Chapter 103: Spirit Stones and Spirit Stone Tokens

Chapter 103: Spirit Stones and Spirit Stone Tokens

It was no wonder that the female cultivator was so surprised. Chu Ning had indeed brought out an impressive number of talismans.

Chu Ning separated them into two piles: low-grade high-quality talismans and low-grade medium-quality talismans.

Each stack of talismans looked to be several hundred in number.

These were what Chu Ning had accumulated over time, with over 800 low-grade medium-quality talismans and 450 low-grade high-quality talismans after a rush to create more the previous day.

It was at this moment that the female cultivator with the surname Zhang understood why Chu Ning had been so concerned about keeping his identity a secret earlier.

After all, these talismans were worth a small fortune when added together.

She picked up a Flowlight Ice Shield Talisman, one of the low-grade high-quality talismans, and a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes.

"What a high-quality defensive talisman."

If even the more challenging defensive talismans were of such quality, she could only imagine that the others would be of similar caliber.

Cultivator Zhang looked up at Chu Ning, her eyes curving in a smile, and said,

"I never expected that Fellow Daoist Li would also be a low-grade high-quality talisman maker."

Being able to produce so many talismans at once, Cultivator Zhang knew without a doubt that Chu Ning had crafted them himself.

And to be able to create such high-quality low-grade talismans, he must be a low-grade high-quality talisman maker.

Hearing Cultivator Zhang's words, Chu Ning's eyebrows furrowed slightly, his expression betraying a hint of displeasure.

Cultivator Zhang quickly realized her mistake and immediately apologized,

"I spoke out of turn."

After which, she quickly composed herself and began counting the talismans that Chu Ning had placed on the table.

"40 Shadowstrike Talismans, 40 Diamond Talismans, 40 Subdue Qi Talismans, 40 Earth Escape Talismans, 40 Beast Binding Talismans, and 40 Zephyr Talismans.

And 50 Blazing Fire Talismans, 50 Cloudrise Talismans, and 50 Flowlight Ice Shield Talismans."

Cultivator Zhang quickly recited the tally and then looked at Chu Ning.

"Please confirm if the count is correct."

"Yes, that's correct," Chu Ning replied.

A smile reappeared on Cultivator Zhang's face.

"Fellow Daoist Li's talismans are not only of high quality but also in great quantity. I can offer a slightly higher price for them.

40 Shadowstrike Talismans, 40 Subdue Qi Talismans, and 40 Zephyr Talismans at 490 low-grade spirit stones each. 40 Earth Escape Talismans and 40 Beast Binding Talismans at 588 low-grade spirit stones each.

And 686 low-grade spirit stones for the 40 Diamond Talismans."

Chu Ning quickly calculated the prices in his head and found that Cultivator Zhang was offering about 70% of what he would have gotten if he had sold them himself.

While Chu Ning didn't feel that it was too much of a loss, he knew that it would have taken him a long time to sell these talismans at his own shop.

Without showing any reaction, he continued listening as Cultivator Zhang pointed to the low-grade high-quality talismans that he had brought.

"For these low-grade high-quality talismans, I can offer an even higher price.

16 spirit stones each for the Blazing Fire Talismans and Cloudrise Talismans, totaling 2,400 spirit stones.

And 20 spirit stones each for the Flowlight Ice Shield Talismans, totaling 3,000 spirit stones."

Chu Ning calculated again and found that these low-grade high-quality talismans were being offered at 80% of their value.

Indeed, the proportion was higher.

However, the difference of 5 spirit stones per talisman still made him wince a little.

With a slight movement in his heart, Chu Ning took back the 450 low-grade high-quality talismans.

"Then I'll just sell these low-grade medium-quality talismans."

Cultivator Zhang quickly interjected, "Wait, Fellow Daoist Li, what do you mean?"

Chu Ning glanced at her and then slowly said,

"You're profiting 5 spirit stones from me per talisman. That's a bit too much."

Cultivator Zhang maintained her smile.

"Fellow Daoist Li, if you look at the spirit stones alone, it does seem like less. But considering the value, I'm actually offering 10% more than the low-grade medium-quality talismans."

"But these low-grade high-quality talismans will sell for more at your Cloudsea Pavilion than the low-grade medium-quality ones.

And I believe that even among your collection, my talismans would be considered top-tier.

