Talismans

"Let me tell you about some more common talismans.

'Corpse Suppressing Talismans,' as the name suggests, are used to suppress problematic corpses.

'Soul Calming Talismans' are for people with unstable souls, and can also deal with some low-level ghosts.

'Evil Dispelling Talismans' are used when someone is possessed.

'Mind Calming Talismans' are for when one's heart cannot find peace, used for startled crowds, or of course, for oneself.

There are also Blood Stopping Talismans, Miasma Breaking Talismans, Soul Summoning Talismans, and so on...

These are all relatively common talismans, and also low-level ones.

High-grade talismans include Fire Talismans, Water Talismans, Lightning Talismans, Sword Talismans, Explosion Talismans...

These are all offensive talismans, generally used in scenarios like demon-slaying battles."

I was dazzled and then asked my Martial Uncle, "Are there even more powerful talismans?"

"Of course. Maoshan rose to prominence through talismans; that's not just talk.

In the world today, when it comes to talismans, if Maoshan doesn't claim first place, no one dares to claim second."

After speaking, my Martial Uncle asked me, "Have you ever heard of 'Southern Maoshan, Northern Ma'?"

I said I had heard of it, read about it in books: Maoshan's 'talismans' and the Ma family's 'Yin Dragon'.

My Martial Uncle said with a proud look, "Exactly. That's why Maoshan's talismans...

In this world, no person or sect can surpass them.

More advanced talismans include 'Formation Trapping Talismans,' 'Golden Light Purple Thunder Talismans,' and so on...

Of course, ordinary Maoshan disciples don't have access to these kinds of talismans, and it's very difficult to come into contact with them.

Usually, only the Sect Master or genius disciples are qualified to learn them, like my master and your grandfather."

I asked my Martial Uncle, "How powerful are these talismans?"

My Martial Uncle thought for a moment and said, "To give you an example, take the 'Formation Trapping Talisman.' Once the talisman paper lands...

It can instantly form various kinds of grand formations. Inside, nothing can escape until the talisman paper's energy is depleted."

"I'll stop here. Next, watch as I draw one for you."

Then, I saw the brush in my Martial Uncle's hand move like a dragon or snake, the tip sometimes pressing down, sometimes soaring.

Lines appeared, then formed a symbol.

I glanced at it and felt it looked very simple, though I wasn't sure if it was an illusion.

I felt like I could do it myself, but I was afraid of being scolded by my Martial Uncle, so I held back and didn't speak.

My Martial Uncle handed me the brush in his hand and said, "Let me tell you the incantation and key points for drawing talismans. Your mind must be calm.

Follow our Maoshan method of circulating Spiritual Energy, the same method of channeling energy you learned yesterday.

Infuse the cultivation within your body into the brush, and then draw it in one continuous stroke.

There can be no pauses in the middle. If you pause, the talisman paper will be ruined.

This is because every line on the talisman paper contains spiritual power, and each line attracts the others.

If you break in the middle, the spiritual energy cannot connect, so it's ruined.

Then, how to determine if a talisman paper is useful. Generally, talismans you draw yourself...

Have a certain connection with you because they are made with your spiritual energy, so you can sense each other.

If it's a talisman drawn by someone else, inject your spiritual energy into it.

If you feel resistance when injecting spiritual energy, it proves that it is a complete and usable talisman."

"Additionally, if you made the talisman yourself, you can control it within a certain distance."

"For example..."

As he spoke, the talisman paper my Martial Uncle had just drawn flew up by itself. It circled around me and my Martial Uncle.

I was dumbfounded, and a thought suddenly occurred to me.

What if I could control hundreds or even thousands of talismans and just hurl them at enemies?

Heh heh...

Then I told my Martial Uncle my idea. As soon as I finished speaking, I felt a tap on the back of my head.

My Martial Uncle then laughed and scolded, "You're dreaming.

Putting aside whether you could control so many talismans, even if you could, Your spiritual energy wouldn't be able to withstand such a massive drain.

A person can control at most two or three, and that requires powerful cultivation and vast spiritual energy."

I asked, "Has no one ever been able to control so many talismans before?"

My Martial Uncle paused for a moment and said, "It's not that there hasn't been. I remember there's a cultivation technique that can achieve what you're talking about."

control many talismans, but it's been lost for who knows how many years. Even my master doesn't know how."

Then, as if remembering something, Martial Uncle said to me, "Oh, right. The Jiang Family's 'Object Manipulation Technique' might be able to do it.

However, it's hard to get so many talismans from outside, and they aren't ones you make yourself.

If you just rely on a technique to control them, the talismans' power will be greatly reduced."

I then asked why it was hard to get so many talismans from outside. Martial Uncle said it was because there weren't many Maoshan disciples to begin with.

Furthermore, talent has been declining in recent years, so there aren't many people who can make talisman paper.

The talismans made by those with only rudimentary skills in the Underworld Practices are also very weak.

Therefore, there aren't many truly lethal talismans on the market.

Hearing this, I asked Martial Uncle, "But talismans can be drawn as long as there's Spiritual Energy, so why can't others draw powerful talismans?

It's impossible that there aren't powerful cultivators outside, right?"

Martial Uncle explained to me, "This is where Maoshan takes pride in its unique secret technique.

When making talisman paper, it depends on the cultivation method and drawing technique of the person drawing the talisman.

How the Spiritual Energy circulates within your body while drawing, how you place the brush when you start.

How you finish – everything is closely related to these steps; not a single step can be missed.

We Maoshan have our own method of circulating energy and our own way of drawing talismans.

The method of circulating energy you learned yesterday is an indispensable part of Maoshan talismans.

The reason outsiders cannot replicate Maoshan talismans is because Maoshan has a unique method of circulating energy.

And a unique drawing technique, which is why for so many years, no one outside of Maoshan has been able to draw Maoshan talismans.

Even if they get Maoshan's drawing method, without Maoshan's energy circulation method, the talismans they draw are just scrap paper.

If they steal Maoshan's energy circulation method but don't know Maoshan's drawing technique, they still can't make talismans.

The two are complementary; one cannot exist without the other.

Moreover, Maoshan is very strict about its energy circulation method and talisman drawing techniques. You are an exception.

That's why I very seriously instructed you that the cultivation method you are learning cannot be passed on.

Unless they are a Maoshan disciple, you cannot teach it to anyone, even if you are dying.

So that's the situation. I've taught you the method for drawing talismans, you try it yourself."

After speaking, Martial Uncle handed me the brush and gestured for me to try.

I had been eager to try for a long time. I immediately walked over to the table, recalling Martial Uncle's strokes and finishing.

Mainly, I thought about how Martial Uncle drew it, going through it in my mind first.

Then, I held my breath, opened my eyes, and began to draw. I seemed to enter a strange state.

I felt like the lines flowed so naturally as I drew them; I wasn't sure if it was my imagination.

After drawing the last stroke, I looked at my work.

Then I compared it to the one Martial Uncle drew. After looking, I found there was no difference from Martial Uncle's drawing.

Then I looked up at Martial Uncle and saw him with his mouth wide open.

He looked at me with a shocked expression. I was a little confused and asked Martial Uncle what was wrong.

Martial Uncle stammered, "You... you... how did you do that?"

I said I didn't know; I just thought about how you drew it just now, and then I drew it.