High-Grade First-Rank Talisman Brush, Masterwork Flame Ice Talisman!

"Unfortunately, these 900 Spirit Stones came from duplicating the successfully drawn talisman papers while drawing talisman papers for the clan."

"So these 900 Spirit Stones cannot be duplicated again."

Li Qingyuan calculated inwardly, "In addition, the Spirit Stones from selling Demonic Beast Materials, disposing of the resources in the Storage Bags of the Tumei brothers, and the 900 Spirit Stones from selling talisman papers today..."

"My current fortune is already close to 3,000 Spirit Stones."

Let alone anything else, just selling the Low-grade First-tier and Mid-grade First-tier Storage Bags had earned Li Qingyuan a hefty sum. Together with all sorts of Artifact Refining Materials, spirit plants, and miscellaneous goods, it amounted to over a thousand Spirit Stones.

His entire fortune totaled 3,000 Spirit Stones.

Of course, half of that was thanks to the Mysterious Feminine Space.

Li Qingyuan was in high spirits.

For the next three to five years, he would not lack Spirit Stones.

Seven or eight days later, Li Qingyuan and his group returned to Cloud Mist Mountain.

The moment he returned to the clan and had barely made it home, Li Qingyuan did not even have time to catch his breath before Grandpa Clan Leader pulled him away.

The two arrived at the Clan Leader's secluded cultivation grounds.

Grandpa Clan Leader Li Guangao took out a talisman brush. It was one chi and two cun long, artifact-refining spirit patterns surfacing along its shaft as it exuded the spiritual might of a Tier 1 High-grade Magic Tool.

"This is a High-Grade First-Rank Talisman Brush?" Li Qingyuan asked in delight. "Grandpa Clan Leader, it has only been a month. You already managed to borrow enough Spirit Stones and buy a talisman brush?"

Li Guangao stroked his beard and sighed. "You know, after gaining the status of a First-grade High-rank Talisman Master, borrowing Spirit Stones became quite easy."

"However, Qu Mountain Marketplace did not have any High-Grade First-Rank Talisman Brushes for sale."

Li Guangao said sentimentally, "For this brush, this old man traveled four thousand li north to Willow Crane City. I spent 420 Spirit Stones before I finally managed to buy it."

Li Qingyuan knew of Willow Crane Marketplace.

As its name suggested, it was the largest marketplace on all of Willow Crane Island. It was also an industry belonging to the Liu Family, a Foundation Establishment Immortal Clan, and directly governed by them.

Within Willow Crane City, Rogue Cultivators and powers from all sides gathered year-round by the tens of thousands, forming an enormous trading market.

Li Qingyuan accepted the talisman brush and turned it over in his hands, delighted. "A fine brush, a truly fine brush."

"With this brush, I am confident I can draw Masterwork-quality Flame Ice Soul Severing Talismans."

A Masterwork-quality High-Grade First-Rank talisman paper possessed power comparable to the full-force strike of a Qi Condensation Ninth Layer cultivator.

Li Guangao nodded repeatedly. "Good, good, good. During this trip to Willow Crane City, this old man also purchased quite a few Tier 1 High-grade Talisman Papers and High-Grade First-Rank Talisman Inks."

"Come, Yuan'er. First show this old man how to draw a complete Flame Ice Soul Severing Talisman."

Li Guangao said, "Once this old man learns it, this talisman can openly be used by the clan cultivators and given to them for protection."

"You have no idea. Only when I went to Willow Crane City this time did I learn that the other Sea Domain Archipelagos have been unsettled these past few years."

"Rogue Cultivators and cultivators from clans are often attacked, robbed, and made to disappear without rhyme or reason."

"Recently, the Foundation Establishment Immortal Clans on the major islands have sent out their Late Qi Condensation experts to patrol all directions. Together with the full cooperation of the various Qi Condensation Families, this has finally kept those Evil Cultivators from growing too rampant."

