Chapter 81
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Regardless of any hidden difficulties, a thorough investigation must be conducted.
These words already carried an imposing and chilling authority. In truth, one could well imagine it—each year, the dispersal of miasma and dryness; every century, the purging of evil energies; every five centuries, the Penglai Division regulating clouds and distributing qi. Thus, after 3,600 years of accumulation, the final step was taken—to suppress evil spirits in utter silence, using the mountain rains and earthly vapors gathered over millennia, restoring the clear and upright qi of the human realm.
This required the tireless efforts of the myriad mountain and river deities, the dragon clans of all regions, the Penglai Division of the Heavenly Court, and even the immortals of the Thunder Palace, who had labored for so long.
Yet, an oversight had appeared.
Though it would not lead to utter ruin, it was nevertheless an infuriating matter.
Those who cultivated the Thunder Arts all upheld righteousness and unwavering integrity.
Without such qualities, one could not wield the purest, most unyielding, and most yang-infused power between heaven and earth.
For this reason, when they grew angry, they truly would explode with fury, making no attempt to conceal it.
Qi Wuhuo could already imagine the wrath of the immortals within the [Thunder Palace].
However, such grand affairs were too vast, too distant, and should have nothing to do with him. The Thunder Palace stood high above, 2,600 li in the Emerald Firmament. And within the Nine Heavens, the Emerald Firmament ranked third, bearing the title [Emerald Vast Lingering Heaven of Pure Yang True Primordial Qi].
If one were to count by the Thirty-Six Heavens, the Thunder Palace resided atop the Twelfth Heaven. Even if an ordinary human immortal were to receive a celestial edict and ascend, they would be unable to reach such heights. The thirty-six Thunder Generals among the Thunder Palace’s deities were the most formidable warriors of the heavenly host, leading hundreds of thousands of celestial soldiers in mending the great thunder formations.
To a young Daoist, such matters were akin to legends.
Even for Yun Qin, they remained just as distant.
At this moment, still in the bloom of youth, they merely sighed in awe at such a grand affair before returning to their own conversations. Yun Qin suddenly raised her hand and lightly tapped her forehead, letting out a soft cry. “I nearly forgot—I lent out the Xuantan Original Canon! Wuhuo, take a look—can you understand it?”
The young girl took out a scroll of the [Xuantan Original Canon].
Then, she carefully transcribed its contents onto a mirror.
Though she could recognize each individual character, when strung together, they remained elusive—half-understood, half-mysterious.
Yet, even if she could not comprehend them, she could still write them down.
Much of the text was recorded using [Cloud Seal] Script as its medium. Yun Qin was already quite familiar with these Cloud Seals, but Qi Wuhuo had only learned a few from the [Record of Ascension to Immortality] and the [Cultivation Notes] of the Mountain God. What little he knew was fragmented and incomplete. As for this [Original Canon], he could only understand it in bits and pieces.
So, whenever Yun Qin wrote something down, the young Daoist would always pause in thought, then point to a particular character and ask the girl across from him—what does this mean? And what about that one?
Yun Qin fell silent.
Her eyes widened as she stared at the boy before her.
Eh? Eh?!
Weren’t you supposed to be learning the Xuantan Arts?
Why—why had things turned out like this?!
Was this a test?
But seeing the earnest look in the boy’s eyes as he asked his questions, the girl, who had just been brimming with confidence, could only grit her teeth and force herself to repeat everything her teacher had taught her, word for word.
Not only that, but she had to keep a straight face and act as though she was completely at ease.
She couldn’t possibly let her friend see how exhausting this learning process had actually been for her, could she?
Even if it had brought her to the brink of tears, if she was asked whether it had been difficult, she would simply write four bold words on paper—Extremely simple.
What’s so difficult about that?!
It wasn’t difficult in the slightest!
She had inherited this stubborn streak—and her unwillingness to admit weakness—from her mother.
But very soon, Yun Qin sensed that something was off. The young man before her was clearly far inferior to herself in terms of Daoist knowledge and accumulation. Teaching him was not only effortless, but she also inexplicably felt a kind of “joy”—the happiness and ease of a teacher imparting knowledge to others.
Slowly, a faint sense of putting on airs emerged—what people call the tendency to eagerly play the teacher.
