Chapter 143: Routine

"Where did you get the methods for drawing these talismans?""What's wrong?"Seeing Luan Jingsheng's slightly solemn expression, Chen Mobai's heart sank, thinking he had discovered that these talismans were not from the Immortal Sect.

"I felt something was off with that 'Resurrection Talisman' before," Luan Jingsheng explained. "It could have been drawn more simply and effectively, but its strokes were unnecessarily complex. I initially thought it was a printing error in your textbook.""However, now that I see this clear set of four talismans, each one has a modified stroke. The changes aren't incorrect, but they significantly increase the failure rate during drawing, making it much harder for anyone learning from these materials.""For a first-tier talisman master like me, it's manageable; I can force myself to draw them based on my existing foundation. But for a beginner following these instructions, it would likely take at least a year and a half just to get started."

Chen Mobai was stunned by Luan Jingsheng's words.He recalled his struggles in Qingshan Village, practicing diligently every day but failing to draw a single talisman. He had previously thought he lacked talent in this area, and his confidence had taken a hit.He never expected this to be the reason.

The "Divine Wood Sect Talisman-Making Insights" he had acquired from Nanxi Market had, it turned out, been tampered with. All five methods for drawing basic talismans within the book had a single stroke altered. This not only wasted the time of rogue cultivators who learned from it but also potentially undermined their confidence in joining the Divine Wood Sect.He wondered if Lu Shu, who had given him the book, knew about this.If Lu Shu had known, it would mean Chen Mobai was too naive to see through his malicious intentions and hidden deceit.

Chen Mobai instinctively believed that Lu Shu was unaware and had likely been deceived himself.However, recalling the schemes and rivalries among rogue cultivators in the Heavenly River Realm, he began to wonder if he had misjudged Lu Shu.His mind raced with thoughts until he finally managed to calm himself using the "Nurturing Mind to Forge Spirit Art."

"Thank you, Brother Luan," Chen Mobai began, unable to tell Luan Jingsheng the truth. He sighed and fabricated a plausible story: "I found this book with the five talisman drawing methods at a street stall. It looked quite ancient, and I thought I had stumbled upon a treasure. Who knew..."

"I'll try drawing them and correct the strokes for you. Come find me tomorrow," Luan Jingsheng offered. He was a straightforward person, and since Chen Mobai had approached him, he was happy to help."Thank you," Chen Mobai replied, expressing his gratitude once more before treating Luan Jingsheng to a meal.

"If you want to learn talisman making in the future, you still need to buy proper textbooks," Luan Jingsheng advised, speaking candidly during their meal. After several interactions, he had come to regard Chen Mobai as a friend. "I still have the three basic talisman books published by Danzhu Academy; I can give them to you if you need them.""As for those unlicensed items from street stalls, without publication numbers, you should buy fewer of them. They're mostly fakes, specifically designed to deceive students who think they've found a bargain."

As Chen Mobai spoke, he hesitated, then couldn't help but pull out the crafting notes for the "Crimson Flame Sword Talisman" that Qi Rui had given him, asking Luan Jingsheng to take a look.He genuinely didn't dare to trust cultivators from the Heavenly River Realm too much anymore."Actually, the reason I trusted that stall owner was because I genuinely found something good there," Chen Mobai explained. "The 'Triple Crimson Flame Sword Talisman' that I used to counter the 'Heavenly Heart Sword Talisman' during our combat challenge was bought from that very stall. It even came with drawing instructions.""Could you help me check this one too, to see if there are any issues?"

Luan Jingsheng was surprised. He had seen the dazzling spectacle of the "Heavenly Heart Sword Talisman" clashing with the "Triple Crimson Flame Sword Talisman" on the arena in his social circle.He hadn't imagined that Chen Mobai had acquired it from a street stall.His previously somewhat casual attitude immediately became serious. He picked up his phone and began examining the screenshot of the Crimson Flame Sword Talisman crafting notes that Chen Mobai had sent.

"Judging solely by its strokes, this high-grade first-tier talisman doesn't have the obvious irregularities of the previous five," Luan Jingsheng remarked. "However, to determine if there's truly an issue, I would need to draw it myself.""My skill is limited, though; I've only mastered three high-grade first-tier talismans. To learn this Crimson Flame Sword Talisman, it would likely require at least a month of focused effort.""If you're not in a hurry, I can try drawing it for you after I successfully craft another talisman artifact I'm currently working on."

Upon hearing this, Chen Mobai immediately shook his head."How could I take up so much of your time? Given my current skill level, I'd need at least one or two more years of basic practice before I could even attempt to draw this Crimson Flame Sword Talisman. I can slowly figure it out on my own then."Luan Jingsheng nodded in understanding.He practiced both talismans and artifacts, but his primary focus was on artifact crafting. For him, thoroughly mastering the Crimson Flame Sword Talisman would indeed be quite time-consuming.

The next day, Chen Mobai personally visited Luan Jingsheng and received the four other basic talismans with their corrected, flawless strokes. Luan Jingsheng had thoughtfully drawn an example of each, telling him to use them as a reference if he got stuck.Chen Mobai was deeply moved but felt awkward offering contribution points, so he instead presented two vials of high-grade first-tier Qi Replenishing Spirit Water.Luan Jingsheng initially refused, but after repeated insistence, he reluctantly accepted them. As Chen Mobai was leaving, Luan Jingsheng also pressed three basic talisman books, filled with his own annotations, into Chen Mobai's hands.

With the correct samples as a reference, Chen Mobai's talisman-making skills immediately progressed. He successfully drew all five of the Divine Wood Sect's most basic talismans within just ten days.He finally realized that his talent for talisman making was actually quite good; his previous failures had been entirely due to flawed instructional materials.

He could only conclude that the Heavenly River Realm was far more complex than he had imagined, and he had simply not experienced enough of its pitfalls.However, this incident made Chen Mobai finally understand why the large sects' shops in the Heavenly River Realm markets sold items at such high prices.At the very least, they guaranteed the authenticity of their products.If one bought a cheaper cultivation method with the same name from a street stall, it might very well be a trap—deliberately altered by someone with malicious intent to harm rogue cultivators.

The Heavenly River Realm was indeed full of dangers at every turn.Chen Mobai learned a valuable lesson and was fortunate he hadn't practiced the "Black Water Art"; otherwise, he might have been ensnared by another deception.

Just as he was preparing to return to Qingguang Island to scavenge, Wu Wan arrived, his face beaming with excitement.The reverse-engineering of the "White Jade Bell"'s crafting method was complete.