Chapter 532: Undercurrents Stir, Teleportation Talisman

Chapter 532: Undercurrents Stir, Teleportation Talisman

"The Tianji Shop is going to make a move?"

The red-faced elder was taken aback.

The Tianji Shop had the nerve to ignore the rules of Canglan City and take direct action?

"Deputy Pavilion Lord, you misunderstand. The Tianji Shop doesn’t intend to act directly. They’ve sent a message, expressing their desire to collaborate with us and put pressure on the Treasure Tower."

Steward Shen explained.

"The Tianji Shop wants to collaborate with us?"

The red-faced elder was stunned again.

"Indeed. Not only us, but they’ve also joined forces with other large and small merchants in Canglan City to pressure the Treasure Tower", Steward Shen said. "Deputy Pavilion Lord, should we join them?"

"Of course. It’s a rare opportunity for someone else to take the lead. Isn’t that a good thing?" the red-faced elder replied. "This is also a chance to let the Tianji Shop test the waters and see what cards that woman is holding to cause such a commotion."

"Indeed. I’ve heard that the higher realm sends someone down every three years to review the accounts and collect profits. By my calculations, it’s about that time. If the current state of the Tianji Shop is seen by the higher realm’s venerable, the Tianji Shop Master is bound to face severe punishment. Naturally, he’s in a hurry."

"Good. The more anxious they are, the better. They can help us pave the way. Tell the Tianji Shop that the Myriad Phenomena Pavilion agrees."

...

"Miss, this is an invitation from the Tianji Shop."

Inside the Treasure Tower, Uncle Fu held a golden invitation and presented it to the Treasure Tower Lady.

"Oh, they’re sending us an invitation at this time?" The Treasure Tower Lady raised an eyebrow. "What does the invitation say?"

"It says that the Tianji Shop, the Myriad Phenomena Pavilion, and many other merchants in Canglan City are planning a grand meeting to discuss important matters. They hope we can attend."

Uncle Fu opened the invitation and read the content.

"Discuss important matters? They likely want to join forces to pressure us", the Treasure Tower Lady said with a cold laugh. "It seems these people can no longer sit still."

"Miss, what should we do? If the city’s merchants unite, even the City Lord wouldn’t dare to take them lightly. If they really move against us, what should we do?"

Uncle Fu asked, worried.

"Don’t worry, Uncle Fu. Canglan City is one of the largest cities in the Lesser Cang World. The City Lord has intricate ties with the higher realm. He won’t allow anyone to challenge his authority or violate the rules he set. That’s why the Tianji Shop and others are joining forces to pressure us. They have no other way to deal with us."

The Treasure Tower Lady spoke slowly.

Uncle Fu thought for a moment and found it reasonable, which eased his concerns.

"Then, Miss, should we attend the meeting?"

"Of course not!" the Treasure Tower Lady said directly. "There are no good feasts. This is clearly a disadvantageous situation for us. Why give them a chance? Just decline and say we’re busy with business and can’t attend."

Upon hearing the Treasure Tower’s refusal, the middle-aged man in elegant attire, the Tianji Shop Master, looked extremely displeased.

"Damn bitch, she’s got a face but no shame!"

"Shop Master, since the Treasure Tower refuses to attend, what should we do now? In less than ten days, the venerable from the higher realm will come down. If they see our current situation, they’ll be furious."

A gorgeously dressed woman said worriedly.

"Damn bitch, she’s only acting so recklessly because of the city’s rules protecting her. If it weren’t for the City Lord’s restraint, I would’ve captured her, stripped her of her cultivation, and sold her to a brothel to serve customers!"

The Tianji Shop Master’s face was filled with fury, and a terrifying aura emanated from him, causing the surrounding laws to tremble slightly. His cultivation was that of a powerful late-stage Golden Core Seventh Transformation.

"Shop Master, be careful!" The gorgeously dressed woman’s face changed, and she quickly said, "It’s said that the Treasure Tower Lady is favored by someone from the higher realm. If this word gets out, it could be very problematic."

"It’s just a rumor. This talk has been circulating for years, but there’s never been any solid proof. I suspect this rumor was spread by that bitch herself to confuse people and make them wary of her, so they don’t dare to act against her."

The Tianji Shop Master sneered.

The gorgeously dressed woman remained silent. Many people had similar suspicions.

But better safe than sorry. Until it was truly confirmed, no one dared to take this lightly. After all, this rumor was said to have originated from the City Lord’s manor. Over the years, the City Lord’s manor had shown favoritism towards the Treasure Tower, a fact that many forces had witnessed.

