He tilted his head and pondered. Then he raised his eyebrow and looked at the remaining smaller half left in the small box of cinnabar and the Golden Sincerity Brush. He felt that the cause was not from either of these because his spiritual power poured into the brush shaft very smoothly and the cinnabar boldly imprinted the Spiritual Qi onto talisman paper. It didn’t seem fake.
Since Han Li could not find the reason after a moment of careful consideration, he decided to ask the small Buddhist monk and see whether or not he could dispel his doubts. At this moment, Han Li felt that on the path of cultivation, there would be teachers that could give directions. This was truly important. His heart was rather moved at the thought of formally becoming an apprentice to a master.
After the small Buddhist monk heard Han Li’s complaints over the failure of his talismans, he stared at Han Li with an exceptionally odd gaze as if his face had suddenly sprouted a small white flower.
When Han Li saw the Buddhist monk’s reaction, his heart was somewhat startled. He didn’t know if there was something amiss from the words he had just said, causing the other party to stare at him in this way.
“Almsgiver Han Li, I fear you understand too little about creating talismans!” The small Buddhist monk eventually said.
“Master Ku Sang is correct. This is the first time I’ve created talismans.” Han Li honestly admitted.
“Among us cultivators, those of us who personally create talismans are few. If there is anything requiring the use of a talisman, they would generally purchase or exchange for it at a marketplace. Even if they are from a great clan, they must also do this.”
“Why?” Han Li was amazed.
“It’s quite simple. Those masters experienced and specialized in creating talismans are too few. In addition, the cost to nurture a qualified talisman expert is far too great. Only with the strength of those large cultivation clans can they be nurtured.
“Almsgiver Han felt very vexed after having failed a dozen times in succession, right?” The Buddhist monk asked.
“That’s right. I’ve used up my materials and money. I purchase enough to make several Soul-Lock Talismans!” Han Li said, upset.
“However, does Almsgiver know? For novices beginning to learn to create talismans, failing a hundred times in succession is a normal matter. If a person were to have slightly less talent, to persist in having several hundred failures wouldn’t be strange! Only after creating over a thousand talismans would your rate of success possibly gradually increase. This is only with regards to creating a single type of spiritual talisman. If you were to change it to another kind of talisman, even if you are no longer a novice, you would generally fail at the beginning. Nevertheless, those with frightening talent are astonishing to see. As a result, qualified talisman masters cannot be nurtured without the practice of several tens of thousands attempts. However, how many people did Almsgiver Han Li think would succeed with this amount of material? Not cultivator clans but only great cultivation sects can foster a talisman master. In addition, they would only be able to contribute elementary talismans. If they were to practice creating middle grade talismans, those great sects would likely lose their fortunes. It would be an unbearable burden. After all, the higher grade the talisman, the more costly the talisman creation materials would be.”
The Buddhist monk said all of this, causing Han Li to be dumbstruck.
“Then why do vendor stalls still sell cinnabar and talisman paper!” Han Li had second thoughts and felt something was wrong.
“Hehe! Cinnabar and talisman paper are sold to cultivators who use talisman techniques.” The small Buddhist monk said with a smile.
“Talisman techniques?” Han Li did not understand.
“It is the same as Soul-Lock Technique your esteemed self was practicing. They are magic techniques that require the use of a talisman created in advance! The magic technique would be stored within the talisman paper, allowing the talismans to be used at convenience. A talisman technique’s spiritual talismans are incapable of simply being aroused by spiritual power; they require a particular incantation to use. However they generally aren’t complicated and are quite easy to obtain.
“Because talisman techniques frequently require a corresponding talisman, talisman users feel that buying talismans are too expensive. As a result, they are like Almsgiver. They would go and practice drawing talismans. Although the cost of the materials are not small, they would be able to eventually support a single type. That is why if Almsgiver truly wishes to practice the Soul-Lock Technique, it would be best create one’s own talismans in the long term. If this technique is not commonly used, then Almsgiver may as well spend some money to buy a few Soul-Lock Talismans as reserves.” The small Buddhist monk softly preached, eventually giving Han Li a suggestion.
