Immortal Life: Starting with Daily Last Words

The following day at noon.

Yu Daoxuan, having emerged from the Sutra Repository, set off for Baotai Market with dozens of low-grade first-tier talismans he had accumulated.

Walking into the market, I came to a shop called "Baiqiaoge".

Upon entering, a servant in blue robes immediately greeted them with a beaming smile, "What would you like to buy, fellow Daoist? Would you mind if I helped you with some recommendations?"

"I'm here to sell talismans."

Yu Daoxuan got straight to the point.

The blue-clad attendant, seeing that the man was a talisman master, became even more respectful.

While leading Yu Daoxuan into the private room, he explained, "The acquisition of talismans requires the personal reception of our shopkeeper. Please wait here for a moment, fellow Daoist."

After pouring Yu Daoxuan a cup of spiritual tea, the blue-clad attendant quietly withdrew.

Yu Daoxuan sat upright and did not touch the spiritual tea in front of him.

When traveling, one should always be wary of others.

A moment later, an elderly man with half-white hair and dressed in purple walked in with a smile on his face.

"I am Ji Zhilin, the manager of Baiqiao Pavilion. May I ask what kind of talismans you wish to sell?"

The old man in purple sat down opposite him, his tone gentle, but his eyes held a hint of scrutiny.

Yu Daoxuan took out two Fire Serpent Talismans from his storage bag and placed them on the table. One was a common, low-grade first-tier Fire Serpent Talisman, and the other was a high-grade Fire Serpent Talisman.

Shopkeeper Ji picked up the talisman and examined it for a moment before slowly saying, "A low-grade, first-tier Fire Serpent Talisman. A regular one costs two spirit stones, and a high-grade one costs three spirit stones. What do you think, fellow Daoist?"

Upon hearing this, Yu Daoxuan nodded.

Before coming, he specifically inquired about the purchase price of talismans in the market, and the price was considered fair and reasonable.

Then, he took out all thirty-odd low-grade first-tier talismans from his storage bag, including six high-grade ones.

Shopkeeper Ji counted the items and found them to be correct. He immediately took out more than seventy spirit stones and handed them over, saying with a smile, "Fellow Daoist, your talismans are of excellent quality. If you have any more talismans to sell in the future, feel free to come to our shop. We guarantee fair treatment for everyone, young and old."

"No problem."

Yu Daoxuan responded casually, his heart filled with joy.

With talismans at his side, the speed at which he can acquire cultivation resources far exceeds that of the past, which also means that his cultivation speed will be greatly improved.

Clutching the spirit stones, Yu Daoxuan headed towards the bluestone square on the west side of the market.

This square is a special market area for stalls. For just one spirit stone, you can rent a small area to sell your wares for a day.

Monks often sell their unused items here, and occasionally they are lucky enough to find a treasure.

However, after walking for a short while, they encountered Chen Hu, who was on patrol.

Chen Hu was dressed in the standard robes of a market guard, with a sword at his waist, and his expression was calm.

Upon seeing Yu Daoxuan, a smile instantly bloomed on his face, and he quickly walked over: "Junior Brother Yu, what brings you to the market?"

"I drew a few talismans at the sect and was thinking of exchanging them for some spirit stones at the market."

Yu Daoxuan responded.

He did not hide his identity as a talisman master.

In making friends, appropriately showcasing one's own value is essential for building lasting and reliable relationships.

"I didn't expect you to be a talisman master, Junior Brother," Chen Hu's eyes lit up, his tone enthusiastic. "It's getting late, and I doubt you'll be returning to the sect today. A good friend just gave me a few bottles of Drunken Immortal Wine. We haven't seen each other for quite some time, how about coming back to my residence for a few drinks?"

Yu Daoxuan smiled slightly and said, "Thank you for your kind invitation, Senior Brother Chen. However, I have an important matter to attend to. Could you wait until I have finished dealing with it before we meet at your residence?"

"No problem." Chen Hu nodded readily. "Then I'll wait for you at the manor tonight. Just come over when you're done."

After parting ways with Chen Hu, Yu Daoxuan did not linger and went straight to the Bluestone Square.

At the same time, the last words on the golden tablet from yesterday came to mind.

"My name is Yu Daoxuan. When you see this sentence, I will regret it. Tomorrow I will go to Baotai Market. After selling the talismans, I plan to stroll around the blue stone square in the market, hoping to find some hidden treasures at the stalls."

However, I happened to run into Chen Hu on patrol, who warmly invited me to his residence for drinks. But this invitation caused me to miss a significant opportunity.

There was a stall in the square selling artifacts. The stall owner, whose knowledge was limited, mistakenly sold the ancient treasure "Spirit Dragon Stone Cicada" as an ordinary antique...

The square, shaped like the Chinese character "回" (hui), is filled with stalls and bustling with noise.

