Longevity: Starting with an infant's innate growth potential

Chapter 19 Drawing Inscriptions (Please read further, vote with monthly tickets and recommendations)
In the evening, after Zhou Ling finished dinner and cleaned up the dishes, she went back inside.

Take out the inscribed pen and spirit paper given to him by Instructor Liu.

The inscribed pen is exquisitely crafted, with the body made of Qingling jade and the tip refined from black wolf tail hair.

It feels warm and smooth when held gently in the hand.

Spirit paper is made from ordinary seven-star spirit grass shavings and can be used to copy and draw runes, magic arrays, inscriptions, etc.

Arrange the paper and pens neatly on the wooden table.

Zhou Ling then began to carefully examine the basic fire attribute inscriptions within the jade slip.

[You have observed the brushstroke trajectory of the basic fire attribute inscription, Basic Insight +1]

[Total number of observations: 428/1000]

Fire attribute basic inscription.

One of the simplest inscriptions, its difficulty in mastering is perhaps only slightly greater than that of the basic breathing technique.

Even though it was Zhou Ling's first time encountering this technique, he only observed it for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. With the help of [Basic Insight], he quickly mastered the method of drawing this inscription.

The difficulty lies in controlling the transitions and turns of the three folds and four points.

Feeling he had grasped the concept sufficiently, Zhou Ling laid out the spirit paper and prepared to draw.

This kind of spirit paper is a low-priced practice paper for copying spirit patterns. It contains very little spiritual energy, but the spirit patterns drawn on it have a certain power.

Training does not require the use of mediums such as spirit ink.

Therefore, the drawing process also consumes spiritual energy.

Inscriptions or seals of different attributes have different drawing methods.

Some require the use of spiritual ink as a medium to draw onto magical artifacts.

Some can directly carve using their own spiritual energy.

However, they have one thing in common: in the process of engraving inscriptions and seals, fire-attribute magic power is required to perfectly integrate the inscriptions and seals with the magical artifact.

This is also why the vast majority of weapon refiners are fire-attribute cultivators.

Although spirit paper is not expensive, each piece still costs one coin of spirit paper.

This is also a huge expense for Zhou Ling.

Liu Yan gave him fifty sheets, plus this brand-new inscribed pen, which was estimated to be worth three or four low-grade spirit stones.

Zhou Ling was worried about failing and wasting spirit stones, so he dared not be careless in the slightest.

Perhaps due to some nervousness, the fingers holding the inscription pen were slightly stiff.

Zhou Ling gently put down the inscription pen, took a deep breath, and waited for his emotions to calm down before picking up the inscription pen again and starting to draw.

This time, relying on his previous understanding, Zhou Ling quickly drew the flame inscription in one go.

Because it is a basic inscription and is drawn on spirit paper, it does not consume much spiritual power.

The entire process was uninterrupted.

But the next moment, there was a soft "poof".

A wisp of black smoke rose, and the spirit paper immediately became dull and lifeless.

Zhou Ling was so startled that she almost fell over.

Fortunately, it was just smoke, and it didn't have any impact after it dissipated.

Zhou Ling felt heartbroken at the thought of wasting a piece of spirit fragment.

However, the thought that there is no gain without pain gradually brought me peace of mind.

Feeling that he still had enough magical power to continue drawing, Zhou Ling took a deep breath.

However, he was not in a hurry to start again.

"What went wrong?"

"The writing was entirely based on the notes in the initial interpretation of the inscription."

"The transmission of spiritual energy is also stable enough."

Zhou Ling stood in front of the wooden table, carefully examining the dull spirit paper on the table, where the flame inscription was still clearly visible.

Traces of spiritual energy could still be faintly seen.

[You are analyzing a fire attribute inscription. Basic analysis +1, fire attribute inscription proficiency +1]

[Total number of analyses: 28 out of 100]

[You are currently drawing a basic fire attribute inscription. Talent +1, Fire Attribute Inscription Proficiency +1]

Zhou Ling quickly discovered an error: the first turn wasn't smooth enough, causing sluggish flow of spiritual energy. Understanding the mistake, Zhou Ling carefully examined the fire-attribute inscription again, while simultaneously using the jade brush in his hand to simulate drawing it in the air.

