Chapter 11: Chapter Eleven: Spells and Talismans

Another world, forest.

Clear sky, gentle breeze.

On a relatively flat spot stood a simple folding table, upon which lay a brush, an inkstone filled with cinnabar ink, and a stack of yellow paper.

Gu Zhao had just tested all the spells from the Daoist scriptures he had learned.

The Daoist tradition has endured over two thousand years, rising and falling, flourishing and perishing, splitting and merging—first the Southern Script Sects, then the Northern and Southern Internal Alchemy Schools, finally forming the two major branches: Zhengyi and Quanzhen, along with countless offshoots.

Of course, over the centuries, Daoist priests have traveled, exchanged knowledge, and learned from one another; beyond their respective ancestral temples, they have long since become intertwined, each within the other.

For instance, the three Daoist scriptures his grandfather taught him clearly reflect this situation.

The Shangqing Tianxin Orthodox Method.

The Shenxiao Jade Pivot Slash and Judgment Great Five Thunders Method.

The Jin Guan Yu Suo Jue.

One is a Shangqing sect Visualization Method, cultivating qi and refining spirit, also recording various Talisman Arts.

One is a Shenxiao Sect Thunder Method, specifically for combat, recording various Thunder Spells.

One is a Quanzhen Internal Alchemy Method, solely teaching breath control and qi cultivation to condense the Golden Core.

Thus, Gu Zhao can be said to have trained in multiple Daoist scriptures and spells, uniting spirit and qi, possessing both body and method.

Of course, he has only trained for ten years, and must also attend school, not devoting himself fully; thus his spiritual awareness is weak, his magic power insufficient—even a Daoist prodigy cannot leap to enlightenment in one step.

Indeed, in his recent trials, he discovered he could actually perform very few spells.

The Shangqing Tianxin Orthodox Method mostly consists of Talisman Arts; its only combat spell is the Fire Shield Method, which Gu Zhao's range and power were severely limited.

The Shenxiao Jade Pivot Slash and Judgment Great Five Thunders Method is indeed a combat method, but the more powerful ones—the Heavenly Thunder Duke Spell and the Interacting and Counteracting Thunder Spells—he cannot perform at all; the only ones he can use are Palm Thunder and the Expel Thunder Spell, simple incantations.

The Jin Guan Yu Suo Jue is an Internal Alchemy cultivation method containing no recorded spells; however, according to the Internal Alchemy school, once the Golden Core's qi is fully formed, supernatural abilities naturally manifest.

Gu Zhao tried a few: cloud-riding and mist-walking, shrinking the earth to an inch, reversing aging and restoring youth, the Yang Spirit's journey, immunity to water and fire, moving mountains and filling seas...

All impossible!

Gu Zhao: ╮(╯▽╰)╭

With his current Dao cultivation, he was merely physically strong and healthy, with sharp hearing and vision, able to jump higher and run faster.

"Whoosh!"

Gu Zhao leapt onto a tree branch, tapped his foot, and landed on another tree's limb.

"So I've learned lightness skill?"

Gu Zhao clicked his tongue, feeling that with the martial arts he learned from his grandfather, he was now a martial artist of some skill—at least he could handle Ke Zhen'e without trouble.

"Now, let's draw talismans!" Gu Zhao's eyes gleamed with eager anticipation.

Martial arts were just the beginning; Daoist magic was the true goal. He couldn't cast the Great Five Thunders Spell alone, but if he combined it with a Great Five Thunders Talisman, might he succeed?

Although the Shangqing Tianxin Orthodox Method contained more talismans, Gu Zhao still decided to start with the Great Five Thunders Talisman—who wouldn't want the thunder method to look the coolest?

Gu Zhao stood before the table, pulled out a sheet of yellow paper and laid it flat, then dipped his premium wolf-hair brush into the inkstone, swirling it until it soaked up thick cinnabar ink, before lightly wiping it along the inkstone's edge and lifting it above the yellow paper.

