Chapter 177 - 176: Talisman Arts, Slaying in All Directions (Middle)

Chapter 177: Chapter 176: Talisman Arts, Slaying in All Directions (Middle)

In ancient times, talismans were also known as tallies or credentials.

They first originated in the imperial court as tokens of authority for mobilizing armies or issuing commands, and were typically made from bamboo slips or metal.

The so-called Tiger Talismans and Military Tokens are prime examples.

They were symbols of absolute power, demanding unconditional obedience.

Even a beggar, if they held one, could command an entire army.

Influenced by the Han Dynasty belief in the divine right of kings, it was thought that Heaven granted auspicious signs to a monarch as proof of their mandate. This proof was known as a "talisman-mandate." The concepts and forms associated with these tallies were later borrowed during the Han Dynasty by Wizards, occultists, and Daoists, who adapted them for use in the world of ghosts and gods.

In a sense, a Daoist talisman is an alternative form of a Tiger Talisman.

The only difference is that they don’t mobilize mortal armies!

Instead, they manipulate the vast powers between heaven and earth, which is why they are also called Divine Talismans or Celestial Talismans.

After all, a Talisman that can command such incredible powers—isn’t that something only gods or Heaven itself could achieve?

However, to create a complete Daoist talisman, four steps are indispensable: drawing the glyph, chanting the incantation, forming the hand seal, and performing the ritual pace.

They symbolize official documents, regulations, passwords, commands, persuasion, authority, official seals, and might.

This was exactly why He Xiaotian’s mindless scribbling had absolutely no effect.

His drawing skills were bad enough, but he didn’t even chant an incantation or form a hand seal, to say nothing of performing the ritual pace.

The two were on completely different wavelengths. It was a total mismatch.

If he had actually managed to create a talisman that way, it would have been the biggest joke in the world.

He Xiaotian’s eyelid twitched as he read Shouyangzi’s reply on WeChat.

’My brain must be broken. Why else would I be trying to learn Daoist arts?’

’Just look at what the old Daoist said!’

’You even have to pick an auspicious day to draw talismans.’

’And not only that, there are inauspicious days, too.’

There were four days a year on which one must not draw talismans: the ninth day of the third lunar month, the second day of the sixth, the sixth day of the ninth, and the second day of the twelfth.

Drawing a talisman on any of these four days would not only render it ineffective but could even be harmful.

’Fortunately, today wasn’t one of them.’

The time of day was also important; it was best to choose the Hour of the Rat (11 PM to 1 AM) or the Hour of the Pig (9 PM to 11 PM).

This was when yang waned and yin waxed—a time of transition between the two—and when the Spiritual Qi was at its densest.

The next best times were the Hour of the Horse (11 AM to 1 PM), the Hour of the Rabbit (5 AM to 7 AM), and the Hour of the Rooster (5 PM to 7 PM).

Furthermore, some talismans had to be used in accordance with one’s own astrological destiny.

Violating these rules would bring disaster.

Those whose birth year fell under the influence of the Tai Sui Star Monarch had to appease the ruling deity for that year. They needed to select an auspicious day and time during the first lunar month to set up an altar at home to ensure their safety. If they mistakenly used a Heaven Talisman—meant for a year of the Heaven Star—it would instead cause a malefic star to enter their astrological house.

’What the hell...’

’No wonder there are so many fakes and frauds popping up everywhere these days.’

’Anyone who could actually master talisman drawing would have already gotten into an Ivy League school!’

And so, the spiritual-qi-mooching trio was out of luck. He Xiaotian had just conscripted them.

He had them set up the ritual space. After several hours of hard work, the meditation chamber was finally clean.

Meanwhile, after taking a ritual bath, He the Brute pulled out a Daoist robe that Shouyangzi had long treasured and meticulously preserved, and draped it over himself.

’I have no idea if this getup actually does anything, but it’s worth it even if it’s just for the placebo effect.’

Then, with one swift kick for each of them, he booted all three out of the meditation chamber.

’Don’t they know they’re supposed to give me some space when I’m drawing talismans?’

This time, gone was his previous impatience. Instead, He Xiaotian sat cross-legged on the floor and quietly recited the Tao Te Ching.

Perhaps the Three Pristine Ones had opened their eyes, unable to bear watching him flounder any longer.

Or perhaps his Perfect Dao Foundation was exerting a subtle effect. His mind gradually settled, becoming tranquil, free of joy or sorrow.

