Shen Xuan took the Water Cloud Turtle Blood and set it aside, then went over to examine Zhao Chunsheng's injuries.
"I'm fine. They're only flesh wounds. Water Cloud Turtles aren't poisonous, and I'm tough as an old ox. I'll be better after a few days of rest."
"There were too many teams watching that Water Cloud Turtle. Our team only managed to snatch some Turtle Meat, and I got this much blood. How many spirit stones do you think it's worth?"
Zhao Chunsheng asked with an expectant look.
This was the reward he'd earned by risking his life.
Shen Xuan glanced at the Water Cloud Turtle Blood.
He didn't know its market value, either.
"I'll test it first. I'll work out the price for you afterward."
"Sure. Whatever price Talisman Master Shen says is fair. I trust you."
In Zhao Chunsheng's eyes, Shen Xuan was an honest man.
He'd never quibbled with him over anything.
Shen Xuan shook his head and carried a small bucket of Water Cloud Turtle Blood to the cultivation room.
Then he poured out a small basinful, about a quarter of the blood, and set it on the stone table.
Guided by his Divine Sense, the Mysterious Jade Talisman emitted a golden glow that enveloped the Water Cloud Turtle Blood in the basin.
Soon, the blood lost its color, becoming a puddle of yellow water.
[Talent: Longevity Proficiency (2/100)] [Dao Rhyme: 28]
The effect exceeded his expectations.
The [Longevity] talent had leapt straight from 88 points in Beginner to 2 points in Proficient, saving him half a month of practice.
He checked the Mysterious Jade Talisman again.
[Lifespan: 67/132]
Advancing the [Longevity] talent to Proficient had added another eight years to his lifespan!
And that wasn't all. He'd gained a full 28 Dao Rhyme points.
As expected of an adult Tier 1 High-grade Water Cloud Turtle!
He'd have to absorb the remaining Water Cloud Turtle Blood over the next few days.
Shen Xuan meditated and rested for a while.
When he came back out, Zhao Chunsheng looked much better.
"Fellow Daoist Zhao, to be honest, Water Cloud Turtle Blood is quite effective for the cultivation method I practice. How does eighty spirit stones sound?"
"Deal! Eighty spirit stones means my gamble paid off! Old Wu even laughed at me for only asking for the Water Cloud Turtle Blood and not the Turtle Meat!"
Hearing he could sell it for eighty spirit stones, Zhao Chunsheng visibly relaxed.
"Don't go again. It's too dangerous."
Shen Xuan advised him.
"Actually, I don't need Monster Beast blood to cultivate."
Zhao Chunsheng said gratefully, "Talisman Master Shen, you're a good man! But these days, good men don't live long! If I don't go, what will happen to my two children?"
"Do you expect them to follow in my footsteps, living as Monster Hunters, never knowing if they'll live to see tomorrow?
"They're going to become Alchemists and Artifact Refiners one day. A fortune-teller said I'd enjoy blessings in my old age. The older I get, the luckier I'll be!"
Jiang Xueqi wiped away her tears as she said, "Oh, stop bragging. If anything happens to you, what will become of me and the children?"
"Nothing will happen. I'm careful! If someone hadn't attacked me from behind during that melee, I wouldn't have been hurt at all."
Just as Shen Xuan had expected, the greatest danger when hunting a Tier 1 High-grade Water Cloud Turtle came from the cultivators with ulterior motives.
Only three teams had taken part in the hunt, but seven or eight others had been lurking nearby, watching like hungry tigers.
Once the Water Cloud Turtle was trapped, everyone had swarmed in, like a nest of bees, to carve up its flesh and blood.
Zhao Chunsheng's team had seven people. Besides him, there were two Late Qi Refining Stage cultivators, so their strength was quite formidable.
Working together, the seven had managed to seize one of the Water Cloud Turtle's legs before hastily retreating.
In just a dozen breaths, all seven had sustained injuries of varying severity.
Zhao Chunsheng had gotten off lightly.
One teammate in the Mid Qi Refining Stage had even lost an arm.
"Luckily, he had a High-grade Spring Return Talisman from Talisman Master Shen. That's what saved his arm!"
Zhao Chunsheng spoke animatedly about the Monster Hunting melee.
"When we retreated, those people were still fighting over the Turtle Shell. A Tier 1 High-grade Water Cloud Turtle Shell could easily sell for seven or eight hundred spirit stones!"
Shen Xuan asked, "Which matters more, your life or spirit stones?"
