Elder Jie Liang did not consider this a matter of great significance, and continued the previous topic, "If you have such a tool, when facing an enemy, the talisman can be activated in an instant. Its power can be adjusted according to your intention, making it quite handy. If you can master the Qi Leading Method in the future, you can try it."
Having said that, Elder Jie Liang put away the terrifying Five Thunder Talisman Bead, and continued,
"Of course, if your cultivation level is insufficient, or you can't master the Qi Leading Method, this method won't work well. You’ll have to rely on external objects. Among external objects, there are differences between Jade Talismans and Talisman Plates. I suggest you use the latter. Among you, who has a Talisman Plate?"
The hall fell silent for a while before a freelance Daoist stood up, bowing his body, and whispered, "I have one, but it's quite crude."
"Hand it over."
The freelance Daoist immediately blushed, took a while to produce a plate-like object from his sleeve, stepped forward, held it high above his head, and handed it over.
Elder Jie Liang held it in his hand, played with it for a while, then nodded and said to the freelance Daoist, "I'll borrow it for a moment."
The freelance Daoist, feeling honored, sat back down with great excitement.
Elder Jie Liang stood the plate upright, presenting it to everyone in the hall, allowing all the cultivators to have a clear look.
Among the cultivators, some knew what this object was, and some didn't. They all stared wide-eyed, including Yu Ci. However, upon seeing it, Yu Ci found it strangely familiar.
The plate-like object in Elder Jie Liang's hand was made of metal, square, with sides no more than half a foot long and three inches thick, easily held in one hand. On the surface of the plate, there were dozens of concentric squares, also square, but from the outside to the inside, there was a very subtle height difference, with the outermost square being about an inch higher than the innermost one. At the very center of the plate, there was a small blank space intentionally left. This unique layout, once seen, would not be forgotten.
"This is a Talisman Plate. A plate, a vessel for carrying things, implies a winding path. The Talisman Plate, as the name suggests, is a vessel made in a winding manner to hold the power of a talisman. Simply put, it is a tool specifically used for making talismans."
Elder Jie Liang's finger still traced the squares on the Talisman Plate, explaining in his unique flat voice:
"The surface of the Talisman Plate consists of dozens, or even thousands, of squares. The squares are stacked in circles, symbolizing the round sky and square earth, that is, the way of nature; the central square inch represents the human heart; and the outer squares are connected through special Yin Carving Techniques, creating apertures that represent the great and small celestial cycles, allowing them to communicate with each other and ultimately converge at the center, symbolizing the interaction between man and nature.
"With the three talents of heaven, earth, and man, a Talisman Plate can symbolize a small world. If it is consecrated for a long time, it can communicate with one's intention and become the master of this world. At that time, using one's own primordial Qi to simulate the gathering and changing of the Qi of heaven and earth, filling it with the true meaning of the talisman, the structure of the talisman will be generated in this small world as soon as the intention moves, spontaneously communicating with the Qi of the outside world, increasing the speed of talisman formation by more than a hundred times."
Such depiction made the cultivators in the hall feel a surge of heat coursing through their bodies, their hearts yearning to immediately try out the Talisman Plate. However, Immortal Leader Xie added:
"To comprehend the true meaning of the Talisman is to communicate with the divine through Drawing Talismans. In the realm of Talisman Cultivation Level, this is considered a significant achievement. Yet, you all are still far from reaching this level, and I presume you won't be able to utilize it. The Circulation Plate Technique, which is currently widely used in the Cultivation World, is an ancient method that combines the Talisman with numerology to form a set of Heart Techniques for operating the Talisman Plate. It's simple and practical.
"Once you've mastered this technique, you can rely on the Talisman Plate and use numerology to interpret the meaning of the talisman, transcending its physical form. This method is three times faster than the usual Drawing Talismans and is considered quite advanced. Our sect has collected and improved upon the annotations of our predecessors, including the Bing Yin Edition and Jia-Chen Edition. These are more sophisticated than those circulating outside, and they are all archived in the Still Heart Temple. If you are interested, you can study them. Now, I will explain the standard application of the Circulation Plate Technique."
Upon hearing this, the cultivators in the hall were visibly excited and agreed enthusiastically.
Yet, for some unknown reason, Yu Ci sensed that Elder Jie Liang, who had spoken these words, did not seem too pleased.
Of course, this was just a feeling. At this moment, what Yu Ci was more concerned about was that he finally remembered where and when he had seen something similar.
More precisely, that thing was right in his hand!
If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.
************
Night had fallen, and the day's lessons had concluded.
Yu Ci was seated casually, with several objects of varying sizes lined up on the table in front of him. Under the candlelight, they emitted a faint glow.
Today, after Elder Jie Liang's explanation of the Talisman Plate, Yu Ci thought of a gain he had made some time ago. This thought led him to rummage through his storage ring, tidying up his belongings in the process.
Among the objects on the table, apart from the Divine Bronze Mirror and the "Shangqing Star Secret Talisman Book" - two "old friends", there were others that Yu Ci found useful. The most familiar of these was the Pure Yang Talisman Sword. This weapon, which he had personally condensed, was still his most handy weapon and had helped him a great deal in the Sky Rift Valley.
The most precious item was undoubtedly the Fish-Dragon. This Spiritual Artifact was still sealed in a Stone Box, in a state of suspended animation. Yu Ci was waiting for the day when he could exchange it for the qualification of an Outer Disciple of the Lichen Sect.
As for the most mysterious item, it was the Hook Rope obtained from the Monster Nest. This oddly shaped object could inflict a shock on the Divine Soul when the hooks on both ends collided. Yu Ci had attempted to unravel its mysteries multiple times, but each time he was defeated by the uncontrollable and bizarre impact.
