Channels for Earning Spirit Stones

'Your mastery of First-Grade Runes has improved.'

It was a simple, evaluation-like sentence.

Yet when his consciousness touched it for the first time, it seemed to transform into a wisp of radiance and merge into his awareness.

At that moment, Yue Shuo seemed to gain a great deal more experience in talisman crafting.

Five First-Grade Runes flickered through his mind.

They were incomparably clear.

He felt a powerful confidence that the talisman would be completed the moment he set brush to paper!

Yue Shuo did not waste any time.

Borrowing that moment of radiance, he drew each of the five First-Grade Talismans in his mind.

He consumed twenty-five points of Divine Sense and five hundred points of mana.

His mana was instantly emptied.

However, his mana recovery speed was now extremely fast. By the time he had spent all five hundred points of mana, he had recovered nearly fifty points.

Just enough to cast the Qi-Replenishing Technique once.

It was simply a pity that—

Because he did not continue crafting talismans without pause, the radiance faded away.

"Insight Radiance only lasts around five or six seconds..." Yue Shuo looked regretfully at the last blank talisman paper.

After thinking for a moment, he tried hard to recall the feeling from just now.

He set brush to paper and drew once more!

Qi-Concealing Talisman!

His brush moved smoothly as well.

Unfortunately, upon reaching two-thirds of the way through, he sensed a slight hitch in the contact between the talisman brush and the talisman paper.

That tiny error—

The talisman paper beneath his brush turned into ash and smoke on the spot.

Yue Shuo did not grow impatient. He calmly analyzed the cause of his mistake.

It was not because he was unfamiliar with the drawing.

Nor was it because there had been fluctuations during mana transmission.

His mana had been tempered before his breakthrough, granting him an extremely high degree of control in its use. This seemed related to that eighty-percent chance of breaking through.

"It's the talisman brush's problem!"

After analyzing the reason for the failure, Yue Shuo arrived at that conclusion.

"Of course, if my control over mana were a little higher and my talisman-crafting experience a little richer, then even with an inferior talisman brush, the success rate would not be too low... just like when I was in that radiant state."

While in that radiant state—

It was as though his talisman-crafting condition had been elevated to a perfect level.

Naturally, it was a kind of perfection he himself could currently attain, a perfection based on his own circumstances and conditions.

In that state—

He made not the slightest additional mistake while crafting talismans.

"This talisman brush isn't a magic artifact. It poses no problem when drawing Foundational Talismans, but when infusing mana for First-Grade Spirit Talismans, it has a slight flaw."

He lacked First-Grade Blank Talisman Paper.

He lacked First-Grade Talisman Ink.

And now, he also lacked a First-Grade Talisman Brush!

Three Spirit Stones plus forty Spirit Stones—this was the minimum expense.

Yue Shuo sighed. After inspecting the five successfully crafted First-Grade Spirit Talismans one by one, he carefully put them away and began to think.

"Today is the twenty-ninth. It's the end of the month, but it's best not to go to the market..."

The first time he had gone to the market—

Both he, Zou Chongying, and Tian Wan had received a reminder that there would be an auction and a black market there at the end of the month.

However, they had not been advised to go near the market before reaching Qi Refining, Fourth Layer.

Yue Shuo was not someone who ignored advice.

"Even Gu Jiu might not be safe going there. He was seriously injured the last time he went to the market... I'll wait a few more days!"

This world also had twelve months in a year.

Every month had the standard thirty days.

He did not know what that signified, nor did he want to investigate it.

He was only at Qi Refining Level One. He should focus on cultivation first, raise his strength, somehow reach Foundation Establishment, and further extend his lifespan before worrying about anything else.

After Yue Shuo put away the talisman-crafting materials on the table—

The excitement from advancing in talisman-crafting rank and successfully drawing five First-Grade Spirit Talismans gradually settled down.

"First-Grade Spirit Talismans require First-Grade Blank Talisman Paper and Talisman Ink. A First-Grade Talisman Brush should also raise the success rate to some extent..."

"Ten sets of First-Grade Blank Talisman Paper and Talisman Ink cost three Spirit Stones..."

Three Spirit Stones was not much. He currently had fifty-one Spirit Stones.

He also had some supplies that could be exchanged for Spirit Stones.

He had no use for Spirit-Drawing Incense.

It could be traded for Spirit Stones.

