From Paper Craftsman to World-Suppressing Immortal

In the dead of night, in a side hall of the Tianhou Temple.

Zhang Zhixuan lay on the kang (a heated brick bed), staring blankly into the darkness of the ceiling. He was exhausted but unable to fall asleep.

After figuring out that the paper bride's initial motive was to possess the original owner's body, many things that seemed illogical before naturally became understandable.

Therefore, the Paper Daughter-in-Law used both soft and hard tactics to specifically ask Zhang Zhixuan to go to the dry well on Panlong Mountain to remove the yellow paper talisman. This must be because Zhang Zhixuan possessed certain specific conditions, just like how Sun Wukong was suppressed under the Five Fingers Mountain by the Buddha. Only Tang Sanzang, the pilgrim, could remove the suppressing talisman and release Sun Wukong from the Five Fingers Mountain.

"Eh..."

Exhaling a heavy breath, Zhang Zhixuan couldn't help but think, "If I had the abilities of Sun Wukong, I wouldn't be afraid of these demons and monsters, whether overt or covert..."

The more he thought about it, the more frustrated and agitated he became. In the end, Zhang Zhixuan felt completely overwhelmed by a sense of powerlessness, as if he had no control over his own life or death. Soon, that sense of powerlessness transformed into an unprecedented sense of urgency and anxiety.

This world is a chaotic place where people devour each other, and I am stuck in the quagmire. If I want to get out of the quagmire and take the path to heaven, even with the blessing of the Book of a Hundred Trades, I still need to work a thousand times harder.

In a daze, Zhang Zhixuan gradually drifted away from worldly affairs.

Gradually, though his mind was in turmoil, he could no longer resist the drowsiness. His consciousness gradually became hazy, and he was preparing to fall asleep at any moment...

Suddenly, in the pitch-black side hall, Pei Shouzhen's loud voice abruptly rang out: "Why is Layman Zhang sighing?"

Startled by Pei Shouzhen's sudden movement, Zhang Zhixuan jolted awake, all the drowsiness he had just managed to muster vanished.

"Master Pei, are you still awake?"

"Trivial matters are bothering me, making it hard to fall asleep."

Zhang Zhixuan was silent for a moment, then said, "Me too..."

"If Mr. Zhang has any worries, please feel free to tell me."

Zhang Zhixuan spoke frankly: "It's so frustrating. I'm frustrated because I'm not strong enough and my methods aren't good enough. In this chaotic world, I not only have to worry about making a living, but I also have to be wary of demons and evil spirits. It's exhausting, so exhausting..."

"The same troubles you, Layman, are also my own. To be honest, before I met you, Layman Zhang, I had been to Panlong Mountain once. It is not a primeval forest, but it is shrouded in fog and miasma all year round. It is only possible to enter the mountain when the sun is at its strongest at noon. But on that trip, I got lost in the mountain for three days and three nights. I not only had to resist the poisonous miasma, but also had to deal with the invasion of evil spirits. I almost lost my life on the mountain, let alone investigate."

"So, Master Pei is planning to gather his fellow disciples and venture into Panlong Mountain again?"

"Yes, the evil spirit possessing the paper figure wants you to go up the mountain at 3:45 AM fifteen days from now to remove the talisman. By then, the thick fog will have dissipated and the miasma will be gone. We can then go up the mountain to find out what kind of demon or evil spirit is causing harm to people. Then we can work together to slay the demon!"

At this point, Zhang Zhixuan suddenly had a brilliant idea: "Hey! Master Pei, with my aptitude, could I possibly become a disciple of your Longhu Mountain Celestial Master's Mansion...?"

After Zhang Zhixuan finished speaking, Pei Shouzhen suddenly fell silent, and after a moment replied, "Does Layman Zhang want to become a Taoist priest?"

"May I?"

"It's not that it's impossible, but spiritual practice on the mountain is austere and monotonous. Longhu Mountain has many rules and regulations. Taking refuge and becoming an apprentice requires a karmic connection. After that, it takes two years just to be examined under the master. Only after passing the examination can one be ordained and granted the regalia. One has to go through all of these steps one by one before one can formally enter the sect. Can Layman Zhang endure that?"

After listening to Pei Shouzhen's words, Zhang Zhixuan hesitated. He was about to ask a few more questions when Pei Shouzhen added, "The most important thing is that you must know, Layman. You have already awakened your craftsman's destiny. Most of the people in our Longhu Mountain Celestial Master's Mansion are skilled in magic and martial arts. Their cultivation methods may not be very suitable for you. If you ask me, Layman Zhang, you might as well consider the Mohist school."

"The Ink Gate? The Craftsman's Fate Mechanism?"

"Yes, but the Mo Sect is secretive, and the requirements for entry are extremely strict. I have only heard about it from my elders, but I have never actually seen a Mo Sect disciple..."

"Alright, you said it, but it's like you didn't say anything. Let's just go to sleep." Zhang Zhixuan simply lay down and started planning which martial arts school to go to next.

"Layman, don't be discouraged. You don't need to become a Taoist priest to learn the art of talismans..."

"I can learn talismans without becoming a Taoist priest? I'll learn! I'll learn now! Master Pei, teach me!" Zhang Zhixuan immediately perked up, his words filled with a thirst for knowledge.

"Master Pei... Master Pei..."

