Staying In The World Of Cultivation

Chapter 18: Su Fan, the Talisman Master

Half a year later, at Little Sun Market.

Although it was early spring, the weather was still slightly chilly.

Su Fan was wearing a semi-worn gray cotton robe, sitting in front of a roadside stall, holding an ancient book and reading it with great interest.

"Little Fan, business is good today."

Hearing the words of the old man next to him, Su Fan put down the book and chuckled, "Thanks to your blessings, it's not bad..."

"It's all thanks to you talisman masters. With this skill, the Great Dao is within reach."

Su Fan smiled and didn't respond, picking up the book and continuing to read.

The old man next to him was quite talkative. If you engaged in conversation with him, he would never stop.

Compared to a few months ago, his appearance had completely changed, to the point where even the most familiar people wouldn't recognize him.

As a body cultivator, changing one's physique and appearance was as simple as can be.

The current Shaoyang District was already a completely different place.

After the last invasion by demonic cultivators, the strength of the Little Sun Faction was greatly diminished, and even the Foundation Building Patriarch was injured in the Qin Kingdom.

After the invasion by demonic cultivators, the Qingxuan Sect of the Qin Kingdom took over the management of the district market, citing the importance of Shaoyang District's location.

Shaoyang District also became a transportation hub, the only place in the Chu Kingdom where airships could dock during the war.

Every few days, an airship would arrive at the market, responsible for transporting personnel and cultivation resources to the war zone in the Qin Kingdom.

Independent cultivators could also take the airship to other secular countries in the Yong State, but the cost was three middle-grade spirit stones.

With the docking of the airship, the population of Shaoyang District gradually increased.

The Qingxuan Sect rebuilt Shaoyang District, expanding its area by nearly double, strengthening the formation of the market, and sending a Foundation Building cultivator to oversee it long-term.

They also specifically opened up a large area of empty land to concentrate the scattered stalls in the market.

Now that the war was over, the Qingxuan Sect showed no intention of withdrawing from the market.

Faced with the Gold Core sect, the Little Sun Faction didn't even dare to make a sound, simply closing their mountain gate and acting like a turtle.

After the catastrophe last time, many independent cultivators around the market died.

Coupled with the independent cultivators who went to participate in the war in the Qin Kingdom, at least half of them were lost, and the number of independent cultivators in Shaoyang District decreased by thirty percent.

But in just a few days, independent cultivators from other places began to flock to Shaoyang District.

The number of independent cultivators around the market not only did not decrease, but increased significantly.

Su Fan also took the opportunity to change his identity and became a talisman master who had recently settled in Shaoyang District, setting up a stall in the market to sell talismans every few days.

He had already thought of a name for himself, calling himself Fan Su.

In addition to that, Su Fan changed his appearance and rented two houses nearby, frequently appearing in the market with different identities.

In the span of two months, he gradually sold off his Law Weapon, storage bags, and unused elixirs in the market.

It wasn't until last month that the conflict between immortals and demons in the Qin Kingdom finally came to an end.

It was said that the final stage of the war was extremely brutal.

The war had spread to several surrounding provinces, with the demonic sect in Ningzhou, as well as the sword sects in Ganzhou and Lanzhou, all getting involved.

Fortunately, several major immortal and demonic sects from the Western Wasteland intervened, bringing some peace.

In recent days, a large number of cultivators from immortal sects and independent cultivators from various regions had returned from the Qin Kingdom, many of them taking a few days to rest and recuperate in Shaoyang District.

Especially the independent cultivators, they simply set up stalls here, exchanging various resources for spirit stones as quickly as possible.

And the independent cultivators who survived the night when the demonic cultivators broke through Shaoyang District had all gained some benefits.

Although the market has been thoroughly searched by the demonic cultivators, it is impossible to clean it completely due to the rush.

These independent cultivators also want to take advantage of this opportunity to sell the things they have salvaged.

In the past few days, Shaoyang District has been unusually prosperous, with crowds of people everywhere, whether in shops or in the open-air markets.

However, as the war comes to an end, the prices of various resources have started to plummet.

