The Talisman That Finds Fortuitous Encounters
One day, an intriguing rumor began circulating across Sky Island.
"The Thunderclap Swordsman? You're saying a sword cultivator who practices lightning arts has appeared?"
"Ha! If it's true, just imagining it is impressive. He must be damn good at slaughtering demon beasts."
At first, naturally, no one believed it.
The sword and lightning arts—both were famed for their overwhelming combat power, and both were equally notorious for the difficulty of their cultivation. To walk both paths at once? Common sense said it was almost impossible. Unless one intended to spend his whole life training and die of old age before accomplishing anything, it was a road no sane cultivator should take.
Just as people were beginning to dismiss it as empty gossip, the charred carcasses of demon beasts struck by lightning appeared in the marketplace. They were proof that the rumor might well be true.
"Could it be real...?"
"Who knows? The Qi Refining cultivators who sold the demon beast corpses swear it is, but... well."
"I hope it is. If that man ever reaches Golden Core... he could be a tremendous help to us humans."
"But he might not be a sword cultivator at all. I heard he walks around carrying only an empty scabbard."
An empty scabbard.
Thanks to that distinctive feature, the title Thunderclap Swordsman lodged itself firmly in people's minds. A few cultivators who liked to put on airs even started wearing empty scabbards at their waists...
An inn on Sky Island.
After nearly half a month of thorough rest, Jin Somyeong stretched languidly.
"Whew. I finally feel alive again."
The mental fatigue he had accumulated while sleeping rough on that deserted island melted cleanly away. He wandered Sky Island as if taking a leisurely stroll, then nodded in satisfaction.
Not bad. It's far larger than Cheongdan City.
Sky Island was as large as a decent continent, and it contained five Golden Core–level cities. The place where Jin Somyeong currently resided was Dawn Moon City, and from what he had learned, it was even possible to rent second-rank spirit veins there. It was an ideal environment for a Foundation Establishment cultivator's training.
Out of habit, Jin Somyeong brushed a hand over his waist—then paused. Instead of the Boundless Divine Sword, his fingers found only an empty scabbard.
...I should buy a decent sword first.
For a sword cultivator to have no sword was simply unacceptable. At the very least, he needed something suitable to use temporarily.
He browsed the artifact shops in the market and soon chose one. The shop was called Heavenly Refining Hall, and his criteria for selecting it had been simple.
It was not the size of the store, nor the splendor of its exterior.
It was edge.
He had chosen the place that radiated the sharpest aura.
"Welcome."
As expected, a broad-shouldered, muscular old man with a generous build greeted him with a grin. His straight-backed posture and stubborn eyes gave off the unmistakable air of a master craftsman, and Jin Somyeong's trust in the shop rose at once.
The old man looked Jin Somyeong up and down, then suddenly froze. A moment later, he burst out laughing.
"Well, I'll be damned. Are you copying the Thunderclap Swordsman too? What, you want me to make something like Sword Qi come out of that empty scabbard?"
"The Thunderclap Swordsman? What's that?"
"Heh. You're a pretty good actor. Fine, I'll play along."
The old man sat down on a chair in the corner of the shop and spoke in a rough, gravelly voice.
"Not long ago, they say a sword cultivator who commands lightning appeared. People have started calling him the Thunderclap Swordsman..."
Jin Somyeong listened, wondering what on earth the man was talking about, but the farther the story went, the wider his mouth opened.
That sounds like me.
For an instant he flinched, but it was not particularly a problem. Changing his appearance had become second nature to him, so his identity had not been exposed. He could simply ignore it.
"...Haha. This is embarrassing. I tried copying him once, but it didn't suit my tastes. I came to buy a decent sword."
The old man chuckled and jerked his chin toward the display shelves. Neatly arranged swords rested there in orderly rows.
"Choose from there. Every one of those children was made with care, so they'll be worth their price."
Jin Somyeong carefully examined every sword, but his gaze naturally drifted elsewhere.
Right beside the display shelf, a five-colored treasured sword occupied an entire wall by itself. Earth, metal, water, wood, and fire—the aura of all five elements could be felt from it. The moment he saw it, Jin Somyeong thought, This is the one.
A second-rank mid-grade flying sword.
When he approached and inspected it more closely, he was pleased. Among all the swords in the shop, it was easily the best.
"Was this sword made from Five Elements Stone?"
"Hoho. You've got a decent eye. But that one's not for sale. See, an artifact shop ought to have at least one fine piece on display so customers will trust—"
"How about five hundred mid-grade Spirit Stones?"
"..."
The old artifact refiner froze, then his face twisted violently.
Jin Somyeong wondered if he had offended him by naming too low a price, but...
