novelapdf Chapter 7 Cultivation is Not Easy
Chapter 7 Cultivation is Not Easy
Fang Shi returned home, repaired the courtyard gate, and then sat down in front of the talisman table.
He first took out the stack of protective talismans from inside his clothes and laid them out on the ground in front of him.
One, two, three... ten, eleven, twelve.
Twelve protective talismans were neatly laid out in front of him. The cinnabar patterns gleamed with a deep ochre luster under the bright light of the talismans, the strokes were continuous and the patterns were clear.
He then took out the fragment of spirit that Zhao Hu had given him earlier from his pocket and placed it next to the twelve talismans.
The broken spirit was no bigger than a fingernail, pure white, and faintly glowing. Against the backdrop of the dark talisman paper, it looked exceptionally cute.
Looking at this small pile of belongings, Fang Shi felt a sense of satisfaction welling up inside him.
Thirteen fragments of spirit.
He finally earned thirteen Soul Shards.
Of those twelve protective talismans, two were drawn on the night they were used to buy rice.
The other ten were collected from drawing talismans in the previous two days. He had exhausted every bit of strength in his meridians during those two days, and he couldn't even squeeze out time to cultivate the "Little Water Cloud Technique".
Even with all this effort, I only managed to collect these ten.
The thirteenth pill, however, was obtained from repairing the spirit-locking array.
Looking back, it all happened in just a few breaths. I made a few hand seals, channeled some magic power, and the shattered spirit was in my hands.
It's really easy, doesn't strain your meridians much, and won't interfere with your subsequent work.
Even if I were to draw five more talismans today, it would be more than enough.
It's still more profitable to repair formations.
Fang Shi sighed inwardly.
Of course, just as he told Wu Tong, "You can't earn money that isn't yours."
This business should only be done occasionally, and should never become the main business.
Li Daoyuan was able to monopolize the business of array repair in Qiyuan Town not only because of his skills, but also because of his connection with the manager of the Sanpan Guantian.
If I were to openly and aggressively try to steal business from the people of Sanpan Temple, it would be a huge disaster.
He would secretly take on a few jobs from independent cultivators to earn a few spirit fragments to supplement his family's income, and that would be fine.
Li Daoyuan would not pursue such mutual assistance among independent cultivators.
But if they were to openly and aggressively try to steal his business, they would be courting death.
Currently, the rent for the 25 Soul Shards is still 12 Soul Shards short.
However, one of the thirteen broken spirit grains is worth one pound of Jade Spirit Rice, so it cannot be touched.
In total, he still needs to draw thirteen more protective talismans.
He painted five pictures a day, and two days later, just as the rent was due, he finished.
Then, draw another one to use as money for buying rice the next day, and you'll have time to cultivate the "Minor Water Cloud Technique" and increase your cultivation level.
After Fang Shi finished his calculations, he gathered his thoughts, carefully put away the talisman and the broken spirit, spread out a piece of yellow paper, ground cinnabar, picked up the spirit wolf brush, and continued to draw talismans.
I'm in an unusually good state today. I don't know if it's because I earned some shattered spirits from repairing the array and I'm in a good mood, or for some other reason. When I put pen to paper, I feel like my thoughts are flowing like a spring and my inspiration is endless.
The upper fan shape is drawn with ease and freedom, while the middle section has more than thirty strokes that flow smoothly. Even the most painstaking flying and crossing technique is handled with ease. Wherever the brush touches, the lines are clear, the magic power flows, and it is completed in one go.
After finishing one painting, my mind remained focused without any distraction, and I even had the energy to finish another.
Such a smooth process is rare in his career of drawing talismans.
After drawing two pictures in one go, Fang Shi finally put down his pen and let out a long sigh of relief.
[Proficiency in Protective Talisman -1]
【Protective Charm (Proficient): 12/200】
Ok?
Fang Shi was taken aback, thinking he had misread it, and then looked at the panel again.
My proficiency level not only didn't increase, it actually decreased slightly.
He frowned and picked up the talisman he had just drawn to examine it closely—the lines were clear, the strokes were continuous, the cinnabar was applied in just the right shades, and the magic power flowed freely. It was clearly a superior protective talisman, no different from the ones he had drawn in the past, and even a bit better looking.
Why does proficiency decrease?
Fang Shi pondered for a long time, then suddenly realized what was going on.
While drawing the talisman, he was constantly inspired, as if divinely inspired. Unconsciously, he used a new technique at several turns—a technique that was smoother and less strenuous than the old one, and the resulting patterns were more rounded.
However, the art of talismans places the utmost importance on rules; every stroke has a fixed number, and there can be no deviation even by the slightest margin.
His so-called "improvements" have already deviated from the rules of the Dao.
It's okay to deviate a little or reduce proficiency a bit; it won't have a significant impact on the quality of the finished product.
This protective talisman can still be sold, people will still want it, it will still work, and it will still be perfectly fine.
However, this poses a major threat to Fang Shi's future development.
