With Chen Yuankang, a well-known Late Stage of Qi Cultivation expert from the Eastern district, accompanying him, the journey to the outer city's marketplace was noticeably less observed.
"Xiaoli, the marketplace is relatively safe, just avoid places with few people. I need to go to the Pill Cauldron Pavilion for some tasks, and we'll meet here afterwards. If I'm not back, it's best that you don't return by yourself; things are rather unsettled these days." Arriving at the marketplace, Chen Yuankang cautioned before heading off towards the Pill Cauldron Pavilion on his own.
Li Jizhou nodded slightly, recalling the first quarter's briefing about the Pill Cauldron Pavilion's guard team being ambushed.
It turned out that Chen Yuankang was injured during that incident.
He couldn't help but marvel; in that event, it was said even the pavilion's Protector Elder couldn't withstand the ambushers and had to flee for his life. Yet, Chen Yuankang still managed to survive under the hands of a Foundation Establishment expert.
Bidding farewell to Chen Yuankang, Li Jizhou first took a customary stroll around the marketplace, where he sold the storage bags of the couple from half a year ago separately at a stall, and then inquired about talisman prices.
"Have basic talismans increased in price?"
After confirming the general market price, Li Jizhou keenly sensed that something was up.
Ordinarily, basic talismans have weak functions, are cheaply priced, and have stable demand; unless there is a short-term large population growth among the low-level cultivators, it's hard for prices to rise.
Yet now, the market price for basic talismans had risen by nearly thirty percent.
The crucial point was, while basic talismans had gone up, the prices of other talismans remained unchanged.
"Could it be that recently, many low-level cultivators have flocked to Inverted Mountain?"
"Just last quarter, the issue with the Evil Cultivators was exposed, why would there still be a large influx of low-level cultivators coming here?"
Judging from the talisman price increase, the surged cultivators' cultivation levels should mainly be Tier One Middle Stage.
Momentarily unable to find a clue, but with over two hundred years of previous cultivation experience, he knew something was definitely happening.
Instead of rushing to sell talismans at a shop, he first headed to the Celestial Secret Pavilion in the inner city.
The one who received him was the same female cultivator as last time.
"Greetings, Fellow Daoist Li. Is there anything you need this time?"
Li Jizhou took out a Jade Talisman but did not express his thoughts directly.
"I want to ask, if I want to upgrade from quarterly reports to monthly reports, how much more do I need to pay?"
"Fellow Daoist Li, we charge four Spirit Stones per year for quarterly reports and twelve Spirit Stones per year for monthly reports. However, considering you're a loyal customer, I might be able to request a discount from the manager, reducing it to a minimum of ten Spirit Stones. Since half of the year has already passed, you'll only need to pay an additional four Spirit Stones this year." The female cultivator explained skillfully.
"How does the content of the monthly report compare to the quarterly report..." Li Jizhou pondered slightly.
"Fellow Daoist, you are well acquainted with our reports, having purchased twice before. I trust you find the content satisfactory?"
"Indeed."
"The monthly report offers greater timeliness and sometimes more detailed insights, seeing the bigger picture through smaller details."
"Is there a ready monthly report that I could review and compare to decide on the upgrade?" Li Jizhou tentatively asked.
The attending female cultivator smiled faintly and took out a Jade Talisman from her storage bag: "By rule, we don't usually make exceptions like this, but for valued customers, I'm willing to meet your request. Here's this month's report, please have a look."
Li Jizhou smiled slightly and received the Jade Talisman to review.
[In the central area of Inverted Mountain, several major dojos are widely recruiting disciples, apparently aiming to establish a force.]
Such a brief statement caused Li Jizhou to momentarily lose focus.
Inverted Mountain is divided into four major parts from inside out.
The core is naturally the Thunder Flame Sect's ruins suppressed by the peak of Inverted Mountain, now transformed into a vast Jade Moon Lake spanning several dozen miles.
However, due to the deterrent of four Daoist Venerables' inscriptions on Inverted Mountain, it's challenging for ordinary people to approach, let alone stay long. Hence, this area is virtually unoccupied.
Still, every month, there are many who overestimate themselves and test their fate, ending up as floating corpses on the lake, feeding the aquatic creatures.
Beyond Jade Moon Lake is Inverted Mountain's prime land for habitation and cultivation, which during the Thunder Flame Sect era contained a quasi-fourth-tier Spirit Vein. In recent years, due to unrestrained refining by many Loose Cultivators, it has degraded to a third-tier Spirit Vein and continues to decline.
Residing here are powerful Loose Cultivators, with rumors of several True Core Masters practicing in seclusion.
The area encircles Jade Moon Lake, measuring fifty miles and hosting hundreds of dojos!
It's known as the Inverted Mountain Dojo District.
