“Mother, why is it that you said we are making our forces when we arrived? Aren’t we just getting servants?” Ning asked the following morning after purchasing the slaves.
“Humph what do you know? Within the Mystic Myriad Region, which is the one we live in, and even the several others nearest us, the Yi clan is the most powerful of all. They are regarded as the most powerful force in the world and are considered the spirit world in the mortal realm. Because of the Treasure Pagoda we can create things that would not normally be found in the mortal world. For that reason, each and every Yi clan disciple who can gain a Treasure pagoda will alway be upgraded to inner sect but once they enter they need to build a sufficient force to not be swallowed up. In the Yi clan your strength is secondary and instead the strength of your forces are primary. Disciples do not fight each other and instead they use their servants. As for the most powerful and talented, for a sect is at the minimum size of the Geo Royal Sect then they know of the Yi clan and those powerful lofty higher ups once they reach their limit will travel to the Yi clan in hopes of being accepted by the Yi clan and receive their heavenly resources. Because of my circumstances I cannot easily go back without preparing my own resources and I cannot let you children do the same.” She said.
“So we are going to fill the gardens with slaves?” Ning asked.
“Not necessarily, first off you have to make 3 gardens with a spirit mountain of a specific element with only that element to form a unique single element garden. Then fill with beasts and herbs and refine all that to slowly grow a powerful training ground. The Yi clan is comprised of more than just humans they accept disciples into the clan’s forces and those with talent succeed. You all should train in spirit rune harder because the Yi clan specializes in it and if you lack skill in that you will fall behind since the pagoda needs that knowledge.” She said.
“So what are we going to purchase today?” Ning asked.
“Beasts.” She said.
She walked outside and this time the head maid follow, the steward was busy but the head maid knew of the port cities functions and hidden zones quite well as well and seeing them wish for infant beasts she lead them to the Myriad Beast Pavilion. It was on the south side of the city and looked like a large circus tent where performances would happen but entering they saw many huge profound metal cages.
“Greetings, how may this lowly one serve?!” A fat man in a suit with small black glasses walked up. He looked like a mole with white skin and a small mustache.
“We want all three types of beasts, infant and adolescent. We also require profound beast and common cattle and other livestock.” Rei said.
The fat man looked at the maid but she was standing at the side with her eyes closed. He turned and spotted a slave servant and whistled before waving his hand causing the slave to come. “Bring the beast catalog for our esteemed guests.” he said simply. The slave nodded and ran off. The fat man turned smiling, “You will have to excuse me, our stock is very large and difficult to known all the beasts without the book.” he said.
“You are not us, it is common for mortals to need such tools.” Rei said simply.
They waited no more than a few minutes before the man came back with three books. Each was for a different kind of beast.
“Please this way.” the fat man said and lead them into open seated area. Most people who come here aren’t fond of being stuck in a closed space with such a sketchy background so they have long since made a place outside which was quite high class.
The children sat down and they opened the books. What was inside were several hundred beasts and their price. Common animals were sold in groups of 20 for 1 Ungraded Spirit Stone.
Profound Beasts that are really low class and would never surpass Qi refining were 50 Ungraded Spirit Stones. Demon Beast of the same rank were 50 Low Grade Spirit Stones.
“Why are demon beasts so expensive?” Ning asked.
“You should know, our Mystic Myriad Region has a very thin Infernal Energy and only in several locations where these creatures found most of which are run by demon race. Of course for the people who move the beasts around they aren’t weak and have quite strong backers. In this place they have several Spirit Grand Runemaster to run all the restraint runes and formations.” Rei said while taking a page and slowly marking what she was interested in.
Most of it was common animals in a good quantity to set up a ranch. Then she began to mark down all the very low quality profound, magic and demon beasts. None of them were stronger than Infernal Gathering, Qi Refining or mana absorption.
After that she carefully looked through all the catalog before choosing five second tier realm beasts of each type.
“There, these should be just right. With time they will be refined into higher grade beasts bringing better quality beasts but without space we can’t keep many.” She said.
“Mother do we need beasts? I understand animals since the slaves need food but why cultivating beasts?” Su asked.
“Do you know higher grade pills, use some beast parts. Also for you Rinrin, you need to learn how to make Demon Dan’s to make them you need to learn to make Demon Beast essence dans before you can make Demon Relic Dan’s when you learn to make those your Demon Beasts will advance faster.” She said. “But you need Demon Beasts for that so we can start small and train the slaves first while using them to test the quality of the Dan.” She said and stood up.
