I used folk talismans to ward off the evil spirit.

Chapter 87 New Town Artifact: Lightning-Struck Peach Wood Sword (Bonus Chapter for 400 Average Subscriptions)

Jiang Jun pushed open the window, and a bright green willow branch stretched in, gently wrapping around his fingers.

He gently shook it, and the willow branch wisely retracted, swaying outside the window like a smug little dog.

Jiang Jun smiled slightly, closed the window, sat down at his desk, and unconsciously tapped his fingers on the table a few times.

Currently, the four talismans he has compiled each have their own unique uses.

"The Ghostly Prohibition" protects the house from harm, "The Ghostly Sorrow" launches a counterattack, "The Divine Chicken Catches the Five Poisons Talisman" restrains the five poisons, and "The Ghostly Gourd" seals and suppresses them.

But he always felt that he was missing a weapon in his hand that he could actively attack and kill.

"Why not make a sword?" Jiang Jun had an idea.

He remembered the piece of lightning-struck peach wood that Su Tie had given him, and quickly took it out from his sleeve.

The peach wood is palm-sized, dark brown all over, and the charred black crackle on the surface looks like it was branded with a hot iron, and it shines slightly under the light.

Previously, many people in the Department of Mystic Arts believed that this was a "fake mystical object," possessing mystical energy but never manifesting it outwardly.

When Jiang Jun first obtained it, he didn't see its mystery. Now that he has advanced to the extraordinary realm and opened up a new path, he can see the difference in this piece of lightning-struck peach wood.

He probed deep into the peach wood with his divine sense and discovered an extremely pure sedative power.

It is deeply integrated with the power of the divine object itself, and they are intertwined, influencing each other so that it cannot reveal any divine power.

"Where does this power of suppression come from?!" Jiang Jun was greatly shocked.

He has always believed that the "folk notebook" brought about the "talisman" that gave rise to its power.

But now, the lightning-struck peach wood given by the Bureau of Mysteries offers another possibility: "There are indeed things in this world that possess the power to suppress evil!"

He pondered the matter for a long time but could not find a solution. Finally, he let out a sigh of relief, put the matter aside, and returned to compiling the talisman.

"No wonder I didn't recognize it at first." Jiang Jun shook his head. "And no wonder they couldn't activate it. The roots of this lightning-struck peach wood are not on the path of divine objects."

Without further hesitation, he placed the peach wood on the table and opened the fifth page of his "Folklore Notebook".

This page had been sealed for a long time, but now that he has advanced to the extraordinary realm and successfully opened up a new path, he can finally put pen to paper.

Jiang Jun dipped his brush in cinnabar, thought for a moment, and began to write:

[Item for warding off evil spirits: Peach wood sword]

[Production: Take a piece of peach wood, carve it into the shape of a sword, with a blade seven inches long. Leave a hole in the hilt and thread five-colored silk threads through it. If the peach wood is struck by lightning, the effect will be even better.]

[Incantation: Peach wood grows three feet three inches long, thunder commands heaven and earth. If evil spirits and heretics appear, one sword will slay them, never to return.]

[Usage: Hang it above the door or bed to ward off evil spirits and protect the home. When encountering strange occurrences, remove it and use it to unleash lightning-infused sword energy. It is most effective when made during thunderstorms. Ordinary peach wood can also attract lightning, but its power is slightly less than that of lightning-struck wood.]

[Taboo: Do ​​not let it come into contact with the impurities of the cycle of reincarnation, otherwise the sword energy will dissipate and you will be vulnerable to evil.]

After Jiang Jun finished writing, he put down his pen, and the cinnabar characters glowed with a faint red light.

He held the lightning-struck peach wood in his hand, not in a hurry to cut it, but first used his divine sense to trace its grain over and over again.

This piece of lightning-struck peach wood has a fine grain, with lightning patterns winding from one end to the other, resembling a natural sword ridge.

He pondered for a while, drawing lines in his mind: which section of the blade to take, which piece of the hilt to keep, and what the remaining scraps could be used for. He had a general idea of ​​what to do with them.

This divine object, the lightning-struck peach wood, which contains the power to suppress evil spirits, is extremely precious, and he couldn't bear to waste a single piece of it.

He condensed his inner energy into a thin blade and, following the natural grain of the peach wood, began to shave it little by little from one end.

The tip, blade, guard, and hilt of the sword are all meticulously crafted, with the discarded parts kept as intact as possible for other uses.

Wood shavings fluttered down, and he gently caught them with his inner energy, gathering them into a pile and placing them on a clean sheet of Xuan paper on the corner of the table.

The sword was gradually taking shape, and he made each cut extremely lightly and slowly, from the tip to the hilt.

He deliberately slowed down when he reached the lightning pattern. The charred line meandered through the peach wood like a lurking black dragon.

Following its shape, Jiang Jun carved shallow grooves on both sides of the sword spine to make the thunder pattern stand out more.

He used his inner energy to drill a small hole in the hilt of the sword, then took out colorful silk threads from the drawer, threaded them through the hole, and made an exquisite knot.

