I Fabricated the Techniques, but my disciple really mastered them?

There was a type of rage born of betrayal.

"I initially thought you generously let my father go for his sake, and I was so grateful to you. I never expected you to sell me out!"

The golden-horned deer bellowed, stamping its hooves, its purple glow becoming increasingly dazzling.

Li Xuan and the others all looked at Zhu Xingzheng with strange expressions.

"Little Jin, listen to me, don't get angry!"

Zhu Xingzheng stroked the golden-horned deer's head, and said earnestly: "I really meant well for you. You see, is this pill not magical? Will you not also get to eat such pills if you follow this beautiful lady's master?

"With these pills, your power will increase, perhaps even to rank above a sixth-level spirit beast, right?"

"What can I give you if you follow me?"

"Rather than making you endure hardship with me, why not follow this beautiful lady? You doubt my good intentions after all that I've done?"

"I, Zhu Xingzheng, treated you like a brother. If it wasn't for your betterment, would I have half-sold, half-given you to this lady?"

The golden-horned deer widened its eyes. Zhu Xingzheng's words seemed to make sense, but something felt not quite right.

"What about my father?"

The golden-horned deer thought of its old father. Originally, Zhu Xingzheng had said there was a grand opportunity and let his father go.

"Know a supremely strong person? A supremely strong person lacking a companion, I arranged for your father to be by his side. Isn't this not a great opportunity?"

Zhu Xingzheng squeezed out a few tears, wiping them away and said: "When I separated from your father, I held him and cried for a long time. Little Jin, you've misunderstood me so much!"

The golden-horned deer stumbled, feeling somewhat ashamed. Bowing its head, it said, "I'm sorry, I misunderstood you!"

The more it thought, the more reasonable it seemed. Being able to be at the side of a supremely strong person was indeed an opportunity.

"Little Jin, you must follow this lady well, be diligent, and there will definitely be pills. You definitely have a chance to become a superior sixth-level spirit beast."

Zhu Xingzheng heaved a sigh of relief in his heart. After soothing the golden-horned deer, he was incredibly excited.

Another spirit beast was sold, earning even more this time!

In his view, how could such a precious pill be randomly given to a mount to consume? It was just a ploy to fool the golden-horned deer.

"Miss, I'm leaving Little Jin to you. This is its command symbol!"

Zhu Xingzheng was secretly overjoyed. He took out a green command token from his storage bag, imprinted with a strand of the golden-horned deer's Divine Soul aura.

This was a command symbol, which could forcibly restrain its Divine Soul and compel obedience in the event the golden-horned deer lost control.

Generally speaking, to master a spirit beast, one must either raise it from a young age until the spirit beast willingly recognizes its master, or conquer it by force and forge a command symbol to control the spirit beast.

Zhu Xingzheng took the third path, using deception…

Li Xuan beckoned and took the golden-horned deer's command symbol. A glance told him that it was crudely made and did not have much control over the spirit beast.

However, Ling Domain's spirit beasts couldn't cultivate themselves and grew solely by bloodline. Once they were ensnared by a command symbol enclosing a strand of Divine Soul, they would be controlled and unable to break free.

Those below the sixth level, who have not yet condensed their Divine Soul, had a strand of their spirit consciousness captured and incorporated into the command symbol.

The command symbol controlled the spirit beast purely by virtue of a certain special material within that could contain the spirit beast's spirit consciousness or Divine Soul, not by refining techniques.

Such a command symbol had no control over creatures like the Red Cat.

However, it did have some restraint on the spirit beasts of the Ling Domain.

While Li Xuan was fiddling with the command symbol, Zhu Xingzheng continued to flatter Su Lingxiu and Yue'er, and also tamed the golden-horned deer. He proudly taught the deer how to please its new master and earn a pill reward...

Under his guidance, the golden-horned deer became eager to please, gazing fondly and sticking its tongue out, showing a pleasing color.

"Miss, may I ask your name, please?"

Zhu Xingzheng asked with a simple smile.

"Su Lingxiu."

"Yue'er."

Zhu Xingzheng was overjoyed. He took out a rein, put it on the golden-horned deer, handed the rein to Su Lingxiu and said happily: "So it's Miss Su and Miss Yue'er. I am Zhu Xingzheng, the upright and just Zhu Xingzheng."

The golden-horned deer was a bit dumbfounded - why was there a rein on it now? It stared at Zhu Xingzheng, suspecting it had been deceived!

