Cultivation begins in Qingfeng Market.

Uncle Lin Tianze snorted coldly, interrupting him.

"I'll discuss your matter with Uncle Zhao later." His gaze was sharp as a knife. "Now, you may leave."

His gaze shifted to Lin Xuan, who was kneeling on the ground. His tone was somber and stern:

"Lin Xuan, since you broke through to the fourth level of Qi Refining, have you still devoted even a fraction of your attention to cultivation?"

He paused, his voice growing deeper: "Look at your cousin, three years younger than you, who broke through to the fourth level without using any pills. His foundation is incredibly solid."

And you? I told you to take two more years to mature, but you wouldn't listen. You were too eager for quick success and relied on elixirs to break through—now your foundation is weak. How much has your cultivation increased in the past year or so?

Lin Xuan also reached the third level of Qi Refining at the age of fifteen.

After struggling for a year without making a breakthrough, he finally chose to take medication.

Being reprimanded by her father in public, especially after returning from such a humiliating experience, caused her pent-up resentment and anger to erupt instantly.

She suddenly stood up.

Her originally pale cheeks flushed an unnatural red with excitement, and her eyes were filled with tears, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall.

The voice was sharp with anger:

"Didn't you tell me to befriend the eldest daughter of the Qiao family?! Among the younger generation in the inner quarters, our Lin family is the only one without a decent mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator to represent us—"

Now you're blaming me for not being skilled enough? Do you think I want to spend all day smiling and trying to please those people outside?!

Before she could finish speaking, she turned around abruptly.

The hem of her skirt drew a resolute arc in the air and rushed out of the hall.

Uncle Lin Tianze's face turned ashen.

His hands, clasped behind his back, were clenched into tight fists, his knuckles turning white.

Seeing this, Lin's father quickly stepped forward and whispered words of comfort, while giving Zhao Ziming and Lin Zhao a wink and waving his hand, saying, "You two go out first."

---

Under the eaves, Lin Zhao stood side by side with Zhao Ziming, who looked dejected.

Just as Lin Zhao was about to ask for details, Zhao Ziming simply shook his head bitterly, remained silent, and turned to go back to his room.

Lin Zhao had no choice but to go back to her room and wait.

About an hour later, Lin's father pushed open the door and came in, his face showing undisguised exhaustion.

Lin Zhao immediately stepped forward: "Father, what exactly happened at today's gathering?"

Mr. Lin rubbed his temples and sighed, "The two sides had a verbal argument, and then they started fighting. The scene was chaotic, and Xuan'er impulsively got involved."

Lin Zhao frowned slightly: "Didn't Sister Xuan go with the Qiao family? The Qiao family is a direct descendant of the head of the workshop and has always been neutral... Is it because of Brother Zimo?"

"I heard it's related to a guy named Liu Yifeng from the Golden Feather Demon Hunting Team."

Lin's father looked at Lin Zhao and said, "You know the demon-hunting team better than I do. Find out more about this person when you have time."

"Okay, I'll ask a friend." Lin Zhao nodded.

Liu Yifeng... that name sounds familiar.

The Golden Feather Demon Hunting Team—isn't that a force supported by the Liu family?

He suddenly understood the real reason for his uncle's anger.

It wasn't just a simple defeat in the fight; rather, Lin Xuan, in a moment of impulsiveness, unwittingly took sides on behalf of the Lin family, and was forced into the delicate balance of power among several major forces.

"There's one more thing," Lin's father said, his tone becoming more serious.

"Now that you've broken through to the mid-stage of Qi Refining, according to family tradition, you must choose one of the various cultivation arts to study. Have you made up your mind?"

"Talismans." Lin Zhao said without hesitation, "I'm only considering talismans."

In the early stages of Qi Refining, cultivators have low magical power. Drawing a talisman takes too long, and the recovery of magical power is slow, which will seriously affect their cultivation.

However, once you reach the mid-stage of Qi Refining, the time you can spend cultivating with pills each day is limited, so the extra time is perfect for learning talismans.

Moreover, among the Lin family's ancestral second-tier inheritances, talismans are one of the three major inheritances.

My grandfather and father were both talisman masters, so my family has a long tradition of talisman-making.

Mr. Lin nodded slightly, as if he had expected this.

He took out several jade bottles and a few thread-bound books from his storage bag and placed them on the table.

"This is the [Gathering Yuan Pill], a mid-grade first-tier pill, which will help you stabilize your cultivation and will last for a month. These are the basic texts and insights on talismans."

He paused for a moment, then said, "Get some rest early today. Tomorrow, you'll officially begin learning how to make talismans from me."

After giving his instructions, Lin's father turned and left.

Lin Zhao bowed solemnly to her father's back.

After the door closed, he gently picked up the book on top.

As my fingertips brushed against the familiar handwriting on the cover, belonging to my father, a warm feeling and a sense of determination welled up inside me.

---

The next day, in the shop's talisman-making room.

The air was filled with a faint, unique scent of cinnabar mixed with spirit ink.

Standing beside the large worktable, Lin's father was explaining the core techniques of talisman making to Lin Zhao.

"In the world of cultivation, the creation of a talisman is an extremely sophisticated art."

Lin's father's voice was steady and clear, "The complete talisman-making process is divided into three stages: 'drawing,' 'infusing,' and 'sealing.'"

"The initial 'drawing' required the talisman master to meticulously draw the many basic runes that constitute the spell onto specially made talisman paper in a strict order and with an exquisite structure—forming a complete 'prototype of talisman'."

"As for 'spirit infusion,' one must simultaneously and evenly inject one's own spiritual power into the tip of the brush during the drawing process."

Different types of spiritual energy must be precisely channeled into the corresponding rune veins in specific proportions.

When the final stroke is made, all spiritual energy must flow perfectly through all the runes, forming a partially closed spiritual energy loop.

"Only then can we proceed with the final and most crucial 'soul sealing'."

He paused, then emphasized, "We need to use a unique method to completely seal and solidify the constantly flowing yet extremely unstable magical energy within the talisman."

Different talismans require different sealing techniques. If the seal is inadequate, or the technique is slightly flawed—”

Lin's father looked up at Lin Zhao: "The talisman will be destroyed on the spot. The uncontrolled energy within will erupt instantly, equivalent to a complete spell exploding in front of you."

Although Lin Zhao was already very familiar with these basics, he still listened attentively, not daring to slack off in the slightest.

After explaining, Lin's father stepped aside and said gently, "Let's start with the most basic [Qi-Gathering Talisman] for the first time drawing a real talisman."

Lin Zhao took a deep breath and walked to the worktable.

A faint light swirled around the platform—a small protective array had been activated, emitting a soft glow.

This is to protect the talisman maker in case the talisman creation fails or the spell goes berserk.

The Qi-Inducing Talisman is a low-grade, first-tier talisman, specifically designed to assist cultivators in the early stages of Qi Refining in their cultivation. It is inexpensive and can be considered one of the most basic talismans.

Because of its low rank, it does not have high requirements for talisman paper.

Lin Zhao had practiced countless times on ordinary paper long ago.

But today is the first time he has put pen to paper that is real, capable of holding and sealing spiritual power.

The biggest difference between talisman paper and ordinary paper is that it can contain spiritual power—and seal it.