Basic Talisman Arts
Huff! I slipped up.
The cautious and cool-headed me making a mistake like that…
Hwang Danha gave me a meaningful look as she poked my chest with her finger.
“Oh my, I had no idea you thought of our master that way, Yuseong.”
Ah… After surviving the treacherous cultivation world so well, was this how it would end?
“N-no, that’s not it.”
“Our master does have an amazing figure, doesn’t she? What do you think of mine?”
“Pardon?”
Hwang Danha struck a seductive pose as she asked.
“Don’t I have a pretty great body too?”
Hwang Danha was stunning in her own right, but compared to Nae Cheonha, she fell a bit short.
“……”
As Nae Cheonha’s figure flashed in my mind and I stayed silent, Hwang Danha’s face flushed red. She pointed at my forehead with her finger.
My consciousness materialized as a gray thread and shot toward me, burrowing into my head.
“Gahk!”
As Hwang Danha’s gray thread assaulted my consciousness, a pain like my head being cleaved by a blade surged through me. I clutched my head and rolled on the floor.
“Senior Hwang, I-I’m sorry… Please…”
The gray thread thrashed wildly, attacking my consciousness, and I couldn’t block it at all. The agony of a consciousness under assault surpassed physical pain—it was unbearable.
“Since it’s your first mistake, I’ll let it slide at this level.”
With a flick of her hand, Hwang Danha withdrew the gray thread, and the pain vanished.
This woman’s out of her mind. Attacking a fellow disciple’s consciousness just because I didn’t answer right away due to other thoughts?
“I’ll be more careful next time. Of course, Senior Hwang, you have the beauty of a fairy and a figure that any male disciple in the Unkak Sect would adore.”
Having endured that consciousness attack, flattery poured out of me effortlessly.
“Hehe, really?”
It wasn’t that true, but I flattered her desperately to survive.
“Yes. If you just say you’re looking for a cultivation partner, every man in the Unkak Sect would come running. Even disciples from other sects might show up.”
At my desperate bootlicking, Hwang Danha’s mood improved, and her expression softened.
“Fine. I’ll trust the information you brought. Now, what should your reward be?”
“How about the consciousness attack technique you just used on me, Senior Hwang?”
“No can do. That’s not equivalent value.”
Then maybe something about talisman arts? I’d thought of it after seeing the defensive power of mid-grade fireburst talismans against the Fire Dragon Formation. Learning talisman arts and making my own would be incredibly useful.
“Could you perhaps teach me about talisman arts?”
“Talisman arts? I’m no expert—only know the basics. Want me to teach you those anyway?”
I hadn’t planned on learning advanced stuff anyway. Basics would do.
“Yes, please instruct me.”
“Alright. Your reward is Basic Talisman Arts. If you come across any more secret info related to the Unkak Sect, bring it to me. I’ll give you a reward fitting the intel.”
What, am I your informant now? But if the rewards were good, I’d provide it. She wasn’t using me—I was using her.
Hwang Danha imprinted the information onto a jade slip with her consciousness and handed it to me.
“It’s just basics, but for you at Qi Refining 8th stage, it’ll be useful. Of course, you know talisman crafting requires a fair bit of spirit stones to get started, right?”
I scanned the jade slip with my consciousness, confirmed the contents, and cupped my fists toward Hwang Danha.
“I know. If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave.”
Hwang Danha waved me off dismissively.
I left the Mibong Shop, boarded my flying magic tool, and returned to my cave.
Sitting on my stone bed, I pulled out the jade slip from Hwang Danha and read it again with my consciousness.
It started with the origins of talismans and the worship of characters, then detailed crafting methods. Being basic—or maybe because Hwang Danha held some back—it only covered three types: Sound Transmission Talisman (Jeon-eum-bu), Protective Talisman (Ho-sin-bu), and Lightning Strike Talisman (Reu-jeon-bu).
To craft talismans, you basically needed talisman paper, cinnabar ink, and a brush.
Cinnabar was made from demon beast blood—the higher the beast’s realm, the stronger the talisman’s power.
The brush was made from demon beast fur; likewise, higher-realm beasts yielded fur with more spiritual energy, creating higher-quality brushes that boosted crafting success rates.
I had plenty of blood from the Azure Horned White Serpent and Three-Eyed White Tiger, so that was covered. For the brush, Three-Eyed White Tiger fur would work.
Talisman paper came from spiritually infused trees. No need for rarities like black ironwood. The common choice was Gwanghwang Wood, which grew wild in the Gaun Mountains—easy to obtain.
Once you had the paper, brush, and cinnabar, you could craft. At that point, clear your mind to a mirror-still state and draw the characters on the paper.
Talismans originated from character worship—the stronger your belief in the power of characters, the greater the talisman’s might and success rate.
Like pill refining, talisman arts had high failure rates until mastery, burning through spirit stones.
