Starting as a Talisman Master

Several attendant disciples nimbly carried up two tables, neatly arranged the cut talisman paper, the properly mixed spirit sand, and the talisman brush, and then respectfully withdrew.

Wei Hongxing walked to the table on the left, stroked his gray beard, glanced at Lu Chi sideways, and said slowly, "Young friend Lu, we are both cultivators, and time is precious. How about we each use a talisman to determine the winner today?"

Seeing Lu Chi nod, he smiled slightly and continued, "I wonder if young friend Lu plans to draw the well-known Ice Arrow Talisman today, or the recently popular Golden Light Talisman and Spirit Gathering Talisman? In terms of the skill level of these talismans, Lu is indeed considered one of the best among his peers."

Upon hearing these words, Lu Chi secretly sneered.

The fact that the other party could casually point out the talismans he was most proficient in clearly showed that they had thoroughly investigated his background beforehand, and their intention to come prepared was all too obvious.

He remained unmoved, only replying calmly, "This junior has not yet decided. Since Senior Wei is of such high rank and seniority, why don't you take the lead and set an example for this junior to broaden his horizons?"

Wei Hong's breath hitched slightly, and his hand stroking his beard paused for a beat.

In martial arts competitions, the one who strikes first is often more likely to reveal their hand, making them vulnerable to counter-attacks from the next opponent.

He had intended to provoke the young man with words, hoping to make Lu Chi reveal his true strength, but he didn't expect the kid to be so composed and instead kick the ball back to his own feet.

However, this hesitation only lasted for a moment.

Wei Hong thought to himself, according to the information given by Mu Changfeng, Lu Chi had only obtained a certain inheritance by chance, and could barely make a high-grade talisman in a month.

Now, making a talisman in front of everyone is uncertain whether it will be successful, let alone competing with one's own foundation.

"Very well." Wei Hong smiled smugly. "Since that's the case, I'll take the liberty of starting first and writing this down, just to offer a starting point for young friend Lu's further exploration."

Lu Chi remained calm and simply raised his hand slightly in a gesture of "please".

The old man looked confident and fearless, which piqued his interest. He wanted to take this opportunity to see what tricks this man was up to.

Wei Hong did not rush to pick up his pen. Instead, he turned around, faced the many independent cultivators who had gathered in the hall, cupped his hands in greeting, and said loudly:

"Fellow practitioners, what I am about to draw today is not the ordinary talisman commonly found in the market. Rather, it is a new talisman that I created during my recent period of seclusion and intensive cultivation, which I had a sudden inspiration to deduce—the 'Golden Fiery Blade Talisman'."

"Once activated, this talisman will not only provide a shield of golden energy to protect the body, but also unleash a fiery blade to injure the enemy when attacked. After I complete the talisman today, I will put it for sale in our Moon Concealment Pavilion. If you are interested, please come and buy it."

A low murmur rippled through the front hall. The cultivators exchanged bewildered glances, their expressions a mixture of surprise and disbelief.

Ordinary talisman masters learn talismans by copying the talisman books and diagrams passed down from their predecessors, trying to imitate them exactly. If they deviate even slightly, the spiritual energy will backfire and destroy the talisman paper.

To decipher the rune's structure and create a new rune technique that combines offense and defense from scratch, one must possess an extremely profound understanding of the Dao of Runes.

Such a thing would be understandable if done by a Foundation Establishment or Core Formation stage senior, but for a mere Qi Refining stage cultivator, it is simply a fantasy.

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

He had just mastered several talismans a few days ago and had vaguely grasped the threshold of deconstructing the talisman's framework. Because of this, he understood better than others just how difficult it was to "create his own talismans".

"That old rascal...could it be that he's a late bloomer who's suddenly had an epiphany?"

Lu Chi pondered to himself, his previously casual gaze gradually becoming focused, fixing on Wei Hong's actions in front of the desk.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Wei Hong calmed his mind and slowly circulated his Qi Refining Level 6 spiritual power.

He dipped his brush in spirit sand, his wrist hovering in the air, and the brush tip landed steadily on the paper.

It must be said that although this old thief was arrogant, his skills were indeed solid.

With each stroke of the brush, spiritual energy flowed evenly, and the numerous complex turns and outlines were executed without the slightest hesitation, clearly demonstrating a long period of immersion in the art of talismans.

