“Bang!”
Sensing danger, Gu Linshu instinctively formed a hand seal and raised his hands to resist. He realized that when making the talisman, Wen Li had only used spiritual energy at Early-Stage Foundation Establishment—the exact same realm as his own.
Yet when he fought back, he discovered that the talisman—powered by spiritual energy of his same level—was extraordinarily difficult to withstand. His body trembled as he was forced back three steps.
Sweat beaded on Gu Linshu’s forehead, the muscles and veins on his arms bulging with exertion. Only by straining with all his might did he manage to stop after stumbling five steps back, his body finally pressing against the edge of the table.
“Bang!”
Instinctively, he threw out a talisman—one with the power of Late-Stage Foundation Establishment—finally neutralizing the attack from Wen Li’s talisman.
However, the moment muscle memory drove him to throw it, Gu Linshu remembered that this wasn't an enemy, but his master testing him. His expression froze, and he hurriedly pulled back his arms, snapping his feet together to stand attentively like a scolded student.
“M-Master, m-my father said that m-money is also a form of strength,” he stammered, his voice trailing off toward the end.
“...”
Watching from the side, Wen Li slapped her forehead. From his present reaction combined with how he had casually thrown out talismans against Golden Core cultivators before, she could see that whenever this kid ran into trouble growing up, he never burned his life away.
He just went straight pay-to-win!
“Didn't I tell you to keep only your smallest storage bag? Why do you still have talismans?” Wen Li took a deep breath, trying to stay calm.
Gu Linshu answered earnestly, “I... I did keep my smallest storage bag. Inside, there's... there's five hundred thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones, a... a hundred Golden Core talismans, ten... ten Nascent Soul talismans, and a thousand... L-Late-Stage Foundation Establishment talismans.”
“...”
Wen Li pinched the bridge of her nose. Even at his poorest, this young master was far richer than her! Taking her as his master was probably the hardest hardship he had ever endured in his entire life.
There was nothing to be done about it; his ancestors were wealthy, and his parents doted on him endlessly.
She didn't harbor hatred for the rich; besides envying his kind of “strength,” what else could she do? After all, her disciple really was loaded.
“No way, hand them all over. If you keep relying on talismans and external items every time you face a life-or-death crisis, how will you ever improve? What if you run into a Soul Formation cultivator? All your talismans combined won't do you any good.”
Though Gu Linshu was rich, he lacked any arrogant young master airs. He dutifully handed over every talisman except for his spirit stones and replied plainly.
“My parents said that if... if I meet a Soul Formation cultivator, I should... just tell them who my family is.”
“...” So when he couldn't pay-to-win, he switched to relying on his father.
Wen Li, who had been secretly delighted about receiving another batch of talismans, paused. She looked up at him in speechless exasperation. “Stop talking.”
“...Oh.” Gu Linshu looked innocent. Having had little occasion to understand worldly ways—since others always catered to him instead—he didn't understand why his master's expression was so dark.
“From now on, any talismans you use must be drawn by your own hand. You're not allowed to buy them. As for magical artifacts and natural treasures, you can use whatever rank you like.”
After checking his storage bag to make sure there wasn't a single talisman left, Wen Li pulled him over to examine the differences between the talismans they had drawn.
“Crafting talismans requires talisman paper, cinnabar, and certain auxiliary materials. You used the absolute best for all of these. While it burns through money, you have money, so that's fine. I'll give you a secret manual with the patterns and rules for drawing rune scripts; make sure to read it often. From what I observed just now, your technique for infusing spiritual energy into the talisman was smooth and fluid. There was nothing wrong with it.”
“However,” Wen Li pivoted, “look closely. What is the difference between what I drew and what you drew?”
Gu Linshu carefully examined the front and back of the talisman paper, comparing their techniques while recalling Wen Li's movements.
“Master drew much faster and more fluidly than I did.”
“Do you know why?”
Though only fourteen years old, Gu Linshu pondered for a moment and grasped it instantly. “When drawing a talisman, one needs extreme focus, visualizing its effect in mind and merging intent with outcome. I noticed that when Master lowered her brush, you possessed full confidence. It wasn't just relying on memory, but rather a mastery over attacks honed through endless battles.”
