Martial Universe: The Eyes That Determine the Fate

Chapter 42 Transformation Needle

"Ordinary martial artists only know how to cultivate their Yuan power and temper their bodies, but they don't know that the spiritual power in their sea of ​​knowledge is also a boundless treasure trove. Those with exceptional talent have a naturally stronger sea of ​​knowledge than ordinary people, and with a little stimulation, they can embark on the path of a talisman master."

Master Yan raised his hand and gestured, and a wisp of barely perceptible, ethereal energy flowed from his fingertips. That was pure spiritual power, invisible to the naked eye, yet it could be faintly sensed by the mind.

"Spiritual power resides in the sea of ​​consciousness, formless and invisible. Initially, it is as faint as a firefly. This may be the case for others, but it is different for you. You still need to calm your mind and nourish your spirit, discard distracting thoughts, observe all things in heaven and earth, feel the changing winds and clouds, and use your inner vision to slowly nurture and strengthen it. There are no fancy shortcuts in the method of cultivation. Only by calming the mind, concentrating the spirit, and guarding the soul, and nourishing the sea of ​​consciousness day after day, will spiritual power slowly rise."

"Or perhaps they found some kind of opportunity."

"There are also realms for talisman masters. The first one is a one-seal talisman master, then two seals, three seals, and so on, increasing step by step. The seal pattern is condensed between the eyebrows, which is an external symbol of the spiritual power reaching a certain level. The higher the seal number, the more powerful the spiritual power, and the more mysterious the runes that can be inscribed, and the more terrifying the power."

He looked at Li Yi and said seriously, "I observe that your soul is stable, your mind is focused, and you have remained undisturbed despite experiencing battles. The depth of your consciousness far surpasses that of ordinary people your age. You are born with the excellent aptitude for cultivating the Dao of Talismans. It's just that you have always cultivated martial arts Yuan Power and have never deliberately looked inward to explore your own spiritual power."

In Li Yi's view, what Master Yan said was both right and wrong. Li Yi did not refute it, but just listened quietly.

Zi Yue listened quietly from the side and added at the right time: "It is not difficult to get started with the way of talismans, but it is difficult to calm the mind and guard the spirit. Many martial artists are restless and cannot endure the loneliness of sitting and cultivating their spirit. They will never be able to attract their spiritual power to step into the threshold of talisman master in their entire lives."

"But it shouldn't be a problem for you."

Master Yan nodded slightly, looked at Li Yi, and said, "Calm down, eliminate all distracting thoughts, close your eyes slightly, focus your mind inward, try to look inward at yourself, sink into the sea of ​​consciousness, and perceive that invisible power hidden deep in your soul."

Li Yi did as instructed, immediately calming his mind, slowly closing his eyes, and his aura instantly subsided. He sat on the stone bench like a withered stone or ancient tree, completely undisturbed by the outside world.

The mind slowly draws inward, sinking into the head through the senses, stepping into a hazy and chaotic sea of ​​consciousness.

This world was shrouded in a layer of mist, boundless, silent and distant, like the primordial chaos at the beginning of creation.

Ordinary people's sea of ​​consciousness is narrow and turbid, full of distracting thoughts, but Li Yi's sea of ​​consciousness is exceptionally vast and stable, like a bottomless abyss, with incomparably profound foundation.

Deep within the sea of ​​consciousness, a wisp of extremely subtle, ethereal, and strange power lay dormant, gentle and ethereal, completely different from the violent and powerful Yuan energy within the body, flowing with a mysterious and inexplicable rhythm.

That is spiritual power.

Li Yi's mind stirred slightly, and he gently guided that wisp of power with his own soul. He immediately felt that this power was extremely gentle and moved with his will. It flowed slowly in his sea of ​​consciousness with his thoughts, gentle yet containing indescribable mysterious potential.

"How is it? Can you sense anything?" Master Yan's deep voice sounded at the right moment, not disturbing his mind, but asking softly.

