Chapter 16, Year 42
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This person pursued him intending to kill; there was no possibility of letting him go.
But whether the information obtained from him was good or bad was unclear.
Contemplating in his heart, he had already reached Lu Qingshan and Qingyu's side.
Qingyu's eyes shone brightly, and she excitedly asked, "Big Brother, what was that martial art just now? It was so powerful!"
Lu Qingshan felt the same.
It was no wonder, as Lu Qingfeng's Cloak Saber Technique he had just used was exceptionally sharp. Five practitioners of the First and Second Level of Fetal Breathing with skillful martial arts were slain by Lu Qingfeng after just a few exchanges.
The shock was overwhelming.
"Cloak Saber Technique."
"If you want to learn, I can teach you in a couple of days," Lu Qingfeng said with a smile.
[Technique: Cloak Saber Technique]
[Grade: Low-level, two layers in total]
[Derivation Technique: Fourfold enhancement]
[Description: A relatively refined saber technique among mortal martial arts, its power greatly increased after enhancement.]
Lu Qingfeng, in order to complement his Nine-Ring Saber, specifically sought out the 'Cloak Saber Technique' from the Primordial. After training hard for five years, he finally wielded its decisive power in reality.
The Cloak Saber Technique, already not inferior to the Lifeless Blade Technique, reached a new height of refinement after Lu Qingfeng's four enhancements, making it one of the finest saber techniques in the world.
Lu Qingfeng, who was only at the First Level of Fetal Breathing, managed to slay five Returning to Truth Sect practitioners—among them those of the First and even Second Level of Fetal Breathing—in a few strikes without sustaining any injuries himself.
"Cloak Saber Technique!"
"What a majestic name!"
"Big Brother, I want to learn!"
Qingyu was completely undisturbed by the five corpses not far away, her mind entirely fixated on the Cloak Saber Technique, thinking of how impressive she would be once she mastered it.
Lu Qingshan, however, thought more deeply.
These past days.
They had been living quite comfortably here, thinking that the Returning to Truth Sect had given up pursuing them; they hadn't expected the enemy to come so abruptly.
Fortunately, Big Brother's strength was extraordinary, allowing them to avoid capture.
"Big Brother, was it the people from the Returning to Truth Sect?" Lu Qingshan asked gravely.
"Indeed."
Lu Qingfeng nodded and spoke solemnly, "The Returning to Truth Sect has found this place; we must relocate!"
Seeing Lu Qingshan's face turn pale, Lu Qingfeng added, "But don't worry, the Returning to Truth Sect recently got into a conflict with a major sect in the east, and both sides are in fierce battle. Those who can be spared to pursue us are just lackeys."
This was the information Lu Qingfeng had gathered from the man earlier.
It was said that about ten days ago, the Returning to Truth Sect had a conflict with a neighboring county's major sect for unknown reasons. Within a short period, it escalated into large-scale fighting. The sect's elites were fully engaged, leaving them with no extra energy to track down the three of them.
Yet, the head of the Punishment Hall had not given up and had dispatched the periphery enforcement team of the Punishment Hall to continue the search. The five people just now were disciples from the peripheral enforcement team.
"That's a relief."
Lu Qingshan breathed a sigh of relief but knew they still needed to move quickly.
Without further ado.
The three immediately packed up their belongings.
"It's time to learn the Talisman Refining Technique quickly!"
Lu Qingfeng pondered inwardly.
He had originally planned to master a few more elixirs before delving into the art of talisman making. But with pursuers at hand and the urgency of having talismans for protection, it became crucial.
Fortunately, the Yellow Dragon Pill had been fully mastered in terms of refinement, which meant he could rapidly increase his cultivation in reality. He decided to temporarily set aside learning the other elixirs for now.
...
"The preparation of Fire Spirit Elixir Sand?"
"What do you want with that?!"
Daoist Huang Luo furrowed his brows, staring at Lu Qingfeng.
"I've recently taken an interest in talisman making, so I wanted to try my hand at preparing the Elixir Sand myself," Lu Qingfeng said with a smile.
Five years had passed!
Counting the previous four years.
In this life of reincarnation, Lu Qingfeng had grown to the age of twenty-five.
Changes in his appearance were secondary.
As the 'Qing Peak Alchemist' brand's Fasting Pills and Yellow Dragon Pills—two improved versions of elixirs—entered the market, they became extremely popular.
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Lu Qingfeng, albeit still a low-level Alchemy Apprentice, had a reputation that spread within the small confines of Black Sand Town, nearly rivaling that of Huang Luo Daoist, a senior Talisman Refining Apprentice who had been practicing for dozens of years.
Even among practitioners of the Fetal Breathing Realm, Lu Qingfeng was far more sought after than Huang Luo Daoist.
His fame grew even more after he started working with the Imperial City Guild.
However, over these years, Lu Qingfeng's friendship with Huang Luo Daoist deepened.
Huang Luo Daoist extremely disapproved of his 'neglect of proper duties.' If it weren't for running into trouble while mixing Dan Sand, Lu Qingfeng probably would not have shared this issue with Huang Luo Daoist.
Sure enough!
