Chapter 64: The Three Realms of Talisman Path

Talisman-Human Unity level?

Lu An had never heard of this term, but he keenly realized that he seemed to have reached a certain level in the talisman path.

"Senior, could you explain this in more detail?"

The gray-robed elder's mind was shaken. The Talisman-Human Unity level was the realm he had longed for, and this young man had achieved it before him.

Taking a deep breath, he began to explain:

"The Talisman-Human Unity level is a realm in the talisman path."

"Unity of person and talisman, merging heart and intent. When you are in the talisman and the talisman is in you, success is assured."

"Congratulations, young friend. You have entered the second stage of the talisman path. Please accept my bow."

As the saying goes, 'the achiever becomes the teacher.' The elder's respectful gesture was entirely sincere.

Elder Zhang was also stunned, never expecting that the 'performance' he saw in Lu An was already at the second stage of the talisman path.

He was overjoyed, realizing that his gains were far greater than he had previously imagined.

Lu An's heart moved, and he continued to ask:

"Senior, what does the second stage mean? Are there other stages as well?"

The gray-robed elder nodded and explained:

"The talisman path is profound and vast, and like cultivation, it is divided into several stages."

"The first stage is Clear Understanding of the Talisman Heart, a preliminary insight into the true meaning of talismans."

"Those who reach this stage can often make some modifications to talismans based on their understanding, making them more suitable for personal use."

Lu An understood that his previous modification of the Gathering Qi Talisman into a first-grade Minor Gathering Qi Talisman must have been due to reaching the Clear Understanding of the Talisman Heart stage.

Before he could think further, the gray-robed elder continued:

"The second stage is the Talisman-Human Unity level you are in now."

"You are already aware of the wonders of this realm, so I won't elaborate further."

"The third stage of the talisman path is known as Talisman Law and Heaven. Cultivators who reach this stage can draw talismans in the void, communicate with the power of heaven and earth, greatly enhancing their combat capabilities."

"As for whether there are further stages beyond this, I do not know."

Hearing this, Lu An was greatly shocked and quickly asked:

"Drawing talismans in the void? Senior, how powerful are the talismans drawn in the void by a cultivator of the third realm of talisman path?"

"The power is naturally greatly enhanced, as it directly communicates with the natural energies of heaven and earth, which is incomparable to talisman paper."

"Does that require using some special items instead of a talisman brush?"

"Not at all. A third-realm cultivator can create talismans with a mere wave of their hand, completely transcending the usual method of drawing talismans."

Lu An understood that he had not yet reached the third realm. Though he could draw talismans in the void with his Soul Devouring Sword, the power of the talismans was still significantly less than those drawn on talisman paper.

"It seems I have merely stumbled upon the edge of the third realm, but I am still far from truly achieving it."

After pondering for a moment, he continued:

"Are there any cultivators of the third realm of talisman path in Yongning County?"

The gray-robed elder sneered, as if he had heard a joke.

"How could that be? Do you think third-realm cultivators are as common as cabbages? As far as I know, only the Talisman Sage Yue Wu from the Qi Kingdom ever reached this realm."

"That was a Nascent Soul cultivator, but unfortunately, he went missing later on."

"Nowadays, no one has reached this realm."

Lu An nodded. The Qi Kingdom was vast, and having only one person achieve the third realm of talisman path showed just how difficult it was. Even though he was close to this boundary, it was uncertain how long it would take him to reach it.

As for the Talisman Sage Yue Wu mentioned by the elder, Lu An was quite curious. However, upon further inquiry, the elder seemed to know little about him, only that he went missing after being besieged by many powerful figures. Lu An had to let it go.

"My current level in the talisman path relies entirely on the spiritual light in my sea of consciousness."

"But now that the spiritual light for second-grade talismans has been absorbed, it seems I need to replenish it. With more spiritual light, I might be able to achieve the Talisman Law and Heaven realm."

While he was contemplating, the gray-robed elder showed a hesitant expression. After some thought, he slowly spoke:

"Young friend, I have an unreasonable request. I wonder…"

Lu An, having received much valuable information and feeling grateful to the elder, immediately responded:

"Senior, please feel free to speak."

The gray-robed elder was pleased and quickly explained his long-standing difficulties with breaking through to the second level of talisman mastery and requested Lu An's guidance.

He was still at the first layer of Clear Understanding of the Talisman Heart and had long struggled to touch the threshold of the second layer. If he could reach the Talisman-Human Unity level, advancing to the third-level talisman master would be just around the corner.

After considering for a moment, Lu An went to the examination desk.

"Senior, are you familiar with the Breaking Restrictions Talisman?"

"Naturally."

"Please draw one for me to examine."

The gray-robed elder knew Lu An was trying to identify his problems and did not dare to be careless. He quickly went to the desk and began drawing.

Soon, the Breaking Restrictions Talisman was completed, a second-grade mid-quality talisman.

Lu An frowned, looking up at the gray-robed elder.

"Senior, where did you learn this talisman?"

The gray-robed elder hesitated slightly and then slowly replied:

"This talisman was personally taught to me by my master, but I have always failed to grasp its essence due to my lack of talent."

Lu An nodded, took the talisman brush from the desk, and casually drew a talisman.

The talisman floated up on its own without any wind, producing a series of talismanic sounds, with a hint of purple light gradually emerging.

Both the gray-robed elder and Elder Zhang were stunned, their faces filled with shock.

"Top-grade Breaking Restrictions Talisman!"

Lu An was not pleased with himself. This talisman was one of the best second-grade talismans he mastered, so its being top-grade was within his expectations. However, there was still room for improvement, and he thought he needed more practice.

He picked up the talisman and handed it to the gray-robed elder, asking:

"Senior, can you see any differences between this talisman and the one you drew?"

The gray-robed elder looked puzzled. The difference was obviously that Lu An's was top-grade while his was only mid-quality. However, he knew Lu An likely meant something else and carefully examined the talisman.

Upon closer inspection, he noticed the issue immediately. The strokes of Lu An's talisman were completely different from his.

"This… this…"

He was momentarily stunned. How could the drawing method for the same talisman be completely different? Was this still a Breaking Restrictions Talisman?

He was sure that his talisman closely followed the records in the True Method, so the problem must be with Lu An's talisman.

Lu An ignored his reaction and instead asked:

"Why do you think the strokes of a talisman are necessary?"

The gray-robed elder answered without thinking:

"Naturally, it is to help cultivators communicate with the natural energies of heaven and earth."

Lu An nodded, agreeing with this.

"Since that is the case, as long as it can communicate with the natural energies, why does it matter how the strokes are made?"

"If you draw a horizontal line to communicate with the natural energies, and I draw a vertical line to achieve the same effect, what's the difference?"

The gray-robed elder pondered thoughtfully as Lu An continued:

"I observed that your talisman drawing is rigid and mechanical, strictly following the recorded method."

"Even though you have some ideas in your mind and your body responds, you deliberately suppress them and only follow the True Method. How can you achieve Talisman-Human Unity like that?"

The gray-robed elder suddenly experienced a moment of enlightenment. It was as if his entire sea of consciousness was illuminated, and he understood clearly.

"Unity of soul and spirit, unity of spirit and intent. I thought I understood this deeply, but in reality, I had never truly achieved it. I understand now, I understand…"

Lu An and Elder Zhang exchanged glances and exited the examination hall, leaving the elder alone to reflect.