"Our Wanbao Pavilion wants these Talismans. I wonder, can Elder Zhang refine third-tier Talismans? Our Wanbao Pavilion would like to pre-order a batch," the new female Treasurer, Gongsun Chu, asked with a smile, looking at 'Li Mu'.
Li Mu thought for a moment, then shook his head, "Third-tier Talismans are not easy to draw. Let's not do pre-orders. If this old man can draw them, I'll bring them to sell then!"
"Alright! I wonder, is Elder Zhang willing to become our Pavilion's Talisman Guest Elder? Our Wanbao Pavilion…" Gongsun Chu wasn't angry and prepared to introduce the benefits of being a Wanbao Pavilion Guest Elder.
"No need! This old man is just here to sell Talismans and buy some auxiliary Materials!" Li Mu refused without thinking, interrupting her.
"Uh! I understand! What Materials does Elder Zhang need? Our Wanbao Pavilion is about to hold an Auction, and we have plenty of goods right now. I wonder what auxiliary Materials you need!" Despite being rejected repeatedly, Gongsun Chu didn't get discouraged and responded with a smile.
Hearing this, Li Mu's heart stirred. The Wanbao Pavilion in Qingyun City was going to hold an Auction. This was a good opportunity to purchase High-Grade Spiritual items. It seemed the identity of 'Master Li' would once again come in handy at the Wanbao Pavilion.
"Does your Pavilion have third-tier Yao Beast hides? I can also buy some fourth-tier Yao Beast hides!" Li Mu changed his mind about buying purple yang jade and asked about Materials related to Talisman Masters.
"Yes! Of course, we do! Here is the catalog of Yao Beast hides, as well as various Spiritual Inks and Talisman Brushes. The prices are all marked. Elder Zhang, just pick whatever you like!" Gongsun Chu directly took out a green Jade Slip and handed it over with a smile.
"Good!" Li Mu took the Jade Slip, immersing his Divine Sense to examine it.
Third-tier Qingyu Fox Yao Abdominal Hide, Specification: Ten square feet, Price: 3000 medium spirit stones.
Third-tier Scarlet Blood Python Yao Full Hide, Specification: Twelve square feet, Price: 2500 medium spirit stones.
Third-tier Thunder Eagle Abdominal Hide, Specification: Eight square feet, Price: 2700 medium spirit stones.
...
Fourth-tier Ink Thunder Dragon Yao Abdominal Hide, Specification: Nine square feet, Price: 7200 medium spirit stones.
Fourth-tier Night Ghost Bull Abdominal Hide, Specification: Eleven square feet, Price: 12000 medium spirit stones.
...
Third-tier Azure Beast Blood Spiritual Ink, Specification: 1 jin, Price: 700 medium spirit stones.
Third-tier Scarlet Fire Spider Blood Spiritual Ink, Specification: 1 jin, Price: 1200 medium spirit stones.
...
Li Mu immersed his Divine Sense, scanning a hundred lines at a glance, quickly browsing the catalog of Materials related to Talisman Masters, and was immediately overjoyed.
Just based on this move, Li Mu understood why Gongsun Chu could become the Treasurer of the Wanbao Pavilion store in Qingyun City, while Wang Wenbao could only be in the remote Gangyang City.
This business was done too grandly, without any hiding or holding back. Even with the Auction imminent, they were willing to bring out good items for sale.
Li Mu even saw a few fifth-tier Yao Beast hides, but the prices were in High-Grade Spirit Stones, making him hesitate.
"I want a third-tier Green Fox Fur Talisman Brush, a bottle of Azure Beast Spiritual Ink, a bottle of Thunder Dragon Spiritual Ink, three Thunder Eagle abdominal hides…" Li Mu rattled off the Spiritual items he wished to purchase.
Li Mu's large purchase once again proved the saying: Wanbao Pavilion earns money, Wanbao Pavilion spends money.
When Li Mu left the Wanbao Pavilion, he found that not only had his goal of recovering some Spirit Stones by clearing out his Talismans not been achieved, but he had ended up paying a large sum of Spirit Stones from his storage bracelet.
