Time flowed by like water.

Another month passed. Xu Changshou drafted fifteen arrays every single day, exclusively focusing on the Windwalk Talisman.

Since Yang Bailao had mentioned his future duties would likely consist of these, Xu Changshou preemptively stockpiled them to easily fulfill his upcoming Sect quotas.

In just one month, he had produced a staggering four hundred and fifty Windwalk Talismans.

According to Yang Bailao, the monthly quota was one hundred and forty.

This secret stash was more than enough to cover three full months of indentured labor.

At this point, although Xu Changshou had thoroughly mastered the brush, he breathed not a word of it to anyone.

The Sect had granted him a generous six-month grace period. It had only been two; it was far too early to reveal his hand. He resolved to wait another two or three months before "succeeding."

During this hidden window, Xu Changshou shifted his focus to drafting the esoteric arrays recorded within the Bloodline Jade Talisman, hoarding them for future emergencies.

He knew intimately that many of the arrays locked within his inheritance were heaven-defyingly practical.

He began his secret work.

First on the list was his own version of the Windwalk Talisman.

However, his arrays were fundamentally different from the crude scraps used by the Sect.

The Sect's Windwalk Talisman could push a man a thousand li in a day. His variant, the Flight Talisman, could cross three thousand li-a velocity matching a Foundation Establishment master's Sword Riding.

This was an absolute lifesaver. Slapped onto a thigh in a critical moment, not a single cultivator in the Qi Condensation realm could ever hope to run him down. It would easily fetch an astronomical price on the black market.

But how to safely sell them was a dangerous problem. Xu Changshou didn't dare openly hawk his wares, especially not within the Sect's territory.

If the Sect elders caught wind of his superior arrays and demanded his inheritance, could he even refuse?

Over two days, he drafted thirty Flight Talismans.

Next, Xu Changshou moved on to other arrays.

The Earth Stalwart Talisman: Similar to the Sect's Earth Shield Talisman, but its defensive matrix was two to three times denser, capable of weathering a direct bombardment from a Twelfth Layer Qi Condensation cultivator.

Xu Changshou knew he would eventually leave the Sect to temper himself in the mortal world. Such an array was indispensable. He drafted thirty of these as well.

The Sharp Gold Talisman: Sealed within was a vicious strand of sword qi, carrying an offensive power matching the ultimate strike of a Twelfth Layer Qi Condensation expert.

Excluding the Thunder Explosion Talisman, this was his most lethal offensive array. Weapons were a necessity. He drafted thirty of these, too.

The Invisibility Talisman: Cloaked the user's presence entirely, rendering them undetectable to peers of the same realm. He drafted five.

The Wall-Passing Talisman: Allowed the user to phase through solid matter. He drafted five.

The Soul-Seizing Talisman: Unleashed a highly specialized attack directly against the target's divine soul. He drafted five.

The Demon-Suppressing Talisman: Actively repelled and restrained evil entities and demonic cultivators. He drafted five.

The Illusion-Breaking Talisman: Shattered mental hexes and mirages. He drafted five.

The Formation-Breaking Talisman: Capable of forcefully unraveling low-tier Formations. He drafted five.

The Winged Flight Talisman: Manifested ethereal spiritual wings for true aerial combat, lasting one quarter of an hour. He drafted five.

The Thousand Faces Talisman: Mystically altered the user's bone structure and facial features, holding the disguise for twelve shichen. He drafted five.

...

Xu Changshou worked like a man possessed. If he believed an array had even the slightest chance of keeping him alive, he added it to his hoard.

Despite outwardly being a mere Seventh Layer Qi Condensation disciple, if forced into a life-or-death magical duel, he now held enough firepower to openly challenge anyone beneath the Foundation Establishment realm.

To guarantee absolute security, Xu Changshou transferred his entire stockpile into the hidden space within the stone house.

The stone house possessed an isolated storage function. Though his physical body could not enter, he could freely deposit his belongings inside.

Anything sealed within the stone house was shielded from all prying eyes. It was the ultimate vault.

There was still one specific array Xu Changshou desperately coveted, yet remained utterly powerless to create: the Thunder Explosion Talisman.

Once triggered, this talisman could instantly obliterate a Twelfth Layer Qi Condensation cultivator.

Tragically, the Dao of Lightning was simply too volatile. His cheap spirit brush and Yellow Hemp Paper would instantly vaporize under the strain of such violent energy. He needed far superior tools.

According to his inheritance, the Thunder Explosion Talisman required three strict conditions.

First, the hide of a Black Antelope Thunder Ox to serve as the structural carrier, replacing the fragile Yellow Hemp Paper.

Second, the handle of the spirit brush had to be carved from the horn of a Moon-Gazing Rhinoceros.

Third, the brush tip required the pristine wolf hair of a century-old Yellow Weasel.

