18: Learning to make talismans

Lin Feng took a deep breath and quickly followed behind Qin Yang.

As they stepped out of the side hall of the Spirit Pill Pavilion, the afternoon sunlight was somewhat blinding.

Qin Yang didn't say much. With a flick of his sleeve, a Flying Sword, deep blue and as thin as a cicada's wing, hovered about a foot off the ground, emitting a faint hum.

He stepped onto it and turned his head to look at Lin Feng.

Lin Feng suppressed the shock in his heart and carefully stepped onto the back of the Flying Sword. The blade sank slightly before immediately stabilizing.

"Stand firm." Before Qin Yang's voice even faded, the Flying Sword turned into a streak of blue light and suddenly soared away.

In the blink of an eye, they were far from the Spirit Pill Pavilion, speeding toward a mountain peak deep within the Sect where the Spiritual Qi was particularly dense.

Elder Xuan Yue's residence was a natural Immortal Cave situated atop a node of a Spiritual Vein.

The entrance was obscured by a misty curtain of spiritual light, making it impossible to see inside clearly. Only the extremely pure Spiritual Qi escaped from it, making one feel refreshed with just a single breath.

Qin Yang led Lin Feng through it, as if passing through a layer of cool water film, and entered the Immortal Cave.

The view suddenly opened up. Several large Night-Luminescent Pearls were embedded in the ceiling of the cave, casting a soft light that illuminated the spacious cave hall.

Inside the hall were stone tables and benches, with several small chambers carved into the walls. The overall design was simple, yet it possessed an ancient charm that seemed perfectly integrated with the mountain itself.

"Revered Master, I have brought him," Qin Yang bowed and said.

Lin Feng hurriedly followed suit, bowing his head deeply, not daring to look directly at the blurry and majestic figure ahead.

"Mm." A flat voice sounded. "I heard that on that day in the Black Abyss Forest, you fled toward the dense forest to the west?"

Lin Feng's heart tightened. Suppressing his surprise and suspicion, he answered honestly, "To answer the Elder, the situation was chaotic that day. This Disciple was only focused on escaping and ran blindly... indeed... it seems I did run toward the west for a distance."

"Did you see anything unusual? Or... feel any extraordinary Spiritual Qi fluctuations?" Elder Xuan Yue's voice remained flat, but Lin Feng vaguely felt that the surrounding Spiritual Qi seemed to freeze for a moment.

'Anything unusual? Spiritual Qi fluctuations?' Lin Feng was even more puzzled. What exactly does he want to ask me? Could there really be some treasure in the west?

He thought back carefully. Aside from that pale blue flower, there seemed to be nothing special... He shook his head hesitantly. "This Disciple was only focused on escaping at the time, was injured, and my Divine Sense was muddled... I didn't notice anything unusual... I only remember the trees were exceptionally dense and the miasma seemed thicker... Later, exhausted, I hid in a rock crevice and passed out..."

'This boy... is he truly ignorant, or is he deep and calculating, intentionally hiding it?' Thoughts swirled in Elder Xuan Yue's mind.

'If it's the latter, keeping him under my nose to observe slowly is better than letting him remain outside, where he's hard to control. If it's the former... then the clues to the west might truly be lost.'

After a moment of silence, Elder Xuan Yue finally spoke slowly, "In that case, let him stay for now. Qin Yang, I leave his placement to you. You may carve out a quiet room next to your Immortal Cave for him to live in. If there are daily chores, you may also have him assist you."

"Yes, Revered Master," Qin Yang respectfully complied.

Lin Feng breathed a long sigh of relief in his heart. "Thank you, Elder!"

Exiting Elder Xuan Yue's Immortal Cave, Qin Yang once again summoned his Flying Sword and took Lin Feng to another slightly smaller Immortal Cave nearby.

The entrance was also obscured by spiritual light, but the aura was slightly weaker.

"After Foundation Establishment, the Sect will grant an independent Immortal Cave according to regulations, relying on a Spiritual Vein to facilitate cultivation." Qin Yang's tone was flat, as if he were speaking of an ordinary matter. "My Immortal Cave is near Revered Master's to make it easier to receive his teachings. You will live in that vacant stone room next door from now on."

