Longevity with a Turtle

Chapter 75: Chapter 74: Little Black’s Potential

The small gathering concluded.

Chen Jianghe and Zhou Miaoyun left Jingyue Immortal Tower together, but they soon parted ways. Zhou Miaoyun was heading to the Hundred Treasures Tower, likely to purchase some resources.

Chen Jianghe wasn’t in a hurry to return to his breeding waters. Since he was already in Jingyue Marketplace, it was only natural to visit the Beast Taming Workshop to broaden his horizons.

During the gathering, neither Yu Daniu nor Zhou Miaoyun had asked whether he intended to consume a Misfortune-Breaking Pill to break through. It seemed they both tacitly accepted the current limits of his Cultivation. Chen Jianghe wasn’t offended by this; in fact, it saved him the trouble of coming up with excuses.

”Fellow Daoist Chen? Are you planning to purchase a Spirit Beast to help with breeding Little Cyan Fish?”

Just as he reached the entrance of the Beast Taming Workshop, he bumped into Talisman Master Chu Lang, who was walking out with a circle glowing with cyan light in his hand.

”Yes, I’m just here to ask about the prices.” Chen Jianghe smiled and nodded. ”Has Talisman Master Chu purchased a Spirit Beast?”

”Haha, you know that some of my younger relatives live in Bixia Town. Times are turbulent now, so I bought a Spirit Beast for them,” Talisman Master Chu Lang said, shaking the Spirit Beast Circle in his hand.

A Spirit Beast Circle not only helped a Cultivator form a contract with a Spirit Beast, enabling telepathic communication, but more importantly, a High-Level Spirit Beast Circle contained a Spirit Beast Space where the beast could be concealed. Inside this space, the Spirit Beast would remain in a dormant state.

Of course, a High-Level Spirit Beast Circle was expensive, costing over ten times more than a Low-Tier Spirit Beast Circle, which usually went for twenty Spirit Stones. Clearly, the one in Talisman Master Chu Lang’s hand was a High-Level Spirit Beast Circle, and the Spirit Beast he had bought was already stored inside it.

”Fellow Daoist Chen, you shouldn’t leave the Jingyue Lake waters recently. Wait until that Demon Cultivator is executed before coming out to move around,” Talisman Master Chu Lang advised with concern.

”Understood. Thank you, Talisman Master Chu.” Chen Jianghe cupped his hands in gratitude and watched him leave.

He naturally knew why Talisman Master Chu Lang cared about his safety. The Talisman Dao heritage transaction provided the Talisman Master with a considerable amount of Spirit Stone profits every year.

Stepping into the Beast Taming Workshop gave Chen Jianghe the illusion of entering an ocean world. Huge crystal corridors were filled with water, where various Water Element Spirit Beasts swam and played. Perhaps considering that the majority of Cultivators in Jingyue Lake practiced Water Element Cultivation Techniques, Water Element Spirit Beasts made up the bulk of their stock. However, Spirit Beasts of other elements were also kept inside crystal cabinets.

”Fellow Daoist, feel free to look around. Our Beast Taming Workshop has many kinds of Spirit Beasts. Because of space limitations, we can’t display them all, but there are Jade Scroll catalogs over there for you to browse,” a young man in luxurious robes said, approaching Chen Jianghe to introduce the workshop’s offerings.

”Late-Stage Qi Refining!” Chen Jianghe realized that not only was the young man introducing the shop at the Late-Stage Qi Refining, but the young talents and Fairies at the counter also possessed Late-Stage Qi Refining Cultivation. This made him sigh in admiration at the profound foundation of the Beast Taming Immortal Race Zhou Family.

”Alright, I’ll take a look first.” Chen Jianghe smiled and nodded.

Walking further along the crystal corridor, he could see various species of Tier One Spiritual Beasts swimming inside. Surprisingly, there were even Black Crystal Profound Turtles and Little Cyan Fish, though their numbers were sparse, with only about three or four of each. The vast majority were jellyfish and squid, both Water Element Spirit Beasts.

”Long-Armed Ape!”

Stepping into the exhibition hall for Spirit Beasts of other elements, he spotted a Primate Spirit Beast. Its arms extended past its knees, strong and robust, with bronze-colored fur covering its entire body. Its bright, piercing eyes locked onto Chen Jianghe.

The Long-Armed Ape was a Gold Element Spirit Beast with a Second-Grade High-Class Bloodline. Once it reached adulthood, it would generally be at the Mid-Stage Tier One, and it could quickly grow to the Late-Stage Tier One. It could wield Special Magical Artifacts as weapons, giving it extremely high combat prowess.

