Starting as a Talisman Master

The next morning.

Deep within the market town of Qingque Mountain, along winding stone paths and scattered houses, Lu Chi walked slowly alongside a middle-aged young man.

The young man's surname was Shen, he was at the first level of Qi Refining, his clothes were clean, and he spoke very politely. As he led the way, he introduced the young man in a low voice:

"Senior Lu did not approve of several places just now. If we want a spacious and quiet place that is also close to the patrol area, then this house is the only one that is satisfactory in the heart of the city."

After turning through an archway, a bright and open space suddenly appeared before me.

A small courtyard is built on a slope, with bluestone walls and an unassuming lintel.

There is an old osmanthus tree in the courtyard with lush branches and leaves. The ground is covered with fine pebbles and has been prepared as a base for the formation. With a little modification, the formation can be set up.

Shen Yazi pushed open the door and entered, smiling, "Senior Lu, please take a look. The original owner of this house was a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator. He went on a trip some time ago, so the house has been empty. The small array for gathering and storing Qi in the courtyard is still there. It only needs some spirit sand and spirit stones to operate."

He pointed to the side room on the east side: "This can be used as a quiet room for cultivation, where spiritual energy gathers and is not easily leaked out. The storeroom on the west side is spacious and has no shortage of storage. If you need any talisman arrays, you can reinforce them yourself."

Lu Chi strolled slowly, his gaze sweeping over every corner of the courtyard.

This was the fourth house he had visited with his son today. He looked around and, of all the houses, this one seemed the most secure.

This place is located in the heart of the market town, far from the surrounding alleys. Patrolling cultivators come and go frequently, making it difficult for idlers to linger. The terrain is slightly elevated, and the houses on all sides are inhabited by respectable cultivators, exuding a calm and composed aura.

Seeing his thoughtful expression, Shen Yazi added, "If Senior Lu decides today, I can help you negotiate the price. Although this house isn't luxurious, it's in a good location, which is rare for ordinary people."

Lu Chi raised his eyes and smiled faintly: "How much?"

Shen Yazi reported the amount: "Fifty low-grade spirit stones a year."

It's a bit expensive, but acceptable... Lu Chi pondered for a moment, then finally nodded. The rent was still within his means, and he now had some savings.

When Shen Yazi saw him nod, she immediately smiled.

"Senior Lu is straightforward."

He immediately took out the contract and the deed from his pocket and briefly reviewed the terms. Lu Chi said nothing more, took out fifty low-grade spirit stones, and placed them one by one on the table.

The spirit stones jingled.

Shen Yazi checked the documents and found them to be correct. He handed over the deed and then took out a small blue plaque from his sleeve and handed it over as well.

The card was no bigger than the palm of your hand, engraved with water patterns and clouds, with fine runes along the edges, and felt slightly cool to the touch.

Lu Chi thought of the jade pendant he had obtained from the thief last night, but it was completely different from the one before him. Taking the small pendant, he asked, "What is this for?"

Shen Yazi smiled and said, "Since Senior Lu lives here, he should naturally know this. The three great families have established rules in the heart of the market, and all cultivators living here will hold a tea party regularly."

"It is called a tea party, but it is actually a gathering of cultivators from the heartland. It is hosted by the three families in turn, and a courtyard is chosen for the seating. Anyone holding this token may enter."

"At that time, everyone will bring some items they have on hand, either to exchange or to negotiate prices. Most of the items traded will be of good quality. This will also provide a venue for cultivators from the interior to travel and exchange goods."

He then added, "Outer-bound cultivators are not allowed to enter without a pass. Since this is a quiet place, we must maintain some decorum."

It sounds like a trade fair for high-end people in the market... Lu Chi looked down at the token, its surface finely engraved with water patterns and faintly visible runes.

So that's how it is. Living here, besides the spiritual energy and safety, even the social circle changes. We're all just Qi Refining stage cultivators, nobodys, is it really necessary to be so xenophobic?

……

……

When Lu Chi moved into his new house, it was already evening, and the surroundings were gradually quiet, with the wind chimes under the eaves occasionally ringing softly.

He pushed open the door and entered, not in a hurry to tidy up, but standing inside the threshold, he took a deep breath.

The spiritual energy in the air was much stronger than in the old house. It was slightly cool to the touch, like a gentle stream slowly seeping into his dantian, and the pain in his heart eased a little.

This house is close to the spiritual veins of Qingque Mountain, so the spiritual energy here is stable, unlike the old house where the energy was sometimes strong and sometimes weak.

What's even more remarkable is that the courtyard itself contains a set of low-level formations. Although they are not particularly sophisticated, they are complete.

Lu Chi locked the door, flicked his sleeve, took out a few spirit sands and spirit stones, and carefully circled the corner of the courtyard.

