Immortal Life: Starting with Daily Last Words

Yu Daoxuan and the other two chatted as they walked, and soon arrived at Chuandao Peak, where they prepared to participate in the sect's semi-annual minor examination.

"Brother Yu, Senior Brother Xu, I wish you both the best of luck in passing the test on your first try."

As they parted, Song Yunshu offered her blessings.

"Don't worry, Senior Sister Song. I may not be good at anything else, but I'm quite skilled at farming."

Xu Runshan patted his chest, looking confident.

Yu Daoxuan nodded slightly, indicating that there was no problem.

Before long, he arrived at the open space outside the talisman hall.

At this moment, the flat area was bustling with people. Dozens of outer disciples participating in the assessment gathered here, some chatting in small groups, and others sitting alone, concentrating on their breathing.

As soon as Yu Daoxuan entered, a cheerful voice greeted him: "Junior Brother Yu, are you confident you can draw a high-quality first-tier talisman in today's assessment?"

The newcomer was dressed in blue, with a tall and upright figure and a composed demeanor; his name was Hong Yongning.

He was accompanied by Zhu's brother and sister.

All three were fellow disciples whom Yu Daoxuan had met in the Talisman Hall. They came from Foundation Establishment families under the sect's jurisdiction and were quite famous among the outer disciples.

Yu Daoxuan said calmly, "I will do my best at that time."

Hong Yongning was immediately overjoyed.

He had been classmates with Yu Daoxuan for half a year and knew that the other was a calm and steady person who never spoke empty words. A simple "I'll give it my best" meant that there was a high chance of success.

Afterwards, the four of them sat down together and discussed the results of the quiz.

Before long, the atmosphere in Pingzi became solemn.

The three talisman masters arrived together, riding on their escape lights.

"Greetings, teacher!"

Yu Daoxuan, Hong Yongning, and others bowed respectfully.

"No need for formalities, please follow the three of us into the hall."

Upon hearing this, all the disciples entered the talisman hall.

The shrine is ancient and solemn, with dozens of bright stones embedded in the dome, illuminating the entire room.

On both sides of the hall, dozens of wooden tables were neatly arranged, each with talisman paper and ink neatly placed on it.

On the jade steps in front of the hall, there were three rosewood chairs, one for each of the three instructors.

The man in the center had half-white hair and beard, and a serious expression. He was none other than Qi Donglou, the head of the Talisman Hall, a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator and a second-tier high-grade talisman master.

The kind-looking old man with long eyebrows on the left is Elder Sun, a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator and a second-tier mid-grade talisman master.

The middle-aged cultivator on the right, with a thin face and sharp eyes, is Elder Zhao, who is also at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage and a second-tier mid-grade talisman master.

"The assessment period is two incense sticks' worth. You must draw two different low-grade first-tier talismans or one high-grade first-tier talisman to pass."

After all the disciples were seated, Elder Zhao, the lowest-ranking of the three, finished explaining the rules and announced the start of the mini-test.

Upon hearing this, everyone picked up brushes, arranged talismans, and began to draw.

Many of them looked nervous; some trembled as they wrote, while others were unsettled, their spiritual energy becoming disordered and the talismans shattering halfway through their drawing.

Hong Yongning was quite talented; he concentrated and slowly sketched each stroke.

Not far away, the Zhu siblings were also engrossed in painting.

The elder brother, Zhu Minghao, learned talisman making from the elders in the family from a young age, and his technique is skillful and methodical.

The younger sister, Zhu Mingyue, appeared slightly nervous, her brows furrowed.

From the moment Yu Daoxuan picked up his brush, he calmed his mind and focused intently on drawing the talisman.

The first talisman he drew this time was the Fire Serpent Talisman.

He drew this symbol hundreds of times, so he could be said to have become very skilled through practice.

He used his magical power to lightly turn his wrist, and the talisman brush flowed smoothly like clouds and water, completed in one go.

When the talisman was completed, a faint spiritual light shone forth, pure and solid, and it was immediately recognizable as a masterpiece.

This scene was witnessed by the three Foundation Establishment Talisman Masters at the head of the table.

Qi Donglou, the head of the Talisman Hall, had a glint in his eye and nodded to himself: "This boy draws talismans with the grace of flowing water. His talent is comparable to that of Du Jingze and He Nianfu."

Seeing that Yu Daoxuan had finished drawing this talisman and then started drawing another talisman, the "Water Arrow Talisman," which he completed in one go, he became even more concerned about it.

The assessment ended when both incense sticks burned out.

The three talisman masters checked each person's credentials and ultimately determined that 37 out of the 88 people present were unqualified.

Among them, only three people drew high-quality first-tier low-grade talismans.

Yu Daoxuan was among those present and was praised by Qi Donglou on the spot. In accordance with the sect's rules, he was rewarded with one hundred merit points and a booklet recording the inheritance of a first-tier mid-grade talisman.

The other two are Du Jingze and He Nianfu, both from aristocratic families. They have been learning talismans since childhood, so it is not surprising that they can draw exquisite first-grade low-level talismans.

Yu Daoxuan alone had no family background or connections, which immediately drew the attention of the disciples in the hall.

The assessment of the Talisman Hall had come to an end, but the disciples had not yet dispersed, and discussions were still going on.

