Convinced and Reconciled

Lin Fan's mind was soon flooded with further insights regarding the Talisman Secret Manual.

The scene reappeared: a youth resembling Lin Fan was crafting a talisman with a talisman brush.

The youth's expression was focused, his brushstrokes steady and powerful, as if he had entered a state of self-forgetfulness.

The ink was vibrant, and a complex Blood Demonic Rune slowly took shape. Faintly, the phantom of a Two-Headed Bird appeared, but it vanished without a trace after only a single breath.

Lin Fan was startled and said, "It's the Blood Demonic Rune of a Two-Headed Bird."

He had observed this type of Demonic Beast up close at the Blood Talisman Gathering before. Though not of high rank, its ferocious aura was exceptionally potent.

Without any hesitation, he immediately took out his talisman brush and quickly unfurled the talisman paper.

Following the youth's movements and combining them with the insights in his mind, Lin Fan calmed his spirit and began to draw.

His movements were very slow, not daring to make the slightest mistake. To sketch a more powerful Blood Demonic Rune, one needed to expend more mental energy.

After a long while, beads of sweat appeared on Lin Fan's forehead. At this moment, the Blood Demonic Rune gradually took shape.

With the final stroke, a complete Two-Headed Bird Blood Demonic Rune appeared, exuding an astonishingly ferocious aura.

Lin Fan smiled and immediately summoned his Panel to check his own changes.

[Name: Lin Fan]
[Lifespan: 1461]
[Talent: Pre-emptive Dao Fruit]
[Realm: Meridian Condensing Realm (Fifth Grade)]
[Cultivation Method: Advanced Demonic Arts (Great Accomplishment), Blood Gathering Art (Perfection), Talisman Secret Manual (Proficient), Sword Control Technique (Novice), Houtian Gang Qi (Novice)]

"My talisman crafting skill has indeed advanced further."

"I obtained the demonic blood of a Two-Headed Bird at the Blood Talisman Gathering before. Now that I've mastered its Blood Demonic Rune, I can try to craft a true Two-Headed Bird Blood Demonic Talisman." Lin Fan's eyes gleamed.

He took out a jade bottle filled with demonic blood and quickly mixed it with cinnabar.

An hour later, a blood-red talisman took shape, its ferocious aura several times stronger than that of the Snow Demon Wolf Talisman.

Lin Fan examined the Blood Demonic Talisman with a smile. "This is the first time I've successfully crafted a Two-Headed Bird Blood Demonic Talisman. I'm not yet skilled or perfect, but judging by its power, it's enough to rival a Demonic Beast at the third grade of the Spirit Opening Realm."

"Once my skills are more refined in the future, I might even be able to create a Blood Demonic Talisman that can perfectly replicate the combat power of a Two-Headed Bird itself."

The power of a Blood Demonic Talisman primarily came from the Blood Talisman Master's skill and the crafting materials.

Lin Fan had only just mastered the Blood Demonic Rune of the Two-Headed Bird and was not yet proficient or perfect. However, as time passed, the Blood Demonic Talismans he crafted would become increasingly powerful.

This was the terrifying aspect of Blood Talisman Masters. If given enough time to grow, their crafted Blood Demonic Talismans could even surpass the power of the Demonic Beast itself.

Lin Fan put away the talisman and materials, then took out a cloth bag – the one left behind by the cultivator he had killed not long ago.

He checked the contents of the bag: over a thousand taels of silver, a set of Golden Silk Treasure Armor, and a cultivation method called "Coiling Dragon Saber."

The Golden Silk Treasure Armor could only block the swords and blades of martial artists, not the attacks of cultivators. Lin Fan glanced at it and set it aside.

He then examined the saber technique. After looking for a long time, he shook his head. Both its power and usefulness were inferior to the cultivation methods he currently possessed, making it almost useless.

However, this was normal. The other party was just a rogue cultivator and didn't have any decent treasures.

Just then, a knock came from outside.

"Come in," Lin Fan said coldly, still wearing his bamboo hat.

Mo Xue, dressed in a white dress, walked in. She looked much better.

In just a few days, the Sacred Dragon Book Pavilion had destroyed the other two major martial arts factions, becoming the strongest force in Ask Heaven City.

All of this was thanks to a man named "Peerless."

"Thank you. You not only helped me get revenge but also led the Sacred Dragon Book Pavilion to a new height." Mo Xue walked behind Lin Fan, opened her fair and slender arms, and gently hugged his broad shoulders.

"If I'm not mistaken, the effects of that medicine wore off a few days ago," Lin Fan said.

"Of course, the effects are gone."

"But I know you're not an ordinary person. You have your goals, and I have mine."

"So, for our respective goals, we must maintain a close relationship."

As she spoke, Mo Xue's pretty face flushed, but her small hands began to unfasten Lin Fan's clothes.

The woman who now presided over the Sacred Dragon Book Pavilion, a powerful figure in the eyes of the world, was now like a shy young woman, beginning to serve her beloved.

Her gauze skirt fell to the floor, and under the candlelight, her pure white and delicate skin appeared incredibly alluring.

Lin Fan did not refuse, understanding her intentions.

He scooped up the woman in front of him and walked step by step into the depths of the ancient library.

As the night deepened, soft moans began to fill the air.

Half a year later.

It was early summer.

Several figures in sword robes suddenly appeared in Ask Heaven City.

