Talisman Room lv0

Alchemy, formations, talismans, tools, corpse puppets, ghost beasts, feng shui, divination, physiognomy, aura-gazing...

All these things were related to the hundred arts of cultivation.

In truth, Ji Yuan's current pig and chicken raising, as well as Luo Tong's work as a butcher, could also be counted among the hundred arts of cultivation. They simply weren't as famous as those four—alchemy, formations, talismans, and tools.

Of course, their status was lower, and they didn't earn as many Spirit Stones.

Ji Yuan had learned about this during this period. On the Cangluo Continent, the highest-status profession belonged to Formation Masters.

Formations were different from the others. Even alchemy and artifact refining could produce some results with enough practice, so long as one was willing to pour in resources without regard for the cost.

But formations were different.

This line of work... relied purely on talent.

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

For other subjects, one could say that working hard might allow one to learn them. But mathematics was different. If you didn't understand it, then you simply didn't understand it.

Formations were the same.

Things were precious because they were rare. In a place like Zengtou City, there were hardly any Formation Masters at all.

Next came artifact refining and alchemy. Both professions devoured resources, especially artifact refining, where every failure resulted in enormous losses.

By contrast, drawing talismans didn't consume many resources.

Although it also required talent, even someone with mediocre talent could pile up enough experience to improve.

Take Lu Wan, the original owner's close friend, for example. She simply possessed exceptional talent. Apparently, after looking at several Water Ball Talismans, she had tried to outline one herself and succeeded. Only afterward had her father gone to great lengths to find her a master.

After thinking it over carefully, Ji Yuan felt that if he had to choose one of the hundred arts of cultivation...

Then it had to be talisman-making.

But he still had to learn alchemy and artifact refining. If he wanted to refine a Foundation Establishment Pill or a Life-bound Dharma Treasure later on, he would definitely have to do it himself.

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

As for now, he would first draw talismans to earn more Spirit Stones and improve his strength... In addition, whether it was upgrading the [Fish Pond] or [Pigsty] later on, he would need to inscribe talismanic patterns.

Learning in advance now could also be considered laying the groundwork for the future.

After making up his mind, Ji Yuan began plotting to see whether he could upgrade the Talisman Room.

If he could upgrade it, everything would be possible.

If he couldn't... he would start over from scratch.

But how could he create a Talisman Room? Or, more precisely, what did he need to do for the Panel to determine that he had one?

After thinking for a moment, Ji Yuan took out paper and brush from the room. He wrote the three characters "Talisman Room," then used rice paste to stick the paper beside the door.

After waiting for a while, the Panel showed no reaction.

"That shouldn't be."

Ji Yuan flipped the paper over and changed Talisman Room to Talisman House. After that, he changed it to Talisman-Drawing Room. He kept changing it until, at last, when he pasted the three characters "Talisman Room" beside the door, the Panel changed.

[Talisman Room lv0]

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

[Upgrade Conditions: Low-Grade Spirit Stones ×10, "Introduction to the Way of Talismans" ×1, successfully draw 1 "Calming Talisman" (Not fulfilled)]

It had finally appeared!

Looking at the effects of the Level 1 Talisman Room, Ji Yuan could sum it up in four words... simple and brutal!

Unlike the Chicken Coop and Pigsty, which had various auxiliary effects, the Talisman Room's effect was extremely straightforward: it increased the success rate of drawing talismans.

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 by Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators, by 5%.

Get to work!

He had to get to work!

Ten Spirit Stones were something Ji Yuan could take out with ease. As for Introduction to the Way of Talismans, it was cheap as well. Many places in Zengtou City sold it, at one Spirit Stone per copy.

The Calming Talisman was only a Lower First-Tier Talisman, on the same level as the Water Ball Talisman. Drawing one shouldn't be difficult... At worst, he could simply try a few more times.

It was still early. Ji Yuan had only just returned from Zengtou City, yet he turned around and went back again.

First, he bought a copy of Introduction to the Way of Talismans. It was cheap, and it introduced all the commonly used First-Tier Talismans of the Qi Refining Stage.

