Chapter 1771: Tao Heng Shan Talisman

**The Human World**

**Gushan Prefecture**

Qin Sang was meditating in a certain cave dwelling.

Once he survived this lightning tribulation, he would have three centuries of stable cultivation time, after which he could focus on obtaining a Daoist Talisman.

He circulated his cultivation technique to heal the injuries caused by the lightning tribulation.

Thanks to his powerful regenerative abilities, these injuries healed quickly, but Qin Sang gradually noticed something unusual.

His physical body had inexplicably grown much stronger!

Qin Sang was stunned. After his breakthrough, he had focused solely on comprehending two divine abilities and neglected his cultivation, so logically, such a significant improvement shouldn't have occurred.

"Could it be..."

A flash of insight struck him. Qin Sang recalled that during the tribulation, when the gray heavenly lightning struck him, a strange energy seemed to permeate his body.

At the time, he had to focus on surviving the tribulation and, not detecting any abnormalities, paid it no mind.

Could this gray tribulation lightning bring about a transformation within him?

For cultivators, every heavenly tribulation was both a difficult ordeal and an opportunity.

However, this was the first time Qin Sang had gained such immense benefits from a heavenly tribulation.

Qin Sang soon discovered that it wasn't just his physical cultivation that had improved; his primordial spirit and nascent soul also seemed to have undergone changes.

This was a complete transformation. To put it forcefully, he had drawn closer to the Great Dao. His previous understanding of the Dao had been biased and incomplete, but now it was perfected, and the benefits were self-evident.

"Do all cultivators who ascend from a Minor World undergo this? Although dangerous, surviving it is equivalent to receiving the recognition and bestowal of this world's Heavenly Dao. I wonder if future tribulations will also undergo changes..."

Qin Sang sighed inwardly.

From this, he increasingly felt that he had entered the Great World, possibly landing in a secluded corner of it.

Just then, Qin Sang suddenly remembered the Heavenly Eye Butterfly.

The Heavenly Eye Butterfly had consumed many bolts of tribulation lightning; would it also gain an opportunity like he had?

Qin Sang inwardly observed his dantian and saw the Heavenly Eye Butterfly resting quietly on his nascent soul's shoulder. He called out cautiously, but the Heavenly Eye Butterfly's response was somewhat sluggish.

"Is it digesting the tribulation lightning..."

Qin Sang's heart stirred.

The Heavenly Eye Butterfly was at the peak of its fourth transformation, facing a critical juncture for breakthrough. If it could benefit from the heavenly tribulation's fortune, it should greatly aid its advancement.

Of course, the Azure Frost Pill still needed to be refined, and he was currently gathering information on Hundred-Jointed Earth Bamboo.

**Gushan Prefecture, Heming Mountain**

Qin Sang returned to his cave dwelling, rested briefly, and then set off again, heading for Star Island Immortal Lake.

This journey was a plan Qin Sang had made before his tribulation. Firstly, he had an early agreement with True Immortal Zhijian; secondly, Star Island Immortal Lake, being a gathering place for cultivators' forces in Gushan Prefecture, made it easier to obtain the information he sought.

He intended to tour Star Island Immortal Lake on his way to visit True Immortal Zhijian, so he departed alone without alarming True Immortal Guzhou.

To the west of Gushan Prefecture lay an area entirely controlled by the Daoist Court. Xuandao City was the easternmost immortal city in this region, and its name alone revealed the Daoist Court's high hopes for it.

From Heming Mountain, one could travel west to Xuandao City and then take a teleportation array back to Baishi Prefecture. Qin Sang had visited this city before when he went to see Grandmaster Lingxu.

However, Qin Sang did not head west this time. After leaving Heming Mountain, he traveled northwest and, half a month later, arrived at an immortal city named Li City.

Although Li City had an ambiguous relationship with the Daoist Court, it was not under its direct governance. It was built by the combined forces of Gushan Prefecture and its scale could not compare to Xuandao City; it was even more insignificant compared to Heming Mountain.

Nevertheless, this small city was widely known throughout Gushan Prefecture.

Passing through Li City, then transiting through several immortal cities, each equipped with a teleportation array, all the way to Star Island Immortal Lake, was one of the safest and most convenient routes in Gushan Prefecture.

Geographically, Gushan Prefecture's north-south orientation resembled a funnel.

