Lu Changsheng, upon hearing this, was also somewhat surprised.
Although he had acquired Second Grade talisman-making skills through the system, he was truly unaware of the specific difficulties involved in talisman making.
He had just realized that making talismans was much harder than he had imagined.
For a rookie, it took tens of thousands of practice attempts just to get started and become an Elementary Talisman Master.
This Elementary Talisman Master refers to a First Grade Talisman Master of inferior quality.
First Grade Talisman Masters are categorized based on the talismans they can draw into First Grade Talisman Masters of inferior quality, middle grade, superior grade, and a top-level Talisman Master.
Second Grade Talisman Masters are also classified the same way.
Lu Changsheng, having obtained Second Grade talisman-making skills, was at full mastery of the Second Grade.
That is, a Top-Level Second Grade Talisman Master.
For a newbie to elevate their talisman-making skills to the Second Grade, the time, effort, and money spent are simply immeasurable.
Even dedicating a lifetime of effort might not be enough to achieve it.
At this moment, Lu Changsheng felt that his Second Grade talisman-making skill was far more precious than he had imagined.
"Shopkeeper, I still want to give it a try,"
Lu Changsheng said with a determined look on his face.
No matter how difficult it was, what did it have to do with him? The harder it was to become a Talisman Master, the more valuable this skill would be.
"Alright, since you insist on buying, how could I refuse to sell to you?"
Seeing that Lu Changsheng was persistent, the shopkeeper did not try to persuade him further.
To give advice was already a kind gesture from him.
You know young people, they won't stop until they hit the south wall.
"A regular wolf-hair talisman brush, twenty Spirit Stones each, can be used approximately two hundred times,"
"First Grade regular talisman paper, one Spirit Stone for a pack of ten sheets,"
"First Grade regular spiritual ink, one Spirit Stone per box, can be used about fifty times,"
the shopkeeper quoted the prices.
Upon hearing this, Lu Changsheng nodded and took out his flying sword, saying, "Shopkeeper, would you please appraise this flying sword for me?"
"Is this the one the Family Head rewarded you with?"
The shopkeeper was somewhat surprised, having not expected that Lu Changsheng would sell his flying sword just to make talismans.
But then again, as a man who had married into the family, where else would he get the money if not by selling the flying sword?
"Indeed,"
Lu Changsheng nodded.
"For this flying sword, I won't shortchange you—fifty Spirit Stones,"
the shopkeeper stretched out a hand.
"Deal."
"Then, please give me a wolf-hair talisman brush, ten packs of talisman paper, and two boxes of spiritual ink,"
Lu Changsheng said, nodding and placing the flying sword on the counter.
The shopkeeper indeed did not underquote him; if sold elsewhere, the flying sword would fetch just a few more Spirit Stones.
Considering that Lu Lanshu had given birth and Lu Zi'er and Lu Qing'er were also about to give birth, Lu Changsheng added,
"Please also give me one jin each of ginseng, licorice, angelica, Solomon's seal, and goji berries."
These were medicinal herbs grown by the Lu Family themselves, categorized as Spirit Plants, with the effect of nourishing the primordial spirit and replenishing energy.
"Alright, that comes to a total of thirty-seven Spirit Stones. I'll give you thirteen Spirit Stones as change,"
the shopkeeper said as he put away the flying sword, took out the items Lu Changsheng had requested, and gave him thirteen Spirit Stones.
"Thank you, shopkeeper,"
Lu Changsheng expressed his gratitude and left with his purchases.
...
Inside the study,
Lu Changsheng neatly arranged his entire set of talisman brushes, talisman paper, and spiritual ink on the desk.
Beside them, there were also copies of "Introduction to Talismans" and "Complete Collection of Basic Talismans."
The skill information given by the system included many kinds of talismans.
But to put on an act, it must be thorough.
It couldn't be that he became a Talisman Master without ever looking at a book, right?
That would be a bit unreasonable.
So, for the sake of caution, Lu Changsheng decided to put on an act and made a trip to the Lu Family's library, spending one Spirit Stone to borrow two books about talismans.
"The materials for making a hundred talismans cost about twenty-two Spirit Stones,"
"A First Grade inferior quality basic talisman can be sold for 1-2 Spirit Stones. If all are made into talismans, the lowest profit would be fivefold, and at most, it could be tenfold."
"If all can be made into First Grade middle-grade talismans, then the profit could go up to over twentyfold!"
"Tsk tsk, such high profit indeed."
"My talisman-making belongs to full mastery at Second Grade, so to draw all these materials into First Grade middle-grade talismans will be a piece of cake."
Lu Changsheng skillfully ground and mixed the spirit ink, calculating in his mind.
Different grades of talismans required different materials.
