Learning to Draw Talismans

Next, Yang Bailao began drawing the third type of talisman. It was called a Sword Qi Talisman and was somewhat similar to Xu Changshou's Sharp Gold Talisman.

Both were offensive talismans containing a strand of sword qi.

A Sword Qi Talisman could unleash sword qi to attack, with power comparable to a full-force strike from a Ninth Level of Qi Refining cultivator.

Compared with his Sharp Gold Talisman, however, the Sword Qi Talisman fell far short. The sword qi released by his Sharp Gold Talisman was as powerful as a full-force strike from a Qi Refining Twelfth Layer cultivator.

After seeing these three types of talismans, Xu Changshou had a clearer picture. The talismans in the Bloodline Jade Talisman were more intricate and complex than those of Green Ink Peak, and their effects were better, too.

For the fourth talisman, Yang Bailao drew another Windwalking Talisman.

Xu Changshou could not help frowning. "Senior Brother Yang, are there no other talismans?"

Yang Bailao gave an embarrassed smile. "These three are all I know."

Xu Changshou asked curiously, "How many types of talismans does our Green Ink Peak have?"

Yang Bailao thought for a moment. "Our Green Ink Peak has a little over ten types, but most are rather useless—like chicken ribs, with too little meat to savor yet a pity to discard. Only four are commonly used: the Fireball Talisman, Windwalking Talisman, Sword Qi Talisman, and Earth Shield Talisman. The main task of our Green Ink Peak's Servant Disciples is to draw these four."

Xu Changshou asked again, "Senior Brother Yang, are there any lightning attribute talismans?"

"Lightning attribute? Forgive my ignorance as your senior brother, but I've never seen a lightning attribute talisman."

"I see..."

Xu Changshou nodded slightly, countless thoughts running through his mind.

From what he knew of spiritual talismans, lightning attribute talismans had the most powerful attacks of all.

The lightning attribute was the most terrifying, the most violent, the hardest to control, and the most powerful.

Among the different attributes, whether fire or metal, their attack power fell far short of the Lightning Attribute.

Lightning was the true king of attacks.

The Bloodline Jade Talisman contained over a hundred types of lightning attribute offensive talismans alone.

Those Twin Lightning Talismans, Triple Lightning Talismans, and Quadruple Lightning Talismans were not each a single type of talisman.

There were ten types of Twin Lightning Talismans involving the five elements attributes alone.

There were fifteen types of Triple Lightning Talismans involving the five elements attributes.

There were twenty types of Quadruple Lightning Talismans involving the five elements attributes.

The more attributes there were, the greater the attack power. The strongest of all was the Five-Thunder Talisman.

The Five-Thunder Talisman possessed six attributes at once: metal, wood, water, fire, earth, and lightning. When all six attributes within the spiritual talisman detonated simultaneously, the attack power was absolutely terrifying.

The Five-Thunder Talisman could attack beyond its tier. Without a magical artifact used for defense, a first-tier Five-Thunder Talisman could blast a mighty Foundation Establishment early-stage cultivator to death despite the difference in realms.

Compared with Green Ink Peak's talismans, it was nothing short of an attack from a higher dimension.

After learning about Green Ink Peak's talismans, Xu Changshou understood even more clearly how precious his own talismans were.

He also understood that he absolutely could not reveal these talismans lightly.

He was no longer that innocent cowherd. He understood that an ordinary man might be innocent, yet carrying a precious jade made him guilty.

The morning passed.

Yang Bailao drew five talismans in total.

By then, his face was deathly pale, and eighty to ninety percent of the spiritual qi in his body had been drained.

After finishing the last one, Yang Bailao dropped onto the ground, hurriedly took out a Qi-Replenishing Pill, and tossed it into his mouth. Then he sat cross-legged to replenish his spiritual qi.

"Junior Brother Xu, go back for now. Come again this afternoon."

"Thank you for your hard work, Senior Brother Yang. Goodbye."

After leaving Yang Bailao's cultivation grounds, Xu Changshou went to the Spirit Dining Hall for a meal. Once he had eaten, he returned to his courtyard and meditated for two hours before heading back to Yang Bailao's cultivation grounds.

By then, Yang Bailao had replenished his spiritual qi, though his face was still somewhat pale.

His spiritual qi had recovered, but mental energy was not so easily restored.

