Immortality and cultivation begin with drawing talismans...

Chapter 142 Opening a Black Market [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

Juxianlou.

"Brother Lin, you're living the good life! A mid-grade second-tier talisman master, and you're also on good terms with Master Lu's disciple. It's truly enviable."

At the dinner table, Hu Jin spoke with envy, while Lin Chang'an shook his head with a smile.

"Old Hu, you've been hiding it well. You're skilled in weapon crafting, yet you still go out hunting monsters."

"Brother Lin, please stop making fun of me."

When this matter was mentioned, Lao Hu looked helpless and waved his hands repeatedly, saying:

“With my skills, I would have no trouble cultivating normally, but you and I are both people with firm Dao hearts, and we both seek the Great Dao. Naturally, we are not willing to stop here. How can these resources be enough?”

Lin Chang'an smiled and nodded, agreeing with this point.

Old Hu's second-tier low-grade weapon-refining skills seem extraordinary, but for a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator like him, they're enough to live comfortably, but if he still has the desire to improve.

The spirit stone resources earned are still not enough.

"Sigh, since Old Ning left, Old Jia's cultivation hasn't broken through in the past two years, and his spirits have also declined. Now it's just me, Old Hu, all alone. Hunting monsters is really difficult."

Hu Jin is usually carefree, but he is incredibly persistent and determined when it comes to cultivating and pursuing the Great Dao.

In all their conversations over the years, Lin Chang'an had never seen Old Hu be negative even once.

His catchphrase is, "I, Old Hu, finally reached the Foundation Establishment stage. If I don't compete for the Golden Core Dao, wouldn't I be losing out?"

"Brother Lin, you must have something to ask of me for this drink today. Please feel free to ask. However, I really have lost my second-tier wood-attribute demon core. I've been recuperating for the past two months."

The burly Old Hu spread his hands, his face full of innocence, indicating that it wasn't that he was reluctant, but that second-tier demonic beasts were inherently difficult to deal with, and you still had to go with the wood attribute.

difficult!
Seeing this, Lin Chang'an chuckled, raised his glass in a toast, and said:

"Old Hu, just as you said, we are both people who are unwilling to stop at this path. The reason I invited you here today is actually to do some business."

"Business? I, Old Hu, don't know much about this stuff."

"Currently, Tianxuan City is in turmoil, and a beast tide is imminent. I and a few friends, relying on our connections..."

As soon as Lin Chang'an told him about the deal, Lao Hu's eyes lit up.

"Brother Lin, you're so sharp-minded, I almost forgot that you have connections with two disciples of Master Lu from Tianxuan City."

Who would dare cause us trouble in Tianxuan City if others dared not sell these illicit goods? Besides, we bought them back at clearly marked prices.”

Compared to hunting monsters and risking one's life, starting a business in the Tianxuan City market is much safer, especially if it grows to a large and stable scale.

The spirit stones earned are far more valuable than hunting monsters.

"This business is a bit risky; it could easily lead to losing everything."

“Look at what you’re saying, Brother Lin. When we rogue cultivators go out to hunt monsters, when is it not risky? This is nothing.”

Old Hu became more and more tempted as he listened, and finally patted his chest, frankly admitting that this risk was far less than risking his life.

Old Hu's straightforwardness brought a smile to Lin Chang'an's face.

"Okay, let's get together again in a few days and talk about the profit sharing."

Friendship is friendship, and business is business; they are two different things.

Especially since he has connections in Tianxuan City, he naturally wants to take more.

"Old Jia is a trustworthy man, but as you know, he has a family and descendants, so he definitely can't afford to take too many spirit stones to risk."

Upon hearing this, Lin Chang'an couldn't help but smile and wave his hand, saying:

"The amount doesn't matter, what matters is that they can be relied upon."

He had dealt with this cultivator surnamed Jia before; he was a veteran Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Now, Lao Hu, Lao Jia, and he are three Foundation Establishment cultivators, plus Yun Yao and her two friends.

Lin Chang'an secretly calculated that six Foundation Establishment cultivators would be a formidable force even outside.

