Ten Golden Talismans

Tuo Tuo Ancestor shouted, "Who is making a clamor below?"

Wang Chong's heart tightened. He hastily dispersed his mana, heedless of the disorder it caused, and called out, "I am Wang Chong, disciple of Xiao Nan of the Bai Yue lineage. Hearing the Ancestor expound the scripture, I found it exquisitely profound, containing boundless great arts. Overjoyed beyond myself, I disturbed the lecture. I beg the Ancestor to punish me."

Tuo Tuo Ancestor focused slightly and cast a spell, observing for a while. He thought to himself, This boy has only attended lectures for a few days, yet he has already cultivated the first major circulation of the Fire Dragon Sword Technique. He truly possesses an inborn Dao seed, free and unbridled. Unfortunately, some acupoints remain unfilled. He relied on a flying sword at his side to force a breakthrough—a clever shortcut. His foundation is insufficient; in a few days, his mana will regress.

A fondness for talent arose in him, and he shouted, "For disrupting the scripture lecture, you should be blasted out. From this day onward, you are forbidden from attending the next three lectures."

Tuo Tuo Ancestor raised a hand and sent forth a streak of golden light, blasting Wang Chong out of the Scripture Lecture Courtyard.

Tuo Tuo Ancestor's most capable disciples had all been sent out on business, and those who remained possessed only ordinary cultivation. Though these disciples and granddisciples could see the splendid spiritual radiance above Wang Chong's head, they could not discern matters so clearly. Hearing the Ancestor's words, they all assumed Wang Chong had forcibly broken through a cultivation barrier and failed at the last step. Such things were common enough; there were always people who wished to force their way into the Fire Dragon Sword Technique. No one paid much attention.

Zhu Ying was worried for Wang Chong. Seeing everyone regain their composure and continue listening, she secretly edged to the side of the lecture hall and slipped out.

What sort of figure was Tuo Tuo Ancestor? Naturally, he saw it all clearly. He thought to himself, No wonder this boy has such an excellent flying sword. So it was a gift from a dragon maiden.

"Those who cultivate the Dao speak of Dharma, companions, wealth, and land. Since he has won a dragon maiden's heart, he does not lack the latter two—companions and wealth."

Tuo Tuo Ancestor continued expounding the scripture as though nothing had happened.

Zhu Ying hurried all the way back to the small courtyard where she and Wang Chong lived. Only then did she find Wang Chong standing there in a slight daze. She hurriedly asked, "Were you hurt?"

Wang Chong shook his head and said, "I was not hurt. The Ancestor bore me no ill will."

"I need to enter seclusion for one day. Please stand guard for me."

Zhu Ying asked, "Is something wrong?"

Wang Chong shook his head and said, "I have gained some insights into the Dao arts. I'll tell you once I emerge from seclusion."

Wang Chong returned to his meditation chamber. Before his eyes, ten great golden talismans shone upon the void.

The golden light Tuo Tuo Ancestor had sent forth was not some formidable spell, but ten pure-yang Heaven-Mixing Talismans, reflected into his sea of consciousness through supreme mana.

Wang Chong had used the qi of the Qian-Li Fire Serpents as a substitute for utmost-yang mana, recklessly attempting to circulate the first major cycle of the Fire Dragon Sword Technique. There had indeed been flaws in his method.

Tuo Tuo Ancestor's ten utmost-yang talismans made up for the deficiencies in his cultivation. Wang Chong contemplated the utmost-yang talismans according to the Fire Dragon Sword Technique. In less than two hours, his mind thundered as ten utmost-yang Dharma acupoints were forcibly refined open.

Originally, once these ten talismans had helped Wang Chong open ten utmost-yang acupoints, they should have dispersed. Yet the ten utmost-yang talismans gave a faint hum and branded themselves into those Dharma acupoints. With these ten utmost-yang Dharma acupoints added, the first major circulation of Wang Chong's Fire Dragon Sword Technique no longer possessed any flaws. It had reached perfection.

Wang Chong was overjoyed. The mana cultivated through this cycle of the Fire Dragon Sword Technique was several times more abundant than the mana cultivated through two major cycles of the Yin-Yang Five-Element Qi Refinement Art. It also carried a blazing fire qi, making it especially easy for him to command the Qian-Li Fire Serpents.

Whether the Primordial Sword Formula or the Yin-Yang Five-Element Seven-Absolutes Sword Classic, neither was a proper foundational Dao art of the Five-Terrace Sect.

