Chapter 19: The Spring Breeze Dispels Worries

Clear your mind and focus; let your consciousness be as empty and bright as the sea.

Holding the mid-grade talisman brush gifted by Yan Kongyi, I felt the spiritual essence of heaven and earth.

"Swish!" With a flick of spiritual insight, the brush danced like a dragon in flight. The spiritual ink, concocted from the blood of a fire-attributed spirit beast, instantly bloomed with a faint radiance upon the talisman paper.

"Success!"

A moment later, as the spiritual energy dissipated and the ink set, a Fireball Talisman was complete.

Over the past year, without the need for additional cultivation of magic power, I have devoted most of my time to alchemy to earn spirit stones and to the meticulous study of talisman making. My magic power, tempered by the fire spirit, has become increasingly refined, making the creation of late-stage talismans far easier.

In particular, with the fire spirit's support within my dantian, sensing the fire-attributed spiritual essence of the world has become effortless. Today, I finally succeeded in crafting my first high-quality Fireball Talisman—a talisman with significant area-of-effect damage that is not easily produced even by seasoned first-tier talisman masters.

Caressing the Fireball Talisman, Li Ji'an let out a long breath.

The path of talismans is indeed easy to learn but difficult to master; this is no exaggeration. I began learning the knowledge of talismans from Yan Kongyi at the age of eight, and in the twenty-seven years since, I have never once slacked off. Even excluding the first five years of theoretical study and the following decade of limited materials for practice, that is still twelve years of relentless practice with the brush. Only now, without relying on mere luck, have I managed to craft a high-quality late-stage talisman.

Previously, a high-quality late-stage Frost Talisman was created only after crafting hundreds of early and mid-stage Cold Wind Talismans, as if by a stroke of sudden fortune. But this time, it was a true success born of my own spiritual sense, refined magic power, and my insight into the spiritual essence of the world. Of course, it also helped that the fire spirit had merged with me, increasing my affinity for the fire-attributed spiritual essence of heaven and earth.

"Finally, I can rely on the path of talismans to earn spirit stones."

The reason I say I can only now rely on it is that talisman materials are expensive, yet the value of early and mid-stage talismans is low, resulting in a profit margin even thinner than that of entry-level pills. In the immortal city or any marketplace, talisman masters of the early and mid-stages outnumber alchemists by at least two to one. This is because it is easy to learn, requires no alchemy fire, and can be practiced by anyone regardless of their spiritual roots or magic power; there is no barrier to entry. This leads to a massive consumption of talisman materials, keeping prices high, while the abundance of finished talismans on the market keeps their value low.

Early and mid-stage alchemists, provided they maintain a certain success rate, can at least manage to sustain themselves. But early and mid-stage talisman masters are truly like beasts of burden; many can only huddle in the peripheral shantytowns, living out their lives in poverty. Furthermore, even as a talisman master's skill improves, upon first entering the late stage, they often suffer losses due to the low success rate and the further increase in the price of materials. The ingredients for a late-stage pill can mostly be acquired for fifty spirit stones, but the materials for a single late-stage talisman start at seventy or eighty. A furnace of pills can yield multiple items, ensuring that one doesn't end up with nothing, but a talisman is one-to-one; if the talisman is ruined, the entire investment is lost.

In previous years, I was already able to craft late-stage talismans, but I could not guarantee their quality. Unlike alchemy, talisman making requires connecting with the spiritual essence of heaven and earth. Once one's soul and magic power meet the requirements, success depends more on one's state of mind and affinity with the spiritual essence of the world, rather than just raw experience. Masters of the talisman path are either born with extraordinary talent or possess profound insight, allowing them to perceive the spiritual essence of heaven and earth through constant trial and error. I belong to the latter. Back then, although I could craft late-stage talismans, I could not guarantee a profit. Now that I can craft high-quality talismans, my success rate for top-grade talismans is higher, and only now can I truly profit from this path.

Properly storing the high-quality Fireball Talisman, I lifted the restrictions on the alchemy room.

"Uncle Li, can Little Fire come out now?" Xiao Qiao and Guagua had already been waiting outside.

Li Ji'an smiled with relief and released the fire spirit. As soon as the fire spirit left my dantian, it immediately scampered excitedly toward Xiao Qiao and Guagua. Over the past year, the three little companions had lived in harmony, each finding their own value: Xiao Qiao was responsible for cooking and directing, the fire spirit controlled the temperature, and Guagua cleaned the ingredients. Visibly, Xiao Qiao had grown quite a bit this year, and Guagua’s physique had changed from eating so much monster meat. Although the fire spirit could not eat the delicacies, it deeply enjoyed the cozy atmosphere.

