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Chapter 6

Shen Jizhi stood up and greeted the old man, "Hello, Hall Master."

Waving his hand dismissively, Li Yucheng slumped onto a couch, half propping his face up as he looked at Shen Jizhi with a sense of appreciation. "I told your dog of a master years ago that you have a talent for forging equipment. I wanted you to study with me, but he stubbornly insisted you learn the sword and carry on his mantle. He didn\'t consider that you\'re a Five Spiritual Root, how difficult it is for you to learn the sword. It would be simpler to learn to forge with me."

A Five Spiritual Root learning the sword requires simultaneous tempering of each spiritual root. In forging, the focus is on the fire spiritual root.

Upon hearing this, Shen Jizhi merely smiled.

Li Yucheng stroked his own beard, rambling, "You\'re currently only at the fifth level of Qi refining. The disciples of the Equipment Forging Hall need to be at least at the foundation-building stage. Focus on improving your cultivation and practice your craft. Once you reach the foundation-building stage, I\'ll transfer you to the inner hall for forging."

Currently, Shen Jizhi was just a porter for the Equipment Forging Hall. The inner hall was where the true master forgers resided.

The monthly stipend for the two positions was vastly different, Shen Jizhi frowned, sincerely thanking, "Thank you, Hall Master."

Li Yucheng glanced at the talisman pen in his hand again, curiously asking, "Is it for your fiancée?"

The news of Shen Jizhi\'s fiancée seeking him out had practically spread throughout the entire sect.

Last night, while drinking with Yu Qing, he mentioned that the girl seemed to be studying talisman crafting.

Shen Jizhi hesitated before nodding.

The pen was naturally for Jian Huan, but certainly not in the way the Hall Master thought.

As expected, Li Yucheng understood, "I didn\'t think you\'d be so good at pursuing young girls, quite like me in my younger days. Anyway, that old guy Gu Shan hasn\'t returned in three years, he\'s probably dead somewhere. You might as well take me as your master." He opened his eyes, staring intently, "How about it?"

Shen Jizhi: "You flatter me, Hall Master."

Li Yucheng and his master Gu Shan were archenemies. Both were equally troublesome, neither better than the other, often drinking, fighting, and causing trouble.

The reason his master owed countless debts, and Li Yucheng could barely make ends meet, was entirely because his master was a sword cultivator.

Li Yucheng shook his head, not taking it to heart, and closed his eyes with a tilt of his head.

Shen Jizhi took the talisman pen and left quietly.

At lunchtime, the dining hall was bustling with people.

Shen Jizhi handed the talisman pen to Jian Huan, "Take a look."

Jian Huan held it in her hand, examining it closely, her eyes filled with surprise.

She had felt every pen in the Treasure Pavilion the night before, but the one in her hand now felt much better than the one for three hundred and eight in the store. Compared to the pens worth two to three thousand, it was in no way inferior.

Jian Huan had already lowered her expectations, after all, it was a half-priced talisman pen, but the result was pleasantly surprising.

Shen Jizhi watched her expression, and with that, he had his answer.

Before she could speak, he said, "One hundred and eight, don\'t forget."

Jian Huan put away her brush pen, looked around, and gestured for Shen Jizhi to come closer.

Shen Jizhi bent his head down.

Jian Huan stood on her tiptoes and whispered into his ear, "I\'ve put the spirit stone under the pillow. I don\'t have a mustard bag, so it\'s inconvenient for me to carry it around. Would you like to fetch it yourself, or should we wait until tonight...?"

Shen Jizhi straightened up, almost without hesitation, "I\'ll go get it."

"Okay." Jian Huan nodded, making a fist salute, "By the way, the brush pen is also very good, thank you!"

Shen Jizhi nodded, "You\'re welcome."

The two parted ways at the entrance of the dining hall, with Shen Jizhi disappearing into the crowd.

Jian Huan ran back inside, nimbly weaving through the tables to join Gong Feihong and continue her hearty meal.

She was almost full just now, but her mood had improved and she felt she could eat a bit more.

