20: A golden opportunity! The inheritance of the Dao of Array Formations!

Early the next morning.

Lu Qiu slowly opened his eyes, the night of cultivation having swept away his fatigue.

Sinking his consciousness into his mind, the information panel unfolded.

[white information: Qi Refining Stage Cultivator Zhen Dan's stall hides a century-old Purple Ginseng.]

[silver information: Inside the Spirit Beast Hall of the Tianxing Sect Market Town, there is a Crimson Flame Fox with a mutated Bloodline, currently unnoticed by anyone.]

[gold intelligence: At the Stony Slope outside the Tianxing Sect Market Town, Qi Refining Stage Cultivator Yu Long will encounter a Bandit Cultivator ambush in the afternoon; his Storage Pouch contains an ancestral Jade Slip containing a Formation Dao Legacy.]

Lu Qiu's heart gave a heavy thud.

A gold Opportunity.

As expected.

Having changed locations, his Golden Finger immediately regained its vitality.

The opportunities in the Tianxing Sect Market Town might far exceed those of the Yellow Maple Valley Market.

This proved his choice was correct.

His gaze skipped directly over the white information.

To him, a century-old Purple Ginseng was of negligible value.

He would handle the important information first before dealing with it.

His gaze fell upon the silver information.

The mutated Bloodline Crimson Flame Fox at the Spirit Beast Hall.

The Crimson Flame Fox was a Rank Two Yao Beast; a mutated Bloodline meant its potential would be greatly enhanced.

Nurturing a spirit pet could not only increase combat power but also serve an unexpected purpose at critical moments.

Lu Qiu felt a stir in his heart.

Raising a spirit pet was indeed a good choice.

He then looked toward the gold intelligence.

Formation Dao Legacy.

These three words caused Lu Qiu's breath to hitch.

The Dao of Formations was profound and mysterious, holding an extremely high status in the cultivation world.

A complete Formation Dao Legacy's value was not even inferior to top-tier Cultivation Techniques or secret arts.

This was definitely an important means of establishing oneself.

Stony Slope, Bandit Cultivator ambush.

Lu Qiu's brows furrowed slightly.

Bandit Cultivators meant danger.

But the temptation of a gold Opportunity was too great.

He had many trump cards on him.

The Black Light Awl talisman treasure, the Golden Light Brick talisman treasure, the heavenly thunder seed, and the Ascension Spirit Secret Art.

These were enough for him to face an Early Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator without fear.

Mere Qi Refining Stage Bandit Cultivators shouldn't pose a threat to him.

A Foundation Establishment Stage Bandit Cultivator wouldn't likely target a Qi Refining Stage Cultivator, right?

The risks involved were completely manageable.

Lu Qiu reached a decision.

It was still early.

He would handle the silver information first, then go to the Stony Slope.

He rose to tidy himself up, pushed open the courtyard gate, and walked toward the depths of the market town.

The Spirit Beast Hall was located on the eastern side of the market town, occupying a vast area.

Before he even got close, he could hear the cries of various Spirit Beasts.

Lu Qiu walked into the Spirit Beast Hall, met with a mixed smell of animal musk and Spiritual Plant fragrance.

In the main hall, various cages were neatly arranged, containing a wide variety of Spirit Beasts.

A manager at the Qi Refining Perfection stage was busy attending to customers.

Seeing Lu Qiu, he immediately came forward to greet him.

“Fellow Daoist, what kind of Spirit Beast do you need? Our shop has a complete selection, from Rank One to Rank Three, everything you could want. We can provide Spirit Beasts of all kinds of Bloodlines,” the manager said with a piled-on smile.

Lu Qiu looked over the surrounding Spirit Beasts with a calm expression.

He spoke directly: “I need a cub, preferably one with an extraordinary Bloodline and growth potential.”

Upon hearing this, the manager's smile grew even wider. This was a big customer. “Fellow Daoist has a discerning eye. Our shop did indeed receive a batch of good stock recently, however, the price for a Spirit Beast cub with an extraordinary Bloodline is not low.”

“Price is not an issue,” Lu Qiu responded flatly.

The manager was delighted.

