Proving Immortality Starting with Hextech Runes

"Drawing talismans is so troublesome..."

Chen Xu put down the talisman brush, feeling utterly exhausted.

The art of talismans is indeed not easy. My artistic skills from my previous life can only ensure smooth lines.

However, the spiritual resonance and subtle balance between the flowing runes are the true threshold for drawing runes.

"Using spiritual power as a guide, the brushstrokes create patterns; with a clear and focused mind, one can attain spiritual essence..."

Chen Xu silently recited the key points from the inherited jade slip, and was not discouraged.

After all, the first failure doesn't prove anything.

He closed his eyes and concentrated, regulating his breathing while recalling the key techniques for drawing the fireball talisman in his mind.

Skills will not fail those who are talented.

At noon on the tenth day, Chen Xu picked up the talisman brush again and completed it in one go.

As the last stroke was made, the entire talisman shimmered with light, its spiritual essence arising spontaneously.

"It's done!"

Chen Xu breathed a long sigh of relief; he had finally taken the first step.

The talisman was completed in ten days. My talent wasn't exceptional, but it wasn't bad either.

Time flies, and three months have passed in the blink of an eye.

During this time, Chen Xu became increasingly skilled at drawing fireball talismans.

Now, he can reliably produce more than twenty fireball talismans each month in addition to his cultivation and fishpond chores.

As for the other talismans recorded in the tradition, Chen Xu had no intention of drawing them.

They are all low-grade first-tier talismans; learning just one is enough.

Learning too much can be a waste of time.

That morning, Chen Xu carefully put away the twenty fireball talismans and went to Hansong Market again.

Inside the market town, an extra team of law enforcement disciples was patrolling, making the atmosphere slightly tense. This raised a hint of doubt in his mind.

Chen Xu went to the talisman shop he had visited before and placed a stack of twenty fireball talismans on the counter.

"Shopkeeper, collect twenty Fireball Talismans."

The shopkeeper looked up at Chen Xu, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

He picked up a fireball talisman; its runes were clear, its spiritual light was restrained, and its quality was above standard.

"Hmm, the quality is acceptable. However, the buyback price remains the same, still one spirit stone per piece."

The shopkeeper's tone remained calm, but compared to when he first purchased the talisman inheritance, there was less disdain and impatience.

Clearly, a talisman master who can consistently produce talismans, even at the lowest level, deserves his due attention.

The cultivation world is cruel; without strength and background, no one will respect you.

After counting the twenty fireball talismans, the shopkeeper took out twenty spirit stones from under the counter.

A fireball talisman is worth two spirit stones on the market. It's common for shops to sell it back at half the price, so Chen Xu wouldn't say anything.

If you want to sell at the original price, you'll have to open your own shop. Not only will you need to pay a hefty stall fee, but the daily operation will also be incredibly time-consuming and demanding.

As for selling it privately... that's against the rules of the sect, and Chen Xu isn't that bold.

After accepting the spirit stones, Chen Xu felt a sense of anticipation.

Including the fireball talismans he had sold before, which had saved him more than twenty spirit stones, he now had nearly fifty spirit stones in his hands!

If you save up for another three months, it will be enough to buy a first-tier high-grade talisman inheritance.

Currently, we can only draw the lowest-level fireball talisman, and the profit margin is still too thin.

Chen Xu had not gone far from the market when a rough, hoarse voice called out to him:

"Junior Brother Chen? Hey! It really is you!"

Chen Xu turned around upon hearing the sound and saw a burly man walking briskly towards him, his face full of joy.

"Brother Tiezhu, it's been a long time." Chen Xu cupped his hands and revealed a rare smile.

This man's name was Wang Tiezhu, and he joined the Hansong Sect two years earlier than Chen Xu.

Back when they were working in the servants' quarters, the fishponds they managed were not far apart.

Wang Tiezhu was easygoing and sincere, and he took good care of Chen Xu, who was new to the area.

Later, he broke through to the fourth level of Qi Refining and entered the outer sect, and the two rarely interacted. It has been almost two years since they last met.

Wang Tiezhu was Chen Xu's only good friend in Hansong Sect.