The sword tassels hang down, displaying a mix of white, blue, black, red, and yellow colors.

After finishing the carving, he picked up the neat scraps, examined them for a moment, and then put them into a small wooden box for later use.

He then wrapped the wood shavings off the Xuan paper, folded the four corners, and put it in the drawer.

After tidying up, he raised the peach wood sword and examined it under the light.

The sword is only seven inches long, yet its lines are smooth and its sharpness is restrained.

The lightning pattern shimmered faintly in the light, as if electric sparks were moving between the wood grain.

He flicked the sword lightly, producing a clear, melodious hum.

"It's done."

Jiang Jun held the peach wood sword in his palm and chanted an incantation: "The peach wood grows three feet and three inches long, and thunder commands the heavens and earth. If any evil spirits or heretics appear, I will cut them down with one sword and they will never return."

As the final sound faded, the lightning patterns on the sword suddenly lit up, and purple lightning crackled and danced on the blade.

The divine power and sedative power originally contained within the lightning-struck peach wood were directly activated by the spiritual energy successfully crafted by the sedative, transforming into the power of the "Peach Wood Sword" as the sedative entity.

In just a moment, a clear color illustration appeared on the back of the fifth page of the "Folklore Notebook".

The power of the peach wood sword easily surpassed the extraordinary level, reaching the Lord level, not far from the original four protective artifacts.

Jiang Jun grabbed the peach wood sword and, relying on the special power of the pioneer of the Way of Suppressing Objects, instantly refined it into his natal suppressing object.

A purple lightning bolt also appeared in his sea of ​​consciousness.

The handwriting on the fifth page of the "Folklore Notebook" immediately emitted a golden light, seemingly reflecting the electric light on the sword.

A new force of suppression surged into Jiang Jun's body.

He closed his eyes and sensed it carefully.

The peach wood sword has two protective abilities:

First, it can unleash thunder and lightning to attack, which has a strong restraining effect on evil and malevolent things.

Secondly, it can unleash sword energy, transforming true qi into sharp sword beams that can kill from a distance.

Jiang Jun looked into his inner sea of ​​consciousness and saw the buzzing purple sword. He couldn't help but laugh.

He used his divine sense as a finger to gently flick the blade of the small sword, as if teasing a boy who was holding back his energy.

"You, all you can do is gather a bunch of light needles to make a lightsaber, and that looks passable. Look at this guy, thunder and lightning, sword energy crisscrossing, that's what a sword should be!"

The "Ghostly Sorrow" trembled even more violently, its tip pointing at the peach wood sword, buzzing incessantly.

The peach wood sword seemed somewhat smug, crackling with electricity as if to say, "Did you hear that? Did you hear that? I am the real sword, and you are just a fake."

The two talismans were locked in a fierce battle of spirits within the mind, causing a great disturbance.

Jiang Jun used his divine sense to soothe them, and they reluctantly quieted down and returned to their places.

Now that the talisman has been compiled, it should be promoted.

Given his current relationship with the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, he could easily contact the authorities directly to release information about the talisman.

But since he was just being mischievous, he decided to post it online, thinking it might be more effective.

He turned on his computer, logged into those eerie forums, and started posting. He was now quite adept at crafting posts, and his titles were increasingly eye-catching:

#Lifesaving gadget for thunderstorms! Learn how to make a "peach wood sword" to attract lightning and slay evil spirits# Tested and proven effective! Raise the sword when it thunders, and the lightning really will follow (don't try this at home!).

The elders in my family said peach wood wards off evil spirits, which I didn't believe at first, until I made this sword.

#Is lightning-struck peach wood too rare? No problem! Peach branches from the roadside can still be used, and they're quite powerful. The post immediately caused a stir.

This time, no one questioned it anymore, and everyone started busying themselves looking for the lightning-struck peach wood.

The Department of the Supernatural reacted immediately.

The General Headquarters of the Divine Wonders convened a special meeting, in conjunction with departments such as forestry and grassland, public security, and market supervision, and urgently issued the "Guiding Opinions on Regulating the Development and Utilization of Peach Wood Resources".

The document clearly states: the public is encouraged to use pruned peach branches to make talismans, and destructive logging is prohibited; a designated peach wood trading market will be established to regulate prices and combat hoarding; and a registration and filing system will be implemented for lightning-struck wood to ensure the rational use of scarce resources.

The news elicited mixed reactions from Taoyuan business owners across the country.

Some were beaming with joy, and they organized workers overnight to prune peach branches and pack and ship the peaches.

A large-scale peach grower in South China, who owns 50 acres of peach trees, spoke confidently during a television interview that evening: "Thank you to the poster who shared the 'town spirit'! Thank you for the peach wood sword! My income will surely double this year!"

Some were filled with regret, having just sold a batch of old peach wood at scrap price a few days ago.

An old peach farmer in North China spent half the night smoking in front of his empty warehouse. The next morning, he rode his tricycle to the purchasing station to try and get his goods back.

The owner of the purchasing station told him, "They've already resold it at a higher price; you're too late."

