Purchasing Talismans

Several days later.

Qin Ming paid Alchemist Su a visit and received the token for leasing a Spirit Field from him.

He then headed to the Spirit Field, preparing to till the soil and sow the seeds.

To be honest, when it came to growing Yin Condensation Flowers, he was a completely blank slate, utterly without experience.

Over the past few days, he had crammed up on books about Spirit Plants.

Fortunately, Yin Condensation Flowers did not have high demands for their growing environment. Otherwise, the spiritual energy of a first-grade Spirit Vein likely would not have been enough.

But what Qin Ming had never expected was this.

The most difficult part of growing Yin Condensation Flowers was that they needed pollination when they bloomed.

And unlike other Spirit Plants, Yin Condensation Flowers had to be pollinated at least seven times during their seven-day flowering period.

That required a Bee Swarm Control Spell.

If the Yin Condensation Flowers were not sufficiently pollinated, their flowering period would end early, their medicinal power would be inadequate, and they could not be used for alchemy.

This truly stumped Qin Ming.

"Even if I can use Accelerated Growth, I can't exactly pollinate the flowers myself, can I?"

"Ah, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it."

Carrying his Spirit Hoe on his shoulder, Qin Ming arrived at the Spirit Field and began turning over the soil.

Ever since he had cultivated the Body Refining Art, the Hundred Treasures Glazed Scripture, to the Third Layer, his physical strength had surged.

He was much more energetic when farming these days too. His back did not ache, his legs did not hurt, and he felt like he could hoe ten miles of land in one breath.

Fortunately, Yin Condensation Flowers matured in just one year, so he would not have to wait too long.

Qin Ming had heard Alchemist Su say that the main ingredients for the Marrow Cleansing Pill needed at least fifty years of maturation before they could be used as medicine.

Their prices started at over a hundred Spirit Stones.

Moreover, alchemy had a high chance of failure, so multiple sets of ingredients had to be prepared at once.

This gave Qin Ming a profound understanding of the phrase "burning Spirit Stones."

After tilling the land, Qin Ming planted all the Spirit Seeds Alchemist Su had given him, covering a total of three mu.

After casting the Intermediate Spirit Rain Art over the Spirit Field, Qin Ming nodded in satisfaction.

Whether they can grow on their own is up to fate.

If all else fails, I'll have no choice but to use my trump card, Accelerated Growth.

At present, the affixes stored in Qin Ming's Sea of Consciousness over the past half year were:

Faint Mana x6

Faint Vital Energy x2

Greater Spirit Rain Technique x5

Accelerated Growth x1

The other affixes had all been consumed while cultivating the Hundred Treasures Glazed Scripture.

Qin Ming had never been willing to use the Greater Spirit Rain Technique. First, casting it caused too much of a commotion and would attract attention. Second, he intended to wait for a suitable opportunity to use it on high-grade Spirit Plants.

After all, it could yield double the Spirit Plants.

Qin Ming looked at his one-mu Beast Fang Rice Spirit Field and estimated that it would need another year to mature completely.

After planting the Spirit Herbs.

Qin Ming returned to his room and began cultivating.

He gently uncorked an exquisite Jade Bottle. Inside lay two azure pills, giving off a refreshing medicinal fragrance.

Spirit Gathering Pills!

He had exchanged a full hundred jin of Spirit Rice with Alchemist Su for these with great difficulty.

Sitting on the Straw Mat atop his bed, Qin Ming took out one pill and began cultivating.

As Qin Ming swallowed the Spirit Pill, its medicinal power dissolved and flowed through his body, continuously broadening his meridians.

The efficiency of his mana circulation also improved considerably.

Qin Ming began circulating the Evergreen Skill, refining that vast spiritual energy.

A long while later.

Qin Ming opened his eyes, a trace of delight appearing on his face.

"This Spirit Gathering Pill truly deserves its reputation as a miraculous pill for increasing Qi Refining Stage cultivation."

"The mana gained from just this one Spirit Gathering Pill is actually a whole stretch higher than the Faint Mana affix."

"One pill is worth a year of bitter cultivation."

"If I could take pills like this every day, I wonder whether I could break through to the Qi Refining Stage Fourth Layer sooner."

Qin Ming pondered to himself.

After finishing his cultivation, Qin Ming was in high spirits.

He planned to visit Manager Liao, sell off some Spirit Rice, and see whether he could purchase a Bee Swarm Control Spell while he was at it.

