Cultivation begins with forming a bond with a spirit bee.

Chapter 83 Seeking Another Path

They don't live long, are easy to raise, and most importantly, have unique talents.

Isn't this the beast of my dreams?

Qu Ye composed himself and leaned forward to examine the area closely.

The giant slug in front of us was about five feet long, with its head accounting for 30% of its length. Its enormous mouth opened wide and swallowed a number of pebbles in an instant.

Its body was covered in a layer of slippery mucus, emitting a strange fishy smell, and its aura was stable at the lower level of the first rank.

"Is there any other use for this huge silt?"

The young man's smile remained unchanged, showing no impatience, as he replied, "Of course, it can. Besides what I just mentioned, it can also spit out mud as an attack, with power comparable to a strike from a Qi Refining early stage cultivator. The slimy aura emanating from its body can also intimidate some weaker demonic beasts."

"In the past, most of the people who bought this beast were first-level alchemists who used it to process waste pills. After a while, they would kill it and take its stomach to use as a material for refining certain unique magical artifacts, which would at least bring back some spirit stones."

Qu Ye nodded, his eyes showing a thoughtful expression.

"It is somewhat useful."

"Then, fellow Daoist, what do you see—"

"No rush, let's check the other monsters first."

The young man's smile deepened as he led Qu Ye toward the unintroduced monster.

After a while, the two of them looked at all the monsters in the shop.

Qu Ye thought about it and made a decision in his heart.

Most of the demonic beasts in the shop are either in good condition and can live for a considerable period of time, or they have extraordinary bloodlines and are expensive, costing hundreds of spirit stones, or they overlap with Qu Ye's other types of talents.

Only two things closely match his needs.

One of them is naturally the massive silt.

In addition, there was a first-tier mid-grade burrowing rat with bared teeth and slightly yellow fur.

Don't be fooled by the fact that this burrowing rat's cultivation level is only mid-grade first rank. In fact, all its skills lie in its ability to burrow and escape underground. It can burrow dozens of feet underground in a short time, and its speed is extremely fast.

In a direct confrontation, this burrowing rat is not outstanding among mid-grade first-tier demonic beasts, and might even be no match for a guard bee.

However, Qu Ye did not come for the purpose of contracting a spirit pet. The more extreme the talent of the burrowing rat, the more interested he became.

"What is the price of that giant silt and the burrowing rat?"

"Fellow Daoist, you have excellent taste!"

"Although the burrowing rat has little lifespan left, only eight years, it is a mid-grade first-level demon beast and is very suitable for scouting and providing intelligence for cultivators. Therefore, it is priced at forty low-grade spirit stones."

"As for the giant silt, its spirit stomach can also be extracted. In some shops in the southern district, it sells for about five spirit stones. Therefore, the price is twenty low-grade spirit stones."

"If you purchase these two demonic beasts, our Spirit Beast Pavilion can also provide some demonic beast feed and spirit beast bags. The spirit beast bags will be two spirit stones cheaper than elsewhere."

After speaking, the young man stared intently at Qu Ye, waiting for his response.

Qu Ye pondered for a moment.

These domesticated monsters, which can serve as spirit pets, are much more valuable than corpses, so the price is fair.

If a first-tier mid-grade demonic beast has a normal lifespan and considerable combat power, its price can reach seventy or eighty spirit stones!

After thinking it over, he no longer hesitated. He took out sixty spirit stones from his storage bag to buy the two beasts, and also spent eight spirit stones to buy a spirit beast bag to put the two beasts in.

The transaction was completed. The young man took out enough special food for the two beasts to eat for a year from his storage bag, handed it to Qu Ye, and then saw Qu Ye to the door with a smile.

Stepping out of the Spirit Beast Pavilion, Qu Ye felt refreshed and invigorated.

Now that we have a place to cultivate, we have a clear understanding of the market for spiritual essences, and we have also acquired the demon beasts we wish to befriend.

All that's left is to find out about the Yunyang Sect and the Foundation Establishment spiritual objects.

