Market.
As land reclamation drew ever closer, the market welcomed a rare period of prosperity.
Cultivators had set up stalls everywhere along the streets, hawking their wares.
"My Qi-Nourishing Pills not only regulate your breath, they can also strengthen your spiritual power."
"First-tier Mid-grade Diamond Talismans—anyone want to trade?"
"How could that be enough... Oh, don't leave! Trade, then—I'll trade, all right?"
Disguised, Lin Chang'an mingled among the crowd. Looking at the medicinal pills he had traded for, he nodded to himself.
With more Rogue Cultivators around, there would be some disorder, but it also gave him the chance to fish in troubled waters.
Or rather, he did not need to risk going to the Black Market. With so many cultivators in the market during broad daylight, and so many outside Rogue Cultivators arriving, some Chambers of Commerce would seize the opportunity as well.
His small stash of Mid-Grade Golden Light Talismans would look suspicious on a single person, but tossed into the market, they would not even raise a ripple.
"Whether there is a scheme behind this or not, I need to take advantage of the market's current prosperity and clear out my stock as quickly as possible. Only greater strength can guarantee stability."
While mingling through the crowd, the Rogue Cultivator Lin Chang'an had disguised himself as changed both his clothes and appearance again after emerging from a secluded alley.
Having lived here for twenty years, he knew every twist and turn of those alleys like the back of his hand.
After repeating this several times, he had cleared out nearly all his accumulated stock in less than a day.
"First-tier Mid-grade Fireball Talismans. I'll trade you two First-tier Mid-grade Golden Light Talismans for three."
"Fellow cultivator, surely you're joking?"
At last, before a stall, Lin Chang'an revealed his true face and haggled with the visiting stall owner.
In the end, they traded two for two, with the other party adding a bottle of Bigu Pills.
Apparently quite satisfied with this transaction, Lin Chang'an went to a restaurant run by the Zhou Family. Leaning by the window, he ordered a table full of Spirit Wine and Spirit Meat.
As an External Talisman Master employed by the Zhou Family, he received 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 Family couple also bought a Black Wind Wolf Cub."
"What's so remarkable 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 preparing to join forces already."
"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 are all still young. You only see one side of things. Think about it—so many Black Wind Wolf Cubs clearly mean someone raided 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 cubs with Second Tier Black Wind Wolf bloodlines. Tell me, what do you think happened?"
For a moment, the restaurant erupted into envious discussion.
"The Beast-Taming Zhou Family truly struck it rich this time."
"Isn't that so? In this entire market, besides the Beast-Taming Zhou Family, who else could make such a grand move?"
Listening to all sorts of news, Lin Chang'an was secretly alarmed. Even he had sensed that something was wrong; the Zhou Family had probably noticed long ago.
"I'm only an External Talisman Master. If something really happens, the agreement I signed only requires me to provide Talismans conveniently. I'm not one of those cultivators who sell their lives."
With the thought that if the sky fell, taller people would hold it up, Lin Chang'an headed home after eating and drinking his fill.
He was merely a small Qi Refining Fourth Layer cultivator. No matter how much he worried, it would be useless. Only improving his strength was the hard truth.
For several days in a row, outsiders saw Lin Chang'an occasionally visit the market. Usually, he only cultivated diligently and instructed his apprentices.
Inside the secret chamber.
Lin Chang'an slowly opened his eyes. Feeling the slight increase in spiritual power within his body, he could not help sighing.
"What kind of life was I living before? If I had Spirit Stones and medicinal pills to assist my daily cultivation, 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 ever higher, my cultivation speed is also getting faster and faster. It is accelerating."
Thanks to the notes given to him by that junior sister, his understanding of the Evergreen Art had advanced 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, the recent chaos in the market and the faint unease in his heart resurfaced in his mind, instantly wiping away his good mood.
"At this rate, breaking through to the Qi Refining Fifth Layer will probably still take two or three years. But land reclamation is imminent, and the market likely will not 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 had no desire to return to those painfully slow days.
Especially at his age, he could not afford to delay any longer.
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.
"Ninety-some Spirit Stones in three months, and that doesn't even include the medicinal pills and such traded for cultivation. Who would believe it if I told them?"
Even Lin Chang'an's eyes shone 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 expenses. But with his talisman drawing State Lock, if he went all out for a month, he could earn more than a hundred Spirit Stones.
"Every land reclamation is a rare golden age. Normally precious and scarce magical artifacts, Spirit Pets, inheritances of the Hundred Cultivation Arts—even Foundation Establishment Pills—will appear."
This was also his opportunity.
He did not dare dream of Foundation Establishment Pills, but he could still yearn for a Talisman inheritance.
"To be safe, I should secretly learn one or two more First-tier Mid-grade Talismans. That will also keep me from exposing any flaws. After all, some high-level Talisman Masters can tell from Talismans of the same type whether they came from the same person's hand."
Talismans were divided into attack, defense, escape techniques, and many other categories. The materials and methods used by different Talismans were entirely different. Even if they came from the same person, it would be difficult to tell.
But Talismans of the same type were easily recognized. Therefore, the people he had secretly sold to during this period were all monster-hunting cultivators.
Because such cultivators bought or traded Talismans for their own use, and they were also major consumers of Talismans.
"At minimum, I need to learn one or two other First-tier Mid-grade Talismans. As long as I do not neglect cultivation, after costs, I can probably earn around a hundred Spirit Stones a month."
Lin Chang'an pondered silently. His Spiritual Root aptitude was poor, but he could make up for it with Spirit Stones. What mattered most now was increasing his cultivation, so that he could survive in this ever-changing Cultivation World.
He had already squandered forty years of his life. If he did not fight now, he might as well return to the Mortal Realm early and enjoy wealth and glory.
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