Chapter 278
Chapter 278
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 278
Chapter Title: Talisman Treasure, Treasure Talisman
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The Exchange Pavilion had changed a great deal. Although the first floor was still a place for Qi Refining and early to mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators to trade, the number of cultivators was less than a third of what it used to be.
As the Tiannan Region gradually stabilized, many of the Foundation Establishment Immortal Clans that had sought refuge in the Immortal Sect Market City had already departed.
Some had gone to the state of Qi, others to Qing.
There were even those who went to Feng to seek their fortune.
This led to a significant drop in the number of cultivators in the Immortal Sect Market City compared to previous years.
Arriving on the second floor, however, he saw that not only had the number of Foundation Establishment cultivators not decreased, but it had actually increased.
With peace returning to the world, Foundation Establishment cultivators now dared to travel around the Tiannan Region again.
In the past, it was difficult for Foundation Establishment cultivators to obtain cultivation resources. Even if they had spiritual items that didn't suit them, there was no place to trade.
Even if they consigned them to an auction house and received a handsome sum of spirit stones, what good would it do?
Many of the resources needed by Foundation Establishment cultivators could not be bought with low-grade spirit stones.
Therefore, the Exchange Pavilion established by the Tiannan Sect was indeed a great step forward for the cultivation world of the Tiannan Region.
It increased the chances for rogue cultivators to cross class barriers.
"Let's split up and look around. We'll meet back here at a quarter past seven."
Chen Jianghe said to Zhuang Xinyan and Gao Peiyao.
The two women nodded.
After all, they each needed different resources. Sticking together would only waste time.
Chen Jianghe browsed for an hour and found that the exchange requirements for second-rank high-grade talisman materials had not only failed to decrease, but had even increased.
It seemed the opening of the unknown mystic realm had a huge impact on the talisman market.
Even Perfected Foundation Establishment cultivators needed second-rank high-grade talismans.
Their strength was formidable, and their magical power had undergone a qualitative change under the baptism of the world's ambient spiritual energy. Both their offense and defense were far superior to those of late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Therefore, their demand for second-rank high-grade offensive and defensive talismans was not high.
However, their demand for second-rank high-grade escape talismans was very high.
Not every Perfected Foundation Establishment cultivator could comprehend a supreme escape art from their cultivation technique.
As long as one had not comprehended a supreme escape art...
Then a second-rank high-grade escape talisman would be treated as a priceless treasure by a Perfected Foundation Establishment cultivator.
"Fortunately, I came well-prepared. Otherwise, even with the skills, I wouldn't be able to conjure second-rank high-grade talismans without the materials."
Chen Jianghe continued to wander.
He didn't need many resources at the moment.
After reaching the late stage of Foundation Establishment, Origin Spirit Pills were of little use to him. For cultivation, he needed Dust Settling Pills.
Dust Settling Pills not only contained immense spiritual power but could also wash away impurities in one's magical power.
Besides Dust Settling Pills, he needed Second Revolution Spirit Nurturing Pills and second-rank Spirit Nurturing Liquid.
But such spiritual pills and liquids were extremely scarce; they were hard to come by even in the Exchange Pavilion.
Jiang Ruxu had obtained a few Second Revolution Spirit Nurturing Pills and several bottles of second-rank Spirit Nurturing Liquid, but she and Zhuang Xinyan also needed to cultivate their spiritual techniques.
Chen Jianghe couldn't ask her for them.
"Grandmaster Chen?!"
"Fellow Daoist Xu, you haven't left the Immortal Sect Market City?"
As Chen Jianghe was reading the information on an exchange plaque, he heard Xu Feng's voice. Looking over, he realized the plaque before him had been put up by Xu Feng himself.
Next to Xu Feng stood a female cultivator with delicate features and a curvaceous figure, at the ninth layer of Qi Refining.
Judging from her aura...
This female cultivator's physical body should have reached perfection, but her spirit had not yet, so it was not the best time to attempt Foundation Establishment.
"And this is?"
Chen Jianghe asked Xu Feng.
"This is my wife."
Xu Feng said with a chuckle, then turned to his wife and said, "This is the Old Man of Many Fortunes, Grandmaster Chen."
