CHAPTER 30: CHAPTER 30: LONGEVITY TALENT

After moving into the Second-class Mansion, Shen Xuan returned to his routine of practicing, talisman making, and training his beloved wife.

Occasionally, after putting his wife to sleep, he would use the Concealing Breath Technique and Invisibility Technique to fly from the third floor to the Spirit Pool, through the Dark River, and swim to the Longze River, enhancing his various water talents.

In his spare time, he wrote five letters and sent them to Qin Yuehan, Lv Zhengying, Wang Fugui, Zhao Sujin, and Li Chang’an.

The most important ones were Qin Yuehan and Lv Zhengying, the other three were just incidental.

In the letters, Shen Xuan wrote his new address, inviting them to come to the Cyan Dragon Bay Market when they had time to play.

The letters were meant for the Ding Family to see, to maintain friendships with his classmates.

After all, having received benefits from others, one must show some courtesy.

As for whether Qin Yuehan and the others would come, Shen Xuan didn’t hold much hope.

Everyone was older, with their own affairs to attend to; every family has its own problems, and who would travel a thousand miles to visit old friends for no reason.

A month later, he had upgraded the Iron Bone Technique to the mastery stage.

It was at this time that Zhao Chunsheng also brought good news.

Building up strength over time, after moving into the Second-class Mansion and removing the deadly snake poison, he finally broke through to the Qi Cultivation Eighth Layer in one go.

This made him generous for once, setting up a banquet to invite Shen Xuan and his wife for a meal and drinks.

"Actually, my Fire Spirit Root is only 28 points, whether I break through or not isn’t that important. With determination, I can endure to reach the Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer."

After drinking, Zhao Chunsheng spoke a bit more.

"Wealth, Companions, Method, and Place, without Spirit Stones, no matter how high one’s cultivation realm is, it is in vain. Shen Talisman Master, let me tell you why demon hunters can’t save up spirit stones."

"They struggle on the edge of life and death. Once they catch something big and earn spirit stones, they indulge in sensual pleasures, anesthetizing themselves, spending all the spirit stones they earn with their lives!"

"So, being a demon hunter is a dead end!"

Taking advantage of his drunkenness, Zhao Chunsheng vented: "They call me a rabbit demon hunter behind my back, mocking me for being timid and not daring to hunt deep in the Shadow Forest."

"What do they know!"

"In this world, nothing is more important than life! I’m different from them! I have a wife and child, and I want to enjoy life in the future."

"For those spirit stones, risking life? It’s not worth it!"

Shen Xuan, seeing Jiang Xueqi’s pleading gaze, smiled and raised his teacup in a toast.

"Zhao Daoist friend is right. I think so too."

"Wife, you see, even Shen Talisman Master agrees with me!"

That night, Zhao Chunsheng was particularly excited and got thoroughly drunk.

The next day.

Shen Xuan brought the newly made Rejuvenation Talismans to the Ding Family’s shop.

As soon as he entered, the shopkeeper Ding warmly hurried up to greet him.

"Shen Talisman Master, long time no see. I heard you’ve moved to the Second-class Mansion!"

Shen Xuan was taken aback.

"It was introduced by Ding Yijin, didn’t Shopkeeper Ding know?"

"Young Master Ding is busy with important matters, how could he mention such small things to us?"

"What’s the current price of the Rejuvenation Talisman?"

"The pioneering has ended, so the price has dropped a bit. Ten sheets for eleven spirit stones, double for the premium ones."

Shen Xuan shook his head.

As it is, his profits have also decreased somewhat.

"However, the talisman paper and cinnabar for the Rejuvenation Talismans have also dropped in price accordingly."

Shen Xuan took out a large stack of ordinary Rejuvenation Talismans.

"Exchange for 360 sheets of talisman paper and a bottle of cinnabar. Convert the rest into spirit stones."

"Alright!"

Working hard for a month, focusing on creating Rejuvenation Talismans, only earned back talisman-making materials and a dozen spirit stones.

Fortunately, there were more than twenty premium Rejuvenation Talismans left in the storage pouch.

Otherwise, he couldn’t even afford to use the small Spirit Gathering Array.

"Why not temporarily forgo using the Spirit Gathering Array?"

The practice room in the Second-class Mansion, a Tier One Upper Grade venue, was enough for his cultivation.

"No way! Time waits for no one. Using the Spirit Gathering Array will need only half the time to reach the Qi Cultivation Sixth Layer, just three years."

Shen Xuan had an unusual obsession with strengthening his abilities.

He always felt the Cyan Dragon Bay Market wasn’t safe enough.