Deterring petty criminals is not a problem.

However, he needs to visit this Fellow Daoist Song first, as well as this Fellow Daoist Su, who is in seclusion, and Wu Yan, whom he doesn't know very well.

Although they were not familiar with each other, none of Master Lu's three disciples could be left out.

……

Wanbao Tower.

"Tsk tsk, Brother Lin, you're being too polite. As long as business is conducted according to the rules, you can rest assured."

Song Tingfeng patted his chest and made a promise, but Lin Chang'an smiled and cupped his hands in a gesture of respect.

That may be true, but you can't give less of what you're owed.

For human relationships to work, there must be a "reciprocal exchange".

In the future, when doing business, they would send it over every month, which created a social relationship.

Others may not value this, but he can use it to maintain this network of connections.

After all, it's been two years since he helped Tianxuan City eliminate the calamity cultivators, and he has received compensation.

Relying solely on past relationships will gradually fade with time.

“Fellow Daoist Song, this is not just me, but a gift from several friends, including Senior Wu and Fellow Daoist Su.”

Song Tingfeng smiled broadly as he listened to Lin Chang'an's words.

Whether there are benefits or not is not important; what matters is the attitude and the intention.

"It seems that Fellow Daoist Lin has high hopes for my Senior Sister Su's ability to form her Core."

Song Tingfeng joked that Lin Chang'an's move was practically betting on whether Tianxuan City could remain stable.

When Su Miaoyin was mentioned, Lin Chang'an nodded with a somewhat solemn expression.

"I have benefited greatly from Fellow Daoist Su's previous gift of array formation insights. As a rogue cultivator, the more stable Tianxuan City becomes, the more secure I will be, and ...

Lin Chang'an said with emotion, and what he said was the truth.

The spiritual energy in Tianxuan City is so abundant that, not to mention the Yue Kingdom, even the seven neighboring kingdoms all have sects and powerful clans occupying such spiritual energy.

Even if they racked their brains, they couldn't find a place as rich in spiritual energy as Tianxuan City.

He could even imagine that once Su Miaoyin successfully formed her core, Tianxuan City would usher in a period of prosperity.

"Fellow Daoist Su, you are exceptionally talented. I believe you will definitely be able to form your core!"

Lin Chang'an's firm tone indicated that this time was not like the last.

Tianxuan City has two major sects, so this formation is practically useless.

In Tianxuan City today, Master Lu's family is the only powerful force, with the late-stage third-tier Xuan Shui Turtle and the Immortal City's grand formation.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Su Miaoyin has a high chance of successfully forming her core.

"Good, with Fellow Daoist Lin's words, my Senior Sister Su will surely be happy when she finds out."

Song Tingfeng also felt quite compatible with Lin Chang'an.

Lin Chang'an smiled and cupped his hands in greeting. Yun Yao truly lived up to her noble birth, daring to fight and take risks.

With Tianxuan City in turmoil, doing business at this time would mean betting most or even all of one's fortune on Tianxuan City.

It could be said that they were all in cahoots, which naturally made Song Tingfeng extremely happy.

The two then sat down at Wanbaolou to enjoy tea and discuss philosophy. When they talked about formations, their words became incredibly heated and passionate.

This completely prevented Lin Chang'an from experiencing the same sudden realization he had when facing Su Miaoyin.

[Tier 1 High-Grade Array Master (Grandmaster 3968/5000)]

Looking at his own understanding of formations, Lin Chang'an shook his head inwardly. No wonder Su Miaoyin was reluctant to discuss formations with Fellow Daoist Song.

Even he, under their influence, is about to break through to the second level.

As a result, this fellow Daoist Song remained in the same spot.

Among the myriad arts of cultivating immortality, the art of formations demands the most comprehension.

If you understand, you understand; if you don't understand, you don't understand.

When Su Miaoyin gave him pointers, Lin Chang'an would often have a sudden realization, and the panel would prompt him to increase his proficiency.

Meanwhile, Fellow Daoist Song scratched his head, looking at him with a bewildered expression, as if wondering, "Fellow Daoist Lin, you can't be so flattering to his senior sister."

