Promotion to Spirit Talisman Master! Yan Xuan's Shock!

[Ding!]

[Detected that Yan Xuan's Spiritual Power cultivation within the current map has successfully crossed a bottleneck, advancing to Five-Seal Talisman Master, equal to the Host's current Spiritual Power realm...]

[All-Map Strongest System evaluation mechanism activated!]

[Congratulations, Host. Your Rune Master cultivation has successfully broken through, advancing to—Spirit Talisman Master!]

As the cold, mechanical voice in his mind fell silent, Liu Yuan felt an immense power surge forth from the depths of his soul.

Boom!

At that moment, his Mud Pill Palace seemed to undergo an earth-shattering transformation.

The five Natal Talisman Seals that had already been exceptionally condensed began wildly devouring the surrounding energy of heaven and earth. At last, they fused into one, transforming into an even more profound and mysterious rune phantom.

This was the mark of surpassing a Five-Seal Talisman Master and truly stepping through the gates of Spiritual Power cultivation—a Spirit Talisman Master!

A cool, lucid sensation spread throughout his body. Liu Yuan felt his perception expand by more than tenfold in an instant.

Everything around him—from the patterns of leaves stirred by the breeze, to the ripples caused by fish flicking their tails in the distant pond, even the Origin Power particles drifting through the air—appeared in his perception with perfect clarity, as though the entire world were under his control.

"Phew..."

Liu Yuan slowly exhaled a breath of Turbid Qi. A faint divine gleam now flowed through his originally dark, profound eyes, as though they contained a sea of stars, making others afraid to meet his gaze directly.

"It worked, just as expected."

A satisfied smile curved Liu Yuan's lips as he silently gave Yan Xuan his approval. That old fellow Yan Xuan didn't disappoint me. He broke through so quickly.

All the effort he had put into giving him that opportunity had not gone to waste.

This deal had been a huge profit!

Though only one realm separated a Five-Seal Talisman Master from a Spirit Talisman Master, the gap between them was as vast as heaven and earth.

If a Five-Seal Talisman Master was merely a human with powerful Spiritual Power, then a Spirit Talisman Master had begun to touch upon the essence of Spiritual Power itself. They could wield the power of heaven and earth, and every gesture carried immense might.

"Now that I've broken through, it's time to test it out."

In high spirits, Liu Yuan could no longer be bothered to keep drinking tea. He rose directly to his feet and swept his gaze over the spacious courtyard.

With a thought, the Natal Spirit Talisman that had just taken shape trembled slightly within his Mud Pill Palace.

Buzz!

In an instant, an invisible storm of Spiritual Power erupted violently with Liu Yuan at its center.

Yet he controlled the storm with exquisite precision. It did not harm a single blade of grass or tree in the courtyard, merely transforming into countless threadlike tendrils of Spiritual Power that instantly covered the entire estate.

"Rise!"

Liu Yuan gave a low shout and lightly flicked his finger upward.

Crash!

A massive boulder beside the courtyard rockery, weighing several thousand jin, rose from the ground without warning and floated in midair, as though held aloft by an invisible hand.

Then Liu Yuan flicked his fingers repeatedly.

As if granted life, the boulder rose and fell, darted left and right through the air, and even began spinning at high speed, releasing bursts of piercing wind.

"This degree of control... it's several times stronger than before!"

"Since my Spiritual Power has reached the required level, then..."

Seemingly recalling something, Liu Yuan flipped his palm, and an ancient manual carrying an air of great antiquity appeared in his hand.

It was the Spiritual Power secret art he had cultivated before—[Sky Flame Ancient Formation]!

This secret art was a Qi-grade Spiritual Power secret art the system had previously rewarded Liu Yuan with.

However, limited by the strength of his Spiritual Power, Liu Yuan had only cultivated it to the Minor Accomplishment realm. He was still far from Great Accomplishment, much less perfection.

Now that Liu Yuan's Spiritual Power had undergone such an enormous breakthrough, it was naturally time to pick up this unfinished Spiritual Power secret art and continue studying it...

Liu Yuan closed his eyes and began deriving the formation diagram of [Sky Flame Ancient Formation] anew within his mind.

As he continued his derivation, streams of immense Spiritual Power began tracing complex runes through the air along mysterious trajectories.

The runes were crimson all over, like burning flames, radiating a terrifying heat and an aura of destruction.

