Finally Took the Bait

In the past three years, he has drawn several Spirit Shield Talisman every day. His success rate in drawing Spirit Shield Talisman has increased from 90% three years ago to almost never failing now.

His mastery of talismans has reached the pinnacle of a second-tier advanced talisman master.

He's only one opportunity away from becoming a third-tier rune master: Foundation Establishment.

Only upon successful Foundation Establishment can the spiritual energy within the body undergo a qualitative transformation, evolving from the spiritual energy of the Qi Refinement Realm to the True Essence of the Foundation Establishment Realm.

Only with True Essence can one draw third-order Talisman.

The difference between a third-tier Talisman and a second-tier Talisman is like the difference between Foundation Establishment cultivator and a Qi Refining cultivator—it's worlds apart.

But.

Wang Mengde used his divine sense to observe himself.

[Subject: Wang Mengde]

[Destiny: Heaven Rewards Diligence (Success is inevitable)]

[Qi Refinement Cultivation: Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement (369/25600)]

[Physical Body Cultivation: Eighth Layer of Body Tempering (221/12800)]

[Cultivation Method: The Second Level of the True Myriad Beast Taming Formula (368/10000);...]

[Law Technique: Sword-Controlling Technique (Transcendent Mastery) 899/6400; Palm Thunder Technique (Transcendent Mastery) 3568/6400;...]

...]

[Talisman Drawing Method: Spirit Shield Talisman (Peak Mastery) 2820/3200;...]

..]

His success rate with Spirit Shield Talisman is almost 100%. I wonder if his Spirit Shield Talisman drawing technique will also reach a state of Transcendent Mastery.

If one could reach a state of Transcendent Mastery, would there be any miraculous changes?

He secretly hoped for something.

Wang Mengde suppressed his many thoughts, rubbed his temples, washed the Spirit Brush, and put it back in its holder.

There are many talisman masters who can draw Spirit Shield Talisman, and they compete with each other, so the price of Spirit Shield Talisman has never been high. A second-tier high-level Spirit Shield Talisman only sells forty Spirit Stone.

This is still the retail price.

The total wholesale price is only thirty-two Spirit Stone.

However, his success rate in drawing Talisman is now as high as 100%.

In other words, after deducting the cost of sixteen Spirit Stone for the Spirit Shield Talisman Paper and Talisman Ink, he can earn sixteen Spirit Stone for drawing one Spirit Shield Talisman.

However, drawing Spirit Shield Talisman not only consumes spiritual power but also takes a lot of mental energy.

When he Eighth Layer of Qi Refinement Talisman a day, after which his head would start to feel dizzy.

Even so, one can still earn 1,600 Spirit Stone a day.

Two months ago, after advancing to the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement Refining, I was able to draw 150 Spirit Shield Talisman every day.

In other words, this is who he is now.

In a single day, just drawing Spirit Shield Talisman can earn a full two thousand four hundred Spirit Stone.

This speed at which they make money is absolutely terrifying, comparable to many cultivators in the Foundation Establishment Early Stage.

This is just one aspect of his income.

He can earn more by catching Demon Fish at the beach.

His terrifying Spirit Eye Technique ensured that he reaped extremely rich rewards each time.

When Eighth Layer of Qi Refinement, each voyage at sea yields at least four thousand Spirit Stone worth of fish.

After advancing to the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement, each time I go out to sea, I can catch fish worth at least five thousand Spirit Stone.

On one occasion, the largest catch was a whopping 23,000 Spirit Stone.

Such a terrifying find, if told, would scare people to death.

It should be noted that many Foundation Establishment cultivators do not have such a terrifying income.

Wang Mengde stood up and stretched his limbs.

Three years have passed in a flash, and he is now forty-two years old, but his appearance has not changed at all; he still looks like he is in his mid-twenties.

There was no other reason than that three years ago he spent one hundred Spirit Stone to purchase an Appearance-Preserving Pill.

Because he planned to marry a beautiful, gentle, and talented dao companion after he reached the Foundation Establishment, to help him cultivate the Luan-Phoenix Harmony Formula.

Seduce beautiful female cultivators; youthful and handsome appearances can be very effective.

Although his appearance remained unchanged, Wang Mengde looked more composed and reserved, his gaze as deep as an ancient well, undisturbed.

He left the underground meditation room and went to the first floor of the attic.

A rich, mellow aroma wafted over, carrying the unique sweetness of seafood and the distinctive fragrance of spirit medicine. The two flavors intertwined, making one's mouth water.

Following the aroma, Wang Mengde went straight to the kitchen.

