Chereads / Cultivation Starts With Selling Talent / Chapter 16 - Talent Scroll

Chapter 16 - Talent Scroll

After Jun and Qi Baishi chatted for a while, Qi Baishi was about to take his leave, but he was stopped by Jun suddenly.

"Is something wrong?" Qi Baishi asked nervously, still confused about Jun's intentions.

"There's nothing wrong; I just want to invite you inside my shop for a while. Why don't you give me the honor of being my guest and drink some tea together with me," Jun invited Qi Baishi politely.

Qi Baishi heaved a sigh of relief. It was good that Jun didn't ask him to stay here for the night again, or else he didn't know what kind of danger he would face today.

"Sure, sure. I would like to drink some tea too." Qi Baishi entered the shop with a relaxed expression and sat beside a chair near Jun.

"By the way, fellow Daoist Qi, have you tested your talent in beast taming yet?" Jun asked.

"Obviously, I did. But, not long after, I was found out to have no talent for beast taming at all." Qi Baishi lowered his head and sighed.

In this world, talents were rare, and professional talents were even rarer. Even if someone had proper talents, it might go unnoticed in their whole lives if not tested properly. 

That's why there were many organizations in the Myriad worlds that tested the talent and aptitude of people who aspired to become cultivators at a young age.

Looking at Qi Baishi's dejected expression, Jun patted his shoulder and sighed. "Just because you don't have a talent for beast taming, it doesn't mean that you can never have one."

Jun smiled mysteriously at Qi Baishi. Qi Baishi, on the other hand, was quite confused with Jun's words.

"What do you mean by that? The only thing I want to achieve now is to breakthrough the Foundation Establishment Realm as soon as possible. It's impossible for me to become a beast tamer now," Qi Baishi retorted. He felt like he was being mocked by Jun.

Jun laughed at Qi Baishi's reply and took out a scroll from his storage ring. The scroll was emitting a faint white light and had a mysterious aura around it.

"What kind of majestic technique is stored in this scroll?" Qi Baishi's eyes were wide open. To him, only scrolls that contained heaven-defying techniques would be able to produce such an effect. 

He had heard from Jun before that Jun was from the Immortal World. Maybe Jun had brought this technique from the Immortal World. Perhaps this was his chance to step on the path of a Son of luck and bring glory to his poor ancestors.

"No, this isn't a cultivation technique," Jun declined.

Qi Baishi frowned slightly, but he still didn't give up on the scroll. "Then, is it some kind of inheritance left behind by an immortal? Would this scroll help me become a beast tamer?"

"No, this scroll does not contain an inheritance either," Jun shook his head.

"Then?" Qi Baishi asked with anticipation.

"It's a talent scroll," Jun said with a proud expression.

"Talent what?" Qi Baishi was stunned; he thought that he must have heard wrong.

"A talent scroll," Jun replied.

Qi Baishi sighed and leaned back in his chair. "Shop Owner Jun, how old do you think I am? Are you really going to deceive me with some cheap tricks?"

Qi Baishi snorted coldly. How could he believe such nonsense?

"I am not deceiving you. You should at least look at it," Jun insisted.

Jun was actually surprised that Qi Baishi was calm and didn't attack him in anger. He was even preparing to run towards Hua Zhenyi if Qi Baishi lost control in anger.

Qi Baishi fell silent. Jun looked like one of those old shopkeepers of the black market to him, who would sell you nursery rhymes after claiming it to be a peerless technique.

But he still decided to try it with caution. Who knows if there's some kind of trap in this scroll? As soon as he opened the scroll, some golden-colored words appeared on the parchment.

[Beast-tamer apprentice (Mortal grade high-level): Beast taming aptitude increases by three times. This talent grants you the ability to tame spiritual beasts up to the third rank. It is limited to the third rank of beast taming and won't assist you in reaching the fourth level of beast taming. (Price: 30 years of cultivation)]

[Note: Customer cannot reveal the details to anyone other than Shop Owner Jun. If the customer decides to reveal the trade to anyone, whether they buy the talent or not, their soul would perish as punishment.]

Qi Baishi was a little surprised for a minute, but he still maintained his composure. He was still a little skeptical about the scroll. Although this scroll looked extraordinary, who knows if it is nothing more than a trap.

Jun was surprised that Qi Baishi could still maintain his composure. Jun also knew about the thoughts Qi Baishi was having, looking at his reaction.

"You don't have to be skeptical like that. Who knows if this single scroll can change your life," Jun said.

Qi Baishi pursed his lips. Although he wasn't gullible enough to trust Jun's words, this scroll was just too tempting. Who knows if he could really comprehend the path to becoming a beast tamer with this single scroll.

"I... I want to buy this." Qi Baishi gritted his teeth and said. He prepared himself for what's to come. Anyway, he didn't have much to lose.

Suddenly, a warm feeling surged into his whole body, making him feel extremely comfortable.

On the other hand, his cultivation started to decline rapidly.

8th stage of Qi Condensation Realm.

7th stage of Qi Condensation Realm.

6th stage of Qi Condensation Realm.

...

It finally stopped declining after reaching the 4th stage of Qi Condensation Realm.

"My cultivation?" He exclaimed in surprise. "So it was actually true!"

Qi Baishi wasn't retarded enough to not understand what had happened today. It was clearly stated in the scroll that the price for the talent was his 30 years of cultivation.

"Do I really have a talent for beast taming now?" Qi Baishi looked at Jun with anticipation.

Jun smiled and nodded silently.

Qi Baishi didn't know what to say. There was a very strange but comfortable feeling in his body, something he had never experienced before. 

Moreover, he could even feel the emotions of all animals around the shop. It seemed like his initial talent [Beast Connection] had been greatly strengthened.

Qi Baishi immediately knelt before Jun. "I, Qi Baishi, will forever be indebted to you, esteemed Immortal."

Qi Baishi wasn't sure who Jun was. But, it was not an exaggeration to say that this existence before him may as well be a high-ranked immortal.

"You don't have to be so polite with me, Brother Qi Baishi. If you want to repay me, you can just work for my shop," Jun helped Qi Baishi stand up.

Qi Baishi was astounded. Work for your shop? He was even willing to become your dog for the rest of his life. This kind of existence, which can sell talents, is beyond common sense.

"I accept," Qi Baishi accepted Jun's offer without hesitation.

Initially, he was a little skeptical of Jun, but now every doubt inside him has vanished.

What 30 years? He was even willing to pay a hundred years of cultivation for such a talent.