Twenty Spirit Stones-Daoist Friend, Could You Pretend You Didn't See This?

Chen Ganliu slapped two Light Talismans onto himself and set off, first intending to leave Suiyang Immortal Market.

His attainments in talisman arts now rivaled those of his previous life.

In his previous life, he had encountered Immortal Master Five Willows in his early twenties and learned the Twelve Talismans of the Profound Gate. By the time his lifespan was nearly exhausted at eighty-six, he had devoted six or seven decades of painstaking effort to this art. Now, having inherited his past life's experience and comprehended the Heart Talisman Technique, his cultivation was only at the Golden Essence Jade Liquid stage of Qi Refining Layer One, but his talisman arts were still incomparably polished.

One Light Talisman was enough to make his body feel dozens of pounds lighter. The second was far less useful, reducing his weight by only a few pounds—more for comfort than anything else. Combined with the third stage of the Great Vehicle Myriad Flower Fist, each step carried him lightly over a dozen feet. He resembled a martial arts expert who had trained his "lightness skill" for decades, and after a few leaps and bounds, he was out of Suiyang Immortal Market.

Chen Ganliu sprinted wildly the whole way. Suddenly, a stream of Black Qi shot into the sky behind him, and his heart tightened faintly. What a formidable demonic art. That Demonic Cultivator is probably about to start slaughtering everyone.

"When the market is open on a large scale, all three immortal sects send people to keep watch here. That Demonic Cultivator may not come out ahead. I wonder what he wants to do? Why cause trouble in Suiyang Immortal Market?"

As Chen Ganliu was lost in a jumble of thoughts, he suddenly heard a sharp popping sound. He had been sprinting with all his strength and could not stop in time. His vision brightened, and he saw a Daoist pulling an iron spike from the body of an elderly cultivator. Oh no. Before he could dodge, their eyes met.

Chen Ganliu recognized the Daoist. He was Ling Xiaozi, the one who had sold him Green Jade Stone. As for the dead elderly cultivator, Chen Ganliu did not know him—but that was beside the point. What mattered was that he had stumbled upon someone else's crime scene. He would probably be killed to silence him next.

Chen Ganliu had lived three lifetimes, after all, and suppressed all his panic. With a faint smile, he performed a proper bow and said leisurely, "A Demonic Cultivator has caused trouble in Suiyang Immortal Market, and I am pursuing him under orders. Daoist Brother Ling Xiaozi, did you happen to see anyone pass by?"

For now, his only option was to bluff this man. If he could muddle through and escape, Chen Ganliu would definitely leave Suiyang Immortal Market for a while and lie low.

Ling Xiaozi's eyes flickered. Suddenly, he said, "Twenty spirit stones. Daoist Friend, could you pretend you didn't see this?"

In Suiyang Immortal Market, Chen Ganliu had always "kept a low profile." He had only revealed one skill: exquisite talisman arts honed over several decades. Ling Xiaozi had no idea how much ability he truly possessed.

Moreover, Chen Ganliu had immediately claimed that he was pursuing a Demonic Cultivator under orders. There was "certainly" a sect behind him, and someone might "arrive at any moment." If Ling Xiaozi delayed even a little longer—or failed to kill Chen Ganliu in a single exchange and made some kind of commotion—he might not be able to escape.

Thus, Ling Xiaozi wanted to try buying him off first. What if it worked?

Twenty spirit stones was already a "huge sum" to any unaffiliated cultivator.

Even Daoist Wu Chang, who was at Qi Refining Layer Six, had accumulated only that much over several decades. Ling Xiaozi did not believe Chen Ganliu would remain unmoved.

Chen Ganliu suppressed all the tremors in his heart, smiled faintly, and replied, "Fifty spirit stones, plus every piece of Green Jade Stone in your possession."

The reason he made such an exorbitant demand was to keep Ling Xiaozi calm, not because greed had truly clouded his mind.

In this time, this place, and this situation, if he asked for too little, Ling Xiaozi might instead grow suspicious.

Ling Xiaozi did not dare waste time. Gritting his teeth, he tossed over a pouch of spirit stones and a pile of Green Jade Stone. Then, with a pained expression, he threw out a magical treasure as well. "I don't have that many spirit stones. I'll use this magical treasure to make up the difference."

