UGB Chapter 38 Talismans are great, I need to learn them.
Chapter 38 Talismans are great, I need to learn them.
Feng Lisheng received the order and went to Jisaiguo to deliver the demon soldiers.
In the mountains and forests more than 30 miles away from Taoxi Valley.
A staggering figure finally stopped, panting heavily.
The fleeing young Taoist priest, leaning on his knees, was still panting heavily, his chest heaving violently.
He looked back towards the direction of Cuiyun Mountain, whose outline had long since disappeared into the night, leaving only a faint blue shadow on the horizon.
Even now, recalling the sensation he felt just before he fled still sends chills down his spine and fills him with dread.
Just a moment ago, he clearly felt a gaze upon him.
A gaze cast from the eyes of the Green Cloud Mountain God!
It lingered on me for a mere instant?
But in that brief moment, his blood almost froze, and he even stopped breathing for a moment.
"Pooh!"
The young Taoist spat fiercely on the ground, suppressing the fear in his heart.
A surge of overwhelming hatred welled up again in an instant.
The master is dead, and Qingyang Temple is gone too.
He was just a little demon who had just taken human form. Where could he find refuge in the future?
The young Taoist clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, and growled, "Mount Cuiyun...you just wait!"
After catching his breath,
Instead of heading directly east to Chechi Kingdom, he turned north first.
He hurried and hurried, and finally reached an inconspicuous little hill.
On the mountainside of that small hill, there is a simple Taoist temple, with blue tiles and earthen walls, quietly hidden deep in the pine forest.
The person living in that Taoist temple was a fellow Taoist who was on good terms with the master.
This abbot was a rogue cultivator who had transformed from a gray wolf spirit, and his Daoist name was Canglangzi.
This Canglangzi is quite well-known within a hundred miles.
The young Taoist priest composed himself and stepped forward to knock on the temple gate.
When Cang Langzi opened the door and saw that it was an acquaintance, he was immediately taken aback.
The young Taoist was disheveled and terrified, looking as if he had been chased by a demon.
"What happened to you? Why are you in such a mess?"
Before he could finish asking his question, the young Taoist priest rushed into the house.
He knelt down with a thud and started crying, tears streaming down his face.
While crying, he embellished his account of his master's tragic death and the near extinction of the Qingyang Temple.
When he got emotional, he beat his chest and stomped his feet, tears streaming down his face. He described the Cuiyun Mountain God as a ruthless demon who killed without blinking an eye, while he himself had barely escaped with his life.
Canglangzi frowned as he listened, stroking his beard and remaining silent in deep thought.
Finally, the young Taoist lowered his voice, leaned close to Canglangzi, and said with a glint in his eyes:
"Fellow Daoist, do you know why the Mountain God of Cuiyun would rather forgo the carefree life of a mortal immortal and instead choose to remain a mountain god in that dilapidated temple?"
Cang Langzi raised an eyebrow: "Why?"
The young Taoist said mysteriously, "Before my master died, he discovered a tremendous secret!"
He paused deliberately, letting his words linger in Canglangzi's mind, before continuing in a lower voice:
"Deep within Mount Cuiyun, a supreme Buddhist treasure is being nurtured! It is said that this treasure can ward off all calamities and is a rare and precious object. Whoever obtains it will easily achieve immortality! The reason the Mount Cuiyun god clings to his divine position is because he wants to possess this supreme treasure exclusively!"
Upon hearing this, Canglangzi's pupils constricted slightly, his breathing became heavier, and a glint of greed flashed in his eyes.
"Is this really true?" he asked carefully.
"Absolutely true!" the young Taoist said through gritted teeth. "My master was poisoned by the Green Cloud Mountain God precisely because he stumbled upon this matter!"
Canglangzi stroked his beard, a growing greed rising in his eyes, yet a sliver of doubt remained in his heart.
"Such rare treasures of heaven and earth are not something that we rogue cultivators can even dream of!"