"I greet you, Grandmaster Chen."
"Madam."
Chen Jianghe clasped his hands in return.
He hadn't expected Xu Feng to have married, and to a late-stage Qi Refining female cultivator at that.
Logically, as a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator with enough resources to reach the late stage, if Xu Feng were to marry, he should find a female Foundation Establishment cultivator.
Why did he marry a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator?
Though puzzled, he didn't ask.
Perhaps the man had a penchant for nurturing his partners?
"When the Yu Clan moved away a few years ago, I thought Grandmaster Chen had left with them. If I had known you were still in the Immortal Sect Market City, I would have insisted on having you as the witness to my marriage."
"Indeed. It is truly a shame I missed your wedding feast, Fellow Daoist Xu," Chen Jianghe said with a light laugh.
He understood Xu Feng's reason for marrying.
He had no hope of reaching Core Formation, so he married in his prime, hoping to have a child to carry on his legacy and fulfill his hopes of Core Formation.
If he waited any longer, his vitality would begin to decline, and even if he married, it would be difficult to have children.
"By the way, I entered the Wandering Immortal Mountain Range two years ago and, by a stroke of luck, found another 'Blood Coagulating Grass.' I thought Grandmaster Chen had already left, so I didn't send it to your residence. Since we've met today, it's the perfect time to give it to you."
"Blood Coagulating Grass?"
Chen Jianghe was startled for a moment, then remembered that this was the alias he had given to the Three-Leaf Blood Lotus Grass.
Ever since the Yu Clan left, he had stopped paying attention to 'Blood Coagulating Grass.'
His schedule was packed, leaving him no spare time to come to the Exchange Pavilion to purchase 'Blood Coagulating Grass.'
Besides, the Yu Clan had been trying to acquire it for so long without getting a single stalk, which suggested that the Three-Leaf Blood Lotus Grass was incredibly rare.
To have obtained four stalks from Duan Tiande and Xu Feng was already a blessing of great fortune; there was no need to push his luck.
He hadn't expected Xu Feng to give him such a pleasant surprise.
He had actually obtained another Three-Leaf Blood Lotus Grass.
With this one, he only needed one more to have three in hand, which would be enough to raise Maoqiu's bloodline purity to the high-grade fourth rank.
It would also give Maoqiu a better chance of forming a Demon Core.
Chen Jianghe accepted the 'Blood Coagulating Grass' and put it in his storage pouch, but he had no intention of taking it from Xu Feng for free.
The man had brought him considerable benefits over the years.
Especially the Three-Leaf Blood Lotus Grass; providing him with four stalks was a huge help.
"I was not present for Fellow Daoist Xu's wedding, nor did I send a gift, which was improper of me. As the saying goes, even if the person can't be there, the gift must. I see that Madam has not yet reached Foundation Establishment. Coincidentally, I have an authentic Foundation Establishment Pill on hand that can serve as a wedding gift."
Chen Jianghe took out a jade box containing an authentic Foundation Establishment Pill.
"This? It's too valuable. I cannot accept it."
"Ah~"
Chen Jianghe raised his hand, gesturing for Xu Feng to accept it.
An authentic Foundation Establishment Pill could fetch a price of 3,500 spirit stones at auction.
The 'Blood Coagulating Grass' was worth about the same as a second-rank low-grade escape talisman.
Eighteen hundred spirit stones.
In other words.
Chen Jianghe had given a lavish gift worth seventeen hundred spirit stones.
This was likely the most valuable wedding gift Xu Feng had received from any of his friends.
After giving away the authentic Foundation Establishment Pill, Chen Jianghe took his leave and continued to browse the Exchange Pavilion.
"Husband, that Grandmaster Chen is so generous, giving away a Foundation Establishment Pill just like that. Now we don't have to worry about one."
"Trading a small, spiritless blade of grass for a priceless Foundation Establishment Pill is such a great deal."
Hearing this, Xu Feng glanced at his late-stage Qi Refining wife and sent a voice transmission: "You're naive. It's just a Foundation Establishment Pill. If I were to swallow my pride, I could still obtain one. But the opportunity to be on good terms with Grandmaster Chen is something ten or twenty Foundation Establishment Pills couldn't buy."
