Clan Cultivation: Starting from Beast Taming

The Ice Jade Soul Silkworm, a very peculiar and rare insect.

This rare insect is born in the Cold Ice Wasteland, and its lifespan is exceedingly long, growing only one inch every thousand years!

From birth, they neither consume grains nor feed on blood, but instead exclusively parasitize those creatures that have been frozen unconscious, feeding on the souls that dissipate after their host's death.

Therefore, they are also known by a fearsome nickname—the Soul-Devouring Ice Silkworm.

However, it's important to note that the Ice Jade Soul Silkworms do not actively harm creatures that can still move freely in extremely cold environments; they only appear beside those close to death to consume the souls that dissipate after their demise.

For this reason, many cultivators do not consider them to be malevolent beings.

To cultivators, the Ice Jade Soul Silkworm is undoubtedly a rare treasure.

Feeding on souls, it can also be used to nourish a cultivator's own soul, and it is extremely effective in aiding the development of the Purple Mansion.

Even cultivators whose Divine Souls have been damaged can refine and use them to repair such injuries.

It's said that Ice Jade Soul Silkworms that are over three inches in length can even restore the soul damage of Golden Core Stage Cultivators.

Of course, if there were silkworms at that level, they definitely wouldn't be auctioned off at this event.

"Thirty-three thousand Spirit Coins!"

"Thirty-five thousand Spirit Coins!"

"Forty thousand Spirit Coins!"

At this moment, the bidding price for the Ice Jade Soul Silkworm kept climbing, one Purple Mansion Phase Cultivator after another calling out bids, seeking to acquire this rare treasure for their clan.

But Zhou Mingde had remained silent so far.

It wasn't just him; others who were also intent on securing the Ice Jade Soul Silkworm hadn't spoken either.

This pattern continued until the price climbed to sixty thousand Spirit Coins, at which point the majority of the bids ceased.

This didn't mean that the Ice Jade Soul Silkworm was only worth that much.

In fact, an item like the Ice Jade Soul Silkworm doesn't have a fixed market price to speak of.

Ultimately, its value depends entirely on how much the potential buyer is willing to pay.

The reason the bidding had stopped was that the heads of most of the major cultivator clans could only afford so much liquid capital.

In the whole of Jingguo Country, there weren't many cultivator clans that could produce sixty thousand Spirit Coins; most of their liquid assets actually struggled to exceed fifty thousand Spirit Coins.

After all, with a large family to support and significant expenses every year, it's very difficult for income to surge unless some unexpected windfall occurs.

Moreover, to give hope to the clan members, significant sums have to be spent every eight to ten years to purchase items such as Foundation Establishment Pills and other Spiritual Objects to assist a Clan Member with Foundation Establishment, making it even harder to save a large sum of money.

If it wasn't for Zhou Chun's recent windfall from Green Lotus Temple, plus the selling of several rare treasures from Dragon Abyss Marsh, the Zhou Family wouldn't have been able to amass so many Spirit Coins either.

Clearly, not every Supreme Elder or Clan Leader is willing to reach into their own pockets to fund the purchase of Purple Mansion Spiritual Matters for someone in their clan.

So it was only natural that the number of bids began to dwindle at this point.

"Seventy thousand Spirit Coins!"

Just then, Zhou Mingde abruptly called out, increasing the bid by several thousand Spirit Coins in one go.

With that bid, the entire room's gaze turned towards the Zhou Family's table, and even Su Yunniang on the auction stage shifted her beautiful eyes to look at the one who had spoken, Zhou Mingde.

"It turns out to be Taoist Friend Zhou from the Zhou Family of Lanzhou, no wonder you're so bold and wealthy!"

A deep and elderly voice slowly spoke up before continuing, "However, our Lin Family has also taken a fancy to the Ice Jade Soul Silkworm. We all must rely on our financial resources to bid, so I offer seventy-three thousand Spirit Coins!"

The Lin Family from Yanzhou, hmm?

Zhou Chun's gaze shifted to the Elder who had spoken, immediately recognizing that their family was also among the top thirty clans this time.

Clearly, after learning about the upcoming campaign against the Dragon Transformation Sect, they too wished to obtain the Ice Jade Soul Silkworm to add another Purple Mansion Phase Cultivator to their ranks.

We have competition!

The three from the Zhou Family exchanged glances, each showing a look of solemnity in their eyes.

Zhou Mingde then simply nodded and replied, "Taoist Friend Lin is right, we should bid based on our financial capabilities."

But after saying that, he didn't immediately raise his bid.

Seeing this, the Elder from the Lin Family didn't show any sign of joy; instead, his expression became even more solemn.

Sure enough, no sooner had Zhou Mingde refrained from bidding than another voice suddenly proclaimed, "Eighty thousand Spirit Coins!"

Instantly, everyone in the room turned to look at the bidder, curious to see who had such deep pockets.

But when they saw who it was, their pupils constricted.

Because the one who made the bid was none other than a Golden Core Stage Cultivator from a prominent Golden Core family!

Competing against a Golden Core Stage Cultivator in a bidding war required not only wealth but also courage.

After all, if one is not acquainted with the person, it's impossible to know the extent of their temperament.

If, by chance, one encounters a person of small-mindedness who harbors a grudge over this matter, it could truly be an undeserved disaster!

Thus, the Lin Family Elder who had just spoken about bidding according to one's financial strength was now noticeably silent.

Even Su Yunniang on the stage, after glancing at Bi Qiuyue, Zhen Bingyang, and Master Shanyang a few times, promptly said in a soft voice, "Eighty thousand Spirit Coins for the first time, does any fellow Taoist wish to continue bidding?"
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This was an unprecedented situation.

Previously, she would wait for at least several hundred breaths before asking in such a way!

And after she spoke, the Lin Family Elder and several other interested cultivators seemed to choke, as if wanting to say something but not daring to speak out.

However, Zhou Mingde then said in a deep voice, "Eighty-one thousand Spirit Coins!"