What did a several-dozenfold increase in recovery speed mean?
In concrete terms:
What had once taken an hour or two to recover fully now took only a minute or two.
Once he was back at full strength, he could naturally keep trying to draw talismans.
In this way, Li Xia's talisman-making efficiency had effectively increased several dozen times over. His efficiency in practicing various spells would likewise increase several dozen times over in the future. This was not something the family's handful of core geniuses could achieve through cultivation talent alone.
Previously, those with exceptional cultivation talent had practiced spells nearly ten times faster than he did! Everything they did yielded twice the results for half the effort, and their proficiency had accumulated incredibly quickly!
But starting today, the situation had reversed.
He would surpass those so-called geniuses several times over.
"The Shikon Shards can strengthen both my talisman brush and the Cinnabar Ink needed to draw talismans, letting me improve the quality of the finished talismans by starting with the raw materials. They can also indirectly boost the speed of my talisman crafting and spell practice by improving the effects of the spirit fluid..."
Li Xia mused aloud.
He felt deeply reassured and invigorated by this.
But that was as far as it went.
After all, the seven Shikon Shards only improved the effects of the spirit fluid. They changed something external, rather than directly raising his aptitude and turning him into a peerless genius overnight. As such, their help with increasing his magical power remained limited.
If he wanted to keep improving his innate aptitude, he would still have to make long-term plans.
Come to think of it, being able to embark on the path of cultivation in the End of Dharma Age actually proved that his talent was not poor. Had he lived five hundred years ago, when cultivation civilization had flourished, his aptitude would have been at least above average. Those with below-average aptitude were not even qualified to embark on the path of cultivation in the End of Dharma Age.
"How am I supposed to solve the problem of cultivation aptitude?"
"What a headache."
Talent was innate. Unless someone encountered a tremendous opportunity or stroke of fortune later in life, their aptitude essentially determined their upper limit.
Take Kagome, the female lead and Kikyo's reincarnation, for example. Or Kikyo herself.
Both girls had been born in Rome.
The former's talent as a shrine maiden alone had made the Shikon Jewel wary enough to secretly tamper with her and seal that talent away. Even so, fifteen-year-old Kagome still had the confidence to face powerful demons head-on.
The latter, even in a severely weakened state, could use a Shikigami Puppet to fire a Demon-Breaking Arrow and easily shatter Hakudoshi's high-level barrier. That was a powerful barrier even the Red Tessaiga, which specialized in breaking barriers, could not breach.
They had been ahead of everyone else from birth!
Or, more accurately, the starting point of such monstrous prodigies was the finish line countless people longed for all their lives but could never reach!
"Besides aptitude, there's another, even more urgent problem..."
"I'm running low on spirit fluid."
Li Xia's brows furrowed slightly at this.
He was only a collateral descendant of the Peninsula Li Family, and the spirit fluid allotted to him was extremely limited.
Previously, his slow magical power recovery had allowed him to draw only a few talismans a day, but that had also indirectly helped him conserve spirit fluid. Now, however, the convenience of high-quality spirit fluid greatly accelerated his recovery, allowing him to draw four or five hundred talismans a day if he pushed himself to the limit.
That should have been a good thing.
Unfortunately, one small cup of high-quality spirit fluid could restore him only three to five times at most.
As a result, the amount of spirit fluid he needed had skyrocketed. Instead of consuming no more than three small cups a day, he now needed nearly a hundred.
Yet he had only a little over one jug of Spirit Fluid left.
The family's next supply delivery was still almost half a month away.
A two-liter jug of spirit fluid would probably last him only a single afternoon, even if he rationed it.
Once the spirit fluid ran out, he would be back to square one.
After all, even the best cook could not make a meal without ingredients.
"How wonderful would it be if I had a spirit spring of my own?! Then I could prepare as much spirit fluid as I wanted."
Li Xia sighed.
The next moment, he thought of the parallel world on the other side of the Bone-Eater's Well. His breath caught, and his mouth fell slightly open.
On the modern side, practically every spirit spring already had an owner.
Each Spirit Spring was guarded by one or two major cultivation families, at the very least.
Trying to snatch resources from those powerful families would be asking for death.
But in the Sengoku Era on the other side of the Bone-Eater's Well, many Spirit Springs were probably unclaimed. And the Spirit Springs that had survived into the modern age without drying up likely had not yet deteriorated under the effects of the so-called End of Dharma Age over in the Demon World. That also meant those Spirit Springs were of remarkably high quality to begin with.
If water from an already high-quality spirit spring was further improved with multiple Shikon Shards, how astonishing would its effects become?
If he could claim one such superior spirit spring...
At that thought, he wished he could sprout wings and charge straight into the Demon World of the Sengoku Era.
