Starting as a Talisman Master

After an unknown amount of time, Lu Chi suddenly opened his eyes.

The wooden beams of the roof came into view, and light shone through the paper windows, creating a bright and quiet atmosphere.

His first thought wasn't to get up, but rather, with a thought, the panel unfolded.

The familiar interface appeared, with values ​​and items listed one by one, without any collapse or disorder.

Lu Chi secretly breathed a sigh of relief, confirming that everything that happened last night was not an overly realistic dream.

His gaze immediately fell on the [Talisman Proficiency] section.

Below the rat-repelling talisman, a new line appeared.

Name: Lu Chi

[Realm Level: Qi Refining Stage 3]

【Profession: Rune Master Lv.1 (1/30)】

[Ice Arrow Rune: Beginner (10/100)]

"Completing one rune grants ten points of proficiency and one point of professional experience... By that calculation, wouldn't it take only a few days to advance to the next level?"

Lu Chi's breath hitched. Before the surprise could subside, an even clearer feeling spread through his mind:

How the brushstrokes rise and fall, how the spiritual energy flows, and where the runes should be gathered and released all become logical and natural, requiring no further deliberation.

In other words, with the help of his talent, he has truly acquired the complete method of drawing ice arrow runes.

As for whether a talisman can be created in one go without using the "burning of thoughts" method... that's another matter.

Even so, Lu Chi couldn't help but feel a jolt in his heart.

For an ordinary talisman master to improve, they must not only diligently cultivate their skills but also seek out methods from all over the world and repeatedly study higher-level talismans and drawing techniques.

However, thanks to his talent, he was able to overcome this hurdle, and many difficulties that followed were reduced by half.

Lu Chi was stunned for a moment before realizing that the light in the room was a little strange. It turned out that he had slept until the next morning.

Although there was still some fatigue in my mind, it was not sluggish. My thoughts were still flowing smoothly, and when I raised my spiritual power, it was only slightly weak. I did not experience the emptiness I felt yesterday.

Lu Chi silently weighed the options in his mind.

Last night, from the moment I completed the talisman until I was exhausted, it was only a little over half an hour. After a night's sleep, although I am not fully recovered, I am already able to get out of bed, walk, and circulate my spiritual energy.

Judging from this recovery speed, as long as I don't activate my talent continuously and take it easy by waiting a day, there shouldn't be any major problems.

What truly makes a talisman master popular is not a sudden burst of power, but rather this kind of stable and predictable output.

In this way, as long as the rhythm is right and the talismans are drawn steadily, the path becomes clearer and clearer as one slowly accumulates spirit stones and cultivation.

"As my cultivation progresses further in the future, the backlash and energy consumption of [Burning Thought] should decrease accordingly. At that time, the interval between using it may be able to be shorter."

Once the idea was made up, Lu Chi was no longer in a hurry. He stood in the room, tidied himself up a bit, and had already decided where to go.

Go to the market first and stock up on talismans at home, as you'll need them more and more often in the future.

After all, judging from this trend, his identity as a "talisman master" will be confirmed sooner or later.

The thought had just arisen when the warning talisman on the side of the door suddenly trembled slightly, and a faint ripple spread out from its surface.

Someone's coming... Lu Chi's eyebrows twitched, he stepped forward, and reached out to push open the wooden door.

The person outside the door was dressed in a short blue cloth shirt, the hem of which carried a touch of the fresh and lively spirit of the countryside, and his expression was gentle and composed.

When the door opened, his gaze lingered on Lu Chi's face for a moment before he smiled.

"You're finally awake, kid. I thought you left the talisman shop and, in a moment of despair, went to Xiangyun Tower to have fun and squandered all your spirit stones."

Lu Chi recognized the person; his name was Zhou Jinyan, who was slightly older than him and at the fourth level of Qi Refining.

This person owns an acre of spiritual land at the foot of Qingque Mountain, where he grows spiritual rice and spiritual herbs. After they mature, he sells them in the market, which is considered a legitimate spiritual farming business.

The two became acquainted because of his previous identity as a talisman repairman.

When Zhou Jinyan's spiritual field was first established, the most troublesome thing was that the spiritual energy would gather and disperse at different times, and the talismans used to suppress it in the field would often wear out and become ineffective.

Later, by chance, he met Lu Chi and privately asked him to repair and redraw some spirit-gathering talismans and insect-repelling talismans, which he then pasted on the ridges of fields and irrigation ditches.

Lu Chi didn't ask for a high price. After a while, Tian Li was relieved of his worries, and their relationship became more and more familiar.

As for the Xiangyun Tower he mentioned, it was a shop located on the east side of the market, a place for cultivators in the market to drink and have fun. Most of the people in the tower were female cultivators with good looks.

That place was expensive and easily disturbed the mind, so Lu Chi always kept his distance... Naturally, he had only been there once or twice by chance.

Lu Chi stood inside the door, exchanged a glance with Zhou Jinyan, stepped aside, and said casually, "It's chilly outside, why don't you come in and sit for a while, Brother Zhou?"

Zhou Jinyan didn't stand on ceremony, stepping over the threshold and glancing at Lu Chi as she went, clicking her tongue in disapproval.

"I went to Luo's talisman shop this morning looking for you, but I couldn't find you. I asked around and found out that you weren't there."

"Old Luo also said that you couldn't fix the talisman and made a mistake, so he left because he couldn't save face."

He waved his hand dismissively, saying, "It's just a little hardship, what's the big deal? If you have nowhere to go, come to my spirit field and help me manage it."

Upon hearing this, Lu Chi understood about 70-80% of the situation. Zhou Jinyan probably had something else to discuss, but the words "failed to repair the talisman" made him suspicious.

"Did he really say that?" Lu Chi asked.

