[Name: Lu Chi]
[Realm: Third Layer of Qi Refinement]
[Profession: Talisman Master Lv.1 (17/30)]
[Ice Arrow Talisman: Novice (30/100)]
[Spirit?Gathering Talisman: Apprentice (6/300)]
After several consecutive days of crafting talismans, Lu Chi became increasingly aware of the subtle shifts on his status panel.
Within the [Talisman Master]? column, the growth of his Experience had become clearly traceable.
Each time he successfully completed a first?rank, lower?grade talisman, his Experience would increase by one point.
However, when he successfully drew that first?rank, mid?grade Spirit?Gathering Talisman, his Experience surged by three points at once.
From this, it was not hard to deduce: the higher the grade of the talisman, the greater its contribution to advancing his profession.
Lu Chi pondered this quietly.
The effect of [Fiery Will]? extended far beyond merely helping him step through the door of the Talisman Master path.
In this art of talisman cultivation, it could clearly bypass many arduous, circuitous steps that others could not avoid in the future.
What other abilities might unlock when the Talisman Master profession advanced another level?
He looked forward to it very much.
Yet he did not grow arrogant because of it.
As his level increased, acquiring Experience would surely not remain as smooth as it was now.
This had already become apparent in his talisman?crafting Proficiency.
Previously, when the Spirit?Gathering Talisman was still at the Novice level, each successful talisman added ten Proficiency points.
But after it advanced to Apprentice, for each additional lower?grade and mid?grade talisman drawn, the Proficiency gain was only one or five points respectively, and the upper limit had also risen from one hundred to three hundred.
To progress further, to Skilled or even Mastery, would require exponentially more effort and time.
It seemed the path revealed by the panel grew more demanding the further one walked.
After checking the panel, Lu Chi turned his attention to examining himself.
Upon careful consideration, the number of talismans he truly had mastered was not large.
Apart from the Spirit?Gathering Talisman and the Ice Arrow Talisman, he had no other completed talisman arts.
They were sufficient for self?defense.
But if he wanted to establish himself in the market district and open up a clientele, it seemed a bit thin.
This matter could not be rushed, yet it also could not be delayed.
Fortunately, he had worked at the Luo Family Talisman Shop for many years and had seen and handled many talisman scripts.
The Golden Light Talisman for protection, the Life?Seeking Talisman for escape, and the Aura?Concealment Talisman for stealth—all were within his memory.
If he could master several of these with the aid of [Fiery Will], it would benefit both himself and his dealings in the market.
Beyond that, there were numerous other trivial yet pressing matters.
A storage pouch still needed to be acquired.
Keeping talismans, spirit stones, and miscellaneous items always tucked in his sleeves was not a long?term solution.
Furthermore, the nourishing pills used in the early stages of Qi Refinement should also be put on the agenda.
If his cultivation remained stagnant, no matter how steadily he drew talismans, he would ultimately lack a solid foundation in the market district.
"How far the talisman path can go is a matter for the future, but to stand firm now depends on the level of one's cultivation."
With these thoughts settled one by one, Lu Chi's state of mind gradually grew calm instead.
He thought no more about it.
He took out a low?grade spirit stone he had just obtained, sat cross?legged, and began circulating his spiritual power according to the nameless technique.
When the spirit stone entered his hand, spiritual energy slowly emanated from it, far surpassing spirit sand in potency.
It flowed along his meridians, warm yet not aggressive, and his mental focus gradually recovered.
The night passed without incident.
As dawn approached, Lu Chi concluded his cultivation and rose.
He felt clear?minded and spiritually abundant; the fatigue from his earlier talisman?crafting had mostly dissipated.
The efficacy of this spirit stone was truly extraordinary.
In the past, he had always absorbed it sparingly, not daring to consume much.
Now, releasing his control to guide the spiritual power, he immediately felt his vital energy brimming—completely different from before.
For the next three days in a row, Lu Chi did not leave his home.
The courtyard gate remained tightly shut, and no one knocked from outside.
He simply calmed his mind and devoted this free period entirely to his talisman desk.
After three days, several new stacks of talismans gradually appeared on the corner of his desk: Golden Light Talismans, Aura?Concealment Talismans, Life?Seeking Talismans, Revitalizing Spring Talismans...
