Chapter 251: A Single Breath, Seal Engraving

"Old Healer, what should we do now?" Magu asked.

The old healer thought for a moment before finally speaking, "I think we should turn back and take another route from Yun Province."

If it were just him and Lu Qing, the old healer might have chosen to abandon the carriage and continue on foot. After all, as skilled warriors, their traveling speed would be much faster than that of the carriage.

However, with Xiao Yan and Wei Zian in tow, that was not an option.

So, they had no choice but to turn back and find an alternative path.

"Alright, I understand," Magu nodded, preparing to lift the carriage and turn it around.

"Master, let's not rush back just yet. Let me see if I can come up with a solution," Lu Qing suddenly interjected.

"Lu Qing, do you have an idea?" The old healer asked, surprised.

"I've just had a thought. Let's find a place nearby to stay for a day while I try out my idea. If it works, it might greatly increase our speed, whether we continue on this path or take another route," Lu Qing said, leaving room for uncertainty.

Although Lu Qing didn't sound entirely confident, the old healer knew his disciple well and understood that he must have a good chance of success if he was suggesting this course of action.

Without hesitation, the old healer nodded in agreement, "Alright, let's do as you say and stay here for a day."

It was already afternoon, and they had at most one more hour before dusk. They decided to set up camp early for the day.

Lu Qing and the others lifted the carriage out of the pit and backed out of the mountain road, finding a relatively spacious area nearby to settle for the night.

Lu Qing instructed Magu to dismantle the carriage while he paced around it, carefully observing its structure.

"Lu Qing, what idea have you come up with?" the old healer asked.

"Master, I'm thinking of engraving a few simple formations on the carriage. That way, we won't have to worry about the unevenness of the ground," Lu Qing replied.

"Engrave formations?" The old healer was truly astonished, "Lu Qing, can you do that?"

"I'm not sure yet, let me ponder it for a while," Lu Qing said, his tone reflecting his uncertainty.

As for Magu and Wei Zian, they were completely bewildered by the mention of formations.

Did Lu Qing also understand these mysterious and unpredictable things?

And weren't formations something only immortal cultivators could use in those mythical storybooks?

Wei Zian, in particular, recalled the previous conversation between Lu Qing and the old healer about breathing techniques and ingesting qi. Could those also be legendary immortal cultivation methods?

Unaware of the astonishment on Magu and Wei Zian's faces, Lu Qing continued to inspect the carriage, his eyes narrowing in concentration.

The suggestion to engrave formations on the carriage came not only from Wei Zian's comment but also from his own observations of the two large formations deployed by Liuyun Sect. The fact that they could be activated indicated that with the revival of spiritual energy in the world, some of the previously unusable immortal cultivation methods could now be partially restored.

Given this realization, Lu Qing felt it was worth experimenting with some of his own ideas.

After circling the carriage and committing its framework and details to memory, Lu Qing sat down cross-legged and closed his eyes, his mind sinking into a state of meditation.

"Master, Magu, I need to do some calculations first. I might not have time to prepare dinner, so you'll have to manage on your own," Lu Qing said.

"Don't worry about it. I can handle dinner," Magu quickly replied.

His cooking skills were a bit rough, but the meals he prepared were still edible.

On the days when Lu Qing was busy with other tasks, Magu would usually take care of the cooking.

Lu Qing nodded and closed his eyes, his mind sinking into a state of meditation as he focused on his brow chakra.

In this meditative state, Lu Qing's mind was calm and serene as he began to ponder.

First, he considered what kind of formation he should engrave on the carriage.

With the knowledge from two great immortal cultivation lineages, Lu Qing knew a significant number of formations, and one could even say he knew a lot.

The Godly Rune Gate lineage, with its philosophy of learning from all things in nature, was more flexible when it came to formations, adapting to the situation at hand without adhering to strict rules. However, they didn't have many specific formations, and the ones they had were large-scale and required the power of the heavens and the earth to deploy, which Lu Qing couldn't do yet.

On the other hand, the knowledge he gained from the Flying Fire Cauldron was different. The Flying Fire Sect had profound insights into the path of fire and was highly skilled in artifact refinement and pill concoction. Formation techniques were an essential part of artifact refinement.

