Size Manipulation

"Fellow Daoist, this place is only two hundred meters from the center of the Spirit Vein. Its Spirit Qi Concentration is second only to the Lu Family's at the very center."

The Lu Family managed Jiaolu Market and lived at the very center of the Spirit Vein.

"Mm!"

Zhou Er nodded.

To be honest, this place was far worse than Xiayun Sect.

Whether in Spirit Qi Concentration or location.

The only thing it had going for it was that there were more rooms.

But since Zhou Er had already left Xiayun Sect, he stopped dwelling on it and settled in at once.

Once he was settled, he started thinking about how to make a living.

Naturally, he planned to make a living as a Talisman Master.

Of course, before making talismans, he needed to learn about the situation here, so he went around asking questions.

Jiaolu Market had only one Talisman Master, a Guest Elder hired by the Lu Family named Chen Ying. She was a middle-aged female cultivator in the Late-stage Qi Refining.

Since Zhou Er was new here, he naturally needed to pay his respects. He brought a gift and went to visit her.

"Who are you?"

Chen Ying's twelve-year-old granddaughter, Chen Xiaoran, saw Zhou Er and didn't recognize him.

"I'm Cang Er, a Talisman Master who just joined Jiaolu Market. I've come to pay Senior Chen a visit."

Zhou Er spoke modestly.

"Xiaoran, who is it?"

Chen Ying asked from inside the house.

"He says he's a Talisman Master who just joined the market."

Chen Xiaoran replied.

"Let him in!"

Chen Ying's voice came from inside.

"Please come in."

Chen Xiaoran opened the door and let Zhou Er into the house.

Chen Ying didn't look particularly old. She had only a few wrinkles, but her hair was already half white at the temples.

"You're a Talisman Master too? Why come to a godforsaken place like Jiaolu Market?"

Chen Ying asked.

Jiaolu Market was isolated from the world and had few people. Talisman Masters rarely wanted to come here.

"I'm from the Qi Kingdom. Jiaolu Market is the only cultivation market within the kingdom."

Zhou Er said.

"You came to see me because you want to ask what you should do?"

Chen Ying glanced at Zhou Er. He was so young, yet he was a Talisman Master with a fairly high cultivation level. She figured he was no ordinary person.

"I'd like to ask Senior Chen for advice on making and selling talismans."

Zhou Er asked humbly.

It would never do for him to sell them himself. He could only sell so many on his own, and it would waste his time.

"So that's what this is about. I'll introduce you to the current Patriarch of the Lu Family, Lu Tong. He can help you make arrangements."

Chen Ying was old now and had long since grown too frail to do much. Her granddaughter had yet to master the craft, so she was delighted to have a newcomer share the burden.

"Thank you, Senior Chen."

Zhou Er hurriedly cupped his hands.

"No need to thank me. The Lu Family are decent people. They should be able to offer you good terms."

Chen Ying said.

She showed no expression as she spoke, so Zhou Er couldn't guess how she felt or whether she was pleased or angry. All he could do was accept it.

"Thank you for making the introduction, Senior."

Zhou Er thanked her repeatedly.

"Don't mention it."

Chen Ying waved her hand.

The next day, Chen Ying introduced Zhou Er to Lu Tong and arranged a meeting at the Lu Family residence.

"Senior Chen told me yesterday that Fellow Daoist Cang was a young Talisman Master. Now that I've met you, I see she was right—you're a fine-looking young man."

Lu Tong said with a smile when he saw Zhou Er.

Lu Tong was an unremarkable-looking middle-aged man with a modest cultivation level, around the sixth or seventh layer of Qi Refining.

He had been chosen as Patriarch simply because he was good at managing the family. They had put him forward to handle its affairs.

"Fellow Daoist Lu!"

Zhou Er greeted him with a smile.

Lu Tong personally poured Zhou Er a cup of tea, then said:

"It's an honor for our market to have Fellow Daoist Cang join Jiaolu Market. I warmly welcome you."

"You're too kind, Fellow Daoist Lu."

Zhou Er hadn't expected Lu Tong to be so courteous.

After a few pleasantries, they got down to business.

"What talismans can Fellow Daoist Cang make?"

Lu Tong asked.

"Fireball Talisman, Water Shield Talisman, Water Healing Talisman, Godspeed Talisman, and Immobilization Talisman. I'm best at the Fireball Talisman; its power is a third greater than that of other Talisman Masters at the same level."

Zhou Er said. With Fire Attribute Amplification, his fire spells were thirty percent more powerful.

"That's excellent!"

Lu Tong said with a smile.

Most Talisman Masters were considered skilled if they could make two or three kinds of talismans. Zhou Er could make five, putting him close to the ranks of top Talisman Masters.

"Fellow Daoist Cang, how about this? The Lu Family will provide the Raw Materials for free. You need only give us thirty percent of the finished talismans made from them."

Lu Tong said.