Of the eight First-Grade Spirit Talismans, the three he could use for trade were the Water Condensation Talisman, Fire-Starting Talisman, and Dust-Cleaning Talisman.

"How many Spirit Stones does a First-Grade Spirit Talisman cost again? Their prices seem to differ..."

He had been quite lucky during his first trip to the market.

He had met the kind-hearted Uncle Tong and Shopkeeper Qin Yan. Not only had he obtained a talisman brush, ten sheets of First-Grade Blank Talisman Paper, and Talisman Ink for talisman crafting—

He had also learned the prices of all sorts of cultivation resources in the Qin Clan's shop.

"A First-Grade Lower-Tier Spirit Talisman can sell for at least three Spirit Stones. Of course, that's the shop's selling price..."

Calculating based on the lowest sale price for now—

Yue Shuo estimated that if he sold one to a shop, he could definitely get two Spirit Stones for a First-Grade Lower-Tier Spirit Talisman.

"In other words, under normal talisman-crafting costs, I need a success rate of fifteen percent just to avoid losing money on materials..."

Moreover, talisman crafting consumed Divine Sense and mana.

So the cost needed to be raised a little further.

"If I can't reach a one-in-three success rate, it still won't be easy to earn Spirit Stones through talisman crafting. But..."

But if he could make talisman paper himself, then he would only need to buy Talisman Ink.

The cost would drop drastically.

"There is high-quality Talisman Ink and ordinary-quality Talisman Ink. Drawing higher-quality Spirit Talismans naturally requires better ink, but I'm not at the stage of pursuing quality yet."

"Should I continue drawing Foundational Talismans to earn Spirit Stones?"

This was his visible means of earning Spirit Stones. Otherwise, even if he had Spirit Stones, he would not dare casually buy something like a First-Grade Talisman Brush.

On the twenty-ninth day—

It was also the day Yue Shuo had previously agreed to deliver Foundational Talismans after five days. He had given the Foundational Talismans to Gu Jiu that morning.

However, he had also asked Gu Jiu to buy back other Foundational Talismans.

As well as Yellow Talisman Paper and Talisman Ink for talisman crafting.

It was nearly evening now.

Last time, hadn't he returned around this time?

Had something happened again?

Yue Shuo wondered whether he had given too many Foundational Talismans this time, making them too valuable, and Gu Jiu had been robbed?

Of course, it might not have been Gu Jiu who had robbed him.

After all, from what he could see so far, Gu Jiu was extremely enthusiastic about serving him and held even higher expectations.

Even if he were an ungrateful wretch—

Making off with only a little over twenty Spirit Stones would be far too little, wouldn't it?

That Gathering Spirit Grass last time had been worth thirty Spirit Stones.

If it was some other circumstance—

And something had happened to Gu Jiu, his martial servant—

Could he ask the Qin Clan to investigate and lodge a complaint? Who in the Qin Clan handled such matters? Or should he go through Chong Ying and Tian Wan?

Or report it to the External Affairs Pavilion?

Yue Shuo first cast the Lesser Cloud-Rain Technique ten times on the Gathering Spirit Grass in the Spirit Field.

Then he glanced at the sky.

He called Azure Feather down, considering whether he should have Azure Feather follow Gu Jiu next time and remember every detail of the transaction and purchases.

Before he could send Azure Feather out to investigate, he heard footsteps at the entrance to the Creek Valley.

Azure Feather flew out and chirped twice to report that all was well.

Gu Jiu had returned.

Following Yue Shuo's instructions, Azure Feather had previously memorized Gu Jiu's aura and used single or double chirps to alert him to the safety conditions around them.

"Young Master! This servant returned late and made you worry!"

As soon as Gu Jiu returned, he saw his young master watching him from within the Spirit Field. Warmth stirred in his heart, and he hurried over to the edge of the field.

He respectfully offered up the things he had brought back.

"Young Master, the sea vessel returning to Hemu Island encountered a small bit of trouble, which delayed its return..."

As Yue Shuo opened the bundle and checked the items he had requested, he casually asked,

"What small trouble?"

Gu Jiu glanced at the little blue bird circling within the Creek Valley. He knew the bird had made its nest there.

Pointing at it, he answered,

"The same kind of trouble as that little bird!"

Yue Shuo's fingers paused.

He silently raised his head and looked at Gu Jiu.

Could a First-Class Martial Artist react faster than he could cast a spell?