Living steadily in the world of gods and mystery

The auction promptly continued.

But it grew somewhat lackluster.

Affected by the recent incident, even those interested could not help but be cautious, hesitating to make a bid.

Chen Li couldn’t help his heart pounding.

Fortunately, there were still those who feared not the Hongshan Sect or who were confident they would not be implicated. After a long while, someone finally called out a bid:

"Thirty-one!"

"Thirty-one top-grade Spirit Stones, any higher offers?" the auctioneer shouted loudly.

Another spell of dead silence followed.

"Thirty-one once..."

"Thirty-five!"

...

The bidding voices were few and far between.

Though not fervent, the price steadily rose.

A second-order top-grade Magic Artifact, there would only be one or two in a major auction like this, almost always the finale item. For many who had traveled far to attend the auction, this was their target.

The price continued to be called until it reached forty-five, and then no further bids came.

Next, the transactions with the auction house went quite smoothly for Chen Li, without any hitches.

After all, conducting business, at least the reputation on the surface, was basically guaranteed.

From the auctioning of the two Flying Swords, Chen Li earned fifty-seven top-grade Spirit Stones. After deducting a ten percent commission, he was left with fifty-one point three. After accounting for the array he bought, a second-order mid-grade Flying Sword, a set of second-order mid-grade robes, he had to add another seven point seven top-grade Spirit Stones.

Once the transaction was complete, Chen Li stored his items in his storage bag and didn’t dare delay. Employing the Fortune Seeking and Disaster Avoiding Skill, he quickly departed through a secret passage in the private room.

Upon exiting, he keenly sensed watchful eyes on him.

From which faction, he wondered?

But it was likely from the Hongshan Sect.

Chen Li swiftly merged into the crowd on the streets, meandering aimlessly and winding through alleys. After several changes of appearance and attire, and feeling certain that he was no longer followed, his tense nerves finally relaxed slightly.

"This time, I really acted without sufficient caution. I was too hasty in selling the stolen goods, and too careless," he reflected.

He hadn’t considered everything thoroughly before acting impulsively.

Now that he temporarily had no shortage of Spirit Stones, it would have been better to hold onto those two Flying Swords, wait a few years for things to cool down, or until he grew stronger before dealing with them.

Although this trip was largely successful, it still relied somewhat on luck and the reputation of the auction house.

If the auction house had compromised with the Hongshan Sect...

He would not only have lost wealth.

He might have even lost his life.

"Alas, after Foundation Establishment, even though I haven’t realized it, I have become less cautious than before," Chen Li sighed inwardly: "To the point that I almost stepped into danger this time."

"In this world, if you want to live long, you must be cautious, and not reckless!" Chen Li reflected.

He left the city, not daring to fly.

Trudging along the main road with other Loose Cultivators and then turning onto a secluded path, he entered a range of mountains. There, he carved out a cave on a cliffside to hide his tracks, planning to stay for a few days to see how things would turn out before returning.

...

In the narrow cave,

Chen Li organized the items he had purchased.

The second-order mid-grade Flying Sword, Silver Frost Sword: A silver-white sword, shaped like a flying shuttle. Once refined, when wielded, it streaks like a silver light. Though its power and speed fell short of the Flying Rainbow Sword he had just sold, its consumption of energy was much less.

He was not particularly interested in magical instruments.

Buying a Flying Sword was merely a backup measure.

Truth be told, for him, there was little difference between top-grade and mid-grade.

Don’t be fooled by Ke Xian’s impressive use of the Flying Rainbow Sword, as lightning-fast as light, which could sever anything in its path, effortlessly piercing through even a max level Golden Light Body Protection Skill, just as if bursting a soap bubble.

But in Chen Li’s hands, it was a different story.

The disparity in their cultivations was stark.

Ke Xian was a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, possibly at the fifth or sixth level, while Chen Li was merely at the second level of Foundation Establishment. A top-grade Flying Sword in his hands would at most unleash thirty percent of its potential, contributing almost nothing to his overall strength.

The second-order mid-grade robe, Water Moon Robe: Lake-blue in color, when attacked, it can passively trigger a Water Element Shield.

The Water Element Shield was equivalent to a second-order fourth-grade spell skill.

In an attack, this passive spell was like having an extra life, so no matter the cost, it was a must-buy.

The second-order low-grade Yin Yang Five Elements Gathering Spirit Array: Notable for its defense, it also had abilities of gathering spirit, concealment, silence, and warding off evil. Everything could be packed into a three-room storage bag. It could be set up at the sect gate or carried with oneself when out. Having such an array meant one could even sleep soundly at night. It was quite practical.

All three items together

cost him fifty-nine top-grade Spirit Stones.

"Alas, spending money is like water flowing, and now I’m left with only twenty-nine top-grade Spirit Stones," he lamented.

This amount wasn’t much, but it wasn’t little either. Coupled with his income from crafting talismans, it would suffice for everyday expenses for a few years.

However, considering the future need to purchase a second-order top-grade magic sword, this posed a problem. Top-grade magic swords were much cheaper than top-grade Flying Swords, but he estimated that he would still need at least ten to twenty top-grade Spirit Stones.

He would have to find a solution when the time came.

Perhaps selling some items would be necessary.

"Wait a minute!" An idea suddenly struck Chen Li:

"The auction house might still disclose information to the Hongshan Sect behind closed doors. I must guard against this. These few items cannot be exposed for the time being." Chen Li sighed deeply, feeling helpless.

And he regretted his purchases.

"What a hassle!"

"Why is it so hard to lead a peaceful life!"

"Luckily, staying within the sect gates, there should be no dangers!"