Once, he had dared to venture without the Heart-Tugging Horn, carefully experiencing the impact on his Divine Soul when the dual hooks collided. That instance left him with a lingering fear, as the assault on his Divine Soul was ever-changing in a flash, not necessarily strong, but the myriad ways and angles of attack, always finding gaps to infiltrate, left one defenseless until the Illusionary Appearance proliferated. From that moment on, Yu Ci finally understood the source of the Fish-Dragon’s contradictory and peculiar behavior.
After studying the Hook Rope for a while, Yu Ci decided to put it away. Its origins were unclear, and it seemed to be entangled with dangerous elements like Ghost Beasts and the Pure Water Sect, which made him somewhat apprehensive.
In addition, items like the demonic creature's skull left behind by the conman Xuanqing, a few Jade Talismans and a Miniature Dagger obtained from Yan Daoist, and the Elixir and Pill from White Sun Mansion, Yu Ci merely glanced over them and did not dwell on them. In the end, he focused his attention on the most conspicuous square plate on the table.
This was what he had thought of today in the Moral Hall.
After seeing the actual object, Yu Ci was one hundred percent certain that this was the Talisman Plate that Elder Jie Liang had taken great pains to introduce during the day. Unlike the Talisman Plate used for demonstration at that time, the one in Yu Ci's hand was of noticeably better quality, the craftsmanship was more exquisite, it had more circuits, and they were arranged more neatly.
According to Elder Jie Liang, the quality of a Talisman Plate is primarily reflected in the number and layout of circuits and Circulation Orifices, and the quality of the material. Yu Ci couldn't tell about the layout yet, but in the other two aspects, the one in his hand was decidedly superior.
The one from the day had only dozens of circuits, while this one, although of similar size, had thousands of densely packed circuits. The gaps between the circuits were even finer than hair strands, making one wonder about the effort that went into its creation.
If the iron plate were magnified a hundred or thousand times, the edges of these circuits would resemble increasingly high fences, enclosing the central square inch of land, which was quite spectacular.
However, such a good thing had been deformed by a massive impact, and a deep scar had been carved on the front by something similar to a sharp blade. The overall layout was completely ruined. For the precision-required Talisman Plate, it was now nothing more than scrap!
"What a pity!"
The origin of this Talisman Plate was also quite mysterious, as it was the beginning of his encounters with Monk Zheng Yan and the series of events at Sky Rift Valley. This Talisman Plate was set as a trap by an unfortunate ghost named Hu Ke to kill Ghost Beasts. However, the unfortunate ghost severely underestimated the strength of the Ghost Beasts, was tragically killed, and even the Talisman Plate was destroyed by the Ghost Beasts. The long scar in the center of the Talisman Plate was presumably caused by the claws of the Ghost Beasts.
What was it that Zheng De called it again: The Shooting Star Plate?
Yu Ci couldn't quite remember. However, thinking back on all that had happened, it all seemed to make sense. The unfortunate Hu Ke's ill-conceived plan to fight the Ghost Beasts, the coincidental appearance of Monk Zheng Yan, and the subsequent journey to the Sky Rift Valley with Xu Elder and Lu Quan. These series of illogical events, when placed within the larger context of the Sky Rift Valley incident, could all be connected.
Suppose all of these were part of the inscrutable plan of the Pure Water Sect, every question could be answered. At least from that moment on, terms like Ghost Beasts and treasures entered people's vision, slowly fermenting in their hearts and attracting the attention of many, including the old Demon Tu Du. Step by step, methodically, it was elevated, and it bore intricate ties with the subsequent invasion of the Demons.
However, the subsequent cold wave was too intense, as if embroidering with needle and thread in the front, but suddenly wielding a large knife in the back, it was quite discordant.
Yu Ci thought vaguely, his thoughts had long since strayed from the Talisman Plate and returned to the "War of the Giants". This time, before he could come back to his senses, a knock on the door sounded, followed by Bao Guang's voice seeping in: "Brother Yu, Master and Master Jie Xian are here to see you."
Huh?
Yu Ci was taken aback, but Bao Guang was used to him. Without waiting for him to figure it out, he opened the courtyard door. Naturally, this act was scolded by Old Daoist Yu Zhou. Yu Ci in the room, looking at the cluttered table, was thinking about whether to clean up, but seeing this, he simply didn't care, anyway, there was nothing unspeakable here.
He quickly went out to greet them, and sure enough, he saw Elder Jie Liang and the long-lost Yu Zhou walking in side by side, with Bao Guang shrinking behind them, obviously scolded by his master.
Yu Ci didn't know what these two Immortal Elders were here for, but basic courtesy was still necessary. He stepped down to greet them: "I didn't know the two Immortal Elders were coming, I failed to meet you from afar, please forgive me."
Saying this, he found it strange that with the status of Elder Jie Liang and Yu Zhou, coming here late at night was somewhat improper.
While thinking about this, he ushered the two men into the room. At this point, Yu Zhou laughed, looking perfectly normal, with no sign of anger at him: "It's Junior Brother Jie who has something to find you. He will leave tomorrow, so he came to visit tonight. It was sudden, don't blame us."
Yu Ci humbly replied twice, his eyes turned to Elder Jie Liang. He was a stranger to this Immortal Elder and didn't know what he meant.
************
As planned, there will be two updates today. Brothers and sisters, don't forget. Collection is important, everyone, please support!
...
I have also posted the following more chapters [All free] on: https://www.readgates.com/article/74a39e