Chương 7

Because the Minor Origin Breathing Art came from the Moonwatch Sect's internal archives, receiving it was nothing like buying an ordinary cultivation manual. The sect had strict safeguards against unauthorized transmission. Cedric took out a jade inheritance slip and activated the imprint sealed within it. Then he pressed it lightly against Elara's forehead. Information poured into her mind. In only a few breaths, Elara had memorized the complete Minor Origin Breathing Art. Not just the cultivation method itself.

The inheritance also contained explanations, practical advice, common mistakes, and notes left behind by cultivators who had practiced the art before her. It was less like receiving a book and more like having an entire study guide downloaded directly into her head. This definitely wasn't something she could have gotten from an ordinary shop. Cedric's expression turned serious.

"Remember this. You're now an apprentice of the Moonwatch Sect. Internal cultivation methods are forbidden from being passed to outsiders." He tapped the jade slip.

"A restriction seal has been placed on the inheritance. If you attempt to write down the complete method or teach it verbally to someone else, the sect will know." His tone hardened.

"You'll be listed as a fugitive, and sect elders will personally be sent after you." Elara immediately understood the weight of the warning. She clasped her hands.

"Understood, Master Cedric. I won't break the rules." Cedric nodded.

"One more thing. The nine Glowmist Grass stalks you brought today are all in excellent condition. Your Pest Ward has improved considerably." He pushed a pouch toward her.

"Two Spirit Stones and twenty-five Spirit Coins." By the time Elara left Dawnmere Trading House with two apprentice uniforms under one arm, it was already noon. She hadn't expected a simple trip to sell herbs to turn out this well. Maybe those extra point of Fortune were already paying off. Whatever the reason, she certainly wasn't complaining. She now had an official position. More importantly, she had become a registered apprentice of the Moonwatch Sect.

Once she started working, she would help manage Dawnmere's spirit fields outside the city. Those were nothing like the tiny patch behind her rented room. She wouldn't be caring for twelve stalks of Glowmist Grass anymore. The fields outside Valehaven covered a massive area. Even if she was assigned only a small section of them, the number of mature spirit plants she could potentially help cultivate would be enormous. And every mature plant meant another chance at a reward orb.

Elara's thoughts immediately ran ahead. If I ever get assigned Rank Two spirit plants... or even Rank Three... She could already picture it. Would their rewards start dropping as blue? Purple? Maybe even orange or red? Just imagining it made her pulse quicken. This apprentice position had arrived at exactly the right time. But Elara also knew she was getting ahead of herself. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

Higher-rank spirit plants demanded far greater skill from the cultivator tending them. At her current level, she had no chance of being trusted with anything that valuable. She needed to prove herself first. Both as a cultivator and as a Spirit Gardener. For the next few days, I'll focus on mastering the Minor Origin Breathing Art. Elara mentally sorted through everything else she needed to do. I also need to keep improving my gardening arts.

Raincall and Soften Earth were already at Level Two, so raising them again would take time. Pest Ward and Grassweaving Art were still Level One. Those were much easier targets. She could grind both of them up quickly. And when it came to time... Elara immediately thought of the Ember Sanctum. Even if she ignored the Stairway of the Great Dao entirely, the sanctum itself was already an absurdly powerful training resource. Time flowed at a twelve-to-one ratio inside.

More importantly, cultivation progress made there carried over to her actual body. That alone made the Ember Sanctum more valuable than most treasures Elara could think of. She had heard that major sects maintained special cultivation chambers equipped with powerful formations that gathered spiritual qi until the concentration turned almost liquid. A good chamber might double cultivation speed. An exceptional one could perhaps triple it. But twelve times the available training time?

That wasn't even a fair comparison. Elara had no intention of wasting the advantage. Before heading home, she took out her coin pouch and began searching the market for more straw and the materials needed to practice talisman crafting. Grassweaving materials were easy. Spirit-rice straw was cheap and sold in bundles. Talisman supplies were another matter. Elara searched through several stalls before finally finding a small shop specializing in talismans near the edge of the market.

Maybe they would sell the tools she needed. A clerk greeted her as soon as she entered.

"Welcome. What kind of talisman are you looking for? We carry everything from common Rank One talismans to several Rank Two varieties—defensive, utility, offensive, whatever you need."