“Thank you for Master Ku Sang’s pointers!” Han Li sincerely gave him a deep salute.
“Almsgiver is too polite!” Buddhist monk returned the salute.
‘This small Buddhist monk actually speaks much. In the future if there is anything hard to understand, I may as well ask him for guidance.’ Han Li thought to himself as he returned to the room.
‘Currently, closed-door talisman creation practice is impossible! I should find some time to buy a few Soul-Lock Talismans for emergency use. My body has long achieved the peak of eighth layer of the Eternal Spring Arts. Now that I’ve acquired the cultivation method for the last layers, I should be able to break through the bottleneck and enter the ninth layer. In addition, I acquired several new magic techniques to practice. I should wield them a bit sooner and increase my strength.’
The moment Han Li pushed open the room door, he had already finished pondering about his future plans.
Like that, Han Li sat in room in the coming days. During the daytime, he would take a great amount of medicine and sit in meditation, refining Qi and cultivating the Eternal spring arts. At night, he would run into a desolate area in the valley and practice his newly learned magic techniques.
These were “Quicksand Technique”,”Freezing Technique”, “Flight Technique”, “Binding Technique”, “Sound Transmission Technique”, “Body Concealment technique”, “Fire Blossom Technique”, and the most difficult to practice, “Earth Thrust Technique”.
After ten days of painstaking cultivation, on the final day of the Great South Meeting, he broke through to the ninth layer of Eternal Spring Arts, causing Wu Jiuzhi and company to be dumbstruck. Daoist Priest Qing Wen even praised Han Li as a genius amongst rogue cultivators.
However, Han Li was well aware that were it not for the ten bottles of medicine pills he consumed, how else could he have easily overcome the bottleneck! However, he no longer carried many medicine pills on him. It seemed he should take the time to concoct some pills once more!
Chapter 139: Destroyed Magic Treasure Fragment
As for the other magic techniques, the “Body Concealment Technique” and “Sound Transmission Technique” were auxiliary magic techniques similar to that of the “Heaven’s Eye Technique”. So long as one somewhat comprehended magic power, they were able to learn it. As a result, Han Li effortlessly mastered them.
Among these, the Sound Transmission Technique was a talisman technique that required a Sound Transmission Talisman, which Han Li had seen being used several times.
The “Body Concealment Technique” was an extremely common magic technique. By attaching spiritual power to one’s body, the body becomes enveloped in the environment’s colors, causing people to have difficulty perceiving the user. This magic technique, however, holds little value because the Heaven’s Eye Technique can easily break through it. It fundamentally could not be used to escape the notice of other cultivators.
The “Quicksand Technique” and “Freezing Technique” were magic techniques with areas of effect. The first used magic power to turn the earth in an area into sand. The other could freeze the water in an area into ice.
The might of these two magic techniques depende
d entirely on the deepness of the magic power used and intention. If a Deity were to put it to use, turning a 1000 li of fertile land into desert and the Chang Jiang River into a glacier would not be impossible.
The reason as to why they were classified as elementary low-grade magic techniques was only because these two magic techniques were quite easily learned. Even Qi Condensation cultivators with few layers were able to easily master them. However, their magic power would be limited, and their range would be pathetically small.
When Han Li originally practiced these two magic techniques, they were quite power intensive. However, when he suddenly broke through to the ninth layer, his magic power rapidly increased, allowing him to use his magic techniques as he wished. He could already control an area the size of a tabletop and could turn it to sand or freeze it as he pleased, causing Han Li to be greatly excited.
As for the remaining magic techniques, Han Li was unable to grasp them at the moment. He could only helplessly deliberate and study them later in the future. Because the Great South Meeting was about to end, the amount of young cultivators that came to do business would reach its peak in its last two days.
