On the fifth day of school, we got the opportunity to ask questions. Immediately, a sea of hands shot up, ready to drown Elder Ma.

“Esteemed Elder, what will happen to our jobs? Will we still have to work during the Beast Tide?”

Elder Ma nodded. “Yes, most work will continue as usual, however, some places will have an increase or decrease in workload, depending on the profession.”

“What about hunting?” Another Disciple said. “Will we still be able to go out and hunt for ourselves?” He was one of the Outer Disciples, not even at the first level of the Spirit Accumulation Realm. I didn’t even bother reacting to the stupidity that came out of his mouth.

“If you wish to die, sure.” Elder Ma casually replied. “The Sect won’t try to stop you.”

The questions continued.

“Esteemed Elder, my family lives out there, in the village… What will happen to them, are they in danger?”

“Good question, that is probably what a lot of you are thinking, isn’t that right?” Elder Ma asked, and the majority of the Disciples confirmed it with a nod. “Worry not! We already had talks with the village chiefs on our territory, and each of them will host an Elder for about a year, or until the Beast Tide subsides. A few Core Disciples will also join them, so there is nothing to worry about.”

At the explanation, many guys and galls breathed out a sigh of relief.

It seemed that the Sect really took good care of their people. At least on the surface. Well, it was better than nothing. Without the protection of the Myriad Beasts Sect, all those small villages would perish, so they had nothing to complain about.

“What about the work for the rest of us, those that have no profession? Are there going to be any changes?”

“Yes! Many people will be needed to process the excess food and beast carcasses from our hunters, and the workload will increase. For all those that are willing to work, there will be no shortage of wealth to be gained.”

“Elder Ma…!”

“Esteemed Elder, I have a question!”

The Disciples continued asking a myriad of questions, and the Elder answered all of them calmly, but I got the gist of it. There will be plenty to do, and the Sect, having already survived a Beast Tide many times before, was well prepared to take hold of this rare opportunity.

We just had to listen to the Elders and we would be fine, and with pouches full of money by the end of it all.

I liked it, but unfortunately, I needed to step on the gas, not take it slow, if I wanted to do something with my life. That didn’t mean I had to be reckless, but I still had to work with a sense of urgency.

For example, not wasting any more time and go shopping! Yes, shopping. I had a whole bunch of stuff to buy, but unfortunately not much money to do so. I had two full Spirit Stones, but I was not wasting those. I needed to keep them in reserve just in case I needed to make use of the Thousand Faces Mask. I didn’t think I would need it, but you never know…

Luckily I could sell some of the various Ether Crystals I had in store to get some change. And, instead of visiting the Trading Hall where many people had already seen me, I decided to visit an outside market where various Disciples were exchanging used goods at a slightly lower price.

It was the best way to get rid of items of suspicious origin. For example, a new Outer Disciple selling cores of high-rank Spirit Accumulation beasts.

I made my way past many hand-made wooden stalls where Disciples were bartering for items, while some of them have just set their items on a simple piece of cloth on the ground.

Beast parts, various used armor pieces, some pills that looked like they were about to expire at any moment, Runestones, jade, gold and silver utensils… The precious metals in their pure form weren’t worth much, only if they were enchanted did they have any value, so I just ignored it all, just like the rest of the Disciples walking by.

“Beastly Blood Pill, just one left! Have an unforgettable night with your girl!”

“Gray Essence! Cheaper than anywhere else!”

“5-year Earth Ginseng! Accepting money or items of similar value! Increase your compatibility with the Earth Element for a low price!”

“Refurbished padded cuirass of Core Disciple Shi Ting! A silver beauty with defensive enchantments!”

Some things on display sounded interesting, but it just wasn’t something I was looking for, so I continued weaving through the crowd of people until I heard something that caught my attention.

“Thunderclap Translocation Talisman, save your life in a pinch! Firescale Gauntlets! Protection against fire and ice, as well as acid! Essence, weapons, and the best gear for the upcoming Beast Tide! Everything for your needs, here, at Fa Tian!”

