Immortality begins with equipping a worn-out talisman pen.

When Li Mufeng entered the hall, Liu Yan'er was already waiting there.

At this moment, she was personally serving spiritual tea and talking softly with the old man in the hall, occasionally covering her mouth and chuckling, her words showing a great deal of respect and flattery.

The old man sat leisurely in a grand chair, holding a teacup in one hand and a black pipe in the other.

He wore a dark blue robe with faint spiritual patterns on it, and the few spirit jades inlaid on his cuffs alone were worth several years' worth of savings for an ordinary Qi Refining cultivator. The pipe in his hand was clearly also a magical artifact, with wisps of green smoke rising and turning into a light mist around him.

This man concealed his aura to an extreme degree; at first glance, he appeared to be nothing more than an old man from a wealthy family.

But when Li Mufeng's divine sense quietly swept over it, he felt as if he had hit a thick city wall, and his divine sense was instantly shaken back.

Li Mufeng felt a slight chill run down his spine.

Qi Refining Level Nine!

Moreover, he was far superior to ordinary Qi Refining Ninth Level cultivators; he was an old cultivator who had already reached the Qi Refining Ninth Level many years ago.

With such cultivation, he could be considered a prominent figure in Black Stone City. Apart from the heads of several major families and the deacons of the Qingxuan Sect's Enforcement Hall, he was almost unmatched.

The fact that such a cultivator would personally visit must speak volumes about his identity.

Just then, the old man put down his pipe, slowly stood up, and looked at Li Mufeng carefully, a hint of admiration in his eyes.

"I never expected that the one who drew the spirit-gathering talisman would be such a young talisman master."

The old man cupped his hands in greeting and said with a smile:

"I am Bai Dahai, and I serve as the steward of the Bai family. You must be the recently rising star, Li Mufeng, the Master of Talismans?"

Li Mufeng had no concept of his reputation, but after hearing what the other party said, it was not hard to guess that the fact that he could draw spirit-gathering talismans had probably already spread among the upper echelons of the market.

So he quickly returned the greeting, "Greetings, Steward Bai."

"I've only managed to draw a few talismans by sheer luck; they're hardly worthy of any reputation. May I ask what brings you here today, senior?"

Upon hearing this, Bai Dahai's smile deepened.

He is neither arrogant nor impatient, and knows when to advance and when to retreat. No wonder he was able to become a mid-grade talisman master at such a young age.

He nodded silently, then slowly spoke:

"Has Master Li ever heard of my young lady?"

Li Mufeng's heart stirred slightly. Miss Bai?

Bai Dahai continued:

"My young lady has been obsessed with the art of talismans since childhood and is quite talented, especially interested in those ancient talismans that have been lost. A few days ago, she purchased the inheritance of the Spirit Gathering Talisman from the Treasure Pavilion and has been studying it in seclusion for a long time, but she still can't get the hang of it."

"Later, upon hearing that Master Li had successfully drawn spirit-gathering talismans, he pestered the head of the family every day, clamoring to become his apprentice and learn the craft."

"The patriarch was so exasperated by her that he sent me here to inquire about her situation."

They came for the Spirit-Gathering Talisman.

Li Mufeng's brows twitched almost imperceptibly, and he subconsciously looked at Liu Yan'er.

Liu Yan'er held her teacup, met his gaze, and simply nodded slightly.

This nod says a lot.

The Liu family, or rather the Jubao Pavilion, did not mind revealing the inheritance of the Spirit Gathering Talisman to the Bai family.

In fact, they saw this as a rare opportunity.

Thanks to the existence of that fake Core Formation ancestor, the Bai family has now become the most powerful force in Black Stone Market. For the next few decades, as long as that fake Core Formation cultivator is still alive, the entire market will have to defer to the Bai family.

In comparison, the inheritance of a spirit-gathering talisman seems less important; after all, it's just a mid-grade talisman.

If they could get on the Bai family's big ship through this, it would be far more significant for the Liu family, which is now thriving, than a few spirit-gathering talismans.

Moreover, the Bai family does not make a living from talismans at all.

The spirit-gathering talismans that fall into their hands are mostly just given to that young lady to study and play with.

Thinking of this, Li Mufeng felt a sense of helplessness.

He had heard of this young lady from the Bai family.

The Bai family patriarch had a daughter late in life, who was also the direct granddaughter of that fake alchemist, and was showered with love and affection from a young age.

At only seventeen years old, he had already reached the seventh level of Qi Refining, making him outstanding among the younger generation in the entire Black Stone City. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he was the number one genius in Black Stone City.

