Wind Bead

In his past life, Chen Ganliu wasn't cut out for business either. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been struggling to make a living selling talismans.

If people could choose again, they could correct their mistakes.

But human nature, even after a hundred lifetimes, is hard to change.

Chen Ganliu sighed. Whether it's low-end talismans, illuminating jade talismans, or even a business selling herbal tea and dried fruit, even if it's booming, I probably won't make much.

I still need to cultivate diligently. If I had reached the peak of Qi Refining, I wouldn't be in such dire straits.

I can only blame my ordinary talent. Even if I worked ten times harder, I wouldn't be able to advance to the Second Layer of Qi Condensation and achieve Boiling Liquid into Qi within three to five years!

To attract customers, Chen Ganliu had specially made over a dozen wide chairs with high backs and broad armrests. He also used poultry feathers to stuff dozens of fluffy cushions. He sat in front of his small shop, lost in thought, while slowly breathing in and out, circulating the Azure Emperor Jia Yi Art.

Two young women passed by his shop. Having never seen a shop decorated so unusually, they couldn't help but glance a few more times. One of them spotted two jade talismans inside the shop. Her cultivation was not low, and she immediately saw through them: these jade talismans were Blazing Fire Talismans, albeit heavily modified, turning them into mere mundane objects only capable of providing light.

Just as she was about to walk past, she suddenly remembered something. She grabbed her junior sister's arm and whispered, "Aren't you going home to visit your relatives in a few days?"

"All the other gifts are ready, but I don't know what to give my young brother."

"Wouldn't those two Blazing Fire Jade Talismans be perfect?"

"He can use them to illuminate his reading, a rather useful magical item, but I don't have to worry about your brother causing trouble with them."

The other young woman was examining the items in Chen Ganliu's shop. She was very interested in the chairs with high backs, broad armrests, and fluffy cushions. Hearing this, her eyes lit up, and she walked up to Chen Ganliu. Her voice, like a yellow oriole emerging from a valley, was clear and pleasant. She asked, "Are you the owner of this shop? How much are those two jade talismans?"

Chen Ganliu was overjoyed. He exclaimed, "I am indeed the owner of this humble shop. These two jade talismans have some flaws in their crafting and are only suitable for illumination. I'll just charge for the materials."

The young woman who asked the price stepped forward, took the two jade talismans in her hands, and played with them for a moment. She immediately grew fond of them.

To make them sell better, Chen Ganliu had carved them exceptionally exquisitely, depicting landscapes of mountains and rivers. Unfortunately, in the eyes of cultivators in this world, these decorations were of little use. The quality of a magic item was judged solely by the spells it contained.

The young woman pondered for a moment and said, "How about fifty Talisman Coins for you?"

Chen Ganliu was ecstatic. He had only spent thirty Talisman Coins on his first piece of Green Jade Stone. The second piece of Green Jade Stone he exchanged with Chen Qing might have been slightly more expensive originally, but only by six or seven Talisman Coins. Chen Qing had also gotten it at a bargain. He thought these two jade talismans made from inferior materials would result in a small loss, but to his surprise, he would still make a profit. He agreed immediately.

The young woman paid the Talisman Coins and took the two Blazing Fire Jade Talismans. She then pointed to the chairs and cushions in front of Chen Ganliu's shop and said, "These chairs and cushions are quite exquisite too. Owner, name your price, and sell them to me as well."

Chen Ganliu quickly smiled and said, "These chairs are just things I made casually. They are mundane objects, how could they be worth much? Consider them a free gift with the two jade talismans."

The two young women laughed together. The first one to speak said, "The owner is quite the businessman. But we can't take advantage of you."

She casually took out an item and tossed it to Chen Ganliu. "It just so happens that my sister and I recently killed a fledgling Swallow Demon. This Wind Bead isn't of much use, so consider it payment for the chairs."

Chen Ganliu was overjoyed. He hadn't expected that a few chairs could sell for more than two Blazing Fire Jade Talismans.

When a monster cultivates for a long time, a Demon Core will form within its body. This item is the source of the monster's demonic power and spells. Even a Demon Core from the lowest level, with only a few decades of cultivation, can be worth dozens of Talisman Coins.

Chen Ganliu repeatedly said, "A few chairs, how could they be worth..." He wanted to return the Wind Bead, but the two women didn't take it back. They simply used magic to collect the chairs and cushions he had placed outside and floated away hand in hand.

Chen Ganliu put the Talisman Coins into his Beast Skin Pouch, feeling very satisfied. He mused, I didn't expect those two jade talismans to sell after all. But I shouldn't try such clever tricks next time.

This world doesn't value such ingenious trinkets.

This kind of luck can only happen once.

He touched the Wind Bead in his hand, feeling a slight joy. This was an unexpected windfall.

Injecting a wisp of Azure Emperor Jia Yi True Qi, Chen Ganliu was immediately surprised. The two young women had said it was a fledgling Swallow Demon. He had initially thought the Swallow Demon only had a few decades, at most a hundred years, of cultivation. But judging by this Wind Bead, the unlucky Swallow Demon probably had at least two to three hundred years of cultivation.

Chen Ganliu thought to himself, I didn't realize it earlier. These two young women's cultivation is so formidable. They can kill a Swallow Demon of two to three hundred years as if it were nothing, and even dismiss it as 'fledgling'.

Monsters also need innate Spiritual Veins to begin cultivating. However, even with innate Spiritual Veins, their demonic bodies are far inferior to human bodies. Furthermore, monsters rarely have inheritances or orthodox cultivation methods. They cultivate purely on talent, refining a turbid breath. Their demonic energy is impure and heavy. Often, a hundred-year-old great demon is inferior to a cultivator who has only ten years of practice.

Even so, a Swallow Demon of two to three hundred years could easily kill dozens of Chen Ganlius.

With such a vast difference in cultivation, it's difficult to overcome with sheer numbers.

This Wind Bead was condensed from the Swallow Demon's essence and blood, and it was the foundation of its demonic arts. If it could be refined, it would undoubtedly become a decent Magic Treasure.

In terms of value, this item is worth at least two to three raw Spirit Stones. In a rush, it could fetch two to three hundred Talisman Coins, and with a suitable buyer, it might even sell for over five hundred Talisman Coins.

Chen Ganliu's cultivation methods all originated from the Immortal Encounter Sect...

Well, they were all taught by his Senior Sister. Although he was her Dao Companion and had taken advantage of the situation to learn the complete Azure Emperor Jia Yi Art, as well as the Immortal Encounter Sect's secret method for refining Spirit Stones, his Senior Sister dared not teach him how to refine proper Magic Treasures.

Moreover, even if she did, his cultivation was too low, and he wouldn't be able to learn it.

Therefore, although Chen Ganliu obtained this Wind Bead, he didn't know how to refine it. He considered finding Chen Qing but hesitated slightly and abandoned the idea.

After all, they were only acquaintances, not truly close friends.

Chen Ganliu had nothing left to sell; even the chairs he usually sat on were bought out. Since his small shop didn't have much to lose, he put his hands in his pockets and wandered aimlessly around the Immortal Market, hoping to encounter some luck.

Suddenly, from a certain direction, there was the sound of thunderous explosions, and several voices shouted, "A Demonic Cultivator is attacking!"

Chen Ganliu was slightly alarmed. He looked in that direction and saw what appeared to be people engaged in magical combat. He didn't want to go closer. What was his cultivation level? If he got caught in the crossfire, wouldn't that be unfair?