I was happy to see this, and I had the financial means to support them. My cultivation costs had decreased over the year, and my alchemy earnings guaranteed an income of over three hundred spirit stones per month. After living expenses and the cost of talisman practice, I had saved nearly two thousand spirit stones in a year. Now that my talisman skills had improved, my earnings would only get better. Moreover, after a year of tempering by the fire spirit, I had reached the peak of the ninth level of Qi Refining and, theoretically, was ready to attempt Foundation Establishment.

"No rush; I will accumulate for two more years." I am only thirty-five years old; my prime is still long, and there is no need to rush. In this world, even for ordinary cultivators in their seventies, as long as their magic power and physical body have not begun to decline, it is not too late to attempt Foundation Establishment. Once successful, the body and magic power will flourish again. Compared to a lifespan of nearly three hundred years, being a few decades early or late in the Qi Refining stage does not make a significant difference. Within the Cangyun Province, there are many who successfully reached Foundation Establishment in their twilight years; there was even a wood-attributed cultivator a few hundred years ago who succeeded at one hundred, becoming a legendary and inspirational figure in the cultivation world.

Of course, this applies mainly to rogue cultivators lacking resources. In sects or wealthy families, many cultivators rush to reach Foundation Establishment early to compete for resources and demonstrate their potential. On another note, with my mid-grade spiritual roots, I cannot rely on them for a boost during Foundation Establishment; I only receive a twenty-percent limit increase to my magic power, soul, and physical body. Given my current level of magic refinement, even with the fire spirit's tempering, it is far inferior to the magic power cultivated through top-tier methods, sacred arts, or immortal classics; I expect at most a ten-percent boost. I am confident in my physical body and soul, however, and expect to reach the full twenty percent.

Without relying on external aids, the success rate of a self-attempted Foundation Establishment is only fifty percent. A failure can range from damaged foundations—requiring expensive resources to nurse back to health over many years before another attempt—to the shattering of the dantian, resulting in death. Thus, I must have a Foundation Establishment Pill. I currently lack the wealth to acquire one and need more time to accumulate it. Furthermore, once I have the pill, I need to rent a second-tier cave dwelling in the immortal city to ensure an abundance of spiritual energy. Such dwellings, equipped with energy-gathering arrays and other facilities to assist in Foundation Establishment, are not cheap; they cost over a thousand spirit stones per month, and the process itself takes at least three months—another massive expense. Additionally, the fire spirit needs more time to reach its peak state.

After letting the three little ones play, I reopened the alchemy room's restrictions to organize the batch of talismans I had practiced with over the last six months. Aside from my six previous trump cards, the new high-quality Fireball Talisman added to my arsenal, and there were nearly fifteen ordinary late-stage talismans remaining, ranging from low to high grade. Even without counting the failed materials, the cost of these fifteen practice talismans totaled about fourteen hundred spirit stones. If sold at a talisman shop's typical buyback price, they would fetch no more than fifteen hundred. Selling them privately might bring in about sixteen hundred, and as a guest talisman master of a shop, perhaps sixteen hundred and fifty. Since the quality was not quite there, low profit was expected.

However, I had already decided that my talisman skills would not be revealed unless absolutely necessary. Beyond the lesson taught by Granny You, the near-omnipotent versatility of a talisman master is too conspicuous. Since I am already a well-known first-tier high-quality alchemist in the city, if I were also proficient in talismans, it would inevitably invite suspicion of some heaven-defying fortune and attract prying eyes.

Over the next few days, I sold the fifteen talismans in batches at several different shops, using the excuse that other talisman masters had used them to offset the cost of pills. After selling the last of them, I arrived at Taiping Inn, only to hear the crowd buzzing with talk about the Wuji Secret Realm. It was then that I learned the exact date of its opening: in half a month.

That night, I sent a message to Xiao Changfeng, wishing him good fortune and the greatest of opportunities in the secret realm. My trip to the Flame Mountain wasteland a year ago made me feel that Xiao Changfeng possessed truly extraordinary luck—perhaps I had even skimmed some of it for myself—so I was keen to maintain our friendship. If any future opportunities arose, I hoped to include him.

However, the reply I received shortly after made me arch my eyebrows. "I fear I will disappoint you, Brother Li. The sect has temporarily replaced me with a newly initiated true disciple to go instead." I could sense his disappointment and a hint of resentment. He had mentioned before that, except for the true disciples, most of his cohort were apprenticed to elders who were "False Core" cultivators, whereas true disciples were apprenticed to the Sect Master himself, enjoying a world of difference in status, position, and resources. His master had originally secured that spot for him.

I didn't immediately think of the strict hierarchy of the sect, but rather wondered if this had anything to do with me. Without dwelling on it, I immediately invited Xiao Changfeng to the immortal city. Shortly after, a Xiao Changfeng, who was trying his best to appear calm, was brought by me to the Jinhuang Immortal City's largest establishment, the Chunfeng Pavilion.

