strictlysupreme Chapter 87 Water and Fire in Competition
Chapter 87 Water and Fire in Competition
Chapter 87 Water and Fire in Competition
In the following days, the atmosphere in the courtyard became somewhat subtle.
Aside from eating and sleeping, Gu Shenyan spends almost all his time at his desk.
On the table, discarded talisman paper was piled up into a small mountain.
He closed his eyes tightly, and the spiritual energy within his body circulated slowly according to the "Lotus Leaf Dew" method.
The originally surging water-based spiritual energy became as calm as a mirror under his deliberate control.
The restless fire elemental energy hovered cautiously above it.
"laugh-
'
Another talisman turned to ashes.
Gu Shenyan frowned, picked up a bit of cinnabar, and sniffed it lightly.
Something is not right.
The failure rate of drawing talismans these past few days has been ridiculously high.
Even though his control over spiritual energy was extremely precise, there was always an inexplicable obstruction when the spiritual ink fell onto the paper.
[Start Deep Scan]
[Scanned Item: Grade C Cinnabar (Distributed Product)]
[Analysis results: Insufficient purity, containing approximately 15% lime powder and aged animal blood clots]
[Conclusion: Inferior materials lead to poor spiritual energy conduction, which can easily cause the talisman to spontaneously combust.]
Gu Shenyan's eyes turned cold.
lime powder?
This substance, mixed in with cinnabar, is difficult to discern with the naked eye, yet it is the biggest obstacle to the flow of fire-elemental spiritual energy.
The person in charge of distributing the materials was Song Qingyuan.
Good tactic.
Not daring to openly refuse, they tampered with the materials.
If it were someone else, they would probably only blame themselves for not being skilled enough, and their confidence would be worn down by endless failures.
Gu Shenyan put down the inferior cinnabar without making a fuss.
He took out the small bottle of spirit sand that Cao Wenjing had given him earlier from his bosom.
Pour out a little and mix.
I pick up my pen and begin to write.
This time, the pen tip moved like a dragon or snake, its spirit flowing freely.
"call----"
As the final stroke was completed, a flash of red light appeared on the talisman, and a wave of heat swept over us.
Blazing Sun Talisman, complete!
Gu Shenyan looked at the faintly glowing talisman and a cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth.
These tricks can't stop me.
During the break, Han Sushuang walked to Gu Shenyan's desk, holding an exquisite wolf-hair brush in her hand.
"Senior Brother Gu."
"7
She raised her chin, her tone slightly spoiled: "I've seen how hard you've been practicing these past few days, how about we have a match?"
The classmates around him all turned their gazes toward him.
Jia Shouren's eyes widened, his face showing a look of anticipation.
Gu Shenyan put down the book in his hand and smiled slightly: "What does Senior Sister Han want to compete in?"
"Just like the Vajra Talisman."
Han Sushuang said confidently, "Let's see who can draw of higher quality in half an incense stick's time."
"If we lose—"
Her eyes lit up: "The loser has to go to 'Drunken Immortal Pavilion' for a banquet, the most expensive one."
Upon hearing this, Gu Shenyan's heart stirred.
The Vajra Talisman belongs to the metal element, which is not his forte, but it is Han Sushuang's forte.
However, practicing "Lotus Leaf Dew" these past few days has given him a new level of understanding of the transformation of the five elements.
"it is good."
Gu Shenyan nodded in agreement: "It's a deal."
The two spread out the papers, and Shen Qingyi appeared at the door at some point. She did not stop them, but instead took on the role of referee with great interest.
"start."
At Shen Qingyi's command, the two began to write simultaneously.
Han Sushuang's calligraphy flowed like dragons and snakes, a style passed down in her family called "Golden Knife Talisman Technique." Her brushstrokes were sharp and carried an air of solemnity.
She painted very quickly, her face radiating confidence.
In contrast, Gu Shenyan was not fast, and was even somewhat slow.
But every stroke of his pen was as steady as a mountain.
He was using the "moistening" technique of the water element to nourish the metal element.
Metal generates water; this is common sense.
Conversely, water can also nourish gold, washing away its dryness and making it purer.
Half an incense stick burned out.
Both of them stopped writing at the same time.
Han Sushuang's talisman gleamed with golden light, its sharp edge fully revealed, like a sword drawn from its sheath.
