Chapter 25: The Path to a High-tier Cultivation Technique
Chapter 25: Chapter 25: The Path to a High-tier Cultivation Technique
Li Ping placed the completed Fire Rain Talisman into his Storage Bag. As he took a moment to feel the change within himself, he couldn’t help but frown.
Just by casting a single Tier Two Lower Grade ’Fire Rain Skill’, nearly a third of his Magical Power, which was at the Early-stage Foundation Establishment level, was depleted.
This was partly because he hadn’t yet cultivated a High-tier Cultivation Technique, resulting in lower Magical Power purity. Even so, the consumption of a Tier Two Magic was astonishing.
This made Li Ping sigh with emotion. No wonder Cultivators preferred to use Dharma Artifacts instead of Magic during Magical Combat. Part of the reason was likely that casting Magic was slower and less swift than using a Dharma Artifact.
But the fact that casting Magic drained too much "mana" was probably another major reason why Cultivators avoided it.
...
’I can only create two Tier Two Lower Grade Spirit Talismans in a row before I have to stop and meditate to recover my Magical Power,’ Li Ping calculated silently. ’If it were a Tier Two Middle Grade Talisman, creating one would probably consume over eighty percent of my Magical Power. As for a Tier Two Upper Grade Talisman, even if I had the corresponding inherited knowledge, I wouldn’t have nearly enough Cultivation or Magical Power to create it.’
’Once my Magical Power is depleted, I’m forced to stop and meditate to recover.’
The severe mana consumption also affected Li Ping’s efficiency in creating Talismans.
He did some preliminary calculations. If he forwent his own cultivation and focused entirely on Talisman making, factoring in the time needed to meditate and recover Magical Power, and with the ’100% Talisman Making Success Rate’ buff from the Tree of Inheritance, he could create about 10 Tier Two Lower Grade Spirit Talismans or 5 Tier Two Middle Grade Spirit Talismans per month.
If he moved to a Tier Two Spiritual Land to cultivate, his Magical Power recovery speed during meditation would increase, further boosting his efficiency.
Assuming he sold all these Spirit Talismans, his monthly income would be around 500 Spirit Stones, with a net profit of at least 400 Spirit Stones.
A year’s net profit would be 4,800 Spirit Stones, more than enough to buy a Foundation Establishment Pill with some left over.
Of course, other Tier Two Lower Grade Talisman Makers had a chance of failure when creating Talismans, so their efficiency at earning Spirit Stones was far below Li Ping’s.
However, Li Ping wasn’t foolish enough to spend all his time on Talisman making.
For a Cultivator, one’s own Cultivation was the most important thing. Spirit Stones were just external possessions; having enough was sufficient.
Once he purchased a suitable Cultivation Technique, he would dedicate the vast majority of his time to cultivation, not spending too much time or effort on Talisman making.
Creating a few dozen Tier Two Lower Grade Spirit Talismans each year to earn enough resources to sustain his cultivation would be enough.
...
’Many people in the Immortal City know that my skill in Talisman making is considerable, and that I’m not far from becoming a Tier Two Lower Grade Talisman Maker,’ Li Ping mused. ’So, it would be a matter of course for me to create Tier Two Lower Grade Spirit Talismans. No one would find it strange. But it wouldn’t be appropriate to reveal Tier Two Middle Grade Spirit Talismans; otherwise, it would easily attract the scrutiny of people with ulterior motives.’
In the eyes of outsiders, Li Ping’s Talisman making skill had likely already reached the Tier One Upper Grade level before his Foundation Establishment.
After successfully reaching Foundation Establishment, his Magical Power and Divine Sense had both increased more than tenfold, and the art of Talisman making placed extremely high demands on both.
It wouldn’t be surprising for him to make progress in his Talisman making skills and break through to become a Tier Two Lower Grade Talisman Maker in one fell swoop, relying on Magical Power and Divine Sense that were now over ten times stronger.
It was common knowledge in the Cultivation Realm that a breakthrough in a Cultivator’s Cultivation would also lead to an improvement in their other skills.
Therefore, if Li Ping revealed his skills as a Tier Two Lower Grade Talisman Maker, no one would pay it much mind, aside from a few passing remarks.
But if other Cultivators learned that he had jumped two levels in his Talisman making skill in such a short time, actually reaching the Tier Two Middle Grade, it would most likely attract a great deal of attention.