The kitchen door was half-open, and through the crack, you could see steam rising from inside, with two figures busy at the stove.

Wang Mengde pushed open the door and went inside.

Two women were standing in front of the stove.

Liu Yiyi stood in front of the stove, holding a blue and white porcelain bowl in her hand, which contained chopped emerald green scallions, which she was adding to the pot.

She wore a moon-white dress, and her hair was tied up with a jade hairpin.

Three years have left no trace on her face; she looks exactly the same as she did three years ago, even more radiant and beautiful.

The intense spiritual energy of Azure Cliff Island, along with occasional dual cultivation, elevated her appearance and temperament to a new level.

Her already fair skin was now even more radiant and lustrous, with a faint glow. Her eyes and brows had gained a touch of allure that she hadn't shown before, and her figure was even more graceful and captivating.

Lin Xiaowan stood on the other side of the stove. She was wearing a green dress, her hair was casually tied up with a jade hairpin, and a few strands of hair fell beside her ears, swaying slightly in the steam. She looked elegant and otherworldly.

She was looking down intently at the clay pot on the stove, gently stirring it with a wooden spoon in her hand, her movements soft and skillful.

Three years have passed without leaving any trace on her. Her appearance and temperament have also improved to a new level. Her skin is as smooth as jade, her eyebrows and eyes are as beautiful as paintings, and she exudes an indescribable elegance and composure in every gesture.

Three years ago, two months after becoming dao companion with Liu Yiyi, Wang Mengde went to Rosy Cloud Island to bring Lin Xiaowan over.

From then on, the three of them lived together in that attic.

Lin Xiaowan is gentle and quiet. Although Liu Yiyi occasionally gets jealous and throws a tantrum, the two gradually get along well over time.

Occasionally, Wang Mengde would even invite Shen Qingyue over, and the four of them would stay together for a few days.

However, to Wang Mengde's great regret, apart from Lin Xiaowan, Shen Qingyue and Liu Yiyi were both unwilling to cultivate together.

Hearing footsteps, Lin Xiaowan turned around, saw Wang Mengde, smiled slightly, and a gentle light appeared in her eyes. "This Silver-Scaled Dragonfish will be stewed for you soon."

As she spoke, she scooped up a spoonful of soup with a long ladle, blew on it gently, and handed it to Wang Mengde: "Taste it to see if it's salty."

Wang Mengde stepped forward, lowered his head, and took a bite.

The moment the broth touches your mouth, a rich, sweet flavor explodes on your tongue, then transforms into a warm, spiritual energy that slides down your throat into your stomach, flowing slowly through your limbs and bones.

"It tastes good." He nodded.

Liu Yiyi turned her head, glanced at him, and asked softly, "Are you going out to sea to catch Demon Fish again today?"

"Hmm." Wang Mengde nodded.

The spiritual fruits and pills borrowed from the Spirit Fruit Orchard and the Alchemy Hall three years ago have long been consumed by him, Liu Yiyi, and Shen Qingyue.

That year, he even made money, spending a lot of elixirs and fruits at high prices.

He's out of Spirit Stone and pills now, so he's planning to go out to sea to gather some resources.

Liu Yiyi nodded and didn't say anything more.

That year, Wang Mengde would go out to sea every ten days or half a month to catch a large number of Demon Fish and exchange them for elixirs and fruits for the three of them to use in their cultivation.

The elixirs and fruits, combined with dual cultivation, caused the cultivation levels of all three of them to improve rapidly.

Her cultivation level has increased from the peak of the Seventh-Level Qi Refinement three years ago to the late stage of the Eighth Layer of Qi Refinement now;

Shen Qingyue has excellent aptitude, and with the accumulation of abundant resources, she has already broken through to the Seventh-Level Qi Refinement.

"I'll go with you." Liu Yiyi turned to look at Wang Mengde, a hint of expectation in her eyes. "I'm already at the late stage of the Eighth Layer of Qi Refinement, and with all those magical Law Artifact, my combat power is quite formidable."

Wang Mengde glanced at her, reached out and gently ruffled her hair, his voice gentle yet uncompromising. "Just stay home and cultivate diligently."

Although Liu Yiyi was at the late stage of the Eighth Layer of Qi Refinement, her combat power was far inferior to his, and bringing her along would only be a burden.

Liu Yiyi bit her lip, knowing that Wang Mengde disliked her for her poor fighting ability, so she didn't insist anymore, but just said softly, "Then you must be careful when you go out to sea."

Wang Mengde withdrew his hand, nodded, and said calmly but firmly, "I will be careful."

