High-grade Talismans

Li Chengjie carried the costly set of Minor Sumeru Vajra Array back to the somewhat disheveled Li's Pill Pavilion under the escort of Zhou Wenwu's disciples.

Traces of last night's fight still remained outside the shop, along with a faint, lingering smell of blood.

After thanking the disciples who had escorted him, Li Chengjie shut the door and immediately began setting up the formation.

Following the cultivation technique recorded in the Jade Slip, he placed the formation plate at the center of the shop, then planted several small Formation Flags into the floor and walls at designated positions.

As the final spiritual incantation entered the formation plate, a pale golden curtain of light, nearly imperceptible to the naked eye, silently rose up. Like an overturned bowl, it enveloped the entire shop.

Fine runes flowed faintly across the light curtain, radiating an aura of stability and resilience.

Li Chengjie could clearly sense that this curtain was connected to the weak Spirit Vein beneath the ground, drawing energy from it without end. Its defensive power was far beyond that crude door bolt from before.

Li Chengjie let out a long breath, and a great weight lifted from his heart.

With this layer of protection, his safety at night was at least greatly assured.

As he tidied up the messy shop, he reminded himself that he still had Spirit Stones to earn.

Time flowed by, and in the blink of an eye, three months had passed.

Under Li Chengjie's careful management and supported by the quality of his pills, Li's Pill Pavilion's business grew ever more prosperous.

Drawing on the Mid-grade Alchemist experience he had copied from Su Yuchen, Li Chengjie produced Harmony Qi Pills of consistently superior quality. From time to time, he even refined exceptional pills bearing faint pill patterns, making a name for himself in the market.

His daily Spirit Stone income was quite considerable. Not only had he made up for the enormous expense of purchasing the Minor Sumeru Vajra Array, but he had gradually amassed a sizable fortune.

Yet the string in Li Chengjie's heart had never loosened.

The shadow of that night's attack, along with his unpleasant confrontation with Chen Xuan afterward, had made him keenly realize that in the peril-ridden Qingshi Market, one fixed Protective Formation was far from enough.

Though formations were powerful, they were ultimately dead things. They took time to activate, and their area of coverage was fixed.

Should he encounter a more cunning and better-prepared enemy—or suffer a close-range ambush like that night—the formation might not be able to ensure his safety.

One day after closing up, Li Chengjie counted the earnings from the past three months. Looking at the Storage Bag, now full of Spirit Stones once more, a thought became increasingly clear in his mind.

"A formation is the foundation, but I still need more flexible means of protection... First-tier High-grade Talismans!" he muttered, a glint of resolve flashing through his eyes.

First-tier High-grade Talismans possessed power comparable to the full-force strike of a late Qi Refining stage cultivator, or could provide formidable instant protection. They were precisely the life-saving trump cards he urgently needed.

Though costly, this investment had to be made for the sake of safety!

Li Chengjie locked the shop, activated the formation, and headed once more to East Street of the market. This time, his destination was not Heavenly Crafts Pavilion, but a shop called Myriad Talisman Tower. It was said to have ties to the Flowing Cloud Sect as well, and its talismans were reliably high in quality.

The moment he entered Myriad Talisman Tower, the faint scent of cinnabar and Spirit Ink washed over him.

All manner of talismans were displayed inside, from the lowest-tier Cleaning Talismans and Glimmer Talismans to mid-grade and high-grade attack and defensive talismans wreathed in spiritual light. The selection was dazzling.

A middle-aged shopkeeper came forward with an affable smile. "What talismans does this fellow cultivator need?"

Li Chengjie stated his purpose directly. "Shopkeeper, I would like to look at First-tier High-grade defensive and attack talismans."

The shopkeeper's eyes lit up, and his manner grew even more enthusiastic. "You have a fine eye, fellow cultivator! First-tier High-grade Talismans possess extraordinary power—they are sharp tools for protecting oneself and defeating foes! Please, come to the high-grade section."

He led Li Chengjie to a counter crafted from Spirit Wood at one side of the store. The talismans displayed within were clearly more exquisite, with intricate runes and spiritual light contained within.

The shopkeeper began introducing them as if reciting treasures from his own home.

"Please take a look at this Golden Armor Talisman. Once activated, it forms a sturdy Golden Armor Phantom around the body, enough to withstand several fierce attacks from a late Qi Refining stage cultivator without breaking! It costs eighty Low-grade Spirit Stones."

