"If you don’t sell it now, you won’t get a cent tomorrow, just a hundred thousand."
"No problem, I occasionally sit in your spot too."
Zhang Shi was really angry.
Isn’t this just like a capitalist?
Willing to pour out milk rather than sell it cheaper to the poor.
In the end, they haggled back and forth and settled at three hundred thousand.
The price was a bit high, but the Small Secret Realm was too important to pass up; otherwise, the third place position couldn’t be secured.
"Um... can you say that you sold it back to me for a hundred thousand?" Zhang Shi cared about his reputation.
Being laughed at was inevitable, but it wouldn’t be as loud if it was a hundred thousand.
"Sure." Lin Chen reached out and said, "Ten thousand hush money."
"Since when is hush money this expensive...?" Zhang Shi was trembling with anger and said, "Leave some leeway in what you do, so we can meet again later."
"After these two months, I’ll be out of here; I’m not sticking around in the Inner Courtyard." Lin Chen recalled what Cai Yuanji said to Chen Tao,
Zhang Shi threw out ten thousand, left a parting shot, and stormed off.
The next day was the opening of the Small Secret Realm, and when Lin Chen and his two companions arrived at the plaza, many students were already there.
Seeing Lin Chen, the second-year students started talking among themselves.
The incident with Zhang Shi had also spread.
When Zhang Shi arrived, the chatter reached a peak.
"Zhang Shi, how much did you spend to buy it back?"
"None of your business."
Zhang Shi retorted coldly.
He was smart, knowing that if it came from his mouth, others might not believe it.
In the end, the gossiping students pried the figure of a hundred thousand from Zhang Shi’s teammates.
"Those from the outer courtyard don’t know the prices, sold it at a loss."
"Exactly, it could’ve been sold for at least two hundred thousand."
Someone laughed at Lin Chen, making Zhang Shi break out in a cold sweat.
If Lin Chen got provoked and their relationship soured, his embarrassment would worsen.
However, Lin Chen never cared about such things; he had taken Zhang Shi’s hush money and was intent on keeping his word.
Zhang Shi kept an eye on Lin Chen and, seeing him keep his promise, felt a wave of relief, and his impression of Lin Chen improved a little.
Fortunately, Ning Tian soon arrived, and as the most remarkable genius, he drew a lot of attention as he entered.
"If Ning Tian makes a move, he should win."
"Not ’should,’ he will definitely win."
"I heard Zhang Shi asked him yesterday, but Ning Tian refused to act."
"Maybe in Ning Tian’s eyes, Lin Chen isn’t even a challenger."
Everyone was talking, and Lin Chen finally met this older brother of Ning Zimo, someone he’d heard about for a long time.
He found Ning Zimo’s brother somewhat similar to him, but as for their story, Lin Chen hadn’t heard much, only that Ning Zimo was born to a concubine.
Lin Chen thought that the conflict between the two brothers probably centered around this point.
Soon, Tang Xuehai appeared and explained the rules, then said:
"There are pre-assigned seats inside, just sit according to your number."
Then, with a wave of his hand, he opened the Small Secret Realm.
As soon as Lin Chen stepped in, Cai Yuanji exclaimed, and Lin Chen felt it too.
Before entering, Lin Chen had heard from Lee Zhen that this Secret Realm used to be the old nest of a Flame Fox, which was the home of Xiao Hong’s kin.
After all, Jiuxing City used to be the Divine Fox’s old lair, and most of the Secret Realms left here belonged to the Divine Fox.
Though it was scorching, it was a great place for Spirit Beasts to cultivate.
As soon as the Little Fox entered, it felt like paradise, hopping around joyfully.
"Xiao Hong, you should also train hard; maybe you can comprehend the great path left by your ancestors," Lin Chen said.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Hong nodded immediately, indicating it would try its best.
Lin Chen just smiled, as he was merely habitually exaggerating.
The Inner Courtyard had developed this place for years, so it was unlikely any Beastmasters contracted with Flame Foxes hadn’t entered here. Therefore, gaining some opportunity was akin to winning a lottery.
The center of the Secret Realm was a volcanic crater; the Inner Courtyard had set up many barriers here, and there was a large open space inside that could be divided into separate spaces.
At the center of these spaces was a pit, with water above it, called the Spirit Spring, similar to a hot spring.
Xiaobai approached the hot spring, starting to ponder...
Surely not all the Spirit Beasts bathe here, right?
Lin Chen immediately saw through Xiaobai’s thoughts and said, "This place only opens once a year, and the water is flowing and has already been replaced by nature."
Xiaobai didn’t understand, but it trusted Lin Chen’s words.
"Go in." Lin Chen patted its bull rear.
Xiaobai mooed, closed its eyes, and dived right in, jumping out of the hot spring the next second.
"Is it really that hot?" Lin Chen was surprised, planning to touch it, but Xiaobai quickly blocked him, afraid Lin Chen would get burnt.
Even with its thick hide, Xiaobai felt hot.
Lin Chen waved his hand over the water, indeed sensing the temperature.
Then Xiaobai gradually tested the waters, slowly acclimating.
The hot spring soak was indeed comforting; Xiaobai felt the Beast Power inside it surging.
It closed its eyes and began to meditate.
Lin Chen was about to sit on the ground when he saw the Little Fox hopping about, seemingly searching for something, sometimes closing its eyes, sometimes clasping its hands together.
Clearly, it was fooled by Lin Chen, thinking it was comprehending the great path.
"Get in there." Lin Chen grabbed it and tossed it into the hot spring.
Xiaobai, knowing it was the Little Fox, didn’t open its eyes, though it was usually picky about other Spirit Beasts, not minding the Little Fox.
Unexpectedly, as soon as the Little Fox entered the water with a splash, it directly leveled up to level six.
Lin Chen was stunned; this was like being on a fast track, as expected of the Flame Fox’s territory.
Cultivation time was dull and tasteless; Lin Chen could endure solitude with books to pass the time, whereas Cai Yuanji and Qin Hao couldn’t.
After just a day, they joined him.
"Brother Lin, your spot is indeed better."
Cai Yuanji ranked sixth, while Qin Hao ranked tenth.
Upon entering, Qin Hao’s Panlin Python almost reached the twelve-level bottleneck, with a rapid cultivation pace.
The closer position was also nearer to the volcanic crater, naturally providing an advantage.
"If only we could cultivate," Qin Hao remarked.
"If humans could cultivate, Spirit Beasts would be out of a job," Cai Yuanji responded.
Lin Chen agreed with this view; in this era, humans and beasts coexisted harmoniously, but if humans could cultivate, with humanity’s tendency to exclude alien races, Spirit Beasts might be the first to be suppressed, an undeniable fact.
As they talked, they grew hungry and decided to make something to eat. Lin Chen took out frozen raw chicken wings and barbecue seasoning, and Qin Hao and Cai could barely contain their joy as they asked, "Is this the First Barbecue Shop’s seasoning?"
"Exactly." Lin Chen nodded.
"Lin Chen, your connections are truly impressive." Qin Hao and Cai didn’t dwell on it, quickly setting up a fire for a barbecue, and soon the aroma spread everywhere, provoking an angry shout from a student:
"Who’s grilling here, disrupting the Spirit Beasts’ cultivation?!"
"Be good, you can’t come out, endure it..."
"Don’t be so gluttonous, you’ve already grown quite fat."