The Magus Era

After the eight-hundred children had kowtowed to Ji Hao as a ceremony of inviting teaching, within the light released by Po, Yu Yu’s silhouette gave a faint smile. He then lowered its head and exclaimed ‘Great’ with a deep yet strong voice.

Po’s body quivered instantly. He was shocked by the silhouette of Yu Yu, which had just unexpectedly talked. Hurriedly, he saluted to Yu Yu’s silhouette in the light while calling ‘Shifu.’

Yu Yu’s right hand slightly moved. A few light spots flew out, drifting and landing in front of Ji Hao.

Those were three books, a bronze bell, a tablet and twelve flags which were sparkling with starry light, a magic formation blueprint and a fist-sized, cyan-colored lotus seed. After Ji Hao took over the few objects, Yu Yu’s silhouette in the light stream gradually dissipated, leaving a resounding voice that lingered in the air, saying ‘wonderful.’

“I didn’t think that this could even catch our Shifu’s attention,” said Po. He then pointed at the bronze bell held in Ji Hao’s hand, grinned and said, “This is a refreshing divine bell, can deliver the effect of dispelling both inner and outer evilness. With one bell ring, all minds within the area of ten-thousand miles in radius will calm down, and all living creatures will be able to maintain the original purity.”

“These flags together form the twelve-star, space-twisting formation. This formation has an extremely strong defensive power. You can use it to guard the gate of your dojo. With this formation, people would never be able to step into your dojo without knowing the secret of this formation at all.” Po then pointed at the blueprint and continued, “This blueprint can coordinate with the twelve flags twelve-star space-twisting formation. It’s not as powerful and magical as the blueprint of our Shifu’s sword formation, yet it will allow you to easily control everything within the area of three-thousand miles in radius.”

Through the battle in Evil Dragon Bay, Ji Hao had already learned about all kinds of benefits Yu Yu’s sword formation could deliver. Although this formation was not as powerful as Yu Yu’s sword formation, it was able to control the whole area with a radius of three-thousand miles. This meant that this was already an extremely rare treasure. Ji Hao couldn’t help but praise with a shout of ‘wonderful!’.

Po picked that cyan-colored jade tablet up, glanced at those children and pointed his finger towards them. Following his move, a wave of cyan light spots flew out from the jade tablet, quickly transforming into eight-hundred fist sized tablets, drifting before those children’ faces.

Handing the tablet back to Ji Hao, Po smiled and said, “In the future, when you take more disciples, you can use this mother-tablet to make smaller tablets and give to your disciples, to represent their identities as disciples of our sect. Although those small tablets are not too powerful, they can cast dust and poisons away, shelter their owners from wind and rain. And when meditating, these small tablets can keep their owners’ minds calm and clear to certain extents.”

“Most importantly, every small tablet can make a direct connection with the mother tablet. Through the mother tablet, you, Ji Hao, will be able to know where your disciples are and if they are in any harm. These tablets also have other magical functions that you will soon find out.” said Po smilingly while pointing at the mother tablet, “You have so many disciples after all. How would you be able to manage them if everything was in a mess?”

Ji Hao came to realize the importance of this mother tablet. He sent a stream of spiritual power into the mother tablet, then carefully put it into his pocket.

Judging by the fact that Yu Yu had gifted Ji Hao this mother tablet, which was such a powerful treasure, Yu Yu must have a plan to widely take disciples and expand the sect as well. Otherwise, how could he craft such a powerful tablet within such short span of time?

“As for this lotus seed,” said Po with a gentle smile while looking at that cyan-colored lotus seed, “Lotus is a magical creature of nature, containing so much mysterious, magical power, especially in the eyes of cultivators like us. This lotus seed has an extraordinary origin, it was a pre-world being. Plant it in your dojo, and you will have not only an extra beautiful scene but incalculably great effects will also be delivered. Ji Hao, you will find out about them in the future.”

By the end, Po stroked through the three books held in Ji Hao’s hands.

The three books were made from unknown materials, their color being same as jade. Characters written on the three books were golden and shining, profound and mysterious. These books were entirely wrapped in coiling purple mist, which had been rotating around the books like streams of water.

