Edict Scripts and Myriad Phenomena

After bidding Gongsun Yan farewell, Xu Yan had barely stepped out of the hall when Wang Heng, Huang Caiying, and the other two pulled him away.

They arrived at the Formation Hall on the right side of Talent Peak.

This hall contained a formation pool, the central hub of the place. Several grand formations had been laid both inside and outside it; even Talent Peak's great formation operated through it. Not even the divine sense of Purple Mansion Path cultivators could penetrate it.

"Senior brothers, senior sisters, what are you doing?"

Xu Yan's arms were held by them. Seeing the way the four looked, it seemed they had something important to say.

The group sat around the table, their expressions somewhat solemn, while Xu Yan watched them calmly.

Wang Heng poured each of them a cup of spirit tea.

Huang Caiying gathered herself slightly and asked, "Junior Brother, do you have some grievance with Nine Star Kui Island?"

At those words, Xu Yan's expression shifted slightly.

He seemed to understand. Though Murong Yan was not of the direct line, his talent was quite good. It had been expected that he would make it through the Immortal Treasury.

Could it be that only a few days after settling down, that man had once again begun spreading rumors about him throughout the Dao Academy? He truly repaid every slight, down to the smallest grievance.

"What makes you say that?" Xu Yan asked.

Picking up from Huang Caiying's words, Liu Yu said, "Yesterday, when I went to Gold and Silver Terrace, I ran into disciples from Nine Star Kui Island. I heard them discussing how Huangfu Ziyang, one of the direct-line disciples who entered the Immortal Treasury this time, had died. The Huangfu Clan is furious."

Gold and Silver Terrace was where disciples and Dao teachers of the Hundred Academies conducted exchanges.

"Junior Brother Yan, tell your senior brothers and sisters the truth. Did you kill this man?" Huang Caiying looked at Xu Yan and asked solemnly.

Hearing this, Xu Yan drew a deep breath and said calmly, "I did indeed kill quite a few disciples of Nine Star Kui Island in the Immortal Treasury. My principle has always been: if others do not offend me, I do not offend them. They came looking to make trouble for me—was I supposed to surrender without a fight?"

"That reasoning is sound." Wang Heng nodded with a frown, his face full of concern.

"Besides, though I did fight Huangfu Ziyang, I was only at the second level of Pulse Opening at the time. I could only join forces with a group of Rogue Cultivators to drive him back. But I truly did not kill him," Xu Yan said.

The four exchanged looks, each appearing thoughtful.

Huang Caiying hurriedly said, "Junior Brother, do not misunderstand. We only asked because we are worried about you. The Twelve Great Families of Nine Star Kui Island hold great power in both the Divine Sect and the Hundred Academies. If Huangfu Ziyang was not killed by you, this matter must be brought to an end."

Wang Heng spoke in a low voice. Then he raised his eyes and said frankly, "Not to make you laugh, Junior Brother, but we have spent years in the Talent Academy. Our innate bones and aptitude are ordinary; at most, we have some talent in unorthodox Mystic Gate arts. Had we been in any other academy, we would have been driven down the mountain long ago."

"The Dao Academy has its rules. To our shame, although the Talent Academy was only established a little over a hundred years ago, we have attended large and small Dharma assemblies alike, but..."

Liu Yu spoke up. Reaching this point, he suddenly felt rather embarrassed and said, "The Talent Academy cannot even place among the ranked names. If this continues, the Talent Academy will disband within sixty years."

Achievements were assessed once every hundred years. That was the rule.

The Taiyuan Divine Sect would send dedicated elders to assess achievements. The Talent Academy had already been downgraded, and the spirit wealth and spirit items granted each year had decreased greatly. If it were downgraded again, it would be dissolved.

When that time came, probably no Dao Academy would take them in.

They had already made plans for the future, but after this Immortal Treasury expedition, things had changed.

Xu Yan's arrival at the mountain had immediately given them immense surprise and hope.

"Junior Brother Xu, the survival of the Talent Academy rests entirely on you." Wang Heng smiled bitterly, feeling that he had wronged Xu Yan by placing such a heavy burden on a newly admitted disciple.

"Junior Brother, you absolutely cannot let anything go wrong!" Huang Caiying said with grave focus.

Four pairs of eyes looked at Xu Yan with earnest warmth.

Xu Yan's expression tightened slightly. Back in the main hall, Gongsun Yan had seemed as if he wanted to say something but held back. Presumably, he was mindful of his status and unwilling to say such things to Xu Yan himself, so Wang Heng and the others had spoken in his place.

"During the struggle in the Immortal Treasury, life and death are not to be questioned. At Dragon Whisker Ravine, the Dharma King said those words himself." Xu Yan said with focus, "Never mind that Huangfu Ziyang was not killed by me—even if he had died by my hand, so what? Nine Star Kui Island is a clan with an inheritance from the recent ancient era. Could they really come seeking trouble with me over this?"

