Chapter 289 Resuming Talisman Crafting
The Starstripe Grained Wood had a thickness of around three fingers and was 30cm in length, and it was hard to the point of being comparable to ordinary earth-rank Magic Treasures. The grains on it were fine like wriggling worms and were covered in stripes that were scattered about like the stars in the sky. Every single stripe emitted a chilly silver colored glow that seemed to be extremely mysterious.
Starstripe Grained Wood was actually a precious equipment refinement material of the wood attribute, and it was indeed optimum for crafting talisman paper, yet it truly seemed to be slightly wasteful.
Chen Xi didn’t care about all this. As far as he was concerned, only talisman paper crafted from Starstripe Grained Wood would be able to endure the talisman marking structures to the greatest extent, thus flawlessly connecting with the energy of Dao Insight to completely bring out the might of a high-grade treasured talisman.
He started processing the Starstripe Grained Wood with movements that dazzled the eyes, and it seemed as if he didn’t have to think, as every single movement and step came easily to him and flowed smoothly like water.
Slicing, cleaning, drying, removal of impurities, tempering of its properties… In his hands, an entire piece of Starstripe Grained Wood were transforming at a speed that was visible to the eye, and it was as if he was performing a magic trick that caused others to be amazed.
This was attributed to Chen Xi’s exceedingly solid foundation. Long ago, before he’d become a talisman crafting apprentice in Pine Mist City, his assignment was to process various materials, and the crafting of talisman paper was one of the steps. So he was naturally skillful and extremely adept at processing the Starstripe Grained Wood.
In next to no time, this piece of Starstripe Grained Word had been crafted into a stack of talisman paper under Chen Xi’s skilled technique. Every single talisman paper revealed a dark silver color and had a uniform thickness, and their surface was covered in silver colored stripes that were scattered about like the stars in the sky and seemed like they were silver colored streams that could flow about.
Uniform thickness and tough like jade. The talisman paper crafted by Starstripe Grained Wood is indeed of superb quality. I don’t have to worry about the risk of the talisman paper being unable to endure the energy of the talisman markings and collapsing when I’m crafting high-grade treasured talismans. Chen Xi placed these talisman papers at the side before starting the final step before he started crafting talismans — concocting ink.
To a certain extent, the quality of ink affected the might of a talisman. Superb ink was capable of drawing balanced and smoothly flowing talisman marking structures, and it was capable of allowing the talisman to extremely acutely connect with the energy of the heavens and the earth, causing the entire talisman’s energy to attain a full and perfect state.
For example, some talismans were of the same grade, yet their strengths differed. It was because the difference between the quality of ink used on each talisman had affected the strength of the talisman.
Actually, it wasn’t only the ink, the quality of talisman brush, talisman paper, and the talisman master itself affected the quality and might of the talisman. What Chen Xi was doing now was to make every aspect attain the highest state, as only high-grade treasured talismans crafted with this would satisfy him.
In other words, Chen Xi’s requirements to himself were the harshest in talisman crafting, and he pursued perfection in every aspect, as only in this way would he be able to attain his standards. This was a type of complex that was already formed within him when he was still a tiny little talisman crafting apprentice. It was precisely because of his attitude that was so harsh that he would reveal extremely high comprehension ability and natural talent in the path of talisman crafting.
Swish!
Within a jade bowl, a puddle of blood that revealed a jade green color filled its interior, and it possessed dense spirit energy and emitted vast energy. This was the Blood Essence of a Greenfur Nine-tailed Mink, and it was extremely costly, to the point of being able to be sold for the price of 10,000 plus Nascent Condensation Pills on the market. Along with Chen Xi pouring the dark red Crimsonsun Snowdew into the jade bowl, the jade green colored Blood Essence instantly started boil, and it emitted gurgling sounds as a string of air bubbles rose up.
Every single one of these air bubbles was the size of a broad bean and were completely round and translucent. Within the air bubbles was a distinct black and white color that looked like the intersecting of Yin and Yang. The air bubbles both sank and floated indefinitely within the Blood Essence while exploding occasionally, causing the energy contained within the air bubbles to gush out and instantly cause the jade green Blood Essence in the jade bowl to be suffused with a scarlet red color, and it was sticky like amber.