That way, the Lu Family would make a small profit without having to tie up too much in Spirit Stones.

"That sounds good!"

Zhou Er knew that outside the sect, talismans, pills, and Spirit Stones were all valued about the same and could all be used as currency. He nodded and agreed.

This would save him trouble too. He wouldn't have to calculate how many Spirit Stones he had earned.

Once they settled on the arrangement, Lu Tong had someone draw up a contract.

Zhou Er examined it carefully, and after confirming there were no problems, he signed it.

"By the way, Fellow Daoist Cang, could you teach my younger family members your Talisman Making skills? The family is willing to offer a magical artifact as tuition."

Lu Tong said with a smile.

Zhou Er knew that things were different outside the sect. One had to keep all sorts of skills to oneself, or risk teaching the apprentice so well that the master starved.

But then he remembered that making talismans required great talent and a great deal of time to learn.

Without more than ten years of study, it was very difficult to achieve anything.

Even learning those squiggly, earthworm-like runes took a long time.

Zhou Er had learned so quickly and earned Spirit Stones only thanks to Rune Mastery and Wondrous Brush.

Without those two attributes, even with the Talisman Making Insights Zhu Shunyang had given him, he would still have needed several years of study.

He might not even stay in Jiaolu Market for long.

So Zhou Er didn't refuse outright. He simply said:

"Fellow Daoist Lu, Talisman Making skills can't be passed on lightly."

"Fellow Daoist Cang, what else do you need? I'll do my best to provide it."

Lu Tong said earnestly.

"I'll set the teaching schedule. I'll teach for one hour every ten days. My time is valuable, and I won't waste too much of it on teaching."

Zhou Er said.

"Of course."

Lu Tong nodded, then sent a servant to fetch the magical artifact from the Family Treasury.

"Fellow Daoist Cang, this is the Ruyi Ring. It can protect you and repel enemies."

Lu Tong took out a yellow-brown Copper Ring. He channeled his magic power, and the ring grew and shrank.

At its smallest, it could be worn as a bracelet. At its largest, it was like a small hula hoop and could be used as a weapon.

It was a decent magical artifact of medium quality.

[Ruyi Ring: An Earth Attribute Copper Ring that can grow and shrink.]

[Equipped Attributes: Size Manipulation.]

[Size Manipulation: You can freely change your stature, up to three meters tall and down to one meter.]

[Solidification Condition: Reach the Qi Refining Tenth Layer.]

[Equip?]

This attribute was rather interesting. It would let Zhou Er turn himself into a giant or a dwarf at will.

Lu Tong saw Zhou Er lost in thought and couldn't tell whether he liked it, so he said:

"I'm not sure whether Fellow Daoist Cang likes it. If you don't, I can go to the Family Treasury and fetch another magical artifact for you."

Zhou Er looked at the other magical artifact as well. Neither the artifact itself nor its attribute was particularly good, so he had no choice but to pick the Ruyi Ring.

After receiving the artifact, Zhou Er returned to the little house he was renting and began refining the Ruyi Ring with his vital blood essence.

Once he finished refining it, Zhou Er placed the Ruyi Ring in his Equipment Slot to see how Size Manipulation worked.

[Name: Zhou Er]

[Cultivation: Qi Refining Seventh Layer (19.56%)]

[Equipment Slot (3/3): Ruyi Ring, Low-grade Spirit Stone, Bigu Pill.]

[Unsolidified Attributes: Size Manipulation, Mana Abundance (White), Taotie (White).]

[Solidified Attributes: Refinement (White), Spirit Gathering (White), Rune Mastery (First-grade), Self-Healing (White), High-speed Reaction, Wondrous Brush (White), Fire Attribute Amplification (White), Spirit Qi Purification (White), Qi Induction, Strength Increase (White).]

Once he had equipped it, Zhou Er first tried making his body grow. His stature kept rising until he reached three meters, nearly touching the ceiling beams.

His massive body might give him an advantage when fighting large Demonic Beasts, but Zhou Er couldn't think of any other use for this size.

Then he shrank himself, turning into a dwarf.

As a dwarf, everything in his field of vision seemed bigger. It felt like being a child again.

He played around for a little while before changing back. He didn't keep at it.

Afterward, members of the Lu Family brought Zhou Er materials for making talismans. He accepted them, then sent them on their way.

As for the Lu Family children he was supposed to teach, they would be sent over in ten days. There was no need to think about them for now.

Focusing on making talismans and cultivating, Zhou Er settled into a life just like the one he'd had at Xiayun Sect, except he no longer had to worry about Master Jide discovering something amiss about him.

Zhou Er also wanted to study new talismans, so he often visited Chen Ying's residence and subtly probed her about the talismans she knew.

Chen Ying had a Metal Attribute spiritual root and cultivated a Metal Attribute technique. She mainly knew two talismans: the Golden Light Talisman and the Golden Sword Talisman.

One could release golden light to protect the whole body.

