Chapter 10: Talismans

Talisman paper was refined from the hides of first-grade spirit beasts. If the hide shared the same earth attribute as the Godspeed Talisman, the resulting quality could be elevated by one tier, producing a Divine Firmament Talisman.

“Drawing talismans doesn’t seem all that difficult after all. Let’s continue!”

Li Meng pulled out a sheet of talisman paper and spread it flat on the desk. Picking up his talisman brush, he resumed his work.

The day passed swiftly.

Li Meng spent the entire day within his study, immersed in talisman creation. As night fell, the study remained brightly lit.

Seated at his desk, Li Meng finally set down his brush into its case. A satisfied smile touched his lips as he gazed at the thick stack of completed talismans piled behind the desk.

Was his speed at drawing talismans perhaps a bit too fast?

If other Talisman Masters could work at this pace, the market wouldn’t suffer from such a scarcity of talismans. In just a single day, he had exhausted all the beast hides purchased from the Thousand Treasure Pavilion.

His harvest amounted to forty-one first-grade talismans. Most were Superior-grade, with only five reaching Divine Firmament-grade. There were none of Medium or Inferior quality.

Godspeed Talismans, Golden Shield Talismans, Wind Riding Talismans, Earth Shrinking Talismans, Stealth Talismans…

All were geared toward defense and escape.

A Godspeed Talisman enabled its user to travel a thousand li in a day. While cultivators could easily cover such distance via sword flight, the Godspeed Talisman connected the user to the earth’s ley lines. Not only did it allow one to run faster, but it also possessed the effect of concealing one’s aura.

The Golden Shield Talisman could release a protective barrier of Spiritual Power. The Wind Riding Talisman enhanced the speed of both sword flight and aerial movement. The Earth Shrinking Talisman allowed the user to instantly disengage from a battlefield.

A first-grade Earth Shrinking Talisman had a range of only 100 meters. Inferior-grade: 100 meters. Medium-grade: 500 meters. Superior-grade: 1000 meters. Divine Firmament-grade: 10,000 meters.

The Stealth Talisman rendered the user invisible and concealed their aura. The higher the quality, the stronger the invisibility effect and the longer its duration.

Li Meng held up a talisman shimmering with a golden light.

This talisman was distinctly different from the others. One could sense from it a profound resonance, an intent that harmonized with Heaven and Earth itself. This was a Divine Firmament Talisman.

“Divine Firmament Talismans must never be revealed lightly!”

Talismans were different from medicinal pills. Pills were essential aids for all cultivators in their practice. Even Flawless Pills wouldn’t attract excessive attention. But Divine Firmament Talismans were another matter. Each Divine Firmament Talisman possessed power capable of shaking Heaven and Earth, moving ghosts and gods to tears. Even a first-grade Divine Firmament Talisman could unleash tremendous force.

Li Meng rose to his feet.

With a wave of his hand, the talismans on the desk flew into the storage pouch at his waist. He waved his hand again, and the lamps in the study extinguished.

Li Meng walked out of his study and headed further out into his residence.

“Where are you going?”

Just as Li Meng passed by his bedroom, a familiar voice suddenly sounded from within the room.

Li Meng’s expression froze for a moment, internal grumbling commencing in his heart. Foundation Establishment cultivators are truly terrifying. I didn’t sense Senior Qu’s arrival at all.

Since beauty had come calling, how could he let her wait?

Li Meng chuckled, a grin that could only be described as lewd spreading across his face. He pushed the door open and entered, followed by a soft click as he closed it behind him.

On the bed, as expected, lay a graceful figure. Smiling broadly, Li Meng approached Senior Qu.

Seeing that lecherous smile reappear on Junior Li’s face, Qu Rou’s delicate brows furrowed slightly.

Not long after, a soft thump was heard as the bedroom window closed.

…

Half an hour later.

…

A click sounded as the bedroom door was opened from within.

Qu Rou emerged, clad in her purple iridescent dress. Her graceful figure bathed in moonlight was breathtakingly beautiful.

