Please, Young Master, Slay the Demon!
Chapter 441 - 20: Dao of Talisman Test [Seeking Monthly Tickets!] _1

Chapter 441: Chapter 20: Dao of Talisman Test [Seeking Monthly Tickets!] _1

"Today’s trial is to select participants for a secret realm, so we’re testing your skills in the Dao of Talisman," the Law-enforcement Elder spoke slowly to the crowd. "I will be showcasing the power of numerous talismans, and you must redraw the talisman based on its demonstrated power."

"A talisman test?"

This announcement surprised everyone present.

Shu Mountain grants its disciples great freedom in terms of skills like artifact refining, pill furnaces, talismans, and formations... Should they wish to learn, they can find the corresponding hall or books to study. Unless they possess a glaring talent, no one would force them to learn these arts.

A large-scale talisman test like today’s was indeed unprecedented.

What sort of secret realm warranted such selection criteria?

Despite their confusion, facing a trial, they would still muster all their strength. After all, present were Shu Mountain’s finest disciples, their instinctive competitiveness was ignited in an instant.

But this task...

Redrawing a talisman based on its power...

Wasn’t the difficulty a bit too high?

Runes are heaven-script; talismans are made of multiple runes, and multiple talismans can form a Rune Array. Theoretically, you can figure out which Daoist rite it is activating, and which rune it contains by watching a talisman’s power in action.

But that will only yield a rough idea. It’s extremely challenging to completely guess the combination of runes employed. After all, deciphering such complex talismans isn’t something one can achieve at a glance.

To redraw this talisman... it’s even harder.

In the Dao of Talisman True Meaning, many complete talismans are incredibly difficult to draw, even with a visual reference. Drawing a complete talisman requires strong control over one’s Divine Thoughts; those not specialized in this way would definitely find it challenging.

So, actually, the Shu Mountain disciples present were unsure.

However, the Law-enforcement Elder appeared not to care about these troubles. He led everyone to an open space behind the Law Protection Hall, giving each a sheet of yellow paper and a stick of cinnabar.

"Prepare yourself, our test is about to begin."

As he spoke, he lifted his hand, holding a yellow talisman between his fingers. With a slight gesture, the yellow talisman flashed in mid-air, transforming into several streaks of electric light, which streaked across the sky!

Crackle, crackle——

As the electric light danced, those present quickly recognized the talisman.

"Wu Lei’s Punishment Evil Talisman," someone blurted out.

This talisman, Wu Lei’s Punishment Evil Talisman, is a moderately common and basic talisman. It’s not high-end, but it’s very useful. Often used by cultivators in the first three realms to combat Yin beings, it is extraordinary in its ability to counteract.

This talisman wouldn’t even need a demonstration, anyone who had studied the Dao of Talisman in detail could draw it just from its name.

The gathered individuals started moving their cinnabar pens, leaving complex lines on their yellow paper, each line gleaming with restrained brilliance.

It could be seen that some of the disciples present had no idea how to draw talismans. Holding the cinnabar pen, they felt challenged, but did not want to give up, so they peeked at others’ works, attempting to mimic the lines.

But could talismans be easily reproduced?

In the end, after a flurry of attempts, they could only hang their heads in failure...with a thick-browed, big-eyed disciple from Jade Sword Peak named Lin as a typical representative.

On the other hand, some disciples began to work without hesitation. With a stroke of the pen, they managed to draw a talisman with restrained brilliance... a representative of Silver Sword Peak.

After a short while, each disciple put down their pens.

The Law-enforcement Elder smiled, saying, "Those who have not finished their talisman may step aside. Those who have, step forward and showcase the power of your talisman."

The myriad of disciples then stepped forward to display their works.

The first one from Mu Yuetong was quite astonishing. The Wu Lei’s Punishment Evil Talisman that she drew in a short amount of time was as potent as the Elder’s earlier demonstration. This showcased prior practice and dedication.

The arena echoed with voices of praise and the Elder nodded in satisfaction.

Unfortunately, the next was Jiang Yuebai.

Jiang Yuebai stepped forward and unfurled her talisman. In a flash, five thunders roared in the sky, and a golden dragon danced wildly. The power of her talisman far exceeded a common Wu Lei’s Punishment Evil Talisman!

This made everyone present shiver involuntarily.

Such intense power!

The scariest part was that Jiang Yuebai had never shown great prowess in the Dao of Talisman before now, possibly because she had not deeply studied this path. It was only because her Immortal Spirit Body had a natural affinity for nature and spiritual energy that she could exploit the Dao of Talisman to such an extent.

Was this the charm of talent?

After Jiang Yuebai demonstrated her talisman, there was a surge of cheering and applause from the crowd.

At that point, everyone felt the remaining contestants were there to compete for second place.

But Jiang Yuebai didn’t show a trace of pride. Instead, she stood quietly to the side, her glance wandering towards Chu Liang, who was next.

