Starting as a Talisman Master

Lu Chi felt the abundant spiritual energy within his body and slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air. The airflow quickly condensed in the air, transforming into a wisp of cold white mist that lingered for a long time.

He didn't rush to get up, but instead carefully contemplated the changes brought about by the breakthrough in the "Taiyuan Xuanshui Jing".

The already cold and pure azure spiritual energy in the Qi Sea was now like a tangible abyss of heavy water. As it flowed through the meridians, it was not only incredibly thick, but also exuded a chilling aura that seemed to freeze even the surrounding spiritual energy.

He silently calculated the days ahead.

Several months have passed since the "one-year agreement" made with Qin Su Niang at the Moon Shadow Pavilion.

"In about half a year, it will be the Qixia Sect's grand ceremony..."

A glint of light flashed in Lu Chi's eyes. The Concentration Fruit and the Earth Vein Ginseng, these two extremely rare main ingredients, were of utmost importance to him in refining the Foundation Establishment Pill in the future.

He has successfully entered the sixth level of Qi Refining, and is only one step away from the threshold of the late stage of Qi Refining. Foundation Establishment is indeed not far away.

Lu Chi focused his mind, habitually closed his eyes and sat quietly, extending his senses to the surroundings of the courtyard.

For the past two months, Ge Jiuzhang, the man next door whom he was quite wary of, has been surprisingly well-behaved.

Aside from staying secluded and rarely venturing out, there was not a single unusual movement. This unusual calm even made him suspicious, wondering if he and Han Jingxing had been overthinking things and had truly misjudged this person's intentions?

However, just as he casually extended his senses, a strange feeling suddenly appeared.

Lu Chi realized that his perception at this moment was completely different from when he was at the fifth level of Qi Refining.

The five senses, which could only vaguely perceive the rustling of grass and wind a few feet away, have now become incredibly clear and subtle. This perception has not only extended several times over, but has also given rise to a sense of liberation, as if the body has been freed from its physical constraints.

Even the texture of the soil buried deep in the courtyard, the crawling of insects and ants, and the subtle movements of spiritual energy flowing through the earth's veins, all sketched a blurry yet three-dimensional outline in his mind.

"This is……"

Lu Chi felt a slight tremor in his heart as a word he had only ever seen in classical texts instantly jumped into his mind.

The rudimentary form of divine consciousness!

The so-called divine sense is a mysterious technique that only condenses when a cultivator breaks through the shackles of Qi Refining and enters the Foundation Establishment stage, and their soul undergoes a qualitative change.

Ordinary Qi Refining cultivators rely on their five senses—sharp hearing and keen eyesight—to explore their surroundings. However, divine sense can leave the body, is formless and intangible, and can penetrate everywhere. This is a sign that Foundation Establishment cultivators have comprehensive control over the Qi of heaven and earth.

He, a cultivator who had just entered the sixth level of Qi Refining, had actually touched upon some of the basics of divine sense ahead of time!

After a brief moment of surprise, Lu Chi quickly figured out the key to it.

When he first awakened his talent as a talisman master, [Combined Brushstrokes], his soul had already been greatly enhanced and tempered, far exceeding the norm.

Now that his cultivation has advanced further, and with the accumulation of knowledge and experience, his divine soul has finally crossed that hidden boundary, giving birth to the rudimentary form of this divine consciousness.

Lu Chi suppressed the pounding in his heart, calmed himself down, and carefully guided this newfound perception, meticulously experiencing the subtle and profound changes.

His divine sense, like invisible ripples, seeped into the ground of the courtyard.

Suddenly, his divine sense detected that the earth vein spiritual energy in the courtyard, which should have been flowing smoothly, was actually mixed with several extremely subtle stagnations and distortions.

It was by no means a naturally formed blockage of spiritual energy; rather, it was as if some kind of nail had been driven in, silently blocking and altering the flow of spiritual energy in his small space.

If he relied on his usual five senses, he would never have been able to detect this strangeness buried deep underground.

Lu Chi felt a sudden chill and opened his eyes abruptly. A coldness slowly gathered in his eyes as he slapped a high-grade concealing talisman against his chest.

He left the courtyard silently, his entire being blending into the shadows of the night, his breath and heartbeat almost imperceptible.

It wasn't a cramped, dark alley outside, but a wide, long street large enough for two carriages to pass side by side. On both sides were high walls and large courtyards, quiet and imposing.

