Chapter 36: The Genius of Huang Qi

‘This journal is his life’s work.

Though his path differs from ours, it remains a precious relic of an old friend.

If you feel moved by it, you may study it.

If you find it useless, simply return it to me.’

At dawn, Lian Yueying set down the book, and Du Cheng’s words echoed suddenly in her mind.

A long while passed before she murmured to herself:

“Huang Qi truly was a genius!”

After the competition ended, Lian Yueying returned to her residence and did not meditate.

Instead, she spent the entire night reading the journal.

Each bold, powerful character recorded countless days and nights of Huang Qi’s insights.

The deeper she read, the more difficult it felt—yet she could sense the turbulent passion when Huang Qi wrote down each revelation.

However, difficult did not mean incomprehensible.

Rather, it felt unbelievable—this journal completely overturned Lian Yueying’s understanding of talismans.

For example, forming a talisman did not necessarily require a deep understanding of the essence of a spell.

A talisman could cast a spell through the logic of talismans themselves.

And spells drew spiritual power from one’s body to merge with heaven and earth’s spiritual energy.

But spirit talismans required no personal spiritual power at all—they could rely solely on heaven and earth’s spiritual energy.

Yet the lack of spiritual power was not the true reason for weaker force.

Accompanying these ideas were scattered speculations on talisman structures, and brushstroke methods utterly different from traditional talismans.

Lian Yueying had tried a little—she had not succeeded, but she already felt something subtle.

She had still been reading then, not willing to put the journal down to experiment.

Now that she had finished reading, she silently took out talisman paper and began tracing strokes as the journal described, combining them with her own experience.

“So that’s how it is.

Imitating the flow of casting spells through the human body was a detour.

Talismans should use the logic of talismans to guide spiritual energy.”

Talisman papers were ruined one after another.

Lian Yueying didn’t know how many she had drawn.

When the final stroke landed, the talisman paper ignited on its own and turned to ash in an instant.

She had been attempting to draw a Fireball Talisman according to Huang Qi’s theory.

She had not succeeded, but there was already a prototype.

The talisman had absorbed spiritual energy before burning.

Such failure did not discourage Lian Yueying.

She was gradually seeing an entirely new world, and the questions that had long troubled her were slowly unraveling.

Talisman papers were consumed one by one.

Three whole hours passed, and the bedroom floor was already piled with discarded talisman sheets.

Fortunately, talisman paper was the last thing she lacked.

Time lost meaning.

For the next period, Lian Yueying barely felt the passage of hours as she locked herself indoors drawing talismans.

From basic Five Elements spells to movement talismans, sound-transmission talismans, and other functional ones—she replicated each using Huang Qi’s theory.

Until three days later.

Her brush flowed like drifting clouds and flowing water.

Dots of cinnabar traced a profound, obscure talisman sigil onto paper.

Without even focusing her gaze, she lifted her hand and activated the talisman.

A massive blade condensed with dense earth spiritual energy took form in an instant.

Lian Yueying stared blankly at the giant blade floating midair.

Only after half a cup of tea’s time did her eyes move slightly.

She then cast her own Great Force Blade to clash against it—

The talisman blade dispersed instantly.

“Its power is only thirty percent weaker than mine.

Then… what if I use true talisman paper?”

Muttering, she had already drawn a true talisman using her own spiritual power and activated it.

To her surprise, the true talisman was even stronger than her personally cast spell.

“As expected.

I’m not skilled at personally casting spells—most of them I only know well enough to pass.

Unlike Senior Brother Ouyang who has mastered them deeply.

Drawing true talismans like this compensates for my weakness.

At least, now the effort matches the reward.”

As long as time spent learning talisman drawing equaled the benefit of practicing spells, she asked for nothing more.

But in truth, she was not nearly as clear-headed as she appeared.

Several days and nights without sleep or meditation had exhausted her completely.

Though ecstatic inside, her face remained expressionless.

[There are notes in the journal for drawing the Great Force Blade talisman.

Being fast in forming this talisman doesn’t mean all others will be.

Later, I should find a secluded place to test Earth Dragon Burrow.]

Still expressionless, Lian Yueying dragged her bedding over.

Thinking these thoughts, she suddenly collapsed into sleep, fainting from exhaustion.

—

A few days later, at Tuo Mountain Sect’s rear mountain.

The rear mountain had two main areas.

Near the peak was a place where disciples strolled, often in pairs for quiet dates.

Lian Yueying passed at least three couples, but her destination was midway down the mountain.

Cultivators were still human and felt affection.

Lian Yueying did not resent peaceful Dao companions like these.

What she disliked were those who let romance interfere with cultivation—like Zhao Qianqian, who never seemed to know what she was thinking about.

[Speaking of which, Zhao Qianqian hasn’t bothered me recently.

Even when we cross paths while climbing, she doesn’t speak.

It’s been blissfully quiet.]

The farther down she went, the fewer people she saw.

By the time she reached mid-mountain, the surroundings were utterly silent.

She knew she had arrived.

The mid-mountain was a burial ground.

No grand decorations or cemetery plots—only quiet isolation.

A heavy solemnity naturally settled as one entered.

Whether killed by others or having exhausted their lifespan, a small mound and a simple stone tablet with a few carved words was the resting place for those who failed to seek immortality.

Lian Yueying had never come here before—most disciples hadn’t.

