Test, Subverting Cognition

In the backyard of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, a spacious area had been specially cleared for testing talismans.

The ground was paved with hard bluestone slabs, and thick test walls stood on all sides.

Several guards, managers, and clerks from the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, having heard that a "first-tier talisman capable of unleashing second-tier power" was to be tested, gathered around out of curiosity.

Everyone held the mindset of watching a joke.

A first-tier is a first-tier; no matter how much it is hyped, it cannot become second-tier.

Su Yun walked to the open space and casually took out the Blazing Fire Talisman.

Under the gaze of everyone, he channeled a trace of spiritual power from his fingertips.

"Ignite."

He gave a low shout.

In an instant, a crimson light soared into the sky.

The palm-sized talisman exploded in an instant.

A terrifying pillar of fire, a full four or five zhang high, erupted with a roar!

Rolling heat waves swept in all directions, scorching the air until it distorted.

The violent wave of fire slammed fiercely into the thick test wall in the distance.

With a thunderous boom, the hard bluestone wall was instantly scorched black, cracked, and sent stone fragments flying.

The scene was incredibly shocking.

The entire area fell into instant silence.

All the onlookers were dumbfounded, frozen in place.

Their mouths hung open wide enough to fit an egg.

A full three breaths passed.

Only then did a chorus of gasps erupt.

"Holy... holy crap?!"

"It... it really is second-tier power!"

"This flame intensity, this destructive power—it's definitely a second-tier Blazing Fire Talisman!"

"Damn, I've lived long enough to see everything! A first-tier talisman unleashing second-tier power? My worldview has been completely refreshed!"

"Who exactly is this old man? His ability to improve talismans is just too monstrous!"

Zhang Jian stood where he was, the contempt and suspicion on his face vanishing without a trace.

In their place was extreme shock.

He had been in the talisman business for decades and had encountered at least eighty talisman masters.

From low-level apprentices to veteran masters, he had seen too many geniuses of all kinds.

But this old man today had completely overturned his decades of understanding.

The cultivation world had developed for tens of thousands of years, and the system of talisman dao had long since solidified to its limit.

First-tier talismans, in particular, belonged to the most basic and fundamental talismanic structures.

For tens of thousands of years, countless predecessors and top-tier talisman masters had repeatedly polished, deduced, and optimized them.

They were already as mature as they could possibly be.

Every turn of a talismanic script, every node of spiritual power injection, and every trajectory of spiritual energy flow was the optimal solution verified by generations.

Ordinary talisman masters, let alone improving talismans, would cause the talismanic script to collapse if they changed even a single line or slightly adjusted the rhythm of spiritual power input.

At best, the talisman would be ruined and the materials wasted.

At worst, the spiritual power would backlash, scorching their own meridians.

This was an ironclad rule recognized by the entire cultivation world.

Basic talismans had no room for improvement.

Yet, the old man before him had broken this ironclad rule.

Using the exact same first-tier talisman paper and the exact same basic Blazing Fire script, he had forcibly produced the terrifying power of a second-tier talisman.

This was not something that could be achieved through mere skillful technique!

This was an ultimate mastery of the essence of talisman dao, the circulation of spiritual energy, and the structure of energy!

Zhang Jian's heart pounded wildly, and a layer of cold sweat quietly seeped from his back.

Ordinary diligence could never reach such a level.

Countless veteran talisman masters who have spent their entire lives delving into the art of talismans, exhausting their life's blood and calculating day and night, could not achieve even the slightest breakthrough.

The improvement of talisman arts was never a contest of time or hard labor.

It was a contest of top-tier talent, extraordinary comprehension, and a unique, profound insight into the Great Dao.

The old man before him was undoubtedly a master of talisman crafting!

Absolutely!

Zhang Jian's gaze remained locked onto Su Yun, his thoughts surging rapidly in the depths of his mind.

He dared not be certain of the old man's true identity.

Perhaps he possessed heaven-defying talent and had pierced through to the very origin of the talisman arts.

Or perhaps he stood behind a transcendent sect of talisman arts, a hidden master of the world.

Otherwise, there was simply no way to explain such an inconceivable method of improvement.

A figure of this level lacked neither spirit stones nor channels.

A single batch of talismans from his hand would be enough to make the major trading firms fight tooth and nail.

