113: Chapter 113 Talisman Array Traps the Enemy
The moment the battle began, Zhang Lingyun's hand trembled.
It wasn't fear; it was nervousness.
He had been drawing talismans for over ten years, always alone—drawing, observing, and using them. At most, he would spar a few times with his Senior Brothers in the Longhu Mountain training grounds.
But now, this was a real battlefield.
In front of him were over two thousand Chaos Demon Soldiers, and behind him were over five hundred people waiting for his Talisman Array to trap the enemy.
If his Talisman Array failed and those demon soldiers broke through, many people would die.
He took a deep breath and gripped his talisman brush tightly.
The Old Taoist from Longhu Mountain—his Grand-Uncle Master—stood beside him.
"Afraid?"
Zhang Lingyun nodded.
"Afraid."
The Old Taoist smiled.
"It's good to be afraid. Those who aren't afraid can't draw good talismans."
He looked at the surging demon soldiers.
"A talisman is an imprint of the heart. Whatever is in your heart will be in the talisman. If there is fear in your heart, there will be dread in the talisman. But dread isn't a bad thing. When you dread, you become cautious. When you are cautious, you won't make mistakes."
He patted Zhang Lingyun's shoulder.
"Just draw as you usually do. Don't overthink it."
Zhang Lingyun nodded.
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, only the demon soldiers remained in his sight.
And the talismans.
When the first wave of demon soldiers charged, Zhang Lingyun made his move.
He waved both hands, and ten talisman papers flew out simultaneously, drawing ten golden lights in the air.
Those golden lights landed on the ground, forming a Talisman Array ten zhang in radius.
The demon soldiers at the very front stepped into it and immediately froze.
The demon soldiers behind them couldn't stop, crashed into them, and also froze.
One crashed into another, and in the blink of an eye, over a hundred demon soldiers were trapped within the Talisman Array.
Zhang Lingyun let out a sigh of relief.
But before he could fully relax, the trapped demon soldiers suddenly began to struggle.
They twisted their bodies desperately, black mist surged, and the golden light of the Talisman Array began to waver.
Zhang Lingyun's heart tightened.
"They're breaking free!"
The Old Taoist glanced at them.
"Their resentment is too heavy. Ordinary Demon-Trapping Talismans won't hold them for long."
He looked at Zhang Lingyun.
"Do you have anything stronger?"
Zhang Lingyun thought for a moment, then took out three talisman papers from his Huai (huái) — bosom.
Those three talisman papers were different from the previous ones. The patterns on them were more complex, and their light was brighter. They were the three best talismans he had drawn in five years.
"These are 'Demon-Locking Talismans.' They can lock down demon creatures below the General rank for half an hour."
The Old Taoist looked at the three talismans.
"Only three?"
Zhang Lingyun nodded.
"Only three. This talisman is too difficult to draw; it takes three days to draw one."
The Old Taoist was silent for a breath.
"It's enough. Three talismans can trap three hundred. For the rest, use ordinary Talisman Arrays to gradually trap them."
He looked at the demon soldiers still surging forward.
"Begin."
Zhang Lingyun bit his tongue, and a mouthful of fresh blood sprayed onto the Demon-Locking Talismans.
The talisman papers instantly lit up, their light dazzling.
He waved both hands, and the three talisman papers flew out simultaneously, landing on three corners of the Talisman Array.
In an instant, the entire Talisman Array transformed.
What were originally just golden light patterns now turned blood-red. These patterns seemed to come alive, continuously spreading and extending, tightly coiling around the struggling demon soldiers.
The demon soldiers let out shrill roars, struggling desperately, but the blood-red patterns coiled tighter and tighter, finally pinning them all in place, unable to move.
Zhang Lingyun's face was pale, and he gasped for breath.
The three Demon-Locking Talismans had consumed too much of his heart's blood.
But it was worth it.
Three hundred demon soldiers were trapped.
The Old Taoist looked at him.
"Still good?"
Zhang Lingyun nodded.
"Still good."
The Old Taoist nodded.
"Then continue. Use ordinary Talisman Arrays to trap the rest."
Zhang Lingyun looked at the surging demon soldiers, gritted his teeth, and stood up.
He took out the remaining talisman papers and began drawing them one by one.
When the second wave of demon soldiers charged, Zhang Lingyun set up another Talisman Array.
This time, it was an ordinary Demon Trapping Talisman Array, only capable of holding for a quarter of an hour.
But a quarter of an hour was enough.
