https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-614-The-Innate-Magical-Artifact-Its-Mystery-Unveiled/12942430/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-616-Loose-Cultivators-are-Penniless-Immortal-Second-Generations-are-Goldmines/12942432/
Chapter 615: Lu Shan Talisman Manual, Sang Lao's Interception
Chapter 615: Lu Shan Talisman Manual, Sang Lao's Interception
The business proposal from Lu Shan Jun was straightforward.
This year, through her connections in Dragon Abyss Immortal City, she intentionally inquired about Luo Chen's recent situation.
She learned that although he was a loose cultivator without an established power, he still had a Foundation Establishment family under his command.
Initially, this Foundation Establishment family was not well-known, but with the reputation of Sunyang Demon Lord, they had become increasingly prosperous over the years. Whether it was the family's own businesses or the Sunyang Shop in Dragon Abyss Immortal City, they were gradually becoming well-established.
Especially after Sunyang Demon Lord's retreat from Huangfu Song, more and more loose cultivators came to Sunyang Shop for purchases.
This was why, when Luo Chen mentioned that he had a way to make money, Lu Shan Jun didn't question him at all.
Her business proposal was to collaborate with Luo Chen and sell her talismans through Sunyang Shop.
Lu Shan Jun's background wasn't particularly mysterious.
Like Huangfu Song, she was also a princess from a secular dynasty in the Northern Sea.
However, being born with exceptional intelligence, she despised the internal power struggles and deceit within the royal family. From a young age, she loved reading Daoist scriptures and was fascinated by the immortal texts.
Later, to escape the royal family's entanglements, she joined a Daoist temple served by the royal family at a young age and became a female Daoist cultivator.
After entering the temple, she focused her interests on cultivation and talisman crafting.
After many years of changes, when everything and everyone had transformed, she no longer had any attachment to the royal family. With a solitary figure, she embarked on the long journey of cultivation.
The resource she relied on for her cultivation was her exceptional talisman crafting skills.
Over the years in the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly, even without joining any sects, she lived comfortably, which showed the exceptional quality of the talismans she traded with fellow cultivators.
However, the number of Golden Core cultivators in the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly was limited.
Especially during times of peace, the utilization rate of talismans, being a consumable item, was extremely low.
Over time, her financial situation was greatly affected.
With fewer Spirit Stones earned, the rent for a Third Stage Cave Mansion seemed like a sword hanging over her head. Even someone as elegant as her had to consider mundane matters.
"For high-level talismans, I have my own sales channels, and I won't trouble you, fellow cultivator."
"However, after crafting talismans for a long time, I have accumulated a large number of low-level talismans. I could sell them through the Monster Hunting Bureau, but they offer a very low price. If I sell them myself, it would be too troublesome, so I thought of your Sunyang Shop."
"Of course, I won't use your manpower for free. For every talisman sold through Sunyang Shop, you can take a twenty percent commission."
Twenty percent!
This level of concession was indeed very generous.
It should be noted that Lu Shan Jun's talisman crafting didn't receive any assistance from Sunyang Shop, which meant there were no costs involved.
Upon hearing this, Luo Chen furrowed his brows in thought.
Seeing that he didn't reply immediately, Lu Shan Jun's delicate eyebrows knitted slightly.
"Fellow cultivator, my offer is more than fair. Don't be too greedy."
Unexpectedly, Luo Chen smiled and said, "Lu Shan Jun, you're overthinking it. It's not that I'm asking for too little, but you're offering too much. In my opinion, a ten percent commission is more than enough."
Lu Shan Jun was taken aback.
Who would give up such a generous offer?
"But, I have one condition... or rather, a request!" Luo Chen smiled at her puzzled expression and said, "Can you also sell some Third Stage talismans through Sunyang Shop? The quantity doesn't need to be high, but a stable supply of a few every year would be sufficient."
"A few?" Lu Shan Jun lowered her head, deep in thought.
