Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension

"How many Essence Blood Talismans can I exchange for this Fire Cloud Skill?"

Mei San carefully observed Zhao Sheng's facial expression.

Zhao Sheng shook his head and pushed the Jade Scroll back. "You better come up with another request, or I don't want this Jade Scroll."

Mei San's expression stiffened, then he hesitantly began to ponder.

A moment later, Mei San quietly left through the back door of the Golden Talisman Pavilion.

In the room, Zhao Sheng put away the Cultivation Technique Jade Scroll, just as there was a knock at the door.

"Come in!"

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"Senior Zhao, I have a family secret recipe..."

...

Three days later, at a Foundation Establishment exchange meeting, Zhao Sheng looked at the red-haired Foundation Establishment Practitioner opposite him with a smile and asked, "Mr. Zhu, I acquired a Fire Element Cultivation Method a few days ago; would you be interested in taking a look?"

"Oh, what Cultivation Technique?" Zhu Xingyun specialized in Fire Techniques and was extremely keen on any Cultivation Techniques of the same kind.

Zhao Sheng took out the Fire Cloud Skill Jade Scroll and handed it over to Zhu Xingyun.

After a short while, Zhu Xingyun put down the Jade Scroll, his expression very satisfied, and he exclaimed, "Fire Cloud Skill, refining fire into clouds! The mind of the person who created this method is really unique. Tsk tsk, very interesting!"

"Mr. Zhu, are you interested in taking it? I've heard you have a Sacrificial Fire Technique."

No sooner had Zhao Sheng finished speaking than Zhu Xingyun laughed heartily. "Taoist Zhao, you're too cunning! You actually want to exchange an ordinary Cultivation Technique for Zhu's unique supreme skill."

Seeing that the other party didn't outright refuse, Zhao Sheng was overjoyed and quickly said, "As long as Mr. Zhu is willing to part with it, you can name your price. If the Fire Cloud Skill isn't enough, I also know a few methods for refining Second Order Fire Element True Talismans."

A moment later, the two had successfully traded and left very satisfied with each other.

After completing a deal, Zhao Sheng looked around and set his sights on another Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

"Taoist Zheng, it's a pleasure. I acquired another method a few days ago..."

An hour later, the exchange meeting ended, and Zhao Sheng returned home with a full load.

And so, Zhao Sheng cultivated at a leisurely pace while busily engaged in business, selling items from one hand to the other.

He wasn't in it for the Spirit Stones; he was accumulating a foundation.

In the meantime, he'd been taken advantage of quite a few times and lost some capital, but Zhao Sheng was always enthusiastic and never tired of the hustle.

Two years swiftly passed,

business at Golden Talisman Pavilion continued to be booming, and Zhao Sheng's own dealings were also thriving.

All this was thanks to the "naive and wealthy" persona he had established early on.

Now, more and more Cultivators sought him out for transactions.

Naturally, this also attracted more con artists.

So much so that over the years, Zhao Sheng was forced to develop a pair of "Fire Eyes" that could discern truth from deceit.

One day, Zhao Sheng acquired from a Loose Cultivator a refining method for an obscure magic artifact, the Seven-orifice Soul Sealing Nails.

The Seven-orifice Soul Sealing Nails were a type of Corpse Dao Magical Artifact with very specific uses, not easy to trade in Pocket World City.

Wanting to sell them off quickly, Zhao Sheng used an Illusion True Talisman on himself, transforming into a dark-faced Great Han, and entered a shop that sold magic robes.

Upon entering and seeing the attendant, Zhao Sheng directly asked, "I want to buy a three foot three inch black robe; do you have any for sale in your shop?"

The attendant's eyes lit up, and he quickly bowed. "Senior, I'm very sorry! Our shop only has Eight-direction Guest Robes left, ten Spirit Stones each."

"I'll take one," Zhao Sheng replied briskly.

"Senior, please follow me!" the attendant said joyfully as he gestured with an outstretched arm.

Moments later, Zhao Sheng, clad in a hooded black robe, walked alone through a tunnel about three feet wide and two people tall.

He could distinctly feel the tunnel sloped downward.

After going about three or four miles, Zhao Sheng passed through the exit, and the world suddenly opened up before him.

Before him lay an enormous cavern with a ceiling nearly a hundred feet high, and at the very top floated a fireball, three feet in diameter, radiating endless light and heat, resembling a "miniature Sun".

