Starting as a Talisman Master

"Absorbing the forging memories and insights left behind by the refiner..."

Back in the blue stone courtyard, Lu Chi sat cross-legged in the quiet room, his mind entirely on the newly emerged weapon refiner profession.

The so-called "weapon tomb" nature seemed to allow him to glimpse the true meaning of forging by his predecessors from broken objects.

Using such a near-soul-searching technique on inanimate objects not only avoids karmic entanglements but also provides an excellent method for learning from others.

Lu Chi casually reached into his storage bag and took out a bronze ancient sword about two feet long.

This item was stolen goods that were taken from the bag of the cultivator who robbed him.

That cultivator died very quickly. After being trapped by the array and immobilized, he was killed in a moment of desperation by only using a Qi-breaking poison needle. Most of the items in the storage bag were not taken to Tingchao to be disposed of.

Among all the low-level magical artifacts, this sword has the most ancient and outdated design, and its spiritual light is dim. Even if it were sold to a rogue cultivator, it wouldn't fetch more than a few spirit stones. It is most suitable for testing a new talent's potential.

Lu Chi pressed his fingers against the spine of the sword, and the resilient, plant-like water-based magical power within his dantian surged forth, forcefully seeping into the mottled texture of the sword.

Based on the senses from the artifact's tomb, he needed to use his magic power to gradually peel away the remaining array patterns inside the artifact and completely dissolve them.

As magic power continued to flow in, the ancient bronze sword began to tremble slightly, emitting crisp sounds like withered wood breaking.

"Snapped!"

The surface of the ancient sword cracked inch by inch, turning into a pile of ordinary iron fragments.

Just as the sword completely disintegrated and returned to nothingness, Lu Chi felt the scene before him suddenly become hazy, as if it had turned into a wisp of remaining consciousness and possessed the body of a bare-chested strong man.

It was an ordinary blacksmith shop.

"Ding, ding, ding..."

The monotonous yet rhythmic pounding sounds were deafening.

The man was sweating profusely as he swung a heavy iron hammer, weighing over a hundred pounds, forging a red-hot sword blank countless times.

After an unknown period of time, through the changing seasons, the sharp blade was finally completed.

The scene abruptly shifts, and a passing young cultivator in a green robe casually accepts the longsword, a weapon of peak mortal skill.

The novice looked at it with slight disdain, then made a rough hand seal, summoning the earth fire energy to forcibly temper it, and then engraved several crooked artifact control patterns on the sword.

The ordinary weapon suddenly had a flash of inspiration and barely managed to cross the threshold called a magical artifact.

Lu Chi suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze returning to the pile of scrap iron on the table, his eyes bright.

"I see. The so-called refining of weapons is nothing more than tempering the material and shaping it, so as to draw out the spirit to carve the weapon's patterns, so that the spirit has a path, and only then can it be made into a weapon."

He exhaled a long breath and muttered to himself, "Although forcibly dissolving the remnant formation consumes a lot of mana and mental energy, being able to directly plunder such a natural forging insight is much more convenient than sitting and studying those obscure weapon-refining books."

Having tasted success, he did not stop there, and picked out two or three low-grade spiritual artifacts from the cultivator's storage bag.

He replicated the same method with a bronze mirror and a short blade.

As a result, several fragmented memories about artifact patterns, fire control, and the fusion of spiritual materials appeared in his mind.

Lu Chi already had a foundation in alchemy, and now, having inherited the artifact pattern and the memories of forging artifacts, he has mastered the art of artifact refining.

After performing the techniques one after another, he rubbed his slightly throbbing temples and secretly pondered, "I originally had a foundation in alchemy, and now, having inherited the artifact pattern and the memories of forging, I have mastered the art of artifact refining. However, the preparations required for artifact refining are far more complicated than those for drawing talismans and refining pills."

Drawing talismans requires only a clean table, and refining elixirs only requires a small furnace; both can be carried out quietly in this small room.

But to truly forge iron and refine weapons, one must have a volcanic vein to ignite it and a spiritual pool for quenching it. The noise of hammering and forging is also difficult to conceal, and it is by no means something that can be easily imitated in a short time.

He glanced around his quiet room and thought, "Starting a furnace and starting a fire in this courtyard would be too noisy and make it difficult to conceal my actions. In the end, I will build an underground chamber beneath this quiet room and reinforce it with soundproofing talismans so that I can unleash my full potential and test my skills in that dark chamber in the future."

After making up his mind, Lu Chi calmly assessed his own condition, trying to find the changes brought about by the [Hundred Refinements] talent.

However, after careful observation for a while, his blood and strength had not increased at all; he still had the foundation of a fifth-level Qi Refining cultivator.

"It seems that this talent requires actually swinging a hammer and enduring the scorching heat of the furnace. Only through real forging can one generate the feedback of tempering the body. Right now, it's just theory."

He shook his head helplessly, knowing that this matter could not be rushed and could only be put on hold for the time being.

Since he couldn't master weapon forging anytime soon, the most important thing right now was to test his newly acquired weapon. Lu Chi reached into his storage bag, and the expensively crafted Cold Jade Bamboo Talisman Brush fell into his palm.

The pen shaft feels slightly cool to the touch, with a warm and solid feel.

He then cleaned up the iron slag on the table and took out the talisman material he had made from animal hides and blood from the depths of his storage bag.

Lu Chi calmed his mind, his fingertips trembled slightly, and his internal magical power surged forth, flowing down the pen.

In an instant, the pen's body shone with a deep blue spiritual light, and the bristles at the tip stood up due to the infusion of magical power, flashing with a dazzling cold light.

