Light flashed before his eyes.
The next moment, Zhang Jing found himself on a long street stretching all the way to the end of his sight.
He looked back.
The enormous blue-and-gold gate stood quietly behind him.
Mustard seed containing Mount Sumeru, or spatial translocation?
Zhang Jing wondered, somewhat puzzled.
From what he had seen outside, the Thousand Techniques Pavilion could not possibly hold a street this long.
His gaze unconsciously swept ahead.
The first shop on the left purchased heavenly treasures, earthly rarities, and demon materials. A few people stood scattered inside, their leader arguing with the person behind the counter.
Right beside it was a shop selling talismans.
Zhang Jing's eyes lit up, and he immediately walked inside.
After he entered,
a senior sister approached Zhang Jing and said with a sweet smile:
"Junior brother, are you looking to buy some talismans? Then you've come to the right place. Every talisman sold here was made by the senior brothers of the Inner Academy, and all are of superior quality. Though they're just a little more expensive, they're absolutely worth more than their price."
"Uh, senior sister, I'm not here to buy talismans."
At this, a trace of disappointment slipped into the senior sister's eyes, but she maintained her smile and said gently:
"Junior brother, we only purchase Higher Vehicle Quality talismans here."
"Ahem, well, senior sister, I only came in to have a look," Zhang Jing said awkwardly.
"Then let me show you around, junior brother."
The senior sister spoke with a bright smile.
"Thank you, senior sister." Zhang Jing cupped his hands.
Afterward,
under the senior sister's guidance, Zhang Jing headed straight toward a glass display case on the far right.
"Junior brother, these are all Higher Vehicle Quality talismans."
At her words, Zhang Jing looked at the display case.
Talismans radiating powerful fluctuations of spiritual energy lay quietly inside, each labeled with its type, name, and, most importantly, price.
Yin Wind Talisman, low-grade offensive talisman, 1.5 Dao Merit.
Sword-Sealing Talisman, low-grade offensive talisman, 1.5 Dao Merit.
Round Light Talisman, low-grade Defense Talisman, 2 Dao Merit.
The instant he saw the prices clearly, Zhang Jing unconsciously slowed his breathing.
Among these Lower-Grade Talismans, defensive talismans were the most expensive, while offensive talismans were the cheapest.
Yet even the cheapest offensive talisman cost 1.5 Dao Merit apiece.
This price was somewhat beyond his expectations.
After all, however good its quality, a Lower-Grade Talisman was, in plain terms, merely the equivalent of an instantly cast low-grade law technique. Any disciple of the Dao Academy could cast a low-grade law technique in three to five breaths if slow, or one or two if fast.
Still, with the right timing, a single talisman could very well turn the tide of battle.
Moreover, multiple talismans could be activated simultaneously.
At this thought, Zhang Jing realized that talismans truly were important to ordinary cultivators, especially Dao Academy disciples who frequently had to go out on missions.
His thoughts immediately turned to his own Five-Law Spirit River.
That was far stronger than any talisman.
Meanwhile,
in the brief time Zhang Jing spent thinking,
three people had already come in to buy Lower-Grade Talismans. They were not buying just one or two, either; each bought dozens at a time.
Seeing this, Zhang Jing nodded slightly.
It seemed he would have no shortage of buyers once he made his talismans.
He continued forward.
Li Fire Talisman, mid-grade offensive talisman, 12 Dao Merit.
Golden Armor Talisman, mid-grade Defense Talisman, 18 Dao Merit.
Compared to Lower-Grade Talismans, Middle-Grade Talismans cost nearly ten times as much.
The crucial point was that there were just as many buyers.
Suppressing his shock, Zhang Jing continued forward.
Before long, he reached the Upper-Grade Talisman display.
Geng Metal Divine Arrow Talisman, high-grade offensive talisman, 110 Dao Merit.
Dew-Condensing Rain-Transforming Talisman, high-grade special talisman, 90 Dao Merit.
