Chapter Thirty-Six: The Patriarch’s Command

In less time than it takes to finish a cup of tea, Situ Jiu could distinctly feel the yin energy within his body being completely expelled. Spiritual energy surged into his dantian, transforming into true qi and nourishing his nearly withered core. The shriveled meridians, under the impact of this true qi, underwent a fission and then were reborn... fission... rebirth...

It was unclear how long this process lasted, but when Situ Jiu finally emerged from his meditative state, his injuries were entirely healed. Although his inner strength had not yet returned to its peak, at least half of his former power was restored. He was confident that it would not take long to recover fully.

Situ Jiu let out a long, exhilarated howl, sweeping away the pent-up frustration in his heart. His entire being felt revitalized.

“Truly remarkable!” he exclaimed, “To think that such a small talisman could drive away the yin energy from my body.” Excitement colored his voice. It had been five years since he was injured during a mission, and all these years, despite searching far and wide for famed doctors and reclusive masters, none could do more than temporarily slow the advance of the yin energy. No one had ever managed to expel it completely.

Were it not for his solid foundation and the nourishment of rare medicinal herbs over the years, Situ Jiu reckoned he would already have departed this world.

Given his status and position, Situ Jiu’s family was among the most prestigious in Yunhai City—indeed, even throughout the country. The doctors and masters he consulted were all renowned across the land, yet not one could do anything about the sinister energy in his body.

Perhaps, if he could have made contact with those mysterious hidden sects or ancient families, he might have found salvation. Yet, though his own standing was high, it was still far beneath those reclusive clans—two worlds apart.

Remembering that he still possessed a protective talisman, Situ Jiu treasured it as if it were a priceless gem. Since the evil-expelling talisman had worked, the protective one must be genuine as well. Carefully, he placed it into his inner pocket, then lifted the teapot and took a sip of tea.

“Attend me!” In high spirits, he tossed aside his false mask. Although his face was still gaunt, a healthy flush had returned and he appeared fuller than before, no longer a mere bag of bones resembling a skeleton.

The servants, who had been waiting outside for some time, had heard quite a commotion from within, but without the master’s order, none dared to enter. Now, hearing his summons, they hurried in, heads bowed. “Master, your orders?”

Situ Jiu laughed heartily. “Pass on my command: Assist the Nangong family in locating that mysterious master. And inform all descendants of the Situ clan that from this day forward, he is to be regarded as our benefactor. Do you understand?” With that, the old master drew a golden token from his robes and handed it to the servant.

The Clan Master’s Token!

The servant trembled. This was no trivial matter—the token meant every member of the family must obey without question. Counting on his fingers, the old retainer, who had served the master for many years, realized it had been a decade since the token was last presented.

Unlike other clans, which had only one such token in the hands of the patriarch, the Situ family held two: one with the current clan head, and the other with the old master himself.

“Master, you…” The old servant received the token with utmost care, glancing up to see that the master’s appearance had changed—he looked much happier, and his expression was brighter.

“Go. Return in ten minutes to report.” The old master laughed again. It was imperative to befriend Ling Tian. First, because Ling Tian was his savior: for that reason alone, the Situ family owed him a debt of gratitude. Second, having such a master as an ally could only bring benefit to the family.

A true leader does not involve himself in every detail, but must see with a discerning eye, strategize, and command from above.

Ling Tian, squatting in his courtyard cultivating, had no inkling that his handful of talismans had already caused a great stir throughout the city. The Situ family now regarded him as an honored guest, his status equal to that of an elder. The princess-like An Qi, who purchased a talisman from him, narrowly escaped disaster thanks to his protective charm.

The Nangong family, too, had sent people throughout the city, determined to find Ling Tian.

With the spiritual gathering and refining arrays combined, by the time Ling Tian returned to his courtyard, the spiritual energy there was several times denser and purer than outside—at least fivefold—and still accumulating as time passed. Delighted, Ling Tian sat at the center of the array and began to absorb the energy with abandon.

At the heart of the array, spiritual energy formed a vortex, rapidly drawn into Ling Tian’s body...

Within an hour, Ling Tian had absorbed all the energy accumulated in the gathering array. The energy was swiftly converted into true qi, which then circulated through his dantian and meridians in the twelve-fold cycle...

