Mei Qing smiled and said, “What’s there to deliberate over? Just give me the question!”
In truth, Mei Qing had no confidence that he could gain the upper hand in this confrontation. However, the more the other party persisted in engaging him, the more convinced he became that his opponent must have ulterior motives. If that were the case, then surely there would come an opportunity for him to escape—or at least to wait for his master to come rescue him.
Therefore, he was quite willing to let the other side pose riddles or questions, both to stall for time and to see if he could uncover the identity of this mysterious figure.
“Very well then, listen carefully,” the aged voice paused briefly before presenting the first question. “In this room, there is a stone platform inscribed with a talisman. Examine and decipher it—describe to me how this talisman transforms.”
Mei Qing stepped forward lightly, and sure enough, he saw a strangely drawn talisman on the platform within the room.
This talisman was neither quite a talisman nor fully a formation. It was laid out in a nine-palace grid, divided into nine sections, each containing a smaller individual talisman. These were independent yet interconnected, forming a composite talisman-formation.
At first glance, it appeared to be a simple combination of the nine-palace formation with a talisman in each section. However, upon closer examination, its complexity proved far greater than it seemed.
Each of the nine talismans was composed of two elements of the five phases, but these compositions were unstable, constantly shifting and changing.
Mei Qing smiled and said, “What’s there to hesitate about? Just give me the challenge!”
In truth, Mei Qing had no confidence in gaining the upper hand against the aged voice. However, the more the other party entangled with him, the more it indicated that they had ulterior motives. Therefore, he saw an opportunity to either escape or wait for his master to rescue him.
Thus, he was quite willing to be tested with challenges to buy time and perhaps uncover the true identity of the other party.
“Alright, listen carefully. On the stone platform in the room, there is an inscription of a talisman. Decipher it and tell me how it changes,” the aged voice paused briefly before presenting the first challenge.
Mei Qing stepped forward lightly and indeed saw a rather peculiar talisman drawn on the platform inside the room.
This talisman was neither purely a talisman nor a formation. It was based on the Nine Palaces, divided into nine sections, each containing a small talisman that was both independent and interconnected, forming a talismanic array.
At first glance, it appeared to be a composite talisman based on the Nine Palaces, with each palace containing a separate talisman. However, upon closer inspection, it was clear that its complexity far exceeded that.
Each of the nine talismans was composed of two of the Five Elements, but this composition was unstable and constantly changing.
Yet, at any given time, only one of the nine talismans was changing, while the other eight remained stable. In this state, the nine talismans formed two sets of Five Elements, one positive and one negative. The changing talisman followed the path of the innate, circulating through the nine palaces, driving the dual Five Elements’ spiritual energy, resulting in myriad transformations.
The Nine Palaces and the Five Elements are the most basic talismanic formations, but their ingenious arrangement far exceeded Mei Qing’s expectations.
Mei Qing sat down cross-legged, his eyes fixed ahead, his mind completely immersed in this seemingly simple yet complex talismanic array.
Meanwhile, Liu Liu had been trembling ever since the stone door closed behind them. He had been searching for any trace of an exit along the walls, meticulously feeling every inch, but to no avail.
Now, seeing Mei Qing sitting motionless as if entranced, Liu Liu grew even more nervous. He swallowed hard and mustered the courage to ask in a trembling voice, “Immortal? Since… you’ve brought us here, how much longer must I stay? Can I go back now?”
“What’s the rush? You’ll be allowed to leave when the time comes,” the aged voice replied indifferently. “Just stay put and don’t make any noise that might disturb others.”
Though the aged voice was calm, an undercurrent of authority was subtly conveyed. Liu Liu shivered and quickly crouched by the wall, his eyes still searching for the stone door, but he dared not make a sound.
By now, Mei Qing had forgotten everything around him, oblivious to the conversation between Liu Liu and the aged voice. His focus was solely on the Nine Palaces Dual Five Elements talismanic array.
Mei Qing began his calculations from the innate curve, gradually deciphering the changes within the formation.
The innate changes followed the sequence of Heaven One, Earth Two, Heaven Three, Earth Four, Heaven Eight, Earth Seven, Heaven Six, Earth Five. It was the movement of one palace within the Nine Palaces that allowed the formation to generate the dual positive and negative Five Elements, following the innate diagram and circulating through the eight directions.
Thus, this talismanic array was far more challenging than Mei Qing had anticipated. He worked from the outside in and then from the inside out, following the mysterious trajectory, his mind calculating the myriad changes at a speed unimaginable to ordinary people, seeking the simplest and most correct path.
