Starting as a Talisman Master

The cave was dark and chilling. The mysterious ice liquid in the stone hollow gleamed with a cold light, reflecting on the two people's faces with flickering light.

After a brief silence, Zhou Jinyan broke the stillness in the cave.

He pressed the earth-walking spirit rat, which kept trying to peek out, deeper into his collar and grinned.

"Lu Chi," Zhou Jinyan said bluntly, without beating around the bush, "Although this place was discovered by my little one, without your help to break the formation, I could have stayed outside until my death without getting any chance. You decide how to distribute the remaining treasures in this cave today."

He was a man of great wisdom and tact, knowing when to advance and when to retreat.

Although he himself was at the fifth level of Qi Refining, a step higher than Lu Chi's displayed fourth level, Lu Chi was a high-grade talisman master, and his skills were naturally extraordinary. He had no reason to quarrel with him over some material possessions.

Moreover, the two already had some good ties in this market.

"Since Brother Zhou has put it that way, then I will gladly accept this Xuanbing Spirit Liquid."

Lu Chi remained calm, took out a small jade bottle from his storage bag, and with a slight flick of his fingertips, collected all the pale blue spiritual liquid from the shallow layer in the stone hollow into the bottle and sealed it properly.

"As for the rest of the miscellaneous items in this cave, they are of no use to my cultivation, so they can all be given to Brother Zhou," Lu Chi said calmly, flicking his sleeves.

Zhou Jinyan's face lit up with joy, and he clapped his hands and laughed, "Great! Then I won't stand on ceremony with you."

He was quite decisive. He quickly stepped forward, first bowing respectfully three times to the skeleton on the stone bed, muttering apologies, before finally reaching out and putting the broken flying sword, devoid of any spiritual energy, into his pocket.

Then he went to the outer room and cleaned up the mottled bronze alchemy furnace, as well as the few dull spirit stones scattered in the corner.

When the cave was almost empty, Zhou Jinyan's gaze finally fell on the ancient token engraved with the two characters "Taiqing".

He took it into his hand, his rough fingertips lingering on the seal characters for a moment, his expression shifting several times, as if he were calculating and weighing things in his mind.

After a moment, he gritted his teeth, turned around and handed the ancient token to Lu Chi: "Lu Chi, you can keep this token as well."

"Brother Zhou, why bother? This item is a relic of a disciple of Taiqing Palace. If you follow the last words of this Senior Yun Chen and send his remains and the token back to the Taiqing Palace, you might just find another opportunity."

Lu Chi's gaze fell on the ancient token, but he did not reach out to take it immediately.

Top sects like Taiqing Palace are known for their "Ascension Orders," a rumor that has been passed down through generations.

While this decree may not truly possess the heaven-defying power of an Ascension Decree, the fact that it escorts the remains of disciples back to their ancestral home demonstrates the profound heritage and grandeur of the Taiqing Palace, and the resulting fortune is far beyond what a few spirit stones can measure.

Lu Chi naturally wanted this kind of divine opportunity that came to him, but he was by no means a greedy and ungrateful person who would forget righteousness for profit.

It was Zhou Jinyan who led him to this place, and before accepting this karmic debt, he needed to fully understand the hidden stakes involved. Only if the other party, knowing the gravity of the situation, was still willing to let go, could he feel at ease accepting this opportunity.

Zhou Jinyan waved his hand dismissively, his movements wide and exaggerated, even taking two steps back in a slightly exaggerated manner, as if the ancient token was some kind of hot potato.

"Lu Chi, do you think I'm blinded by greed?"

Zhou Jinyan curled her lip. "Who in our Jingzhao Kingdom doesn't know the name of Taiqing Palace? But its mountain gate is far away, thousands of miles away. Not to mention how difficult it is to travel such a long distance, the desolate mountains and treacherous waters, the lurking monsters, and the murderous and robbed cultivators along the way would be enough to tear me apart and boil me into soup. I won't take on such a difficult task of delivering bones from a thousand miles away."

He spoke rapidly and without any restraint. After a pause, the mischievous look on his face faded slightly, and he sighed.

"Besides, only we know our own affairs. I, Zhou Jinyan, am just a low-grade spiritual root, so it's fine for me to hang around on the outskirts of Qingque Mountain Market."

Whether I can break through this bottleneck and reach the late stage of Qi Refining in this lifetime depends entirely on whether God will grant me the talent. Can someone with my mediocre talent even dream of the incredible opportunities offered by top-tier sects?

Zhou Jinyan casually tossed the "Taiqing" token to Lu Chi, grinning as he said:

"As the ancients said, 'If one's virtue does not match one's position, disaster will surely follow.' This signboard is a ladder to heaven for you, but for me, it's a death warrant. Your methods are unpredictable, and only you can handle this job. So don't refuse me; just consider it as taking on this trouble for me!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Chi knew that Zhou Jinyan's words were not a pretense or an excuse. He stopped being coy, waved his sleeve, and steadily took the Taiqing Token into his palm.

Then, he took out a clean blue cloth, solemnly and carefully collected Yun Chen's remains from the white jade bed, and respectfully put them into his storage bag.

