Chapter 142: Seeking a Talisman

"So they have come to seek a talisman!"

Lu Jiangxian paused slightly, his spiritual sense leaping out and enveloping the entire Li family. Now, his spiritual sense range had greatly increased, and even the surrounding Shanyue and Lu families could be seen clearly.

For the people of the four towns, the sacrifice was a major event. Before the Li family rose to power, the four towns had a tradition of sacrifice, but the times varied. Under the Li family's rule, the time was unified, and the sacrifice was elevated to the highest status. Even the children on the roadside knew how to mutter a few words—"The importance of all things lies in sacrifice and war."

The townspeople of the various towns each brought fruits, set up wooden poles in the courtyards, hung paper lanterns, and waited for the time of the sacrifice. Now, the residents of the four towns were living affluent lives, and ordinary townspeople could set out a few plates of sugar melons and cakes, and then burn the medicines they had eaten over the past few years outside the door, calling it "throwing away a hundred illnesses," which had a beautiful meaning.

At the foot of Lijing Mountain, there was a surging crowd of people. The townspeople were all stretching their necks to watch. The large deer at the Qi Refining level was tied tightly with iron chains, kneeling on a round platform made of bluestone, its body covered in blood, quite terrifying.

"This is that deer demon!"

"So terrifying!"

Although they said this, the residents of the four towns were not very afraid. The spiritual veins of Great Lishan had been restored for nearly forty years, and there were countless Fetal Breath demonic beasts that had broken into the towns, and they had seen them many times. The townspeople were used to seeing demonic beasts suppressed, so they were not afraid.

The round platform was polished until it shone, and the surroundings were carved with tiny patterns. The huge coral-like antlers that had been severed were stuck on the large deer's neck. Li Tongya pressed it with one hand, making it unable to move.

At the head were several symbolic wooden puppets and clay statues. Behind Li Tongya were the disciples of the Li family's Xuanjing generation. Li Xuansuan was one step behind Li Tongya, while Li Xuanfeng and Li Xuanling were on the step below the round platform.

"Offer sacrifices with blood, serve the gods to bring blessings."

After the prayer for the sacrifice was read, the townspeople around immediately knelt down in a large area. The streets and stone bridges were all filled with people prostrating on the ground. Everyone closed their eyes piously, and the entire small town was terrifyingly quiet.

"This is the Li family's sacrifice..."

Wan Tianchou had seen the sacrifice more than once, but every time he was filled with emotion. He bowed respectfully under the platform. The thick scent of incense surged in his nose, and the solemn atmosphere made his limbs stiff. He thought to himself:

"How does this look like a cultivation family that has only risen for forty years? It looks like a cultivation family that has been passed down for over four hundred years!"

When Wan Tianchou was in the Wan family, he also participated in some rituals passed down in the clan, but they couldn't compare to the solemnity of the Li family. Looking at the Li family's strict management of their disciples, Wan Tianchou sighed low and secretly thought:

"The speed of the Li family's rise over the past forty years is not without reason..."

On the platform, the sacrificial knife in Li Xuansuan's hand had already pierced straight into the brain of the large deer in the center of the round platform. The demonic beast let out a mournful cry, but was pressed dead on the round platform by Li Tongya and unable to move, dying immediately.

Under the guidance of Lu Jiangxian's spiritual sense, the essence energy on the large deer gathered, condensing with the drifting deer-shaped soul, and gushed out along the wound made by the sacrificial knife, like a wolf smoke formed by vital energy. Pale golden mists, invisible to ordinary people, flowed out from the bodies of everyone below, swarmed from the lanterns in every courtyard, and like swallows returning to their nests, they all poured into the wolf smoke, dyeing the smoke with a faint gold.

The smoke rose for a few breaths, scattered into countless grey light spots invisible to the naked eye, and flowed toward Lijing Mountain.

The mirror surface immediately shone with divine light, and an invisible light circle expanded. The people below felt their bodies lighten. Lu Jiangxian pinched out a grey talisman, scanned it a few times, and threw it toward Li Xuanfeng.

The grey talisman circled once and flew toward his Rising Sun Mansion. Lu Jiangxian's eyes blurred, and several lines of large characters appeared.

At the very top was a deep red brushstroke, looking as if a fierce aura was rushing toward him.

"Power piercing a thousand jun."

This talisman aura was the same as Li Xiangping's back then. It could raise the physical quality of the talisman recipient to an extremely high level, with blood energy like smoke, power piercing a thousand jun, similar to a demonic beast.

The second line was a pale blue brushstroke, revealing a touch of light and agile aura.

"Chasing clouds and pursuing the moon."

This talisman aura gave the recipient the talent to ride clouds and wind, allowing them to ride the wind several times faster, which was also quite practical.

The last one, "Longevity," brought forty years of life to the recipient. Lu Jiangxian discarded it first. After all, the path of cultivation was dangerous, and Li Xuanfeng might not be able to use up his lifespan. If he couldn't even survive, longevity would be useless.

After wavering for a while between "Power piercing a thousand jun" and "Chasing clouds and pursuing the moon," Lu Jiangxian couldn't make up his mind. He flicked his finger lightly, and the light spot sank into Li Xuanfeng's spiritual sense.

"Let him choose for himself... It's just that there are many more residents in the four towns. This incense aura condensed more than one grey talisman, and there is still a small half left."

After pondering for a few breaths, Lu Jiangxian suddenly remembered that there was a secret technique that had never been used since the mirror body was repaired. Now that there was extra incense talisman aura, but not enough to condense another grey talisman, it was just right to use it.

Back then, Li Xiangping killed an old Qi Refining cultivator and obtained a jade pendant from him. That jade pendant enabled the mirror body to condense talisman pills. It was to combine this extra talisman aura with Taiyin moon glow to condense into a talisman pill. A cultivator could only take one per major realm, which could break through barriers and advance cultivation, depending on the amount of talisman aura in the pill. If there was a lot, it would have miraculous effects on Foundation Establishment and Early Zifu.

Taking this pill would also secretly leave a talisman seal in the soul place of the Rising Sun Mansion, increasing the host's speed of breathing in spiritual energy. When the host died, it would exhaust its essence energy and convert it into talisman aura to feed back to the mirror body.

Although the efficiency of the talisman pill could not compare to the Profound Pearl or Talisman Pearl, it could take two or three out of ten of its cultivation. It was just that the Li family was weak back then, and this secret method had not been used for a long time. Only today could it be put to use.

"It would be best to condense a few more of these talisman pills, which could greatly accelerate the speed of improving magic power. If it could be circulated on the market and taken by Foundation Establishment cultivators or even Early Zifu cultivators, and then recovered after their death... wouldn't that be wonderful!"

After thinking happily for a while, Lu Jiangxian had concerns in his heart and muttered:

"It's just that I don't know if this talisman pill will be recognized by others, letting some enemies come to the door, and then the trouble will be big... Forget it, forget it, let the children of the Li family use it first."

The secret method was pinched, and in an instant, the mirror shone with light. The light like the moon gushed out, circling and surrounding the stone platform, condensing like smoke and mist, gathering into three bright pills, covered with mysterious and winding lines, looking quite beautiful.

After condensing the talisman pills, Lu Jiangxian fell back into the mirror and went to study witchcraft.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 143 =====