amaotonovel Chapter 1389 Mid-stage Core Formation!
Chapter 1389 Mid-stage Core Formation!
Chapter 1389 Mid-stage Core Formation!
In the outer hall of the cave, Yuan Yao, dressed in a light green dress, stood quietly not far from the stone chamber entrance, her figure slender and her temperament gentle yet with a hint of aloofness. Her gaze was somewhat lost in thought as she stared at the heavy stone door that had been sealed for twenty years.
Beside her, Yanli, dressed in a pale yellow dress, couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle as she looked at her junior sister's appearance, her eyes filled with mischief.
Yanli leaned closer to Yuan Yao and asked in an exaggerated tone, "Oh my, Junior Sister Yuan Yao, you've finally broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage and become a true Immortal Master! This is such a joyous occasion! Why do you look so preoccupied? Are you perhaps missing your senior again?"
Yuan Yao snapped out of her daze, a faint blush rising on her fair cheeks. She glared at Yanli reproachfully, her voice tinged with helplessness and shyness: "Senior Sister! You're teasing me again! I didn't..."
Seeing her shyness, Yanli became even more playful. She pretended to bow and said with a grin, "What are you joking about? Junior sister is now a senior expert in the Foundation Establishment stage! If we were outside, I would respectfully bow to you and address you as 'Senior Yuan Yao'! How could I dare to be disrespectful to a senior in the slightest!"
Yuan Yao was both embarrassed and anxious from being teased, and stomped her foot: "Senior sister! If you keep doing this, I...I won't talk to you anymore!"
She pretended to pinch Yanli's arm.
Just as the two were joking around, suddenly, the long-sealed stone chamber door opened.
Just as the two sisters were laughing and playing, and the cave was unusually full of life, the heavy stone door that had been closed for twenty years suddenly opened slowly inward with a low scraping sound!
Yuan Yao and Yan Li immediately stopped their playful fight, their smiles vanishing and replaced by utmost respect and a hint of tension.
The two quickly tidied their appearance, stood side by side, bowed deeply towards the slowly opening stone gate, and said in unison, "Yuan Yao (Yan Li), welcome Senior out of seclusion!"
Qin Hao stepped out of the stone chamber. After twenty years of seclusion, his aura had become even more profound and restrained. His gaze swept over the two women, lingering for a moment on Yuan Yao, who had already successfully established her foundation. A hint of approval appeared in his eyes as he said gently, "Not bad. In twenty years, Yuan Yao, you have successfully established your foundation. It seems that you have not wasted your time during these twenty years."
Upon hearing this, Yanli quickly stepped forward: "Senior~ Yanli hasn't been slacking off either! While you were in seclusion these past few years, I've been cultivating day and night, not daring to slack off in the slightest! It's just... it's just that Yanli's aptitude is really too poor, not as good as my junior sister's, I've disappointed you, Senior..."
Qin Hao's gaze fell on Yanli, and he nodded: "Yes, you've reached the twelfth level of Qi Refining, just one step away from Foundation Establishment. Although your aptitude isn't as good as Yuan Yao's, you've still managed to reach this level in the past twenty years, which shows your diligence. Next time you have the chance, I'll find you a few more Foundation Establishment Pills, and you should be able to break through smoothly."
Upon hearing this, Yanli's face instantly lit up with a delighted smile, and a huge weight was lifted from her heart. Qin Hao's willingness to search for the Foundation Establishment Pill for her meant that she, as his maid, hadn't been abandoned and still had value in following him! She quickly curtsied again, her voice brimming with joy: "Thank you, Senior! Yanli will certainly work even harder to live up to your expectations!"
Qin Hao nodded slightly, and with a flick of his wrist, several shimmering magical artifacts appeared in his hand. One was a water-blue defensive jade pendant, another a fiery red flying sword, and the third a light and flowing ribbon. He bestowed the jade pendant upon Yuan Yao, and the flying sword and ribbon upon Yan Li: "Take these magical artifacts for your self-defense."
Then, he stated his decision directly: "Pack your belongings and come with me to Tianxing City."
"Tianxing City?" Yuan Yao and Yan Li were both taken aback, their faces showing surprise. Tianxing City was the core megacity of the human cultivators in the Chaotic Star Sea, a legendary holy land for cultivation! Although they had always lived on Kui Xing Island, they had heard of Tianxing City's formidable reputation.
