Buy, buy, buy

Liu Changxu noticed the expression on his fifth brother Liu Changshun's face!

Since his fifth brother Liu Changshun was close to him in age, the two had always been very close. Liu Changxu enjoyed strong support from his father, mother, and grandfather, all three of whom were late Qi Refinement cultivators. His spirit root aptitude was good, he had never lacked cultivation resources, and he cultivated diligently as well. As a result, his cultivation advanced rapidly, making him the most outstanding of his peers in the lineage.

His fifth brother Liu Changshun, however, had a father who was only a middle Qi Refinement cultivator and could not provide enough support. Moreover, Liu Changshun had practiced body tempering since childhood and had no cultivation-related craft with which to earn spirit stones, so his cultivation resources had always been rather scarce. Although he cultivated extremely hard, his cultivation advanced relatively slowly.

Liu Changxu did not want to lose this companion and wanted to help his fifth brother Liu Changshun, but figuring out how would take some thought. Giving him spirit stones outright would not do-a cup of rice earned gratitude, but a bushel bred resentment! What a headache!

The two left the Chen Family Butcher Shop and visited a Wang Family Elixir Pavilion, where his fifth brother Liu Changshun spent 120 spirit stones on three bottles of Body-Tempering Pills and another 50 spirit stones on one bottle of Middle-Grade First-Tier Qi-Gathering Pills.

Liu Changxu spent 200 spirit stones on first-tier Spirit Beast Pills for Xiao Qing. To help Xiao Qing reach the middle grade of the first tier as soon as possible, he was sparing no expense.

The two continued browsing the shops. As they passed a spirit beast shop called the Lion-Tiger House, they saw that it sold many young spirit beasts and eggs of spirit birds and beasts. Unable to resist their curiosity, they went inside.

The shop had been opened by a Foundation Establishment rogue cultivator, who bought all kinds of young spirit beasts and eggs of spirit birds and beasts from cultivators, then resold them.

The shopkeeper was a late Qi Refinement cultivator. Warm and hospitable, he patiently introduced the young spirit beasts and the eggs of spirit birds and beasts in the shop to Liu Changxu and Liu Changshun.

Though the shop was small, it carried quite a variety of young spirit beasts and eggs of spirit beasts and birds. There were young Silver-Eared Macaques, Black Mountain Bears, long-armed apes, black wind tigers, phantom leopards, Golden-Horned Deer, Yellow Mountain Lions, and Green Foxes, along with eggs of demonic beasts, spirit beasts, and spirit birds such as snake turtles, jade-spirit snakes, golden pythons, golden-feathered eagles, red-feathered cranes, and golden canaries. There were even amethyst bee eggs.

Yet after listening to the shopkeeper's introduction, Liu Changxu found little that interested him! His ambitions were far from small, and having just come into a windfall, he wanted to raise a few more spirit beasts. He simply had no interest in spirit beasts that were not worth nurturing.

Everything the shopkeeper had introduced was ordinary stock, most of which could only be raised to the upper grade of the first tier. Liu Changxu had great confidence in his own Dao path. If the demonic beasts he raised could not even reach the second tier, what was the point?

Seeing this, the shopkeeper took Liu Changxu aside and asked, "Fellow Daoist, are these not to your liking?"

Liu Changxu nodded. "That's right! These demonic beasts are all ordinary stock. Do you have anything better?"

The shopkeeper smiled. "Yes, but the price is a little high. I don't know whether you would find it acceptable, Fellow Daoist!"

"No problem! Let's hear it!" Liu Changxu said.

"We've just acquired an Azure Cloud Eagle Egg," the shopkeeper said. "An adult Azure Cloud Eagle has a very good chance of breaking through to the second tier. Azure Cloud Eagles are renowned for their swift flight, and they're powerful fighters as well. However, the price is 3,000 spirit stones! I'm not sure whether you would find that acceptable, Fellow Daoist."

Liu Changxu grew excited at this. He had always longed to fly. If he had an Azure Cloud Eagle, he could ride it through the skies once he reached late Qi Refinement. Should he encounter an enemy in the air, fighting in concert with the eagle would give him formidable combat power as well. As for the price, he could afford it without any difficulty.

But his father's warning rang in his ears: Never let your wealth show! If anyone with ulterior motives learned that he had a considerable number of spirit stones, he would be in danger. Never mind outsiders-even his own clansmen could not be trusted with that knowledge!

Liu Changxu could not help feeling some regret. It looks like I'd better go shopping alone from now on!

Still, he could not bear to give up this Azure Cloud Eagle Egg. As for any trouble, I'll deal with it later!