A Fine Façade

Tap, tap, tap!

A Spirit Beast about the size of a small dog, the Thunderfire Tiger, sprang out from the nearby grass at the sound.

Meng Haoran was slightly startled when he saw it.

"Xiao Ran, isn't this the Thunderfire Tiger I gave you that day? How did it end up like this?"

This Thunderfire Tiger he had given Meng Xiaoran differed somewhat from the Thunderfire Tiger Spirit Beast he had raised himself.

First was its size.

Meng Xiaoran's Thunderfire Tiger was about as large as an ordinary household puppy, and it was thin and scrawny.

Yet the Thunderfire Tiger Spirit Beast Meng Haoran had raised was far bigger than Meng Xiaoran's Thunderfire Tiger!

Clap! Clap!

Meng Haoran raised his hand and lightly clapped twice. A Thunderfire Tiger emerged from the house behind him—it was the one called Little Tiger.

Meng Haoran crouched down and gently stroked Little Tiger's fur before looking up and asking, "Xiao Ran, have you been so diligent in your cultivation lately that you had no time to care for your Thunderfire Tiger? Look at mine. Compared with yours, they're as different as heaven and earth!"

"Brother Haoran, I haven't neglected it. Although I've been cultivating at Xinghua Meng Pavilion these past few days and selling cultivation items from the family, I've never been stingy with this Thunderfire Tiger."

Meng Xiaoran hurriedly waved his hands and replied, "Besides, I even withheld some of the Spirit Stones I needed for my own cultivation. Every day, I used cultivation methods to let it absorb and digest them."

"Now that really is strange!" Meng Haoran said in puzzlement.

Generally speaking, when Spirit Beasts lived in the wild, they would automatically seek out things containing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. After consuming them, they could grow stronger.

Yet Meng Xiaoran's Thunderfire Tiger lived within the Meng Family and received Spirit Stone nourishment from him day and night. By all reason, it should have grown much faster than Thunderfire Tigers living in the wild!

But the Thunderfire Tiger before Meng Haoran was all show and no substance!

Meng Haoran lowered his head and glanced at the Thunderfire Tiger Spirit Beast beside him. Suddenly, a flash of insight crossed his mind.

"Hmm? Could it be the Heavenly Cauldron's effect?"

Meng Haoran thought to himself, That day, both Thunderfire Tigers consumed the Cauldron Liquid produced by the Heavenly Cauldron. But after Little Tiger consumed it, Ancient Bloodline Power appeared within its body, while Xiao Ran's Thunderfire Tiger showed no changes at all.

Seeing Meng Haoran lost in thought, Meng Xiaoran grew a little anxious and asked, "Brother Haoran, what's wrong?"

"Nothing!"

Meng Haoran continued pondering. These two Thunderfire Tigers were both wild Spirit Beasts. Now that Xiao Ran and I have taken them in, they've embarked on a free-range path of growth. Both of them consumed my Cauldron Liquid—could the Cauldron Liquid from the Heavenly Cauldron have had some kind of effect on them?

He then thought of how, over the past year and more, the mysterious Heavenly Cauldron within his body had repeatedly helped him through dire straits.

First Layer of Qi Refining, Second Layer of Qi Refining, Third Layer of Qi Refining, Fourth Layer of Qi Refining, all the way to his current Fifth Layer of Qi Refining.

And then there were those mutated Second-Tier Spirit Plants, the Six-Pattern Wheat, in the Meng Family's Spirit Plant Field.

The Heavenly Cauldron had appeared behind all of these matters.

At this thought, Meng Haoran asked, "Xiao Ran, if you don't have anything to do today, help me with something."

Meng Xiaoran nodded. "The front pavilion probably won't be too busy today. Brother Haoran, just say the word!"

"Go to West Market in the county town and buy three Spirit Beasts for me," Meng Haoran replied.

Meng Xiaoran asked in confusion, "Buy Spirit Beasts? What for?"

Meng Haoran smiled. "To treat your Thunderfire Tiger. Hurry and go!"

After hearing this, Meng Xiaoran turned and left.

Watching Meng Xiaoran go farther away, Meng Haoran flipped his wrist, and the Heavenly Cauldron suddenly appeared in his palm.

Meng Haoran pried open the weak Thunderfire Tiger's mouth with one hand, then shouted softly toward the Heavenly Cauldron, "Cauldron Liquid! Go!"

As Meng Haoran's voice fell, half a bowl of Cauldron Liquid instantly entered the Thunderfire Tiger's mouth.

Elsewhere, Lin Qingbai of the Lin Family was walking together with Chen Jinmeng of the Chen Family.

"Brother Qingbai, are you sure you want to do this?" Chen Jinmeng asked in a low voice, his face full of misgivings.

Lin Qingbai replied, "Brother Jinmeng, if I don't do this, how can I reestablish my prestige in the Lin Family?"

Ever since Lin Qingshan, a member of his generation, had replaced Lin Qingbai as the master of Xinghua Lin Pavilion because he had made a large number of Five Elements Defensive Talismans against the rules, his standing in the Lin Family had plummeted like a thousand-foot waterfall!

Fearing that Lin Qingbai might act foolishly due to the pain of losing his son some time ago and his recent loss of the position of master of Xinghua Lin Pavilion, the Lin Family head had stripped him of all his authority within the family.

Now, if Lin Qingbai wanted to return to his former position, he could only rely on an outsider—Chen Jinmeng.

At those words, Chen Jinmeng turned to look toward a cave containing dozens of Spirit Beasts of every kind.

And Lin Qingbai's plan now was to use these dozens of Spirit Beasts to make a ruthless fortune in the markets of Qingyang County.

With that merit, he would return to the position of master of Xinghua Lin Pavilion!

Following Chen Jinmeng's gaze, Lin Qingbai said, "Brother Jinmeng, these Spirit Beasts are my last possessions. I have nothing left now, so when we sell them, we can only succeed—we cannot fail!"

Chen Jinmeng sighed softly. "Alas, Brother Qingbai, I understand."

Compared with losing his position as master of Xinghua Lin Pavilion, Lin Jiangye's death had been the truly fatal blow to Lin Qingbai.

For a white-haired man to send off a black-haired man was one of life's bitterest sorrows.

After speaking, Chen Jinmeng took a small black porcelain bottle from his robes and handed it to Lin Qingbai.

"Brother Qingbai, I bought the medicine powder according to your instructions. Take a look."

Lin Qingbai accepted the black porcelain bottle. When he opened it, a rich medicinal fragrance suddenly spread out.

"Good. This is indeed the Revitalization Powder!"

As he spoke, a trace of hatred flashed through Lin Qingbai's eyes. He fiercely scattered the powder toward the cave holding the dozens of Spirit Beasts.

A stream of spiritual energy of heaven and earth emerged from Lin Qingbai's body. The medicinal mist of the Revitalization Powder immediately took shape, forming an extremely dense black fog that enveloped those Spirit Beasts.

"Roar, roar, roar!"

"Hah, hah, hah!"

"Caw, caw, caw!"

Dozens of Spirit Beasts simultaneously let out wave after wave of beastly cries within the black fog, while a scarlet gleam flashed through their eyes!

Lin Qingbai swept out a hand, and a soundproof formation instantly covered the cave.

"Brother Jinmeng, rest assured. Once I sell these Spirit Beasts, it will surely bring us a handsome profit!"

Lin Qingbai's triumphant laughter echoed through the cave.