Those independent cultivators who managed to survive the immortal-demon war have accumulated quite a few valuable items.

The first thing they do when they return is to exchange these items for spirit stones.

Especially talismans and Law Weapons, their prices have dropped to an absurd level.

Some items have even dropped by more than half compared to before the war, but still no one is interested.

Su Fan's business has also been greatly affected.

The prices of talismans have dropped to an absurd level.

Since Su Fan doesn't rely on selling talismans to earn spirit stones, he decided to cut the prices by half.

Although the profit is less, the sales have increased, making it lively.

As evening approaches, Su Fan packs up his things and leaves the market.

He carries a tattered bundle on his back, walking with a hunched and frail body.

His face is pale yellow, looking sickly.

The cotton robe he is wearing is obviously a few sizes too big, making it loose and baggy.

No one would have expected that the loose and baggy cotton robe would conceal three storage bags hanging from his waist.

What's even more bizarre is that this guy actually wears a High Grade Law Robe as an inner lining.

Su Fan's current place of residence is not far from the market, only a little over two li away.

It used to be the residence of a Qi Refining Late Stage independent cultivator, but unfortunately, that senior died in the Qin Kingdom.

Only then did Su Fan have the opportunity to rent it and make it his new home.

Su Fan walks into an alley and exchanges a few words with the neighbors.

Then he arrives in front of a courtyard and unlocks the door.

The new home not only has a good location but also a fairly large area, with nearly a hundred square meters just in the front yard.

The yard is paved with large pieces of green stone, with stone tables and chairs arranged, and a flower bed of over twenty square meters left.

Su Fan has already decided that he will grow various vegetables here in the future.

What's the point of growing flowers on such a good piece of land? Can you eat them?

Entering the house, there is a hall, with a symbol-making room and a cultivation room on both sides, and a bedroom further inside, with the kitchen and storage room located behind the hall.

According to his own needs, Su Fan rearranges everything.

The furnishings in the house are simple, with green bricks covering the floor of the hall, only a few pieces of wooden furniture, including an Eight Immortals table, matching coffee tables, and a long table.

Next to the window is a mahogany table, with two pear wood chairs placed on either side.

In the symbol-making room, two rows of bookshelves are placed, along with a mahogany symbol-making table.

A beast skin tablecloth is spread on the table, with a set of high-quality symbol-making tools placed on top.

Next to the table, there is also a tall table with a brass incense burner, emitting a faint and elegant fragrance that helps to calm the mind.

The cultivation room, on the other hand, is empty, with only a meditation cushion placed in the middle of the room and a small incense burner next to it.

Underneath the house, there is also a basement of over a hundred square meters, with several pieces of luminous stone embedded in the walls, making the basement as bright as daylight.

This is the place where the senior practiced spells and Law Weapons in the past.

The walls and floor have been reinforced with "fossil symbols" repeatedly, and there are several black iron wooden targets inside.

The senior lived here for decades, and the house is well taken care of.

Of course, the rent for this house is not cheap.

Ten spirit stones per month, and the rent must be paid for a full year.

Encountering such a good house, Su Fan didn't hesitate to rent it.

Fortunately, he rented it early, and at that time it was the most depressed period in the market, so there were many vacant houses.

If he had waited a while longer, he might not have been able to get this house.

In the past six months, Su Fan has been living a fulfilling life.

In addition to setting up a stall in the market for a few days each month, the rest of the time is spent practicing martial arts and spells.

Su Fan came to the cultivation room and sat cross-legged on the cushion.

He opened the panel, and after several months of cultivation, there have been significant changes in various aspects.

