Celestial Profound City.
"I heard that during the Demon Beast Abyss event, Master Lu and his spirit pet, the Profound Water Turtle, slew two late-stage Tier Three demon beasts."
"Wow, Tier Three demon beasts are equivalent to those in the Golden Core Realm!"
"As expected of Master Lu."
"Heh, itâs said that this will be the most grand auction ever in Celestial Profound City, and there will be Tier Three demon pills available."
"I heard that this auction, orchestrated by Master Lu, is also to prepare for his discipleâs Core Formation."
On the bustling street, cultivators were everywhere discussing the auction set to take place in six months.
Even now, the excitement was palpable, with not only those from the Yue Kingdom but even many merchants from neighboring countries starting to gather here.
Walking along the market trading street, Lin Changâan nodded secretly as he observed the increasingly lively atmosphere within the Immortal City.
"As expected of Yue Kingdomâs number one loose cultivator, this is indeed extraordinary influence."
Just by announcing an auction, the entire Yue Kingdom can be stirred, with neighboring countries affected as well.
Seeing this scene made Lin Changâan envious. A Golden Core cultivator enjoys not only a lifespan of five hundred years but also possesses divine techniques reaching the heavens.
Every action or word can influence the dynamics of a kingdom.
"Itâs tough to be a loose cultivator, but those whoâve reached this level are formidable figures that command respect."
Itâs undeniable that loose cultivators whoâve made a name for themselves typically surpass sect or family disciples by a significant margin in both battle experience and techniques.
"A late-stage Tier Three Profound Water Turtle as a spirit pet can significantly enhance a cultivatorâs combat capacity."
This number one loose cultivator in the Yue Kingdom, Master Lu, owes a large portion of his reputation to the Profound Water Turtle, which made Lin Changâan somewhat eager.
Though he hadnât chosen to cultivate a Profound Water Turtle back then, he had a Cyan-Horned Bull.
"The Cyan-Horned Bull has been cultivated well over the years, just a step away from breaking through to Tier Two; having a Tier Two spirit beast to protect oneself greatly heightens personal safety."
Lin Changâan nodded with satisfaction, knowing that demon beasts typically exceed cultivators by a margin of three in the same-tier battles, and if the Cyan-Horned Bull could progress smoothly, it would be a significant advantage.
A Tier Two spirit beast is a luxury not afforded to even ordinary sect disciples.
"While the auction is six months away, a Tier Two Beast Spirit Pill isnât as precious as a Foundation Establishment Pill. My path is long, thereâs no need for the Cyan-Horned Bull to use this inferior Beast Spirit Pill for its breakthrough."
Thinking this, Lin Changâan headed towards the Zhou Family.
Many were aware of him raising a Cyan-Horned Bull, there was no need to hide this, especially as the bull was at a critical point of breaking through.
There was no reason to go afar to buy when forming connections with the Beast Taming Zhou Family would benefit him as a loose cultivator.
A mutually beneficial arrangement.
...
"Brother Lin."
On arriving at the main hall of the Zhou Family, Zhou Bingyun put away her playful demeanor, instead, graciously serving him tea and water herself.
Beside her, the patriarch of the Zhou Family, Zhou Renmao, smiled broadly, nodding to him as he lifted his teacup, signaling:
"Mr. Lin, this is freshly picked spirit tea."
"I am indeed enjoying Mr. Zhouâs hospitality."
Lin Changâan smiled and nodded. Since last trading a Foundation Establishment Pill with the Zhou Family, their relationship had been amicable.
After all, he was just a loose cultivator, and the Zhou Family was eager to align with him, a Tier Two Talisman Master, with no conflicting interests, they were naturally friends.
While savoring superior spirit tea, Lin Changâan couldnât help but think only those whoâve become Foundation Establishment cultivators can truly appreciate the joy that status brings.
"Mr. Zhou, to be honest, Iâm here today to buy a Beast Spirit Pill."
