Chapter 51: The Spirit Officer Summoning Talisman!
Though Li Yanchu appeared to be wandering leisurely, he was in fact subtly activating Qi Sight at several key locations. With the Qingyi Temple Festival approaching, the eccentric and mysterious figures hiding in Wei City were bound to make a move again, and Li Yanchu hoped to uncover some clues in advance.
Unfortunately, after circling around for quite some time, he found nothing unusual. After all, the Qi Sight was not omnipotent. It was merely a Daoist method for observing qi, and many countermeasures existed to conceal one’s presence from it. Thus, it could only serve as a supplementary tool.
After returning to Qingyun Temple, Li Yanchu began preparing to draw a talisman. This time, he intended to craft the Spirit Officer Summoning Talisman.
It was a divine combat talisman, usable by disciples who had mastered the Deity Summoning Art. With it, one could summon the protection and might of Spirit Officer Wang, a divine general and guardian deity of Daoism.
According to folk legend, Spirit Officer Wang was the chief among the Thirty-Six Divine Generals of Celestial Court[1], known for his red hair, full beard, armored form, and the whip he wielded. The Spirit Officer Summoning Talisman could invoke his divine power.
Li Yanchu drew one hundred talismans in total, and from the stack, carefully selected the one with the strongest spiritual resonance.
“Decree of Bestowal!”
Li Yanchu’s gaze was resolute. Mimicking the familiar voice of the Great Dao, he spoke. And sure enough, the Spirit Officer Summoning Talisman began to change, and a look of joy surfaced in his eyes. However, this time, the tidal surge of the Dao's presence lasted several full breaths before slowly dissipating.
Seeing this, Li Yanchu cast a Qi Sight spell on himself.
Merit points left: 1,130.
Originally, after slaying numerous evil spirits, Li Yanchu’s accumulated merit points had exceeded 2,000. But this single act of enhancing the Spirit Officer Summoning Talisman had consumed a full 1,000 points of merit!