Chapter 3

Chen Xi walked silently on the way home, lost in thought. The departure of his grandfather and younger brother did not make him overly sad. As far as he knew, the Thousand Sword Sect in Longyuan City was quite famous throughout the Southern Border. The various academies in Songyan City could not compare to the Thousand Sword Sect at all.

For thousands of years, with the improvement of the cultivation system, all kinds of new things had emerged in the path of cultivation, and academies were one of them. These academies were set up in towns, hiring knowledgeable cultivators to teach various basic cultivation knowledge, and earning money through this.

There were no restrictions on the people the academies targeted. Whether you were a mountain dweller, a slave, a wealthy merchant, or a vendor, as long as you paid enough spirit stones, you could enter the academy to study. The types of academies were also varied, divided into different categories based on their names.

For example, in Songyan City, there were academies for alchemy, puppetry, talisman making, pill refinement, cultivation, beast taming, and more. Chen Xi's younger brother, Chen Hao, had previously studied basic sword techniques at the Tianxing Academy.

However, academies also had their limitations. The knowledge they imparted was the most basic and superficial. If one wanted to learn more advanced knowledge, they still had to enter a sect. Sects were often presided over by great cultivators, and their gates were usually set up in famous mountains and rivers with abundant spiritual energy. The conditions for selecting disciples were extremely strict. Only those with exceptional talent and solid foundations could pass the sect's disciple selection, far surpassing the common academies.

Chen Xi was very clear about how much his younger brother had suffered in recent years. Because of him, Chen Hao was mocked as a "little broom star" by children of the same age, and no one was willing to interact with him, let alone have a true friend. If he could join the Thousand Sword Sect, it would undoubtedly be a good thing for his brother, who was obsessed with sword cultivation, and would greatly benefit his growth.

Chen Hao was only twelve years old this year, with a sharp mind, and had already cultivated to the peak of the Later Heaven realm. Under the careful guidance of his grandfather, his foundation was extremely solid. Passing the Thousand Sword Sect's selection should not be a problem.

As he approached his home, Chen Xi saw a little girl about five or six years old sitting at his doorstep, her chin in her hands. She had a topknot, black and bright eyes, and a very cute appearance.

"Big Brother Chen Xi, where's Little Hao? I brought his favorite green lemon candy, but I can't wait for him," the little girl saw Chen Xi and ran over excitedly.

The little girl's name was Xi Xi, lively and adorable, without a father, living with her mother Bai Wanqing. They had moved to Songyan City a few years ago and were neighbors with the Chen family. The two families had always been on very good terms.

"He has gone far away to learn from a master. He probably won't be back for a few years," Chen Xi patted Xi Xi's little head. He also liked Xi Xi very much. The little girl was a few years younger than his brother, and whenever Chen Hao returned from the Tianxing Academy, she would cling to him like a little shadow, often sharing candies with him. The two of them had a very good relationship.

More importantly, Xi Xi and her mother Bai Wanqing had never looked down on the Chen family, nor treated Chen Xi as a "broom star." This pure and unadulterated trust made Chen Xi particularly cherish it.

"Far away? Where is far away?" Xi Xi tilted her head, puzzled.

Chen Xi thought for a moment and said, "A place you can't go to is called far away. But when you grow up, you can go there."

Xi Xi said "Oh" and looked dejected, appearing quite unhappy.

Chen Xi comforted her, "Why don't you come to my house to play?"

Xi Xi's eyes lit up, "Okay, I want to see Big Brother Chen Xi make talismans."

"Follow me."

Seeing the little girl's happiness, a smile appeared on Chen Xi's lips, but it quickly disappeared, and he resumed his usual stern and taciturn appearance.

Holding Xi Xi's chubby little hand, Chen Xi walked into the house.

...

On the table were a stack of blank light green talisman papers, a dish of dark red ink, and a black talisman pen.

Chen Xi sat straight at the wooden table, while Xi Xi sat obediently on a small stool beside him, her face full of curiosity.

"This is pine-patterned talisman paper, the cheapest kind on the market. It is hard and rough, usually used to make the simplest basic talismans," Chen Xi pointed to the stack of light green talisman papers and explained softly.

Xi Xi nodded vigorously, "Big Brother Chen Xi, I remember."

Chen Xi was speechless, shook his head, and pointed to the dish of dark red ink, "This ink is extracted from the blood of the Red Flame Deer. The Red Flame Deer is one of the lowest-ranking demonic beasts in the cultivation world. Apart from its blood being used to make talisman ink, it has no other value. Even the merchants in the city who make a living by raising demonic beasts are unwilling to raise this useless demonic beast."

Xi Xi nodded, "What about the pen?"

"That is a talisman pen. Talisman pens also have quality differences. When making talismans, a high-quality pen can draw smooth and even lines, and increase the success rate of making talismans. This pen is just an ordinary one, but it is enough for me."

