Cultivating Immortality Through a Hundred Lifetimes: I Possess the Heavenly Book of Merit

Yu Yan opened his eyes and looked down at his hands.

He sat down cross-legged, spread the talisman on his knees, opened the packet of cinnabar, and rubbed it between his fingers.

With the spiritual power of a fourth-level Qi Refining cultivator, it would probably be impossible to draw that talisman in one continuous motion.

Fortunately, he still had a Rejuvenation Pill.

He bought it from other rogue cultivators for three spirit stones. He originally intended to save it for a life-saving moment, but now it seems that the moment has come.

Yu Yan held the pill under his tongue, letting it dissolve slowly.

The medicinal power flowed down the throat into the dantian, transforming into a warm current of energy, which then slowly converted into spiritual energy.

He closed his eyes and silently deduced the meaning of the talisman in his mind.

Sword Formation Talisman, Tier 1, High Grade.

In fact, he has made progress in the art of talismans over the years, but now his spiritual power is insufficient, making it difficult for him to draw second-tier talismans.

First-grade superior quality is already the limit.

"Give it a try."

Yu Yan opened his eyes and extended a finger.

In my previous life, I used a talisman brush to draw talismans. In this life, I don't have enough spirit stones to buy a talisman brush, so I can only draw talismans with my fingers.

Fortunately, he had exceptional comprehension and succeeded after only a few tries, which prevented him from wasting too much talisman paper.

However, after drawing with my fingers for so many years in this life, I've gotten used to it now.

Spiritual energy surged from his dantian, flowing along his meridians to his fingertips, where it condensed into an extremely fine wisp. He dipped his brush in cinnabar and began to write on the talisman paper.

The first stroke is steady.

The second stroke was smooth.

With the third stroke, his fingertips began to tremble slightly.

The patterns on the talisman gradually took shape, and the sharp outline of a sword could be vaguely seen.

The fourth stroke shows increased trembling.

Cold sweat beaded on Yu Yan's forehead. His spiritual energy was being depleted too quickly; the medicinal power of the Rejuvenation Pill was almost completely absorbed before it was drained away, and a faint stinging pain came from his dantian.

A first-grade superior quality is still a bit of a stretch for someone at the fourth level of Qi Refining.

But this is the only option available.

Anyway, we have to give it a try.

He gritted his teeth, steadied his fingers, and drew the fifth stroke.

The patterns on the talisman lit up briefly, then dimmed again.

Not enough, one last stroke is needed.

Yu Yan held his breath, swallowed all the remaining medicinal power under his tongue, and urged his dantian to squeeze out the last bit of spiritual power.

The cinnabar on his fingertips had dried a bit, leaving a broken, intermittent mark on the talisman paper.

He paused, then, relying on his control over spiritual power, turned around and started over. Although it was a bit clumsy, it was at least usable.

hum-

Finally, the talisman trembled slightly.

The patterns seemed to come alive, shimmering with a faint, ethereal light.

The sword's shadow was concealed, drawn but not unleashed, waiting only for the right opportunity.

It became.

Yu Yan let out a long breath, feeling as if all his strength had been drained, and leaned against the tree trunk behind him. Cold sweat had soaked his back, and his fingers were still trembling slightly.

He looked at the talisman, a somewhat awkward smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

First-tier superior grade, sword formation talisman.

Surprisingly, it actually succeeded.

It's also thanks to my recent breakthrough to the fourth level of Qi Refining, otherwise a single Spirit Recovery Pill wouldn't have been enough to sustain me.

Yu Yan carefully put the talisman into his pocket, and then took out the blank talisman papers to look at them.

The remaining materials were enough to draw a few simple talismans, but he was in no condition to do so now.

My spiritual energy is almost exhausted, and my hands are still shaking. Forcing myself to draw talismans would only waste materials.

He closed his eyes and leaned against the tree trunk to rest.

The night breeze swept through the woods, carrying a damp mist that brushed against my face.

From the distant mountains and forests, the faint cries of night birds could be heard, each cry sounding like a death knell.

Yu Yan recalled what Zhou Yan had just said.

"Even those at the ninth level of Qi Refining have failed, what are the two of us then?"

Yeah, what's the big deal?

A mere Qi Refining Level 4 cultivator, barely even qualifying as a rogue cultivator, with just a few talismans, dared to provoke an opponent who might kill a Qi Refining Level 9 cultivator.

Isn't this just courting death?

But Yu Yan just couldn't get over that mental hurdle.

He opened his eyes and looked at the interlacing shadows above him.

This time, it's his debt.

He gave the wild Ganoderma lucidum fruit to the child.

He did it on a whim, just because the child was thin and pitiful, and he just wanted him to have a taste of something good.

But they never considered that their good intentions might become a death sentence.

Now he knows.

Silver Ring died before his eyes, her whole body as red as paper burned by fire.

Perhaps this young Taoist knew more, which is why he collected money earlier, just to escape.

But the current outcome is still fresh in everyone's mind.

We can't let innocent people end up like that because of our own actions.

There's also Zhang Silin.

Yu Yan had promised the old man that if he saw Zhang Silin, he would tell him that his grandfather was waiting for him to come home.

But now?

They've probably already been reincarnated.

The old man is still waiting.

Waiting for someone who will never come back.

The old man with gray hair, difficulty walking, and who couldn't even climb the mountain waited every day.

Waiting for someone who is already dead, waiting for an ending that will never come to a conclusion.

Regardless of Zhang Silin's character, Yu Yan must give people an explanation.

Yu Yan didn't know if he could do it.

But he knew that if he left like this, for the rest of his life, every time he thought of this night, a voice in his heart would ask:

"What if we had gone back and taken a look?"

If I had gone back to take a look, perhaps I could have saved the little mute girl. If I had gone back to take a look, perhaps I could have found clues about Zhang Silin.

If we had gone back to take a look then, perhaps we could have given Mr. Zhang an answer.

He didn't know what the answer was.

But he knew that if he didn't look, he would never find the answer.

……

Yu Yan opened his eyes and stood up.

His spiritual power had recovered somewhat, though it was far from its peak, but enough for him to move around.

He carefully put away the remaining talismans and cinnabar, and checked the contents of his pockets.

The butcher's knife is still there, the sword array talisman is still there, and so are the few low-level talismans I drew myself.

Yu Yan paused slightly when his right hand touched the butcher knife.

The stench from above remained, and it was unclear how many pigs had been slaughtered; the malevolent aura emanating from above was almost tangible.

Having followed him all over the country for so many years, this is no ordinary butcher knife. The murderous aura emanating from its blade is something that ordinary people cannot withstand; touching it will surely bring illness and misfortune.

Did Silver Ring's previous resistance to the butcher's knife have some kind of suppressive effect on the one inside the temple?

Thinking of this, he wrapped the pig-slaughtering knife in a rag again and put it in his pocket.

"I really shouldn't have given that Ganoderma lucidum and wild fruit to the little mute boy; it makes my conscience uneasy."

He chuckled to himself, never expecting that he would win the grand prize when he had only come to try his luck.

However, Yu Yan felt somewhat unworthy of this award.

Do your best, but if things really get out of your control, then you can only run away.

At least you can be at peace with yourself.

"First, force the abbot out, then use the sword array talisman to finish him off, compelling him to release the restrictions placed on everyone, and then lead the group down the mountain."

He thought to himself, then took a deep breath, lifted his foot, and started walking up the mountain.

Ahead, the morning light is gradually breaking.

At the edge of the woods, the gate to the temple was faintly visible.

Yu Yan stopped and gripped the hilt of the butcher knife hidden in his sleeve.

Then he stepped back through the door.