Su Yun heard him and nodded leisurely.
"The price is fair. You've shown good faith."
No one knew that Su Yun was already bursting with joy inside.
A huge profit!
The raw materials for two thousand talismans had cost less than two hundred mid-grade spirit stones.
And this deal had earned him a whopping 4,700 mid-grade spirit stones.
More than twenty times his investment!
Alchemy was wildly profitable, but it consumed rare spirit herbs.
Talisman-making, on the other hand, was practically free!
The materials were cheap, the work took little time, and with Thousandfold Amplification, he could sell the results for sky-high prices.
This was faster than printing money.
Suppressing the excitement in his heart, Su Yun put on a composed air and spoke.
"Now that we've settled on a price, I have one request about the payment."
"Please give me as much of it as possible in mid-grade spirit stones."
Zhang Jian paused in surprise, then looked troubled and hurried to explain.
"Master, to be completely honest..."
"Hundred Treasures Pavilion usually caters to low- and mid-level cultivators. Low-grade spirit stones are what we handle the most."
"Our stock of mid-grade spirit stones is scarce to begin with, and the pavilion's reserves are limited."
"If I empty the vault, I can only come up with a thousand mid-grade spirit stones at most."
"The rest will have to be paid in the full equivalent of low-grade spirit stones. I won't short you by even half a stone."
Su Yun nodded in understanding and didn't make things difficult for him.
He knew the rules governing the circulation of spirit stones in the cultivation world.
The cultivation world was strictly stratified, and spirit stone grades corresponded to different levels of cultivation.
Low-grade spirit stones were the common currency of low-level cultivators.
Street stalls, trading materials, paying sect dues, everyday expenses—all ran on low-grade spirit stones. They circulated in the greatest quantities and could be found everywhere.
Mid-grade spirit stones belonged to a higher tier. They were mostly used by cultivators in seclusion, to purchase high-level materials, or to cultivate techniques, and rarely circulated on the open market.
As for high-grade and top-grade spirit stones, they almost never appeared in the market at all.
In theory, one high-grade spirit stone could be exchanged for a fixed ten thousand low-grade spirit stones.
But in the entire cultivation world, almost no one would make such an exchange.
The higher the grade of a spirit stone, the more its spiritual energy differed in purity, concentration, and gentleness.
Low-grade spirit stones held impure spiritual energy, and cultivating with them left trace amounts of impurities behind.
Mid-grade spirit stones contained very few impurities and doubled cultivation efficiency.
The spiritual energy in high-grade and top-grade spirit stones was perfectly pure. It had wondrous effects on high-level cultivators breaking through, stabilizing their foundations, and tempering their souls.
All high-grade spirit stones were monopolized and controlled by major sects, top powers, and the leaders of Aristocratic Clans.
They were used to stockpile power, support the upper ranks, and keep the sects running.
An ordinary Rogue Cultivator might go their whole life without ever seeing a single high-grade spirit stone.
Hundred Treasures Pavilion was merely a trading house in Azure Cloud Market. Being able to produce a thousand mid-grade spirit stones at once was already the limit of its resources.
"That's fine."
Su Yun agreed.
"I'll go count them in the vault right away!"
Zhang Jian didn't dare delay. He turned and personally hurried to the vault to arrange the spirit stones.
Before long,
Zhang Jian personally handed the storage pouch to Su Yun and bowed. "Master, it's all here. Please check and count it."
Su Yun took the storage pouch and swept it with his spiritual sense.
The quantity, grade, and authenticity were all confirmed in an instant.
"Boss Zhang, you're efficient and perceptive. Hundred Treasures Pavilion is far more generous than the other trading houses in the market."
"I'm very satisfied with this deal."
"If I have any more improved talismans to sell in the future, I'll give your Hundred Treasures Pavilion first chance to work with me."
At those words, Zhang Jian shuddered, his eyes lighting up.
A long-term partnership!
That meant he'd latched onto a golden goose that would keep laying eggs!
He bowed slightly, overcome with excitement.
"Thank you for trusting me, Master! Thank you for your support!"
"From now on, whenever you have any goods to sell, my Hundred Treasures Pavilion will always offer the highest price. We won't let you down!"
He personally led the way and respectfully escorted Su Yun to the doors of Hundred Treasures Pavilion.
Only after Su Yun's figure disappeared into the bustling crowd did Zhang Jian look away.
