"Talismans, they are the world!" Yu Lin spoke boldly, though his voice was timid.

He dared not look at the crocodiles below, instead raising his head slightly to gaze upwards.

"Everything in the world can be depicted with talismans. In theory, you could even construct an entirely new world with them."

His voice was pleasant, and the course was well-structured, though he was a bit timid. Fortunately, after hesitating for a long time, he finally found his rhythm.

He mustered the courage to look at the water's surface. The crocodiles were in groups; thirty percent were bewildered, thirty percent were minding their own business, and the remaining thirty percent were asleep.

This class was a complete disaster.

This was probably the worst class Yu Lin would ever teach in his entire career.

The classroom atmosphere made him nervous: "I’m not lying to you!"

As if to make his words more convincing, he jumped up: "Talismans are everything!"

"Wind, come!" He drew a spirit talisman in the air, and immediately a fierce wind arose, crashing waves against the shore.

"Rain, come!" Another talisman, and a sudden downpour drenched him thoroughly.

The sudden rain caught the crocodiles off guard, and they began to howl, leaving Yu Lin even more flustered, unsure of how to maintain order.

"Ang~"

Su He roared at the right moment, and the crocodile group quieted down.

Yu Lin cast a grateful glance, and upon seeing Su He, he was even more surprised: "Did you eat the Demon Morphing Fruit or are you advancing to an Exotic Beast? Thank you! I’ll introduce you to Junior Brother Lu another day; he loves Exotic Beasts, and you two will surely become friends."

Yu Lin decided that during his time teaching at Crocodile Beach, this turtle would be the head of the class.

He waved his hand, and a few runes flew out, drying his rain-soaked clothes in an instant, making them clean and ethereal.

In a good mood, even his state improved.

"This is the power of talismans!"

If this demonstration were in front of new junior brothers and sisters, it would surely elicit gasps of amazement, Yu Lin thought with a hint of pride.

"Each spirit talisman is composed of runes with different functions: origin runes, descriptive runes, and decisive runes are the three key elements of a talisman."

"The seven hundred and twenty origin runes are the foundation of talismanism: wind, rain, thunder, lightning, water, fire, wood, earth... Each origin rune is a source of all things."

"The descriptive runes determine the power and nature of the talisman you write. The same thunder talisman, the descriptive rune decides whether it’s a divine thunder from the sky or ordinary lightning."

Immersed in teaching, Yu Lin seemed to have flipped a switch, seeing nothing but his lesson. He drew talismans in the air with his fingers.

A rune flashed with electric light, one of the seven hundred and twenty origin runes, the thunder rune.

"This is the thunder origin rune. Add different descriptive runes to it, and it will form different thunder talismans: divine thunder from the sky, palm thunder, yang thunder, yin thunder..."

Yu Lin quickly drew, forming various thunder talismans, each distinct, yet even an outsider could tell they all centered around the initial thunder origin rune he drew.

"Descriptive runes describe the characteristics of a talisman, while decisive runes are the mechanism of the talisman, determining when and under what conditions it activates."

He added strokes to each thunder talisman.

"This talisman I want to activate immediately, to strike that stone." The thunder talisman formed, and a bolt of lightning descended, shattering a stone with a crack.

"This talisman I want to activate upon contact with water." Another talisman formed, and the spirit talisman he launched bounced around, doing nothing until it was reflected into the lake.

Crack!

A bolt of lightning struck the lake, and seven or eight crocodiles immediately flipped belly-up, foaming at the mouth.

Yu Lin was shocked: "S-sorry!"

It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from bit.ly/3iBfjkV.

He hurriedly pulled out seven or eight bottles of elixirs, stuffing them into the crocodiles' mouths, and after a frantic effort, the crocodiles slowly came to, rolling their eyes.

He dared not demonstrate recklessly anymore, dispersing the spirit talismans in the air, and awkwardly looked at the crocodile group: "Did you all understand?"

No crocodile answered.

They were all too frightened by the thunder to respond, only now quietly surfacing, looking at him in confusion.

Yu Lin fell silent... They’re just crocodiles; they can’t understand my words or my lesson...

