Immortality begins with upgrading buildings

Chapter 22 Talent

Ji Yuan nodded in agreement, and by the time he got home, it was already dark.

Just as he was taking out his keys to open the gate, the gate of the Lin family's house next door suddenly opened, and Wu Qin poked half of her body out.

"Brother Ji... Brother Ji," Wu Qin called out softly.

"What's wrong?"

"Lin Hu, Lin Hu went to Zengtou City with Deng Yunliang tonight, and said he won't be coming back..."

Wu Qin spoke softer and softer, and after she finished speaking, she even lowered her head deeply.

Ji Yuan was also stunned, even pausing for a moment when opening the door, but he quickly came to his senses.

"Perhaps something has happened."

Ji Yuan smiled and pushed open the gate to his courtyard.

"No...no, Lin Hu has been doing it behind my back. I'm worried they're doing something bad."

"Then you should try to persuade them more."

After Ji Yuan finished speaking, he went inside and closed the door. He could tell that Wu Qin's words had a hidden meaning, but he didn't want to get involved, nor could he afford to.

What bad things are happening in Zengtou City?

That would be a huge pile.

Furthermore, everyone has the right to choose their own path of development, and Ji Yuan will not interfere with other people's choices.

Looking at the locked gate of the neighboring courtyard, Wu Qin remained silent for a long time. In the end, she could only sigh and quietly close the door.

When Ji Yuan returned home, he first checked the house to make sure that the buildings had not changed before taking out the book "Introduction to the Way of Talismans".

Although Ji Yuan hadn't slept all night, he didn't feel anything.

For those cultivating immortality and tempering their bodies, staying up for two nights is nothing.

After studying for half the night, he finally gained some understanding of the art of talisman drawing in the cultivation world.

Drawing a talisman involves three steps. First, draw the talisman head and then determine the spiritual pivot.

Secondly, there is the spirit-locking rune.

The final and most crucial step is spiritual awakening.

It seemed simple... but it actually wasn't difficult at all. Ji Yuanxuan then took out his writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone from his storage bag and turned to the page on "Tranquility Talisman".

He first looked at it several times, and then copied it on ordinary paper. After confirming that it was correct, he finally picked up the bamboo brush.

The paper was hemp paper, and the ink was vermilion ink.

After spreading it out, Ji Yuan infused the green bamboo brush with a little spiritual energy, and in an instant, the brush handle emitted a faint green light.

He calmed his mind and began to write, following the example in the book.

Steady and steady, then he began to outline the shape, his brushstrokes flowing with spiritual energy, creating works that resembled dragons and snakes.

Ji Yuan couldn't help but feel a surge of joy; it seemed he did have some talent for making talismans.

But with a sudden thought, his brushstrokes faltered, and the entire sheet of hemp paper spontaneously combusted without fire.

Watching the talisman turn into ashes and disappear.

Ji Yuan immediately calmed down. What was being burned wasn't paper; it was clearly money!

After a while, Ji Yuan calmed down and picked up his pen again.

Having learned from his previous experience, he was completely calm this time.

Holding a green bamboo brush, he completed the work in one go.

Looking at the half-finished calming talisman on the table, Ji Yuan finally smiled.

In this light, I do indeed possess some talent in the art of talisman drawing.

But there's one last step missing... Spirit Awakening.

The so-called "spiritual activation" is to infuse spiritual energy into the talisman paper, activating the previously left spiritual power and making the entire talisman paper come alive. Only in this way can the talisman be considered successful.

After Ji Yuan calmed down, he picked up his pen again, made a light touch, and infused it with spiritual energy.

The talisman... was burned.

"grass!"

Ji Yuan looked at the dazzling fireworks on the table and couldn't help but curse.

There's no other way but to try again.

Fortunately, this was only the second talisman, so Ji Yuan wasn't too upset.

But then came the third, the fourth, the fifth... until all ten were burned, and Ji Yuan began to feel heartache.

Something's not right; something must have gone wrong.

Ji Yuan put down his talisman brush and silently pondered his recent experience. He was certain that the step of drawing the talisman was not the problem.

The problem is only with the awakening step.

When in doubt, consult a book.

Ji Yuan opened "An Introduction to the Way of Talismans" again and began to examine the contents of the book word by word... This one is definitely correct.

Before long, it was already dawn. Ji Yuan tried to draw a few more pictures, but the result was the same.

Looking at the small pile of ashes on the table, Ji Yuan finally calmed down.

No wonder the cultivation world values ​​lineage so much. Without a master, you can't even get started with drawing talismans... Ji Yuan rubbed his temples.

