Exchanging Spirit Stones

Market.

As land reclamation drew ever closer, the market ushered in a rare period of prosperity.

Cultivators hawking wares from stalls filled every street.

"My Qi-Nourishing Pills not only regulate your qi, they can also increase your magical power."

"First-tier Mid-grade Diamond Talismans! Trade or not?"

"How could this be enough... Oh, sir, don't leave! Trade, I'll trade, all right?"

Disguised, Lin Chang'an mingled among the crowd. Looking at the medicinal pills he had traded for, he secretly nodded to himself.

With more rogue cultivators around, there would naturally be some disorder, but it also benefited him. He could fish in troubled waters.

Or rather, he no longer needed to risk going to the Black Market. With so many cultivators in the market in broad daylight, and so many outside rogue cultivators arriving, some Chambers of Commerce would seize the opportunity as well.

His few Mid-grade Golden Light Talismans would seem abnormal in one person's hands, but tossed into the market, they would not even raise a ripple.

"Whether there's some scheme behind this or not, I need to take advantage of the market's prosperity and quickly clear out all the stock in my hands. Only greater strength can guarantee stability."

After passing through a secluded alley, the rogue cultivator Lin Chang'an had disguised himself as changed his attire and appearance yet again before returning to the crowd.

Having lived here for twenty years, he knew every path through those alleys like the back of his hand.

Repeating this again and again, he had cleared out nearly all the stock he had accumulated during this period in less than a day.

"First-tier Mid-grade Fireball Talismans. I'll trade two First-tier Mid-grade Golden Light Talismans for three of yours."

"Fellow Daoist, are you joking?"

At last, before one stall, Lin Chang'an revealed his true face and haggled with the outside stallholder.

In the end, they traded two for two, and the other party added a bottle of Bigu Pills.

Apparently quite satisfied with this transaction, Lin Chang'an entered a restaurant run by the Zhou Family. Sitting by the window, he ordered a whole table of Spirit Wine and Spirit Meat.

As an externally hired Talisman Master of the Zhou Family, he enjoyed certain discounts at the Zhou Family's restaurant businesses.

Following the principle that benefits unused were benefits wasted, Lin Chang'an had even taken a detour through several streets to come here.

Inside the bustling restaurant.

"Have you heard? The Shen couple bought a Black Wind Wolf Cub too."

"What's so special about that? Black Wind Wolves may be First Tier demon beasts, but Blazing Flame Tigers are the truly ferocious ones. I heard several Monster Hunting Squads are already preparing to join forces."

"You really know nothing at all. Take a look at how many Black Wind Wolf Cubs have appeared in the market lately."

An elderly cultivator with a long beard spoke proudly, drawing curious looks from the cultivators at his table.

"You're all still young. You only see one side of things. Think about it—so many Black Wind Wolf Cubs clearly mean someone wiped out a large wolf den. Is that something an ordinary Monster Hunting Squad could accomplish?"

"Moreover, the Beast-Taming Zhou Family has publicly claimed that their clan obtained two Black Wind Wolf Cubs with Second-Tier bloodlines. What do you think happened?"

For a time, envious discussion rose throughout the restaurant.

"The Beast-Taming Zhou Family really struck it rich this time."

"Isn't that the truth? In the entire market, who besides the Beast-Taming Zhou Family could make such a grand move?"

Listening to the various bits of news, Lin Chang'an was secretly alarmed. Even he had noticed something was wrong; the Zhou Family had probably detected it long ago.

"I'm only an externally hired Talisman Master. If something really happens, the terms I signed only require me to provide talisman-related convenience. I'm not one of those cultivators who sell their lives."

With the thought that the tall ones would hold up the sky if anything happened, Lin Chang'an headed home after eating and drinking his fill.

He was merely a small cultivator at the Qi Refining Fourth Layer. No matter how much he worried, it would be useless. Increasing his strength was the only hard truth.

For several days in a row, outsiders saw Lin Chang'an occasionally strolling through the market. Usually, he simply cultivated bitterly and taught his apprentices.

Inside the secret chamber.

