I am a wandering immortal in the mortal realm.

The two voices sometimes clashed, sometimes joyfully intertwined. At first, there was only a hint of each other, but gradually, they began to merge and become one with each other.

Upon closer listening, it seemed to subtly coincide with the music, like Bo Ya playing the zither and Zi Qi singing, which unknowingly transformed into a wondrous melody.

At first, the music was subtle and indistinct, like the murmuring of flowing water, almost inaudible. Gradually, it grew louder and louder, like a roaring thunderclap, soaring towards the heavens.

As the volume rose higher and higher, even the main hall trembled slightly, almost as if the roof would be blown off. Suddenly, the music became gentle and low, yet still as smooth as water, unpredictable and unlike any earthly melody.

Shen Yuan, being in the midst of it all, was also caught in a strange state.

It is said that the attainment of Tao is difficult to achieve. Although he is a Taoist priest, he had no foundation in cultivation before. Now he is trying to seek the Tao through techniques. He wants to deduce the power of words through the sound formulas taught by Old Chen. This is really overestimating his abilities and being unrealistic.

It's like trying to find a spark of your true nature in this vast sea of ​​desire all by yourself; the dangers involved are self-evident.

Unaware of the risks he was taking, he recklessly pressed on, only to find himself exhausted halfway through. Before he could even attain the Dao, his inner demons had already attacked, darkening his mind—a phenomenon described in Daoist alchemical texts as "the treacherous demon stealing his opportunity."

Just as he was sinking into despair, he suddenly heard the sound of thunder rumbling from the ox, which miraculously resonated with the voice within him, causing him to rise and fall, and unexpected changes to occur.

The Book of Changes states, "The four trigrams of male and female are used as bellows." At this moment, a cow and a man, one being innate and the other possessing innate abilities, unintentionally or intentionally, constitute the most basic yin-yang bellows.

In that instant, a flash of inspiration struck the Taoist, as if a strange light had sprung up within his body, quickly illuminating his internal organs, meridians, and acupoints with crystal clarity.

Thunder is the mechanism for protecting the Way and the vital energy for growth.

If it weren't for the takin stirring up the thunder today, Shen Yuan would have been in grave danger. But by sheer luck, the thunder actually illuminated the spiritual light within him, like a sharp sword cleaving through the darkness and confusion in his mind, allowing sunlight to stream in.

In an instant, the Taoist's accumulated energy and spirit of half a day dissipated, like a river bursting its banks, yet without any surging force, like spring snow melting into warm earth, spreading and nourishing his entire body. His body, like a hibernating insect, slowly awakened, and his whole being began to become clear and lucid.

All forms are illusory; only the spiritual light shines forth, transcending all worldly concerns. A single point of this spiritual light is worth a fortune…

The Taoist priest suddenly opened his eyes. Outside the hall, the moon was high in the sky, its clear light filling the steps. The takin had long been fast asleep, its belly rising and falling gently with each breath, emitting thunderous snores.

Although he ultimately failed to master the art of vocalization, Shen Yuan was not disappointed. He knew that the so-called Daoist Thunder Sound was not a technique of the tongue, but a state of resonance between body, mind, and the universe. As long as he was certain that he was on the right path, what he lacked least was the determination to explore relentlessly and achieve his goal through perseverance.

A faint smile played on the Taoist's lips as he felt the immense vitality within his body. He glanced at the sleeping antelope, never imagining that his casual act that day would become the turning point that saved him from danger.

Could this be what Buddhism refers to as planting good seeds and reaping good results?

Shen Yuan shook his head slightly, got up and lit three more sticks of incense, inserting them into the incense burner.

"Shen Yuan thanks all the patriarchs for their protection!"

The Taoist bowed deeply, and a gentle breeze rose from the ground, caressing his face without feeling cold, as if someone in the darkness was responding to his words.

I think that I was able to turn misfortune into good fortune today, and perhaps the patriarchs also helped me behind the scenes.

Suddenly, as if remembering something, he went to his bag and pulled out a small booklet.

The booklet was about the size of a palm, and looked extremely thin. It was covered with a yellow cover with only the character "道" (Dao) written on it. When you opened it, you found that it was completely empty.

This booklet was the other blank Daoist scripture that Shen Yuan had in his hand besides the divine sword when he transmigrated.

Since discovering the extraordinary nature of the wooden sword, Shen Yuan has read this scripture more than once, but he has never been able to grasp its essence.

The only special thing is that no matter how you fold or tear this scripture, it will be restored to its original state the next day, as if it had never been opened.

"Grandmasters, please don't leave yet. I hope you can help your disciple to further explore the mysteries of the scriptures!"

Shen Yuan prayed silently in his heart, but this time the main hall was unusually quiet.

He didn't seem to care, and instead said, "Master Jing, Master Jian has saved the Daoist from danger more than once. Now it's time for you to show your true colors and lend the Daoist a hand!"

