Starting as a Talisman Master

Chapter 271 The Falling Clouds Sect, Second Elder (6.1k)

Lu Chi put away the Xuanhuang Shield, turned around and stepped into the temporary cave behind him.

He sat cross-legged on the stone bed and, with a little effort, used his magical power to sense the spiritual energy. He immediately realized that the spiritual energy in this desolate mountain wilderness was indeed much weaker compared to the market town of Cangyuan City.

Therefore, it can be inferred that the spiritual energy contained within the mountain gates of the seven sects of Dali, which occupy superior spiritual veins, is perhaps even richer than that of the Taiqing Palace in the past.

After much deliberation, Lu Chi made a decision: he would continue his cultivation within the Seven Sects of Dali.

As for more distant foreign territories, they will not be considered for the time being.

In the cultivation world of the Great Li Kingdom, Nascent Soul cultivators are already at the pinnacle of cultivation. This kind of structure is just right as a temporary place for him to lie low, cultivate, and accumulate magical power.

Currently, Luoxia Sect gives him the best impression, and they have already extended an olive branch.

However, he needed to plan carefully before acting. He still needed to secretly contact and investigate the backgrounds of the other six factions. If he could find a place with better conditions, that would be even better.

Moreover, although Master Xuanchen was the leader of a sect and possessed the cultivation of the late Golden Core stage, Lu Chi observed that his qi and blood were withered and decayed that day, suggesting that his lifespan was nearing its end and he would likely pass away soon.

His purpose in joining the sect was to cultivate and collect spiritual items. If he were to be pushed out to take on the heavy responsibility of maintaining the sect the moment he stepped into the Luoxia Sect due to the sect leader's passing, then it would be a great loss.

He would absolutely refuse to take on such a troublesome and laborious task.

Lu Chi cleared his mind of distractions, closed his eyes slightly, and his divine sense silently emerged from his body, extending outwards and instantly covering all the movements within a ten-mile radius.

He examined it carefully and his heart stirred slightly.

Although he had only just formed his Golden Core, the strength of his divine sense was probably far superior to that of an ordinary mid-stage Golden Core cultivator, and was already comparable to a late-stage Golden Core cultivator.

This was only the state of affairs when "Water Mirror Reflects the Nerve" was still in its second stage.

He had been practicing this spiritual cultivation technique on the second level for a very long time. Now that his cultivation had broken through to the next level, it was indeed time to explore the methods on the third level.

The uses of divine sense are infinitely wondrous. If one can cultivate it to the third level, further advancing one's divine sense, it will surely be of great help in the future.

Thinking of this, Lu Chi slowly withdrew his divine sense and turned to look inward at his Qi Sea, carefully examining the various transformations of his physical body and magical power after the formation of his core.

He first examined his physical body. Although his physique had been slightly enhanced by the spiritual energy after breaking through this realm, his realm remained at the level of a second-tier upper-grade body cultivator.

Back when he was in the Foundation Establishment stage, this physical foundation greatly benefited him, allowing him to ignore ordinary spells and magical artifacts in battles.

Now that he has reached the Golden Core stage, his physique seems somewhat weak.

"It seems that the Body Refinement lineage has reached a critical juncture where it's time to start improving," Lu Chi thought to himself. "If I can refine my physical body to the perfection of the Bone Forging stage, I will have something to rely on in future battles between Golden Core cultivators."

"If I could break through to the third level of body cultivation in one fell swoop, that would be even more remarkable. However, to reach the third level, my previous cultivation techniques have reached their limit, and I'm afraid I'll have to go through the trouble of changing to a more advanced body cultivation technique."

He then focused his mind into his Qi Sea. The Taiyuan Profound Pill slowly swirled, its contained Profound Water Magic Power deep and enduring, far surpassing that of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

"With my current magical power, if I were to use secret techniques such as the Withered Wood Formless Technique and the Rotten Wood Shadow Escape again, its power would definitely be far greater than before."

"If I were to use the Four Phases Overturning Water Sword Formation and the Frosty Divine Light, which are compatible with my spiritual root attributes, the killing aura would be even more formidable."

He studied under the Taiqing Palace, systematically learning many supernatural and secret arts passed down from his predecessors.

So-called supernatural powers are methods that can only be created by Golden Core cultivators who comprehend the power of heaven and earth.

Foundation Establishment cultivators are limited by their vision and magical power, and can only barely learn and practice, never reaching the level of creating their own.

"Now that I have formed my Golden Core and entered the Realm of a True Person, and have mastered so many magical and supernatural transformations, perhaps I can try to create a supernatural power that suits me in the future?" Such thoughts suddenly flashed through his mind.