Qin Hao said calmly, "What? Do you still have unfinished business here? Or... are you unwilling to travel with me?"
Yanli reacted the fastest, immediately bowing and saying, "Senior, please don't misunderstand! Senior has been kind to us sisters, not only taking us in but also bestowing upon us elixirs and cultivation techniques... Wherever Senior goes, we sisters will naturally follow! We have absolutely no ulterior motives!"
Yuan Yao also came to her senses, lowered her head slightly, and said in a soft but firm voice: "Senior, Yuan Yao just... just feels a little surprised. It is Yuan Yao's blessing to be able to follow Senior to Tianxing City. Yuan Yao is willing to advance and retreat with Senior, and follow you through life and death."
She raised her head, her clear eyes looking at Qin Hao with a hint of barely perceptible attachment.
Seeing the two women's agreement, Qin Hao nodded in satisfaction: "Alright. Let's get ready quickly and set off immediately."
The reason he decided to leave Kuixing Island for Tianxing City was twofold. First, his cultivation progress during this seclusion was simply too rapid! Perhaps it was the "Heaven-Mending Pill" he had taken years ago that subtly improved his aptitude, or perhaps it was the extremely solid foundation laid by the three cycles of retraining and rebuilding the "Three Revolutions Rejuvenation Technique." During this seclusion, he didn't encounter any bottlenecks and broke through directly from the early stage of Core Formation to the middle stage in one go! This speed was too astonishing, and it wouldn't be good if it attracted the attention of some Nascent Soul elders, since none of the Nascent Soul elders in the Reverse Star Alliance were easy to deal with.
Kui Xing Island is too small and crowded; he needs a larger, more complex environment to hide himself and avoid unnecessary trouble and covetousness. Tianxing City is a melting pot of people, with many high-level cultivators. As a mid-stage Core Formation cultivator, he wouldn't stand out so much.
Secondly, he planned to travel to the Outer Star Sea to hunt high-level demonic beasts. The Outer Star Sea was fraught with danger and required a stable and powerful rear base. Kui Xing Island only had three Core Formation Island Masters, and its defensive capabilities were limited. Tian Xing City, as the core of the human race in the Chaotic Star Sea, not only had the Star Palace Twin Saints guarding it, but also a powerful city-protecting formation, making its security far superior to that of Kui Xing Island.
Thirdly, according to the intermittent information Ning Haichao has provided over the years, the higher-ups of the Six-Linked Hall, especially Elder Miao, have always harbored resentment towards him for killing Elder Gu and have not given up on monitoring and investigating him. Staying on Kui Xing Island remains a hidden danger. Going to Tian Xing City, away from the core of the Six-Linked Hall's sphere of influence, would be much safer.
Yuan Yao and Yan Li moved quickly. They didn't have many possessions to begin with, mainly some clothes, magical artifacts and pills given to them by Qin Hao.
A moment later, the two finished tidying up and returned to the outer hall.
Then, several communication talismans turned into streaks of light and disappeared into the sky. Qin Hao summoned the Ink Dragon Boat and boarded the flying boat with Yuan Yao and Yan Li.
The Ink Dragon Boat transformed into a streak of dark light, departing from Kui Xing Island and heading southwest towards the central region of the Chaotic Star Sea.
They traveled in silence, traversing countless islands and seas over a period of several months at sea.
That day, Yanli, standing at the bow of the ship, suddenly pointed to the distant horizon and exclaimed, "Senior! Look! What's that?"
On the distant horizon where the sea meets the sky, an extremely blurry black dot appeared in the field of vision. As the Ink Dragon Boat rapidly approached, the black dot quickly magnified and became clearer.
Yanli couldn't help but point in the direction of the "black dot" and exclaimed in surprise, "Is this Tianxing City? It's unbelievable!"
When the city's outline finally came into full view, Yanli couldn't help but cover her mouth and gasp in astonishment, her eyes wide with disbelief: "My God! This...this is Tianxing City? It's simply...it's unbelievable!" The scene before her completely exceeded the limits of her imagination.
As Yanli said, the scale of Tianxing City cannot be simply described as "large". It was not built on flat land, but on an island that was so huge that it was unimaginable.
