Starting Cultivation During a Trip

Chapter 70: Chapter 70: Tainted Thoughts, Primordial Spirit Virus

For two days, Zhang Fan and Jiang Hu have been staying at the Shen Family.

Even though Wen He urged them several times over the phone, they remained indifferent, because the Shen Family was a major client of Night is not bright, and it was difficult for them to leave when being strongly retained by them.

Most importantly, both Zhang Fan and Jiang Hu wanted to stay and witness the legendary [Profound Mirror Treasure Talisman] to see what mysteries it held, and whether it could truly unite myriad talismans into one, generate the Primordial Spirit Password, and unlock the secret to longevity and immortality.

For this reason, Wen He was helpless too, and even Bai Buran couldn’t find a single fault.

After all, they were doing it for the company.

During these two days, Jiang Hu spent most of his time with Qingli Shen, the two having known each other since childhood, practically childhood friends.

The only thing that bothered him was Qi Ji occasionally showing up with a self-righteous attitude, making Jiang Hu quite uncomfortable.

As for Zhang Fan, he occasionally came out for some fresh air, meeting with Shen Xiangrong a few times, and the rest of the time he encountered Qiu Zhengdao most often.

Early in life, Qiu Zhengdao suffered a tribulation, losing both arms, but he possessed extraordinary insight, especially knowledgeable in matters related to the Daoist sect, especially the art of talismans.

Zhang Fan chatted with him several times and gained quite a lot from it.

Of course, though the two days were short, Zhang Fan didn’t sit idle. He began to suspect his own Primordial Spirit, starting to explore.

”The Primordial Spirit fears the agitation of consciousness and the flight of thoughts.”

That day, as night fell on the mountain, Zhang Fan sat cross-legged in his room, with a daring thought arising in his heart.

Since the Primordial Spirit and consciousness are born to each other, destroy each other mutually, if consciousness stimulates the Primordial Spirit, perhaps he could glimpse something unusual.

”Thought... consciousness agitates with thought, Primordial Spirit rests with thought... This might be worth comprehending...” Zhang Fan’s courage grew.

While observing the Primordial Spirit, he no longer kept still, letting his thoughts fly, transitioning from the state of Primordial Spirit Awakening back to reality.

Such complexity, a fine sweat seeped from his pores, feeling like fire roasting ice, alternately cold and hot, making him suffer, Heart Monkey and Yima ran wild, yet returned to tranquility...

However, as he gradually adapted to this feeling, a curious sensation emanated from the depths of his Primordial Spirit...

At this moment, Zhang Fan was completely unaware of how crazy, brave, and risky his exploration and attempt were...

He reveled in it, immersed deeply.

...

The moon was exceptionally bright tonight.

In the courtyard, Jiang Hu and Qingli Shen leaned against a large tree with a canopy of green shade, watching the hazy night in the mountains.

”You can only see such a night here on Zijin Mountain.”

Qingli Shen gazed at the starry sky, her delicate face unspeakably captivating.

”Why not invite Zhang Fan along?” Qingli Shen smiled softly.

”He would make it too bright here.” Jiang Hu turned his head aside, avoiding Qingli Shen’s face, speaking with some ambiguity.

Qingli Shen chuckled softly, not exposing his remark.

”I heard from my brother that the Profound Mirror Treasure Talisman will be completed within these days.” Qingli Shen changed the topic.

Jiang Hu couldn’t help but be moved, subconsciously glancing towards the direction of the Refining Talisman Temple.

”The dream of three generations of the Shen Family... no, it should be an obsession, is about to be fulfilled.”

”Red Dust rolls on, as long as one is alive in this world, there’s obsession...”

Qingli Shen murmured softly: ”Jiang Hu, you have it too...”

”My obsession...” Jiang Hu remained silent.

”Your obsession with the art of talismans still lingers; otherwise, you wouldn’t stay...” Qingli Shen looked at the bright moon in the sky, her beautiful eyes revealing a hint of peculiar brilliance.

”All phenomena, are mere illusions... Because of obsession, we find ourselves living increasingly real in this false world...”

”Qingli...” Jiang Hu turned to look, Qingli Shen was extraordinarily captivating tonight, yet different than usual.

