Humanity's Great Sage

Chapter 551: Way of Tattoos

<>

After leaving the Summit of Bamboos, he headed straight for the Summit of Clarity.

He hadn’t visited Lady Yun during this trip back to the sect, and it was also time for him to swap the old books for new ones. He had looked through the books he got from her plenty of times and knew each one like the back of his hand.

The Summit of Clarity was as peaceful as always. Even though there were also some disciples in the Crimson Blood Sect who could choose to freely enter and leave the sect and its Outpost, no one dared tread on the Summit of Clarity lightly, and Lu Ye was the only one who could come at will without prior notice.

When he reached the Summit of Clarity, he was brought before Lady Yun by her mute maid.

Lu Ye bowed respectfully in greeting.

He was very reverent of Lady Yun, and though his entry into the Way of Wards could be said to be due to his possession of the Tree of Glyphs, strictly speaking, Lady Yun was truly the one who led the way forward for him in this path. Though the two were not master and disciple by name, that relationship was their truth.

Lady Yun was undoubtedly very pleased with Lu Ye’s sense and talent as well, and she even had the idea to take Lu Ye in as her disciple in the past, but that never came to be for various reasons.

Even so, Lady Yun never held anything back when it came to teaching Lu Ye, showing no reservation as a true master would to their disciple.

Inside the hall, Lady Yun tested Lu Ye’s recent progress in the Way of Glyphs as usual while Lu Ye answered each of her questions and demonstrated his proficiency.

Despite receiving no praise from Lady Yun, Lu Ye could tell just from the look in her eyes that she was very satisfied with his growth in the Way of Wards.

Then, Lady Yun constructed a complex Glyph so that he may try to dispel it, which Lu Ye completed without a hitch.

This game where Lu Ye destroyed the Glyphs that Lady Yun constructed was a fast way for Glyphweavers to learn the structure of certain Glyphs. In Lady Yun’s words, Glyphweavers who could construct Glyphs were only drawing a scoop according to the gourd. Only by understanding how to quickly break a particular Glyph could one truly attain mastery over that Glyph.

After the test was over, Lady Yun smiled. “You are now qualified to be considered a true Glyphweaver. However, humility gains and fullness loses. Remember not to be complacent.”

“Yes,” Lu Ye answered respectfully. After some thought, he added, “This disciple wishes to learn the Way of Tattoos from the Lady.”

“Oh?” Lady Yun was surprised at that. “What suddenly spurred you to want to learn Tattooing? You have some proficiency in the Way of Wards, so why not further your attainments in that path instead?”

Lu Ye answered, “Naturally, this disciple has no intention of abandoning the Way of Wards, but besides that, this disciple also wishes to delve into the Way of Tattoos. Right now, the sect is developing, but it is still young and the disciples are weak. In the future, when they venture out of the Spirit Creek Battlefield and into the Cloud River Battlefield, they will eventually bump shoulders with others and get into fights. If this disciple can learn the Way of Tattoos, I can also help tattoo them with Glyphs that would provide some help to them.”

Lady Yun couldn’t help but laugh at that. “These should be matters that that Old Fart should be mulling over. You need only focus on your own cultivation.”

Naturally, the Old Fart was referring to the Sect Master.

Lu Ye insisted, “This disciple also wishes to help. Moreover, it doesn’t hurt to learn more skills, and even if understanding more things doesn’t necessarily bring about any benefits, it couldn’t be a bad thing to know more.”

Lady Yun nodded with a smile. “Since you have the heart to learn, then learn you shall. Tattoo Artistry is a branch from the art of Glyph Weaving. Since you have Tattoos yourself, you should know what they are.”

Lu Ye nodded.

“However, having the ability to construct a Glyph doesn’t give you the ability to Tattoo that Glyph on a person’s body. It requires fine techniques and control over one’s Spiritual Power. Furthermore, you’ll need the help of special materials that are not limited to the blood of various beasts, herbs, and so on. Oftentimes, the materials required for each type of Tattoo were also different.

Since she agreed to guide Lu Ye in the Way of Tattoos, Lady Yun began imparting all kinds of knowledge regarding Tattoos to Lu Ye. Even if he already knew all this information, Lu Ye still listened seriously.

To receive guidance from a top Glyphweaver like Lady Yun was a rare and precious opportunity for anyone.

And, through Lady Yun’s teachings, Lu Ye gradually gained a systematic understanding of the Way of Tattoos.

Only then did he realize that the Way of Tattoos was not as straightforward as he had expected. However, Lu Ye had a unique advantage when it came to his wish of cultivating the Way of Tattoos.

That came in the form of Spiritual Power control and a powerful mind. No other cultivator at his level should be able to surpass him in these areas.

Time gradually went by, and Lady Yun’s earnest lecture lasted several hours before coming to an end, where she called out to Lu Ye. “Come with me.”

Lu Ye got up and followed.

Soon, the two of them arrived at a book storage room.

Lady Yun swept her gaze around the room and with a casual gesture, books of varying thicknesses flew off the shelves. There were about a dozen or so books in total, which she placed in front of Lu Ye.

