You Cultivate, I Farm

"Though a bit on the plumper side, your strength ranks near the top among your kind," Lu Xuan adjusted his mood, speaking to comfort the fat bird.

"Moreover, your current physique is the result of the sumptuous meals you've enjoyed. Other Wind Falcons hardly get the chance to indulge as you do!"

He pinched the Wind Falcon's soft belly, creating ripples of pale green waves.

"Really?" The fat bird cocked its head, a hint of doubt in its tiny eyes.

"Absolutely. Would I lie to you? Consider the high-quality spiritual fruits like Flame Fruit, Ice Gourd Fruit, Jade Scale Fruit, and Enchanting Spirit Peaches, not to mention the rare and exquisite Hundred-Fruit Spirit Juice I personally brewed."

"And the succulent grilled demonic beast meat, the spicy and flavorful stir-fried demonic beast meat, the tender and juicy steamed demonic beast meat that melts in your mouth without being greasy..."

Lu Xuan counted off on his fingers, speaking slowly.

The more he spoke, the more lost in thought the Wind Falcon became, reminiscing about the various cooking methods for demonic beast meat. Its round belly contracted rhythmically, involuntarily drooling a little.

"Come on, let's go. I'll make you your favorite grilled demonic beast meat right now," Lu Xuan said, seeing the fat bird's attention diverted and promptly suggested.

Half an hour later, the Wind Falcon, along with the other spiritual beasts in the cave dwelling, feasted on large chunks of delicious meat, immersed in the flavors.

"I should take the opportunity to follow the Wind Falcon out and see for myself what has been stirring these unusual thoughts," Lu Xuan thought to himself, looking down at the beasts.

The next day, as he inspected the spiritual fields and nurtured the spiritual plants, he kept a close watch on the Wind Falcon. When he noticed it leaving the cave dwelling, his Azure Stride Shoes glowed with spiritual light as he executed the Floating Light Body Technique, closely following behind the fat bird.

Unaware of Lu Xuan's presence behind it, the Wind Falcon weaved through the mountains, occasionally letting out crisp chirps, allowing Lu Xuan to sense its eagerness.

Moments later, the fat bird stopped in a valley, pacing back and forth as if nervous.

After a few breaths, it mustered the courage to enter the valley.

Lu Xuan, concealing his aura, followed closely.

"So, it's this yellow-feathered... no, green-feathered one," he mused from atop a towering spirit tree, observing from afar.

Several Wind Falcon demonic beasts were present in the valley, one of which was particularly majestic. Its feathers fell like strands of slender green jade, shimmering with spiritual light, splendidly beautiful.

Its aura was on par with the fat bird's, also a third-grade demonic beast.

"Most Wind Falcons are second-grade demonic beasts. To possess the strength of a third-grade, one must either be nurtured with an abundance of cultivation resources like I did or possess an extraordinary bloodline."

"However, this Wind Falcon looks rather thin, as if malnourished, unlike my plump bird, which is well-rounded."

Lu Xuan observed the Wind Falcons from the bushes, paying attention to their movements.

"Why is this fellow daoist sneakily spying on my spiritual beast?" A whisper, thin as a mosquito's buzz, suddenly reached his ears.

Lu Xuan descended from the spirit tree and saw a naive-looking young man not far from him, eyeing him warily.

The young man, a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, seemed somewhat unfamiliar.

"Greetings, fellow daoist. I am Lu Xuan. I followed my Wind Falcon spiritual beast here because it sneaked out, wanting to see what was happening," Lu Xuan greeted with a bow.

"So, it's Fellow Daoist Lu Xuan. I've long heard of your reputation. Seeing you today, you exceed my expectations," the naive young man's wary expression relaxed upon hearing this. Lu Xuan's renown in cultivating spiritual plants had spread throughout the Sky Sword Sect, making his name known to most inner sect disciples.

"I'm Guo Ping. You may simply call me junior brother," the young man said with a smile, appearing friendly towards Lu Xuan. "The rounder Wind Falcon in the valley is yours? It has been playing with my spiritual beasts these past few days. I was curious which fellow daoist in the sect owned a third-grade spiritual beast. Coming from you, Fellow Daoist Lu, it's not surprising."

"Fortunate circumstances led to its breakthrough," Lu Xuan humbly replied.

"However, Junior Brother Guo, your third-grade Wind Falcon seems extraordinary."

"I have extensive experience in raising Wind Falcons. After several attempts at breeding exceptional Wind Falcons and employing a few other techniques, I unexpectedly obtained this third-grade variant Wind Falcon," Guo Ping shared proudly.

"Such a talent in raising spiritual beasts. I must learn from you someday," Lu Xuan complimented.

"Your praise is too kind, Fellow Daoist Lu. My modest achievements pale in comparison to your expertise in cultivating spiritual plants," Guo Ping replied sincerely.

Lu Xuan, despite rarely exploring secret realms or extensively interacting with fellow sect members, had become well-known within the Sky Sword Sect for his achievements in spiritual plant cultivation.

"Junior Brother Guo, it seems my Wind Falcon has developed a special fondness for your variant Wind Falcon. What are your thoughts?" Lu Xuan broached the subject, resembling a parent exchanging information during a matchmaking session.

"My Wind Falcon may be plump, but it matches your third-grade variant Wind Falcon in rank," Lu Xuan stated.

"Although its appearance may not be outstanding, its strength is sufficient," Guo Ping interpreted Lu Xuan's words in his mind.

"Its bloodline was originally second-grade, but it unexpectedly broke through to the third-grade."

"Possibly limited potential," Guo Ping continued his mental translation.

"It has even hatched two spiritual beasts before," Lu Xuan briefly mentioned the Wind Falcon's experience of hatching a Fire Flood Dragon and a Rock Shell Turtle.

"So, it's a case of 'pregnant before marriage'…" Guo Ping sighed inwardly, labeling the fat bird with several tags.

"Fellow Daoist Lu, personally, I have no objections to the two spiritual beasts interacting. However, what matters most is their feelings for each other. If they are willing to try being together, that would be wonderful. But if there's no mutual attraction, such matters cannot be forced. What do you think?" he tactfully declined.

"Junior Brother Guo makes a good point," Lu Xuan acknowledged the implied rejection in his words and nodded in agreement.

"Then, let's see if fate brings the two beasts together."

With that, Lu Xuan left after a brief conversation, smiling as he bid farewell to the naive young man.

Returning to his cave dwelling, he waited a long time before the Wind Falcon finally returned to the mountain, still appearing dejected.

"Back already? How was it? Did you face any difficulties?" Lu Xuan inquired with concern.