Chapter 19: The Tragic Incident at Miasma Cloud Mountain

Jade Water Immortal City, guarded by a venerable ancestor at the Golden Core stage, was teeming with cultivators—a thriving market for talismans and seals. With his mastery of the art of talismans, Shen Lian need not worry about lacking resources for cultivation.

As his departure drew near, Shen Lian felt it was time to make preparations.

"Yunmeng Market is renowned for its myriad poisons. Before leaving, I should gather a supply for future use."

"Returning to the Kingdom of Chu from Yunmeng spans no less than ten thousand miles, most of which are wild mountains and untamed lands—I must be ready for anything."

"If, by chance, the boat capsizes mid-journey, I’ll need enough supplies for wilderness survival... Bah, what an unlucky thought!"

He lightly slapped his lips twice, swiftly banishing the ominous idea.

Today, his words seemed to court misfortune—inauspicious, indeed.

"A complete, unfragmented cultivation method suitable for the Foundation Establishment stage, even if lacking brilliance, would cost at least ten thousand spirit stones. I need one matched to my attributes and of decent quality—at the very least, I should prepare thirty thousand spirit stones."

Shen Lian never expected to achieve everything in one step—to directly acquire a method for Golden Core or Nascent Soul. Not only was it uncertain whether such arts could be bought, he simply couldn’t afford them. Only when his strength grew could he seek higher-level cultivation techniques.

He was not greedy for immortal arts or divine abilities—what mattered now was securing a method that could take him directly to Foundation Establishment, one fitting his own cultivation path.

There were risks with Foundation Establishment itself; if the method was ill-suited, misfortune would surely follow.

Foundation Establishment was the first threshold for cultivators. The Jade Water Sect boasted thousands of disciples; among them, more than five hundred had reached Foundation Establishment.

It must be remembered that the sect recruited from the Kingdom of Chu’s billions, selecting only the finest—the lowest requirement being a mid-grade spiritual root.

Such selectivity explained the number of Foundation Establishment cultivators.

In contrast, rogue cultivators—nine out of ten possessed only low-grade spiritual roots. Among ten thousand, perhaps not one would achieve Foundation Establishment.

"If I can’t find a method encompassing all five elements, I should at least secure a fire-attribute method."

"In the future, I must increase my success rate in crafting high-grade talismans—each time, produce a few more high-grade Miasma Dispelling Talismans."

Thinking of the spirit stones needed for cultivation arts, Shen Lian realized it was time to display more of his skills.

In two years, he had risen from a low-grade to a high-grade talisman master. Only Weng Xia knew of this, for Shen Lian deliberately understated his abilities, claiming merely a fifty percent success rate—barely enough to earn a meal.

The cost to craft a high-grade Miasma Dispelling Talisman was twelve spirit stones; it sold for thirty.

With a forty percent success rate, one wouldn’t lose money.

But Shen Lian’s success rate was one hundred percent.

Each talisman netted him eighteen spirit stones. To amass thirty thousand, he needed to craft one thousand six hundred seventy Miasma Dispelling Talismans.

With his current sixth-layer Qi Condensation cultivation, he could make about six high-grade talismans per day.

Hmm… a year would suffice.

He truly envied those sword-wielding comrades—their earnings were swift.

The only downside was that, on the King of Hell’s red ledger, one’s name would blink incessantly.

He pushed aside the materials on the talisman desk and brought out the poisons he’d collected.

Since acquiring the Hundred Poisons Manual, he had consciously gathered various toxins, and, following its methods, attempted to concoct several poisons.

The final poison detailed in the manual required the venom and miasma of at least a hundred toxic insects, blended together.

It was called Spirit of Hundred Poisons—capable of gravely injuring or even killing a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

His collection of poisons was intended precisely for refining the Spirit of Hundred Poisons.

He wondered who had authored this manual; their insights into the art of poison were profound.

What Shen Lian admired most was that every poison recorded was followed by its corresponding antidote.

He inspected the newly acquired toxins; two needed preliminary tanning.

Shen Lian patted the storage pouch at his left waist, and streams of light flew out.

Most eye-catching was a small bronze cauldron, about a foot tall.

It was a mid-tier, first-grade magical artifact, which he now used as a vessel for brewing poisons.

Beside the cauldron, countless bottles and jars were arranged—products of two years’ careful refining.

All his poisons combined: high-grade, first-tier included Blood Venom Spider, Corpse Rot Water, and Yin Burial Flower—three in total.

Thirteen were mid-tier, first-grade; thirty-one were low-tier, first-grade. Including the miscellaneous, unranked poisons acquired today, the collection numbered sixty-nine.

Yunmeng Market never lacked poisonous herbs or insects—otherwise, such abundance would be impossible.

He first refined and stored the six new poisons, then brought out the newly acquired magical artifact, the Scarlet Sun Crossbow.

