Talisman Master Fan Su

Six months later, Shaoyang Market Town.

Although it was early spring, the weather was still a bit chilly.

Su Fan, wearing a slightly worn grey cotton robe, sat at a roadside stall, engrossed in an ancient book.

"Little Fan, business is good today."

Hearing the old man next to him, Su Fan put down his book and chuckled, "Thanks to you, elder, it's alright..."

"It's all thanks to you Talisman Masters. With this skill, the Great Dao is within reach."

Su Fan smiled and didn't reply, picking up his book to continue reading.

This old guy next to him was a chatterbox. If you engaged him, he'd never stop talking.

Compared to a few months ago, his appearance had completely changed. Even his closest acquaintances wouldn't recognize him.

As a Body Cultivator, changing one's physique and appearance was simple.

The current Shaoyang Market Town was vastly different.

After the Demonic Cultivator invasion last time, the Lesser Yang Sect's strength was greatly diminished, and their Foundation Establishment ancestor was injured in the Qin State.

Following the Demonic Cultivator invasion, the Qingxuan Sect of the Qin State took over the management of the market town, citing its strategic location.

Shaoyang Market Town also became a transportation hub, the only place in the Chu Kingdom where Flying Boats could dock during the war.

Every few days, a Flying Boat would arrive, responsible for transporting personnel and cultivation resources to the Qin State war zone.

Rogue Cultivators could also take Flying Boats to other mortal countries in Yongzhou, but at the cost of three mid-grade Spirit Stones.

With the arrival of Flying Boats, the population of Shaoyang Market Town gradually increased.

The Qingxuan Sect rebuilt Shaoyang Market Town, nearly doubling its size, strengthening its formations, and stationing a Foundation Establishment Cultivator there permanently.

They even cleared a large open space to centrally manage the scattered stalls within the market town.

Now that the war was over, the Qingxuan Sect had no intention of leaving.

Facing a Golden Core Sect, the Lesser Yang Sect didn't dare to make a peep. They simply sealed their mountain gate and played the role of a shrinking turtle.

After the previous catastrophe, many Rogue Cultivators around the market town had died.

Coupled with those who went to the Qin State to fight, at least half were lost, reducing the number of Rogue Cultivators in Shaoyang Market Town by thirty percent.

Yet, within a few days, Rogue Cultivators from other regions began flocking into Shaoyang Market Town.

The number of Rogue Cultivators around the market town not only didn't decrease but actually increased.

Su Fan also took this opportunity to adopt a new identity, becoming a newly settled Talisman Master in Shaoyang Market Town, setting up a stall to sell talismans every few days.

He had already decided on a name: Fan Su.

In addition, Su Fan changed his appearance again, rented two apartments nearby, and often rotated between several identities within the market town.

Over more than two months, he gradually dealt with the Magic Tools, Storage Bags, and unused pills he had in his possession.

It wasn't until last month that the Immortal-Demon conflict in the Qin State finally concluded.

It was said that the final stages of the war were extremely brutal.

The flames of war had spread to several surrounding prefectures, with Demonic Sects in Ningzhou and Sword Sects in Ganzhou and Lanzhou all involved.

Fortunately, several major Immortal-Demon factions from the Western Wilderness intervened, which finally brought an end to the conflict.

In recent days, large numbers of Immortal Sect cultivators and Rogue Cultivators from various regions have been returning from the Qin State, many stopping in Shaoyang Market Town for a few days of rest.

Rogue Cultivators, in particular, set up stalls here to deal with their resources, converting them into Spirit Stones as quickly as possible.

Even the Rogue Cultivators who survived that night when the Demonic Cultivators attacked Shaoyang Market Town had managed to gain some benefits.

Although the market town had been ransacked by Demonic Cultivators, they were in a hurry and couldn't possibly have taken everything.

These Rogue Cultivators all wanted to take this opportunity to sell what they had obtained.

These past few days, Shaoyang Market Town has been unprecedentedly prosperous, with shops and scattered stalls alike teeming with people.

However, with the end of the war, the prices of various resources began to drop significantly.

Those Rogue Cultivators who survived the Immortal-Demon War were able to accumulate a considerable amount of good items.