At this moment, Han Li was in the large business plaza that was crowded to the brim with 2000 cultivators. The amount of vendor stalls were also several times greater than before. For the most part, they wished to grab onto this final opportunity and peddle their leftover goods. In additional, an unknown amount of higher level cultivators that emerged from long cultivation began to appear one after another, also wanting to take advantage of this opportunity to observe those who could become formidable opponents.
Han Li bitterly smiled. Although he had already entered the ninth layer, while he was walking amongst the crowd of cultivators, he discovered many people that were above the ninth layer.
Currently, Han Li no longer had any spirit stones, and his medicine pills were few in number. Since he had no intention of getting rid of his treasures, he simply followed the stream of people from vendor stall to vendor stall. He went simply to hear other cultivators’ comments and views on the trades of goods to further his experience and knowledge.
Hearing others speak truly broadened Han Li’s horizons, causing him to understand quite a bit about magic tools and materials. For example, magic darts that automatically pursued enemies, gourds that could shoot flames, long sabers capable of freezing people with a cut, Silver-Winged Ant eggs that could be used to create medicine, scales of a 100 year-old Iron Lined Serpents that could be used to craft tools, and so on.
The more Han Li heard, the more he felt fascinated. Han Li had arrived at the center of the plaza before he knew it.
“This won’t do. I don’t want what you’re offering, give me something else in exchange!””
“This is a destroyed magic treasure fragment! It is more than enough for your alms bowl!”
“What use would I have for this ruined fragment? Could it be that you couldn’t find a Core Formation expert to refine it? Don’t think you can exchange it with my Returning Winds Alms Bowl!
The sound of an intense quarrel arrived from the front of a vendor’s stall.
“Destroyed magic treasure fragment?” Many people let out sounds of surprise, immediately causing nearby cultivators to stir a commotion. After a moment of chaos, the vendor’s stall was surrounded by an impenetrable crowd.
It should be known that magic treasures weren’t something that low level cultivators would even dare to dream about. However, one had unexpectedly appeared in the Great South Valley. Even if it were only a ruined fragment, it was still a marvel, causing these cultivators to become like cats smelling fish. The itch in their hearts was hardly tolerable.
“Where is it?”
“Let me see!”
“Is this the magic treasure?”
“Clicks tongue, it’s truly beautiful!”
“That’s just a rag!”
……
Because Han Li was quite close to that vendor’s stall and was already quite faster than common cultivators, he managed to rush in the crowd and obtain a good position, allowing him to clearly see everything.
Looking at the vendor stall, Han Li saw a 27 to 28 year-old man standing in front of the stall. This man had dark skin and thick limbs. At first glance, one would think a farm peasant had snuck into the Great South Valley. However, those who looked at the man’s magic power with the Heaven’s Eye Technique could not help but let out a breath of shock. This dark skinned man was actually a great expert of the tenth layer.
“Competing against this person, isn’t that courting death?” A few cultivators inwardly weighed with surprise. They then brought their gaze toward the vendor stall’s owner. The vendor seemed to be a common black-clothed man with the appearance of having magic power of only the seventh or eighth layer. However, when he confronted the man before him, his face didn’t have the slightest expression of fear.
There were a few that took notice of the embroidered tree leaf design on the vendor’s collar. Only then did the cultivators realize that this person was a disciple of the well known Ye Clan of the Qin Ye Mountain Range. It was no wonder he held such confidence.
Between these two people on the stall was an oddly-patterned yellow alms bowl and a small piece of translucent cloth.
This item was like a rag, wrinkled with its rim ruined unevenly as if a dog had gnawed on it. The only aspect attracting attention was the twinkling white radiance that appeared occasionally. It was somewhat peculiar.
This was the destroyed magic treasure fragment? After seeing this object, many people in the crowd were greatly disappointed. It was greatly inconsistent with what they imagined within their minds.
