The shaft of the talisman pen was emerald green, presumably carved from some sort of spiritual bamboo.

The bamboo joints were staggered beautifully, and the bamboo body was meticulously refined by Qiu Can, smooth and delicate, warm to the touch, as if with body temperature.

The pen tip, naturally selected, was the spiritual hairs from the tail of the Baby-eating Mink, gray intermixed with white.

The hairs were neat and smooth, sharply pointed, and integrated with the pen shaft.

Previously, Liou Yuan had been using an ordinary pen to serve as a talisman pen.

Infusing spiritual power into it felt like moving through muddy waters; before Liou Yuan finished drawing symbols, seventy to eighty percent of the spiritual power had dissipated.

The power of the drawn Talismanic Skill was naturally inferior.

Liou Yuan dared not recklessly infuse spiritual power; a slight exertion would shatter the ordinary pen.

This talisman pen refined by Qiu Can was different.

Upon acquiring it, Liou Yuan immediately infused spiritual power into it for a test.

Spiritual power went unhindered from the pen shaft to the tip and hairs without wasting a single bit.

Moreover, the benefits were not limited to this.

The very night Liou Yuan obtained the talisman pen, he couldn’t resist experimenting with it on the Profound Brilliance Sword.

He discovered that the drawn Sharp Gold Talisman, aside from his own spiritual power enhancing it, the ink falling on the Profound Brilliance Sword had a faint gray aura entwined around it.

This increased the power of the Sharp Gold Talisman by about twenty percent.

"Good heavens, Qiu Can sure has skills, this talisman pen is truly effective!" Witnessing this, Liou Yuan was naturally delighted.

If there wasn’t the gray aura enhancement.

The mere power of the Sharp Gold Talisman, when applied to ordinary weapons, could allow common people wielding them to injure ordinary Qi Cultivation Third Layer’s Star Evil or demon evils.

With the gray aura enhancement, ordinary weapons could threaten enemies of the Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer realm.

Of course, it was just a threat, those at Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer had their means, not easily injured.

But that was merely ordinary weapons; if applied to Magical Artifacts, even low-grade ones, their power could greatly increase, reaching levels comparable to mid-grade Magical Artifacts.

Regarding mid-grade Magical Artifacts.

Liou Yuan experimented with the Profound Brilliance Sword achieving almost a thirty percent increase in effectiveness.

Although still a distance from high-grade Magical Artifacts, with the Sharp Gold Talisman enhancement, the Profound Brilliance Sword’s power among mid-grade Magical Artifacts was already top-notch.

At this moment, Liou Yuan finally realized why Ge Jinhong, with only Qi Cultivation Second Layer cultivation, was doing so well in Yanhe City’s Qinghe Division.

"This Talismanic Skill isn’t traditional Magic, nor Symbol Magic, but brings genuine enhancement."

"Unfortunately, my current cultivation can only sustain the Talismanic Skill for an hour before it dissipates."

"If it could be preserved longer on Magical Artifacts, it would mean a qualitative leap in their quality!"

"By then, using low-grade like mid-grade, and mid-grade greatly enhanced in power." Liou Yuan couldn’t help but lament.

Simultaneously, his curiosity on the origin of this Talismanic Skill grew.

An ’Introduction’ Magic, yet rated as a top-grade at Fixed Star Compass. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

This was with only two talismans, ’Sharp Gold Talisman’ and ’Earth-Stacking Talisman’ so far.

Should there be one more talisman, Liou Yuan felt its quality might reach the D-level.

Having experienced the true power of the Talismanic Skill, Liou Yuan became ever more focused on this Magic.

"The initial purpose of the Talismanic Skill swap was for emergency use, to resist the threat from Yanhe City."

"Unexpectedly, I stumbled upon a treasure."

In the quiet night of Xiaopei Mountain, Liou Yuan stood by the window with the talisman pen, looking at the ’Sharp Gold Talisman’ on the Profound Brilliance Sword under the starlight, a pondering look in his eyes.

After a long while, he decided resolutely, "If given the opportunity, I must visit Qiwen Mountain."

"I sense the remaining parts of this Talismanic Skill are intricate, certainly not beneath C-level Magic."