Chu Liang, confident smile on his face, lightly released his talisman.

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle, sizzle, sizzle——

Five tiny flashes of lightning flickered across the sky.

This was met with a moment of silence.

Although no one expected Chu Liang’s talisman to surpass Jiang Yuebai’s, he was, after all, ranked second in the Shu Mountain Peak Conference. He should at least perform better than the others, right?

What the... it’s very small... and short...

The demonstration ended before I could even feel its power.

But still, it’s undeniable that Chu Liang has genuinely drawn a complete Wu Lei’s Punishment Evil Talisman. Although it can be said that he succeeded, it doesn’t seem entirely successful.

"Hmm..." the Law-enforcement Elder also hesitated for a moment before nodding in approval, indicating that Chu Liang had passed as well.

It seems as though this was his first encounter with the Wu Lei’s Punishment Evil Talisman. He figured out the runes simply by observing and successfully drew the talisman for the first time.

Due to this unfamiliarity, he chose to channel only a minute amount of True Qi to avoid losing control.

Not a bad tactic at all.

Afterwards, there were other disciples who also managed to draw the symbols, but did not release any lightning. A slight hint of smoke was all they managed before falling to the ground.

Of course, these performances were not up to the mark.

Once again, Xu Ziyang’s talisman amazed the crowd. Its power was by no means weaker than Jiang Yuebai’s. Considering the Eldest Senior Brother of Jade Sword Peak is an all-round talent, it’s not surprising that he possesses profound knowledge in the Dao of Talisman.

After the first round of testing, a total of ten disciples passed. And those who didn’t pass were just standing and watching the bustling scene, with no intention of leaving the stage any time soon.

"Good job." The Law-enforcement Elder nodded slightly, moving on to say, "Let’s begin the second round of tests, with requirements similar to the before."

Once he finished speaking, he raised his hand and cast another talisman.

This talisman was far more powerful. After its casting, thunder and earth shook together. Not only did gigantic thunderbolts, as wide as water buckets, rain from the sky, but flames also soared from the ground. For a moment, its majesty was vast and threatening, even to a Fourth Realm Cultivator.

Upon seeing this, remaining disciples furrowed their brows.

"Heavenly Thunder Earth Fire Talisman..." Someone recognized it.

This talisman is far more powerful and equally more complicated than before. As the thunder and fire intermingled, the complexity of the talisman sharply increased.

Even the most talisman-savvy among our generation of young disciples struggle to grasp the intricacies of this complex talisman.

This time, there was a noticeable difference in everyone’s reactions.

Mu Yuetong paused her brush, Jiang Yuebai appeared thoughtful, and Xu Ziyang continued to confidently make brisk strokes on his paper, while Chu Liang seemed to be recollecting the scene before his eyes.

The watching disciples wondered: Could it be possible that he was actually unraveling the contained runes in this talisman?

Even though that seemed to be the intention of the test...

Didn’t it sound more like empty talk?

Even those who succeeded in the previous round basically already knew how to draw the Wu Lei’s Punishment Evil Talisman. But facing this unseen Heavenly Thunder Earth Fire Talisman, they seemed a bit overwhelmed.

Moments later, Jiang Yuebai and Chu Liang started drawing simultaneously.

When everyone had finished, only three managed to create talismans.

Jiang Yuebai, Xu Ziyang, and Chu Liang...

Not surprisingly, it was once again these three.

The Biluo Peak Eldest Senior Sister, Jade Sword Peak Eldest Senior Brother, and Silver Sword Peak Eldest Senior Brother. The former two had always been the shining double-jewels of the Shu Mountain generation, while Chu Liang had gradually risen to prominence, establishing himself as one of the current prodigies.

It seems like the competition of this generation in Shu Mountain is always among these three.

"Very well," the Law-enforcement Elder smiled, "Those who have completed their talismans, please come forward and demonstrate them one by one."

This time, it was Jiang Yuebai’s turn first.

She slowly stepped forward, then raised her hand to cast her talisman.

Boom—

Suddenly, thunder and flames intermixed!

The intensity was just as powerful as the talisman cast by the Law-enforcement Elder. Even though completing the talisman was tremendously hard, the sheer success caused a ripple of surprise through the crowd.

"It’s no wonder she’s Senior Sister Jiang" echoed in everyone’s ears.

Then it was Chu Liang’s turn.

With a smile still on his face, he came forward and lightly raised his hand.

Pop! Hiss—

There was a dull sound. A cluster of dim lightning fell to the ground; a thin layer of flames ignited, then immediately evaporated.

Once again, there was silence.

The watching disciples frowned.

It’s hard to say he’s not good since he really did figure out how to draw the talisman after analysis. But if you say he’s good... well, the power that the talisman held was no greater than a fart to a cultivator.

Really, it left everyone at a loss for words.