Yu Ci responded succinctly. The talisman he had found belonged to the Monster and Ghost Scripts System, which was quite complex, and also one of the higher-level talismans that Yu Ci could master. In the past, he had only used this talisman with the strange power of the Divine Bronze Mirror, and that too was just the most basic use. Now, he needed to familiarize himself with it again to ensure that there would be no issues.
The process was short. While Bao Guang was still entangled with the complex Rune Patterns, Yu Ci had already stood up. Bao Guang, leaning too close, was startled and almost fell from the clouds. By the time he stabilized himself, the deep Resonating Incantation Sound had already echoed in his ears.
"Brother Yu..."
Bao Guang wanted to remind Yu Ci to be cautious, but then he saw the Divine Light flicker at Yu Ci's fingertips. Layers upon layers of bizarre strokes were applied, starting with a Ghost Face, followed by many ambiguous characters. As the talisman gradually formed, Bao Guang felt as if the clear sky had darkened, yet when he looked up, the sun was still the same, but it seemed as if a cold wind had brushed past him.
The young Taoist was stunned, and his subsequent words naturally choked in his throat.
Yu Ci, however, didn't care what others thought. At this moment, in his eyes and heart, apart from the flying Rune Patterns, there were only the unsuspecting wild ducks on the lake. As the talisman was completed, the scene of the ducks frolicking in the distance seemed to be pulled right in front of his eyes.
He silently activated the talisman.
In Bao Guang's eyes, the talisman in front of Yu Ci suddenly disappeared. Then his attention was drawn, as if by an invisible rope, to the group of frolicking wild ducks a hundred feet away. The lake water was rippling gently, spreading slowly, and occasionally a few restless ducks would fly up and down. It was a peaceful scene, indicative of a beautiful autumn day.
But in the next moment, a thunderous sound arose from the void, as if someone had shouted loudly, shaking the soul. A thick, black Chain Lock materialized out of nowhere, covered with countless Rune Patterns. With a series of clanging noises, it encircled the water surface within a radius of nearly a mile, and then locked with a "clang" sound.
The sudden change startled even Bao Guang, who was prepared, let alone the highly alert ducks. Amid a series of shocked quacks and flapping wings, the ducks took flight, filling the sky. A hundred or so wild ducks obviously couldn't achieve this much chaos, but in the instant the flock took flight, the hidden Water Mimic Bird made its move. The hundred ducks seemed to have turned into thousands, flying in all directions, creating a chaotic scene.
On the high Ghost Yarn Cloud, Bao Guang was so nervous that he almost jumped off. He had been tricked once before, which had led to his defeat, and now that thief bird was back!
Yu Ci, however, was very steady. Before the talisman took effect, he had already activated a higher-level variation of it. Although the situation on the lake seemed chaotic, he was confident, watching as the deep Rune Patterns on the thick black Chain Lock lit up one by one.
Bao Guang's cultivation level was not up to the mark, and the damn beasts couldn't see it either. Within a radius of nearly a mile, countless thin, pale grey lines as fine as silk spread out, forming a dense net that enveloped the ducks. But this net was not aimed at the ducks' physical bodies, but their Divine Souls!
With a sudden thud, a dark shadow fell, followed by what seemed to be the activation of a mechanism. Under Bao Guang's dumbfounded expression, a hundred or so wild ducks fell from the sky one after another like dumplings being dropped into a pot, densely covering the surface of the water. The sight was indescribably comical.
"Hey, go and fish them out. They're definitely in there."
The Water Mimic Bird could change its appearance, but its Divine Soul could not. Under the Yin Capital Black Law Binding Ghost Curse, no Divine Soul could hide from Yu Ci, who was therefore quite certain.
Bao Guang was completely stunned.