What level is C-level Magic, Liou Tao’s Cloud Manipulation is a C-level.

He executed it at Qi Cultivation Fifth Layer, nearly causing Liou Yuan significant trouble.

This was before Liou Tao perfected the Magic; should he practice Cloud Manipulation to Small Success, Liou Yuan would feel almost impossible to escape that mist.

How could Liou Yuan not be envious.

After all, his own Magic lacked any beyond the C-level.

Recalling where Qiwen Mountain was, as told by Ge Jinhong back then, Liou Yuan committed it to memory before focusing back on the talisman pen in his hand.

He hadn’t yet named this pen.

"Since it’s crafted from Baby-eating Mink hairs and spiritual bamboo, let’s call you Bamboo Infant Pen."

Liou Yuan gently stroked the talisman pen, filled with smiles.

With this pen’s assistance, his strength could ascend to another level.

"Facing Liou Tao then, if I had this pen for drawing Sharp Gold Talisman, I’d have pierced a hole in his chest on the spot. Wouldn’t need to wait for those useless Disciplinary Hall enforcers."

Liou Yuan thought viciously.

Now having the talisman pen, Liou Yuan still had an unresolved matter.

Refining the dozen bottles of demon blood extracted from the Baby-eating Mink for use as talisman ink.

With both the talisman pen and ink, the true power of the Talismanic Skill would fully unfold.

But demon blood couldn’t directly serve as talisman ink; it required minor refining according to the Talismanic Skill’s documented methods.

Estimating from the dozen demon blood bottles, Liou Yuan figured he could obtain one bottle of talisman ink.

"With the talisman ink boost, and the Bamboo Infant Pen, the Talismanic Skill’s power would be unleashed to its fullest."

Laughing heartily, Liou Yuan carefully secured the talisman pen.

Then lined up the collected jade bottles containing Baby-eating Mink’s blood in front, hand clasping a sign, beginning the refining process according to the Talismanic Skill’s ’Grinding Skill’.

Time passed like a fleeting colt glimpsed across a crack, seemingly blurred, winter leaving as spring arrived.

With warming temperatures, no longer did morning frost cover Xiaopei Mountain.

The spiritual plants among the mountains became increasingly vibrant.

By the time calculated, Liou Yuan had been at the Five Extremes Mountain for half a year.

Qiu Ming successfully broke through to Qi Cultivation Fifth Layer in the fifth month since entry, becoming the first to do so among Xiaopei Mountain’s disciples.

The day he broke through, his triumphant laughter startled birds throughout Xiaopei Mountain.

Disciples all shook their heads grinning, none daring to reprimand aloud.

None of the other disciples slacked in cultivation either.

Fu Xueping became the third to break through to Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer after Liou Yuan and Xie Xiaobo.

Half a month later than Xie Xiaobo.

During this period, Liou Yuan didn’t skip a day’s cultivation; the spiritual power within his body had reached nine strands, nearly just a step from breaking through to Qi Cultivation Fifth Layer.

Notably, the Fixed Star Compass’s star energy had filled once again during this time.

Only, Liou Yuan hadn’t had the chance to leave the Five Extremes Mountain.

Because externally, Evil Stars had been illuminating for three consecutive months.

Each passing month increased external dangers.

Three months of sequentially ominous rotations, even the Outer Sect’s Peak of Qi Cultivation enforcers dared not step out of the Five Extremes Mountain.

Apart from Foundation Establishment Great Cultivators, no person of Qi Cultivation dared go out, including Liou Yuan.

Thus, the use of the Fixed Star Compass was delayed.

Liou Yuan wasn’t anxious, maintaining his daily cultivation routine.

However, star stone consumption surged.

The Five Extremes Mountain’s Array’s star energy depleted before the first Omen Month ended.

For over two months, star stones solely supported Liou Yuan’s cultivation progress.

The cost was a drastic increase in star stone consumption.

Every three days, consuming a star stone.

Ten in a month, twenty over two months.

To sustain his cultivation speed, Liou Yuan had to purchase star stones for aiding cultivation with merit points, spending six points.

Luckily, after Qiu Ming’s breakthrough, he repaid the ten merit points owed previously.

After deducting points for star stone purchases, Liou Yuan still had thirty-three merit points remaining.