CHAPTER 55: CHAPTER 55 ZHU YINGHUANG’S GIFT

When Zhu Yinghuang, the current Young Master of the Zhu Family, brought a small Flame Demon back to Vermilion Bird Peak and formed a contract with it, the act shocked nearly half of Vermilion Bird Peak—or, to be precise, the members of the Zhu Family stationed there.

"Hey, did you hear? The current Young Master of the Zhu Family actually contracted a Flame Demon," whispered two disciples clad in red robes on Vermilion Bird Peak.

"A Flame Demon isn’t bad either. I heard it’s of Sixth Rank Bloodline. We minor disciples would be lucky to have a Sixth Rank Spiritual Beast."

"You can’t say that. He’s the Young Master of the Zhu Family, and the Zhu Family has actual Golden Immortals. If he wanted a Divine Beast, it probably wouldn’t be difficult for him to get one."

"Who knows what he’s thinking? Stop talking; people from the Zhu Family are coming."

Watching the few Zhu Family disciples approach with sullen faces, the two quickly dispersed.

Leading the group was Zhu Ling of the Zhu Family. He had a rather fair complexion, but his slightly thin lips gave him a somewhat cold appearance. He looked at the departing disciples with a steel-blue face and said discontentedly, "What’s going on with Brother Huang? Why contract a Flame Demon? Aren’t our family’s Vermilion Birds good enough?"

"I heard the Young Master had already begun to waver, but then Miss Que contracted a Qilin, didn’t she? The bloodline of that Qilin is said to be very pure, much purer than the Vermilion Bird cubs of our Zhu Family’s current generation. That’s why the Young Master became unwilling," sighed Zhu Zhilin, who was a step behind.

"There’s no use talking about it so much. I heard the Ancestor is furious. Fortunately, it seems the Flame Demon experienced an atavistic awakening, upgrading its Grade to the Seventh Rank. With the Young Master’s status, there shouldn’t be any problems, at least until he becomes a True Immortal," Zhu Huaiming, walking at the rear, said, shaking his head.

Perhaps the topic weighed on their spirits, as the three of them fell silent.

At this moment, atop Vermilion Bird Peak, stood the current Peak Master, Zhu Sheng. A Heavenly Immortal at the pinnacle of his cultivation, he was known as the Great Sun Venerable. His combat prowess was renowned throughout the Heavenly Realm, formidable in any situation short of a Golden Immortal’s direct involvement.

Yet, such a renowned Heavenly Immortal was, at this moment, too angry to speak. Looking at the defiant son before him, Zhu Sheng felt a pang in his heart.

"Father, are there any Spiritual Beasts that reproduce quickly? My brother is waiting for me to finalize the payment," Zhu Yinghuang asked, ignoring his father’s expression.

"You defiant son! Why would you contract such a Spiritual Beast? Don’t you know how important a Lifebound Spirit Beast is to you?" Zhu Sheng roared.

"I like it," Zhu Yinghuang said with a smile, looking at the small Flame Demon cowering fearfully behind him.

"Just tell me if there are any or not," Zhu Yinghuang added impatiently.

"The Great Purgatory Holy Body was wasted on you!" Zhu Sheng said with bitter disappointment.

"If you won’t give them to me, I’ll go ask the Ancestor," Zhu Yinghuang said, making a move to leave.

"Pick one yourself." Tossing a token, Zhu Sheng turned his back—out of sight, out of mind.

Grinning as he pocketed the token, Zhu Yinghuang left the main hall, planning to find some better Spiritual Beasts for his good brother, Chen Jiuge.

Inside the main hall, Zhu Sheng, with nowhere to vent his pent-up anger, felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. The owner of the hand said softly, "There, there, don’t be angry. As long as Little Huang likes it. Little Que’s aptitude isn’t any worse than Little Huang’s. If it really comes down to it, we can just let Little Que take up the mantle."

"Sigh, Wife," Zhu Sheng lamented, clutching his chest, "I understand the reasoning, but this child is infuriating! The Great Purgatory Holy Body, such a top-tier Sacred Body, wasted just like that! My heart aches."

"Alright, I know you. That little Flame Demon experienced an atavistic awakening; although it hasn’t reached Immortal Beast level, it’s not bad. The bloodlines of this generation’s Vermilion Bird cubs are quite patchy. If you weren’t also secretly against it, how could Little Huang, even by making such a fuss, defy you, a Heavenly Immortal?" Ba Qiushui said, rolling her eyes.

"Wife, you understand me best. Shall we... have another one?" Zhu Sheng said, his expression changing.

