Time passes minute by minute.
Black clouds piled up like mountains, making the sky gloomy.
Gu Xu raised the pen, hung it from his wrist, dipped it in ink, and then slowly placed the tip of the pen on the white paper.
The ink is slightly smeared, like mud spots on the snow.
The moment he put pen to paper, a bright bolt of lightning pierced the sky, accompanied by howling wind and deafening thunder, arriving at Longmen Academy from the distant horizon.
The cold light, like frost, penetrated the window.
The vast "Siqi Hall" seemed to be penetrated by countless sword lights instantly and torn into fragments of light and dark; ghostly light and shadow also flashed on the white paper in front of Gu Xu.
But his expression did not change, his eyes were like a winter lake, and he seemed completely unaware of everything happening around him.
When a stroke falls, it is like a wild horse that has escaped from the reins, soaring into the sky, and then flying away; it is also like a dragon entering the sea, carrying hundreds of waves and thousands of piles of snow.
It has both the momentum of thunder and the indulgence of a god.
Mo Li stood nearby, stunned for a moment.
The words and ink on this paper were like the rapid whirlpool in the river, making his consciousness sink into it and find it difficult to extricate himself.
After a while, he finally came to his senses.
At this time, Mo Li suddenly realized that Gu Xu was not drawing talisman, but writing.
On the white paper in front of him, there was written the word "fire" with vigorous and majestic strokes.
"Isn't there a battle of Talismanism today?" Mo Li frowned slightly, feeling a little strange in his heart, "Why does this person start writing calligraphy?"
However, for some reason, when Mo Li's eyes fell on the big word "fire", he felt a vague warmth, just like standing by the stove to keep warm in the snowy winter.
"Boom, boom, boom..."
At this moment, the bell of Longmen Academy rang again, announcing the end of the assessment.
Gu Xu put down his brush, stretched, and slowly stood up from his seat.
The rain outside the window gradually became lighter.
The rainwater slid down from the dark gray eaves and fell to the ground; from a distance, it looked like a gorgeous bead curtain.
Gu Xu smiled slightly at Mo Li beside him, picked up the work on the table, and walked out of the house first.
Mo Li was stunned for a few seconds and hurriedly followed.
…………
The Imperial Master put down the teacup in his hand, stood up and left the pavilion.
He walked slowly into the rain, but there was no trace of rain on his body.
Then he straightened his clothes and sat down on a strange rock in the yard.
Due to his restrained aura and rough and dark skin, at first glance, he looked like an old farmer sitting on the edge of the field to rest after hard work.
"Tell me your thoughts," the Imperial Master said kindly, while waving to several Talisman Masters, "Zhao Xinran, you come first."
Zhao Xinran took a step forward.
"The talisman I designed is called 'Beacon Fire'," she took the talisman she drew from the hands of the Imperial Master and explained to everyone present. "Its function is just like the beacon fire on the frontier battlefield. It can send messages and warn people. .
"As we all know, it is impossible for mortals to defeat ghosts and monsters with their own strength. In the face of danger, they can only turn to practitioners for help.
"Two of these talismans form a pair.
"On the premise that the distance does not exceed three hundred miles, if one of them is torn off, the other one will burn and show its corresponding position in the flames.
"In this way, we only need to hand one of them into the hands of a mortal, and put the other in the exorcism department's office. When a mortal sees a ghost, he only needs to tear off the talisman in his hand, and the monk of the exorcism department will We will be able to know the situation in time and rush to the rescue.”
The Imperial Master listened carefully to her words, and the expression on his face did not change at all.
After Zhao Xinran finished speaking, the national master raised his head and asked her: "Do you think the 'Fenghuo' talisman and seal you designed has what irreplaceable advantages compared with the secret deduction technique?"
Zhao Xinran replied without thinking: "There are not many monks in Da Qi Dynasty who are good at celestial secret deduction. After the long night falls, it may be difficult to grasp the situation in various parts of the country in time; and many times, celestial secret art can only deduce vague information." However, it is impossible to obtain accurate location information within the range, and it may even be interfered by powerful ghosts. But my 'Fenghuo' talisman does not have such a problem."
"But in the Daqi Dynasty, the number of talisman masters is actually almost the same as the number of monks who are good at celestial magic." The national master smiled and responded, "If you want the whole country to have a 'Fenghuo' talisman seal, It’s almost impossible.”
