In Yuanfa Palace, quite a few people were crowded into the small meditation room.
After hearing Hui Bin's account, everyone first glanced at the seemingly unremarkable Yellow Talisman in his hand, then at Taoist Yi Hong, who sat to the side, lost in thought. One by one, they fell silent.
Although most of them were Daoists who chanted scriptures and practiced Cultivation daily, in this day and age, not many of them actually believed in the supernatural. They simply saw the Taoist Family's practices—calming the mind, soothing the spirit, Qi Refining, and nurturing the body—as a philosophical system for personal conduct and mental and physical well-being.
They believed in the existence of Inner Power, but they didn't think it was anything magical. To them, it was just a type of force within the human body that promoted health and longevity, and at most, might enhance one's strength and agility a little.
The fortune-telling, face-reading, and feng shui passed down through the ages were, in their view, all just sciences incorporating elements of psychology, mathematics, geography, and meteorology.
As for Enlightenment…
In their eyes, so-called Enlightenment was merely a religious ritual. It was a process of using ceremony to enhance psychological suggestion, thereby allowing the mind to influence the material world.
It was like how maintaining a positive mindset could alleviate symptoms of an illness, or even speed up recovery.
Of course, they had heard tales of religious masters who could truly perform Enlightenment on Magical Artifacts, imbuing them with miraculous properties. However, they were all skeptical about this—after all, they couldn't do it themselves, nor had they ever witnessed it firsthand.
But Taoist Yi Hong's actions today had shattered their perceptions.
He had known Hui Bin possessed a truly Enlightened Protective Talisman with just a single glance. This act was completely beyond their comprehension. How had Taoist Yi Hong managed that?
They were certain that today was the very first time Taoist Yi Hong and Hui Bin had ever met.
As for Taoist Yi Hong and Hui Bin colluding to trick them... to even consider the possibility was a sign of disrespect toward Taoist Yi Hong!
This was a Daoist of extremely high standing from the Yandu Dragon Gate Ancestral Court White Cloud Temple. He had vowed to collect the Dragon Gate Classics, traveling to Taoist Temples of all sizes across the country. He gathered Tao Scriptures one book, one sheet of paper, one tattered page at a time, and was a man of great prestige and virtue.
In that case, there was only one explanation.
Everyone's gazes toward Taoist Yi Hong couldn't help but fill with fervent hope.
But Taoist Yi Hong didn't notice their looks, simply asking with a hint of disbelief, "You're saying a university student, someone in his twenties, drew this right in front of you?"
"Yes," Hui Bin nodded emphatically.
"No burning incense or ritual bathing? No calming his mind and spirit? No personal consecration for the Enlightenment?" Taoist Yi Hong pressed. "He just drew the Talisman and gave it to you on the spot?"
"That's right," Hui Bin confirmed with another nod.
Taoist Yi Hong drew in a sharp breath.
Seeing Taoist Yi Hong's stunned expression, the others felt an inexplicable chill. After a moment's hesitation, the middle-aged Daoist who seemed to be in charge asked cautiously, "Taoist Yi Hong, what is all this about?"
"It's nothing," Taoist Yi Hong said with a sigh. "I just never expected to find such a formidable young person in this day and age."
The others exchanged glances, wanting to ask but not daring to. After all, everyone present was a prominent figure in the local Taoist Sect. To ask would be to admit their own ignorance.
Taoist Yi Hong, however, didn't seem to mind. "It's not surprising that you don't know," he said. "After all, life is comfortable these days. Not many people take their Cultivation seriously anymore."
His words left everyone feeling a little awkward.
"It's just like how Martial Arts fell into decline with the advent of firearms," Taoist Yi Hong said with a smile. "For a Daoist, the health and longevity you gain after a lifetime of Cultivation is about the same as what elderly people achieve by maintaining a positive attitude, exercising regularly, and taking nutritional supplements."
The crowd once again chuckled in embarrassment.
"Of course, training is always useful. For example, even with firearms around, someone who does Martial Arts Training will still be stronger, faster, and have sharper reflexes than an ordinary person. The truly skilled ones can even circulate their qi, blood, and Inner Strength."
Taoist Yi Hong continued, "And we Daoists, through years of meditation, Breathing and Qi Refining, and clearing our major meridians, will also develop Qi Sensitivity within our bodies—also known as Inner Breath or Inner Power. This Qi Sensitivity helps us calm our minds, soothe our spirits, and maintain our physical health.
"Enlightenment is the process by which a Daoist infuses their internal Qi Sensitivity into a Magical Artifact or a sheet of talisman paper. The object then carries this energy, which can help the holder calm their mind, soothe their spirit, and promote well-being..."
Taoist Yi Hong thought for a moment, then added teasingly, "It's like carrying a stick of aged sandalwood. It can soothe your nerves when you're stressed at work and help you sleep at night. You could call it a form of health and wellness."
Everyone chuckled at his words, but their laughter was followed by a deep sense of envy. In this age of advanced technology, who wouldn't want to live a little longer?
Everyone knew the Taoist Family taught methods for nurturing one's health. They had always assumed this simply meant maintaining a positive mindset and engaging in scientific exercise to clear blockages in the body's meridians. This was supposed to maintain health, prolong life, and ward off illness. As for the so-called "qi circulating through the heavens," they had heard the term but never once experienced it themselves.
But now, hearing Taoist Yi Hong's explanation, they realized it was possible to truly cultivate a form of Qi Gong—a mysterious power that one could perceive and control.
"Because we possess Qi Sensitivity, our minds and bodies are more perceptive than those of ordinary people." Taoist Yi Hong looked at Hui Bin. "I felt that energy on you just now. When I traced the source to your clothes, I guessed it was a Protective Talisman."
"However..." Taoist Yi Hong trailed off, looking pensive. "Even when a High Taoist performs an Enlightenment, they must calm their mind and spirit, carefully sense the Qi Sensitivity and Inner Breath within their body, and painstakingly guide it through their meridians before infusing it into a Magical Artifact.
"This process takes at least several days, or even over a month, just to imbue a Magical Artifact with energy that will last for some time. And even then, I know of only a few old Daoists in the entire country who possess this skill."
At this point, Taoist Yi Hong was completely baffled. "If what Hui Bin said is true, that this Protective Talisman was drawn so casually by a young man... then his level of Cultivation must be comparable to that of the Ancient High Taoists."
The onlookers exchanged glances again. Each of them had been practicing Cultivation for twenty or thirty years. The most accomplished among them included the Palace Master of Yuanfa Palace and senior officials from the Taoism Association, yet this was the first time any of them had ever heard what Taoist Yi Hong was describing.
Although Taoist Yi Hong spoke of it in a light and casual manner, they knew it was anything but ordinary.
It was like the difference between running a hundred-meter dash in eleven seconds, which many could do, and running it in under ten seconds. You could count the number of people in the entire country who could do that on one hand.
Hadn't Taoist Yi Hong just said it himself? There were very few in the entire country with this skill. Even if you included reclusive High Taoists from ancient temples hidden deep in the mountains whom he didn't know about, the total number would still be vanishingly small.
Taoist Yi Hong had used the aged sandalwood as a metaphor, but their minds raced to the many stories they had heard over the years. Events they had once dismissed as flattery, sarcasm, or pure luck might now have a different explanation.
'Many of the world's powerful and influential people believe in the supernatural. Are they all fools, merely seeking psychological comfort?'
'As insiders, our own Cultivation was insufficient, and we had let ourselves be blinded by delusion, losing our sense of reverence.'