Xu Qingtong looked at the other four. Lin Qian was the only one he knew; the remaining three, two men and a woman, were strangers to him. Once Elder Yuan Hong finished speaking, Xu Qingtong did not linger and returned straight to the Jade Spring Commerce Association.
Back at the shop, Xu Qingtong told Shopkeeper Gu the results of the competition. Delighted, the shopkeeper praised him repeatedly. "Qingtong, you did well! I never imagined you would actually earn a place in the trial. Congratulations! Wu Zheng, go buy some wine and a couple of hearty dishes. I'll give you the chance to treat us. As for the wine, you can pay for it. I won't fight you over that!"
Wu Zheng's face darkened with exasperation. The shopkeeper was far too stingy!
After Wu Zheng left, Shopkeeper Gu grew solemn again and said gravely, "Qingtong, the Mist Valley Trial is no small matter. Its dangers cannot be compared with those of the Young Talents Assembly. In Mist Valley, you must guard against not only the Demon Beasts, but everyone around you as well. Compared with the Demon Beasts, the disciples taking part in the trial are even more frightening. Murdering others for their treasures is an everyday occurrence."
Having read widely since childhood, Xu Qingtong naturally understood the saying, "Murderers and arsonists wear belts of gold."
The shopkeeper continued, "The shop has its rules, so there isn't much I can do to help you. Spend these next few days preparing carefully. If you run into any difficulties, you can tell me, but whether I can resolve them will have to be left to fate!"
About a quarter of an hour later, Wu Zheng returned carrying wine and food. Seeing him, Shopkeeper Gu took out two spirit stones and tossed them to him.
Xu Qingtong knew that beneath his cold exterior lay a warm heart, and that he would not take advantage of his juniors, so he said nothing more. The three of them gathered for a hearty feast to celebrate Xu Qingtong's victory.
Once he had eaten and drunk his fill, Xu Qingtong returned to his room and sat beside the bed, considering his next steps.
My cultivation is at the Third Layer of Qi Refining, and I won't be able to reach the fourth anytime soon. My only magical artifact is the Goumang Seal, and it doesn't seem particularly powerful. I've reached the second level of the True Origin Scripture, but I have no idea how to break through to the third.
Reaching the first level of the Heavenly Fire Body-Tempering Art had greatly increased his strength. Besides the increase in his divine sense, his body had also become considerably tougher. In the final match, he had relied on the Heavenly Fire Body-Tempering Art to withstand his opponent's blow head-on, creating the opening he needed to win.
Buying more magical artifacts will take spirit stones. Cultivating the Heavenly Fire Body-Tempering Art requires large quantities of Fire Attribute Spirit Herbs, which also means spirit stones. My purse is empty, and apart from Talisman Crafting, I don't seem to have any other way to earn money.
With that thought, Xu Qingtong settled on a plan: he would first make talismans to earn some spirit stones. After letting Wu Zheng know, he collected talisman paper, cinnabar, and other supplies from the shop, shut himself in his room, and began a frenzy of Talisman Crafting. The man rested, but the work never stopped; his two primordial spirits took turns resting as he crafted talismans day and night.
Seven days later, Xu Qingtong dragged his exhausted body downstairs, dark circles beneath both eyes, and handed Wu Zheng over a thousand mid-grade talismans.
Wu Zheng was overjoyed. People had come to buy talismans every day during the past few days, but with so little stock, he could only release a handful each day, keeping the customers hungry for more.
Because Xu Qingtong's talismans had performed so well at the Young Talents Assembly, ever more people came seeking them by reputation. Combined with the shortage of stock, this had driven the price of these mid-grade talismans up to four spirit stones apiece. With so many delivered at once, Wu Zheng now had enough to meet demand for quite some time.
Yet when he saw Xu Qingtong's condition, he could not help feeling a pang of sympathy.
In truth, if Xu Qingtong sold these talismans himself, he could earn nearly four thousand spirit stones after deducting his costs. But he could not do that. Shopkeeper Gu had taken great care of him and had helped him enormously on several occasions. Only by staying true to his conscience could he walk steadily and go far!
