Chapter 6: The Hundred Arts of Cultivation: Talisman Making!_1

"Lan Shu, you've worked hard."

Lu Changsheng, holding the baby, entered the room and saw Lu Lanshu lying on the bed. He sat beside her and gently took her hand.

Although the two of them were bound by a marriage of convenience, with no foundation of feelings,

it is said that love grows over time. Having spent so much time together, especially now that the child had been born, naturally, some feelings had developed.

"Husband."

Lu Lanshu's pale face showed a touch of a smile as she weakly called out.

"Don't move, just rest well."

Lu Changsheng's voice was soft.

Holding the child and looking at his wife, at that moment, he felt a sense of happiness in his heart.

He thought it would be quite nice to continue like this forever.

But he remembered the assassination by the Chen Family while on the way to Qingzhu Mountain.

The cruel law of the survival of the fittest in this world.

Lu Changsheng knew that happiness also needed the protection of strength.

Without even looking far, without strength, once he left the Lu Family, even his child would not be his.

And more importantly,

having the fortune to traverse to such a world, with the destiny of Cultivation and a system beside him, he wasn't content with a mediocre and ordinary life.

Seeing the weak appearance of Lu Lanshu and knowing she needed rest, Lu Changsheng did not talk much. He told her to rest well and handed the baby over to a woman standing by.

It wasn't because the baby had to be given to the Lu Family right after birth, but because he didn't know how to take care of an infant, so he let the woman look after it.

As for the child's Spiritual Root, it would not manifest until they were five or six years old, so it could not be tested now.

After leaving the birthing room, Lu Changsheng returned to his own room and silently called out.

"System, I want to draw a lottery."

Immediately, a pale red virtual lottery wheel appeared before his eyes.

It was divided into seven areas: Cultivation Technique, Skills, Pet Beasts, Elixir Medicines, Magical Treasures, Treasures, and Others.

"It's quite comprehensive."

Lu Changsheng looked at the items available for the draw, his face showing delight.

The only caveat was that the lottery wheel looked a bit like the roulette from the money-grabbing games of the penguin corporation from his previous life.

It made him feel unreliable, somewhat panicky.

Can good things really come out of this?

And besides, the lottery in his previous life depended on spending money, but this life's lottery depended on... spending vitality?

It felt rather strange to him...

Forget it, consider this lottery as the system's gift money.

Lu Changsheng didn't overthink and silently said,

"Start the lottery."

At once, a golden light began to spin on the pale red wheel.

After five seconds, the wheel slowed down, and under Lu Changsheng's hopeful gaze, the golden light stopped on Skills.

[Ding, congratulations to the host for obtaining a Second Rank Talisman-Making Skill!]

[The reward has been issued to the System Space, and the host can check it at any time]

A talisman-shaped light cluster emerged from the big wheel, accompanied by the sound of the system's voice.

With a slight movement of his mind, Lu Changsheng saw a talisman-shaped light cluster in the System Space, with information appearing on it.

[Second Rank Talisman-Making Skill: Upon use, you can directly comprehend Second Rank full-level Talisman-Making Skill and the corresponding Complete Collection of Talismans.]

"Directly obtained Second Rank full-level Talisman-Making Skill!?"

"System, I apologize, I admit I was a bit narrow-minded at the start, carrying some bias."

When Lu Changsheng saw the information, his expression was full of surprise.

He hadn't expected to get something this good on his first try at the lottery.

Having been in the Lu Family for a while now, he hadn't just focused on having a child and practising Cultivation.

He had also enriched himself by learning many things about the Cultivation World.

He knew how precious the Second Rank Talisman-Making Skill was and its value.

Just like in the secular world, Cultivators also had many professions and Skills.

For example, Alchemy, Artifact Refining, Talisman Making, Formation, Beast Taming, Gardening, Medicinal Cooking, Spirit Identification, Mining… and so on.

In his previous life, there was a saying that if you have a skill, you will not starve wherever you go.

It applies just the same for Cultivators.

Moreover, not only will you not starve, but you will also be in high demand, esteemed wherever you go.

Because the entry threshold for a Cultivator's skills is much higher—it's not something you can learn just because you want to, nor can everyone master it.

It depends greatly on talent and wealth.

Among all skills, Formation, Alchemy, Artifact Refining, and Talisman Making are especially popular.

Second Rank Talisman-Making corresponds to the Talismans of the Foundation Establishment Stage, which is above Qi Refinement.

With this skill, he could completely become an honored guest, a Guest Elder, in various Families and powers!

Without further thought, Lu Changsheng mentally activated the Second Rank Talisman-Making Skill in the System Space.

In an instant, a surge of knowledge rushed into his mind.

Introduction to Talismans

Complete Collection of Basic Talismans

Complete Collection of First Rank Talismans

Complete Collection of Second Rank Talismans

The Great Art of Talisman Making

How Talismans Are Made

Talisman Making: From Beginner to Grave

...

After a while, Lu Changsheng's mind was filled with numerous pieces of knowledge about talismans.