The young Daoist sneered and advised, "Fellow Daoist, you're being foolish! That Cuiyun Mountain God is merely a newly ascended immortal; how much power could he possibly possess? If this matter gets out, powerful figures will surely come to seize it. We only need to deliver this message to the appropriate places, and we can take advantage of the chaos to get a share of the spoils. Why worry about not having an opportunity? Even the bodies of those foolish cultivators who come here are a feast for the eyes."
Canglangzi's eyes flickered for a long time before he finally nodded slowly.
"That makes sense... Where are you planning to go?"
The young Taoist priest stood up and pointed in the east.
"The Kingdom of Chechi!"
A ruthless glint flashed in his eyes as he said, "My master has a cousin, whose Daoist name is Yangli Daxian. He wields considerable power in Chechi Kingdom, being its third-in-command. I will go to him now and ask him to avenge my master!"
When he mentioned the words "Yangli the Great Immortal," a sinister smile curled at the corner of his mouth.
Upon hearing this, Canglangzi's expression changed slightly.
He had naturally heard of the reputation of the three demon forces in Chechi Kingdom.
The three immortals in that Taoist temple were all incredibly powerful, and it was said that even the king of Chechi Kingdom treated them as honored guests.
If that Sheep Power Immortal were willing to lend a helping hand...
He quickly cupped his hands and said, "In that case, let's split up! I'll contact a few friends and spread the word that there's a treasure on Mount Cuiyun, so the mountain god won't have a moment's peace, and we can fish in troubled waters!"
The young Taoist nodded emphatically, then turned and left the Taoist temple.
Outside, the night wind howled past.
He conjured a gust of demonic wind, and with a sway of his body, flew straight eastward.
The night wind blew in, making his robes flutter loudly.
He looked down and saw that the outline of Cuiyun Mountain had long since disappeared into the night, leaving only the dark earth stretching endlessly into the distance.
A sinister smile gradually appeared on his face.
Cuiyun Mountain God, you killed my master! I will make you the target of everyone's hatred and wish you a terrible death!
The Great Immortal Yang Li of Chechi Kingdom is far more capable than my master!
Then I'll see how you die!
The night wind howled, carrying the Taoist boy's figure as he swiftly disappeared into the eastern horizon.
……
……
Qingyang Temple, located in the eastern suburbs of Jisaguo.
The hall was dimly lit.
Several officials leaned against the pillars and corners of the corridor, some holding sticks, some with their arms crossed, some resting with their eyes closed, and others chatting in hushed tones.
The topic inevitably turns to the young man who took control of the entire Taoist temple overnight.
The people in the temple, tied to the pillar, hung their heads dejectedly, their bodies aching and weak, and no one dared to utter a sound.
Only the fat cook, unable to bear the thirst, drooped his head and groaned, "Gentlemen...give me some water...I'm tied up so tightly, I can hardly breathe..."
No one cares about him.
The officer A yawned: "So, what do you think that little immortal is doing right now?"
The officer opened his eyes: "Hey, the chief just said he wanted to take him as a disciple, so he must be diligently cultivating."
Officer C waved his hand: "To me, he looks more like a Taoist immortal. He has a refined and gentle air about him, and there is not a trace of the solemnity of a monk in his eyes. Instead, he has a bit of the air of a Taoist immortal."
The constable grinned: "What's so difficult about that? Just shave your head, put on a monk's robe, and you'll be a handsome monk. You'll be both a Buddhist and a Taoist, wouldn't that be better?"
As they chatted and laughed, their gazes all turned to the talisman room at the deepest part of the temple.
Only that one window in the entire Taoist temple still had a solitary lamp lit.
The dim light shone through the window paper, casting the silhouette of a tall, handsome young man sitting at a table.
Zhong Xuan held the brush above the talisman paper in his right hand, not putting it down for a long time.
His aura was cool and calm, a stark contrast to the noise in the hall.
The interior of the talisman room was simply furnished.
There was only an old wooden table, an oil lamp, a book of talismans, a few brushes and ink, and an inconspicuous wooden fish.
The flickering lights cast long and short shadows.