Every word Xu Yan spoke rang like hammered iron in the ears of the four.

Huang Caiying sighed and said, "That is true. The rules of the Hundred Academies can protect you, Junior Brother, but Nine Star Kui Island is powerful and has many disciples. If you are targeted at Dharma assemblies in the future, you will inevitably face fierce battles."

"Take the Spirit Seizure and Dragon Whale assemblies. They are held within the Hundred Academies, so those people would not dare play tricks. But the Demon Covenant Dharma Assembly requires leaving the Dao Academy. Once outside, Junior Brother Xu, you must respond with great care," Liu Yu said, stroking his chin worriedly.

"Senior brothers and sisters, I have only been in the academy for three days. You are thinking far too far ahead." Xu Yan looked at them and shook his head, helpless yet amused.

The people of the Talent Academy had originally resigned themselves to disbanding. Then Xu Yan, with his exceptional innate bones and talent, had arrived and ignited hope in their hearts. Yet because of this matter, they were even more anxious than Xu Yan himself.

"When soldiers come, generals block them; when water comes, earth dams it." Xu Yan's gaze darkened as he said steadily, "Senior brothers and sisters, put your minds at ease. Your junior brother is not afraid."

"Junior Brother, if you encounter any difficulties, you must tell us," Huang Caiying said.

Xu Yao spoke at the same time. "At the very least, this senior brother has more than enough pills."

The next day.

That morning, Xu Yan remained inside Tairan's Grotto-Abode with the doors shut, following his usual routine as he cultivated the Eight-Nine Profound Art and loosened the Heavenly Threshold Pass, the seventh Spirit Meridian barrier.

The Heavenly Pivot Treasure Vase had been operating on its own these past few days. Xu Yan estimated that it would take roughly forty-nine days to form one flawless Embryonic Pill.

Previously, after activating one formation eye within the Heaven and Earth Furnace, it had taken only ten days. But the commotion had been too great, and Xu Yan feared that the seal-holder would notice.

At the side hall of Talent Peak stood a pavilion by the cliff, open on all sides.

Gongsun Yan wore a black-and-red Daoist robe that billowed in the wind. His gaze was deep as he looked toward the horizon, while Xu Yan stood still behind him.

"Edict Scripts were created by the ancient forebears through observing the myriad phenomena of heaven and earth." Gongsun Yan spoke slowly, then suddenly pointed forward. In an instant, his immense divine sense roared forth like ripples across the sea.

Slowly, it engraved an Edict Script formed from divine sense in midair. It was only a single character, yet it was exceedingly intricate. It looked like clouds and wind alike, carrying the meaning: 'Wind and clouds stir together.'

"The path of Edict Scripts secretly accords with the myriad phenomena of heaven and earth. It can be divided into three stages: recognizing form, comprehending meaning, and finally, manifesting the Dao!"

As his words fell, Gongsun Yan spread his five fingers. The Edict Script in midair trembled slightly, and in an instant it affected the area for hundreds of feet in every direction.

A fierce wind suddenly arose, and even the clouds in the heavens scattered away. The commotion was terrifyingly immense!

"This path seems to accord with heaven and earth. Cultivated to great mastery, it can stir the myriad phenomena. But in terms of killing power, it is not especially useful." Gongsun Yan withdrew his technique, then turned to look back. "I have studied this path for so many years before reaching the stage of manifesting the Dao. Yet this Edict Script divine ability is still inferior to a strand of Mystic Qi I casually strike out."

Xu Yan watched and agreed.

Though the scene just now had looked spectacular, Gongsun Yan was a Purple Mansion Path cultivator. The divine abilities and techniques he cultivated possessed the power to shake heaven and earth, far surpassing this Edict Script divine ability.

"Nowadays, those who study Edict Scripts mostly use them to translate ancient Daoist texts, or to inscribe ancient talismans and ancient formations." As Gongsun Yan spoke, he gazed toward the horizon and said, "What a pity. When chaos first opened, the forebears observed twelve Innate Edict Scripts, but they have long been lost. Otherwise, this path would not have declined to such a state."

"Innate Edict Scripts?" Xu Yan seemed thoughtful and lowered his eyes to glance at his palms.

But since they were Innate Edict Scripts, they must be exceedingly complex. The two characters Miaoyuan that he recognized clearly could not be innate.

"They are the original twelve Edict Scripts. If even one had been passed down, it would have been shocking enough to astonish the world."

Gongsun Yan said this casually, then took out a Daoist text and sat upon a stone chair in the pavilion. With an easy manner, he said, "Come sit. Since you wish to learn, I will teach you, starting with the most basic stage: recognizing form."

"Thank you for the trouble, Seal-Holder."

Xu Yan walked over and began observing with careful concentration.