My dreams can simulate the future.

Hearing Zhao Changzhou's words, Jiang Chen didn't say anything.

As a cultivator who grew up in the Blackrock Mountain market, he knew a little about the Sun family.

The situation of the Sun family patriarch back then was quite similar to that of Lu Hu's family. They also made a living by hunting demons and amassed a fortune.

He later married several wives and concubines, and fathered more than twenty children. Among his sons, one possessed a remarkable talent for weapon crafting.

They then established themselves in the market and gradually grew stronger. The business has been passed down for five or six generations.

Currently, the Sun family has more than ten cultivators, two of whom have joined the Golden Cauldron Sect as outer disciples. Within the market town, three members of the Sun family also serve as patrol guards.

As long as they can acquire a suitable piece of land outside the market, the Sun family will be able to formally establish themselves as a clan.

With such a powerful force, Jiang Chen, a mere rogue cultivator, truly has no ability to contend with them.

In the Blackstone Mountain Market, there are four or five other families like the Sun family that are considered "quasi-immortal clans," none of which are people that rogue cultivators can afford to provoke.

However, judging from Sun Yulin's demeanor, he's probably holding a grudge against me.

I need to ask Hou Ming about the Sun family's situation later, so that I don't end up not knowing how they got me in trouble.

Thinking of this, he quickly composed himself and adjusted his emotions.

Half an hour later, he adjusted his state and began to draw talismans.

The ten sheets of talisman paper were quickly used up, and six golden needle talismans were drawn, including one fine talisman, four good talismans, and one ordinary talisman.

Seeing him stop writing, Zhao Changzhou stepped down from the main seat, picked up the talisman, and examined it carefully.

He then nodded slightly: "Not bad. With a Qi Refining level of five, you can already draw exquisite talismans. Your talisman skills are already top-notch among mid-level first-grade talisman masters."

I've seen many of the talismans your grandfather drew; your skills are now no worse than his.

"With such skill, you are already capable of drawing high-grade first-rank talismans."

Jiang Chen was a little embarrassed: "Steward Zhao, I have tried to draw high-grade first-rank talismans quite a few times these days, but because my spiritual sense and magical power are insufficient, I have failed every time."

Zhao Changzhou smiled and said, "It's alright, after all, you're only at the fifth level of Qi Refining. Most other talisman masters who have your level of skill have already reached the seventh level of Qi Refining."

Failure is not a big deal. Drawing one or two talismans every day and summarizing the experience after each failure is very helpful in improving your talisman-drawing skills.

Without him saying so, Jiang Chen also insisted on drawing ten high-grade first-rank talismans every day, but they were all practiced in dreams.

After all, high-grade first-rank talisman paper is quite expensive; ten sheets cost four or five spirit stones. Using it in large quantities is quite a painful expense.

"Don't worry, I will practice every day."

Manager Zhao simply nodded, then picked up the only ordinary-grade talisman and examined it carefully.

After a moment, he frowned slightly and looked at the four talisman papers that had failed to form a complete talisman.

"Your brushwork technique still has flaws."

After saying that, he pointed to the turning point of the strokes in the rune restriction.

"When you wield your brush, do you feel a slight stagnation in your spiritual sense and magical power when you encounter strokes with significant turns?"

Without hesitation, Jiang Chen nodded repeatedly: "That's right. This situation was very obvious two years ago. Now, drawing mid-grade first-rank talismans is only slightly difficult."

Only when drawing this exquisite talisman was there no feeling of stagnation. However, when I tried to draw a high-grade first-rank talisman, this feeling of stagnation was extremely obvious.

Almost every failure occurred at this turning point.

Zhao Changzhou nodded: "This is because your brushwork technique still has some flaws, but you have good talent and have covered up the flaws through diligent study and practice."

However, this flaw always exists, and the higher the level of the talisman being drawn, the greater the impact of this flaw in brushwork.

