Journey to the West: Starting with the True Lord of the Pure Land

Master Shouyue and Song An listened intently, realizing that the seemingly simple art of talismans contained a wealth of secrets.

Upon hearing this, Chen Jiao glanced at the artifacts brimming with spiritual energy and made his own assessment.

This master of the Ancient Talisman Pavilion was able to explain the subtle and crucial aspects of choosing magical artifacts, especially the principle of "harmony of Qi," which is often only understood intuitively.

His words were spoken so clearly and plainly, without any intention of concealing anything, which shows that he is a truly accomplished person who is also willing to guide those who come after him.

Such a person is rare even in the cultivation world.

However, Chen Jiao slowly walked to the wooden shelf on the other side and took down a spirit inkstone.

This inkstone has a deep, dark color, neither black nor blue, and feels warm and smooth to the touch with a hint of coolness.

The inkstone pool resembles a naturally formed secluded pool, filled with thick, rich ink.

A dragon, only as thick as a finger and shimmering with a bluish light, was slowly swimming in the dark ink, its movements agile and nimble.

As the blue dragon swam, wisps of pale white mist occasionally escaped from its mouth and nose.

The clouds rise to about a foot above the inkstone, then slowly disperse and return to the ink, endlessly cycling, a truly wondrous phenomenon.

Gu Fuzi's gaze followed Chen Jiao's movements, and when he saw that Chen Jiao had chosen this item, his brows furrowed immediately.

He strode closer, his words devoid of any politeness, and said bluntly:

"Sir, your eyesight is quite good, as you can recognize the charm of this inkstone."

However, his hearing seems to be failing him; he did not take to heart what I just said.

He pointed to the blue dragon swimming and flickering in the inkstone and continued:

"This 'Azure Dragon Swallowing Clouds Inkstone' was something I acquired by chance in an ancient water palace ruin in my early years."

The blue dragon within the inkstone is a manifestation of the spirit that embodies the virtues of water and the nature of wood, nurtured and cultivated over many years!

Gu Fuzi's gaze was like lightning, once again sweeping over Chen Jiao's undisguised fiery and upright aura.

"When I observe you, my guest, your spirit is radiant, and you seem to possess the essence of pure Yang fire. Though your sharpness is concealed, your sword intent is naturally generated, which is the path of ultimate Yang and strength."

This is completely contrary to the gentle and virtuous nature of the Azure Dragon Inkstone; they are like water and fire, incompatible!

Gu Fuzi's words grew increasingly serious, carrying undisguised sorrow and admonition:

"If you insist on using this inkstone to draw talismans, let alone achieving a smooth flow of spiritual energy, I'm afraid that as soon as you start practicing, your qi will interact with each other."

A trace of pure Yang true fire and a sharp sword unexpectedly leaked out, which may kill this Azure Dragon!

It's such a pity to destroy the spirit of such a fine ancient inkstone! This is inappropriate, inappropriate!

"Sir, you would be better off choosing something else."

Upon hearing this, the three people, including Master Shouyue, were all taken aback and couldn't help but look at Chen Jiao.

Although they knew that Master Jiangxiao was a master swordsman and a master fire magician, they did not expect his aura to be so fierce that he could kill the blue dragon in the inkstone in an instant.

Chen Jiao showed no anger after hearing Gu Fuzi's blunt criticism and admonition.

He knew that cultivators who had been immersed in the Dao for many years were often persistent and valued the Dao highly. Their directness was their sincerity, not a deliberate attempt to belittle him.

Holding the Azure Dragon Swallowing Clouds Inkstone, Chen Jiao could clearly feel the warm and cool sensation emanating from the inkstone, along with the leisurely rhythm of the small Azure Dragon in the inkwell swallowing and exhaling clouds.

He did not rush to refute, but slowly swept his gaze over the other quietly displayed objects on the second floor.

The talisman brushes on the brush holders glowed faintly, and the paperweights and seals were solemn and imposing, each possessing its own unique charm; indeed, many of them were exquisite pieces.

Seeing that he was lost in thought and remained silent, Gu Fuzi assumed that the young Taoist was arrogant and timid, unwilling to admit on the spot that his choice of weapon was inappropriate, and therefore remained silent.

Although he felt that this young man was somewhat stubborn, he saw that he was calm and composed and was not the kind of person who was unreasonable and domineering, so he couldn't help but soften his tone a little.

"If you insist on finding a smooth and easy-to-use tool, why not take a look at this?"

Gu Fuzi drew Chen Jiao's gaze in that direction.

The inkstone was made of reddish-brown stone with visible veins, resembling a piece of ancient tree root.

A gnarled old tree with strong, vigorous branches emerges from around the inkstone pool.

A red snake was coiled around a branch, its head slightly raised, its tongue flickering with tiny, spark-like glimmers.

The inkstone exudes a fiery yet vibrant energy. The branches belong to the wood element, while the red snake belongs to the fire element, representing the cycle of wood generating fire and fire borrowing the power of wood, creating an endless cycle.

"This is the 'Red Flame Encircling Wood Inkstone'."

