Chapter 70
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Chapter 70: Red Sleeves Adding Fragrance While Drawing Talismans
Wei Lian settled into Wang Chen’s home.
During the day, she stayed in the yard or kitchen, practicing Martial Arts and assisting with household chores.
Feeding chickens, chopping wood, cleaning, doing laundry, brewing tea…
She never stepped outside the house.
At night, she retired to the hidden chamber.
Wang Chen purchased two curtains from the city and hung them at the entrances of the two small rooms connected to the hidden chamber.
Each had their own bedroom, while the larger hidden chamber served as a shared space.
Initially, Wei Lian was very cautious about living together.
She respected Wang Chen but remained somewhat guarded.
However, over time, Wang Chen’s respectful and considerate behavior gradually eased her wariness.
She began to reveal another side of herself.
“Immortal Master, please have some tea.”
In the hidden chamber, Wei Lian presented Wang Chen with a steaming cup of aromatic tea.
“Thank you.”
Wang Chen accepted the cup and took a sip. The aroma of tea was refreshing, perfectly brewed.
The same Cloud Mist Spirit Tea tasted much better when prepared by Wei Lian.
Besides her mastery of tea, Wei Lian also had excellent handwriting.
She was also skilled in painting.
Clearly, during her time in the Mortal Realm, Wei Lian was a well-bred young lady from a distinguished family!
Yet here, she saw herself as Wang Chen’s maid.
Lately, she had been diligently learning cooking skills, aiming to take charge of his kitchen.
Honestly, since Wei Lian’s arrival, despite some minor inconveniences, Wang Chen’s quality of life had significantly improved.
His training days were no longer as monotonous and tedious as before.
After finishing the spiritual tea, Wang Chen felt clear-headed and energized.
He picked up the talisman brush, dipped it in talisman ink, and gracefully inscribed the talisman.
The three-character runes were completed in one fluid motion!
Over the past few months, while continuing to practice his technique, improve his skill proficiency, and explore the underground fortress, Wang Chen also managed to dedicate time to learning about talismans.
He had always intended to become a part-time talisman maker, acquiring a complete set of learning tools, including "Basic Talismans Illustrated," and striving to enter the realm of talismans.
Wang Chen’s primary goal in becoming a talisman maker wasn’t to earn money.
The barrier to entry for making talismans was low; the initial costs were incomparable to those of alchemy or weapon refining. Yet, talismans were in high demand as consumables, making them a popular part-time choice for many low-level cultivators.
However, while entering the world of talismans was easy, mastering it was challenging, and becoming a true talisman maker was even more difficult.
Due to the massive influx of cultivators, the competition became fiercely intense, causing the prices of low-level talismans on the market to plummet. Without a unique skill or exceptional craftsmanship, one could hardly earn a few spirit stones through Talisman Making. Moreover, even with outstanding abilities, it was impossible to snatch business from others within the sect without aligning oneself with a powerful faction. In Yunshan City, every lucrative trade was backed by one or even several Purple Palace masters! Thus, Wang Chen’s primary consideration in learning talismans was for personal use—to save costs and enhance his combat ability!
The "Basic Talismans Illustrated" documented a total of two hundred and thirty-seven talismans, covering most first-tier talismans. Mastering just a tenth of these would significantly expand his combat techniques. For instance, attack-type legal symbols like Falling Fire, Wind Blade, Ice Arrow, Earth Spike, and Falling Thunder… It was common for cultivators at the initial stage of Qi Training, armed with legal symbols, to overwhelm mid-level cultivators. Compared to expensive magical tools costing hundreds or thousands of spirit stones, talismans were undoubtedly the best choice for low-level cultivators to boost their combat ability.
In Wang Chen’s strategy, if he encountered a formidable strong enemy, such as high-level Qi Training cultivators or Evil Spirits, and found himself outmatched, he would unleash a barrage of talismans, using saturation attacks to overcome strength with weakness. Alternatively, he could create an opportunity to escape. This tactic, however, required a vast number of talismans, and purchasing them with spirit stones was simply unaffordable.
Wang Chen had the Cultivation Panel at his disposal. If he could unlock a high-level Talisman Making skill, it would undoubtedly become his ace in the hole. The challenge, however, was that learning the basics of talisman-making didn’t involve Jade Slips or method seeds, unlike spells. So, how could it appear in the panel’s skill section? Wang Chen approached talisman-making with a trial-and-error mindset.
He discovered that talisman-making was a profound and extensive field of study. Like the sciences in his previous life, one could spend a lifetime delving into it and still only scratch the surface. The "Basic Talismans Illustrated," suitable for Qi Training stage cultivators, not only contained two hundred and thirty-seven talisman illustrations but also three hundred and nine true seal characters. These characters, originating from ancient times and said to be created by the Three Saints of the Dao, were intricate and profound. All talismans, whether legal symbols, spiritual symbols, treasure symbols, or even true Dao symbols, were drawn using true seal characters. The three hundred and nine True Seals in the "Basic Talismans Illustrated" were just a fraction of the runes. Different true seal characters combined to form various talismans, ranging from three to five characters to dozens, interconnected in such a way that a single misplaced stroke could render the entire talisman useless!
Initially, Wang Chen didn’t dare to copy directly. He spent two months meticulously copying and practicing the talisman illustrations and true seal characters. Only after he could proficiently draw all the talismans and runes from the "Basic Talismans Illustrated" from memory did he begin to follow the methods outlined in this introductory text on talisman-making. He started attempting to draw real talismans on talisman paper!
A standard yellow talisman, half a foot long and three inches wide, was already filled on the front with dark red true seal characters. There were no misplaced strokes, broken lines, or ink smudges. Each stroke faintly emitted a spiritual glow, a result of infusing magical power during the drawing process, resonating with the spiritual energy in the talisman ink. However, this did not signify the completion of the talisman. Wang Chen concentrated, holding his brush steady, and made the final stroke at the top of the talisman. This crucial step, known as "Dotting the True," was the last and most critical in talisman-making. Previously, Wang Chen had repeatedly failed at this step, resulting in dozens of wasted talismans. Yet, he remained undeterred. Failure was insignificant; what mattered was the valuable experience gained. He was confident that with his current insight, mastering the basics was within reach. This time, he felt particularly confident about the "Dotting the True" stroke!
As the brush tip touched down, the talisman ink instantly spread across the paper, and the three true seal characters below suddenly glowed brightly. Spiritual light burst forth! 【Beginner Talisman Making · Experience +1】 Suddenly, a notification appeared in Wang Chen’s vision, leaving him momentarily stunned. Had he succeeded? "Ah." Before he could summon the Cultivation Panel to check, a soft exclamation came from beside him. Wang Chen turned to see Wei Lian standing by the desk, holding a fire striker with freshly lit incense. Her lips slightly parted, her eyes filled with surprise and curiosity. Wang Chen chuckled, his heart brimming with joy. If he wasn’t mistaken, a new entry should now appear in the skills section of the panel. A whole new world had opened its doors to him!