This "miniature Sun" was the most famous landmark of the Grotto Heaven City black market.

It was a rare instance of Golden Crow True Flame, now being used by some powerful being for illumination.

The deterrent effect was self-evident!

The layout of the underground black market was almost identical to that of Pocket World City, and the architectural style was largely the same.

Walking on the streets, if it wasn't for the fact that everyone was shrouded in a black robe, some might think they were still in Pocket World City.

Zhao Sheng was very familiar with the black market, heading straight for his destination without hesitation after entering.

After walking along Corpse God Street for a while, Zhao Sheng flashed into a shop with "Charity Estate" written on its sign.

Upon entering, he saw rows of coffins placed on the floor of the shop.

The coffins came in a variety of styles, their surfaces etched with countless mysterious symbols—there were Black Coffins, copper coffins, golden coffins, and even two Jade Coffins carved from Spirit Stones at the deepest part of the store.

Ding-a-ling-a-ling!

At that moment, the bronze bell hanging at the shop's entrance suddenly began to shake, and then a crippled elder hobbled out from the back of the shop.

"Mr. Lin, it's me," Zhao Sheng said as he moved a few steps closer.

Upon hearing Zhao Sheng's voice, the crippled elder's expression darkened immediately, and he said impatiently, "Oh, it's you! What kind of junk did you bring to fool me with this time?"

"I made a mistake last time, but this time I assure you it's no fake!"

As he spoke, Zhao Sheng took out a Skin Scroll and tossed it with his right hand.

The Skin Scroll slowly flew towards the man, who snatched it out of the air.

Upon opening it, the crippled elder's eyes suddenly widened, an excited expression spreading across his face.

Seven-orifice Soul Sealing Nails, a Corpse Dao Magical Artifact designed to seal souls and pacify corpses, commonly used to seal unruly living corpses.

"Good stuff! I'll take it. What do you want to exchange it for?"

Zhao Sheng smiled slightly and said, "Mr. Lin, you should already know what I want."

The crippled elder's face changed, and he immediately refused, "No! The Corpse Control Technique is a secret of our sect, and it cannot be imparted to outsiders."

"What if I add this incomplete volume of the Zombification Technique?" Zhao Sheng produced another booklet, waving it in front of him.

As it so happens, he had acquired the incomplete volume of the Zombification Technique many years ago from someone belonging to the Wushan Three Immortals, and it hadn't been of much use until now.

Now, using it to exchange for the Corpse Control Technique was, in a way, making the best of waste.

No sooner had Zhao Sheng mentioned the Zombification Technique than the crippled elder's face went through a dramatic change, and an amazing aura suddenly burst forth from him.

Late-stage Foundation Establishment!

Zhao Sheng's heart went cold; he hadn't expected this crippled old man to be a Late-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

He realized he had made a misstep—the Zombification Technique was far more valuable than he had imagined.

At that moment, the coffins in the shop began to shake violently, with a grating scraping noise coming from inside them.

Ding-a-ling-a-ling!

The bronze bell at the entrance swung as if by an invisible wind.

The crippled elder suppressed his excitement and waved his hand, sending streaks of black light into the coffins.

Soon, all the coffins fell silent again.

"Hand it over!" the crippled elder said with a grave expression.

Zhao Sheng stepped back several paces to the doorway, his tone cautious, "Mr. Lin, keeping this technique does me no good. But a mere Corpse Control Technique isn't worth an exchange for the Zombification Technique."

"It's only an incomplete volume—not as important as you think," the crippled elder said with a cold sneer.

"In that case, we'll meet again some other time!"

With that, Zhao Sheng didn't even ask for the Skin Scroll back; he simply turned and walked away.

"Wait!"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Just as he expected, as soon as he stepped through the doorway, Zhao Sheng was called back.

"Mr. Lin, is there anything else?"

Seeing the other party's smug expression, the crippled elder felt extremely frustrated, wishing he could turn him into a living corpse.

"I'll add a copper-armored corpse with combat prowess not inferior to a Foundation Establishment Body Cultivator," he offered.

Zhao Sheng shook his head and said very seriously, "I have no interest in a copper-armored corpse, but I have heard that your sect possesses a unique Resurrection Skill."

"Hmph, you really dare to ask for the moon," the crippled elder huffed.