I Am Your Natural Enemy

Wen Yan stared at the ever-changing Calamity Protector Water Official Talisman on the back of his hand, waiting for the changes to complete. When they did, the subsequent information finally emerged.

”Calamity Protector Water Official Talisman, current progress 20%”

”Inherent trait: Never to drown.”

”Current effects:

Blessing: Without setting up an altar, you can imbue other Creatures with a trait that prevents them from drowning, allowing them to breathe freely underwater.

Affinity: You have an extremely high natural affinity for any water-related artifacts, Secret Techniques, Precious Decrees, Talismans, etc., which can make your Cultivation twice as effective.”

Upon seeing the completed transformation of the Treasure Talisman and the prompts that appeared, Wen Yan couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed. The first trait didn’t surprise him. Other Taoists who obtained the Calamity Protector Goddess Talisman during Impart Teaching, after setting up an altar for rituals, could first learn the Secret Technique to bestow the trait of protection from drowning upon themselves or others. This was fundamentally different from relying on certain water-avoiding treasures. Of course, the main reason was its strong replicability. As long as there was one Daoist Master with sufficient Cultivation, he could bless many people at once. After the Calamity Protector Water Official Talisman made progress, the first effect being the Blessing was also within Wen Yan’s expectations. But the second one left him somewhat confused. He couldn’t cultivate, so the greatest benefit of the second trait didn’t apply to him. If he could cultivate, his talent in water-related Daoist Skills would likely become incredibly strong overnight. He had now come to understand some of the terminology used in the prompts. To directly mention ”extremely high,” Wen Yan estimated that it must be at least comparable to the level of the Heavenly Spirit Root. Unfortunately, since he couldn’t cultivate, what use was this extremely high affinity to him? He looked it over carefully. This affinity certainly didn’t include Creatures. From the description, the word ”etc.” probably referred to things other than Creatures. If it included Creatures, Wen Yan wouldn’t have minded so much. He originally felt overwhelmed by those Daoist texts; they were confusing and difficult to comprehend. To actually follow them in Cultivation—he wouldn’t dare. A mishap during Cultivation wasn’t something as simple as injuring a muscle or spraining his back during physical training. After carefully examining and pondering the information for quite some time, he began to discern a hint of its meaning. Thinking about it, this should be helpful for averting calamities. The progression of his Calamity Protector Water Official Talisman wasn’t dependent on Cultivation. Wen Yan began to have a vague idea.

As he stood lost in thought at Old Zhao’s House Entrance, a light swayed toward him.

Wen Yan snapped back to reality. Pei Tugou had disappeared. It was clear that fellow didn’t want to interact with certain people.

Feng Yao, fully armed, stood far away, beckoning to him.

Wen Yan waved back and made a call.

”It’s all good now, just the finishing touches left.”

”Are you okay?”

”Me? I’m fine, feeling great. I’ll head home first to take a look; you guys handle the outside.”

Wen Yan returned home, turned on the lights, and the room was empty.

He went to the basement and first offered three sticks of incense to each of the four figures there.

Then, he took inventory of the items in the basement, putting everything back in its place.

The Xuan Beast Stone Sculpture, Tiger Stone Sculpture, Black Mountain Stone Sculpture, Shelves, He Changfeng’s Jade Pendant, Everbright Lamp, Chunjun Mace, Mountain Lord Tiger Bone, and a whole bunch of other miscellaneous items were all there.

Nothing seemed different from before.

Finding no problems, he left the basement and went upstairs.

At that moment, Gauss floated over on a bamboo broom as tall as a person, and Fourth Great-uncle Master also came along.

”Are you alright?”

”I’m fine.”

Fourth Great-uncle Master didn’t take Wen Yan’s word for it. He reached out, took one of Wen Yan’s hands, and checked his pulse. Then, he took out two Small Eight Trigrams Mirrors, mumbled an incantation, shone them over his own eyes, and thoroughly examined Wen Yan.

”Indeed, you’re fine, and you seem a bit stronger. Hmm, you seem to carry the aura of a Daoist Master.”

”I’ve always had a Treasure Talisman.”

”It’s different. You haven’t even completed Foundation Establishment yet, so how can you have the aura of a Daoist Master...?”

”Fourth Great-uncle Master, the path of Cultivation is not singular; it emphasizes heart and conduct over mere practice.”

Upon hearing this, Fourth Great-uncle Master’s expression grew solemn, and he respectfully bowed.

”I am enlightened.”

Wen Yan was startled and tried to dodge, but Fourth Great-uncle Master had already placed a hand on his shoulder, making him stand still and accept the bow.

This was something Wen Yan had blurted out, parroting what he had just learned from the prompts.

But who would have expected such a strong reaction from Fourth Great-uncle Master? Hearing this, it was as if a light sparked in his eyes; the fatigue vanished from his body without a trace, and his entire demeanor began to subtly change.

”Indeed, for a cultivator, paths are everywhere.”

Fourth Great-uncle Master laughed heartily, patted Wen Yan’s shoulder, and walked towards Wen Yan’s house.

As he moved, his aura kept changing, giving the impression that he might achieve Wind Riding at any moment.

Wen Yan watched Fourth Great-uncle Master’s retreating figure, somewhat bewildered. He truly didn’t understand what enlightenment Fourth Great-uncle Master had attained, nor why it had such a profound effect. He actually had some questions he wanted to ask Fourth Great-uncle Master, and he also wanted to discuss the recent events. But it seemed Fourth Great-uncle Master couldn’t wait to return.

Light on his feet, Fourth Great-uncle Master stepped into Wen Yan’s basement. With practiced ease, he used the Shelves to open the gateway to Fuyu Mountain. With a flicker of his form, he departed through the portal.