CHAPTER 53: CHAPTER 53 THE TRUE ESSENCE OF TALISMAN CRAFTING_1

Jia Ren returned to his abode. With the Verdant Flying Daggers Magic Artifact, he sliced through solid willow wood and began to carve a proportionate replica of the Demon-Spotting Talisman.

Each engraved line was carved with one hundred percent accuracy in its indentations. Not even the slightest error was permissible in his quest for absolute precision.

After one day, having ruined more than thirty wooden carvings, he finally completed a piece to his satisfaction.

A sheet of white paper was laid flat over the Demon-Spotting Talisman wood carving, and he used a charcoal pencil to blacken it. The white paper turned pitch black, leaving only the pattern of the Demon-Spotting Talisman in white, clearly visible.

"Done!"

"Time to start practicing."

Jia Ren picked up his White-Wolf Hair Brush and began to trace over the white areas.

It was like using a calligraphy copybook for practice. The accuracy was much better than his previous efficiency.

For three consecutive days, after practicing and honing his Turtle Breath Technique, he would spend a lot of time tracing the Demon-Spotting Talisman copybook.

"The Turtle Breath Technique has broken through!"

Without hesitation, Jia Ren applied the Skill Breaking Point to the Turtle Breath Technique, successfully advancing it to Great Grandmaster.

The Great Grandmaster-level Turtle Breath Technique was naturally flawless, giving a sense of returning to the basics.

His ability to preserve his life improved further, greatly increasing his sense of security.

"To improve Wind Control Skill and Turtle Breath Technique further, I’ll need a lot of proficiency and Skill Breaking Points, but there’s no chance for that in the short term."

"I can focus my energy on other Spells."

The most important aspects of preserving life are escape, breath concealment, disguise, and defense.

The former lets you stay away from and avoid danger. Defense is about warding off harm.

Jia Ren had always focused on the former.

Offensive Spells?

Jia Ren was not a Bizarre Cultivator who would engage in constant fighting and killing. He would avoid danger whenever possible.

The Metal Finger Technique had adequate killing power and was sufficient for the time being.

The desired Spell for disguise had yet to be found. That left only defense Spells.

Spirit Shield or Turtle Prime Spirit Armor?

The Spirit Shield was inferior to the Turtle Prime Spirit Armor, with less potential for growth.

As a secret technique of the Turtle Spirit Technique, the Turtle Prime Spirit Armor boasted superior defensive capabilities. At the same Proficiency Level, the durability of the Turtle Prime Spirit Armor was twice that of the Spirit Shield.

The flaw was evident. It only protected the body, leaving the limbs and head exposed, which was quite awkward.

You couldn’t possibly retract your limbs and head into the Turtle Prime Spirit Armor in the midst of battle, right?

Could a higher Proficiency Level make up for its shortcomings?

If it really didn’t work out, the Spirit Shield could be a complementary defense.

At the thought, a yellow-green spiritual armor congealed.

The pattern on the Turtle Prime Spirit Armor was clear, resembling the etchings of a turtle shell.

Proficiency Level of Turtle Prime Spirit Armor +1.

Jia Ren’s Spiritual Power was depleted, so he traced the Demon-Spotting Talisman.

The practice copybook’s effects were astonishing. In just a few days, he could replicate the Talisman with one hundred percent similarity without relying on the copybook.

Talisman Crafting wasn’t just about creating a similar appearance. A Talisman that could be activated and used was considered a qualified Spirit Talisman.

The Demon-Spotting Talisman had twenty-four spiritual power nodes, and each node emphasized a different type of Spirit Ink. The Talisman had to be created in one go, ensuring the twenty-four nodes were effectively connected and the Spiritual Power flowed unimpeded.

This was the true difficulty.

Should any node fail or not connect properly, the Talisman would be rendered unusable—a complete waste.

"Time to start Talisman Crafting."

Real Talisman Crafting couldn’t be practiced on common paper, as feedback was crucial. Blank Talisman Paper had to be used.

Jia Ren took a deep breath, pulled out a piece of Blank Talisman Paper, and attempted his first real Talisman Crafting.

With several days of practice under his belt, his imitation was beginning to show promise.

He skillfully sprinkled ink onto the Talisman Paper, and before long, a Demon-Spotting Talisman took shape.

However, this was not a true functioning Talisman, but rather a useless one that couldn’t be activated.

He compared each of the spiritual power nodes, and the situation was dismal to witness.

Not one of the twenty-four nodes met the requirements. None had an unobstructed flow of Spiritual Power.

I haven’t grasped the basics yet.