A personal attendant hurried over and lowered his voice to ask,
"Boss, that old man's identity is mysterious, and his wealth is astonishing."
"Should I take a few people and quietly follow him to investigate?"
Zhang Jian immediately raised a hand to stop him, his expression stern.
"No."
"Don't try to be clever."
"This person is definitely no ordinary Qi Refining cultivator. He must be concealing his true cultivation and is certainly an expert."
"Our meager methods would be completely transparent to someone like him."
"If we rashly spy on him, we won't be seeking an opportunity. We'll be walking straight to our deaths."
"Today's deal alone is enough to earn Hundred Treasures Pavilion a steady profit for months and secure our position as the leading business in Azure Cloud Market."
"Even if there's no further cooperation, we've still made a killing."
"Most importantly, we mustn't offend a major figure of this stature."
The attendant instantly understood and hurriedly lowered his head. "Yes! I'll remember your lesson, Boss!"
Zhang Jian collected himself, his gaze sharpening as he issued a stern order.
"Pass down the word at once!"
"Promote this batch of improved talismans across the board!"
"First-tier quality, second-tier power, with some reaching the middle grade of the second tier!"
"Their value for money crushes every other talisman in the market!"
"Build up demand with the pricing, sell them in batches, release only a few at a time, and gradually raise the price!"
"Starting today, monopolize the low-tier talisman market in Azure Cloud Market!"
"Crush every competitor!"
His subordinates all answered in unison, their voices full of conviction.
Streets of Azure Cloud Market.
The crowds flowed past, and the clamor continued as before.
Dressed in an old cultivator's robe, Su Yun strolled along at an unhurried pace.
He appeared to be out for a casual walk, but his spiritual sense had already silently spread out.
Thin strands of divine sense covered the entire street behind him.
He wasn't in a hurry to leave.
There was one thing he had to confirm.
Had Zhang Jian given in to greed and secretly sent someone to follow him?
His wealth amounted to 470,000 low-grade spirit stones.
That was a terrifying fortune.
Foundation Establishment cultivators would be tempted by it, let alone ordinary Golden Core True Persons.
The rules of the market kept people from acting recklessly within its walls.
But beyond the market, out in the wilderness, killing for treasure was the norm in the cultivation world.
Su Yun had to be on his guard.
He deliberately took two detours, stopping and starting as he went, while sweeping the area repeatedly with his spiritual sense.
Once he confirmed that nobody was following him,
Su Yun nodded to himself.
Zhang Jian was clearheaded and knew where to draw the line.
That was rare.
Su Yun didn't linger any longer. He prepared to return to Azure Cloud Sect and cultivate in seclusion.
Wealth was ultimately just an external thing.
His own strength was the foundation of his survival.
This time, he would go straight into seclusion.
He would focus entirely on breaking through.
Only when he reached Foundation Establishment would he truly have set foot on the right path of cultivation.
With that thought, Su Yun turned and headed straight out of the market's formation.
Once outside the market,
he channeled his spiritual power beneath his feet.
The Flowing Light Gold-Vein Sword shot through the air.
He stepped lightly onto the sword and soared up, flying toward Azure Cloud Sect.
The wind howled, and clouds streamed past.
He had flown only a few miles
when, above the dense mountain forest to the front left,
a blinding red flare suddenly shot into the sky.
The light burst open overhead, blossoming into a conspicuous firework that lingered in the air.
An Azure Cloud Sect distress signal!
Su Yun's eyes instantly narrowed.
It was an emergency signal reserved for the sect.
Only disciples in mortal danger, trapped in a desperate situation, could release one.
Someone had attacked a person on Azure Cloud Sect territory!
Without the slightest hesitation,
Su Yun turned his wrist, and the sword's light abruptly changed direction.
The golden sword light cleaved through the sky and raced toward the mountain forest where the flare had risen.
He wasn't someone who liked sticking his nose into other people's business.
In the cultivation world, the weak were prey to the strong, and killing and plunder were commonplace.
But this was different.
The person under attack was a fellow disciple of Azure Cloud Sect.
They were in the sect, living off its resources and protected by it.
He couldn't stand by and watch a fellow disciple get surrounded and killed on their own territory.
If he could win, he'd rescue them.
If he couldn't, he wouldn't play the hero. He'd turn around and leave.