Immortality and cultivation: Heaven rewards diligence, and success is inevitable.

Jiang Shi couldn't find any metal-type spiritual items, so he had to return to the Liu family first.

As soon as they entered the Liu family's house, they saw two people walking towards them.

"Master Li, let me introduce you. This is Manager Lin of the Qingyun Sect," Liu Yue introduced Jiang Shi.

Jiang Shi remained expressionless upon hearing this, and nodded, saying:

"Greetings, Fellow Daoist Lin."

"I've heard that Master Li's talisman-making skills are amazing. May I ask where he learned his skills?" Manager Lin said with a smile.

"My apprenticeship is insignificant and not worth mentioning," Jiang Shi said neither humbly nor arrogantly.

"Manager Lin, your presence today is an honor to our humble abode. It is also fortunate that Master Li is here. I shall prepare a feast and discuss the Dao together."

Liu Yue interrupted the two and ordered his servants to make preparations.

Manager Lin readily agreed; he had only been testing Master Li casually and had no doubts about him.

After all, the gap between Jiang Shi and Master Li is too great.

No one would have imagined that Jiang Shi had mastered the "Hundred Illusions and Thousand Faces Technique" in such a short time.

Manager Lin knew that Jiang Shi had amazing comprehension, but he didn't know anything about the "Hundred Illusions and Thousand Faces Technique". No one had ever mastered this technique, and now no one knew what its wonders were.

The three sat down, and Liu Yue brewed a pot of spiritual tea for everyone.

Jiang Shi drank it and felt spiritual energy enter his body, and his magical power began to increase.

"This is truly excellent tea," said Steward Lin.

"I'm glad you like it, Steward Lin. This is just a small token of my appreciation." Liu Yue took out a bag of spiritual tea and respectfully handed it to Steward Lin.

"You're quite savvy, aren't you?" Manager Lin said with a smile as he put the spirit tea into his pocket.

"Speak, what brings you to me today?"

Manager Lin was looking for Jiang Shi in the market today when Liu Yue sent someone to invite him, so he came to visit.

"To be honest, the reason I invited you here today is firstly to apologize to Manager Lin for what happened not long ago."

A few days ago, Manager Lin captured those two people at the entrance of the freelance cultivator market, which made Liu Yue very uneasy.

After all, Qingyun Sect is one of the three major sects, with a far-reaching reputation, and no rogue cultivator is not afraid of Qingyun Sect's power.

Despite Liu Yue's local tyrant-like behavior in the loose cultivator market, he is at most an outer disciple in the Qingyun Sect.

"Anything else?" Manager Lin didn't dwell on what had happened before. He sipped his tea gently, his eyes slightly narrowed, as if he were thinking about something.

Liu Yue was still uneasy as he had not received a specific reply from the forest manager.

But then Manager Lin spoke up again, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and ask:

"I heard a while ago that Qingyun Sect was afflicted by demons. I would like to ask Steward Lin if this is true or false."

After he finished speaking, it suddenly fell silent.

Manager Lin sipped his tea without saying a word.

Liu Yue didn't dare to speak either.

Slowly, Steward Lin finished drinking the spiritual tea and stood up.

"Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask, understand?" Manager Lin said in a deep voice.

Liu Yue was covered in cold sweat and didn't dare to breathe.

Jiang Shi sat in the chair, not daring to speak without permission.

No wonder Liu Yue called him over to sit with him.

He was called here to bolster their courage.

Of the entire Liu family, apart from Liu Yue, he is the one with the highest cultivation level on the surface.

After Manager Lin finished speaking and left, Liu Yue breathed a sigh of relief and slumped into his chair.

After a while, Liu Yue regained his composure and eagerly asked Jiang Shi:

"Master Li, how long until I can master the second-grade spirit talisman?"

"It will take about another year." Jiang Shi deliberately exaggerated the timeframe, since no one else would know anyway.

