Out in the Cold

After dealing with the restaurant incident, Lin Fan immediately returned to his cave abode.

The Feudal Prince's remnants were growing increasingly rampant. First, they had intercepted and killed people outside the market district, and now they had poisoned the food at a restaurant. It seemed they would never stop.

Still, this was perfectly normal.

To secure his throne, the New Emperor of Great Jin had sent the heirs and family members of several Feudal Princes into the Blood Demon Sect. Naturally, the people of the Prince's Mansions had concentrated their hatred on the Blood Demon Sect.

The Blood Demon Sect was a colossal existence, and it was difficult for the Feudal Princes' remnants to shake it. But for disciples like Lin Fan, they still posed a constant threat.

Take today, for example. If he had not detected the poison in the food in time, Lin Fan might already have breathed his last.

Being a disciple of a demonic sect was no easy matter.

On the soft bed, Lin Fan held the two women in his arms and tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.

"Even as a Formal Disciple of a demonic sect, there's still far less peace of mind than I imagined."

"If I could become a Blood Talisman Master, my situation should improve."

Since he could not sleep, he simply rose and communicated with his own panel.

Should thirty years of lifespan be consumed to pre-emptively advance the Talisman Secret Tome to minor mastery?

A line of text appeared before Lin Fan.

Lin Fan did not hesitate and immediately said, "I agree to the pre-emptive advance."

The next moment, even more insights into the "Talisman Secret Tome" surged into his mind from thin air.

Soon, the image of that boy also appeared in Lin Fan's mind.

He raised his brush and drew a talisman in one fluid motion. Compared to last time, there was an additional intangible air of power.

The Rune Patterns changed from the simple designs they had been before into far more complicated and profound ones.

"The essentials of profound Rune Patterns."

Lin Fan saw the crux of it at a glance.

The more powerful the talisman, the more complicated and intricate the Rune Patterns it required.

Basic Rune Patterns might be completed with only a dozen or so strokes, whereas profound Rune Patterns required dozens, or even hundreds.

Following the boy's movements, Lin Fan took up the Talisman Brush and began outlining the pattern on the Talisman Paper.

As the tip touched down, talismanic light flashed into existence. He held his breath and focused his mind, concentrating to the utmost.

No one knew how much time had passed. Lin Fan was already drenched in sweat. When the final stroke fell, the complicated Rune Patterns merged with the Talisman Paper, forming a talisman that radiated a pale-blue glow.

It was precisely one of the first-grade superior talismans recorded in the Talisman Secret Tome—the Mysterious Ice Talisman.

Joy appeared on Lin Fan's face. Compared to crafting the Golden Thunder Talisman, this talisman was far more difficult to produce.

He hurriedly summoned his panel and checked his latest changes.

Name: Lin Fan

Lifespan: 1305

Talent: Pre-emptive Dao Fruit

Realm: Meridian Condensing Realm (Second Grade)

Techniques: Intermediate Demonic Arts (Beginner), Blood Gathering Art (Minor Mastery), Talisman Secret Tome (Minor Mastery)

"Even for a true Blood Talisman Master, producing a Mysterious Ice Talisman is by no means easy."

"Being able to produce this talisman means I have now thoroughly mastered basic talismans."

"Next, I'll try to produce the Blood Demon Talisman that condenses a demon form. Only after producing a Blood Demon Talisman can I truly be considered a Blood Talisman Master."

Lin Fan's eyes shone brightly.

Producing basic talismans in the Blood Demon Sect was nothing special. Only by producing the Blood Demon Talisman, which possessed formidable power, could one be considered a qualified Blood Talisman Master.

There were many types of talismans, while the Blood Demon Talisman was a collective term for all kinds of talismans that condensed demon forms.

Once activated, a Blood Demon Talisman could summon the phantom of a demonic beast to fight. The higher the level of the summoned demonic beast, the greater the talisman's power!

A month later, a flying boat bound for Roaming Cloud Valley hovered above Blackwood Cliff.

The boat stretched over thirty zhang, resembling a colossal monster.

Holding his invitation, Lin Fan boarded beneath the gazes of the many disciples.

On the flying boat, Lin Fan glanced around and saw more than a dozen disciples. They all wore Black Mystic Robes, with Crying-Laughing Face Patterns embroidered over their chests.

