On the streets of Liyue, people were still immersed in the grand finale of Wind and Cloud.
Just then, a brand-new comic quietly appeared on the shelves.
Those standing in line noticed the new arrival and couldn't help showing confusion. One of them asked, "Hey, what's this comic? It doesn't look like Wind and Cloud."
The new comic didn't have the same bold and vigorous style of a martial arts story. The characters appeared somewhat laid-back, giving off a strange feeling overall.
Hearing someone ask, the shop clerk smiled and, as instructed by his boss, began his pitch: "Ah, this one's tailored to modern tastes. It's about ordinary people cultivating to become immortals, meant to fulfill everyone's fantasy of cultivation."
Cultivation? That sounded fresh.
The fans present couldn't help but brighten up. They had to admit, a story about becoming an immortal sounded far more exciting than martial arts.
"Say no more, give me a full set! I've always admired immortals. If I don't buy it now.. heh, once this gets popular, I won't even be able to find a copy!"
"Exactly! Old Liu was just saying while reading Wind and Cloud, if that story took place in our Liyue, Second Dream wouldn't have died. The immortals would've stepped in to help."
"I'm curious to see how one cultivates immortality."
Su Han's marketing pitch had successfully sparked people's imaginations about cultivation.
In Liyue, not only were there legends of immortals, true immortals really existed. And as one fan said, if you didn't buy it now, you might not be able to later once it exploded in popularity.
Thus, Under One Person began selling immediately.
A poster for Under One Person was also displayed beside the shop.
The image showed a young man surrounded by golden light, holding silver-white lightning, looking incredibly cool. Beneath him were a few lines of bold golden text:
"Do you want to understand the world of cultivators?"
"Do you want to know why it's so hard for mortals to become immortals?"
"Do you want to learn the secret of why even powerful mortals still can't ascend?"
"Under One Person, Fulfilling all your fantasies about mortals becoming immortals!"
With such a tagline, who wouldn't get excited upon seeing it?
There was no fanfare this time, but more and more people were buying the new comic.
"Hm? A comic about cultivation? Isn't that nonsense? If it causes trouble for the immortals, wouldn't that be a sin?"
Among the crowd, a young man with light blue hair frowned as he read the sign at the entrance.
He was an exorcist, subduing demons, dispelling evil, and banishing spirits was his duty. Though he knew a few spells, he couldn't truly call himself a cultivator.
Yet this comic claimed it would let people "understand cultivation"? That sounded like a scam.
"No matter. Let me see what this thing is first. If it's fake, then even if I offend someone, I can't allow such deceitful nonsense to spread. I'm a professional fraud-buster!"
Resolute in his conviction, the young man soon reached the front of the line. Chongyun bought three copies of Wind and Cloud and two of Under One Person.
Perhaps no one knew he was a Wind and Cloud fan himself. But precisely because he loved it, Chongyun didn't want to see the shopkeeper led astray by flashy gimmicks.
After all, Chongyun knew better than most that immortals truly existed. If the boss promoted "cultivation" so recklessly and angered an immortal, even ten lives wouldn't be enough to pay for it.
After receiving his comics, Chongyun found a quiet corner and began to read.
The story opened with a young man named Zhang Chulan, who received news that his grandfather's grave had been dug up, setting the story in motion.
While being chased by a corpse, Zhang Chulan unleashed a burst of tremendous power, scorching the ground black.
Chongyun couldn't help exclaiming, "What kind of spell is this? The power's unusual, almost comparable to my own techniques!"
As the story continued, Zhang Chulan revealed the "Golden Light Spell," a protective incantation, yet he still couldn't defeat a girl named Bao'er.
That was nothing, the real climax came with the appearance of Zhang Lingyu, showcasing a duel of lightning arts.
Black and white lightning.
Two bolts of thunder exploded in midair, unleashing tremendous force.
"So this is lightning magic? Controlling lightning without a Vision… incredible."
