Because rogue cultivators rarely used talismans, Mo Hua had never seen one in person, so he had put this question out of his mind.
Now, discussing artifact crafting and the topic of talismans came up again, Mo Hua suddenly remembered and asked about it.
Master Chen tugged at his beard and frowned in thought, “I am neither an array master nor a talisman master, so I can’t say for sure. But since you asked, I’ll tell you what I know.”
After finishing, Master Chen added, “But this is definitely outsider talk. Just listen and get an impression, don’t take it too seriously.”
“Mm, mm.” Mo Hua nodded repeatedly.
“As far as I know, talisman making is both a branch of array crafting and artifact crafting.”
“A hybrid of array crafting and artifact crafting?” Mo Hua was surprised.
Master Chen glared at him, half laughing and half annoyed, “Don’t make it sound so bad. The various branches of Dao cultivation are inherently independent yet interconnected.”
Mo Hua thought for a moment and said, “For instance, a pill furnace for alchemists needs to be crafted by artifact crafters, the furnaces crafted by artifact crafters require array masters to inscribe arrays, and the spiritual ink used by array masters is sometimes prepared by alchemists?”
“The cultivation world has developed for so many years, and the various branches of Dao cultivation have evolved accordingly. Talismans naturally followed suit...”
“The earliest talismans were actually quite similar to arrays, or rather, they were simple arrays. Drawn on paper and activated by spiritual power, they had some effects of arrays.”
“But such talismans had many problems. The paper was difficult to preserve, spiritual power was hard to seal, and their power fluctuated depending on the cultivator's spiritual power. If activated with spirit stones, they were inconvenient to use.”
“The most important issue was that it lacked prestige. Talisman masters were often considered low-end array masters, inherently inferior, which no one could tolerate.”
“After years of development, many powerful cultivators have improved talismans significantly, transforming them into a distinct branch of Dao cultivation different from array crafting and artifact crafting.”
“What has changed?” Mo Hua was very curious.
Master Chen said, “A lot, at least in terms of form. Now, jade talismans have replaced paper talismans, storing not just simple spiritual power and arrays but specialized spells. This makes them easier to preserve and use.”
“Specialized spells?”
“Yes, talismans are like disposable spells—simple and convenient. Once your cultivation level is sufficient, you can use them, regardless of spiritual root attributes.”
“Isn’t that incredible?” Mo Hua was intrigued.
“They are indeed powerful, but also very expensive,” Master Chen said with a click of his tongue.
“The cost must be high.”
Master Chen nodded, “Creating talismans requires jade stones to make jade talismans. Jade itself is not cheap, and the higher the grade of the talisman, the more expensive the materials. Additionally, the crafting of jade talismans incorporates some artifact crafting techniques and simple array structures. Talisman makers also need to learn special techniques to seal spells into jade talismans.”
Mo Hua shook his head, “Both costly and troublesome.”
“Exactly.” Master Chen agreed.
“No wonder I’ve never seen one. It’s because they’re too expensive for people to use.”
Even if one were to obtain a few talismans by chance, it would be more practical to sell them for spirit stones than to use them oneself.
Mo Hua asked, “Are there any other differences?”
“There must be, but this is all I know,” Master Chen said, “These are just superficial things I learned from chatting with a talisman master while crafting spiritual tools for him. As for the deeper intricacies, I am not aware.”
Master Chen apologized, “After all, I am not a talisman master, and I know nothing about making talismans.”
Mo Hua said, “No problem, I don’t know anything about it either!”
Master Chen chuckled, “When you find out in the future, come back and tell me.”
“It’s a deal!” Mo Hua replied with a smile.
After chatting for a while, Mo Hua realized it was getting late and stood up to leave, “Master Chen, I’ll head back now. We’ve agreed on the artifact crafting workshop.”
“Don’t worry.” Master Chen didn’t keep him, instead, he called out to Da Zhu, “Da Zhu, see him out.”
“Alright!” Da Zhu replied cheerfully.
Da Zhu escorted Mo Hua home, chatting along the way. He told Mo Hua some interesting recent events, and Mo Hua listened with great interest.
In this vast world, there was no shortage of strange occurrences. With millions of cultivators, naturally, all sorts of bizarre things happened.
Mo Hua, having listened to many stories, broadened his understanding of cultivation.
Once home, Mo Hua invited Da Zhu for a meal. Da Zhu shyly smiled but accepted Mo Hua’s hospitality graciously.
The issue with the artifact crafting workshop was temporarily resolved, now it was up to Master Chen.
Master Chen had crafted spiritual tools in Tongxian City for many years and knew many cultivators. He was acquainted with many artifact crafters, so he should be able to persuade several to join the new artifact crafting workshop.
Mo Hua then thought of another problem.
After establishing the artifact crafting workshop, there was still the alchemy workshop to consider. There were even fewer alchemists in Tongxian City, and they would be harder to invite.
It was always best to prepare early. Otherwise, if unprepared when the time comes, it would be difficult to manage.
Mo Hua thought for a moment, then took some wine and meat and headed to Xinglin Medical Hall to see Mr. Feng.
“Grandpa Feng, I’ve come to see you!” Mo Hua said with a smile.
Mr. Feng glanced at Mo Hua, smiling knowingly, “Is there something you need?”
Mo Hua was puzzled, “Is it that obvious?”
Mr. Feng laughed, “I watched you grow up.”
“Oh.”
Since Mr. Feng asked, Mo Hua didn’t beat around the bush and directly explained about the artifact crafting workshop and the alchemy workshop.
As Mr. Feng listened, his expression gradually became serious, “Is Elder Yu really thinking this and planning to do it?”
Mo Hua nodded.
After a moment of contemplation, Mr. Feng said, “Alright, I agree to this.”
Mr. Feng had a compassionate heart, and anything that could truly benefit the lower-level rogue cultivators in Tongxian City, he would likely agree to.
Mo Hua had expected this but was still very happy when Mr. Feng agreed.
“Thank you, Grandpa Feng!”
“Although I’ve agreed, there’s something you need to be mentally prepared for,” Mr. Feng added.
“Mental preparation?” Mo Hua was puzzled.
Mr. Feng paused for a moment, then continued, “Some things in this world, even if they start with good intentions, inevitably end in chaos and disgrace due to entangled interests and unpredictable human nature.”
Mo Hua was stunned for a moment. Thinking carefully, he felt it made a lot of sense.
“Grandpa Feng, I’ll remember that,” Mo Hua said earnestly.
He thought for a moment and then said, “But since it’s beneficial to everyone, it’s still something that needs to be done. Even if things change later, that’s a problem for the future. We can’t let fear hold us back and do nothing.”
Mr. Feng looked at Mo Hua, slightly surprised, then smiled with satisfaction and nodded, “Indeed, even if it ends in chaos, what needs to be done should be done with determination.”