Under their previous agreement, the shop owed Xu Qingtong over a thousand spirit stones. Wu Zheng did not dare make the decision himself and could only report it to Shopkeeper Gu.
Shopkeeper Gu came downstairs, looked at the thick stacks of talismans on the counter, then at Xu Qingtong's haggard face. "Qingtong, thank you for all your hard work these past few days! You should receive a thousand spirit stones, but the shop is having cash-flow trouble at the moment. I'll give you six hundred first and owe you the remaining four hundred. Or you can choose some useful things from the shop to take in place of the spirit stones."
Without hesitation, Xu Qingtong bowed and replied, "I'll leave everything to your arrangements, Shopkeeper." He went to the magical artifact counter, found the Red Sun Sword, and handed it to the shopkeeper.
Shopkeeper Gu took it and examined it. "This sword is called Red Sun. It was forged by an elder of the Biluozong. It has the Fire Attribute, with considerable offensive power, and suits your current cultivation. I'll charge you a hundred and eighty spirit stones for it. Have another look around. Is there anything else you can use?"
Xu Qingtong thought for a moment, then asked, "Shopkeeper, does the shop have any Fire Attribute spiritual medicines or Spirit Herbs?"
"We do have some spiritual medicines and Spirit Herbs, but not many with the Fire Attribute. Which do you need?" Shopkeeper Gu replied.
Recalling the medicinal ingredients listed in the Heavenly Fire Body-Tempering Art, Xu Qingtong said, "I need red ganoderma, fire-separating peppers, golden crow grass, purple sun stone gall..."
"You intend to cultivate the second level of the Heavenly Fire Body-Tempering Art?" Shopkeeper Gu exclaimed in astonishment. "Could you have already mastered its first level?"
Xu Qingtong nodded silently, picked up the Red Sun Sword, rolled up his sleeve, and drew the blade across his arm. It left only a white mark, without breaking the skin.
Though no magic power had been channeled into the Red Sun Sword, it was still exceptionally sharp. Such a stroke would have split an ordinary person's flesh and drawn blood. Clearly, Xu Qingtong's body was no longer that of an ordinary man.
"I never imagined you had such resolve, boy," Shopkeeper Gu said. "You endured what ordinary people cannot and mastered the first level of the Heavenly Fire Body-Tempering Art. Very well. Since you have such determination, I'll lend you another hand." He took a jade box from his Storage Bag and handed it to Xu Qingtong.
Xu Qingtong accepted it and opened it to find a fire lotus inside. These lotuses usually grew in places filled with lava and were often guarded by Demon Beasts, making them difficult to obtain. Judging by its age, this one had roughly a hundred years of medicinal potency.
"This fire lotus is extremely hard to find. Ordinary shops probably won't have one. I'll charge you three hundred spirit stones. For the other ingredients, try the Precious Herbs Hall. You should be able to find just about everything you need there."
Xu Qingtong put away the fire lotus, accepted another five hundred spirit stones from Wu Zheng, and bowed to Shopkeeper Gu. "Thank you for helping me, Shopkeeper. I'll head to the Precious Herbs Hall now."
At noon, Xu Qingtong returned to the shop. He had spent three hundred spirit stones at the Precious Herbs Hall to buy the remaining Fire Attribute spiritual medicines, then another hundred at the Myriad Treasures Tower for high-grade talisman paper and cinnabar. After returning, he spent another sixty spirit stones to stock up on some elixirs, then went back to his room and began Talisman Crafting.
After finishing the talismans, Xu Qingtong counted the days. Five remained before the fortnight was up. He did not know whether those five days would be enough to complete his cultivation of the Heavenly Fire Body-Tempering Art, but he decided to take the risk. After all, every increase in strength gave him another chance to survive.
Unlike the first level, the second level of the Heavenly Fire Body-Tempering Art had three minor stages: minor attainment, major attainment, and perfection. The ingredients Xu Qingtong had purchased were only enough to reach minor attainment. He borrowed a large cauldron from Shopkeeper Gu, placed the ingredients and water inside, lit the charcoal beneath it, stripped naked, and jumped in.
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