The seat opposite her was empty, and Jian Huan asked Gong Feihong, "Where\'s Hu Lai?"

"Hu Lai had something to take care of and left earlier," Gong Feihong leaned in, curiously asking, "What did Brother Shen want with you?"

Jian Huan replied, "I have a talisman class this afternoon, and he brought me a brush pen."

Gong Feihong exclaimed, "Brother Shen is so kind to you!"

Jian Huan glanced at him, "You misunderstood. He didn\'t give me the brush pen, I asked him to buy it for me."

Gong Feihong looked incredulous, "Did he really take your money?"

Jian Huan nodded, "Yes."

After a moment\'s thought, she hurriedly took the opportunity to wake Gong Feihong up while Hu Lai was away.

These days, Hu Lai was almost always by Gong Feihong\'s side.

Jian Huan hinted, "As the saying goes, even a married couple should keep clear accounts, let alone between brothers."

Gong Feihong was puzzled, "Isn\'t the saying \'clear accounts make for good friends\'?"

Jian Huan looked at him with frustration, and decided to be straightforward, "What I\'m talking about is you and Brother Hu Lai."

Gong Feihong was even more confused, "What about Brother Hu?"

Jian Huan: "I heard that you and Hu Zhi bought a lot of things in the Treasure Pavilion yesterday and spent tens of thousands of spirit stones?"

Gong Feihong nodded.

Jian Huan: "And most of them were things that Hu Lai needed?"

Gong Feihong hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

If Jian Huan hadn\'t mentioned it, he wouldn\'t have noticed.

Yesterday, when he was shopping in the Treasure Pavilion, he and Hu Zhi were having such a good time that he paid without thinking too much.

Jian Huan looked at him with affection, "Brother Feihong, you even made a note of the money you borrowed from me. Did you do the same with Hu Lai?"

Poor Gong Feihong, he was too easy to fool.

If she didn\'t have a bit of a conscience, she could have tricked Gong Feihong out of everything.

Jian Huan patted his shoulder, her words heavy with meaning, "I\'ve said all there is to say. You should think about it yourself."

Outside the door, Hu Zhi, standing behind Jiang Qiaoqiao, suddenly sneezed.

A man standing next to Jiang Qiaoqiao turned his head to look at Hu Zhi. Hu Zhi didn\'t show any abnormality, so the man turned his head back and ignored him.

Jiang Qiaoqiao followed Shen Jizhi for a few steps, then stopped as if realizing something.

She gave a bitter smile and whispered to the person next to her, "Brother Jing Chi, he doesn\'t recognize me anymore."

Jing Chi was a bodyguard specially arranged by Jiang\'s father for Jiang Qiaoqiao. He had a single wood spirit root and had grown up with Jiang Qiaoqiao.

In his eyes, the girl\'s image was reflected, his gaze as gentle as honey. He spoke softly, "Miss Jiang, if that\'s the case, why don\'t you tell him?"

Jiang Qiaoqiao shook her head, "He has a fiancée. What difference would it make if I told him?"

Jing Chi sighed, "Miss Jiang, forget about him. He saved you once, and our family has already rewarded him and his master sufficiently. We owe him nothing. You don\'t need to keep dwelling on it."

Jiang Qiaoqiao\'s delicate eyebrows shadowed by a hint of bitterness, "Brother Jing, you don\'t understand."

She fell in love at first sight, her soul haunted by dreams of him for years. It took great effort to convince her father to let her join the Jade Clarity Sect, only to face a catastrophe.

Jiang Qiaoqiao closed her eyes and let out a bitter laugh.

Jing Chi paused, wanting to say something but ultimately remained silent.

Jiang Qiaoqiao opened her eyes, whispering, "Brother Jing, accompany me on a journey down the mountain. I don\'t want to stay in the sect anymore."

Jing Chi was somewhat surprised, a glimmer of joy appearing in his eyes, "Alright."

The two left on flying swords.

In the afternoon\'s talisman class, Yu Qing handed out a comprehensive book on talismans to everyone.

The thickness was about... the same as an Oxford dictionary.

