I used folk talismans to ward off the evil spirit.

Chapter 58 Preaching and Transmitting the Dao, the Lotus Seed Strangely Moves

"Since we're here, let's wander around." Jiang Jun gazed at the hazy light of the night sky over the Ghost Realm. "It'll be a good opportunity to see what changes have occurred in the Qingjiang Ghost Realm recently."

Cai Liang followed behind, carrying the Huangjing Boy, his face full of anticipation.

The master and apprentice walked east along Changning Street, passing through several winding alleyways.

Suddenly, a thick fog rolled in ahead, making the streets, buildings, and trees sway like reflections in water before freezing again.

"The Ghost Realm has been reset." Jiang Jun stopped and looked around.

This time, the reset of the ghost realm was different from the previous ones. They stood still, but the skyscrapers behind them disappeared.

Instead, there was a gray-brown mudflat, with an endless expanse of water in the distance, and reeds rustling in the wind.

"This is... Qixia Lake?" Cai Liang recognized it, his tone somewhat helpless. "How did we end up here again?"

The Yellow Essence Boy peeked out from his arms, looking around curiously, and let out a soft "Ah-bee," showing no shyness whatsoever.

Jiang Jun nodded slightly: "Let's see if we can still find the Azure Fish Ghost Child."

The two walked along the lake shore for about half an hour, but they didn't see many blue fish. Occasionally they encountered a few small groups of scattered fish, but they were too lazy to bother with them.

In the reed marshes, there are indeed low-level monsters like wet bone moss, rustling and hiding in the shadows, but these things don't even drop incomplete monsters, so they're not very valuable.

"Last time, the Ghostly Cult and the Five Gu Cult caused trouble here, using the Azure Fish Ghost Child as a trap. Later, the Divine Bureau launched a large-scale encirclement and suppression, and probably wiped out most of the clans."

As Cai Liang walked, he said, "Even if some escaped, they've probably hidden in deeper waters."

Jiang Jun shook his head: "Fine, let's find a place to rest."

The master and apprentice found a sheltered earthen slope. Jiang Jun took out a piece of felt cloth from his sleeve and spread it on the ground. He then took out a tea set and slowly brewed a pot of tea.

Huangjing Tongzi squatted to the side holding the lotus seed, imitating Jiang Jun, and "drank" a few mouthfuls in a very serious manner. He frowned from the bitterness and stuck out his tongue, making "ah-beep ah-beep" sounds.

Cai Liang was amused and laughed. After he finished laughing, he suddenly said, seemingly casually, "Teacher, I've almost reached the second stage of the Spirit Realm. I feel like I'll be able to communicate with spirits and suppress objects soon."

"I just don't know what the next step is after the channeling... When you first started the channeling, did you immediately begin the fusion process?"

Jiang Jun put down his teacup and glanced at him. This kid clearly wanted to ask for the follow-up cultivation method, but he was testing the waters in a roundabout way.

"You have laid a solid foundation in the Spirit Realm, so it is indeed time to pass on the subsequent methods to you."

He raised his hand and pointed, sending a divine thought carrying the cultivation secrets of the Fusion Realm into Cai Liang's sea of ​​consciousness.

"The Way of Suppressing Objects is also divided into three realms: Spirit Connection, Fusion, and Refinement. You have already mastered the Spirit Connection realm, so I won't go into details."

"This is the cultivation method of the Fusion Realm. My path is different from that of the Demon Tamer. I do not merge with the demons with my body, but rather refine objects with myself. You should try to comprehend it carefully, and ask me if you have any questions."

Cai Liang closed his eyes and focused on feeling the words formed by the clear light in his mind.

A moment later, he opened his eyes, his face full of admiration, and said, "Teacher, you explained this method so clearly! You truly deserve to be called a pioneer, a grandmaster who founded a school!"

"Stop flattering me." Jiang Jun picked up his teacup, his tone disdainful, but the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up.

"I'm telling the truth!" Cai Liang said sincerely. "Your explanation of 'using divine thought as a furnace and true energy as fire to cleanse and subdue things' perfectly captures the essence in a single sentence!"

Jiang Jun felt comfortable with what he said, but he remained outwardly calm: "Alright, alright, go and try to understand it with your heart."

Cai Liang chuckled, closed his eyes again, and immersed himself in that divine thought.

Huangjing Tongzi squatted to one side, idly fiddling with the pebbles on the ground.

A moment later, it seemed to have discovered something interesting. Its eyes lit up, and it ran "tap tap tap" towards the reeds not far away.

Jiang Jun glanced at it but didn't pay it any mind. The little guy possessed the Lotus Seed of Brahma, making it no match for ordinary monsters.

Sure enough, a moment later, a strange hissing sound came from the reeds, followed by a short wail.

Cai Liang opened his eyes and looked in the direction of the sound.