He was so downcast, then suddenly lifted his head: They’re crocodiles; they won’t complain even if struck by lightning, so does it matter what I do?

After all, they don’t understand...

His face twitched, and he suddenly pointed at an old crocodile: "Oh? This junior brother raised his hand, do you have something to say?"

The crocodile looked bewildered at its uncontrollably raised forepaw, then was pulled out of the water by an invisible force, posed like a kneeling disciple, politely asking questions.

It wanted to struggle but couldn’t move, looking at Su He in terror.

King, save me!

The king had no time for it, being a diligent student, listening intently. Even a turtle claw was tracing the thunder talismans Yu Lin had just drawn on the water’s surface.

The crocodile was stunned.

Our king, we are being toyed with by this Taoist, yet the king listens so seriously to his lesson—

Why has our king betrayed the tribe?

Its massive body and tiny brain couldn’t comprehend this.

Su He didn’t notice the crocodile’s complex thoughts. He understood the purpose of the dice.

Learning efficiency!

Yu Lin had drawn eleven spirit talismans, and in this short time, Su He had memorized them completely! He could even use his claw to replicate the drawing process, capturing the nuances of Yu Lin’s strokes.

The crocodile said nothing, and Yu Lin filled in the question himself: "Oh? You want to know why the talisman you traced with your tail didn’t summon thunder?" Yu Lin asked the crocodile in surprise.

Crocodile: "???"

"Of course, it’s because you have no magic power!" Yu Lin laughed heartily, suddenly enlightened, no longer fearing teaching, or perhaps completely giving up.

He tossed the crocodile aside, gesturing wildly as he continued teaching, from thunder talismans to artifact crafting, from alchemy to dual cultivation, even seriously discussing the feasibility of cross-species dual cultivation with the crocodile.

Su He didn’t even notice how he veered so far off course.

Until the full moon rose, autumn dew condensed, and he shivered, his soul returning to his body, his face gradually turning pale.

Who am I? Where am I? What have I done?

I’ve been here teaching talisman techniques all day, not only teaching but dancing, and in excitement, I even pulled down my pants and urinated on the stone steps.

I...

His neck turned like a wooden puppet, segment by segment, towards Su He.

This might be a demon, it might remember today’s events when it transforms into human form.

I must silence it!

Su He shivered, feeling a surge of malice, his shell almost sprouting hair.

He immediately slid his limbs, diving into the lake bottom, fleeing without looking back.

Yu Lin watched his retreating figure, his face pale, body trembling, finally collapsing, about to drown in the lake. Yet a gentle fairy sword caught him, emitting a soft sword light, carrying him gently towards Qingyuan Mountain.

The malice receded, and Su He submerged, inexplicably excited.

Opportunity!

Indeed, some people sharpen their heads trying to squeeze into the capital, while others are born in the capital. Even choosing to be born as a beast is crucial; being born near a sect always leads to unexpected opportunities.

The sloppy Old Taoist, the shy Yu Lin. The Old Taoist drunkenly boasted for three days, sharing tales of the Mysterious Wasteland. Yu Lin’s lessons showcased the wonders of cultivation.

A turtle’s life is long, and such opportunities will come again.

Su He’s heart pounded with excitement, eager to share with someone. Unconsciously, he drifted towards the Snake Valley tunnel, swimming up to the lake surface.

A serene calm enveloped him.

Snake Valley was peaceful, the full moon low, misty and hazy. On a willow tree by the lake, a Green Snake coiled, hissing at the moon.

An indescribable charm surrounded Green Snake, as if shrouded in hazy moonlight.

Su He unconsciously approached.

The moonlight enveloped him.

Boom!

The scenery changed dramatically, and he saw a snake, a white snake, covering the sky and earth, filling the entire world. The snake soared into the sky, piercing the heavens, then plunged into the water, swimming freely in endless waves.

Inheritance!

Green Snake was receiving an inheritance! The Demon Morphing Fruit it ate contained the inheritance of a white snake!

Su He’s mind was shaken, seeing the massive waves, the white snake turning slightly, looking at him.

It seemed the white snake had noticed the uninvited guest.

At that moment, a mountain-sized die crashed down, landing on the giant snake’s head, spinning rapidly.