Buying Talismans

After recovering a little spiritual energy, Xu Chunniang did not venture any deeper. She simply explored the surrounding area.

Perhaps because Blackwater Crocodiles inhabited this area, there were no other demonic beasts. She did come across several more low-grade medicinal herbs, but they were far less precious than Three Yuan Grass.

Seeing the sun slant westward, Xu Chunniang did not linger in White Lion Ridge and hurried toward the exit.

Upon returning to Green Mountain Town, Xu Chunniang headed straight for Treasure Pavilion.

The one who received her was still Senior Sister Yao from yesterday. At the sight of Xu Chunniang, a smile flashed through her eyes. "Junior Sister Xu entered the mountains again? What did you gain today?"

Xu Chunniang first took out a Jade Box and handed it over.

Senior Sister Yao opened the Jade Box, and a trace of surprise appeared on her face.

"Three Yuan Grass? This is no common roadside stuff that can be found everywhere. And this Three Yuan Grass was dug up together with its roots, so its medicinal potency has been preserved very well."

As she spoke, she secretly pondered.

Three Yuan Grass was generally guarded by demonic beasts. She wondered what method junior sister Xu had used to obtain it—and to harvest it so completely, at that.

Xu Chunniang nodded slightly. "How many spirit stones is this Three Yuan Grass worth?"

"If you were one of those Rogue Cultivators, I would only be willing to offer eighteen spirit stones at most. But junior sister Xu, you're one of our own, so I'll offer this much."

Senior Sister Yao smiled and held up two fingers.

Xu Chunniang was somewhat surprised. Although she knew something of the value of Three Yuan Grass, she had not expected it to be worth twenty spirit stones.

This Three Yuan Grass alone was nearly worth all her gains from yesterday.

"Other than the Three Yuan Grass, I have more things to sell."

After saying this, Xu Chunniang took out the Blackwater Crocodile's corpse and the seven bottles of blood she had collected.

Senior Sister Yao's eyes widened in surprise. Just moments ago, she had been wondering how junior sister Xu had obtained the Three Yuan Grass. Unexpectedly, the answer was right before her.

She had actually killed the demonic beast guarding the Three Yuan Grass.

"A Blackwater Crocodile at the third level Qi Condensation—it's not even far from the fourth level Qi Condensation."

Senior Sister Yao's gaze upon Xu Chunniang abruptly became fervent. This junior sister Xu had brought her no shortage of surprises.

Even if she faced this Blackwater Crocodile herself, killing it would take no small amount of effort.

She examined the Blackwater Crocodile, then quickly gave a professional appraisal.

"Other than its head, the Blackwater Crocodile has not suffered much damage elsewhere. How about this? This Blackwater Crocodile, together with this blood, will be counted as thirty-five spirit stones."

Xu Chunniang nodded. Judging by the purchase price for the Three Yuan Grass, Senior Sister Yao's offer was very fair.

Since she said the Blackwater Crocodile was worth thirty-five spirit stones, it could not be wrong.

Seeing Xu Chunniang agree so readily, the smile on Senior Sister Yao's face gained a touch more sincerity.

"Junior Sister Xu truly is straightforward. If you obtain any good things in the future, just come find your senior sister. I guarantee you the fairest price."

Xu Chunniang smiled faintly and put away the spirit stones. "Senior Sister, I'd like to buy some talismans. Could you take me to have a look?"

Senior Sister Yao's eyes lit up. "Of course. The talismans in Treasure Pavilion are all purchased from disciples within our sect, so their quality is absolutely guaranteed."

In the Cultivation World, talismans, spiritual artifacts, pills, spiritual herbs, formations, and similar items were divided into different grades according to their power or the amount of spiritual energy they contained.

Grade One corresponded to the Qi Condensation Realm, while Grade Two corresponded to the Foundation Establishment Realm.

Each grade was further divided into low-grade, mid-grade, high-grade, and top-grade, corresponding to the early, middle, late, and perfection stages of cultivation.

For example, Grade One Low-grade corresponded to the early Qi Condensation Realm. Grade Two Top-grade, meanwhile, corresponded to Foundation Establishment Perfection.

With Xu Chunniang's current wealth, she could only afford Grade One Talismans.

