Chapter 158
Chapter 158
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 158
Chapter Title: Yun Xiaoniu's Foundation Establishment, Four Third-Tier Demonic Beasts
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Back in the courtyard.
Thinking about his conversation with Alchemist Zhuang, he felt his own knowledge was still too shallow.
He hadn't truly understood the cruelty of the cultivation world.
Cultivators who died in a beast tide didn't necessarily fall to demonic beasts; they might have fallen at the hands of fellow cultivators.
The beast tide held unimaginable potential dangers.
At the same time, it also offered unexpected opportunities.
If lucky, a Qi Refining cultivator might find the storage bag of a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Conversely, they might be dispatched by a Foundation Establishment cultivator desperate for spirit stones.
"Being a craftsman is still the most stable path. The speed of earning spirit stones is decent, and most importantly, it's a long-term, steady income."
Chen Jianghe stopped thinking about these things and dedicated himself wholeheartedly to drawing high-grade protection talismans for the next month.
Time flew by.
A month passed.
Chen Jianghe left his home, first heading to Fortune Residence at 136 Fushou Lane to pick up Jiang Ruxu and Zhuang Xinyan.
Then, he arrived at the prearranged Qingping Teahouse.
Ruan Tieniu had already been waiting there for a long time.
He had even ordered a pot of spirit tea worth fifty spirit sand, sipping it while waiting for Chen Jianghe.
"Brother Chen, let's trade quickly. I need to hurry back."
Seeing Chen Jianghe enter, Ruan Tieniu couldn't help but urge him on.
Being a middleman in such a high-risk business involved many uncertainties. First was his own safety.
Second was whether the beast tide at Beast Taming Market City would continue to expand.
And third was the price of resources, which could only go up, not down, or he would lose money.
Chen Jianghe knew Ruan Tieniu was risking his life to earn spirit stones, so he naturally wouldn't waste his time.
He glanced at Jiang Ruxu, who understood and handed him the spirit pills.
This time, the pills were not in jade vials but in a jade pot. Although the quantity wasn't as large as last time, it was still a considerable amount.
"Twenty-nine high-grade healing pills and twenty-four high-grade spirit recovery pills."
Chen Jianghe stated the number of pills.
Ruan Tieniu took out his storage bag to get the spirit stones for Chen Jianghe.
"For high-grade healing pills and high-grade spirit recovery pills, Myriad Treasures Pavilion's buyback price is eighty percent above market value. I'll give you a ninety percent premium."
"Twenty-nine high-grade healing pills come to two thousand two hundred and four spirit stones, and twenty-four high-grade spirit recovery pills are one thousand three hundred and sixty-eight spirit stones."
"That's three thousand five hundred and seventy-two spirit stones in total."
As Ruan Tieniu spoke, he took out the spirit stones and handed them to Chen Jianghe.
Looking at so many spirit stones, Chen Jianghe knew that Jiang Ruxu hadn't refined them all by herself.
There must have been other high-grade alchemists involved.
He had asked Alchemist Zhuang to handle it back then, so she must have acquired the spirit recovery and healing pills from several high-grade alchemists.
This way, Alchemist Zhuang also earned a good amount as the middleman.
"Here are sixty-eight high-grade protection talismans."
Chen Jianghe took out the high-grade protection talismans he had drawn over the past year and one month.
Seeing the sixty-eight high-grade protection talismans, Ruan Tieniu was stunned. He hadn't expected Chen Jianghe to have drawn so many talismans.
He had risked his life to come to Qinghe Market City to acquire spirit pills and talismans, and it wasn't just for what Chen Jianghe had.
He also had channels with other high-grade talisman masters.
But those cultivators who had been high-grade talisman masters for years actually produced fewer than Chen Jianghe.
They all produced around fifty-odd, and one even produced only forty-odd.
Chen Jianghe had actually drawn sixty-eight in this period, which was a quarter more than the other high-grade talisman masters.