Three Talents Immobilizing Talisman, high-grade special talisman, 150 Dao Merit.
Azure Rosy Cloud Smoke-Light Talisman, upper-grade Defense Talisman, 180 Dao Merit.
Zhang Jing stopped in his tracks, a trace of shock showing in his eyes.
The prices of Upper-Grade Talismans seemed... outrageously expensive.
A single talisman cost over a hundred, close to two hundred Dao Merit. What did that mean?
He, Zhang Jing, only needed to make around fifty Upper-Grade Talismans, and the Dao Merit from selling them would be enough to exchange for an upper-grade inheritance!
For Zhang Jing,
with the Jade Talisman's skill proficiency supporting him, making Upper-Grade Talismans was only a matter of time.
Moreover, he had just checked.
The [Ninefold Evolution Spirit Star Talisman Canon] recorded methods for making three kinds of Upper-Grade Talismans.
Besides, even if his cultivation prevented him from making Upper-Grade Talismans in the short term, Zhang Jing felt he had a chance of gathering nine thousand Dao Merit just by selling Middle-Grade Talismans.
It was merely nine hundred Middle-Grade Talismans.
Phew-
Zhang Jing exhaled a stale breath, turned, and walked outside.
He had more or less figured out talisman prices.
Next, he would buy Talisman Making materials and make the talismans. Then he would bring them here and set up a little stall, just like the senior brothers and sisters he had seen outside earlier.
He had only just stepped out the door
when Zhang Jing saw a senior brother looking at him with burning eyes.
"Junior brother, I noticed you didn't buy anything. Did you find the talismans inside too expensive? Come over here. My talismans are a little cheaper."
Before Zhang Jing had time to speak,
the senior brother had already pulled him over to a nearby stall.
"Well? Cheap, aren't they?" the senior brother said, brimming with confidence.
These-cheap?
Looking at the Lower-Grade Talismans on the stall, Zhang Jing honestly did not find them particularly cheap.
Roughly speaking, the Dao Merit needed to buy ten Lower-Grade Talismans inside would buy twelve of the same talismans here.
But he noticed that the spiritual energy fluctuations from these talismans were somewhat weaker than those he had seen earlier.
A difference in quality?
Zhang Jing thought to himself.
If quality were taken into account too, who could say which was cheaper!
"These are too expensive too. Senior brother, could you lower the price?"
Out of curiosity, Zhang Jing tried bargaining.
"I can't, junior brother." At this, the senior brother gave a bitter smile. "You don't make talismans, so you might not know. Talisman making has a chance of failure. With my current skill, this is already the lowest price. Any lower and I'd be taking a loss."
"Then I'll keep looking, senior brother."
Zhang Jing declined with a smile.
Seeing his offer refused, the senior brother's expression instantly cooled, and he said flatly, "Suit yourself, junior brother!"
"Farewell."
Zhang Jing turned and left.
He had not gone far when he heard an argument.
Looking back, he saw a senior sister standing in front of that same stall, arguing with the senior brother about something.
Before long, the senior sister bought two talismans, looking thoroughly annoyed.
Zhang Jing went straight into a nearby shop selling Talisman Making materials.
A while later, he emerged again and turned toward the enormous gate through which he had arrived.
Looking at his remaining Dao Merit, now down to barely a hundred,
Zhang Jing felt as though his heart were dripping blood.
Spirit ink was expensive, spirit brushes were expensive-everything was expensive!
A single mid-grade spirit brush actually cost a full 180 Dao Merit, and one portion of spirit ink cost 10 Dao Merit as well. The blank spirit paper used for making low-grade talismans was not expensive per sheet, at 10 Dao Merit for a hundred sheets, but he had bought five hundred sheets in one go.
Outside the Thousand Techniques Pavilion,
Zhang Jing found his Spirit Crane among the flock and climbed straight onto its back.
The figures of a man and a crane soared into the sky.