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A hint of embarrassment flashed across Zhao Ling's fair and round face, but it was quickly masked by her arrogance, and she gave a cold snort:

"That would be best. Come with me."

She turned and continued walking into the courtyard, her pace quickening considerably, her pink skirt swaying gently.

Li Shen followed silently behind, pondering how to reasonably resolve the matter when he met Zhao Yue.

Following Zhao Ling through several courtyards, Li Shen couldn't help but twitch his lips, silently sighing:

"As expected of a Foundation Establishment family, this mansion is so large that one could easily get lost."

The two arrived at a secluded and elegant courtyard.

After crossing the small bridge and flowing water, you will see a spacious hall.

The hall was simply furnished, with a long sandalwood table in the center holding the tools needed for drawing talismans.

There are two wooden chairs on each of the left and right sides below.

A middle-aged monk sat behind the long table, his face rugged and his eyes sharp.

It was Zhao Yue, the elder in charge of talisman affairs in the Zhao family.

He had just finished drawing a talisman when he heard footsteps and looked up.

"Ling'er, have you brought the person?"

Zhao Yue's voice was calm and emotionless.

"Father, I've brought the person to you."

Zhao Ling stood aside, her tone still carrying a hint of resentment.

Zhao Yue put down the talisman brush and calmly scanned it up and down with a scrutinizing gaze.

"Fifth level of Qi Refining?"

Zhao Yue raised an eyebrow slightly:

"Han Mo said you have good talent in talismanic arts, and can already draw mid-grade concealment talismans?"

"It's just the beginning, and it's not stable yet."

Li Shen smiled awkwardly and cupped his hands in greeting.

Zhao Ling, who was standing to the side, changed her expression after hearing Li Shen's answer. She was shocked and blushed slightly.

Who would have thought that he was the one who drew this concealment talisman?

Last time, when I was hunting a mid-stage Tier 1 Black-striped Leopard with the team, I used a Concealing Breath Talisman to evade the leopard's attack. I was thinking of rewarding the talisman master who drew the talisman.

Why didn't Father tell me?

Zhao Ling silently complained, glancing at Li Shen every now and then, her blush deepening.

Li Shen also caught her change in expression out of the corner of his eye.

This made him suspicious:

What's wrong with her?

Seeing the change in his daughter's expression, Zhao Yue felt a surge of paternal pride and transmitted his voice:

"You brat, now you know how discerning your father is, right? That old man Han Mo might not be as skilled as your father, but when it comes to the art of talismans, can the person he approves of be mediocre?"

Zhao Ling instinctively wanted to refute, but couldn't find a suitable reason, so she could only hum softly and look away, her heart churning.

Zhao Yue knew his daughter's temper, so he didn't say anything more. He looked at Li Shen, nodded, and took a blank talisman paper and a talisman pen from the table.

"Draw a fireball talisman on the spot, let me see it."

Li Shen's heart stirred. This was a part he had already anticipated, but he was somewhat surprised that the other party did not ask him to draw a concealment talisman on the spot.

The fireball talisman is a basic talisman that every talisman master can draw, and it's also a talisman used for practice. It's not difficult to draw a high-quality one.

And this time he has no intention of hiding his abilities.

Zhao Yue, who is opposite you, is a talisman master at the ninth level of Qi Refining. He is in charge of the assessment of guest talisman masters of Foundation Establishment families. If you try to hide your skills under his nose, you will easily give yourself away.

If this displeases him, it will be a loss.

Li Shen composed himself, took a deep breath, and a faint blue light flickered in his eyes. He picked up his brush, dipped it in ink, and the moment his spiritual energy flowed out, he felt an unprecedented sense of comfort.

"What a fine brush! This brush is even better than that secondhand top-grade talisman brush."

Li Shen silently praised, and with a few strokes of his brush, he drew a fireball talisman.

"Please take a look, Elder."

Li Shen presented the talisman with both hands.

