Chapter 218 - 210: President of Ziyuan
After mastering the basics of the Cyan Wood Longevity Skill, the most noticeable change, besides increased Spiritual Qi absorption efficiency, was his recovery ability.
The permanent trait from the Wood Spirit’s nourishment had already increased his injury recovery speed by fifty percent. After mastering the basics of the Cyan Wood Longevity Skill, the cultivation technique itself also came with a passive recovery effect. With the two stacked, his body’s self-healing ability reached a very high level.
After he finished cultivating, Li Yuan went to a Materials Shop in the market-city and bought a batch of Tier Two talisman-making materials.
Tier Two talisman paper, Water Element Spiritual Ink, and Condensed Water Sand—the three items together cost him nearly eighty Spirit Stones. They were several times more expensive than Tier One materials, but their quality was on a completely different level.
The fiber density of Tier Two talisman paper was extremely tight, and its Spiritual Power permeability was more than double that of Tier One paper. The Water Element Spiritual Ink was a light blue, its consistency a bit thinner than ordinary Spiritual Ink. It flowed better from the brush tip, making it suitable for painting the gentle, continuous strokes of Water Spirit Patterns.
Back in his courtyard, he spread out the first sheet of Tier Two talisman paper, dipped his brush in the Water Element Spiritual Ink, and put brush to paper.
The Water Condensation Pattern.
Spiritual Power seeped from the brush tip into the talisman paper, following the path laid out in the creation method.
A problem occurred just one-third of the way through the first Spirit Pattern.
The precision required for Tier Two Spirit Patterns was worlds beyond that of Tier One. The paths of Tier One Spirit Patterns were mostly straight lines or simple arcs, whereas Tier Two Spirit Patterns introduced complex combinations of curves.
The path of the Water Condensation Pattern resembled a spiraling current of water, and the Spiritual Power had to remain evenly distributed within the spiral, neither pooling up nor thinning out.
By the time the Spiritual Power reached the second coil of the spiral, its density had become uneven, and it began to leak from the edges of the pattern.
A failure.
Li Yuan peeled the ruined talisman off, set it aside, and spread out a second sheet.
The second attempt went a little better. He completed the Water Condensation Pattern, but a problem arose at the junction with the Storage Spirit Pattern. The node connecting the two Spirit Patterns required the Spiritual Power to split and flow in two directions at once, and the ratio of this split had to be precise within an extremely narrow margin of error.
The split ratio was off. The Spiritual Power density in the Storage Spirit Pattern was insufficient, and the pattern broke halfway through.
Another failure.
The third sheet, the fourth, the fifth.
Li Yuan practiced over and over. After ruining more than a dozen sheets of talisman paper, his technique slowly stabilized.
Li Yuan took a short break.
Then he once again began drawing a complete Spirit Water Talisman.
On the first sheet, he completed the Water Condensation Pattern and the Storage Spirit Pattern, but it failed on the third Spirit Pattern. The Spiritual Power path for the Rain Gathering Pattern was divergent, the complete opposite of the convergent style of the Water Condensation Pattern. He lost control of the Spiritual Power’s inertia when making the switch.
On the second sheet, he made it to the ninth of the twelve Spirit Patterns. He was close to succeeding, but too much Spiritual Power leaked out during the final binding phase, so the quality was unacceptable.
The third sheet.
Li Yuan focused all his attention on his fingertips as Spiritual Power seeped from the brush tip into the talisman paper.
Water Condensation Pattern, a spiraling path, Spiritual Power evenly distributed.
Storage Spirit Pattern, connection node, a sixty-forty split.
Rain Gathering Pattern, a divergent path, Spiritual Power shifting from convergent to divergent.
He drew them one by one, each pattern steadier than the last.
The tenth, the eleventh, the twelfth.
Binding.
A very faint, watery blue luster bloomed on the talisman’s surface, soft and clear, like a thin film of water covering the paper.
Success.
The panel popped up.
