I Am Your Natural Enemy

Wen Yan couldn’t hold back his laughter. He truly didn’t believe a word of it.

”That’s true. After all, you are still a disciple of Fuyu Mountain, so it’s not quite appropriate. Let’s talk about it later...” The Old Celestial Master thought about it himself and was similarly amused. If he were to go through with it, that old fellow from Fuyu Mountain would really dare to pitch a tent at the foot of Dragon Tiger Mountain.

After hanging up the phone, the Old Celestial Master thought, This matter still needs to be handled. Although I only watched Wen Yan twice to learn what he had laboriously figured out, I know that if it weren’t for Wen Yan’s hard work and research, I would never have been able to achieve it myself in this lifetime. I learned it without asking, a fact I still can’t quite reconcile with myself. Given the significance of this, even acknowledging Wen Yan as a half master would be appropriate. However, doing so would be like roasting Wen Yan on the fire. This is tricky to handle. If it were an ordinary matter, I could just say I picked it up on a whim, by taking a second look. But considering its significance and the Power involved, it’s far from ordinary. I can’t just pretend I don’t know and secretly keep what I’ve learned. That would go against my own principles.

The Old Celestial Master made a note of the matter, mulling over, What should I do next?

Meanwhile, Wen Yan called his Fourth Great-uncle Master, who simply told him to open a window.

After the Fourth Great-uncle Master arrived, he taught Wen Yan meticulously, step by step.

”The Wave Calming Seal was passed down by the Thirteenth Ancestor, according to what he said himself. He learned it in a place in the south after taking a beating. Therefore, it must stay in Fuyu Mountain and be included in the entry-level teachings. Every disciple must learn it, otherwise, it would be a loss.”

”Then why haven’t I seen it in the entry-level materials?”

”Have you finished the entry-level materials? Fuyu Sect Disciples, those aspiring to the Dao, have thirty-eight sets of scriptures and one hundred and eight books to read. Have you finished even one?”

”...” Wen Yan instantly looked sheepish and fell silent.

Once the Fourth Great-uncle Master grasped that Wen Yan was essentially illiterate in these matters, his teaching actually became much more patient.

Wen Yan’s right hand formed a seal, his fingers twisting into a peculiar posture. He then made a slight adjustment, and his expression subtly changed.

Upon forming the Wave Calming Seal, the intricate pathways that opened in his right hand allowed him to sense numerous points between his fingers, as well as between his fingers and palm. A slight adjustment seemed to construct a complicated three-dimensional pathway. The flow of Power within him began to shift subtly.

Now, he was completely certain about what the so-called new method was. It was the path he had blundered into, exploring little by little. He realized the Wave Calming Seal couldn’t be fully constructed until the pathways in the very tips of his right fingers were cleared. He predicted that once the fingertips were fully unblocked, it would be entirely different.

With this thought, he calculated the time and asked his Fourth Great-uncle Master to wait a moment and have some tea.

He himself rushed to the backyard and patted the Gray Cloth.

”Hurry up, it must succeed today! Quickly!”

The Gray Cloth swiftly wrapped him up like a mummy. The Explosive Great Sun was triggered, Wen Yan consumed Grandma’s offerings, and he began his cultivation for the day.

「Three hours later」

The Gray Cloth fell to the ground. Wen Yan stretched out his right hand. He could feel the Power flowing along his right arm through a complex route, now forming a new system. Even just the basics—strength, defense—had leaped forward substantially. This was especially true when mobilizing these Powers, which resulted in a further significant boost.

This time, under the Fourth Great-uncle Master’s instruction, he learned much more quickly. He wasn’t afraid of making mistakes. He would simply adjust the seal’s position and, unafraid of any backlash, forcefully experiment. Once he memorized an error, he would instinctively avoid that incorrect option the next time.

In just half an hour, Wen Yan completely mastered it.

The Fourth Great-uncle Master watched Wen Yan forming the seal, a hint of wonder in his eyes. ”The Sixteenth Ancestor once said that when a true practitioner of the Dao forms a seal correctly, they experience a sense of innate, natural harmony. Unexpectedly, you possess this too. It’s a pity you cannot embark on the path of cultivation...”

Mentioning this, the Fourth Great-uncle Master seemed regretful.

”So, I’ve learned it now, right?”

”Whether you’ve learned it or not, you can actually feel it for yourself.”

Wen Yan breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, I didn’t try to learn it from a picture on my own. This thing seemed simple, but when I really started learning, it was truly troublesome. Being even a little off could mean a world of difference.

When he truly mastered it and combined it with his new method to form a complete Wave Calming Seal, he felt its Power. The Calamity Protector Water Official Talisman on the back of his hand began to manifest on its own.

”The Wave Calming Seal, its full name is the Four Seas Calming Waves Seal.”

”Who did the Thirteenth Ancestor learn it from?”

”I don’t know, but that beating back then must have been real.

”I once visited Haidong Prefecture, and in an ancient temple there, I saw an ancient statue of the Mazu Empress. Her right hand was forming the Four Seas Calming Waves Seal.

”In many statues of the Dragon Mother, a small number also depict her hand forming the Four Seas Calming Waves Seal. One such statue, facing the West River in the aquatic domain where King Guilong resides, depicts this very seal. If King Guilong received a beating in his youth, he would probably recognize it.

”As for the earliest recorded origin of this seal, it could be traced back two thousand years. The specifics aren’t clear, but if you want to learn, we at Fuyu Mountain actually have a lot of these things.”

The Fourth Great-uncle Master spoke as he pulled out a bag, taking out about a dozen books for Wen Yan.

”These are all relatively simple seal techniques. You can start studying them, and you’ll definitely benefit. If you can’t learn any, come and ask me. Don’t worry, they’re all translated; they are straightforward, clear, and simple enough for entry-level disciples to learn.”

Wen Yan flipped through the books and exhaled a sigh of relief. I was so overwhelmed by the original texts last time; they made my head spin. Thankfully, these are direct and rigorous.

He suddenly became enthusiastic.

”Okay, I will study them carefully.”

Since the Four Seas Calming Waves Seal was useful, then among the others, not all, but surely some must be beneficial.