Starting as a Talisman Master

A cool night breeze blew as Lu Chi pushed open the gate to his courtyard and entered the quiet room, where he sat cross-legged. Han Jingxing's words echoed in his mind, and his thoughts gradually calmed.

Although the ancestors of the Shen and Luo families have gone on a journey, and the crisis has temporarily eased, the late-stage Qi Refining cultivators in these two clans should not be underestimated.

Sects like Qixia Sect and Xuanyin Valley, which focus on Qi cultivation, may seem to have similar strengths when it comes to the Foundation Establishment stage. However, if they were to truly compete with these two great families in terms of resources and foundation, they would probably be far inferior.

Moreover, what truly makes the Foundation Establishment forces so formidable is their resources and connections for obtaining "Foundation Establishment Pills".

If one day another outstanding descendant emerges from their clan, and the entire clan lends its strength to help them cross the threshold of Foundation Establishment, then the landscape of Dongyue County will once again change.

"Overthinking is pointless."

Lu Chi shook his head inwardly, suppressing these long-term worries.

At least for the time being, as long as he doesn't leave the Foundation Establishment stage, he and the Luo and Shen families won't reach a point of no return, a fight to the death.

Before any trouble arises, living peacefully and quietly accumulating spirit stones is the right path.

He untied the storage bag from his waist, did a quick count, and looked at the more than one hundred low-grade spirit stones lying quietly in the corner.

As the saying goes, cultivation, companionship, wealth, and location are all essential. In the pursuit of immortality and enlightenment, one cannot do without the word "wealth." The pursuit of spiritual stones cannot be stopped for even a moment.

In that case, we should start planning for the business of drawing talismans and refining elixirs as soon as possible.

The next morning, when it was broad daylight.

Lu Chi got up early, changed into an inconspicuous gray cloth robe, and pushed open the door to go out.

His purpose in this trip was to search for high-quality talisman materials in the market and attempt to deduce and draw a first-grade top-quality talisman.

Such rare talisman materials would be best entrusted to the Qixia Sect, allowing the Moon Shadow Pavilion to secretly collect them, which would save time and effort.

But after a moment's consideration, he dismissed the idea.

Qin Su Niang may appear gentle and charming, but she is actually quite shrewd and extremely perceptive.

If I were to ask her to purchase spiritual materials, given her shrewdness, she would surely be able to guess that I am attempting to draw a top-grade talisman.

In the unpredictable world of cultivation, revealing one's trump cards and progress to others is a grave taboo.

Furthermore, he had no intention of consigning the top-grade first-tier talisman to the Moon Concealment Pavilion.

These magical items are not only extremely expensive to make, but their effects are also considered the most valuable treasures held by various factions.

Take that top-grade "Restriction-Breaking Talisman" as an example. If its full power is unleashed, even the impregnable protective array of this market can be forcibly torn open.

Such a powerful weapon, capable of turning the tide, should only be hidden in the shadows, reserved as a life-saving trump card.

Only when life and death are at stake can a surprise attack cut off the enemy's retreat and save oneself.

Lu Chi used the "Hidden Shadow Transformation Record" to elevate his figure, transforming into a middle-aged rogue cultivator with a sallow complexion and sinister eyes, and quietly disappeared into the crowd of people in the streets and alleys.

He visited several large shops on West Street, subtly inquiring whether they had ready-made talismans made from the hides and blood of demonic beasts.

Upon hearing this, the shopkeepers all shook their heads and politely declined.

"They didn't sell any?"

Upon closer examination, the reasoning is quite reasonable.

These high-grade talisman materials contain demonic energy, making them wild and untamable. Ordinary first-level talisman masters are easily subjected to spiritual backlash, resulting in the destruction of the paper and the ruin of the talisman.

Since few people are interested in these items, shops are naturally unwilling to lose money by hoarding such obscure goods.

Since the attic was not for sale, Lu Chi simply turned around and headed straight for the independent repairman's stall area on the outskirts of the market, intending to purchase the raw materials himself.

In a secluded corner, he found a gaunt old man surrounded by a faint aura of malevolence who specialized in reselling odds and ends of demonic beasts.