17 spirit stones and 22 spirit stones each, respectively. If you can accept that, I'll sell them."

Upon hearing this, Cultivator Zhang's face showed a wry smile.

"Fellow Daoist Li, you certainly know how to drive a hard bargain...

Alright, this matter should be decided by our pavilion's elders, but I'll take the liberty of agreeing to your terms."

After finishing her sentence, Cultivator Zhang proceeded to calculate the total.

"For the demon beast materials, 1,000 low-grade spirit stones. For the medium-quality talismans, 1,764 low-grade spirit stones. And for the high-quality talismans, 8,400 low-grade spirit stones.

That's a total of 11,164 low-grade spirit stones."

"Over 10,000 spirit stones!" Chu Ning exclaimed inwardly, feeling a sense of satisfaction.

He still had other items he could sell, such as the magical artifacts he obtained from Boss Liu and his companions, the Earth Spirit Crystal he found in the cave of the Blood-Stained One-Horned Ape, and the three Seven Star Spirit Fruits he had left after consuming some.

However, some of these items were too sensitive to sell easily, while he wanted to hold onto others, like the Earth Spirit Crystal, in case they proved useful in the future.

So, for now, Chu Ning could only give up on the idea of selling them.

Otherwise, the total amount would have been even higher.

As Chu Ning was thinking about this, Cultivator Zhang's voice, still carrying a smile, interrupted his thoughts.

"Fellow Daoist Li, regarding these spirit stones, do you want them directly in spirit stones or would you like to purchase something first?"

"I'd like to buy something first," Chu Ning replied immediately.

The reason he had come to Wind Gorge City was not only to sell these talismans but also to buy some much-needed items.

Cultivator Zhang smiled gracefully and said,

"Of course, feel free to let me know your needs, Fellow Daoist. I'll arrange for someone to retrieve the items immediately."

Chu Ning had planned ahead for his visit to Cloudsea Pavilion, and he immediately asked about the first item on his list.

"Your Cloudsea Pavilion should have pills similar to the Gathering Yuan Pill, suitable for consumption during the latter stages of Qi Refining, right?"

Chapter 103: Spirit Stones and Spirit Stone Tokens

It was no surprise that the female cultivator with the surname Zhang quickly answered:

"Yes, we have Lingyuan Pills, suitable for ingestion by late-stage Qi Refining cultivators. There are 10 pills per bottle, and it's 200 low-grade spirit stones per bottle."

Chu Ning replied calmly, "Then I'll take 15 bottles of Lingyuan Pills."

"Alright," Cultivator Zhang said as she jotted down his request on a piece of paper and placed it on a table with a round hole. She pressed a button, and the paper instantly vanished, presumably sent elsewhere.

She then continued, her eyes on Chu Ning, "Are there any other items Fellow Daoist Li requires?"

Chu Ning glanced at the table in front of her, and while there was nothing out of the ordinary, he knew better from his previous experience at the Cloudsea Pavilion auction.

Unless something unexpected happened, those 15 bottles of Lingyuan Pills would likely be delivered through the same mechanism.

"Do you have any Tie Lang Guo or other body-tempering spiritual herbs available?" Chu Ning inquired.

With a bright smile, Cultivator Zhang replied, "It seems you are quite knowledgeable about this. We don't have Tie Lang Guo at the moment, but we do have some other body-tempering medicines. Feel free to take a look. Oh, and we recently acquired some Tie Lang stem seeds if you're interested..."

Chu Ning's heart stirred, but he shook his head. "I'll pass on the seeds. I'm not skilled in spirit planting. Let's focus on the body-tempering medicines for now."

Upon hearing this, Cultivator Zhang handed him a jade slip.

Chu Ning's eyes widened in surprise as he browsed through the slip. It contained records of no less than seven different types of body-tempering spiritual herbs, each with its price and effect description.

He scanned the list and eventually settled on two items: Pure Yang Stone Powder and Tongmai Body-Tempering Pills.

The former was ground from Pure Yang Stones, and the latter was a pill specially refined for body cultivators' tempering. Interestingly, neither of these was for ingestion; they were meant for soaking.

According to the jade slip, both items were effective for body cultivators at the equivalent of the perfect Qi Refining stage.

