https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-146-Those-Cranes-We-Pursued-in-Our-Youth/12543982/
Chapter 145: A Long-term Solution
Chapter 145: A Long-term Solution
"It's just a few unorthodox techniques, but they happen to be useful for breeding Spirit Cranes." Zhou Zhengqing said with a hint of pride.
"That does sound promising. As for your suggestion, Brother Lu, it makes sense in theory, but it's still just a concept that hasn't been proven."
"How about this, I'll give Brother Zhou two hundred Spirit Cranes, and for you, Brother Lu, a smaller portion of a hundred."
"You will be in charge of nurturing these cranes for now. They are all adults, in their prime and with robust appetites, making this the perfect time for breeding."
"For the time being, let's set aside the task of transporting cultivators. The Beast Taming Hall will provide ample food for the cranes to ensure they have everything they need to reproduce." Xu Yi glanced apologetically at Lu Xuan before explaining his arrangement.
Lu Xuan accepted Xu Yi's decision calmly without any objection.
What Zhou Zhengqing proposed was indeed more tempting than his own idea. Using enchantment techniques and love potions specifically designed for magical beasts, they could significantly increase the breeding rate of the Spirit Cranes.
Xu Yi breathed a sigh of relief seeing Lu Xuan accept his slightly unreasonable arrangement. He led the two men to the waterside.
There, he gathered three hundred Spirit Cranes and divided them into groups of two hundred and one hundred, ensuring an equal number of male and female cranes in each group.
Additionally, he gave Lu Xuan two spirit beast tokens, each containing a trace of the Spirit Cranes' blood essence, allowing them to control the cranes' behavior.
Lu Xuan took the tokens and guided the cranes to the designated area.
With his mental powers, the cranes settled down in an orderly manner, each choosing their own resting spot. Occasionally, they would let out a crisp crane call, their black and white eyes fixed on Lu Xuan, as if they had a strong curiosity about him.
Lu Xuan brought out some spirit snails, shattered their shells to expose the fresh meat and organs within, and then scattered the broken shells evenly in front of the cranes.
A hundred graceful necks bent down as the cranes pecked at the snail meat within the shattered shells, swallowing it into their bellies.
Lu Xuan focused his mental powers, and a thought flashed through his mind:
Spirit Cranes, first-grade magical beasts. They feed on the roots and tender leaves of spirit herbs and also consume creatures like spirit clams, spirit snails, and demon insects. Adult Spirit Cranes are incredibly fast fliers, easy to tame, possess high intelligence, and can understand human speech.
Day after day, they tirelessly ferry cultivators, leading monotonous and dull lives. They have lost their initial yearning for the vast skies. When will they be free to soar through the mountains and mist?
Perceiving the detailed state of the cranes before him, Lu Xuan sighed inwardly. He walked over to the other group of cranes.
Among the hundred cranes, most were first-grade spirit beasts, with a small number of majestic and towering ones being second-grade. There was a roughly equal number of male and female cranes.
After examining them closely, Lu Xuan noticed that their conditions were strikingly similar. They all displayed varying degrees of weariness from the relentless day and night of transporting cultivators. Yet, under the subjugation of the Beast Taming Hall, they had no choice but to shuttle back and forth across the Sky Sword Sect, earning spirit stones.
Many of the female cranes, in particular, were aware of their task of bearing and incubating new Spirit Crane eggs, and they felt varying levels of resistance to this duty.
"The path to solving the Spirit Cranes' breeding issues is indeed a long and challenging one..." Lu Xuan murmured as he watched the numerous cranes slowly moving through the water grasses, a sense of dismay in his heart.
Instead of rushing them into reproduction and mating, he decided to focus on nurturing and caring for them, taking the time to soothe those cranes that were in a state of anxiety and unrest.
The next day, Lu Xuan arrived early at the waterside and located the section of the water body assigned to him. He channeled his spiritual energy into the spirit beast tokens, and soon, a hundred Spirit Cranes emerged from the deep waters and gathered around him.
"Mealtime! This food has been specially prepared for you, so enjoy!" Lu Xuan scattered the crane food he had obtained from the Beast Taming Hall onto a protruding empty space. Now that he had a detailed understanding of the hundred cranes' conditions, he began making adjustments, first ensuring that they had enough delicious and nutritious food.
In an area enclosed by a fence made of water grasses, two hundred Spirit Cranes resided. A faint pink mist could be seen lingering within, causing the cranes to appear unusually excited as they impatiently hovered behind the mother cranes.
The mother cranes lay on the ground, emitting hoarse cries, a testament to the hardships they endured day after day.
"Brother Lu, what brings you to my humble abode?" Zhou Zhengqing called out with a smile when he spotted Lu Xuan approaching.
"How are the hundred cranes under your care, Brother Lu? Have any of them entered the reproductive stage yet?" Zhou Zhengqing asked.
Lu Xuan shook his head. "It's only been two days, so there's no rush. But it looks like you've had some success over here. I can sense the good news from here!"
Zhou Zhengqing laughed heartily. "Indeed, with my techniques and the love potions, quite a few pairs have already mated. I'm confident that in no time, we'll see signs of pregnancy among these cranes."
There was a hint of pride in his voice as he spoke of the effectiveness of his methods.
"Your methods are truly impressive, Brother Zhou. I'm in awe!" Lu Xuan complimented.
"I don't have any special tricks up my sleeve like you, Brother Lu. I can only experiment slowly and hope to find a solution," Zhou Zhengqing replied modestly.
Lu Xuan casually flattered his fellow disciple, and indeed, the progress of the cranes in the throes of passion had exceeded his expectations.
After indulging Zhou Zhengqing's desire to showcase his success, Lu Xuan returned to his own area. He focused his mental powers on the numerous Spirit Cranes, sensing that their mental states had improved slightly since his last check.
Reassured, Lu Xuan continued to soothe and comfort each crane with his spiritual consciousness, tailoring his approach to their individual conditions.
"Haste makes waste," he mused. "Only by ensuring the cranes' physical and mental well-being can we truly unlock their innate desires."
Lu Xuan was in no rush. His plan was to first adjust the mental and physical state of the hundred cranes to their optimal condition and then gradually eliminate their resistance to reproduction, even imprinting upon them the notion that mating would bring them benefits.
Days passed in this manner. One day, as Lu Xuan was feeding his flock of cranes, he suddenly heard a heart-wrenching cry from the direction of Zhou Zhengqing's camp, not far away.
Lu Xuan's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately activated the Cloud Soaring Art. After a dozen breaths, he rushed to the fence.
Xu Yi had already arrived and stood there with a somber expression, his eyes fixed on the scene within the enclosure.
Lu Xuan followed his gaze and saw a large Spirit Crane with a bloodied abdomen. Its long neck was raised high, and its eyes shone with fierce determination.
"What happened, Brother Xu?" Lu Xuan asked in a low voice.
"A male crane couldn't bear the forced mating any longer and resorted to self-mutilation," Xu Yi replied grimly.
Lu Xuan's eyes fell on the resolute crane, and he felt a surge of respect. This crane had chosen an extreme path to free itself from the relentless cycle of forced mating, unable to bear the subjugation any longer.
(End of Chapter)
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