Starting as a Talisman Master

Name: Lu Chi

[Realm Level: Qi Refining Stage 3]

【Profession: Rune Master Lv.1 (17/30)】

[Ice Arrow Rune: Beginner (30/100)]

[Spirit Gathering Talisman: Minor Success (6/300)]

After days of rushing to make talismans, Lu Chi noticed that the changes on the panel were becoming increasingly clear.

In the 【Talisman Master】 section, experience growth is already traceable.

Each time a low-grade first-tier talisman is drawn, one point of experience is gained.

When he successfully drew that mid-grade first-level spirit-gathering talisman, his experience points increased by three points in one go.

It is easy to see that the higher the grade of the talisman, the greater the benefit to career advancement.

Lu Chi pondered to himself.

The effects of [Burning Thoughts] go far beyond helping him enter the world of talisman masters.

In the practice of talismanic arts, this technique can obviously save others from taking detours that are difficult to avoid at many crucial junctures in the future.

I wonder what new techniques the talisman master will unlock as they advance further?

He was looking forward to it, but he did not become complacent because of it. As his level increased and he gained more experience, things would certainly not be as smooth as they were now.

This is already evident in their proficiency with talismans.

When I was still learning how to use the Spirit Gathering Talisman, I would gain ten points for each talisman I completed.

However, after reaching a certain level of proficiency, drawing one low-grade and one medium-grade painting will only increase the proficiency by one and five points respectively, and the upper limit will also be raised from one hundred points to three hundred.

If one wishes to go further, to achieve great success, or even perfection, the effort and time required will only increase exponentially.

Therefore, it seems that the further you go in the process of working with control panels, the more grueling it becomes.

After checking the panel, Lu Chi took the opportunity to examine himself.

Upon closer examination, he realized that he actually possessed very few talismans. Apart from the Spirit Gathering Talisman and the Ice Arrow Talisman, he had no other talisman-making techniques.

It's adequate for self-preservation, but it's rather inadequate for establishing a foothold in the market and expanding sales channels.

This matter cannot be rushed, but it also cannot be delayed.

Fortunately, he had been repairing talismans at Luo's Talisman Shop for many years and had seen and touched many talismans.

The Golden Light Talisman for protection, the Swiftness Talisman for escape, and the Concealing Talisman for hiding one's aura are all in my memory.

If one can master several of these methods with the help of "Burning Thoughts," it will benefit both oneself and the market.

Besides these, there are many other trivial but important matters.

Storage bags still need to be purchased; it is not a long-term solution to always hide talismans, spirit stones, and miscellaneous items in one's sleeves.

Furthermore, the warming and nourishing pills used in the early stages of Qi cultivation should also be put on the agenda.

If one's cultivation stagnates, no matter how steadily one draws talismans, one will ultimately lack confidence in the marketplace.

"How far the path of talismans can go is still in the future, but right now, to gain a foothold, it still depends on the level of cultivation."

Once the thoughts were settled, Lu Chi's mind calmed down.

He stopped thinking about it, took out a low-grade spirit stone he had just obtained, sat cross-legged, and circulated his spiritual power according to the nameless cultivation technique.

Upon obtaining the spirit stone, spiritual energy slowly emanates from it, far surpassing that of spirit sand. It flows along the meridians, gentle yet not irritating, and one's spiritual intent gradually returns.

Silent all night.

As dawn approached, Lu Chi finished his practice and stood up, feeling clear-headed and full of spiritual energy. The fatigue from drawing talismans earlier had mostly disappeared.

The effects of this spirit stone are indeed extraordinary.

In the past, he always conserved his spiritual energy and dared not waste it. Now, he let go and drew upon his spiritual power, and immediately felt his energy fill up, which was completely different from before.

For the next three days, Lu Chi stayed indoors and did not go out.

The courtyard gate was tightly closed, and no one was knocking outside, so he simply calmed down and used this time to focus on the talisman table.

