Spring had arrived, flowers were blooming, and Ye Qing was ready to raise chickens.

He was dead serious about this!

He had several people to support at home now. If he didn’t start earning money soon, they wouldn’t even be able to put food on the table! Clutching the last of his savings from his little piggy bank, Ye Qing headed straight for the marketplace.

Yunzhou City’s marketplace was bustling with activity. There were stalls selling pills, talismans, and magical artifacts, as well as a dedicated section for demonic beasts.

“Fresh beast blood here! Perfect for making Mao Xue Wang—ten spirit stones for a large bowl!”

“Demon Cores! Top-grade Demon Cores, selling cheap! Ten times the price back if they’re fake!”

“Fresh eggs from first-grade Luhua chickens from Baize Mountain! An essential supplement for replenishing spiritual energy and increasing cultivation. Miss this chance, and there won’t be another!”

The stalls were overflowing with a dazzling array of goods, and Ye Qing’s eyes spun as he tried to take it all in.

The crowds were dense, and he had to push and shove his way to the front of the chicken stall.

Then, the human cub discovered with utter despair… he couldn’t even afford the lowest-grade Luhua chicken.

My bad.

Seeing the little baby’s crestfallen, gloomy expression, Tang Xi almost forgot that Pei Xuan was a volatile, temperamental madman. He wanted to send his spirit flying over and give the man two good punches!

The kid was only three and a half years old!

To think he had to worry about his livelihood, this was a failure on Pei Xuan’s part as a father!

Little did he know, Pei Xuan himself was more cautious than anyone.

He harbored countless rare treasures and immense wealth, yet he carried the burden of his hidden identity and didn’t know how to tell his own child.

Pei Xuan was the Cursed Star of the Ancient Prophecy, a name that struck terror into the hearts of all who heard it, enough to stop a child’s crying at night.

Since his son was afraid of him, he didn’t dare reveal his true identity for now.

Moreover, his son was his soft spot, his reverse scale. If news of the Demon Lord having an heir ever got out, the entire Cultivation World would rejoice and immediately devise a plan to capture Ye Qing today and slay Pei Xuan tomorrow.

Pei Xuan would never leave his precious treasure in such a perilous situation.

No one knew of his various schemes.

Ye Qing was optimistic by nature.

Fortunately, he had long grown accustomed to the hardships of mortals living in the Cultivation World. After his little face fell for a moment, he decided to launch his backup plan!

“Stall-owner Big Brother, how did you catch the Luhua chicken? Can you tell me~?”

At the stall selling demonic beasts, the vendor was a Qi Refining Stage cultivator. He looked down to see a fair, delicate child leaning over his counter.

The boy’s chubby little hand propped up his cheek as he gazed up with wide, clear, innocent eyes, his dark pupils sparkling with admiration, curiosity, and anticipation.

A human child.

Slightly… cute.

The young cultivator smiled and lifted a nearby basket. “Little brother, see this? Don’t let its plain appearance fool you. This is a magical artifact, the secret to my undefeated monster-catching streak! Just place this basket at the foot of the Baize Mountain Range, add a handful of spirit rice as bait, and avian demonic beasts will walk right into the trap!”

Ye Qing: “Wow!”

“And look at this bundle of rope in my left hand, this is the Immortal-Binding Rope. Once it’s unleashed, no demonic beast or demonic cultivator can escape its shackles. They’ll willingly become your prisoners.”

Ye Qing: “Whoa, whoa, whoa!!!”

The young cultivator: “Interested? Ten spirit stones, and it’s yours.”

“Thank you for your purchase. Please come again.”

The young cultivator smiled as he watched the child scurry away, a basket in one hand and the rope in the other, as if he had just acquired an invincible magical artifact.

“Helan Xu, did you really sell a magical artifact to a child?” the neighboring stall owner asked, turning around.

He sold pills, Clear Spirit Pills refined from low-grade Snow Soul Grass which had little market demand. Only a few cultivators at the Qi Refining Stage would buy them, so his customer traffic was always sparse.

This made him envious of the crowd Helan Xu’s stall had attracted.