Although the innate changes had a traceable pattern, it only provided a direction for calculation. The specific changes at each step and line were unimaginably complex. Despite Mei Qing’s considerable cultivation and exceptional mental prowess, he gradually felt overwhelmed by the intensity of the deductions.
The point of change was like a fluttering butterfly, seemingly slow but actually fast, always just out of reach when it seemed within grasp.
Mei Qing’s brows furrowed, and sweat rolled down his forehead. Such deductions were incredibly taxing on his true essence and mental energy.
After Earth Four came Heaven Eight, a crucial transition point in the innate diagram, marking the boundary between the innate and the acquired. It was located precisely in the central palace of the Nine Palaces. Mei Qing carefully calculated step by step, knowing he couldn’t afford any mistakes, and gradually slowed his mental focus, attempting to control the speed of the formation’s changes.
However, to his surprise, as soon as the talismanic array reached this point, the Five Elements suddenly activated, flipping from positive to negative in an instant. The point of change, like a galloping horse or a raging torrent, disappeared in a flash. A single misstep led to the complete collapse of the talismanic array he had painstakingly deduced, vanishing like a sandcastle without a trace.
Mei Qing wiped the sweat from his brow and let out a long sigh but didn’t rise. Instead, he closed his eyes and began to meditate, restoring his true essence.
Since the previous night, he had been in constant peril, with no real rest. The recent deductions, though not physically exhausting, had drained his true essence and mental energy even more. Previously, he had been wary and hadn’t fully relaxed, so he hadn’t truly meditated to recover.
Now, after some time, Mei Qing understood that, for whatever reason, the owner of the aged voice meant him no harm for the time being. Therefore, he took the opportunity to restore his cultivation.
The previous day, he had clashed with two river nymphs, experienced a phantom formation, was ambushed by the Laughing Buddha, and finally escaped by sealing his golden core. These encounters were rare trials for a cultivator. Mei Qing, who had little practical experience despite his extensive theoretical knowledge, found this to be his first real test.
Now, as he settled into meditation, he realized the immense benefits he had gained from these trials.
Moreover, the spiritual energy within the stone chamber was astonishingly dense. Although Mei Qing’s cultivation of the Divine Thunder Method was based on absorbing the essence of the sun and moon, his internal sun and moon were already formed, freeing him from the constraints of celestial energies. He could now absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, refining it within his body to advance naturally.
As soon as Mei Qing relaxed, he felt streams of true essence and spiritual energy flooding into his body, interweaving and refining into droplets of true essence under the influence of his internal sun and moon. These droplets flowed like a gentle stream into the cauldron of his dantian, forming a swirling source that nourished the infantile form of his golden core, enveloping it in a misty purple aura that gradually filled his entire dantian.
The golden core underwent nine transformations, and the infantile form grew noticeably, its previously indistinct features now clearly defined. A purple aura emanated from the infant’s body, suffusing it entirely.
The pure true essence within the dantian gradually condensed, expanding into the meridians throughout his body like a dense fog.
Mei Qing slowly immersed his consciousness into the cauldron of his dantian to nurture it, then opened his eyes, feeling a sense of joy.
Although he had previously broken through to the Qi Refining stage by absorbing the essence of a treasure cauldron, the rapid advancement had been somewhat forced, and his foundation wasn’t entirely stable. This recent cultivation session allowed him to grasp the true essence of Qi Refining, and his gains were substantial. Mei Qing had now genuinely reached the Qi Refining stage, achieving the realm of a true cultivator.
“Not bad, not bad. To make such progress at this time is commendable,” the aged voice expressed some approval. “Although you haven’t deciphered the talismanic array, your performance is sufficient to pass.”
Mei Qing shook his head, stood up, and walked back to the stone platform, carefully examining the talismanic array once more.
Given his current cultivation, he could remember anything he saw, but talismanic arrays were inherently mystical. Merely memorizing the form didn’t capture their essence. Therefore, taking advantage of his enhanced cultivation, Mei Qing studied the array again before sitting down cross-legged, closing his eyes, and resuming his deductions.
With the foundation of his previous deductions and some rest, this round of calculations was easier. However, the formation wasn’t as rigid as an abacus; as time passed, the positions changed, and even though he was recalculating, everything had to start anew, with changes entirely different from before.
