Chapter Thirty-Two: The Supreme Diagram Records

"Aside from the magic instruments, there are also three books, five jade slips, a token, and a pile of miscellaneous items..."
Zhou Changwang took out each item one by one, then examined and counted them carefully.

The joy of such a harvest made his eyes crinkle with delight.

Although he was well aware this was no common occurrence.

A storage pouch belonging to a fifth-layer Qi Refining cultivator was not something one could obtain at any time.

His father had painstakingly lurked by the man’s side for three years, only to finally succeed by a stroke of ‘luck.’

He was very clear about this in his heart.

“The Basic Talisman Crafting Manual, volumes one, two, and three.”

He first glanced at the three books and couldn’t help but be startled.

These three books were actually guides to the fundamentals of talisman crafting, and all three volumes—upper, middle, and lower—were present.

This meant that with these books, he could directly study the art of talisman creation and become a talisman master.

It must be known that in the world of cultivation, there were many immortal professions.

The most famous and revered were, of course, the alchemists.

Yet among the many immortal professions, talisman crafting was also a highly sought-after trade.

Because the basics were easy to learn—any cultivator could pick it up—many in the cultivation world had some basic skill at crafting talismans.

When Zhou Changwang wandered the rogue cultivators’ market, he saw mostly low-level cultivators selling talismans at their stalls.

However, while entry was easy, true mastery was difficult. The real threshold was always within the sects; most cultivators could only make basic talismans of poor quality, leading to fierce competition. Low-grade talismans were not expensive—so long as one wasn’t swindled, a single low-grade spirit stone could buy a stack of Frost Talismans, Flame Talismans, or other basic types.

Only those with unique methods and outstanding skill could truly gain a foothold and be called talisman masters.

For example, the previous owner of this storage pouch was such a person, skilled enough to craft mid-grade talismans.

“Still, talismans can enhance a cultivator’s combat power. Even if I don’t sell them, they serve as excellent life-saving tools.”

Zhou Changwang had no illusions of immediately becoming a master of the craft; he saw it mainly as a practical skill for personal use, something useful to have at hand.

After all, being merely a spiritual farmer made survival in the cultivation world exceedingly difficult.

Not to mention, to ensure one’s cultivation progressed, advancing step by step to become a mid-level, then a high-level cultivator, and perhaps eventually to Foundation Establishment, Core Formation...

Since he had come to this world, Zhou Changwang naturally wished to stand at a higher vantage, to witness entirely new vistas.

In fact, he already intended to learn a new immortal art, to smooth his path in the cultivation world and travel farther.

Even if he had not gained these from Zhang Fenghua’s storage pouch, he had planned to visit the rogue cultivators’ market soon and purchase one or two practical arts for himself.

Talisman crafting was one of his preferred choices.

“Five jade slips—what might they contain?”

Zhou Changwang’s heart beat with expectation, as if opening a blind box.

“Earthsplit Spell, Azurewood Spirit Technique, Withered Wood Rejuvenation, Taiyi Diagram, Talisman Crafting Notes…”

He examined each jade slip in turn.

He couldn’t help but sigh—in the hands of a mid-level cultivator, the quality of arts and spells was indeed much higher.

Earthsplit Spell was a mid-level technique; when cast, it could rend the ground and cause the earth to quake. Its power, of course, depended on the spiritual energy invested and the cultivator’s own strength.

Azurewood Spirit Technique was a wood-attribute cultivation method, its circulation routes clearly more intricate than his own Five Elements Technique—evidently a higher grade. Unfortunately, it did not suit Zhou Changwang, who possessed balanced five-element roots and was best matched to comprehensive elemental methods.

Withered Wood Rejuvenation was a wood-attribute spell, seemingly complementary to the Azurewood Spirit Technique—a healing art that could also be used on spiritual plants, restoring those on the verge of withering and death. A rare and valuable technique, and one suitable for his own cultivation.

However, being a mid-level spell, its entry threshold was not low.

“As for the Taiyi Diagram…”

Zhou Changwang sent his mind into the slip and saw only an unfathomably complex diagram.

He tried to examine it closely, but immediately felt his spirit rapidly draining, so he hastily withdrew his focus.

“This diagram is not simple. Not simple at all. And it seems incomplete…”

Shaking off his daze, he noticed that the jade slip containing the Taiyi Diagram was visibly different from the others—darker in color, faintly edged with gold, and of an ancient, timeworn appearance.

“Perhaps it’s a relic from some ancient site?”

Zhou Changwang muttered, but for the moment had no clue, so he set it aside.

“But this last slip—the Talisman Crafting Notes—contains Zhang Fenghua’s own insights and records, detailing the problems he encountered in crafting talismans and his solutions.”

Seeing this jade slip, Zhou Changwang’s eyes truly lit up.

He already possessed the three volumes of the Basic Talisman Crafting Manual, providing the foundation for learning talisman art.

But as a beginner, he would inevitably face many challenges and gaps in knowledge, often at a loss where to start.

With these notes, however, it was as if a predecessor was guiding him, allowing him to avoid the common pitfalls of novices and saving him a great deal of time.

“With this, I’ll be able to get started in talisman crafting much faster.”

Delighted, Zhou Changwang finally turned his attention to the token among the items.

“Greenleaf Order? Which immortal sect does this token belong to? Greenleaf, Greenleaf… there doesn’t seem to be any sect by that name nearby. Could it be a merchant alliance, or perhaps a shadowy faction?”

He studied the inscription on the token, puzzled.

With no leads for now, he simply put the token away.

“Ice Talisman, Frost Talisman, Fire Talisman, Explosive Flame Talisman, Wind Blade Talisman, Light Body Talisman… a pity, all low-grade talismans, limited in power.

As for the spiritual pills, there are two bottles of Yellow Spirit Pills, one Detoxification Pill, one Explosive Essence Pill.

Of the Yellow Spirit Pills, one bottle is full with ten pills, and the other still has six. The Detoxification Pills number three, and there’s only one Explosive Essence Pill left…”

Lastly, Zhou Changwang checked the talismans and pills.

This was about what he expected.

He knew that Zhang Fenghua had previously fought a twin-headed Icefire Wolf; any powerful talismans would have been used up, so none were left.

Even the healing and energy-restoring pills had long been exhausted.

To have these remaining talismans and pills was already a decent windfall.

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