Transcribing Rune Patterns

Within the cave mansion.

Lin Fan prepared the cinnabar and spread out the talisman paper.

He closed his eyes for a moment, and in his mind, the techniques of talisman crafting, along with various insights and experiences, surged forth rapidly.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes, grabbed the talisman brush, and moved with fluid grace.

His Internal Breath pulsed at the brush tip, tracing across the talisman paper in one smooth, continuous motion.

The dark red runes, their spiritual light subdued, quickly solidified as the ink dried.

Fire Spirit Talisman, complete!

The Fire Spirit Talisman was a basic entry-level talisman, not even considered a First-Grade Talisman.

"The feel is rough. There really is a big gap between theory and practice."

Lin Fan wasn't very satisfied and drew two more Fire Spirit Talismans.

With each talisman he made, his movements and technique improved rapidly.

After finishing three Fire Spirit Talismans, Lin Fan found his rhythm, and the process began to feel smooth.

Next, he started crafting another type of talisman, the Wind Blade Talisman.

This talisman was one of several basic talismans recorded in the "Talisman Secret Tome." It could inflict a certain degree of damage on cultivators in the Spirit Gathering Realm and had a fairly wide area of effect.

Internal Breath gathered at the brush tip, tracing fluidly across the talisman paper. Every movement and amount of pressure was applied with perfect precision.

As the final stroke fell, the red spiritual light dimmed, the ink quickly solidified, and a vivid red talisman took shape.

"It worked."

Lin Fan was both surprised and delighted.

The Wind Blade Talisman was a First-Grade Talisman, several times more difficult to craft than the Fire Spirit Talisman. He had originally worried it would take several attempts to succeed, but it seemed his grasp of talisman crafting was decent.

Drawing four talismans in a row had consumed over half of Lin Fan's Internal Breath.

"It's a pity the 'Talisman Secret Tome' records so few First-Grade Talismans. Otherwise, I could keep trying to craft other types."

Lin Fan murmured to himself.

Still, he was already satisfied. Being able to craft a Wind Blade Talisman meant he had one foot in the door as a Blood Talisman Master. If he could craft more talismans in the future, he would have a chance to become a true Blood Talisman Master.

The next day.

Hidden Scripture Pavilion, Second Floor.

Lin Fan arrived at the second floor early in the morning and continued copying books there.

When Zhao Wang arrived and saw Lin Fan diligently copying, he was momentarily stunned.

Under normal circumstances, disciples who had come from the Hidden Scripture Pavilion were unwilling to return, let alone continue copying books.

But Lin Fan? Not only had he come early, but the way he threw himself into copying made it look like a genuine passion.

"Don't you hate this place, kid?"

Zhao Wang patted Lin Fan on the shoulder and asked curiously.

"Why would I hate it? It's great here."

Lin Fan said with a look of satisfaction.

Copying books earned him more lifespan. He wished he could stay here forever.

When you can lie low, you lie low. Why take risks?

Zhao Wang clicked his tongue in amazement. "I've seen plenty of disciples who worked as menial disciples in the Hidden Scripture Pavilion. They'd rather die than come back, let alone keep copying books here."

"But you, kid, you actually enjoy it."

With that, Zhao Wang suddenly smiled. "Junior Brother Lin, you know, copying books is just a task for the menial disciples on the first floor. On this second floor, do you know what we mainly copy?"

Lin Fan shook his head, indicating he didn't know.

"Take a close look."

Zhao Wang casually grabbed a few ancient volumes and handed them solemnly to Lin Fan.

At his prompting, Lin Fan opened the books. Soon, a series of strange rune patterns appeared before his eyes.

The rune patterns were numerous and varied. Most were complete, but a few were fragmentary.

Even so, just glancing at them a few times made Lin Fan feel dazed. These rune patterns radiated a unique power that heavily drained a cultivator's mental energy.

"Senior Brother Zhao, these are..."

Lin Fan's expression shifted as he asked.

"They're various rune patterns the sect has gathered from all over."

"When formal disciples return to the second floor of the Hidden Scripture Pavilion, they're not only responsible for reviewing and filing the books copied by the menial disciples, but also for copying the rune patterns collected from various places for the talisman masters of Blood Soul Peak."

For talismans, aside from materials like talisman paper, the most important element is the rune pattern.

