Chapter 37: The Shocking Spirit Formation, Old Brush Studio

The entrance examination for the academy includes the "Six Arts of a Gentleman" such as rites, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy, and mathematics. Among these, archery and charioteering are naturally not to be discussed, and Yang Wuyue has sufficient self-taught experience. He has been practicing calligraphy now, but he hasn't practiced it very much. However, once you reach a certain level in a skill, it becomes a path. After transcending the ordinary in calligraphy, one can touch the rhythm of the Dao. His understanding of the Dao is quite profound, so laying the foundation for practicing calligraphy becomes significantly easier.
There is no need to mention "music" as it is already well-known; "Haoran Changge" is also a form of music and can be expressed through musical instruments. It simply requires learning the instrument. In the past, Yang Wuyue didn't have the leisure to cultivate his artistic temperament.
Only "Ritual" remains, which is the etiquette and rules of this world. It can be considered the most complex among the six subjects of the examination, as it records the deeds and principles of etiquette from ancient sages. During the exam, students will be required to elaborate on the underlying principles, which means writing an essay.
In the princess's residence, there are naturally many books, so Yang Wuyue seriously read some.
“I should go out for a walk!” Yang Wuyue thought quietly. Having been in the capital for so long without properly experiencing the worldly splendor, it was rare for her to slow down after always being engaged in battles or on the way to battles in the Eternal Life World.
The capital city is surrounded by mountains and rivers, with tigers coiling and dragons crouching. It features peaks stacked upon one another, lakes scattered like stars, and nine great rivers resembling azure dragons. Paths and small lanes are abundant, and countless towers and palaces abound. All of these are surface phenomena; in reality, the entire city is a terrifying formation that shocks the heavens and weeps for the ghosts, known as the "Shock God Formation."
The bustling flow of people in front of the South Gate of Zhuque carries on endlessly; this city is the largest in the Haotian World, a testament to the enduring heritage of the Tang Kingdom for a thousand years.
Entering the South Gate, one arrives at the highly renowned attraction of the capital, Zhuque Sky Street.
```htmlOn the city wall above the street sign, there stands a statue of a Vermilion Bird.
The Vermilion Bird is the totem of the Tang Kingdom, and the statue before you is incredibly magical; no matter which direction you view it from, it appears to be looking at you.```
“What a magnificent grand formation, what a Vermilion Bird divine talisman!”
The core of the Spirit-Alarm Formation is the Vermilion Bird divine talisman. Usually, the spirit of the Vermilion Bird sleeps within the Vermilion Bird sculpture on the southern gate tower. Once it detects a threat to the capital, it will awaken, gathering the breath of heaven and earth to create a nameless fire, until the danger is eliminated.
```htmlEven without activating the Divine Array, once the Vermilion Bird awakens, it possesses the power to sweep across the human world. If that grand array is fully activated, it could shock the heavens and make the spirits weep.
Confronted with such a powerful divine symbol, the clearer the perception, the more one can sense its might, and the more one can realize their own insignificance.```
“Zhuque Flag? What's got you so excited?” Yang Wuyue murmured with annoyance, as the treasured item he had refined within himself, the Zhuque Flag, was stirring restlessly, seemingly wanting to absorb the fire aura from between heaven and earth. It was crafted from the essence of flames and was a top-tier treasure, no less in quality than the Wuyuwang Ding, but it had not been nourished by vital energy for many years in the Taiyuan Immortal Mansion.
Among the twenty-eight magical powers of the Fire Cloud Fairy, the most proficient absolute skill is "Phoenix Dance, Vermilion Bird's Cry," which is the magical power to control the Southern Ming Vermilion Bird.
"It seems I need to find a chance to learn some talisman techniques!"
Talismans are the closest gateway to the essence of heaven and earth. Talismans are created by drawing from the primal energy of heaven and earth, essentially tracing the paths of this energy and the Dao.
Take the method of immortality for example; when divine powers reach their ultimate form, they will manifest as a runic symbol, imprinted on the talisman of one's true self. Yang Wuyue's primary goal is, in fact, the talisman path of this realm.
