Dongting Immortal Clan

"Does this item still exist, fellow Daoist?"

When the shopkeeper saw the jade-green pearl, his eyes lit up and his breathing quickened. He immediately began to ask questions.

"That's all we have. Each one is worth one spirit stone... At this price, you're guaranteed to make a profit, shopkeeper."

Chen Changhe shook his head, his tone somewhat indifferent.

"Oh dear, what are you saying..."

The shopkeeper quickly put on an apologetic face, but his hands moved swiftly, and he immediately put the items away, his face beaming with undisguised joy.

These pearls and immortal pearls are truly precious items, the most favored cultivation tools among sect disciples. Unlike spirit stones, they are not full of impurities, and unlike elixirs, they do not require refining.

These kinds of immortal beads are pure spiritual energy condensations and can be easily refined.

This person casually throws out eight immortal pearls; their background must be quite extraordinary.

Chen Changhe glanced at the black stick; it was too long to fit into his storage bag, so he simply handed over the Guan family token he was carrying.

"Please deliver the ritual implements here for me."

The shopkeeper took the wooden plaque with both hands, noticed the character "关" (closed) written on it, immediately understood, and his smile became even brighter:

"So you're a cultivator from the Guan family of Crane Cry Mountain! My apologies for not recognizing you!"

"Don't worry, I'll send someone to deliver the items to the Guan family's shop shortly."

Chen Changhe nodded slightly, not revealing that he was not a member of the Guan clan. He accepted the token returned by the shopkeeper, his gaze returning to the Crimson Bow on the wall, and asked:

"How can this bowstring be repaired?"

"Red firewood is quite common, it's available in the market, but the sinews of the fourth-realm demon beasts that are suitable for making bowstrings are not easy to find. They must be fire-attribute, or the main sinews of powerful demon beasts."

The shopkeeper pondered for a moment, then suddenly remembered something and immediately spoke up:

"Since you are a member of the Guan family, you should know that there is a Qing Shi Cliff in Yunmeng. On the cliff, there is a cultivation family called the Zhao family. They are skilled in crafting magical artifacts. Perhaps you could try to find the Zhao family's shop."

"Um."

Chen Changhe noted it down and confirmed the exact location of the Guan family's shop with the shopkeeper before turning around and leaving Lingbao Pavilion.

After that, Chen Changhe visited several larger shops. The goods there were indeed of better quality than those at the individual stalls, but the prices were also staggering, often costing thousands of spirit pearls, equivalent to dozens of spirit stones.

Over the years, most of the spiritual rice produced by the Chen family from the lakes and marshes has been exchanged for the essential cultivation pills. Only some aged Azure Water Golden Pearls can be considered hard currency.

However, this item is limited in quantity, and using it for personal cultivation is far more cost-effective than selling it directly.

Moreover, this item can also be used to maintain relations with Zhou Yan, the envoy in charge of observing the winds, so naturally it cannot all be used to buy things.

After glancing at them briefly, he shook his head and left those impressive shops.

Looking up at the mountaintop area, pavilions and towers are shrouded in a light mist, their eaves and corners creating a solemn and imposing atmosphere.

Although he was eager to go up the mountain to broaden his horizons, he knew he had important matters to attend to that day.

Besides finding a ritual implement for my elder brother, I also need to learn more about the various arts of cultivation.

"In his letter, Hu'er once said that among the various arts of cultivation, alchemy, artifact crafting, talismans, and formations are the most revered, as they are the cornerstones of the immortal path..."

Chen Changhe arrived at the street vendor area, his eyes scanning over one stall after another.

"Alchemy and weapon crafting are not only difficult to master, but also require a huge amount of spiritual materials to be tested repeatedly, resulting in enormous losses, which is far beyond what my family can currently afford."

"But as for talisman making and array formations..."

"The initial investment can be less. You can practice talismans on cloth with water, and you can also deduce formations on a sand table."

As he pondered this, he squatted down in front of a small stall.

The stall owner was a teenage girl, dressed casually, with two braids. She immediately greeted him as he approached.

"Senior, what would you like?"

Her voice was clear and melodious, like a mountain spring:

"These are all old things left to me by my grandfather. If you see anything you like, just give me a reasonable price."

Chen Changhe's gaze swept across the stall.

Most of them were rusted ordinary iron and dull jade. When spiritual sense swept over them, only a few items emanated a faint spiritual energy.

