In the cultivation room.
Shen Xuan gazed at the Spirit Gathering Array Banner before him, his heart filled with emotion.
The Spirit Gathering Array worked well, but it consumed far too many spirit stones.
One spirit stone a day added up to 365 a year.
Ordinary cultivators simply couldn't afford it.
An attendant serving a Cultivation Family who had reached Late Qi Refining Stage earned only 300 spirit stones a year.
And that was before food, cultivation, and expenses like Magic Artifacts, Spirit Pills, and Talismans.
Some even had children to raise.
So many cultivators at Qi Refining Perfection had to scrape together every last stone just to afford a Foundation Establishment Pill.
Some even gave up the chance to attempt Foundation Establishment.
All so they could leave a little more money for their family.
Like Zhao Chunsheng next door, who hadn't moved out of this D-grade Residence despite breaking through to Late Qi Refining Stage, all so he could raise his two sons.
Still, he had found a new Fortune Path.
He helped Shen Xuan purchase Monster Beasts and sell Talismans.
All of Shen Xuan's High-grade Water Control Talismans were sold by Zhao Chunsheng.
In return, Shen Xuan paid Zhao Chunsheng a commission of fifteen percent.
That was more than fair.
He was a Late Qi Refining Stage cultivator and a Monster Hunter, with considerable strength.
He had plenty of connections and resources to sell those High-grade Water Control Talismans.
Grateful for the opportunity, Zhao Chunsheng also realized that Shen Xuan's Talisman Crafting skills likely surpassed what most people could imagine.
As they spent more time together, the two grew close.
Zhao Chunsheng's wife, Jiang Xueqi, often came by with gifts. She treated Ding Yuyao like a sister, and the two became close friends.
For a Mid Qi Refining Stage cultivator like her to treat Ding Yuyao, a mere mortal, so well was truly rare.
Ding Yuyao knew that Jiang Xueqi treated her this way entirely because of her husband, Shen Xuan.
Only strength earned others' respect!
Her husband's strength was unfathomable!
Ding Yuyao had experienced it firsthand.
She felt that her husband was getting stronger and stronger.
Their sparring sessions were lasting longer and longer.
And they were trying more and more things.
Thinking of those bizarre positions, Ding Yuyao's ears burned, and her face flushed with embarrassment.
At that moment, in the cultivation room,
Shen Xuan slowly finished his practice.
[Talent: Water Control Mastery (2/400)] [Water Condensation Edge Shaping Art]: Mastery (5/400)]
Looking at the mess in the cultivation room,
he realized that, just like his Water Control Talisman skills, once he reached the Mastery Stage, it became very difficult to increase his Proficiency.
"It's still a limit imposed by my Cultivation Realm!"
Shen Xuan knew it full well.
Whether it was cultivation techniques, talents, Talisman Crafting, or Spell Techniques, all were limited by his own Cultivation Realm.
With his current cultivation at Qi Refining Level 4, he had nearly reached the limit of what he could achieve in cultivation techniques, talents, Talisman Crafting, and Spell Techniques.
That was why a cultivator's Cultivation Realm was the foundation of their cultivation.
"I still have to find a way to plunder Monster Beasts' Bloodline Talents and improve my Spirit Root Aptitude!"
"Too bad my Cultivation Realm isn't high enough yet. Otherwise, the Water Escape Talisman would be my first choice."
The Water Escape Talisman was one of the Five Elements escape Talismans, and it was high-grade.
A Talisman Master had to reach Late Qi Refining Stage to have any chance of making one successfully.
Shen Xuan thought it over repeatedly and decided to make the mid-grade Spring Return Talisman.
As the name suggested, the Spring Return Talisman's greatest use was healing injuries and restoring spiritual power.
There were two kinds of Spring Return Talismans.
The most widely used was the Wood Attribute Spring Return Talisman, which focused on restoring spiritual power.
The other was the Water Attribute Spring Return Talisman. It restored spiritual power while also providing excellent healing.
By comparison, the Water Law Spring Return Talisman required more expensive Beast Blood Cinnabar and was more cumbersome to make.
"Headless Fish?"
Zhao Chunsheng didn't agree right away when he heard Shen Xuan's request to buy them.
"Talisman Master Shen, these Headless Fish live deep in the Longze River, and they're scarce. They're even more expensive than Green Feather Fish!"
