Chapter 3

As time passed, clumps of liquid were extracted, which inevitably solidified into grayish-white waste. By the time the last portion of liquid fell from the air and solidified, it was already the evening of the sixth day. Throughout these six days, Wu Yan had remained sleepless and tirelessly by the cauldron, manipulating his magical power to create blank talisman paper. Although all fifty batches of materials had failed, he appeared somewhat excited. The reason, of course, was that he had made significant progress in controlling his magical power. It was precisely because of this that he could more accurately manage the loss of magical energy, shortening a process that originally required over ten days to just six days. Moreover, his greatest achievement was a slight improvement to the method of creating blank talisman paper recorded in the jade slip. The failures of those materials were naturally due to the attempt to refine that method; otherwise, even if Wu Yan's aptitude were poor, it would be impossible for him to suffer a total defeat.

These thoughts merely flashed through Wu Yan's mind before he cast them aside. Since he was already in a situation where retreat was impossible, he decided to press on. As the incantation was completed, another silvery liquid rose from the cauldron. With the experience from the last time, Wu Yan was more cautious in manipulating his magical power. He now realized that the magical power he had cultivated for decades was akin to a child wielding a giant axe. Although it appeared to be wildly powerful, in reality, that power was not under his control. In special circumstances, it was not uncommon for him to not only fail to defeat an enemy but also to end up binding himself. After coming to this understanding, Wu Yan no longer cared whether he could successfully create the blank talisman paper from that liquid. Instead, he focused most of his thoughts on controlling his magical power. If he could truly gain insights useful for manipulating magical power from this experience, it would naturally provide him with a better chance of survival when facing enemies in the future.

In a quiet stone house, Wu Yan sat cross-legged alone on a stone bed, playing with a jade slip in his hand, his face revealing a strange expression. Earlier, he had accompanied Wang Gu to meet Zhuo Ming's master, Hua Yi, and the process was surprisingly smooth, allowing him to breathe a sigh of relief after being anxious. However, it made sense; even though Zhuo Ming had benefited from the favor of Brother Ma Lian and wanted to embarrass him, with his arrogance, how could he possibly tell Hua Yi about such matters. The process was surprisingly smooth, allowing him to breathe a sigh of relief after being anxious. However, it made sense; even though Zhuo Ming had benefited from the favor of Brother Ma Lian and wanted to embarrass him, with his arrogance, how could he possibly tell Hua Yi about such matters.

It seems that I have overestimated myself a bit; how could Zhuo Ming possibly regard himself highly? Even if he were to kill himself, he might still think it would dirty his hands! However, I must truly thank Senior Brother Ma Lian and this Zhuo Ming! Hehe! Perhaps they never even dreamed that their actions would actually help me immensely!" Wu Yan smiled slightly, glancing at the inconspicuous jade slip in his hand. It contained the methods for crafting blank talismans and the materials required, which he had just received during his meeting with Hua Yi. Besides the jade slip, there was also a medicinal cauldron and a waist token representing the identity of a talisman craftsman disciple.

Returning to his own stone house, Wu Yan immediately set up a simple barrier at the entrance. Although it could not withstand much, it could at least serve as a warning. He had already decided to devote all his energy to talisman crafting in the coming years, for without the aid of elixirs, given his aptitude, even with ample time for cultivation, he might not be able to break through his current bottleneck.

After confirming that there were no issues with the materials for making blank talisman paper, Wu Yan began to study the method of production. The principle of this method is quite simple, consisting of only two steps. The first step is to boil various materials into a liquid using a medicinal cauldron. Of course, mastering the heat during this process is crucial. However, Wu Yan believes that this step will not be difficult for him, as his thirty years of experience in refining tools has made him exceptionally skilled in controlling the heat. The second step, however, poses a real challenge for him, as during this process, the talisman-making disciples must use their own magical power to shape the liquid. Only then can the production of a piece of blank talisman paper be considered complete. The problem is that with Wu Yan's mere eighth level of Qi Refining, how much magical power can he expend? If he only aims to complete his monthly tasks, it would be more than sufficient, but to realize his grand plan for wealth would be extremely difficult. "It seems I can only do my best; such an opportunity that could potentially change my fate must not be missed under any circumstances." With this thought, Wu Yan no longer hesitated and swiftly left the stone house. Since he knew that making talisman paper was time-consuming, he naturally intended to take this moment to gather more of those common herbs.

