34: Chapter 34 Changing Talismans

The morning mist had not yet dispersed, and the mountain path of Wild Dog Ridge was already muddy.

Gu Shen, wearing that sallow, scarred face, hunched his back and walked through the bustling crowd of Loose Cultivators. The breath-concealing effect of Thousand Faces was excellent, suppressing his cultivation firmly to around Qi Refining Stage 4, making him completely unremarkable.

He did not go to the Hundred Refinements Workshop on the west side, nor did he go to the Blood Toad Tent on the south side.

Having stood out at those two places, even with a changed skin, his physique and trading habits would easily arouse suspicion.

Gu Shen stopped on the widest street in the center of the black market. In front of him was a three-story stone building carved out of a single piece of bluestone, with a gilded black plaque hanging on the lintel: Hundred Treasures Tower.

This was a branch of the premier commercial firm in the Great Yu Cultivation World located at Wild Dog Ridge. While the shop was large and intimidating to customers, it was also the most rule-abiding; as long as one did not bring out stolen goods involving a Sect's core secrets, they dared to buy and sell anything.

Gu Shen lifted the heavy, sound-proof beast-skin curtain and stepped inside.

Sandalwood incense that refreshed the mind burned inside the building, as if it were a different world from the bloody stench outside. Several green-robed maidservants at the Middle Stage of Qi Refining stood waiting.

"Fellow Daoist, are you here to buy or sell treasures?" A maidservant stepped forward to greet him.

"Sell treasures. Call your manager; you cannot make the decision." Gu Shen's voice was rough, as if it had been polished with sandpaper.

The maidservant did not get annoyed. She led Gu Shen to a quiet room on the side of the first floor, served spirit tea, and then withdrew.

Before long, a pot-bellied, middle-aged fat man with a kind smile walked in. He was at Qi Refining Level 7, his aura steady.

"I am the manager of this branch of Hundred Treasures Tower, surnamed Qian. Fellow Daoist, whatever treasures you have, why not take them out for me to see." Manager Qian sat down with a smile.

Gu Shen did not waste words, nor did he drink the tea.

With a flick of his wrist, an iron ingot the size of a fist, dark red all over and covered with twisted patterns, was placed heavily by him on the sandalwood tabletop.

Clang!

An intensely concentrated Evil Qi, as if capable of tearing through human skin, instantly permeated the quiet room.

Manager Qian's originally casual gaze suddenly froze, and the fat on his face trembled slightly. He leaned forward abruptly, took a silver needle from his sleeve, and lightly scratched the iron ingot.

The tip of the silver needle was actually shaved off by a small section.

"Such pure Evil Qi! This... is this top-grade Fierce Metal, Blood-Veined Iron?!"

Manager Qian gasped, looked up, and re-evaluated the unremarkable, scarred man in front of him. "Such top-grade spiritual material must be nourished day and night with the heart's blood of a Foundation Establishment Stage evil Cultivator, and then refined with earth fire for several years before it can take shape. Where did you obtain this, Fellow Daoist?"

"Manager Qian, the rules of Hundred Treasures Tower are not to ask about the origin, right?" Gu Shen lowered his eyes, his tone cold.

Manager Qian laughed and patted his forehead: "It is Qian who spoke too much. Fellow Daoist, please do not take offense. This piece of Blood-Veined Iron has no Impurities and is the main material for refining top-grade killing Magical Artifacts. Hundred Treasures Tower is willing to buy it for forty Low-Grade Spirit Stones. How about it?"

Forty pieces, the price could be considered fair. Selling at a stall outside might fetch forty-five, but one would have to bear great risk.

Gu Shen shook his head: "I don't want all Spirit Stones. I want to exchange for goods."

"Fellow Daoist, please speak."

"Two Medium Grade Heavenly Thunder Talismans, one bottle of Meridian Protection Pills." Gu Shen stated his requirements.

Manager Qian frowned slightly.

Medium Grade Talismans were killing trump cards capable of erupting with a strike comparable to a Foundation Establishment Initial Stage Cultivator. In a place like Wild Dog Ridge, they were always in high demand with no supply. Meridian Protection Pills were life-saving Medicinal Pills used by Cultivators at the Qi Refining Stage to protect their Meridians from being burst by violent spiritual power when forcefully breaking through a realm; they were equally precious.

"Fellow Daoist, the Meridian Protection Pills are easy to handle, priced at fifteen Spirit Stones. But these Medium Grade Heavenly Thunder Talismans, this shop currently only has three in stock, and each is worth twenty Spirit Stones. I'm afraid this piece of Blood-Veined Iron is not enough to exchange for them."

"Then I will add more."

Gu Shen's expression remained unchanged. He took out three small porcelain bottles from his storage ring, pulled out the stoppers, and pushed them in front of Manager Qian.

The rich, bloody, exotic fragrance instantly overwhelmed the sandalwood incense in the room.