She didn’t know a single person buried here.

But walking among the neat, scattered graves, she saw inscriptions like “lifespan exhausted after X years of cultivation age” on most stones.

Each one silently warned her.

Of course, one could not say whether more cultivators died suddenly or of age.

Those who fell in battles rarely made it back to be buried at the sect.

[Huang Qi’s Dao name was Shaoyuan.

I wonder which name is written on his tombstone.

But since Senior Shaoyuan was Hall Master Du’s senior brother, and capable of writing such a journal, his cultivation was at least Core Formation.

So his tomb should bear his Dao name.]

Tomb inscriptions reflected the thoughts of those who erected them—anything could be written.

Thinking so, she searched, spending a full quarter-hour before finding it.

[Grave of Beloved Disciple Huang Qi.

Eighty-six years of cultivation age, lifespan exhausted…

Eighty-six?]

No matter when one entered the path, cultivator age was measured as “cultivation age.”

A Foundation Establishment cultivator could live over a hundred years at minimum; with life-prolonging herbs and pills, a late-stage Foundation cultivator could live two hundred.

[This talisman genius never reached Foundation Establishment?]

Even with such thoughts, Lian Yueying felt no sense of superiority.

She knelt before the stone and bowed three times before studying the inscription.

Beloved disciple Huang Qi entered the sect at fourteen.

Average talent.

Obsessed with talismans.

Delved deeply into the Dao of talismans.

Righteous and upright.

His failure to reach Foundation Establishment is a regret of the righteous path.

— Commemorated by Daoist Chengshan.

Senior brother was gentle to all, often using talismans to aid fellow disciples.

Saved my life many times.

Memories vivid as yesterday.

Forever missed.

— Du Cheng.

Talismans are truly useful; even Foundation Establishment cultivators can benefit from them.

Regret I did not see senior brother’s final moments.

Returned to pay respects.

— Han Xue & Yue Yixuan.

Only three short lines, yet they included Yue Yixuan’s hand.

And the carved Dao name—surely someone of Core Formation came to pay respects.

[Then it seems Master rarely stays at the sect.

Even now, she must be away.]

Just as she reached into her storage pouch to take something out, she sharply sensed movement behind her.

She rose immediately and turned, staring toward the empty trees with growing vigilance.

There were ghosts in cultivation legends, but this was Tuo Mountain Sect.

Within the sect-protecting formation, spirits could not form.

So it must be a living being.

[From the sound, someone stepped on fallen leaves.

A visitor paying respects?]

She waited.

When the other person did not reveal themselves, she knew someone sneaky had ill intent.

She shouted toward the source:

“This is sect grounds.

Such skulking behavior is improper.

Reveal yourself at once.”

Silence.

Lian Yueying summoned earth spikes and shot them toward the trees, forcing the lurker out.

“Junior Sister Lian truly lives up to reaching late-stage Qi Refining.

You’ve improved a lot.”

Lian Yueying instantly recognized that annoying voice.

Once, with her weak senses, Zhou Yan had followed her without her noticing.

Not anymore.

“I don’t wish to speak with you.

If you came to pay respects, do as you please.”

“Why so cold, Junior Sister?

We exchanged a few moves back then.

The joke went a little far and frightened you.

Who knew you’d flee and leave me misunderstood?

Such a big misunderstanding, truly.”

Zhou Yan must have known she wouldn’t believe such lies.

He walked closer and stopped before her, smiling:

“And besides, Junior Sister still has another one, right?”

“Heh.

How laughable.

You actually believe the rumor you spread yourself.”

Facing her icy expression, Zhou Yan smirked faintly and leaned in—still within her acceptable distance, but lower-voiced:

“You don’t know, do you?

When Qinglin Sect chased you, I was watching.

You should thank them—otherwise I’d never have seen that brilliant setup, nor that strange talisman.”

‘nmd, you d*mn bastard!’

Rage almost cracked her mask.

Thankfully, her acting had improved.

Still—however much truth lay in his words, she could not ignore the threat.

“I don’t understand what you’re talking about.

Go fool Zhao Qianqian, that silly girl, not yourself.”

“Are you so certain I didn’t see?

Regardless, that’s not the point.

I’m more interested in your cultivation method.

Why don’t we make a trade?”

‘Does Zhou Yan think my speed is due to a superior cultivation method?

He has Tuo Mountain Arts already.

How could Gathering Sea Formula be that much stronger?’

Seeing she didn’t answer, Zhou Yan continued:

“You’re clever.

Being suspected feels awful.

Even if the Discipline Hall lets you go, other disciples may not be so reasonable.”

“Hmph.

So this is your ‘trade’?”

“Of course not.

Just a knock on the door.

Junior Sister is so stingy—won’t even open the gate for her fellow disciples.”

‘When the Discipline Hall came for no reason, I suspected Zhou Yan.

I didn’t expect him to admit it.

And now he threatens me openly?

Ha.

I’m not afraid of his petty tricks.’

“Zhou Yan, you really are stupid.

You know I was wronged.

Reporting me would only waste my breath defending myself.

And you must be deaf, since you can’t hear my rejection.

Blind too, since you can’t see I simply don’t want to talk to you.”

At that, Zhou Yan’s sinister smile cracked with faint anger.

But he forced it down, shook his head, and turned to leave.

—

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