Chapter 118: Mid-grade Second-rank Talisman Master
As the auction was about to begin, many cultivators flocked to Tianxuan City.
Although it was not as lively as last time, overall it still held great appeal for Foundation Establishment cultivators and late-stage Qi Refinement cultivators.
"You haven't seen the scene three years ago. That spectacle far surpassed now."
"Even livelier than now?"
"What do you think! The last auction featured a Golden Core spiritual item. Golden Core cultivators from the Three Major Sects and several False Core cultivators from neighboring kingdoms all attended."
"This trade convention is held in three rounds, each spaced three months apart. These nine months are the most bustling time in Tianxuan City..."
The streets of the marketplace bustled with activity. First-time Drifting Cultivators looked on in amazement at the prosperity of the Sanctuary for Rogue Cultivators.
There were also those from other nations who had missed the previous auction but finally made it this time.
Gathering Immortals Tower was packed to the brim. Shen Lie wore a broad smile as he continuously assigned staff to greet arriving cultivators.
Only the top floor had few cultivators, making it relatively quiet.
And none of the cultivators downstairs expressed any discontent, nor did anyone ask to go upstairs.
Because everyone knew that the top floor of Gathering Immortals Tower was reserved for Foundation Establishment cultivators.
"Fellow Daoist Lin, today I’ve brought these two boys over to broaden their horizons."
Chen Qing, bringing along his two grandsons Chen Wen and Chen Feng, climbed to the top floor and greeted everyone with a polite cupped-fist salute, finally turning to Lin Chang’an.
"Fellow Daoist Chen, you’re too kind."
Lin Chang’an nodded with a smile, while Chen Qing gave a meaningful look to his two juniors.
Having already been reminded in advance, Chen Wen and Chen Feng respectfully saluted the others and addressed them as seniors.
There were only seven Foundation Establishment cultivators on the top floor, each giving a slight nod.
The two juniors then respectfully began pouring tea for the seniors.
"The auction is about to start. Our old Hu here has saved up quite a few Spirit Stones. Let’s see if we can get something we like this time."
A burly man laughed heartily, and everyone responded with smiles and nods.
Aside from regular trade, people also gathered at the Gathering Immortals Tower to exchange information.
After all, Foundation Establishment cultivators could go into secluded cultivation for several months or even years at a time.
"Gentlemen, we’ve chatted for long enough. Let’s see what good stuff you all have. I, Old Hu, have a claw from a late-stage first-rank Demon Beast. If anyone wants to forge a High-grade Magical Artifact for a junior, take a look."
Old Hu, with his rough demeanor, always carried good merchandise as a seasoned Foundation Establishment cultivator who hunted Demon Beasts for a living.
"Only Old Hu would be this impatient. Can’t even wait till we finish our tea."
Someone joked, but Old Hu nonchalantly took out his goods from his Storage Pouch.
He intended to exchange some materials or Spirit Stones before the auction.
"Wow, looks like Old Hu has gotten quite the haul recently."
Everyone gasped as the materials Old Hu brought out clearly didn’t come from just one or two beasts.
Facing their exclamations, Old Hu waved with a broad grin and said:
"I already sold the beast hides. This is all the material I have left."
However, upon seeing these materials, Lin Chang’an frowned slightly. It seemed Old Hu hadn’t hunted second-rank Demon Beasts in quite some time.
Of course, hunting second-rank Demon Beasts posed great risks even for Foundation Establishment cultivators, but Lin remembered Old Hu forming a Demon-Hunting Squad with several others, and they had previously reaped good harvests.
"Fellow Daoist Hu, I wonder if you have any second-rank Demon Cores?"
Lin Chang’an could not help but ask. After all, whether for refining second-rank pills or cultivating the Essence Condensation Method, Demon Cores were needed.
However, upon hearing this, Old Hu waved dismissively and said with displeasure:
"Fellow Daoist Lin, don’t even mention it. Though the Cloudmist Mountain Range bordering Tianxuan City is vast, it can’t withstand this many cultivators hunting there.