"This is red blood essence glue." Gu Shen pointed to the three red agate-like jelly substances in the bottles, "Manager Qian, you can verify the efficacy yourself."

Manager Qian used his Divine Sense to probe slightly, and his expression changed again.

"Pure, flawless vital blood energy... a top-grade healing medicine that stops bleeding and regenerates flesh instantly!"

Manager Qian took a deep breath. The scarred man before him had brought out two types of top-grade hard currency as soon as he made a move; he was definitely not an ordinary Loose Cultivator.

"These three clumps of essence glue, my Hundred Treasures Tower will buy them for thirty Spirit Stones. Added to that piece of Blood-Veined Iron, that is seventy Spirit Stones in total."

Manager Qian tapped his fingers on the table, "Two Heavenly Thunder Talismans are forty Spirit Stones, one bottle of Meridian Protection Pills is fifteen Spirit Stones. I will give you back fifteen Low-Grade Spirit Stones. How about it?"

"Deal."

Gu Shen nodded decisively.

A moment later.

Manager Qian personally brought the supplies Gu Shen needed on a tray.

Gu Shen swept his Divine Sense over them, confirming everything was correct.

Two bright yellow Talismans drawn with complex silver thunder patterns, with thunder light faintly flowing on them; a jade bottle containing three round Medicinal Pills; and fifteen Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

With a wave of his large sleeve, he collected all the supplies on the table into his storage ring, leaving behind the Blood-Veined Iron and the three clumps of red blood essence glue.

"Manager Qian, farewell."

Gu Shen stood up, pulled down his bamboo hat, lifted the curtain, and merged into the crowd.

Walking out of Hundred Treasures Tower.

Gu Shen did not stop at all. His shadow shoes exerted force, and he moved continuously through the intricate labyrinthine alleys of Wild Dog Ridge.

Relying on the powerful Divine Sense perception after his Soul-Shocking Spike reached Minor Achievement, he confirmed that there were no spies from Hundred Treasures Tower following him, only then did he return to the A-17 Stone Cave on the edge of the cliff with peace of mind.

Click.

The stone door closed, and the warning Restriction was activated.

Gu Shen was still not at ease, and directly took out the Thick Earth Array Formation Plate from his storage ring, inserting three Spirit Stones into it.

Hum—

The thick, earthy-yellow light curtain instantly expanded, completely sealing the interior of the stone cave, isolating all Divine Sense probing and leakage of Qi.

After doing all this, Gu Shen walked to the stone bed and sat cross-legged.

He lined up the newly acquired supplies.

The two Heavenly Thunder Talismans made up for his current lack of large-scale, high-burst Spells. With these things, even if he encountered a Cultivator at the Late-Stage of Qi Refining, he could blast them into serious injury if caught off guard.

That bottle of Meridian Protection Pills was the main event for him today.

Gu Shen poured out a cyan Meridian Protection Pill, and from the depths of his storage ring, took out the porcelain bottle containing the essence white dew (High Grade).

This drop of High Grade white dew, refined from the body of a Tier 3 Cursed Corpse, contained an extremely vast and terrifying amount of Spiritual Qi. If he swallowed it directly without protection, with his current Meridians at the Perfection of Level 5 Qi Refining, they would surely be stretched until they snapped inch by inch.

"Everything is ready."

Gu Shen took a deep breath, adjusted his breathing, and raised his own essence, Qi, and spirit to their Peak.

He first tilted his head back and swallowed the Meridian Protection Pill.

The Medicinal Pill entered his abdomen and transformed into a gentle yet tenacious medicinal power, rapidly clinging to the inner walls of his twelve regular Meridians and eight extra Meridians, as if plating them with a layer of cyan protective film.

After confirming that the medicinal power had dispersed.

Gu Shen did not hesitate. He opened the porcelain bottle and inhaled the drop of essence white dew (High Grade), which was the size of a dragon's eye and swirled with cloud patterns, into his abdomen.

Boom!

As soon as the white dew entered his abdomen, it was like igniting a dormant volcano.

Endless, pure spiritual power erupted with a bang, turning into a raging wave, crazily impacting Gu Shen's Meridians.

"Ugh!"

Gu Shen let out a muffled groan, his whole body trembling violently, his skin instantly turning red as blood, and wisps of white Spiritual Qi spraying out from his pores.

It was too violent!

Even with the protection of the Meridian Protection Pill, his Meridians still felt a tearing pain.

He gritted his teeth tightly, crazily operating the Longevity Art, desperately guiding this massive, almost out-of-control torrent of spiritual power, launching the most violent charge towards the barrier of Qi Refinement Level 6.

Impact!

Impact again!

Inside the stone cave, the Spiritual Qi was like boiling water. A transformation, like a butterfly emerging from a cocoon, proceeded quietly under the cover of the Thick Earth Array.