Zhang Zhixuan waited for a moment, then suddenly heard Pei Shouzhen's deafening snoring. He called out a few more times, but there was no response.

This time, Zhang Zhixuan was troubled by trivial matters and found it difficult to fall asleep.

The next morning, it was already bright daylight.

Zhang Zhixuan hadn't slept all night, sporting dark circles under his eyes, and walked with a top-heavy gait.

Pei Shouzhen slept soundly and woke up feeling refreshed.

To apologize to Zhang Zhixuan, Pei Shouzhen promised to teach Zhang Zhixuan the art of talisman making that day. Not only that, he also gave him breakfast as compensation.

Breakfast consisted of Tianjin's most down-to-earth savory tofu pudding and fried dough sticks. After devouring the food, the two returned to the Tianhou Temple.

In the side hall, paper, inkstone, brush, and ink were all prepared on the table.

The paper is yellow talisman paper, and the brush is a sheep hair brush. Two brushes are needed: one for dipping in cinnabar and the other for dipping in ink. The ink should be a mixture of cinnabar and soot ink. As for the water, the best is rootless water, the second best is natural water, and the worst is yin-yang water.

Having prepared everything is not the end of the matter; a talisman-drawing ritual still needs to be performed...

After a complicated process, the final step is to draw the talismans.

Having completed all preparations, Pei Shouzhen stood before the table and began explaining the basic talismans to Zhang Zhixuan: "Our sect's Longhu Mountain Celestial Master's Mansion has four basic talismans: wind, fire, thunder, and lightning. Among them, the thunder talisman and thunder magic are further divided into Yin Five Thunders and Yang Five Thunders. When disciples cast talismans, they use the Golden Light Mantra to enhance and activate them, giving them the power to destroy evil and eliminate enemies. However, Mr. Zhang is not a disciple of our sect, so although he can only learn the four basic talismans, that is enough..."

"Although the four talismans are fundamental, they are also quite difficult. I became a disciple of Longhu Mountain at the age of six, and started learning talismans at the age of eight. It wasn't until I was thirteen that I was able to master them in one go and successfully draw and cast talismans. There are no shortcuts to this; only years of hard work, as well as the tempering and refinement of one's mind..."

"I've never asked before, how old is Master Pei this year?" Zhang Zhixuan suddenly asked curiously.

"Twenty-one," Pei Shouzhen replied.

Zhang Zhixuan was surprised, and couldn't help but suppress a laugh: "So Pei Shouzhen is only twenty-one years old. He's a really nice person, but he looks a bit older than his age."

Pei Shouzhen continued his explanation: "A talisman is divided into the talisman head, the presiding deity, the abdomen, the feet, the gallbladder..."

What appeared to be the four most basic talismans of the Xuanmen sect actually contained many hidden secrets. Pei Shouzhen explained them meticulously, while Zhang Zhixuan listened in a daze, almost falling asleep.

Finally, Pei Shouzhen took out a sheep-hair brush and prepared to draw a "wind-summoning talisman" to demonstrate to Zhang Zhixuan.

"Master Zhang, when drawing talismans, you must concentrate your mind, calm your spirit, and focus on the incantation, completing it in one go without interruption!"

After Pei Shouzhen finished speaking, his mind was already calm and still. He wrote on the yellow talisman paper with lightness and speed, connecting all directions in one go!

With a stroke of the brush, a Wind-Summoning Talisman was completed. The talisman paper trembled slightly, and the surrounding airflow surged spontaneously before returning to calm after a moment.

Then, Pei Shouzhen demonstrated other talismans, such as fire talisman, thunder talisman, and lightning talisman...

Zhang Zhixuan was dazzled by the sights and was still looking bewildered when Pei Shouzhen handed him a new sheep-hair brush: "Master Zhang, would you like to try it?"

Zhang Zhixuan took the pen, sweat beading on his forehead. It was too complicated, like a kindergarten child learning calculus.

But that's not a problem, I have a cheat code!

Zhang Zhixuan held a sheep-hair brush, took a deep breath, and then the tip of the brush landed on the yellow talisman paper. His movements were swift and fierce.

Pei Shouzhen watched this unfold, both amused and exasperated, shaking his head repeatedly: "Master Zhang, although the four talismans are fundamental, they cannot be learned in a short time. Even our most talented third senior brother from the Celestial Master's Mansion of Longhu Mountain, it took him more than half a year of arduous practice to successfully create a talisman..."

Zhang Zhixuan ignored Pei Shouzhen's words, his mind focused entirely on the talisman in front of him.

Just as Zhang Zhixuan finished drawing the talisman he had casually scribbled, a pale blue light suddenly appeared in front of him.

[Complete a basic talisman, Taoist proficiency +2]

The next second, the Book of Trades appeared before Zhang Zhixuan's eyes, rustling past the first page about paper makers and the second page about pawnbrokers, and turning to a brand new third page.

[All Trades: Taoist Priest]

[Level: Lv1 (2/100)]

[Rank: 0]

【Exorcism and Suppression Lv1 (Permanent Passive, Upgradeable): By focusing on cultivation and dedicating oneself to the Tao, one is protected by the incense offerings of the Three Pure Ones, and all evil cannot invade. The talismans created deal 30% more damage to all demons and monsters】

[Upgrade to the next level to unlock skills.]