Chapter 18: Chapter 18: Petty-minded

Two and a half years, from an outsider to a Tier One Middle Level Talisman Master!

Li Jizhou deserved the courteous treatment from Lu Zhenhua.

“It was sheer luck, sheer luck!”

“Talisman Master Li, no need to be modest. I’ve seen your progress. Here, let me offer you a toast with tea, wishing for a rising star in the art of talismans!” Lu Zhenhua solemnly raised his tea.

“Thank you!”

“Talisman Master Li, I wonder if you’re interested in joining our Ten Thousand Talisman Pavilion, as an Honored Guest Elder?” Lu Zhenhua asked earnestly.

“Honored Guest Elder?” Li Jizhou nodded slightly.

In his past life, one of the main reasons he could reach the late stage of Foundation Establishment was due to joining a Pill Workshop and becoming a Tier Two Honored Guest Elder.

This world is commercialized, and having a presence in every market city is a testament to strength and heritage!

In fact, many are backed by prominent sects or noble families!

The key is that being an Honored Guest Elder is merely a cooperative arrangement, requiring annual fixed-directional supply with no other restrictions.

In return, the benefits from the workshop to the guest elder are immeasurable by Spirit Stones.

Seeing Li Jizhou nod, Lu Zhenhua felt satisfied and then smiled, “Then Talisman Master Li, put some effort into achieving our Ten Thousand Talisman Pavilion’s minimum standards!”

Li Jizhou: “…”

If I haven’t reached your workshop’s minimum standards, why speak so seriously?

Li Jizhou had reason to suspect Lu Zhenhua to be petty.

However, he also sighed, realizing Ten Thousand Talisman Pavilion was even stronger than he imagined.

In his past life, he remembered clearly the Pill Workshop’s minimum requirement for Tier Three Honored Guest Elder was a Tier One Middle Level Pill Master.

Initially, when Lu Zhenhua proposed, he imagined Ten Thousand Talisman Pavilion’s minimum requirement was also Tier One Middle Level.

“What’s your pavilion’s minimum requirement for Honored Guest Elder?”

“Tier Three Honored Guest Elder requires a Tier One Middle Level Talisman Master and the capability to create top-quality mid-level talismans.

Annually, at least ten Tier One Middle Level top-quality talismans and fifty Tier One Middle Level top-grade talismans must be delivered,” Lu Zhenhua explained.

“Oh.” Li Jizhou nodded slightly.

Not an easy requirement!

Even more challenging than simply requiring a Tier One Advanced Level Talisman Master.

The rank of a Talisman Master merely requires the ability to craft talismans of corresponding levels; like a year ago, Li Jizhou, after mastering Tier One Junior Talismans, could directly attempt crafting Tier One Middle Level Talismans. Once proficient, if magical power and spiritual sense are sufficient, crafting Tier One Middle Level Talismans shouldn’t be difficult.

He could then become a Tier One Middle Level Talisman Master.

However, to lay a solid foundation, he spent an extra year refining his control over strokes, magical power, and spiritual sense to finally craft Tier One Junior Top-Quality Talismans.

Now, although he’s upgraded to a Tier One Middle Level Talisman Master, crafting top-quality requires deeper precision in controlling magical power and spiritual sense.

Simultaneously, this tests the artist’s abundant magical power and strong spiritual sense.

Simply put, even a Tier Two Talisman Master may not necessarily craft a Tier One Junior Top-Quality Talisman!

“I believe one day Talisman Master Li will become an Honored Guest Elder of our Ten Thousand Talisman Pavilion!” Lu Zhenhua said with a smile.

“Steward Lu praises me too much,” Li Jizhou replied with a bitter smile.

“Oh, back to the point, just now you said you favor the mid-level talisman market. Was it just a jest?” Lu Zhenhua returned to the earlier topic.

He truly felt Li Jizhou’s recent clearing move was extraordinary.

