Treasury Pavilion

It had been half a month since the last time at the Gathering Immortal Pavilion.

Today, Yun Yao had personally come bearing gifts, but she also brought news that left him utterly shocked.

"The friction between the Three Great Sects has intensified again."

"It's been far too dangerous lately. Even rogue talisman masters and alchemists have started being put up for bounty."

Lin Chang'an was secretly alarmed. Previously, they had only been secretly placing bounties on disciples of each other's sects.

For instance, Li Fire Palace inner disciples had bounties placed on them according to their cultivation and status. For some important figures, even Foundation Establishment Pills were offered as rewards.

"Their methods are ruthless enough. They're placing bounties on Li Fire Palace and Mystic Sound Pavilion disciples, yet not on those lineages affiliated with the sects."

This was plainly naked sowing of discord mixed with temptation. Someone would always be unable to resist such bait, especially a Foundation Establishment Pill.

And this time, they had even placed bounties on Mid-Grade Bloodline alchemists, talisman masters, and the like among rogue cultivators. They clearly intended to exploit rogue cultivators to create chaos.

"I never thought there would come a day when I'd be wanted too, but why is my bounty so little?"

Lin Chang'an slapped the table furiously. He was not angry because the bounty was low, but because he would have to be more careful whenever he went outside.

Angry though he was, Lin Chang'an seemed to think of something moments later. He rubbed his chin and pondered to himself.

It seems that, for me, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.

Everything had its advantages and disadvantages.

For him, the benefit was that the talisman masters, alchemists, and other cultivators in the market would likely conceal their identities unless they joined a sect or a major lineage.

That would make it easier for him to sell talismans. After all, everyone would be conducting business in secret, not just him.

"By that reasoning, it seems I can make a fortune too."

Thinking of this, Lin Chang'an could not help but smile. Other talisman masters did not possess his State Lock talent.

This was practically an opportunity handed to him to display his skills.

"Not bad. Yun Yao truly deserves to be a disciple of a great sect. She can even bring out spells that are priceless and unavailable outside."

Lin Chang'an lowered his head and looked at the gift Yun Yao had given him in return for his assistance.

[Wood Spirit Thorn]

"Wood Spirit Thorn. This is actually an advanced spell used in conjunction with a magical tool. Its advantage lies in its extremely low spiritual power consumption and extraordinary concealment.

"The difficulty lies in a cultivator's comprehension of their own Wood-Attribute cultivation art, their control of spiritual power, and the need for a concealed-weapon-type magical tool to fully unleash it."

When Lin Chang'an saw the introduction in the jade slip, along with the detailed cultivation process and the method for using it alongside a magical tool, he secretly marveled. The Cultivation World truly had crouching tigers and hidden dragons.

It seemed Yun Yao had long noticed that his comprehension of the Evergreen Art was already no weaker than that of a Qi Refining Late Stage cultivator. Otherwise, she would not have given him such a self-defense spell.

"But isn't this description a little exaggerated?"

Lin Chang'an frowned. This spell had been created a hundred years ago by a Li Fire Palace cultivator, based on the elementary spell Spirit Flicking Finger. That cultivator had once used it to fight three cultivators of the same level alone, leaving behind a record of one dead, one crippled, and one fleeing.

As everyone knew, the advantage of Wood-Attribute cultivation arts lay in extending one's life and possessing gentle spiritual power. Only those with profound cultivation would display the characteristics of endless, vigorous spiritual power.

"Let's try it."

He acted as soon as the thought arose. With a raise of his hand, Lin Chang'an produced a Mid-Grade Golden Light Talisman and placed it directly against the wall for protection.

Under the faint golden glow, Lin Chang'an raised his hand with the intention of testing it. A wooden thorn appeared between his fingers, wrapped in spiritual power.

A flash of azure light vanished in an instant!

With a ding, only faint ripples appeared in the golden light on the wall, while the wooden thorn had already turned to powder.

Yet Lin Chang'an had noticed something. He could not help but suck in a cold breath and exclaim in shock:

"The speed is so fast!"

And its concealment was extremely strong. In a close-range sneak attack, even with his Qi Refining Fifth Layer cultivation, he would find it difficult to evade if he let down his guard for even a moment.

"And this attack power!"

After the spiritual power in the Golden Light Talisman on the wall had drained until it was only at Low-Grade Bloodline strength, Lin Chang'an flicked his finger and unleashed five attacks in an instant.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

On the fifth strike, it actually pierced through the Golden Light Talisman's defense and left a shallow pit in the wall.

