Volume One: The Menial of Changshui County Chapter 78: Making a Fortune

“My life is at stake! This is outrageous! You beat me up, and now it’s somehow my fault?”
The big yellow dog was pitiful indeed.
Never had it met such a person!
After being thrashed, it was still blamed for everything?
“Well, you tricked me! I thought you truly were a seventh-grade demon cultivator and was ready to try it out,” Lu Jiuzhang replied, feeling guilty yet arguing stubbornly.
“Who said I’m not a seventh-grade demon cultivator?”
The big yellow dog protested, “You don’t understand my cultivation method. Each time I advance a grade, I must start over, and undergo a transformation.”
In short, the ninth grade of demon cultivation was the limit of its technique.
At that point, a transformation was needed: all previous power would be sealed into a golden core, and the grade ceiling would become eighth.
Then it would start cultivating anew, reach ninth grade again, then eighth, and so on.
Each transformation raised the grade ceiling by one and sealed away the preceding power.
When it finally reached the first grade, all its powers would be merged together, shattering and remaking the nine golden cores.
By then, its strength would be truly unrivaled, capable of breaking through to the transcendent grade.
At that stage, it would far surpass other cultivators, reaching the absolute pinnacle.
“With every transformation, my appearance changes too,” the big yellow dog explained. “When your eldest brother met me, I was still a black cat. Who could have guessed after that transformation, I’d turn into a big yellow dog?”
“Next time I change, I don’t know what I’ll become!”
The big yellow dog was helpless.
“What about your true form?” Lu Jiuzhang asked.
“I’m not sure what my true form is. Perhaps when I truly reach the peak and awaken all my bloodlines, I’ll find out.”
The dog continued, “But rest assured, I am a true auspicious beast, capable of suppressing ordinary demon bloodlines. Even the most noble bloodlines of your human race pale in comparison!”
It wore an expression of pride. “So, what do you think? Interested in following this divine beast as my servant? Once I reach the pinnacle, I’ll make you the greatest demon under me.”
“Then, your glory will be unmatched—even human emperors will envy you!”
Lu Jiuzhang found the big yellow dog’s ideas fanciful. “Do you know who I am? I’m actually the Creator’s ninth child, but my power is sealed inside me.”
“If you give me a hundred taels of silver, once I unlock my sealed powers and overthrow the Creator, becoming the new one, you’ll be second only to me. Forget the pinnacle—the whole world will be yours.”
“The Creator’s ninth child? Sealed power inside?” The big yellow dog stared at Lu Jiuzhang, its gaze somewhat dazed.
It felt Lu Jiuzhang wouldn’t lie about such a secret.
After all, such an absolute secret wouldn’t be spoken so casually.
The big yellow dog decided it must keep this confidential.
“So... human, you really only need a hundred taels of silver?” the big yellow dog asked.

Damn!
The big yellow dog had actually fallen for it?
It seemed this dog was rather naïve.
Lu Jiuzhang nodded, “Of course, the more the better. Don’t worry, if you support me now, I’ll help you awaken your bloodline and become a true divine beast in the future!”
“Well... Actually, I don’t have much silver either. When I used to roam the deep mountains, I discovered a faint spirit stone vein. I used some, but have about two or three pieces left.”
The big yellow dog spat out two and a half spirit stones from its mouth.
Those stones were reddish and somewhat translucent.
As soon as they touched the ground, Lu Jiuzhang noticed the air’s spiritual energy thickening.
This dog really had some treasures.
Lu Jiuzhang felt a pang of guilt.
His offhand words had been taken seriously by the big yellow dog.
Yet it was proof the dog was decent.
“I’ll keep half a stone for myself, to help with cultivation. I can’t assist you further,” the big yellow dog said, aggrieved. “Also, remember your promise to help me when the time comes.”
“Rest assured, once I become the Creator, this world will be yours.”
Lu Jiuzhang was overjoyed, snatching up the spirit stones.
He wondered what special ability the big yellow dog had to spit things out like that.
“I have a space inside me, able to store objects—similar to your human storage rings. Once a sorcerer reaches grade four, they can cut space and forge a storage ring.”
The big yellow dog explained.
Lu Jiuzhang didn’t really listen, his attention wholly on the spirit stones.
Each stone was worth a thousand gold taels, or a hundred thousand silver.
The big yellow dog was truly generous—these two and a half stones were worth two hundred fifty thousand silver taels.
Lu Jiuzhang had never seen so much wealth before.
...
Back in his room, Lu Jiuzhang sat cross-legged, preparing to cultivate with the spirit stones.
Outside in the courtyard, the big yellow dog continued its breathing exercises.
Seeing Lu Jiuzhang enter the house, the dog took a deep breath, unsure if it had managed to deceive him.
The spirit stones were certainly not found in the deep mountains.
Any unclaimed spirit stone vein, no matter how weak, was guarded by strong demon beasts.
The big yellow dog’s own strength was meager; it couldn’t provoke those beasts.
The spirit stones had been given to it by Lu Jiuzhang’s elder brother—a total of five.

The big yellow dog had kept two and a half for itself, and gave only two and a half to Lu Jiuzhang.
A good deal indeed!
The big yellow dog was thrilled.
Lu Jiuzhang was just as excited; cultivating with spirit stones was a whole new experience.
Both man and dog felt they had profited immensely!
...
Inside the room, Lu Jiuzhang placed the spirit stones on his knees.
Instantly, the spiritual energy in the room grew dense.
It was as rich as it had been near the strange tree in the cave behind Sanyi Manor.
And this was only the aura leaking from the spirit stones—direct absorption would be even more terrifying!
He calmed himself and began to cultivate.
...
Night deepened, the moon climbing high. The big yellow dog stopped absorbing moonlight and glanced toward Lu Jiuzhang’s room.
The density of spiritual energy there was so enticing that the big yellow dog wanted to sneak in and absorb some itself.
Lu Jiuzhang’s cultivation skill was too weak, wasting much of the spiritual energy.
Many of the spirit stone’s energies spilled out of the room, drifting into the courtyard and even across the entire Changshui County.
“Just a couple breaths, nothing more!”
The big yellow dog gave itself a mental pep talk, then quietly crouched outside Lu Jiuzhang’s room, greedily absorbing spiritual energy.
Its absorption rate was much faster than Lu Jiuzhang’s.
Both absorbed quickly, forming two small whirlpools.
Lu Jiuzhang’s was tiny, while the big yellow dog’s enveloped itself completely.
Not until dawn did Lu Jiuzhang finish his cultivation.
The two and a half spirit stones were now spent, and Lu Jiuzhang was on the verge of breaking through to eighth-grade martial arts.
Just a final push, and he’d formally enter the eighth grade.
The abundance of spiritual energy within him left him deeply satisfied.
If he used Windstep, paired with the Demon-Slaying Blade Technique, Zhou Cheng would be no match for him—even in a single round!