With his sleeves fluttering, Chen Ganliu swept everything up with a flick of his hand. Without lingering, he swept past Ling Xiaozi and left in grand style.

Along the way, he frantically slapped Light Talismans onto himself. Unfortunately, talisman arts had their limits. The first Light Talisman could make him dozens of pounds lighter, but the second's effect was weaker, and the third was practically useless.

Chen Ganliu was worried that Ling Xiaozi would realize he had been bluffed. Although he did not know Ling Xiaozi's cultivation, with his own cultivation at Qi Refining Layer One, he certainly could not withstand him. After sprinting more than ten miles, he spotted a secluded cliff, floated up to it, found a hollow, and hid inside.

His hands had never left the Beast Skin Pouch along the way. He continuously circulated the Azure Emperor Jia Yi Art, refining the magical treasure Ling Xiaozi had given him.

Chen Ganliu was also worried that Ling Xiaozi had planted some kind of "back door" in the magical treasure. If there had been anything strange about it, he would have thrown it away long ago. He had not expected that, after a little refining, he would encounter almost no resistance. Although completely refining it would require ten days or half a month of arduous work, there was indeed no problem.

After concealing himself, Chen Ganliu took out the magical treasure and examined it furtively.

It was a set of small banners, six in all, stored inside a magical treasure pouch.

This treasure was called the Cloud and Mist Banner. It gathered the cloud-and-mist essence from the Ninth Heaven and transformed it into wondrous abilities. Every orthodox and unorthodox sect had its own method of refining it.

The refining method for this set of Cloud and Mist Banners was quite orthodox. It was not a treasure of the unorthodox or demonic paths.

If it had been refined by an unorthodox method, various souls would have been fused into it. Slaughtering birds and beasts, or fish swimming in the sea, would have been the mildest approach. The more vicious would secretly fuse the essence of living people into it. When activated, demonic smoke would billow and resentment would soar into the heavens. It was exceedingly cruel.

The Cloud and Mist Banner had boundless potential. As long as its foundation was excellent, it could be refined continuously. Even cultivators in the Golden Core Realm or True Yang Realm could use it.

This treasure had only been superficially refined and was merely at the Qi Refining level. It could not display its original power in full. If fully unleashed, it could produce a mass of rosy light spanning more than ten mu, offering a little protection, though it was mainly used to confuse enemies.

Chen Ganliu thought to himself, If I refine an Illusion Talisman into it, it will produce illusory effects in addition to the cloud-and-mist essence. This treasure might stay with me for quite some time.

The Peach Mountain Seal Chen Qing had traded to him was only suitable for use at Qi Refining Layer Two or Three. If he encountered an enemy with slightly higher cultivation who had also mastered some body-protecting art, the enemy would treat a strike from this treasure as nothing. Even if he devoted more effort to refining it, its power would amount to little more.

Chen Ganliu was simply very poor. Having a magical treasure to protect himself was enough; he was not picky.

Chen Qing had failed to sell the Peach Mountain Seal even at Suiyang Immortal Market, which showed just how little value this treasure had.

After confirming that the Cloud and Mist Banner contained no hidden trick, Chen Ganliu stored it in the Beast Skin Pouch. He did not even look at the pouch of spirit stones. Instead, he stroked the Green Jade Stones he had bluffed out, and his heart grew hot. I wonder if I'll be lucky enough this time to cut open White Emperor's Legacy.

He could only regret that it was not suitable to go out right now. The Green Jade Stones he had extorted from Ling Xiaozi numbered fully fifty or sixty pieces, and he wanted to cut them all open and inspect each one carefully as soon as possible.

Chen Ganliu was excited for a while before suppressing his various emotions. He slowly circulated the Azure Emperor Jia Yi Art, intending to patiently while away the time, wait out the Demonic Cultivator incident, and wait until Ling Xiaozi lost patience. Then he would flee into the distance, find another place to hide for several months—and that was when he suddenly heard an earth-shaking explosion. Even the cliff where he was hiding trembled.

His heart shuddered. At last, he remembered that he had heard of this incident in his previous life...

Writing this chapter was difficult, because it was crucial to the plot of the dozens of chapters that follow. I stayed up all night yesterday before finally sorting out the storyline. Please give me a monthly ticket, a bookmark, and an investment. I'll try to write two more chapters today.