Cultivation begins with forming a bond with a spirit bee.

The shopkeeper took the spirit stone, scooped the iron-clawed crab out of the earthenware pot, put it into a small wooden bucket, threw in a few handfuls of water plants, covered it, tied it tightly with a thin rope, and handed it to him.

"Fellow Daoist, take this carefully. This iron-clawed crab is quite ferocious. Normally, just feed it some aquatic plants, and occasionally some scraps of meat."

Qu Ye took the wooden bucket, where the iron-clawed crab was restlessly fidgeting.

He used his magic to stun the iron-clawed crab before turning away, feeling reassured.

Watching Qu Ye's retreating figure, the fat boss shook his head.

Although few people buy this kind of monster, there are still a few occasionally.

"Another one wanting to try contracting a spirit pet..."

He quickly forgot about Qu Ye and went back to feeding the fish.

.........

Throughout the journey, Qu Ye remained vigilant against potential raiders.

He only breathed a sigh of relief when he finally saw the basin where the Spirit Horse Farm was located in the distance.

That makes sense, though. With so many people taking pictures of the items, there's no need to focus on just one person.

Back in his own territory, Chitu stood by the fence, saw Qu Ye, and walked over to rub his hand against his.

After spending several months together, Chitu had become very familiar with Qu Ye and even somewhat dependent on him.

Qu Ye patted its head and carried the wooden bucket into the yard.

The pond in the yard wasn't big, but the water was clear, and the aquatic plants grew densely and lushly.

Qu Ye placed the wooden bucket on the edge of the pond, lifted the lid, and the iron-clawed crab slid into the pond with the current.

It sank to the bottom of the water and immediately burrowed into a crevice between the rocks, leaving only its two large pincers sticking out, which it warily shook.

"I wonder what kind of talent you can bring to me."

Qu Ye squatted by the pool, took out a small piece of meat from his storage bag, and threw it into the pool.

The iron-clawed crab smelled the aroma of meat, swam sideways, grabbed a small piece of meat, and hid in a crevice between the rocks to chew it slowly.

After watching for a while, Qu Ye stood up, clapped his hands, and used wood to enclose the pond to prevent the iron-clawed crabs from escaping.

After doing all this, he returned to the cultivation room, sat cross-legged, and took out the Qingyang Pill.

The elixir was held quietly in his palm, emitting an alluring aroma.

Upon taking a whiff, Qu Ye felt his magical power stirring.

However, it cannot be swallowed yet.

If one's cultivation level is insufficient, the immense medicinal power will collapse his meridians.

He put away the Qingyang Pill and instead took out a Zengyuan Pill, tilting his head back to swallow it.

The medicinal effects dissolved in his abdomen, and Qu Ye began to cultivate, circulating his internal energy.

A few days later, Qu Ye was meditating in his cultivation room when someone knocked on the courtyard gate.

"Who would come looking for me here?"

Qu Ye opened his eyes, hid the spirit bees in the courtyard, and opened the courtyard gate.

Hou Youde stood at the door, holding a pot of wine in his hand, with a smile on his face.

"Uncle De? What's wrong?"

"Nothing much, just wanted to let you know."

"Tomorrow is the biennial horse breeder competition. If you have time, you can go and take a look," Hou Youde explained.

"Of course, your Fierce Cloud Steed is still young and doesn't need to play. The main thing is to see how others evaluate it so that you can have a better understanding in the future."

Qu Ye recalled that these past few days were indeed the days when the Hou family inspected the Fierce Cloud Steed.

Although I came here to make connections, I can't act like I don't care.

To avoid arousing suspicion in others.

So he nodded.

"Okay, Uncle De, I'll definitely come tomorrow."

Seeing that Qu Ye agreed, Hou Youde handed the wine pot in his hand to Qu Ye.

"Uncle De, this..."

"A while ago, a friend of mine brought me a few jugs of spirit wine from outside. It's refreshing and has a wonderful aftertaste. You should try it."

"I can't accept a reward without merit, Uncle De," Qu Ye waved his hands repeatedly.

