Drunk and dizzy.
I sneaked back to post a chapter. Not easy at all…
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Both Mei Qing and Bi Zhen felt that summoning the Shen of Jia-Shen consumed one opportunity, which seemed somewhat wasteful since Mei Qing wasn’t actually possessed by an evil spirit as Bi Zhen had imagined. Although neither of them really cared, according to Mei Qing, it still felt somewhat disadvantageous.
What both of them didn’t realize, however, was that this incident wasn’t merely harmless—it was actually extremely significant for Mei Qing.
For reasons unknown, Mei Qing’s soul had an innate fissure, differing from ordinary people in terms of its integration with his body. If he had never pursued cultivation and lived an ordinary life, there wouldn’t have been any major issue. However, once he began practicing techniques, focusing on gathering energy through mental concentration, problems arose. In the early stages of physical cultivation, the issue might not have been obvious, but as his cultivation deepened, especially when refining energy and nurturing his spirit, the crack in his mind would destabilize his entire foundation of Dao. If this crisis truly arrived, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Therefore, although Mei Qing’s sudden wavering of Dao heart could be considered a tribulation, unexpectedly, it turned into a blessing, eliminating the greatest obstacle in his cultivation path.
Even more fortunate was the fact that neither of them was aware of this, inadvertently averting a calamity and avoiding karmic entanglement. The blessings involved were indeed difficult to articulate fully.
After this incident, Mei Qing became increasingly fascinated with magical techniques. Unfortunately, the Dan School had far fewer Daoist arts compared to the Six Talisman Sects, and Bi Lecturer herself had an unspoken dilemma—she had never learned any techniques and thus couldn’t teach Mei Qing.
It might sound incredible, but it was true. Bi Zhen came from an extraordinary background and had cultivated the alchemical path since childhood. Her talent was extremely high. To have reached the early stage of Core Formation at her age was rare indeed, making her a genius seldom seen in the world—of course, excluding freaks like Mei Qing.
However, precisely to ensure her cultivation remained pure and undivided, the elders of her sect had imposed a rule upon her: unless destined by fate, she was forbidden from learning any Daoist techniques. She was to focus solely on cultivating her inner power, building a solid foundation. Given her status, she rarely needed to engage in actual combat. Therefore, aside from the mind-cultivation technique known as the “Observation of Stillness,” Bi Zhen, despite possessing profound cultivation, had no techniques to support her abilities.
This was also why her seniors had given her several magical artifacts for protection. Otherwise, should any mishap occur, Bi Zhen would be at a disadvantage, possessing powerful energy yet lacking any techniques to utilize it.
As a result, Mei Qing and Bi Zhen, both nearing the stage of Core Formation, could only look at each other helplessly. If they had belonged to ordinary sects, they would have already been considered outstanding young experts, freely choosing from various techniques to practice. Yet who could have imagined that these two experts would actually worry together over having no techniques to cultivate?
“Sigh, it’s not that we don’t want to learn—it’s just that there’s nothing for us to learn!” Mei Qing lamented.
What Bi Zhen hadn’t dared to admit was that she had made a bet with a certain unscrupulous old man, tempted by the promise of Daoist techniques, which led her to secretly scheme against Mei Qing. Unexpectedly, before she could even obtain the techniques, she ended up giving herself completely to him.
Stealing a slightly guilty glance at Mei Qing, Bi Zhen felt only sweetness in her heart. Unlike others, Mei Qing, despite having become extremely close with her, never acted condescendingly. He always respected her. Take, for example, the incident where she had bet with someone else to secretly use techniques against him. Although Mei Qing likely already understood there must have been reasons behind it, he had never pressed her for details.
“There’s no need to feel so distressed. After all, our Alchemical Sect never relies on external forces. Although talismans may accelerate early cultivation and provide advantages in duels, when it comes to attaining Dao, our Alchemical Sect is more stable and reliable,” Bi Zhen explained.
According to Bi Zhen, the biggest difference between the Talisman Sects and the Alchemical Sects lay in whether or not they relied on external forces during cultivation. The Alchemical Sects generally followed the principle of “Seeking the Golden Core solely within one’s body.” Whether cultivating energy or developing supernatural abilities, everything was derived from within. Even when using magical artifacts, these were treated only as auxiliary tools, never as the main path of cultivation. Take for example the immortal Lü Zu of Daoism, who relied solely on a single sword throughout his journey.
The Talisman Sects, on the other hand, began by learning various talismans from the very beginning as aids to their cultivation. Even their methods of energy cultivation often involved drawing power from the sun, moon, and stars as their primary energy sources. Although the Talisman Sects did cultivate internal cores, they still regarded talismans as the foundation of their techniques. This method of cultivation had the advantage of being easy to learn and quick to progress.
Cultivation itself was a defiance of the natural order. Although tribulations originated from one’s mind, aside from heavenly tribulations, there were also many human and worldly trials. Moreover, it was inevitable for cultivators to encounter demons and protect the righteous path. Even among Daoist sects, competition and duels were unavoidable. In this regard, since Talisman Sect practitioners began learning various talisman techniques early on, their cultivation of magical power was swift, and they possessed numerous powerful talisman techniques for both attack and defense, giving them a significant advantage.