When all the air bubbles vanished, the entire contents of the jade bowl had already formed into a pool of thick scarlet red ink that emitted shocking energy that formed into the shape of dragon roars and tiger howls as they drifted out, and it shook the air to the point the air dispersed towards the surroundings and formed a vacuum around the jade bowl.
Talisman brush, talisman paper, talisman ink, all of them were present before his eyes, and it caused a long lost feeling of excitement to suddenly arise within Chen Xi’s heart. How many years has it been? I’m finally starting to craft talismans again. Perhaps the only difference was that he crafted talismans all those years ago for the sake of earning money and supporting his family, whereas he was crafting talismans for the sake of going against his enemies now!
Chen Xi took a deep breath and got rid of all distracting thoughts. His back was ramrod straight, his expression solemn, and he sat upright before the tablet and stretched out his hand to pick up the talisman brush that had a nice texture when stroked, then picked up a talisman paper covered with silver colored stripes and placed it flat on the table. After that, he dipped the tip of his brush into the ink that contained enormous energy, and instantly a seven colored dreamlike mist drifted out from the tip of the brush.
Numerous complicated, dense, and profound talisman marking structures gushed into appearance within his mind. All of these talisman marking structures were separated from the Azurewood Divine Talisman, and they could form into the structure of a high-grade treasured talisman, Azurewood Vitality.
When he inscribed the five great Divine Talismans in the world of stars, Chen Xi had noticed that no matter if it was the Azurewood Divine Talisman or the other four types of Divine Talismans, the talisman marking structures contained within them seemed to cover all the talisman markings of the five elements, and he could form them into any type of talisman or formation according to different methods.
This feeling was as if the five great Divine Talismans represented all the talisman marking structures of the five elements, and every single Divine Talisman embraced all the talismans of its respective attribute, causing it to contain everything and seem like the source of the talisman markings of the five elements.
For example, the Azurewood Divine Talisman contained the talisman marking structures for the nine grades of talismans, spirit talismans, treasured talismans, dark talismans, and heavenly talismans of the wood element, and they numbered in the thousands and were innumerable.
But with Chen Xi’s current strength, he was merely capable of finding some high-grade treasured talismans from the Divine Talismans and crafting them. As for talismans of even higher quality, even if he was capable of comprehending them, he would be unable to craft them, as he was restrained by his own strength and Dao comprehension, and it was something that he was unable to change at this moment.
His right hand moved nimbly like a twisting serpent that was flexible to the point of seeming to be boneless, and numerous scarlet red talisman markings gushed out from the tip of the brush and flowed like serpents on the silver talisman paper. Chen Xi’s movements were slightly jerky at the beginning, as he hadn’t crafted a talisman for a long time, but he quickly found the feeling from before, and the tip of his brush started to become nimble, causing the talisman marking structures drawn on the talisman paper to become smooth along with this. They seemed like numerous streams that flowed naturally and didn’t have the slightest trace of artificial creation.
Even though the high-grade treasured talisman, Azurewood Vitality, was one of the talismans contained within the Azurewood Divine Talisman, it was extremely dense and complicated as well, and it required the inscribing of 81 types of formations, whereas each of these formations contained the talisman markings of nine types of talismans. Moreover, it required the energy of Dao Insight to be added into every single talisman marking, and it could similarly be called an extremely great project.
Although it was dense and complicated, if it was crafted successfully, then the might of this high-grade treasured talisman would be extremely formidable and sufficient to compare to the full force strike of an advanced-stage Golden Core Realm cultivator.
Time slowly flowed by, and the night silently withdrew itself as the morning sun rose in the sky.
During this period of time, Chen Xi seemed like a claw statue that stared without blinking at the talisman paper with a calm and emotionless expression, and only his nimble right hand that controlled the talisman brush could prove that he was still a living person.
Mu Kui had come over very early on and saw Chen Xi was crafting talismans with concentration, and even though he was curious in his heart, he didn’t dare disturb Chen Xi and was deeply afraid that he would cause disturbance to Chen Xi. Moreover, for the sake of avoiding the outside world from affecting Chen Xi, he sat cross-legged before Chen Xi’s door right away without eating or drinking as he maintained vigilance towards the surroundings. Probably even the slightest rustle of the leaves in the wind nearby would be unable to escape his senses.
At this moment, the Maple Leaf City’s Sikong Clan was plotting a movement against Chen Xi.