He would have to prepare plenty of firearms...
He could try stocking up on grenades, rockets, and the like...
He needed enough high-tech equipment. Even if it could not handle powerful demons, taking care of some small fry would do.
"Wait, maybe I can plan for even more!"
As more possibilities occurred to Li Xia, he grew even more excited:
"Since these are interconnected parallel worlds, barring certain variables, most spirit springs still active in the modern world must have existed in the Sengoku Era five hundred years ago. If I can determine the exact locations of the spirit springs that remain today and investigate their histories, then go looking for them in the Demon World beyond the Bone-Eater's Well, I'll get twice the results for half the effort."
"Many of them may be occupied by demons or human immortals, but surely some have slipped through the cracks."
"Besides, once I know where these spirit springs are, I can go straight to each one and investigate."
"Once my strength reaches a certain level, I can seize most of them to train subordinates, or expand my family line and use these cultivation resources to strengthen my branch... anything is possible."
Originally, transmigrating without a cheat had left him frustrated and mentally exhausted.
For fifteen years, day and night, he had called for a system, a check-in panel, a Lord God, and Elder Yao, yet he had never received the slightest response.
Now, armed with foreknowledge and various other advantages, he was confident he could go far and climb high even without those absurdly overpowered cheats.
Afterward.
Li Xia requested two days off from Water Cedar Junior High.
He devoted himself entirely to crafting talismans.
What he intended to craft were Sealing Talismans.
These were low-grade talismans that novice cultivators seldom used.
They could help spellcasters suppress demons or seal away demonic remains and evil demon swords.
Unlike the temporary expulsion provided by Evil-Repelling Talismans, Sealing Talismans were meant for long-term suppression.
In the past, he had not had the energy to study Sealing Talismans like these, which he could barely use. As a weakling on par with Kagome's grandfather, he knew damn well where he stood. What he relied on most was his young, vigorous body. Thus, he had devoted more attention to the five most commonly used low-grade talismans: Strength Talismans, Agility Talismans, Evil-Repelling Talismans, Divine Wind Talismans, and Lightness Talismans.
Strength Talismans increased his physical power, Agility Talismans accelerated his reactions and attack speed, Evil-Repelling Talismans resisted attacks using Demon Power, Divine Wind Talismans improved his mobility, and finally, Lightness Talismans reduced his weight and could work with Divine Wind Talismans to make escaping more efficient.
Attack, defense, and escape-he made sure all three were covered.
As for Sealing Talismans and the like?
Those were suitable only after defeating a demon, or suppressing or even subduing a Demon Sword Treasure.
As far as Li Xia was concerned, with his meager abilities, he could still defend himself against one or two small-fry demons. But asking him to deal with an evil demon sword that devoured its master, or eliminate powerful Demon Wraiths and the like? He might as well go to bed and dream.
However.
The appearance of Flesh-Bodied Human Face had changed that situation.
At his weakest, Flesh-Bodied Human Face was scarcely stronger than a small-fry demon, as Kagome's grandfather had already proven. And as luck would have it, Li Xia had run into him and captured him while preparing to raid his home.
Moreover, Flesh-Bodied Human Face was not completely dead yet.
Demons could not be judged by common sense. Hadn't the Centipede Hag revived several times?
Flesh-Bodied Human Face, the mask demon, was similar to the Centipede Hag. He had merely fallen dormant.
He could come back to life!
"If I can control Flesh-Bodied Human Face and fully develop this demon's potential, perhaps I can become a god in a different way."
"Come to think of it, the family has a tradition of using demons as Shikigami... doesn't it?"
His spirit fluid would last only one day, yet he had requested two days off.
Naturally, this was so he could return to the peninsula and seek guidance from the family.
One day to draw talismans, one day to go home and milk the family for resources.
After a full day of toil, he finally managed, with a little luck, to produce three Sealing Talismans.
He first attached one of the three Sealing Talismans to Flesh-Bodied Human Face's actual mask body, then placed him inside an alloy iron box. Next, he stuck another talisman on the surface of the box as an extra precaution.
He attached the third to the outside of an iron box containing the Shikon Shards, using it as an early warning.
Naturally, the thing was useless against the Shikon Shards themselves.
Once the Shikon Shards exerted their power, the Sealing Talisman would be nothing but decoration. But if the talisman burned up, wouldn't that tell him the Shikon Shards were acting up and that dangerous demons were nearby?
"Xia, here's your plane ticket for tomorrow morning.
By the way, did something happen?
Why are you in such a hurry to go back...?"
During dinner, the middle-aged man handed him a brand-new plane ticket.
Li Xia took it:
"Thank you, Fourth Uncle."
As for why he was in such a hurry to return?
He did not say much.
Before you continue