He went over it again in his mind.
With that, he took the Great Accomplishment Codex and prepared to draw a few simple talismans for practice.
The most important thing the Great Accomplishment Codex taught was actually the mental discipline involved. It stated plainly:
"A talisman unites the energies of man and spirit, transforming energy into a talisman. Spirit is formless, energy is formless, yet together they ultimately form a talisman."
In simpler terms, drawing talismans required using one's essence, energy, and spirit to commune with those of heaven and earth, pouring that intangible divine power and fortune into a physical sheet of talisman paper.
That was why drawing a talisman required absolute focus, completing it in one uninterrupted flow.
Unfortunately, Lin Fan failed several times.
His mind was too cluttered, and his brush kept pausing. He simply couldn't finish in one continuous flow.
His vital energy kept breaking off as well, preventing him from channeling it into the paper.
Meanwhile, at the East City Police Station.
After receiving Jiang Xueyan's call and responding to the scene, the officers also brought her back to give a statement.
After all, previous cases like Qing Xiaohe's had been minor affairs. Once someone died, it became a major case, drawing the attention of the entire precinct.
What was more, Lin Fan had livestreamed it, pushing the case into the spotlight. By now, the entire internet knew about it, with wild rumors spreading and making the whole thing sound increasingly supernatural.
Director Wu came into the interrogation room and asked straightaway, "Ms. Jiang, we need to take your statement so we can find the real killer as soon as possible. Please cooperate with us."
Jiang Xueyan nodded. Her eyes were misty, and she bit her lip lightly, looking so distressed that anyone would have felt sorry for her.
After all, her new home had first been haunted, then a corpse had turned up. How could a vulnerable woman like her not be afraid?
Now that she was at the station, the officers' reassurance had helped her recover somewhat, and she cooperated readily.
"All right, first question: how did you discover the body?"
"I asked a master to tell my fortune on a livestream, and he figured it out for me. That master is incredible."
At the mention of this, Jiang Xueyan grew animated, her eyes lighting up. Clearly, she deeply admired the master she was talking about-Lin Fan.
"Was that master called Lin Fan?" Old Liu couldn't resist interrupting, earning himself a glare from Director Wu.
He cleared his throat and said, "That master's name is Lin Fan."
Jiang Xueyan nodded furiously, then chattered on about how she had asked Lin Fan to tell her fortune, how he had instructed her, and everything else that had happened.
Director Wu's eyes darkened slightly. He had Old Liu record everything, asked a few more questions, then left.
Chapter 16: Great Accomplishment Mundane Cultivation Method-I'm serious about drawing talismans
He found an office, took out his phone, searched for Lin Fan's account on the platform, and carefully watched the livestream replay.
He had to admit that, judging solely by this replay, Lin Fan was a genuine master diviner.
Director Wu also changed his previous opinion of Lin Fan.
"Well, look at you. You really are something."
Almost without thinking, he tapped the follow button.
Meanwhile, Lin Fan diligently continued drawing talismans. Although he had ruined several sheets, he wasn't discouraged.
After working for ages, he finally produced two talismans: an Eight Trigrams Talisman and an Immobility Talisman.
He tested the Immobility Talisman first, sticking it onto the fish tank to try to control the little fish inside. Unfortunately, they kept swimming around playfully, even blowing a few bubbles.
The results proved that the talisman he had drawn was utterly useless. Apparently, he still hadn't succeeded.
Lin Fan had seen his master draw talismans before. It had taken only a few strokes, so why was it so difficult when he tried?
He opened the system again and examined the Talisman Great Accomplishment Secret Canon within his consciousness.
[Set your intent as the brush touches down. Let it move like a serpent or dragon, without a single mistaken stroke. Even the slightest error will render the talisman ineffective. A talisman maker must always draw with conviction!]
Lin Fan scratched his head, looking sheepish.
He had indeed been too eager for quick results and hadn't devoted himself fully to drawing the talisman. Even though he had memorized all the mental teachings, he hadn't poured all his Spiritual Power into the paper, so naturally, it was useless.
[Furthermore, drawing a talisman does not mean simply drawing on the paper. You must infuse the cinnabar and Spiritual Power into it layer by layer, from within to without. Talisman paper must contain patterns, as well as essence, energy, and spirit.] [Take the Eight Trigrams Talisman, for example. It consists of eight outlined runes, much like a diagram of the eight trigrams of heaven and earth. You must wield the brush tip and bring it to life, moving back and forth without breaking your strokes until the drawing is complete.]
The system's voice sounded again, helpfully explaining each of the specific mental teachings in the Great Accomplishment of the Talisman Canon to Lin Fan.
With that, Lin Fan felt as though enlightenment had poured straight into his mind.
He gathered his energy, dipped his brush in a little cinnabar, and drew the eight trigrams diagram onto the talisman paper in a smooth, uninterrupted flow.
Eight layers of talisman markings appeared on the paper. The instant Lin Fan lifted his brush, the eight runes gave off a faint, pale-yellow glow, forming a wondrous apparition.
A huge Eight Trigrams Formation appeared before his eyes.
