8: Chapter 8 Successfully Drawing the Talisman

When the last stroke fell, the Talisman Paper's surface suddenly lit up with a warm red light, and the Spiritual Qi fluctuations abruptly solidified. A complete Fireball Talisman landed steadily on the table, its body slightly hot, exuding a restrained aura of attack.

It's done! Qin Changsheng breathed a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to pick up the Fireball Talisman for a closer look, a faint golden shimmer suddenly flashed before his eyes, and immediately after, a miraculous scene occurred.

Originally, there was only one Fireball Talisman on the table, but it actually spawned four identical sheets of Talisman Paper at a Speed visible to the naked eye. Including the original one, five Fireball Talismans were neatly stacked together. The red light and Spiritual Qi fluctuations of each paper were exactly the same, and the quality was perfectly consistent.

Qin Changsheng's pupils constricted, and he stood up abruptly, staring blankly at the five Fireball Talismans on the table, waves of shock surging in his heart.

He subconsciously reached out to pick one up, feeling the familiar warmth and Spiritual Qi, then checked the other four. They were all genuine, finished Fireball Talismans, definitely not illusions.

"The [Cultivation] trait... actually works on talisman crafting as well!" Qin Changsheng murmured to himself, his eyes filled with unbelievable ecstasy.

He had always thought the trait only applied to the multiplication of farming and Cultivation resources, but he hadn't expected that even the gains from a craft like talisman making could trigger the 'fivefold harvest' effect.

One successful talisman crafting session could directly yield five finished products. Such a miraculous effect far exceeded his expectations.

At the same time, Qin Changsheng also realized that since the Golden Trait Cultivation was useful for talisman crafting, it would certainly be useful for Alchemy and Artifact Refining as well.

However, Qin Changsheng soon calmed his emotions.

Because right now, Qin Changsheng's Cultivation was very low, and he didn't have any Spirit Stones.

He couldn't even afford a Talisman Brush, so it was fundamentally impossible for him to pursue Alchemy or Artifact Refining.

Qin Changsheng carefully picked up the five Fireball Talismans and stacked them in his palm, clearly feeling the power contained within each paper.

According to what Elder Qingxuan had said, the success rate of low-level talisman methods was not high. Even if ordinary Disciples mastered the technique, they might not succeed once in ten attempts. Yet, he had not only succeeded on his fourth try but also gained five times the results with the help of the trait. This was undoubtedly a massive Opportunity.

He suppressed the excitement in his heart and sat back down at the table, his gaze shifting to his attribute panel.

[Name: Qin Changsheng]

[Lifespan: 21/96]

[Cultivation: Qi Refining Second Level (175/2000)]

[Cultivation Technique: Qi Gathering Art (Minor Achievement 165/2000)]

[Spell: None]

[Fireball Talisman Crafting: 6/1000 Beginner]

[Spiritual Root: Five Elements Mixed Spiritual Root]

[Traits: Cultivation, Storage Space]

Qin Changsheng discovered that after successfully crafting the Fireball Talismans, his proficiency in Fireball Talisman Crafting had also increased by five points.

He only needed to successfully craft one hundred and ninety-nine more Talismanic Incantations to raise his Fireball Talisman Crafting to Minor Achievement.

Looking at the five Talismanic Incantations on the table, Qin Changsheng immediately thought of the Marketplace.

If he took these Talismanic Incantations to the Marketplace to sell, he would surely be able to exchange them for a good amount of Spirit Sand, enough to purchase a large quantity of talisman crafting Materials and Cultivation resources.

But as soon as this thought surfaced, he forcibly suppressed it.

He was just a Utility Disciple at the Early Stage of the Qi Refining Second Level, with no background or backing. Even within the Sect, he had to guard against Overseer Hu Yuanfu's schemes, let alone in a Marketplace where fish and dragons were mixed.

Although low-level Talismanic Incantations weren't considered rare, they weren't something a Utility Disciple could easily produce.

Once someone questioned the source of the Talismanic Incantations, he could neither explain his high efficiency in crafting nor expose the secret of the [Cultivation] trait. Any slight slip-up would attract covetousness and scrutiny, and the consequences would be unthinkable.

Furthermore, even if he wanted to continue crafting talismans, he didn't have enough Materials to support it.

To craft talismans in bulk, he would first need to purchase sufficient Talisman Paper, Cinnabar, and a Talisman Brush, all of which required Spirit Sand and Spirit Stones as support.

