Chapter 68 - Spirit Beast Peak
Su Ming arrived at Spirit Beast Peak on a clear afternoon. Unlike the quiet, isolated peace of White Lotus Peak, the main staging grounds of the beast peak were in a state of chaotic bustle. Disciples in green-and-brown robes ran back and forth across the wide stone plazas, leading various spiritual mounts, loading heavy carts with bags of specialized feed, and checking the containment arrays on transport cages. The air was thick with the scent of raw earth and animal musk, filled with the distant screeches of eagles and the heavy, rhythmic thuds of stomping beasts.
Su Ming walked past a row of massive transport cages toward the central administrative hall, where the peak stable manager, Elder Han, was directing a group of junior disciples. Su Ming caught the elder’s eye, stepped forward, and offered a polite hand-salute.
"Greetings, Elder Han," Su Ming said. "I am Su Ming of White Lotus Peak."
Elder Han turned, his tired eyes lighting up with recognition as he returned the salute. "Ah, Peak Master Su! You have chosen a busy day to visit our stables."
"I can see that," Su Ming said, looking at the flurry of activity around them. "Why is the peak so busy today, Elder Han?"
Elder Han let out a heavy sigh, wiping his brow. "You arrived at a critical time. Our Second Elder is leading a major expedition to the southern border to capture some demon beasts. The mission departs in three days, and we just posted the recruitment board in the central Mission Hall. If you are interested, you could head there yourself to capture some wild beasts for your peak’s stables."
"Is the southern border unstable?" Su Ming asked, his gaze narrowing slightly.
"Sect intelligence indicates that beast activity has surged dramatically along the southern border rifts," Elder Han said, lowering his voice. "More alarmingly, the scouts suspect a Demon King stage beast might appear there soon. A Demon King represents a Saint realm level threat, far transcending standard demon beasts. It is a catastrophic danger to the mortal kingdoms, which is why we must mobilize early to establish defense lines."
Su Ming nodded slowly, keeping the information in mind. "I see. Actually, I came today to select a mount for my White Lotus Peak."
Elder Han smiled, gesturing toward the elite pens. "A Peak Master’s mount is a reflection of his standing. We have several excellent choices. If you want a beast that displays absolute authority on the battlefield, I highly recommend our armored drakes or the flame panthers. They are popular among the high-ranking elders."
"They are indeed impressive," Su Ming replied, looking toward the descriptions of the armored drakes. "Any cultivator would certainly benefit from such strength. But for now, my priority is a dedicated mount—something resilient, fast on its feet, and primarily with a stable, defensive disposition. It must suit the quiet nature of White Lotus Peak."
’And my current budget,’ Su Ming added silently. He certainly wanted a powerful beast as a mount and to guard his peak eventually, but after the massive consumption of his recent breakthrough, his pockets were far too light to justify the cost of these premium combat beasts.
Elder Han looked slightly surprised, but he nodded. "An unusual requirement, but logical. Let me explain our inventory. The standard valleys on this peak house beasts of High grade and below, which are equivalent to Core Formation realm cultivation and below."
"As for Demon Lord-level beasts, which are equivalent to a Mystic Realm cultivator, they are kept separately in secure facilities and sect-controlled secret realms rather than here. They are somewhat restricted, with their prices starting at one hundred and fifty thousand contribution points at a minimum. For the standard high-grade beasts here, the prices usually start from thirty thousand points. If you want a combat or flying type, they will cost around sixty to seventy thousand points due to their specialized training and high demand."
Elder Han led Su Ming toward Fierce Claw Ridge, which contained the combat and predator beasts. The path was lined with heavy steel bars reinforced by glowing blue arrays. Inside the pens, massive wolves with iron-like claws and tigers cloaked in low embers paced quietly, their movements controlled and disciplined. They were already tamed combat beasts, showing no wild aggression.
