Chapter 4

One by one, the young disciples entered the grand hall, paid their respects to the founding master, and then received the ancestral talisman for enlightenment.

The ancestral talisman was truly mysterious; it could complete the enlightenment process in just a moment. Even a low-level enlightenment talisman could almost guarantee success in opening the acupoint.

Firstly, the process of enlightenment using the ancestral talisman and enlightenment talismans has been passed down for a thousand years in the Yuanfu Sect, and after continuous improvements by generations of capable individuals, the method has become mature with a very high success rate. Secondly, these young disciples were carefully selected when they entered the sect, with fewer impurities in their acupoints, making it easier for them to be enlightened.

By noon, nearly half of the disciples had already received enlightenment, and it was finally Li Moran's turn.

As soon as Li Moran entered the grand hall, a smile appeared on the face of the sect leader, Cangxia Daoist, who usually had a solemn expression.

"Nameless, first pay your respects to the founding master!" Cangxia Daoist instructed Li Moran. Among the disciples, few could be directly called by their names by the sect leader, Cangxia Daoist.

"Yes!" Li Moran immediately walked respectfully to the golden statue of the Talisman Saint and knelt to pay his respects. After paying respects to the founding master, he also bowed to Cangxia Daoist and the other Daoists.

Cangxia Daoist nodded with a smile and introduced Li Moran to Mo Yunzi: "Junior Brother Mo, this disciple is named Zhao Wuming. Not only is he exceptionally talented, but he is also the most diligent among this batch of disciples. I hope he can become a pillar of our sect, just like Junior Brother Mo!"

"Is that so?" Mo Yunzi looked at Li Moran with a neutral expression and said, "Since the Sect Leader knows your name, I'm sure a mid-level enlightenment talisman won't be a problem for you. Have you ever tried to create a high-level enlightenment talisman?"

"The disciple has indeed tried, but unfortunately, my strength was insufficient, and I failed," Li Moran said dejectedly.

Cangxia Daoist looked slightly disappointed but still smiled and said, "Creating a high-level enlightenment talisman requires not only strength but also luck, which is hard to come by. But it's not a problem. Being able to open the acupoint with a mid-level enlightenment talisman still holds great promise. Junior Brother Mo is your role model! Nameless, take out your enlightenment talisman."

"Yes!" Li Moran was nervous. Following the guidance of his senior, he walked to the center of the grand hall and, with a deep breath, took out his only talisman and placed it on his forehead.

This enlightenment talisman had no talisman characters, no incantations, and no battle characters; it only had some messy finger marks.

As soon as the talisman was revealed, the grand hall erupted in a flurry of whispers. Not only did the disciples start discussing, but even the Daoists were surprised.

"A failed talisman! What's going on?" Cangxia Daoist's face changed.

"Hmph, no need to guess. This boy must have been overly ambitious, trying to draw a high-level enlightenment talisman, and failed repeatedly, leaving only this failed talisman," said an old man with a goatee, who was Chixia Daoist, one of the most senior Daoists in the Yuanfu Sect.

Chixia Daoist shook his head and turned to the disciples behind him, saying, "The path to immortality is long and arduous; it cannot be achieved overnight! Having lofty aspirations is not bad, but one must be down-to-earth and take steady steps. It is important to have self-awareness. Today's incident with Zhao Wuming is a lesson; I hope you all take it to heart!"

"Heh, a failed talisman, a complete waste of the ancestral talisman's essence! Leave, you don't have the qualifications to receive the ancestral talisman's enlightenment!" Mo Yunzi said coldly, his expression stern.

"Wait!" Cangxia Daoist sighed and said, "Junior Brothers, from his usual performance, Zhao Wuming stands out among this batch of disciples and is the most promising. Should we give him another talisman paper to draw a mid-level enlightenment talisman and complete the enlightenment process?"

"Senior Brother Sect Leader, this suggestion is inappropriate!" Chixia Daoist shook his head and said, "For over a thousand years, each disciple in our sect has only had three talisman papers and three chances, which is fair. If we make an exception for Zhao Wuming, it will set a precedent, leading to unfairness and potential problems in the future."

"Senior Brother Chixia makes a valid point. I know Senior Brother Sect Leader values talent, but we cannot break the thousand-year-old rules of our sect."

"That's right. In fact, similar incidents have occurred over the past thousand years, but no exceptions were made. We should not break the rules either."

"Moreover, cultivation requires luck. Although Zhao Wuming is diligent and has great potential, without luck, he won't progress far on the path of cultivation!"

The seven or eight Daoists discussed, mostly opposing Cangxia Daoist's suggestion.

Li Moran was extremely anxious. His fate was almost determined by these few words, and the feeling was very unpleasant.

