Chapter 48: Chapter 48: How Could This Be?

"That’s right. The market price is two and a half Spirit Stones each. Our offer is five percent less than that, for a total of thirty-five and a half Spirit Stones. We’ve rounded that up by half a Spirit Stone for you, so it’s thirty-six in total. Correct."

The attendant gave him a playful, flirtatious wink.

"Seeing as how well we’ve treated you, you have to come back to our Duo Bao Pavilion the next time you sell Talismans!"

Jiang Xu cleared his throat and put away the Spirit Stones.

"Uh, we’ll see. It all depends on whether I get any more Talismans as loot in the future."

After speaking, Jiang Xu stood up, ready to leave.

The attendant was taken aback.

"Aren’t you going to buy anything, sir?"

"When did I say I was buying anything? What, are you going to force me to buy something?"

The attendant was choked speechless. She bit her lip, looking a little wronged, but there was nothing she could do. She could only open the Array to let Jiang Xu out.

Jiang Xu checked himself over. After confirming there was nothing amiss, he walked out of the Duo Bao Pavilion and hurried away.

As he walked, he grumbled to himself in frustration.

’Did they really peg me as a Talisman Maker just from fifteen Cold Ice Talismans? Damn it! I’m still too naive!’

’In the end, I couldn’t buy any Talisman Paper from the Duo Bao Pavilion. I just claimed not to be a Talisman Maker; if I turned around and bought Talisman Paper, wouldn’t that be a slap in my own face? I’ll just have to wait and find another shop next time.’

...

That afternoon, Jiang Xu returned to his room.

Before that, he had visited several different shops and successfully purchased a large quantity of Talisman Paper and Talismanic Ink.

Only now did Jiang Xu understand something.

The prices for goods within the Sect were different from those in the outside Marketplace.

The Sect actually subsidized items sold to its disciples, so the prices were slightly lower.

Whether it was Elixirs, Talismans, or Talisman Paper, everything was a bit cheaper than the market price outside.

That was why a Cold Ice Talisman, which cost two Spirit Stones inside the Sect, sold for two and a half here.

However, this discount wasn’t unlimited. There were purchasing limits, and once you exceeded them, the price reverted to the original.

The Sect was also wary of people acting as resellers, taking Sect resources and selling them outside.

This kind of activity was actually punishable under Sect rules.

’I spent thirty-two Spirit Stones on Talisman Paper and Talismanic Ink this time. I wonder how many Cold Ice Talismans I’ll be able to make.’

Jiang Xu sensed the Talisman Paper in his Storage Bag.

’At any rate, it should be enough to max out the Skill Level on my panel.’

SIGH—!

Jiang Xu sighed.

’I don’t even know how many types of Magic are waiting for Limit-Breaking Points now. It’s a shame Limit-Breaking Points are so hard to get. It just takes time. If only there was a way to increase my lifespan.’

After sighing, Jiang Xu collected himself. He bathed, lit some incense, and prepared for his grand undertaking of Talisman Making.

...

After leaving the Purple Profound Celestial Marketplace, Yan Chunyu flew off alone in the direction of the Endless Forest.

She stood alone on her Silver Moon Ship, her expression dark and uncertain.

She thought back to a few hours ago, when she had taken out the special Sound Transmission Talisman the Sect had given her.

When Yan Chunyu pressed it to her forehead, she had unexpectedly received a message from the Sect.

In truth, she had only one mission for this trip out of the Sect.

This mission wasn’t to pick Little Jade Qilin Fruits, and it certainly wasn’t about some inconsequential case of missing Outer Disciples.

It was a mission the likes of which she had never even heard of before.

And the contents of this mission left her utterly horrified.

’Why would I be needed for something so momentous?’

Yan Chunyu was filled with doubt, but the Sect had given a direct order she could not refuse. She had to go.

’I can only take it one step at a time. Who knows, perhaps I can even find a heaven-sent opportunity in all this.’

Yan Chunyu gazed into the distance. The border of the Endless Forest slowly drew nearer, like a primordial beast opening its blood-soaked maw.

...

Not until dawn the next day did Jiang Xu finally break out of his Talisman Making state.

Talisman Making was, in fact, an extremely draining task for one’s Spiritual Power.

Normally, a Cultivator at the Qi Cultivation Third Layer like Jiang Xu would only be able to draw about twenty Talismans before his Spiritual Power was severely depleted, forcing him to stop.

Indeed, that had been the case for Jiang Xu before.

But for some reason, as he drew more and more Talismans yesterday afternoon, his hand grew steadier, and he didn’t feel the slightest bit of fatigue.

He kept drawing like that until this morning, completely using up all the Talisman Paper he had bought.

Thirty-two Spirit Stones, two hundred fifty sheets of Talisman Paper, seven bottles of Talismanic Ink—all gone in a single night.

’What’s going on?’

Jiang Xu was mystified. He casually opened his panel to check the Skill Level of his Cold Ice Talisman.

But one look at it made him rub his eyes in disbelief.

’Huh? Am I seeing things?’

On the panel, what was originally:

[Cold Ice Talisman (Skilled): 49/200]

had, after just one night, become:

[Cold Ice Talisman (Mastery): 400/400]

’It’s over, it’s over. I’m a Cultivator, one sleepless night shouldn’t be a big deal, right? But how did it fry my brain so badly? I’m actually seeing "Skilled" as "Mastery" and "200" as "400"...’

Jiang Xu mumbled to himself, preparing to go to sleep first.

But the next moment, when he sensed the finished Cold Ice Talismans in his Storage Bag, he froze solid.

A full fifty-five Cold Ice Talismans were sitting there in his Storage Bag.

Last night, annoyed by the Talismans cluttering his desk, he had put each one away as soon as he finished it.

He had been so absorbed in Talisman Making that he hadn’t kept count.

’I can’t believe there are so many!’

Two hundred fifty sheets of Talisman Paper, fifty-five finished products—that was a success rate of over twenty percent!

Inside the Sect, Talisman Paper was sold by the dozen—twelve sheets for one Spirit Stone.

In the Marketplace, the price was higher: ten sheets of Talisman Paper for one Spirit Stone.

That meant that for every one Spirit Stone’s worth of materials, he could earn five Spirit Stones.

A full 400% profit!

’So the Skill Level on my panel really did reach Mastery, and it’s even maxed out?’

As the realization dawned on him, Jiang Xu’s first reaction wasn’t excitement.

Instead, his mind was filled with questions.

What exactly happened yesterday? Why did this change occur?

If he could replicate it, he would never have to worry about not having enough Limit-Breaking Points again.

’I started Talisman Making yesterday afternoon, and the steps were all the same as usual.’

Jiang Xu slowly recalled.

’As I was drawing... it seems... it seems my mind became completely focused on Talisman Making, and I forgot everything else.’

’After that, all I remember is the normal process of drawing the Talismans. I have no impression of anything else.’

Suddenly, a flash of Spiritual Light sparked in Jiang Xu’s mind.

’Could it be... this is the Enlightenment Realm that Cultivators dream of, but which is nigh-impossible to achieve even in ten thousand years?’

’It’s said that some people in this world with extraordinary perception can, by chance, have their spiritual will merge with the will of heaven and earth. When that happens, they enter a mysterious and profound state, allowing their Cultivation or skills to advance by leaps and bounds in a very short time.’

’Everyone gains something different from this Enlightenment Realm, and it cannot be controlled.’

’And no one has ever been heard of who could enter this state voluntarily and repeatedly.’

’But perhaps... I might be different?’