The other Taoists from Longhu Mountain seized the opportunity to act, setting up a second and third Talisman Array behind them.
Layer upon layer, like nesting dolls, they surrounded the demon soldiers.
The demon soldiers at the very front were trapped in the first layer of the Talisman Array. The ones behind them were trapped in the second layer. And those further back were trapped in the third layer.
Three layers of Talisman Arrays, stacked one upon another, trapped over a thousand demon soldiers.
But there were still over a thousand demon soldiers, bypassing the sides.
Zhang Lingyun gritted his teeth and set up a fourth layer of the Talisman Array.
When he ran out of talisman papers, he drew directly on the ground with cinnabar. Each stroke was swift and steady, but every stroke consumed his mental energy.
The fourth layer of the Talisman Array trapped three hundred.
The fifth layer of the Talisman Array trapped two hundred.
The sixth layer of the Talisman Array trapped one hundred.
By the time he finished drawing the sixth layer of the Talisman Array, Zhang Lingyun's hands were trembling so much he couldn't hold the talisman brush.
He knelt on the ground, gasping for air, his vision blurring.
But there were still hundreds of demon soldiers, who had already bypassed all the Talisman Arrays and were charging towards the rear.
He struggled to stand up, but his legs were as soft as noodles, unable to support him.
"Grand-Uncle Master—" he called out.
The Old Taoist had already rushed forward.
But the Old Taoist alone couldn't stop hundreds of demon soldiers.
Just then, Fa Ming led the Shaolin warrior monks to charge forward.
They formed the Arhat Array, firmly blocking the demon soldiers.
With every punch, a demon soldier was sent flying back. With every kick, a demon soldier turned into black smoke.
But there were too many demon soldiers; for every one killed, two more appeared. For every two killed, four more appeared.
Fa Ming was covered in blood, but he did not retreat a single step.
Zhang Lingyun looked at his back, his eyes welling up.
He gritted his teeth, stood up, and took out his last talisman paper.
It was a Talisman of Escape, which he had saved for his own protection.
If he used it, he could escape to a safe place.
But he didn't use it.
He tore the Talisman of Escape in half and used his fresh blood to draw a pattern on it that he had never drawn before.
That was something he had learned from Lu Mingyuan.
Heart as the Mysterious Pivot.
Pivot means center.
He finished drawing that pattern and waved both hands.
The talisman paper flew out and landed in front of Fa Ming and the others.
In an instant, a huge light barrier rose, blocking all the demon soldiers outside.
Fa Ming looked back at him.
Zhang Lingyun had already collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
After an unknown amount of time.
Zhang Lingyun opened his eyes and saw the hazy sky.
He lay on the ground, utterly weak, unable to even move a finger.
Someone was talking nearby.
"The Talisman Arrays trapped over two thousand demon soldiers. Three layers of Demon-Locking Talisman Arrays, six layers of Demon Trapping Talisman Arrays, and finally that Guardian Talisman Array. This kid, he trapped most of them by himself."
It was the Old Taoist's voice.
Another voice said:
"How is he?"
It was Lu Mingyuan.
The Old Taoist said:
"His mental energy is exhausted. He won't die, but he'll have to lie down for a few days."
Lu Mingyuan was silent for a moment.
"What was that last talisman of his?"
The Old Taoist thought for a moment.
"Never seen it. It's not the Talisman Arts of Longhu Mountain."
He looked at the unconscious Zhang Lingyun.
"That kid, he comprehended it himself."
Lu Mingyuan didn't speak.
But Zhang Lingyun knew he was looking at him.
He desperately wanted to open his eyes, but his eyelids were too heavy to lift.
He could only hear the voices.
The Old Taoist said:
"The people your Zhenyi Alliance recruits are all excellent. That young monk, he single-handedly stood against hundreds of demon soldiers, not retreating even when covered in blood. That kid with the broken sword, when his sword broke, he used the broken sword to kill. The Mount Qingcheng one, even when he could barely hold his sword, he kept slashing. The scholar, he coughed up blood all over the ground, but his Noble Spirit hadn't dissipated."
He paused.
"Where did you find these people?"
Lu Mingyuan was silent for a long time.
Then, he said softly:
"I didn't find them. They came themselves."
The Old Taoist asked:
"Why?"
Lu Mingyuan thought for a moment.
"Because they saw it."
The Old Taoist asked:
"Saw what?"
Lu Mingyuan looked in the direction of The Rift.
