Chapter 217 - 209: Spirit Water Talisman
Li Yuan unfolded the beast-hide booklet of the Evil Spirit Transformation Skill, spread it across his desk, and carefully read it from beginning to end.
The way this Cultivation Technique was practiced was different from ordinary Spiritual Power techniques.
The core of the technique involved guiding the Evil Qi stored in his body along specific pathways. As it passed through the Divine Soul’s nodes, it would wash over and temper his Divine Soul. Then, as it coursed through his meridians, it would resonate with his Spiritual Power, promoting the growth of his Cultivation.
At the same time, the technique also described a method for infusing Evil Qi into ores and Magical Artifacts.
By guiding Spiritual Power in a special way, one could force Evil Qi into an item’s internal Spirit Pattern structure, imbuing it with the properties of Evil Qi.
Li Yuan attempted to circulate his energy following the Spell in the booklet.
A wisp of stored Evil Qi surged from the edge of his Dantian, making a full circuit along the path designated by the Evil Spirit Transformation Skill.
His "Evil Essence Symbiosis" trait allowed the Evil Qi to flow through his body with incredible smoothness, encountering almost no resistance. When the Evil Qi passed through the Divine Soul node between his eyebrows, the density of his Divine Soul—forged by the Soul Condensation Skill—was more than enough to withstand the onslaught. He felt no discomfort.
[Cultivation Technique: Evil Spirit Transformation Skill — Entry (0/200)]
He’d mastered the basics.
His Evil Essence Symbiosis granted him complete control over Evil Qi, allowing him to grasp the technique with incredible speed. Others might need days or even more than a month to overcome the body’s negative reactions to Evil Qi just to reach the entry level, but Li Yuan skipped that step entirely.
Li Yuan closed the booklet and put it away in his storage bag.
Once he’d mastered the basics of the technique, he no longer needed the booklet. The circulation path was already committed to memory.
Just as he was about to resume his cultivation, a knock came from the courtyard gate.
Li Yuan got up, walked to the gate, and opened it.
Wang De was standing outside the gate.
He was still in that cyan robe, his face lean, his chin sporting a neatly trimmed short beard. His steps were steady, his aura restrained.
But the moment Wang De saw Li Yuan, he visibly faltered.
He then cupped his fist in salute, his posture much more deferential than before.
"Senior Li."
"Captain Wang, come in."
Wang De walked into the courtyard and sat down on a stone stool.
Li Yuan sat opposite him, waiting for him to speak.
Wang De rubbed his fingers together, as if weighing his words.
"The Wang family was overjoyed to hear the news of your successful Foundation Establishment."
His tone was polite, but the word "overjoyed" sounded stiff, as if he had borrowed the phrase from someone else.
Li Yuan glanced at him but didn’t respond.
Wang De gave a dry cough and switched his tone back to his usual style.
"To be honest, the family could hardly believe it when they heard. You were still at Late-stage Qi Refining when you terminated your contract. And look how little time has passed."
He took a silk-wrapped package from his sleeve and placed it on the table.
"This is a greeting gift from the Wang family."
He pushed the package toward Li Yuan.
"It’s the instructions for making a Tier Two Talisman. The family figured that with your Talisman Making Skill, this would be helpful to you."
Li Yuan opened the package.
Inside was a beast-hide booklet, carefully wrapped in Oil Paper. The craftsmanship was much more refined than ordinary instruction booklets, and there was a seal on the Oil Paper.
The seal bore three words: Spirit Water Talisman.
"A Tier Two Talisman?" Li Yuan picked up the booklet and weighed it in his hand.
"Yes." Wang De nodded. "The Spirit Water Talisman is a Water Element support Talisman, Tier Two Low Grade. The Wang family used to use it to manage our Spirit Fields. The results were quite good."
He paused for a moment, then added.
"Furthermore, there is another matter."
He glanced at Li Yuan.
