Chapter 156: My Minor Method, Not to be Passed to Outsiders

"It's impossible to guard against."

After a long while, Chen Ci withdrew his gaze from his personal panel and spat under his breath; he had originally thought that this Cloud-Stepping Talisman had been kept secret by someone during the collection process, but he hadn't expected that there were actually four secrets hidden in it!

One must know that the Soul Fixing Talisman only had one: "The success rate can be increased if the talisman is made at high noon."

Fortunately, from the moment he began studying talisman methods, Chen Ci had understood one principle: drawing talismans requires a sense of ritual. Today's sudden act of bowing actually fulfilled this requirement, allowing this White Cloud Talisman Method to truly enter the threshold.

As for the detailed explanation of the talisman method that followed, Chen Ci pondered for a moment and understood it as well.

The "Kui-Gang," "Thunder Seal," and "Crane Formula"—these three methods were not profound secret techniques, but simply a basic star-stepping pace and hand seals. Not to mention Chen Ci, even an ordinary rogue cultivator or a swindling sorcerer making a living in the underworld would know a little bit about them; jumping through these motions when praying for blessings or warding off evil for some landlord always made one look more professional.

Making money, after all, also requires a sense of ritual.

So, are these four steps difficult?

Not difficult at all.

But without this bit of True Inheritor knowledge, who would know that such a set of rituals was required while reciting the "Crane Feather Cloud-Riding Incantation"? In any case, Chen Ci had always stood still and recited it, doing whatever felt comfortable.

"Speaking of which... does this Cloud-Stepping Talisman ripen well?"

Looking at the talisman manual in his hand, Chen Ci suddenly felt a sense of melancholy and said sourly, "I am not an Apprentice of the Tianhe Daoist Temple, so why record it on this? Not to be passed on, not to be passed on. If they really considered Master Chen one of their own, I wouldn't have to study these miscellaneous scriptures alone, getting ecstatic over mastering a single miscellaneous talisman."

"Genius!"

Subconsciously glancing back in the direction of Xishan Prefecture, Chen Ci scanned the Sea Market again, pondering and muttering to himself. It seemed that after the Dragon Lord's birthday banquet, he would still have to visit that Master of the Building. The method to break this deadlock, I fear, really does lie in this 'attempt.'

Chen Ci reflected silently. Ever since he mastered the Five Ghosts Possession Method, he hadn't made any progress for a long time. Firstly, the wondrous methods were difficult to cultivate, and with several great methods entangling each other, most of his energy was spent on them, leaving him no room to spare. Secondly, there was no path for advancement; in his current situation, if he wanted to progress within He Mountain, he only had two choices: Jiao Zhenren's branch residence here or the He Mountain sect itself. After all, the subsequent techniques for the Five Aggregates Yin Demon Method could only be obtained from these two places.

Chen Ci examined the masterpiece in his hands and couldn't help but praise himself again: "To be able to master this talisman method under such circumstances, Master Chen is truly both high and hard."

Such talisman mantras would have to wait until he published a "Three Yin Wondrous Transformation Miscellaneous Collection Talisman Scripture" in the future. What of it if it's a minor method? No method should be used to fatten the fields of outsiders.

Chen Ci sighed gloomily in his heart. His status as an He Mountain Outer Transmission was still somewhat neither here nor there. Although he had learned the Five Ghosts secret method and was considered an Apprentice of He Mountain in front of Jiao Zhenren—not an outsider—when it came down to it, he was ultimately just an Apprentice of He Mountain, not one of their own.

Chen Ci grinned; calculating it this way, his current situation was truly awkward.

"Not to be passed on!"

Chen Ci steadied his mind, his expression tightening slightly. He took a deep breath and, following the instructions in the talisman manual, tied the two Cloud-Stepping Talismans to his feet, then formed a hand seal and silently recited in his heart: "Rise!"

"I've grown lax."

The moon was pale and the stars were sparse; it was silent, and apart from the sound of the waves, the entire Sea Market was only somewhat noisy at the pier.

And this Tianhe Daoist Temple of Jiao Zhenren was even more complicated—it was all about Tianhe Apprentices, all about Longhu Mountain Apprentices, and they clearly ostracized He Mountain Apprentices. Although he, Chen, came from a side sect, he would not be treated as a lower-class person.

