The Oldest Disciple: Farming Intimacy to Become Immortal

Chapter 272: Paper Man Talisman

As the tea slid down his throat and settled in his stomach, Li Meng frowned slightly.

He glanced at the maid standing quietly to the side.

“This… what kind of tea is this?”

The liquid contained a peculiar energy. It felt scalding as it passed his throat, but once it reached his stomach, it radiated outward to his limbs and bones. It felt as if his entire skeletal structure and meridians were being warmed, tempered, and cleansed.

The maid bowed respectfully to Li Meng.

“Replying to Senior, this is Dragon Whisker Tea. It is brewed from a unique herb called Dragon Whisker Grass, found only on Sleeping Dragon Island. It possesses the effect of strengthening the physical body and bones.”

Li Meng nodded in understanding. No wonder his body was experiencing such a marvelous sensation.

He looked at his Junior Sister beside him.

Qi Wei was holding her teacup with both hands, taking tiny, careful sips. With every swallow, her petite frame trembled slightly.

Seeing this, a faint smile touched the corners of Li Meng’s mouth. The body’s reaction to drinking Dragon Whisker Tea for the first time was indeed intense. However, the efficacy would likely diminish after a few more cups.

With a thought, Li Meng opened his Treasure Vault and began examining his stock of fourth-grade Talismans.

*Thunderfire Talisman? Talisman Paper with dual Thunder and Fire attributes is too difficult to refine; mass production is out of the question.*

*Transforming talisman into armor to increase personal defense… This Profound Armor Talisman is quite good. It would be very suitable for Junior Sister Yao.*

*The Earth Escape Talisman is useful as well; it allows one to hide underground, making it excellent for fleeing.*

*Clearing the mind and calming the spirit to resist Heart Demons and illusions… This Clear Mind Talisman is solid. It will be useful during the formation of the Golden Core and Nascent Soul.*

*Nurturing the soul and repairing soul damage… The Soul Nurturing Talisman can be used in conjunction with cultivating the ‘Shocking God Art’.*

*Paper Puppet? Paper Man Talisman? Now this… this is interesting!*

Li Meng’s eyes lit up.

This Paper Man Talisman was simply too suitable for him.

The strength of the paper man was directly related to the Quality of the Talisman.

An Inferior fourth-grade Paper Man Talisman possessed the strength of an early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator.

A Medium fourth-grade one had the strength of the mid-stage.

A High-grade fourth-grade talisman boasted the power of a late-stage Nascent Soul.

And a Divine-grade fourth-grade Paper Man Talisman possessed the terrifying might of the Nascent Soul Grand Perfection.

Of course, to fully unleash the Paper Man Talisman’s potential, the master’s soul strength was crucial.

Although Li Meng’s soul was strong, it was only comparable to a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Grand Perfection. Therefore, he couldn’t bring out the talisman’s full power.

Because his soul strength couldn’t support the Paper Man avatar in executing intricate spells or complex supernatural powers, the puppet would be limited to crude, basic attacks.

It would be like a muscle-bound brute who only knew how to throw simple haymakers in a fight, unable to utilize his strength with any finesse.

However, with the Paper Man Talisman, facing a Nascent Soul cultivator would mean he was no longer an ant that could be crushed at will. Even if he just mindlessly bombarded the enemy with raw Spiritual Power, it would still unleash tremendous destruction.

*It won’t lose control, will it?*

Li Meng muttered inwardly.

After all, this was a fourth-grade Talisman.

The Paper Man Talisman was not an External Incarnation. Instead, it would birth a trace of intelligence derived from the master’s refined soul blood. The stronger the master’s soul, the stronger the Paper Man’s soul would be.

*I only know how to use Talismans and don’t know many spells. Wouldn’t that make the Paper Man Talisman useless in terms of technique?*

The Paper Man inherited the spells and supernatural powers the master had learned via the soul blood. Expecting the Paper Man to throw Talismans was clearly unrealistic.

A thoughtful expression appeared on Li Meng’s face.

*It seems I need to refine a few Dharma Treasures for the Paper Man to use.*

It wasn’t that he was completely ignorant of spells; he knew basics like the Sword Control Technique. While basic spells could unleash great power in the hands of a Nascent Soul entity, that only applied when fighting lower-level cultivators. Against a peer of the same realm, basic spells would be largely ineffective.