They walked inside the and the fat man quickly walked over and took Rei’s list.
“More than 500 livestock spread out between cow, Chicken, sheep and pigs, a few hundred different low tier beasts of all types and… are flying beasts for mounts I assume?” He asked.
“The Sword Feather Eagles are indeed mounts as are the Ice Lizards and Tundra Raptors.” She said.
“These lizards are quite expensive as mounts, 1 High Grade Spirit Stone per beast.” he said.
“I only need 5 breeding pairs.” She said.
The fat man grinned, a big fish from a large sect is indeed the best customers. He quickly did a count of all the creatures using the conversion of 20:1 for lower grade stone to higher grade and eventually reached a total.
“How does 80 High Grade Spirit Stones for all sound?” He asked smiling.
“I counted a little over 40 spirit stones.” She said.
“Yes but maiden, I must gain some small margin of money over my expensive investment to catch and bring these beasts which are not normally found in this continent.” he smiled.
Rei chuckled but did not mind, the last months she has gathered a large number of spirit stones form all the spirit mountains that had formed. “Alright.” She said and put her hand in a small pouch before 80 bright shining crystals appeared glittering in the eyes of the fat man.
“Now prepare my beasts, once I have counted and seen them I will hand them over.” She said.
The man’s brow twitched but his smile didn't falter. “Of course. YOU ALL GET WORKING!” he roared and began to direct the slaves and works and they began to drag countless cages back to the open space. All the beasts had restraining spirit runes on their body as well as slave runes.
Infant Sword Feather Eagles had the rune left on them and were transported to the spirit mountain with orders to just remain sitting there. Ice lizard and Tundra Raptor was the same. They were both very low grade dragon blood creatures. Rei had the plan to train them as mounts for the future warrior Demon Fey.
She transferred each beast to a different place in accordance to her needs. Almost all the different beasts were sent to different specific hunting gardens where there was only one spirit mountain of a specific element and energy. As for the farm animals they were sent to the open pasture of spirit grass. All the mutant variations have long since been transplanted in their own fenced area while the rest was for the animals. Common fruit trees were already planted on the mountain. All the farms would be built around the spirit and medical mountains while the residents will live on the spirit mountain or, like the ice lizards, at the water mountain.
Different slaves had different homes. The Black Fire Tiger Fey lived near the fire medical mountain where it was hotter and better for them.
The human’s all had their homes on the spirit mountain but lower in while the home for the children wasn’t made yet but there was a large cave carved out.
Ning and the girls went inside and began to distribute jobs for the human slaves and what should be done which was first to carefully herd the beasts. Of course horses were purchased as well since it was needed until these slaves undergo a proper Body Foundation building. Common humans simply need herbs to properly do the Body foundation as well as reach the initial Qi refining stage which is perfect for farm slaves.
As of yet they still need the horses and due to the slave brand on them they could easily control the horses who were docile due to the brand.
As for what happened outside, Rei left the beast slave house and walked back to the slave house of the scrawny man. “I am looking for Feral’s with good combat potential.” She said without even greeting the scrawny man who ran out.
“Feral’s are a hard to train breed with poor perception is esteemed celestial maiden really interested in such mongrels?” The scrawny man asked.
“Yes, I have ‘methods’ to train them if only a little. Also, do you possess, or know who possesses, Fey with plant ancestry?” She asked.
“We currently have 3 families of this breed but they aren’t simple. One of them were an outer disciple of a far away sect and their power is of Peak Houtian and as children plants they possess an affinity for the Laws of Nature of Earth due to their unique breed.” he said.
“What breed?” she asked curious.
“A Spiritual Profound Ginseng.” He said.
Rei’s eyes shined as she heard this. There are two reasons one would want Fey with plant ancestry and that is because their blood can substitute the herb they are. Of course using them as pill ingredients isn’t a good thing but it has another feature where their blood is really incredible nutrients for herbs of similar type.
“How much?” she asked.
“Ten of those scarlet frui…” Before he even finished an immense heaven destroying pressure befell the scrawny man who collapsed onto his knees. “I-I was kidding! Just kidding!” He shouted. As the pressure eased up, but did not let up, he was able to breath. “One 500 year old herb for the two cultivators and their 3 children while the mortals are 5 high grade spirit stones for the family each.” he said.
Rei snorted and accepted the offer and went to look for the ferals. Ferals could be considered similar to Fey but they aren’t the same. Fey are separated into those Pure Fey who were born over time. These were children loved by nature and were the best at comprehending Natural laws while the second type are either born from beasts who transformed into human form or plants who gained sentience and took human form and spread their kind.