There was also one man wearing a Mystic Robe with a golden auspicious-cloud pattern embroidered over his chest. His status was far higher than the others'.

Lin Fan had only recently become a Formal Disciple and wore an ordinary Black Mystic Robe. In a gathering like this, he appeared somewhat out of place.

Though his status was inferior to theirs, Lin Fan could not forget the etiquette he owed.

He quickly approached the man with the golden auspicious-cloud pattern and respectfully saluted. "Disciple Lin Fan of Blackwood Cliff greets you, Senior Brother."

The man glanced at him and merely grunted, "Mm," with no intention of saying anything else.

Lin Fan had intended to say a few more words, but seeing the other man's attitude, he tactfully kept his mouth shut.

Since no one paid him any attention, he was happy to enjoy the peace and quiet. He casually moved to a corner.

The flying boat soared through the clouds and mist at tremendous speed.

This was a rare flying Dharma artifact. Standing on the flying boat, one felt no rushing wind or cross-current, and it was exceptionally steady.

The sun blazed overhead beneath a clear, cloudless sky, allowing them to look down upon the entire Blood Demon Sect.

But on the other side of Blackwood Cliff, a pitch-black abyss spread out below. Faint Blood Mist drifted from it, resembling a red vortex, as though it might devour anyone who came near.

The disciples who knew one another on the flying boat gathered in groups of three or five. These Blood Talisman Masters and quasi-Blood Talisman Masters all had their own circles.

Lin Fan stood alone and desolate, directly excluded from the others.

This was perfectly normal as well. The demonic sect was divided into countless factions. A new disciple like Lin Fan, who had come from a servant's background, had neither backing nor much strength to speak of.

Lin Fan's expression remained calm as he silently observed the situation aboard the flying boat.

He pricked up his ears and listened, learning quite a bit from the fragments of conversation around him.

Master Ruan was the most capable Blood Talisman Master on Blood Soul Peak. Even throughout the entire Blood Demon Sect, he could rank among the top three Blood Talisman Masters.

His attainments in talismans were extraordinarily high, but because his obsession with talismans had delayed his cultivation, he was now over eighty years old yet had only reached the Meridian Condensing Realm.

A Meridian Condensing Realm cultivator had, at most, only an extra decade or two of lifespan compared to an ordinary mortal, and could live to around a hundred years at most.

Master Ruan had little lifespan remaining, so it was naturally time for him to select an "inheritor of his mantle." Moreover, his attainments in talismans were truly exquisite, so nearly everyone aboard this flying boat had come for the sake of inheriting his mantle.

The people aboard the flying boat were also divided into two factions.

One faction was headed by Yun Peng, a disciple of Master Ruan. He had become a Blood Talisman Master at a young age, and after receiving Master Ruan's guidance, he had now become one of the important Blood Talisman Masters of Blood Soul Peak.

The other faction was headed by a young Inner Disciple named Wang Zhaofeng. Not only was his talent astonishing, but he also had senior-elder-level relatives in the sect backing him.

Yun Peng was still somewhat amicable. He had guided Lin Fan last time and knew of his existence. However, Yun Peng had not cared in the slightest about Lin Fan's talent for crafting talismans. Lin Fan could not even produce a basic talisman yet, so what qualifications did he have to compete with him for the position of inheritor?

Wang Zhaofeng, on the other hand, had never even heard of Lin Fan. Seeing him nervously keeping to the corner after boarding, he did not regard him as a person of importance at all.

Neither of them took Lin Fan seriously. Naturally, Lin Fan became as inconspicuous as a speck of dust, and no one cared about his existence.

As for Lin Fan, he kept his mindset level. He had come this time simply to witness the methods of a true Blood Talisman Master and take the rare opportunity to learn as much as he could.

He had not the slightest intention of competing for Master Ruan's "inheritor of the mantle."

At present, he had neither a background nor sufficient strength. If he were truly selected as the inheritor, it would amount to offending both factions at once—practically no different from courting death!

If one aroused jealousy in a righteous sect, others might have no way to deal with one as long as one did not make a mistake. But if one aroused jealousy in the Blood Demon Sect, one's life could be in danger in the space of a few minutes.

That was also why Lin Fan deliberately concealed his true cultivation.

To survive in the chaotic and brutal demonic sect, one had to hide one's true abilities appropriately. Otherwise, the more one flaunted oneself, the faster one would die.