novelraw Chapter 447 - 257: Withered Wood Divine Skill Perfection! Talisman Martial Arts!
Chapter 447 - 257: Withered Wood Divine Skill Perfection! Talisman Martial Arts!
"Alright, I understand. I won’t leave Jiannan Prefecture City." Su Que nodded after hearing that, "But you have to be careful too."
After breakfast, Su Jing washed the dishes and then packed a bundle, took her sword, wrapped it in cloth, and bid farewell to Su Que, heading off to find Li Yujing.
Only Su Que was left guarding the empty residence.
As Su Que was sipping tea to rinse his mouth, he suddenly felt a warm current surge from within his body.
The backlash from the Dark Evil Fist had come again.
He felt that this side effect was somewhat weaker than the day before.
The benefits to his body had become exceedingly minimal.
’It’s time to make a trip to the True Profound Sect,’ thought Su Que.
’As long as I perfect the Dark Evil Fist Second Heaven, without advancing, the Dark Evil Fist Force will backlash against me.’
’Because the Dark Evil Fist has ascended to a higher level, this backlash will be even greater.’
’This backlash reverses within my body, which will in turn give my body greater benefits.’
Su Que thought as he changed into a scholar’s robe.
Then he left the house, heading towards his hidden treasure cave.
In the path of the Hidden Treasure Cave, at the entrance, were a dozen or so beast traps covered in leaves and branches.
With a light touch of his toes, Su Que leaped into the air in an arc, bypassing this area of traps.
In the middle of the path, there was his Myriad Poison True Qi Barrier.
He focused his thoughts, forming a Protective Poison Barrier around himself.
Protecting his clothes from being eroded by the Myriad Poison True Qi in the cave, he safely walked through the barrier, reaching the depths of the cave.
He went to a pile of miscellaneous items and took out martial attire, a fearsome ghost mask, and a cloak.
He shed the scholar’s robe, donned the martial attire, removed the hairpin, let his hair flow freely, put on the fearsome ghost mask, and wore the cloak.
Afterward, he left the cave, using his Lightweight Skill to head towards the location of the True Profound Sect.
...
The True Profound Sect built a Daoist Temple atop the Dragon and Serpent Mountain Range.
The Dragon and Serpent Mountain Range is located in the central part of the Central Plains.
It’s said that the location of the True Profound Sect is in the heart of the Central Plains, controlling its feng shui.
Many people, therefore, speculated that in time, the True Profound Sect might replace the Great Buddha Temple to become the state religion.
However, for hundreds of years, although the True Profound Sect appeared to stand equally with the Great Buddha Temple, in reality, it had never surpassed the temple even slightly.
The rise of the True Profound Sect stemmed from its previous Sect Leader imparting some longevity Dharma Gates to the then Emperor of Liang Kingdom.
The Liang Kingdom Emperor was very pleased and allocated silver and dispatched craftsmen to build palaces for the True Profound Sect on the Dragon and Serpent Mountain Range.
Later, some speculated that the then Liang Kingdom Emperor did not wish for the Great Buddha Temple to dominate alone and thus wanted to support another power to counterbalance it.
At that time, it was said that the abbot of the Great Buddha Temple was also the National Preceptor of Liang Kingdom and could wield power effortlessly, with fame exceeding that of the emperor.
The support from the Liang Kingdom Emperor indeed facilitated the rapid development of the True Profound Sect, enabling it to exert some restrictions on the Great Buddha Temple.
Later, the True Profound Sect continued to refine cultivation elixirs and longevity elixirs for the Imperial Family, forging closer ties, reaching a state of equality with the Great Buddha Temple.
The Dragon and Serpent Mountain Range stretches for eight hundred miles.
The True Profound Sect occupies nineteen peaks on it.
Although the Daoists of the True Profound Sect all practice martial arts, not all delve into martial cultivation.
Some focus on Alchemy Dao, others on talisman craft...
Thus, the True Profound Sect is divided into nineteen peaks.
The current True Profound Sect Leader, Master Xuanxin, due to the majority of martial artists not having seen him take action, and many of them not knowing the realm above Gang Condensing Realm,
most martial artists only know Master Xuanxin is formidable without knowing his true strength.
However, Li Xuanji’s Heaven-Breaking Army had detected that this True Profound Sect Leader possesses late-stage Divine Realm martial cultivation.
But Su Que believed that the True Profound Sect Leader’s cultivation is certainly not limited to that.
’Perhaps he has reached the Tribulation Seed Realm,’ thought Su Que.
Yet even if Xuanxin were at the Tribulation Seed Realm, Su Que had no fear.
Now housing a Lifebound Demon Seed within his body, he can be considered at half-Tribulation Realm.
