Mei Qing, however, was brimming with enthusiasm. Now fully awake and brimming with energy, he was like a drunkard spotting fine wine when he saw the various talismans. The past two times when Zhang Shisan had taught him talisman drawing had been met with exaggerated reactions. Initially, Mei Qing had paid it no mind, but now seeing Zhang Shisan’s troubled expression, he naturally realized that his own performance must have been somewhat unusual, causing Zhang’s alternating emotions of joy and worry.
“That… Senior, I don’t know why I can’t draw the Servant Summoning Talisman no matter what I do, yet the Diamond Talisman came so easily? In my humble opinion, the difficulty between these two talismans doesn’t seem that different?” Mei Qing didn’t directly ask why Zhang Shisan was so surprised and troubled, but instead asked about the success and failure of the two talismans he had just drawn.
“Ah, precisely this has been troubling me,” Zhang Shisan replied, his voice somewhat hoarse as he regained his composure. “Mei Qing, do you know anything about the intricacies involved in drawing talismans?”
“Intricacies?” Mei Qing was surprised. “Isn’t it just a matter of drawing them correctly? Of course, one must regulate one’s energy, allowing the talisman to gain its own spirit.”
“Intricacies? Just drawing them correctly?” Zhang Shisan smiled bitterly and shook his head. “I’ve been practicing for nearly a hundred years since I started cultivation. After establishing my foundation at thirteen, I began learning talisman arts from the Five Elements Talismans. By thirty, I passed the Essence Refinement stage and entered the phase of transforming essence into energy. It took me a full fifteen years from the start of my talisman practice until I could successfully create the Diamond Talisman.”
“Fifteen years?” Mei Qing was shocked. He had drawn the Diamond Talisman with great care, yet found it effortless, never imagining it could be so difficult. How could it be as hard as Zhang described?
“Could it be… because you were still in the physical refinement phase back then, with unstable energy, making it so difficult?” Mei Qing thought. In the talisman sect, the stage of transforming essence into energy was equivalent to having condensed a pill in the alchemical sect. Since this old man only reached this level at thirty, he probably wasn’t very talented, so it was normal that he struggled with talismans.
“You probably think that I only reached the stage of transforming essence into energy at thirty because of my limited talent?” Zhang Shisan seemed to see through Mei Qing’s thoughts and asked with a sigh.
Caught red-handed in his thoughts, Mei Qing felt a bit embarrassed, merely chuckled, scratched the back of his head, and didn’t respond.
Zhang Shisan wasn’t angry. He chuckled and said, “If in the alchemical sect, condensing a pill at seventeen is considered extremely talented, then in the talisman sect, early cultivation is quite rapid. Reaching the Essence Refinement stage at seventeen isn’t particularly fast, but it’s certainly not slow either. Besides, the reason my cultivation wasn’t progressing quickly was precisely because I was too diligent in talisman practice. Within our sect, in the past three hundred years, I’m the first to draw the Diamond Talisman within fifteen years and reach the middle level of talisman arts within seventeen.”
Mei Qing couldn’t help but open his mouth wide, his expression filled with disbelief. Although this old man had extremely high cultivation, his erratic behavior made him seem anything but a disciple from a prestigious sect. Even if he were from a proper sect, he probably wouldn’t be considered elite. Yet when Zhang Shisan spoke of his sect and himself, the pride and confidence on his face were clearly genuine.
Seeing Mei Qing’s expression, Zhang Shisan smiled slightly and began recounting his experiences learning talismans.
Originally, in Zhang Shisan’s sect, once disciples successfully established their foundation and gained internal energy, they immediately began learning talismans. Naturally, they started with the most basic talismans of the lower tier—Yin-Yang, Four Symbols, Five Elements, and Six Harmonies—that Mei Qing had drawn.
“These talismans aren’t particularly difficult. Generally, talented disciples can succeed within one or two months. Those less gifted might take about half a year. However, our sect has a rule: one must practice lower-tier talismans for at least a year before advancing to the next tier. If the master deems a disciple untalented, they must practice lower-tier talismans for three years before learning higher ones. Mei Qing, can you guess how long I practiced lower-tier talismans?”
After thinking for a moment, Mei Qing replied, “Could it be that you practiced lower-tier talismans for three whole years?”
Zhang Shisan was greatly surprised, his eyes wide. “How… did you guess that?”
Mei Qing smiled. “Earlier, you mentioned that you were too diligent in talisman practice. In my opinion, the reason you surpassed predecessors and became the fastest in three hundred years must be because you worked hard on the most fundamental aspects, allowing you to catch up later.”
