Firecloud Manor could be considered the largest spirit beast estate within Greatsun Exchanges City, specializing in the Firecloud Spirit Beasts beloved by tycoons.
The estate had quite a few customers and seemed very lively, though there were many more lookers than buyers.
While Greatsun Exchanges City was indeed the exchange city most frequented by tycoons, that didn't mean everyone who came was one. Many Common Immortals also visited Greatsun Exchanges City to stroll around, broaden their horizons, and gain some experience. Even if they couldn't afford anything, getting an eyeful counted for something.
However, even for those from wealthy immortal families, or overnight-rich tycoons who came to purchase a Firecloud Spirit Beast, it wasn't a simple buy-on-a-whim matter. After all, a single Firecloud Spirit Beast cub cost several million, and raising it was even more terrifying. Anyone considering a purchase had to carefully weigh whether they truly had the financial means.
Gu Qingfeng and Horse King strolled leisurely through Firecloud Manor, chatting as they went.
Horse King had never raised any spirit beasts before. Forget Firecloud Spirit Beasts; he hadn't even kept the more affordable white cranes. His understanding of spirit beasts was essentially zero; he couldn't discern bloodlines or anything of the sort.
He was like that, and Gu Qingfeng was no exception.
Don't be fooled by the fact that he had once ascended to the peerless throne of immortals and demons, become the Nine Nethers Emperor, roamed heaven and earth, shaken the world, dabbled in the three thousand Great Daos, and mastered all ten immortal arts and Great Dao divine abilities.
When it came to spirit beasts, he truly knew nothing.
Horse King had never raised one, and neither had he.
He had never even refined immortal weapons or treasures, let alone immortal birds or spirit beasts.
Back in the day, he did have a Great Hidden Dragon-Elephant as a mount, but that thing wasn't any spirit beast, immortal beast, or demon beast. As for what a Great Hidden Dragon-Elephant actually was, Gu Qingfeng still didn't know to this day.
After wandering around Firecloud Manor for a while, Gu Qingfeng told Horse King to just pick one.
This startled Horse King immensely. When Gu Qingfeng had earlier said he'd gift him a Firecloud Spirit Beast, he thought it was just a joke. He hadn't expected it to be serious.
"Great Lord, that won't do! A Firecloud Spirit Beast is far too valuable. I couldn't possibly accept it."
"What's there to not accept? It's just a spirit beast. Besides, if you hadn't lent me that thousand chips, I wouldn't have won so many Immortal Stones."
Although Horse King very much wanted a Firecloud Spirit Beast of his own, he planned to wait until he had the means before buying one. If someone else gifted it to him, he couldn't bear the burden. More importantly, raising this thing required a lot of Immortal Stones. Even if he bought it, he couldn't afford to keep it.
"If you can buy it, you can raise it. Later, I'll go to the bank and open an account for you, transfer you some Immortal Stones!"
Hearing that Gu Qingfeng even planned to transfer him some Immortal Stones, Horse King was so shocked he nearly collapsed on the spot. He hurriedly said, "Great Lord, you mustn't do that! Just being able to know you has already made me immensely happy. Forget about the Firecloud Spirit Beast, really. Even if you, venerable sir, transferred me some Immortal Stones, I wouldn't dare raise one. I've never raised a spirit beast before; I'm completely clueless about these things. What if I raised it to death? And raising them requires a lot of effort and care. I don't have that kind of energy either."
"Really don't want it?"
Horse King shook his head vigorously. "Really don't. I'm more accustomed to using immortal weapons and treasures. Spirit beasts aren't really suitable for me."
"Alright. We'll go buy some immortal weapons and treasures later."
Gu Qingfeng had never been one for polite formalities or back-and-forth refusals. Seeing Horse King decline, he didn't press further. He raised his hand and summoned an attendant from Firecloud Manor, preparing to buy one for himself.