Now the outer regions are nearly wiped clean. To hunt second-rank Demon Beasts, we must venture deep into the Cloudmist Mountain Range. But aside from the beasts, the poisonous miasma inside is even more dangerous."
Upon hearing Old Hu's explanation, everyone suddenly understood and smiled.
Indeed, before, there were only so many marketplaces and cultivators within a thousand miles, so it wasn’t obvious.
But now, Tianxuan City had gathered nearly half the Drifting Cultivators from the Yue Kingdom and its neighboring nations.
No matter how rampant the Demon Beasts were, they couldn’t withstand the greed of so many cultivators.
"Alright then, I mainly want to exchange for Spirit Stones this time. Of course, if anyone has antidote-type pills, I’m open to trades too."
Old Hu laughed and waved it off. This scene stirred Chen Wen, who stood behind Chen Qing after serving tea.
Beside him, Chen Feng gazed at the Foundation Establishment cultivators with envy—this was the true mark of power.
Chen Qing saw the thoughts of his grandsons and chuckled softly:
"I don’t have any antidote pills, but I can trade some Spirit Stones for your materials."
"Good."
Compared to the modest means of an average Foundation Establishment cultivator like Chen Qing, Lin Chang’an, with a faint smile, took out two talismans.
"Fellow Daoist Hu, do you have second-rank materials?"
Lin Chang’an’s identity as a Second-rank Talisman Master carried significant weight; otherwise, the others wouldn’t have given him the courtesy of using the Gathering Immortals Tower as a trading hub.
After he spoke, everyone showed respectful smiles, while Old Hu scratched his head and reluctantly retrieved two jade bottles from his Storage Pouch.
"Fellow Daoist Lin, it’s not that I’m unwilling. The inner parts of the Cloudmist Mountain Range are full of poisonous insects due to the miasma, and they’re extremely difficult to deal with."
Demon Beasts came in many varieties, but cultivators dreaded flying beasts and poisonous insects the most.
Not only were they fiercely aggressive, but their venom alone made cultivators avoid them like the plague.
"I still have two bottles of fire-attribute Demon Beast blood from earlier. Fellow Daoist Lin, take a look and see if it’s enough."
Old Hu laughed heartily. Lin Chang’an needed fire-attribute Demon Beast blood to enhance the power of his Firebird Talisman and Exploding Talisman.
"Alright, but Fellow Daoist, these two Spirit Talismans of mine—what you’ve offered seems a bit lacking."
"Fellow Daoist Lin, come now, surely you jest. Though Spirit Talismans have risen in price lately, it’s not to the point of..."
As Old Hu picked up the two talismans from the table, his face still wore a hearty smile. But the next moment, his expression froze, and his face dramatically changed.
"My goodness! Fellow Daoist Lin, you’re absolutely right. I must’ve been talking nonsense. I’ll add two more bottles of Demon Beast blood."
This Foundation Establishment mid-stage cultivator, Old Hu, had a change in attitude that left everyone speechless.
Such a dramatic shift in expression.
But the next moment, everyone else also reacted. Seeing how Old Hu treated the talismans as precious treasures, their expressions changed as well.
"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Lin."
“Fellow Daoist Lin, you’ve truly kept us in the dark.”
“Congratulations to Fellow Daoist Lin on your breakthrough in talisman mastery.”
Everyone’s attitude was no different from Old Hu’s. This scene made the two juniors, Chen Wen and Chen Feng, widen their eyes.
What kind of Spirit Talismans were those? Just two of them were enough to trade for four bottles of second-rank Demon Beast blood.
Facing everyone’s flattery, Lin Chang’an smiled and waved his hand.
“Just a stroke of luck. After decades of studying talismans, I finally made a bit of progress.”
“Fellow Daoist Lin, you’re too modest. A Mid-grade Second-rank Talisman Master is still only a bit of progress?”