Although, apart from the Spirit?Gathering Talisman, the rest still required the aid of [Fiery Will]? to complete and were not yet something he could draw casually, he now had options for attack, defense, escape, and concealment.
If his goal was merely to meet the needs of most rogue cultivators and spirit farmers in the market district, this was more than sufficient.
Lu Chi carefully sealed each talisman, storing them in a cloth pouch.
With a plan in mind, he drew one additional mid?grade Spirit?Gathering Talisman to keep for his own cultivation.
One morning, he changed into clean clothes, secured the spirit stones close to his body, and pushed the door open to leave.
The world outside remained bustling.
The Azure Sparrow Mountain Market was built along the spiritual vein and had been managed by three major Foundation?Building families for many years.
It had long established its reputation in Dongyue County, attracting a constant stream of cultivators.
"Advancing from the third to the fourth layer of Qi Refinement is a critical step from the early to the middle stage. Some spiritual resources are indispensable."
"Such cultivation?aiding spiritual items can usually be bought at market stalls, but their quality is hard to judge... Forget it, it's better to go to a reliable shop."
As the saying goes, with spirit stones in hand, spending is no worry.
Now that Lu Chi's finances were more comfortable, he naturally felt like browsing a bit.
He looked up ahead.
Without lingering in the market, he turned and headed straight for a stately multi?story building.
Beneath its eaves hung a plain wooden plaque with gentle, restrained calligraphy that read: "Nurturing Origin Pavilion".
A faint medicinal fragrance lingered before the door year?round.
Few people came and went, yet each carried an extraordinary demeanor, seldom bearing the typical look of ordinary rogue cultivators.
Nurturing Origin Pavilion was the Shen family’s business.
It primarily sold elixirs and spirit?foods.
Though slightly more expensive than elsewhere, its goods were legitimate, reliably refined, and its reputation in the market district had always been good.
Lu Chi stepped inside.
Before he even reached the counter, a young man at the third layer of Qi Refinement approached.
The young man was taken aback for a moment, then a trace of surprise flashed in his eyes.
In a low voice, he asked, “Lu Chi? What brings you here? Did the old shop at the Luo family run out of talisman materials and send you to buy some?”
The youth wasn’t very old, slender in build, dressed in a short Daoist?apprentice robe that had been washed until nearly white.
His face was somewhat cold, but his features were well?defined.
When he spoke, a hint of mockery often curled at the corners of his mouth, yet his gaze was clear, without a trace of frivolity.
Lu Chi recognized the face at once, and his heart stirred.
This was Xu Yanqiu.
He, Lu Chi, and Zhou Jinyan had once been acquaintances, struggling together in the spirit?farming trade in their early days and getting along quite well.
Some time ago, for reasons unknown, Xu Yanqiu had sold his spirit fields, liquidated his assets, and transferred to the Shen family to become a menial laborer.
He said he wanted to study pill?refining techniques, hoping to walk the path of an alchemist in the future.
Since then, Xu Yanqiu had not met Lu Chi or Zhou Jinyan again, only occasionally exchanging letters.
The letters mentioned that the Shen family held him in considerable regard, that someone in the pill?refining lineage was guiding him—his words full of certainty about his future prospects.
Yet now, looking at him, Xu Yanqiu was dressed entirely in a pill?apprentice’s attire, the hem of his robe still stained with medicinal residue.
A hint of weariness showed between his brows, as if he had just emerged from the alchemy chamber deep inside the building.
He walked with hurried steps, his breath not yet steady.
To Lu Chi, he looked more like a servant rushing about on errands than someone being personally nurtured.
Lu Chi smiled slightly and said, “It’s been a long time, Brother Xu. Your presence remains as impressive as ever.”
Xu Yanqiu’s expression tightened for an instant, then he lowered his head to straighten his robe, reached up to brush the medicine stains from his sleeves, and quickly regained his usual aloof demeanor.
“You talisman?cultivators, have you come to mock me as well?
I merely assisted the alchemist for a while in the pill chamber.
Refining pills drains spirit and qi—coming out looking a bit disheveled isn’t worth mentioning.”
Then he changed the subject, looking at Lu Chi.
“You didn’t come to Nurturing Origin Pavilion today just to wander around, I suppose.”
