Talisman crafting!

Lu Changsheng was somewhat surprised to hear this.

Although he had acquired Second-Tier Talisman-Making Art through the system, he knew little about how difficult Talisman Making actually was.

Only now did he realize that Talisman Making was far harder than he had imagined.

A beginner needed thousands upon thousands of attempts just to learn the basics and become a ranked talisman master.

A ranked talisman master, in this case, meant a first-rank low-grade talisman master.

First-rank talisman masters were divided into first-rank low-grade talisman masters, first-rank middle-grade talisman masters, first-rank high-grade talisman masters, and first-rank top-grade talisman masters, depending on the talismans they could draw.

Second-rank talisman masters were divided in the same way.

The Second-Tier Talisman-Making Art Lu Changsheng had acquired was at the maximum level for that tier.

In other words, he was a second-rank top-grade talisman master.

For a beginner to raise their Talisman Making skills to the second rank, the time, energy, and money required were practically beyond measure.

They might even devote a lifetime of effort to it and still fail.

At that moment, Lu Changsheng realized that this Second-Tier Talisman-Making Art was far more valuable than he had imagined.

"Shopkeeper, I still want to give it a try."

Lu Changsheng spoke with a determined expression.

What did the difficulty have to do with him? The harder it was to become a talisman master, the more sought-after his craft would be.

"All right. Since you insist on buying them, I can hardly refuse to sell them to you."

Seeing that Lu Changsheng was still adamant, the shopkeeper did not try to dissuade him any further.

Offering those few words of advice had already been an act of kindness.

Young people never turned back until they slammed into the wall.

"An ordinary wolf-hair talisman brush costs twenty spirit stones and can be used around two hundred times."

"Ordinary first-rank talisman paper costs one spirit stone per bundle, with ten sheets in each bundle."

"Ordinary first-rank spirit ink costs one spirit stone per box and lasts for roughly fifty uses."

The shopkeeper listed the prices.

Hearing this, Lu Changsheng nodded and took out his flying sword. "Shopkeeper, sorry for the trouble, but could you appraise this flying sword for me?"

"Is this the one the family head rewarded you with earlier?"

The shopkeeper was somewhat surprised. He had not expected Lu Changsheng to sell even his flying sword for the sake of Talisman Making.

On second thought, it made sense. As a live-in son-in-law, where else would he get the money if he did not sell his flying sword?

"That's right."

Lu Changsheng nodded.

"I won't shortchange you on this flying sword. Fifty spirit stones."

The shopkeeper held up one hand.

"All right."

"Then please give me one wolf-hair talisman brush, ten bundles of talisman paper, and two boxes of spirit ink."

Lu Changsheng nodded as he spoke and placed the flying sword on the counter.

The shopkeeper really had not pushed the price down. Selling the sword elsewhere would only earn him a few more spirit stones.

Remembering that Lu Lanshu had given birth, and that Lu Zi'er and Lu Qing'er were due soon as well, Lu Changsheng added another request.

"And one jin each of ginseng, licorice, angelica, Solomon's seal, and goji berries."

These medicinal herbs were all grown by the Lu family. They were spiritual plants that could nourish one's vitality and replenish qi.

"All right. That comes to thirty-seven spirit stones. I'll give you thirteen back."

The shopkeeper put away the flying sword, turned to fetch everything Lu Changsheng had requested, and gave him thirteen spirit stones as well.

"Thank you, shopkeeper."

Lu Changsheng thanked him and left with his purchases.

Inside the study.

Lu Changsheng neatly arranged the full set of talisman brush, talisman paper, and spirit ink on his desk.

Beside them lay a copy of Introduction to Talismans and the Complete Collection of Basic Talismans.

The knowledge the system had granted him included many kinds of talismans.

But if he was going to put on an act, he had to see it through.

He could hardly become a talisman master without having read a single book, could he?

That would be rather difficult to explain.

So, to be safe, Lu Changsheng had made a show of visiting the Lu Family Library and spent one spirit stone to borrow two books on talismans.

The materials for a hundred talisman-crafting attempts cost roughly twenty-two spirit stones.

First-Tier Lower-Grade Talismans sell for one to two spirit stones each. If every attempt succeeds, that's at least a fivefold return, and nearly tenfold at most.

If I turn them all into First-Tier Middle-Grade Talismans, the return could reach more than twentyfold!

Tsk, tsk. Those returns really are high.

My Talisman Making skills are at the peak of the second rank. Turning all these materials into First-Tier Middle-Grade Talismans would be as easy as lifting a finger.

Lu Changsheng skillfully ground and mixed the spirit ink, calculating to himself.

Different grades of talismans also had different material requirements.

The wolf-hair talisman brush he had bought, for instance, was the most ordinary kind. It was suitable for beginners and could only be used to draw basic talismans and first-rank low-grade or middle-grade talismans.

