Next, the others also underwent inspections in turn.
The Soul-detecting bead Magical Artifact glowed about as brightly as the old man in blue robes, indicating that these individuals had all used a secret Spell.
Soon, everyone had been tested, leaving only Chen Lin.
Lu Li's expression had become extremely grim.
Her eyes blazed with ferocity, as if she could erupt and kill at any moment.
The atmosphere became extremely tense.
Chen Lin observed out of the corner of his eye that several Talisman Masters had already reached into their robes, presumably clutching Magical Artifacts.
A few others had formed hand seals, ready to cast Spells at any moment.
In short, none of them wanted to sit by and wait for death.
With Lu Li's keen perception, it was impossible for her not to notice this situation, but she remained completely unconcerned, clearly not taking the strength of these people seriously.
Seeing that she was about to manipulate the bead to test him, Chen Lin hurriedly pulled out the successfully refined Soul Capturing Talisman from his embrace.
"I have not failed in my mission; I was fortunate enough to succeed once. I wonder if it meets Fellow Daoist Lu's requirements."
With that, he handed over the Talisman.
He dared not let her inspect him; once she discovered that he had not used a secret Spell, it would be difficult to explain.
"Ah!"
Lu Li had long since given up hope, only thinking about whether she would need to collect another batch of Materials after all the inspections were complete, so these people could refine again.
However, she also knew that since it hadn't succeeded this time, even refining it several more times would probably be useless.
The Talisman Masters she had found were all Loose Cultivators with relatively low Cultivation; their craftsmanship certainly wouldn't be very exquisite. But she couldn't force Talisman Masters from prominent Families, and to entice such Talisman Masters with benefits, she didn't have enough leverage.
But unexpectedly, just as hope was about to be shattered, this last Talisman Master, who was only at Qi Condensation Level Two, actually produced a finished product!
Lu Li snatched it, holding it up to examine.
Then came a hearty laugh.
"Haha, excellent, excellent! Indeed, one cannot judge a book by its cover. I never imagined Fellow Daoist's Talisman crafting skill to be so exquisite, giving me, Lu, a great surprise. May I ask Fellow Daoist's esteemed name?"
Lu Li put away the Talisman with satisfaction, her tone becoming much gentler.
The tense atmosphere in the main hall immediately eased.
The others were stunned for a moment, then offered their congratulations.
Since the Talisman was successfully refined, they no longer had to worry about Lu Li killing them out of anger, so they were genuinely happy.
Chen Lin cupped his fists, without the slightest hint of complacency, and said, "My name is Wang Tieniu. I am merely a low-level Talisman Master who has just begun. To be able to refine this Talisman was purely luck."
"Heh heh, there's no need to be modest. Luck is also a part of strength."
Lu Li was beaming, completely different from before.
After speaking, she beckoned to her cousin, who had remained silent. Her cousin then brought over a cloth bag and placed it heavily on the table in front of them, making a thudding sound.
"These are fifty Mid-Grade Spirit Stones. I, Lu, am a woman of my word. Since Fellow Daoist Wang has refined the Talisman, the reward will not be a single cent less!"
Fifty Mid-Grade Spirit Stones!
Chen Lin's breathing grew heavy.
He hadn't expected that she would actually keep her promise and give the reward.
Not only him, but the eyes of the others also gleamed, staring unblinkingly at the bag of Spirit Stones.
This startled Chen Lin.
If he were to go out with these Spirit Stones, he would probably be robbed and killed before he got far.
With his Qi Condensation Level Two Cultivation, he couldn't defeat anyone here.
But abandoning this sum of Spirit Stones was also impossible.
Thinking of this, he unceremoniously took the heavy bag of Spirit Stones in his hand, then said to Lu Li, "Fellow Daoist Lu, may I take my leave first?"
Lu Li looked at him with a half-smile and nodded, "Alright, Fellow Daoist Wang, take care."
Receiving approval, Chen Lin felt a slight easing in his heart. He carried the bag of Spirit Stones and walked out of the Inn door without looking back.
