Chapter 877 - 246: Human and Celestial Talisman, Old World and New World

Chapter 877: Chapter 246: Human and Celestial Talisman, Old World and New World

He surely wouldn’t go.

If one is caught in the chess game, they are either the "general" or the "commander", never a "pawn" crossing the river.

If he were captured, everyone connected to him would turn into a "dish", ready to be devoured.

Thus, he inevitably began to grow somewhat emotionless.

After all, being overly emotional can only lead to losing the entire game.

Li Yuan, leveraging his relationship with Empress Dowager Xie, also found himself accompanying the Empress Dowager to many places during the Human World Transformation.

His skills in impersonation have reached perfection; if he wanted to act as a servant, no one would notice his peculiarity, unless the Human Emperor kept staring at him, which would then reveal his disguise.

Empress Dowager Xie was overt, while he remained covert.

...

On this day...

Empress Dowager Xie set out, surrounded by numerous guards and palace maids, heading to the Myriad Sects Academy.

The purpose was to pay a visit on behalf of Li Yuan to the Elder Celestial Master at the Daoist Court of the Myriad Sects Academy, to discuss "characters".

The Elder Celestial Master is well-versed and mysterious, always able to provide some insights.

However, the "characters" Empress Dowager Xie wished to discuss were not the golden characters flowing from the Human Emperor’s actions, but the characters of the "Ancestral Talisman".

The "Ancestral Talisman" is also a pattern, which, if written with the blood of a Sixth Grade Martial Artist, has protective properties against ghost servants. When attached to oneself, rapid recovery and reattachment of severed limbs are commonplace.

The Myriad Sects Academy is a vast institution, even larger than the Imperial Palace, its area comparable to a county, allowing mountain and water scenery to thrive within.

Furthermore, the architectural style here is not as "monotonous" as the Imperial Palace, featuring luxury, elegance, tranquility, and various other styles...

This place gathers all past forces of the world and is the primary source of the first Ministry in the Seven Imperial Ministries, the "Ministry of Martial Affairs".

Entering here offers the possibility of becoming Imperial Students.

Even if one fails to become an Imperial Student, earning the title of "Academy Students" is significant and recognized everywhere.

North of the Academy lie seven green mountains, which are the new site of the Daoist Court.

Among the seven green mountains, the central mountain is the location of the Celestial Master’s Mansion, the head of the Daoist Court.

In the elegant little room, the Elder Celestial Master fetched new spring water to brew fresh tea.

Empress Dowager Xie patiently sat beside him.

The Elder Celestial Master asked, "What does the Empress Dowager wish to ask?"

Empress Dowager Xie casually replied, "Ancestral Talisman."

Then, she smiled and added, "In recent years, I have constantly pondered upon the Ancestral Talisman.

Why indeed, can our Zhou Dynasty’s vast land not break from Fourth Grade into Third Grade?"

Under the guise of concern for the Great Zhou, she was actually probing for Li Yuan.

The Elder Celestial Master slowly brewed tea, listening to the slight movement of fish eyes within the pot, the spring water bubbling forth, as he poured the verdant tea into a jade cup, before leisurely saying, "Ancestral Talisman, is a human’s thoughts."

Empress Dowager Xie asked, "What falls on paper and exhibits power, is it actually a human’s thoughts?"

The Elder Celestial Master initially intended to answer directly, but hearing the distinct angle of the question, he paused, then slowly replied, "Since it is the Empress Dowager asking, I dare not answer lightly.

However, what falls on paper and exhibits power is not merely thoughts from humans."

"Oh? Please enlighten me, Elder Celestial Master," Empress Dowager Xie expressed an appropriate level of interest.

The Elder Celestial Master said, "The Taoist Ancestral Scripture once recorded that what falls onto paper and yields power is a talisman.

And long before, the power of talismans originated from heaven, before gradually transforming into humans."

Empress Dowager Xie said, "Then it must be thoughts from heaven, alongside human thoughts."

The Elder Celestial Master said, "Thoughts from heaven are no longer mere thoughts, but the Dao."

With a brief pause, he then solemnly stated, "Heavenly Dao."

"Heavenly Dao?"

The unfamiliar term piqued Empress Dowager Xie’s curiosity, "If heaven has a Dao, would heaven not also be a cultivator? Are we all residing inside this cultivator?"

The Elder Celestial Master smiled, "Heaven is not a cultivator, but simply nature.

Nature’s script, the script of heaven and earth, when residing on paper, becomes ancient talismans.

A character is a trajectory.

Nature, heaven, and earth inherently undergo a transformation, ancient talismans follow this transformation, rendering landscapes.

Nature is intangible and formless, common people dwell within it, yet are unable to perceive its patterns.

Once comprehended, it can be created.

When displayed, it equals a mighty force, capable of shattering the earth and moving mountains and seas.

If distinguished from the current perspective, this talisman becomes a Celestial Talisman."

The two continued sipping tea.

The Elder Celestial Master elaborated further, "Human Ancestral Talisman, the human body serves as the vessel, flesh and blood conceive thoughts, thoughts nurture flesh and blood, the two symbiotically form the correct trajectory.

With a trajectory, comes language.

This language is the Ancestral Talisman.

Ancestral refers to forebears.

Hence, expressing that thoughts originate from forebears, rather than oneself.

However, if thoughts are born from others, limitations arise.

Unless one enters the greater self with the lesser self, residing in Spiritual Qi, observing the scrolls of heaven and earth, escaping the prison of forebears, and restoring to self, this is True Self.

Once the True Self is restored, Ancestral Talisman ceases to be Ancestral Talisman, but becomes Human Talisman."

Empress Dowager Xie encountered these theories for the first time.

Despite prevalent beliefs that the realms of Fifth Grade, Fourth Grade, Third Grade are "Five Sources and Nine Ancestors True Self", no one could accurately explain what "True Self" actually means.

At this moment, Empress Dowager Xie suddenly comprehended.

The Elder Celestial Master paused briefly, patiently continuing, "It’s heard the five minor realms after the Third Grade are Yin Yang Balance Pseudo Realm, True Realm Since the Beginning, Copper Painting, Silver Painting, Golden Painting.

Among these,

Yin Yang Balance Pseudo Realm is the unity of flesh and blood and thoughts, nourished continuously in fertile Spiritual Qi.

True Realm Since the Beginning requires drawings passed down in the Ancient Life Hall, originally created by ancient Great Powers, still spread to this day; it’s said that such drawings exist in the East Sea.

As for Copper Painting, Silver Painting, Golden Painting, they involve self-reflection through drawings, with different stages represented by different paintings.