Li Guangao said, "After what happened with the Bandit Cultivator Tumei last time, this old man was terrified that something might happen on the way home. I walked the whole way with my heart in my throat."

Li Qingyuan frowned. "These past few years have truly been troubled times."

"Grandpa Clan Leader, let us work harder and make sure every clan cultivator has at least one Flame Ice Soul Severing Talisman for protection."

Clan Leader Li Guangao nodded. "To save materials, Qingyuan, the heavy responsibility of drawing talismans will still have to fall on you."

Li Qingyuan nodded. "That is only right."

"Then let us begin!"

Li Qingyuan prepared the Tier 1 High-grade Talisman Paper materials, High-Grade First-Rank Talisman Ink, and High-Grade First-Rank Talisman Brush. Once all the materials were ready, he lifted the brush and began drawing.

Using a High-Grade First-Rank Talisman Brush for the first time, the feel was far superior to that of a Tier 1 Mid-grade Talisman Brush.

After roughly several dozen breaths, Li Qingyuan placed the final stroke of the talismanic inscription. The talisman paper absorbed spiritual energy and took form, radiating Spiritual Pressure.

Bzzzz!

The Flame Ice Soul Severing Talisman had succeeded!

Li Guangao's aged eyes shone. "This pressure... it is actually... actually Masterwork Talisman Paper? Once activated, it is comparable to the full-force strike of a Qi Condensation Ninth Layer cultivator."

"Hahaha, Qingyuan, you did it."

"Your talent in the talisman Dao does not merely surpass this old man's by far. It is simply unrivaled throughout the entire Sea Domain Archipelago."

"A First-grade High-rank Talisman Master in his teens who can even draw Masterwork Talisman Paper—looking across the entire Sea Domain Archipelago, one might not see a single such person in a thousand or ten thousand years."

Li Qingyuan let out a soft breath and continued drawing.

The second talisman was also Masterwork quality.

By the third, his condition had declined, but its quality was still Genuine, comparable to the full-force strike of a Qi Condensation Eighth Layer cultivator.

"Phew..." After drawing three talismans in a row, Li Qingyuan felt his Spiritual Sense depleted and his spiritual power insufficient. He immediately said, "Grandpa Clan Leader, I need to circulate my cultivation and regulate my breathing for a while."

Li Guangao nodded. "After all, these are Tier 1 High-grade Talisman Papers, and two are even Masterwork quality. The drain on a talisman master's Spiritual Sense and spiritual power far exceeds that of Tier 1 Mid-grade Talisman Papers."

"Not to mention, your cultivation is only at Qi Condensation Fifth Layer."

Half an hour later, Li Qingyuan had finished adjusting himself. Not only had he recovered his spiritual power, but his Spiritual Sense had also recovered, and he began his second round of talisman drawing.

While he drew talismans, Grandpa Clan Leader watched at his side. Whenever he encountered something he did not understand, he set it aside, then immediately asked Li Qingyuan once the drawing was complete.

Though he was older, he was never ashamed to ask. Moreover, his heart brimmed with joy throughout the process of learning.

That joy came from delight in Li Qingyuan's talent, from hope for the clan's promising future, and from the satisfaction of learning the talisman Dao.

He was not only a qualified Clan Leader and a kind elder, but also an outstanding student.

Over the course of the day, Li Qingyuan drew talismans three times in succession, three each time. Eight succeeded, while one failed by accident.

Of the eight, one was Low-Grade Quality, four were Genuine Quality, and three were Masterwork Quality. Low-Grade Quality was actually the least numerous, showing just how exquisite his talisman-drawing skill was.

Afterward, under Li Qingyuan's guidance, Grandpa Clan Leader began drawing talismans.

Bang! The talisman paper spontaneously ignited, destroying itself and shattering.

His first attempt at drawing a talisman had failed.

Li Guangao said painfully, "Five Spirit Stones. Oh well, this old man will study it a little more and draw again tomorrow."

