Chapter 71: So You Really Are Cloud Dream

Although they pretended to be composed in front of Shen Qi, it was easy for the three who knew Vilyric well from their journey together to realize that she couldn’t possibly be what they called a “Celestial Envoy.”

After briefly explaining the origins of the card and mentioning that a similar “Lingyin Merchant Association” existed on another continent, Ling Feng and the others, while impressed, did not delve deeper and instead focused their energy on their more important original goal.

Miss Vilyric quickly set the matter aside and concentrated on observing the inside of the Merchant Association.

Previously, while in the Holy Empire, she had visited the Lingyin Merchant Association founded by Hao Miao Yi Meng more than once. Despite the vast ocean and possibly two worlds separating them, the style of the furnishings and sales model were remarkably similar, evoking a faint sense of nostalgia, like coming home again.

If there was any real difference, it might be the variety of “rare treasures” showcased.

Soon, the four of them came to a halt in front of a display case.

It wasn’t that the items for sale were particularly unique; it was merely that something preserved inside seemed vaguely familiar to Miss Vilyric, prompting her to stop and observe.

It was a white orb, sealed within a crystal cabinet, seemingly regulated at a specific temperature and supported by soft cotton padding.

There’s no doubt about it—this is an egg.

“What the heck… What kind of egg sells for a million gold? That’s highway robbery!”

Seeing the marked price, the Priestess couldn’t help but scoff.

She vaguely recalled that during the fragrant auction on Spris Island in the Kingdom of Azure, the Earth Dragon egg, which was said to guarantee a Level 5 adult, was the auction’s centerpiece and only sold for twenty million gold coins.

Moreover, the currency value in the Kingdom of Azure was not equivalent to that in the Ancient Spirit Realm; the other continent was much larger, rich in resources and minerals, causing the purchasing power of rare metals to drop considerably.

Though there was no accurate exchange rate, the price marked for this egg was likely far higher than the final auction price on that side.

Could it be…this was an egg of a pet that could reach beyond the level? But if that was the case, would it be so casually sold?

Before Miss Vilyric could contemplate her doubts too long, a Qipao-clad girl responsible for sales and reception noticed their pause, approached them with a standard professional smile, and explained in a soft voice.

“Dear guests, this is the Egg of Cloud Dream.”

“Cloud Dream is an ancient beast, with a lineage of several thousand years. It differs greatly from most common spirit pets today. As time goes on, the lineage of Cloud Dream has become very rare. Even around Xiangshou County and Cangyun Mountain, it’s almost impossible to find traces of such beasts anymore.”

After waiting a moment and seeing that the group didn’t intend to speak, the salesgirl continued enthusiastically.

“Although Cloud Dream isn’t particularly powerful, it is gentle, perceptive, and highly attuned to music. It possesses many unique spiritual and musical abilities, which could provide considerable help in both battle and daily life if nurtured well.”

“Furthermore, I should be frank with you all—the million gold price is already very cheap. This Cloud Dream Egg is special; it will soon hatch. If you want to train it as a spirit pet, it must see its master the very moment it hatches.”

“Cloud Dream is loyal; once it chooses a partner, it will only have one for life, and the same goes for its master. Due to the urgency, the Merchant Association had no choice but to sell it at such a low price.”

“You’re quite lucky; this was just set as the new price yesterday. Under normal circumstances—or in places farther from Cangyun Mountain—this egg’s price could easily be several times higher.”

“…?”

After rattling off a list of benefits and obsessively hinting at “you’ll regret not buying,” the salesgirl noticed the four remained unresponsive, so she gritted her teeth and added a more enticing package deal that seemed to resonate with someone.

“You’re really fortunate! Our Merchant Association is holding a promotional event. If you purchase now, you can get an additional discount of 10% and receive a limited-edition Cloud Dream training guide, a complete set of hatching equipment, and ten nurturing pills to help your spirit pet skip the weakest newborn stage and reach a level sufficient to bind a contract…”

“Stop, stop, stop!!!!”