The young cultivator shook his head. “How could I? That’s just an ordinary basket. How could a child who hasn’t learned any spells possibly catch a demonic beast? As a disciple of Beast Taming Peak, I had to painstakingly infiltrate Baize for over ten days, relying on my high demonic beast affinity, the right timing, and the perfect location to finally catch one. Besides, the birds of the Feather Clan are cunning, agile, and notorious for their fierce nature. How could an ordinary person possibly catch one? I was just clearing out my inventory and selling off things I didn’t need. A child should just go home and play in the mud.”

“Scoundrel!”

The nearby crowd heard his words, and countless female cultivators rolled their eyes at him. “To think you’re a disciple of the Guiyuan Sect’s Beast Taming Peak. Is it fun to trick a child?”

“A merchant without deceit is no merchant at all!”

The next day, the young cultivator Helan Xu returned to his usual stall. He warily noticed a new stall had appeared nearby. A cloth banner hung from it, with the words “Top-Grade Bird and Beast Eggs” scrawled crookedly upon it. The wobbly characters looked as if a beginner had just learned to write.

This new stall was swarming with customers. Even cultivators from the Four Great Families had come to browse, sparking a buying frenzy.

The crowd’s shouts of bids were endless, and it seemed they were on the verge of a brawl.

Helan Xu pushed through the crowd in shock, only to find the stall owner was a three-year-old child. The boy looked adorable, standing even shorter than an adult sitting down.

His voice was soft, carrying a lingering milky quality. “Big brothers and sisters, please don’t fight…”

Before him sat a basket of eggs. Upon closer inspection, they varied in size some were the size of a fist, while others were larger than a human infant’s face.

Their colors were vibrant, and the only commonality was that they all radiated spiritual energy.

These weren’t just First-Grade Luhua Chicken eggs. These were clearly top-grade avian and beast eggs of the Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, and even the highest Ninth Grade!

“It’s you! Wait, you actually caught chickens?!” Helan Xu picked up the eggs one by one, examining them with an expression of utter disbelief.

“Mm-hmm! Thank you for the magical artifact, Big Brother. I caught twenty or thirty of them yesterday!” The human child’s reply was innocent and unsuspecting.

This time, it was Helan Xu’s turn to be stunned, his mind reeling in shock.

How is this possible? He, a disciple of Beast Taming Peak known for his extraordinary affinity with creatures, couldn’t even catch these demonic beasts. Yet a human child had managed to?

The story rewinds half a day.

Ye Qing had excitedly bought a basket and some rope, deciding to catch chickens in the Baize Mountain Range himself.

He used a small wooden stick to prop up the basket, placing a handful of so-called spirit rice inside. Then, he sat his little bottom down behind a tree stump, quietly waiting for the good news.

“Wait for good news” usually meant waiting for a while.

But perhaps the magical artifact was too effective.

The very next second after the human cub had set his bird-catching trap, a white crane flew over. Its slender neck was held high, as if it had been waiting for a long time to throw itself into the net, completely ready to be slaughtered.

While Ye Qing was still in a daze, a chubby little bird suddenly fluttered over and landed on his head with a thump, as if it had decided to build a nest on top of his head.

This action seemed to trigger a chain reaction. More and more birds from Baize Valley rushed toward Ye Qing, landing on him, their feathers rustling as they fell.

Just how powerful must this magical artifact be to create such a strong effect!

Ye Qing was frightened and tried to brush the bird off his head. But as soon as he reached out his hand, several more birds landed on his slender, young arms, jostling and pushing each other off.

Finally, the one that remained in his soft palm was a tiny, lively, hopping red bird.

“Is this a little chick?”

Ye Qing drew his hand closer, looking curiously.

The human cub’s dark, round eyes were wide with curiosity. As his breathtakingly beautiful face leaned in, excited bird calls erupted all around.

I’m a parrot, tweet tweet!

The little red bird hopped around, chirping with joy, and pressed its beak against the human cub’s face.

“Wow, the little birds are so cute,” Ye Qing exclaimed, overwhelmed by the feeling of soft feathers against his cheek.

He cradled the bird, affectionately stroking its tiny crest.

Unbeknownst to him, from the birds’ perspective: Wow, the human cub is so cute! His cheeks are so soft and tender, just like a fresh piece of tofu.

They had waited patiently for this moment, and today, the day had finally arrived!

