"Isn’t there supposed to be a seven-day test? How has he already taken an apprentice?! It’s so unfair!"
The Loose Cultivators looked at Jia Ren with eyes filled with envy, jealousy, and hate.
Why couldn’t such good fortune befall me?
I should have the talent for talisman-making too!
With a living example before them, other Loose Cultivators also wanted to have their moment of glory and gain the favor of the powerful old Talisman Master, becoming disciples of Talisman Master Zhang.
They tried hard to recall the process of making the Featherweight Talisman, revisiting the details.
Who could memorize those bizarre patterns after just one glance?
If you can’t even remember them, there’s no hope of drawing them without a reference. Some, refusing to believe this was impossible, attempted to draw the Featherweight Talisman, only to produce disastrous results.
One has to admit, the differences between people are greater than those between humans and dogs.
"Zhen Yi is willing to be your disciple! Please, Master Zhang, take me in."
"Aren’t you going to change how you address me?" Talisman Master Zhang stroked his beard, a kindly smile on his face.
Zhen Yi was slightly older, but it was not too late yet.
"You’ve mastered the Featherweight Talisman quite well, but there are a few key points. Here the strokes are not smooth enough, you must hook this spiritual power node, and the end of the talisman..."
Talisman Master Zhang pointed out several problems in Jia Ren’s Talisman Crafting, giving careful guidance.
"Talisman Master Zhang, we also want to learn Talisman Crafting! How can you only teach him alone?!"
"We’ve paid thirty Spirit Stones!"
Talisman Master Zhang, using public time to give Jia Ren special attention, aroused dissatisfaction among many, who started to voice their complaints.
"Master Zhang, let’s continue with the Cleaning Talisman!"
Jia Ren had received his advantage. There was no need to make enemies with the other Loose Cultivators without cause, so he decided to quit while he was ahead. His Proficiency Level in the Cleaning Talisman was not high; there was still much room for improvement.
Talisman Master Zhang’s gaze towards Jia Ren grew increasingly satisfied. Sociable, with high talent in Talisman Crafting, and not weak at the Eighth Layer of Qi Refining, he was well-suited to inherit the mantle.
"The key to the Cleaning Talisman is at the spiritual power node. Whoever first draws three perfect spiritual power nodes will receive my priority guidance."
Afterward, everyone began drawing Cleaning Talismans together.
A day passed, and the situation was a mess. No one could draw a perfect spiritual power node. The crowd had grown numb. Those Loose Cultivators who had thought they could catch up with Jia Ren were now thoroughly disheartened. After so much time, they hadn’t even managed the first step of the Cleaning Talisman, while Zhen Yi could already draw real graded talismans. The gap between them was as vast as that between clouds and mud.
"Zhen Yi, you stay behind!"
Talisman Master Zhang walked over to Jia Ren alone and glanced at the Cleaning Talisman he had drawn, comparable to his own, with even more astonishment.
"You have the strongest talent for Talisman Crafting I’ve ever seen! In the future, you will surely become a great Talisman Master!"
After the triple kowtow and nine prostrations and offering the tea for honoring the master, Jia Ren was officially initiated as a disciple.
"Pengpeng, from now on, he is your junior brother."
The female Cultivator who collected the Spirit Stones examined Jia Ren with wide almond eyes. Then, her eyes darted playfully as she said, "Junior brother, do you have a gift for our first meeting?"
A gift for our first meeting?
Most of what was in his Storage Bag was related to bugs and had nothing to win a woman’s favor.
Jia Ren seemed to think of something, reached into the Storage Bag at his left waist, and handed over a Fragrance Pouch. The Fragrance Pouch he obtained from killing the female Cultivator from Chang Le Gang seemed to have a refreshing and mind-awakening effect, so he hadn’t discarded it.
"Is this something you use to please other women?"
Ding Pengpeng saw Jia Ren holding the Fragrance Pouch with a dumbstruck expression, covered her mouth with a light laugh, and left with the pouch.
"Don’t spend too much time and effort on the Cleaning Talisman; your talent shouldn’t be wasted on beginner talismans."
"I’ll teach you the Featherweight Talisman exclusively. Craft a few, and I’ll give you personal guidance."