After feeling that it was roughly ready, Zhou Ling laid out the spirit paper again and began to draw the flame inscription.

But just as it was finished, another cloud of black smoke rose up.

Another paper offering has been wasted.

Zhou Ling's hand holding the pen trembled involuntarily, and another piece of spirit fragment was gone.

His gaze quickly fell upon the inscriptions on the spirit paper.

[You are analyzing a fire attribute inscription. Basic analysis +1, fire attribute inscription proficiency +1]

[Total number of analyses: 29 out of 100]

[You are currently drawing a basic fire attribute inscription. Talent +1, Fire Attribute Inscription Proficiency +1]

Zhou Ling discovered once again that the reason for this failure was mainly because his spiritual energy output was too gentle.

Flame inscriptions belong to the fire element and require concise, powerful strokes, executed in one continuous motion.

After calming down a bit, Zhou Ling gritted her teeth and tried to draw for the third time.

However, as the inscribed pen was in operation, Zhou Ling gradually felt extremely tired.

The spiritual energy in the meridians was rapidly dissipating, and the spiritual energy in the acupoints was almost completely depleted.

The sudden decrease in spiritual energy caused a slight stinging sensation in the meridians.

Zhou Ling had no choice but to stop, sit cross-legged, and circulate the Spirit Flame Technique.

[You are absorbing spiritual energy. Spiritual affinity +1, spiritual energy +3]

It took a full cup of tea's time for a wisp of spiritual energy to seep into his meridians before Zhou Ling finally recovered slightly.

"It seems that drawing two or three inscriptions is the limit of my current cultivation level!"

Zhou Ling opened his eyes, exhaled, and thought to himself.

"Although the situation is not ideal, fortunately, with the support of [Basic Analysis] and [Born with Talent], the proficiency of this inscription has increased by four points today."

"With a few more days of practice, you might be able to draw it."

"If you master one or two skills at a time, and gain a little more understanding each time, you'll eventually be able to inscribe the characters."

As Zhou Ling pondered this, his tense body finally felt a sense of relief.

"Ling'er, come out for a late-night snack!"

Just then, Li Ru's voice came from outside.

Hearing this, Zhou Ling felt his stomach rumble and realized he was actually a little hungry.

He then got up and left the room.

Worried that Zhou Ling would expend too much energy cultivating at night, Li Ru specially prepared a late-night snack for him.

Spirit rice porridge, a stir-fried egg with fire patterns, and a small dish of animal meat.

The food was delicious, and Zhou Ling ate with great relish. After finishing, he went back to his room and continued to circulate the Spirit Flame Technique to refine the spiritual energy he had absorbed.

Looking at Zhou Ling's figure, Li Ru said with concern, "Child, you've worked so hard for the academy's prize money. You've lost a lot of weight these days."

"Ling'er's health was already poor; I'm afraid this will wear her out!"

Zhou Shan sighed, "It's all my fault for being incompetent!"

“Husband, how can this be your fault!” Li Ru handed him the few pieces of animal meat that Zhou Ling had left on the wooden table.

Zhou Shan reached out and picked up a piece of beast meat, tossed it into his mouth, and said as he ate, "I'll save it for Ling'er's breakfast tomorrow!"

"There's still some at home! Drinking all day without any meat, what kind of life is that!"

Li Ru rolled her eyes at him.

Zhou Shan couldn't resist taking another piece.

Seeing his wife's brows furrow slightly, Zhou Shan continued, "Today I discussed the matter of going into the mountains with Old Chu. He happened to buy a Fire Horned Sheep from Fellow Daoist Ye. I asked him to save a leg for Ling'er to nourish her body."

"How many spirit stones does a mid-grade, first-tier Firehorn Sheep cost?" Li Ru asked.

“No need. Given my relationship with Old Chu, I’ll find the medicinal herbs when we go into the mountains and compensate him,” Zhou Shan said.

"There are five low-grade spirit stones inside. See if that's enough. Old Chu has had a tough time too!" Li Ru took out a spirit stone bag and handed it to Zhou Shan.

Zhou Shan thought for a moment and nodded, "That's true!"

(End of this chapter)