496: I write now, and all the ghosts hide

Three days later.

Xie Weilou returned to the Holy Academy; he still had many things to do and needed to continue seeking out the other teachers for cultivation.

With many people having left Great Xia—the Xia Emperor, Yan Junlin, Yan Ruyu, Yan Ruyi, and Lin Qinghuang—he naturally felt a sense of urgency.

Sooner or later, he too would leave, but before that, he needed to significantly improve himself.

The teachers of the Holy Academy possessed different skills.

As the saying goes, the skilled are teachers. Perhaps some of these teachers did not possess combat strength as high as his, but they were ahead of him and possessed special abilities, which was where he needed to learn.

Great Xia Holy Academy.

Merit Hall.

"Oh! You've come, young man."

Elder Feng's face broke into a smile when he saw Xie Weilou.

Xie Weilou smiled and said, "I'm looking to learn how to draw Talismans. Does Elder Feng have any material recommendations?"

In the path of cultivation, one could learn various arts such as alchemy, array formations, Restriction, Talismans, artifact refining, and puppetry.

He had already mastered alchemy, array formations, and Restriction, so he could now consider the matter of Talismans.

It was crucial for cultivators to master the path of Talismans, as many times, they could simply throw Talismans to attack others.

Elder Feng said, "Drawing Talismans, you say? That would be yellow paper, cinnabar, lampblack, and a Talisman brush!"

He gently waved his sleeve, and four boxes flew to Xie Weilou.

"Everything is inside; it's quite complete. These things aren't worth much, so consider them a gift from me."

Elder Feng chuckled.

Xie Weilou had given him two pills before, which were of higher value, so there was no problem with him casually giving some things in return.

"Thank you, Elder."

Xie Weilou was not modest and directly put away the four boxes.

Elder Feng continued, "The Lord of Danxia Cave came here once before. He seems very interested in the mysterious alchemist of the Merit Hall and even posted a seventh-grade alchemy mission. Are you interested?"

The Lord of Danxia Cave was a peak sixth-grade alchemist of the Holy Academy. The mission he posted was naturally not simple, likely intended to allow him to glimpse the threshold of seventh-grade alchemy.

To refine a seventh-grade pill, it was very difficult for a single sixth-grade alchemist to complete; it required the cooperation of multiple sixth-grade alchemists to have a chance of success.

The Lord of Danxia Cave came here to post a mission, actually because he was interested in the mysterious alchemist who appeared in the Merit Hall.

After all, it was quite peculiar that someone else in the Holy Academy besides him had refined a sixth-grade pill.

Yet, Elder Feng did not reveal any information about Xie Weilou, which left the Lord of Danxia Cave quite helpless.

Perhaps, the Lord of Danxia Cave had mistaken this mysterious alchemist of the Merit Hall for the Fourth Mr..

Among the entire Holy Academy, besides the Lord of Danxia Cave, if anyone was most capable of refining a sixth-grade pill, the only one that came to mind was the Fourth Mr..

Xie Weilou shook his head and said, "Let's discuss this later. I don't have time for now."

"Alright then!"

Elder Feng smiled and nodded.

Subsequently, Xie Weilou left the Merit Hall.

Chunqiu Peak.

Listening Heart Lake.

Spring Autumn Cicada was still fishing. He had been fishing here all this time, seemingly without catching many fish.

"Greetings, Fourth Mr.!"

Xie Weilou bowed to Spring Autumn Cicada.

Spring Autumn Cicada chuckled, "Has Lin Qinghuang left, that girl?"

"Teacher truly knows everything."

Xie Weilou said with emotion.

Spring Autumn Cicada did not continue this topic but instead said, "After you've handled all sorts of matters, prepare to head north! It's very necessary to go out and experience the world."

"Understood!"

Xie Weilou cupped his fists and bowed.

"Go cultivate."

Spring Autumn Cicada gently waved his hand.

"......"

Xie Weilou flew towards another wooden house.

Inside the wooden house.