Lin Feng nodded silently, looking at the cave entrance that emanated enticing Spiritual Qi.

'An independent Immortal Cave, relying on a Spiritual Vein... so this is the treatment of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator...'

Qin Yang opened the Restriction and led Lin Feng inside. The cave wasn't very large, but it was fully equipped.

A main room was used for cultivation and meditation, with several small rooms nearby. One of them was piled with many Materials and tools for crafting Talismans: Cinnabar, talisman brushes, and various Talisman Papers were scattered on a jade desk.

Qin Yang settled Lin Feng in a simple but clean stone room at the entrance, which contained only a stone bed and a prayer mat.

Afterward, Qin Yang gave Lin Feng some simple tasks.

He was to organize the discarded Talisman Papers and scraps from Qin Yang's daily Talisman Crafting practice.

Days passed in organizing Talisman Materials and silent observation.

Lin Feng discovered that although Qin Yang had a cold personality, he was extremely focused on the path of Talismans, even to the point of obsession.

Aside from the basic furnishings, the Immortal Cave was mostly filled with items related to Talisman Crafting.

On this day, Qin Yang finished another batch of Talismans and was inspecting them, a hint of imperceptible satisfaction between his brows.

Lin Feng felt the timing was right.

Holding a stack of organized high-grade Talisman Papers, he walked to Qin Yang's side. He didn't interrupt immediately, but waited until Qin Yang's gaze moved away from the Talismans before speaking respectfully.

"Senior Brother Qin, I have been organizing the Talisman room these past few days and saw you crafting Talismans. Your brush moves like a soaring dragon and a leaping tiger, and the spiritual light is radiant; it's truly breathtaking. Compared to you, the Talismans I've seen in the past are like children's scribbles, not even worth looking at."

Hearing this, Qin Yang's eyelids lifted slightly as he glanced at Lin Feng. He didn't speak, but the coldness around him seemed to soften by half.

No one would refuse a well-timed compliment, especially recognition for something they take pride in.

Seeing this, Lin Feng felt a bit more at ease. "This Disciple has shallow knowledge, but may I ask, Senior Brother, with your exquisite Talisman skills, you must be among the best even among all the Inner Sect Disciples of the Tianxuan Sect?"

At the mention of this, the corner of Qin Yang's mouth curled slightly. Although his tone was still flat, it carried a hint of pride. "I wouldn't dare claim to be the best. However, in the last Sect Grand Competition, in the Talisman category, I was fortunate enough to take tenth place."

"Tenth?" Lin Feng immediately showed an expression of shock and immense respect, his voice rising a few notches.

"The Inner Sect Disciples are full of talent, yet you were able to rank in the top ten. This... this is simply..."

He seemed unable to find the right words, which finally turned into a heartfelt exclamation. "I never expected to be lucky enough to work for a Senior Brother who is in the top ten of the Talisman Path."

This undisguised amazement and admiration clearly greatly satisfied Qin Yang's vanity.

He nodded slightly and rarely spoke a few more words. "The wonder of the Talisman Path lies in the unity of heart and hand, drawing the power of heaven and earth into a small space. It is not the work of a single day."

"What Senior Brother says is true," Lin Feng immediately agreed, followed by a look of extreme longing on his face.

"This Disciple... this Disciple is bold enough to ask, might I have the honor of observing and learning for a moment while you craft Talismans?

Even if it's just watching from afar and feeling your demeanor while crafting, it would be a great blessing for me."

Qin Yang looked at the unfeigned respect and longing in his eyes and pondered for a moment.

What could a Menial Servant understand? But having someone admire his skills so much and watch quietly by the side didn't seem out of the question.

"Fine," he waved his hand as if casually. "Since you yearn for it so much, you may watch quietly from the side."

"Thank you, Senior Brother. Thank you for your kindness, Senior Brother." Lin Feng hurriedly bowed in thanks and retreated to an out-of-the-way corner of the cave chamber, holding his breath and focusing his mind.

And in the depths of his lowered eyes, a sharp light flashed.

'It worked.'