At the heart of the island stands a towering peak that seems to connect with the heavens—the inner city of Tianxing City is built around this peak.
The entire city stretches along the island's terrain, its walls so high, thick, and long that they resemble a mythical kingdom of giants!
As the black dragon boat flew closer and arrived beneath the magnificent city wall, hundreds of feet high and constructed of some kind of black, shimmering, starlight-like boulders, a sense of insignificance arose spontaneously, and the phrase "covering the sky and obscuring the sun" involuntarily popped into his mind! The enormous shadow that descended inspired awe.
The ink dragon boat landed on a huge platform near the city wall. The platform was teeming with people, and various flying magical artifacts rose and fell.
As soon as Qin Hao and his two companions disembarked from the flying boat, a cultivator dressed in a uniform white robe and at the early Foundation Establishment stage came to greet them.
The man was neither servile nor arrogant, and wore a professional smile. He cupped his hands to Qin Hao, who had somewhat concealed his aura, and asked, "Senior, is this your first time visiting Tianxing City?"
Hearing the familiar opening remarks, Yanli almost thought she had encountered a fellow cultivator. But then the white-robed cultivator continued:
"According to the city's regulations, all seniors at the Core Formation stage can obtain permanent residency in Tianxing City free of charge."
As the white-robed monk spoke, three ancient-style rings of different colors appeared in his hand.
He asked Qin Hao, Yuan Yao, and Yan Li for their names and made a simple registration. Then he handed three rings to each of them. Qin Hao received a ring that was entirely crimson with faint flame patterns. Yuan Yao and Yan Li received two light blue rings.
"Please have the three of you drip your blood onto the rings to signify ownership. The red ring represents the status of a Core Formation senior, who enjoys many conveniences and privileges within the city. The blue ring is worn by Foundation Establishment cultivators and below..." the white-robed cultivator explained.
The three followed his instructions and dripped blood to bind the rings to their respective fingers. A flash of light, and the rings automatically slipped onto their fingers, fitting perfectly. Then, guided by the white-robed cultivator, the three passed through the massive city gate and officially entered the legendary cultivation megacity—Tianxing City!
Upon entering the city, Yanli felt that her eyes were not enough to take it all in! The streets were wide enough to accommodate ten carriages side by side, with shops and buildings of different styles lined both sides. Cultivators flew by in the air from time to time, riding various magical artifacts or spirit beasts. The ground was crowded with people, and Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment cultivators could be seen everywhere. Occasionally, one could even feel the powerful aura of Core Formation cultivators flashing by.
The air was filled with rich spiritual energy and all sorts of scents—the fragrance of medicine, the aroma of pills, the spiritual light of talismans, the precious aura of magical artifacts, the stench of demonic beast materials… all intertwined to create a unique and bustling atmosphere of a cultivation city.
Yanli excitedly linked arms with Yuanyao, like a happy lark, lingering at each roadside stall, finding everything novel and fascinating. Although Yuanyao was more reserved, her eyes were also filled with awe and curiosity.
As Qin Hao walked slowly, he kept an eye on the shops on both sides of the street, especially those selling cultivation manuals and books. He entered several large bookstores and spent some spirit stones to buy jade slips or books that he had never seen on Kui Xing Island. These books contained information about the history, geography, and monster illustrations of the Chaotic Star Sea, as well as some unorthodox spells, weapon crafting, and formation techniques.
This knowledge plays a crucial role in enabling the AI to refine its database and conduct subsequent deductions.
After strolling around for about an hour, Qin Hao, along with the two women who were still eager to explore, arrived at a magnificent pavilion located at the foot of the Holy Mountain. This was the place where Tianxing City managed the rental of cave dwellings and residences.
Upon entering the attic, a middle-aged Foundation Establishment cultivator with a square face and short beard greeted him. Although his cultivation level was not high, he was used to seeing high-level cultivators in a place like Tianxing City. Facing Qin Hao, a Core Formation cultivator, he simply bowed respectfully and asked in a calm tone, "Senior, are you planning to rent a house or a cave dwelling?"
Qin Hao succinctly replied: "Cave dwelling."