Beyond it lies Inverted Mountain's inner city, which largely consists of Late Stage Qi Cultivation to Foundation Establishment experts, as well as the most frequent Loose Cultivator activity area.
On the outermost side is the outer city, where Li Jizhou resides in the impoverished outskirts of the eastern district.
For eight hundred years, due to the "This place has no owner" inscription by Daoist Venerable Mo Li imprinted on Inverted Mountain with Divine Soul might, no one has dared to claim ownership of Inverted Mountain.
Nor has any power divided it!
Yet now, the influential figures at the central dojos are starting to recruit disciples widely!
"Could they be challenging Daoist Venerable Mo Li's authority?"
"Impossible!"
Li Jizhou understood fully the numerous trials one must endure to become a True Core from a Loose Cultivator.
Such individuals are not fools!
Even the Three Sects and Five Families keep their distance, never daring any ambitions, how could these Loose Cultivators dare?
Moreover, even if they truly wish to dominate Inverted Mountain, they shouldn't recruit lower-tier Qi Cultivation cultivators widely.
Recruiting them as cannon fodder?
"Cannon fodder?" Suddenly, Li Jizhou felt something in his heart, but lacking information, he couldn't grasp a lead.
However, he could confirm that Inverted Mountain wouldn't experience major turmoil for the time being.
"What exactly are the dojo leaders planning?"
With no results from his thoughts, Li Jizhou did not inquire the female attendant about Celestial Secret Pavilion.
Such secrets, they might not even know.
Making up an excuse, he declined the offer to upgrade to monthly reports and returned to the Ten Thousand Talisman Pavilion in the outer city.
Upon inquiring, the price trend of basic talismans at the Ten Thousand Talisman Pavilion became more evident.
Life essential talismans, such as Cleaning Talismans and Restriction Talismans, were clearly seeing price hikes.
This indicated a real increase in the number of low-level Loose Cultivators.
Attack-enabled talismans, like Golden Saber Talismans and Blood Dart Talismans showed only slight price increases.
However, prices of defensive talismans like Golden Bell Talismans rose significantly.
Similarly, life-saving auxiliary talismans like Spiritual Talismans and Concealment Talismans saw notable price hikes.
After gaining understanding, Li Jizhou took out some of the talismans he had drawn over the past six months and sold them.
He did not sell the talismans with apparent price increases, knowing this was just the beginning, and prices for those would increase significantly more later.
Having reached a conclusion, he planned to focus on drawing these talismans later, putting off the upgrade to a Tier One Middle Level Talisman Master temporarily.
After selling the talismans and purchasing daily necessities, Li Jizhou returned to the agreed meeting point with Chen Yuankang, who surprisingly had been waiting.
"Senior Chen, sorry for the wait."
"No problem, nothing much to do anyway!" Chen Yuankang's mood was noticeably more dejected compared to earlier.
Li Jizhou didn't ask, quietly following him back to the residence.
"Guagua~"
As they pushed open the courtyard gate, a millstone-sized frog suddenly hopped over.
In two years, this frog's physique had doubled!
Guagua paid little attention to Chen Yuankang, merely nudging Li Jizhou's clothing with its head.
"This little beast has leveled up, truly unfair!" Chen Yuankang sighed dejectedly, disregarding Guagua's gaze as if it wished to devour him, and leaned back in the courtyard's recliner, staring forlornly at the sky.
"Gua~" Guagua rolled its tongue to pull out half of an animal carcass from its large mouth, placing it at Li Jizhou's feet.
Looking closely, it was a Tier One Mid Stage Raccoon Dog!
Though Raccoon Dogs were only Tier One Mid Stage Demon Beasts, they were prized for their speed and spiritual senses. Eating their brains could enhance the Divine Soul, while consuming their flesh increased Spiritual Energy, making them a favored spiritual flesh among many Qi Cultivation cultivators, but usually hard to capture!
Li Jizhou glanced at Guagua with a peculiar gaze, realizing its talent must lie in speed and spiritual senses!
Having lived for over two hundred years in a previous life, he had never seen a Beast Tamer raise frogs.
Thus, he was always unsure about Guagua's talent characteristics.
"Come back, you little beast!" At this moment, a sharp yell rang from inside the house.
Soon after, Xu Mei, unchanged in appearance after two years, walked out.
"Senior Xu." Li Jizhou hastily paid his respects.
Startled, Guagua hurriedly bounced around to Xu Mei's side.
Without glancing at Li Jizhou, Xu Mei prepared to return indoors.
"Senior Xu, this..." Li Jizhou pointed to the half Raccoon Dog on the ground.
"Hmph, that little beast gave it to you, are you expecting me to take it back?" Xu Mei snorted coldly.
Just then, Chen Yuankang suddenly turned to Xu Mei.
"Fellow Daoist Xu, why don't we become Dao companions?"