Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Art of Reviving Withered Wood—A Beginner's Guide

"This really is... quite something, isn't it?"
Zhou Changwang first glanced at the iron-armored boar, making sure it was well and truly dead, and then his face twisted between laughter and tears.
He had never expected the little spirit hound to leap out at such a critical moment, hurling itself forward to block the boar's charging momentum.
Though it hadn't been strictly necessary, the gesture moved him deeply. Hurriedly, he drew a Rejuvenation Talisman from his storage pouch, activated it, and pressed it to the hound, though it only slightly eased the creature's condition.
After all, the Rejuvenation Talisman was but a low-tier spiritual talisman, with limited effect.
In truth, nearly all spirit talismans are based on corresponding spells—Rejuvenation Talisman derives from Rejuvenation Spell, Fire Talisman from Fire Spell, and so forth. Talisman crafters use special methods to seal spells into talismans in another form.
For this reason, the power of a talisman is far inferior to the spell itself. Its effectiveness depends on the material, the spell's script, and the crafter's skill.
Thus, low-tier talismans are considered decent if they achieve thirty percent of the spell's power. The weakest may offer only ten percent.
Just as Zhou Changwang's previous Wind Blade Talismans, Frost Talismans, Flame Talismans, and others, most had but a fraction of their original spell's potency.
The greatest advantage of talismans, especially low-tier ones, lies in their ability to unleash spells that the user has not mastered, and to do so instantly—catching opponents off guard in battle.
As for their power, that is a matter of perspective.
Only mid-tier and high-tier talismans, or those crafted by certain exceptional crafters, possess truly formidable power and can exert real influence.
"This won't do," Zhou Changwang muttered, seeing the spirit hound's condition still poor.
After some thought, he began manipulating his internal spiritual energy, constructing a series of rune structures.
He was now attempting a mid-tier healing spell he had been studying recently: Verdant Revival.
After days of contemplation and continual trial and error, he had mastered the condensation of eleven rune structures, and had begun to grasp the twelfth. Success was just a step away.
Yet that final step is often the hardest.
At this moment, Zhou Changwang could only treat the dying as if they might be saved.
One, two, three...
Each rune structure formed with his dispersing spiritual energy.
Soon, he reached the tenth and then the eleventh.
But as the twelfth rune was about to condense, Zhou Changwang's mind wavered, and his spiritual energy scattered.
"Failed."
He sighed softly, gazing at the whimpering spirit hound, calming his heart, and began the spell again.
One breath, two, three...
Under his precise and practiced control, the runes rapidly took shape.

Soon, he again reached the twelfth rune structure.
"Last time, I actually succeeded in condensing the twelfth rune.
The key to failure lies in the connection.
The runes must unite, head and tail joined, forming a single whole for the spell to succeed.
In other words, the final stroke of the twelfth rune must harmonize with the others, forming a complete entity.
Only then will it align with the heavens, bringing the spell to fruition."
Such thoughts flashed through his mind. As the twelfth rune condensed, his spiritual energy surged.
On the fifteenth breath.
A hum.
In an instant, the spell formed.
And resonated with the world.
Spiritual light gathered around him.
Verdant Revival +1
"Did it work?"
Joy filled Zhou Changwang's heart. He guided the gathered light, shaping it into a radiant glow, which poured onto the spirit hound.
A crackling sound...
The hound's wounds began to heal rapidly under Zhou Changwang's spell.
One breath, two, three...
"Awwooo!"
With an excited howl, the spirit hound shook itself, rose, and leapt nimbly from Zhou Changwang's embrace to the ground, light-footed and natural.
Recovered.
The spirit hound, thanks to Zhou Changwang's Verdant Revival, was completely restored, showing not the slightest injury.
"As expected of a mid-tier spell—Verdant Revival's effect truly is extraordinary."
Seeing this, Zhou Changwang was delighted.
What thrilled him even more was that, upon casting the spell, his attribute panel finally displayed a new entry.
Verdant Revival (Novice 1/100).
"So, from novice to mastery, this spell also only needs one hundred experience points?"
He glanced at the panel, somewhat puzzled.
But sensing his own spiritual energy, his expression cleared with understanding.

The spell, though of a higher tier, requires far more spiritual energy to cast.
With his current reserves, he could manage five casts at most.
After five, his energy would be spent.
Perhaps that's why, despite its higher tier, the experience required is the same as other spells.
This seemed reasonable to Zhou Changwang.
He then turned his attention to the iron-armored boar.
It was long dead.
A Metal Finger spell and a flying sword artifact had each pierced its eyes, shattering its brain; even its stubborn vitality could not withstand such damage.
Approaching, he found the sword artifact lodged in its skull, only the hilt exposed. He quickly retrieved it.
The sword was smooth and spotless, unmarred by blood.
He was not surprised.
Artifacts are extraordinary; under the influence of spiritual energy, they repel dust and remain unstained by blood.
The legendary "bloodless sword" pales in comparison.
He then noticed a thumb-sized hole in the other side of the boar's head—the mark left by his Metal Finger spell.
After a moment's thought, he summoned his energy and cast another Metal Finger spell, targeting the side pierced by the flying sword.
For now, he wished to keep his ownership of the sword artifact secret.
Thus, he used spells to conceal the original traces.
After several applications, no one would be able to discern the sword's marks on the boar.
Then Zhou Changwang grabbed its hind legs, and with spiritual energy surging, hoisted it onto his shoulders.
"So heavy.
This iron-armored boar must weigh at least a thousand pounds, no less than eight hundred. Even if I wash off the mud armor, it will still be seven hundred."
He let out a low grunt, and strode briskly back the way he had come.
...