Zhou Jinyan received it with both hands, and at first glance, his eyes lit up with admiration.

  He examined the talisman closely, noting how steady the vermilion hue was, how sharp and powerful the lines, and how at the talisman's core, spiritual energy seemed to gather and linger without dispersing.

  Even though it had not been activated, it possessed a restrained tension far superior to ordinary Spirit?Gathering Talismans.

  Lu Chi offered a faint smile and replied: “As long as Brother Zhou is satisfied, that’s what matters. Since we’ve known each other for some time, there’s no need to charge the shop price for this talisman—the lowest tier rate will do.”

  “How could that be!”

  Zhou Jinyan carefully stored the talisman in his pouch while eyeing him with suspicion.

  “Just speak plainly—where did you get this talisman? Did some talisman master privately pass it to you?”

  Lu Chi did not answer immediately.

  Instead, he first invited him inside to sit, poured a cup of warm water, and only then said slowly:

  “It wasn’t anyone else. This talisman… was drawn by my own hand.”

  “What did you say?!”

  Zhou Jinyan was stunned. The teacup in his hand trembled, nearly spilling.

  He widened his eyes. “You drew it yourself? You… have become a talisman master? Was that Ice?Arrow Talisman from last time also drawn by you?”

  Lu Chi’s expression remained calm.

  He nodded, his tone even. “I didn’t mention it before, not because I meant to hide it, but because I had only recently grasped the path of the talisman master. Now that I’ve succeeded, I dare to speak frankly.”

  Zhou Jinyan stared at him blankly, his lips moving slightly, unable to form words for a moment.

  Just a few days ago, he had advised him to simply grow some spirit grain and stabilize his livelihood for a few years.

  Back then, Lu Chi had remained silent, only uttering a calm “I already have plans.” Zhou Jinyan had thought the young man was just being stubborn and unrealistic…

  Now, recalling that scene, his face couldn’t help but flush with heat. Who could have guessed that those “plans” were plans like these?

  He forced a dry laugh, picked up the teacup, and took a sip to hide the awkwardness on his face.

  “Now that you mention it… no wonder there was meaning behind your words that day. I was shortsighted—I made assumptions and treated you as just another craftsman grinding out days in a talisman shop. I was truly rude.”

  But Lu Chi only smiled faintly and said: “I did start out as a craftsman. Brother Zhou wasn’t wrong.”

  Zhou Jinyan clicked his tongue in amazement, then suddenly slapped his thigh and lowered his voice:

  “So that’s how it is… You must have been able to make talismans for a while, wanting to set up your own shop, but you kept it hidden, right?

  Even that old scoundrel Luo was kept completely in the dark, and in the end, he actually drove someone like you out with his own hands…

  This is going to be quite the scene! If he finds out you became a talisman master only after leaving, he’ll probably climb the wall in the middle of the night to beg you to come back!”

  Lu Chi glanced at him sidelong, a smile still on his face, but said nothing.

  Although about seventy or eighty percent of what the other man said was on point, he had also filled in quite a few gaps with his own imagination.

  Still, if going along with it could help conceal the existence of the Career Panel, that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

  Zhou Jinyan took out a low?grade spirit stone from his robe.

  His movements were noticeably slower, turning it between his fingers as if weighing it, before reluctantly placing it on the table.

  “Since you drew this talisman with your own hands, you know its worth. Since this is a transaction, I can’t just take it for free.”

  But Lu Chi did not reach for the spirit stone.

  Instead, he gently pushed it back. “Between friends, sincerity matters most. Why bother with so much empty courtesy?

  If you insist, keeping some spirit sand will be enough.”

  Zhou Jinyan was taken aback for a moment, then finally let out a soft sigh. “Fine, then. I’ll take advantage of you this once.”

  Lu Chi put away the spirit sand, paused briefly, and said: “There is one thing, though, where I’d like to ask for Brother Zhou’s help.”

  “Say it!” Zhou Jinyan responded readily. “As long as it’s within my ability, I won’t refuse.”

  Lu Chi began: “If Brother Zhou finds this Spirit?Gathering Talisman acceptable, I’d appreciate it if you could make some introductions and bring over a few spirit farmers who might have use for it.

  I’ll naturally offer a fair price in return—better fewer connections than poor ones.”

  Zhou Jinyan patted his chest, his tone cheerful: “Leave this to me! Though I’m no big shot in the market district, I’ve still been dealing with a few spirit farmers for years.”

