Yanfu: Starting with the Six-Eared Macaque

"Through the exploration and optimization of our predecessors, we have the standard talisman paper we use today, which is the kind on your table."

As he spoke, the elder picked up a yellow talisman and showed it to everyone.

"Most of the basic runes we are learning at this stage can be contained in this type of talisman paper. As your cultivation progresses and you learn more complex and powerful runes, you will need talisman paper made of superior spiritual materials to contain them."

The elder put down the talisman and continued, "The essence of talismans is to encapsulate the spiritual power within our bodies within the talisman, and then use the talisman to resonate with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, thereby drawing upon that energy..."

After explaining the core definition of runes, the elder picked up a spirit brush, dipped it in spirit ink, and began to draw on the white jade slab in front of him, explaining in detail the direction of each stroke and the techniques for controlling spiritual power.

The disciples below the stage picked up their spirit pens and began to draw on the talisman paper, imitating the elders. Some were focused and attentive, while others were nervous, their pen tips trembling slightly.

"Bang, bang!"

Not long after, two soft popping sounds came from inside the hall, followed by two wisps of green smoke rising. The talismans in front of two disciples spontaneously combusted without fire and quickly turned into ashes.

Seeing that disciples were failing one after another, the elder put down his pen and said in a calm tone, "This is the key point we are going to talk about next: you must be aware of safety when drawing talismans, beware of fire, beware of spiritual explosions, beware of backlash..."

Chen Xing watched the elder draw the runes from below the stage, traced the runes in the air a few times with his fingers to memorize them, and then picked up the spirit brush and began to draw them smoothly on the talisman paper.

His movements were slow but incredibly precise; the length and curve of each stroke were just right, and spiritual energy flowed continuously into the talisman paper from the tip of the brush.

As the last stroke was completed, the runes on the talisman paper instantly connected, a faint white light flashed, and spiritual energy flowed smoothly within the runes, emitting a gentle and stable aura.

"Did it work?"

Just as the elder was about to continue his explanation, he caught a glimpse of the talisman paper containing spiritual power in Chen Xing's hand out of the corner of his eye. A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, and he quickly walked over, picked up the talisman paper drawn by Chen Xing, and examined it carefully.

"Smooth lines, abundant spiritual energy, top-grade!"

The elder looked at Chen Xing, his tone full of approval: "What year were you a disciple? Have you formally become an apprentice?"

"Reporting to the Elder, this disciple is Chen Xing, a disciple of True Person Yunqing of Jade Balance Peak." Chen Xing stood up, cupped his hands, and answered respectfully.

"Yun Qing's disciple?" The elder was taken aback upon hearing this, but then understood.

"Yes, I saw the relevant theories of talisman arrays in the Sutra Repository and was filled with longing. So I applied to my senior brother to come to Kaiyang Peak to study and improve my own array system," Chen Xing replied.

"Hmm, not bad. I've also read that theory. The idea is bold and quite feasible. You do have a real talent for talismans, but remember that the key to cultivation is specialization. Don't be greedy for too many things, or you'll get distracted and make mistakes."

The elder nodded, a look of approval on his face, and gave some instructions.

"This disciple will remember the elder's teachings," Chen Xing replied respectfully.

Seeing Chen Xing's humble attitude, the elder nodded in satisfaction and returned to the stage to continue explaining the course.

-----------------

After entering Kaiyang Peak to listen to lectures, Chen Xing's amazing talent in the art of talismans was fully revealed.

In the past month or so, he has not only quickly learned and mastered most of the basic talisman drawing techniques, but his talismans have also achieved a success rate far exceeding that of his peers, and their quality has repeatedly reached the top level.

What's even more remarkable is that he didn't limit himself to simply copying what he learned. Instead, he applied his knowledge to other situations, combining it with his profound knowledge of array formations to optimize and adjust the way the spiritual energy circulates in the talismans, making them more suitable for use in conjunction with array formations.

With the help of the talisman knowledge left by the predecessors of Kaiyang Peak, Chen Xing boldly tried to use talismans of different attributes as array eyes or embed them into array patterns.

By linking talismans and arrays, the power and flexibility of the arrays are greatly enhanced, achieving a breakthrough in the field of talisman array formation.

With the mutual verification and promotion of array formations and talismans, Chen Xing's talisman expertise quickly reached 55%, and the breakthrough to the next stage was not far away.

On this day, Chen Xing came to the Sutra Repository again.

"Senior Brother Li, I would like to review some notes related to talismans." Chen Xing bowed to Li Mu, who was guarding the door, and explained his purpose.

"It seems your cultivation in the art of talismans is progressing quite smoothly." Li Mu naturally knew that Chen Xing was studying talisman arrays.

"I've managed to gain some insights and have some new ideas. I'd like to verify them with your notes," Chen Xing replied modestly.

"The third bookshelf on the right," Li Mu pointed to.

After thanking him, Chen Xing quickly walked to the bookshelf and, still following the principle of starting from the basics, began by reading the fundamental theories.

Just as he finished reading the book in his hand and gently placed it back on the bookshelf, he heard the soft whispers of the two disciples beside him. The voices were not loud, but Chen Xing, with his keen senses, clearly caught them.

"The sect competition is in three months. Are you going to participate?" A disciple wearing a light blue Taoist robe asked his fellow disciple.

"Give it a try. Even if you don't win, you can still broaden your horizons and gain more experience."

"That makes sense, then I'll sign up too."

As soon as the news of the sect competition reached Chen Xing's ears, a notification from Ninja Land immediately rang in his mind, and several lines of small text appeared before his eyes.

"You have triggered a special Yama event, [The Chosen One]!"

The requirements for this Yanfu incident are as follows: Register for the Shushan Sect Grand Competition and achieve at least a top-three ranking!

Judgment criteria: Participate in the Shushan Sect Grand Competition and rank no lower than third place!

Completing this Jambudvipa event will significantly increase your purchase privileges and grant you an additional bonus draw.

Looking at the mission information before him, Chen Xing didn't hesitate at all. He immediately walked quickly to the entrance of the Scripture Pavilion and asked Li Mu, "Senior Brother Li, I just heard that the sect competition is about to begin. What are the requirements for participating?"

"You want to participate in the competition?" Li Mu was taken aback upon hearing this and subconsciously asked in return, clearly somewhat surprised.

"Oh right, I always forget you've only been a beginner for less than a year," Li Mu said with a smile, realizing his mistake.

"The sect competition is held every three years. All disciples who have joined the sect within the past five years can register to participate. It is a way for Shushan to encourage disciples to cultivate and promote exchanges among fellow disciples."

He paused, then carefully recalled and said, "The registration location is the Wen Dao Pavilion on Tianji Peak. After registration, you will be given a participation jade token. The order of the competition will be determined by drawing lots based on the jade token number."

"Okay, thank you, senior brother." Upon receiving the news, Chen Xing immediately cupped his hands in thanks.

"If you want to participate, you should ask Senior Brother Du for details about the registration process and competition rules," Li Mu advised.

"Speaking of which, it's true that no one from your Jade Balance Peak has signed up for the sect competition for many years."