It had to be said that Firecloud Manor lived up to its reputation as the largest spirit beast estate in Greatsun Exchanges City. The quality of its attendants was quite decent. They showed no neglect toward Gu Qingfeng and Horse King—one a mortal without cultivation, the other a Common Immortal dressed plainly. Not only were they not neglected, but the attendants were also very enthusiastic in explaining things to them.
You never know until you listen.
After hearing the explanation, Gu Qingfeng realized there was quite a lot of nuance within the world of spirit beasts. The Firecloud Beasts alone had many varieties: Firecloud Gilded Horses, Firecloud Gale Leopards, Firecloud Gold-Crystal Wolves, Firecloud Purple-Flame Lions, Firecloud Crimsonflame Tigers... Different varieties came with different price tags. The Firecloud Gilded Horse was the cheapest, but still cost three to four million. The Firecloud Gold-Crystal Wolf went for five to six million. The most expensive was the Firecloud Crimsonflame Tiger, which shockingly reached as high as eight million—and that was for an impure bloodline. A purebred Firecloud Crimsonflame Tiger cost a staggering ten million.
"I wonder which variety has caught your eye, sir? This humble one can give you a detailed explanation."
"If I'm getting one, of course it'll be the most expensive."
"The most expensive?" The attendant was momentarily taken aback, then smiled. "The most expensive variety in our Firecloud Manor would be the Firecloud Crimsonflame Tiger. The Crimsonflame Tiger has the fiercest temperament, the most robust physical body, and the greatest strength. A single tiger's roar can make even a Luo Tian Upper Immortal tremble three times. An adult Crimsonflame Tiger can reach over ten meters in size. When enraged, its combat power is especially astonishing; even a Golden Immortal wouldn't dare face it head-on. Therefore, the Firecloud Crimsonflame Tiger has always been hailed as the king among Firecloud Spirit Beasts!"
"Sounds pretty good," Gu Qingfeng nodded.
Horse King, standing beside him, asked, "What's the price for a Firecloud Crimsonflame Tiger?"
"A Firecloud Crimsonflame Tiger cub is priced at eight million. An adult is priced at twelve million."
Hearing this, Horse King couldn't help but suck in a cold breath. This price was truly frightening. He asked again, "Is that price for a hybrid or for a pure bloodline?"
"Of course, that's for hybrids."
"Purebred Firecloud Crimsonflame Tigers are exceedingly rare, so their price is correspondingly higher. A purebred cub costs twenty million, an adult over thirty million."
When he heard that an adult purebred Firecloud Crimsonflame Tiger could cost over thirty million, Horse King felt the world spin around him. Suppressing the creeping numbness on his scalp, he asked once more, "How many Immortal Stones does it take to raise a purebred Firecloud Crimsonflame Tiger per year?"
"Not much. About five or six hundred thousand."
Horse King secretly clicked his tongue in astonishment. "Heavens! Just feeding a purebred Firecloud Crimsonflame Tiger costs five or six hundred thousand a year? And that's not expensive? Raising it for eight or ten years would cost five or six million! That's enough to buy a graded immortal weapon or treasure!"
"Sir, you can't calculate the account that way. A purebred Firecloud Crimsonflame Tiger, once fully grown, can easily intimidate a Golden Immortal. Its strength is comparable to a Grand Luo Golden Immortal. Moreover, the Firecloud Crimsonflame Tiger is famously loyal and protective of its master. In times of crisis, it can even save a life."
The attendant smiled. "In this world, what is more precious than one's own life? Compared to your own life, is five or six hundred thousand a year really that much?"
Hearing the attendant put it this way, Horse King thought it over carefully and found it somewhat reasonable.
"Furthermore, with a ferocious spirit beast like the Firecloud Crimsonflame Tiger guarding you, charging into battle for you, wouldn't your chances be greater when competing for heavenly materials and earthly treasures out in the world? At the very least, if others want to fight you for something, they'll have to consider whether they have the strength to withstand the terrifying power of a Firecloud Crimsonflame Tiger. You get what you pay for; that's an eternal truth. Everyone knows the Firecloud Crimsonflame Tiger is the most expensive, but no one can deny its formidable power!"