Jiang Mo made a trip to the auction house in Changhe City, exchanging her two minerals for all the high-grade spirit stones they had—premium spirit stones were rare and difficult to find, and the spiritual herbs and fruits at the auction house were of too low a grade for the Little Swan Goose to be interested in. Thus, the high-grade spirit stones, primarily used as currency, beca the best choice. The only issue was the limited quantity, which might only feed the Little Swan Goose for a few days.
After leaving the auction house, Jiang Mo checked the high-grade spirit stones in her storage pouch while sighing with worry. The unaffiliated cultivators waiting around the auction house for opportunities saw this and assud she was just so pauper; not a single one targeted her.
Though anyone who actually targeted her would certainly suffer misfortune, avoiding such trouble altogether wasn't sothing to make a tiger unhappy.
Jiang Mo held the Little Swan Goose in one hand while lanting to her: "Senior Sister, this city is too small; I can't even get a good price for the minerals. We need to find a larger city, otherwise you'll still go hungry."
The Little Swan Goose, who had already consud two high-grade spirit stones like eating pastries, flapped her wings and called out a couple of tis in response, her aning couldn't be clearer: let's go then, it's better to exchange for more food supplies soon, just don't let her go hungry!
Jiang Mo thought the sa and had no intention of staying long in Changhe City. However, she knew little about the larger cities nearby, so before departing, she needed to gather so information, preferably by purchasing a map. She also wanted to buy so food; in case they traveled far and her Senior Sister consud all the high-grade spirit stones midway, they would at least have sothing to fill their stomachs.
For maps, she needed to visit a general store; for provisions, an inn would be best. Jiang Mo had been busy feeding her Senior Sister for days and hadn't properly eaten for a long ti, so she first carried the Little Swan Goose to an inn.
Cultivators could abstain from food early in their practice, but most hadn't completely abandoned their desire to eat, so inns in the cultivation world weren't much different from those in the mortal realm.
Jiang Mo had been traveling for so ti now, so when she entered the inn, she ordered dishes with familiarity, intending to take out a spirit stone to ask the waiter about the direction to the nearest large city. However, before she could speak, she overheard people at a neighboring table talking animatedly about a secret realm that was about to open in the north—secret realms were wonderful places where treasures were more abundant than outside; one good haul could provide enough food for her Senior Sister!
Her eyes, containing hidden golden light, brightened. Jiang Mo still took out a spirit stone and left it for the waiter, but the question she asked had changed: "Is there a secret realm opening in the north? Does brother waiter have any information about this?"
As soon as she spoke, the people talking at the neighboring table looked over and imdiately noticed the spirit stone Jiang Mo had given to the waiter.
It was a high-grade spirit stone, as Jiang Mo only had high-grade spirit stones at the mont, but as paynt for information, one high-grade spirit stone was far too much. The waiter was more incredulous than pleased, while the two people looking over from the neighboring table darkened their gazes. One of them imdiately smiled and said: "We brothers know the news about the northern secret realm best. If you want to inquire about it, just ask us."
He spoke with great enthusiasm, but his eyes were fixed on the high-grade spirit stone in Jiang Mo's hand, clearly coveting this reward. Seeing his attitude, Jiang Mo understood that there probably wasn't anything good in the so-called northern secret realm.
Either the realm's level wasn't high, or it had been open for too long and already thoroughly scavenged; the information about this secret realm was probably not even worth this high-grade spirit stone.
But that was fine; Jiang Mo didn't mind at all. After all, wasn't she a divine beast with keen sensitivity to spiritual energy? Although she was most perceptive to various tal ores, if she were close enough, she could certainly discover all kinds of good things before others. Besides, no matter how depleted a secret realm might be, it was still better than the outside world; otherwise, no one would go there at all.
Therefore, Jiang Mo hadn't imdiately abandoned her plan to seek treasures in the secret realm and was hesitating whether to hand over the spirit stone when the waiter beside her finally ca to his senses. Not caring whether he offended the custors or not, he hastily snatched the spirit stone, only relaxing when he felt the abundant spiritual energy in it.
The waiter imdiately realized his impropriety and smiled sheepishly: "Whatever the guest wants to know, I'll certainly tell everything I know."
Seeing this, the people at the neighboring table pursed their lips, visibly disappointed at missing out on an easy gain. However, no one intended to cause trouble at the inn; after all, fighting over a spirit stone would be beneath their dignity.
The waiter, who received and saw off guests at the inn, knew a lot of information. Without waiting for Jiang Mo to ask further, he explained everything about the northern secret realm clearly—it was indeed a realm of little value. The entrance to the secret realm had been damaged many years ago, leaving it perpetually open. Over the years, countless cultivators had entered and exited; any good items had long been thoroughly searched out.
The reason it was suddenly being ntioned now was because half a month ago, soone had discovered a small piece of Star Sand in the realm, which had attracted people to go there again. However, those who rushed to seek treasures had been searching for half a month without finding a second piece, so the excitent had dissipated.
When Jiang Mo heard about Star Sand, she imdiately lost interest, because Star Sand was also a type of mineral, and she already had plenty in her space.
