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Only when he was truly too busy would He Song send his spirit talismans to the Spirit Talisman Pavilion for sale.
If he had free time, He Song would set up his own stall to sell the talismans, fetching a higher price than selling them to the pavilion.
However, although He Song was now a talisman master, he still lacked confidence in successfully crafting high-grade spirit talismans.
With time pressing and an urgent need for high-grade and life-saving talismans for protection, it was naturally best to purchase them directly from the Spirit Talisman Pavilion.
The Spirit Talisman Pavilion was not far from the Artifact Hall.
Thus, after leaving the Artifact Hall, He Song quickly arrived at the Spirit Talisman Pavilion.
As soon as he stepped inside, a voice reached his ears.
"It's been a while. Yue'er congratulates Senior He on his great progress in cultivation, successfully breaking through to the seventh layer of Qi Refining. Foundation Building is now within reach."
At the same time, a petite figure appeared beside He Song, bowing respectfully.
This was a beautiful young girl named Su Yue, at the sixth layer of Qi Refining.
She was one of the managers of the Spirit Talisman Pavilion.
He Song had occasionally interacted with her when he came to sell talismans in the past.
They could be considered half-acquaintances.
"It was just luck. Fellow Daoist Su Yue is still young, and breaking through to the late stages of Qi Refining is just around the corner."
He Song didn't put on airs with Su Yue and instead offered some encouragement.
Not because she was a woman.
But because Su Yue was indeed young, yet already at the sixth layer of Qi Refining.
In a few years, she would likely break through to the late stages of Qi Refining and might even have a chance to attempt Foundation Building.
Facing someone with the potential to reach Foundation Building, He Song naturally wouldn't be dismissive.
Although the probability was small.
But it was just a few words, and He Song didn't mind sparing them.
"Senior He is too kind. Yue'er's talent is mediocre, and it will probably take a long time."
As she led He Song into the VIP room, Su Yue modestly demurred.
He Song didn't take it to heart.
But he didn't say anything more.
Only after the two entered the VIP room and Su Yue personally brewed a pot of tea for He Song did he speak again.
After taking a sip of the tea and feeling a slight boost in his cultivation, He Song nodded in satisfaction and then said, "Fellow Daoist Su Yue, I've come today to purchase some high-grade spirit talismans and some life-saving talismans. Could you please bring some over for me to choose from?"
Having spent over twenty years in the immortal market, He Song was well aware of its workings.
Ordinary customers were received directly in the main hall.
The tea served there was also of ordinary quality.
Only those who had reached the late stages of Qi Refining or were purchasing items worth over a hundred spirit stones would be invited into the VIP room.
In the VIP room, the tea served was naturally the Bi Xian Spirit Tea.
This tea had the effect of boosting cultivation.
Though the effect was minimal.
But a single ounce cost ten spirit stones, making it quite expensive.
It was reserved for honored guests.
And each serving didn't use much, serving more as a gesture of respect.
He Song now kept this tea at home, drinking a cup in his leisure time to gain a slight boost in cultivation.
"Senior He, please wait a moment. Yue'er will fetch them now."
After bidding farewell, Su Yue quickly disappeared from the VIP room.
As He Song expected.
Soon, another beautiful girl entered the VIP room, taking over Su Yue's role of serving tea.
However, this new girl was only at the first layer of Qi Refining.
He Song merely glanced at her before sitting quietly and waiting.
He didn't have to wait long.
Soon, after He Song had finished two cups of tea, Su Yue reappeared in the VIP room.
After dismissing the girl, Su Yue laid out several talismans in front of He Song and began to explain softly.
"Senior He, this is the high-grade Earth Shield Talisman, capable of withstanding several attacks from a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator. It costs eighty spirit stones each."
"This is the high-grade Golden Light Talisman, which can deliver an attack equivalent to a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator. It costs eighty spirit stones each."
"This is the high-grade Swift Movement Talisman, which grants a significant boost in speed upon use. It costs eighty spirit stones each."
"This is the high-grade Earth Escape Talisman, which allows the user to instantly travel ten miles underground. It costs two hundred spirit stones each."
"This is the high-grade Flight Talisman, which enables the user to fly ten miles at great speed. It costs two hundred spirit stones each."
"This is the high-grade..."
As Su Yue explained, He Song's eyes swept over the talismans before him, and a hint of helplessness flashed in his heart.
Indeed.
Being a talisman master was tough.
High-grade spirit talismans cost eighty spirit stones.
High-grade life-saving talismans cost two hundred spirit stones.
At such prices, the profit margins were already thin.
Compared to alchemy, artifact forging, beast taming, or even formation crafting, talisman masters truly earned their keep through hard work.
Take formation crafting, for example. He Song, who had only just begun to delve into formations, could already earn over two thousand spirit stones a year.
If he could find a few more areas suitable for opening spirit fields, his income could increase even further.
But what about talisman masters?
They toiled away at crafting talismans, and if their success rate didn't reach fifty percent, they were bound to lose money.
Yet they had no choice but to continue.
If they didn't craft, their success rate wouldn't improve.
And if their success rate didn't improve, they couldn't earn more spirit stones.
Thus, while talisman masters might seem to earn a decent amount, the majority of their profits would be reinvested into crafting more advanced talismans.
It was a profession that appeared glamorous but was, in reality, extremely time-consuming and costly.
Spending more time crafting talismans each day inevitably cut into cultivation time.
With less time for cultivation, the speed of progress naturally slowed.
This was the common plight of most talisman masters—their cultivation progress was always slower than that of ordinary cultivators.
It was essentially trading cultivation progress for spirit stones.
Fortunately, He Song didn't rely on being a talisman master to earn spirit stones.
Being a talisman master was merely his public identity.
A cover for laundering spirit stones.
If he hadn't been unable to obtain the foundational texts on formation crafting, he wouldn't have spent so much time delving into talismans. It wasn't necessary, and the returns weren't worth it.
A hint of realization flashed in He Song's eyes. After a quick mental calculation, he soon decided on what to purchase.
"Give me two high-grade Earth Escape Talismans and four high-grade Earth Shield Talismans."
As he spoke, He Song also took out a pile of mid-grade spirit talismans from his storage bag.
These mid-grade talismans were ones he had purchased earlier for self-defense.
But now that he had reached the late stages of Qi Refining, they were no longer of use.
"See how much these mid-grade talismans can offset. If it's not enough, I'll pay the difference."
Pushing the pile of mid-grade talismans toward Su Yue, He Song picked up his teacup and took a sip.
This pile of mid-grade talismans should be worth a fair amount. He Song had bought them but never used them.
Seeing this, Su Yue quickly began to assess their value.
(End of Chapter)
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