As he spoke, Chen Xi suddenly realized that he had said much more today than usual. Was it because his grandfather and brother had left, and he had taken Xi Xi as a confidant?

Thinking of this, Chen Xi turned to look at Xi Xi and found that the little girl had fallen asleep on the table, a trace of clear saliva at the corner of her mouth.

Chen Xi couldn't help but think of how his brother looked when he was young, and felt a warmth in his heart. He carefully picked up Xi Xi, placed her on his bed, and covered her with a blanket before sitting back at the table.

Without wasting any time, Chen Xi picked up the pen, dipped it in the ink, and began to draw the talisman.

Scribble, scribble, scribble... The tip of the pen, dipped in dark red ink, gently slid over the blank talisman paper, and thin red lines flowed out like worms, spreading quickly on the light green pine-patterned talisman paper in a graceful and smooth pattern.

Chen Xi was focused and serious while making the talisman. His eyes were fixed on the talisman paper, his back straight as a spear, and his right arm suspended in the air, motionless, like a sturdy pine branch growing from a crevice in a cliff. His right wrist, however, was extremely flexible, drawing and pausing on the talisman paper at an astonishing frequency, with smooth and fluid movements, like a clear stream, carrying a light and harmonious rhythm.

When a complex and mysterious pattern bloomed on the talisman paper like a flower, the surface of the paper suddenly brightened, then dimmed and returned to normal.

Without even looking, Chen Xi casually placed the first-grade Fire Cloud Talisman to one side and picked up another blank pine-patterned talisman paper, continuing to draw without wasting a moment.

Five years ago, Chen Xi's grandfather, Chen Tianli, used the remaining savings to send Chen Xi to a talisman-making academy to learn. After Chen Xi successfully mastered the making of first-grade basic talismans, making talismans became the only source of income for the three of them.

However, Chen Xi could only make first-grade basic talismans. The talisman-making techniques taught in the academy were also limited to the first grade. To learn higher-grade talisman-making techniques, one had to spend a large amount of money to buy the corresponding books, which was too expensive for Chen Xi to afford.

Even so, Chen Xi was very satisfied.

At the beginning, he could only make five first-grade talismans a day, but now he could make thirty, which could be exchanged for ten spirit stones. In the past, this was enough to support the three of them and even provide for his brother Chen Hao's sword cultivation at the academy.

Now that his grandfather and brother had gone to the Southern Border, leaving him alone, as long as he saved and spent frugally, it wouldn't take long to save many spirit stones. In this way, buying higher-grade talisman-making books was not impossible.

Of course, before that, he first had to pay back the 100 spirit stones he owed to Uncle Zhang.

Time passed, and in the cramped and dim room, Chen Xi bent over the table, focused and skilled, completely immersed in a state of total concentration. In this state, the stack of blank pine-patterned talisman papers gradually turned into a pile of complex and mysterious talismans.

Huff...

When he finished the last talisman, it was already dark. Chen Xi carefully placed the talisman pen on the inkstone and took a long breath, a deep look of fatigue appearing on his face, making his already thin cheeks look even paler.

With his cultivation at the middle stage of the Later Heaven realm, the true essence in his body could barely support him in making thirty first-grade talismans. To make more, he would need to advance in cultivation and increase his true essence.

However, it was not easy for Chen Xi to advance in cultivation. His talent was not bad, and the family-inherited *Purple Dawn Technique* was not an ordinary cultivation method. Yet, his cultivation had been stuck at the middle stage of the Later Heaven realm for five years without any progress.

Because of this, his grandfather, Chen Tianli, had shifted all his hopes to Chen Hao, and Chen Xi was arranged to learn talisman-making...

Was it really because he was too stupid?

Chen Xi had questioned and negated himself many times. The struggle, confusion, pain, and disappointment he experienced were known only to himself.

Knock, knock, knock...

A gentle knocking sound came from the door, accompanied by a pleasant and soft female voice, "Chen Xi, is Xi Xi at your house?"

Chen Xi snapped out of his thoughts, opened the door, and saw a beautiful woman standing outside, her simple clothes unable to hide her gentle and elegant demeanor. It was Xi Xi's mother, Bai Wanqing.

"Aunt Bai, Xi Xi is sleeping," Chen Xi said.

Bai Wanqing sighed in relief and smiled, "The little one didn't disturb you, right? I'll take her home now."

Chen Xi shook his head.

Bai Wanqing knew he was a quiet person who didn't like to talk much, so she smiled and entered the house, picked up the sleeping Xi Xi, and left.

However, not long after, the door knocked again, this time with a rapid and urgent rhythm, like drumbeats.

Chen Xi frowned and opened the door again, only to see Bai Wanqing returning, looking anxious.

What happened?

Just as Chen Xi was puzzled, Bai Wanqing quickly said, "Quick! Go to the outskirts of the city, it seems your grandfather is in trouble!"

What?

Grandfather is in trouble?

Chen Xi's mind went blank, as if struck by lightning.

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