Chapter 74: The Road To Wealth Is Cut Off |
Chen Lin was overjoyed after successfully testing the Thunderbolt Bead.
From now on, he wouldn't have to risk his life when using the Thunderbolt Bead.
Next, he took out the Thunderbolt Bead No. 2 and No. 3 and had the monkey puppet try them out. Although they didn't explode, Chen Lin was just testing their convenience of carrying.
The monkey puppet's small body and hands made it difficult to hold the Thunderbolt Bead No. 2, and it needed to use both hands to hold it. As for the Thunderbolt Bead No. 3, it was even more impossible.
This had a significant impact on agility.
However, it didn't matter, as Chen Lin's goal was to use the puppet as a throwing tool, and it only needed to charge forward.
Finally, Chen Lin took out the Thunderbolt Bead No. 4, which he had been preparing for a while.
The large, football-sized bead was difficult for the monkey puppet to carry, and it even blocked its legs, making it walk awkwardly. This made Chen Lin frown.
His original plan was to use the Thunderbolt Bead No. 4, and the other models could be thrown by himself, so he didn't need to worry about hurting himself.
If the monkey puppet couldn't carry the Thunderbolt Bead No. 4, it would be pointless.
After thinking for a while, Chen Lin came up with an idea.
He could make a sturdy cloth bag and tie the Thunderbolt Bead No. 4 to the puppet's back, which wouldn't affect its movements.
Although the puppet couldn't be used for throwing, it could be used as a human bomb, which was better than nothing.
Chen Lin immediately went out to buy some cloth bags and ropes, and then began to experiment.
As expected, after tying the Thunderbolt Bead No. 4 to the monkey puppet's back, the puppet could move normally.
Moreover, the puppet's long arms could reach into the cloth bag and trigger the explosion, although it would be slower due to the weight.
"Good stuff, this will definitely give our enemies a surprise!"
Chen Lin was very satisfied with his creativity.
Then, he transferred all the items to a storage bag, with another bag specifically for the puppet and Thunderbolt Bead.
There were too many items, and he couldn't carry them all, so he had to leave some outside.
Chen Lin felt that the storage bag was too small, and if he had more space, he could make more puppets.
When he encountered strong enemies, a group of self-destructing puppets would be very exciting.
Unfortunately, storage bags were rare and expensive, and they were usually only one cubic meter in size, making them hard to buy.
He could only wait until he had more money to buy one.
For now, his wallet was empty, and he had to continue making talismans to earn money.
Chen Lin went out for a walk and intentionally passed by the newlywed's house, but didn't find anything unusual.
Then, he began to refine talismans and also took time to comprehend techniques.
He chose a low-level technique called Flash Technique, which didn't have much power, but could make his body more agile.
Without using the Enlightenment Pill, he had already grasped the principle of this technique and entered the practical training stage.
This technique was easy to learn but difficult to master, and it required a lot of practical training to improve reaction speed.
Chen Lin wasn't in a hurry, as he had plenty of time, and he could take it slow.
After consuming all the materials, he went back to the market.
Chen Lin planned to sell the talismans and then buy more materials to refine another monkey puppet. The previous one was already tied to the Thunderbolt Bead No. 4 and couldn't be used to throw other Thunderbolt Beads.
Chen Lin thought that if he squeezed the storage bag, he could make some space.
However, when he arrived at the market, he received some disappointing news.
The price of talismans had returned to normal!
"What's going on? How did it recover so quickly? Has the ancient cave been fully explored?" Chen Lin asked, feeling a sudden headache.
The shopkeeper, Zhou Fu, replied, "I also thought it would last for a while, but the cave has changed, and a new array has appeared, covering a larger area. It's no longer necessary for people to buy powerful talismans to clean up the area."
"And now that the major factions' Foundation Establishment has been competing, Qi Refining cultivators don't have the qualifications to continue competing. Even if they do, they're all late-stage Qi Refining cultivators, and low-level talismans like Fireball talismans are no longer useful, so the prices of these talismans have dropped back to normal."
Chen Lin could only sigh in response.
There was no need to verify the information, and he could only sell the talismans he had refined to the shopkeeper.
Originally, he could have sold them for around 60 middle-quality spirit stones, but now he could only get less than 20. The huge price drop made Chen Lin almost collapse.
Disappointed, Chen Lin left Ruyi Pavilion without buying any materials.
With the price drop, refining talismans was no longer profitable, and there was no need to waste time.
Moreover, the few spirit stones he earned couldn't be used to buy materials for refining puppets, but rather had to be used as capital to open up a new path to earning money.
Currently, there were two options: selling pills or selling puppets.
However, both of these would attract too much attention, and he didn't want to reveal them yet.
There were only two alchemists in Guyuan City, and if he sold pills, it would be noticeable, and might disturb the market, affecting the interests of the two alchemists and their backers.
His current small body couldn't withstand the consequences of such actions.
Unless he joined a faction, such as the Qingyun Sect, which would be happy to accept an alchemist, but he didn't want to stay in Guyuan City for long, so he couldn't join them.
Most importantly, his alchemy skills were fake, and if someone discussed alchemy theories with him, he would be exposed.
Selling puppets was the same; there were none in Guyuan City, and it would be impossible to sell them without attracting attention.
"If all else fails, I'll learn how to make high-level talismans and continue to maintain my identity as a talisman master. If not, I'll leave here and go to other cities."
Chen Lin muttered to himself, making a decision.
Then, he strolled around the market.
Because many good things had been unearthed from the ancient cave, many cultivators had come to explore, and the market was bustling with people.
The most obvious sign was the increase in vendors.
Chen Lin came to a stall and was attracted to a spiritual treasure on display.
"Is this from the ancient cave?"
Chen Lin picked up the spiritual treasure, examining it while asking the vendor.