Soon, he reached the boundary between Earth Four and Heaven Eight, the transition between the innate and the acquired. Despite his caution and preparation, after several attempts, he failed again due to mental exhaustion.
Mei Qing had anticipated this, knowing that such a talismanic array wasn’t something he could easily conquer. He took a deep breath, calmed his mind, and began the deductions anew.
Mei Qing had lost track of time and didn’t know how many times he had failed. Each time, he rested briefly before starting over. After more than a dozen attempts between Earth Four and Heaven Eight, he finally succeeded. However, at the final hurdle of Earth Five, he failed countless times, and progress was painfully slow.
The closer he got to the end, the faster and more unpredictable the changes became. Several times, Mei Qing felt he was on the verge of breaking through, only to fall short and have to start over.
Liu Liu had fallen asleep, mumbling something in his dreams. The aged voice hadn’t spoken again, as if it had forgotten about Mei Qing.
Only Mei Qing remained, tirelessly immersed in the world of the talismanic array, repeating the tedious and complex calculations that would be unbearable to an ordinary person.
The nine palaces and the five phases were among the most fundamental elements of talismanic formations, yet their arrangement here was so cleverly designed that it greatly surprised Mei Qing.
Mei Qing sat cross-legged on the floor, his eyes fixed blankly ahead while his mind became completely absorbed in this seemingly simple yet intricate talisman formation.
Meanwhile, Liu Liu was trembling nervously. Ever since the stone door had shut behind them, he had been frantically searching the walls for any sign of an exit, running his hands methodically over every inch of the surface, but finding nothing.
Now, seeing Mei Qing seemingly entranced, sitting motionless like someone bewitched, Liu Liu grew even more anxious. He swallowed hard with effort, summoned his courage, and stammered, “Immortal master? Since I’ve already brought the person here, may I ask how much longer I must remain? Could you please let me go back?”
“Why the rush? You’ll be sent back when the time comes,” the aged voice replied indifferently. “For now, just stay quietly over there and don’t make any noise to disturb others.”
Though the tone was calm, an unmistakable aura of authority and pressure emanated from it. Liu Liu shivered involuntarily, quickly crouching down against the wall, his eyes still darting around searching for the stone door, though now he dared not utter a sound.
At this moment, Mei Qing had already forgotten everything around him. He paid no attention whatsoever to Liu Liu’s exchange with the mysterious voice. In his eyes, there was only that nine-palace dual-five-phase formation.
At present, Mei Qing was analyzing the formation’s transformations by tracing its primordial curves.
The primordial sequence followed the order: Heaven One, Earth Two, Heaven Three, Earth Four, Heaven Eight, Earth Seven, Heaven Six, Earth Five. It was precisely because one of the nine palaces was in constant motion that the formation could generate two sets of five phases—one flowing forward and the other in reverse—while also traversing all directions along the primordial pattern.
Thus, this talisman formation was far more complex than Mei Qing had anticipated. He examined it from the outside in, then from the inside out, tracing its mysterious path. His mind worked at a speed unimaginable to ordinary people, calculating every possible variation in the pattern to find the simplest and most accurate route.
Although the primordial transformation followed a discernible pattern, it only provided a general direction for calculation. Each individual step and line of transformation was incredibly complex. Despite Mei Qing’s considerable cultivation and exceptional spiritual perception, as well as his deep understanding of talismans and formations, the intensity of this mental exercise gradually left him feeling drained.
The shifting transformations were like a butterfly flitting unpredictably through the air—appearing slow, yet moving with deceptive speed. Just when it seemed within reach, it would shift again.
Furrowing his brows, Mei Qing’s forehead glistened with sweat. This kind of mental exertion was extremely taxing on both his spiritual energy and his mind.
After Earth Four came Heaven Eight—this transition point was the key to the primordial diagram, the boundary between the primordial and the acquired. It was located precisely at the central palace of the nine-palace formation. Mei Qing proceeded cautiously, step by step, knowing he could not afford carelessness. He gradually slowed his spiritual perception, hoping to slightly regulate the speed of the formation’s changes by syncing with its rhythm.
However, to his great surprise, as he reached this point, all five elements of the formation suddenly surged into motion. The energy flipped instantaneously from forward to reverse, and the shifting transformation burst forth like a galloping horse or a surging torrent. In the blink of an eye, it had vanished completely. A single lapse in concentration caused the entire formation to collapse. The talisman diagram he had painstakingly constructed in his mind disintegrated into countless golden sparks, crumbling like a sandcastle into nothingness.
