Wan Lihan woke up before dawn, his physical muscles and internal meridians still aching heavily from the brutal trauma of the beast nest. Ignoring the lingering pain, his calculating mind locked onto the resources hidden inside his robes. He reached into his bundle, pulling out the bought Talisman Manual and the pristine Inscription Brush.
Sitting cross-legged on his cot, Lihan spent hours studying the complex energetic diagrams, memorizing how to route his 7th Layer Qi through the bristles of the brush. He laid out a blank sheet of spiritual paper and attempted to draw his very first inscription.
He failed immediately. His initial attempt was messy and erratic, resembling nothing more than illegible chicken scratching that caused the paper to dissolve into useless ash. Undeterred, Lihan tried again and again. He failed a dozen more times, but with every repetition, his calligraphy dramatically improved, his brush strokes turning fluid, precise, and steady. By midday, he had successfully created a trio of functional talismans: a defensive Shield Talisman, a deceptive Ghost Talisman, and a localized Level 1 Protection Array Talisman.
Turning his attention to his weaponry, Lihan unsheathed his mid tier grade sword. He opened his brass toxin kit, methodically coating the steel in lethal paralyzing extracts to transform it into a functional Poison Sword, before infusing a thread of Qi across the edge to lock the venom in place.
Eager to test his new weopons, Lihan left the residential courtyard on foot and descended to the secluded lower riverbanks. He activated each of his newly written talismans one by one, watching with a flat, satisfied expression as the defensive shields and arrays flared to life perfectly in the open air.
By the time the sun hit the midday apex, Lihan goes up the mountain paths to the pavilion plaza. Utilizing his absolute authority as the new supervisor, he casually bypassed the lower-tier scrolls and claimed a lucrative Level 5 hunting mission for himself.
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I am heading back toward the wild side of the mountain peaks, Lihan calculated silently, reading through his alchemy manual on foot as he navigated the jagged stone ridges.
After walking for a mile, a heavy vibration rippled through the river thickets below the cliffside paths. Lihan ducked behind the brush, his sharp gaze locking onto a big River Hippo. The beast was heavy, its thick, leathery hide shimmering with localized water energy.
I need a way to bypass its mass, Lihan thought, his expression completely frozen.
Lihan rushed downward, instantly flinging his newly crafted Ghost Talisman straight toward the monster's face. The deceptive inscription erupted into a blinding illusion, breaking the creature's focus. Sensing danger, the big hippo roared in fury, unhinging its jaws to fire a high-pressure blast of spiritual water directly at Lihan's chest. Lihan reacted instantly, slapping his Shield Talisman onto the dirt. A translucent barrier flared to life, absorbing the crushing kinetic force of the water blast until it shattered.
Terrified by the sudden resistance, the heavy hippo spun around, attempting to retreat back into the safety of the roaring river currents.
Lihan sprinted up the adjacent cliffside boulders, tracking the ripple in the tide until he spotted the shadow of the beast swimming just below the surface. Gripping his Poison Sword with both hands, Lihan leapt blindly off the high ledge, descending like an absolute ghost.
Splash!
The sheer weight of his physical body, combined with his raw 7th Layer Qi, drove the poisoned blade deep into the hippo's neck armor. Lihan aggressively stabbed the blade deeper, twisting the steel until the paralyzing toxins flooded the beast's bloodstream, killing it within a few frantic seconds.
Stumbling back onto the muddy shore, Lihan dragged the big hippo carcass out of the water. His mind shifted to the valuable rewards of the harvest. Using his blade, he methodically stripped away the pristine fangs and the heavy, waterproof skin, before digging into its core to extract a gleaming, highly valuable Elemental Crystal.
Exhausted but highly successful, Lihan sat beneath the shade of an oak tree to take a short break. He wiped the blood from his brow, his blank eyes scanning the forest floor. His collection of hand-cooked medicines had been completely depleted during his recovery. Moving back onto his feet, the young supervisor began searching the damp roots and shaded rocks, meticulously gathering fresh herbs to refine a brand-new batch of healing pills before returning to the sect.