The Proficiency Panel showed no response. A failed Talisman Crafting attempt did not increase Proficiency Level.

Jia Ren tried seven or eight times, all ending in failure with negligible progress.

"To avoid wasting time and Talisman Paper and Talisman Ink, it’s best to seek guidance from Elder Wu."

"It’s the only way."

Upon arriving at Elder Wu’s abode, Jia Ren smelled the scent of rice.

The time had already passed lunch, and Elder Wu was still boiling rice over a small fire. There wasn’t much rice in the pot, just a thin gruel.

He brought his face close to the steam rising from the pot, inhaling the fragrance of the rice with a look of utter contentment on his face.

When the water in the pot had dried up, he continued to add more water.

He wasn’t eating, merely smelling the aroma of the rice.

Jia Ren watched with a strange expression on his face.

In ancient times, there was quenching thirst by thinking of plums, and now, is there satisfying hunger with the scent of rice?

"COUGH. Daoist Jia, you’ve caught me in an embarrassing habit born of hunger."

Elder Wu’s complexion had improved a lot compared to eight days ago.

Fifty pounds of rice were not enough.

To be able to persist for a long time, he practiced frugality every day, making do with the least amount of rice possible.

Seeing Jia Ren’s arrival, he was both surprised and delighted.

Elder Wu had been waiting for so long that flowers could have wilted, and at last, his financier had come to visit!

"Talent and perseverance in Talisman Crafting are both very important, and not every Loose Cultivator possesses the talent for Talisman Crafting."

He covered the pot to ensure the aroma wouldn’t escape.

"I would ask for Daoist Wu’s guidance."

"How to effectively stimulate the spiritual power nodes of the Demon-Spotting Talisman."

Elder Wu shook his head and said, "Daoist Jia, one must be down to earth. You must not aim too high and miss."

"You must start from the basics when learning Talismans."

"Show me the failed Talismans you’ve practiced on."

Elder Wu was composed and confident, entering a field with which he was familiar, ready to dispense knowledge as if he were giving military commands.

"It took me three months to imitate, and I barely managed to capture three-tenths of it..."

Before he could finish speaking, Elder Wu was stunned into silence upon seeing the failed Talismans that Jia Ren had taken out.

Are these failed Talismans?

If it weren’t for the lack of Spiritual Power Fluctuation, Elder Wu might have suspected that these were successfully crafted Demon-Spotting Talismans.

How long has Jia Ren been learning the Seeking Demon Talisman Technique?

To imitate it to such an extent?!

Truly worthy of a master of replication!

"COUGH. Very impressive!"

"You have managed to capture about three tenths of my skill when I was beginning."

Elder Wu coughed twice, hiding his embarrassment.

"In Talisman Crafting, you must get both form and spirit right. You have managed the form quite well, but the spirit is far too lacking."

"Form is easy to acquire, spirit is difficult to seek."

"Words alone might make it hard for you to grasp. This old Daoist will craft a Demon-Spotting Talisman. Observe and learn."

Elder Wu took out his Silver-Bamboo Spirit Brush and adeptly channeled Spiritual Power to liquefy the Talisman Ink, splashing and splattering it freely on the Talisman Paper.

Compared to Jia Ren’s rote copying, Elder Wu’s movements were smooth and flowing, executed in one go.

His spiritual energy was infused into the Talisman Paper with the Talisman Brush, embedding its soul.

Upon finishing, the Spirit Ink on the Talisman Paper seemed to come to life, spiritual light gleaming from it before finally settling into stillness.

A Demon-Spotting Talisman was completed.

Jia Ren memorized Elder Wu’s moves, pondering them repeatedly.

"Give it a try."

Jia Ren nodded, and the light from his Spirit Shield and Turtle Prime Spirit Armor shone on his body.

Elder Wu wore a speechless expression. Isn’t that a bit too obvious, his defense against me?

Am I someone who would stab him in the back?

Jia Ren felt a bit more at ease.

Taking up his Wolf Hair Brush, he mimicked Elder Wu’s posture and began to craft the Demon-Spotting Talisman.

Within the time it takes to brew half a cup of tea, the drawing of the Demon-Spotting Talisman was completed.

The result was the same as before, not a glimmer of spiritual light.

"You have not truly integrated your heart and mind."

"Your heart and mind must become one with the Talisman Brush, as the Spirit Ink is infused with your Essence, Energy, and Spirit."

"Remember, you are creating."

"The moment you treat Talisman Crafting as the act of creating life, that’s when you’ll truly comprehend the essence of Talisman Crafting."