The Spirit Gathering Talisman was sold for 1,200 spirit stones, with only an initial payment of 600 received.
Before going to bed, Lin Shuang sent a message to the generous brother reminding him to inspect the goods.
Chapter of Trivial Matters in “The Fastest Cultivation Discussion”: Small tasks should ideally be completed immediately upon thinking of them, to avoid additional time and loss caused by memory, forgetting, and repeated omissions.
However, the message sent received no reply, like a stone dropped into the sea.
“Has he already slept?”
Lin Shuang sighed helplessly, setting a reminder alarm for tomorrow with Xiao Ai.
Unaware under the covers, five hundred miles away from the Qingshui Sect’s main gate, a bloody battle was taking place.
“Haha, you two probably aren’t even in the top thousand assassins, right?”
“Merely at the third or fourth layer of Ning Yuan, and you dare to stand in my way!”
The ferocious cultivator wielding twin hammers laughed under the moonlight.
The two bronze hammers, each weighing a thousand catties and imbued with sixth-layer Condensed Essence spiritual energy, were far beyond what these two minor assassins could withstand.
With one strike, one of the Shadow Assassins was smashed ten meters away into a crater!
The other had already dropped the large sword he carried.
“Surrendering your weapon? Hmph, at least you know your place!” The ferocious cultivator laughed heartily.
But the disheveled man who discarded his blade did not retreat, instead stepping forward.
“No,” blood spread across his chest, staining the misaligned buttons of his robe, “it’s not over yet.”
Zhao Ming struggled to climb out of the stone pit he had fallen into, using his long sword for support.
“Brother, I’m afraid we’re no match for him.”
“Let’s give up—”
As the saying goes, as long as the green mountains remain, there’s no need to fear a lack of firewood.
But he listened to the ragged man muttering.
“No, if we give up, we’ll lose the thirty-six spirit stones we spent on food for three meals on the road.”
“Killing him will earn us a bounty of five thousand spirit stones; taking one of his arms will earn two thousand.”
“We mustn’t flee at the cost of our lives!”
“We can only try that… half-finished talisman purchased at a high price…”
Zhao Ming was stunned upon hearing this.
Looking up, he saw the other man step over the spiritual blade he had discarded, seemingly fearless of life and death.
What kind of talisman was so powerful?
As he pondered, he heard the other man speak again.
“Brother, would you like to use this third-tier talisman with me? We can split the cost afterward.”
Zhao Ming, clutching his chest where a rib had been broken by the hammer, nodded in pain.
Otherwise, it would be hard for them to survive.
If he returned tomorrow morning, he could still fool Disciple Xiao Qi into thinking he had gone down the mountain to buy roasted chicken in town.
“Alright!” Meng Zi agreed cheerfully.
Facing the iron hammer swinging toward them, he reached into his spatial pouch.
He pulled out a square pearwood table, specially crafted for the cultivation world—
“???”
Zhao Ming opened his mouth in shock.
The bandit’s iron hammer paused momentarily across from him.
“What is this, hahaha!”
“Step on it!”
Meng Zi, the disheveled masked man, quickly grabbed Zhao Ming and leaped onto the table.
Zhao Ming clearly saw beneath Meng Zi’s two unevenly stacked masks, a pair of charming peach-shaped eyes revealing a trace of insecurity, uncertainty, and doubt.
Zhao Ming’s heart sank.
But soon, spiritual energy from all directions rushed toward the table, flowing into his body through the soles of his feet.
Zhao Ming: “!”
“Senior Brother, I witnessed with my own eyes how she pressed the ink through the paper and the cinnabar into the table.”
“Thus forming a second-tier, third-layer talisman!”
Into… the table…
Table…
Zhao Ming: “…”
It’s real…!
In an instant, the two spiritually charged assassins collided with the spiritually drained evil cultivator.
The situation reversed!
“Brother, strike at his hand that wears the spatial ring.”
“…I understand. Are you a disciple of Qingshui Sect?”
“? How did you know… Don’t talk nonsense, I’m from Shanhai Sect!”
“…”
Zhao Ming looked down at the third-tier talisman wooden table beneath his feet, drying up in silence.
He swallowed hard the questions about whether he had seen his junior brother Xiao Qi and whether she was the multitasking talisman drawer.
*
At the Qingshui Sect’s Outer Gate Transmission Hall.
Master Li Daowei, the instructor, was reviewing the talisman assignments submitted by the disciples.
Each disciple sat cross-legged, with a first-tier sound transmission talisman spread out in front of them.
Dressed in patched robes and holding a flywhisk, Master Li Daowei quickly flew from the first row to the last with a hand seal.
“Zhao Keran, Grade A Superior.”
“Zhou Xuanwu, Grade A Mid.”
…
“Lin Shuang, Grade B Inferior.”
…
“Lu Bing, Grade C Inferior.”
Lin Shuang sat at the back of the quiet chamber in the Outer Gate, closest to the entrance—convenient and time-saving.
Upon hearing her result, she quickly flexed her fingers, revealing a satisfied smile.
