184: Chapter 184 First-Order Perfected Crimson Scale Python

[But no matter what, a Qi Condensation stage Spirit Beast with an extremely resilient Physical Body and the ability to cast area-of-effect crowd control cold qi has definitely become one of your most practical trump cards at present.]

["Good job, Xiaowang." You patted its fluffy big head.]

[Xiaowang proudly flicked the golden fur at the tip of its tail and desperately rubbed its big head against your palm, the man and the tiger playing happily together in the courtyard.]

[Seven days later.]

[You let out a breath, put down the Chiyan wolf-hair brush in your hand, and placed the last Fireball Talisman on the table to dry.]

[The accumulated Talisman paper had finally all turned into Talismans. You counted them: ninety-six First Rank Low Grade Fireball Talismans. According to the market rate of the Zhao family internal market, this batch of goods could sell for nearly fifty Spirit Stones at least.]

[Added to the remaining Spirit Stones and contribution points in your hands, it was enough to buy a batch of cultivation resources needed by you and Xiaowang.]

[You neatly stacked the Talismans, put them into your Storage Pouch, and prepared to go out to the market.]

[In your mind, the contract transmitted a vague thought.]

[That was Xiaowang's emotion—desire, anticipation, and a hint of cautious spoiled behavior.]

[It wanted to go out.]

[Xiaowang inside the Spirit Beast bag was scratching the inner wall of the bag with its paws.]

[Your footsteps paused.]

[You touched the Spirit Beast pouch at your waist, your brows furrowed slightly. Xiaowang was now a thorough "undocumented" resident.]

[Ever since you entered Qingyue Market and joined the Zhao family Guest Elder Ranks, you had only displayed your own cultivation and Talisman master methods to the outside world, and no one ever knew that you brought a living creature by your side. Now you had never left the Zhao family mountain gate; if a First Rank Qi Condensation white tiger Spirit Beast suddenly appeared out of thin air by your side, its origin would simply be impossible to explain.]

[In the Cultivation World, wealth should not be flaunted. An initial-stage Spirit Beast without any background would inevitably arouse suspicion and prying from those with ulterior motives, and might even be forcibly detained and investigated by the Internal Affairs Hall on the grounds of "unidentified identity".]

[You pressed down on the Spirit Beast pouch and transmitted soothing emotions through the contract: "Bear with it a little longer, I will take you out to play next time, not right now."]

[The movement inside the Spirit Beast pouch stopped for a moment, and then a strong sense of loss was transmitted over.]

["Be good. Very soon."]

[Arriving at the market, as usual you quickly sold out all the Talismans, and then you wandered around several stalls you frequently visited, buying some Medicinal Pills for you and Xiaowang to Cultivate, as well as a portion of Spirit Beast supplementary food for Xiaowang—a kind of pellet made by mixing Yao Beast bone powder and Spiritual Plants, which was said to have good effects for carnivorous Qi Condensation stage Spirit Beasts.]

[Returning to the cabin, you gave the Spirit Beast supplementary food to Xiaowang. Xiaowang, who had just been sullen, instantly threw its unhappiness to the winds, feasting heartily inside the pouch. After eating and drinking its fill, it contentedly lay down to continue digesting the Spiritual Qi contained in the meat through sleep.]

[Early the next morning, you headed to the Zhao family mission hall.]

[Inside the huge hall, quite a few Guest Elders and Zhao family disciples were already selecting missions.]

[Your gaze swept past the white mission area and came to the green mission area.]

[There were quite a few more options in the green mission area. You scanned them one by one and quickly locked onto a green wooden token.]

["Search Mission: Head to the periphery of the Ten Thousand Mountains to search for the traces of the First Rank Perfection Red-Scaled Python. Mission cycle: fifteen days. Daily base reward: three contribution points. If you successfully locate the specific position of the Red-Scaled Python, an extra reward of fifty contribution points will be given. Cultivation requirement: Mid Qi Condensation and above. Risk level: Medium-High. Remarks: A large number of middle and low-Rank Yao Beasts haunt the periphery of the Ten Thousand Mountains, requiring a certain amount of actual combat experience."]

[You read it twice, the corners of your mouth curling up slightly.]

[Three contribution points a day, fifteen days would be forty-five points. You must know that your high-paying mission in the Spirit Beast Garden before was only five points a month.]

[Moreover, this mission required going to the Ten Thousand Mountains.]

[This was simply an excuse tailor-made for you. You could take the opportunity to bring Xiaowang out, let it out to move around in the Ten Thousand Mountains for a few days, and when you came back, you would just say it was a wild Spirit Beast captured in the mountains. No one would be able to verify it.]

[Furthermore, the Ten Thousand Mountains were not too dangerous for you. You had the passive affinity effect of "Peerless Elegance". In your previous life, when you did not even have cultivation, you crossed straight through the Ten Thousand Mountains. Now, at the fourth layer of Qi Condensation plus a first-layer Qi Condensation Spirit Beast partner, you were confident about wandering around the periphery.]

[You took down the wooden token and walked to the registration counter.]

[The person in charge of registration was a young Zhao family disciple. Seeing the green wooden token in your hand and then looking at your identity jade token, his brows furrowed slightly.]

["Guest Elder Lin, the risk level of this mission is medium-high. Although the periphery of the Ten Thousand Mountains is not as perilous as the depths, High Grade Yao Beasts are not uncommon there. You just broke through to the fourth layer of Qi Condensation not long ago, would you like to reconsider?"]

["No need, just this one." You handed the wooden token over.]

[That Zhao family disciple hesitated for a moment, but still made a registration on the jade token: "Three days later at the Chen hour, gather at the East Gate Square. The team leader is Senior Brother Zhao Zhanyuan. Stay safe."]

[You nodded, put away the jade token, and turned to leave.]

[In the afternoon, you went to work at the Spirit Beast Garden as usual.]

[Near the end of work, you found Elder Zhao Chengshan squatting on the ground and feeding a red-armored young beast at the entrance of the beast house.]

["Elder Shan." You stood behind him and spoke.]

[Elder Zhao Chengshan did not even raise his head: "Finished working?"]

["Mm." You paused. "I accepted a mission and might be going out for about half a month. I am coming to inform you."]

[Elder Zhao Chengshan stuffed the last piece of beast food into the young beast's mouth, patted his hands, stood up, and turned to look at you: "What mission?"]

["A search mission in the Ten Thousand Mountains, looking for the Red-Scaled Python."]

[Elder Zhao Chengshan glanced at you, a flash of surprise passing through his half-closed old eyes: "You, a Talisman master, running off to the Ten Thousand Mountains?"]

["The contribution points given are a lot." You answered truthfully.]

[Elder Zhao Chengshan was silent for a moment and did not ask further. He had dealt with Spirit Beasts for most of his life and had seen too many Cultivators risk their lives for resources; some came back, and some did not. He could not persuade you, nor did he intend to.]

["Alright." Elder Zhao Chengshan waved his hand. "You do not need to worry about the Spirit Beast Garden side. I will just find someone else to cover for a few days."]

[You did not move.]

[Elder Zhao Chengshan glanced at you: "Anything else?"]

[You opened your mouth, then closed it again.]

[You lowered your head somewhat embarrassed. Indeed, now that your cultivation had improved, the task of tending to Spirit Beasts for five contribution points a month took up a lot of daytime, and the reward seemed too low. Its cost-effectiveness was far inferior to drawing Talismans at home. However, Elder Zhao Chengshan had taken good care of you over the past year, not only not making things difficult for you in tasks, but also once using his private token to help you obtain the Barrier-Breaking Pill in advance. In your heart, you felt somewhat apologetic.]