Starting as a Talisman Master

Chapter 268 The Great Li Kingdom, the Dust-Subduing Pill (5.4k)

The blue-robed cultivator leading the way had been secretly observing. Seeing Lu Chi stop, he asked respectfully, with a hint of probing, "Senior, you possess a composed demeanor. If I may be so bold as to ask, are you a Foundation Establishment stage senior?"

Lu Chi nodded slightly: "Not bad."

The cultivator's expression grew even more respectful. He reached into his storage bag, took out a jade tablet that was slightly red and carved with a few cloud patterns, and presented it to the cultivator with both hands.

Lu Chi lowered his gaze slightly, examined the jade pendant for a moment, and did not immediately accept it. He simply asked in a calm voice, "What is this?"

"Senior, please do not doubt. This is a rule established by the elders of the Luoxia Sect in the early years. All Foundation Establishment stage seniors who visit this market for the first time will receive such a token."

"With this jade token, you can get a discount on spirit stones when purchasing spiritual materials or renting a quiet room for seclusion in the market. The sect does this to protect independent cultivators and to build good relationships with fellow cultivators from all directions."

The monk in the blue robe explained repeatedly.

Lu Chi then reached out and took the jade tablet into his palm, tracing the array patterns on it with his fingertips, and casually asked, "From what you're saying, this market town is also part of the Luoxia Sect's property?"

The cultivator in the green robe replied with a slightly solemn expression, "That's right. My Luoxia Sect is one of the seven major sects of the Great Li Kingdom, and we have two Golden Core stage cultivators in charge of the sect. This Cangyuan City and the surrounding thousand miles are all under the jurisdiction of our sect."

"It is because the elders of the sect have set rules that this market can maintain such a stable atmosphere."

Lu Chi didn't show it on his face, but his mind was racing.

With two Golden Core cultivators in charge, it seems that the foundation of the Falling Clouds Sect is roughly on the same level as that of the Flame Demon Valley.

The other six major sects of the Great Li Kingdom are probably in similar situations. Based on this, Nascent Soul cultivators are also extremely rare here.

From this perspective, Jingzhao Kingdom seems to be much stronger than Dali Kingdom. However, Qingming Continent is vast and boundless, and Dali Kingdom may just be one of many insignificant small countries.

Lu Chi wanted to ask about the location of the Great Li Kingdom in Qingming Continent, but he swallowed the words back down.

If one is unaware of even such basic territorial knowledge, it is easy to arouse suspicion and expose the identity of a foreign cultivator.

He decided to keep quiet and find some local history books in the market later to look them up himself.

Clearing his mind of distractions, Lu Chi said, "Since that's the case, then you can lead the way and explain the general situation of this market."

My main purpose in coming here is to find a quiet room filled with spiritual energy so I can retreat into seclusion for a period of time.

The cultivator in the blue robe paused slightly, then spoke with a hint of hesitation: "Senior, please forgive my impertinence, but are you—a rogue cultivator who has never affiliated with a sect?"

Seeing Lu Chi looking at him, he quickly lowered his head and explained, "Senior, please don't misunderstand. It's just that if the elders of the other six major sects come here, they will usually show their tokens and go to their respective sects' residences here to rest."

"Furthermore, cultivators from sects rarely rent quiet rooms here for secluded cultivation. In addition, since you do not have any sect insignia on you, I have made this guess."

Lu Chi nodded slightly and frankly admitted, "That's right, I am indeed a rogue cultivator."

Upon hearing this, the cultivator in the green robe showed even greater respect than before, and said gently, "It is not easy for fellow cultivators to cultivate. Senior, you have reached the Foundation Establishment stage and have such profound magical power. You must have gone through many hardships. I have nothing but admiration for you."

Having gone through many hardships? Yes, that's certainly true.

Lu Chi smiled slightly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

The cultivator in green robes continued to lead the way, introducing the place in a gentle tone: "Since you have chosen to cultivate in the market of my Luoxia Sect, you can rest assured. Our sect leader established a rule in the early years that rogue cultivators are also fellow practitioners."

"Therefore, a large area of ​​spiritual veins has been specially demarcated deep within the market, and cave dwellings have been opened up for rent by wandering cultivators from all directions. Moreover, the rent is extremely fair, only charging the spirit stones needed to maintain the operation of the formation, and there is absolutely no exploitation."

