Chapter 008: Unexpected Cultivation
Old man, what on earth is going on? Haven't I already mastered all five elements of spiritual energy? I can feel the spiritual power flowing endlessly through my limbs and bones, so why can't I cast a spell?" Upon hearing Lu Zhongdao's words, Wen Zifu asked anxiously. Could it be that I ultimately cannot cast spells, rendering my practice of the Yin-Yang Five Elements talisman useless?
The next day, Lu Zhongdao indeed kept his word. He first checked the performance of his disciple in the hand-sealing technique. Seeing that the disciple's hand seals were somewhat satisfactory, he couldn't help but smile and nod. It is known that a talented disciple who is also willing to work hard can naturally bring great joy to the master. Therefore, Lu Zhongdao followed his words and placed a large number of the simplest and most basic fireball talismans beside Wenzi, also explaining the incantation, allowing him to practice on his own.
It is precisely because you possess the complete essence of the five elements, and your spiritual energy flows ceaselessly through your limbs and bones, that you are unable to unleash your spells. Lu Zhongdao smiled slightly and reassured, "Do not worry, you have yet to fully comprehend the principles of the generation and overcoming of the five elements. The interaction of the five elemental energies within your body is restricting your ability to utilize your spiritual power. As long as you diligently practice and integrate the generation and overcoming of the five elemental energies, in due time, the five elements will support and influence each other, making it a natural matter for you to cast spells."
Lu Zhongdao imparted the art of talismans to Wenzi not in the usual manner of first teaching the incantations and then the seals, but rather by first instilling a substantial amount of theoretical knowledge in Wenzi, allowing him to gain a considerable understanding of the talismans in the world before beginning to teach the spiritual spells. This method of instruction continued for a month, culminating in the most critical aspect of talisman composition.
Wenzi Fu held a large stack of talismans given by his master, and found an open area to draw upon spiritual energy, igniting the talismans. It was unclear how these talismans were made, but they immediately ignited upon encountering spiritual energy, turning to ashes in the blink of an eye. Although Wenzi Fu came from a minor family, he had seen enough of the world not to be surprised; instead, he felt a sense of joy. Previously, no matter how hard he practiced, even exerting all his strength, the talismans in his hand showed no change. Now, with the arrival of spiritual energy, the talismans turned to ashes, which meant he had already stepped onto the path of a talisman master.
Suppressing the joy within, and following the master's teachings, he moved his hands in a continuous dance, forming the seal of the fireball once again. He chanted: "Heaven and Earth are boundless, the universe borrows the law! Swift!" Upon finishing the incantation, he took a bow stance with his legs, his hands forming a sword gesture, one hand placed on his forehead while the other was thrust forward, intending to direct the fireball to strike the target
This talisman is written on yellow paper with cinnabar. Before composing the talisman, one must recite the incantations for purifying water, brushes, and paper. Ninety-nine percent of talisman masters in the world are at the yellow level, thus the number of yellow-level talismans used by yellow-level masters is indeed countless. This type of yellow-level talisman is convenient to write, and even advanced talisman masters find it quite powerful. Almost all talisman masters in the world use yellow-level talismans to perform their spells
Lu Zhongdao no longer watched the performance, and in a few steps approached Wenzi Fu, speaking in a low voice: "You need to burn another talisman and show it to me again." Wenzi Fu complied, burning the talisman, forming hand seals, and reciting incantations, yet there was still no response. Lu Zhongdao observed this, stroking his silver-white beard, and said: "It seems I was a bit too hasty; this spiritual spell was taught too early!"
Unfortunately, after waiting for a long time at https://m.hetushu.com.com, there was not even a tiny fireball to be seen. Wen Zifu helplessly retracted his formation, performed the seal again, chanted the incantation, and pointed with his sword. Yet, there was still no response. He tried again and again until Lu Zhongdao mentioned that the time limit for the talisman was nearly up. He then drew upon his spiritual power to ignite another talisman, performed the seal and chanted the incantation, but regrettably, there was still no reaction.
