You're just a single demon beast? I have a whole army of beast tamers!

The Strong Chicken is a first-tier low-grade spirit bird; it grows quickly and is easy to raise.

The five-colored golden pheasant is a mid-grade first-tier bird, which is more valuable, but its breeding requirements and cycle are also longer.

This benefit is one of the main reasons why many outer disciples are willing to come to Lingji Peak to do chicken farming work; at least it is a stable source of extra income.

After all, the path to immortality is long and arduous; accumulating more spirit stones will allow one to stand taller.

Upon hearing this, Qin Shou and Luo Song's eyes lit up, and they responded in unison:

"Thank you, manager!"

Qin Shou rubbed his hands together and whispered to Luo Song with a smile, "Brother Luo, wouldn't you say we've... upgraded from employees to partners?"

Raising your own spirit chickens requires an initial investment of time and spirit stones, but in the long run, it's definitely a profitable endeavor.

This is undoubtedly a timely help for them, who are short of resources.

After saying goodbye to Manager Wang, who was still grimacing and savoring the sour taste, the two went to the incubation shed with great enthusiasm.

The temperature inside the shed was comfortable, and dozens of lamps with bases made of low-grade warm jade were arranged in a row, emitting a gentle heat.

Under the light, there are hatching nests lined with soft hay.

The room was filled with all sorts of magical eggs.

Some of the eggshells already have tiny cracks.

You can even hear the rustling sound of shell-pecking inside.

Their task is to process the chicks that hatch today.

According to the markings made in advance on the eggshell.

Different colored spots represent different breeds of chickens, which are then sorted and registered.

The chicks of the Lizhuang chicken have yellowish plumage and appear more robust.

The chicks of the golden pheasant are even more beautiful, with their downy feathers displaying a colorful sheen.

......

Qin Shou squatted beside the basket, his fingers brushing over the spirit eggs with practiced ease.

He picked up a brightly colored egg, better than any he had ever seen before.

If you take it back to feed the Tide Turtle, it will definitely help it increase its spiritual power.

"...secretly take a few and put them into the gourd space to hatch..."

He subconsciously moved the egg half an inch toward his loose sleeve.

In that instant, he caught a glimpse of his reflection in the bronze mirror in the corner of the wall. His blurry figure was reflected in it.

Manager Wang seemed to cough lightly.

The universe within a sleeve is just a stone's throw away.

The Qin beast did not pause its movements at all.

His heart didn't even beat faster.

During his seven years as an outer disciple, he faced countless temptations of meager resources and had long since learned how to instantly wage an internal battle.

"It is worth about one low-grade spirit stone."

What about the risks?

Although Old Wang at the entrance was not highly skilled, his divine sense was more than enough to perceive the area within several feet.

The records on the bronze mirror cannot be determined.

Most importantly…

His mind raced. "If this high-quality egg is missing from the register, Luo Song and I, who are on duty today, will be the first to be punished."

Luo Song may be fine with his mother's help, but I have no one to rely on.

One stroke of luck could ruin your future, or even...

He recalled an old story he had heard about an outer disciple who was stripped of his cultivation and expelled from the sect for stealing a few spiritual herbs.

The managers used that tragic scene as a warning and repeated it over and over again.

Not worth the candle.

To lose more than you gain is a mistake.

With a clear mind, that instinctive greed was instantly extinguished.

He didn't even let his eyes linger on the egg for a second longer.

With a flick of the wrist, it was gently placed into a specially made soft-cushioned wooden box labeled "Superior Five-Colored Brocade".

This distinguishes it from several other eggs of slightly lower quality.

He then casually added a note to the jade book next to him with a charcoal pencil.

The entire process was smooth and seamless, without the slightest hesitation.

He even looked up, smiled naturally at Luo Song not far away, and pointed to the wooden box:

"Senior Brother Luo, look at this egg. It's brimming with spiritual energy. Could it be that it's going to hatch into a rare gem?"

Luo Song leaned over for a glance and clicked his tongue twice:

"It's true! Steward Wang, the feng shui of our Spirit Chicken Peak is getting better and better!"

Manager Wang lifted his eyelids, snorted, and said nothing.

However, the divine sense that had been shrouding the warehouse seemed to have subsided slightly.

Qin Shou lowered his head again and focused on sorting.

His fingers remained steady, and his eyes were clear.

Only he himself knew what happened in that instant.

He not only resisted the temptation of a spirit egg.

This further reinforced his first ironclad rule for survival in the cultivation world.

Before absolute certainty and complete elimination of risks

Any improper thoughts must be firmly suppressed in one's heart.

Caution is never cowardice, but rather the best protection on the path of spiritual practice.

......

After sorting, these vulnerable chicks are sent to their respective brooding rooms for initial care.

After completing the delicate task of hatching, the two rushed off to the free-range farm where the adult chickens were raised.

The Lizhuang Chicken farm covers a large area and is surrounded by low wooden fences. Inside, there are plump and agile chickens scratching for food in the soil, clucking loudly.

Their staple food is a chicken feed mixed with a small amount of glutinous rice powder and ordinary grains.

The chicken farm for the golden pheasant is more elaborate, with an environment that simulates a mountain forest, featuring low shrubs and small trees.

These pheasants have brightly colored feathers and a more elegant posture.

Their feed contains a higher proportion of spirit grains, and also includes certain fragments of spirit herbs to maintain the luster of their feathers and the purity of their internal spiritual energy.

Qin Shou and Luo Song each took charge of a section, skillfully pouring the prepared feed into the troughs, checking that the drinking water was clean, and observing the chickens' condition to prevent any disease outbreaks.

The whole process is tedious and requires patience, but after four years, they have become very proficient at it.

......

As noon approached, Qin Shou and Luo Song finally finished their morning's tasks.

Each of them put one hundred lively, colorful pheasants and strong chickens into a spirit bamboo cage with ventilation holes, and carried a small basket woven from spirit vines.

Hundreds of newly acquired spirit eggs lay peacefully in the basket.

They were delivered to the designated handover point at the foot of the mountain.

A handyman disciple specifically responsible for transportation stepped forward to count, weigh, and record the items.

Then they moved the chicken coop onto a cart with runes and transported it to the Wanshou Restaurant at the foot of the mountain.

The two didn't linger and rushed to another shed near the warehouse area on the mountainside of Lingji Peak.

The pavilion, built against an old pine tree, was quite simple, yet it was surrounded by twenty or thirty cultivators.

Their cultivation levels were mostly between the fourth and sixth levels of Qi Refining, and their clothing styles were largely the same, all being gray outer disciple robes.

Qin Shou's gaze swept across them, recognizing most of the faces.

They were all fellow disciples responsible for raising different breeds of spirit chickens in various locations on Spirit Chicken Peak.

Some of them specialize in rainbow-tailed chickens, some take care of crowing chickens, and others manage a slightly larger flock of iron-clawed chickens.

However, Qin Shou's gaze lingered slightly on a few of the figures.

Those were three elderly men whose hair was mostly gray, and whose cultivation level hovered around the fifth or sixth level of Qi Refining, clearly having no hope of advancing further.

Is this a microcosm of the low-level cultivators who lack great opportunities and backgrounds and have mediocre talent?

He spent his entire life wasting away on this Spirit Chicken Peak, keeping company with spirit birds, struggling for a few spirit stones.

Ultimately, they cannot escape the fate of declining health and vitality, and the cessation of their spiritual path.

If I don't have the right opportunity, will I also become one of them decades later, silently waiting for my lifespan to run out in some corner?

A chill ran through him, but he quickly suppressed it.

No, absolutely not!

He possesses a treasure gourd!