A single set of Tier 1 High-grade Talisman Paper materials cost five Spirit Stones.

After a talisman was successfully drawn, a Low-Grade Quality one sold for eight Spirit Stones, a Genuine Quality one for nine Spirit Stones, and a Masterwork Quality one for ten Spirit Stones.

Li Qingyuan nodded. "All right."

Li Qingyuan turned and left, returning to his Small Courtyard to cultivate.

Drawing talismans was only a small part of his cultivation.

Moreover, Grandpa Clan Leader had already broken through in cultivation and advanced to Qi Condensation Level 7. From then on, he took over the work of drawing Low-grade First-tier and Mid-grade First-tier talisman papers.

From now on, Li Qingyuan would mainly be responsible for drawing Flame Ice Soul Severing Talismans.

In the days that followed, Li Qingyuan sat in meditation and refined qi, studied sword arts, controlled his Flying Sword, taught clan disciples Tier 1 Spells, and passed on combat experience to them.

Then, he set aside two hours each day to draw talismans. Every day, he drew nine Flame Ice Soul Severing Talismans, occasionally failing once, with a success rate close to ninety-eight percent.

He also guided Grandpa Clan Leader in drawing a Flame Ice Talisman once each day, consuming one set of materials daily.

For the first half month, Grandpa Clan Leader failed every day.

After half a month, his success rate was split evenly. Sometimes he failed, sometimes he succeeded, and even when he succeeded, it was Low-Grade Quality, barely managing to complete the talisman.

This progress was already very fast.

First, he had previously drawn incomplete Flame Ice Soul Severing Talismans many times, so he was quite familiar with this talisman and had a solid foundation.

Second, he had now advanced to Qi Condensation Level 7 and become a Late Qi Condensation Cultivator. Whether in Spiritual Sense or spiritual power, he far surpassed Li Qingyuan. The expenditure was not great when he drew talismans, allowing him to concentrate more fully.

One month later, Grandpa Clan Leader's success rate rose greatly, and he could draw Genuine Quality talisman papers, though Genuine Quality papers were still rare.

Three months later, out of ten sets of talisman paper materials, Grandpa Clan Leader's success rate was as high as sixty percent: four were Low-Grade Quality and two were Genuine Quality. After deducting material costs, the profit was very small.

This time, to purchase the High-Grade First-Rank Talisman Brush, he had incurred an external debt of 400 Spirit Stones. With his current attainments in the talisman Dao, he only needed one year to repay this enormous sum.

Moreover, the plan for every cultivator of the Li Clan to carry a Tier 1 High-grade Talisman Paper had already been achieved in merely three months.

As for Li Qingyuan, of the 120 Flame Ice Soul Severing Talismans he had held, he had initially given Grandpa Clan Leader twenty to borrow Spirit Stones, while he himself sold thirty Low-Grade Quality ones to Spirit Talisman Building.

Now, the seventy Flame Ice Soul Severing Talismans in his possession were all Genuine Quality, with more than ten Masterwork ones. So long as he was willing, under wave after wave of talisman-paper bombardment, he could kill three to five Qi Condensation Eighth Layer cultivators as well.

With trump cards in hand and ample firepower, the unease in Li Qingyuan's heart eased.

In the days ahead, aside from cultivating, drawing talismans, and guiding clan disciples, Li Qingyuan joined the clan's Hunting Team once every three months to hunt outside and temper himself.

He immersed himself in his own cultivation rhythm, neither arrogant nor impatient, gaining something every day.

No matter how the sun and moon changed outside, how spring and autumn turned in endless cycles, they could not shake his heart set on Cultivating the Dao.

In the blink of an eye, two years had passed.

This year, the sixteen-year-old youth was graceful and handsome, his green robes drifting elegantly. He had become a renowned and striking Immortal Master throughout the surrounding region.

He had grown up.

His cultivation also welcomed another breakthrough.