"Brother Li?" Xiao Changfeng looked at the gilded Chunfeng Pavilion, feeling slightly surprised. As the most renowned place of recreation in the entire Cangyun Province, the costs were not low. A simple night of dual cultivation with the cheapest female cultivator cost thirty spirit stones, and with added arts or music, it started at fifty. This was just for ordinary cultivators; for the few famous courtesans or those with special talents, three to five hundred spirit stones a night was common. It was a true "gold-consuming cave."

As an inner-sect disciple of the Biyun Sect, he had been taught from the beginning of his cultivation not to indulge in such "minor path" dual cultivation methods, and was often warned about how the bewitching women of the Hehuan Sect in the ancient times had ravaged righteous practitioners. Of course, the main reason was that as an inner-sect disciple who traded all his sect tasks for contribution points, he usually had little spare money and couldn't afford such places.

"Brother Xiao, there is no need for formalities between us. Today, let us drink until we are drunk; please, enjoy yourself to the fullest!" I waved my hand generously and led the way inside. I ordered a private room upstairs and filled the table with a spiritual feast. Then, I had the madam bring in the female cultivators, leaving Xiao Changfeng to choose. When a man is dejected, comfort requires no words—a night of wine and pleasure is enough.

Xiao Changfeng’s lingering gloom gradually gave way to delight and excitement under the hands of two female cultivators skilled in music and bathing. I, too, received a true baptism of music, purifying my own heart.

The next day, as the two of us walked out of the Chunfeng Pavilion, although I couldn't guarantee our friendship had reached new heights, it was certainly much closer.

"Brother Li, you've spent too much! I will keep this kindness in my heart, Brother," Xiao Changfeng said, gripping my hand tightly. Spending nearly two hundred spirit stones in one night—he didn't even earn that much in sect contributions from a single task. Yet, I had spent it so freely just to comfort him. He knew my alchemy skills were outstanding, comparable to a specially cultivated seed alchemist within a sect, but in his understanding, a first-tier alchemist’s earnings were limited; earning a hundred spirit stones a month was already exceptional. And I still had to save for a Foundation Establishment Pill. My gesture was truly sincere.

"Brother, you are being too formal. If this can put your mind at ease, it is all worth it," I said, patting his shoulder.

"Yes, Brother Li is right. No one's life is smooth sailing. Since ancient times, heroes have faced many trials. I, Xiao Changfeng, might still become the great hero who saves the day, just like in the storybooks!" With a strong scent of wine, Xiao Changfeng seemed to return to the high spirits of his youth.

I nodded with a smile, giving him my affirmation. Whether or not his state of mind or thoughts were genuine, I didn't care; I simply considered it repayment for the fortune at Flame Mountain. What I didn't know was that this casual gesture not only soothed the disappointment of being replaced for the secret realm but also unlocked a knot in his heart that had been there for a year. Upon returning, his state of mind would be purified, and his cultivation would improve.

Another year later.

On this day, feeling the surging fire-type power and the dense spiritual essence of fire from the little fire spirit, a smile appeared on my face.

"Finally, it has recovered its strength as a first-tier fire spirit! Now, I can attempt to refine second-tier pills." My first-tier alchemy legacy came from Alchemist Mo, though not through direct teaching, but through my extraordinary insight, observing day after day, deducing, and making countless attempts through Yan Qingwan’s hands. The second-tier legacy came from the one Yan Qingwan had obtained from an unknown source. Over the years, I had pondered it while refining first-tier pills, and now, with the fire spirit providing sufficient alchemical fire, it was a natural progression.

However, I didn't plan to refine second-tier pills just yet, because my alchemy furnace—the one gifted by Yan Qingwan—was insufficient for the task. I would have to purchase a second-tier furnace. Cangyun Province lacked masters skilled in artifact crafting; even second-tier magical artifacts were rare, let alone second-tier furnaces. Second-tier alchemists in sects or large factions usually went to Tianyuan Province to purchase them, leading to a minimal market demand in our province. The few in the immortal city shops were mostly of poor quality. Yan Qingwan had bought one in Jinhuang Immortal City when she obtained her legacy, but the actual results were far from ideal.

"I can start by trying to refine top-grade first-tier pills!" Just as I was preparing to try, a knock came at the door.

"Is Little Fan in?" A familiar voice followed. I was slightly startled; I hadn't heard this voice in many years. I had left the Yan family at twenty-six, and now I was thirty-six—a full decade had passed.

"Brother Qing." Opening the door and seeing Yan Qing, who now looked like a middle-aged man, I felt a wave of familiarity. Yan Qing smiled at me and stepped aside, revealing another familiar, aged figure behind him.

"You little rascal!"