Otherwise, how could a woman, and only a mid-stage Golden Core, establish a firm footing in the diverse and powerful Canglan City, founding a vast Treasure Tower with immense wealth?

But the gorgeously dressed woman knew that the Shop Master was currently in a fit of anger and wouldn’t listen to reason, so she didn’t dare to speak up.

Fortunately, the Tianji Shop Master was only venting his emotions. He still had his wits about him and soon calmed down.

"Shop Master, since the Treasure Tower refuses to attend, it’s clear they don’t want to resolve this peacefully. What should we do?" the gorgeously dressed woman asked.

Based on the intelligence we have, it's clear that the continuous supply of new talismans at the Treasure Tower is closely linked to the mysterious talisman maker who appeared a few days ago. If we can eliminate this person, all our problems will be solved", the Tianji Master said gravely.

"But our spies have reported that this person is extremely elusive. Since entering the Treasure Tower, he has been very low-key, rarely venturing out, and not seeking power or influence. He spends most of his time secluded in his cave, avoiding any interaction with others. Apart from a few individuals, no one has had any contact with him. Moreover, he seems to possess a mysterious treasure that can conceal his presence. Even our most skilled master in divination can't determine his background. Therefore, it will be extremely difficult to eliminate him", the gorgeous woman said, sounding troubled.

"Regardless, we must find a way to get in touch with him, preferably luring him out of the Treasure Tower. If our people can't reach him, we need to work from within. I don't believe the Treasure Tower is so tightly knit that no one has any ulterior motives. The Treasure Tower has been pushing new talismans and removing the old ones. Don't the other talisman makers have any objections? After all, if their talismans aren't selling, they are losing a significant source of income. In short, whether through bribery or threats, using spirit stones or magical artifacts, there will surely be someone willing to do it for the right reward!" the Tianji Master said, clenching his teeth in determination.

"Other talisman makers, you say..."

The gorgeous woman's expression changed, and her eyes brightened as she recalled something.

"Master, from what our spies report, there is a person who might fit the bill. A master appraiser named Qiu Rong, who is also a talisman maker, has been in conflict with the mysterious talisman maker. When the Treasure Tower introduced the new talismans, there was an incident. Now, he is being punished by the Treasure Tower Lord, confined to his cave for reflection and not allowed to go out. Given his narrow-minded and arrogant nature, he is likely to harbor resentment towards the Treasure Tower. He might be our key to breaking through", she said.

The Tianji Master was delighted. "Excellent, this is a great candidate. Send someone immediately to make contact with Qiu Rong. Don't skimp on spirit stones; we must turn him into our inside man."

"Understood, I'll take care of it right away."

After the gorgeous woman respectfully left, the Tianji Master's expression turned grim again. In ten days, the upper realm would send someone. If he couldn't resolve the current situation by then, he would not only lose his lucrative position as the Tianji Master but might also face severe punishment. Knowing the nature of the higher-ups, the consequences of failure were dire. The thought made him shudder, a chill running through his body. His resolve hardened.

If he was going to face such a fate, he might as well take a desperate gamble!

...

While the world outside was seething with hidden currents, Lu Qing remained calmly cultivating in his cave.

"Finally, I have fully comprehended and mastered it."

Lu Qing opened his eyes, the runes flowing in his gaze. For the past few days, aside from the necessary daily talisman making, he had devoted most of his time to understanding the teleportation array. Now, he had finally grasped it completely, with no lingering doubts.

"Even with the help of my ability, it still took me a long time to master it. This teleportation array is truly profound and intricate. The path of spatial law is indeed a realm that only Primordial Soul Realm experts can tread."

Lu Qing sighed inwardly. Although he had now thoroughly understood the teleportation array in the Stellar City, he could not yet set it up in its entirety given his current cultivation level. Teleportation arrays involve the spatial law, a realm that only Primordial Soul Realm experts can comprehend. Even if an array master can use runes to communicate with the law, insufficient cultivation still makes it difficult to set up such advanced arrays.

So, while Lu Qing had managed to fully understand the teleportation array in the Stellar City with the help of his ability, knowing and doing are two different things. Given his current cultivation level, setting up such a vast teleportation array was still impossible.

"I had hoped that if I could fully understand this teleportation array, I might be able to directly set up an array to teleport to the Tianyuan Great World, which would have saved me a lot of spirit stones, but now it seems that was just an idle dream", Lu Qing thought, chuckling at his own foolish ambition.

"However, while I can't set up a realm-breaking teleportation array that can penetrate the world membrane, I might be able to simplify it into a small-scale spatial shift array that only traverses the void. That doesn't seem impossible."

