Chapter 27: The Celestial Tome! (First Update)
Chapter 27: The Celestial Talisman! (First Update)
Wind, rain, thunder, and lightning bend to my will; the foremost immortal of the Shangqing Sect. At this moment, Zheng Zha radiated brilliance, stepping upon the heavenly stars. With a graceful gesture and a respectful bow, he intoned, “I respectfully invite the Azure Emperor and Dragon King of the East, the Scarlet Emperor and Dragon King of the South, the White Emperor and Dragon King of the West, the Black Emperor and Dragon King of the North, and the Yellow Emperor and Dragon King of the Center to return to the sea and ascend to the heavens!”
In an instant, the talisman’s power dispersed, the skies cleared, and the air grew bright. It was as if the raging storm had never existed, the lightning and thunder mere illusions. Yet, on either side of the Dao Palace, only traces of water remained, proof that the Daoist arts were genuine and not mere fantasy.
High atop the platform, the leader of the Shangqing Sect, who had been silently observing, stroked his beard with a smile, nodding repeatedly. Ziyuan possessed the qualities of a sect master, but saw only the dangers of the human heart, not the subtleties of the Dao, forgetting the principle that a single force can break ten thousand arts. Now, with Zheng Zha joining, the rigid and the gentle, yin and yang, converge into one—like the unity of the Taiji. This ensures a century of peace for the Shangqing Sect!
Below the platform, Luo Yuan swallowed half a chicken leg and muttered, “Uncle Zheng, truly impressive.”
Luo Feng immediately rewarded her with a flick to the forehead, expressionless. “He’s impressive, so you call him Uncle Zheng; otherwise, it’s Daoist Zheng.”
“How did I never notice before—you silly girl—how adaptable you are.”
Luo Yuan grinned mischievously. “Hehe, Uncle Zheng is nothing compared to you. If it came down to it, it’d be settled with a single slap.”
Luo Feng sneered, “You underestimate your Uncle Zheng. Defeating me in an instant is no easy feat.”
Luo Yuan was momentarily stunned, then whispered, “Does Uncle Zheng have some hidden card?”
Luo Feng replied languidly, “At least two finger snaps.”
Luo Yuan: ...
Alright, as a mere mortal, I really have nothing in common with these freaks.
“Where did the chicken leg come from?” Luo Feng asked, glancing over.
The Shangqing Sect was a place of pure cultivation; naturally, they would never place meat dishes at the guests’ seats, only fruits and preserves at most.
Luo Yuan only smiled, saying nothing, and walked toward a certain seat.
Luo Feng glanced over and nearly choked in fury—of course, the feast.
This girl, such clever tricks.
This little acolyte, a bit simple-minded.
...
After the ceremony, Zheng Zha walked over to Luo Feng’s side, somewhat reserved yet visibly proud. “How was that performance?”
The day after Luo Feng arrived, a restless Zheng Zha had challenged him. The result was self-evident. For half a month, Zheng Zha had been holding back a breath of indignation.
Watching Zheng Zha’s triumphant posture, tail practically raised to the heavens, Luo Feng pondered and, with a benevolent smile, said, “Not bad. As your father, I’ll reward you with your favorite slap.”
Zheng Zha’s face darkened. “Can’t you even smile or say something nice?”
Luo Feng nodded, “Fine.”
...
Zheng Zha restrained himself and put on a cool, domineering expression, then flashed a wicked smile. “Don’t you want to learn? This is an improved version—no ninety-nine-eight, not ninety-eight. Call me big brother and I’ll teach you for free.”
Luo Feng looked down, his gaze openly disdainful, lips curved in an arrogant smirk, his brows radiating violent energy. He deliberately prolonged his tone, adding emphasis as he opened his mouth, “Scram!”
Zheng Zha, unwilling, insisted, “You really don’t want to learn? This is the mage style you’ve always envied.”
Luo Feng sighed, “Why bother? You can’t withstand even one of my—”
As he said “one,” Luo Feng suddenly recalled his conversation with the little girl.
He waved his hand, “Give me a moment.”
Under Zheng Zha’s confused gaze, Luo Feng raised his head and focused on the spiritual energy of the surrounding mountains, finally finding an evergreen tree to sit beneath.
