Chapter 104
Passing a couple of Peaks using the Concealment Art, the clouds that had gathered at their feet gently scattered and settled down.
As her toes touched the stone steps, Baek-Cheong smoothed her Robe Hem and shifted her gaze around.
The scenery was quite different from the Pill Refining Peak.
Instead of the scent of medicinal herbs, a Peak blanketed in the dry smell of ink stretched out before them.
Different colored talisman papers hung stiffly at every Pavilion along the path, and small talismans dangled from the eaves, swaying gently.
Jin-Wi skillfully took the lead a step ahead.
“This is Our Sect’s Je-bu-bong Peak. If you go further inside the Peak, you will see that each School has its own separate building for creating talismans.”
A hint of pride was evident in his tone.
It was a different tone from the excitement he had when boasting about his Multi-layered Technique on the ridge of the Pill Refining Peak.
Jin-Wi stepped forward and pointed toward the inner part of the Peak.
“It just so happens that today is the day they hold the Talisman Experience at Yunpil Hall.”
“Experience?”
“It is an event where anyone trying out talismans for the first time can hold a brush themselves. It is also an event that Our Sect pays quite a bit of attention to.”
Baek-Cheong gave a small nod and followed Jin-Wi toward where the people were gathering.
After walking deep into the Peak for a while, a Pavilion with long, extended eaves came into view.
A small cloud-brush shaped ornament sat neatly atop the roof.
In the front Courtyard of the Pavilion, external cultivators and Biun Sect disciples were mingling and gathering in large numbers.
“Yunpil Hall is the most frequented place on Our Sect’s Je-bu-bong Peak. Even those visiting from other peaks make sure to stop by here at least once.”
Jin-Wi added another boastful remark from the side.
Baek-Cheong merely nodded dryly and walked through the crowd.
Upon entering the inner Courtyard, the first thing that caught her eye was a large white paper hanging on one side of the wall.
The paper, as large as a door, hung neatly on the wall, and beside it lay a brush the size of a small pillar.
From inside the Pavilion, a Qi Condensation Disciple was handing out small bundles one by one to the cultivators entering the Courtyard.
Inside the bundle were a light brush easy for a beginner to hold, a few sheets of Yellow Talisman Paper, and a small water dropper filled with cinnabar ink.
“Do we just have to copy it with this?”
“That is correct. First, Talisman Master Yeon will give a demonstration on the Platform, and then you draw along right there immediately. It is also an opportunity to subtly show off Our Sect’s Talisman Crafting skills to the external guests.”
Jin-Wi subtly raised the corners of his mouth from the side.
His pride in his Sect was evident in everything he did.
Baek-Cheong received a small bundle from the Qi Condensation Disciple and naturally walked over to a spot on one side.
Jin-Wi also received a bundle and neatly took a Seat beside Baek-Cheong.
However, Baek-Cheong didn’t even open the bundle she received and quietly set it aside.
Soon, with a practiced motion, she pulled out a small bundle from her Storage Platform.
Inside the slightly worn silk cloth was a single gleaming Jade Rabbit Fur brush and neatly arranged Talisman Paper.
Beside them sat a matching small water dropper neatly filled with red cinnabar.
It was the writing materials her Third Older Brother had packed for her before he left.
‘If I’m going to draw anyway, it’s better to use something good that my hands are used to.’
Baek-Cheong looked satisfied as she gripped the brush in her hand.
The softness of the Jade Rabbit Fur transmitted directly to her fingertips.
Her skill in handling the brush flowed out naturally.
However, that naturalness seemed to have caught the eyes of the cultivators sitting nearby.
Two cultivators who were unfolding their talisman papers next to her glanced at Baek-Cheong and let out sneers.
“A child merely in Qi Condensation doesn’t know her place.”
“The writing materials provided by the Biun Sect should be more than enough, yet she insists on taking out her own. It seems she wanted to play pretend as a Talisman Master.”
The jealousy and mockery flowing from beside her reached Baek-Cheong’s ears.
Hearing the ridicule, Jin-Wi’s eyes also turned fierce.
The beaming, excited demeanor he had earlier was completely gone.
As Jin-Wi showed signs of immediately standing up from his Seat, Baek-Cheong made a small gesture and gently tugged at his robe.
“Senior Jin-Wi, it’s fine.”
