The dense spiritual qi swirling around them was so thick it was practically visible. The air around the plants shimmered like a heatwave, and the scent of medicinal herbs was so potent it made his nose tingle.
Mo Yichen blinked, staring at the scene like a farmer who had just discovered his turnips had turned into gold. "What the…?" he whispered, crouching down to inspect the herbs more closely.
The leaves were fuller, the stems sturdier, and the spiritual qi emanating from them was several times stronger than when he'd first planted them. It was as if they had been soaking in a bath of pure spiritual energy for hundreds of years.
Being a researcher and an alchemist on top of everything, Mo Yichen has witnessed thousands of varieties of herbs and their spiritual grade, but these herbs were clearly low grade and a few of them were medium grade but how come now they are all top grade herbs!! and just in a few days!?
Mo Yichen took a deep breath, his eyes scanning the field of herbs with the intensity of a hawk. To his surprise, every single herb was practically glowing with shimmering spiritual qi. It was like someone had sprinkled glitter on them, but way more magical and way less tacky.
He exhaled slowly, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Finally, something good after days of suffering. Maybe the heavens felt bad for me after the whole soul-binding fiasco."
Kneeling down, he began gathering the seeds that had fallen from the herbs earlier. As he worked, he couldn't help but notice how the soil itself seemed to sparkle with a brownish, glittery hue. It was like something out of a fairy tale, except instead of a princess, there was just him, a rogue alchemist with way too many problems.
He exhales in the newfound happiness, plucking out weeds with precision. Using his two-star Qi Condensation stage spiritual power, Mo Yichen worked tirelessly for four hours, sweat dripping down his forehead. By the time he finished, his dantian was completely drained, and his body felt like it had been run over by a herd of spirit beasts.
Exhausted but determined, Mo Yichen sat cross-legged and began to meditate. As he closed his eyes, he couldn't help but marvel at the dense, pure ambient qi in the dimension. It was like breathing in liquid energy, and it filled his meridians with a warm, soothing sensation. If only he could bottle and sell it, he'd be as rich as the emperor.
As he continued to absorb the spiritual qi, a crimson hue began to radiate from his body. The energy surged through his meridians, targeting the acupoints in his palms. Slowly but surely, a small and faint vortex of spiritual qi began to form around him, swirling faintly.
Mo Yichen's eyebrows furrowed in concentration. It's not the time yet, he has barely consolidated his prior realm, if he rushes again, his foundations might become unstable and that will be bad for his future growth.
The spiritual qi condensed in his dantian, forming a small crystalline ball that grew larger with each passing moment. The pressure built, and Mo Yichen could feel the familiar sensation of touching the thin barrier.
After ten steady breaths, Mo Yichen finally retracted the surge of energy, his eyes fluttering open. The spiritual qi in his dantian was practically brimming, almost overflowing like a cup filled to the very top. He glanced around, slightly dazed. 'Half an hour? That's all it took to recover most of my spiritual energy? This dimension is like a cheat code!!'
But as much as he wanted to bask in the glory of his rapid recovery, one thought kept nagging at him. It had only been a month since he'd arrived in this world, and barely twenty days since he'd opened his meridians. In that short time, he'd gone from a clueless transmigrator to a Qi Condensation Two-Star cultivator. And now, he could feel another minor breakthrough lurking just around the corner.
"This… doesn't make any sense," he muttered, scratching his head. Well, he is definitely not complaining, but shouldn't cultivation be harder? He was a nascent soul cultivator and an all-star prodigy, his innate talent was extremely remarkable considering the age of eighteen in his world. Most people ascend to the nascent stage after two hundred or something. But still, he can't get used to this speed of progress, this body (Mo Yichen's) surely is not to be underestimated.
Sure, the environment had helped. The forest was teeming with low to medium-grade mortal stage beasts, which had given him plenty of opportunities to practice his skills and consolidate his foundation. But still, the speed of his progress was almost unnerving.
'If things keep going like this, I'm going to end up with the most unstable foundation in the history of cultivation,' he thought, his brows furrowing in concern.
Shaking his head, he decided to push those thoughts aside for now. There was no point in worrying about something he couldn't control. Instead, he reached into his red jade ring and pulled out a rocky shovel. It wasn't the most elegant tool, but it got the job done.
He started plowing the soil, his movements methodical and precise. By the time he'd covered about one-fifth of the land, his body was aching, and his arms felt like they were about to fall off.
After a quick break, he resumed his work, scattering the seeds he'd collected earlier. The seeds ranged from level one to level three herbs, all of them low-quality for now. However, given the magical properties of the soil, Mo Yichen had high hopes for their future.
As he finished planting the last seed, he stood back, admiring his handiwork. The field looked neat and orderly, with rows of seeds nestled in the shimmering soil. Different levels of seeds in different rows.
Now that everything that needed to be done was done, Mo Yichen let out a satisfied sigh and plopped down cross-legged on the ground. With a swift motion, he pulled out the twenty old scrolls his master had bestowed upon him. Back then, it had been too hectic to even glance at them, but now, with two days to spare, he finally had the time to dive into some proper cultivation techniques.
"Alright, let's see what Master deems worthy of this disciple," Mo Yichen muttered, unrolling the first scrolls with enthusiasm.
Being a novice (well, relatively speaking), Mo Yichen knew the importance of mending and creating his own path. He wasn't about to go around collecting techniques like they were trading cards. No, he was all about quality over quantity.
He'd rather have one technique he can use to obliterate his enemies than twenty he can't even pronounce!
As Mo Yichen gathered his thoughts, he realized he needed a foolproof plan before entering the secret realm. Sure, he was new to this world, but that didn't mean he was going to waltz in unprepared.
The truth was that Mo Yichen didn't have any proper combative techniques. For now, all he had was his trusty sharp pebbles, which were great for sneak attacks but about as useful as a wet noodle in a one-on-one fight.
But as he scanned the contents of the scrolls, his eyes widened in shock. Every single one of them was a soul-forged technique—destructive, offensive talisman mantras! His eye twitched in bafflement. A guy barely at the Qi Condensation stage is supposed to soul-forge a talisman? Is Master trying to kill me? Or is this some kind of twisted test?
The only logical explanation was that his master had already guessed the realm of his original soul!
Mo Yichen's mind raced with questions, but he quickly pushed them aside. 'Alright, let's not overthink this. Master might be cryptic but he won't get me killed...probably? I mean, he did take an oath, and breaking it would obliterate the last fragment of his soul!' he tries to reason with himself pushing the thought aside.
Despite his initial skepticism, Mo Yichen couldn't help but feel a spark of excitement. He was already well-versed in using talismans and charms, though most of them were defensive—perfect for the seclusive meditation he was used to, but not so great for an actual fight. Thanks to his master, he now had access to some offensive techniques.
And the best part? Talismans didn't rely on his meager Qi Condensation stage spiritual power. Instead, they used soul force, which he had more than enough thanks to his Nascent Soul-level soul realm.
Mo Yichen picked up a thin booklet, its cover worn and slightly frayed at the edges. The title, Five Heavenly Talismans, was written in elegant calligraphy that somehow managed to look both intimidating and inviting. He flipped it open with enthusiasm.
The first chapter was titled Introduction to Heavenly Talismans. Mo Yichen skimmed through the opening lines, his eyes quickly absorbing the content.
As he read further, he began to understand the nuances of talisman creation. Talismans were categorized into low, mid, and high grades, but creating them wasn't as simple as scribbling some fancy symbols on a piece of paper. No, it required something far more elusive: pure soul force.
The booklet explained that soul force was different from spiritual power. While spiritual power was the domain of martial artists, soul force was the specialty of alchemists. Only those with a strong and pure soul force could create talismans, and even then, it was no easy feat.
The text went on to explain that while martial artists did possess soul force, their bodies were more attuned to spiritual energy, which hindered the growth of pure soul force. This was why talismans were so rare, and why most of the ones in circulation were low to mid-grade, created by martial artists with just enough soul force to scrape by.
High-grade talismans were even rarer, created only by the most skilled alchemists with impeccable control over their soul force. And top-grade talismans? Forget about it. They were practically mythical.
The booklet also emphasized the importance of success rates in talisman creation. Most alchemists who had already reached the Spirit Flame Alchemist stage had a success rate of around 30 percent. And those below that level? Their success rates ranged from a pitiful 5 percent to a slightly less pitiful 20 percent, depending on their competence.
Mo Yichen's eyebrows furrowed as he read further into the booklet. "Spirit Flame Alchemist stage? What in the name of the heavens is that?" he muttered, scratching his head.
As understanding dawned on him, he let out a slow exhale. "Ah, so there are different names for cultivation stages in this world..?"
The realization sparked a flicker of excitement in him. If there were different terms for cultivation stages here, what did that mean for his soul's stage? And what about his spiritual core? His mind raced with apprehension.
Shaking his head, a small smile tugged at his lips. Despite the initial distress of losing his original spiritual core—which, let's be honest, wasn't exactly a powerhouse to begin with because he was just an alchemist after all, but now, he couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. After all, he could still use soul force to create talismans, and that gave him a decent weapon.
The more he thought about it, the more he warmed up to the idea of using charms and talismans as one of his primary weapons. He can't help but feel like he got a cheat code. Now his soul force can be said formidable, all he needs is to continue cultivating his soul while also taking care of Mo Yichen's formidable spiritual core.
Flipping the pages he finally reaches chapter two named Low-Grade Offensive Heavenly Talisman Mantras. There are three mantras written one by one, each having a subheading where their name is carved in golden words.
The first is a Lightning-Based low-grade talisman technique named Void Thunder Talisman. This talisman released bolts of thunder chains chasing the offenders and caging them in it's vicinity.
The second is a Fire-Based low-grade talisman technique named Blazing Sun Talisman. It Summons a miniature sun that scorches everything in its radius.
The third is a Water-Based low-grade talisman technique named Serpent Wave Talisman. It forms a water dragon that crashes into opponents.
Note: When a martial artist crafts a talisman, they are limited to creating ones that align closely with their spiritual attribute. Their spiritual energy, while potent, is inherently tied to their elemental affinity—be it fire, water, earth, or wind. This means a fire-attribute martial artist can only create fire-based talismans, and so on. Their creations are powerful, but bound by the constraints of their spiritual nature.
On the other hand, an alchemist operates on an entirely different level. When crafting charms, an alchemist's pure soul force transcends the need for any specific spiritual attribute. Their soul, refined and untainted by elemental limitations, is versatile enough to weave any mantra into a talisman, regardless of its nature. This makes alchemists uniquely capable of creating a wide array of charms, from offensive fire talismans to defensive water barriers, without being restricted by their own spiritual alignment. In essence, their soul is the ultimate tool, unbound and infinitely adaptable.
Reaching this point, all the golden carved words start floating in the fair as a force sucks them in between Mo Yichen's brows. Yes, this force precisely is the soul force that he manipulates and uses to carve the information in his soul. And now these mantras are embedded in it.