Reverent Yan Xuan, Shock Across the Entire Venue!

Buzz!

There was no sound of wind in the air.

Yet some sharp-sensed experts present could faintly detect an invisible ripple, slipping silently through the bustling crowd like a spirit snake leaving its burrow and heading straight for the VIP lounge.

This Spiritual Power fluctuation was controlled exceptionally well, condensed without dispersing and affecting no one else in the slightest. Only the Locked On target could sense that scrutiny reaching into the soul.

Master Yan stood where he was, a faint trace of curiosity on his aged face.

He bore no ill intent.

As the President of the Flame City Symbol Master Association and a highly respected Four-Seal Talisman Master, he stood near the pinnacle of Flame City.

Whenever he encountered younger talents with some potential, he would occasionally test their aptitude. If they proved to be a promising gem, he might even offer them a few pointers.

In his view, this young man who had made even Xia Wanjin lower his head was perhaps a core disciple of some Great Family sent out to gain experience. He might possess some treasure that concealed his aura, or perhaps he was simply quite strong himself.

But he had never imagined that this time, his seasoned old eyes, which had judged countless people, had been completely wrong!

At this moment,

just as Master Yan's thread of Spiritual Power entered within three meters of Liu Yuan's body,

Liu Yuan, who had been leisurely sipping tea, paused slightly with the fingers holding his cup. A faintly amused look flashed through his eyes.

"Trying to probe me?"

Liu Yuan chuckled inwardly.

"Then I'll play along."

With merely a thought, the vast, ocean-like Spiritual Power within his Mud Pill Palace naturally produced a rebounding force to protect his body.

Boom!

In an instant, the two streams of Spiritual Power collided fiercely in the invisible void.

There was no sound from that collision, nor were there any flying sparks.

Yet to Master Yan's senses, it was no different from thunder striking flat ground!

He felt as though his Spiritual Power had crashed into an ancient divine mountain towering into the clouds, with no end in sight!

The terrifying rebounding force that returned in that instant carried a suffocating pressure of despair, pouring crazily back into his Mud Pill Palace through the Spiritual Power connection!

"Urgh!"

Master Yan, standing at the entrance to the VIP passage, had been rosy-faced and composed a moment ago. In that instant, his face turned as pale as paper.

Stagger, stagger, stagger!

Under that terrifying backlash, Master Yan's body involuntarily stumbled backward.

One step, two steps, three steps...

By the fifth step, the President of the Symbol Master Association, who was normally revered by thousands, swayed as his legs went weak, nearly collapsing to the ground in full view of everyone!

"Teacher?!"

It had happened far too quickly, and it was far too horrifying.

Zi Yue, the purple-clad Maiden who had been following Master Yan with a rather proud expression, went pale with shock.

She cried out and hurriedly reached out with her slender arm, supporting the swaying Master Yan. Her pretty face was filled with anxiety and helplessness.

"Teacher, what happened to you? Don't scare me!"

It was not just Zi Yue. The passersby and merchants who had been lining up or watching the commotion also widened their eyes as though they had seen a ghost.

"Heavens! What happened to Master Yan?"

"He was perfectly fine just now. How did he suddenly look like he was seriously injured?"

"Could some old ailment have flared up?"

Whispers rose one after another as everyone watched in shock and uncertainty.

In the hearts of Flame City's people, Master Yan was an extraordinary figure. When had they ever seen him in such a disheveled state?

As for Liu Yuan, the one responsible for all this, he looked as though nothing had happened.

He gently blew away the tea leaves floating in his cup, took a light sip, then slowly raised his head and calmly looked toward the disheveled Elder in the distance.

"This..."

Lin Dong, seated beside Liu Yuan, naturally noticed the scene as well.

Though his senses were not as keen as Master Yan's, he had still detected that strange fluctuation in the air just now.

Following Liu Yuan's gaze, Lin Dong saw the face of the Elder being supported by the purple-clad Maiden. The confusion in his eyes instantly froze, turning into astonishment.

"It's him?!"

Lin Dong blurted out.

How could he possibly forget that face?

When he had first come to Flame City, it was this seemingly ordinary old man who had given him the Divine Movement Chapter, the book that had led him into the world of Rune Masters!

It could be said that without this old man, there would be no Rune Master Lin Dong today.

"What is it, Brother Lin Dong? Do you know Master Yan?"

Xia Wanjin, who had heard Lin Dong's cry, asked in surprise.

Lin Dong nodded, his expression somewhat complicated.

"We have met once. It was this old gentleman who gave me some guidance back then."

Xia Wanjin came to a sudden realization. A respectful look appeared on his face as he lowered his voice and solemnly introduced him to Lin Dong.

"Brother Lin Dong, you may not know this."

