飘零影音

Chapter 146 - Arc 11: The Sect\'s Grand Competition | Chapter 146: Talisman

Translator: Lynn

Xu Ziqing cast a cursory glance at the assembly of disciples. His keen awareness revealed that the cultivator addressing him had merely reached the seventh level of Qi Refining. A quick survey of the others present showed that their cultivation levels ranged between the seventh and eighth level of Qi Refining.

Their demeanor suggested a lack of confidence compared to typical inner disciples. It was likely that they hailed from the outer sect and had not reached the Foundation Establishment stage through the orthodox path. This explains their current status.

Without dwelling too much on these observations, Xu Ziqing maintained a friendly smile and replied, “I’m a novice interested in learning the art of talismans, so I came here.” The cultivator, noticing Xu Ziqing’s amiable attitude, felt a bit less anxious. He returned the smile and said politely, “I’m your junior, Wan Chengke, and I serve the Tiangong Pavilion. Senior, please follow me.”

Xu Ziqing nodded and followed Wan Chengke inside.

As the other cultivators watched, a twinge of envy flickered in their eyes. However, the elderly steward reclining in the rattan chair remained motionless, seemingly unperturbed by the newcomer’s arrival.

Wan Chengke proved himself to be a sensible guide, recognizing that Xu Ziqing was not easily offended. He continued leading the way without reservation.

Their first destination was a vast hall.

Several individuals occupied the hall, most of them working alone, with few accompanied by others, like Xu Ziqing.

The room featured numerous large cabinets, cages in various colors, and boxes, all sealed by intricate magic circles. At first glance, they appeared unremarkable.

However, a scan with one’s spiritual senses would reveal that some of these objects allowed penetration, while others swiftly repelled intrusions—an intriguing array of phenomena.

Rather than delving deeply into this mystical atmosphere, Xu Ziqing opted to follow Wan Chengke, who stopped in front of the first large cabinet.

Wan Chengke was eager to assist, stating, “Senior, now that you have established your foundation, you won’t need the common talismans we often use anymore. What you need from now on are spirit talismans. Please take a look.”

“Spirit talismans?” Xu Ziqing’s heart skipped a beat. He had heard this term in passing during his time in the small world, thinking it was merely another kind of talisman. Now, it appeared that it held a distinct significance.

Recalling the unique talisman employed by Ji Rui, whom he had encountered in the Heavenly Demon Cave, Xu Ziqing couldn’t help but wonder how these spirit talismans differed. His gaze fell upon the cabinet before him, intrigued by the possibilities it held.

Inside the cabinet, numerous talismans bobbed up and down, their surfaces adorned with intricate, shimmering lines that exuded an aura of brilliance and auspiciousness.

Regrettably, Xu Ziqing couldn’t discern how these lines were intricately woven together, and his attempts to probe the magic circle’s secrets with his spiritual consciousness were thwarted.

Wan Chengke, displaying keen awareness and a good reading of Xu Ziqing’s expression, grasped that this inner disciple possessed minimal knowledge of talismans. Prepared for such a situation, he presented a jade slip with both hands, saying, “As a token of the junior’s appreciation, please accept this.”

Xu Ziqing, understanding Wan Chengke’s intent, graciously accepted the offering, responding with a smile, “Thank you very much.” This exchange earned him the satisfaction of Wan Chengke, who deemed his mission a success.

Xu Ziqing directed his attention away from the talismans within the cabinet, instead channeling his spiritual consciousness into the jade slip. Within moments, he gained a rudimentary understanding of the art of talismans.

Talisman crafting, as it turned out, was not a simplistic endeavor; it had tiers.

For instance, the yellow, red, and green talismans Xu Ziqing had encountered earlier were the most common types, founded on Cloud Seal script. These were often used by Qi Refining stage cultivators. Although they might appear potent, they struggled to pose a threat to those in the Foundation Establishment stage and above, representing a less-traveled path.

Moving up the hierarchy were spirit talismans, fueled by True Essence and constructed using Spirit Patterns, which, in turn, comprised countless Cloud Seals. These talismans were suitable for cultivators in the Foundation Building and Core Formation stages.

Further still were treasure talismans, capable of being wielded by Golden Core stage and higher cultivators. These talismans relied on Treasure Patterns, which were formed from Spiritual Patterns and suitable for those above the Golden Core stage.

Notably, talismans, spirit talismans, and treasure talismans could amalgamate into talisman arrays or even conjure illusory realms, exclusive to extremely powerful practitioners.

Crucially, the foundation of talisman crafting lay in Cloud Seals. Cloud Seals, an ancient form of writing and a “Tao” track, served as the wellspring of magical power for all talismans. It was governed by the world’s laws.

Among Cloud Seals, there existed three grades. These varying-grade Cloud Seals were combined according to certain principles to form Upper, Middle, and Lower-level Spirit Patterns. Only the highest-level Spirit Patterns could be compressed, in compliance with specific rules, to fashion diverse Treasure Patterns. For instance, creating a low-grade Treasure Pattern required compressing a minimum of a thousand high-grade Spirit Patterns. Similarly, ten thousand compressed lines formed a middle-grade Treasure Pattern, and a hundred thousand resulted in a high-grade Treasure Pattern. Furthermore, the structures of different Spirit Patterns and Treasure Patterns were profoundly distinct.

Additionally, talismans of the same grade displayed varying levels of power, contingent upon the number of lines they bore. Clear distinctions existed between different grades, and an ancient, formidable restriction mandated the separation of these grades, forbidding any intermingling. This was accompanied by numerous restrictions, taboos, and complexities, revealing the extensive and profound nature of talisman crafting, far exceeding Xu Ziqing’s initial assumptions of its simplicity.

