Conceal Edge and Guard Simplicity

"Demonic Beasts come in all sorts of varieties, and the corresponding Blood Demonic Runes are also different."

"I've only mastered one type of Blood Demonic Rune so far, which is far from enough."

Lin Fan put down his Talisman Brush and muttered to himself.

Just then, Lin Fan suddenly startled, a chilling sensation washing over him.

The cave dwelling was too quiet. Previously, Zhou Wanqing and Wang Yuyao had been chattering outside the bedroom, but now there was dead silence.

He tensed his whole body, ready to dash out of the cave dwelling.

"No need to go out."

A low, hoarse voice suddenly sounded.

Lin Fan's body stiffened, and he said in a low voice, "Yes, senior."

He didn't ask who it was. Anyone who could sneak into his cave dwelling so silently was beyond Lin Fan's current ability to contend with, regardless of their strength or status.

A gecko crawled out from the wall and came straight to Lin Fan, speaking in a deep voice, "You're quite good at hiding, kid."

His voice was no longer low and hoarse; it was Master Ruan's voice.

Lin Fan was stunned, then quickly reacted and respectfully said, "Master Ruan."

The gecko vividly glared at him, and as its mouth moved, Master Ruan's voice came out, "Back at Roaming Cloud Valley, you deliberately concealed your strength and deceived me. Do you know this is a grave offense?"

Master Ruan's tone carried a hint of displeasure.

Lin Fan knew that the gecko controlled by the other party had likely seen him drawing the Blood Demonic Rune just now.

He lowered his head and explained, "Master Ruan, junior was just afraid..."

"Afraid Yun Peng and Wang Zhaofeng would eat you?"

Master Ruan's voice held a hint of mockery as he continued to taunt, "I've been in the sect for so long, and I've never seen a disciple as cowardly as you."

"Forget it, forget it..."

"I still want to ask you again, what exactly is the spirit of the Golden Feather White Deer?"

As he spoke, the gecko stared intently at Lin Fan, making him feel immense pressure.

"Master Ruan, junior truly doesn't know."

Lin Fan wanted to continue playing dumb.

"I'll give you another chance."

"If you don't tell the truth this time, don't blame me for being impolite."

Master Ruan's tone turned cold, and he threatened him without reservation.

A prodigy who could draw Blood Demonic Runes through self-study, and he couldn't discern the spirit of the Golden Feather White Deer? Was he playing him for a fool?

Lin Fan sighed inwardly, knowing that he couldn't fool the other party any longer.

He looked thoughtful, pondered for a moment, and then said seriously, "Master Ruan, actually, I believe the spirit of the Golden Feather White Deer is neither ferocious and bloodthirsty, nor cunning and deceitful, but rather Conceal Edge and Guard Simplicity."

"Conceal Edge and Guard Simplicity?"

Master Ruan was taken aback; it was the first time he had heard this saying.

Lin Fan continued, "Survival of the fittest, the Golden Feather White Deer's bloodthirst is its nature, and its cunning is a means, but in the end, it's all for survival."

Speaking of this, Lin Fan felt a surge of emotion.

He himself was somewhat similar to the Golden Feather White Deer. To survive in the Demonic Sect, Conceal Edge and Guard Simplicity was ultimately just for better survival.

"Survival of the fittest, survival..."

Master Ruan savored Lin Fan's words and suddenly had an epiphany, comprehending something different.

He was stunned for a long time before coming back to his senses and sighing, "Lin Fan, is it? You have quite a way with words."

As soon as he finished speaking, the gecko could no longer hold on and disintegrated into specks of flying ash.

"Was Master Ruan praising me just now?"

Lin Fan scratched his head.

But he didn't feel any joy; instead, his heart grew heavier.

Master Ruan's cultivation wasn't strong, yet he had infiltrated his cave dwelling through his unique attainments as a Blood Talisman Master. If it were another powerful figure from the Demonic Sect, wouldn't they have him subdued in minutes?

"Still not strong enough..."

Lin Fan sighed.

At the same time, on a main peak of Blood Soul Peak, Master Ruan's face was flushed, and his body trembled slightly with excitement.

"How could I not have thought of that?"

"So the spirit of the Golden Feather White Deer can be like this!"