Su Ming activated his Essence Sight to scan them. Their spiritual pathways were clear and strong, and some of them even showed tiny traces of unique and ancient lineage. To test their temperament, Su Ming released a tiny, suppressed thread of his Dragon Will. Under the sudden pressure, the combat beasts immediately whimpered. The massive wolves tucked their tails and bowed their heads to the stone floor, while the ember tigers curled inward, unable to stand under the weight of the aura. They were disciplined, but they lacked the spiritual resilience he sought.
Elder Han frowned, looking at the cowering beasts in confusion. "Strange," the elder muttered, rubbing his chin. "These wolves and tigers are born from fierce lineages. They do not cower easily, even when facing high-ranking cultivators. I wonder what has made them so subdued today."
Su Ming kept his expression neutral, deactivating his Essence Sight. "They are well-trained, but not what I am looking for," Su Ming said, moving past the pens.
Elder Han chuckled, though he cast a searching glance at the quiet enclosures, and guided him to Soaring Sky Valley, a wide valley filled with tall, open wooden structures. "This is our flying beasts area. Flying mounts like thunder eagles and wind hawks are highly sought after by Cultivators who travel frequently."
As they walked past the massive nests, Su Ming looked at a sleek wind hawk with feathers like polished steel. He scanned the birds with his Essence Sight. Most of their demeanour was proud, but when he let a thread of his Dragon Will brush past them, the hawks instantly shivered and shrank back into their nests, cowering in fear.
Elder Han’s frown deepened as he watched the birds hide. "This is highly unusual. Our wind hawks are exceptionally proud creatures. They usually screech at visitors, yet they are hiding as if a natural predator is circling overhead." He looked at Su Ming, but the Peak Master’s aura remained perfectly compressed and silent, showing no signs of spiritual leakage.
"And the price?" Su Ming asked.
"A high-grade flying mount is exceptionally expensive," Elder Han warned, pointing to the pricing ledger. "Not only is the initial cost steep, but their maintenance is a constant drain on resources. They require specialized high-density spiritual pills to maintain their flight speed, and the advanced flight taming manuals in our archive carry a heavy fee. They are not cheap to keep."
Su Ming checked the figures in the ledger and internally calculated his budget. After spending nearly ninety percent of his accumulated resources on his recent body breakthrough, he could not justify spending tens of thousands of spirit stones on flight feed and premium taming manuals. He shook his head. "The cost of maintenance is too high. Let us look elsewhere."
Elder Han sighed, looking slightly disappointed. "If you are looking in terms of economy and quiet, then we must visit Silver Bamboo Glade. It is our docile and herbivorous beast garden."
They walked down a winding stone path into a quiet, grassy valley. The moment they stepped through the protective formation boundary, the noise of the peak vanished. The garden was lush and green, dotted with small groves of silver bamboo and trickling streams. Docile mounts like long-furred mountain goats and small spiritual deer roamed freely, their movements slow and peaceful.
Su Ming stood at the edge of the clearing, breathing in the quiet air. The peace of this valley was instantly familiar. He looked at the natural layout, the wooden feeding troughs, and the quiet streams.
’When I return, I must construct a similar serene garden on White Lotus Peak,’ Su Ming thought, appreciating the layout.
"These docile beasts are far less pricey," Elder Han said, gesturing toward the valley. "Most disciples ignore them because they lack combat utility, but they are quiet and easy to feed."
Su Ming walked along the grassy path, inspecting the herds. In a dusty, isolated corner of the garden, away from the other spiritual deer, he spotted a solitary white deer. She was relatively small, reaching only up to Su Ming’s chest in height, with a slender frame, a coat of pure white fur, and branching grey-black antlers. She stood quietly by a stone wall, ignoring the herds around her.
Elder Han followed his gaze and let out a dry laugh. "Ah, that one. She is a White Mountain Deer, a mutated variant of our Azure Mountain Deers. These breeds carry a trace of the Qilin bloodline and develop branching antlers, and normally they have a pale azure coat. Because of her pure white mutation, the elders hoped she would develop some rare elemental affinity and scaled antlers."
"However, while she is extremely fast on her feet, she has no known elemental affinity, lacks any scales, and is considered to have a defective, thin lineage with no future growth potential."