"Junior Brother, let's keep drawing talismans!"

"Senior Brother Yang, you should rest a little longer," Xu Changshou said, unable to bear the sight.

Yang Bailao shook his head. "No more resting. If I rest any longer, I won't finish my quota. I'll have time to rest tonight, so don't worry, Junior Brother."

That afternoon.

After drawing five talismans in a row, Yang Bailao was on the verge of collapse. His face was deathly pale, sweat drenched his entire body, and his spirits were utterly depleted.

"Junior Brother Xu, I've made a fool of myself before you. Come back tomorrow."

"Goodbye, Senior Brother Yang."

After leaving Yang Bailao's cultivation grounds, Xu Changshou's heart felt unusually heavy.

Even his resolve had begun to waver. If cultivating immortality meant ending up like this, he would be better off as a mortal.

Work of such intensity was simply a form of torture.

Whenever Xu Changshou thought of how Yang Bailao had to work another fifty years before he could Lay Down Arms and Return to Secular Life, his scalp prickled.

The sect's exploitation of its Servant Disciples exceeded anything he had imagined. It devoured people without even spitting out their bones.

Only now did he realize that coming to the Green Immortal Sect as a Servant Disciple was the greatest scam of all.

Over the next few days, Xu Changshou followed Yang Bailao every day, watching him draw talismans.

Ten days later.

Yang Bailao began explaining the specific methods of drawing talismans to Xu Changshou, along with the details he needed to watch out for.

Another five days passed.

Yang Bailao handed Xu Changshou a stack of yellow hemp paper and said, "Junior Brother, you've been following me for half a month now. You've seen everything you need to see, and I've taught you everything I need to teach. Here are a thousand sheets of yellow hemp paper. Take them back and practice at your own pace. From now on, you have half a year to learn. Remember! You must learn to draw talismans within those six months."

"Thank you, Senior Brother Yang. I'll work hard." Xu Changshou nodded slightly. Just as he was about to leave, Yang Bailao grabbed his Daoist robe and warned him solemnly once more, "Junior Brother, no matter what, you must learn to draw talismans within half a year. Otherwise, the sect will punish you severely."

Xu Changshou's heart jolted. "What sort of punishment?"

Yang Bailao said gravely, "Don't ask. Work hard at learning to draw talismans. You cannot bear the sect's punishment."

"Understood."

Xu Changshou nodded.

Yang Bailao's words put him under tremendous pressure. Although Yang Bailao had not said it outright, Xu Changshou felt that if he failed to learn to draw talismans within half a year, the sect would most likely kill him.

The sect would never support a useless good-for-nothing.

He returned to his courtyard.

Xu Changshou entered the Talisman Room, took out his Spirit Brush and yellow hemp paper, and began drawing talismans.

Although he had learned a great deal about talisman drawing, it was all warfare on paper. His practical experience was zero.

Xu Changshou did not know whether he could learn to draw talismans within half a year, so the pressure weighed heavily on him.

Countless types of talismans filled his mind. During this time, he had committed the hundreds of talismans in the Bloodline Jade Talisman to memory.

The spiritual talismans in the Bloodline Jade Talisman were relatively complex, so Xu Changshou decided to begin with simpler ones, starting with the three types Yang Bailao had taught him.

The Fireball Talisman.

Xu Changshou silently went over the strokes for drawing a Fireball Talisman in his mind, then quietly mobilized the fire attribute within his body.

No matter who drew a talisman, they could only draw one corresponding to their own attributes. If the attributes did not match, even the highest cultivation would be useless.

For instance, someone with the water attribute could never draw a Fireball Talisman.

Xu Changshou gripped the Spirit Brush. Spiritual qi flowed slowly out of his body and seeped into the brush tip as he drew a horizontal stroke on the paper.

Bang!!!

Before he had even finished the first stroke, the yellow hemp paper beneath his brush exploded.

Startled, Xu Changshou took a large step back.

"I failed. Keep going!"

Xu Changshou gritted his teeth, took out another sheet of yellow hemp paper, and continued drawing.

Bang!!!

The yellow hemp paper exploded again.

Xu Changshou discovered that drawing talismans looked simple, but was extremely difficult in practice.

Once spiritual qi entered the Spirit Brush, it became very hard to control. If it strayed even slightly, or if the flow of spiritual qi was uneven, the yellow hemp paper would explode.