"My life matters more. But without spirit stones, my life doesn't count for much."
Shen Xuan shook his head and stopped trying to persuade him.
He had to respect other people's choices.
By buying Zhao Chunsheng's Water Cloud Turtle Blood at a fair price, Shen Xuan had already treated him well.
Over the next dozen days,
Shen Xuan refined all the Water Cloud Turtle Blood.
[Talent: Longevity Proficiency (24/100)] [Dao Rhyme: 106]
Shen Xuan put all his Dao Rhyme points into the [Self-Healing] talent, the only talent he couldn't practice at present.
[Talent: Self-Healing Mastery (42/400)]
"So I don't urgently need the Monster Beast blood I already have."
"What I need is blood from a new Monster Beast that can improve my Spirit Root Aptitude."
"Until I find the right new Monster Beast, I should focus on Talisman Crafting and save up spirit stones."
"You never know how much you need money until the moment you need it. In the cultivation world, spirit stones can solve most problems."
"If they can't, then you just don't have enough spirit stones!"
After thinking it through, Shen Xuan set a clear course for himself.
He told Zhao Chunsheng that he didn't need any Monster Beast blood for the time being.
"I'm broke. I need to craft talismans and save up spirit stones!"
Zhao Chunsheng sounded rather disappointed.
He'd finally found a Fortune Path, only for it to dry up again.
Two months passed in the blink of an eye.
One day, Zhao Chunsheng hurried back.
He brought bad news.
"The Ding Family's Foundation Establishment Pill was wasted by Ding Family Second Young Master, Ding Yisi!"
Shen Xuan was startled and hurriedly asked, "Fellow Daoist Zhao, what happened?"
The stability of Qinglong Bay was tied to his own safety.
If something happened to the Ding Family, Qinglong Bay would inevitably descend into chaos.
Zhao Chunsheng sighed. "The news is all over the Market. Ding Yisi, the Ding Family Head's second son, resented the family's favoritism toward the Eldest Young Master, Ding Yijin. He stole the Foundation Establishment Pill and failed when he tried to force his way into Foundation Establishment!"
Shen Xuan asked incredulously, "Didn't they say the Ding Family hadn't obtained a Foundation Establishment Pill during the last Wilderness Reclamation?"
Zhao Chunsheng replied, "The Ding Family really didn't have enough Sect Merit Points. They dipped into the family's savings and traded with other Cultivation Families for Sect Merit Points. That's how they exchanged for a Foundation Establishment Pill from Qingyun Sect."
"You can exchange spirit stones for Sect Merit Points?"
"What else?"
Shen Xuan was speechless.
He'd finally settled down and devoted himself to cultivation, with his Dao Path looking bright.
And now the Ding Family had gone and done this!
"How could something like this happen to a Lineage with nearly a thousand years of history?" Shen Xuan said angrily.
Zhao Chunsheng said, "Talisman Master Shen, that was a Foundation Establishment Pill! Brothers turning against each other, fathers and sons at each other's throats—all for a Foundation Establishment Pill. It happens all the time. What's so strange about it?"
"Besides, Ding Yisi and Ding Yijin have different mothers. They were rivals from the start. What brotherly affection could there be between them?"
"Still, the Ding Family Old Ancestor is alive. With a Foundation Establishment Grand Cultivator holding the fort, the Ding Family won't fall into chaos yet. They can hold on for a while. But if the Ding Family Old Ancestor falls as well..."
Zhao Chunsheng didn't finish.
Shen Xuan let out a quiet sigh.
It seemed he had to make preparations, too.
But at the Mid Qi Refining Stage, relocating and settling somewhere else wouldn't be easy.
And he had a mortal wife with him.
The journey would be long.
People at a new place could easily bully them, too.
I hope the Ding Family can hold on.
Back in the cultivation room,
Shen Xuan's thoughts raced, and he couldn't calm himself down.
His heart felt heavy, as if a giant boulder were crushing the breath from his lungs.
The Ding Family was already weak.
They'd finally managed to get a Foundation Establishment Pill, only for it to go to waste.
If anything happened to the Ding Family Old Ancestor,
the Ding Family would inevitably decline.
Qinglong Bay Market would inevitably fall into turmoil.
What would he do then?
If he were alone, he could dive into the Spirit Pool, swim through the Underground River, and escape to the bottom of the Longze River.
But what about Ding Yuyao?
Abandoning his wife in a crisis and fleeing alone—
Shen Xuan couldn't do it!
Before you continue