"What's the market price?"
"Three spirit stones per pound."
"All right. Please help me buy some, Fellow Daoist Zhao. I won't leave you to do it for nothing."
"No problem!"
"And please keep this confidential, Fellow Daoist Zhao!"
"Now, why would you say that? Don't worry, Talisman Master Shen! I may not have many other talents, but I can keep my mouth shut."
"Good!"
With Water Control Technique enhancing it, the Water Condensation Edge Shaping Art was powerful enough to threaten Late Qi Refining Stage cultivators.
And with the mid-grade defensive Magic Artifact Water Cloud Shield, Shen Xuan felt much safer.
Even against a Late Qi Refining Stage cultivator, he could put up a fight.
Still, Shen Xuan was a cautious man.
Safety came first. Keeping a low profile and cultivating without drawing attention was the right way.
A month later, Zhao Chunsheng arrived with a Fishing Bag.
Inside were several Headless Fish, weighing about three pounds in all.
"How much?"
"Just give me nine spirit stones."
"Fine!"
Shen Xuan said nothing more and handed him ten spirit stones.
After taking the stones, Zhao Chunsheng asked, "Do you want more?"
"What's the matter?"
Zhao Chunsheng chuckled. "I was lucky and found a supplier. I can get six or seven pounds every month. I wonder if Talisman Master Shen can take that much?"
"That much!"
Shen Xuan deliberately put on a troubled expression.
With his Water Control Talisman Crafting at the Mastery Stage and a Talisman Completion Rate of forty percent, he could earn seventy spirit stones a month!
After deducting the cost of the Spirit Gathering Array in the cultivation room and living expenses, he could save thirty spirit stones a month.
Wealth should not be flaunted; riches should not be displayed.
Shen Xuan had always been cautious, only giving Zhao Chunsheng some of his High-grade Water Control Talismans to sell.
"I'll definitely take them. But with that much, I won't have enough spirit stones on hand to pay you all at once."
"No problem! You can pay me later!"
Zhao Chunsheng said generously.
"I wouldn't trust someone else, but I trust Talisman Master Shen!"
"Then I'll have to trouble you, Fellow Daoist Zhao. How about I pay half in spirit stones and cover the rest with the High-grade Water Control Talismans I make?"
"Sounds good!"
After Zhao Chunsheng left, Shen Xuan carried the Fishing Bag into the cultivation room.
First, he followed the instructions in the Cultivation Technique Jade Slip and made Spring Return Talismans on his own.
After using up twelve sets of materials, he had reached the entry stage in Spring Return Talisman Crafting.
Then he used the Mysterious Jade Talisman to plunder the Headless Fish's talents from the Fishing Bag.
A flash of golden light passed.
[Talent: Self-Healing (6/100)] [Spring Return Talisman: Entry (9/100)] [Dao Rhyme: 12]
Shen Xuan observed the results for a while.
Headless Fish and Green Feather Fish of the same weight had about the same effect.
It had taken Shen Xuan a full year and a half to plunder the Water Control Talent from Green Feather Fish.
Now that Zhao Chunsheng had found a supplier for Headless Fish, with a plentiful supply, the process would be much faster than with Green Feather Fish.
He came by about once every half month, bringing three or four pounds of Headless Fish.
Each time, Shen Xuan paid half in spirit stones and covered the other half with High-grade Water Control Talismans.
Occasionally, he paid with High-grade Spring Return Talismans instead.
Eight months later.
[Talent: Self-Healing (96/100)]
In the cultivation room, Shen Xuan forced down his excitement and began his final attempt to plunder the Headless Fish's talent.
Success or failure would be decided today!
The Mysterious Jade Talisman did not disappoint Shen Xuan.
After the golden light passed, the bloodline talents of the several Headless Fish in the Fishing Bag had all been absorbed.
Shen Xuan felt dazed.
An experience of life unlike anything he had ever known turned into points of spiritual light and seeped into his Sea of Consciousness.
Without a head or heart, they lived in the depths of a great river, surviving tenaciously in a harsh environment starved of nutrients and oxygen until their bodies completely disintegrated.
When injured from the outside, their bodies could swiftly seal the wounds and repair damaged parts, restoring their functions.
Even when cut completely in half, each half of a Headless Fish could still heal itself and struggle on alone.
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