"The buyback price for high-grade protection talismans at Myriad Treasures Pavilion is a one hundred and ten percent premium. I'll give you, Brother Chen, a one hundred and twenty percent premium."
"Sixty-eight high-grade protection talismans come to a total of one thousand seven hundred and ninety-five spirit stones and twenty spirit sand. Let's round it up to one thousand seven hundred and ninety-six spirit stones."
After giving the spirit stones to Chen Jianghe, Ruan Tieniu said.
"Brother Chen, I have a feeling the beast tide at Beast Taming Market City will last for at least another three years. From now on, I'll travel to Qinghe Market City once a year. You must be diligent in drawing your talismans, and be sure to save them for me."
"Farewell!"
Watching Ruan Tieniu's departing figure, Jiang Ruxu pursed her lips and whispered, "Senior, isn't he afraid of dying to demonic beasts?"
"He is, but he's more afraid of having no cultivation resources."
Chen Jianghe said with admiration, then left Qingping Teahouse with Jiang Ruxu and Zhuang Xinyan.
On the way to Fushou Lane, Chen Jianghe thought about the extra one thousand seven hundred and ninety-six spirit stones in his hand, and it felt somewhat unreal.
In the past, his sixty-eight medium-grade protection talismans could only be sold to demon hunters at a ten percent discount, yielding only seven hundred and thirty-four spirit stones.
But now, the profit had more than doubled.
Arriving at Fortune Residence at 136 Fushou Lane, after meeting Alchemist Zhuang, Chen Jianghe prepared to repay the six hundred spirit stones he owed.
"It seems the beast tide is a great opportunity for you, Fellow Daoist. You must have made a small fortune, haven't you?"
"Same to you, haha~"
Chen Jianghe chuckled, took out six hundred spirit stones, and handed them to Alchemist Zhuang, but she pushed four hundred spirit stones back.
"When refining pills for a Fellow Daoist, I only charge for the cost of materials. How could I profit from you?"
Alchemist Zhuang smilingly accepted the two hundred spirit stones.
She didn't wait for Chen Jianghe to say anything more.
Alchemist Zhuang then turned to business, looking at Chen Jianghe and asking, "Fellow Daoist, how many materials for drawing talismans do you still have on hand?"
"Materials?"
Over a year ago, he had purchased six Azure Illusion Spirit Fox pelts and six boxes of high-grade spirit ink. More than a year had passed since then.
He didn't have much left now.
"It's barely enough for the rest of this year," Chen Jianghe said.
"That's good. Then, Fellow Daoist, you should wait until next year to buy more talisman-drawing materials."
"Why is that?"
"The beast tide is expanding now, and it's a period of rising prices for talismans and pills. Whether it's materials for drawing talismans or herbs for alchemy, prices will rise sharply."
Alchemist Zhuang explained to Chen Jianghe, "But in another year, a large amount of resources will flow into Beast Taming Market City, and prices will start to fall. By then, materials and herbs will return to normal."
"Rest assured, Fellow Daoist. Although the price of high-grade protection talismans will also drop, it will still be at a premium compared to normal times."
Hearing this, Chen Jianghe nodded. "Thank you for the reminder, Fellow Daoist."
After chatting for a little longer.
Chen Jianghe headed to Myriad Treasures Pavilion to check the current price increase of materials.
He went to the counter selling talisman materials and saw that a single Azure Illusion Spirit Fox pelt had risen to thirty spirit stones.
Compared to the usual price, it was a fifty percent increase.
High-grade spirit ink had also risen to seven spirit stones.
And an Azure Feather Talisman Brush had soared to one hundred spirit stones each.
He then went to the medicinal herbs counter. The price increase for herbs was different from talisman materials; it was a uniform twenty percent increase.
The reason was that the herbs for refining high-grade healing pills and high-grade spirit recovery pills overlapped with those for many other spirit pills.
Therefore, the price couldn't increase too drastically.
Chen Jianghe didn't linger at Myriad Treasures Pavilion. He returned home, ready to continue drawing talismans.