[Tier Two Talisman Making Skill — Novice (0/200)]
He had mastered the basics of the Tier Two Talisman Making Skill.
Advancing from the perfection of Tier One to the basics of Tier Two was a massive leap. The gap between the two tiers wasn’t just an increase in the number and precision of Spirit Patterns, but a qualitative change in how Spiritual Power was controlled.
It was a shift from linear, single-direction control to three-dimensional, multi-directional control.
Li Yuan placed the Spirit Water Talisman on the corner of his desk, then drew two Tier One Talismans to get his feel back.
Soul Refining Talismans. Tier One Top Grade.
After he perfected his Tier One Talisman Making Skill, drawing Soul Refining Talismans had become purely instinctual, and their quality had reached the absolute peak for Tier One.
For the next few days, Li Yuan alternated between making talismans and cultivating.
He drew talismans during the day, alternating between Spirit Water Talismans and various Tier One Talismans. His proficiency in the Tier Two Talisman Making Skill slowly accumulated, while his skill with Tier One Talismans advanced in tandem.
At night, he cultivated. The Cyan Wood Longevity Skill advanced his cultivation base, the Evil Spirit Transformation Skill digested Evil Qi, and the Soul Condensation Skill tempered his Divine Soul. And though his Iron Wall Body Refining Skill was perfected, the symbiosis with the Evil Essence was still ongoing.
His success rate with Spirit Water Talismans gradually rose from zero until, by the fourth day, it had stabilized at around thirty percent.
That afternoon, Li Yuan finished drawing a Spirit Water Talisman and lifted his brush.
A watery-blue luster bloomed on the talisman’s surface; its quality was significantly better than the ones he had made in the past few days.
Li Yuan picked up the Talisman and laid his finger on its surface.
The panel popped up.
[Equippable Item Detected: Spirit Water Talisman (Complete)]
[Equipment Trait Preview: Water Spirit Essence (Green) — Increases the quality of Water Spiritual Power by thirty percent.]
[Permanence Condition Preview: Cultivate one Water Attribute Cultivation Technique to perfection (0/1).]
[Current Equipment Slots are full (5/5). Would you like to replace a currently equipped item?]
’A green trait. Water Spirit Essence.’
’Increases the quality of Water Spiritual Power by thirty percent.’
’The condition to make it permanent is to cultivate a Water Attribute Cultivation Technique to perfection.’
’I don’t have a Water Attribute Cultivation Technique right now. The Ice Cone Skill is Water Magic, not a Cultivation Technique, and its proficiency is still far from perfected.’
’I can’t make this trait permanent for now. I’ll just have to keep it in mind.’
Li Yuan put the Spirit Water Talisman into his storage bag.
Just as he was preparing to draw the next one, there was a knock at his courtyard gate.
’A lot of people have come to visit since I reached Foundation Establishment. First, it was Ji Huaiyuan, then Wang De, and now someone else is here.’
Li Yuan put down his talisman brush, walked to the gate, and opened it.
Standing outside was a Female Cultivator who looked to be in her forties.
Her features were cool and aloof. She wore a dark cyan dress, and a short sword hung at her waist.
Li Yuan recognized her.
He had seen her at the Foundation Establishment trade meet. She was the Female Cultivator who had traded five hundred acres of Spirit Fields for a Defensive Array set from Chen Yi.
She cupped her hands in a salute toward Li Yuan.
"Li Dao You, my apologies for the unannounced visit. My name is Qin Ruoshuang, president of the Purple Abyss Trading Company’s main branch."
’The Purple Abyss Trading Company.’
Li Yuan was taken aback for a moment.
’The Purple Abyss Trading Company. Shopkeeper Han’s store.’
’Shopkeeper Han’s store was called the Purple Abyss Trading Company, but that was just a branch in the Yunyang market-city.’
"Come in."
Qin Ruoshuang walked into the courtyard and sat down on a stone stool. Her gaze swept over the talisman paper and Spiritual Ink on the table, and she nodded slightly.
Li Yuan sat down opposite her. "What is it?"