"Once you\'ve mastered the talismans in this book, reaching the Golden Core stage will be within your grasp," Yu Qing held the book, teaching earnestly, "The art of talismans requires hard work. What you need to do now is to memorize the patterns on the first three pages, without a single mistake. Only when you remember them, can you draw as if guided by a divine hand, and the talisman will be successful. I will be in the sect most of the time this year, feel free to ask me any questions."

Jian Huan translated his words in her mind.

It was like her high school English teacher saying — once you\'ve mastered these words and sentence structures, high scores on essays will be within reach. The most important thing is to memorize the words, so you can recall them as naturally as eating and drinking...

Alright then.

Jian Huan had memorized the dictionary back in her day too.

Just as she was drawing parallels between her high school classes and these cultivation lessons, a girl sitting next to her raised her hand.

Yu Qing gestured for her to speak, "Jiang Mian, go ahead."

The girl named Jiang Mian asked curiously, "Elder Yu, what about after the Golden Core stage?"

Yu Qing smiled slightly, "After the Golden Core stage, it depends on talent. Up to the Golden Core stage, mastering the existing talismans is enough. After that, you need to create your own talismans. However, most people will never be able to create their own talismans in their lifetime."

"Ah—" The disciples in the hall couldn\'t help but feel a bit disheartened.

Yu Qing added, "But how do you know you\'re not one of the few, if you don\'t reach the Golden Core stage? You should at least give it a try."

Hearing this, the young disciples regained their fighting spirit.

Jian Huan propped her face with one hand, looking at the young faces, and couldn\'t help but reminisce about her student days.

Back then, she and her classmates were filled with anticipation and endless imagination about the future, just as their teachers described.

But after graduation, she realized that life was not easy. Buying a house had taken a lot of her effort.

The few truly were, just a few.

Jian Huan shook her head and smiled, listening to Elder Yu\'s words while taking out her own talisman brush and paper.

A spirit stone and a piece of talisman paper, which wouldn\'t wrinkle even after being kept in her pocket for half a day. It was said to be resistant to fire and water. So, a well-drawn talisman paper could last for fifty years?

The brother from the Treasure Pavilion mentioned this yesterday.

Jian Huan touched the talisman paper, not daring to use the brush immediately.

Soon, she was glad for her caution.

Surprised gasps echoed around her, as talisman papers were ruined due to lack of proficiency.

Most of those who came to practice at the Jade Clarity Sect were from wealthy families.

They didn\'t care, casually crumpling up the ruined papers and tossing them aside, taking out a new one.

Jian Huan sat there, pondering for a moment, then put the talisman paper back in her pocket and took out one of the five notebooks distributed free by the Jade Clarity Sect.

She opened the notebook, used another one as a ruler, and drew many small squares.

Jian Huan put the talisman brush back in her pocket and took out a writing brush, starting to draw in the small squares.

Jiang Mian, who had asked a question earlier, came over curiously, "Wow, what are you doing?"

Jian Huan replied, "This way, I can save talisman paper. I\'m poor. When I get proficient, I\'ll use spirit paper to draw."

Jiang Mian thought for a moment, then also took out a notebook.

Jian Huan: "?"

Jiang Mian said seriously, "My mother is a sword cultivator, and it\'s hard for her to make money. She said her wrists ache from slaying demons. I also want to save a bit, to lighten her burden." She tilted her head, "By the way, my name is Jiang Mian."

Jian Huan: "I knew that already, I\'m—"

Jiang Mian: "Jian Huan, right? Everyone knows you. You\'re the one who closes your eyes and imagines yourself..."

Jian Huan coughed, signaling that she could stop.

Jiang Mian added, "And you\'re also Shen Jizhi\'s fiancée!"

Jian Huan smiled awkwardly.

She had been worrying about money recently, and she had unknowingly become a campus celebrity?

Of course, thanks to the campus heartthrob.

Jiang Mian winked at her and whispered, "Did you know, we all say behind your back that you\'re pretty lucky."

Jian Huan: "…………"

Yu Qing came over, and the two quickly returned to their own tasks, focusing on drawing talismans.