As the temperature increased, the various materials within the alchemical cauldron began to change, and Wu Yan's expression grew more serious. Although he was confident in his ability to control the heat, he still felt a bit nervous, especially since he had invested enough materials to create fifty blank talismans all at once. Time passed slowly, and the blue-red flames beneath the cauldron seemed to be tamed, continuously adjusting in size, shape, and color according to Wu Yan's will. At that moment, a faintly bitter yet fragrant aroma wafted from the cauldron. Only when the bitter taste in this fragrance completely dissipated did a look of relief appear on Wu Yan's face, indicating that the first step in producing the blank talismans had finally been successfully completed

On the second day, Wu Yan received a month's worth of materials for making talisman paper from the disciple in charge of the Talisman Hall. What puzzled him was that he no longer saw Zhuo Ming's figure, which reassured him greatly. It seemed that Zhuo Ming had long since concluded that he would not complete the task, thus sparing him the trouble of being challenged. However, this was nothing but good news for Wu Yan, as having someone watching him every day would surely ruin any plans for wealth he might have.

Wu Yan stood respectfully to the side, presenting an appearance of being taught, yet in his heart, he was exceedingly pleased. Who would have thought that this ground full of failed materials would provide him with an excellent excuse? The more Zhuo Ming looked down on him, the less attention he would pay to him. However, what was the matter with Zhuo Ming's mention of the senior brother with a horse face praising him? And what about the so-called potential competitors? Competing with the horse-faced senior brother? He had never had such thoughts.

Wu Yan reviewed all the materials and set aside two types needed for making blank talisman paper. Based on their quantities, it seems sufficient to produce over a thousand sheets of blank talisman paper. As for the other material, the yellow jade leaves, he planned to wait a few days until others were not paying attention before going to the nearest abandoned mine to gather them. After all, the round trip of nearly one thousand kilometers would require at least two days. Besides these three types of materials that need to be distributed in specific quantities, the remaining materials for making blank talisman paper are very common herbs found in the Yunmeng Mountain Range. However, they must be personally harvested by the talisman crafting disciples, and one could say that there is an abundance of them available.

After a brief rest, Wu Yan once again silently recalled the content of the second step in the production of blank talisman paper from the jade slip. Only after confirming that there were no omissions did he begin the second step of the production. According to the requirements in the jade slip, the silvery liquid inside the medicinal cauldron must not come into contact with any tangible objects after leaving the cauldron; it can only be enveloped by magical power. However, since this liquid is greatly affected by temperature, it will solidify with just a slight cooling. Therefore, during the process of transforming this liquid into blank talisman paper, the producer must also allocate some magical power to maintain the temperature of the liquid. As a result, the longer this process takes, the more severely the magical power is consumed. Moreover, the quality of the blank talisman paper is closely related to this; the sooner the talisman paper takes shape, the easier it is to succeed in the talisman-making process, while the opposite leads to a higher failure rate.

Just as Wu Yan was about to tidy up, the barrier he had set up at the entrance of the stone house was suddenly shattered with a loud "bang" by an external force. He couldn't help but be taken aback. Just as he was about to retrieve his only offensive weapon, a figure appeared before him. "Oh? What? You still want to attack me?" The person who came was none other than Zhuo Ming, whom Wu Yan least wanted to see at that moment.

Taking a deep breath, Wu Yan expelled all distractions and finally retrieved the medicinal cauldron. He then carefully placed various materials inside before using the blazing oil to begin heating. This blazing oil is the most commonly used item among all low-level external disciples, whether for refining low-level materials, concocting ordinary elixirs, or even for warmth and cooking in the wild. Of course, higher-level external disciples disdain using such a substance, as the earth fire from the fire vein is purer compared to blazing oil, making both refining tools and concocting elixirs much more efficient.

Hmph! I doubt you dare! However, your room can truly be described as a mess!" Zhuo Ming swaggered around the alchemical cauldron that Wu Yan had yet to put away, exclaiming, "Tsk tsk, and these failed materials, heh! There must be dozens of them! But your performance is rather disappointing. You should know that your senior brother Ma has praised you to the skies! I really can't tell if he has become muddled or if you are just unlucky, to be regarded as a potential competitor, hmph! Although alchemy and talisman crafting are different, they still share some commonalities. Even a cultivator who has never ventured into this field would not be as inept as you are.

Perhaps Wu Yan's demeanor of listening attentively to the teachings greatly satisfied Zhuo Ming's vanity, as he cheerfully patted Wu Yan on the shoulder. This sudden gesture startled Wu Yan, causing him to break out in a cold sweat. Fortunately, Zhuo Ming did not notice his unusual reaction and continued to speak self-importantly: "Junior Brother Wu, in a month, it will be the day of the 'Fish Leaping Over the Dragon Gate Challenge' held by our Outer Nine Peaks. I came today to inform you that if you wish to sign up, feel free to do so! I am not like your petty Senior Brother Ma."

