"Oh, I learned painting and calligraphy in my youth, and at that time, following Master's teaching, there were requirements for controlling the brush, hence it became a habit," Yuan Ming found an explanation and said.

Luckily, Mu He didn't care too much about this and nodded his head, then he didn't ask any further.

But just at this moment, as Yuan Ming had just finished drawing the flame pattern, a wisp of blue smoke suddenly rose from the white paper, and it caught fire on its own.

Yuan Ming didn't know what to make of it and, fearing it might set the nearby papers on fire, he instinctively reached out to pat it down.

Mu He, on the other hand, stopped him with a look of surprise and then, disregarding the burning flames, took the piece of paper in his hand, held it up to his eyes, and scrutinized it closely.

Only when the parts with the rune pattern had completely burned away did he throw the flaming piece of paper into the water bucket under the table.

The flames immediately went out, leaving black ash floating in the water.

Seeing this, Yuan Ming guessed that the burning was caused by his failure in drawing the talisman for the first time and realized why a bucket of water was placed there.

Thinking this, he found it a bit odd, why didn't Elder Hei Mu mention it in his notes?

But on second thought, those notes were a record of the runes he collected and his experiences in drawing them, not a beginner's teaching material, so perhaps it was normal not to mention it.

"Genius, you really are a genius..." Mu He grabbed Yuan Ming's shoulder excitedly and exclaimed.

"What exactly is going on? Was it because I failed in drawing the talisman?" Yuan Ming asked, quickly breaking free.

"It's very normal for you to fail at drawing the talisman for the first time, but for the initial attempt to attract Spiritual Energy, although it was a slow reaction, it was already an act of genius," exclaimed Mu He, unable to contain his joy.

"May I ask senior apprentice brother, what does 'attracting Spiritual Energy' mean?" Yuan Ming asked with slight confusion on his face.

"Attracting Spiritual Energy refers to the initial ability of the drawn rune to communicate with nature's spiritual energy, which is key to whether the drawing of the rune is successful or not. The better the rune pattern is drawn, the faster it attracts the energy," Mu He explained.

Hearing this explanation, Yuan Ming understood.

This was like when he was learning the 'Moonlight Technique' and doing sitting and observing: it's the foundation for beginners.

Only, compared to observing the Sea of Consciousness, meridians, and Dantian when learning the 'Moonlight Technique,' his progress in learning to draw talismans was much faster.

"From this, it can be seen that you at least have quite the talent for Drawing Talismans," Mu He said with a smile.

"It's all thanks to senior brother's excellent guidance," Yuan Ming said, feeling pleased upon hearing this.

"Alright, I will only teach you this much for today. You can take this talisman book back with you, practice copying it often, and once you have learned them all, come find me," said Mu He, with a deeper smile on his face.

"Many thanks, senior brother," Yuan Ming expressed his gratitude.

"For practice, you can purchase the necessary brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone at Qingfu Hall. Remember, just use ordinary ink for now, do not buy talismanic ink," Mu He warned.

"What would happen if I practiced with talismanic ink?" Yuan Ming inquired.

"Naturally, it would be better, provided that you have the money! Even if ordinary ink yields a well-drawn talisman, it will not attract Spiritual Energy, but it's about the same for a beginner. The ink I used just now is talismanic ink, made from vermilion and a blend of special mineral powders; when you truly draw talismans in the future, you will also use this kind of ink. The price difference between the two is huge, so save the talismanic ink for later practice; it's too wasteful," said Mu He, waving his hand.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Ming was inwardly impressed.

Having asked all he needed for the day, he did not linger any longer, took his leave from Mu He, and left with the talisman book.

After leaving the Artifact House, Yuan Ming headed straight for Qingfu Hall.

Ever since he joined the Sect, he had heard of but never seen the true face of Qingfu Hall, only knowing that it was dedicated to the Sect's commercial operations.

It was said that magic treasures, spiritual materials and elixirs, reared spirit beasts, and even traded Beast Slaves were all conducted through Qingfu Hall.

Disciples and elders within the Sect could also make purchases there, needing only to pay with Contribution Value.

After buying the supplies Mu He mentioned for Drawing Talismans, Yuan Ming returned to his residence to cultivate.

...

Time flew by, and half a month passed.

At night, the round moon hung high.

Yuan Ming sat cross-legged in his room, bathed in the moonlight that poured through the window onto him.

Since his arrival at Biluo Cave, quite some time had passed. Having left behind the life of a Fur Beast Slave, with its sleep under the stars and survival instincts, Yuan Ming's appearance had subtly transformed.

His skin had become fair again, and under the moonlight's reflection, it was covered with a hazy white glow, making him look somewhat ethereal.

At this moment, the silver cat, which rarely showed itself in front of Yuan Ming, was sitting on the table in front of the window.

And the reason for the silver cat's presence was that, after this period of training and guidance, Yuan Ming's cultivation of the 'Moonlight Technique' had progressed rapidly, already approaching a perfect first level.

Of course, this rapid progress was relative to Yuan Ming's previous state. In the eyes of the silver cat, his talent was still dull.