Under Talisman Master Zhang’s tutelage, Jia Ren improved rapidly. In less than an hour, his Proficiency Level rose to the Skilled Level. Both the quality and success rate of his Talisman Crafting soared.
Talisman Master Zhang sighed with emotion, as he had witnessed Jia Ren’s progress from the very beginning. In all his years, he had never seen such an astonishingly brilliant talent. What he found most fortunate was that he had discovered this exquisite and precious jade. When he met his old friends on the Path of Charms, he would certainly have something to boast about.
"Tomorrow you don’t have to join them in crafting talismans in the courtyard. There’s a specialized Talisman Crafting Room in the inner house which you can use for practice."
Jia Ren did not linger and left the large courtyard.
"Daoist Zhen, you’ve finally come out!"
Wang Fugui was still waiting outside. Seeing Jia Ren, he rushed over with both astonishment and joy.
"Has Wang Daoyou not left yet?"
"Daoist Zhen became a disciple of Talisman Master Zhang on the very first day, how enviable! Becoming a true Talisman Maker and achieving rapid success is just a matter of time."
Wang Fugui was also among the envious. Unlike others with shortsighted views, he was convinced that Zhen Yi was a major opportunity that he had to seize firmly.
"This calls for celebration! I’ll treat you at Cloud Attire Pavilion!"
Are you testing my resolve?
"There’s no need for that! I must return to craft talismans."
It’s not the talent in others one fears, but the hard work they put in when they are more talented than you.
Wang Fugui let go of the thought of going to Cloud Attire Pavilion. He resolved to quickly draw the Cleaning Talisman, aiming to become Zhen Yi’s junior brother and not waste this precious opportunity.
Along the way, Jia Ren did not hesitate to offer tips. Unlike Talisman Master Zhang’s relatively vague guidance, a few words from Jia Ren enlightened Wang Fugui on the spot.
Jia Ren successfully returned to his residence and sat down to cultivate.
「In the following days, he went back and forth to learn Talisman Crafting.」
He stayed alone in Talisman Master Zhang’s Talisman Crafting Room, undisturbed, with free access to Blank Talisman Paper and universal Spirit Ink, making rapid progress.
The only thing was that his nominal senior sister looked at him with a mix of shame and anger. She even threw the Fragrance Pouch he considered a gift at him and left in a huff.
Could this thing really have a problem...
Jia Ren sniffed carefully but found no issue, so he placed it on the edge of the desk.
A moment later, he put away the Talisman Paper and bent down to hide his embarrassment.
The Fragrance Pouch indeed contained ingredients that could provoke certain desires... it’s just that the effect was minimal, only noticeable after a long time.
No wonder Senior Sister was so annoyed! My legendary reputation is ruined!
So what if Zhen Yi’s reputation is ruined? What does that have to do with me, Jia Ren?
I’ll find a way to make amends in the future.
Jia Ren progressed at an astonishing pace. On the third day, he quickly reached Master Level with the Featherweight Talisman.
Master Level was already not low, and Talisman Master Zhang’s attainment in the Featherweight Talisman was only at that level. In just three days, to surpass his several decades of skill, Talisman Master Zhang suffered a substantial blow. He began to see Jia Ren differently, ready to impart all he knew.
Thanks to the talent he exhibited, he learned the Fire Bullet Talisman. A common attack talisman, it’s one of the most practical talismans.
"Your talent is astonishing; fortunately, it wasn’t buried."
Talisman Master Zhang had a premonition that it wouldn’t take long for Zhen Yi to surpass him.
"Master, by taking in so many apprentices, aren’t you inviting trouble? How can you ensure your own safety?"
Over a few days, master and apprentice got along well. Seeing the right moment, Jia Ren took the opportunity to indirectly probe for more information.
Talisman Master Zhang opened his mouth and sighed, "There’s no need to hide this from you. I believe you’ll learn the inside story soon after joining the Talisman Cultivators’ Association."
"All Talisman Makers in the Great Wilderness Market are affiliated with the Talisman Cultivators’ Association. They take a tenth of our talisman sales and provide limited help. We cannot refuse the tasks arranged by the Talisman Cultivators’ Association. This mass recruitment of apprentices is all for the Talisman Cultivators’ Association to collect money. It seems like I’m getting three thousand Spirit Stones for taking in apprentices, but I only keep three hundred. The profit from Blank Talisman Paper and other aspects is mostly the same."