The Taoist felt that he had encountered a fortuitous event today and was currently enjoying great fortune. He thought that if he continued to read the Taoist scriptures, he might gain something new.

After silently reciting a few times, he closed and reopened the wordless Taoist scripture in his hand with a feeling of unease.

No candles were lit in the hall, but the moonlight was as clear as if it had been washed, illuminating every detail of the people on the ground.

He stretched out his hand, and by the moonlight, stared intently at the book, a wave of disappointment washing over him.

"It still doesn't work!"

Sure enough, the booklet was still completely blank, and the pages were as smooth as new.

"Perhaps my thinking was flawed from the start!"

Shen Yuan did not give up. Now that he was certain that cultivation was possible in this world, he was determined to unravel the secrets of this Daoist scripture no matter what.

For a moment, the Taoist priest fell into deep thought, pondering the differences between the wooden sword and the Taoist scripture.

"The wooden sword is strong because it is a weapon, its strength lies within itself, so it doesn't need to rely on external objects. But the Daoist scripture is different; perhaps it needs... some kind of external stimulus?"

Thinking of this, many thoughts flashed through the Taoist's mind, and the contents of some novels he had read in his previous life began to emerge one by one.

Suddenly, he got up and went to the kitchen in the backyard, where he found the new kitchen knife he had bought last time. To disinfect it, he even pretended to singe it with fire a few times.

"Success or failure hinges on this!"

Shen Yuan gripped the kitchen knife, staring fiercely at his left hand.

Yes, blood pledge!

The only terrible idea Shen Yuan could think of was this.

It's just that he was too busy taking the civil service exam in his previous life and didn't read many online novels, otherwise his imagination wouldn't be so barren.

He held up one finger, placed the cleaver on his index finger, and waited for a long time, but just couldn't bring himself to do it.

Despite his tall and strong appearance, the Taoist priest was extremely afraid of pain. In his previous life, when he was in an orphanage, he refused to get injections and would cry whenever he did. The staff at the orphanage even teased him, calling him a "spoiled young lady."

Although I became a bit stronger as I grew older, I still felt a lot of pressure waving a knife around so openly.

After an unknown amount of time, the Taoist seemed to have made up his mind. He closed his eyes, gritted his teeth, and with a little force, slashed backward.

Blood gushed out immediately, and a stinging pain struck him. The Taoist shivered, but after a moment's adjustment, he felt alright and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

He dared not delay, and hurriedly took the Taoist scripture, smearing his blood on each page.

He seemed to be in a hurry, as if the wound would heal in the next second.

May the ancestral master protect us!

Shen Yuan silently recited a phrase in his heart, and after waiting for a long time, he slowly opened the Daoist scripture in front of him with a nervous heart.

A moment later...

Sleep! Sleep!

……

The next morning, Shen Yuan was woken up by a takin nudging him.

He is usually a light sleeper, but for some reason, he slept very soundly last night, and even felt a little unsatisfied and wanted to stay in bed a little longer.

"Brother Ox, let me sleep a little longer. You go and have some fun!"

"Woof!"

The takin refused to give in, and after calling out, it actually stuck out its pink tongue and started licking the Taoist's face.

"Shut up! Shut up!"

The Taoist priest suddenly awoke. Although the ox was cute, the sticky saliva on his face was still quite uncomfortable.

He wiped the saliva off his face several times, then suddenly caught a glimpse of the dirt on his hands and froze for a moment.

"How can it be so dirty?"

Although it is inconvenient to wash up in ancient times, the Taoist priest still considers himself quite hygienic and washes his body every morning and evening.

Moreover, as the abbot, he needed to greet and see off pilgrims, and it was impossible for him to have so much dirt on his face, otherwise it would be unsightly.

He paused, as if he had thought of something, and rolled up his sleeve to take a look. He saw that his originally fair arm had developed a light gray layer. He rubbed it gently and found that it was indeed ash!

"Take yesterday's events for example; it can't be that simple!"

Shen Yuan attributed this to enhanced metabolism, but other benefits have not yet been observed.

Knowing how dirty he was, the Taoist priest couldn't sit still any longer and hurried to the kitchen to set up a pot and boil water.

While he was at it, he cleaned the earthenware pot and started cooking porridge for the takin.

Having received his kindness yesterday, I cannot pretend not to know it today. So the Taoist not only cooked porridge, but also thoughtfully added two spoonfuls of sugar as a reward for the ox.

After finishing his porridge, the hot water on the other side boiled, so the Taoist took some bath beans and a towel and took a refreshing morning bath.

He rubbed layer after layer of ash and mud, startling even himself. But after washing, he felt extremely refreshed, like a butterfly, floating and about to take flight.

After that, he and the takin cleaned up the remaining areas of the Taoist temple, and all that was left was to transport materials and rebuild.

However, that was no small sum of money, nor was it something that could be accomplished overnight, so the Taoist wasn't in a hurry.

I was busy until noon.

The sun was shining brightly in the sky. The takin ran to the back mountain to continue its hunt for the fox, so the Taoist moved a chair, brewed some tea, and sat outside to bask in the sun.

