7: Chapter 7 Fireball Talisman

Elder Qingxuan's gaze slowly swept over the Disciples in the square. Once the area was completely silent, he spoke slowly. His voice wasn't loud, yet it reached every Disciple's ears clearly: "I have summoned you all here today to teach talismans, which is not a standard practice of the Sect."

Upon hearing this, the Disciples in the square all looked surprised. The Utility Disciples, in particular, felt their hearts tighten, fearing that this rare Opportunity might change halfway through.

Elder Qingxuan's tone was calm as he continued, "According to Sect rules, the Dao of Talismanic Incantations is a basic technique only taught to Outer Sect Disciples and above. Utility Disciples originally have no qualification to access it."

"This exception is made because Junior Sister Junior Sister Qingling is kind-hearted. She pities the difficulty of your cultivation as Utility Disciples and has mentioned it to this old man several times, wishing to let you also learn the basics of talisman methods to gain an extra measure of self-protection."

Everyone realized what was happening upon hearing this. Many Utility Disciples showed expressions of gratitude, secretly rejoicing that they had received Elder Junior Sister Qingling's pity.

Elder Qingxuan's tone shifted, becoming a bit more serious. "This old man will only explain for one afternoon. I will only teach the most basic methods for crafting Fireball Talismans and Protection Talismans. There is no extra time for repeated breakdowns or Q&A. Your Aptitude varies, as does your focus. Ultimately, how much you can master depends entirely on your own fate and Comprehension Ability."

As his voice fell, the atmosphere in the square became increasingly solemn.

The Outer Sect Disciples straightened their backs and competed silently, vowing to learn more;

The Utility Disciples cherished this fleeting Opportunity even more, each focusing their mind and condensing their Qi, not daring to relax for a second.

Qin Changsheng also became exceptionally focused. He knew that this afternoon's explanation might be his only chance to encounter orthodox talisman methods in recent years.

"Talismanic Incantation practitioners guide Spiritual Qi, carve runes, and focus the mind. It is a fine art for a Cultivator's self-defense and support, regardless of status, relying only on mental comprehension."

Elder Qingxuan raised his hand and placed talisman paper and a Wolf-hair Brush on the desk. His fingertip lightly touched the paper, and a wisp of warm Spiritual Qi slowly seeped out, tracing faint golden patterns on the surface.

"For the Fireball Talisman, the core lies in 'condensing Qi into the brush, following the grain with the ink.' You must use your own Spiritual Qi as a guide to lock the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi into the talisman paper via the runes. Your stroke must be steady, accurate, and swift, without the slightest hesitation."

He spoke at a moderate pace, demonstrating with the brush as he explained.

The Wolf-hair Brush moved across the paper, Spiritual Qi flowing with the tip. In an instant, he drew a simple yet profound rune. The moment the rune took shape, a faint white light flickered on the paper's surface, and a weak but pure ripple of Spiritual Qi spread out, allowing all the Disciples present to clearly perceive the power of the Talismanic Incantation.

Qin Changsheng's gaze was locked firmly on the talisman paper and the Elder's movements on the high platform's desk.

He memorized every detail: the posture of holding the brush, the rhythm of Spiritual Qi circulation, the flow of the rune's lines, and even the angle of the Elder's wrist rotation when making a stroke—all were imprinted in his mind.

Time passed quietly amidst the focused explanation and listening. The sun gradually slanted to the west, casting long shadows of the figures in the square.

Elder Qingxuan put away the Wolf-hair Brush. A thin stack of talisman paper had piled up on the desk; some had successfully formed, while others had shattered runes—all used for his demonstrations.

"Alright, today's explanation ends here." Elder Qingxuan's voice rang out, carrying a hint of fatigue but remaining clear. "The basic methods for the Fireball Talisman and Protection Talisman have all been told to you. The subsequent practice and realization will depend on your respective fates."

"These unused talisman papers will be given to you for practice!"

Having said that, he waved his hand, and the talisman papers on the desk flew toward the many Utility Disciples.

Qin Changsheng was quick of eye and hand, catching several sheets of unused talisman paper.

"Remember, the Dao of Talismanic Incantations values the unity of mind and spirit. Those who are eager for quick success will find it hard to achieve great things."

A sword light from Elder Qingxuan surrounded his body, and in an instant, it transformed into a streak of light in the sky, disappearing from everyone's sight.

The Disciples in the square rose one after another, some discussing what they had learned today in low voices, or impatiently trying to draw runes in the air, gradually dispersing in an orderly fashion.

Chen Erniu rubbed his aching head and said to Qin Changsheng with a look of distress, "Changsheng, why do I feel like this is so hard? The Spiritual Qi just won't obey me, and the runes I draw are a total mess."

Just as Qin Changsheng was about to speak, he suddenly discovered a new skill on his attribute panel.

