Chapter 21: This Is What a True Genius Looks Like

A large-scale demonic beast disturbance had erupted in the central continent, prompting many sects to dispatch their disciples.

Naturally, this included the Eight Great Immortal Sects.

In three years, the once-in-a-decade Grand Sect Gathering would be held. Sect leaders and elders saw this as an opportunity to temper their prized disciples, allowing these sheltered talents to experience the harsh realities of real combat.

“Help!”

A scream, like a pig being slaughtered, echoed through the forest.

A male cultivator wearing the attire of the Myriad Sword Sect was being chased by a group of demonized beasts.

He stumbled as he ran, his sword already broken. His sect robes, inscribed with defensive formations, were torn to shreds, revealing streaks of blood. It was clear how desperate his escape had been.

Lin Qi, along with his senior brothers and sisters, had been sent by their sect leader to exterminate demonic beasts and collect beast materials for sale along the way. After all, sword cultivators often struggled financially and needed to earn some extra money to support their sword practice.

Unfortunately, while chasing a porcupine beast, Lin Qi accidentally got separated from the main group.

Disaster struck, and he encountered a pack of demonic beasts.

When beasts become demonized, their aggression and attack power increase exponentially. Lin Qi, being at the early stage of the Foundation Establishment, stood no chance against them.

He fled desperately, tossing all sorts of talismans from his storage bag behind him without care for their value.

Even after exhausting all his talismans, he still couldn’t widen the gap between himself and the beasts. Just as he despaired, thinking he was doomed, his hand brushed against something left in his storage bag—a talisman.

Quickly, he pulled it out to look—it was a crumpled Speed Talisman.

Lin Qi suddenly remembered that he had been handed this talisman by a strange young girl he had met at the market some time ago. He hadn’t thought much of it then and had casually tossed it into his storage bag, soon forgetting about it.

Now, clutching it like his last lifeline, he decided to give it a try. Desperate times called for desperate measures.

He slapped the talisman onto himself—

In an instant, his weakened legs surged with spiritual energy. With just a casual step forward, he shot dozens of meters ahead. Lin Qi was still in a daze when he turned to look back—the beasts were nowhere in sight.

He slowed his pace, bewildered. “…”

What just happened?

Was it that Speed Talisman he used just now?!

It actually worked!

No, not only did it work—it was far more effective than any Speed Talisman he had ever used! Ordinary Speed Talismans sold on the market could boost a person’s speed by three to five times. This talisman, however, enhanced his speed by tenfold!

Who was that girl?

How could such a powerful talisman be sold at a small stall in a market corner, causing him to nearly miss out on such a treasure?

Lin Qi felt a mix of excitement and regret. If only he had known, he would have bought a few more back then. What a huge loss!

No, he had to visit that market again someday to find that girl.

“Junior Brother.”

Before long, the other members of the Myriad Sword Sect arrived.

Seeing his disheveled appearance, the leading woman scolded him lightly, “Where did you run off to just now?”

“About thirty percent of the beasts in this forest have been demonized, making it extremely dangerous. You must not stray from the group. We were only able to find you so quickly because of the tracking talisman given by our friends from the Eight forms Sect. If you had gotten lost and encountered demonic beasts, you’d have been left with no chance but to wait for death.”.

Lin Qi, still shaken, said, “I… I just encountered demonic beasts, a whole pack of them!”

The group was startled, drawing their swords and looking around.

“Demonic beasts are ferocious and aggressive. You’re only at the early Foundation Establishment stage. How did you manage to escape from a pack of demonic beasts?” Myriad Sword Sect’s senior sister, Shang Ziling, asked, her brows furrowed in doubt.

She knew all too well the strength—or rather, the lack thereof—of her junior brother.

“It was quite a coincidence. I got a Speed Talisman from a female cultivator before. That talisman was much more effective than any of the ordinary Speed Talismans sold on the market. I managed to escape using that talisman. Without it, you wouldn’t be seeing me now!”