Huangjing Boy stood beside a clump of reeds, a flash of golden light in his arms, and the eerie black mist vanished.

Only a small patch of charred remains on the ground, not even a speck of ash left.

"This..." Cai Liang stared in disbelief. "Teacher, it just uttered a 'ba' sound, and the monster disappeared?"

"Hmm." Jiang Jun nodded lightly. "The purifying power of the Brahma Lotus Seed, one of the six-syllable Great Light Mantras, is especially effective against low-level monsters."

"Can I learn that too?" Cai Liang's eyes lit up. "Just say 'Ba' once, and you can destroy monsters? That's so cool!"

Jiang Jun thought for a moment and didn't refuse: "You can give it a try."

Cai Liang took a deep breath, and imitating Huang Jing Tong Zi, he put his hands together, faced a patch of reeds in the distance, and solemnly chanted, "Ba—".

Nothing happened.

He repeated it again, this time louder: "Bang!!"

The reeds swayed in the wind, startling several skirmish-level monsters into flight, but no golden light appeared.

Huangjing Tongzi tilted his head and looked at him with a puzzled expression, then made an "Ah-beh" sound, as if to say, "What are you doing?"

Cai Liang refused to believe it and chanted it seven or eight times, but there was still no response.

Jiang Jun looked at him and gently shook his head: "It seems you don't have that kind of talent."

"Wisdom innate talent?" Cai Liang asked with a pained expression. "Teacher, this thing even talks about wisdom innate talent?"

"Liu Yangang once said that comprehending supernatural objects requires comprehension, temperament, and fate, and none of these can be lacking."

Jiang Jun picked up his teacup and slowly took a sip: "You do have a knack for things, otherwise I wouldn't have taken you under my wing. Your comprehension is also barely above average."

"But this mindset... is too utilitarian, with too many distracting thoughts, so naturally one cannot sense the true meaning of the lotus seed."

Cai Liang was dejected. He sat back down on the felt mat, closed his eyes, and continued to comprehend the cultivation technique.

The Yellow Essence Boy came running back, handing the lotus seed to him, tilting his head as if to say, "Why don't you try again?"

Cai Liang took the lotus seed, held it in his palm, and recited "Ba" again.

The lotus seed glowed faintly for a moment, then went out.

"Hey? It's lit up! It's lit up!" Cai Liang was so excited he almost jumped up.

Jiang Jun glanced at it and said, "That's because the lotus seed got annoyed by your noise and is giving you a little response to get rid of you."

Cai Liang: "..."

As night falls, the light in the ghost realm gradually dims, replaced by a deep gray-blue.

There were no stars, no moon, only the faint phosphorescence reflected from the distant water.

Jiang Jun lit a campfire on the earthen slope, and the flames seemed especially warm in the ghost realm.

The Huangjing boy nestled in his arms, holding the lotus seed, his little mouth opening and closing as he recited "Ba" in a very convincing manner.

As it was chanted, the lotus seed emitted a soft, faint light, sometimes bright and sometimes dim, as if it were breathing.

Cai Liang sat opposite him. Although he knew he had no innate wisdom, he was still unwilling to give up. He closed his eyes and imitated the rhythm of Huang Jing Tong Zi, quietly chanting "ba, ba, ba".

Jiang Jun ignored him and closed his eyes, reciting the mantra of the Brahma Lotus Seed.

The "ba" uttered by the Huangjing boy carried a childish voice, and the golden light of the lotus seed pulsed rhythmically in response.

The "ba" he uttered was calm and lingering, echoing a certain meaning deep within the lotus seed.

As he read, Jiang Jun suddenly felt a jolt in his heart.

Faintly, it seemed as if an invisible thread was emerging from the lotus seed, traversing the void of the strange realm, and leading to an unknown place.

At the other end of the thread, something was trembling slightly.

Like a seed that has been dormant for a long time, it gently stirs in the darkness.

Jiang Jun suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze flashing.

"What's wrong, teacher?" Cai Liang noticed his unusual behavior and stopped reciting.

"It's nothing." Jiang Jun lowered his eyes, suppressing that faint feeling in his heart. "Continue reciting yours."

Cai Liang, unsuspecting, closed his eyes again and began to recite softly.

Jiang Jun gazed at the campfire, his heart unable to find peace for a long time.

What is at the other end of that thread?

Is it another lotus seed?

Or... something else?

Without making a sound, he took the lotus seed from Huangjing Tongzi's arms, held it in his palm, and carefully sensed it.

The golden light within the lotus seed flowed slowly, and the faint connection remained, yet it was as blurry as if seen through a veil.

Jiang Jun returned the lotus seed to Huangjing Tongzi, closed his eyes, and began chanting the mantra again.

This time, he did not chase after that feeling, but simply recited it quietly.