According to records in the Yun Family Magazine, the Yun Family owned a Late-Stage Tier One Long-Armed Ape. It was purchased and raised by the Yun Family Ancestor before his Foundation Establishment, costing a total of one hundred and twenty Spirit Stones.

Spirit Beast Bloodlines were divided into a Ninth Grade system, with each grade further split into an Upper Class and a Lower Class. The Third-Grade Bloodline Spiritual Beast that had previously appeared in Qinghe Marketplace was specifically a Third-Grade High-Class Bloodline Spirit Beast, which was why it had attracted the attention of the Beast Taming Immortal Race Zhou Family.

A Second-Grade High-Class Bloodline Spirit Beast also had a chance at Foundation Establishment, provided it could obtain the Spirit Core of a Tier Two Spirit Beast.

One hundred and fifty Spirit Stones.

He glanced at the price tag, realizing it was thirty Spirit Stones more expensive than when the Yun Family Ancestor had bought one.

After strolling around the Beast Taming Workshop and browsing through the Jade Scroll catalogs, he discovered that the shop sold over a dozen types of Second-Grade High-Class Bloodline Spirit Beasts. All of them were priced above one hundred Spirit Stones, with Primate Spirit Beasts like the Long-Armed Ape being slightly more expensive. As for Third-Grade Bloodline Spiritual Beasts, even those with a Third-Grade Lower-Class Bloodline were nowhere to be found in the workshop.

He also gained an understanding of the prices of Spirit Beast Circles. These were Special Spiritual Artifacts divided into low and high levels. The low-level ones were the common Low-Tier Spirit Beast Circles, valued at twenty Spirit Stones, while High-Level Spirit Beast Circles contained a Spirit Beast Space and cost three hundred Spirit Stones.

This meant that Talisman Master Chu Lang had just spent a minimum of over three hundred Spirit Stones at the Beast Taming Workshop. A High-Level Spirit Beast Circle cost three hundred Spirit Stones, plus the cost of a Spirit Beast. Even the most ordinary juvenile Second-Grade Lower-Class Bloodline Spirit Beast was worth at least five Spirit Stones.

If one were to purchase an adult Spirit Beast, the price increase wouldn’t be as simple as doubling or tripling. Talisman Master Chu Lang mentioned buying a Spirit Beast to provide his younger relatives with a means of defense, which meant he had definitely purchased an adult one. A Late-Stage Tier One Spirit Beast, even one with merely a Second-Grade Lower-Class Bloodline, was worth at least two hundred Spirit Stones.

”When will I finally become a High-Grade Talisman Master?” Chen Jianghe sighed as he walked out of the Beast Taming Workshop. He glanced in the direction of the Hundred Treasures Tower, unsure if Zhou Miaoyun had left yet.

He then headed straight back to his breeding waters.

Staying overnight in the Marketplace after dark was forbidden unless one rented a room at an inn or a tavern. Alternatively, one could go to an entertainment house for the night. But why waste hard-earned money when he could return to his own territory in just fifteen minutes?

Upon entering his cabin and sitting cross-legged, he compared Little Black to the Long-Armed Ape. Judging from its aura, Little Black hadn’t reached adulthood yet either. However, Little Black’s Cultivation far exceeded that of the ape. This was partly because he had fed it plenty of resources, but it also proved that the purity of Little Black’s bloodline was higher than that of the Long-Armed Ape.

The lifespan of a Spirit Beast was generally longer than that of a Cultivator—roughly twice as long—and they typically reached adulthood at the age of forty. Turtles had an even longer lifespan, about three times that of a Cultivator, which meant they theoretically reached adulthood at sixty.

By this calculation, Little Black was only nineteen this year. It would definitely become a Late-Stage Tier One Spirit Beast before reaching adulthood. Reaching the Late-Stage Tier One upon adulthood was the standard for a Third-Grade Bloodline. However, Little Black’s situation was rather special, so it couldn’t be judged by normal standards.

”Little Black swapped lifespans with me. Does that mean it will reach adulthood at twenty, or at sixty?”

If it was sixty, then Little Black would live until a hundred and twenty without its vitality and blood declining. But even if it was twenty, it still met the criteria for a Second-Grade High-Class Bloodline.

”It would be best if Little Black reached adulthood at sixty. That way, even if I achieve Foundation Establishment at a hundred years old, its vitality won’t wane, and it can still attempt to become a Tier Two Spirit Beast.”

If Little Black truly reached adulthood at sixty, it would undoubtedly be a Third-Grade Bloodline Spiritual Beast, and advancing to a Tier Two Spirit Beast would practically be set in stone.

A First-Grade Bloodline transforming into a Third-Grade Bloodline?

The Third Transformation Demon Ascension Technique involuntarily surfaced in Chen Jianghe’s mind.