Finally Collected Them All

Zhou Ning grabbed the silver Storage Bag and poured out a large amount of liquid.

Jade boxes, Law Artifact, and talismans were piled up like a small mountain, and the Spirit Stone alone filled an entire box.

Zhou Ning was astonished. This old Daoist priest was actually quite wealthy, probably even richer than him!

He first scanned the Spirit Stone; there were a total of one hundred and fifty.

"You damned Daoist Mu!"

Zhou Ning's current circulating Spirit Stone, plus Chen Long's inheritance, amounted to only 140, which has now doubled.

Then, he picked up a thick stack of talismans and examined them one by one. There were thirty or forty of them, ranging from high-grade to top-grade.

There are also seven talismans with vine patterns, which should be the signature technique of the Daoist Mu, a sneak attack Law Technique where vines sprout from the soles of the feet, called something like the Five-Clawed Jade Root Talisman.

It seems to be his own creation.

A moment later, Zhou Ning picked up two unique talismans. One was a pale yellow jade talisman with an ancient feel and extremely complex ink lines, containing a certain Daoist charm.

"A second-tier talisman? It doesn't seem like it."

Zhou Ning had participated in several transactions at the Qilin Pavilion. The female host, Zhao Ruoxue, had sold second-tier talismans before, but the complexity of the process was far less than that of the jade talisman before him.

Moreover, none of the second-tier talismans were sold in the end, because the activation time for Qi Refining cultivators was too long, making them less useful than first-tier top-grade talismans.

Zhou Ning then looked at another silver talisman stored separately, which emanated a strange aura, like the glow of water or the wind.

I'll go to the market tomorrow to buy some talismans and books, and have them examined.

"Heh, Daoist Mu underestimated me, and his Secret Method struck too quickly, giving him no chance to use it, which actually benefited me."

Zhou Ning then examined the Law Artifact: a dark green vine, a gourd, a fine needle, and a gray shuttle.

He was dazzled by what he saw.

The ink-patterned small sword among them was the Law Artifact that Zhou Ning had purchased for thirteen Spirit Stone at the Qilin Pavilion trade fair last time. Unexpectedly, it was obtained by Daoist Mu.

I don't know if it was bought or stolen.

As for the jade seal and the small brown shield, they were all shattered by the Secret Method.

"These Law Artifact are all stolen goods." Zhou Ning doesn't need most of them, and they're not easy to take out.

I'll secretly find a place to sell it later and exchange it for some Spirit Stone.

He continued examining the pills, including those for Flesh-Regenerating Pill, Essence-Nourishing Pill, and Spirit-Restoring Pill, but found none that could increase his cultivation level.

Then open the jade box; various herbs are left for you to identify at your leisure.

Until Zhou Ning opened a box sealed with a talisman.

It was a type of Ganoderma lucidum herb, several inches long, milky white in color, with a semi-transparent surface, through which one could see the viscous Spiritual Qi flowing.

Zhou Ning was stunned, then his expression changed, and he blurted out, "One of the three main ingredients of the Foundation Establishment Pill, Jade Marrow Ganoderma!"

"He actually possesses Jade Marrow Ganoderma!"

Zhou Ning checked it over and over again several times.

It feels cool to the touch, has an extremely faint medicinal fragrance, and exudes a refreshing Spiritual Qi; all these signs match.

He was absolutely certain. "It's definitely Jade Marrow Ganoderma."

Zhou Ning was somewhat dazed. The Jade Marrow Ganoderma, the rarest of the three main ingredients of the Foundation Establishment Pill, had actually been obtained by him just like that?

In the territory of Chen State, obtaining this item is virtually impossible without connections to a powerful clan Aristocratic Clan.

In the Land of Wei, this substance has long since disappeared, and can only be replaced by spiritual materials such as blood ginseng essence.

However, it loses the most important function of the Foundation Establishment Pill, which is to save the cultivator's life if they fail to break through to the Foundation Establishment.