"The profit margin for Cleaning Talismans is very low. Real Talisman Makers wouldn’t waste time making them. Without new blood, like Talisman Crafting apprentices joining, there’s a significant shortfall. The Loose Cultivators recruited won’t learn any truly graded talismans. Those with better aptitude can learn to make Cleaning Talismans, filling the gap for Cleaning Talismans."
The most stable relationships between Cultivators are blood kinship, master-apprentice, and Dao companions...
Talisman Master Zhang truly considered Zhen Yi as one of his own and revealed the whole story. Loose Cultivators filling the gap for Cleaning Talismans were also heavily charged tuition fees. Ungraded talismans wouldn’t affect a real Talisman Maker.
The Talisman Cultivators’ Association is ruthless!
If Jia Ren hadn’t displayed such remarkable talent for Talisman Crafting, Talisman Master Zhang wouldn’t have developed an affection for his abilities. Consequently, after spending Spirit Stones, Jia Ren would have only learned basic talismans, with no chance to advance further.
"Thank you, Master, for clarifying."
Regardless, Talisman Master Zhang treated him well, indeed fulfilling the duties of a teacher.
"You’ve learned the First-Order Low-Grade Talismans quickly. Once you master three types of First-Order Low-Grade Talismans, I will teach you a First-Tier Medium-Grade Talisman."
First-Order Low-Grade Talismans include the Featherweight Talisman, Fireball Technique, and others. The Demon-Spotting Talisman, although complex, also belongs among First-Order Low-Grade Talismans. First-Tier Medium-Grade Talismans are of much higher quality, and the Evil Warding Talisman that Jia Ren longed for is a First-Tier Medium-Grade Talisman.
Thinking of learning the Evil Warding Talisman soon, he couldn’t hide the excitement on his face.
"Tomorrow morning, I happen to have some matters to deal with, so I will arrive later."
Talisman Master Zhang thought of Jia Ren’s diligent Talisman Crafting; his success rate was so high that his own younger self couldn’t compete.
"Go ahead! Be careful in everything."
Tomorrow he had promised to meet with Yang Shengwu; this related to future Spirit Stones, so he couldn’t be careless.
Jia Ren got up early the next day and went to Grand Wilderness Mountain to wait for Yang Shengwu. He didn’t have to wait too long before he saw Yang Shengwu.
"Haha, I made it back safely!"
"The map was too rudimentary, so it took some time to search. I finally found the entrance in a Bear Cave. The location was really well hidden. The size of the Spirit Stone Vein is unknown. I don’t have the means to detect its range. For now, I cannot confirm the extent of the Spirit Stone Vein, but I can confirm one thing: there are still plenty of Spirit Stones inside. I haven’t rested these past few days. Digging alone is a bit slow. I’ve only managed to mine a few large pieces of Spirit Stone Vein, along with many smaller Spirit Stones from the edges."
Yang Shengwu tossed two Trilateral Storage Bags over, both filled with irregular Spirit Stone Vein. These unprocessed and uncut Ore Stones still had rocky edges. To be usable for circulation, they would need cutting.
Jia Ren glanced over the contents of the two Storage Bags and roughly estimated there to be no less than two thousand Spirit Stones in quantity. Splitting it evenly, each could get a thousand Spirit Stones. This was just the gain of a few days, and the Spirit Stone Vein was far from being depleted.
"We split fifty-fifty."
With the Spirit Stone Vein in hand, not precisely cut Spirit Stones, the value could only be roughly estimated. However, the variance wouldn’t be too large.
"This is for the Demon-Spotting Talisman and the Evil Warding Talisman." Google seaʀᴄh No(ᴠ)ᴇlFire.nᴇt
Yang Shengwu tossed over a half-table-sized piece of Spirit Stone Vein, easily worth three hundred Spirit Stones. Jia Ren didn’t refuse and caught it.
"Rest for the next two days, then we’ll set off in three. We’ll mine the Spirit Stone Vein again after half a month."
"Brother Jia, would you like to buy an Ore-Prospecting Mystique?"