Rebuilding the Immortal Cultivator Clan Chapter 7 Marketplace

With the Li family finally liberated from the Beast Taming Sect’s grasp, there was no longer any reason to settle for the meager profits gained from selling raw materials.

After Li Zhirui shared his proposal, a thoughtful silence fell over the room. The idea was undeniably enticing; everyone desired to increase the clan's Spirit Stones to secure a more prosperous future for their development.

Nevertheless, significant hurdles remained, primarily the fact that the Li family possessed no recipes for Spirit Food.

Just as the path of Alchemy requires Pill Recipes, Artifact Refining demands blueprints, and Formations rely on Array Patterns, the creation of Spirit Food necessitates a specialized cookbook. It is not a skill that can be performed haphazardly like mortal cooking.

Acquiring the recipes was merely the beginning. Much like the training of Alchemists requires endless practice, a Spirit Chef must constantly refine their craft to produce a dish of acceptable quality.

This training phase would inevitably drain a vast amount of Spirit Stones. While costs could be recovered upon success, the underlying fear was that no one in the clan would possess the necessary talent to succeed.

As for obtaining the recipes themselves? Yunping State differed from Bailang County, where the Beast Taming Sect held a suffocating monopoly. Here, the Li family could simply buy Spiritual Cookbooks at a public marketplace. They could then select clan members to study them, focusing resources to nurture them into Spirit Chefs as rapidly as possible.

Despite a heritage spanning over three centuries, the Li family’s progress in Cultivation Skills was unremarkable. They held second-tier inheritances in Beast Taming, Formations, and Spirit Plant cultivation, while disciplines like Alchemy, Artifact Refining, and Talisman making were limited to the first tier.

When it came to niche arts like those of the Spirit Chef or Puppet Master, they lacked any inheritance at all.

Because of this, many senior members remained skeptical, hesitant to sink a fortune in Spirit Stones into a venture that might never bear fruit.

“What are your thoughts on this proposal?” Li Shiqing’s inquiry ignited a heated debate. Meanwhile, Li Zhirui, the one who had suggested the idea, stood quietly in the corner.

Li Shiqing remained silent initially, but as the supporters began to dominate the discussion, he signaled for silence by tapping the armrest of his chair.

“Since the majority is in favor of this plan, we shall proceed with a trial.”

Li Shiqing was more than just the Clan Leader; he was the family's most powerful cultivator and the savior who had protected them. His words carried such weight that the opposition immediately fell silent.

“Shiren and Zhirui will be tasked with purchasing the Spiritual Cookbook from the marketplace,” Li Shiqing said, offering a smile to Li Zhirui. “You shall be responsible for this matter.”

Li Zhirui looked up, visibly startled. He hadn't expected to be entrusted with such a vital mission, essentially making Li Shiren—a Foundation Establishment cultivator—his assistant for the task.

The other members were equally shocked by Li Shiqing’s choice. However, out of respect for his authority, no one dared to protest, though a strange tension filled the air.

“Zhirui will not fail the family!” Realizing there was no turning back, Li Zhirui accepted the responsibility without hesitation.

The rest of the meeting covered minor details and concluded shortly thereafter.

Once the room cleared, Li Zhirui walked over to Li Shiren and asked, “Uncle Ren, shall we head to the marketplace tomorrow?”

“That works for me,” Li Shiren replied instantly.

He harbored no resentment about being placed in a secondary role to Li Zhirui. On the contrary, he felt a sense of pride.

Li Zhirui had been his student for years!

Seeing Li Zhirui succeed and gain Li Shiqing’s favor brought honor to him as both a mentor and an uncle.

...

Upon returning to his newly constructed courtyard, Li Zhirui’s first move was to inspect the Cloud Fish. Though they still seemed a bit sluggish, they were in better condition than the previous day, which allowed him to breathe a sigh of relief.

To ensure the survival of these two pairs of Cloud Fish, Li Zhirui had built his residence on a shaded section of the mountain, away from the main clan area. He had also enlisted Li Shiren’s help to install a Cloud Mist Formation.

“According to the Jade Slip, Cloud Fish take a year to reach maturity, and each spawn produces no more than ten fry. To build a sustainable population, it will be at least two years before we can taste them...”

Thinking of the delicacies described in his records, Li Zhirui felt a surge of anticipation. Fortunately, his discipline was strong. He forced himself to look away and entered his meditation chamber to begin his daily cultivation.

——

The following morning, Li Shiren arrived at the meeting point just as Li Zhirui did.

“Let’s go,” Li Shiren said briefly. He summoned his Spirit Beast, the Jade Beak Eagle, and they took flight toward the Yunqing Marketplace.

The Jade Beak Eagle was a second-tier beast at the Foundation Establishment Stage, and it was the only Spirit Beast Li Shiren owned.

It was common knowledge that practitioners of the Wanling Sutra could contract a new Spirit Beast with every major realm breakthrough, gaining various benefits.

However, few actually did so because the cost of raising a Spirit Beast was astronomical. If a cultivator struggled to find resources for their own growth, how could they afford to nourish multiple beasts?

As far as Li Zhirui was aware, in the three-hundred-year history of the Li family, almost no Foundation Establishment cultivator—save for a few ancestors—had ever raised a second Spirit Beast.

The Jade Beak Eagle was incredibly swift, covering the two hundred li distance in a mere fifteen minutes.

“You worked hard,” Li Shiren said, patting the eagle and rewarding it with a piece of Spirit Fish jerky before returning it to its Spirit Beast Bag.

Beside him, Li Zhirui watched the flow of cultivators moving through the marketplace gates, finally realizing just how vibrant this trade hub truly was.

In truth, Li Zhirui hadn't seen much of the world; none of the markets controlled by the Beast Taming Sect could rival the bustling prosperity of the Yunqing Marketplace.

“Uncle Ren, look at the crowds! If we actually open a tavern here, the Spirit Stones will come pouring in!” Li Zhirui exclaimed.

Li Shiren chuckled. “We don't even have a recipe or a Spirit Chef yet, and you're already dreaming of opening a tavern.”

Chatting as they walked, the pair entered the market, passing various storefronts. The signs clearly indicated the wares of each shop.

Eventually, they stepped into a shop called “Xuanfa Pavilion,” which specialized in cultivation techniques and various professional skills.

A robed attendant greeted them with a warm smile. “Welcome, esteemed guests. How may I assist you today?”

“Do you carry any Spiritual Cookbooks?” Li Shiren inquired.

The attendant blinked, surprised by such an unusual request. However, he remained professional and quickly answered, “Indeed. Our Xuanfa Pavilion has twenty-seven first-tier cookbooks and eight second-tier cookbooks in stock.”

Higher-tier cookbooks were rare treasures that the shop didn't carry—and the Li family wouldn't have been able to utilize them anyway.

“We would like to see all the first-tier cookbooks,” Li Shiren requested.

“This way, please,” the man said, gesturing for them to follow.

He led them into a private room, served them cups of clear tea, and went to gather the catalog and descriptions of the Spiritual Cookbooks.

He returned a moment later with a Jade Slip, smiling. “Everything you requested is contained within this.”