Now that he could eat Superior Beast Fang Rice, there was no need to keep so much Common Golden Spirit Rice. He might as well sell it while prices were high.

And exchange it for some Talisman Artifacts.

Qin Ming passed through the winding alleyways of the Shantytown and, after twisting and turning, arrived at the main road.

Qingyang Market.

"Oh my, Fellow Daoist Qin is here! Come, come, serve some tea."

Inside Juxuan Pavilion, Manager Liao wore his signature smile as he warmly greeted Qin Ming.

Qin Ming smiled.

Without another word, he took three large sacks of Spirit Rice from his Storage Bag and set them before him. Manager Liao's face blossomed with joy, and he was grinning from ear to ear.

"That must be over three hundred jin, right?"

"Hehehe, it seems Fellow Daoist Qin has had another bumper harvest." After saying that, Manager Liao personally took out a Large Measuring Bucket artifact and began weighing it.

"Three hundred and eighty jin of Golden Spirit Rice!"

"Fellow Daoist Qin, the usual price: one hundred and twenty Spirit Stones. How does that sound?" Manager Liao asked with a smile.

Qin Ming considered it for a moment before asking, "Manager Liao, is the price of Spirit Rice still the same? Has it stopped rising?"

"That's right, Fellow Daoist Qin. Spirit Rice prices will not rise any further for the time being, nor in the near future." Manager Liao glanced around before continuing, "However, talismans, defensive artifacts, and life-saving pills will still see a slight increase."

"If Fellow Daoist Qin has any need in those areas, you should buy early. In a few days, the price may be entirely different."

A trace of doubt flashed through Qin Ming's heart, and he asked, "Has something happened again?"

"There has not been any major change. It is simply that the Spirit Feather Sect and Goldcloud Valley have fallen into a stalemate."

"But the War Camp that the Spirit Feather Sect has set up to reclaim land at the front lines can no longer hold on. There have been several large-scale casualties in succession."

"I heard that the Spirit Feather Sect has recruited another batch of cultivators to replenish their ranks."

"Ah."

Manager Liao sighed with emotion as well.

Qin Ming frowned slightly. He knew that the Spirit Feather Sect was once again trying to lure independent cultivators into opening the way at that Barbarian Cultivator Gathering Place.

Only then did he accept Manager Liao's Spirit Stones and ask, "Do you sell Bee Swarm Control Spells?"

The moment Manager Liao heard that more business was coming, he immediately replied, "Of course. There are very few things this shop does not carry."

He promptly had someone bring down three jade slips from upstairs.

"Please have a look, Fellow Daoist Qin. These are the Beast Mastery Art, the Insect Control Technique, and the Spirit Control Scripture."

"All three techniques are priced the same. I can give Fellow Daoist Qin a ten percent discount."

"Any one of them will be three hundred Spirit Stones."

After speaking.

Manager Liao looked at Qin Ming expectantly. If this deal went through, it would be another major sale.

He would earn quite a bit more commission as well.

Qin Ming curled his lip and said directly, "Then forget it."

This old man—every time I come here, he can't wait for me to throw in every last Spirit Stone I have. He really knows how to do business.

After all, including the one hundred and twenty Spirit Stones he had just received for selling the Spirit Rice.

Qin Ming had only a little over three hundred Spirit Stones in total.

He had thought that with his Spirit Rice yield rising dramatically lately and earning so many Spirit Stones, he could at least be considered to have a little money.

Yet any random technique here could empty his pockets in an instant.

Ah, cultivating immortality really burns money!

Wasn't this asking for his life?

"Then how much is one Mid-Grade offensive talisman?" Qin Ming continued.

Manager Liao had just begun to show disappointment upon hearing Qin Ming decisively give up on buying the techniques, but then he heard this question.

His spirits immediately rose again.

"A Mid-Grade Fire Cloud Talisman costs eighty Spirit Stones each."

"A Mid-Grade Lightning Arrow Talisman costs one hundred Spirit Stones each."

"A Mid-Grade Golden Halberd Talisman costs eighty Spirit Stones each."

"Fellow Daoist Qin, which one would you like?"

Qin Ming gritted his teeth. "Give me one Mid-Grade Lightning Arrow Talisman."

Manager Liao beamed and immediately took out a blue talisman, handing it to Qin Ming.

Qin Ming accepted the talisman.

The transaction was complete.

Manager Liao enthusiastically saw him out of the shop.