However, advantages came with drawbacks. Although the Talisman Sects progressed quickly in the early stages and had an absolute advantage in duels, their magical power was often not cultivated from within, drop by drop, and thus lacked the purity of the Alchemical Sects’ methods, even after refinement. Another major issue was that excessive reliance on talismans and external objects inevitably weakened the training of one’s mind and spirit, particularly evident during heavenly tribulations.
Heavenly tribulations referred to the final trial before reaching the ultimate stage of spiritual transcendence—ascending to immortality. Unlike previous tribulations that originated from people or objects, this tribulation came directly from the Dao of Heaven, unavoidable and arising from one’s inner self, hence also known as the “Mind Tribulation.”
This Mind Tribulation concerned only one’s personal cultivation. No talismans, magical artifacts, or external objects could help, nor could anyone else intervene. The Alchemical Sects, having long focused on internal cultivation without relying on external forces, had an advantage at this point.
Therefore, although the Talisman Sects had far more experts in the early stages of energy and spirit cultivation, and were far superior in combat, their success rate in the final ascension trial was significantly lower. Even someone as brilliant as Zhang Liusun, the leader of the Xuan Sect, couldn’t escape this fate.
However, this wasn’t always the case. When the Shengxiao Sect emerged, it completely shattered people’s long-held beliefs. The Shengxiao Thunder Technique belonged to the Talisman Sect, and its magical attacks surpassed those of ordinary talismans. Moreover, within just a hundred years, two generations of its disciples successfully ascended, a miracle that stirred the hearts of cultivators across the land.
This was precisely why Zhang Liusun went to great lengths to obtain the Shengxiao Sect’s cultivation methods. Unfortunately, he failed to fully comprehend the Thunder Technique, eventually perishing in the heavenly tribulation.
“So, in the present world, are there still cultivators capable of ascending to immortality?” Mei Qing asked.
“Since the great Daoist calamity instigated by Zhang Liusun in the previous dynasty, no one has been heard of ascending. After Zhang Liusun’s failure in the tribulation, there was a Plum Sage, said to be a rare prodigy in cultivation history, who established his own sect, integrating both Talisman and Alchemical methods. Unfortunately, the Plum Sage has long been out of contact—whether he has already ascended or not remains unknown. From what I know, there might still be one or two remaining elders in the Quanzhen Sect approaching the threshold of ascension. As for the Talisman Sects, it’s hard to say. Since the previous dynasty, when all sects united into the Orthodox Daoist Sect, most major sects, aside from Longhushan, closed their mountains, leaving only worldly disciples to manage affairs. However, these sects have deep roots, and each likely has several experts guarding their secrets. If some ancient masters are nearing the stage of attaining Dao, it wouldn’t be surprising. After all, there are many Talisman Sects, and their cultivation is relatively easier. But how many of them can truly ascend and merge with Dao is hard to say.”
Bi Zhen’s words left Mei Qing in deep contemplation. He realized that the path of cultivation was indeed vast and full of mysteries—there was so much to explore in this wide world!
Unfortunately, no matter how much Mei Qing longed for it, he lacked both a master and a proper cultivation path. Aside from the Nineteen Methods and the Dual Cultivation Technique taught by Bi Zhen, he only had the “Observation of Suchness” to show off. If a real expert came looking for trouble, he wouldn’t have Bi Zhen’s ability to summon deities at will.
Although living a peaceful life at home was blissful, the saying goes: “Without long-term planning, there will be near-term worries.” Since the incident with Liu the Scar, which had brought him an unexpected disaster from the Brocade Guards, Mei Qing’s sense of crisis had grown extremely strong. Last time, Sixth Uncle had come to his rescue like a savior, but who could guarantee such luck next time? Relying on oneself was the most realistic approach.
After much thought, Mei Qing finally realized that his last hope lay in those scrolls of silk manuscripts.
These scrolls, originating from the Shengxiao Sect, must have contained their secret cultivation methods. Considering that the scrolls were ancient and the Shengxiao Sect had only emerged during the Southern Song Dynasty, they likely weren’t originally from the sect itself. More probably, Master Chonghe had obtained these ancient texts, learned the Thunder Technique from them, and then founded the Shengxiao Sect.
Since Master Chonghe had managed to decipher these ancient texts, Mei Qing was confident he could extract a cultivation method from them as well. However, Bi Zhen had also mentioned that these were only half of the original collection. The other half had been destroyed in a fire at the imperial palace. Moreover, the remaining half had been burned by Mei Qing himself at Liu the Scar’s funeral. Whether those lost scrolls contained Daoist scriptures or even more ancient silk manuscripts remained unknown.
Thinking about this, Mei Qing couldn’t help but sigh at the twists and turns of fate.
Now that things had come to this, regret was useless. Mei Qing could only channel his sorrow into strength and fully devote himself to the passionate endeavor of translating these ancient texts.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage