Uncle Nine: You were supposed to drive corpses, so you summoned the Monkey King!

A faint scent of sandalwood filled the study.

Sunlight streamed through the paper windows and fell on the large desk, illuminating the various objects placed on it.

The finest wolf-hair brush, finely ground cinnabar, a thick stack of yellow talisman paper, and a bronze Bagua mirror.

Master Simu stood behind his desk, his expression solemn.

He picked up the wolf-hair brush, dipped it in the water, and then dipped it in cinnabar.

"Lin Chen, watch closely."

"Drawing talismans without knowing the trick will only make ghosts and gods laugh; drawing talismans with the trick will startle ghosts and gods."

As Master Simu spoke, he hovered his brush above the yellow paper.

"Drawing talismans requires the unity of essence, energy, and spirit. You must bring it up in one breath and let the brush move like dragons and snakes, without interruption in the middle."

"You must contemplate the majesty of the patriarch and channel your own magical power into the talisman paper through the tip of the brush."

As soon as he finished speaking, Master Si Mu's brush moved swiftly across the yellow paper, the vermilion lines flowing like clouds and water.

In just two or three breaths, a corpse-suppressing talisman was made in one go.

The moment the talisman was finished, a faint red light seemed to flash across its surface.

"This is the most basic corpse-suppressing talisman."

Master Simu put down his brush, let out a long breath, and had a smug look on his face.

"First, practice drawing strokes on the stone slab with clean water. When you can draw a single stroke without stopping, then use cinnabar to draw talismans."

After giving his instructions, Master Simu turned and went to the main hall to supervise Jiale's horse stance, leaving Lin Chen alone in the study.

Lin Chen walked to the desk and picked up the wolf-hair brush.

He didn't go to get water, but instead soaked his hands in cinnabar.

He had completely memorized the process of Master Si Mu drawing the talisman.

Not only the direction of the lines, but also the rhythm of the Four-Eyed Taoist's breathing and the way he exerted force with his wrists were clearly visible.

This is a benefit brought about by the improvement of mental attributes.

Never forget.

"Give it a try."

Lin Chen lowered his wrist, placing the brush on the yellow paper, and vermilion lines began to spread across the paper.

The moment he put pen to paper.

The long-lost system notification sound rang in my mind.

[Ding! Host is detected drawing symbols.]

This action has been included in the daily settlement of ritual duties.

[Current Task: Draw a Corpse-Suppressing Talisman. Progress: 0/100.]

Upon hearing this voice, Lin Chen's lips curled into a slight smile.

Sure enough, the system could quantify anything related to cultivation into daily tasks.

Lin Chen's wrist trembled slightly when he was halfway through drawing the first talisman.

The line is broken.

A piece of waste paper.

Undeterred, Lin Chen crumpled the waste paper into a ball and threw it aside, then pulled out a new piece of yellow paper.

Keep drawing.

In the second drawing, the lines faded in color when the last third of the drawing was completed.

Invalid.

The third one had too much ink on it, making it a blurry mess.

Invalid.

Lin Chen treated drawing talismans like an assembly line operation.

If you fail, immediately start the next one.

With each failure, I can quickly adjust my mindset and become more and more skilled.

The wastepaper basket in the study was soon half full.

Just as Lin Chen was frantically drawing talismans.

Master Ikkyu from next door strolled into the courtyard of the dojo.

He was holding an empty bowl and peering tentatively towards the kitchen.

"Brother Four Eyes, my salt jar is empty. Could I borrow some coarse salt?"

Master Ikkyu called out to the main hall with a smile.

Master Four Eyes was whipping Jia Le's buttocks with a ruler when he heard Master Ikkyu's voice and immediately flew into a rage.

"You damned bald monk, you borrowed my soy sauce yesterday, my garlic the day before, and today you're asking for salt!"

"Do you think my temple is a charity hall?"

Master Simu stormed out of the main hall, pointing at Master Yixiu's nose and cursing loudly.

Master Ikkyu clasped his hands together, his face full of compassion.