"If we want to have children and establish a Foundation Establishment Immortal Clan in Feng, we will have to rely on Grandmaster Chen. We need to ask him for more second-rank talismans to serve as our family's foundation."
"Besides, Grandmaster Chen and that Grand Protector of Feng, Ruan Tieniu, are sworn brothers."
"Husband, aren't you and Grand Protector Ruan also sworn brothers?"
"Of course. Back then, we ventured deep into the Wandering Immortal Mountain Range together to get the Ice Heart Grass..."
"..."
Chen Jianghe wandered for another hour, trading away the Spirit Pool Pearl he had. He added twenty thousand spirit stones to exchange it for a hundred-year-old Snow Lotus.
Although both were top-tier second-rank absorbable spiritual items, the hundred-year-old Snow Lotus could be used to concoct Dust Settling Pills, while the Spirit Pool Pearl could not.
Another two hours passed.
Chen Jianghe couldn't find the spiritual items he needed, so he returned to the entrance of the second floor to wait for Gao Peiyao and Zhuang Xinyan.
Not long after, he saw Gao Peiyao and Zhuang Xinyan return one after the other.
Seeing the joyful look in Zhuang Xinyan's eyes, she must have traded for something she desired.
As for Gao Peiyao, her emotions were not displayed on her face, making it difficult to tell if she had found anything she wanted in the Exchange Pavilion.
He checked the time.
It was nearly 7:15 PM. They went to the Hundred Treasures Pavilion together, but upon arriving at the auction hall, they found that all the private rooms were already taken.
It would be difficult for them to get a private room now.
Even the main hall was crowded with cultivators.
Watching the staff of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion add temporary seats, one could imagine just how many cultivators had gathered for this auction with the addition of those from Feng.
Feng was good in every way.
Except that you had spirit stones but nowhere to spend them.
Let alone Spirit-Nurturing magical artifacts, even top-tier magical artifacts for early and mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators were hard to come by.
The impression people had of Feng was still a land teeming with rogue cultivators and rampant with demonic cultivators.
Therefore, none of the Grandmasters of the Hundred Arts were willing to go to Feng.
"Fellow Daoist Chen, you can come here."
At that moment, Lady Jinghong's voice reached Chen Jianghe's ears.
Chen Jianghe looked over and saw that Lady Jinghong was the only one in her private room.
He immediately expressed his thanks and led Gao Peiyao and Zhuang Xinyan into Lady Jinghong's room.
"Greetings, Lady Jinghong~"
Gao Peiyao and Zhuang Xinyan both curtsied.
"Please sit, you two."
Lady Jinghong revealed a gentle smile and spoke softly.
Gao Peiyao and Zhuang Xinyan were both puzzled.
Lady Jinghong was known for being difficult to get along with, but today she seemed quite approachable, her tone gentle and devoid of any condescending arrogance.
Gao Peiyao was still very wary of Lady Jinghong.
Neither Chen Jianghe nor Zhuang Xinyan had ever seen Lady Jinghong in action.
But she had.
Over fifty years ago, when she was just an early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, she entered the Wandering Immortal Mountain Range for a sect trial mission.
There, she witnessed Lady Jinghong, alone with her sword, fighting against eleven rogue cultivators.
Among them were three Perfected Foundation Establishment cultivators and eight late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators.
In that battle, Lady Jinghong was victorious.
And it was from that battle that Lady Jinghong earned her name.
A single sword strike, like a fleeting swan, slaying eleven Foundation Establishment cultivators.
From that moment on, all cultivators understood that Lady Jinghong was not only a Grandmaster of Artifact Refining but also a rogue prodigy with terrifying combat prowess.
Even now, when Gao Peiyao recalled the sword strike Lady Jinghong had delivered fifty years ago, she was filled with awe and lamented that she would have to go all out just to block it.
In other words.
Compared to the Lady Jinghong of fifty years ago, she was barely on par.
Now, Lady Jinghong was a False Core Rogue Cultivator, her strength far surpassing what it was over fifty years ago.