"Master Li, you saw the reaction of Steward Lin from Qingyun Sect just now. This threat from the demonic path is probably not just a rumor."

"The threat of demonic forces is extremely serious. Whether our Liu family can overcome this crisis depends entirely on you."

As Liu Yue spoke, he took out a gray spirit pen.

"This is a second-grade wolf hair brush, which I bought at a high price. Please accept it."

Jiang Shi knew immediately that this magical brush was a treasure, so he accepted it without ceremony and put it into his storage bag.

"Fellow Daoist Liu, you are too kind. I will certainly not let you down."

"However, I urgently need something, but I don't know..." Jiang Shi thought to himself, since Liu Yue values ​​him so much, let's see if I can get some benefits out of him.

"What do you need? Master Li, just say the word, and I'll find it all for you," Liu Yue said generously.

Liu Yue had been running the independent cultivators' market for decades and could be considered to have some assets.

He can even get his hands on treasures at the Qi Refining stage.

"Fellow Daoist Liu, I've been searching for rare and precious metal-based materials lately. I wonder if you could help me find some? I can exchange them for a spirit talisman."

Jiang Shi needs precisely the rare and precious metal-type materials. If he can obtain them, he will have a sure thing in breaking through to the seventh level of Qi Refining.

"A rare and precious metal?" Liu Yue frowned. This item was extremely rare; he had never seen it in the market for rogue cultivators.

"Master Li, don't worry. Although I don't have it here, I'll look for it for you in the next few days. Just wait patiently."

Liu Yue assured Jiang Shi that at this stage, second-grade spirit talismans are the most important. As for metal-type natural treasures, even if they are hard to find, they are not completely impossible to find.

At worst, we can go to Canglin City.

"Then we'll await good news from Fellow Daoist Liu."

After the two parted ways, Liu Yue went to Canglin City, while Jiang Shi stayed at the Liu family home, diligently practicing his second-grade spirit talisman skills and did not go out.

Three months have passed, and Jiang Shi's talisman-making skills have made another breakthrough.

[Gain proficiency +1]

[Second-grade Water Lock Talisman: Mastery (15/3000)]

With his mastery of crafting second-grade water-locking talismans, Jiang Shi gained the ability to create second-grade intermediate water-locking talismans.

A second-grade intermediate water-locking talisman can trap a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Although, with the methods of the Foundation Establishment stage, one cannot be controlled by the Water Lock Talisman for long.

But this greatly enhanced Jiang Shi's ability to survive.

"Master Li, Master Li."

Liu Yue's shouts came from the courtyard.

Liu Yue was away for three months from that day on, and has only just returned.

Upon hearing the sound, Jiang Shi pushed open the door and went out.

"Fellow Daoist Liu, what brings you here?"

"Master Li, this is a shocking event! I heard that Biluo Valley, one of the three major sects, was also afflicted by demonic forces yesterday, with many disciples killed or injured!"

Liu Yue said in a panic.

Liu Yue thought to himself, "So many disciples of those three major sects have died. If one day the market for rogue cultivators is afflicted by demons, wouldn't my Liu family be wiped out?"

"Is this really true?" Jiang Shi felt a little uneasy upon hearing this.

He always felt there must be a conspiracy behind this.

First it was Qingyun Sect, then it was Biluo Valley.

Something big is definitely going to happen soon!

"Fellow Daoist Liu, is there any news about the metal-type rare treasure I asked you to find?" Jiang Shi asked.

The most important thing now is to break through to a higher level as soon as possible in cultivation.

The more crises there are, the more we should strive to improve ourselves.

Unfortunately, there were monsters in the deep mountains, so he dared not venture into them.

Otherwise, I would find a secluded mountain forest to cultivate in seclusion.

"Found it, found it." Liu Yue took out a precious pearl from his storage bag.

This bead, made of an unknown metal, is entirely purple and glitters.

"This is a Purple-Gold Pearl, containing abundant golden spiritual power, just what you need."