The first thing they did upon their return was to convert these items into Spirit Stones.

Especially Talismans and Magic Tools, their prices had fallen to ridiculous levels.

Some items were even more than half the price they were before the war, yet they still had no buyers.

Su Fan's business was also greatly affected.

The price of talismans had dropped to an absurd level.

Since Su Fan wasn't relying on selling talismans for Spirit Stones, he simply cut his prices by more than half.

Although the profit margin decreased, the sales volume increased, making it a lively affair.

As evening approached, Su Fan got up, packed his things, and left the market town.

He carried a worn-out bundle on his back, his thin body hunched as he walked unsteadily.

His face was sallow and he looked sickly.

The faded cotton robe he wore was several sizes too large, hanging loosely on him.

No one would have guessed that this loose-fitting cotton robe concealed three storage bags hanging at his waist.

Even more bizarrely, this guy was actually wearing a high-grade magic robe as an undergarment.

Su Fan's current residence was not far from the market town, only a little over two li away.

It used to be the residence of a late Qi Refining rogue cultivator, but unfortunately, that senior had died in Qin State.

This gave him the opportunity to rent it and make it his new home.

Su Fan walked into a small alley and exchanged pleasantries with a few neighbors.

Then he arrived at a courtyard, unlocked the door, and went inside.

Not only was the location of his new home good, but it was also quite spacious, with a courtyard in front of the house spanning nearly a hundred square meters.

The courtyard was paved with large blue flagstones, furnished with a stone table and chairs, and had a twenty-square-meter flower bed.

Su Fan had already decided that he would plant various vegetables here in the future.

What was the point of planting flowers in such a good piece of land? Could they be eaten?

Entering the house led to a hall, with a talisman-making room and a cultivation room on either side. Further inside was a bedroom, and the kitchen and storage room were located behind the hall.

Su Fan rearranged everything according to his needs.

The furnishings inside were simple. The hall was paved with blue bricks, with a few wooden pieces of furniture, including an Eight Immortals Table, a matching coffee table, and a long side table.

By the window stood a rosewood desk, with two chairs made of pear blossom wood placed on either side.

The talisman-making room was equipped with two rows of bookshelves and a rosewood talisman-making table.

A beast-skin tablecloth was spread on the tabletop, displaying a set of high-quality talisman-making tools.

Next to the table stood a high-legged table with a brass incense burner, emitting a subtle and elegant fragrance that was calming and focused.

The cultivation room was completely empty, with only a cushion placed in the center of the room and a small incense burner beside it.

Below the house was a basement of over a hundred square meters. Several luminous stones embedded in the walls made the basement as bright as day.

This was where the previous senior used to practice spells and magic tools.

The surrounding walls and floor had been repeatedly reinforced with "Fossilization Talismans," and several black ironwood targets were placed at the very back.

The previous senior had lived here for decades, and the house was very well maintained everywhere.

Of course, the rent for this house was not cheap.

It was ten spirit stones per month, and the rent had to be paid for a full year each time.

Encountering such a good house, Su Fan rented it without hesitation.

He was also fortunate to have rented it early, and it was during the market town's most desolate period, with many vacant properties.

If he had waited any longer, this house might not have fallen into his hands.

Su Fan had lived a very fulfilling life over the past six months.

Apart from setting up a stall in the market town for a few days each month, he spent the rest of his time cultivating his techniques and practicing spells.

Su Fan entered the cultivation room and sat cross-legged on the cushion.

He opened his panel. After several months of cultivation, his various stats had changed significantly.

[Name] Su Fan
[Lifespan] 36/92 years
[Realm] Qi Refining Third Layer: 99/100
[Cultivation Methods]
1. Primordial Chaos Technique (Tier 1): 33/100
2. Body Tempering Art (Tier 2): 115/200
3. Demonic Saint Body Art (Tier 1): 100/100
4. Ethereal Demon Forging God Art (Tier 2): 12/200
[Spells]
1. Qi Gazing Art (Microscopic): 613/800
2. Light Body Art (Microscopic): 721/800
3. Spirit Concealment Art (Microscopic): 596/800
4. Xingyi Quan (Microscopic): 450/800
5. Void Spirit Art (Minor Accomplishment): 55/200
6. Corpse Control Technique (Minor Accomplishment): 45/200
7. Object Manipulation Technique (Minor Accomplishment): 98/200