It widened towards the north and gradually narrowed towards the south, which was why the Daoist Court and the Ghostfang Kingdom chose to deploy their troops and confront each other in the Yellow Spring Path.

When Qin Sang infiltrated the Ghostfang Kingdom, including the time spent searching for the Four Seasons Dreamflower, the round trip took less than a year.

The north-south distance, however, was much greater, and since Star Island Immortal Lake was located at the northern end of Gushan Prefecture, relying solely on flight would be too slow.

Li City was built on a plain with an open view. Although not large in scale, its defenses were quite strict.

The city gates were bustling with people. Many Gushan Prefecture cultivators, after leaving Li City, would first detour west to Xuandao City before heading to Heming Mountain, which was a much safer route.

Qin Sang entered the city with the flow of people. As far as his eyes could see, over ninety percent of the cultivators were dressed in Daoist robes or crane cloaks.

Beneath these Daoist garments, their cultivation might not necessarily be from Daoist traditions, but they certainly all possessed Daoist Talismans.

Li City was essentially a transit point with little to see, so Qin Sang headed straight for the teleportation array.

**Yunfeng City**

This was an immortal city situated between Li City and Star Island Immortal Lake. Qin Sang emerged from Yunfeng City's teleportation array, but instead of continuing north, he recalled the topographical map in his memory and flew east after leaving the city.

Several days later, Qin Sang distantly spotted several north-south mountain ranges. Beyond the mountains lay expansive river deltas formed by river erosion, bustling with human activity.

Within the mountains, there were also several areas where cultivators had gathered.

He did not stop, continuing eastward. He saw undulating mountains, and within these ranges were many similar places.

These were the locations of the nearby sect gates.

Soon after, Qin Sang stopped before a spiritual and picturesque mountain range.

"Taoheng Mountain."

That name flashed through Qin Sang's mind.

When he returned from Star Valley to Heming Mountain years ago, he had first befriended the sect master of Taoheng Mountain while gathering information about Gushan Prefecture.

At the time of their acquaintance, the Taoheng Mountain sect master's cultivation was at the Nascent Soul mid-stage, known as the Ascension Realm mid-stage in this world, and he was approaching the bottleneck of the late Nascent Soul stage.

There was no shortage of Soul Transformation experts in this world, so for a dignified sect master to only be at the Nascent Soul mid-stage seemed somewhat weak. Qin Sang suspected that Taoheng Mountain might have hidden masters.

As Qin Sang traveled, he noticed many sects, large and small, clustered around Taoheng Mountain, like stars orbiting the moon.

The reason for this was that Taoheng Mountain possessed a Dharma Altar, giving it the qualification to confer Daoist Talismans!

This altar was called the Taoheng Sect Altar, but it was certainly not established by Taoheng Mountain itself. As for which Daoist sect it originally belonged to, Taoheng Mountain might not even know.

In Gushan Prefecture, not every sect or force possessed a Dharma Altar. If one wished to receive a Daoist Talisman, they could only seek assistance from those who had one.

It was precisely for this reason that these forces gathered around Taoheng Mountain, relying on its influence and, to some extent, acting as its vassals.

Therefore, the layout of Gushan Prefecture was very different from the Storm Realm. In the Storm Realm, sects were built according to spiritual veins, whereas here, sects primarily considered the Dharma Altar.

If they did not attach themselves to a force possessing a Dharma Altar, they could only use spirit stones and treasures to purchase the qualification for their disciples to receive talismans; otherwise, they would face the crisis of their lineage being severed.

It was imaginable how valuable a Dharma Altar was, inevitably coveted by others. Without sufficient strength, it couldn't be protected.

"Who goes there?"

Qin Sang did not conceal his presence. As soon as he arrived, he was noticed by the mountain-guarding disciples, who approached to question him.

"This humble Taoist, Qingfeng, has come to visit True Immortal Tao. Here is my visiting card," Qin Sang announced himself.

Upon learning that he was visiting their sect master, the mountain-guarding disciples did not dare to delay and promptly reported it. Soon, laughter echoed from within the mountains, and a Daoist in a green robe flew out—it was True Immortal Tao. "A distinguished guest has arrived! Please forgive our lack of proper welcome! Please forgive!"

The two conversed happily, arm in arm, as they entered the mountain.

After some pleasantries, True Immortal Tao asked, "Fellow Daoist, may I ask why you have ventured out this time? Is there anything this humble Taoist can assist you with?"