Lu Chi understood perfectly but did not spell it out.
He simply took the opportunity to say, “There is indeed a matter. I wish to find a spiritual item that can assist in breaking through a bottleneck.”
Why wasn’t this talisman?cultivator working in his shop today, but instead coming here himself to buy spiritual items?
Xu Yanqiu’s brow twitched almost imperceptibly.
A sliver of doubt rose in his heart, but his expression remained unchanged, his tone calm as he said:
“Items like that aren’t always available on the ordinary shelves.
But you’ve come at a good time.
I’ve been helping the alchemist lately and know a bit about such matters.
Come with me.”
In truth, his role at Nurturing Origin Pavilion was merely that of a menial laborer.
Guiding customers and answering inquiries was precisely his assigned duty.
The two entered.
Inside, several display stands were arranged, all sorts of spiritual items meticulously categorized, each labeled with wooden tags.
Conveniently, they had exactly what Lu Chi needed.
“This is the Qi?Nurturing Pill,” Xu Yanqiu introduced.
“Sealed in a jade vial, it contains five pills.
The medicinal energy is gentle and nourishing, specially replenishing qi lost through cultivation and cleansing, warming and nourishing the meridians.
The price is three low?grade spirit stones, plus an additional twenty taels of spirit sand.
“…And this is Spirit?Condensing Liquid.”
He pointed to another.
“Held in a porcelain bottle, the spiritual energy inside flows more vigorously.
Its effects are rapid upon ingestion, but it can also easily disturb one’s qi mechanism.
The price is three low?grade spirit stones.
“And this is Revitalizing Grass.”
He continued.
“The leaves are verdant, its nature mild and balanced.
If obtained by a culinary cultivator, it can be used to prepare spirit?meals, or given to an alchemist for refining into medicine.
It only requires one low?grade spirit stone.
“However, this item cannot be consumed directly.
For cultivators who are not of beast?type constitution, forcibly ingesting it is ineffective and may even harm the body.”
Xu Yanqiu explained indifferently.
Lu Chi’s gaze lingered among the various spiritual items as he weighed the options in his mind.
Spirit?Condensing Liquid was convenient but too harsh.
Revitalizing Grass was inexpensive, but without a trusted alchemist or acquaintance with a true culinary cultivator, buying it would only mean letting it gather dust.
In contrast, this Qi?Nurturing Pill had stable medicinal properties, decent efficacy, and its price was only slightly higher than that of spirit liquids—still within his means.
“I’ll take one Qi?Nurturing Pill today.
Would you please fetch it for me?”
Xu Yanqiu’s eyes lingered on Lu Chi’s face for a moment, but he asked nothing further.
He merely replied with an “Understood” and turned to go inside.
Not long after, he emerged from the inner room, holding a small cyan?colored vial in his hand.
The mouth of the vial was sealed with wax. He brought it to the counter.
“Qi?Nurturing Pill,” he said succinctly.
Then, after a brief pause, he finally couldn’t help speaking up, his tone carrying a trace of bewilderment:
“This spiritual item—you don’t mean to use it yourself, do you?
At this hour, shouldn’t you still be busy at the Luo family’s talisman shop?”
Lu Chi offered a faint smile and replied calmly, “This item is for my own cultivation.
I have already resigned from my position at the Luo family’s talisman shop.
From now on, I will manage my own affairs.”
He took the small vial, gave it a slight weigh in his hand, then took out spirit stones and spirit sand from his sleeve and placed them on the counter—the amount exact.
Xu Yanqiu’s tone was cold, yet it carried an indescribable nuance.
“This pill can indeed help regulate and nourish one’s primal qi during the early stages of Qi Refinement, but it’s not something you can rely on to break through a bottleneck just by taking it.
“If you stake everything—your entire fortune, or borrowed spirit stones—on this single vial, hoping it will pull you through a crisis, and in the end achieve nothing, don’t blame others.”
To him, it seemed Lu Chi must have encountered some major change to leave the shop where he had worked for years.
And now, to actually take out a considerable sum of spirit stones to exchange for this single vial of pills struck him as more like a desperate gamble.
A part of him couldn’t bear to see it, so he offered a warning—though with his naturally stern disposition, the words that came out sounded more like a cold sneer.