Without even needing to use the Immortal-Binding Rope, the human cub returned fully loaded. Ye Qing, a first-time chicken keeper with little experience, decided on a free-range approach.

He let the birds roam freely, treating the cage as a mere formality. When it was time to eat, he simply tapped his bowl.

The birds, like a well-drilled army, would swoop back in a tidal wave, feast on the spirit rice, and then snuggle and nuzzle all over him.

Soon, the first bird and beast egg appeared.

Normally, when someone raises chickens, they have to squat down, reach into the nesting box, and dig the eggs out from under the hen and getting pecked a couple of times is just part of the job.

But when the human cub raised chickens, the eggs were kicked out on their own, rolling right to his feet. Ye Qing’s eyes widened in astonishment.

He stared at the vibrant, star-speckled eggs as if he were studying a living fossil.

The first egg held special significance.

Ye Qing excitedly cradled it, prepared a steamed egg custard, and as the silky-smooth egg slid down his throat, the human cub clenched his fists in excitement.

“Delicious!”

He was so engrossed in eating that he buried his face in the bowl, completely unaware that his lifespan bar had just shot up by another three years.

“That’s wonderful!” Tang Xi wept with joy.

Good things are meant to be shared, of course. The human cub brought a bowl of steamed egg custard to Brother Lou, but was rejected. The Great Demon, still recovering from his severe injuries, exuded an otherworldly aura with every movement.

He cast a gaze as detached as a celestial being upon the human cub and declared with immense pride, “I only drink pure dew and eat spiritual fruit…”

Ye Qing listened in a daze, not quite understanding.

Tang Xi, displeased that his cub was being looked down upon, said, “Qingqing, cultivators at the Qi Refining Stage and above practice Grain Avoidance. You don’t need to worry about his food and drink.”

Alright then!

The next day, Ye Qing headed to the market with a basket full of bird and beast eggs.

This sudden appearance of a batch of spiritual beast eggs caused a massive stir throughout Yunzhou City.

Yin Buyu, a disciple of Xuandan Peak in the Guiyuan Sect, was setting up his stall at the market as usual. He displayed his finest pills at the front, the mid-grade ones in the middle, and the lowest-grade ones in the inner circle.

Alchemy was his specialty. He had meticulously crafted these pills, Spirit Gathering Pills, Marrow Cleansing Pills, Beauty-Enhancing Pills all of which boasted exceptional efficacy.

As a result, his wares always sold out quickly, and he had a steady stream of repeat customers.

As usual, cultivators began to gather and inquire about prices shortly after he had set up his stall.

“How much for a bottle of Spirit Gathering Pills?”

Without looking up, Yin Buyu replied, “Five hundred low-grade spirit stones per bottle.”

Five hundred spirit stones wasn’t expensive, but bargaining was a common occurrence at the market.

“Can you make it a bit cheaper?” the cultivator asked. “I’ll take it for four hundred fifty.”

Yin Buyu’s expression remained serious. “Sorry, the price is non-negotiable. I am a disciple of the Guiyuan Sect, here is my token. The pills I refine are of the highest quality and produce immediate results. You won’t regret this purchase.”

The man knew the pills were indeed top-grade.

A single whiff from the bottle’s opening revealed a rich, potent spiritual aura, confirming they were of the finest quality. Moreover, the Guiyuan Sect’s prestige was immense; its disciples would never tarnish their sect’s reputation by selling counterfeit pills.

He had only been testing his luck to see if he could get a discount.

Unfortunately, he failed.

The transaction was completed.

Yin Buyu habitually stowed the spirit stones into his storage bag. A moment later, he noticed a young child standing beside him.

Is this kid here to buy pills?

Yin Buyu was suddenly overcome with curiosity, unable to resist watching the child’s sluggish movements.

The next scene nearly made his eyes pop out of their sockets.

The child found a spot to set up, pulling out a cloth banner with childish ink characters that read: “Premium Bird and Beast Eggs.”

Passersby chuckled.

“The kid’s really bragging, huh? Any egg can be called ‘premium’ now?”

“The handwriting is so cute. I can’t even tell what it says without looking closely…”

The next second, the noisy crowd fell silent, stunned into speechlessness.