“Exactly. In all of Tianxuan City, Mid-grade Second-rank Talisman Masters can be counted on one hand.”
Everyone looked at Lin Chang’an with envy. Though all were Foundation Establishment Drifting Cultivators, their paths were entirely different.
To have reached Foundation Establishment as a Drifting Cultivator was already the result of exhausting most of their life’s fortune.
To achieve further breakthroughs in the Hundred Arts of Cultivation was even rarer.
Even Old Hu, who had the highest cultivation at mid-stage Foundation Establishment, smiled warmly and engaged Lin Chang’an in conversation.
A Mid-grade Second-rank Talisman Master would be a valued guest not only in the Three Major Sects but also in Tianxuan City.
“Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Lin.”
Chen Qing also beamed with joy, cupping his hands in excitement. He hadn’t expected his neighbor, Lin Chang’an, to become a Mid-grade Second-rank Talisman Master. Just saying it out loud brought him prestige.
Moreover, forming a good relationship with such a Talisman Master would allow them to procure talismans ahead of time in the future.
“My aptitude in Spiritual Roots is limited, but fortunately Heaven took pity on me, granting me decent talent in the Talisman Path.”
Lin Chang’an spoke with a trace of melancholy, and everyone nodded with shared sentiment.
Only they could understand the hardships of walking the path as a Drifting Cultivator.
After a round of mutual exchange of materials, as the sun dipped in the west, everyone cupped their hands in farewell and headed toward the auction.
The once-noisy streets outside had quieted significantly.
Through the windows, one could clearly see late-stage Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment cultivators heading toward the auction venue.
Meanwhile, seated alone at the Gathering Immortals Tower, Lin Chang’an furrowed his brows in deep thought, analyzing the information he had gathered.
“Tianxuan City’s territory is limited. Though the Cloudmist Mountain Range has many Demon Beasts, most are deeper inside, where poisonous miasma runs rampant.”
“Rumor has it that in the depths of the Cloudmist Mountain Range, divine sense becomes unreliable. Even unfamiliar Foundation Establishment cultivators can lose their way, not to mention the extremely toxic miasma. Even Foundation Establishment cultivators can’t stay long…”
Seated at the table, Lin Chang’an tapped lightly on the surface, brows tightly furrowed.
“No wonder prices have been rising lately. There’s likely a major reason behind this.”
Every part of a Demon Beast was valuable. Their hides could be crafted into Magical Artifacts, talisman paper needed them, and the blood had many uses—from Medicinal Baths to Drawing Talismans and alchemy.
Claws and fangs, being sharp, were excellent for Artifact Crafting.
Even the meat of Demon Beasts was a top-grade nourishing delicacy.
“Given the current situation, the future market for antidote pills may grow even more.”
With this realization, Lin Chang’an smiled.
As expected, it was never a mistake to gather intelligence regularly from fellow Foundation Establishment cultivators.
If possible at this auction, he would try to bid for a second-rank antidote pill formula.
It would sell well in the future.
“Time to head to the auction.”
Seeing the twilight outside, Lin Chang’an’s expression relaxed.
...
On the streets of Tianxuan City.
Chen Qing wore a serious expression as he repeatedly warned his two juniors.
“Listen carefully, both of you. Observe and learn after entering—just don’t speak unnecessarily.”
“Yes.”
Looking at Chen Wen and Chen Feng, both already at late-stage Qi Refinement, Chen Qing finally allowed a rare smile of comfort. Perhaps the Chen Clan really might rise under his leadership.
“But Grandfather, that Senior Lin actually became a Mid-grade Second-rank Talisman Master.”
Already discontent over the previous matter with the Spirit Field, Chen Wen now felt even more jealous seeing Lin Chang’an being treated like the center of attention.
“Watch your words!”
Seeing Chen Wen’s unwilling nature, Chen Qing felt both proud and troubled.
Cultivators needed such an unyielding will if they were to achieve Foundation Establishment, but this kind of temperament could also be dangerous. Fortunately, the boy knew when to back down and wasn’t completely stubborn.
