After Qi Ping had thoroughly slain the three late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, the powers backing them immediately received the news. The deaths of three such experts caused the undercurrents of the Qing Tian Region to surge violently once more.
Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators were few in number. They served as the core pillars of their respective organizations and were the primary candidates for advancement into the Golden Core realm—especially those who, like these three, had already begun to comprehend the True Intent of Laws. Yet now, three had perished in a single stroke!
When the news broke, the fragile peace that had only just settled over the Qing Tian Region became strained once again. The death of cultivators at this level could never be easily overlooked. However, no matter how much they racked their brains, none could guess who had struck the blow.
What was the motive? Was it a retaliation from rival sects like the Skyfire Pavilion? Or was it that underground organization they called 'rats,' yet could never seem to exterminate? Even the Qing Yuan Sect and the Immortal Alliance suspected that their opponents were brewing some grand conspiracy. In short, the atmosphere that had only recently thawed became subtle and tense, with dark currents swirling beneath the surface.
Elsewhere, in a hidden corner of the region, Qi Ping ensured that all traces of his involvement had been erased. He then used his Treant Clone to begin tallying the spoils of war.
First, from the eighth portion of the loot—the one-tenth share—he counted over thirty thousand spirit stones. As for the other items, Qi Ping had his bee colony hide them away again. Until he figured out exactly how those late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators had used the spoils to track him, he had no intention of keeping those items on his person. He even kept the spirit stones stored far away from his true body.
Then came the contents of the storage bags belonging to the three late-stage experts. Regarding this, Qi Ping had only one thought: 'They were loaded!'
In terms of spirit stones alone, there were a staggering one hundred and fifty thousand! The other contents—manuals, spells, spirit tools, medicinal herbs, and spiritual materials—were even more abundant.
However, Qi Ping handed all of these items to the bees to hide separately. These possessions were far too 'hot' right now; they could only be used after a significant safety period had passed. For now, he absolutely could not keep them by his side, not even for a moment. As for the spirit stones, he planned to use them directly. If there was any risk, he would simply transfer it to the crate-puppet of the Mysterious Black Market.
Altogether, including the three hundred and seventy thousand spirit stones Qi Ping had previously accumulated, his current wealth had reached a high of over five hundred and fifty thousand! This was the first time Qi Ping had possessed such a vast quantity of spirit stones. Merely counting them almost caused his soul to cramp from the mental effort.
After depositing ten thousand spirit stones into his Mysterious Black Market account, Qi Ping still had five hundred and forty thousand spirit stones left—and that was without counting the other spoils!
[Black Market Spirit Stones: 3,400]
[Black Market Points: 29,910]
This was the record of his wealth in the Mysterious Black Market before this. Not long ago, after depositing 11,600 spirit stones, his Black Market Spirit Stones had increased to 15,000. Subsequently, searching for information on Heavenly Secret divination spirit beasts had cost him two thousand. Refreshing the Black Market bounties just now had cost another two thousand. Therefore, he only had 11,000 Black Market Spirit Stones remaining.
As for Black Market Points, after acquiring 15,700 from the recent battle, his total had risen to 45,610! These points were enough for Qi Ping to purchase goods worth over four hundred and fifty thousand spirit stones.
[Black Market Spirit Stones: 11,000]
[Black Market Points: 45,610]
Originally, the two Heavenly Secret spirit beasts Qi Ping had found were priced at over three hundred thousand spirit stones plus thirty thousand Black Market Points. He hadn't been able to afford either. It wasn't that he lacked spirit stones, but rather that he was short by several thousand points.
If spirit stones were insufficient, he could have sold honey or spiritual items, but lacking points was truly difficult, as the risk of actively provoking the Immortal Alliance at this juncture was too great. But this time, those three late-stage cultivators had delivered themselves to him. Two of them were even high-value targets on the Immortal Alliance's bounty list. This battle had directly resolved his point shortage.
In a way, he had to thank those fellows for delivering themselves to his door. They had brought both treasures and points; they were quite polite. Of course, the harvest was only possible because Qi Ping was well-prepared and sufficiently cautious. Otherwise, a stroke of luck would have turned into a catastrophe. The slightest slip in this matter could have attracted a swarm of enemies, leading not only to the loss of his loot but placing his own life in significant danger.
'Inventory complete! Time to start the shopping spree!'
Having harvested such a massive hoard of resources, Qi Ping was in a grand mood. The next step was to convert all these resources into combat power.
After moving to another secluded location, Qi Ping began the purchase of his first item: a Heavenly Secret divination spirit beast.
'After all this work, a divination-type spirit beast is finally coming into my hands!'
Once he raised a divination spirit beast, the security of his territory would essentially be guaranteed. As his Treant Clone projected its consciousness into the Black Market Token once more, two item descriptions floated into view.
[Rank 3 High-Grade Spirit Beast: Cloud-Dream Immortal Tiger Cub. Price: 376,000 Spirit Stones + 37,600 Black Market Points.]
[Rank 3 High-Grade Spirit Beast: Hallowed Spirit Turtle Cub. Price: 338,000 Spirit Stones + 33,800 Black Market Points.]
Seeing the prices of these two beasts again, Qi Ping's vision still swam a little. Both cost over three hundred thousand spirit stones and thirty thousand points! Either one would instantly swallow more than half of his newly expanded fortune.
'The price is truly absurd!'
But no matter what, he had to buy one. Fortunately, when he thought about the bloodlines flowing within them and the talents they possessed, he felt at peace again. Though expensive, they were absolutely worth it. These were spirit beasts that carried the bloodlines of the Bai Ze and the Divine Tortoise!
The Cloud-Dream Immortal Tiger carried the bloodline of the Bai Ze, while the Hallowed Spirit Turtle possessed the bloodline of the Black Tortoise. Both the Bai Ze and the Black Tortoise were divine beasts of the Heavenly Secret path, possessing unparalleled bloodlines. Naturally, their descendants were exorbitantly priced.
In the records Qi Ping had read, the divine beast Bai Ze could understand the nature of all things, knew the affairs of ghosts and gods, could suppress foul qi, and possessed the power to ward off evil. It was a beast of auspicious fortune.
The Cloud-Dream Immortal Tiger was one of the lineages descended from the Bai Ze, possessing a relatively thick bloodline. It likewise possessed the ability to see through all things. Furthermore, it was a creature of profound luck. Keeping it by one's side often led to unexpected benefits, and it could even provide immense help in breaking through cultivation realms or resisting Heavenly Tribulations.
Naturally, Qi Ping was incredibly moved when he saw the description of the Cloud-Dream Immortal Tiger. Aside from its inherent combat power, if he could raise it, it might bring great fortune to his territory. However, there was a significant problem with the tiger: it was almost impossible to form a forced contract with one. Any attempt at a forced contract would inevitably trigger a backlash from the Heavens and the laws of destiny.