Li Mu sighed, deciding to let the identity of 'Master Li' handle the matter of earning a large sum of Spirit Stones.
After all, 'Master Li's' persona was already established at the Wanbao Pavilion. Earning money with that name would be incredibly fast. As for being a Talisman Master, forget it; if the identities clashed, it would be troublesome!
After leaving the Wanbao Pavilion, Li Mu planned to first wander around Qingyun City to see if he could find any hidden gems with his Heavenly Talent, and then return later as the Artifact Refining Master Li to contact Gongsun Chu.
However, as soon as he walked out of the Wanbao Pavilion, Li Mu's gaze was immediately drawn to a shop opposite, whose scale and luxurious decor were in no way inferior to the Wanbao Pavilion.
The Wanbao Pavilion was located in a prime, expensive area of Qingyun City. However, this 'Imperial Beast Lodge' could stand shoulder to shoulder with the Wanbao Pavilion, and its flow of people and prosperity seemed to even surpass it.
The Cultivators entering and exiting were either looking disheartened and frustrated, or full of excitement, emotional, and highly energized…
What was wrong with them?
Driven by curiosity, Li Mu walked directly towards the 'Imperial Beast Lodge' to see what was so appealing about this bustling 'Imperial Beast Lodge' that had no greeters, with people constantly going in and out.
Stepping into the 'Imperial Beast Lodge', Li Mu's expression changed, and his Divine Sense immediately spread out.
What unfolded in his mind was a bustling 'Beast Fighting Arena', crowded and lively like a market.
Looking around, Cultivators with surging blood sat in the stands, shouting loudly.
"Go! Kill it!"
"Frenzy Tiger, hurry up! Go tear it apart!"
"Haha! We're going to win! 'Frenzy Tiger' is indeed invincible!"
"'Purple Lightning Mink', dodge! Hurry and dodge!"
...
Thousands, tens of thousands of Cultivators shouted and vented their emotions, their gazes focused on the central 'Beast Fighting Platform', the size of a football field.
On the platform, a massive, powerful second-tier Azure-Eyed Tiger Yao Beast was fiercely battling a small second-tier Purple Lightning Mink, with roars echoing and blood splattering, presenting a bloody, brutal, and primitive scene.
With a loud "boom," the massive body of the second-tier Azure-Eyed Tiger Yao Beast slammed hard against the formation wall surrounding the Beast Fighting Platform, causing countless Cultivators in the stands to feel heartbroken.
"Get up! 'Frenzy Tiger', get up quickly!"
"I bet 100 medium spirit stones on you! 'Frenzy Tiger', you can't die!"
"No way! That Purple Lightning Mink is almost done for, 'Frenzy Tiger', you can't fall!"
"It's over! It's over! Lost again!"
...
The Cultivators who had bet on the second-tier Yao Tiger winning shouted at the fallen Yao Tiger, their voices filled with anxiety.
Li Mu opened his eyes and woke up. All sorts of information appeared in the character's virtual panel, and only then did he understand the true nature of this 'Imperial Beast Lodge'.
The 'Imperial Beast Lodge' was completely a bait and switch. It was indeed a shop related to Imperial Beasts, but not one that dealt in Imperial Beasts. Instead, it was a casino where Imperial Beasts participated in battles, and Yao Beasts were used for gambling.
The 'Imperial Beast Lodge' used a mustard seed space formation to build a large Beast Fighting Arena within a small shop. His current location was at Beast Fighting Platform No. 1. Beyond this, there were five more 'Beast Fighting Platforms' simultaneously hosting different combat matches: Cultivators against Yao Beasts, Cultivators against Cultivators, and even Demonic Cultivators against ghosts… In short, it was a very 'exciting' place.
"Senior, this must be your first time here! Divine Sense is forbidden in the 'Imperial Beast Lodge'. If you want to enter to watch the battles, please buy a ticket or place a bet to enter the arena," a young attendant dressed in the Imperial Beast Lodge's uniform walked up to Li Mu and greeted him with a smile.