Shortly after, two men stepped onto the grounds of the Sacred Dragon Book Pavilion.

One of them was a well-presented warrior under the King of Linzi, while the other, clad in a sword robe, was a cultivator from the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect with a detached expression.

Mo Xue, dressed in white, sat regally in a grand armchair, exuding an elegant and noble aura, like an inviolable queen.

Beside Mo Xue stood a man in a bamboo hat. In addition to him, several sharp-eyed, heroic-looking female warriors were also present.

"Pavilion Master Mo, I am an envoy from the King of Linzi."

"This is an immortal elder from the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect."

The warrior spoke first.

"An envoy from the King of Linzi? A cultivator from the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect?"

Mo Xue was startled but remained outwardly composed.

She glanced at the two men and asked, "You have traveled a long way. May I ask the purpose of your visit?"

The King of Linzi's envoy smiled and stepped forward. "We heard that the Sacred Dragon Book Pavilion is now the largest martial arts force in Ask Heaven City, and we also learned that the pavilion master is guarded by a powerful swordsman. We admire you greatly and have come specifically to pay our respects."

"Another reason is that we wish to ask the Sacred Dragon Book Pavilion to investigate whether any strange cultivators have appeared in Ask Heaven City over the past half year."

"Suspicious cultivators?"

Mo Xue's beautiful eyes flickered.

"That's right. They've appeared in the last six months or so, and they seem to enjoy dual cultivation, absorbing the Yin essence of women."

The man in the sword robe added.

"The Flowing Cloud Sword Sect is searching for disciples of the Blood Demon Sect."

Lin Fan knew their intentions.

But he was completely unfazed. Under the bamboo hat, his face was disguised as that of a scarred man, and his cultivation fluctuations were perfectly concealed.

Let alone one disciple from the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect, even a hundred of them standing before him would find it difficult to detect anything amiss.

"Furthermore, their methods are quite wicked."

"They even resort to indiscriminate killing at the slightest disagreement."

The sword-robed man continued his description.

Mo Xue gave a signal, and a female warrior quickly stepped forward.

She lowered her head and whispered a few words to the warrior, who immediately went to the storeroom to retrieve the records.

Ask Heaven City was still in a state of considerable chaos. The King of Linzi's army had recently besieged the city, but the Great Jin Dynasty's Usurper Emperor's forces had no intention of abandoning it either. Several battles had already taken place outside the city walls.

There was no official government to maintain order within the city, but any major events were recorded by the Sacred Dragon Book Pavilion.

Soon, the female warrior returned with a stack of scrolls.

The King of Linzi's envoy and the sword-robed man began examining the scrolls, but after half an hour, neither of them found anything suspicious.

At this moment, the sword-robed man suddenly looked up, his gaze falling on Lin Fan.

"I heard that there is a swordsman in a bamboo hat within the Sacred Dragon Book Pavilion, whose swordsmanship is exceptionally divine."

"I wish to spar with him."

Mo Xue frowned, about to voice her objection, but a voice interrupted her.

"I've heard that cultivators from the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect possess incredible mystical arts. I have long admired them. If I could receive some guidance from an immortal elder, it would truly be an honor."

Peerless, disguised as he was in the bamboo hat, spoke.

The sword-robed man and the King of Linzi's envoy exchanged glances, then stepped forward and said, "Please."

Peerless, as Lin Fan was disguised, wasted no words and immediately unleashed a sword strike.

The sword energy was sharp and fierce, like a fleeting glimpse of a swan, directly piercing towards the face of the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect cultivator.

The sword-robed man's eyes lit up, but he quickly shook his head. "Your strength is great, and your presence is impressive, but alas, you are merely mortal..."

He suddenly raised his hand, a cold glint repelled Peerless's treasured sword, and then his flying sword was pressed against the latter's chest.

A complete crushing defeat!

"The immortal elder is indeed formidable. I am utterly convinced."

Peerless cupped his hands and said.

"Hmm."

The sword-robed man formed a hand seal, and his flying sword turned, returning to its sheath.

He shook his head at the King of Linzi's envoy, and then the two no longer lingered, leaving the grounds of the Sacred Dragon Book Pavilion directly.

A few days later.

A basement suddenly exploded, revealing the corpses of several young girls inside.

A man in black moved at extreme speed, intending to flee the scene immediately.

However, before he could get far, a flying sword attacked him head-on.

The man in black hurriedly circulated his Internal Breath, and a pure black energy surged forth. It only held out for a moment before the flying sword pierced him through, pinning him to the ground.

"Flowing Cloud Sword Sect, you've gone too far..."

"I've hidden here, and you still won't leave me alone!"

The man in black was defiant, roaring with all his might.

"Good and evil cannot coexist! Demonic Sect scum must be eliminated!"

A man in a sword robe shouted coldly. His flying sword suddenly descended, cleaving the man in black in two.

When Lin Fan heard the news, he was stunned.

He hadn't expected that besides himself, there were other disciples of the Blood Demon Sect lying low in Ask Heaven City.

It was a pity that the other disciple didn't have his methods and couldn't evade the pursuit of the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect disciples.

"Demonic Sect disciples are truly miserable. One wrong step within the sect and you're killed, and even lying low outside the sect still leads to pursuit by the righteous path."

Lin Fan sighed, but he also became even more cautious.

The disciples of the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect were constantly hunting for Demonic Sect disciples. If his identity were exposed, the consequences would be unimaginable.