When he felt it was time, He Xiaotian rose, took up a wolf-hair brush, and began to draw with strokes as fluid as writhing dragons and snakes.

This time, he moved without the slightest hesitation. As if guided by an unseen force, a faint, almost imperceptible connection formed with him.

Threads of an energy that was not Inner Strength flowed down his arm and infused the cinnabar ink on the talisman paper.

There was no incantation, no Dharma Seal, no ritual pace. Everything felt completely natural.

It wasn’t that He Xiaotian was cutting corners; the book that described the Talisman simply hadn’t included those other steps.

’Is it because the Ghost-Slaying Talisman is too low-level?’

’Is it unworthy of those three steps?’

When the Ghost-Slaying Talisman was about two-thirds complete, He Xiaotian felt a resistance from his brush, preventing him from finishing it in one fluid motion.

Any other Daoist who knew what they were doing would have given up at this point.

This resistance was a reminder, a warning to the creator that some part of their process was flawed.

As for who or what was sending the warning, no one knew.

In any case, for hundreds of years, everyone had treated it as an unwritten rule.

But He Xiaotian was a complete amateur who had stumbled into this field.

His only guide, Shouyangzi, had fled to call for reinforcements.

And so, being the brute he was, He Xiaotian decided to fight back against this unseen force.

’I’ve got over forty tons of raw strength. You think I’m scared of you?’

Then, CRACKING sounds echoed in the room.

If the mysterious force trying to stop him had possessed consciousness, it would surely have been utterly dumbfounded.

’This is the first time I’ve ever met a Daoist this ridiculous!’

SNAP!

As He Xiaotian finished the final stroke, the wolf-hair brush instantly shattered, crumbling into a pile of fragments on the floor.

"That wasn’t easy!"

Having completed the Ghost-Slaying Talisman, he checked the Daoist Arts section of his Experience Points system.

[Experience Points: 50,000

Functions: Scan, Enhance, Store, Fuse.

Martial Arts: ... (Expand)↓

Daoist Arts:

Dragon Tiger Mountain Basic Breathing Method - 0/15,000+ (Initiate: Daoist Cultivation +15)

Perfect Dao Foundation - ∞ (No Level: Power of all Daoist arts boosted by 50%.)

Talisman Arts:

Ghost-Slaying Talisman - 0/1,000+ (Initiate: Damage to Evil Spirits +5)]

’I finally did it.’

He Xiaotian steadied his mind. To be honest, this whole talisman-drawing business was pretty draining.

You couldn’t make a single mistake and had to remain completely focused the entire time.

Combined with the vital energy he had expended yesterday, even with a Spiritual Power as high as 30, he still felt somewhat fatigued.

’Upgrade!’

[Ghost-Slaying Talisman - 500/500+ (Initiate) -> 1,000/1,000+ (Novice) -> 2,000/2,000+ (Adept) -> 4,000/4,000+ (Proficient) -> 8,000/8,000+ (Mastered) -> 16,000/16,000+ (Perfected) -> Ghost-Slaying Talisman - ∞ (Transcendent)]

He spent a total of 31,500 Experience Points to finally raise the first Daoist talisman he had ever learned to its highest level.

He Xiaotian didn’t waste a moment and immediately checked its attributes.

[Ghost-Slaying Talisman - ∞ (Transcendent: Damage to Evil Spirits +40, Soul Annihilation +15)]

But almost instantly, the line of text blurred and the stats changed.

[Ghost-Slaying Talisman - ∞ (Transcendent: Damage to Evil Spirits +60, Soul Annihilation +22.5) Attributes boosted by 50% from Perfect Dao Foundation.]

He Xiaotian: "..."

’I’ll give you this, System, you’re certainly meticulous. You even bothered with a 0.5.’

’Couldn’t you have just rounded it?’

He took out a new wolf-hair brush, intending to draw a few more talismans for himself and prepare a "big gift" for the Papermen.

But halfway through, He Xiaotian suddenly stopped.

He discovered that with his current level of Daoist cultivation, he could only manage to draw half the talisman.

’Then again, that makes sense. It’s not like the Ghost-Slaying Talisman could become more powerful while somehow consuming less cultivation to create, right?’

Looking at his remaining 18,500 Experience Points, He Xiaotian opted to spend them on an upgrade.