Zhang Shisan sighed deeply. “Exactly. When I entered the sect, my talent was praised by my master. However, when I began learning talismans, I realized that drawing talismans is not merely a matter of handwork but rather a matter of the heart. I once heard that carpenters must start with the basics—sawing and chiseling—for a certain period before they can make furniture. Practicing for half a year trains the eyes; one year trains the hands; three years trains the heart. From the beginning, I loved talisman arts and decided to master this skill in my heart, ignoring my master and senior brothers’ advice, practicing lower-tier talismans for three full years.”
Mei Qing nodded repeatedly. The most important aspect of any skill lies in its foundation. As the saying goes, sharpening the axe doesn’t delay chopping wood. On the contrary, those who disdain the basics and aim too high may gain temporary fame but will never achieve extraordinary accomplishments.
“At that time, besides energy cultivation, drawing talismans occupied most of our time in the sect. Each disciple had to draw one hundred each of the Yin-Yang, Four Symbols, Five Elements, and Six Harmonies talismans daily before resting. I was full of youthful vigor and insisted on drawing two hundred of each talisman every day before stopping. Although I was talented and drew talismans faster than others, I worked from dawn to dusk without a moment’s rest. After three years, I finally felt that drawing talismans became second nature, as if the brush and I were one. The talisman wasn’t merely drawn by the brush but directly from the heart, forming naturally with my thoughts. This three-year effort was not in vain.” Zhang Shisan said with nostalgia. “By then, my senior brothers were already learning mid-tier talismans, and some who cultivated quickly could already draw seven or eight talismans. There’s no such thing as a prodigy in talismans; everyone must walk step by step. At that time, some even said that I had wasted those three years and would never catch up with others.”
“Unfortunately—it wasn’t me who was foolish. I caught up with the three-year gap within a year. If it weren’t for what happened later, hehe…”
As he spoke, Zhang Shisan shook his head with a sigh.
“What happened later?” Mei Qing, hearing someone recount their cultivation experiences for the first time, asked with great interest.
“Later, I quickly mastered mid-tier talismans. This time, I didn’t waste time on mid-tier talismans and directly aimed for high-tier ones.” Zhang Shisan said with a nostalgic expression.
Mei Qing understood that the foundation required for mid-tier talismans wasn’t significantly different from lower-tier ones. Since the foundation was solid, lingering on mid-tier talismans was unnecessary. Instead, the next step should be to quickly engage with advanced talismans and gain practical experience.
“Unexpectedly, this time I suffered a major setback.” Zhang Shisan said with a humorous expression.
“Ah? I think your cultivation method was very reasonable and should have progressed quickly. Why did you encounter problems?” Mei Qing asked, puzzled by Zhang Shisan’s setback.
Zhang Shisan smiled bitterly. “As I told you, I was too diligent in talisman practice. However, human effort is limited; focusing on one aspect inevitably neglects others. Although my talisman skills progressed rapidly, my cultivation of spiritual power inevitably suffered. When I reached high-tier talismans, higher cultivation was required, but my cultivation couldn’t keep up.”
Mei Qing exclaimed, “Ah!” suddenly realizing that Zhang Shisan’s slow progress in cultivation was due to his excessive focus on talismans.
Zhang Shisan shook his head and laughed. “Back then, I knew exactly how to draw those talismans, but halfway through, my body would feel empty, unable to continue. Because of this, I had to grit my teeth and retreat into isolation for several years to catch up on my cultivation. Fortunately, in the talisman sect, talisman drawing and cultivation should mutually promote each other. Using talismans to assist cultivation also has some methods. When I approached the Essence Refinement stage, various high-tier talismans were easily mastered one by one. After a few more years of diligent practice, I finally passed the Essence Refinement stage and entered the phase of transforming essence into energy. Reaching the middle level of talisman arts immediately after entering the energy transformation stage could be considered turning misfortune into fortune.”
Mei Qing nodded repeatedly. It seemed that even in the talisman sect, cultivation and talisman drawing were interdependent. Focusing solely on one aspect was never the right path.
Zhang Shisan rarely spoke of his past experiences. Today, inspired by Mei Qing’s situation, he shared his story with great enthusiasm. After a while, he returned to the present reality and smiled bitterly again. “Now, Mei Qing, you should understand what’s wrong with your talisman drawing. In fact, I’ve seen countless talisman experts since childhood, but never encountered someone like you who can casually draw talismans successfully. Talisman drawing requires harmony of mind, body, energy, brushwork, and form—lacking any one of these is insufficient. Yet you, your mind is not sincere, your posture is not upright, your brushwork is chaotic, and your talisman form is crooked. Moreover, you cultivate the alchemical sect, not the energy refinement sect, so you probably don’t even understand the energy required for talismans. How could you possibly draw high-tier talismans effortlessly?”
“That…” Mei Qing opened his mouth but didn’t know what to say. He was truly fearless in his ignorance, daring to draw talismans boldly and succeeding on the first try, unaware that there were so many intricacies involved in talisman drawing. Hearing Zhang Shisan’s words, he now felt it was indeed inexplicable, unable to understand why.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage