Starting as a Talisman Master

Lu Chi remained calm and unhurried, taking out a piece of blue cloth that had already been properly wrapped from his storage bag and respectfully placing it on the blue stone table beside him.

Immediately afterwards, he flipped his wrist and took out an ancient-looking token and a jade slip.

"Senior Song, you are wise. Senior Yun Chen was poisoned by the bone-corroding and blood-dissolving poison during the battle at Broken Soul Valley. Although he managed to escape to a desolate mountain and open a cave to heal his wounds, the poison eventually seeped into his bone marrow and was beyond the reach of medicine."

"This is your personal identification token, senior. As for this jade slip, it is a meticulous copy of the final words that Senior Yun Chen carved in blood on the stone wall. Both of you will understand once you see it."

Yun Zhi stepped forward and accepted the jade slip and the ancient-looking token with both hands.

She sent a wisp of her divine sense into the jade slip, and after reading the heart-wrenching words that recounted the poison that corroded her bones and turned her blood, as well as the old stories of the Valley of Broken Souls, her body swayed only very slightly.

Her eyelashes drooped slightly, her gaze fixed on the old token engraved with the words "Taiqing". Her fingertips unconsciously traced the edge, letting the mountain wind ruffle the stray hairs at her temples.

After a moment, Yun Zhi took a deep breath, and when she looked up again, her expression had returned to calm, though her voice was inevitably tinged with a hint of hoarseness:

"There's no mistake, it's my brother's handwriting, and it's also his life essence. Back then, when he insisted on going to the Valley of Broken Souls, he said that life and death were predestined, and now... he has finally gotten what he asked for."

"Many thanks to Senior Brother Song for making this special trip, and many thanks to Fellow Daoist Lu for traveling thousands of miles to send my brother back to his roots."

Song Qi nodded slightly and gently comforted her, "Junior Sister Yun, please accept my condolences. Today is the day you and your brother are reunited, so I will not stay any longer. If there are any funeral arrangements that need to be made, please let me know."

Yunzhi: "Take care, senior brother."

Without further ado, Song Qi drew his sword incantation, and the jade sword emitted a clear dragon's roar, transforming into a streak of light that soared into the sky and vanished into the depths of the clouds and mist in the Green Bamboo Valley in an instant.

As the sword light faded into the distance, the vast Green Bamboo Valley returned to silence.

The only sounds were the rustling of the mountain wind through the bamboo forest and the occasional faint cries of the golden pheasant that was tied up like a "spiritual rice dumpling" not far away.

Yun Zhi stood before the blue stone table, looking down silently at the blue cloth that wrapped the withered bones, remaining silent for a long time.

Lu Chi stood three steps away with his hands behind his back. Seeing that she remained silent for a long time, he knew that even a cultivator would find it difficult to escape the pain of such a separation between life and death, as long as he had not severed his seven emotions and six desires.

He was not a talkative person, nor was he good at those insincere comforting words, so he simply stood quietly to the side, keeping his eyes down and not making a sound to disturb the peace.

After a long while, Yun Zhi finally exhaled a breath of stale air and solemnly put the blue cloth, jade slip, and ancient token into her storage ring.

She turned around, barely managing to conceal the sorrow on her face, and her tone regained some of its crispness:

"Fellow Daoist Lu, you are so righteous. There are countless people in the Immortal Realm who value profit over righteousness. You have been able to uphold your principles and safely return Senior Brother Yun Chen's remains. I will remember this kindness. Please come with me."

She led Lu Chi along the White Stone Mountain Path, into the depths of Water Cloud Peak, to a Lingquan Guest Pavilion.

Inside the pavilion, the sandalwood table is filled with the gentle fragrance of incense, and the surrounding atmosphere is imbued with spiritual energy, far surpassing that of the outside world.

"Please wait a moment, fellow Daoist. I'll be right back." Yun Zhi poured him a cup of immortal tea, then turned and hurriedly left.

Lu Chi sat upright in the pavilion, holding a warm teacup, knowing that she must have gone to the back mountain to properly bury Yun Chen's remains.

He wasn't in a hurry, so he simply closed his eyes to rest and quietly absorbed the abundant spiritual energy of this top-tier sect.

About half an hour later, footsteps began to echo on the mountain path again.

Yun Zhi changed into a simple, moon-white Taoist robe and returned. Her eyes were slightly red, but her expression had returned to clarity.

"My elder brother has been buried in the ancestral cemetery at Shuiyun Peak, and his soul has returned to his hometown to rest in peace."

Yun Zhi's expression turned solemn, and she said sternly, "Our Taiqing Palace is a righteous and prestigious sect that values ​​cause and effect and gratitude above all else. Fellow Daoist, you have traveled thousands of miles to escort my elder brother's remains back to our sect. Such a great favor will not be tolerated by our sect."