A powerful suction force suddenly emanated from the brush, and the magical power within the Qi Sea was rapidly drawn out by this superior-grade talisman brush, like a floodgate being opened.

Just as Han Tiefeng had predicted, the burden on a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator wielding a high-grade magic weapon was indeed too heavy. Even when it was just drawing talismans instead of fighting, the suction force was astonishing.

If it were an ordinary cultivator at the fourth level of Qi Refining, he would probably lose a portion of his magical power after just a few strokes, and if he was not careful, he would run out of energy and ruin the talisman.

Fortunately, he was already at the fifth level of Qi Refining. The magical power he cultivated from the "Taiyuan Xuanshui Scripture" was already condensed. In addition, the "Qinglu" tempered his meridians, so he could handle the overwhelming force with ease.

Lu Chi's thoughts flashed through his mind, and then he used [Burning Thoughts], pressing down on the pen with his right hand, and the dragon and phoenix danced on the thick spiritual paper. The azure runes spread out smoothly like a hot knife cutting butter, and the turns and outlines showed perfect harmony.

The indoor air suddenly dropped, and a fine layer of white frost quietly spread along the edge of the table.

Another top-grade talisman.

[Charm Master Class Experience +3]

[Ice Arrow Proficiency +10]

Lu Chi slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air. Although his face was somewhat pale due to exhaustion, he felt extremely pleased looking at the masterpiece in front of him.

"Second-tier talismans require spiritual concentration, which is beyond the reach of cultivators in the Qi Refining stage. However, this brush possesses exceptional spiritual energy, which might compensate for some of the shortcomings in perception. With further honing of my skills, I wonder if I'll be able to draw a second-tier true talisman while still in the Qi Refining stage..."

He gently stroked the warm, cold jade of the brush, feeling the lingering spirituality within it, and softly named it: "Since your spirit is so pure, and your brushstrokes are silent, I shall call you 'Cicada'."

The sky outside the window was overcast, and fine snowflakes began to fall without my noticing. Winter had arrived.

Seizing the opportunity, Lu Chi picked up the Cold Cicada Brush again and, with the help of that mysterious and smooth feeling, drew another top-grade Spirit Gathering Talisman in one go, to keep for his cultivation.

After drawing the talisman, he immediately grasped the two spirit stones, closed his eyes, and sat in meditation. By the time his depleted magical power was replenished, it was already dawn the next day.

A slight rustling sound came from outside the courtyard.

"Tap, tap tap."

The knocking sounded particularly abrupt on the snowy morning.

Lu Chi opened his eyes, his brows furrowing slightly.

Although he didn't openly hang a sign saying "Closed to Visitors" outside the door, the courtyard's array was fully activated, and spiritual light surged within it, giving it a completely closed-off appearance. Anyone with discerning eyes could tell at a glance that the owner was in seclusion for cultivation.

Who would be so blind as to come knocking on the door at this time?

Lu Chi put away the Cold Cicada Pen and talismans on the table, got up and walked into the courtyard. When he saw the figure standing in the wind and snow, his eyes flickered slightly.

Outside the door stood a middle-aged cultivator with a kind smile on his face. He was the same Shen family steward who had served tea to Shen Yuanheng at the wedding banquet in Shen Fancheng.

Recalling the banquet he had attended last time, which was ostensibly a recruitment trip but actually a warning, Lu Chi had no liking for the behavior of this aristocratic family and vaguely guessed why they had come to his door on a snowy day.

"So it's Fellow Daoist Shen. I'm sorry for not welcoming you sooner." Lu Chi cupped his hands in greeting, his tone indifferent.

The steward rubbed his hands together, smiled and returned the greeting, his gaze casually glancing into the courtyard: "Master Lu, I have come on the elder's orders, to discuss important matters. In this heavy snow, would you mind coming in for a cup of hot tea, so we can sit down and talk in detail?"

Lu Chi remained motionless, firmly blocking the threshold, and said calmly, "My humble abode is cramped, and the talisman was just finished being drawn, so the energy inside is chaotic and disordered. It is really inconvenient to entertain guests. If you have important matters to discuss, you can do so here."

Upon hearing this, the deacon's expression immediately turned sour, and his kind smile froze on his face.

But after glancing around at the empty alleyway where snow was falling, he finally suppressed his displeasure and took out a roll of plain silk from his sleeve and handed it over.

"Very well. I have come here on behalf of my clan."

"Master Lu has recently become quite famous in the market, and my Elder Shen often thinks of him. With the end of the year approaching, the clan members are visiting each other frequently, and we would like to ask Master Lu to spare a batch of high-level talismans."

Lu Chi thought to himself, "Just as I expected." It seemed that the commotion at Yueyin Pavilion a few days ago had finally reached the Shen family's ears.

In addition, he had promised Shen Yuanheng to draw talismans when he attended the banquet in the past, so the other party could not hold back and sent someone to collect the talismans.

He reached out and took the silk cloth, glancing at it briefly.

The silk scroll lists a wide variety of items, including not only high-grade talismans in great demand, but also offensive and defensive items based on the five elements such as metal blades, ice arrows, and wooden armor.

If he could really take it all, it would be an astonishingly large sum of money for him.

However, when Lu Chi's gaze fell on the "compensation for writing" marked at the end of the silk scroll, his brows furrowed suddenly.

He looked up at the steward, handed back the silk scroll half an inch, and said with a hint of coldness in his voice, "Steward, the payment on this silk scroll... seems to have been miscalculated?"

"Back in Shenfan City, Elder Shen Yuanheng personally promised that if there were any talisman transactions, the Shen family would be willing to purchase them at a 10% premium over the market price."

"But the number of spirit stones you've listed on this silk scroll is a full 20% lower than the starting price for selling them at the market stalls?"