Chapter 221
Chapter 221
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 221
Chapter Title: Yi Wood Soul-Entangling Talisman, Soul-Calming and Spirit-Settling Pill
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Chapter 221: Yi Wood Soul-Entangling Talisman, Soul-Calming and Spirit-Settling Pill
The Turtle's Head Peak was steep and sheer. Water from the Heavenly Pool cascaded down from the ninth heaven, draping over the mountain like a silver screen. Under the morning sun, it shimmered with countless points of silver light, sparkling brilliantly.
Beside the Heavenly Pool, next to the waterfall, sat an elegant and tranquil courtyard. The scenery within was unique, filled with blue and cyan flowers and plants that exuded a fragrant aroma, intoxicating all who entered.
A stone table made of white jade held a pot of spirit tea.
This was not the spirit tea Luo Xiyue offered Chen Jianghe, but the Starry Sky tea he had brought himself.
He sat on a stone stool carved from remnant snowstone, gazing at Luo Xiyue's celestial beauty. Dressed in a pristine white silk gauze dress, she was a vision of unparalleled loveliness.
"To think I'd have to bring my own tea when visiting you, fellow Daoist."
Chen Jianghe had grown accustomed to the treatment at the Clear Sound Pavilion, and his abrupt arrival at the Waterfall Abode was a noticeable step down.
He complained with a hint of jest.
Luo Xiyue glanced at him lightly, paying no mind to his words, and instead took out an inheritance jade slip.
"You have reached the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment. With your skill in the Dao of Talismans, you should be able to attempt crafting second-rank high-grade talismans."
With a point of her slender finger, the inheritance jade slip flew before Chen Jianghe.
"These are two inheritances for second-rank high-grade wood-attribute talismans, one for offense and one for defense."
After speaking, Luo Xiyue looked into the distance, not partaking in the Starry Sky tea Chen Jianghe had brought, seemingly giving him time to familiarize himself with the inheritance in the jade slip.
Chen Jianghe didn't stand on ceremony and directly probed it with his spiritual sense.
Immediately, two wood-attribute talisman inheritances appeared in his mind.
"The Yi Wood Soul-Entangling Talisman, and the Yi Wood Green Vine Shield Talisman…"
Chen Jianghe only gave them a cursory glance without delving deep, but even that brief look told him these two talisman inheritances were extraordinary.
They were not ordinary five-element talisman inheritances.
The Yi Wood Soul-Entangling Talisman not only possessed a powerful wood-attribute ultimate spell attack but also came with binding and poison effects.
It could directly attack the soul, destroy the enemy's spiritual sense, infect them with poison, and cause their spirit to instantly wither.
"What a formidable soul-attacking talisman!"
Chen Jianghe was secretly delighted.
This could definitely be used as an offensive trump card.
He hadn't expected Luo Xiyue to possess such a terrifying talisman inheritance, which only made him more curious about her origins.
Then there was the Yi Wood Green Vine Shield Talisman. This wood-attribute defensive talisman actually had the effect of healing injuries.
After using the Yi Wood Green Vine Shield Talisman, the user would be protected by a celestial shield woven from green vines. Even if the shield was broken, the spiritual energy motes from the scattered vines would enter the user's body, healing injuries and replenishing magical power.
"Fellow Daoist, there are still seven years until the secret realm opens. I'm afraid I won't be able to provide ten second-rank high-grade talismans."
He didn't even have ten pieces of spirit hide for crafting second-rank high-grade talismans on him right now, not to mention enough time to craft them.
Even if he did, he needed some second-rank high-grade talismans for himself.
"When we enter the secret realm, you just need to give me two Yi Wood Soul-Entangling Talismans and two Yi Wood Green Vine Shield Talismans."
"As for the remaining six second-rank high-grade talismans, you can give them to me after we return from the secret realm."
Luo Xiyue said coolly.
"These are Thousand-Year Maple Leaves, formed from the condensation of wood-attribute essence absorbed by a quasi-third-rank spirit plant. They can be used specifically for crafting second-rank high-grade wood-attribute talismans. I only have three of them. You'll have to figure out how to get the materials for the last second-rank high-grade talisman yourself."
