Chapter 2: The Fight Against Wen

  Fu, also known as Dao Fu or Fu Lu. Making a Fu Lu is like painting with cinnabar, requiring brush, ink, paper and inkstone, each of which needs to be specially refined and cannot be replaced by ordinary objects.

  Apart from this, the most important thing is runes.

  Although talismans are mysterious and complex, they can be divided into four main categories based on their content: "characters, seals, incantations, and diagrams".

  "Characters" are special words written on talismans, each with its own specific meaning and containing specific abilities.

  "Seal" is actually "sealing", which is a special mark left by the symbol person on the talisman, commonly seen in forms such as "finger seal", "hand seal" and "chapter seal". The talisman can be kept for a long time because of the existence of sealing. To use the talisman, you must unseal the "seal" on the talisman.

  "Curse" refers to "curse text", which is a segment of curse words drawn in special symbols on the talisman, each segment of curse text contains a certain kind of powerful energy, greatly enhancing the effect of the talisman.

  "Dou", also known as "Tian Dou Wen", implies the law of reproduction of all things in the universe, and is the key to communicating with the original energy of heaven and earth. The most complex is the "Dou" pattern, which includes various patterns such as "Taiji", "Liangyi", "Sancai", "Sixiang", "Wuxing", "Liuyang", "Qixing", "Bagua", and "Jiugong". Each of these patterns has been passed down through generations of masters who have studied the mysteries of heaven and refined their skills over many years. It can be said that the level of a master's skill is mainly determined by how many Dou patterns he can grasp.

  Li Muran's talisman also has these four types of characters.

  Among them, the lower-level opening light symbol only needs to draw one word and one print, which is relatively simple. As long as someone has a bit of insight and is willing to diligently practice, spending three to five years laying the foundation, most people can draw this one-word-one-print symbol.

  The intermediate-level talisman, however, requires the drawing of a single character, seal and mantra. The additional mantra can greatly enhance the effect of the talisman, but its difficulty is also extremely high. After all, the mantra is complex and must be completed in one breath without any mistakes, even with years of hard practice, it's difficult to achieve.

  As for the high-level talismans, they must be drawn on the paper with one word, one seal, one mantra, and one dipper! The dipper text required for the talisman is simple, but it contains extraordinary power. According to legend, the dipper text is complex and changeable, and each dipper text is connected to the destiny of heaven and earth, making it difficult to draw due to various hidden constraints.

  One thing is certain: the higher the quality of the talisman, the better the effect of the opening; and the effect of the opening directly determines the height of the cultivator's future cultivation.

  For over a thousand years, only seven disciples of the Yuán Fú Zōng have successfully created high-level talismans. Of these seven people, except for one who died young, the remaining six all became extraordinary beings capable of riding on clouds and summoning wind and rain.

  Most disciples start with a low-level enlightenment symbol and embark on the path of cultivation, but among them, those who can cultivate to a higher realm are extremely rare.

  Being able to draw a medium-grade talisman is already a rare talent, and among the many disciples, he can be considered exceptional, but Li Muran was not satisfied with this.

  "Do it perfectly or don't do it at all!"

  Perhaps only those who have extremely high demands on themselves can truly achieve great things.

  "In the Five Elements' martial arts, I'm most familiar with the fire attribute's 'Bright Fire Scripture', having practiced it at least a thousand times. This time, I'll draw a high-level fire attribute talisman."

  Li Muran took a deep breath, pulled out a silver needle and pricked the tip of his right index finger, instantly producing a bright red blood bead.

  Her ten fingers were connected at heart, the fingertips were pierced by a silver needle, it was naturally extremely painful, but Li Muran didn't even move his eyebrows, as if he didn't feel anything.

  For today's talisman creation, Li Muran had previously pricked his fingertips and written with blood on white paper many times, so he was already used to it. If not, the intense pain might have distracted him from drawing the intricate patterns, and a slight mistake would have ruined everything. Li Muran was strict with himself, so naturally, he wouldn't let these details interfere with his talisman creation.

  In addition, the thickness of the silver needle, the depth of the puncture in the finger, and other details are all crucial. The goal is to allow just the right amount of blood to flow out, neither too much nor too little, so that it doesn't congeal. Li Muran repeatedly tried multiple times before finally achieving this seemingly simple yet perfect single prick.

  Li Muran raised his index finger and lightly touched a certain place on the first talisman paper.

  This is called "broken pen" or "dot head symbol", which is the first stroke of drawing a character, just like painting a dragon and dotting its eyes, with great significance.

  Li Muran's this point, is two inches and two tenths of an inch away from the edge of the paper, one inch and one tenth of an inch away from the left edge of the paper, accurately positioned without any deviation. He can achieve this with his years of hand, eye, and heart foundation training being inseparable.

  After this point, Li Muran's fingers flew like flying, extremely fast on the symbol paper.

  His body and arms were as still as a mountain, only his right wrist was extremely flexible, rotating with fingers like a brush, drawing out various strokes such as straight, curved, dots, and circles.