To Chen Xu's surprise, two years later, Wang Tiezhu's cultivation level was still stuck at the fourth level of Qi Refining.

As expected, once one's cultivation reaches the mid-stage of Qi Refining, advancing to the next level is much more difficult than in the early stages.

It is said that without the aid of elixirs or fortuitous opportunities, it is common for cultivators with four or five spiritual roots to stagnate at this realm for ten years.

"Haha, I didn't expect to run into you at the outer gate!" Wang Tiezhu patted Chen Xu's shoulder hard, appearing very enthusiastic.

"Well, kid, I remember back in the servants' quarters, you used to fish and play all the time, and you didn't like cultivating, did you?"

"It hasn't been long, and you've already entered the outer sect? Impressive!"

Chen Xu simply smiled and didn't explain, "Just lucky. I wonder how Brother Tiezhu has been lately?"

"Sigh, still the same old story! Managing a run-down fishpond in the east."

"But you, kid, you came in through the outer gate without even saying hello to me."

Although Wang Tiezhu said this, he did not blame Chen Xu at all.

Instead, he waved his hand and put his arm around Chen Xu's shoulder: "What a coincidence! Tonight, I'll treat you to a drink at Zuixianlou!"

"It's been so long, we have to catch up!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Xu's heart stirred slightly. Although he had always kept to himself and disliked socializing...

But in the world of cultivation, having one or two close friends is quite nice.

You might even be able to glean a lot of useful information from it.

After all, I don't have any sources of information right now. While it's peaceful, I'll inevitably miss some opportunities if this continues.

With this thought in mind, Chen Xu smiled sincerely and agreed, "Brother Tiezhu, how could I refuse such a kind invitation?"

"I'm new here and not familiar with this Drunken Immortal Pavilion, so I'll have to trouble Brother Tiezhu to show me the way."

"Haha, no problem, no problem!" Wang Tiezhu was even happier to see Chen Xu agree.

"I knew you were a good friend! Come on, let's go, we're on our way."

Zuixianlou is the only restaurant in Hansongfang Market, located at the deepest part of the market.

Chen Xu usually visits the market to talisman shops and has never really explored it properly, so naturally he doesn't know about the Drunken Immortal Pavilion.

The two quickly arrived at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion. Most of the cultivators entering and leaving the gate were dressed in outer sect attire, but occasionally one could also see the figures of inner sect disciples.

The prices at Zuixianlou were not high; Wang Tiezhu only spent one spirit stone to order a table full of dishes.

However, since they only used ordinary ingredients, they still made a lot of money.

After all, those who come to the Drunken Immortal Pavilion are all Qi Refining disciples, and they don't have that many spirit stones in their pockets to eat high-end goods.

……

After a few rounds of drinks, the two first reminisced about their days in the servants' quarters. They then chatted about the interesting things that had happened in the past few years and some insights into cultivation.

However, it was mostly Wang Tiezhu who spoke and Chen Xu who listened.

Over the years, he has stayed at home fishing in the fishpond every day, finding neither interesting things to do nor any insights into cultivation.

At this moment, Wang Tiezhu lowered his voice and said, "Do you know why there are so many law enforcement officers inside the gate today?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Xu suddenly realized, "No wonder I ran into the law enforcement team several times today. I wonder what happened?"

Wang Tiezhu then explained, "This matter involves an inner disciple."

"Several months ago, that disciple discovered a cultivator's ruins while on a mission."

"So he secretly plotted to lure more than thirty outer disciples to scout ahead under the guise of earning spirit stones..."

"As a result, none of those outer disciples survived."

"The higher-ups in the organization have blocked the news and are conducting a thorough investigation."

After he finished speaking, the private room fell into a deathly silence.

"More than thirty people... all dead?!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Xu was deeply shaken, recalling the middle-aged cultivator who had been pestering him relentlessly at the market entrance three months ago.

Could this be the so-called matter of earning spirit stones?

"Thank goodness..." He felt a wave of fear. If he hadn't realized something was wrong at the time, and spirit stones weren't in short supply.

Otherwise, if it were any other disciple, upon hearing that an inner sect senior brother was acting as guarantor, they might very well be deceived.

This world of cultivation is truly fraught with danger...