Thunderclap what? I thought I heard the word translocation. Whas that what I thought it was? I needed to make sure. I pushed my way through the crowd until I came to a wooden stall filled with countless items and an Inner Disciple standing behind it, shouting at the passers-by.

I pushed away the curious onlookers that were there just to gawk and got in front. Many interesting things entered my vision as I came close.

“Hello Brother, how can I, Fa Tian, help you on this fine day?” The man behind the stall said with a smile.

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

I looked at the spread-out stuff on the table. [What is this?] I took a vial with small, pea-sized silver spheres inside.

He grinned widely. “Oh, that? It’s a Silver Essence Pill. For you, only 75 SSS each!”

[75!?] I almost shouted. [Why is it so expensive?!] I knew the price of Silver Essence Cores, and they cost less than this thing on top of being bigger. Was this some sort of scam?

The Inner Disciple quickly waved his hands. “Ah, you misunderstand, Brother, it’s actually quite cheap. This is purified Silver Essence. It contains less than 50% of the impurities than the raw product. You can absorb double the amount of these. It’s a great time saver!”

[Ah? 50% less? That’s… reasonable then, I guess.] Purified Essence? I was surprised, but at the same time, no really. It probably wasn’t easy to do.

“It is, it is!”

[Hmm… Still, it’s not something for me.] I shook my head and handed it back. I needed to consume less Essence, not more. At least for a while, so my body could detoxify itself.

“Oh… Well, I’m sure I can find something that you might like.” The man smiled like an experienced merchant and rubbed his hands.

[Yeah, I’m actually curious about something. What was that Thunderclap Translocation Talisman you mentioned before?]

“Oh, one of my finest products!” The man jumped and quickly took a scroll, handing it over for me to examine. “Here, the Thunderclap Translocation Talisman!”

It took the piece of paper and unfurled it. It was covered in countless words and geometrical patterns, something I was all too familiar with. A spell scroll, or a Talisman, as they called it here. With an interesting name, if I might add. [And what exactly does it do?]

This man, Fa Tian, began chuckling quietly. “Hehe, it’s a one-way ticket back to the Sect, of course! Instant teleportation to safety. Everyone going into the wilderness should get one, in my opinion.”

My heart began to beat slightly faster. He was surely joking… [A teleportation… Talisman? To where exactly?] I could hardly believe they had something so amazing so readily available!

“Oh, the anchor is somewhere in the Inner Sect to the west of here.” He said, seemingly reading my mind. “Don’t worry, its safety and reliability had already been tested hundreds, no, thousands of times!”

[Is that so? Hmm…] I looked at the scroll again. The Runes seemed familiar, but I didn’t know all of them, or what they meant. I was still too green in that department. But I wanted- No! I needed that scroll!

“Got some knowledge in Runes, Junior Brother?”

[I know a little bit.] I admitted and tried to imprint the scroll in my mind.

“Give it up, Brother. The Talisman has been made by a Core Disciple specializing in spatial Formations. You won’t be able to copy it just by looking at it.” Fa Tian said, shaking his head. He saw through my intentions immediately.

[Heh, I guess you are right… I have no clue what I’m looking at.] If it was made by a Core Disciple, that meant Golden Core Realm. That was decades of study. I couldn’t compete with that with my less than a year-worth of experience with magic if we count both my lives. [How much?] I asked and rolled up the scroll. I mean Talisman. I decided to take it. A life-saving Talisman, just in case.

“For you my Brother… 74 SSS!”

He was quick to give a price. I could pay that, but why not try to bargain first? [74? How about 67?]

Fa Tian frowned. “Oh, come on… I already gave you a great price. Not just anyone can get their hands on products made by Core Disciples, and so cheap no less. You won’t find another person selling Thunderclap Translocation Talisman so cheaply out here.”

[69?]

“Deal!”