The middle-aged cultivator seemed to have anticipated this, and skillfully explained, "Senior, it's like this. The Holy Mountain is the core of our Tianxing City, the place with the most abundant spiritual energy. The upper thirty floors of the cave dwellings on the mountain are exclusively for the use of the city's elders, guest elders, and Nascent Soul seniors, and are not open to the public for rent. The lower fifty floors are open for rent. The higher the location of the cave dwelling, the more abundant and pure the spiritual energy will be, and correspondingly, the more expensive the rent will be. May I ask which floor of cave dwelling you would like to rent, Senior?"
He took out a jade tablet, on which were clearly marked the location, size, and rental price of the rentable cave dwellings on the fiftieth floor of the sacred mountain.
Qin Hao didn't even look at the number of floors below, and said directly, "Naturally, the higher the better."
Upon hearing this, the middle-aged cultivator revealed an expression of "I knew it" on his face. He quickly tapped the jade tablet and brought up the rental information for the highest floor: "Reporting to Senior, the highest position among the lower fifty floors is currently the thirty-first floor. There are two cave dwellings available on this floor, and the concentration of spiritual energy is second only to the upper thirty floors. The rent for a hundred-year lease is... three thousand low-grade spirit stones."
His tone wavered slightly as he announced the number. Three thousand spirit stones over a hundred years—that was a considerable expense for a Core Formation cultivator.
Qin Hao didn't even frown. Three thousand spirit stones for a hundred years was expensive, but considering the concentration of spiritual energy on the thirty-first level of the Holy Mountain and the safety of Tianxing City, the price was acceptable.
After exchanging three thousand low-grade spirit stones and registering Qin Hao's identity information and rental period, the middle-aged cultivator handed Qin Hao a palm-sized token engraved with complex runes: "Senior, this is the restriction token for your cave dwelling. Please keep it safe. You will receive a notification before the hundred-year rental period expires. If you do not renew the rental by then, the token will automatically become invalid, and the cave dwelling's restrictions will close. If you plan to enter seclusion for an extended period, it is best to pay attention to the rental period."
"Thank you for reminding."
After leaving the Ascension Pavilion, Qin Hao, along with Yuan Yao and Yan Li, flew directly to the thirty-first level of the Holy Mountain, guided by the token.
The entrance to the cave was located on the mountain wall, shrouded in a faint white light. Qin Hao pressed the token against the light barrier, and the barrier silently parted to create a portal.
Upon entering, the interior of the cave was smaller than that on Kui Xing Island, but the layout was reasonable, complete with stone chambers, a main hall, and a meditation room. Most surprisingly, the spiritual energy here was far denser than that on Kui Xing Island, almost condensing into a light mist; one could feel a subtle increase in cultivation with every breath!
As soon as Yuan Yao and Yan Li entered their new home, they immediately busied themselves like two diligent little bees. Yuan Yao tidied up the side room that belonged to her and Yan Li, laying out the clean bedding they had brought and arranging some simple decorations. Yan Li, on the other hand, quickly began cleaning the main hall, then took out the tea set to brew spiritual tea for Qin Hao, and then took out an exquisite incense burner from her storage bag, lighting a small piece of calming sandalwood incense.
Soon, the cave was filled with a faint aroma of tea and a delicate sandalwood scent, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.
Qin Hao sat down in the main hall, accepted the spiritual tea offered by Yanli, took a sip, and nodded approvingly. However, he did not stay long. After putting down the teacup, he got up and walked towards the deepest part of the cave, which was also the main stone chamber with the most abundant spiritual energy.
The stone door closed behind him. Qin Hao sat cross-legged on the futon in the center of the stone chamber, not immediately beginning his cultivation. He focused his mind on his consciousness and issued a command to the AI:
"AI: Retrieve all the information about the creation of Foundation Establishment stage puppets from 'The True Explanation of Puppetry,' including design blueprints, material lists, core rune arrays, drive arrays, and production processes."
Without the little green bottle to accelerate the growth of "Demon-Attracting Grass", the puppet is his secret weapon for finding monster lairs. Although it may not be as efficient as the Demon-Attracting Grass, it is safe and controllable, and the puppet itself can also become an aid in combat or support.
Within the sea of consciousness, a massive flow of information began to surge, and detailed information about various Foundation Establishment stage puppets was rapidly organized and presented by the AI.
