In the Cultivation World, Everyone Who Dreamed This Dream Had Long Since Died

"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 while the Icefire Two-Headed Wolf was considered a mid-level demon beast, it was one of the strongest among mid-level demon beasts. Even high-level cultivators at the seventh level of the Qi Refining Realm would have a headache if they encountered one.

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

"Old Xiu, this litter of Snow Rabbits of yours is quite pretty. How much are you selling them for?"

"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. Piglets don't need much attention, so I thought I'd buy some Snow Rabbits as a stopgap."

"Looks like you made a killing, old brother. Since you're buying, I'll definitely give you a good price. Two—"

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

Zhou Changwang was also roused 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 mottled little piglets lay in a wooden crate. They were not Fangtooth Pigs, but Fragrant Meat Pigs—delicious and rich in spiritual energy, a favorite among many gourmets. 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...

Previously, he would not have spared these spirit beasts even a glance.

After all, money was a man's courage. Without money, he had to walk with his head lowered.

But things were different now.

More than a hundred Spirit Stones—he could at least count as middle class among low-level cultivators now, right?

And his Spirit Field was about to be harvested. It was not suitable to plant Spirit Grain again anytime soon, so he naturally needed another means of generating income.

It just so happened that he had newly acquired the beast-taming spell, the Soothing Art, which he could directly use 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, with a low survival rate. Snow Rabbits reproduced quickly, but needed Bloodclearing Grass to feed on. That was an aquatic spirit herb that had to be gathered in the wild, making it quite dangerous. Bloodhoof Sheep were rather strong; adults were comparable to third-level Qi Refining Realm cultivators, and one kick could leave a person half dead...

"Cultivation really is difficult.

"Even trying to make money isn't easy."

Zhou Changwang sighed.

It seemed farming suited him better after all.

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

Though Mountain-Piercing Hounds were spirit beasts, even when fully grown, they were only the size of calves and did not have much meat on them. Unlike Single-Horned Savage Oxen and Fangtooth Pigs, which grew large and mighty, produced plenty of meat, and could be raised on a large scale before being slaughtered and sold for a hefty sum of Spirit Stones.

Mountain-Piercing Hounds could generally only be kept as household animals, mostly for guarding homes and courtyards. For instance, the Zhao Jie and Zhao Qiang brothers in the Spirit Fields kept a Spirit Hound to guard their Spirit Fields and medicinal fields.

Those who understood some beast-taming methods could use them as hunting hounds, working with cultivators to hunt demon beasts in the mountains. But the cost of raising them was even greater.

Thus, raising Spirit Hounds was often a money-losing business, one ordinary Rogue Cultivators could not afford.

"Still, having a Spirit Hound would indeed be quite useful.

"These things have keen noses and sharp vigilance. They can often discover danger beforehand and react at once.

"If I had had a Spirit Hound before, I would never have needed to wait until those two martial artists were nearly upon me to notice them.

"The Spirit Hound would have warned me in advance, alerting me to danger."

Even now, Zhou Changwang still felt lingering fear over the attempted robbery and murder by those two Innate Realm martial artists.

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

This time, he had escaped disaster through luck. But what about next time?

His Spirit Field was about to be harvested. As a Rogue Cultivator who farmed Spirit Fields, with his father now missing and no one to rely on, he was the perfect target in the eyes of many robbery cultivators.

According to Old Xu, every year after the harvest, several Rogue Cultivators who farmed Spirit Fields would disappear without a trace...

"At the very least, I could use a Spirit Hound to deal with the mouse infestation in the Spirit Field, preventing the ripe Spirit Rice from being gnawed up by Spirit Mice."

The closer it came to the Spirit Rice ripening, the more vigilant Spirit Farmers became.

Mouse infestations were one of their greatest concerns. The damage they did to Spirit Fields was even worse than that caused by spirit insects.

Because they did not merely steal food; they also plucked Spirit Rice and hid it in their mouse holes.

A single tiny Spirit Mouse could stash away ten or twenty pounds.

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

And catching them was not easy either. Spirit Mice were not only fast, but exceptionally skilled at burrowing. Their tunnels stretched in every direction, making their hidden "granaries" extremely difficult to find. Worse, searching for them could easily damage the Spirit Fields and drain their spiritual energy.

After a brief consideration, Zhou Changwang quickly made his decision.

Buy!

Just then, Xiu Ge finished negotiating the price with Old Lin. Old Lin took five pairs of Snow Rabbits, gave Xiu Ge fifteen Low-Grade Spirit Stones, and left with a leisurely sway.

Xiu Ge swiftly put away the Spirit Stones. Noticing Zhou Changwang still standing beside him, he said, "Go home.

"I sympathize with what happened to your father, but in the cultivation world, this is perfectly normal. Never mind that your father was only a martial artist—even the two great Foundation Establishment cultivators in the market cannot guarantee that they will truly live out their natural lives.

"Cultivation, cultivation—how could one truly attain immortality?

"Most people merely walk a little farther along the road to immortality."

"I know."

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

Longevity? Becoming immortal?

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

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

Now, he treaded on thin ice, trembling with every step.

Staying alive was what mattered most.

Still, he was somewhat surprised that Xiu Ge would offer him comfort.

"Then, is there something else you want to ask?"

Xiu Ge was taken aback, then immediately broke into a smile and became much more enthusiastic.

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

Zhou Changwang smiled, then pointed at the litter of Mountain-Piercing Hounds. "I wonder how much your Mountain-Piercing Hounds cost?"

"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 sounds. Then he heard only Xiu Ge's voice. "Ten Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

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

"Don't let these Mountain-Piercing Hounds of mine fool you. Their bloodline is noble—they are descendants of the Black Mountain Marsh. If they are raised properly, then with a stroke of fortune, they might even return to their ancestral bloodline and evolve. 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 very spirited. I specially bred them with hunting hounds, and it even cost Spirit Stones to arrange the breeding. I won't sell for less than nine Low-Grade Spirit Stones."

Xiu Ge hurriedly cried out at the top of his voice.