Immortal Creation.

Chapter 718 Copying and Understanding
Ning Zhuo held the comprehension brush and examined it carefully.

The penholder is made of yellowish-green Heluo jade, with natural jade patterns interwoven to form a blurred hexagram.

The pen holder is made of Chinese privet wood, bearing scorch marks from lightning strikes.

The brush tip is made of autumn frost-white yak hair; when held up to the light, one can see specks of silver light.

The entire brush exudes an aura of a magical artifact.

Ning Zhuo, Bai Jiyun, Liu Fushu, and Kong Ran exchanged many words at the banquet and learned a lot about this brush.

"To create a brush that conveys meaning, one must suffer calamity."

"This is a Golden Core level comprehension brush, which must withstand at least three tribulations."

"Among them, the most basic is the inner demon tribulation, which will test the literary mind of Confucian cultivators. In addition, the water collected from the Heluo Jade is likely to be subjected to lightning tribulation."

"Judging from the fact that the nib of this pen is made of lightning-struck wood, it is very likely that after the Heluo jade was taken out of the water, it was struck by lightning and was not properly protected, and was corroded by the lightning energy. Therefore, lightning-struck wood was used to make up for the defect of this material."

"As for what the third tribulation is..."

Based on Ning Zhuo's current level of Confucian cultivation and weapon crafting, it's impossible to tell.

During the banquet, he also showed the precious brush to Bai Liu Kong and the other two, but Sanxiu did not find anything amiss.

Not knowing doesn't prevent Ning Zhuo from using it.

Immediately, Ning Zhuo activated the power of the Five Elements and poured it into the brush.

Ning Zhuo was not a Confucian scholar, and the Five Elements magic was not entirely suitable for the Huiyi brush. Although it would affect the actual results, it was still usable.

With the input of magic, the seven-inch-two-fen pen quickly emitted a soft, jade-like light, warm and clear.

Sparks of electricity flashed across the pen holder.

At the tip of the brush, the silver light became even more intense.

Ning Zhuo has reached some agreements with Bai Jiyun and Kong Ran, including the demand for genuine works.

Ning Zhuo wanted to try his hand at writing, so after thinking for a moment, he took out a tiger skin first.

The tiger skin was heavy, thick, and very wide, with two huge talismans resembling tattoos on it.

It was the spoils of war that Ning Zhuo had obtained after killing a tiger demon during a conflict with the Pi family cultivators.

Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong studied the two talismans on the tiger skin, but didn't gain much insight.

"Let's see if using the precious brush this time will work."

Ning Zhuo first copied the burning blood and surging symbol from it.

The talisman is nearly perfectly round, as large as a millstone, and appears to be written in blood. Its surface now closely resembles the dark red color of dried blood.

Upon closer inspection, one can also see many flame-like patterns within the dark red lines.

Ning Zhuo had already studied this magic talisman once and knew its structure.

Ning Zhuo began to copy.

He took the core of the talisman as the starting point. The core of the Blood-Burning Talisman had an upper part that resembled a drop of blood, while the lower part resembled a burning flame.

As Ning Zhuo copied the talisman, he immediately felt a strange impulse and blurted out, "Blood ignites fire, fire boils blood."

Starting from the core of the talisman, that is the main thread of the talisman.

The main veins of the Burning Blood Rushing Talisman are three of the most rugged deep red cinnabar lines, which are slightly twisted and radiate outward from the center of the talisman.

When Ning Zhuo was copying the painting, he felt as if he could feel three boiling blood vessels pulsating rhythmically with his heartbeat.

"Twisted and boiling, as if magma is flowing inside..."

Finally, there are the auxiliary patterns. Between the three main veins, there are small, closely spaced patterns.

When Ning Zhuo was copying, he had two main feelings.

One sensation is like a strong wind brushing your face, sending shivers down your spine. Another sensation is like space cracking, breaking through limits.

From this, he immediately realized: "There must be two kinds of runes. One is the wind and thunder rune, and the other is the sky-ripping rune."

This was a depth he hadn't explored when he studied talismans before.

After a moment, Ning Zhuo looked at the Burning Blood Rush Talisman on the talisman and made a final summary.

This talisman and the one on the tiger skin are identical in appearance.

Ning Zhuo gently stroked the surface of the talisman with his fingers. From the rough and powerful patterns, he could feel a dynamic energy about to explode, as well as the determination and demonic nature of burning blood and sacrificing oneself to gain speed.

He infused the talisman with magical power and lit it.

As a result, the talisman burned directly without any reaction.

The talisman-making attempt failed.

Ning Zhuo was not surprised at all.

He only copied it once, grasped the essence of it, and slightly improved his foundation in talisman making. Of course, it also included paper crafting, but the gains in this area were even more meager.

Ning Zhuo then copied the Thousand-Scale Skin Talisman.

