Immortality and Cultivation: I Have Too Many Talents

Chapter 7: Deceiving Others (Please continue reading)

Shopkeeper Ding was taken aback: "You want to use the Spirit Explosion Pill to break through?"

"I'm sixty-one years old this year. If I don't try now, I'm afraid I won't even have the chance to try again!" Shen Xuan said sadly.

He looked like a typical thirty-year-old, in the prime of his life.

When one's actual age exceeds sixty, one's Qi and blood begin to decline from their peak.

Therefore, in the cultivation world, sixty years old is considered the age limit.

Strong cultivators usually choose to establish their foundation before the age of sixty.

As for people like Shen Xuan, being stuck at the third level of Qi Refining and unable to break through to the middle level of Qi Refining is the fate of most low-level rogue cultivators.

"Fellow Daoist Shen, you should think this through. Although the Exploding Spirit Pill is a breakthrough pill, it squeezes out a cultivator's potential and damages their foundation, with endless consequences. A wise person would not do it!" Manager Chen kindly advised.

In his opinion, Shen Xuan possessed strength approaching that of a mid-grade talisman master.

After deducting the cost of crafting talismans, one can earn more than ten spirit stones per month, which is enough to live comfortably.

He was even considering whether to introduce another female cultivator from his clan to him for marriage.

After all, cultivators who are well-fed and clothed and can earn over a hundred spirit stones a year are rare in Qinglong Bay.

The reason why they hesitated to make a decision and offer suggestions to the family was because of Shen Xuan's age.

I'm sixty-one years old!

With limited achievements, we can only stop here.

Fortunately, cultivators have a long lifespan.

Manager Ding estimated that Shen Xuan, who never fights anyone, has an intact Dao foundation and can live to at least 120 years old.

Over such a long period of time, one can accumulate a considerable fortune.

"Cultivation is inherently defying the heavens. I'm already sixty-one years old; if not now, when?"

"Manager Ding, please stop trying to persuade me. I only have one question for you: do you have any Spirit-Breaking Pills?"

Shen Xuan put on a passionate and rousing demeanor.

Seeing that Shen Xuan wouldn't listen to his advice, Manager Ding could only sigh.

"Yes, we do. Each one costs fifty spirit stones. How many do you want, Fellow Daoist Shen?"

"So expensive?"

"Breakthrough pills have always been this expensive. Explosive Spirit Pills are the cheapest, followed by Qi Refining Pills at 300 spirit stones, and Foundation Establishment Pills at over 10,000 spirit stones!"

Shen Xuan knew that Manager Ding was not lying.

Despite its various drawbacks.

Any elixir that helps break through levels is always quite valuable.

"Can it be less?"

"For the sake of our long-standing friendship, forty-eight spirit stones is the lowest I can offer!"

"Okay, I'll take one!"

In front of Manager Ding, Shen Xuan opened his storage bag and emptied it of all the spirit stones inside, leaving only three.

"Alas, I'm bankrupt!"

Shen Xuan carefully accepted the medicine bottle handed to him by Manager Ding.

Upon opening it and taking a sniff, the aroma of medicine filled the air.

"Don't worry, our Ding family shop never sells counterfeit goods. This is a product of the Qingyun Sect."

"I understand. Thank you, Manager Ding."

Elixirs are different from other spiritual items; they cannot be adulterated in the slightest, otherwise their effectiveness will be greatly reduced, or they may even backfire on the cultivator.

Shen Xuan would rather buy from the Ding family's shop at a high price than buy randomly at the market.

The elixirs at the market were 20-30% cheaper than those at Ding's shop.

However, the quality cannot be guaranteed.

After leaving the shop, Manager Ding watched Shen Xuan's retreating figure and sighed.

He's over sixty years old, but he's still not giving up and is risking everything to force a breakthrough.

He believed that Shen Xuan's chances of breaking through to the mid-stage of Qi Refining were very slim.

A cultivator like Shen Xuan, who has been stuck in the early stage of Qi Refining, has questionable spiritual root quality and is likely to be an inferior spiritual root.

Even with a low-grade spiritual root, one should have broken through to the mid-stage of Qi Refining by now.

Even with the Spirit Explosion Pill, those with inferior spiritual roots only have a 20% chance of successfully breaking through.

Moreover, Shen Xuan is already old and his vital energy is declining.

He hoped that Shen Xuan would not suffer too much backlash after failing to break through, and that he could maintain his current cultivation level.

After all, Shen Xuan could earn five or six spirit stones a month from the Ding family's business dealings.