Seeing that the salesgirl was getting increasingly carried away, with no sign of stopping, Miss Vilyric couldn’t help but raise her hand to halt her, saying, “You just said the beast in this egg is called Cloud Dream? Is that its official name?”

“Exactly! Do you have any other questions? If you’re interested, we can also provide a more detailed information manual about Cloud Dream to help you better understand its features.”

Avoiding the girl’s overly eager gaze, the black-haired girl muttered to herself, “Cloud Dream Qilin, Cloud Dream… So that guy’s true form is this, no wonder he plays the piano so well…”

After glancing once more at the round, chubby Cloud Dream beast illustration that looked as cute as a fluffy bunny beneath the egg, Miss Vilyric chuckled, shook her head, and said gently in response to the salesgirl’s slightly disappointed look, “Thank you for your introduction. We’ll browse a bit more before making a decision.”

“Alright… If you have any intentions of purchasing the Cloud Dream Egg, please be sure to come find me to handle the paperwork!”

“Sure, definitely.”

Once they finally ushered away the enthusiastic salesgirl, Ling Feng, who had been silently observing, finally spoke up.

“If Vilyric is interested in Cloud Dream, you definitely could consider getting it. It should suit you well.”

“As for the gold, that card will suffice. If necessary, I can lend you some. Cloud Dream is an ancient beast, on par with Qilin and Ya Zi, and has become exceedingly rare. Opportunities like this don’t come often.”

But Miss Vilyric just smiled and shook her head.

“Let’s pass. I already have more than one pet; having too many can be quite a hassle. It’s better to let this little one wait for a more suitable owner. Or does anyone here fancy it?”

Murong Yun and Bai’er both shook their heads, and Ling Feng sighed, saying, “Cloud Dream is a creature of music; only one with exceptional talent can harness it. We wouldn’t be a match.”

“Well, since you have no intentions of keeping it, let’s move along.”

After a brief exchange, the four continued their stroll through the Merchant Association, looking around as they walked.

As a Merchant Association set at the foot of Xiangshou County and Cangyun Mountain, besides the obvious young ones and spirit eggs, many of the rare treasures here were naturally related to spirit pets.

For instance, consumables that help spirit pets grow, or specially crafted supportive treasures for spirit pets—all sorts of categories at increasingly outrageous prices, many exceeding that of the Cloud Dream Egg.

But honestly, this was the essence of the Lingyin Merchant Association.

Of course, Murong Yun didn’t bring them here to splurge on those luxuries, despite them being worth the price. For strong individuals like Murong Yun, Ling Feng, and Bai’er, who already had solid roots and combat systems, starting from scratch with a spirit pet didn’t hold much significance, and Miss Vilyric, needless to say, was in an even less pressing position.

Additionally… as Ling Feng said, the Priestess had no money.

At least, she didn’t have enough to buy these priceless items in the Ancient Spirit Realm. Bartering or seeking free samples would also be quite troublesome, so they might as well fully utilize the strategy of browsing while broke.

After a long while, the four finally reached the end of the Merchant Association’s corridor.

There were no more products displayed here, just a square table with a banner reading “One-eyed Mystic” hanging nearby, and the tabletop was covered with a black-and-white Yin-Yang fish patterned cloth.

At a glance, they could only see a middle-aged man wearing a patch over one eye, lazily reclining on a lounge chair behind the table, legs crossed, with a thin bamboo stick in his mouth—seemingly taking a nap.

This scene was strikingly out of place compared to the exquisite and classic style of the Merchant Association, looking more like a street stall’s dubious hustle, giving off a very unreliable vibe at first glance.

Yet, to be publicly positioned here, deep within the Lingyin Merchant Association, indicated more about the situation than one might expect.

It seemed he was indeed the “One-eyed Mystic” Murong Yun was looking for.

   

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