Inside a small quiet room in Yuanfa Palace, quite a few people were crammed together.
After hearing Hui Bin's account, everyone first looked at the seemingly ordinary Yellow Talisman in his hand, then at Daoist Master Yihong, who sat to one side in silent contemplation. One by one, they fell silent as well.
Although most of them were Taoists who recited scriptures and cultivated themselves in their daily lives, this was the modern age. Not many truly believed in mysticism. They merely considered Taoism a philosophical system for conducting oneself and cultivating the mind and body—calming the spirit, nurturing vitality, and training one's qi.
They believed Internal Energy existed, but they also believed it was not so miraculous. It was simply a kind of power within the human body that could grant health and longevity, perhaps at most enhancing one's strength, agility, and the like.
The fortune-telling, physiognomy, and feng shui passed down to this day were, in truth, sciences involving psychology, mathematics, geography, meteorology, and so on.
As for consecration...
In their eyes, so-called consecration was merely a religious ritual. Through the ritual, it strengthened psychological suggestion, which then influenced the material through the power of the mind.
Just as maintaining a positive state of mind could alleviate an illness or even hasten recovery.
Of course, they had indeed heard that some religious masters could truly consecrate Magic Artifacts, giving them wondrous effects. Yet they were all half-believing and half-doubting of this—because they could not do it themselves, nor had they ever witnessed it with their own eyes.
But Daoist Master Yihong's performance today had shattered everyone's understanding.
With merely one glance at Hui Bin, he had known that Hui Bin possessed a genuinely consecrated protective talisman. This completely exceeded their comprehension. How had Daoist Master Yihong done it?
They dared guarantee that today was the first time Daoist Master Yihong and Hui Bin had met.
As for Daoist Master Yihong and Hui Bin colluding to fool them... the very thought was disrespectful to Daoist Master Yihong!
This was a highly senior Taoist master from Baiyun Temple of Longmen Ancestral Court in Yandu. He had vowed to collect Longmen texts, traveling through Taoist temples great and small across the country, gathering Taoist Scriptures one book, one sheet, one fragment of page at a time. He was virtuous and deeply respected.
Since that was the case, then there was only one explanation.
The gazes everyone turned upon Daoist Master Yihong could not help but grow fervent.
Yet Daoist Master Yihong did not notice those looks. He merely asked in considerable disbelief, "You said a college student in his twenties drew it right in front of you?"
"Yes." Hui Bin nodded repeatedly.
"No burning incense and bathing? No calming the mind and settling the qi? No personal consecration?" Daoist Master Yihong asked. "He gave it to you on the spot right after drawing the talisman?"
"Yes." Hui Bin continued nodding.
"Hiss—" Daoist Master Yihong sucked in a sharp breath.
Seeing Daoist Master Yihong's shocked expression, everyone felt an inexplicable chill run down their spines. After pondering for a moment, the middle-aged Taoist who seemed to be leading them finally asked cautiously, "Daoist Master Yihong, what is going on?"
"It's nothing. I simply never expected there to still be such an extraordinary young person nowadays," Daoist Master Yihong said with a sigh.
The crowd looked at one another. They wanted to ask, yet did not dare. After all, everyone present was a figure of some standing in the local Taoist community, and asking would mean admitting they knew nothing.
Daoist Master Yihong, however, did not mind in the slightest. "It is not strange that you do not know. After all, life is better now, and not many people cultivate seriously anymore."
Everyone felt somewhat embarrassed at those words.
"It is like how martial arts declined once guns and cannons appeared," Daoist Master Yihong said with a smile. "When Taoist cultivation reaches its end, its effects on health and longevity are about comparable to elderly people maintaining a good mindset, exercising more, and taking a few more supplements."
Everyone once again gave awkward smiles.
"Of course, exercise is always useful. For instance, although guns and cannons exist, martial artists are still somewhat stronger, faster, and quicker to react than ordinary people. The truly skilled can even move their qi, blood, and Internal Energy."
Daoist Master Yihong continued, "And we Taoists meditate and sit in contemplation year after year, breathing and refining qi, opening the heavenly circuit. A sense of qi will form within our bodies, also called inner breath or Internal Energy. This Sensing Qi can help us calm our minds and settle our qi, strengthening the body and nurturing health."
Consecration was the process by which Taoists infused the Sensing Qi within their bodies into Magic Artifacts or talisman paper. The Magic Artifact or talisman paper would then carry that energy, helping its holder calm their spirit, settle their qi, and nurture their health..."
After thinking for a moment, Daoist Master Yihong joked, "It is like carrying a stick of old sandalwood with you. It can smooth away irritation while you work and soothe your spirit to help you sleep. It counts as health preservation too."
Everyone laughed at that, but after laughing, they could not help feeling envious. Technology was so advanced now—who did not want to live a few more years?
They all knew Taoism taught people how to preserve their health. They had originally thought it meant nothing more than maintaining one's mindset, exercising scientifically, clearing blockages in the meridians throughout the body, and thus staying healthy, warding off illness, and extending one's years. As for qi circulating through the heavenly circuit, they had heard of it, but had never felt it.
Yet from what Daoist Master Yihong said, could one truly cultivate qigong that could be sensed and controlled, and that possessed mysterious power?
"Because we possess Sensing Qi, our minds and bodies are also more sensitive than those of ordinary people." Daoist Master Yihong looked at Hui Bin. "Just now, I sensed that energy on Hui Bin. Seeing that its source was beneath his clothes, I guessed it was a protective talisman."
"However..." Daoist Master Yihong hesitated here. "Even a high Taoist performing consecration must calm his spirit and settle his qi, carefully sense the Sensing Qi and inner breath in his body, guide it cautiously through the meridians, and infuse it into the Magic Artifact.
"This process must last at least several days, or even over a month, before the Magic Artifact can carry energy and retain it for a period of time. Even so, there are not many old Taoists in the entire country whom I know to possess this ability."
At this point, Daoist Master Yihong could not make sense of it no matter how hard he tried. "If it truly was as Hui Bin said, and this protective talisman was casually drawn by a young man, then his cultivation has likely reached the level of the Ancient High Taoists."
The onlookers looked at one another. Each of them had cultivated for twenty or thirty years. Among them were the abbot of Yuanfa Palace and senior officials of the Taoist Association, yet what Daoist Master Yihong described was something they had heard for the first time.
Although Daoist Master Yihong had spoken as lightly as drifting clouds and a gentle breeze, they knew this was anything but ordinary.
For example, many people could run one hundred meters in eleven seconds, but those who could run it in under ten seconds could be counted across the country on one's fingers.
Had they not heard Daoist Master Yihong say it? There were not many in the entire country with such ability. Even if there were Ancient High Taoists unknown to him, living in seclusion in old temples deep within mountains and forests, their numbers certainly would not be great.
Though Daoist Master Yihong had used old sandalwood as an analogy, they recalled many things they had heard of before. Some incidents that had once seemed like flattery, sarcasm, or miracles of luck might perhaps have other explanations.
Many powerful and wealthy people in this world believed in mysticism. Could they all be fools merely seeking psychological comfort?
They were within the field themselves, yet because their cultivation fell short, they had instead been blinded by illusion and lost their sense of reverence.
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