Talisman Making

Chen Lin was also startled by Lu Li's methods.

Killing people at the slightest disagreement, these family disciples truly didn't take them, the rogue cultivators, seriously.

However, he naturally wouldn't be the one to stick his neck out, so he shrank back in his chair and remained silent.

Seeing that his display of authority had the desired effect, Lu Li sneered again and said, "The things belonging to me, Lu, are not for just anyone to take. You think you can get the Art of Talisman Making and the Soul Splitting Secret Technique without doing anything? There's no such easy thing."

He scanned the room.

Seeing that no one spoke, he sneered out of the corner of his eye, "Now I'll give you two choices: either pick up the materials and find a room to make talismans yourself, or pay fifty Mid-grade Spirit Stones to purchase the method for making talismans. If you want to leave by force, you'll have to ask if my Flying Sword agrees!"

As he spoke, he shook a small, black sword in his hand.

It was this very thing that had instantly killed that withered old man just now.

With a rustle, the red-faced man pushed his chair away and strode forward, taking a set of materials and heading upstairs to a room without looking back.

He seemed to have the worst temper, yet he was the first to back down.

But it was a helpless move.

The talisman masters who came here were all rootless rogue cultivators, usually relying on their skills to make a meager living. None of them could afford fifty Mid-grade Spirit Stones.

That was equivalent to five thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones!

And even if they could afford it, who knew if Lu Li would keep his word?

With someone taking the lead, the others immediately found an excuse. One by one, they picked up the materials and went upstairs to find rooms to refine talismans.

Chen Lin also joined the crowd and received a set of materials.

Lu Li glanced at him when he received the materials but didn't recognize him.

Silently heading upstairs, Chen Lin chose an unoccupied room, hung something on the door to indicate it was occupied, and then closed and bolted the door.

Only then did he let out a soft sigh.

Coming here was perhaps a bit too rash; he had underestimated the chaos of this world.

He never would have imagined that Lu Li would casually kill someone!

After a while, Chen Lin calmed his emotions and then went to the table to open the material package.

He no longer hoped for any reward; as long as he could leave safely, that would be enough.

Besides, with so many talisman masters here, the other party couldn't possibly kill them all. Even for a family disciple, such actions would have too great an impact.

Killing that old man was merely to establish authority and prevent them from being unwilling to damage their souls and use the Soul Splitting Secret Technique.

After pondering for a while and feeling that the possibility of them being silenced was unlikely, Chen Lin began to close his eyes and recall the method for drawing the Soul Capturing Talisman.

After a long time, he opened his eyes and took out a piece of Talisman Paper, spreading it out.

The materials provided were very complete. Besides the Talisman Paper, Talisman Brush, and Talisman Ink, there was also a stick of Calming Incense and a Qi Replenishing Pill.

He had truly put thought into it.

This further indicated that all of the other party's actions were aimed at obtaining the Soul Capturing Talisman, not at truly taking their lives.

With his mind settled, Chen Lin prepared to make the talisman.

Suddenly, Lu Li's voice echoed from outside the corridor: "Everyone, I must have the Soul Capturing Talisman. To prevent you from being distracted, I haven't sent anyone to supervise. But don't think about slacking off. After you finish refining, I will have my own methods to detect whether you have used the Soul Splitting Secret Technique. If I detect it, hehe!"

Chen Lin took a breath and ignored the threat, picking up the Talisman Ink bottle to examine it.

According to the contents of the Jade Slip, this Talisman Ink was a synthesis of three substances. He only recognized one of them, Black Leaf Grass, which was an expensive spirit herb. He had never heard of the other two.

Lu Li had only obtained the Jade Slip less than half a day ago, yet he had managed to gather so many sets of materials. His status and financial resources were evident.

He lit the Calming Incense, and his thoughts instantly quieted.

Chen Lin picked up the Talisman Brush, dipped it in the Talisman Ink, injected Magical Power into the brush, and began to slowly sketch lines on the Talisman Paper.

"Pfft!"

