Immortality begins with equipping a worn-out talisman pen.

Li Mufeng was slightly taken aback.

Zhou Zhengyang didn't keep them in suspense and said leisurely:

"Talismans are inherently part of the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth."

"The so-called drawing of talismans is not about forcibly injecting one's own spiritual power into the talisman paper, but about using oneself as a bridge to draw upon the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and leave traces of the Dao on the talisman paper."

"Therefore, a true talisman master does not first cultivate the brush, the ink, or even the divine sense—but rather himself."

As he spoke, Zhou Zhengyang suddenly picked up the talisman brush. Strangely, he did not dip it in spirit ink, nor did he even put on any talisman paper.

However, at that very moment, Li Mufeng suddenly felt the surrounding spiritual energy of heaven and earth become restless, and the sound of ebb and flow could be faintly heard throughout the quiet room.

With each breath, the spiritual energy in the room began to fluctuate at the same frequency.

"Do you see? When one's essence, energy, and spirit are complete, and one's life force resonates with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, the talisman begins to be created even before any writing is done."

At this point, Zhou Zhengyang finally slowly placed the brush on the talisman paper.

hum-

A spiritual pattern naturally appeared on the talisman, like a flowing spring or flowing clouds and water.

Even more strangely, the fluctuations of spiritual energy within Zhou Zhengyang's body were almost imperceptible throughout the entire process.

It was as if the power consumed in drawing the talisman did not come from itself.

Li Mufeng's pupils contracted slightly.

"Uncle-Master, this is...?"

Zhou Zhengyang put down the talisman brush, a smile appearing on his face.

"I, a Daoist talisman master, merely borrow this bit of my own true nature to unite with the boundless spiritual energy of heaven and earth."

Human power is finite, but the universe is infinite.

"If one only knows how to consume one's own spiritual power, it is merely a minor path."

"Only by taking oneself as a point of heavenly origin and drawing the flow of the primordial energy of heaven and earth continuously can one truly step into the gate of the Dao of Talismans."

Zhou Zhengyang looked at Li Mufeng, his voice low and deep.

"Do you know what—the Primordial Qi—is?"

Before Li Mufeng could answer, he continued:

"Heaven and earth possess Qi, and all things also possess Qi."

"The mountains are imposing, the sea is vast, the wind is free and unrestrained, and the fire element rises upward."

"Cultivators have their own Qi, demon beasts have their own Qi, and even a blade of grass or a tree has its own Qi."

"The so-called 'Heavenly Qi' does not mean forcibly imbuing talismans with anything, but rather observing it, comprehending it, and ultimately conforming to it."

"Only by understanding the true meaning of talismans can one grasp the essence of drawing them."

"Take this most common water arrow symbol, for example."

After saying that, Zhou Zhengyang picked up his pen, and in just a few breaths, a water arrow talisman was formed.

As the talisman was completed, spiritual energy gathered, and a wisp of pale golden Daoist pattern quietly emerged, revealing it to be a fine water arrow talisman.

Zhou Zhengyang flicked his finger.

"go."

Whoosh!

As the water arrow hurtled through the air, Li Mufeng dared not be careless and also summoned a finely crafted water arrow talisman he had drawn himself.

The two water jets collided in mid-air.

However, to his surprise, his usually invincible high-quality water arrows showed no sharpness whatsoever.

It was like crashing into a vast ocean.

His water arrows were gradually worn away.

Zhou Zhengyang's water arrow, though slightly dimmed, still retained 30% of its power, crashing down on the protective array of the quiet room, creating ripples.

Li Mufeng's pupils contracted. Why was there such a big difference between the two high-quality water arrow talismans?

Seemingly sensing his confusion, Zhou Zhengyang smiled faintly.

"It's very simple, because when you draw the water arrow symbol, what you're thinking about is a water arrow."

When I drew the water arrow symbol, I was contemplating a vast and boundless image.

Li Mufeng was slightly taken aback.

Zhou Zhengyang looked up into the distance, a hint of reminiscence in his eyes.

"When I was young, I sat on the shore of the East China Sea for ten years, watching the tides rise and fall, and the clouds roll and unroll."

"Finally, I realized a truth."

"Water is vast."

"Therefore, my water arrow talisman never seeks sharpness, but rather takes the meaning of the boundless ocean that encompasses all things. Thus, the Dao patterns formed by the spiritual energy naturally carry the vast Qi."

Li Mufeng was deeply shaken upon hearing this.

Zhou Zhengyang continued:

"Therefore, when drawing talismans, what you need to pay attention to is not how the spiritual patterns should be outlined and connected, but what the talisman you are drawing truly means to you. This is your Qi."

"Everyone sees and understands things differently, so even if they come from the same school and draw the same talisman, the final effect of the talisman will be different."

"Dao patterns are naturally born from the fusion of spiritual essence and enlightenment."

Li Mufeng seemed to be deep in thought, feeling as if a door he had never touched before was slowly opening towards him.

If this vast meaning could be integrated into the Water Arrow Talisman, or even into the higher-level Water Spear Talisman and Water Dragon Talisman in the future.

Wouldn't you then have a much wider variety of methods when you're fighting against others?

Thinking of this, Li Mufeng felt a surge of excitement.

Such methods of making talismans are truly unheard of.

But then he frowned slightly.

Uncle Zhou once sat in meditation on the shore of the East China Sea for ten years before he finally comprehended the "vast imagery".

Does this mean I also have to spend ten years observing the East China Sea?

But the distance between Donghai and Heishifang City is more than ten million miles.

Moreover, with his current cultivation level, he can't even go too far from the Blackrock Mountains.

Let alone heading to the East Sea, the monsters, miasma, and various dangerous places along the way would make it difficult for him to move an inch.

Just as Li Mufeng was secretly troubled.

Zhou Zhengyang seemed to have seen through his thoughts and couldn't help but sigh:

"Your generation is truly blessed."

"Unlike us back then, if we wanted to comprehend the Qi of heaven and earth, we could only go and see the mountains and rivers, watch the clouds and the sea, and sit there for years or even decades."

As he spoke, he reached out and patted the storage bag.

A beam of light flew out and slowly landed between the two.

It was a simple and ancient landscape scroll.

On the painting, amidst the vast mountains and swirling clouds, a cultivator in green robes stands atop a cliff, gazing at the boundless sea.

Although it was just a still painting, Li Mufeng could vaguely sense the echoing sounds of the tides rising and falling within it.

Just one glance is enough to bring peace to one's mind.

Zhou Zhengyang gently stroked his beard.

"This painting is titled 'Viewing the Waves from the Mountain.' It was created by a master painter from my sect using a secret method after I was inspired by the sea years ago. It contains a sense of vastness."

"If you can gain some insight into this, it will greatly benefit your entry into the realm of Tianyuan Yiqi."

Just then, a familiar voice suddenly rang in Li Mufeng's mind.

[Equipable item detected - Visualization "Mountain View"]

Li Mufeng felt a sense of relief.

With an equipment slot available, the thing I fear least is something that requires gradual understanding.

That makes things much simpler.

Meanwhile, Zhou Zhengyang had already snapped his fingers.

The painting "Viewing the Waves from the Mountain" slowly unfolds, with a faint, ethereal light flowing through it.

"Open your mind and feel carefully."