This magic rune is the size of a washbasin. It is not a perfect circle like the Blood Rush rune, but rather an octagon with sharp edges.

The runes were not dark red, but rather a deep earthy yellow.

This talisman is obviously difficult to imitate; the main structure is too heavy, almost overshadowing the main element. The talisman's core is small, yet it has countless connections with its surroundings.

To copy this kind of talisman, one must start from the outside and work one's way in.

Ning Zhuo began to copy.

The main body of the Thousand-Scale Skin Talisman is composed of countless fine, regular rhomboid patterns. When copying it, layers must be added one by one.

The subtle meaning conveyed to Ning Zhuo's heart, making him feel as if he were touching a layer of real gemstone scales.

As these rhombus-shaped runes continued to extend inward, Ning Zhuo slowly reached the center of the rune.

Around the center of the talisman, there are three different runes that form three concentric rings.

The rings were almost identical in appearance, differing only in size. But Ning Zhuo, in this attempt to copy them, perceived three different meanings.

The outer ring felt like a swirling wave, the middle ring like a heavy mountain peak, and the inner ring like a slowly moving tortoise.

The final decorative patterns filled the gaps between the scales and the triple rings.

When Ning Zhuo was copying the painting, he felt as if the space itself was rippling.

"It seems that these are all related to the Void Ripple Pattern. These patterns can enhance resistance to spells."

In the final summary stage, Ning Zhuo looked at the complete Thousand-Scale Skin Talisman on the talisman paper.

Unlike the previous Blood Rush Rune, this magic rune has precise, regular, and complex patterns, full of order and solidity.

The layers upon layers of rhomboid runes, along with the triple rings at the center, exude an aura of "unyielding to a thousandfold force, impervious to all spells." This was something Ning Zhuo had never encountered during his previous research.

He used his magic to ignite the talisman, and unsurprisingly, he suffered his second failure.

But he did not suffer any backlash.

This is the benefit of using talismans.

The talisman itself bears the consequences of a failed spell, not the cultivator.

After copying two magic talismans in succession, Ning Zhuo closed his eyes, sat cross-legged, and began to rest.

He felt dizzy and lightheaded, his energy and spirit were greatly depleted, and he was physically and mentally exhausted.

"The effort required to copy using the 'huiyi' brush is much greater than I imagined."

"My physical body and soul are stronger than most Foundation Establishment cultivators. If I can't hold on, others will probably only be able to copy one demonic talisman before they need to rest."

"However, the results of copying are really good!"

“My understanding of magic runes has surpassed the sum of what my boss and I have done before.” But Ning Zhuo couldn’t quite put his words into words.

This is intention.

Information that is difficult to fully express in words or writing.

It can only be understood intuitively, and is difficult to explain in words!
A true master can explain things in a simple and easy-to-understand way, but the subtleties are often lost in the expression.

A moment later, Ning Zhuo returned to his peak condition.

He tried to copy it again.

This time, it wasn't a tiger skin, but a jade slip he pulled out from his storage belt—"The Ice Sculpture Manual".

This is a book on mechanical devices, which Ning Jiufan personally gifted to Ning Zhuo. It describes the art of ice sculpting mechanisms, which was also Ning Jiufan's main area of ​​expertise.

Ning Zhuo had seen it several times before and knew that this ice sculpture mechanism was ingenious and very unique.

All the ice sculptures are carved from a single, massive piece of raw material, rather than being assembled from mechanical parts in the conventional sense.

Therefore, to sculpt the form you desire, you need to be proficient in carving, one of the many arts of cultivation.

In particular, the internal carving technique requires inscribing all the array patterns and talismans on the inner wall of the ice sculpture.

Ning Zhuo's carving skills were relatively weak.

Therefore, this book was only used as a reference and was not studied in depth.

He was traveling and indeed didn't have time to pay attention to such trivial matters.

This copying exercise was mainly to test the limits and, under these limits, what impact it had on the gains in understanding the subject matter.

Ning Zhuo continued copying until he was almost unable to bear it any longer. His soul weakened, and his entire mind was empty, making it difficult for him to generate any further thoughts.

Only a little over 10% of the entire classic text was copied.

But Ning Zhuo felt that he had gained a deeper understanding of carving techniques, mechanical arts, and ice manipulation!
However, Ning Zhuo found it difficult to assess the extent of such benefits.

After the second rest period, Ning Zhuo took the initiative to contact Sun Lingtong: "Boss, something good has happened!"

He told Sun Lingtong about Wen Ruanyu's letter, his participation in Chu Xuangui's Xingyun trial, and his subsequent trading intentions with Kong Ran and Bai Jiyun.

Sun Lingtong was genuinely pleased and offered Ning Zhuo some advice.

"Xiao Zhuo, you're on the right track. Confucianism is the school of thought that excels at learning."

"If you want to gain more, you can also use the pages of the Luoshu Book and the Lingyin Willow."