Like a tree, if it grows crooked an inch today and another inch tomorrow, over time, after ten years, it will be completely different from a straight tree.
By the time you try to correct it, it will be extremely difficult, and even with tremendous effort, you might not be able to pull it back.
Fang Shi felt a chill run down his spine. He quickly closed his eyes and focused his mind, trying to erase those "improved" techniques from his mind and return to the original approach.
[Proficiency in Protective Charm +1]
【Protective Charm (Proficient): 13/200】
came back.
Fang Shi picked up his pen again and silently traced the correct pattern on another sheet of yellow paper. Only after confirming that it was correct did he feel relieved.
This is spiritual practice.
It's not about never making mistakes, but about recognizing and correcting them, learning from each deviation, and making yourself better next time.
By saving every penny and accumulating day by day, over the years, an insurmountable distance is created between you and those who never reflect on their actions.
That being said, how many people are actually able to spot mistakes in time?
They only realized they had made a mistake or taken a wrong turn after serious consequences occurred.
If we try to change it then, who knows how much time it will take.
Some people make a mistake once and waste years before realizing it, only to find that a hundred years have passed since they last looked back.
Some people die without ever knowing what they did wrong, living their lives in a daze.
Only Fang Shi, who possesses a proficiency panel, can detect clues the moment he deviates from the right path and rein in his horse the moment he takes a step down a wrong path.
Fang Shi took a deep breath, and with a thought, summoned the main control panel—
Name: Fang Shi
Life expectancy: 18/98 years
[Realm: Qi Refining Level 2: 36/200]
[Technique: Minor Water Cloud Technique (Beginner): 83/100]
【Skill:】
Talisman making:
Protective Charm (Proficient): 13/200;
Qi Absorption Talisman (Beginner): 65/100;
Lightness Charm (Beginner): 50/100;
Bright Light Talisman (Proficient): 50/200;
Dust-repelling talisman (proficient): 30/200;
Silence (proficient): 80/200;
Open Flame Talisman (Proficient): 10/200;
Formation:
Spirit Locking Array (Proficient): 0/200;
Spells:
Small Water Cloud Seal (Beginner): 98/100;
Dust Repelling Technique (Proficient): 12/200;
Bright Light Spell (Proficient): 30/200;
ceremony:
Food intake and maintaining balance (beginner): 92/100;
Lying Down and Returning to One's Roots (Beginner): 96/100;
Xu Xing Shou Zhong (Beginner): 88/100;
Seven Steps to Spiritual Inquiry (Beginner): 58/100;
Fang Shi's gaze slowly swept across the panel, finally settling on—[Lifespan: 18/98 years].
Yes, he is only eighteen years old.
Wu Tong, that monkey, called him "Brother Fang," which wasn't wrong.
In a way, he was an orphan, just like Wu Tong.
Wu Tong lost his parents at a young age and lived a hand-to-mouth existence in Qiyuan Town, like a weed, exposed to the elements and left to fend for himself.
Fang Shi's parents passed away when he was fifteen years old.
By then, Fang Shi had been learning to draw talismans from his father for five years and had acquired some survival skills, so he wouldn't end up on the streets like Wu Tong.
In addition, not long after his parents passed away, he regained his memories of his past life and awakened this proficiency panel, finally giving him some confidence to stand on his own two feet in this world.
With this panel by his side, plus the little wealth left by his father, he was able to barely rent this small house, instead of having to rely on other people's spiritual energy to survive like Wu Tong.
Cultivation in this world is not like what was written in novels from my previous life, where one needs innate spiritual roots or predetermined aptitude.
Everyone can cultivate themselves; everyone can enter the Tao.
The phrase "anyone can do it" sounds easy, but it is extremely difficult to put into practice—because spiritual cultivation does not require spiritual roots, but it does require resources.
Where do the resources come from?
Take Fang Shi as an example.
The rent for one month is 25 spirit fragments, which requires five days of drawing talismans to accumulate.
Thirty catties of Jade Spirit Rice were originally required, which would have required thirty grains of Broken Spirit. However, since the Drunken Immortal Pavilion now buys rice to brew wine, the price of rice has increased, so thirty catties now require thirty-seven and a half grains of Broken Spirit.
Add to that the wear and tear on yellow paper, cinnabar, and talisman brushes, plus the daily expenses for Bright Light Talismans and Dust-Avoiding Talismans, the cost of setting up a stall, and all the miscellaneous expenses, and the monthly expenditure would be at least seventy or eighty Soul Fragments.
That would take half a month to draw talismans, and the time it would take to cultivate the "Little Water Cloud Technique" would be no more than half a month at most.
This is even after he has reached a high level of proficiency in the "Protective Talisman" technique, and can draw five protective talismans a day.
In the past, he could only draw four talismans a day, which meant he spent two-thirds of the month drawing talismans, leaving almost no time for cultivation.
Progress would be as slow as a snail climbing a hill, and it might not even make a single step in a year or two.
If only I could have gotten the repair business from that time...
This thought suddenly popped into Fang Shi's mind.