"Whether it's elixirs, cultivation techniques, or spirit stones and magical artifacts, fellow Daoist, please speak frankly about your needs. I will inform my sect and will certainly not disappoint you."

Faced with such a generous promise, Lu Chi hesitated for a moment, then put down his teacup, stood up, bowed solemnly, and appeared open and honest.

"You flatter me, Fairy. I am but a wandering cultivator who happened to enter the ruins and saw Senior Yun Chen's last words. I felt nothing but reverence. Returning to my clan is merely following my heart and forging a good relationship. My initial intention was never to seek repayment for a debt of gratitude."

He paused slightly, a perfectly timed wry smile playing on his lips:

"As for a gift of thanks... this junior is ignorant and unsure of its value. If I were to speak rashly, I would be acting inappropriately. If the fairy wishes to remember my humble service, then please let your sect decide. Whatever you bestow, I, Lu, will be deeply grateful."

He was as clear-headed as a mirror. At such a critical juncture, if he were to be greedy and make unrealistic demands, he might gain temporary benefits, but he would be doing a disservice and turning this "kindness" into a petty business transaction.

Yun Zhi's beautiful eyes flickered slightly, and she suddenly asked, "Fellow Daoist, your aura is steady, and your water-based magic is so pure. May I ask how old you are this year?"

Lu Chi, unaware of the meaning behind it, still bowed respectfully and said, "This junior has wasted twenty-one years of his life."

"Twenty-one years old?" A hint of surprise flashed in Yun Zhi's eyes.

For a rogue cultivator with no support to be able to knock on the door of the late stage of Qi Refining at the age of twenty, such a cultivation speed is considered above average even among the many outer disciples of Taiqing Palace.

She then pressed on, "May I ask what kind of spiritual root and aptitude Fellow Daoist Lu possesses?"

Lu Chi remained calm and truthfully replied, "This junior is dull-witted and possesses only a low-grade spiritual root."

"A low-grade spiritual root..."

Yunzhi's voice stopped abruptly, and the pavilion fell into a brief silence.

Lu Chi lowered his eyes and sighed inwardly.

Even though he had exhausted all means to cultivate to the seventh level of Qi Refining, the shackles of his low-grade spiritual root were still a glaring insurmountable barrier.

It seems that what this Fairy Yun is about to say next will be the same old lament in the cultivation world: "The path to immortality is difficult, and there is no hope of foundation building."

Unexpectedly, Yun Zhi only hesitated for a moment, then suddenly smiled, and her tone became clear and crisp again:

"So what if it's a low-grade spiritual root! There are three thousand great paths, and it's not just about relentlessly cultivating spiritual roots and breathing techniques. My Taiqing Palace has a thousand-year-old heritage, and apart from magic and sword cultivation, we also have profound foundations in various paths such as talisman drawing, alchemy, and weapon forging."

"As long as you master one skill and use the resources of various crafts to support yourself, you can still have a bright future."

Lu Chi was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, and upon raising his eyes, he instantly understood the implied meaning in those words.

Why should the profound heritage and myriad skills of Taiqing Palace be praised so lavishly to an outsider? The implication in this Fairy Yun's words seemed to be that she was considering recruiting him into the sect.

As expected, Yun Zhi seemed to remember something and muttered to herself, "Senior Brother Gu at Hundred Herbs Peak is currently in the process of exchanging spiritual herbs, and there seems to be a shortage of manpower..."

After speaking, she turned her bright eyes slightly and looked at Lu Chi seriously, asking, "Fellow Daoist, you have been wandering for a long time. Do you know how to identify herbs and spiritual plants? If you are knowledgeable in these areas, I may be able to recommend you to join the sect as an outer disciple."

Upon hearing this, Lu Chi was secretly shocked and unexpectedly delighted.

Taiqing Palace is a major sect with a long history and profound heritage, overseen by a Nascent Soul True Lord.

Only Foundation Establishment cultivators can join the inner sect, while the outer sect is a coveted opportunity that countless rogue cultivators would fight tooth and nail for. Moreover, as the leader of the righteous path, with a pure and upright atmosphere, it is the most peaceful and secure place.

He possesses a [Profession Panel], but due to his status as a rogue cultivator and limited financial resources, he struggles to collect high-level talismans, pill formulas, array diagrams, and rare spiritual seeds, resulting in slow progress in his various skills.

If he could rely on such a towering tree and have the sect's vast treasure trove behind him, he would have all the resources and books he needed. For him, it would be like a dragon entering the sea, or a fish in water.

Thinking of this, Lu Chi suppressed the turmoil in his heart, composed himself, bowed deeply, and replied neither humbly nor arrogantly, "I am honored by your favor, Fairy. I am not talented, but I happened to have studied the art of spiritual plants in my early years, and I have some experience in identifying plants and cultivating spiritual fields."