Talisman Arts

"Awoo!!!" Liao Xiaojin let out a wild roar. A powerful aura erupted from his body. His originally pitch-black wings now revealed faint silver streaks, and rings of air currents sent the papers and books in the house flying everywhere. Even the heavier stools and desks showed signs of shifting.

Zhou Qing, drenched in sweat, worked his hand seals. Helplessly watching the room descend into utter chaos, he was inwardly overjoyed. As expected of a descendant of the Jiuli Tribe, someone carrying the Chiyou Bloodline. Look at that aura—Nine Li Sacred Blood! A supreme spiritual medicine from legend. Even if every drop of blood in his body were drained, there might not be enough to refine a single drop. But he is Vampire Clan; his blood can regenerate without end. My luck has truly reached its peak. Not only have I encountered a descendant of Chi You, a race extinct since ancient times, but he is also Vampire Clan! Haha, good thing the Refining Compendium recorded this. If I let such a treasure slip away, wouldn't I regret it to death?

The fierce airflow suddenly stopped. Liao Xiaojin sprang up, and his bones crackled like beans being stir-fried. Somewhat confused, he looked at the six jade plaques floating above his head. "Ah!" Liao Xiaojin screamed, thinking Zhou Qing had suddenly decided to kill him. He had seen Zhou Qing use those six jade plaques to burn Anthony's corpse into a wisp of green smoke. How could he not be afraid?

Seeing his reaction, Zhou Qing hurriedly said, "Don't misunderstand. I saw you absorbing Taihua Power to heal your wounds, so I gave you a hand." Only then did Liao Xiaojin relax and notice the changes in himself. When he saw the faint silver stripes on his wings, he was first astonished, then seized by wild joy. "How is this possible? How is this possible? How did I evolve from a Baron to a Viscount all at once? And I'm only one step away from becoming a Count! How could it be so fast? Other vampires need at least fifty years! Thank God!" Liao Xiaojin howled madly.

Hearing Liao Xiaojin invoke God, Zhou Qing laughed as well. "You Vampire Clan believe in God too?" At Zhou Qing's teasing, Liao Xiaojin's face reddened slightly. "I've been in England for a few years, so it became a habit. Of course, we Vampire Clan worship Satan. I was just too excited and called out the name of God, our old enemy. But I think Lord Satan will forgive me."

"What's so exciting about it? Just now, I used the Taiji Diagram Array to draw in all the Taihua Power from the moonlight within a radius of more than ten miles, giving you a good boost. How was that? We Chinese Daoism practitioners possess vast divine abilities, far beyond any God or Satan. If my cultivation reached Qi Refining and Spirit Transformation, I could draw in the Taihua Power from hundreds of miles around. I believe evolving you straight into some Marquis would be as easy as turning over my hand." Zhou Qing administered a heavy dose of bait, provoking Liao Xiaojin. Seeing Liao Xiaojin's mouth hanging wide open, Zhou Qing felt smug. Tempt him with profit, and I don't believe he won't be moved. Especially since Vampire Clan worship strength above all else. How could he refuse to obediently follow me?

"Um... Brother Zhou, could you teach me that Taiji Diagram Array?" Seeing Zhou Qing glance at him doubtfully, Liao Xiaojin repeatedly waved his hands. "I know that's presumptuous. But if you can teach me this array, I'll definitely evolve into a Marquis very quickly. Once I have strength, I can take Jenny back. When that happens, I'll repay you however you want." To gain Zhou Qing's trust, Liao Xiaojin told him his story from beginning to end. Liao Xiaojin had been a student studying abroad in England. Three years ago, he had met a beautiful young woman named Jenny in an old London bar, and the two quickly fell in love. Later, Jenny told Liao Xiaojin that she was a vampire. To stay with her forever, Liao Xiaojin had Jenny turn him into Vampire Clan as well. But good times did not last. Edward Locke, the young master of the great Vampire Clan Locke Family, had also taken a fancy to Jenny. Liao Xiaojin was only an ordinary minor vampire, with neither strength nor influence. How could he compete with Edward? If Jenny had not pleaded for him, Liao Xiaojin would have been killed long ago.

Alas, another modern-day Butterfly Lovers—only this one is a modern Vampire Clan version. Zhou Qing thought. This kid is pitiful too. The word love can make humans lose their souls and become intoxicated and obsessed; even the legendary cruel and cunning vampires are no exception. I wonder whether the Celestial Immortals beyond the Nine Heavens are the same? "This is the ultimate art of my sect, and it should not be taught to outsiders. But it isn't impossible." Zhou Qing paused, then looked at the hopeful Liao Xiaojin and asked, "What way?" "As long as you acknowledge me as your master and enter my sect, I will not only teach you the Taiji Diagram Array, but also pass down the sect's ultimate arts to you one by one."