Li Yi slowly opened his eyes, a hint of understanding flashing in them. He nodded slightly and said, "The sea of ​​consciousness is vast, and there is indeed a strange power hidden within it, moving at will, ethereal and mysterious, quite different from Yuan Power."

Master Yan looked approving and said, "Indeed, your foundation is extraordinary. You were able to clearly perceive spiritual power on your first attempt at internal vision, far surpassing ordinary people."

"Your spirit is already powerful. You just need to meditate quietly every day, introspect and nourish your spirit, and slowly nurture and strengthen your spiritual power. When it becomes strong enough, you can try to draw the most basic runes and officially enter the ranks of rune masters."

"Martial arts strengthen the body, while talismanic arts govern the mystical realm. The two complement each other. If one can cultivate both simultaneously, the future will be limitless!"

Seeing Li Yi's enlightened expression, Zi Yue, who was standing to the side, also had a faint smile appear between her cool and aloof eyes.

She knew Li Yi was incredibly talented, but she never expected that even his foundation in talismanic arts was so exceptional; he was truly a prodigy.

Master Yan looked at Li Yi, who had a calm expression, his eyes filled with satisfaction and appreciation.

When Li Yi first heard the true meaning of the Dao of Talismans and examined his sea of ​​consciousness for the first time, he clearly captured the hidden spiritual power. This talent far surpassed that of countless geniuses around Yan City.

"It's easy to get started with the Dao of Talismans, but difficult to master it." Master Yan spoke slowly, his tone softening, "Now that you can sense the existence of spiritual power, you can be considered to have one foot in the door of a Talisman Master. The next step is to learn to control spiritual power, to manipulate and circulate it at will, and to condense and gather its energy."

He paused, looked at Ziyue who was standing quietly to the side, and said, "Ziyue, you have been following me in cultivating the Dao of Talismans and are now a second-level Talisman Master. You are most familiar with the basic methods of condensing spiritual power. Li Yi is new to the Dao of Talismans and is not yet proficient in many basic techniques. So, please guide him and teach him the most basic methods of application."

Upon hearing this, Zi Yue nodded slightly, her cool and aloof expression showing no intention of refusing, and replied, "I will obey your instructions, Master."

She had studied the way of the talisman master, and was already thoroughly familiar with the basic methods such as mental power manipulation, rune outlining, and condensing qi into form. It was not difficult for her to guide Li Yi, who knew nothing.

Seeing this, Master Yan nodded slightly and instructed, "Just give me your guidance. Li Yi has a profound spiritual foundation, but he lacks guidance. With a little polishing, he will be able to master the basic technique of solidification. I still have some trivial matters to attend to, so I won't linger here. You two can study here."

Having said that, Master Yan flicked his sleeves, slowly turned around, and walked away along the blue stone path in the forest, leaving Li Yi and Zi Yue alone.

A gentle breeze rustled through the courtyard, dappling the branches and leaves with light and shadow. The surroundings were quiet, save for the faint sounds of the wind and insects. It was the perfect place to meditate and study the fundamentals of talismanic arts.

Zi Yue turned around, her gaze falling on Li Yi, and said bluntly, "The first step in cultivating the Dao of Talismans is to control spiritual power, and the entry point to control is to solidify it. Condensing formless spiritual power into a fixed form is the foundation for inscribing runes and casting talisman spells."

"I feel like you probably don't need me to teach you the most basic things like solidification. How about I teach you the Divine Needle Transformation Technique directly?"

"Okay," Li Yi nodded in agreement.

Upon receiving Li Yi's affirmative answer, Zi Yue gently raised her hand, and a faint, shimmering white light emanated from her fingertips, ethereal and gentle as smoke, a manifestation of her refined spiritual power.

Guided by her thoughts, that wisp of spiritual energy instantly flowed and converged, transforming in a short moment into a slender, luminous white needle-shaped phantom that hovered above her fingertip, swirling with a faint, mysterious halo.

The needle is slender and exquisite with a clear outline. Although it has no physical form, it is solid and does not disperse. It is held steadily in mid-air and exudes an invisible penetrating power.