From Celestial Official to Great Celestial Venerable

Chapter 53 Gold Shop
"This...this...this is something a Qi Refining stage Daoist like you could draw?!"

A startled voice suddenly came from behind him. Qin Chuan's heart skipped a beat. He turned around and saw that Master Xuanji had been standing behind him at some point, staring at the talisman in his hand with a shocked expression.

Qin Chuan hurriedly stood up and bowed: "True Master Xuanji!"

The old master's eyes were fixed intently on him, still waiting for his answer.

Qin Chuan wondered to himself how this senior had stood behind him so quietly, but his expression remained respectful: "It was indeed drawn by this disciple. Is there anything wrong with it?"

Master Xuanji stared at him, his eyes as if he were examining a peerless treasure.

It is truly astonishing that a young cultivator who has just embarked on the path of cultivation could create such an exquisite work that integrates the true meaning of talismans, arrays, and techniques, and whose reasoning is so coherent that it is not merely theoretical.
"The Dao of Talismans, formations, spirit gathering techniques, and even the true meaning of the Yi Wood Azure Heaven Technique... you have actually been able to integrate them all and incorporate them into this talisman array!"

Master Xuanji murmured to himself, momentarily lost in thought.

At such a young age, he possessed such profound understanding and the power to integrate knowledge. In a daze, he seemed to see a prodigy who would one day be able to knock on the door of the highest "Ten Thousand Laws Heavenly Craft Academy" in the Heavenly Court.

Even without delving into the profound field of Daoist research, such talent alone fully meets the requirements of the Heavenly Court's current advocacy for "Daoist-skilled immortal officials" and "expert immortal officials," making them exactly the pillars that various blessed lands and grotto-heavens urgently need.

"How did you do that?" Master Xuanji couldn't help but ask again, trying to find the answer from Qin Chuan.

"Reporting to the Master, this disciple simply felt that this method was feasible, so I drew it according to my heart."

Qin Chuan answered truthfully.

This is indeed the truth. Under the influence of the vast knowledge imparted by the Heavenly Furnace, many principles naturally become interconnected, like water flowing into a channel.

Upon hearing this, Master Xuanji gave Qin Chuan a deep look, but said nothing more, remaining silent in contemplation.

"Does the Master think there are any areas where this array's runes need improvement?"

Qin Chuan seized the opportunity to ask for advice, after all, the person in front of him was a Grand Scholar of the Heavenly Court.

"This has stumped me."

Master Xuanji shook his head slightly, "Although I can see the ingenuity of your runes and arrays, my expertise is not in the art of runes and arrays, so I cannot comment. That's all I can say..."

He paused, his tone serious.
"Your painting is excellent; it is one of the best I have ever seen among cultivators of your age."

Qin Chuan's heart stirred, and he vaguely realized that the experience and skills that the Heavenly Essence Furnace had given him were already of a level that could be highly recognized by someone like True Person Xuanji.

"Thank you for your kind words, but I am unworthy of such praise."

"Your spirit field will proceed according to your plan. It seems to have a clear advantage right now."

After saying this, Master Xuanji gave Qin Chuan a deep look, said no more, and turned to leave.

Qin Chuan remained where he was, pondering to himself.

It's naturally a good thing to attract the attention of Master Xuanji before the assessment.

He composed himself, turned and went to Huo Yuanjue's residence to present the plan.

Huo Yuanjue's reaction was even more intense than that of Xuanji Zhenren. He almost jumped up from his chair, grabbed the talisman array diagram, and examined it carefully.

After more than ten breaths of silence, he slowly raised his head, looked at Qin Chuan, his gaze complex, and after a long while, said:
"You... have never disappointed your teacher."

The plan is so ingenious and feasible that it could even serve as a graduation thesis for a specific professional field in a higher Taoist academy.

He dared to assert that no proposal from Feng He's disciples could possibly be more effective than Qin Chuan's talisman diagrams.

The seamless integration of talismanic arts, array formations, and spells... Huo Yuanjue could hardly believe that this was Qin Chuan's achievement in just one day.

If this child were not in this small place of Jiuchuan, but in a renowned Heavenly Dao Academy, he would probably have already risen to fame and become a dazzling new star.

"It was originally said that you and I, master and disciple, would discuss the plan together, but now it seems that whatever I bring up, I'm afraid it will all be..."

Huo Yuanjue gazed at his disciple, overwhelmed with emotion; no further words were needed. A genius!

genius!

After a long pause, he finally suppressed his excitement, but then a sense of unease suddenly arose: "With this kid's talent, he can learn anything quickly. What if those old guys set their sights on him..."

Feeling uneasy, he feigned calmness and said, "Let's try it out according to this diagram first. Also, plant the Five Elements Spiritual Valleys, and we'll observe the results slowly."