“When Master's talisman attacked me, I could feel a tangible, chilling intent to kill—a foundational strength born of rich combat experience within the same realm.”
“Excellent. You've understood exactly what I meant.” Wen Li was surprised that she didn't even need to elaborate further; her disciple possessed such high comprehension.
“This is why I confiscated all your talismans. I want you to engage in real combat yourself rather than blindly relying on external aids. Although talismans will be a deadly weapon for you in the future, if this turns out to be your only strength and someone exploits it as a weakness, you will surely die.”
Gu Linshu’s eyes flickered. His parents had taught him talisman crafting, but they had never framed it like this. The Talisman Masters who had instructed him in the past mostly praised his talent, complimenting his precise drawing and peaceful state of mind. Though they provided guidance, none had hit the nail on the head like this.
He bowed his head, thoroughly convinced.
“Yes, Master.” Pausing, he asked curiously, “M-Master, so you... you are what you described—a... a sword cultivator who... excels at crafting talismans?”
Wen Li carefully thought through everything she knew and felt too lazy to count. She gave a casual nod.
“Oh, something like that.”
Wen Li was not the type of master who tore her students down; she preferred encouragement. She patted Gu Linshu on the shoulder.
“However, when you draw talismans, your mind is pure and free of stray thoughts, which reduces the failure rate. That is your strong point. Keep it up.”
“Mm, th-thank you, Master.” A bright smile spread across Gu Linshu’s fair face.
...
Night fell.
Two figures of ordinary appearance—one tall and one short—appeared in a deep mountain range toward the northeast of the Kunlun Domain.
This was no longer within the jurisdiction of the Kunlun Domain, but rather under the territory of Yunyi Fort, a small sect within the Wansu Kingdom.
“Master, the Fort Master of Yunyi Fort is only an Early-Stage Nascent Soul cultivator. You need only unleash a sliver of your pressure, and they will submit.”
Gu Linshu transmitted via divine sense, completely unaware that Wen Li actually only possessed Foundation Establishment cultivation.
Only an Early-Stage Nascent Soul?
The last Early-Stage Nascent Soul cultivator she encountered, Yin Fengcong, had defeated her and Xie Tinglan in a single move, forcing them into ten years of secluded cultivation just to recover.
Wen Li frowned, wondering how to explain to this child the fact that despite living for ten thousand years, she was still stuck at Foundation Establishment. She sighed. “Due to certain force majeure factors, your master currently only has a cultivation level of Foundation Establishment Great Perfection. So, keep a low profile. If we run into anyone at Late-Stage Golden Core or above, we run.”
“Th-Then Master, are... are you feeling unwell?” Gu Linshu frowned, caught off guard.
“I'm fine. Once the right moment comes, it'll be fixed.”
Wen Li waved her hand dismissively, leading him up the mountain into the city of Yunyi Fort.
Curious. She remembered that ten thousand years ago, she and Xiang Chongming had built a crude Interprovincial Passage somewhere around here. Though small and worn, it should still be usable with a few repairs.
Otherwise, she could only return to the Western Province using her token and wouldn't be able to take Gu Linshu to the Eastern Province. There were no Soul Formation cultivators from the Three Sects around here for her to threaten.
Many mortals resided within the city of Yunyi Fort. As soon as the two stepped inside, they were greeted by the vibrant bustle of everyday life—vendors hawking fruits and snacks, itinerant performers calling out for crowds, and streetlamps illuminating the night.
Wen Li cast a casual glance around, then suddenly walked toward a vendor selling sugar-coated haws.
“Give me a stick.”
“Coming right up! That'll be two copper coins.”
Gu Linshu followed her. “M-Master, I d-don't—”
Before he could even finish the word “want,” he saw Wen Li casually stuff the sugar-coated haws into her own mouth. “Mm (chew chew chew), what did you say (chew chew chew)?”
“...”
Gu Linshu froze, then shook his head, speaking with absolute clarity this time.
“It's nothing.”
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