"Rare insect species? What kind of nonsense is that?" Feng Wuji muttered, puzzled.
[The host currently has only one direct spirit pet, the Dark Blood Mosquito, so you are eligible to tame a second one.]
[The Talisman Insect is a rare non-combat insect that can write talismans for the host.]
"Write talismans? It writes them for me? Fully automated?" Feng Wuji's eyes widened.
As he well knew, besides medicinal pills and magic treasures, talismans were a consumable commodity, and their prices were by no means low!
"Where is it?" Feng Wuji asked hurriedly.
As the words left his mouth, a virtual map materialized before Feng Wuji's eyes.
He saw that the map was unmistakably the complete topographical layout of Beast Taming Mountain.
The sect grounds, the divine beasts' habitats, the animal pens, the mountain forests...
And there was a red dot marked on the map. Relying on his memory, Feng Wuji instantly recognized its location.
"It looks like a small waterfall. Could it be..." Feng Wuji's excitement flared up.
After all, talisman masters were a scarce commodity in this world.
They were also the ultimate choice for making a fortune in spirit stones.
Most importantly, what did beast tamers fear the most?
It was close-quarters combat on their own once they were separated from their spirit pets!
One had to know that most of the cultivation techniques of Beast Taming Mountain were designed to empower spirit pets, along with combat methods for raising them. Personal combat techniques were virtually nonexistent.
Whatever did exist amounted to little more than basic fist and foot moves.
For a beast tamer, talismans were immensely useful!
For instance, if two people crossed paths in a narrow pass and sent out their spirit pets to tear at each other, one's own center would be left entirely wide open.
In that situation, it was far too easy for someone to launch a sneak attack.
If one had defensive talismans on hand at such a moment, one could fight side by side with their spirit pet!
For now, Feng Wuji had no opportunity to leave Beast Taming Mountain to search for combat techniques, so talismans offered an excellent solution!
Above all, talismans could not only be used by oneself, but also sold for a profit!
A mid-grade Lightning Curse talisman fetched a price of five hundred spirit stones!
Should one possess a top-grade Hell Karma Fire Talisman, the price could soar into the tens of thousands!
He could strike it rich in a matter of minutes!
"How could I let this slip by?" Feng Wuji clenched his fists. Right now, he already had mosquito eggs to boost his cultivation realm, but if he could add some miraculous medicinal pills into the mix, his progress would be even faster!
And miraculous medicinal pills required spirit stones to purchase.
Money, money, money!
Whether in his past life or the present, money was an absolute necessity!
Feng Wuji quickly scanned his surroundings. Guided by the system map, he turned into a secluded path almost entirely concealed by creeping vines.
At the far end of the path was indeed a sizable waterfall!
Splash!
The water of the waterfall constantly beat against the surrounding rocks. Fortunately, the cascade was not large; relying on his Foundation Establishment Stage cultivation, Feng Wuji managed to reach a narrow, moss-covered crevice hidden behind the waterfall.
"This is it!"
Feng Wuji took a deep breath and resolutely squeezed into the crack.
Luckily, the crevice was wide enough for a person to pass through sideways. Holding his breath, he inched his way inside bit by bit.
At the darkest turn of the winding path, a new village suddenly appeared amid willow trees and bright flowers!
Pushing through the tight gap and walking forward for about two or three meters, Feng Wuji finally emerged into a slightly more spacious area.
He took a torch from his storage bag, ignited it, and illuminated the surroundings.
"An underground passage? Could this place be an ancient tomb?" Feng Wuji wondered inwardly.
Fortunately, as Feng Wuji walked along, he triggered no traps whatsoever, eventually arriving at a modest stone chamber.
The interior of the chamber resembled a dwelling, complete with a tilted bronze tripod incense burner in the center. The burner was piled high with dust and withered leaves, clearly long since forgotten.
Right beside the incense burner leaned a long-dried skeleton.
The clothing on the skeleton was of an archaic style, faintly bearing the traces of early Beast Taming Mountain attire, though it was already tattered beyond recognition.
Feng Wuji's target was evidently not these rags, but rather the object tightly clutched in the skeleton's arms.