“…Young Lady Baek.”
“We just have to ignore it.”
Jin-Wi barely managed to sit back down.
However, he did not withdraw his gaze from the mocking cultivators.
He didn’t say a word, but his Attire as a True Disciple was fully displayed.
The Biun Sect’s Cloud Robe bore the embroidery that only a True Disciple could wear.
The cultivators seemed to finally recognize Jin-Wi’s status, letting out dry coughs and quietly setting down their talisman papers.
Jin-Wi silently held his ground, still not withdrawing his gaze.
Although no words were spoken, a silent warning was being transmitted to the cultivators.
‘There’s no need to make such a fuss.’
Baek-Cheong simply sat quietly beside him, stroking her brush again.
She felt completely fine, but Jin-Wi acting like that was almost burdensome.
“Should I have asked for his help only during the Martial Arts Competition?”
Soon, the gazes of the people inside the Pavilion all gathered on the Platform at once.
A cultivator stepping onto the Platform revealed himself.
He was dressed in a dark ink-colored overcoat worn over the Biun Sect’s Cloud Robe.
A small talisman-shaped embroidery was neatly stitched onto the chest of his robe.
His aura didn’t seem overwhelmingly high, but it carried a certain weight.
“Is he at the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment Stage?”
Baek-Cheong inwardly gauged his realm as she observed the Platform.
Since he was peering into the Path to Golden Core from the very end of the Foundation Establishment stage, the energy he exuded was correspondingly deep.
Beside her, Jin-Wi softly informed her in a low voice.
“That is Talisman Master Yeon. He is one of the Talisman Masters who holds a prominent position in Our Sect’s Yunpil Hall. He can personally craft not only 2nd-Grade High-Tier Talismans but even 3rd-Grade Talismans.”
“Talisman Master Yeon?”
“He hails from Our Sect’s Outer Sect, but his talisman skills are such that his name is frequently mentioned even among the disciples of the Inner Sect.”
Baek-Cheong nodded and shifted her gaze back to the Platform.
After standing neatly on the Platform, Talisman Master Yeon brought his hands together lightly.
“I welcome all the cultivators who have stepped foot here today. This is an event prepared so that you may hold Our Sect’s talismans in your hands at least once before you leave, so please feel at ease and draw along.”
Talisman Master Yeon’s tone was hearty yet gentle.
It also felt affectionate, as if he were encouraging those holding a brush for the first time.
“First, I will demonstrate the Cleansing Talisman, which is the most fundamental.”
As Talisman Master Yeon lightly spread his hands, the brush the size of a small pillar that had been resting neatly beside the Platform smoothly floated up.
The brush slowly moved in front of the wall, following Talisman Master Yeon’s hand gestures.
Soon, the tip of the brush came to a halt in front of the large white paper hanging on the wall.
“Flowing your energy in a single, unobstructed stream is the foundation of Talisman Crafting. Now, watch closely.”
When Talisman Master Yeon lightly raised both hands, spiritual energy quietly gathered at the thick tip of the brush.
The brush began to draw the first stroke slowly down onto the paper.
Without any break in energy, a geometric pattern crossed the paper in a single go.
The spiritual energy flowing from the brush tip seeped directly into the paper, and the moment the final dot was placed, the surface of the paper faintly held a glow.
A subtle Purity Qi gently spread throughout the inside of the Pavilion.
“It is like this. Take out the Talisman Paper and brush from the bundles you have and immediately try drawing along.”
A small Stir arose within the Pavilion.
The cultivators gathered in their seats moved busily to unfold their talisman papers and grip their brushes.
The sight of spiritual energy gathering from all over unfolded in a chaotic manner.
Baek-Cheong also took out a sheet of Talisman Paper and pulled it in front of her.
She dipped her Jade Rabbit Fur brush into the water dropper once, Coating it generously with cinnabar.
‘It’s no different from when I drew along with Third Older Brother.’
The brush in her hand descended onto the paper without hesitation.
Swish.
In a single breath, the pattern of the Cleansing Talisman was drawn on the paper without a single inch of deviation.
The moment she placed the final dot and lifted the brush, Purity Qi gently spread over the talisman.
A hue much deeper than the color Talisman Master Yeon had shown in his demonstration lingered on the paper.
‘Because I’ve drawn the Cleansing Talisman quite often.’
