Three days passed in a flash.
Shen Fan circulated the Five Elements Heavenly Spirit Art. With a massive pile of elixirs and spirit stones, he seemed to have faintly touched the threshold of the fourth level of the Mid Qi Refining Stage.
"What a pity!"
Shen Fan smashed his fist into the tree trunk, sending fallen leaves fluttering down.
"This Five-Element Mixed Spirit Root really is garbage talent! Otherwise, with so many elixirs and spirit stones, I would have broken through to the fourth level of the Qi Refining Stage long ago. At the very least, if I had a few corpse puppets feeding their cultivation back to me, I could have broken through smoothly!"
The morning sun blazed into a fierce midday sun, and Shen Fan ended his day of cultivation.
There was no helping it. Cultivating in the Waste Elixir Chamber allowed fire poison to accumulate too quickly, and he had to circulate the Azure Water Fire Ward to purge it. It seriously affected his cultivation progress.
Returning to the Waste Elixir Chamber, Shen Fan opened the Five Elements Talisman True Explanation, Volume 1 that Li Qingshan had left behind.
This so-called volume contained nothing but Level 1 Talismans—offensive, supportive, and all manner of other talismans. It was perfectly suited for Qi Refining Stage cultivators.
However, the obscure and difficult content left Shen Fan unable to proceed.
"Right! I'm already an Outer Sect Disciple! I can go to the outer sect and ask the elders and deacons of Formation Peak for help!"
Shen Fan suddenly thought of it.
Shen Fan had long yearned for the power of formations.
Artifact refinement, alchemy, formations, and talismans—the Four Arts of Cultivation were all professions that devoured spirit stones, but their importance and power were beyond question.
Shen Fan had once heard that a cultivator at the peak of the Qi Refining Stage had used a mountain of talismans to forcibly blow a Foundation Establishment Realm True Person to death.
Thus, although these four professions were rather costly, their usefulness was unquestionable.
Shen Fan did not need to worry about that at all.
Making his way to the outer sect, Shen Fan could not help feeling puzzled.
In the sky and on the ground, people hurried along. Figures in azure robes streamed by without end.
"Senior Brother, did something happen?"
Shen Fan stopped an Outer Sect Disciple and asked in confusion.
"Did you just come out of seclusion? You don't even know about this?" The disciple looked at Shen Fan in surprise.
"Uh... I suppose so!"
"Some time ago, our Heavenly Xuan Sect captured an Icefire Sect spy. Now, the Four Great Immortal Sects of our Great Li Kingdom have strained relations over resources. To intimidate the other immortal sects, the elders of the Law Enforcement Hall decided to escort him to the marketplace streets and behead him for public display!" the disciple explained.
"But the Icefire Sect has offered a reward of one hundred thousand spirit stones, making Rogue Cultivators from all walks of life stir restlessly. Even the remnants of the Nine Nether Corpse Puppet Sect have shown their faces!"
"So that was it!"
Shen Fan understood. After cupping his hands in thanks, he left. If it did not concern him, he would hang it high and leave it alone. He had better go study his talismans.
Arriving at the outer sect's Talisman Peak, he found it tranquil, as though it stood far from the smoke and flames of the mortal world.
Except...
Boom!!
An occasional explosion rang out from the rooms where talismans were being drawn. Immediately afterward, Talisman Peak disciples, dazed and dizzy from being blasted, staggered out one after another.
Both talisman drawing and alchemy carried the risk of explosions.
When drawing talismans, if the spirit patterns failed to flow smoothly and spiritual power became blocked, an explosion could occur.
"Disciple Shen Fan greets Senior Brother. Having only recently joined the outer sect and yearning deeply for the path of talismans, I wish to learn talisman crafting. May I ask what is required to join Talisman Peak?" Shen Fan asked respectfully.
The lazy deacon at the entrance replied indifferently, "Nothing is required. Those with Three-Attribute Spirit Roots or better receive free instruction. Those with Four-Attribute Spirit Roots need only pay ten Low-Grade Spirit Stones!"
