Mortal: Starting with the Golden Jade Book

Seven Star Tower.

Lin Zui and Ye Changqing sat facing each other. After exchanging pleasantries, Ye Changqing looked at Lin Zui, who was deliberately maintaining his cultivation at the early stage of Foundation Establishment. His expression changed several times, but he couldn't help but reveal a hint of envy.

"I never expected that Fellow Daoist Lin would break through from the tenth level of Qi Refining to the Foundation Establishment stage in just two years. It is truly admirable."

"Hehe, Fellow Daoist Ye, you flatter me. I only managed to advance to the Foundation Establishment stage by chance due to some fortuitous encounters. I'm afraid you've made me look foolish."

Lin Zui said modestly, without any arrogance despite his breakthrough in cultivation.

"I came here today because the shop assistant told me that Fellow Daoist Ye had visited Wanfu Residence to see me, apparently to make some kind of talisman. Is this true?"

Ye Changqing nodded.

"That is indeed true."

"Has the matter been resolved? My master and I have been in seclusion; otherwise, we would never have stood idly by."

"Thank you for your kind invitation, Fellow Daoist Lin."

Ye Changqing nodded, indicating his understanding.

"To be honest, this matter has indeed been quite a headache for me recently. If Fellow Daoist Lin is willing to lend a helping hand, I will be extremely grateful."

"Fellow Daoist Ye, please don't be so polite. If there's anything I can help you with, just let me know."

"Since Fellow Daoist Lin puts it that way, then I won't stand on ceremony. However, before that, I must ask Fellow Daoist Lin a question: have you ever heard of the Strengthening Divine Talisman?"

"A Divine Strengthening Talisman? It's rumored that only cultivators who have mastered the Divine Strengthening Technique can create it, sealing a large amount of divine consciousness within the talisman. Once used, it can empower the user, enhancing their divine consciousness?"

Lin Zui frowned and thought for a while before revealing this extremely obscure information about talismans.

"Fellow Daoist is indeed knowledgeable. Indeed, this is a powerful divine talisman."

Lin Zui nodded.

"No wonder you're in a difficult position, fellow Daoist. There are already very few cultivators who can master the art of strengthening the divine, and this talisman is extremely difficult to make. I'm afraid not many people are willing to expend a lot of their divine sense to make this kind of talisman again and again."

Lin Zui, having cultivated the Divine Seal Technique, had experienced the feeling of having his divine sense drained countless times. Naturally, he could empathize with those people. Without a great price to pay, who would be willing to go through that trouble?

"Fellow Daoist is right. I mobilized my people and spent several months traveling around Yuanwu Kingdom, searching for dozens of cultivators who had practiced the Strong God Technique. But in the end, I could only produce six barely usable ones."

Ye Changqing sighed, and Lin Zui was startled upon hearing this.

"Six is ​​quite a lot, surely that's not enough?"

"Fellow Daoist, you may not know this, but our shop is preparing to forge a secret treasure that requires the combined efforts of sixteen weapon-forging masters. However, this secret treasure is extremely special and consumes a great deal of the weapon-forging masters' spiritual sense. Without external help, these people simply cannot last until the end. The only way to significantly increase the spiritual sense of so many people in a short period of time is to rely on this Spirit Strengthening Talisman. However, I have searched for it in vain and had no choice but to come to Fellow Daoist Lin's shop with the intention of giving it a try."

"I see. So, fellow Daoist, you need ten more of these talismans?"

"Indeed, what you're implying, fellow Daoist, is...?"

Ye Changqing understood the meaning behind Lin Zui's words, but he couldn't quite believe it. Then he saw Lin Zui nod nonchalantly.

"I, Wanfuju, will take this order, but I still need Fellow Daoist Ye to provide a finished powerful talisman."

"Is Fellow Daoist Lin's statement true?"

Lin Zui chuckled.

"Of course it's true. I received guidance from Fellow Daoist Ye before and was even given a jade token as a partner merchant of the Seven Star Tower. I was just looking for an opportunity to repay him. Fellow Daoist Ye, rest assured, I will definitely send you a sufficient number of Strengthening Spirit Talismans in a month!"

