In the practice room.
Shen Xuan gazed at the Spirit Gathering Array Banner in front of him, feeling a wave of emotion.
The Spirit Gathering Array's effect was excellent, but it consumed too many Spirit Stones.
One Spirit Stone a day means three hundred sixty-five a year.
Ordinary cultivators simply cannot afford it.
The tributor of a Late Stage of Qi Cultivation from a cultivation clan only receives three hundred Spirit Stones as a stipend.
They still need to eat, cultivate, and purchase magical artifacts, elixirs, talismans, and other expenses.
Some even need to raise their offspring.
So, many cultivators in the Perfection of Qi Cultivation barely manage to scrape together enough to buy a Foundation Establishment Pill.
Some even give up the chance to reach Foundation Establishment.
Just to leave a bit more spirit stones for their family.
Like Zhao Chunsheng next door, who hasn't moved out of this dingy place even after breaking through to the Late Stage of Qi Cultivation, in order to raise his two sons.
However, he also found a new financial path.
It is helping Shen Xuan purchase demon beasts and sell talismans.
Shen Xuan's premium Water Control Talismans are all sold by Zhao Chunsheng.
For this, he pays Zhao Chunsheng a fifteen percent commission.
This price is very fair to Zhao Chunsheng.
He is a Late Stage Qi Cultivation cultivator and also a Demon Hunter with considerable strength.
He has many connections and resources to sell those premium Water Control Talismans.
In gratitude, Zhao Chunsheng also realized that Shen Xuan's talisman making skill likely surpasses most people's understanding.
As they interacted more, the relationship between the two grew closer.
Zhao Chunsheng's wife, Jiang Xueqi, occasionally brought gifts over, addressing Ding Yuyao as a sister, becoming good confidante.
It's quite rare for her, a Middle Stage Qi Cultivation cultivator, to treat the mortal-bodied Ding Yuyao in such a way.
Ding Yuyao knew in her heart, Jiang Xueqi's attitude was entirely out of respect for her husband Shen Xuan.
Only with strength can one earn respect from others!
Her husband's strength is unfathomable!
Ding Yuyao appreciated it first-hand.
She felt that her husband was becoming stronger and stronger.
Every exchange lasted longer and longer.
Moreover, the variety was increasing.
Thinking of those strange and bizarre positions, Ding Yuyao's ears turned hot, blushing with shyness.
At this moment, in the practice room.
Shen Xuan slowly finished his practice.
[Talent: Mastery of Water Control (2/400)
[Condensed Water Blade Technique]: Mastery (5/400)
Looking at the mess in the practice room.
Like the technique of Water Control Talismans, once reaching mastery level, the skill level becomes hard to increase.
"It's still the limitation of cultivation realm!"
Shen Xuan understood very well.
Whether it's the cultivation technique, talent, talisman making, or techniques, they are all restricted by one's own cultivation realm.
With his current Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer realm, cultivating his technique, talent, talisman making, and techniques to the mastery stage is pretty much the limit.
Therefore, a cultivator's realm is the foundation of cultivation.
"I still need to find a way to seize the bloodline talent of demon beasts to enhance spirit root aptitude!"
"Unfortunately, I currently don't have enough cultivation realm; otherwise, the first choice would be the Water Escape Talisman."
The Water Escape Talisman is one type of Five Elements Escape Talisman, reaching an upper grade.
A Talisman Master needs to reach the Late Stage of Qi Cultivation to possibly produce it successfully.
Shen Xuan repeatedly pondered and decided to make a middle-grade talisman, the Rejuvenation Talisman.
As the name suggests, the greatest utility of the Rejuvenation Talisman is to heal injuries and restore spiritual power.
There are two types of Rejuvenation Talismans.
The most widely used is the wood attribute Rejuvenation Talisman, which is focused on restoring spiritual power.
The other is the water attribute Rejuvenation Talisman, which has excellent healing effects while restoring spiritual power.
Relatively speaking, the water technique Rejuvenation Talisman uses more expensive beast blood cinnabar and is more complicated to make.
"Headless fish?"
Upon hearing Shen Xuan's purchasing request, Zhao Chunsheng did not immediately agree.