Suddenly, a sharp, piercing voice came from the wooden fish, filled with resentment and malice.
"What's the use of clinging to Buddha's feet on your deathbed? Once my Longhu Mountain ancestral temple finds out, we will immediately send people to arrest you!"
"Even a young Taoist priest who can summon heavenly soldiers is enough to take you back to Longhu Mountain to be punished! Even this monkey beside you will be skinned alive and its tendons pulled out, never to be reincarnated!"
Zhong Xuan slowly raised his eyes, put down his pen, and said without anger, "Is that so?"
The monkey squatting nearby immediately became enraged. Its eyes widened, its fur stood on end, and it roared, "Old dog! How dare you insult us! We'll teach you a lesson!"
As it spoke, it grabbed the wooden fish and brought it close to the flickering candlelight of the oil lamp.
"Stop! Stop it now!"
The spirit of Zhang Chengming inside the wooden fish was so terrified that his soul almost left his body, and he screamed in a sharp, piercing voice.
The monkey smugly moved the wooden fish aside, patted it, and shouted, "Dare to make a sound again? If you do, I'll burn you to ashes, and you won't have a chance to be reincarnated!"
Before it could even gloat for three seconds, *smack*!
Zhong Xuan picked up the paperweight from the table and gently tapped it on the monkey's head.
The force was considerable, but it didn't actually harm it in the slightest; he simply couldn't bear to do so.
The monkey was startled and quickly withdrew its hand, its head drooping and its eyes reddening.
It rarely saw Zhong Xuan so stern, though it didn't hurt at all.
"Brother Monkey, do you still remember the three prohibitions?" Zhong Xuan said softly.
The monkey muttered softly, "Don't ruin people's hearts... but... it's not a person!"
Its eyes darted around, and it quickly protested, "It's a wicked Taoist! An evil Taoist! A demon! It destroys demons, not people's hearts!"
Zhong Xuan raised an eyebrow: "Where did you hear that from?"
Mentioning the origin of these words, the monkey's eyes lit up, and its tail stood up proudly: "I heard it from my hometown, Flower and Fruit Mountain in Dongsheng Shenzhou! Back then, two great ape generals in the mountain guided me to cross the Western Sea to seek immortality. I heard many similar stories along the way! Before meeting you, brother, I would forget them as soon as I heard them, just like water flowing over stones!"
The monkey thought to itself, "I only gradually remembered these things by following my human brother..."
It added earnestly, "They said that demons aren't just creatures like us with fur and scales. If a person is utterly wicked and possessed by a demon, even if they have a human body, they are still considered a demon!"
Zhong Xuan gave a light "hmm" and nodded, saying, "That makes sense."
The monkey immediately beamed with joy and leaned closer, saying, "That's right! I didn't break the rules!"
It even started to fawn over him, grooming his head with its paws, just like it did with the other monkeys in Flower Fruit Mountain.
Zhong Xuan changed the subject: "This time, I'll consider you right, and Brother Ren wasn't right. But if you act so rashly and burn the wooden fish, you won't be able to contain this Yin spirit, and it will escape. What then?"
The monkey's smile vanished instantly, and it stood frozen in place, its eyes filled with lingering fear.
Remembering the trouble it had caused after beating those three people, it quickly said it wouldn't be naughty anymore.
Zhong Xuan gently shook his head: "It's not that I don't want you to burn it, nor is it that letting the Yin spirit escape will cause the sky to collapse and the earth to cave in—if you develop great abilities in the future, and can poke a big hole in the sky with a stick and then patch it up, then I can't say anything to you."
"If you could also learn the great supernatural powers of bringing the dead back to life and manipulating creation, and turn back the time of all those affected, then whatever I say, you wouldn't listen, and you'd feel there was no need to listen, right?"
The monkey's eyes widened, brimming with intelligence and anticipation: "Is there really such a powerful supernatural ability? Even more powerful than immortality? I want to learn it too! If I learn it, I can protect my brother and stay with him in his quest for immortality!"