Get some Gwanghwang Wood, make paper and brush handles. Practice until the Three-Eyed White Tiger leather armor from Senior Brother Baek Gong arrives.
I circulated my qi and meditated until the servant from Baek Gong’s shop arrived, pondering how to counter Hwang Danha’s consciousness attack while practicing the Ecstasy Soul Enthrallment Art.
A week later, the servant came with the armor.
It was a clean white suit of armor. Made from Three-Eyed White Tiger leather, I’d call it the White Tiger Armor.
Touching the White Tiger Armor, it felt tough, resilient, and supple. Compared to my old silver serpent armor, the improvement was obvious.
I donned the White Tiger Armor under my black robes and moved around. It hugged my body softly, with no restriction in movement.
A fierce urge welled up to charge into the Gaun Mountains’ demon beasts and test it in brutal close combat.
But first, before hunting Gwanghwang Wood, I’d check my missions.
Qi Refining disciples in the Unkak Sect had to complete missions steadily, so I flew to the Mission Hall to see Senior Brother Park Eung.
Only after Core Formation did you gain freedom from sect missions—you could skip them entirely if you wanted. But most Core Formation disciples still balanced cultivation and missions.
Without missions, gathering cultivation resources was brutally hard. So even Core Formation folks hustled in their own ways—like Senior Brother Baek Gong with his forge shop, earning spirit stones through artifact refining, or Senior Brother Park Eung handling mission assignments at the hall.
In the end, even at Core Formation, pure cultivation focus was a luxury.
If only I had a master like Seong Yuhyang, Nae Cheonha, or Yeop Inyeong—I’d get all sorts of support and grow fast.
What’s wrong with me that no master wants me as a disciple?
No. It’s that I don’t want them as my master.
Even without one, I’d survive like tenacious weeds and become a towering tree of the cultivation world. Not just Unkak Sect Leader—the top cultivator on the Seosan Continent and Jinjin Continent.
You can do it, Yuseong. The Yin-Yang Taoist is your master. Master the Yin-Yang Art and challenge the legendary Transformation realm.
Soon, I arrived at the Mission Hall and met Senior Brother Park Eung.
“Senior Brother Park, long time no see.”
“Junior Brother Yuseong, here for a mission?”
“Yes. How much time until my next one is due?”
“About two months left, so no rush.”
Two months was enough to fetch Gwanghwang Wood and return. To be safe, plan for three.
“Do you know where Gwanghwang Wood grows, Senior Brother?”
“Gwanghwang Wood—for talisman arts?”
“Yes. Need it for talisman paper and brush handles.”
“Head west from the sect about sixty thousand li, then roam the three-thousand-zhang-high mountains—you’ll find it.”
Sixty thousand li west, three-thousand-zhang mountains. Just watch for demon beasts.
“Oh, just in case—near there’s territory under the Blood Shadow Sect, a demonic faction. Be careful. They guard the Gaun Mountains’ west coast against overseas cultivators from Guma Island, Myeong Island, Samsin Island, and such, but they don’t ignore the east entirely.”
“Blood Shadow Sect… I’ll be cautious.”
“They’re cooperative with most Gaun Mountains forces overall, but if a lone orthodox cultivator like you crosses one, they might turn you into a magic tool or pill without batting an eye. Stay vigilant.”
The Blood Shadow Sect—that woman at the Dancheol Fortress auction who thrust out her chest when I glanced at her figure was from there. She had quite the rack; too bad the mask hid her face.
“Thanks for the concern. I’ll be back within two months max.”
Park Eung spoke calmly.
“I just hope sect disciples survive as much as possible. I’ve handled missions here for decades, and seeing them die on duty still breaks my heart.”
“Haha, Senior Brother, it’s me—Yuseong. I don’t go down that easy.”
At my absurd words, Park Eung burst into hearty laughter.
“Got it. I worried needlessly.”
We chatted a bit more about sect gossip before I left the Mission Hall.
I was about to head out when a sudden thought hit me—I detoured to the Library Pavilion.
Still Qi Refining 8th stage, I could only access the first floor freely, but even that had a vast collection. Might be info on the North Wind Palace or Golden Sword Manor.
I greeted the librarian and headed to the shelves with sect-related books on the first floor.
The first floor was full of miscellaneous texts and mortal-related books, so few disciples bothered. Only at Core Formation could you access the second floor’s worthwhile techniques and intel.
Scanning quickly with my consciousness, I found info on the North Wind Palace.
It was brief but intense.
The North Wind Palace coveted an item they should never have touched, drawing the wrath of Chu Kingdom's capital sects and clans. They were annihilated.
What item shouldn’t they have touched? Did the other Gaun Mountains sects just watch as Chu invaded?
Ask Hwang Danha later?
Without details, I shelved the thought and left the Library Pavilion.
Right now, priority was Gwanghwang Wood.
Two months’ time, but sixty thousand li away—I left the Unkak Sect immediately and headed west.