The young boy flushed red as mocking laughter surrounded him. Fear and hesitation flickered in his eyes as he glanced nervously at Xiao Chen. His situation was dire—his cultivation bottleneck had left him desperate enough to take risks.
"Esteemed cultivator… I was foolish to even think you'd value such low-level talismans. I'll take my leave immediately," the boy stammered, turning to leave.
"Wait," Xiao Chen said, his tone calm.
The crowd grew silent, watching intently as Xiao Chen cast an indifferent glance at the boy. "Leave the 100 Fireball Talismans. Take two pills from the bottle."
The boy froze, disbelief quickly giving way to joy. He hurriedly placed the stack of talismans on the stall and carefully retrieved two Essence Refinement Pills from the jade bottle. Clutching his prize, he bowed deeply before running off, his face beaming.
The crowd erupted in astonishment. Even a talisman as lowly as Fireball, typically dismissed as garbage, had been accepted.
Seeing this, a wave of cultivators surged forward with their offerings:
"Esteemed cultivator, I have dozens of Fireball Talismans and several Earth Crack, Binding, and Vajra Talismans. I'd like to trade for three Minor Recovery Pills."
"I have Quishui Golden Needles, Explosive Fireballs, and Swamp Talismans—13 in total. I hope to exchange them for two Spirit Gathering Pills and one Nine-Turn Blood Jade Paste."
The frenzy continued for half an hour. Xiao Chen's stock of pills dwindled to half, while his storage pouch filled with over a thousand talismans. He couldn't help but feel satisfied.
Even the lowest-grade Fireball Talismans, weak individually, could unleash devastating power when used in large numbers. A coordinated volley of a hundred could seriously injure or even kill a Foundation Establishment cultivator. With proper planning, they might even save his life.
A sudden snort interrupted the commotion, laced with powerful spiritual pressure and divine sense. The crowd fell silent, parting quickly as a black-robed man in his thirties strode forward. His cold, dark gaze swept over Xiao Chen's stall, a flicker of greed evident as he eyed the pills.
A Foundation Establishment cultivator!
Xiao Chen's heart skipped a beat, but he quickly steadied himself. Though he hadn't reached Foundation Establishment, his abundant, refined spiritual energy gave him the confidence to face this man in combat if necessary.
"Does Senior wish to purchase pills?" Xiao Chen asked, his tone steady and respectful.
The man hesitated briefly before speaking. "I have talismans—not the junk these others offered." With a hint of pride, he retrieved a talisman from his storage pouch. It was blood-red and seemed to shimmer like fire, its intricate patterns marking it as extraordinary.
"This is a Fireburst Talisman. When activated, it unleashes an explosion equivalent to the full-force attack of a Foundation Establishment cultivator. What's your price?"
Xiao Chen's eyes gleamed with interest. A second-tier attack talisman like this would be a potent addition to his arsenal. After a moment's thought, he replied, "Three Essence Restoration Pills."
Retrieving three pills from his pouch, he placed them on the stall. Their potent fragrance filled the air, drawing murmurs of envy from the crowd.
The black-robed man's eyes burned with greed. He quickly agreed, handing over the Fireburst Talisman and taking the pills.
"Senior, I also have a high-grade Water Needle Talisman," the man said, emboldened by the successful trade. "It unleashes thousands of water needles capable of injuring even mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators."
"Deal," Xiao Chen replied without hesitation. This time, he offered five Spirit Recovery Pills, which the man accepted eagerly.
After verifying the talisman's authenticity, Xiao Chen nodded in satisfaction and stored it carefully. "Does Senior have any other talismans for trade? I'll ensure fair compensation," he asked, his tone respectful.
The black-robed man hesitated briefly but ultimately shook his head.
Feigning disappointment, Xiao Chen watched him leave before resuming his trades. Another quarter-hour passed, during which he acquired over 200 additional talismans before announcing, "That's enough for today. Everyone, please disperse."
Though some cultivators grumbled about missing their chance, none dared challenge him. Xiao Chen's displayed strength of a seventh-level Qi Refinement cultivator was enough to deter them.
As Xiao Chen packed up and left the market, his pace was calm and deliberate. He traveled about 300 miles when the air in front of him rippled, and the black-robed man appeared, blocking his path.
"What is the meaning of this?" Xiao Chen asked coolly, his expression neutral. "Our trade is complete. Why bar my way?"
The man sneered, his tone mocking. "It's simple. Return the two talismans you just acquired and hand over a few dozen pills. If you comply, I might let you live."
The man's eyes gleamed with avarice. He was convinced that Xiao Chen, likely a scion of a wealthy sect, carried an abundance of treasures. Only the fear of a hidden protector had kept him from acting in the market. Now, with Xiao Chen seemingly alone, his greed knew no bounds.
Feigning fear, Xiao Chen stumbled backward, his eyes wide.
"Don't bother running," the man taunted. "It'll only make things worse!" Confident in his superiority, the man summoned a red-hued spiritual weapon—a fiery blade—and launched a powerful strike aimed at Xiao Chen.
But just as the attack neared, Xiao Chen's fearful facade vanished. His eyes grew sharp, his expression cold and focused.
"Now!"
The moment the man committed to his attack, Xiao Chen countered. His divine sense, honed to razor sharpness, pierced into the man's mind like an iron spike.
The black-robed man faltered, blood spraying from his mouth as his spiritual weapon clattered to the ground, its power dissipating.
Xiao Chen raised a hand, summoning the weapon into his grasp. It hummed faintly, its fiery glow flickering. A mid-grade spiritual weapon.
With no time to spare, he sealed the weapon with talismanic restraints and stored it in his pouch.
The man fell to the ground, lifeless. His spiritual consciousness had been utterly destroyed. Xiao Chen showed no remorse. The man's greed and malice had sealed his fate.
After rifling through the man's storage pouch, Xiao Chen quickly departed, his divine sense alert. Moments later, several figures emerged from the shadows, their faces pale. They exchanged nervous glances, realizing the danger they had narrowly avoided. Without hesitation, they scattered, unwilling to test Xiao Chen's strength.
Returning to Falling Cloud Valley, Xiao Chen meticulously checked the protective formations around his secluded garden before entering.
Inside, he organized the trove of talismans he had acquired. Individually weak, they could unleash devastating force when used in large numbers. The two high-grade talismans he had traded for were particularly valuable, and he stored them with care.
Finally, he examined the black-robed man's belongings. To his delight, the pouch contained hundreds of low-grade spirit stones, several mid-grade ones, and three spiritual weapons. While the pills were mundane, he set them aside for potential future use.
What intrigued him most were two jade boxes. The first contained a peculiar talisman with an intricately drawn needle-like pattern. Though it lacked any discernible energy, Xiao Chen's instincts told him it was extraordinary.
The second box held two jade slips. The first detailed a cultivation technique, Wave Source True Water Technique, which Xiao Chen found unremarkable. The second, titled The Art of Array Symbols, described methods for crafting talismanic arrays.
"Perfect," Xiao Chen thought, his excitement growing. This text complemented the basic formation manual he had received from Yaodaozi and opened the door to advanced applications.
Smiling faintly, Xiao Chen stored the slips, resolving to delve into their secrets when time allowed.