Cultivation begins with alchemy and collecting runes.

Leaving Wuxu Mountain Villa, under the sunlight, Li Xiuyuan, dressed in black, felt as calm as still water.

His mind was churning: "The cruelty of the cultivation world lies in the fact that low-level cultivators have no right to decide their own fate."

"They'll use any means necessary to survive, no matter how obsequious."

"Become stronger! Only by becoming stronger can you truly control your own destiny!"

A cold glint flashed in Li Xiuyuan's dark and deep eyes.

Under the blazing sun, he strode quickly into the cave.

The various independent cultivators passing by quickly approached and then hurried away.

Like passersby in each other's lives, we are all striving for our own path to immortality.

Half an hour later.

Li Xiuyuan returned to his cave dwelling, tidied it up briefly, and took all the valuables with him.

After disguising themselves, they quietly left the cave.

I will have to leave the market in March, and the future is uncertain. I won't have such a peaceful environment for cultivation then.

When the situation becomes truly chaotic, the title of an external alchemist hired by Lingbao Pavilion will not save lives; only cultivation strength is what truly matters.

March is neither a long nor a short month, so we need to plan carefully.

He thought it over carefully and decided to prepare some magical artifacts and talismans to enhance his immediate combat power.

Li Xiuyuan walked steadily toward the inner city of the market.

The inner city of the market is heavily guarded, with Foundation Establishment cultivators stationed there, so there's no need to worry about anyone killing or robbing.

Li Xiuyuan moved forward steadily. Although he was an alchemist, he did not want people to know too much about his background.

He didn't plan to buy anything from Lingbao Pavilion this time, since Lingbao Pavilion was too familiar to him.

Li Xiuyuan observed the surrounding shops expressionlessly, and finally chose a three-story shop called "Jubaolou" that had a relatively high flow of people and good business.

Jubaolou's business is booming, and its reputation among low-level independent cultivators in the market has always been good.

Upon entering the store, rows of wide tables are filled with all kinds of treasures of various sizes and types, perfect for the Qi Refining stage.

Every now and then, groups of two or three monks would select their favorite items and chat quietly with the shopkeepers nearby.

Li Xiuyuan walked to the counter selling magical artifacts, glanced at them casually, and found that they were all ordinary items.

Most of them are low-grade magic artifacts, with the best being mid-grade.

Then they walked to the counter selling talismans, where they saw common items such as fireball talismans, vine talismans, and earthen prison talismans.

These common magical artifacts or talismans are quite handy for ordinary independent cultivators or those from small, humble families.

It wouldn't be of much use to him, especially since he was about to head deep into the Ten Thousand Demon Mountains.

They will be dealing with extremely ferocious monsters that are not reasonable.

If they were to encounter such an attack, they would inevitably be surrounded and killed in one fell swoop. Li Xiuyuan, who was always cautious, naturally had to make plans in advance.

Thinking of this, Li Xiuyuan frowned slightly, called over a shop assistant, and asked, "Do you have any better magical artifacts or talismans in your shop?"

This fellow's cultivation level was only at the first level of Qi Refining. He was an ordinary employee at Jubaolou, earning only two or three spirit crystals a month.

Seeing that the person in front of him had high standards, he said humbly, "Our shop naturally has top-quality magical artifacts. Please wait a moment, fellow Daoist, and I will immediately report to the manager."

After saying that, he took out a communication talisman from his waist pocket, whispered a few words, and then led Li Xiuyuan into a private room on the second floor. After brewing a pot of spiritual tea, he quietly left.

……

Inside the hall, a sharp, dark gaze stared intently at Li Xiuyuan's every move until he went up to the second floor, at which point the gaze slowly dissipated.

Before Li Xiuyuan could wait long, a female cultivator in a purple dress walked slowly towards him.

The woman's figure swayed gracefully, possessing a unique charm. Judging from the fluctuations in spiritual energy, her cultivation level was no lower than the sixth level of Qi Refining.

Approaching Li Xiuyuan, Liu Ruyan parted her red lips slightly and said with a smile, "I am Liu Ruyan, the manager of Jubao Tower. I greet you, fellow Daoist. Our shop has all kinds of magical artifacts, talismans, and treasures, which will surely satisfy your needs."

Liu Ruyan saw that the person in front of her was covered by a black robe, making it impossible to see his face, but the aura he exuded was no weaker than hers, so she was not surprised.

After all, the market is a place where people come and go in a diverse way, and there are many who don't like to show their faces in public.

Liu Ruyan's voice remained soft and gentle as she swayed her waist and sat down next to Li Xiuyuan.

The faint scent of lavender wafted from her body into Li Xiuyuan's nostrils, arousing his lust.

Li Xiuyuan slightly adjusted the trajectory and said unhurriedly, "I plan to purchase one or two powerful offensive and defensive magical artifacts, as well as life-saving talismans for quick escape."

After listening, Liu Ruyan's expression changed for a moment, and she said with a charming smile, "Our shop just received a batch of top-quality magic artifacts and talismans a few days ago. Fellow Daoist, you've got quite a coincidence."