She looked at the list of races, mortal ferals were all common animal races while cultivators were Profound Beast types. Ferals were only Qi cultivators and all of them come from Profound Beasts.
There were only common animal races, since anything else would be a powerful body refining cultivator of the Qi pathway.
“How many Wolf race do you have?” She asked.
“Oh you want the hunting dogs?! They are quite a favorite of big sects who need a good patrol. We possess a few thousand but currently on hand we have 200 but no children.” He said.
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“How much?”
“They are a favorite of the Yi clan and the Ten thousand Beast Sect and we usually save up a number for them so the price is naturally high at 10 low grade spirit stones per head.” He said.
“Prepare 30 male and female who are mates, if they do not have mates then bring a breeding pair, they are easy enough to manipulate.” She said.
“Of course.” He said.
In record time ten breeding pairs of Wolf Feral’s were gathered. They were like werewolves, their body shape was like a wolf with human hands but it had long claws and a human torso. The arms were properly forming human like shoulder and the head was of a grey or black wolf. They had a simple rag covering their privates. The females were a bit more humanoid than the more savage men. Men were around two meters and a half while women were much shorter at two meters with fur all over. The legs were like a wolves as well.
“These are quite strong.” She said scanning the 30 nodding with a praise.
“We would never dare bring low quality goods when our best buyers are such high level people.” The scrawny man said.
“Indeed. The final purchase I want are 30 pairs of Giant Demon’s breeding pairs. Their price should not be much higher than the ferals.” She said.
“Indeed they are only 1 high grade spirit stone because they have powerful bodies.” The man said and brought out 30 male and females. All 120 slaves had their slave brand bound to Rei and she sent them into Ning’s garden before she would split them around the three children.
She finally returned to the governor’s house and entered the gardens.
***
“Sir! We have the information you wanted, this is a list of what they have been purchased.” A man in a full body black tight suit said. He handed a written list and the old man took it and looked it.
“Slaves? The Geo nation is a slave free righteous nation, why are they buying slaves when there are plenty of servants at the sect?” The old man said.
“I am unsure but they bought them in quite large numbers and not of just humans but Fey and Demons.” the black clothed man said.
“Hehehe, his highness will love this. Report it.” the old man said laughing.
The man bowed and vanished into the night.
***
“Alright! You slaves!” Rei shouted while every last slave was gathered from all the gardens. “Today I will be telling you the following, you slaves are not slaves in here. You are our servants and our men. From today all your children will no longer be branded as slaves but they will be our servants. All children will be tested and the strongest and the ones with most potential for fighting will be taken by us to train. For you Fey and you Demons who are all pathetic wastes and trash to the world of immortals, I shall carve onto your body through immense pain and suffering, the ability to cultivate and surpass your ancestors!” Rei shouted.
The servants did not know how they should react. It was a good thing that the next generation would be free but they would still be only servants of these immortal beings who can live for countless years.
“You should know one thing, your homes are our medical garden. Besides the gardens holding the Demon, Magic or Profound Beasts, the medical herbs here are not to be touched but there are herbs that can be used. Warriors as well shall be allowed to use herbs but only what we provide. We shall train you to fight for us!” she shouted. “Now, you Giant Demons and Ferals, you are our strongest race and all your kind are to be warriors, you shall live on the upper half of the spirit mountain but not at the peak. I shall prepare to train you all starting today and no one is allowed to slack! Now go!” She shouted.
The Demons and Ferals quickly left going up the mountain. “Humans, return to tending the farms, the children shall be tested last because your numbers are the largest. Ice Lizard children come forth you shall be tested!” Rei said.
Like that the next two days Rei and the children spent teaching the children basics to fighting examining their fighting abilities and on the third day they fought and the ten best fighters were chosen.
She took all ten children and put them one by one with a water element spirit vein (which is the only root they should have) and refined it into them. None of them possessed spirit veins which is why they degraded to Ice Lizards but the moment they came out their bloodline and the newly added spirit vein in their Dantian began to react. The previously slick scales and claws began to turn sharper, their human like teeth began to turn into sharp fangs, they grow very small horns on their head and small spikes appeared from their spines.
All of them evolved like this, “Children, this is what happens when a strong bloodline meets a body without a spirit vein. The bloodline itself doesn’t even activate. These children have now become Frost Salamanders and their potential now surpass Initial Qi refining.” Rei said.