“You don’t understand. With the status of a Mid-grade Second-rank Talisman Master, even in the Three Major Sects, one’s standing wouldn’t be low.”
But Chen Wen remained unconvinced, focusing his mind and replying:
“Grandfather, didn’t you say that cultivation realm is what truly matters, and the Hundred Arts of Cultivation are merely side paths?”
“That’s because you’ve been fortunate—having me to rely on and a hundred mu of Spirit Field in the clan. Otherwise, where would your cultivation resources come from?”
Chen Qing glared at his overly ambitious grandson.
Everyone knew that improving cultivation was the goal. But did they have a choice?
Cultivation wasn’t free. Everything required resources—and where did those resources come from?
For Drifting Cultivators like them, they had no choice but to rely on their own hands.
Lin Chang’an’s achievements today were all thanks to his talent in the Talisman Path, which gave him the resources to reach Foundation Establishment.
“I understand, Grandfather.”
Seeing that Chen Qing was upset, Chen Wen quickly bowed his head in apology. Beside him, Chen Feng added:
“Grandfather, big brother is just trying to cultivate hard and make the clan stronger.”
Finally, Chen Qing shook his head and gave them another round of instructions before heading to the auction venue.
But in Chen Wen’s heart, a fire burned. In his eyes, even if Senior Lin had Low-grade Spiritual Root and great talent in Drawing Talismans—so what?
In the end, it still came down to Spiritual Root aptitude. He believed that one day he would achieve Foundation Establishment and gradually surpass the other.
Though now he stood like an ant, serving tea like a servant, one day he would sit at the table and be honored by all.
...
“This trade convention held every three years will last nine months. Quite lively indeed.”
Thanks to Tianxuan City’s popularity, business at the Gathering Immortals Tower was booming. Shen Lie had been smiling every day.
“Fellow Daoist Shen, with your eighth-level Qi Refinement cultivation, why don’t you join in the fun?”
Seeing that Shen Lie had no intention of going after tidying up, Lin Chang’an couldn’t help but look puzzled.
But Shen Lie waved his hand with a carefree smile.
“No need. The cultivators going to the auction now either want to advance their cultivation or plan for their descendants. Fan’er is still young and doesn’t need these yet.
I’d rather save some Spirit Stones over these years, so that he doesn’t follow his father’s old path. At least give it one shot—success or failure, leave it to fate.”
Shen Lie’s attitude made Lin Chang’an smile and nod.
“Indeed, sometimes letting the young see too much too soon isn’t always a good thing. Overreaching ambition is one of our greatest taboos.”
“Exactly. That’s why I always tell that brat that this Gathering Immortals Tower business all belongs to Brother Lin. If he doesn’t cultivate properly, he’ll drag Yingying down with him.”
One had to admit, every person raised their children differently.
Li Erniu’s approach was a free-range style.
Zhou Yifan, aside from providing some cultivation resources, barely interfered—after all, the Zhou Family handled their education.
Even now, with several children, Li Erniu simply gave them what resources he could afford and smiled each day.
“Everyone has their own fate.”
With age, Lin Chang’an understood this phrase more and more deeply.
Back then, Shen Lie also had good resources and a chance to achieve Foundation Establishment, but he married early, had children, and gradually shifted his focus to raising his descendants.
Wei Buyi was the one among them who had the best initial resources. Unfortunately, he was too ambitious in his youth and squandered time, wasting a lot of resources.
By the time he realized it, it was too late, and he ended up at the bottom among them.
Li Erniu was content with his lot. From gaining the ability to cultivate to marrying into the Zhou Family, he remained dazed, thinking it a blessing to marry a female cultivator and raise children.
After having children, he too had the drive to improve and was once second only to Lin Chang’an in potential among their group.
But likewise, having many children split his resources. As he aged and his sons grew up, his old ambition gradually faded.
Everyone made different choices, and their fates diverged accordingly.