He hurried through the night.
He wasn't sure how long Lu Li would keep those Talisman Masters, so he used all his strength, kicking up snow as he went.
He soon arrived at the place where he had changed clothes and disguised himself earlier. He looked around, and seeing no one, he burrowed into a snowdrift.
Soon, a young woman in a white dress emerged.
Her face was a little pale, and there were snowflakes in her hair.
She cautiously looked around, then adjusted the bundle on her shoulder and quickly walked along the small path that had been trodden out.
After several twists and turns, she stopped outside a dilapidated courtyard gate.
She looked back again, making sure she wasn't being followed, then pushed open the door, slipped inside, and closed the door behind her.
Not far away, high in the sky, Lu Li and her cousin's figures appeared out of thin air, floating silently.
Lu Li's sword-like eyebrows raised slightly. She looked at the courtyard gate with interest. "I didn't expect it to be a woman. Her disguise Spell is quite good, and she's cautious enough."
"Cousin, should we bring her back?"
Lan Yu Qing saw that her cousin wasn't moving and asked, puzzled.
"Why capture her? A mere fifty Mid-Grade Spirit Stones aren't enough to make me break my word. I just wanted to confirm this person's residence and identity. Who knows, I might need her in the future."
Lu Li replied with a cold, sidelong smile.
Lan Yu Qing nodded and said nothing more.
Her cousin's temperament was indeed arrogant, but he always kept his word, which was one of the reasons she liked him.
"Alright, let's go back. We'll leave the city early tomorrow morning. Get some rest quickly."
Lu Li glanced at the courtyard, then drove her Magical Artifact and left side by side with Lan Yu Qing.
Soon after the two had left, the snowdrift beneath the wall at the back of the courtyard suddenly trembled, and then a figure emerged from within.
It was none other than Chen Lin.
He hadn't noticed Lu Li and her cousin's prying. He merely looked around cautiously, then quickly departed, channeling his spiritual power.
This time, there were no detours. He returned directly to his residence, quietly opened the door, and slipped inside.
After locking the door and calming himself for a moment, Chen Lin took off his outer clothes and pulled out the bag of Spirit Stones from his waist.
He gently caressed it, then untied the opening and poured all the Spirit Stones out.
With a clatter.
A sparkling pile covered the tabletop.
Chen Lin felt a dizzying sensation, and his breathing grew heavy. He picked up one after another, touching every single Spirit Stone.
He was rich!
This time, he was truly rich!
One Mid-Grade Spirit Stone was a hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones, so fifty of them meant five thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones!
A huge sum!
After being excited for a good half an hour, Chen Lin finally calmed down, put away the Spirit Stones, and pondered how to spend them.
At the same time, he recalled whether he had been followed.
Although he felt that given Lu Li's status, she probably wouldn't secretly follow him for these Spirit Stones, otherwise there would have been no need to let him go and allow him to leave first.
However, his usual caution still made him change identities twice, and he even used a hideout he had prepared beforehand.
That dilapidated courtyard was a place he had quietly rented a month ago using a female identity. He had never used it before, precisely to have a hiding place in case of danger. This time, to leave no loose ends, he had used it up.
But Chen Lin felt it was worth it.
He was too weak now; for safety, no amount of caution was too much.
That night, after observing the sky full of red threads once more, Chen Lin couldn't sleep no matter what, so he simply got up to sit in meditation and Cultivate.
With his pockets full, he luxuriously used a Mid-Grade Spirit Stone. The effect was indeed much faster than normal Cultivation, but the energy was slightly impure and not explosive enough to allow him to Breakthrough.
Early the next morning, Chen Lin washed up and went to Duobao Pavilion.
After purchasing ten sets of Alchemy Materials and a simple Pill Furnace, he hurried back.
Upon returning home, he hung a "Do Not Disturb" sign outside the door and began to attempt Alchemy.
Thanks to Fish Under the Sky, Fifty-Four Seals, and others for their generous tips, and thanks for the recommendation votes! Thank you!