Starting Cultivation During a Trip-Chapter 67: Mountain-Breaking Prison Suppression, Zhenwu Shape Refinement
Movement and stillness, birth and destruction stir up wildness within the mind; Subduing Dragon and Tiger, refining the Profound Scripture.
Since ancient times, the Talisman Dao under heaven has all belonged to Dragon Tiger. For this reason, every spell in this lineage always starts with "Dragon and Tiger Form," aiming to subdue dragons and tigers, annihilate all evils.
"Impossible... How can this be?"
Among the Cloud Heaven Outer Scenery, Qi Ji’s Primordial Spirit was the most shaken; He received the true transmission of Maoshan Shangqing Talisman Dao, knowing well the mystery and dread of that lineage.
Yet eighty years ago, the Daoist Sect faced great tribulation, Dragon and Tiger Pass Mountain — since then, incense has never been rekindled.
This lineage had long withered and vanished, how could any Talisman Dao survive to this day!?
"Who? Who on earth is it?" Qi Ji’s mind raced frantically.
Within this Palace and Temple, there were sixty-four Talisman Masters raised by the Shen Family alone, with twenty or thirty visitors coming and going, nearly a hundred Primordial Spirits in all—yet only one possesses that Dragon Tiger Talisman Path.
"Dragon Tiger Talisman Path... Impossible... Eighty years... No one has ever stepped out of that mountain for eighty years..." Shen Xiangrong stared dead at that enigmatic Primordial Spirit, his gaze trembling, nearly unable to contain himself.
The Shen Family’s forebears once apprenticed at Dragon Tiger, learning Dao in that mountain.
For this, they passed down generation after generation, imparted by word of mouth, intimately aware of that lineage’s mystery and dread...
Rumble, rumble...
Underneath the Heaven-Covering Turtle Shell, that Primordial Spirit stepped forward, getting ever closer.
Just then, golden runes leapt and fluttered, rivers of light poured out, like a barrier, forcibly blocking that Primordial Spirit’s path.
Buzz...
Suddenly, that Primordial Spirit moved again. Hand forming the Sword Technique, he pointed a finger, and beneath the "Dragon and Tiger Form," respectively drew a "Sword Form" and "Mountain Form."
Rumble, rumble...
In an instant, a terrifying and lofty aura soared to the heavens, shaking the Milky Way, shattering the starlight—such an unstoppable force crushed the golden light barrier to pieces.
"Mountain-Breaking Prison-Suppressing Talisman!"
A cold and heavy voice slipped through Qiu Zhengdao’s clenched teeth. The fire in his eyes blazed as he gazed skyward, as the strange Talisman appeared beneath that Primordial Spirit’s brush; his face flooded with a spirit never seen before.
"Mountain-Breaking Prison-Suppressing Talisman... Could it truly be the Dragon and Tiger Dao Talisman!?"
Qi Ji’s fists clenched tight, still feeling as if in a dream, utterly incredulous.
Mountain-Breaking Prison-Suppressing Talisman—one of the most famed spells within the Dragon and Tiger Dao Talismans.
Know that, throughout Daoist history, nine times breaking mountains and attacking temples, eradicating Wuwei Demons—five times it was the Dragon Tiger Zhang Family who led the charge.
One could say the Dragon Tiger Zhang Family and the Wuwei Sect were mortal enemies, blood feuds running deep as the ocean.
Qi Ji had heard his elders say: back when Wuwei Sect flourished, not only did incense fill the world, but all four seas were teeming with Demonic Ghosts—lawless and ungoverned...
Among Daoist attacks on temples and mountains, it was the Dragon Tiger Zhang Family that possessed the greatest Divine Techniques, their Daoist Skills earth-shattering, their Talisman Dao mystical. One such art was called [Mountain-Breaking Prison-Suppressing]—when this Talisman was unleashed, it shattered incense at mountain temples, sealed the earth as prison, and slew countless demons and ghosts.
"Mountain-Breaking Prison-Suppressing Talisman... Hasn’t this talisman been lost?" Jiang Hu stared, entranced.
Back in his days on the mountain, he too heard of this Talisman’s fame, but eighty years ago the Daoist Sect suffered catastrophe; even the Dragon Tiger Zhang Family was gone, let alone a single Talisman.
Rumble, rumble...
The Mountain-Breaking Prison-Suppressing Talisman took on a Sword Form, easily breaking the dazzling golden light barrier; then, the "Mountain Form" on the Talisman burst forth in glorious brilliance, like a cage, tightly binding the Heaven-Covering Turtle Shell.
"What is he trying to do?"
"Is he mad? Daring to covet the Shen Family’s greatest treasure."
