Hong Fu Peak, owing to the presence of Ji Wushuang, experienced an unprecedented rise in status, rapidly climbing to new heights, almost becoming the very symbol of Yun Lan Sect. In recent days, Zhan Fan's smile had never left his face, much to the envy of the other peak masters, who were green with jealousy.
Especially the master of Dao Yi Peak, Chen Qingxian, whose eyes were nearly consumed with envy.
It was said that talismans and formations were inseparable, and once upon a time, Dao Yi Peak and Hong Fu Peak were close allies (or rather, companions in hardship). After all, in Yun Lan Sect, the ranking went as follows: martial arts first, swordsmanship second, and both alchemy and weaponry tied for third. The two peaks had always managed to get by in this hierarchy.
But times had changed.
Now, Hong Fu Peak had become the pride of Yun Lan Sect!
At the guest hall of Zhi Xing Peak.
To the left sat the Grandmaster of the Feng Xuan Sect's talisman path, Xing Yue Daoist.
To the right sat the Grandmaster of the Yu Shen Sect's talisman path, Miao Bi Daoist.
And in the center was the Vice President of the Talisman Association, Master Lu, a seventh-grade talisman master.
All were formidable figures in their own right!
It was clear that, in an effort to avoid losing out, talisman masters from other sects had brought in reinforcements.
With such powerhouses as their backing, Yun Lan Sect couldn't demand an unreasonable price, could they?
Xing Yue Daoist took a delicate sip of spiritual tea, laughing heartily: "Haha, it has been years since we last met, little Fan, you've grown quite a bit."
Zhan Fan: "..." If there were no prior relationship, this wouldn't feel so forced. He'd looked like this thousands of years ago.
Of course, he could not refuse the old senior's kindness and responded with a smile, "Yes, yes, I've grown up."
Xing Yue Daoist, with remarkable audacity, continued, "It has been so long between our sects, and considering our old ties, isn't your talisman crafting book a little outdated? Surely there are parts that are unclear—why not bring it out and let your senior take a look?"
Zhan Fan's forehead was filled with black lines as he decisively kicked the ball to Lian Xing.
"This isn't something I can decide on. You should ask my sect master."
Lian Xing's hand trembled as he held the tea: "?"
Good grief, so the sect master is just here to take the blame?
Lian Xing's lips twitched as he explained, "To be honest, this book was a gift from my master to my disciple, little Wushuang. In order to help little Wushuang establish herself in the sect, even I have no right to interfere."
Lian Xing, as the sect master of Yun Lan Sect, had a master—none other than the esteemed Shi Lei, a grand cultivator of the Sect of Great Ascension!
Xing Yue Daoist was taken aback: "Is it... the legendary Shi Lei who sent it?"
Shi Lei, known by his Taoist name as 'Jing Tian,' was infamous for his arrogance.
"Yes."
"Why does Jing Tian hold your little one in such regard?"
"Well..." Of course, it was because little Wushuang's lineage was exceptionally prestigious—she even made you old fellows call her 'Shishu'! "Cough, cough, it's just a matter of affinity. For us cultivators, this is simply fate."
Xing Yue Daoist frowned deeply, as did Miao Bi Daoist and Master Lu. They had all known Shi Lei for years—he had a violent temper and was fiercely protective of his own, and his fists were strong.
They, too, had all been beaten by him in the past.
If they dared to bully someone that Shi Lei favored, who knew, perhaps he would pay them a visit one day.
"Forget it, forget it."
It was only a matter of increasing the success rate for crafting regular talismans—not a big deal. If a deal could be made, fine; if not, then so be it.
And, as expected, no deal was reached.
Xing Yue Daoist, Miao Bi Daoist, and Master Lu felt that Yun Lan Sect's demands were simply too much. They could not accept them.
What they didn't know was that Lian Xing was intentionally inflating the price. After all, they had no real talisman crafting books to offer.
