Chapter 3: The Gathering Qi Talisman

Chapter 3: The Gathering Qi Talisman

The next day,

"Phew~"

Exhaling a turbid breath, Chen Ji ended his meditation and slowly opened his eyes.

Since he began cultivating, Chen Ji rarely needed sleep unless he was utterly exhausted. Most of the time, he replaced sleep with meditation.

"Squeak~ squeak~ squeak~"

As soon as he opened his eyes, Ah Jin, who had been waiting nearby, started squeaking and hopping toward Chen Ji.

"Go play somewhere else, don't bother me."

After shooing away the mischievous Ah Jin, Chen Ji prepared himself, scooped a few spoonfuls of "Fasting Powder," gathered his spirit stones, and left the cave dwelling.

...

Back in the familiar stall area, but this time, Chen Ji was wandering around as a buyer, not a seller.

...

"White tiger meat! White tiger meat! Four spirit stones per tael! Spirit beast from Fajiu Mountain! White tiger whip for strengthening yang and kidneys, only seventy spirit stones! Freshly hunted by Brother Wu yesterday after a drink!"

"Three-year-old black jade mushrooms! Wild from Fajiu Mountain! Guaranteed wild! Free if artificially cultivated! Extra boost for water-attribute cultivators!"

"Friend, want a pound?"

...

Aside from the fact that everyone here was a cultivator, the atmosphere felt no different from a rural market in the 80s or 90s. Most people sat on the ground, each with their own stall.

The items for sale were incredibly varied, and the vendors lacked the dignified demeanor one might expect from cultivators.

With a jar of "monster blood" he had just bought for twenty-eight spirit stones, Chen Ji prepared to purchase "spirit paper."

Along the way, many items on the stalls caught his eye, especially a few magical tools that faintly emitted wood-attribute spiritual energy, making Chen Ji's eyes gleam with desire.

Not to mention the various "spell inheritances," "pills," and "secret techniques" that dazzled him as he walked.

However, Chen Ji had to suppress his emotions and quicken his pace.

"I'll think about those later. These spirit stones are for talisman-making."

Unlike basic talismans like the "Vajra Talisman," the "Gathering Qi Talisman" required gathering vast amounts of natural spiritual energy. Ordinary cinnabar couldn't bear such energy, so "spirit paper" and "monster blood" were necessary.

This was often the case with talismans.

The more profound the talisman, the higher the grade of "carrier" and "talisman ink" required.

"Brother Chen?"

"Finished so quickly this time? Same as usual? No wonder your 'Vajra Talisman' is a market favorite. Diligence and talent are truly indispensable."

As Chen Ji approached, the stall owner immediately greeted him with small talk.

The stall owner, surnamed Xu and nicknamed "Fatty Xu," was well-known in the outer city market for his connections. Many rare goods could only be found here in the outer city, and most rogue cultivators preferred this place over the inner city's merchant houses to avoid being overcharged.

Chen Ji usually bought his "yellow paper" for talisman-making here, and over time, they had become acquainted.

"Not this time. I still have some yellow paper left. This time, I'm here for 'spirit paper.' Two stacks, please."

Spirit paper was yellow paper specially treated to be infused with spiritual energy. As a talisman carrier, its effectiveness fell between "monster hide" and ordinary "yellow paper."

"Spirit paper? Are you planning to make a ranked talisman?"

"Yes, I'm going to try the 'Gathering Qi Talisman.'"

Chen Ji didn't hide his intentions, as he planned to sell the talismans at his stall once they were finished.

"The Gathering Qi Talisman?!"

Fatty Xu looked surprised and gave Chen Ji a playful look:

"Two stacks are only two hundred sheets. You're not planning to master a ranked talisman with just that, are you? Besides, the 'Gathering Qi Talisman' is one of the most difficult among first-grade talismans."

Chen Ji smiled faintly and didn't explain further:

"Where there's a will, there's a way."

Fatty Xu handed over the spirit paper. As a businessman, despite his doubts, he offered his blessings:

"My apologies for overstepping. I wish you success. If you succeed, my spirit paper will have another steady customer."