Although Jian Huan used to draw a lot in her previous life, she mostly used software after graduation and rarely drew by hand, losing her previous touch.

She could only slowly regain it.

From then on, Jian Huan would often take out her brush to draw talismans, dreaming of straight lines, curves, all kinds of lines, wishing she could turn into a line herself.

After ten days of hard work.

That night, Jian Huan sat on her bed, a small table in front of her, her notebook and brush spread out on it.

The candleholder was moved to the closest position to her.

As usual, Jian Huan was practicing talismans.

In the corner behind her, Shen Jizhi was meditating.

The room was quiet, only the rustling sound of the brush on the paper could be heard.

Drawing a talisman requires a smooth process, the line cannot be broken, nor can it suddenly become thick or thin, and spiritual energy must be continuously mobilized during the drawing process.

Only then can the drawn talisman have an effect.

Even though the paper was ordinary, Jian Huan was afraid that she would develop a bad habit of only knowing how to draw and not knowing how to mobilize spiritual energy, so she always did both simultaneously.

This process consumed a great deal of spiritual power, and Jian Huan\'s pale forehead was covered in fine sweat.

But she was oblivious to it, completely immersed in the world of talismans.

With each stroke, Jian Huan could feel a faint glow appearing in her talisman, but because of the paper, it disappeared in a blink of an eye.

She gripped the brush tightly, a hint of a smile appearing in her eyes.

Jian Huan quickly pushed these notebooks to one side, took out a piece of talisman paper from her bosom, and spread it out on the table.

She took a deep breath, prepared herself, and was about to lift her brush when, with a pop, the candle went out, and the room was instantly shrouded in darkness.

Jian Huan: "......"

Damn it!

Jian Huan clenched her fist, turned her body to the left, and asked her roommate very \'calmly\', "Shen Jizhi, what happened to the candle?"

A faint flame lit up from Shen Jizhi\'s fingertip. He walked over to the candlestick under the light, took a look, and replied, "The candle has burned out."

Jian Huan: "Do we have any other candles at home?"

Shen Jizhi rummaged through the junk box again: "No."

Jian Huan\'s face twisted.

This feeling was like going to the toilet without toilet paper, drinking cola without ice, it was too uncomfortable.

Shen Jizhi looked at the person sitting on the bed and said, "Candles are free, I\'ll get some from the temple tomorrow."

"Thank you." Jian Huan looked at the light in his hand, an idea came to her mind, "But I urgently need light now, can you hold it for a while, let me draw a talisman?"

She hasn\'t learned any other spells yet, unlike Shen Jizhi who can emit light.

She had spent all her time focusing on talismans.

After she mastered the art of talismans, she would draw a glowing talisman, one that could glow for a hundred years, a thousand years, ten thousand years!

Jian Huan made a silent vow.

But before Shen Jizhi could answer, the light on his fingertip gradually dimmed until it was completely extinguished, and the room was once again plunged into darkness.

In response to this phenomenon, Shen Jizhi calmly put his hand back and explained in a soft voice, "I don\'t have much spiritual energy in my body."

Jian Huan was silent for a moment, then asked him, "Did you only eat one-sixth of your meal again tonight?"

Shen Jizhi: "Hmm."

Jian Huan gritted her teeth, decided to go all in, took out a bottle from her bosom, poured out a Fasting Pill, and handed it over, "I\'ll give this to you to eat, can you help me hold up the light, how about it?"

Shen Jizhi\'s figure was shrouded in the night, his voice came, "I can, but I can only hold it for a quarter of an hour at most."

Continuously emitting light was very draining on spiritual power.

Jian Huan, who was preoccupied with the talisman, replied, "Okay."

In the small wooden house, the light from Shen Jizhi\'s fingertip was as bright as an incandescent lamp.

Jian Huan was very satisfied with the effect of her Fasting Pill, picked up her brush again, and focused her mind.

In the past ten days, the most difficult talisman she had practiced was the Teleportation Talisman.

If she could master the Teleportation Talisman, she would naturally master the others.