"As a monk, one should be detached from worldly desires. Why be so particular about material possessions? It's just a matter of borrowing some salt. Brother, please don't let your ignorance and karmic fire get stirred up."

"Pah! If you're so detached from worldly desires, why don't you eat dirt?"

Two old men, whose combined age was over a hundred, were arguing fiercely in the courtyard over a bowl of coarse salt.

Jiale squatted in a horse stance, craning his neck to watch the commotion, occasionally letting out a silly laugh.

The noise in the courtyard did not affect Lin Chen in the study.

He was completely immersed in the world of drawing symbols.

[Daily talisman drawing in progress, current progress: 45/100]

[Daily talisman drawing in progress, current progress: 78/100]

As the progress increased, Lin Chen wrote faster and faster.

He no longer consciously thought about how to exert force or how to control his breathing.

Everything became muscle memory.

When the ninety-ninth drawing was completed.

Lin Chen left the final stroke of his pen on the yellow paper.

"Buzz!"

A slight humming sound echoed in the study.

The newly drawn corpse-suppressing talisman suddenly glowed with a faint golden halo.

This halo is even brighter than the one drawn by Master Simu before.

The talisman is complete!

Lin Chen put down his brush, wiped the sweat from his forehead, looked at the corpse-suppressing talisman with its flowing spiritual energy on the table, and smiled with satisfaction.

[Ding! Daily progress of drawing talismans: 100/100, completed!]

[Congratulations, host! Your proficiency with the Corpse-Suppressing Talisman has increased to: Beginner!]

At this point, the argument in the courtyard came to an end.

Master Ikkyu, with his shamelessness, successfully smuggled a bowl of coarse salt from the kitchen and returned home satisfied.

Master Simu stomped his feet in anger, then turned and went into his study to check on Lin Chen's practice progress.

"Lin Chen, drawing talismans isn't something you can master in a day or two, so don't rush it..."

Master Simu spoke as he walked.

He had just reached the desk when his voice abruptly stopped.

He saw the pile of yellow paper in the wastepaper basket, and also the talisman for suppressing corpses that was emitting a faint glow in the middle of the desk.

Master Simu rubbed his eyes and picked up the talisman in disbelief.

I examined it carefully for a long time.

The lines are smooth, and the magic is restrained.

This is definitely a qualified corpse-suppressing talisman, even of slightly better quality than the ones he usually draws!

"This...you drew this?"

Lin Chen nodded and answered honestly.

"Yes, Master, I wasted more than ninety talisman papers to barely draw this one."

"Master, am I too stupid?"

When Master Simu heard this, he almost spat out a mouthful of blood.

What's the big deal about wasting over ninety sheets of paper?

When he first learned to draw talismans, it took him three whole months and he wasted thousands of sheets of paper before he finally drew his first successful talisman!

You finished drawing it in half an hour, and you're still asking yourself if you're too stupid?

This is inhuman!

Master Simu's chest heaved twice as he forcefully suppressed his shock and jealousy.

He patted Lin Chen on the shoulder, trying his best to appear calm.

"Well, it's alright, I guess."

"Although you're a little less talented than I was back then, you still have some talent. Keep up the good work and don't be arrogant."

After Master Simu finished speaking, he took the corpse-suppressing talisman, put his hands behind his back, and walked out of the study.

As soon as he stepped out the door, Master Four Eyes couldn't help but let his lips curl into a wild smile, almost bursting out laughing.

I've struck gold!

This time we've really struck gold!

It was evening.

The once clear sky suddenly turned gloomy.

Large, dark clouds rolled in from the distant mountains, completely obscuring the setting sun.

The mountain wind began to howl, rustling the leaves of the trees outside the temple.

The air was thick with a stuffy, damp atmosphere.

It's going to rain heavily.

Lin Chen stood under the eaves, looking up at the rolling dark clouds in the sky, his brows furrowed slightly.

he knows.

This sudden thunderstorm was not an ordinary natural phenomenon.