But this obviously cannot be accomplished overnight; it will take a considerable amount of time to figure it out.

Back at the intersection where she had parted ways with Han Xuan, Qu Ye waved and called him over.

Han Xuan waited for a long time, but his face showed no change. He simply jogged over and respectfully cupped his hands to Qu Ye, saying, "Senior."

Qu Ye didn't say anything, but simply took out two spirit stones and tossed them to Han Xuan.

Han Xuan took the spirit stone and was stunned. According to the price, he only needed to pay one spirit stone for leading the way for a day.

But he quickly realized what was happening, clenched the spirit stone in his hand, and bowed deeply: "Thank you for your reward, Senior!"

Qu Ye waved his hand: "Don't thank me yet, I have some important things to ask you."

"Please speak, senior. I will certainly answer all your questions to the best of my knowledge."

"Hmm. Do you know the Yunyang Sect's recruitment requirements and the relevant timeframes?"

Han Xuan's brain worked quickly, and he soon recalled the relevant information.

"Reporting to Senior. The Yunyang Sect conducts a spiritual root test once a year, always at the foot of Lingyun Peak. Those who go there are mainly children who have just turned six and are able to have their spiritual roots tested."

"Those with a Heavenly Spiritual Root and a Dual Spiritual Root can directly enter the Inner Sect, while those with a Three Spiritual Root can enter the Outer Sect. A very small number of those with a Four Spiritual Root, or those with exceptional qualities, can also enter the Outer Sect due to special circumstances."

"I also went there once, but unfortunately I was only found to have five spiritual roots. I did not meet the entry requirements of Yunyang Sect, so I could only work as a guide in Yunyang Market."

"As for other ways of recruiting people, I have a cousin who works in the West District and he once mentioned it at a family dinner."

"Every ten years, the Yunyang Sect recruits a batch of outer sect deacons. They are required to have a clean background and a cultivation level of at least the late stage of Qi Refining. If they are rogue cultivators with both Heavenly and Dual Spiritual Roots, they can directly become formal disciples by passing the Heart-Questioning Ceremony."

"but--"

At this point, Han Xuan suddenly became somewhat hesitant.

Qu Ye's eyes flashed, and he comforted her, "It's alright, just say it."

Han Xuan gritted his teeth: "Please forgive me, senior. I dare to guess that you inquired about the Yunyang Sect because you were considering Foundation Establishment."

Please take what I'm about to say as just casual conversation.

Then, he moved closer to Qu Ye and lowered his voice: "My cousin has a friend who is a rogue cultivator. He became a steward of the Yunyang Sect through this method. He thought he could get some Foundation Establishment Pills, but he didn't expect that outer sect stewards can't exchange for these pills at all."

"But Yunyang Sect still gave the outer sect deacons a way out, allowing them to exchange contribution points for Foundation Establishment spiritual items."

"Furthermore, if a deacon with three spiritual roots cultivates to the peak of Qi Refining before the age of sixty, he can sign a spiritual contract, make a vow of the Great Dao, and wait a few years. If he is lucky, he can also spare a Foundation Establishment Pill."

"However, once you successfully establish your foundation, you will be subject to the control of the Yunyang Sect for the rest of your life."

After saying that, Han Xuan looked around, then suddenly took a few steps back and returned to his original position, as if he had never said anything.

Qu Ye's expression remained unchanged upon hearing this.

If what Han Xuan said is true, then the path of Yunyang Sect is most likely blocked.

But thinking about it, it makes sense. Even for a major sect like Yunyang Sect, which focuses on Golden Core cultivation, Foundation Establishment Pills are a strategic resource. Naturally, they wouldn't easily give them to a group of outer sect stewards who have no loyalty whatsoever.

Perhaps for many independent cultivators who join the Yunyang Sect, being able to exchange for Foundation Establishment spiritual items is enough.

If you can exchange for two non-conflicting spiritual items, increasing your chances of Foundation Establishment by about 10%, it's worth the gamble.

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