As the sect's reputation soared, cultivators across the land whispered of an even older legacy—one buried beneath storms and winds for over a thousand years: the Eight Wind Temples, sanctuaries once devoted to the ancient art of Talisman Dao.
Unlike other arts, talismans were not simply symbols drawn on paper or carved into jade—they were manifestations of natural will, borrowed from the elements, sealed through intent, and wielded like temporary divine decrees.
But the art had nearly vanished after the temples fell in the Great Wind Collapse.
Until now.
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The Temple Map and the Wind-Sealed Box
While exploring the ruins of an ancient skyship that had crashed into a cliff face, one of the sect's formation disciples uncovered a rusted, wind-sealed box. Inside were:
A sky-spun map etched with qi-ink.
Fragments of eight talismans, each pulsing with an elemental wind: East Gale, West Slash, North Ice, South Flame, Inner Whisper, Outer Roar, Sky Ascend, and Earth Fall.
The Main Character immediately recognized the signature: this was the Breath Script, an extinct talisman language that turned natural wind currents into ink paths of power.
To understand it, one had to listen to the wind, not draw against it.
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Journey to the Temples
The Eight Temples were scattered across dangerous regions:
1. Temple of East Gale – hidden in floating grasslands that moved with the wind.
2. Temple of West Slash – buried beneath a canyon carved by bladed storms.
3. Temple of North Ice – sealed under eternal hail, guarded by frozen beasts.
4. Temple of South Flame – buried in a volcano that roared when lies were spoken.
5. Temple of Inner Whisper – hidden in a forest of echoing leaves.
6. Temple of Outer Roar – on a thundercloud sea that never stopped growling.
7. Temple of Sky Ascend – located on a levitating mountain spiral.
8. Temple of Earth Fall – reversed underground, where falling rocks floated upward.
The sect sent expedition teams, led by students specialized in both formations and talisman arts. They weren't just reclaiming the temples—they were learning their stories.
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The Wind Spirits' Tests
Each temple was protected by Wind Spirits, remnants of ancient cultivators who had become one with the flow of their talismans. The spirits did not test power. They tested truth of intent.
In East Gale, a student had to speak honestly into the wind, or be carried into the sky.
In North Ice, one had to remain calm enough that the wind would not cut them—only serenity opens the door.
In Inner Whisper, a deaf disciple passed by sensing wind with skin, not ears—an act that surprised even the spirit guardian.
When each temple was unlocked, a Talisman Core was recovered—glowing relics that stored centuries of refined wind intent.
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Creation of the Talisman Nexus
With the eight Cores, the Main Character wove a central formation atop the sect's Sky Hall and inscribed a giant sigil with all Eight Winds rotating around it. This became the Talisman Nexus, a circular platform where:
Students learned to craft talismans that responded to not only qi—but emotion, music, and the seasons.
Paper talismans fluttered like birds and stored temporary techniques.
Tattoo talismans were created—spiritual seals inscribed directly onto the body.
A rare student even forged a metallic talisman blade—a sword that rewrote wind patterns mid-strike.
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Legacy Restored
The Eight Wind Temples weren't just reclaimed—they were reconnected. Wind channels were rerouted through talisman formations, and once a year, the sect's disciples now perform the Windwalk Ceremony—a dance of talismans across air currents that both honors the ancient temples and charges their own spiritual seals.
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End of Chapter
From lost fragments and broken temples, the sect unearthed the deepest truths of Talisman Dao—and not only restored it, but elevated it. Once again, the winds carried their name across the continent, no longer as whispers… but as declarations of change.
Next: Chapter Twenty-Three – The Spirit Root Labyrinth and the Trial of Elemental Rebirth