Happily, he fished out the "Tianhe Wondrous Transformation Miscellaneous Collection Talisman Scripture" from his bosom. Chen Ci was just about to record the trick he had realized onto it, but looking at the text on the cover, his hand paused.

Chen Ci looked at the two flying talismans in his hands. The test flight he had been so enthusiastic about had reached the final moment, which actually made him a bit nervous. This was more exciting than any extreme sport. With his True Qi and physical cultivation, falling from a height of ten or twenty zhang should be fine; he could always protect himself. But any higher, and it was hard to say. It wasn't that he would fall to his death, but if he suffered a fracture or a broken bone, or hit his head, that would be a disaster affecting his path to Longevity. A cultivator's physical shell is precious indeed.

"Although I didn't take what that Yongxing Building Master said too much to heart, if one day I truly advance bravely in the Five Aggregates Yin Demon Method, how Lin Shixiong will view me is hard to say. Although I can currently cross the river by feeling for my cheap senior brother, it is not a long-term plan."

Outside the Sea Market, on an uninhabited hill near the sea, apart from the occasional bird or beast, Chen Ci was the only living thing that was quite conspicuous.

But the He Mountain sect itself was controlled by the five great families, and he was not yet clear about the specific situation there.

Chen Ci snorted heavily and stuffed the Tianhe talisman scripture back into his bosom. It was just a flying talisman; he figured it wouldn't catch the eye of a Golden Core True Person, so why should he pretend to be generous?

"I'll just fly ten... twenty zhang high. Any higher and it won't be steady. At worst, I'll try to fly along the coastline."

Once this talisman method was deployed, two clusters of White Mist emerged from the two flying talismans under Chen Ci's feet. They went from sparse to dense, from small to large. Just as they condensed into two white clouds about the size of basins, a strong wind blew. His mind stirred, and the white clouds rose up, leisurely ascending several zhang high.

When he stood steady again, he was already at a height of more than ten zhang. It wasn't very high, nor was it very low. Looking down twice, besides excitement, there was a bit of dizziness, making Chen, who was test-flying for the first time, quickly withdraw his gaze and hold his breath to experience the wonder of flight.

Ahem, Master Chen is not afraid of heights; it's just that stepping on these white clouds feels a bit empty and not solid.

"The feeling of flying is truly refreshing!"

Chen Ci breathed in the fresh air deeply. A height of twenty zhang is not very high, but this feeling of stepping on clouds and looking into the distance cannot be compared to climbing high buildings or high mountains. In just this short while, the slight depression in his heart had all dissipated. It was a bit like work troubles, but in the face of the starry sky above and the sea below, it was nothing.

"Cloud Riding and Mist Driving, it is nothing more than this. At any rate, my height has already surpassed that Monkey's cloud-climbing technique, so I can try roaming in all directions."

Chen Ci's thoughts stirred, and then he indeed began to move slowly. Unlike the speed when the white clouds first rose, the flying talisman was quite slow at the start. It only sped up after two breaths, reaching a speed of about five zhang per breath before gradually stabilizing.

Feeling the freshness of the sea breeze on his face, Chen Ci felt a little regret in his heart; this speed was truly not fast. However, thinking that this talisman method was based on the Jiamashinxing, it seemed that in terms of speed, it could not exceed this underworld travel method.

Stepping on white clouds, hands behind his back, roaming in all directions—although the speed was pathetic, it was truly cool.

If this were in the secular world, paired with Chen Ci's skin, it would be a perfect exiled immortal descending to the world.

"Flying and speed are truly addictive."

Chen Ci flew higher and faster, but at most it was less than thirty zhang, and at fastest it was only seven zhang per breath. But in any case, it was still faster than a speed of thirty yards.

"But this is the limit of the White Cloud Talisman Method."

Chen Ci closed his eyes slightly, inexplicably feeling his spirit relaxed and sublimated while Cloud Riding and Mist Driving. At this moment, stepping on the white clouds, he was no longer that minor side-sect cultivator, but a true immortal.

However, besides height and speed, this White Cloud Talisman Method had several small flaws that made Chen Ci feel a bit regretful.

