Preparation

Zhang Tie carefully cleaned the wounds on his body. After tending to them properly, he slowly sat down on the bed with his legs crossed.

At this moment, his gaze was deep and focused as he began to consider his next steps.

Undoubtedly, fully charging the energy of the Undying Pearl was the most crucial matter at hand. Only when the Undying Pearl completed its charging could he resume his Body Cultivation path.

Secondly, a large number of spirit stones had become a problem he urgently needed to solve.

Currently, a bottle of Grade 1 mid-grade spirit beast blood alone cost forty spirit stones. Zhang Tie had a faint premonition that breaking through the Body Tempering Realm and entering the Meridian Casting Realm would not be achievable with just a few bottles of Grade 1 mid-grade spirit beast blood.

He would inevitably need a considerable amount of Grade 1 high-grade spirit beast blood to assist him, and the spirit stones required for this would be not just hundreds, but potentially thousands.

Relying on the missions issued by the sect was like trying to quench a thirst with a drop of water; it wasn't even enough to fill a gap. Therefore, he had to find a method to earn spirit stones steadily.

In the cultivation world, there was talk of the "Four Arts of Cultivation," namely Alchemy, Artifact Refining, talisman crafting, and Array Formation.

If one were to consider which of these four arts earned the most spirit stones, Alchemy would undoubtedly rank first, followed by Artifact Refining. However, the investment required for these two skills was far beyond what Zhang Tie could currently afford.

Not to mention the rare spirit medicine needed for Alchemy, Zhang Tie couldn't even afford an Alchemy Furnace.

As for Artifact Refining, it was even more complex, its intricacy no less than Alchemy. Learning it was extremely difficult, and once a refining attempt failed, it meant losing everything, leaving him completely broke.

The path of an Array Master, in its early stages, seemed somewhat impractical. Low-level Array Masters held humble positions in the cultivation world and generally had difficulty earning a stable income.

Although high-level Array Masters earned handsomely and were highly sought-after talents by sects, advancing from a low-level to a high-level Array Master could take anywhere from decades to hundreds of years. The long cycle made it an option Zhang Tie couldn't consider at the moment.

After much thought, Zhang Tie realized that the only path he could currently attempt to learn was talisman crafting.

The night passed in quiet cultivation. The next morning, as the sky just began to show the first light of dawn, Zhang Tie got up and went straight to the Scripture Pavilion.

After thoroughly reviewing and examining the information and content related to talisman crafting in the Scripture Pavilion, Zhang Tie wasted no time and headed directly to the market at the foot of the sect's mountain.

From a distance, the area ahead was shrouded in a thick fog that obscured everything, making it impossible to see clearly. Zhang Tie guessed that this must be the sect's guardian formation at work.

Without any further hesitation, Zhang Tie strode forward with firm steps and entered the market.

At this moment, a winding street paved with bluestone came into view. The street resembled a lively dragon, weaving its way through the rows of shops.

The shops on both sides of the street were arranged neatly, and the bustling crowds coming and going made it a lively scene.

In addition to the fixed shops, there was also an area specifically for cultivators to set up stalls. The stalls were lined up one after another, displaying a dazzling array of items.

There were cultivation manuals emitting a faint spiritual light; spirit medicine exuding a rich medicinal fragrance; magic artifacts flashing with spiritual light; and talismans imbued with mysterious power, among other things, creating a feast for the eyes.

Zhang Tie walked along the street and, after a short while, arrived at a stall displaying numerous talismans. The stall owner was a middle-aged man with a full beard, his eyes revealing a shrewdness typical of a merchant.

"Fellow cultivator, how much are these talismans?" Zhang Tie stopped and pointed to a talisman, looking at the middle-aged man.

"Five Tier 1 Low-Grade Talismans for one low-grade spirit stone, one Tier 1 mid-grade talisman for two low-grade spirit stones, and one Tier 1 High-Grade Talisman for ten spirit stones. Which kind would you like, young man?" the bearded middle-aged man asked with a smile.

"I'd like to ask if you have any books on making talismans here."

"Yes, of course, I do. Not only talisman crafting books, but I also have talisman brushes, talisman paper, and cinnabar," the middle-aged man said, his face breaking into a smile.

