Chapter 5: State Lock! Permanent Certification!
Since Old He last borrowed a talisman, it had been over half a month without any news.
Lin Chang’an sighed for Old He, hoping everything was going smoothly, since he had once received a favor from him.
However, on this day, faced with a table full of high-quality Golden Light Talismans, Lin Chang’an fell silent.
【Skill: Golden Light Talisman (Mastery 8/1000), Swift Talisman (Proficiency 358/500)】
“This success rate feels a bit off!”
Lin Chang’an looked at the newly drawn Golden Light Talisman in his hand with a strange expression.
“There’s no problem with the quality of this talisman, and the success rate seems fine, but I feel like I’m missing something…”
For a seasoned talisman master, once they adjusted to peak condition, producing three or four high-quality talismans out of ten was quite normal.
But achieving that peak condition was the main challenge—it required calming the mind and focusing the spirit, and maintaining it two or three times a month was already considered good.
Moreover, this state would gradually decline as mental energy depleted.
“Could it be!”
As if realizing something, Lin Chang’an took a deep breath and, with trembling hands, picked up the brush again.
This time, without calming his mind or focusing his spirit at all, he began drawing.
Swish, swish!
When a pale golden high-quality Golden Light Talisman succeeded, Lin Chang’an’s heart pounded wildly, and he continued experimenting.
Most were ordinary Golden Light Talismans, and only a few were high-quality.
But this time, he had ignored all the usual requirements of calming the mind and focusing the spirit, and only stopped when his spiritual energy was nearly exhausted.
“Huff… Huff!”
He panted heavily, seemingly certain of something, staring at the panel with both shock and joy.
“This is state locking!”
Unable to contain his excitement, Lin Chang’an broke into a smile. At this moment, he finally understood everything.
“Even the most powerful talisman masters can only reach a brief peak of skill under conditions of calm and concentration. Once their mental energy is depleted, they must rest and recover before continuing. But I don’t need any of that. Once I enter this state, I can maintain it continuously.”
At this moment, Lin Chang’an was so excited that his face turned red. He almost wanted to bury himself under a blanket and laugh out loud.
State lock meant that as long as he didn’t run out of spiritual power, he could maintain peak talisman success rate without needing to calm or focus his mind.
One word: go!
“Damn it, how many spirit stones have I wasted before this?”
Now Lin Chang’an felt a pang of regret. Worried about wasting materials, he had always taken breaks after two talismans, which kept him from noticing earlier.
Only today did he realize something was off.
“The future is bright!”
Grinning from ear to ear, Lin Chang’an finally discovered his greatest talent for surviving in the world of cultivation.
Permanent Certification!
Normally, a newly advanced talisman master could produce four or five high-quality Golden Light Talismans per month at best state.
But he didn’t need any of that. If he went all out, he could produce ten times that.
After all, aside from the wasted time in calming the mind, drawing talismans also consumed mental energy and spiritual power.
“A tenfold difference. That means I could earn forty or fifty spirit stones a month!”
Thinking of this, Lin Chang’an’s face lit up with excitement. He never even dared dream of this many spirit stones before.
“Wait! That would make it too easy for others to notice!”
Suddenly struck by a thought, Lin Chang’an felt as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped over him, immediately calming down.
“Three to four high-quality talismans per month is within the normal range. Even five or six would just be seen as a sign of talent after breaking through. But dozens in a month? That’s clearly suspicious!”
Wouldn’t that be openly telling others that he had some great fortune?
Realizing this, Lin Chang’an took a deep breath. In a world of ever-shifting cultivation, even with the strongest talent, caution was the key to a long life.
“I can’t miss out on earning spirit stones, but I must be careful.”
Taking a deep breath, Lin Chang’an set down the talisman brush and sat cross-legged on his bed to cultivate.
But after a moment, he couldn’t resist lifting the blanket over his head, and the quilt on the bed began trembling violently, accompanied by muffled laughter.
…
A month later, having used up most of his talisman materials, Lin Chang’an visited the familiar Shopkeeper Miao at the Treasure Pavilion.
“Tsk tsk, Fellow Daoist Lin, your craftsmanship is truly impeccable.”
Seeing six high-quality Golden Light Talismans, Shopkeeper Miao beamed with joy while exchanging talisman paper and cinnabar for Lin Chang’an and teasing him.
“Fellow Daoist Lin, cultivation arts are just like this. Before breaking through, no matter how hard you try, you see no results. But once you do, a whole new world opens up.”
“Oh right, the shop just got a batch of Golden Marrow Pills. How about taking one? You might break through your cultivation soon.”
Seeing Shopkeeper Miao treating him like a fat sheep, Lin Chang’an was tempted, but eventually shook his head.
