A communion of mind and body

The night was as dark as ink, shrouding the newly built Linyuan City in a quiet serenity.

In the center of the city, within the thousand-acre 'Xianyu' mansion, spiritual mist permeated the air, resembling a fairyland.

A faint sound of footsteps echoed outside the courtyard, hesitant, before finally stopping at the door.

"Alliance Leader, Fu Qingxuan of the Xuanfu Sect requests an urgent audience."

Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow, a little surprised. He waved his hand to open the Restriction, and saw Fu Qingxuan standing alone elegantly in the moonlight. She had changed out of her green robes into a simple white dress, looking less sharp and more gentle.

She held an ancient Jade Casket in her arms and walked in with a complex expression, bowing deeply to Lin Yuan.

"This is the Legacy treasure of my Xuanfu Sect, 'Myriad Talismans Return to the Origin'. It records all the Talisman drawing methods of my Sect since its establishment. Please, Alliance Leader... take a look."

With that, she held the Jade Casket high and offered it.

Lin Yuan took the Jade Casket but did not open it immediately. Instead, he looked at her with interest: "Elder Fu sent you?"

"No, I came on my own." Fu Qingxuan bit her lip and whispered, "The Grand Elder and the others are still arguing over the candidates for those two Breakthrough spots, but I know that those... are not the Righteous Path. Only by mastering the true Dao of Talismans can the Xuanfu Sect have a future. And the true Dao of Talismans... is with the Alliance Leader."

Lin Yuan smiled and opened the Jade Casket. Inside, a heavy black Jade Slip lay quietly. As his Divine Sense entered it, a vast ocean of Talisman knowledge instantly flooded his mind.

The golden characters in his eyes refreshed rapidly, and countless pieces of information were analyzed, absorbed, and summarized by the System.

This 'Myriad Talismans Return to the Origin' was indeed extraordinary. Besides conventional attack, defense, and auxiliary Talismans, it also recorded many unique Talismans that had long been lost.

For example, a Jade Talisman called the 'Soul Suppressing Demon Refining Talisman' could actually extract the souls of powerful Yao Beasts alive and refine them into specially made jade, creating incredibly powerful Talisman Treasures that could be commanded at will, comparable to having an extra Core Formation Stage Yao Beast Puppet.

There was also a Formation Talisman called 'Cosmic Throw', which required a Second-Grade Formation Master and a Second-Rank Talisman Master to jointly refine a complete killing Formation into a small Talisman paper. When facing an enemy, one only needed to throw the Talisman to instantly deploy a grand Formation to trap and kill powerful enemies.

Lin Yuan read with great interest; these things were excellent supplements for him.

Finally, his gaze settled on a method for making a Talisman called the 'Heavenly Thunder Evil Breaking Talisman'.

This Talisman was extremely special; it did not use ordinary cinnabar or vital blood as anlead, but rather required Heaven And Earth Treasure containing the power of lightning as its base, drawing upon the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder as its ink, and completing it in one go. Once this Talisman was refined, it could transform into a true Heavenly Thunder, possessing a destructive suppressive effect on all evil spirits, ghosts, and Demonic Path Cultivation Techniques.

The minimum requirement for refining this Talisman was a Second-Rank Talisman Master.

Lin Yuan's heart stirred; weren't the ninety-nine silver thunder bamboo leaves in his possession the perfect Materials for refining this Talisman? If he could refine it, it would be a great weapon, whether for dealing with his enemies from the Yin Corpse Sect or for exploring the Demon Falling Valley in the future.

He slowly withdrew his Divine Sense; the entire process took only the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

But when he looked up, he found that Fu Qingxuan was still standing there, not having left. Her bright eyes were staring at him unblinkingly, filled with longing and expectation.

"Why are you still here?" Lin Yuan asked, though he knew the answer.

Fu Qingxuan's delicate body trembled. Mustering the greatest courage of her life, she bowed again, this time almost burying her head in her chest: "Junior... Junior wishes to follow the Alliance Leader and learn the true Dao of Talismans! Today, the Alliance Leader drew Talismans from the Void Realm with such ease that they far surpassed the highest Talismans of my Sect. That Realm is at least the legendary Second-Rank Talisman Master level! Junior is willing to work like an ox or horse for the Alliance Leader, only asking that the Alliance Leader can give some guidance!"

Lin Yuan leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers lightly on the table, looking at her with a half-smile: "Why should I teach you? There's no such thing as a free lunch in this world."

"Junior is willing to pay any price!" Fu Qingxuan looked up, her eyes filled with unprecedented determination, a devotion to the 'Dao' that transcended life, death, and dignity.

Lin Yuan's gaze swept over her delicate face and graceful figure, the curve of his lips growing more playful: "Any price? Are you sure?"

His gaze carried an undisguised aggressiveness, making Fu Qingxuan's cheeks flush instantly. She was intelligent and understood his meaning perfectly.

But thinking of the miraculous scene from earlier in the day, and the vast, ocean-like true meaning of the Dao of Talismans, the shyness and struggle in her heart were consumed by an even more fervent flame.

She bit her lower lip with her pearly teeth, almost drawing blood. After a long while, she squeezed out a single word from her throat: "...Yes."

"Very good." Lin Yuan stood up and slowly walked to her, reaching out to gently lift her small chin, forcing her to meet his gaze.

"Do you know that the path to seeking the Dao sometimes... requires absolute honesty and a union of body and mind? The Dao of Talismans is also a Dao. To comprehend its true meaning, one must first learn to let go of all distracting thoughts and completely... surrender oneself."

His voice was low and magnetic, as if possessing a magical power, drilling into Fu Qingxuan's ears, making her body go soft and her last psychological defense crumble.

She closed her eyes, her long eyelashes trembling slightly, giving up all resistance.

Lin Yuan chuckled softly, picked her up by the waist, and walked into the inner room... An hour later, the clouds dispersed and the rain stopped.

Fu Qingxuan lay languidly in Lin Yuan's arms, her face flushed with satisfaction. Her originally cold eyes were now shimmering with tenderness and dependence.

She had never imagined that the intimacy between a man and a woman could bring such a wonderful experience. What intoxicated her even more was Lin Yuan's guidance afterward.

Lin Yuan held her soft body and did not hoard his knowledge. Instead, he concisely clarified several difficult points in 'Myriad Talismans Return to the Origin' that she had pondered over, using a higher-level theory she had never heard before.

"The spiritual energy circuit here, though seemingly intricate, actually takes a detour. Look, if you merge these three runes and guide the spiritual energy in a spiral, not only can you save thirty percent of your magical power consumption, but the power can also increase by ten percent..."

"And this part, why use Yao Beast vital blood? Foolish! The core of this Talisman lies in the 'Quake' character. If you replace it with iron powder ground from refined steel, activated by magnetic force, the effect will be at least fifty percent stronger!"

Every word was like a thunderclap, shattering Fu Qingxuan's ingrained perceptions and opening a door to a new world for her.

Suddenly, Fu Qingxuan's thoughts became clear, and the Bottleneck in her Mid Golden Core Stage Cultivation loosened.

"Boom!"

She quickly sat cross-legged and circulated her Cultivation.

"You may Breakthrough in peace, I will Protect you!" Lin Yuan said in a deep voice.

Fu Qingxuan's gaze towards Lin Yuan completely changed.

It was no longer just reverence for a strong person, but a mixture of admiration, love, and a fanaticism of having found her lifelong faith.

She felt that this man before her seemed omnipotent.

Her choice was not wrong.

To exchange a mere physical body for a bright path to the Grand Dao—this transaction was incredibly profitable!

She felt that this man before her seemed omnipotent.