Qin Changsheng sat back at the table, his gaze falling on the few remaining pieces of yellow paper at the corner of the table. The heat in his eyes faded, replaced by steady planning.

He was clear about his current situation: low strength, lack of resources, and secrets that must be kept. Any reckless move could lead to eternal damnation.

The path to wealth by selling talismans for Spirit Sand could absolutely not be taken in the short term.

The matter of talisman crafting could only be set aside for now, to be reconsidered once he had enough Materials and the power to protect himself.

"I'll continue planting Spirit Rice first!"

With the support of the trait 'one part effort, five parts harvest,' he would surely be able to harvest a massive amount of Spirit Rice within a year.

This Spirit Rice could both be used for his own Cultivation to steadily raise his level to the Qi Refining Second Level Late Stage or even the third level, and be quietly exchanged for Spirit Sand to accumulate talisman Materials and Cultivation resources. Moreover, it wouldn't attract attention due to abnormal output.

Qin Changsheng stood up and carefully put away Jin Fu's Talisman Brush and Cinnabar, intending to return them first thing tomorrow morning.

Qin Changsheng had a plan: first, settle down and grow Spirit Rice for a year, using it as a Foundation to accumulate resources and improve his strength until his Cultivation was enough for self-preservation and his resources were sufficient.

Next year, he would see what kind of Golden Trait he could draw before deciding on the plan for that year.

Early the next morning, Qin Changsheng took the Talisman Brush and the remaining Cinnabar and went to Jin Fu's house again.

Jin Fu had always been an early riser and was sitting in the courtyard practicing sword techniques. Seeing him arrive, he asked with a smile, "Junior Brother Qin, is it that the Cinnabar wasn't enough?"

Qin Changsheng shook his head and said, "Senior Brother Jin, I've come to return the Talisman Brush and Cinnabar."

Jin Fu took the Talisman Brush, his gaze sweeping over Qin Changsheng's face as he asked casually, "How was your practice yesterday? With the technique personally taught by Elder Qingxuan, did you manage to successfully draw one?"

He had also studied basic talisman methods in his early years and knew that it wasn't easy for a Beginner to start. There was no pressure in his tone; it was just casual small talk.

Qin Changsheng shook his head accordingly, a somewhat helpless smile appearing on his face. "Don't even talk about success; I couldn't even draw the runes properly. I tried several times and gave up halfway. It seems I'm simply not cut out for talisman crafting; it's more realistic for me to just focus on planting my Spirit Field."

He deliberately lowered his profile, his tone sincere, showing none of the joy from last night's successful crafting, all to completely dispel any suspicions from others.

Hearing this, Jin Fu smiled and didn't ask further. He simply raised his hand to put away the Talisman Brush and Cinnabar, waving a hand at Qin Changsheng. "Forget it, talisman crafting is all about Comprehension Ability and Opportunity; it can't be forced. Planting the Spirit Field well is the same; being steady and dutiful is the most precious thing."

Qin Changsheng exchanged a few more polite words, then turned to leave, heading straight for the Spirit Field without showing any abnormality.

After Qin Changsheng had walked far away, Jin Fu picked up the old Talisman Brush. Soon, the smile on his face gradually faded, replaced by a hint of doubt.

He clearly felt that there was still a faint but solid trace of Spiritual Qi remaining on the brush hairs. It was definitely not the chaotic, scattered Spiritual Qi from a Beginner failing to draw a Talismanic Incantation, but rather the lingering resonance after successfully channeling Qi into a talisman.

However, Qin Changsheng's frank appearance just now didn't seem fake.

Jin Fu frowned, thinking for a moment but still having no clue. Ultimately, he just shook his head, set the Talisman Brush aside, and resumed practicing his sword techniques.

...

Spring passed and autumn came, and in the blink of an eye, over nine months had gone by.

It should have been a season for Spirit Rice to ripen and for a joyful harvest.

But the air was filled with an oppressive gloom. On the faces of the passing Spirit Farmers and Utility Disciples, the joy of harvest was rarely seen; instead, there were clouds of worry and helplessness.

This year's weather had been truly abnormal.

Since the beginning of spring, there had been several times more rainy days than in previous years. When it finally cleared up for a few days, it encountered a late spring cold snap.

This caused the seeds of many Spirit Farmers to fail to sprout successfully.