Zhou Ning never expected that the old Daoist priest would possess such a treasure.

But on second thought, it's not surprising that Daoist Mu, who served as a lackey for the Aristocratic Clan and did countless dirty and tiring jobs, possessed unparalleled strength in the Qi Refining Realm.

If such a person doesn't die, he will surely be able to Foundation Establishment in the future.

"Keep looking, maybe there are other good things too--"

Zhou Ning searched for a while and found another item, also sealed with talisman paper. It was a red bead the size of a lychee, with an uneven surface and a warm feel.

"It should be a second-tier demon core." Zhou Ning knew the main ingredients of the Foundation Establishment Pill like the back of his hand, so the Earth Profound Fruit could be replaced by a second-tier demon core of the fire element.

It is considered the least scarce type, but it is still very difficult for Qi Refining cultivators, after all, fire-attribute Demon Beast are notoriously irritable and powerful.

Even if you manage to reach the lair of Demon Beast, it will be extremely difficult to take it down without two Foundation Establishment cultivators leading the team.

If we also add the immature Purple Monkey Flower near the eye of the spirit spring in Cuiwei Lake, and Black Husband's promise regarding the Jade Marrow Ganoderma—

Doesn't this give me two opportunities to refine Foundation Establishment Pill?

Zhou Ning; even if he couldn't use all the Foundation Establishment Pill he refined, it was still a pleasant surprise for him.

The Foundation Establishment Pill is said to cost eighty or one hundred Spirit Stone, but this item is basically monopolized and is not sold at all.

For those who need it, even five hundred Spirit Stone would probably be enough to buy it without hesitation.

"Cool!"

Next, Zhou Ning flipped through several Jade Slip, most of which contained Cultivation Method, such as his main technique, the [Withering and Flourishing Eternal Spring Art].

He is extremely skilled in the art of health preservation, claiming that he can defy fate and live to be 160 years old, and that he can maintain his vital Qi and Blood, greatly delaying the time required to Foundation Establishment.

Zhou Ning possesses the [Xinsi Golden Scripture], and his lifespan is 240 years after Qi Refining. He can easily defeat him.

Therefore, I disdain to look at it.

In addition, there is a complete set of first-tier talisman master inheritance materials, including talisman brushes, spirit ink, animal hides, and summaries of insights.

"No wonder he has so many talismans and can even create his own," Zhou Ning realized.

The legacy of a talisman master is a valuable asset; if a cultivation Lineage obtains it, it can serve as the foundation of their clan.

No cultivation Lineage was established by highway robbery. Even the tyrannical Lei Household made their fortune by producing and selling Thunder Explosion Pearl.

Zhou Ning only glanced at it briefly, his gaze falling on the envelope beside him.

He uncovered it and was shocked to find it was a self-narrative.

"Fellow Daoist, by the time you read this letter, I will already be dead—"

Zhou Ning was taken aback. Was this the old Daoist priest's own handwriting?

"Hehe, I was born in a village in Hedong Commandery of Chen State. When I was young, everyone in the village called me Ermao, and my humble name was Changming. Later, I practiced the [Withering and Flourishing Eternal Spring Art], and indeed I lived a long life. People called me Daoist Mu."

"Ever since I decided to serve the Han Household, I've anticipated that this day might come."

"The path to immortality is beyond one's control."

"Fellow Daoist, my skills are inferior, and I humbly admit defeat. However, I have one great regret in my life: I hate that I stepped into that secret realm, which damaged my soul and forced me to rely on the Han Household."

"That secret realm is located in Longxi Commandery, under the jurisdiction of Myriad Peace Valley —within which lies—"

Zhou Ning continued reading: Snow Spirit Water, Ancient Treasure, Soul-Nourishing Wood, Jade Essence Crystal, Heavenly One Divine Pill, Ten-Thousand-Year-Old Cold Sandalwood--

Each and every one of them is a rare find in the world.