Zhao Yue took it, probed it with his spiritual energy, and after a brief moment of surprise and hesitation, a satisfied expression appeared on his face:

"Excellent! The brushwork is skillful, the strokes are steady, and the spiritual light is restrained; this talisman is of superior quality!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ling turned around, her face full of astonishment. Although she studied alchemy, she still had some common sense about talismans from following her father.

Even basic talismans cannot be drawn casually; high-grade ones are not something that can be drawn easily.

Talent and hard work are both indispensable.

Her attitude towards Li Shen subtly changed, as if she felt that the marriage wasn't as bad as she had imagined.

Zhao Yue placed the talisman on the table, glanced at his daughter, then looked at Li Shen, and slowly said:

"Han Mo should have already told you about the benefits of being a guest talisman master. You need to provide twenty mid-grade basic talismans, ten low-grade concealment talismans, and one mid-grade concealment talisman every month. If you exceed this requirement, the family will buy them at market price. In addition..."

Zhao Yue paused, his expression shifting slightly:

"The scriptures on talismanic arts in the clan's library can be made available to you for your study, but you will need to sign a spiritual contract for at least ten years."

Although a ten-year spirit contract is a bit long for Li Shen, the benefits are too good to pass up. Moreover, strictly speaking, guest spirit masters are outside the official ranks, so the requirements of the spirit contract are mainly limited to delivery.

With Li Shen's current skill level, if he did nothing but draw talismans, he could easily complete ten years' worth of work.

Li Shen pondered for a moment, then bowed and said:

"I am honored by Elder Zhao's high regard, and I am willing to accept."

"Very good."

Zhao Yue smiled, took out a jade tablet, and handed it to Li Shen:

"This is the identity jade token of the guest talisman master. With this token, you can enter and exit most areas of the family, except for the inner courtyard. If you need anything, just apply for it at the General Affairs Hall."

Li Shen took the jade pendant, its surface smooth and warm to the touch. The front was engraved with the character "Zhao," while the back bore the inscription "Guest Master of Talismans."

Zhao Yue continued:

"I wonder if young friend Li currently has a Daoist partner?"

Li Shen's heart skipped a beat. Fortunately, Zhao Ling had told him in advance, so he could come up with a good reason.

He hesitated for a moment, then said with a hint of apology:

"I was born into a rogue cultivator and know that on the path of cultivation, one either progresses or regresses. Although my talent is mediocre, I still have a heart that yearns for the Dao. Later, I made some progress in the Dao of Talismans. I had already taken the Locking Yang Pill to keep it in mind. Before I established my foundation, I had no such thought."

For male cultivators, preserving their primordial yang energy before reaching the Foundation Establishment stage is beneficial for their cultivation progress, and the same applies to female cultivators.

The Suoyang Pill is a medicine created for this purpose. It can help men lock in their primordial yang at its root, and it will automatically release itself after the foundation is established.

It sounds very good, but unless a cultivator is determined to cultivate diligently, almost no one is willing to take this pill.

Don't be fooled by the fact that Qi Refining leads to Foundation Establishment; for most cultivators, the distance between the two is long and distant.

If one blindly takes this pill, not only will one's cultivation not improve, but one will also have to endure so many years of loneliness for nothing.

Li Shen's words are very clear.

Zhao Yue's expression changed, a flash of anger crossing his eyes. He re-examined Li Shen, and after a moment, let out a soft sigh:

"It's not easy for rogue cultivators to survive, and they must also be self-aware. It seems you don't have that destiny. Since you have this ambition, you should focus on cultivation from now on. If you have any questions about the Dao of Talismans, you can come to me at any time."

Li Shen bowed deeply:

"Thank you for your understanding, Elder."

Standing to the side, Zhao Ling's face, still flushed, had turned pale.

Her own pride overwhelmed all her emotions. She bit her lower lip and glared at Li Shen with a complex mix of confusion, embarrassment, and disappointment.

She stomped her foot and left on her own.