Talismans!

Li Qingshan sneered inwardly; it turned out Zhang Ming wanted to intercept this favor to curry favor with Zhang Hongxiu.

His face, however, displayed an expression of overwhelming gratitude: "So that's how it is! Many thanks for your guidance, Senior Brother Zhang, and thank you for your life-saving grace! If I manage to find it, this old man will certainly hand it over to you first!"

Zhang Ming nodded in satisfaction, feeling that this old junior brother was quite sensible.

He patted Li Qingshan on the shoulder and, feigning generosity, took out two low-grade spirit stones and a small jade bottle: "I can see you've had it rough. Here are two spirit stones and a bottle of Qi-Gathering Pills. Take them, recover well, and find that jade pendant as soon as possible. Remember, notify me the moment you find it!"

"Yes, yes! Certainly, certainly! Many thanks, Senior Brother Zhang! Please, walk slowly, Senior Brother!"

Li Qingshan bowed and scraped as he accepted the items, respectfully seeing Zhang Ming off.

Watching Zhang Ming's disappearing back, the humble gratitude on Li Qingshan's face vanished instantly, replaced by cold indifference.

He returned to his stone room, looked at the two low-grade spirit stones with their thin spiritual energy and the bottle of, at best, first-grade low-tier Qi-Gathering Pills, and a mocking smirk curled his lips.

"Everyone wants to use this old man as a stepping stone? Heh..."

Without hesitation, he tossed both the low-grade spirit stones and the bottle of Qi-Gathering Pills into the Wish-Fulfilling Gourd.

After one night.

What poured out of the gourd were two medium-grade spirit stones, brimming with spiritual energy and glowing with a lustrous sheen, along with three dragon-eye-sized Qi-Gathering Pills, clear of pill patterns and fragrant with medicinal potency!

"It really works!"

A sharp glint flashed in Li Qingshan's eyes.

The Wish-Fulfilling Gourd could even upgrade pills and magical artifacts; spirit stones were naturally no exception!

One had to know that a single medium-grade spirit stone was worth one hundred low-grade ones.

The gap in value between low-grade and medium-grade was nothing short of heaven and earth!

The resource problem was temporarily eased, but the biggest trouble remained that jade pendant.

He took a deep breath, sat cross-legged, and the spiritual sense of a fourth-layer Qi Refining cultivator slowly spread outward.

Everything within a ten-zhang radius was instantly and clearly reflected in his mind, down to the finest detail.

He manipulated his spiritual sense like an invisible net, meticulously scanning every corner of the hall, especially the pile of newly delivered waste.

The veins of dust, the rust on metal, the grain of the wood... nothing could escape his detection.

This sensation of projecting one's spiritual sense was profoundly mysterious, but it was also extremely taxing on the mind.

Soon, sweat began to bead on his forehead once again.

Hard work pays off.

Just as he began to feel exhausted, his spiritual sense finally touched a hard object deep within the pile of waste, covered in sludge and faintly emitting a weak but unique fluctuation of spiritual power.

With a thought, the object was carefully fished out from the debris by his spiritual sense and flew before him.

After washing away the grime with clear water, a palm-sized, warm-to-the-touch jade pendant appeared in his hand.

The pendant was vermilion red, carved into the shape of a sparrow with wings spread as if to take flight. The craftsmanship was exquisite, and the bird's eyes seemed to be inlaid with tiny, shimmering gemstones.

However, when Li Qingshan attempted to inject a sliver of his Evergreen Technique mana into it, a sudden change occurred!

The vermilion sparrow pattern on the pendant flared with light, and a terrifying pressure—far exceeding that of any magical artifact—flashed and vanished in an instant!

Although it was extremely faint, Li Qingshan was certain that this was definitely not an aura that a Qi Refining stage artifact could possess!

Complex and profound runes surfaced on the surface of the pendant, and the faint phantom of a massive vermilion bird appeared, only to vanish again in a heartbeat.

"This is... a Talisman Treasure?!"

Li Qingshan's pupils constricted, his heart skipping a beat!