"I heard it with my own ears, could there be something wrong?" Zhou Jinyan asked rhetorically.

Lu Chi paused slightly, then understood.

It's true that Manager Luo drove him away, but if people find out that the manager was heartless and ungrateful, it will inevitably damage the reputation of the talisman shop and chill the hearts of others.

It would be better to first address the issue to him, claiming that he was "short on his feet, made a mistake, and left in shame," thus preserving the shop's reputation while also appearing magnanimous.

Lu Chi felt a chill in his heart, but his face remained calm as he simply said, "What a clever scheme."

Zhou Jinyan was taken aback, her face full of confusion.

Lu Chi smiled gently and explained the whole story in a calm tone.

"You old scoundrel! Truly shameless!"

Zhou Jinyan's face immediately flushed red. She slapped her thigh and cursed, turning around to pull Lu Chi away, "Let's go, let's go get justice from him!"

Lu Chi shook his head and reached out to stop him.

Manager Luo was at the sixth level of Qi Refining, already a figure of considerable standing in the market. The two men were both at the third level, and even if they went up side by side, they might not be able to withstand a single blow from him.

Not to mention, this Luo Family Talisman Shop is owned by the Luo family.

If things really escalate, justice may not be served, but physical suffering will come first.

Zhou Jinyan clenched his fists so tightly they cracked, and after a long while, he swallowed his anger and let out a long sigh: "So frustrating."

Lu Chi smiled instead. He himself was able to suppress his anger, but Zhou Jinyan had exploded first, which showed his straightforward nature.

He stopped dwelling on the matter and changed the subject, asking directly, "Brother Zhou, you've come to visit today for more than just this, haven't you?"

Zhou Jinyan then remembered the main purpose of his visit. His expression softened slightly, but the anger between his brows had not completely dissipated. He snorted, took out a talisman from his pocket, and handed it over.

"My spiritual field has recently been slow to gather spiritual energy. Upon investigation, I discovered that the problem lies with this spiritual energy gathering talisman."

"I wanted to hold on a little longer, but now I can't delay any longer... I came to you because I want you to fix it for me."

Lu Chi took a look and already knew a few things.

He was familiar with this talisman; it was a spirit-gathering talisman commonly found in talisman shops.

Zhou Jinyan had taught him these talismans twice before, which were old talismans with broken corners and slightly faded patterns.

This time, however, the talisman was worn out, its texture was broken very deeply, and several of its veins were not flowing smoothly, as if it had been overwhelmed by spiritual power and then forced to continue using it, having long lost its talismanic meaning and charm.

Repairing it again is like patching up a broken beam in an old house; it might hold up today, but it could collapse completely tomorrow.

Lu Chi hesitated for a moment, then closed the talisman and handed it back: "This talisman... cannot be repaired."

Zhou Jinyan was taken aback. She took the talisman and glanced at it reluctantly, but her spirits already lifted: "I guess I'll have to buy another one?"

Lu Chi said calmly, "In the hands of an ordinary talisman craftsman, it might be able to hold out for a while, but in my opinion, it would be of no use, and the efficacy would be reduced to less than one-tenth. If you trust me, you should buy another one."

"I see."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Jinyan looked as if someone had hit him on the back of the head with a stick, and his whole body slumped down. After a long while, he frowned and muttered a curse in a low voice:

"But... this talisman is merely a low-grade first-tier item, yet it costs a whole spirit stone in that talisman shop! Do they really think that everything we rogue cultivators dig up from our spirit fields is a golden sand spirit mushroom?"

He carefully put away the discarded talisman, then sighed. Although he complained, he didn't throw a tantrum. He knew in his heart that it would be a loss if he delayed the ripening of the spiritual creatures in the field.

Zhou Jinyan turned to look at Lu Chi, hesitated for a moment, and finally said, "Now that you have some free time, if you don't mind, why don't you come with me to the fields to tend to the plants for a while?"

In this market, if one loses the source of spirit stones and has no connections to rely on, one's cultivation will naturally be difficult to advance, and one will also have to bear the burden of rent.

He knew this in his heart and clearly wanted to help Lu Chi.

Lu Chi paused for a moment, then smiled and said calmly, "Thank you for your kindness, Brother Zhou, but I already have plans."

Zhou Jinyan glanced at him suspiciously, raising an eyebrow slightly, as if she didn't quite believe him.

He remembered that Lu Chi came from an ordinary background and had not interacted with the people in the neighborhood during his years at Qingque Mountain. So how could he have made such a plan so quickly?

He pursed his lips, but ultimately didn't ask any more questions, only saying, "If you change your mind, there are always people in Taguchi who need help; just let me know."

Zhou Jinyan, being an experienced person, saw things clearly and assumed that Lu Chi was unwilling to accept defeat and was just being stubborn.

Lu Chi didn't argue a word, but glanced down at the discarded talisman on the table, gently stroking it with his fingertips. A slight thought stirred within him:

Since he can draw ice arrow talismans, could he also try drawing spirit gathering talismans, which are of the same rank?

If it were yesterday, he would not have dared to have such a thought, but after he used the [Burning Thought] technique to forcibly create an Ice Arrow Talisman, he gained some confidence.

When Zhou Jinyan had free time, he would go to the talisman shop to buy talismans, starting at one low-grade spirit stone. The shopkeeper was a bit unscrupulous and would even add a markup.

It would be better to try drawing one myself and sell it to him at a discount.

Spirit Gathering Talismans are commonly used items for Spirit Farmers, and they are consumed very quickly.

If we can use this as a starting point to gradually open up the path of Lingnong, it might just become a source of income.

Having thought this through, Lu Chi had already made up his mind. He didn't rush to say it, but simply took something out of his cloth bag and handed it over.

"Brother Zhou, why don't you take a look at this talisman? Is it to your liking?"