Chapter 676: Selecting Treasures

The demon beasts' cultivation method was unique since they could swallow the demonic cores of other demon beasts to strengthen themselves. However, some evil cultivators also improved their realms by swallowing others' nascent soul while ordinary cultivators usually refined other cultivators' nascent soul before using it.

For the demon beasts, swallowing demonic core was the most common way to increase their realm.

"Ruff... Ruff..." Little White played cute most of the time. Since it was still a demon beast, that was why it looked so eager when it saw the demonic core with intense demonic essence.

Xie Yujia had regularly fed it elixir pills, but Little White had to convert the nature essence into demonic essence, so its demonic essence growth was slow. However, this demonic core in Hao Ren's hand contained a level 10 demon beast's life-time demonic essence! Little White would become very powerful if it absorbed only one-third of the energy contained in the core!

The most precious thing in the demon beasts were the demonic cores that were containing demonic essence. Then, it was the demon souls that could improve the quality of dharma treasures. Lastly, it was the bones and skin which could be made into dharma treasures.

Hao Ren didn't have the techniques and treasures to absorb demon souls, but he had collected six bead-shaped demonic cores.

If Little White hadn't come out with Hao Ren, it would have been still rolling in the mud in the Lion Cave and probably could never reach level 2 in its lifetime.

"Be good, and this is yours," Hao Ren said.

These demonic cores were not very useful to him. He could give them to Xie Yujia to make elixir pills, but she usually used spiritual herbs and probably didn't dare to use the demonic cores from demon beasts.

He could also sell them on Fifth Heaven for lots of spirit stones, but they were meaningless to him. If he traded them for other stuff, there was nothing that he liked on Fifth Heaven and Sixth Heaven. Besides, he could trade for things with elixir pills in the name of Herb King Master of Ethereal Summit.

Seventh Heaven might have some good stuff, but Hao Ren didn't want to deal with the more powerful sects there and thus wouldn't reveal the level 10 demonic cores to them.

The demonic cores of level 10 demon beasts were tempting even to the sects on Seventh Heaven. After all, even Soul Formation Realm cultivators didn't dare to venture into the Demon Sea, and there were no level 10 demon beasts outside of the Demon Sea. Even if there were, who could kill them?

"Ruff! Ruff... Little White swayed its body, and its long tail almost touched Hao Ren who was sitting on its back. It was impatient when it saw the big demonic core in Hao Ren's hand but couldn't reach it.

"I got it for you at the risk of my life. You must be obedient, ok?" Hao Ren lifted the demonic core and asked.

"Ruff!"

Little White knew what Hao Ren meant and nodded enthusiastically.

Hao Ren lowered the demonic core and placed it near Little White's mouth.

Little White was a Bin-level demon beast with both ice-elemental and fire-elemental attributes. The demonic core must have belonged to a Jia-level demon beast since it had cultivated to level 10 in the Demon Sea.

The ice-cold red demonic core contained a trace of fire elements, so it could help Little White a lot.

Gulp!

Little White opened its mouth wide and devoured the demonic core, so eager that it almost ate Hao Ren's hand.

While Little White swallowed the demonic core, a thought occurred to Hao Ren, "Level 10 demon beasts are close to the Transformation Realm, but a Bin-level demon beast's top level is only about level 6. Little White might transform into a human after eating this demonic core..."

Grumble... With a noise coming from its belly, Little White shook its tail and continued to fly with no sign of discomfort.

It seemed that this demonic core's elemental attribute suited Little White, but Little White would need time to absorb the demonic essence.

If that level 10 demon beast was still alive and fought with Little White for the demonic core, Little White would have exploded if it swallowed that level 10 demonic core when it was only a level 4 demon beast. However, since that demon beast was dead, and its demonic soul was destroyed, Little White just took the demonic core as a big elixir pill, and it could absorb the demonic core little by little.

"Hu..." After eating the demonic core, Little White flew faster than before. Since the demonic core's power wasn't in effect yet, Little White's acceleration showed that it hadn't tried its best at flying.

"Bad dog..." Hao Ren pulled at its ear.

Little White and the golden shield were a perfect pair since they were both lazy.

When they got close to Kunlun Mountain, Hao Ren detoured. Although Kunlun Mountain was not as big as the Demon Sea, the Soul Formation Realm cultivators in there were tough to deal with.

After flying for a long distance, Hao Ren took out the inspector's token to pass the array formation before arriving at the gate of the Dragon God Shrine.

The black Dragon God Shrine looked the same as before. After leaving Little White at the gate, Hao Ren walked into the Dragon God Shrine.

With his level 3 inspector's token, he was greeted by the level 1 and level 2 inspectors on the way.

In the Inspector System of the Dragon God Shrine, the relationship between the different level inspectors was very formal.

Entering the small room in the grand hall, Hao Ren saw a level 2 inspector looking through the mission booklet. When he saw Hao Ren's level 3 inspector token, he backed away respectfully.

