Lifting the Siege
Mo Wen did not possess a complete inheritance of second-tier Talisman Dao.
Back when the Mo Household was destroyed, he had saved Mo Changge and several others and obtained the methods for drawing seven kinds of second-tier spirit talismans. However, all seven were Second-Tier Low-Grade spirit talismans.
If Mo Wen wanted to advance to become a mid-grade second-tier talisman master, he would have to find another second-tier Talisman Dao inheritance.
Even immortal sects place great importance on second-tier Talisman Dao inheritances. I wonder if I can find one in Azure Luan Immortal City?
If all else fails, I'll make another trip to Dragon Snake Cave! It shouldn't be hard to trade the genuine Foundation Establishment Pill I have for the Mo Household's talisman inheritance, right?
Having made up his mind, Mo Wen continued cultivating diligently behind closed doors. He now had the Mo Household's inheritance of Second-Tier Low-Grade spirit talismans, so he could grind away at that for now.
It would not be too late to look for a complete second-tier talisman inheritance once he had truly reached Foundation Establishment!
Half a month later, he drew his first Second-Tier Low-Grade spirit talisman—the Fire Phoenix Talisman. The Fire Phoenix Talisman was quite powerful, comparable to a full-strength strike from a Foundation Establishment Early Stage cultivator.
Although Mo Wen had succeeded in drawing a Fire Phoenix Talisman, his success rate was extremely low, not even one percent!
The special talisman paper used to draw second-tier spirit talismans was not cheap. A single sheet cost twenty low-grade Spirit Stones. Mo Wen could afford to lose over a thousand Spirit Stones at once to improve his Talisman Dao only because he was now wealthy enough.
As time passed, Mo Wen's losses grew larger and larger, but his success rate also steadily improved.
Only after three months, when Mo Wen's success rate for drawing Fire Phoenix Talismans reached two percent, did he barely manage to break even.
During that time, he had drawn seventeen Fire Phoenix Talismans in total, worth around twenty thousand Spirit Stones. But the second-tier talisman paper, spirit ink, and other materials he had consumed over that period were worth around thirty thousand Spirit Stones.
That meant he had lost a total of ten thousand Spirit Stones drawing Fire Phoenix Talismans during that time!
Fortunately, from then on, his attainments in Talisman Dao were sufficient to support him in drawing second-tier spirit talismans. Even if he drew new talismans, he would not suffer any great losses!
For the time being, however, he would not try drawing new spirit talismans. Instead, he would use the Fire Phoenix Talisman to rapidly improve his success rate.
To him, Talisman Dao was merely a means of earning Spirit Stones. The sole goal of his cultivation was immortality! Without immortality, what did it matter if he became a divine talisman master? Would it not all come to nothing in the end?
It's time to deal with the Fire Phoenix Talismans I have.
He had spent more than half of his Spirit Stones drawing Fire Phoenix Talismans during this period and needed to recoup his losses quickly!
In Azure Luan Immortal City, there was no shortage of buyers for second-tier spirit talismans! Whichever shop Mo Wen chose to sell them through, he would receive the most favorable treatment! However, he planned to give all seventeen spirit talismans to Song Yixue to sell, thereby raising the Song Clan Talisman Shop's profile.
If the Song Clan Talisman Shop rose to prominence in Azure Luan Immortal City, the Ji Household would also be wary and would not dare oppress Song Yixue too openly. After all, even the city lord's manor placed great importance on a second-tier talisman master and would not allow one to form a poor impression of the immortal city.
That morning, Mo Wen made a special trip to the commercial district to pick out a gift for Song Yixue. They had not seen each other for quite a few days, so he had to bring her something!
He had been in quite a good mood that day, but when he reached the entrance to the Song Clan Talisman Shop, his face immediately darkened.
That bastard Ji Yuan was causing trouble again!
This time, Ji Yuan had learned his lesson. He had not taken the field himself, but was hiding in a neighboring shop to watch the show.