The Cultivation Realm was full of people who had fortuitous encounters. He might be considered one of them, and someone might try to investigate his good fortune and seize it by force.
While Li Ping wasn’t afraid, he didn’t want to attract too much trouble.
Besides, the income from making Tier Two Lower Grade Talismans was already enough for his cultivation needs.
And since he was determined to be a Gou Cultivator, Li Ping believed it was necessary to have some trump cards that surpassed his current realm.
Thus, Li Ping didn’t plan to reveal his true level of Talisman making. In the future, he would only sell Tier Two Lower Grade Spirit Talismans.
He would also create some Tier Two Middle Grade Spirit Talismans, but he would keep them as his hidden ace, his ultimate trump card.
During Magical Combat, if he threw out seven or eight Tier Two Middle Grade Spirit Talismans at once, even a Late-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator would have to retreat temporarily. A Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator who failed to dodge in time would be severely injured, or even risk perishing.
’If someone mistakes me for an ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivator, heh heh...’
...
「One month later.」
After working tirelessly around the clock, Li Ping had six assorted Tier Two Lower Grade Spirit Talismans and two Tier Two Middle Grade Spirit Talismans in his Storage Bag.
The Tier Two Middle Grade Spirit Talismans were for his own protection, while the Tier Two Lower Grade Spirit Talismans were to be sold for Spirit Stones.
Before this, in his search for Tier Two Middle Grade Spirit Wood, he had visited several large shops in the Inner City, but not a single one of them had given him any face.
Although Li Ping had said, "I understand, I understand," out loud, he actually held quite a grudge.
Furthermore, Tier Two Lower Grade Spirit Talismans were in a complete seller’s market, with demand far outstripping supply. As soon as they were stocked, Cultivators who caught wind of it would immediately sweep them all up.
Therefore, Li Ping saw no need to let those large shops take a cut anymore.
He planned to price all the Tier Two Lower Grade Spirit Talismans he created at 50 Spirit Stones each and sell them at his Third Brother Gumu Sheng’s small shop.
As for Gumu Sheng’s commission, considering he wanted to look out for his sworn brother, he tentatively set it at 1 Spirit Stone per Spirit Talisman.
Of course, this commission wasn’t something Li Ping would pay Gumu Sheng; it was what Gumu Sheng would pay him.
A constant supply of Tier Two Lower Grade Spirit Talismans on the shelves would bring a huge amount of traffic to Gumu Sheng’s little shop. When Cultivators rushed in to buy the Spirit Talismans, they would most likely buy some other supplies on the side, which in turn would boost sales of other Low-Tier Dharma Artifacts and Spirit Talismans.
This would bring Gumu Sheng a considerable profit.
The one Spirit Stone was the traffic generation fee Gumu Sheng would have to pay him.
This way, he would earn 51 Spirit Stones for every Spirit Talisman. Before long, he’d be able to save up enough Spirit Stones for a High-tier Cultivation Technique.
The thought that he had been a Foundation Establishment Cultivator for over half a year but was still living on a Tier One Spirit Vein in the Outer City, without even a High-tier Cultivation Technique, and had yet to have a single proper cultivation session, made Li Ping couldn’t help but shake his head and sigh.
Lost in thought, Li Ping stepped into his Third Brother’s small shop, ’Green Bamboo’.
Li Ping’s arrival immediately startled Gumu Sheng, who was meditating behind the counter. Seeing Li Ping, his face lit up with joy. "Big Brother, what brings you here? I was just about to go looking for you."
"Looking for me? Huh!" Li Ping was slightly puzzled, but he quickly noticed the change in Gumu Sheng’s aura.
Qi Refining Seventh Level!
At some unknown point, Gumu Sheng had actually broken through to the Late-stage Qi Refining.
...
After furtively closing the shop door, Gumu Sheng approached Li Ping with a mysterious expression. "Big Brother, about that High-tier Cultivation Technique you wanted... I’ve got a lead in the Immortal City. The risk is a bit high, but the price is very low."
As Li Ping listened, his expression changed from confusion to surprise, and finally, an unconscious smile spread across his face.
He nodded inwardly. ’This kid’s actually got a few tricks up his sleeve. Since you’ve done me a great service this time, I won’t charge you that traffic generation fee!’