Cultivating arrays is so easy; a fragment of spirit can be produced in a short time, and it doesn't consume much of the meridians. The time and energy saved can be used for cultivation.
If one can get three to five orders for repairing formations every day, why worry about rent and rice?
Fang Shi shook his head, quickly dismissing this unrealistic idea.
Li Daoyuan was a relative of Manager Tian, and this business deal involved the Sanpan Temple.
He was just a rootless, wandering cultivator who lived in rented houses and sold talismans in Qiyuan Town. He was lucky to have a stable meal.
If one is greedy and tries to reach for the cake one shouldn't touch, one might not even be able to keep the life one has now.
Let's just stick to drawing talismans.
First, gather this month's rent, prepare next month's rice and food, and pay the due spirit stones without missing a single one.
At that time, there began a pleasant period of practicing the "Minor Water Cloud Technique".
……
The next day.
Fang Shi was grinding ink at the talisman table when he suddenly heard three loud thuds from the courtyard gate.
The door was repaired, and this time it wasn't knocked on again, though the door panel vibrated and hummed.
He put down his pen, got up, and went to open the door.
Wu Tong stood outside the door. The little monkey was not as playful as usual today. His face was tense, and his eyes showed a mix of panic and excitement.
Fang asked, "Any business opportunities?"
Wu Tong lowered his voice and said, "Brother Fang, this is a huge deal... That Taoist Priest Li is dead!"
Fang Shi was taken aback, then frowned and asked, "What?"
Wu Tong said, "That Taoist priest Li, Li Daoyuan! His body was brought back this morning and is parked in front of the house at the alley entrance. I heard that he went out of the Sanpan Mountain area to explore some ancient cave in the desolate mountains to the north, but he was trapped by a formation and couldn't get out."
Fang remained silent.
The area spanning thousands of miles around Sanpan Mountain is a vast wilderness.
A hundred years ago, the Taoist priests of Sanpan Temple came here to reclaim the land, clearing away thorns and brambles, driving away demons and beasts, and building markets. Generation after generation, they managed the area, which led to the Qiyuan Town and several surrounding settlements of independent cultivators.
Even after a hundred years, the Great Wilderness remains the foundation upon which the disciples of the Three Plates Temple and the nearby wandering cultivators depend for their livelihood.
Land reclamation, prospecting, herb gathering, and hunting—all sorts of livelihoods originated from this.
However, land reclamation is a dangerous business, where fortunes are often sought amidst peril, and death and injury are common occurrences.
Fang Shi's parents had gone deep into the wilderness with a group of independent cultivators, saying they had discovered a mineral vein and wanted to try their luck, but they never returned.
The body was never recovered; the only thing that was reported as "missing" at the Sanpan Temple was that it was considered closed.
Fang Shi remained silent for a moment, then said, "This matter is not of great concern to us. Li Daoyuan is not the only one who is building the array in Qiyuan Town. If it is not Master Li, there are Master Zhang and Master Wang. Sanpan Temple will naturally send someone else to take over."
Wu Tong said anxiously, "Brother Fang, you don't understand. I've asked around, and the Sanpan Temple hasn't decided who will take over this business yet. I'm afraid no one will be able to repair the array these next few days. Aren't those rogue cultivators whose spirit-locking arrays are broken going to be frantic? Isn't this your chance?"
Fang Shi said, "Don't help me find clients these days. If you step forward now and get targeted by Manager Tian, it's no joke."
Wu Tong sighed and said, "I understand. It's just a pity about that half of the shattered spirit..."
He was halfway through his sentence when he saw Fang Shi's unfriendly expression, so he quickly changed his words, saying, "What a pity about that Taoist Priest Li! Such a good person, gone just like that."
Fang Shi said, "Go on, behave yourself these days, and don't wander around outside too much."
Wu Tong responded, shrank his neck, and ran away in a flash.
……
Day two.
Rent payment date.
Fang Shi was drawing talismans in front of the talisman table, concentrating intently on each stroke.
The twenty-third protective talisman was almost finished, with only a few strokes left to complete it.
Suddenly, a series of rapid knocking sounds came from the courtyard gate. The sound was rude and impolite, with a hint of impatience.
"Fang Shi! Time to pay the rent!"
Fang Shi paused, nearly ruining the talisman.
He steadied his wrist and completed the last few strokes in one go.
[Proficiency in Protective Charm +1]
【Protective Charm (Proficient): 14/200】
He then put down his pen and got up to open the door.
Standing outside the door was a middle-aged Taoist priest with a round, slightly plump face. He wore a half-new blue Taoist robe and had a wooden plaque tied around his waist with the four characters "Sanpan Guantian" (Three Plates Observing the Fields) engraved on it.
It was Manager Tian, who was in charge of renting houses in Qiyuan Town.
Fang Shi cupped his hands and said, "Manager Tian."
Steward Tian didn't return the courtesy and said coldly, "Bring it here. Twenty-five spirit fragments, right now. If you're short one, or even a minute late, we'll add one more."