Chapter 105: Refining Talismans

Shi Xianyu arrived at the Wishing Pool and discovered that the number of goldfish had indeed increased significantly. Most of them came from the Dragon God Village, which worshipped her; the villagers prayed for favorable weather and a bountiful harvest, as well as for peace, prosperity, and many children for their families.

Perhaps because she was the one being worshipped, Shi Xianyu could hear these types of wishes with exceptional clarity. Even when the voices were numerous and chaotic, she could accurately distinguish between them, clearly seeing the faces and dwellings of those who prayed, and the emotions—whether tears or laughter—were conveyed vividly into her heart.

"Although the drought problem has been solved, because the planting season was missed, it seems every household in the village is running low on grain," Shi Xianyu said, withdrawing her spiritual energy. She asked her divine attendant, "Are the vegetables and fruits I planted in the Spirit Herb Garden ripe?"

The attendant replied, "Two batches have matured. Does the Primordial Sovereign wish to send them to the villagers?"

"Yes," Shi Xianyu nodded. "The plants in the Spirit Herb Garden grow well. If I send them a batch, perhaps they will learn how to select and breed seeds. With better seeds, next year's harvest will be better."

Hearing this, the attendant raised his hand and summoned two cranes from the sky.

Shi Xianyu was slightly stunned and couldn't help but ask, "Didn't you say it would take at least a hundred years for them to gain spiritual wisdom?"

The attendant explained, "Living near the Immortal Palace and relying on year after year of subtle influence naturally takes over a century. But if one directly channels spiritual energy into them to refine their essence and body, a day or two is sufficient."

The attendant cast a spell, wrapping up the fruits that had ripened in the garden during this period. The two cranes picked them up easily and flew off gracefully, the heavy bundles appearing as light as feathers to them.

The attendant then asked Shi Xianyu, "The Spirit Gathering Furnace is currently brimming with energy, enough to restore the Alchemy Pavilion. If we accumulate a bit more, we could restore the Astrological Observatory. I wonder what the Sovereign intends to do?"

In the past, the attendant had always made such decisions directly. Having the choice suddenly thrown to her left Shi Xianyu feeling a bit lost.

The name "Alchemy Pavilion" made it clear it was a place for alchemy. With so many ripe herbs in the Spirit Herb Garden, it was the perfect place to process them. But what was the Astrological Observatory? Why did it require more energy than the Alchemy Pavilion?

Shi Xianyu asked, "What is the use of the Astrological Observatory?"

The attendant pondered for a moment and said cautiously, "The Astrological Observatory can observe the changes in the celestial phenomena across the three thousand worlds."

Shi Xianyu frowned. It sounded beautiful, but for now, she should focus on what was practical.

"Restore the Alchemy Pavilion," she said.

Perhaps it was her imagination, but the attendant felt Shi Xianyu had changed—her gaze was firmer, her tone more composed. Was this... what they called growth? Had she truly become far-sighted and transcendent, no longer limited by petty emotions, and had she begun to shoulder the heavy responsibility of restoring the Immortal Palace?

That should have been what he hoped for, so why was his mood so complicated now?

The attendant silently suppressed his chaotic thoughts, focused his energy, and drew out the refined spiritual power from the furnace. The luster of the furnace dimmed visibly, replaced by dense points of light swirling around. Like particles of sunlight, they glimmered brilliantly, following the attendant's guidance to a peak not far from the Spirit Herb Garden, where they coalesced into a golden pagoda!

The pagoda occupied the summit, so its base was not large. Surrounding the base in eight directions were eight red-topped purple alchemy furnaces—it was undoubtedly the Alchemy Pavilion. The attendant flicked his wide sleeve, and a white jade arch bridge appeared between the Spirit Herb Garden and the Alchemy Pavilion.

Shi Xianyu stepped onto the bridge and entered the newly restored pavilion. Though called an Alchemy Pavilion, it could also be used for crafting talismans, forging artifacts, and even refining souls, provided one mastered the methods.

