Another failure!

  Five talisman papers wasted!

  Lu Chi looked at the talisman papers on the desk, their ink still wet and their patterns broken, and fell silent for a moment.

  The room was utterly still; only the brush stand swayed lightly, emitting a faint sound.

  He lowered his gaze for a while, then finally let out a soft sigh.

  He hadn't truly stepped onto the path of talisman-crafting yet. Relying only on his recent accumulation and imitation, wanting to draw a complete, usable talisman without using his talent was, after all, a bit too presumptuous.

  He sat down to regulate his breathing, closed his eyes to calm his mind, and only after a long while did he open them again, raising his hand to guide his focus.

  Deep within his sea of consciousness, that fiery, blazing will suddenly rose. A flash of spiritual light, the talisman's core burning—he had activated [Blazing Will].

  "Trying so many times without success, no need to force it. Just wait until my talisman-crafting skill gradually improves, or my cultivation advances another level, then I can carefully try again."

  Lu Chi muttered to himself, his expression composed, immediately casting aside the bold words he had spoken just moments before.

  Only a fool wouldn't use an advantage when he had one—this talisman paper and ink were real spiritual materials being consumed!

  What's more, Zhou Jinyan had already promised to make connections. In just a few days, someone might come knocking, seeking talismans.

  If that was the case, the most urgent task at hand was to prepare enough talismans to meet the demand.

  He didn't know if this path of "selling talismans" would truly work, but since he had already stepped onto it, he couldn't face others empty-handed.

  Spiritual light gradually gathered on the paper, the talisman's intent still undecided. Lu Chi's gaze remained steady, his brushstrokes uninterrupted.

  Over the next few days, he drew two talismans daily without slacking.

  Until dusk on the fourth day, just as he finished a Spirit?Gathering Talisman and was about to rise and rest, he suddenly felt a faint tremor of spiritual energy from his sea of consciousness.

  Immediately after, a line of text quietly appeared before his eyes:

  [Spirit?Gathering Talisman Proficiency Increased: Apprentice]

  Originally, the Spirit?Gathering Talisman in the panel was only at the Novice level. To advance to Apprentice required accumulating one hundred proficiency points.

  Each completed talisman added ten points. Having drawn tirelessly over these past few days, he had just now reached the full amount.

  Before Lu Chi could even think it through, a strange, indescribable sensation quietly washed over him.

  His consciousness was gently tugged, as if pulled away from himself. In an instant, he found himself standing in a dusty old room.

  Inside, a dim lamp flickered. An elderly man with a white beard sat before a desk, brush in hand, drawing a talisman, his expression calm, his breath steady and long.

  It wasn't someone else. In a daze, Lu Chi felt as if he wasthat old man—every rise and fall of the brushstroke, every flow of spiritual power, every outline of the talisman's feet… each technique and method was experienced firsthand.

  Outside, thunder and rain raged. Talisman papers flipped through a thousand sheets, yet the hand beneath never paused, the breath never faltered. Talismans were completed like flowing water, one after another, all using the method of the Spirit?Gathering Talisman.

  He didn't know how long this scene lasted, or perhaps it was only a fleeting moment.

  By the time he returned to his senses, he was still sitting in his original room. The spiritual glow hadn't fully dissipated, the talisman brush was slightly warm, his palm was faintly damp with sweat, yet his mind felt much calmer than before.

  He closed his eyes to regulate his breathing for a moment. Once his spirit had recovered somewhat, a thought occurred to him. He took out a new sheet of talisman paper and spread it on the desk once more.

  This time, he did not use [Blazing Will].

  The brush tip dipped in ink, his mind focused and settled. Following the method demonstrated by that "old talisman master" in his mind, he slowly began to write. Between the turns and shifts of the brushwork, there was a hint of the fluency that comes from long practice.

  As the final stroke sealed the talisman's feet and spiritual power was infused, the talisman paper gave a slight tremble. Light patterns emerged, and the talisman's core stabilized without issue.

  It was done!

  Lu Chi stared at this Spirit?Gathering Talisman, completed by his own hand without borrowing any talent, and remained silent for a long time.

  Though it was still only a first?rank, low?grade talisman, he had taken the first step. Compared to failing five talismans just days ago, it was already worlds apart.

  "This way, even if my natural talent as a talisman master is ordinary, it doesn't matter. Slowly accumulating proficiency through [Blazing Will], I can eventually rely on myself to draw talismans."

  "If I use [Blazing Will]? now to draw another Spirit?Gathering Talisman, could I directly produce a mid?grade talisman?"

  Though somewhat tempted, Lu Chi was in no rush to try.

  Having used his talent today, his mental energy was considerably drained. He put away his brush, sealed the talisman, and sat quietly through the night.

  Once his spirit had gradually settled, he stood up, glanced out the window, then retrieved a cloth pouch from beside the desk and checked its contents. Nine Spirit?Gathering Talismans were already properly sealed inside.