"You can also buy some pills and talismans to help yourself. For example, Wisdom Spring Essence Dispersing Elixir, Enlightenment Spirit Tea, Heart Mirror Dust-Free Talisman, and Sudden Enlightenment Bodhi Incense."

"If the deal between Kong Ran and you goes through, perhaps you can also use your innate talent to help you understand and learn quickly, based on your early intelligence!"

Ning Zhuo couldn't help but get excited about the prospects described by Sun Lingtong: "The pills and talismans that Boss listed are all rare treasures, and they come at a high price."

"There are only tens of thousands of 'Understanding Brushes' in the entire cultivation world. Every time one is forged, it must undergo a calamity."

"Lingyin Willow is also an extremely rare spiritual plant."

"As for precocious intelligence, it goes without saying that it's one in ten thousand!"

"Even if the pages of the Luoshu are incomplete, they are still Dao artifacts."

"With all these factors combined, my learning speed will definitely skyrocket! But I can't predict exactly how much it will improve."

In short, the future looks bright!
Ning Zhuo took out the pen case.

This is the Yunhan Tinghao Box, which is about 1.2 feet long, 4 inches wide, and 2 inches thick. It is rectangular and flat.

Its rounded edges resemble the flowing star trails, without a trace of sharpness, exuding a gentle and inclusive feel.

With just a gentle push, the lid slides open in the other direction. The opening process is incredibly smooth, without a single sound. When closed, it fits perfectly, with only a sliver of light visible, like a line from the Milky Way.

The handle of the comprehension brush has lost its jade-like luster and is now quite dull.

Ning Zhuo put the brush into the brush box and let it rest and recover for a while.

Ning Zhuo began his daily spiritual practice.

As usual, the two main focuses are physical cultivation and comprehending the Demon-Infused Blood Tendon Technique.

With the help of the Fetal Breathing Spiritual Boat, the foundation of his physical body has been steadily improving.

However, his progress in comprehending the Demon-Stained Blood Tendon Technique was still not very fast.

"If I could obtain the original copy of the Demon-Stained Blood Tendon Technique, I wouldn't have this problem," Ning Zhuo sighed bitterly.

The three masters left behind authentic copies of each cultivation technique in the Lava Immortal Palace.

The meaning contained in these authentic works is the true meaning! Therefore, the three authentic works are the three true scriptures.

Even without the comprehension brush, ordinary cultivators can receive the true meaning as long as they come into contact with it, and their cultivation level in the three cultivation techniques will soar!
"These three true scriptures were originally hidden within the bodies of the Buddhist physician, the demon general, and the Taoist master."

"The true scripture of the Demon-Stained Blood Tendon Technique was, by a twist of fate, used by Yuan Dasheng as material to refine it."

“My mother is staying at the Buddhist Healer’s Lodge. But I haven’t found the true scripture of the Mirror Platform Spirit Communication Technique there either.”

"As for the true scripture of the Five Elements Qi Regulation Technique within the Daoist Master's body... I don't really need it."

Ning Zhuo's understanding of the Five Elements is extremely profound.

He's using demonic techniques!

"I'm really not suited to practicing demonic arts."

"When will the Red Flower Dharma Form be broken? Perhaps I can extract the Demon Heart Method from Lin You as an important reference."

Time passed, and night fell.

Ning Zhuo finished comprehending the cultivation technique and felt quite depressed, unable to sleep for a while.

He decided to create ice blocks and try sculpting them himself.

Failure, failure, failure...

A series of failures made him ponder: "Although I achieved my goal, the actual results were far from what I had envisioned!"

"My vision is too high and my skills are too low. I still need a lot of practice and practical experience before I can make real and effective progress in my skills."

Thinking of this, Ning Zhuo suddenly had a flash of inspiration.

There seems to be a very crucial point...

But at that very moment, the cave token trembled slightly, signaling that it was under attack.

Ning Zhuo's thoughts were interrupted, and he couldn't help but wonder: "How could my rented cave dwelling within the Myriad Manifestations Sect be attacked?"

Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that the attack power was extremely weak; it was a mechanical puppet.

The mechanical doll contains a letter that originated from Banji.

In his letter, Banji stated that he wanted to have a friendly spar with Ning Zhuo. The winner could choose a prize from the loser as a reward.

"Who is Ban Ji?" Ning Zhuo asked, puzzled.

"Someone, investigate his background for me," Ning Zhuo summoned the old cook and gave the order.

When Ning Zhuo pondered again, he could no longer find that fleeting moment of inspiration from before.

"Classwork has ruined me!"

Ning Zhu gritted his teeth, a sense of disgust rising in his heart, while at the same time he had a premonition.

This class of accumulators seems to hold great significance for him.

If left unchecked, it could very well delay his development within the Myriad Manifestations Sect.

(End of this chapter)