Getting Started in Talismans and Alchemy, Buying a Pill Furnace!

[You planted a second-tier Spirit Plant, the Blazing Sun Flower, using ordinary methods. It survived, and you successfully stimulated its Vitality. Experience +0.5...]

After helping Elder Ji plant the last Blazing Sun Flower seedling, Li Ye bowed and thanked him for his praise, then took his leave.

"Junior Brother Li really is composed..."

Yao Shaohui, still busy in the field, could not help sighing as he watched Li Ye leave.

He had only been in this spirit field for a few days and was still apprehensive. Even though he had nearly finished his work in the field today, he did not dare leave without good reason.

He was still carefully inspecting the field, afraid something might go wrong.

It would be bad enough if he failed to secure the opportunity, but he might also damage the elder's precious Spirit Plants and be scolded and punished.

Then he would have lost both his wife and his soldiers!

Li Ye, however, devoted his full attention to the Spirit Plants while tending them, then left without lingering once his work was done.

Such behavior was probably more than mere composure; it was confidence in his own skills!

But who could argue when he really had the ability to back it up?

Over the past two days, the three of them had discussed the art of tending Spirit Plants.

He and Gu Daojin were the ones who had actually spent time in the spirit medicine garden and even helped tend some second-tier Spirit Plants.

Yet in front of Li Ye, they had shown little of the bearing of seniors.

They called it a discussion, but most of the time, he and Gu Daojin had simply listened to Li Ye's guidance.

This junior brother, who had only been farming for half a year, not only had profound insights into cultivating Spirit Plants but also understood the many changes in their medicinal properties, and from there had developed his own ideas about tending spirit medicines.

He had practically been teaching them, yet he asked for nothing in return and showed not a trace of arrogance.

Such bearing and skill were truly extraordinary!

The events of the past few days were still fresh in his mind, yet Yao Shaohui had already lost count of how many times he had thanked his lucky stars that he had decisively chosen to apologize to Li Ye and befriend him.

"All the Spirit Plants have been planted. They only need careful tending from here on. I've also finished harvesting the first round of experience, so I can think about making more improvements..."

Back at his residence, Li Ye opened his panel.

[Name: Li Ye]

[Spirit Root: Low-Grade Earth-Wood Spirit Root]

[Remaining lifespan: 73 years (3 years lost from overdrawing primordial Qi)]

[Skills: Planting, first-tier superior grade (193/3000); alchemy, not yet initiated (1878/2000); artifact refining, not yet initiated (12/2000); talismans, not yet initiated (1387/1500)]

[Plant Spiritual Essence: Jade Sprout Spiritual Essence * 227]

[Spiritual Essence trait: Vitality, level 1]

[Experience: 2125]

Li Ye had gained 2,000 experience from planting one mu of Blood Li Rice.

But a mu of spirit field could only hold roughly a thousand Blazing Sun Flowers, so there had not been many left to plant in the quarter mu assigned to Li Ye.

Even with all of them surviving, they had only given him 125 experience in total...

A pitifully small amount!

But Li Ye was in no hurry.

Compared with spirit rice, these Spirit Plants had longer growth cycles, and they would most likely give him feedback far more often over the course of their growth.

Considering that spirit rice gave double the experience upon maturing, Li Ye even suspected that these Spirit Plants would give more experience as they grew older.

Most likely, they were a source of long-term returns.

Besides, compared with experience, Li Ye placed greater value on the Plant Spiritual Essence these Spirit Plants could give him, since they were planted less densely but were worth far more.

"Wait... if spirit medicines really do give more feedback as they grow older, why don't I plant trees?"

"Trees have hardier vitality. As long as they aren't damaged by excessive outside force and the environment is suitable, they can keep growing almost indefinitely..."

"If I could plant a spirit root of heaven and earth with enough potential, or grow forests all over the world, couldn't I just lie in bed every day and harvest experience and Plant Spiritual Essence at regular intervals?"

Li Ye stroked his chin, eagerness in his eyes.

Although he still had to wait for the Blazing Sun Flowers' feedback to confirm it all, the idea of finding a seed or seedling of a spirit root of heaven and earth and planting it himself had taken deep root in his heart.

Li Ye had also decided what to do with his experience.

With a thought, Li Ye directly maxed out his proficiency in both talismans and alchemy!

As inspiration welled up, the problem of stabilizing Law Power nodes, which had troubled Li Ye for so long, was answered in an instant. He also gained an understanding of numerous fire-control techniques and how to time them.

When he came back to himself, he had taken his first steps in both alchemy and talismans!

[Talismans: first-tier lower grade (0/2000)]

[Alchemy: first-tier lower grade (0/3000)]

He had 1,890 experience left. There was no need to spend it in a hurry; he could keep it in reserve to improve his Planting Technique whenever necessary, as insurance against any unexpected trouble in the elder's spirit field.

"My talisman brush is barely usable, but I need to get a Pill Furnace..."

Li Ye murmured, suddenly caught between laughter and tears.

"I've gotten started on the Dao of Alchemy without even refining a single pill. Does that make me a king of empty talk?"

But it was getting late. If he made a trip to the market now, it would probably be dark by the time he returned. And buying something as valuable as a Pill Furnace would make him even more likely to attract covetous eyes.

It would be safer to go early tomorrow.

The improvements he had just made had stirred up his soul, leaving him in fine form.

Since he did not intend to go out, he went straight down to the basement and entered the talisman-making room.

After carefully preparing the talisman ink, Li Ye spread out a sheet of talisman paper, calmed and focused his mind, picked up his brush, dipped it generously in ink, and immediately began to write.

His first stroke was hesitant and awkward, but as he drew stroke after stroke and formed the Law Power nodes, his movements grew increasingly practiced.

Even by the time he drew the final node, not one had shown any sign of instability!

With care and precision, he completed a Rejuvenation Talisman!

Li Ye picked up the talisman, admired it briefly, then put it away to one side.

Without stopping, he immediately began drawing on the next sheet.

Time passed bit by bit.

Li Ye's movements went from cautious and careful to swift and flowing. Some sheets of talisman paper before him turned to ash, while others were completed successfully.

By the time he had used up the two dozen sheets of talisman paper he had bought, the box beside him held six Fireball Talismans and six Cold Breath Talismans.

Including the Rejuvenation Talisman, that made thirteen finished talismans.

"At the lower grade, I still can't draw a talisman with a sustained effect like the Golden Bell Talisman. My success rate with low-tier talismans is around fifty percent, so I could make a small profit after deducting costs..."

Li Ye pondered the numbers, a smile appearing on his face.

"But making that little bit of money is hardly worthwhile. Refining pills is much more lucrative!"

Now that he had gotten started on the Dao of Alchemy, he no longer had any thought of making a profit by selling talismans.

Compared with pill refining, talismans could serve perfectly well as a means of improving his combat strength.

Even at the low tiers, the varieties of talismans already covered all kinds of combat needs.

If he was willing to throw them out as though they cost nothing, he could catch an enemy completely off guard and drown them in Law Techniques.

At higher levels, there were also methods such as Restriction-Breaking Talismans and Teleportation Talismans, which could break through formation restrictions and carry one a hundred li in an instant.

For Li Ye, whose Cultivation Method was currently incomplete and who lacked complementary means, they were a valuable supplement.

The next day.

He finished tending the elder's spirit field early and had another discussion with Yao Shaohui and Gu Daojin.

Li Ye took all his Spirit Stones, kept the talismans he had bought earlier and drawn yesterday close to his body, and left the sect for the market.