"Can I not simply pay you a special visit, fellow Daoist?" Qin Sang replied with a smile.

True Immortal Tao feigned displeasure. "I understand your nature, fellow Daoist. Thirty years ago, this humble Taoist invited you, yet you made me wait so long. Your resolve in pursuing the Dao is unwavering, and I am ashamed to say I fall short. Unless there was another important matter, I wouldn't expect you to leave your cave dwelling!"

"It's not that I was unwilling, but rather that circumstances made it impossible."

Qin Sang shook his head slightly. At that time, he was compelled by the heavenly tribulation, so how could he dare to be distracted?

True Immortal Tao did not press further, asking instead, "Fellow Daoist, did you personally come out this time to travel and select Daoist Talismans for your disciples?"

"Precisely, which is why this humble Taoist came directly to your esteemed sect," Qin Sang nodded.

When he first befriended True Immortal Tao years ago, Qin Sang had feigned an intention to take on a disciple and sought a suitable Daoist Talisman for them.

True Immortal Tao understood, saying, "This humble Taoist has not forgotten our agreement from back then; it is still valid today. As long as fellow Daoist chooses my Taoheng Sect Altar and becomes an honorary elder of Taoheng Mountain, your future successors can all receive talismans from the Taoheng Sect Altar."

Qin Sang mused, "Back then, this humble Taoist had not yet made a decision and had not thoroughly inquired about your esteemed sect's Daoist Talismans..."

"These are no secret."

True Immortal Tao thought for a moment and said, "Fellow Daoist, just follow me to the Talisman Conferral Hall, and you will know."

Qin Sang was taken aback. "Is that too presumptuous?"

As the name suggested, the Talisman Conferral Hall was where the sect conferred talismans, and as the core of the sect, the Dharma Altar was located within it, undoubtedly making it a forbidden area for all sects.

By then, True Immortal Tao had already risen and was walking towards the door, saying it was no matter.

True Immortal Tao was still unaware of Qin Sang's true cultivation level.

If Qin Sang intentionally concealed it, even cultivators of the same rank would find it difficult to discern, let alone him.

However, True Immortal Tao was very confident in the defenses of the Talisman Conferral Hall.

The Talisman Conferral Hall was the most heavily guarded place in the sect; even a Cavern Profound True Immortal wouldn't be able to gain an advantage by sneaking in, and he wasn't taking Qin Sang directly to the Taoheng Sect Altar itself.

Qin Sang understood this principle and wouldn't be so foolish as to cause trouble in a sect's forbidden area.

The Talisman Conferral Hall was located in a valley deep within Taoheng Mountain. From a vantage point, one could see a few scattered halls and pavilions within the valley.

Qin Sang had heard that Daoist sects' Talisman Conferral Halls typically had numerous grand and solemn temples dedicated to various deities, unlike Taoheng Mountain's simpler setup.

However, Taoheng Mountain was not a true inheritor of the Daoist tradition, so it did not adhere to those strict rules.

True Immortal Tao led Qin Sang to land outside the valley and entered a large hall where some ancient texts were stored.

"The Taoheng Sect Altar can confer the first layer, the Grand Unity Child Spirit Official General Talisman. By meditating on the water-aligned heavenly deities among the sixty Jiazi Tai Sui Gods, it is not difficult to summon altar-guarding divine generals. For advancement, we confer the Water Inspection Jade Talisman, which involves meditating on water-attribute heavenly deities. Based on experience, summoning the Golden Gate Bi Su Emissary as an altar-guarding divine general is the easiest..."

True Immortal Tao explained to him.

If it had been when Qin Sang first entered this world, he would have completely failed to grasp the meaning of True Immortal Tao's words.

Among Daoist sects, the Daoist Talismans differed. Each sect's heritage would encompass several types of talismans, arranged by rank, forming a complete system for the sect.

A complete system usually had a specific name, for example, the Heavenly Pivot Court's Official Merit Talismans, or the Northern Polaris Exorcism Institute's Northern Emperor Talismans.

The Daoist Talismans of the Taoheng Sect Altar were referred to by nearby cultivators as the Taoheng Mountain Talismans.

As True Immortal Tao explained, the Taoheng Mountain Talismans only consisted of two layers, as each layer corresponded to two major cultivation realms.

