Immortal Venerable of the Beast Race

"It's a descendent of the Chen Family."

Someone recognized the identity of the youth in the golden robe.

Shen Long also recognized the youth in the golden robe. The youth's name was Chen Yishan, the youngest son of the Chen Family patriarch, a Qi Refinement Seventh Layer.

Chen Yishan approached the stall, carefully picked up an insect egg, and after closely examining it, nodded and said, "Indeed, it's a Snow Crystal Spider egg, but its vitality is too weak. Where did you get it?"

"From an ancient Cultivator's cave abode! I don't know how long it was stored, the vitality is very weak, but there's still a chance for it to hatch. The Snow Spider Fairy of the Spirit Control Sect has a third-rank Snow Crystal Spider. More than a hundred years ago, an Evil Cultivator caused trouble in Qin Country, and it was the Snow Spider Fairy who took action to eliminate the Evil Cultivator. I heard that the Snow Crystal Spider played no small role," explained the elderly man in the green robe.

"I've heard my father mention this matter, it is indeed true. I'll buy two insect eggs," said Chen Yishan.

Chen Yishan paid a hundred Spirit Stones and purchased two insect eggs.

With the endorsement of Chen Yishan, along with the deeds of the Snow Spider Fairy of the Spirit Control Sect, many Qi Refining Cultivators bought insect eggs, including Huang Xiuyun, who bought two.

Shen Long didn't buy any, as he even struggled to sustain himself, let alone have spare Spirit Stones to nurture Spirit Insects.

He treated it as an interesting anecdote, just something to listen to.

Shen Long continued walking forward, looking around as he went.

After a quarter of an hour, Shen Long stopped in front of a small stall. The vendor was a girl in her twenties wearing a green dress, with delicate features, arched willow-like eyebrows, a round face, and large eyes, possessing the cultivation level of Qi Refinement Fifth Layer.

The stall was displaying many first-rank Talismans, including attack, defense, and support types.

"How much for the Flying Heaven Talisman?" Shen Long asked.

He planned to buy a Flying Heaven Talisman for self-defense. The talisman could be used multiple times and would be discarded once its power was exhausted.

"Twenty-five Spirit Stones," said the girl in the green dress in a sweet and soft voice.

"Can it be a bit cheaper? I don't have that many Spirit Stones," Shen Long said, his expression showing difficulty. There were Talisman shops in the marketplace, where a Flying Heaven Talisman cost twenty-seven Spirit Stones each.

"Then how many do you have?" the girl in the green dress asked.

"Twenty-three, will that work? I can help you introduce customers," Shen Long offered.

"With such heavy killing intent on you, it seems you make a living by hunting Monster Beasts! Our price of twenty-five Spirit Stones is already very cheap," said a clear and pleasant female voice.

A fragrant breeze passed by, and a slender girl in a red dress walked over.

The girl in the red dress was wearing a red jacket dress with her hair styled in a high bun. She had a palm-sized black birthmark on the left side of her face, which made her look extremely ugly.

"Sister, why did you come over?" When the girl in the green dress saw the girl in the red dress, she quickly stood up.

"If I hadn't come, you might have sold the Talisman at a discount again," the girl in the red dress scolded, her eyes filled with affection.

"I wouldn't. I've already promised you that I would sell them at the price you set," the girl in the green dress insisted. Turning to Shen Long, she asked, "Are you really short of twenty-five Spirit Stones?"

The girl in the red dress rolled her eyes and said impatiently, "Forget it; I'll handle the Talisman sales. You go back to crafting Talismans."

"Alright."

The girl in the green dress obediently agreed and turned to leave.

"Friend, do you still want the Flying Heaven Talisman? Twenty-five Spirit Stones, non-negotiable," the girl in the red dress queried.

Shen Long agreed, paid the twenty-five Spirit Stones, and purchased a Flying Heaven Talisman.

After strolling around the square without buying anything else, he returned to his lodging.

Shen Long activated the Soundproofing Array, sat cross-legged on the stone bed, and began cultivating.