Leaving the Ding Family’s shop, Shen Xuan bought some spirit rice, demon beast meat, and spirit fruits and vegetables.

They and Zhao Chunsheng’s family cooked separately.

This could save a lot of disputes.

Returning to the mansion, he called over the sobered up Zhao Chunsheng.

"These twenty premium Rejuvenation Talismans, help me sell them. The usual rule, a commission of one and a half percent."

"Additionally, this Explosive Spirit Pill, find a way to help me deal with it."

Zhao Chunsheng accepted the spirit talismans and Explosive Spirit Pill and left in a hurry.

He returned in the evening, handing Shen Xuan ninety-five spirit stones.

"Fifty-four spirit stones for the premium Rejuvenation Talismans, forty-one spirit stones for the Explosive Spirit Pill."

Shen Xuan gave Zhao Chunsheng ten spirit stones.

"Thank you for your hard work."

"What hard work, just a simple errand."

"No one was watching, right?"

"Shen Talisman Master, you’re too careful. I’m a Qi Cultivation Eighth Layer demon hunter, for such small items, what could happen? You’re underestimating me!"

"Regardless, better safe than sorry, safety first."

Shen Xuan reminded him a few more words and then went back to practicing talisman making.

With over eighty spirit stones in his pocket, Shen Xuan once again opened the Barbaric Wilderness Demon Beast Atlas.

Seize another Tier One middle-grade water demon beast, and his spirit root could be enhanced to 20 points.

points mean a Middle Grade Spirit Root!

With good luck, Foundation Establishment may even have a chance!

After flipping through the Barbaric Wilderness Demon Beast Atlas several times, he couldn’t find a desirable demon beast to seize.

Water attribute demon beasts are considered the cheapest, but most are in the East Sea.

Near the Longze River, they’re plentiful and cheap, but those with special talents are scarce.

Finally, Shen Xuan focused on the Water Cloud Turtle.

A Tier One middle-grade demon beast, an adult Water Cloud Turtle can weigh hundreds of pounds and costs four to five hundred spirit stones each!

Water Cloud Turtle meat is highly reinforcing and is said to have longevity benefits.

Moreover, its shell is extremely hard, serving as raw material for the defensive magical artifact, Water Cloud Shield.

"Can’t afford an adult Water Cloud Turtle, wonder how much a juvenile costs."

Fortunately, Water Cloud Turtles have a strong reproduction rate, laying hundreds of eggs at a time, with only a few juveniles surviving to adulthood.

Asked Zhao Chunsheng for advice later.

"A juvenile Water Cloud Turtle? Depends on the size. The small ones, merely fist-sized, cost two spirit stones each!"

Shen Xuan pondered.

"What about bowl-sized ones?"

"Bowl-sized, those would weigh a pound or two, costing five or six spirit stones."

Shen Xuan calculated.

With eighty spirit stones in savings, plus a monthly net income of sixty to seventy spirit stones, he could barely afford it.

"Help me purchase some juvenile Water Cloud Turtles, don’t buy too many at once, just three or four."

"Alright. Shen Talisman Master, rest assured about my work, absolutely no problem!"

Zhao Chunsheng speculated that Shen Xuan had a secret technique to condense essence blood from water attribute demon beasts to enhance his talisman-making ability.

However, it wasn’t his concern.

In the cultivation realm, which cultivator doesn’t have some secrets?

Shen Talisman Master wasn’t adept at magical combat, timid and cautious, requiring him to handle purchasing and selling.

It’s merely a leg-work task, and he can earn a commission from it, why not!

A few days later, three juvenile Water Cloud Turtles were placed on Shen Xuan’s practice room’s stone table.

After a golden light flashed from the Mysterious Jade Talisman.

[Stealable Talent: Longevity, Sharp Teeth, Water Arrow]

Shen Xuan was momentarily stunned.

He remembered, the Tier One low-grade Profound Water Turtle had stealable talents of Water Control, Concealing Breath, Longevity.

A Tier One middle-grade Water Cloud Turtle, could it be it can’t do Water Control and Concealing Breath?

Could it be because his talents in Water Control and Concealing Breath were higher, so he couldn’t seize lower-tier similar talents?

In the end, Shen Xuan chose the Longevity talent.

[Talent: Longevity (21/100)]

[Dao Rhyme: 18]

Spent eighteen spirit stones, talent progress at 21 points, Dao Rhyme as high as 18 points.

"Looks like the longevity talent is of good quality, the Dao Rhyme is much better than that of the Mantis Shrimp and Ironback Crab."