Two weeks had passed since he had gone to the inner district. Even after that, Li Xin drew talismans every single day. Night after night, his fingertips stiffened, and even when bloodshot veins filled his eyes, he did not put down the brush. He only rested when his mental energy was completely depleted.
And then, that night came—the final stroke landed on the white paper, and his hand stopped. It was the moment when the number of two-stroke Strength Talismans he had drawn reached exactly one hundred.
[You have completed a 2-stroke Strength Talisman.]
[Physical strength increases slightly.]
[The 2-stroke Strength Talisman has fully settled into your body.]
[No further increase in physical strength will occur.]
Li Xin carefully clenched his fist. His forearms, shoulders, and chest looked unchanged on the surface. He was still lean, with not a single tendon standing out, but he could feel it. Clearly, it was different from before.
Just what kind of mechanism increased my strength?
Li Xin pondered the reason carefully, and his gaze turned inward, beyond the skin, and he found the answer—the meridians. Thin, narrow pathways through which qi flowed. It was precisely there that he sensed the change.
Li Xin slowly regulated his breathing and circulated his qi. A subtle vibration arose within the meridians. If it were the Li Xin of the past, this amount of qi would have vanished before accomplishing anything, but now, it was different—the same amount, yet stronger, the same flow, yet sharper. It felt like a dulled blade being honed. Qi was not simply increasing in quantity; it was undergoing a qualitative transformation.
“Qi itself is becoming stronger.”
Mental power and the physical body were both important, but in the end, what determined a cultivator’s level was ‘qi.’ How much qi one could hold. How quickly and precisely one could operate it. That was the standard by which strength was measured. That was why most cultivators repeated cultivation techniques hundreds or thousands of times, expanding their meridians and refining their qi. All of that training was ultimately a journey toward improving the quality of qi.
But—Li Xin was skipping that entire process through nothing more than drawing talismans. Only now did he realize it. The reward gained from the Strength Talisman was not merely an increase in physical strength. In the process of the talisman settling into his body, the very quality of his qi had changed.
“If this is how embodiment through talismans works… then other talismans will alter qi in entirely different ways.”
Li Xin felt something boiling up deep within his chest. Moreover, the gifts bestowed by the talisman did not end there.
[You have fully embodied the ‘2-stroke Strength Talisman.’]
[Condition fulfilled.]
[You have comprehended the fist technique ‘Shattering Mountain Fist.’]
[Your understanding of Shattering Mountain Fist has deepened.]
His mind burned as if set ablaze.
A sensation surged up from deep within his heart.
“…!”
Li Xin sprang to his feet. His stance naturally fell into place. Lowering his shoulders, clenching his fists, he began deep breathing. Heart, shoulders, arms, fingertips. The paths through which qi flowed became vividly clear, as if drawn before his eyes. Before, it had only been a vague act of gathering qi, but now, it was different.
The flow of qi. Compression synchronized with the beating of the heart. The minute rotation of the shoulder joints. When all of these elements connected as one—Shattering Mountain Fist ceased to be a mere movement and became a complete martial art.
Only after his understanding deepened did he realize it. Shattering Mountain Fist was not simply a striking technique, it was a fist that squeezed qi from the heart, condensed it into a single point, and pierced the inside.
Of course, understanding and actual combat were different matters. To verify his realization, Li Xin immediately headed to the back mountain.
***
At the foot of the mountain, before an old oak tree. Li Xin often used this tree as a training post. Despite countless strikes, it had remained intact. It was the perfect target to test his strengthened power.
“Sss—”
He slowly inhaled. Drawing qi from his heart, passing through his shoulders, down his arm, and into his fist.
The sound was small, but the impact transmitted to his fingertips was unmistakable. Li Xin carefully placed his hand on the tree before him. The surface was intact, but the core had bent ever so slightly. It was different from merely striking the surface as before, yet the result was not very satisfying.
