Chapter 68: Hidden Mist Market

After carefully putting away the freshly drawn Water Arrow Talismans, Chen Beiwu calculated the profit margin of the talisman business in his mind.

The Water Arrow Talisman possessed extremely low power and couldn't penetrate the defense of a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator. It was inferior to the First-Tier High-Grade Exotic Art he could cast casually, Condensing Water into Blades. Still, it could be sold for two Spirit Yuan per talisman on the Immortal Alliance Official Website.

Just the cost of ink and talisman paper alone amounted to at least 0.7 Spirit Yuan per Water Arrow Talisman—and that was based on Chen Beiwu’s perfect success rate with drawing First-Tier Low-Grade talismans.

Ordinary First-Tier Low-Grade Talisman Masters had only a fifty-percent success rate. That meant they could earn, at most, 0.6 Spirit Yuan for each Water Arrow Talisman sold.

Fail three times in a row, and all their investment would go up in smoke!

No wonder there were always low-tier Talisman Masters on the Immortal Alliance Official Website complaining that business was hard and far from as lucrative as others claimed.

‘What a pity I don’t have the drawing method for First-Tier High-Grade Talismans,’ Chen Beiwu thought.

His intuition told him that with his current Divine Sense cultivation, he could attempt drawing the First-Tier High-Grade Talisman, Water Blade Talisman.

If he could successfully draw it, his avenues for earning Spirit Stones would increase significantly.

Unfortunately, the Immortal Alliance Official Website had restrictions—only cultivators who joined the Talisman Master Association could purchase the comprehensive talisman-drawing guide (from First-Tier Mid-Grade and up).

‘Looks like I’ll need to certify myself as a First-Tier Talisman Master and Formation Master tomorrow,’ Chen Beiwu thought, picking up a Formation Disk beside him.

Talismans and formations shared similarities. Since he could draw First-Tier Low-Grade Talismans, naturally, he could also engrave First-Tier Low-Grade Formation Disks.

Small Earth Rampart Formation

Minor Confusion Formation

Micro Spirit-Absorbing Formation

A quarter-hour later, Chen Beiwu followed the “Introduction to Formations: Basics” and successfully engraved three sets of First-Tier Low-Grade Formation Disks.

Looking at the lingering spiritual charm in the three formation patterns on the disks, Chen Beiwu nodded in satisfaction.

Who said formations were difficult to learn and master? Engraving these was far too simple!

Drawing three talismans cost him three sticks of incense in time, but engraving three sets of formation disks took only a quarter of an hour.

After putting away the talismans and formation disks, Chen Beiwu stood and looked at Gold Egg.

“Gulu!”

Sensing Chen Beiwu’s gaze, Gold Egg immediately widened his fishy eyes and activated the All Laws Converge, Heaven Book of the Divine Tree.

Through recent tempering, it could already circulate the cultivation method on its own, but it would still take five to six days before it could completely purify the turbid into clarity.

Chen Beiwu chuckled and turned to Iron Egg. “Do you want a cultivation method?”

“Woof?” Confusion flickered in Iron Egg’s eyes.

It was already baffled trying to cultivate the Sun-Eating True Scripture—what did it need another cultivation method for?

“Fundamental method and arts are two different concepts.”

Chen Beiwu explained, “Once you cultivate a fundamental method, your cultivation speed will increase drastically, and your chances of advancing to a Second-Realm Lesser Beast in the future will also rise.”

Cultivating a fundamental method required a massive investment in resources.

Before the Gate of Ten Directions of Chaos appeared, he could barely support his own cultivation, let alone raise a Companion Beast and Iron Egg simultaneously.

So he had never considered choosing a fundamental method for Iron Egg.

But now the situation was completely different. With dual cultivation in talismans and formations, and access to cross-realm information gaps, supporting one more Iron Egg wasn’t a big deal.

Iron Egg gave a short bark, indicating it would follow Chen Beiwu’s decision.

“Good, then I’ll take that as agreement.” A smile crept across Chen Beiwu’s face.

If Iron Egg could eventually break through to a Second-Realm Lesser Beast, Dad could form a Companion Contract with it and use it to break through to Foundation Establishment.

