Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune: Starting from the Celestial Master’s Mansion
Chapter 32: 100% success rate of making talismans

Lei Jun scrutinized the Talisman Brush.

“So, the Fifth-Grade Opportunity with an Upper-Moderate Omen ends up here?”

With the brush in hand, he went to see his master, Yuan Mobai.

Yuan Mobai took one look at the brush and chuckled, “Ah, this was my old brush. I haven’t used it in ages. You’ve got some luck, Lei Jun. Out of the five subsidiary veins in the mine, you happened to pick the one with the Vermilion-Tipped Brush.”

“Since this is clearly a fated opportunity for you, keep it and make good use of it.”

Lei Jun thanked Yuan Mobai and carefully stored the brush. After leaving, he turned to look at Wang Guiyuan.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Wang Guiyuan said with a wry smile. “Honestly, I’m really envious of your luck this time, Lei-shidi. But, opportunities like this can’t be forced, and I’ve also received treasures from Master.”

Lei Jun nodded, then nonchalantly took out the Vermilion-Tipped Brush and began inspecting it in front of Wang Guiyuan.

Wang Guiyuan was momentarily speechless. “...Alright, alright. I get it, Lei-shidi. Don’t rub it in.”

He laughed and bade farewell.

After parting ways, Lei Jun didn’t immediately return to the Blue Stone Ink Mine beneath his private residence. Instead, he performed a Ritual Altar Ceremony in the mansion and began testing the new brush for talisman crafting.

Using Talisman Ink, Talisman Paper, and Talisman Water, Lei Jun adhered to the Tianshi Mansion’s standard materials: cinnabar, yellow paper, and Mount Longhu spring water. Although he worked with blue stone ink daily, his current cultivation level wasn’t high enough to handle such superior talisman ink. Attempting to use it wouldn’t harm him but would lead to wasted time, mana, and resources due to failed talismans.

For cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Stage, achieving flawless success in talisman crafting was rare. At the early stage, Tianshi Mansion disciples typically managed a 50% success rate—creating five successful talismans out of ten attempts was considered excellent.

Yuan Mobai had often praised Lei Jun for his quick grasp of spirit talismans and his natural talent. True to his master’s expectations, Lei Jun achieved an average success rate of 60% in the early stage of Foundation Establishment. When crafting his Life-Bound Spirit Talismans—the Spirit Strike Talisman and the Wind Talisman—his success rate reached as high as 70%.

Over time, his daily crafting capacity grew from three talismans to over ten. Upon advancing to the Intermediate Foundation Stage, Lei Jun’s average success rate climbed to 70%, and for his Life-Bound Talismans, it reached 80%. That was while using an ordinary Black-Brush Talisman Pen.

Now, with the Vermilion-Tipped Brush, Lei Jun focused entirely, circling the incense table as he performed ritual steps. Each stroke of the brush seemed to merge with the wafting incense smoke and the faint aura above his head, rising to converge in the heavens.

The first talisman—success!

The second—success again.

Third, fourth, fifth, sixth—success, one after another.

Unfortunately, the seventh attempt failed. But the eighth, ninth, and tenth talismans were successful, completing three more spirit talismans.

“Ninety percent success rate...” Lei Jun exhaled deeply, a satisfied smile spreading across his face. He had been crafting basic Warding Talismans, not his Life-Bound Talismans, but achieving a 90% success rate was extraordinary. Many Tianshi Mansion disciples wouldn’t reach this level until the Perfection Stage of Foundation Establishment.

“Plus, the mana consumption wasn’t as high as I expected.” After a brief rest, Lei Jun meditated in a lotus position to recover his energy.

If he had been using the Dragon Horse Scale, his mana reserves would have been nearly depleted. The Vermilion-Tipped Brush, however, felt entirely different—gentle, steady, and effortlessly adaptive. Lei Jun sensed it wasn’t even operating at its full potential. Instead, it matched his current cultivation and mana reserves, keeping pace with his abilities.

As Lei Jun’s cultivation advanced, the brush would unlock more of its capabilities. While it would demand greater mana in the future, it would always harmonize with his physical state.

“Smart design—perfect for use on Blue Star,” Lei Jun remarked with a smile.

Over the next few days, Lei Jun continued experimenting with the Vermilion-Tipped Brush, crafting other spirit talismans. For his Life-Bound Talismans, the Spirit Strike Talisman and Wind Talisman, the brush allowed him to achieve an astounding 100% success rate. Ten talismans drawn, ten talismans flawless—no wasted paper or ink.

“At this rate, once I reach the High Foundation Stage, I’ll likely achieve a perfect success rate for all basic talismans,” Lei Jun mused. For now, he carefully stored the Vermilion-Tipped Brush, nurturing it while focusing on advancing his cultivation.

Under the green glow of the Blue Stone Ink Mine, Lei Jun’s Dao Foundation Altar gradually erected additional curtains, marking his steady progress toward the High Foundation Stage.

One day, while meditating in the mine, Lei Jun sensed something amiss. Opening his eyes, he found someone else in the cave—a tall, strikingly beautiful figure with perfect proportions: Tang Xiaotang, absent for many days.

“I heard after returning to the mountain that you were sent to the mines by Junior Uncle. It gave me quite a shock.”

The tall girl raised a Spirit Gathering Talisman smudged with Mist-Wrapped Cloud Crystals. “After hearing the details from Junior Uncle and Senior Brother Wang, I finally felt relieved.”

Lei Jun smiled. “I only wanted some peace and quiet to focus on cultivation, so Master arranged this for me. Sorry to have worried you, Little Senior Sister.”

Tang Xiaotang teased, “You and your schemes.”

Lei Jun paused his cultivation to accept the talisman from her hands. “I’m free to move about, but I’m too lazy to leave. Senior Brother Wang keeps me updated on the outside world. I heard you had quite the success during your latest outing.”

Tang Xiaotang grinned. “Oh, it was nothing special.”

In truth, “nothing special” didn’t begin to cover Tang Xiaotang’s accomplishments. As the year turned, the greatest news across the land was the rise of the Tianshi Mansion’s new generation of powerhouses. Besides Second Tianshi Xu Yuanzhen and Young Tianshi Li Zhengxuan, there was now a third name: Tang Xianzi. Unlike the composed and steady Li Zhengxuan, Tang Xiaotang’s approach was bold and unconventional, reminiscent of Xu Yuanzhen.

While she brought glory to the Tianshi Mansion, she also stirred considerable controversy—or, to put it bluntly, caused plenty of headaches for the sect’s elders.

“There’s not much to say about the rest, but I did accomplish something satisfying right before returning,” Tang Xiaotang remarked, meeting Lei Jun’s gaze. “I heard from Senior Sister about how she first encountered you before bringing you back to the mountain.”

Lei Jun smiled faintly. “That time…”

It was thanks to his careful readings of omens and his fortune-telling that he survived. Reflecting on it now, Lei Jun couldn’t help but feel bitterly amused.

Unlike the protagonists in the web novels he read back on Blue Star, whose initial troubles were often caused by external forces, Lei Jun’s near-fatal predicament came from himself. His mere existence was a threat.

As a physical transmigrator, he had carried his original body across worlds. Back on Blue Star, he’d read theories about how a transmigrator’s body could be akin to a moving periodic table or a repository of unknown bacteria and viruses. While fascinating in theory, experiencing it firsthand was far from pleasant.

To this world, Lei Jun was a walking plague—a danger that had to be eliminated. It was a miracle he hadn’t ended up as ashes in a small urn upon arrival.

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