Immortality and Cultivation: I Have Too Many Talents

Chapter 21 Qi Refining Level 5 (Please continue reading)

VIP room at Ding's shop.

"Do you hope to increase the purchase volume of [Rejuvenation Charms]?"

Upon hearing Manager Ding's request, Shen Xuan pondered for a moment.

A regular [Rejuvenation Talisman] is fine.

He specially reserved the exquisite "Rejuvenation Talisman" for Zhao Chunsheng to sell, in addition to using it himself.

Not only does it conceal his talisman-making abilities, but it also allows him to use them to manipulate Zhao Chunsheng into doing things for him.

After all, a demon hunter at the late stage of Qi Refining could save him a lot of trouble.

“Master Shen, please help me out, considering we’ve known each other for over forty years.”

Shopkeeper Ding said with a smile, "One high-quality piece can be exchanged for two. With Master Shen's ability, he can produce more than a dozen pieces every month."

"This is the elder's intention. If I don't have a high-quality [Rejuvenation Talisman], I won't be able to explain it to the elder."

Manager Ding said with a helpless expression.

Upon hearing Manager Ding's request, Shen Xuan became wary.

A mid-grade talisman master is like a money tree.

Shen Xuan purchased talisman-making materials and sold spirit talismans at Qinglong Bay Market.

The Ding family can earn dozens of spirit stones from him every month.

Forcing him to sell the premium "Rejuvenation Talisman" is tantamount to increasing the pressure on him.

As for his marriage to Ding Jiafan,

Heh, how could the Ding family possibly care about a mere mortal woman?

Shen Xuan pondered for a moment.

In the end, he agreed to Shopkeeper Ding's request to sell him ten more high-quality [Rejuvenation Talismans] each month.

however.

Shen Xuan had just returned home when he heard some bad news.

"Fellow Daoist Zhao is going to enlist in the corvée labor to clear wasteland?"

"I have no choice. If I don't go, the service tax is forty spirit stones!"

Zhao Chunsheng said helplessly.

The service tax for cultivators in Qinglong Bay is levied according to their cultivation level.

The initial stage of Qi Refining costs six spirit stones, the middle stage costs fifteen spirit stones, and the late stage costs forty spirit stones!

The higher one's cultivation level, the more corvée labor one is required to perform, and the higher the tax levied in lieu of corvée labor.

"This is the last batch of mantis shrimp. If you still want to purchase spirit fish and demon shrimp, or sell spirit talismans, you'll have to wait until I return from the wilderness."

"It doesn't matter."

After seeing Zhao Chunsheng off, Shen Xuan looked at the mantis shrimp in the fishing bag, his heart heavy.

For some reason, he had a strange sense of foreboding, as if something bad was about to happen.

He married a woman from the Ding family.

According to the agreement, there was no need to be conscripted for corvée labor.

Nevertheless, he still felt uneasy.

In the practice room.

The mysterious jade talisman withdrew its golden light.

All the mantis shrimp in the fishing bag turned belly up.

[Talent: Critical Strike Basics (2/100)]

【Daoyun: 72】

[Spiritual Root: Water 16/100]

This time, it only took Shen Xuan half a year to plunder the critical strike talent of the mantis shrimp.

Shen Xuan closed his eyes and slowly began to experience the life of the mantis shrimp.

There are many first-tier mid-grade water-attribute monsters, but those that are plentiful, cheap, and have special talents are rare.

Fortunately, Qinglong Bay Market is located on the banks of the Longze River, which provides a large supply of cheap spirit fish and demon shrimp.

Shen Xuan chose the mantis shrimp because he was attracted by its unique bloodline talent.

Mantis shrimp have a pair of powerful maxillae that can fold up like a hammer to shatter armor and extend like a sharp cone to pierce through.

When attacking its prey, it can eject its mandibles in a fraction of a second, at a speed several times that of a pistol bullet. The intense heat generated by the instantaneous friction can cause the surrounding water to spark, making it extremely lethal.

This is in the water!

Imagine if Shen Xuan's [Condensing Water to Form a Sharp Edge Technique] were enhanced with his [Water Control] talent, and then further enhanced with the Mantis Shrimp's [Critical Strike] talent, its power would increase dramatically, potentially severely injuring a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator.

The [Critical Strike] talent points can be increased through diligent practice.

Shen Xuan added all 72 points of Daoist essence to his self-healing talent.

[Talent: Proficient in Self-Healing (39/200)]

With sixteen points of water elemental root, it's time to break through to the fifth level of Qi Refining.