"Elder, I'm here to report the completion of my mission." Hao Ren placed the Penglai Immortal Token on the table and said politely, "I've delivered the object to Penglai Island successfully."

"Oh?" Elder Luo who had been making a list looked up in surprise and picked up the round golden token from the table before staring at it for a while.

"You didn't disappoint us. Now, I'll put 600 contribution points under your name." Elder Luo took out the name list and wrote 600 under Hao Ren's name.

"Then... Can I go trade for something?" Hao Ren asked.

The golden shield had had its eye on some objects in the warehouse of the Dragon God Shrine. Hao Ren had come here in a hurry since he was afraid that other inspectors would take them.

"Of course." Elder Luo stood up with a smile and led Hao Ren into the underground warehouse.

Each of the treasures had its price written in contribution points below.

"You can register the things that you choose when you're done." Elder Luo bowed to Hao Ren slightly and walked out of the warehouse.

In fact, Hao Ren didn't want Elder Luo to walk with him. After Elder Luo was gone, he released the golden shield from his necklace and said, "Little shield, it's all you!"

In theory, all these treasures could be taken and hidden in his necklace, but the Dragon God Shrine had its ways to make sure that the treasures couldn't be stolen.

Any of the treasures here would make the low-level cultivators green with envy, and that was why so many young cultivators attended the general exams of the Dragon God Shrine, hoping to become an inspector.

The golden shield flew from Hao Ren's hand and began to sweep across the shelves.

Ignoring the rare elixir pills and dharma treasures, it turned to one corner and hovered above a white cloth.

The white cloth was on the lowest shelf. If not for the price tag of 60 below it, Hao Ren would have thought it was a rag for cleaning the shelves.

Everything in the warehouse was expensive since they generally cost above 100 contribution points. However, each mission usually was worth 40 to 50 contribution points, and only those dangerous missions were rewarded with 80 to 90 contribution points.

In short, it was quite difficult to trade for one treasure with only one mission. Only after completing two to three missions could an inspector choose a powerful dharma treasure or a special cultivation technique.

The white cloth looked like it didn't have any nature essence, and no one knew its functions. That was why no sane inspector would trade this object with the contribution points they earned at the risk of their lives. After all, 60 contribution points wasn't a low price.

"Little shield, are you sure?" Hao Ren asked it.

It was hard to tell if the golden shield understood Hao Ren's words, but it hovered above the white cloth.

Hao Ren trusted the judgment of the golden shield which had elevated to a higher level and was quite sensitive to spirit properties.

After Hao Ren took the white cloth, the golden shield floated away in satisfaction toward a shelve in the front.

This time, it stopped before an old, used glove. Without hesitation, Hao Ren took it as well. This glove cost 80 contribution points. Even though it cost a lot, and even the appraisers of the Dragon God Shrine couldn't determine its functionality, it must be unique in some way since these rare and unidentifiable items must have been dug out from some ancient ruins and tombs by inspectors.

One old rag and a broken glove had cost Hao Ren 140 contribution points. The golden shield spun around to continue its search, but Hao Ren ignored it and walked directly to a shelve that he had noticed the last time, picking up a red jade thumb ring which cost 450 contribution points.

The objects on this shelf were all radiant with abundant nature essence, and each of them cost more than 400 contribution points.

In the warehouse, several other inspectors were selecting treasures, and some of them were level 4 inspectors.

They looked surprised when they saw Hao Ren picking up the red jade thumb ring which cost 450 contribution points. Hao Ren was only a young man with a realm of top-tier Dui-level, but he had accumulated over 400 contribution points!

They didn't know that Hao Ren had earned 600 contribution points with one mission! It was extremely dangerous to deliver things to the Demon Sea, and few people could accomplish it. That was why the reward was so high!

Spinning fast in front of Hao Ren and releasing layers of golden light, the golden shield seemed to be asking Hao Ren to choose some other objects.

However, Hao Ren wasn't too greedy. The golden shield had had its eyes on a blue elixir pill and a piece of black mineral which were probably very valuable, but Hao Ren had no use for them right now.

After taking the red jade thumb ring, the white cloth, and the broken glove, he had only 10 contribution points left. Since he couldn't take anything else, Hao Ren walked out of the warehouse.

Then, the golden shield followed Hao Ren out of the warehouse.

The other inspectors looked astonished when they saw that the ugly round disk was a supreme spiritual treasure!

"That guy is Hao Ren. He is the East Ocean cultivator who defeated the official inspector Qin Shaoyang in this year's general exams."

"His realm grew so fast! He's indeed a genius!"

Oblivious to their talks, Hao Ren walked out and showed the objects to Elder Luo for registration.

He had spent almost all of the 600 contribution points in one go. If he wanted to make use of the remaining 10 contribution points, he would have to take on more missions, but he didn't have time right now.

"Please wait a minute!" When Hao Ren put away the things and was about to leave the small room, Elder Luo called out hurriedly, "The Shrine Master wants to see you."