Demon Blood, New Home

Under Hong Xingwang's guidance, Zhu Yu walked for about two hours before two grand halls, no less imposing than the Corpse Grotto, appeared before him.

One bore the words "Beast Breeding Hall," while the other read "Spirit Field Hall."

Compared to the desolate Corpse Grotto, the plaza before these halls bustled with people. Some used beast carts to transport reared spirit beasts, while others hauled harvested Spirit Medicine and Spirit Rice. It was lively and clamorous.

Zhu Yu's arrival drew no attention. His gaze swept over the beast carts parked in the plaza, and when he spotted one of them, his eyes suddenly lit up.

After a brief hesitation, he strode over.

When he drew near,

Zhu Yu cupped his hands toward the burly man leaning against the beast cart. "Zhu Yu greets Senior Brother."

"Hm?" The burly man frowned and glanced at him. "What is it?" he replied in a muffled voice.

Seeing that the man did not wish to talk much, Zhu Yu got straight to the point. He pointed at the enormous tiger coiled up inside the cart, nearly two zhang long, and asked, "Senior Brother, what grade is this demon tiger?" Seeing the man about to glare at him, he hurriedly added, "I want to buy some fresh demon tiger blood. I wonder if you have any..."

The burly man froze for a moment. His stern face suddenly melted like ice into water, and he said enthusiastically, "Buying demon tiger blood? Yes! Plenty! As much as you want!"

As he spoke, he pointed at the demon tiger in the cart and introduced it.

"This is a first-rank mid-grade demon beast, an Explosive Flame Tiger. Among mid-grade demon beasts, it's among the strongest. As for the effects of its blood, there's only one word for it—powerful!"

After finishing his introduction, the burly man asked, "By the way, how much blood do you want? Do you want heartblood?"

Heartblood was practically a demon beast's lifeblood. Losing even a single drop would greatly damage its vitality.

Zhu Yu hurriedly shook his head. "No heartblood, just ordinary blood." He did not need to ask to know that the price of this demon tiger's heartblood was far beyond what he could afford.

After a pause, he added, "For now, I'll take two hundred jin."

The burly man smacked his lips regretfully. Yet when he heard the amount Zhu Yu wanted, his expression grew somewhat satisfied. After pondering for a moment, he said, "I won't swindle you. Two hundred jin of demon tiger blood for twenty Spirit Stones. How about it?"

"That works."

After a moment's thought, Zhu Yu nodded in agreement.

Even if the price was somewhat inflated, it would not be by much. After all, this was the blood of a first-rank mid-grade demon tiger. Though it could continuously regenerate, it was still worth some Spirit Stones.

"Did you bring a container?"

The burly man asked. Seeing Zhu Yu shake his head, he beckoned over a servant and told him to fetch a water vat, then began making small talk with Zhu Yu.

He was mainly curious about what Zhu Yu wanted demon tiger blood for, and whether he would need more in the future.

"I heard tiger blood is very nourishing..."

Zhu Yu casually made up an excuse and said he might need more later. A strange look flickered through the burly man's eyes, and his tone became even more enthusiastic. He told Zhu Yu where his Beast Pen was located in Grade C Zone.

A short while later,

The servant carried over a water vat about half a meter tall.

The burly man dismissed the servant with a wave. Flipping his wrist, he produced a blood-red saber in his palm. Then, before Zhu Yu's dumbfounded eyes, he drove it into the demon tiger's rear haunch.

Bright red blood, still steaming hot, erupted like a jet of water and poured precisely into the large vat beside it.

"Hiss..."

Zhu Yu sucked in a cold breath and instinctively backed away several steps.

He had seen clearly that there were no restrictions on the beast cart. If the demon tiger went berserk, his little body would not be able to withstand it.

Yet to his surprise, although the demon tiger had been wounded, it seemed unable to sense it. Its eyes remained tightly shut, with no sign of waking.

The burly man put away his magical weapon. Turning around and seeing Zhu Yu standing off to the side, he waved a hand and explained, "Don't worry. Every demon beast that leaves the pen has a God-Sealing Talisman placed on it. So long as its life isn't endangered, it won't wake easily."

"God-Sealing Talisman..."

Information about it surfaced in Zhu Yu's mind.

