Those Who Dreamed This Dream in the Cultivation World Died Out Long Ago

"An Icefire Two-Headed Wolf, of all things..."

Zhou Changwang lowered his head, falling silent.

He knew that in the cultivation world, demon beasts of the same rank were often stronger than cultivators.

And the Icefire Two-Headed Wolf, though classified as an intermediate demon beast, was among the strongest of its kind. Even high-level cultivators at the seventh level of the Qi Refining Realm would have a headache if they encountered one.

If the Icefire Two-Headed Wolf had truly gone after his father, then the outcome was all too obvious.

"Old Xiu, your litter of Snow Rabbits looks quite lovely. How much are you selling them for?"

"It's Old Lin. Aren't you raising Fangtooth Pigs? What, planning to switch to Snow Rabbits?"

"Hahaha, my Fangtooth Pigs have just been sent to market. The piglets don't take much effort, so I thought I'd buy some Snow Rabbits to tide me over."

"Looks like you made a killing, old brother. Since you want them, I'll definitely give you a better price. Two..."

The rest of their conversation was blocked off by a Soundproofing Art.

Zhou Changwang was stirred from his thoughts by the voices and could not help looking toward Xiu Ge's stall.

Two Single-Horned Savage Ox calves were tied to a wooden post. Three spotted piglets lay in a wooden crate—not Fangtooth Pigs, but Fragrant Meat Pigs. Their meat was delicious and rich in spiritual energy, making them a favorite among many gourmands. There was also a litter of over a dozen Snow Rabbits, five young Bloodhoof Sheep, and a litter of half-month-old Mountain-Piercing Hounds...

Before this, he would not have spared these spirit beasts so much as a glance.

After all, money was a man's courage. Without money, even walking required keeping one's head down.

But things were different now.

More than a hundred Spirit Stones—however he looked at it, that made him middle class among low-level cultivators.

His spirit field was about to be harvested, and it would not be suitable for planting Spirit Grain again anytime soon. Naturally, he needed other means of bringing in income.

As it happened, he had newly acquired the beast-taming spell, the Soothing Art, which could be used directly for raising spirit beasts...

But after examining them one by one, he found that Single-Horned Savage Oxen grew slowly and needed three years before they could be sold. Fragrant Meat Pigs were delicate and had a low survival rate. Snow Rabbits reproduced quickly, but they needed Bloodclearing Grass as feed. That was an aquatic spirit herb that had to be gathered in the wild, making it rather dangerous. Bloodhoof Sheep were fairly strong; once grown, they rivaled third-level Qi Refining Realm cultivators, and one kick could leave a person half dead...

Cultivation really was difficult.

Even finding a way to make money was no easy task.

Zhou Changwang sighed.

It seemed farming suited him better after all.

Just as he was preparing to leave, he looked toward the final basket of Mountain-Piercing Hounds.

Though Mountain-Piercing Hounds were spirit beasts, even when fully grown, they were only the size of calves and did not provide much meat.

Unlike Single-Horned Savage Oxen and Fangtooth Pigs, which grew large and mighty, produced plenty of meat, could be raised in large numbers, and could be slaughtered and sold for a great many Spirit Stones once mature.

Mountain-Piercing Hounds were generally kept as household animals, mainly for guarding homes and courtyards. The Zhao Jie and Zhao Qiang brothers in the spirit fields, for example, kept a spirit hound to watch over their spirit fields and medicinal fields.

Those who understood some beast-taming methods could use them as hunting hounds and take them into the mountains to hunt demon beasts alongside cultivators, but raising them would cost even more.

Thus, raising spirit hounds was often a losing business, one that ordinary Rogue Cultivators could not afford.

Still, having a spirit hound would indeed be quite useful.

These creatures have keen noses and high vigilance. They can often detect danger in advance and react at once.

If I'd had a spirit hound before, I wouldn't have only noticed those two martial artists when their attack was already upon me.