……

Inside the cave.

Yan Ruyan looked at Lin Zui, who was clutching his head and looking pained, and comforted him with heartache.

"Husband, this powerful talisman is so difficult to refine, perhaps... perhaps we should just give up on it."

"No, we finally have a chance to befriend the Seven Star Tower, how can we let it slip by so easily?"

Lin Zui rubbed his head and said, but he also knew in his heart that he had underestimated this powerful talisman.

He originally thought that with his current peak Foundation Establishment stage divine sense, he should have no problem making even mid-to-high-level talismans. He never expected that he would suffer a setback with a small powerful divine talisman.

He used the Divine Seal Technique to make talismans. Because he had to use his divine sense to inscribe the talisman seal on the talisman paper first, the consumption of divine sense was already quite large. However, when making other talismans, after inscribing the talisman seal, he no longer needed to consume divine sense. He only needed to inject magic power into the talisman. However, the Strong God Talisman required that the injected magic power be replaced with divine sense power as well. Lin Zui's divine sense was immediately insufficient.

After several attempts, Lin Zui had to admit that with his current level of spiritual power, he indeed could not create this powerful divine talisman.

However, having already made that promise, how could Lin Zui go back on his word? After thinking for a moment, he looked at Yan Ruyan.

"It seems we have no choice but to try the Soul Resonance Technique. Let's hope this secret technique won't disappoint us."

……

a few days later.

Lin Zui and Yan Ruyan sat facing each other in the secret room, their palms touching. A power mixed with the spiritual energy of the two of them circulated repeatedly within their bodies. With each major cycle, this power would inexplicably become stronger.

After several cycles of cultivation, the two finished their practice. The mixed power separated again and returned to their bodies. What had gone out as a thin stream had returned several times stronger.

"This 'Soul Resonance Technique' is truly amazing. Although the amount of soul power that can be fused each time is not much, I wonder how much stronger our souls will become over time?"

Yan Ruyan couldn't hide her excitement. Although she had long guessed that this secret technique must be extraordinary, she didn't expect the effect to be so immediate.

Lin Zui nodded.

"However, we also benefited from the Mind-to-Mind Technique. Otherwise, this secret technique requires a very high degree of tacit cooperation between the two practitioners. If it weren't for the Mind-to-Mind Technique allowing us to communicate, it would probably have taken an unknown amount of time just to get to the basics."

"Hmm, so this secret technique really is quite suitable for us?"

Yan Ruyan smiled radiantly as she looked at Lin Zui.

"Then... how long do you think it will take to meet the requirements for making a powerful talisman? Is it too late?"

"My spiritual sense was already close to meeting the requirements for creating a powerful divine talisman. At this rate, about half a month should be enough. Although the remaining time is not much, it should be just enough to complete the task."

"That's good! But why do you value the Seven Star Tower so much, going to such lengths to befriend them?"

Yan Ruyan asked in confusion. After spending several years together, she had come to know Lin Zui quite well. He was a man of careful planning and would never do anything meaningless. So his enthusiasm this time must be more than just repaying a small favor from the past.

What do you think?

Lin Zui laughed.

"You're incredibly cunning; how could I possibly guess what's going on?"

Yan Ruyan rolled her eyes at him.

"What else could it be for? Of course, it's to find other cultivators with Heavenly Spiritual Roots."

Lin Zui smiled helplessly and stopped keeping him in suspense.

"A Heavenly Spiritual Root is a rare find, perhaps only once in a hundred years. It's already quite remarkable that someone like you has emerged from the surrounding area of ​​Yue Kingdom. It's practically impossible to find another one like you, so we can only look further afield."

The Seven Star Tower's business spans the entire south, and it claims to be an independent entity, not belonging to any particular power. Naturally, it's the best source for inquiring about this kind of information. If we don't do them a favor as much as possible, how will we be able to ask for it in the future?