The Fish Leaping Over the Dragon Gate Challenge? Wu He and Tu Shuyan smiled wryly. Considering what Zhuo Ming had said earlier, if he still did not understand the reason for being exiled by Senior Brother Ma Lian, it would be too foolish. Observing the hint of mockery in Zhuo Ming's eyes, he certainly would not naively believe that Zhuo Ming wanted him to participate for his own good. It was likely that Zhuo Ming had noticed his poor skills in making blank talisman paper and wanted to see him make a fool of himself. "Thank you for your kind intentions, Senior Brother. Wu Yan is still self-aware enough to decline the challenge."

I see! Then I won't press you any further, Senior Brother. Upon hearing Wu Yan's refusal, Zhuo Ming displayed an expression that suggested he had anticipated this outcome. After casually exchanging a few words, he left with a leisurely demeanor. As he watched Zhuo Ming's figure fade from view, a barely perceptible smile appeared at the corner of Wu Yan's mouth

At this moment, Wu Yan was quietly gazing at the silvery liquid in the medicinal cauldron. After a long while, a small mass of liquid slowly separated itself, then, as if manipulated by an invisible hand, it floated away from the cauldron and gradually hovered in front of Wu Yan. Subsequently, that small mass of silvery liquid began to transform into various irregular shapes, resembling a drunken man staggering as he walked, or an untamed wild horse attempting to break free from confinement. Gradually, the transformations of that mass of liquid became more pronounced, while beads of fine sweat began to appear on Wu Yan's forehead, indicating that he seemed to be struggling to maintain control. Finally, the mass of liquid broke free from the grasp of the invisible hand, and at the moment it burst forth, it instantly solidified, subsequently falling with a "pop!" right in front of Wu Yan.

However, after Wu Yan finished reading the contents of the jade slip, his initial concerns were instantly dispelled. This was because he was already familiar with the three essential materials for crafting blank talismans: silver powder, jade ash, and yellow jade leaves. He could refine the first two materials himself, while the yellow jade leaves were a type of herb that grew in dark environments. Back when Wu Yan was mining, he often encountered this herb. With this, he essentially had an unlimited supply of materials for crafting blank talismans. At that point, not to mention completing the monthly task of producing one hundred talismans, even making one thousand would not be a problem. Of course, Wu Yan had never considered completing the monthly task of one hundred talismans. Upon realizing that there were no restrictions on his production of blank talismans, he immediately conceived a bold idea: to personally craft low-level talismans. As long as he could produce talismans in large quantities, the long-standing issue of his lack of spirit stones would naturally be resolved. Perhaps this could even allow him to make a breakthrough in the Foundation Establishment stage! After all, not to mention anything else, the three hundred years of lifespan granted to Foundation Establishment cultivators was extremely enticing.

When Wu Yan completely restored his magical power, half a day had already passed. Looking at the silver-white liquid in the alchemical cauldron, which remained unchanged, he couldn't help but feel a sense of luck. If it weren't for his exceptional skill in controlling the heat, all fifty portions of the materials for the blank talismans would have been wasted today. However, even so, at his current pace, it would likely take another half month to fully shape all the liquid, and it was still uncertain how many qualified sheets of blank talisman paper could be produced.

Wu Yan did not dare to respond; it was just that his senior brother's sudden appearance had startled him. Wu Yan replied cautiously, as there was a significant disparity in strength between him and Zhuo Ming, and he did not wish to provoke the other party

After determining the course of action for the near future, Wu Yan dumped out various materials from his storage bag. These were materials he had carefully accumulated over the past few years. Some were prepared for crafting his first magical artifact, while others were set aside to deal with the sudden outbursts of Senior Brother Ma Lian. The remaining materials were recently obtained from a task. Looking at the large pile of various materials before him, Wu Yan suddenly felt a pang of regret. If he had been willing to spend an additional five spirit stones to copy the jade slip that recorded most of the materials in the cultivation world, he wouldn't be unclear about the uses of most of the materials in front of him. With a bitter smile, he began to understand why Senior Brother Ma Lian had posed such challenges to him over the years. The materials he had painstakingly refined must be quite valuable! That old fox! Fortunately, he had kept a little backup, only handing over a small portion of the particularly difficult-to-refine materials; otherwise, he would have suffered a significant loss.

Sigh! I never expected this second step to be so difficult to control. In this brief moment, it seems that my magical energy has been depleted by more than half. Clearly, my estimation of this matter was somewhat lacking! Wu Yan sighed, casually picking up the already solidified material. The originally vibrant silver-white color, full of spiritual essence, had turned grayish-white. Undoubtedly, this item had long since become waste. Shaking his head with a bitter smile, Wu Yan no longer paid attention to the worthless material. Instead, he took out a spirit stone to restore his lost magical energy. He had no retreat left; if he could not learn to craft low-level talismans in a short time, he would never have the courage to attempt the Foundation Establishment stage in the remainder of his life.