Even though no one else understands, you can't pretend to understand and leave him alone. But after a while, Song Tingfeng also learned a trick, which was to also look like he suddenly understood.

The two discussed everything from formations to the various kinds of monsters in the Monster Beast Sea Abyss, and then to the legendary cultivators of the Yue Kingdom over the past hundred years.

"Fellow Daoist Song's knowledge is extraordinary; I, Lin, am ashamed to admit my inferiority."

"Brother Lin, you've only confined yourself to the small Yue Kingdom and haven't seen the wider world. I'll send you a monster encyclopedia from the Monster Sea Abyss another day."

"In that case, I must thank Fellow Daoist Song."

As the two descended the stairs, Lin Chang'an was immediately filled with gratitude upon hearing that this generous fellow Daoist Song was going to give him something again.

What a good man.

Song Tingfeng was very satisfied. The things he gave were just common goods in the Demon Beast Sea Abyss and were not worth much.

"Fellow Daoist Lin, your cultivation has now advanced to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage. You will likely need to go out sometime in the future, since Yue Kingdom and even the Seven Kingdoms are still too small if you want to form your Core."

Only the Demon Beast Sea Abyss is rich in resources, and many cultivators from the seven kingdoms, even those from powerful sects and clans, have achieved Core Formation in Sea Abyss City.

Whenever Song Tingfeng mentioned Haiyuan City, he was filled with melancholy, as if he had some inexplicable emotion.

Upon hearing this, Lin Chang'an nodded secretly. The Demon Beast Abyss, huh? When he plans to form his core in the future, he'll probably have to go there.

But we're too far away from him now.

He was just a rogue cultivator who had just broken through to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage.

"Let's talk about the future later."

Lin Chang'an waved his hand modestly, while Song Tingfeng gave him a meaningful look.

If one doesn't have this ambition, why bother caring so much about the matter of the Demon Beast Abyss?

However, both of them knew in their hearts that while people should have dreams, reality is often cruel.

Before that, Lin Chang'an would have needed to cultivate to the late stage of Foundation Establishment to be qualified to go.

However, very few cultivators in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage can successfully break through to the late-Foundation Establishment stage.

"Fellow Daoist Song, farewell."

"Brother Lin, rest assured, I will definitely convey your sentiments to Senior Brother Wu and Senior Sister Su once he returns."

Seeing Song Tingfeng's assurance as he patted his chest, Lin Chang'an smiled and cupped his hands in a gesture of respect.

With everything in place, it all depends on the future prospects of Tianxuan City.

Hope everything goes well.

As Lin Chang'an left Wanbaolou, he silently prayed.

His dedication this time is enough to open up channels for his talismans and elixirs.

……

Three days later.

On the top floor of Juxianlou, everyone arrived as agreed.

Lin Chang'an brought along two friends: Old Hu, who was in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, and Old Jia, who was in the early-Foundation Establishment stage.

Yun Yao brought along two friends: one was a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator with a full head of gray hair, and the other was a middle-aged early-Foundation Establishment cultivator.

"Fellow Daoists, you can just call me Old Ghost."

"My name is He Yan."

Good heavens, Lin Chang'an's eyes twitched when he saw the two people Yun Yao brought. They were both old acquaintances.

Old Ghost, isn't that Ghost Three Knives? Others might not recognize him, but he was very familiar with this magical aura.

Nowadays, legends of Ghost Three Knives are everywhere in Yue Kingdom, and his fame is almost on par with that of Core Formation cultivators.

"He Yan".

Looking at the middle-aged man in front of him who looked even older than himself, Lin Chang'an couldn't help but feel a sense of感慨 (gan3kai3, a feeling of mixed emotions, including nostalgia and reflection).

He Yan didn't hide it and grinned.

"Uncle Lin."

Perhaps having experienced too much, He Yan no longer possesses any arrogance.

"Oh, so we're all old acquaintances. That makes things easier. I'm Lao Hu, and this is Lao Jia. From now on, we're all on the same side..."