Truth be told, the young Taoist had a slight ulterior motive in seeking Yu Ci's help. He was a registered disciple of the Temple Master in the Still Heart Temple, and even if he didn't show off, he was still a cut above the freelance Daoists. Now, asking for help was a bit embarrassing. As for his fellow outer disciples, their cultivation levels were profound. Asking them to catch a bird seemed a bit like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.
After much thought, Yu Ci was the only choice. He was not an outer disciple, but he might be one in the future. Moreover, the master had a good impression of him, and they got along well. He was the best candidate for assistance. The only uncertain factor was Yu Ci's cultivation level. He could only think:
Anyone who can remain calm under the pressure of the Master of the White Sun Mansion can't be that far off in terms of cultivation level, right?
The fact proved this point, but the proof was too strong, and the young Taoist felt a bit hurt - their gap was too big!
In fact, he misunderstood. The talisman Yu Ci used was not that terrifying. The so-called Yin Capital Black Law Binding Ghost Curse was a type of spell specifically aimed at ghostly beings. Its damage to living beings was extremely limited. It was just that these wild ducks, with their weak physical bodies and low intelligence, couldn't resist the curse. If it were a normal person with full energy, the most this spell could do would be to give them a chill.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
Yu Ci could vaguely sense the young Taoist's thoughts, but he didn't have time to wallow in melancholy. Helping Bao Guang catch the Water Mimic Bird was just a trivial episode in his life.
Bao Guang, after all, was a kind-hearted boy. Any trace of jealousy disappeared once he returned to the Daoist temple. He even offered to share his hundred merit points, but Yu Ci declined. For him, Bao Guang, as the Temple Master's registered disciple, held a distinguished position and was simple and kind-hearted. He was a good friend to make. Fifty or so merit points couldn't fill his gap, so he might as well use them to build relationships.
Of course, catching the Water Mimic Bird wasn't without gains. Yu Ci felt that when he cast the Yin Capital Black Law Binding Ghost Curse, his "Primordial Qi" flowed more smoothly, especially when he transformed the high-level form of the talisman. The transformation followed his heart, and although it was his first time using it, it was exceptionally easy. It seemed that his cultivation level had subtly improved.
Naturally, this was a good thing, so Yu Ci was in a rather good mood. After dinner and a bit of exercise, he was preparing for his evening lesson when Bao Guang, a young Taoist, made his second visit. This time, he wasn't seeking Yu Ci's assistance, but was delivering an invitation from Old Daoist Yu Zhou.
It was five days since he had moved into the Daoist temple, and this was the first time Yu Zhou had sought his company.
The Still Heart Temple was incredibly serene at night. The eternal lights in each hall radiated halos, carving out their own territories in the darkness. As he walked within this vast space of shifting light and shadow, Yu Ci felt his heart was not as calm as it seemed, but was filled with a desire to expand outward.
Yu Ci knew the root of his emotional change: he was longing for this place, this life. For him, this life was novel and carried an incomparable sense of identity. Only by truly integrating here could he declare that he was standing at a new height.
His life now was completely different from the aimless days of previous years. He was on a clear path, with his tantalizing goal just within sight. A desire was driving him to run, to grasp his objective—it was that simple.
As he was still reflecting on the significant changes in his life and mindset, his feet had already stepped into the residence of Old Daoist Yu Zhou. This place was also a standalone courtyard where the Old Daoist was standing, entertaining himself with a dance of a Pine Pattern Ancient Sword. There was no melody of strings and bamboo, but the low hum of the sword cutting through the air and the faint rustle of his clothes made the best harmony, creating a clear rhythm.
Yu Ci's expression became somewhat strange.
The Old Daoist was immersed in his own world, and Bao Guang was watching intently, unaware of his unusual state. It wasn't that the Old Daoist's dance was not pleasing to the eye, but to Yu Ci, this sword dance was child's play compared to what he had previously witnessed.
