Chapter 88: Change in the Golden Frame
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
The room was silent late at night. His wife and concubine curled up in Shen Ping’s arms with a blissful smile on their lips. With their husband beside them, they slept very soundly. Luo Qing sat cross-legged with her eyes closed and her breathing was even. Clearly, she was also sleeping.
Shen Ping opened the virtual interface.
[Talisman Dao Mystique: Sea of Talisman (Hundred Talismans) (10/1,000)]
[Talisman Master: Low-grade Level Two (151,596/150,000). Can be broken through.]
[Current Dao Companion Favorability: 100+10]
[Duo Cultivation Bonus: 6]
[Silver Bonus: 10]
[Metal Spiritual Root: Top-grade (2,167/150,000)]
[Wood Spiritual Root: Top-grade (2,059/150,000)]
He breathed a sigh of relief.
After the metal and wood spiritual roots broke through to the top-grade, the increment in spiritual root aptitude obtained from dual cultivation with Bai Yuying shrank like Wang Yun. Now that it had transformed into a silver frame, it was the same as his wife. The subsequent increase would instead increase.
Then, he glanced at the virtual frame that belonged to Luo Qing and Yu Yan. His magic resistance and lifespan had increased. The range was not very big. However, Shen Ping glanced at Luo Qing in surprise. Her favorability rose again, and she was almost at her limit.
This was not easy.
This was because he knew that Luo Qing did not have any requests. She had long been indifferent to life and death. The only thing she had left was to be buried in Ze Country after she died. That was her hometown.
He shook his head to suppress his thoughts. He went to the quiet room and emptied his mind. He looked at the virtual frame.
“Breakthrough!” As he muttered in his heart, the golden virtual frame swayed.
Shen Ping’s originally calm expression suddenly changed. His pupils constricted as he saw the quiet room fade at a visible speed. When the blurry scenery became clear again, the surroundings were no longer the quiet room.
Boom!
A golden light enveloped him. He walked uncontrollably to the jade table in front of him that had a talisman on it.
Every time he crafted a talisman, a large number of memories and comprehensions would continuously surge into his sea of consciousness. He didn’t even need to digest them before they fused into the depths of his muscles and blood. It was as if they had become his instinct. There were even some comprehension of Talisman Dao that surprised him.
He made talismans, again and again. When he came back to his senses, The quiet room was still the same. However, Shen Ping’s eyes revealed the vicissitudes of time. These vicissitudes quickly disappeared without a trace. “Gold!” He subconsciously looked at the virtual frame. The golden light there moved him.
This breakthrough was completely unexpected.
Initially, he thought that he would be able to digest the knowledge and memories from his previous breakthrough, but now, it seemed to be a little different. Comprehension and memories were secondary. The key was that his control over talisman crafting had increased greatly under the control of the golden light. Moreover, his understanding of the Dao of Talismans had benefited him greatly.
He got up and went straight to the talisman making room and took out the remaining materials of the Golden Light Talisman from his storage bag. Then, he buried his head in making talismans.
At dawn the next day, there were already five Golden Light Talismans on the table. His efficiency and speed could be said to have undergone a qualitative change.
“The golden color is extraordinary!” Shen Ping could not help but be excited. In the past, he had relied on his flesh and blood memories to increase the success rate of making talismans. However, if he encountered a talisman master or a talisman grandmaster, the other party might only praise his control over talisman making.
It was different now, though. In terms of the Golden Light Talisman just now, he already had some true mastery in the Dao of Talismans.
“Husband, it’s time to eat.” His wife’s voice came.
Shen Ping smiled and waved his hand to put away the talisman he had made. He walked out of the talisman making room.
Yu Yan was also there today. However, the table seemed a little small. There was only spirit rice porridge. His wife lowered her head in embarrassment. She did not dare to spend spirit stones at all when she lived in Linquan Alley. Before her husband came, she and Bai Yuying rarely ate spirit rice.
“Yun’er, Ying’er, let’s go shopping later. I’ll also buy some high-grade spirit rice, spirit beast meat, spirit wine, and delicacies. Since I’m here, I can’t let you suffer in your lives.”