A graceful figure walked up to Yu Daoxuan, her eyes smiling and her voice gentle and pleasant: "Congratulations, Junior Brother Yu. You have only been practicing the Dao of Talismans for half a year, yet you have already been able to draw a high-quality first-tier talisman. Such talent is truly enviable."

The visitor was named Dong Jing, who joined the sect in the same year as Yu Daoxuan.

She was born with a beautiful face and a slender figure. She was skilled at socializing and quick-witted.

Today, Yu Daoxuan made a name for himself by cultivating a high-quality first-tier talisman in just six months, standing out among his fellow disciples and already attracting her attention.

A hint of tenderness flashed in Dong Jing's eyes, and her tone became increasingly intimate: "I wonder if Junior Brother is free tonight? I've been struggling to master talisman drawing lately, and I'd like to visit Junior Brother's cave to ask him for some pointers on the secrets of talisman drawing."

After saying that, she winked at him seductively.

Despite the woman's hints, Yu Daoxuan remained completely calm and unmoved.

Having lived two lives and with the blessing of the golden tablet's last words, he had long since seen through the coldness and warmth of people's hearts.

Furthermore, on the path of cultivation, it is most taboo to get involved in unwarranted personal relationships and unwanted romantic entanglements, which only increase karmic entanglements.

Yu Daoxuan said calmly, "Senior Sister is too kind. My talisman skills are mediocre, how could I dare to be a teacher?"

Dong Jing was slightly surprised when she saw his firm refusal, but she still said, "Junior brother is too modest. With your current talent in talismanic arts, some families in the sect will definitely be interested and will take the initiative to win you over."

Upon hearing this, Yu Daoxuan simply smiled faintly and did not respond.

Dong Jing tried to strike up a conversation with Yu Daoxuan, but only received distant and indifferent responses. Realizing that he had no intention of getting to know her better, she stopped bothering him and exchanged a few casual pleasantries before turning and leaving.

At this moment, inside and outside the talisman hall, many young masters from prominent families were discussing among themselves, their eyes frequently falling on Yu Daoxuan.

Within a sect, any disciple who displays talent will be noticed by major cultivation families, who will then seek opportunities to invest in and win them over.

Making friends in advance and planting seeds of goodwill so that when the other party rises in the future, one can take advantage of their strength to obtain resources and convenience. This is the most common tactic used by sects and aristocratic families.

But despite the discussions, very few people are actually willing to invest.

Many family members believed that the latter was ultimately a low-grade spiritual root with a clear upper limit to cultivation, and could only become an ordinary talisman master, not worth recruiting or cultivating.

Ultimately, only two companies were willing to court and form an alliance.

One is the Hong family of Huai Shi behind Hong Yongning, and the other is the Zhu family to which Zhu Minghao and Zhu Mingyue belong.

Zhu Mingyue was very puzzled by this and privately asked her brother, "Brother, Yu Daoxuan is just a low-grade spiritual root. Is he worth our resources?"

Zhu Minghao looked at Yu Daoxuan and Hong Yongning's receding figures and smiled faintly.

"It's just a casual move. This kid has decent talent in talisman making and is calm and composed. Even if his cultivation level isn't high in the future, he can still become a decent talisman master. A little investment won't hurt him."

With these two investments, Yu Daoxuan obtained a mid-grade first-tier talisman brush, two bottles of Qi Gathering Pills, and three hundred spirit stones, instantly making him much more financially secure.

Inside the cave, Yu Daoxuan took out a Qi Gathering Pill and swallowed it.

This is a mid-grade first-level spiritual pill, most suitable for mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators to condense their mana.

The pill entered the stomach and instantly transformed into a warm medicinal power that flowed throughout the body.

He immediately calmed his mind and focused his spirit, circulating the sect's internal energy cultivation method, "Yuan Yang Jue," guiding the medicinal power to flow through his meridians and throughout his body in a grand cycle.

After an unknown amount of time, he slowly finished his practice, exhaling a breath of turbid air, and felt that his internal magical power had increased by one point.

"If one takes Qi Gathering Pills every ten days, it should take only two or three years to break through to the fifth level of Qi Refining."

He sighed inwardly.

Then he sighed softly, "The elixir is extremely beneficial to cultivation, but its price has always been high."

His daily cultivation already incurs considerable expenses, and he also needs to accumulate spirit stones to purchase cultivation consumables such as talisman paper and ink, making it difficult for him to squeeze out spare spirit stones for these purchases.

If it weren't for the gift from his fellow disciples, he would never have had the chance to enjoy the elixir.

"The only solution now is to work hard to improve my talisman-drawing skills in order to earn cultivation resources."

Yu Daoxuan muttered to himself.

Immediately afterwards, he took out the book of mid-grade first-level talismans given to him by Qi Donglou and carefully flipped through it.

Within sects, the demand for low-level talismans is limited, and their prices are also low.

To exchange for more spirit stones, you need to go to the market.

At midnight, all was quiet.

Within the sea of ​​consciousness, the gilded ancient stele slowly emerged, revealing new last words.

"My name is Yu Daoxuan. When you see this, I will be filled with regret. I went to Baotai Market, intending to sell my talismans and then stroll around the market's bluestone square, hoping to buy some useful spiritual items from the stalls. However, I happened to run into Chen Hu on patrol, who warmly invited me to his residence for drinks. But going there caused me to miss a significant opportunity..."