Dragon Blood Saint Emperor

Early morning. The rising sun was brilliant!

The vast mountain ranges towered majestically. Mist rose from their peaks, brimming with the vibrant energy of a new day!

The sounds of boisterous play shattered the silence of Lost Village!

Ye Wushuang had cultivated all night, and his Cultivation had improved considerably. He stepped outside.

There, in an open area at the village entrance, a group of children were playing and chasing each other. They were innocent and lively, completely carefree.

Nearby, several elders were practicing a set of Bird Fist. Nature’s spiritual energy swirled around them, flowing with their movements before drilling into their bodies.

Having experienced so much slaughter and death, Ye Wushuang quietly savored this hard-won peace. A smile touched his lips as he walked toward the crowd.

”Look, that big brother’s up!”

”Hee hee, he’s so lazy!”

”Lazybones!”

Seeing Ye Wushuang, the group of children ran over, giggling. They blinked their eyes, curiously sizing him up.

Looking at the children, Ye Wushuang smiled faintly. It reminded him of his own childhood.

”Want some candy?”

Ye Wushuang looked down and held out a golden-orange object that resembled a piece of candy.

At the sight, the children’s little eyes went wide. They stared at the ”candy,” sniffing its fragrance. One by one, they gulped, their eyes gleaming.

But they were a little shy and didn’t dare to step forward.

Unable to resist the delicious temptation, however, a little boy of about three or four stretched out a chubby hand, snatched the candy, and popped it into his mouth.

He chewed on it a few times—CRUNCH, CRUNCH!—and his bright black eyes lit up!

The other children tilted their heads, staring intently at the boy. When they saw the happy smile spread across his face, they all turned to look at Ye Wushuang.

Ye Wushuang shook his head with a smile and took out several more for the children.

Each with a few pieces clutched in their chubby little hands, they giggled and ran off.

Those so-called ”candies” were, of course, Elixirs.

These Elixirs contained no violent energies. Their medicinal power was exceptionally gentle, capable of nourishing and strengthening the body, which would only benefit the children.

Ye Wushuang watched them with a smile. The Moonfall Land only appeared on the fifteenth of every month. He still had ten days to wait.

That was why Ye Wushuang had chosen to remain in Lost Village.

”Big Brother!”

Suddenly, Xiaoxiao’s voice called out from beneath a massive, withered tree.

The Xiaoo Yue Celestial Roc was beside her. Perhaps influenced by the unrestrained lifestyle of the village, even his face held the hint of a smile.

Of course, Ye Wushuang’s gaze was drawn to the old village chief, who was sitting under the withered tree.

He was holding a wooden spear and carving something onto its shaft.

Ye Wushuang walked over to him.

”Xiaoo Yue, why don’t you take Xiaoxiao to play? Just be careful.”

Ye Wushuang said to the Xiaoo Yue Celestial Roc.

Hearing this, the Xiaoo Yue Celestial Roc nodded. He said a few words to Xiaoxiao, who immediately agreed with delight.

Upon reaching the edge of the village, the Xiaoo Yue Celestial Roc transformed into a Great Peng and took to the skies with Xiaoxiao on his back.

Seeing this, the children below all started shouting that they wanted to fly, too.

Ye Wushuang approached the old village chief and saw that he was completely absorbed in his carving. The patterns he etched seemed chaotic, yet they followed an extremely precise rhythm.

Ye Wushuang could sense something profound in the work, but the feeling was vague and indistinct.

After a while, the old village chief finally finished his carving.

”Village Chief, were you just using a Talismanic Seal Carving technique?”

Ye Wushuang asked.

”Just some simple ones. I only use them to hunt a few Demon Beasts.”

The old village chief set the wooden spear down, turned to Ye Wushuang with a smile, and said, ”What’s this? Are you interested?”

”I once came across a book called the *Talisman Introduction Treasure Manual*, and it sparked my interest.”

