Chapter 10: Test of Symbols

Shen Luo wasn't sure whether he had stood in the horse stance for too long or held his breath too many times. At this moment, he was feeling an all-over body ache and a dull headache, as if he had done a whole day's hard labor.

"I can't go on, I need to rest immediately. Otherwise, my cultivation tomorrow will be delayed." Shen Luo hurriedly tidied up the items on the table, gathered the written talismans together and placed them neatly before crawling back to his bed and falling asleep immediately.

He didn't even pull up the blanket before a light snoring sound could be heard.

In the early morning, the chirping of birds gradually started, ringing clear and melodious like a bubbling spring.

Despite not having fully recovered from his fatigue, Shen Luo still woke up at the same time as usual due to his strong self-discipline.

After he got up, he looked at the talismans on the table. A rush of excitement welled up in his heart and he carefully put them into his bosom.

Shen Luo put on his clothes and came outside. After washing at the spring pool below the cliff, he started climbing towards the direction of the Jade Emperor Hall.

No matter what, the morning cultivation could not be delayed.

Three two-hour periods later, Shen Luo had completed his Small Transformation Yang Skill practice of the day.

Standing up from the giant rock, he didn't go to the dining hall for a meal. Instead, he took out some dry food from his bosom and ate hastily, then turned towards the back mountain.

He wanted to test these talismans to see if they truly possess the magical effects described in the books.

Shen Luo quickly arrived at the back mountain, walked some distance into the depths of the mountain along a small path. Only after he had moved away from the main peak did he stop in a secluded valley.

He did not have the permission of the sect. If someone found out he was testing the talismans, and thought he had learned them through dubious means, that would be bad.

Shen Luo strained his ears to listen, carefully surveyed the surroundings and confirmed no one was around. Then, he took out the talismans he had painted from his bosom and placed them on the ground.

Then, he rummaged in his bosom for a while and took out six grey-white jade stones the size of pigeon eggs with care, placing them carefully at another spot.

These jades allowed a view of the white gas flowing inside under the light. They were the Yuan Stones Bai Xiaotian had previously given him to activate the talisman.

The white gas inside must be the key to activating the talisman. I wonder what it is, it's really exciting."

Shen Luo muttered a few words to himself, pushing down his curiosity, he picked up a talisman and spread it out on a relatively flat rock in front of him. Then he placed a grey-white Yuan Stone on top of the talisman.

He slightly squatted down, made a hand sign with his left hand, placed his right palm against the Yuan Stone, and gradually started his Small Transformation Yang Skill.

A warm current arose from his lower abdomen area, slowly spread upwards along the meridians of his body, passed through his right chest, right arm, and finally flowed into his right palm.

As the warm current gathered in his right palm, his palm became slightly reddish.

Shen Luo did not hesitate and continued to perform his skill, triggering the Yang Gang power from his lower abdomen and continued to pool it in his palm.

After repeating this several times, his right palm turned a little red and between his fingers and palm were faint traces of tiny streams of heat.

Sweat started to appear on Shen Luo's nose. He exerted himself to keep his right hand still.

After learning the Small Transformation Yang Skill, this was his first formal activation. However, it was going to be used to trigger the Yuan Stone.

It wasn't that he didn't want to practice beforehand, but he only had six of these Yuan Stones, which might have been hard for Bai Xiaotian to obtain. He could only carefully carry out the practical work while summarizing the experience.

He tried to guide the small streams of heat in his palm to gradually concentrate at one point and forced it out little by little.

In a short while, a red thread, no more than three centimeters, formed in his palm and was injected into the Yuan Stone below.

The originally dull Yuan Stone instantly underwent a slight change. A faint red glow appeared on the surface, and from outside to inside, the entire stone looked as if it had been dyed pale red. It appeared somewhat translucent.

The clusters of white gas inside the stone also changed from a slow rotation to a violent roll.

Suddenly, the Yuan Stone cracked with a "crack" sound, and the white gas inside turned into a small ball of white light.

Though it may seem long, everything from the red thread entering the stone to the Yuan Stone exploding took place in just a breath or two.

Shen Luo stared fixatedly at the ball of white light, no bigger than a fingertip, which looked like a firefly. He was somewhat excited.

He was successful in triggering the energy concealed within the Yuan Stone on his first try. It seemed he was really lucky!

With the faint sense of perception awakened after mastering the basics of the Small Transformation Yang Skill, Shen Luo could vaguely sense the energy this ball of gas contained, which gave off a very pure feeling.

Shen Luo understood that he had only succeeded halfway at this point. The real critical step was just beginning.

As soon as the ball of white light left the Yuan Stone, it was as if it had been set free, and it didn't enter the talisman below but attempted to disperse outward. Fortunately, Shen Luo's slightly reddish palm seemed to have some restricting force, which temporarily prevented it from flying out.

The white light started to move swiftly between his palm and the talisman.

Only by guiding it into the talisman below could he ignite the core of the talisman with it and activate the talisman.

Shen Luo took a deep breath, continued to activate the Small Transformation Yang Skill, and a faint red thread formed again in the palm of his right hand.

Yet trying to guide the ball of white light with this faint red thread was as laborious as a child trying to move a large bucket of water.

However, Shen Luo had indeed learned a knack. When the white light was close to the center of his palm, he gave a low shout, and the faint red line suddenly shined before flashing through the white light.

The white light instantly linked with the red line and the red line pierced into the Small Thunder Talisman below with a whistling sound.

Because of the red line, the ball of light also touched the talisman.

The talisman, like a sponge, quickly absorbed the white light. The area where the talisman's core was located lit up immediately.

The light continued to spread from the rune patterns of the Small Thunder Talisman to the two ends of the talisman, and soon, the entire Small Thunder Talisman became somewhat bright.

But the change stopped here.

The light flickered twice and then dimmed, and the talisman regained its previous appearance.

"Did I fail?" Shen Luo murmured to himself with a feeling of disappointment.

The ways he activated the Small Transformation Yang Skill should not have been wrong. He had watched the whole process, which was almost exactly as Bai Xiaotian had explained.

From this, it seemed that the problem lay with the talisman itself.

Either he drew the talisman wrong, or the materials for drawing the talisman were wrong, or this talisman itself was a sham, and contained no power at all.

Shen Luo felt depressed for a while but soon cheered up again.

"The activation of the Yuan Stone should have no issues if I'm careful, and if I practice the Small Transformation Yang Skill further, the entire process can be much more accurate. Although the talisman didn't successfully activate, the rune symbols on the surface were indeed triggered."

Shen Luo stroked his chin and mumbled to himself for a while. He felt that he hadn't completely failed. So, he replaced the previous talisman with another one and continued to perform his skill.

Accompanied by a "crack" sound, the Yuan Stone shattered and the ball of white light emerged.