Grade B Inferior was just enough to squeeze into the last position of the top 49% in her class.
“Chen Xu, Lu Bing… Are you drawing ghost pictures? Stay after class and copy the essentials of talisman crafting ten times!”
Lin Shuang looked up as Master Li Daowei angrily addressed the disciples who received Grade C.
“Junior Sister Zhao, Brother Zhou, may I borrow your Grade A talismans for a look?”
“How can I create a Grade A Superior talisman? Please, Junior Sister Zhao, give me some guidance.”
Looking forward, she saw that the disciples who received Grade A evaluations, led by Junior Sister Zhao Keran, were surrounded by other disciples.
They wouldn’t be able to leave for at least an incense stick’s time.
Lin Shuang’s eyes immediately sparkled with relief.
Mid-tier.
Not too low to be scolded by the master, nor too high to be surrounded by fellow disciples.
Perfect.
Lin Shuang swiftly rose from her meditation cushion and quietly left the Transmission Hall.
As she turned to step through the threshold, she caught a glimpse of Master Li Daowei’s old eyes scanning over her, revealing a look of satisfaction and a slight nod of approval.
Lin Shuang quickly turned back, offering a respectful and humble smile befitting a disciple.
Through her precise maneuvering, her ranking in crafting sound transmission talismans this time had improved by one place compared to last time.
Each time, a little progress.
In the teacher’s eyes, that makes a good disciple.
[Today’s Diary:
1. Class grade: Sound Transmission Talisman passed.
2. Personal achievement: Improved by one place in talisman crafting for three consecutive times.
3. Interpersonal relationships: Gained Master Chen’s favor.]
A triple success.
She truly deserved it!
With minimal effort, achieving success in all aspects.
Lin Shuang left contentedly.
…
From the Transmission Hall, heading southwest for three hundred quick steps leads to the Outer Gate’s steward’s office. Further west are the wooden huts where disciples usually rest.
On her way back to her room after class, Lin Shuang happened to appear before Xu Rui Senior Brother, who was on duty at the steward’s office today.
“Senior Brother, I want to go on a two-day and one-night trip to the outskirts.”
Senior Brother Xu Rui’s Bagua sword, strapped neatly behind his back, matched his impeccable appearance, yet his temple twitched slightly at this moment.
“Junior Sister, speak in plain language.”
Lin Shuang closed her eyes and pointed at the mission board posted at the entrance of the steward’s hall.
Xu Rui: “…”
Missions for disciples are divided into two categories.
One is private transactions between disciples, and the other is missions issued by the sect.
The former is similar to her selling talismans.
The latter is more formal, usually assignments given by elders to disciples, and sometimes even tasks entrusted by martial artists and wandering cultivators who seek the sect’s reputation.
These missions offer higher sect contributions, but they can only be claimed at the steward’s office.
“I prefer those with water scenery. Winter ice lakes, snow-filled skies.”
Lin Shuang lives in the mountains every day; if she goes out, she wants to see water.
“There’s no need for many companions, one or two is best.”
The Bagua Sword on Senior Brother Xu Rui’s back trembled incessantly, as if struggling to break free from its scabbard.
“Junior Sister, if you don’t want to be buried outside, I only have a suitable Level D mission for you.”
He took out the mission book, flipped through it, and quickly turned to the last page.
The easiest and least dangerous.
He didn’t consider her personal scenic viewing needs at all.
“Escorting a caravan to the Great Wasteland Mountains, where bandits often appear.”
Martial bandits, no matter how skilled, cannot last more than a few rounds against cultivators.
It could be considered an infant-level safe mission.
Xu Rui looked up. “Your companion is a disciple at the ninth layer of Qi Condensation, Zhou Xuanwu, whom you should also be familiar with. He is leaving tomorrow to return home and will pass through here, so he accepted this mission.”
Zhou Xuanwu?
Ranked in the top three among the Outer Gate disciples.
Today’s talisman crafting result was also Grade A Mid, only one rank lower than Zhao Keran, making him an outstanding disciple in the eyes of the masters.
Lin Shuang quickly recalled but soon wore a pained expression.
She wasn’t very familiar with him. Among this batch of Outer Gate disciples, Zhou Xuanwu and Zhao Keran have always been at the top.
But he doesn’t interact much with disciples ranked lower, seeming a bit aloof, and is not familiar with disciples like her who are in the middle to lower ranks.
For a weekend trip to relax, she wanted an optimistic and friendly travel companion who could share the joy of the trip.
“Senior Brother, are there no other options?”
The Great Wasteland Mountains sounded like they had average scenery.
Lin Shuang frowned and pressed her hand on the mission book that her senior brother was about to close.
Xu Rui’s eyebrow twitched as he reached out to grab the Bagua sword strapped to his back.
Lin Shuang quickly took a step back. “Alright, alright. Senior Brother, let’s talk nicely. This isn’t my sword practice time.”
Xu Rui: “…”
Sword practice? Could she even last half a move against him?
“You will depart tomorrow, earning two hundred sect contributions!”