Gu Fuzi explained: "The red snake spirit within the inkstone is endowed with the pure Yang fire virtue, fierce and powerful, and is most adept at activating and amplifying the power of fire-attribute and Yang-attribute talismans."

Its nature is similar to that of the guest, sharing the same origin and mutual benefit. If one uses this inkstone as a base to draw numerous fire-based talismans, borrowing the power and virtue of the Flame Palace, the talismans will surely be doubly effective upon completion.

Seeing that Chen Jiao's gaze was fixed on the Crimson Serpent Inkstone, as if he were considering it, Gu Fuzi added earnestly:

"When I open a shop, I cannot bear to see suitable spiritual objects or precious gems being misused or even damaged due to mismatched items."

I have observed that you, sir, possess an inner brilliance that belies your extraordinary character; hence, I have uttered these few words.

Choosing a tool is like choosing a friend; the key is mutual understanding and compatibility. A forced marriage will not be sweet, and a forced pairing will not only be useless but may also cause mutual harm and waste resources.

if……"

He looked directly at Jiang Xiao, shook his head, and said in a deep voice:

"If you insist on taking that Azure Dragon Swallowing Clouds inkstone, my shop may be unable to serve you any longer."

These words were quite harsh, almost an order to leave.

Song Yan, who was standing nearby, felt somewhat indignant.

Although his cultivation was still shallow, he could sense that True Person Jiangxiao was unfathomable and definitely not a reckless person. He couldn't help but cup his hands and say:

"Please calm down, Master, and listen to what this junior has to say."

Master Jiangxiao is by no means a reckless or impulsive person. His swordsmanship is profound and his Taoist magic is deep; he was the one who appeared on the road to the Yellow Springs…”

Song Yan originally intended to mention the instantaneous slaying of the Golden Core demon and even the battle with the Nascent Soul demon, but felt it inappropriate to elaborate at this moment, so he omitted it and instead said:

"The true man's understanding of the Great Dao is profound, or perhaps he has other considerations?"

"Senior, would you please wait a moment longer and allow the true master to make a decision?"

Master Shouyue nodded slightly and said in a clear voice:

"We admire the Pavilion Master's care for the magical artifact. However, Fellow Daoist Jiangxiao possesses great supernatural powers and may indeed have a way to control it."

Song An nodded vigorously in agreement: "Exactly, a real person has real skills!"

After hearing this, Gu Fuzi turned his gaze to Chen Jiao, who remained calm, and let out a barely perceptible snort.

However, he did not say anything to drive them away. He simply stood with his hands behind his back, looking as if to say, "I have said all I have to say. You'd better take care of yourself."

Chen Jiao smiled and nodded to Shouyue and the other two, thanking them for speaking up for him.

Then, he turned to Gu Fuzi and said loudly:

"I deeply admire the Pavilion Master's love for his artifacts."

However, the Great Dao is profound and mysterious, and it is not always a situation of irreconcilable conflict. The Pavilion Master should not rush to conclusions.

Chen Jiao met Gu Fuzi's gaze, which had slightly turned to the side upon hearing the sound, and chuckled:

"Since the Pavilion Master is certain that this inkstone clashes with my energy and that forcing its use will damage the spiritual object, I feel that there is another mystery behind it, and perhaps it is worth a try."

How about... we make a small bet?

Upon hearing this, Gu Fuzi couldn't help but look Chen Jiao up and down, as if trying to discern any signs of bluffing or youthful arrogance from his calm smile.

After a few breaths of silence, Gu Fuzi slowly spoke, his voice revealing neither joy nor anger: "A bet? How will the bet be conducted?"

Seeing that Jiangxiao Zhenren was going to make a bet, Song'an, who was standing to the side, immediately perked up and clapped his hands, shouting in a low voice:

"Very well! I, the Immortal, will certainly broaden this Pavilion Master's horizons!"

Gu Fuzi ignored Song An's shouts; his slightly cloudy but sharp, hawk-like eyes were fixed on Chen Jiao.

It seems that one must look beyond that youthful and composed exterior to see what kind of person he truly is inside.

Chen Jiao said calmly:

"The method of gambling is quite simple. We will follow what the Pavilion Master just said and make four essentials for talisman making: pen, inkstone, ruler, and seal."

I will not follow the recommendation of the Pavilion Master, nor will I choose anything whose energy is compatible with mine.

Instead, they took four magical artifacts with conflicting energies from the second floor.

He paused, then calmly met Gu Fuzi's scrutinizing gaze:

"Once all four are obtained, I will draw a talisman on the spot."

If the energy flows in harmony, the resulting talisman will not only retain its efficacy but will also generate new mysteries, leaving the Pavilion Master completely convinced and feeling that there is a whole new world beyond the Dao of talismans... then I have won.

Conversely, if the talisman fails to work, or even damages the spiritual essence of the magical artifact, and if, after careful consideration, the Pavilion Master still finds my actions absurd, ridiculous, and unacceptable, then naturally the Pavilion Master wins.

Song An was already dumbfounded after hearing the first half of it.

Master Shouyue and Songyan exchanged bewildered glances, their hearts pounding with shock.