I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times

Chapter 62: Mock Exam

The world before Zheng Fa’s eyes reminded him of a small pond outside the Zhao family estate.

In spring and summer, the pond would teem with countless tiny fish.

The fish were so small that if you tried to catch them with your hand, their slender bodies would slip right through the narrow gaps between your fingers.

As a child, Zheng Fa had been a bit mischievous. Occasionally, he would throw a stone into the pond just to watch the fish scatter in frantic disarray.

Now, he felt like karma had come for him—

Because there were so many fish!

Looking around the courtyard, he felt as though he had been thrown into that pond.

There seemed to be countless tiny fish swimming before his eyes. Their movements formed strange and intricate patterns, much like talisman diagrams.

The world around him appeared veiled in layers of overlapping webs, dividing it into countless fragmented sections.

The tiny fish swam everywhere—through the sky, on the walls, across the ground, and even on the blades of grass in the corners of the courtyard.

He could see them on the Eldest Young Lady and the Seventh Young Master, on their heads, and even in the airflow passing in and out of their nostrils as they breathed.

“With this Lingyan Talisman, what you’re seeing is the world as a talisman master sees it while crafting talismans,” Senior Sister Zhang’s voice explained. “Talisman diagrams, also called talisman glyphs, have different interpretations depending on the talisman master.”

“Some say they’re the manifestation of the Heavenly Dao, a type of script,” she continued. “But I believe talisman diagrams are the traces left by the flow of spiritual energy. The world itself is formed by spiritual energy, so talisman diagrams are the world itself!”

Zheng Fa was stunned. These tiny fish were actually what they called spiritual energy?

“Regardless of what talisman diagrams are, one thing is universally agreed upon: when we use spiritual power or spiritual ink to trace these patterns, it creates a resonance with the world around us.”

With that, Senior Sister Zhang used her finger to draw a complex talisman diagram.

Zheng Fa watched as some of the "fish" began to move faster, gathering at her fingertips. As her finger moved, the fish coalesced into a golden talisman at the tip.

Moments later, the talisman ascended into the sky and disappeared.

A faint green cloud formed above the courtyard, and a light drizzle began to fall, soaking the earth.

In the corners of the courtyard, the plants and grass grew as if they had been given a powerful tonic, their wild growth threatening to topple the walls.

“This is the Little Rain Talisman,” Senior Sister Zhang said to the Seventh Young Master. “Did you see the traces of spiritual energy that were drawn to it? What were their patterns?”

“They all corresponded to the talisman diagram of the Little Rain Talisman’s Yuan Fu!” the Seventh Young Master exclaimed in sudden realization. “So that’s what it means to correspond with the talisman diagram?”

Senior Sister Zhang nodded. “Correct. By drawing a specific talisman diagram, you attract the spiritual energy that corresponds to that diagram.”

She then drew another, even more intricate diagram. “This is also a Little Rain Talisman.”

“And this one too,” she added, drawing yet another diagram so quickly that even Zheng Fa couldn’t follow her movements.

Each time she finished a diagram, the "fish" in the air gathered, a green cloud formed, a drizzle fell, and the grass grew wildly again—almost to the point of tearing down the courtyard walls.

“All of these have the same effect. However, only this,” Senior Sister Zhang said, drawing two overlapping circles, “is the Yuan Fu of the Little Rain Talisman. It’s the original talisman diagram we talisman masters use.”

“If they all work the same, why not just use any of them?” the Seventh Young Master asked, puzzled.

“The Yuan Fu is the essence of talisman diagrams, the embodiment of simplicity in the Dao. How could it be the same as other diagrams?” Senior Sister Zhang looked at the still-confused Seventh Young Master and asked, “Still don’t get it?”

The Seventh Young Master shook his head.

The Eldest Young Lady softly remarked, “My brother’s a bit slow, Senior Sister Zhang. Please be patient with him.”

After a brief pause, Senior Sister Zhang said, “Because the Yuan Fu has the fewest strokes, it’s cheaper.”

“Huh?”

“When crafting talismans, you need talisman paper and spiritual ink. Even if you can draw talismans in the air like me, it still consumes spiritual power. Drawing complex diagrams wastes paper and ink, and if your spiritual power is insufficient, you could even suffer from cultivation deviation. That’s why everyone uses Yuan Fu. Now, do you understand?”

The Seventh Young Master nodded vigorously.

Zheng Fa also nodded secretly. Why not just say that from the start?

“A thousand years ago, you could draw whichever talisman you liked. But now, spiritual energy is depleting, and spiritual materials are scarce…” Senior Sister Zhang’s expression suddenly turned grim. “If you dare to waste spiritual materials by not using Yuan Fu, the talisman masters of the Hundred Immortals Alliance will swarm you like wolves.”