This beast tide was a significant opportunity for him.
Before, he was worried he wouldn't have enough spirit stones to buy a heaven and earth spiritual object.
Now, that worry was gone.
After repaying Alchemist Zhuang, he still had one thousand nine hundred and ninety-four spirit stones and sixty spirit sand on hand.
It was enough to buy a heaven and earth spiritual object to enhance his spirit.
Moreover, with the beast tide at Beast Taming Market City, his income from talismans would remain very high.
He hung up the 'In Seclusion' sign.
Chen Jianghe let out Xiao Hei and Maoqiu.
"Xiao Hei, how many demonic beast spirit cores can Maoqiu absorb and refine in a year?" Chen Jianghe asked.
"Four, five at most."
Xiao Hei said, its bean-like eyes wide with surprise. "What are you planning to do? Are you going to let Maoqiu start devouring spirit cores too?"
"I have that in mind."
"You've struck it rich!"
Xiao Hei jumped up excitedly, more thrilled about Chen Jianghe's fortune than if it were its own.
"Yes, made a small fortune. Enough to support you two."
*Smack~*
Xiao Hei smacked Maoqiu with a paw. "What are you spacing out for? Hurry up and say thank you! Didn't you hear Master is going to give you spirit cores to eat?"
"Jiji~" (What did Master say?)
"Zhi zhi..."
Hearing Xiao Hei, Maoqiu also grew excited, cupping its paws and bowing to Chen Jianghe.
It conveyed its gratitude through the Spirit Beast Ring.
Chen Jianghe raised a hand, interrupting Maoqiu's unclear mental transmission, and said calmly, "Work hard and cultivate well. Perhaps one day, you too will become a second-tier spirit beast."
As for Maoqiu, his combat spirit pet.
Chen Jianghe planned to cultivate it properly. Coincidentally, he had a second-tier water-element spirit core on hand.
He could give it to Maoqiu.
As for Xiao Hei, it seemed it could break through to become a second-tier spirit beast without needing a second-tier water-element spirit core.
Although he could let Xiao Hei devour and refine it now.
It could become a second-tier spirit beast in two or three months at most, but that would be too wasteful.
Xiao Hei was already about a year away from becoming a second-tier spirit beast. There was no need to waste Maoqiu's chance to become a second-tier spirit beast just to advance Xiao Hei's breakthrough by a few months.
Besides, the threat from rogue cultivators had now disappeared.
Duan Ming was lured into a trap and killed by Ruan Tieniu and Wang Kun; it had nothing to do with him.
Even if Qingfeng Stronghold sought revenge, they would only look for Ruan Tieniu and Wang Kun.
Furthermore, as Xiao Hei's cultivation progressed, its defense grew stronger and stronger. If the current Xiao Hei used its 'Petrification' divine ability, it could probably block a single strike from a Foundation Establishment cultivator who didn't possess a top-tier magical tool.
Therefore, from now on, Chen Jianghe didn't plan to sell any demonic beast spirit cores. He wanted to keep them.
This would prevent him from having to buy them at high prices later.
After Xiao Hei became a second-tier demonic beast, it could continue to devour late-stage first-tier demonic beast spirit cores.
Maoqiu also needed late-stage first-tier demonic beast spirit cores.
In the future, the resource focus for both spirit beasts would shift to spirit cores. Although this would increase his spirit stone expenditure.
Chen Jianghe now had the means to afford it.
After making his decision, he didn't disturb Xiao Hei and Maoqiu's work any further and returned to his room to begin cultivating.
He continued his dull yet fulfilling life of seclusion.
Time passed in the blink of an eye.
In a flash, it was mid-December.
Chen Jianghe withdrew his brush, completing the drawing of a high-grade protection talisman. The tip of the Azure Feather Talisman Brush snapped at the same time.
The Azure Feather Talisman Brush had reached the end of its life.
The high-grade spirit ink and spirit fox pelts were also all used up.