After hearing Lu Qingfeng's words, Huang Luo Daoist's eyes rounded in disbelief, and he pointed at Lu Qingfeng incredulously, "You could have been a well-respected 'Master Qingfeng,' why are you dabbling in talisman making! What are you mixing Dan Sand for?!"
Huang Luo Daoist thought Lu Qingfeng was crazy.
These past few years, he had watched Lu Qingfeng waste so much time on Alchemy. But now, unexpectedly, he was even planning to divert his attention to learn talisman making!
Ordinary cultivators, whether Alchemy or talisman refining, would already find it difficult to master one of them. Lu Qingfeng had achieved some success in Alchemy, which surprised Huang Luo Daoist.
But the depth of Talisman Refining Technique is not less profound than that of Alchemy.
Where would an ordinary person find the energy for both?
"Brother Huang, I know my limits," Lu Qingfeng said, still smiling.
Seeing this, Huang Luo Daoist couldn't help but shake his head, "Forget it, I know your stubborn nature all too well! I just hope you won't have any regrets when your life span is drawing to an end."
With that, Huang Luo Daoist took several Jade Scrolls out of his waist pouch and threw them to Lu Qingfeng.
Lu Qingfeng caught them quickly.
"Comprehensive Explanations on the Common Six Types of Dan Sand Mixtures"!
"Detailed Refinement of Tongling Talisman Pens"!
"Fundamentals of Talisman Paper"!
"Compendium of Low-level Talismans"!
"If you want to learn talisman refining, these are the basics. However, you only need a brief understanding of mixing Dan Sand, and refining talisman paper and talisman pens. If you are truly interested in focusing on studying talisman refining, the materials are readily available on the market; you should not waste your efforts," Huang Luo Daoist advised.
"Thank you, Brother Huang."
Lu Qingfeng quickly expressed his gratitude.
Huang Luo Daoist, as an experienced senior Talisman Refining Apprentice, could provide invaluable guidance. With his help, Lu Qingfeng could avoid many detours in learning the art of talisman making. Given that pursuers from the Returning to Truth Sect might catch up at any moment, mastering the art of talismans would give him an additional chance of survival.
"It's just returning the favor for helping me connect with the Imperial City Guild!" Huang Luo Daoist said nonchalantly.
"It was nothing," Lu Qingfeng laughed.
Imperial City Guild!
One of the six top-level Guilds in Black Sand Town, although it did not have as strong a backing as the Breaking Army Guild, Ten Thousand Laws Guild, and Sword Immortal Guild, its strength was not inferior to those three major Guilds.
It was also the only one of the six top-level Guilds in Black Sand Town without any backing.
The Fasting Pills and Yellow Dragon Pills crafted by Lu Qingfeng were far superior in quality to similar elixirs. As soon as they were released, word of mouth spread rapidly.
They were first highly sought after in the market, then attracted numerous guilds for recruitment and collaboration.
In the end, Lu Qingfeng chose to establish a long-term collaboration with the Imperial City Guild, which was the strongest and had the best reputation—
He provided the elixirs he refined to the Imperial City Guild, and they would purchase these elixirs at a fixed price while also being responsible for collecting various herbs for Lu Qingfeng.
Because of Lu Qingfeng's exceptional skill in refining low-level elixirs, it was of extraordinary significance for the Imperial City Guild to attract new members. Therefore, when Lu Qingfeng proposed to bridge a connection between the Guild and Huang Luo Daoist, they agreed after a brief investigation.
For Huang Luo Daoist, collaborating with a powerful force like the Imperial City Guild meant his talismans would never worry about sales, and gathering various materials became much easier—a huge favor indeed.
"The Imperial City Guild matter was just something I mentioned offhand. It's really all due to Brother Huang's high standards, has nothing to do with me," Lu Qingfeng smiled and then left the market.
Every day, aside from cultivation and alchemy practice, he would set up a stall in the market. After cooperating with the Imperial City Guild, there was no need to sell elixirs at a stall, but the habit of wandering in the market remained.
It was a combination of work and leisure, his efficiency only increased!
Leaving the market, Lu Qingfeng returned to his residence.
With his current assets, he could definitely secure a decent estate in Black Sand Town as his dwelling.
Stepping into the quiet room, he took out the Jade Scrolls given to him by Huang Luo Daoist and recorded them one by one into his attribute panel.
Then he started with studying "Comprehensive Explanations on the Common Six Types of Dan Sand Mixtures."
For drawing talismans, ordinary cultivators might skip the process of mixing Dan Sand, boiling talisman paper, and refining talisman pens.
But not Lu Qingfeng.
In reality, there was no readymade Dan Sand, talisman paper, or talisman pen available; he had to master the methods of making these himself.
Dan Sand is a type of natural ore, bright red with a Vajra luster to a metallic sheen. When ground into powder, it can undergo subtle changes through different mixing techniques, suitable for various talisman schools or categories.
Lu Qingfeng started by learning about the mixing of Dan Sand, then moved on to making talisman paper and talisman pens.
Time slipped away unnoticed.
In the blink of an eye.
Forty-two years had passed since Lu Qingfeng started practicing the art of drawing talismans.
...