Chapter 48

Yao Qiao was being dragged outside by Ming Xuan, and she had no chance to react. She could only hurriedly put away the Four Directions Talismans, which had taken her dozens of talisman papers to create.

“Come on, little sister,” Ming Xuan said, leaning in close and using his height to press her down firmly. “Tell us, are you really cultivating both sword and talisman?”

Even though she had mentally prepared herself, seeing Yao Qiao holding talismans when the door opened was still a huge surprise.

Sword and talisman dual cultivation!!

This was something that had appeared in the cultivation world long ago, but those powerful figures either ascended or perished, and since then, practitioners who cultivated both paths had seemingly vanished.

Yao Qiao looked at her two senior brothers, who were rubbing their hands together with eager anticipation, and raised an eyebrow, not understanding why they were so excited.

“If we go by your standards, then yes, I am cultivating both sword and talisman,” she said.

Previously, Yao Qiao never thought she could be proficient in both paths. She always considered herself a jack-of-all-trades, mastering nothing in particular.

But now that she had received two Heavenly Dao blessings in a row, who else could it be?

Yao Qiao was not someone who liked to deny her own abilities. If she had the talent, then so be it—everyone has their own gifts.

After admitting this, Ming Xuan’s smile grew even more unsettling. His gaze towards her was like that of someone inspecting cattle destined for slaughter.

Yao Qiao shivered involuntarily.

What was this about?

Xue Yu, trying to stay calm, although not a talisman practitioner himself, was aware of how rare talisman cultivators were. “Little sister…”

He murmured, “I suddenly feel like you are the one who should be underestimated, right?”

This year’s sect competition had many elders betting on Yun Que, as she was the only genius who broke through to the Golden Core stage in less than a year.

Yao Qiao’s spiritual root quality was too low. Although it wasn’t exactly a waste, compared to the top-quality spiritual roots all around, it was almost as bad.

Therefore, among the disciples favored by others, there was everyone but Yao Qiao.

Xue Yu leaned closer to Yao Qiao and pondered deeply, “Little sister, I think there might be an issue with your spiritual root.”

Typically, testing stones are quite reliable. If you were able to cultivate both sword and talisman, your sea of consciousness would need to be larger than most people’s, so it doesn’t make sense for you to have just a mid-grade spiritual root.

“Why think so much about it?” Ming Xuan said nonchalantly, looking smug. “I announce that the next match will definitely be our Changming Sect’s victory.”

This year, with Yao Qiao joining, they had two talisman practitioners.

Previously, Ming Xuan had been the only talisman practitioner in the sect, working tirelessly and constantly competing with his family’s direct disciples as well as the direct disciples from Yue Qing Sect.

Now, having a second talisman practitioner to share the pressure with him was a huge relief. If it weren’t for the prohibition on lighting fires, Ming Xuan would have wanted to set off some firecrackers to celebrate at Yue Qing Sect.

“Does Yun Hen know you can draw talismans?” Ming Xuan’s eyes sparkled with excitement, as if he was waiting for a dramatic revelation.

Yue Qing Sect prided itself on being the home of talisman practitioners, so they probably didn’t know. Otherwise, if Yun Hen knew he had personally driven away a talisman practitioner, he would surely regret it.

Yao Qiao shrugged. “Of course, he doesn’t know. The original host was a genuine sword practitioner, and I only learned talisman drawing after leaving Yue Qing Sect.”

“So, you must have studied talisman drawing for years at Yue Qing Sect and came to benefit our Changming Sect after mastering it, right?” Ming Xuan said with a knowing look.

Yao Qiao: “……No.”

She came to Changming Sect purely because this sect was always at the bottom, had a negative attitude, and was perfect for those who didn’t want to work hard.

Ming Xuan continued, “With a genius like you in Changming Sect, I’m relieved.”

“I’ll just slack off then,” he said with a grin.

Xue Yu remarked with disdain, “That expression of yours looks so foolish.”

Ming Xuan smirked, “You don’t understand the pressure of being the only talisman practitioner.”

With the whole sect’s hopes riding on him for the next competition, Ming Xuan felt overwhelmed and suffocated by the expectations. Yao Qiao’s arrival had instantly cleared away his anxiety and gloom.

……

Other sects’ direct disciples were also discussing this glaring light with various opinions.

“Another blessing? This should be the second one for Changming Sect, right?”

“Who could it be? Someone who can receive consecutive blessings from the Heavenly Dao? Let’s all target them in the next match!”

“I guess it must be Xue Yu. If Ming Xuan was truly blessed twice, why has he been stuck in one place for so many years?”

“Although sword practitioners receive blessings less frequently, it’s not impossible. What’s Changming Sect up to?”

Two Heavenly Dao blessings in a row were quite a big deal.

Anyone with a bit of sense, like Qin Huai from Chengfeng Sect, had already sent someone to investigate Changming Sect.