Lu Chi was well aware of his own limitations and knew that his comprehension was mediocre, so he did not force himself to do so.

This was just a fleeting thought that arose spontaneously; he didn't delve into it, but simply turned it into a fleeting idea and quietly kept it in his heart.

After taking stock of his cultivation and physical body, Lu Chi's thoughts stirred slightly, and the illusory image of the career panel that had accompanied him for many years appeared in his sea of ​​consciousness.

"Now that my cultivation has reached the Golden Core stage, it's time to plan how to use the skills on this panel."

Now that I have the support of abundant magical power, it will be easy to go back and refine those second-tier magical artifacts and pills.

Lu Chi knew that as long as he spent some time refining, his professional level as a weapon refiner and alchemist would soon be able to advance to the next level.

As for talisman masters, since they do not have the inheritance of third-tier talisman spirit seals, they cannot force it at the moment and can only wait for the right opportunity to accumulate experience.

As for spirit farmers and puppeteers, the former needs to painstakingly collect various high-level spirit plants and seeds, while the latter needs to wait to gather more precious refining materials, so their progress is destined to be a little slower.

Lu Chi's gaze slowly swept across the panel, finally settling on one of the columns, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly.

The position of array master is truly quite strange.

"Since unlocking this job during the Qi Refining stage, I've gone through two major realms, yet I'm still stuck at LV1, and the experience bar hasn't budgeed. How exactly do I gain experience for this job?"

Lu Chi pondered to himself, his mind filled with doubts.

This is truly a strange thing.

He has studied array formations for many years, and his skills in setting up and breaking arrays are now vastly different. Even though his stats still show him as LV1, he can now rightfully call himself a third-tier array master in the Qingming Continent's cultivation world, without any exaggeration.

That's why he values ​​the mage profession even more.

Upon unlocking the profession, he was granted two initial talents: Insight and Innate Nature. These have proven invaluable in his journey over the years.

"At only level one, he already possesses such practical talent. If one day we find a way to increase his experience and advance his rank, who knows what other miraculous talents he might gain—"

Lu Chi stared at the unmoving experience bar, a deep sense of anticipation rising in his heart.

"Perhaps by traveling more in this Qingming Continent, I can find an opportunity to advance my mage profession."

In the days that followed, he put away the Styx Soul Refining Banner, temporarily suppressed his various thoughts, and focused on cultivating some spiritual fields and spiritual herbs in his desolate mountain cave.

In his spare time, he would change his appearance and figure, sneak back to the market of Cangyuan City several times, secretly gather information from all sides, and plunder spiritual materials needed for various professions.

After several trips, I have collected quite a few basic spiritual materials needed for refining weapons.

However, the key material needed by the puppeteer, "Mysterious Yin Stone," is nowhere to be found in the markets of the Luoxia Sect.

He inquired extensively before learning that this stone was born from extremely cold earth veins, and within the Great Li Kingdom, it was only produced in the territory of the Demonic Sect, Tianji Sect.

Having made progress, Lu Chi no longer lingered within the territory of the Luoxia Sect. He erased all traces of his desolate mountain cave and quietly set off to travel throughout the Great Li Kingdom, taking the opportunity to gather more information about the Seven Great Li Sects.

As he traveled, the landscape of the cultivation world in the Great Li Kingdom gradually became clear to him.

This country is divided among the seven major factions, one righteous and one demonic.

The demonic path is led by the Heavenly Extreme Sect, which also has the Hehuan Valley and Xuanming Cave as its subordinate forces. The righteous path is led by the Tai Xuan Sect, with the Luoxia Sect and Linghe Mountain following closely behind. There is also a Hundred Crafts Pavilion, which is skilled in all kinds of crafts and crafts and maintains a subtle neutrality.

The forces of good and evil coexist in the same country, dividing up spiritual vein resources. Such a scene would be rare in Huanyun Continent.

"The demonic path in the Great Li Kingdom is different from that of other places."

Lu Chi concealed his cultivation level and walked through a secluded alley in a celestial city market, secretly calculating in his mind: "The so-called demonic sects here are not all bloodthirsty people."

"Most of the cultivators under their tutelage rely on the insidious nature of their cultivation techniques and their ruthless fighting methods. It is extremely rare to hear of anyone daring to imitate the evil spirits of the Jingzhao and Youming kingdoms, wantonly imprisoning the souls of mortals and using the flesh and blood of living people for cultivation."

It is precisely because they did not cross the line and did not do anything that would anger heaven and man that the righteous and demonic factions of the Great Li Kingdom were able to maintain a delicate balance in the same world, just like ordinary sects, despite their friction and struggles, and share the opportunities of this cultivation world.

