Chapter 54: Chapter 52: Talisman Brush Ji An once again performed the Thick Earth Technique, and the seeds all burrowed into the soil one after another. He changed the spell, and white mist gathered over the Spirit Field, spreading rapidly. Spiritual rain continuously fell, Old Huang extended his hand into the rain, and the refreshing aura spread from his palm up to his forearm. "This is the Perfection Level of the Small Cloud Rain Technique. I wonder if I can ever reach this level in my lifetime." His voice carried a hint of melancholy, for many years of toil had long worn away the ambition he had when he first stepped on the Immortal Path. "Though the journey is far, one must reach it. Senior Brother’s Small Cloud Rain Technique has been at the Great Success Level for many years. To achieve Perfection, it’s just a matter of time and effort." Ji An consoled, thinking that if a Spirit Farmer spent ten or eight years, they should be able to perfect the Small Cloud Rain Technique and Thick Earth Technique; otherwise, it would mean they truly lacked comprehension, at least in Water and Earth Element Magic. Old Huang’s Small Cloud Rain Technique reached Great Success long ago; with more time spent and a mindful approach when casting, achieving Perfection shouldn’t be a big problem. Thinking of this, Ji An discussed his insights on the Small Cloud Rain Technique. It was his path, not necessarily suitable for others, but as the saying goes, "stones from other hills may serve to polish jade," it could be used for reference. Old Huang nodded continuously, occasionally a spark of insight flashed in his cloudy eyes, seemingly gaining something. The mist began to dissipate slowly, the rain became lighter, turning as thin as cow’s hair, and a thin layer of mist rose from the Spirit Field. The morning light crossed over the mountain peak, shining down into the valley. A tiny rainbow slipped into Ji An’s eyes as tender green sprouts emerged in the Spirit Field. Suddenly, he noticed a slight tremor in the Stone Turtle which had been resting calmly in his Dantian, and then it settled down again. He calmed his mind, engaging the Stone Turtle. [Spiritual Mechanism: Vibration 0.2] Wood of the Five Elements signifies thunder, symbolizing vibration and vigilance, corresponding to the flourishing vitality when all things sprout. Ji An was puzzled, recalling that when planting Yellow Sprout Rice, he had also seen seedlings emerge but had not received the Vibration Spirit Mechanism. Could it be because the spiritual properties of Yellow Sprout Rice were too weak? So, when Spiritual Peaches, Spiritual Apricots, and Fire Cloud Ginseng sprouted, there should also be the appearance of Vibration Spirit Mechanism. Not being present then might have meant missing out on a gain? Suppressing his thoughts, Ji An immediately decided to refine the Zhen Spirit to see the effect, only to receive feedback that there was no corresponding spell for use. At this moment, Old Huang regained his senses and clasped his hands: "Listening to Brother Xiao’an has indeed been enlightening, making the path ahead much clearer. Perhaps with a bit more time, I can truly gain something; thank you." He decided to have Flying Tiger spend more time with Ji An—the occasional casual advice might save his grandson from taking detours. "No need to be so polite, Senior Brother. Any help was due to your own insights." The two exchanged pleasantries and bid farewell. Ji An returned to his own Spirit Field to start planting Talisman Grass and Spirit Grain. This time, he planted only five acres of Spirit Grain, keeping the number of acres for Talisman Grass unchanged. The Jade Corn had reached the Elongation Stage and required more care, which was one reason for reducing planting. He initially speculated that the spells used in Magical Combat might consume more Spiritual Mechanism for improvement, but found that their consumption was quite similar to Planting Techniques. Now that the Water Curtain Technique had reached Perfection Level, he could completely gain higher income by creating talismans. A piece of high-quality talisman paper could sell only for 8 Spirit Crystals, but a Defense Talisman could easily sell for at least twenty Spirit Crystals. ... In the morning, Ji An pushed open the bamboo house, having just finished cultivation, his mind was clear, and body refreshed, clearly showing progress in merit. His gaze habitually swept over the courtyard, rapidly counting the Fire Cloud Ginseng in his mind. "One, two, three, four..." As his gaze moved from the left to the far right, he suddenly froze. He walked over quickly to find two Fire Cloud Ginseng plants uprooted, with the rhizomes gnawed clean. Ji An squatted down, picking up the seedlings with only stems and leaves left, a cold glint in his eyes. From the leftover teeth marks and small paw prints on the ground, he judged that it was some kind of rodent. Due to frequently using the Thick Earth Technique to smooth the Earth Qi, the soil surface of the courtyard was soft, allowing him to see the thief’s trace of departure. His gaze followed the tracks, discovering they had come in from a corner of the wall. Ji An walked over, carefully examining the wall, which had three layers in total; the innermost layer was dried bamboo fencing with large gaps, accessible to wild chickens. The middle layer was made of thin wooden stakes with fist-wide gaps, and the outermost layer was a dense green bamboo fence, with gaps of only two fingers. Fearing something might come to steal food, he was meticulous in the fence construction, but it was still stolen. Losing two Fire Cloud Ginseng plants was heart-wrenching, but not too significant; after all, they had been planted for only three months, just like seeds failing to germinate. Ji An was worried that the creature, once tasting blood, might frequent the place; it would be difficult to handle. With about a month left to obtain the Sealing Array, unless he stayed awake guarding the courtyard at night, there might be losses. After contemplating, he spooned a bowl of Yellow Sprout Rice from the grain cylinder and scattered some Spirit Rice in the corner of the courtyard. With an easier target, the Fire Cloud Ginseng should be safer, right? Yet he didn’t expect to ward off beasts just with these Spirit Rice, deciding to keep watch for a few nights. The Fire Cloud Ginseng had been planted for three months, the rhizomes were probably as thick as an infant’s little finger, but being an entry-level Spirit Medicine, the Spiritual Power within can’t be matched by Yellow Sprout Rice. Moreover, the creature stealing was likely not an ordinary beast, as ordinary beasts couldn’t withstand the medicinal power of Fire Cloud Ginseng. If it’s a Demon Beast, it would be a bit troublesome. While contemplating, Ji An took out the Talisman Bird and infused it with Spiritual Power. When the Talisman Bird enlarged, he mounted it and flew towards the Jade Water Marketplace. ... "Junior Brother Ji, what brings you here?" Wei Songnian was just inside his house inventorying his goods and was surprised to see Ji An at his home. "Hehe, I came to borrow some stuff from Senior Brother." Ji An rubbed his hands together and continued: "A few days ago, I exchanged for a Magic Technique Jade Slip from the Sect; I’ll be able to make talismans in the future. I want to borrow the cheapest Talisman Brush; maybe I can sell talismans to Senior Brother next month." "Sure, the market for talismans is good these days; what does Junior Brother plan to sell mostly?" "Water Curtain Technique, maybe Geng Metal Finger Talisman after some time." "Water Element Defense Magic? It’s not easy to sell, people mostly buy Metal and Earth Element Defense Talismans." Ji An smiled slightly: "I’m quite comprehensible in Water Element Magic; this spell might be the best choice for me. When the time comes, I’ll draw a few, entrust them here with Senior Brother, and sell them at a discount to build a reputation." He was confident in his magic; even though a strong magic aptitude didn’t guarantee a strong talisman crafting talent, it was definitely beneficial. "Indeed, what suits you best is the best choice, Junior Brother has a clear vision." Wei Songnian fetched a well-worn white Talisman Brush, apologetically saying: "Talisman brushes for drawing Water Element spells are rare in the market; this is the only second-hand one I have. The Talisman Master who traded it in said it could draw a hundred more talismans at most before being scrapped; it costs three Spirit Stones."