Luo Xiyue's voice was cold, keeping others at a distance.
But her actions made Chen Jianghe's heart bloom with joy.
"Excellent. Thank you, fellow Daoist."
Chen Jianghe cupped his hands and said, "Are these three Thousand-Year Maple Leaves a gift, or?"
Luo Xiyue's brow furrowed. She shot a glance at Chen Jianghe and said coldly, "Eleven second-rank high-grade talismans."
"Uh… alright."
Chen Jianghe readily agreed.
When you have many debts, you don't feel the pressure.
He already owed Luo Xiyue ten second-rank high-grade talismans, so one more didn't matter. He would just have to make up the remaining seven after returning from the secret realm.
"Right, there's one more thing I'd like to ask you, fellow Daoist."
"Mm." Luo Xiyue nodded, signaling for Chen Jianghe to speak.
"Do you have any natural treasures that can enhance one's cultivation? Magical power, spirit, or physical body would all be fine."
Chen Jianghe asked with a smile.
"No."
Luo Xiyue uttered a single word, but upon seeing the disappointment in Chen Jianghe's eyes, she added another sentence.
"The cultivation resources I obtain are traded with Peiyao in exchange for spirit-nurturing artifacts. If you need such treasures, you can discuss a trade with Peiyao."
Gao Peiyao provided her with cultivation resources, and she, in turn, refined one offensive and one defensive spirit-nurturing artifact for Gao Peiyao.
It was a mutually beneficial arrangement.
Chen Jianghe nodded upon hearing this. He didn't linger any longer, rising to take his leave and returning to his Spirit Spring Abode.
"Why did I feel a sense of closeness to him this time?"
"Is it because he's cultivating a special technique, or have I been influenced by the rumors outside?"
"Master instructed me that during my training in the outside world, I am not to associate with male cultivators. I have no feelings for him, we're not even friends, so how could I have a favorable impression?"
Luo Xiyue stood atop the waterfall, gazing at the turtle shell-shaped area where Chen Jianghe resided.
She murmured to herself.
"He must be cultivating an extremely special ice-attribute technique, which is why I feel a sense of affinity towards him."
"To be precise, it's my cultivation technique, the Profound Ice Heart Sutra, that feels an affinity for him."
"He cultivates a water-attribute technique, so how could he also practice a powerful ice-attribute spell?"
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Chen Jianghe didn't stay long at the Spirit Spring Abode. After a word with Xiao Hei, he headed to the market city.
Crafting the Yi Wood Soul-Entangling Talisman and the Yi Wood Green Vine Shield Talisman required special materials.
These two wood-attribute second-rank high-grade talisman inheritances felt, to Chen Jianghe, no less impressive than those of special attributes.
They might even be stronger.
Especially the Yi Wood Soul-Entangling Talisman, which could directly attack the soul, and its accompanying poison could corrode one's spiritual sense.
One must know that the soul of a Foundation Establishment cultivator was not very strong.
Only when one's spiritual cultivation technique reached the fifth level could they build a spirit platform in their sea of consciousness, causing a qualitative leap in their soul essence and spiritual sense.
At that point, a Foundation Establishment cultivator could, without regard for the consequences, probe the sea of consciousness of a Qi Refining cultivator to perform a soul search.
This wasn't a true soul search, but rather using brute force to shatter the Qi Refining cultivator's soul and then capturing the soul fragments to obtain some useful information.
A true soul search, one that could be performed without harming the cultivator's foundation and could access all the memories in their mind, was something only a legendary Nascent Soul True Lord could achieve.
Therefore, a Foundation Establishment cultivator's spiritual sense attack was simply using brute spiritual force to assault the opponent's sea of consciousness.
Take a cultivator like Chen Jianghe, who practiced the Soul Sea Firming Scripture.
The spiritual sense of a cultivator at the same level couldn't even enter his sea of consciousness, let alone his soul sea.