"Have another one? Heh. If you’re willing to give up your path to becoming a Golden Immortal, I wouldn’t mind," Ba Qiushui scoffed.

Zhu Sheng gave an embarrassed laugh and dared not say more.

Holding the Peak Master Token, Zhu Yinghuang arrived at the Spiritual Beast breeding grounds on Vermilion Bird Peak. With a grand wave of his hand, he packed up a large number of Spiritual Beasts, leaving behind only a flustered steward who dared not utter a sound.

Covered from head to toe in Spiritual Beast Bags, Zhu Yinghuang excitedly rushed towards Hundred Herbs Peak, inwardly shouting, Brother, I’m coming!

Chen Jiuge, who was in the process of extracting bloodlines from recently born cubs, heard Zhu Yinghuang’s voice from afar.

Zhu Yinghuang’s face was alight with excitement, and the little Flame Demon perched on his neck seemed to share his enthusiasm, constantly waving its tiny hands.

"Uh, Brother Zhu, what’s all this?" Chen Jiuge couldn’t quite grasp Zhu Yinghuang’s excitement. The Young Master of Vermilion Bird Peak, the Young Master of the Zhu Family... is he really so taken with my humble Eden Garden?

"Brother, I took Little Third inside to play. These are the Spiritual Beasts I promised you." Zhu Yinghuang thrust the Spiritual Beast Bags at Chen Jiuge and then, with the little Flame Demon, eagerly headed towards the ecological zone.

Looking at the Spiritual Beast Bags in his hands, Chen Jiuge was bemused.

After a careful inspection, Chen Jiuge gasped. Isn’t this a few too many Spiritual Beasts? And their Grade is a bit high too, isn’t it?

Chen Jiuge shook his head. I’ll just keep this favor in mind and repay it when I get the chance.

Among this batch of Spiritual Beasts, two particularly caught Chen Jiuge’s attention: the Purple Fire Fox and the Four-winged Fire Bird.

The Purple Fire Fox was a Fourth Rank Spiritual Beast. Its purple fur was greatly adored by female cultivators. Despite its decent combat abilities, it was mostly treated as a pet or used as material for vestment robes. Its reproduction rate wasn’t slow, and with dedicated care, it generally reached adulthood in about ten years.

The Four-winged Fire Bird was a Fifth Rank Spiritual Beast. It boasted fiery red fur, typical of Fire Attribute Spiritual Beasts, and two pairs of massive wings. Its flying speed was top-tier among its peers. It could spit Spiritual Fire containing a trace of the Li Fire attribute, making it highly sought after in the market for low-rank cultivators.

The other Low Rank Spiritual Beasts were quite common Fire Attribute Spiritual Beasts, with nothing particularly special about them.

Chen Jiuge planned to first let these Fire Attribute Spiritual Beasts roam in the Red Flame Sheep area. It’s still very spacious here, enough for them to thrive. Otherwise, these cubs wouldn’t survive if placed directly into the ecological zone.

After Chen Jiuge handled this batch of Spiritual Beasts using his Golden Finger, the sky began to dim. Listening to the eerie howls emanating from the ecological zone, Chen Jiuge paid them no mind, realizing that the Spiritual Beasts Zhu Yinghuang had sent this time were valuable enough to buy dozens of little Flame Demons.

To express his gratitude for Young Master Zhu’s gift, Chen Jiuge prepared a table of exquisite Spirit Food.

It wasn’t until the stars adorned the sky that Zhu Yinghuang emerged, looking as if he hadn’t had his fill of fun.

"Brother Zhu, care for a drink?" Chen Jiuge invited.

Although Young Master Zhu was accustomed to High Rank Spirit Food, he didn’t disdain the meal Chen Jiuge had prepared. He sat down with an easygoing air and said, "Brother Chen, it’s truly relaxing and free here at your place!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Jiuge immediately responded, "Then, Brother Zhu, you should come by more often when you have the time."

Essentially, no outsiders ever came to Eden Garden. Usually, at most, Senior Sister Wen would drop by. Now that Senior Sister Wen had entered closed-door cultivation, Chen Jiuge had been all alone.

Zhu Yinghuang seemed to have been waiting for those words, eagerly replying, "You said it, Brother Chen! Don’t tell me I’m not welcome when the time comes."

"How could I?" Chen Jiuge said, shaking his head.

Under the clear moon and breezy sky, the two shared drinks.

With the wine warming them, their spirits soared.

The stars shone brilliantly, a perfect match for the beautiful scene.

Meeting like this was destiny, so they drank deeply to celebrate.