Chapter 17: Spiritual Talismans Revitalize the Cultivation World (17% Progress)
The young man who suddenly appeared was dressed in a blue robe, as elegant as a painting. Even his sword-wielding posture was as refined and graceful as ink painting, and his clothes were unstained by a single drop of blood.
After a brief moment of distraction, Xu Lingyou shook his head, eager to learn, and focused intently on his movements, not wanting to miss a single key point.
For an eager-to-learn outer disciple who lacks access to resources, this was an exhilarating live teaching session.
The young man seemed to see through his intentions and deliberately slowed down his one-sided slaughter, dispelling his spiritual power and finishing off the wolf pack with pure sword techniques.
His swordsmanship was sharp and unadorned, each move aimed directly at the vital points.
Swift, accurate, and ruthless, the wolves were completely powerless to resist wherever his footsteps went, one after another frozen in place.
As he sheathed his sword and slowly and deliberately smoothed his sleeves, blood gushed out from behind him, and one wolf after another fell to the ground.
After finishing off the wolves, the young man turned to them, a gentle smile still playing on his lips.
Are you alright?
Many years later, everyone present will still remember this bloody yet beautiful scene, and will find it hard to forget.
Wu Ji stared wide-eyed, subconsciously glancing at Xu Lingyou's waist, where the talisman was still safely tucked away.
It wasn't a rescue from the sect.
He had a strange feeling that he couldn't quite put his finger on.
It seemed like grief, yet also like it was expected.
The crowd felt a mixture of wanting to approach Lin Ming, who had slaughtered the wolf pack, yet also being hesitant.
They knew he was someone they absolutely could not afford to associate with given their status and position.
While the others hesitated and dared not step forward, Huangfu Mian was the first to muster up his courage, his palms burning as he held Dai Kui's forearm.
Her cheeks flushed, and she said softly, "Thank you, sir."
Xu Lingyou's mind snapped out of the images of swords and spears. As the leader of the group, he stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Thank you for saving my life, fellow Daoist. I have no way to repay your kindness."
He thought that calling him "fellow Daoist" was probably not appropriate. Judging from this person's skills, he was probably a Dao Lord whom they could not reach. However, since his identity was unknown, "fellow Daoist" was still the most suitable term.
Thinking about it this way, he felt even more grateful. Most of the superiors he usually encountered were arrogant and disrespectful. Now, someone had actually stepped in to save them, people whose lives were as worthless as grass in the cultivation world. Moreover, after noticing his observation, the person intentionally went easy on him and gave him a lesson. It was simply unbelievable.
With someone taking the lead, the other shy young men and women stepped forward one after another: "Thank you for your help, fellow Daoist."
"It was just a small favor. My name is Lin Ming."
Lin Ming drew his sword, cast a cleansing spell, and handed it back to Xu Lingyou, smiling at him: "Here you go, your foundation is pretty good."
Xu Lingyou repeatedly pondered the name in his heart, his mind surging, and his hand, which had taken back the sword, trembled involuntarily.
Such a powerful swordsman must be a Dao Lord of the Xuan Tian Sword Sect. Not only did the Dao Lord not look down on his mediocre skills, but he also praised him!
Lin Ming was used to playing the role of a talent scout and greatly admired Xu Lingyou.
Although their luck wasn't strong, their foundation was solid, and they didn't abandon their companions in times of crisis. This sense of responsibility and unwavering belief is truly rare.
He looked eastward and saw through the mist what others couldn't see.
He glanced back at the group, who were supporting each other and were basically unable to resist, and said after a moment's thought, "The smell of blood will attract other monsters. Did you bring any medicine? Let's find a place to heal and rest first."
"You're right." Xu Lingyou looked troubled after speaking. There was no safe place for them to rest in the Misty Forest, and besides, the thick fog was confusing, the compass was malfunctioning, and he couldn't find his way.
"Come with me." Lin Ming saw what he was thinking and knew that if he left, these children would have no chance of leaving the Misty Forest. He decided to see them through to the end, so he let them follow him.
He made a hand gesture to send a message to the axe spirits, telling them to keep busy. Then he led the outer sect team to an open space, scattered a circle of beast-repelling powder on the ground, and had them light a campfire to rest and recuperate.
"This is medicinal powder to drive away low- to mid-level demonic beasts." Lin Ming gave the rest to Xu Lingyou.
Xu Lingyou blushed, feeling embarrassed to accept gifts from others without reason.
He stretched out his hand, about to return it, but Wu Ji stopped him.
At this moment, Huangfu Mian suddenly cried out in pain. Lin Ming saw that the people around her were frantically trying to treat her wound and were not very skilled, so he stepped forward to help.
Xu Lingyou looked at Wu Ji with surprise, his eyes questioning him.
Wu Ji pushed the powder back into his arms: "Don't be so shy. Just accept it generously. We can't keep relying on them. We won't be able to get out of the Misty Forest without this. You want to protect us? Are you planning to rely on the talismans the sect gives us to get us out?"