Helplessly, Mei Qing wiped the sweat from his brow and exhaled deeply. He did not rise but instead closed his eyes and sat in meditation to recover his spiritual energy.
Since the previous night, he had been engaged in continuous battles and had remained in perilous situations without a moment’s rest. Although this mental exercise had not been as physically draining as combat, it had consumed even more of his spiritual energy and mental focus. Previously, he had remained vigilant, unwilling to relax completely, so he had not dared to enter deep meditation.
Now, after some time, Mei Qing naturally realized that, whatever the reason, the owner of this aged voice—at least for the moment—held no ill intent toward him. Therefore, he was more than willing to take this opportunity to restore his strength.
The previous day had been filled with extraordinary trials: fierce battles with the two Xi girls, experiences within an illusionary formation, an ambush by the Laughing Maitreya, and finally sealing his golden elixir to escape. Each of these experiences was a rare test for a cultivator. Mei Qing had previously lacked practical experience—though he had memorized countless texts and absorbed a wealth of theoretical knowledge from his two masters, this was truly his first real combat experience.
Now, as he settled into meditation, Mei Qing realized just how much he had benefited from these trials.
Even more remarkably, the spiritual energy within this stone chamber was incredibly dense. Although his cultivation technique, the Divine Thunder Method of the Shenzhao Sect, was based on drawing in the essence of sun, moon, and stars, his internal sun and moon had already matured. He no longer needed to rely solely on celestial light but could instead refine the ambient spiritual energy of the world. Through the transformation of his internal sun and moon, his cultivation naturally advanced.
The moment Mei Qing relaxed his mind, streams of pure spiritual energy rushed into his body as if they were free for the taking. Under the irradiation of his internal sun and moon, these energies wove and refined into droplets of true essence, flowing like a gentle stream into the Cauldron of the Cinnabar Field. Within the cauldron, these droplets formed a swirling current, nourishing the infant within his golden elixir. Wisps of purple mist rose and spread throughout the entire Cinnabar Field.
The golden elixir had completed its ninth transformation, and the infant had grown significantly. Its previously indistinct features had become clear and distinct. Around its body, waves of purple mist continued to rise, casting a soft purple glow over its entire form.
The pure spiritual energy within the Cinnabar Field had gradually filled the space, like thick fog, spreading into his meridians and channels.
Mei Qing gradually withdrew his spiritual awareness into the cauldron for gentle cultivation before slowly opening his eyes, a sense of joy rising in his heart.
Mei Qing smiled and said, “What’s there to hesitate about? Just give me the challenge!”
In truth, Mei Qing had no confidence in gaining the upper hand against the aged voice. However, the more the other party entangled with him, the more it indicated that they had ulterior motives. Given this, he believed he would eventually find an opportunity to escape or wait for his master to rescue him.
Therefore, he was quite willing to be tested with challenges, as it allowed him to buy time and perhaps uncover the true identity of his adversary.
“Very well, listen carefully. On the stone platform in the room, there is an inscribed talisman. Decipher it and tell me how it transforms,” the aged voice paused briefly before presenting the first challenge.
Mei Qing stepped forward and indeed saw a rather peculiar talisman drawn on the platform in the room.
This talisman was neither purely a talisman nor a formation. It was based on the Nine Palaces, divided into nine sections, each containing a smaller talisman. These smaller talismans were independent yet interconnected, forming a complex talismanic array.
At first glance, it appeared to be a composite talisman based on the Nine Palaces, with each palace containing a separate talisman. However, upon closer inspection, it was clear that its complexity far exceeded this superficial understanding.
Each of the nine talismans was composed of two of the Five Elements, but this composition was unstable and constantly changing.
Yet, at any given time, only one of the nine talismans was in a state of change, while the other eight remained stable. This arrangement created two sets of Five Elements, one positive and one negative. The changing talisman followed the path of the innate sequence, circulating through the nine palaces and driving the dual Five Elements’ spiritual energy, resulting in myriad transformations.
The Nine Palaces and the Five Elements are the most basic components of talismanic arrays, but their ingenious organization here was far beyond Mei Qing’s expectations.
Mei Qing sat cross-legged, his eyes fixed ahead, his mind completely absorbed in this seemingly simple yet intricate talismanic array.
Meanwhile, Liu Liu had been trembling ever since the stone door closed behind them. He had been searching the walls for any trace of an exit, meticulously feeling every inch, but to no avail.