The other could summon a golden sword made of magic power to attack.

Both were good talismans, but Chen Ying wouldn't teach them.

She wouldn't teach anyone, not even the Lu Family.

But Zhou Er had Rune Mastery, which gave him a thorough understanding of the runes used in first-grade talismans. Even if Chen Ying wouldn't teach him, he could slowly figure them out himself once he learned the two spells.

So Zhou Er bought the two spells and spent time studying them alongside his cultivation.

In the blink of an eye, ten days passed. The Lu Family sent two young children to Zhou Er to learn Talisman Making.

Zhou Er was ready for them. He took out a sheet with one hundred runes written on it, taught them once, then sent them home to memorize and practice.

Runes were the foundation of Talisman Making. Once they had memorized all one hundred runes, understood their meanings, and could draw them with both form and spirit, they could move on to the next hundred.

The runes gave the two children a headache, but their elders had told them to study hard, so they had no choice but to grit their teeth and get through them.

He taught them for only one hour every ten days, so his own affairs weren't disturbed.

In the blink of an eye, three months passed.

Zhou Er successfully broke through to the Qi Refining Eighth Layer. He had also mastered the Golden Light Technique and Golden Sword Technique and recorded them on talismans.

Chen Ying was advanced in years, and he was now the strongest Talisman Master in Jiaolu Market.

After breaking through to the Qi Refining Eighth Layer, Zhou Er's Mana Limit finally surpassed the total amount of Spirit Energy contained in a single Low-grade Spirit Stone. He had met the Solidification Condition for Mana Abundance.

[Mana Abundance (White): Increases Mana Limit by thirty percent.]

[Solidification Condition: Maximum Mana Limit exceeds the amount of Spirit Energy contained in one Low-grade Spirit Stone. (1/1)]

After solidifying Mana Abundance, Zhou Er now had thirty percent more magic power than an ordinary cultivator at the same level. If they fought, he would naturally have the upper hand.

Over the three months, Zhou Er had also built up quite a stock of talismans.

Eight hundred Fireball Talismans, one hundred Water Shield Talismans, one hundred Water Healing Talismans, thirty Godspeed Talismans, and fifty Immobilization Talismans.

Together, they were worth more than three hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones. They were his precious assets.

Although Zhou Er had mastered how to make the Golden Light Talisman and Golden Sword Talisman, he hadn't made any.

Those were part of Chen Ying's business. There was no need for him to compete with her.

As for the two Lu Family children who had come to learn Talisman Making, one had mastered more than two hundred runes, while the other knew fewer than fifty. The gap between them was enormous.

But Zhou Er didn't care much. They weren't his children, after all.

He would teach them. Whether they learned was beyond his control.

It had been more than four months since he left Xiayun Sect, and Zhou Er was starting to miss life there.

Of course, he was also worried that Xiayun Sect's Law Enforcement Team might investigate him.

But when he thought it over, there really wasn't much to investigate.

As long as he didn't defect to the demonic sect, the Elders of the sect wouldn't care too much whether an Outer Sect Disciple lived or died.

They Outer Sect Disciples didn't even have life lamps left behind at the sect. Tracking one of them down would take a great deal of effort.

After all, life lamps required people to maintain them and special lamp oil that wasted resources. Only cultivators at Foundation Establishment or above, and Inner Sect Disciples, had them. Other Outer Sect Disciples and servants weren't qualified to leave life lamps at the sect.

If he didn't return, the people at the sect would probably assume he was dead.

But more than the sect's investigation, he was worried about something else: Foundation Establishment.

Foundation Establishment had been difficult since ancient times.

Without a Foundation Establishment Pill to help, there was even a risk of dying.

Back when he was at Xiayun Sect, there had been a way to obtain Foundation Establishment Pills: take part in exploring secret realms.

There had been considerable risks, but at least there was a chance.

Now that he was a Rogue Cultivator, forget Foundation Establishment Pills—even all kinds of other resources were hard to come by. Every step was an uphill climb.

And with Late-stage Qi Refining just around the corner, he had to start making plans for a Foundation Establishment Pill.

"There are still several years. I can search slowly. For now, I need to improve my strength as quickly as possible."

Zhou Er thought it over, but in the end decided to focus on consolidating his strength first.

When the time came to seek a Foundation Establishment Pill, there would surely be no shortage of fights and bloodshed.

He had already mastered his spells, and he wielded the Ruyi Ring with great skill.

The fastest way to improve now was to work on body refinement.

Besides, perfecting his body refinement would greatly benefit his future Foundation Establishment and improve his chances of success.

Body refinement might be extremely difficult for others, but for Zhou Er, it was simple. All he needed was to find traits that strengthened his physique, and his progress would soar.

He already had traits like Strength Increase and Bone Strengthening.

By all accounts, his physical prowess was already about on par with someone at the third or fourth level of body refinement. In the martial world of mortals, his physical strength alone would make him a first- or second-rate expert.

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