The initially somewhat subdued atmosphere was instantly eased by Lao Hu's outgoing personality.

"This is Fellow Daoist Yun, my good friend."

Yun Yao was veiled in black and dressed in black, exuding an air of mystery. Lin Chang'an introduced her to Lao Hu and the others without revealing her real name.

People aren't stupid; making friends is one thing, doing business is another—these are two separate things.

Everyone tactfully avoided mentioning the other party's past or identity.

After all, if we're doing business together, we can all make money from spirit stones; if things don't work out, we can just part ways.

"Fellow Daoists, with the current chaos caused by the demonic beasts, Tianxuan City has attracted many rogue cultivators from other countries. These cultivators may not be permanent residents."

But those who come here are either planning to establish their foundation or hunting monsters; the market is huge…

Yun Yao, her face veiled in black gauze, spoke calmly about the prospects of this business.

Lin Chang'an, naturally, wouldn't contradict him, and nodded in agreement, adding:
"Our combined strength is enough to deter the villains. As for acquiring the spirit fields, that's not urgent. Let's get the business going first. My talismans, and some connections..."

"I, Old Hu, am a second-tier low-grade weapon refiner. I can only do minor repairs on magic weapons; it's too time-consuming. It would be better if you fellow Daoists collected some of these shady magic weapons and let me, Old Hu, make a few minor modifications..."

"Although my Jia family is not a large clan, we still provide some low-grade supplies such as spirit rice..."

Everyone began to discuss the matter, and after the old ghost and He Yan exchanged a glance, the old ghost said something that caused a noticeable change in the attitudes of the old Hu and old Jia.

"I can get a lot of supplies from shady sources outside..."

The group wasn't stupid; among them were four people in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage: Lin Chang'an, Yun Yao, Lao Gui, and Lao Hu, plus two others.

Even the Zhou family would have to think twice about the power of six Foundation Establishment cultivators.

If you have connections at the top, influence at the bottom, and can keep your own people in check, then you can make a business.

Seeing that everyone was sincerely willing to take a chance, even Old Jia was rooted in Tianxuan City, wanting to secure a future for his descendants.

"I have a good friend who is a mid-grade second-level alchemist, but he doesn't usually want to get involved in these trivial matters. He is good at refining Foundation Establishment Pills and second-level pills that can improve cultivation."

In this deal, besides giving the higher-ups 10%, I'll take 30%.

Lin Chang'an smiled and mentioned that he had an alchemist friend. One was to gain more benefits, and the other was to use another alias to appear in public in a reasonable way.

In Tianxuan City today, most of the skilled cultivators who arrive later hide their identities, fearing that they will be targeted and put on the bounty list.

No one doubted that something was wrong with this.

Despite their friendship, when it came to business, Lin Chang'an remained calm and directly asked for 30% of the profits.

Meanwhile, Yun Yao, whose face was veiled in black, said coldly, "Brother Lin has an alchemist behind him, so 30% is reasonable. I want 20%."

In this way, with six out of ten gone, Lao Hu, Lao Jia, Gui Sandao, and He Yan each have one share.

"This fairy in black..."

Old Hu was taken aback and wanted to say something, but Yun Yao's next sentence made him shut up.

"At least two second-tier monster resources every year."

Upon hearing this, Old Hu's expression changed drastically, and he patted his chest, guaranteeing:
“Fairy Yun is righteous, I, Old Hu, think there’s no problem with that.”

This scene made Lao Jia feel embarrassed; Lao Hu's personality really didn't discriminate between occasions.

The group then got to know each other better over the dinner table.

Regardless of the reason, everyone has lost a lot of their life savings this time, so they are all in the same boat.

Once the business is up and running, it will not affect my personal interests.

After all, black market profits are black market profits.

For example, if someone comes to your door to provide Foundation Establishment materials and refine Foundation Establishment Pills, then the black market only earns this price difference.

The lion's share was earned by Lin Chang'an, his alchemy friend.

The main goal is for everyone to work together to expand the black market, establish a stable structure, and accumulate small profits into a continuous stream of income.

(End of this chapter)