In his perception, this was the most vigorous node of the forest’s vitality, a gathering of creation’s energy.
He sat cross-legged, his divine sense whirling, essence transforming, ten years of accumulated true qi slowly flowing. What began as a gentle stream became a river pouring into a lake, surging with towering waves, continuing to a thunderous roar, relentless and vast, like the Yellow River pouring into the sea, rushing for thousands of miles.
Though it was only the flow of true qi within Luo Feng, Zheng Zha’s breathing and gaze unconsciously synced with the rhythm, as if he really saw a great river surging forth. Like ten thousand horses galloping, like the Milky Way descending from the heavens, muddy waves rising, eternal and boundless, traversing time and space, flowing into the Kunlun Purple Palace.
A crystal lotus, clear as glass inside and out, swayed in the wind; a purple lotus, fragrant and translucent, was about to bloom; a green lotus, vibrant and lively, occupied the highest place.
The three mysterious lotuses rotated in harmony, true qi pouring into the Yellow River, breaking through every limb and bone, every acupoint. The green petals moved in a certain rhythm, points of light converging into a full moon, serenely illuminating the green lotus.
“Crack!”
A clear, pleasant sound rang out; the Lotus of Creation slowly bloomed its tenth petal.
A breeze swept by; the grass and trees cheered, and within a yard of Luo Feng’s seat, the plants grew at a visible rate, scrambling for more of creation’s vitality. The evergreen tree behind him absorbed the mountain’s essence and lunar radiance, growing even more spiritual.
Luo Feng emerged from the verdant growth, returning directly to his original spot.
He repeated his earlier words.
Before the now stupefied Zheng Zha.
Luo Feng sighed, “Why bother? You can’t withstand even one slap from me!”
I, Luo Feng, am a broken record!
Zheng Zha’s body stiffened; after a long moment, he said quietly, “Didn’t you say you’d hit a bottleneck?”
Damn it, this bastard even deceives his own.
A bottleneck? That’s your excuse!
Luo Feng replied lazily, “The mysterious pass is indeed a big bottleneck, but there’s something called diligent grinding, you know, and another thing called insight, got it?!”
Zheng Zha silently raised a middle finger.
At the same time, he resolved inwardly to perfect his talismanic arts, to master the strongest path of talismans.
The Daoist talisman, passed down for millennia.
Except for a few grandmasters, most Daoists wield talismans to channel power from heaven, earth, and spirits.
Each invocation and response consumes time—sometimes hours, sometimes mere seconds.
For ordinary practitioners, it hardly matters. But against a monster like Luo Feng, there’s only one outcome: instant defeat.
To confront Luo Feng with talismans, there must be no pause, no gap, no flaw.
He must bypass all layers of verification, all reliance on external power, and connect directly to the highest authority—Heaven itself.
To achieve drawing talismans bare-handed, ignoring all limitations!
After ten years in Shangqing, aided by his natal yellow talisman, Zheng Zha had inspiration.
Today’s summoning of wind and rain on the Dao platform was the embryonic form of his self-created path.
Only one key issue remained.
To reach through heaven and earth, ignoring all constraints, borrowing power directly from the universe, achieving the unity of man and heaven.
Zheng Zha named it: The Celestial Talisman!
“Enough. I won’t discuss cultivation with a freak like you.”
Zheng Zha shrewdly changed the topic, “You’ve been a recluse for years. Let me introduce you to some friends. There’s one from the Three-One Sect…”
Luo Feng’s brows furrowed slightly.
A recluse needs few friends. Too many friends bring too many ties, and with ties come endless trouble.
Friends should be few but true.
[Thanks to Shengmi0 Shangxin for the 2,000 reward. Tomorrow, one extra chapter.]
[Thanks to Laozi Jiao for the 500 reward.]
[Thanks to ‘I am a cautious yet dog-like reader’ for the 100 reward.]
[Thanks to book friend 20180530214309158 for the 100 reward.]
[PS: Daily offering: The Scholarly Fantasy Life; this is a female (?) author, caution advised before boarding.]
Two chapters today; three tomorrow.
(End of Chapter)