"Furthermore, if you lack any spiritual herbs or scriptures during your seclusion, you can instruct the disciples on duty outside the gate to run errands and purchase them for you. The market is protected by a large array, strictly prohibiting private fights, and is patrolled day and night by the sect's law enforcement team, making it extremely peaceful and safe."

"If any scoundrel dares to disturb someone's seclusion here, the sect will surely execute them without mercy. That is why Cangyuan City Market has always been the safest place for independent cultivators in the surrounding area to stay."

Lu Chi listened quietly, and couldn't help but feel a bit more favorable impression of the way the Luoxia Sect acted.

In this dog-eat-dog world of cultivation, it is truly remarkable that a sect does not bully others by abusing its power, but instead shows great care for independent cultivators and acts fairly. This demonstrates the magnanimity of a reputable and righteous sect.

If I were to retreat here to break through my limitations, I could save myself a lot of unnecessary trouble.

The monk in green robes led Lu Chi through the bustling streets to a quiet temple deep within the market.

A wooden plaque hangs above the hall, inscribed with the three characters "Zulingge".

Upon entering the hall, one sees an elderly man with gray hair sitting behind a wooden table, flipping through a jade scroll.

The cultivator in the green robe stepped forward quickly and bowed respectfully: "Disciple greets Senior Uncle Zhou. This Senior Lu is a fellow rogue cultivator who wishes to rent a quiet room in the market for seclusion."

The old man, referred to as Uncle Zhou, put down the jade slip and looked up to examine Lu Chi.

The old man faintly emanated the magical power fluctuations of the mid-Foundation Establishment stage. He probed with his divine sense and found that Lu Chi's aura was stable, remaining at the early Foundation Establishment stage.

Upon hearing that Lu Chi was a rogue cultivator who had managed to reach the Foundation Establishment stage on his own, Senior Uncle Zhou showed no arrogance befitting a cultivator from a major sect. Instead, he rose, cupped his hands, and greeted him with courtesy: "So it is Fellow Daoist Lu, a pleasure to meet you. Since you have come to my Luoxia Sect's market for seclusion, it means you trust our sect. May I ask what grade of cave dwelling you wish to rent?"

Lu Chi returned the greeting with clasped hands and calmly said, "I intend to go into seclusion for a period of time and need a place with abundant spiritual energy, preferably with a vein of earth fire. Do you know of any superior cave dwellings?"

Uncle Zhou nodded slightly, took out an array plate, and pointed to the few points of spiritual light in the center of the array plate, saying: "These Class A cave dwellings in the center of the market are all built on the main spiritual vein nodes, and the earth fire is also excellent, which is most suitable for your needs, fellow Daoist."

Lu Chi glanced at the array plate, immediately selected a cave dwelling, and readily took out spirit stones to pay five years' rent.

Uncle Zhou accepted the spirit stones and handed over a restriction token engraved with array patterns.

Lu Chi carefully put away the token and turned to look at the blue-robed cultivator beside him. He casually took out more than ten low-grade spirit stones and handed them over, saying in a calm voice, "Thank you for your introduction along the way, young friend. Please take these spirit stones and exchange them for some pills to enhance your mana."

Upon seeing this, the cultivator in the green robe was delighted. He quickly accepted the spirit stones with both hands, bowed deeply, and said, "Thank you for your generous gift, senior. I will take my leave now and wish you a successful seclusion and great progress in your magical power."

After the cultivator in blue robes withdrew, Uncle-Master Zhou looked at Lu Chi, stroked his beard, and smiled, "Fellow Daoist, you've rented a cave dwelling with the 'A' designation. Could it be that your magical power has reached its peak, and you intend to take this opportunity to break through to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage?"

"If needed, my Luoxia Sect also sells excellent cultivation pills, the quality of which is far superior to those sold by independent cultivators outside. If you are interested, I can act as your guarantor and make a recommendation."

Lu Chi smiled slightly and shook his head, saying, "Thank you for your kindness, Fellow Daoist Zhou. I am used to a life of leisure and have enough pills on me for the time being, so I have no other requests."