That warm, white jade bed was no ordinary object either; it was cold to the touch and filled with spiritual energy. Lu Chi released a little of his magic power and took it away.

Before leaving, he took out a blank jade slip and stuck it on the cliff. With a surge of divine sense, he copied Yun Chen's tearful final words without any error, so that he could use it as proof when he went to Taiqing Palace in the future.

After the two finished searching and leaving nothing behind, they left the cave that had been sealed for many years.

Standing outside the cliff, Lu Chi pointed his fingers like a sword, made a series of hand seals, and several powerful water and earth elemental spells intertwined.

With a muffled roar, rubble tumbled down, soil churned up, and the once wide-open cave entrance was sealed shut once more.

He then encouraged the growth of moss and thick vines around him, and in less than half an incense stick's time, the cliff returned to its ancient and desolate appearance, its life force cut off, and there was no trace of anyone having ever set foot on it.

After doing all this, Lu Chi turned around, looked calmly at Zhou Jinyan, and slowly said:

"Brother Zhou, now that this matter is settled, I, Lu, must leave this territory of Dongyue County. In the future, the mountains and rivers will be vast, and we may never meet again. Before parting, I have a word of advice for you: it would be best if you did not return to the market town of Qingque Mountain."

Zhou Jinyan's playful expression subsided slightly. After a moment's thought, she realized what he meant and tentatively asked in a low voice, "But... what happened to the Shen family and the Luo family?"

Lu Chi didn't say much, he just nodded slightly.

Upon seeing this, Zhou Jinyan instantly understood.

Even someone as unpredictable and prudent as Lu Chi has decided to withdraw and leave, and even issued a warning, so a bloody storm is bound to break out in Qingque Mountain Market.

But he was broad-minded and could let go of things easily, and he quickly put that slight surprise behind him.

Zhou Jinyan yanked the still-smacking earth-walking spirit rat out of his arms, gently smoothed its dusty fur in his palm, and smiled nonchalantly:

"Enough, enough! That dilapidated market town is a mess, and all I do all day is farm and get exploited by those big families. I'm tired of it. Now that I have this little ancestor by my side, I can go to any famous mountain or river in the world! I'll take it with me and travel all over the world, digging up unclaimed treasures and living a carefree and wealthy life as a wandering cultivator."

At this point, the mischievousness and nonchalance on his face suddenly vanished, replaced by an extremely solemn expression. He took a half step back, raised three fingers pointing directly to the sky, and said in a deep voice:

"Lu Chi, you trusted me, leading me to retrieve the treasure, and even offering advice before I left. Although I, Zhou Jinyan, am a rogue cultivator with no one to rely on, I know how to repay kindness. Today, I swear a solemn oath to my heart, vowing never to reveal your whereabouts to anyone, nor to divulge a single word about the Taiqing Cave! If I break this oath, may my Dao heart shatter, may I suffer a cultivation deviation, die, and never be able to rise again!"

The vows of a cultivator to overcome inner demons are no child's play. Once made, they are guided by the unseen forces of Heaven. If one dares to break through, one will suffer an irreversible backlash when breaking through to a higher realm.

Seeing his solemnity and sincerity, Lu Chi was slightly moved and fell silent for a moment.

He did not object, but simply bowed slightly and solemnly accepted the gesture.

Then, Lu Chi flipped his wrist and took out two white jade pill bottles and a stack of dark talismans with restrained spiritual light from his storage bag, and handed them directly to Zhou Jinyan.

These items were the spoils of war he obtained after intercepting and killing Luo Wenshan and Shen Yuanheng.

The Shen family's top-quality healing and qi-replenishing pills, and the Luo family's best-kept secret offensive and defensive talismans, are both excellent items for saving lives.

Lu Chi has quite a few trump cards up his sleeve now, and keeping them would just leave them gathering dust. It would be better to give them to the person who is about to embark on a long journey.

"Since Brother Zhou has decided to travel the world, the world is treacherous, and the journey is long and arduous. You will inevitably have to fight and contend with others. Keep these bottles of pills and these high-grade talismans close to your body for self-defense. Consider this my farewell gift to you."

Zhou Jinyan looked down and, even though he was usually carefree, he couldn't help but gasp when he felt the astonishing spiritual pressure fluctuations emanating from the talisman.

A dozen or so top-grade talismans! Such wealth would be enough to make ordinary rogue cultivators in the market green with envy, leading them to murder and rob.

He opened his mouth, instinctively wanting to refuse: "Lu Chi, this is too precious, I..."

"Take it." Lu Chi uttered only two words, looking at him calmly.

Zhou Jinyan took a deep breath and nodded heavily: "Alright! We're brothers, so I won't stand on ceremony!"

He carefully hid the pills and talismans close to his body in his storage bag.

After doing all this, Zhou Jinyan seemed to have completely unloaded a huge burden. With this life-saving foundation, she regained her lighthearted demeanor.

He nimbly mounted his horse, flicked the reins, turned around, and laughed loudly, "Lu Chi, then we shall part ways here. May you soon attain enlightenment, and if fate allows, we shall meet again in the martial world."

