The egg was cyan all over, with faint, square patterns covering its entire surface.

Lin Changheng raised an eyebrow, his interest piqued. He stared at the Beast Egg without a word. And just as he expected, Shopkeeper Liu Fengxiu’s voice rang out with an introduction:

"This is a Turtle Egg from a Black Armored Earth Turtle. It possesses the Profound Spirit Bloodline, which is quite exceptional. Once it matures, there’s a high probability it will reach Tier Two. It just hasn’t hatched yet!"

"Oh? That’s quite impressive. Among those with a Profound Spirit Bloodline, this would be considered upper-tier, wouldn’t it?"

Lin Changheng commented with admiration.

Shopkeeper Liu nodded as if it were a matter of course, but before he could continue, Lin Changheng’s brow furrowed. "If this turtle is so exceptional, why hasn’t your shop sold it? Logically speaking, few Qi Cultivation Clans, or even Foundation Establishment Clans, could refuse a Spirit Beast with a long lifespan and a high chance of becoming a Tier Two fighter, could they?"

"Besides, with a major Auction coming up, you could easily consign it and aim for a high price..."

"Unless... this egg has some kind of flaw?"

At that, Lin Changheng put on a look of sudden realization, as if he believed he had figured out the heart of the matter.

Hearing this, Shopkeeper Liu showed no embarrassment. Instead, he spoke with complete frankness, "Fellow Daoist is truly sharp-witted. That is precisely what I was about to explain. Whether you decide to purchase it in the end is entirely up to your own judgment and desire."

Lin Changheng nodded noncommittally.

"It’s like this. This egg wasn’t bred by our clan. It was acquired by a Foundation Establishment Elder, a friend of our clan, after he slew a Demon Beast during a major expedition. He was initially quite pleased, knowing the turtle had a good bloodline and a docile temperament, and planned to raise it. However, he soon discovered that something was amiss."

"This Beast Egg’s Life Force is weak, so much so that even someone unskilled in Beast Taming could sense it."

Upon hearing this, Lin Changheng stepped forward and touched the egg. It was cold to the touch. He then infused it with his Magical Power to get a better sense.

Sure enough, the Life Force of this Beast Egg was even fainter than that of the Mixed Grade Earth Dragon Beast Eggs he’d sensed downstairs. Theirs had been surging and powerful; this one was incredibly feeble.

While it wasn’t on the verge of croaking, it was clear that the creature inside was sickly—perhaps even suffering from an Innate developmental deficiency.

Meanwhile, Shopkeeper Liu continued his explanation. "So, the elder entrusted this turtle to our clan, as we have a Mastery in Beast Taming, to see if we could find a cure. Our clan’s own elders all took a look, but they too came to a negative conclusion."

"While this Beast Egg was developing inside its mother, the mother turtle was likely afflicted with a rare beast poison. The toxin was passed to the egg, which is the root cause of its condition."

"The poison is too deep to be cured. However, the fact that the egg hasn’t perished means it has developed some resistance. The chance of it dying after hatching is low, but its potential will be severely diminished. Reaching Tier Two is out of the question, but it might have a chance to break through to Tier One Late Stage."

"If used for breeding, there’s a thirty percent chance its offspring won’t inherit the poison."

"After receiving this prognosis and confirming it through various channels, the Foundation Establishment Elder lost all interest. He no longer had any desire to raise it, so he left the egg with our clan to sell on his behalf. And what better time than now, riding the excitement for the upcoming Auction, to put it in the shop and see if it can find its destined owner?"

’Poisoned?’

Lin Changheng remained squatting before the Beast Egg, sensing it, not having moved an inch. The old shopkeeper’s words kept flowing into his ears, causing his downcast eyes to gleam with a growing light.

He schooled his expression before rising to his feet. A sudden smile touched his lips as he said in praise, "You’re quite frank, Shopkeeper, holding nothing back. That’s something I’ve rarely encountered in other shops."

"But of course. Our business has always been built on our good name. We’re well-known and universally praised throughout the Ruins District."

Shopkeeper Liu said with a solemn expression.