“This ruined magic treasure is quite wonderful! By using it to cover an item, it will immediately become invisible. Not only will its Spiritual Qi not leak out, but it also won’t obstruct Spiritual Qi from entering.” The dark man had a cold face.
After this was said, he immediately immediately took out small silver mouse from his sleeve.
“The grade one demon beast, Gold Eating Mouse!” The cultivators standing in a circle yelled out the name of the rat and caused a small uproar.
“He is truly worthy of being a tenth layer expert! He actually captured a grade one demonic beast!” Many people could not help but think this.
At this moment, the dark man picked up the “cloth” and wrapped it around the mouse!
The result was miraculous! The silver mouse and the “cloth” immediately disappeared. Although many people used the Heaven’s Eye Technique, they weren’t able to see anything.
The man, having seen everyone’s shock, was somewhat satisfied. Afterwards, the hand that held the white mouse wrapped in the “cloth” suddenly showed movement.
“Not just living animal, nonliving items will also have the same effect.”
After this was said, the man took out a knife emitting a threatening Spiritual Qi and put it on the ground. Then he covered it in the “cloth”, causing it to disappear without a trace or even the slightest trace of Spiritual Qi.
“It is truly wonderful!”
“It can make things invisible!”
“Clicks tongue. Inconceivable!”
……
Those who were watching around were discussing spiritedly.
“How about it? There is value in exchange it with your alms bowl!” The man then took off the “cloth” and put away the knife.
“I will not exchange it! If I want something to be invisible, I only need to buy an elementary mid-grade vanishing talisman. For such a small thing, you would have me hide my head and legs?” The vendor shook his head and said mockingly.
“Did I not tell you? This is a destroyed magic treasure fragment. It wasn’t refined by a Core Formation expert but that of Nascent Soul. Those experts’ levels are not the same. Who would be able to see through the efficacy of its concealment? How could a vanishing talisman compare to it!” The dark man angrily said.
�
�You spout extravagant descriptions once more! I absolutely have no use for this thing, why would I want it! You had better give me thirty spirit stones or something of equivalent value for this alms bowl!” The vendor coldly retorted.
Chapter 140: Determination to Win
“You…” The man seemed to be extremely angry. His two hands formed fists, and he advanced a step.
“What? Could it be that you’re thinking of forcing the trade? Those of our Ye Clan aren’t good targets to bully!” The vendor turned his eyes and said without a trace of politeness.
“Humph! The Ye Clan is quite impressive!” Although the dark man did not apologize, he released his fists. He was clearly afraid of retaliation from the Ye Clan.
The man was suppressed by the mere mention of the Ye Clan and was exceptionally angry. He was a tenth layer expert and was accustomed to others speaking highly of him. Currently he had accepted this embarrassment and had planned to brush his sleeve then ago. However, in his heart, he would truly hate to part with this “Returning Winds Alms Bowl” as this magic tool was well-suited with his cultivation art. If he were able to acquire it, his strength would increase greatly. However as of current, apart from the destroyed magic treasure fragment, his other possessions were quite useful, and his spirit stones had been used up over the past several days, leaving him in his current predicament.
“Brother, sell your treasure fragment to me, I will give ten spirit stones.” A grey-clothed man that was watching emerged from the crowd. He sincerely said, cupping his fist in front of the man.
“I won’t sell it! If you want to buy it, then give me thirty spirit stones.” The dark man shook his head as if he were beating a drum with it. That price was fundamentally unacceptable.
“Sigh. Your esteemed self’s destroyed magic treasure fragment, if it were only a slightly great price, then it would be worth it. Unfortunately, it is truly too small. The amount of goods it can conceal is too few!” The grey-clothed man, having been rejected by the man, exposed an expression of regret and returned into the crowd without further negotiation.
A Record of a Mortal’s Journey to Immortality c1-2248 Page 66