Chapter Six: Talismans Display Their Might

The banquet lasted for an hour.

After the banquet ended.

Chu Daniu had drunk quite a bit and was already tipsy.

"Big Brother Li, back when we were seeking immortality, you took great care of me."

He put an arm around Li Chang'an's shoulder and walked out of the tavern.

"If you ever need help with anything in the future, just tell me. As long as I can do it, I'll definitely help you!"

"All right."

Li Chang'an replied with a smile.

Soon, the four of them bade each other farewell and returned to their respective lodgings.

The days that followed.

Li Chang'an kept honing his Talisman skills.

He became increasingly adept at drawing High-grade Talismans, and his success rate gradually improved.

During this period.

Clear River Market was far from peaceful.

Several murders had occurred, all committed by Rogue Cultivators.

Everyone in the Marketplace was on edge.

Quite a few cultivators with substantial wealth began considering leaving Clear River Market and looking for a safer Spiritual Vein residence.

This enraged the Zheng Family.

They not only intensified their patrols, but also issued a Bounty Order, swearing to hunt down the murderous Rogue Cultivators!

"Rogue Cultivators!"

Li Chang'an also sensed a hint of danger. He certainly did not want to be targeted by Rogue Cultivators.

His strength was ultimately too weak.

In the early Qi Refining stage, he could only be considered a tiny fry in the Cultivation World.

Fortunately.

He had already drawn a complete set of High-grade Talismans, and compared with before, his strength had improved tremendously once again.

Several days later.

A new piece of news spread through the Marketplace.

"The Rogue Cultivators are a gang. The gang leader, who was in the late Qi Refining stage, has already been slain by the Zheng Family. Only a few in the middle and early Qi Refining stages remain in hiding."

This news put Li Chang'an somewhat at ease.

In the days that followed, the Rogue Cultivators indeed quieted down, and Clear River Market returned to peace.

Before he knew it.

Two months passed.

Li Chang'an's Talisman skills had been honed to near-perfection.

"Drawing High-grade Talismans, I basically won't make mistakes anymore."

No one could guarantee a hundred-percent success rate.

His skills had now reached the peak of a low-grade first-tier Talisman Master.

"Unfortunately, there's no subsequent Legacy."

Li Chang'an sighed.

He had thoroughly digested all the contents within the Jade Slip.

During this time, he had kept an eye out for news about Talisman Inheritance in the Marketplace.

However.

Not to mention Talisman Inheritance—even ordinary craft Legacies were scarce.

"Forget it. Some things can't be forced."

Li Chang'an was fairly satisfied with the current situation.

He slowly set down the Talisman Brush in his hand, rose, and stretched.

Ever since obtaining the Talisman Inheritance, he had barely rested. He had been working day and night, learning and honing his Talisman Drawing skills.

"The path of cultivation should have both tension and relaxation, with work balanced by rest."

Li Chang'an decided to relax a little. He could not stay tense for too long.

Cultivators were people too, not Puppets.

He fetched biographies of powerful cultivators and read about the lives of those mighty figures, strengthening his conviction in the path of cultivating immortality.

The night grew deeper and deeper. It was once again the Midnight Hour.

[Divination Result Refreshed]

[Today's Divination Result: Auspicious]

[You plan to relax your mind, so you go fishing at Bright Moon Lake. By chance, you obtain a mid-grade first-tier Talisman Inheritance from inside a fish's belly.]

"Mid-grade Talisman Inheritance?"

Li Chang'an's spirits lifted.

He had just been fretting over having no subsequent Legacy when the Hexagram Image gave him a direction!

It had come at exactly the right time!

"Bright Moon Lake isn't far from Clear River Market, and cultivators often go there to fish."

Information about Bright Moon Lake surfaced in Li Chang'an's mind.

From the Marketplace to Bright Moon Lake.

The round trip only took fifteen minutes.

"Looks like I'll have to test my fishing skills."

The next day, at Early Morning.

