Starting Cultivation During a Trip-Chapter 62: Wu Ma of the Zodiac, Mortal World Purgatory
The unity of ten thousand talismans is the ultimate dream of all Talisman Masters in the world; achieving this realm must be Pure Yang Wuji.
The Shen Family’s "Ten Thousand Talisman Treasure Mirror" is such.
Maoshan’s untransmitted secret is also like this.
From that day on, the young Jiang Hu followed Wuqilu’s cultivation. Every late night, he would follow the latter to a chaotic burial ground, tombstones scattered everywhere, and phosphorus fires flickering eerily.
It is truly hard to imagine that Maoshan would have such a hidden place, so sinister that it makes one’s heart tremble.
"Wuqilu’s Dao practice is indeed profound, and his insights into cultivation are quite extraordinary..." Shen Qingli said in a faint voice.
The appearance of Wuqilu opened an unprecedented door for Jiang Hu.
What is cultivation?
In the Yellow Emperor’s Secret Talisman Scripture, it is said that heaven has five thieves, those who see them will prosper. The five thieves reside in the heart, operating in the sky, the universe is in one’s hand and myriad transformations birth from the body.
Contained within this are the great secrets of cultivation.
What are the five thieves? Life, matter, time, effort, spirit... As for what they specifically are? That’s not important...
What matters is this word "thief"!
Thief, it means to steal!
The secret of cultivation lies in the "steal".
The Yellow Emperor seized the opportunity of stealing life, ascending in broad daylight; Yin and Zhou verified by stealing spirit, using the small to vanquish the large; Guan Zhong believed in the timing of stealing time, uniting nine feudal lords; Fan Li seized the urgency of stealing matter, and dominated the southern Yue; Zhang Liang received the grace of stealing effort, and defeated the powerful Chu.
Even the origin of humans is by stealing the essence of two fives, ingeniously combined into being.
"The so-called cultivation is to steal life amidst the killing opportunity!" Shen Qingli paused his words.
The appearance of Wuqilu paved a path of cultivation that belonged to Jiang Hu.
He told Jiang Hu that in Talisman cultivation, the most crucial aspect is the word "one", which is the most miraculous word.
The Dao of Talisman, ever-changing, yet all begin with the One-stroke Painting, delineating starting from this "one"!
This word is the foundation of all talismans in the world!
The Dao begets one, one begets two, two begets three, three begets all things.
The last stroke of birth is one.
The first stroke of death is also one.
Between life and death lies the mystery of "one".
"Indeed a seasoned master!" Zhang Fan couldn’t help but praise, hearing the profound mystery within.
Shen Qingli glanced at him and continued: "To grasp the mystery of ’one’, you must comprehend it from life and death..."
From that day, Wuqilu frequently captured wandering souls and fierce ghosts from the nearby area, including the elderly, children, men, and women. Yellow talismans were stuck to their foreheads, their eyes vacant and lifeless, emanating the densest Yin Qi.
While having Jiang Hu practice One-stroke Painting, he would use talismans to vanquish the wandering souls, refining ghosts.
Time flowed like water, and in just a year, Jiang Hu’s cultivation in the Dao of Talismans advanced rapidly, mastering three hundred talismans.
Such progress made everyone take notice, even Qi Ji felt the pressure.
"It’s not the pressure of being chased from behind, but the pressure of standing on equal footing." Shen Qingli sighed.
A year ago, Jiang Hu’s talent and cultivation were not even a fraction of Qi Ji’s.
In just a year, Jiang Hu reached and even surpassed Qi Ji’s level.
Everyone wondered, what was the secret to Jiang Hu’s remarkable progress?
But Jiang Hu simply said, nothing but, Heavenly Dao rewards the diligent.
At this point, he hid his achievements and reputation, leaving everyone in endless reflection.
"He can really put on an act." Zhang Fan muttered.
Clearly, there’s a master uncle opening shortcuts for him in the background, yet he credits his progress to Heavenly Dao rewards the diligent!
"He hid it from everyone but did not hide it from Brother Sui Yuan." Shen Qingli said.
Jiang Hu had been cultivating on the mountain since childhood, always looked after by Brother Sui Yuan, who was like a brother and father to him.
Jiang Hu, naturally, was frank with this senior brother, without any reservation, secretly telling him about Wuqilu’s existence, and even claiming he would talk to this little master uncle to see if he could help Brother Sui Yuan with some special guidance.