When Eighth Layer of Qi Refinement, unleashing Transcendent Mastery Palm Thunder Technique and Flying Sword Technique can instantly kill a cultivator at the Peak Qi Refinement.

He has now reached the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement, and his mastery of Palm Thunder Technique and Flying Sword Technique has further improved.

He could easily kill several Peak Qi Refinement cultivators.

Even those in the Foundation Establishment Early Stage might not be without the power to fight, but he was cautious and would avoid Foundation Establishment cultivators whenever he encountered them from afar.

Liu Yiyi looked at him, her eyes full of tenderness, and said softly, "Thank you for your hard work."

Wang Mengde shook his head, his tone calm yet earnest. "It's not hard work. Just stay home and cultivate diligently, quickly accumulating the Yin-Nature Power within your spiritual power. Right now, the Yin-Nature Power you and Qingyue have accumulated is somewhat insufficient."

Liu Yiyi glanced quickly at Lin Xiaowan across from her, her cheeks flushing slightly, and nodded repeatedly, her voice low. "I understand."

Of course she knew.

Over the years, they have practiced dual cultivation quite a few times, but Wang Mengde's cultivation level has improved too quickly, and he needs more and more Yin-Nature Power.

Even together, she and Shen Qingyue were struggling to keep up with the demand.

She needs to work even harder in her cultivation.

Liu Yiyi suddenly remembered something, reached out and patted her Storage Bag, taking out a stack of Voice Transmission Talisman.

She handed the Voice Transmission Talisman to Wang Mengde, saying, "These are ten level Second-Rank Beginner Voice Transmission Talisman that Qingyue brought you yesterday."

Wang Mengde took the Voice Transmission Talisman, examined it in his hand, nodded, and placed it in his bosom.

"Alright, we can eat now." Lin Xiaowan scooped the Silver-Scaled Dragonfish from the cauldron into a jade basin, and placed it on the table with both hands.

The milky white broth is thick like milk, the fish meat is snow-white and tender, and it is topped with emerald green scallions and a few bright red chili peppers. It is a feast for the eyes, nose and palate, and just looking at it makes one's mouth water.

The three sat around the table, eating fish and drinking fish soup.

The Silver-Scaled Dragonfish has tender flesh that melts in your mouth, and the broth is rich and sweet. Every bite contains a rich spiritual energy that slowly dissipates in your stomach, nourishing your meridians and Dantian.

After eating, Wang Mengde left the pavilion and went into the courtyard.

He reached out and patted his Storage Bag. In a flash of light, a pale blue Flying Sword appeared before him, hovering in mid-air. A faint spiritual light flowed across the sword's surface, emitting a soft humming sound.

He leaped onto his Flying Sword, rode it out of the courtyard, and flew towards the sky above Azure Cliff Island.

Above Azure Cliff Island, there is a transparent spiritual energy Light Barrier, like a giant bowl, enclosing the entire island inside.

Wang Mengde flew to the Light Barrier, and the jade pendant of his identity at his waist emitted a beam of light.

Immediately, a portal appeared on the transparent light Light Barrier, just large enough for one person to pass through.

Wang Mengde flew out of the light gate on his sword, exited Azure Cliff Island, determined his direction, and flew westward towards Azure Cliff Island.

Wang Mengde immediately used his Spirit Eye Technique to survey his surroundings.

The sea breeze, carrying a salty, fishy smell, made his robes flutter loudly.

Azure Cliff Island, the meditation room of Alchemist Xuan Yun.

The quiet room was small and simply furnished. Several fist-sized luminous pearls were embedded in the walls, emitting a soft glow that illuminated the entire room as bright as day.

In the center of the quiet room stood a rosewood table, covered with various bottles and jars—jade bottles, porcelain bottles, and earthenware jars—of different sizes and shapes, all filled with various elixirs and spirit medicine.

The air was filled with a rich fragrance of elixirs, a blend of various medicinal spirit medicine that invigorated the spirit.

Alchemist Xuan Yun sat behind his desk, a dark red Talisman floating in front of him.

The Talisman was about the size of a palm, dark red all over, as if it had been soaked in blood. It was covered with tiny runes, which faintly flowed and emitted an eerie red light.

In the center of the Talisman, there was a small, dark red dot that was slowly moving.

Alchemist Xuan Yun stared at the dark red dots on the Talisman, stuck out his tongue, and slowly licked the corner of his mouth, a greedy glint in his eyes.

Wang Mengde, that extremely cautious fellow, ultimately fell for it.