He had tested this at home: cinnabar and yellow paper indeed stored magic power far better than ordinary ink and paper; logically, the modern world had almost no spiritual energy, so he wondered how the ancients had discovered this.

But regardless, it was a good thing—it meant the Daoist scriptures contained even more usable material.

Gu Zhao discarded distractions, calmed his mind, fixed his gaze, straightened his spine, drew qi from his dantian, sent it down to his feet, then up to his right hand, channeling force to his fingertips, guiding spirit through the wolf-hair brush.

Stroke!

Gu Zhao's internal magic power flowed, merging into the cinnabar, beginning to draw the talisman on the yellow paper.

First, draw the Eastern Heavenly Thunder: nine dots; then turn to the Southern Divine Thunder: stroke…

At the second stroke, Gu Zhao realized he could not continue.

Unlike the Great Five Thunders Talisman he drew at Yuanfa Palace, this time he infused magic power into the cinnabar from the very start—and he discovered that as he drew the Eastern Heavenly Thunder, each stroke connected to the previous one.

In this connection, the cinnabar strokes infused with magic power seemed like individual components, gradually assembling into a whole on the yellow paper; during this process, his spiritual awareness and magic power were rhythmically consumed.

In practical terms, this meant that with each stroke in drawing the Great Five Thunders Talisman, the next became harder to control.

He barely finished the first section—the Eastern Heavenly Thunder script—then failed shortly after beginning the Southern Divine Thunder.

One stroke, and the entire structure collapsed with a crash; the rhythm of magic power input broke, and the spiritual energy previously contained in the cinnabar instantly dissipated, leaving only a small residue.

"The Great Five Thunders Talisman is indeed hard!" Gu Zhao grumbled.

His internal magic power was not exhausted, but he lost control; both body and spirit were faintly weary.

In short, his cultivation was still insufficient—the same reason he couldn't cast the Heavenly Thunder Duke Spell.

But Gu Zhao was not disappointed; after all, he had drawn the Eastern Heavenly Thunder, proving he could at least control one direction's thunder—and the Shenxiao Jade Pivot Slash and Judgment Great Five Thunders Method also contained individual thunder spells beyond the fused Great Five Thunders Talisman.

So Gu Zhao rested briefly, then decisively dipped his brush; after wasting two sheets of yellow paper, he finally drew his first talisman.

Wind-Thunder Talisman!

Wind and thunder from the east, element wood, use of heavenly thunder.

Gu Zhao formed the Heavenly Thunder Seal with his left hand, pinched the yellow talisman with his right, shook it while channeling magic power through his body, and chanted in unison: "Wood Virtue, Star of Chen, Spirit of the East. Follow my Nine Qi, expel evil spirits."

A faint magic power flowed into the yellow talisman; the cinnabar within instantly flashed, then spontaneously ignited.

The next instant, a gale surged forth, thunder cracked.

A violent wind erupted from Gu Zhao in all directions, while a bolt of lightning condensed above his head, crackling as it swept outward with the wind.

"Whoosh—"

The gale passed, trees swayed, leaves flew; after the thunder raged, everything within ten meters of Gu Zhao was in disarray—had he not deliberately avoided the folding table, his experiment today would have ended right there.

After using it once, Gu Zhao understood: the Wind-Thunder Talisman functioned like a repulsion aura, used in combat to push back nearby enemies and maintain distance.

Just like his earlier tested spells: Palm Thunder was single-target, Expel Thunder Spell was area-of-effect, Fire Shield Method was slow, bind, and sustained damage.

Gu Zhao couldn't help sighing, "It's just like playing a game—modern game designers are still copying the ancestors' homework, not making a single bit of progress."

Speaking of which, Gu Zhao grew even more eager for the upcoming Talisman Arts—but at the same time, he suspected he'd soon run out of yellow paper.

Gu Zhao rubbed his chin. "Should we go back to the Yuanfa Palace tomorrow and swipe a few more things?"