[You have successfully drawn an Exorcism Talisman, Talisman Making Technique Proficiency +1, Exorcism Talisman Proficiency +1,]
Half an hour later, Li Mu held a freshly drawn Exorcism Talisman in his hand, his gaze falling on the text that popped up in the virtual log, affirming it with certainty.
"Haha! It's done!"
Li Mu beamed with joy and laughed happily.
The cost of an Exorcism Talisman, including Talisman Paper, Spiritual Ink, Spiritual Power, and the wear of the Talisman Brush, is roughly one Broken Spirit. On the market, an Exorcism Talisman sells for three Broken Spirits, nearly double the profit.
Considering the time of three quarters of an hour to make one Exorcism Talisman, along with the chance of drawing failure and the labor costs for setting up a stall, the final profit from the Exorcism Talisman isn't that high.
Nevertheless, Li Mu was extremely happy.
With the improvement in Talisman Making Proficiency and as the level of the Talisman Making Technique rises, both efficiency and success rate would improve. By then, earning Spirit Stones and exchanging for high-level techniques would create a positive cycle.
Thinking of this, Li Mu was full of vigor and continued to refine another Exorcism Talisman.
In the following days, Li Mu tended to the Spirit Field during the day, cultivated at night, and refined talismans, peacefully and steadily for seven days.
Seven days later, in the morning, Li Mu took a batch of Exorcism Talismans to Qing'an Town to sell, while also purchasing Spirit Rice, salt, and other living supplies.
After paying the entry fee of one Broken Spirit, Li Mu once again entered the Independent Cultivator Market in the small town.
Li Mu headed straight to a Spirit Talisman Store.
"Buying talismans, young man? We just got a batch of Protective Talismans and Light Body Talismans. Which one do you want?" the shopkeeper of the spirit talisman store enthusiastically greeted as Li Mu entered.
"Do you buy talismans?" Li Mu took out a batch of Exorcism Talismans from his chest and inquired.
"Yes, we buy Lower Grade Exorcism Talismans for one Broken Spirit each," Shopkeeper Liu said with a slight look of disdain after a glance.
"Isn't the market price for Lower Grade Exorcism Talismans three Broken Spirits each? Can't you raise it a bit?" Li Mu's face changed slightly, and he pleaded.
"If you think the price is too low, sell it yourself! There are many loose cultivators making low-grade talismans, this is the price, take it or leave it." Shopkeeper Liu of the spirit talisman store shrugged indifferently.
Li Mu was speechless; the cost of one Rune Paper is half a Broken Spirit, coupled with Spiritual Ink, Spiritual Power, and labor time, it's about one Broken Spirit. At this price, it definitely leads to a loss. So much time wasted, and the failed rune paper, it's a huge loss.
Setting up a stall at the market even requires a Lower Spirit Stone for the spot fee. Selling these dozen Exorcism Talismans wouldn't even cover a morning's sale, it's not worth it.
"Shopkeeper, I'll add another Lower Spirit Stone. Can I exchange for two batches of Talisman Paper and a bottle of Spiritual Ink?" Li Mu gritted his teeth and decided.
Shopkeeper Liu looked at Li Mu with sympathy and suggested, "Fine, I'll exchange with you. If you have talismans to sell in the future, remember to come to me."
"Thank you, shopkeeper!" Li Mu thanked him gratefully and quickly completed the transaction.
With two batches of Talisman Paper and a bottle of Spiritual Ink, Li Mu left the spirit talisman store. With only two Lower Spirits and four Broken Spirits in possession, he bought twenty pounds of Spirit Rice and some salt, ending the purchase desperately.
Leaving Qing'an Town in a hurry, Li Mu could not find a single Spirit Stone on him.
Fortunately, the Spirit Field would be ready to harvest in seven or eight days, after paying the Sect's tenancy fee, keeping some Spirit Rice for himself to eat, and selling the remaining Spirit Rice would bring in quite a lot of Spirit Stones.
Back at the courtyard, Li Mu guarded the Spirit Field, hoping for the harvest season to arrive.
The White Jade Spirit Rice in the Spirit Field bowed their heads, swaying with the wind.
Under the effect of Innate Divine Power - Recognition of Ten Thousand Spirits, Li Mu can always check the negative conditions of the Spirit Rice plants, such as lack of water, insufficient fertilizer, pest infestation, and so on, all can be immediately detected and resolved.
With Li Mu's meticulous care, the Spirit Rice plants in the Spirit Field grew robustly, all bearing plump and rich grains, the heavy ears weighing down the Spirit Rice plants.
During the day, Li Mu often sat by the field, gazing at the Spirit Field, hoping and longing for an early harvest to replenish his depleted Spirit Stone Bag.
Time passed quickly, and another seven days passed.
Li Mu ate Spirit Rice with salt every day, anxiously watching as the rice jar nearly emptied, finally awaiting the time to harvest the Spirit Rice.
Joyfully holding a sickle, Li Mu headed down to the Spirit Field, starting to harvest the Spirit Rice plants.
Excitedly cutting down a large bunch of Spirit Rice plants, Li Mu suddenly paused.
At the cut end of the plant, Li Mu discovered a group of light-colored glowing spheres, seemingly related to the Golden Finger - Character Interface.
Li Mu quickly put down the sickle and reached out to touch the light cluster.
The next moment, the light-colored glowing cluster merged into Li Mu's palm and vanished.
However, in the attribute interface at the bottom of the character bar, Li Mu found a log prompt that popped out.
[Talent Divine Power - Plant Spirit Absorption activated; you absorbed a cluster of Plant Spirit, cultivation +1]
Looking at the log prompt, Li Mu froze, quickly checking the character interface, discovering that the proficiency and cultivation of Qi Refining Second Layer had indeed increased by a bit.
Though the increase in cultivation was too subtle for Li Mu to notice an enhancement in cultivation.
However, the virtual log's prompts can't be wrong!
Li Mu gazed at the Spirit Field, the vast heavy White Jade Spirit Rice, no longer saw them as mere Spirit Stones, but a large heap of cultivation.
Li Mu beamed, picking up the sickle, and began frantically harvesting again.
[Talent Divine Power - Plant Spirit Absorption activated; you absorbed a cluster of Plant Spirit, cultivation +1]
[Talent Divine Power - Plant Spirit Absorption activated; you absorbed a cluster of Plant Spirit, cultivation +2]
[Talent Divine Power - Plant Spirit Absorption activated; you absorbed a cluster of Plant Spirit, cultivation +1]
...
The system log's cultivation enhancement prompts cascaded like a waterfall of data, pouring down.
Li Mu joyfully wielded the sickle, cutting down a crop of Spirit Rice plants, finding a light cluster, touching it, gaining cultivation +1, occasionally receiving cultivation +2, ..., hundreds, thousands.
Li Mu harvested all the way, reaching out all the way, bending over repeatedly, tired but happy.
[Ding, your cultivation broke through to the Third-Layer Qi Refining]
In the midst of frantically harvesting Spirit Plants, Li Mu's body shook as a powerful aura and Spiritual Pressure erupted from his body, with the blockage in his meridians being forced open by immense Spiritual Power; cultivation successfully advancing to the Third-Layer Qi Refining, with a rock-solid foundation indistinguishable from his painstakingly cultivated mana.
Li Mu cried tears of joy, exclaiming, wonderful!
From now on, just farming would be enough, with no need to cultivate to enhance cultivation; it's truly wonderful!
Looking at the large unharvested Spirit Rice plants, Li Mu excitedly bent over, tirelessly continuing to harvest.