Starting as a Talisman Master

As night deepened, the lights of Fangshi East Street twinkled.

The Hidden Moon Pavilion is located at the end of the street. Two spirit lanterns hang in front of the door, their soft light like the moon, illuminating the furnishings inside the pavilion.

The pavilion mainly contained robes, headdresses, and ornaments, exclusively for female cultivators to purchase, and the air was filled with a faint fragrance of orchids and musk.

Lu Chi stood in the shadows across the street, gazing at the two spirit lamps from afar, but his steps remained still.

Upon learning of the fall of the Qixia Sect Master, he initially intended to retire.

A small sect with a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator as its leader is like a rootless duckweed, easily scattered by the wind, once it loses its pillar. However, he still decided to come and take a look.

What he lacks most right now is a stable sales channel. A talisman shop backed by a sect, even if it's just a profit-sharing partnership, would be a hundred times better than him waiting for a few scattered customers in his small courtyard.

Lu Chi took a deep breath, concealed his thoughts, and strode through the streets and alleys, heading straight for Cangyue Pavilion.

As he pushed open the door, a waiter came forward to greet him. Seeing that he was a stranger, and as if he had been instructed beforehand, the waiter politely asked, "Are you Master Lu? Manager Qin is already waiting in the private room upstairs. Please follow me."

Lu Chi nodded slightly and followed the waiter up the steps.

The door to the private room on the second floor was half-open, and the lights inside were warm. Qin Suniang and Cao Zhen sat facing each other, talking in hushed tones.

She had changed into a moon-white gauze dress, with a light pink gauze shawl draped over it, and a silver tassel belt tied around her waist, subtly revealing a touch of languid charm.

It appears even more elegant, yet carries an indescribable allure.

Upon seeing Lu Chi enter, Qin Suniang rose to greet him with a gentle smile: "Master Lu, you've come at just the right time. Please have a seat."

She raised her hand in a gesture of invitation, and her gauze sleeve slipped down half an inch, revealing a section of her fair wrist. The delicate silver bracelet on her wrist swayed slightly under the lamplight, making the light and shadow in the room even softer.

Why did you change your clothes so quickly... And Cao thief, where are your eyes looking... Lu Chi sat down calmly, his face expressionless, but a strange feeling swept through his heart.

The waiter served the medicinal tea and then quietly withdrew.

Qin Suniang got straight to the point: "What I said at the banquet earlier was my true feeling. Although Qixia Sect is small, it has been established in Dongyue County for many years and has a decent foundation."

"If Master Lu is willing to cooperate with our sect, the Qixia Sect will take full responsibility for the talisman shop, and Master Lu will only need to focus on drawing talismans."

Lu Chi did not rush to agree:

"I am aware of Sect Master Qin's kindness, but I have also heard about the current situation of Qixia Sect. With the sect master gone, the sect may be unstable. As a rogue cultivator, I am afraid I cannot help with the overall situation."

Qin Su Niang remained calm and smiled faintly, "Master Lu is quick with his information. It is indeed true that my husband has passed away, but he simply ran out of lifespan and went to sleep peacefully. There was no major enemy plotting against him."

"There is still an elder at the eighth level of Qi Refining in the Qixia Sect. I am temporarily in charge. There are many outsiders who covet us, but they can do nothing to us."

"If Master Lu were to join, it might not be a bad thing for both parties."

She paused, then said:

"Master Lu is a young man who has become a master of talismans and has a bright future. If he is willing to join the sect, Qixia Sect can give him the formula for Foundation Establishment Pill as a token of sincerity. In the future, he will also be given priority in the supply of cultivation resources."

With an elder at the eighth level of Qi Refining also in charge... this can indeed stabilize the situation... Lu Chi lowered his head and took a sip of spiritual tea, using the teacup to conceal his thoughts, but his mind was already racing.

At the eighth level of Qi Refining, in a place like Dongyue County where independent cultivators congregate, one can be considered a backbone force. If an ordinary small sect had such a person in charge, external enemies would not dare to act rashly.

Although the Qixia Sect has lost its sect leader, it is not completely leaderless, which is better than he had imagined.

Wait… what did she just say? Foundation Establishment Pill Recipe!

Lu Chi glanced at the beautiful woman opposite him without showing any emotion. She was still smiling at him, her eyes were soft, and the corners of her lips were slightly curved, as if she was certain that he would be moved.

This is indeed the case.

For cultivators in the Qi Refining stage, this is ultimately just the initial stage of drawing Qi into the body and nourishing the meridians.

Their lifespan is only a little over a hundred years. They rely on talismans, magical artifacts, and elixirs to fight, and the slightest carelessness will lead to their death and the dissipation of their cultivation.

But once you successfully establish your foundation, you will truly step into the world of cultivation!

With spiritual energy liquefied, lifespan increases dramatically to two or three hundred years, divine sense can extend to tens of feet, physical body is tough enough to withstand low-level magical artifacts, and flying, escaping underground, and flying thousands of miles on a sword all become possible.

