Dao Seals

But that was only the ideal scenario.

He would need to produce a perfect batch of Qi Gathering Pills every single time.

Only then could he make three hundred pills with just twenty-five sets of ingredients.

Even though he was now very confident in his Alchemy and his Purple Imperial Dragon Flame, he still felt it would be safer to buy twice as many ingredients.

After all, even if he had some left over after eating his fill, he could always sell them.

Alchemy wasn't only useful for improving one's cultivation. It could also make money.

A craft, if mastered well enough, could be extremely profitable.

Besides, he had plenty of Contribution Points.

He wasn't worried about being unable to afford the ingredients.

"Fifty sets?"

The middle-aged man looked surprised.

"Yes, Senior Brother."

"All right... I'll go get them for you."

Though the middle-aged man seemed a little surprised, he didn't say much and went straight to fetch the ingredients.

Before long, he returned with fifty sets of ingredients for Qi Gathering Pills.

There were quite a lot of them. Chen Xuan took out his Disciple Token and transferred the Contribution Points, then put the ingredients into his Storage Bag.

"Take care, Junior Brother."

The middle-aged man smiled as he saw Chen Xuan off.

He'd made a pretty penny selling fifty sets of ingredients all at once.

After leaving, Chen Xuan didn't hurry back.

Since he was already here, he might as well take a look around the Marketplace.

It was his first time visiting the Sect Market since joining the sect.

He hadn't come before because he had neither Spirit Stones nor Contribution Points. He'd figured there was no point in coming just to look, so he might as well stay away.

The Sect Market was full of all sorts of shops, and there were stalls along the roadside too.

Chen Xuan walked amid the crowds, surrounded by a lively din.

Some Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters who had set up stalls were hawking their wares like peddlers in the mortal world.

It was clear they were willing to put pride aside to earn Spirit Stones and Contribution Points.

Cultivators, for the most part, cared more about face than ordinary people did.

"Come have a look, Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters! Cheap magic treasure fragments!"

"Rare pill recipes! Any Senior Brothers or Senior Sisters interested?"

"Come see, come see! Supreme Dao Techniques, just a hundred Spirit Stones each!"

"Huh? A Supreme Dao Technique for a hundred Spirit Stones?"

Chen Xuan was stunned when he heard that.

Was this guy selling fakes?

Sure enough, someone immediately shouted, "Don't believe him! That bastard found a low-level Dao Technique called 'Supreme' and is selling it here!"

The person sounded full of grievance.

He'd clearly been taken for a ride before.

Chen Xuan strolled around, enjoying the spectacle, until he passed a particular stall.

[Your Dao Technique "Flowing Cloud Moon-Stepping" is calling out to you!]

[I want that one! I want that one!]

Chen Xuan: "?"

This was the first time one of his Dao Techniques had acted like this.

Chen Xuan calmly stopped and looked at the goods on the nearest stall.

There were more than ten different items laid out on it.

Which one? Chen Xuan asked inwardly.

Noticing Chen Xuan looking, the stall owner cheerfully picked up a few items and introduced them. "Take a look, Junior Brother. This is a powerful mid-grade magic artifact. And this is a first-tier, top-grade Flight Talisman. It's extremely rare, and it lets Qi Gathering cultivators fly for a short time."

The stall owner's sales pitch went in one of Chen Xuan's ears and out the other.

All he wanted to know was which item Flowing Cloud Moon-Stepping had its eye on.

Flowing Cloud Moon-Stepping suddenly wanting something couldn't be for no reason.

[The scroll! That scroll!]

Flowing Cloud Moon-Stepping replied.

Chen Xuan fixed his gaze on the only scroll on the stall.

"Senior Brother, what's this?"

Chen Xuan pointed at the scroll.

"This? It's a good item too. It's a Dao Intent Map, an extremely rare treasure, and it's worth a lot.