Master Ruan's eyes lit up, and he said in a deep voice, "Good kid, you've given me tremendous inspiration."

He burst into laughter, his laughter shaking the entire cave dwelling.

Outside the cave dwelling, the Beautiful Mistress sat opposite Yun Peng. Listening to his elegant conversation, she was amused and laughed heartily, her graceful posture becoming even more captivating.

Noticing the laughter from inside the cave, the Beautiful Mistress stopped and looked at Yun Peng. "Yun Peng, I'll go take a look inside."

Yun Peng's gaze was fervent as he looked at the beautiful Mistress. "Thank you, Mistress."

The Beautiful Mistress glanced at him, a ripple of emotion stirring in her heart, and said softly, "Don't worry."

Soon, she entered the cave dwelling. Suddenly, her pretty face changed slightly. She saw Master Ruan with disheveled hair, holding a brush and drawing a talisman. A Blood Demonic Rune, exuding an astonishing malevolent aura, was slowly taking shape.

"Master Ruan, this is..."

"So, the divine form of the Golden Feather White Deer can be understood this way. Come quickly and see the Blood Demonic Rune I just made..."

Master Ruan pulled her into his arms, signaling her to examine the talisman he had just created carefully.

The talisman's light flowed, and the aura of demonic malevolence washed over them. Faintly, the phantom image of a white deer appeared from within the talisman. It seemed docile on the surface, yet it exuded an extremely terrifying aura.

Compared to the Blood Demonic Runes Master Ruan had made before, this one's fluctuations were at least several times stronger.

"Master Ruan, your talisman mastery has improved again!"

The Beautiful Mistress exclaimed in surprise.

As the gecko disappeared, Zhou Wanqing and Wang Yuyao, who had been unconscious, slowly woke up.

"Are you two alright?"

Lin Fan stepped forward and helped the two women up.

He didn't need to think to know that it was Master Ruan's doing just now.

"Brother Lin, what happened to us?"

Zhou Wanqing rubbed her aching head, asking in confusion.

"It's just... it was so strange just now, we suddenly fainted."

Wang Yuyao also looked bewildered.

"You were just too tired."

Lin Fan explained it that way.

The two women didn't doubt Lin Fan's words at all.

Half a month later.

Master Ruan came to a main peak and casually flipped through the talisman patterns copied by the disciples.

These talisman patterns were all submitted by Blackwood Cliff.

While he seemed to be browsing casually, his attention was focused on the name "Lin Fan."

Soon, a talisman pattern appeared in his hand.

Master Ruan narrowed his old eyes, carefully observing the talisman pattern, and mused, "He really is a kid who conceals his strength. Copying talisman patterns is becoming more and more effortless for him."

He was extremely pleased and burst into laughter again.

Ever since he had tested Lin Fan last time, he had paid special attention to him, coming here every so often to check the talisman patterns Lin Fan submitted.

It was difficult for others to see anything amiss, but Master Ruan was so experienced and shrewd that he immediately noticed that in just half a month, Lin Fan's copied talisman patterns had not only become more exquisite but also contained a trace of a unique divine form.

The second floor of the Hidden Scripture Pavilion.

Lin Fan was hunched over his desk, copying, his expression extremely focused.

[You have copied five talisman patterns from "Record of Leading Talismans," rewarded with 10 years of lifespan.]

[You have copied six talisman patterns from "Record of Sinful Demons," rewarded with 12 years of lifespan.]

In just one morning, Lin Fan copied over a dozen talisman patterns and received a reward of twenty-eight years of lifespan.

As his talisman mastery slowly improved, his efficiency in copying talisman patterns also increased to a certain extent.

After copying the talisman patterns, Lin Fan did not continue to stay on the second floor of the Hidden Scripture Pavilion. After greeting Zhao Wang, he went to Demon Calling Valley alone.

Demonic Beasts roamed Demon Calling Valley, and Lin Fan often came here to observe them in order to better master the Blood Demonic Runes.

The wind and snow raged, and Demon Calling Valley was silent.

Lin Fan lay hidden on a cliff, his body covered in snowflakes, as still as a statue, overlooking several ferocious Snow Demon Wolves below.

Snow Demon Wolves were not of high rank and often appeared in Demon Calling Valley, making them the most accessible demonic beasts.