"The power is actually this great!"

Lin Chang'an was shocked. This wall was exceptionally hard as well, and these were only ordinary wooden thorns. If they struck a cultivator, they would leave nothing less than a bloody hole.

If he paired it with a magical tool such as flying needles, would it not become even more formidable?

"However, this spell places extremely high demands on the cultivator himself."

Lin Chang'an lowered his head and looked at his flushed fingers, secretly frowning. In terms of cultivation art comprehension and spiritual power control, he was already no weaker than an ordinary Qi Refining Late Stage cultivator.

Yet after only a few attempts, his fingers had already begun to swell and ache.

"Extreme compression and rotation, followed by an instant eruption—none can be lacking!"

[Wood Spirit Thorn +48 (Beginner 98/100)]

[Wood Spirit Thorn +80 (Proficient 78/500)]

In only a short while, he had already advanced the Wood Spirit Thorn spell from Beginner to Proficient.

"If I pair it with a magical tool like flying needles that specifically pierce spiritual power shields, wouldn't I be able to easily threaten cultivators of the same level?"

For a moment, Lin Chang'an's heart burned with excitement. More importantly, this spell consumed very little spiritual power. It could fully support him in rapidly grinding proficiency until he reached the grandmaster mastery realm.

"Concealed-weapon magical tools may be a little expensive, but compared to one's life, they are completely worth it."

As the outside world grew more and more dangerous, Lin Chang'an returned to living shut away at home in the days that followed. Apart from cultivating and drawing talismans, he would restore his spiritual power with Spirit Stones before focusing on this spell.

Of course, he had recently added another task: frequently applying Spirit Liquid to his fingers to ease the swelling pain.

Ever since Yun Yao had borrowed Spirit Stones last time, he had heard that she spent nearly a thousand Spirit Stones on a defensive High-Grade Magical Tool, after which she vanished without a trace.

Three months later,

Treasury Pavilion.

That day, Lin Chang'an disguised himself as a hoarse-voiced old man, donned a bamboo hat, and entered the Treasury Pavilion established by Mystic Sound Pavilion.

If Li Fire Palace was famed for its formidable combat strength, then Mystic Sound Pavilion was most famous, apart from its female cultivators, for its diverse medicinal pills, talismans, and artifact refining.

"Although this pavilion has a Spirit Concealment Array installed to better help cultivators hide their identities, it's still best to be careful."

After entering, Lin Chang'an secretly nodded. With the situation growing tense over the past two years, Treasure Pavilion and Treasury Pavilion had both openly arranged such formations in order to sell more effectively.

They were telling everyone plainly that security was higher here.

"Fellow Daoist, please come in."

The moment he entered, fragrant scents assailed his nose. Two scantily clad female cultivators greeted him with smiles on their faces.

Lin Chang'an could not help but sigh. If only there could be peace, how wonderful would it be to spend every day here?

"I want to buy some better-quality magical tools."

However, once he recalled today's business, Lin Chang'an did not hesitate. He spoke directly in a hoarse voice, and one of the female cultivators' eyes immediately lit up upon hearing him.

"Senior, please come upstairs."

The speed with which the female cultivator changed her expression made even Lin Chang'an click his tongue. He just did not know whether she was equally capable at night.

Anyone asking for better-quality magical tools would need at least Mid-Grade Magical Tools. Naturally, the two female cultivators greeted him with even broader smiles.

However, the two female cultivators only possessed inferior Spiritual Roots. Aside from using their looks to decorate the entrance, they naturally were not qualified to go to the second floor.

When Lin Chang'an reached the second floor, a Shopkeeper was already waiting at the entrance.

"Fellow Daoist, please."

Spirit Tea and Spirit Fruit were brought over by a graceful maidservant. The slightly plump Shopkeeper cupped his hands with a smile and said:

"May I ask what quality of magical tool Fellow Daoist seeks? My Treasury Pavilion has everything one could need. Even Supreme-Grade Magical Tools are auctioned every year."

"You are too polite, Fellow Daoist. This old man merely wishes to find one or two Mid-Grade Magical Tools for protection."

Lin Chang'an's hoarse voice echoed as he put on the appearance of an elderly man.

Within the Spirit Concealment Array, no one could see through another's cultivation unless they were possibly Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

He had merely come to buy a Mid-Grade Magical Tool. What Foundation Establishment Cultivator would be so destitute?

Upon hearing this, the plump Shopkeeper's smile grew even wider.