Chapter 73: Stocking Up

After changing out of his ancient-style outfit into his usual casual clothes, Chen Mobai picked up his phone and left. He ordered talismans on his phone as he walked, fortunate that his divine sense was well-developed, preventing him from bumping into things.

He returned to the Wood Spirit Talisman Shop. After selling the Spirit Ascension Powder to Teacher Chansi's senior apprentice sister, he now possessed a substantial sum of money from a legitimate source. He used this opportunity to purchase all the talismans he had previously desired but couldn't afford.

He first bought out all the low-grade and mid-grade Tier 1 talismans, spending a total of 11,600 Good Deeds Points. Next, he purchased two single-room "Wood Cabin Talismans," which are high-grade Tier 1 talismans. He planned to hone his skills by battling demonic beasts in the Cloud Dream Lake and might not be able to return to Qingguang Island. If he had to camp on a deserted island, these talismans would at least protect him from wind and rain.

He also bought five "Recovery Talismans," which restore spiritual power and remove negative effects. Lu Shu had valued these at 2 spirit stones in Nanxi Market, but they could sell for 3 spirit stones at stalls in the Cloud Dream Lake area. Here, the price was only 500 Good Deeds Points, which, without considering the exchange rate, was an incredible 60 times profit—a true windfall. Unfortunately, the shop only had five in stock.

He also purchased the "Plants as Soldiers Talisman" he had previously admired. Although its power was greatest in densely vegetated areas, Chen Mobai knew that the Cloud Dream Lake had plenty of aquatic plants, making it useful. However, the shop only had three in stock, which was too few.

After this series of orders, Chen Mobai had almost emptied the Wood Spirit Talisman Shop's inventory. The only items left were the somewhat useless "Wood Spirit Talisman" and the Tier 2 "Divine Wood Thunder Talisman," which was the shop's prized possession.

While he enjoyed spending, the shopkeeper seemed startled and sent a message through the Immortal Gate Network's backend:

"Dear, are you experiencing emotional problems and need to shop to vent? While our talismans offer excellent effects, they cannot cure a depressed mood."

What was that about? Chen Mobai replied directly:

"Your talismans are excellent and very popular in my hometown. I'm buying wholesale to sell at a stall back home."

"Dear, thank you so much! Your purchase has earned me enough to pay for my younger siblings' university tuition this year. I'll immediately package your items separately for express delivery."

This shopkeeper was decent and efficient. Thinking this, Chen Mobai began browsing the Immortal Gate Network's major flagship stores for talismans, pills, magic tools, and other items that would be listed over the next month. He set reminders on his phone for the 18th and 26th of the month to snatch up the Three Foundation Establishment Treasures. He then focused on talismans similar to the "Profound Yang Purple Fire Talisman," but unfortunately, offensive talismans were not popular in the Immortal Gate. He only saw that the Shanhai Academy would list a "Golden Light Sword Talisman" on the 15th.

However, this talisman was a high-grade Tier 2 item, usable three times, and its price was nearly equivalent to one of the Three Foundation Establishment Treasures. Chen Mobai had thought he was quite wealthy, but seeing this, he realized he was still poor.

With no other option, he returned to the Wood Spirit Talisman Shop, gritted his teeth, and bought one of their prized "Divine Wood Thunder Talismans."

"Dear..."

The shopkeeper sent another message through the backend. This Divine Wood Thunder Talisman had been listed for two years and only one had been sold previously; Chen Mobai was the second buyer. This single talisman cost 50,000 Good Deeds Points, more expensive than all the Tier 1 talismans he had cleared out combined. Fearing Chen Mobai had made a mistake, the shopkeeper specifically contacted him through the backend to confirm.

"Please package it with the other talismans I just bought and send them together."

While there were many talisman shops on the Immortal Gate Network, only a handful were local to Danxia City and offered free shipping. Chen Mobai was a creature of habit; since he had used items from the Wood Spirit Talisman Shop once and found them satisfactory, he didn't bother wasting time browsing other stores.

"Dear, thank you so much for your generosity! As a token of appreciation for being such a valued customer, I'll gift you a three-bedroom, one-living-room Wood Cabin Talisman."

This shopkeeper was quite good and knew how to do business. As Chen Mobai thought this, he typed another message.

"I've already bought two Wood Cabin Talismans, and a single-room one is sufficient for outdoor use; a three-bedroom, one-living-room one would be too wasteful. I see your 'Wood Spirit Talisman' has been listed for two years without a single sale. How about you just give me that one instead?"

...

The shopkeeper replied with an ellipsis, seemingly speechless. Just as Chen Mobai was muttering about the shopkeeper's stinginess, another message popped up.

"Alright."

This shopkeeper was genuinely good and easy to deal with.

After happily completing his purchases, Chen Mobai arrived at a hotpot restaurant. Upon entering, he saw many classmates already seated in small groups. As soon as he walked in, Lu Hongsheng immediately waved him over. The female classmates sitting in front and behind Lu Hongsheng, along with a few other familiar faces from the class, were already seated around his table. These were precisely the classmates Lu Hongsheng usually hung out with.

"Old Chen, I heard from the class monitor that Yan Bingxuan will also be here today."

As soon as he sat down, Chen Mobai heard a surprising piece of news.

"Didn't she drop out?"

"She did drop out, but the camaraderie among classmates remains. The class monitor called her, and she initially said she wouldn't come, but somehow, last night she said she would." Lu Hongsheng whispered the secret he had extracted from the class monitor.

Chen Mobai remembered that Yan Bingxuan was purifying her Ice Spirit Root, which would make her an expert in ice techniques. He wondered if he could find an opportunity later to consult her about the "Ice Breath" technique.

As they were talking, the beautiful Yan Bingxuan walked in. She glanced around, hesitating about where to sit. The class monitor, Mo Simin, who was responsible for greeting guests, immediately went up to her and eventually led her to a table full of girls.

"See? Didn't I tell you she'd come?" Lu Hongsheng pointed at Yan Bingxuan, who had just sat down, with a triumphant look, as if showing off the accuracy of his information.

Chen Mobai ignored him, opened the class group chat, found Yan Bingxuan's profile picture, and sent her a private message, typing out his problem with cultivating ice techniques. Then he put down his phone.

After a while, Yan Bingxuan looked up, their eyes met, and Chen Mobai nodded, indicating it was him.

"My written explanation skills aren't great; I can't explain it well with words. If you're free after dinner, I can let you experience it with my own ice spiritual power."

Chen Mobai read her reply and felt the warmth of camaraderie among classmates.

Just then, another group of young men and women entered. Upon asking, they discovered that these were also high school seniors celebrating their farewell dinner after the college entrance exams.

"Wow, Old Chen, quick, look, she's so beautiful."

Chen Mobai, who was engrossed in browsing the Immortal Gate Network on his phone, couldn't take Lu Hongsheng's shouts anymore. He looked up and was stunned.

"What a coincidence?"

Qing Nü, who had just walked through the door, wasn't wearing a mask or hat this time. Her exquisite beauty captivated everyone present. After entering, she also saw Chen Mobai, paused in surprise, then walked over to greet him.