Among the hundred cultivation arts, apart from the four major arts of alchemy, arrays, artifacts, and talismans, there was no clear distinction in skill levels.
Among the cultivators who mastered these four arts, alchemy cultivators and array cultivators were considered more advanced than tool cultivators and talisman cultivators.
The reason for this was that the cost of cultivating alchemy cultivators was too high, and array cultivators placed too much emphasis on talent. Moreover, their products had a significant impact on a cultivator's cultivation and the overall strength of major sects.
In comparison, tool forgers and talisman crafters were slightly more affordable.
Especially talisman crafters, whose skills were easy to learn but difficult to master. Many cultivators in the cultivation world also took up talisman crafting as a side job.
This led to the market for low-level talismans being rather lackluster.
However, the market for high-level talismans was always as hot as high-level pills and high-quality magic treasures.
For Lu Shan Jun herself, crafting a Third Stage talisman required considerable effort.
On top of maintaining her existing sales channels, if she had to squeeze out a few more talismans to sell through Sunyang Shop, it would affect her daily cultivation.
But no matter how much it affected her, it was a minor issue.
However, if she couldn't earn enough Spirit Stones, she would have to bid farewell to her Third Stage Cave Mansion in the Flying Dragon Mountain Range.
Indeed, she had voluntarily accepted the ten-year long-term mission to guard the area, and her real purpose was to upgrade her monster hunter star rank to obtain higher discounts.
Lu Shan Jun raised her head and looked at Luo Chen, "Is it necessary to sell high-level talismans?"
Luo Chen nodded, "It's best to have them. Even if Third Stage talismans are sold, I can waive the commission for those talismans."
Hmm...
Lu Shan Jun was left in a daze again.
I thought that by actively reducing the commission, she wanted me to provide high-level talismans to increase profits, but Qingyangzi unexpectedly doesn't want a share of the third-rank talismans. What could his intentions be?
She pondered deeply, gradually understanding his intentions.
"You want to use my high-level talisman's reputation to attract more customers to Qingyang Shop, thereby increasing your profits in other small businesses, right?"
Luo Chen snapped his fingers in admiration, "You're quite knowledgeable about business matters as well!"
Lushan Jun smiled bitterly; she just didn't like these mundane affairs, but that didn't mean she was a fool.
After a moment's thought, based on the principle that a businessman never loses out, she could naturally fathom Luo Chen's intentions.
However, the other party's openness also showed a gentleman's candor.
After a moment of thought, Lushan Jun nodded.
"Agreed, three of them!"
"Each year, in addition to the first and second-rank talismans, I will also provide three third-rank talismans. But the effects of the talismans may vary, and in this regard, Qingyangzi, you'll have to bear with me."
She was someone who enjoyed crafting talismans, and aside from the common ones, she often improved upon them and even developed new talismans.
During this process, there were successes and failures.
If she could exchange those unsatisfactory substandard products for sufficient profits through Qingyang Shop, it would obviously be a win-win situation.
Luo Chen readily agreed to this collaboration without hesitation.
"There are still three months left. I'll go back and organize those old talismans and also craft some third-rank talismans for you; it should be just in time."
Luo Chen blinked, "Won't it affect your cultivation?"
Lushan Jun shook her head, "It will affect my cultivation, as the time is tight. But compared to the decades or even hundreds of years of cultivation, a mere three months of setback is negligible."
After saying this, she left the beach ahead of Luo Chen.
Only Luo Chen remained, strolling leisurely on the beach.
When Black King returned from his wild adventures, he saw Luo Chen with a smiling face.
"Master, your mood seems excellent today. Is it because of your servant's progress in cultivation?"
"You sure think highly of yourself."
Luo Chen chuckled and walked back towards the fading sunset.
His good mood was partly due to Black King's progress in cultivation, but more so because of Lushan Jun's collaboration.
Once the other party's high-level talismans were sold through Qingyang Shop, the chain reaction would be far more significant than merely a few third-rank talismans.