He now had fifty-nine more high-grade protection talismans. If he still had materials, he could probably draw another five or six before Ruan Tieniu returned.
If Ruan Tieniu stayed in Qinghe Market City for a month.
Then Chen Jianghe would be able to sell nearly seventy high-grade protection talismans this time.
His success rate in drawing high-grade protection talismans had increased. Although not by much, it had stabilized at over fifty percent.
In terms of talisman crafting skills, his progress could be considered rapid.
With a thought, mist rose in the room, forming a water mirror. He extended his spiritual sense into it.
It folded back and extended.
Thirty-eight zhang and six chi.
Indeed, with the aid of the first-tier high-grade Spirit Nurturing Liquid, his spiritual cultivation progressed rapidly.
One must know that the further one progressed in spiritual cultivation, the more difficult it became.
If he could also buy Spirit Nurturing Pills, with the dual support, he could raise his spiritual cultivation to the peak of the late stage in three years at most.
"I must attend this year's New Year's Eve auction to see if I can win the bid for some Spirit Nurturing Pills."
He had enough spirit stones now, so he naturally wanted to convert them into cultivation resources to advance his cultivation as quickly as possible.
If he could reach Foundation Establishment within three to five years, that would be for the best.
Xiao Hei was only two or three months away from breaking through to become a second-tier spirit beast. If he successfully reached Foundation Establishment.
Then he wouldn't be confined to Qinghe Market City forever.
He came to Qinghe Market City at the age of fifty-two, and now he was seventy-four, almost seventy-five.
For these twenty-two or twenty-three years, he had stayed in Qinghe Market City without ever leaving.
The longer one lived, the more one feared death.
Because he knew he was merely long-lived, not immortal.
He released his spiritual sense.
Seeing that Xiao Hei and Maoqiu were both devouring spirit cores, absorbing and refining them, he didn't disturb them.
He condensed his spiritual sense, making it as fine as a silk thread.
"Still no good. It seems only after successfully reaching Foundation Establishment will my spiritual sense undergo a qualitative change, allowing it to attack and control objects."
He circulated his spiritual power, forming a black thread that pulled the letters from the postbox into his hand.
There were six letters in total. Five were from Ruan Tieniu, and one was from Yu Daniu.
Ruan Tieniu's letters were nothing more than updates on the situation at Beast Taming Market City and urging him to draw talismans.
All so that he, the middleman, could earn more profit.
Chen Jianghe first opened Yu Daniu's letter. It was a message from September. As he read the contents.
A look of joy appeared on Chen Jianghe's face.
"Xiaoniu has reached Foundation Establishment!"
He was very fond of this junior, Yun Xiaoniu, and hadn't expected him to reach Foundation Establishment before he did.
Yu Daniu wrote in the letter.
Yun Xiaoniu had attempted his breakthrough to Foundation Establishment in the southeast cultivation area with an eighty percent chance of success.
In other words.
Yun Xiaoniu had a perfected physical body, a perfected spirit, a genuine Foundation Establishment Pill, and the second-tier high-grade spirit meridian of Qinghe Market City.
This made Chen Jianghe sigh with emotion.
Yun Xiaoniu had received focused cultivation from the Yun Clan, who had spent at least over five thousand spirit stones on him.
Body tempering assistance pills and spiritual items, as well as a heaven and earth spiritual object to break through to a perfected physical body.
This required roughly two thousand spirit stones.
Spiritual cultivation assistance pills and liquids, ordinary auxiliary spiritual items, and a heaven and earth spiritual object to break through to a perfected spirit.
This required nearly three thousand spirit stones.
The genuine Foundation Establishment Pill was acquired with the help of Gao Peiyao and Chen Jianghe and wasn't counted as a resource from the Yun Clan.
But adding it all up.
To cultivate a cultivator with five-element miscellaneous spirit roots to successfully reach Foundation Establishment required at least eight thousand spirit stones.
The cost was too high.
This was simply not something an ordinary cultivation family could afford.