Every single material was exceedingly rare, but he swore to obtain them no matter the cost. The Thunder Explosion Talisman had to be forged.

It would serve as his ultimate trump card during the Qi Condensation stage.

The sheer destructive yield of the Thunder Explosion Talisman was insurmountable. Without the protection of a high-grade Magical Artifact, a Qi Condensation cultivator would be instantly vaporized by the blast.

Naturally, cultivators possessing Magical Artifacts at this low stage were incredibly rare, usually limited to the spoiled heirs of powerful Cultivation clans.

Hm? The Spirit Gathering Talisman... to think such a thing existed.

While sorting through the stone house's space, Xu Changshou stumbled upon another heaven-defying array.

The Spirit Gathering Talisman actively condensed ambient Spiritual Qi to accelerate one's cultivation speed. A single talisman would endure for ten days.

Xu Changshou drew ten Spirit Gathering Talismans in one breathless sitting. He took one and immediately slapped it against his chest.

The ambient Spiritual Qi in the courtyard violently shifted, rushing toward him like a vortex. It was as if Xu Changshou had become a walking, breathing Spirit Gathering Formation.

Moments later, the density of the Spiritual Qi swirling around him was fully comparable to the legendary Taiyi Peak.

Good heavens... This was the true treasure. With the Spirit Gathering Talisman, his Cultivation speed would transcend his mortal limits.

The Cultivation world was strictly governed by four foundational pillars: Wealth, Companions, Methods, and Location.

"Location" dictated one's personal dojo. Though it ranked last among the four pillars, it was still a priceless commodity.

Back on Chuxiu Peak, countless disciples had practically broken their skulls fighting for a spot on Taiyi Peak or Danxia Peak.

The reason was simple: those two peaks sat directly atop the Sect's primary spiritual veins, overflowing with thick, pristine Spiritual Qi.

With this talisman in his possession, despite rotting away on the desolate Green Ink Peak, he effectively owned a private paradise rivaling Taiyi Peak and Danxia Peak.

Time marched on.

Another two months vanished in a blink.

Xu Changshou had now survived on Green Ink Peak for exactly four months.

It's about time.

He calculated that the moment was ripe. Mastering the brush in four months painted him as having perfectly mediocre talent-neither a genius to be exploited nor a waste to be discarded.

Three days later.

With a face meticulously drained of color and eyes heavy with feigned exhaustion, Xu Changshou stumbled toward Yang Bailao's courtyard and shouted, "Senior Brother Yang! Come out quickly! I've done it! I've learned to draw talismans! This is wonderful!"

Hearing the commotion, Yang Bailao emerged. He looked equally as haggard. His tired eyes fell upon Xu Changshou, and he asked in a thin, reedy voice, "Junior Brother Xu... have you truly mastered it?"

"I have!" Xu Changshou cried, perfectly playing the part of a naive, ecstatic youth.

"Good... good, good!"

A genuine smile broke through Yang Bailao's exhaustion. "Junior Brother Xu, it took me five full months to grasp the brush back then. You are far more talented than I."

"Senior Brother Yang praises me too highly. How could this Junior Brother ever compare to you?" Xu Changshou replied with polite deference.

Yang Bailao studied Xu Changshou's face closely, a sudden, deep sorrow pooling in his eyes. "Junior Brother Xu... now that you have learned the craft, your days of peace are truly over."

"But I think drawing talismans is wonderful!" Xu Changshou countered, injecting just the right amount of foolish innocence into his voice.

Yang Bailao shook his head slightly. Looking at Xu Changshou's youthful, eager face, a wave of profound sympathy washed over him.

Decades ago, he had been exactly that age when he first picked up the brush. He had been bleeding onto paper for forty years. In all that time, aside from growing Proficient in his strokes and advancing a few minor realms, he had gained absolutely nothing.

Or rather, he had gained a lifetime of endless bitterness and hollow numbness.

"Junior Brother Xu, you must be thoroughly exhausted from your breakthrough today. Return and rest. Tomorrow, I will formally assess your skills. If you pass, I will take you to see Uncle Li."

"Understood. Thank you, Senior Brother Yang."

"Go on, then. Arrive early tomorrow morning."

"Yes, Senior Brother."

...

The next morning at first light, Xu Changshou arrived at Yang Bailao's dojo.

Without a single wasted word, Yang Bailao produced a stack of Yellow Hemp Paper and ordered him to draft under observation.

Beneath Yang Bailao's watchful gaze, Xu Changshou didn't dare activate his hidden palm mark. He was forced to drain his own Dantian to power the arrays.

He flawlessly produced one Windwalk Talisman, one Sword Qi Talisman, and one Fireball Talisman.

By the time the third array was complete, the Spiritual Qi in Xu Changshou's body had been convincingly bled dry.

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