Qin Chuan agreed.

An old man and a young man set up an array around the spirit orange tree, affixing talismans. With the help of a Taoist priest who worked with fire, they buried spiritual materials, and the setup was completed in less than half a day.

Before leaving work, Qin Chuan took his leave.

Huo Yuanjue watched him leave, and at that moment he felt like he was "carrying gold in the bustling city". His old friends were humble on the surface, but they were thirsty for talent... He suddenly felt a subtle sense of crisis.

Before 3 PM, Qin Chuan had already arrived at the archaeological site by flying boat.

………………

"Junior Brother Qin, you've arrived so early today?" Yue Chen was surprised to see Qin Chuan already at the archaeological site before noon.

Qin Chuan replied with a smile, "I encountered some difficulties while practicing the 'Earth Emperor's Mountain Collapse Cannon' last night, and I was thinking of asking my senior brother for guidance as soon as possible." In reality, he was concerned about the Golden Vase Dharma and only hoped to have more contact with it.

Yue Chen, unsuspecting, descended together to the bottom of the pit. Qin Chuan's hand touched the cool bottle again, and the refining process in the Heavenly Essence Furnace quietly resumed. Unbeknownst to him, on the edge of the pit, the Yellow-Clad True Man Shi Hu was silently watching his every move. Seeing Qin Chuan's skillful technique and refined divine sense, truly possessing the aptitude for "archaeological sainthood" as Yue Chen had said, the light in Shi Hu's eyes intensified, and he secretly pondered the feasibility of "poaching" him.

Two hours later, the order to finish work did not sound as usual. Yue Chen explained, "A new important artifact has been produced today, and the grandmasters are currently evaluating it, so we need to extend the work hours. If Junior Brother Qin needs to return early, he can leave now."

"It's alright, I'll finish with you all. The flying boat makes three trips a day, so returning tomorrow morning won't be too late." Qin Chuan was more than happy to have this opportunity, as he could now practice for another three hours, and the progress of the Golden Treasure Bottle Seal was nearly halfway complete.

That night, he stayed at the campsite and, with Yue Chen's careful guidance, finally mastered the "Earth Emperor's Mountain-Crushing Cannon" to the point of initial understanding. The technique was also collected by the Heavenly Essence Furnace.

【Earth Emperor's Mountain-Crushing Cannon (First Floor, Not Yet Entered)】

Although he hadn't formally entered the sect, his information had already been entered into the panel, and future advancement through Dharma cultivation would be a natural progression. He didn't add any points yet, still thinking about the opportunities to acquire other artifacts.

Three days later, the Golden Treasure Bottle Seal Technique was finally perfected!
In an instant, a vast and ancient divine power surged into his limbs and bones, transforming into a divine power different from true qi that circulated in his meridians.

[The Golden Bottle Seal Method for Refining Was Successfully Completed]

This mudra is an outward manifestation of the divine nature of the ancient Golden God Ru Shou Temple, serving as a fundamental protective mudra for the divine. When cast, the vase protects the body, making it impervious to water and fire, and indestructible.

Because he was at an archaeological site, Qin Chuan suppressed the urge to try it. It wasn't until late at night, after returning to the city, that he specifically sought out a secluded spot to cast the spell—

"when!"

A magnificent, ancient golden phantom instantly enveloped him, its surface shrouded in primordial divine runes. Above his head, strands of golden light flowed down from its mouth, covering Qin Chuan's entire body, making him appear as if protected by a golden celestial being!

With a thought, eighteen flying needles shot out, aiming directly at his various dangerous parts!
Ding-ding-ding-ding!

Sparks flew everywhere, yet the flying needle couldn't budge it even a fraction.

"Such a powerful protective magic seal!"

Qin Chuan was shocked. This seal's defense far surpassed Yue Chen's protective mud wall, and it was enough to withstand attacks from the late stage of Qi Refining.

To his even greater surprise, when he tried to integrate this divine power by circulating the Five Elements Immortal Foundation Technique, it was completely unobstructed—the Metal Element Technique was thus perfectly mastered, and its level had clearly surpassed the Wood and Fire Element Techniques!

Qin Chuan estimated that the strength of this golden bottle was probably no less than Miao Yusheng's ninth-level Lesser Cloud and Rain Technique!
Just as he was overjoyed, upon returning to Nongling Temple, Huo Yuanjue handed him an ancient book.

"What is this?" Qin Chuan took the scroll, looking puzzled.

"The 'Flowing Dragon Flows Through the River'," Huo Yuanjue stroked his beard and said, "I specially obtained it for you from that old fellow at the River and Stream Supervisor's Office, so you don't need to come with me personally again."

(End of this chapter)