Talisman Room lv0

Pill-making, formations, talismans, artifacts; corpse puppets and ghost beasts; feng shui and divination; physiognomy and aura-reading...

All of these fell within the hundred arts of cultivation.

In truth, Ji Yuan's pig-raising and chicken-raising, or Luo Tong's work as a butcher, also counted as one of the hundred arts of cultivation. They simply were not as famous as pill-making, formations, talismans, and artifacts.

Naturally, their status was lower as well, and they earned fewer Spirit Stones.

Over this period, Ji Yuan had also learned that on the Cangluo Continent, Formation Masters held the highest status.

Formations differed from everything else. Even with pill-making and artifact forging, if one spared no expense and practiced diligently, one could achieve some results sooner or later.

But formations were different.

This profession... relied entirely on talent.

After learning more, Ji Yuan felt that formations were much like mathematics in his previous life.

With other subjects, one might still learn them through hard work. But mathematics? If one could not grasp it, then one simply could not grasp it.

Formations were the same.

Things were precious because they were rare. In a place like Zengtou City, there were practically no Formation Masters at all.

Next came artifact forging and pill-making. Both professions devoured resources, especially artifact forging—every failure came with enormous losses.

Talisman drawing, on the other hand, did not consume many resources.

Though it also depended on talent, even someone with poorer talent could build up their skill through experience.

Take the original owner's friend, Lu Wan. She had simply been exceptionally gifted. It was said that after seeing several Water Ball Talismans, she had tried sketching one herself. Only then had her father racked his brains to find her a master.

After thinking it over carefully, if Ji Yuan absolutely had to choose one from among the hundred arts of cultivation...

Then it would definitely be talisman-making.

But he also had to learn pill-making and artifact forging. When it came time to refine Foundation Establishment Pills or a natal artifact or something of the sort, he would certainly have to do it himself.

Besides, the panel had given him such excellent conditions. There was no reason to let them go to waste.

As for now, he would first draw talismans to earn more Spirit Stones and raise his strength... Besides, the future upgrades for both the [Fish Pond] and the [Pigsty] required engraving runes.

Learning ahead of time could be considered paving the road for the future.

Once he had made up his mind, Ji Yuan began considering a way to see whether he could upgrade a talisman-making room.

If it could be upgraded, then everything would fall into place.

If it could not... he would start over from scratch.

But how could he create a talisman-making room? Or, more accurately, what did he need to do for the panel to judge that he possessed one?

After a brief moment of thought, Ji Yuan took out paper and a brush from his room. After writing the three words "Talisman-Making Room," he pasted the paper to his door with rice paste.

He waited for a while, but the panel did not react.

"That shouldn't be right."

Ji Yuan flipped the paper over and changed "Talisman-Making Room" to "Talisman-Making House," then later changed it to "Talisman-Drawing Room." He changed it again and again, until at last he pasted the words "Talisman Room" on his door. Only then did the panel change.

[Talisman Room lv0]

[lv1: Spirit Effect: First-Tier Talisman success rate +20%, Second-Tier Talisman success rate +5%]

[Upgrade requirements: Low-Grade Spirit Stone ×10, "Introduction to the Way of Talismans" ×1, successfully draw 1 "Calming Talisman" (not met)]

It had finally appeared!

Looking at the effects of the Level 1 Talisman Room, Ji Yuan had only four words for it... simple and brutal!

Unlike things such as the Chicken Coop and Pigsty, which had all sorts of auxiliary effects, the Talisman Room's effect was extremely straightforward: it increased the success rate of drawing Talismans.

And it directly raised the success rate of First-Tier Talismans by 20%. It could even increase the success rate of Second-Tier Talismans commonly used in the Foundation Establishment Realm by 5%.

Do it!

He had to get started!

Ji Yuan could easily produce ten Spirit Stones. As for the Elementary Guide to Talismans, it was cheap. Plenty of places in Zengtou City sold it, at one Spirit Stone per copy.

The Calming Talisman was merely a low-grade First-Tier Talisman, on the same level as the Water Ball Talisman. It should not be difficult for him to draw... At worst, he could just try a few more times.

It was still early. Ji Yuan, who had only just returned from Zengtou City, immediately headed back there.

He first bought a copy of the Elementary Guide to Talismans. It was cheap, and it introduced the First-Tier Talismans commonly used during Qi Refining.

Next came the three essentials for drawing Talismans: Talisman Paper, a talisman brush, and Talisman Ink.

As for Talisman Paper, Zengtou City mainly sold three kinds of First-Tier paper. From worst to best, they were Green Hemp Talisman Paper, Cloud-Pattern Talisman Paper, and the superior Sharkfish Talisman Paper.