The old man shot to his feet, stomped over to the wall, and seized the Five Elements Sword in both hands. Before Jin Somyeong could say anything, the old man thrust it toward him.
"From this moment on, this Five Elements Sword belongs to you, honored customer."
"..."
Jin Somyeong's lips twitched as he accepted the sword and examined it closely. He was worried there might be some hidden flaw.
It's perfectly fine. If anything, it's excellent.
Honestly, it was not on the level of the Boundless Divine Sword, but it was unquestionably a famous blade. Spiritual power flowed through it smoothly, and both its sharpness and hardness were more than sufficient.
Swish!
Just in case, he gave it a light swing, but nothing about it was problematic. Its balance was good as well.
"Honored customer? As you said, that sword was made from Five Elements Stone, so its versatility is excellent. I don't know which attribute you mainly handle, but as long as it belongs to the five elements—"
"...Understood. I'll buy it."
"Hahaha! Thank you very much! Please come again! I will receive you as an honored guest!"
Feeling oddly unsettled, Jin Somyeong paid the Spirit Stones. The old man's face split into a wide, delighted grin, but Jin Somyeong had no intention of taking the deal back now.
He trusted his own eyes. This sword was worth five hundred mid-grade Spirit Stones.
Besides, his daily income had increased to five mid-grade Spirit Stones, so it was not a particularly heavy burden.
In any case, now that he had bought a sword, next came medicinal pills.
He swept through the market and chose the largest shop he could find. Since trust mattered more than anything else when it came to pills, the larger the establishment, the more reliable it seemed.
The moment he entered the luxurious shop called Splendid Brocade Pavilion, an attendant greeted him.
"Welcome! What are you looking for?"
"Do you have cultivation pills suitable for the early Foundation Establishment stage?"
"...Pardon?"
The smiling Qi Refining attendant froze in confusion.
After all, asking for second-rank pills meant the customer was a Foundation Establishment senior cultivator.
"S-Senior, please wait a moment. I will bring the branch manager at once."
"Mm."
He had waited perhaps a single minute when the branch manager came hurrying over and bowed respectfully.
"I apologize for our insufficient reception. I heard that you are looking for second-rank cultivation pills. Is that correct?"
"It is."
"This is the list of pills our Splendid Brocade Pavilion currently has in stock. Once you choose, we will prepare them for you immediately."
Jin Somyeong scanned the jade slip the branch manager offered with his Divine Sense. Dozens of pill names appeared in his mind, and after reviewing them, he chose a single one.
"The True Qi Pill. That should do. Give me five."
"Yes! Please wait one moment."
His selection criteria were simple.
The most expensive and the best.
Among cultivation pills suitable for early Foundation Establishment cultivators, he chose the highest-grade one with the strongest medicinal effect, but...
Thirty mid-grade Spirit Stones per pill. Why is it so cheap?
It was not only the True Qi Pill that was inexpensive. All the pills sold by Splendid Brocade Pavilion were the same.
Just then, the branch manager respectfully presented a bottle containing five True Qi Pills.
"May I inspect them?"
"Of course."
Using Divine Sense, Jin Somyeong examined the pills in detail. Judging by the condensed spiritual power within them, their medicinal potency was more than sufficient. They were comparable to, or perhaps even better than, the Yellow Essence Pills he had often taken in Cheongdan City.
Strange... A Yellow Essence Pill costs at least fifty mid-grade Spirit Stones.
Click.
He closed the lid to prevent the medicinal efficacy from dissipating, then asked a question.
"Is there anything I should be careful of when taking True Qi Pills?"
"Since their medicinal effect is strong, taking them too frequently is not recommended. The advised interval is once every two months."
"Anything else?"
"Of course not. True Qi Pills are considered high-grade among second-rank pills. How could they have any side effects?"
"...Understood. Then give me pills suitable for a second-rank body refiner as well. I will buy those too."
He had assumed they would naturally have such pills and placed the order, but the reply he received was unexpected.
"Honored customer, I apologize, but spirit herbs condensed with blood vitality have been wiped out because of the demon beasts. You will likely have difficulty finding them elsewhere as well."
"You don't have a single pill for body refiners?"
"No. We cannot make them without the ingredients. We do have demon beast meat that is excellent for replenishing blood vitality. Would you like that instead?"
Jin Somyeong frowned, then nodded.
After leaving Splendid Brocade Pavilion, he checked other shops as well, but their situations were similar.
He spent half a day diligently walking around and gathering information, then sank into thought.
First, he had learned why the old artifact refiner had been so delighted.
Compared to Cheongdan City, market prices on Sky Island were far lower. This sea, known as the Radiant Plains Sea Region, was a place where Spirit Stones themselves were rare.