Now, seeing Mei Qing sitting motionless as if entranced, Liu Liu grew even more anxious. He swallowed hard and mustered the courage to stammer, “Immortal? Since… you’ve brought us here, how much longer must I stay? Can I be allowed to leave?”
“What’s the rush? You’ll be allowed to leave when the time comes,” the aged voice replied indifferently. “Just stay quiet and don’t disturb anyone.”
Though the aged voice was calm, an undercurrent of authority was subtly evident. Liu Liu shivered and quickly crouched by the wall, his eyes still darting around in search of the stone door, but he dared not make a sound.
By now, Mei Qing had forgotten everything around him, oblivious to the conversation between Liu Liu and the aged voice. His focus was entirely on the Nine Palaces Dual Five Elements talismanic array.
Mei Qing began his analysis from the innate sequence, gradually deducing the transformations within the array.
The innate sequence follows the order of Heaven One, Earth Two, Heaven Three, Earth Four, Heaven Eight, Earth Seven, Heaven Six, and Earth Five. It is the movement of one palace within the Nine Palaces that allows the array to generate the dual Five Elements, both positive and negative, and to circulate through the eight directions following the innate diagram.
Thus, this talismanic array was far more complex than Mei Qing had anticipated. He worked from the outside in, then from the inside out, following the mysterious trajectory, his mind calculating the myriad changes at a speed unimaginable to ordinary people, all in an effort to find the simplest and most correct path.
Although the innate sequence provided a calculable direction, the specific changes at each step and each line were incredibly complex. Despite Mei Qing’s considerable cultivation and exceptional mental acuity, as well as his profound understanding of talismans and arrays, he gradually felt overwhelmed by the intensity of the deductions.
The point of transformation was like a fluttering butterfly, seemingly slow but actually swift, always changing just as it seemed within reach.
Mei Qing’s brow furrowed, and sweat rolled down his forehead. Such deductions were incredibly taxing on his true essence and mental energy.
After Earth Four came Heaven Eight, a critical juncture in the innate diagram, marking the boundary between the innate and the acquired. This point was located precisely in the central palace of the Nine Palaces. Mei Qing carefully deduced his way to this point, knowing he couldn’t afford any mistakes. He slowed his mental calculations, hoping to control the speed of the array’s transformations.
However, to his surprise, as soon as the talismanic array reached this point, the Five Elements suddenly activated, flipping from positive to negative in an instant. The point of transformation, like a galloping horse or a rushing torrent, vanished in a flash. A single misstep led to the complete collapse of the talismanic array he had painstakingly deduced, disintegrating into golden specks of light, leaving nothing behind.
Mei Qing wiped the sweat from his brow and took a deep breath. Instead of getting up, he closed his eyes and began to meditate, restoring his true essence.
Since the previous night, he had been in constant peril, with no real rest. Although the deductions didn’t physically exhaust him like combat, they took a greater toll on his true essence and mental energy. Previously, he had been cautious, not daring to let his guard down, so he hadn’t truly rested or meditated to recover.
Now, after some time, Mei Qing realized that, for whatever reason, the owner of the aged voice meant him no harm for the time being. Thus, he took the opportunity to restore his cultivation.
The previous day, he had clashed with two river nymphs, experienced a phantom array, been ambushed by the Laughing Maitreya, and finally escaped by sealing his golden core. These encounters were rare trials for a cultivator. Mei Qing, who had little practical experience despite his extensive theoretical knowledge, found this to be his first real test.
Now, as he calmed his mind to cultivate, he realized the immense benefits he had gained from these trials.
Moreover, the spiritual energy within the stone chamber was astonishingly dense. Although Mei Qing’s Divine Thunder Art was based on absorbing the essence of the sun and moon, his internal sun and moon had already formed, freeing him from the need to rely on celestial energies. He could now absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, allowing his internal sun and moon to refine it naturally, advancing his cultivation.
As soon as Mei Qing opened himself to this, he felt streams of true essence and spiritual energy flooding into his body. Under the stimulation of his internal sun and moon, they were refined into droplets of true essence, flowing like a gentle stream into the Purple Mansion’s cauldron. There, they formed a swirling source, nourishing the infant beside the golden core, enveloping it in a mist of purple vapor that gradually filled the entire Purple Mansion.
After nine revolutions of the golden core, the infant had grown significantly. Its once indistinct features were now clear, and its body was surrounded by a purple aura, suffusing it with a radiant glow.
The pure true essence within the Purple Mansion had gradually filled, like a dense fog, expanding into the meridians throughout his body.