"What about Five-Element Spirit Roots?" Shen Fan revealed an awkward expression.
"Hmm?" The deacon raised his brow and looked over. "A Five-Element Mixed Spirit Root? Talent like that can still join the outer sect?"
"Cough, cough! During the open exchange day some time ago, this disciple was fortunate enough to place in the top three, so..."
"So that was it!" The deacon came to a sudden realization. "Still, I've truly never encountered a disciple with talent like yours coming to Talisman Peak. Wait here. I'll go ask an elder!"
A short while later, the deacon disciple came back out.
"The elder said that if you want to learn, you need only pay fifty Low-Grade Spirit Stones!"
"So expensive?"
Shen Fan's eyes immediately widened.
Back then, when he had taken a dozen or so grains of Supreme-Grade Spirit Rice to the marketplace to exchange for spirit stones, merely a dozen or so spirit stones had excited him for half the day.
Although he had just killed Li Qingshan and obtained more than a thousand spirit stones, if a Miscellaneous Disciple who had only just joined the outer sect took out fifty spirit stones now, people would surely become suspicious.
"Senior Brother, could you grant me a few days' grace? Once I learn talismans and sell some to earn money, could I then pay the tuition?" Shen Fan asked awkwardly.
"No money?" Upon seeing this, the deacon disciple immediately revealed an excited expression.
Wait!
Shen Fan was somewhat at a loss.
Shouldn't you be waving your hand impatiently and saying, "Go, go, go! What talismans are you learning if you have no money?"
Why did he have that expression instead?
"It's easy if you have no money, Junior Brother!"
The deacon disciple came over, draped an arm around Shen Fan's shoulders, and led him toward a side room on the right.
"An Outer Sect Disciple's monthly stipend is ten spirit stones. Save up a little, and you can repay it in five months, right? Besides, during those five months, we guarantee to teach you until you know it. If you have talent, you'll have earned this money back long before five months pass!"
Shen Fan seemed to have caught on to what they wanted. Entering a side room, the deacon disciple immediately shouted, "Where is everyone? We've got business!"
The Talisman Peak disciple who had been sleeping with his head on the table wiped away his drool and sat up. "How much do you want to borrow?"
"This..." Shen Fan looked at the two of them in surprise.
"Is this appropriate?"
"What's inappropriate about it? Junior Brother, we're opening a convenient door for you!" the deacon disciple persuaded him.
"Then... how is the interest calculated?" Shen Fan asked cautiously.
"Market rate. Nine out, thirteen back. If you borrow ten spirit stones, we give you nine. When the time comes, you return thirteen to us!"
"That much?" Shen Fan's eyes widened at once.
"Don't be in such a hurry!"
The deacon disciple hurriedly soothed Shen Fan's emotions. "We have a promotion these days. New disciples pay no interest for the first month, and we'll even give you a set of talisman equipment. It mainly depends on how long you want to borrow it for!"
Shen Fan considered it. "You said yourself that my monthly stipend is ten spirit stones. It would take five months to repay it!"
The deacon disciple smiled. "It's not that exaggerated. It's not as though you'll stay here for five months without doing any work! Outer Sect Disciples have assigned tasks every month, and those tasks offer quite a few rewards. While studying, go out and complete a few more tasks, and you might repay it all in one month!"
The deacon disciple patted Shen Fan's shoulder.
"So, as long as you're confident you can earn enough spirit stones to repay the loan within a month, we won't charge a single bit of interest, and we'll give you a set of talisman equipment besides! Take today, for example. The outer sect's Law Enforcement Hall is publicly beheading that spy and needs three hundred disciples to clear the area and stand guard. The reward is fifty Contribution Points. Ten Contribution Points equal one Low-Grade Spirit Stone. Wouldn't you get it back easily?"
Those words made Shen Fan restless with temptation.
However, Shen Fan did not care about the interest. He merely needed a reasonable excuse!
Before you continue