Chapter: "Engraving Formations"

After all, regardless of the treasure or artifact, one must engrave a formation to imbue it with power beyond the capabilities of its base materials.

Thus, the Flying Fire Sect's legacy included a vast array of formations.

From the most basic introductory formations to the exquisite ones capable of crafting spiritual artifacts, they had records of them all.

With his current abilities, Lu Qing knew that the advanced formations were out of his reach.

Even the intermediate-level formations were beyond his capacity to arrange.

So, in the end, he focused on the most basic formations from the legacy.

Sifting through the legacy in his mind, Lu Qing eventually selected three elementary formations.

[Lightness Formation], [Gentle Breeze Formation], and [Solidification Formation].

The first two formations, as their names suggested, were meant to make the carriage lighter and more agile. As for the last formation, the [Solidification Formation], Lu Qing intended to use it to reinforce the carriage's structure.

By reducing the carriage's weight, its speed would also increase, so ensuring its sturdiness was essential.

Otherwise, at high speeds, any accident could lead to a disastrous rollover.

After selecting the formations, Lu Qing activated his innate ability and entered a meditative state to contemplate them.

In a state of near-enlightenment, he quickly grasped the essence of the formations.

Then, he brought to mind the framework of the carriage he had memorized earlier and began calculating how to engrave the formations onto it.

It didn't take long for him to devise the optimal engraving plan. After triple-checking and confirming that there were no errors, he exited his meditative state and opened his eyes.

By then, dusk was approaching, and his master and the others were gathered around a campfire, eating.

"Qing, you're awake? Come and eat something."

The old healer was the first to notice Lu Qing stirring.

"Thank you."

Lu Qing walked over and took a baked Nang bread from Magu.

"So, have you figured something out?" the old healer asked.

"Yes, I've mostly finished the calculations. I can start engraving the formations tomorrow morning," Lu Qing nodded.

Hearing this, Magu and Wei Zian's eyes lit up with anticipation.

They couldn't believe that Lu Qing truly understood the legendary art of formations from the storybooks. They were eager to witness his prowess.

Even the old healer felt a surge of excitement.

He was curious to see how Lu Qing would engrave the formations.

Although he had witnessed true formations in Liuyun Town, they were too profound for him to comprehend. He could only marvel at their mysteries.

Now, he looked forward to observing Lu Qing's process, hoping to gain some insight into the art.

Filled with anticipation, Magu and Wei Zian could hardly sleep that night.

Wei Zian even had a peculiar dream where he became an immortal, summoning the wind and rain with a wave of his hand and soaring through the skies.

The next morning, Lu Qing woke up to find two pairs of eyes fixed on him. Wherever he went or whatever he did, their gazes followed, making him feel rather helpless.

During breakfast, Magu and Wei Zian's eyes burned with curiosity, making Lu Qing sigh.

"Alright, after I finish this bowl of porridge, I'll start engraving the formations. Okay?" Lu Qing sighed again.

"Take your time, eat first," Magu and Wei Zian said together.

But their eyes remained intense.

Lu Qing sighed once more and quickly finished his porridge. Then, he stood up and walked towards the carriage, with Magu and Wei Zian close behind, their curiosity evident even to the old healer, who couldn't help but smile.

Reaching the carriage, Lu Qing took out a carving knife and a bottle of vermillion ink.

The most basic formations didn't require exotic materials; all they needed was spirit ink.

And this bottle of vermillion ink was something Lu Qing had prepared earlier.

Speaking of which, the materials for making spirit ink had been collected by Wei Shihai at his request.

He had originally intended to use it in the medicine field in the courtyard on the mountainside, but his master's sudden decision to go to Zhongzhou had left the ink unused.

He wondered how the thousand-year-old ginseng in the medicine field was doing now.

Looking at the bottle of spirit ink, a thought suddenly occurred to Lu Qing.

He had wanted to set up a small spirit gathering formation in the medicine field in the mountainside courtyard to nurture the herbs.

But now, with them away from home, that formation had not been set up, and he wondered if the thousand-year-old ginseng would still be there when they returned.

