Is This Enlightenment?

Jiang Shishi couldn't help but ask, "What do you mean by that?"

Daoist Yansong raised an eyebrow. "I mean, this young man is a True Man of the Way. The talismans and magic artifacts he consecrates are actually more effective than those consecrated by most monks and Taoists across the country."

"Ah?" Xiao Ya looked at Daoist Yansong, then at Gu Zhao, looking a bit dumbfounded.

If she and Gu Zhao hadn't just met two days ago, if Gu Zhao hadn't accidentally shown off his skills just now, if this wasn't the Taishang Laojun Pavilion, and if a group of Taoists hadn't been so respectful to this old Taoist...

Xiao Ya would have thought Gu Zhao and the old Taoist were colluding to fool her.

However, before Xiao Ya could react, Gu Zhao waved his hand. "You flatter me, Daoist. Although I can draw talismans, I don't know how to consecrate them yet."

"Huh?" Daoist Yansong's eyes widened at this. "You don't know how to consecrate them?"

"I don't," Gu Zhao shook his head and asked, "How do you consecrate them?"

Daoist Yansong found it incredible. He looked Gu Zhao up and down. "You've clearly cultivated Internal Breath True Qi, don't you know how to use it?"

Gu Zhao's eyes darted around as he tentatively asked, "How do I use it?"

Daoist Yansong's eyes widened again. "You circulate the Internal Breath True Qi within your body, or calm your mind and inject it into the talismans and magic artifacts. Didn't your grandfather teach you?"

Speaking of which, he couldn't sit still any longer. "Wait a moment."

Daoist Yansong got up and left, leaving Jiang Shishi and Xiao Ya looking at each other.

"True Man of the Way?" Jiang Shishi looked at Xiao Ya.

"Internal Breath True Qi?" Xiao Ya looked at Jiang Shishi.

They weren't unfamiliar with these terms; they appeared frequently in wuxia novels, at least. But to have them appear in reality, and for an old Taoist to apply them to a young man, was a bit strange.

Jiang Shishi couldn't help but ask, "What's going on?"

Gu Zhao slumped back into his chair. "This is the treatment for Cultivation Success."

He was no longer worried about encountering problems on Dragon Tiger Heavenly Mountain. He hadn't expected that there were still Taoists in modern times who could cultivate Mana.

Although their Mana seemed very weak due to the environment, it was indeed Mana. And they all seemed very sensitive.

Since Qingcheng Mountain had them, Dragon Tiger Heavenly Mountain, as the ancestral court of Zhengyi, should naturally have them too. He probably wouldn't even need to use Palm Thunder; the Purple Robe Celestial Masters on Dragon Tiger Heavenly Mountain would respectfully offer him the Vajra Profound Talisman.

"You haven't shown Daoist Yansong any martial arts, so how does he know you've achieved Cultivation Success?" Xiao Ya asked. "An expert knows just by a single move, but you haven't made a move!"

"This is the resonance between masters," Gu Zhao said with a straight face.

Xiao Ya and Jiang Shishi exchanged glances, half-believing, half-doubting.

Just then, Gu Zhao suddenly sensed a faint Mana fluctuation, and then they heard footsteps outside the door.

The next moment, Daoist Yansong pushed the door open. The three of them saw him holding a Jade Ruyi. The Jade Ruyi was less than a foot long, pure white, and gave off a warm, gentle feeling.

Daoist Yansong asked Gu Zhao, "Do you feel anything?"

Looking at the Jade Ruyi before him, it was Gu Zhao's turn to be dumbfounded. "This is consecration?"

This was basically just forcefully pouring Mana into it, relying on the properties of the jade to store the spiritual energy inside, just like the Five Thunder Talisman he drew in Yuanfa Palace that time.

But this method of preservation wasn't permanent. As time passed, the spiritual energy within the jade would gradually dissipate and eventually be depleted. Its shelf life was even shorter than the Heavenly Dipper Talismans he drew.

"That's right, this is consecration," Daoist Yansong said with considerable pride. "This is a Jade Ruyi I consecrated for a month starting early last year. I've maintained it on the first of every month since then. Its Daoist Charm is ethereal, and its spiritual energy is abundant. It's a rare Magic Artifact!"

Gu Zhao, "..."

Alright, it was indeed ethereal in Daoist Charm and abundant in spiritual energy. Being near it would bring some benefits, but he felt something was off.

"If Xiao Ya's grandfather isn't seriously ill, but just weak and lacking energy, then you could draw a Peace Talisman, consecrate it for nine days, and have him wear it with him for a while. He should start to recover," Daoist Yansong said.

Gu Zhao looked at the Jade Ruyi before him.

Although the spiritual energy in the modern world was extremely thin, with Daoist Yansong's continuous infusion of Mana for a month, the spiritual energy around this Jade Ruyi was indeed relatively dense, provided one didn't greedily absorb it.

If a weak person kept it nearby, it would be like being in nature with abundant spiritual energy, which would indeed be very beneficial to both body and mind.

"It really does feel different!" Jiang Shishi blinked. "I feel like my breathing has become much smoother."

Daoist Yansong glanced at Jiang Shishi and said bluntly, "You're carrying too much burden, and climbing the mountain was too tiring. You're naturally more sensitive."

Being teased by the elder, Jiang Shishi blushed a little, which was rare for her, but she was still shocked. It felt like her worldview was being overturned.

Could there really be Magic Artifacts and metaphysics in this world?

But Xiao Ya was already looking at Gu Zhao. After thinking for a moment, she asked Daoist Yansong with some unease, "Does consecrating Magic Artifacts come with a price?"

"You're a good girl," Daoist Yansong's eyebrows rose. He looked at Gu Zhao again. "There aren't many kind girls like this nowadays. I suggest you don't miss out."

Gu Zhao was speechless. "Do you like playing matchmaker so much?"

Daoist Yansong said with a serious expression, "The country is encouraging marriage and childbirth. Religious figures should also respond to the national call."

Gu Zhao, "..."

Xiao Ya, "..."

"I'm not a doctor. I don't even know the reason why her grandfather is unwell, yet I'm giving him a Peace Talisman and saying it can cure him. Isn't this feudal superstition?" Gu Zhao said helplessly.

Xiao Ya chuckled softly, but at the same time, she felt a little disappointed. Then she heard Daoist Yansong say, "So it doesn't matter if it doesn't cure him, right? Who would believe that a Taoist Peace Talisman can really cure illnesses?"

The three of them were dumbfounded, suddenly realizing that what Daoist Yansong said made a lot of sense.

Gu Zhao had no choice but to ask Xiao Ya, "What illness did your grandfather get?"

"It's not really an illness. He's just been weak and frail with a lack of energy for the past two years, making it difficult for him to walk. The hospital couldn't find any cause, only explaining that my grandfather was naturally born with a weaker constitution," Xiao Ya explained softly. "But my grandfather was actually in pretty good health before."

Gu Zhao thought for a moment, then pulled a wallet from his pocket and took out a piece of yellow paper folded into a triangle, handing it to Xiao Ya. "This is a Heavenly Dipper Talisman I drew myself. If your grandfather believes in it, he can keep it on him or put it under his pillow. As for whether it'll work, I can't guarantee it!"

Encountering a modern Taoist like Daoist Yansong, who possessed mana, and who had revealed certain things, coupled with Xiao Ya's kindness and filial piety, and the fact that she had spoken kindly to him earlier, Gu Zhao felt there was no need to hold back too much.

Xiao Ya took the talisman. Her earlier dejection had vanished, her eyes were like paintings, and her spirit was high, a blush gracing her cheeks.

"Thank you!"