[Fireball Talisman Crafting: Beginner 1/1000: Able to draw Fireball Talismans]

[Fireball Talisman: Low-grade Talismanic Incantation, can trigger one's own Spiritual Qi to condense into a fireball, with power equivalent to a full-strength strike from a third-level Qi Refining Cultivator.]

Qin Changsheng's pupils constricted slightly, and a surge of pleasant surprise rose in his heart.

He had actually directly comprehended Fireball Talisman crafting after listening to the basic talisman methods!

"Changsheng? What's wrong?" Chen Erniu asked in confusion, seeing the changes in his expression.

Qin Changsheng quickly composed himself, suppressing the joy in his eyes, and gave a faint smile. "It's nothing. I was just thinking that the Talismanic Incantation methods the Elder taught were too difficult; I didn't remember anything."

"Forget it, this art of Talismanic Incantations isn't something we Utility Disciples can learn anyway!" Chen Erniu didn't suspect anything.

After all, he hadn't learned anything either.

...

Early the next morning, Qin Changsheng did not go to the spirit fields.

Instead, he went to the home of his neighbor, Jin Fu, not far away.

Jin Fu used to be an Outer Sect Disciple. Due to an injury in his early years, his cultivation regressed, and he was demoted to a Utility Disciple. He usually enjoyed researching basic talisman methods and kept simple talisman-making tools at home; he was also quite kind.

"Senior Brother Jin, sorry to disturb you." Qin Changsheng lightly knocked on the wooden door.

"So it's Junior Brother Qin. What business do you have?" Jin Fu looked at Qin Changsheng with some caution.

"Senior Brother Jin, I wonder if you could lend me your Talisman Brush for a few days?" Qin Changsheng said.

Jin Fu looked Qin Changsheng up and down before saying, "Wait here!"

Not long after, Jin Fu brought out an old wolf-hair Talisman Brush and a small dish of ground Cinnabar, handing them both to Qin Changsheng.

"Thank you, Senior Brother Jin!" Qin Changsheng took them solemnly. After thanking him, he hurried back to his wooden hut, neatly arranged the brush and paper on the table, and closed the doors and windows to ensure no one would disturb him.

Qin Changsheng took a deep breath, calmed his mind, and recalled the key points of the talisman method taught by Elder Qingxuan. Then, he picked up the Talisman Brush.

The Talisman Brush felt slightly cool in his hand, and the bristles were a bit dry.

Qin Changsheng circulated the Spiritual Qi in his body, carefully injecting it into the tip of the brush, then dipped it in Cinnabar and aimed at the Yellow Paper to begin writing.

He deliberately slowed down, following the clear rune patterns in his mind. But just as the Spiritual Qi had traveled halfway across the paper, his mind wavered slightly, the Qi circulation became sluggish, the Cinnabar line suddenly snapped, and the rune instantly lost its spirituality, turning into a piece of waste paper.

"The first time really isn't that easy." Qin Changsheng was not discouraged. He crumpled the waste paper into a ball, tossed it aside, and took out another sheet of Yellow Paper.

This time, he was exceptionally focused, discarding all distracting thoughts and stabilizing the flow of Spiritual Qi.

But when he put the brush to paper, his wrist still trembled slightly, causing the rune lines to be crooked and the Spiritual Qi to fail to condense smoothly. The second sheet of paper was still a failure.

After two consecutive failures, thin beads of sweat appeared on Qin Changsheng's forehead, and his hand felt a bit sore from repeatedly gripping the brush.

He stopped his movements, closed his eyes to regulate his breathing, and reviewed the reasons for the two failures—it wasn't that his memory of the runes was inaccurate, but that the coordination between the Spiritual Qi and the brush tip wasn't harmonious enough, and his mental focus still needed to be strengthened.

Once his breathing was steady, he picked up the Talisman Brush and began his third attempt.

The Spiritual Qi flowed smoothly, the brush tip was steady and swift, and the rune lines gradually took shape, with a faint ripple of Spiritual Qi lingering over the light red Cinnabar.

Qin Changsheng felt a slight joy in his heart, but just as the rune was about to be finished, the Spiritual Qi in his Dantian suddenly became slightly disordered, causing the final stroke to be too heavy. The rune core shattered, and the Spiritual Qi instantly dissipated.

The third sheet of paper still fell short of success.

Qin Changsheng was not discouraged. After resting for a while, he took out the fourth sheet of Yellow Paper and firmly grasped the Talisman Brush.

Spiritual Qi was slowly injected. This time, he no longer deliberately pursued Speed but allowed the Spiritual Qi and the brush tip to be completely synchronized, his mind and the talisman paper merging into one. Every stroke was as steady as Mount Tai.

The Cinnabar lines were smooth and elegant, and the profound runes gradually took shape on the Yellow Paper. Spiritual Qi flowed along the lines, converging at the rune's core and emitting a faint red light.