Starting as a Talisman Master

Beside the depression, the tender shoots of the dark blue Ice Lotus trembled slightly in the wind, exuding a chilling aura.

Lu Chi composed himself and did not waste this rare opportunity. He simply sat cross-legged on the spot, patted his storage bag, and took out fifty crystal-clear low-grade spirit stones, piling them into a small, shimmering stone mound in front of him.

He held a spirit stone in each hand and closed his eyes.

The energy flow path of the "Taiyuan Xuanshui Jing" slowly unfolded within the body, and the pure spiritual energy transmitted from the palm flowed into the meridians through the Laogong acupoint like silk threads.

Lu Chi guided this external spiritual energy, along with the innate essence within his body that was not yet fully refined, and launched wave after wave of continuous erosion towards the barrier between the fourth and fifth levels of Qi Refining.

The barrier to breaking through the realm of a low-grade spiritual root is always hard and thick, like a silted-up and dried-up riverbed.

But things are different today.

The innate essence originating from the Xuanbing Lotus breaking through the soil was not violent, but it carried the extreme tenacity of plants breaking through the frozen soil and facing death to live.

Guided by the [Azure Law] talent, this vital energy, like a resilient yet flexible awl, slowly chiseled into the rock-solid barrier.

The immense spiritual energy provided by the spirit stone in his hand transformed into a continuous surge of energy, pouring fiercely into the crack that had been carved out.

"Click..."

Once the spirit stone's power was exhausted, it turned into grayish-white stone dust and fell through the gaps between the fingers.

Lu Chi didn't even lift his eyelids. He reached forward with both hands, grabbed two more spirit stones, and continued to absorb them frantically.

This period of seclusion lasted for several days.

When more than thirty spirit stones had been used up and a thick layer of grayish-white powder had covered Lu Chi's surroundings, a slight tremor, like the melting of spring snow, finally came from deep within his body.

The stagnant magical power, relieved of its burden, surged into the new Great Circulation through the expanded meridians.

Qi Refining Level 5!

Lu Chi did not rush to get up, but carefully comprehended the changes in the newly generated magical power in his dantian.

The Taiyuan Xuanshui Jing is known for its profound and enduring magical power.

Under the influence of the [Azure Law] talent, this profound water-based magic power has gained a unique connotation of "unyielding, resilient and persistent" like the growth of plants.

As the magic power circulated, it gained a more solid, mercury-like quality.

Water nourishes wood, and the resilience of wood, in turn, nourishes water.

Lu Chi slowly opened his eyes, a deep, watery light flashing in his gaze.

He raised his right hand, and the offensive technique he had obtained from the "Mysterious Origin Foundation Transformation Technique"—"Golden Light Leaf Cutting Finger"—came to mind.

This method emphasizes pressing the metal elemental energy into the fingertips, condensing it into a sharp line.

Months ago, he practiced diligently through the night, but because his water-based spiritual power was too gentle, he was unable to condense water into a blade and ultimately failed.

But now, with the magical resilience granted by [Azure Law], perhaps it's worth a try.

Lu Chi's eyes narrowed slightly as he drew out a wisp of his transformed water-elemental magic power, channeling it along his meridians to his index and middle fingers.

"Gather".

With a thought, he forcefully compressed this magical power towards his fingertips.

The originally gentle flow of water should have dissipated under extreme pressure, but thanks to the tenacious spirit of the plants, it stubbornly maintained its structure, becoming tighter and tighter, more and more compact.

"laugh!"

Instead of the dazzling sharpness of metal elemental energy, there was a dark, deep, and hair-thin line of dark water!

He violently compressed this water-based magical power into his fingertips, and because of this extreme restraint, it emitted a chilling cutting force.

Lu Chi pointed his fingers like a sword and slashed at a piece of hard black ironwood, three zhang away, which was used for testing talismans.

A faint glimmer flashed by, then disappeared silently through the air.

There was no sound of sawdust flying everywhere.

On that piece of black ironwood, which was comparable to refined iron, a smooth, mirror-like crack, about an inch deep, appeared silently.

Lu Chi stepped forward, gently tracing the smooth cut with his fingertips, a hint of satisfaction finally appearing in his eyes.