The child had reached into a common, run-of-the-mill storage bag and pulled out a basket filled with eggs.

Those eggs struck the onlookers like a thunderclap, leaving them all in shock.

Yin Buyu was no exception. His heart pounded wildly, his gaze uncontrollably glued to the eggs.

The moment they were revealed, a gentle breeze carrying a surge of spiritual energy swept over him.

If his Spirit Gathering Pill could provide a considerable amount of spiritual energy to a cultivator, then the colossal spiritual energy emanating from the egg the child had just set out nearly made him faint.

In that instant, it was as if a Phoenix had encountered the Qingmu Wutong, or a Sword Cultivator had found a divine weapon. He was almost out of his mind, unable to control himself.

My God! A top-grade spirit beast egg!

The once-unremarkable little stall was instantly swarmed with people, packed tight inside and out.

Countless people rushed in like a whirlwind, their eyes turning red with envy as they stared at the adorable human cub and the priceless egg before them.

“My God, a Ninth-rank bird beast egg! Eating just one would be enough to make a person’s cultivation soar! Am I dreaming???”

“It’s real, you’re not dreaming! Just taking a few breaths of the energy beside it, I can feel the impurities in my body being purged and my Divine Sense becoming much clearer.”

“To think a child could produce a top-grade spirit beast egg… Yunzhou City truly hides tigers and crouching dragons…” Countless people fell into a frenzy, seemingly scaring the human cub.

Even more rogue cultivators were asking, “Kid, how much for this egg? How about I buy it for a thousand spirit stones?” “One thousand one hundred! You definitely won’t lose out!” “One thousand two hundred, and little brother, I’ll back you up!”

So many spirit stones!

The naive human cub was just about to nod in agreement.

“No! That’s too cheap!” Yin Buyu immediately rushed over, glaring at the crowd.

“Are you trying to bully a child who doesn’t know the market?”

The Guiyuan Sect was the number one sect in the Cultivation World. Its disciples possessed an imposing aura, and his sharp rebuke left the surrounding rogue cultivators looking ashamed.

Yin Buyu said coldly, “Everyone knows that if these eggs were sold elsewhere, there would be no price high enough to buy them. We cultivators should at least follow the rules.”

What rules?

Naturally, the rules of an auction: bidding on each egg one by one, fairly and justly, with the highest bidder winning.

Even so, the sudden appearance of these top-grade spirit beast eggs caused a sensation in the market, and within half a day, the news swept through Yunzhou City.

The starting bid was set at ten thousand spirit stones.

The human cub’s chubby little chin nearly dropped.

This starting price was indeed a bit high.

The crowd fell silent for a moment. Just as Ye Qing was wondering if it was too expensive, a bid of “Fifty thousand spirit stones!” was suddenly thrown out.

“One hundred thousand!” “One hundred fifty thousand!” others shouted. A frenzied bidding war erupted, and a sea of spirit stones nearly flooded the cub’s storage bag.

The human cub was completely bewildered.

Huh? Is making money to support the family really this easy?

The Qu family was the lowest-ranked of the Four Great Families in Yunzhou City.

The very name Qu carried an inherent sense of oppression and strife. While cultivators typically adhered to a lifelong monogamous bond, remaining inseparable through life and death,

Qu Hengshan’s father was a mortal who had ascended to cultivation. He retained the outdated customs of having three wives and four concubines, with a strict distinction between legitimate and concubine-born children.

Qu Hengshan was a concubine-born son.

As a result, his own child, Qu Huizhou, was born inherently inferior. The Qu family never allocated resources to him, leaving his cultivation path arduous despite his natural talent.

On this day, Qu Huizhou was attempting to break through to the next level of Qi Condensation.

Several magic arrays were set up around him. He strained to mobilize his power, but the thin spiritual energy in the air refused to obey his will. Once again, his attempt to advance failed.

Why? Why did I fail again?!

Just as he was on the verge of qi deviation, his father strode into the stone room. The usual frown and sorrow that marred his face had vanished, replaced by a boisterous laugh. “My son! I’ve bought you a precious treasure from the market! Eat it quickly and continue your breakthrough! You’ll succeed this time for sure!”

Drenched in sweat, Qu Huizhou looked like a dumpling fished out of soup, his bangs plastered to his forehead.