He held a book in his hands, which was the complete collection of Zhengyi talismans brought by the original owner of the body.

The Zhengyi sect has been passed down for thousands of years, and its core methods are talismans, rituals, and thunder magic.

The original owner had cultivated in seclusion in a Taoist temple under the Zhengyi sect, and later, through the introduction of the temple abbot, went to Yuanjing to participate in the Taoist examination.

Although the Zhengyi sect does not acknowledge the lineage of Taoists, in a sense, Taoists still bear the mark of the Zhengyi sect.

The book of Zhengyi talismans in his hand was a gift from that abbot, but it was a simplified version.

Those powerful core talismans don't have any of that; they only have functional talismans like peace charms and exorcism charms.

It is estimated that the abbot took pity on the original owner of this body and gave him this complete book of talismans so that he could generate income for the Taoist temple by drawing talismans and not starve to death in this desolate place.

As for whether the talismans were effective or not, Shen Yuan didn't know, but he figured they would be enough to deal with the worshippers.

Of course, the Taoist priest didn't plan to sell talismans right now. After all, you can't rush into a sale. His reputation still needed time to build up. However, it's always good to have more skills. It's better to learn a few more tricks now than to be caught off guard later.

He looked at it carefully, tracing the outline with his finger as he looked, and only turned to the next page when he was familiar with it.

Suddenly, a talisman caught his eye.

The winding runes were very clear and not complicated; it was only the name of the talisman that attracted the Taoist's attention.

"An insect-repelling talisman..." Shen Yuan murmured the talisman's name, then clicked his tongue and chuckled, "There are actually talismans like this?"

At first, Shen Yuan just found it strange, but as he looked at it, something stirred in his heart.

As the weather gradually warms up, mosquitoes and other insects are becoming more prevalent, especially in these deep mountains where poisonous insects are particularly common. For example, on his first day after transmigrating, Shen Yuan killed three centipedes in the kitchen.

Although the Taoist priest is not prone to attracting mosquitoes, things are different now that he has an extra cow. In order to improve his living environment, it is very necessary to repel insects and eliminate mosquitoes.

If this "insect repellent talisman" really works...

The Taoist priest acted immediately. After examining the paper for a while, he went to the main hall and found yellow paper, a brush, and cinnabar, preparing to make a copy.

The paper is Jinhu pine soot paper, and the sand is Yucheng purple gold sand; either one alone is the finest of the finest.

Of course, Shen Yuan couldn't afford to buy them; these were all his original possessions, but they weren't bought. They were rewards from the imperial court for the top scorer in the Dao Examination.

This is probably the only consolation for the original owner's first place in the Dao Examination! It's just so tragic!

Because the stationery was so precious, Shen Yuan didn't start directly. Instead, he practiced with a stick on the sand first.

At first, I hesitated a bit when I started writing, but as I wrote more, I gradually became more familiar with it.

However, he was still not in a hurry. After all, a stick and a brush are different. So he dipped the brush in water and wrote on the table. After writing two or three strokes, he felt that there was no more resistance, so he switched to cinnabar.

Perhaps it was because the cinnabar was of such high quality that after grinding it, Shen Yuan found it inexplicably smooth to write with. So he took a deep breath, shut out the outside world, focused his mind, and wrote as smoothly as flowing clouds and water.

Fu Cheng picked it up and examined it. The imitation was perfect, but for some reason, the Taoist felt that something was missing.

The Taoist priest thought for a moment, then picked up his brush and drew a few more, but they were still the same. They were fine as handicrafts, but if you tried to sell them as talismans, someone knowledgeable would beat you to death.

He scratched his head, putting aside his worries for the time being, and went to the main hall to light three sticks of incense.

That's right, when in doubt, consult the patriarch!

After what happened yesterday, Shen Yuan felt that the founder of Yiyuan Temple was quite humane and would genuinely help when needed.

Apart from the Taoist scriptures.

They probably felt helpless too.

"Please, Ancestral Master, grant me divine assistance and help me successfully draw the talisman!"

The sky suddenly fell silent. Shen Yuan's heart stirred, and he inexplicably felt as if he had returned to the state of resonating with thunder and bursting with vitality yesterday. A flash of inspiration suddenly appeared in his mind, and his spirit was infinitely full.

He knew that this was the master teaching him step by step!

Therefore, the Taoist priest did not delay. He picked up his brush, dipped it in sand, and immediately wrote the talisman head, talisman core, talisman body, and talisman tail in one stroke, as if he had divine assistance.

A spark of inspiration is all it takes to create a talisman!

Once that strange feeling subsided, the Taoist knew that the talisman was complete.

He casually placed it in the corner of the main hall, and then a rustling sound came from it.

The Taoist priest looked down and was immediately startled.

Then you see cockroaches, ants, bedbugs... crawling out in dense swarms, like a disaster had struck. It's terrifying for anyone with trypophobia!