Chapter 50: Escalating War

"I didn’t expect that on the first day of the auction, even Foundation Establishment Materials would appear."

After leaving the auction, everyone was chatting prattlingly, and Lin Chang’an naturally joined Li Erniu and the others.

Among them, Li Erniu was especially envious as he spoke.

"The Foundation Establishment Materials are invaluable. Luckily, when I returned from the front line, I was rewarded with some Spirit Stones, so this time I didn’t leave empty-handed."

At this auction, Li Erniu bought two bottles of elixirs to improve cultivation.

"Brother Lin, you?"

With sharp eyes, Li Erniu seemed to notice something and immediately hesitated, pretending to laugh it off. Even Shen Lie on the side teased with a smile.

"This time it was worth it. I bought a middle-grade bloodline Spirit Beast, a flying type."

Shen Lie also patted his own Spirit Beast Bag with a smile. It was a gift after buying the Spirit Beast at the auction.

Seeing this, Lin Chang’an also smiled and shook his head, not hiding anything from the two, as the big guy couldn’t be concealed anyway later.

"I was lucky enough to win that Cyan-Horned Bull."

When Shen Lie saw Lin Chang’an also smiling and showing his Spirit Beast Bag, he immediately envied envyingly said:

"So it’s Brother Lin, worthy of being an upper-grade Talisman Master."

Many times, it’s not that one cannot afford it, but that couples have to cultivate and raise children, so many resources are used for themselves.

Unlike Lin Chang’an, who is an ascetic cultivator.

"Brother Lin, Brother Shen, and Erniu, this auction is truly worthwhile. I heard three auctions are being held this time, mid-month and end of the month, with two more."

Saying this, Wei Buyi glanced around to see no one was paying attention here, and then whispered:

"I heard the last auction will have a Foundation Establishment Pill up for sale; this news will surely spread soon."

It has to be said, Wei Buyi is well-informed about this kind of information.

Hearing this, Lin Chang’an and others suddenly realized that this auction, organized by two major sects, is considered a grand event in the market.

It further demonstrates the solid alliance between the two major sects.

"Fellow Daoists, let’s talk another day."

Seeing Huang Shaohai coming out, Wei Buyi’s face immediately changed, showing a smile and bidding farewell to everyone.

Seeing this, Li Erniu dissatisfiedly said, "Can this outsider give him Spirit Stones, or be his father?"

Hearing this, Lin Chang’an and Shen Lie smiled and shook their heads, as these two were considered archenemies.

Wei Buyi, though his personality isn’t very likable, never harbored any ill thoughts against them.

It wasn’t until Lu Qingqing and Yun Yao came out later that they unintentionally glanced at Lin Chang’an upon learning what treasures they auctioned.

"Mr. Yun, you truly have a steadfast Dao heart."

Even Yun Yao couldn’t help but sigh. Lin Chang’an chose this time to raise a Spirit Beast, clearly preparing for future Foundation Establishment resources.

"Mr. Yun, you flatter me. As a mere Loose Cultivator, I must be prepared for the worst. Even if it doesn’t work out, I’ll have a Spirit Beast for protection."

Lin Chang’an smiled and cupped his hands, as he, like Yun Yao and others, believed that planning ahead was necessary.

Given his status as a Tier One Talisman Master and his cultivation at the Qi Refining Seventh Layer, he naturally has to start planning for Foundation Establishment early, whether it’s for collecting Foundation Establishment Materials in the future or taking risks in the Cloud Mist Mountain Range.

Compared to associating with other cultivators, raising a Spirit Beast seems even more reliable.

Lin Chang’an nodded with a smile but had other thoughts in his mind.

Relatively speaking, he preferred using Spirit Stones to purchase Foundation Establishment resources in the market, but raising a Spirit Beast also leaves him prepared for unforeseen circumstances.

Two-pronged approach, both hands need to grab hold.

When the day comes that his cultivation reaches Qi Refining Ninth Level Perfection, along with being an upper-grade Talisman Master, if you say he’s not preparing for Foundation Establishment, no one would believe it.

Of course, there would be people targeting him, so raising a Spirit Beast now is also for intimidation and protection.

"Brother Lin, I believe you can definitely do it."

Li Erniu nodded firmly, as if he believed that Lin Chang’an would surely succeed.

"Everyone should focus on cultivation. The outside world will only get more chaotic."

In the end, after some chatting, Lin Chang’an, Shen Lie, and Li Erniu discussed some resources for feeding Spirit Beasts before they all left.

...

"Moo moo..."

In the courtyard, a small calf the size of a dog adorably rubbed against Lin Chang’an’s pant leg, its clear big eyes looking at Lin Chang’an with affection.