"Hmm! Take me to Arena No. 2!" Li Mu nodded, stopping the outward spread of his Divine Sense. At this point, the battle in Arena No. 1 had already ended, with the second-tier Purple Lightning Mink, holding a hidden killer move, having the last laugh.
"Alright, Senior, please follow me." The attendant happily complied, leading Li Mu to the entrance of Arena No. 2 and asking with a smile, "Senior, do you want to buy a ticket, or place a bet? Arena No. 2 is currently hosting a special battle: a magical combat between the Golden Core Family - Zhou Family and the Liu Family. Zhou Yuanpeng versus Liu Tianyi. Both are Foundation Establishment Cultivators. Betting on Zhou Yuanpeng to win pays: 1 to 1.63. Betting on Liu Tianyi to win pays: 3.78. Betting on a draw pays: 2.56."
"I'll buy a ticket! How much is one?" Li Mu smiled, not wanting to be a gambling addict, and gestured.
"Tickets are 10 medium spirit stones each!" the attendant said with a slight look of disappointment.
Li Mu nodded, casually taking out 10 medium spirit stones from his storage bracelet and tossing them to him.
The attendant took the Spirit Stones, happily scurried to the counter to buy a ticket, and a moment later, ran back with a bronze token, handing it to Li Mu and saying, "Senior, please take this token to enter the venue! You can sit in any available seat in the back row of the green stands. Remember not to carelessly release your Divine Sense, as it can easily displease others. There might be Golden Core and Nascent Soul Seniors hidden among the audience."
"Alright! Thank you for your trouble!" Li Mu nodded solemnly, took the bronze token, and walked into Arena No. 2.
Upon entering Arena No. 2, a wave of heat washed over him, and chaotic sounds quickly filled his ears.
"Idiot, that guy surnamed Zhou is definitely going to lose! Is that how he uses a sword?!"
"Quick, dodge! Don't engage him in close combat! Watch your head!"
"Wow! That guy surnamed Zhou's counterattack is so fast…"
"Senior Liu, come on! Keep using your spells! Drive him off the stage! The opponent isn't good at spells!"
"Senior Liu, be careful!"
...
Fierce shouts continuously entered his ears. The Cultivators in the stands were captivated by the exciting battle scenes in the arena, shouting and exclaiming.
Listening to their shouts, Li Mu immediately determined which of the two Foundation Establishment Cultivators fiercely battling on the platform was Zhou Yuanpeng and which was Liu Tianyi: the Sword Cultivator in green attire was Zhou Yuanpeng, and the one in yellow robes was Liu Tianyi.
The two fought extremely fiercely in the arena. Zhou Yuanpeng's figure was like wind, his swordsmanship excellent, Sword Qi crisscrossing, spell-breaking and slashing techniques were effortless.
Liu Tianyi was proficient in both fire and wood spells. At the same time, he wielded a fire wheel Spiritual Artifact and a green great shield. While defending against Zhou Yuanpeng's Sword Qi, the fire wheel spun, generating streaks of crimson fire snakes that lunged at Zhou Yuanpeng.
The scene was filled with pure spell power, but it was firmly confined to the fighting platform by the fifth-tier defensive barrier surrounding it, having no impact on the audience.
Li Mu watched the fierce battle between the two Late Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators for a while and found it somewhat uninteresting.
Firstly, Zhou Yuanpeng's swordsmanship and movement techniques were decent, but they had not yet reached a profound level. His sword momentum was too weak, his Sword Qi not sharp enough, and his sword movements too slow, failing to seize opportunities. Several times he could have made a decisive strike with his sword, but he missed them repeatedly, full of flaws.
Such an enemy, Li Mu could easily defeat him in a few moves.
As for Liu Tianyi, he also had many shortcomings: his spells were not proficient enough, his spell variations were too few, he continuously wasted magical power, and he couldn't achieve a fatal blow. If this dragged on, Zhou Yuanpeng, who consumed less True Yuan, would definitely win.
Of course, this was assuming neither of them had any hidden trump cards. Otherwise, it would be very difficult for Liu Tianyi to win.
