Hide in the world of gods and demons

Chapter 172 Talisman
At dawn, the melodious bells rang out.

After a night of cultivation, Chen Li strolled out of the inn.

The silver moon in the sky had not yet faded, and the morning light was already faintly appearing in the east.

The sky was filled with rosy clouds at dawn, just before daybreak.

The entire city had fully awakened and begun its busy day. A faint, refreshing fragrance filled the air, and in the distance, a giant red tree shimmered with divine light, resembling a divine pillar reaching to the heavens.

Since he had come all this way, Chen Li decided to take this opportunity to explore the area thoroughly.

He strode toward the giant tree.

He had only walked a few miles when he reached the shade of the trees.

Even before getting close to this terrifying behemoth, Chen Li felt uneasy and a sense of oppression in his chest.

However, the pedestrians on the road showed no unusual expression, clearly having long been accustomed to this.

The closer one gets to the giant tree, the denser the spiritual energy becomes. Near the trunk, the spiritual power almost forms a celestial phenomenon. In the dim early morning, wisps of light appear and disappear around the tree, like silk threads, ribbons, or aurora borealis, colorful and vibrant, fleeting in an instant.

It looks beautiful yet dangerous.

"This is……"

Chen Li's heart suddenly skipped a beat.

Yesterday, due to the angle, I couldn't see it clearly. It wasn't until today, when I looked at it up close, that I discovered a huge human face vaguely emerging from the grooves and ravines of the tree trunk. The face had rough features, slightly closed eyes, a kind and benevolent expression, and a hint of majesty.

Centered on its trunk, massive, unimaginably gnarled roots plunge deep into the ground like angry dragons. The immense power generated by their growth has caused the surrounding terrain, spanning several miles, to rise high like mountain peaks.

The sun had already risen in the east, but the area remained dark. The endless fiery red leaves overhead completely blocked out the sun, with only a few rays occasionally piercing through the layers of leaves to illuminate the road, creating sparse, dim patches of light.

This place is almost a bird world, with countless birds of all sizes perched on the giant trees, their clear and melodious calls rising and falling, creating a lively and bustling scene.

"To witness such a magnificent sight, even if I gain nothing, the trip will still be worthwhile!" Chen Li was deeply moved by what he saw.

……

In the following days, Chen Li visited various auction houses.

They retrieved a large stack of auction catalogs and returned to the inn to study them.

Tier 3 magic swords are not available at every auction.

Moreover, Chen Li can't afford all third-tier magic swords.

The same third order.

Tier 3 low-grade and Tier 3 high-grade.

The prices are worlds apart.

Don't even mention a difference of a hundred times; it could be a thousand times.

His goal is to reach the third-tier low-grade level.

Of course, if you can afford a mid-grade Tier 3 item, that would be ideal, as it would solve your problem once and for all.

In the past month.

There are six auctions in total.

There are only three matches involving mid-grade level 3 or lower.

Two are of the lowest grade, and one is of the middle grade, both of the third grade.

"Fortunately, the time for a mid-grade third-tier item is the next day, so I can go and take a look first!" Chen Li thought to himself.

He couldn't stay here forever.

He planned to stay for no more than a month.

……

Two days flew by.

Early in the morning, Chen Li changed his appearance and used a magic spell to ward off evil and head to the auction house.

Stanley City was, after all, a cultivation city of a major Nascent Soul sect, far superior to the remote and shabby White Stone City. As soon as he got closer, he sensed several Golden Core cultivators with their heads covered. The rest of the people were mostly Foundation Establishment cultivators, with very few Qi Refining cultivators.

Chen Li entered with the flow of people.

The auction venue here is similar to other places, with two floors.

The lower level has regular seating, and the upper level has private boxes.

For safety reasons, Chen Li had already reluctantly spent a high-grade spirit stone to book a private room yesterday.

After showing his box number, a beautiful maid quickly led Chen Li through a secret door into the box. She served him spiritual tea and snacks, then bowed and left. The auction began shortly afterward.

Chen Li had never even heard of most of the items being auctioned here. The lowest quality items, such as magic artifacts and robes, were all in the category of second-tier top-grade. Undoubtedly, the auction here was mainly aimed at Foundation Establishment and Golden Core cultivators.

……

"Next item up for auction: a gold-attribute talisman..."

The auctioneer carefully opened a wooden box and showed it to everyone. Chen Li looked closely and saw a golden talisman lying quietly inside the box, faintly containing terrifying power.

"These talismanic treasures are special talismans that can only be created by cultivators at the Golden Core stage or above," the auctioneer announced loudly.

"To refine this talisman, the cultivator needs to seal a portion of the power of their natal magic weapon onto the talisman skin. Since this method will damage the natal magic weapon, even the lifespan of a Golden Core cultivator will be affected."

Therefore, this kind of talisman is quite special and rare.

Unlike ordinary talismans, talisman treasures are not restricted by cultivation level for users.

Of course, Qi Refining cultivators have weak and insufficiently refined magical power, so they can only utilize a very small amount of the power of talismanic treasures.

The Foundation Establishment stage cultivators not only possess abundant magical power, but this power is also condensed into liquid due to the successful foundation establishment. Although it cannot compare to the Golden Core cultivators, it is far more refined than the magical power of Qi Refining cultivators. Therefore, they can maximize the function of talismans and treasures. Late Foundation Establishment cultivators can even fully unleash the power of talismans and treasures. Even if they only possess two or three tenths of the power of a true magic treasure, it is enough to dominate the Foundation Establishment stage.

However, this talisman has already been used, and can still be used three more times by Foundation Establishment cultivators…

Chen Li was shocked and horrified. There was such a thing?
With such a talisman in hand, wouldn't one be invincible at the Foundation Establishment stage?

"If I were to encounter such an enemy..." Chen Li's expression turned solemn. After thinking for a moment, he finally shook his head.

He had never come into contact with this thing, never even seen it, and had no idea how powerful it was.

Of course, the best way is to prevent the opponent from having a chance to use it at all.

"If this thing is cheap, I must buy it!" Chen Li thought to himself.

"...The starting bid for this item is two hundred high-grade spirit stones, with each bid increasing by one high-grade spirit stone."

Chen Li: "..."

"Two hundred and fifty!"

"Two hundred and sixty!"

Two hundred and sixty-five!

……

The atmosphere in the auction hall suddenly heated up, with bids rising one after another. In no time, the price had climbed to three hundred high-grade spirit stones, and it continued to rise, creating a tug-of-war.

The final price was 324 high-grade spirit stones.

"I'm still so ignorant! This thing is even more expensive than a low-grade third-tier magic weapon!" Chen Li exclaimed inwardly, "They're so rich!"

The auction continues.

Items continue to fetch astronomical prices at auction.

The atmosphere was sometimes calm, sometimes heated.

Soon, what Chen Li had been waiting for arrived.

"A mid-grade third-tier magic sword, the Shadowless Sword, sturdy, sharp, magic-breaking, soul-destroying, and spirit-capturing. It strikes without a trace and leaves no mark... Starting bid: 180 high-grade spirit stones."

Chen Li: "..."

He couldn't watch it anymore.

'What a waste of a high-grade spirit stone for a private room.'

He only had 171 in his storage bag.

"Oh well, since we're already here, we might as well broaden our horizons."

(End of this chapter)