Li Chang'an brought a fishing rod, prepared the bait, and set off to fish.

Before long.

He arrived at the shore of Bright Moon Lake.

From a distance, the surface of the lake was calm and unruffled, with several cultivators fishing.

Li Chang'an chose an unoccupied spot, scattered a handful of bait first, and only then cast out the hook.

Afterward.

He sat as still as an old monk in meditation, gripping the fishing rod without moving an inch.

About fifteen minutes later, the first fish took the bait.

"Whoosh..."

Li Chang'an hauled it out in one motion.

He flicked a finger of Spiritual Energy, sliced open the fish's belly, and examined it carefully.

He found nothing unusual.

He remained patient and waited quietly for the next fish.

Over the following hour.

He caught five fish in succession, but there was no Legacy in any of their bellies.

A moment later.

Another fish took the bait.

As usual, Li Chang'an sliced open its belly, then his eyes suddenly lit up.

"Jade Slip!"

Inside the fish's belly was, astonishingly, a Jade Slip.

He took out the Jade Slip and gave its contents a rough scan.

"A mid-grade first-tier Talisman Inheritance!"

Li Chang'an immediately became wildly excited. It had come without the slightest effort.

After a while.

He put away his fishing gear, carried his fish basket, and embarked on the road back to the Marketplace.

If nothing unexpected happened, he would be back at the Marketplace in seven and a half minutes.

However.

Halfway there.

He suddenly heard hurried, piercing whistles ringing out nearby.

"Something's wrong. It sounds like someone is fighting!"

Li Chang'an's heart turned cold. The sound was rapidly approaching him.

He quickly activated an "Qi Concealment Talisman."

He suppressed his aura to the lowest possible level.

Then he flashed into a nearby thicket and remained perfectly still, like a stone.

After several breaths.

A blood-soaked figure shot rapidly past the thicket.

It was actually Chu Daniu!

His aura was weak, clearly showing that he had suffered severe injuries.

Two ferocious-looking cultivators were in hot pursuit behind him.

"Heh heh heh!"

"Chu Daniu, stop resisting!"

"Hand over the wealth on you and your Spirit Wine Inheritance. We brothers might consider sparing your life!"

The two let out several strange, mocking laughs. The auras surrounding them had both reached the peak Third Layer of Qi Condensation.

Chu Daniu, meanwhile, had only recently advanced to the Third Layer of Qi Condensation.

Even fighting one-on-one would have been troublesome, let alone two against one.

"How did Da Niu get so unlucky? He actually ran into Rogue Cultivators."

Li Chang'an furrowed his brow slightly.

Those two cultivators were both plainly listed on the Bounty Order issued by the Zheng Family.

After observing for a moment, he saw that there was no one else behind them.

He then activated the "Light Body Talisman," "Wind Speed Talisman," "Divine Steps Talisman," and other Talismans. His body grew light as a wisp of breeze, and he silently followed behind them.

After several more breaths.

Chu Daniu's aura grew even weaker, and his body swayed.

With a bang.

He plunged headfirst to the ground.

"No..."

Chu Daniu's face turned ashen. This place was still some distance from the Marketplace.

But his injuries were too severe.

He could no longer make it back.

"Is my path of cultivation going to end here?"

Chu Daniu's heart was filled with grief.

He had finally obtained a craft.

Just when life was about to get better and better, he had fallen here instead.

"Heh heh!"

"Chu Daniu, hurry up and hand over all your treasures!"

The two Rogue Cultivators closed in, their laughter as grating as night owls.

Chu Daniu had already fallen into despair.

But at that moment.

Two streaks of Golden Light suddenly flashed, slicing across the two Rogue Cultivators' necks.

"Enemy attack!"

The two reacted instantly.

But before they could make a move, two heads rolled from their necks.

Blood gushed out, and the two headless corpses collapsed together.

They were dead!

Chu Daniu's eyes widened. He could hardly believe it.