A Change in Mindset

After chatting for a while.

Zheng Jinbao said he had other matters to attend to and turned to leave.

Once he had gone some distance away.

The smile vanished from his face.

"Dammit, how did that brat become a Talisman Master?!"

Zheng Jinbao could not help feeling irritated.

In the past.

Relying on his status, he had freely oppressed quite a few cultivators who had signed Spirit Contracts with the Zheng Family.

Those cultivators had nearly all possessed bleak prospects, with little hope of ever turning their fortunes around.

Even when treated unfairly, they could only swallow it in silence!

For that very reason.

He had lived securely these past years, without anything going wrong.

Who could have expected Li Chang'an to suddenly emerge as such an exception!

"That brat is deeply scheming. He probably still remembers the grudge!"

Zheng Jinbao's expression darkened, and unease faintly stirred in his heart.

The current Li Chang'an.

Was no longer someone he could casually manipulate.

He feared that Li Chang'an would one day come to seek revenge against him!

"No, I can't just sit and wait for death!"

Zheng Jinbao gritted his teeth, a trace of viciousness flashing in his eyes.

What allowed him to sit firmly in the position of steward was not merely his identity as a Zheng Family member, but all manner of methods!

With that thought.

He halted, then headed in another direction.

Over the following month.

Li Chang'an scarcely left home, throwing himself wholeheartedly into mid-grade Talismans.

Mid-grade Talismans were far more difficult than Low-grade Talismans.

Even after studying them for an entire month.

He still did not have the slightest confidence.

"First-tier Mid-grade Talismans not only require exceedingly complex drawing techniques, but also place stringent demands on Mana and Mental Energy."

Li Chang'an pondered in secret.

Under normal circumstances.

Only the Mana and Mental Energy of a Mid Qi Refining cultivator could support the drawing of First-tier Mid-grade Talismans.

Li Chang'an's advantage lay in his Mental Energy, which was stronger than that of cultivators at the same level.

As for Mana...

With pills assisting him now, his cultivation speed was faster than before, but he was still some distance from the Fourth Layer of Qi Condensation.

Several days later.

Xu Fugui and Sun Yulan came to visit.

"Big Brother Chu, when did you become a Talisman Master? Why didn't you tell us?"

"It's nothing important, not worth mentioning."

Li Chang'an chuckled softly.

The news of him becoming a Talisman Master and killing the rogue cultivator had not spread. Only a very small number of people knew.

These two had not known either.

Today, they had come to see Chu Daniu and discovered that he was injured.

After some questioning.

They learned the truth.

Upon learning that Li Chang'an had already become a Talisman Master, the two reacted just as Chu Daniu had then, utterly shocked.

"Big Brother, no wonder you never leave the house. So you've been studying Talisman Artistry."

Xu Fugui's face was full of envy.

Sun Yulan's gaze was distant, her feelings exceedingly complicated.

At their last gathering.

She had urged Li Chang'an to go out more, saying that perhaps he might encounter a fortuitous opportunity.

Who would have thought that Li Chang'an had already encountered one?

This Big Brother who had led her in seeking immortality and the Dao had not faded into the crowd. He was still as brilliant and dazzling as ever.

Without realizing it, Li Chang'an's image had once again grown tall in her heart.

The three talked for a long time.

Until dusk.

Only then did Xu Fugui and Sun Yulan leave separately.

"Finally, they're gone."

Li Chang'an intended to continue studying Talisman Artistry.

However.

Not long afterward.

Sun Yulan returned.

This time, she had even put on light makeup. Her brows were like slender willow leaves, her face like peach blossoms, and a faint fragrance clung to her body.

"Big Brother Chang'an, may I speak with you alone?"

Her eyes were like water, her gaze lingering on Li Chang'an's face.

Li Chang'an frowned slightly.

"Yulan, what else is it?"

"Big Brother Chang'an..."

Sun Yulan lightly bit her red lips, and her cheeks flushed.

"You've been alone all these years. Have you ever considered taking a wife and starting a family?"

"Taking a wife?"

Li Chang'an immediately shook his head.

His face hardened, his expression solemn.

