Simplification System: From Perfect Arrow Skill to Immortal

"Daoist Zhu, you're here early!"

Lin Chang'sheng had already sensed someone coming outside. He got up, stepped out, and saw Zhu Zhishan standing at the gate. "Daoist Zhu, why don't you come in and have a seat?"

"Daoist Wei, the Trade Market is about to open. Let's head there a bit earlier. I'll wait for you outside."

Zhu Zhishan waved his hand as he spoke.

"Alright, let me get ready!"

Lin Chang'sheng nodded, then went back inside to check his Cloud-Piercing Bow and Dawn, and slung them over his back.

[Detected: Purple Lightning Flying Needle at Perfection, Nine-Star Linked Beads (Archery/Stealth) at Perfection. Do you wish to spend 500 taels of silver to fuse these two martial arts of the same type?]

Lin Chang'sheng was just about to head out when a red prompt suddenly popped up on his panel.

"Fuse them!"

Lin Chang'sheng immediately clicked confirm.

[Purple Lightning Flying Needle (Perfection), Nine-Star Linked Beads (Archery/Stealth, Perfection) fusion in progress.... Fusion successful. New martial art acquired: Outer Heaven Meteor (Archery/Stealth)!]

Lin Chang'sheng clicked confirm. Not long after, a notification sounded.

[Detected: Outer Heaven Meteor (Archery/Stealth). For 600 taels of silver, you may Simplify. Simplify?]

At this moment, the prompt popped up again.

"Simplify!"

Lin Chang'sheng clicked confirm on the spot.

[Great Dao is Simple: Simplifying new martial art, Outer Heaven Meteor (Archery/Stealth).... Simplification successful.... Outer Heaven Meteor (Archery/Stealth) = Stargazing!]

A red notification popped up again.

"Huh? Stargazing?"

Seeing the result of the simplification, Lin Chang'sheng was a little taken aback.

You can only see stars at night, so he'd have to wait until then.

He left Xiaobai at home, stepped out the door, and saw Zhu Zhishan pulling out two ghost-face masks. He handed one over and said, "The Trade Market's full of all sorts— a real jumble. People's hearts are unpredictable. Better put this on so we're safer before heading in."

"Thanks, Daoist Zhu, you've thought of everything."

Lin Chang'sheng cupped his fists at Zhu Zhishan. He'd been about to ask him that exact question.

With that, the two of them headed off toward the Trade Market together.

.......

Independent Practitioner Marketplace.

It was set up fifty miles south of Jinyong City, on a valley plateau ten miles from the main road.

"Daoist Wei, the Marketplace is for loose cultivators, and while most are low tier, we'll see people from the Yu Kingdom, Southern Barbarians, and even some from the neighboring Zhao Kingdom. There are at least three at the Qi Refining Fourth Layer here."

"Especially those from the Southern Barbarians— they'll smash faces at the drop of a hat! Just play it careful and keep your head down if you want to stay out of trouble!"

Zhu Zhishan was putting on his ghost-face mask as he gave Lin Chang'sheng the rundown.

"Thanks for the warning!"

Lin Chang'sheng nodded in acknowledgment.

He was only at Qi Refining Third Layer, still a quarter of the experience points away from advancing to the 4th Layer, so it paid to stay cautious.

Both were cultivators, so they moved like lightning— arriving at the Marketplace in no time.

What met their eyes—

was a wide stone platform in the valley, with white stone slabs laid everywhere. Over fifty cultivators were already here— men and women, old and young, some tall, some short, fat or skinny, but each one radiating magical power.

Most were at Qi Refining First or Second Layer, with a few at Third— all masked, sitting cross-legged with a cloth or piece of beast-hide spread out in front of them, showing off elixirs, talismans, magical artifacts— all sorts of stuff.

Now and then, another shadow would dart in, pick a spot, and set up a stall.

Lin Chang'sheng had already suppressed his cultivation aura to look like just a Qi Refining Second Layer guy.

"Daoist Wei, you can go check out other people's wares first, and if you want, find a spot yourself and trade whatever junk you've got for some spirit stones. I'm gonna go look around over there..."

Here, Zhu Zhishan cupped his hands to Lin Chang'sheng, said his piece, and went off to browse other stalls on his own.

Lin Chang'sheng returned the gesture, then turned his attention to a stall nearby.

This one was run by an old guy in his fifties, at Qi Refining Third Layer. On the tiger-skin in front of him, he'd laid out three handwritten registers— actually three cultivation immortality techniques: Water Element Technique, Water Arrow Skill, and Ice Armor Technique.

The writing on all three looked fresh.

