Time flew by, and seven days passed.
Five mu of Wind Spirit Grass and one mu of spirit rice grains, planted in the spirit fields, had already sprouted tender shoots, and the other mu of Emerald Spirit Fruit was thriving under Li Mu's careful cultivation.
Li Mu performed the Qingfeng Huanyu Technique several times to replenish the water in the seven mu of spirit fields.
“Crimson Wolf, I’m going out for a bit and will be right back. You stay home and guard well, don’t let the spirit chickens peck at the rice seedlings,” Li Mu instructed the Crimson Wolf pup.
“Woof woof!” Crimson Wolf wagged his short tail vigorously and barked twice at Li Mu, as if saying he understood.
“Haha, I’ll reward you with a big bone when I get back.” Li Mu laughed, mounted his sword, and flew towards Qing'an Town, preparing to sell the Talismans he had drawn over the past few days and purchase some daily necessities.
Qing'an Town, Liu's Spirit Talisman Shop.
“Dao Friend Li, you’re here! Please, come in, come in! I just brewed a pot of spirit tea, let me pour you some to try.” Shopkeeper Liu of the Spirit Talisman Shop saw Li Mu enter and hurried out to greet him warmly, even offering tea, a stark contrast to the cold reception he used to give.
The batch of Talismans he received last time, imbued with extremely strong Five Elements Spiritual Power, had long since sold out and received excellent feedback from customers. Shopkeeper Liu wished he could enshrine Li Mu to ensure a long-term supply.
“No need for tea, I have other matters. Let’s trade the Talismans first!” Li Mu waved his hand and took out four stacks of Talismans from a beast skin bag.
Shopkeeper Liu was more than happy to oblige, reaching out to take the Talismans and counting them carefully.
“A total of 120 Talismans, all Five Elements Talismans. You are owed 12 Medium Grade Spirit Stones,” Shopkeeper Liu said excitedly.
“Hmm, Shopkeeper Liu, do you sell Second-Order Talisman books here?” Li Mu nodded and asked with concern.
Compared to drawing First-Order Talismans, Second-Order Talismans offer greater profit, and he could also keep some for self-defense. Unfortunately, Second-Order Talisman books are expensive and not easy to acquire.
“Second-Order Talisman books, those can only be exchanged at a Sect or you might try your luck at Wanbao Pavilion,” Shopkeeper Liu said apologetically as he handed a Spirit Stone cloth bag to Li Mu.
Li Mu nodded, took the Spirit Stone bag, and swept his Divine Sense over it, confirming there were indeed twelve Medium Grade Spirit Stones.
“Dao Friend Li, do you not need Talisman paper or spirit ink this time? I just received a batch of high-grade Talisman paper,” Shopkeeper Liu enthusiastically recommended to Li Mu.
“No need, what I bought last time my family hasn’t finished using. We can talk about it next time! Shopkeeper Liu, farewell.” Li Mu smiled and politely declined, bidding him farewell.
“Good, good, I’ll see you out.” Shopkeeper Liu enthusiastically escorted Li Mu out of the shop.
Li Mu went to the Loose Cultivator market to browse and purchase some Yao Beast meat and daily necessities.
Suddenly, Li Mu stopped, his gaze drawn to a Loose Cultivator stall, which turned out to be the old Daoist who sold Cultivation Techniques.
The old Daoist also saw Li Mu, and while surprised, a hint of unnaturalness flashed across his expression.
Li Mu smiled slightly, pretending not to notice, and walked naturally towards the old Daoist’s stall: “Boss, do you have any Cultivation Techniques for concealing Qi for sale? I’d like one.”
“Yes, yes!” The old Daoist quickly laid out several Qi concealment Cultivation Techniques.
《Hidden Breath Art》, 《Profound Tortoise Breath Stabilization Technique》, Illusionary Breath Art, 《Tortoise Breath Technique》…
Goodness, the Cultivation Techniques this guy collected are truly comprehensive! There were as many as seven Cultivation Techniques for concealing Qi, and Li Mu was momentarily dazzled, unsure which one to acquire.
“How much are they, and which Cultivation Technique has the best concealment effect?” Li Mu directly posed the question to the old Daoist.
“Each Qi concealment Cultivation Technique has different characteristics. The Hidden Breath Art’s characteristic is to conceal Qi and reduce presence, avoiding detection by Yao Beasts. The Profound Tortoise Breath Stabilization Technique simulates the Profound Tortoise’s breathing method, reducing Qi and extending life… The Illusionary Breath Art, on the other hand, focuses more on regulating Qi. When cultivated deeply, it can transform and alter one’s cultivation Qi…” The old Daoist eloquently introduced the different characteristics of several Cultivation Techniques.