"May I see your talisman crafting books?" Zhang Tie was also delighted.

"Here, there's no reason why you can't look," the middle-aged man said readily, reaching into his storage bag and taking out a book titled "Compendium of Low-Grade Talismans," handing it to Zhang Tie.

To meet the demands of our vast readership, VIP membership for ad-free viewing is now available.

Click to view.

"How much for this book?" Zhang Tie asked, flipping through the book in his hands.

"Five low-grade spirit stones, firm price."

Zhang Tie didn't hesitate, taking out five low-grade spirit stones from his storage bag and handing them to the middle-aged man.

The middle-aged man accepted the spirit stones and said with a smile, "Thank you for your patronage. If you need talisman brushes, talisman paper, or anything else, you can buy them from me."

Zhang Tie nodded in response and then turned to leave.

"Hey, Old Zhao, you're selling the talisman crafting methods and materials. If others learn them, who will buy your talismans?" Suddenly, a horse-faced man from a nearby stall teased him with a laugh.

"Heh heh, you don't understand. Everyone thinks the Four Arts of Cultivation, especially talisman crafting, is the easiest. But they don't realize that talisman crafting is highly dependent on talent.

Only after trying it themselves will they know that it's best to buy talismans directly," the bearded man replied nonchalantly.

At this moment, Zhang Tie was standing in front of a shop called the Hundred Treasures Pavilion. He paused for a moment before stepping inside.

Inside the shop, a white-haired old man looked up when he saw Zhang Tie and quickly cupped his hands, saying, "Fellow cultivator, what are you looking for?"

"Do you have talisman brushes?"

"Yes, please come this way," the old man said, walking out from behind the counter and leading Zhang Tie towards another counter.

"If you're just starting to practice talisman crafting, I suggest you buy a Grade 1 low-grade talisman brush; it should be sufficient," the old man said as he walked.

"Can a Grade 1 low-grade talisman brush only be used to make Tier 1 low-grade talismans?" Zhang Tie asked with a hint of doubt in his eyes, seeking clarification.

"Of course not. In theory, a Grade 1 low-grade talisman brush can be used to make all Tier 1 talismans.

It's just that the higher the grade and the better the material, the more it will improve the success rate of talisman crafting," the old man replied patiently. He then took out a wooden box from the counter and gently opened it, handing it to Zhang Tie.

Zhang Tie picked up the talisman brush and examined it carefully. The brush was about half a foot long, and the handle seemed to be made of peach wood, appearing deep brown all over, with fine and clear wood grain.

The brush tip was made from the fur of some spirit beast. The fur was as white as snow, soft and elastic. These hairs had been refined and nourished through special spells, and upon injecting spiritual power, they emitted slight spiritual energy fluctuations.

"How much is this talisman brush?"

"Thirty low-grade spirit stones."

"Can you give me a better price?"

"How about this: since you're someone who wants to practice the way of talisman crafting, I'll also give you 100 sheets of talisman paper and two bottles of cinnabar. We hope that in the future, when you sell talismans, you'll consider the Hundred Treasures Pavilion first," the old man said after a moment of thought.

"Do you accept low-grade magic artifacts here?" Zhang Tie asked.

"Of course, we do. But the specific price depends on the artifact's quality," the old man replied, his face lighting up.

"Naturally," Zhang Tie immediately took out the small sword from his storage bag and placed it on the counter.

The old man picked up the small sword, injected spiritual energy into it, and examined it carefully for a while. He said, "Although this flying sword is a low-grade magic artifact, it has some precious iron essence mixed into it.

This makes its quality infinitely close to the mid-grade level. Our Hundred Treasures Pavilion won't take advantage of you. Ordinary and low-grade magic artifacts are only around fifty low-grade spirit stones. We'll offer sixty spirit stones for your flying sword. What do you say?"

"Deal," Zhang Tie agreed immediately.

A moment later, the old man brought over the talisman paper and cinnabar. Then, he took out thirty low-grade spirit stones and placed them neatly on the counter.

Seeing this, Zhang Tie didn't hesitate. He waved his hand to put the items into his storage bag, cupped his fists in thanks, and turned to leave the Hundred Treasures Pavilion. His figure gradually disappeared into the bustling crowd.