As a result, artifacts were cheaper, and so were cultivation pills.
No wonder.
In Cheongdan City, the Five Elements Sword would have cost around seven hundred mid-grade Spirit Stones. Here, five hundred had been enough.
That's good news for me.
It meant he could buy more goods with the same amount of Spirit Stones.
Still, he was curious why things were that way, so he investigated further and heard a strange story.
"Spirit veins disappear and reappear over and over?"
"Why are you so surprised? Spirit veins are naturally like that."
Spirit Stones were generally formed in places dense with spiritual energy, so mines were usually found near spirit veins.
But this sea was somewhat unusual.
The spirit veins were not fixed in place. They were unstable, constantly changing location, and sometimes even altering in grade.
That meant it was difficult to construct large-scale mining facilities over the mines. Naturally, Spirit Stones became precious.
Could that be why the jungle island was abandoned? Because its spirit vein disappeared?
He also came to understand why Sky Island roamed ceaselessly across the sea.
It was constantly moving in search of places rich in spiritual energy.
And there was more.
Because of this peculiar phenomenon, war never ceased in the Radiant Plains Sea Region.
It was not war between humans. It was a struggle for survival between races.
Whenever a spirit vein vanished and then reappeared somewhere new, demon beasts and humans fought fiercely to claim it.
In other words, the peaceful-looking Sky Island could become a warship and sail into a battlefield at any moment.
If there was one fortunate thing, it was that humans here seemed to get along rather well with one another.
Perhaps because they had external enemies of another species, high-level cultivators tended not to bully their juniors. If anything, they were more inclined to protect them.
...For now, I should cultivate.
There was no point worrying about what he could not control. What mattered was raising his realm and increasing his strength.
Most problems resolved themselves naturally as long as one became stronger.
I should rent a proper cave residence.
Jin Somyeong was crossing the marketplace on his way to the administrative office when he stopped.
He had overheard an unusual conversation at a street stall.
"A Spirit-Seeking Talisman? You're saying that with this talisman, I can find fortuitous encounters?"
"That is correct."
"Hmm... Was there ever such a talisman? Why haven't I heard of it?"
"It is an ancient talisman whose crafting method has already been lost. There is nothing strange about your not knowing it."
The questioning cultivator tilted his head, still unsure whether to believe it.
"Is that true?"
Jin Somyeong revealed his Foundation Establishment spiritual power and approached the stall.
"Ah! Greetings, Senior!"
For some reason, the stall owner looked delighted. He even chased away the other Qi Refining cultivators who had been browsing.
Once only the stall owner and Jin Somyeong remained, the owner used a soundproofing talisman to cut off the surrounding noise, then spoke boldly.
"Senior, you asked whether it was real. I can even swear an oath! With this talisman, you can find a fortuitous encounter suited to yourself!"
"May I examine it?"
"Yes. Though I am only a Qi Refining cultivator now, I was originally a descendant of a Golden Core family. This is a treasure left behind by my great-great-grandfather!"
Leaving that confident voice behind, Jin Somyeong picked up the Spirit-Seeking Talisman.
Judging by the aura he could faintly sense from it, it was a first-rank supreme-grade talisman.
This is a talisman left behind by a Golden Core cultivator?
Just in case, he had the man make a simple oath and confirmed that it was not a lie.
Yet even when he examined it closely, it still looked like a first-rank talisman.
There were two possibilities.
Either Jin Somyeong's own level was insufficient to recognize its true value, or the Qi Refining cultivator had misunderstood what it was.
"...Fine. I will buy it. How many Spirit Stones do you want for it?"
"Ah!"
The stall owner beamed, then took a deep breath.
After hesitating as though making some tremendous decision, he clenched his teeth and said,
"This is the last hope left to me after the fall of my clan. Senior, I beg you to take pity on me and obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill for me."
"A Foundation Establishment Pill? You are being far too greedy."
"Th-Then anything that will help with Foundation Establishment will do!"
Jin Somyeong glanced at the desperate cultivator, then examined the Spirit-Seeking Talisman again.
From the way the talisman characters moved as though alive, it was certainly a precious item.
It did seem to be first-rank, but...
It also seemed as if something hidden lay within it.
Even if it truly is only first-rank, that doesn't matter. If I amplify its effect with the Boundless Great Ability, it might be able to find a fortuitous encounter effective even for a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
After turning the matter over in his mind, Jin Somyeong made his decision.
He spoke to the young Qi Refining cultivator, who was staring at him with desperate eyes.
"I have a decent Foundation Establishment spiritual object. If you are willing to exchange it for that, I will buy this talisman."