Incubation Preparations, Snow Sand Acquired

The Heavenly Fox egg, currently radiating a faint warmth against Chu Yun's chest, was a peerless-grade spirit beast egg. Yet, peerless-grade eggs often kept their spiritual essence restrained, their brilliance deeply concealed. To the eyes of an ordinary person, a peerless-grade egg looked much like a mediocre one; some even appeared less impressive than low-grade eggs.

Because of this, a specialized branch had emerged among Spirit Beast Masters: the Egg Appraiser. This profession was incredibly lucrative—they might not open for business for three years, but a single successful appraisal would sustain them for three.

Chu Yun was no Egg Appraiser, but in his previous life, this very Heavenly Fox egg had been the foundation of his rise. He had later become a world-renowned Relic Explorer, specializing in searching for immortal manors, treasure vaults, pirate hoards, emperor tombs, and the collections of supreme powerhouses buried across the world.

He understood this spirit beast egg and the Heavenly Fox as well as he understood himself. To him, this egg was more than just a stepping stone to greatness; it was family, a comrade-in-arms. In his past life, the Heavenly Fox that hatched from this egg had accompanied him through countless storms, until the day it died protecting its master during an expedition.

Chu Yun harbored too many regrets regarding this Heavenly Fox.

Because he had been young and ignorant when he first incubated the egg, and had also fallen victim to Lady Shu's schemes, the Heavenly Fox had been born weak, which had severely stunted its potential.

Chu Yun had deeply regretted this more times than he could count.

In this life, I will not spend my time on regret. In this life, I will make up for every single mistake! With this silent cry in his heart, Chu Yun tightened his fists and followed the beach into Salty Salt Fishing Village.

Salty Salt Fishing Village was located on the eastern coast of Shu Family Island. To the north of the village lay a vast, flat expanse of salt flats. To the east was an excellent deep-sea port, and to the south, a large, natural Copper Bell Coconut Forest.

Its superior geography, abundant resources, and convenient transportation made Salty Salt Fishing Village the largest hub for raw materials on the entire Shu Family Island. It was a prosperous area, second only to Shu Family City.

Since leaving Shu Family City, Chu Yun had been living here temporarily. With his keen eye and the memories and experience brought by his rebirth, he had seized a few opportunities to trade in goods. He wasn't exactly living in luxury, but he had managed to stand on his own two feet. Unlike those spoiled young masters, supporting himself was never a problem.

The closer he got to the village, the clearer the noisy, bustling sounds became. Chu Yun's prediction was correct; today was the monthly market day.

The jostling crowds, the wide-open shops, the various street stalls, and hundreds upon hundreds of raw materials made one's eyes swim with confusion.

Approaching the village entrance, Chu Yun stopped and tucked the egg deeper into his robes. The people of Shu Family Island were rugged yet simple, and there were almost no pickpockets or thieves. Though Chu Yun had the experience of his past life to rely on, his mindset had long since matured far beyond his thirteen years; he believed that taking precautions was never a mistake.

He stepped into the village, his slender, delicate figure quickly swallowed by the crowd.

"Tianbao Shop?" After walking for a while, Chu Yun arrived at a storefront. His heart stirred, and he slowed to a halt. After a moment's thought, he stepped inside.

The shop was spacious, ranking among the best in the fishing village, and it was bustling with activity. Chu Yun had never visited this shop in his previous life, but in this new one, curiosity had struck him, and he decided to take a look.

On the right side of the shop was a long row of counters painted in a brownish-red oil, which gave them a certain air of quality. On the left, a large square table was set up where one clerk was buried in recording entries with a brush, while two others were busy receiving goods.

Nearby, a group of villagers—men and women alike—clutched bags of various sizes, shouting and clamoring. It was clear they were trying to sell their raw materials for a good price.

After hearing a few words, Chu Yun realized these fishermen were no match for the clerks; though their voices were loud, their discernment was severely limited. He remained calm and walked to the counter on the right.

A clerk wearing a white vest with his arms exposed trotted over to the counter, looking at Chu Yun with a beaming smile. "What would you like to buy, young master? I wouldn't dare boast that our shop has everything, but we are truly the best-stocked place for a hundred miles around. Our prices are fair, and we never cheat our customers."

Chu Yun swept a calm glance over him and asked casually, "Do you have any Fire Copper Wood here? Bring some out for me to see."

"Ah, so you're looking to incubate a spirit beast egg!" The clerk's eyes were sharp and shrewd; seeing the bulge in Chu Yun's robes, he had guessed his intentions with near-perfect accuracy. His enthusiasm immediately spiked, knowing that any materials involving spirit beasts were worth a pretty penny.

He hurriedly rummaged through a display cabinet behind him, pulled out a box of Fire Copper Wood, and set it before Chu Yun. His hands flew as he praised the wood to the heavens, claiming it was one of a kind. Anyone who didn't recognize such quality, he implied, would be the world's greatest fool.

Chu Yun reached out with fair fingers, picked up a piece, and examined it casually. Relying on his past experience, he immediately realized that the quality of this Fire Copper Wood was only low-to-mid grade. Furthermore, it seemed to have been stored for a long time; it was damp, and most of the fire essence it once contained had dissipated.

He didn't point it out, merely setting the wood down and asking for the prices of Fire Crystals, Bitter Fragrant Tea Oil, and other items. These materials were all related to egg incubation, which made the clerk's face light up with joy, convinced he had landed a big sale. He did not know that Chu Yun's pockets were so empty he couldn't even afford half a pound of Fire Copper Wood.

"Clerk, how much for these Mountain Chopping Blades?" Chu Yun suddenly changed the subject, gesturing to the blades hanging on the wall.

