Chapter 48: Taiyan Talisman
Wang Ping knew his master never wasted words. His final remark must have meant something, but since he hadn’t spoken plainly, Wang Ping felt it wasn’t his place to press for details.
"That is all you need to know. Now, let’s get back to the matter at hand... The seven Secret Techniques of the Mystic Sect and the Celestial Sect, apart from their originals, can only be recorded temporarily. They normally exist within our divine souls."
Yu Cheng Taoist set down his teacup. "I have mastered the cultivation methods for the first two realms," he said.
Wang Ping was stunned and didn’t know how to respond, so he simply remained silent.
"That is why I had you join the Daoist Scripture Hall so early and secure the sixth seat. It was all to prepare you to contend for the Secret Technique of the Third Realm, and possibly even seek that of the Fourth Realm. As for the Fifth Realm..."
Yu Cheng Taoist shook his head. Then, collecting himself, he said with a serious expression, "I will now impart to you the method for entering the first stage of the Taiyan Talisman..."
As he spoke, his hands rapidly formed a complex spell, and a golden Talisman slowly materialized in front of him.
"Focus your mind and quiet your qi," Yu Cheng Taoist commanded softly.
Wang Ping immediately did so.
In the next moment, Yu Cheng Taoist drove the golden Talisman into Wang Ping’s body. Wang Ping felt his Qi Sea roil, and a blank Talisman appeared in its center.
"This is the only way I can help you," Yu Cheng Taoist said, handing over a bamboo slip as he spoke. "The rest is up to you... This is the Secret Technique for initiation."
Wang Ping immediately suppressed his questions, rose, and respectfully accepted the bamboo slip. A stream of light shot into the space between his eyebrows, pouring a flood of knowledge into his memory. Finally, a light-screen panel appeared:
[First Realm of the Taiyan Talisman: One of the five great Mystic Sect Orthodox Techniques. Cultivates Wood Spirit Qi, one of the Five Major Origin Energies of the Cultivation World. Defy fate through ancient life force, greatly increasing one’s lifespan.]
[1: Complete Foundation Establishment and communicate with the Wood Spirit. Then, connect with the Locust Tree Divine Soul that is compatible with your own divine soul. Use the Wood Spirit Qi in your body to establish a Characterless Talisman.]
[2: Reconnect with your compatible Locust Tree Divine Soul and draw the Spirit Communication Talisman upon the constructed Characterless Talisman. You must master every step of this process with precision. Do not attempt this before you have done so. (Spirit Communication Talisman proficiency 0/100).]
[3: Only by completing the drawing of the Spirit Communication Talisman can you officially enter the realm. Next, you must perfectly fuse your divine soul and body with the Talisman. Frequently using the Wood Spirit Qi channeled by the Spirit Communication Talisman to refine your divine soul will help you fuse faster. (Progress: 0/100).]
[Note 1: Failure to draw the Spirit Communication Talisman will cause the Locust Tree Divine Soul to go berserk. It will most likely assimilate you, transforming you into a grotesque anomaly. The success rate is completely random. Current success rate: (10/100).]
[Note 2: Do not rush the fusion with the Spirit Communication Talisman, or you will likely suffer a backlash. The Talisman can grant you several times more True Essence than others at your level, but it can also cause you to explode and die.]
[Note 3: Be less prone to anger and more to thought. The Wood Spirit will like you for it.]
Wang Ping raised an eyebrow after reading the panel’s contents. This time there were no time estimates—just two progress bars and a success rate.
’Could the time required be so long that even the panel can’t calculate it?’
"The difficulty of initiating the Taiyan Secret Technique lies in grasping the right moment..."
Yu Cheng Taoist began to share his experience. "This may sound a bit abstract and ethereal, but it truly is. It’s the very reason countless Qi Cultivators are halted in their tracks. The only thing we can do is meditate, and in that silent self-awareness, slowly search for a fleeting feeling. Some might sit for decades and never find it, while others might find it in a mere quarter of an hour!"
"..."