But as famous as her talent was her unruly nature.

Li Mufeng had heard people say that before.

An old talisman master was once invited to teach her the art of talismans. However, simply because his explanations did not meet her expectations, she plucked out all his beards, and he had to apologize with a smile in the end.

Faced with such a beautiful and talented woman, Li Mufeng really didn't want to get too involved with her.

However, this matter was orchestrated by both the Liu family and the Bai family.

One was his business partner, and the other was the true power holder in the market today.

Neither side is one he can easily offend in his current state.

After a moment of contemplation, Li Mufeng quickly came up with a plan.

Since we cannot offend the Bai family, nor can we really get involved in that young lady's karma, the best way is to only offer a favor without establishing a master-disciple relationship.

Thinking of this, he took out a blank jade slip from his storage bag, and with his divine sense surging, he inscribed all his insights and experiences from studying spirit-gathering talismans over the years into it.

A moment later, Li Mufeng held up the jade slip with both hands and handed it to Bai Dahai.

"Senior, this contains my humble understanding of spirit-gathering talismans over the years, as well as some insights and experiences gained during their creation."

"Given Miss Bai's talent and comprehension, it's only a matter of time before she can grasp the concepts and apply them to other situations. As for taking on disciples and teaching them..."

Li Mufeng shook his head slightly, revealing a hint of shame.

"This junior's cultivation is shallow and my Taoist practice is limited, so I am truly unworthy of the title 'teacher.' If Miss is willing, we can exchange ideas and comprehend the Tao of Talismans together in the future."

This statement is perfectly watertight.

This both gave the Bai family face and cleverly avoided the master-disciple relationship.

Upon hearing this, Bai Dahai couldn't help but show a hint of approval in his eyes.

Having served the young lady for many years, he naturally knew what kind of person she was.

Today I'm obsessed with ancient talismans, tomorrow I might be learning alchemy or beast taming; I'm always inconsistent in my efforts.

Now that I have this jade slip of experience, I can go back and report my findings.

Thinking of this, Bai Dahai laughed and took out a small storage bag from his pocket, handing it over.

"Master Li, you are too kind. This is a small token of our Bai family's appreciation. Please do not refuse."

Li Mufeng took the storage bag, scanned it with his divine sense, and his heart was slightly shaken.

There were ten mid-grade spirit stones lying inside!

That's equivalent to a thousand low-grade spirit stones!

It should be noted that he only spent eight hundred low-grade spirit stones to purchase the inheritance jade slip of the Spirit Gathering Talisman.

Now, after simply compiling his own insights and experiences, the Bai family has directly gifted him ten mid-grade spirit stones.

As expected of the fake Dan family, such generosity is truly extraordinary.

Afterwards, Li Mufeng and Liu Yan'er escorted the Bai family steward to the door. Unexpectedly, they saw Huang Xuan coming out of Baicaotang. When Huang Xuan saw Bai Dahai, his expression changed slightly, and he quickly greeted him with a big smile.

"Senior Bai, what brings you here? Would you like to come in and have a seat? We at Baicaotang have just received a batch of top-quality spiritual tea."

Bai Dahai waved his hand and laughed, "Some other time."

Having said that, he put his hands behind his back and leisurely left.

Only after Bai Dahai's figure disappeared around the street corner did Huang Xuan approach Li Mufeng, looking on with envy.

"Fellow Daoist Li, you have truly had a remarkable opportunity."

"That man just now was the personal bodyguard of the eldest daughter of the Bai family. He rarely receives outsiders. His personal visit must be about the eldest daughter of the Bai family."

"Tsk tsk, being able to get in touch with that person means a bright future ahead."

Upon hearing this, Li Mufeng simply smiled and nodded, but in his heart he did not take it seriously.

A bright future? Not necessarily.

He always kept his distance from those privileged individuals who were born with a silver spoon in their mouths.

Admittedly, if one could attach oneself to such a powerful patron, there would certainly be many benefits. However, once one accepts this cause and effect, many things would no longer be within one's control.

Freedom, dignity, and even the future path could be hindered as a result.

And these are precisely the things that Li Mufeng least wants to lose.

He has an equipment inventory system, so he can earn his own cultivation resources and improve his cultivation level step by step.

He neither needed to depend on others nor be subservient to anyone. Rather than following some privileged woman, he preferred to stay quietly in Blackstone City.

Drawing talismans, cultivating, and earning spirit stones.

Take one step at a time and walk your own path to immortality.