Chapter Fifty-Three: Immortal Arts Cultivation +1

Buzz~

In an instant, he saw a flash of spiritual light on the talisman. In his meditative state, he vaguely perceived an inexplicable force in the void being drawn in, surging into the talisman. Only when the talisman fully absorbed this power did the process cease.

“Did it work?!”

A look of delight immediately appeared on Chen Yushu’s face. Unable to resist, he picked up the talisman. Though it remained a thin sheet, compared to ordinary talisman paper, it possessed a heavier feel and a distinct texture. It seemed as if there was truly some mysterious force within, capable of warding off evil, averting misfortune, and safeguarding the home.

“The first talisman I’ve successfully drawn—The Household Protection Talisman!”

Chen Yushu was invigorated. He planned to strike while the iron was hot and continue drawing talismans. Then, as if remembering something, he hastily turned his gaze to the attribute panel.

Talisman Drawing: Novice (1/100)
In parentheses: Household Protection Talisman Novice (1/100)

“As expected, the skill section of the attribute panel has gained a new entry—Talisman Drawing Novice. The Household Protection Talisman also shows novice. Does this mean they are actually independent entities? Talisman Drawing is the general skill, while Household Protection Talisman refers specifically to this type of talisman? By drawing more household protection talismans, the skill experience will naturally feed back into the overall Talisman Drawing skill. Conversely, the higher the Talisman Drawing skill level, the easier it will be to craft household protection talismans or other spirit talismans?”

Chen Yushu quietly compared the two and quickly came to a conclusion. Though it might not be entirely accurate, it seemed the most reasonable to him.

Then, he steadied his mind once more, visualized, and entered meditation, beginning to draw talismans again. Of course, he drew household protection talismans. Thanks to the attribute panel’s features, this time drawing talismans was far easier than before. Each stroke was smooth and effortless.

One, two, three...

Each one was a success.

When Chen Yushu completed the fourth talisman, he finally paused.

“My mental strength is lacking again. With my current level, I can only draw seven talismans at a stretch. If I force myself further, my mental energy will run dry, and that would not be pleasant.”

Chen Yushu had experienced the exhaustion after practicing the Yin Suppression Technique, and had no desire to go through it again. He stopped immediately.

He then turned his gaze to the five household protection talismans he had created. Layered together, their weighty presence gave him a sense of satisfaction.

“I wonder how effective these household protection talismans really are?”

Chen Yushu was curious about the talisman’s effects. After some thought, he went to the living room and affixed one above the door beam.

He wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but once the talisman was in place, the air felt fresher. Simply standing in the courtyard brought a sense of peace and tranquility. However, the change was subtle; ordinary people might not notice much.

“In any case, the talisman is definitely functional. If I were to sell them, perhaps they could fetch a bit of silver?”

Chen Yushu couldn’t help but recall the talismans in Old Fu’s incense shop. None were properly made—their lines were barely recognizable—yet he dared to price them at one tael of silver each and sell them openly. If someone bought one and encountered trouble, it could bring harm to both buyer and seller.

Night had deepened.

Chen Yushu stopped drawing talismans and returned to his room. Soon, he entered meditation again and began practicing the White Tiger Visualization Technique.

Since his last attempt at the Yin Suppression Technique had left his mind depleted, he hadn’t tried it again. However, his daily visualization practice had never ceased, and so his mental strength continued to grow. This was evident in the increased vigor of his “Heavenly Fire.”

White Tiger Visualization Technique +1
White Tiger Visualization Technique +3
White Tiger Visualization Technique +2
...

The meditative state greatly improved his visualization efficiency. Since reaching the Lesser Meditation stage, each session brought more experience points—sometimes two, sometimes three, and occasionally, when inspiration struck, four or even five.

Now, Chen Yushu was deeply immersed in his visualization. The white tiger in his mind grew ever more vivid; even sitting still, it radiated an imposing aura.

“The white tiger shouldn’t just be a symbol of majesty. It can be agile, serene, vigorous, cunning, or furious...”

Originally, Chen Yushu had always visualized a single white tiger, modeling it after the traditional depiction and refining it until he felt unable to progress further. Suddenly, inspiration struck—he could visualize another white tiger in a completely different form.

It was still the white tiger, but in a wholly different posture.

Almost instantly, a new image of the white tiger emerged in his mind. With his mental strength sketching the shape, its outline came to life.

White Tiger Visualization Technique +5

Incense Cultivation +1

Boom!

In that moment, Chen Yushu felt countless methods and experiences related to the White Tiger Visualization Technique flowing through his mind. In a short time, it was as if he had practiced the secret art countless times, becoming intimately familiar with it.

He had broken through!

The White Tiger Visualization Technique had advanced from the novice stage to mastery.

Chen Yushu quickly realized what had happened. He glanced at his attribute panel.

Name: Chen Yushu
Age: Twelve
Martial Arts: King of Medicine Stance: Master (32/200)
Immortal Art: White Tiger Visualization Technique: Master (1/200)
Immortal Cultivation: One stick of incense (1/100)
Skills:
Reading: Enlightenment (216/400), Calligraphy: Imitation (39/400), Throwing: Grandmaster (125/800), Medicine: Novice (2/100)
Talisman Drawing: Novice (1/100)
Household Protection Talisman: Novice (5/100)
...

“As expected, the realm of the White Tiger Visualization Technique has broken through. And with this breakthrough, I even gained a point of incense cultivation. The attribute panel now displays a new section—Immortal Cultivation.”

Chen Yushu gazed at the panel’s changes, filled with delight.

Immortal Cultivation.

Even though it was only one stick of incense, and just the lowest level—one point—its significance was vastly different.

Of course, this didn’t mean that his previous days of practice hadn’t yielded any incense cultivation. It was simply that, according to the panel’s calculations, his recent efforts had only just accumulated enough to form a single point.

“However, things are different now. With the White Tiger Visualization Technique raised to mastery, my cultivation efficiency will certainly be greatly enhanced.”

Almost impatiently, Chen Yushu wanted to test this improvement. After all, it was the foundation of his cultivation. The realm of his visualization technique determined his cultivation speed. Now, with Immortal Cultivation and incense progress visibly displayed on the panel, he could see it all directly.