Cultivating Immortality Begins with Rejuvenation.

Chapter 219 High-Level Rune Master
After passing through the front hall, we arrived at the back hall.

From afar, one could see an old man carefully examining a table full of talismans.

"Fu Yuanjiang from Guanshan Bamboo Sea greets Chairman Yuan." Fu Yuanjiang quickened his pace, leaving Li Ji'an behind, and greeted the old man first.

The old man turned his attention away from the talisman on the table and greeted him with a smile: "Haha, Patriarch Fu, you're too kind. Please come in quickly."

“Eh, fellow Daoist…” Yuan Shunyi paused slightly when he looked at Li Ji’an.

With his late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation and the treasures that nourished his soul, his soul was almost touching the threshold of a pseudo-Core Formation cultivator, which is why he instantly sensed Li Ji'an's disguise technique.

However, he could only sense it but not see through it, which was enough to prove that the other party's true divine sense was at least above the false core, or even the early stage of the true core.

This surprised him somewhat, since the merchants and traders distributed by the Sishui Chamber of Commerce were essentially middlemen recruited to help the Sishui Chamber of Commerce acquire talismans.

This is the first fake alchemist to do this job.

In a flash, he didn't expose Li Ji'an's feigned mid-Foundation Establishment aura. After all, in his opinion, it was undignified for a fake Core Formation cultivator to act as a middleman. He believed that this was also the reason why Li Ji'an disguised himself to meet him.

"Please come in, fellow Daoist." Yuan Shunyi also welcomed Li Ji'an inside.

Upon entering the inner hall, Li Ji'an saw seven stewards busily working, classifying talismans, labeling and organizing them, and packaging them in batches, all in an orderly manner.

"Thank you all for your help, which has saved us a lot of trouble. On behalf of the Chamber of Commerce, I thank you." The old man led Li Ji'an and his companion to the large jade table for selecting spirit talismans and bowed slightly to them.

"President Yuan, you're too kind. In truth, we should thank the Sishui Chamber of Commerce for providing the cultivators in the region with a means to make money. Otherwise, how could those merchants earn such substantial profits just by running errands?" Fu Yuanjiang returned the greeting modestly, but his words distinguished him from ordinary merchants.

Li Ji'an nodded slightly in response.

“President Yuan, I know you’re always busy, so I won’t take up any more of your time. This is a small contribution from my Fu family to the Chamber of Commerce. Please examine it.” Fu Yuanjiang confidently laid out the five jade boxes in a row.

Upon seeing this, Yuan Shunyi's face lit up with a hint of joy.

This Central Training War was an opportunity he valued highly.

This was also the first time in hundreds of years since the collapse of the Wanshang Domain that they saw hope of returning to their homeland.

Everything in the Tiancang Domain is fine, but resources are overly concentrated at the top. The Holy Palace Sect is too rigid, and the overall business environment is not quite in line with the business ideas passed down for thousands of years by our ancestors. Most of the highly profitable businesses are monopolized by the Holy Palace Sect, leaving them with only scraps. If this continues, they will not be able to replicate the glory of their ancestors even after several thousand years.

Therefore, their lifelong wish is to return to the Wanshang Domain.

In this war in the Central Region, they finally reached a cooperation agreement with Wanfu Chamber of Commerce, one of the three major chambers of commerce in the Wanshang Domain. The other party promised to help them return to the Wanshang Domain if they could complete the mission.

However, this mission was not easy either. The other party entrusted them with the procurement and trade of materials such as spirit talismans, and they needed to reach the amount required by the other party.

The art of talismans, ranking high among the various arts of cultivation, is renowned for its immense power and relatively low requirements for users. It is truly the best means of launching surprise attacks and protecting one's life.

However, the drawbacks are also obvious: the cost is too high, and because drawing talismans requires a great deal of spiritual power and magic strength, as well as a high level of comprehension, the higher the level of the talisman, the more difficult it is to draw and the lower the success rate.

Therefore, there are not many high-level talisman masters in this world.

In the Tiancang Domain, because the Holy Palace Sect controls the vast majority of resources, the situation of independent cultivators is dire, and there is no surplus spiritual resources to nurture high-level talisman masters.

