The flying boat slowly rose into the sky, adjusted its course, and sped away.
The Foundation Establishment martial uncle and the disciples on duty retreated into the cabin to rest, leaving those like Ji An, who had merely bought passage, to remain on the deck.
Fortunately, the boat was shrouded in a spiritual shield as it traveled, sparing them from the punishing force of the winds.
Ji An admired the scenery for a while, but when the novelty wore off, he sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and began contemplating the path ahead.
According to Senior Uncle Qin Yan's teachings, during the Qi Refining stage, one needed to open as many additional branches of the immortal veins as possible.
He would need to spend contribution points to exchange for a vein-opening secret art, and gradually expand every branch he could while still in Qi Refining.
It was painstaking work, but necessary. Now that he had reached the ninth layer of Qi Refining, he had to prepare in advance and proceed step by step.
To build a foundation, one had to liquefy spiritual energy. The final layer of the Clear Source Scripture contained a secret technique during cultivation, which could condense a vortex of mana, increasing the efficiency of turning qi into liquid form.
Such a method was something loose cultivators would likely never even hear of.
The three hurdles of Foundation Establishment: mana, body, and divine sense.
Ji An's body was uninjured, and his divine sense far surpassed those of his realm. With continued effort in practicing the Sharp Gold Art, by the time he was ready for Foundation Establishment, he would surely push his spells to the point of condensing Dao seeds.
His only real obstacle was mana.
A silent sigh escaped him, and a bitter smile formed on his face. Mana being insufficient wasn't a possibility; it was inevitable.
During Foundation Establishment, one had to continually draw in spiritual energy and refine it into mana, pouring it into the dantian without pause to raise the concentration in the Qi Sea to the threshold where mana could condense into liquid.
But the Stone Tortoise always took its share, swallowing half of everything it refined. It was beyond his control and would undoubtedly have a huge impact when attempting Foundation Establishment.
Therefore, in addition to preparing a Foundation Pill, he also needed to gather a supply of treasures that could rapidly restore mana in significant quantities.
That way, if the Foundation Pill's medicinal power proved insufficient, he would still have backup means.
After thinking it over from every angle, Ji An realized he would need an enormous amount of spirit stones.
Soon, a colossal mountain city that pierced the clouds came into view. The flying boat slowed its speed and began to descend.
Countless talisman birds, flying beasts, and other boats were arriving and departing. Outside the Immortal City, several massive platforms bustled like a great sky harbor.
Once the flying boat landed, the leading Foundation Establishment cultivator performed a hand seal. The enormous craft instantly shrank, becoming a boat only a few inches long, which he tucked into his sleeve.
At the city's formation barrier, lines of itinerant cultivators queued to enter. Some presented jade tokens and were waved through; others, likely first-time visitors, busied themselves with registration procedures.
The disciples of the three great sects and the clans invested in the city had no such formalities. Following behind their Foundation Establishment elder, Ji An, and the others were let through immediately.
Once past the barrier, people broke off into small groups and dispersed.
Ji An waved his hand and immediately drew the attention of a cluster of brokers.
A group of young boys in the early Qi Refining stage swarmed over, their faces beaming when they noticed his Golden Spirit Sect robes.
"Senior, Senior! What kind of guide do you need? I know all the shops in the western district of the city like the back of my hand."
"Senior, if you're looking to buy spirit beasts or demonic beast cubs"
Me, a mere ninth-layer Qi Refining nobody… and they're calling me 'Senior'! Ji An bared his teeth in amusement and pressed his hand down.
"I need to browse shops that sell talismans, pills, and medicinal ingredients. Who knows the area?"
At once, several boys raised their hands, while those unfamiliar with such places quickly slipped away.
"How do you charge?"
"Senior, twenty spirit crystals a day is the standard rate."
Hope gleamed in their eyes, silently pleading: Pick me, pick me.
The price wasn't high, especially since guides also earned commission from shops whenever their clients made purchases.
"You then."
Ji An pointed to a thin but bright-eyed boy and handed him ten spirit crystals.
The others sighed and dispersed, while the chosen guide stepped forward, grinning from ear to ear as he accepted the crystals.
