Rising from Small Cloud Rain Technique

Chapter 209: Chapter 204: Rock Armor Bear

In the mornings and nights, Ji An would cultivate and practice magic techniques, make talismans in the morning, and stroll around the Immortal City in the afternoon to expand his horizons, or ride the Flying Shuttle around the vicinity of the Immortal City.

Within a radius of dozens of miles, one could often see the cultivators of the Law Enforcement Team patrolling, with almost no trace of demon beasts.

During this period, Wei Songnian and Liu Yu respectively invited him to participate in a trade fair for Foundation Establishment cultivators, where he bought a late-stage Foundation Establishment beast hide but gained nothing else.

Days passed peacefully, and in the blink of an eye, the one-month deadline was almost up.

In three days, he would have to return to the sect, but there was still no news about the Earth Grade Bloodline demon beast cub, so Ji An was already planning to purchase one from the sect’s shop.

In the evening, Ji An and Wei Shouqing returned to the Talisman Shop on Vermilion Bird Street, under the afterglow of the sunset.

As they arrived at the entrance, a Qi Refining cultivator hurriedly ran into the shop, gasping for breath as he said:

“I’m a clerk from Li’s Beast Taming Shop, and I have urgent news for Senior Wei Songnian, the goods he ordered have information.”

Upon hearing his words, Ji An’s eyebrows suddenly arched, and the corners of his mouth lifted into a knowing smile.

Beast Taming Shop, order, these key phrases all proved that there was news about the Earth Grade Bloodline demon beast cub.

He felt a sense of enlightenment, like finding a way after being lost, brightening up after darkness.

Without staying, Ji An stepped into the backyard, knowing that the specifics would be revealed during the evening meal.

When he returned to the guest room, he happened to sense a surge of energy being drawn from the curiosity, only to be devoured by the Stone Turtle.

He removed the pendant and rubbed the curiosity in his hand; the Stone Turtle had absorbed more than 240 points of Gen Spirit.

Initially, it could absorb ten points in the blink of an eye; now, it couldn’t even absorb one point in several days, which should be the limit.

The vendor who sold the curiosity seemingly vanished into thin air, never to be seen again, cutting off Ji An’s last hope.

While he was pondering, cheerful footsteps sounded in the courtyard.

“Senior brother, there’s news about the demon beast cub.”

Before Wei Songnian even stepped into the room, his excited voice had already reached Ji An’s ears.

Ji An went to meet him, smiling as he said:

“I wasn’t holding out hope, but unexpectedly, fortune turned in my favor.”

His master praised him for having great luck, and now he too felt that way.

“Haha, senior brother has good fortune. Normally, Earth Grade Bloodline demon beast cubs appear only once every few months in the Immortal City.”

Wei Songnian paused and continued:

“It’s a cub of an Earth Element demon beast, a Rock Armor Bear, estimated to be only three or four days old, to be auctioned tomorrow at 7:00 PM at Li’s Beast Taming Shop on Black Tortoise Street. The auction only accepts middle-grade Spirit Stones and Tier Two resources.”

If cultivated properly, an Earth Grade demon beast has the potential to break through to the Chao Origin Stage.

However, a demon beast breakthrough requires Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, or the refinement of related pills, and many demon beasts don’t have this luck.

“Are there any restrictions on Tier Two resources?”

“No restrictions.”

Ji An was relieved, knowing that without any restrictions, his preparations should suffice.

…

Ji An and Wei Songnian arrived at the destination a quarter-hour early. Upon entering Li’s Beast Taming Shop, they were immediately greeted by a mixed stench, reminiscent of a pet market from his previous life.

Demon beasts are more intelligent than wild beasts, but their eating, drinking, and defecating still obey their nature.

Guided by the shop clerk, Ji An and Wei Songnian walked into a spacious room.

The room had been temporarily converted into an auction venue, with a three-foot-high platform against the wall, upon which a Huanghuali wood table stood.

Around the platform were several circles of chairs, and the entire site looked rather simple.

In the room sat over twenty Foundation Establishment cultivators, some with veils, clearly not wishing to reveal their true identities.

Such individuals are typically loose cultivators.

One particularly eye-catching figure was a bald and burly man, shirtless in a short shirt, with muscles knotted and an aura of ferocity, resembling a human-shaped fierce beast, presumably a cultivator from Yuanhe Mountain.

Wei Songnian greeted most people before sitting back next to Ji An, whispering:

“Senior brother, besides those hiding their heads and showing their tails, only three or four cultivators have the strength to compete with you.

However, these individuals are all elders of Foundation Establishment clans, and if they are determined to purchase the demon beast as a clan guardian spirit beast, the situation could become tricky.”

Demon beasts generally have longer lifespans than cultivators; even a Foundation Establishment Realm Rock Armor Bear can live three or four hundred years.

While this type of demon beast is less cost-effective as a clan guardian beast compared to turtle-type demon beasts, Earth Grade Bloodline demon beasts are rare, and once cultivated, they can still serve as powerful enforcers.

Ji An nodded slightly, calmly saying:

“No worries.”

Clan cultivators emphasize teamwork, but because they have families, there are more considerations.

Many clans have richer assets than he does, but their expenses are greater, and the resources they can mobilize are likely less than his.

After another two groups entered, a cultivator with a beard mounted the platform, cupping his hands as he said:

“Thank you, fellow Daoists, for coming. The basic information of the cub is already known to everyone; let’s skip the nonsense and get straight to the main event.”

As he finished speaking, another cultivator leaped onto the platform, bringing with him a square object covered with a black cloth.

The bearded cultivator pulled off the black cloth, revealing a black beast cage, inside which a bear cub the size of a soccer ball let out a gentle, babyish growl.

Its fluffy brown fur fluffed out, resembling a round ball.

