After attaining enlightenment, a small but definite change came to Li Xin. The second stroke of the Strength Talisman no longer felt as difficult as before.

  At first, even drawing a single sheet drained him completely, but now even the sensation of lifting the brush was different. He felt that he could complete two sheets a day, and if he pushed himself, perhaps even three.

  Understanding removes force, and removed force becomes efficiency.

  That was the advancement Li Xin had reached.

  “Hey there.”

  As usual, Liu Guangjin spoke briefly without even lifting his head. The indifference at the end of his words was proof of familiarity. Without saying anything, Li Xin took out a thick bundle of paper from his pouch and placed it on the table.

  “Eighteen Strength Talismans.”

  At those words, Liu Guangjin’s hand paused for a moment. Slowly, his head lifted, and his eyes opened little by little.

  “…What about the Lightness Talismans?”

  “There are none.”

  A brief silence, and a faint smile rose at the corner of Liu Guangjin’s mouth.

  “Good.”

  He loosened the bundle and took out the talismans one by one. He did not flip through them roughly, but carefully, as if feeling them with his fingertips, and soon, he noticed something different about Li Xin’s talismans.

  “These Strength Talismans feel different.”

  Li Xin quietly observed Liu Guangjin’s reaction.

  “The flow is natural. It’s not just brute strength—you drew them with flow.”

  He casually picked up one Strength Talisman and held it up to the light.

  “The effect probably hasn’t become noticeably stronger. But if the same amount of qi is used more efficiently? The user’s perceived effect will be different.”

  Liu Guangjin had already noticed Li Xin’s change.

  “You’ve improved.”

  “I might’ve just gotten more used to it from doing it a lot.”

  A humble tone, but his gaze cautiously examined Liu Guangjin, and he did not miss it—the extremely subtle tremor in Liu Guangjin’s eyes.

  “No. If it were just familiarity, this kind of naturalness wouldn’t come out. Something was different when you drew these talismans, wasn’t it?”

  “Yes. Before, I only focused on following the strokes… but at some point, I started seeing why each stroke bent in that direction, and why it stopped at that point. After that, I put less force into my hand.”

  Liu Guangjin fell silent for a moment. Then, slowly, he nodded with sincere eyes.

  “Seems you’ve grasped the essence of talismans to some extent. There are plenty of fools who can’t comprehend it no matter how much their masters drill it into them.”

  “I was lucky.”

  Li Xin slightly lowered his head and restrained his words—a humble gesture, but there was a clear intention behind it.

  Li Xin casually broached the subject, “While I was at it, I tried drawing the Warm Heart Talisman as well.”

  “The Warm Heart Talisman?”

  “I could follow the strokes. But I felt that completing it was impossible.”

  At that, Liu Guangjin let out a snort of laughter.

  “That’s only natural. The Warm Heart Talisman is far more demanding than the Strength Talisman. Both qi and mental strength need to reach a certain level before it can be completed.”

  The Warm Heart Talisman…

  Liu Guangjin’s mind began to spin quickly. Among two-stroke talismans, the Warm Heart Talisman was considered high-grade. Its effect of stabilizing the mind and organizing emotions made it closer to a luxury item that cultivators affixed before or after training.

  However, there were few talisman masters who could properly draw the Warm Heart Talisman, and the mental exhaustion was severe, so most avoided it.

  But if Li Xin could draw this consistently—

  As that possibility crossed his mind, Li Xin naturally opened his mouth.

  “So I’m thinking of taking a Condensation Qi Pill to raise my realm, even if only a little.”

  “A Condensation Qi Pill…”

  Liu Guangjin’s eyebrows rose slightly. Soon, a faint, intrigued smile formed.

  “True, there are few pills as directly effective for raising one’s realm as the Condensation Qi Pill. But for your constitution… I wouldn’t really recommend it.”

  Li Xin tilted his head. Up until now, the conversation had followed a calculated flow, but this question alone came from genuine curiosity. He still lacked far too much knowledge to lead every exchange himself.