"Senior, would you like to visit the pill shops first, or the talisman shops?"
"Take me to the talisman district. I need to purchase talisman brushes and ink, and also look for shops to cooperate with in selling my talismans, mid-grade Geng Metal and Water-Curtain Talismans.
After that, I'll need to buy some beast-nurturing ingredients, and also acquire a batch of Jade Ganoderma Pills."
Ji An's spirit-seeking rat, under his careful care, was not far from breaking into late Qi Refining, and would soon need new Beast-Nurturing Pellets.
Lately, he had also felt that the Shen Yuan Pills were losing their effect, whether from resistance or some other reason; he wasn't sure. He wanted to try something different.
"Right away, Senior. Please follow me." The boy hurried ahead with enthusiasm.
"My time is tight," Ji An added. "I'll be leaving tomorrow, so plan the route carefully."
Among the many two-story shops, the Treasure Talisman Pavilion stood out, rising four stories tall. Its entrance bustled with cultivators coming and going, a scene of constant activity.
"Senior, this is the largest talisman shop in Azure Cloud Immortal City. Your request can probably only be met here," the guide said nervously.
They had already visited more than a dozen shops. Though Ji An had demonstrated many talismans, the shopkeepers, even while praising their quality, were only willing to buy in small quantities.
The boy felt disheartened. Today, he likely wouldn't earn many spirit coins. His commission depended on immediate transactions, but this senior was only making supply agreements. That meant little extra income.
Life in the Immortal City was harsh; his family had been running at a loss for days, and the thought of buying pills to improve his cultivation was far beyond reach.
The two stepped inside. A maidservant hurried forward with a warm smile.
"Daoist friend, are you here to sell materials or to purchase talismans?"
"I have a batch of mid-grade talismans for sale," Ji An said flatly. "Their quality is excellent, and I hope to cooperate with your pavilion."
"What kind of talismans?" the maid asked politely. "I'll inform the steward and see whether there's potential for collaboration."
She didn't hold much hope that shops generally worked with talisman masters they already trusted.
Ji An handed over two talismans. "Geng Metal Talismans and Water-Curtain Talismans. Their power speaks for itself."
"Please wait a moment," the maid replied, accepting the talismans, which shimmered faintly with spiritual light, before hurrying upstairs.
Not long after, she returned quickly with a smile.
"Daoist friend, please follow me."
They went up to the second floor and met the steward, a refined Daoist nun in a white robe embroidered with green maple leaves. Though her demeanor was gentle, an unintentional release of spiritual pressure revealed her Foundation Establishment cultivation.
"Ji An of the Golden Spirit Sect greets Senior."
Ji An stepped forward and bowed respectfully.
"So it's a young friend from Golden Spirit Sect. Please, sit," she said. "I am Yin Lingsu, steward of Falling Maple Valley. For the past few years, I have overseen this Treasure Talisman Pavilion. Tell me, who inscribed these two talismans?"
Earlier, when she had activated one, she found its power was barely weaker than that of a high-grade talisman. Originally uninterested, she now felt a spark of genuine interest.
"They were inscribed by this disciple," Ji An replied.
Yin Lingsu's eyes brightened slightly, and she smiled.
"Besides those two, can you draw anything else? You know, demand for Geng Metal and Water-Curtain Talismans has never been high."
Ji An gave a bitter smile. "At present, these two are all I can produce."
He hadn't expected that even in Azure Cloud Immortal City, the talismans he chose would be slow sellers. But the time cost to learn new spells was too high; he could only wait until he condensed Metal and Earth Dao Seeds before considering more options.
Yin Lingsu's enthusiasm dimmed. The talismans were good, but the demand simply wasn't there.
They chatted for a while longer before finally agreeing: every two months, Ji An would supply 500 Water-Curtain Talismans and 200 Geng Metal Talismans. The condition was that the Treasure Talisman Pavilion would pay only half up front, with the rest to be settled at the next transaction.
Ji An could only agree reluctantly. For now, selling them at all was better than nothing.
This way, between Wei Songnian's network and the many shops in Azure Cloud Immortal City, his talismans could at least be absorbed.
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