“Esteemed guest, sorry to have kept you waiting!”

Just then, the fat shopkeeper returned.

He stepped over the threshold, his flesh jiggling with every movement. In his hands, he held a list.

Arriving before Li Meng, the shopkeeper bowed and respectfully presented the document with both hands.

Li Meng flicked his sleeve. A gentle breeze caught the list, floating it into his hand.

The fat shopkeeper chuckled, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and sat down with a smile on the spacious couch nearby.

Li Meng scanned the materials listed.

Just as the shopkeeper had claimed, most of the Demon Beast materials were water-attribute. The prices differed drastically from those in the State of Zhao.

The price of fifth-level Demon Beast materials was only one-third of the market rate in Zhao. Logically, the higher the level, the more expensive the material. Yet, sixth and seventh-level materials were even cheaper here—only one-fifth of the price back home.

*Is it because of the distance?*

Sleeping Dragon Island was no less than a million miles from the Tianlan Continent. The Spirit Stones consumed by the transport ferries alone would be an astronomical figure. Naturally, goods sold in Tianlan would carry a heavy markup. But here on Sleeping Dragon Island, there were no transportation costs.

“Esteemed guest, our Lü family does business with absolute fairness. You may ask at other shops to verify; the prices for Demon Beast materials on this list are definitely below market value.”

Li Meng placed the list on the tea table and turned to look at the fat shopkeeper.

“How do we trade? Do you accept bartering?”

Although Li Meng still had quite a few Spirit Stones, the materials on the list totaled nearly 50,000 Spirit Stones. That was not a small sum.

The fat shopkeeper showed a troubled expression. “This… bartering is not impossible, but… we only accept Pills.”

For cultivators, cultivation was paramount. Resources that directly aided cultivation—Spirit Stones and Pills—were the most valued. And between the two, Pills were often more critical than currency.

Sitting to the side, Qi Wei secretly smiled. The one resource her Senior Brother lacked the least was Pills.

Li Meng flicked his sleeve.

A pill bottle flew out from the Sword Nurturing Gourd at his waist and landed on the tea table beside the shopkeeper.

The fat man looked down.

His pupils instantly contracted to pinpoints, and he shot up from his seat in shock.

“F-Flawless… Dustfall Pill?”

The shopkeeper’s exclamation rang through the room. The two maids also wore expressions of utter astonishment.

Sleeping Dragon Island was most deficient in Pills. A single Flawless Dustfall Pill represented a guaranteed Golden Core cultivator. For any cultivation family, this was the stuff of dreams.

Lü Tianxing stared blankly at the porcelain bottle on the table, his expression shifting rapidly.

This was a *Flawless* Dustfall Pill.

The entire Sleeping Dragon Island hadn’t seen a Dustfall Pill of such Quality for centuries. Although High-grade Quality pills were sufficient for most, it was rumored that consuming Flawless pills brought endless, hidden benefits to the cultivator’s foundation.

Lü Tianxing looked at Li Meng with a complex gaze.

“Esteemed guest, are you certain you wish to exchange a Flawless pill for materials? If you were to take this to the auction at the Immortal Assembly, especially in a place like Sleeping Dragon Island, it would likely fetch an astronomical price.”

Li Meng lifted his teacup and took a slow sip, glancing at the shopkeeper with a calm, indifferent expression.

“If you feel you’re taking advantage of me, I don’t mind having more Demon Beast materials.”

The fat shopkeeper immediately flicked his sleeve, silently and swiftly stowing the pill bottle away.

He bowed deeply, performing a formal greeting to Li Meng.

“I am Lü Tianxing, the head of the Lü family of Lizhu Island. Esteemed guest must be a Sect disciple from the Tianlan Continent. If you do not mind, you are welcome to stay temporarily at the Lü family residence. The Ascending Immortal Tower on Lizhu Island will open soon. At that time, prodigies from the various nations of the Tianlan Continent will arrive to challenge the tower. The Auction Immortal Assembly will also be held shortly after. I presume you would not want to miss such a lively grand occasion. Furthermore, a new batch of Demon Beast materials is due to arrive at the Lü family soon. When that happens, I will ensure you receive a satisfactory equivalent exchange.”