He approached cautiously, avoiding the nearly transparent, aged spiderwebs surrounding the remains. These webs were exceptionally tough, clearly spun by some sort of spiritual insect.
After a brief fumble, with a crisp "crack," the head of the skeleton slumped to one side.
Feng Wuji finally managed to pull an earthen jar from its embrace. Lying inside the jar was something very familiar to him.
"A cockroach?"
To his surprise, the creature inside the jar was unequivocally a double-tailed cockroach, and its body was massive—several times larger than any "southern double-tailed" specimen he had ever seen!
"Is it dead?" Feng Wuji stared at the stiff insect for a long time, finding not the slightest trace of life!
[The Talisman Insect has entered a dormant state; the host can awaken it with a drop of blood!]
"Even that works?" Hesitating no longer, Feng Wuji bit his finger and let his blood drip down.
His blood instantly permeated the entire body of the Talisman Insect.
Soon, the "double tails" of the cockroach twitched.
[Binding successful!]
A notification flashed in Feng Wuji's mind, and an interface quickly materialized before his eyes.
[Feng Wuji]
[Cultivation: Foundation Establishment Level 2]
[Spirit Pets: Dark Blood Mosquito, Talisman Insect]
[Techniques: Beast Taming Art (Yellow-grade), Hundred Beasts Boxing (Yellow-grade)]
[Magic Treasures: None]
"Damn it! I finally have a personal interface. That wasn't easy!" Feng Wuji let out a breath of relief.
Just as Feng Wuji was preparing to tidy up and leave, he noticed that the ground in front of the skeleton bore characters carved with a blade.
"I never expected that I, Li Botong, having roamed unfettered across the world for three hundred years, would end up dying in this dark and sunless ghost of a place!"
"The 'Hundred Beasts Heart' of Beast Taming Mountain is one of the supreme treasures of the world, and that old bastard hid it securely indeed. I was just a hair's breadth away! Just a hair's breadth away from getting my hands on it! What a pity, what a pity!"
"That old fogey's 'Myriad Beasts Heart-Devouring Palm' truly lives up to its reputation! That single strike shattered seven-tenths of my meridians. But he won't have an easy time of it either! Before I made my escape, I poisoned his most precious 'Azure-Eyed Golden Toad' to death! Hahaha!"
"Listen up, latecomer! These two defining skills of mine cannot be buried with me. The 'Carefree Immortal Steps' is something I stole from a Western Regions unorthodox monk when I was young; when cultivated to perfection, one can cross snow without leaving a trace and walk upon duckweed over water."
"As for the 'Brothel Sword Technique', heh heh! It's something I figured out after lurking in a pleasure house for three years and secretly watching disciples of various sects 'sparring' with the maidens. It focuses entirely on low blows and slays the enemy invisibly!"
"Remember! If you're going to steal, steal the hardest things to steal..."
The subsequent strokes grew faint and shaky, as if Li Botong no longer had the strength to write.
Feng Wuji searched the skeleton's remains and finally discovered a storage ring!
A storage ring was far more precious than a storage bag!
A storage ring required recognition of its master, and could only be used by its rightful owner.
While a storage bag could hold items, anyone could use it—akin to a casual handbag.
"Indeed, there are two secret manuals, and they are both 'Mystic'-grade manuals!" Feng Wuji immediately slipped the storage ring onto his finger.
Having collected his rewards, Feng Wuji respectfully straightened Li Botong's skull, bowing his head toward the withered bones to murmur, "Senior Li, rest in peace. Your 'legacy' is gratefully accepted by this junior. As for the old scores with Beast Taming Mountain, forgive me for being unable to help."
He found a relatively clean stone platform nearby and sat down cross-legged.
He was in no rush to leave just yet; he intended to study the Talisman Insect first.
Yet a wondrous thing occurred.
At a single thought from Feng Wuji, the double tails of the Talisman Insect suddenly began to sway. Feng Wuji hastily retrieved a blank talisman paper from his own storage bag.
Astonishingly, the Talisman Insect secreted a red substance from its mouthparts and used its double tails to begin drawing upon the talisman paper.
The talisman strokes were neat and proper, leaving absolutely no room for fault.
Only a single exclamation echoed in Feng Wuji's mind.
"Holy crap! A fully automated printer?!"