Chu Ning estimated his current body cultivation level. After mastering the Bone-Drying technique, he had gained the physical resilience to withstand the force of a Qi Refining ninth-layer cultivator's spells.

By this estimation, his current stage, prior to the Sinew Strengthening phase, was roughly equivalent to the perfect Qi Refining realm.

Both the Pure Yang Stone Powder and the Tongmai Body-Tempering Pills would, therefore, be suitable for him.

The Pure Yang Stone Powder was priced at 1,000 low-grade spirit stones per portion, and the quantity could be adjusted according to his needs.

The Tongmai Body-Tempering Pills, on the other hand, came in bottles of 10 pills each, priced at 500 low-grade spirit stones per bottle.

Chu Ning couldn't help but be astonished by the prices of these body cultivator items. They were incredibly expensive, but considering they were meant for cultivators at the perfect Qi Refining realm, the prices seemed reasonable.

After some contemplation, Chu Ning decided to purchase two portions of Pure Yang Stone Powder and six bottles of Tongmai Body-Tempering Pills.

In a while, his Tie Lang Guo would also mature, providing him with another body-tempering resource.

However, these items were costly, totaling 5,000 spirit stones. If he were to use them, he estimated they would only last for about three months. It was too expensive, and even Chu Ning hesitated to buy more.

With these purchases, he would already be spending 8,000 spirit stones, and he couldn't help but sigh inwardly at how quickly spirit stones could be spent.

Cultivator Zhang was slightly surprised that Chu Ning, a cultivator at the seventh layer of Qi Refining, would require such high-level body-tempering resources. However, she didn't pry further and instead wrote another note, sending it through the round hole.

Simultaneously, 15 bottles of Lingyuan Pills were delivered through the same mechanism.

Chu Ning then voiced his final request. "I want to buy a high-grade offensive spiritual artifact with significant destructive power. What options do you have?"

Ever since defeating Boss Liu and his companions, Chu Ning had been considering acquiring a high-grade spiritual artifact. He had relied too heavily on talismans before, and while that usually worked, he wanted to be prepared for situations where using talismans might be inconvenient.

On the defensive end, he already had a medium-grade defensive artifact, and his body cultivation provided additional resilience. Moreover, he intended to buy some medium-grade talismans later.

Thus, he felt reasonably well-equipped in that regard for the time being.

However, he lacked a high-destructive offensive spiritual artifact, and it had been on his mind for a while. While his Greenwood Sword Technique excelled at sustained damage, it lacked burst damage.

Upon hearing Chu Ning's request, Cultivator Zhang wasted no time and handed him a jade slip. "This slip contains the high-grade spiritual artifacts currently available at our pavilion. Please take a look, Fellow Daoist Li."

Chu Ning accepted the slip and began browsing through it, feeling a bit overwhelmed. Unlike the body-tempering section, which had only seven items, this slip listed nearly a hundred spiritual artifacts.

He slowly scrolled through the options, and by the time he was done, the Pure Yang Stone Powder and Tongmai Body-Tempering Pills had also been delivered.

"This flying wheel looks incredibly destructive, but it's a metal-attributed artifact. I might not be able to bring out its full potential," Chu Ning mused.

"The Crimson Fire Staff and the Demon Subduing Scissors also seem decent..."

As he scanned the items, he made mental notes of their information.

When he reached the seventy-second item, he paused and examined it more closely.

"The Divine Wood Longbow is a wood-attributed offensive artifact."

After reading its description, Chu Ning immediately made up his mind. "I'll take this one!"

The Divine Wood Longbow could shoot spells as arrows, doubling their damage. It would perfectly complement his Greenwood Sword Technique, providing both sustained and burst damage.

However, when he saw the price, he winced.

The offensive artifact cost a whopping 1,200 spirit stones, a significant sum compared to defensive artifacts of the same grade.

"Then I'll take this item," he said.

Cultivator Zhang took the jade slip and transmitted another message.

Soon, a longbow made entirely of green wood and adorned with intricate talismans was brought into the room. Cultivator Zhang presented the longbow, along with the Lingyuan Pills, Pure Yang Stone Powder, and Tongmai Body-Tempering Pills, to Chu Ning.

"Together, these items amount to 9,200 low-grade spirit stones, leaving you with 1,964," she said. "Would you like the remaining spirit stones directly or stored in a spirit stone token?"

"Spirit stone token?" Chu Ning asked, slightly taken aback.