……
The next morning, just as the rising sun over the summit of the giant mountain in Tianxing City, Qin Hao stepped out of his cave, piloted the Ink Dragon Boat, and transformed into a streak of dark light as he headed towards the inner city.
Upon entering the inner city, the bustling sounds of people and the rich spiritual atmosphere immediately enveloped us. The wide streets were paved with some kind of solid lapis lazuli, so shiny it reflected one's image. On both sides were rows of shops and pavilions, with flying eaves, brackets, carved beams and painted rafters, exuding an extraordinary grandeur.
Various signs shimmered with spiritual light, bearing names such as "Hundred Refinements Pavilion," "Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion," "Alchemy Pavilion," and "Spirit Beast Studio," creating a dazzling array of items.
The streets were bustling with people. Some cultivators were walking hurriedly, while others stopped to watch. Their cultivation levels ranged from Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment, and occasionally one could sense a faint aura belonging to a Core Formation cultivator.
Qin Hao's gaze swept across both sides of the street, finally landing on a shop called "Miaoyinfang". The three-story building was elegantly decorated, and the jade bells hanging at the entrance made a crisp and melodious "ding-dong" sound in the breeze, which was quite in line with its name.
Qin Hao stepped inside. The shop was elegantly furnished, with the fragrance of sandalwood wafting through the air. The shelves were filled with various magical artifacts, materials, and talismans, all of considerable variety and seemingly of excellent quality.
As soon as he stepped into the shop, a middle-aged beauty, dressed in a light purple palace gown, with a plump figure and still charming demeanor, greeted him with a smile. Her steps were light and her aura was steady, clearly indicating that she possessed the cultivation level of the mid-Foundation Establishment stage.
"I am deeply sorry for not welcoming you properly, senior." The middle-aged beauty gave a graceful bow, her voice gentle and pleasant, her tone carrying just the right amount of respect. It was neither servile nor obsequious, but fully expressed respect, clearly showing that she was well-versed in the art of hospitality.
Qin Hao nodded slightly, and without any further pleasantries, asked directly, "Does your Miaoyin Pavilion accept talismans?"
Upon hearing this, the middle-aged beauty's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and her smile widened even more: "So you are a highly skilled talisman master, senior. My apologies! This place is too crowded and noisy for a detailed discussion. If you don't mind, senior, why don't we move to the private room on the third floor? I am Jiao Yuniang, the manager of this establishment. I will certainly serve you some spiritual tea so we can discuss this in detail."
Qin Hao responded calmly, "Okay."
Madam Jiao personally led Qin Hao to an elegantly furnished quiet room on the third floor. The room was filled with calming incense, bright and clean, and offered a glimpse of the bustling Tianxing City. A pretty Qi Refining stage maidservant served two cups of spiritual tea, then respectfully withdrew, gently closing the door behind her.
Qin Hao didn't say much. With a flick of his sleeve, a palm-sized, exquisitely crafted storage bag appeared on the rosewood tea table. Seeing this, Madam Jiao carefully picked up the bag, probed it with her divine sense, and then retrieved a crimson talisman painted with intricate and mysterious patterns. Her expression was solemn as she formed a hand seal, channeling a gentle stream of magical power into the talisman.
hum!
The talisman's surface shone brightly with crimson light, and a violent, scorching fire-attribute magic power was instantly unleashed. It leaped and churned violently on the surface of the talisman, forming an extremely unstable, blazing fireball phantom that emitted a heart-palpitatingly high temperature. The temperature in the entire private room suddenly rose, as if it were about to explode at any moment!
Madam Jiao's pupils constricted, and her face revealed an undisguised shock: "This...this is actually a mid-level intermediate-grade talisman, the 'Exploding Flame Talisman'! Moreover...the power contained in this talisman...is at least two levels higher than that of an ordinary Exploding Flame Talisman! Senior's talisman-making skills are truly ingenious and divine!"
Amazed, she didn't dare to be negligent and quickly cast an even more complex restraining spell. The raging fireball phantom seemed to be soothed by an invisible hand, quickly receding and calming down. The violent spiritual energy fluctuations disappeared without a trace, and the talisman transformed back into a seemingly ordinary crimson talisman paper, lying quietly in her palm.
If it weren't for the lingering heat in the air and the fine beads of sweat on Madam Jiao's forehead, it would have seemed as if that breathtaking scene had never happened.
