Two days later, in the rear courtyard of Xinghua Meng Pavilion.
"Damn it! Why is this Five Elements Defensive Talisman from the Lin Family so hard to crack?"
From one of the side rooms came Meng Luohai's sudden curse.
Inside the room, Meng Haoran sat opposite Meng Luohai. Seeing his disheveled appearance, he did not know what to say for a moment.
That very afternoon, Meng Haoran had joined Meng Luohai in attempting to crack the Five Elements Defensive Talisman made by the Lin Family.
Yet two full days had passed, and not only had the uncle and nephew made no progress in cracking the Lin Family's Five Elements Defensive Talisman, they had also asked people to buy six or seven such talismans over those two days for their research.
"Um, Clan Uncle Luohai, could it be that we're looking in the wrong direction?"
Meng Haoran scratched his head and asked, "Otherwise, two days have passed, and we've wasted six or seven Five Elements Defensive Talismans between us without making any progress at all."
"Cough, cough, cough! The direction should be right. All these years, this is how I've made and studied talismans. There absolutely can't be any mistake!"
Meng Luohai coughed dryly a few times before replying, "Though they are called talismans, at their root, they are small-scale formations. It is simply that these small-scale formations are not constructed between Heaven and Earth, but within talisman paper. The reason such talismans are made is because setting up formations between Heaven and Earth is often slower than using talismans. Whether cultivators are fighting or retreating, what they value most is time. One breath can decide life and death!"
After studying through the night, Meng Luohai felt somewhat thirsty. He took a sip of warm water and continued, "So long as we approach this from the perspective of formations, we should certainly be able to crack this Five Elements Defensive Talisman!"
"All right, then. We can only proceed like this." Meng Haoran spoke helplessly.
"Mm!"
Stretching and yawning, Meng Luohai mumbled, "Hao Ran, your clan uncle is a little tired. I'm going to rest for a while. You should rest too."
Meng Haoran hurriedly rose and saw Meng Luohai out. Then he sat alone before the wooden table, staring fixedly with bloodshot eyes at the Lin Family's Five Elements Defensive Talisman.
For the past several hundred years, the Lin Family has always been inferior to our Meng Family. Whether Dao Artifacts or talismans, the Lin Family has always lagged behind us. Even though our Meng Family lost two Half-step Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators at once ten years ago, and the Lin and Chen Families joined forces to resist us, they still should not have been able to develop and make this talisman in such a short time!
The Black Market! Could the Lin Family have gone to the Black Market as well? Did they make a special trip there for the sake of their Lineage's development and buy the method for making this talisman with a high price in Spirit Stones?
At this thought, Meng Haoran's mind suddenly opened wide, and he continued thinking, Or perhaps a member of the Lin Family with extraordinary talent in talismans appeared and helped them develop this Five Elements Defensive Talisman?
Meng Haoran closed his eyes and carefully recalled the events of the past two days, recalling the many times he and Meng Luohai had failed.
Compared with the defensive talismans sold by our Meng Family, the Five Elements Defensive Talisman developed by the Lin Family has two advantages. First, its defensive strength is slightly greater than our Meng Family's defensive talismans. Second, its defensive range is also slightly broader.
Meng Haoran picked up that Five Elements Defensive Talisman again and examined it closely, muttering to himself, "Defensive strength, defensive range, Five Elements defense..."
After pondering briefly, Meng Haoran suddenly jolted in shock and said delightedly, "I know! It's the spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth with the five elemental attributes!"
As he spoke, it was as though enlightenment had poured over his head. The thoughts in Meng Haoran's mind all became clear.
"There is an inherited saying among mortal craftsmen: a triangular structure is the most stable. And in the cultivation world, the Five Elements are the foundation of cultivation."
Meng Haoran placed the Five Elements Defensive Talisman back on the wooden table and said, "The Lin Family must have used the principles of the Five Elements, infusing spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth with five elemental attributes into the talisman in certain proportions, thereby achieving stronger defense and a wider range!"
He was the sort of person who acted the moment he had an idea.
Now that Meng Haoran had grasped a thread of a clue, he naturally would not let it slip away.
Meng Haoran took out a sheet of talisman paper and carefully traced the patterns on the Lin Family's Five Elements Defensive Talisman onto it.
Once the pattern was complete, Meng Haoran formed hand seals with both hands and shouted softly, "Spirit Summoning Technique, appear!"
Following Meng Haoran's low shout, the spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth, originally invisible to the naked eye, suddenly appeared before him.
"Metal, wood, water, fire, earth! Merge!"
Then Meng Haoran swept out his hand, and the spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth with the five elemental attributes surged directly into the talisman paper covered in intricate patterns along the direction pointed by his finger!
When all the five-element spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth had merged into the talisman paper, it suddenly let out a low hum.
Immediately afterward, the talisman paper actually folded and condensed itself according to the patterns drawn earlier.
In the blink of an eye, a brand-new talisman appeared before Meng Haoran!
"It worked!"
Meng Haoran was somewhat excited. Seeing this talisman, all his painstaking research and cracking efforts over the past few days had not been in vain!
"Better test it first!"
With that, Meng Haoran picked up the talisman, walked to the opposite side, tossed it into the air, and called out, "Diamond Thorn!"
As soon as he spoke, thorn-like objects formed from the metal element shot violently toward the talisman!
With a loud explosion, Meng Haoran hurriedly fixed his eyes on it.
Just as the Diamond Thorns were about to reach the talisman, it suddenly took effect.
The talisman abruptly unfolded, spreading over an area far greater than the defensive talismans previously made by the Meng Family, nearly identical to the Lin Family's Five Elements Defensive Talisman.
Although this talisman covered a sufficiently large area, its defensive power could not compare with the Lin Family's Five Elements Defensive Talisman. Several tiny thorn-like objects broke through its defense and pierced directly into the wall.
Seeing this, Meng Haoran felt no sense of failure. Instead, his eyes grew brighter and brighter.
"Though there are some flaws, I feel that my direction in researching and making it is correct. The reason for this outcome must be that my control over the proportions of the five-element spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth is not as precise as the Lin Family's."
Meng Haoran smiled. "As long as I precisely grasp the proportions within the talisman, this talisman's effect certainly won't be inferior to the Lin Family's Five Elements Defensive Talisman!"
Thinking of this, Meng Haoran grabbed several blank talisman papers and ran straight toward Meng Luohai's room.
Knock, knock, knock!
"Clan Uncle Luohai, I think I've found the Lin Family's method for making talismans!" Meng Haoran called out.
Meng Luohai had only just lain down and had not yet fallen asleep. The moment he heard Meng Haoran's words, he immediately got up from the bed.
Throwing open the door, Meng Luohai stared into Meng Haoran's eyes and asked, "Hao Ran, is that true?"
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