Invisibility Talisman

The young man in splendid robes widened his eyes and shot Lin Xuan a surprised look. No wonder—in the eyes of noble family disciples like them, Rogue Cultivators were all poor. Yet this kid had calmly produced one hundred and sixty Marrow Cleansing Pills, forcing him to view him in a new light.

Could this kid not be a Rogue Cultivator, but a disciple of another family, or even a sect?

This thought flashed through Yan Ming's mind as he carefully sized Lin Xuan up from head to toe. No, sect disciples all wore distinctive clothing, and even the younger members of prominent families would not dress so shabbily. This kid was dressed exactly like a standard Rogue Cultivator.

Perhaps he was some lucky bastard who had stumbled into a windfall.

Thinking this, Yan Ming's expression became arrogant once more. "This young master offers one hundred and seventy Marrow Cleansing Pills."

"One hundred and eighty!"

"One hundred and ninety."

"Two hundred!" Lin Xuan gritted his teeth. He was determined to obtain the Spirit Control Technique. After preparing for so long, how could he return empty-handed?

Cold sweat also appeared on Yan Ming's forehead. Never in his dreams had he expected this unremarkable kid to possess so many pills. Though the Yan Family was a mid-sized cultivation family with several centuries of inheritance, its wealth was hardly abundant. Two hundred Marrow Cleansing Pills would leave the entire family stretched thin, and they might even have to sell off quite a few treasures.

But before he had set out, his father had given him an order: no matter what, he had to acquire an intermediate cultivation technique. The reason was simple. His father, the clan head, was about to break through his bottleneck and enter the Foundation Establishment Realm, yet he lacked a suitable cultivation technique.

The sounds of the two bidding drew the surrounding cultivators over, and discussions immediately broke out.

"Heavens, two hundred Marrow Cleansing Pills!"

"Where did this Rogue Cultivator come from? He's so rich that he dares contend with a cultivation family?"

"What rich? He's a fool with more courage than sense. Just wait and see—even if he gets that cultivation technique, a bloody disaster will come knocking."

"Hmph, not necessarily. Since he isn't afraid of the Yan Family, perhaps he has a powerful master backing him."

Those words also voiced Yan Ming's own suspicions. Lin Xuan's behavior was simply too strange for a Rogue Cultivator. Seeing more and more people gathering around, a barely perceptible shadow crossed Lin Xuan's face. If this continued, things would only get worse. He had to act quickly.

He had to cut through the tangle with a sharp blade!

He took a jade bottle from his robes and placed it solemnly on the stall. "This, plus two hundred Low-Grade Marrow Cleansing Pills. Will you sell?"

What was this?

The same question arose in every cultivator's mind. The Lingyun Sect cultivator running the stall had only just recovered from his shock. He had never imagined that an ordinary intermediate cultivation technique would fetch such a staggering price.

Yet judging by Lin Xuan's solemn expression, he knew it was no ordinary item.

The stall owner swallowed and opened the bottle. At once, a refreshing fragrance drifted out. Inside lay a tiny pill, pale blue in color.

A Mid-Grade Marrow Cleansing Pill!

Though they had never seen one before, most cultivators had read descriptions of this pill in books. Its color and fragrance were both exactly right.

Someone immediately cried out in alarm!

The others were too stunned to speak. Even Yan Ming, who had worn such an arrogant expression moments ago, now stood with his mouth hanging open, looking utterly dumbfounded.

He had never dreamed that a Rogue Cultivator could produce a Mid-Grade Pill.

One had to know that in the Cultivation World, pill refining was an exceedingly technical craft. Even Low-Grade Pills had a success rate of only fifty or sixty percent, while Mid-Grade Pills had a success rate of less than one in five. Moreover, they required an experienced alchemist. Even a sect such as Floating Cloud Valley lacked the ability to refine Mid-Grade Pills. Only a handful of truly renowned great sects with inheritances spanning tens of thousands of years possessed small quantities of them, to be taken by elite disciples during breakthroughs.

In theory, for pills of the same kind, one Mid-Grade Pill could be exchanged for only ten Low-Grade Pills. But in reality, its value was far greater. More accurately, no one would make such a foolish exchange. After all, the medicinal potency of a Mid-Grade Pill and a Low-Grade Pill were not on the same level, especially when breaking through a bottleneck, where the former was far more effective.

As they stared at that Mid-Grade Pill, everyone's eyes filled with greed. Their expressions when looking at Lin Xuan also grew increasingly bewildered. How could a Rogue Cultivator possibly produce a Mid-Grade Pill? Could this Lin Xuan be playing the pig to eat the tiger?

"Well? Are you selling or not?"

"Selling!"

The Lingyun Sect cultivator running the stall clutched the Mid-Grade Pill tightly to his chest, as though afraid Lin Xuan might change his mind. Yan Ming seemed to want to say something, his lips moving several times, but in the end he chose silence. With his family's resources, producing two hundred Low-Grade Pills was already a struggle. A Mid-Grade Pill was beyond even his imagination. Besides, his heart was full of doubts, and he no longer dared regard Lin Xuan as an ordinary Rogue Cultivator.

Once the transaction was complete, Lin Xuan tucked the Jade Slip into his robes. Not daring to delay in the slightest, he pushed through the crowd and left the square at once.

Lin Xuan did not even return to the pavilion. Since all his treasures were stored in his Storage Ring, he directly used the Teleportation Array to leave Lingyun Sect, then cast the Wind Control Technique and descended Heavenly Pillar Peak.

Along the way, Lin Xuan cautiously released his divine sense. Sure enough, he detected several groups following him one after another. Yet Lin Xuan was neither surprised nor anxious. This was exactly what he had expected. He had caused such a commotion while purchasing the intermediate cultivation technique; it would have been strange if no one had harbored evil intentions.

Did they want to kill him and seize his treasures?

A mocking smile appeared at the corner of Lin Xuan's mouth. He circled around the area several times before arriving at a small valley not far from Heavenly Pillar Peak. Jagged rocks littered the surroundings, and the paths were winding and rugged, like a natural maze.

Stopping, Lin Xuan took out a red Talisman from his Storage Bracelet and held it in his hand. Reluctance flashed through his eyes, but after hesitating briefly, he still stuck the talisman onto himself, sat down cross-legged, and began chanting under his breath.

Under the effect of spiritual power, the talisman blazed with radiant light and transformed into a cloud of white mist that enveloped Lin Xuan's body. A moment later, the mist dispersed, and Lin Xuan vanished from where he had been.

This was an Invisibility Talisman. As its name suggested, it could render one invisible. It was a rare high-grade talisman, which was why Lin Xuan had been so reluctant to use it earlier.

After applying this Invisibility Talisman, one's body could vanish completely for three hours, while even spiritual power fluctuations would be concealed. Not even Foundation Establishment Realm experts could discover them. Naturally, it had a drawback: during that time, the user could not move, or the Invisibility Talisman would lose its effect.