“A mere speed talisman? Any outer sect disciple from our sect can draw such basic talismans.” A disciple from the Eight forms Sect scoffed at his exaggerated claims.

“No, no, it’s different! That Speed Talisman can increase a cultivator’s speed tenfold!”, Lin Qi hastliy retorted.

“Tenfold? Are you joking? A basic talisman like the Speed. Talisman can at most boost a cultivator’s speed fivefold. Even a genius like me couldn’t draw the kind of talisman you’re talking about,” Lin Jing scoffed, raising his chin. “Sword cultivators are just country bumpkins, completely clueless about talisman techniques. You dare to boast about something you don’t understand?”

“You—!”

Lin Qi’s face turned red with anger, and his neck veins bulged as he tried to argue back.

Shang Ziling stopped him with a shake of her head.

The Myriad Sword Sect was currently collaborating with the Eight Forms Sect to exterminate the demonic beasts. Since the mission wasn’t yet complete, it would be unwise to cause internal strife now and become a laughingstock.

Lin Qi had no choice but to clench his fists and, with a cold snort, swallow his anger for the moment.

Suddenly, he remembered that the female cultivator had also given him a name card. His eyes lit up, and he quickly searched for it. Once found, he used his communication jade slip to add her as a friend.

“Beep—”

Chu Sang took out her communication jade slip and saw a friend request notification.

『[Myriad Sword Sect, Lin Qi] has requested to add you as a friend.』

Who is this?

Chu Sang tried to recall if she knew this person.

Remembering how her Third Senior Sister had been harassed by unknown male cultivators before, Chu Sang ignored the request. Noticing some commotion in the southeast, she turned to her two senior brothers, saying, “Let’s go check over there.”

“Alright.”

In the southeastern part of the Demonic Beast Forest, there was a steep cliff where the spiritual energy was unusually dense.

Typically, such a phenomenon indicated a hidden great opportunity, possibly even a legacy left behind by an ancient power.

Many cultivators had rushed to the scene.

From above, it looked like a sea of people gathered below.

A sharp longsword suddenly sliced through the air, catching everyone’s attention as they turned to look.

On the sword stood two figures. In the lead was a young man in black, controlling the flying sword, with a petite girl in blue holding onto his waist from behind.

The handsome man and the beautiful girl looked like a perfect pair. Onlookers wondered which immortal couple they could be.

“That young man seems to be Mo Qingchen from the Tianyan Sect!” someone exclaimed.

“The girl behind him looks familiar, too. She might be Qin Xixue, the Tianyan Sect prodigy with the supreme fire spirit root, who’s been making a name for herself these past few years.”

There were only so many prodigies in the cultivation world, and the onlookers quickly recognized the pair. Eyes were now even more fervent, as it was rare to witness the appearance of such prodigies.

“That girl truly lives up to being a supreme fire spirit root. She’s already reached Foundation Establishment at such a young age. But if she’s already at Foundation Establishment, why is she still letting someone else carry her on a flying sword…?” someone murmured, finding it a bit different from what they imagined a prodigy to be.

“Although Foundation Establishment cultivators can use flying swords, most people only truly master sword flight in the mid to late Foundation Establishment stages. Even among prodigies, you rarely see someone who can fly a sword just after reaching Foundation Establishment.”

Someone was about to argue when, at that moment, three more streaks of sword light appeared in the sky.

Leading the group was a young girl in red, looking no more than fourteen or fifteen years old, also at the early Foundation Establishment stage. Her flight wasn’t just standard sword flying—she was speeding through the air. Her movements were so skilled and swift that she had left the two more advanced male cultivators far behind.

She shouted, “Second Senior Brother, Seventh Senior Brother, hurry up! Even a snail isn’t as slow as you two!”

The person who had spoken earlier immediately fell silent.

He couldn’t help but feel a bit embarrassed.

Someone nearby exclaimed, “Wow, this little girl is only at the early Foundation Establishment stage, yet her sword flying is more skilled than mine at mid-Foundation Establishment. Now that is what you call a true genius.”