First, one cannot engage in combat while using this method. Although the white clouds under his feet were steady enough, they were not solid ground, and he could not borrow force. Once in combat, his posture would inevitably become unstable, easily leading to a situation where he would be at the mercy of others.

Second, maneuvering while flying with this method was very inconvenient. Apart from the quick ascent, subsequent acceleration or turning was very clumsy and slow, always with a strange feeling of going from light to heavy, then from heavy to light.

Third, this method was very dependent on wind direction. If one traveled with the wind, one could reach seven zhang per breath, or perhaps faster, but it was also easy to become unstable and fall. If one traveled against the wind, I fear one couldn't even maintain five zhang per breath.

Summary: It is a wondrous method for showing off, traveling, and visiting friends; as for anything else, it's just so-so.

"But in any case, it is still flying and cloud-riding. I can fly over a distance of a hundred miles in half an hour, and I can ignore the terrain, so it counts as a skill."

Chen Ci stroked his chin, feeling self-satisfied. If he prepared more flying talismans, he could fly back to Xishan Prefecture from the Sea Market; it was much more cost-effective than taking some Treasure Ship.

By the way, how long can this Cloud-Stepping Talisman fly?

Chen Ci subconsciously glanced at his feet. The two thick white clouds were already sparse, and he could see the waves of the sea through the clouds.

Chen Ci: "..."

Damn it!

His figure plummeted suddenly. Chen the Exiled Immortal, who had just been Cloud Riding and Mist Driving, roaming the East Sea, fell straight from the sky like a bird with broken wings, a large lump of a person.

Fortunately, although Chen's mentality had been floating, he was still flying near the coast, and below him was still the sea.

Chen Ci adjusted his posture, protected himself with True Qi, and couldn't even be bothered to let the Five Ghosts come out to catch their master—they couldn't catch him anyway. He simply pressed his legs together and fell into the sea in a perfect posture.

"Boom!"

Falling from nearly a hundred meters in the air, it was fortunate he was a cultivator; Chen Ci only felt his two long legs go numb and ache, and not only did he splash up a monstrous wave upon hitting the water, but he also sank several zhang into the seabed before stopping his momentum and struggling to swim back up.

"Ptooey, ptooey. A single White Cloud Talisman Method can only keep me flying for the time it takes to eat a meal; I must remember this for the future."

Chen Ci slapped the surface of the water, a thought inexplicably stirring in his heart: who was it that said exerting force from one's toes could lift oneself out of the water?

Receive, neutralize, emit—walking on water?

Chen Ci let out a scoff; as an expert of the Force Path who tempered his muscles and bones to enter the Dao through martial arts, such a minor technique was something he could master without being taught.

After the time it takes to burn a stick of incense.

Chen Ci sighed; fine, he had better just swim back honestly, as this business of exerting force from one's toes was truly unscientific.

However, soaking in the icy seawater, Chen Ci unexpectedly felt little discomfort; instead, as the waves washed over him and he drifted for a while, the mass of Essence Yuan beneath his abdomen naturally exhaled wisps of blood-essence that traveled throughout his entire body, repairing hidden injuries in his flesh and making Master Chen feel exceptionally comfortable, even his gloomy mood from falling from the sky seeming to improve, with an inexplicable sense of fluidity and freedom.

This feeling was very strange, somewhat similar to the wanton soaring in the sky just moments ago, yet also somewhat different.

"Something isn't right."

Chen Ci did not resist this feeling, soaking lazily in the seawater as he rubbed his chin: "Supreme True Loach Golden Scale Wonderful Method? It seems Master Chen has covered land, sea, and air, ha."

Come to think of it, this Force Path method of his might have other profound mysteries when practiced in the deep sea or great rivers; at the very least, judging by the name, such a deduction was quite reasonable.

"I'll talk about it once I'm ashore; the sea hasn't been peaceful lately, so I had better not come join the commotion in the water for the time being."

As thoughts surged in Chen Ci's mind and he was just about to leave, his train of thought was interrupted by a crisp female voice from not far away, which had actually come from a gaudily decorated red boat; the boat was brightly lit with music playing, and several slender figures stood at the bow, faintly appearing to look in his direction.

"This Immortal Master, would you like to come aboard for a short rest and to ease your weary feet?"

(End of chapter)