With that, he took out a Concealment Talisman from his storage bag and presented it to Lu Xuan. "With full purple patterns, a perfect-grade talisman!"
"This... this is your work?" Lu Xuan asked in shock, her face turning pale.
"Indeed."
Lu Xuan's expression changed several times before she suddenly chuckled. "Impossible. You must have obtained it from somewhere else."
Lu An was not angry. He simply replied, "Why don't you go find one yourself? If you can locate it, that will count as your win."
Lu Xuan was at a loss for words. Perfect-grade purple-patterned talismans are not something people typically sell. If she asked the Sect Master, he might be able to draw one, but why would the Sect Master assist her in drawing talismans?
She couldn't figure out where Lu An's talisman came from, but she refused to believe it was drawn by Lu An himself.
Lu An, however, didn't care about her doubts and declared loudly, "Do you concede?"
Lu Xuan had no choice but to step aside, though she was reluctant.
"Don't let me catch you making excuses!"
Lu An smiled slightly, unconcerned, and stepped onto the Transmission Platform.
"Since you are not convinced, I will make sure you are convinced."
He turned to the distant Sect Master and said, "Please prepare a set of materials for drawing Concealment Talismans. I plan to use this talisman to explain the secrets of talisman patterns."
The Sect Master smiled and nodded. "Certainly."
Lu Xuan was puzzled. Could it be that he planned to draw talismans on the spot?
At this moment, two disciples, a man and a woman, came to Lu Xuan's side and said:
"Sister, how could someone of his age possibly draw a purple-patterned talisman? Even Senior Brother cannot achieve this, so he must be just bluffing."
"That's right. Senior Brother's talent in talisman techniques is exceptional, unmatched by anyone of his generation. This person is certainly inferior."
After belittling Lu An for a moment, their conversation shifted to Lu Xuan.
"Sister, I'm not trying to meddle, but Senior Brother has been pursuing you for so long. Aren't you moved at all?"
"I know you are focused on the path of talismans, but you can't neglect personal matters as well. The so-called law, partner, wealth, and position, finding the right partner is also crucial. I think Senior Brother would be a good match."
Lu Xuan's expression darkened. These two were acting as matchmakers for Senior Brother again.
She only had admiration for Senior Brother, and there had never been any romantic feelings involved.
However, she was too irritated to explain and simply snapped, "Noisy!"
The two knew her temper well and dared not say more.
Soon, the materials for drawing talismans on the platform were prepared. Lu An picked up the talisman brush and addressed the crowd below:
"Since the Sect Master invited me to explain the secrets of talisman patterns, I will do so here. How much you can comprehend depends on yourselves."
The crowd below became noisy with discussions.
"Such grandiose claims! One would think that the new version of talisman pattern secrets was created by him."
"Indeed. Who knows where he came from? I'm surprised the Sect Master let him give a lecture."
They did not know that the improved talisman pattern secrets were from Lu An. They only knew that this technique had suddenly spread within the sect and became all the rage.
In their minds, such a marvelous technique must have been created by the Sect Master.
Only Shen Mi wore a cold smile and thought to himself, "Hmph, this secret technique was indeed invented by Mr. Lu. Let's see your expressions later."
Lu An no longer wasted words. He made a hand seal, and the talisman brush began to emit a radiant glow.
"The Concealment Talisman has a total of a hundred patterns, divided into nine strokes."
"Each stroke must show at least eleven talisman patterns to be considered complete."
"To determine whether each stroke meets the requirement, we will use the secret talisman technique I'm explaining."
With that, he touched the brush to the talisman paper, and the first stroke was completed in no time.
The stroke was exceptionally smooth, flowing seamlessly from start to finish without any excess.
The crowd below was slightly surprised upon seeing this.
"This Lu An seems to have some skill. He doesn't seem like an incapable person."
"Indeed, this stroke really shows some mastery. It's better than most people."
…
Lu An appeared indifferent and asked the crowd below, "Do you know how many talisman patterns this stroke will display?"
The murmuring below quieted down. Some answered:
"Seven or eight. The flow of spiritual energy is smooth. If it maintains this level, it might be an excellent talisman."
"I think it's more than that. At least nine. With my eye, I can't see any problems with this stroke."
Lu Xuan also speculated on how many talisman patterns this stroke might show. An excellent talisman? Although it was quite different from the purple patterns, it was still impressive.
Unconsciously, her impression of Lu An began to change.
Unexpectedly, Lu An shook his head and said slowly, "I'll tell you, this stroke shows zero talisman patterns."
Hearing this, the crowd below erupted again, with many refuting the claim.
"Impossible! Given the smoothness of this stroke, if it's zero, I'll clean the beast dung at Beast-Controlling Cliff for a month!"
"I also find it impossible. If it's truly zero, I'll go with you."
Others also protested, but they did not speak recklessly.