Madam Jiao took a deep breath, suppressing her excitement, and carefully placed the talisman back into her storage bag. Her gaze towards Qin Hao was filled with eagerness: "Senior, how many of these improved 'Exploding Flame Talismans' do you have? As long as the quantity isn't too staggering, our Miaoyin Pavilion is willing to buy them all! Please name your price, Senior!"
Qin Hao remained expressionless as he slowly raised his right hand, spreading his five fingers.
"Five hundred low-grade spirit stones per talisman?" Madam Jiao's eagerness froze instantly, then turned into a bitter smile as she shook her head repeatedly. "Senior, this...this price is far too high. As you know, ordinary mid-grade talismans on the market usually don't sell for more than three hundred low-grade spirit stones each. Although your talisman is incredibly powerful, five hundred spirit stones...this..."
Upon hearing this, Qin Hao's lips curled into a faint smile, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable air: "Madam Jiao herself said that it was an 'ordinary' talisman. My talismans are worth that price. If Madam feels there is no sincerity in cooperating, then there's no need to discuss it further."
Having said that, he made a move to get up.
"Senior, please wait!" Madam Jiao exclaimed anxiously upon seeing this, quickly rising to stop her with a sincere smile. "Senior, please calm down. I misspoke. Your talisman is naturally extraordinary, its power far exceeding that of others of the same rank. This price of five hundred spirit stones... alas, to be honest, senior, this price is indeed far above market value. If our Miaoyin Pavilion buys it at this price, and then resells it, if the price is too low, we will make no profit; if the price is too high, we will probably have difficulty finding a suitable buyer, and the sales prospects will be worrying... this..."
Madam Jiao's mind raced, and she quickly devised a compromise. She cautiously said, "Senior, what do you think? Our Miaoyin Workshop is willing to purchase all of your improved Blazing Flame Talismans at four hundred low-grade spirit stones each. Furthermore, as a talisman master, you must consume a large amount of talisman paper, spirit ink, beast blood, and other materials daily when drawing talismans. Our Miaoyin Workshop promises that whenever you need these talisman-making materials in the future, we will supply them to you at cost price, without any markup! In this way, you will save on material expenses, and our Miaoyin Workshop will be able to maintain a certain profit margin. Neither of us will lose out. What do you think, Senior?"
Qin Hao pondered for a moment, then revealed a hint of approving smile: "Madam Jiao is thoughtful and tactful. With such a shrewd manager as Madam Jiao overseeing things, it's no wonder that Miaoyin Pavilion is so prosperous."
Upon hearing this, Madam Jiao felt a great weight lifted from her heart, and a genuine smile of joy bloomed on her face: "So, Senior has agreed? That's wonderful! Thank you for your trust, Senior! On behalf of Miaoyin Pavilion, I am deeply grateful!"
Qin Hao said no more, directly taking out another, slightly larger storage bag and tossing it to Madam Jiao. Madam Jiao quickly caught it, scanning it with her divine sense. The joy on her face was instantly replaced by shock, and she couldn't help but let out a soft "Ah!" The number of improved Explosive Flame Talismans in that storage bag far exceeded her expectations! However, being a seasoned shopkeeper, she quickly regained her composure, though her gaze towards Qin Hao became even more awe-inspiring. Such a quantity of high-quality talismans was something no ordinary talisman master could produce in a short time.
"Senior... Senior's skills are indeed superb and unfathomable! I admire you!" Madam Jiao exclaimed sincerely. "Please wait a moment, Senior, I will go and prepare spirit stones for you right away."
"Wait a minute." Qin Hao raised his hand to stop her. "Spirit stones aren't urgent. Besides selling talismans, I've come here to purchase some materials. The list is here. If your shop has any in stock, you can deduct it directly from the talisman payment." As he spoke, a pale blue jade slip flew out of his sleeve and floated steadily in front of Madam Jiao.
Madam Jiao quickly took the jade slip, placed it on her smooth forehead, and immersed her consciousness into it. After a moment, she put down the jade slip, a confident smile on her face: "Although the materials you need are quite numerous, and some of them are quite rare, it just so happens that our Miaoyin Pavilion's storeroom has them in stock. Please wait here for a moment, and I will personally go and fetch them for you."
