Chapter 8

The Qingyuan Mountain Range stretches for tens of thousands of miles, with a rich concentration of spiritual energy, attracting many immortal sects to settle there.

Such a place naturally has various marketplaces, and the Qingxia Marketplace is considered one of the more unique ones.

Unlike other marketplaces, there are no strict rules here. As long as there is buying and selling, anyone can come, whether they are low-ranking disciples, wandering cultivators, or even ordinary people. The marketplace welcomes all, bustling with activity every day, very down-to-earth.

Around the Qingxia Marketplace, there are many low, scattered houses.

Among them, some are inhabited by wandering cultivators who set up stalls in the marketplace, and many others are ordinary people hoping to encounter a chance at immortality.

By building a house and paying a few spirit stones, one can receive protection from the marketplace.

One of these thatched cottages was clearly built not long ago. The thatch on the roof was still green and unevenly piled, showing a lack of skill.

But inside the thatched cottage, the scene was quite different.

At each corner, there were many small array symbols. Counting them, there were three simple arrays: soundproofing, wall protection, and spirit energy gathering. These were enough to allow the person inside to cultivate in peace without external interference, and no one outside could know what was happening inside.

Zhou Shu's expression was calm, "Yang Hei, including today, you should have unblocked two hundred and twenty meridians, right?"

Yang Hei sat on a mat, nodding seriously, "Exactly two hundred and twenty. Every day you use spirit stones to set up the spirit-gathering array, which is even better than the Cloud-Gathering Platform. With the help of the elixirs, if I don't make progress, I would be letting you down."

Zhou Shu smiled contentedly, "Two hundred and twenty is about right. Work harder in the Qi Condensation stage, and you should be able to reach two hundred and fifty meridians before the Foundation Establishment stage."

"Understood, Zhou Shu."

Yang Hei looked at Zhou Shu, his eyes filled with confusion, "By the way, I'm very curious. The improvement methods you tell me every day always hit the mark, as if you can see inside my body. How do you do it?"

"Calculated, it's a small matter," Zhou Shu lowered his head, his voice softer, "The accumulated spirit stones are almost used up, Yang Hei, it's time for you to leave."

"Ah?"

As if struck by lightning, Yang Hei's face was stunned. He immediately stood up, agitated, "What did you say, you want me to leave?"

Zhou Shu said calmly, "Yes, your current talent is almost that of a genius. You should find an immortal sect to join and advance further."

Yang Hei glared at Zhou Shu, firmly rejecting, "I won't leave!"

After escaping the pursuit, they had lived in the Qingxia Marketplace, which was ten thousand miles away from the Wuwang Sect, for two months, cultivating behind closed doors every day.

Yang Hei's meridians were continuously unblocked, while Zhou Shu made no progress, a stark contrast to the past.

Even Yang Hei could see that Zhou Shu's current talent was extremely poor, his spiritual energy so weak it was barely perceptible, almost like an ordinary person with a spiritual root, barely qualifying as a cultivator.

Zhou Shu had done his best to cultivate him, giving him almost everything. Now, he wanted him to leave, clearly not wanting to be a burden. How could he allow such a thing to happen?

He shook his head stubbornly, "This time I won't listen to you, I won't leave!"

Zhou Shu smiled calmly, "This time you have to listen to me. Your leaving will be good for both of us."

"I don't understand." Yang Hei was somewhat dazed.

"You will understand," Zhou Shu raised his head, his eyes clear as water, "There are five decent immortal sects in the Qingyuan Mountain Range. I think the Luo Wang Valley is suitable for you to train. They are currently recruiting disciples, so you should go there."

Yang Hei stood there in a daze, "Zhou Shu, do you really want me to leave?"

He had never thought that Zhou Shu not only wanted him to leave but had even planned his path for him.

"Um."

Zhou Shu nodded calmly, "If you want to earn spirit stones, it's better to join an immortal sect. Many things can only be achieved by joining a sect. If you want to help me, quickly improve your cultivation."

"What about you? Why don't you go with me?"

Zhou Shu smiled, "I've considered it. None of the sects here are suitable for me. When I find the right one, I will join. For now, I'll stay in the marketplace, it's very safe."

"But with your current cultivation, how will you protect yourself..."

Zhou Shu was unconcerned, "Trust me, it's not a problem."

Yang Hei thought for a while, his expression determined, "Alright, I'll listen to you. Wait for me, I will definitely make you better and help you cultivate again."

He was a bit slow, but not stupid.

He knew that only by entering an immortal sect could he advance faster, gain sufficient strength, and protect Zhou Shu, helping him recover his damaged meridians.

Zhou Shu nodded gently, "I'll wait."

Hearing these words, he recalled what his master had once said. Now hearing them again, he felt a warmth in his heart. But he knew that waiting was never a good idea. To recover, he had to strive for it.

He already had some plans for this.

The two looked at each other, their eyes filled with reluctance but more so with trust from the heart.

Yang Hei pushed the door open and left without looking back.

"Perhaps everything will be different when we meet again."

Zhou Shu stood quietly for a while, his expression gradually becoming calm, his gaze clear.

Over the past two months, he had already determined what he would do in the coming period.

That was to develop in the field of talismans.

Before his damaged meridians were fully recovered, his spiritual energy would inevitably be scarce, making it unsuitable for using spells, let alone alchemy or array formations. However, using talismans posed no problem.

Talismans only required a small amount of spiritual energy to activate. Moreover, there were many types of talismans, each with infinite variations and immense power. If used well, even with little spiritual energy, one could fight on par with other cultivators.

Through talismans, he could protect himself. Making talismans would also allow him to accumulate spirit stones, preparing for the future recovery of his meridians.

There were two methods of making talismans: inscribing and drawing.

Inscribing required a large amount of spiritual energy, while drawing required much less. As long as there were suitable materials and the drawer had sufficient control over spiritual energy and insight, powerful talismans could be created.

With all his meridians open, Zhou Shu's control over spiritual energy surpassed that of most cultivators. His insight was beyond question, and his calculation and deduction were sufficient. Moreover, in his previous life, he was a master of calligraphy and painting, giving him a unique advantage in drawing talismans.

He was very confident in drawing talismans.

However, in his memory, there were very few books about the art of talismans. As a sword cultivator from the Tianyun Peak, most of the books he had were about sword techniques and hunting demons. There was only one book about the art of talismans, and it only recorded the drawing methods of two talismans, with nothing else.

The path he was about to take would undoubtedly be difficult at the beginning.

Zhou Shu touched his storage bag, feeling a bit disheartened.

As a former direct disciple, his storage bag was quite impressive, a gift from his master, Liu Yuzhe, on his first day of joining the sect.

However, at this moment, the large space in the storage bag contained only a few elixirs and a small pile of spirit stones, otherwise it was empty.

"Thirteen low-grade spirit stones left. No matter what, I must succeed."

He had to rely on these spirit stones to start anew with talismans.