Chapter Eighty-Eight: The Talisman Master He Song (4/5)

At this moment, He Song’s cultivation had reached the sixth layer of Qi Refining. The spiritual energy within his body was naturally much stronger than that of cultivators in the early stages of Qi Refining. His control over this energy was also far superior to those just starting out. Therefore, compared to talisman makers who began their craft at the initial stages, He Song found it much easier to learn the art of talisman creation with his sixth-layer cultivation.

Furthermore, as someone who had crossed into this world, his soul was innately powerful, granting him a level of control during talisman crafting that surpassed ordinary cultivators. Thus, He Song’s very first attempt at making a talisman was a success.

As his brush danced across the talisman paper, weaving intricate patterns like serpents and dragons, a flash of light burst forth from the paper. He Song sensed a portion of his spiritual energy being absorbed by the talisman before him. When the absorption ceased, the paper transformed into a low-grade Earth Talisman worth five spirit stones.

Yet He Song paid little attention to the talisman’s completion. Instead, he stood motionless before his desk, his mind overflowing with insights gained from the process of crafting the Earth Talisman. “Study a thousand times, and the meaning will reveal itself.” His dedication to the introductory text on talisman-making had surely surpassed a thousand readings. Now, having successfully created a spiritual talisman on his first attempt, He Song found himself elated, but even more so, he was flooded with profound realizations.

So this is what it takes to make a talisman. So this is how an Earth Talisman must be drawn. So the power of the Earth Talisman is directly proportional to the spiritual energy absorbed at the end. So—

After a long while, He Song emerged from his reverie, his gaze falling upon the Earth Talisman before him. “From this day forth, I am He Song, the Talisman Maker!” He picked up the talisman, his eyes flashing with joy. To succeed on his first attempt, despite the myriad advantages stacked in his favor, was still an auspicious beginning.

It was well known that for cultivators in the early stages of Qi Refining, a one-in-ten success rate in talisman-making was already considered exceptional talent. As for He Song, though he had studied the basics for a year, it was all theoretical. This was his very first practical attempt. That initial success would be an enormous boost to his confidence.

Perhaps from now on, thanks to this first triumph, He Song’s faith in his ability to craft talismans would soar. With this confidence—and a plentiful supply of spirit stones—his skills would inevitably advance rapidly.

He set aside the low-grade Earth Talisman, adjusted his state, and soon prepared for a second attempt. Despite having tasted success, He Song meticulously followed each step, recalling the movements and amount of spiritual energy he had used during his first triumph.

A moment later, with focused expression, He Song dipped his brush in ink and began drawing a second Earth Talisman. This time, though he poured his heart into the task, a slight fluctuation in the spiritual energy at the tip of his brush ruined the talisman just as it was about to take shape.

His second attempt ended in failure.

He Song shook his head slightly as he gazed at the ruined talisman paper and the glossy ink upon it. “It seems I need to fine-tune the spiritual energy at the brush tip—steady output is crucial, no impatience.” Having identified the reason for his failure, He Song resolved to correct this mistake.

He closed his eyes to rest. When he felt he’d returned to his optimal state, he opened his eyes, placed a fresh sheet of talisman paper before him, dipped his brush in ink, and began once more.

The setting sun cast golden rays through the window, bathing He Song’s desk in warmth. His silhouette was enveloped in this golden light.

He Song, holding a low-grade Wolf Hair Talisman Brush, was drawing the talisman patterns on the small sheet before him. After a while, his arm paused and he frowned at the talisman paper. The blood-red ink had solidified, his brush stopped at the lower section of the paper. The spiritual talisman was clearly incomplete.

But He Song knew the paper and ink were both ruined, unusable now. He had realized the cause: he had applied too much force on one stroke, altering the pattern and rendering the talisman null.

He set down the brush and sighed softly.

“I thought I was a genius at talisman-making, but it turns out that first time was just luck. These second and third attempts reveal my true ability.”

He tossed the ruined talisman paper aside, picked up his now-cold tea, drank it in one gulp, then frowned and poured the remaining tea out. He brewed a fresh pot for himself.

Only then did he return to his desk, carrying the fragrant tea. After two failed attempts, He Song needed to calm himself and avoid getting carried away. He was naturally cautious, rarely losing control, but he couldn’t afford to be careless.

Seated at his desk, with the setting sun outside, He Song drank cup after cup of tea, while his mind simulated the key points to watch for when crafting spiritual talismans: spiritual energy output, brush strokes, unbroken technique—and most important, a stable mindset.

Talisman-making was never simple; it required ample time for correction and practice. Practicing talisman-making consumed plenty of spirit stones. For insightful cultivators who began learning talisman-making in the early Qi Refining stage, by the time they reached the middle stage, their skills would allow them to break even, neither losing nor gaining profit.

With further cultivation, skill improved, and profits gradually accumulated. For those of average insight or lacking effort, the time required would lengthen, depending on talent and diligence.

Yet even an ordinary cultivator, if wholly dedicated to the art of talisman-making, would not face decades of fruitless effort as in the array arts, where lack of talent meant stagnation. In talisman-making, perseverance always yielded results.

After some time, feeling back at his peak, He Song set down his cup, picked up the talisman brush once more, placed a sheet of talisman paper before him, and took a deep breath to steady himself. Then he dipped the brush in ink and began crafting his fourth spiritual talisman.

(End of chapter)