Next came the three essentials for drawing talismans: Talisman Paper, a Talisman Brush, and Talisman Ink.

As for Talisman Paper, the First-Tier varieties sold in Zengtou City mainly came in three types. 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 enter the field, so he naturally bought the cheapest Green Hemp Talisman Paper.

One Spirit Stone bought a hundred sheets. They were made from ten-year-old green hemp grass and black spiritfish blood. Each sheet could carry Spirit Power twice before reaching its limit. Their drawback was that they ignited easily.

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

If he wanted to draw higher-level talismans, he would naturally have to prepare Talisman Ink corresponding to the relevant attribute.

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

The only expensive item was the Talisman Brush.

No matter how one looked at it, the Talisman Brush was a Dharma Tool. Even though Ji Yuan had bought an entry-level one, it still cost him a full twenty-two Spirit Stones.

He had only one thought about that.

Make it back! He had to make it back!

Regardless, he would first rely on talismans to earn back these thirty-some Spirit Stones.

The Talisman Brush was called the Green Bamboo Spirit-Drawing Brush. It had been made from a Mist Spirit Pearl fifty years old, and a Spirit-Gathering Pattern had been carved inside it.

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

Since he still had some left, he followed the method Qiu Qianhai had told him about last time and prepared a set of Itch-Poison Liquid and Water Ball Talismans, which cost him five Spirit Stones.

At the end, he remembered the excellent Corpse-Melting Water.

Well, since he was already here, he might as well buy some at the same time.

It took Ji Yuan quite a while to search before he finally found Room Xu-9, which Qiu Qianhai had mentioned, in a corner of northwestern Zengtou City.

Aside from being located at the end of an alley, there was nothing else special about the house.

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

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

"Who are you looking for?" The man with mismatched eyes looked Ji Yuan up and down. He didn't recognize him.

"May I ask if you are Fellow Daoist Li?"

Ji Yuan cupped one hand toward him.

"No. You've got the wrong person."

The man with mismatched eyes slammed the door shut.

"Not..."

Ji Yuan had no choice but to step outside and look at the doorplate again. After confirming that he hadn't mistaken it, he stepped forward and knocked once more.

"I already said I'm not. Are you done ye—"

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

"Qiu Qianhai."

Lame Li stopped. "Come in."

Ji Yuan didn't entirely trust the man before him, but he trusted Qiu Qianhai.

The moment he entered the house, however, he smelled an indescribable odor. It was somewhat like the delicate fragrance of medicinal herbs, yet also carried an inescapable stench of blood and flesh.

Ji Yuan's gaze unconsciously flicked toward the tightly closed room on his right. This Lame Li... was actually an alchemist.

Lame Li really was a cripple. He walked with a pronounced limp.

Once they entered 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 let out a mocking laugh. "I'd know even if you didn't tell me. He probably fled to another market... That fellow really doesn't value his life. He even dared to kill Lousy Liu."

"If he really wanted to kill him, how many people in Zengtou City wanted Lousy Liu dead and had the ability to kill him? How could it possibly have been his turn?"

"Wasn't it because they all feared the Qin Household behind him?"

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

"All right. If he was willing to send you here, you're probably here for this, right?"

Lame Li casually brushed a hand across his waist, and a bottle of Corpse-Melting Water appeared in his hand. "A trifle. It's not worth much. One Spirit Stone per bottle."

Ji Yuan hurriedly stood. "I'll take four bottles."

As he spoke, he handed over four Spirit Stones.

"Take them."

With the four bottles of Corpse-Melting Water in hand, Ji Yuan finally relaxed a little. However, as he looked at Lame Li before him, he hesitated briefly before asking, "May I ask what your relationship with Qiu Qianhai is?"

"I'm his maternal uncle."

Lame Li didn't conceal it and said it casually.

Ji Yuan was slightly stunned. He remembered that when Qiu Qianhai had introduced him last time, he had called him Lame Li... Would an ordinary person address his own maternal uncle that way?

Ji Yuan didn't know what had happened between them, and he wasn't curious. He immediately cupped his hands and took his leave.

Yet just as he was about to reach the door, he heard Lame Li's voice come from behind him again.

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