Chapter Sixty-Seven: Introduction to Talisman Crafting?

“It must be aided by the power of thunder and lightning for the Thunder Spirit Rice Tree to bloom and produce Thunder Spirit Rice? Then, does that mean I have to learn a thunder technique first?”

Zhou Changwang couldn’t help but furrow his brow.

He had always longed for the power of thunder arts, but their reputation for being both difficult to learn and master was well known. With the three Thunder Spirit Rice Trees at such a critical stage of growth, he simply didn’t have much time to learn a thunder technique.

“For now, the only solution is to use talismans to assist their growth,” he sighed, but quickly resolved himself.

That evening, after dinner, Zhou Changwang went straight to the Talisman Room.

The room was crude, containing only a single table and chair. Yet, its thick walls gave it excellent soundproofing—making it an ideal sanctuary for drawing spirit talismans.

“Tonight, I’ll try to draw a Lightning Talisman. That way, I can save some spirit stones instead of buying them.”

He knew that lightning talismans were expensive. Basic talismans could be bought in stacks of ten for a single low-grade spirit stone. But even the cheapest lightning talisman cost a whole low-grade spirit stone each. Rather than purchase them, he might as well draw his own.

He had, after all, acquired three volumes of Basic Talisman Manuals, each containing the methods for drawing more than a dozen basic talismans and several elementary ones. Among the basics were the Cleansing Talisman, Fireball Talisman, Water Spirit Talisman, Protective Talisman, Light Body Talisman… As for elementary talismans, there were only three: Wind Blade Talisman, Earth Collapse Talisman, and Lightning Talisman.

In other words, the basic manuals already included the instructions for the Lightning Talisman, saving him the trouble of seeking out another method.

Zhou Changwang took out the three manuals, found the page for the Lightning Talisman, and began to study it carefully, committing every detail to memory.

“As expected of a thunder-based talisman, the runic structure is not only numerous but intricate. Truly mastering this won’t be easy.”

He frowned but did not give up. Having experience with the Fireball Talisman, he felt somewhat confident in tackling this one.

Talisman: Inscription (Novice 1/100)
Fireball Talisman (Novice 75/100)

He glanced at his attribute panel. The Fireball Talisman was clear enough—he’d drawn seventy-five successful Fireball Talismans, as shown by the (Novice 75/100) notation. But what puzzled him was the “Inscription” skill at the top.

It had appeared when he first succeeded in drawing a Fireball Talisman. Yet, no matter what he did, he hadn’t been able to advance the skill.

However, unable to solve this mystery, he didn’t dwell on it. With time and practice, he’d eventually understand.

Half an hour later, Zhou Changwang took a deep breath, laid out a talisman paper on the table, and began his official attempt.

Before drawing, he paused, retrieved a stick of Spirit Incense from his storage pouch—Tranquil Mind Incense, which he’d bought from the Six Directions Pavilion. It calmed the mind and restored mental energy, a helpful aid for talisman work.

He lifted his talisman brush, channeled his spiritual power until it flowed naturally into the brush, then dipped the tip into spirit ink until it was saturated.

Zhou Changwang stilled his mind and began to draw.

Failure. Failure. Failure...

He tried again and again and failed each time, but he didn’t grow frustrated. He knew that the early attempts for any spell talisman were always the hardest.

Half an hour. An hour. Two hours...

He kept at it, failing over and over, going through countless sheets of talisman paper. Only when his spiritual power was nearly exhausted would he pause to meditate and recover.

Finally, as his spiritual power was about to run dry once again—

A faint hum!

Zhou Changwang set down his brush. A streak of spiritual light flashed across the talisman paper, then vanished. He felt a sudden, inexplicable sense of danger emanating from the sheet.

The talisman was complete.

He had successfully drawn a Lightning Talisman.

He quickly checked his attribute panel.

Talisman: Inscription (Novice 2/100)
Fireball Talisman (Novice 75/100)
Lightning Talisman (Novice 1/100)

A wave of relief washed over him, followed by a deep fatigue. Drawing talismans for so long, even with his resilience, had taken its toll. It was a while before he recovered his composure.

“Wait—a moment! The ‘Inscription’ skill’s experience increased?”

Suddenly, Zhou Changwang’s gaze sharpened as he noticed that the Inscription skill’s experience had risen from ‘1’ to ‘2’—something he’d never managed before.

“Could it be because I succeeded in drawing a new type of talisman?” he muttered, glancing at the Lightning Talisman on the table, a suspicion taking root in his heart.

He picked up the talisman, comparing it to the one he had previously acquired and used. The difference was obvious—not only was his brushwork more immature, but the power was also at least half as weak.

Still, he wasn’t disappointed. It was his first attempt, after all, and some luck was involved. The power wasn’t his main concern at this stage.

The only thing that pained him was the sheer number of wasted talisman papers—nearly two hundred sheets, either reduced to useless scraps or turned to ashes by failed runic backlash.

Once his spiritual power had recovered, he started drawing Lightning Talismans again. After all, there were three Thunder Spirit Rice Trees—one talisman would not suffice.

Before long, after burning less than a stick of incense, he completed his second talisman.

Then a third, a fourth...

An hour later, ten Lightning Talismans lay neatly on the table.

“With the help of the attribute panel, I can hardly fail at drawing Lightning Talismans now...” Zhou Changwang was feeling pleased with himself. Compared to his earlier string of failures, this progress was a source of joy.

Still, one thing troubled him: the Inscription skill hadn’t increased further, no matter how many successful talismans he drew.

...

Early the next morning, Zhou Changwang rose from bed. After washing up, he retrieved a book from his storage pouch.

It was a slim volume, the title clearly inscribed on the cover—“The Eight Forms of Heaven’s Origin.”

This was the body cultivation technique his father had left him.

He resolved, just as his father had, to devote half an hour each morning to practicing this method.

It was, above all else, a path to strengthen the body.