Lin Xing hadn't anticipated that, in addition to enhancing his physical prowess, his first layer of meditation would further allow him to introspect and directly perceive the progress of each of his skills.
"If the first layer has this effect, what would the second layer reveal? An even deeper self-examination?" he mused, feeling a sense of anticipation.
Suddenly, a wave of intense fatigue washed over him.
To master the first layer of meditation, Lin Xing had indeed spent too much time. Now that he had achieved sudden success, the long-suppressed weariness surged forth.
Despite this, thinking about what he had to do next, he forcefully suppressed the exhaustion and continued to bolster his spirit.
On the other side, Bai Yiyi seemed to sense the change in Lin Xing and asked, "Did you... reverse time?"
Lin Xing nodded: "Don't worry, Master Bai, the hardest part is already behind me. Everything is now under control."
In the next moment, accompanied by a wailing scream from the man with the scarred face, Lin Xing dashed towards the stone platform once again.
However, this time when he reached the stone platform, he didn't sit down to meditate but began to practice drawing talismans.
He took a deep breath, stretched out his hand to draw a symbol on the ground.
But in the next instant, Lin Xing's face flashed with embarrassment, shaking his head and saying, "It's been too long, I seem to have forgotten what that talisman looks like."
For others, it was but a moment, but for Lin Xing, who had reversed time, it had been quite a while.
Glancing at the surprised village chief, Lin Xing said, "Hurry up and summon the Mountain God, I'm in a rush."
So, after the next time reversal, Lin Xing rushed directly to the location of the Evil Suppression Talisman, memorized it, then was killed by the Mountain God.
Then he once again rushed to the stone platform to begin practicing talisman drawing.
Regarding how exactly to practice talisman drawing, Lin Xing had already learned at the time he recalled the Daoist Child's legacy.
In the process of drawing talismans, one must first ensure to be in a serene state, as if in deep meditation, to maintain a peaceful mind.
Secondly, every figure and line drawn had to meet specific requirements.
"The first layer of talisman drawing isn't difficult; the key is to master meditation and practice diligently."
He took another deep breath, maintaining a state free of distractions, and with his fingers traced through the earth, leaving behind crooked figures and lines.
It was the first time Lin Xing was truly drawing talismans. Accompanied by his spiritual serenity, he felt that there seemed to be a mysterious aura emitting from the figures he drew.
The village chief at first was full of astonishment and confusion, not understanding what Lin Xing was doing.
But when he saw the twisted shapes Lin Xing sketched on the ground, his face flickered with a trace of anxiety: "Where did you learn this?"
Lin Xing, however, seemed to have entered a state of detachment, no matter whether the village chief questioned or roared at him, his focus remained solely on the figures flowing from his fingertips.
In such a highly focused state, he sensed that his learning pace also accelerated dramatically, with the progress of his skills rising with each movement.
Talisman (Uninitiated 0.5%)
Talisman (Uninitiated 0.6%)
Talisman (Uninitiated 0.7%)
It wasn't until the Mountain God twisted off his head that Lin Xing's talisman drawing hand finally stopped.
Thus, dying and practicing repeatedly, the progress of the talisman continued to climb, and the speed of Lin Xing's drawing grew faster.
It had taken him over thirty seconds at first to draw a distorted Evil Suppression Talisman. Gradually, he reduced the time to ten seconds... five seconds... and even three seconds.
Finally, just before being killed by the Mountain God again, Lin Xing sensed another glimmer of light ignite within his mind.
Talisman (First Layer 0%)
"At last, I've done it."
After another reversal of time, Lin Xing sighed and immediately took out a pair of scissors from his backpack.
This pair of scissors was also a handy tool that Lin Xing carried with him on a daily basis. Whether for occasional cutting or as a weapon for self-defense in critical times, it served its purpose well.
For example, right now, these scissors were of great use to Lin Xing.
Lin Xing took off his T-shirt and soon cut it into pieces the size of a palm.
Then he was seen biting his index finger and starting to draw symbols on the cloth.
According to Lin Xing's memory, the quality of a talisman depends firstly on the skill of the person drawing it and secondly on the materials used.
Since he was unprepared and had nothing else at hand, he could only try using his shirt and his own blood for now.
Once ready, Lin Xing approached the stone platform again.
The village chief looked at him and said, "You..."
Lin Xing looked at the village chief and casually said, "Let the Mountain God come out, I want to test the power of this new talisman I've cultivated."
The village chief said, "I..."
Lin Xing impatiently said, "I know you've been keeping a Mountain God and even sacrifice people to it every year. Hurry up and call him out."
A flash of anger crossed the village chief's face. He had never seen such an arrogant young man and thought to himself that soon there would be a time for regret.
Off to the side, Bai Yiyi silently observed this scene, thinking to herself: "I wonder how many times Lin Xing has experienced time reversal. During this process, his personality seems to have changed somewhat."
Accompanied by a strange call, Lin Xing watched as a huge humanoid monster emerged from the woods.
The past repeated deadly battles had made Lin Xing extremely familiar with this monster; he even had every aspect of it, from head to toe, deeply etched into his mind.
Seeing it again now, he felt not a trace of fear but rather was filled with anticipation.
So when he saw the Mountain God approaching, he let out a weird cry and charged at it.
With a swift dodge, he evaded a kick from the Mountain God and then, with a press of his hand, stuck a talisman onto the creature's leg.
"Heaven and Earth Profound Sect, Evil Suppression Extinguish Form!"
The so-called talisman is both a symbol and an incantation.
At that moment, as Lin Xing recited the incantation represented by the talisman, a dignified aura surged forth from it.
The next instant, the Mountain God's right leg suddenly burst into a cloud of blood mist, as if a large chunk had been bitten off by an invisible mouth.
The once imposing creature was now howling pitifully as it fell to the ground.
"Although the Evil Suppression Talisman only works against evil spirits, its power is truly formidable."
Looking at the wretched state of the creature, Lin Xing was also somewhat surprised at the power of the talisman, and immediately charged forward to affix another one.
Realizing what was happening, the Mountain God struggled frantically, and another deadly fight began.
Amidst the thunderous roars, the Mountain God attacked everything around it in a frenzy.
But Lin Xing, with his numerous past experiences of fighting to the death with the Mountain God, narrowly dodged its fists and feet. He moved around the Mountain God with the agility of a cat, finding opportunities to stick talismans on it.
Bang!
A noble aura rose up, and another cloud of blood mist exploded from the other leg of the Mountain God.
With a mournful howl, the Mountain God completely fell to the ground, no longer able to stand or move.
The village chief watched the scene, shocked. He had never thought that the Mountain God, who he considered nearly invincible, would be utterly powerless in front of this adversary.
Even the toy cat felt astounded, thinking: "When exactly did Lin Xing learn to draw these talismans? How many times has he reversed time? And these talismans have such strong power against evil spirits? No wonder, no wonder he said he wanted to choose the Daoist Child legacy."
Lin Xing's hands were still at work, swiftly affixing Evil Suppression Talismans on the Mountain God's arms, stomach, chest, and head, one after another.
As the noble auras ascended one by one, most of the Mountain God's body turned to ash, dissipating into the air.
At the moment when the Mountain God was completely slain, Lin Xing felt a wave of relaxation wash over him.
The fatigue that had been suppressed seemed to burst forth all at once, making him want to just lie down and sleep on the spot.
But he knew things were not yet concluded, and immediately forced himself to focus, turning to look at the village chief nearby.