That they had fallen into the hands of his Hundred Treasures Pavilion was a heaven-sent opportunity and his own stroke of fortune.

In an instant, all the contempt, doubt, and wishful thinking in Zhang Jian's heart vanished completely.

Only extreme reverence and an irrepressible greed remained.

He understood the value of these improved talismans.

Once secured exclusively, the Hundred Treasures Pavilion could directly crush all competitors in the Azure Cloud Market.

Monopolizing the low-to-mid-tier talisman market in the entire region would bring in a fortune daily and allow them to truly take flight.

With his thoughts aligned, Zhang Jian's attitude shifted one hundred and eighty degrees in an instant.

He stepped forward quickly, bowing slightly, his posture extremely humble.

"Master! It was I who failed to recognize Mount Tai; I have offended you just now, and I hope you will be magnanimous!"

"These talismans of yours are nothing short of divine!"

"To be able to acquire talismans crafted by your own hand is the honor of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion and the blessing of Zhang Jian!"

Su Yun remained calm, his expression unruffled.

"There is no need for pleasantries."

Zhang Jian immediately collected his thoughts and asked with a serious expression, "Master is absolutely right! May I ask what your expected price is? This junior will certainly not haggle!"

Su Yun spoke indifferently, "You are in this business; you know the market conditions best. Speak directly—what price can you offer?"

Zhang Jian frowned slightly, quickly weighing the pros and cons in his mind.

A first-tier high-grade Blazing Fire Talisman had a maximum market acquisition price of thirty low-grade spirit stones.

A second-tier low-grade Blazing Fire Talisman had a market acquisition price of one hundred and eighty low-grade spirit stones, selling for just over two hundred.

The batch of talismans before him looked like first-tier items, but they possessed the true power of the second tier, even surpassing ordinary second-tier low-grade ones.

If he bought them at the price of ordinary second-tier items, he would be guaranteed a profit.

If he offered too low a price and offended this master, the loss would outweigh the gain.

After hesitating for less than half a breath, Zhang Jian gritted his teeth and made up his mind.

He would offer the absolute maximum price!

"Master!"

"These talismans of yours may look like first-tier, but their power is truly at the second-tier level, far exceeding ordinary second-tier low-grade talismans on the market!"

"No games—one price!"

"Two hundred low-grade spirit stones per piece!"

This price was already higher than the retail price of second-tier low-grade talismans on the market.

It was the highest price of sincerity that any trading firm could offer.

The onlookers, clerks, and managers were instantly in an uproar, gasping in shock.

He had gone mad!

The shopkeeper was actually offering two hundred spirit stones to buy a first-tier talisman?

This price had shattered all the acquisition rules of the entire market!

A trace of imperceptible approval flashed in the depths of Su Yun's eyes.

This Zhang Jian was truly a man who knew how to conduct himself, understood boundaries, possessed a sharp eye, and had a grand vision.

Two hundred low-grade spirit stones per talisman was far beyond his psychological expectations.

Su Yun nodded slightly. "The price is acceptable; it's quite fair."

Zhang Jian's heart, which had been hanging in his throat, instantly dropped back into place. A look of wild joy appeared on his face as he hurriedly struck while the iron was hot.

Su Yun raised his eyes and spoke slowly, dropping a bombshell.

"I have a considerable quantity of these improved talismans on hand."

"The variety is complete, and it is not limited to just the Blazing Fire Talisman."

"I just don't know if your Hundred Treasures Pavilion has the financial strength to swallow the entire stock."

This sentence made Zhang Jian's head spin, his blood boiling throughout his entire body.

Not just a few, but a massive batch!

And all of them were improved talismans of every variety!

This wasn't a small business deal; this was a heaven-sent fortune delivered right to his doorstep!

Without a second thought, he immediately puffed out his chest and slapped it hard.

"We can swallow it! We can absolutely swallow it!"

"Master, please rest assured!"

"As long as it is a talisman produced by you, Master, no matter how many there are, my Hundred Treasures Pavilion will take them all!"

"However many you have, I will buy them all!"

Zhang Jian's eyes were filled with fanaticism, and his posture was respectful to the extreme.

At this moment, he had only one thought in his mind.

He had to cling tightly to this big shot's leg.

As long as they could maintain a long-term partnership, the Hundred Treasures Pavilion would surely dominate the entire market in the future!