After about half an incense stick's time, Wei Hong paused, his fingertips releasing a slight burst of spiritual energy, and the talisman's base was perfectly finished.

"Freeze!"

With a low shout, a faint glow, a mixture of dark gold and crimson, appeared on the talisman.

Immediately afterwards, a powerful and intense surge of spiritual energy emanated from the paper.

On the table, an unfamiliar, high-grade talisman steadily took shape.

Wei Hong picked up the newly drawn "Golden Flame Blade Talisman," infused it with spiritual power, and activated it on the spot.

In an instant, golden and crimson light intertwined, and a thick layer of dark gold energy instantly transformed into a shield that enveloped him.

Immediately afterwards, he flicked his finger, and a layer of firelight "hissed" on the surface of the shield. Several flaming blades, each about a foot long, shot out and struck the spirit-testing pillar of the talisman-testing platform, leaving behind charred slash marks.

The combination of offense and defense yielded results exactly as he had predicted.

The cultivators in the front hall were silent for a moment, then burst into suppressed exclamations and praises.

Such wondrous new talismans have never been seen in talisman shops, not only in Qingque Mountain Market, but also in the surrounding major markets.

The crowd's gazes toward Wei Hong immediately became much more fervent, and they all cupped their hands in praise of Master Wei's exceptional talent, truly befitting a renowned veteran talisman master.

Seeing that the situation was settled, Mu Changfeng stroked his beard and laughed, his words tinged with mockery: "With Master Wei's talisman, my Moon Shadow Pavilion will finally have a solid foundation to stand on in Qingque Mountain."

In his view, the outcome of this game had already been decided.

Even if Lu Chi could draw a high-grade talisman on the spot, its rarity and effectiveness would certainly not be comparable to the talisman created by Wei Hong.

Qin Su Niang's jade-like hand tightened slightly in her sleeve. Although she maintained a calm expression, her heart sank a little.

She was not a talisman master and did not know how difficult it was to "create one's own" in the talismanic arts. However, judging from the amazed reactions of the rogue cultivators around her and the look of surprise and furrowed brows on Liu Qing's face, she knew that this matter was no small thing.

After Wei Hongcheng completed the talisman, the intertwined dark gold and crimson spiritual light had not completely dissipated.

He leisurely placed the talisman brush on the brush holder and chuckled:

"Young friend Lu, I've already thrown down this 'brick to attract jade,' but I wonder how long you intend to polish your 'jade'?"

"If you haven't decided which one to paint yet, or if you're still a bit rusty, I'm willing to wait another incense stick's time."

Under everyone's gaze, Lu Chiduan stood before the table, showing no sign of panic, but rather a subtle sense of relief that flickered deep in his eyes.

Just as Wei Hong finished writing and displayed the talisman, his mind at its most excited, his [Spiritual Eye] talent quietly activated.

[Tier 1 Superior Grade - Variant Golden Flame Blade Talisman]

[Talisman Structure: Forcibly connected by a mid-grade first-tier Golden Light Shield Talisman and a mid-grade first-tier Flame Blade Talisman. Although it combines the strengths of both, the spiritual pressure at the joint is mixed, resulting in significant energy loss.]

[Key Flaw: The forced fusion of attributes causes the spiritual energy within the talisman to be constantly in a state of slight conflict. Although the talisman reaches a high grade after completion, its actual combat power is reduced by about 20%. This talisman cannot be sealed for long; its spiritual energy will dissipate on its own after about 100 days.]

[Talisman Status: Although its spiritual energy is abundant, it is superficial and merely a work of trickery.]

Lu Chi shook his head inwardly.

What amazing original creation? It was nothing more than a clever trick, forcibly connecting the talisman veins of the mid-grade first-level "Golden Light Shield Talisman" and "Flame Blade Talisman" together, and then suppressing the conflicting attributes with the powerful spiritual energy of the high-grade spirit sand.

These variant ancient symbols, though ingenious, are merely a thin veil that can be easily pierced; they cannot be considered true "creation" from scratch.

With his current skill level, he can do it, and do it even more easily.

He actually thought this old scoundrel was a once-in-a-century genius in the art of talismans, and all his expectations were in vain.

Thinking of this, Lu Chi smiled gently, his clear voice echoing through the noisy front hall: "Master Wei, you truly have a clever idea. But it's also quite a coincidence that when I was in seclusion a few days ago, I also managed to 'create' a new talisman, and I was just about to invite you fellow cultivators to take a look."