Attempting to Refine the Five Thunder Talisman

Chen Yang was pleasantly surprised by the miraculous changes manifesting within the Spiritual Pearl. This suggested that the divine ability he had mastered possessed an incredibly high ceiling for future advancement.

Yang Lingrui lacked neither talent nor diligence in his cultivation, and his temperament and willpower were equally exceptional. Refining this Spiritual Pearl was akin to the final stroke in a painting, filling in the gap of his once-elusive providence.

"Very good. With this, the Yang family now has three children who have firmly grasped the path to Condensed Origin," Chen Yang mused.

Yang Lingrui's comprehension of the Nether-Spirit Dao-Seeking Scripture was already profound. Now, empowered by his surge in providence and granted the opportunity to observe the Qi-Fall Condensed Origin method, achieving the realm was merely a matter of time.

As for Yang Lingshu, he would head to the Myriad Transformations Sect in two years. As a direct disciple, he would have access to Spirit Communion techniques; with the Spiritual Pearl refined within his Qi Mansion, his path to cultivation would be unimpeded, making a breakthrough to Condensed Origin within twenty years highly promising.

Finally, there was little Yuanhong. The Black Snake Cloud-Swallowing Art was a technique tailored specifically for him. Coupled with the Dragon-Transformation Pill bestowed by the Imperial Spirit Hall, he needed only to reach the twelfth level to transform, ride the clouds, and ascend.

With these three, the Yang family's prosperity was secured for the next hundred years.

As he pondered, a few more gossamer-thin strands of the Power of Prayer drifted into his body. At the foot of the mountain and within Sanglu Valley, the Chengyang Hall and the Chengyang Stone Tablets had been completed. The common folk under the family's rule had replaced their household shrines with small tablets crafted by stonemasons to express their gratitude for the Yang family's protection. Now, with incense smoke rising perpetually in the valley and at the mountain's base, Chen Yang could collect dozens of strands of the Power of Prayer daily while resting in the ancestral hall-enough to condense two or three complete strands every day.

"This barrier is truly stubborn," Chen Yang noted.

He raised his consciousness, shifting from the physical to the ethereal, and sensed the formless obstruction above his head. He surged a mass of the Power of Prayer-now the size of a fist after months of accumulation-against the barrier.

Puff, swish—

The power crashed into the barrier, only to disintegrate and return to his body. He repeated this cycle three times a day. His decision to order the construction of halls and tablets was beginning to bear fruit; constant, unremitting effort had finally left a faint indentation upon the barrier.

To truly shake it, let alone break through, remained a long road. Yet Chen Yang was not impatient. He understood well that haste only leads to failure. Ascending to the Condensed Origin realm was no simple feat; having found the path, he only needed to maintain his focus and press forward, one step at a time.

It was like water dripping through stone or an iron rod being ground into a needle-when the effort is sufficient, success comes naturally. Moreover, compared to the lethal perils human cultivators faced in seeking the Condensed Origin realm, his method was steady and secure.

After meditating for a while, Yang Lingrui rose and bowed. "Yang Lingrui thanks the Immortal Venerable for this precious gift!"

Though the immediate effects of the pearl were less pronounced for him than for the others, he could sense a profound force quietly working within him as he practiced his arts.

"During our exploration, Brother found several stone-type treasures within the Black Snake Hidden Cache. I present them for the Immortal Venerable's inspection."

Yang Lingrui stepped forward, holding the four azure-blue crystals Yang Linghu had recovered from the cold pool area. Chen Yang drew them toward him and probed them with his consciousness.

"These are not Strange Stones, but a spiritual ore nurtured by the unique environment of the pool."

Recognizing their affinity, Chen Yang quickly divined their nature. They were imbued with cold energy and, if refined correctly, would make for excellent spiritual treasures. He had little need to consume them himself-they would offer only a negligible increase in spiritual power, and with his current realm stagnant, such gains were useless. He quickly devised a better plan.

He transmitted an order to Yang Lingrui: when he traded talismans with the Fengling cultivator next year, he was to bring one of these crystals along. That cultivator specialized in the path of ice and cold, and these crystals would be a significant boon to his practice.

Yang Lingrui accepted the order and withdrew. Once alone, Chen Yang retrieved his spiritual treasure painting brush from his Storage Bag. Since breaking through to Qi Gathering Perfection, he spent three hours each day assaulting his realm and the remainder studying the Talisman Art.

Constraints of his previous realm had prevented him from attempting the two most advanced talismans, but he was finally ready. He had asked Yang Lingqing to strip a dozen pieces of bark from the Ancient Willow the He family had gifted. The bark was incredibly light yet possessed a toughness far beyond that of standard spiritual paper, and it held a natural affinity for spiritual ink, which would bolster his success rate.

Of the inheritance the Yang family possessed, the Five Thunder Talisman and the Spirit Concealment Talisman were the most difficult to craft. The Five Thunder Talisman, in particular, was the most lethal and ferocious; its inherent nature of thunder-the most upright and destructive force-made it highly effective against evil techniques.

Chen Yang had practiced the patterns on inferior paper before, but they could never withstand the energy of the talisman, forcing him to master the strokes without the supporting incantations. Now, with the Ancient Willow bark, he could attempt the real thing.

Crackle—

Chen Yang chanted the incantation. The moment his brush touched the surface, a spark of thunder-fire erupted. As he continued to draw, the ancestral hall flickered with alternating blue light. Yang Lingqing and Elder Yu, sensing his intent, stationed themselves around the hall, using their own arts to mask the glow.

Drawing the talisman was an exhaustive process. After three full days, Chen Yang finally imprinted the complex pattern. Even with his elevated spiritual consciousness, he felt deep fatigue-the talisman's potency was evident. Each stroke felt as though it were burning his mind, and the restless thunder-fire required absolute concentration to tether to the bark.

"The He family's gift came at just the right time. Anything less than this Ancient Willow bark would have crumbled under the power of a single stroke," Chen Yang thought.

Drawing was done; the true test, refinement, followed. He now held a fifty to sixty percent chance of success.

"Rise!"

Steadying his breath, he channeled his spiritual power to forge the talisman.

Bam!

Trouble emerged instantly. A thin bolt of blue lightning whipped through the air, striking toward him.

"Armor!"

Chen Yang willed his pitch-black outer armor to manifest.

Snap-crack!

The lightning struck the armor and shattered into sparks.

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