Flame Breath

On the golden wall, the lowest-tier skills are written in gray text.

Once these skills are upgraded to the second tier, the font color changes to white.

Superior skills, or those at the third tier, are displayed in green.

Higher still, such as the first-tier Golden Light Incantation, are displayed in blue.

I wonder what color higher-level skills will be written in, Klaun thought, his heart filled with anticipation.

As long as he grinds out a level-five skill or advances the Golden Light Incantation, he would find out.

However, it would likely take a long time to see that happen.

Klaun picked up his brush again and continued to draw talismans.

There were a dozen sheets of scrap paper left, so he decided to use them all up.

After gaining entry into the skill, he had more insights while drawing the talismans.

He had a deeper understanding and sharper perception of where his brush was too heavy and where the talisman lines were drawn too narrowly.

After he finished the scrap paper, he summoned the golden wall once more.

[Talisman Drawing: 4/2000; First Tier]

Something wasn't right.

Klaun frowned slightly; such a slow rate of improvement at the lowest stage of a skill was problematic.

He had just drawn 14 Heart-Clearing Talismans in total, and while six of them had achieved over 90% visual accuracy, his proficiency had only increased by three points. Something must have gone wrong somewhere.

After a moment of reflection, he vaguely understood the issue.

True talismans have requirements for both the paper and the ink, which are necessary to carry the power of these "words of heaven and earth."

The waning moon tilted to the west. With important matters to attend to tomorrow, Klaun suppressed his eager heart and went to rest.

The night passed without incident.

At the first quarter of the Mao hour the next day, he rose early and began drawing talismans before the morning sun had even risen.

He switched to a brand-new brush, found a clean porcelain bowl, and connected his consciousness to his sea of consciousness. A cool sensation surged from an unknown place.

He felt as if a piece of ice had been placed at the center of his brow. A faint chill began to spread downward, traveling along his arm until it reached the index finger of his right hand.

Droplets of crystalline dew, shimmering with silver light, rolled from his fingertip. Before long, the liquid covered the bottom of the bowl.

At this moment, the Moon Dew in the crystal ball within his sea of consciousness had decreased by about one-tenth.

He severed the connection between the crystal ball and the physical world and began to draw the talismans in earnest.

Moon Dew requires a white jade bottle for storage, otherwise, its mysterious active factors would slowly dissipate. Lacking such a vessel, he could only use what he produced as he went.

Klaun dipped his brush into the Moon Dew to soften it. Once the tip was supple, he lifted it, scraped the excess solution against the rim of the bowl, and immediately began to wield his brush across the talisman paper.

The existence of the golden wall meant that he never suffered from a lack of dexterity in skills he had already learned; he could start immediately and remain in peak condition.

When he finished drawing the Heart-Clearing Talisman and lifted his brush, the Moon Dew on the paper emitted a glow, which then retracted and vanished.

The traces of the talisman seemed to possess a faint, flowing quality.

Success!

Klaun summoned the proficiency wall and discovered, as expected, that his Talisman Drawing skill had increased by three points.

This feels great. He hummed a tune from deep within his memories and continued to draw.

In the end, with a mix of successes and failures, he obtained eight Heart-Clearing Talismans from 15 sheets of paper.

As the morning sun began to rise, Klaun packed away his tools, joined his hands in a mudra, and greeted the warmth.

Church, training grounds.

Two Exorcist Priests stood side by side, while two Crusader Order warriors in full plate armor stood on either side. Other church staff members gathered around.

Hamfa held a yellowed piece of parchment in both hands and handed it over personally.

Klaun bowed and accepted it with both hands.

Nick, dressed in white priest robes and holding a Bible with a golden cover, chanted loudly:

"Klaun Moya, from this day forward, you are officially a glorious Crusader Order warrior of the Zack Town church. May the Lord of Flame grant you wisdom to see through the dangers hidden in this world; may the Lord grant you a strong body, giving you the power to eradicate evil; may you bathe in the Lord's holy light, hold fast to the blade in your hand, spread the Lord's glory, and protect the lambs who believe in our Lord. Praise the Lord of Flame, may we forever bathe in the holy light."

"Praise the Lord of Flame, may we forever bathe in the holy light," the others responded, hands pressed against their chests.

There were not many people here, but the sense of ritual remained intense.

Klaun shook his head in a way that went unnoticed, dispelling the inexplicable surge of fervor in his blood.

No wonder they say religion makes people fanatical; he had only participated in this one ceremony, and he already felt a sense of being drawn in.

Nick looked at his guard, who stood straight and tall, and nodded with satisfaction: "Klaun, you have become a servant of God. We must always remember to defend the Lord's glory at all times. Now, Savas and Marshall will instruct you in the Flame Breath Breathing Technique. If you have any questions, ask them directly."

"Understood, Father," Klaun performed a religious salute.

"Father Hamfa and I have other matters to attend to. I leave this to you two warriors. Everyone else, you may disperse."

Savas and Marshall bowed their heads in salute: "We will certainly instruct the new warriors well."

As the crowd dispersed, Nick, who was walking toward the church, turned back to admonish: "Remember, the breathing technique is strictly forbidden from being spread; do not leak it even to your own kin."

Kraun stood solemnly and nodded heavily: "I will keep your teachings in mind, Father."

Turning around, he saluted the two veteran warriors: "I will be in your care, please look after me."

Red Beard curled his lip: "You're so strong that you should be able to master the breathing technique at a glance; you don't need us to teach you. I'm going over there to rest for a while; come tell me if you can't handle it."

Having said that, he walked straight to a chair by the side of the training ground and sat down.

"Haha, the big beard got a harsh scolding from the Father last night and is feeling a bit embarrassed. Don't mind him; just ask us if there's anything you don't understand," Marshall said, patting Kraun on the shoulder warmly and whispering:

"First, you must learn to find stillness within movement. During exercise, feel that faint current of heat flowing from your heart; that is a drop of blood transformed by the nascent Seed of Life. This seed is very small and will not grow larger. Through diligent training, the Seed of Life will transform more and more blood, and the heat current will become increasingly vast."

"As this blood continues to increase, our muscles and skin will be tempered, and eventually, our internal organs and bones will also become tougher and stronger."

"It is said that when our entire body's blood has been transformed, we can enter the realm of a demigod."

Marshall winked and laughed: "Do you want to start practicing now and try to feel that heat current first?"

Kraun shook his head and asked humbly: "I would like to understand the ranking of our transcendent profession so I can set a small goal for myself."

"That's a good mindset; seeing the light ahead will give you more motivation," the lean warrior nodded: "The church calls us Crusaders, while other churches or those Warlocks refer to transcendent beings like us as Knights. It's just a name, don't worry about it."

"Taking our church as an example, the most basic Guardians are called warriors. As our breathing technique advances, our bodies will be further tempered. Our muscles will become more powerful, and our skin will be able to withstand the blades of ordinary people; at this point, one promotes to a Flame Warrior."