Previously, Shen Xuan had sensed an opportunity for a breakthrough.

However, in order to improve the aptitude of the water elemental root, it was suppressed for a while.

He tried circulating the [Divine Treasure Ocean Technique], and the spiritual energy flowed more smoothly through his meridians.

"As expected, spiritual root aptitude determines the upper limit of cultivation." As long as he continuously improves his spiritual root, Shen Xuan can continuously break through the limitations of his cultivation realm.

"It's time to break through!"

Shen Xuan stopped thinking about it and activated the Spirit Gathering Array.

He sat cross-legged, focused his mind, circulated his spiritual energy, and began to break through to the fifth level of Qi Refining.

When the [Divine Treasure Ocean Technique] was activated, the spiritual energy within his body gradually accelerated after circulating for several cycles. Guided by his divine thoughts, it surged and became increasingly powerful.

His spiritual power was like a vast ocean, boundless and expansive, flowing through his entire body along his meridians.

This made Shen Xuan full of energy, like a taut bowstring.

Sensing the critical moment, Shen Xuan crushed the two spirit stones in his hand.

The refined spiritual energy was drawn into the dantian from the palm, and like adding fuel to a fire, it instantly became violent, filling the meridians.

Time passed little by little.

Two hours later.

Having been preparing for this moment, Shen Xuan seized the opportunity and broke through the shackles in one fell swoop.

The energy level rose again.

Shen Xuan slowly opened his eyes, his eyes filled with joy.

I've broken through to the fifth level of Qi Refining!

It was easier than I imagined.

As expected of a water elemental root with a sensitivity level of sixteen!
The meridians were completely undamaged.

My spiritual sense and spiritual power have increased by a full 20%!

"Sixty-five years old. It took four years to break through to the next level, that's really not easy!"

This is despite Shen Xuan's recent purchase of spirit-gathering arrays and daily recharge of spirit stones.

Otherwise, it would take another two years to break through to the fifth level of Qi Refining.

Fortunately, after the sensitivity of the water elemental root increased to sixteen points, the breakthrough of the minor level was achieved smoothly, consuming only two spirit stones.

【Shouyuan: 65/115】

[Cultivation Technique: Mastery of the Divine Hidden Ocean Technique (132/400)]

[Realm Level: Qi Refining Level 5: 1/100]

His lifespan increased by three years.

The Divine Treasure Ocean Skill remains at the proficiency stage.

It seems that to reach the minor success level, I'll have to wait until I break through to the late stage of Qi Refining.

[Concealing Breath Technique]!
Shen Xuan concealed his aura, pretending to be at the fourth level of Qi Refining.

In the days that followed, Shen Xuan worked diligently to create Rejuvenation Talismans to earn spirit stones.

Two months later, he had saved up another hundred spirit stones.

Without hesitation, Shen Xuan went directly to Manager Ding and selected a mid-grade magic artifact.

A pair of water-dividing Emei thorns.

It is one foot long, thick in the middle, and tapered at both ends.

The head is flattened and diamond-shaped with a pointed tip.

There is a ring in the middle that can be slipped onto the middle finger and rotated at will.

This magical artifact is crafted from Xuanbing Cold Iron, making it suitable for combat in water and at night.

Shen Xuan tried it.

With full force, the pair of Emei thorns seemed to be an extension of his body, moving with perfect ease.

The spiritual power of the [Divine Treasure Ocean Technique] was transmitted through the Water-Dividing Emei Thorn without any obstruction.

These two Emei thorns are water-related magical artifacts, perfect for Shen Xuan to use.

After some haggling.

Shen Xuan finally purchased this mid-grade magic artifact from Manager Ding for forty spirit stones.

late at night.

In the Longze River.

It is a hundred feet deep, in the dark depths of the riverbed.

This is the very bottom of the Longze River, a deep, cold, and deathly still place.

The immense water pressure, which was everywhere, deterred ordinary cultivators from even approaching.

However, at this time...

The peace was broken.

Shen Xuan's figure sped forward, his body faintly emitting a blue spiritual light.

It was the [Water Control] talent that was plundered from the Azure Feather Fish.

Even at the bottom of the river, the speed reaches as high as 40 meters per second.

And in front of him.

A group of unidentified spirit fish, with sharp, strange teeth, each half a foot long, numbering in the hundreds, were swimming at the bottom of the river, hunting various river creatures in an army-like formation.

(End of this chapter)