Chapter 115: Another "Unranked" Technique, The Art of Talismans

Metaphysics, though impossible to prove, is equally impossible to disprove.

It’s like drawing cards in a game: logically, whether you draw one by one or save up for a ten-card pull, the odds remain the same.

Yet often, people just feel luckier when they accumulate and draw all at once.

Don’t talk about miracles appearing from a single draw.

A ten-card pull full of useless items only stings once.

Ten single draws full of useless items sting ten times.

When most of the pool is obviously just filler trash, people prefer to endure one big pain or get a big reward all at once—that’s the common mindset.

Of course, some still believe in miracles from single draws.

But as Africans, it’s wiser not to put too much faith in miracles.

Zhang Wuyong never expected that, from the ten random cards he had accumulated, the very first draw would emit a white glow.

His eyes widened as the white light transformed into a bamboo slip, appearing before him.

[“Basic Talisman Manual”: Unremarkable! A primer for Daoist children to copy basic talismans. Contains a few low-level, unremarkable talismans effective only against ordinary mortals or objects without mystical energy. Not worth mentioning!]

Zhang Wuyong noticed that, unlike other martial arts manuals, alchemy recipes, or formation diagrams which immediately prompt him to claim and integrate their knowledge into his mind, this “Basic Talisman Manual” simply floated before him, ready to be stored in his inventory.

With a wave of his hand, the bamboo slip materialized in his palm.

Though a bamboo slip, it was no ordinary bamboo from this world; it felt cool and smooth like jade in his hand.

Opening it slowly, he saw seal script and ancient classical Chinese—texts he could understand clearly now.

Before gaining the system, these classical passages would have been dense and frustrating, but now they were clear at a glance.

The manual was designed for Daoist children just starting their training in the other world, so it explained many details carefully.

Talismans.

In this other world, talismans are a Daoist art form.

But mainly used before reaching the Nascent Soul stage.

Talismans harness mysterious cosmic numerology to “engrave” certain spells onto paper, which can then be activated when needed.

However, once cultivators pass the Nascent Soul stage and develop divine awareness, they can directly borrow the laws of heaven and earth without relying on talismans.

Thus, talisman arts are a technique for cultivators below Nascent Soul.

After all, even in this spirit-rich other world, most cultivators never reach Nascent Soul in their lifetime.

Those lacking the power cannot directly borrow heavenly laws, let alone wield the mighty “words become law” of true masters.

So, preparing talismans for sudden skirmishes is perfectly normal.

This Basic Talisman Manual recorded the entry-level, lowest tier of talismans.

The simplest ones, effective only against ordinary humans or non-mystical objects.

For example, invisibility—any Qi Refining cultivator could easily see through it.

Or passing through walls—ineffective even against the most common, decades-old spirit soil walls despised by both the sects of immortality and demonic paths.

Others included controlling fire, commanding water, chewing metal, and so on.

All fire, water, and metal mentioned were mundane, without mystical energy—common folk’s ordinary fire, water, and metal.

There was no “Dream-Wedding Talisman” found.

But there was a “Wealth Summoning Talisman” which, according to the description, could invisibly summon copper coins and silver taels used by poor commoners—useless to cultivators.

In short, all were talisman arts useless in the cultivation world of this other world.

Frankly, this Basic Talisman Manual was truly the dregs of dregs among talisman arts in the other world.

Even at its peak, talisman arts are used only below Nascent Soul.

Strong cultivators disdain them, and demonic paths refuse to study them.

This “Basic Talisman Manual” in the card pool was normally just filler.

No, it wasn’t even filler.

If one truly reached the other world, embarked on the path of demonic cultivation, earned points, and drew this junk… it would be downright insulting.

Yet here, these talismans were actually useful.

At least, it proved the Dream-Wedding Talisman was effective!

So most of these talismans were probably effective too!

But these were only the methods to create talismans, not talismans directly given.

Unlike last time’s “Unremarkable” talisman, which directly granted him a Dream-Wedding Talisman usable five times.

However, this bamboo slip itself emanated spiritual energy.

Children of three or four years old in the Daoist sect could not yet effectively absorb or manipulate spiritual energy; they couldn’t craft or practice talismans on their own.

This manual was only to teach them the most fundamental talisman basics.

Thus, one only needed to take a cinnabar brush, copy the talisman symbols from the slip onto paper.

The specially made “cinnabar brush” of the Daoist sect didn’t depend on the pen itself, but on the cinnabar.

The manual also introduced the type of cinnabar required.

Finely refined cinnabar was naturally best, but if unavailable, ordinary spirit-glow sand, once ground, could be used.

Zhang Wuyong had drawn several boxes of spirit-glow sand.

He had been cursing silently every time he pulled spirit-glow sand repeatedly from the card pool.

This card pool was seriously full of useless junk.

It felt like when he played Genshin Impact and drew Zhongli seven times in a row—infuriating.

But he hadn’t expected spirit-glow sand could be used for this.

Zhang Wuyong took out a box of spirit-glow sand.

Each box was contained in a jade case.

He pinched a grain of the sand inside and examined it closely.

The sand was white with a pink tint; each grain was about the size of a bean.

When he meditated and breathed, he placed spirit-glow sand around him because, by description, it was the most ordinary and apparently harmless substance.

Unlike things like Demon Sea Yasha Bones, whose mere description sounded eerie and terrifying.

Still, whenever he took it out, he only touched the jade case holding it.

Now he knew that in the other world, ground spirit-glow sand could be given directly to three- or four-year-old children as cinnabar.

So it was truly natural and non-toxic!

But to use it for talisman crafting, it first had to be ground into powder.

Otherwise, even dipping a brush in it wouldn’t allow drawing talismans.

Zhang Wuyong read the Basic Talisman Manual carefully once more.

After pondering deeply, he put it away along with the box of spirit-glow sand.

Checking the time, it was already midnight; this study session had taken quite some time.

Tomorrow was the final high school graduation ceremony, when he would receive his diploma.

He decided to just spend the remaining nine draws all at once.

Yellow light… yellow light… blue light… yellow light… purple light… yellow light… yellow light… yellow light… blue light…