“One more time.”
Li Xin corrected his stance once again. From heart to shoulder, from shoulder to elbow, from elbow to fist. He pushed the qi forward without the slightest deviation.
This time, the entire tree shook lightly—a deeper, sharper impact was felt at his fingertips. The technique was the same. The name, the movements, even the outward appearance were unchanged. But the density of the power contained within was on a completely different level.
“…So this is the real Shattering Mountain Fist.”
Li Xin paused to regulate his breathing and looked down at his hand. There was one thing he realized through this. The 1-stroke Strength Talisman and the 2-stroke Strength Talisman. Their effects differed slightly, but their essence was the same. Both talismans originated from the same Mother Stroke. The Mother Stroke was the core of power and the backbone that determined the talisman’s overall nature. The Additional Strokes were nothing more than flesh added on top.
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“In the end, the rewards gained from a talisman depend on the Mother Stroke.”
A talisman did not always grant a new technique. Sometimes, it allowed one to understand what they already possessed more deeply. That understanding was what had created the present Shattering Mountain Fist. When he delivered the third strike, the oak tree split in two from near its roots with a short cracking sound of ‘Bang!’ As if it had ruptured from the inside, the surface was intact, but the core had been completely shattered.
Li Xin quietly gazed at the remains, “Twice as strong? No. Even more than that.”
This was not a simple blow, but a technique that destroyed the core. Against a living being, it would strike vital points; against an inanimate object, it would pierce the center.
“At this point, defeating someone of the same rank shouldn’t be difficult.”
If the Shattering Mountain Fist gained from the 2-stroke Strength Talisman showed this level of power…
Then what about 3 strokes, 4 strokes, 5 strokes? And what if he reached a 1-character Strength Talisman?
“A mountain-shattering fist technique, Shattering Mountain Fist.”
At that moment, Li Xin realized it. Shattering Mountain Fist was not merely a grandiose name. From the beginning, this technique had truly been created to shatter mountains. The power he had just displayed was only a tiny fraction of what that name held.
Li Xin quietly closed his eyes. He had definitely grown stronger. It felt entirely different from when he had embodied the 1-stroke Strength Talisman.
But—in his mind, the middle-aged man he had encountered at Qingliu Alchemy Hall surfaced. He had merely been sitting there in silence. He had not taken a single step nor spoken a single word, yet—his presence had emitted pressure as though a massive mountain stood behind him.
“No matter how strong I become, can I really overcome the power accumulated over tens of thousands of years in the cultivation world?”
This world had long since established its cultivation systems. From the basics to advanced applications, countless trials, errors, and insights had been accumulated within them. It was not the legacy of one or two geniuses, but the collective heritage forged by hundreds of generations and the efforts of tens of thousands. And his current self was nothing more than a frail cultivator who had embodied just three talismans.
Shattering Mountain Fist.
Li Xin chewed over the name once more. For now, he had only split a single oak tree, but one day, he might truly shatter mountains as the name suggested, but that was a story for the distant future. His present self was still too small, too weak.
Li Xin lowered his head. Relaxing his fists, steadying his breath, he made his resolve once more.
“Now is not the time to reveal myself.”
He would not get carried away just because he had grown a little stronger. Arrogance was the shortest path to ruin. If one sought a leap forward, one had to first lie low—Hide, conceal, and wait. That was what he needed to do now.
***
After confirming the changed power of Shattering Mountain Fist, Li Xin immediately left home.
A week ago, in his transaction with Liu Guangjin, Li Xin had pre-ordered several materials. A brush from the Qingyou Brush line made of weasel hair. Danqing Ink. Ten sheets of Oil-Gloss Paper. All of them were materials needed to draw the Warm Heart Talisman.
And today—Li Xin took the last talisman he had drawn and went to find Liu Guangjin again.
“I plan to enter seclusion to break through my realm for a while, so supplying talismans will be difficult for some time.”