The Twenty-Seven Fire Dragon Method and the Fire Dragon Sword Technique were the orthodox Five-Terrace Dao arts for laying one's foundation. Their power far surpassed that of the Primordial Sword Formula and the Yin-Yang Five-Element Seven-Absolutes Sword Classic.

A sudden insight came to him, and he chanted aloud, "From the Li gate bursts the fire dragon's essence; crimson scales and blazing flames coil around the azure sky. Ten golden talismans sever the clouds' qi; soaring a thousand miles, rising on the whirlwind."

Once he finished, he felt greatly refreshed.

After a moment, comparing it in secret with his father's collected works, he felt that this poem of Dao realization was utter nonsense, neither four nor six, and grew dejected again.

Wang Chong left his room and saw Zhu Ying staring at him. He asked, "What is it, Sister Zhu?"

Zhu Ying asked, "Have you truly cultivated the Fire Dragon Sword Technique?"

Wang Chong replied, "Only its first major circulation."

Zhu Ying said, "The Fire Dragon Sword Technique has forty-nine sword-formula talismans and one hundred thirty-eight sword forms. Have you comprehended them all?"

Wang Chong hesitated before saying, "I am not yet familiar with the sword forms, but the sword-formula talismans were rather easy."

Zhu Ying sucked in a cold breath and said, "Do you know that Master Xiao has not yet cultivated the Fire Dragon Sword Technique?"

Wang Chong said in surprise, "Surely not?"

Zhu Ying said, "Master Xiao has only just cultivated the Primordial Sword Formula to completion and has not yet begun to comprehend the Fire Dragon Sword Technique. You, his disciple, have already taken a step ahead of your master. I wonder how the old master would feel if he learned of it."

Wang Chong replied, "As long as I do not say such nonsense as a master need not be wiser than his disciple, it should be fine."

Zhu Ying burst into laughter. Her gaze toward Wang Chong brimmed with tender affection, along with a touch of envy.

Born in the Dragon Palace, she naturally knew that someone like Wang Chong would surely become one of the world's foremost figures in several decades, far surpassing any young talent of the sea clans.

Wang Chong suddenly became somewhat crestfallen again and said, "Being unable to attend three lectures in a row is truly regrettable. If I could keep listening to Tuo Tuo Ancestor explain the Fire Dragon Sword Technique, I would certainly gain even deeper insights."

Zhu Ying rolled her eyes at him, thinking, The Ancestor is helping you, allowing you to enter seclusion for a month and fully digest what you have gained. How could he know that this fellow needed less than a day to surpass what others gained in a month?

Wang Chong was not one to keep things to himself. He said to Zhu Ying, "Since we cannot attend the lectures, why don't I explain the Fire Dragon Sword Technique to you, Sister Zhu? Your cultivation is deeper than mine. You will surely be able to cultivate it as well."

Zhu Ying was also somewhat eager. "Excellent."

After Tuo Tuo Ancestor finished expounding the scripture, he did not return to his own residence. Instead, he cast an invisibility spell and headed toward Wang Chong and Zhu Ying's quarters. Outside the courtyard, he heard Wang Chong explaining the Fire Dragon Sword Technique to Zhu Ying. He stopped and listened for a while, deeply shaken. He thought, Xiao Nan's disciple is nearly comparable to the most outstanding few among my own direct disciples.

"The Ancestor wishes to unite Five-Terrace. Though Wang Chong is not my direct disciple, he is still properly of my granddisciple generation. I shall privately teach him some marvelous arts; in the future, he too will be part of Five-Terrace's foundation."

Tuo Tuo Ancestor formed a hand seal. Zhu Ying immediately began to feel drowsy. Her eyes opened and closed for a while, but she could no longer hold on and sank into a deep sleep.

Wang Chong hurriedly carried Zhu Ying into the bedroom and covered her with a quilt. As soon as he came back out, he saw Tuo Tuo Ancestor standing before the hall. He quickly bowed in salute and said, "Many thanks to the Ancestor for helping me today."

Tuo Tuo Ancestor said, "You are a disciple of Five-Terrace. Hearing me explain Patriarch Sa's Fire Dragon Sword Technique and gaining insight from it means your opportunity has arrived."

"Just now, I listened as you explained this sword technique to Zhu Ying. Your understanding in some places is uneven. Matters of cultivating the Dao cannot be handled carelessly. For the next few days, I will come each day to explain the sword technique to you once."

Wang Chong was beside himself with joy and hurriedly bowed in thanks. Tuo Tuo Ancestor turned, and clear radiance filled the room before he vanished without a trace.