Gou Zai Qingluo Cave Heaven Cultivation

Talisman-making workshop.

Chen Xuan had been kept in the talisman-making workshop by Master Gan these past few days and was bored to death.

He looked up listlessly and saw Zhou Baoqing fiddling with an incense burner and water at the table, even solemnly washing his hands and calming his mind, setting up a Taoist ritual. He exclaimed in surprise, "Junior Brother, with all this fuss, are you perhaps making an exorcising talisman?"

It should be noted that these talismans for warding off evil have always been considered useless, usually having little effect.

Because these talismans involve the unseen fortune and misfortune, they cannot be easily drawn by those who do not possess great fortune.

Even more advanced spiritual talismans than the "evil-repelling talisman" require a cultivator to establish a proper temple or use a rare treasure to suppress the altar in order to invoke the righteous energy of heaven and earth.

Zhou Baoqing wiped the water stains off his hands with a dry cloth and said without looking up, "Yes, Senior Brother Chen, I want to try this talisman."

These days, he has tried many everyday talismans such as the Cleansing Talisman and the Water Condensation Talisman, and he is already quite familiar with them. Today is the first time he has tried a precious talisman with a bit of metaphysical color.

Speaking of this talisman, although it differs from the "evil-repelling talisman" in the category of spiritual talismans by only one character, they are worlds apart.

The talisman for warding off evil is an active attack, containing the most yang and powerful energy, and is meant to suppress and kill evil spirits.

The meaning of the talisman for warding off evil is to "avoid" or "deceive others." It means to conceal one's own energy before disaster strikes and avoid danger in advance.

The former focuses on offense and defense, while the latter focuses on the mysterious perception of seeking good fortune and avoiding misfortune.

"Amulets for warding off evil are very difficult to draw, and there's a saying that's been circulating among amulet makers."

Chen Xuan spoke mysteriously, with a hint of deliberate intimidation in his tone, "If this kind of mystical talisman fails to be made, you will suffer bad luck!"

There was a senior student who failed to draw this talisman three times in a row. One night, when he got up to use the toilet, he missed a step and fell straight into the latrine!

Another senior female student ruined her talisman drawing, saying that she had seen a pale, ghostly figure floating outside her window for several nights in a row!

Zhou Baoqing didn't take it seriously. What was the difference between this and the midnight stories circulating in the clan school, such as "Don't look at the bronze mirror at midnight" and "Count the thirteenth step"?

He doesn't deny the existence of evil spirits in this world, but to have something like drawing a magic talisman backfire... how busy must evil spirits be working overtime every night?

It's all just self-inflicted fear.

"Senior brother is joking. If such an evil thing truly existed, Master Gan would have banned the method of making this talisman long ago. Why would it still be on the bookshelf?"

"Alright, then I wish you success." Chen Xuan stepped aside with his arms crossed, clearly intending to watch the spectacle.

Drawing a talisman to ward off evil spirits is risky; failure may result in misfortune, and even if you manage to make it, it may be completely ineffective.

After all, such fortune is mysterious and unpredictable, and cultivators cannot glimpse the secrets of heaven. How would you know whether you succeeded or failed?

Most importantly, the rune loops it creates are extremely difficult to draw.

For all these reasons, almost no one in the school was willing to touch this thankless and unlucky thing.

Zhou Baoqing ignored Chen Xuan. He looked at the sandalwood and yellow paper in front of him, took a deep breath, closed his eyes slightly, and his mind instantly sank into a state of clarity.

He picked up the brush, dipped it in ink—ink made from rooster blood mixed with incense ash and cinnabar.

The three runes of the talisman flashed through my mind.

As soon as Zhou Baoqing began writing the first "Hidden Qi" rune, he felt as if the tip of his brush had sunk into a sticky swamp.

It seemed to weigh a ton, each stroke was hesitant and difficult.

Moreover, one must multitask, simultaneously outlining the second "Deceive Heaven" rune and the third "Avoid Calamity" rune.

The three lines must be connected end to end within a millimeter's width, allowing the energy to converge.

As the runes deepened, Zhou Baoqing felt increasingly dizzy. His brushstrokes froze in mid-air, unable to advance any further, and he was on the verge of failure.

Just then, the strange scenery of the Green Snail Cave suddenly appeared in my mind.

The conch shell at the bottom of the water, as bright as the moon, breathed with its rhythmic contractions, and soft moonlight emanated from it, with a wisp of silver drifting leisurely in the air.

His mind cleared instantly, which invigorated Zhou Baoqing.

At the same time, seemingly out of nowhere, the silver thread traversed the void and extended to his fingertips.

The talisman brush in his hand was no longer an ordinary object, but a vessel that drew upon that sliver of cool moonlight.

In the flow of the story, the originally obscure and difficult-to-understand talismans became incredibly smooth under the guidance of the moonlight.

The inspiration flowed like mercury spilling onto the ground, all in one smooth motion.

As the final layer of "stinging gel" used for sealing was evenly applied, the flash of light quickly subsided.

Become!

Zhou Baoqing was somewhat surprised when he looked at the talisman on the table that faintly exuded a mysterious aura.

The legendary, extremely difficult talisman was successfully made after many twists and turns.

Chen Xuan, standing to the side, was so shocked that he dropped the peanut he was eating onto the ground.

My junior brother actually finished it on his first try?!

Could it be that Master Gan deliberately exaggerated and deceived them by teaching them that these talismans were difficult to make?

He doesn't believe in superstitions.

That's how young people are; the more taboo something is, the more mysterious and dangerous it seems, the more they're drawn to it.

Besides, if my junior brother can draw it in one go, how could I, a senior brother who has been tested in the art of talismans for a long time, not be able to make a mere talisman to ward off evil?

"I'll give it a try too!" Chen Xuan rolled up his sleeves.

He then imitated Zhou Baoqing, sincerely setting up the table and chairs, setting up a ritual altar, washing his hands and concentrating his mind, and began to paint with great seriousness.

However, as soon as the ink left, "with a soft sound, the talisman spontaneously combusted without fire, turning into a cloud of black ash."

Failed.

Chen Xuan stared at the pool of black ash, his expression instantly turning sour.

"It's over, it's over! I'm doomed too!"

He ignored his senior brother Chen Xuan, who was wailing in dejection.

Zhou Baoqing picked up the newly made talisman on the table with some curiosity.

He had heard too many people say that talismans were "useless," and he originally made this talisman just to practice his skills, but the strange phenomenon that occurred when he made the talisman just now stirred up his heart.

In this world, the arts of divination and seeking good fortune, as well as the art of discerning celestial secrets, have always been obscure and difficult to understand, making it difficult to draw talismans related to destiny.

The perilous situation he just experienced while drawing the talisman proved that there was some truth to what Senior Brother Chen Xuan had said.

But unexpectedly, he possessed the Azure Snail Cave Heaven, which allowed him to be drawn by the moonlight and discern the secrets of heaven and earth.

Does this mean that I can create divination talismans that others can't?

Those high-level talisman masters also rely on the grotto-heavens and magical treasures when drawing talismans!

Thinking about it this way, it makes perfect sense. The green snail is a treasure of its own, so it's not unreasonable to use it as a foundation to deduce the secrets of heaven.

Zhou Baoqing couldn't help but have high expectations for the true effect of this talisman.

Thinking that he would be going to Brother Qian's house to practice his body after school, he casually pointed the talisman towards the direction of Lianpeng Lane and sincerely recited and sensed it.

A faint light flashed on the talisman, and through the mysterious power of the talisman, he could see several blurry phantoms appearing in front of him.