One of them was a small, dark wooden box, no bigger than a fist, from which a faint spiritual energy emanated.

"What is this? How much does it cost?"

The girl looked in the direction he was pointing and quickly said:

"This is a portion of unused talisman ink, about 30% remaining. Senior, if you want it, I'll give it to you for 100 spirit pearls?"

Chen Changhe shook his head and chuckled:

"This little girl dares to ask for more. A complete piece of 'Green Pine Ink' in the Zhang family shop is only worth five spirit stones."

"Your ink is of ordinary quality and has been used by someone else... I'll take it if you're willing to pay fifty spirit pearls."

"this……"

The girl hesitated for a moment.

Upon seeing this, Chen Changhe put down the wooden box and got up to leave.

"Sir, senior!"

Seeing that he was about to leave, the girl quickly called out to him, her voice pleading:

"Senior, please wait. How about this... I'll give you two more stacks of talismans, all made by myself. How about you give me 100 spirit pearls? My grandfather is still waiting for spirit pearls to buy medicine to cure his illness."

As she spoke, she hurriedly pulled out a large stack of talisman paper from the old cloth bag beside her. The paper was yellowed and rough in texture, but the quantity was far more than "two stacks".

Seeing this, Chen Changhe nodded slightly, took out the few spirit stones he had left from his storage bag, and handed them over.

The girl accepted it with both hands and thanked him repeatedly.

Chen Changhe pointed at the wooden box and the talisman, and with a flash of inspiration, he put them into his storage bag.

After packing his things, he turned and left.

The girl behind him stared at his retreating figure, bit her lower lip, as if making up her mind, and then called out again:

"senior!"

"I also have a talisman brush here, would you like to take a look?"

Chen Changhe stopped in his tracks upon hearing the sound and turned to look at her:

"Bring it here so I can see it."

The girl quickly bent down and rummaged through the old wooden box that she was using as a stool, carefully taking out a pen.

The brush handle is a warm, jade-like color, without any flaws, and the brush tip is restrained, with a subtle brilliance.

Chen Changhe scanned it with his spiritual sense and immediately sensed that this object was extraordinary. He pondered to himself:

"This brush is imbued with spiritual energy and is of exceptional quality. It is not something you would find at a street stall. In a proper shop, it would be priced at no less than two thousand spirit pearls, which is far beyond my current means."

Upon seeing this, the girl quickly called out:

"This is a second-tier talisman brush called 'Azure Edge Brush.' If you want it, senior... I'll offer it to you for one thousand spirit pearls!"

Chen Changhe did not stop walking; he turned around and blended into the crowd.

Seeing his resolute departure, a hint of frustration and confusion flashed across the girl's face.

Just then, the old cloth at her feet rustled, and a glossy old sable emerged, stood on its hind legs, and surprisingly spoke in a human voice:

Do you know why you couldn't fool him?

The girl composed herself and whispered:

"Perhaps I overacted?"

"A second-tier talisman pen is worth at least twenty spirit stones on the market, and even if it is damaged, it will not sell for ten spirit stones."

The old sable shook its head:

"No, no."

"In our line of work, the first thing we have to learn is how to 'tailor our approach to the individual'."

"This person is dressed plainly and his cultivation level is only at the second level of the Spirit Realm. Even if he has some savings, he will definitely prioritize elixirs and protective magic artifacts."

"Although your 'Azure Edge Brush' is exquisitely crafted, the internal runes have long been worn away. It may fool laymen, but it cannot deceive those who are truly knowledgeable and cautious."

"His magical power is profound and his foundation is not weak. He is probably a carefully cultivated disciple from a small family. His knowledge may not be extensive, but he is certainly wary."

"That's enough."

Old Mink transmitted his voice:

"Let's pack our things. I sensed a wisp of spiritual energy outside the Lingbao Pavilion just now, which seems to contain excellent cultivation materials."

"Your life palace is just beginning to solidify, and you need such treasures to consolidate your primordial spirit and Dharma form, so that you may have a chance to refine that 'innate pure energy'."

The girl nodded, and with a light wave of her hand, the miscellaneous items spread out on the ground seemed to be drawn by an invisible force, and in the blink of an eye, they all returned to the wooden box.

She picked up the suitcase, her figure flashed through the crowd a few times, and then disappeared.