Chen Li thought chaotically for a while, his face etched with vexation, but he regretted that thinking more at this point was futile. With nothing else to do, he took out an array of Formation tools and a jade slip detailing the "Yin Yang Five Elements Gathering Spirit Array" from his storage bag, and began to carefully study how to set up the Formation.

...

In the days that followed,

Chen Li honestly holed up in a cave and started living the daily life of a wild man, exposed to the elements.

During this time, he saw Foundation Establishment cultivators flying overhead from a distance, not knowing if they were searching for him.

He stayed in the forest for five consecutive days.

Feeling that the heat had probably died down, on the sixth night, he finally set off and returned home under the cover of darkness.

Fortunately, the journey was safe.

No accidents occurred during the trip.

When Chen Li saw the distant Luanluo Mountain bathed in the morning sun, shrouded in clouds and mist, a sense of safety welled up from the bottom of his heart, and the exhaustion from his overnight travel evaporated.

It’s always good to be home, while being outside invites trouble.

It’s indeed safer to stay within the sect!

"Master, you’re back?" Just as Chen Li entered his cave dwelling, Bai Wei came up to greet him with joy.

"Oh, it’s little Bai Wei. How’s everything at home while I’ve been away?"

"Master, the first lady and second lady are both well, and the second lady has even broken through to the seventh level of Qi Cultivation," Bai Wei reported with a delighted smile.

"Great, great, great!" Chen Li was filled with joy: "There will be rewards for everyone in time."

Zhang Shuniang was only twenty-four years old.

A twenty-four-year-old at the seventh level of Qi Cultivation still had hopes for Foundation Establishment.

Of course, it was just hope; whether one could achieve Foundation Establishment also depended on personal fate and law.

"Husband." Zhang Shuniang had heard the movement early on and, having not seen her husband for many days, had red eyes and flung herself at him like a bird returning to the woods.

Chen Li wrapped his arms around her, but noticed she had become noticeably thinner. Smiling, he wiped away the tears on Shu’s face and comforted her, "Don’t cry, don’t cry! Haven’t I come back?"

Before long, Zhou Hong also ran out.

Zhang Shuniang, feeling embarrassed, quickly wriggled out of the embrace, leaving the space for the couple.

The three of them returned to the inner room and shared their feelings of longing.

"What happened this time that you were gone for so long? Did something happen?" Zhou Hong asked softly and caringly.

"Nothing like that, just waiting for the auction to end. And since I didn’t want to run back and forth, I stayed there a few more days," Chen Li didn’t dare tell the truth. There were some things that even the person you shared a pillow with couldn’t know, not because they couldn’t be trusted, but because speaking of it would not help matters and would only add to their worries and pressure.

"But did you manage to buy what you were after?"

"It went fairly well, and I’ve brought back some gifts for you. See if you like them?" Chen Li took out two exquisitely crafted hairpins from his storage bag.

Both were First Order top-grade Magic Artifacts.

For him, now, a First Order item, even if it was a top-grade artifact, was just a small expense, costing only forty-two Mid-grade Spirit Stones in total.

"Really, you shouldn’t spend so recklessly. Shuniang and I already have plenty, and now with such large expenses, we should save more in our daily life," Zhou Hong scolded gently. Though she said this, she felt very sweet inside, as if she had drunk honey.

That night, Chen Li enjoyed the blessings of a harmonious household to the fullest.

The bed sheets were all wet.

...

It was still dark when Chen Li resolutely got up from the bed of tenderness and got dressed in his robe.

Ever since his Foundation Establishment, his need for sleep had diminished greatly, and he normally replaced it with meditation and Qi Cultivation in bed, only sleeping naturally every few days, but it never exceeded four hours.

The maid living in the outer compartment was stirred and hastily dressed, her eyes still drowsy, preparing to come over and attend to him:

"Master!"

Chen Li waved his hand to let her continue sleeping and walked into the Talisman Room alone.

As usual, he would first finish drawing seventeen Golden Light Body Protection Talismans, store them away, and then continue his research on Communication Talismans.

In the Returning True Sect, only two types of Second Order first-grade talismans existed: Communication Talismans and Spirit Sword Talismans.

Spirit Sword Talisman: Launch a sword-shaped Spell attack.

The power was estimated to be only about the level of a First Order Ninth Grade spell, with the only advantage being its quick casting.

But then again.

A Talisman, no matter how fast, is not as fast as a Magic Artifact.

And if you really get down to it, a cultivator at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment using a low-grade Magical Instrument would not be much weaker than a First Order Ninth Grade spell in terms of power.

What’s even more crucial is that the Spiritual Power of the Qi Cultivation Stage couldn’t activate it.

That completely kills the market for it.

Pretty much useless.

Among the Second Order first-grade Talismans, the only one that could interest Chen Li was the Communication Talisman.

They were for sale in the sect’s artifact and talisman shop, and the price for each was one Mid-grade Spirit Stone.

As for the sales volume, well!

Just think how many Foundation Establishment cultivators there are in the Returning True realm, and you can imagine how miserable the sales volume is.

This was also why Chen Li had been reluctant to study Second Order talismans—the sales were just too low. Selling ten a month would already be very good, nowhere near as profitable as drawing Golden Light Body Protection Talismans.

The reason ’portion’ is used here instead of ’sheet’ is because the Communication Talisman is a bit odd and unlike any Talisman Chen Li had drawn before.

It is divided into a male and female pair.

When drawing, the two pieces of talisman paper must be placed side by side, touching each other, and the male and female Talismans must be completed in one go. During this, Spiritual Power must not be interrupted; it’s akin to drawing two Talismans with one stroke, and if one fails, both are discarded.

The difficulty of drawing them is extremely high.

Chen Li had been studying intermittently for over a month and had yet to figure out any clues.

Fortunately, he was not in a hurry, taking his time.

His study of this Talisman was purely out of interest.