Yet, when she had been learning herself, it had given her a terrible headache.
Now, as she taught Qi Wuhuo, she remained calm and composed, her words light and casual: “This is just the basics, Wuhuo—make sure you remember it.”
“Do you recognize this Cloud Seal?”
“I memorized this in the time it takes for a single incense stick to burn!”
“One incense stick, just one incense stick’s time!”
Even though, in reality, it had taken her an entire day.
Difficult?!
Not at all!
Yun Qin kept a serene expression on the surface, but inside, she was delighted.
I’ve been studying Cloud Seal Script for a very, very long time!
Moreover, everyone knew that Cloud Seal Script was the core of the Shangqing Dongxuan lineage. Although Cloud Seal techniques had spread across the world, and cultivators from various sects and lineages were all capable of using them, disciples of the Shangqing Dongxuan lineage were naturally expected to be more proficient than others. Yun Qin was quite confident in her knowledge of Cloud Seals.
So this is how it feels to be a teacher? No wonder it’s so enjoyable.
The young girl was feeling quite pleased with herself.
She carefully explained the meaning of each character to Qi Wuhuo, then pointed at certain symbols and elaborated further: “These all carry the same meaning. There are thirteen different variants, but in terms of incantations and talismans, they function identically—they all represent the idea of thunder’s emergence. You must remember this well, Wuhuo. Even the slightest mistake cannot be allowed.”
“But, Wuhuo, there’s no need to rush.”
With one hand placed behind her back and the other making a deliberate stroking motion at her chin, she shook her head and declared in a wise, scholarly tone:
“This text contains several hundred Cloud Seals. I’ve only explained them to you once, so we can take our time learning them.”
“It should only take three to five months…”
The young Daoist closed his eyes.
As if deep in thought.
Yun Qin hesitated mid-sentence and decided to reassure him: “Actually, Cloud Seal Script is something you can take your time with, Wuhuo. There’s no need to rush.”
The young Daoist opened his eyes. Calmly, he said:
“I see, so that’s how it is…”
“I’ve learned it.”
Yun Qin’s voice caught in her throat.
Her eyes widened.
N-No way!
Even if there were only about three hundred symbols, how could he possibly have learned them so quickly?!
Suspicious, the girl pointed at a few characters and questioned him. Qi Wuhuo answered them all effortlessly, fluently, and without a single mistake.
Yun Qin: “……”
At that moment, the young girl suddenly understood a teacher’s pain.
And this pain had arrived far too quickly.
Almost instinctively, she blurted out: “How could you possibly learn it this fast…”
The young Daoist pondered for a moment before replying honestly: “If I had to memorize it by rote, I wouldn’t be able to.”
“My memory is actually quite ordinary.”
“These symbols seem completely irregular. Especially the ones representing the emergence of thunder—they’re all vastly different, with no apparent pattern. I had studied some Cloud Seal Script before, and even then, I had a question in my mind: Why must we memorize Cloud Seals by rote?”
A thought surfaced in Yun Qin’s mind instinctively.
Isn’t Cloud Seal Script meant to be memorized?
Could it possibly be altered?
Qi Wuhuo had not undergone a structured Daoist education since childhood. His mind was free and unrestrained, his thoughts leaping in all directions. After a moment’s contemplation, he gave an example: “For instance, when chopping firewood, one could use an axe, a Lu Ban saw, or even a blade or sword. The goal is simply to split the wood and bring it back to fuel the fire.”
“Cloud Seal Script exists to carry a certain kind of Daoist resonance.”
“It’s not like ordinary writing, which is used for conveying information or communication.”
“So then—what if the essence it expresses is what truly matters?”
“If the resonance is conveyed properly, then does it really matter if the symbols look exactly the same?”
“If one casts techniques using [Cloud Seal Script], it is akin to using my [Spiritual Essence] to reflect the [myriad phenomena] of heaven and earth. These external landscapes are mirrored within my Spiritual Essence, and when they are expressed through the brush, the written characters become [Cloud Seal Script] that carries the resonance of the Dao. If I think along these lines, these Cloud Seal Scripts suddenly become much easier to understand.”
“I just don’t know whether my guess is correct or not.”
“What do you think?”
He pondered and asked, just as he had once questioned his teacher at the foot of Helian Mountain.
