The treasure building granted by the dynasty contained six floors.
The top floor served as the meeting hall, while the third to fifth floors held guest rooms. The first two floors accommodated daily receptions.
The layout of floors three to five resembled the celestial guesthouse where Yang Lingrui and others had stayed in the imperial capital, offering both standard rooms and cave dwellings. These three floors contained forty-five rooms divided into three grades based on their Gathering Qi formations.
The lower-grade tripled spiritual energy, mid-grade quintupled it, and upper-grade octupled it.
These formations had been pre-built by dynasty craftsmen into the structure itself. No array tokens were required – simply inserting spiritual crystals activated them.
On the first floor, Wei Xinqing and Wu Tong received five dynasty officials. Three others conversed with Old Yu on the second floor.
Chen Yang currently hid within Old Yu’s sleeve. His entire body wrapped in mysterious power, he remained undetectable even to Xuan Zhou at the peak of Condensing Essence, let alone the three other Condensing Essence cultivators present.
His presence stemmed from Gao Hui’s prior warning – the dynasty would send a Talisman Mountain master to assess the Yang Family’s Talisman Inheritance during their Noble Family Order ceremony. All families in Tiger-Chasing territory needed their cultivation arts registered.
"This is Jiang Chunan from Talisman Mountain," a dynasty official introduced the green-robed man beside him. The Condensing Essence talisman master appeared similar in age to Old Yu.
"No need for formalities." Jiang Chunan lifted him with true essence before cutting to the chase. "Your family’s Talisman Inheritance remains incomplete. You can only craft early-stage Gathering Qi talismans like tranquility and evil-repelling charms, plus mid-stage ones like fire, divine movement, and spiritual shield talismans. Correct?"
"Senior speaks truth."
"Current success rates?"
"Seventy percent for tranquility and evil-repelling talismans. Thirty percent for divine movement and spiritual shield. Forty for fire talismans." Old Yu recited Chen Yang’s Thought Transmission, the old performer seizing his stage once more.
Jiang Chunan nodded. Given Old Yu’s late-stage Gathering Qi cultivation and the ancient willow bark available, these rates ranked below average. Whether they met classification standards remained uncertain.
"Demonstrate your craft then. Let’s see the divine movement talisman – most widely useful."
Old Yu agreed, then pretended to adjust his demeanor before adopting a solemn expression.
From that moment, he relinquished control of his body to Chen Yang concealed within his sleeve.
Through their soul fire connection, Chen Yang began maneuvering Old Yu’s limbs, arranging an entire talisman-crafting toolkit upon the table.
He retrieved a stack of ordinary talisman paper and commenced preparations.
“You’re not using the ancient willow bark?”
“Senior flatters me. Such precious materials shouldn’t be squandered. I kept portion for family matters and sold the remainder at the marketplace for spiritual crystals.”
“Ah, I see.”
Jiang Chunan nodded, privately concluding: No wonder the success rate seemed low – he avoided using ancient willow bark. That explains it.
Old Yu’s hands began tracing talisman symbols.
As a Condensing Essence stage practitioner, Jiang Chunan immediately noticed flaws after observing several brushstrokes.
“This brush technique appears incomplete – the symbol junctions look unnaturally rigid.
The finishing lacks refinement, inviting spiritual power instability during later stages.
These symbols are crudely assembled, nowhere near seamless integration.”
Having witnessed Old Yu’s methods, Jiang Chunan cataloged multiple shortcomings. He attributed these to late entry into the Path of Cultivation and incomplete Talisman Inheritance.
Unbeknownst to him, Chen Yang intentionally displayed these imperfections to maintain Old Yu’s image as an amateur craftsman.
Yet Jiang Chunan grew puzzled. The Yang Family’s talismans enjoyed sterling reputations. How could such flawed methods produce consistent quality?
Anticipating this doubt, Chen Yang intensified his focus. Old Yu’s hand gripped the brush dipped in spiritual ink, channeling spiritual power to redraw certain symbols.
“Ah!”
Jiang Chunan’s eyes brightened with sudden understanding.
“Compensating for technical flaws through secondary tracing! My earlier assessment was premature.”
He watched approvingly as Old Yu meticulously adjusted the symbols. This remedial technique boosted crafting stability and success rates, but demanded exceptional spiritual control.
Mastery required relentless practice without shortcuts. Old Yu’s execution proved years of dedicated study.
The subsequent crafting phase proceeded competently without brilliance. The finished talisman matched the Yang Family’s standard products exactly.
Such precise replication revealed Chen Yang’s complete mastery of their Talisman Inheritance and significant advancement beyond his former skills.
“Senior’s appraisal?”
Old Yu deferentially offered the inferior divine movement talisman. Jiang Chunan examined it with approving nods.
“Remarkable achievement with an incomplete inheritance. Had you trained since youth, you’d rival my own standing.”
“Senior honors me. These crude methods pale beside orthodox sect disciples’ techniques.”
“Nonsense! All paths bearing fruit are valid Dao!”
Jiang Chunan stroked his beard before producing a registry. “Your name, practitioner?”
“This junior is Yu Liyang.”
The name originated from Old Yu’s own choice yesterday, not Chen Yang’s Thought Transmission. Henceforth, this would be his public identity.
Jiang Chunan recorded “Yu Liyang”, officially registering him as a Gathering Qi talisman master.
As the performance seemed concluded, Jiang Chunan unexpectedly offered an invitation to Talisman Mountain’s Gathering of Talents – recognition of Old Yu’s persevering dedication to the craft despite advancing age.
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