He also felt as if he had been drawing and making talismans for dozens of years.

He quickly approached his desk, picked up a writing brush, and sketched out a mysterious and complex talisman figure on a piece of paper with fluid grace, as if dragons and snakes were racing across the clouds.

"This feeling is simply marvelous!"

"It's as if I've been practicing calligraphy and writing for several decades. There's not the slightest bit of stiffness or unfamiliarity."

"Indeed, anything produced by the system is guaranteed to be a fine product!"

Looking at the talisman on the paper, Lu Changsheng's face showed a surprised and delighted expression.

He wasn't scribbling aimlessly; that was the talisman for a lower-grade First Rank Fireball Talisman.

It was just that, since he hadn't used a talisman brush, talisman paper, spirit ink, or spiritual power, it didn't become an actual talisman.

He couldn't quite explain this drawing process himself.

It was like eating and drinking water, something he had done countless times before, that had already become muscle memory.

"With Second Rank talisman-making skills, even if I leave the Lu Family, I'll be able to stand on my own two feet!"

"No worries about not being able to get a wife or support a wife and children!"

Lu Changsheng took a deep breath, his emotions excited and exuberant.

However, after a moment, he frowned.

"But right now, I can't reveal these Second Rank talisman-making skills. Otherwise, I won't be able to explain it, and it may even bring trouble."

An innocent man incurs blame by possessing a gem.

A son-in-law who was eliminated by the Immortal Sects and has only just started on cultivation, suddenly mastering talisman making will definitely give rise to suspicions and invite trouble.

Besides, he was currently a son-in-law living at the Lu Family's expense.

If he revealed his talisman-making skills, who knows what attitude the Lu Family would take.

They might go from using him as a 'breeding' partner to treating him as a talisman-making tool.

"I can't rush it. I need to take things slowly. First, I'll buy a set of talisman-making tools and materials to practice making talismans. Then I'll gradually reveal my talent for making talismans at the Lu Family, eventually revealing my First and Second Rank Talisman Master skills in a logical progression."

"That way, it won't arouse suspicion. Maybe even for my talent in making talismans, the Lu Family will value me more, and my status will rise."

Lu Changsheng took a deep breath and after pondering for a while, he made up his mind.

Now seeing the effect of the system and possessing Second Rank talisman-making skills, he felt more confident about this world and his future.

He knew that as long as he was careful, had more children, and caused less trouble, even if he didn't become immortal or an ancestor, his achievements in the future would not be too bad.

...

The next morning, Lu Changsheng went out and took out the Magic Flying Sword that Lu Yuanding had rewarded him with before, and headed towards the Hundred Treasures Pavilion in Qingzhu Villa.

The Hundred Treasures Pavilion was akin to a department store.

They sold all sorts of things such as Magic Artifacts, Elixir Medicines, Talismans, Spirit Rice, Spirit Vegetables, Demon Beast meat, and everyday items.

Every month, Lu Changsheng would use the Spirit Stones he received to buy Demon Beast meat and Spirit Vegetables from the Hundred Treasures Pavilion.

Elixir Medicines were effective but too expensive.

For someone as poor as him, eating Spirit Vegetables and Demon Beast meat was more cost-effective.

Today, he came to the Hundred Treasures Pavilion intending to purchase a set of talisman-making tools and materials.

As for the Flying Sword, he was out of money and planned to sell it for cash.

"Shopkeeper, do you sell talisman pens, talisman paper, and spirit ink for making talismans here?"

Upon arriving at the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, Lu Changsheng asked the shopkeeper, who was lounging on a recliner.

"What do you need these items for?"

The shopkeeper was a gray-haired old man and also a cultivator.

"I want to learn talisman-making, so I plan to buy some materials to give it a try."

Lu Changsheng replied.

"Learn talisman-making?"

The old man appeared to hear a joke and couldn't help laughing.

Looking at Lu Changsheng, he said, "Do you know how difficult it is to learn talisman-making?"

There weren't many cultivators in Qingzhu Villa, only about a hundred or so, and he knew most of them.

Lu Changsheng, being a son-in-law who had fathered five children in one year, had gained some notoriety in Qingzhu Villa, leaving a relatively deep impression on the shopkeeper.

"I don't know, but my talent is limited. Continuing to cultivate like this, I can basically see my limits. So, I might as well try learning a craft."

Lu Changsheng shook his head, smiling wryly.

He had prepared all these excuses the night before.

"Heh, it's good that you have this thought, but I advise you not to waste your money,"

"Any newcomer who wants to learn talisman-making is likely to fail a hundred times when they start, and if they have poor aptitude, even failing a few hundred times isn't surprising!"

"That's still for the same talisman. If you try making a different talisman, although it gets somewhat easier, the failure rate is still shockingly high."

"For a novice to become an Elementary Talisman Master, it requires thousands upon thousands of attempts. Think about the costs involved for yourself."

The shopkeeper, seeing that Lu Changsheng was diligent in the Lu Family, having made five women pregnant within a year, meant well with his advice.