Talisman Artifact

"Just now, when you and Senior Brother Ding dueled, you each controlled objects in battle. The Copper Coin Sword and Peachwood Sword were both quite powerful, easily snapping trees and destroying forests. Those must have been the legendary Magical Artifacts, right?" Shen Luo asked as they walked.

"You mean this thing? It's no Magical Artifact." Bai Xiaotian shook his head. As he spoke, he took the Copper Coin Sword from his sleeve and casually handed it to Shen Luo.

Shen Luo accepted it without ceremony and examined it carefully.

The Copper Coin Sword was only about two feet long, but its craftsmanship was quite exquisite. It was woven from eighty-one ancient coins with light verdigris, strung together by red cord.

The ancient coins were all identical in style. One side bore images of the twelve zodiac animals engraved around a square hole, while the other was inscribed in regular script with the words "Long Life and Prosperity." They were eighty-one rather rare old-style decorative coins.

Decorative coins were likewise minted by the government, but were generally not used in trade or circulation. They were mostly used for furnace-opening, treasury-warding, blessings, and the like. Though far fewer in number than ordinary currency, they were not especially rare. By rights, they should not have possessed such miraculous power.

Could there be something strange about the red cord stringing these ancient coins together?

Curious, Shen Luo rubbed the red cord between his fingers, then raised it to his nose and sniffed lightly. He detected a faint scent of cinnabar, but could not tell what material it had been woven from.

Seeing him like this, Bai Xiaotian rubbed his nose, barely able to suppress a laugh.

"Alright, stop studying it. The key isn't the Copper Coin Sword. Even if you took it apart, you still wouldn't figure it out." With that, he took the sword back from Shen Luo and pulled a yellow paper talisman from his sleeve, sticking it onto the hilt.

As he formed a hand seal with one hand and softly chanted an incantation, the talisman immediately lit up with a faint red glow that enveloped the entire sword, just as it had during the duel.

With a flick of Bai Xiaotian's fingers, the Copper Coin Sword trembled slightly before suddenly shooting into the air. It spun through the sky, circling the two of them as it flew.

Shen Luo's eyes lit up, and heartfelt envy rose within him.

Bai Xiaotian had no intention of showing off. After demonstrating it briefly, he beckoned the Copper Coin Sword back, then tore off the talisman.

"You saw it too. This Copper Coin Sword needs a talisman to activate it, and it can only display a little power by borrowing the talisman's strength. In truth, it is a pseudo-Magical Artifact called a 'Talisman Artifact.' Compared with a true Magical Artifact, its power is worlds apart." Bai Xiaotian casually put away the Copper Coin Sword and talisman as he explained.

Shen Luo knew that there was nothing wrong with Bai Xiaotian demonstrating the Talisman Artifact to him, but the talisman attached to the Copper Coin Sword could not be casually shown to others. This was both a sect rule and a principle of conduct. No matter how close their relationship, one could not overstep such boundaries.

He bore no resentment over this. On the contrary, he admired Bai Xiaotian even more and increasingly felt that he was someone worth befriending.

"Even a Talisman Artifact is already so marvelous. I wonder what kind of divine might a Magical Artifact possesses?" Shen Luo said longingly.

"True Magical Artifacts are not only immensely powerful, but also place great demands on their users. Only those whose cultivation has reached the Fasting Stage can activate them. How could they be seen so easily? In all of Spring Autumn Temple, I'm afraid only the Temple Master and that Martial Granduncle possess them. Even Daoist Luo and Martial Uncle Wang do not." Bai Xiaotian wore an equally yearning expression.

"The Temple Master is one thing, but have you ever seen that Martial Granduncle?" Shen Luo asked curiously.

This Martial Granduncle was something of a legend within Spring Autumn Temple. Almost everyone had heard his name, yet no disciple had ever been heard to have seen his true form, making him especially mysterious.

Some said he had lived for several centuries. Some said he had already attained immortality. Others went even further, claiming that he had actually died long ago, and that the temple only concealed it to maintain appearances before outsiders.

Deep down, Shen Luo preferred to believe that this Martial Granduncle had a long lifespan and was still alive.

"I haven't seen him, but Daoist Luo said that Martial Granduncle is indeed in seclusion and merely rarely shows himself. Probably only the Temple Master, Daoist Luo, and a handful of others in the temple are able to meet him." Bai Xiaotian said.

"So cultivating immortality really can extend one's lifespan?" Shen Luo's heart leaped with joy.

"Of course. As long as you break through one barrier after another in cultivation, your maximum lifespan increases greatly with every realm you rise. Our Martial Granduncle is already several hundred years old." Bai Xiaotian nodded with certainty.

"So it really is possible... By the standards of cultivation realms, I'm currently at the lowest level, right?"

Having received this definite answer from Bai Xiaotian, a surge of heat rose in Shen Luo's heart. His desire to live became ever more fervent.

"Well..." Bai Xiaotian's face showed a trace of embarrassment.

"I understand. It seems I don't even count as being at the lowest level." Shen Luo immediately understood. The corner of his mouth twitched as he spoke.

"The lowest cultivation realm is the Qi Refining Stage. Once one cultivates magical power, one is considered to have entered the Qi Refining Stage. I am at that level now. The next level above it is the Fasting Stage. Daoist Luo and the Temple Master are both at that realm." Bai Xiaotian could only explain.

"I see. Then what about that Martial Granduncle? Do you know what realm he is in?" Shen Luo asked again.

"Daoist Luo never mentioned it, but judging from his approximate lifespan, he may have reached the Soul Condensation Stage, a realm above the Fasting Stage." Bai Xiaotian shook his head as he replied.

Shen Luo immediately committed this to memory.

Bai Xiaotian's words today seemed to have opened a door before him, allowing him to see hope for survival while also making him recognize how insignificant he was as an ordinary mortal. For a time, his heart was filled with countless conflicting emotions.

Mortals only lived a few short decades. After subtracting the years of helpless childhood and frail old age, how much time was truly left in between?

Yet he could not even hope for that brief span of time. How could he be willing to accept it?

"Brother Bai, when you dueled Senior Brother Ding earlier, the cultivation art you used should have been the Pure Yang Sword Art, correct?" After steadying himself, Shen Luo asked again.

Bai Xiaotian was slightly startled upon hearing this, seemingly surprised that Shen Luo knew of the Pure Yang Sword Art.

"Don't find it strange. Although I'm a Registered Disciple and cannot access other cultivation arts, it isn't difficult to spend some money gathering information. I know that the Minor Transforming Yang Art is merely a foundational technique, a body-tempering art for mortals that lays the groundwork for cultivating the Pure Yang Sword Art. And the Pure Yang Sword Art is the cultivation art in the temple that can truly cultivate spells, isn't it?" Shen Luo said with a smile, having seen Bai Xiaotian's doubts.

"You're quite well-informed, kid. That's right. The Minor Transforming Yang Art is indeed a foundational technique. Only disciples who cultivate it to perfection qualify to attempt the first level of the Pure Yang Sword Art." After hesitating slightly, Bai Xiaotian no longer concealed the matter.

"In other words, once one masters the Minor Transforming Yang Art, one can cultivate the Pure Yang Sword Art and truly begin walking the path of cultivation?" Shen Luo asked seriously.

"How could it be that simple? Qualifying to attempt the first level of the Pure Yang Sword Art does not mean you can achieve Dharma Nature Passage. Only after passing Dharma Nature Passage can one be considered a Qi Refining Stage cultivator and truly step through the gates of the Immortal Path." Bai Xiaotian shook his head repeatedly.

"Dharma Nature Passage?" This time, Shen Luo was truly astonished.