While traveling for several months, Lu Chi also secretly kept an eye out and inquired from various sources whether there were any ancient relics in the Great Li Kingdom that could elevate one's foundation, like the "Cangming Secret Realm".

Despite their best efforts, they found not a single relevant word or phrase in taverns and teahouses in the city or in secret taverns that sold intelligence.

Seeing that this path was blocked, Lu Chi changed his mind.

He began to carefully gather information on the backgrounds of the high-ranking cultivators of the seven sects of righteousness and evil, as well as the traditions of each sect, in order to weigh which power he should seek refuge with.

He first eliminated the three major demonic sects. Although sects like the Heavenly Extreme Sect had not yet reached the point of perversion, internal strife was rampant, and the law of the jungle prevailed. Once outside cultivators were involved, they would inevitably have to deal with endless open and covert struggles, making it far from a peaceful place for cultivation.

As for the righteous path, the Tai Xuan Sect, as the leader of the righteous path in Da Li, has the deepest foundation, but its rules are extremely strict and it places great emphasis on seniority.

If a Golden Core cultivator from outside wants to join halfway through, he will most likely only be given the title of guest elder, which will restrict him in every way, and he will be constrained by it for life, making it difficult for him to access the sect's true core resources.

Linghe Mountain and Baiqiao Pavilion each stick to their own groups, with deep-seated sectarianism, and are extremely wary of high-level cultivators from outside.

"After all this time, it seems that the Sunset Glow Sect is still the most suitable."

Lu Chi sat upright in a quiet room of a secluded inn, placing down several jade slips containing intelligence records.

According to his extensive inquiries, the Luoxia Sect has always upheld the Taoist principles of moderation and harmony, and its traditions are quite upright.

What is most commendable is that this sect acts with integrity and is extremely non-exclusive.

Throughout history, the Luoxia Sect has always had guest elders who came from independent cultivation backgrounds. As long as they make contributions to the sect and have no intention of rebelling, the sect will treat them equally. The spiritual offerings they are entitled to will never be withheld, and guest elders are even allowed to access some of the sect's classic texts.

"Since there's nowhere better to go, let's make a trip to the Luoxia Sect. On the surface, it'll be to exchange for some high-level spirit seeds." Lu Chi had already made up his mind.

He concealed his aura and did not head straight for Luoxia Mountain, but instead returned to Cangyuan City Market.

After finding the Zhou disciple stationed there, Lu Chi stated frankly that he wanted to visit the Luoxia Sect.

The old man surnamed Zhou was naturally filled with trepidation in front of the Golden Core cultivator and dared not be negligent in the slightest. He immediately used a secret communication method to inform the sect of the news.

Master Xuanchen took this matter very seriously, and half a day later sent back a message saying that he would definitely welcome him at the mountain gate in three days.

Lu Chi calmly agreed.

During these three days, Lu Chi did not idly sit in the market. He moved slightly and secretly made his way to the territory of the Luoxia Sect's mountain gate.

He activated the Withered Wood Formless Technique, completely concealing his magical power and energy, making him appear as if he were grass, wood, soil, or stone, completely blending into his surroundings.

He hid in the shadows to investigate, carefully observing the spiritual energy flow of the mountain-protecting formation with his divine sense. Only after confirming that the formation showed no signs of preparing to unleash its power, nor did he see any traps set for him, did he truly feel at ease.

The three-day period has ended.

As the sun rose, Lu Chi changed into a blue robe, no longer concealing his presence. He activated his magic power, stepping on a beam of light, and arrived openly before the gates of the Luoxia Sect.

The Luoxia Sect's mountain gate stands between two sacred peaks.

The area was shrouded in mist and brimming with spiritual energy. Beneath the white marble gate, True Person Xuan Chen stood side by side with a middle-aged cultivator in purple robes.

Behind the two, more than ten Foundation Establishment stage elders and a group of core disciples stood solemnly in formation, having been waiting there for a long time.

A mysterious light descended from the sky, and as his green robe fluttered, Lu Chi's figure appeared.

Master Xuanchen smiled and stepped forward, cupping his hands in greeting. "It's been many days. Master Lu's cultivation and aura have become even more stable. This is truly a cause for celebration. My fellow disciples and I have been waiting here for you for quite some time."

Lu Chi withdrew his sword energy, returned the greeting, and said calmly, "I am unworthy of the honor of being greeted personally by the sect leader and fellow cultivators."

Master Xuanchen stroked his beard and smiled, turning to the side and pointing to the middle-aged man in purple robes beside him, introducing him: "Master Lu, please allow me to introduce you. This is Qin Zheng, the Grand Elder of my Luoxia Sect."