Teleportation arrays come in different tiers. From the cross-domain teleportation array that can span vast starry realms to the realm-breaking teleportation array that can penetrate the world membrane, allowing inter-world teleportation, to the miniature spatial shift array for short-range teleportation within the same world.

The power of these teleportation arrays varies greatly, as does the complexity of the spatial laws they involve.

The teleportation array legacy that Lu Qing obtained in the Stellar City is a high-tier Realm-Breaking Teleportation Array.

Only those who have delved deeply into the spatial laws and are proficient in the art of rune arrays, such as seasoned Primordial Soul Realm cultivators, can set up such powerful formations.

With his current abilities, he is still far from being able to set up such an array.

However, while the Realm-Breaking Teleportation Array is beyond his reach, there is a slight possibility for him to create the lowest-tier Miniature Spatial Shift Array.

Lu Qing closed his eyes again and began his cultivation.

This time, his focus had changed.

With his mind, he continuously simplified the teleportation array he had already mastered.

As Lu Qing continued his deductions, a wealth of insights emerged in his heart.

After an unknown amount of time, a simple yet complex miniature array finally formed in his mind.

"Finally, I’ve deduced it."

A sense of joy welled up in Lu Qing’s heart.

However, he quickly suppressed his emotions.

For now, he had only deduced the array; the actual effectiveness would only be known through practice.

After some thought, Lu Qing took out a piece of spirit jade from his storage bag and began to inscribe it.

Strands of runes were condensed from the void.

These runes were incredibly profound, causing the surrounding space to tremble slightly as soon as they were formed.

These were the runes Lu Qing had deduced from the teleportation array, capable of invoking the spatial laws.

Under normal circumstances, it would be extremely difficult for a Core Formation Realm cultivator to grasp such runes.

However, Lu Qing possessed a unique ability that greatly enhanced his comprehension, combined with his natural talent for runes.

This allowed him to achieve what seemed impossible for ordinary cultivators.

As Lu Qing focused his mind, the runes he condensed began to seep into the spirit jade.

However, the next moment, a crisp sound echoed, and the spirit jade developed cracks before shattering.

"It seems that low-grade spirit jade cannot bear this level of array runes..."

Lu Qing was not surprised. The teleportation array involved spatial laws.

Even the miniature array he inscribed, which had been greatly simplified, was too powerful for low-grade spirit jade to withstand.

After some thought, Lu Qing took out a communication talisman and sent a message.

Shortly after, a wave of array fluctuations came from outside his cave dwelling.

Lu Qing opened the door and stepped out, seeing Zi Yuan standing respectfully outside.

"Senior Lu, here are the high-grade and premium spirit jades you requested."

Zi Yuan presented a brocade box, which Lu Qing took and opened. Inside, several dozen smooth spirit jades were neatly arranged.

"The high-grade spirit jade inventory in the treasury is limited. Since you needed them urgently, I brought over all that was left. If it’s not enough, the Lady of the Tower said she would send more from other branches."

Zi Yuan explained.

"It’s enough. These should suffice for now."

Lu Qing glanced at the box, which contained nearly forty spirit jades, ten of which were premium, and the rest were high-grade.

Like spirit stones, spirit jades increase in value exponentially with each higher grade.

Thus, the spirit jades in the box, though not many in number, were actually quite valuable.

"Is Senior Lu going to refine high-grade talismans?" Zi Yuan asked curiously.

Lu Qing had always used low-grade spirit jades to refine talismans, and this was the first time he had requested high-grade ones.

"I want to try refining some special talismans." Lu Qing replied.

Zi Yuan understood and felt nothing was amiss.

In fact, the talisman makers in the tower often requested high-grade spirit jades to refine talismans.

On the contrary, it was unusual for someone like Lu Qing to always use low-grade spirit jades.

After Zi Yuan left, Lu Qing returned to his cave dwelling and picked up a high-grade spirit jade.

With a mental command, the profound runes were once again outlined and sank into the spirit jade.

The high-grade spirit jade’s ability to withstand the power of the array runes far exceeded that of low-grade spirit jades.

A large number of runes poured into the spirit jade without causing it to crack as before.

However, Lu Qing did not dare to be careless and focused entirely on meticulously outlining each rune and controlling their arrangement within the spirit jade.

Finally, with the last rune sinking in, a light shimmered across the surface of the spirit jade.

When the light faded, a profound aura emanated from within.

"It’s done."

Lu Qing’s face broke into a smile.

Just as Lu Qing successfully refined the talisman.

Near a cave dwelling on the other side of the Treasure Tower, a furtive figure gradually approached.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end