Beast-Controlling Cliff was where the Spirit Talisman Sect kept its large transport beasts. The dung they produced was incredibly foul-smelling, and no one wanted to go there regularly.
Lu Xuan's mastery in talismans far surpassed that of most, but even with her skills, she could not see any issue with the stroke.
"Words alone are not enough. Everyone can see for themselves."
Lu An performed the talisman pattern secret technique, and a beam of golden light hit the talisman paper.
The light from the stroke flickered, seeming to generate talisman patterns but always falling short by a fraction.
In the end, a cluster of mottled light spots appeared in the air, but they did not connect into a complete line.
The crowd below gasped. The result was indeed as Lu An had said: not a single complete talisman pattern was visible.
But what were these mottled light spots?
The disciples displayed puzzled expressions, and even Lu Xuan was no exception.
Especially the two disciples who had previously spoken about cleaning beast dung, their faces turned ashen.
Lu An remained unperturbed, everything was as he had expected.
He pointed to the gaps between the two light spots and explained slowly, "Look here. Although this part appears extremely smooth, there is actually a severe blockage, causing the spiritual energy to be unable to pass through or even to flow backward."
The crowd below looked where he pointed and indeed noticed a hint of an issue.
Lu An continued, "Other parts have similar problems. Some are due to blockages, while others have overly large channels, leading to severe loss of spiritual power and rendering them ineffective."
"Overall, this stroke, although it looks impressive, is essentially superficial and lacking in substance."
"How can such a stroke display any talisman patterns?"
The disciples below listened attentively and suddenly understood. Some even spoke out unconsciously:
"With so many problems with this stroke, how can it be corrected?"
Lu An did not keep them guessing and smiled slightly. "Where there are light spots, the stronger the light, the smaller the issue. For the broken sections, they need to be completely redone. You just need to follow this rule and check them one by one."
Everyone nodded in agreement, but though they understood in principle, implementing it was another challenge.
Even if they found the problem areas, how to correct them depended on their understanding of talisman techniques.
For those with weak fundamentals, there was a possibility of making things worse with each attempt.
"Can Mr. Lu accomplish this?"
A disciple below asked.
Lu An smiled slightly, then suddenly picked up the brush and began to work on the talisman paper.
In just a moment, not only had he corrected the previous stroke, but he also completed the remaining eight strokes.
"Whoosh—"
The talisman, seemingly activated by no wind, emitted a melodious spiritual sound, and even the edges were covered in purple patterns.
Seeing this, Lu An finally set down the brush and addressed the crowd, "To achieve this, it's quite simple."
"There's nothing to it, just practice makes perfect."
The disciples below exchanged glances, while Lu Xuan's eyes sparkled with admiration, and a hint of something unusual flashed in her gaze toward Lu An.
Without waiting for Lu An to leave the stage, she bowed deeply in front of all the disciples and said loudly:
"Mr. Lu, I previously failed to recognize your greatness and offended you. I hope you can forgive me."
Upon hearing this, Lu An smiled slightly and chose to let it pass. Shen Mi had said before that this woman was about the matter, not the person, and now it seemed to be true.
The disciples below were also astonished. Senior Sister, who was usually proud and arrogant, actually apologized to Lu An in front of everyone, which completely overturned their perceptions.
However, they agreed with this development. Lu An's skill in talisman techniques deserved such respect.
In their minds, Lu An's status had clearly been elevated.
"You think, who is stronger, Mr. Lu or Senior Brother?"
"Senior Brother is stronger. After all, he is the top of our younger generation in the Spirit Talisman Sect."
"I think Mr. Lu is stronger. Senior Brother cannot draw the perfect purple-patterned talisman."
The person's expression changed slightly. He wanted to refute but couldn't think of a reason on the spot.
Hearing the discussions, two people in the crowd looked particularly displeased. They were the ones who had previously tried to persuade Lu Xuan, and now that Lu An was overshadowing Senior Brother, they were quite unhappy.
"Look at how Senior Sister looks at this person. She hasn't even looked at Senior Brother like that."
"This needs to be reported to Senior Brother immediately."
With that, he took out a communication jade slip and began to report the situation with added embellishments.
At that moment, the Sect Master flew onto the stage and nodded to Lu An.
Seeing the Sect Master, the disciples below all showed respectful expressions.
"I announce that, starting today, Lu An will be an Honorary Elder of our Spirit Talisman Sect. He will hold the Elder's Token and can enter and exit our sect freely. No disciple is allowed to obstruct him."
With that, he glanced at the Second Elder with a stern warning in his eyes.
The Second Elder trembled slightly, lowered his head in silence, and thought to himself:
"This child has already reached a certain level. It will be difficult to handle him in the future. I need to think of another way."
The disciples below were somewhat surprised by the Sect Master's words. Soon, cheering began to rise from the crowd, starting with just a few people. But it quickly spread, and before long, the whole crowd was jubilant.
Lu An's lecture had greatly benefited them, and becoming an elder was fully deserved. If he could come and give more lectures, it would be a tremendous boost to their progress.