Shen Xuan did not hear the sigh coming from the Ding family's shop.

"So expensive!"

He was still bothered by the price of the Explosive Spirit Pill.

Fortunately, it was produced by the Qingyun Sect and has a relevant certificate of authenticity.

Otherwise, I don't know how I'll get rid of it in the future. Back home.

Shen Xuan gave Ding Yuyao some instructions and then began his secluded cultivation.

"Having lived in Qinglong Bay for over forty years, suddenly breaking through to the mid-stage of Qi Refining will definitely attract attention."

"Therefore, even with the Spirit Explosion Pill as an excuse, we should still be careful."

At this time, the [Concealing Breath Technique] can be of great use.

There's also the [Invisibility Technique], which is extremely useful whether in combat or for escaping.

Like the [Concealing Breath Technique], the [Invisibility Technique] also does not consume much spiritual power and has the characteristics of long duration and strong effect, making it much better than the high-quality [Invisibility Talisman].

While practicing the Divine Treasure Ocean Technique, Shen Xuan also improved his proficiency in the Concealing Breath Technique and the Invisibility Technique.

Over the course of more than a year, he openly earned more than 130 spirit stones from the Ding family's shop.

In private, he changed his identity and sold ordinary [Concealing Breath Talisman] and [Invisibility Talisman], earning more than seventy spirit stones.

Each month, it costs more than ten spirit stones to buy Xuan Shui Turtles and Silver Jade Fish. In addition, there is a rent of up to twelve spirit stones a year, as well as the cost of food for him and Ding Yuyao.

Therefore, there are very few spirit stones left.

After buying the Spirit Explosion Pill, I really only had three spirit stones left.

However, Shen Xuan was not worried.

In his storage bag, there were also over a hundred exquisite talismans, worth forty spirit stones.

Moreover, after breaking through to the mid-stage of Qi Refining, the benefits of making [Concealing Breath Talisman] and [Invisibility Talisman] will increase significantly, if he so desires.

"Spirit pills like the Exploding Spirit Pill, which break through the ranks, cannot be sold in the market."

"Going out is too dangerous. Let's wait for an opportunity to make a move."

Shen Xuan pondered to himself.

To this day, apart from the talisman pen in his hand, he doesn't have a single magical artifact.

The spells he knew were only the simplest ones: Water Shield and Water Blade.

There's also the earliest technique I learned for farming, the "Cloud and Rain Technique."

It can't be said that they have no combat ability, but it's very close to zero.

"I'll be patient for now. Once I have more spirit stones, I'll definitely buy some better magic tools and spells."

Shen Xuan stopped thinking about it and went into seclusion to cultivate.

More than ten days later.

Shen Xuan came out of the training room and no longer concealed his aura.

Seeing her husband's radiant face, Ding Yuyao couldn't help but ask curiously, "Husband, are you alright?"

"What could be wrong with me! Come, let your husband check how well Yao Yao has practiced her internal energy!"

"No, in broad daylight!"

"So what if it's broad daylight? Some things are more interesting in broad daylight!"

After a period of struggle between resistance and acceptance.

Shen Xuan let loose completely this time.

afterwards.

Ding Yuyao's pretty eyes scrutinized Shen Xuan repeatedly.

"If you have something to say, just say it."

"My husband, I feel you've changed!"

"Did it get bigger, or longer?"

"Husband!"

After her coquettish words, Ding Yuyao finally spoke her mind.

"My husband, you've become stronger!"

Shen Xuan smiled slightly.

"I broke through!"

"what!"

Ding Yuyao's cherry-like mouth was wide open and she couldn't close it anymore.

This news is absolutely shocking!

Before marrying Shen Xuan, her family provided her with detailed information.

Shen Xuan, with inferior spiritual roots, is sixty years old and a low-grade talisman master. He is skilled in making [Concealing Breath Talisman] and [Invisibility Talisman]. He is a self-disciplined cultivator who neither gambles nor drinks alcohol and has no bad habits.

Unexpectedly, Shen Xuan actually broke through!
She stumbled upon a fantastic bargain!

With my husband's diligence, it's only a matter of time before he advances to the intermediate-grade talisman master.

That's a mid-grade talisman master!
Even in a Foundation Establishment cultivation family, one can secure a position as an honorific!
Ding Yuyao heard that the Ding family had an old master who was over a hundred years old, a mid-grade alchemist, who had married three wives and had countless concubines!

A true polygamous society!
"Husband, have you really broken through to the mid-stage of Qi Refining?"

After a long pause, Ding Yuyao asked in a trembling voice.

(End of this chapter)