Arcane Academy: The Divine Extraction Legacy-Chapter 981: The Spirit Beasts

"They all looked amazing..." Vale muttered.

Then, after walking around with Sabrina...

One stall caught his attention. There was a majestic creature resembling a lion with feathers made of silver.

[ Silver Astral Leonis

Grade: Lesser Immortal

Affinity: Flame and Wind

Intelligence: High ]

It was the only information written on its cage.

"A native of the Molten Vein Plains..." The merchant explained as Vale approached. "This one can use fire and fly. It bonds best with Elemental Immortals—perfect for large-scale wars..."

Vale was impressed after hearing this. Even without explanation, he could already tell that it was an awesome creature...

He liked it even if it wasn’t very compatible with him, since Spirit Beasts like this didn’t exist in the human realm. Not even close.

Still, since this was his first time here, he didn’t decide too early. Instead, he explored further and encountered other Spirit Beasts.

Vale found Jade Phantasm Serpents. They were illusion-type beasts that could hide an entire mountain, town, or even a huge army, within their mirage.

There were also Thunder Steeds, capable of charging through battlefields while summoning storm clouds...

Then, he saw plenty of Moonlit Mycofoxes. They were support-type foxes. Apparently, they enhanced Arcane Arts Spells and could guard against soul attacks.

If he wanted some powerful earth-type Spirit Beasts, there were also Obsidian Groundhogs. These beasts were subterranean-type, used to build or collapse fortresses according to the Merchant.

Vale wasn’t sure if he’d need them, but they were very interesting.

And finally, a Tenebral Whispercat, a shadow Spirit Beast whose purring could devour fear, protect the soul, and break mind-control curses. As a shadow-type beast, it was something Vale instantly marked as vital, given the Chaos Arts were also known for their soul techniques.

’If I can establish a breeding ground for these...’ He thought, calculating the impact such beasts would have if introduced back in his realm.

His Shadow Domain was vast, but its ecology probably lacked the ability to nurture Spirit Beasts.

"Right... I have to consider their survival as well." Vale muttered as he asked the merchant how to maintain these Spirit Beasts.

Thankfully, these beasts could survive with Spirit Stones, Divine Crystals, or even just the consumption of Arcane Crystals.

"I also have plenty of Arcane Crystals. Good..."

Then, Vale turned his attention to their prices.

As expected, most of these creatures were far beyond ordinary costs.

Still, Vale had enough Divine Crystals with him... They were probably the best currency in this realm, although they were valued as a rare power source as well.

The merchant who sold the Astral Leonis suddenly made an offer. "Sir Immortal, just fifty Divine Crystals would buy you six Leonis cubs, along with breeding rights and a Taming Contract Array."

Vale was quite interested after hearing about the rights and the array...

Still, he stored the offer mentally and thanked the merchant before they moved along.

***

As they wandered deeper into the Spirit Beast floor, the surroundings subtly shifted.

The vibrant warmth of the previous stalls gave way to a colder, more subdued atmosphere.

Fewer merchants were actively looking for customers. Fewer beasts were making noise or screeching in excitement.

Sabrina glanced sideways and smiled. "We’re entering one of the specialty wings. This floor has separate quadrants for rare elemental affinities. In this path you picked, there were more Shadow and Ice Spirit Beasts..."

"That’s perfect then." Vale muttered.

The stall they approached next had enclosures that absorbed light instead of reflecting it.

There were no excessive lights, only pale-blue lanterns emitting a soft light.

The shopkeeper had a face obscured by a half-mask.

"Welcome, customers. You’ve arrived at the Umbracryo Pen—home to the Shadow-Bound and Winter-Wrought."

Vale immediately stepped forward as his senses registered the beasts within.

The first enclosure held what looked like a panther with black mist around it...

[ Nightreaver Shroudfang

Grade: Earth-Immortal

Affinity: Shadow

Intelligence: High

Ability: Can phase through physical attacks, spread fear to enemies, and disrupt light-based formations. ]

It growled as Vale neared, yet there was no sound—only the sensation of a growl echoing in his bones.

It was such an interesting creature.

"Only seventy Divine Crystals for a youngling... But in case you want an adult like this one, it will only be 700 Divine Crystals." The merchant said. "Its kind is extremely loyal to those who command both strength and subtlety. They’re particularly adept at ambushing spatial and light or holy-type practitioners."

Vale didn’t respond. He was already scanning the next Spirit Beast.

There, curled up in a nest of dark feathers and ice shards, was a pale four-footed beast with blue fur and a tail like an ice whip.

[ Frostborne Vulpestra

Grade: Lesser Immortal

Affinity: Ice and Spirit

Ability: Can nullify fire-type spells, emit soul-chilling howls that disrupt Divinity Flow, and form defensive crystal barriers. ]

Its eyes opened slowly and Vale realized that he was also being assessed by the Spirit Beast...

Sabrina whispered... "These are extremely rare. They’re known for defending the minds of their partners. Many Ice-type Arcanists and Immortals use them during meditation or soul-cultivation."

Vale was visibly interested now.

Beasts that could interfere with mana flow or protect against soul damage were invaluable against Chaos Art users. Not to mention the beast’s potential as a battlefield companion.

"How much?" he asked.

"For the young ones—eighty Divine Crystals. Adults can fetch upwards of seven hundred fifty, depending on how refined their Ice Core is..." The merchant replied. "I also offer bonding rituals with Ice-Nurturing Arrays..."

Vale nodded in approval.

With Sabrina not saying anything, he knew that he was not being scammed at all.

’Wait... Maybe she’s with this merchant?’ Vale thought for a moment, but he swiftly shook his head. There was no way Sabrina would go through so much trouble just to scam him, right?

"Hmm?" Sabrina noticed Vale’s look and paused for a moment. Then, she smiled and nodded.

"Are you curious if the price is just right? Well, you’re not from here, and you’ve probably never seen them in the central region. It’s because these Spirit Beasts only grew around this region and the distribution is controlled by the Merchant Union, so it will not leave the city. You can only find them here."

"I see... No wonder I’ve never seen them before..." Vale could only reply as he decided to purchase both the Shadow Spirit and Ice Spirit Beasts.

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