The God-Sealing Talisman was a first-rank low-grade talisman capable of sealing off Divine Sense and the five senses. A single one cost three Low-grade Spirit Stones in Treasures of the World.

A moment later, the blood jet came to an abrupt stop.

Zhu Yu glanced over. The water vat was around three-quarters full, clearly more than two hundred jin.

"Just give me twenty Spirit Stones."

The burly man waved his hand magnanimously. This adult demon tiger was going to be sold to the Beast Breeding Hall anyway. Letting out some ordinary blood along the way to earn a few Spirit Stones would not lower the tiger's price.

"Thank you, Senior Brother."

Zhu Yu politely cupped his hands. He took twenty Spirit Stones from his sleeve and handed them over, then walked to the water vat. With a sweep of his hand, he simply set up a Spiritual Power restriction around it, lifted it with one hand, and headed toward the Spirit Field Hall.

A quarter of an hour later,

Zhu Yu left the plaza with the water vat in his arms and a large cloth sack on his back.

By the time six crescent moons emerged across the dome of the sky,

Zhu Yu finally returned home. What greeted his eyes was a completely renewed house and courtyard.

The weeds and dead leaves had vanished, revealing neatly laid stone slabs. The hall was brightly lit.

Directly opposite the entrance stood a long table and two grand armchairs.

A teapot and several jade-like teacups rested atop the long table.

Below were two rows of three small tables and chairs.

There were also porcelain ware, folding screens, flowers, and other decorations...

A folding screen separated the kitchen from the hall on one side. A porcelain vat stood on each side, colorful fish playing within them.

Zhu Yu set down the water vat and cloth sack, then went upstairs.

A folding screen divided the room into two spaces.

One contained a bed and a couch, serving as a place for cultivation and sleep.

The other held a long table, desks and chairs, and the Four Treasures of the Study, serving as a place to calm his mind and nurture his spirit.

There were also many exquisite porcelain pieces, Fluorescent Flora, and more... everything one could need.

Moreover, the materials and carvings were all exceedingly refined. The place looked ancient and elegant, making one feel thoroughly at ease.

After taking a look around,

"Not bad."

Zhu Yu nodded in satisfaction. For a mere five Spirit Stones, the once-decayed house had truly begun to look like a home. It was well worth it.

He did not linger and turned to go downstairs.

He opened the cloth sack in the hall.

Inside were twenty jin of low-grade Blood Fang Rice, which he had bought for twenty Spirit Stones and which could nourish the body. There were also six hundred Corpse Taro seedlings, purchased through a senior brother from the Spirit Field Hall for sixty-five Spirit Stones. They resembled bean sprouts and were dark brown.

There were also Tiger-Pattern Flowers and Blood-Coagulating Grass for cultivating the Fierce Tiger Corpse Seed.

One trip outside had directly shrunk his savings by one-sixth.

I can't just sit here and eat until the mountain is empty. It's time to go back and take a look...

With that thought, Zhu Yu carried the Spirit Rice into the kitchen.

The kitchen was clean and tidy. Firewood was stacked in the corner, alongside a rice vat and water vat. The stove was newly built as well, still slightly damp and carrying a faint scent of smoke and fire.

"Not bad..."

Zhu Yu was even more satisfied. He poured the Blood Fang Rice, shaped like crescent moons and dark red throughout, into the rice vat. Then he simply rinsed the pot, scooped out water to wash the rice, and lit the fire.

After the whole process,

Smoke curled through the kitchen, while flames roared fiercely within the stove.

Zhu Yu added several pieces of firewood, then went out into the hall. He took out the Tiger-Pattern Flowers and Blood-Coagulating Grass, chopped them up according to the proper proportions, and poured them into the water vat filled with demon tiger blood.

After simply setting up a Spiritual Power restriction, he left it alone.

Half an hour later,

Zhu Yu lifted the pot lid. Along with the rising steam, a strange fragrance rushed toward him. Having gone three days without food, he saw the Blood Fang Rice inside the pot, each grain distinct and swollen to twice its original size, and immediately scooped a huge spoonful into a bowl.

He picked up his chopsticks and eagerly put it into his mouth.

Soft, smooth, with a hint of sweetness...

"So delicious!..."