Moreover, he has a physical body capable of living for three thousand years, into which eleven sets of Divine Intent have been integrated.
Even with just his body and spirit, he is quite capable of overwhelming Xuanxin.
Furthermore, his Sunflower Manual has been cultivated to the 11th Realm, Earth-Shattering, granting him exceedingly swift body technique.
Thinking about this, Su Que, moving swiftly, soon arrived at the mountain gate of the True Profound Sect.
Su Que had heard that the True Profound Sect is not a sect that strictly shuts its doors to cultivation.
The Daoist Temples within the sect are magnificent, worshiping various deities and attracting incense offerings from all directions.
In front of the mountain gate stand two burly Daoists, attending to a steady flow of pilgrims.
The pilgrims flock together along a stone staircase ascending the mountain, resembling a serpent climbing upward.
With a sweep of his Divine Intent, Su Que discerned that the two Daoists were martial artists of the Qi Blood Realm.
Among the crowd of pilgrims, most were ordinary people.
Only a few practiced martial arts, and none exceeded the Second Blood.
Su Que performed a lightweight skill heading up the mountain.
As he passed by the Daoists and the citizens, they couldn’t see Su Que’s figure, only sensing a breeze passing by.
’Li Xuanji found that among the nineteen peaks of the Dragon and Serpent Mountain Range, due to True Profound Sect Leader Master Xuanxin’s preference for solitude and gentle temperament, his dwelling is not on the highest and most magnificent Celestial Capital Peak but on the most remote Blocking Mysterious Peak,’
Su Que thought, and after reaching the mountain, he moved towards the Blocking Mysterious Peak.
...
Behind the Blocking Mysterious Peak, a clear wind howled.
On a cliff at the back mountain, there was a Magic Altar set up.
On the Magic Altar, there were Dharma Bells, Yellow Paper, vermilion, a Talisman Pen, incense burners, and other items.
Beside the Magic Altar stood two equally burly Daoists, standing like Dharma Guardian Deities on either side of the altar.
On the Magic Altar was an elderly Daoist with three wisps of white beard, a ruddy complexion, looking like an immortal.
This old Daoist, no less burly than the two Daoists,
appeared with a large frame, and despite wearing a loose Daoist Robe, one could still see his broad shoulders.
This old Daoist was the True Profound Sect’s Sect Leader, Master Xuanxin.
Rumors outside claimed that he fought with the Abbot of the Great Buddha Temple and finally fled injured.
However, that was not the case.
He did indeed engage in a battle with the Abbot of the Great Buddha Temple a month ago, but who won was unknown.
Just as they hadn’t decided the victory, he fled.
He fled because he ran out of talismans.
A talisman is a Dharma Gate where Divine Intent is used to evoke Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi on Yellow Paper in a certain sequence of strokes to store Heaven and Earth power on the Yellow Paper.
The True Profound Sect knows how to draw Protective Talismans, Vajra Talismans, Force-Relieving Talismans, Rebound Talismans, Strength-increasing Talismans, Light Body Talismans, Gang Transformation Talismans, Breaking Gang Talismans, and other talismans.
These talismans, when applied in martial arts, can provide martial artists with immense power for a short time.
In that time, it’s enough to slaughter their enemies clean.
Throughout generations, there has been research within the True Profound Sect on better utilizing talismans in martial arts.
Within the True Profound Sect, this practice of using talismans in martial arts is called "Talisman Martial Arts."
Master Xuanxin is also proficient in "Talisman Martial Arts."
This is related to his gentle personality and cautious nature.
If he has fewer than thirty talismans on him, he feels uncomfortable all over.
Furthermore, he was battling with the Abbot Kong Wo of the Great Buddha Temple.
Kong Wo is reputed as the first under Emperor Jing of Liang, possessing extraordinary strength.
When Master Xuanxin realized he couldn’t gain the upper hand with fewer than fifty talismans, fearing he might fall into Kong Wo’s hands, he used ten Light Body Talismans to escape.
At this time, he set up the altar to draw talismans.
He took up a Talisman Pen earnestly, dipping its tip into the blood-colored ink mixed with vermilion.
Then, he stimulated the Divine Intent within his body, gathering it on the tip of the Talisman Pen.
Suddenly, a clear wind arose.
The surrounding Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi swirled, converging onto the tip of the Talisman Pen.
Afterward, the Talisman Pen seemed to become extraordinarily heavy.
Supporting his right hand holding the Talisman Pen with his left hand, Master Xuanxin swiftly wrote on the Yellow Paper, the pen moving like a dragon and snake.
In an instant, a Vajra Talisman was inscribed.