Liao Xiaojin was overjoyed. He immediately dropped to his knees and shouted to Zhou Qing, "Master above, please accept this disciple's bow!"

"Don't rush to bow yet. Let me make this clear first. Once you enter my sect, you may never betray it for the rest of your life, nor may you transfer to another sect." A towering aura burst from Zhou Qing. Even though Liao Xiaojin had just evolved to the late Baron stage, he was pressed until he could barely breathe. A yard-long streak of green light flickered endlessly from Zhou Qing's hand, and sharp Sword Qi gave out strange, shrill howls. "If you violate this rule, I will grind your bones to ash, refine your soul into a magic treasure, and ensure that you can never reincarnate."

Liao Xiaojin kowtowed nonstop on the floor. "Today, I acknowledge Zhou Qing as my master. A master for one day is a master for life. If I betray the sect, may gods and men alike execute me, may heaven strike me with thunder!" Lying prostrate on the ground, Liao Xiaojin schemed. Joining your sect and acknowledging you as master costs me nothing. I can even learn ultimate arts. Fine, I won't betray you. Why would I betray my sect for no reason? Am I so full I have nothing better to do? Besides, when I deal with Edward and Kurak in the future, would you, as my master, have the nerve not to help me? Looking at you, that old ghost Kurak is no match for you!

Meanwhile, Zhou Qing was making his own calculations. First, scare him a little and make him obediently become my disciple. Then I can casually make up some cultivation method or other. Wouldn't drawing out his blood be easy? He is Vampire Clan and has the Chiyou Bloodline, so his blood will regenerate endlessly. As long as I refine nine drops of Nine Li Sacred Blood and consume them, they will save me at least several centuries of hard cultivation. I might even break through the Qi Induction Stage and reach Qi Refining and Spirit Transformation.

"Master, what is our sect called? Are there other members?" Liao Xiaojin asked Zhou Qing.

"Mm, well... our sect is called Refining... our sect is called the Heavenly Dao Sect." Zhou Qing had originally intended to call it the Refining Sect, but felt the name lacked grandeur, so he changed it. Hmph. The Refining Sect excels at arrays and refining magic treasures. We have no materials to refine magic treasures, so there is nothing to be done about that. But the way of arrays is all about following the Heavenly Dao and borrowing heaven's power to act. Calling it Heavenly Dao is not inappropriate. Thus, the Heavenly Dao Sect, which would later shake the Three Realms, first revealed the barest outline of its form.

"As for people, our Heavenly Dao Sect passes down through a single line. My master—your martial grandmaster Ling Yun—attained the Dao and ascended more than ten years ago." Zhou Qing spun lies without restraint. If he said his own master had been beaten to death a few years ago, this newly accepted disciple might immediately betray the sect.

"Attained the Dao and ascended? Does such a thing truly exist?" Liao Xiaojin expressed doubt. "Why wouldn't it? Isn't Vampire Clan also something from legend? Yet aren't you one now? The vast world is full of wonders." Liao Xiaojin thought that made sense and accepted it.

"Master, are these earthworm-like symbols really useful? Drawing them makes my head spin!" Liao Xiaojin held a cinnabar wolf-hair brush and copied a strange horn-shaped symbol onto a sheet of yellow talisman paper. "You really are unusually stupid. It took you three days just to learn a Soul Fire Talisman. Your master learned it in one go back then." Zhou Qing, who had been meditating with his eyes closed while contemplating arrays, opened his eyes and scolded him. "What use is it? This Soul Fire Talisman can gather and invoke the fire spiritual energy between heaven and earth! Watch carefully!" Zhou Qing pinched the talisman Liao Xiaojin had just drawn between two fingers. "Fire spirits of heaven and earth, heed my command—urgent as the law decrees!" With a flick of his hand, boom, the talisman ignited without fire, forming a small fireball. "That's amazing! But Master, I still don't think it's very useful. Such a tiny flame is enough to light a cigarette, but against an enemy, I'm afraid it won't do much, right?" Liao Xiaojin still had doubts.

