Chapter Eighteen: We Cultivators Never Admit Defeat

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What else could Jiang Wan do but carry out a task? Zi Xiang followed her at a moderate distance as she dashed out. Based on her earlier flights around, Jiang Wan found herself at the sect’s Talisman Paper Hall.

The talisman paper used by cultivators was manufactured here.

This place was comparable to a large ancient courtyard with three successive gates, occupying twice the usual area.

She casually approached someone for help.

“Beautiful senior sister, may I assist you with something?”

The young female cultivator in a pale yellow dress looked down and saw an adorable little child, who complimented her beauty. Children never lie, so the girl immediately smiled brightly.

“Whose child are you? This is not a place to play. Go back quickly!”

Jiang Wan genuinely found this female cultivator attractive and immediately clung to her leg, refusing to let go.

“Pretty sister, let me help you with some work.”

The cultivator named Wu Ran, only at the sixth level of Qi Refinement, was an ordinary disciple. Seeing Jiang Wan’s cuteness, she wiggled her leg but didn’t move.

“You little girl, you’re pretty strong for your size. You’re not even as tall as my ankle yet. What can you help me with? How about pulling weeds?”

Jiang Wan: “Alright!”

She followed Wu Ran into the Talisman Paper Hall, where many people were busy at work, with numerous processes involved in making talisman paper.

Wu Ran led her to the back mountain and pointed casually to a spot for her to play—pulling weeds.

Wu Ran then took out a huge axe, shouted loudly, muscles bulging as her arms doubled in size, and began chopping down trees.

Jiang Wan: …

Stunned, she pulled out a handful of grass.

[Good Deed of the Day: 2/3.

Task Reward: Formless Strange Fire.

Formless Strange Fire: Can leap through space to burn, extinguished form is invisible, ignites instantly with a thought.]

Jiang Wan looked at the handful of grass in her hand, then at the transparent flame in her system backpack.

Grass—what a strange yet good reward.

She tossed the grass aside and watched the little Wu Ran go berserk chopping down a giant tree—a striking contrast!

With a thunderous crash, the tree, thick enough to be embraced by two hands, toppled.

Wu Ran walked over with the axe, cutting the seven or eight meter tall tree into several sections.

Then she stored them in a storage pouch, her body returning to normal size as her physical cultivation technique dissipated.

“Little girl, is big sister impressive?”

Jiang Wan nodded enthusiastically.

“Impressive, very impressive! Sister, what’s your name? I’m Jiang Wan.”

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“I’m Wu Ran. Jiang… Jiang Wan, are you the daughter the sect leader just brought back?”

Jiang Wan: “Uh, yes, but that’s not important.

Sister, we’re so fated. What else can I help you with? I love helping others.”

Wu Ran looked down at the little child.

“Then come, help big sister chop trees!”

She actually handed over an axe, and Jiang Wan took it, helping to chop trees.

One big, one small—Wu Ran the muscle-bound little girl, and a three-year-old wielding a large axe chopping smaller trees.

Wu Ran’s task today was to cut down twenty trees. Giving the little child an axe was purely to pass the time, but unexpectedly, she really helped chop down a tree—just one tree.

Wu Ran stared wide-eyed, incredulous, looking at Jiang Wan, then the tree, then the axe in Jiang Wan’s hand.

Could this low-level magical tool, the Tiger Head Axe, be a divine artifact?

[Good Deed of the Day: 3/3

Task Reward: Pill to Mend the Sky.]

Pill to Mend the Sky: Repairs injuries in the dantian.

Jiang Wan felt terrifyingly powerful.

“Sister Wu Ran, you take this tree, I’ll chop down another.”

Wu Ran was momentarily stunned, then went to another tree, chopping away.

Zi Xiang, following from the shadows, marveled at her junior sister’s strength.

Fairy Xueyun hovered in the air, shocked to see the little child helping chop trees below. Was this really her own daughter?

How could she be so strong? The key was she was also so enthusiastic.

Wait, did she really come here just to help chop trees?

Jiang Wan chopped three trees before Wu Ran stopped her and led her to strip bark off the wood, cut it into pieces, and then manufacture talisman paper.

Holding a stack of freshly made talisman paper, Jiang Wan was very happy.

Now this was interesting!

The next day, she went to the Talisman Brush Hall and met Wu Ran again. The big and small shared a glance.

Wu Ran understood, squatted down, and whispered:

“Junior sister, you went to the Talisman Paper Hall yesterday, now the Talisman Brush Hall today. Will you go to the Cinnabar Hall tomorrow?”

Jiang Wan smiled at her. Wu Ran snapped her fingers.

“I get it. Follow me!”

Jiang Wan followed her inside, listening as Wu Ran explained:

“This talisman paper is usually made from cloud mulberry trees and cattails. Other materials can be used, but for low-level disciples in the cultivation world, talisman paper is in the greatest demand.

Talisman brushes are different. One brush lasts a long time. The handle is easy to make, but the bristles—few are truly wolf hair; most are weasel fur.

Now watch me make one, then you can try it yourself.”

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On the third day, she went to the Cinnabar Hall, where Wu Ran was already waiting.

After three days, she had obtained talisman paper, talisman brushes, and cinnabar. The only problem: she hadn’t reached the third level of Qi Refinement yet. Below that level, one cannot release spiritual power externally or draw talismans.

What she drew was only shapes, without spiritual power.

As she left the Cinnabar Hall, Jiang Wan bowed deeply to Wu Ran.

“Thank you, Sister Wu Ran.”

[As the supreme Heavenly Demon, you bear countless karmic burdens. Ordinary people cannot withstand your bow. Yet this lowly Qi Refinement little girl in the cultivation world survived your bow. You must have used supreme divine power to fully suppress your cultivation and countless karmas to avoid harming her. Such difficulty is rare.

Your sincerity is evident as day and moon.

Additional Reward: Primordial Dao Bone.]

Jiang Wan was momentarily stunned. Wu Ran immediately helped her up, gently rubbing her little face.

Wu Ran: Wow, so cute; the texture is really nice.

“Ahem, junior sister, what are you doing? Now you have enough materials to draw talismans, but your cultivation is still too low. You must work hard to cultivate!”

Jiang Wan resolved to diligently cultivate until she reached the third level of Qi Refinement.

“All right, Sister Wu Ran.”

Before she could finish, someone interrupted. A bamboo slip flew toward Wu Ran and struck her, but she caught it skillfully.

Still, the force made her stagger back three steps.

Jiang Wan frowned at the newcomer, who had a long face and slitted eyes. He arrogantly lifted his chin, glanced at Jiang Wan, and said to Wu Ran:

“Wu Ran, sign the annulment of our engagement.

Your dantian is shattered; you must now follow the path of physical cultivation. You no longer match me, a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. Sign the annulment letter and say you willingly broke the engagement, so we can both save face.”

Wu Ran grunted softly, glanced at the bamboo slip, then took out a talisman brush from her storage pouch, wrote her name, and tossed the slip back to the young man.

“Wang Lin, I thank you for your kindness in not marrying me today.”

Wang Lin, pleased, smiled slyly.

“No need to thank me. You’re a waste now. Even if you switch to physical cultivation, the path is difficult. Goodbye. Never mention we were ever engaged—I can’t afford that disgrace.”

Wang Lin said this and flew away on his sword.

Jiang Wan turned and handed Wu Ran a jade bottle.

“Sister Wu Ran, here. We cultivators never admit defeat.”