Yuan Ming's eyes were tightly shut, holding the incense burner in his arms, with a faint glimmer of light flashing at the center of his brows.

In the Sea of Consciousness, his previously scattered Divine Soul Power was gradually converging. A point of light slowly blended, eventually coalescing into a white orb of light that rose and ascended, like the Round Moon hanging in the void.

This Round Moon rose high in Yuan Ming's Sea of Consciousness, its light radiating in an instant all around, making his Sea of Consciousness as transparent as crystal.

The red mist that had been suppressed to the periphery by the Divine Power was instantly melted away by the white light, like snow under the sun, dissolving in a flash.

Yuan Ming abruptly opened his eyes, feeling that the previously dim room had brightened a bit, and the furnishings within had also become a few degrees clearer.

At the same time, his Spirit Platform was clearer than ever before, leaving him feeling refreshed and exceedingly comfortable.

The chirping of insects outside the window, the rustling of the tree shadows, and even the closing doors of other disciples in the distance, all reached his ears with utmost clarity. With a slight focus and gathering of spirit, he could even hear further still.

Aside from the changes in his eyesight and hearing, Yuan Ming's sense of smell had also become much keener. The resin aroma from the old pine trees outside the window, the scent of grass on the ground, and even the smell of charcoal fire from the Fire Workshop could all be discerned.

It was clear that the completion of the first layer of the 'Moonlight Technique' not only enhanced his Divine Soul but also significantly amplified his Perception.

However, while Yuan Ming's face showed excitement, he also felt somewhat puzzled. The silver cat was clearly sitting not far in front of him on the desk, yet he could only see it and neither hear its breathing nor detect its scent.

This feeling was as if the silver cat didn't truly exist.

"Is the mere perfection of the first layer of cultivation technique worth such joy?" the voice of the silver cat echoed in Yuan Ming's mind, ethereal and cold.

"Without your guidance, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to do it even if I had half a year more," Yuan Ming retracted his smile and said.

"You at least have some self-awareness," the silver cat's voice softened a little.

"Why have my senses been enhanced, yet I can't perceive your presence... I mean, if I don't look with my eyes?" Yuan Ming hesitated a bit before asking doubtfully.

"That's the Concealing Breath Secret Technique of Soul Cultivators, which you can't cultivate yet," the silver cat replied, as an intangible breath around it relaxed.

Instantly, Yuan Ming could hear its breathing and heartbeat and smelt its scent.

He hadn't paid much attention to it before, but now he realized the scent was pleasant—not at all like an animal's, but somewhat akin to the fragrance of orchid, although he couldn't exactly pinpoint what it was.

At that moment, it suddenly occurred to him that when the silver cat followed him before, he had several times sensed its presence. It seemed it wasn't the silver cat being careless but quite possibly intentional.

Capable of perfect Concealment, yet choosing to reveal traces without being overly obvious. Did it want him to discover it or not?

This silver cat's character seemed... a bit tsundere?

"Now that the first layer is complete, you can try soul projection," the voice of the silver cat arose in his Sea of Consciousness again.

"Doesn't the technique say that the perfection of the first layer is just the stage for stabilizing the Sea of Consciousness? Isn't soul projection a bit too risky right now?" Yuan Ming voiced some hesitation upon hearing this.

"Are you questioning me?" the silver cat glanced sidelong at him, its voice suddenly cold.

"Alright, you're the boss," Yuan Ming muttered to himself.

With that, he put away the incense burner, closed his eyes, pinched a spell in his hands, and suddenly exclaimed in a low voice:

"Rise!"

In an instant, the gloom in the room intensified several times, stirring a slight undulation in the surrounding air, forming a whirlwind that spread from around him.

An invisible silhouette of a human figure flew out from the top of Yuan Ming's head and hovered in midair, which was indeed his soul.

"Is this the feeling of astral projection? Why does it feel somewhat familiar?" Yuan Ming looked at his motionless body below, then at his ethereal hands, and murmured.

The sensation of the Divine Soul was utterly different from the body; his eyes could easily penetrate the darkness, almost no different from daylight, and his ears could hear sounds, but the senses of touch and smell were entirely lost.

He pressed his hands downward, as if driving the air currents, and his Divine Soul began to drift upward.

Until his head hit the ceiling, he didn't stop. Instead, he went straight through the roof and arrived outside.

Yuan Ming's soul form was elusive, half protruding outside the roof, half still inside the house, and the sensation was incredibly bizarre.

His gaze swept towards the distance, and his vision was unaffected in the darkness; he could see the Fire Workshop still glowing with some faint lights.

In the front yard, many people were also awake. The silhouettes against the window lights were discernible one by one.

With a thought, Yuan Ming wanted to fly over to the front courtyard to take a closer look, but as soon as his body had just flown out of the roof, a night wind came and blew him askew, uncontrollably drifting backward.

Having flown just four or five yards, Yuan Ming suddenly felt an icy chill to the bone, causing him a wave of panic.

This chilling sensation wasn't the external cold felt by the skin, but rather a deep cold coming from within the Divine Soul, accompanied by an intense sense of fear.

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