With such a big commotion, other sects were getting involved. Yao Qiao pondered for a moment and said, “There will definitely be people coming to investigate soon. We can create a diversion and catch them off guard.”

“How so?”

“It’s simple,” Yao Qiao said cheerfully. “Spread the word that the Heavenly Dao blessings were for the senior brother. They’ll naturally let their guard down.”

Xue Yu, still somewhat conscientious, asked, “But won’t the senior brother become a target?”

Ming Xuan replied, “It doesn’t matter. They can’t beat the senior brother.”

Oh, the expressions of the other sects when they enter the secret realm would be something to see.

*

Qin Fanfan had no idea what these youngsters were secretly plotting. He saw the golden light as well, but since no disciple came forward to confess, he didn’t ask further. It didn’t matter; he would find out what these kids were up to in the next major competition.

As long as they didn’t end up at the bottom, Qin Fanfan didn’t care much whether they were first or second.

After all, even if things went poorly, it was just another time at the bottom.

Changming Sect had always used a free-range approach.

Compared to the rigorous and regulated daily routines of the other four sects, they were much more relaxed, which led to a group of unruly direct disciples.

On the other side, Ming Xuan and Yao Qiao, the two talisman practitioners, were huddled together in a room, discussing what to draw for the next match.

“I have spirit-reducing talismans, earth-binding talismans, invisibility talismans, and some support-type ones,” Ming Xuan said, blinking lightly. “What about you?”

Although he knew Yao Qiao could draw talismans and was quite skilled at it, Ming Xuan had never seen what talismans she had.

Yao Qiao fell silent for a moment, then spread out her talismans for him to see.

“This is a Crawling Talisman. If you can stick it on them, you might get to see a group of direct disciples crawling around. We can use a few recording stones to capture it, and I suggest watching it daily.”

“And this one, I named it ‘Dance of the Demons.’”

“You might see a group of direct disciples dancing a battle dance.”

Ming Xuan: “……”

Perhaps the second senior brother’s silence indicated how stunned he was. Yao Qiao realized her unorthodox approach and said, “I guess I’m not very focused on this.”

Ming Xuan had seen people who were relaxed, but he had never seen someone as laid-back as Yao Qiao. Since she could easily draw the Four Directions Talismans, why waste time on such bizarre things?

Who would want to see direct disciples dancing?

But…

Ming Xuan’s hands itched as he said, “If we really manage to stick it on them, could I see Yao Qinghan and the senior brother holding hands and dancing the hula?”

Yao Qiao imagined that scene and took a deep breath.

Actually, she found herself looking forward to it a bit.

Ming Xuan was a serious person, and working with him on talismans at least gave her a sense of the competitive atmosphere.

He didn’t forget to set a goal for Yao Qiao: “Three days and nights—once we finish, we’ll go to sleep.”

“Think about the one million we bet on the casino,” Ming Xuan said, painting a big picture for his talented little sister. “As long as we secure first place, we’ll earn more than a million.”

“How about it? Want to work hard together with me?”

Yao Qiao’s previously dull eyes gradually focused, and her once sleepy eyes widened a bit. “Sure!”

As a professional talisman master, Ming Xuan had five brand-new high-grade wolf hair brushes in his possession. Upon learning that Yao Qiao could also draw talismans, he generously handed them to her without hesitation.

“Use whichever you find most suitable.”

Yao Qiao perked up and tried each brush in turn, ultimately selecting the one that felt the most comfortable.

The difference between high-grade and mid-grade spiritual tools became evident at this point. Previously, drawing a few talismans took her a long time, but with high-grade spiritual tools, she no longer had this concern. She could start drawing immediately, and the process was very smooth.

At this moment, Yao Qiao’s mind was filled with many ancient talismans, but due to her current cultivation level, she could only draw simpler ones.

Yao Qiao’s hand was steady. Apart from being careful with the final touches, the rest of the drawing process was almost seamless.

As Ming Xuan observed her, he noticed a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth. “Honestly, if our family’s old-timers or Yun Hen saw your talisman drawing speed, they’d probably worship you.”

The faster a talisman practitioner draws, the higher their talent and the stronger their divine sense.

Yao Qiao’s speed was incredibly fast, her divine sense seemingly never needing to pause, almost completing a talisman per minute.

Just as Ming Xuan was marveling at her speed, he saw a drop of blood fall from the tip of the girl’s nose. She paused, seemed a bit stunned, then skillfully lowered her head to wipe it away before resting her head on the table for a moment.

Her divine sense was once again exhausted.

“I can’t draw too many, or I’ll faint,” Yao Qiao sighed. If she could handle more, she would have already made a fortune selling talismans.

Ming Xuan, curious, poked her and asked, “If you faint from drawing too much, won’t you end up with kidney deficiency?”

Yao Qiao: “……You’re the one who’s deficient.”