Indeed, as the battle continued, Liu Tianyi used two trump card spells, both of which Zhou Yuanpeng dodged, ultimately ending in failure.
"Ah! How could he lose! My Spirit Stones!"
"Senior Liu, your Myriad Wood Binding Spell isn't practiced enough! Otherwise, you definitely would have won!"
"He's already lost seven matches in a row! This luck is too bad!"
"How could this be…"
As Liu Tianyi fell, a chorus of wails erupted from the audience. Due to the odds, almost seventy to eighty percent of the people present had bet on Liu Tianyi to win. With his defeat, countless 'gambling addicts' immediately lost their eyes in frustration.
Li Mu smiled and walked out of the venue with the chaotic crowd.
Having personally witnessed this exciting battle between Late Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators, Li Mu still gained a lot. Because many spells, sword techniques, and Cultivation Techniques had been elevated to max level, he gained many Heavenly Talent skills.
His combat intuition and talent had been raised to a certain height. Through this fierce battle, during the observation process, Li Mu's abilities in combat vision and battle analysis also received a baptism-like improvement.
"A good place, I can come here often in the future," Li Mu said with a smile, giving the 'Imperial Beast Lodge' a good review.
Li Mu planned to wait a few more months until Little Gold completely passed its infancy and entered its growth period before bringing it to this 'Imperial Beast Lodge' to battle other Imperial Beasts in the arena, to properly hone its combat awareness.
It was getting late.
After leaving the 'Imperial Beast Lodge', Li Mu didn't have time to visit the market. Instead, he found an inn nearby to stay. Then, he changed into a different robe, used the Linglong Mask to change his face to 'Master Li's', took out the Wanbao Pavilion Advanced Guest Elder token and fastened it to his waist, and circulated the Perfection-level Reversal Yuan Breath Concealment Art to alter his Spiritual Pressure aura.
Soon, Li Mu, as 'Master Li', once again visited the Wanbao Pavilion.
"Senior, welcome to Wanbao Pavilion, please come in!" The four female greeters at the entrance enthusiastically bowed in welcome.
"Call your Treasurer over!" Li Mu strode into the Wanbao Pavilion and directly handed the Advanced Guest Elder token to a female counter clerk who came to greet customers.
"Yes, yes! Senior, please wait a moment!" The female counter clerk took the Guest Elder token, bowed, and excitedly ran towards the inner hall.
In just a moment, a figure like 'fire' swiftly rushed to Li Mu's presence.
"Welcome, welcome, Wanbao Pavilion Treasurer Gongsun Chu greets Master Li!" Gongsun Chu tightly clutched the Guest Elder token, walked up to Li Mu, and greeted him excitedly.
Thanks to 'Master Li', the Wanbao Pavilion in Gangyang City's performance surged to become the top in the region.
She heard from Manager Wan that 'Master Li' had joined the Qingxuan Sect and became a Qingxuan Sect Artifact Crafting Elder. Qingyun City, being closer, had the first opportunity and needed to seize this chance to continue building connections with 'Master Li'.
After much inquiry, she learned that 'Master Li' was refining fourth-tier Spiritual Artifacts, which were flowing out of Qingxuan Sect's Hundred Refinements Peak one by one. However, Gongsun Chu tried every possible way but simply couldn't meet 'Master Li'.
It was like knowing the location of a 'treasure mountain' but having no chance to excavate it. These days, Gongsun Chu had worried herself thin by several pounds.
Currently, the Wanbao Pavilion's Auction in Qingyun City was about to begin, and Gongsun Chu was feeling upset because she couldn't meet 'Master Li'! She never expected that the turning point would appear today, with 'Master Li' personally coming to their doorstep.
It was simply like a pie falling from the sky; Gongsun Chu was incredibly excited.
"Treasurer Gongsun, you're too polite!" Li Mu chuckled, looking at the speechless and excited Gongsun Chu so close to him, fully understanding her feelings.
He had experienced this situation many times with Wang Wenbao, but seeing it transform from a greasy fat man into a fragrant, mature woman, Li Mu's senses were quite pleased.