Chen Jianghe might not need that many spirit stones, but he was using time to offset the cost.
Yun Xiaoniu was only fifty-one this year, whereas Chen Jianghe was already seventy-four or five.
It could be said that from the moment Yun Xiaoniu began cultivating, his supply of resources had never been cut off, and they were all top-quality resources.
For Yun Xiaoniu to perfect his body in five years and his spirit in five years, he must have had the help of heaven and earth spiritual objects.
"Still in Qinghe Market City, he hasn't become reckless because of his successful breakthrough. A calm and meticulous character, very good."
Reading to the end, he saw that Yu Daniu's family was still in Qinghe Market City and had not gone to Mirror Moon Lake immediately after Yun Xiaoniu's successful breakthrough.
This made Chen Jianghe very pleased.
Although Yun Xiaoniu wouldn't be in danger if he went to the Yun Clan to demand an explanation after his breakthrough, at most he would be confined there.
But at this time, it wasn't the Yu family who should be anxious, but the Yun Clan.
Yun Yifeng and Yun Xiaoniu had a feud over the murder of his younger brother, which was definitely irreconcilable.
Either Yun Xiaoniu dies, or Yun Yifeng dies.
Obviously, Yun Xiaoniu couldn't die. If the Yun Clan dared to kill Yun Xiaoniu, they would have done so long ago.
Why wait for him to successfully reach Foundation Establishment?
Yu Daniu had deep connections: one was the sect disciple Gao Peiyao, and the other was the 'Talisman Master Chen' with a boundless future.
Under normal circumstances, they wouldn't think of Yu Daniu's family, but if they did, the family had to be alive.
Therefore, under these circumstances, if the Yun Clan wanted to protect Yun Yifeng and not let things get too strained with Yu Daniu's family.
They would definitely send someone to Qinghe Market City to negotiate.
Just as Yun Huizhen had predicted, the separation of the family was inevitable.
It all depended on what price the Yun Clan was willing to pay to preserve their familial relationship with the Yu family.
After he came out of seclusion, Chen Jianghe planned to visit Yu Daniu, partly to congratulate Yun Xiaoniu.
After all, this was a junior he held in high regard.
Now that he had successfully reached Foundation Establishment, how could he, as an "uncle," not show his face?
After settling his thoughts.
Chen Jianghe then opened Ruan Tieniu's letters in order. They were from April, July, August, September, and early December. He figured the man himself would be arriving in Qinghe Market City soon.
The frequency of these letters was a bit too high.
The first letter described the situation at Beast Taming Market City, which was worse than expected. For some reason, the three third-tier demonic beasts were frantically attacking the market city.
The two Core Formation experts from the Zhou Clan in Beast Taming Market City didn't dare to go out and fight, so they could only stay within the city to manage the formation and defend against the demonic beasts' attacks.
The second letter: reinforcements arrived for the Beast Taming Zhou Clan. A False Core clansman came to assist with a third-tier spirit beast.
Immediately, the Zhou Clan organized a counterattack against the demonic beasts.
In less than an hour, forty percent of the cultivators who participated in the counterattack died outside. Even the Zhou Clan's False Core expert fell to a third-tier demonic beast, becoming its food.
At the same time, another Core Formation expert was injured. Left with no choice, the cultivators retreated back into the market city.
The third letter, from August, stated that the scale of the beast tide had expanded once again. Although no new third-tier demonic beasts had joined.
But more than twenty second-tier demonic beasts had joined the fray.
Among the demonic beasts now surrounding Beast Taming Market City, there were nearly eighty second-tier demonic beasts.
The fourth letter: The south gate of Beast Taming Market City was breached by an Icy Triangle Python, which paid the price of using a horn-breaking secret divine ability. The demonic beasts poured into the market city.
Fortunately, more reinforcements from the Zhou Clan arrived at this moment.
A Core Formation expert and a third-tier spirit beast arrived, barely managing to hold back this demonic beast rampage.