"That old gentleman is called Yan Xuan, also known as Master Yan. He is the President of our Flame City Symbol Master Association, as well as the only Four-Seal Talisman Master in all of Flame City!"

"In terms of status, even Stone City Lord has to show him some respect when he sees him. Within our Myriad Gold Merchant Association, he is an Honored Guest of the highest rank. Even I would not dare show the slightest disrespect when meeting him."

Xuan Su echoed from the side, her beautiful eyes gleaming as she added,

"Yes. Master Yan's attainments in the rune arts run incredibly deep. Nearly every Rune Master in Flame City has received his guidance. He truly has disciples everywhere. I never expected we would run into him here today."

Hearing Xia Wanjin and Xuan Su's introduction, Lin Dong could not help drawing in a sharp breath.

President of the Symbol Master Association?

A Four-Seal Talisman Master?

One of the highest-status figures in Flame City?

These titles struck Lin Dong like heavy hammers, leaving him somewhat dazed.

He had only thought that old man was mysterious back then. He had never expected his background to be so astonishing!

"So... the one who gave me that manual was such an important figure."

Lin Dong was shaken to the core.

But immediately afterward, an even more shocking thought rose in his mind.

If Master Yan was so formidable, a dignified Four-Seal Talisman Master, then just now...

Lin Dong was no fool. Combining the earlier anomaly with Master Yan's current reaction, he vaguely guessed what had happened.

Master Yan seemed to have tried probing Brother Liu Yuan, only to... suffer a loss?

Even a Four-Seal Talisman Master had suffered at Brother Liu Yuan's hands?!

Thinking of this, Lin Dong turned and looked at Liu Yuan, who remained utterly calm beside him, with near-worship in his eyes.

"Brother Liu Yuan... just how powerful are you?"

At the entrance to the auction house.

With Zi Yue's support, Master Yan finally managed to settle the churning blood and energy within him. His Mud Pill Palace, which had nearly burst apart, also calmed somewhat.

But the horror in his eyes had not faded in the slightest. Instead, it grew even stronger.

"Teacher, who ambushed you? Was it that brat sitting over there? I'll teach him a lesson!"

Seeing that her teacher had recovered somewhat, Zi Yue's beautiful eyes immediately turned sharp. She glared fiercely toward Liu Yuan, Spiritual Power already gathering in her hand as though she were about to charge forward and fight for her life.

"Stop! Do not be rude!"

Master Yan's face changed in fright, and he hurriedly shouted to stop her.

What a joke!

Teach him a lesson?

After only a brief exchange, he, a Four-Seal Talisman Master, had suffered such a huge loss. If this little girl went over there, she likely would not even withstand a single glance from him before becoming an idiot!

"Teacher?" Zi Yue was stunned by his rebuke and looked at him with hurt in her eyes.

Master Yan took a deep breath, ignoring his disciple's grievance.

He straightened his slightly rumpled robes. The pride on his face and the authority he held as President were completely restrained at that moment.

What replaced them was an unprecedented gravity and... reverence.

Yes, reverence.

As someone who had immersed himself in the rune arts for decades, he knew far too well what that rebounding force had meant.

That was not something one could achieve with the aid of some treasure.

It was pure, vast Spiritual Power that far surpassed his own!

That quality, that oppressive force...

"Five-Seal..."

Master Yan's throat was dry as he trembled inwardly and uttered those two words.

A Five-Seal Talisman Master!

This young man, who looked to be only around twenty years old, was actually a legendary Five-Seal Talisman Master!

That was the realm he had pursued for his entire life, one he had always dreamed of reaching but could never touch!

Those who had attained greater mastery were the teachers.

In the world of Rune Masters, age did not matter. Only strength did.

A Five-Seal Talisman Master was enough to make him, a Four-Seal Talisman Master, bow in worship!

Under the shocked, confused, and incomprehensible gazes of countless people around him, Master Yan pushed away Zi Yue's supporting hand.

His steps were still somewhat unsteady, yet he moved very quickly. Taking three steps as two, he passed straight through the crowd and arrived at the lounge where Liu Yuan sat.

Seeing Master Yan approach, Xia Wanjin and Xuan Su were just about to rise and greet him.

Yet what happened next left them, Lin Dong, Zi Yue, and everyone present completely petrified.

The Master Yan who normally stood high above all others, who did not even regard the City Lord highly, stopped three steps away from Liu Yuan.

Then,

he clasped his hands together, deeply bent at the waist, and offered a formal salute of a junior to the young man sitting motionlessly in his chair!

"Yan Xuan greets this young friend!"

Master Yan's voice was aged, yet it was filled with sincerity and apprehension, even carrying a faint tremor.

"This old man was blind just now. In my eagerness upon seeing such talent, I rashly tested you and offended your great might, Master!"

"This old man bore no ill intent. I beg Master to forgive my ignorance!"