Qing'an Town, Liu's Spirit Talisman Store.
Shopkeeper Liu's eyes sparkled as he stared at the two stacks of spirit talismans in Li Mu's hand, excitedly asking, "Did you draw all these spirit talismans?"
The boy in front of him left quite an impression on Shopkeeper Liu. He was a regular at the spirit talisman store, frequently buying talisman paper, spirit talisman ink, and occasionally selling some low-grade exorcism talismans he crafted himself.
Shopkeeper Liu didn't make much spirit stone from him, but at least it was steady.
Shopkeeper Liu had never asked for this boy's name because, in his opinion, such a small-time loose cultivator wasn't worth his investment.
Talisman Making, Artifact Refining, Alchemy are among the Hundred Cultivation Arts with the lowest barriers to entry and most common. Ninety percent of loose cultivators will try their hand at them to secure a stable way of earning a living. However, those who truly achieve something in the Hundred Cultivation Arts are few and far between.
A talisman maker who can craft Tier One high-grade spirit talismans is considered successful in the talisman-making field. They can earn spirit stones through their craft and form a virtuous cycle, establishing a foundation for advancing to become a Tier Two Spirit Talisman Master.
These highly skilled talisman makers are usually members of a cultivation clan or are tributed by some organization. Thus, a rogue Tier One high-grade talisman maker appearing out of the blue is very rare.
Liu's Spirit Talisman Store, Shopkeeper Liu particularly valued this occurrence, scrutinizing Li Mu with a serious gaze, hoping to form a close partnership with this 'wild' talisman maker.
A youthful face, sparse fuzz on his upper lip, handsome appearance yet with a steady demeanor, likely a boy of sixteen or seventeen years old. The spiritual pressure he exudes is quite heavy, not inferior to his own, dressed in a somewhat shabby magic robe standard of a Qing Xuan Sect servant disciple.
Nevertheless, this poor-looking boy could produce two stacks of Tier One high-grade spirit talismans for sale, truly a mystery.
Facing Shopkeeper Liu's scrutinizing gaze, Li Mu smiled indifferently, "You're joking, Shopkeeper Liu. How could I have drawn Tier One high-grade spirit talismans? At most, I can only draw some low-grade exorcism talismans, which you already know!"
"Oh! Then who drew these talismans?" Shopkeeper Liu suddenly felt relieved and inquired further.
"My father drew them; does your store want them? If not, I'll take them to sell at the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion!" Li Mu casually made up a reason and replied.
"Haha! What kind of place is the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion? They wouldn't even look at anything below Tier Two spirit talismans! Sell these talismans to me; I'll take them." Shopkeeper Liu laughed heartily, promptly speaking to retain him.
"Hmm, how to charge if the price is suitable, I'll keep selling here." Li Mu quickly reminded him, subtly suggesting long-term cooperation and a fair price.
Upon hearing this, Shopkeeper Liu was greatly pleased, "No problem, I'll buy them at the highest price. Fire Bomb Talisman, Fire-igniting Talisman, Wood Binding Talisman, ..., I'll pay 10 Lower Spirit Stones per Five Elements Spirit Talisman and 8 Lower Spirit Stones per remaining talisman. How does this price sound?"
"Alright! I'll sell them to you at this price, and also, please bring me ten stacks of talisman paper." Li Mu pondered and agreed, handing over the two stacks of spirit talismans.
"No problem, a total of 60 spirit talismans, 38 Five Elements Spirit Talismans, 22 other talismans, totaling: 556 Lower Spirit Stones, ten stacks of Five Elements Talisman Paper, 300 sheets, one sheet 0.8 Lower Spirit Stone, total 240 Lower Spirit Stones, ...." Shopkeeper Liu quickly calculated the account.
Soon, Shopkeeper Liu bundled ten stacks of talisman paper and the remaining spirit stones and handed them to Li Mu.
"The count is right; I'll come again next time." Li Mu accepted the items with a smile, satisfied as he bid farewell.
"Great! Always welcome, by the way, what's your surname, I forgot to ask." Shopkeeper Liu enthusiastically escorted Li Mu to the door, curiously inquiring.
"The humble surname is Li, Shopkeeper Liu, no need for such courtesy, don't see me out!" Li Mu responded, unable to bear Shopkeeper Liu's enthusiasm, quickly leaving the spirit talisman store.
After leaving the spirit talisman store, Li Mu found a secluded corner to store the ten stacks of talisman paper in his storage compartment, avoiding clutter.
Having stored the items, Li Mu walked out of the alley, continuing to explore the Independent Cultivator Market in Qing'an Town, searching for materials suitable for puppet-making.
After circling the Independent Cultivator Market, Li Mu didn't find any stalls selling cultivation techniques or materials suitable for puppet-making.
Li Mu frowned slightly, looking towards the most lavishly decorated Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion on the main street. Unable to find anything at the Independent Cultivator Market, he had no choice but to visit this place where only 'wealthy' people could shop.
Relying on his talisman-making skills, Li Mu finally had some confidence to enter high-end stores.
Before Li Mu even stepped into the entrance of the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion, two warmly dressed, well-proportioned female cultivators greeted him, courteously bowing, "Welcome to the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion, sir, please follow inside."
Under the welcoming call of two female cultivators, Li Mu stepped into the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion, and in the next instant, a fresh spiritual air washed over him.
The spacious and luxuriously decorated hall of the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion was equipped with a spirit gathering array. The spiritual qi inside the hall was significantly more intense compared to the outer sect. A spiritual artifact lamp overhead emitted bright and warm light, dispelling negative states such as evil spirits and fatigue, while illuminating the hall.
Indeed, it was the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion. Even though Li Mu had seen high-end decor in the original world, he was astonished by the lavish interior of the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion.
The grand hall, towering two stories high, contained several redwood counters, each showcasing various precious spiritual objects, spiritual artifacts, knives, swords, shields, essence wheels, ..., various spirit pills, spirit fruits, and even counters exclusively selling spirit pets. The walls around were adorned with rare and spiritually charged paintings, ..., everything in sight was a spiritual object.
Thanks to his Innate Divine Power - Recognition of Ten Thousand Spirits ability, Li Mu saw far more rare spiritual objects at the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion than other guests.
"Esteemed guest, what spiritual object are you looking to purchase? I am Lin Huirong and can introduce you to the spiritual objects." A female cultivator dressed in a pink long dress approached Li Mu and greeted him with a smile.
"Hmm, I'm looking to buy a few pieces of Spirit Wood. Does your pavilion sell Spirit Wood?" Li Mu nodded, inquiring with interest.
"Uh! Of course, our pavilion has Spirit Wood. However, could the esteemed guest specify the intended use for the Spirit Wood? There are various types, each with different material properties. Some are suitable for artifact refining, others for crafting spiritual ships, and some for refining puppets." Lin Huirong curiously glanced at Li Mu and explained with a smile.
Li Mu didn't seem very old, probably around seventeen or eighteen, and Lin Huirong assumed he came to buy defensive spiritual artifacts, auxiliary spiritual pills, or defensive spirit talismans. However, unexpectedly, he was here for Spirit Wood, causing slight surprise.
"For refining puppets, Spiritual Teak, Profound Iron Wood, or Spiritual Banana Wood would do. Do you have any?" Li Mu explained and asked.
"Yes, esteemed guest, cultivators good at puppet-refining are quite rare. Puppet materials are stored in the side hall warehouse; please follow me." Lin Huirong gestured invitingly to Li Mu and explained.
Li Mu nodded, following Lin Huirong to the side hall, a warehouse filled with various Spirit Wood materials.