He exhaled a long breath of turbid air, stretched his limbs, and his joints popped crisply. His muscles grew visibly stronger. “At this rate, in just a week I’ll have healed my injuries—I’ll be restored to the mid-stage of Qi Refinement.”

Ling Tian glanced at the sky. The moon hung high; the night was deep and silent—the perfect time for crafting talismans.

He had discovered at Baolan Market that crafting talismans was itself a form of cultivation, not only stimulating true qi but also enhancing spiritual awareness. Thus, his plan was to make talismans whenever time permitted—not only to hasten his own progress, but also to amass a stockpile for future safety.

As a former king of mercenaries, Ling Tian had survived countless battles. He believed neither in luck nor coincidence—only strength reigned supreme. If fortune or coincidence existed, they smiled only upon the strong. Strength was the sole truth.

Moreover, Ling Tian understood the principle that there is always someone stronger, always a higher mountain to climb. He treated every adversary with utmost caution and prepared meticulously for any contingency.

Until his injuries were fully healed, Ling Tian needed a large supply of talismans.

He arranged a table and chairs in the courtyard, laid out yellow talisman paper and cinnabar, and carefully produced the Clear Mind Stone, ready to replenish his spiritual awareness should it run low.

With his true qi abundant, Ling Tian first chose to craft the more difficult protective talismans. Though defensive, they were the most complex to make. He summoned the true fire from his dantian, brush in hand, swiftly moving across the yellow paper...

With growing experience, Ling Tian spent fifteen minutes making the first protective talisman—slower than the ten minutes it had taken to craft his first evil-expelling talisman, but in reality, his speed was much improved.

Crafting evil-expelling talismans consumed the most spiritual awareness. Most martial artists relied on mental energy, but Ling Tian, an extraordinary existence, used true spiritual consciousness—making the process relatively easy for him.

“Not bad, it’s nearly a grade-one talisman.” Satisfied with his work, he set it aside and began on the second... and third...

After three protective talismans, his previously full dantian felt a bit hollow, so he sat in the array to replenish his energy.

Once somewhat restored, he began working on offensive talismans—fire talismans.

When released, fire talismans transformed into blazing flames, hot enough at the highest level to melt stone and metal. But with his current cultivation, Ling Tian could only make low-grade versions—at best, fist-sized flames. Effective against ordinary foes, but against true experts, they would serve only as a brief distraction.

Yet for one of Ling Tian’s caliber, even a split-second of distraction could be enough to secure victory.

With his prior experience and the benefits of the spiritual array, his speed increased—within half an hour, he crafted three fire talismans.

Finally, Ling Tian turned to healing talismans—indispensable lifesavers for cultivators, even more vital than a soldier’s first-aid kit. Healing talismans could cure light injuries in a blink, and higher-grade versions could restore the gravely wounded in short order.

With enough healing talismans, a cultivator could remain undefeated in battle—if not able to vanquish an enemy, he could at least escape unscathed.

Ling Tian’s current healing talismans could only treat minor external wounds and moderate internal injuries. By his estimation, his present cultivation was insufficient to heal his own wounds; he would need a grade-one talisman for that.

Crafting healing talismans was different from the others; it required not just an abundance of true qi, but also powerful spiritual awareness. When activated, these talismans released both energy and spiritual force, stimulating the body’s latent potential to accelerate healing.

He crafted and absorbed energy repeatedly.

By the time he finished three healing talismans, it was already the afternoon of the next day.

Three protective talismans, three fire talismans, three healing talismans—a total of nine, all of a much higher grade than those he had produced at Baolan Market, and nearly at the level of grade-one talismans.

“My strength is still lacking,” Ling Tian muttered, dissatisfied. Because he cultivated the Chaos Technique, his mental power had already transformed into the legendary spiritual awareness possessed only by the most advanced cultivators. This fully met the requirements for crafting grade-one talismans, and he lacked no experience.

The only thing missing now was power.

Ling Tian was confident that once he reached the Qi Transformation stage, he could effortlessly craft grade-one talismans.

“These will suffice for now.” Ling Tian stretched, tidied up, and then drew out the protective talisman-bead he intended for Mu Qingcheng. He gave it a simple upgrade; the fine white jade used in its making was of the highest quality, and with Ling Tian’s improvements, the talisman-bead was now nearly grade-one.