Zhao Xinran was silent for a while and said: "This talisman is not complicated. Any talisman master who can draw the 'Tai Shang Arctic Demon-Suppressing Demon-Killing Talisman' can easily draw it in a very short time."
However, her tone sounded a little unsure at this time, and she was no longer as confident as she was at first.
The Imperial Master sighed lightly.
"I'm not deliberately finding fault," he said, "your idea is indeed very good, and it has exceeded my expectations. It should be able to play a great role in the long night.
"I just hate my own powerlessness. The Daqi Dynasty has a vast land and a large population. Even with our power, it is difficult to protect everyone."
Hearing the words of the Imperial Master, everyone bowed their heads and remained silent.
They all know that even today, the existence of the "Tianlong Formation" can ensure that the residents of Luojing live and work in peace and contentment, and the monks of the Exorcism Department protect the lives of many people in towns... But deep in some remote and remote mountains , or in areas like "Mang Mountain" that are occupied by powerful ghosts, there are still a steady stream of human beings who become food for the ghosts.
Perhaps in the eyes of many people, those victims are just cold and distant numbers.
But the Imperial Master is always worried about it.
He knew that behind those numbers were living lives and broken families.
After a brief silence, the Imperial Master looked at Mo Li beside him and said, "You should also tell me about the talisman and seal you drew."
Mo Li hesitated for two seconds and then took a step forward.
After hearing the conversation between the Imperial Master and Zhao Xinran just now, his mood had already turned cold. Because he knew that the talisman seal he drew had violated the original intention of the national master's design of this question.
However, he still had the courage to show his work in front of the Imperial Master, and at the same time described it: "The talisman I drew is called the 'Evil Ghost Entering the House to Disturb the Talisman'. The "New House Sneaky Talisman" is an improved one. You only need to stick it on a private house to use it. Compared with the original talisman, it can not only deal with "wild ghost" level ghosts, but also..."
"Your talisman looks very complicated and very powerful," the national master interrupted him and said, "It must be difficult to draw, right?"
Mo Li took a deep breath and nodded.
"How many of the students at Longmen Academy do you think are capable of drawing it?" the Imperial Master then asked.
Mo Li thought for a while and replied: "Probably... no more than ten!"
Hearing the words of the Imperial Master, Mo Li immediately understood the problem with his "Evil Ghost Entering the House to Disturb the Talisman" - with the cost of drawing it, it was impossible to be widely used across the country.
"You have to understand that when we study Talismanism, the most important thing is to be pragmatic," the national master looked at Mo Li and said earnestly, "Slaying demons and eliminating harm for the people is the fundamental purpose - if we can't do this One point, no matter how complicated the talisman is to learn, no matter how many techniques you know, it has no meaning.
"I personally suggest that you put down the books in your hands temporarily and take more time to walk outside the capital. Maybe you can gain some new insights."
"Thank you, Imperial Master, for your advice!" Mo Li nodded seriously and bowed to the Imperial Master. At the same time, he also understood that he was no longer destined for the academy teaching position today.
He was already thinking in his mind about how he should explain the situation to his cousin later.
Next, the Imperial Master turned his attention to Shen Qiu next to him.
"I haven't thought of a name for this talisman yet," Shen Qiu stepped forward and introduced it before waiting for the Imperial Master's instructions. "Its function is very simple, and its drawing method is not complicated. As long as you stick it on your body, it will It can glow with light, drive away ghosts at the level of 'wandering souls', and at the same time make people run five times faster in a short period of time - I think it should be able to help some people who encounter ghosts escape to a safe place."
"There are many ghosts and monsters during the long night, and it is really unrealistic to eliminate them," the Imperial Master said calmly, "'Escape' is sometimes the best strategy."
This sounded like a positive comment, but the national master's face was calm and did not reveal too many surprises.
Shen Qiu also guessed what the Imperial Master was thinking——
When the long night falls, many cities that can currently be used as a refuge will no longer be safe... By then, even if they have this talisman on their bodies, where can the people escape to?
In this regard, Shen Qiu could not think of a better solution.
He only felt that in front of Chang Ye, one person's power was too small and it would be difficult to change the overall situation.
Finally, the Imperial Master looked at Gu Xu, who had been standing quietly beside him.
"Gu Xiaoyou, the talisman you drew seems to be different from the common talisman and seal!" The national master glanced at the strong and straight "fire" character on the white paper, and commented with a smile, "Can you tell me about it? Is there anything different about it?”