"Where are the two ladies going? The Ling Domain is not peaceful right now. Little Jin has a temper, so please bear with him.

"Miss, take this whip."

Zhu Xingzheng pulled out another whip and handed it to Su Lingxiu.

Then, he kicked at the Golden Horn Deer's leg, saying, "What are you standing there for? Quickly transform to a larger size. How are you going to carry people when you're so small? Be smart, don't be so dumb."

The Golden Horn Deer snorted heavily. Zhu Xingzheng patted its head and angrily said, "How will someone give you a pill in this condition? I am doing this for your own good, do you understand?"

Under Zhu Xingzheng's smooth talking, the Golden Horn Deer ceased being angry and seemed to find his words reasonable. If it didn't please its new master, how would it get any pills?

Li Xuan sighed inwardly, Zhu Xingzheng really had a way with handling spiritual beasts.

It made him wonder, were all the spiritual beasts in Heavenly Mausoleum State so naive and easily duped?

If that was the case, wouldn't they all have been tricked by the Red Cat once it arrived?

The Red Cat was no kind tiger.

As the Golden Horn Deer's body grew larger, Li Xuan placed a chair on its back. Finally, he got a mount, making the journey ahead more comfortable.

Shi'er, Zhou Ying, and Meng Shushu also sighed with relief. They no longer had to push themselves to keep moving. Being free of the burden of traveling on foot, they also climbed onto the back of the Golden Horn Deer and sat down.

"Elder, you are quite at leisure!"

Zhu Xingzheng hadn't left. He respectfully and obligingly poured tea and water for Li Xuan, addressing him as 'elder' very enthusiastically.

"Zhu Xingzheng, go about your own business. You're not needed here!"

Su Lingxiu ordered.

"I have nothing else to do, miss. You don't know the situation, this Ling Domain is not safe. With me around, I can handle many dangers. Also, I have a deep connection with Little Jin, it's about to leave me, shouldn't I at least see it off?"

Zhu Xingzheng was very shameless.

Su Lingxiu just rolled her eyes, too lazy to deal with him.

The Golden Horn Deer leapt into the sky, heading toward Luo State. Zhu Xingzheng integrated himself into the group, showing no intention of leaving.

His so-called reason was his deep connection with the Golden Horn Deer and his intention to see it off…

As for the task assigned by the All Ages Alliance, he had long since tossed it to the back of his mind.

The small place like Yuzhou, held no appeal for him.

"Fatty, you're one of the prodigies of the All Ages Alliance, right?"

Li Xuan asked with a smile.

"Yes, yes!"

Zhu Xingzheng nodded, "Elder, which loose cultivator are you?"

In his view, Su Lingxiu and Yue'er were not particularly strong; their master must be a Refining God Heavenly Man, who wouldn't be weaker than him.

After all, he couldn't see through them.

As for Shi'er and the others, their strength was even worse; they looked like followers.

Little did he know that Su Lingxiu and Yue'er had concealed their own strength, which was why he wasn't able to perceive it.

Li Xuan just smiled and didn't respond, but instead asked: "In the All Ages Alliance, how many prodigies like you are there?"

"Not many. After all, I, Zhu Xingzheng have extraordinary talent. I can easily go into the mountains of Heavenly Mausoleum State and coax a spiritual beast to fight for me.

"Those fellows of the Yu Ling Mansion like using spiritual beasts to help them, thinking it's a matter of course. I, Zhu Xingzheng, can do the same.

"If we're talking about the strongest in the All Ages Alliance, there are only those two. They're in the late stage of Refining God, their strength is outrageously strong, especially that cold little woman…"

Zhu Xingzheng apparently didn't know why he felt like spilling everything he knew.

He introduced all the prodigies of the All Ages Alliance, including their numbers and strengths.

Among them, two had the strongest abilities, reaching the late stage of Refining God before the age of thirty.

Those two had even claimed that they would occupy the top two positions on the Prodigy Ranking. The competition for the first place could only happen between them!

Li Xuan nodded frequently. The All Ages Alliance indeed had some capabilities, as they housed such strong prodigies.

As for the top two spots on the Prodigy Ranking, they could forget about it. The first and second place were reserved for Xu Yan and Meng Chong.

If Su Lingxiu also participated, the top four spots would be occupied by his own disciples.

When Li Xuan and his group entered Luo State, Xu Yan was already on his way to challenge Yu Changfeng of the Sword Pavilion.