Zheng Fa: “?”

Spiritual energy depletion?

So now they’re even skimping on ink? What a pitiful decline…

For the first time, he felt that even disciples of the Immortal Sect didn’t have it easy.

…

“Then I’ll just learn the Yuan Fu. It’s so simple. Why bother learning all these corresponding talisman diagrams?” the Seventh Young Master grumbled, his tone full of frustration as he uttered the words "talisman diagrams."

Zheng Fa could fully sympathize with the Seventh Young Master’s resentment, knowing how the "sea of diagrams" strategy had tormented him.

“If you want spiritual energy to gather at your Yuan Fu, you must first recognize it. Only if you recognize it, will it recognize you.”

Zheng Fa froze.

That phrasing—spiritual energy sounded as if it were sentient.

But Senior Sister Zhang didn’t seem to dwell on the philosophical implications. Instead, she simply said, “The more corresponding talisman diagrams you can identify while crafting a talisman, the more spiritual energy you can attract. This determines the power of your talisman. Of course, this also depends on your cultivation level, as you can only see talisman diagrams within the range of your divine sense.”

“Now, do you understand why the foundation of talisman crafting lies in the Yuan Fu?”

The Seventh Young Master nodded.

Senior Sister Zhang tapped her finger lightly, and the world before Zheng Fa’s eyes returned to normal.

“That’s why the talisman aptitude test at the Immortal Talent Conference is simple.” Senior Sister Zhang gestured, and a scroll lying on the table floated in front of the Seventh Young Master.

“They test your ability to identify talisman diagrams that correspond to a specific Yuan Fu among a large number of diagrams.”

The Seventh Young Master’s eyes widened. “A sea of diagrams?”

“A sea of what?”

“Uh… nothing.”

Senior Sister Zhang didn’t seem to care. She drew a basic Yuan Fu in the air. “This is the Yuan Fu for the Breeze Talisman. Now, find its corresponding diagrams on the scroll by tapping on the ones you think are correct.”

Zheng Fa nodded to himself. A mock exam was indeed a reliable way to assess a student’s aptitude.

The Seventh Young Master took a deep breath, his expression grim as he focused on the floating scroll.

The Eldest Young Lady clenched her fists tightly, tension visible in her stance.

“Begin.”

One talisman diagram after another appeared and vanished on the scroll, each in the blink of an eye.

The Seventh Young Master hesitated at first, taking several deep breaths before quickly tapping on the scroll.

“Stop.”

The talisman diagrams faded away, leaving the scroll blank again.

Senior Sister Zhang frowned slightly, her expression filled with confusion as she looked at the Seventh Young Master.

His breathing was heavy, and his gaze was full of unease.

“Try the Vajra Talisman.”

“Let’s do another.”

“Now this one.”

Each time a Yuan Fu was tested, Senior Sister Zhang’s frown deepened.

Her expressions caused cold sweat to bead on the Seventh Young Master’s forehead as his dejection grew more apparent.

The Eldest Young Lady clenched her fists tighter, the veins on her hands visible to Zheng Fa.

Finally, the scroll stopped displaying diagrams, and Senior Sister Zhang fell into silent contemplation.

“Senior Sister Zhang?” the Eldest Young Lady asked anxiously. “If my brother is beyond teaching, I’ll send you back at once.”

“I shouldn’t have come,” Senior Sister Zhang murmured, nodding slowly.

The Seventh Young Master lowered his head, avoiding both his sister’s and Zheng Fa’s gazes.

“His accuracy with the tested Yuan Fu exceeded thirty percent. If it’s above thirty percent for all thirty-six basic Yuan Fu, that qualifies as top-tier talisman aptitude. He doesn’t need my instruction.”

“What?”

“Have the standards at the Immortal Talent Conference risen these past two sessions?” Senior Sister Zhang wondered aloud, puzzled. “I haven’t heard anything.”

“...” The Seventh Young Master suddenly lifted his head. “I knew it! I’m a talisman prodigy!”

Thirty percent accuracy qualifies as top-tier aptitude?

Is top-tier talent that worthless? Zheng Fa thought, recalling Old Man Bai’s notebook boasting an eighty to ninety percent accuracy rate.

I’d better start being nicer to Bai Yuanying.

“Senior Sister Zhang, how about testing him some more?” the Eldest Young Lady asked, glancing at her silly brother who was grinning ear to ear. “Does he look like a talisman prodigy to you?”

If Zheng Fa hadn’t seen her amused squint, he might have believed the disdain in her tone.

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