At Li Xin’s words, Liu Guangjin nodded.
“So that’s why the recent quantity was higher than usual.”
“Yes. I’m not sure how long the seclusion will take.”
“If you’re stopping for cultivation, who am I to complain? It’s a shame, since your talismans have been quite popular lately.”
Liu Guangjin took out each talisman and checked them. After confirming there were no issues, he handed over the agreed payment and promptly took out a small box, passing it over.
“These are the items you ordered last week.”
Li Xin opened the box to check. Brush, ink, paper. Everything he needed was inside.
“Thank you.”
Leaving behind a brief and polite greeting, Li Xin exited the shop. All preparations were now complete. Thanks to producing talismans without rest for two weeks, he had saved up a full 800 jeon, enough to buy an elixir pill. Now, only one thing remained—to break through his realm. Thus, his next destination was already decided.
***
An alley in the commercial district.
The signboard of Qingliu Alchemy Hall came into view once more. As he opened the door, a faint medicinal fragrance lingered at the tip of his nose. A memorable scent, a familiar atmosphere, and a familiar face.
“Oh, you’re here! Um… you’re the one who came last time, right?”
The girl who had explained elixir pills two weeks ago. It was Han Yuna.
“Yes. You remember me.”
Li Xin replied with a slight bow of his head.
“Haha, of course I remember. Even after you left, I kept wondering if I’d explained things too roughly.”
Han Yuna continued joking with a bright smile. He glanced around the shop, but the middle-aged man from before was nowhere to be seen. It wasn’t something worth worrying about. Li Xin went straight to the point.
“I’d like to purchase one bottle of Pale Azure Jade Pill.”
“Oh, that’s a good choice.”
Han Yuna nodded, her eyes lighting up.
“I’ve already explained the effects, so I’ll skip that. But you must listen carefully to the precautions when taking it.”
She carefully took out a pill bottle from the shelf.
“After taking it, you should focus on expanding your meridians for two shichen. During that time, the qi within your body will be temporarily unstable, so there may be pain.”
Li Xin nodded. Growth always came with pain, and he was prepared for that much.
“If you want to reduce the pain, you can use a talisman like the Warm Heart Talisman. It’s quite effective at stabilizing the heart and mind.”
“Thank you for the advice.”
Han Yuna neatly packaged the pill bottle and handed it over.
“The price is 800 jeon.”
Li Xin took out eight sheets of Azure Soul Paper from his robe. Carrying 800 sheets of white paper would have been troublesome, so he had asked Liu Guangjin in advance to exchange them for Azure Soul Paper. Han Yuna accepted the Azure Soul Paper, checked it, and then smiled brightly.
“I hope you get good results. I’d love it if you came again next time.”
“Thank you.”
Li Xin carefully tucked the pill bottle into his robe. With this, all preparations were complete. Now, all that remained was to break through his realm.
***
A quiet room.
After carefully organizing the talisman tools on the desk, he pulled the straw meditation cushion he had left in the corner to the center. He had rarely practiced seated meditation, so it was a cushion he seldom used. Then, he carefully took out the small pill bottle from his robe.
“Pale Azure Jade Pill…”
Inside the jade bottle, a single pale blue pill emitted a gentle glow. The pill’s fragrance spread like calm ripples on water. A clear, cool energy tickled the tip of his nose. Han Yuna’s explanation came back to him.
After taking it, focus on expanding your meridians for two shichen.
Li Xin opened the bottle and placed the pill on his palm. It was about the size of half an egg. Its texture was smooth, like a glass bead. After closing his eyes briefly and steadying his breathing—he put it into his mouth without hesitation.
The moment it touched his tongue, the Pale Azure Jade Pill melted soundlessly. Refreshing energy seeped from his esophagus to his stomach, and then to his lower dantian. Now was the crucial part. Li Xin’s consciousness followed the pill, sinking ever deeper into his inner world.