  Years of hard work and dedication have finally paid off, as in an instant, a single "open" character falls onto the talisman paper, requiring only one more stroke of the seal to complete a low-level talisman.

  However, Li Muran would not seal it just yet. After completing the "open" character, he rotated his wrist and immediately drew a section of very strange incantations around the "open" character with his fingers. The incantations were like tadpoles, messy but connected in one piece, appearing to have great mystery.

  "This is the "Ignition Spell", with this spell, plus a seal, it becomes a mid-level fire attribute talisman."

  At this time, a thin layer of sweat had already seeped out on Li Muran's forehead, and his expression also looked quite laborious. This was very different from his usual practice, when he made this spell, he felt that his fingers suddenly weighed as heavy as a thousand catties, and it was extremely difficult to use them. If not for his superior hand strength and mental power, he feared that he would be unable to smoothly complete this opening fire spell.

  If other disciples saw this scene, they would definitely cheer! The first talisman paper can produce a word and a curse, plus the seal, it can become a medium-level opening talisman. If it were other disciples, they would surely be overjoyed and excited beyond measure.

  Li Muran remained expressionless, his fingers flying as he continued to draw symbols.

  Now, what he is going to draw is the Ming Huo Dou Wen.

  Ming Huo Dou Wen is one of the simplest Wu Xing Dou Wen, with only three curves, three straights and three circles, totaling nine strokes, but each stroke contains infinite mystery.

  Dou Wen's first three strokes were completed with great ease, but when he reached the fourth stroke, his right hand suddenly became as heavy as lead and couldn't move, causing the seal to be abruptly broken.

  The charm emphasizes a single breath, and his pause causes all the talismans to collapse at once, turning into a bloody water that soaks through the entire paper.

  Immediately, the talisman paper spontaneously ignited and turned into a wisp of blue smoke, disappearing before Li Muran's eyes.

  Talismans are different from ordinary paper, they have spirituality. Once the talisman is not made properly, the spirituality of the talisman will be destroyed and it will self-destruct, unable to be remade.

  Li Muran furrowed his brow and gently shook his head.

  Just as the talisman turned into a wisp of blue smoke, his right hand returned to normal, everything was as usual.

  When practicing with ordinary paper, Li Muran could even hang a bucket of water on his arm and draw the Douwen accurately without spilling a single drop of water; however, when it came to actually making talismans, the difficulty level was far beyond imagination.

  Li Muran was not willing to give up on making the high-level talisman, he calmed his mind, rested for a short while, and then tried again to make a fire-attribute high-level talisman.

  Having had a real shot at it, even if he failed, Li Muran was able to gain many valuable lessons from the experience, which gave him more confidence in his second attempt.

  Li Muran pierced his right index finger again and accurately dotted the broken pen once more.

  The previous failure did not affect Li Muran's mood, he drew a word and a curse with ease, then immediately began to paint that "Bright Fire Fighting Text".

  Every stroke, every move, every gesture showed his solid foundation. Just as he drew the fourth stroke of the Ming Huo Dou Wen, his right arm suddenly felt heavy again, but this time Li Muran was prepared, a strong force surged into his arm, stabilizing his wrist in time to continue drawing the symbol.

  This scene seems simple, but it takes a lot of hard work and sweat to make it look so effortless.

  Li Muran exerted himself to the utmost, and although Dou Wen had only drawn a few strokes, he was already drenched in sweat, his clothes completely soaked. The steam from his sweat rose as mist, enveloping Li Muran's body, and under the moonlight, it seemed like a layer of faint moonlight, adding an air of mystery to him.

  "Ah!" Li Muran was suddenly struck by a thunderbolt, his whole body violently shaking, and the hand that was about to draw the sixth stroke of the Douwen character also involuntarily trembled slightly.

  The strokes of the talisman must be precise, a difference of a single hair will lead to a deviation of a thousand miles. If there is even the slightest mistake, the entire talisman will immediately collapse and turn into a pool of blood water, while the talisman paper will also spontaneously combust and turn into a wisp of blue smoke in an instant.

  Failed again, and that intangible giant force was so strong and sudden that even if it came again, Li Muran wouldn't have the confidence to cope with it calmly.

  "Even if I were to come back again, I would be lucky to complete this sixth piece of calligraphy, and there are still three more pieces left, the difficulties I will encounter will only get bigger!"

  Li Muran was demanding of himself, but he also had a clear understanding of his own abilities. Now that only one talisman paper was left, the chances of successfully drawing a high-level talisman were slim!

  Retreating and seeking a second best option, drawing a medium-level talisman is currently the most stable choice.

  For other disciples, being able to obtain a mid-tier enlightenment symbol was already extremely satisfying, but Li Muran was not content.

  Three years of hard work and diligence, all gone down the drain?

  "Alas!" Li Muran let out a deep sigh, gazing up at the starry sky to calm his mind.

  The night was hazy, the moonlight was like silver, and the mountains were quiet, with only him, his shadow, and the sound of his breathing.

  "Huh?" Li Muran suddenly discovered that the copper mirror he had put aside was now reflecting a dazzling silver light under the moonlight.