In order to achieve the smallest loss, Jian Huan directly started with the Teleportation Talisman.

Having practiced many times, coupled with her experience of drawing for over a decade in her previous life, Jian Huan was adept at it.

In less than fifteen minutes, the Teleportation Talisman was ready.

The thin paper talisman looked ordinary at Jian Huan\'s fingertips, making her feel somewhat apprehensive, unsure of its effectiveness.

Teleportation talismans come in two types: fixed-point and non-fixed-point.

A fixed-point talisman, also known as a teleportation axis, requires a high level of skill to create, something that Jian Huan, with her current level of skill, was incapable of.

The quality of a general teleportation talisman is judged by its teleportation distance.

According to Elder Yu, a novice like her could only create a talisman capable of teleporting within a radius of a hundred meters at most.

She lifted her head, looking at the man glowing beside her.

Shen Jizhi sensed her gaze, his eyelashes fluttering, a clear question in his eyes: "?"

Jian Huan: "Could you help me test this teleportation talisman?"

He was the ultimate villain in the book. Despite his current low cultivation level, he could counter-kill high-ranking cultivators in a crisis. Overcoming levels was his daily routine.

If Shen Jizhi could use her teleportation talisman, it should be deemed successful and she could sell it for money.

Jian Huan\'s money-making instinct was stirring. Seeing a hint of doubt on his face, she upped the ante: "One spiritual stone for a test, deducted from the account!"

A hundred thousand spiritual stones were on her account, not in her hand, so it didn\'t hurt as much to spend them.

Shen Jizhi agreed straightforwardly: "Okay."

Jian Huan handed the teleportation talisman to him.

Holding the small talisman, Shen Jizhi pondered for a moment.

Jian Huan was just starting out as a talisman cultivator. At most, he would be teleported to the door.

This teleportation distance seemed a bit unworthy of a spiritual stone.

Moreover, if he could only teleport to the door, she would probably be a bit disappointed.

In order to make Jian Huan\'s spiritual stone worth a bit more, Shen Jizhi used all of his spiritual power.

Apart from the quality of the talisman itself, the amount of spiritual power a cultivator used could slightly increase the teleportation distance.

With this, he could probably reach halfway up the mountain, a distance that would satisfy both parties.

Thinking this, Shen Jizhi disappeared from the spot, his body driven by his internal spiritual power.

That night, the wooden house, which had been flickering between darkness and light, plunged into darkness once again at the moment of Shen Jizhi\'s disappearance.

Jian Huan blinked, joy written all over her face.

Her teleportation talisman was a success!

Jian Huan walked briskly to the door, opened it, and stepped out.

The moon was high outside, and in a few days, it would be the fifteenth.

The frosty moonlight poured down, casting a hazy glow on the surroundings.

Jian Huan tiptoed around, trying to see where Shen Jizhi had teleported to.

Within a hundred meters, she should be able to see him.

But there was no one around.

Could it be that her talisman was quite powerful and could teleport him five hundred meters away?!

Jian Huan was somewhat excited, standing in place and looking forward expectantly.

She didn\'t really want to go out late at night.

Aliali: 674546a7c4f3f33ac44c928aThe new disciples of the Jade Clarity Sect were learning to control beasts, and the spiritual beasts would run away from time to time. Last time Jian Huan came back late, she was pecked by a big black goose hiding in the corner, which hurt a lot.

But after waiting for a while, there was still no sign of anyone returning in the distance.

...Could something have gone wrong?

Jian Huan ran out.

Shen Jizhi preferred solitude, his cabin nestled on a secluded hillside, far from the madding crowd.

Jian Huan ran from the top of the hill to the bottom, even after covering a distance of five hundred meters, she couldn\'t spot a single soul.

She cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted, "Shen Jizhi!"

The only response was her own echo, expanding outwards, accompanied by the sporadic chirping of distant birds.

Jian Huan stood at the foot of the hill, her shadow elongated by the moonlight.

She tilted her head upwards, gazing at the star-studded night sky, feeling somewhat lost in the moment.