"Hmph! You have only studied Daoist arts for three days. Producing a flame this large is already quite good. How much True Essence do you have? Yes, your Vampire Clan physical arts are formidable, but our Heavenly Dao Sect emphasizes borrowing the immense power of heaven and earth. No matter how powerful Vampire Clan are, can they surpass heaven, earth, and the universe? Do you think the Soul Fire Talisman is only this strong?" With that, Zhou Qing took the cinnabar brush and moved it like a dragon and snake, rapidly drawing five different talismans. Picking up the fire talisman he had just made, Zhou Qing said, "Let me show you the basic power of a Soul Fire Talisman." Before Liao Xiaojin's disbelieving eyes, a fireball as large as a bucket floated in the air, radiating scorching heat. Liao Xiaojin felt as though his hair was about to catch fire. Zhou Qing threw out four more talismans in succession. Green, white, yellow, and blue light swiftly merged into the fireball. "Be careful!" Zhou Qing shouted at Liao Xiaojin. "Let's see if you can withstand it!" Liao Xiaojin nodded heavily. "All right!" With a swish, he retreated more than a yard, barely reaching the wall. His wings, streaked with silver, shielded his body, sharp claws extended from his fingers, and brilliant light flashed from his eyes as he stared fixedly at the bucket-sized fireball flying toward him. When the fireball was still more than a foot away, Zhou Qing gave a sinister smile and casually formed another hand seal. "Five Elements inverted, yin and yang transformed!" As the eight words left his mouth, the fireball suddenly vanished without a trace before Liao Xiaojin. He was filled with disdain. Such thunderous noise, yet only raindrops the size of beans. Suddenly, he felt as though he had fallen into a mass of fog. Everything around him seemed blurred. "Not good!" Instinctively sensing danger, Liao Xiaojin roared. Vampire Clan speed exploded to its limit as he tried to rush out of the fog. At his current speed, he should have crossed more than thirty feet in less than a second. Yet the instant he moved, he felt a massive force, heavy and majestic as the earth and mountains, surge toward him. Smack! The force struck him until he was dizzy and disoriented. He had barely straightened up when another incomparably sharp force, accompanied by strange shrieks, tore through the air toward his chest. There was no time to dodge. Liao Xiaojin could only shield his chest with his wings and take the attack head-on. Rip! His wings, as hard as steel, were sliced open by the strange force, leaving a gash more than an inch deep and four inches long. Blood surged out like a fountain, and pain made Liao Xiaojin shriek wildly.

Before Liao Xiaojin could recover from the pain, another wave of icy cold that chilled him to the bone swept over him. Defenseless, he was struck by it. Crack! Crack! His blood, which had just spurted from his wings, froze solid into ice and fell to the ground with sharp clattering sounds. Fortunately, as Vampire Clan, Liao Xiaojin often absorbed the intensely yin Taihua Power from moonlight and had strong resistance to cold. In addition, his blood contained Nine Li Sacred Blood. If an ordinary person had been struck by that chill, he would have become a frozen corpse at once, shattering into pieces with a single knock. As Liao Xiaojin shivered violently, he suddenly saw the bucket-sized fireball floating beside him. His soul nearly fled his body. "Master! Don't! I can't block it!" The instant his words fell, the fireball disappeared. In its place, a gentle green aura swiftly melted into his body. A force like ten thousand trees awakening in spring burrowed through him. Liao Xiaojin moaned comfortably and discovered in astonishment that his wounds were slowly healing—faster even than when he absorbed moonlight.

Looking at Zhou Qing, who wore a smile and assumed the bearing of a transcendent master, Liao Xiaojin was still shaken. "What kind of technique was that? I couldn't even figure out its direction! That sort of power is completely impossible for me to resist. Vampire Clan wings are the hardest things we have! I'm a vampire about to evolve into a Count! I dare say even bullets couldn't pierce them. How could a tiny sheet of talisman paper possess such power?"

"Correct. Didn't you see me draw five talismans just now? They were fire, water, earth, metal, and wood talismans. Each can invoke the power of the Five Elements within a radius of ten miles. I used them to set up a small Five Elements Inversion Array. You must have felt it inside the array, yes? Do you still say it is useless?"

"Useful, useful—extremely useful!" Having experienced it personally, Liao Xiaojin no longer dared doubt it. "Master, teach me quickly! If I give that old ghost Kurak a taste of this, even if he doesn't die, he'll be skinned alive!"

