"Lin Dong, Lin Hong said you're at the Seventh Stage of Body Tempering. Is that true?"
Watching Lin Hong and the other man leave, Lin Xia turned to Lin Dong, who remained behind.
"Sister Lin Xia, don't mind that fool Lin Hong's nonsense. I'm not at the Seventh Stage of Body Tempering."
Lin Dong smiled faintly, and after speaking, took Qing Tan's small hand and left.
"Phew~ I knew it. I'm only at the Sixth Stage of Body Tempering myself, and Lin Dong, how long have you even been cultivating? There's no way your cultivation could be higher than mine."
Having received Lin Dong's confirmation, Lin Xia secretly let out a breath of relief, then casually pulled over a member of the Lin Clan. "Tell me the whole story of what happened today. I want to know the details..."
On the way home.
"Older Brother Lin Dong, you're not angry with me for stirring up trouble, are you?"
Qing Tan glanced at Lin Dong, who walked ahead of her. She both loved and feared her Older Brother.
"Why would I be? The more trouble like this we cause, the more others will learn that our family isn't easy to bully."
Lin Dong comforted her gently, then said, "Alright, head back first. I need to go out and take care of something important."
After parting with Qing Tan, Lin Dong headed straight for the Trade Market in northern Qingyang Town. He was determined to obtain the Seal-Condensing Method for the Ancient Vortex Talisman Seal.
His Spiritual Power cultivation had also reached a bottleneck. Unless he opened an aperture in his Niwan Palace and condensed a Natal Talisman Seal, his Spiritual Power cultivation would stagnate.
Lin Dong reached the Trade Market and kept moving. He turned down several familiar streets before entering a hidden underground trading post.
It was an underground trading post. Many of its goods could not be openly displayed, but that was also why its wares tended to be of higher quality. People with connections or expertise often came here to browse.
Most people wore Cloaks or other coverings to hide their identities before entering. As a Peak Heavenly Yuan Realm expert, Lin Dong had the nerve to walk in openly without even a mask.
"Nope, nope, nope..."
Walking through the somewhat dim corridor, Lin Dong's gaze swept over each stall like a cursory glance in passing.
In truth, Lin Dong's Spiritual Power had been extended outward the entire time.
Any item containing the Seal-Condensing Method would trigger his Spiritual Power, so he did not need to inspect every stall closely. His Spiritual Power would sift out anything unusual like a radar.
"Nope, huh, there it is!"
As Lin Dong passed another stall, a piece of Moss-Covered Ancient Wood made the Spiritual Power in his Niwan Palace pulse.
Lin Dong examined the Moss-Covered Ancient Wood. It was the piece containing the Ancient Vortex Talisman Seal's Seal-Condensing Method. His expression brightened, but he suppressed his emotions, crouched down, and picked up a green root that looked like a piece of dead wood.
The Azure Wood Spirit Stem was a fourth-grade Spirit Medicine. It had little effect on a Heavenly Yuan Stage Expert like Lin Dong, but it would benefit Qing Tan, who was in the Earthly Yuan Realm. More importantly, it would conceal his true objective.
"Fourth-grade Spirit Medicine, Azure Wood Spirit Stem — one hundred Yuan Yang Stones."
Lin Dong had only picked up the Azure Wood Spirit Stem when the black-cloaked stall owner spoke.
"One hundred Yuan Yang Stones? A bit pricey. What about this one, then?"
Lin Dong muttered without revealing any reaction, then picked up the Moss-Covered Ancient Wood as if on a whim.
"Mystery item — fifty Yang Yuan Stones."
After a brief silence, the stall owner spoke again.
"Fine, I'll take both."
Lin Dong decided at once. He took fifteen Yang Yuan Pills from the Qiankun Bag at his side, seized the Azure Wood Spirit Stem and Moss-Covered Ancient Wood, and turned to leave. His movements were smooth, decisive, and exceptionally quick.
Lin Dong had bought the low-grade Qiankun Bag with Yang Yuan Stones earned by secretly selling diluted Ancestral Stone Spirit Liquid during a trip to Flame City.
Yes, Yang Yuan Stones. Lin Dong specifically requested Yang Yuan Stones, not Yang Yuan Pills.
Yang Yuan Pills were medicinal pills refined from Yang Yuan Stones. Each contained a faint trace of Yang Astral Qi and could be used for cultivation or as currency.
However, this refining method was generally monopolized by major powers, and the extraction ratio between Yang Yuan Stones and Yang Yuan Pills was typically ten to one.
Yet Lin Dong could use the Ancestral Stone to refine Yang Yuan Pills from Yang Yuan Stones at a three-to-one ratio. If he accepted Yang Yuan Stones of equal value and refined them himself, he could more than triple their value at once.
That was why, whenever Lin Dong went to Flame City to sell Ancestral Stone Spirit Liquid, he insisted on receiving Yang Yuan Stones rather than Yang Yuan Pills. Shop clerks found the request strange, but they were happy to accommodate him.
All the Yang Yuan Pills Lin Dong used now were refined from Yang Yuan Stones with the Ancestral Stone. Think about it: Yang Yuan Stones came in, while Yang Yuan Pills went out. The price difference—and the profit it created—was enormous...
Ahem. It was all business. All business.
"......"
The stall owner watched Lin Dong disappear, then looked down at the fifteen Yang Yuan Stones in his hand. His mouth twitched for a moment, but he said nothing.
He did not know what the Moss-Covered Ancient Wood actually was. Since it bore the Runes unique to Talisman Masters, he assumed it was related to them.
Anything related to Talisman Masters had to be valuable, so he had priced it at fifty Yuan Yang Stones. He hoped to take advantage of a few clueless rich kids.
But who could have guessed that the moment that young man asked the price, he'd immediately handed over payment and taken the goods, not even giving him a chance to reconsider — as if he'd landed a big fish without even trying.
"Damn it, I think I've taken a huge loss..."
Only after a long while did the stall owner mutter under his breath. Reluctantly, he put the fifteen Yang Yuan Pills into his Qiankun Bag.
After buying the Azure Wood Spirit Stem and Moss-Covered Ancient Wood, Lin Dong headed straight for the Lin Family estate. He returned to his room, shut the door, suppressed his excitement, and took the Moss-Covered Ancient Wood from his Qiankun Bag.
"The Seal-Condensing Method... I finally have it."
Lin Dong studied the piece of moss-covered ancient wood in his hands, his heart flooded with emotion.
Only by cultivating the Seal-Condensing Method could one open an aperture in the Niwan Palace and condense a Natal Talisman Seal, thereby entering the realm of a One-Seal Talisman Master. Only then had one truly entered the cultivation system of Talisman Masters.
At that point, not only would a Talisman Master's own command and mastery over their Spiritual Power reach an entirely new level, but they would also be able to imbue various items with Runes — particularly enhancing the attack power of weapons — with applications spanning an extremely broad range.
The Natal Talisman Seal produced by the Seal-Condensing Method hidden in this Moss-Covered Ancient Wood belonged to the Natal Spirit Talisman tier.
Generally speaking, Natal Talisman Seals within the world of Talisman Masters were divided into three tiers: Natal Talisman Seal, Natal Spirit Talisman, and Natal Heavenly Talisman.