What they had was just their little ancestor.
Just as the three of them were about to leave, the formation of Zhi Xing Peak activated. A little girl in a bright Xiang Fei-colored gown, holding a chubby black kitten in her arms, leisurely walked in.
The girl was delicate and charming, her features like a painting, and her skin as pale as moonlight.
Her eyes, dark and clear, were brighter than crystal springs.
Was this Lian Xing's little disciple?
Indeed, she was a person of extraordinary talent.
Lian Xing, worried that Ji Wushuang might be forced to hand over her secret techniques, quickly asked, "Little... Wushuang, what are you doing here? Didn't your master tell you to stay in the back?"
Ji Wushuang gently stroked the kitten in her arms, her gaze fixated on a gemstone at Master Lu's waist.
Earlier, Bai Ye had been meowing frantically, claiming to sense the aura of something precious.
If Bai Ye called it a treasure, it must be something extraordinary.
Ji Wushuang dropped the Tian Yuan Fruit seed in her hand and hurried over.
[Little Bai Ye, can you tell what it is?]
[No, meow, it seems to be sealed in stone. We need to break the stone to see what it is.]
[Alright.]
Ji Wushuang raised her hand and greeted everyone.
"Ji Wushuang, greetings to all the esteemed seniors."
Then, turning to Lian Xing, she said, "Master, as our ancestors always say, guests are welcome. Since you esteemed seniors have come for the talisman crafting book, allow me to answer your questions, so you won't leave disappointed."
Her demeanor was composed and graceful, neither overly humble nor arrogant, causing Xing Yue Daoist and the others to glance at her with newfound respect.
What poise!
No wonder Shi Lei had taken such a liking to her.
Xing Yue Daoist examined Ji Wushuang carefully, only to discover that she was an ordinary person. Surprised, he asked, "That's quite well said, but you haven't begun cultivating, have you? Do you understand talisman crafting?"
"This is the subtlety of this talisman crafting book."
"What do you mean?"
"One great master communicates with the laws of heaven and earth to complete the talisman drawing, but does not inject spiritual power. The talisman exists in form, but lacks substance. This is the 'construction' of the talisman.
The constructed talisman is then given to another person, who injects their spiritual power into it. It's as if the person themselves has crafted the talisman. During this process, they also align with the laws of heaven and earth through the master's talisman, which naturally improves their success rate in crafting talismans."
Ji Wushuang succinctly revealed the truth without hiding anything, almost causing Lian Xing and Zhan Fan to drop their jaws in shock.
This was bad. Little Wushuang was still a child, and she couldn't even keep a secret! She had revealed everything!
The three old foxes could see from Lian Xing and Zhan Fan's expressions that the girl wasn't lying.
"Is this true?"
"If you don't believe me, seniors, you can try it yourself."
Ji Wushuang took out an ordinary third-grade talisman and handed one to each of the three grandmasters. The three closed their eyes, injecting their spiritual power, and an exquisite talisman materialized.
It truly worked?!
All three of them were masters of talisman crafting, having cultivated for years, and drawing talismans in alignment with the laws of heaven and earth was not difficult for them. What was difficult was controlling the spiritual energy, or rather, crafting talismans without using their own spiritual power—this was unheard of, but it was not entirely beyond their ability.
If they mastered this technique, it would significantly improve the success rate of their disciples.
Xing Yue Daoist laughed heartily: "Hahahaha, wonderful, wonderful! Jing Tian's old man sure knows how to pick his disciples. This is excellent!"
Miao Bi Daoist immediately added, "Little girl, aren't you afraid Jing Tian will get angry at you for revealing the truth?"
Ji Wushuang chuckled lightly, "I'm not afraid."
"Hahahaha, alright, we won't take advantage of you for nothing. You may ask for anything you desire."
This was exactly what Ji Wushuang had been waiting for—the fat meat was being offered to her, and it would be a shame not to take a bite!