Lu Xuan stepped forward and asked loudly:
"Mr. Lu, I admire your talisman skills. Will you be coming here to lecture again in the future?"
Lu An pondered for a moment and then replied:
"I'm afraid I won't be coming often. However, Shen Mi is by my side every day and has learned my true methods. If you have any questions, you can ask him."
Lu Xuan was surprised by this and looked at Shen Mi with a hint of curiosity, then asked:
"Isn't Third Junior Brother your disciple?"
According to the rules, once one becomes an elder, they can take in true disciples. Even an Honorary Elder is entitled to this.
However, Honorary Elders usually have only a nominal position, and it is rare for disciples to want to take them as their masters.
But Lu An was different. His exceptional skill in talismans and his popularity among the disciples meant that many would be interested in becoming his disciples.
Before Lu An could answer, Shen Mi interjected:
"I don't have such qualifications. I'm just serving by Mr. Lu's side and learning some minor techniques."
Lu Xuan thought for a moment and then suddenly smiled warmly.
"Since that's the case, Third Junior Brother, I'll be bothering you more in the future. I hope you don't mind."
She was well aware of Shen Mi's skills, which were far below her own. But now, she was very interested in Lu An, and since Shen Mi was close to him, she naturally wanted to get closer.
In no time, other disciples also spoke up, eager to discuss talisman techniques with Shen Mi.
The two spies of Senior Brother were shocked. How did the previously unremarkable Shen Mi suddenly become so sought after in the sect?
Lu An's words were intentionally spoken to establish Shen Mi's authority and to involve him in the talisman competition.
Now that everything was settled, Lu An slowly left the stage and, glancing at the graceful figure below, suddenly smiled:
"Earlier, you said that if I won, you would do whatever I wanted. Is that still valid?"
Lu Xuan did not expect him to say this. Her face turned as red as an apple.
"You, I... um, of course, it still counts."
Seeing her reaction, Lu An smiled faintly and left without looking back, not bringing up the matter again.
Lu Xuan stared at his back, stamping her foot, feeling so embarrassed she wished she could find a hole to hide in.
The other disciples were dumbfounded. Lu Xuan was known for her fiery temper in the Spirit Talisman Sect. If she disliked something, she would usually react immediately.
Yet Lu An had openly teased her in front of all the disciples, and she had not gotten angry. This was truly unexpected.
However, Lu Xuan's usual demeanor quickly returned. She walked over to Shen Mi, grabbed his ear, and said with a forced smile:
"Third Junior Brother, how did you come to know Lu An? Spill it out."
"Ouch, don't pull so hard, it hurts..."
Lu Xuan ignored his protests and dragged him away.
"No rush, let's talk slowly."
Their figures soon disappeared, leaving the other disciples looking at each other in confusion.
After bidding farewell to the Sect Master, Lu An returned to the Spirit Talisman Residence with Bai Sheng.
This time, using the teleportation array, the guarding disciples no longer obstructed them and respectfully sent them off.
In the days that followed, Lu An entered a period of calm. He took this opportunity to focus on his cultivation.
With the aid of the Minor Gathering Talisman, his cultivation speed increased rapidly. His internal true qi became more substantial, and his spiritual sense also improved significantly under the influence of the Withered Tree Rebirth painting.
The change was most evident to Ying Chang, who fought with Lu An during the day. He felt that Lu An's strength seemed to change almost daily. At this point, it was becoming very difficult for him to compete with Lu An using his fifth level of Qi Refining.
Under duress, he had to increase his cultivation level to the sixth level of Qi Refining. However, compared to Lu An, he was still at ease.
This was despite not using talismans; otherwise, Ying Chang felt that Lu An might even defeat him.
The creation of the second-grade Tranquil Heart Talisman was nearing completion. It was expected that in a few days, the talisman could be fully completed. Although it was still far from a perfected talisman, some spiritual insights could be gained, which would likely elevate his talisman skills further.
Lu An's daily life was extremely fulfilling, filled with cultivation, battles, drawing talismans, and teaching the art of talismans. However, he felt no fatigue and, instead, his fighting spirit grew stronger.
The conflict between the Li and Ding families had reached a critical point. Li Ziyou had visited a few times, and Lu An had learned some details. Although the Li family had suffered severe losses, the Ding family had been beaten to a pulp, so the battle shouldn't last much longer. Once the fighting slowed, the contest for the position of the junior master would begin.
One day, an unexpected guest arrived at the Spirit Talisman Residence.
"Is Mr. Lu here?"
Zhao Wenliang looked up, not recognizing the visitor, but Bai Sheng did. This was Shi Zhi, who was introduced as the fifth-ranked disciple of the Spirit Talisman Sect by Lu An's great-grandfather. It was said that Shi Zhi was affiliated with the Second Elder and had some grievances with Mr. Lu. How did he find his way to the Spirit Talisman Residence?
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