Had it worked?
Lin Fan was beside himself with joy.
The Eight Trigrams Talisman was the simplest of all these talismans.
Drawing functional talismans, such as Wealth-Opening Talismans or Immobility Talismans, would be much more complicated.
But after tasting the sweetness of success, Lin Fan was eager to try.
He wanted to draw another Immobility Talisman, just in case he needed it.
[Immobility Talisman: requires thirty-six strokes of a talisman brush to outline the shape of a straw figure. Blood-soaked sandpaper is recommended. It is the purest talisman paper in the world. Price: 10,000 heavenly secrets points for ten sheets!]
What kind of talisman paper is this? That price is outrageous! Ten thousand heavenly secrets points for ten sheets? That's way too expensive. Why don't you just rob me?
Lin Fan sucked in a startled breath and snapped back at the system.
[Blood-soaked sandpaper has a faint reddish hue. The entire sheet is spiritually receptive and pure, absorbing ten times as much Spiritual Power as ordinary paper. It is made by soaking paper in the blood of a Millennium Snake King and is extremely rare.] [Using this paper for an Immobility Talisman can prolong its effects. Different papers are recommended for different talismans. Heavenly mystic earth paper, golden-bathed jade paper, and many other rare talisman papers are available. Of course, redeeming them also requires a large number of heavenly secrets points.] [For example, silver fox fleece paper is recommended for Fortune-Attracting Talismans. Six sheets can be redeemed for 6,000 heavenly secrets points. It is crafted from the fur of a Nine-Tailed Silver Fox and naturally possesses properties that ward off misfortune and attract wealth.] [In addition to talisman paper, various talisman inks are available. Our shop carries eighty-one kinds of talisman ink, which produce different effects when paired with different papers. Naturally, they are also very expensive!]
The system explained with extravagant confidence.
Lin Fan froze and wiped away a cold sweat. He hadn't expected the shop to be so impressive. Unfortunately, he had far too few heavenly secrets points to afford any of it!
"Question for the system: will an Immobility Talisman drawn on ordinary talisman paper still work?" Lin Fan asked timidly.
[Of course. Its effects simply will not be as good as those produced by specialized talisman paper.]
Then that's A-okay.
He was only just starting out, so naturally, he couldn't afford those outrageously expensive talisman papers. He would begin with humble, simple, inexpensive supplies.
Now that he knew these incredible rewards existed, Lin Fan rallied himself and prepared to draw a few more talismans. That way, he could show off his skills when unusual situations arose, earn more heavenly secrets points, and redeem rewards.
The system had already explained in detail how to draw an Immobility Talisman. He carefully pulled out a sheet of talisman paper and began drawing with complete concentration.
After thoroughly preparing himself mentally, Lin Fan took a deep breath, pulled out a sheet of talisman paper, picked up his brush, and gathered his spiritual
awareness, carefully drawing the Immobility Talisman.
A moment later, a lifelike straw figure stood upon the talisman paper.
Suddenly, a gust of wind swept past, lifting the paper into the air. The straw figure seemed alive, just like a miniature person.
Lin Fan grinned. "Move!"
Focusing his mind, he used his spiritual awareness to guide the talisman onto the fish tank!
"Freeze!"
As he uttered the incantation, every little fish in the tank became motionless. Two of them had been playing together just a second earlier.
It had worked! Lin Fan was overjoyed.
Next, he settled his mind and began drawing talismans in earnest.
He took out several sheets of talisman paper and spread them out, planning to draw five that day.
Sure enough, once he calmed down, his brush flowed smoothly, and each talisman came more easily than the last. He couldn't help reflecting that some things simply couldn't be rushed.
Still, he knew his limits. He had plenty of room to improve. These talismans had only just begun to show results and paled in comparison to truly powerful ones.
But considering that he had only just entered the art of talisman making, this was a respectable result.
By now, Lin Fan could be considered to have mastered the great accomplishment method of drawing talismans. With the system's assistance, he ranked among the best in the mundane world.
Once he accumulated more heavenly secrets points and exchanged them for better talisman ink, his skills would rise even further. He wouldn't be far from becoming a true master beyond the ordinary world.
At that thought, he took a deep breath and relaxed considerably.
Without realizing it, he became completely absorbed in drawing as time slowly slipped away!
Chapter 17: Mixing talisman paper with water to drink?
Lin Fan drew quite a few talismans and made some progress.
He put the talismans in a drawer, stretched, and was about to take a quick nap when he heard the bell at the entrance ring.
Was a customer here?
A gleam of delight entered his eyes.
"Hello, welcome. How may I help you?"
His little shop hadn't seen a customer in ages. After waiting around for so many days, he finally had business at his door. How could he not be delighted?
Chu Tianxiong pushed open the glass door and walked inside.
Lin Fan leaned forward to usher Chu Tianxiong farther into the shop, taking the opportunity to size him up.
He looked the man up and down. Chu Tianxiong carried himself with distinction, dressed in a well-tailored suit, while the Patek Philippe on his wrist gleamed softly.
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