He made no attempt to hide the sharp sarcasm in his tone.
Xu Lingyou didn't dare look him in the eye: "You know everything."
Wu Ji said expressionlessly, "You came to the Misty Forest knowing it was tantamount to suicide for our safety, yet you refused to use the talisman the steward gave you in the critical moment. Doesn't that say something? Not only me, but they can probably guess that those people are unwilling to let inner disciples take on dangerous missions, so they make us outer disciples risk our lives. Bah!"
Xu Lingyou clenched the talisman in his hand.
He wasn't a talisman cultivator, but he often purchased miscellaneous items for the sect outside, and after a long period of contact, he had a rudimentary understanding of them.
The talisman in his hand was not the one that the sect elder claimed would "rescue someone as long as it is used," but rather a mid-grade teleportation talisman that could randomly teleport a person to a designated location.
He remembered the inner sect steward's meaningful look when he handed him the talisman, his words carrying a hidden meaning: "A mid-grade 'Summoning Talisman' is extremely precious. You owe me a favor."
At first, he was puzzled because the essence of a summoning talisman is to transmit coordinates to a designated person, and it is not a very expensive talisman.
I only understood after seeing the pattern on the talisman.
It's not the summoning runes that are precious; it's the teleportation runes.
The sect doesn't care about the lives of its outer disciples. Their cheap, worthless lives are only good enough to attract monsters with medicine. They even have to buy their own healing medicine. The sect assigns tasks to outer disciples so that they can get what the sect needs by sacrificing themselves.
"Brother Lin, this is the first time I've used such good medicine." Huangfu Mian's previous dejection vanished, and his bright eyes shone in the firelight.
Lin Ming bent down to bandage her wound gently, saying, "I'm just glad you don't mind my amateurish pharmacist skills."
Huangfu Mian's eyes lit up even more: "Did you make this medicine?"
"Um."
The other boys, who had also received medicine, noticed Lin Ming's approachable manner and spontaneously adopted a more affectionate form of address, launching into a flurry of conversation:
"Brother Lin, are you a medicine cultivator?"
Lin Ming replied, "I only have a basic understanding of pharmacology. I travel around all year round and am not proficient in other elixirs, but I am most skilled at making wound medicines and antidotes."
This is not a lie.
Those with great fortune are either bitten, cut, poisoned, or under the influence of illusions, so he is proficient in making various wound medicines and antidotes.
"Then I bet Brother Lin must be a sword cultivator!" The tall boy moved closer, a simple and honest smile on his face.
Seeing Wu Ji approach, Xu Lingyou, not wanting to be a lone wolf at this moment, also went over and sat down.
Gradually, the boys formed a circle around Lin Ming, with the campfire behind them crackling and spewing sparks in solitude.
They sat cross-legged, their eyes filled with longing and worship.
Lin Ming smiled and shook his head: "I'm not a sword cultivator, just an ordinary cultivator. I learn all sorts of things when I'm out and about."
He drew a folding fan from his waist, covered his face with it, revealing a pair of smiling eyes: "If we're really going to call him a fan maker?"
Xu Lingyou said enviously, "Brother Lin's swordsmanship is graceful and elegant, like a born swordsman."
"I've studied a wide range of things, and for a period of time in my early years, my go-to weapon was a sword," Lin Ming said.
"How did they start using fans later?"
"I got tired of using the same fan, and luckily a friend found a nice one while traveling in the mortal world and gave it to me, so I switched to using a fan."
"Brother Lin is amazing! He's not only skilled in swordsmanship but also knows how to make elixirs. This medicine is so effective, it must be a mid-grade one."
Huangfu Mian seized the opportunity to interject, rambling on about their team's unfortunate experience: "We encountered a giant butterfly. Luckily, Senior Brother Xu led the team and prevented it from falling apart. After finally escaping, we stumbled into a wolf's den and almost became the monster's meal. Fortunately, Brother Lin appeared in time. Sigh, it's true that places like the Misty Forest are not suitable for us lowly minions to roam around in."
"Don't underestimate yourselves." Lin Ming took out a palm-sized booklet from his Qiankun bag, turned to a certain page and said, "The giant butterflies you encountered are misty butterflies. They mostly live in damp areas and attract prey with their beautiful appearance. Their main food is carrion. It's already quite remarkable that you reacted in time and were not deceived by appearances."
Huangfu Mian looked at the booklet in his hand with envy: "What kind of booklet is this? Are they sold outside?"
"The map and encyclopedia of flora and fauna of the Misty Forest were passed down from my master, and each disciple has a copy." Actually, the booklet was something he sketched on the spot while scouting the area today. Lin Ming was trying to link everything to the Tianyan Academy.
He thought about it and realized that meeting them was fate. Before the Tianyan Academy was established, it would be necessary to create some hype, so it wouldn't hurt to give them some information.
"One copy for everyone? Do even the outer disciples get one?" Huangfu Mian asked.