Several tattered animal hides were haphazardly piled on the stall, along with a few blood jars sealed with mud.

Lu Chi squatted down, picked out a first-tier water-attribute demon beast hide that still retained some chilling aura, paired it with a small jar of the same source of essence blood, and casually asked the price.

"Thirty low-grade spirit stones, no bargaining." The old man didn't even look up, his voice as sharp as a ripple.

Upon hearing this price quote, Lu Chi frowned slightly.

The mere amount of unprocessed raw materials is worth the market price of several finished talismans, which is indeed quite expensive.

The old man said:

"Fellow Daoist, don't think I'm cheating you just because this is raw material that hasn't been processed yet. Although there are many spiritual veins in our Jingzhao Kingdom, they are mostly controlled by large clans and families. Where are there dangerous mountain ranges that stretch for thousands of miles and are teeming with demons for us rogue cultivators to plunder?"

"Occasionally a few powerful demonic creatures might emerge, but they would be easily killed by those high-ranking figures. These materials for entering the ranks of demonic beasts are the blood and sweat that demon hunters risk their lives to fight for in the harsh and desolate mountains and rivers of the border regions."

"Go and wander around this market. Besides me, who else can spare goods of this quality?"

Lu Chi sighed inwardly. What the other party said was true; such a premium was ultimately a result of the circumstances.

"Deal." Without saying more, he readily pointed out the spirit stones to complete the transaction, pocketed the blood, and turned to leave.

Upon returning home, immediately activate the soundproofing array and close the door to visitors.

The quiet room was quite busy throughout the day.

He first used a thin blade to remove the animal hide, fat, and leftover meat, then soaked it in spiritual liquid to nitrate it, and then cut it into square talisman paper; then he poured out the demon blood, added cinnabar spiritual powder, and used the spiritual power of the mysterious water in his body to dissolve the violent demon energy in it bit by bit, and carefully ground and mixed it.

By midnight, more than ten light blue animal skin talismans were neatly stacked on the table, and next to them was a dish of dark red talisman sand that emitted a faint bloody smell and glow.

Gazing at the batch of superior spiritual materials that had been painstakingly crafted, Lu Chi secretly calculated the number of talismans that could be formed.

"Even if such materials are used to draw ordinary high-grade talismans, the power enhanced by the essence of demonic beasts' blood and fur will far surpass that of items made from herbs, wood, or spiritual paper."

However, his willingness to spend such a large sum of money this time was by no means solely for the sake of a mere high-quality item.

Lu Chi took a deep breath, clearing his mind of all distractions. He dipped his brush in dark red talisman sand, held it in mid-air, and resolved to seize this opportunity to directly break through to the first-tier top-grade "Ice Arrow Talisman"!

This talisman is a variant of the water element, which is most compatible with one's own spiritual root and the "Taiyuan Xuanshui Jing" (a classic text on the profound waters of the Taiyuan Mountains). The brushstrokes flow smoothly and without hindrance.

More importantly, on the proficiency panel, this "Ice Arrow Talisman" is the talisman he has cultivated and immersed himself in the most since he embarked on the path of talismans, and it is about to reach the [Great Perfection] level on the panel.

Lu Chi closed his eyes slightly, and deep within his sea of ​​consciousness, the method of "Burning Thoughts" began to operate with a resounding boom.

In an instant, my mind became clear and empty, and all things faded away.

He lifted his wrist and began to write, the tip of the brush, dipped in dark red demon blood, touching the animal hide as if it were a dragon or a snake.

As the intricate runes gradually took shape, a chilling aura suddenly filled the quiet room.

Although drawing a top-grade talisman beyond one's level this time was quite mentally taxing, it was still more than enough compared to the near exhaustion I experienced when repairing the "Mysterious Seal Sutra Talisman".

Only the spiritual energy within his body was like water bursting its banks, being frantically devoured by the monster's hide and blood.

Fortunately, I had recently switched to studying the "Taiyuan Xuanshui Jing" (a classic text on spiritual energy). The deep blue spiritual energy within my Qi Sea was long, profound, and inexhaustible, which was enough to stabilize the violent, icy demonic energy at the tip of my pen and prevent it from drying up.