Xie Weilou sat cross-legged and took out the Talisman scroll that the Fourth Mr. had given him earlier, studying it carefully.

The Talisman scroll involved a ninth-grade Talisman Master and was extremely comprehensive. Moreover, the Dao Initial True Explanation also contained records on Talismans, so studying it was not difficult at all.

An incense stick later.

Xie Weilou had memorized all the contents of the Talisman scroll.

The path of Talismans, with its myriad variations and countless types, all originated from the profound principles of Heaven and Earth, Yin and Yang, and the Five Elements.

To succeed, one must use divine consciousness to draw upon the power of heaven and earth, gather it at the tip of the brush, etch it onto the Talisman paper, and seal its might and spiritual energy so that it does not dissipate.

When drawing Talismans, one could integrate array formations, Restriction, and the power of heaven and earth to dramatically increase the Talisman's might.

He took out the four boxes, which contained a thick stack of yellow paper, a Talisman brush, an inkstone, a lump of lampblack, and a lump of cinnabar.

"Grind the ink!"

Xie Weilou took out the lampblack and cinnabar, placed them directly into the inkstone, and began grinding the ink.

He had already mastered Yin-Yang and Five Elements, array formations, and Restriction. Drawing Talismans had a similar approach, so it should not be difficult.

A moment later.

The ink was ground.

Xie Weilou took out the Talisman brush, focused his mind, and carefully looked at the yellow paper in front of him.

For his first Talisman, he would draw the simplest one, a Flame Talisman. The Flame Talisman was a first-grade Talisman, possessing fire-attribute attack power.

"Heaven is round, Earth is square, Nine Chapters of Laws, as I now put brush to paper, all ghosts shall hide!"

After a moment of contemplation, Xie Weilou gripped the Talisman brush, dipped it in ink, recited a brush-dropping incantation, and then, as described in the scroll, slowly began to draw the Talisman.

The Talisman brush contained spiritual energy, and the moment it touched the paper, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth converged, spiritual charm permeated, and fire-attribute power was drawn out, continuously imprinting itself onto the yellow paper.

For his first Talisman, his speed was extremely slow, as he focused on the changes in the Talisman paper.

Half an incense stick later.

The first Talisman paper was completed. It had complex Talisman patterns, containing profound spiritual charm, and the pungent smell of lampblack and cinnabar.

"......"

Xie Weilou picked up the Talisman paper, waved his hand casually, and the Talisman paper flew out of the wooden house, striking a large tree.

Boom!

When the Talisman paper hit the tree, it instantly exploded, flames engulfed it, and the tree immediately caught fire, rapidly turning into ash.

"It worked! I'm truly a genius."

Xie Weilou's smile was very wide.

His first attempt at drawing a Talisman was successful. It seemed that this path of Talismans was very suitable for him and not too difficult.

He did not hesitate and continued to draw Talismans...

——

Two months later.

Xie Weilou walked out of the wooden house. He was disheveled, with a hint of fatigue between his brows, and smelled of ink all over, yet his face bore a wide smile.

Two months!

In just two months, he had entered the realm of a seventh-grade Talisman Master, practically self-taught.

This was also thanks to his foundation in the Yin-Yang Five Elements art, Talisman Restriction, and array formations; otherwise, it would definitely not have been this fast.

"Time for a bath!"

Xie Weilou stretched, his figure moving, and he rushed towards a spot in Listening Heart Lake.

After a good while.

Xie Weilou had taken a bath and changed into a clean, neat black robe: "Ah, so comfortable!"

During these two months, drawing Talismans consumed his soul power, so he was generally quite tired.

Spring Autumn Cicada sat not far away, looked at Xie Weilou, and said with emotion, "Two months, a seventh-grade Talisman Master. Your talent is truly frightening."

Xie Weilou smiled and said, "Only seventh-grade, not ninth-grade after all."

Spring Autumn Cicada smiled faintly, "One step at a time."

He continued, "You should return to Thunder Peak first. Song Shenfeng seems to have something he wants to tell you."

"Alright."

Xie Weilou bowed and then flew away.