"I'm not buying finished talismans." Elara looked around the shop.

"I need crafting supplies. A spirit-hair brush, talisman ink, yellow paper, that sort of thing." The clerk gave her a slightly surprised look. Customers did occasionally come in looking to learn talisman crafting. Usually, though, they were children of wealthy cultivation families. Elara's plain clothes didn't exactly give that impression. Still, a customer was a customer.

"Would you also like an introductory talisman manual?" the clerk asked.

"It's usually better to start with the fundamentals. Practicing without proper instruction can get expensive very quickly."

"No need." Elara waved a hand.

"I'm only making Soul-Calming Talismans. I already know how to draw those." The clerk paused. Elara didn't notice anything unusual about what she had said. As far as she remembered from Seed of Ascension, Soul-Calming Talismans and similar mind-stabilizing talismans were among the simplest kinds to make. To the clerk, however, her answer sounded completely different. Their shop didn't even carry mind-stabilizing talismans. Techniques for producing them were rarely seen outside major sects.

For a girl dressed like an ordinary low-level cultivator to casually claim she knew how to make one... It sounded almost like she was showing off. Yet Elara didn't look like she was joking. The clerk studied her for another moment.

"You're certain you only need the tools?"

"Yes. A complete set, preferably." Elara quickly added, "Nothing expensive." The clerk gave her an odd look. Then he began laying out different grades of talisman equipment. The prices made Elara wince. One brush had been made from a tuft of fur taken from the tail of a Rank One White Wolf spirit beast. Thirteen Spirit Stones. Thirteen. That was almost half the market value of her Minor Origin Breathing Art. Then came a box of ten-year Spirit-Ice Ink refined from sediment collected in Coldstone Pool.

Seven Spirit Stones. And those weren't even the most expensive items. Elara finally understood why talisman crafting was considered a profession for cultivators with money. The entry cost alone could bankrupt someone like her. No wonder most Talisman Masters came from established cultivation families. Ordinary people couldn't afford to burn money like this just to practice. It hurt, but Elara began picking through the cheapest supplies in the shop. The lowest-grade brush. The cheapest usable ink.

Ordinary talisman paper. By the time she assembled a complete beginner's set, the total still came to one Spirit Stone and fifty Spirit Coins. More than half a month of rent. Elara paid with a heavy heart and carried her new supplies outside. Just as she left, a slender young man in white robes entered the shop. He glanced back at her. Not because Elara was exceptionally beautiful. He was simply surprised to see someone dressed so plainly leaving a store like this.

Most of the shop's regular customers came from wealthy families.

"Was that girl trying to learn talisman crafting?" The young man asked with an amused smile. The clerk immediately replied, "She said she wanted to make Rank One Soul-Calming Talismans." The young man's smile faltered.

"Soul-Calming Talismans?" His brows rose.

"Methods for crafting mind-stabilizing talismans rarely circulate outside major sects." He shook his head.

"She was probably just trying to sound impressive. Forget it." Then his attention shifted elsewhere.

"Is my master here?" The young man smiled again.

"The Rank One Talisman Master certification exam is only a month away. This time, I'm certain I'll pass." By the time Elara finished buying everything she needed, the savings she had finally managed to build up were nearly gone again. The talisman equipment had done most of the damage. Still, it was an investment. Elara returned to her courtyard and arranged the supplies neatly across the table. Now she could attempt her first real talisman outside the Ember Sanctum.

Creating an entry pass for the sanctum required two steps. First, she had to craft a mind-stabilizing talisman such as the Soul-Calming Talisman. Then she had to use the Guidance Art to place the Divine Sects' Ember Mark on the back. The Guidance Art itself wasn't difficult. It was actually easier than Raincall or Soften Earth. So Elara decided to focus on the talisman first. She had successfully made one inside the Ember Sanctum, but that had been under trial conditions.

Her current proficiency was still only— [Soul-Calming Talisman — Level 1: 50/100] She had plenty of room to improve. Elara flattened a sheet of yellow talisman paper on the table. She dipped her brush into the ink. Then she steadied her breathing. For the first time in the real world, Elara began drawing a talisman.