Because rogue cultivators rarely use talismans, Mo Hua had never even seen one himself, so he had dismissed this question from his mind.
Now, discussing alchemy and mentioning talisman crafting, Mo Hua suddenly remembered and decided to ask.
Master Chen tugged at his beard, furrowing his brow in thought. "I'm neither a formation master nor a talisman master, so I can't say for certain. But since you've asked, I'll tell you what I know."
After finishing, Master Chen added, "But this is all just hearsay, so take it with a grain of salt. It's an impression, not necessarily the truth."
"Mm-hmm," Mo Hua nodded repeatedly.
"As far as I know, talisman crafting is both a branch of formations and a branch of alchemy."
"A hybrid of formations and alchemy?" Mo Hua was surprised.
Master Chen gave him a stern look, somewhat amused and perplexed. "Don't put it so bluntly. The various disciplines of cultivation are interdependent yet independent of each other."
Mo Hua thought for a moment. "So, like how alchemists rely on furnace crafting by Forges, and the furnaces made by Forges rely on formations drawn by formation masters, and sometimes formation masters use the spiritual ink prepared by alchemists?"
"You've got it." Master Chen nodded approvingly before continuing on the topic of talismans:
"In the development of the cultivation world over the years, various disciplines of cultivation have evolved, and talismans naturally followed suit..."
"Initially, talismans were similar to formations, or rather, simplified formations. Drawn on paper, they were activated by spiritual energy to produce some effects."
"But such talismans had many issues: paper was not durable, spiritual energy was difficult to store, and their power varied based on the cultivator's spiritual strength. If activated by spiritual stones, they were inconvenient to use."
"Most importantly, they lacked prestige. Talisman crafters were often seen as inferior formation masters, inherently lower in status, which no one could endure."
"After many years of development, talented cultivators have transformed talismans through various improvements. Today's talismans have become a distinct discipline separate from formations and alchemy."
"What changes have been made?" Mo Hua was very curious.
"A lot, I suppose. At least in appearance, they've undergone significant changes. Today, jade talismans have replaced paper talismans. Instead of merely storing spiritual energy and formations, they now contain specialized spells, making them easier to preserve and use."
"Specialized spells?"
"Yes, talismans are like disposable spells now—simple and convenient. Once you reach a certain level, you can use them, regardless of your spiritual roots."
"That sounds impressive," Mo Hua was intrigued.
"Impressive indeed, but also quite expensive," Master Chen exclaimed.
"The costs are high?"
Master Chen nodded, "Making talismans requires jade talismans made of jade, which is inherently expensive. The higher the grade of talismans, the more costly the materials. Moreover, the crafting of jade talismans incorporates some techniques from alchemy, with simple formation structures inside. Talisman crafters also need to learn specific methods to seal spells within jade talismans."
Mo Hua shook his head in understanding, "Expensive and troublesome."
"Exactly," Master Chen agreed.
"No wonder I've never seen one before—it's because they're expensive, and not everyone can afford them."
Even if one happened to come across one or two talismans by chance, it would be more practical to sell them and exchange them for spiritual stones.
Mo Hua asked again, "Are there any other differences?"
"There certainly are, but that's all I know," Master Chen replied. "These are just basic things I learned while assisting a talisman master in crafting spiritual tools. As for the deeper secrets, I'm not privy to those."
Master Chen expressed slight regret, "After all, I'm not a talisman master, and I know nothing about talisman crafting."
Mo Hua replied, "No worries, I know just as little!"
Master Chen smiled, "Well, when you learn about it in the future, come back and tell me."
"You have my word!" Mo Hua smiled in agreement.
After they finished talking, Mo Hua realized they had been chatting for quite some time. It was getting late, so he stood up and bid farewell, "Master Chen, I'll head back now. The matters regarding the Forge's workshop are settled."
"Don't worry," Master Chen didn't insist on keeping him and instead said to Da Zhu, "Da Zhu, see him off."
"Sure!" Da Zhu happily agreed.
Da Zhu escorted Mo Hua home, chatting along the way about recent interesting events. Mo Hua listened with great interest.
In the vast world, with millions of cultivators, all sorts of chaotic things naturally happened.
Mo Hua heard many stories and broadened his knowledge of cultivation.
Upon arriving home, Mo Hua treated Da Zhu to food. Da Zhu smiled shyly and accepted Mo Hua's hospitality graciously.
The matter of the Forge's workshop was temporarily resolved. Next, Mo Hua planned to visit Master Chen.
Master Chen had been refining spiritual tools in Tongxian City for many years, knew many cultivators, and was acquainted with several Forge masters. He should be able to convince many Forge masters to join the newly established Forge's workshop.
Mo Hua then thought of another issue.
Once the Forge's workshop was successfully established, the next step would be establishing an alchemist's workshop. There were even fewer alchemists in Tongxian City, and they would likely be harder to recruit.
It was always better to be prepared early. Otherwise, when the time came, if preparations were incomplete, complications were bound to arise.
Mo Hua thought for a moment, then brought some wine and food to Medical Hall, where he met Elder Feng.
"Elder Feng, I've come to see you!" Mo Hua smiled broadly.
Elder Feng glanced at Mo Hua, smiling knowingly, "Is there something on your mind?"
Mo Hua felt puzzled, "Is it that obvious?"
Elder Feng smiled, "I've watched you grow up since you were little."
"Oh."
Since Elder Feng had asked, Mo Hua didn't beat around the bush and directly discussed the matters of the Forge's workshop and the alchemist's workshop.
As Elder Feng listened, his expression gradually became serious. "You really think this way, and intend to do this?"
Mo Hua nodded.
Elder Feng pondered for a moment before saying, "Alright, I agree to this."
Elder Feng was compassionate and could genuinely benefit the lower-level rogue cultivators of Tongxian City. He would likely agree to this.
Mo Hua had initially thought so, but he was still very happy that Elder Feng had genuinely agreed.
"Thank you, Elder Feng!"
"Although I've agreed, there's something you must be prepared for," Elder Feng added.
"Prepared for what?" Mo Hua was puzzled.
Elder Feng paused briefly before continuing, "In this world, there are things where despite good intentions, they can end up in a mess due to conflicts of interest and the complexities of human nature."
Mo Hua was momentarily stunned but upon careful consideration, found it quite reasonable.
"Elder Feng, I'll remember that," Mo Hua replied earnestly.
He thought for a moment before saying, "However, if it benefits everyone, then it's something that must be done. Even if there are unexpected changes, that's something to deal with later. We shouldn't refrain from doing anything just because of fear or hesitation."
Elder Feng looked at Mo Hua, slightly surprised at first, then filled with satisfaction, nodding and smiling, "Well said. Even if it ends up a mess in the end, the right thing must be done steadfastly."
(End of the Chapter)