Watching Wei Ming, who was clutching his throat and collapsing on the ground, struggling for breath, Chen An didn't hesitate to step forward and stab him a few more times. He only kneeled, gasping heavily, once he had finished.
After Wei Ming's death, a wisp of smoke, denser than usual, entered the tattered gourd. However, Chen An was not going to waste time on that now.
He looked down at the wound in his abdomen and smiled. He was glad that he had slightly adjusted his position at the critical moment, preventing Wei Ming's sword from hitting a vital area. Otherwise, he would be dead.
After treating his injury, he searched Wei Ming's belongings carefully. He found a first-grade spiritual sword, a cultivation manual from the Spirit Talisman Sect, and a small cloth bag.
Chen An was certain that every cultivator carried a storage bag, a space of its own where items could be stored. He was eager to see what was inside Wei Ming's bag, but he had no way to open it. He wasn't a cultivator and lacked the spiritual energy to unlock it.
The Spirit Talisman Sect manual piqued his interest even more.
During the disciple selection ceremony, Chen An learned that his spiritual roots were of inferior quality. But that didn't stop him from trying to become a cultivator. He was determined to succeed.
The old man told him that even the lowest-level cultivator in the Qi Condensation realm is revered as a celestial being in the mortal world.
He would achieve Qi Condensation and leave the Spirit Talisman Sect to find a small place to live out his days in comfort.
With that thought in mind, Chen An tucked the manual away with confidence. He tossed Wei Ming's corpse into the blood locust root swamp, allowing the blood locusts to feast.
After cleaning the area meticulously to ensure no traces were left behind, Chen An was ready to leave when he saw the spirit dog in the distance. Wei Ming had subdued the dog with spiritual energy, which is why it remained silent.
He was filled with cold killing intent, recalling that the spirit dog had caused him to take such a big risk. The Spirit Talisman Sect's outer field swamp gained yet another body—the corpse of a dog.
Chen An chose a secluded spot to rest after leaving the medicinal field, knowing that returning to his dwelling might attract attention. At that moment, he remembered the tattered gourd on his person. He removed the stopper and was immediately filled with a sweet fragrance that made his pain less intense just from inhaling it.
"This smoke gathered from killing cultivators is surely more potent than that from regular people."
He tilted his head and drank the liquid from the gourd. At the same time, he was certain he could feel an unmistakable change in his body.
A warm sensation appeared three inches below his navel, rapidly spreading through his limbs and bones before returning to his dantian. Chen An was astounded to discover that his abdominal wound had completely healed, leaving no trace of its existence. Furthermore, he felt an immense strength surge through him, as if he could now effortlessly defeat a bull.
This was a sensation he had never experienced before, and he was determined to make the most of it. Chen An paused for a moment, opened the Spirit Talisman Sect manual, and began following its instructions, determined to learn how to cultivate.
Cultivation is the process of absorbing the spiritual energy that permeates the world, storing it in the dantian, and releasing it when needed to gain immense power.
Individuals with superior spiritual roots have a natural affinity for sensing spiritual energy and can absorb it more quickly, thus progressing in cultivation faster.
For someone like Chen An with inferior spiritual roots, it was like being blind. He could hardly sense any spiritual energy around him.
However, this time, following the Spirit Talisman Sect's instructions, Chen An succeeded in circulating a small amount of spiritual energy in his dantian, guiding it through his body. It was the same sensation as when he drank the liquid from the gourd.
Based on his current condition, Chen An knew he was already a cultivator—at the initial stage of Qi Condensation, weaker than Wei Ming.
He was a cultivator, no longer an ordinary person, even though he was still at the early stage of Qi Condensation.
Chen An was filled with excitement at this realization. He summoned the spiritual energy in his dantian to his palm, creating a tiny green pea-sized ball of light that quickly dissipated.
"I've become a cultivator. My foundation is unstable, and my cultivation level is still shallow, but I will overcome these challenges." Once he had accepted his situation, Chen An became calm.
He had to rely on the gourd's ability since he couldn't absorb the spiritual energy around him due to his poor spiritual roots. He could make up for his natural deficiency by killing cultivators and generating spiritual liquid.
"My path ahead is destined to be filled with danger," Chen An stated with a determined look on his face. But his expression soon relaxed, and he smiled. "The old man was right. Fortune comes from risk. I've faced danger before. There's nothing to fear now.
Chen An shook his head to clear his mind and took out Wei Ming's storage bag. He circulated his spiritual energy and probed inside, commanding two softly glowing stones to appear in his hand with a single thought.
The old man had told him before that these glowing stones were called spirit stones and were naturally imbued with spiritual energy. Cultivators can absorb the energy within spirit stones to speed up their cultivation. Spirit stones are a valuable currency among cultivators, akin to gold in the mortal world.
Wei Ming's storage bag also contained a few sets of clothes, a few first-grade talismans, as well as some talisman paper, and cinnabar for drawing talismans.
The Spirit Talisman Sect is named for a reason: it specializes in talisman cultivation. Talismans were their support in battles.
The path to immortality is long and treacherous. There is no other way. Cultivators have refined their methods into four major paths over countless ages. Pill, talisman, magic, and body. Each path leads to immortality. They each have their strengths and weaknesses.
The Spirit Talisman Sect followed the talisman path. The sect's manual even provides simple instructions on how to create various talismans.
You must use talisman paper as a base and cinnabar as a medium to create talismans. With the aid of spiritual energy, the mysterious, rule-imbued inscriptions are drawn onto the paper, imbuing the talismans with various mysterious powers.
The Spirit Talisman Sect's manual states that there are talismans like the Speed Talisman, Water Prison Talisman, and Escape Talisman. High-level talisman masters don't even need talisman paper or cinnabar. They can draw talismans in the air with their blood and release them instantly with immeasurable power. They can move mountains and fill seas.