Chapter 26

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Chapter 26: Explosive Element Technique

“Oh no, I can’t practice this. If I continue, it will kill me.”

In Yunzhong City, Lin Jiang angrily set the powerful Overlord Scroll down. Three months earlier, he had obtained this martial arts technique from the Duobao Pavilion steward, foolishly believing it was specifically suited for him.

As soon as Lin Jiang got home, he eagerly started studying it. However, after three months, he had decided to give up.

The Overlord Scroll was infamous for its short lifespan. Lin Jiang had thought it only drained his remaining years, but that didn’t concern him. With fifteen thousand years of life left, he had plenty.

But after practicing, he discovered the truth—it wasn’t like that at all. The Overlord Scroll actually wore down his physical body. While the technique’s energy was extremely dominant, it came at the cost of damaging the body. If he kept using it, his body would gradually deteriorate, turning him into a living corpse with an abundance of years left, but a ruined body.

This went against Lin Jiang’s goals. He wasn’t seeking immortality through cultivation; he only wanted a means of self-defense. Therefore, he had no choice but to give up on this heavenly level cultivation method, though it caused him great pain.

“But it’s not completely in vain. One of the secret techniques in the Overlord Scroll is actually quite fitting for me.”

Lin Jiang sighed again, for the Overlord Scroll contained several secret techniques, one of which was the Explosive Element Technique—a technique of immense power.

This Explosive Element Technique used life force as fuel to instantly double one’s attack power. Doubling the power required ten years of life, and at its peak, it could increase attack power tenfold, costing a hundred years of life.

For other cultivators, this was a move that meant death. The Golden Core Period only had a lifespan of five hundred years, and most cultivators at this stage were already over a century old. Only those with around four hundred years of life left could afford to use it. If they faced a powerful enemy and sacrificed a hundred years of life, they might not reach the Nascent Soul stage in this lifetime.

But Lin Jiang wasn’t concerned. With more than ten thousand years of life, using a hundred or more wasn’t a big deal. Even if he multiplied that number by a hundred and eighty, he could afford it. With his Qi Refining cultivation at the seventh level, it was unlikely anyone within the Qi Refining Period would be able to defeat him.

Thus, Lin Jiang had decided to practice the Explosive Element Technique. It would become one of his hidden trump cards.

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“Taoist friend Jiang.”

In the early morning, Lin Jiang entered the bustling marketplace. A beautiful young woman standing beside him greeted him warmly. Since it was still early and the place wasn’t crowded, a few male cultivators gathered around her. Upon noticing Lin Jiang, the men immediately glared at him with hostility.

“Ah, hello, Taoist Friend Liu.”

Lin Jiang returned the greeting and spread out a cloth on the ground, carefully arranging the spiritual talismans he was selling one by one.

At this point, Lin Jiang’s talismans had been upgraded to first-grade premium quality. He had already sold all his second-class intermediate talismans to a shop, recovering more than three thousand spirit stones in the process.

“Taoist Friend Jiang, you’ve made great progress in your talisman skills. Today, there are even two new types of talismans. Truly a cause for celebration.”

The beautiful young woman, unfazed by Lin Jiang’s cool demeanor, drew closer to him. Over the past few months, her attitude toward him had become much friendlier.

She realized that Lin Jiang was one of the few successful and promising individuals in the marketplace. Despite his youth, he had great skill and was highly proficient in drawing powerful symbols. The first-grade premium talisman he could create was not something even cultivators in the Qi Refining Period could manage. Even those who had spent most of their lives studying talismans couldn’t achieve this level.

The value of a first-grade premium talisman had surged. A regular talisman sold for ten spirit stones, and the cost of materials was only one spirit stone. Even factoring in occasional failures, the income was significant. Earning a few hundred spirit stones each month was among the highest earnings in the marketplace.

“Not bad, I’ve made some progress.”

Lin Jiang nodded, feeling satisfied with his progress. He had a natural talent for drawing symbols, and now he could create nine different types of first-grade premium talismans with a high success rate. Out of every ten, five or six would turn out well.

Given the price of a first-grade premium talisman, he could break even this year, possibly even next year. If the success rate improved slightly, he could start making a small profit and gradually accumulate wealth.

“Taoist Friend Jiang, how many talismans can you draw in a day now?”

“Why do you ask?”

“Taoist Friend Jiang, please don’t misunderstand. I simply wanted to ask, if you’re drawing fewer talismans, you could try the Soul Refining Technique. It’s a great method to strengthen your spiritual consciousness. Even prestigious sects like Zhonghang Sect are using it. Combining it with some Soul Nourishing Pills would make us Talisman Makers extremely powerful.”