Over the next three days, several new stacks of talismans gradually appeared on the corner of the desk: Golden Light Talisman, Breath Concealing Talisman, Swift Movement Talisman, Rejuvenation Talisman...

Although, apart from the Spirit Gathering Talisman, all other talismans require the aid of "Burning Thoughts" to be formed, and they are not yet at the point where they can be drawn at will, they are already complete in terms of offense, defense, escape, and concealment.

It's more than enough to meet the needs of most independent cultivators and spiritual farmers in the market.

Lu Chi carefully sealed each talisman and put it into his cloth bag. Knowing what he was doing, he also drew an extra mid-grade spirit-gathering talisman for his own cultivation.

That morning, he changed into clean clothes, carefully put the spirit stone away from his body, and went out.

The outside world remained bustling. The Qingque Mountain Market was built along the spiritual vein and had been managed by three major Foundation Establishment families for many years. It had long been established and famous in Dongyue County, and cultivators came and went in an endless stream.

"Stepping from the third to the fourth level of Qi Refining is a crucial step from the initial to the middle stage, and one inevitably needs to rely on some spiritual items."

"These kinds of spiritual items that aid cultivation can be bought at ordinary stalls, but their quality is hard to say... Never mind, it's better to go to a shop."

As the saying goes, with spirit stones in hand, one has no worries about spending money. Lu Chi was now quite well-off, so he naturally had the idea of ​​taking a stroll.

He glanced ahead, didn't linger in the market, turned and headed straight for a magnificent pavilion.

A plain wooden plaque hangs under the eaves, with gentle and restrained calligraphy that reads "Yangyuan Residence".

A faint fragrance of herbs lingers in front of the gate year-round. Few people come and go, but each one exudes an extraordinary air, unlike the usual rogue cultivators.

Yangyuanju is a business owned by the Shen family, mainly selling elixirs and spiritual foods. The prices are higher than elsewhere, but the superior quality comes from legitimate sources and the reliable refining process, which has always earned it a good reputation in the market.

Lu Chi stepped inside, and before he even reached the counter, a young man at the third level of Qi Refining came to greet him.

The man paused for a moment, then looked surprised and whispered, "Lu Chi? What brings you here? Is it because Old Master Luo's shop is short of supplies and sent you to buy talisman materials?"

The young man was not old, but rather thin, and was wearing a faded white denim shirt.

His face was rather cold, but his eyebrows and eyes were well-proportioned. When he spoke, there was often a hint of sarcasm in the corner of his mouth, but his eyes were clean and there was no frivolity in them.

Lu Chi saw the face clearly and his heart skipped a beat; he had already recognized the person.

Xu Yanqiu was originally acquainted with Zhou Jinyan. They had worked together in the agricultural trade in their early years and were quite close.

Some time ago, however, he suddenly had some idea, sold his spiritual fields, cleared out his family property, and joined the Shen family as a servant.

They said they wanted to learn the art of alchemy and become alchemists in the future.

Since then, Xu Yanqiu has never met with him and Zhou Jinyan again, only occasionally exchanging letters.

The letter stated that the Shen family valued him highly, and that he had already received guidance in alchemy. His words conveyed a strong sense of confidence in his future.

Upon closer inspection, Xu Yanqiu was dressed as a pill apprentice, with some medicine stains on the hem of his clothes, and his eyes showed signs of fatigue, as if he had just come out of the pill room in the building.

With hurried steps and unsteady breathing, he looked more like a menial servant running around inside and outside, showing no sign of being given special attention.

Lu Chi smiled and said, "It's been a long time. Brother Xu, you're still as dashing as ever."

Xu Yanqiu's expression tightened slightly, then he lowered his head to straighten his clothes, and then raised his hand to wipe away the medicine stains on his cuffs. His face quickly returned to its indifferent expression.

"You, a mere talisman maker, are you trying to make fun of me? I was just helping the alchemist in the alchemy room for a while. Refining pills is exhausting and I came out looking a bit disheveled, but it's nothing."