Stepping into the courtyard, Qu Rou turned to glance back at the bedroom window. She felt a sudden urge to laugh but suppressed it. If this continues like this… he probably won’t last two years before dying in that bed.

Qu Rou turned away, summoned the wind beneath her feet, and soared into the air. Her elegant form swiftly departed atop her flying sword, resembling nothing so much as a fairy flying toward the moon.

Inside the bedroom, Li Meng lay sprawled on the bed muttering two words over and over:

“Foundation Establishment… Foundation Establishment… Foundation Establishment…”

[+5 Affection] [+25 Sub-profession XP]

“Hmph, such an insincere woman!”

Li Meng rolled over and promptly fell into a deep sleep.

In the following days, Li Meng returned to his daily cultivation routine. During daylight hours, he guarded Little Bamboo Peak and meditated to cultivate his Spiritual Power. When Outer Disciples came for transactions, he opened his doors for business.

At night… he engaged in ‘discussions on the Dao’ with Senior Qu.

…

On this particular morning,

“Senior Brother! Are you there, Senior Brother?”

A graceful figure descended from above the bamboo forest, landing lightly within his courtyard. The lively voice caught Li Meng’s attention from within his study.

“I’m in the study. Come in!”

The sound of Senior Brother Li’s voice from inside made Yuan Baobao’s eyes brighten. With an enchanting smile, she pushed open the door with light steps and entered. Yuan Baobao was no stranger to Senior Brother Li’s courtyard; she had visited many times before. However, previously she had always come with Xuan Hao. Today marked her first time visiting the Senior Brother’s residence alone.

Yuan Baobao entered and found herself in the study. There she saw Senior Brother Li clad in simple blue robes, looking somewhat gaunt and thin.

Seated behind his desk, Li Meng looked up at Yuan Baobao. “Why hasn’t Junior Brother Xuan come with you?”

Yuan Baobao smiled sweetly as she stopped before his desk. “Senior Brother Xuan went to gather information from some Foundation Establishment Seniors. He asked me to come purchase some essential pills.”

Li Meng stood up and walked toward a bookcase in the corner. Reaching it, he opened its doors and retrieved a storage pouch. He then turned and walked back toward Yuan Baobao. “Here. Consider this my small token of support. You’ll find these useful within the Scarlet Forbidden Ground.”

Yuan Baobao extended her Divine Sense into the storage pouch in Senior Brother’s hand. Her expression shifted to one of surprise, and she quickly shook her head. “No! Senior Brother, this is far too valuable! I… we can’t afford this!”

Li Meng chuckled softly. He reached out and gently took hold of Yuan Baobao’s slender jade-like hand, placing the storage pouch firmly into her palm. “You can settle up after you both return safely from the Scarlet Forbidden Ground.”

Yuan Baobao stared at the storage pouch in her hand with conflicted emotions. The contents were indeed incredibly precious—not just various pills but also numerous talismans. Judging by their Spiritual Power fluctuations alone, they were all Superior-grade talismans.

She and Xuan Hao truly did need such items; pretending otherwise would be false. After all, great dangers lurked within Scarlet Forbidden Grounds; these gifts from Senior Brother Li might very well save their lives at critical moments.

“Senior Brother… thank you!” Yuan Baobao looked at him with heartfelt gratitude shining in her eyes.

[+10 Affection] [+50 Sub-profession XP]

Li Meng smiled warmly and shook his head slightly. “This old Senior Brother is nearing his Lifespan Limit anyway; what use do I have for worldly possessions like these? Please accept them with peace of mind.”

A flicker of sadness passed through Yuan Baobao’s eyes. The fact that Senior Brother Li was approaching Sitting Death wasn’t exactly a secret among Outer Disciples; she’d heard about it before without feeling much impact then. But seeing him now firsthand made Yuan Baobao keenly feel how merciless the Great Dao could be: someone as kind-hearted as Senior Brother Li seemed destined for shallow blessings instead of deep fortune.