She was no match for her.
"Brother Jianghe, this Lady Jinghong is very strong. If we encounter her in the unknown mystic realm, it's best to yield if we can."
Gao Peiyao sent a voice transmission.
"Understood."
Chen Jianghe naturally knew that Lady Jinghong was strong. Even Xiao Hei had said that Lady Jinghong's aura was comparable to that of the Icy Triangle Python on the verge of a breakthrough.
And that was just her aura, not her combat strength.
Therefore, Lady Jinghong's combat strength was immense, definitely surpassing that of the Icy Triangle Python.
Based on instinct alone, Xiao Hei wouldn't dare guarantee that he could withstand Lady Jinghong's attacks.
This showed just how powerful she was!
Furthermore, on the list Gao Peiyao had circled, Lady Jinghong's name was ranked first.
"Fellow Daoist Chen, are you also entering the unknown mystic realm?"
Lady Jinghong asked via voice transmission.
Evidently, Lady Jinghong had also seen the list of those entering the unknown mystic realm.
It made sense.
Lady Jinghong had deep connections and a good relationship with that one Peak Master of the Tiannan Sect.
She must have been among the first to see the list of entrants.
"Yes, thanks to obtaining two third-rank spiritual items for the Tiannan Sect in the Wind and Snow Valley Mystic Realm, I was given this opportunity."
Chen Jianghe didn't hide anything and directly stated the reason.
"The unknown mystic realm could be full of opportunities, or it could be fraught with danger. Fellow Daoist Chen must be cautious upon entering."
"If you manage to obtain a quasi-third-rank soul-type spiritual item in the mystic realm, you can exchange it with me for a Core Formation spiritual item."
"I still owe you a favor. I can make a move for you once inside the mystic realm."
Lady Jinghong's words made Chen Jianghe's heart leap with joy.
The unknown mystic realm was a place of mixed fortunes.
Opportunities were filled with crises.
For a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator like him to enter an unknown mystic realm teeming with Perfected Foundation Establishment cultivators was indeed a bit presumptuous.
But with Lady Jinghong's words...
He had one more means of protecting himself.
"Thank you, Madam."
Chen Jianghe quickly sent a voice transmission to express his gratitude.
If he really could obtain a quasi-third-rank soul-type spiritual item, Chen Jianghe didn't want Lady Jinghong to help him.
He wanted to use the quasi-third-rank soul-type spiritual item, plus the favor, to exchange for the sword art Lady Jinghong cultivated.
Although it was somewhat opportunistic...
But from the battle between Gao Peiyao and Lu Qingfeng, Chen Jianghe had deeply experienced the powerlessness of lacking an offensive technique.
His offensive methods were too limited.
A short while later...
After some extra seats were added to the auction hall and all the cultivators were seated, the auction officially began.
This time, there were actually fifty-five items up for auction.
This showed the high caliber of the event.
The first ten items were all Beauty-Preserving Pills and Life Extension Pills. The quantity being auctioned had increased, likely prepared for the cultivators from Feng.
This time, the selling prices of both the Beauty-Preserving Pills and Life Extension Pills broke all previous records.
A single Beauty-Preserving Pill actually went for two thousand three hundred and twenty spirit stones.
It surpassed the record set in Qinghe Market City.
The six Beauty-Preserving Pills auctioned were all sold for no less than two thousand spirit stones.
The same was true for the Life Extension Pills.
It broke the record set by the Yun Clan Ancestor in Qinghe Market City.
A set of Life Extension Pills went for four thousand five hundred spirit stones, making a single pill worth one thousand five hundred spirit stones.
This was five hundred more spirit stones than the price the Yun Clan Ancestor had bid back then.
The eleventh to the thirty-second precious items were all damaged Spirit-Nurturing magical artifacts, but the damage was not severe.
They were only about twenty to thirty percent damaged. As long as one had connections and could find a Grandmaster of Artifact Refining, they could be repaired for eighty to ninety thousand spirit stones.
The selling prices were also twenty percent higher than usual.
It was obvious that the Hundred Treasures Pavilion was bleeding the cultivators from Feng dry.
