Life Extension Talent (Request Follow Reading)

After moving to the B-grade residence, Shen Xuan returned to his daily routine of cultivation, talisman crafting, and training his beloved wife.

Occasionally, after training his beloved wife to sleep, he would cast [Breath Concealment Technique] and [Invisibility Technique], dash from the third floor to the Spirit Pool, slip through the Underground River, and swim out to the Longze River to improve his various Water Law talents.

In his spare time, he wrote five letters, sending them to Qin Yuehan, Lu Zhengying, Wang Fugui, Zhao Sujin, and Li Changan.

The most important ones were Qin Yuehan and Lu Zhengying; the other three were just extras.

In the letters, Shen Xuan wrote his new address, inviting them to visit Qinglong Bay Market when they had time.

The letters were written for the Ding Family to see, a way to maintain ties with old classmates.

After all, since he had accepted their benefits, he had to show some gesture in return.

As for whether Qin Yuehan and the others would actually come, Shen Xuan held no hope.

They were all older now, each with their own affairs; every family has its own troubles. Who would travel a thousand miles just to visit an old friend?

A month later, he had elevated [Iron Bone Art] to the Mastery Stage.

At this moment, Zhao Chunsheng also brought good news.

Having built up his foundation over time, after moving into the B-grade residence and clearing the snake venom, he pushed through in one go and finally broke through to Qi Refining Level 8.

This made him uncharacteristically generous; he set up a feast and invited Shen Xuan and his wife for a meal and drinks.

"Actually, my Fire Spirit Root is only 28 points. Breaking through or not isn't that important. As long as you have the will, even by grinding it out, you can reach Qi Refining Level 9."

After drinking, Zhao Chunsheng talked a bit more than usual.

"Wealth, Companions, Dharma, and Place—without Spirit Stones, no matter how high your Cultivation Realm, it's all in vain. Talisman Master Shen, let me tell you, this is why Monster Hunters can never save Spirit Stones."

"They struggle on the edge of life and death. Once they hunt a big catch and earn Spirit Stones, they blow it all on Eating, Drinking, Prostitution, Gambling—numbing themselves, spending every last Spirit Stone they earned with their lives!"

"So being a Monster Hunter has no future!"

Drunk, Zhao Chunsheng vented: "They call me the Rabbit Monster Hunter behind my back, mocking me for being cowardly, afraid to go deep into the Shadow Forest to hunt."

"What the hell do they know!"

"In this world, nothing is more important than life! I'm different from them! I have a wife and children; I'm meant to enjoy life in the future."

"Risking my life for a few Spirit Stones? Not worth it!"

Under Jiang Xueqi's pleading gaze, Shen Xuan smiled, picked up his teacup, and gently clinked it.

"Fellow Daoist Zhao is right. I think so too."

"Wife, see? Talisman Master Shen agrees with me!"

That night, Zhao Chunsheng was especially excited and drank himself into a stupor.

The next day.

Shen Xuan brought the crafted [Spring Return Talismans] to the Ding Family shop.

As soon as he entered, Shopkeeper Ding warmly hurried over to greet him.

"Talisman Master Shen, long time no see. I heard you moved to the B-grade residence!"

Shen Xuan was taken aback.

"Young Master Ding Yijin introduced it. Shopkeeper Ding, didn't you know?"

"Young Master Ding is a busy man with important matters; why would he tell us about such trivial things?"

"What's the current price for [Spring Return Talismans]?"

"The wilderness reclamation is over, so the price has dropped a bit. Ten talismans for eleven Spirit Stones, double for the high-grade ones."

Shen Xuan shook his head.

That meant his profit had also decreased somewhat.

"However, the Talisman Paper and Cinnabar for [Spring Return Talismans] have also dropped in price accordingly."

Shen Xuan took out a large stack of ordinary [Spring Return Talismans].

"Exchange these for three hundred and sixty sets of Talisman Paper and one bottle of Cinnabar. Convert the rest into Spirit Stones."

"Right away!"

After a month of hard work, dedicating himself to crafting [Spring Return Talismans], he only got back crafting materials and a dozen or so Spirit Stones.

Fortunately, he still had over twenty High-grade Spring Return Talismans in his Storage Bag.

Otherwise, he wouldn't even be able to afford the Small Spirit Gathering Array.

"Maybe I should stop using the Spirit Gathering Array for now?"

The training room in the B-grade residence was a Tier 1 High-grade dojo, enough for his cultivation.

"No! Time waits for no one. With the Spirit Gathering Array, breaking through to Qi Refining Level 6 will only take half the time—three years."

Shen Xuan had an unusual obsession with improving his strength.

He always felt that Qinglong Bay Market wasn't safe enough.

