First Glimpse of the Way

"This may sound easy, but it is difficult in practice. Everyone is different, and the obstacles to uniting essence, spirit, and qi also vary. In your case, you are young and vigorous, with ample spiritual power, but your vital energy is somewhat lacking. Have you suffered a serious illness before?" Yu Yan gave Shen Luo a once-over and pinpointed his problem at once.

"Uncle has sharp eyes. Several years ago, I was invaded by yin energy and was bedridden for years before recovering," Shen Luo said, nodding repeatedly.

"Then that explains it. When you were drawing talismans just now, you did fairly well at combining essence and spirit, but the union of spirit and qi was far lacking. The talismans you drew only had the shape; their spirit and qi were severed, so failure was only natural." Yu Yan took a sip of snake gall wine and chuckled.

"Then what should I do? Must I restore my health and replenish my vital energy before I can draw talismans?" Having finally understood where his problem lay, Shen Luo asked anxiously. At the same time, he did not forget to rise and refill Yu Yan's cup.

"Replenishing your vital energy is certainly necessary, but that does not mean you cannot draw talismans now. You merely need to pay closer attention to uniting spirit and qi when drawing them." Yu Yan was quite pleased by Shen Luo's tactfulness.

"How can spirit and qi be united?"

"To unite spirit and qi, it must arise from the heart. There can be no forcefulness whatsoever. When drawing talismans, you must steady your mind and direct your qi into your chest..." As he drank, Yu Yan instructed Shen Luo on several techniques for uniting spirit and qi.

Shen Luo held his breath and listened intently, afraid of missing even a single word.

Yu Yan had considerable insight into talisman arts. A few casual pointers dispelled most of the fog in Shen Luo's mind, making him feel as though he had been enlightened.

After Yu Yan had finished, Shen Luo closed his eyes and replayed his instructions in his mind.

A moment later, he suddenly opened his eyes, picked up the white jade talisman brush, and set it down on a fresh sheet of talisman paper. His brush moved like a dragon and serpent as he began drawing another Minor Thunder Talisman.

Following Yu Yan's instruction, he steadied his mind and gathered his essence, spirit, and qi together, channeling them through the talisman brush in his hand and into the talisman.

A Minor Thunder Talisman was completed in an instant. From beginning to end, it was smooth and flawless, without the slightest sense of interruption.

Shen Luo turned his wrist and drew the final stroke like an iron hook and silver slash, its vigorous form seeming ready to tear through the air and fly away.

The entire Minor Thunder Talisman suddenly glimmered faintly and let out a clear ring. Only after nearly a breath did the sound fade, and the light on the talisman vanished with it.

"Not bad. Give it a try." Yu Yan smiled approvingly and waved his hand.

A small grayish-white stone landed on the table. It was a Yuan Stone.

After thanking him, Shen Luo pressed the Yuan Stone against the talisman and used the Minor Transforming Yang Art to activate it, channeling the white qi within into the talisman.

After practicing many times, he had become quite adept at drawing forth the white qi from Yuan Stones.

A thin flash of red light streaked past. The Yuan Stone split apart with a crack, while the talisman's surface flared with white light before shattering.

"Pshh!"

A bolt of white lightning appeared out of thin air and shot forward, striking the pond ahead.

A white spray of water exploded from the pond, shooting more than ten feet high. Countless droplets scattered in all directions, pelting Shen Luo's face hard enough to sting.

Shen Luo seemed not to notice. He clenched his fist tightly, not loosening it even when his nails dug into his flesh, using the pain to restrain the excitement in his heart.

At last, he had mastered the method of drawing his first talisman. Moreover, it was a useful talisman with considerable offensive power. More importantly, he had taken another step closer to the world of immortals.

"Thank you for your guidance, Uncle!" Shen Luo suppressed the excitement in his heart, turned, and gave Yu Yan a deep bow.

"It was nothing. You truly have remarkable talent in talisman arts; you understand as soon as you are taught. Sigh, if only that unfilial son of mine had your aptitude." Yu Yan waved a hand and sighed.

"Brother Yu has profound accomplishments in martial arts. This junior is far inferior to him," Shen Luo could only speak well of Yu Meng.

"Hmph, what use is being good at martial arts? His old man does not know any body-tempering techniques, so I cannot teach him." Yu Yan snorted angrily.

"Body-tempering techniques!" Shen Luo wanted to learn more, but seeing Yu Yan's displeasure, he wisely did not ask further.

"It is rare indeed for you to possess such talent, nephew. Unfortunately, our ancestors laid down a rule that talisman arts must not be passed to outsiders. Otherwise, there would be no harm in giving you a few more pointers." Yu Yan glanced at Shen Luo and chuckled.

Shen Luo had never hoped to learn more, but hearing this still left him somewhat disappointed. Nevertheless, he thanked Yu Yan and said:

"Thank you for your kindness, Uncle. This is merely because this junior lacks the fortune. So Uncle's talisman methods are an inherited ancestral art?" he asked with a trace of curiosity.

"Of course. All the Yu Family's magical arts were passed down from the renowned Yu Celestial Master of a thousand years ago. Back then, he was a celebrated figure in the cultivation world, his name shaking an entire region." As Yu Meng spoke of this, a hint of pride appeared on his face.

"Unfortunately, the Demonic Calamity descended later. Our ancestor died fighting demons and monsters, and though this cultivation method was passed down, it became incomplete. In the years that followed, experts of the Yu Family were continuously lost, and many supreme arts gradually vanished. By the time it reached me, only a little superficial knowledge remained. We even have to combine it with talismans to cultivate it. We descendants have truly failed our ancestors!" The more Yu Yan spoke, the more sorrowful he became, and he abruptly drained another cup of wine.

Watching Yu Yan drown his sorrows in drink, already showing signs of intoxication, Shen Luo could not help falling into thought.

A thousand years ago?

Was that not the era he came from?

"The sun waxes and wanes, the moon has its cloudy and clear phases, its fullness and crescent. No family can prosper forever. Senior possesses great abilities; if your cultivation improves in the future, then given enough time, you may not truly be inferior to your ancestor," Shen Luo said comfortingly after coming back to his senses.

"Only an inexperienced young calf like you would dare say such things. What can I cultivate with the little method in my hands? After all these years, I have long understood that effort alone is useless if one wants great achievements. The most important thing is opportunity. Take our ancestor, for example. Back then, he was merely a ferryman on the Luan River outside Songfan County Town. Yet the old man had profound fortune and obtained a copy of the Nameless Heavenly Scripture, which allowed him to cultivate such divine abilities. Without opportunity, no matter how desperately you strive, it will all be futile in the end." Yu Yan drained another cup, his face flushed and his drunkenness deepening.

"Luan River in Songfan County..." Shen Luo's eyes flickered.

Songfan County was near Chunhua County, was it not? It should only be a few days' journey from Spring Autumn Temple.

And the name Luan River seemed vaguely familiar somehow.

"Yu Celestial Master came from such humble origins, yet achieved so much later. He truly must have been favored by Heaven. Does Uncle know the details of what kind of extraordinary encounter he had back then?" Shen Luo refilled Yu Yan's cup and asked again almost unconsciously.

"Why are you asking so specifically? Do you want to go there and search for it yourself? It is useless. Generations of our Yu Family have searched that place countless times and practically turned it upside down." Yu Yan glanced sideways at Shen Luo and chuckled.

"You jest, Uncle. This junior merely wishes to broaden his horizons." Shen Luo scratched his head and smiled.