’But that was only part of it. The other reason was that this Beast Egg had been consigned by a friendly Foundation Establishment Cultivator. It was purely a favor, with no profit in it for the shop. Naturally, he wasn’t foolish enough to risk his shop’s hard-won reputation to make money for someone else.’

’As for whether it could be sold...’

’You can’t force a sale in business, can you? As long as they were making a genuine effort, the Foundation Establishment Cultivator couldn’t find fault with them.’

Lin Changheng feigned indecision, pacing back and forth in the private room. Just as Shopkeeper Liu was getting dizzy from watching him, he finally asked, "What’s the price?"

’There’s a chance!’

Shopkeeper Liu’s eyes lit up. ’So many times, a sale has fallen through at the very last moment,’ he thought. ’This time, I have to seize the opportunity and close the deal.’

’It’s exhausting to always have this one thing hanging over my head.’

"According to market price," Shopkeeper Liu began, "Spirit Beast Eggs with a Profound Spirit Bloodline go for about two hundred Lower Grade Spirit Stones. But considering this egg is defective and can’t be compared to a healthy one, I can’t let you overpay, Fellow Daoist. So, I’ll knock twenty percent off. One hundred and sixty Spirit Stones, and it’s yours. What do you say?"

Shopkeeper Liu stated his price.

"Too high."

Lin Changheng shook his head and began to haggle. "Shopkeeper, you’re a clan Cultivator yourself, so you know how difficult it is to manage a clan’s finances. Every Spirit Stone counts. If this were a perfect Black Armored Earth Turtle egg, that price would be reasonable given its potential. But not only is its potential damaged, but there’s also a high probability that its most basic function—reproduction—will be affected."

"And most importantly, there’s a chance it will die upon hatching... Should that happen, it would be an unbearable loss for my clan."

Appealing to both logic and emotion, Lin Changheng pressed his case from two angles before finally naming his price:

"How about one hundred and twenty Spirit Stones?"

"Too low! Far too low! Fellow Daoist, that’s not haggling, that’s robbery! Besides, at a price that low, I’d have a hard time explaining myself to the Foundation Establishment Elder..."

Shopkeeper Liu smiled wryly and shook his head again and again as he started his counter-offer.

After some back-and-forth, they each conceded a step, settling on a final price of one hundred and forty Lower Grade Spirit Stones.

"It’s a deal."

Lin Changheng paid the Spirit Stones and in return received a Jade Scroll on raising and hatching turtle-type Spirit Beasts, as well as a Beast Taming Token. The transaction was complete, but as he looked at the Spirit Beast Egg—as large as an infant’s head—he found himself in a predicament.

"Did you perhaps forget to bring a Spirit Beast Bag, Fellow Daoist?"

Shopkeeper Liu had presided over this shop in the Marketplace for many years; his old eyes were sharp, and he’d seen all manner of people and situations. He guessed the problem in an instant and asked with a smile.

"That’s right. I had only planned on doing some initial browsing, so I didn’t bring my Spirit Beast Bag. I didn’t expect to get caught up in the moment and buy something on the spot."

A helpless voice drifted out from under the veil of his bamboo hat.

"When you find the right item, you must seize the opportunity!"

Shopkeeper Liu immediately offered some encouraging words, then helpfully suggested, "Would you like to purchase a Spirit Beast Bag, Fellow Daoist? Our shop happens to sell them. Or perhaps you could use a Storage Bag for a short while? As long as you take the Beast Egg out within one hour, it should be fine. Once it hatches, though, that’s no longer an option."

Lin Changheng asked about the price and was told it was fifty Spirit Stones for one.

For bags with separate compartments, the price doubled for each additional compartment.

"That’s a few Spirit Stones more expensive than in the Outer World," Lin Changheng remarked.

"Of course, the quality is also much better," Shopkeeper Liu didn’t deny.

"Your shop certainly has a wide range of wares."

Lin Changheng continued, "I wonder, do you happen to sell knowledge-based books, like a Demon Beast Atlas or Spirit Beast Notes?"