After toying with it for a while, he considered the arrows.

Physical attack alone was too limited.

Why not... add a little magic?

No sooner thought than done, Shen Lian blended various newly made poisons in precise proportions.

Behind the bronze cauldron, a miserable green light rose, casting an emerald glow over his head.

He took his battered flying sword and stirred the contents. Beneath the cauldron, spirit stones served as fuel, igniting spiritual flames.

Gurgle, gurgle—

The green poison began to bubble, shimmering with iridescent hues.

Shen Lian then placed the ten Scarlet Sun arrows, tips down, into the cauldron.

This poison was called Seven-Colored Corrosive Spirit Miasma.

It could turn a late-stage Qi Condensation cultivator into a mass of filthy blood, and even bestow a rainbow-hued skin.

The spiritual fire beneath the cauldron burned for a day and night, until the poison was reduced to a thin layer coating the inner walls.

Donning gloves stitched from demonic beast hide, Shen Lian kneaded the dried poison into pellets.

He obtained three poisonous pills.

These could be shattered with spiritual power, transforming into a poisonous mist that spread over a ten-zhang radius. Anyone inhaling it would see their great-grandmother beckoning them onward.

During the poison brewing, Shen Lian remained industrious.

At the side of his talisman desk, he continued to draw talismans, accumulating spirit stones for purchasing cultivation arts.

As for talismans for self-defense, he had steadily updated his arsenal over the past two years.

With several kills under his belt, he’d already innovated and developed new talisman arrays.

[Calm and tranquil, enlightenment point +1]

...

[Calm and tranquil, enlightenment point +3]

At dawn, seated cross-legged in cultivation, Shen Lian opened his eyes and went first to the talisman room to check the poisons.

After eating spirit rice, he resumed drawing talismans.

Such peaceful days had lasted two years; enlightenment points accrued, and occasionally a divine insight appeared, all of which Shen Lian savored.

At present, he intended to continue investing enlightenment points in the Dao of Talismans, hoping to advance to second-tier, low-grade.

Then he could attempt crafting second-tier, low-grade talismans.

With second-tier talismans, he’d have more means to confront Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Though reaching second-tier, low-grade talismans required ten thousand enlightenment points, compared to breaking through Foundation Establishment, daily meditation and focus was much simpler.

Beyond talisman study, Shen Lian considered delving into the art of puppetry.

This would be perfect for handling lethal moves, collecting spoils, or burning a dragon—let the puppet do the work.

But the puppetry path was truly vexing.

A low-tier, first-grade puppet was utterly useless.

A mid-tier, first-grade puppet, without the control of divine sense, was like an idiot.

Only a high-grade, first-tier puppet could begin to escape idiocy.

Shen Lian had yet to manifest divine sense; to become a high-grade, first-tier puppet master required at least three thousand enlightenment points. Thus, he focused instead on fire arts and poison refining.

No matter how he calculated, the enlightenment points were insufficient.

...

In the blink of an eye, after nearly twenty days of industrious work at home, Shen Lian had crafted thirty high-grade Miasma Dispelling Talismans and two hundred mid-grade ones.

His talisman-making materials were nearly depleted; he left home to exchange them for spirit stones.

Gathering Treasure Pavilion.

"Brother, you’ve finally returned safe and sound—I was worried sick!"

Weng Xia, seeing Shen Lian enter, was momentarily stunned, then hurried over.

"What’s happened?" Shen Lian asked.

Seeing Shen Lian’s clueless demeanor, Weng Xia quickly caught on.

"You didn’t attend the Miasma Cloud Mountain auction?"

"No," Shen Lian nodded. "I meant to go, but suddenly had an insight into the Dao of Talismans. By the time I came to, it was too late."

"You truly have Heaven’s luck, brother—good thing you missed it..."

Weng Xia drew Shen Lian to his small counter, leaning in to whisper.

"Brother, a mysterious cultivator appeared at the auction and killed two Foundation Establishment experts. As for Qi Condensation cultivators, who knows how many perished."

"I only just got the news myself. I sent you a message, but there was no reply. If I didn’t see you in a few days, I was going to visit your home."

Shen Lian took out the messaging talisman from his storage pouch.

"Sorry, brother—I didn’t notice."

This was a mid-tier, first-grade talisman, allowing communication between parties not far apart.

After two years of acquaintance, Shen Lian and Weng Xia had progressed from casual friends to exchanging messaging talismans.

These talismans solved communication among cultivators, but had their drawbacks: if placed in a storage pouch, they might not respond, and various other interferences occurred—they were not as convenient as messaging jades.

"So many dead?"

Shen Lian sighed inwardly.

Thank goodness he hadn’t gone.

Even Foundation Establishment cultivators died.

If a mere sixth-layer Qi Condensation cultivator like him had attended, he would have been easy prey.

Whoever that fierce fellow was—what an extraordinary cultivator.