Xu Hui slowly opened her mouth as she looked at Li Xin.

  “Up until now, the Strength Talisman you handled merely amplified force. But the Ice Shadow Talisman you are about to learn is different.”

  It seemed she intended to give guidance before he began drawing the Ice Shadow Talisman. Respecting Xu Hui’s experience, Li Xin listened attentively.

  “If you truly wish to complete the Ice Shadow Talisman properly, then rather than merely learning how to draw it… you must first understand what talisman crafting itself fundamentally is.”

  The foundation of talisman crafting…

  Until now, Li Xin had regarded talismans as nothing more than a technical skill. Drawing predetermined strokes with precision and accuracy. But what Xu Hui was speaking of now lay beyond that.

  “All qi in the world originates from the Five Elements. Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water. These five energies generate and restrain one another, forming all things.”

  She marked five points in the air. Then, gently connecting those points into a circle, faint currents of qi began to swirl.

  “And these Five Elements lead into the Eight Trigrams. Heaven and Earth, Wind and Water, Mountain and Lake, Fire and Thunder. This is the ‘Pre-Heaven Eight Trigrams,’ which contains the fundamental principles of nature.”

  Li Xin quietly drew in a breath.

  Each part of Xu Hui’s explanation revealed a depth of talisman crafting he had never reached before.

  “On the other hand, the ‘Post-Heaven Eight Trigrams’ represent the flow and changes of nature, such as the changing seasons or the cycles of the sun and moon. When Pre-Heaven and Post-Heaven interlock, they form the Sixty-Four Trigrams.”

  “Sixty-Four Trigrams…”

  “The Heavenly Dao Gate established a corresponding ‘Mother Stroke’ for each of those Sixty-Four Trigrams. That became the foundation of the stroke-based talisman method we use.”

  She pointed to the Ice Shadow Talisman in Li Xin’s hands as she spoke.

  “This talisman is also a combination of three out of those sixty-four Mother Strokes. Given enough time, you will surely be able to complete the Ice Shadow Talisman.”

  Xu Hui held Li Xin’s efforts in high regard.

  Now that he even possessed the Five-Element Converging Array Plate, following and drawing the Ice Shadow Talisman should not pose much of a problem. However, her words did not end there.

  “What’s important isn’t simply drawing the Ice Shadow Talisman. You must understand the principles contained within each of the three strokes used in this talisman.”

  “The principles within the strokes…”

  “The stroke-based talisman method uses already completed forms. It allows one to learn quickly within a standardized framework, and anyone can reach a certain level with it.”

  Xu Hui continued while looking at Li Xin.

  “But why those strokes were defined that way, and what principles they operate on—most people don’t know. They merely draw as they were taught, exactly as they memorized.”

  Li Xin narrowed his eyes.

  Now he understood why Xu Hui had been certain that he could no longer raise the grade of the Strength Talisman.

  “Rather than merely following strokes, digging into the principles contained within the Mother Strokes themselves is an essential task for a talisman practitioner.”

  Perhaps in sects or great clans, this knowledge was widely known. But to Li Xin, a lone cultivator, it was invaluable information, giving him a clear direction on how to improve his abilities.

  The principles contained within the Mother Strokes…

  At that moment, a question surfaced in his mind.

  “Senior, then what exactly is the role of the Child Strokes?”

  Talismans were broadly divided into Mother Strokes and Child Strokes. Thanks to Xu Hui’s teaching, he had a vague grasp of the meaning of Mother Strokes, but he still did not truly understand the significance of Child Strokes. As if she had expected the question, Xu Hui nodded and began explaining slowly.

  “As I said, Mother Strokes corresponding to the Sixty-Four Trigrams are fixed frameworks established by the Heavenly Dao Gate. But the principles of the world are far more complex than that. Mere sixty-four frameworks cannot contain all qi.”

  She continued, tracing shapes through the air with her finger.

  “Child Strokes are new strokes that deviate from those fixed frameworks. They are used when existing Mother Strokes are insufficient, or when expressing entirely different concepts and principles.”

  “New strokes outside the framework…”

  “Once you can handle Child Strokes, you move beyond merely copying existing talismans and gain the ability to design entirely new talismans.”

  Design new talismans, not merely existing ones?

  Li Xin’s chest burned at those words.

  Child Strokes were not just techniques—they were the realm of true ‘creation’ encountered on the path of a talisman practitioner.

  “That’s precisely why Child Strokes hold immense value. Even our Xu clan does not possess a single complete Child Stroke.”

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  Li Xin quietly nodded. Power bordering on the mysterious could never be common.

  “However, the Daejin Sect, the original master of the Daejin Domain, is different. They possess one complete Child Stroke.”

  For a moment, a strange light flickered in Xu Hui’s eyes.

  “If you could obtain that Child Stroke, you would advance to an entirely higher level as a talisman practitioner.”

  It was an incredibly alluring prospect. Mastering a Child Stroke was no different from opening a new realm of talisman arts. But Li Xin first thought of reality.

  “Senior, there’s no way a lone cultivator like me could obtain such a technique, is there?”

  “True. It won’t be easy. But… if you can safely escape the Daejin Domain, the Daejin Sect will inevitably recruit new disciples. That could become your opportunity.”

  Li Xin narrowed his eyes at Xu Hui’s words. Entering a sect would completely overturn the life he had lived as a lone cultivator.

  “With your diligence, you would be able to endure within a sect. No—perhaps you might even become a greater figure there.”

  “And most importantly… if you become a core disciple of a sect, you may also find a way to recover your lifespan.”

  At that moment, Li Xin drew in a sharp breath. Only then did he understand why Xu Hui had brought this up. Her words carried genuine concern for her junior’s future. After hesitating briefly, Li Xin carefully asked,

  “Then why didn’t you enter the Daejin Sect, Senior?”