"Hey, don't say that. Working at this horse farm, you're my junior. What's wrong with an elder giving a junior a little bit of spirit wine?"

"If you really want to thank me, just say a few good words for me next time you see Brother Fangping."

Hou Youde forcibly stuffed the spirit wine into Qu Ye's hand and turned to leave.

As they walked, he kept reminding them, "Don't forget to come back tomorrow for the competition. It'll be at 7:00 AM in the center of the Spirit Horse Field."

Seeing Hou Youde walk far away in an instant, Qu Ye looked at the spirit wine in his hand, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

He finally understood why Hou Youde had suddenly come to deliver the funeral wine out of kindness.

It seems that he was simply trying to curry favor with Hou Fangping through his own efforts.

Shaking his head, Qu Ye carefully put away the spirit wine.

Qu Ye won't drink this spirit wine since it's passed through other people's hands, but he can find an opportunity to sell it in the market to earn some income.

……

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking.

Qu Ye changed into clean clothes, washed up, and then took control of the bee swarm to guard the house.

After confirming that everything was alright, he pushed open the courtyard gate and walked towards the center of the horse farm.

The morning mist had not yet dissipated, and the grassland was a vast expanse of white.

Qu Ye used his magic to wrap his shoes to prevent the dew from wetting them.

Five or six spirit contract workers had already gathered in the open space, standing together and talking quietly, each of them leading two or three Fiery Cloud Steeds behind them.

Qu Ye found a place to stand and leaned against a wooden stake with his arms crossed.

Hou Youde stood behind a wooden table, his expression calm, holding a booklet and a measuring tape in his hand.

He looked around and spotted Qu Ye at the edge of the meadow, then nodded to Qu Ye in a friendly manner.

That counts as having given prior notice.

Then, Hou Youde called out, "Zhao Haiqiong, you go first."

The spirit medium named Zhao Haiqiong was talking to someone next to her.

Upon hearing Hou Youde call his name, he quickly led his two spirited steeds forward.

Both horses were crimson red, about three feet six inches tall at the shoulder, with full muscles and glossy manes that shone in the morning light.

With a smile on her face, Zhao Haiqiong led her horse to a stop in the open space and patted the horse's neck.

Hou Youde took a measuring tape and walked to the first horse. He measured its shoulder height, touched its back, checked its coat and muscles, then stepped back two steps and gestured for Zhao Haiqiong to let the horse run a lap.

Zhao Haiqiong loosened the reins, and the swift horse galloped off, its hooves thundering as it ran fast and steadily.

Hou Youde glanced at it a few times, made a few notes in the booklet, and nodded: "Shoulder height 3 feet 6 inches, excellent coat color, speed acceptable. Good quality."

Zhao Haiqiong grinned, clasped her hands in thanks, and led her horse to the side.

The second horse was 3 feet 7 inches tall at the shoulder, an inch taller than the first, and it was just as fast.

Hou Youde took a second look and made another note in the booklet: it was also a good product.

The next few spirit mediums stepped forward one by one, some with two horses, some with three.

These horses are generally between three and a half and three and a half feet tall at the shoulder, with clean and glossy coats. They run with great speed and none of them are inferior.

"Hu Si," Hou Youde called out.

Hu Si stepped out from behind the crowd, with a fine horse on his right and a skinny, fierce steed on his left.

The horse's ribs were clearly visible, its coat was dull, its mane was matted, and it swayed as it walked.

Noticing everyone's gaze, Hu Si lowered his head, his face flushed, and led his horse to Hou Youde.

The one on the right was rated first and is indeed a good breed.

When they reached the Fiery Cloud Steed on the left, Hou Youde measured its shoulder height, took two steps back, and gestured for Hu Si to lead the horse for a lap.

The horse ran with a limp; its front legs were fast, but its hind legs couldn't keep up. It wobbled around once and almost fell.

This drew a burst of laughter.

Hou Youde frowned, closed the booklet, and shook his head: "Shoulder height less than three feet five inches, dull coat, insufficient muscle mass, and speed is also substandard. Inferior."