DIV Chapter 9: Change of Mindset

After chatting for a moment, Zheng Jinbao said he had other matters and turned to leave.

After walking far away, he dropped the smile from his face.

"Damn it, how did that kid become a talisman master?!" Zheng Jinbao couldn't help feeling irritated.

In the past, he had relied on his status to arbitrarily oppress many cultivators who had signed spiritual contracts with the Zheng family.

Those cultivators almost all had dim prospects with no hope of turning their fortunes around. Even when they suffered unjust treatment, they could only endure it silently!

Because of this, he had lived peacefully all these years without any mishaps.

Who could have expected Li Chang'an to suddenly emerge as such an unexpected factor!

"That kid is scheming and deep, he probably still holds grudges!" Zheng Jinbao's expression was gloomy, and his heart felt vaguely uneasy.

The current Li Chang'an was no longer someone he could manipulate at will. He was afraid that Li Chang'an would seek revenge against him someday!

"No, I can't just sit and wait for death!" Zheng Jinbao gritted his teeth, a trace of viciousness flashing in his eyes.

His ability to maintain his steward position relied not only on his status as a Zheng family member, but also on various means!

With this thought, he paused his steps and then walked in another direction.

In the following month, Li Chang'an barely left his room, devoting himself entirely to mid-grade talismans.

The difficulty of mid-grade talismans far exceeded that of low-grade talismans. Even after studying for a whole month, he still had no confidence whatsoever.

"First-tier mid-grade talismans not only have extremely complex drawing techniques, but also very strict requirements for magical power and mental energy," Li Chang'an thought to himself.

Under normal circumstances, only the magical power and mental energy of mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators could support drawing first-tier mid-grade talismans.

Li Chang'an's advantage lay in his mental energy, which was stronger than cultivators of the same level.

As for magical power, now that he had pills to assist him, his cultivation speed was faster than before, but he was still some distance from the fourth layer of Qi Refining.

A few days later, Xu Fugui and Sun Yulan came to visit.

"Brother Chang'an, when did you become a talisman master? Why didn't you tell us?"

"It's not a big deal, not worth mentioning," Li Chang'an chuckled.

The matter of him becoming a talisman master and killing the rogue cultivators hadn't spread. Only very few people knew about it.

These two originally didn't know either. Today they had business with Chu Daniu and discovered that he was injured. After some questioning, they learned the truth.

Learning that Li Chang'an had become a talisman master, their reaction was the same as Chu Daniu's at the time, both extremely shocked.

"Big brother, I was wondering why you never left your room. Turns out you were studying talisman arts," Xu Fugui said with a face full of envy.

Sun Yulan's gaze was distant, her feelings extremely complex.

At the last gathering, she had advised Li Chang'an to go out more and walk around, perhaps he might encounter opportunities. She hadn't expected that Li Chang'an already had his opportunity.

This big brother who had led her in seeking immortality hadn't become lost among the crowd after all, but remained as bright and dazzling as ever.

Unknowingly, Li Chang'an's image became tall and imposing in her heart once again.

The three chatted for a long time until evening, when Xu Fugui and Sun Yulan finally left respectively.

"Finally they're gone," Li Chang'an planned to continue studying talisman arts.

However, before long, Sun Yulan returned.

This time, she had actually applied light makeup. Her eyebrows were like slender willows, her face like peach blossoms, and she carried a faint, pleasant fragrance.

"Brother Chang'an, may little sister have a private chat with you?" Her eyes were like water, her gaze resting on Li Chang'an's face.

Li Chang'an frowned slightly.

"Yulan, what else do you need?"

"Brother Chang'an..." Sun Yulan bit her red lips lightly, her cheeks flushed.

"You've been alone all these years. Have you ever considered taking a wife and starting a family?"

"Taking a wife?" Li Chang'an immediately shook his head.

He put on a stern face with a serious expression.