As for the geniuses within the Holy Palace Sect, since the sect provides them with cultivation resources, they only need to focus on improving their cultivation and spells, and therefore lack the motivation to delve into the art of talisman mastery.

As for those elderly people who had no hope of progress in the path of cultivation, even if they achieved some success in the art of talismans, they basically all supplied their sects with their earnings.

This has resulted in a severe shortage of second-tier and above talisman masters in the Tiancang Domain, and second-tier and above spirit talismans are in extremely short supply.

Of course, this is also related to the market demand for high-end talismans.

Aside from cultivation wars, ordinary cultivators rarely use second-tier talismans unless in a critical situation or when a significant benefit is guaranteed.

After all, a second-tier talisman usually costs over a thousand spirit stones, and even a Foundation Establishment family patriarch wouldn't be willing to squander it recklessly.

Most of them were only used for self-defense.

Since the situation in the central region began to show signs of trouble and even escalated into conflict, it has been almost a month since the Sishui Chamber of Commerce and the Wanfu Chamber of Commerce reached an agreement. Only after the Sishui Chamber of Commerce was willing to share its profits and even adopted a strategy of breaking even for talismans of the mid-stage of the second tier and above, did it finally acquire talismans that were not much different from the agreed total.

However, most of them are still first-tier, and the proportion of those that are truly second-tier mid-stage or above is too small. Therefore, recent acquisitions have mainly focused on second-tier.

Seeing Fu Yuanjiang take out nearly a hundred spirit talismans at once, all of which were of the second rank or higher, Yuan Shunyi couldn't help but feel delighted.

However, when he personally opened the jade box and arranged the talismans, he couldn't help but feel somewhat disappointed.

Nearly half of them were barely low-grade talismans, with poor efficacy.

Moreover, the highest quality is only mid-stage second tier superior grade.

"Thank you for your great help, Master Fu. You've worked hard." Yuan Shunyi showed no displeasure and thanked him with a smile.

After all, the talismans collected by other merchants were of average quality and in smaller quantities than those collected by Fu Yuanjiang.

In comparison, Fu Yuanjiang is already considered excellent.

Moreover, they were already mentally prepared and had a backup plan—to acquire a batch of high-level talisman materials and commission a second-tier senior talisman master from Wanshang Domain to draw them.

"No trouble at all, no trouble at all. In addition to these talismans, our Fu family has also prepared high-grade talisman materials from within the clan, which will be delivered soon." Fu Yuanjiang waved his hand with a smile.

Yuan Shunyi nodded: "Good, good. The reputation of the second-tier high-grade spirit bamboo of noble families has always been good. I was just talking about this with Xinjue a few days ago. I also look forward to reaching a cooperation with noble families!"

Yuan Xinjue is the current president of the Sishui Chamber of Commerce, the fake alchemist of the Chamber, and also the granddaughter of Yuan Shunyi.

"It would be my great honor!" Fu Yuanjiang exclaimed with delight.

Yuan Shunyi then had his men take Fu Yuanjiang's talisman aside to calculate it, and then looked at Li Ji'an.

Fu Yuanjiang waited to settle the account, but he had no interest in Li Ji'an's talisman anymore. He had achieved his goal and leisurely blew on his teacup.

Without wasting words, Li Ji'an took out the jade box.

Yuan Shunyi didn't take it seriously. Most merchants only handed over about a box at a time, after all, their financial resources were limited.

To produce nearly a hundred second-tier talismans at once, like Fu Yuanjiang did, requires an initial investment of tens of thousands of spirit stones, which is beyond the reach of most cultivators.

"Sigh~"

However, the moment the jade box was opened, Yuan Shunyi froze for a moment.

"They're all mid-to-late stage Tier 2, and there are so many high-grade ones too!"

Before leaving the Immortal City, Li Ji'an had already successfully drawn a high-quality second-tier mid-stage natal talisman. Before going to the Lonely Peak of the Azure Cloud Sect, he had already sold off the ones below the second-tier mid-stage. Now, all that remains are second-tier mid-stage and late-stage talismans.