  “I’d like to hear your insight.”

  “The Condensation Qi Pill itself is an excellent pill. The problem is who takes it.”

  Liu Guangjin slowly lifted the teacup on the table. Though his movements were leisurely, his eyes had already sharpened.

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  “Pills aren’t something where taking them automatically makes things better.”

  After swallowing a sip of tea, he continued quietly, “Everyone has a different constitution. Temperament, the width of their meridians, even the attributes they resonate with. Ignoring that and stuffing yourself with random pills is stupidity.”

  Li Xin slowly nodded. This was the first time he had heard things he vaguely knew stated so clearly.

  “Let me give you an example. What do you think happens when someone sensitive to fire attributes takes a water-aspected pill?”

  “The attributes would clash.”

  “Exactly. Qi and blood become tangled, the flow gets blocked, and in severe cases, the qi twists and runs rampant inside the body. Even if there are no obvious side effects, when that accumulates, the entire meridian system eventually becomes warped.”

  He lightly tapped the teacup with his finger as he continued.

  “What if someone with narrow, weak qi and blood channels takes a pill that accelerates qi flow? It’s like a dam bursting. The body can’t handle it and ruptures from within.”

  “In that case, should pills be avoided altogether?”

  At Li Xin’s question, Liu Guangjin slowly shook his head.

  “No. There’s no growth method as fast and reliable as pills. It just comes with the condition that it must suit you.”

  He took out a scroll from the side table. On the unfolded paper were precise drawings of the flow of qi and blood in the human body, the arrangement of the organs, and reactions according to attributes.

  “The body is something that achieves a strangely delicate balance. Depending on how you handle qi, it can become medicine or poison. The problem is……”

  Rolling the scroll back up, Liu Guangjin gave a meaningful smile.

  “There are many mountain cultivators who don’t even know these basics. They have no opportunity to learn, and no one to teach them.”

  “…So that’s why people say that taking too many pills builds up pill poison.”

  “That saying isn’t entirely wrong. If you take pills recklessly without knowing your constitution, your body slowly deteriorates. But that’s not the pill’s fault. The idiot who dove in is to blame.”

  He added with a chuckle in his voice, “Do you know why I’m telling you all this?”

  Li Xin shook his head silently.

  “Because you’re someone who needs to know. You’ve already crossed that threshold, and without proper knowledge, you won’t be able to take a single step forward.”

  He could feel that those words were not mere advice, but sincere truth born from the experience of a survivor.

  “…Thank you.”

  Li Xin gave a short bow, engraving that goodwill deep into his heart.

  “So if you’re thinking of buying pills, get tested first. Don’t take anything recklessly without knowing your own constitution.”

  Liu Guangjin gave that final advice as he organized the bundle of talismans.

  After meeting Liu Guangjin, Li Xin stood atop a hill overlooking Qingshan Valley in its entirety.

  A familiar wind brushed past. To Li Xin, who had lived here for years, this sharp wind was an exceedingly familiar presence. Lowering his gaze, the deep blue-green panorama of Qingshan Valley came into view.

  Qingshan Valley—true to its name, it was a long, narrow canyon flanked on both sides by blue mountains forming sheer cliffs. Because of these cliffs, there was only a single path through which people could travel.

  Li Xin shifted his gaze into the distance. A familiar market came into view—a small market formed at the outskirts of the valley, closest to the entrance. Using this market as a boundary, Qingshan Valley was divided into regions.

  Outside the market was called the Outer Zone. It was literally the outer area of Qingshan Valley, where low-realm and ordinary mountain cultivators gathered to live. Broadly speaking, it was still part of Qingshan Valley, but in practice, it was not considered within it.

  Inside the market was called the Inner Zone. Deeper within the canyon, wooden houses and tiled-roof residences stretched on, with shops lined up between them. Merchant associations, small sects, and those connected to major sects mostly stayed there.