"The cultivation world is ever-changing. Qi Refining stage cultivators are like roadside weeds. Only Foundation Establishment cultivators can stand firm. I am currently as insignificant as an ant, how dare I take a wife and have children?"

Hearing this, Sun Yulan's expression dimmed.

She also understood. Now that Li Chang'an had become a talisman master and could earn cultivation resources, he indeed had a sliver of possibility to establish his foundation.

Perhaps because of this, his heart for seeking the Dao was so firm.

Sun Yulan couldn't help but feel some regret. If she had asked him about this matter before Li Chang'an became a talisman master, would the result have been different?

Thinking of this, she felt empty inside.

"Yulan, it's getting late. You should go back and rest early," Li Chang'an said.

Having lived two lives, how could he not see her thoughts?

He was very clear in his heart. In the past, although this woman had some feelings for him, she never planned to become his Dao companion, simply because he was too ordinary and couldn't meet her inner expectations.

If he hadn't become a talisman master, this conversation would never have happened.

Afterward, Sun Yulan tentatively asked a few more questions, but Li Chang'an's attitude remained indifferent throughout.

She had no choice but to leave in disappointment.

Time passed swiftly. Before he knew it, another month had gone by.

Regarding drawing first-tier mid-grade talismans, Li Chang'an gradually gained some confidence.

On this day, Chu Daniu came to find Li Chang'an.

After two months of recovery, his injuries had basically healed.

The reason he came to find Li Chang'an was to inform him of something.

"Brother Li, I previously joined a circle of craftsmen. The cultivators inside all possess at least one cultivation skill, and several of them are talisman masters," Chu Daniu explained slowly.

As one's status changed, the people one came into contact with would also change.

Back then, after news of his obtaining the spiritual wine inheritance spread, someone invited him to join this small circle.

Several people inside also had spiritual wine brewing skills. Conversing with them had brought Chu Daniu considerable gains.

Therefore, he planned to invite Li Chang'an to join this circle as well.

"Brother Li, communicating with other talisman masters might help you break through quickly and draw high-quality talismans sooner. What do you think?" Chu Daniu inquired.

He didn't know that Li Chang'an could already draw high-quality talismans, which is why he said this.

"A circle of craftsmen..." Li Chang'an pondered for a moment.

Getting to know other talisman masters wasn't a bad thing. Communication between peers often promoted mutual improvement and progress together.

So he agreed.

Before long, Chu Daniu brought him to attend a gathering of craftsmen.

Calling it a gathering, it was actually a small trading meeting. While everyone communicated with each other, they also exchanged needed cultivation resources.

The scene was lively, with cultivators talking to each other, laughing and chatting in a harmonious atmosphere.

"Brother Li, this is Fellow Daoist Liu," Chu Daniu introduced.

The first person Chu Daniu introduced Li Chang'an to was a woman.

Liu Yue, a third-layer Qi Refining cultivator and also a first-tier low-grade talisman master.

"Fellow Daoist Liu, this is my big brother Li Chang'an. He's also a talisman master," Chu Daniu introduced Li Chang'an in turn.

Liu Yue's eyes moved slightly as she looked Li Chang'an over with surprise.

"Oh? Perhaps you've only recently become a talisman master? Why haven't I heard of you before?"

"Indeed so," Li Chang'an cupped his hands in response.

Chu Daniu held Liu Yue in high regard.

"Brother Li, Fellow Daoist Liu has great talent in the way of talismans. She's only been in contact with talisman drawing for less than three years, yet can already draw high-quality talismans!"

"I can only barely draw them, with an extremely low success rate," Liu Yue laughed lightly. Her words were modest, but there was a hint of pride underneath.

Indeed, compared to many old talisman masters, she could be considered talented. Many talisman masters with low-grade skills spent over ten years before they could draw high-quality talismans.

"I see, Fellow Daoist Liu's talent is indeed exceptional," Li Chang'an smiled.

He thought about it. From when he first started drawing talismans to when he could draw high-quality talismans, it seemed to have been just over three months?

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