"The Wang family hopes that you might pay us a formal visit when the time is right. There’s no rush. Come whenever it’s convenient. The family will contact you in advance to make arrangements."
’A formal visit.’
Li Yuan thought for a moment.
’The Wang family and I used to have a contract, but it was terminated. Now that I’ve reached Foundation Establishment, my status has changed. It’s only natural for them to make a gesture of goodwill.’
"Very well. We’ll be in touch then."
Wang De nodded, the expression on his face relaxing slightly.
He stood up and cupped his fist toward Li Yuan.
"Then I won’t disturb your cultivation any longer."
After speaking, he turned and left the courtyard.
Li Yuan closed the gate and returned to the table.
He took the instruction booklet for the Spirit Water Talisman out of the Oil Paper, unfolded it, and spread it on the table.
Spirit Water Talisman. Tier Two Low Grade, a Water Element support Talisman.
The creation process was far more complex than that of a Tier One Talisman. The number of Spirit Patterns increased from the usual six or eight to twelve, and the path and linkage of each pattern were significantly more intricate than their Tier One counterparts.
The core Spirit Patterns were a combination of the Water Condensation Pattern and the Storage Spirit Pattern.
The Water Condensation Pattern gathers ambient Water Element Spiritual Qi and condenses it into spirit water. The Storage Spirit Pattern then stores this water inside the Talisman. Activating the Talisman releases the spirit water.
It had several functions.
First, it could be released immediately after condensation to create a temporary pool of spirit water. The Spiritual Qi concentration in this pool would be extremely high, making it suitable for cultivation or for irrigating Spirit Fields.
Second, the spirit water could be sprayed into the sky to trigger rainfall. This Spirit Rain, when falling upon a Spirit Field, would greatly accelerate the growth of Spirit Rice and Spirit Grass.
Third, the spirit water could be stored without being released, turning the talisman into a portable Spiritual Qi reserve. When needed, the user could draw upon and absorb the energy, making it function like a simple Spirit Gathering Array.
’A single talisman, useful for both direct sales and long-term business.’
The material requirements weren’t excessively demanding. Tier Two talisman paper, Water Element Spiritual Ink, and Condensed Water Sand could all be purchased in the market, though they were considerably more expensive than their Tier One counterparts.
The difficulty of crafting a Tier Two Talisman far surpassed that of a Tier One. The required precision for the twelve Spirit Patterns, the complexity of distributing Spiritual Power, and the control needed for the final binding were all on a completely different level.
’But I’m a Foundation Establishment Cultivator now. My control over liquid Spiritual Power is far more precise than it was during the Qi Refining Stage, and my Tier One Talisman Making Skill is already perfected. A Tier Two Talisman might be difficult, but it’s not impossible. It’ll just take practice.’
Li Yuan read the instruction booklet carefully twice more, committing the path and linkage of each Spirit Pattern to memory.
Then he put the booklet away and sat down on the edge of his bed.
’Cultivation first. I’ll practice making the Spirit Water Talisman after I buy the materials.’
He circulated the Cyan Wood Longevity Skill, and liquid Spiritual Power flowed through his meridians.
The initial awkwardness had mostly faded. The conversion to Wood Spiritual Power grew increasingly smooth, and the speed of a full circulation was now nearly twice as fast as his first attempt.
The nourishing effect of the Cultivation Technique on his body continued to accumulate. The flexibility of his meridians had improved noticeably since he began practicing.
The growth in vitality was the most obvious. Li Yuan could feel an endless stream of life force surging within him, gentle but persistent, like the plants and trees of spring sprouting and budding unnoticed.
By the time he completed this cycle, the sensation had changed.
The conversion to Wood Spiritual Power no longer required conscious effort. The Spiritual Power would automatically switch its attribute upon reaching a conversion node, transforming the entire circulation from a deliberate act into a semi-automatic process.
The panel popped up.
[Cultivation Technique: Cyan Wood Longevity Skill — Entry (0/200)]