"Junior brother has always been obsessed with cultivation and rarely cares about outside affairs. This time, upon hearing that the True Man is visiting the mountain today, he specially came out of seclusion to welcome him."

""

Lu Chi's gaze shifted slightly, landing on the middle-aged man in the purple robe. Qin Zheng had a square face and a calm, composed expression.

Lu Chi's divine sense stirred slightly, and he sensed that the other party's magical power fluctuations were restrained yet extremely powerful, undoubtedly indicating that he was at the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm.

When Qin Zheng saw Lu Chi looking over, she immediately clasped her hands in a salute and said in a calm tone, "I have long heard my senior brother, the sect leader, mention that Master Lu is a man of steady conduct. Meeting you today, I can see that you are indeed extraordinary. I am very grateful for your greetings."

Lu Chi remained calm, slightly cupping his hands in return, and said in a flat tone, "Fellow Daoist Qin, you are too kind. I am but a humble, wandering cultivator who has only managed to form a Golden Core by chance. I am unworthy of your praise."

Qin Zheng smiled slightly and said nothing more.

Master Xuanchen stroked his beard, turned around, looked at the group of Foundation Establishment elders and core disciples behind him, and ordered in a deep voice: "Hurry up and come forward to pay your respects to Master Lu."

The crowd became solemn and immediately stepped forward in unison, respectfully bowing deeply and saying in unison, "We, the juniors, pay our respects to Master Lu."

Dozens of cultivators paid their respects in unison, creating a rather grand spectacle.

Lu Chi's gaze swept over the group of elites from the Falling Clouds Sect. With a gentle flick of his sleeve, he released a soft magical power that lifted everyone up, and said calmly, "Gentlemen, you may rise."

The Falling Clouds Sect has set up such a grand display today, even specially inviting the Grand Elder, who is in seclusion, to the mountain gate to welcome guests; their intentions are quite straightforward.

Lu Chi pondered to himself, "They're simply trying to demonstrate their sect's strength and sincerity. This lavish treatment is nothing more than a ploy to get me to agree to their recruitment offer. Fine, let's see what conditions they can offer today."

Master Xuanchen stepped aside and gestured with a smile, saying, "Master Lu, please."

The three of them walked side by side through the white jade archway. After entering the mountain, Master Xuanchen and Qin Zheng did not rush to lead Lu Chi to the main hall for a meeting, but instead slowed down and led him slowly through the peaks of the Luoxia Sect.

The places along the way are all imbued with spiritual energy.

Master Xuanchen knew everything about the sect, listing its hundred acres of spirit fields, alchemy fire veins, and even the array formations among the mountains—

He directed Lu Chi to observe.

Occasionally, when passing by a martial arts training ground, one can see hundreds of inner disciples practicing spells in unison, creating quite an impressive sight.

Lu Chi listened calmly to the two's explanation with a peaceful expression.

He was fully aware of the purpose of this arrangement. He had come today with the intention of investigating, to learn more about the true strength of the Luoxia Sect, so he did not urge them on, but simply followed the pace of the two.

Before we knew it, the sun was high in the sky, and it was already noon.

The three of them passed through a forest of purple bamboo and finally arrived at the main hall of the Luoxia Sect.

The interior of the hall is furnished in a simple and ancient style, with incense sticks burning in a bronze incense burner, symbolizing tranquility and focus.

After the guests and hosts were seated, Master Xuanchen took out a tightly sealed white jade tea caddy from his sleeve.

"In the past, during a casual chat in the market, I mentioned that there were several ancient tea trees in the clan, which are perfect for entertaining our distinguished guests today."

As Master Xuanchen spoke, a gentle stream of magical power flowed from his fingertips, drawing upon a spring of spiritual water within the hall to personally brew the tea. He then handed a cup of fragrant tea to Lu Chi's side, saying, "Master Lu, please have a taste."

Lu Chi picked up the teacup, gently brushed away the steam, and took a small sip.

As the spiritual tea entered my throat, it transformed into a wisp of warm spiritual energy that flowed along my meridians into my dantian.

"This tea is refreshing and invigorating; it is truly a fine product."

Sensing the calm indifference in his words, Master Xuanchen and Qin Zheng exchanged a silent glance.

Master Xuanchen smiled slightly and gently swept his long sleeve across the long table in front of him.

A soft clanging sound of jade stones was heard, and then spiritual light flashed on the long table, and more than fifty exquisite jade boxes and bottles with sealing talismans appeared out of thin air.