Most of them were practice pieces, a small number were discarded from secondary self-defense items, and even fewer were discarded from personal talismans.

While most of these practice pieces did not meet his self-defense standards, they were mostly of medium quality, with few being of low quality and many being of high quality.

"Hmm?" Fu Yuanjiang was also attracted by the aura emanating from the talisman and craned his neck to look.

Upon seeing the jade box containing fifteen talismans, there were three mid-grade low-level talismans, two late-grade low-level talismans, two mid-grade mid-level talismans, four late-grade mid-level talismans, and two mid-grade and two late-grade talismans, all of which were of superior quality!

Most of them are powerful offensive and defensive talismans.

Fu Yuanjiang felt a chill run down his spine. Not to mention the late-stage second-tier talisman, even the mid-stage high-grade Golden Sword Talisman would have taken him down in one strike, even if he had been on guard.

He quickly abandoned his previous contemptuous attitude, his eyes shining with friendliness as he looked at Li Ji'an, and he sat up straight.

Yuan Shunyi also hurriedly got up. He had to admit that the quality of this batch of talismans exceeded his expectations.

What shocked him even more was that the aura and crafting techniques of this batch of talismans were very similar.

Others might not be able to tell, but as the only mid-stage second-tier talisman master in the guild who had mastered talismans, he was certain that these talismans came from the hand of a single talisman master.

Considering the other party's cultivation level of at least the Pseudo-Core Formation stage, Yuan Shunyi's expression turned solemn with respect.

The other party is likely a second-tier advanced rune master, or even a third-tier rune master.

Among the talisman masters they commissioned in the Wanshang Domain, probably few could compare to this person's talisman skills.

"Fellow Daoist, make a bid." Li Ji'an waited patiently for the other party to make a bid.

During this time, he had figured out the purchase prices of those middlemen, but he didn't know the price the Chamber of Commerce offered to the middlemen.

"Hmm? Fellow Daoist isn't a merchant?" Yuan Shunyi confirmed his guess once again.

Li Ji'an nodded.

"Fellow Daoist, please rest assured, the Chamber of Commerce does not intend to make a profit from such high-quality talismans. In fact, we are even buying these few high-quality later-stage talismans at a loss," Yuan Shunyi immediately stated.

Without waiting for Li Ji'an to say anything more, he immediately began to quote prices.

After hearing the price quote, Li Ji'an remained calm, but he was already satisfied. The price offered was nearly 50% higher than the market price.

If only material and labor costs are considered, the overall profit reaches 30%.

Even considering the material losses from practicing, there's already a profit to be made.

Having learned about the situation of the Surabaya Chamber of Commerce and the acquisition beforehand, Li Ji'an had come prepared to negotiate a price, but now he no longer had any such plans.

“Agreed!” Li Ji’an nodded in approval of the offer. After all, the war in the central region had been going on for more than a year or two, and he was prepared for a long-term cooperation.

"Excellent!" Yuan Shunyi's eyes flashed with joy.

The fact that the other party did not haggle over the price not only proves that they are straightforward and honest, and not opportunistic or greedy, but also suggests that there is a possibility of cooperation.

If the Sishui Chamber of Commerce had a talisman master in the Tiancang Domain capable of producing late-stage second-tier talismans, it would have a greater advantage than having a talisman master from the Wanshang Domain make talismans.

Most importantly, based on Yuan Shunyi's experience in talismanic arts, the opponent's talismanic skills would probably be top-tier even in the Wanshang Domain.

"May I invite you upstairs for a chat, fellow Daoist? The president can discuss important matters with you further." Yuan Shunyi seized the opportunity and hurriedly invited Li Ji'an upstairs to meet with the president, Master Yuxiao.

"No rush!" Li Ji'an waved his hand and took out two more jade boxes from his storage bag.

He had only just used the jade box as a trial balloon; he was only now taking out the real, high-quality talismans that had been retired.

"Hiss~" As soon as the talismans in the two jade boxes were revealed, everyone in the hall gasped.

"A high-quality, late-stage Tier 2 Flame Talisman!"