However, after listening to Jiang Hu, Brother Sui Yuan’s expression changed dramatically.
"Why?" Zhang Fan couldn’t help but ask.
Shen Qingli paused for a moment, looking at Zhang Fan, and spoke in a gloomy tone.
"Because Maoshan never had a master uncle with the surname Wu."
"What?"
Zhang Fan was stunned, only to see a trace of sorrow appear on Shen Qingli’s beautiful face, his somber voice rising again.
That night, Jiang Hu saw Wuqilu for the last time, wearing a loose robe as usual, face wrapped in bandages, the whole person seemingly in shadows.
As usual, Wuqilu released the wandering souls and fierce ghosts detained in the thatched hut, still comprising men, women, old, and young, oozing with Sinister Yi Qi, shadowed with ghosts, letting Jiang Hu practice slaying the ghosts.
However, Jiang Hu did not act, bringing forth the doubts in his heart, bluntly stating that this master uncle who had taught him for more than a year was not from Maoshan.
Faced with Jiang Hu’s questioning, Wuqilu said little, only stating that this would be their last meeting.
Over a year of association, Jiang Hu had developed deep feelings for Wuqilu; the latter was like a mentor and father, not only greatly advancing his cultivation over a year but also imparting much wisdom.
It could be said, besides Brother Sui Yuan, Wuqilu should be the one who helped and cared most for him.
Now, facing separation, the young Jiang Hu felt indescribably sad and hurt.
"Jiang Hu values relationships deeply." Zhang Fan whispered.
"Life’s gatherings and partings are impermanent; so-called fate is but an illusion, clinging to it births needless emotions, which stir the Consciousness." Shen Qingli’s elegant brows furrowed, seemingly with deep meaning.
In the last teaching session, Jiang Hu naturally spared no effort, using all techniques taught by Wuqilu, unleashing talismans, slaying those wandering souls and fierce ghosts.
But just then, Brother Sui Yuan arrived, looking at Jiang Hu with terror, disbelief etched on his face, loudly questioning him...
"Question him about what?" Zhang Fan asked in confusion.
Shen Qingli’s gaze deepened, his eyes abruptly glimmering as he looked at Zhang Fan.
That look made Zhang Fan feel a chill.
"Ask him... why he is killing people!"
"Killing people!?" Zhang Fan’s eyes widened, as if mishearing.
Brother Sui Yuan reached out, removing the talismans from the foreheads of the wandering souls and fierce ghosts, the shadows’ sinister Yi Qi suddenly dissipating, their eyes gradually regaining vitality, no longer numb, though their faces were deathly pale, as if drained of life, collapsing one by one.
"Those..." Zhang Fan was taken aback, hardly daring to believe.
"They weren’t ghosts... they were living people..."
To refine Talisman with living beings is akin to refining and nourishing the Primordial Spirit to make a Great Pill!
That was a forbidden technique in the Daoist Sect, also a secret of Non-action untransmitted.
At that moment, Jiang Hu was as if dragged into the maw of the abyss, with Wuqilu’s seemingly mocking laughter echoing in his ears.
"How does it feel to pierce living beings with talismans?"
Wuqilu’s words tore into Jiang Hu’s young heart, his vitality seemingly being mercilessly extracted, despair, pain, disbelief... various emotions frantically intertwined.
Faced with such a Jiang Hu, Wuqilu’s laughter grew more unbridled, as if he were admiring a fine piece of artwork.
"He’s a madman!" Zhang Fan’s gaze grew cold.
"Why did he do this?"
Shen Qingli shook his head: "That madman spared Jiang Hu, but Brother Sui Yuan died before his eyes, died in his arms..."
Zhang Fan was silent, he could even imagine such a scene.
In the eerie moonlit night, the young Jiang Hu let out a painful howl, like a wild beast.
Those innocent, those vengeful souls, and Brother Sui Yuan... They were destined to haunt like a nightmare for life.
Under the moonlight, Wuqilu indifferently watched all this unfold, turning to leave.
"Who are you really?"
"I am Wu Ma!" Wuqilu’s voice echoed in the bloodshot night of massacre.
"Young one, one day, we will meet again!"
...
Speaking to this point, a trace of gloom filled Shen Qingli’s eyes as he looked at Jiang Hu walking toward the Five Spirits Rainbow Light, then glanced at Zhang Fan beside him.
"From then on, the mortal world to him became like purgatory!"