He forced his eyes open a crack and feigned surprise. “Thank you, Father. What is it?” He knew the Yunzhou City market inside and out; magical artifacts and pills were plentiful, but there was no treasure that could stabilize one’s breakthrough. Yet, his father’s gesture was a heavy favor he couldn’t refuse to acknowledge.

“One egg,” Qu Hengshan said.

Qu Huizhou: “???”

Baffled, he watched as his father pressed the egg into his arms. He caught a whiff of its delicate fragrance, and suddenly, a cool spring seemed to flow down his parched throat, leaving him feeling utterly parched and eager for more.

He swallowed it in two or three gulps.

The next second, an unbelievable sensation widened his eyes.

A majestic and surging wave of spiritual energy erupted from his Dantian, washing over his muscles and bones like a tide. Instinctively, he began to circulate the energy, guiding it through his body’s acupuncture points.

A golden light enveloped him, and wisps of white mist swirled around his form, as if he were submerged in a spiritual spring. The exhaustion from his previous failed breakthrough vanished instantly.

The light grew more intense. After a long moment, he slowly exhaled a long breath of turbid air.

He had successfully reached the third level of Qi Condensation.

Outside the stone room, thunder rumbled and lightning flashed in the sky. A moment ago, the heavens had been clear and cloudless; now, ink-black tribulation clouds gathered over the Qu family estate in Yunzhou City, clashing in the sea of clouds to produce black and purple lightning.

The Heavenly Dao Pressure contained within the storm made everyone who witnessed it tremble with fear.

This was a Heavenly Tribulation.

It was also a proclamation to the entire world: this “trash” had successfully broken through.

The people of Yunzhou City grew even more agitated.

There were no few who acted like Qu Hengshan in the market. A young master from one of the Four Great Families even bought out the entire stall on the spot.

Under the furious yet silent gazes of the crowd, he purchased five or six eggs, then tossed the human child a top-grade storage bag and a brand-new jade token.

Ye Qing was shocked.

This older brother is so rich!

The young master said nonchalantly, “I’m from the Lu Family. Little brother, your parents must be powerful cultivators who prefer to stay out of the public eye, right? You don’t need to shake your head in denial; I’ve sensed two powerful Divine Sense signatures. I understand the desire of reclusive cultivators to keep a low profile. This is a sound-transmission jade token, already imprinted with my spiritual energy. If you ever have more treasures, please notify me immediately. My Lu Family will ensure you can roam Yunzhou City without restraint for the rest of your life.”

Good heavens, it’s the Lu Family!

The crowd stared in astonishment.

After his words, the others also began to make their offers. Some offered pills, others magical artifacts all hoping the human child would continue selling eggs.

Qin Xun was equally desperate for a spirit beast egg that could boost his cultivation. But by the time he heard the news and rushed over, he couldn’t even see the child’s back.

__

Meanwhile, a torrential rain fell after the lightning tribulation. The sky was gloomy, and the downpour struck anyone in its path with a chilling, stinging force.

A young man knelt at the gates of the Yu Mansion. Rain streamed down his raven-black hair, and countless droplets clung to his face, which was carved from ice and jade, making his gaze seem as cold as a sharp blade.

Though his appearance was utterly disheveled, his back remained perfectly straight.

“Young Lady, he’s kneeling again.”

A maid of the Yu Mansion had been watching him for a long time, her voice tinged with pity.

She knew the Young Master Cousin’s life had been a tragic one, spent entirely under the shelter of others.

In the Yu family, he had endured endless punishment and bullying; anyone could torment him, and the Young Lady herself hardly spared him a thought.

“He still refuses to call off the engagement?” The young woman, her face concealed by a veiled hat, stood with a graceful posture. Her voice was cool and clear.

“I am not wronging him. It is simply that we cultivators should not be bound by secular marriages. Affection should blossom naturally between two willing hearts.”

“Um, Young Lady, the Young Master already agreed to break the engagement. He only hopes you will return the Blood Jade Qilin. He said it was the engagement token left by his mother, and he will personally give it to the Dao Companion he chooses in the future.”

The maid’s reply made the young woman’s body stiffen. She had never expected that Yu Jinghan would value a keepsake jade pendant more than preserving their engagement.