Cultivation begins with ice harvesters

Chapter 16: The Firebird

With the help of these two bottles of Qi Refining Powder, and following the standard of refining one every two days, he is fairly confident that he can at least reach the peak of the third level of Qi Refining. If he is lucky, he is even 20-30% confident of advancing to the fourth level of Qi Refining.

The transaction of eight spirit stones and two bottles of Qi Refining Powder was successfully completed. Tong Bingfeng had no lingering feelings and turned to leave, blending into the crowd of cultivators coming and going, just like a drop of water merging into a river, without causing the slightest ripple.

"Storage bags are a basic requirement that every cultivator should have, and the supply is quite plentiful in both the marketplace and the black market."

"Compared to price, there's no doubt that the black market is cheaper, but its origin is unclear. If it was obtained by robbing someone else, wouldn't that be trying to gain a small advantage but suffering a big loss?"

After browsing through several stalls, Tong Bingfeng couldn't help but feel uneasy as he looked at the items, which were clearly not new, and some even had clear bloodstains on them.

A rogue cultivator at the third level of Qi Refining, with no one to rely on and limited knowledge, would truly be caught in the crossfire if he were to inexplicably bring disaster upon himself because of some unclear mark on his storage bag.

There were still nine spirit stones left in his robes, enough to buy a brand new storage bag with a clear provenance even in the Ice Sea Market.

"Murder and arson bring wealth, and hunting demonic beasts is the only way to quickly earn spirit stones. Since it's impossible to gather enough spirit stones to buy a low-grade first-tier water-attribute magic weapon in a short time, it's better to prepare all the spirit talismans needed for battle."

Between two evils, choose the lesser. After comparing the two, the need for talismans is the most urgent and indispensable. Moreover, talismans from the black market can be used without leaving any trace, so there is no need to worry about attracting disaster due to unclear origins.

After a series of monster hunts, he has a clear understanding of his own combat deficiencies. If he doesn't have enough magical artifacts, he'll make up for it with talismans.

At this stage, we can only prepare by gathering as many talismans as possible to make up for our shortcomings.

Tong Bingfeng's most refined skill is undoubtedly the first-tier mid-grade ice needle talisman, which is the mainstay in almost every battle.

Ranking second is the mid-grade first-tier Fire Serpent Talisman. Utilizing the inherent incompatibility of water and fire attributes, although it cannot unleash the full power of the talisman, it is still not to be underestimated.

Although there is still some surplus of these two types of conventional talismans, they still need to be replenished. Nine spirit stones may seem like a lot, but they are still not enough to meet the needs.

"May I ask, fellow Daoist, is this Firebird Talisman capable of taking human form in the icy northern frontier and possessing the strength to fight against a mid-to-low-grade first-tier water-attribute demonic beast?"

Tong Bingfeng inquired, noting that the stall was located almost in the center of the Ice Heart Lake Black Market, attracting many cultivators and resulting in a high number of transactions.

The stall, which was about ten feet in diameter, displayed more than fifteen different types of spirit talismans, ranging from low-grade to high-grade first rank.

"The Firebird Talisman is a top-tier mid-grade talisman. Although it suffers natural suppression in the icy northern frontier, its power still far surpasses that of other fire-attribute talismans of the same level. It can suppress mid-to-low-grade water-attribute monsters in direct combat. It is priced at two spirit stones per talisman."

The stall owner was a genuine late-stage Qi Refining cultivator, and he was extremely knowledgeable about the attributes and effects of spirit talismans.

Furthermore, there were finished products such as talisman paper and talisman ink for sale next to him, so he was most likely a highly skilled talisman maker.

How much do Ice Needle Talismans and Fire Serpent Talismans cost?

Although Tong Bingfeng coveted the Firebird Talisman, he never forgot the distinction between primary and secondary talismans. Supplementing the two main talismans was the most important thing, while the Firebird Talisman was just icing on the cake.

"Ice Needle Talismans cost two spirit stones for three sheets, Fire Serpent Talismans cost two spirit stones for four sheets. The talisman patterns are clear, and the talisman paper and ink are both of superior quality. How many sheets are you planning to buy, fellow Daoist?"

The stall owner inquired quite enthusiastically, after all, setting up a stall in this black market also has fixed expenses. The closer to the core area, the higher the stall rental price. It is best to sell all the talismans on the stall as soon as possible.

"Nine Ice Needle Talismans, four Fire Serpent Talismans, and one Fire Bird Talisman, for a total of nine spirit stones, how about that?"

Tong Bingfeng offered a discount based on the stall owner's initial quote, using the remaining nine spirit stones. After all, in transactions among Qi Refining cultivators, it was common to ask for exorbitant prices and then haggle over every penny.

"Selling first-tier spirit talismans already yields meager profits, and your bargaining tactics are truly painful. How about adding fifty spirit crystals?"

After some thought, the stall owner quoted a final price, ensuring a certain profit margin. While everyone looks out for themselves, this also meant a reduction in profits.

"My strength is meager, and my purse is meager. Apart from nine spirit stones, I only have twenty spirit crystals left. If you are willing, fellow Daoist, we can make a deal. If not, I will take my leave now."

It is only polite to reciprocate. For a minor cultivator like Tong Bingfeng, every spirit crystal is worth fighting for, so he is naturally unwilling to give up easily.

"Very well, we'll operate on a low-profit, high-volume basis. Please feel free to come and trade with us again if you have any needs in the future."

After some consideration, the stall owner agreed to the deal. After all, in the Ice Heart Lake black market, which was mainly composed of Qi Refining stage cultivators, a transaction involving spirit talismans worth nearly ten spirit stones was worth making a concession on.

Fifteen minutes later, Tong Bingfeng left the area of ​​the Ice Heart Lake Black Market. Although there was still a considerable distance to go before the end of the Black Market, he showed no reluctance whatsoever.

After all, compared to the empty-handed state when they arrived, aside from the corpses of ice crabs and black tiger fish, which are not uncommon first-tier low-grade demonic beasts, this time they had a very fruitful harvest.

For Tong Bingfeng, the most important thing was the two bottles of Qi Refining Powder hidden in his robes. Regardless of their price, what mattered most was their connection to his future cultivation.

At midnight, dark clouds covered the sky, making it impossible to see one's hand in front of one's face.

Every cultivator who came and went was covered in dark robes, and under the cover of night, not a single piece of useful information was revealed.

If two cultivators walk towards each other, they will be quite tacitly vigilant and quickly create a safe distance.

"With the help of two bottles of Qi Refining Powder, I finally see hope of advancing to the fourth level of Qi Refining today."

After a safe and smooth journey back to the courtyard, Tong Bingfeng finally relaxed, and for the first time, a light truly emanated from his eyes—a light that could only be called ambition.

However, he did not immediately refine the Qi Refining Powder. After entering the room, he circulated his Great Zhou Tian to calm his turbulent mind.

There are no extra strict requirements for refining elixirs. One can refine them by using some tricks passed down by word of mouth among rogue cultivators when spiritual energy is relatively abundant. This will increase the refining rate and utilization rate of the elixirs.

Whether this little trick to improve refining efficiency has the corresponding effect is unclear, but for low-level rogue cultivators who are short of money, any way to improve efficiency is something they absolutely cannot miss.