  Xu Hui fell silent for a moment at that question. Then, with a faint smile, she replied calmly.

  “With my talent, I was not qualified to enter.”

  That someone as capable as Xu Hui could not enter a sect.

  “…Is the Daejin Sect really that formidable?”

  “You’ve never been outside Qingshan Valley, so you wouldn’t know.”

  As if recalling old memories, she closed her eyes briefly.

  “My talent isn’t outstanding. Even now, I’m only at the eighth layer of the first realm.”

  “The eighth layer of the first realm…!”

  “That may place me among the higher ranks within Qingshan Valley, but across the entire Daejin Domain, it’s ordinary. No—if you broaden your view to the whole Donghuang Continent, it’s no more than an ant.”

  Li Xin swallowed unconsciously. He truly felt just how narrow and small the world he had lived in until now had been.

  “To become a disciple of the Daejin Sect, one had to complete Body Cleansing before the age of thirty and pass the benchmarks they set.”

  “Body Cleansing is…?”

  “Body Cleansing is a decisive turning point for a cultivator. A ritual that washes away impurities from the body and unifies essence, qi, and spirit. Simply put, it determines one’s future potential.”

  “A stage that determines potential…”

  “That’s why you must never rush it. If you force Body Cleansing while your foundation is insufficient, that’s the end. Your growth afterward will be blocked.”

  Li Xin nodded heavily.

  The path of cultivation was not merely about raising one’s realm. One had to solidify the foundation and polish it endlessly before advancing to the next stage.

  “The benchmark set by the Daejin Sect was simply too high for me. That’s all.”

  Li Xin fell into brief contemplation after hearing Xu Hui’s words. The world he knew was far too small, and the road ahead seemed immeasurably distant. Yet a thirst for the unknown and a desire to explore surged within him. He wanted to see beyond, to confirm what lay at the end.

  Li Xin wanted to ask more, but Xu Hui lightly smiled and brought the conversation to a close.

  “Focus on what you can do right now. The rest can be discussed later.”

  With those words, she placed a scroll into Li Xin’s hands. On its surface were engraved the words, ‘Ice Shadow Talisman Crafting Method.’

  Li Xin quietly accepted it. He swallowed his questions and calmed his heart. As Xu Hui had said, these matters were far too distant for his current self.

  ***

  Even after returning home, Li Xin did not stop thinking. The conversation from moments ago had broadened his perspective. At the same time, it solidified his conviction regarding the path he would walk.

  Xu Hui had mentioned entering the Daejin Sect, but Li Xin did not seriously consider that option even for a moment.

  The Daejin Sect may be strong, but in the end, it’s only a story that holds within the Daejin Domain.

  Li Xin faced reality with a cool head. Authority was something that always changed with circumstance. Even the once-dominant Daejin Sect had collapsed helplessly before a third-realm Demon King. The authority they boasted would clearly not hold once outside the Daejin Domain. And Li Xin never underestimated his own abilities.

  Though he could only draw three-stroke talismans now. Given enough time, he could complete many more kinds of talismans and fully internalize their power as his own.

  A slumbering dragon that dreams of the vast sea—how could it be content to remain trapped in a narrow pond?

  Li Xin believed in his potential and never doubted that it would one day manifest as explosive power. The Daejin Sect was far too small a vessel to contain him. Above all, Li Xin was accustomed to the free life of a lone cultivator and was extremely wary of being bound by relationships. His decision to help the Xu clan had been purely a choice for survival. If his life had not been in danger, he would not have formed ties at all.

  Connections do not always flow in a good direction.

  Li Xin knew this well. Help gave rise to responsibility. Responsibility gave rise to obligation. And obligation ultimately became a burden. All of that was unnecessary baggage to him.

  Li Xin wished to walk only his own path. But above all else, what came first was still ‘survival.’

  …I must survive. No matter what.

  With his understanding deepened, Li Xin’s will to survive burned ever hotter. However, for an ordinary lone cultivator like himself to survive in chaotic times, he needed extraordinary means.

  Until now, he had simply been lucky. Unforeseen danger could strike at any moment.

  Li Xin thought of the tools at his disposal. The unusual ability to internalize talismans. And the Demonic Beast Talisman he would soon learn.

  Then suddenly, a memory surfaced. A conversation he had shared with Xu Yul a week ago.

  —If one Demonic Beast Talisman disrupts a demonic beast’s senses, then on top of that, you layer talismans that disperse qi, blur vision, and so on. In this way, the talismans influence one another and form an organic formation. The Demonic Beast Talisman is its center and starting point, and if the talisman array is properly constructed, it’s possible for dozens of people to escape a demonic beast’s detection.

  Li Xin’s eyes flashed.

  That’s right. A Talisman Array.

  A structure that combined different talismans to draw out far greater effects. If he could understand that principle and deploy a Talisman Array himself using internalized talismans…

  That would become a powerful means to completely evade demonic beast detection.

  The problem is information.

  Given its power, information about Talisman Arrays was likely highly classified. But Li Xin judged that there was still an opportunity. The demonic beast hunt scheduled for three weeks later. That real combat training alongside Xu Yul was not merely experience—it was a chance to obtain information.

  Xu Yul was loose-lipped and prone to idle chatter. If he pretended to listen casually and guided the conversation, he could probably extract at least one clue about Talisman Arrays.

  Which talismans are needed, how they’re arranged… I need at least the bare minimum to research.

  Even if he could not complete it right away, he had to establish a starting point.

  Li Xin’s gaze sharpened once more. Deep within him, another goal rose into clear focus.