Yang Bailao led Xu Changshou to an elegant courtyard.
Yang Bailao cupped his hands respectfully at the gate. “Martial Uncle Li, I’ve brought Junior Brother Xu Changshou.”
“Enter.”
The quiet voice sounded so close that Xu Changshou felt the speaker was beside him.
It was his first time meeting a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and he felt nervous but also curious.
“Yes, Martial Uncle… Junior Brother Xu, let’s go in.”
Yang Bailao opened the gate and led him inside.
The courtyard was filled with fragrant flowers and grasses.
Beyond it stood three imposing halls.
In the hall, a Daoist sat cross-legged on a cushion, his eyes half-closed.
Sitting motionless, he seemed like a towering mountain that inspired awe.
Xu Changshou sensed an immense pressure from him and dared not look at him directly.
So this is a Foundation Establishment cultivator. What a powerful presence.
Xu Changshou marveled inwardly. Foundation Establishment cultivators were truly extraordinary.
“Disciple Yang Bailao greets Martial Uncle Li.”
“Disciple Xu Changshou greets Martial Uncle Li.”
Seeing Yang Bailao bow, Xu Changshou hurriedly did the same.
“Let’s test your Spirit Root first.”
Li Daotu waved his sleeve, sending a white jade disc to hover before Xu Changshou.
This Magical Artifact was significantly more refined than the one Liu Chuansheng had used.
Xu Changshou looked uncertainly at Yang Bailao, who whispered, “Don’t worry. Hold the disc and channel spiritual energy into your palm.”
“Understood!”
Xu Changshou caught the disc with his left hand and channeled spiritual energy into that palm.
He had a reason for choosing his left. The hidden character for “talisman” would appear in his right palm if he sent spiritual energy there.
He did not want anyone to learn his secret.
Hum…
The jade disc trembled slightly. A golden light appeared inside it, followed by four more: deep green, light green, red, and yellow. Get faster updates on novelping.com.
Then came five more colors: cyan, purple, white, black, and crystal.
Xu Changshou grew uneasy. Liu Chuansheng had registered him as having a Five-Element Mixed Spirit Root, but this test showed he had a Ten-Element Mixed Spirit Root.
If Li Daotu was angered by the discrepancy, he would be in trouble.
“A Ten-Element Mixed Spirit Root!” Yang Bailao stared in astonishment.
“Ten elements. Not bad. You have the makings of a talisman artist,” Li Daotu said with a slight nod.
“Give me your identity token.”
“Yes.”
Li Daotu took Xu Changshou’s yellow token and replaced it with a red one.
The red token was like Zhang Zhengyuan’s. Xu Changshou could now be sure that Zhang Zhengyuan was also a Miscellaneous Disciple.
He did not know which peak Zhang Zhengyuan belonged to.
Xu Changshou sent out spiritual energy to inspect the token. It read: Xu Changshou, male, fifteen, from Laiyang in the Song Kingdom; Ten-Element Mixed Spirit Root; Miscellaneous Disciple of Green Ink Peak, Green Immortal Sect; seventh layer of Qi Condensation.
Now that he could project spiritual energy outward, even checking his identity token was easier.
Li Daotu tossed him a green spirit brush. “Its shaft is made from a branch of small-leaf nan bamboo, and its tip from blood-wolf hair. It will serve you well for now.”
“Starting today, learn to draw talismans from Yang Bailao. Your training period is six months; after that, you’ll begin your talisman-drawing assignments.”
“I understand.”
“You may go. Get any talisman paper you need from the paper room.”
“Junior Brother Xu, let’s go!”
After leaving Li Daotu’s courtyard, Xu Changshou felt a chill on his back. His clothes were soaked with sweat.
Meeting a Foundation Establishment cultivator for the first time had made him terribly nervous.
Yang Bailao took him to the residential area and pointed at the deserted courtyards. “Choose one as your residence. Once you do, someone from Bagua Peak will come to arrange its formation.”
“Go ahead. I’ll come for you tomorrow.”
“Thank you, Senior Brother Yang.”
After Yang Bailao left, Xu Changshou chose a secluded courtyard far from Li Daotu’s residence.
Weeds had overrun the courtyard.
Xu Changshou cut them down with his fine steel sword, then cleaned the house inside and out.
At noon, Xu Changshou ate at the Spirit Dining Hall and met several Green Ink Peak disciples.
All of them looked pale, exhausted, and listless.
There had to be a reason so many people avoided the peak. Judging from these disciples, they seemed to have endured harsh treatment.
The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he became.
After dinner, Xu Changshou skipped cultivation and slept soundly until morning.
At his level, meditation could replace sleep, but going without sleep for too long left him tense and uncomfortable. An occasional night’s rest still helped.
At breakfast, he ran into Yang Bailao in the Spirit Dining Hall.
Yang Bailao looked as weary as ever. He said weakly, “Junior Brother Xu, I’ll start teaching you to draw talismans today.”
“Thank you, Senior Brother Yang.”
After the meal, Yang Bailao led him to his own quarters.
Every courtyard on Green Ink Peak had a separate room for drawing talismans. Yang Bailao’s was a mess, with crumpled sheets of yellow paper scattered across the floor.
The room matched its untidy owner.
Yang Bailao picked up a sheet. “Junior Brother Xu, this is Yellow Hemp Paper, made from fine yellow hemp wood. It’s nearly as tough as oxhide and makes an excellent base for talismans.”
“We have plenty on Green Ink Peak. You can take as much as you need from the paper room.”
“Enough talk. Watch me for now. Once you’ve watched enough, I’ll teach you how to draw them yourself.”
Yang Bailao took out his spirit brush, some Yellow Hemp Paper, and a box of cinnabar. “Talismans don’t require cinnabar, but I’ll use it so you can see the order of my strokes.”
“Thank you, Senior Brother Yang.”
“Watch closely! This first one is the Fireball Talisman.”
Yang Bailao began with the simplest talisman, drawing a Fireball Talisman one stroke at a time.
As he drew, spiritual energy flowed steadily from the tip of his brush.
When he finished, his face was paler and much of his spiritual energy was gone.
Xu Changshou frowned.
No wonder Ye Shanhu had said drawing talismans was work that consumed spiritual energy.
No wonder nobody wanted to come to Green Ink Peak.
No wonder its Miscellaneous Disciples all looked so worn out.
After being drained like this all day, how could they be anything else?
What sort of place have I come to?