"So many barrier-breaking talismans!"

"Premium Freezing Talisman!"

……

Besides his three natal talismans, Li Ji'an only kept three secondary natal talismans, a few minor teleportation talismans, and barrier-breaking talismans, and converted almost all of them into cash.

Besides gathering spirit stones to collect the ingredients for the Crystal Condensation Pill, it was also a way to demonstrate one's talisman skills.

Fu Yuanjiang's whole body stiffened, and he looked at Li Ji'an as if he had seen a ghost. With so many high-quality late-stage talismans, even a fake Core Formation cultivator would be on tenterhooks.

More importantly, there are so many barrier-breaking talismans. He was certain that his clan's protective formation would be no different from flat ground in the face of this person. If the other party really had the intention to kill, he would probably be able to break the formation with these talismans before the Blazing Sun Sect could even come to his aid. The other party would have already disappeared without a trace by using teleportation talismans and speed talismans.

At this moment, Li Ji'an was seen as a far greater threat than ordinary fake alchemists.

Moreover, he finally realized that the other party was probably a Core Formation senior.

No wonder Qin Henian treated this person with the same respect when he was away from home.

"Fellow Daoist, please forgive me. I was blind before and did not know that you had such strength. I have offended you in many ways. Please forgive me." The next moment, Fu Yuanjiang pretended to be calm, bowed and apologized, and handed over a storage bag.

Li Ji'an glanced at him, took the storage bag, and found a full five thousand spirit stones inside, equivalent to the main ingredients of two Condensing Crystal Pills.

"It's alright, I'm not a petty person."

"Thank you, fellow Daoist. If you ever need high-grade talisman materials in the future, I will certainly do my best to provide them." Fu Yuanjiang took the opportunity to build a closer relationship.

Li Ji'an smiled faintly. As expected of the head of the family, he was quite adept at changing his stance according to the wind and climbing up the social ladder.

Yuan Shunyi also thought highly of Yuanjiang. If they could reach a cooperation agreement with Li Ji'an, they would definitely support whichever family's talisman materials the other party wanted to use.

After being shocked, Yuan Shunyi hurriedly quoted a price for another batch of talismans.

With a total of nearly 100,000, Li Ji'an was very satisfied.

This time, I've completely recovered.

Moreover, because the other party specifically selected several high-quality talismans from later stages and offered an extremely high price, it almost wiped out a batch of high-level talisman materials that he had previously wasted while practicing.

Fearing that Li Ji'an would leave, Yuan Shunyi hurriedly invited him upstairs again to have a face-to-face talk with Master Yuxiao.

Watching Yuan Shunyi and Li Ji'an walk upstairs, Fu Yuanjiang breathed a sigh of relief, secretly pleased that he had reacted quickly and reluctantly given away five thousand spirit stones.

Otherwise, if the other party really cooperates with the Chamber of Commerce, a single sentence could bring down Fu Jialingzhu.

Now, because of his decisiveness, he has not only eliminated the rift but also forged a good relationship.

Unsurprisingly, he was the first to know about this. Perhaps the other party had disguised himself to avoid revealing his identity. Maybe in the end, only he would know that the Sishui Chamber of Commerce had cooperated with a high-level talisman master, and that the choice of which talisman material to use was up to the master.

At worst, we can promise them a certain percentage of profits, and the deal will almost certainly be done.

Overjoyed, he walked out of the inner hall. As he passed through the main hall, he saw Qin Henian and his grandson waiting anxiously. His smile grew even wider.
-
"Yu Xiao greets you, sir. Please take a seat!" In the private room on the top floor, a female cultivator in a snow-white robe rose to greet him.

The Grandfather has already informed us of the matter concerning the inner hall.

She knew the other party didn't want to reveal their true identity, so she didn't deliberately expose them at this moment.

The title "Sir" is fitting for someone skilled in talismanic arts.

"You're too kind, Master Yuxiao." Li Ji'an nodded slightly, his gaze lingering briefly on Master Yuxiao.

Her face was fair and radiant, her figure graceful, and her snow-white robe made her flawless skin even more beautiful and captivating.

(End of this chapter)