The sound of horses' hooves shattered the silence of the mountains and forests, and the dusty figure quickly disappeared into the night and at the end of the ancient road.

"See you again someday..."

Lu Chi, leading the black horse, stood quietly in the cool night breeze, gazing in the direction Zhou Jinyan had left, and murmured softly.

"See you again someday..."

Lu Chi, leading the black horse, stood quietly in the cool night breeze, gazing in the direction Zhou Jinyan had left, and murmured softly.

Will we really ever see each other again?

He felt in his heart that it was probably unlikely.

In the struggle for immortality, life and death are unpredictable, especially in the vast and boundless world of the Nine Provinces. Today's parting will most likely mean different paths on the immortal road, each accepting their own destiny. But life is like a game of chess; who can truly say for sure?

Lu Chi withdrew his gaze, mounted his horse, and a deep determination flashed in his eyes.

I hope that one day I will achieve success in my cultivation and be able to truly gain a foothold in this world of cultivation, so that I will no longer have to hide and wander about like I do today, just for a little self-protection and a moment of peace.

"drive!"

He let out a low shout, and the black horse neighed, transforming into a blur as it disappeared into the vast night in the opposite direction from Zhou Jinyan.

Several days later, the rolling mountains were shrouded in mist.

Lu Chi had already abandoned his ordinary horse a hundred miles down the mountain, and instead used his flying sword "Xuanyuan" to skim along the ground, eventually landing quietly at a secluded cliff corner outside the Qixia Sect's mountain gate.

Qixia Sect was originally a minor, insignificant sect in the Qi Refining field, with its mountain gate built against a small spiritual vein.

Lu Chi stood with his hands behind his back on the cliff, gazing into the distance with his eyes slightly narrowed, his [Breaking Illusion] talent flowing spontaneously.

In an instant, the protective array that shrouded the entire Qixia Sect's mountain gate, seemingly shrouded in mist and possessing an ethereal, otherworldly aura, instantly shed its disguise in his eyes, transforming into countless crisscrossing spiritual energy veins.

"It turns out to be just a 'Cloud-Sealing Illusion Array' that barely reaches the threshold of a first-tier high-grade array. It emphasizes illusion over killing, and the spiritual energy in the array base in the southeast corner is stagnant, which is obviously due to years of lack of maintenance and insufficient supply of spirit stones..."

Lu Chi saw through the true nature of the formation and couldn't help but shake his head inwardly.

This kind of formation is barely enough to defend against ordinary Qi Refining stage cultivators and mountain monsters, but in front of him, a genuine formation master with nascent divine sense and the Eye of Insight, it is full of flaws and is as good as useless.

He withdrew his gaze, secretly making plans in his mind.

He could have used the "Shadow Transformation Record" again, presenting himself as a stranger and a rogue cultivator, and openly requesting an audience with Qin Su Niang.

But then I thought about it again. Right now, the Moon Shadow Pavilion is very popular in the market of Qingque Mountain, and it has even made the Luo family's talisman shop deserted. There are probably many spies from various families watching the Qixia Sect's every move.

At this time of year, no matter what appearance he adopts when visiting the mountain through the main gate, if he were to have a secret rendezvous with Qin Su Niang, he would inevitably fall into the eyes of those with ulterior motives, arousing unwarranted suspicion and causing numerous troubles in his life.

"In these extraordinary times, we have no other choice but to resort to this measure."

Having made up his mind, Lu Chi channeled his inner energy and activated the Concealing Breath Technique to its fullest extent.

His entire aura instantly became as still as stagnant water, his heartbeat and breathing became barely perceptible, as if he had transformed into a lifeless piece of dead wood in the mountains, perfectly blending into the surrounding night and the shadows of the vegetation.

Relying on his nascent spiritual sense, which far surpasses that of his peers, and his keen insight into the formation's nodes, Lu Chi moved like a ghost among the formation's weak points and flaws.

In less than the time it takes for half an incense stick to burn, he did not trigger the slightest alarm, nor even disturb the protective array's light barrier, and silently infiltrated the inner sanctum of the Qixia Sect.

Upon entering the sect, Lu Chi did not explore the surroundings to cause trouble. Instead, he focused his divine sense into an extremely fine wisp, which spread quietly in the air like a gossamer thread.

He had dealt with Qin Su Niang quite a bit, so he was naturally familiar with the aura of this beautiful widow.

Following the faint, almost imperceptible scent of perfume and elixir in the air, Lu Chi, like a shadowy figure, dodged several groups of low-level female disciples on night patrol and made his way deeper into the back mountain.

Before long, he stopped outside a quiet and elegant building built beside a spiritual spring.

This place was clearly the sect leader's residence, surrounded by a barrier that isolated divine sense and sound. However, this barrier was also rudimentary, and Lu Chi did not try to forcefully break it. Instead, he silently disappeared into the shadow of a thick spirit osmanthus tree outside the window.

Through the half-open window, the dim candlelight flickered inside. A alluring yet deeply weary figure was hunched over a desk, turning the pages of something by the lamplight…