Upon entering the Dao, one would receive the Grand Unity Child Spirit Official General Talisman, corresponding to the Orthodox One Realm and the Virtue Realm. No further talismans were needed in between, allowing for normal cultivation.

This was equivalent to the Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment stages.

After that, one would return to the Sect Altar to be promoted and receive the Water Inspection Jade Talisman, allowing them to continue cultivating to the Cavern Divinity Realm and Ascension Realm, which was the peak of the Nascent Soul stage.

If someone from Taoheng Mountain could continue to break through beyond that, the Taoheng Sect Altar would have no further talismans to bestow, and they would have to seek them externally.

The Sixty Jiazi Tai Sui Gods and the Golden Gate Bi Su Emissary were all heavenly deities from Daoist legends.

The talismans correspond to heavenly deities, referring to these very beings. Only by successfully meditating on a heavenly deity can one summon an altar-guarding divine general.

When the original sect forged this Dharma Altar and passed down its talismans, the corresponding heavenly deities might not have been these few. Perhaps due to different cultivation methods, incomplete inheritance, or other reasons, Taoheng Mountain cultivators were unable to meditate on those original heavenly deities.

But it didn't matter; as long as they could meditate on similar heavenly deities and successfully summon an altar-guarding divine general, they could cultivate.

The Taoheng Mountain Talismans having only two layers confirmed True Immortal Zhijian's statement from years ago.

It would be very difficult for him to obtain higher-tier talismans!

Qin Sang sighed inwardly.

Unaware of Qin Sang's thoughts, True Immortal Tao continued to elaborate, "After your disciple receives their talisman, if they establish a Golden Seal Altar, the most suitable spiritual material is Silver Dew Tree Sap. Our sect has cultivated many Silver Dew Spirit Trees and can allocate a certain share to you, so at least your disciple won't have to worry before breaking through to the Cavern Divinity Realm."

He believed his sincerity was ample, but it wasn't easy to win over a top-tier expert.

True Immortal Tao looked at Qin Sang, awaiting his reply.

"Silver Dew Tree Sap..."

Qin Sang murmured to himself, recalling True Immortal Tao's recent explanation.

Judging by the talisman names and the heavenly deities to be meditated upon, it was clear that the Taoheng Mountain Talismans leaned more towards the Water Element among the Five Elements.

In fact, each type of Daoist Talisman had a different emphasis, with distinctions such as Five Elements, Yin and Yang, and were categorized accordingly.

Although all these talismans allowed for establishing altars and inviting deities, cultivators were advised to choose talismans that more closely aligned with their own cultivation methods, as it was said to offer certain benefits.

Based on Qin Sang's understanding of the "Primordial Spirit Sword Cultivation Chapter," this cultivation method could be described as formless. At the very least, all Five Element talismans should be considered suitable, though Qin Sang didn't expect to gain significant benefits.

If Sword Talismans or Slaughter Talismans existed in the world, perhaps they would be the most compatible with him.

Given this, Qin Sang's primary consideration was a talisman that would allow him to establish an altar most quickly.

Cultivators outside the Daoist sects primarily cultivated Golden Seal Altars. Even within Daoist sects, only a minority could afford to support Daoist soldiers.

The spiritual materials required to establish a Golden Seal Altar must have properties that align with the talisman, a process known as "Stabilizing the Talisman." Otherwise, even if the altar is barely established, there's a risk of instability.

It can be seen that establishing an altar is essentially about refining the special powers of these spiritual materials and integrating them with the talisman's power.

Considering himself, Qin Sang had long contemplated that two types of talismans would be most suitable for him: Fire Department Talismans and Lightning Department Talismans!

Rather than a Water Department Talisman like the Taoheng Mountain Talisman.

He possessed Vermilion Bird True Feathers and Heavenly Phoenix True Feathers. If he could use the true fire contained within these true feathers to establish an altar, wouldn't it be effortlessly easy to forge a sturdy talisman altar?

As for the Lightning Department, he had once hunted a ferocious beast, the Lightning Tortoise, in the Storm Realm and obtained its demonic bone and demonic core.

The demonic bone and demonic core possessed the Lightning Tortoise's innate lightning power. If he could refine them, he should be able to establish a Soul Transformation-level talisman altar.

He also had higher-tier options: within the Phoenix Wings, the Azure Luan's primordial lightning power was in no way inferior to the two types of true fire!