Staring at the items panel in front of him, Charles Evergreen's heart seemed to skip a beat, then began to pound wildly.
"An inventory slot?"
"The Rune Master's Handbook?"
"Six Basic Talisman Skills Achieved?"
Charles Evergreen now fully understood—his golden finger had arrived!
His golden finger was similar to an equipment interface from a game in his previous life. As long as he equipped the right items, he could gain certain skills or attributes.
He didn't yet know exactly what items would meet the equipment conditions.
The "Spirit Refining Stage Six Basic Talisman Crafting Methods" booklet, as the system evaluated, was something akin to a cheap trinket in the Immortal Realm, practically worthless, with a market price likely less than one low-grade energy stone.
It shouldn't have met the conditions for system equipment.
But it was because the shopkeeper at Charles's workplace, an old rune master, had casually recorded some of his own talisman-making insights on it that this little booklet gained additional value.
"Six Basic Talisman Skills Achieved!"
Charles Evergreen's eyes gleamed.
He had already flipped through the booklet so many times that he could recite it in his sleep. He wasn't quite at the point of memorizing it word for word, but he knew every detail about the materials, knowledge, and techniques for the six types of talismans.
But when he tried drawing talismans himself, he instantly realized what it meant to be out of his depth.
Talisman drawing required talent, much like spiritual roots, with strict inherent conditions.
Without this talent, no amount of effort or sweat would make a difference.
Charles Evergreen had struggled for so long without even touching the basics.
That was why, when he claimed he would become a rune master and establish himself in the Immortal Realm, Ally mocked him.
"It's different now! Completely different!"
Charles Evergreen wasn't sure if he now had the talent for talisman drawing, but he definitely felt that his understanding of it had completely transformed.
How could he describe it? It was like a moment of divine enlightenment!
Previously, when he read the contents of the booklet, even with the shopkeeper's annotations of his talisman-making insights, Charles Evergreen only felt that his mind understood them. But the moment he tried drawing, his hands and body would scream, "No, you can't!"
But now, Charles Evergreen could clearly tell that he could do it!
He wasn't just memorizing by rote; he was truly comprehending, with his mind, body, and hands all in sync!
"No, I can't wait. I need to do it right now!"
The overwhelming urge to draw a talisman made him immediately rummage through his belongings and pull out the leftover talisman-making materials he'd bought earlier.
Talisman paper, spiritual ink, talisman brush... all were laid out neatly.
Although these were all low-quality materials, Charles Evergreen didn't plan on drawing anything too difficult. He prepared to draw the simplest 'Purification Talisman' to test the results.
Focusing his mind, calming his breath.
Charles Evergreen bent over the desk, channeling his spiritual energy like flowing water into the talisman brush dipped in spiritual ink. His control was precise and steady, with no trembling or hesitation.
It was as if this was his innate ability, a basic skill honed over ten years, without a single pause.
In one breath, it was done!
As the final stroke fell, Charles Evergreen lifted the brush. The talisman paper glowed briefly before returning to normal, but a slight nudge of spiritual energy would activate its magical effect.
Purification Talisman, complete!
"It's real! This isn't an illusion!"
"This golden finger is truly powerful!"
Charles Evergreen was both excited and invigorated, suddenly filled with bright hopes and expectations for the future.
With these six basic talismans skills achieved, not only could he secure a position in South Mountain Market, but he could also live quite comfortably!
At the very least, there'd be no problem getting a permanent position at the Charm Pavilion, with his income multiplying tenfold!
If he'd had these skills just a day earlier, Ally would never have left him.
Charles Evergreen was filled with satisfaction. His previous plan to leave the Immortal Realm and return to the Mortal World to live as a king was now out of the question.
With such a golden finger at his disposal, of course, he would stay and make a name for himself in the Immortal Realm.
Living in the Mortal World, no matter how free and rich, would only lead to turning into dust in a few decades. How could that compare to the joy of treading the path to immortality?
As for getting revenge on Ally, making her regret and beg for mercy, while necessary, was secondary.
"Stay calm. I need to carefully plan my future development."
Charles Evergreen took a deep breath, silently reminding himself to stay calm.
The golden finger was strong, but there was no denying that he was still weak, with only the second level of Spirit Refining Stage cultivation. In the Immortal Realm, he was nothing more than an ant at the bottom of the hierarchy, easily crushed by anyone slightly stronger.
Just like Ally's lover, the Hu-named cultivator, who was only at the fourth level of the Spirit Refining Stage but killed his original body with a single move, leading to Charles's transmigration.
"First, I should subtly reveal my talisman-drawing skills and pretend to be a 'talisman prodigy'? This way, I could secure a permanent position at the Charm Pavilion, or even join the clan behind it!"
The Charm Pavilion was the largest talisman shop in South Mountain Market, encompassing all basic talismans for the Spirit Refining Stage. They even had most first-rank talismans and a few second-rank treasure talismans as their prized collection.
So getting a job and securing a permanent position there would mean establishing a firm foothold in South Mountain Market.
To go further and become a dedicated rune master for the Charm Pavilion, he would need to join the clan backing it, the well-known Sunset Clan in Yu Dynasty's Immortal Realm!
Once he joined the Sunset Clan and became a dedicated rune master for the Charm Pavilion, he could walk around South Mountain Market with his head held high.
Even in front of a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Stage, he could hold his ground, and they would give him some respect.
But even with his equipment's boost and the six basic talismans skills achieved, Charles Evergreen was still far from being recruited by the Sunset Clan and becoming a dedicated rune master for the Charm Pavilion.
At the very least, he would need to draw actual ranked talismans to be considered.
"Secondly, I need to gather energy stones! Once I have enough energy stones, I can move out of this spiritually barren slum, eat spiritual rice at every meal, and take a Mana Accumulation Pill every week to improve my cultivation! The goal isn't too high, just reaching the fourth level of the Spirit Refining Stage first!"
This was the life Ally had dreamed of.
Now that she was gone, Charles Evergreen was determined to live even better on his own!
"Of course, the most important thing... is to find more equipment!"
A street-level talisman handbook, worth less than one low-grade energy stone, had been equipped just because the shopkeeper had annotated some talisman-making insights on it.
So the conditions for being equipped shouldn't be too strict.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Just as Charles Evergreen was planning his future, someone suddenly knocked on his door.
"Could it be Ally? Coming back to collect her things?"
Charles Evergreen frowned.
He'd been in South Mountain Market for over a decade, always busy chasing after energy stones, and he remembered that his original self had no friends.
Although it was his original self who had been betrayed and beaten to death, Charles still felt aggrieved and was determined to get even when the time came.
But now, if it was Ally and that Hu-named cultivator, he wouldn't act impulsively like his original self. He would endure for now.
He opened the door.
Standing outside was a female cultivator, lovely and graceful, with a delicate oval face and bright, lively eyes—definitely not Ally.
Compared to Ally's cold arrogance, this female cultivator seemed much more approachable and sensible.
Could it be that all women in the Immortal Realm were this beautiful?
Charles Evergreen wondered.
After all, Ally was known as the number one beauty in the rivers and lakes of the Mortal World.
And yet, this random female cultivator was almost as beautiful as Ally.
"And you are...?"
Charles Evergreen asked tentatively.
"Don't play dumb! Pretending to have amnesia and not recognize me?"
The female cultivator looked quite sensible and understanding, but her words were sharp, with a slightly domineering tone.
"So, you got beaten up and nearly lost your life, and now you have real amnesia? You don't even recognize the neighbor who's lived next to you for years?"
Seeing Charles Evergreen's confused expression, the female cultivator asked with some suspicion.
But then she snorted coldly, "I don't care if you have amnesia or not, but you still owe me two low-grade energy stones, and it's time to pay up!"