Lin Ming's thoughts instantly connected with the other four bodies. After thinking it over, he finalized the outline of the academy: "The place where I study is not a mountain sect, but an academy, without distinction between outer and inner sects."
"Brother Lin's academy is really good." Huangfu Mian thought of his own sect, a dark light flashing in his eyes.
She fell silent, and the other boys asked her some other questions.
Lin Ming handed the encyclopedia booklet to Xu Lingyou, who was leading the group: "There is a map navigation in this booklet. You can find it in the index."
Xu Lingyou did as instructed.
Turning to the page with the map of the Misty Forest, the paper glowed white, and transparent ripples spread through the air above the booklet, as if a map painted in ink wash style floated in the void.
The boys, who had never seen a map like this before, were quite amazed.
"This moving red plum blossom indicates the location of the person holding the booklet. You'll receive a voice prompt if you turn on navigation," Lin Ming explained, teaching him how to read maps.
Xu Lingyou selected the exit as his destination and heard the voice prompt, "The safest route has been automatically selected for you. Proceed straight ahead."
His eyes shone brightly: "The people who made the map are amazing."
Huangfu Mian took everything in, her eyes lowered as she looked at the winding, hideous scars on her wrist, and clenched her fists.
"Xiao Mian?" Dai Kui noticed that something was wrong with her.
Huangfu Mian mustered his courage; if he didn't take the initiative, he wouldn't have a chance!
"Brother Lin, does the academy still accept students?" she asked.
For a moment, the others remained silent, but their gazes met in mid-air.
They came from the same sect. Although the outer sect was tough and the sect's treatment was poor, it was still despicable for them to blatantly betray the sect.
Unexpectedly, Huangfu Mian tore open this hole in public.
Wu Ji's eyes lit up, and he tugged at Xu Lingyou's sleeve, frantically giving his brother meaningful glances.
Look how decisive he is.
Xu Lingyou frowned and shook his head.
He couldn't bring himself to betray his sect.
Lin Ming's expression remained unchanged as he smiled and said, "Our headmaster has considered opening the mountain gate once every few years. Anyone under the age of thirty who has reached the Foundation Establishment stage can come and give it a try. However, the academy has been secluded for many years, and its location is remote with few people. It cannot compare to the great sects that are renowned throughout the four continents."
There were very few people, only one person and one beast, four separate entities.
She's the headmaster, she's the teacher, she's the senior students, and who knows, she might even be the old lady sweeping the entrance.
"After meeting Brother Lin, I am certain that the academy will treat its disciples well." Huangfu Mian's eyes lit up again. "In a few years, when the mountain gates open, I will rely on my own abilities to pass the exam and become your junior sister."
"Welcome." Lin Ming noticed Xu Lingyou's dejected expression out of the corner of his eye and added, "The academy teaches without discrimination, regardless of status. Once the gates open, we welcome all those who wish to study."
Xu Lingyou was somewhat envious, but he knew how petty their sect was. While academies generally allowed disciples from other sects to learn and exchange ideas, major sects forbade their own disciples from learning from others, and would label them traitors if discovered.
It's alright for cultivators like Huangfu Mian who no longer want to go back to being outer disciples; the sect doesn't care if a few outer disciples leave, but it's not so good for him.
However, he was also at ease, saying that everyone has their own destiny.
Wu Ji was disappointed that his son was not living up to his potential.
His brother is such a blockhead; he can't use his opportunities.
Looking at the others, apart from Huangfu Mian's eyes filled with longing for the future, even her friend Dai Kui's face showed hesitation.
It seems we have to add fuel to the fire. If someone makes a foolish mistake and goes back to tell the inner sect steward about this, he and Huangfu Mian, who want to leave, will probably get a bad reputation.
Anger flashed across his kind face. He steeled himself, and with a speed Xu Lingyou couldn't react to, he snatched the talisman from his waist. Then, under the astonished and complicated gazes of the crowd, he seemingly innocently handed the talisman to Lin Ming:
"Brother Lin, you're very knowledgeable, could you take a look at this talisman for my brother? He bought it at a high price before entering the Misty Forest. The seller said it was very mysterious, claiming it could summon a powerful being to save the formation, but I have a feeling he's been cheated."
Xu Lingyou stared at him in shock, too late to stop him.
Lin Ming frowned slightly after just one glance: "This pattern is not a summoning talisman, but a teleportation talisman, which can only be used by one person."
The boys' faces turned deathly pale instantly.
Knowing some facts in your heart is one thing, but saying them out loud is another.
Xu Lingyou forced a smile and explained, "Perhaps...perhaps that person doesn't understand either."
Lin Ming shook his head in disapproval: "You'd better find that unscrupulous merchant and stop him from harming others."
Xu Lingyou's heart skipped a beat, and he asked in a hoarse voice, "What do you mean?"
Lin Ming casually picked up a talisman, and a ghostly flame ignited at his fingertips, setting the paper ablaze.
"Because this is a useless talisman, it can't be activated at all."
A note from the author:
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