Moreover, different arrangements of Rune Patterns could create entirely new talismans.

Only now did Lin Fan truly realize that the main duty of the Hidden Scripture Pavilion Second Floor was to copy various Rune Patterns for the talisman masters of Blood Soul Peak.

"Junior Brother Lin, let me tell you, Blood Talisman Masters are treated very well in the sect. If you're willing to stay on the second floor and copy Rune Patterns, you'll have a chance to become one in the future."

Zhao Wang's face was solemn as he continued, "So if you don't mind, Junior Brother, how about taking over my copying work as well?"

He had to copy several ancient books containing talisman patterns every day.

Lin Fan was taken aback. So all that buildup was just to paint him a fantasy and get him to copy those books with Rune Patterns.

Well played, Zhao Wang!

If it were anything else, Lin Fan would have refused, but he had just succeeded in making a talisman yesterday and lacked knowledge of Rune Patterns. After a brief thought, he said, "Thank you, Senior Brother, but the Contribution Points should still be yours."

"Junior Brother Lin..." This time it was Zhao Wang's turn to be stunned.

He stared wide-eyed at this remarkably perceptive junior brother and sighed, "We truly met too late! Come, I'll teach you how to copy Rune Patterns."

Lin Fan nodded slightly and, under Zhao Wang's guidance, began copying Rune Patterns.

Unlike copying books, copying Rune Patterns was relatively tedious.

Some books contained several Rune Patterns, and many of them were incomplete. According to Zhao Wang, their job was to copy only the complete ones.

The copying process required not a single stroke to be off, aiming for a hundred percent restoration.

"Some Rune Patterns carry an invisible force that drains your energy and spirit, so you must stay extremely focused while copying. Otherwise, not only will you waste your effort, but you might also suffer mental damage."

"Still, these are minor issues. To become a Blood Talisman Master, you must overcome these obstacles."

Zhao Wang patted Lin Fan on the shoulder, encouraging him with a painted fantasy.

"This Rune Pattern is the core part of a basic talisman. Junior Brother Lin, try copying it first."

"Remember to concentrate. Your hand must be steady, and your mind must be steady too."

He pointed to a Rune Pattern in an ancient book, signaling Lin Fan to give it a try.

With the experience of successfully making a talisman yesterday, Lin Fan had some understanding of Rune Patterns.

He focused his mind, picked up the brush, and sketched smoothly, flowing like water, finishing in one go.

In less than half an hour, an identical Rune Pattern appeared on the clean white paper.

"This..."

Zhao Wang's eyes bulged in disbelief.

This Rune Pattern was part of a basic talisman, but back then, it had taken him half a day to copy an identical one.

And Lin Fan had done it in less than half an hour.

"Senior Brother, is there a problem?" Lin Fan asked.

"No... you did very well..." Zhao Wang cleared his throat and said.

"Also, copying three Rune Patterns earns you 1 Contribution Point."

"As a Formal Disciple, you need to copy at least six Rune Patterns from various books every day."

"If you fail once, you'll be fined 5 Contribution Points. If you fail several times, you might even lose your life."

Zhao Wang warned.

In the Blood Demon Sect, even Formal Disciples couldn't easily break the rules, or their lives would be at risk at any time.

"Understood, Senior Brother Zhao." Lin Fan nodded.

So, including Zhao Wang's share, Lin Fan needed to copy at least twelve Rune Patterns every day.

Still, that wasn't a problem for Lin Fan.

He moved on to the next Rune Pattern and, without taking much time, finished copying the book that contained three Rune Patterns.

You have copied three Rune Patterns from the "Record of Talisman Transformation." Reward: 6 years of lifespan.

"So copying Rune Patterns also gives lifespan rewards." Lin Fan's eyes lit up.

This gave him even more motivation.

You have copied five Rune Patterns from the "Record of No Rain." Reward: 10 years of lifespan.

You have copied six Rune Patterns from the "Record of Trapping Demons." Reward: 12 years of lifespan.

Zhao Wang examined the various Rune Patterns Lin Fan had copied and couldn't help but praise, "This kid really has talent. In just one day, he's copied twelve Rune Patterns."

"Even if I went all out right now, I'd probably only manage this much."

"I need to report this to Senior Brother. If I uncover a promising Blood Talisman Master seedling, that's a major merit for me."