Seeking immortality begins with daily intelligence reports.

"Young friend."

The shopkeeper stroked his beard and said:

"My name is Han, and my given name is Mo. I have been immersed in the art of talismans for decades. Judging from the patterns and flow of this talisman, I suspect it is some kind of ancient talisman. May I ask which master you studied under, young friend? Does this talisman have a name?"

Li Shen had already prepared his answer in his mind, and upon hearing this, he calmly replied:

"Junior, Li Shen, this talisman is indeed an ancient talisman, named the Concealing Breath Talisman. Its effect is as its name suggests; it can conceal one's form and aura. A low-grade one can evade the spiritual sense detection of a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator. As for my master..."

Li Shen paused, a hint of sadness naturally appearing in his eyes:

"He passed away not long ago."

Shopkeeper Han Mo narrowed his eyes, twirling his beard as he pondered. At that moment, the shop assistant beside him seemed to remember something, his expression showing surprise. He quickly leaned down and whispered something to his shopkeeper.

After a moment, Han Mo chuckled and said in a gentle tone:

"I never expected that you, young friend, are the rogue cultivator who has been making waves recently. You are truly a force to be reckoned with."

He was somewhat relieved that he hadn't chosen to put pressure on the other party. He had just sensed that the other party's spiritual sense was no weaker than his own, and perhaps the fourth level of Qi Refining was just a facade.

Han Mo pondered for a moment, then changed the subject, gently setting down his teacup:

"This Concealing Breath Talisman is indeed ingenious, but it's only a low-grade, first-tier talisman, and its effectiveness is limited. I wonder if you possess any talismans of a higher grade?"

"Manager Han is joking. The lineage of this Breath Concealing Talisman is incomplete. I am a junior who has only recently entered the path of talismans and can only barely draw this low-grade Breath Concealing Talisman. I am not capable of drawing higher grades. Before my master passed away, he said that this talisman is extremely difficult to draw, and the spiritual ink and talisman paper required to improve the grade of the talisman are specially made, which is very expensive."

Li Shen shook his head slightly, a hint of regret on his face.

The beginning is true, the end is fabricated; this is just to discourage the other party from demanding the inheritance.

With his current cultivation level of Qi Refining Level 4 and spiritual strength of Qi Refining Level 6, it's only a matter of time before he can create a mid-grade or even high-grade painting.

Even on his deathbed, that pseudo-spiritual root disciple of the Divine Talisman Sect was able to draw a superior-grade concealment talisman. Li Shen stands on the shoulders of his predecessors and has that confidence.

Han Mo nodded thoughtfully. Having immersed himself in the art of talismans for many years, he deeply understood the preciousness of ancient talisman inheritances and the difficulty of drawing them. He picked up the concealing talisman again, his fingertips gently tracing the talisman's patterns:

"This talisman has extraordinary effects, truly a life-saving and invaluable tool for exploration. Currently, due to the demon-hunting activities, the prices of all kinds of talismans have skyrocketed in the market. Now that you're here, young friend, how do you plan to sell it?"

Here comes the key point.

Li Shen's heart skipped a beat; he was already prepared for the question Han Mo had posed:

"This junior is not very capable, but I would like to use this talisman to cooperate with your store. I can reliably provide a maximum of twenty of these talismans per month, as well as these other talismans..."

Li Shen finished speaking, then took out a mid-grade first-tier ice cone talisman and a fireball talisman, as well as three common first-tier low-grade talismans from his storage bag and placed them in front of him.

He continued:

"This junior is willing to use a spiritual contract as proof that this talisman will only be sold to you, however..."

Li Shen paused slightly and looked at Han Mo:

"I have a favor to ask."

"Please speak freely, young friend Li."

Han Mo became interested.

"As I said, the cost of drawing talismans of higher grades is very high. I hope to receive a partial advance or borrow some spirit stones from your shop."

Li Shen revealed the true purpose of his trip: simply selling talismans one by one was too slow to make money; he wanted to use his existing reputation to quickly raise start-up capital.