As for Mom’s side, as long as he could break through to Foundation Establishment in the future and gain enough strength, acquiring one or two Foundation Establishment Pills in the Southern Wastes would be no trouble at all.

Back in the home cultivation room, Chen Beiwu picked up his phone and logged into the official websites of the Talisman and Formation Associations, spending ten Spirit Yuan to register for the professional certifications.

Just then, a familiar door-opening sound came from downstairs.

Chen Beiwu opened the door of the cultivation room and headed down. As expected, it was his parents returning home.

“Clatter.”

Chen Dong froze in place, eyes locked dead on Chen Beiwu. He didn’t even notice the thermal cup in his hand falling to the floor.

“Why are you so clumsy the moment we come home?” Huang Xiaoling frowned slightly, bent down, and picked up the cup.

Chen Dong swallowed. “No, honey, look at your son!”

“What’s so surprising? It’s only been half a month,” Huang Xiaoling looked up at Chen Beiwu and paused, blinking in disbelief.

Opening the Ancestral Orifice and stabilizing the Spirit in the Shell—this was the sign of the Innate One Orifice.

And the hallmark of an Eighth Level Qi Refining cultivator was eyes like startled lightning, capable of gathering divine light—the pupils would gleam with spiritual radiance.

“Son, what miracle pill did you take?” Huang Xiaoling quickly asked.

It hadn’t been long, but Chen Beiwu had advanced from Seventh Level Qi Refining to Eighth Level. His cultivation speed was simply unbelievable!

“Exactly, son, you didn’t take the Ephemeral Breath Pill, did you?” Chen Dong asked nervously.

The Ephemeral Breath Pill was a First-Tier High-Grade pill. After consumption, it doubled the rate of Spirit Power circulation for late-stage Qi Refining cultivators and greatly increased the rate of absorbing spiritual energy from heaven and earth—but it damaged one’s foundation and left behind hard-to-expel residual toxins.

Some mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators with no hope for Foundation Establishment would consume the Ephemeral Breath Pill to forcibly break into the late stage, hoping to prolong their lives.

“Of course not.” Chen Beiwu shook his head and released a bit of his aura.

Sensing the pure and powerful aura, Chen Dong subconsciously stepped back, feeling as though he was facing a peak-stage Qi Refining cultivator.

“Good, good! You truly are my son!” Chen Dong burst into hearty laughter.

A sixteen-year-old Eighth Level Qi Refining cultivator—what did that mean?

Their son's talent could rival second-generation cultivators from Golden Core Families!

He would definitely get into the Thirteen Immortal Sects, advance to Foundation Establishment, and bring glory to the Chen family.

“Not bad, but son, you still need to push harder if you want to safely secure a spot in an Immortal Sect.”

Saying this, Huang Xiaoling took a deep breath, suppressing her joy, and turned toward the kitchen. “We’ll make an extra dish to celebrate tonight.”

After dining with his parents, Chen Beiwu could clearly feel their happiness—it seemed like life now held greater hope for them.

Thinking of this, he returned upstairs and closed the door to the cultivation room.

‘Eighth Level Qi Refining really isn’t stable enough,’ Chen Beiwu thought inwardly.

With Nine-Breath Chaos in hand, his goal was no longer just the Thirteen Immortal Sects, but the Five Great Grotto-Heavens that no one from Fallen Dragon Manor had ever been accepted into.

‘Three Years of Qi Refining Practice, overclocked!’ To meet this small goal, Chen Beiwu activated the Gate of Ten Directions of Chaos.

...

Southern Wastes, Earth Proliferation Territory, southern region of the Cangwu Mountains.

Beneath the confluence of the Red Flood River and Clear Origin River lay a basin called Chiyuan Valley.

Deep within Chiyuan Valley lay a Second-Tier High-Grade Spiritual Vein. With the convergence of the two rivers reshaping the terrain and scouring the vein, a naturally formed Spirit-Gathering landform was created.

Following the map, Chen Beiwu crossed perilous peaks impassable to mortals and passed through the purple mist miasma capable of killing a First Level Qi Refining cultivator, finally arriving at the depths of Chiyuan Valley—Hidden Mist Market.

“Fellow Daoist, please hold.”

Upon hearing the sudden voice from behind, Chen Beiwu turned around on alert.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.