Among the various groups at the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly, which group had the most cultivators?
It wasn't the seven Nascent Soul True Immortals, nor the hundreds of Golden Core Cultivators, but the countless Foundation Establishment and Qi Condensation cultivators.
For these people, magical artifacts were hard to come by, and formations were not their forte. Only talismans that could be activated across cultivation boundaries were the most convenient for them.
When the news spreads that Qingyang Shop has a large supply of high-quality talismans, including third-rank talismans, the shop will become a bustling hub. Luo Chen's collaboration with Lushan Jun will have a significant impact on his business and provide him with more than just spiritual stones. Qingyang Shop's transactions with numerous loose cultivators will allow Luo Chen to gather the resources he needs for his Incarnation Pill through task requests. The three main ingredients for the pill are his primary concern, and with the acquisition of Penghu, a third-rank superior spirit land, his cultivation speed has soared. In a short time, he advanced five layers in the Golden Core stage, and the date for advancing to the sixth layer is approaching. After reaching the sixth layer, he will enter the late Golden Core stage and will have to consider condensing his Nascent Soul, just like other advanced cultivators. He has already mastered the method for Incarnation, and with the guidance of Elder Han, he can avoid many detours. However, to increase the chances of a successful Incarnation, the Incarnation Pill is indispensable. Although Luo Chen has the cultivation speed of a Heaven Spirit Root, he is not a Heaven Spirit Root cultivator. Whether he will encounter significant difficulties during Incarnation, similar to those during Foundation Establishment and Golden Core, is uncertain. Therefore, the Incarnation Pill is a necessity. Over the years, he has gradually gathered the auxiliary materials, but the three main ingredients have been a bottleneck. Currently, Luo Chen only has one Divine Crane Tail, obtained from a late Golden Core cultivator's storage bag. This is a well-known herb in the cultivation world for its remarkable effects on Incarnation. It's normal for Qian Ting to have collected it. However, Luo Chen hasn't gathered a single bit of the other two main ingredients, Purple Monkey Flower and Five Elements Lotus Platform, not even with the help of the Monster Hunting Bureau's intelligence system. Not only has he failed to find the herbs, but he hasn't even heard any news about them.
"Once Qingyang Shop's reputation spreads, and loose cultivators gather here, I might be able to collect one or two of the ingredients, and even if not, any news about the herbs would be excellent."
"There's still time; we can take it slow. Over the years, there will surely be some harvest."
Luo Chen muttered to himself.
...
Three months later.
In other words, the year since Luo Chen's arrival on Qu Yang Island had finally come to an end.
This also meant that his task was finally over.
"The fellow cultivator who will take over your duty of guarding the town has already arrived a couple of days ago, and you've already met him. As for the other one, even though they haven't arrived yet, it's not a big deal. With me here, there won't be any major issues for the time being."
"These are the talismans I've prepared. There are 151 first-stage talismans, the second-stage talismans are the most numerous, reaching a quantity of 500. I managed to hastily make two third-stage talismans. One is the Thousand Mile Divine Travel Talisman, which can be briefly activated to burst at extreme speeds, covering a thousand miles in just a few breaths. The other is the Water Giant Talisman, which requires the owner to nurture it for half a year after refining it. Once activated, it can create a water giant with the same realm as the cultivator's main body. This giant not only possesses formidable combat power but can also be indestructible for the duration of an incense stick in places rich in steam."
"As for the third one, it still needs some more work. I'll finish drawing it in a while and send it to you."
"Additionally, to prevent the low-level cultivators of the Sunyang Shop from undervaluing my talismans due to their lack of understanding, I've specially prepared a comprehensive manual on talismans, which provides detailed introductions to each of them."
Luo Chen took a storage bag and a newly transcribed book.
"Lu Shan Talisman Manual"
Luo Chen's eyebrows rose slightly, "You've been thoughtful, fellow cultivator."
