Apprenticeship

After chatting in the room for a while, Master Yan rose to his feet.

He said to Zi Yue and Lin Dong, "It's about time. Come outside with me!"

As he spoke, Master Yan turned to Lin Fan and said, "Kid, you should come too. Whether Talisman Master or martial artist, paying respects to the patriarch is only proper!"

"Yes, Master Yan!"

The three nodded and followed Master Yan out of the bamboo house.

As they made their way along, every Talisman Master they encountered joined their group.

In the end, they all streamed into a great hall.

The moment he entered, Lin Fan spotted the portrait hanging directly ahead.

The portrait depicted a middle-aged man standing proudly with his hands behind his back.

At the other end of the portrait, where the middle-aged man's gaze rested, the sky was shrouded in black mist.

Strangely, both the man's features and what lay within the black mist were exceedingly blurry, impossible to make out clearly.

Upon seeing the portrait, everyone present showed reverence.

Master Yan explained to Lin Fan and Lin Dong, "The person depicted in this portrait is the Symbol Ancestor. The path of Talisman Masters was founded by the Symbol Ancestor, so every cultivator of this path must pay homage to him!"

After a brief pause, Master Yan called out to everyone, "Pay respects to the patriarch!"

As soon as his words fell, everyone present knelt and began worshipping the portrait of the Symbol Ancestor.

After rising, Master Yan stood before them and cupped his hands. "Today is the day I take on a disciple. Thank you all for coming to witness it!"

As he spoke, he pointed at Lin Dong before him and said, "This is Lin Dong. From today onward, he will be my second disciple."

Zi Yue helped Master Yan sit down in his chair, then sent a voice transmission to Lin Dong. "Junior Brother Lin Dong, first pay your respects to Master, then offer him Apprentice Tea!"

Lin Dong nodded, knelt before Master Yan, and kowtowed three times.

He then stood and accepted the Apprentice Tea from the side before presenting it to Master Yan.

After drinking the Apprentice Tea, Master Yan began announcing the sect rules and precepts.

From that moment on, Lin Dong became Master Yan's disciple and, likewise, a member of the Flame City Talisman Association.

After the apprenticeship ceremony, the four returned to the bamboo building from before.

"Since you've become my disciple, I naturally can't be stingy."

Master Yan smiled and asked, "Lin Dong, what kind of weapon do you like? I'll give each of you one!"

"I like spears or halberds!"

Lin Dong answered slowly.

"Good, I understand."

With a thought from Master Yan, a long spear gleaming with a faint radiance appeared in his hand.

The spear shimmered like rippling water, as though countless fish scales covered its surface. Several strange runes flickered in and out of view upon it, while an unusual chill surged from its tip.

Master Yan handed the spear to Lin Dong and said, "This is the Jade Scale Spear I refined recently. Even Yuan Energy protecting the body won't be able to defend against this weapon!"

"Thank you, Master!"

Lin Dong accepted the spear and spoke respectfully.

He was naturally overjoyed to obtain such a treasure.

At this moment, Master Yan glanced at Lin Fan and continued tempting him. "Kid, if you become my disciple, I guarantee that whatever weapon you want, you'll have it!"

"Really?"

Lin Fan raised a brow and asked, "If you have a Heaven-Rank Spirit Treasure, then I'll—"

Before he could finish, Master Yan blew his beard and glared. "A Heaven-Rank Spirit Treasure? Even treasures at the level of Earth-Rank Spirit Treasures could only possibly be possessed by the Four Great Clans and the imperial family. In the entirety of Flame City, there is currently only a single Low-Level Spiritual Treasure!"

Lin Fan had naturally expected Master Yan's answer. He had merely been teasing him.

He truly did not care much for ordinary weapons.

With the sharpness of the True Martial Dharma Sword, he believed it was no inferior to those Low-Level Spiritual Treasures.

Moreover, as his cultivation continued to rise, the True Martial Dharma Sword would grow even stronger.

Though it was not a weapon, it surpassed countless weapons.

After giving him the weapon, Master Yan took out a small booklet and said to Lin Dong, "This is the complete Divine Movement Chapter. Cultivate it diligently. Once it is time to condense your Origin Talisman Seal, come find me. I will help you condense it then!"

"Yes, Master!"

Lin Dong said.

Master Yan said, "In that case, go attend to your business. If there's anything you don't understand, you can come find me at the Talisman Association every morning."

After leaving the Talisman Association, the two first returned to the inn to find Qing Tan, then rode away together on horseback.

Along the way, Lin Dong asked, "Lin Fan Bro, the Qingyang Town Trade Fair will be held in half a month. Are you going?"

"Of course we're going."

Lin Fan answered without the slightest hesitation.

He had been waiting to obtain the Talisman Formation Method at Qingyang Town's underground market fair!

If not for this Talisman Formation Method, he might even have taken Master Yan as his teacher just to acquire one.

But since this Talisman Formation Method was available, Lin Fan naturally would not do such a thing.

After all, what was being sold at Qingyang Town's underground market fair was a method for condensing an Origin Spirit Talisman.

An Origin Spirit Talisman was already far superior to an Origin Talisman Seal, and this particular Origin Spirit Talisman could even absorb the Spiritual Power of others to strengthen itself.

With this Origin Spirit Talisman, there was no need to worry about Spiritual Power cultivation progressing too slowly.

It was not until midnight that the three of them returned to Ironwood Village.

Just as they finished settling the horses, they spotted Lin Xiao.

"Father! Uncle Lin Xiao!"

The three called out in unison.

Lin Xiao looked at them and asked with concern, "You didn't encounter any danger on the road, did you?"

"No."

Lin Dong shook his head, then said, "On this trip to Flame City, I even took a master!"

"Oh?"

Lin Xiao asked curiously, "May I ask who your master is?"

Lin Dong replied, "My master is the president of the Symbol Master Association. He is a Four Seal Talisman Master!"

"What? A Four Seal Talisman Master?"

Hearing Lin Dong's words, Lin Xiao was instantly shocked.

A Four Seal Talisman Master was comparable to an Essence Core Realm Great Perfection expert, and the other party was even the president of the Symbol Master Association.

To the Lin Family, such a person was simply a colossal existence.

"Hahaha!"

Lin Xiao soon burst into hearty laughter. "Then it seems our Lin Family will soon produce a Talisman Master."

He had visited Flame City several times and knew what kind of status Talisman Masters possessed.

Having a Talisman Master was equivalent to having a money-making machine that never stopped.

The weapons, armor, Cosmos Sacks, and other items crafted by Talisman Masters were extremely popular among martial artists!

"What has you so happy?"

A voice sounded, and Lin Zhentian approached from afar.

"Father!"

Lin Xiao hurriedly said, "You haven't rested yet?"

Lin Zhentian smiled. "Fan'er, Dong'er, and Qing Tan hadn't returned yet. I couldn't sleep."

"Father, Dong'er just told me something."

Lin Xiao immediately recounted how Lin Dong had taken a master.

"Hahaha!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Zhentian also broke into hearty laughter.

As he laughed, he said, "Heaven truly favors our Lin Family! Heaven truly favors our Lin Family!"

With Lin Dong taking a Four Seal Talisman Master as his teacher, it was equivalent to the Lin Family gaining a backer as well.

At the very least, if they encountered someone at the Essence Core Realm in the future, they would no longer fear offending them.