Fourteen years of war had allowed many immortal officials in Feng to accumulate considerable wealth, but unfortunately, they had spirit stones with nowhere to spend them.
The Hundred Treasures Pavilion provided them with an opportunity to turn their spirit stones into resources.
The thirty-third to the forty-ninth precious items were talisman materials and spiritual materials.
When the talisman materials appeared, Chen Jianghe wanted to make a bid, but there were too many big spenders.
So he didn't join in.
In any case, he had enough talisman materials on hand.
As for the spiritual materials, they were all top-tier second-rank, incredibly precious, and could be used to refine Spirit-Nurturing magical artifacts.
This caused a frantic bidding war among the cultivators from Feng.
Having the main material to refine a Spirit-Nurturing magical artifact was only the first step.
The most crucial step was to have connections with a Grandmaster of Artifact Refining.
Without connections, wanting to refine a Spirit-Nurturing magical artifact would require a very long wait.
There weren't many Grandmasters of Artifact Refining in the entire Tiannan Region.
Chen Jianghe had heard from Luo Xiyue that besides the Artifact Refining Immortal Chen Clan in the Tiannan Region, the number of Grandmasters of Artifact Refining capable of crafting Spirit-Nurturing magical artifacts could be counted on two hands.
This showed how rare they were.
Remember, back in Thousand Mountains Market City, there were over a dozen Talisman Dao Grandmasters who could draw second-rank high-grade talismans.
The Talisman Dao and the Artifact Dao were simply incomparable.
Starting from the fiftieth item, they were all treasures of the highest quality.
A Profound Yin Flower, a quasi-third-rank spiritual material, could be used to draw talismans and was also a main material for refining Spirit-Nurturing magical artifacts.
The starting price was a hundred thousand spirit stones.
It was bought by a big spender from Feng for two hundred and thirty thousand spirit stones.
A Moon-Gazing Stone.
A quasi-third-rank talisman material that could be used to create a Talisman Treasure. If Chen Jianghe obtained it, he could also nurture a Talisman Treasure.
The starting price was one hundred and twenty thousand spirit stones.
He did make a bid.
But he stopped at two hundred and forty thousand spirit stones.
It was clear that whenever he bid, the other party would raise the price, determined to get the Moon-Gazing Stone.
However, this was not a cultivator from Feng.
It was Cen Linchuan's older brother, Cen Linfeng, who was bidding.
His father was a False Core Rogue Cultivator with third-rank Talisman Dao skills, capable of expending his own vital energy to create a Talisman Treasure.
Therefore, Cen Linfeng was determined to obtain the Moon-Gazing Stone.
He won it for two hundred and eighty thousand spirit stones.
Although the Talisman Immortal Clan no longer had a Core Formation expert, their wealth and foundation were still unimaginable.
Back when they managed Thousand Mountains Market City, they had built it into the second-largest market city in the Tiannan Region.
One could imagine how vast the wealth accumulated by the Cen Clan was.
The fifty-second item, also a quasi-third-rank talisman material, was won by Cen Linchuan for two hundred and ninety thousand spirit stones.
The two brothers each got a piece of quasi-third-rank talisman material.
Considering their family background, one could guess that when they entered the mystic realm in the future, both brothers would surely have a Talisman Treasure for protection.
The fifty-third item was not a spiritual material or a talisman material, but a perfectly intact fire-attribute offensive Spirit-Nurturing magical artifact.
It wasn't a flying sword, but a Flame Spear.
The starting price was two hundred and fifty thousand spirit stones.
In an instant, the price shot up to three hundred and sixty thousand spirit stones. It was clear the price was already becoming inflated.
This was the price of a Spirit-Nurturing defensive magical artifact.
But the immortal officials from Feng had spirit stones and no channels to obtain Spirit-Nurturing magical artifacts.
Even if it didn't match the attribute of their cultivation technique, they all bid fiercely, planning to buy it first and then find a way to purchase a Spirit-Transforming Pearl later.
It was finally sold for a price of four hundred and twenty thousand spirit stones.
This was already a forty percent premium.
The fifty-fourth item was an earth-attribute Spirit-Nurturing defensive magical artifact, also in perfect condition.