"Thank you for your kind words."

Chen Ji handed over the spirit stones, took the spirit paper, and turned to head back to his cave dwelling.

...

...

Inside the cave dwelling,

Chen Ji stood at the talisman table, spreading out the spirit paper.

He mixed the "monster blood" into cinnabar and took out his "Silver Moon Wolf Hair Talisman Brush."

After closing his eyes for a moment, the methods, key points, and taboos for drawing the "Gathering Qi Talisman" from the "Talisman Manual" flooded his mind.

Suddenly, his eyes sharpened like cold lightning. Holding his breath and focusing his mind, he grabbed the talisman brush and began to move it with fluid grace.

Pale green spiritual energy flickered at the tip of the brush, and streams of light radiated from the talisman paper.

The surrounding spiritual energy rapidly gathered, forming a faint vortex centered around the talisman Chen Ji was drawing.

Then,

"Pfft~" A wisp of smoke curled up, and the half-finished talisman on the table spontaneously combusted, turning to ash in an instant.

Chen Ji straightened up and stared at the empty table.

As expected, he had failed.

"Where did I go wrong?"

Chen Ji didn't immediately start a second attempt. Instead, he carefully reviewed the previous drawing, pondering where the mistake had occurred.

"Was it the seventh stroke? Did I mishandle the spiritual energy?"

Talisman-making was an extremely precise art. Even the slightest mistake could lead to a huge deviation.

Moreover, the Gathering Qi Talisman was among the most difficult of first-grade talismans.

Its unique ability to "gather spiritual energy" was akin to a miniature "spirit-gathering array," effectively boosting a Qi Refining cultivator's cultivation speed.

Compared to offensive talismans, supportive talismans were always more challenging to create.

However,

Chen Ji glanced at the panel, where a new entry had appeared under the talisman-making section: [Gathering Qi Talisman: 1/100 (Not Yet Mastered)].

Heaven rewards diligence. Persistence leads to success!

"I just need to put in the effort. The rest is up to you."

Looking at the panel projected by the Wordless Book, Chen Ji smiled faintly, feeling his skills improve:

"Again!"

...

"The thirteenth stroke—the spiritual energy flowed too quickly."

"Again!"

...

"Again!"

...

...

"Again... I can't go on."

Only when his spiritual energy was completely depleted did Chen Ji snap out of his fully immersed state, not even realizing how much energy he had expended.

"Phew~"

Exhaling a long, turbid breath, Chen Ji stood up from the talisman table.

The depletion of his spiritual energy left him feeling somewhat fatigued, but the progress he had made filled him with joy.

[Gathering Qi Talisman: 37/100 (Not Yet Mastered)]

"Almost there. Once my spiritual energy fully recovers, two more rounds, and the 'Gathering Qi Talisman' will be mastered."

Looking up at the mess on the table, Chen Ji couldn't help but smile. Dozens of incomplete, unburned talisman remnants were scattered haphazardly across the table.

Over twenty sheets of spirit paper had been used, and a significant amount of the cinnabar refined from the monster blood had been consumed.

"The battle was fierce."

But it was worth it. Once the "Gathering Qi Talisman" was mastered, these investments would be repaid many times over.

"Take it slow."

Suddenly,

"Boom~"

A deafening explosion rang out, interrupting his thoughts.

Chen Ji frowned and immediately cast a "Soundproofing Talisman" to block out the noise.

"Here we go again."

This was the downside of the outer city—poor "security." The market's law enforcement teams rarely patrolled here.

Almost every few nights, there would be a "cultivator duel," and the outcome was always death or injury.

"Can't we just cultivate in peace?"

Chen Ji couldn't understand this kind of "street brawl" behavior. He spent most of his time shuttling between his cave dwelling and the market, keeping himself relatively safe.

"Fighting and killing should stay far away from this Daoist."

With that thought, Chen Ji shook his head, cleared his mind, and returned to his bed, sitting cross-legged to meditate and rest.