Zhang Chengming's malevolent spirit once again mocked from within the wooden fish: "Hahaha, wishful thinking! How utterly laughable! In the Four Continents, among countless living beings, cultivators are as numerous as fish and shrimp in lakes and seas!"
"Even if you two fight with all your might and find a bunch of clowns to help you, you can only barely hurt me a little bit. How dare you dream of immortality?"
"Those great supernatural powers, which one doesn't require a profound level of magical power to unleash? Otherwise, one's magical power will be drained in an instant, turning into a dried-up corpse, never to be reborn!"
This time, the monkey was not angry. Instead, it picked up a writing brush and gently tapped the wooden fish.
It imitated those bald monks, making a tapping sound with its wooden fish.
The monkey smugly said, "I don't care about all that! I'll just focus on achieving immortality first. What's one share for you, brother, I'll take one too!"
Zhong Xuan smiled and nodded, replying, "Okay."
He thought to himself:
The monkey may not know, or may be vaguely aware, that it is of extraordinary origin.
If it simply wanted to achieve immortality, it would have had it within its grasp long ago.
After all, there are many ways in this world and even the Three Realms to easily extend one's lifespan and transform a mortal body into an immortal, but these changes are ultimately just illusions.
When he first awakened to his innate wisdom in his previous life, he also felt that living to the point of being as old as heaven and earth was true immortality.
But it wasn't until tonight's battle that I realized that true immortality is like the enlightenment gained from the Earthly Fiend Head-Continuing Technique.
One aspect is the longevity of the physical body or the spirit.
Supernatural powers and magical spells, along with protective magic treasures, are the second aspect.
Only when the two are combined can one achieve true immortality.
Otherwise, the calamities of the world will accumulate and worsen over time, making it difficult for all living beings to escape.
Only by transcending the cycle of rebirth can one protect the fundamental lifespan and longevity.
Thinking of this, Zhong Xuan spoke softly, as if talking to himself, yet also as if speaking to the monkey:
"Cultivating life without cultivating nature will ultimately lead to nothing."
"If you cultivate your nature but not your destiny, your spirit will never attain sainthood."
"Only by cultivating both body and mind can one attain true freedom and longevity."
The monkey scratched its ears and cheeks, looking completely bewildered and confused: "Brother, what do you mean? I don't understand!"
Zhong Xuan shook his head slightly, a smile in his eyes, and said no more: "You don't understand now, and there's no need to rush. You'll gradually understand in the future."
He knew in his heart that the monkey was now simple-minded and not suitable for being taught too many profound principles.
Everyone has different innate talents and abilities.
He had taught many people in his previous life and had already come to a clear understanding of this.
A monkey with such a temperament is better suited to learning through action.
Forcibly instilling a bunch of grand principles can backfire.
At this moment, a disdainful snort came from inside the wooden fish, but there was no rebuttal.
Instead, he fell silent and listened more carefully to their conversation.
However, they wanted to take the opportunity to find out Zhong Xuan's background and find a chance to escape.
Zhong Xuan ignored him, reached out and picked up the talisman book on the table, and gently opened it.
His gaze first fell on the first page of the basic talisman classification.
What I was about to write down was a wind-summoning talisman that I planned to learn first.
This wind-summoning talisman is different from simply using magic to summon wind.
It may seem simple, but it contains the foundation of the art of talismans.
Is it simply about using magic to directly summon wind, or sealing away the underlying principles of that action?
Even more extreme, some people draw talismans on the spot, performing a supernatural power or spell in the form of talismans.
Zhong Xuan naturally understood that there was a significant difference between them.
He was also filled with anticipation, hoping to master some practical talismans as soon as possible.
Whether it's for people seeking blessings and protection in this country, such as summoning wind and rain or praying for good fortune and warding off disasters.
Or perhaps it is an incarnation of a mountain god to protect the mountain people; all these require various ingenious uses.
Rather than constantly running around acting as a nanny, it's more practical to directly bestow magical talismans.
So talismans are good, you must learn them.