Beast, and the Seven-Colored Pheasant Demon.
The Black-Horned Spirit Rhino displayed remarkable patience, quietly staying within its designated area, its breath long and serene.
The Lion-Bird Beast also behaved, albeit with a vacant look in its eyes, appearing somewhat dim-witted.
"Hmm?"
His gaze lingered on the Seven-Colored Pheasant Demon, which lay docilely on the ground, seemingly performing exceptionally well.
Having practiced the "Illusion Breaking Eye Technique" for some time, Lu Xuan sensed something amiss.
A layer of spiritual energy coated his pupils, and the stone hut housing the Seven-Colored Pheasant Demon shattered like a bubble, revealing the true scene within.
The Seven-Colored Pheasant Demon was leisurely wandering inside the hut, occasionally hopping over the low walls to enter other cubs' areas.
Its movements were subtle, concealed by illusions, making it appear within its own hut to Lu Xuan's eyes.
"Crafty little thing, using illusions to hide!" Lu Xuan exclaimed internally, "But alas, 'for every clever move, there is a countermove,' and you've been caught."
The Seven-Colored Pheasant Demon seemed to sense something, turning its gaze towards Lu Xuan and directly into his spiritually fluctuating eyes.
Realizing its antics had been discovered, it guiltily burrowed its head into its vibrantly colored feathers.
As two hours elapsed, Lu Xuan stretched and floated above the stone huts.
"Alright, time's up. You can come out now."
His words were followed by various roars as the cubs, as if pardoned, burst forth from the huts.
A gust swept past Lu Xuan, his vision momentarily filled with a blinding array of lightning. As his sight restored, he saw the Four-Winged Thunderstorm Tiger hovering mid-air, its deep purple eyes fixed intently on him.
It growled continuously, its silver body crackling with lightning, proudly displaying its innate talents.
In an instant, it zipped to Lu Xuan's other side, baring its teeth in a seeming threat.
Unperturbed, Lu Xuan assessed the performance of the numerous cubs.
Suddenly, he paused; the Lion-Bird Beast was still obediently inside its hut.
With a sigh, Lu Xuan approached the Lion-Bird Beast, patting its imposing lion head gently, "Well done, you did great today, which was quite unexpected."
He knew this seemingly fierce cub harbored a self-deprecating sentiment, incongruent with its formidable appearance. Since it indeed performed well, he didn't hesitate to offer praise.
The Lion-Bird Beast nuzzled Lu Xuan's palm, whimpering softly, its deep joy palpable to him.
After allowing the cubs some time to roam freely, Lu Xuan summoned them back with the Illusionary Spirit Flute.
"I'll now teach you some cultivation commands to help you understand the various signals expressed by the sect's cultivators."
Though the cubs were highly intelligent, they weren't born with this knowledge and needed to learn.
Lu Xuan imparted various commands that the spirit beasts needed to follow and understand, including guarding, patrolling, transporting, attacking, and defending, among others.
Most cubs grasped Lu Xuan's intentions quite well, understanding completely after two or three repetitions.
The Lion-Bird Beast was an exception. Initially, it barely comprehended Lu Xuan's words, but as the information became more complex, its mind seemed increasingly overwhelmed, floating aimlessly in mid-air.
Seeing its peers quickly memorizing and understanding, a hint of despair flickered in its eyes.
"Don't worry, I'll come over and give you extra lessons if there's time," Lu Xuan reassured just as it was losing confidence.
Lifting its head, the Lion-Bird Beast caught Lu Xuan's clear and serene gaze.
The lesson concluded swiftly, and as Lu Xuan was about to leave, he paused, sensing something. A bolt of lightning whisked past him, striking a distant wall and igniting numerous tiny sparks.
Following the direction of the lightning, Lu Xuan saw the Four-Winged Thunderstorm Tiger watching him intently, its body ablaze with even more lightning as their eyes met.
It then flapped its broad wings, transforming into a silver streak and vanishing from Lu Xuan's view.
"This Four-Winged Thunderstorm Tiger is quite cunning," Lu Xuan mused, reflecting on its actions throughout the day and the insights gained from previous observations, a smile flickering across his eyes.
"It seems ordinary methods won't suffice to tame it; a special approach is needed."
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