He led Lu Qiu through several corridors to a relatively quiet area.

More exquisite cages were placed here.

“Fellow Daoist, please look. This Cloud Fire Leopard possesses an impressive Bloodline and can grow into a Rank Three Yao Beast in the future. And this Jade-Eyed Golden-Eyed Beast has astonishing defensive power. They are all rare, high-quality goods,” the manager introduced vividly.

Lu Qiu only gave them a glance without saying much. He knew his target wasn't these.

Seeing this, the manager was a bit unsure of Lu Qiu's preferences.

He pondered for a moment and lowered his voice.

“If Fellow Daoist truly seeks a Spirit Beast with an extraordinary Bloodline, I do have one here, it's just...”

“Just what?” Lu Qiu pressed.

“It's just that this Spirit Beast is a bit special. It's a Crimson Flame Fox cub, but its Bloodline seems to have mutated. We've nurtured it for so long and haven't been able to fully determine its specific potential, so... it depends on how Fellow Daoist chooses,” the manager spoke the truth.

Lu Qiu's heart stirred.

The silver information had mentioned exactly this Crimson Flame Fox.

“Show me.”

The manager led Lu Qiu to a separate quiet room.

In the center of the quiet room, inside a cage set with a small Formation, lay a tiny Crimson Flame Fox. Its whole body was fiery red with fluffy fur, but the tip of its tail carried a faint touch of gold.

It was curled into a ball, deep in sleep.

Lu Qiu stepped forward and observed carefully. This Crimson Flame Fox cub was a size smaller than ordinary Crimson Flame Fox cubs.

But that gold at the tip of the tail was definitely not something an ordinary Crimson Flame Fox would have.

A mutated Bloodline was indeed extraordinary.

It was sleeping soundly, its tiny body rising and falling slightly with its breath, looking quite cute.

“This is that mutated Crimson Flame Fox cub,” the manager introduced.

“What's the price?” Lu Qiu asked directly.

The manager held up five fingers: “Four hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones. This is already the lowest price; after all, we still cannot fully evaluate its potential.”

Four hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones for a Rank Two Yao Beast cub was indeed not cheap.

But Lu Qiu knew that in this deal, he was guaranteed to make a profit.

Otherwise, the System wouldn't have listed it as a silver information Opportunity.

“I'll take it.” Lu Qiu took out the Spirit Stones and placed them on the counter.

The manager beamed with joy.

He carefully placed the Crimson Flame Fox cub into a specially made spirit beast bag and handed it to Lu Qiu.

“Brother Lu, you're welcome to come again,” the manager saw him off warmly.

Lu Qiu walked out of the Spirit Beast Hall's doors, a spirit beast bag now in his hand.

The tiny Crimson Flame Fox cub was currently sleeping peacefully inside the spirit beast bag.

“Next is the Stony Slope,” Lu Qiu muttered to himself.

He didn't head directly to the Stony Slope.

In a corner at the edge of the market town, Lu Qiu found a shop selling Magical Artifact sundries.

He entered the shop, bought a large black cloak, and prepared a Talisman for himself to change his appearance.

Having done all this, Lu Qiu finally left the market town unhurriedly.

The Stony Slope was about eight li away from the market town.

Lu Qiu activated his flying Magical Artifact and soon arrived at his destination.

The Stony Slope, as the name suggested, was a hillside covered in giant rocks.

Rocks of varying sizes were piled randomly, forming natural cover and gullies.

Overgrown with weeds and sparse shrubs, it appeared desolate and hidden.

This was an ideal place for Cultivators to battle and kill for treasures.

Lu Qiu did not rashly enter the Stony Slope.

Those Bandit Cultivators were very likely already lying in ambush inside.

He restrained his aura and looked for a hidden position on the outskirts of the Stony Slope.

Ultimately, he hid behind a massive boulder and waited quietly.

The setting sun began to sink, its afterglow dyeing the Stony Slope a blood-red.

A trace of tension quietly rose in Lu Qiu's heart.

In the distance, a streak of light was speeding toward the Stony Slope.

If his expectations were correct, this person should be the Cultivator Yu Long mentioned in the information.