······

In a secluded courtyard with green-tiled roofs, there stood a two-story green pavilion and a green stone pavilion.

Chen Yishan sat in the stone pavilion, while an elderly man in a green robe stood by his side, his expression respectful.

"Well done, you sold those eggs so quickly, otherwise they would have all ended up on my hands."

Chen Yishan praised him.

He had followed his elders to the great marketplace to purchase cultivation resources and had been deceived, spending a high price on what was claimed to be Snow Crystal Spider eggs. After presenting them to his elders for appraisal, he was told that they weren't Snow Crystal Spider eggs at all and there was no possibility of hatching them.

Chen Yishan didn't believe in curses and tried to hatch them for several years, all in vain before he gave up.

He arranged a scheme for someone else to buy the eggs, making a small profit in the process.

"It's all thanks to your work, young master; how dare I take credit for the work of heaven."

The elderly man in the green robe said with a face full of flattery.

"From now on, you'll work for me! I won't let you down."

Chen Yishan took out thirty spirit stones and handed them to the elderly man in the green robe.

"Master, if someone really manages to hatch the eggs, wouldn't that be a great loss?"

The elderly man in the green robe asked, curious.

"I tried hatching them for three years with no success. If they can hatch them, it's their ability. Alright, I won't stay any longer. If anything comes up, contact me with the messaging plate."

Chen Yishan rose and left.

The elderly man in the green robe personally saw Chen Yishan out, closed the courtyard door, flipped his right hand, and in it appeared a green wooden box, containing a white egg.

······

Half a month had passed, and Shen Long stood in front of a sandpit inside a secret chamber of the Martial Training Garden.

With a flick of his right hand, a streak of green light shot out and burrowed into the sandpit, and a green vine as thick as an adult's arm broke through the soil.

"Finally cultivated to Great Perfection!"

Shen Long showed a delighted expression.

After practicing for another half hour and using the Fireball Technique to destroy any traces, he then left.

Just as he left the Martial Training Garden, he happened to run into Qin Qing.

"Taoist Friend Shen, I knew you'd be here. Taoist Friend Xu asked us to come over. He's found new team members and is preparing to go out and hunt Monster Beasts."

Qin Qing said.

Shen Long nodded and went with Qin Qing to Xu Lei's residence, where Xu Lei, Sun Yang, and Liu Xin were present, along with a burly, broad-waisted man in a red shirt full of muscles and a white-shirted youth with a scholarly appearance and a fair complexion. Both men were on the fifth level of Qi Refinement.

"Xu Brothers, you've abandoned your previous Monster Hunting Team?"

Shen Long recognized the two men.

The man in the red shirt was named Xu Wu, and the youth in the white shirt was named Xu Wen. The brothers were part of another monster hunting team that also lived off hunting Monster Beasts.

"Their previous Monster Hunting Team was ambushed by Chen Xiong, suffering heavy casualties. They wanted to hunt Monster Beasts but had to join us. Don't worry, I've looked into it, and their accounts are true, corroborated by multiple witnesses," Xu Lei said.

Chen Xiong was the leader of another Monster Hunting Team and a Qi Refining Cultivator in the seventh level, who had a grudge against Xu Lei. The enemy of one's enemy could be a friend.

"Since Taoist Friend Xu has thoroughly investigated, I have no objections," Shen Long said.

Qin Qing and Liu Xin also had no objections and agreed to the newcomers joining.

"Taoist Friend Sun has found a new target—Ice Cloud Spiders. There are two of them in the late-stage of the first order, and there are Spiritual Medicines as well," Xu Lei said excitedly. Not all Monster Beasts' nests came with Spiritual Medicines, and the older the Spiritual Medicine, the more valuable it was.

"Let's not delay and set off immediately! The sooner we go, the sooner we return," Qin Qing said.

Xu Lei nodded, and the group left the marketplace.

Upon leaving the marketplace, Xu Lei summoned the Green Cloud Boat, stepping aboard first, quickly followed by Sun Yang and the others.

With a technique from Xu Lei, the Green Cloud Boat soared into the air and flew high into the sky.