He could tell from the hidden intention of Zhou Shibo to win him over in his words.

Although the Luoxia Sect appears kind and benevolent to outsiders, his impressions of the sect, being new to the area, are based entirely on what others have said.

One must always be wary of others. Successfully forming the Golden Core is the top priority right now, and he naturally doesn't want to get too entangled with this sect's forces at this time.

Seeing this, Uncle Zhou did not insist. He immediately summoned a handyman disciple who was in the early stage of Qi Refining and ordered him to guide Lu Chi.

The two walked through several quiet underground corridors and arrived at a stone wall in the center of the town. The servant disciple respectfully pointed out the location of the cave, and Lu Chi waved him away.

Using the token to break the seal, the heavy stone door slowly opened. Lu Chi stepped inside, and the stone door closed behind him.

The cave dwelling is quite spacious, divided into a stone chamber for living, a meditation room, and a pill-making room with a vein of earth fire.

Moonstones were inlaid in the stone walls, emitting a soft glow. This place truly lived up to its reputation as a top-tier cave dwelling; the spiritual energy of heaven and earth at the spiritual vein node was so dense that it formed a mist that slowly circulated within the room, making it an excellent place for cultivation.

Lu Chi looked around and took out several array flags from his storage bag. He made hand seals and hid the flags in various corners of the cave, setting up an extremely tight defense and isolation array before sitting down on the futon in the center of the quiet room.

Reaching the Core Formation is no small matter; during seclusion, no mistakes can be tolerated, and someone must be there to protect one.

Lu Chi raised his hand and waved it, summoning a long, black banner, which was the Styx Soul Refining Banner.

He crossed the endless sea to arrive at Qingming Continent, but Li Qianyou inside the banner knew nothing of it. His upcoming seclusion was crucial, so he naturally needed to explain his current situation to the old ghost.

As a chilling aura filled the air, Li Qianyou's phantom slowly emerged from the banner.

As soon as he appeared, he sensed the extremely dense spiritual energy of heaven and earth around him, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

The last moment he remembered was when Lu Chi faced the Void Tomb Ancestor in the Burial Abyss.

Li Qianyou looked around the cave and stroked his beard, sighing, "Such rich spiritual energy! Fellow Daoist Lu, have we arrived at Taiqing Palace? I've heard of Taiqing Palace's illustrious reputation for many years, and seeing it today, I can see that the sect's foundation is indeed unfathomable."

Lu Chi looked at Li Qianyou, who was lost in thought, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.

Seeing his expression, Li Qianyou was somewhat surprised and couldn't help but ask, "What are you laughing at, fellow Daoist? Could it be that I guessed wrong?"

Lu Chi shook his head, his expression returning to calm, and said slowly, "Senior, this place is neither Jingzhao Kingdom nor Youming Kingdom. We are now in Qingming Continent, one of the Nine Provinces."

The quiet room suddenly fell into a deathly silence.

Li Qianyou's illusory face suddenly froze, and his figure abruptly stopped in mid-air.

Several breaths passed before he snapped out of his daze, his eyes wide with shock, his voice filled with utter astonishment: "Qingming Continent? We've arrived at Qingming Continent?"

Li Qianyou calls himself the Soul Refining True Man. For hundreds of years, he has traversed the kingdoms of Jingzhao and Youming, fighting countless ruthless characters and witnessing all kinds of battles.

But he had never actually seen this Azure Continent before.

The old ghost froze in mid-air, stunned for a long while before finally digesting the matter. He was shrewd and experienced; with a slight shift in his thoughts, he had already clearly understood the cause and effect of Lu Chi's infiltration of the Netherworld Kingdom.

There must be a method to cross continents hidden within the Netherworld Kingdom.

The Old Ancestor of Xuling secretly made a move, using the chaos of the battle between the righteous and the demonic to conceal his true intentions and cover up the commotion across continents.

Such a scheme is undeniably profound.

Seeing the old ghost's horrified expression, Lu Chi found it somewhat amusing.

He remained calm and slowly recounted his journey to Qingming Continent, his encounter with a mortal merchant caravan, and his eventual arrival at the Luoxia Sect's market town, picking out the most important parts to tell Li Qianyou.