In Dongyue County, Foundation Establishment cultivators are sought-after by various forces, and ordinary rogue cultivators can hardly even begin to grasp their path, no matter how hard they try.

Those old monsters in the late stage of Qi Refining in the market are usually arrogant, but when the words "Foundation Building" are mentioned, which one of them doesn't get envious, have a racing heart, and grit their teeth?

If we're talking about Lu Chi, the talisman repairman at the Luo family's talisman shop who mends broken talismans every day, then the so-called Foundation Establishment is nothing more than the most distant and extravagant desire in his heart.

With a low-grade spiritual root, mediocre talent, difficulty in obtaining spirit stones, and a slim chance of success, reaching the peak of the ninth level of Qi Refining in a lifetime is already a stroke of good fortune.

But things are different now.

In the path of a talisman master, as long as one steadily increases their level, accumulates proficiency, and unlocks talents, their output will naturally increase, including spirit stones, resources, and opportunities... everything can be achieved step by step.

Even so, the disadvantages of having a low-grade spiritual root still linger.

Throughout history, countless people have failed and perished before reaching the hurdle of foundation building.

The bottleneck is like an insurmountable chasm. The three stages of spiritual energy condensation, soul transformation, and physical body reshaping are indispensable. The slightest deviation will result in the body exploding and death.

Many people are stuck at the peak of Qi cultivation for decades, eventually developing inner demons, exhausting their lifespan, and turning into a handful of dust.

Foundation Establishment Pills are the best choice to help cultivators break through to the Foundation Establishment stage!

This pill can stabilize the Qi Sea, nourish the spirit and soul, and clear the meridians, greatly reducing the risk of body explosion during breakthrough and increasing the success rate by more than 30%.

The Foundation Establishment Pills circulating in the market are already extremely expensive, and most of them are incomplete versions. The truly complete Foundation Establishment Pill formula is a closely guarded secret of major sects and aristocratic families, and is not easily leaked.

Although Qixia Sect is small, it is willing to offer the Foundation Establishment Pill formula as a sign of sincerity... This gesture far exceeds ordinary attempts to win them over.

Lu Chi lightly tapped the teacup with his fingertips, not letting his guard down. His gaze was calm but carried a hint of scrutiny: "Sect Master Qin, the Foundation Establishment Pill formula is extremely precious, and I am well aware of its value."

"May I ask how the Qixia Sect obtained this pill formula? Having the formula, why does the sect still have no Foundation Establishment cultivators to date?"

Qin Su Niang did not show the slightest displeasure. Instead, she smiled gently, as if she had expected him to ask such a question.

"Master Lu, that's a good question. To be honest, this elixir formula was obtained by my late husband before his death."

"Back then, he was a peak Qi Refining cultivator. In order to break through to Foundation Establishment, he began to search for relevant pill formulas, spiritual materials, and opportunities from all over the place."

"The formula for the Foundation Establishment Pill was obtained by him after decades of painstaking effort from the ruins of an ancient cultivator's mansion."

"Before the ruins collapsed, he managed to bring out the complete pill formula, but he was also severely injured and his lifespan was greatly shortened as a result."

"As for why a breakthrough has not been achieved for so long..."

Qin Su Niang paused, a hint of sadness flashing in her eyes, but she quickly concealed it:

"Firstly, he forcibly broke into the ruins in order to obtain the pill formula, which damaged his foundation; secondly, the main ingredients needed to refine the Foundation Building Pill, the Purple Marrow Ganoderma and the Concentration Fruit, are both rare items that are hard to come by even once in a hundred years."

"He searched for more than ten years, only obtaining one of the essential spiritual materials, always missing the final crucial element. By the time he finally gathered them all, his lifespan was nearing its end, and he could no longer withstand the dangers of breaking through."

"The formulas for Foundation Building Pills are divided into ancient and modern formulas. The ancient formulas were developed by ancient cultivators. Although they are very effective, they have strict requirements for materials. If there is any deviation, all previous efforts will be wasted."

"The current formula is an improved version by later alchemists. Its effects are similar, but it is easier to make and the materials are relatively common. The one my husband obtained is the ancient formula."

"After I took over the sect, I decided to use this pill formula as a token of my sincerity to win over promising young cultivators."

"If Master Lu is interested, he can first have a look at the ancient formula rubbing. When he truly establishes his foundation, he can then pass on the complete refining method and his insights on improvement."

After listening, Lu Chi nodded slightly, his doubts lessening.

Ancient formulas and modern formulas, so that's how it is... He thought to himself, in the novels he read in his previous life, it was always about "ancient methods being more authentic" and "ancient elixirs being the best in the modern era".

But now it seems that the ancient formula was more demanding in terms of ingredients and more difficult to make, while the modern formula is more practical and easier to learn.

It seems that the cultivation world is not blindly devoted to the past; times always change, and there is always a reason for everything.