Bai Yuying clapped her hands. “Thank you, Husband. We can eat good food again.”
Yu Yan smiled and said, “Husband, nourish yourself more. Otherwise, I’m afraid you won’t be able to take it.”
Wang Yun blushed. Luo Qing’s hand trembled slightly. She really wanted to say that he should have less nourishment.
After leaving the house, Shen Ping first sent a message to Mu Jin, asking her where she had rented last night. Then he took his wife and concubine to various shops to buy what they needed.
The order in Qingyang City was completely different from the Cloud Mountain Parlour. There were no Golden Sun Sect’s law enforcement patrol disciples patrolling here daily, but no robbers dared to fight in the city. Any strong spiritual energy fluctuation would trigger the array formation’s warning.
Since the establishment of this cultivation city, there had been very few cultivators fighting. However, there were no restrictions outside the city. After buying all kinds of daily necessities, there were no more spirit stones in the storage bag.
Hence, Shen Ping went to the True Treasure Pavilion and sold the Armor Spirit Talismans, Golden Light Talismans, Lightning Talismans, and so on in exchange for some contribution points and spirit stones.
“I have to buy spirit liquid and medicinal pills. I also have to buy Beauty Pills as soon as possible. Unfortunately, I can’t buy the Snow Ganoderma Pill.” He looked at the dazzling array of resources in the contribution room. Shen Ping wished he could buy them all, but there were many items that he did not have the qualifications to buy. “I can only wait for the auction.”
He walked out of the contribution room. He found Shopkeeper Qu and asked him. The auction of the True Treasure Pavilion in Qingyang City was held every three months and a large-scale auction was held every five years. However, resources like the Snow Ganoderma Pill and the Spirit Jade Ginseng Ointment, which were relatively precious in Cloud Mountain Parlour, could be seen at the fixed auction at the headquarters, but there were only a few of them every time.
“If Talisman Master Shen has a high demand for the Snow Ganoderma Pill and the Spirit Jade Ginseng Ointment, there’s a place where you can buy it.”
When Shen Ping heard this, he hurriedly cupped his hands and said, “Senior Qu, please tell me.” As he spoke, he took out the Lightning Talisman from his sleeve and handed it over.
The smile on Shopkeeper Qu’s face increased. “There’s a medicinal hut in the North Spring Alley of Qingyang City. There’s an alchemist inside who’s best at refining special medicines like the Snow Ganoderma Pill. It’s just that his hobbies are a little strange. If Talisman Master Shen is free, you can visit him.”
He left the True Treasure Pavilion. Shen Ping shook his head secretly. It was better not to interact with such alchemists with strange hobbies. He would wait for the auction to see the situation first.
The supplementary cultivation effect of the Snow Ganoderma Pill and Spirit Jade Ginseng ointment was indeed very good for dual cultivation. If they could use it often, Yu Yan, Bai Yuying, and the others’ cultivation levels would increase much faster than usual.
Around three in the afternoon, he went to the deacon’s hall and asked about the rental price of the various alleys in Qingyang City. He could not help but be speechless.
Qingyang City was located on a Level Three spiritual vein, so the price of the house was definitely higher than Cloud Mountain Parlour. Shen Ping was mentally prepared. However, the alley at the edge was comparable to Yunhe Alley. It was really a little expensive. Under normal circumstances, it could only be afforded by those above the eighth level of Qi Refinement.
“All the houses in the alleys in the city can be rented together. Fellow Daoist, five cultivators can live on two floors of a house. This is a Level 3 spiritual vein!” The deacon smiled and said, “There are still four houses at the edge of Lushui Alley that haven’t been rented out. The others are all cultivators.”
Shen Ping hesitated for a moment. “Is there a single courtyard?”
The deacon’s smile became enthusiastic. “There is, every single small courtyard has a spiritual pool and quiet room. It’s connected to the Level Three spiritual vein at the bottom of the lake. The speed of cultivation inside will double. It’s just that this price is 200 spirit stones per year for the lowest rental fee.”