Once Chen Jianghe reached the fifth level of the Soul Sea Firming Scripture, he could construct a barrier within his soul sea.
By then, his soul would be even harder to reach.
However, this Yi Wood Soul-Entangling Talisman could still harm him. The poisonous spiritual energy attached to the talisman could corrode his spiritual sense.
It could also follow the spiritual sense to harm the soul's origin and corrode the spirit platform in the sea of consciousness.
It was precisely because of this that Chen Jianghe felt the Yi Wood Soul-Entangling Talisman was exceedingly powerful. It was definitely a forbidden art comprehended from a cultivation technique by some senior talisman master who cultivated the wood element.
The Yi Wood Entangling Silk pattern within this talisman was derived from that forbidden art.
It was like Chen Jianghe's "Absolute Freeze."
In the future, when his skill in the Dao of Talismans reached a formidable level and his cultivation reached the late stage of Foundation Establishment, or even its peak, he too could, with enough accumulated knowledge of talisman inheritances, create an ice-attribute talisman similar to a forbidden art like "Absolute Freeze."
But that was still a long way off for Chen Jianghe.
Right now, he could only barely craft second-rank high-grade talismans.
Arriving at the Hundred Treasures Tower, Chen Jianghe first bought a Peach Wood Heart-Clearing Talisman Brush and three boxes of spirit ink.
Crafting second-rank high-grade talismans consumed twice the amount of talisman brushes and spirit ink as second-rank mid-grade ones.
Then he bought two second-rank low-grade spirit items: Poisonous Thorn Juice and Yi Wood Vine Juice.
Crafting the Yi Wood Green Vine Shield Talisman was manageable; second-rank spirit ink would suffice. But crafting the Yi Wood Soul-Entangling Talisman required specially made spirit ink.
Only the Jade Spirit Ink, refined from the fusion of second-rank high-grade spirit ink, Poisonous Thorn Juice, and Yi Wood Vine Juice, could be used to craft the Yi Wood Soul-Entangling Talisman.
The talisman brush and spirit ink cost him one thousand nine hundred spirit stones.
One portion of Poisonous Thorn Juice was five hundred spirit stones.
One portion of Yi Wood Vine Juice was three hundred spirit stones.
In total, he spent two thousand seven hundred spirit stones.
He now had sixteen thousand seven hundred and sixty spirit stones left.
"Uncle Jianghe."
Just as Chen Jianghe was about to leave the third floor of the Hundred Treasures Tower, he saw Zhou Xiaoxuan walking down from the fourth floor. The girl approached quickly with a charming smile.
"Thank you for your help, Uncle Jianghe. Otherwise, I would have had a hard time asking Fairy Jiang to refine the Ice Heart Barrier-Breaking Pill."
"It was nothing."
Chen Jianghe replied with a faint smile.
Hearing Zhou Xiaoxuan's words, it was clear that Jiang Ruxu had already helped her refine the pill. He just didn't know what kind of request was made in return.
However, he had no interest in such matters.
"Oh, and I haven't congratulated you yet on becoming a Talisman Dao Grandmaster, Uncle Jianghe!"
Zhou Xiaoxuan giggled and curtsied gracefully to congratulate Chen Jianghe.
"Talisman Dao Grandmaster?"
Chen Jianghe frowned and asked with a puzzled expression, "I only verified my skills as a Talisman Dao Master at the Talisman Master Alliance. How did I become a Grandmaster?"
"Huh?!"
Zhou Xiaoxuan looked at the Talisman Master's guide that Chen Jianghe took out and said in surprise, "But everyone outside is saying you've become a Talisman Dao Grandmaster! Especially those spirit thieves, they all want to get a talisman from you."
"It seems that in order to get a second-rank high-grade talisman from you, they've all gone to ask a spirit thief named Ruan Tieniu."
"Uncle Jianghe, do you know him?"
The moment Chen Jianghe heard Ruan Tieniu's name, he guessed the source of the rumors.
