"Fellow Daoist Wu Jun, I may not be highly talented in talisman crafting, but my cultivation prowess is not to be underestimated." Ding Xue asserted himself, refusing to be belittled by Jun's remarks.
Jun calmly chuckled, pouring tea into a cup and sliding it toward Ding Xue. "Calm down, and drink this tea," he offered sincerely.
Ding Xue, still brimming with anger, stood up fiercely. "You'll have to explain your actions today, or I'll consider it an offense against me."
Jun, maintaining his composure, clarified, "You misunderstood my actions, Brother Ding Xue. I wasn't trying to insult you; I just wanted to help you."
"Help me?" Ding Xue hesitated, skeptical of Jun's words. Despite his reservations, he sat down and drank the tea to regain his composure.
"I don't understand what you're trying to say, Shop Owner Jun," Ding Xue stopped addressing Jun formally.
"I said that I can help you overcome the problem of lacking talent," Jun reassured Ding Xue politely.
"How?" Ding Xue, now more certain that Shop Owner Jun was playing with him, still chose to listen calmly.
Jun's smile expanded as he retrieved a mysterious wooden box from his storage ring, unveiling a scroll from within. Carefully, he placed the scroll in front of Ding Xue.
"Please, open it," Jun urged Ding Xue to unravel the scroll. Intrigued, Ding Xue complied, albeit with a puzzled expression.
Suddenly, a golden light erupted from the scroll, startling Ding Xue. Staggering backward, he fell from his chair, eyes wide open as he beheld the words that materialized on the floating scroll.
[Talisman Apprentice (Mortal grade medium-level): Talisman crafting aptitude increases by three times. This talent allows you to reach up to the third level of talisman crafting. This talent cannot exceed the third level of talisman crafting. (Price: 20 years of cultivation)]
[Notice: Customer cannot reveal the details of this trade 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.]
"This... What is this sorcery? Shop Owner Jun! Are you a deity from the upper realm or a god? How can something like this exist?" Ding Xue was flabbergasted, witnessing the sudden turn of events. His childhood tales of gods and deities fulfilling wishes seemed to be unfolding before him.
"Think of me whatever you want. I may be a deity, a god, or perhaps just a businessman. However, one thing is for sure: you'll have to make a decision today. Do you want to buy this talent or not?" Jun played the role of a mysterious master, knowing the system wouldn't protect him if Ding Xue decided to attack.
"Master... you must be an Immortal master. Senior, I, Ding Xue, pay my respect to you," Ding Xue quickly bowed before Jun respectfully, acknowledging the gravity of the situation.
'Immortal master? It doesn't feel bad to be called an Immortal master.' A sinister grin crept onto Jun's lips. After all, who wouldn't relish being revered by others?
Jun suppressed his emotions and observed Ding Xue's bowed figure. "Ahem! Get up, young one," he said indifferently.
"Yes, Senior. Please forgive me for being so rude earlier," Ding Xue expressed apologetically.
"It's fine, young one. You don't have to look so apologetic. Now that you know who I am, you can make your decision. Do you want to buy this talent and reach the pinnacle of talisman crafting, or would you choose to continue your life as an unknown cultivator on a small island?"
"The pinnacle of talisman crafting..." Jun's aura exuded majesty to Ding Xue. In this moment, it felt as if he was gazing at a deity who had already reached the pinnacle of the world, looking down on the living things below.
The gravity of the choice hung in the air, and Ding Xue pondered the extraordinary path laid out before him.
"But wait, didn't it say on this scroll that this talent would only allow me to reach the third level of talisman crafting?" Ding Xue looked at the words on the scroll with a puzzled expression, wondering if this senior had made a mistake.
"Cough, cough!" Jun appeared momentarily flustered and embarrassed before swiftly regaining his composure.
"Naive kid, what do you think this vast world is? A joke? Do you know how many people dream of reaching the level of talisman apprentice? Do you want to jump to the pinnacle in one try? You'll have to prove your worth to me if you want to go any further than the third level," Jun concocted a narrative on the spot, realizing he needed to refine his acting skills.
"Right, Senior, forgive me for being too greedy," Ding Xue apologized politely, diverting his gaze towards the mysterious scroll that hovered in the air. The air brimmed with the weight of the decision before him.
"Please bestow upon me this strange ability to reach the pinnacle of talisman crafting." Ding Xue's eyes held a resolute spark, unwilling to let go of the opportunity before him.
Uncertain of how the trade would be completed, especially given his insufficient cultivation to pay for the talent, he pressed on.
[Customer has accepted the trade.]
[Mortal grade medium-level talent "Talisman Apprentice" will now be transferred to the customer's soul.]
A peculiar yet comfortable sensation enveloped Ding Xue's body before vanishing completely.
"That's it?" he exclaimed, attempting to circulate his Qi, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
"Senior?" Ding Xue looked at Jun, whose expression remained calm. It dawned on him that something must have changed within him without his realization.
'System! Where's my token? How did you receive 20 years of cultivation from this Ding Xue?' Jun wore a composed exterior, but inside, nervousness churned as he sought answers from the mysterious system.
He wasn't sure how the trade had been completed without Ding Xue having the proper cultivation base.
[Customer Ding Xue does not have enough cultivation base for the system to receive. That's why 50% of his cultivation base will be received every year and will be transformed into a token until he completes the transaction.]
In a sense, Jun also wanted to see how this trade would take place if the customer didn't have enough cultivation base. Now that he knew the process, he felt relieved.
"Every year, half of your cultivation base will be taken as payment until the transaction is completed," Jun stated indifferently.
"I understand, Senior. It's already a blessing for me to have this opportunity. I would naturally not ask for more," Ding Xue replied, cupping his fists and bowing respectfully.
As long as he could successfully reach the third level of talisman crafting, he believed he would have a bright future even if his cultivation speed decreased by half.
"Don't worry about your cultivation base. This cultivation base will purely be based on how much cultivation base you can accumulate in 20 years without the help of external resources," Jun added, having made prior inquiries with the system to ensure a clear understanding of the terms.
"Thank you, Senior. I will always remember this favor and will work hard with all my capabilities to not waste the opportunity you have bestowed upon me," Ding Xue expressed, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
In this moment, he simply wanted to return to the city and share his happiness with his friends.
He turned around, prepared to leave the shop.
"Stop!" Jun exclaimed, causing Ding Xue to halt on the spot.