Chapter 449: Spirit Beast Milk |
Seeing her fall silent, Jiang Chen asked in surprise, “What is it?”
Bei Qingtang could not help but look him up and down. “You already have a child?”
Jiang Chen offered an awkward smile. “I have a friend. A very close friend. When his child was born, we became sworn kin, so I am simply curious.”
Bei Qingtang considered this for a moment. “In truth, whether born to mortals or cultivators, infants are much the same at birth.
Those without means rely on a mother’s milk. Those with wealth rely on heavenly treasures and earthly wonders.”
Jiang Chen glanced down at his own chest. “A mother’s milk?”
Bei Qingtang offered a helpful reminder. “They sell specialized Spirit Beast Milk over at Beast Mountain.”
Realization dawned on Jiang Chen. “Right. Then the next time I visit, I will buy some to bring along.”
Bei Qingtang gave him a meaningful look. “Children are difficult to raise. If this is your friend’s first time, he should seek out someone experienced and learn from them.”
Jiang Chen worried that speaking too much would lead to a slip of the tongue, exposing his secret.
After lingering for an incense stick of time, the two women rose and departed, their elegant robes fluttering as they ascended straight into the nine heavens.
Jiang Chen withdrew his gaze, rubbing his chin. “Raising a child is going to be a massive headache. But handing her over to outsiders isn’t safe. I’ll just have to raise her myself for now.”
Fortunately, Beast Mountain sold Spirit Beast Milk, solving the immediate feeding problem.
With that settled, he lost all interest in cultivating and turned back toward his second-floor bedroom.
Stepping into his pocket dimension, he immediately checked on the ice womb.
After just two days, the jagged fissures marring its surface had grown wider and more numerous.
The biting frost leaking from within had grown suffocatingly dense.
His previous estimate held true. In seven days at the earliest, or half a month at the latest, the little dragon girl inside would hatch.
Given her unique nature, Jiang Chen had no intention of taking her out of the pocket dimension just yet.
For one, the Spirit Qi in the outside world was far too volatile.
For another, if anything went wrong, it would be a disaster.
She needed to grow a bit more before he could even consider it.
He stared at the glowing ice for a long moment before turning toward the secret realm entrance on the far side.
Truth be told, the Ancestor’s tomb was absurdly massive.
He had been hauling loot out of it for half a year, and the treasures just kept coming.
In fact, Jiang Chen was no longer satisfied with merely driving the bone-carved puppets. He had given the Ancestor a direct order to haul the goods himself.
Digging up his own tomb.
Moving his own burial goods.
What a perfect display of self-sufficiency.
Besides, the Ancestor was incredibly powerful.
When Jiang Chen was in Foundation Establishment, the corpse could exert Golden Core strength.
Now that Jiang Chen’s Golden Core hummed within his Dantian, the corpse could unleash the might of a Nascent Soul.
Granted, it only possessed basic abilities-relying on the carved array marks and raw physical durability rather than casting profound techniques.
But as it stood, absolutely nothing in the secret realm could scratch him.
Watching the Ancestor toil away without complaint, Jiang Chen offered an encouraging thumbs-up. “Keep at it. My future fortune rests entirely on your shoulders.”
The Ancestor: “…”
…
…
The next day arrived.
Bright and early, Jiang Chen summoned Shattered Moon Flowing Frost and soared into the sky.
In his hand, he held a glowing Communication Talisman linked to Old Jin.
“Hello?”
“Old Jin, do you know who sells Spirit Beast Milk over at Beast Mountain?”
“You remember Zhao Mo, right?”
“Of course. Da Huang’s father-in-law.”
“That’s his trade.”
“Good to know.”
“Wait, why are you suddenly asking about milk?”
“A friend outside the sect just had a child. I figured I’d bring some local specialties when I visit.”
“Oh, right. For a second there, I thought you and Senior Sister Yu had a kid.”
Jiang Chen cut the connection and lowered the Communication Talisman, his mouth twitching.