"Xiaoxuan, when did the rumors about me becoming a Talisman Dao Grandmaster start circulating?"
"About half a year ago, I think."
"Half a year?"
Chen Jianghe felt a sense of relief. Ruan Tieniu hadn't intentionally sold him out. He had started spreading the word before Chen Jianghe even had the ability to craft second-rank high-grade talismans.
This was Ruan Tieniu's way of building up his network.
When you're out in the world, a slip of the tongue could give you any identity you wanted.
He didn't say much more to Zhou Xiaoxuan.
He left the market city and returned to his Spirit Spring Abode.
First, he checked if Jiang Ruxu and Zhuang Xinyan had responded to him.
After obtaining the inheritance for the Yi Wood Soul-Entangling Talisman from Luo Xiyue, Chen Jianghe was even more eager to get his hands on the Soul-Calming and Spirit-Settling Pill.
Crafting the Yi Wood Soul-Entangling Talisman meant he had a way to attack souls and corrode spiritual sense.
But who was to say others didn't?
Having cultivated for over eighty years, Chen Jianghe never dared to underestimate any cultivator.
Let alone those entering the secret realm, who were all sect disciples, direct descendants of immortal clans, and rogue cultivators blessed with great fortune.
The formation jade pendant hadn't vibrated.
Chen Jianghe didn't press the matter.
He began to cultivate in seclusion.
He had already paused his cultivation of the Myriad Waters True Scripture, switching to the forbidden art "Absolute Freeze."
But everything else remained the same.
As for a body tempering technique?
He would think about that after he reached the fifth level of the Soul Sea Firming Scripture.
He had many things to prepare for entering the secret realm, but the closer it got, the more important it was not to rush.
He had to remain composed and face it with equanimity.
He would handle each matter methodically.
Chen Jianghe didn't immediately start crafting second-rank high-grade talismans. He continued to craft the Flame Dragon Demon-Breaking Talisman and the Green Wood Immortal Shield Talisman.
Although these were second-rank mid-grade talismans, they contained the full-power strike of an ultimate spell cast by a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.
They would be of great use to him in the secret realm.
After all, a full-power ultimate spell from a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator could severely injure even a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator if they were careless.
Six months passed.
The spirit fields on Golden Turtle Mountain were replanted with Immortal Crystal Rice, heralding another year of bountiful harvest.
Under Xiao Hei's guidance, Maoqiu and Latiao had made considerable achievements on their path as spirit farmers.
Maoqiu, in particular, could now stand on his own.
He could single-handedly manage fifty acres of spirit fields.
He was a diligent and hard-working second-rank spirit beast, on the verge of breaking through to the mid-stage, with a very promising future.
Latiao, thanks to its previous opportunity, had also become a late-stage first-rank spirit beast. Its powerful adaptability allowed it to handle the work of tilling and loosening the soil perfectly.
Moreover, when it came to leading beasts that had not yet gained intelligence, Latiao was far more talented than Maoqiu.
Under Latiao's leadership, the earth dragons were much more orderly and disciplined when tilling and loosening the soil.
It earned praise from Xiao Hei.
Chen Jianghe also showered Latiao with praise for its abilities.
With this arrangement, Xiao Hei's workload was reduced, allowing him to spend more time on cultivation.
This year's Immortal Crystal Rice harvest yielded four stones per acre, for a total value of nine thousand six hundred spirit stones.
After deducting the cost of the Immortal Crystal Rice seeds, the profit was four thousand eight hundred spirit stones.
This added another four thousand eight hundred spirit stones to Chen Jianghe's purse.
He paid another year's rent for Golden Turtle Mountain, subtracting seven thousand five hundred spirit stones.
He had fourteen thousand and sixty spirit stones left in his storage bag.
According to Xiao Hei's idea, they wouldn't plant Immortal Crystal Rice this year, but switch to medicinal herbs.
But Chen Jianghe felt that planting them now was inappropriate.
The growth cycle of medicinal herbs was too long, with the shortest being eight years.
