My Beasts Grind Proficiency For Me-Chapter 144 - 49: The 5 Elements Talisman Book

The Cave Mansion Yang Jing chose was nestled deep within a ring of mountains. While selecting it, he had noticed that the undulating peaks formed a simple, natural Spirit Gathering Array capable of locking in the Spiritual Qi that overflowed from the Spirit Vein.

The Spiritual Qi density in the Cave Mansion was exceptional, even among those of the Tier Three Upper Grade.

Handymen from the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall and other Outer Disciples removed the ancient trees that blocked the sunlight, replacing them with various rare stones and exotic plants, creating a lush landscape of flowers and trees.

The mountain air was crisp and cool, with Spiritual Mist lingering about.

Shouldering an iron shovel, Iron Head spent three days carving a channel through the mountain. He diverted a babbling brook down into a pond that had been dug out in front of the Cave Mansion.

The pond measured a mu square, its water so clear you could see to the bottom. It was home to Spirit Fish gifted by fellow sect members.

These Spirit Fish were called Colorful Cloud Carp. Their scales shimmered like sunset clouds. They were not just for observation; they could naturally absorb and release five-colored clouds. When enough of these clouds were collected, they could be used in the Refining of Flying Spiritual Artifacts. In the Great Trading Houses, a single tael sold for the high price of a hundred Spirit Stones.

If the five-colored clouds weren’t collected, they would form a multi-hued auspicious cloud that shrouded the pond, creating a beautiful sight.

The Sect also included a complimentary Tier Two Array. Yang Jing chose the Tier Two Upper Yang Demon Exorcism Formation. This Array could gather the Yang Qi between heaven and earth and was the one the Sect used to cultivate Pure Yang Apricot Trees.

The Pure Yang Apricot Tree required a massive amount of Yang Qi to bear fruit. With this Array’s assistance, the tree’s yield could increase by at least thirty percent per harvest.

Furthermore, if grown within the Upper Yang Demon Exorcism Formation year-round, the Pure Yang Apricot Tree could bear fruit several years, or even a decade, ahead of schedule.

Iron Head adjusted the layout of the Upper Yang Demon Exorcism Formation, planting the Pure Yang Apricot Tree on one of its nodes. This allowed the Yang Qi drawn in by the Array to be supplied directly to the apricot tree.

After being transplanted, such High Tier Spirit Plants often languish for a period. If transplanted improperly, they might even wither and die.

But under the care of the Spirit Plant Cultivator, Guo Bao, and with an ample supply of Yang Qi, the Pure Yang Apricot Tree quickly regained its vitality.

He brought in Spiritual Soil, cleared a patch of land rich in Spiritual Qi outside the Cave Mansion to create a Medicinal Garden, and planted the Spirit Medicine Seeds they had received on moving day.

Guo Bao wanted to volunteer to tend to the Medicinal Garden for Yang Jing, but Yang Jing politely declined.

Yang Jing had converted parts of the Cave Mansion into a Talisman Making Room, an Alchemy Room, and an Artifact Refining Room. At that moment, his four disciples were all holding Talisman Brushes, painting on blank Talisman Paper.

Without the income from the Insect Extermination Bell, their monthly allowance alone wasn’t enough to cover such large expenses.

Yang Jing had redeemed the Five Elements Talisman Book from the Library Pavilion. This book compiled all the Tier One and Tier Two Talisman creation methods collected by the Five Elements True Spirit Sect.

To supply the front lines and encourage disciples to practice Talisman Making, this Five Elements Talisman Book had cost him only Three Hundred Merit Points.

It contained a total of one thousand nine hundred thirty-one Tier One Talismans and three hundred seventy-six Tier Two Talismans. For Three Hundred Merit Points, it was practically a giveaway.

Yang Jing directly spent Spirit Stones to instantly raise Iron Head, Yinjiao, and Chi Yu’s proficiency with the Five Elements Talisman Book to the Mastery Realm. At this Realm, they had a nearly sixty-percent success rate when painting Tier One Upper Grade Talismans, which was more than enough.

Iron Head was painting the Tier One Upper Grade Lesser Yang Exorcism Talisman. This Talisman could slightly suppress Outer Celestial Demons. When activated on one’s body, it could prevent possession by Low-level Celestial Demons. It was a Talisman consumed in large quantities by the Demon Suppression Army, and each one could earn a Merit Point.

Painting this Talisman required drawing out the Talisman Maker’s internal Yang Qi. An ordinary Talisman Maker couldn’t paint many in a single day, but for Iron Head, who cultivated the True Yang Body, it was a mere drop in the bucket.