Some shrewd ones immediately advertise "century-old peach wood" or "lightning-struck peach wood pre-order," daring to set prices sky-high.

The Forestry and Grassland Bureau officials arrived the next day, distributing leaflets and posting notices, solemnly declaring: "Peach wood is a strategic resource; those who engage in price gouging and hoarding will be dealt with according to law!"

Because the Divine Bureau had made preparations in advance, it acquired a large number of poorly managed peach orchards that were on the verge of bankruptcy at high prices. This time, the macro-control of peach wood supply and demand was done very well.

Business owners in Taoyuan who were doing legitimate business could make a profit, and ordinary people could also buy goods at reasonable prices. As a result, the prestige of the Supernatural Bureau in the country rose to a new level.

*

Chenjiagou Village, Qingsong County, Yanxi Province.

Chen Guilan sat cross-legged on her kang (a heated brick bed), closed her eyes, and contemplated the newly acquired "Lotus of Creation" visualization diagram.

In the sea of ​​consciousness, the illusory image of a section of lotus root appeared and disappeared.

Visualizing the "Lotus of Creation" does not require adhering to the specific starting point, such as the flower, leaves, lotus root, or lotus seedpod.

But she always felt that if the foundation is not solid, the earth will shake and the mountains will tremble. The same is true for the lotus. Without the lotus root to take root in the mud, how can the lotus stand tall and pure?

So she started her visualization with lotus root!

After a while, she opened her eyes, looked at the old peach trees in the yard outside the window, and couldn't help but sigh.

Chen Guilan, a rural old woman who had farmed all her life, was worrying about her children's marriages just a few years ago, but now she has become a practitioner of "the way of suppressing things".

A few days ago, she seemed to be in a dream, but she entered that magnificent hall and saw the Taoist priest Juntian in black robes and a crown. She listened to those visualization diagrams and the ways of communicating with spirits. She thought she was just getting senile and dreaming.

But when I tried it after returning home, my mind actually became clear, and I was certain that it wasn't a dream.

"I never thought I, an old man, would have such good fortune." She muttered to herself, shaking her head, but couldn't help but smile.

"Mom! Mom!" The courtyard gate was pushed open, and her son, Chen Jianguo, rushed in, panting, his face beaming. "Guess what? Peach wood prices have gone up! They've skyrocketed! It's more profitable than selling peaches!"

Chen Guilan got off the kang (a heated brick bed), walked into the yard, and glanced at him: "If the price goes up, so be it. Why are you running away?"

Chen Jianguo said excitedly, "That person announced a new town item, a peach wood sword! Now the whole country is scrambling for peach wood. Our family's few acres of peach trees can sell for at least that much!" He held up three fingers.

Chen Guilan had a sudden thought and knew it was the work of that senior, so she quickly said, "Raising prices is a good thing, but don't shortchange people on their goods."

"Price should be set at the appropriate level; don't follow the trend and raise prices drastically. Also, be careful when pruning to avoid damaging the tree."

"Yes, I know!" Chen Jianguo readily agreed and ran out again.

Chen Guilan watched her son's retreating figure and shook her head. She went back into the house, closed the door, and rummaged through the depths of the closet to find a cloth bag.

Opening the cloth bag revealed a piece of peach wood as thick as an arm, charred black and covered with cracks, as if it had been struck by lightning several times.

She picked it up from the old peach orchard during a major thunderstorm more than a decade ago.

At the time, I only thought that the lightning-struck wood was precious and could be passed down through generations, so I kept it.

Now that she has entered the path of talisman-suppressing artifacts, it just so happens that the fifth talisman-suppressing artifact, the "Peach Wood Sword," has been created. This piece of wood is exactly the kind of material that God has sent to her.

She recalled Cai Liang sharing his experience, saying that it's best to make your own personal charm and not rely on others, so that there won't be any obstacles when refining it later.

The "mysterious prohibition" that led her into the Dao was originally made by her granddaughter, but she had to give it up because of this key point.

Now it would be perfect to use this lightning-struck peach wood as a roof.

She placed the peach wood on the table, took out her son's old scissors that he had used for decades, and after gesturing for a long time, she felt that the scissors were too dull, so she replaced them with a kitchen knife.

Her cultivation was still incomplete, and her hands were not very steady. It took her almost an hour to barely carve a crooked wooden sword.

The sword blade wasn't straight, and the hilt was slightly crooked; it felt heavy in my hand.

Chen Linglan then retrieved an old-fashioned lever drill from her home and painstakingly drilled holes in the sword hilt, then skillfully threaded five-colored silk threads through them to create a uniquely styled sword tassel.

Once the peach wood sword was finally completed, she placed it in her palm, activated the "Lotus of Creation" visualization to clear her mind, took a deep breath, and chanted the incantation: "Peach wood grows three feet and three inches long, thunder commands heaven and earth—"

As soon as he finished speaking, with a "crackling" sound, the lightning patterns on the sword glowed slightly, and a thin, hair-like purple lightning bolt leaped across the blade before disappearing.

Outside the window, a sudden downpour began, and faint thunder could be heard from afar, as if the heavens were responding to her.