But unlike the elder’s composed responses—
The girl’s stroking-her-beard gesture froze.
Her mind froze.
She was completely unable to respond.
Eh?
Eh, eh, eh?!
What is he talking about?
Yun Qin’s expression stiffened for a moment. She coughed twice and barely managed to say:
“Ah?”
“Th-this, um, cough, cough… v-very, very impressive!”
“You— You are indeed teachable!”
Qi Wuhuo understood, immersed in his own thoughts, and said: “So that means, the Spiritual Essence resides within me, while the Great Dao exists outside.”
[TL_Note: Xingling – This term refers to one’s innate nature, spiritual essence, or true self in Daoist thought.]
“In truth, [Cloud Seal Script] is merely a bridge.”
“The true wonder lies in [using my Spiritual Essence] to leverage the vast heavens and earth beyond.”
“This seems to align with— [The sun represents nature, the moon represents life, their ceaseless transformation flows like rivers, lakes, and seas; water, waves, and mist akin to meridians]. A person is a small heaven and earth, and heaven and earth are but a grand human body. So that’s how it is.”
The girl listened, utterly dazed. In the end, all she could do was nod and offer praise.
Qi Wuhuo no longer questioned her.
She was still nodding.
Then, all of a sudden, she heard a soft, warm chuckle.
Yun Qin’s movements halted, and when she looked up, she saw the young Daoist in the mirror smiling at her.
She suddenly understood—the young Daoist before her had surely already noticed that she didn’t actually understand much about Cloud Seal Script. Her face instantly flushed red. She raised her hand and pointed at him, stammering “You—you—you” several times before abruptly turning around, showing only her back to the mirror. Her long black hair cascaded down, and even the tips of her ears were burning red. The young Daoist hadn’t meant to mock her. It was just that he couldn’t help but chuckle softly when he saw her nodding repeatedly. Now, he spoke warmly:
“Hmm, there are some parts I don’t quite understand either. Shall we discuss it further?”
Yun Qin’s face was still crimson.
She knew he was giving her a way out.
But she couldn’t help wanting to hear more about his thoughts on Cloud Seal Script.
His ideas were strange yet profound.
She glanced to the side, clenched her hands slightly, and slowly shuffled back, mumbling, “Then… f-fine.”
“It so happens that the teacher is always so strict.”
“I feel like she’s going to test me again soon.”
After thinking for a moment, she asked: “Wuhuo, have you studied Cloud Seal Script before?”
Qi Wuhuo replied: “No, I haven’t.”
“Then how do you understand all this?”
“This? Do you mean seeing through its essence? Didn’t the Daoist predecessors already write down the answer?”
Qi Wuhuo considered for a moment and said: “Its name is Cloud Seal —this alone holds the key to cultivating it.”
Yun Qin was still bewildered.
The young Daoist explained: “The flow and transformation of clouds are ever-changing. No two clouds are exactly the same, yet the moment one looks up at the sky, no matter how different the shapes may be, everyone instantly recognizes them as clouds, don’t they?”
“And so, it is named [Cloud Seal].”
“The meaning is that this script is like clouds—cultivators must see beyond its endlessly shifting forms and grasp the essence it conveys.”
“No matter how much clouds transform, no matter how many ways the same Cloud Seal Script character can be written—”
“One should still be able to recognize its true meaning at a glance.”
He paused briefly before continuing:
“In the same Daoist canon, the same character is written in different forms, yet it is still called [Cloud Seal].”
“The Daoist predecessors have made their intent abundantly clear.”
The girl opened her mouth,
Only to feel completely defeated. She pulled her legs together and rested her chin on her knees.
Then, suddenly, she muttered sulkily: “Don’t talk anymore!”
Qi Wuhuo was confused. “Huh?”
Yun Qin gritted her teeth. “I’m very angry.”
“I’ve decided to ignore you for fifteen breaths!”
The young Daoist was stunned for a moment, then let out a soft chuckle. Sitting cross-legged on the bed in the village, he spread out a blank sheet of paper, recording the techniques from the mirror. One hand held the brush, while the other lifted the edge of the paper. The characters unfolded across his lap as he gently responded: “Hmm, alright.”
“One.”
“Two.”
“Three…”
The moonlight was bright outside the window.
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