A sheet of dark gray talisman paper lay spread out before him.
It was barely an inch square, yet it was noticeably thick. Made from polished gray crystal rock, it retained a rich earth-elemental spiritual energy.
Its versatility was so strong that many earth-elemental talismans were crafted from this paper.
The talisman ink was a deep blue, flecked with golden flecks. Zhou Shu gently extended his arm, and the Cuiyan brush swiped through the ink. The tip instantly filled up
, hovering in the air like a blue pearl.
The tip of the brush gently dropped, like a sudden burst of overflowing water from a lake. The deep blue ink quickly spread across the paper
, covering nearly half the surface. This
was quite different from other talisman drawing methods.
Zhou Shu controlled the brush, adapting it to the flow, drawing layer after layer across the paper.
His movements were dazzling and incredibly fast, as if he didn't even need to think, everything under control. Every stroke and every step was effortless, flowing like water, as if the patterns had already been on the paper, just waiting for Zhou Shu to depict them.
Deep blue talisman ink, shimmering with golden glints, constantly shifted between the surface and then immersed itself in the talisman paper. The golden dots of earth-element spiritual energy, serving as the junction of the two spiritual energies, blended perfectly with the gray crystal rock talisman paper.
Meanwhile, the water-element-rich talisman ink, as spiritual energy gradually fed into the talisman paper, took shape one by one, settling into their proper places.
The complex and lingering spiritual energy, deduced from within his mind, was replicated perfectly onto the talisman paper, without the slightest deviation.
The brush moved like a dragon, his hand seemingly boneless, the spiritual energy flowing like a finger, a breathtaking sight.
Time passed, and without notice, the Cuiyan brush quietly retracted.
He paused.
With a long sigh of relief, Zhou Shu placed the Cuiyan brush before him and slowly picked up the talisman.
Very good, even better than he had expected.
These talisman papers and inks were clearly meticulously crafted, a far cry from the casually purchased talismans of the past. The resulting talismans were also exceptionally dazzling.
The gray talismans were adorned with intricate yet neatly arranged blue lines, occasionally shimmering with auras. It resembled a river flowing through mountains and streams, a perfect work of art, vibrant and harmonious. The dark golden highlights between the rivers seemed to represent hidden power, inspiring awe.
"For my first second-level talisman, it's barely decent,"
Zhou Shu smiled contentedly. This was a considerable achievement, one many talisman masters never achieve in their lifetimes, though achieving it would be a source of immense excitement. Yet, he remained somewhat composed.
His goals were far greater than the talisman before him, and he was still a long way off.
The Mire Talisman, like the Thunderstorm Talisman, was a type of area-specific talisman. After casting, the talisman creates a quagmire within a certain area, rendering a person rootless and feeling like they're sinking into a swamp. Cultivators who can't fly or lack fast flying magical instruments will find it difficult to escape for a while.
Compared to the Green Vine Talisman, its restrictive effect is even stronger, and it has some effect on even Foundation Establishment cultivators.
However, this is merely a restriction; cultivators trapped by the quagmire talisman are temporarily unable to escape, but otherwise remain unaffected.
Therefore, it's typically used for escape or to defeat unstoppable monsters.
A low-grade quagmire talisman lasts ten breaths, while a mid-grade one can last up to twenty. For many cultivators, this is a life-saving measure.
Even if it were sold at a high price in the market, it would undoubtedly be snapped up by many low-level cultivators. So
what if it's expensive? In a critical moment, it could save lives.
Zhou Shu rested for a while, his spiritual energy restored, and immediately began drawing the second, then the third...
Fifteen days passed. He didn't leave the house, and aside from practicing, his entire attention was focused on drawing talismans.
One hundred and twenty swamp talismans lay quietly on the table.
Seventy of them were mid-grade, and fifty were low-grade. This was a deliberate result; he hadn't maintained his best form during the subsequent talisman-drawing process. Otherwise, more than a hundred of his 120 talismans would be mid-grade.
But this obviously wouldn't work; it was too appalling. It didn't matter if he used them himself, but the ones he gave to Hua Ruoan had to have more low-grade than mid-grade.
He planned to give Hua Ruoan twenty mid-grade talismans and fifty low-grade talismans.
While the ratio was a bit alarming, it was barely acceptable.
It was noon, Three Wishes Fast.
"Brother Zhou, tomorrow is the agreed deadline. Where are the talismans? Where are the talismans?"
Hua Ruoan studied Zhou Shu for a long moment. Seeing that Zhou Shu hadn't said anything and had just sat there indifferently, he immediately grew angry.
His face darkened, and veins bulged out on his forehead, like coiled snakes, a terrifying sight.
This expression was new to Zhou Shu. He could tell Hua Ruoan was truly anxious. If he hadn't given him the talisman, he would have been practically livid.
Zhou Shu smiled calmly, "Don't be upset, Shopkeeper Hua. Getting angry isn't good. I'm here today to give you the talismans."
"Where are they? Hurry and get them out!"
Hua Ruoan practically shouted. This investment was a significant one, and he couldn't afford to lose.
He'd thought about it several times before, even regretting placing the bet on Zhou Shu. He should have been calmer. That was hundreds of mid-grade spirit stones. But then, thinking of the Thunderstorm Talisman and the Green Vine Talisman, he couldn't resist the businessman's greed for profit.
But now, he was worried.
"Don't worry, Shopkeeper Hua. Please look."
Zhou Shu took out two neatly arranged stacks of talismans and placed them on the table.
Hua Ruoan's expression changed slightly. "So many?" He didn't even use his spiritual power to telekinetically summon objects. He walked over and personally picked up a talisman, examining it carefully and with great attention.
"It's indeed a swamp talisman. The last time I saw it was five years ago."
He carefully stroked the talisman, as if caressing the woman he cherished most, with extreme tenderness.
"Mid-grade, absolutely mid-grade!"
His eyes flashed with an unconcealable brilliance, and he muttered, "The lines, the strokes, the work of nature, simply perfect, infinitely better than anything I've seen... No, twenty talismans like this aren't enough; they should sell for at least thirty mid-grade spirit stones!"
He frantically glanced at the table, counting them one by one. "One, two... What? Twenty mid-grade talismans!"
He couldn't believe it, glancing at Zhou Shu with utter astonishment before carefully examining each one. "I don't believe it, I don't believe it! This kid must have mixed in some inferior stuff..."
After a full quarter of an hour, he slowly raised his head. His eyes
flashed with a hint of fervor, and he couldn't help but curse. "Damn it! They're all mid-grade... Twenty mid-grade Swamp Talismans! This time, I'm making a killing!"
Zhou Shu looked at him quietly, smiling without saying a word.
It was actually Zhou Shu who had made the big profit, with fifty mid-grade Swamp Talismans nestling safely in his storage bag.