28: Chapter 28 Quietly Testing the Talisman
Quiet Heart Cliff is located deep within the back mountains of Longhu Mountain.
It was a cliff about a hundred zhang high, its surface as smooth as a mirror and perpetually shrouded in a thin mist. Before the cliff lay a platform ten zhang square, paved with bluestone, with a massive taiji diagram carved in its center. This place was rich in Spiritual Qi and exceptionally peaceful, making it a precious site for secluded meditation and achieving a Breakthrough in one's Bottleneck.
Three days later, at noon.
Lu Mingyuan followed Zhang Qingyuan to the base of the cliff. Immortal Master Yushu had already arrived and was sitting cross-legged in the center of the taiji diagram. With his gray robe and white hair, he seemed almost integrated with the surrounding rocks and mist. Seeing the two arrive, he slightly opened his eyes.
"You've come."
"This Disciple takes his leave." Zhang Qingyuan bowed and retreated to a pine tree at the edge of the platform—this was the agreed-upon waiting position, where he would not interfere with the cliff while remaining able to detect any unusual movements at any time.
Lu Mingyuan walked to the front of the taiji diagram and gave a deep bow: "Junior greets the Immortal Master."
"Sit." Immortal Master Yushu pointed to the spot opposite him.
Lu Mingyuan sat down cross-legged. The two were three zhang apart, with the dividing line of the Yin and Yang fish between them.
"Did Ming Xin explain everything clearly to you?" Immortal Master Yushu asked.
"Yes. Three chances, I must be extremely cautious."
"That is good." Immortal Master Yushu nodded. "Today is the first time; this old Dao will only ensure you do not die or become crippled. Pain, damage, and failure must all be borne by yourself. Do you understand?"
"I understand."
"What kind of 'Heart Talisman' do you wish to try?"
Lu Mingyuan took a piece of paper from his robe—these were the poetic verses he had selected after repeated consideration over the last three days. It was not Mencius's chapter on Vast Qi, for that Concept was too grand; nor was it Du Fu's somber works, for those emotions were too heavy. He had chosen two lines from Wang Wei's 'Autumn Twilight in the Mountain Dwelling':
"Bright moon shines between the pines, clear spring flows over the rocks."
The Concept was serene, tranquil, and natural, sharing commonalities with the Classic of Purity and Tranquility he was practicing, and it was not so majestic that it would cause a backlash against himself.
Immortal Master Yushu took the paper and glanced at it, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. "Wang Mojie's poem... quite clever. How do you plan to transform the poem into a Talisman?"
"Junior envisions using the 'bright moon' as the eye, the 'clear spring' as the vein, and 'between the pines' and 'on the rocks' as the bone to construct a Talisman of Concept." Lu Mingyuan said thoughtfully, "I do not seek a specific effect, only to carry that sense of 'purity and tranquility' of nature."
"The intent is acceptable." Immortal Master Yushu returned the paper to him. "Begin. This old Dao will set up the 'Three Talents Soul-Guarding Array' to ensure your Divine Soul does not collapse. The rest depends on you."
He formed seals with his hands, and three streaks of pale golden light flew from his fingertips, landing on Lu Mingyuan's head, chest, and Dantian, transforming into three slowly rotating wheels of light. Fine runes connected the light wheels, forming a soft yet resilient protection.
Lu Mingyuan took a deep breath and took out his Talisman paper and brush.
He did not start writing immediately but closed his eyes to concentrate, repeatedly chanting those two lines of poetry in his heart. He was not reciting the words, but feeling the Concept—the clear radiance of the bright moon spilling through the pine branches, the gurgling sound of the clear spring flowing over the rocks, and the tranquility and vitality of a mountain dwelling at night...
Gradually, he entered a mysterious state.
The surrounding sounds receded; the wind on the cliff, the chirping of birds, and even his own breathing gradually blurred. Only the image in his heart became clearer and clearer: moonlight like water, swaying pine shadows, and the spring and rocks reflecting each other.
Now is the moment.
He opened his eyes and lifted the brush.
The brush tip hovered three inches above the Talisman paper; it did not fall, but instead traced lines in the Void Realm. Spiritual Qi flowed from his fingertips, leaving a pale silver trail in the air—it was not a specific rune, but the conceptual outline of the 'bright moon'.
A phantom of a crescent moon took shape in the air, its clear radiance flowing.
Lu Mingyuan turned the brush tip and began to outline the 'pine branches'. This time, the trail turned a dark azure, the brushwork vigorous and powerful, like the bones of a pine tree.
The pine branches overlapped with the bright moon, the moonlight filtering through the gaps in the leaves.
The third stroke was the 'clear spring'. The Spiritual Qi trail turned light blue, the brushwork fluid and graceful, like the gurgling of a stream.