"That’s the painstaking work of three generations of the Shen Family! Does he intend to take it away?"
"Nonsense, this is the Outer Scenery, not reality—how could he take it away?"
One bizarre voice after another rose and fell; under the watching crowd, that eerie Primordial Spirit approached the Heaven-Covering Turtle Shell, reached out a massive hand, and plunged directly within it.
One after another, golden Talismans were seized by that hand and swallowed in a single gulp.
"He... he’s snatching the [Profound Mirror Treasure Talisman]’s runes!?"
"Is he targeting the database?"
"Something’s not right... Really not right..."
Every face showed strange expressions, eyes filled with confusion and uncertainty.
If this one really hailed from Dragon Tiger, mastering the Dragon Tiger Talisman Path—then these runes would be as useless as chicken ribs to him; after all, the Talisman Dao under heaven belonged to Dragon Tiger...
He already holds the heights, what use are these runes?
But if not, how could he draw the [Mountain-Breaking Prison-Suppressing Talisman]?
Crunch... crunch...
The screeching sound of tearing echoed in every ear; that mysterious Primordial Spirit, under all eyes, was rampantly devouring the golden runes within the Heaven-Covering Turtle Shell, swallowing all this "data" into his belly.
"Courting death!"
Suddenly, an ancient voice thundered through Cloud Heaven Outer Scenery; the Heaven-Covering Turtle Shell quaked violently, golden light surging like wild tides...
In a flash, the Cloud Heaven Outer Scenery shattered instantly, and all Primordial Spirits returned to their fleshly bodies.
Someone in reality intervened with the [Profound Mirror Treasure Talisman], thus breaking this Outer Scenery.
"Just now..."
Inside the Refining Talisman Temple, deathly silence reigned; all looked at one another, even the sixty Talisman Masters had paused, daring not act rashly.
"Everyone here today, none may leave the Shen Family..."
"I ask that you all remain a few days." Shen Xiangrong swept his gaze across the hall, showing the aura of one who rules the Shen Family. He cast one last look at the [Profound Mirror Treasure Talisman], then turned to depart.
"Zhang Fan... Zhang Fan..."
At this moment, Jiang Hu called twice before Zhang Fan snapped back to his senses.
Soon after, everyone in the Refining Talisman Palace was led by Shen Family members to their respective rooms—free to move, but forbidden to leave the house.
"Dragon and Tiger Dao Talisman?"
Zhang Fan mused over Jiang Hu’s words, lost in thought.
"This is too strange. Dragon Tiger Mountain has been dormant for eighty years; how could anyone suddenly wield a Dragon and Tiger Dao Talisman!?" Jiang Hu murmured softly.
"Perhaps someone acquired an outside transmission... After all, Dragon Tiger Mountain’s history is no less than Zhenwu Mountain’s, and over the ages, some Daoist Skills leaking out is hardly rare."
Jiang Hu voiced what seemed the likeliest guess, yet with the Shen Family’s ties to Dragon Tiger Mountain, no doubt they’d dig out the truth regardless.
"Dig out the truth?" Zhang Fan frowned.
"No need to worry... We’re the ones with the least suspicion!"
"You’re from Zhenwu Mountain, I’m Maoshan... I used to be from Maoshan, and our backgrounds are squeaky clean." Jiang Hu was entirely in the mood to watch the drama.
"True enough, squeaky clean." Zhang Fan nodded, chatted a bit more, and saw Jiang Hu to the door.
At the moment of closing the door, his expression turned slightly ugly.
"Did something go wrong with my Primordial Spirit!?"
Everything Jiang Hu had described, Zhang Fan had no memory of whatsoever. He’d never entered the Outer Scenery, nor witnessed anyone perform the Dragon and Tiger Dao Talisman.
There were only two explanations: either his Primordial Spirit had not left his body, or...
"No way!?"
Zhang Fan furrowed his brow, quickly shook his head, composed himself, activated the [North and South Sect Origin] Technique, cultivated for a moment, swept away distractions, and soon fell fast asleep.
In his dreams, Zhang Fan’s chest—where the Zhenwu Jade Scroll mark lay—gave off a faint, spectral glow.
At the same time, within his Primordial Spirit Inner Scenery, the Great Night is not bright.
Golden runes, like streams of data, gathered slowly, continuously sketching and evolving the same patterns...
That mark, humongous beyond compare, with a back like a turtle and a tail like a serpent, endlessly absorbing and merging the gathered golden runes, seeming about to coalesce and manifest within Zhang Fan’s Inner Scenery.
The Zhenwu Jade Scroll, like being charged, gradually stirred awake.