"Master Lu previously sent a message stating that his visit to the mountain was to trade a batch of high-grade spiritual seeds."

Master Xuanchen pointed to the various jade boxes on the long table and said slowly, "I ordered someone to carefully inventory the treasure vault and retrieve all the third-tier spiritual herbs and spiritual wood seeds currently in the sect. There are more than fifty kinds in total, which you are welcome to examine."

Lu Chi's gaze swept over the rows of jade boxes on the long table, sensing the pure spiritual energy of plants emanating from them, and he couldn't help but be taken aback.

My visit, ostensibly to trade spirit seeds, was merely a convenient pretext. I never expected the Sunset Glow Sect to actually produce over fifty kinds of third-tier spirit seeds in one go. With this harvest, my spirit farmer profession will be able to level up in a while.”

Seeing that Lu Chi's gaze was fixed on the spiritual seeds and he seemed to be moved, True Person Xuan Chen put away his pleasantries and became serious. He simply got straight to the point and said, "True Person Lu has profound composure, so I will not beat around the bush."

"Our Luoxia Sect has been established for over two thousand years. Our founding ancestor was a Nascent Soul True Monarch who left behind a legacy of knowledge and tradition within the sect."

"Alas, my talent is mediocre. Even after sitting in meditation for many years, I have no hope of ever glimpsing the path to the Nascent Soul stage in this lifetime. Now, my life force is withered and decaying. At most, I have another sixty years before I pass away on this main peak."

"The reason I invited you here today is to invite you to join my Luoxia Sect. If you agree, you will become the Second Elder of our sect, second only to myself and Junior Brother Qin. You can choose any of the superior spiritual vein caves within the sect, and all the books in the Scripture Pavilion will be open to you."

"Normally, there are no mundane affairs that would trouble you, Master, and the sect also provides a generous offering of spiritual items every year. I wonder what your opinion is, Master?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Chi's face showed a perfectly timed expression of embarrassment.

These statements and conditions are almost identical to what I had previously deduced. Since that's the case, I can simply respond according to my prepared response.

Seeing his hesitant expression, Master Xuanchen immediately comforted him gently, saying, "If Master Lu has any concerns, please speak freely. Since I have sincerely invited you, I will treat you with utmost sincerity."

Lu Chi sighed softly and said, "The sect leader's hospitality is so generous; I shouldn't refuse. However, I come from a humble background and have always sought only peace and quiet. Such matters of combat and killing are truly not my forte—"

"If you rashly assume a high position, I'm afraid you won't be able to shoulder the heavy responsibility of the Second Elder in the future. If you encounter a powerful enemy, it might even ruin your clan's important affairs."

Upon hearing this, Master Xuanchen and Qin Zheng exchanged a smile, their eyes showing a hint of relief.

He stroked his beard and said, "Master, you are overthinking it. A rogue cultivator has no one to rely on, and to be able to reach the Golden Core stage at the age of one hundred and fifty, he must have spent many years in seclusion cultivating diligently, focusing all his mind on improving his realm. It is only natural that his combat foundation is somewhat lacking, and my junior brother and I can understand."

"That's exactly right." Qin Zheng nodded slightly and added, "Our Luoxia Sect acts peacefully and rarely fights with others."

What my senior brother and I value is a true cultivator's potential and their devotion to the Dao, not a protector who only knows how to fight. Besides, combat skills can be improved through training.

Qin Zheng paused briefly before offering her final offer: "Since you have just formed your Golden Core, you must not yet have refined any magical treasures. If you are willing to join our sect, you can choose any rare spiritual materials from our treasure vault. My senior brother and I can also pool our magical power to help you refine a suitable magical treasure for your protection."

The sincerity shown by the Luoxia Sect this time is indeed substantial, almost identical to the situation that Li Qianyou had previously planned for Lu Chi.

In short, less work and more money.

Lu Chi thought to himself, "Since True Person Xuan Chen said he still has sixty years of lifespan, it means that for the next sixty years, the sect will have him, a late-stage Golden Core cultivator, to hold the fort. He only needs to focus on his cultivation."

Sixty years is enough time for him to further advance his magical power and hone all his skills and foundation. By the time Master Xuanchen passes away, his cultivation will be far beyond what it is today. Even if some trouble does come knocking at that time—

Lu Chi felt a sudden sense of clarity. He slowly stood up, his face solemn, and respectfully bowed to the head of the group, Master Xuan Chen, and Qin Zheng beside him.

"Since the sect leader and the grand elder have treated me so kindly and considered my needs in every way, it would be ungrateful of me to refuse again and again. I am grateful for your kindness and wish to join the Luoxia Sect."

>