This "Leaf-Cutting Finger," forcibly compressed by water magic, has lost the dazzling brilliance of the metal element, becoming extremely concealed and nimble.

If a strike is hidden in one's sleeve during a battle, it can suddenly be launched, intercepting the opponent's initiative and breaking through their shield, making it absolutely impossible to defend against.

"If your aptitude isn't good enough, you can only make up for it with spirit stones. Breaking through the bottleneck of a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator with just over thirty low-grade spirit stones—if word gets out, people will probably call you a spendthrift."

Lu Chi casually waved away the remaining moisture from his fingertips, patted the stone dust off his clothes, and gave a self-deprecating smile. But feeling the abundant and long-lasting magical power within his body, he felt an unprecedented sense of peace.

……

……

The market town of Qingque Mountain was already bustling with activity in the early morning.

The sounds of vendors hawking their wares and haggling filled the air, a mix of the burnt smell of cheap medicine and the aroma of freshly baked buns, creating a vibrant, bustling atmosphere.

Lu Chi mingled into the bustling crowd of independent cultivators. He hadn't gone far when he passed an open-air tea stall where the cultivators gathered. A hushed but excited murmur drifted into his ears on the morning breeze.

"What a strange day. I went to the Luo family's talisman shop, and even the most common low-grade fireball talismans were all marked 'sold out.' The shop assistants I know all looked worried."

"Your information is too slow. Several of the contracted talisman masters employed by the Luo family have raised spirit stones to redeem their contracts in the past two days and then immediately moved into the backyard of the Moon Concealment Pavilion."

"Is this true? The offerings from the Luo family have always been stable. Aren't they afraid of being ostracized by the Luo family in Qingque Mountain in the future by suddenly seeking a higher position?"

"Hey, no matter how secure the offerings are, the Luo family will never reveal the real secrets of talisman making to outsiders."

"The worst thing for us self-taught talisman makers is not having a lineage, right? I heard that the Moon Concealment Pavilion has spread the word that as long as you are willing to sign a long-term contract to join the pavilion, you can borrow the notes left by 'Chief Lu,' who created three extraordinary talismans in a row."

The rogue cultivator paused, his tone revealing a bittersweet reality mixed with a burning passion:

"That's a skill that can help someone break through to a higher realm! If I can use it to improve my own rank, what's a little bit of spirit stones from the Luo family for breach of contract? At worst, I can just find another market to make a living in the future."

The group chatted idly about making a living in the market, but when a customer came in, they naturally stopped talking and started to call out to customers.

As Lu Chi listened to these snippets of conversation from the common people, his steps did not falter at all; only a faint smile slowly curved his lips.

The subtle attack, aimed at undermining the family's foundation, has already drawn blood. While the Luo family's established business won't be crippled, the loss of grassroots talisman masters will be enough to cause Luo Wenshan considerable headaches for a while.

He smiled faintly, putting the trouble he had started behind him, and walked straight into the heart of the market.

Before long, a magnificent building, covering a vast area and constantly emitting intense heat, appeared at the end of the street.

Unlike the exquisite carvings of other shops, this pavilion is entirely constructed of reddish-brown igneous rock, exuding a rugged and imposing presence.

Above the pavilion, a black iron plaque hangs high, with the three large characters "Bai Lian Ge" (Hundred Refinements Pavilion) written in bold, powerful strokes, faintly exuding a chilling aura of war.

Lu Chi looked up at the black iron plaque, feeling the faint heat emanating from the underground fire within the pavilion, and stepped calmly across the high threshold.

The Hundred Refinements Pavilion is extremely spacious, with purple wooden display shelves around it shimmering with spiritual light, displaying various magical artifacts such as knives, spears, swords, and halberds, exuding a rugged yet solemn atmosphere.

Upon seeing a customer arrive, a young waiter dressed in a gray cloth jacket came forward to greet him.

This fellow had a cultivation level of the second stage of Qi Refining, and his face only wore a few perfunctory polite expressions.

After all, Bailian Pavilion deals in large-scale transactions, and the cultivators who come to buy magic artifacts are mostly wealthy. The shop assistants are used to seeing big spenders, so their standards are naturally higher.

But when he took two steps closer and his gaze fell on Lu Chi's calm face, his expression couldn't help but pause slightly.

This man in the blue robe... he looks vaguely familiar?