A Chance Encounter Under the Moon

Shen Luo turned a corner, and a cluster of artificial hills came into view.

The summit of the tallest hill had been flattened into a platform several feet across. A figure sat cross-legged atop it—it was Yu Yan.

His hands were formed into seals in the shape of a treasure vase, his eyes tightly shut. He slowly breathed in and out through his nose and mouth, each breath exceptionally long and measured.

Two milky-white streams of air, as thick as fingers, could vaguely be seen flowing in and out between his nose and mouth. Above the crown of his head, a ball of white radiance flickered in and out of sight.

"So this is true cultivation of the immortal Dao!" Shen Luo's eyes widened, and he could not help growing excited.

The reason he had spent a fortune to join Spring Autumn Temple all those years ago was to seek genuine Daoist arts and immortal techniques, to transform himself and prolong his life.

Yet the Minor Transforming Yang Art could only nurture Yang Hardness Force and strengthen the body. It simply could not be mentioned in the same breath as true Daoist arts.

Shen Luo stood rooted to the spot, staring blankly at everything before him.

Time passed bit by bit. The moon sank westward, and the moonlight pouring down gradually weakened.

The white halo above Yu Yan's head scattered away. His hands made a closing gesture before him, and the milky-white air from his nostrils abruptly vanished as he ceased cultivating.

Shen Luo jolted awake and hurriedly shrank back into the shadows, intending to turn and slip away.

However, he had unknowingly stood there for too long. His feet had gone completely numb and would not obey him. His body swayed, and he bumped into the nearby wall with a dull thud.

The sound was not loud, but in the stillness of the night, it was rather conspicuous.

Damn it! Shen Luo cursed himself inwardly, hoping Yu Yan had not noticed the disturbance.

"Is that Nephew Shen?" Unfortunately, things did not go as he wished, and Yu Yan's voice drifted over.

Shen Luo's heart tightened. He turned around, only to see that Yu Yan had somehow already descended from the artificial hill and was standing not far ahead, looking at him calmly.

"This junior happened to see Uncle practicing and found it quite miraculous. I could not help watching for a while longer. Please forgive my intrusion." Shen Luo bowed in apology.

"It is nothing. I do not have as many ridiculous rules as others. You watched, so you watched. As it happens, I am not sleepy either. Come sit with me over there for a while." Yu Yan spoke indifferently, then headed toward a pavilion beside the pond ahead.

Shen Luo limped after him. Secretly circulating the Minor Transforming Yang Art and setting the blood and qi in his body flowing, the discomfort in his feet gradually faded.

The two sat down in the pavilion. Yu Yan flicked his sleeve, and two small plates of food, a jug of wine, and two wine cups flew out.

The wine flowed down Shen Luo's throat. Its rich aroma spread through his body like blazing fire, reverberating through his organs and invigorating his spirit.

Shen Luo felt the Yang Hardness Force he had cultivated through the Minor Transforming Yang Art stirred by the wine's vapor, moving through his meridians on its own.

Moreover, threads of cool qi surged from within his organs and merged into the Yang Hardness Force. Its strength increased by several degrees, nearly surpassing half a month of his usual painstaking cultivation.

Shen Luo was overjoyed. He glanced greedily at the wine jug, wishing he could snatch it up and drink it all.

"Heh heh, what do you think of the wine?" Yu Yan tilted back his head and drained a cup himself. From the corner of his eye, he had observed every change in Shen Luo's expression, and he asked with a chuckle.

"Truly fine wine. This junior has tasted quite a few good wines before, but compared with your spirit wine, they are all like plain water. What ingredients were used to brew such excellent wine?" Shen Luo eagerly refilled Yu Yan's cup and asked.

"What, you think my wine is good and want to pry into the recipe so you can secretly brew it yourself?" Yu Yan gave Shen Luo a sidelong glance and smiled.

"Nothing can be hidden from Uncle." His thoughts exposed, Shen Luo smiled awkwardly.

"There is no harm in telling you the recipe. Have you heard of the Snow Mountain Spirit Snake? It appears once in a thousand years and cannot be bought even for a fortune. Its gallbladder is even rarer, not something one can obtain casually." Yu Yan took a sip of wine as he spoke.

"Besides, even if you got the recipe, it would be useless. In addition to soaking the snake gallbladder, brewing this wine requires refining it with Spirit Fire. Though you wore Daoist robes before, I could tell you have yet to cultivate Daoist arts. How could you possibly command Spirit Fire?" Yu Yan seemed quite fond of drink and once again drained his cup.

Shen Luo merely laughed apologetically, but his hands did not slow. He hurriedly drank another cup with Yu Yan while secretly circulating the Minor Transforming Yang Art to refine the cool qi in the wine. The Yang Hardness Force within him rose a little more.

"Uncle Yu, you are deeply versed in Talisman Arts. This junior has practiced a talisman for quite some time, but I have never known whether I have been doing it correctly. Could you offer me some guidance?" Shen Luo poured Yu Yan another cup of wine before asking hesitantly.

"Oh? What talisman? Draw it and let me see."

Yu Yan casually flicked his sleeve again. Several sheets of azure talisman paper appeared on the table, along with a small white cup filled with a dark-red liquid. It was thick like blood but carried little of blood's stench. There was also a white jade brush.

Several spirit inscriptions had been engraved upon the jade brush. At its tail was a tuft of golden fur, every strand faintly gleaming. It was clearly no ordinary hair.

Suppressing his excitement, Shen Luo took a deep breath. He picked up the jade brush and dipped it fully into the red liquid, composed himself, and began drawing the Minor Thunder Talisman.

The hairs of this jade brush were soft yet firm, making it ten times easier to use than any brush he had used before.

Furthermore, the red liquid differed from the black dog blood he had previously used. Not only would it not congeal, but he could vaguely sense an invisible current of qi flowing within it, allowing him to better grasp the process of drawing talismans.

In less than half a quarter-hour, he had finished drawing the runes of the Minor Thunder Talisman.

Shen Luo felt that he had drawn it better this time than ever before. It might even succeed, but unfortunately, he had no Yuan Stone to activate it.

"Oh, so it is a Minor Thunder Talisman. It is considered a fairly complex low-grade talisman. For someone at your current level, it is indeed somewhat difficult." Yu Yan glanced at the talisman paper in front of Shen Luo and spoke casually.

"Please guide me, Uncle." Shen Luo hurriedly cupped his hands.

"Your brushwork is smooth, but unfortunately, your essence and spirit are not in harmony, and the talisman qi is intermittent. It is merely a false talisman." Yu Yan picked up the talisman paper, a faint glimmer flashing over his fingertips.

With a hiss, the talisman shattered in response, transforming into a ball of bright white light. Yet it still did not turn into lightning.

Shen Luo stared blankly, then scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

"The Talisman Way is unfathomably profound. To succeed, every kind of talisman requires mastery of its essence. Take this Minor Thunder Talisman, for example. Its essence lies in using human power to communicate with the power of Heaven and Earth, while the runes inscribed upon the talisman paper are the key. When drawing a talisman, one must achieve Three-Origin Unity—merging a person's essence, spirit, and qi into one and infusing them into the talisman. From beginning to end, it must remain smooth and unimpeded before success can be achieved." Yu Yan looked at Shen Luo and spoke earnestly.

"Then how can one unite the three and merge them into one?" Shen Luo listened with rapt attention and could not help asking.

The True Mirror of Secret Talisman Arts had mentioned something similar, but without anyone to guide him at the time, he had found it all rather obscure. Yu Yan's explanation today was far more plain and easy to understand.