The wolf hair talisman brush he had bought was the most common type, suitable for beginners to use, and could only be used to draw basic talismans and lower and middle-grade first-grade talismans.
It wasn't entirely true that it couldn't be used to draw upper-grade and supreme first-grade talismans.
It just greatly affected the success rate of the talisman, and the brush was prone to wear and tear, leading to its disposal.
Generally, a talisman master who could draw middle, upper, and supreme first-grade talismans wouldn't care about this amount of money.
They would always try to buy the best materials and tools to increase their success rate in making talismans.
Similarly, the talisman paper and spirit ink were also divided into ordinary, advanced level, and supreme, three grades.
The ordinary kind was at most used for drawing middle-grade first-grade talismans.
The advanced level was suitable for drawing middle and upper-grade first-grade talismans.
The supreme kind was suitable for drawing upper-grade and supreme first-grade talismans.
After grinding and mixing the ink, Lu Changsheng laid out the talisman paper, took the talisman brush in hand, took two deep breaths to calm his mental spirit, and began to try making talismans.
If he were a beginner, he would also have to bathe and change into new clothes and perform rituals like adjusting his body, mind, and breath, among others.
But Lu Changsheng was experienced, and these practices were already second nature to him, so naturally, he did not need them.
He dipped the talisman brush into the ink.
Afterward, spiritual power surged from inside his body to his palm, through to the talisman brush in his hand, and then to the tip of the brush, making the tip soaked in spirit ink emit a faint luminescence.
As the tip touched the blank talisman paper, he began to move it swiftly and boldly, splashing the ink with great fluency.
The whole process was smooth and uninterrupted, without a moment's delay.
Lu Changsheng lifted his hand.
One could see a layer of light emerge on the talisman paper on the table, emanating faint fluctuations of spiritual energy, which quickly solidified the spirit ink.
After a short while, the spirit ink solidified, the light on the talisman paper circulated and then gradually dimmed, disappearing from sight.
A lower-grade first-grade talisman, the Flame Bullet Talisman, was complete!
"Hoo!"
Seeing this scene, Lu Changsheng also let out a long breath and a smile appeared on his lips.
Acquiring related skills was one thing, but successfully making a talisman himself was another.
"Making talismans really depletes spiritual power. With my level of qi refinement, I can at most draw two or three lower-grade first-grade talismans."
"If I were to draw a middle-grade first-grade talisman, I reckon I could only manage one at most."
Lu Changsheng examined the Flame Bullet Talisman he held in his hands closely.
By injecting a trace of spiritual power, one could activate the talisman, releasing a fire bullet.
As for its power, it was about the same as the Flame Bullet Technique of the third level energy refinement.
This was the formidable aspect of talismans.
Lu Changsheng, only at the first level of qi refinement, would deplete all his spiritual power using a single Flame Bullet Technique.
But with that same amount of spiritual power, he could draw two or three talismans with the power of the Flame Bullet Technique at the third level of energy refinement!
Straightaway, Lu Changsheng drew another Featherweight Talisman and Rejuvenation Insignia.
Both were lower-grade first-grade talismans.
Feeling that continuing to draw would not only deplete his spiritual power but also tire his mental spirit, Lu Changsheng stored the three talismans away and began to sit in meditation to cultivate.
The next day, Lu Changsheng opened his eyes.
After sitting in meditation all night, his spiritual power and energy had fully recovered.
Perhaps the act of drawing talismans the previous day had consumed his spiritual power and mental spirit to some extent, making the cultivation last night more effective than usual.
"Talisman making depletes spiritual power and spirit, yet it seems to slightly assist cultivation?"
Lu Changsheng was somewhat surprised.
But he didn't pay too much attention to this slight effect.
He came to the desk, picked up the wolf hair talisman brush, and prepared to try drawing a middle-grade first-grade talisman.
Without hesitation, he dipped the brush in ink and began to draw.
The touch of the brush emitted a faint spiritual light, wildly scribbling on the talisman paper, flowing smoothly and successfully, without any mishap.
However, the moment he finished the stroke, sweat appeared on Lu Changsheng's forehead, his face turned pale, and he looked completely drained, slumping back into the chair behind him.
After a long while, Lu Changsheng let out a long breath, sat up, and picked up the talisman from the table.
A middle-grade first-grade talisman—the Golden Light Insignia.
Once activated, it released a layer of golden light to protect oneself, capable of withstanding a strike from the sixth level of energy refinement.
"Right now, a middle-grade first-grade talisman is still a bit strenuous for me," Lu Changsheng thought, as he stored and hid the talisman away.
In the days that followed, besides cultivating, he also took up making talismans.
Almost every day, he drew two or three lower-grade first-grade talismans.
Or one middle-grade first-grade talisman.
He kept all these talismans hidden in the cupboard in his study, to be taken out when the opportunity arose.