Chapter 300 - 283: The Path to Ruin

Chapter 300: Chapter 283: The Path to Ruin

Perhaps seeing that he was making too much money, this Cold Crow Wanderer wanted to fleece him.

Jiang Zuo figured that if it were just a matter of taming a beast for free once or twice, he would have accepted it, considering it a small price to pay to appease the local bully.

However, Cold Crow Wanderer had clearly targeted him, wanting to squeeze over a million Spirit Stones out of him every year.

The first year, after Jiang Zuo helped tame the Spirit Beast of Cold Crow Wanderer’s so-called friend, Jiang Zuo delivered it.

Not long after, Cold Crow Wanderer sent over another fourth-rank Spirit Beast.

He claimed another friend had asked for his help.

It wasn’t just the second year; he used the same excuse for the third and fourth years as well.

As for the taming fee, he didn’t pay a single Spirit Stone.

After the second year, Jiang Zuo knew that Cold Crow Wanderer wouldn’t let him off the hook so easily.

"Sigh... wouldn’t it be nice to just live your life in peace?"

"But no, you have to make me waste my time and energy to kill you. You truly deserve to die!"

Jiang Zuo sighed.

Starting from the third year, a large number of Valley Rats appeared within the Immortal City.

These Valley Rats were scattered in various hidden corners of the city.

The area around Cold Crow Zhenren’s residence, in particular, was placed under tight surveillance by the Valley Rats.

With Jiang Zuo’s current Divine Sense, the Valley Rats could transmit whatever they saw directly into his mind without needing to move much at all.

Jiang Zuo wasn’t particularly interested in these matters; after all, he had far too much on his plate.

But now, he had to divide his attention to deal with these trivialities.

「In the blink of an eye, another three years passed.」

’You Changheng, an elder of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect? Could this whole affair be related to him?’

’More than likely. Every time I hand a tamed Spirit Beast over to Cold Crow Wanderer, he goes to visit him.’

’It seems he’s the one providing the fourth-rank Spirit Beasts.’

Watching You Changheng visit Cold Crow Wanderer again, Jiang Zuo let out a cold snort.

With a flicker of his Divine Sense, Jiang Zuo dispatched some of the Valley Rats to You Changheng’s location to monitor him as well.

Besides these two, Jiang Zuo discovered through the Valley Rats that many other people were also monitoring him and trying to gather information.

But this wasn’t strange at all; it would have been stranger if no one were doing so.

The Valley Rats were, after all, only Mortal Beasts. They could only secretly transmit the images they saw.

The people monitoring him and gathering information were all Cultivators.

The Valley Rats didn’t have the ability to figure out what these people were saying.

Jiang Zuo simply had the Valley Rats follow them casually. It would be great if they discovered something, but he wasn’t too concerned if they failed to uncover the mastermind.

With his current Cultivation, as long as it wasn’t a Manifestation Realm Cultivator coming for him, he had nothing to fear.

But for a mere early-stage Three Flowers Realm Cultivator like him, probably only the Sect Leader of the Celestial Eye Black Pupil Divine Sect would personally make a move against him.

And Jiang Zuo had settled in Yunyuan Immortal City precisely to prevent Mo Yunzhen from tracking him down.

Half a year later, with a flicker of his Divine Sense, Jiang Zuo’s gaze turned toward the Pet Beast Spirit Garden.

Inside the Spirit Garden, the Pale Moon Ice Wolf stood outside the Time Cultivation Tower, looking up at the sky.

For all these years, the Pale Moon Ice Wolf had been cultivating on the ninth floor of the Time Cultivation Tower, where time flowed nine times faster.

In fact, after what amounted to one hundred and fifty years of arduous cultivation, the Pale Moon Ice Wolf had finally refined all the Spiritual Power it had previously obtained from killing monsters.

At this moment, the Pale Moon Ice Wolf was exuding an aura of complete and harmonious Perfection from head to toe.

If it wished, it could begin Crossing the Tribulation at any moment.

’Excellent! Wait here for a bit. I’ll make some preparations to help you Cross the Tribulation!’

Jiang Zuo rejoiced inwardly.

’Looks like I’ll soon have another fifth-rank Spirit Beast.’

Jiang Zuo casually glanced at the Time Cultivation Tower.

On the ninth floor of the tower, Xiaoqing and the Fire Phoenix had also broken through to the late fourth rank.

They had also nearly finished refining the Spiritual Power they had obtained from killing monsters.

And it wasn’t just them.

Over the past ten-plus years, thanks to the Miracle Buildings, all the Pet Beasts in the Spirit Garden had made huge improvements.

Jiang Zuo spent some time crafting a large pile of Tribulation Talismans for the Pale Moon Ice Wolf.

Once preparations were complete, he secretly left the Immortal City, found a deserted area in the wilderness, and released the Pale Moon Ice Wolf to Cross the Tribulation.

The Pale Moon Ice Wolf’s Thunder Tribulation was far less intense than Great Black’s, and on a whim, Jiang Zuo decided to give the Thunderstruck Wood from the Beast God Tree to the Pale Moon Ice Wolf.