Leaving the Ding Family shop, Shen Xuan bought some Spirit Rice, Yao Beast Meat, Spirit Fruits, and Spirit Vegetables.

They and Zhao Chunsheng's family each cooked their own meals.

This could avoid many disputes.

Returning to the residence, he called for Zhao Chunsheng, who had sobered up.

"These twenty High-grade Spring Return Talismans, help me sell them. Same rules, fifteen percent commission."

"Also, this Spirit Burst Pill, find a way to dispose of it for me."

Zhao Chunsheng accepted the spirit talismans and the Spirit Burst Pill, then hurried away.

In the evening, when he returned, he handed Shen Xuan ninety-five spirit stones.

"Fifty-four spirit stones for the High-grade Spring Return Talismans, forty-one spirit stones for the Spirit Burst Pill."

Shen Xuan handed ten spirit stones to Zhao Chunsheng.

"Hard work."

"What hard work, just a legwork errand."

"No one watching you?"

"Talisman Master Shen, you're too cautious. I'm a Qi Refining Level 8 Monster Hunter. Such a small batch of goods, something would happen? You underestimate me!"

"Regardless, caution keeps the boat sailing for ten thousand years. Safety first."

After Shen Xuan gave a few reminders, he went back to cultivate and craft talismans.

With over eighty spirit stones saved in his pocket, Shen Xuan flipped through the Savage Plains Yao Beast Illustrated Guide again.

If he could plunder one more First-Order Middle Grade Water Attribute Monster Beast, he could raise his spirit root to 20 points.

20 points meant a Mid-grade Spirit Root!

If lucky, there was even a glimmer of hope for Foundation Establishment!

He flipped through the Savage Plains Yao Beast Illustrated Guide several times but couldn't find a monster beast he desired to plunder.

Water Attribute Monster Beasts were considered the cheapest, but most were in the East Sea.

Near the Longze River, those that were abundant, cheap, and had special talents were few and far between.

In the end, Shen Xuan set his sights on the Water Cloud Turtle.

A First-Order Middle Grade Monster Beast, an adult Water Cloud Turtle could weigh several hundred jin, with a price as high as four to five hundred spirit stones each!

Water Cloud Turtle meat was highly nourishing, rumored to have life-extending effects.

Moreover, its shell was extremely hard, serving as the raw material for the defensive magic tool, the Water Cloud Shield.

"I can't afford an adult Water Cloud Turtle. I wonder what the price is for a juvenile."

Fortunately, Water Cloud Turtles had strong reproductive abilities, laying hundreds of eggs each time, with only a very few juvenile Water Cloud Turtles surviving to adulthood.

He later sought out Zhao Chunsheng for consultation.

"Juvenile Water Cloud Turtle? Depends on the size. A small one, only the size of a fist, costs two spirit stones each!"

Shen Xuan thought for a moment.

"What about one the size of a bowl?"

"Bowl-sized, that's about one or two jin. That would cost five or six spirit stones."

Shen Xuan did the math.

With savings of eighty spirit stones, plus a net monthly income of sixty to seventy spirit stones, he could barely afford it.

"Help me buy juvenile Water Cloud Turtles. Don't buy too many at once, just three or four."

"Alright. Leave it to me, Talisman Master Shen. Rest assured, no problem at all!"

Zhao Chunsheng guessed that Shen Xuan had a secret technique to condense essence blood from Water Attribute Monster Beasts, enhancing his talisman crafting ability.

However, that was none of his business.

In the Cultivation World, which cultivator didn't have some secrets?

Talisman Master Shen wasn't skilled in combat and was timid, which made it just right for him to handle purchasing and selling.

Just running errands and getting a commission from it—why not!

A few days later, three juvenile Water Cloud Turtles were placed on the stone table in Shen Xuan's training room.

After the Mysterious Jade Talisman flashed with golden light.

[Plunderable Talents: Life Extension, Hard Fang, Water Arrow]

Shen Xuan was stunned.

He remembered that the Tier 1 Low-grade Mysterious Water Turtle had plunderable talents: Water Control, Breath Concealment, Life Extension.

A First-Order Middle Grade Water Cloud Turtle couldn't possibly lack Water Control and Breath Concealment.

Could it be that because his Water Control and Breath Concealment talents were higher, he couldn't plunder similar lower-grade talents?

In the end, Shen Xuan still chose the [Life Extension] talent.

[Talent: Life Extension (21/100)]

[Dao Rhyme: 18]

Having spent eighteen spirit stones, the talent progress was 21 points, and the Dao Rhyme was as high as 18 points.

"It seems this Life Extension talent is of good quality. The Dao Rhyme is much better than the Mantis Shrimp and the Ironback Crab."