Starting as a Talisman Master

【Simultaneous Strokes】: To multitask, to work on two fronts simultaneously. Holding a brush in each hand, drawing talismans together, advancing both form and meaning, achieving twice the result with half the effort.

As soon as the description of his new talent appeared, Lu Chi felt a warm current surging in the depths of his sea of ​​consciousness, as if countless fine threads were gently winding, combing, and expanding around him.

The feeling was not painful, but extremely wonderful.

The mind, which was originally like a soft cotton ball, was stretched, condensed, and became more transparent, resilient, and flexible in just a few breaths.

He subconsciously raised his hands, his fingers twitching slightly.

The innate incoordination that usually meant clumsily gripping objects with the left hand and steadily holding a pen with the right hand was completely gone at this moment.

With a thought, he casually raised his left hand, which was able to draw an arc in the air in sync with his right hand. The trajectory was exactly the same, the speed was exactly the same, and the flow of spiritual energy was smooth without any stagnation.

This... it was actually the direct outflow of divine soul power that transformed the innate constraints of the physical body?

He then tried tapping the table lightly with both hands simultaneously. His left hand tapped slightly slower and his right hand tapped slightly faster, but they were able to synchronize instantly, and the tapping sounds were almost one.

In the past, my left hand was not only difficult to coordinate with my right hand, but it was also a bit sluggish to lift it alone. Now, however, it moves as smoothly as an extension of my arm, as if it were my natural ability.

This new talent actually directly transformed his innate divine soul!

For an ordinary cultivator to be able to use both hands simultaneously, they would need to reach the Foundation Establishment stage, after their divine sense has been released and their physical body has been reshaped, before they could barely manage it.

Yet he's only at the fourth level of Qi Refining, and he already possesses such a divine ability ahead of schedule. What caught his attention most was that line in the talent description…

"Holding a brush in each hand, draw the talisman together!"

Lu Chi immediately stood up and took out two talisman pens from his storage bag.

One of them was an old brush he used when he worked as a talisman repairman at the Luo family's talisman shop for three years. It had an ebony shaft and a wolf hair tip. Although it had been worn smooth, it was well-maintained and had a steady and deliberate style.

The other one is a black bamboo brush I bought a few days ago at an old repair stall in a side alley. It is made from young animal hair, with sharp edges and easy control, making it perfect for drawing new talismans.

He held the two pens in his hands, one in each hand, took a deep breath to calm his mind, took out two talisman papers and laid them on the table, one on each side, and ground the spiritual ink evenly.

Lu Chi closed his eyes for a moment, and the talent of [Combined Brushstrokes] quietly started operating in his sea of ​​consciousness. His consciousness was divided into two like ripples on water, but he did not feel any tearing. On the contrary, he became even clearer.

When he opened his eyes, he held the old pen in his left hand and the new pen in his right, and put the paper down at the same time.

The left hand first dots the head of the talisman, the brushstrokes steady as a mountain, the right hand follows closely behind, drawing out the body of the talisman with the brush moving like dragons and snakes, light and swift.

Two pens moved in parallel across the talisman paper, one for the main shape and the other for the secondary meaning. The talisman patterns were like twins, layered upon each other, their spiritual meanings intertwined.

Normally, drawing talismans requires slowly sketching each stroke one by one, for fear of going astray even slightly. But now, with two pens falling at the same time, there is a mysterious feeling of "among themselves".

With his left hand stabilizing the talisman bone and his right hand outlining the spiritual veins, the meaning of the talisman did not become chaotic but rather more solid and harmonious as the brushstrokes intertwined.

The surfaces of both talismans tightened simultaneously, light patterns appeared, and spiritual power was contained within. Both first-grade low-rank talismans were completed!

"These Golden Light Talisman and Wind-Slaying Talisman are still at the beginner level on the panel. In the past, I could hardly complete one even with one hand and focused concentration. Now..."

"My spiritual power has increased dramatically, and all my innate constraints have been removed. My ability to draw talismans is now far superior to what it used to be. I can even use two brushes at the same time to draw two talismans at once! Yet the spiritual energy consumption is only one or two tenths more than that of drawing a single talisman."

A hint of barely suppressed joy flashed across Lu Chi's eyes.

While it's not difficult to get started in the path of a talisman master, the strength of one's innate divine soul is the key to truly going far.

He is clearly a natural-born talisman master, with strong innate spiritual power and unwavering focus, a level that others can hardly reach even after a lifetime of arduous cultivation.

My efforts to accumulate professional experience have finally paid off.

"My achievements today are entirely due to my own hard work!"

He carefully sealed the two talismans and put them into his storage bag. Just then, a soft chirping sound came from outside the door. The messenger sparrow had returned.

Lu Chi raised his hand and beckoned, and the spirit bird flapped its wings and landed on the table. The reply letter tied to its leg was already slightly warm.

He untied the letter, unfolded it, and saw that Zhou Jinyan's handwriting was as messy as ever, but each word was clear.

The letter recounted that Zhou Jinyan had asked several old acquaintances to inquire around the market, taverns, and Lingnong circles, and confirmed that the Qixia Sect elder at the eighth level of Qi Refining did indeed exist.

His surname is Mu, and his given name is Changfeng. He was the Grand Elder of Qixia Sect in his early years. He was aloof and rarely showed his face.

However, someone saw him near the Hidden Moon Pavilion a few days ago. He had a calm and steady aura and was indeed a great cultivator at the eighth level of Qi Refining.

After reading the letter, Lu Chi slowly folded the paper, leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes and pondered for a moment. Then he opened his eyes, having made up his mind to join the Qixia Sect.

The requirement of thirteen talismans per month is a trivial matter with the [Combined Brush] talent.