He had once seen records of Talisman Treasures in the cultivation common knowledge attached to the Evergreen Technique.

They were one-time consumable treasures that only Golden Core stage cultivators could create, capable of sealing a portion of their own magical treasure's power into a specially crafted talisman or carrier to bestow upon their juniors for self-defense.

Its power far surpassed that of a top-tier magical artifact, enough to threaten or even kill a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator!

This was no ordinary decorative pendant; it was an incredibly precious trump card for survival!

No wonder that Zhang Hongxiu was so anxious and aggressive!

Li Qingshan gripped the warm Vermilion Sparrow Jade Pendant, feeling the terrifying power hidden within, and as he thought of Zhang Hongxiu's overbearing threats and Zhang Ming's schemes, his eyes grew deep and dark.

An intense desire for possession surged in his heart.

To hand over such a heavy treasure would be a complete waste of a divine object!

But if he didn't hand it over, how would he deal with the situation in three days?

Just as Zhang Ming had said, if he handed such a treasure directly to Zhang Hongxiu, she might just kill him to silence him.

After all, Li Qingshan was merely an outer sect disciple guarding the Waste Pill Hall, and even that title was in name only; his status was no better than a servant, and he lacked even the most basic cultivation resources.

He looked at the pendant in his hand, then at the Wish-Fulfilling Gourd at his waist. As thoughts raced through his mind, a bold plan began to take shape.

"Perhaps... I don't necessarily have to give it to Zhang Hongxiu!"

He muttered to himself, a sharp, piercing light flashing in his eyes.

Clutching the Vermilion Sparrow Talisman Treasure, which felt warm to the touch yet contained a terrifying power, the sharp glint in Li Qingshan's eyes gradually settled into deep contemplation.

The overbearing nature of Zhang Hongxiu and the scheming of Zhang Ming were like two walls closing in, trapping him in the center.

Handing this talisman treasure over to either side would be no different than asking a tiger for its skin, and could even invite a fatal disaster.

However, hiding the talisman treasure was not safe either; it would likely attract trouble and lead to him becoming a target of their displaced rage.

I must jump off their chessboard...

Li Qingshan muttered to himself.

The thought in his mind became increasingly clear: he needed to find a more stable backer to transform this hot potato into a protective amulet.

The figure of Ye Lingshuang surfaced in his mind.

This woman appeared cold and aloof, yet she acted with a clear sense of order. When she first brought him into the sect, she had gifted him pills and taught him techniques; though she held no high expectations, she had not looked down on him either, so there was at least some shred of goodwill between them.

More importantly, she was already at the late stage of Qi Refining despite her young age. Both the former outer sect elder Zhou Changhai and Zhang Ming were incredibly courteous toward her, suggesting there might truly be something extraordinary behind her.

But whether she could withstand Zhang Hongxiu was something he still needed to inquire about carefully.

With his resolve set, Li Qingshan no longer hesitated.

He carefully wrapped the Vermilion Sparrow Talisman Treasure in a clean piece of coarse cloth and hid it in the most concealed part of his inner lining.

Afterward, he circulated his Turtle Breath Technique, firmly suppressing his cultivation to the peak of the first layer of Qi Refining—slightly stronger than before, which was consistent with having made a small breakthrough, yet not enough to draw unwanted attention.

He then left the Hall of Discarded Treasures and headed down the mountain.

This was the first time since arriving at the Spring Autumn Sect that he had voluntarily left the vicinity of the Hall of Discarded Treasures.

As he traveled down the rugged, secluded mountain path, the surrounding spiritual energy gradually grew slightly denser, and the number of people began to increase.

Occasionally, outer sect disciples would sweep past, riding magical artifacts or utilizing movement techniques. Upon seeing Li Qingshan—an old man in ordinary attire with a weak aura—most cast indifferent or disdainful glances his way, and no one paid him any mind.

After walking for about an hour, a somewhat noisy area appeared at the foot of the mountain, filled with rows of houses and bustling figures, forming a small marketplace.