The array patterns were not deeply hidden, falling into the cracks between the base of the wall and the stone steps, like randomly scattered gray lines, but in his eyes, they clearly had a pattern.

He walked to a blue stone in the northern part of the courtyard and stopped. The base of the array was beneath the blue stone, its surface slightly cool, and he could vaguely feel a trace of spiritual energy swirling within it.

Lu Chi squatted down, pressed his fingertips against the crack in the stone, channeled his spiritual power, and slowly urged it forward.

A soft buzzing sound.

The spiritual energy in the courtyard seemed to be gathered by an invisible hand, and the cool aura that was originally scattered everywhere gradually gathered into the house and the center of the courtyard.

The wind was light, but the blades of grass swayed slightly, as if they were facing an undercurrent.

Spirit Gathering Array.

At the same time, another, finer ripple spread out, like a thin veil covering the area, instantly isolating the noise outside the courtyard and even making the footsteps of the neighbors seem farther away.

Concealing Qi Array.

A hint of satisfaction flashed in Lu Chi's eyes.

Although these two formations are low-level, they are extremely practical. From now on, when he cultivates talismans and practices his internal energy in the house, he will no longer need to paste one silence talisman after another and repeatedly reinforce the warning talismans, as he did in the old house.

He then bent down to examine the array base more closely, his fingertips tracing the array patterns, as if searching for broken lines when repairing a talisman, trying to see if he could trigger the prompt on the panel.

Unfortunately, after waiting for a while, there was no response in my mind; no profession was unlocked, and there was no progress notification.

The path of the array master is indeed different from that of the talisman master and the spirit farmer... Lu Chi felt a little regretful.

A talisman master can hone their skills repeatedly with talisman paper and ink, and a spirit farmer can cultivate the fields year after year, accumulating experience gradually.

However, the art of array formations is shrouded in mystery. How to begin with array patterns, how to place the array eye, and how to connect the spiritual threads are all unknown.

Occasionally, array flags and array plates would appear in the market, but no one would readily explain their intricacies.

This path has always been mysterious, with no clear path, and one may not even have the qualification to try it.

Lu Chi withdrew his hand, slowly exhaled, but another thought arose in his mind.

If array masters are too far away, then alchemists are perhaps closer.

All that is needed for alchemy is a furnace. The alchemical fire can be ignited by earth fire or propelled by one's own spiritual power.

With the addition of a few medicinal herbs and the recorded recipes, one can try each batch one by one.

If one can become an alchemist, one will have another source of spirit stones. Furthermore, by combining this with the path of spiritual farming, one can handle both planting and refining, gaining greater freedom of choice.

With this in mind, Lu Chi made up his mind to find a pill furnace another day. He then focused his attention and went around to the back of the courtyard, where there was an inconspicuous open space.

He took out three small boxes from his storage bag. As soon as he opened the lids, the earthy and fresh scent of grass and trees wafted out. These were the three spiritual plants he had planted earlier: Green Grass, Purple Calyx Flower, and Moon Dew Vine.

Lu Chi squatted down, cleared away the soil, and then placed the three spiritual plants one by one, spreading out their roots, covering them with soil, and gently pressing it down.

He immediately bent down to examine the soil color at the base of the roots, and then parted a corner to see if the roots were broken.

The roots of the three plants were firmly planted, and the leaves showed no signs of wilting, indicating that the transplanting was proper and the roots were not damaged.

Not long after it was replanted, a soft, crunching sound came from the soil.

The moon dew vine was the first to stir, its sound delicate and sticky, carrying a hint of soft grievance.

"I want...I want..."

"Don't worry, here you go."

Lu Chi responded softly, raised his hand and condensed a drop of spiritual liquid, which he dripped onto the heart of the Moon Dew Vine.

Almost instantly, the Moon Dew Vine seemed to be awakened by the invisible force of water. The vine trembled slightly, and the veins of its leaves shone with a faint moon-white luster.

The vines, which were originally still somewhat green, swelled and lengthened at a speed visible to the naked eye, the tendrils stretched out, and fine silver veins appeared on the edges of the leaves, like night dew condensing on the leaves.

The "voice" changed as well; it was no longer a plea, but a satisfied sigh, as if it had eaten its fill, and quietly sank away.

Just as Lu Chi was about to bend down for a closer look, a line of faint light appeared before his eyes, hovered for a moment, and then dissipated.

[You have successfully cultivated a Tier 1 spirit plant, gaining +1 experience in the "Spirit Farmer" profession]

[Job Panel]

Name: Lu Chi

[Realm Level: Qi Refining Level 4]

[Spellcaster: Lv.2 (18/50)]

[Linnon: Lv.1 (1/30)]