The Cyan-Horned Bull, also known as the Black Cloud Beast, had a blue-black coat, with sharp horns on the sides and a hard, protruding knob on its forehead.

Seeing the beast, Lin Chang’an rarely smiled.

"You little guy."

Thanks to the Beast Taming Token, he could clearly feel the Spirit Pet’s affectionate and dependent emotional fluctuations.

Lin Chang’an was not stingy and brought out the Spirit Grass that Zhou Qing had given him earlier, sorting it for the calf, ensuring nothing was wasted.

Sure enough, the calf immediately mooed happily.

The next moment, it began to chew on the precious Spirit Grass.

"Cyan-Horned Bull, this kind of Spirit Beast is known for its sturdy physique and toughness, it’s easy to raise."

In the courtyard, he even set up a small pen for the calf, and Lin Chang’an showed a satisfied smile.

Matured Cyan-Horned Bulls, if raised well, can reach Tier Two, but that requires special Spirit Fruits or Elixirs during crucial periods.

However, even so, after maturing, this Cyan-Horned Bull can be cultivated to the late stage of Tier One, equivalent to a cultivator in the late-stage Qi Refining.

"The market now seems prosperous, but hidden beneath it are endless dangers. After this grand feast, there will likely be another bloody turmoil."

Stroking the Cyan-Horned Bull, Lin Chang’an looked at the illuminated market and shook his head silently.

During stable periods, major sects and families block off resources to keep Loose Cultivators from affecting their interests.

But now, with resources opened up, allowing Loose Cultivators to grow rapidly, it’s clear they were waiting to reap the harvest batch by batch.

The grand event at the Cyan Bamboo Mountain Market lasted a full month.

The last auction made Lin Chang’an witness the madness of cultivators.

When the Foundation Establishment Pill appeared, countless cultivators went into a frenzy. Originally worth around six thousand within sects, it was bid up to nearly nine thousand Spirit Stones outside.

Eventually, it was purchased by the Wang Family.

However, this had little to do with Lin Chang’an; he returned to his usual routine of Talisman painting and cultivation, with an added task of feeding a Spirit Beast.

This Cyan-Horned Bull is not like the arrogant and unruly hawk bought by Shen Lie, which reportedly damaged quite a few things. His, in contrast, was calm and compliant.

His favorite thing to do was bask in the sun in the courtyard, acting as a guardian Spirit Beast.

...

Two months after the auction, a piece of news disrupted Lin Chang’an’s routine.

"Wei Buyi ran into some trouble!"

Though his personality isn’t very likable, in twenty-seven years of Cultivation, he counted as one of the few friends.

At the very least, he harbored no ill intent and indeed shared some precious intel with them.

When Lin Chang’an arrived at Wei Buyi’s newly moved residence, he could hear coughing from the courtyard.

"Brother Lin, Wei Buyi’s wife ran off with Huang Shaohai, taking all his assets with her."

Li Erniu whispered the situation’s details.

Yet when Lin Chang’an entered the room, he saw Wei Buyi lying on the bed, his eyes sunken, clearly having sustained serious injuries.

Currently, in the room were Shen Lie, Lu Qingqing, and Wei Buyi’s not even two-year-old daughter.

"Huang Shaohai truly is lawless, daring to beat Mr. Wei so severely."

Sharp-eyed, Lin Chang’an was secretly alarmed, realizing Huang Shaohai was ruthless, having crippled not just Wei Buyi’s two but three legs.

Now, with tears in his eyes and a distressed, haggard face, Wei Buyi saw Lin Chang’an, Li Erniu, and Shen Lie coming to see him. For the sake of a man’s pride, he forced himself to speak hoarsely:

"It’s nothing, I still have my alchemy skills, and I can make a living in this market."

Looking at the prideful Wei Buyi, who refuses to admit defeat, Lin Chang’an was speechless.

After comforting him for a while, Lu Qingqing’s face turned rather ugly. According to Erniu, it seemed Huang Shaohai also had designs on her.

Fortunately, Yun Yao’s timely appearance prevented any unthinkable consequences, as they couldn’t afford to provoke him.

At this point, Shen Lie was visibly angry, determined to cultivate hard. Even if he couldn’t confront him in the future, he could at least take his family away from this place.

To avoid being slaughtered at will.

However, whether it was luck or misfortune for Wei Buyi, with tensions rising on the front lines, the conscription of cultivators resumed. Due to his crippled state below, he was exempt from being summoned.

But afterward, Wei Buyi’s wife was never seen in the market again.

As front-line tensions grew, even their rearguard felt the impending crisis.