After several days of nonstop practice (that was an exaggeration, but he really had been so absorbed he'd forgotten to eat or sleep) drawing "ghostly scribbles," Xu Qian's dorm room had become an absolute disaster. Failed attempts of every bizarre shape littered the floor, desk, and even bed. The air reeked of scorched paper and the "fragrance" of soot. Anyone who didn't know better would've thought the place had just been through a fire.
One time, Zhang Meng came to see him. He pushed open the door and immediately started coughing. Staring at the mess filling the room, he gaped. "Brother Qian, you... What are you doing? Trying out some new kind of alchemy?"
Xu Qian had dark circles under his eyes and ink smudged across his face. He waved a hand listlessly. "It's nothing. Just practicing my calligraphy, cultivating my artistic sensibilities..."
Zhang Meng looked doubtful, but his blind faith in "Brother Qian" won out. He scratched his head and left. Before going, he thoughtfully offered to fetch some firewood if Xu Qian needed any (meaning all the paper he'd ruined).
After seeing Zhang Meng out, Xu Qian looked at the "firewood" scattered across the floor and sighed. He'd practiced hundreds of times, draining his Mental Power, replenishing it, then draining it again. He knew the strokes and structure of the Cleanliness Talisman by heart, and his control over his true qi had improved considerably. At least his talismans were beginning to look like talismans, rather than the crooked messes he'd drawn at first.
But he was still missing that final step! The talismans he drew were always lifeless, lacking that crucial spark of "spirituality." They simply wouldn't take shape.
Where exactly was the problem? Xu Qian rubbed his throbbing temples, racking his brains. "The strokes are right, the structure's right, and my control over the true qi is passable... Could the materials be too poor? Or... is there something wrong with the true qi itself?"
He'd been using ordinary Longevity True Qi all along. It was balanced and gentle, nourishing all things, but it seemed to lack a little... vitality? Or perhaps it wasn't "domineering" enough? Maybe it couldn't truly activate the natural laws contained in the runes?
At the thought, an idea stirred in his mind.
Should I... try that thing?
His consciousness sank into his dantian, where he looked at the pale green Sword Intent Seed floating quietly. It contained an exceptionally pure and razor-sharp "intent." Could he use it to... "enchant" his true qi?
It was a bold idea, almost suicidal. Sword intent was meant for slaughter, and its destructive power was immense. If he used it to draw a gentle Cleanliness Talisman and lost control, it might "cleanse" the paper and the desk right along with it.
But Xu Qian had a gut feeling that this might be the key! What a talisman needed was that one spark that could draw in the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and the Sword Intent Seed might provide just the "sharpness" for it!
Let's do it! Being cautious doesn't mean being afraid to try!
He took a deep breath and steadied himself. He laid out a relatively flat sheet of "talisman paper" and picked up his "talisman brush."
This time, he didn't directly draw on ordinary Longevity True Qi. Instead, he first summoned an almost imperceptible wisp of sword intent—not its destructive power, but the intent to cut through everything and break through all obstacles!
Then he carefully fused a strand of pure Longevity True Qi with that wisp of intent!
The process was incredibly difficult, like dancing on a tightrope. The sword intent was far too sharp; one tiny mistake, and it could strike back at him or blow apart his true qi. Xu Qian focused with every fiber of his being, tiny beads of sweat gathering on his forehead.
At last, he successfully guided a special kind of true qi to the tip of his brush. It carried a faint trace of sharpness, yet retained the essence of Longevity True Qi!
He lowered the brush!
The tip touched the paper, and Xu Qian's heart leaped into his throat. Following the strokes he knew by heart, he steadily drew the first line, then the second...
The true qi, infused with the "sharp edge" of sword intent, flowed through the runes. It no longer felt like tepid water. Now it carried an unstoppable force of penetration! Wherever it passed, the rune lines seemed to come alive, giving off a faint glow!
Xu Qian didn't dare let his attention wander for even an instant. He concentrated intensely, controlling the flow of true qi and the strength of the sword intent.
As the final stroke—the point that represented "conclusion" and "activation"—fell, the instant he lifted the brush—
Buzz!
The once-ordinary "talisman paper" on the desk suddenly lit up with a soft, pure white glow! The rune lines seemed infused with life, shimmering smoothly. A faint but distinct wave of energy radiated from the talisman!
He'd done it!
This time, he'd truly succeeded!
Xu Qian stared at the Cleanliness Talisman on the desk, its gentle white light shimmering with spiritual charm. His hands trembled with excitement. He carefully picked it up and felt the stable, gentle energy within. He could hardly bear to put it down.
I did it! I finally drew one! Hahahaha! The little man inside his heart was already dancing wildly and laughing out loud.
He couldn't wait to test it.
What should he try it on? His eyes swept around the room, finally landing on the prison guard uniform he'd dirtied with ink and dust while practicing his talisman drawing. A few sparks had even burned little holes in it.
You're the one!
He picked up the Cleanliness Talisman and recalled the method for activating it from the Detailed Guide: inject a wisp of true qi into the node at the center of the talisman.
He did as instructed and carefully injected a strand of ordinary Longevity True Qi.
"Pfft~"
A faint sound rang out, like a breeze brushing past.
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