Gu Xu calmly replied: "What's special about it is that any monk, not necessarily a Talisman Master, can draw it by silently reciting a specific incantation."
…………
All was quiet.
No one spoke.
So much so that the sound of wind and rain all around sounded a bit harsh.
Shen Qiu opened his eyes wide, Mo Li scratched his head, and Zhao Xinran frowned slightly. They all suspected that they had heard wrongly.
Any monk can draw a talisman.
A talisman that can be drawn by just reciting a spell.
This is completely beyond ordinary people's knowledge - the more experienced a Talisman master is, the harder it is to believe it.
The Imperial Master was silent for a while, and then said to Gu Xu, "Can you say it again?"
Gu Xu nodded and followed suit.
At the same time, he also added: The function of this talisman is very simple, it is to use fire to burn ghosts. Its power depends on the intensity of the true energy injected into it - the talisman drawn by the monks in the first realm can kill "wandering souls"; the talisman drawn by the monks in the fourth realm can be used to kill "evil spirits"; the talisman drawn by the monks in the seventh realm can be used to kill "evil spirits". "talisman"...well, the saint's true energy is too strong to fit in this talisman seal.
"I call it the 'Fire Character'." Finally, Gu Xu said with a smile.
"Do you mind if we try it out?" the national master asked.
He knew very well that if what Gu Xu said was true, then this "Fire Character" would have extremely important strategic significance in the "Long Night".
"Of course." Gu Xu replied readily.
After hearing his reply, the Imperial Master waved and summoned an ordinary academy student who was watching not far away.
This student is a second-level monk, short and strong, with a loyal and honest face.
When the Imperial Master called him, he was stunned for two seconds, and then came to the front of the Talisman Masters in fear.
"May I have your name?"
"Liu...Liu Jinbiao."
"What do you study?"
"I...I use a gun, Master National Preceptor."
"Do you understand the talisman?"
"don't know."
"Okay then, come and try to draw a talisman."
The student who called himself "Liu Jinbiao" was stunned for a moment, at a loss.
Then, the Imperial Master conjured paper and pen out of thin air, and Gu Xu told him the incantation of the "Fire Character". Liu Jinbiao took a deep breath, silently recited the incantation in his heart, and wrote " The word "fire".
Perhaps because he was too nervous, the strokes of the character he wrote looked particularly stiff. Put together with the character Gu Xu, they looked like they were in the sky and on the ground.
However, while he was reciting the incantation, he felt a stream of true energy in his body flow along his arm to the tip of the pen, and then poured into the talisman paper.
This shocked him deeply.
For a moment, he even thought that he was dreaming, that he had mastered the art of talisman and seal script without any teacher.
After he finished painting, the national master took the two "fire characters" and gently threw them into the air.
The two talismans turned into two orange-red flames, like fireworks on Lantern Festival night, illuminating the dark sky and making the endless rain curtain shine with bright brilliance.
After a while, the fire gradually disappeared.
The whole world lost its color and turned back into a gray ink painting.
But the state master's mood could not be calm for a long time.
Today, Gu Xu gave him too many surprises.
If the previous "Bagua Logic Circuit Diagram" allowed him to see a new way of drawing symbols, then this "Fire Symbol" allowed him to see countless possibilities in the future.
Zhao Xinran's heart was also filled with ups and downs.
She is from Youzhou and grew up listening to the legend of the "God of Fire" since she was a child.
In the stories of the elders, the human race in the wilderness has been living in darkness and has been invaded by ghosts and monsters for a long time. It was not until the "God of Fire" took fire and handed it into their hands that the human race saw the light for the first time.
It is precisely because of Youzhou people's belief in the "God of Fire" and the recent prophecies such as "Fire dominates when the sun rises" and "Fire burns palaces and wolves howl at the frontier" that the Duke of Yan Zhao Changying showed uneasiness. mood.
At this moment, when she saw two "fire characters" burning in the rain, she inexplicably thought of the "fire" in the ancient legend of Youzhou.
Somehow, she felt that this talisman was like a spark.
Starting from it, the entire pattern of Talisman and the relationship between humans and ghosts will change.
PS: I was wrong. The text is still very stuck. I sat at the desk for eight hours to finish this chapter. QAQ I will finish the detailed outline of the follow-up in a few days. I will find time to add a chapter (plus the monthly ticket) Plus more chapters, a total of 3 chapters are due).