Li Mu’s heart stirred, and he took a liking to the Illusionary Breath Art. The reason he suddenly decided to buy a Qi concealment Cultivation Technique was to cover up the abnormal increase in his cultivation that was about to happen.
Previously, Zhang Laotou and Xu Lijin had both noticed his abnormal cultivation, and next time, it wouldn’t be so easy to brush off.
“Let me see this copy of Illusionary Breath Art,” Li Mu said, getting straight to the point.
“Old rules, only the first three pages can be viewed,” the stall-owning old Daoist handed the Illusionary Breath Art to Li Mu.
Li Mu took the Illusionary Breath Art and honestly flipped through three pages, confirming that there was no problem with this Cultivation Technique: “How much is it?”
“200 lower spirit stones. All these Cultivation Technique books were purchased from the Yan Sect, and the cost was not cheap…” The old Daoist explained endlessly to prevent Li Mu from bargaining.
Li Mu glanced at the old Daoist, took out two Medium Grade Spirit Stones from his Spirit Stone bag, and directly tossed them to him: “I’ll buy it.”
After paying, Li Mu didn’t give the old Daoist a chance to play tricks, taking the Illusionary Breath Art and leaving in a hurry.
Watching Li Mu’s receding back, the stall-owning old Daoist looked down at the two Medium Grade Spirit Stones in his hand, standing there in a daze, his expression complex.
That young man is not simple!
Before, he was so poor he only had 15 lower spirit stones, but now he can take out two Medium Grade Spirit Stones without batting an eye. It seems the tracking powder he scattered on him was discovered, right? The old Daoist hesitated for a moment, then his expression relaxed, and he ultimately chose to give up.
On the other end, Li Mu scanned his entire body, confirmed that the old Daoist hadn’t tampered with him, and walked directly towards Wanbao Pavilion.
“Welcome to Wanbao Pavilion, Young Master, please come in.” Two female greeters saw Li Mu, bowed, and greeted him in unison.
Li Mu walked directly into Wanbao Pavilion and headed towards the counter managed by Lin Huirong.
“Young Master Li, welcome! You’re here to pick up the spirit peach wood, aren’t you?” Lin Huirong saw Li Mu and quickly stepped forward to greet him warmly.
“Yes, and I’d like to buy two more squares of spirit peach wood. Also, does your shop sell Second-Order Talisman books?” Li Mu asked with concern.
Lin Huirong paused slightly, then quickly said, “Yes, we do. However, the Talisman book we sell is quite complete, involving a higher Talisman Legacy, and its value is considerable. The price is 500 Medium Grade Spirit Stones.”
500 Medium Grade Spirit Stones! Li Mu was startled by this quote, blinking rapidly, and quickly said, “Miss Lin, just pretend I didn’t ask! Li can’t afford that price.”
“Hehe, Young Master Li is joking. If it’s a Second-Order Talisman book with a lower price, then it would only be a partial copy,” Lin Huirong quickly explained.
Upon hearing this, Li Mu’s eyes lit up. A partial copy would work too.
As long as it can be recorded on the panel, he wouldn’t fear a partial copy. Once he learned the Talisman formula, he could then rely on proficiency points to raise its Rank. The knowledge from the partial copy would be completely restored as the Rank increased.
“How much are the partial Talisman copies? If they’re cheaper, I’d like to buy a few as gifts,” Li Mu quickly said.
“There aren’t that many partial Second-Order Talisman copies. I remember we seem to have one in storage. I’ll go get it, please wait a moment,” Lin Huirong smiled slightly and gestured.
Li Mu nodded, watching her go to retrieve the partial Talisman copy.
Soon, Lin Huirong returned with a partial Second-Order Talisman copy and introduced it to Li Mu: “Young Master Li, this partial Second-Order golden origin Talisman Treatise is called Golden Talisman Treatise. It records three types of golden origin Second-Order Talisman formulas: Golden Sword Talisman, Golden Armor Talisman, and golden origin Talisman. However, some Talisman knowledge is missing, so it might be difficult to draw them into Talismans according to it. Are you sure you want to buy it?”
“Hmm, how much is missing from the Talisman formulas? What’s the price?” Li Mu asked with concern.
“The golden origin Talisman is missing quite a lot. This partial Talisman Treatise sells for 20 Medium Grade Spirit Stones,” Lin Huirong explained with a smile.
Li Mu frowned, considering how to acquire this partial Talisman copy.