On the eve of his entry into the Still Heart Temple and until Jin Huan's ascent, he had been observing the inner workings of the temple through the Divine Map. His findings were twofold: firstly, the behavior of the cultivators in the temple was upright, with a strict code of conduct, and the temperament of Temple Master Old Daoist Yu Zhou was relatively mild, which led him to take the risk of entering the temple. Now it seemed that the risk was well worth it.
Secondly, it was Old Daoist's swordsmanship. At that time, in this small courtyard, he had seen Yu Zhou practicing the sword—a very peculiar sight in itself.
The Divine Map was influenced by the strength of the target's aura, the stronger the cultivator, the fuzzier the observation image would be, this was already confirmed. However, when Yu Zhou was practicing the sword, Yu Ci could see everything clearly, which led him to severely underestimate the cultivation level of the person in the picture.
But even then, Yu Zhou's swordsmanship had opened his eyes. He couldn't understand the profound principles within, but he saw that when Yu Zhou released his Sword Energy, it was already incredibly mysterious. Each wave of Sword Energy, like steaming mist or elusive clouds, seemed illusory yet pierced straight to the heart. It was the finest swordsmanship Yu Ci had seen in his twenty-five years of life, perhaps only comparable to the day when Ye Bin transformed into clouds with her sword aura. As he watched, he unconsciously broke out in a cold sweat.
When Old Daoist sheathed his sword and began to breathe, Yu Ci was astounded. The distorted image on the Divine Map directly confirmed Old Daoist's identity as a Golden Elixir cultivator. Moreover, the degree and range of this distortion surpassed that of Jin Huan. It was then that he realized that Old Daoist was the true master, inspiring great respect within him. The next day, when he visited the observatory, he showed nothing but reverence.
These were old matters now, but whenever he saw Yu Zhou practicing his sword dance, Yu Ci couldn't help but compare it to his past memories.
Was this performance for his benefit? Old Daoist's intentions were indeed hard to guess.
As he pondered this, Old Daoist had already stopped. His white hair fluttered in the night breeze, his forehead free of sweat, making him appear even more vibrant. Old Daoist sheathed his sword and smiled at him, saying:
"You're here, sit! This is the sword technique I used in my youth. Now that I'm old and foolish, I'm afraid I've forgotten some of it, so I'm just playing around with it."
Beside him, Bao Guang proudly said, "Master's Swordsmanship Cultivation Level ranks in the top five in our Sect. Even many Vacuum Walking or Realm of the True Being Immortal teachers can't compare. This was personally judged by the Sect Master."
Hearing this, Old Daoist laughed, "Your silly words can only deceive laymen. How can dancing with a sword and Swordsmanship be the same?"
Yu Ci nodded in agreement, greatly appreciating Old Daoist's straightforwardness.
In the courtyard stood a locust tree thick enough for two people to embrace. Beneath it was a set of stone tables and chairs, used for lounging in the shade. However, at this moment, the autumn wind was stern, the leaves had fallen, and the bare branches swayed in the night breeze, giving off a sense of desolation.
Yu Ci didn't know why he had such thoughts. He and Old Daoist walked over and sat down. Old Daoist signaled Bao Guang to serve tea, and then took out a Jade-made Card and handed it over.
Yu Ci took it, initially thinking it was a jade symbol or a Jade Slip, but upon receiving it, he found that the Token had the words "Merit" written on one side, while the other side was smooth, its purpose unknown.
"This is a Merit Card made by our Sect. Primordial Qi or divine intent will reveal your deserved Merit Points on the back."
Yu Ci immediately focused his gaze on it, and saw a flash of light on the card. The smooth back then revealed the words "Yu Ci, accumulated Merit Points three hundred and sixty" in a deep blue color, which was very striking.
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The wonders of human relationships, the chances of hitting it off or taking an instant dislike to someone are both so high. Of course, perhaps I'm more emotional... Back to the point! Click, collect, I want them all! Thank you, everyone!
I have also posted the following more chapters [All free] on: https://www.readgates.com/article/74a39e