The spirit hound would have warned me beforehand, alerting me to the danger.

Even now, Zhou Changwang still felt lingering fear over the ambush by those two Innate Realm martial artists.

And he knew even more clearly that there were far more than just those two robber cultivators lurking around the outskirts of the market.

He had escaped this disaster by luck. But what about next time?

His spirit field was about to be harvested. As a Rogue Cultivator spirit farmer, with his father now missing and no one to rely on, he was the perfect target in the eyes of many robber cultivators.

According to Old Xu, every year after the harvest, several Rogue Cultivator spirit farmers would vanish without a trace...

At the very least, I can use a spirit hound to clear out the rats in the spirit field and keep the mature Spirit Rice from being gnawed up by Spirit Mice.

The closer Spirit Rice came to maturity, the more vigilant spirit farmers became.

Rat infestations were one of their greatest concerns. Their damage to spirit fields could even exceed that caused by spirit insects.

Not only did they steal food, they also plucked Spirit Rice and hid it away in their rat holes.

A single tiny Spirit Mouse could stash away ten or twenty catties' worth.

If Spirit Mice gathered in swarms, it would be a disaster.

And catching them was no easy matter. Spirit Mice were not only fast, but also exceptionally skilled at digging.

Their burrows twisted in all directions, making their hidden "granaries" extremely difficult to find. Worse still, searching for them could easily damage the spirit field and drain its spiritual energy.

After giving it some thought, Zhou Changwang quickly made his decision.

Buy!

Just then, Xiu Ge had finished negotiating the price with Old Lin. Old Lin took five pairs of Snow Rabbits, paid Xiu Ge fifteen Low-Grade Spirit Stones, and swayed away.

Xiu Ge quickly put away the Spirit Stones. Noticing Zhou Changwang still standing nearby, he said, "Go home.

"I sympathize with what happened to your father, but in the cultivation world, this is perfectly normal. Don't say your father was merely a martial artist—even the two great Foundation Establishment cultivators in the market cannot guarantee that they will truly live out their natural years.

"Cultivation, cultivation—how could one truly achieve immortality through it?

"Most people merely walk a little farther down the road to immortality, that is all."

"I know."

Zhou Changwang nodded. Naturally, he understood the hardships of cultivation.

Immortality? Ascension?

Those who dreamed such dreams in the cultivation world had long since died out.

He had only indulged in such fantasies during the first few days after crossing over.

Now, he proceeded with trembling caution, as though walking on thin ice.

Staying alive was what mattered most.

He was somewhat surprised that Xiu Ge would offer him words of comfort.

"Then do you still have something to ask?"

Xiu Ge was startled for a moment, then a smile immediately spread across his face, and he became much more welcoming.

"I'd like to make a deal with you, Xiu Ge."

Zhou Changwang smiled and pointed to the litter of Mountain-Piercing Hounds. "How much are your Mountain-Piercing Hounds?"

"How many?"

Xiu Ge narrowed his eyes, making them look even smaller.

"One!"

Zhou Changwang said.

The familiar Soundproofing Art descended, cutting off the surrounding noise. Then Xiu Ge's voice alone reached him. "Ten Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

"For just ten Low-Grade Spirit Stones, you can take one Mountain-Piercing Hound away.

"Don't let the appearance of these Mountain-Piercing Hounds fool you. Their bloodline is noble—they are descendants of Black Mountain Marsh hounds. If raised properly, they might even awaken their ancestral bloodline and evolve given a stroke of fortune. That would be incredible..."

"I'll buy one for two Low-Grade Spirit Stones."

Zhou Changwang cut him off.

"That's impossible.

"My Mountain-Piercing Hounds are extremely spirited. I specifically bred them with hunting hounds. Breeding them cost Spirit Stones back then, you know. I won't sell for less than nine Low-Grade Spirit Stones."

Xiu Ge immediately cried out at the top of his lungs.