The spring water flowed 'over the rocks'—that was the fourth stroke, an earthy yellow trail, heavy and solid.
The four images intertwined and fused in the air, gradually forming a complete map of the Concept. The moonlight, pine branches, spring water, and rocks each held their place, yet they were perfectly integrated.
By the cliffside, Zhang Qingyuan watched with bated breath. He had never seen such a Talisman method—no runes drawn, no incantations recited, just the outlining of images. Yet the Spiritual Qi fluctuations contained within those images were undeniably real.
Immortal Master Yushu's eyes sparkled with sharp light, and a jade Talisman quietly appeared in his hand, ready to be activated at any moment.
At this moment, Lu Mingyuan had reached the most critical step—imprinting the images from the air into the Talisman paper.
His brush tip slowly descended, touching the center of the Talisman paper.
"Buzz—"
The images in the air were drawn in as if by a force, transforming into a four-colored flow of light that surged into the Talisman paper along the brush tip. The Talisman paper vibrated violently, and phantoms of moonlight, pine shadows, spring flow, and rock patterns emerged on its surface, colliding and fusing with each other.
Lu Mingyuan's face instantly turned pale.
He felt a massive suction coming from the Talisman paper, crazily draining the Spiritual Qi from his Dantian. Not only that, but the four images produced a strange 'friction' as they fused—the coldness of the bright moon, the vigor of the pine branches, the nimbleness of the clear spring, and the heaviness of the rocks. These four Concepts had different attributes and were difficult to harmonize.
Cracks began to appear on the Talisman paper.
"The Concepts are clashing," Immortal Master Yushu whispered. The jade Talisman in his hand lit up with a faint glow, but he did not act immediately—he wanted to see how this young man would respond.
Lu Mingyuan bit his teeth hard. He realized where the problem lay: he had been too greedy. He wanted to carry four types of images in a single Talisman but had neglected the coordination of the Concepts. The bright moon among the pines was 'stillness', while the clear spring over the rocks was 'motion'; stillness and motion were inherently at odds.
He had to make a choice.
His mind raced, and he made a decision in an instant—discard 'on the rocks' and keep the 'clear spring'.
His brushwork shifted, forcibly stripping away the earthy yellow image representing the 'rock'. The earthy yellow light flowed out from the Talisman paper and dissipated in the air. With one less Concept, the conflict was drastically reduced.
But it was still not enough. The 'stillness' of the bright moon and the 'motion' of the clear spring were still in opposition.
A moment of inspiration struck Lu Mingyuan as he recalled the lines from the tao te ching: 'The highest good is like water; water benefits all things without contention.' Water is supremely soft and can adapt to all things; water is supremely active, yet it breeds tranquility.
He integrated his understanding of 'Water Virtue' into his brushwork, no longer forcing the 'motion' of the clear spring but instead emphasizing its 'softness' and 'compliance'.
The Spiritual Qi at the brush tip turned into a light blue water color, flowing like silk, gently wrapping the clear radiance of the bright moon and the vigor of the pine branches.
The three images finally began to fuse.
The moonlight was like water, the pine shadows like a painting, and the spring flow like a song.
The Talisman paper stopped vibrating, and the cracks were slowly repaired by the light blue flow of light. The three colors of light intertwined and flowed, finally stabilizing—the Talisman paper took on a moon-white color, its surface faintly showing pine patterns and water ripples, emitting a serene and tranquil aura.
It was a success.
Lu Mingyuan put down the brush and gasped for breath, his entire body soaked in sweat. The Spiritual Qi in his Dantian was nearly exhausted, and his Divine Soul throbbed with pain from the intense concentration. But looking at the completed Talisman on the table, a sense of inexpressible joy surged in his heart.
Immortal Master Yushu removed the soul-guarding array, walked to the table, and picked up the Talisman to examine it closely.
After a long time, he slowly said: "This Talisman... can be named the 'Mountain Dwelling Heart-Quieting Talisman'. Although it is only a prototype, the Concept is already present. Its effects should be Heart-Clearing and soul-soothing, and because it incorporates the intent of Water Virtue, it may even have some effect in healing emotional wounds."
He looked at Lu Mingyuan: "To be able to do this on your first attempt is truly not easy. But the problems are also obvious—you were too greedy with the Concepts, and the harmonization was insufficient; your control of Spiritual Qi was crude, wasting seventy percent; in the end, you relied on quick wit and your understanding of the classics to save the situation, which was purely a matter of luck."
Every sentence struck the heart of the matter.
Lu Mingyuan respectfully accepted the lesson: "The Immortal Master's criticism is correct."
"However, to be able to make a decision on the spot, discarding the 'rock' to keep the 'spring', and then using the Water Virtue of the tao te ching to harmonize stillness and motion—this kind of quick wit and depth of knowledge is indeed rare." Immortal Master Yushu's tone softened slightly. "Although this Talisman is only at the level of a 'Low Grade Spiritual Talisman', its significance is extraordinary—it proves that the path of 'entering Talismans through poetry' is indeed feasible."
