Poison Sac

The monster-luring team will transition into an attack team once their task is complete. The reserve team consists of four Qi Refining eighth-layer cultivators, each carrying a first-grade low-tier Puppet Beast; they only intervene when firepower is insufficient. The logistics team manages talismans, medicinal pills, magical artifacts, and formation flags. For this hunt, two artifact refiners and one talisman maker are accompanying the group, as Han Changming usually needs to focus on crafting talismans, while the two artifact refiners are responsible for repairing magical artifacts.

Once the teams were assigned, the clan elder began to explain the supernatural abilities and habits of the monsters.

Taking the Fire Cloud Shrimp as an example, this is a fire-attribute monster. Its primary method of attack is spitting fire, it possesses strong defenses, and it enjoys eating red algae and low-grade monster fish. The urine of a female Fire Cloud Shrimp can attract males. Usually, red algae is scattered along the coastline and spread onto the beach to lure the shrimp ashore. This method has a prerequisite: one must know where the Fire Cloud Shrimp frequently appears. If the specific location is unknown, spraying the female's urine into the seawater has a certain chance of attracting males.

Water-attribute and ice-attribute spells can injure the Fire Cloud Shrimp. Generally, an ice-attribute formation is set up to exterminate them. If a shrimp is not trapped by the formation, one must use ice or earth-attribute spells to restrain it before finishing it off with heavy-type magical artifacts.

There are simply too many types of monsters, and Han Changming could not memorize them all at once. Fortunately, the clan elder distributed a small booklet to everyone, recording the appearance, habits, supernatural abilities, and extermination methods of over a hundred types of monsters.

Of course, unexpected situations sometimes occur, such as the appearance of second-grade monster birds or other monsters while hunting Fire Cloud Shrimp. The clan elder provided instructions on how to respond to such events.

Han Changming sighed inwardly, thinking that being part of a clan is truly better. When rogue cultivators go out to hunt monsters, not only do they need time to build rapport, but they also cannot afford to be equipped with so many resources.

The Han Clan hunts monsters equipped with second-grade Puppet Beasts, second-grade talismans, and second-grade formations, with artifact refiners and talisman makers in tow.

Rogue cultivators must guard against one another, whereas a clan has no such need.

In addition to the habits and supernatural abilities of the monsters, the clan elder also informed them of methods to deal with various emergencies, including encounters with evil cultivators.

Half a month passed by in the blink of an eye.

After nightfall, Kuixing Market was brightly lit, the streets were crowded with people like a flowing river, and the constant sound of hawking made the place very lively.

In a private room on the second floor of a certain teahouse.

Han Changming had changed his appearance and sat inside the room, with a plate of pastries and a pot of spirit tea on the table.

Not long after, a knock sounded at the door, and the voice of Ye Xin suddenly rang out: "Fellow Daoist Hu, we are here."

"Fairy Ye, please come in!"

Ye Xin pushed open the door, and she and Ye Xue walked in.

"These are the talismans you wanted, all of them are first-grade high-tier." Han Changming took out a blue storage bag and tossed it to Ye Xin.

Every three months, Han Changming would meet with the Ye sisters here to sell talismans.

Ye Xin took the storage bag and swept it with her divine sense, a look of surprise flashing in her eyes.

"Fellow Daoist Hu, this shipment is double the last one. We don't have that many spirit stones," Ye Xin said with a frown.

"How much do you have?"

Ye Xin and Ye Xue exchanged a glance, thought for a moment, and said, "Twelve hundred. We can't come up with any more than that."

"Twelve hundred it is. You can pay the rest during the next transaction. I plan to go into seclusion for a while, at least a year, perhaps several."

Han Changming did not know how long he would be gone, so he intended to sell a large batch of talismans to the Ye sisters to have them help him collect poisonous herbs.

Ye Xin hesitated for a moment, then instructed Ye Xue: "Sister, take out those Toad Pig Beast poison sacs! Fellow Daoist Hu trusts us, so we should reciprocate."

Ye Xue nodded obediently and took out ten cyan wooden boxes, handing them to Han Changming.

"Fellow Daoist Hu, these are the poison sacs of ten first-grade Toad Pig Beasts. The sacs can be used in medicine and are much more effective than poisonous herbs. Can these cover the remaining balance?"

Han Changming opened the ten wooden boxes and checked them one by one. After confirming they were correct, he put them away with a look of joy.

The Amethyst Flying Scorpion enjoys eating poisonous herbs and monster souls. Monster souls are easy enough; as long as one has spirit stones, they can be bought. Poisonous herbs are relatively more difficult, as wild ones are scarce, and in the East Sea cultivation world, medicinal pills are primarily based on monster cores, with spirit herbs as supplements.

He thought for a moment, took out ten pale blue talismans, handed them to Ye Xin, and said with a smile: "These ten Chain Water Sword Talismans are for you as a deposit. In the future, if you manage to get poison sacs or poisonous herbs—anything poisonous, really—try to save them for me. The price will be fair."

"Alright, it's a deal," Ye Xin agreed.

They frequently purchased talismans from Han Changming at prices cheaper than the market rate, and over the past three years, they had saved a large sum of spirit stones.

"Alright, I have matters to attend to, so I shall take my leave." Han Changming stood up and left.

Ye Xin and Ye Xue did not leave; they sat down.

"Sister, look at his speech and mannerisms. He doesn't seem like a rogue cultivator. His talisman-making level is high enough that he could open his own shop, yet he doesn't. Instead, he sells them to us at a low price. It's truly hard to understand," Ye Xue said, puzzled.

Ye Xin shook her head and said with a detached tone: "Whether he is a rogue cultivator or not is irrelevant. As long as we can save spirit stones, that's all that matters. He sells us talismans at a low price, and we sell him information about poisonous herbs and monsters; it's just a mutual exchange of needs."

Ye Xue's eyes rolled, and she said: "Sister, do you think he has taken a fancy to you? Otherwise, it doesn't make sense. You've only traded a few times, and he's already established a long-term partnership with you."

Hearing this, a blush rose to Ye Xin's face, and she scolded angrily: "You girl, you dare to say anything! He doesn't open a shop, he must have his own reasons! It has nothing to do with me. Every time after the transaction, he leaves in a hurry without even looking at me twice. It's you who keeps staring at him every time. Don't tell me you've taken a fancy to him!"

"I haven't taken a fancy to him. I just envy him for not having to take risks and being able to earn spirit stones by crafting talismans. It's a pity I don't have that talent."

Ye Xue sighed softly, a look of envy appearing on her face.

They were rogue cultivators, and the Ocean Listening Pavilion had raised its requirements for accepting disciples, so they couldn't get in. Aside from hunting monsters, they knew no other skills.

"Men are unreliable; only relying on oneself is useful. Mother suffered because of this back then, raising us alone through all the hardships. This time, the Ten Thousand Monsters Pilgrimage is our chance. Hunting more monsters and earning more spirit stones—that is what's important."

"I know. Men are all unreliable. We sisters must be of one heart, and our combined strength will be enough to cut through metal. We must make something of ourselves to comfort Mother's spirit in heaven," Ye Xue said firmly, her eyes full of determination.

After a while, they walked out of the teahouse and blended into the crowd.

Returning to his residence, Han Changming released the Amethyst Flying Scorpion and tossed a poison sac onto the ground.

The Amethyst Flying Scorpion did not stand on ceremony; in a few quick bites, it devoured the poison sac, and some liquid splashed onto the ground, emitting a wisp of blue smoke.

After eating the poison sac, the Amethyst Flying Scorpion let out an excited hiss.