"Oh, those blades? Cheap! Eight Earth-Fiend Stone Coins each," the clerk answered casually, suspecting nothing.

"And this Fragrant Locust Wood Stick?"

"Five Earth-Fiend Stone Coins." The clerk held up his hand, spreading his five fingers wide.

"What about the Iron Vine Hemp Rope?"

"One Earth-Fiend Stone Coin per yard."

Chu Yun frowned and muttered, "So expensive. I need five yards of the Iron Vine Hemp Rope..." It was true; these items were slightly pricier than the market average. However, he could see that these were high-quality goods, and they tempted him. They would be useful for his upcoming plans.

"Young master, you don't understand. These are top-tier goods. Look at how bright the blade is, look at how sturdy this rope is..." The clerk flicked the blade with his finger and then pulled on a length of rope with all his might. He kept talking, spit flying, while his eyes darted around, reading Chu Yun's expression. When he noticed Chu Yun's impatient look, his heart tightened.

He immediately lowered his voice. "Fine, I see we have an affinity. If you really want them, take them all for fifteen Earth-Fiend Stone Coins!"

"Ten. Don't bother with the change."

The clerk's eyes widened in feigned grievance, but he replied with practiced decisiveness, "This—this is a small business, we barely make any profit as it is. Young master, you're being far too ruthless."

Chu Yun didn't say another word; he turned and walked away.

"Young master, young master..." the clerk called out hurriedly. But Chu Yun didn't even look back, walking straight out of the Tianbao Shop.

When the clerk chased him out of the shop, he caught a glimpse of Chu Yun's back disappearing into the crowd.

"Sigh, I'm such a blockhead! What a fool!" The clerk gritted his teeth, slapping his own forehead in frustration. He stood at the entrance, peering out for a long while. Only when he was certain Chu Yun had no intention of returning did he turn back inside, looking utterly dejected.

Walking through the crowd, a wry smile appeared on Chu Yun's face.

A Spirit Beast Master was a profession that required both talent and a massive amount of wealth to support. He had three Earth-Fiend Stone Coins in his pocket, enough for an ordinary family to live on for over a month. But if used to buy materials for spirit beast cultivation, he couldn't even afford half a pound of ordinary Fire Copper Wood.

Chu Yun was poor—very poor, extremely poor.

If he relied solely on his own financial resources, he wouldn't even be able to complete the first step of incubating the spirit beast egg.

Incubating a spirit beast egg was a complex, tedious, and exceptionally important task. It required purchasing many materials and preparing many things.

If it weren't for Old Man Red Spear and the others helping me in my past life, I wouldn't have even been able to hatch the Heavenly Fox. This feeling of weakness is truly detestable, sigh... Taking a deep breath, Chu Yun involuntarily tightened his fists.

"Chu Yun! Chu Yun!" As he walked through the noisy crowd, a loud, resonant voice suddenly cut into his ears.

Chu Yun turned to follow the sound and saw a tall, thin, and spirited old man standing at the entrance of a salt shop across the crowd, waving at him.

A warm smile appeared on his face involuntarily. He wove through the crowd, walking up with steady strides to greet the old man: "Grandpa Red Spear, how are you?"

Old Red Spear laughed heartily, patting him on the shoulder. His expression brightened slightly as he asked in a hurried tone, "Little guy, it seems you've already chosen your egg. What exactly is it? Take it out and let this old man have a look."

Chu Yun felt moved, knowing that the concern of the old man before him came from the heart. Just as in his past life, he took the Heavenly Fox egg from his embrace.

A look of disappointment flashed through Old Red Spear's eyes, though it vanished in an instant. He then said, "A Fire Fox egg, a very decent beast egg. Hmm, little guy, do you know how to hatch a beast egg?"

A smile bloomed on the corners of Chu Yun's mouth. With calm confidence, he recounted the entire preparation process for hatching a beast egg, the precautions during incubation, and the finishing work afterward, leaving no detail out. At the end, his heart stirred, and he added a sentence he hadn't said in his past life: "Grandpa Red Spear, just set your heart at ease. I know what I'm doing."

Old Red Spear was touched. He had been waiting by the shop entrance early on, playing the waiting game for Chu Yun. Seeing the boy's downcast, sighing appearance earlier, his heart had softened, and he had hurriedly called him over. After their exchange, this youth before him not only failed to mention his own predicament but instead turned around to comfort him, telling him not to worry.

Such composure, such character...

Feeling moved, Old Red Spear nevertheless scolded him, "You dishonest little brat, telling this old man not to worry. Let me ask you, have the materials for incubation been prepared? Don't you dare lie and say they have, or I'll search you myself!"

Seeing Old Red Spear acting just as he had in his past life, glaring with wide eyes and pressing his gaze toward him, Chu Yun could only rub his nose and offer a wry smile. "Although they aren't prepared yet, I believe I can do it."

"You stubborn brat, you have the same mule-headed temper as your father." Old Red Spear wasn't angry; instead, he burst into laughter. He was a veteran who had retired from Shu Family Island and had once followed Chu Yun's foster father onto the battlefield. Deep in his bones, he held Chu Yun's foster father in the highest regard.

"Come, follow me." Just as in his past life, Old Red Spear led Chu Yun to the back door of the shop. He took a pouch from his bosom and handed it to Chu Yun. "Hold onto this tight; there are too many people on the street."

A warmth spread through Chu Yun's heart. Even though he knew what was inside, he still asked, "Grandpa Red Spear, what is in here?"

Old Red Spear did not maintain the mystery as he had in his past life. Instead, he chuckled, "Open it and see. If you can recognize it at a glance, I'll reward you with another bag of Earth-Fiend Stone Coins."

Chu Yun opened the mouth of the pouch and took a look, immediately "exclaiming" in surprise: "Snow Sand!"