Should I also go and find a talisman master?

Talismans... Suddenly, a name appeared in Ji Yuan's mind.

Lu Wan!

She's a talisman-making genius in Zengtou City, and she's even become a disciple of the famous Master Wu Wenbin. Asking her about this little matter shouldn't be a problem.

I wonder if there's any teacher-student relationship involved... Oh well, I'll just have to ask.

If that doesn't work, then I'll consider becoming an apprentice.

Just as Ji Yuan finished feeding the green-yellow chickens and spirit pigs, and collected the spirit eggs to leave, he heard Deng Yunliang and Lin Hu laughing loudly outside the door.

The two stayed in Zengtou City all night and returned as dawn broke.

Judging from their appearance, they seem to be having a lot of fun?

But what exactly they were playing remains unknown.

Ji Yuan waited in the courtyard for a while, and only left quietly after the sound of the gates closing echoed from both courtyards.

He first went to Lu Wan's house and met Lu Song, his former uncle.

Perhaps due to years of pampered life and the fact that he hadn't been in the water for a long time, Lu Song, whom Ji Yuan remembered as somewhat dark and thin, had become a rather well-off middle-aged man.

Lu Song was naturally somewhat surprised to see Ji Yuan arrive.

"Looking for Wan'er? She went to Master Wu's place and won't be back until tonight."

The two families had communicated in the past, and Ji Yuan and Lu Wan had always had a good relationship, so Lu Song did not hide anything and told them the truth.

Having understood the situation, Ji Yuan then chatted with Lu Song for a while before politely declining the invitation to stay for lunch and taking his leave.

Lu Song stopped at the door, his hands tucked into his sleeves, and watched him leave.

After a short while, a woman's voice rang out from inside the house, "Ji Qingyun's son? He is quite handsome, but unfortunately, his looks are worthless."

The speaker was none other than Li Qiuling, Lu Wan's mother and Lu Song's wife.

However, compared to Lu Song, with whom she still maintained a slight relationship, she was too lazy to show herself, so even though she saw Ji Yuan just now, she was unwilling to come out.

Lu Song, dressed in brocade robes, shook his head.

"Having lost his parents, and still being able to break through to the mid-stage of Qi Refining at such a young age... that's probably quite valuable."

Lu Song had already reached the fifth level of Qi Refining in his early years, and over the years he has even reached the threshold of the sixth level.

In addition, he was a meticulous person, and being an old man with a keen sense of things, he still noticed something unusual even though Ji Yuan had concealed his aura very well.

At this age, someone in the mid-stage of Qi Refining either has exceptional skills or has someone backing them up.

Regardless of which one, it shows that Ji Yuan is not a simple person.

"What? You've reached the mid-stage of Qi Refining?"

Li Qiuling asked in surprise.

Mid-stage Qi Refining is quite normal, but mid-stage Qi Refining individuals under twenty years old are relatively rare in Zengtou City.

Add to that Ji Yuan's rare good looks, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him a young and handsome man in Zengtou City.

Ji Yuan was unaware of these things. After asking around, he finally stopped in front of a grand mansion in Zengtou City.

Those who can afford to live in this house in Zengtou City must be either rich or noble.

As a talisman master capable of drawing first-grade high-quality talismans, Wu Wenbin was naturally from a wealthy and noble family. Not to mention that he also had a group of disciples who could draw talismans, who would give him a considerable amount of money every month.

It is said that with his talisman skills, he could have joined the Water Dragon Sect, but he did not go.

Everyone has their own way of living. If he went to the Water Dragon Sect, he would only be a lowly soldier, a foot soldier, and be bossed around by others.

Unlike now, when they can act like tyrants in Zengtou City.

Ji Yuan knocked on the gate of the Wu residence. There was no gatekeeper, and the person who opened the door was Wu Wenbin's disciple.

Who are you looking for?

"I'm looking for Lu Wan." Ji Yuan bowed slightly.

"Looking for Junior Sister Lu?"

The white-clad man who opened the door immediately glanced at Ji Yuan several times, his gaze becoming less friendly.

Ji Yuan didn't want to put on any show of jealousy and rivalry over female cultivators, and besides, he didn't have any other feelings for Lu Wan, so he just said a few more words.

"That's right, she's my sister."

As expected, the white-clad man's eyes immediately lit up with eagerness upon hearing this.

"I see... Fellow Daoist, please come in. Junior Sister Lu has recently been trying to draw mid-grade talismans, and she is truly talented."

"Master is even preparing her to participate in next year's Water Dragon Sect selection."

(End of this chapter)