The starting price was three hundred thousand spirit stones.
This made Chen Jianghe frown. The Hundred Treasures Pavilion was clearly treating the cultivators from Feng like fools.
But even so, those immortal officials from Feng bid as if they had gone mad.
In a flash, the price rose to five hundred thousand spirit stones, finally selling for five hundred and thirty thousand.
The premium reached fifty percent.
"Fellow Daoists, next up is the final item of this auction. To be honest, this old man does not know what kind of treasure this is."
"But since it has been arranged to be auctioned last, it must be an extremely precious treasure."
"Now, let us unveil what this treasure truly is!"
As the old auctioneer's voice fell...
He walked up to the fifty-fifth item and, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, lifted the red silk cloth.
It was a piece of warm, cyan jade, three inches long, one inch wide, and a finger's breadth thick, inscribed with complex and profound runes.
"A third-rank low-grade spiritual material, Jade Purity Stone?!"
"Hiss... and it's an inscribed Jade Purity Stone. This is a third-rank Treasure Talisman!"
"How could a third-rank Treasure Talisman possibly appear?!"
"I heard the Tiannan Sect and the Beast Taming Zhou Clan are jointly opening an unknown mystic realm that even False Core Rogue Cultivators can enter. It's a mystic realm comparable to a Grotto-Heaven. This Treasure Talisman must be prepared for the cultivators entering the realm!"
"I doubt it. Wouldn't whoever gets this Jade Purity Stone be able to dominate the mystic realm?"
"Dominating the mystic realm is an exaggeration, but they would certainly have no fear of False Core Rogue Cultivators."
"To see a Treasure Talisman being auctioned... this is a first in my life."
"Indeed, this is a third-rank Treasure Talisman made from a third-rank spiritual material, not a Talisman Treasure made from a quasi-third-rank material."
"Its value is immeasurable. It will probably exceed a million spirit stones."
In the main hall, cultivators whispered among themselves, their discussions buzzing. They were all shocked by this piece of Jade Purity Stone.
A third-rank Treasure Talisman was a true trump card.
Yet it was being auctioned off.
How could it not cause a stir?
Chen Jianghe looked at Gao Peiyao and asked, "This third-rank Treasure Talisman will probably require medium-grade spirit stones to bid, right?"
"My master told me that a third-rank treasure would appear at this auction and might require medium-grade spirit stones for bidding. I never expected it to be a third-rank Treasure Talisman."
Gao Peiyao's phoenix-like eyes narrowed, staring intently at the Treasure Talisman on the auction stage.
Strictly speaking, a Talisman Treasure could not be called a third-rank Treasure Talisman, but a quasi-third-rank Talisman Treasure.
A quasi-third-rank Talisman Treasure was inferior in power to a third-rank Treasure Talisman.
A Talisman Treasure was made from quasi-third-rank talisman materials.
Naturally, it could not reach the level of a third-rank Treasure Talisman.
Only by using third-rank talisman materials could one create a true Treasure Talisman.
Of the three Talisman Treasures Chen Jianghe was nurturing in his Dantian, the Meteor Falling Lightning Talisman was made from the quasi-third-rank material, Flood Dragon Verdant Bamboo.
The Yi Wood Soul-Binding Talisman was made from the quasi-third-rank material, Moon-Gazing Stone.
However, the Purple Lightning Cloud-Piercing Talisman was made from the third-rank low-grade material, Profound Ice Sinking Wood. This meant that as long as Chen Jianghe nurtured it for long enough, he would one day possess a third-rank Treasure Talisman.
"This Treasure Talisman will indeed require medium-grade spirit stones to bid."
"The origin of this Treasure Talisman is mysterious; it was not released by the Tiannan Sect."
"The starting price will likely be very high."
Lady Jinghong looked at Chen Jianghe and the others, revealing some information about the Treasure Talisman.
"Only medium-grade spirit stones can be used for bidding?"
A look of helplessness appeared on Chen Jianghe's face.
"Brother Chen, I have some medium-grade spirit stones with me. My junior sister got them from the Tiannan Sect. I don't know if it's enough."