Mei Qing slowly immersed his consciousness into the cauldron to nurture it, then opened his eyes, feeling a sense of joy.
Although he had previously broken through to the Qi Refining stage by absorbing the essence of the cauldron, it had felt somewhat forced, and his foundation wasn’t entirely stable. This time, however, he had truly grasped the essence of Qi Refining, and his gains were substantial. Mei Qing had now genuinely reached the Qi Refining stage, achieving the realm of a true cultivator.
“Not bad, not bad. To have such gains at this moment is commendable,” the aged voice expressed a hint of approval. “Although you haven’t deciphered the talismanic array, your performance is sufficient to pass.”
Mei Qing shook his head and stood up again, walking over to the stone platform to carefully examine the talismanic array once more.
Given his current cultivation, he could remember anything he saw. However, talismanic arrays, being products of divine skill, couldn’t be fully understood just by memorizing their forms. Thus, taking advantage of his increased cultivation, Mei Qing studied the array meticulously before sitting down again, closing his eyes, and resuming his deductions.
With the foundation of his previous deductions and having rested and calmed his mind, this round of deductions was easier. However, the array wasn’t as rigid as an abacus; as time passed, the positions changed, and although he was starting anew, the transformations were entirely different from before.
Soon, he reached the critical juncture between Earth Four and Heaven Eight, the boundary between the innate and the acquired. Despite his caution and preparation, after calculating several transformations, he once again failed due to mental exhaustion.
Mei Qing had anticipated this, knowing that such a talismanic array wasn’t something he could easily conquer. He took a deep breath, calmed his mind, and began the deductions anew.
Mei Qing had lost track of time and the number of failures. Each time he failed, he rested briefly before starting over. After repeatedly struggling with the transition between Earth Four and Heaven Eight, he finally succeeded. However, he faced countless failures at the final hurdle of Earth Five, and progress was frustratingly slow.
The closer he got to the end, the faster and more unpredictable the transformations became. Several times, he felt on the verge of breaking through, only to fall short and have to start over.
Liu Liu had fallen asleep, mumbling incoherently in his dreams. The aged voice hadn’t spoken again, as if it had forgotten about Mei Qing.
Only Mei Qing remained, tirelessly immersed in the world of the talismanic array, repeating the tedious and complex deductions that would be unbearable to most.
“Very good, very good. To achieve this during such a time is quite impressive,” the aged voice also carried a hint of approval. “Although you haven’t deciphered the talisman formation, your performance is sufficient for you to pass.”
Mei Qing, however, shook his head and rose once more, walking back to the stone platform to carefully examine the formation again.
Although his cultivation allowed him to remember anything he saw, a talisman formation was a manifestation of spiritual power—merely memorizing its shape was insufficient to grasp its full essence. Therefore, taking advantage of his newly enhanced cultivation, Mei Qing studied the formation once more with great care before sitting cross-legged again, closing his eyes, and resuming his calculations.
With the foundation laid from his previous attempt and after a period of rest and mental preparation, this second round of calculations was somewhat easier. However, this formation was not like a rigid abacus with fixed positions. As time passed, the orientation changed, and thus, although it seemed like a repetition, it was in fact an entirely new challenge, with transformations unlike those of before.
Before long, he reached the critical point between Earth Four and Heaven Eight—the boundary between primordial and acquired. Although Mei Qing was prepared and proceeded with caution, after analyzing several variations, his mental stamina finally gave way, and he failed once again.
Mei Qing had already expected this. He understood that such a talisman formation would not be easily conquered. Thus, after a long sigh, he calmed his mind, rested briefly, and began his calculations anew.
Time had long since lost meaning to Mei Qing, and he had no idea how many times he had failed. Each time, he would rest briefly before starting over from the beginning. After more than a dozen attempts between Earth Four and Heaven Eight, he finally succeeded in passing this threshold. However, at the final stage—the fifth Earth—he failed repeatedly, making agonizingly slow progress.
The closer he got, the faster the transformations became, almost impossible to track, and the scope and intensity of the changes exceeded all expectations. More than once, Mei Qing felt he was on the verge of breaking through the final barrier, only to fall just short, and everything would reset to zero.
Liu Liu had fallen asleep nearby, murmuring something incoherent in his dreams. The aged voice had remained silent, as if it had completely forgotten about Mei Qing.
Only Mei Qing himself remained awake and immersed in the world of the talisman formation, repeatedly performing the excruciatingly tedious calculations, over and over again.
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