After drawing only two Talisman Runes, the Talisman Paper trembled violently, then emitted a black light and turned to ash.

This was normal.

After all, it was his first time encountering this type of talisman. It would be strange if he succeeded on the first try.

He cleared away the ashes, took out another piece of Talisman Paper, and began to draw again.

He failed again.

This repeated several times, wasting several sheets of good Talisman Paper. In the process, he even ate a Qi Replenishing Pill, and only then managed to advance the entire Talisman Rune to the halfway point.

Chen Lin didn't know what the other talisman masters were like, but he felt that this was the limit of his abilities.

With his skill level, if he didn't use his soul as a guide, there was no way he could complete all the Talisman Runes, let alone form the talisman itself.

Shaking his head, he continued to draw.

Soon, it was the tenth attempt, and the familiar scene finally appeared.

Just as the Talisman Rune was halfway drawn and the entire talisman began to tremble, on the verge of being destroyed, an invisible, mysterious power suddenly appeared, enveloped the Talisman Paper, and pulled it in. A complete talisman with faint energy fluctuations appeared on the tabletop!

Every time he saw this scene, Chen Lin was deeply shocked, but he didn't have time to study it now.

He tidied up the remaining items and put them in his pocket. If he couldn't get any Spirit Stones, he'd consider these things his compensation.

Then he walked to the door and pressed his ear against it to listen for any activity.

He decided to wait until everyone else had gone downstairs before he went down himself. If anyone else managed to refine a Soul Capturing Talisman, he wouldn't reveal his own.

But if everyone else failed, then he would produce his. Otherwise, he felt that Lu Li, driven by immense disappointment, might kill them all in a fit of rage.

Chen Lin believed that as long as the talisman was successfully made, Lu Li wouldn't care if they used the Soul Splitting Technique.

Lu Li wanted the talisman, not for them to harm themselves.

Time ticked by, and finally, footsteps appeared in the corridor, starting to move downstairs intermittently.

He silently counted the number of people. Once the last footsteps faded away, he emerged from the room, putting on a vacant expression and staggering downstairs one step at a time.

About twenty talisman masters, each one dejected and listless.

Seeing this scene, he knew that no one had succeeded in refining the talisman.

"What was the result?"

Lu Li, already having a guess, looked at everyone with a grim expression.

The red-faced man was the first to speak as always, "I am truly sorry. My skills are lacking. All the materials are used up, and I even used the soul secret technique twice, but still, I failed!"

After speaking, he cupped his fists, presenting a demeanor of complete submission.

Without any scornful glances, this man was quite humble.

Lu Li slowly stood up from his seat and took out a brown bead the size of a pigeon's egg. He pointed a finger at it, and the bead automatically floated up, hovering at the center of the red-faced man's brow.

Then, the bead emitted a dim, hazy light and flickered gently.

"Alright, you may withdraw."

Lu Li retrieved the bead and waved his hand.

The red-faced man cupped his fists again and retreated to the back of the crowd.

Chen Lin glanced at him. He had used the secret technique twice. Even in this situation, there was competition? What was he supposed to do if others were like this?

As expected, the other talisman masters looked at him with resentment.

However, they could only curse him inwardly, not daring to act.

Next, an old man in a green robe stepped forward, described his refining process, and then submitted to an inspection.

The brown bead floated up again and attached itself to the old man's brow.

This time, the light was slightly brighter than before, and the flickering frequency was slower.

"Only used the secret technique once? Humph!"

Lu Li snorted.

Under normal circumstances, using the secret technique once would be enough. But compared to the performance of the man before him, this seemed insufficient effort.

The old man quickly explained, "Reporting to you, Fellow Daoist Lu, to be frank, this talisman is too difficult to make. Based on my many years of talisman-making experience, let alone using it twice, even using it five or ten times would definitely not result in success. Furthermore, I am old, and using the secret technique once is already my limit. If I were to use it again, I fear I would die on the spot!"

Lu Li waved his hand expressionlessly, but he didn't say anything further.

The old man quickly retreated behind the crowd and then glared fiercely at the red-faced man.