Who said men lacked intuition?
Old Jin’s instincts were terrifyingly sharp!
Of course, he was wrong about one detail. The child wasn’t his and Senior Sister Yu’s.
In fact, she wasn’t even human.
A short flight later, he arrived at Beast Mountain.
It was far from his first visit, and he navigated the winding peaks with ease.
But as he passed the Pillar Python, Jiang Chen paused in surprise. The massive beast, which spent its days in deep slumber, had its eyes wide open, staring intently into the distance.
He followed its gaze and realized it was looking toward the Thousand Crane Forest.
A brilliant, multicolored pillar of light was erupting from the canopy, piercing the heavens.
Flocks of white cranes circled the glowing pillar, their sharp cries echoing through the valley in a breathtaking display.
Jiang Chen drifted closer, his curiosity piqued. “Brother Python, what’s happening in the Thousand Crane Forest?”
The Pillar Python cast a sideways glance at him. “Who are you?”
Jiang Chen quickly produced his Spirit Cultivation Envoy token. “Me! Core disciple of Green Wood Peak, the sole Spirit Cultivation Envoy of the Spirit Farm, possessor of the Water-Wood Spirit Root-Jiang Chen!”
The Pillar Python blinked slowly. “Your name is that long?”
Jiang Chen waved a hand dismissively. “That’s not important. What exactly is going on over there?”
The Pillar Python spoke in a low, rumbling voice. “The Crane King has made a move.”
The Crane King. The absolute ruler of the Thousand Crane Forest.
Even across the entirety of Beast Mountain, its status and power were second only to the python itself.
It possessed a trace of the ancient Luan bird’s bloodline, granting it unfathomable strength.
Under normal circumstances, it would never reveal itself.
Jiang Chen grew thoughtful. “It must be treating Storm Crane 7.”
Spirit pets and their masters shared a profound bond, their lives and deaths intertwined.
If Storm Crane 7 was recovering, then Long Ao’s condition had to be improving as well.
It seemed it wouldn’t be long before he saw a lively and energetic Senior Brother Long again.
Ever since the disaster in the Canglan Sea, the quiet had felt deeply unnatural.
When he first moved, everyone had gathered together to eat, drink, and talk into the night.
Who could have predicted that Qin Hao would vanish without a trace?
Chen Tian was off doing heaven knew what.
And his only remaining close friend, Long Ao, was still bedridden.
Shaking off his melancholy, Jiang Chen bid the Pillar Python farewell and flew toward Zhao Mo’s residence.
He touched down moments later and called out, “Zhao Mo!”
However, the first to emerge wasn’t a person, but a dog.
A little pup that looked remarkably like Da Huang.
It was Da Huang’s firstborn. Perhaps recognizing Jiang Chen’s scent, it bounded over affectionately, rubbing its head against his boots.
Yet, compared to Wang Zai, its size was pitifully small.
If placed side by side, no one would ever believe they shared the same dog father and wolf mother.
A moment later, the golden-furred mother wolf padded out of the house, her amber eyes fixed on Jiang Chen with sharp vigilance.
Finally, Zhao Mo appeared in the doorway, his face lighting up. “Fellow Daoist Jiang!”
Jiang Chen cupped his hands in greeting. “Apologies for the sudden intrusion!”
Zhao Mo let out a hearty laugh. “No intrusion at all.”
Jiang Chen cut straight to the chase. “I heard you sell Spirit Beast Milk?”
Zhao Mo nodded. “I do. Are you looking to buy?”
Jiang Chen gave a firm nod. “Yes, I need to buy some.”
Zhao Mo immediately launched into an enthusiastic pitch. “Beast milk comes in different grades. There’s ordinary beast milk, and then there’s Spirit Beast Milk.
It’s further divided by the beast’s cultivation age: hundred-year milk, five-hundred-year milk, and thousand-year milk. Different qualities, different ages, and naturally, different prices.”
Jiang Chen stared at him, utterly dumbfounded!