The reason I chose the Zhao family is because I only knew about the Zhao family, and judging from Li Niu's words, the Zhao family is a decent Foundation Establishment family.

Han Mo stroked his beard, deep in thought.

Advance payments or loans carry significant risks, and ordinary independent practitioners should definitely not engage in them.

However, the top spot also indirectly proves the other party's strength and potential.

More importantly, the talisman shop in Yunhe Mountain Market is not limited to my Zhao's Talisman Shop. If the effects are real and it is exclusively supplied to the Zhao family, then reporting this matter would be a great achievement.

After a moment, Han Mo made up his mind.

He chuckled and made the decision:

"Very well, I'll form a good relationship with you, young friend. I'll buy the low-grade Concealing Breath Talisman for ten low-grade spirit stones each. I can also buy your other talismans at market price. As for an advance, it will be a maximum of six hundred spirit stones. Besides the spirit contract, you'll need to swear a great oath against your inner demons before you can take it immediately. What do you say?"

Li Shen quickly calculated in his mind that the price offered by the other party clearly indicated their emphasis on long-term cooperation, and six hundred spirit stones was a sincere offer.

He immediately cupped his hands in greeting:

"Thank you for your trust, Manager Han. I have no objections."

After saying that, Han Mo chuckled and picked up the concealment talisman on the table:

"Then, young friend Li, this old man will verify the talisman."

Seeing that Li Shen agreed, Han Mo handed the talisman to the shop assistant so that he could use it on the spot.

At the same time, Li Shen found a handful of ashes in his hand under the table.

The verification process ended quickly and proved effective. After the shop assistant disappeared, Han Mo's sixth-level Qi Refining divine sense could not detect a trace of him.

The two parties immediately entered into a spiritual pact, with a term of one year, stipulating the terms they had previously agreed upon.

Before Li Shen made the other party make the same vow to not reveal his relationship with Ci Fu to anyone else, also for a period of one year.

Han Mo nodded in agreement and made a vow with the shop assistant.

With the transaction completed and the heavy sum of spirit stones in hand, Li Shen finally relaxed. With these spirit stones, many plans could be put into immediate action.

When leaving the talisman shop, Li Shen declined Han Mo's offer to see him to the door and walked into the alleyway alone.

After he left, the talisman shop resumed business.

Inside the elegant room, Han Mo sipped his spiritual tea and instructed the waiter beside him:

"Go and investigate Li Shen's background. If there are no problems, then report it to higher authorities."

......

Li Shen circled around a few times and bought some spirit beast meat and spirit grains needed for seclusion, as well as some Qi Gathering Pills needed for cultivation.

Because the price was quite high, with a single low-grade one costing two spirit stones, Li Shen only bought the amount he needed for his seclusion.

Finally, after buying enough talisman paper and spiritual ink to draw for three months at the market for unaffiliated cultivators, Li Shen returned home.

When his divine sense swept over the area, the house and its surroundings remained peaceful and undisturbed.

Li Shen closed the doors and windows tightly and began to carry out his plan step by step.

As time passed, the name "Li Shen" was like a fleeting flower, fading from the rankings and gradually disappearing from people's minds.

During the period of seclusion, the most noteworthy piece of information provided was that a secret realm belonging to the three sects of Yunhe Mountain, which could only be entered by those in the Qi Refining stage, had opened, and several of the main ingredients for the Foundation Establishment Pill were produced there.

However, the results were mixed.

Although they obtained a lot of spiritual materials, many disciples from the three sects were lost in the process.

Li Shen didn't worry about this much and focused solely on his cultivation and talisman making.

Three months later, at midnight, new intelligence appeared as expected.

[In the black market of Yunhe Mountain Market, on the tenth stall from the right, there is a grayish-black stone that has not been sold for a long time. This stone, having been soaked in yin energy for many years, has become a "Spirit Stone," and within its core lies a Spirit Bead, possessing the power to calm the soul and soothe the mind.]