”Jiang Hu, if one lost their obsession, would they still be human? Is there any meaning in living? What’s the point of cultivation then?”

Qingli Shen’s gaze seemed to fall into the distant, focusing on the obsession of three generations of the Shen Family, on the future indicated by the Profound Mirror Treasure Talisman.

Rumble...

Suddenly, a loud sound shattered the night’s silence, coming from the direction of [Refining Talisman Temple].

”Profound Mirror Treasure Talisman!?”

Jiang Hu quickly stood up, turned around, looking in that direction, he observed with his Primordial Spirit, his face drastically changing.

Above the Refining Talisman Palace, dark clouds stirred, yet inwardly it was pitch black, an eerie aura gently surged, as if nebulous traces combined to form a life-giving breath.

Countless voices cried out, screamed...

Black viscous liquid continued pouring into those traces, making them increasingly vivid, real, on the verge of emergence...

”This is...”

Jiang Hu’s expression changed, from that black viscous liquid, he felt a familiar breath.

”Primordial Spirit... you... you use Primordial Spirit as ink?”

Jiang Hu suddenly turned around, looking at Qingli Shen’s radiant expression, he could hardly believe his eyes.

”It’s refined... that’s the true Immortal Technique...”

Whoosh...

Jiang Hu took a step forward, like a gust of wind, rushing towards the Refining Talisman Temple.

Screams echoed from inside the temple, upon reaching the entrance, Jiang Hu saw a talisman master in his thirties, hair almost completely fallen, rushing out from inside...

His face awash with terror, upon seeing Jiang Hu he reached out trembling like he found a lifeline: ”Save... save me...”

”What happened?” Jiang Hu asked.

”I don’t know... I don’t know...”

The man shook his head frantically, suddenly, his brow jumped, revealing a bizarre rune like two coiling snakes, akin to a sequence...

Just then, he seemed to go insane, lunging madly at Jiang Hu, simultaneously his tongue darted out long like a serpent, towards Jiang Hu’s brow, black viscous liquid splattering everywhere.

Buzz...

Suddenly, a Fire Talisman flickered, like a shooting star, piercing through the man’s head, his body jolting before stiffly collapsing.

”Qi Ji...”

Jiang Hu turned, seeing the newcomer, narrowly escaping life and death in that instant.

He didn’t understand why the man abruptly went mad, even his body transforming...

Jiang Hu faintly felt that if he was touched by that tongue earlier, something very bad might have happened.

”Profound Mirror Treasure Talisman... abnormally ominous...” Qi Ji’s face looked grim, looked coldly at the door of the Refining Talisman Temple, poised for action.

”That’s the true Immortal Technique.”

Just then, Qingli Shen’s voice echoed under the moonlit night, she stepped gracefully forward, wearing a black evening dress, as if attending a grand banquet.

”Qingli, what on earth did your Shen Family do?” Qi Ji asked solemnly.

”Qi Ji, you hail from Maoshan Shangqing Sect... should understand the mysticism of the talisman art...”

”It’s the key to unlocking the mysteries of heaven and earth, the unparalleled technique for attaining immortality.” Qingli Shen said calmly.

”You dare use Primordial Spirit as ink?” Qi Ji said coldly.

”The original rune conjured by the Profound Mirror Treasure Talisman can merge with the Primordial Spirit...”

Primordial Spirit is Talisman, Talisman is Primordial Spirit!

”Moreover, it can imprint the same rune onto other people’s Primordial Spirit...”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Hu couldn’t help but look at the fallen corpse, the rune on its brow slowly dissipating.

”This kind of rune can obliterate consciousness, utterly kill the seven emotions and six desires, leaving only the power of Primordial Spirit.”

”When the power of the original rune is exhausted, it can lodge onto a new Primordial Spirit...”

”In this way, as long as this rune keeps spreading, myriad individuals, infinite Primordial Spirits, that initial rune won’t die...”

”That is the Primordial Spirit Password!”

”That is Longevity!”

At these words, Qingli Shen’s gorgeous face revealed a passionate yearning.

”That is not the Primordial Spirit Password...”

Jiang Hu’s expression looked grim, he couldn’t fathom that the Shen Family chose such a path.

”That is a virus...”