Exclusion

After dealing with the matters at the restaurant, Lin Fan immediately returned to his cave dwelling.

The remnants of the vassal kings were becoming more and more rampant. First, they intercepted and killed people outside the marketplace, and now they were poisoning the restaurant. It was endless.

However, this was also normal.

To solidify his throne, the New Emperor of the Great Jin Dynasty had sent the children and families of several vassal kings into the Blood Demon Sect. Naturally, the people from the vassal king's mansions had directed their hatred towards the Blood Demon Sect.

The Blood Demon Sect was a colossal entity, and the remnants of the vassal kings found it difficult to shake. However, for disciples like Lin Fan, it was still full of threats.

Take today for example. If he hadn't detected the poison in the food in time, Lin Fan might have died.

Being a disciple of a Demonic Sect was not an easy task.

On the soft bed, Lin Fan tossed and turned, embracing the two women, unable to fall asleep.

"Even as a Formal Disciple of the Demonic Sect, I don't feel as secure as I imagined."

"If I could become a Blood Talisman Master, my situation would surely be better."

Since he couldn't sleep, he simply got up and accessed his Panel.

[Do you wish to consume thirty years of lifespan to pre-emptively reach minor success in the Talisman Secret Tome?]

A line of text appeared before Lin Fan.

Lin Fan didn't hesitate and immediately said, "Agree to pre-empt."

The next second, more insights about the Talisman Secret Tome flooded into his mind.

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

He picked up the brush to draw talismans, his movements flowing like water, completing them in one go. Compared to last time, there was an added, intangible aura.

The talismans had also evolved from simple patterns to more complex and profound ones.

"The essence of profound talisman patterns."

Lin Fan immediately saw the key.

The more powerful the talisman, the more complex and intricate the talisman patterns were.

Basic talisman patterns might be completed in a dozen strokes, while profound talisman patterns required dozens or even hundreds of strokes.

Following the young man's movements, Lin Fan held his Talisman Brush and began to draw on the Talisman Paper.

As the brush tip landed, talisman light flickered. He held his breath, concentrating to the extreme.

After an unknown amount of time, Lin Fan was drenched in sweat. With the last stroke, the complex talisman pattern merged with the Talisman Paper, forming a talisman that emitted a faint blue glow.

It was a first-tier, high-grade talisman recorded in the Talisman Secret Tome: the Mysterious Ice Talisman.

Lin Fan's face lit up with joy. The crafting difficulty of this talisman was significantly higher than that of the Golden Thunder Talisman.

He quickly summoned his Panel to check his latest status.

[Name: Lin Fan] [Lifespan: 1305] [Talent: Pre-emptive Dao Fruit] [Realm: Meridian Condensing Realm (Second Grade)] [Cultivation Method: Intermediate Demonic Arts (Novice), Blood Gathering Art (Minor Success), Talisman Secret Tome (Minor Success)]

"Even a true Blood Talisman Master would find it difficult to craft the Mysterious Ice Talisman."

"Being able to craft this talisman means I have now completely mastered basic talismans."

"The next step is to attempt crafting the Blood Demon Talisman, which condenses demonic forms. Only by crafting the Blood Demon Talisman can I be considered a true Blood Talisman Master."

Lin Fan's eyes shone brightly.

Crafting basic talismans in the Blood Demon Sect was nothing. Only by crafting the powerful Blood Demon Talisman could one be considered a qualified Blood Talisman Master.

There were many types of talismans, and the Blood Demon Talisman was a general term for all talismans that condensed demonic forms.

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

A month later, a flying ship heading to Roaming Cloud Valley hovered over Blackwood Cliff.

The ship, over thirty zhang long, was like a behemoth.

Lin Fan, holding an invitation, stepped onto it under the watchful eyes of numerous disciples.

On the flying ship, Lin Fan saw about a dozen disciples, all wearing black robes embroidered with a crying-and-laughing human face pattern on their chests.

Among them was one person wearing a black robe embroidered with a golden auspicious cloud pattern. His status and position were much higher than the others.

Lin Fan, having only recently become a Formal Disciple, wore a plain black robe and seemed somewhat out of place in this setting.

Although his status was inferior, Lin Fan could not forget the proper etiquette.

He quickly approached the man with the golden auspicious cloud pattern on his chest and respectfully bowed, "Disciple Lin Fan of Blackwood Cliff greets Senior Brother."

The man glanced at him and simply grunted, showing no intention of speaking further.

Lin Fan wanted to say a few more words, but seeing the other party's expression, he wisely shut his mouth.

Since no one was paying attention to him, he was happy to be at ease and casually stood in a corner.

The flying boat soared through the clouds at great speed.

This was a rare flying artifact. Standing on the boat, he didn't feel any crosswinds, and it was remarkably stable.

The sun shone brightly in a clear, cloudless sky, offering a panoramic view of the entire Blood Demon Sect.

But on the other side of Blackwood Cliff, a faint blood mist emanated from the dark abyss, like a red vortex, seemingly ready to devour anything.

Disciples who knew each other on the flying boat gathered in small groups. These Blood Talisman Masters and prospective Blood Talisman Masters all had their own circles.

Lin Fan was alone, completely excluded.

This was quite normal. The Demonic Sect was rife with factions. New disciples like Lin Fan, originating from the handyman ranks, lacked background and possessed little strength.

Lin Fan remained calm, quietly observing the situation on the flying boat.

He listened intently, gathering a considerable amount of information from the snippets of conversation around him.

Master Ruan was the most capable Blood Talisman Master on Blood Soul Peak, ranking among the top three Blood Talisman Masters in the entire Blood Demon Sect.

His attainments in talismans were extremely high, but his obsession with them had delayed his cultivation. Now, at over eighty years old, he was only in the Meridian Condensing Realm.

Cultivators in the Meridian Condensing Realm had a lifespan only twenty years longer than ordinary mortals at most, living to around a hundred years old.

Master Ruan's lifespan was nearing its end, making it the natural time to select an "inheritor." His mastery of talismans was truly exquisite, so the people on the flying boat were almost all there for his "legacy."

Furthermore, the people on the flying boat were divided into two factions.

One faction was led by Yun Peng, Master Ruan's disciple. He became a Blood Talisman Master at a young age and, under Master Ruan's guidance, was now one of the important Blood Talisman Masters on Blood Soul Peak.

The other faction was led by Wang Zhaofeng, a young inner disciple. Not only was his talent astonishing, but he also had senior elders in the sect as his backing.

Yun Peng was fine; he had guided Lin Fan once before and knew of his existence. However, Yun Peng didn't care about Lin Fan's talent for Talisman Crafting. Since Lin Fan couldn't even craft basic talismans, how could he possibly qualify to compete for the inheritor position?

Conversely, Wang Zhaofeng had never heard of Lin Fan. Seeing him nervously staying in a corner after boarding, he completely disregarded him.

Since neither of them took Lin Fan seriously, he naturally became invisible, with no one paying him any attention.

As for Lin Fan, he had a very relaxed mindset. This trip was simply to witness the methods of true Blood Talisman Masters and to learn as much as possible during this rare opportunity.

He had no intention of competing for Master Ruan's "legacy."

He currently had no background and insufficient strength. If he were truly chosen as the inheritor, it would be equivalent to offending both factions, which would be no different from seeking death!

In righteous sects, if one was envied, others might not be able to do anything as long as no mistakes were made. However, in the Blood Demon Sect, being envied could cost one's life in an instant.

This was precisely why Lin Fan had deliberately concealed his true cultivation.

To survive in the chaotic and brutal Demonic Sect, one had to appropriately hide their strengths. Otherwise, the more high-profile one was, the faster they would die.