Chapter 515 - 515: Completely Convinced

Zhao Yuan put down the Wolf Hair Brush and pointed to a stack of drawn Talismans on the desk. "All the Talismans I drew are right here. If you don't believe me, you can come over and inspect them."

Cheng Haoyu immediately rushed over, carefully picking up the Talismans Zhao Yuan had drawn and inspecting them one by one.

The moment he held the Talismans, he knew they were the real deal, not forgeries.

Every single Talisman emanated an exceptionally pure and surging Qi, fully meeting the standard of a Spirit Talisman.

But Cheng Haoyu still noticed that these Talismans Zhao Yuan had drawn were slightly different in some details compared to the ones hanging outside.

'Are these differences because his skill was lacking and he couldn't draw the Talisman properly? But if a Talisman isn't drawn well, shouldn't it be an immediate failure? Why did it still succeed?'

These questions made Cheng Haoyu's head spin.

Ying Ji and Hao Li also walked over to the desk. They each picked up a Talisman, and after inspecting them, they couldn't help but glance at each other, both seeing the same surprise in the other's eyes.

They knew Zhao Yuan was highly skilled at Alchemy and Artifact Creation and was also well-versed in the arts of the Witch Priest and Tripod Food. They just never expected his ability with Talismans to be so formidable!

Those were Spirit Level Talismans!

Zhao Yuan's success rate for drawing them actually reached thirty percent!

It wasn't that no other Cultivators could achieve this success rate. But those who could were High Level Talisman Masters who had been steeped in the art for decades, almost all of them in their forties, fifties, or even older. But how old was Zhao Yuan? Around twenty. To be on par with a High Level Talisman Master at his age... he was simply a genius!

And from the sound of his voice, he didn't even seem that satisfied with this result...

His casual flex left Ying Ji and Hao Li speechless.

Seeing Cheng Haoyu holding the Talismans motionless for a long while, Zhao Yuan waved a hand in front of his face. "Hey, man. Spacing out? So, what do you think? Are these Talismans I drew satisfactory?"

Cheng Haoyu snapped out of it and said, "The Qi within these Talismans has certainly reached the standard of a Spirit Talisman. But there's one thing. I noticed that in some details, these Talismans differ from the ones hanging outside... What's the reason for that?"

Although it was a question, his tone was no longer cold and sarcastic, nor was it aggressive. Instead, he spoke with the humility of someone seeking guidance.

Zhao Yuan's skill had completely won him over.

"It's like this. I noticed the Talismans outside had some problems with how certain details were handled. While it wouldn't cause the Drawing Talisman process to fail, it does weaken the Talisman's power. So, I made some modifications to fix those issues."

"Wha... what? You modified a Spirit Talisman?" Cheng Haoyu's jaw dropped. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

'These Spirit Talismans have existed for hundreds of years, refined and perfected by countless individuals. They might not be one hundred percent flawless, but they aren't something just anyone can come along and modify!'

Ying Ji and Hao Li, however, involuntarily recalled how Zhao Yuan had helped improve the Ghost Language and the Nine Fire Exquisite Tower. They couldn't help but mutter, "This guy, Zhao Yuan, how is he always able to improve upon well-established Magic and Talisman Arrays? How is his brain wired? He's simply a freak of nature!"

"What are you two muttering about?" Zhao Yuan asked curiously.

"Nothing," Ying Ji and Hao Li said in unison. Afraid that Zhao Yuan would find out they were calling him a freak of nature, they quickly changed the subject. "Do your modifications actually improve things? I hope they don't backfire and weaken the Talisman's power."

This was the very thing Cheng Haoyu was worried about.

"Why not test it and see if it's an improvement?" Zhao Yuan picked up a Thunder Light Talisman and threw it with a flick of his wrist.

With a WHOOSH, the talisman paper flew out the window and into the villa's garden, where it burst into sparks and instantly turned to ash. A moment later, several bolts of lightning fell from the clear sky, striking the garden and unleashing a deafening, rumbling peal of thunder.

After a moment of stunned silence, Cheng Haoyu turned to Ying Ji and Hao Li and asked, "Did you count how many bolts of lightning struck just now?"

"I think it was three bolts?" Ying Ji said, trying to remember.

Hao Li confirmed, "That's right. It was three."

"It was actually three... really three..." Cheng Haoyu murmured, his face a mask of disbelief.

He was acting quite strangely, prompting Ying Ji to ask with concern, "What's wrong? Are you alright?"

Cheng Haoyu gave a wry smile and replied, "I'm fine. Just shocked."

"Shocked? What do you mean?" Ying Ji asked, confused. Hao Li also looked curious.

Cheng Haoyu explained, "I've used the Thunder Light Talisman before. It can only summon two bolts of lightning. But the one Zhao Yuan just threw summoned three!"

It dawned on Hao Li. "So you're saying Zhao Yuan's modification of the Thunder Light Talisman was a success?"

Cheng Haoyu said without hesitation, "More than a success! This isn't a modification; he basically upgraded the Thunder Light Talisman to version 2.0!"

"You flatter me," Zhao Yuan said with a smile, pointing to the other types of Talismans. "Want to try the others?"

"No, no, let's not." Cheng Haoyu waved his hands frantically. "I'm sure the rest of these Talismans are all stronger than the originals. We shouldn't waste any more. Let's save them for the Raccoon Power."

"Alright." Zhao Yuan nodded in agreement. He didn't want to waste them either; after all, Drawing Spirit Talismans consumed a great deal of mental energy and Wish Power.

Ying Ji said, "Cheng Haoyu, you said earlier that if Zhao Yuan proved his skill, you would formally apologize. Isn't it about time you made good on that promise?"

Cheng Haoyu was a good sport about it and immediately offered Zhao Yuan a formal apology. Afterward, he said with a sincere expression, "With you on this mission, our chances of success are sure to increase dramatically!"

Ying Ji rolled her eyes at him and said irritably, "I told you Zhao Yuan was incredible, but you refused to believe me. Now you've been put in your place. Satisfied?"

Cheng Haoyu looked a bit sheepish. "This mission is extremely difficult; I had no choice but to be cautious. But even though I ate my words, getting to know a Fellow Daoist as powerful as Zhao Yuan was well worth it."

After a bit more banter, Cheng Haoyu asked, "Fellow Daoist Zhao, how are your martial arts skills?"

"They're decent enough," Zhao Yuan replied.

Cheng Haoyu said, "According to my intel, the Raccoon Power has thick hide, tough flesh, and immense strength. It's already caused several houses to collapse over on Putuo Mountain, leading to injuries and even deaths. The Raccoon Power spends most of its time underground, so the locals just assume they're geological disasters and don't suspect anything else. When the time comes, we'll definitely have to fight it head-on. If your martial arts skills are just average, you can stay back and harass it from a distance with Sister Ying. Fatty Hao and I will take the front line and act as the MTs."

Zhao Yuan replied, "I have no objections. I'll follow the plan."

"Then it's settled!" Cheng Haoyu declared.