"They saw that rift, saw those who died, saw that thing called 'Dim.' They saw that if they didn't do something, they wouldn't be able to live with themselves this lifetime."
He paused.
"Just like me."
The Old Taoist was silent.
Then, he smiled.
"Good. What a good 'saw it.'"
He looked at the people who were still fighting.
"These people are all those who 'saw it.'"
A long time passed again.
Zhang Lingyun finally opened his eyes.
It was already dark.
A bonfire burned nearby, its flickering light casting shadows of a few people.
Lu Mingyuan sat beside him, watching him.
"Awake?"
Zhang Lingyun nodded.
He tried to sit up, but his whole body ached, and he couldn't move.
Lu Mingyuan pressed him down.
"Don't move. Your mental energy is exhausted; you need to lie down for two days."
Zhang Lingyun looked at him.
"What about the demon soldiers?"
Lu Mingyuan said:
"All killed."
Zhang Lingyun asked:
"What about the two General rank ones?"
Lu Mingyuan said:
"Also killed."
Zhang Lingyun was silent for a moment.
Then, he smiled.
"We won?"
Lu Mingyuan nodded.
"We won."
Zhang Lingyun closed his eyes.
We won.
He alone trapped over two thousand demon soldiers.
Although he was with his Grand-Uncle Master and the others, those Talisman Arrays were laid by him.
He had never imagined he could do so much.
Lu Mingyuan's voice rang in his ear.
"What was that last talisman of yours?"
Zhang Lingyun opened his eyes.
"That talisman?"
Lu Mingyuan nodded.
"That Guardian Talisman Array. It's not the Talisman Arts of Longhu Mountain."
Zhang Lingyun thought for a moment.
"I learned it from you."
Lu Mingyuan was startled.
"Me?"
Zhang Lingyun nodded.
"You told me, 'Heart as the Mysterious Pivot.' Pivot means center. And center is the great foundation of all under heaven."
He paused.
"I thought, a talisman is also an imprint of the heart. If the Heart is the Mysterious Pivot, then the talisman is also the Xuan Shu. So, can a talisman also be 'center'?"
He looked at Lu Mingyuan.
"That talisman, it's just drawing 'center' into it. Not to trap enemies, not to kill enemies, but only to guard. To guard those who should be guarded."
Lu Mingyuan looked at him for a very long time.
Then, he smiled.
"You have comprehended."
Zhang Lingyun asked:
"Comprehended what?"
Lu Mingyuan said softly:
"You have comprehended the third stage of carrying the Dao through talismans."
Zhang Lingyun froze.
The third stage?
He remembered what his Grand-Uncle Master had said—the Three Realms of Talisman Arts. The first realm, 'using talismans as talismans.' The second realm, 'carrying the Dao through talismans.' The third realm, 'conforming to the Dao through talismans.'
conforming to the Dao through talismans.
He had drawn 'center' into it.
He had drawn the principle of Heart as the Mysterious Pivot into it.
Was this conforming to the Dao through talismans?
He looked at Lu Mingyuan.
Lu Mingyuan nodded.
"Yes. This is conforming to the Dao through talismans."
In the distance, cheers erupted.
The battle was over.
Those who survived were celebrating.
Zhang Lingyun listened to the cheers, a slight smile playing on his lips.
He remembered what the Old Taoist had said—"A talisman is an imprint of the heart. Whatever is in your heart will be in the talisman."
In his heart, there was fear, but also courage. There was dread, but also protection.
He had drawn all of these into his talismans.
Therefore, those talismans could trap enemies and protect people.
He closed his eyes.
In his ears were cheers, the sound of the wind, and the crackling of the bonfire.
It was noisy.
But he felt very peaceful.
Lu Mingyuan stood up.
"Rest well. Tomorrow, there will be tomorrow's matters."
Zhang Lingyun nodded.
He didn't open his eyes.
But he knew Lu Mingyuan was looking at him.
All those people were looking at him.
He wasn't drawing talismans alone.
They were walking together, many of them.
He thought of those talismans, those arrays, those trapped demon soldiers.
He thought of Lu Mingyuan's words, his Grand-Uncle Master's words, and Fa Ming's blood-soaked back.
He thought of the light when the Guardian Talisman Array rose.
He suddenly felt that after more than ten years of drawing talismans, today was truly the beginning.
Tomorrow, there would be more talismans to draw.
More arrays to set up.
More people to protect.
Thinking of these, he slowly fell asleep.
A slight smile still played on his lips.