That was not to say it was completely impossible to draw first-rank high-grade or top-grade talismans with it.

It would simply have a serious effect on the success rate, and the Talisman Brush would also wear out easily or become unusable.

Talisman masters capable of drawing first-rank middle-grade, high-grade, or top-grade talismans generally did not lack that little bit of money.

They bought the best materials and tools they could to improve their success rate.

Talisman paper and spirit ink were likewise divided into three grades: ordinary, high-grade, and top-grade.

Ordinary materials could produce First-Tier Middle-Grade Talismans at most.

High-grade materials were suitable for first-rank middle-grade and high-grade talismans.

Top-grade materials were suitable for first-rank high-grade and top-grade talismans.

After grinding and mixing the ink, Lu Changsheng spread out the talisman paper, took up his Talisman Brush, and drew two deep breaths to settle his mind before attempting Talisman Making.

A beginner should also have performed rituals at this point, such as bathing and changing clothes, regulating the body, calming the mind, and steadying the breath.

But Lu Changsheng had his cheat, and every detail was already etched into his mind. Naturally, he had no need for any of that.

He dipped the talisman brush in the ink.

Then the spiritual power within him flowed into his palm, passed through the brush in his hand, and reached its tip, making the ink-soaked bristles glow faintly.

The brush touched the blank talisman paper, and his strokes began to writhe like dragons and snakes as he swept the ink across the page.

The entire process flowed like drifting clouds and running water, completed in a single breath without the slightest hesitation.

Lu Changsheng lifted his hand.

A layer of light appeared over the talisman paper on the desk, giving off faint fluctuations of spiritual energy and rapidly setting the spirit ink upon it.

Before long, the Spirit Ink had set. Light rippled across the talisman paper, then gradually dimmed and vanished.

A first-rank low-grade talisman-the Fire Bullet Talisman-was complete!

"Phew!"

At the sight, Lu Changsheng let out a long breath, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Acquiring the relevant skills was one thing, but successfully drawing a talisman himself was another

matter entirely.

Drawing talismans really does consume quite a bit of spiritual power. With my first-layer Qi Refining cultivation, I can draw two or three first-rank low-grade talismans at most.

If I draw First-Tier Middle-Grade Talismans, I can probably manage only one.

Lu Changsheng picked up the Fire Bullet Talisman and examined it carefully.

A trace of spiritual power was all it took to activate the talisman and release a fire bullet.

Its power was roughly equivalent to a Fireball Technique cast by someone at the Chain Qi Third Layer.

That was what made talismans so formidable.

Lu Changsheng was only at the first layer of Chain Qi. Casting a single Fireball Technique would drain all his spiritual power.

Yet that same amount of spiritual power could produce two or three talismans, each as powerful as a Fireball Technique cast by someone at the Chain Qi Third Layer!

Immediately afterward, Lu Changsheng drew a Lightbody Talisman and a Spring-Recovery Talisman.

Both were first-rank low-grade talismans.

Feeling that drawing any more would not only drain his spiritual power but also strain his already tired mind, Lu Changsheng put away the three talismans and began meditating to cultivate.

The next day, Lu Changsheng opened his eyes.

After a night of meditation, his spiritual power and energy had fully recovered.

Perhaps because Talisman Making yesterday had depleted his spiritual power and taxed his mind, his cultivation last night had been a little more effective than usual.

Talisman Making consumes spiritual power and mental energy, but can it also help with cultivation a little?

Lu Changsheng was somewhat surprised.

Still, he did not pay much attention to that slight improvement.

He came to the desk, picked up the wolf-hair talisman brush, and prepared to attempt a first-rank middle-grade talisman.

He dipped the tip in the ink and began drawing without hesitation.

Faint spiritual light shimmered along the brushstrokes as they swept across the talisman paper in wild cursive, flowing like clouds and water. Everything proceeded smoothly, without the slightest mishap.

But the moment he finished and lifted his brush, sweat beaded on Lu Changsheng's forehead and his face turned pale. He felt as though he had been hollowed out, slumping back against the chair behind him in utter exhaustion.

Only after a long while did Lu Changsheng let out a deep breath, sit up, and pick up the talisman on the desk.

A first-rank middle-grade talisman-the Golden Light Talisman.

Once activated, it would release a layer of golden light to protect the user, capable of withstanding one strike from someone at the sixth layer of Chain Qi.

First-Tier Middle-Grade Talismans are still rather taxing for me right now.

With that thought, Lu Changsheng put the talisman away and hid it safely.

In the days that followed, he added Talisman Making to his routine alongside cultivation.

He drew roughly two or three First-Tier Lower-Grade Talismans each day.

Or one first-rank middle-grade talisman.

He hid all these talismans in a cabinet in his study, waiting for an opportunity to bring them out later.