Gu Shenyan's talisman, however, had a restrained radiance, with a faint watery sheen on its surface, as smooth and warm as jade.
Shen Qingyi stepped forward and first looked at Han Sushuang.
"Top grade."
She nodded approvingly: "Your edge is sharp enough to cut through gold and jade."
Han Sushuang glanced at Gu Shenyan triumphantly.
Shen Qingyi picked up Gu Shenyan's talisman again.
She was silent for a moment, then gently stroked the surface of the talisman with her fingers.
"This is----"
Shen Qingyi raised her head, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes: "Water nourishes metal, combining strength and gentleness."
"Su Shuang's talisman is a sharp sword; if it is too rigid, it will break easily."
"The talisman of cautious speech is like flowing gold, penetrating everywhere and unyielding."
"This round—"
Shen Qingyi gave Gu Shenyan a deep look: "Shenyan wins."
The entire audience erupted in uproar.
Han Sushuang stared wide-eyed in disbelief, rushed over, picked up Gu Shenyan's talisman, and examined it closely.
She was straightforward; her face flushed slightly, but she wasn't coy at all: "Water and gold are born—so this is how it can be painted."
"Senior Brother Gu, I want to learn this!"
She stared intently at Gu Shenyan: "I'll treat you to dinner tonight. Will you teach me this approach?"
Looking at the frank girl in front of him, Gu Shenyan felt a sense of goodwill towards her.
"You're too kind, senior sister. We're just exchanging pointers."
"Then it's settled!"
Han Sushuang smiled, her radiance as bright as spring flowers.
It was late at night.
Inside the west wing, Gu Shenyan was explaining today's lesson to Jia Shouren.
"Look at the 'Cheng' character in this Thick Earth Talisman."
Gu Shenyan pointed to the patterns on the talisman: "Earth can bear things; the key is not how thick it is, but how much it can hold."
"Your spiritual energy is too rigid, like a stone rather than the earth."
Jia Shouren listened intently, then suddenly realized, "So that's it! No wonder I always had to stop painting halfway through!"
"Senior Brother Gu, your explanation is worlds apart from Senior Brother Song's—it's like comparing heaven and earth!"
Gu Shenyan smiled but didn't respond to the question.
Teaching Jia Shouren was also a form of reflection for him.
Each time a principle is explained clearly, the proficiency level on the panel will jump up.
"By the way, Senior Brother Gu."
As if remembering something, Jia Shouren leaned closer mysteriously: "Haven't you been researching demon materials lately?"
"I've found out some news for you."
"What?"
"There's an underground ghost market in the provincial capital."
Jia Shouren lowered his voice: "That place is a melting pot, with all sorts of people from all walks of life."
"It's said that a lot of shady things are circulating there."
"Whether it's the remains of demons confiscated by the government, the insidious talismans drawn by evil cultivators, or even—"
He swallowed hard: "It might even be fragments of secret manuals leaked from certain sects."
"You can buy anything there if you have money."
Gu Shenyan's heart stirred.
Demon materials are essential for crafting high-level talismans.
Official channels are strictly controlled; if there were other ways—
"Thank you for informing me, Brother Jia."
"Hehe, don't be so polite, we're just exchanging what we have."
Meanwhile, in a quiet room in the main building.
Cao Wenjing's face was ashen, and he held a small pinch of dark red powder in his hand.
That was inferior cinnabar found in a pile of discarded talisman papers from new disciples.
Opposite him, Song Qingyuan was looking down, his head covered in cold sweat.
"Senior brother, I—I was scammed by the shops downstairs—"
Song Qingyuan tried to argue, but his voice trembled slightly.
That's enough.
Cao Wenjing slammed the cinnabar onto the table, and the spiritual energy surged, instantly turning the cinnabar into dust.
"Qingyuan, don't think I don't know what you're thinking."
"I won't stop you from doing this for newcomers; it's for them to get experience."
"But tampering with the materials is destroying the foundation of the sect!"
"If your master finds out, will you still want these hands?"
Song Qingyuan trembled and knelt on the ground with a thud.
"Senior brother, spare me! I'll never dare to do it again!"
Cao Wenjing looked at him coldly: "That's enough."
"If there is a next time, I don't mind cleaning up the mess for my master."
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