“He has sensed you as well, but it’s not yet the time for you to meet!”
The power of the treasure is extraordinary. In a certain sense, within the context of the realm of "Jiang Ye," as long as Yang Wuyue can transform his abilities into talismans, he can exert the expected power.
The talisman is the formation, and the formation is the great talisman. Unlike the nine hundred ninety-nine great formations of the Five Prison Kings' Cauldron, within the Vermilion Bird Flag, there is only one great formation, yet its power is not half weaker than that of the combined nine hundred ninety-nine formations.
This great formation, like the shocking divine formation before us, is composed of countless truths of heaven and earth.
"It’s about to get lively here."
In the capital, disputes arise among the empress, princess, and princes, recently stirred by an unusual force, frequently taking action.
First and foremost is the capital's largest gang, the Fish-Dragon Gang, which almost monopolizes the underworld forces of the capital and also controls the grain transport. Since ancient times, grain transport has been a lucrative job.
However, the leader of the Fish Dragon Gang, Old Chaofeng from the Pavilion, has never taken sides. In the past, no one would go to great lengths to deal with Chaoxiaoshu, given the intricate relationships among various factions in the martial arts world. But now, as tensions escalate, the Fish Dragon Gang finds itself on the front lines.
A few days ago, officials from the Military Transportation Department were killed, briefly putting the Yulong Gang in the spotlight. There is a direct conflict of interest between the Military Transportation Department and the Yulong Gang.
Lin 47th Alley, a private property of the old Chao of Chunfeng Pavilion, was originally a thriving commercial street but has now become a casualty of the conflict between the two sides.
The military's logistics department claimed it needed to expand its courtyard and intended to forcefully demolish this street, but Zhao Xiaoshu naturally wouldn't allow anyone to encroach on his private property.
As the saying goes, when gods fight, mortals suffer. The ordinary people couldn't afford to offend anyone and could only flee. Overnight, the once bustling street closed its doors, leaving only a clueless outsider. Driven by his limited funds, he rented a shop and opened an old calligraphy studio.
“Ugh!” As he stepped inside, the air was filled with the fragrance of ink; the shop was adorned with brushes, ink, and writings, but the owner, Ning Que, was nowhere to be seen. Only his little maid, Sang Sang, was seated at the table, sipping a bowl of plain water. Upon seeing Yang Wuyue enter, she almost choked.
However, at that moment when their eyes met, Sang Sang’s gaze froze, and she stumbled to her feet. The water bowl in her hand, however, could not be held steady and fell to the ground, shattering into pieces.
What's wrong?"
A lean young boy rushed down the stairs, "Sang Sang? What's wrong?"
Sang Sang hiccupped, "It's nothing... Young Master, he's here..."
Yang Wuyue smiled and went to one side to look at the calligraphy book, as if he hadn’t noticed. If he felt correctly, Sang Sang was scared just now. Although the King of Hades had not yet awakened, Sang Sang's ability to discern friend from foe was exceptionally clear; she could sense any hostility directed at her, leading her to believe that Yang Wuyue was not a good person.
“Young Master Yang!” Ning Que said somewhat irritably, “You, a great master, how come you have the time to visit my humble little shop? Have you had a change of heart and feel guilty for giving me a fake cultivation method?”
阳无月淡淡道：“功法是真的，你练不成那是你的问题，不是功法的问题。”
“Then why don't you give me some pointers? I'll give you a 50% discount!” Ning Que said with a serious expression.
Yang Wuyue shook his head: "Your mental power is insufficient to transform the void into reality, so you are unable to comprehend the true essence of the Vajra. To some extent, my technique is more challenging than traditional mental power cultivation. Otherwise, it wouldn't be so powerful."
“Huh?” Ning Que immediately seemed deflated, feeling completely out of sorts. “I can't even sense the celestial energy with my formal will, let alone some supreme truth of the Vajra. Can't it be transmitted directly?”
“Passing on power?” Yang Wuyue said, “Mental strength originates from the soul, how could it be transmitted? If I pass it to you, your weak soul will be crushed by my power, until it completely dissipates.”
“Then forget it!”