Qin Ruoshuang did not beat around the bush.
"Two things. First, to properly introduce myself. We didn’t get a chance to speak at the trade meet, so I made a special trip over today."
She rested her fingers on the tabletop.
"Second, a partnership."
She looked at Li Yuan.
"The Purple Abyss Trading Company has seven branches in this region; the one in the Yunyang market-city is just one of them. The company’s main business is selling Talismans and Spirit Grass on consignment, but our supply of Tier One Top Grade Talismans has always been a shortcoming."
She held up one finger.
"Shopkeeper Han told me that the quality of your Talismans is among the best in the entire Yunyang market-city. I would like to formally request that you supply the Purple Abyss Trading Company with more Tier One Top Grade Talismans."
’Tier One Top Grade Talismans.’
"Right now, the only Tier One Top Grade talisman I can make is the Soul Refining Talisman," Li Yuan said.
Qin Ruoshuang’s expression showed no surprise, as if she had already anticipated this.
She took two beast-skin scrolls from her storage bag and placed them on the table.
"These are the creation methods for two Tier One Top Grade Talismans. One is the Gathering Essence Talisman, used to aid cultivation; it can significantly increase Spiritual Qi absorption efficiency for a short period. The other is the Demon-breaking Talisman, which specializes in countering sinister things and has a powerful suppressive effect on the Spiritual Power of wraiths and Demon Cultivators."
She pushed the two scrolls across the table to Li Yuan.
"The creation methods are a gift. Once you learn them, you can supply the Purple Abyss Trading Company, and we will purchase them at the highest price point for Tier One Top Grade talismans."
Li Yuan picked up the two scrolls and leafed through them. ’The Gathering Essence Talisman and the Demon-breaking Talisman are both highly practical types of talismans. They should sell well.’
"Agreed."
Qin Ruoshuang nodded. Just as she was about to speak again, Li Yuan cut in.
"Do you have any need for Spirit Water Talismans?"
Qin Ruoshuang paused.
Qin Ruoshuang was silent for two breaths, then the corners of her mouth curved up slightly.
"I do."
Her tone held a hint more eagerness than before.
"I have over a thousand acres of Spirit Fields, and I am in dire need of Spirit Water Talismans. Relying on the weather for the fields’ output is too slow. If I can use Spirit Water Talismans to create rain and nurture the crops, the yield will increase by at least fifty percent."
"I have two finished Spirit Water Talismans in stock at the moment, and their quality is decent." Li Yuan took two Spirit Water Talismans from his storage bag and placed them on the table. "For a stable future supply, I’ll need to improve my success rate a bit more."
Qin Ruoshuang picked up the two Spirit Water Talismans to inspect them, pressing her finger against their surfaces to sense the Spiritual Power density.
"The quality is quite good." She nodded. "I’ll take these two for now. You can set the price."
The two discussed the price and settled on one hundred and twenty Spirit Stones per Spirit Water Talisman. They could negotiate a long-term price later if he could provide a stable supply.
With two creation methods for Tier One Top Grade talismans and a long-term supply agreement for Spirit Water Talismans, both parties were very satisfied.
Qin Ruoshuang put away the Spirit Stones and the two Spirit Water Talismans, then stood up.
"It was a pleasure working with you. If you need anything in the future, just have Shopkeeper Han relay the message."
She cupped her hands in a salute to Li Yuan, then turned and walked out of the gate.
Li Yuan closed the gate and returned to his desk.
He spread open the two new scrolls containing the Tier One Top Grade creation methods and looked them over. ’The Spirit Pattern structures for the Gathering Essence Talisman and the Demon-breaking Talisman are both a bit more complex than the Soul Refining Talisman’s. But with my foundation of a perfected Tier One Talisman Making Skill, getting the hang of them shouldn’t be too difficult.’
’Two hundred and forty Spirit Stones earned, plus two new creation methods and a long-term supply channel.’
Li Yuan put the scrolls away, sat on his bed, and continued to cultivate.