The materials were all included, which would save him a lot of money, allowing him to focus on cultivation and talisman drawing. Most importantly, it was the formula for the Foundation Establishment Pill.

Of course, he wasn't completely unprepared.

"After joining the sect, one must first secure one's position, and then secretly observe Elder Mu, Cao Zhen, and the true movements within the Qixia Sect."

"If there are any unusual movements, withdraw immediately."

Once he made up his mind, Lu Chi got up, took out paper and pen, and briefly wrote a reply to Qin Suniang:

"Moonlight Pavilion will open in three days, and I, Lu, will be there on time..."

After finishing the letter, he summoned the messenger sparrow again, tied the letter to it, and with a burst of spiritual power, the sparrow flapped its wings and flew straight to the Hidden Moon Pavilion.

After finishing these tasks, Lu Chi sat back down at his desk, spread out two new sheets of talisman paper, and took a brush in each hand.

Now that I've made up my mind, I'll take advantage of these three days to quickly advance the basic talismans like the Golden Light Talisman and the Ice Arrow Talisman to a minor level of mastery.

……

……

Three days later, the first rays of dawn appeared.

Lu Chi changed into a clean gray-blue long robe, tied a storage bag around his waist, pushed open the door, and headed straight for the East Street of the market.

The lanterns announcing "Open for Business" had not yet been hung in front of Moonlit Pavilion, and the main gate was tightly closed, with only a side door slightly ajar.

As Lu Chi approached, the side door creaked open, and a young disciple from the Qixia Sect came out to greet him, bowing respectfully.

"Master Lu, the sect leader has been waiting for a long time. Please follow me."

Lu Chi followed the disciple inside. As they passed through the front hall, they saw several rows of shelves displaying talismans, including many mid-grade first-level talismans, and he paused for a moment.

...There were already talismans on the shelves, it seemed that Qin Su Niang had already won over a talisman master before inviting him, at least a mid-grade first-tier talisman master.

The disciple did not take him directly to the inner hall, but led him to a side room.

Hot water and towels were already prepared inside, and a neatly folded black robe hung on a shelf to the side.

"The Sect Master has ordered that Master Lu change into this robe first. Moon Concealment Pavilion is just opening today, but the time has not yet come. This is just an internal handover. Master Lu can go see the Sect Master after he has changed."

We also have to wear uniforms, making it all quite formal... Lu Chi nodded without refusing, took off his old clothes, and unfolded the black talisman robe to put it on.

The robe is woven from black silk, with a deep, dark color like night. The cuffs, collar, and hem are embroidered with fine, hidden moon patterns in silver thread, with a faint, shimmering light.

Lu Chi slightly activated his spiritual power, and the robe immediately clung to his body, fitting perfectly, as if it had been tailor-made for him.

"It's actually a low-grade magic artifact... It can remove dust, prevent ink, and protect the body—three uses in one. That rich bastard... He's really wealthy!"

He walked up to the bronze mirror, glanced at it briefly, and felt a mixture of self-deprecation and satisfaction.

This appearance is not bad either; it's probably not much different from the legendary handsome Du Zhe Zhenjun, who was said to be the most handsome man in the land.

"Master Lu, please follow me to the inner hall. Manager Qin is already waiting."

The inner room was warmly lit, and Qin Suniang was already seated in the main seat, but she was not alone.

To the left sat a gaunt old man with white hair and beard. His aura, at the eighth level of Qi Refining, was as deep and restrained as an abyss. His robe sleeves were wide, and the cuffs were embroidered with the moon emblem of the Qixia Sect.

His eyes were slightly closed, as if he was resting, but he opened them the moment Lu Chi entered the room, looked him up and down, and a scrutinizing look flashed in his eyes.

On the right is a young man in his early twenties, also dressed in a black robe with a faint spiritual light flowing through it.

The young man had a handsome face and a hint of arrogance between his brows. Beside him was a jade pen, the tip of which still faintly showed traces of ink. He must be another talisman master from the Qixia Sect.

When Qin Su Niang saw Lu Chi enter, she stood up and greeted him with a smile:

"Master Lu has arrived at the right time. This is Elder Mu Changfeng, the Grand Elder of our sect. This is a talisman master recently invited from Xuan Yue Market. His surname is Liu and his given name is Qing."

"My brother Liu Qing recently joined the sect at my invitation, and he is a mid-grade first-level talisman master."

Mu Changfeng slightly raised his eyelids, tapped his withered fingers lightly on his knees twice, and then closed his eyes again, as if Lu Chi's arrival had nothing to do with him.

Liu Qing, however, was different. He immediately stood up, a self-proclaimed dashing smile plastered on his face. His gaze swept over Lu Chi from head to toe, and his voice trailed off in a slightly cloying tone:

"Why did you call another talisman master, sister? You always praise the talismans I draw, don't you? If there's another one... won't it make it seem like I don't have enough?"

Her tone was half coquettish and half tentative, with a rising tone at the end, carrying a sticky quality that gave people goosebumps.

Qin Su Niang smiled gently and said softly, "Brother Liu Qing, don't worry. Master Lu is also a mid-grade first-level talisman master. I invited him to join us precisely because I saw his potential."

"Both of you are practitioners of the Dao of Talismans. More exchanges and mutual learning will only benefit the Moon Concealment Pavilion in the future."

Liu Qing's smile remained unchanged, but her voice softened slightly, carrying a hint of sarcastic concern: "Oh dear, so you're also a mid-grade talisman master... What a coincidence."

"But sister, I inquired about the talisman masters in Qingque Mountain Market before I came, and it seems... I've never heard of them. Could it be... that you've been deceived by someone?"