No one knew where he had found the dozen or so Rogue Cultivators who were now blocking up the Song Clan Talisman Shop and making a nuisance of themselves.
On the surface, these Rogue Cultivators had all come to buy talismans, but they ran down the shop's talismans at every turn, saying either that the quality was poor or that the prices were too high!
They went on repeating themselves for ages without buying a single talisman, while deliberately blocking the cultivators who had truly come to purchase talismans from entering.
These people were like toads crawling onto your feet: they did not bite, but they were sickening enough to kill you!
If the situation did not change soon, the Song Clan Talisman Shop would be unable to stay in business for even half a month!
Now that Mo Wen had seen this, he naturally would not indulge them. He immediately unleashed his Divine Sense to suppress the Rogue Cultivators.
Given the current strength of Mo Wen's Divine Sense, even if he used only a small fraction of it, these Qi Refining Rogue Cultivators could not withstand it!
In an instant, the Rogue Cultivators were pressed flat against the ground, every muscle and bone in their bodies feeling ready to split apart.
How could they fail to understand that a Foundation Establishment High Person had intervened? They all began loudly begging for mercy.
Mo Wen's face was cold as he slowly increased the pressure of his Divine Sense. He knew these Rogue Cultivators' habits well. If he did not punish them severely, Ji Yuan and the others watching from the sidelines would look down on him instead!
"Fellow Daoist, please stay your thunderous wrath for the moment!" a voice suddenly called from outside.
At the same time, a wave of Divine Sense came rushing at Mo Wen with incomparable aggression.
Mo Wen snorted coldly and brazenly counterattacked with thirty percent of his Divine Sense!
In an instant, wind and thunder rose from level ground! The force that spilled out from the clash of their Divine Senses actually produced a sound like howling wind and rumbling thunder!
Before long, the person outside the door suddenly let out a muffled groan, then said, "Fellow Daoist, your Divine Sense is truly powerful. I admit defeat!"
Only then did Mo Wen withdraw his Divine Sense and say coldly to the Rogue Cultivators in the shop, "All of you, shut up!"
The Rogue Cultivators hurriedly scrambled to their feet and stood trembling to one side, awaiting their punishment.
At that moment, a figure entered the shop, bowed to Mo Wen from a distance, and said, "I am Lin Zhan of the Immortal City Patrol Office. Greetings, fellow Daoist."
Mo Wen looked at the newcomer and saw that Lin Zhan had delicate features and a slender frame. He looked every bit a frail scholar.
"I am Mo Wen, a mere Rogue Cultivator. Greetings, Fellow Daoist Lin," Mo Wen replied, returning the bow.
"Fellow Daoist Mo, might I ask what these people did to provoke such thunderous anger?" Lin Zhan asked, turning his gaze toward the Rogue Cultivators.
"A bunch of petty troublemakers deliberately disrupting business and confusing the public. Since you're here, Fellow Daoist Lin, how about I leave them to you?" Mo Wen said calmly, looking at Lin Zhan with a faint smile.
"It is my duty. I would not dare refuse," Lin Zhan said solemnly.
"Then sorry for the trouble, Fellow Daoist Lin. I hope that once these people have learned their lesson, they won't do such filthy things again!" Mo Wen said, pointing at the mulberry tree while cursing the locust tree.
Lin Zhan laughed it off and said nothing more, leading the group of Rogue Cultivators away.
Only then did Song Yixue and several of her clanspeople come over to Mo Wen and greet him warmly.
As Lin Zhan spoke with Song Yixue, he used his Divine Sense to scan the shop where Ji Yuan was hiding.
Through his Divine Sense, he sensed that Ji Yuan was staring darkly at the Qi Refining Rogue Cultivators being led away.
Beside Ji Yuan stood an old man of about sixty with the face of a hawk.
That old man has a ghostly air about him. Could he have achieved Divergent Method Foundation Establishment?
Mo Wen muttered inwardly and withdrew his Divine Sense. Here in the immortal city, he could not do anything to Ji Yuan, so there was no need to pay the young man too much attention.