It surprised them to see a human body slowly become like that. Rei explained that once they properly reach Qi refining they would be able to take on a more perfect human form withdrawing more of their dragonkin features, eventually hiding everything and having a perfect human form while they fight after exposing it all to use their full strength.
Next was the Black Fire Tiger Fey. Their number was smaller but they still trained them in combat and equally choose only the top ten fighters and she did the same and added a Fire type spirit vein this time and after they woke up she did something surprising. She taught the children what to do and using Peak Grade Common cauldron she kindled a Qi flame. What was strange was that even without Qi in their body it was sucked in as if natural to it and instead after the first wisps entered their body the fire was sucked in by an unknown force.
Suddenly a large explosion happened from the first boy and the roar and a shadow of a huge black tiger surrounded by black fire could be seen. The fire soon kindled and around the boys wrists and ankles a red flame was coming out naturally.
“This, children, is an example of a race that needs specific conditions for unlocking their bloodlines.” She laughed shaking her head.
All the children revealed the same reaction and they all burst out as they kindled a fire and equally they formed around the wrists and ankles on their body while inside their Dantian the flame had begun to suck up the impure spirit energy in the air for them.
The Spiritual Profound Ginseng Fey, who were small in number, were sent up to the mountain where they would be trained specifically so that they could learn spiritual energy from Rei so that they could make special defensive formations and soon help the children. This would also help them care for the herbs all around.
Finally the human’s had their turn. The number of children was incredibly large with each tribe being made of more than half of them.
Of the adult males there were half who were once warriors and they were included in learning to fight. She wanted to include these humans because of their number and experience. She also set aside the shaman of the tribe. She was going to train the ‘shaman’ to be medical masters who can provide the medical baths and treatment in the place of children and herself. She needed this as it was very important.
Because of the humans numbers they had 30 from each of the children trained. This was the same for all the children, ten of each race for the others while humans had 30 children and 5 adult warriors plus the tribal shaman.
After a few days they had the huge number of humans separated and with a sigh she would go around and remove a number of branches from the spirit mountains. This was because humans, Giant Demons and Wolf Ferals did not have a bloodline affinity so using neutral element spirit veins would allow it to adapt to any of the spirit veins that would be most proper for them.
Like this she refined all the remaining people including the Giant Demons, Ferals and Fey.
With all the true fighting force number formed she gathered them all at the upper section of each spirit mountain and began their training.
Contrary to what they thought, it was heavy lifting and reforming of the mountain itself. They were to make their homes and make the mountain paths passable and livable. Places that were steep were made wider by breaking the cliffs widening the path and cavern homes were made. This stone was used to build homes and fencing separating courtyards, and forming water holes as well as baths where they would have their medical baths.
All this was done within a month and Rei had rented a building so that they would not keep intruding in on the governor as it was a nuisance to have the man always irritating her.
As for the training of the children, it has finally reached a satisfactory level where all three children knew how to make small attack and defensive formations with spiritual energy which made their spiritual energy quite fierce. Spirit Rune master were separated in the stages of Spirit Rune Apprentice, Spirit RuneMaster, Spirit Grand RuneMaster. Apprentice represents the stage where they are learning how to make enchantment scrolls. Spirit Runemasters represents when they are able to use spirit runes as they are now. It is divided into 10 stars.
The power of spirit runes is incredibly shocking. 1 star spirit runemasters have the attack power between Qi refining stage. 2 star Spirit RuneMaster has attack power of peak Qi refining to Low Success Houtian, 3rd star Spirit RuneMasters have attack power between High Success to Peak Houtian. 4th star is equal to Initial Xiantian.
From there each star will increase 1 small realm at that point mainly due to the fact that the strength of cultivators at that point is incredibly high and the cumulative increase in strength is many times. That said Spirit RuneMasters still have an edge as long as the person is far away. Spirit Runemasters who focus just on that need servants to keep back the other. Of they could just use their spiritual energy itself to attack the spirit of the other person. The children were actually already 2 star Runemasters already and could form formations through the use of small formation flags which is thrown on the ground. They are still two young to be able to form a powerful formation with a simple flourish of their fingers.
Even so this was plenty for refining treasures.
At the moment the three were sitting down. Rinrin had a cauldron and was refining several herbs into herbal essence which was then stored before putting in a few bones from very low ranking Profound Beasts which began to melt and become a large ball of bone and marrow essence.
This was what she had learned by refining Demon Beast essence dan. Qi in the flesh and bones would remain stable in a liquid state but Infernal Energy was stable in a solid crystal form.