Yu Daoxuan walked slowly through the area, his gaze sweeping over all kinds of spiritual materials, ancient artifacts, magical implements, and talismans, carefully examining them along the way.

Finally, in a secluded and inconspicuous corner stall, they found the object that resembled the dragon-snatching stone cicada.

In one corner of the stall, there was a small, exquisite stone cicada, entirely emerald green.

This object is only the size of a fingertip, with intricate and lifelike cicada-like patterns on its body, appearing as if it were naturally formed.

However, the entire stone cicada was like an ordinary object, without any spiritual light or treasure. Even when scanned with divine sense, it was no different from any other ordinary stone in the mountains.

Yu Daoxuan's gaze narrowed slightly, and he was already seven or eight parts certain in his heart.

This morning, he went to the sect's library to peruse the ancient book "Records of Treasures from All Over the World," and had already figured out the origins of this item.

The Zhelong Stone Cicada is the larva of the ancient mythical insect "Zhelong Cicada". Due to a sudden change, it failed to complete its molting. Over the long years, the cicada's body absorbed the essence of the earth's spiritual veins and gradually petrified and solidified.

As a result, a layer of natural petrified seal has formed on its surface.

This layer of seal locks away the spiritual energy within the treasure, making it impossible for ordinary cultivators to penetrate the stone seal using only their own magical power or divine sense.

Only by slowly melting and washing away the outer layer of stone seal with the most Yin spiritual water can the body be unsealed and its secrets revealed.

Yu Daoxuan suppressed the turmoil in his heart, his expression remaining unchanged. He did not point directly at the stone cicada, but instead pointed to the bronze jade plate next to it, and calmly asked, "How much is this?"

In front of the stall stood an elderly man in a brown robe, at the fourth level of Qi Refining. His beard and hair were frosty white, and his face was thin and refined, giving him an air of otherworldly grace.

Upon seeing a customer inquire about the price, the old man quickly stood up, beaming with a smile: "Fellow Daoist has a discerning eye. This is a treasure passed down from the Divine Firmament Secret Realm, originating from the Divine Firmament Sect, a powerful Nascent Soul sect thousands of years ago. It is called the Divine Firmament Array Plate."

"Once activated, it unleashes the immensely powerful Divine Firmament Heavenly Thunder, capable of annihilating even a ninth-level Qi Refining cultivator with a single strike. Originally valued at over two thousand spirit stones, I'm offering it to you today, fellow Daoist, for two thousand spirit stones!"

Yu Daoxuan smiled coldly to himself.

The other person looked like a wise and sage, but I never expected him to be so wicked.

Although this bronze jade plate is an array plate, it is made of ordinary material and has an old, dull appearance. Upon closer inspection, it is clear that it is a fake or imitation, and is worth at most a few dozen spirit stones.

His expression remained impassive; instead, he flicked his fingertip towards the emerald green stone cicada: "And what about this stone cicada?"

"This stone cicada is worth three thousand spirit stones."

The old man smiled inwardly and quickly replied.

Having spent decades navigating the world of cultivation, how could he not know what the other party was thinking? They must have taken a liking to this stone cicada and deliberately asked about the array plate first to test him.

Therefore, they simply made an exorbitant demand and waited for the other party to bargain.

But the next moment, Yu Daoxuan's reaction was completely unexpected.

As soon as he finished speaking, Yu Daoxuan's expression changed drastically, and he turned and left without the slightest hesitation.

The old man in the brown robe had not expected Yu Daoxuan to be so decisive. He hurriedly stepped forward and tried to persuade Yu Daoxuan to stop.

"Fellow Daoist, this stone cicada has an extraordinary origin. We can discuss the price."

He was eager to let a customer leave now that he had finally gotten one.

After some persuasion, Yu Daoxuan finally stopped.

The old man then launched into a long explanation: "Fellow Daoist, you may not know this, but this stone cicada is no ordinary object. It is a rare treasure that I obtained from the tomb of an ancient cultivator, and its effects are extraordinary."

Yu Daoxuan cut to the chase, asking calmly, "Oh? In that case, would you please explain in detail what miraculous uses this stone cicada possesses?"

This question left the old man speechless.

He did indeed obtain this stone cicada from an ancient tomb on a deserted island.

When he first acquired it, he was overjoyed, thinking he had unearthed a priceless treasure.

He studied it for several months, using all sorts of methods such as inputting magic power and refining weapons with blood, but he still couldn't find anything amazing about it.

Gradually losing heart, he could only leave it on the stall, hoping some monk who liked decorative items would buy it.

But after several days of displaying them, no one wanted them.

Now that Yu Daoxuan was pressing him for details, he naturally couldn't admit that the item was useless.

He could only make up a flimsy excuse: "Fellow Daoist, this thing is incredibly powerful; it can dispel inner demons and stabilize one's Dao heart..."

As he spoke, he kept an eye on Yu Daoxuan's expression.

