Chapter Twenty-Two: Another Chance Encounter and Speculation

  "No, the spiritual energy output is too fast..."

  "No good, my spiritual energy output has slowed down again..."

  "It's still wrong, the spiritual energy output is not coordinated between front and back!"

  ……..

  Time and time again, experiments ended in failure, and then the experiment was repeated. The second batch of talismans was consumed, and the spiritual energy in Wang Chen's dantian was also depleted, so he had to stop and meditate to recover his spiritual energy.

  The recovery of spiritual power took a whole incense stick. This was still a low-ranking cultivator, with less spiritual power, and although the recovery was slow, the time was short. It's said that Golden Elixir cultivators often spend one or two days recovering their spiritual power!

  After recovering his spiritual energy, it was already afternoon. Wang Chen continued to study the art of Fu Zhen! At this time, there were only a dozen blank talismans left. An hour later, Wang Chen sat down on the meditation mat with a thud!

  Three bundles of talismans, thirty-six pieces, except for the first one that succeeded, all the others failed! Wang Chen looked at the storage bag on his waist. There were still nine spirit stones left. Wang Chen gritted his teeth and left the house.

  The sky had gradually darkened, and it wasn't one of those big trading fairs that happened every five years! A little later, there would be no one left, Wang Chen made a round, but didn't find any Taoist selling talismans.

  Just as Wang Chen was about to go to the store to buy some more expensive talismans, a clear and crisp voice called out, "Fellow Taoist!" Wang Chen turned around and found the girl from yesterday at the corner of the street.

  Wang Chen turned around and walked over, greeted her and continued to ask: "It's so late, miss... uh, fellow Taoist, why are you still here?"

  Wang Chen saw the girl's slightly flushed and shy face, and for a moment he was stunned, calling out "young lady" before remembering that in the cultivation world, people of the same realm usually addressed each other as "fellow cultivators".

  Wang Chen inadvertently called out to the girl, and her cheeks instantly turned bright red. She could only softly reply: "My brother and other Taoist friends went to hunt down a demon beast together, but they haven't returned yet. I'm just waiting for him here!"

  Wang Chen listened and felt a bit awkward, didn't know what to say, the girl also lowered her head and didn't speak!

  The two of them didn't speak, and the atmosphere became even more eerie. Wang Chen even felt that he didn't know where to put his hands. Just as he was at a loss for what to do, he suddenly remembered the talisman paper he had exchanged with the girl last time. So, Wang Chen opened his mouth and asked: "I wonder if you still have any talisman papers on hand?"

  "Symbol paper", the girl was just wandering around restlessly when she heard this, and couldn't help but pause for a moment, before responding: "Yes, every time my brother goes out to hunt and kill monsters, he brings back some spiritual grass branches for me to make symbol papers!" The girl's expression turned proud when talking about her brother, it seems their relationship is very good!

  Wang Chen's face lit up with joy, "One spirit stone for a dozen, fellow Taoist, are you willing to make the exchange?"

  The girl listened and smiled shyly, saying: "Okay, let's exchange!" Wang Chen was very happy to hear this, took out the remaining nine spirit stones and handed them over. The girl stretched out her hand to receive them, but unexpectedly, her fingers touched Wang Chen's palm.

  Wang Chen only felt the weak and powerless fingers carrying a warm body temperature, for a moment, he almost fell sideways, almost fainted. The girl saw Wang Chen's silly appearance, and actually covered her mouth and giggled!

  Wang Chen couldn't help but let out a sigh, and forced a smile. The girl's laughter suddenly stopped as she thought about how Wang Chen's miserable state was caused by her, and she lowered her face in embarrassment, her cheeks flushing red.

  Both of them felt embarrassed, and Wang Chen had to laugh and say: "Fellow Taoist, are you still determined to take advantage of me by taking my spiritual stone and not giving me the talismans?" The girl heard this and felt a sense of relief in her heart, so she took out three dozen talismans and handed them over! After they finished their transaction, they started chatting with each other.

  "Does the girl also live in Liuyunfang City?" Wang Chen asked casually as he put away the talisman paper.

  "Uh, I'm with my brother, we've been inseparable since childhood. Later on, coincidentally, my brother obtained a cultivation technique, and after trying it out, we discovered that both of us can cultivate. So we came to Liuyunfang City! However, my brother's talent is much better than mine. After three years of cultivation, he has already reached the sixth layer, but I'm only at the third layer of Qi Refining!"

  "I'm the same, I encountered disaster when I was young, everyone in the village died, and then I escaped... In the end, I got a chance to start anew and came here!" Wang Chen's interest was piqued as soon as he heard this, and he began to introduce himself.

  "What's your name?"

  "My name is Shi Tong, my brother's name is Shi Tian, what about you?"

  "My name is Wang Chen..."

  ……

  Wang Chen and Shi Tong walked on the road, chatting non-stop. The experiences between them were surprisingly similar, with many common languages, and time passed in their conversation.

  Although they walked very slowly, after half a time, Shi Tong still stopped and said with a red face to Wang Chen: "My cave house is here!"

  Wang Chen couldn't help but smile awkwardly and was about to take his leave.

  Shi Tong gazed at Wang Chen's receding back and blurted out: "Chen Ge, I have five dozen talismans here that you can borrow for now!" Wang Chen hesitated slightly before responding: "Alright! Thanks, Tong Er. I'll return the spirit stones to you in a few days."

  After finishing speaking, Wang Chen took over Shi Tong's talisman paper and thanked him before turning around and leaving.

  Staring at Wang Chen's departing back, Shi Tong was lost in thought for a moment. A moment later, as if remembering something, he hurriedly returned to his own room with a red face!

  Wang Chen returned home when it was already dark!

  Sitting on the futon for a brief rest, after adjusting my mood, I thought about what happened today. First of all, the first attempt at making talismans can be considered a failure. However, it also gained some benefits, accumulating a lot of experience. Not only did my own magical control become more excellent, but I also gained insight into many secrets of talisman-making, and now I just need to try them out next time.

  Next, Wang Chen thought of Shi Tong, whom he had met twice. Her slightly flushed cheeks, shy smile, and flawless eyes made Wang Chen suddenly feel as if something in his heart had been touched, and his expression became somewhat stunned!

  But in a moment, Wang Chen came back to his senses, and his face was slightly flushed, as if he felt ashamed of himself!

  "What's wrong with me! Just a stone, and I've become like this", Wang Chen secretly blamed himself in his heart, focusing on making talismans was the most important thing to do now.

  "Besides, I've only met her twice, and I still don't know what kind of feeling it is!"

  Wang Chen shook his head and forced himself to calm down, but an idea suddenly appeared in his mind.

  "The aura of creation can expand one's feeling of spiritual energy to infinity, I don't know if it will help with the seal!" Thinking this, Wang Chen suddenly felt an urge to try it out, but it was already late, so he decided to eat something and sleep first."

  As for whether the aura of creation helps with making talismans, trying again tomorrow will be the same!

  After finishing two rounds of basic exercises, it had been dark for a long time. Wang Chen thought for a moment and then lay down to rest.

  Practitioners in the Qi Refining stage, strictly speaking, are not yet considered immortal cultivators. They still need sufficient sleep and rest to maintain their energy and physical body. Only when they reach the Foundation Establishment stage can they survive without relying on food, and even go decades without sleep, just sitting in meditation is fine!

  This is also one of the reasons why the foundation-building period is considered to be the true beginning of cultivation, another being that the lifespan will increase by a factor of two, which is worlds apart from Qi-refining stage cultivators! Therefore, only when one reaches the foundation-building period can they truly feel the wonders of cultivating immortality.

  But building the foundation is still too far away for Wang Chen now.

  Creating a few talismans and selling them for some spirit stones is now Wang Chen's most urgent matter!