Lu Zhongdao listened attentively, nodding repeatedly. This disciple possesses great talent, is willing to work hard, and knows when to advance and retreat. He is indeed a rare and exceptional successor
Lu Zhongdao finished explaining the key points of the talismans to Wen Zifu, and then inquired once more if there were any areas of confusion. Wen Zifu then took out the marked sections from his notes and asked about them one by one. Lu Zhongdao patiently answered each question. When the disciple said he had memorized everything, Lu Zhongdao nodded in satisfaction and said, "Starting tomorrow, I will teach you the spiritual spells. Today, I will first teach you a seal technique; you must remember this sequence well." As he spoke, he demonstrated with his hands, carefully explaining the order of the seal technique, the hand shapes, the speed of forming the seals, and so on, before waving his hand to send Wen Zifu to the small room to practice on his own. When the disciple said he had memorized everything, Lu Zhongdao nodded in satisfaction and reiterated, "Starting tomorrow, I will teach you the spiritual spells. Today, I will first teach you a seal technique; you must remember this sequence well." He then demonstrated with his hands, meticulously explaining the order of the seal technique, the hand shapes, the speed of forming the seals, and so on, before waving his hand to send him to the small room to practice on his own.
"Old man, please don't lie to comfort me; my fragile heart can't take any more blows." Wenzi chuckled and joked with Tushu, then continued, "Let's practice this spell here for now; I'll discuss it further once I've mastered the interactions of the five elements."
Wenzi Fu was practicing in an open area, and Lu Zhongdao watched him intently. Seeing his disciple anxiously pacing around because he could not produce a fireball, Lu Zhongdao couldn't help but chuckle. If casting that spell were so easy, then talisman masters would not be worth much. After watching for a while with a sense of schadenfreude, Lu Zhongdao finally noticed that something was amiss. Upon closer inspection of Wenzi Fu's hand seals, he found that the hand shapes, speed, and sequence were all flawless. The talisman was personally written by him the day before, and the incantation was also correct. Since the hand seals, talisman, and incantation were all in order, how could he fail to cast the spell?
Higher-level blue talismans require spiritual stones to be ground into powder and mixed with cinnabar for writing. Purple talismans necessitate the use of high-grade spiritual stone powder combined with cinnabar. Silver talismans can only be inscribed using secret silver powder that possesses excellent guiding and storing abilities. As for gold talismans, they have long been lost to the world, as no one other than Zhang Tianshi has ever appeared as a gold talisman master. It is said that the materials required for writing these talismans include gold essence, which has never been seen by anyone, nor has there been any report of a place in the world that produces gold essence.
It is important to understand that talismans are ultimately inanimate objects. Although no one can currently create gold talismans, it is still possible for a silver-level talisman master to risk their life and, with a bit of luck, cast a spell beyond their level. This explains why the Song Dynasty, surrounded by enemies, is not easily provoked by the other four major dynasties. If the Song Dynasty is pushed to its limits, a talisman master might sacrifice their life to unleash the spell contained within a gold talisman, which could potentially annihilate an entire nation. The same principle applies to the talismans that noble families preserve and pass down to ensure the safety of their clans.
Wenzi Fu excitedly practiced the seal technique in the small room, going over it hundreds of times. Feeling that he had already mastered it, he finally went to bed to rest, looking forward to the scene of learning the spiritual incantation the next day
In addition to being inscribed by talisman masters, there are also some inherited talismans. For instance, it is said that the royal family of the Song Dynasty possessed a golden talisman written by Zhang Tianshi. The Tianshi Dao should also have a small number of golden talismans. Various prominent families also possess some silver talismans, purple talismans, and so forth. These are symbols of the invisible strength of these families. Even if a particular family does not have any outstanding talents in the current generation, as long as they possess powerful talismans, they can ensure the family's safety and can rise again when a talented individual emerges. Various prominent families also possess some silver talismans, purple talismans, and so forth. These are symbols of the invisible strength of these families. Even if a particular family does not have any outstanding talents in the current generation, as long as they possess powerful talismans, they can ensure the family's safety and can rise again when a talented individual emerges.