“I’ll save up enough for the conscripted labor tax first.”
“Fair enough. There have been a lot of drifting cultivators coming to the marketplace recently, all waiting for the early spring expedition organized by the higher-ups.”
Shopkeeper Miao was just used to promoting items. Seeing that Lin Chang’an wasn’t interested, he smiled and began talking about the recent situation in the marketplace.
Likewise, Lin Chang’an noticed many unfamiliar faces in the marketplace.
The Qingzhu Mountain Marketplace was under the jurisdiction of the Lihuo Palace, and with the upper ranks ramping up development efforts, it naturally attracted a wave of drifting cultivators.
Twenty years ago, when Lin Chang’an first arrived at the marketplace, he had also been drawn in by the benefits of such expeditions.
“I heard this time they’re offering five Foundation Establishment Pills.”
This offhand remark from Shopkeeper Miao made Lin Chang’an shudder.
“It’s that serious this time?!”
It reminded him of his first expedition back then, when only two Foundation Establishment Pills were offered—and even then, the result was a field of corpses.
“That’s why you need to be careful lately. These outsiders are the most unruly ones. Don’t they know most opportunities come with death?”
Shopkeeper Miao warned him solemnly, shaking his head at the mention of the drifting cultivators, clearly indicating that the marketplace wouldn’t be peaceful.
“Fellow Daoist Miao, one Golden Marrow Pill, and one storage pouch.”
Suddenly, Lin Chang’an slapped the newly acquired spirit stones that had yet to warm up in his hand.
Shopkeeper Miao’s face immediately lit up with joy at the sight of five spirit stones.
Golden Marrow Pills cost two spirit stones each, and a storage pouch cost three.
“Alright! Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Lin, I’ll pick the highest quality pill for you. I’ll even throw in a batch of talisman paper. With your solid cultivation and the Evergreen Art’s reputation for slow but strong progress, you’re bound to break through this time.”
“And here’s your storage pouch.”
With a beaming smile, Shopkeeper Miao handed over a fine storage pouch and a jade bottle, which Lin Chang’an took with him as he left the store.
Watching the bustling marketplace and feeling a cool breeze, Lin Chang’an recalled Shopkeeper Miao’s smile and suddenly understood something.
“Earn in the marketplace, spend in the marketplace—don’t expect to take a coin home.”
He chuckled bitterly, but was still grateful for Shopkeeper Miao’s reminder.
Though it was part of a sales pitch, he knew well that cultivation-enhancing pills were always in demand, especially with so many drifting cultivators arriving.
Walking through the marketplace, seeing all the unfamiliar faces made Lin Chang’an increasingly nervous.
That intense expedition from twenty years ago was still fresh in his memory.
The influx of drifting cultivators not only meant opportunities—it also brought chaos.
“Looks like the peace of the marketplace is about to be shattered.”
Although outsiders occasionally came in the past, there were never this many, and they didn’t disrupt the market’s atmosphere.
Only those with experience knew what this meant, and Lin Chang’an began feeling a sense of urgency.
He had to raise his cultivation level quickly. Only by reaching the mid-stage of Qi Refining could he protect himself.
As Lin Chang’an walked and reflected, he unknowingly passed by a finely decorated building.
Two large red lanterns hung at the entrance, emitting a hazy pink light that suggested a seductive atmosphere—especially unusual with lights still on during daylight.
Two young female cultivators, yawning as they stepped outside, lit up when they saw a familiar face.
“Oh my, isn’t this Fellow Daoist Lin? After you left last time, the sisters were so drunk the next day they couldn’t stand up.
This time we’ll give you a discount. Come in and have a seat, drink some hot tea before you go.”
“Yeah, we heard you can make high-quality Golden Light Talismans now. Why suffer through bitter cultivation? Come have some fun with us…”
The two female cultivators wore sheer red palace outfits, and perhaps having just woken up, their faces still showed a lazy, alluring expression.
With beautiful faces, graceful figures, and a charming aura, they exuded temptation.
When they saw Lin Chang’an, their eyes sparkled.
Their gaze was eerily similar to Shopkeeper Miao’s.
“Ahem, not today—another time.”
Lin Chang’an gave an awkward smile. During the monotonous days of cultivation, he had come here recently in a moment of disheartenment to drink and relax.
But today was just not a good time.
“Don’t go, Fellow Daoist Lin! Tea’s free, no spirit crystals needed.”
The tempting voice echoed behind him like a heart demon, but Lin Chang’an had strong willpower and quickly left.
Now, he was eager to go home and test the storage pouch.
These seductive figures would not be allowed to shake his cultivation heart.