“Earth Grade Bloodline Rock Armor Bear cub, with a starting bid of fifty middle-grade Spirit Stones, accepting Tier Two spiritual objects, late-stage Foundation Establishment pills, and top-grade magical artifacts.

Malicious bidding is not allowed in the auction; if such a situation occurs, the deposit will not be refunded.

Please come forward to verify the bloodline, and then we’ll begin the auction.”

The auction organizer was straightforward, allowing the cultivators to verify the bloodline one by one.

Ji An seized the bear cub by the neck and extended his Divine Sense, frowning slightly.

This demon beast cub indeed has reached the Earth Grade Bloodline Level, but it belongs to a hybrid of Earth and Fire elements.

If the bloodlines harmonize, it could have a higher potential, but there’s a greater chance that the two bloodlines won’t perfectly merge, making it just a top-grade bloodline demon beast at best.

In short, buying this demon beast carries risks, and significant ones at that. The starting bid of one hundred middle-grade spirit stones is not low.

Wei Songnian also stepped forward to examine it, and awkwardly transmitted:

“Senior Brother, the shop isn’t being honest. It’s still uncertain if it really has an Earth Grade bloodline.”

The price for a top-grade bloodline cub is over two thousand spirit stones; especially exceptional ones are no more than five to six thousand spirit stones.

Ji An replied:

“It’s not easy to come across one like this. Let’s see how it goes. If the bidding isn’t intense, I’ll step in.”

His luck was usually good; he wondered if it would continue this time.

After everyone had checked, the bushy-bearded guy passionately said:

“Fellow Daoists, the Earth and Fire dual-element Rock Armor Bear will surely offer you a unique experience.

When the bloodlines completely fuse, nurturing a demon beast can yield double the rewards.

Opportunities come but once; let’s not miss this chance. The auction begins now!”

The temporary auction hall fell momentarily silent as everyone contemplated whether the high value was worth it.

The bald cultivator said in a deep voice:

“Fifty middle-grade spirit stones.”

Once someone placed a bid, many people’s concerns eased, and bids followed in succession.

“Fifty-five middle-grade spirit stones.”

“Sixty middle-grade spirit stones.”

“Sixty middle-grade spirit stones plus one tael of Profound Yellow Soil.”

Purchasing this demon beast cub involves an element of gamble, but winning the gamble would mean a great find.

The selling price for an Earth Grade Bloodline demon beast cub is at least over one hundred middle-grade spirit stones.

The price quickly rose to ninety middle-grade spirit stones, which was the bald cultivator’s bid.

It seemed to be the limit, as no one else bid.

“Ninety middle-grade spirit stones, is there a higher offer?

Hesitation means missing out, and you might miss a Chao Origin Stage beast.”

The bushy-bearded guy earnestly pushed for more bids, not satisfied with the current price.

Ji An spoke up:

“One hundred middle-grade spirit stones.”

“This fellow Daoist is willing to bid one hundred middle-grade spirit stones. Is there a higher bid?”

The bushy-bearded guy excitedly announced, “Hesitation means missing out.”

The bald cultivator took out a purple gourd and said gruffly:

“Eighty middle-grade spirit stones, plus this Top-Grade Purple Fire Gourd.

With demon insects becoming more numerous in the wild, this type of top-grade magical artifact for nurturing fire is very useful for demon hunting cultivators.”

The bushy-bearded guy nodded and addressed Ji An:

“Top-grade Purple Fire Gourds are rare, and only the Artifact Refiners from the Golden Spirit Sect can refine them, valued at twenty middle-grade spirit stones.”

Ji An grinned; could the gourd this person offered be made by Senior Brother Zhao Lei? He felt like he was lifting a stone only to drop it on his own foot.

He took out a Purple Fire Gourd with twenty-six Dharma Prohibitions and said:

“Eighty-five middle-grade spirit stones, and I’ll add a top-grade Purple Fire Gourd, with three years of nurtured Earth Fire included.”

He was about to obtain a spiritual artifact-level Purple Fire Gourd, so parting with one gourd was reasonable.

The pressure was now on the bald cultivator.

With the bushy-bearded guy trying hard to stir up the atmosphere, the bald cultivator opted out of raising the bid further.

The auction ended, and other cultivators left one by one.

The bushy-bearded cultivator cupped his hands and said:

“Congratulations to the friend from the Golden Spirit Sect for acquiring an Earth Grade demon beast; you’ll surely be able to nurture it into a Chao Origin Stage beast in the future.”

Ji An chuckled, acknowledging that the other person sounded more optimistic than realistic. But if he couldn’t reach the Chao Origin Stage, he wouldn’t see that day, especially considering the bloodline issues with the cub.

He handed over the Purple Fire Gourd and eighty-five middle-grade spirit stones.

The bushy-bearded cultivator examined the magical artifact and counted the spirit stones before handing over the beast cage to him.

Ji An opened the cage and picked up the cub, struggled to slit open his finger, forcing a drop of blood out.

He gestured with a spell, forming a blood contract pattern that spiraled in the air and landed on the cub’s forehead.

The cub flailed its limbs and bared its teeth, letting out a low growl full of resistance.

The blood contract gradually seeped into its skin, and after a while, the cub calmed down, looking at Ji An with its big, glossy eyes.

’Strange, just now I found this creature obnoxious, but now it feels quite endearing.’

Ji An felt the cub’s emotions through his spiritual sense, chuckled, and hugged it as he walked away.

He was in a good mood; if the auction required Tier Two resources, he might have backed out.

But as it turned out, he only needed spirit stones and a single magical artifact. It was an acceptable outcome.

The cub’s bloodline wasn’t pure enough. Had it been a single-element Earth demon beast, the bidding prices would have surely soared.