Seeing the latter's disbelief and his attempt to turn away, he had no choice but to say helplessly, "Fellow Daoist, seeing that you genuinely like this stone cicada, name your price. If the price is right, I'll sell it to you, just to make friends."

"Ten spirit stones."

Yu Daoxuan spoke calmly.

Upon hearing this, the old man in the brown robe sighed with feigned heartache, "Never mind, ten coins it is, consider it making friends."

In truth, he was already secretly overjoyed.

This stone cicada was an unexpected find, costing almost nothing. I'd be happy to earn ten spirit stones for free.

On the other side, Yu Daoxuan calmly handed over the spirit stones, his heart filled with joy.

Once activated by magic power, this Dragon-Slaying Stone Cicada can help cultivators perfectly conceal all their aura and magic power fluctuations, and can even interfere with the calculation of heavenly secrets to a certain extent.

In this way, unless seen with one's own eyes, even the divine sense of a Nascent Soul cultivator would not be able to detect his whereabouts.

It will be of great use in the future, whether for training or avoiding danger.

However, before that, the outer petrification barrier must be melted.

Yu Daoxuan was already confident about this.

Our sect's Cangming Secret Water is precisely the most Yin spiritual water, which can dissolve the stone seal on this object.

Suppressing his joy, Yu Daoxuan left the square and headed to Chen Hu's residence to keep his appointment.

As soon as you step into the courtyard, you can smell a strong aroma of wine. Chen Hu had already set up a table in the courtyard, with four plates of spirit fruit, four plates of monster meat, and two bottles of Drunken Immortal Wine on the table.

"Junior Brother Yu, you've finally arrived." Chen Hu stood up to greet him and warmly pulled him to a seat. "Please sit down, please sit down. This Drunken Immortal Brew is a rare spiritual wine. Not only does it have a mellow taste, but it can also nourish the body and replenish qi. Ordinary cultivators can't even buy it if they want to."

As he spoke, Chen Hu picked up two white jade wine cups and filled them to the brim.

"Come on, junior brother, let's have a drink to wish each other a smooth journey on our path to immortality."

Yu Daoxuan raised his cup in response and drank it down with Chen Hu in one gulp.

The liquor is smooth and mellow on the palate, without the harshness of ordinary spirits.

After entering the stomach, a gentle spiritual energy instantly dissipated, flowing through the meridians and coursing throughout the body, even causing a slight increase in the body's magical power.

"It is indeed good wine."

Yu Daoxuan gave a heartfelt sigh of praise.

Chen Hu laughed heartily and poured another cup for each of them.

The two drank and chatted, discussing recent events in their sect and exchanging their experiences in cultivating immortality.

After an unknown amount of time, Chen Hu's smile gradually faded, and his tone became more somber.

"Junior brother, you may not know this, but although this Drunken Immortal Wine is good, I am reluctant to drink too much of it. It is only because you came today that I was able to bring it out."

Yu Daoxuan's heart stirred, and he asked softly, "Senior Brother, is something troubling you?"

Chen Hu took a sip of wine and sighed, "To be honest, junior brother, although I come from a Foundation Establishment family, the family's strength is declining day by day. Now the whole family is counting on me to break through to Foundation Establishment as soon as possible and uphold the family's reputation."

He paused, then continued, "But I only have a mid-grade spiritual root. To successfully establish my foundation, I need Foundation Establishment Pills. Even in the Qingyuan Sect, Foundation Establishment Pills are extremely rare. The sect only produces a handful each year, and countless disciples are eyeing them covetously."

At this point, Chen Hu said with a hint of relief, "Fortunately, I have been quite diligent over the years. Last time, I made a great contribution by investigating Ma Fuping because of my junior brother's matter, and I was appreciated by an elder of the sect. In addition, I have been working for the sect for more than ten years, and I have finally accumulated enough merit. After this market defense mission is over, I will be able to return to the sect to exchange for Foundation Establishment Pills."

Upon hearing this, Yu Daoxuan understood.

Exchanging Foundation Establishment Pills requires 20,000 sect merit points, which is undoubtedly an astronomical figure for ordinary disciples.

Chen Hu's ability to accumulate enough points demonstrates his diligence and hard work over the years.

He raised his wine glass and gave Chen Hu a slight toast: "Congratulations, Senior Brother, on accumulating merits. I'm sure you'll be able to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage smoothly after taking the Foundation Establishment Pill."

Chen Hu comes from a Foundation Establishment family and is quite strong. If he successfully establishes his foundation, it will also benefit him.

Seeing Yu Daoxuan's sincere blessings, Chen Hu felt a surge of warmth in his heart and burst into laughter.

"Thank you for your kind words, Junior Brother. I was able to make great contributions last time, and you deserve some credit for that. If I successfully establish my foundation, I will definitely not treat you unfairly in the future."

"Come on, let's have another drink!"