  After tidying the room simply, Lu Chi prepared to receive a guest with the talismans—not setting up a stall, but responding to an invitation.

  Yesterday, Zhou Jinyan had come by and mentioned that he had privately mentioned the Spirit?Gathering Talismans to a few spirit?farmer friends.

  They all thought the quality was quite good. Coincidentally, they were about to expand their spirit?fields and were short on such items. After discussing, they recommended one person to meet with him face?to?face.

  If the discussion went well, he could come regularly for talismans in the future… The agreed time was right now.

  Time passed bit by bit. Before long, footsteps sounded outside the courtyard.

  The door knocked lightly twice. Zhou Jinyan pushed it open first, stepped aside, and a middle?aged cultivator followed him into the yard—tall and sturdy, with dark skin, a straight back, and a stern, solemn expression.

  Zhou Jinyan turned slightly and introduced him to the middle?aged cultivator: "This is Lu Chi, Brother Lu—the newly advanced talisman master I mentioned."

  The middle-aged cultivator gave a slight nod and cupped his hands in salute.

  “I am Cao Zhen. At the request of several fellow Daoists, I have come specifically to take a look.”

  His voice was deep, his words respectful yet scrutinizing. Though his courtesy was complete, his expression showed no particular warmth.

  Cao Zhen’s gaze swept over Lu Chi briefly. He offered no further pleasantries, clearly a man of cautious temperament who preferred quiet and spoke little.

  A cultivator at the fifth layer of Qi Refinement, and now a farmer as well… to be so remarkable?

  Lu Chi returned the salute with cupped hands and replied calmly, “The fellow Daoists praise me too highly. Please, Brother Cao, come inside.”

  Cao Zhen neither agreed nor refused. He simply nodded, secretly observing the furnishings in the room.

  A gleam of scrutiny already showed in his eyes—measured, yet without a trace of trust.

  The three took their seats. The fragrance of tea drifted upward; voices were hushed and unhurried.

  Around the low table, the atmosphere appeared calm, yet in truth, a thread of testing tension lay hidden.

  Cao Zhen said, “Among the talisman masters in the market district, I have not heard Fellow Daoist Lu’s name. Since you claim this talisman is your own work, please make the matter clear. We have no wish to be tainted by goods of unclear origin.”

  Beside him, Zhou Jin spoke up with a light laugh: “Brother Cao, you worry too much. This talisman was indeed drawn by Lu Chi’s own hand—I can vouch for that. It is only that he recently comprehended the method of completing talismans; his reputation has not yet spread.”

  Cao Zhen gave a slight nod and said only: “Words alone prove nothing. Seeing is believing. If Fellow Daoist Lu still wishes to proceed with this transaction, why not draw one on the spot? That would also set our minds at ease.”

  “You need not trouble yourself with the talisman materials. I have brought my own brush, ink, and paper.”

  He reached to his side and withdrew a slender wooden case from his storage pouch, then took out an inkstone and an inkstick, and finally a stack of neatly trimmed talisman paper.

  Opening the lid of the case revealed several talisman brushes arranged in order, their tips glossy and moist—clearly well?maintained over the years.

  Beside them was a small porcelain vial, its seal unbroken, a hint of spiritual energy faintly seeping through.

  So Cao Zhen had prepared all this in advance. This was no casual test—today’s hurdle had been intended as a live demonstration from the start.

  Zhou Jin opened his mouth to speak. The situation had clearly moved beyond what had been discussed earlier. In the end, he couldn’t suppress the concern in his heart: “Brother Cao… acting in this manner may not be appropriate.”

  It wasn’t that he doubted Lu Chi. He simply understood clearly that Lu Chi had only recently succeeded in making talismans, and what he feared most was exactly this kind of public scrutiny.

  Once the brush touches paper, if the mind is the slightest bit unsettled, the talisman patterns will stray.

  If a ruined talisman ends up displayed on the table, the deal may not go through, and on top of that, face will be needlessly lost—a loss that outweighs the gain.

  Lu Chi met Cao Zhen’s gaze. He showed no anger; instead, he smiled faintly.

  When cultivators move through the market district, they most avoid items of unclear origin. If a talisman is not self?made, it involves a source—at the least, it can draw one into trouble; at worst, it can make one a target.

  Especially goods disposed of by robbery?cultivators: they often use talismans and pills to circulate and offload stolen items. Once tainted by such things, if the original owner comes seeking them, or if others misunderstand and implicate you, it becomes a disaster you never asked for.

  Cao Zhen’s actions were not excessive suspicion, but cautious conduct. Cultivators who can settle and operate safely in the market district all understand this principle to some degree.

  Lu Chi cupped his hands slightly and said in an even tone: “It’s fine. Brother Cao is being prudent—I understand. Since verification is needed, we shall do as you suggest. I am willing to give it a try.”