He suddenly recalled the jade token he had obtained from Old Man Sun's storage bag. Before leaving for Wind Gorge City, Chu Ning had intentionally left the token behind at Yanji Fang to avoid any potential connection with Cloudsea Pavilion being discovered.

Could this be what Cultivator Zhang is referring to? he wondered.

"The spirit stone tokens are specially crafted by our Cloudsea Pavilion for storing spirit stones," Cultivator Zhang explained. "Some customers find it inconvenient to carry a large number of spirit stones, so they choose to store them with us."

"We provide these customers with a jade token as a form of receipt, which records the amount of spirit stones deposited. With this token, one can withdraw spirit stones or directly use it to make purchases at any Cloudsea Pavilion establishment," she continued with a smile.

"This jade token is also one of the symbols of our pavilion, and we usually only issue them to those who deposit more than 5,000 low-grade spirit stones. Holding this token entitles one to special treatment at our pavilion, including a dedicated attendant and discounts on purchases. As you may know, we also hold auctions, and with this token, you can attend them without the need for a high-level cultivator's recommendation," she added.

From Cultivator Zhang's explanation, Chu Ning understood the purpose and benefits of the spirit stone token.

Without directly acknowledging her words, he asked, "May I see one of these spirit stone tokens, Cultivator Zhang? I haven't seen one before."

"Of course!" Cultivator Zhang readily handed over a jade token to Chu Ning.

Indeed, it was the same as the one he had obtained from Old Man Sun!

Maintaining his composure, Chu Ning examined the token with feigned curiosity. "Can anyone else use this token?"

"Yes," Cultivator Zhang nodded. "The token is not registered to a specific person; we recognize the token, not the bearer."

Realizing the implications, Chu Ning returned the token to Cultivator Zhang. "I don't have 5,000 spirit stones on hand at the moment."

Instead of taking back the token, Cultivator Zhang smiled and said, "Fellow Daoist, even though you don't have that many spirit stones now, the amount of transactions you've made today qualifies you to receive a token."

After a moment's thought, Chu Ning nodded in agreement. "Alright, then. Let's deposit 1,000 spirit stones into the token, and I'll hold on to the rest for now as I have other plans for them."

As he spoke, Chu Ning considered the possibility of bringing Old Man Sun's token to Cloudsea Pavilion to check its balance.

He suspected that the token in his possession was obtained by Old Man Sun from selling the Seven Star Spirit Fruits at the Cloudsea Pavilion auction. However, given the intense battle he witnessed, Old Man Sun had likely used up a significant portion of his spirit stones, and Chu Ning wondered how many were left.

As these thoughts crossed his mind, Cultivator Zhang placed the jade token and the remaining spirit stones in front of him.

"Fellow Daoist Li, it's all set now," she said. "But please take good care of this token. If it's lost, Cloudsea Pavilion will only recognize the token and not any claims of ownership."

Chu Ning nodded in understanding, indicating that he was clear on the matter. Without further ado, he stood up to leave.

"Fellow Daoist, please wait!" Cultivator Zhang stood up as well, a smile still on her face.

"I don't know if you'd be interested in becoming a guest advisor for Cloudsea Pavilion," she said. "It's purely an honorary position, and we would like to purchase your talismans regularly, regardless of the quantity. We can offer the same prices as today, and you would also receive a discount when purchasing items from our pavilion."

As soon as she finished speaking, Chu Ning shook his head in refusal. "I'm not interested. I'm used to my carefree lifestyle."

He had no intention of formally associating himself with Cloudsea Pavilion.

Cultivator Zhang's expression remained unchanged, and she continued with a smile, "What a pity. Nonetheless, I hope that if you have talismans of similar quality in the future, you will consider selling them to our pavilion."

Chu Ning gave a noncommittal nod, thinking that he should refrain from visiting Cloudsea Pavilion for a while to avoid drawing too much attention.

With polite farewells, he left the room, escorted by Cultivator Zhang's attendant out of the Cloudsea Pavilion.

Once outside, Chu Ning found a secluded spot and released his disguise spell, returning to his original appearance. He then activated his Yin Wood Spirit Body to conceal his cultivation base, appearing as a fifth-layer Qi Refining cultivator.

After a brief stroll, he re-entered the Cloudsea Pavilion.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end