Shen Ping quickly calculated in his heart. Now that he had broken through to become a Level Two mid-grade Talisman Master, his efficiency in making Level Two talismans had increased. If he sells the Lightning Talisman, he would only need a month to earn it. He hesitated and finally gritted his teeth. “I’ll rent it!”
A moment later, he walked out of the Deacon Hall. He had the rental procedure contract and the wooden sign of the small courtyard in his hand.
The Spirit Pool that was connected to a Level Three spiritual vein was not inferior to the small spiritual vein cave abode that the Golden Sun Sect had established for Foundation Establishment. It was twice the result with half the effort here. Moreover, there was no need to change houses after the Foundation Establishment.
Although Shen Ping was at the eighth level of Qi Refinement, his level in the Dao of Talismans and his puppet had already broken through to the second level. His ability to earn spirit stones was even stronger than that of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
“Life can’t be aggrieved.” He consoled himself with those words.
Bai Yuying hurried forward, her beautiful eyes filled with anticipation.
“We’ll move when we get back. In Cloud Mountain Parlour, I can let you live in a small courtyard. In Qingyang City, I have to let you live in a small courtyard.” Shen Ping said calmly.
Bai Yuying hugged Shen Ping’s arm excitedly, her eyes filled with the urge to eat. “Husband, you’re so good!”
In the mission hall not far away, many rogue cultivators who lived in Qingyang City gathered here.
Mu Jin was wearing a willow-leaf waist robe with embroidered patterns today, which accentuated her round curves. Her sweet and beautiful face was quite outstanding in the hall, but no one paid attention to a female cultivator at the mid-stage of Qi Refinement.
Most of the rogue cultivators stared unblinkingly at the rows of jade slips that had been refreshed.
“A demonic cultivator has appeared in the Orange Continent. We need the help of five cultivators at the eighth level of Qi Refinement.”
“The Green Jade Spiritual Field needs three mid-stage Qi Refinement cultivators to take care of it. It has to be watered by spiritual rain at least ten times a month.”
“The spiritual vein of Little Cloud Mountain has been attacked by cultivators. We urgently need the support of late-stage Qi Refinement cultivators!”
“Pengyun Shop needs three female receptionists…”
The missions here were issued by the Golden Sun Sect’s disciples, as well as by the Talisman Masters, Alchemy Masters, Array Masters, and other people in the city who needed some special materials. There were also cultivation families and some rogue cultivators who formed teams to hunt demon beasts or kill demonic cultivators.
It was refreshed every day.
As long as one’s strength was above the eighth level of Qi Refinement, it was not difficult to earn spirit stones diligently. The cultivation speed and chances of building a foundation in Qingyang City far exceeded that of other markets.
Therefore, the competition here was especially intense. Those who could leisurely admire the lake and beautiful scenery on the bridge were mostly cultivators with backgrounds and connections.
Mu Jin pursed her lips and kept looking for missions that suited her. In the end, she chose the female receptionist. She left the hall.
A sweet smile appeared on her face as she returned to her house in Lushui Alley. She looked at the narrow cubicle sitting cross-legged on the pink cushion and took out the communication talisman.
At Cloud Mountain Parlour, Mu Jin lived in a separate and spacious house. When she arrived in Qingyang City, she had no income for the time being and could only rent such a house with other female cultivators. However, even the cubicles were on a level-three spiritual vein and were full of spiritual energy.
In response, she was satisfied.
“Fellow Daoist Mu, which alley did you rent last night?”
Hearing Shen Ping’s message, Mu Jin hesitated for a moment and replied, “Talisman Master Shen, I’m staying in Lushui Alley for the time being. I wonder if you have time tomorrow. I want to go to Linquan Alley to thank you.”
Soon, the communication talisman flashed. Shen Ping’s voice sounded. “I won’t be able to stay in Linquan Alley for long. I’m preparing to change places tomorrow.”
Mu Jin hurriedly said, “There are still empty houses on Lushui Alley. They’re not bad.”
“You don’t have to. I’ve already rented it. It’s in the 13th single-family courtyard in Huiquan Alley. If you have time in the future, Fellow Daoist Mu can come here directly..”