"Freeze!"

The brushstrokes, in their final turn, create a harmonious flow of energy from beginning to end.

In an instant, the talisman shone with a bright blue light, and a chilling aura that was almost solidified emanated from the paper, causing a layer of white frost to form on the table.

First-tier, top-grade Ice Arrow Talisman, complete!

Just as he finished writing and finished, the void before him trembled slightly, and a panel quietly appeared.

[Ice Arrow Rune (Tier 1) Proficiency +30]

[Ice Arrow Rune Proficiency Increased to Mastery]

【Ice Arrow Rune (Tier 1): Mastery (0/500)】

[Profession "Charm Master" Experience +5]

"Drawing talismans beyond one's level, the proficiency increased so quickly, leveling up in an instant..."

As the light and shadows shifted, Lu Chi had not yet regained his composure when that familiar sense of detachment quietly descended once more.

His consciousness seemed to be gently pulled by an invisible force, and in an instant, he was standing in that familiar and old stone chamber again.

This time, however, instead of thunder and rain outside the stone chamber, fine, cold snow was falling.

The white-bearded old man remained seated at the table, holding a talisman brush.

As the old man turned his wrist, with each stroke and outline, a faint frost would condense in the air.

Lu Chi's soul merged with it, experiencing the repetition of those thousands of times.

Every bit of spiritual energy allocated between the strokes of the brush, every connection of the talisman's foot, has lost all its deliberate effort over the years, transforming into an instinct as natural as breathing.

The illusion vanished like ripples on water.

Lu Chi came back to his senses and quietly looked at the talisman brush in his hand.

As I rubbed the penholder with my fingertips, I felt as if it were my own arm, completely free of any stiffness or unfamiliarity.

A sudden realization arose naturally in his heart: he had completely mastered the Ice Arrow Talisman at the Great Perfection stage.

From this day forward, even without activating [Burning Thought] to forcibly elevate his mind, he can still effortlessly draw high-grade ice arrow talismans simply by relying on the experience and techniques ingrained in his bones.

"Truly worthy of being a master..."

He suppressed his joy and closed his eyes to meditate and regulate his breathing.

Once the spiritual energy of the Xuan Shui that had been depleted in his Qi Sea had been replenished and his spirit had recovered, he took the second piece of demon beast skin paper and laid it flat on the table.

Dipping the brush tip in dark red demon blood talisman sand, with a slight thought, the [Burning Thought] was activated once more.

However, this time, the situation is quite different when drawing a top-grade talisman that is beyond one's level.

Previously, the stagnant nodes that required full concentration to deduce and the violent demonic energy that needed to be forcibly restrained have now been transformed into instinctive fine adjustments under the guidance of the experience honed through countless trials in the mind.

The brushstrokes flow freely, like clouds and water, completed in one go.

"Freeze!"

In an instant, a deep blue light burst forth, and a bone-chilling cold emanated from the paper, and the second top-grade Ice Arrow Talisman was firmly formed.

[Ice Arrow Rune (Tier 1) Proficiency +10]

[Profession "Charm Master" Experience +3]

Lu Chi let out a long sigh of relief, looked inward at himself, and a hint of surprise and relief flashed in his eyes.

Thanks to the feedback from the experience of the Great Completion Realm, I avoided many unnecessary losses of spiritual energy and detours when drawing talismans.

This time, when I painted another masterpiece, the pressure on my mind and the loss of spiritual energy were much lighter than when I painted the first one.

He secretly calculated that with his current foundation at the Great Completion Realm, if he were to activate the [Complete Brush] technique again... Thinking of this, a burning desire flashed in his eyes.

This means that as long as he has enough materials, he already has the means to draw high-grade talismans in batches!

If one also carries a few bottles of high-quality Qi-restoring pills to replenish the spiritual energy lost in the Qi Sea at any time, then when fighting with others, one only needs to unleash a barrage of top-grade talismans like rain...

With his current cultivation level of mid-stage Qi Refining, even if he faced those late-stage Qi Refining cultivators head-on, he might not be at a disadvantage, and might even be able to surprise them and make them suffer a crushing defeat on the spot.