It was worth the effort she put in to draw the special mark on the Second-Rank Voice Transmission Talisman.

That kid has now reached the eighth level of Body Tempering in his physical cultivation. His body's surging Essence Blood are like a raging furnace, stronger than the Qi and Blood of an ordinary Peak Foundation Establishment cultivator. If you use Extreme Yin Secret Art to absorb it dry, it can extend your life by a full ten years.

It's just too tempting.

Alchemist Xuan Yun stared at the small dot on the talisman for a long time.

She closed her eyes, regulated her breathing for a moment, suppressed her greed, and calmed herself down.

After flying a hundred miles, Wang Mengde quietly changed direction, turned his sword around, and headed southwest.

This is his habit when he goes to sea; he never follows a fixed route and always changes direction midway to prevent others from figuring out his pattern.

The world of cultivation is treacherous; it's never a bad thing to be cautious.

The sea receded rapidly beneath my feet, its vast expanse of blue waves stretching to the horizon.

The sunlight shimmered on the sea, making it sparkle like someone had scattered a handful of gold dust.

Several seabirds swept across the sky, emitting clear calls and leaving white streaks on the sea surface.

Wang Mengde flew close to the sea surface on his sword, the Flying Sword only a few feet above the water, the waves it stirred up leaving a white trail on the surface.

His eyes gleamed with spiritual light, and he unleashed his full power of the Spirit Eye Technique, taking in everything around him, including everything within a 30,000-meter radius of the deep sea.

Under the vision of the Spirit Eye Technique, the obstruction of the seawater seemed to disappear. From the surface to the deep sea, layer upon layer, piece by piece, all the schools of fish were clearly presented before his eyes, like a huge three-dimensional scroll slowly unfolding in his mind.

Above the sea, about 1,200 meters to the southwest of him, there was a figure hovering in mid-air.

It was a fish cultivator, judging from his clothes and appearance, he seemed to be Rogue Cultivator, with a cultivation level of about the Seventh-Level Qi Refinement. He was sitting cross-legged on a large Flying Sword, holding a long fishing rod in his hand, with the fishing line hanging into the sea.

Wang Mengde glanced at it once and then looked away, ignoring it.

His gaze continued downwards, penetrating deep into the sea.

Fifteen miles to the southeast, three-foot-long silver arrowfish darted through the water like arrows, their speed astonishing. Their bodies were long and slender like swords, and their silvery-white scales shimmered under the Spirit Eye Technique. A dozen or so silver arrowfish left trails of silver in the water.

Thirty miles to the southeast, there is a group of bluish-gray mackerel, with slender bodies and extremely fast swimming speed. They dart through the sea like arrows, stirring up fine ripples.

Twenty miles to the west, a group of golden yellow croakers, with their flattened bodies and golden scales, swam in groups, like a flowing sheet of gold.

Ten miles to the east, schools of Golden-Scale Fish, each about two feet long, swam by. Their bodies shimmered with a pale golden light, like flowing gold. A rough count revealed at least fifty or sixty of them, each weighing about seven or eight pounds.

Twenty miles to the east, several black-scaled fish swam slowly. Their bodies were jet black and shiny, and their scales were as hard as iron armor. Each fish was about four feet long and looked quite clumsy.

All around were sea bass, pomfret, mackerel, sardines—all sorts of common sea fish, big and small, colorful, forming a spectacular fish world in the sea.

However, these were just ordinary sea fish, and Wang Mengde was too lazy to cook them.

Continue scanning.

Twenty miles to the northeast, a group of Red-Scaled Fish swam across the shallow water. The fish were pale red with a faint glow on their scales. There were about two or three hundred of them, each about half a foot long.

These fish contained only a trace of Demon Power and were not very valuable; a pound of them was worth only a few grains of Spirit Sand, so Wang Mengde didn't bother with them.

Thirty miles to the west, there is a Yellowflower Fish Demon of the First-Level Lesser Demon, more than a meter long, with golden scales, each the size of a palm, shimmering with golden light when it swims.

Forty miles to the south, there is a Second-Level Lesser Demon, the Mystic Ice Fish.

Wang Mengde's eyes brightened slightly.

They flew south on their swords.

The Flying Sword skimmed the surface of the sea, its tip slightly raised, emitting a soft hum in the wind.

The sea breeze whistled past his ears, making his robes flutter loudly.

A moment later, he flew above the target waters.

Looking down, the Mystic Ice Fish was swimming slowly about a thousand meters underwater, completely unaware of the danger above.

Wang Mengde reached into his Storage Bag and patted it; a fishing rod appeared in his palm.