Baek-Cheong lightly set the talisman aside.
In the Seat next to her, Jin-Wi also lowered his brush onto the paper after staring at the Talisman Paper for a long time.
True to a Heavenly Spiritual Root Holder, he freely gathered spiritual energy at his fingertips.
His aptitude was such that he had no trouble copying something on the level of a Cleansing Talisman after seeing a demonstration just once.
The brush slowly crossed the paper, completing the pattern of the Cleansing Talisman with almost no mistakes.
As he placed the final dot, Purity Qi rose quietly above the talisman.
Compared to Talisman Master Yeon’s demonstration, the hue was faint, but it was a flawless execution for a first attempt.
“Hmm, how is it, Young Lady Baek?”
Jin-Wi asked in a proud tone from the side.
He was overflowing with confidence for someone who had drawn a talisman for the first time.
“You drew it well.”
“It is nothing special.”
Even as he said it was nothing special, Jin-Wi puffed out his chest beside her.
“As expected of a Heavenly Spiritual Root Holder.”
Baek-Cheong almost felt a pang of jealousy toward the Talent monster.
However, the sighs flowing out from all over the Courtyard were not to be ignored.
The cultivators who had held a talisman brush for the first time often failed to complete the Cleansing Talisman because their hands stiffened from the first stroke or their spiritual energy scattered.
Talisman Master Yeon calmly looked around from the Platform at the cultivators gathered in their seats.
“Even though you held it for the first time today, nearly half of you have completed the Cleansing Talisman. Let us move on to the next talisman.”
Half of the cultivators who had held a talisman brush for the first time stood up from their seats with flushed faces.
“Next is a 1st-Grade Mid-Tier Talisman. It is the well-known Lightness Talisman. The flow of spiritual energy is much more demanding than the Cleansing Talisman, so please draw along calmly.”
With a single wave of his white hand, Talisman Master Yeon lightly swapped out the large paper next to the Platform.
The thick brush slowly floated up over the newly hung paper.
The sight of spiritual energy gathering at the tip of the brush flowed all the way to the inside of the Pavilion.
Soon, the large brush drew a pattern of intertwined curves and straight lines on the paper as smoothly as flowing water.
It was a talismanic script much more complex than the Cleansing Talisman.
It was a talisman where the talismanic script would only come alive if the spiritual energy flowed out at a consistent thickness wherever the brush went.
As the talismanic script was finished, a blue light lingered on the paper.
A light energy, as if holding a single talisman, floated in front of the Platform.
“…Now, try drawing along.”
The remaining cultivators busily moved to unfold their talisman papers again and gather spiritual energy at the tips of their brushes.
However, the atmosphere was quite different from when they did the Cleansing Talisman.
Not a few cultivators had their hands stiffen on the first stroke, blocked right from the start by the need to draw out spiritual energy at a consistent thickness.
The two cultivators who had thrown sneers at Baek-Cheong had their hands stiffen, going awry from the very first stroke.
As their energy broke, the talismanic script scattered midway, and a slight fire sparked on their talisman papers.
The talismans ultimately failed to form the script on the paper and dissipated.
The two Cultivators flushed red and left their seats, unable to stay any longer.
Beside her, Jin-Wi carefully stroked his brush for a long time before cautiously placing the first stroke on the paper.
The aptitude of a Heavenly Spiritual Root Holder shone even in a demanding talisman.
He barely managed to catch his balance at points where the spiritual energy was about to break, and somehow managed to draw all the way to the final script.
The moment he placed the final dot, a slight sheen of sweat appeared on Jin-Wi’s forehead.
A blue light gently lingered over the talisman.
Compared to Talisman Master Yeon’s demonstration, the color was faint and the thickness of the script was inconsistent, but it was a completed talisman nonetheless.
“Phew…”
Jin-Wi let out a small sigh and checked on Baek-Cheong beside him.
Baek-Cheong had already finished drawing her talisman and had neatly set it aside.
A deep blue light lingered over the talisman, and the script was even clearer than Talisman Master Yeon’s demonstration.
“…How did you draw it so quickly?”
“You just have to copy it exactly as it is, right?”
Jin-Wi stared blankly at the paper for a long time before letting out a dry cough to snap back to his senses.
Before long, another half of the Cultivators who had kept their seats in the Courtyard dropped out.