In the current world, the vast majority of talismans masters can only rely on the talisman ink they refine themselves.
Therefore, talisman ink is the most important resource among all kinds of talisman masters.
Every sect, or force, must store a considerable amount of talisman ink for disciples to use in their daily studies.
Under such circumstances, even if Zhou Yan obtained talisman ink, he probably couldn't afford it, let alone make talisman paper.
"Talisman paper is really troublesome."
Frowning and pondering, Zhou Yan felt helpless and could only find another way.
"Right, the Talisman Masters Association should have collected a lot of precious talisman paper, right?" Zhou Yan thought to himself, "If I go there and try my luck, I might be able to find some talisman ink."
The Talisman Masters Association, with its magnificent architecture and vast grounds, was distributed in various parts of the city, with buildings and carved balustrades everywhere.
"I heard that the Talisman Masters Association has a geothermal vault that stores a large amount of talisman paper."
"Hey, that's a good place. If I have the chance, I'll definitely go and see."
As he thought, Zhou Yan strode forward and arrived at the Talisman Masters Association.
It was a three-story building, luxuriously decorated on the outside, grand and magnificent, exuding an air of wealth.
Zhou Yan stood at the entrance but was stopped by two guards, who did not allow him to enter.
"Two brothers, my name is Zhou Yan, and I am a newcomer to the Talisman Masters Association. This is a visiting card. Please inform them."
Taking out the visiting card and handing it over, Zhou Yan smiled and was polite.
"Newcomer?" The guards looked at Zhou Yan for a moment, showing a trace of disdain. "Don't you know the rules for recruiting newcomers at the Talisman Masters Association?"
"Newcomers must undergo a strict assessment, and only after it is confirmed can they proceed with the examination."
"Assessment?" Zhou Yan was startled and then understood that the Talisman Masters Association, as a large commercial organization, was indeed rigorous in its operations.
"Go back and wait for notice."
The guard said indifferently, "If you don't receive a notice, I advise you not to waste your time."
The Talisman Masters Association has always been fair in its recruitment. Without passing the review, any effort would be in vain.
Hearing this, Zhou Yan shrugged and turned to leave.
Since the guards were resolute in their attitude, Zhou Yan had no choice but to return to his shop to study that tortoise shell talisman paper.
...
In the blink of an eye, two months passed.
One morning, the sun shone brightly, the air was fresh and pleasant, and a spring breeze swept across, reviving all things.
"Hoo~"
Taking a deep breath, exhaling, and opening his eyes, Zhou Yan felt energetic and full of vitality, as if he had undergone a complete transformation.
For the past two months, Zhou Yan had practiced diligently day and night, and his talisman skills had improved by leaps and bounds. He had achieved considerable success, especially in drawing talismans, which he had mastered to perfection and was now very proficient.
"Snap~"
With a flick of his finger, a talisman paper instantly formed, shimmering with a radiant glow, like a crystal-clear gem, emitting a faint, misty light.
"Hmm? The speed of talisman condensation has slowed down..."
Zhou Yan frowned and observed carefully, finally noticing something. The speed of talisman condensation was becoming slower and slower, as if it were stuck in a quagmire, making it difficult to move forward.
"Could it be that this is my first attempt, and I haven't grasped the knack?" Zhou Yan guessed.
When a talisman master draws talismans, they need to rely on the power of the talisman array, communicate with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and integrate it with various materials to produce effects.
However, Zhou Yan now felt a mysterious force within the talisman paper vaguely repelling his spiritual energy.
"What should I do?"
Zhou Yan frowned and pondered for a long time, and a crazy idea flashed through his mind.
"Let's try to use the power of the soul to infiltrate the talisman paper and make it change its mind."
"Hoo~"
With a slight movement of his mind, Zhou Yan held his breath, concentrated, and urged the power of his soul to spread along the talisman paper all the way to its end.
Soon, Zhou Yan sensed a clump of black, viscous grime at the end of the talisman paper, like a gelatinous substance.
"What is this?"
"Could this be the secret of the talisman paper?"
Stunned, Zhou Yan was both surprised and delighted. He then suppressed his excitement and quietly urged the power of his soul, moving cautiously along the way to avoid disturbing the grime.
After a moment, a wisp of soul power quietly corroded the grime, forming a thin line that drilled into it.
Immediately, the grime trembled, erupting with brilliant light, and ripples spread in all directions.
At the same time, Zhou Yan felt his soul power being blocked by an invisible force, unable to move an inch.
"Bad, the power of the soul is being backlashed..."
Zhou Yan's heart skipped a beat. The power of the soul was spiritual power, a soul attack technique, and extremely dangerous.
Anyone who was slightly careless could have their soul power damaged, and in severe cases, they could become an idiot and a cripple.
Fortunately, Zhou Yan's soul was strong, and he managed to remain conscious.
However, under the impact of the grime, his soul power was retreating steadily, hanging by a thread.
"How could this happen..."
"I've only just started learning the art of runes, and I'm going to become a fool before I've even learned the basic runes..."
Zhou Yan was filled with grief and indignation, and he couldn't help but wail. This was simply too unlucky.
"Buzz!"
Just then, dark clouds churned, lightning flashed, and a torrential rain began.
In an instant, the downpour obscured vision, making it impossible to see clearly.
Suddenly, Zhou Yan's eyes brightened, his vision gradually cleared, and he found himself in a gloomy cave.
In the gloomy cave, long ropes hung down, and at intervals, there were talisman lamps burning faintly, emitting a dim yellow light to ward off evil spirits around.
"Eh..."
Looking up, Zhou Yan was surprised to find that on the hanging ropes were bound corpses, their skin and bones exposed, emaciated and with tragic expressions.
After a few glances, Zhou Yan was startled and quickly averted his gaze from these corpses, breaking out in a sweat.
Initially, Zhou Yan thought these corpses were the vengeful spirits and ghosts who had died here over the years.
After all, the city of Wuling was filled with strong resentment, and countless wronged souls were buried there, inevitably giving rise to vengeful spirits if left for too long.
To his surprise, upon closer inspection, Zhou Yan discovered that these corpses were not isolated and were all composed of humans.
"No wonder dead bodies are often seen in the city of Wuling. It turns out that someone killed them and then dumped their bodies in the wilderness, so that they would never be able to rest in peace!"
At this thought, Zhou Yan felt a chill down his spine, his pores tightened, and fear welled up in his heart.
"How cruel!"
Gritting his teeth, Zhou Yan cursed incessantly.
"Who did this?"
Zhou Yan roared, wishing he could tear the culprit to shreds, but he quickly calmed down.
"Alas, complaining now is useless. The priority is to solve the current predicament."
Taking a deep breath, Zhou Yan calmed down and pondered a solution.
"My soul power is exhausted, and I can't condense talismans. I can only rely on myself."
After a moment of thought, Zhou Yan made up his mind, immediately sat down, closed his eyes to rest, and prepared to recover before making further plans.
Suddenly, the mountain shook and the earth rumbled, as if thousands of troops were charging.
A dazzling bolt of lightning tore through the sky, illuminating the surroundings and revealing a shocking scene.