A Grade One Low-grade Talisman cost one spirit stone each, a Mid-grade Talisman cost three spirit stones each, and a High-grade Talisman was worth eighteen spirit stones each.

As for Top-grade Talismans, they were exceedingly rare, often priceless and unavailable.

If she bought only High-grade Talismans, all the spirit stones on Xu Chunniang's person would only buy a few.

In the end, she turned her attention to Low-grade and Mid-grade Talismans.

Xu Chunniang intended to equip herself with talismans of every attribute to deal with all kinds of situations.

Fireball Talismans, Water Arrow Talismans, Wind Blade Talismans, Golden Light Talismans, Earth Shield Talismans, Wood Shield Talismans, Lightning Talismans, Ice Burst Talismans, and the attribute-less Swiftness Talismans—nine types of Low-grade Talismans in all. Xu Chunniang bought two of each.

This alone cost her eighteen spirit stones.

After purchasing the Low-grade Talismans, Xu Chunniang was still not satisfied, so she bought one Mid-grade Talisman corresponding to each of the nine types as well.

The nine Mid-grade Talismans cost another twenty-seven spirit stones.

That was not all. After equipping herself with Low-grade and Mid-grade Talismans, Xu Chunniang finally turned her gaze toward High-grade Talismans.

The power of High-grade Talismans was comparable to the spells of the late Qi Condensation Realm.

Although their power was reduced to only sixty or seventy percent after being made into talismans, they were still not to be underestimated. They were more than enough for dealing with demonic beasts at the sixth level Qi Condensation.

Xu Chunniang planned to buy one for protection. She had already spent so many spirit stones—would she really care about the final eighteen?

Yet every High-grade Talisman had an immensely powerful effect, and for a time, she did not know which one to choose.

In the end, Xu Chunniang chose the attribute-less Swiftness Talisman. If she truly encountered an overwhelmingly powerful opponent, she had better flee for her life without delay.

Because she had bought quite a few talismans, Senior Sister Yao generously gifted her two Low-grade Fireball Talismans, which Xu Chunniang accepted along with the rest.

After leaving Treasure Pavilion, the spirit stones on Xu Chunniang's person had not increased but decreased, leaving her with a pitiful five.

She shook her head helplessly. She had originally wanted to save more spirit stones and buy a spiritual artifact as soon as possible. Yet here she was, having spent so many spirit stones instead.

It seemed the more spirit stones one earned, the more one spent.

Still, with this great handful of talismans, her safety was much more assured.

Especially after spending a fortune on a High-grade Swiftness Talisman—even if she encountered a demonic beast at the seventh level Qi Condensation, she would have a sliver of a chance to escape.

After returning to the sect, should she learn the art of talisman crafting?

Xu Chunniang considered it very seriously. In any case, she had already learned most of the Complete Guide to Level One Spiritual Plants.

With the support of the Spring Growth Technique, Spiritual Rain Technique, and Earth Moistening Technique, she believed she could certainly become an outstanding Spiritual Plant Cultivator.

Talismans could not only be activated instantly, but also saved spiritual energy. More importantly, the entry barrier was not particularly high. Once she achieved modest success, she could even sell talismans in exchange for spirit stones.

And even if she did not sell them, keeping them for her own use would always come in handy.

Just imagine it—during a battle, grabbing a fistful of talismans and hurling them out. Who could withstand that?

Xu Chunniang was tempted. She secretly resolved that if the money she earned in the Hundred Demonic Mountain Range remained after purchasing a spiritual artifact, she would use it to buy talisman brushes and talisman ink.

However, for many days afterward, Xu Chunniang did not gain much.

For three consecutive days in White Lion Ridge, she did not encounter any demonic beasts.

On the fourth day, she finally ran into some, only to find a large flock of bird-type demonic beasts at the third level Qi Condensation. To escape, Xu Chunniang even used up one Low-grade Swiftness Talisman.

After returning to Carefree Residence, Xu Chunniang felt somewhat helpless. She had gained nothing from White Lion Ridge for four straight days. Should she still go tomorrow?

There were simply too many people going to White Lion Ridge. Much of the time, one could not even catch sight of a demonic beast.

It seemed that encountering a Blackwater Crocodile there on her first day had truly been a stroke of good fortune.