This guy… He didn’t even blink before accepting my offer.

[Actually, I’m slightly strapped for cash. Would you be willing to trade it for this?] I said and pulled a Mountain Ape core out of my pouch.

“Hmm… An Earth Crystal? Spirit Accumulation Realm, huh? These are quite common…” Fa Tian grumbled as he examined the crystal up close.

I took out a few Spirit Shards as well. [I can add another 4 SSS for-] Before I could even finish my sentence, the Spirit Shards already disappeared from my hand.

“Pleasure doing business with you, Brother!” Fa Tian smiled.

[Erm… Well, thank you too.] I looked at the rest of Fa Tian’s stuff, but apart from buying more teleportation Talismans, the rest of his things didn’t interest me.

“Ah, before you go!” Fa Tian said just as I was about to leave. “The Thunderclap Translocation Talisman only works up to a few hundred kilometers from the anchor. If you leave the territory of the Myriad Beasts Sect and it doesn’t activate, I won't be held responsible.”

[Thanks for the heads up. I’ll keep it in mind.] I said and waved at him as I left, getting swallowed by the sea of people that were filling up the street more and more with each passing second. Everyone seemed to be hurrying to gather tools and gear to help them survive the upcoming natural disaster.

“Anytime Brother! If you need more of them, don’t forget your friend Fa Tian!”

If he said anything else after that, I couldn’t hear it anymore. I was already too far away, and the noisy crowd drowned out any intelligible noise.

I continued on my way through the street, selling a few more Mountain Ape cores at the same time. I already bought a life-saving tool, I just needed to get a good weapon, and maybe a pair of clothes that wouldn’t get torn to shreds immediately. Still gray in color though. Those were the rules of the Sect.

Having wandered around the place for a bit, I came across a store that sold clothes and combat attire. With the money I got for the Mountain Ape cores, I bought myself a nice comfortable pair of gray pants, a gray cloth tunic, and a wooly gray cloak, all of which were enchanted to resist cuts and tears, as well as able to block one attack of a Nascent Soul beast.

At least, that’s what the shopkeep said. False advertising? Maybe…

Anyway, I spent more on those clothes than I was willing to admit. Let’s just say that each piece cost more than Chity’s enchanted sword. But hopefully, that investment would save me from having to buy countless rags in the future, just for them to get torn to shreds in a few minutes.

Next on the agenda was a weapon. But not just any old stick. I needed something that could handle my strength and plenty of abuse.

I visited the armory where I could buy some. I went for another glaive, obviously, only this time I bought one that was fully made of some kind of silver metal alloy, handle included, and with a myriad of enchantments on top. Golden runes ran along the blade and the shaft, promising to keep the weapon strong and sharp, able to resist all but the toughest of monsters.

That probably referred to all below Golden Core Realm, since the shop was mainly selling stuff for Inner Disciples. I pondered if I should get some armor as well, but considering how my body was slowly becoming more resistant to damage, I decided against it. If even an iron plate was weaker than my enchanted skin, then the armors I could currently afford were a complete waste of money. Might as well buy one or two Silver Essence Pills for the same price as they would serve me better in the long run.

I actually didn’t know how tough my body was, I only knew it was difficult to hurt me. All those Essence Cores I consumed in recent days were all focused on making my flesh more durable. Manual Body Cultivation was supposed to be a slow and steady growth over many years and decades, but I condensed all of that into a few months at most.

It was too fast, and even though I didn’t feel any bad effects of such speed, I knew that with time, if I didn’t change my actions, I would suffer. Rapid aging due to excess impurities was one of the worst things that could happen. Actually, when looking in a mirror, I have noticed some minor changes, mainly in my face. It almost seemed as if the maturity of my body advanced by one or two years in these few months.

That was too much. I wanted to age slower, not faster! Wasn’t that the whole point of Cultivation? Longer lifespan and greater power? What was the point of living for centuries if you looked like an old mummy for most of that time?

I had to do something about it!