38: Chapter 38 Finding a Bargain: A Bloodline Pattern Turtle

[In the market stall area, someone is peddling 'Five Elements Turtle' beast eggs. The stall owner hasn't noticed that one of the eggs has undergone a Bloodline mutation, changing into an 'Array Patterned Turtle'. Its Bloodline has been upgraded from Medium Grade to Earth Rank, and its grade is extremely high even among the Earth Rank, being very close to the Heaven Rank Bloodline, yet it's still being sold as an ordinary beast egg.]

Xu Changsheng hadn't seen intelligence of this grade for a long time; the last time was Yun Xin's Great Sun Immortal Burning Body.

A Spirit Beast with an Earth Rank Bloodline is on the same level as a human with an Earth Rank Spiritual Root.

In the entire Chu Country cultivation world, they are rare to see even once in decades, and there are basically no hurdles for it to promote to the second rank.

With his financial resources, as long as he feeds it normally, he can obtain a second-rank Spirit Beast comparable to a Great Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

If it settles for a bit longer, there is even a significant possibility of it advancing to the Rank Three.

Its combat power would be equivalent to a human Golden Core True Person!

Yellow Ox Immortal City has been able to stand tall in the Chu Country cultivation world for so long not because of Yellow Ox, but because of the Spirit Beast Yellow Ox inherited from his Master.

Dutian Yellow Ox—an earth-attribute Rank Three Late Stage Spirit Beast!

"Liuyun Market has this one good point. Although supplies aren't very complete, because it's backed by the Ancient Wood Secret Realm, the chance of picking up leaks of rare treasures is much higher."

Thinking that he would soon possess a Spirit Beast comparable to the Dutian Yellow Ox, Xu Changsheng's heart surged with excitement.

He immediately changed into his Daoist robe and walked out of the room.

Just as he went downstairs, he saw Yun Xin waiting there.

He was about to say something when he suddenly noticed Yun Xin's cultivation level: "Miss Yun, you... you've advanced again?"

"Yes, I must thank the Young Master for his kindness in gifting me the pills. This Servant Girl successfully promoted to the fifth level of Qi Refining yesterday."

"Good heavens."

He secretly thought that he had simply treated everyone equally, giving Yun Xin the same amount of pills as he gave Wu Qingqing, but he had accidentally overdone it.

Yet his face remained expressionless: "Very good, keep up the good work. I need to head out for a bit."

Watching Xu Changsheng's receding back, Yun Xin sighed that she still wasn't working hard enough, and her thoughts began to wander: "Young Master hasn't been close to Xiner for so long. Could it be that he likes the new and is tired of the old?"

The more she thought about it, the more she fell into a dead end.

Suddenly, her head throbbed with pain. Holding her forehead, she walked over to a nearby bench to rest.

Her expression froze for a moment, and she sighed, "It's appeared again. The divine tree towering into the clouds, the magnificent golden palaces, the flying ships amidst the mist... Where on earth are they?"

...

Xu Changsheng jogged along and soon arrived at the market's stall area.

During this time, the Withered Wood Secret Realm was open.

Many Cultivators who weren't afraid of death entered it. No matter how barren the resources in the Secret Realm were, as long as many people scavenged, the quantity could not be underestimated.

Just like the stall area at this moment.

Compared to a few months ago, especially during the time when the market was overrun by Robber Cultivators, it was countless times more lively.

People were jostling shoulder to shoulder, and it was exceptionally noisy.

"Where would the Array Patterned Turtle egg from the intelligence be?"

Xu Changsheng didn't wear his night-traveling clothes; he only put on a bamboo hat to slightly obscure his face.

"Stay calm. There won't be too many stalls selling beast eggs, and the sun hasn't completely set yet. There's still plenty of time."

Maintaining his composure, he walked past one stall after another.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up.

On a stall not far away lay five oval white beast eggs, each emitting mottled Five Elements fluctuations.

People were coming and going in front of the stall, but no one was interested in these eggs.

After all, among Spirit Beasts with Medium Grade Bloodlines, the Five Elements Turtle was considered the lowest tier.