"Master Shen, these headless fish are scarce in the depths of the Longze River, and their price is even higher than green-feather fish!"
"What's the market price?"
"Three Spirit Stones per pound."
"Alright, I ask Zhao Daoyou to help purchase it. I won't let your efforts go unrewarded."
"No problem!"
"And please keep it confidential!"
"How can you say that! Master Shen, rest assured! Zhao is not very skilled, but I can keep a secret."
"That's good then!"
The enhanced Condensed Water Blade Technique after applying Water Control Technique has enough power to threaten cultivators at the Late Stage of Qi Cultivation.
Coupled with the middle-grade defensive spiritual artifact Water Cloud Shield, Shen Xuan's sense of security is greatly enhanced.
Even facing a Late Stage Qi Cultivation cultivator, he has the power to fight.
However, Shen Xuan is a cautious person.
Safety comes first, cultivating quietly, and drawing as little attention as possible is the right path.
A month later, Zhao Chunsheng brought a fish bag.
Inside were a few headless fish, estimated to weigh about three pounds.
"How many Spirit Stones?"
"Just nine Spirit Stones."
"Alright!"
Shen Xuan didn't say much, directly giving ten Spirit Stones.
After taking the Spirit Stones, Zhao Chunsheng asked, "Do you want more?"
"What's up?"
Zhao Chunsheng smiled and said, "Got lucky, found a channel, and can get six to seven pounds a month. I'm not sure if Master Shen can handle it?"
"So many!"
Shen Xuan deliberately made a look of difficulty.
With his current mastery in making Water Control Talismans, the success rate is forty percent, earning seventy Spirit Stones a month!
Excluding the Spirit Gathering Array and living expenses, he can save thirty Spirit Stones a month.
Wealth doesn't shout out loud, and riches don't reveal themselves.
Shen Xuan has always been cautious, only letting Zhao Chunsheng sell a portion of the premium Water Control Talismans.
"I'll definitely take it. However, with such a large amount, I can't pay that many Spirit Stones at once."
"No worries! You can owe it first!"
Zhao Chunsheng said boldly.
"I might not trust others, but I trust Master Shen!"
"Then I'll trouble Zhao Daoyou. I'll pay half in Spirit Stones and cover the rest with premuim Water Control Talismans, how about that?"
"Deal!"
After seeing Zhao Chunsheng off, Shen Xuan carried the fish bag into the practice room.
First, he followed the instructions in the cultivation technique jade scroll to make a Rejuvenation Talisman himself.
After consuming twelve sets of materials, the Rejuvenation Talisman reached the entry-level stage.
Then, using the Mysterious Jade Talisman, he plundered the talent from the headless fish in the fish bag.
After a flash of golden light.
[Talent: Self-Healing (6/100)]
[Rejuvenation Talisman: Entry Level (9/100)]
[Dao Rhyme: 12]
Shen Xuan observed for a while.
The effect of the same weight headless fish is similar to that of the green-feather fish.
It took Shen Xuan a year and a half to plunder the water control talent from green-feather fish.
Now, with Zhao Chunsheng finding a purchasing channel for headless fish, the quantity is sufficient, and it is much faster than getting green-feather fish.
Every half a month or so, he comes around once, bringing three to four pounds of headless fish.
Each time, Shen Xuan pays half in Spirit Stones, covering the other half with top-grade Water Control Talismans.
Occasionally, he would switch them for top-grade Rejuvenation Talismans.
Eight months later.
[Talent: Self-Healing (96/100)]
In the practice room, Shen Xuan tempered his excitement and began the final talent plundering from the headless fish.
Success or failure rests on today!
The Mysterious Jade Talisman did not disappoint Shen Xuan.
After the golden light faded, the bloodline talent of the headless fish in the fish bag was completely absorbed.
Shen Xuan felt a bit disoriented.
A life experience never before felt, transformed into dots of spiritual light, merged into the sea of consciousness.
Without a head, without a heart, living deep in the Grand River, struggling to survive in a harsh environment devoid of nutrients and oxygen until the body completely decomposes.
When suffering external damage, the body can rapidly close wounds, repair damaged parts, and thus restore bodily functions.
Even when entirely split into two halves, each half of the headless fish can self-repair and continue to arduous survive independently.