  "They’ll be more excited than I am. If they know there are good-quality Spirit-Gathering Talismans available at a fair price, they’ll be happy to come."

  Lu Chi's expression remained unchanged. He simply nodded and said, "Once this is done, I will be sure to repay you properly."

  "Now, now, no need to stand on ceremony." Zhou Jinyan waved a hand and smiled. "It makes my heart glad to see a friend finding his footing."

  "Besides, I’m hoping that when you have some free time, you can draw a few more talismans for me."

  With that said, Zhou Jinyan noticed the sun was already setting in the west. He stood up and took his leave.

  Lu Chi saw him to the door and watched his figure until it disappeared around the corner of the alley. Only then did he retract his gaze, turn back into the house, and take out a Spirit?Gathering Talisman that had just dried.

  He had drawn this talisman before Zhou Jinyan’s visit. Its intent was still full, and its spiritual glow had not yet dispersed.

  Since the Spirit?Gathering Talisman also aided cultivation, and he was able to draw it, he naturally kept one for himself.

  He unfolded the talisman paper, walked to the north?facing wall of the room, turned his hand, and pressed the talisman’s corner against the wall.

  As his spiritual power flowed into it, the talisman’s core quivered softly. Strands of spiritual energy seemed to be drawn forth, slowly spreading and filling the space.

  Lu Chi stood in place, carefully sensing the change in the room’s atmosphere.

  Before long, he noticed the spiritual energy around him had warmed slightly. The flow of magic power within his body also felt smoother than before, and he gave a faint nod of satisfaction.

  Over the past two days, aside from this Spirit?Gathering Talisman, he had taken advantage of his good condition to complete two more Ice?Arrow Talismans for self?defense. These were now stored in his sleeve pouch, ready to be drawn at any moment.

  Lu Chi sat cross?legged on the cushion beneath the talisman and began his breathing exercises.

  The Azure Sparrow Mountain Market was built upon a first?grade spiritual vein. From south to north, from low to high, the density of spiritual energy increased layer by layer.

  The place he rented was located in the southwestern corner of the market. Although quiet, it was far from the main artery of the spiritual vein, and the energy he could draw in daily was quite thin.

  Without external assistance, every step forward in cultivation was met with stagnation.

  Now, with a Spirit?Gathering Talisman posted in his room, it was not a dramatic change, but like a ladle of sweet dew falling on parched land—its value lay in its persistence.

  By his original estimate, reaching the fourth layer of Qi Refinement would still take two or three months.

  If this talisman could be maintained day after day, it might truly shorten that time considerably.

  Though pleased in his heart, he did not grow restless.

  The aid of the Spirit?Gathering Talisman was, after all, not fundamental. To speak plainly, it could not compare to those who lived in cave?dwellings deep within Azure Sparrow Mountain, where the spiritual energy was most abundant.

  Those places were surrounded by formations, connected to the spiritual vein—a single day of cultivation there was worth three days of breathing exercises for an ordinary person.

  However, the rent for such locations was extremely high, far beyond his reach for now. He would wait until his talisman?crafting was steady and uninterrupted before making further plans.

  Once his breathing exercises were complete, he slowly ended the session, stood up, removed the talisman paper, sealed it with spiritual energy, then washed his face at the water basin and walked steadily back to the desk.

  The writing tools on the desk had long been tidied. Spirit sand, jade dish, and talisman paper were all arranged in good order.

  This time, he did not immediately activate [Fiery Will]. Instead, he wanted to see if, after successfully drawing several talismans, he could complete one relying solely on his own ability.

  Though his profession talent was powerful and had helped him break through in a single day, it was, in the end, an external aid.

  On the path of immortal cultivation, relying solely on external aids was like a boat without a mooring—sooner or later, it would drift and become difficult to steer.

  Lu Chi pondered briefly, then raised his hand and picked up the talisman brush. He mixed the ink, moistened the sand, and, following the pattern of the Spirit?Gathering Talisman long familiar in his mind, slowly began to lay out the strokes.

  As the brush touched down, though not as fluid as when empowered by his talent, there was no sense of obstruction either.

  Only at the turning points did he occasionally hesitate, but he would steady his mind and continue stroke by stroke, the talisman’s feet gradually taking shape.

  This was true cultivation.

  Not the miracle of a divine brush, but the accumulation of daily practice.

  Lu Chi’s expression was focused, his breathing long and steady. A thin sweat had beaded on his forehead, and a drop slid down his temple unnoticed.

  Hard work pays off for those who are determined.

  He failed.