As for these bones, they were Profound Beast bones so the essence was a white liquid but this was during the impure state. As the fire in the cauldron burned black smog rose up as if a failed refining had happened. This greatly shocked anyone that did not see it themselves but to others who have been refining beasts corpses into essence they would know that this was the immense amount of impurities located in the body of the creature. All this smog was completely caught and burned until not even ashes were left before it even left the caudron.
In the end of the process the essence was like a clear but creamy liquid that was transparent and was less than the original content.
On the other side Su was sitting while slowly her hand moved oh so carefully as she was following the diagram given by Rei for the soon to be imprinted spirit rune formation that will be in the simple sword they were going to try and make.
Unlike what they expected, Spirit Veins inside weapons was not the same spirit veins they saw or at least not at first. Instead it is a carved out passageway created by the smith during the congealing stage were the formation and metal essence merge completely. All the formations need to be connected and working together with the material.
As for Ning, he had his furnace and he was already purifying the metals. It was simple common steel but as he finished making common steal he threw in Profound Iron and premade coal mixed with Spirit Stones before he began to mixed them to form a small amount of Profound Steel and mixed the two steel together and spread the Profound Steel to leave traces of it.
This was the test that they had to pass before becoming true treasure makers.
“Seems the preparations are done. Rinrin, please put in the first few herbs.” Rei said.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Suddenly the sound of banging at the door drew the attention of the three. “What kind of person would so willingly bang on our doorstep? Did they thing we are vegetarians?!” Rinrin said annoyed.
“You three follow that recipe don’t worry about it, I will see to this.” Rei said and stood up before going downstairs and opening the door where she found an old man with several black suit men. They all had aura of Xiantian but Rei looked at them with some disgust. The old man she was somewhat wry due to him being a High Success Xiantian. Even so she did not seem as worried as someone of the Low Success Xiantian should.
“Who are you and what do you want?” Rei asked a bit irritated.
“You must be the mother of the Bo Ning. I am Wu Dong, I come in behalf of 2nd Prince Geo Wang, he wishes for Zhao Rinrin to pay a visit to his majesty.” The old man said in a courteous tone.
“We are busy, wait until we get back to the sect!” Rei said and slammed the door but the hand of the old man moved and stopped the door. “Oh? Old fool are you trying to force us to go now?” Rei asked as a sinister grin appeared on her face.
“I do indeed hope to not use force, we were forced to even pay experienced runemasters to come and try to dismiss these spirit formation defenses that were placed all around this house so we planned simple to come an ask.” The old man said.
“Oh so those little brats are the ones that have been trying to fiddle around with my formations. Good good, come I wish to see what great and amazing power this so called prince has over I, your grandmother!” She said.
“Such a beautiful woman, it would be a pity to waste you. I will tell you what, if you give up I will let you warm my bed. His highness has quite an attraction for Rinrin you know.” the old man said.
Rei suddenly opened the door when something flashed at the doorstep causing a line to form.
“If one of you dares cross that line, all the people related to you will die. I have already locked on to the location of all 80 of you and have had this locked on since the day you all started following us when we left the sect.” Rei said.
The eye’s of the old man narrowed as he heard that not once did they have the element of surprise. “You’re just a Low Success Xiantian and you wish to contend with this old man who has been in the service of his highness since birth!? You court death!” He said as he took a big step crossing the threshold and sending a palm strike at Rei.
Poff!
Just as the old man stepped inside the house a small flash appeared and he suddenly felt a monstrous foreboding sense of death on his neck. He quickly shifted his body slightly but these presences shifted ever so slightly and pierced his skin.
What appeared in the eyes of ever black robed men was small straight swords no bigger than a pocket knife without any handle. What caused their face to turn grim was that each and every one of them hit a different death acupuncture on the body of the old man.
His eyes were wide and trembling as his body was frozen there. Slowly the swords moved back and were pulled out of his body allowing several dozen fountains of blood to spurt out but none of them were towards Rei, she simply took a step forward and placed her palm on his chest. “In your next life, watch who you call your master.” She said and her palm suddenly began to glow before an irresistible force caused the old man to be propelled back several dozen meters with his chest caved in. “Now die you all!” She said.
Around her were countless flying daggers and they suddenly flashed.
Around the house of the immortal guests screams and shouts of pain were heard this day as someone tried to invade the house. The city residents near the place turned cold as the voices traveled far and soon went silent without a hint of anything ever happening.