Lu Shan Jun shook his head, "It's just for a living, so I must be diligent."
"Since it's like that, then I'll take my leave first. After your ten years are up, you're welcome to visit me in Penghu."
Luo Chen cupped his hands in a bow, then leaped into the air, flying away from Qu Yang Island.
Upon reaching the coast, he waited briefly, and a massive figure emerged from the sea.
It was the Black King.
His cultivation had been progressing rapidly, and he was becoming increasingly reluctant to stay in the Primordial Cauldron's space.
In his own words, the space inside was like a prison, and he would never want to go in unless he was in a deep slumber.
Luo Chen didn't insist, as he needed several days to return, and he didn't want to waste his spiritual power on controlling the flying vessel. Instead, he decided to use the Black King as his means of transportation.
Jumping onto the Black King's back, Luo Chen sat cross-legged.
With a slight adjustment of his spiritual power, a translucent dome of spiritual energy enveloped him, shielding him from the external elements.
Then, the Black King let out a cheerful cry and dove into the water, swiftly swimming towards the headquarters of the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly.
...
With the Black King's speed, the journey back to the Flying Dragon Mountain Range would be even faster than a flying vessel.
Luo Chen, with some free time, decided to open the book given to him by Lu Shan Jun.
The book, titled "Lu Shan Talisman Manual," was obviously Lu Shan Jun's record of her journey in the art of talismans.
Upon a cursory reading, Luo Chen made another discovery.
This woman had not only recorded the information about the talismans she had personally drawn but also compiled a comprehensive guide for creating low-level talismans.
However, the latter could only be read using divine sense.
"What's this? A gesture of reciprocity?"
Luo Chen was speechless, feeling a mix of laughter and tears.
Although he had given them a discount, it was also for his own greater interests.
He hadn't expected Lu Shan Jun to be the type to feel indebted to others, and in return, she had given him a comprehensive guide to creating low-level talismans.
Even with just a cursory reading, Luo Chen realized that if he followed the instructions in the book, he would have the chance to become a low-level talisman creator with a solid foundation.
"This Lu Shan Jun is someone worth befriending."
Luo Chen sighed, continuing to study the book.
However, his mood was different from before when he was casually flipping through the book to pass the time. He now paid a bit more attention.
This was because, among the four arts of alchemy, arrays, tool forging, and talismans, the one most suited to him was not array formation or tool forging, nor was it his proud alchemy skills. It was, in fact, talisman creation!
The essence of talisman creation was to preserve the spells that cultivators were proficient in on special talisman paper using a unique technique.
In other words, the deeper a cultivator's understanding of spells, the greater the enhancement to their talisman creation skills.
And among Luo Chen's various abilities, the one he was most talented in was spells!
Currently, he needed to focus his energy on refining the Demon Sovereign Remains and cultivation, leaving no time to study talisman creation. Still, it was always good to learn a thing or two.
...
As Luo Chen immersed himself in studying the "Lu Shan Talisman Manual," time passed quickly.
The Black King continued swimming forward, and the unfamiliar scenery along the way seemed to rewind like a film, constantly left behind.
Just as they were leaving the Qu Yang Island waters.
Suddenly.
The Black King's forward motion came to a halt.
Luo Chen's eyebrows furrowed, and he lifted his head from beneath the sea.
From above, a voice called out.
"Qingyangzi, traveling alone must be lonely. Why not join me on my vessel for a while?"
The Black King understood and slowly rose to the surface, gently patting the mythical dragon's scales, which were as hard as metal.
A red-robed Daoist, shrouded in a light blue water veil, appeared riding a dragon.
In the sky, a massive, luxurious flying vessel hovered, looking down upon them.
On board, there were exclamations of surprise at this scene.
Luo Chen paid no attention to them, focusing solely on the old man with a wrinkled face at the bow of the vessel.
"Sang Jiugong!"
(End of Chapter)
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