Chapter 18: Talismans and Divine Abilities
Dream Dao Attainment, Opening Scheme Against Cultivators
Dream-Making Expert
The Immortal Continent, the Immortal Academy.
The mountains were like jade, the moon hidden among the stars.
Zhao Qingxue, unseen for five years, sat alone beneath the moonlight, eyes closed, regulating her breath and circulating her qi.
Between each breath, the moonlight lapped against her like the tide, a faint murmur of ocean waves sighing all around.
It was as if Zhao Qingxue were not cultivating within the detached courtyard reserved for the Immortal Academy’s Elite Disciples, but rather standing on a moonlit beach.
The tide formed of pale white moonlight surrounded Zhao Qingxue, making her already world-toppling features seem all the more holy and cold, like a sacred, untouchable Fairy of the Cold Moon.
After a full cycle of qi circulation ended.
Zhao Qingxue suddenly opened her eyes. In the depths of her gaze, radiant and lustrous, two talismans like stars spun within eyes deep as the ocean, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
“Is that Senior Brother Yang of the Menial Affairs Hall outside the door?”
Zhao Qingxue spoke slowly. The courtyard gate opened without wind, revealing the menial cultivator Yang Zhiyun waiting beyond.
“I have disturbed Junior Sister’s cultivation.”
“Mainly, I just received a Thousand-Mile Incense message from the Song imperial house. It seems the Song imperial house’s inheritance Dharma Artifact has been lost.”
“By itself, it would be a minor matter.”
“But I recall that the one who inherited the throne of the current Song imperial house is Junior Sister’s birth father, so I came specifically to inform you.”
Yang Zhiyun spoke with a smile.
Before him, Zhao Qingxue was certainly a beauty of world-toppling caliber, but Yang Zhiyun was not one to covet beauty.
The reason he was going out of his way to curry favor now.
Was very simple.
Because Zhao Qingxue was the first among this batch of new disciples to become an Elite Disciple, and it was even said she had the potential to become a Core Disciple.
Worth befriending.
“Father lost the inheritance Dharma Artifact?”
Zhao Qingxue’s slender brows furrowed slightly. “Is my father alright?”
“Junior Sister, do not worry. Your father is fine.”
“But the loss of the inheritance Dharma Artifact is still a matter of no small consequence.”
“How about I privately send someone to the Mortal Continent to take a look?”
Yang Zhiyun said, generously thumping his chest.
Zhao Qingxue thought it over, then shook her head. “Thank you for your kindness, Senior Brother Yang. But I will handle this matter myself. It works out well — I have been wanting to return as well.”
Zhao Qingxue thanked Yang Zhiyun, then, decisive in her actions, immediately rose to seek her Master, Zhao Yueru.
Ordinary disciples of the Immortal Academy could only study under the Academy’s Transmission Elders.
But Elite Disciples like Zhao Qingxue could take a Foundation Establishment cultivator as Master, with completely different status and treatment.
Zhao Qingxue’s Master was the late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator Zhao Yueru, who by seniority was also Zhao Qingxue’s great-aunt.
Now, having heard Zhao Qingxue’s words.
Zhao Yueru’s face was filled with displeasure. “A trivial matter, and you would set aside your cultivation to make a trip to the Mortal Continent? Zhao Qingxue, do you think cultivation is easy, that you think you still have plenty of time to waste?”
“Master, please calm your anger. This disciple is only worried about my father.”
Zhao Qingxue said hurriedly.
Zhao Yueru let out a cold snort. “Do not think I do not know those little thoughts in your heart. Worrying about your father is the pretext; wanting to use the chance to go back and see that paramour of yours in the mortal world is the truth.”
“Zhao Qingxue, you disappoint me too much!”
Zhao Yueru’s face was full of disappointment at her failure to meet expectations. “You have cultivated for five years, stepped into the third layer of Qi Refining, condensed three Talisman Seeds, and become an Elite Disciple.”
“Are you perhaps pleased with yourself, thinking you are quite impressive?”
“But I tell you, Zhao Qingxue, you are still far from enough!”
“If you continue like this, forget becoming my Core Disciple — even Foundation Establishment in the future will likely be hopeless!”
At Zhao Yueru’s scolding, Zhao Qingxue’s face remained respectful, but in her heart she was somewhat unconvinced.
Among this batch of new disciples, she was the first to condense an Immortal Talisman, and the first to cultivate to the first layer of Qi Refining.
In just five short years, she had already broken through to the third layer of Qi Refining and condensed three Talisman Seeds.
At such a speed, even compared to the most outstanding disciples of the past, she was not far behind.
Moreover, a trip to the Mortal Continent and back would at most delay her by a year.
Zhao Qingxue felt it would not delay her cultivation too much.
“I can see it. You are still unconvinced.”
“Then today I shall tell you the gap between a Core Disciple and an Elite Disciple.”
“So that you do not sit at the bottom of a well gazing at the sky, truly believing yourself to be an unparalleled genius.”
Zhao Yueru spoke coldly. “You have cultivated for five years and broken through to the third layer of Qi Refining. Such speed would rank within the top hundred among all past Immortal Academy disciples.”
“By reason, with your talent, even directly becoming a Core Disciple would not be excessive.”
“But in truth, it is impossible.”
“Because to become a Core Disciple, one must master the method of condensing a talisman array.”
“The method of condensing a talisman array?”
Zhao Qingxue was stunned. She had never heard of this before.
“A talisman array, as the name implies, is the method of forming the Talisman Seeds into an array.”
“The simplest one, which even late-stage Qi Refining cultivators know — the method of simultaneously condensing the Three Talismans of Essence, Qi and Spirit — is itself one such talisman array condensation.”
Zhao Yueru pointed with her hand, and the Three Talismans of Essence, Qi and Spirit instantly outlined themselves in the void.
The three kinds of Talisman Seeds shone in mutual reflection, as if one body.
“You should know that once the Talisman Seeds you condense reach the Foundation Establishment Realm, they evolve and sublimate into divine ability seeds.”
“But do you know why they are called divine ability seeds, and not directly called