In his astonishment, Chongyun didn't even notice his popsicle melting away.
The second volume was even more intense.
The Dragon Tiger Mountain Tournament.
The Celestial Masters Sect held an open selection for successors. Talented young geniuses from all over gathered at Dragon Tiger Mountain. When Chongyun saw Zhuge Qing appear, his jaw dropped.
Clack.
The remaining half of his popsicle fell to the ground.
His eyes locked on the Eight Trigrams formation depicted in the comic. Though his cultivation was shallow, he had enough knowledge to recognize that this mysterious formation seemed to contain immense power.
His family was also an exorcist lineage, they had their own inherited Taiji Eight Trigrams Formation.
But the formation in the comic didn't look quite the same.
"Right, I'll let Father take a look!"
Since he couldn't understand it himself, why not ask his father, a skilled exorcist, for help?
Chongyun rushed home, clutching the comic. When he handed it to his father, the elder was just as astonished.
"This formation is extremely profound. Though I can't grasp all its secrets, I can see the interplay of mutual generation and restraint among the Five Elements. Yun'er, where did you get this?"
Helpless, Chongyun replied, "Father, it's just a comic! The boss who sells Wind and Cloud started selling this one. I thought it was just a gimmick, but there's real stuff inside!"
"I see. Then I suggest you stop meddling."
His father stroked his beard, seemingly guessing the truth.
But Chongyun didn't understand and asked, "Why, Father?"
"Last time, when our clan wanted to confront that man for 'slandering the Qilin,' we were told at the last moment that it was all a misunderstanding, the immortal had already explained everything. I suspect this comic might also be something spread under an immortal's guidance.
Such a profound formation… Let me study it. Perhaps I'll gain new insight."
As his father walked off with the comic, Chongyun blinked and quickly said, "Wait, Father! I haven't finished reading yet... ah, forget it. I'll just get someone to buy me another copy."
He didn't dare fight his father over it, getting punished to stand outside was a nightmare.
At Yujing Terrace.
In Granny Ping's courtyard, the True Lord Liuyun Borrowing the Wind, who was supposed to have left, was somehow still there. At the moment, she was holding a freshly printed comic, Under One Person.
The immortal's reading progress was about the same as Chongyun's. When she saw the scene where people looked down on Zhang Chulan, she spoke with disdain:
"Mere mortals, do they really think Zhang Chulan lacks strength? If he had no ability, how could he have reached this point? For cultivators, both perception and temperament are indispensable. Most mortals are impatient and easily swayed by emotion, that's why so few are fit to cultivate! Don't you agree, Ping?"
Granny Ping chuckled. "It's only a story. I don't have much opinion on it. But I do think Su Han's intentions are quite admirable. To help the people of Liyue remember the immortals, he even released a new comic.
Ordinary people always think immortals are lofty and powerful, maybe even think they could become one themselves. Now that they have a frame of reference, perhaps fewer will bother you all. Isn't that right, Liuyun?"
Granny Ping smiled kindly at the beautiful immortal before her. If Liuyun Borrowing the Wind were not in her crane form, she would indeed be stunning, but constant harassment from mortals had long made her prefer her avian guise.
Liuyun Borrowing the Wind adjusted her glasses and agreed. "Yes, such thoughtfulness is rare. From now on, mortals who wish to cultivate will at least need to ask themselves whether they are truly worthy.
But what interests me more is the mysterious formation in this comic. I ran a few calculations just now, it actually functions! There's real power within it. Could Su Han have embedded his parents' techniques in the comic?
That would be far too reckless."
Of course, Liuyun Borrowing the Wind had never seen such a version of the Eight Trigrams Formation. But as a master of arrays herself, the origin of many formations and trigram applications in the mortal world, her curiosity was piqued.
Moments ago, she had tried deducing the formation, and to her shock, the array diagram actually stirred the air, a faint breeze arose around her.
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