Then, changing the subject, she looked at Lu Chi and said, "You didn't come to Yangyuan Residence today just for a stroll, did you?"

Lu Chi understood, but didn't point it out. He simply said, "I do have a request. I'd like to find a spiritual object that can help me break through to the next level."

Why isn't this talisman maker working in the shop today? Instead, he's come here to buy spiritual items.

Xu Yanqiu raised an eyebrow slightly, a hint of doubt arising in her heart, but her expression remained unchanged as she spoke calmly:

"These kinds of things aren't usually available in ordinary stores. You've come at the right time. I've been working with a master alchemist lately, so I know a bit about it. Come with me."

In reality, he was just doing odd jobs at Yangyuan Residence; guiding guests and answering inquiries was simply part of his job.

The two entered and saw a table with various spiritual items categorized and labeled with wooden tags, just the kind of spiritual items Lu Chi needed.

"This is a Qi-Nourishing Pill, sealed in a jade bottle. Inside are five pills. The medicine is warm and gentle, specifically for replenishing what is consumed during breathing exercises and nourishing the meridians. It is priced at three low-grade spirit stones, plus twenty taels of spirit sand."

"...Condensing Essence Liquid, in a porcelain bottle, the spiritual energy flows even more abundantly, and it takes effect very quickly when taken, but it is also most likely to disrupt one's energy. The price is three low-grade spirit stones."

"The Rejuvenating Grass has green and moist leaves and a mild nature. If it falls into the hands of a food cultivator, it can be used to make spiritual dishes, or it can be given to an alchemist to refine. It can also be used as medicine, and only requires one low-grade spirit stone."

"However, this substance cannot be consumed directly. Cultivators are not beasts, and forcing themselves to consume it will not only be of no benefit but will also easily harm their health."

Xu Yanqiu introduced it casually.

Lu Chi's gaze lingered among the various spiritual items as he weighed his options.

While Condensing Essence Liquid was convenient, it was too potent. Although Rejuvenating Grass was cheap, he had neither a familiar alchemist nor a true food cultivator, so he simply left it unused after buying it.

On the contrary, this Qi-Nourishing Pill is safe and effective, and its price is only slightly higher than that of the Spirit Liquid, which is still within my budget.

"I have come here today only to take one Qi-Nourishing Pill. Please fetch it for me, Brother Xu."

Xu Yanqiu's gaze lingered on his face for a moment, but she didn't ask any more questions. She simply responded and turned to go inside.

Before long, he came out from the inner room with a small blue bottle in his hand, the mouth of which was sealed with wax. He handed it to the counter.

"Qi-Nourishing Pill." He said it briefly, then finally couldn't help but speak first, his tone tinged with surprise:

"You're not going to use this spiritual item yourself, are you? Shouldn't you still be busy at the Luo family's talisman shop at this hour?"

Lu Chi smiled slightly and calmly said, "This item is something I wanted for myself. I have resigned from my job at the Luo family's talisman shop and will make a living on my own from now on."

He took the small bottle, weighed it briefly, and then took out spirit stones and spirit sand from his sleeve, placing them on the cabinet with the exact number.

Xu Yanqiu's tone was indifferent, yet carried an indescribable meaning: "This pill can indeed help regulate breathing and nourish vital energy in the early stages of Qi Refining, but it is not something that can break through the barrier simply by taking it."

"If you bet all your wealth or borrowed spirit stones on this bottle, hoping it will help you break through your cultivation level, don't blame others if it fails in the future."

He assumed that something must have happened to Lu Chi to make him abandon the talisman shop where he had lived for many years.

To him, the fact that he was willing to spend a considerable amount of spirit stones to exchange for this bottle of pills seemed more like a desperate gamble.

Ultimately, he couldn't bear it, so he spoke up to remind her, but his cold and hard nature made his words sound more like a sarcastic remark.