As it turned out, the Thunderstruck Wood was truly a Tribulation-Crossing Divine Artifact.

No matter how powerful the Tribulation Thunder was, it left no mark on the Thunderstruck Wood.

The Tribulation Thunder’s power would then be greatly diminished.

As a result, the Pale Moon Ice Wolf suffered only some moderately serious injuries before successfully passing its Thunder Tribulation.

After it successfully passed the Thunder Tribulation, a Celestial Dao Baptism descended from the heavens, falling upon the Pale Moon Ice Wolf and its Inner Core.

From that day on, Jiang Zuo had another fifth-rank Spirit Beast under his command.

The entire affair took less than a day, and Jiang Zuo had already returned to the Immortal City unnoticed.

Like Great Black, the Pale Moon Ice Wolf’s body grew larger day by day.

Soon, it too became a giant white wolf nearly ten meters tall.

Influenced by Xiaoqing, the Fire Phoenix, and Great Black, when the Pale Moon Ice Wolf cultivated the Transformation Technique, it only shrank its size without changing its original form.

’Those old bastards, Cold Crow Wanderer and You Changheng... it’s really not easy to find a chance to kill them.’

With another fifth-rank Spirit Beast under his command, Jiang Zuo’s killing intent toward the two grew even stronger.

After all, as long as those two were alive, he would be fleeced out of over a million Spirit Stones every year.

But the two of them rarely left Yunyuan Immortal City.

As long as they didn’t leave the Immortal City, Jiang Zuo would have no opportunity to make a move.

In truth, even if they did leave the Immortal City, an opportunity would be hard to find.

Over the past few years, both You Changheng and Cold Crow Wanderer had left the Immortal City on occasion.

However, by the time Jiang Zuo found out, the opportunity to strike was already gone.

Jiang Zuo could only wait patiently.

...

’The Sect Leader of the Cyan Simurgh Sect wants my help healing a Spirit Beast?’

That day, Jiang Zuo received a formal request.

Besides taming Spirit Beasts, Jiang Zuo still helped heal them.

However, he didn’t just heal any Spirit Beast; he couldn’t be bothered with ones that were too low-rank or unprofitable.

’The Sect Leader of the Cyan Simurgh Sect... I remember hearing people mention her during the last Spirit Beast competition.’

’They say she’s a female cultivator named Tantai Feixue. Not only is she said to be as beautiful as a Celestial Immortal, her Cultivation is at the mid-stage of the Dao Fruit Realm.’

’Countless prodigies in the Cultivation Realm want to become her Dao companion, but I hear her heart is set on the Great Dao, with no interest in romance. She has already rejected every single one of those prodigies.’

’But this only made many of them fall even more deeply for her, vowing to win her heart with their sincerity.’

’It’s a shame, though. Tantai Feixue’s heart for the Dao is as firm as a rock, and she remains completely unmoved.’

Information about the Cyan Simurgh Sect’s Leader, Tantai Feixue, flashed through Jiang Zuo’s mind.

Jiang Zuo had always admired Cultivators who were dedicated to the Great Dao, so he wrote a reply telling her to visit on a day of her choosing.

Three days later, in the afternoon, two female cultivators arrived as scheduled.

One of the female cultivators looked rather ordinary, her Cultivation only at the Three Flowers Realm.

But the other female cultivator’s face was covered by what looked to be an extraordinary Cyan Gauze.

As Jiang Zuo looked over, the female cultivator removed the Cyan Gauze, revealing her true face.

This Cyan Gauze was a third-rank Spiritual Artifact, capable of not only concealing her face but also disguising her aura.

After she removed the Cyan Gauze, the female cultivator’s Cultivation was revealed to be at the mid-stage of the Dao Fruit Realm.

She was the Sect Leader of the Cyan Simurgh Sect, Tantai Feixue.

As Jiang Zuo looked at her, he couldn’t help but be slightly taken aback.

Just as the rumors said, Tantai Feixue possessed a face of kingdom-toppling beauty.

Her figure was even more exquisite; she had a slender waist, but her hips and chest were exceptionally full and round.

Although she appeared incredibly beautiful and alluring, the powerful Dao Fruit Realm aura she exuded gave her a sacred, inviolable air.

Jiang Zuo secretly nodded. It was no wonder so many talented prodigies in the Cultivation Realm wanted to become Dao companions with Tantai Feixue.

Even he, with his abnormally powerful Divine Sense, couldn’t help but have a few thoughts cross his mind upon seeing her.

Of course, these thoughts were fleeting, gone as quickly as they came.

"Seeing you in person truly surpasses hearing the rumors. Sect Leader Tantai, you are as beautiful as a Celestial Immortal—such looks are a rare sight in this world!"

Jiang Zuo said with sincerity.

"How could I compare to Master Gu? You possess such astonishing abilities at such a young age."

"Compared to you, Master Gu, I’m just slightly better looking, that’s all."

Tantai Feixue gave a slight smile.