"Daoist, looking to buy cultivation techniques? Water Element Technique's 5 spirit stones! The other two spells together, also 5 spirit stones! Interested?"

When Lin Chang'sheng glanced over, the old man immediately piped up enthusiastically.

"Thanks. I'm just browsing,"

Lin Chang'sheng waved him off. He already had Fire Element Technique. If he bought something, it'd be higher-level stuff in the future to boost his experience points faster.

Besides, he didn't have any spirit stones anyway.

Lin Chang'sheng spotted a couple selling talismans— palm-sized ones that gave off faint waves of spiritual power: Ice Arrow Talismans, Fire Bomb Talismans, Wind Blade Talismans, Wood Shield Talismans— he didn't bother asking the price. Without stones, window shopping was all he could do.

He also saw someone checking out a battered magical artifact blade at another stall, runes still faintly etched on the surface. The seller wanted 18 spirit stones, but the buyer thought it was a rip-off and didn't go for it.

"Huh? Somebody selling elixirs?"

Suddenly, Lin Chang'sheng spotted a tall, muscular guy wearing a tiger mask— looked like Qi Refining Third Layer, early stage— with a little grey pouch on his waist. On the ground before him were a few bottles of Qi Condensing Pills, a few bottles of Dragon Blood Pills, with five or six cultivators at Qi Refining First and Second Layer crowded around asking for prices.

And Lin Chang'sheng could tell— the guy's Dragon Blood Pills weren't even as good as his own.

"Six Dragon Blood Pills for one spirit stone? One Qi Condensing Pill for two spirit stones?"

"So a Qi Condensing Pill is worth twelve times a Dragon Blood Pill?"

"Does that mean a Qi Condensing Pill is twelve times as effective as a Dragon Blood Pill? If that's the case, if I could get my hands on one..."

Standing to the side listening in as the stall-keeper explained, Lin Chang'sheng worked out the prices.

One Dragon Blood Pill restored 70 experience points. If a Qi Condensing Pill really was twelve times that, one would be worth over 800 experience points!

He still needed 3,000 more experience points to advance from Qi Refining Third to Fourth Layer. So, if he got four Qi Condensing Pills, he'd make his breakthrough!

At that point, he'd be a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator!

"I'll set up a stall too, and sell my Dragon Blood Pills!"

Thinking that, Lin Chang'sheng was filled with anticipation. He had 50 Dragon Blood Pills on him. By that rate, he could trade for 8 spirit stones, with 2 pills to spare!

He found an empty spot on the edge, unfolded a three-foot cloth, and laid out five bottles of Dragon Blood Pills right in front of him.

"What's this? Dragon Blood Pills for sale here too? These ones look even better than the other guy's!"

Soon enough, a Qi Refining Second Layer cultivator in a clown mask came over, squatted, and asked, "Daoist, how much for your Dragon Blood Pills?"

"Six for one spirit stone,"

Lin Chang'sheng replied.

"Two spirit stones for fourteen!"

The clown-masked cultivator thought for a moment, then said in a low voice.

"Daoist, you see the quality yourself— going rate is six for one spirit stone! I'm just selling for a friend, too!"

Lin Chang'sheng put on a troubled face. "Tell you what, there's 49 pills here. If you take them all, you can have them for 8 spirit stones!"

If someone bought the lot, tossing in an extra pill was fine.

Makes life easier.

With 8 spirit stones, he could spend 2 to simplify Fire Element Technique and Fire Bomb Technique, then 6 to buy 3 Qi Condensing Pills— sounds like he'd be set to hit his next breakthrough.

"Never mind, I'll just take twelve,"

The clown cultivator hesitated, then finally pulled out 2 gleaming spirit stones and handed them over.

"Deal!"

Lin Chang'sheng poured out twelve Dragon Blood Pills for him, took the two spirit stones, and completed the transaction.

He inspected his new spirit stones— about two inches long, nearly an inch wide, gleaming white and buttery smooth.

"Finally got spirit stones!"

Lin Chang'sheng admired them for a moment before tucking them into his shirt. Before long, another cultivator came over to ask about Dragon Blood Pills.

In no time, Lin Chang'sheng's Dragon Blood Pills were all gone, with only two left. He planned to buy three Qi Condensing Pills, then go back and simplify Fire Element Technique and Fire Bomb Technique.

Just then—

Five zhang away, that tall, muscular cultivator in the tiger mask glanced at Lin Chang'sheng's stall, his gaze ice-cold. He muttered under his breath, "No wonder I can't sell my Dragon Blood Pills! You're stealing my business, and you're dead meat!"