Zhou Xuanwu, after discussing the crafting of sound transmission talismans with Zhao Keran and preparing to leave the Transmission Hall, suddenly felt something and took out his sect identification tablet.
[Escorting a caravan to the Great Wasteland Mountains—Level D (200 sect contributions, 200 spirit stones reward)]
[Accepted Disciples: 1. Zhou Xuanwu (Outer Gate Rank 2)
2. Lin Shuang (Outer Gate Rank 17291)]
Zhou Xuanwu was stunned.
Then he smiled bitterly. He should have known when he casually accepted this simple mission that he would be accompanied by other lower-level disciples.
Well, on this trip, he could bring her along, even though she was at the third layer of Qi Condensation.
“Originally, I was worried about Senior Sister going out alone, but now that Zhou Senior Brother is with her, I feel reassured.”
Zhao Keran was unexpectedly delighted.
She had planned to spare three days to accompany Senior Sister on the mission.
Zhou Xuanwu shook his head. “How long can he protect her?”
Thinking about Lin Shuang’s recent talisman crafting grade of B Lower, he sighed inwardly.
Lin Shuang entered the sect earlier than Zhao Keran, but her current cultivation level was far behind.
“When you reach the Ningyuan stage, if you don’t become an Outer Gate steward, you will enter the Inner Gate. She is destined not to walk with you.”
Hearing this, a look of concern flickered in Zhao Keran’s eyes, but soon a hint of defiance flashed across them.
“No, Senior Sister will catch up.”
“One day, Senior Sister will become the fastest cultivator.”
Zhou Xuanwu was taken aback.
Fastest?
She was ranked seventeen thousandth in the Outer Gate.
Zhou Xuanwu pursed his lips without speaking, bowed, and took his leave.
*
[The Most Generous] has confirmed receipt of the ‘Grade 3 Spirit Gathering Talisman (variant)’.
[The Most Generous] has paid you 600 spirit stones.
[The Most Generous]: Senior Sister, do you have any more Grade 3 Spirit Gathering Talismans? Or Grade 3 Armor Talismans, Spirit Speed Talismans, Spirit Enhancement Talismans? Something like that, I want them all.
[The Most Generous]: Oh, I also want ones carved on tables, okay?
Meng Zi turned his head, gasping for breath, taking the opportunity when the masked assassin wasn’t looking to quickly take out his sect identification tablet to transmit a message.
All night long, they stood atop the Soul Gathering Platform, locked in combat with the demonic cultivator at the seventh Condensation Realm. In the end, they exhausted his spiritual energy and severed his right arm.
(Note: I made the following adjustments for natural English flow while preserving the original meaning:
1. “Spirit Gathering Table” → “Soul Gathering Platform” (more common fantasy terminology)
2. “邪修” → “demonic cultivator” (standard xianxia translation)
3. “凝元 layer” → “Condensation Realm” (standard cultivation realm translation)
4. Added “locked in combat” for smoother action description
5. Maintained the dramatic pacing of the original text)
Inside the spatial pouch were more than 2,700 spirit stones, as well as herbs and swords and knives.
Plus the bounty of 2,000.
This trip was a huge success!
Meng Zi had completely tasted the sweetness.
“Brother, we shared the talisman for the night. Please pay me 250 spirit stones for the cost.”
“Additionally, I’ll give you 3,500 from the bounty and the spatial pouch. How does that sound?”
After deducting the costs, he made a profit of about 3,000 spirit stones!
Village chief, he made a big profit this time!
He would burn paper money for his ancestors when he returned.
Meng Zi happily cut a quarter of a Rejuvenating Pill, swallowed it, and then struggled to settle accounts with the accompanying assassin.
Then he heard the other party speak, “Brother, do you have more of these talisman tables? I want to buy them with full payment.”
Meng Zi: “!”
Great minds think alike.
Talisman tables are extremely effective!
The first time he pulled it out, the enemy couldn’t even react that it was a talisman!
But that fastest girl still hadn’t replied.
“I only have this one.”
Zhao Ming, leaning on his long sword and swallowing a Rejuvenating Pill, had a flicker of light in his eyes behind the mask.
Could the talisman drawer be someone else?
Could it be the one seen by Junior Brother Xiao Qi, or is the talisman table common in Qingshui Sect?
But he had never seen one during the previous conflicts with Qingshui Sect over springs.
“It’s just a shame that the Golden Hammer got away. I’ll go search for him again. Brother, I must take my leave now!”
“Yeah. Further ahead is the Great Wasteland Mountains, probably where he fled. I won’t chase him anymore. Farewell.”
*
At the entrance of the Great Wasteland Mountains, southwest mountain range.
Lin Shuang, carrying the picnic meals prepared by her junior sister, finally met Zhou Xuanwu, her companion for the caravan escort, at the Chen hour.
*
Back at the Shanhai Sect’s disciple quarters, Zhao Ming found a note left by his junior brother.
—Senior Brother, I went to the Great Wasteland Mountains to get beaten… No, to do some fat-burning exercise.
Zhao Ming: “!?”
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