After setting down the teacup, Lin Changâan smilingly stated his purpose. After all, the Beast Taming Zhou Family occasionally used these to trade for resources.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Renmao showed an expression full of remorse and, with a clasped fist, said,
"This is an oversight of my Zhou Family, allowing this transaction to leak, putting Mr. Lin in such a predicament."
Though Lin Changâan hadnât mentioned the previous trade, Zhou Renmao was acutely aware of their responsibility as a patriarch.
If not for the leaked information, Lin Changâanâs Beast Spirit Pill wouldnât have been forcefully traded.
Hearing this, Lin Changâan thought to himself that indeed there was a problem within the Zhou Family, otherwise how would Huang Shaohai have known?
Furthermore, the Zhou Family suffered even more last time with the loss of exotic beasts; if they still didnât self-check, the Beast Taming Zhou Family wouldnât have come this far.
"Patriarch Zhou, you are too kind."
"No, this mistake lies with my Zhou Family. Recently, the clan refined a top-grade Beast Spirit Pill, which we will use to make amends."
Needless to say, with the chaotic state of affairs, both sides had intentions to strengthen bonds, making this business discussion even smoother.
In the end, Lin Changâan exchanged a low-quality Beast Spirit Pill and some Tier Two talismans for this top-grade Beast Spirit Pill.
Meanwhile, Zhou Renmao was all smiles, as the deal was quite favorable.
Lin Changâan was not just a Foundation Establishment cultivator and a Tier Two Talisman Master; he also shared a close friendship with the Ice Fairy Yun Yao from the Li Huo Palace and was an honored guest elder of Celestial Profound City.
He was someone worthy of the Zhou Familyâs association.
More important, Lin Changâan was well-known, as could be seen from Cyan Bamboo Mountain Market and his relationship with Erniu, known for his gratitude and not as someone who abandons principles for profit.
Even after becoming a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he still remembered his old friends from the Qi Refining period, a testament to his character.
...
Leaving the Zhou Family, Lin Changâan headed to the market trading area.
"Upper grade Tier One Healing Elixir, fair trade for all."
"Freshly butchered late-stage Tier One demon beast meat..."
The bustling market filled Lin Changâan with sentiment. Items once rare in the small Cyan Bamboo Mountain Market were common in Celestial Profound City.
"The Zhou Family is indeed a longstanding powerful clan."
Walking on the street, Lin Changâan nodded secretly, allying with the Zhou Family aligned with his interests. Selling Tier Two talismans doesnât matter much who they go to.
With a top-grade Beast Spirit Pill in hand, he just needed to find one or two auxiliary spiritual materials to prepare for the Cyan-Horned Bullâs breakthrough after returning.
"Based on Bingyunâs advice, different spirit beast species and attributes require specific auxiliary spiritual materials before a breakthrough. Previously, I also acquired two spirit grasses from the Zhou Family, but itâs better to be safe and find another one or two."
Lin Changâan planned silently, recognizing the increasing chaos around. His cultivation wouldnât progress much for a while, so boosting strength also depended on external items.
Such external items included spirit pets and magical artifacts.
Top grade magical artifacts, containing numerous materials of magic treasure level, otherwise known as spiritual artifacts.
Each spiritual artifact is valued over 500 middle-grade spirit stones, with flying needle class spiritual artifacts, the most difficult to refine, fetching nearly a thousand middle-grade spirit stones.
He was considering buying a flying needle class spiritual artifact; however, he didnât have enough middle-grade spirit stones in his storage bag for such a purchase.
"Thereâs still six months until the auction, so, in the meantime, I need to save enough spirit stones for a spiritual artifact, but the urgent priority right now is the Cyan-Horned Bullâs breakthrough."
After pondering for a while, Lin Changâan planned how to enhance his strength wisely to face potential crises.
On this account, he couldnât help but thank Huang Shaohai for prompting him to start preparing six months in advance.
This is something he always kept in mind.