The Sacred Leaves Family's Wishes for Peace

"This is a young Golden-Eyed Beast," the blind Daoist said, his voice tinged with amusement. "It's a spirit beast. When fully grown, it can reach the Qi Refining stage, and with a bit of fortune, it might even advance to the Foundation Establishment stage."

Pausing to glance at the tiny creature sleeping in the box, he chuckled. "Your brother, that lucky rascal, managed to stumble upon a Golden-Eyed Beast cub. What fortune!"

"A spirit beast?" Yun Yanshuang's voice wavered. "Master, is it dangerous?"

"The Golden-Eyed Beast is naturally gentle and rarely harms anyone. It typically resides in the depths of mountains, feeding on all kinds of spiritual substances.

Its nose is incredibly sensitive, capable of detecting even the faintest traces of spiritual materials hidden deep within forests and mountains," the Daoist explained.

"That's amazing?"

Yanshuang's eyes widened in wonder as she looked down at the tiny beast. Her gaze sparkled with curiosity and excitement.

"Indeed. That's why I said your brother is fortunate. Do you know how many cultivator families rely on the Golden-Eyed Beast to locate spiritual veins?

Even so, obtaining a Golden-Eyed Beast cub is no simple matter. Most families have to pay exorbitant prices at cultivation markets—assuming the cubs are even available. More often than not, they're not for sale at all. Truly a rare find!"

"Hehe! If it's so extraordinary, then I'll raise it well. Who knows? Maybe one day it will help my family locate a spiritual vein," Yanshuang said, her excitement bubbling over.

Reflecting on how the cub had managed to find and devour the obsidian her uncle had given her, Yanshuang began to understand just how sharp its innate sense for spiritual materials truly was.

"Yes, raising it will undoubtedly benefit your family," the Daoist agreed. "But keep in mind, the Golden-Eyed Beast has a voracious appetite. Feeding it will require a steady supply of spiritual substances."

"That's fine, Master," Yanshuang replied with determination. "If it can help our family locate spiritual materials, the resources spent raising it will be well worth it."

"Haha! It's good that you think so."

"Master, I'd like to show this little one to my uncle first. May I return later for training?"

"Go ahead," the Daoist said with a nod and a smile.

With that, Yanshuang picked up the black wooden box and dashed toward the family's ancestral hall.

Meanwhile, in the clan hall, Yun Yunrui reported solemnly to Yun Yunyang:

"Brother Yun Yue has already tracked down the old farmer who found the obsidian.

However..."

"However, what?"

"The location where the farmer found the obsidian lies at the border between Yunzhang County and Lan Lin County.

Brother Yun Yue and the others began exploring the area, but their search has drawn the attention of the Sun family from Lan Lin.

It seems they've heard rumors and sent people into the mountains to search for the potential obsidian vein as well." Explore stories on My Virtual Library Empire

"What should we do next, Brother Yunyang?" Yun Yunrui asked, concern etched on his face.

"Should we send reinforcements to help Brother Yun Yue? If the Sun family discovers the obsidian vein first, all our efforts will have been for nothing!"

Yun Yunrui's words carried a weight of urgency, his furrowed brow reflecting the seriousness of the situation.

"There's no need for additional manpower," Yun Yunyang replied calmly. "The Sun family doesn't have a geomancer. Without one, finding the obsidian vein won't be easy."

He paused, his tone measured.

"I learned from the blind Daoist that cultivator families use various methods to locate spiritual veins. Some rely on spirit beasts like the Golden-Eyed Beast.

Others train specialized cultivators, known as geomancers, to read the terrain, combine it with the principles of the five elements and eight trigrams, and pinpoint the location of spiritual veins and mineral deposits."

"That makes sense," Yun Yunrui acknowledged. "But our family doesn't have a geomancer either. Without reinforcements, finding the obsidian vein will still be difficult."

Yun Yunyang fell silent, lost in thought. After a long pause, he finally said, "It seems we'll have to meet with Brother Tianming and propose a collaboration. If our two families join forces, we can find the vein together. Once it's located, we'll share the resources equally."

Before Yun Yunrui could respond, a lively voice rang out:

"Uncle!"

Yanshuang burst into the hall, carrying the black wooden box.

Carrying the black wooden box, Yun Yanshuang dashed into the hall, her face alight with excitement.

"Shuang'er, what brings you here?" Yun Yunyang asked with a warm smile, rising to greet his niece.

"Hehe, Uncle, I have something to show you!"

"Oh? What is it?"

Yanshuang carefully placed the box on the table and opened it slowly, revealing the tiny, pink pup curled up inside, sleeping soundly.

"This is…"

At first glance, Yun Yunyang thought it was just an ordinary puppy. But as he took a closer look, he noticed its unusual features.

"A Golden-Eyed Beast!"

Yanshuang beamed, nodding. She proceeded to recount everything the blind Daoist had told her about the beast to her uncle, Yun Yunrui, and the other gathered clan elders.

"Hahaha! Excellent, excellent! That rascal Shui'er really is lucky!"

"Indeed! I used to think he was wasting his time wandering the mountains hunting. I even considered putting him to work with his father. Who would've thought his aimless roaming would bring such a treasure to our clan!"

The revelation that the pup was a Golden-Eyed Beast, capable of reaching the Qi Refining stage—or even the Foundation Establishment stage with sufficient fortune—left everyone astonished.@@novelbin@@

More than its potential cultivation, what excited them most was its incredible sense of smell. The Golden-Eyed Beast's ability to locate spiritual veins and materials made it an invaluable asset.

For the Yun family, it was akin to having their own geomancer—a skill highly prized among cultivation families. The thought of this future advantage filled the hall with eager anticipation.

"However, this little one has quite the appetite. Feeding it will require a significant amount of spiritual resources, and that could be a problem for us right now," one elder said, his voice tinged with concern as he gazed at the sleeping cub.

"No matter the cost, we must raise it!" Yun Yunyang declared firmly, smiling as he reached into the box to gently stroke the tiny creature.

The pup yawned in response to his touch, rolling over lazily before falling back into a deep sleep. The sight sent ripples of laughter through the hall.

"Brother Yunyang," Yun Yunrui interjected, suddenly recalling something. "Now that we have this Golden-Eyed Beast, perhaps we can use it to locate the obsidian vein!"

"You're not wrong," Yun Yunyang said thoughtfully. "But it's still too young. It won't be able to assist us for now."

"Then… what do you suggest?"

"Tell Yun Yue to bring everyone back. There's no need to continue searching for the obsidian vein for the time being."

"But how can we withdraw? The Sun family from Lan Lin has already begun their search. If we pull back now and they find it first, all our efforts will be wasted!"

"Veins like these are buried deep underground. Without the proper methods or tools, they're nearly impossible to locate," Yun Yunyang replied with a confident smile.

The Yun family lacked geomancers and specialized means of locating spiritual materials. Until now, Yunyang had considered sending Yun Yue and his group to comb the area meticulously, even if it took months or years.

But with the Golden-Eyed Beast now in their possession, such measures were unnecessary. Once the cub matured, it could locate the vein with ease, sparing the family time and manpower.

As for the Sun family, Yun Yunyang was unconcerned. Without specialized methods, they would need years—possibly decades—to stumble upon the hidden vein.

"Understood," Yun Yunrui said, nodding. "I'll send someone to inform Brother Yun Yue and have him bring everyone back."