At dusk, Zhou Shu, carrying his prepared thunderstorm talisman, headed for the Qingyuan Mountains.
Testing the talisman required a quiet spot, and even better, some demonic beasts as targets. But that was just a thought.
Even encountering a low-ranking demonic beast was a formidable challenge for him now, and he was overwhelmed.
Qingxia Market was always bustling with people, but only after walking for dozens of miles did the number of pedestrians gradually disappear.
After skirting a forest and stopping before a small mountain stream, Zhou Shu ignited
the thunderstorm talisman with a soft click, hurling it toward the current.
The talisman suddenly shone brightly in the air, gradually growing from a small point of light to a brilliant white disk, resembling a miniature sun, almost too bright to look at directly.
Snap! There was a loud explosion on the surface of the water.
Dozens of lightning bolts erupted suddenly, like dozens of dragons tangled together, raging with fangs and claws. Bolts of lightning continuously shot out in all directions.
In an instant, an area nearly two meters in radius was enveloped in a blinding bluish-white light.
Thunderclaps continued, and the flashes of lightning lingered for nearly five breaths before fading.
A thick white mist rose from the surface of the water, obscuring everything. Within a radius of several dozen meters, countless dead fish, their bellies turned upside down, emerged and drifted downstream.
Judging by the power of this thunderstorm talisman, it was clearly mid-grade, not far from a high-grade one—even better than he had expected.
Zhou Shu, with a hint of pride on his face, turned and looked toward the nearby woods. He noticed a small exclamation suddenly emanating from there, and the voice sounded familiar.
To become a talisman master at the first level of the Qi Refining Realm, and even to draw a thunderstorm talisman, a mid-grade one at that—was an achievement unattainable for most cultivators. He had every reason to be proud.
Unfortunately, he shared his power with only one person, someone he didn't want to see.
"Come out,"
a figure slowly emerged from the woods, his face slightly pale, and looked at Zhou Shu with some fear.
It was Zhu Weiquan.
Zhu Weiquan, still feeling a sense of unease, inquired through various channels and finally discovered Zhou Shu's residence, hoping to harm him. However, Zhou Shu remained indoors, and due to the market rules, he dared not force his way in.
Today, he finally waited for Zhou Shu to leave, even staying away from the market. He felt a surge of excitement, thinking, "This kid is courting death." Just as he was about
to attack, he unexpectedly witnessed Zhou Shu testing a talisman. He was immediately panicked, exclaiming in surprise. This Qi Refining Realm First Level kid possessed such a powerful talisman!
He had seen the power of the Thunderstorm Talisman. One could barely handle it, but two, three? Or perhaps Zhou Shu had a backup plan, some other means? A cultivator with a mid-grade Thunderstorm Talisman was undoubtedly no ordinary cultivator, and he was only a casual Qi Refining Realm Third Level cultivator.
He gasped, daring not to attack again.
Zhou Shu's shouting sent his mind reeling, and he almost involuntarily stepped out.
Zhou Shu stared at Zhu Weiquan, his expression unchanged. A chill welled up in his heart, and he shouted, "It's you, after all! What are you planning to do this time?"
"That's not what I meant, Brother Zhou, you misunderstood..."
Zhu Weiquan's expression changed drastically as he activated his Light Body Technique, rapidly retreating.
A speck of light flew towards him in midair.
Zhu Weiquan had never expected Zhou Shu to attack directly. He had just witnessed the power of this talisman; it was unmatched.
He was swift, but he seemed to have forgotten the forest behind him.
Bang, bang, bang! In his panic, he bumped into several trees in the woods, significantly hindering his escape. However, the talisman seemed to have calculated its path. Controlled by spiritual power, it deftly spun around the trees and flew directly over his head.
Snap!
The thunderstorm talisman exploded beside him.
But suddenly, a black paper umbrella appeared in Zhu Weiquan's hand.
Three consecutive bolts of lightning exploded against the umbrella, rumbling continuously, but they were all blocked, preventing him from entering.
Flashes of lightning flashed, scorching the surrounding trees and tearing off branches and roots. But Zhu Weiquan, beneath his paper umbrella, remained unharmed.
Zhu Weiquan, still trembling, wore a smug expression. "Hehe, you never expected that I have a black wooden umbrella, and your talisman..."
Before he could finish his words, his pupils suddenly widened, the whites of his eyes turning a dead gray. He clearly saw a point of light approach from beneath the paper umbrella, then explode right before his eyes.
A second thunderstorm talisman.
An intense white light instantly enveloped the forest.
After a few breaths, the lightning dissipated, and all returned to calm.
Zhu Weiquan, reeking of burnt flesh, emerged, nearly naked, as if he had just been dug out of a coal pit. Dark and slender, he huddled in a half-kneeling, half-sitting position.
"Mercy, mercy..."
Lacking his inner armor, he could only activate a protective shield in his final moments. But this basic shielding technique couldn't withstand the barrage of dozens of lightning bolts at close range, and he was already dying.
Zhou Shu hurried forward, not even glancing at Zhu Weiquan. Instead, he picked up the fallen black paper umbrella and shook his head with regret. "What a shame."
The ribs and handle were completely shattered, clearly useless.
He'd been surprised to see the black wooden umbrella could withstand lightning, but a closer look revealed it was nothing more than a low-level magical weapon. The outer material was decent, but the interior was completely vulnerable.
After all, how could a cultivator like Zhu Weiquan possess a superior magical weapon?
"Mercy, Brother Zhou, I..."
"Third time! This is the third time you've tried to deal with me."
Zhou Shu glanced at him calmly, casually extending the umbrella ribs, which pierced his heart like a sword. Zhu Weiquan didn't even grunt, simply accepting the outcome.
"If you make a move first, I might be the one to die."
Zhou Shu shook his head and smiled, as if he felt sorry for him.
He extended his hand, and Zhu Weiquan's tattered storage bag fell into his hand. The contents spilled out, but there were less than thirty low-grade spirit stones and a few common first-tier talismans.
Most casual cultivators were like this, with limited financial resources, unable to afford even elixirs. It seemed Zhu Weiquan's only assets were spent on his magic spells and the umbrella.
Zhou Shu picked up the corpse from the ground and flung it into the nearby mountain stream. He then used the Small Cloud and Rain Technique to clean up the mess, leaving no trace.
No one cared about the disappearance of a casual cultivator; in this world, such things happened every day.
Zhou Shu walked back slowly, his demeanor calm, as if nothing had happened.
His first battle with a cultivator was a mixed bag of joy and worry. His spiritual power control was excellent, and his talisman casting was skillful, but he only took advantage of his opponent's tendency to flee rather than fight. If he hadn't taken the initiative, intimidating and unnerving his opponent, the consequences would have been disastrous.
"One kind of talisman really doesn't have much tactics. If you want to fight better, you must practice several kinds of talismans and coordinate them with each other."
Zhou Shu seemed to understand.