He returned the Talisman to Lu Mingyuan: "Keep it well. Do not attempt a second time within three days; you need to recover completely and reflect on today's gains and losses. You may come for a second attempt in seven days. Remember, when you choose a poem next time, the Concept should be simpler."
"Junior will keep that in mind."
Immortal Master Yushu then looked at Zhang Qingyuan: "Qingyuan, take him to the 'Lingquan Cave' to recuperate. Today's depletion was not small; he needs Spiritual Qi to nourish him."
"Yes."
Zhang Qingyuan stepped forward to help Lu Mingyuan up. Only then did Lu Mingyuan realize that his legs were weak and he could barely stand—it was not just the exhaustion of his Spiritual Qi, but the depletion of his mental energy was even greater.
The two left Quiet Heart Cliff and walked along a small path toward the heart of the mountain.
"Lingquan Cave is one of the nodes of the mountain's Spiritual Vein, where Spiritual Qi liquefies to form a spring pool." Zhang Qingyuan said as they walked. "Ordinary Disciples are only permitted to enter once when they have achieved great merit or are breaking through a Bottleneck. Junior Martial Uncle... truly values you."
Lu Mingyuan felt grateful in his heart: "I will remember the Immortal Master's kindness."
"Action is better than memory," Zhang Qingyuan said. "If our Grand-Uncle Master had been protected and guided by an elder like this back then, perhaps he would not have..."
He did not finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear.
After walking for fifteen minutes, they arrived in front of a mountain cave. The entrance was sealed by a stone door; Zhang Qingyuan took out a token and pressed it into a depression in the stone door, and the door slowly slid open.
Warm and moist Spiritual Qi rushed toward them.
The cave was not large, about three zhang square. In the center was a milky-white spring pool, the water surface shrouded in white mist. Stalactites hung from the cave ceiling, and Spiritual Liquid dripped from their tips, making a crisp sound as it fell into the pool.
"Meditate here for three hours." Zhang Qingyuan said. "I will wait outside the cave."
The stone door closed, leaving Lu Mingyuan alone in the cave.
He removed his outer clothing and stepped into the spring pool. The water temperature was pleasant, and the Spiritual Liquid seeped in through his pores, nourishing his dried-up Meridians and weary Divine Soul. He circulated the Mind-Cultivation Technique of the Classic of Purity and Tranquility, guiding the Spiritual Qi to cycle through his body.
Gradually, his depletion began to recover.
Three hours later, Lu Mingyuan opened his eyes. His Spiritual Qi had recovered by seventy percent, and the dull pain in his Divine Soul had dissipated. He felt as if he had undergone a complete transformation; not only had his state recovered, but his cultivation even seemed to have advanced a sliver.
When he emerged from the cave, it was already dusk.
Zhang Qingyuan was still waiting outside the cave. Seeing that his complexion had improved, he nodded and said, "Go back and rest well. For these three days, do not do anything that exhausts your spirit, other than your daily lessons."
"Thank you, Daoist."
Returning to his quarters, Lu Mingyuan did not rest immediately. Instead, he laid out paper and ground ink to record the entire process of today's Talisman testing in detail—
Where he succeeded, where he made mistakes, where he was lucky, and where he could improve.
Especially the moment of harmonizing stillness and motion, his understanding of 'Water Virtue' gave him a deeper comprehension of the tao te ching. The Dao follows nature, and water is closest to the Dao. The highest good is like water; it benefits all things without contention and occupies the places that all people dislike, so it is close to the Dao...
As he wrote, he suddenly stopped his brush.
Today's Talisman testing was, on the surface, an innovation in the Dao of Talismans, but in reality, it was also a practice of the Fusion of the Three Teachings. Using the Daoist mindset of the Classic of Purity and Tranquility as the Foundation, using Confucian poetry as the material, and finally drawing on Daoist classics for harmonization... was this not exactly the path he had been exploring?
Although it was only a tiny, insignificant step, the direction was correct.
He put away his notes and pushed open the window. The night was deep, and Longhu Mountain was immersed in silence. In the distance, on the mountain peaks, the lights of Tianshi Mansion were like scattered stars.
Seven days later, the second attempt.
At that time, he would choose a simpler poem and draw a purer Talisman.
And in the more distant future, when his Talisman Foundation was solid and his understanding of the Three Teachings was deeper, perhaps he truly could create an entirely new path of Cultivation.
Faint sounds of chanting came from outside the window, melodious like a song.
Lu Mingyuan closed the window and blew out the oil lamp.
In the darkness, a hint of a smile appeared at the corners of his mouth.