The fishing rod was about ten feet long, dark brown in color, with a slender and tough body, and a faint spiritual light flowing across its surface. It was the mid-grade magic Law Artifact fishing rod that Zhao Hongying had given him.

The rod is engraved with fine spiritual patterns that extend from the handle to the tip, shimmering with a faint silver light in the sunlight.

The tip of the pole is extremely thin, only half the thickness of an ordinary chopstick, yet it is incredibly strong and can withstand a force of 30,000 jin (approximately 15,000 kg).

He channeled his spiritual energy into the fishing rod, and the spiritual patterns on the rod suddenly lit up, emitting a faint silver light.

The fishing line shot out silently from the rod tip, as thin as a hair, completely transparent, and almost invisible in the sunlight.

The fishing line pierced through the seawater with lightning speed, shooting straight towards the Mystic Ice Fish.

The Mystic Ice Fish seemed to sense danger, and its tail lashed out as it tried to escape.

But the fishing line was too fast, catching up with it in the blink of an eye, wrapping around its body three times, and firmly entangled it.

The Mystic Ice Fish struggled desperately, its body twisting violently, its tail slapping the seawater and splashing up sprays of water.

Its strength is immense, at least three or four hundred pounds; an ordinary fishing rod would probably have been broken by it long ago.

However, this mid-grade magic Law Artifact fishing rod was incredibly tough; no matter how much it struggled, the fishing rod remained completely still in Wang Mengde's hands.

With a flick of his wrist, Wang Mengde's fishing line began to be retrieved rapidly.

The Mystic Ice Fish was being dragged along the fishing line and quickly rose to the surface, from 4,000 meters to 3,000 meters, from 3,000 meters to 2,000 meters, and from 2,000 meters to 1,000 meters.

As the water pressure changed, the struggles of the Mystic Ice Fish weakened, and when it was dragged to a depth of 500 meters below the surface, it had basically given up resisting.

With a flick of his wrist, Wang Mengde pulled the fishing line back up sharply, and the Mystic Ice Fish burst out of the water, drawing an arc in the air as it flew towards him.

Using this mid-grade fishing rod saves far more spiritual energy than using the Entwining Silk Technique.

He reached out his left hand and grabbed the fish.

What a huge fish!

The fish is ice blue in color, with fine and smooth scales that shimmer with a cool blue light in the sunlight.

The fish has a long body, about three meters long, and weighs at least fifty kilograms.

The fish has a triangular head and two rows of sharp, fine teeth in its mouth, making it clear at a glance that it's no pushover.

Wang Mengde gripped the fish's body tightly with his left hand, then flipped his right hand to unleash Water Arrow Technique.

A water arrow shot out of the sea, accurately piercing the head of the Mystic Ice Fish and instantly shattering its brain.

The Mystic Ice Fish's body twitched violently, then went limp and stopped moving.

He nodded in satisfaction and put the Mystic Ice Fish into his Storage Bag.

The Mystic Ice Fish is Demon Fish at the Second-Level Lesser Demon. Its flesh is delicious and it contains a lot of spiritual energy, making it very popular in the market.

One pound of Mystic Ice Fish can be sold for three Spirit Stones. This fish weighs fifty pounds, so that's one hundred and fifty Spirit Stone.

Wang Mengde ignored the First-Level Lesser Demon Fish and flew away on his sword into the distance.

That fish isn't worth much; catching it is a waste of time. We'd be better off looking for something more valuable.

He unleashed his full power of the Spirit Eye Technique, searching for Demon Fish of the Second-Level Lesser Demon and above while flying.

Not long after, he discovered another Second-Level Lesser Demon, Thunder Eel.

The Thunder Eel was curled up in a crevice in the seabed, with only its tail showing. It was about two meters long and its body was dark purple. Tiny arcs of electricity occasionally jumped across its surface.

Wang Mengde followed the same method, using a fishing rod to drag the Thunder Eel out of the crevice in the reef.

The struggle of the Thunder Eel was more intense than that of the Mystic Ice Fish; its body twisted violently, and electric arcs crackled on its surface, causing the seawater to bubble.

But the fishing line is insulated, so no matter how much it discharges, it cannot affect Wang Mengde in the slightest.

After dragging the Thunder Eel out of the sea, Wang Mengde once again condensed a water arrow and pierced its head, killing it.

The Thunder Eel weighs about forty catties, and one catty of Thunder Eel meat can be sold for four Spirit Stones, so this one is worth one hundred and sixty Spirit Stone.

Wang Mengde put the Thunder Eel into his Storage Bag and continued his search.