"This Earth Prison Talisman transforms into a stone cage the instant it is thrown, trapping the enemy within. Even a late Qi Refining stage cultivator would find it difficult to break free for quite some time! It costs seventy-five Spirit Stones."

"And this Blazing Flame Talisman contains a pure blazing flame spell. Once activated, it turns into a sea of fire, covering a wide area with astonishing power! It costs eighty-five Spirit Stones."

"This Ice Needle Talisman can instantly fire hundreds of ice needles brimming with chilling Cold Air when activated. Their piercing power is exceptional, making them impossible to guard against! It also costs eighty-five Spirit Stones."

Listening to the prices, Li Chengjie secretly clicked his tongue.

The prices of these First-tier High-grade Talismans truly were extraordinary—nearly equivalent to a decent mid-grade magical artifact.

Li Chengjie carefully sensed the Spiritual Power Fluctuations emanating from the talismans. They were indeed far stronger than those of mid-grade talismans.

After pondering for a moment, Li Chengjie asked, "Shopkeeper, can the price be lowered a little? I intend to buy several."

A troubled look appeared on the shopkeeper's face. "Fellow cultivator, First-tier High-grade Talismans are difficult to make, have a low success rate, and consume precious materials. This price is already quite fair. However..."

The shopkeeper looked Li Chengjie over. "If you sincerely wish to buy them, purchasing three or more will earn you a discount of five Spirit Stones per talisman. How does that sound?"

Li Chengjie did the math. He currently had roughly eight hundred Spirit Stones that he could use.

He needed to account for both defense and offense.

"I'll take four Golden Armor Talismans and four Earth Prison Talismans, along with two Blazing Flame Talismans and two Ice Needle Talismans." Li Chengjie made his decision.

Four Golden Armor Talismans would serve chiefly for defense. Four Earth Prison Talismans could be used both offensively and defensively to restrain enemies. Two Blazing Flame Talismans provided area attacks, while two Ice Needle Talismans were for single-target ambushes. It was a fairly balanced arrangement.

At his words, the shopkeeper beamed. "Decisive indeed, fellow cultivator! Eight defensive talismans and four attack talismans—at the original price, that comes to nine hundred and sixty Spirit Stones. With the discount for buying three or more, five Spirit Stones off each talisman makes sixty Spirit Stones off for twelve talismans. I'll round it down a little further for you: nine hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones in total! What do you say?"

Nine hundred Spirit Stones!

That was nearly every bit of the money he had planned to use this time.

Li Chengjie's heart ached, but remembering that these talismans could save his life at a crucial moment, he still gritted his teeth and nodded. "Fine! We'll go with that price!"

Li Chengjie readily paid the nine hundred Spirit Stones. After the shopkeeper counted them and confirmed the amount, he carefully placed the twelve talismans, radiant with spiritual light, into a specially made Jade Box and handed it to Li Chengjie. He then reminded him, "Fellow cultivator, high-grade talismans are rich in spiritual power and must be stored in a Jade Box to prevent that power from dissipating. When using them, simply lock onto the target with your divine sense and activate them with spiritual power. It is quick and simple, but remember—every one of these is quite valuable. Do not use them lightly unless absolutely necessary."

"Thank you for the reminder, Shopkeeper." Li Chengjie accepted the Jade Box and solemnly tucked it against his body, hiding it close to his chest.

Leaving Myriad Talisman Tower with this "life-saving talisman" worth nine hundred Spirit Stones tucked against his chest, Li Chengjie felt his confidence grow a little stronger.

Although his wealth had taken another steep plunge, the feeling of holding his own safety in his hands made him feel it was all worth it.

Back at Li's Pill Pavilion, Li Chengjie activated the formation and sat in the quiet chamber, stroking the Jade Box that held the Talismans, his gaze calm and steady.

"With the formation holding the fort and Talismans for emergencies... next, I still need to raise my Cultivation level and alchemy skill as quickly as possible. Only becoming strong myself is the true foundation." Li Chengjie murmured, his eyes growing ever more resolute.

Early the next morning, a young man in a moon-white brocade robe entered. He was handsome, with an innate reserve and pride between his brows. The jade pendant at his waist glimmered faintly with spiritual light. He was none other than Chen Xuan, the direct descendant of the Chen Family said to be unbeatable among mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators in Qingshi Market—the one who required 150 Replication Points!