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There was nothing good in Changhe City, so Jiang Mo didn't stay long. After gathering information and buying a map, she quickly left the small city—she had no choice; who told her she had a cub to raise? She was no longer the tiger from before who could do as she pleased, being as lazy as she wanted. After all, if she didn't work hard to find food, the Little Swan Goose would go hungry, and she couldn't bear to let her Senior Sister suffer.
The tiger, who had shouldered the burden of supporting a family at such a young age, didn't dare delay for a mont and imdiately headed toward the largest city nearby.
Coincidentally, that large city was to the north of Changhe City, and even more coincidentally, they would pass by the northern secret realm ntioned by the inn's guests. So when Jiang Mo passed by, she went in for a tour and, relying on her talent, indeed found the Star Sand that others had been unable to locate for so long. Besides that, there wasn't even a single third-grade spiritual herb left.
Unfortunately, Star Sand was also inedible. The Little Swan Goose tentatively pecked at it once and lost interest; it still had to be exchanged for money.
Thus, in the days that followed, Jiang Mo constantly traveled between various secret realms and large cities. Fortunately, there were indeed many secret realms in the cultivation world. Although most publicly accessible realms were not of high grade, with the White Tiger divine beast personally foraging, there was always so harvest. Unfortunately, eight or nine out of ten of her findings were inedible and ultimately had to be exchanged for spiritual plants or spirit stones to feed the Little Swan Goose.
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Ti quickly passed as Jiang Mo hurried about. When she next paid attention to the date, she realized that a full year had gone by with the cycle of four seasons. And with her year of diligent work, the Little Swan Goose had flourished—the once fist-sized cub had grown considerably larger, no longer able to be fully held in one hand. Much of her downy fluff had been shed, gradually replaced by snow-white feathers covering her entire body.
Everything was developing in a positive direction; at this rate, her Senior Sister's recovery seed imminent.
The only unfortunate aspect was that the Little Swan Goose was currently in an awkward stage—as the down on her body shed, the three tufts of plus on her head and the beautiful tail feathers behind had not yet grown out, making her look like a half-grown chicken at first glance.
The phoenix tribe generally loved beauty, and the vast majority were a bit narcissistic.
The Little Swan Goose, being a phoenix, also loved beauty—heaven knows what there was for a fluffy cub to be vain about—but recently, after accidentally seeing herself in a mirror, she had probably been shocked by her own ugliness and was no longer willing to approach anything reflective. anwhile, her appetite had increased, clearly intending to eat diligently to grow up quickly.
Potential is likely stimulated this way. One day, when Jiang Mo ca out of a secret realm, she habitually handed her storage pouch to her Senior Sister. The Little Swan Goose took it with practiced ease, eating everything edible first as usual, leaving the rest for Jiang Mo to exchange in the city.
Jiang Mo didn't pay much attention to this matter and headed toward the city as usual, planning to sell her newly acquired batch of minerals.
Everything seed no different from usual, until the person and cub arrived at the auction house. When Jiang Mo took back the storage pouch and looked inside, she discovered that several of the minerals she had placed inside were missing. She certainly wouldn't have misrembered, and items placed in the storage pouch couldn't easily be lost, so there was only one possibility left... She raised her head and looked at the Little Swan Goose in shock.
The Little Swan Goose remained as calm as ever, casually flapping her wings and then covering her mouth with a wing as she let out a satisfied burp.
Did she really eat them?!
The little tiger was shocked. The minerals that even her sharp teeth couldn't chew had just been eaten by a bird?!
After a year, Jiang Mo was once again astounded by the Little Swan Goose's iron stomach. Especially when the Little Swan Goose didn't stop after burping but pecked at another small mineral like candy right in front of her, Jiang Mo felt a lump in her throat—her gaze involuntarily followed the Little Swan Goose's neck downward to her round little belly, unable to see how it could contain everything.
After her initial shock, Jiang Mo secretly touched the Little Swan Goose's belly and asked: "Since you can eat all of these, do we still need to exchange them for spirit stones?"
The Little Swan Goose brushed away her mischievous hand with a wing and gave her a look that said it all—even a bird cub that wasn't picky wouldn't live on gnawing iron. Mainly because these things weren't easy to digest, it was still better to exchange them for spirit stones.
Jiang Mo understood imdiately and still exchanged the minerals for spirit stones, watching as the Little Swan Goose consud them one by one.
Cubs beca harder to raise as they grew, because they ate more and more. And although the newly grown feathers on the Little Swan Goose felt good to touch—smooth and soft—they weren't as fluffy and soft as her down had been.
Jiang Mo didn't mind that the Little Swan Goose looked awkward during this phase; she secretly recorded her several tis with the Retention Stone, adding to her collection of embarrassing history. Until later, when the Little Swan Goose suddenly increased her food intake, putting even more strain on her already not-so-wealthy storage pouch, the pressure suddenly intensified.
It was at this ti that Jiang Mo, who had been paying attention to secret realms, received news that another secret realm was about to open near the North Abyss. And this ti, the opening realm wasn't one that had been open for many years and emptied by people, but a new realm that had never been opened before, just like the Canglán Secret Realm from years ago... Although it was later proven that the demonic path had already gone through it several tis.
Upon learning this news, Jiang Mo was naturally overjoyed and hurried toward the North Abyss with her Senior Sister in her arms.
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