"The spiritual energy here is abundant, and the market is secluded and safe. I intend to go into seclusion here to try to break through to the Golden Core realm. During my seclusion, things may change in the outside world, so I will have to trouble you to protect me."

Li Qianyou immediately composed himself and patted his chest to assure her: "Don't worry, with me here, even if a Golden Core cultivator attacks, I can hold them off for a while and will definitely not let anyone disturb your important matter of forming your Golden Core."

He readily agreed on the surface, but his mind was racing with conflicting thoughts.

Back in Huanyun Continent, he thought he was destined to be a lonely ghost in this soul banner for the rest of his life, and the idea of ​​being resurrected was just a way to console himself.

But things are different now.

This is Qingming Continent!

In the land of Kyushu, the cultivation of immortality is a hundred times more prevalent than in Huanyun Continent, and there are even rumors of a lineage of cultivators who have passed down to the level of Nascent Soul.

Such a prosperous place must be rich in ancient relics and secret techniques of possession and rebirth.

Li Qianyou's mind started racing, and her gaze toward Lu Chi became even more intense.

As long as we properly assist this kid and help him advance triumphantly, there is still hope that we may one day be resurrected and rebuilt.

Lu Chi was unaware of the old ghost's many schemes. After giving his instructions, he hung the Styx Soul Refining Banner in a corner of the quiet room, but did not rush to start refining pills.

"Although the Luoxia Sect acts with integrity, we must still be wary of others."

Lu Chi sat cross-legged on the futon, his eyes slightly closed, his divine sense spreading out silently through the cave's restrictions, probing various parts of the market.

He separated a wisp of his divine sense and deliberately kept it around the Ling Pavilion to listen to the subsequent movements of his senior uncle, Zhou.

Inside the pavilion, Uncle Zhou received the visiting cultivators as usual. Occasionally, when fellow disciples asked about the new faces in the Jia-class cave dwelling, he would only say that they were a rogue cultivator in seclusion and that they needed to take good care of the formation so as not to be disturbed.

Apart from that, they did not send anyone to secretly follow them, nor did they show any signs of having any ill intentions.

For the next few days, Lu Chi stayed indoors. He honed his internal magical power in the quiet room, making it more refined and perfect, while using his divine sense to listen to the gossip of passing cultivators in the bustling market.

After several rounds of careful investigation, he gradually felt relieved. As others had said, the Luoxia Sect was indeed well-disciplined and quite lenient towards independent cultivators, not just a facade of kindness.

Moreover, by taking advantage of the conversations among those merchants and independent cultivators, he also gained a general understanding of the cultivation world in the Great Li Kingdom.

Of the seven major sects in the Great Li Kingdom, besides the Luoxia Sect, there are six others: Taixuan Sect, Tianji Sect, Hehuan Valley, and so on. Among these seven sects, Taixuan Sect has the deepest foundation, with a Nascent Soul Ancestor presiding over it, thus making it the de facto leader of the cultivation world in the Great Li Kingdom.

The other six sects are mostly led by cultivators at the late Golden Core stage or even the Great Perfection stage, with righteous and demonic factions intertwined and mutually restraining each other.

Besides the Great Li Kingdom, there are several other mortal kingdoms in the surrounding area, such as the Yue Kingdom, the Jiang Kingdom, and the Cheshi Kingdom. Within these kingdoms, there are also cultivation sects of similar size, and they often have some friction with each other over spiritual vein mines.

But in the heart of the Azure Netherworld, where spiritual energy is so abundant it rains down, lies the true gathering place of powerful beings. There, national boundaries are irrelevant; only lineage matters. Three supreme sects stand aloof from worldly affairs, their foundations unfathomable, each overseen by a Nascent Soul stage expert.

"For the time being, it would be best to settle down in the Great Li Kingdom and several surrounding countries. Since there is a Nascent Soul cultivator in charge of the heartland of the Central Plains, if we rashly set foot there, we might be exposed."

In the following months, Lu Chi silently wandered through the market, secretly activating his Eye of Truth to examine the protective array that enveloped the entire market inch by inch.

After several months, he had thoroughly figured out the true nature of this formation. This formation was called the "Four Spirits Locking Light Formation," and its grade was barely at the lower third rank.