Lin Chang'an slowly opened his eyes. Feeling the thread of increased magical power within his body, he could not help sighing.

"What kind of life was I living before? If I'd had Spirit Stones and medicinal pills to aid my cultivation every day, I would have broken through long ago."

Without comparison, there was no harm. The cultivation resources he consumed in one month now exceeded what he had once used in half a year.

Out of habit, he opened the panel to check his cultivation progress.

[Name: Lin Chang'an]

[Lifespan: 40/98]

[Realm: Qi Refining Fourth Layer (2/100)]

[Cultivation Method: Evergreen Art (Mastery: 869/1000)]

[Skills: Golden Light Talisman (Mastery 18/1000), Godly Travel Talisman (Mastery 1/1000)]

[Spells: Fireball Technique (Mastery 458/1000), Breath Concealment Technique (Mastery 219/1000), Invisibility Technique (Mastery 130/1000), Object Manipulation Technique (Proficient 488/500)...]

After glancing at his realm, Lin Chang'an could not help smiling.

"As the Evergreen Art's proficiency grows higher and higher, my cultivation speed is also getting faster and faster. It's entering an accelerating state."

Thanks to the notes Junior Sister had given him, his understanding of the Evergreen Art was advancing by leaps and bounds. After all, they contained the insights of a Qi Refining Late Stage cultivator.

Yet before he could be happy for long, thoughts of the recent chaos in the market and the faint unease in his heart erased all his good mood.

"At this rate, breaking through to the Qi Refining Fifth Layer will probably still take another two or three years. But with land reclamation imminent, the market likely won't remain peaceful for many more days."

"I must speed up my cultivation. But right now, the only First-tier Mid-grade Talisman I know is the Golden Light Talisman. I need to quickly find a way to learn the crafting methods for one or two more Mid-grade Talismans. Only then can I quietly accumulate cultivation resources."

Having experienced cultivation accelerated by Spirit Stones, he naturally did not wish to return to those sluggish days.

Especially at his age, he could not afford to waste any more time.

With that thought, Lin Chang'an took out all the Spirit Stones he had traded for over the past few days from his Storage Bag.

Clatter, clatter. In an instant, a pile of glittering Spirit Stones appeared between his crossed legs.

"Over ninety Spirit Stones in three months, and that doesn't even include the medicinal pills I traded for cultivation. Who would believe it if I told them?"

Even Lin Chang'an's eyes gleamed when he saw so many Spirit Stones for the first time, and he was secretly astonished.

An ordinary First-Order Mid-Grade Talisman Master earned only a dozen or so Spirit Stones a month after costs. But with his talisman drawing State Lock, he could earn over a hundred Spirit Stones a month if he went all out.

"Every land reclamation is a rare golden age. Magical artifacts, Spirit Pets, inheritances of the Hundred Cultivation Arts that are precious and scarce in ordinary times—even Foundation Establishment Pills—will appear."

This was also his opportunity.

He did not dare dream of Foundation Establishment Pills, but he could still set his sights on talisman inheritances.

"To be safe, I should secretly learn another one or two First-Rank Mid-Grade Talismans. That will also prevent me from giving myself away. After all, some high-level Talisman Masters can tell from talismans of the same kind whether they came from the same person's hand."

Talismans covered many areas, including attack, defense, and escape techniques. The materials and methods used for different talismans were completely different. Even if they came from the same person's hand, it would be difficult to tell.

But talismans of the same kind were easily traced back to their maker. Thus, the people he had secretly sold to during this period were all monster-hunting cultivators.

Because cultivators of that sort bought or traded for talismans for their own use, and they were also the biggest consumers of talismans.

"At the very least, I need to master one or two other First-tier Mid-grade Talismans. So long as I don't neglect cultivation, I can probably earn around a hundred Spirit Stones a month after costs."

Lin Chang'an pondered in secret. His Spiritual Root aptitude was poor, but he could make up for it with Spirit Stones. What mattered now was raising his cultivation, so he could survive in this ever-changing Cultivation World.

He had already squandered forty years. If he still did not fight for it now, he might as well return to the Mortal Realm early and enjoy wealth and glory.