Logically speaking, there should be nowhere to hide in such an open area in the heart of a market town.

Following the direction of the obstruction sensed by the nascent divine consciousness, Lu Chi looked and saw that at the base of a towering courtyard wall diagonally opposite, the light and shadow presented an extremely subtle distortion.

To the naked eye, there was nothing there except the smooth bluestone road surface under the moonlight.

In his nascent divine sense, beneath that distorted "illusion," three figures were crouching!

The three people occupied three different positions, subtly forming a triangular shape.

One of them was at the sixth level of Qi Refining, and the other two were at the fifth level of Qi Refining. The servant that Ge Jiuzhang had sent to deliver gifts to his door earlier was also among them.

On this long street where patrolling cultivators might pass by at any time, each of them held a small black flag engraved with intricate spiritual patterns.

As they chanted incantations, the banners in their hands emitted a dim, eerie light, silently melting into the hard blue rock, like red-hot iron sinking into ice and snow.

"This is... an array?" Lu Chi's pupils contracted slightly. This method of using magical artifacts to directly soften the earth's rocks and silently alter the earth's veins was definitely not a heretical approach.

If he hadn't accidentally developed a nascent divine consciousness tonight and seen through the disguise of light and shadow, he probably would still be kept in the dark until the killing formation completely closed and sealed off this area.

Lu Chi's gaze turned icy, and a glint of cold light flashed from his sleeve.

The flying sword, having been repeatedly refined by him, was already in harmony with his will. The moment it was unleashed, it carried the chilling aura of the "Taiyuan Xuanshui Scripture," transforming into a streak of dark blue sword light that silently pierced through the illusory illusion in front of him, heading straight for the back of the Qi Refining Level 5 cultivator in the center of the crowd.

This sword strike was extremely fast.

So fast that it barely made a sound, only a chilling aura spread through the night where the sword's edge passed.

Just as the sword light was about to pierce through his body, an octagonal array plate suddenly rose from behind the cultivator, hovering in mid-air and casting down a layer of hazy light, which just happened to block the sword.

The sword's edge struck the light barrier, sending chills flying and creating a frosty atmosphere.

The light screen only rippled slightly, creating layers of waves, but it didn't make much of a sound. Even the spiritual energy fluctuations were suppressed to a very small corner, as if the formation had swallowed even the slightest sound.

In the depths of the night, a slightly plump cultivator in a black robe slowly emerged, raised his hand to retrieve the array plate, his expression calm and his steps unhurried.

Qi Refining Level 7.

The aura spread out heavily, but did not leak out. It only enveloped this corner of the land, as if it was intentionally locking all fluctuations here, not allowing any of them to spread to the outside world.

Lu Chi looked at the newcomer, his gaze slightly narrowed. Although he had never seen the person before, he already knew who it was.

"Ge Jiuzhang."

This person was indeed after him, and had concealed his cultivation level and identity as a formation master.

They weren't being well-behaved at all; their silence for the past two months was clearly a covert operation right under his nose!

It was somewhat beyond his expectations that the Shen and Luo families could actually invite such a person.

Among the myriad arts of cultivation, alchemy, artifact crafting, talismans, and array formations each have their strengths. However, if we consider the most complex, unpredictable, and fearsome, the art of array formations would undoubtedly be among them.

Ordinary cultivators fight each other using only their own magical power and magical artifacts. Array masters are different. They comprehend the earth's veins, deduce directions, and capture spiritual energy within array plates and flags. Once set up, they can borrow the power of mountains and rivers and manipulate the workings of heaven and earth to trap or kill their enemies in the blink of an eye.

The most terrifying aspect of dealing with such a person is never in the open.

Just because he stands still doesn't mean he's truly doing nothing. Just because everything seems calm doesn't mean that murderous intent is already lurking.

The art of array formation is difficult to even begin, let alone to master. Those who achieve true proficiency are few and far between. The fact that Ge Jiuzhang was invited to deal with this "superior-grade talisman master" clearly indicates that he is no ordinary array master.

Ge Jiuzhang stood in the night, gently fiddling with the array plate between his fingers, and said calmly, "To be able to see through my 'Shadow Mirage Array' at the last moment when the array was closing, and even to unleash such a fierce sword strike. Master Lu, you've really kept your secrets well."

"However, I, Ge, have always preferred to keep quiet. Since I'm here tonight to take your life, I should keep things calm. If the whole city finds out, it will disrupt my plans."