Ye Wushuang didn’t hide his curiosity. Ever since witnessing the Thunder Tribulation Talisman, he had become quite interested in the art of Talismans.

”If you want to learn, I can teach you. It will take some time, though.”

The old village chief stroked his beard, his face holding a benevolent smile.

He showed no hesitation in sharing his unique skills, completely unconcerned that Ye Wushuang might master them.

”Then I must thank you, Village Chief.”

Ye Wushuang bowed deeply—a bow of respect for an elder.

”Mm-hm.”

The old village chief nodded, picked up the spear he had been carving, and said, ”In truth, the art of talisman carving, at its very root, is an application of Inscriptions.”

”Inscriptions, also known as Heaven and Earth Marks, contain the rules that govern the universe. When branded onto a rare Spirit Iron Celestial Treasure, they can create a powerful weapon. When used individually, however, they can be used to carve Talismans.”

The old village chief’s explanation to Ye Wushuang was both profound and straightforward.

”Village Chief, what are these rules that govern the universe?”

Ye Wushuang asked, his confusion evident.

”On the cosmic scale, the stars and Star Rivers all move along fixed trajectories, like patterns etched in the void. These are Rules. The sun rising in the east and setting in the west, the cycle of day and night—these are all Rules.”

”On a terrestrial scale, the endless rivers and coiling mountain ranges also form patterns across the land. The movement of these mountains and rivers are also Rules. For example, water always flows downward!”

”And within our own bodies, our blood vessels form a network of patterns. Basic bodily functions, the circulation of Spiritual Power—these are also Rules.”

The old village chief continued to explain.

Ye Wushuang fell into deep thought. His brow furrowed for a moment, then smoothed out as understanding dawned. ”Village Chief,” he said, ”are you saying that Rules are the motion itself, and Inscriptions are the paths that motion follows?”

”A truly teachable student! You understand with just a little guidance.”

Hearing Ye Wushuang’s summary, the old village chief stroked his beard in deep satisfaction. He was beginning to see Ye Wushuang as a grandson of his own.

”To put it simply, the Inscriptions we speak of are a microcosm of these paths of motion!”

”To carve a talisman’s runes, you must first understand these paths of motion. Once you grasp them and delve deeply into them, you will begin to understand the underlying principles. Then, you too will be able to carve these paths.”

”And once this path of motion is carved and then triggered, it produces Rule Power—the very power of the talisman!”

The old village chief added, holding nothing back as he explained everything to Ye Wushuang.

Ye Wushuang listened quietly, beginning to ponder the concepts.

’Inscriptions, in the end, are nothing more than the traces left by the universe’s movement.’

’For example, the human body is also a Little Universe. The circulation of True Qi follows a path that mimics the movement of the cosmos.’

’Therefore, the so-called Cultivation Techniques must have been created by the ancients after observing the movements of the universe!’

Having come to this understanding, Ye Wushuang picked up a wooden stick and began to carve!

The old village chief guided him from the side.

By noon, Ye Wushuang had managed to carve his very first, most basic rune.

”Not bad. I remember it took me a whole month to grasp the basics, but you’ve done it in a single morning. That’s very impressive.”

The old village chief praised him with an admiring smile.

Ye Wushuang smiled as well. Even though it was just a common rune with little practical use, it was a good start, and he felt a joy of accomplishment he had never known before.

”Ye, time to eat!”

At that moment, a voice called out.

Ye Wushuang looked toward the source of the sound. The voice came from a wooden house on the western side of the valley.

Two people were standing in front of the house. One was Uncle Zhong, and the other was a woman.

”Go on. This kind of work is extremely draining on one’s Divine Sense. You should get some rest. Take your time with it.”

The old village chief said with a smile.

Carving runes required a great deal of Divine Sense. Even with his powerful Divine Sense, Ye Wushuang felt a trace of exhaustion.

Ye Wushuang rose to his feet. He couldn’t refuse the warm hospitality of Uncle Zhong and his wife.

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