“These three books are scriptures. You must treasure them and keep them carefully in your collection. From simple terms to complicated terms, teach your disciples step by step.” Po looked at the three books and said solemnly, “Although these three scriptures are not as great as the secret magic regarding the great Dao that our Shi Fu taught us himself, these are also authentic knowledge that belongs to our sect. These are passed down through generations as well. You have to be careful and cautious, and mustn’t teach these to wrong people.”

“Yes.” Ji Hao responded seriously. He carefully packed these treasures up one after another, turned around and looked at the eight-hundred disciples of his, who had been taken by him just now.

“From this day onwards, you shall concentrate on cultivation. Your parents are all slaves I purchased from Pu Ban city, but because of you, today, they will regain the status of civilians. They are also the first batch of true clansmen of Yao Mountain territory.” Looking at these children, Ji Hao said seriously, “Your future is held in your own hands. Do not waste your time in here and fail this fortune you just attained.”

The eight-hundred children all kneeled and kowtowed to Ji Hao, unable to help but show happy grins one after another.

They were all slaves, and so were their parents. Ji Hao had taken them as disciples and set their parents free, making them free clansmen. How could they not be happy about that?

Under Ji Hao’s guidance, these children cut their fingers open and dripped their blood on their tablet. After that, those tablets transformed into streams of cyan light and each flew into each child’s forehead. Next, a faint stream of cyan mist slowly rose from between their eyebrows.

Since Yao Mountain city was still under construction, Ji Hao didn’t spend too much effort on choosing the site for the dojo.

Right next to the small cave opened up by Po, Ji Hao released his power and opened tens of different sized caves up, then created a large cave which could contain thousands of people, inside the mountain. He told the other clansmen to prepare some grain, cooking oil and soul firewoods, blankets and other living supplies, with which he set up a simple dojo.

Under the ceiling of the largest cave, a portrait of Yu Yu was hanging, and under the portrait, was a censor. Every day, disciples would light up new incense sticks in it and keep this area clean.

Ji Hao made his disciples do the work themselves. Those children collected some soft and tensile vines and wove those vines into eight-hundred hassocks, orderly placing in the cave. He did some work himself too, by making three large hassocks and placing them right under Yu Yu’s portrait. Hence, a simple dojo was done.

Ji Hao chose an auspicious day, invited Po to sit on the hassock in the middle, and as Ji Hao’s big brother, Po gave the very first lecture in this simple dojo. Ji Hao sat next to Po without saying a word, only listening to Po with full concentration.

Po put one of the three books given by Yu Yu in front of him and opened the first page.

He took a deep gasp and instantly, a clear bright light was released, lighting up the entire cave, as dense clouds of purple smoke rose from the censer behind him. A faint aroma dispelled the dust and a funny smell in the cave made everybody suddenly concentrated.

Po’s pair of eyes abruptly began shining with a bright light while a cyan-colored cloud rose, floating around his head. Purple mist streams had been coiling within the cloud while multiple golden light spots were sparkling around it, constantly forming the images of all kinds of beautiful treasures, swinging all over the sky.

Followed by a deep yet strong shout, Po started the lecture regarding the skill of absorbing natural powers, which was also the most basic part of the knowledge system created by Yu Yu.

Using the human body as a stove, the natural powers as firewood, drawing the natural powers into the human body; the power contained in human blood was used to turn the after-world into pre-world, stimulate the powers contained in internal organs, balance the inner powers and regulate Yin and Yang…

A magical light had been shining in the simple and rough cave, while the silhouettes of numerous cyan lotuses gradually drifted down from the air and ceaselessly landed on the bodies of these children.

Ji Hao narrowed his eyes and constantly raised his eyebrows while listening to Po.

He combined the knowledge taught by Po with his [Mantra Dan with Nine Secret Words], and suddenly gained a deeper understanding regarding the great Dao of Nature.

Time passed day after day, and every day, either Po would hold lectures in Ji Hao’s dojo or Ji Hao would teach things himself. These eight hundred children had thrown themselves entirely into the magical ocean of knowledge regarding the great Dao of nature, and were building a solid foundation for their future cultivation bit by bit.

Flowers bloomed and faded. A year of time had passed as quickly as the flow of water.