[Name] Su Fan

[Life Span] 36/92 years old

[Realm] Qi Refining Third Layer: 99/100

[Cultivation Techniques]

1. Primordial Origin Technique (Rank One): 33/100

2. Cross Training Body Tempering Art (Rank Two): 115/200

3. Heavenly Demon Sacred Body Technique (Rank One): 100/100

4. Ghostly Demon Forging Technique (Rank Two): 12/200

[Spell Techniques]

1. Aura Examination Technique (Proficient): 613/800

2. Light Body Technique (Proficient): 721/800

3. Spirit Concealment Technique (Proficient): 596/800

4. Intent Manifestation Fist (Proficient): 450/800

5. Ethereal Spirit Technique (Intermediate): 55/200

6. Corpse Control Technique (Intermediate): 45/200

7. Object Manipulation Technique (Intermediate): 98/200

8. Nine Extreme Continuous Slashes (Proficient): 521/800

9. Soul Possession Technique (Intermediate): 35/200

[Skills]

1. Green Lamp Symbol (Novice): 65/100

2. Evil Warding Symbol (Advanced): 35/400

3. Water Avoidance Symbol (Intermediate): 105/200

4. Armor and Horse Symbol (Intermediate): 95/200

5. Arrow Avoidance Symbol (Intermediate): 158/200

6. Silent Movement Symbol (Intermediate): 110/200

[Divine Abilities]

1. Thunder Law Eye (Advanced): 35/400

2. Thunder Ghost Steps (Advanced): 315/400

First, let's talk about cultivation realm. A few days ago, Su Fan had already reached the peak of the Qi Refining Third Layer.

Due to taking the Yellow Spirit Pill, the progress of the Qi Refining Third Layer on the panel has increased by nearly double, adding about fifteen points per month.

In these few days, the bottleneck has loosened, and the breakthrough is just a matter of time.

In addition, he now spends some time every day practicing the "Ghostly Demon Forging Technique."

With the assistance of the "Soul Refining Pill," he quickly broke through to Rank Two, but as the pills were consumed, the speed slowed down.

Although his spiritual consciousness has not grown much, his divine soul has become purer and more condensed.

He has also consumed those bottles of "Blood Qi Pill," which not only increased his strength but also enhanced his physical body.

As for how much it has increased, he doesn't know, but the proficiency of the "Cross Training Body Tempering Art" has increased by dozens of points.

Both types of pills are indeed extraordinary, but unfortunately, they are no longer available, even if you have spirit stones, you can't buy them on the market.

The Intent Manifestation Fist and Nine Extreme Continuous Slashes have both reached the proficient level, finally undergoing a qualitative change.

Not only has their power greatly increased, but each move also carries extraordinary might and some variations.

As for what kind of changes, Su Fan can't describe them.

Two new spells, "Ethereal Spirit Technique" and "Object Manipulation Technique," have been practiced to the intermediate level.

As for the souls required for the cultivation of the "Ethereal Spirit Technique," it is quite simple.

Su Fan deliberately created several opportunities for bandits to extract their souls.

As for practicing the "Object Manipulation Technique," it is just to increase some different attack methods for future battles.

Su Fan carefully studied the "Heavenly Corpse Secret Compilation" and specifically learned the "Corpse Control Technique" and "Soul Possession Technique."

There is no need to explain the "Corpse Control Technique."

The "Soul Possession Technique" is a very magical spell.

It allows one's strand of divine consciousness to reside in the body of a zombie, making it as easy as commanding one's own arm when manipulating the zombie.

After half a year of accumulation, Su Fan's experience in making symbols has greatly increased, and he can now make six types of talismans.

Although they are all low-grade auxiliary talismans, they are essential for Independent Cultivators in the wild and belong to the best-selling kind.

Moreover, the success rate is above fifty percent, especially the "Evil Warding Symbol," which has reached eighty percent.

Since he received the water cloud sect's symbol-making inheritance, the talismans he made are better than most Independent Cultivator symbol masters, and he doesn't set high prices for the talismans he sells in the market.

Therefore, the talismans made by Su Fan are highly welcomed by Independent Cultivators in the market.

Although he doesn't earn much, the monthly profit is around a dozen spirit stones.

For an Independent Cultivator symbol master, it is already impressive.

The two Divine Abilities, "Thunder Law Eye" and "Thunder Ghost Steps," have both reached the advanced realm.

Especially the "Thunder Ghost Steps," he attaches great importance to it and has spent a lot of time practicing.

This Divine Ability is absolutely amazing for a physical cultivator.

In a battle, when combined with the proficient "Light Body Technique," his combat power will increase exponentially.

(End of this chapter)