Yinjiao, on the other hand, was painting Spirit Rain Talismans—Tier Two Spirit Rain Talismans, at that. When this Talisman was activated, the Spirit Rain it released was rich with Spiritual Mechanism, over three times more potent than that of a Tier One Spirit Rain Talisman.

Many Outer Disciples lacked connections or specialized skills, so they could only earn Merit Points by farming Spirit Fields and tending to Medicinal Gardens. The Sect assigned these disciples Tier Two Spirit Fields and Tier Two Medicinal Gardens.

Tier Two Spirit Rice and Spirit Plants had extremely high requirements for Spiritual Qi. They needed a Tier Two Spiritual Rain Technique cast on them once a month to replenish it. Otherwise, the Spirit Rice and Spirit Plants would wither.

But for Outer Disciples in the Qi Cultivation Stage, mastering the Tier Two Spiritual Rain Technique was no simple task. Most of them had no choice but to buy Tier Two Spirit Rain Talismans.

This was a major source of income for Tier Two Talisman Makers in the Sect.

Chi Yu’s Black Death Seven Tribulations Scripture Magical Power was ill-suited for Talisman Painting, so she could only draw some Low Tier Wind-controlling Talismans. Still, these could be sold at the Grass Market.

Handymen had a great need for Wind-controlling Talismans since they often had to travel long distances.

Ji Feng watched Chi Yu wield a Talisman Brush longer than his own arm, effortlessly painting one Wind-controlling Talisman after another. He was so shocked his eyes felt like they were about to pop out of their sockets.

’He had started learning the Five Elements Talisman Book at the same time as Iron Head, Yinjiao, and Chi Yu. It was one thing for Iron Head and Yinjiao to paint High Tier Talismans with ease, but why could even the pint-sized Chi Yu learn Talisman Making so quickly and leave him so far behind?’

Today, Ji Feng had tried to paint the lowest-grade Rejuvenation Talisman. This Talisman could only heal minor injuries and was considered one of the simplest Talismans, but he had painted more than ten and not a single one was a success.

The huge disparity made him feel like he was sitting on pins and needles, and he began to doubt his own aptitude.

’He even felt a sense of insecurity, as if his new master’s circle was full of geniuses and he was the only failure.’

After Chi Yu successfully painted another Wind-controlling Talisman, Ji Feng couldn’t sit still any longer. He quietly pulled her out of the Talisman Making Room.

"Junior Sister Chi Yu, Junior Sister Chi Yu."

"It’s Senior Sister," Chi Yu emphasized, a bit annoyed. "I clearly became Master’s disciple before you did." Her master had told her she could go play only after she finished twenty Talismans, and she needed to get them done quickly.

Ji Feng looked at Chi Yu, who appeared to be a three-year-old girl, and his face twitched. He had to psych himself up for a moment before he could ask:

"Ah, Senior Sister Chi Yu, I wanted to ask... is there some kind of trick to Talisman Making? How did you master the technique for painting Wind-controlling Talismans so quickly when you’ve just started?"

Chi Yu’s eyes darted about slyly, and she stood with her hands behind her back, saying nothing.

Ji Feng knew she was waiting for an offer.

"What would you like to eat, Senior Sister? If you teach me, I’ll take you out to eat."

Only then did Chi Yu nod in satisfaction, giving him a look that said, ’You’re a teachable one.’

"Because Master gave me an Empowerment. After the Empowerment, I immediately knew how to do Talisman Making."

"What?!"

’Ji Feng’s eyes went wide. ’Isn’t Empowerment a legendary Divine Technique? But seeing as his three senior siblings had suddenly learned Talisman Making, it had to be real.’

’No matter how outstanding Senior Brother Yinjiao’s Talent was, there was no way he could have learned the Tier Two Spirit Rain Talisman in an instant.’

He recalled the Thunder Technique Yinjiao had used before.

"Could it be that Senior Brother Yinjiao’s Ren Water Thunder Technique... was also taught to him by Master through Empowerment?"

Chi Yu blinked her innocent eyes.

"Of course! Thunder Techniques are so difficult, you could never learn them without an Empowerment."

Ji Feng was completely stunned. He paced back and forth anxiously for several laps before turning to Chi Yu and asking:

"Then why hasn’t Master given me an Empowerment? Is it because I just became his disciple and he doesn’t trust me yet? Or is there some kind of test I have to pass?"

"It’s simple. Because you’re human. Master can only give Empowerments to us Demons."