For cultivators practicing Qi cultivation, purchasing magical artifacts is of paramount importance.

Seeing that the other party asked for a magic weapon right away, Liu Ruyan took it even more seriously, put away her seductive thoughts, and became much more proper in her attitude.

"Take a look at everything; spirit stones are naturally included."

Li Xiuyuan spoke in a flat tone.

Upon hearing this, Liu Ruyan nodded slightly, "Fellow Daoist, please wait a moment, I will be right back."

After speaking, Liu Ruyan swayed gracefully and quickly walked away, leaving behind a wisp of fragrant breeze.

She was clearly very interested in this "big deal".

"Bang"

Before the time it takes to drink a cup of tea was up, Liu Ruyan pushed open the door and entered.

She walked to the table, touched the brocade pouch at her waist, and found several exquisite jade boxes of different sizes on the table.

"These are all top-quality magical artifacts and talismans that I have carefully selected, fellow Daoist, please take a look!"

Liu Ruyan gently stroked the jade boxes, releasing the seals on three of them, and began to introduce the treasures inside.

"The superior-grade magic weapon, the Golden Light Sword, is made primarily of refined iron and gold crystal, and forged by the fire of the earth's veins for eighty-one days."

"It contains several offensive restrictions, making it far more powerful than other magic weapons of the same rank."

"This sword is incredibly sharp and unparalleled in attack; even cultivators who specialize in defensive techniques would find it difficult to withstand."

The woman pointed to a three-inch golden sword inside one of the jade boxes and began to explain.

Upon hearing this, Li Xiuyuan had an idea. He picked up the small sword and examined it carefully.

A few breaths later, it was put back without making a sound.

He didn't express any opinion, which was puzzling, and nodded to signal Liu Ruyan to continue her introduction.

Seeing this, Liu Ruyan remained calm and continued her introduction.

"Golden Armor Spirit Shield, a rare high-grade defensive magic weapon."

"Using the complete shell of a first-tier peak Golden Armored Dragon Turtle as the main material, mixed with materials such as Xuan Iron and Gold, it was forged by the famous weapon-refining master Gu Tianle over three days and three nights."

"This item has extremely strong defense, practically unbreakable. Once activated, it can surround the body and conjure protective aura. Even if three late-stage Qi Refining cultivators were to attack it together, they would not be able to break through its defense."

As soon as she finished speaking, the woman picked up a palm-sized red gold shield and handed it to Li Xiuyuan to examine.

Holding the shield in his hand, Li Xiuyuan carefully stroked the intricate patterns on the small shield, examining it closely before asking, "May I test the power of this magical artifact?"

"Of course, fellow Daoist, please feel free to try it."

Liu Ruyan smiled and nodded.

Since the other party agreed, Li Xiuyuan naturally didn't stand on ceremony and immediately poured his magical power into the magic.

The small, crimson-gold shield immediately glowed with crimson-gold light, rapidly expanding to five feet in size before flying to his chest.

Then it flew around him in circles, covering his vital parts.

When necessary, it can retract into the shield, completely blocking frontal attacks from cultivators and demonic beasts.

Li Xiuyuan's lips parted slightly; he was extremely satisfied with the small shield.

With a slight manipulation of his divine sense, he felt that the small shield was aligned with his thoughts, and he could control it very smoothly.

However, Li Xiuyuan did not immediately buy it, but instead put the small shield back into the jade box.

They waited for Liu Ruyan to continue introducing the treasures in the remaining jade boxes.

Upon seeing this, Liu Ruyan frowned slightly, feeling a little displeased.

However, she couldn't see Li Xiuyuan's expression through the long robe, so she could only introduce the last treasure with a hint of resentment.

A talisman, yellowish-brown in color and square in shape.

"The Thick Earth Escape Talisman contains a 'Thick Earth Escape Technique' that is used by a Foundation Establishment cultivator at the early stage.

"This technique is a second-tier spell that can only be learned in the Foundation Establishment stage. It is also an extremely superior earth-based escape technique, known for its extremely fast escape speed."

"Even a Foundation Establishment cultivator cannot detect the escape location within ten breaths."

"This is a special talisman unique to our shop; it's the only one of its kind in the entire market!"

After Liu Ruyan finished speaking, the pride in her voice was palpable.

Therefore, this talisman must be quite rare.

Upon hearing this, Li Xiuyuan's mind stirred.

Even Foundation Establishment cultivators cannot detect the escape route; such an escape talisman is indeed extremely rare.

If we can buy it, we'll have a trump card to protect ourselves, a lifesaver in critical moments!

"This price must be quite high, otherwise I wouldn't be the one to buy it."

Li Xiuyuan kept calculating in his mind, and then put the talisman back into the jade box.

Liu Ruyan narrowed her long, narrow eyes and gave Li Xiuyuan a deep look before she stopped introducing the remaining jade boxes.

Instead, she picked up a cup of spiritual tea and savored it slowly, as if the introduction had left her quite tired.

……