Chapter 265: with translation of chapter title

Of course.

It's not that Wang Ping'an doesn't want to keep upgrading the proficiency levels of the three middle‑grade Talisman categories; it's just that his more than a thousand points of Merit, though not completely exhausted by these multiple upgrades, are insufficient to reach the next level.

Wang Ping'an could only stop, and with a thought, he took all the materials that Hu Rui had prepared for him to craft middle‑grade Talisman, first taking a middle‑grade spirit wood and using the artifact: Paper‑Making Technique to begin refining.

It gradually becomes a middle‑grade spirit paper!

Time slipped by unnoticed; in a self‑forgetting state, Wang Ping'an refined one middle‑grade spirit wood after another into one spirit paper after another, then cut them into Talisman paper, nearly exhausting the magical energy stored in his two artificial dantian.

"It seems that, when the chance comes, we still need to upgrade the artifact: Paper‑Making Technique as soon as possible!"

Wang Ping'an heaved out a heavy breath of turbid Qi, resting while cultivating.

Regaining the magical energy that had been completely drained!

Once, twice, three or four times… refining one after another the primary and middle‑grade spirit woods into spirit paper made him clearly realize the importance of the artifact: Paper‑Making Technique.

Talisman.

It is one of his important sources of income; to increase the area of the World Pearl it requires massive spirit stones, artifacts, and other energy‑bearing items, which can also expand the World Pearl's area, but their effect is inferior to spirit stones.

Accurately speaking, its cost‑performance cannot match spirit stones!

Moreover.

Whether dealing with profound spells or cultivation methods, a large amount of spirit stones is required; he can earn money by selling crafted artifacts, but artifacts are not necessarily as good or bad as Talisman.

After all.

One is a permanent item, the other a single‑use consumable!

Furthermore.

Whether artifact or Talisman, they are completely different; they can be like two gold mines, no need to compare, and he is not limited to a single line of business.

He can sell Talisman to earn spirit stones, and likewise sell artifacts for money.

As long as he crafts Talisman, he naturally needs the artifact: Paper‑Making Technique; the market does have Talisman paper for sale, but it is not cheap, not as cheap as spirit wood. He can refine spirit paper himself, so there is no need to waste spirit stones buying expensive Talisman paper.

Not to mention.

He also has another skill: Paper‑Person Binding, which requires a large amount of spirit paper; he can control Paper Persons to act, and their strength is closely tied to the spirit paper.

From all these circumstances, each one shows the importance of the artifact: Paper‑Making Technique that he knows.

For a long while.

Wang Ping'an's depleted magical energy gradually recovered, and he could not wait to start crafting Talisman; he had not forgotten that he still owed someone a huge sum of one thousand medium‑grade spirit stones, and needed to repay the debt soon.

He is not accustomed to owing others anything!

At night.

During this period Wang Ping'an multitasked: he cultivated the techniques 'Moon‑Worship Sutra' and 'Purple Sun Sutra' in rotation, while directing his thought‑form within the World Pearl to craft Talisman, and simultaneously applied the skill: Technique to one Five Elements Law Sword after another, all while wailing loudly to attract his mother's attention and obtain Growth Energy.

It's practically a mental split!

Before long, Wang Ping'an completed a Talisman—a mysterious electric‑light Talisman—and he heaved out another heavy breath of turbid Qi. By then night had fallen, everyone was resting, and his master had returned to the guest room, no longer busy in the courtyard.

It was the perfect moment for him to set up the Small Five Elements Sword Formation!

Wang Ping'an opened his eyes; from the infant's cradle he could see his mother on the wooden bed beside him sleeping soundly, with a tear sliding down the corner of her eye.

It seemed she had recalled something sorrowful! Wang Ping'an did not wake his clearly grieving mother; with a thought he retrieved a Paper Person from the World Pearl, used the skill: Divine Attachment Technique to command the Paper Person, carefully opened the window, slipped out through it, and glanced up at the guest room.

Although he could not see inside the guest room, from the surrounding wandering celestial and terrestrial Qi he could infer that his master was cultivating.

Wang Ping'an, about to command the Paper Person and hurriedly rush to the courtyard to set up the Small Five Elements Sword Formation, suddenly thought of his master's method of arranging things in his courtyard, fearing his master might notice any irregularities.

He promptly used the skill: Dharma Eye to inspect the surroundings.

He could see that the traces of his master's arrangement were evidently still unfinished.

Only then did Wang Ping'an sigh in relief, quickly employing the formation: Small Five Elements Sword Formation, burying the formation diagram and the Five Elements Law Sword deep within his home's courtyard.

Unexpectedly.

The Small Five Elements Sword Formation was set up so effortlessly.

But when he thought about it, he had spent a huge price to upgrade the proficiency of the formation: Small Five Elements Sword Formation to the Cultivation stage, as if a formation master had taught him hand‑by‑hand how to set up the Small Five Elements Sword Formation.

Therefore.

That is why his setting up of the Small Five Elements Sword Formation appeared especially easy.

You have reached this novel.

The next moment.

As the Small Five Elements Sword Formation completed and was about to trigger an anomaly, Wang Ping'an's complexion changed dramatically; if his master discovered it, it would be trouble.

Who knows whether his master would suspect that a villain had set up a murderous formation in his house.

Given his master's temperament—no, any normal person's temperament would destroy a formation of unknown origin.

He does not know how powerful the Small Five Elements Sword Formation he set up is, or whether it might harm his master.

Whether the Small Five Elements Sword Formation harms his master, or his master destroys the formation, neither is a good thing.

At this thought, Wang Ping'an was about to employ a method to disperse the anomaly that was about to coalesce, but to his disappointment, whatever method he used, it was very hard to drive away the anomaly that was about to gather.

First, his repertoire of methods is limited; second, his master is in the guest room, and if he acts recklessly, there is a high chance his master will notice.

"Could I just stand here, eyes wide open, watching this Small Five Elements Sword Formation take shape, letting my master, the old man, see the anomaly?"

While Wang Ping'an worried, not knowing what to do, a flash of insight suddenly sprang in his mind, and he thought, "How about trying the 'Ten Thousand Sword Manual'?"

He acted on it immediately; Wang Ping'an multitasked, beginning to cultivate the 'Ten Thousand Sword Manual'. The celestial and terrestrial Qi that had been drawn by the forming Small Five Elements Sword Formation was about to become an anomaly, when suddenly it seemed to feel an inexplicable attraction, swarming toward Wang Ping'an's location.

"What is this?"

Xuanqing Daozhang suddenly opened his eyes, a flash of sharp light flashing in his gaze, for just now, while cultivating, Xuanqing Daozhang had suddenly sensed a surge of Sword Qi spilling out.

Xuanqing Daozhang worried whether a malicious Sword Cultivator had infiltrated!

When Xuanqing Daozhang prepared to employ Divine Thought to inspect, Xuanqing Daozhang noticed the Qi surge; after pinpointing where the surge was gathering, a wry smile broke on Xuanqing Daozhang's face as Xuanqing Daozhang said, "This kid, do you have to be so perverse?"

Mid‑sentence, Xuanqing Daozhang hurriedly wielded his magical power, enveloping the entire Wang Family, to prevent others from noticing the irregularities inside the Wang household.

Afterwards.

Xuanqing Daozhang once again fell into cultivation!

(End of chapter)