Hide in the world of gods and demons

Chapter 225: Sixth Level of Foundation Building
How much does the Wei Qi Talisman cost?

Inside a talisman shop, Chen Li, whose appearance was constantly changing, asked a question.

The Guardian Qi Talisman is a second-tier, level-nine talisman that protects the body and dispels evil with its protective energy. It belongs to the top-tier second-tier talisman, and each one is extremely expensive, comparable to a second-tier, low-grade magic weapon. Even he felt a pang of regret.

He wouldn't have bought this kind of talisman in the past.

Firstly, he is not lacking in means to attack evil spirits. Both the Demon-Slaying Sword and the max-level Demon-Slaying Technique are effective against evil spirits. Secondly, he still has quite a few Demon-Slaying Talismans left over from before, totaling sixty or seventy, which can at least withstand some attacks from evil spirits in dangerous situations.

But with evil spirits running rampant now, such preparations are clearly not enough to ensure safety, so Chen Li can only grit his teeth and prepare more in order to put his mind at ease.

"You're too late. These talismans have been selling like hotcakes lately, they're all sold out!" the shopkeeper said.

"What? What about the talisman for warding off evil?"

A level 2 or 3 Evil-Dispelling Talisman is barely acceptable.

"We're out of stock. It'll be a few days before we get more. We do have a few level 9 first-tier exorcism talismans though. Do you want some?"

"Never mind, I'll go look around elsewhere," Chen Li shook his head.

After leaving the house, they rushed to the next one.

But he still didn't come.

Chen Li visited seven or eight shops in a row, almost covering all the talismans in the city, but not to mention the protective qi talisman, even the evil-repelling talisman was in severe shortage. It wasn't until almost noon that Chen Li finally found one for sale in a large shop.

"...Twenty mid-grade spirit stones per sheet."

"So expensive!"

Chen Li was immediately taken aback.

The Evil-Dispelling Talisman is only a second-tier, third-level talisman, and normally it costs at most three mid-grade spirit stones.

That's almost a tenfold increase.

"It's so fresh! At this price, many people would love to buy it but can't. You're lucky. To tell you the truth, the price of this talisman changes every day. In a while, it probably won't be this price anymore," the shopkeeper said expressionlessly.

This is true.

Chen Li knew that if the situation continued to worsen, the price of the talisman would likely continue to rise.

He secretly regretted that he didn't know how to draw such a talisman; otherwise, it would have been incredibly profitable.

He gritted his teeth and said, "Give me fifty!"

He didn't have much money left, but this was a matter of life and death, so he had to buy it no matter how expensive it was.

This time, it was the shopkeeper's turn to be surprised. He had never encountered such a big customer before: "Uh... there are only five left."

"Five cards it is then!"

Chen Li pursed his lips, feeling somewhat disappointed. This number was clearly insufficient; it wouldn't be able to handle any powerful evil spirits.
It seems we need to think of another way.

After paying, Chen Li inquired about the current price of Water Element Talismans and found that it had more than doubled. Originally, it cost five mid-grade spirit stones per talisman, but now it had increased to twelve, which gave him some comfort.

Once outside, Chen Li planned to visit a nearby bookstore. He didn't expect to find the recipes for making evil-dispelling talismans or protective qi talismans; he would be satisfied with just finding the recipe for breaking evil talismans. However, after visiting all the major bookstores, he couldn't find any for sale.

I had no choice but to give up.

Chen Li returned to his residence, summoned his wives and concubines, and distributed the talismans he had on hand.

After thinking for a moment, he gave Bai Wei another stack of exorcism talismans and asked her to distribute them to the maids and servants in the mansion.

For the rest of the time, Chen Li did not leave the house and devoted himself to cultivation.

……

Chen Mansion.

It was still dark when the sky began to lighten. "After you deliver it, come back as soon as possible, and be very careful on the road," Old Sun instructed.

"I understand! Don't bother seeing me off, you can go back."

Sun Zhangshi said as she walked out the door.

She carried a bundle on her back, which contained five or six pounds of cured second-tier demon beast meat and some spirit fruits that wouldn't usually spoil. The bundle was bulging with food, all of which the couple had been saving little by little. Their master lived a life of luxury, and even a little bit that slipped through their fingers was worth half a month's wages for her.

However, the most valuable item was the five talismans for warding off evil spirits that were placed on his chest.

Ordinary maids each received only one talisman, while she and Old Sun each received three. But how could they possibly use so many? After discussing it, they decided that each of them would keep only one talisman, and the extra talismans would be sent to their son.

In this day and age, living outside the city is far too dangerous.

Unfortunately, rent in the city is expensive. In the past, 30 mid-grade spirit stones a year was already prohibitively expensive. Now, with the large influx of cultivators from the border regions, the rent has risen to more than one high-grade spirit stone.

The couple's combined wages were only thirty low-grade spirit stones, while their son's expenses were also considerable, and he didn't have much income, requiring them to subsidize him every month. Living in the city was simply a luxury for them.

I just hope my son will be more successful in the future.

I wish I could reach the Foundation Establishment stage!
As she left the city, she composed herself and gripped her magical implement tightly in her hands.

The son lived in a small village where independent cultivators gathered spontaneously, about a hundred miles outside the city. It took two or three hours to walk there. Thanks to the third-tier spiritual vein of Stanley City, even in the surrounding area, there was still a first-tier spiritual vein, which attracted many independent cultivators.

She dared not take shortcuts or take the back roads, and only walked along the main road.

Fortunately, there were already quite a few pedestrians on the road, which reassured her a little. She hurried along the way, and it was almost noon when she finally arrived at the outskirts of her son's village. Strangely, the village was quiet and there wasn't a single person in sight.

The sun was blazing overhead at that moment.

But for some reason, the village not far away seemed to be shrouded in a shadow.

Her heart skipped a beat, and a sense of foreboding rose within her.

Suddenly she saw a figure standing motionless under a big tree at the village entrance, waving incessantly. Perhaps because the distance was still far, the person's face was hazy under the shade of the tree, but it felt somewhat familiar, vaguely resembling her son.

"That really startled me!"

Sun Zhangshi felt a sense of relief and a smile appeared on her face.

She quickened her pace.

As she walked, the surroundings gradually grew cold and gloomy, and the blazing sun overhead began to dim. At the same time, the inner pocket of her chest quickly became hot, but Sun Zhangshi seemed oblivious. Her eyes were fixed on the strange figure, and she seemed to be possessed, her steps hurried.

It wasn't until Sun Zhangshi felt a sudden burning sensation in her chest that she jolted awake, as if from a dream.

"What's wrong with me?"

As she stared at the terrifying figure dozens of meters away and felt the exorcising talisman burning in her chest, her face quickly turned pale and her heart pounded like a drum.

No, this isn't her son, it's an evil spirit!
Her body trembled as she began to back away step by step.

One step, two steps, three steps...

Haven't walked a few steps yet.

In a flash, the eerie figure vanished from sight.

next moment.

She suddenly felt a chill on her shoulder, a bone-chilling cold rising from her shoulder and spreading throughout her body. A bluish-gray hand had silently landed on her shoulder.

"what……"

A scream suddenly rang out, lasting less than half a second before abruptly stopping.

Everything was calm again.