"However, this array is not without weaknesses." Zhou Qing paused before continuing. "When I was setting up the array just now, if you had attacked me quickly at your speed, I might have been flustered and unable to finish setting it up. This is a common flaw of arrays. The best way to deal with an array is to stop it before it is formed. Otherwise, once the array takes shape, it is no longer a fight between man and man, but between man and heaven. Unless your cultivation is several times greater than the array caster's, you have a magic treasure to break the array, or you understand the array eye, then all you can do is wait for death. Also, using cinnabar and yellow paper as talismans is not very effective at storing True Essence. They can last at most three hours. After that, the spiritual energy dissipates and they become useless. Only natural treasures such as cold jade, warm jade, and amethyst, which can naturally absorb spiritual energy, can be used permanently." Zhou Qing sighed after speaking.

"So that's how it is! I understand now. Hehe, cultivating the Dao requires money too. Looks like money is still the most important thing." Liao Xiaojin sighed. "When I was in England, I had no money and no influence. How could I compare to that damned Locke Family? They are rich and powerful, and they even keep a large number of blood slaves. If they want virgin blood, they can get it anytime. Unlike me—I had to buy blood from hospitals, and if I secretly drank from a few homeless people, I had to worry about the Church finding out. Right, Master, how about we get ourselves a huge amount of money?"

"How do we get money?" Zhou Qing asked. "The fastest way is robbing banks. We could take tens of millions in one go. Rob a dozen or so, and we'd have hundreds of millions." Hearing this, Zhou Qing, who had just raised a cup of tea to his lips, nearly choked on the water.

"You! You!" Zhou Qing's finger trembled wildly as if he had gone mad, pointing at Liao Xiaojin. "Why don't you just die? If that method worked, I would have done it long ago. Did I need you to tell me? Do you think having a little ability means you can do whatever you please? Decades ago, the country formed a secret organization. I don't know what it is called, but I know it specializes in stopping people from using Daoist arts and supernatural powers to commit crimes. Who knows how many masters it has gathered? Several great sects—Mao Mountain, Kunlun, the Heavenly Masters, Shu Mountain—all sent elite disciples. Robbing so openly is practically not knowing how the word 'death' is written. Hehe! Don't let them discover you are a vampire. I don't know exactly what will happen, but it will be miserable. Back in England, when you wanted human blood, you could only buy it—you didn't dare drink directly from people. Every country has similar organizations, or else the world would have fallen into chaos long ago. Don't tell me England doesn't!" Zhou Qing took the chance to threaten Liao Xiaojin as well.

Liao Xiaojin gave an embarrassed dry laugh. "Just joking, just joking. I heard from Vampire Clan elders that England has an organization called BBL. It has all sorts of people in it—the Church's Light Priests, Holy Knights, and apparently even a cardinal. Vampire Clan and Black Wizards also participate. I truly don't know how they get along." "What's so strange about that? Driven by profit, even rats and cats getting together would not be surprising! By the way, disciple, surely that isn't the only rotten idea you have?" Zhou Qing slowly sipped his tea.

"Of course not. Actually, we could gamble. With Master's divine abilities, wouldn't money fall into our hands as easily as plucking it from a bag?" Zhou Qing shook his head. "That method isn't good either. I heard while dealing in antiques that several Nanyang Headhunters are stationed at the casinos in Macau. They are not easy to provoke. We are weak and isolated right now, so it is best not to court trouble. Hehe, if I cultivated to the Spirit Transformation realm and used Samadhi True Fire to refine a few more treasures, then the world would be mine to travel freely."

"I didn't say we should go to Macau! Hehe, since China is so difficult to get by in, Master, we can go to Las Vegas in the United States. It is a place where fish and dragons mingle, with many powerful outsiders crossing the river, and money flows through it in enormous amounts. We can win a few hundred million dollars, then return home and start a company. Wouldn't that be better? Besides, even if we robbed someone there, it wouldn't cause much trouble!" That is a good idea. I just wonder whether there are any troublesome figures in the United States. Hmph! Why worry so much? If a Daoist cultivator fears this and fears that, what Dao is there left to cultivate? Once I have money and establish my own power, that would be quite comfortable. I cannot keep hiding myself forever. Besides, with such a treasure here, a great increase in cultivation is only a matter of time. Even now, if I avoid direct confrontation, with my Soaring Sword Qi Art, flying sword magic treasure, and especially the arrays of our Refining Sect, I should not suffer much as long as I do not encounter someone at the Spirit Transformation level. Zhou Qing calculated silently.

"Fine. Let me prepare. We'll depart in three months. Once we have money and establish our own power, you will have the strength to take Jenny back too! We'll destroy that Locke Family or whatever it is. They are not Chinese, after all. I still have some reservations about Chinese Daoist Sects, but foreigners? Can't I deal with them however I please?" Zhou Qing made up his mind. Instead, he began encouraging Liao Xiaojin, making him so excited that he could hardly contain himself.