Shaking his head slightly to dispel these stray thoughts, Lu Qing opened the ink bottle and picked up the carving knife.

Chapter: "Engraving Formations"

Lu Qing's gaze remained fixed on the carriage as he calmed his mind and entered a tranquil state. Once his thoughts had settled, a surge of divine soul power coursed through his body, and his carving knife began to move. With a gentle dip into the vermillion ink, he started inscribing intricate patterns onto the carriage's body.

Thanks to his observations the previous day and his divine soul calculations, Lu Qing had committed the entire structure of the carriage to memory.

Thus, the process of engraving the formations proceeded swiftly.

The moment Lu Qing's hand began to move, Ma Gu and Wei Zian stared at him with wide eyes. They watched in awe as Lu Qing's hand, holding the carving knife, traced strange, arcane lines, inscribing mysterious talismans onto the carriage.

What was even more astonishing was that as each talisman was completed, it would glow brightly before slowly fading into the body of the carriage.

The two onlookers had never witnessed such an extraordinary sight, and as they continued to gape, their mouths slowly hung open as well.

Only the old healer maintained a solemn expression, with a slight stirring of divine soul power in his brow chakra, as he quietly contemplated the profound implications of the talismans Lu Qing was carving.

Lu Qing continued his work for several hours.

When he finally connected the last talisman back to the first, completing the cycle, the entire carriage erupted in radiant light. Threads of crimson light, woven with esoteric talismans, floated in the air before sinking back into the carriage.

As the light faded, the carriage returned to its original appearance, now adorned with intricate patterns, but seemingly unchanged otherwise.

However, Ma Gu and the others could sense a distinct difference. The carriage now emanated a peculiar aura, an air of mystery that had not been there before.

"Brother Lu Qing, is it finished now?" Ma Gu asked.

"Yes," Lu Qing nodded. "I've inscribed a total of three formations on the carriage. If all goes well, we should be able to reach Zhongzhou ahead of schedule."

Lu Qing was not disappointed that he couldn't inscribe more formations. In fact, he couldn't have even if he wanted to.

While the carriage was a costly creation, crafted with precious materials by the Wei family, those materials were still mundane and couldn't withstand the power of too many formations.

Moreover, his supply of spirit ink was limited, and he needed to conserve some for future use.

Sensing the subtle flow of formation power emanating from the carriage, Lu Qing was quite pleased with the result.

Although he had practiced inscribing formations before, this was his first time doing so properly.

The power of the Divine Soul Talismans truly was extraordinary.

"The art of the Divine Soul Talismans is indeed formidable," Lu Qing marveled inwardly. "I didn't expect to be able to inscribe the formations so perfectly, without a single mistake.

It's not because I got lucky or had a momentary burst of inspiration. It's all thanks to the power of the Divine Soul Talismans.

With the Divine Soul Talismans, I have a profound connection to the talismans and an uncanny ability to control and enhance them. It's as if the Divine Soul Talismans are the master, allowing me to manipulate the talismans with ease and arrange them as I see fit."

Lu Qing gained a new understanding of the Divine Soul Talismans and their potential.

It wasn't his fault that he hadn't fully grasped their capabilities before. The legacy he received from the Divine Talisman Sect was left behind by the mysterious being who created the Jade Transformation Cave, and it wasn't a complete representation of the sect's teachings.

Aside from the path of talisman cultivation, there wasn't much information about other aspects of the sect.

The legacy fell short compared to the wealth of knowledge contained in the Flying Fire Cauldron.

Therefore, Lu Qing still had much to discover about the capabilities of the Divine Soul Talismans and would need to explore and unlock their full potential through his own efforts.

"Nevertheless, this outcome is satisfactory," Lu Qing thought to himself, feeling content.

Sometimes, a little surprise and mystery added to the excitement of the cultivation journey.

"Brother Lu Qing, now that the formations are inscribed, why don't we test them out?" Ma Gu suggested eagerly.

Lu Qing pondered for a moment before nodding in agreement. "That's a good idea. Even though the formations seem to be inscribed successfully, we won't know their actual effects until we give them a try."

"Then I'll hitch the horses!" Ma Gu exclaimed, rushing off to fetch the horses.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end