This was a ghastly and pitch black chamber that was filled with spiders, centipedes, toads, snakes, and scorpions crawling about. All of them had shockingly enormous bodies and extremely hideous appearances, and their eyes emitted a gleam of insane bloodlust. These were five types of extremely toxic beasts that had balls of poisonous fog coiling all around them, and there were 1,000 plus of them that filled the entire chamber.
A stinking and nauseating smell was like a sticky mist that filled every single inch of this space, and if an ordinary person entered here, then merely the slightest smell of this would cause the person to die instantly and transform into pus.
Click! Click!
At this moment, the various toxic beasts in the chamber seemed to have gone mad as they fought each other, and they emitted sharp and shrill cries. The death of every single toxic beast would cause it to be instantly swallowed by its opponent, and the situation of the battle was extremely horrifying.
Sikong Hua stood outside the chamber with trembling legs as he looked at the bloody slaughter and heard the shrill cries, and he even revealed a slight expression of terror and detestation.
He knew that this was a method of fostering formidable toxic beasts, as when they were all locked in a chamber and allowed to fight with each other, only the last toxic beast would be able to survive, and this toxic beast that had survived numerous battles and swallowed all its companions would only need to be slightly trained with secret techniques before it would be able to transform into an even more terrifying and formidable king amongst toxic beasts.
For example, the strength of the final surviving toxic beasts amongst the numerous toxic beasts in the chamber before him would transform to become comparable to a cultivator at the Golden Core Realm. Moreover, it would possess toxic poison while being extremely ruthless and terrifying. Even if an ordinary Golden Core Realm cultivator encountered it, the cultivator would be killed ruthlessly and transformed into a puddle of stinking and disgusting pus.
But Sikong Hua didn’t care about all this, as he’d long since been terrified by the scene within the chamber, and he wished for nothing more than to flee this place as soon as possible. However, he took a glance at his older brother, Sikong Hen, beside him and forcefully endured the fear in his heart in the end, standing obediently on the spot.
“You said that kid has been hiding in the Lofty Phoenix Inn since leaving the Treasure Heaven Pavilion?” Sikong Hen withdrew his gaze from the chamber, and then he turned around to ask coldly.
“Exactly. That bastard is simply like a turtle that doesn’t have the slightest courage. I truly don’t know how such a cowardly chicken would dare go against our Sikong Clan,” said Sikong Hua in disdain.
“I don’t want to hear all this. I only want to ask you if you’ve investigated his name and identity?” Sikong Hen frowned.
“He seems to be called Chen Xi. According to the reports from our scouts, this person is probably not a cultivator from our Maple Leaf City, and we have nothing to worry about from killing him.” Sikong Hua thought for a moment and spoke with a totally unconcerned tone.
“Alright, you can leave. Tell those scouts to monitor that kid at all times, and so long as he has the intention of leaving Maple Leaf City, they should swiftly report it to me. If anyone dares fail at their tasks during a time like this and allows that kid to escape from beneath their eyes... Hmph! This chamber will be that person’s final resting place!” Sikong Hen pointed at the chamber before him as he spoke coldly.
“Brother, it’s only a cultivator from outside the city. So what if we kill him? Why do we have to wait for him to leave the city?” asked Sikong Hua. As he spoke, he looked at the bloody and horrifying slaughter within the chamber and couldn’t help but shudder as he thought in his heart. If someone is thrown in, then that person’s end will be too brutal…
“Just wait. Ning Yi’s group of three will return 15 days from now. At that time, if that kid is still holed up in the inn, then we can only kill him in secret.” Sikong Hen thought for a moment and instructed. “Remember, don’t do anything to that kid during this period of time. After all, everything that occurred in the Treasure Heaven Pavilion has spread throughout Maple Leaf City. If that kid dies, the Earthly Heaven Sect will surely use this as an excuse to suppress our Sikong Clan. At that time, both of us will be unable to undertake Father’s punishment.”
“Dammit! The Earthly Heaven Sect Again! They keep going against us in every aspect. I truly wish for nothing more than for everyone in the Earthly Heaven Sect to be annihilated!” Sikong Hua muttered with irritation.
“That day will surely come. Once I reclaim the spiked club and find the Ironflag Sect’s inheritance treasure vault in the Dark Reverie, then perhaps I’ll possess sufficient strength to obliterate the Earthly Heaven Sect…” Sikong Hen muttered, and his icy cold eyes gushed with traces of killing intent.