Cangxia Daoist nodded and said, "Since all of you oppose it, I will withdraw my previous suggestion. However, according to the sect rules, regardless of the quality of the enlightenment talisman a disciple presents, the sect must perform the enlightenment ritual for them."

"However, if the enlightenment fails due to the poor quality of the talisman, the disciple will be expelled from the sect or wait for the next enlightenment ceremony in five years. By then, Zhao Wuming will be over twenty, missing the best age for enlightenment, and will not be eligible for the next ceremony."

Chixia Daoist also said, "Senior Brother Sect Leader is correct. Junior Brother Mo, please complete the enlightenment ritual for him. The talisman is of poor quality, so it won't consume much of the ancestral talisman's essence."

"Since both Senior Brothers have spoken, I will comply!" Mo Yunzi nodded and then coldly ordered Li Moran, "Close your eyes and focus on the acupoint!"

Li Moran quickly closed his eyes and tried to "observe" the point between his eyebrows, but it was pitch black, and he saw nothing.

Mo Yunzi waved his green sword, releasing a series of green lights that struck the ancestral talisman. The ancestral talisman emitted a layer of colorful light, illuminating the failed talisman on Li Moran's forehead.

The failed talisman transformed into a beam of blood light and entered Li Moran's brow, while the talisman paper itself turned into a wisp of green smoke and disappeared.

In an instant, Li Moran's body glowed, and at the same time, the grand hall darkened!

It seemed as if all the light in the hall had converged on Li Moran, making the hall as dark as night, while Li Moran shone like a bright moon, emitting a faint silver glow, beautiful and ethereal.

However, this extraordinary scene lasted only a moment, and everything returned to normal in the next instant.

"I saw it!" Li Moran opened his eyes with joy and said, "I saw a faint light. Have I successfully opened the acupoint?"

"Can a failed talisman really work for enlightenment?" Mo Yunzi was skeptical. He walked directly to Li Moran and placed two fingers on his wrist.

Li Moran immediately felt a cool sensation from his wrist, which spread through his arm to the rest of his body but was quickly blocked and dissipated.

"Indeed, he has been enlightened!" Mo Yunzi said indifferently, "But only a slight opening has been made, and his cultivation potential is extremely poor! Strange, strange! Pity, pity!"

Mo Yunzi shook his head and gestured for Li Moran to step aside.

By "strange," he was surprised that Li Moran could be enlightened with a failed talisman; by "pity," he was sorry for Li Moran. If Li Moran could use a mid-level enlightenment talisman, the result would certainly be better!

Li Moran stood silently among the disciples, enduring the various gazes. Although Uncle Mo said his enlightenment was poor and his cultivation potential was very low, he still held a glimmer of hope.

This hope came from the mysterious talisman characters in the mirror. Li Moran had seen the talisman characters he drew as incredibly profound and extraordinary, but he did not know why they disappeared. If he were another young disciple, he would have revealed everything, but Li Moran did not say a word. He even suspected that it might involve a shocking secret, and enduring a bit of委屈 (vexation) and being looked down upon by his peers and seniors was nothing!

After Li Moran, two more young disciples came forward for enlightenment, and both were successful. However, when it was the third disciple's turn, the ancestral talisman suddenly dimmed and failed to activate properly.

"Is the ancestral talisman's essence insufficient?" Cangxia Daoist personally examined the ancestral talisman and muttered, "Strange, Sister Qingxia filled the ancestral talisman with essence yesterday, enough for over a hundred disciples to be enlightened. How could it be exhausted with only half of the disciples enlightened?"

"Perhaps the ancestral talisman has been in use for too long, and it consumes more essence," Chixia Daoist offered a vague guess.

Cangxia Daoist nodded and said, "I will personally use an essence talisman to replenish the ancestral talisman's essence tonight. We will continue the enlightenment ceremony tomorrow at this time for the remaining disciples."

The remaining disciples were disappointed upon hearing this. After years of hard work, they finally waited for the enlightenment ceremony to officially enter the world of cultivation, but now they had to wait another day.

However, they had no choice but to accept it. The disciples who had already been enlightened were either happy or worried, with mixed feelings.

Enlightenment is just the first step. After the enlightenment ceremony, there will be a ceremony for choosing a master. If no senior chooses them, even if they have been enlightened, they may not be able to continue their cultivation in the Yuanfu Sect.

The news of Li Moran using a failed talisman and barely being enlightened spread among the disciples, and wherever Li Moran went, there were whispers and comments.

Li Moran, who was once surrounded by a group of disciples asking questions, now found himself alone, feeling the coldness of human nature.

"The path to immortality is long and arduous; the mind must be calm like still water, undisturbed by desires or emotions, and not swayed by external events or personal feelings." Li Moran sighed, "I let my mind be affected by others' opinions, which shows that my mental cultivation is still far from sufficient."