If several late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators joined forces and exerted their full power, they could indeed barely withstand a fierce attack from an early-stage Golden Core cultivator.

Although the formation was somewhat mysterious, Lu Chi's powerful divine sense and ability to see through illusions made its flaws as clear as the lines on his palm. In less than half a month, he had found several hidden formation bases and the central formation eye of the formation.

Under the cover of night, Lu Chi quietly made some subtle changes around the array's key points, carving out several extremely obscure guiding spirit patterns.

This action was not intended to destroy the grand formation, but rather to seize control of it in case of emergency.

Only after doing all this did Lu Chi feel completely at ease.

On this day, he returned to the No. 1 cave dwelling and sealed the stone door of the quiet room.

He took out an array plate engraved with intricate spiritual patterns from his storage bag, tossed it to Li Qianyou who was floating beside him, and said in a deep voice, "Senior, I have left a backup plan at the core of this market array."

"If any uninvited guests attack your cave during your seclusion, activate this array plate. Although you cannot fully control the third-tier array, you can still use its power to provide some resistance or escape."

Li Qianyou nodded solemnly, took the array plate into his hand, and carefully put it away. "Fellow Daoist, please rest assured. Even if there are any changes outside, this item is enough to protect you."

Lu Chi nodded slightly, saying nothing more. He released a small amount of his magical power and waved his hand over the storage bag. With a dull thud, an ancient bronze alchemy furnace landed steadily on the earth fire hole in the center of the quiet room.

Immediately afterwards, dozens of jade boxes bearing restrictive talismans flew out one after another, hovering in mid-air. As the talismans were removed, a rich medicinal fragrance instantly filled the air, revealing the various spiritual materials used to refine the Dust-Clearing Pill.

Li Qianyou stood to the side, and upon seeing this scene, his illusory face froze for a moment.

This kid is not only skilled in making talismans, setting up formations, controlling puppets, and refining weapons—he's even going to personally start refining this third-tier Dust-Reducing Pill.

Inside the main hall on the main peak of Luoxia Mountain.

The palace doors were tightly shut, and only two people sat facing each other in the empty hall, the sandalwood incense fading slightly.

On the prayer mat at the head of the table, a gaunt old man in a gray robe pressed his fist to his lips and let out a muffled cough: "Cough cough—"

cough----"

The old man's aura was slightly disordered, and the aura of a Golden Core cultivator emanated from his body, yet he also exuded a sense of decay and decline.

Sitting opposite him was a composed-looking middle-aged man in purple robes. Seeing the old man coughing incessantly, he frowned slightly and said in a low voice, "Sect Leader, your injury—"

The gray-robed elder waved his hand, took a deep breath, and suppressed his aura: "It's nothing, just an old ailment from years ago. It won't damage the root cause in the short term. Junior brother, tell me, how are those late-stage Foundation Establishment disciples in seclusion doing lately?"

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man in purple robes sighed softly and shook his head, replying, "It's not optimistic. Junior Nephew Zhang has been in seclusion for over three years trying to break through to the False Core stage, and there's still no sign of him emerging. In fact, his energy has weakened somewhat, and I'm afraid it will end in failure."

"Junior Nephew Li's magical power is indeed profound, but his temperament is impetuous, and he dares not rashly attempt to form his core. As for the other three, their magical power accumulation is still insufficient, and they have no hope of forming their cores."

After hearing this, the old man in the gray robe remained silent for a long time, then coughed softly twice.

The old man's face showed a hint of helplessness. "Although my Luoxia Sect is one of the seven sects of the Great Li Kingdom, it has not produced a new Golden Core cultivator for nearly a hundred years. Our lifespans are gradually waning. If there are no successors in our sect, I'm afraid the foundation left by our ancestor will be difficult to maintain in the future."

The middle-aged man in purple robes reassured him, "Senior brother, please don't worry. Although we are getting older, our magical powers are still intact, and we have protected the sect for over a hundred years without any problems."

"In these hundred years, it is not impossible to wait for one or two outstanding juniors. Moreover, there are still a few spiritual herbs in the sect's treasury that can help with core formation. If Junior Nephew Zhang and his companions can calm down and focus, they may have a chance to succeed."

Upon hearing this, the old man in the gray robe did not smile; he simply shook his head with a wry smile.