Although they could comprehend various Five Elements talents, upgrading and advancing also required Five Elements Spiritual Qi.

Therefore, their advancement was extremely slow, and besides, the Yao Beast talents they awakened were usually quite useless.

Xu Changsheng arrived at the stall.

The stall owner was a sturdy man with thick eyebrows and big eyes. Seeing someone interested in the beast eggs, he immediately perked up.

"These were all picked up by me from the Withered Wood Secret Realm a few days ago. They are full of vitality, much stronger than the sickly spirit eggs that fellow Quan Rufan sells!"

He carefully observed the beast eggs.

Aside from the slightly different distribution of markings on the surface of the eggs, there was almost no difference at all.

Just as the stall owner said, they had been picked up from a turtle nest not long ago, and one could feel the surging vitality within them; there was no difference in that regard either.

He touched them again and injected Spiritual Qi, but he still couldn't distinguish between them.

He put down all the beast eggs.

Seeing this, the sturdy man couldn't help but feel a bit dejected. It had been several days, and he hadn't been able to sell these beast eggs.

"How many Spirit Stones for one?" Xu Changsheng asked.

"One hundred and fifty... no, one hundred and twenty will do." The stall owner was slightly taken aback and immediately gestured a number.

"Your price is quite fair."

"Hehe, small profits but quick turnover."

"Then if I take them all, I wonder how much of a discount you can give?"

"What? Is Fellow Daoist serious?"

"Of course."

Xu Changsheng really couldn't tell which egg was the Array Patterned Turtle he wanted, so he simply bought them all. To avoid making the stall owner suspicious, he didn't mind this small amount of money.

"Five eggs, six hundred Spirit Stones in total. I'll charge Fellow Daoist five hundred and fifty Spirit Stones!"

"Deal."

The transaction was completed, and both parties were very satisfied.

Xu Changsheng did some calculations and realized that the next time the Withered Wood Secret Realm opened would be when that stalk of jade marrow ganoderma matured. He was determined to obtain that medicine.

He cupped his hands and asked, "May I ask Fellow Daoist, could you introduce the current state of the Withered Wood Secret Realm? Is the space still stable?"

The stall owner was in high spirits: "It's fine. I haven't encountered any cracks the last few times I went in. Does Fellow Daoist also intend to enter the next time the Secret Realm opens?"

"Yes. May I ask if there is anything inappropriate about this?" Xu Changsheng's expression tightened.

"It's not inappropriate, it's just too coincidental. Has Fellow Daoist heard of the Spiritual Tide cycle of the Ancient Wood Secret Realm?"

"I know a thing or two. Do you mean that the next time the Withered Wood Secret Realm opens, it will be a fertile period?"

"Fellow Daoist is brilliant!"

Xu Changsheng's face turned grim.

Because during a fertile period, the Withered Wood Secret Realm would change its usual barren state and rapidly grow many heavenly and earthly treasures.

But this was not good news for him, as it meant more competitors would enter the Secret Realm, and the probability of clashing with others would increase significantly.

Worst of all, when the jade marrow ganoderma matured, it would emit a strange fragrance that could be smelled for several miles.

If he didn't pick it immediately, even if human Cultivators exploring the Secret Realm didn't find it, the Yao Beasts within the realm wouldn't let it go.

The stall owner added, "I have another piece of bad news for you. It's said that the Chixiao Sect will also be sending people in, though I don't know which Genius Cultivators they will be."

Hearing this.

Xu Changsheng stood as still as a wooden chicken, no longer wanting to speak. He cupped his hands and took his leave.

From behind came the stall owner's final well-wishes.

"Good luck, Fellow Daoist! Haha, the competition is so fierce that even though I consider myself an old hand, I'm not thinking of going in the next time the Secret Realm opens."

Without looking back, he walked straight toward his courtyard.

Things had changed; he now had to make more preparations to ensure the trip went smoothly.

Just then.

A massive pressure descended from the sky, binding Xu Changsheng in place.

"A Foundation Establishment stage Cultivator!"

His heart rate suddenly accelerated: "Could I have been discovered?"