She walked in and looked around. As expected, it looked beautiful on the outside but was empty on the inside. The Spirit Herb Garden had no herbs, and the Alchemy Pavilion had no recipes.

Fortunately, the place could identify and store medicinal materials, so it was not entirely useless. The nine-story pagoda was filled with countless storage boxes stretching to the top, capable of holding an unknown amount of herbs.

Shi Xianyu casually placed a small tomato from the garden into a box. When she touched it with her finger, a wealth of identifying information appeared in her mind: "Small tomato. Fresh fruit type, bright color, sweet taste, seedless. Consuming it can promote saliva, quench thirst, aid digestion, clear heat, detoxify, cool the blood, and soothe the liver..."

Curious, she walked out of the pavilion, plucked a handful of wild grass, threw it into a box, and touched it: "Fresh herb type, acrid and bitter taste, slightly cold nature. Diuretic, reduces swelling, resolves phlegm, used for ascites, edema, coughs, and ringworm..."

Thoughtful, she suddenly turned and left, returning from her sleeping quarters to the basement of her great-great-grandfather's old house. She pulled a piece of foxtail grass from outside the courtyard, returned to the Immortal Palace's Alchemy Pavilion, and tossed it into the box.

"Foxtail grass. Fresh herb type. Clears heat, promotes diuresis, dispels wind, clears vision, and detoxifies. Can treat malnutrition, dysentery, sores, warts, and ringworm..."

She was slightly surprised and asked the attendant, "Why didn't the wild grass from before have a name?"

"Because the Sovereign did not know its name, thus the Alchemy Pavilion did not know it either," the attendant replied.

"I see." Shi Xianyu looked up at the beautiful pagoda. "It's a pity there are no recipes. Knowing this information alone is useless; I suppose this is all I can do for now."

To practice alchemy, she needed to know not only the properties of the herbs but also how to process them—whether to soak, dry, roast, or grind them into powder. What were the dosages? How should they be combined? The knowledge required was too deep; as a layperson, she couldn't master it without years of effort.

Thinking about it, she had restored the Alchemy Pavilion, but it seemed... she had restored a void?

Noticing Shi Xianyu's troubled expression, the attendant suggested, "Sovereign, perhaps you could try crafting talismans first. I learned the methods for several types of talismans in my early years and can teach them to you."

Shi Xianyu shook her head. "The Alchemy Pavilion is empty; there is no talisman paper or cinnabar."

The attendant said, "It is ideal to use materials infused with spiritual energy, but if there are none, even a leaf from the roadside can be used. The Sovereign only needs to learn to channel spiritual energy into it to create a talisman."

Shi Xianyu nodded. "Let's try that, then. I am just starting, so I don't need high-quality materials; it would be a waste."

There was a desk inside the pavilion suitable for drawing talismans. The attendant taught her the methods for three common types: one for curing illness, which, when burned and dissolved in water, could mobilize the body's righteous energy to dispel sickness; one for self-protection, which, when sealed and carried, could ward off ghosts and evil to ensure peace; and one for sealing, used specifically to suppress demons. The stronger the demon, the more powerful the talisman required.

Shi Xianyu had not yet reached the step of injecting spiritual energy; her current task was to copy the patterns the attendant taught her and memorize them firmly. For some reason, these seemingly disorderly lines and dots were incredibly difficult to draw.

The attendant watched silently for a while, then suddenly transformed into the size of an adult man. He gently grasped her hand from behind to guide her brush, whispering, "A talisman has no fixed form; it is made spiritual by energy."

The remaining part was completed in one stroke.

Shi Xianyu set down her brush and gently rubbed her wrist. Glancing at him from the corner of her eye, she negotiated, "Why don't you... turn back to your smaller form?"

The attendant looked at her, confused.

Shi Xianyu said, "You're too big; it's a bit overwhelming."