Wang Ping glanced again at the success rate in ’Note 1’ on the panel. A moment ago, it seemed to have jumped to (60/100), but now it had dropped to (2/100) and wasn’t moving.
’This... doesn’t seem so difficult after all.’
"There is one more crucial point. Before you attempt to draw the Spirit Communication Talisman, you must be completely proficient. When my master taught me, he required me to be able to draw it with my eyes closed in the time it takes for ten breaths. My requirement for you is the same. Only when you can do this may you officially enter seclusion to seek that fleeting inspiration!"
"And one last thing... You need to pick up the *Annotations on Heaven and Man* and start reading it again."
...
Wang Ping and Yu Cheng Taoist’s conversation lasted for an entire day. Yu Lian, who was watching, was quite curious at first, but by the end, she could only bore herself to sleep, coiled around Wang Ping’s wrist.
Back at the small courtyard on the summit, Liu Shuang had already left to establish her new Dao Field. Yang Zhiping was also absent; according to an acolyte’s report, he had gone down the mountain to the Liu Family in Yongshan County.
Wang Ping returned to his room, where he sat alone for a full day and night before his mind finally settled.
He had much to do. First, he had to restore the Spirit Gathering Array in the summit garden. Then, every day, he would spend at least three double-hours practicing the Spirit Communication Talisman and another double-hour studying the *Annotations on Heaven and Man*. The rest of his time would be spent reading books related to the Five Sects of Xuanmen and the two sects of the Celestial Sect.
「Ten days after his successful Foundation Establishment」
The Spirit Wood in the garden was completely cleared out.
After finishing his daily cultivation, Wang Ping took out his storage pouch and assessed his wealth. He had one hundred twenty thousand taels of silver left. He would need to contribute at least twenty thousand taels for Liu Shuang’s new Dao Field, and Yang Zhiping’s wedding and Dao Field would require thirty thousand taels. Then there was the cost of Spirit Wood and Spirit Grass for his two disciples’ Foundation Establishment, as well as for his own garden...
’Right... from now on, I’ll have to add refining Power Pills to my daily routine!’
Fulfilling days always passed quickly. On the twentieth day after Wang Ping’s successful Foundation Establishment, Zhao Qing returned with news: there were no issues with the Liu Family of Yongshan County.
All that remained was the matchmaking and official proposal. Wang Ping oversaw the entire process. Once everything was settled, the wedding was set for the following month. If they waited any longer, the bride-to-be’s pregnancy would start to show.
「One day.」
After finishing his study of the *Annotations on Heaven and Man* and just before he planned to take a walk and then begin Alchemy, Yu Lian spoke up. "We haven’t been to the stream to play in so long. How about we go today? I have a feeling you’re going to succeed!"
To be fair, Wang Ping’s "Every Plant a Soldier" Magic Formulas had yet to succeed; his progress was stuck at (99/100)!
Hearing this, Wang Ping felt a stir in his heart. He immediately took out a pair of moon blocks and performed a divination.
Auspicious!
「By the stream...」
Yu Lian dove happily into the water to play with the fish and shrimp.
Wang Ping formed a spell with his hands and condensed his divine soul. As he communicated with the Wood Spirit, the Characterless Talisman in his Qi Sea stirred gently, bringing an unparalleled clarity to his Spirit Sea. He subconsciously uttered a command: "Shape!"
Before him, a long-withered vine, infused with a stream of Wood Spirit Qi, shot up in the blink of an eye to become taller than a man. It then twisted into a humanoid puppet, its two arms extending as vines that wrapped around the thick tree trunks on either side.
CRACK!
With the sound of splintering wood, the two sturdy tree trunks were violently ripped apart!
A look of delight crossed Wang Ping’s face. Hearing the commotion, Yu Lian poked her head out of the water, her jaw dropping at the sight. Then, her eyes lifted to gaze at the sky. "Look at the sky..." she urged.
He looked up...
The joyful expression on Wang Ping’s face instantly froze. In the northwest, the azure sky was now shrouded by a blazing sun that burned like fire...