About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, there was a gentle knock on the door of the private room. After receiving permission, the maid who had served tea earlier entered carrying a mahogany tray with two bulging storage bags on it. The maid respectfully placed the tray on the tea table in front of Qin Hao, then bowed and withdrew.
Qin Hao scanned the two storage bags with his divine sense, confirming that the types, quantities, and quality of the materials were correct. He nodded in satisfaction, rolled up his sleeves, and put the two storage bags into his pocket. He stood up and said, "Madam Jiao is efficient, and I am very satisfied. Now that the materials are ready, I will take my leave."
Madam Jiao hurriedly saw him off, escorting Qin Hao all the way to the gate of Miaoyin Pavilion. With a sincere smile on her face, she bowed gracefully again: "Senior, please take your time. It is an honor for Miaoyin Pavilion to reach a cooperation agreement with you today. If you ever need anything in the future, whether it be materials, information, or other matters, just send a communication talisman, and the entire Miaoyin Pavilion will do its utmost to help you!"
"Very well, Madam Jiao, thank you for your kindness. Farewell!" Qin Hao nodded and exchanged teleportation talismans with Madam Jiao. Then, without lingering, he raised his hand and summoned the Ink Dragon Boat, which transformed into a streak of dark light, soaring into the sky and disappearing in an instant above the bustling Tianxing City.
As Qin Hao disappeared into the horizon, Madam Jiao's smile remained unchanged. At this moment, Cui'er, the maid who had been following behind her, couldn't help but step forward and whisper, "Madam, among those materials just now, items like '300-year-old ironwood heartwood,' 'deep-sea cold iron,' and 'fire-melting crystal,' we actually didn't have much in stock in our storeroom, and we acquired them from other large merchants at a premium. Yet you only charged that senior at cost price. Doesn't this mean we lost money in this transaction?"
Madam Jiao smiled and shook her head: "In terms of this one transaction alone, we did lose out, but you can't do business by looking at just one transaction. Take these improved talismans for example, they can easily sell for seven or eight hundred spirit stones each. These profits alone are enough for us to make a fortune."
Cui'er was even more puzzled: "Madam, a typical mid-grade talisman in our shop is priced at five to six hundred low-grade spirit stones each. You buy it for four hundred and sell it for six hundred, making a profit of two hundred per talisman. After deducting the premium loss from the materials, it seems that..."
Madam Jiao gazed in the direction Qin Hao had left and exclaimed, "That's why I said this person's skills are truly ingenious. Originally, offensive talismans are far more difficult to draw than defensive or supportive talismans, yet he was able to improve upon them, not only increasing their power by 20% but also expanding their blast radius."
Madam Jiao's voice carried a hint of excitement: "This means that the power of this talisman is already infinitely close to a casual strike from a Pseudo-Core Formation cultivator! A Pseudo-Core Formation cultivator! In the eyes of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, that's someone who has one foot in the Core Formation Ancestor realm! Just imagine, if two Foundation Establishment cultivators were fighting to the death, and one of them suddenly unleashed such a talisman containing the power of a Pseudo-Core Formation cultivator's strike... what a sight that would be!"
Upon hearing this, Cui'er gasped, and an image involuntarily flashed in her mind: a Foundation Establishment cultivator who seemed to be at an absolute disadvantage suddenly unleashed a modified "Exploding Flame Talisman" at the critical moment of life and death.
The talisman erupted, and a fireball far exceeding the limits of a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator's endurance instantly engulfed the opponent. The mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator, who had been confident of victory and wore a sinister smile, was now filled with horror, resentment, and regret in the scorching flames... This was simply a game-changing trump card!
"So," Madam Jiao concluded, "if we price such talismans at seven hundred, or even eight hundred low-grade spirit stones each, there would be a large number of Foundation Establishment cultivators... especially those with substantial wealth or those about to embark on adventures in outer space! Because in a critical moment, it's a matter of life and death! After deducting costs, our profit per talisman far exceeds your imagination. Not to mention, we also gained the acquaintance of this promising talisman master. Tell me, is this deal a profit or a loss for us?"
Cui'er finally understood, and looked at Madam Jiao with admiration: "Madam is far-sighted, and Cui'er was short-sighted."
……