"Junior Brother, I'm not trying to rip you off. You might not know what a Dao Intent Map is, but do you know that once a Dao Technique is cultivated to perfection, it can condense a Dao Seal?"

As he spoke, the man looked at Chen Xuan.

Chen Xuan nodded.

Flowing Cloud Myriad Forms had mentioned it once before, so he had looked into it afterward.

Once a Dao Technique was cultivated to perfection, it could condense a Dao Seal within the body.

Dao Seals had many benefits. For example, using a Dao Seal to activate a Dao Technique reduced the amount of spiritual energy consumed while allowing it to unleash even greater power.

Another benefit was that a Dao Technique could be cast instantly when activated with a Dao Seal.

But after his Dao Techniques underwent Spirit Awakening, Chen Xuan could already cast them instantly.

Also, once a Dao Seal was condensed, the Dao Technique would never grow rusty or be forgotten.

Even if someone beat him until he lost his memory, he could still use the Dao Technique directly through the Dao Seal.

Lastly, if his spiritual energy ran dry, a Dao Seal could draw on the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to perform the Dao Technique for a short time.

That was why Flowing Cloud Myriad Forms had sworn to condense a Dao Seal after Flowing Cloud Technique cut off its spiritual energy.

Once it condensed a Dao Seal, Flowing Cloud Myriad Forms could wield its power for a short time without relying on Chen Xuan's spiritual energy, suppressing Flowing Cloud Technique.

Those were the uses of Dao Seals Chen Xuan had learned about.

But from what this Senior Brother was saying, Dao Seals had other uses too?

That wasn't surprising. Dao Seals were indeed miraculous, so it stood to reason that they had even more wondrous applications.

Seeing Chen Xuan nod, the man continued. "Dao Intent Maps are made by cultivators who have mastered Dao Seals. They contain the Dao Intent imprinted in those seals.

"Cultivators can use Dao Intent Maps to deepen their understanding of Dao Techniques.

"But... a Dao Intent Map for one Dao Technique can only deepen your understanding of that same Dao Technique.

"There's another drawback too. As the saying goes, the Dao cannot be entrusted to another.

"So if you use a Dao Intent Map to improve your understanding of a Dao Technique, you won't be able to condense your own Dao Seal once you eventually cultivate that technique to perfection.

"This is a Dao Intent Map for Flowing Cloud Moon-Chasing. Flowing Cloud Moon-Chasing is a top-tier Dao Technique. Although the map has some flaws, I'm sure you can see the value of it, Junior Brother.

"But... to be honest, it's precisely because this is a Dao Intent Map for a top-tier Dao Technique that it's hard to sell.

"Most disciples in the sect who can learn Flowing Cloud Moon-Chasing are gifted prodigies. They're not willing to use a Dao Intent Map.

"Disciples with ordinary talent don't mind using one, but few of them can afford to exchange for a top-tier Dao Technique. I've had this thing sitting here for months, and I still haven't sold it.

"If only it were a Dao Intent Map for Flowing Cloud Moon-Stepping. That would be much easier to sell."

As he spoke, the man sounded rather helpless.

It was a good item, but hard to sell.

After hearing what Dao Intent Maps were, Chen Xuan was puzzled too.

Why did Flowing Cloud Moon-Stepping want a Dao Intent Map for Flowing Cloud Moon-Chasing?

He knew of the Dao Technique Flowing Cloud Moon-Chasing. Supposedly, the two Dao Techniques came from the same lineage.

Both Flowing Cloud Moon-Stepping and Flowing Cloud Moon-Chasing had been simplified from an unparalleled Dao Technique.

As for which unparalleled Dao Technique, he had no idea.

In any case, Flowing Cloud Moon-Chasing could be considered the superior version of Flowing Cloud Moon-Stepping.

But a cultivator who practiced Flowing Cloud Moon-Stepping would gain nothing from using a Dao Intent Map for Flowing Cloud Moon-Chasing. Otherwise, the owner would have sold it already.