Talisman

Lin Xuan had originally planned to return to the Post House for a meal, but a stall along the way caught his attention and made him stop. He was not the only one; many people had gathered around it.

What treasure could draw so many cultivators? Filled with curiosity, Lin Xuan walked over.

The stall owner was an honest-looking young man of about twenty-three or twenty-four. Surrounded by so many people, he was clearly nervous, his face flushed bright red. Various Talismans were laid out across his stall.

Talismans were made by cultivators sealing Spells inside special Talisman Paper. When facing an enemy, they required no spiritual power to use and could be activated instantly. Their advantages were obvious.

To high-level cultivators, Talismans were nothing much. But to low-level cultivators, they were valuable and practical items. Especially in battle, one extra Talisman could sometimes tip the scales of victory.

However, making Talismans was exceedingly complicated. Not only did it require special Talisman Paper, but it also consumed a great deal of spiritual power, and the success rate was low. The more advanced the Spell, the harder it was to make. Thus, Talismans were also rare and precious items in the Cultivation World.

Lin Xuan had wandered through the market for two hours without seeing any Talismans for sale. Yet this stall had so many. A rough count revealed nearly a hundred.

No wonder it had attracted so many cultivators.

Lin Xuan squeezed to the front, but after seeing the Talismans on display, he was deeply disappointed. He had never expected to find Talismans sealed with high-level Spells here, so that was one thing. But there was not even a single Talisman containing a mid-level Spell.

All the Talismans for sale contained low-level Spells, and even among low-level Spells, they were the most basic, entry-level kind—Ice Bullet Technique, Fireball Technique, Quicksand Technique, Rolling Rock Technique, Thorn Technique, and so on. There was quite a variety, but even a low-level cultivator at the first layer of the Spirit Movement Stage could easily cast these Spells. What was the point of buying them?

So although many people had gathered around, not a single cultivator was willing to buy. Only after a long while did someone finally ask in a teasing tone, "Stall owner, how much are these Talismans?"

The young man's face reddened further, and he lowered his head. His expression made even the onlookers anxious for him. "Two for one Low-Grade Marrow Cleansing Pill."

"Hmph. These low-level Spells can be cast with ease, yet you're selling them at such a high price. You must be delirious from craving pills."

The crowd also broke into mockery and dispersed one after another. The young man's face turned even redder. With a sigh, he began packing up his stall. He had been here for two days already, yet had not sold a single Talisman.

It was not that low-level Talismans were truly useless. In fact, for cultivators with limited magical power, they were quite a good means of self-defense. There were two reasons they were difficult to sell.

First, Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators would certainly not buy them. They simply did not think much of such low-level Spells and naturally had no desire to spend Spirit Stones or pills trading for them. Second, low-level Spirit Movement Stage cultivators could cast the Spells in the Talismans themselves, but doing so consumed spiritual power and was slower. Of course they wanted useful Talismans, but the problem was that they were poor. Their hearts aspired, but their strength fell short; they could only call grapes sour because they could not reach them.

In other words, high-level Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators did not want these low-level Talismans, while Spirit Movement Stage cultivators could not afford them or felt they were not worth the cost. Thus, they had fallen into the awkward position of pleasing neither side.

This honest young man was actually a low-level disciple of Daofu Mountain. From the sect's name alone, one could tell that its cultivators specialized in making Talismans.

He had made all these Talismans himself. It was only because his cultivation was shallow that he could seal nothing beyond the most basic Spells.

The young man had wanted to sell the Talismans more cheaply so he could get rid of them sooner. But making Talismans was no easy task. Leaving aside the special Talisman Paper they consumed, they also required precious materials such as Demonic Beast blood, and their success rate was low.

These nearly hundred Talismans had already cost him his entire fortune. Two Talismans for one pill was truly not expensive—it was the cost price.

But the problem was that these low-level Talismans were like chicken ribs: tasteless to eat, yet a pity to throw away. They were hard to sell.

The young man had arrived even earlier than Lin Xuan. He had set up his stall for three days, and countless cultivators had come to look, but he had not sold a single one.

Disheartened, and with noon mealtime arriving, he packed up his stall.

Throughout the entire process, Lin Xuan had not said a word, but he had other plans in mind. He wanted to buy these Talismans. The reason was simple: low-level Spells might be trash, but if there were enough of them, raining them down in an overwhelming flood would still carry tremendous power.

For example, if these nearly hundred low-level Talismans were used at once, even an expert at Foundation Establishment Early Stage would be left flustered and scrambling. Even if they could not injure the enemy, they could still buy him enough time to escape.

Of course, throughout the Cultivation World, no one but Lin Xuan could afford such extravagance. With his purification ability, whatever Lin Xuan lacked, it would never be pills. One pill for two Talismans was an easy matter for him.

However, Lin Xuan did not buy them immediately, because taking out fifty Marrow Cleansing Pills at once would draw far too much attention. Lin Xuan would not do something so foolish that it might bring disaster upon himself.

Even if he bought them, he had to do so more discreetly.

With that plan in mind, Lin Xuan dispersed with the other cultivators, but he did not go far. Instead, he wandered around nearby as if without a care, though all his attention remained fixed on the Talisman-making stall.

Before long, the honest young man packed up his belongings in despair and prepared to leave the square. Lin Xuan followed behind him without drawing attention.

After leaving the market, there were immediately far fewer cultivators around. Lin Xuan looked around, saw that no one was watching, and quietly slipped behind a large tree. Then he reached into his robes and took an item from the Storage Bracelet within.

It was a thin, membrane-like object, with human facial features painted upon it in lifelike detail. It was not a treasure of the Cultivation World, but something commonly used by people of the mortal martial world—a Disguise Mask.

As its name suggested, once worn, it could alter a person's appearance and thereby keep their identity secret. In the Cultivation World, there were naturally more advanced methods; certain cultivation arts could alter one's face and form. But with Lin Xuan's current cultivation, he had no way to learn them yet, so he could only settle for the next best thing.

Lin Xuan had bought this mask in the mortal world while traveling to Lingyun Sect. This was his first trip far from home, and since he was attending a cultivator gathering, he had naturally prepared thoroughly. The facts proved that his efforts had not been wasted. This Disguise Mask was about to come in handy.