Seeing Lu Zhenhua was genuinely interested, given possible future changes in joining Ten Thousand Talisman Pavilion, Li Jizhou pondered briefly, “Just some shallow opinion, Steward Lu, listen leniently.”

“Please, Talisman Master Li!” Lu Zhenhua immediately sat upright.

“The drastic change in the talisman market stems from the Thunder Spirit Crystal Ore.

Currently, early-stage Qi Cultivation practitioners have gathered. Is there good news?

In my humble opinion, this matter is about to escalate.

Early-stage Qi Cultivation practitioners are the only way to enter the mine veins, but after months of successors, there’s no progress, only heavy casualties.

But those prominent figures won’t give up, only enhancing practitioners’ self-preservation.

Making Early Stage Qi Cultivation practitioners more self-sufficient involves mostly magical artifacts, talismans, or puppets.

Considering most early-stage cultivators’ weak divine souls, magical artifacts and puppets are hard to handle,

Only Tier One Middle Level talismans can barely be triggered.

Thus…”

“Thus, Tier One Middle Level talismans are their first choice!” Lu Zhenhua suddenly stood up.

“Talisman Master Li, far-sighted and insightful, a true sage! Steward Lu owes you a favor, and if given the chance, won’t forget your guidance!”

“I’ll take these mid-level talismans at the current price, but later make up the difference at peak value!”

Lu Zhenhua departed hurriedly, and Li Jizhou didn’t linger.

Leaving Ten Thousand Talisman Pavilion, he first went to Celestial Secret Pavilion to renew next year’s newsletter fee, money that can’t be saved due to the overall situation!

Then he replenished some Spirit Rice at the market; spiritual flesh wasn’t eaten up yet.

He also restocked some mid-level talisman paper and Spiritual Ink, then instead of going home directly, he aimlessly wandered to the north city gate.

Leaning against the gate, he gazed at the vast world outside.

Practicing at Inverted Mountain for two and a half years, especially after completing Qi Cultivation Second Level, he increasingly felt the spiritual energy was thin and unstable.

This directly relates to the recent influx of numerous loose cultivators.

The root cause, however, lies in Inverted Mountain having no management, no control over loose cultivators’ numbers, nor a large Spirit Gathering Array.

“With sufficient mid-level talismans for protection, could a risk be possible?” Looking at the vast sky, Li Jizhou’s urge to venture grew stronger.

While Li Jizhou was lost in thought.

“Swish~”

A figure flying with a sword approached swiftly from afar.

Yet, observing the posture, it seemed unstable, as if at any moment they might fall.

Following closely, five more figures pursued rapidly, even faster.

“Help, there’s a robber, fellow cultivator, save me!”

Seeing the Inverted Mountain city gate less than a hundred feet away, but the pursuers were catching up, the fleeing cultivator called out in despair.

This shout attracted many to gather at the gate.

“Tsk, today these robbers are bold, daring to chase here?”

“Recently, the southwest Thunder Spirit Crystal Ore has drawn the attention of major figures; anyone with decent strength headed southwest, so naturally, these robbers grew bolder. I even heard yesterday that the robber numbers here increased, even daring to maraud in groups of over twenty!”

“Why venture out? Isn’t it better to stay safe here?”

…

The people by the gate discussed fervently, yet none intended to aid.

“Bang~” a dull thud sounded as the fleeing cultivator was finally struck down by the chasing robber.

The robbers showed no mercy and wasted no time nor words, finishing the task completely, grabbing the storage bag and fleeing swiftly.

The unfortunate loose cultivator left no name behind, dying miserably in the wild!

The scene completely erased Li Jizhou’s unstable thought of risking it.

He took a deep breath, turning to leave.

Just then,

the crowd suddenly shouted, “A Demon Beast!”

Li Jizhou turned to look, seeing a yellow-haired Mouse Demon emerging from the loose cultivator’s corpse, gnawing on it.

In the next instant, only Li Jizhou remained by the gate.

Everyone else had rushed toward the yellow-haired demon beast.

Tier One Demon Beast meat, worth at least five Spirit Stones.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep