Ling Tian nodded with satisfaction upon hearing the butler's words. He took out a shotgun slug, a single-piece lead projectile, the most powerful type of slug for a shotgun.
Then, he took out a piece of paper and drew a formation on it. He handed the slug and the paper to Zhuan.
"I need you to engrave this formation onto the tip of this slug. Be careful during the engraving process and do not ignite the primer. How long will it take you to complete it?"
Zhuan took the slug and examined it repeatedly, then studied the formation Ling Tian had drawn before replying.
"I can engrave it. It will take some time. Initially, it will take about fifteen minutes. If I become more proficient, it might be faster..."
Ling Tian was greatly surprised. Even for him, engraving this formation onto the slug while being careful not to ignite the primer or the gunpowder in the shell would be an extremely difficult task. The lead slug itself was very hard, and any spark during the engraving process that ignited the gunpowder would be disastrous.
Next, Zhuan led Ling Tian and the butler to a room adjacent to the blacksmith's shop. In the center of this room was a workbench, and on shelves on both sides were countless engraving tools of various materials and sizes.
Zhuan selected a slender engraving tool and sharpened it on a whetstone. Then, he stared intently at the talisman Ling Tian had drawn, as if trying to memorize everything on it. He did not begin engraving immediately. Instead, he found a copper basin filled with a liquid. Ling Tian sniffed and realized it was oil.
Suddenly, Zhuan began his work. Holding the slug in his left hand, he submerged it in the oil. His engraving tool moved nimbly, beginning to etch the formation onto the slug's tip.
Ling Tian was dumbfounded. He had seen engravers before, especially those who specialized in micro-engraving, who either wore microscopes on their heads or operated through magnifying glasses. However, Zhuan seemed to have no such difficulty. He didn't even need to look to know where his engraving tool was.
In less than ten minutes, Zhuan stopped his work. He retrieved the slug from the oil and carefully wiped it dry with a cotton cloth. Then, with great reverence, he handed the slug to Ling Tian.
Ling Tian took the slug and clearly saw the formation etched onto the hard tip. He placed his hand over the formation and sensed it. The formation had indeed taken effect, and its power was immense!
"Excellent. I have many more of these slugs. Engrave this formation onto all of them."
"Yes, Master!"
Seeing Ling Tian's command, Zhuan showed no displeasure. Instead, a brilliant smile spread across his face.
Ling Tian learned from the butler that these spirit entities did not require rest or food. As long as they had sufficient spiritual energy, they could work tirelessly. Furthermore, what amazed Ling Tian even more was the high intelligence of these spirit entities. They constantly improved themselves through their work, summarized their experiences, and possessed strong learning and innovation capabilities.
Next, led by the butler, Ling Tian went to another room filled with the Four Treasures of the Study. Ling Tian met the spirit entity named Hui, and then Ling Tian presented large amounts of yellow paper and various materials. Hui began to proactively mix pigments and started drawing talismans.
Ling Tian was shocked to discover that Hui could draw all the talismans he knew, and his speed and proficiency even surpassed Ling Tian's. Ling Tian merely provided the materials and specified the type and quantity of talismans needed. The rest was up to Hui. Hui worked like a printer, wielding his brush with great skill. In less than ten minutes, he drew a talisman, and the patterns on each talisman were as precise as if printed. Ling Tian picked up a talisman and found its quality to be almost perfect, with a hundred percent success rate in its creation! This meant Ling Tian now possessed a talisman factory capable of mass production!
Ling Tian taught Hui almost all the materials in the spiritual realm space that could be used for drawing talismans. He no longer needed to worry about the rest; he could simply pick up the finished products later!
When Ling Tian emerged from the spiritual realm space, the sky had already darkened. The day felt like a dream to Ling Tian, filling him with immense joy. As they came out, Zhuan had already finished engraving over ten slugs, which A Li unceremoniously claimed as her own.
Aurora and the others let out a sigh of relief when they saw Ling Tian emerge. They had been in a state of high alert all day, fearing a sudden attack from the Faceless Ones. Fortunately, their luck seemed to hold.
However, as fate would have it, at that very moment, a dark cloud suddenly enveloped the starry sky. Ling Tian could feel the surrounding magnetic field change. He quickly took out his compass, and indeed, the needle began to tremble violently.
"Be careful, the Faceless Ones are coming again."
"Hehe, bring it on!" A Li cheerfully chambered her Thunderclap M870.
"A Li, you shouldn't use that. You're so powerful in close combat; using a gun might actually hinder your efficiency," Feng Xiaoxi reminded her with concern.
"It's fine, I'm not afraid!"
As they spoke, several furtive figures appeared in the distance and quickly rushed towards Ling Tian's RV.
"There are six of them, two more than last night!"
Ling Tian quickly activated his Heavenly Eye divine ability, his mental power covering an area of nearly a kilometer. He located the targets. With a flash of thought, Ling Tian produced not his Scarlet Flame Treasure Sword, but a spear. This spear was from the weapon rack in the courtyard of the Spiritual Realm Mansion, and Ling Tian had taken a liking to it.
The spear was nearly two meters long. Its shaft was made of Dragon Subduing Wood, a wood known for its hardness. Its cross-section displayed fibrous radial patterns, with almost no visible growth rings, making its branches extremely difficult to break. Hence, it was colloquially known as "sinew wood." The shaft of the spear in Ling Tian's hand was made from Dragon Subduing Wood that had grown for a thousand years. Its hardness was such that even a chainsaw would take a considerable amount of time to cut through it, and it was virtually impossible to break with swords or knives! Furthermore, the toughness of Dragon Subduing Wood was astonishing; even if bent into a circle, it could return to its original shape.