"The Cultivation World shifts like wind and clouds. Qi Refining Stage cultivators are like wild grass by the roadside; only Foundation Establishment cultivators can gain a firm foothold. I am now as insignificant as an ant—how would I dare take a wife and have children?"

At those words, Sun Yulan's expression dimmed.

She understood as well.

Now that Li Chang'an had become a Talisman Master, he could earn cultivation resources and truly had a sliver of hope of reaching Foundation Establishment.

Perhaps that was precisely why his heart for seeking the Dao was so resolute.

Sun Yulan could not help regretting it.

If she had asked him about this before he became a Talisman Master.

Would the outcome have been different?

The moment she thought of it.

She only felt hollow inside.

"Yulan, it's getting late. Go back and rest early."

Having lived two lives, how could Li Chang'an fail to see through her thoughts?

He understood very clearly.

In the past, although this woman had held some affection for him, she had never intended to become Dao Companions with him.

It was only because he had been too ordinary and unremarkable, unable to meet the expectations in her heart.

Had he not become a Talisman Master.

This conversation would never have happened.

Afterward.

Sun Yulan tentatively asked a few more questions, but Li Chang'an's attitude remained indifferent throughout.

Left with no choice, she departed in disappointment.

Time hurried onward.

Before he knew it.

Another month had passed.

Li Chang'an gradually gained a little confidence in drawing First-tier Mid-grade Talismans.

That day.

Chu Daniu came to find Li Chang'an.

After two months of recuperation, his injuries had basically healed.

The reason he had come to find Li Chang'an was to tell him something.

"Big Brother Li, I previously joined a circle of craftsmen. Every cultivator in it possesses at least one cultivation skill, and several of them are Talisman Masters."

Chu Daniu explained slowly.

As one's status changed, so too would the people one came into contact with.

Back then.

After word spread that he had obtained the Spirit Wine Inheritance.

Someone invited him to join this small circle.

Several people within it also possessed the skill of Spirit Wine Brewing, and speaking with them had benefited Chu Daniu greatly.

Therefore, he planned to invite Li Chang'an to join this circle as well.

"Big Brother Li, exchanging knowledge with other Talisman Masters might help you make a breakthrough sooner and draw High-grade Talismans early. What do you think?"

Chu Daniu asked.

He did not know that Li Chang'an could already draw High-grade Talismans, which was why he said this.

"A circle of craftsmen..."

Li Chang'an pondered for a moment.

Getting acquainted with other Talisman Masters was not a bad thing.

Exchanges among those walking the same path often allowed them to spur one another onward and progress together.

So he agreed.

Not long afterward.

Chu Daniu brought him to a gathering of craftsmen.

It was called a gathering.

But it also counted as a Small Trade Fair.

While exchanging knowledge, they would also trade cultivation resources they needed.

The scene was lively. The cultivators chatted and laughed with one another, and the atmosphere was harmonious.

"Big Brother Li, this is Fellow cultivator Liu."

The first person Chu Daniu introduced to Li Chang'an was a woman.

Liu Yue, a Third Layer of Qi Condensation cultivator.

She was also a low-grade first-tier Talisman Master.

"Fellow cultivator Liu, this is my Big Brother, Li Chang'an. He is also a Talisman Master."

Chu Daniu then introduced Li Chang'an to her.

Liu Yue's eyes shifted slightly as she gave Li Chang'an several surprised looks.

"Oh? Did you become a Talisman Master only recently? Why haven't I heard of you before?"

"That is indeed the case."

Li Chang'an cupped his hands and replied.

Chu Daniu held Liu Yue in high regard.

"Big Brother Li, Fellow cultivator Liu is extremely talented in the path of Talismans. She has studied Talisman Drawing for less than three years, yet she can already draw High-grade Talismans!"

"I can only barely draw them. The success rate is extremely low."

Liu Yue smiled lightly. Her words were humble, yet they carried a faint trace of pride.

Indeed.

Compared with many veteran Talisman Masters, she truly counted as talented.

Many Talisman Masters with Low-grade Skills needed more than ten years before they could draw High-grade Talismans.

"I see. Fellow cultivator Liu truly has remarkable talent."

Li Chang'an wore a smile.

He thought about it.

From first learning Talisman Drawing to drawing High-grade Talismans himself, it seemed to have taken him only a little over three months?