Ji Yuan had yet to get started, so naturally he bought the cheapest Green Hemp Talisman Paper.

One Spirit Stone bought a hundred sheets. It was made from ten-year Green Hemp Grass and Black Spirit Fish blood. Each sheet could bear spiritual power twice at most, though its drawback was that it easily self-ignited.

For Talisman Ink, he also bought the lowest-grade Vermilion-Black Ink, which could be used for basic Five-Element Talismans.

If he wanted to draw higher-grade Talismans, he would naturally have to prepare Talisman Ink with the corresponding attributes.

The ink was cheap too, costing Ji Yuan only two Spirit Stones.

The talisman brush was the only expensive item.

No matter what, a talisman brush was still an artifact. Even though Ji Yuan bought an entry-level talisman brush, it still cost him a full twenty-two Spirit Stones.

He had only one thought about that.

Make his money back! He had to make his money back!

No matter what, he first had to earn back these thirty-odd Spirit Stones through Talismans.

The brush was named the Green Bamboo Spirit-Drawing Brush. It had been made using a fifty-year Mist Spirit Pearl, and a Spirit-Gathering Pattern had been engraved within it.

After purchasing all these things, Ji Yuan had only twenty-four Spirit Stones left on him.

Since he still had quite a few left, he followed the method Qiu Qianhai had told him about last time and put together a set of Itch-Poison Liquid and Water Ball Talismans, spending five Spirit Stones.

At the end of it all, he remembered the excellent item known as Corpse-Melting Water.

Well, since he was already here, he might as well buy it too.

Before long, after quite a bit of searching, Ji Yuan finally found the Room Xu-9 Qiu Qianhai had mentioned in a corner of Zengtou City's northwest district.

Other than being at the end of an alley, the room had nothing unusual about it.

Ji Yuan stepped forward and knocked on the door, then took a step back and waited silently for a moment.

Before long, the door opened, and a middle-aged man with grizzled hair and uneven eyes poked his head out.

"Who are you looking for?" The uneven-eyed man looked Ji Yuan up and down. He did not recognize him.

"May I ask if Fellow Daoist Li is present?"

Ji Yuan cupped his hands toward him slightly.

"No, you have the wrong person."

The uneven-eyed man slammed the door shut.

"No..."

Ji Yuan could only step back and check the door plate again. Once he was certain he had not read it wrong, he stepped forward and knocked again.

"I told you no. Are you done yet—"

Before he could finish, Ji Yuan lowered his voice and spoke a name.

"Qiu Qianhai."

Lame Li paused. "Come in."

Though Ji Yuan did not entirely trust the man before him, he trusted Qiu Qianhai.

But the moment he entered the room, he smelled an indescribable odor. It carried the faint fragrance of medicinal herbs, yet also a barely concealed fishy stench.

Ji Yuan casually glanced toward the tightly shut room on the right. This Lame Li... was actually an alchemist.

Lame Li truly was lame. He limped as he walked.

After entering the room, he even poured Ji Yuan a cup of tea.

"Where did that brat Qiu Qianhai go?"

Ji Yuan accepted the tea with both hands, but said nothing.

Lame Li gave a sneer. "Even if you don't tell me, I know. He probably fled to another market town... He really has a death wish, daring to kill even Lousy Liu."

"If they truly wanted to kill him, how many people in Zengtou City wanted Lousy Liu dead and could kill him? How could it possibly have been his turn?"

"Aren't they all afraid of the Qin Household behind him?"

Ji Yuan placed the tea on the table and sighed. "Who could say otherwise?"

"Enough. Since he let you come here, you must be here for this, right?"

Lame Li casually brushed his hand across his waist, and a bottle of Corpse-Melting Water appeared in his hand. "A little trinket. Not worth much. One Spirit Stone per bottle."

Ji Yuan hurriedly rose to his feet. "I would like four bottles."

As he spoke, he handed over four Spirit Stones.

"Take them."

With four bottles of Corpse-Melting Water in hand, Ji Yuan relaxed slightly. But as he looked at Lame Li before him, he hesitated for a moment before choosing to ask, "May I ask what your relationship with Qiu Qianhai is?"

"I'm his uncle."

Lame Li did not hide it and answered casually.

Ji Yuan was somewhat taken aback. He remembered that when Qiu Qianhai had introduced him last time, he had called him Lame Li... Would an ordinary person call his own uncle that?

Ji Yuan did not know what had happened between them, nor was he curious. He immediately cupped his hands and took his leave.

But just as he was about to reach the door, he heard a voice behind him again.

"Since Qiu Qianhai was willing to send you to me, it means he trusts you greatly. If you see him again, tell him... tell him that I, Lame Li, agree."