  And beyond that Inner Zone, at the heart of Qingshan Valley, stood the Qingshan Sect. The true ruler of Qingshan Valley, and the sect that guaranteed the safety of the Qingshan Market. The medical facility operated by the Qingshan Sect was the Qi Meridian Pavilion, located on a hill behind the Inner Zone.

  A neat building surrounded by white stone walls. From the outside, it looked like a quiet herb shop, but inside, it was filled with an even calmer and more composed aura than an ordinary clinic.

  Li Xin took a moment to steady his breath before entering. After stating his name at the reception and filling out some simple paperwork, he was guided into a quiet examination room.

  “The basic compatibility test determines your constitution and responsive herbs based on stimulation reactions.”

  The administrator in charge of the test spoke expressionlessly, “Attribute resonance and advanced constitution tests are separate items. They are not included in this examination.”

  “That’s fine. I’ll just take the basic test.”

  Li Xin nodded calmly. Even the basic test alone cost a full 150 jeon. He was told that examination fees increased in proportion to one’s realm.

  The test method was simple. Small fragments of spirit herbs were lined up on a small dish, and he placed them one by one on his palm. Some spread faint warmth, some made his fingertips tingle slightly, and some produced no reaction at all. The administrator quietly recorded the reactions with a brush.

  “The results are out.”

  A short while later, the administrator handed him a single sheet of paper.

  “The top row lists herbs with high compatibility. The bottom lists categories to avoid. Please refer to this when preparing pills.”

  Li Xin carefully accepted the paper. Among the Five Phases, wood qi and water qi showed good resonance. Fire qi absorption was poor.

  Suitable spirit herbs: Danji Grass, Green Foxglove, White Silkworm group.

  Fire Lotus Leaf unsuitable — risk of obstructed qi and blood flow upon consumption.

  The page was densely filled with unfamiliar herb names. A few of them, he had heard of before. Fire Lotus Leaf was a common ingredient in low-cost pills.

  If I had taken pills without knowing this, it would have affected my cultivation going forward.

  One’s constitution would continue to change, and the suitable herbs would differ as one’s realm rose, but even knowing what suited him now was an excellent start.

  Li Xin carefully folded the paper and tucked it into his clothes. And just as he was about to leave the clinic—someone opened the door and entered the building.

  With the sound of fabric brushing, a thin blue robe with a hint of azure entered his view. A young woman stepped in slowly, her smooth forehead exposed, a neat hairpin set in place.

  Orderly eyes and composed footsteps.

  …A disciple of the Qingshan Sect’s outer court.

  Li Xin’s gaze deepened. That attire was not something just anyone could wear. The Qingshan Sect no longer accepted disciples as widely as before. The number of cultivators had exploded, but resources were limited, so the sect chose selection and concentration—only those with talent were taken.

  They claimed background did not matter, but reality was different. Background, ability, and luck—all were required to pass that gate. Just by wearing that blue robe, she belonged to a completely different group from Li Xin.

  Li Xin naturally bent his body and stepped back. He even swallowed the sound of his footsteps. Azure Smoke Step spread thinly from his knees and toes, reducing friction with the ground. Clear, measured, yet soundless steps.

  If I get into pointless trouble, it’ll be a nuisance.

  It was not fear, but an instinctive choice to avoid annoyance. Li Xin had learned early on that the cheapest way forward was to avoid unnecessary conflict.

  Li Xin quietly exited the clinic. Fortunately, the woman did not even spare him a glance.

  As he lifted his foot, the effect of Azure Smoke Step faded, and weight returned to the soles of his feet. Outside was quiet. There were no people, no sounds.

  “As expected… this place doesn’t suit me.”

  Even within the same Qingshan Valley, the outside of the market and the inside were completely different worlds. In the Inner Zone, even speech, gazes, and the distance between people were different—a place that was spacious, yet had no room to stand.

  Li Xin muttered softly as he quickened his steps.