“These are the works of different Tattoo Artists, each offering their fundamental insights into the Way of Tattoos. Take your time to look through them, and I will teach you more tomorrow.”

“Yes.”

For Lu Ye, reading was not a chore. Ever since he began practicing the Way of Glyphs with Lady Yun, he had perused at least hundreds of books on the subject.

In the Spirit Creek Battlefield and the Cloud River Battlefield, as long as he had some free time, he enjoyed studying, and it had become something of a habit for him.

Opening one of the books, Lu Ye earnestly read through its contents.

Lady Yun had already left.

After one whole night, Lu Ye managed to finish the dozen or so books. These works were not exceedingly profound, so they were ready to read, and he also gained valuable insights from them.

The next day, Lady Yun went straight to the book storage and continued instructing Lu Ye more on the Way of Tattoos.

The same pattern repeated itself. In the morning, Lady Yun provided Lu Ye with lessons. At night, Lu Ye would immerse himself in reading within the room, days passing by uneventfully.

Ten days later, after assessing Lu Ye’s theoretical knowledge of the Way of Tattoos, Lady Yun nodded with satisfaction. “You’ve grasped the fundamentals of the Way of Tattoos quite well. Now, what’s left is the practical application. The Way of Tattoos is all about practice, and it also carries significant risks. This aspect sets it apart from other branches of Glyph mastery.”

Nevertheless, Tattooing required leaving a mark on a living being to be effective. If a Tattoo Artist’s technique was not proficient enough, or their skill lacked precision, then a failed tattoo could be a minor concern or even cause irreversible harm to the recipient.

If that were the case, then it would be troublesome.

“Before you begin your practicals, you need your own set of tools.” Saying so, Lady Yun extended her hand, and a jade box appeared in her palm, which she pushed in front of Lu Ye. “This is a set of needles I used in my earlier years. It’s been idle for many years, so I’m giving it to you today.”

Lu Ye respectfully accepted it. “Thank you, Madam.”

This gift was of great help to him. Without Lady Yun’s gift, he would have had to find a set of needles himself. Perhaps the Vault of Providence might have some for sale, but it would likely cost a significant amount of Contributions, and the quality wouldn’t compare to the set that Lady Yun had given him.

Upon opening the jade box, Lu Ye found it neatly arranged with 49 needles of varying lengths. He picked up one and noticed it was hollow, designed for injecting materials like a concoction of beast blood and herbs…

Furthermore, these needles varied not only in length but also in hardness. Some were incredibly rigid, while others were extremely flexible.

Each needle had its purpose. When Tattoo Artists engraved a Glyph, multiple needles with different properties were often needed to complete the process.

“Initially, while practicing Tattoos, you should choose simpler Glyphs. Through continuous practice, you will become familiar with the techniques, and once your skills are refined, you can move on to more complex Tattoos.”

“Understood,” Lu Ye responded, but he was curious. “But, Madam, what should I use to practice?”

Lady Yun gave him a knowing smile. “There is only one initial practice subject for a Tattoo Artist, and that is yourself, of course!”

Lu Ye’s eyelid twitched slightly. He had thought of using some wild beasts or Spirit Beasts for practice.

“It’s only through working on your own body that you can accurately grasp the essence of Tattoos and become better acquainted with the force behind the needles. After all, your body’s feedback is the most authentic and clear. At the outset of your practise, don’t aim to achieve greatness immediately and try to Tattoo a full Glyph directly. Instead, start from the basic elements of Yin and Yang, treating it as if you’re learning the Way of Glyphs again from the beginning.”

“Disciple understands.”

Smiling, Lady Yun raised her hand, and a jade bottle appeared before Lu Ye.

“This bottle contains a type of medicinal concoction that you can use for practice. Even if you fail, it won’t harm you.”

After a short while, Lady Yun left. Lu Ye stared at the needles and the bottle before him and pondered for a moment. Then, he rolled up his right sleeve to reveal his arm while picking up a needle with his left hand, dipping it into the medicinal concoction, and quickly and decisively pricked his right arm.

The technique of needle insertion was already deeply ingrained in him. The process required speed, precision, and stability. At the moment of insertion, he had to inject the material contained in the needle into his body in order to form a primary element. Each needle could only form a single element, meaning the more intricate a Glyph was, the more jabs were required.

To control one’s mental focus and Spiritual Power was undoubtedly a significant challenge.

On the first needle prick, he failed, unsurprisingly.

Activating Spiritual Power to construct Yin and Yang was relatively easy for Lu Ye, but constructing Yin and Yang with a needle was an entirely different level of difficulty.

Lady Yun’s suggestion to treat it as a new beginning in cultivating the Way of Glyph was not without merit.

Lu Ye felt like a novice exploring Glyphs for the first time, and he had to start from scratch in every aspect.

The first time was a failure, the second time was a failure, then a third, a fourth…

Little fine needle holes were constantly appearing on Lu Ye’s right arm. Through the holes, a faint purple color could be seen, which was the color of the medicinal concoction.

Two hours later, as Lu Ye pricked the needle into his body, a complete primary element was finally constructed.

He raised an eyebrow and immediately dipped the needle again to continue the next attempt.

<>