Having hastily perused the vast array of talismanic knowledge before him, Xu Ziqing developed a throbbing headache. With such a diverse range of content, achieving any significant progress before the Sect’s Grand Competition seemed an impossibility. To truly excel, he’d need to invest a substantial amount of time and concentrated effort into research. Yet, as time was not on his side, he decided to prioritize, focusing initially on mastering the fundamental techniques.

Making a resolute decision, Xu Ziqing declared, “I’ll choose the most comprehensive ancient tome on talisman crafting.”

Wan Chengke beamed with joy but offered a caveat, “There are numerous ancient texts available here, but they come at a considerable price.” Pausing, he continued, “For instance, ‘Fuwen Tongfa,’ which encompasses 90% of the world’s rune rules today, demands a hefty 500,000 credit points. Alternatively, there are several incomplete but categorized texts such as ‘Leifu Wanfa,’ ‘Huofu Tongfa,’ ‘Wuxing Fuwen’… these are more affordable at 30,000 credit points per book. May I know your preference, senior?” Xu Ziqing couldn’t help but be taken aback.

He had once considered amassing over 200,000 credit points as a significant fortune. Now, hearing Wan Chengke’s figures, he realized that even ordinary cultivators would find it challenging to acquire valuable assets within the sect. Reflecting on his substantial gift of magic crystals from his senior brother, he concluded that perhaps his senior brother had foreseen his potential expenses. Sighing inwardly, Xu Ziqing responded, “No need to inquire further; just bring me the most comprehensive one.”

Wan Chengke, pleased that Xu Ziqing maintained his choice despite the cost, was elated.

It appeared that this cultivator not only possessed a good temperament but also substantial wealth. Could a future partnership or collaboration be on the horizon?

Brimming with enthusiasm, Wan Chengke hastily assured, “Please wait a moment, senior,” before dashing out to seek approval.

As Wan Chengke departed, Xu Ziqing continued to scrutinize the cabinet.

Although he couldn’t discern the precise details of the Spirit Patterns, he could clearly perceive the number of Spirit Positions on each spirit talisman.

In the cabinet before him, most of the spirit talismans possessed only three to five Spirit Patterns. Despite their enticing aura, they were clearly of low-grade.

They were likely all low-grade talismans.

After studying them for a while, Xu Ziqing took a few steps forward, circumventing the others who were selecting talismans, and examined a series of larger cabinets.

True to his expectations, the further he progressed, the more Spirit Patterns adorned each talisman. As he moved past a few cabinets, the radiance emanating from the talismans became more brilliant, indicating their higher grade.

However, upon inspecting some cages and boxes, Xu Ziqing discovered that not only were these items impenetrable to his spiritual consciousness, but even examining them with his eyes felt like peering at obscured objects through mist.

As he continued his observations, Xu Ziqing grew concerned about Wan Chengke’s prolonged absence. Procuring a few ancient books shouldn’t require such an extensive effort. Even if one were to exercise utmost care and deliberation in selection, this delay seemed excessive.

Xu Ziqing’s eyes narrowed slightly, and he need to know if something happens..

Exiting the main hall, Xu Ziqing proceeded to the front hall. As he approached the entrance, he was suddenly greeted by the sound of a heated argument and came to an abrupt halt. The voices were raised in discord.

Wan Chengke’s voice rang out, “First come, first served; that’s the rule. We’ve got a customer who wants ‘Fuwen Tongfa,’ a substantial deal. How can you prioritize personal interests over the collective?”

Another voice, unfamiliar to Xu Ziqing, spoke rapidly in response, “I’m not prioritizing personal interests; I’m upholding business ethics. Senior Luo informed me earlier that due to insufficient credit, he needed some time to gather the required amount. When he’s ready, he’ll come and claim ‘Fuwen Tongfa.’ How can someone else intervene now?”

Wan Chengke retorted, “This was merely a verbal agreement; no deposit has been made, and the specifics weren’t clarified. There was no contract signed, so how can this be taken seriously? Are we supposed to wait indefinitely for Senior Luo? The senior I’m attending to right now hasn’t even been charged a fee yet, so clearly, we should prioritize his transaction as per our standard procedure.” Wan Chengke concluded with a cold snort, “It seems to me you’re just trying to grab this deal for yourself. A half-million credit points means you’d pocket five thousand just for securing the transaction. With such a substantial cut, it’s obvious why you’re so keen on it.”

The other party appeared somewhat speechless, and Wan Chengke seemed to have hit the mark.

One copy of “Fuwen Tongfa” commanded a staggering price of 500,000 credit points, a fortune beyond the reach of most ordinary individuals. Even those who delved deeply into rune studies would usually select runes that aligned with their own attributes for investigation. Such standard methods, while valuable, were seldom sought after.

For some reason, two individuals had developed an interest in obtaining it within a month, resulting in a conflict over this rare opportunity.

The individual locked in an argument with Wan Chengke refused to back down and argued, “You’re aware of Senior Luo’s exceptional talents in crafting talismans. If he masters this method, it will undoubtedly leave a favorable impression on our Tiangong Pavilion, making it easier to build a rapport with him in the future. But if you offend him… when Senior Luo masters this skill, you won’t be able to coexist peacefully with me. You’ll regret it!” Wan Chengke bristled at this assertion, retorting, “How do you know the senior I’m attending to can be offended? At his age, possessing such a vast amount of credit points, he surely has influential backers!” The two continued to argue, neither willing to yield, their faces flushed and their voices strained.

Xu Ziqing frowned, growing increasingly uneasy with this dispute. Unable to bear it any longer, he took a few steps forward and interjected, “Wan Chengke, why haven’t you completed your selection?”

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