If you can correct this flaw, your success rate in creating talismans should reach 80%. Once your cultivation reaches the sixth level of Qi Refining, you should be able to create high-grade first-rank talismans.

After saying that, he took the talisman brush from Jiang Chen's hand and began to draw on a blank talisman paper.

Jiang Chen carefully observed his brushstrokes and indeed found subtle differences from his own.

Before long, Zhao Changzhou had drawn a golden needle talisman, of excellent quality. The divine sense and magical power contained in the talisman's runes were clearly stronger than his own excellent talisman, and its flow was also much smoother.

"Take this exquisite talisman and study it carefully. Learn my brushwork techniques and correct your flaws as soon as possible."

He then looked at the talisman brush in his hand: "Also, this talisman brush of yours is rather poor. It's fine for drawing mid-grade first-rank talismans, but it's not up to the task of drawing high-grade first-rank talismans."

After receiving the instructions, Jiang Chen left the garrison with the talisman and talisman brush.

-----------------

On the other hand, Sun Yulin, having failed to get what he wanted from Zhao Changzhou, stormed off to a three-courtyard house in the Northeast Ward.

This is the ancestral home of the Sun family, and also the place where the Sun family cultivators and their families live.

Sun Yulin entered the main room and saw a middle-aged cultivator sitting cross-legged in meditation.

This person is the current head of the Sun family, named Sun Yunlong, with a cultivation level of the eighth level of Qi Refining.

Sun Yulin cried out, "Father, that scoundrel Zhao Changzhou actually refused to recommend me!"

Sun Yunlong opened his eyes and glanced at Sun Yulin.

"Shouting and yelling like that, forgetting all manners—what kind of behavior is this?"

Sun Yulin stormed out of the house, bowed respectfully outside the door, and waited for Sun Yunlong to let him in before re-entering the house.

"You don't understand the various arts of cultivation, and we don't have much of a relationship with Zhao Changzhou, so it's understandable that Zhao Changzhou doesn't recommend you."

Did you give him the gift I asked you to give him?

Sun Yulin shook his head angrily: "Zhao Changzhou is just an ordinary outer disciple of the Golden Cauldron Sect, while my sister married a Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Golden Cauldron Sect."

I asked Zhao Changzhou to do me a favor, that was giving him face. He didn't even appreciate it, he really doesn't know what's good for him.

"Father, this time you must get my brother-in-law to take action and transfer Zhao Changzhou to Changyuan Mountain. Ideally, he should die there."

Sun Yunlong glared at him: "Foolish! Zhao Changzhou is acting according to the rules, why should he be transferred to Changyuan Mountain?"

Zhao Changzhou has a strong foundation within the sect; not just anyone can touch him. Don't cause trouble for your brother-in-law.

Seeing that he could not deal with Zhao Changzhou, Sun Yulin's anger intensified.

"When I was discussing with the man surnamed Zhao, a talisman master named Jiang Chen came over and seemed to be very familiar with the man surnamed Zhao."

I suspect Zhao Changzhou likely wants to recommend him to join the Golden Cauldron Sect. If we deal with him and offer him substantial rewards, Zhao Changzhou might recommend me.

"Jiang Chen?" Sun Yunlong pondered for a moment. "I have heard of this person. His grandfather, Jiang Yun, was a talisman master. He went out to explore an ancient cultivation cave more than two years ago and never returned."

"This young man has a good talent for talismans. Two years ago, he was already a mid-level first-grade talisman master and had even joined the Garrison Command. I heard that Zhao Changzhou admires him very much and often gives him pointers on drawing talismans."

"This boy is very close to Li Cheng, but he hasn't had much contact with our Sun family."

Here's what I'll do: I'll send someone to contact Jiang Chen. If he's sensible enough to give up his nomination spot, I can let him marry into our Sun family and teach our Sun family members how to draw talismans.

If he doesn't know what's good for him, I'll make sure he can't move an inch in Blackrock Mountain Market.