However, they had just over six years before entering the secret realm. If they were gone for a month, it might be fine.
But what if they stayed in the secret realm for three months, or even half a year?
If the medicinal herbs weren't tended to, they would go to waste.
Even if they were to plant medicinal herbs, it should wait until after they returned from the secret realm. For now, it was better to stick with Immortal Crystal Rice. Earning fewer spirit stones was better than losing everything.
"My spiritual sense has reached two hundred and forty-six zhang and five chi. It's finally showing signs of a breakthrough. It seems the limit of my spiritual sense for the fourth level of the Soul Sea Firming Scripture is probably two hundred and forty-nine zhang."
Normally, the spiritual sense range of an early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator could extend up to one hundred and ninety-nine zhang at most.
But Chen Jianghe's soul essence was different from ordinary people. As his cultivation level increased, the strength of his spiritual sense was now fifty percent higher than that of cultivators at the same stage.
One should know that the spiritual sense range for a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator was between two hundred and two hundred and ninety-nine zhang.
He had already reached two hundred and forty-six zhang and five chi.
Even without a soul defense technique, he inherently possessed a certain level of soul defense. It would be very difficult for a spiritual sense attack from a cultivator of the same stage to harm him.
"At this rate, my spiritual cultivation will also break through to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment in at most five more months, and I'll be able to cultivate the fifth level of the Soul Sea Firming Scripture."
As his spiritual cultivation improved, Chen Jianghe became more adept at crafting second-rank mid-grade talismans.
In these six months, he had crafted four second-rank mid-grade talismans.
Two Flame Dragon Demon-Breaking Talismans and two Green Wood Immortal Shield Talismans.
Previously, it took him two months to craft one second-rank mid-grade talisman, but now it only took a month and a half.
If his spiritual cultivation also reached the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, the time it took to craft second-rank mid-grade talismans would be even shorter.
Chen Jianghe made a calculation in his mind.
He planned to wait until his spiritual cultivation broke through to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment before starting to craft second-rank high-grade talismans.
This would reduce the difficulty of crafting them and also increase his speed.
Otherwise, if he started crafting second-rank high-grade talismans at his current cultivation level, it would not only be strenuous, but it would also take a very long time.
Just then, the formation jade pendant at Chen Jianghe's waist vibrated.
It was a voice message from Jiang Ruxu.
Three months ago, Jiang Ruxu had left him a message, and Luo Xiyue had also arranged to meet at the same time.
He had paid three years' rent for Golden Turtle Mountain.
Chen Jianghe took this opportunity to give the materials for the Soul-Calming and Spirit-Settling Pill to Jiang Ruxu, asking her to help refine it when she had time.
Now that a message had arrived, it seemed the Soul-Calming and Spirit-Settling Pill had been successfully refined.
He arrived at the Clear Sound Pavilion.
He saw Jiang Ruxu already waiting.
Her pretty face wore a sweet smile, and she held a jade box in her hand.
"Big Brother Chen, here are five Soul-Calming and Spirit-Settling Pills." Jiang Ruxu handed the jade box to Chen Jianghe.
He took the box and swept it with his spiritual sense.
Five cyan spirit pills lay quietly inside.
They emitted a faint, clear fragrance that calmed the soul and cleared the mind upon smelling it—truly mystical and wondrous.
"Ruxu, thank you for your hard work."
Chen Jianghe said his thanks.
"It's no trouble at all to do things for Big Brother Chen," Jiang Ruxu said happily, her smile sweet.
Chen Jianghe chuckled softly.
He knew that Jiang Ruxu was in a deal with the Lin Clan and needed to refine fourteen batches of second-rank spirit pills for them.
Furthermore, Jiang Ruxu sometimes took on orders to refine the Ice Heart Barrier-Breaking Pill at the Alchemist Exchange Conference.
It was safe to say that Jiang Ruxu's time was also very tight.
In terms of exhaustion, Chen Jianghe might not be as tired as Jiang Ruxu.
Although he planted spirit fields and raised fish, ultimately, he had Xiao Hei to help him.