The young woman noticed Lin Jiang’s frown and quickly added that she knew the question was a bit personal, but she wanted to find a way to talk more deeply with him. Though she wasn’t particularly skilled in drawing symbols, she was knowledgeable about the Talisman Maker industry because her family had a Talisman Maker.

“I’m already practicing the Soul Refining Technique.”

Lin Jiang responded that he hadn’t known about the technique before, but since arriving in Yunzhong City, he had learned about it. It was an advanced secret art for enhancing one’s spiritual awareness, though it wasn’t expensive because it was quite popular.

The Soul Nourishing Pill, on the other hand, was more expensive. Thirty pills cost thirty spirit stones, and they needed to be taken regularly. It was costly, but Lin Jiang decided to invest in them. After all, having the right tools for the job was crucial. Drawing symbols and spiritual strength were closely tied, so it was an investment in himself.

“Then we can exchange our knowledge of the Soul Refining Technique. I’ve been practicing it since childhood and learned a lot.”

The young woman’s excitement was clear, finally finding a topic to bond over. It was rare.

“Taoist friend Liu, you should talk to the others. I’m not really in the mood.”

Lin Jiang glanced at the men who were glaring at him and shook his head. This woman was too attractive for him to afford a conflict.

The young woman turned her head, not pleased. These foolish men… why couldn’t they understand she wasn’t interested in them anymore? Why were they still hanging around?

“It’s fine, Taoist friend Jiang. They’re not Talisman Makers, so we don’t have much in common. I prefer to talk with Talisman Makers.”

The young woman said as she flirted with her hair, giving Lin Jiang a charming smile.

“Drawing symbols is part of my life, but honestly, I don’t enjoy it. Alright, let’s start our business. Taoist Friend Liu, please go.”

Lin Jiang’s expression grew serious, and he made a gesture to indicate he wanted her to leave.

The young woman paused, surprised. Then, she stomped her foot and walked back to her stall, angrily shooing away a few sycophants.

“He’s so stubborn, like a stone in a pit. Hmph.”

Soon after, Lin Jiang heard a soft complaint, but he chose to ignore it.

“Hehe, Brother Jiang, Sister Liu really likes you.”

Just as one annoyance left, another arrived. Zhang Ruifeng appeared.

“Stop talking nonsense. You’re just a little kid who doesn’t understand what ‘liking’ is.”

“I’m not a little kid. I’m thirteen! If I were an ordinary person, I could get married next year!”

Zhang Ruifeng puffed out his chest, trying to look mature. Wasn’t thirteen too young? In his family, those without Spiritual Roots got married at fourteen. It was considered adulthood.

“Get to the Qi Refining level first before talking. Without cultivation, you don’t have the authority to speak.”

Lin Jiang smiled, quickly deflating Zhang Ruifeng’s ego.

In Yunzhong City, starting cultivation at twelve was encouraged. Even with favorable conditions, it was the norm. It was said that starting cultivation too early could backfire by prematurely draining potential.

Like Lin Jiang, Zhang Ruifeng had tested his Spiritual Root the previous year. He had Five Spiritual Roots, the worst kind in the cultivation world. Though he’d been practicing for over a year, he hadn’t yet reached the Qi Refining level.

Of course, Lin Jiang didn’t feel too good laughing at him, because the original host, Lin Jiang, had also taken over two years to reach Qi Refining. He then stayed at that level for years. It was rather embarrassing—no wonder they called him the shame of the Lin family.

Zhang Ruifeng, furious upon hearing Lin Jiang’s words, turned red and struggled to breathe. He couldn’t argue back, as he hadn’t cultivated Qi in over a year. It felt like a huge waste.

“Brother Jiang, I will surpass you sooner or later.”

“Really? I’ll be waiting for you.”

“You just wait and see.”

“Hmm, I’ll wait. By the way, cultivating takes a lot of money. Without spirit stones, it’s tough to make progress. So, to catch up to my cultivation level, you should focus on earning more instead of chatting aimlessly. You’re not just an ordinary person anymore, understand?”

Lin Jiang said, “Young man, I’ve made myself clear, right? Focus on your cultivation and stop talking so much. I’m done with this.”

“But I was trying to make money.”

Zhang Ruifeng said, “Why are you always complaining that I talk too much? Even my father couldn’t handle it, so he sent me to Yunzhong City to set up a stall at such a young age. Despite being talkative, I actually made quite a bit of money.”