[Skills]
9. Nine Extremes Consecutive Slashes (Microscopic): 521/800

10. Spirit Possession Corpse Control Technique (Minor Accomplishment): 35/200

[Talismans]

1. Green Lamp Talisman (Beginner): 65/100

2. Evil Warding Talisman (Major Accomplishment): 35/400

3. Water Repelling Talisman (Minor Accomplishment): 105/200

4. Armor Horse Talisman (Minor Accomplishment): 95/200

5. Arrow Repelling Talisman (Minor Accomplishment): 158/200

6. Muting Talisman (Minor Accomplishment): 110/200

First, his cultivation realm. A few days ago, he had already reached the peak of the Qi Refining Third Layer.

Thanks to consuming the Yellow Spirit Pill, the progress on his Qi Refining Third Layer panel was nearly doubled, increasing by about fifteen points each month.

These past few days, the bottleneck had shown a slight loosening, and a breakthrough was imminent, likely within the next few days.

Additionally, he now spent some time each day cultivating the "幽魔锻神诀".

With the aid of the "Soul Refining Pill," he quickly broke through to the second tier. As the medicinal pills were depleted, his progress slowed down.

His spiritual sense didn't increase significantly, but his soul became purer and more solidified.

He also consumed all those bottles of "Qi and Blood Pills." Not only did his strength increase considerably, but his physical body also grew stronger.

He didn't know the exact increase, but the proficiency of the "Body Tempering Art" increased by dozens of points.

Both types of pills were indeed extraordinary, but unfortunately, they were all gone.

The most infuriating thing was that even with Spirit Stones, they were unavailable on the market.

Both Xingyi Quan and Nine Extremes Consecutive Slashes had reached the Microscopic level, finally undergoing a qualitative change.

Not only had their power greatly increased, with each move exuding an imposing aura, but they had also gained more variations.

As for what kind of variations, Su Fan couldn't quite explain.

His spells now included "Void Spirit Arts" and "Object Control," both of which had reached the Minor Accomplishment stage.

As for the soul power required to cultivate "Illusory Spirit Method," it was also quite simple.

Su Fan deliberately created several opportunities for Bandit Cultivators, and the souls of a few desperate individuals were extracted by him.

He cultivated "Object Manipulation" simply to add different attack methods in future duels.

Su Fan meticulously studied the "Heavenly Corpse Secret Records," specifically learning "Corpse Control Technique" and "Spirit Possession Corpse Control Technique."

The function of "Corpse Control Technique" was self-explanatory.

"Spirit Possession Corpse Control Technique," however, was a truly magical spell.

It allowed him to embed a wisp of his spiritual sense into a zombie's body, controlling the zombie as if it were an extension of his own limbs.

After half a year of accumulation, Su Fan's talisman-making experience had greatly increased, and he could now produce six types of talismans.

Although they were all low-grade auxiliary talismans, they were essential for Rogue Cultivators in the wild and belonged to the best-selling category.

Furthermore, his success rate was above fifty percent, especially for the "Evil Warding Talisman," which had reached eighty percent.

Because he inherited the talisman-making knowledge from the Water Cloud Sect, the talismans he produced were more effective than those made by most self-taught Talisman Masters among Rogue Cultivators.

He also set up a stall in the market town to sell his talismans, not primarily to earn Spirit Stones. The prices for his talismans were set quite reasonably.

As a result, the talismans made by Su Fan were highly popular among Rogue Cultivators in the market town.

Although he didn't earn much, his monthly profit was around a dozen Spirit Stones.

For a Rogue Cultivator Talisman Master, this was quite impressive.

Both "Lightning Eye Dharma Eye" and "Lightning Ghost Step" had reached the Major Accomplishment realm.

He placed particular emphasis on "Lightning Ghost Step," dedicating a significant amount of time to practicing it.

This divine ability was an absolute godsend for a Body Cultivator.

When engaging in combat, when combined with the microscopic "Light Body Art," his combat effectiveness would increase exponentially.