As for crafting talismans?
In comparison, alchemy was much more mentally draining.
Chen Jianghe was aware of this.
He was now an alchemist himself. Although he was only a mid-grade alchemist, he would soon become a high-grade one.
"Ruxu, how many Water Spirit Pills do you have on hand?" Chen Jianghe asked.
"I have… twenty."
Jiang Ruxu said, a little embarrassed.
She was currently helping the Lin Clan refine spirit pills, as well as other second-rank mid-grade spirit pills, so she rarely had time to refine Water Spirit Pills.
"Give them all to me."
Chen Jianghe took out ten thousand spirit stones and gave them to Jiang Ruxu, taking the twenty Water Spirit Pills from her.
"Ruxu, you don't need to refine any more Water Spirit Pills in the future. You should pay more attention to resting your mind and not overwork yourself, understand?"
Chen Jianghe said with concern.
He didn't want Jiang Ruxu to end up like Zhou Miaoyun, becoming a tool for earning spirit stones.
Over-exhausting one's mind could lead to an early demise around the age of ninety.
"I understand, Big Brother Chen." Hearing Chen Jianghe's concerned words, Jiang Ruxu felt as if she had drunk honey, a sweet feeling blooming in her heart.
Chen Jianghe then asked about Zhuang Xinyan's situation. When he learned that she had already started making first-rank high-grade auxiliary puppets, he was both surprised and delighted.
Although auxiliary puppets were easier to make, how long had Zhuang Xinyan been studying the Dao of Puppetry?
Only six years.
Yet she was already starting to make first-rank high-grade auxiliary puppets.
Her talent was astonishing.
"Ruxu, when Xinyan comes out of seclusion, tell her not to sell the first-rank high-grade puppets she makes."
"Mm, I will."
Jiang Ruxu didn't ask what Chen Jianghe wanted with late-stage first-rank puppets; she only knew that her senior sister could now help him.
This made her very happy.
Happy for her senior sister.
After leaving the Spirit Spring Abode, Chen Jianghe left a voice message for Luo Xiyue, asking if she was in seclusion.
The moment the message was sent, he received a reply from Luo Xiyue within five breaths.
"Gao Peiyao is also on Golden Turtle Mountain?"
From Luo Xiyue's message, Chen Jianghe learned that Gao Peiyao was also on the mountain.
He had been to Luo Xiyue's residence twice without seeing her. According to Ruan Tieniu, Gao Peiyao was a common sight in the Arctic Snow Forest.
This showed that Gao Peiyao, a disciple of a major sect, spent most of her time fighting demonic beasts in the Arctic Snow Forest.
He truly admired a woman like Gao Peiyao for being so adventurous.
This was good, too.
The more combat experience and strength Gao Peiyao had, the safer he would be in the secret realm.
Arriving at the Waterfall Abode, Chen Jianghe saw Gao Peiyao laughing and joking with Luo Xiyue. However, the moment Luo Xiyue saw him, her expression instantly turned cold.
"Brother Jianghe."
"Peiyao, fellow Daoist Luo."
Chen Jianghe looked at Gao Peiyao's friendly smile and greeted them.
"I was just thinking of looking for you, Brother Jianghe, and you sent a message to Sister Xiyue."
"Looking for me?"
"That's right. The secret realm is opening in six and a half years. The cultivators who will be entering were decided a year ago."
Gao Peiyao explained to Chen Jianghe, "This New Year's Eve, led by the Tiannan Sect, all cultivators entering the secret realm are to gather at the Thousand Mountains Restaurant."
"At that time, the sect elders will talk about potential opportunities and precautions within the secret realm."
"Furthermore, it's a chance for everyone to get to know each other, to avoid conflicts that could lead to loss of life inside the secret realm."
Hearing Gao Peiyao's words, Chen Jianghe smiled knowingly.
It seemed like an occasion for fostering camaraderie, but in reality, it was to remember every outsider invited by the sect disciples.
If something happened to a sect disciple in the future, it would be easier to trace the source.