Eternal Cultivation Of Alchemy

“Is a Bond of Equals that difficult to form?” Alex asked, somewhat surprised. He knew not everyone formed it, but he wasn’t aware that the reason lay in difficulty rather than unwillingness.

“Of course,” the woman said with no small hint of derision in her voice. “Humans always seem to get the upper hand when it comes to these sorts of things. If they initiate a bond, it’s always a bond of master and servant. And yet, for a Bond of Equals to form, not only does the beast have to initiate it, they must also have a really strong bloodline as well as talent. On top of that, no matter how bad a human is, they never seem to end up as the servant. Honestly, at this point, it’s whatever Heaven wants it to be.”

The woman’s candid explanation of the whole thing was not only illuminating, but it also led to Alex understanding something that he had been confused about for a long time.

The fact that both Pearl and Scarlet had formed such a bond with him was not just because of their incredible bloodlines, but also the fact that they were the ones who initiated it. If he had somehow thought of bonding with them first, then the situation might’ve been reversed.

Strongclaw seemed unhappy about it, but Alex didn’t believe she hated the situation she was in, but rather hated it for the beasts as a whole.

“Well… if what you say is correct, then I must praise the Beast God for having the thought to make something like this happen,” he said, looking out into the training area where the beasts were gathered. He saw a bunch of half-beasts as well who were training alongside them.

Furry ears, tails, horns, scales, and other various features made it easy to recognize half-beasts at a glance.

“What about the half-beasts? Can they bond with anyone?”

“They can… with beasts, but not with humans. Even with beasts, it fails more often than not, so you won’t really see many half-beasts bonding,” she said.

“Oh, then are these here because they are the ones willing to try? Or does one not really need to intend to form any bonds to be here?” Alex asked.

“It’s a regular place to learn and train for anyone willing. We prioritize those willing to form bonds, but we aren’t necessarily biased against those who won’t. Anyone is free to join, so long as they meet certain requirements, like any good sect will have.”

Alex smiled. “That’s good.”

They stayed around the trainees for a while before moving to another section known as the Hall of Insects. He could guess what it was, but he asked Strongclaw just to be sure.

“We breed various insects here, which we allow our disciples to purchase and make their own,” she said. “It takes time, but it’s a worthwhile investment for most.”

“I can assume. I haven’t interacted much with cultivators who use insects,” Alex said.

“They are rare,” Strongclaw said. “Have you tried working with insects before?”

“Uhh… no. Unless the Heavenly Silkworms count, but I doubt they do.”

Strongclaw slightly raised her eyebrows. “You’ve worked with Heavenly Silkworms before?”

“I still work with them,” Alex said. “Well, not me personally anymore. Whisker, my Seeking Mouse, takes care of them in my stead.”

The woman held a strange look on her face, half curious, half doubtful. “You still have some?” she asked.

“Yes,” Alex said with narrowed eyes. “Why do you ask? Are Heavenly Silkworms rare?”

“Not rare, precisely. But I’m aware the Hall of Insects is always looking for them. Are you willing to sell any?”

Alex shrugged. “I don’t mind.”

“One moment, then.”

Strongclaw’s senses spread into the Hall of Insects, and a few minutes later, a larger-than-normal man walked out in a rush.

“Senior Strongclaw. How may I be of assistance?” the man asked, bowing before her.

“This is Rockcrust, the head of the Hall of Insects, a Reverend of the Beast God and an Insect Sage himself. He’s likely better than Mother herself when it comes to controlling insects,” she explained.

“Haha, I dare not take such praise,” the older man said before turning toward Alex. In a flash, his eyes changed between fear, panic, and confusion. His eyes snapped back toward Strongclaw. “Isn’t he…”

“He is Mother’s guest, so keep those thoughts to yourself,” Strongclaw said, quickly suppressing Rockcrust’s ideas.

“If that’s the case, then I shall not even consider it,” the man said and gave a nod toward Alex.

Alex returned the nod. “I wasn’t aware Insect Sage was a thing since there is no Insect God.”

“You can become whatever Sage you want as long as you’re good at it,” the man explained. “It’s just being a God that has strict criteria. And I don’t satisfy most of them.”

“Before we get carried away, let’s get back on topic,” Strongclaw said, turning toward the Insect Sage. “He has Heavenly Silkworms and is willing to sell them.”

“Oh! Great!” the old man said. “We’ll take as many as you are willing to part with. We’ll also buy any Heavenly Silk Threads that you have.”

“I don’t think I’ll be selling those.”

The old man shrugged. “Well, I had to ask. Come, let us discuss this further inside.”

Alex walked into the Hall of Insects and could immediately smell a very distinctly different odor spreading through the entire hall. It wasn’t a good or bad smell, just something unique and obvious.

“What is the smell?” he asked.

“Everything,” the old man said. “The insects, their food, their waste—everything.”

A few people walked in and out of the place. Many of the ones who walked out looked far too tired for some reason.

Alex was curious about it, but he saved the questions for later. Right now, he followed Rockcrust and Strongclaw into a small room where they sat on a couch and began their discussion.

“So, how many Silkworms do you have?” the old man asked. “And how many are you willing to sell us?”