They repaired the third-tier defensive formation.
At the same time, under intense pressure from the cultivators within Beast Taming Market City, the Zhou Clan compromised and paid a great price to request aid from the Tiannan Sect.
The fifth letter: The demonic beasts rampaged again, frantically attacking Beast Taming Market City. Three Core Formation experts, two third-tier spirit beasts, and a rogue Core Formation expert joined forces to withstand this rampage.
But another third-tier demonic beast flew out from the Wandering Immortal Mountain Range, causing the scale of the beast tide to expand once more.
At the end of the fifth letter.
Ruan Tieniu told Chen Jianghe that he wouldn't be able to come to Qinghe Market City this year and advised him to sell his talismans to Myriad Treasures Pavilion as soon as possible.
The scale of this beast tide was too large, exceeding everyone's imagination. It was more than twice the size of the beast tide at Qinghe Market City.
At this point, even if the Zhou Clan didn't ask the Tiannan Sect for help.
The Tiannan Sect would not stand by and do nothing.
"It seems Ruan Tieniu hasn't lost his mind over earning spirit stones yet."
Chen Jianghe finished reading all of Ruan Tieniu's letters, his heart filled with shock. The scale of the beast tide had already reached this point.
Four third-tier demonic beasts.
What on earth did the Zhou Clan do in the Wandering Immortal Mountain Range?
To provoke the wrath of four third-tier demonic beasts.
Chen Jianghe felt it wasn't just because of a Black Flame Fire Crow egg. The Zhou Clan had most likely stolen that egg on a whim.
Demonic beasts have a strong sense of territory. Under normal circumstances, they wouldn't band together.
Even beast tides are usually triggered by one or two third-tier demonic beasts.
It was rare for four different species of third-tier demonic beasts to rampage together.
"Looks like I'll have to sell the talismans in my hand at Myriad Treasures Pavilion."
At this moment, Chen Jianghe couldn't help but think of Wang Kun. The beast tide had been going on for two years, so why hadn't he seen Wang Kun return?
It wasn't that he wanted to sell the talismans to Wang Kun.
After all, at a time like this, besides a middleman like Ruan Tieniu, no other dealer would offer a higher price than Myriad Treasures Pavilion.
Because they had no way of getting the talismans into Beast Taming Market City.
The reason he thought of Wang Kun was that the demonic beasts he had on hand had all been processed by Xiao Hei and Maoqiu.
If he didn't get a new batch of demonic beasts soon, Xiao Hei and Maoqiu would start complaining about having no work.
"Looks like I need to find a new supplier for demonic beasts. Beast Taming Market City is surrounded by four third-tier demonic beasts, completely sealed off. If even Ruan Tieniu doesn't dare to come out, Wang Kun definitely won't."
With this in mind, Chen Jianghe wrote a reply to Ruan Tieniu, telling him to take care.
Then he wrote another message for Alchemist Zhuang.
He told them to sell their spirit pills to Myriad Treasures Pavilion as well and not to wait for Ruan Tieniu anymore.
Afterwards, he left his room. When Xiao Hei and Maoqiu were between cultivation sessions, he had them enter the spirit beast space.
He put all the spirit cores into his storage bag and then took all the other demonic beast parts to the beast market to sell.
The parts from forty demonic beasts, excluding the spirit cores and the flesh, heart marrow, and internal organs of five beasts.
The rest, all added up, sold for a total of two hundred and sixty-six spirit stones.
The spirit stones in his possession now exceeded two thousand, reaching two thousand two hundred and sixty spirit stones and sixty spirit sand.
Furthermore, he still had fifty-nine unsold high-grade protection talismans, which represented another considerable sum.
After leaving the beast market, he first went to Fushou Lane and placed the message in the postbox outside Fortune Residence at number 136.
Immediately after, he spent ten spirit stones to buy two first-tier spirit fruits and headed for the courtyard at 116 Qingshui Lane.
To congratulate Xiaoniu on his successful Foundation Establishment.