Zhou Ning didn't take it seriously. If it were that easy to take, the Daoist Mu would have already taken it; how could it be his turn?

There's a high chance there's some kind of formation or trap waiting for them; they're guaranteed to never return.

He noted down the location written in the letter, determined not to take any risks until he had established Immortal Foundation.

In the latter part of the letter, the Daoist Mu cursed the Han Household for treating him like a dog, and the Su Household for doing the same; he hated them so much.

Zhou Ning finally understood why the Daoist Mu was chasing him.

It's almost exactly the same as the rumor spread by Daoist Mu back then.

"So it was because you bought too many medicinal ingredients that you were mistaken for Alchemist?"

"So Han Ziyue of the Han Household hunted down Alchemist to frame the Lei Household, and that's how I got caught up in it?"

Zhou Ning roared, "Han Ziyue, you're courting death!"

Fortunately, he chose to stay with the Su Household at the time. Otherwise, if he had relied on the power of Land of Wei's Cultivation Method and gone out to establish his own sect early on, he would probably have been captured and killed by Daoist Mu long ago.

Moreover, the Han Household was truly domineering, forcing the Su Household to take the blame.

Zhou Ning was satisfied after collecting all the spoils.

Two days later, Zhou Ning returned to the loyal Little Willow Marsh, stepping on the bamboo leaf Law Artifact.

He looked delighted. "The three great joys of cultivating immortality are promotion, acquiring treasure, and the death of fellow cultivators!"

He is the current leader of Little Willow Marsh, although he is all alone.

Now, when I face an upper cultivator, I can either use Secret Method to launch a sneak attack or retreat calmly—"Zhou Ning found the function of those two talismans in the Complete Book of Talismans by the Daoist Mu yesterday.

One of them is the Myriad Streams Escape Talisman," which combines water and wind elements. Once activated, it allows for high-speed escape, making it impossible for Foundation Establishment cultivator to catch up.

One of them is High Antiquity Invisibility Talisman, whose concealment is extremely mysterious and difficult for Core Formation Cultivator to detect.

"No wonder Daoist Mu dared to so brazenly pursue Su Yunjin to Cuiwei Lake; it was probably this talisman that made him so fearless."

"Now it's all mine. Even if the Su Household patriarch forms his Golden Core, I have nothing to fear!" Zhou Ning felt much more at ease.

He could be so bold in Land of Wei because if he died Land of Wei, it wouldn't have much of an impact.

But this world is different.

"However, we must proceed with caution, otherwise we might get killed before we can even use the talisman."

Zhou Ning became wary, and at the same time, a guess formed in his mind. "These two talismans must have been obtained by Daoist Mu from that secret realm. That place has Snow Spirit Water, an essential spiritual item for Core Formation— "

"Future Core Formation-- "

"Oh, right, I'm cultivating the Purple Mansion, which doesn't require Core Formation, so that's fine--"

Zhou Ning chuckled to himself.

"However, the secret realm is full of treasures, and if I'm strong enough, I might as well explore it," he planned.

As for the present, we should first focus on Foundation Establishment; spiritual cultivation is always the most important thing.

These two talismans from the Daoist Mu are probably even more precious than Foundation Establishment Pill. However, this person is still willing to risk using them to snatch the main materials for Foundation Establishment at Cuiwei Lake.

Even an old Daoist priest can distinguish between what is light and what is heavy.

Zhou Ning to the front of the great formation on the small island and scanned it with his Divine Sense. The traces of the battle from the previous days had been covered by the heavy snow.

The two living, breathing fellow Daoists suddenly became cold and indifferent.

Zhou Ning, after confirming there were no oversights, angrily exclaimed, "The Daoist Mu actually took advantage of my absence to launch a sneak attack on Little Willow Marsh! How utterly despicable!"

He then launched a signal talisman and sped to the Beast Taming Sect's post station to send urgent letters to the Su and Chen families.