Translator: Cinder Translations
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Song Wen picked up the stack of yellow talismans and curiously examined them.
He found that out of these yellow talismans, only twelve were completed drawings; the rest were blank talisman papers. Even the completed talismans were not all exactly alike. After Song Wen's assessment, these talismans totaled four different types.
Song Wen also discovered that the paper of these talismans was not ordinary rice paper but made from the skin of some kind of animal, exceptionally soft.
The ink used on them was not ordinary either; it was specially made, and Song Wen could faintly see a crimson hue on the talisman papers.
With a spark of interest, Song Wen picked up a brush.
"This brush should be specifically used for drawing talisman scripts."
He then picked up an inkwell, inside of which the ink was crimson and extremely viscous, clearly meant for drawing talismans.
Song Wen's interest in the yellow talismans was immense, and he spent quite a long time studying them. He vividly remembered the terrifying deterrent power Ji Yin displayed when using the yellow talismans to summon fireballs.
Now that these yellow talismans were in his possession, he just didn't yet understand how to use them.
Song Wen shifted his gaze to the books beside him, believing he could find the answers he sought in them.
The first book was a cultivation method called "Longevity Art," containing a complete set of cultivation techniques from Qi Refinement First Layer to Qi Refinement Ninth Layer.
The second and third books were the ones Song Wen had seen before: "Comprehensive Guide to Low-Level Spirit Herb Cultivation" and Ji Yin's own writings on his experiences with spirit herb cultivation.
None of these three books were what Song Wen wanted to read now. After briefly flipping through them, he set them aside.
"Comprehensive Guide to Basic Talisman Script Drawing!"
When Song Wen picked up this book, he couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement. This was exactly what he most wanted to see now.
After finishing this book, Song Wen learned that these yellow talismans were called talisman scripts, all of which were First-Rank talisman scripts.
He also learned the methods of using talisman scripts, which were quite simple: they only needed to be infused with spiritual power to activate.
Among the twelve talisman scripts he currently possessed, there were two Fireball Talismans, three Gale Talismans, two Shield Talismans, and one Levitation Talisman.
The first three were all First-Rank Low-Grade talisman scripts, while the Levitation Talisman was a First-Rank Medium-Grade talisman script.
This Levitation Talisman was noticeably more worn out compared to the other talisman scripts.
The Levitation Talisman allowed one to float in the air like levitation, but it could only lift thirty zhang above the ground and could only maintain flight for a quarter of an hour, not truly allowing one to soar freely in the sky.
Nevertheless, even so, Song Wen was extremely excited.
Flying was the dream of all humans. Who hadn't fantasized about soaring freely in the sky like a bird?
The "Comprehensive Guide to Basic Talisman Script Drawing" recorded a total of twenty-four types of First-Rank talisman scripts, along with methods for drawing talisman papers and making ink.
The production of talisman papers and ink was extremely complex. For instance, the First-Rank Low-Grade talisman papers in Song Wen's hands were made from animal skins, undergoing over ten processes such as soaking, degreasing, tanning, dyeing, and drying.
As for First-Rank Medium-Grade talisman papers, ordinary animal skins couldn't withstand the powerful spiritual energy they contained, so they had to be made from the skins of demonic beasts.
The remaining two unnamed books, Song Wen learned from their contents, were diaries of cultivation written by Ji Yin and a person named Huang Shang.
After reading these two books, Song Wen gained a rough understanding of cultivation and the cultivation world.
For example, the realms of cultivators were divided into Qi Refinement, Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Golden Core, Nascent Soul...
The Qi Refinement stage consists of nine layers: the first three layers are Early Qi Refinement, the middle three layers are Mid Qi Refinement, and the last three layers are Late Qi Refinement.
Huang Shang was originally a nobody in the lower levels of the cultivation world, a wandering cultivator. At his peak, he reached the sixth layer of Foundation Establishment. As he grew older and felt hopeless about building his Core, and tired of the deceitful and perilous life in the cultivation world, he left and returned to the mundane world. There, he lived a carefree and wealthy life for a period, but eventually passed away childless and alone in a mountain cave.
Years later, by a stroke of luck, Ji Yin entered the mountain to gather herbs and accidentally stumbled upon Huang Shang's cave mansion, where he began his cultivation journey.
Perhaps influenced by Huang Shang's diary, Ji Yin, after successfully cultivating, did not immediately seek out others in the cultivation world, but chose to live in the mundane world.
Cultivation requires individuals with spiritual roots to progress. Since Huang Shang did not leave behind a method or spell to test spiritual roots, Ji Yin had no way to identify others' aptitudes and could only discover potential disciples by repeatedly testing them in cultivation.
The Levitation Talisman was a relic left by Huang Shang and something Ji Yin could not yet refine at Early Qi Refinement stage.
The remaining talisman scripts and talisman papers were created by Ji Yin based on his interpretation of Huang Shang's diary. It must be said, Ji Yin showed considerable talent in cultivation.
Additionally, Song Wen saw several prescriptions and cultivation methods in Huang Shang's diary.
Among the prescriptions was one Ji Yin used to refine his Qi and Blood.
He finally understood why there were issues with refining Qi and Blood. The prescriptions recorded in Huang Shang's diary were not entirely complete; two auxiliary herbs had uncertain dosages.
Ji Yin could only determine their usage through repeated trials.
During the initial refining of Qi and Blood, Ji Yin even experienced a furnace explosion that nearly cost him his life. However, he persevered and eventually figured out the approximate dosages.
The diary of Huang Shang also recorded several spells that could be cultivated. Ji Yin learned the Shield Spell and Fireball Spell, the only two spells that could be cultivated at the Early Qi Refinement stage according to the diary.
What excited Song Wen the most were the Flight Spell and Wind Blade Spell. Once cultivated, the former would allow him to fly through the sky, while the latter could kill without a trace. Mastering these in the mortal world would establish him as unbeatable, unafraid of any confrontation.
However, both spells required reaching the fourth layer of Qi Refinement, which was why Ji Yin was eager to make a breakthrough.
Setting down the books, Song Wen produced a cauldron over a foot tall and a jade box two feet long.
The jade box was empty, bought at great expense by Ji Yin to store spiritual medicines, maximizing their potency and preventing their effects from dissipating.
The cauldron was used by Ji Yin for refining, one of Huang Shang's relics.
After inspecting all his belongings, the sky was already lightening.
"Now that Tian Sha Sect can no longer confine me, should I live like Huang Shang and Ji Yin, enjoying life in the mortal world, or should I try my luck at the Tian Xing Market and strive for the elusive opportunity of longevity?"
The Tian Xing Market was the most recent gathering of cultivators recorded in Huang Shang's diary, but it was tens of thousands of miles away from Qian Kingdom.
There, the spiritual energy was denser, there were more spirit herbs, and deeper cultivation methods. It housed medicines that could enhance cultivation and was a gathering place for countless cultivators.
Going to the Tian Xing Market undoubtedly promised more opportunities.
However, as recorded in Huang Shang's diary, it also carried greater risks; at any time, one could fall victim to robbery or become the stepping stone for someone else's fortune.
"But for now, I can't leave Tian Sha Sect. At least until Tang Liang is dealt with."
Tang Liang's attack on him was a vendetta that needed to be settled. Now that he was a cultivator, he needed to follow his heart's desires.
(End of the Chapter)