Over the next two days, Liu Yuan completely immersed himself in cultivating [Sky Flame Ancient Formation].

Bolstered by the realm of a Spirit Talisman Master and the extraordinary comprehension granted by the system, his progress in this art advanced by leaps and bounds.

The entire Backyard of the estate was shrouded in a faint, scorching aura, as though a volcano on the verge of eruption were brewing beneath the ground.

Liu Yuan had deliberately suppressed the fluctuations. Otherwise, the aura leaking out alone would likely have shaken every expert in Flame City.

Two days later.

On the streets of Flame City, a group of people chatted and laughed as they headed toward the eastern part of the city.

At their head was Master Yan, who had only recently emerged from seclusion.

Though Master Yan still appeared aged on the outside, his aura had undergone a heaven-shaking transformation.

His once somewhat cloudy eyes had become deep and bright. Even his every movement faintly emitted a palpitating Spiritual Power fluctuation.

Five-Seal Talisman Master!

Yes, with the Jade Slip Liu Yuan had bestowed upon him, he had finally taken the final step that had troubled him for more than a decade, successfully advancing to a Five-Seal Talisman Master!

This sense of achievement had put a spring in Master Yan's step these past two days, and the smile on his face had never faded.

Behind him, Zi Yue also wore a delighted expression. Clearly, she too had gained greatly during this period of seclusion and was not far from breaking through to become a Three-Seal Talisman Master.

"Teacher, shouldn't we prepare a generous gift for our visit to Young Master Liu?"

Zi Yue asked somewhat uneasily, "After all, Young Master Liu gave us such a great opportunity. Wouldn't it seem insincere if we went empty-handed?"

Master Yan stroked his beard and smiled. "Don't worry. Your teacher has already prepared everything. This time, I selected several extremely rare Spiritual Power Spirit Medicines from the Symbol Master Association's treasury. Young Master Liu is skilled in refining medicine, so I believe he will like these ingredients."

As they spoke, a hearty laugh suddenly rang out ahead of them.

"Haha, Master Yan! What a coincidence!"

Master Yan looked up and saw Lin Zhentian in the distance, accompanied by Lin Dong, Lin Xiao, and the others. They carried large and small gifts in their hands and were clearly heading in the same direction.

"So it's Brother Lin."

Master Yan hurried forward a few steps, a warm smile appearing on his face.

The Lin Family was Liu Yuan's "in-laws," after all. Naturally, he did not dare show the slightest neglect, and even deliberately sought to befriend them.

"Congratulations on leaving seclusion, Master Yan! Judging by your complexion, could it be that your divine art has reached Great Accomplishment?"

Lin Zhentian was no fool. At a glance, he noticed the unusual aura around Yan Xuan and hurriedly cupped his hands in congratulations.

"Not at all, not at all. It's all thanks to Young Master Liu!"

Yan Xuan modestly waved his hand, but the delight at the corners of his eyes could not be concealed. "I merely got lucky and broke through to Five-Seal Talisman Master. As soon as I stabilized my realm, I wanted to hurry over and thank Young Master Liu."

Hiss—

Upon hearing the words "Five-Seal Talisman Master," everyone from the Lin Family could not help drawing a sharp breath.

A Five-Seal Talisman Master!

That was a terrifying existence capable of rivaling a Creation Realm expert!

Master Yan had been powerful before, but he had only been at the peak of Four-Seal Talisman Master. Who could have expected him to take another step forward and become a true Five-Seal Talisman Master?

The Symbol Master Association's status would surely rise even higher now.

And all of this had come from an opportunity Liu Yuan had casually bestowed?

At that thought, the Lin Family's reverence for Liu Yuan became as endless as a surging river.

"Since we're all going to visit Young Master Liu, why not travel together?"

Yan Xuan took the initiative to suggest it.

"Of course! Of course!"

Lin Zhentian could not have wished for more. Building a good relationship with a Five-Seal Talisman Master could only benefit the Lin Family.

Thus, the two groups joined together and headed grandly toward Liu Yuan's estate.

Along the way, everyone chatted and laughed, and the atmosphere was exceptionally harmonious.

However.

Just as they turned the street corner and arrived at the road where Liu Yuan's estate was located—

The smile on Yan Xuan's face suddenly froze.

Then his pupils contracted violently. His feet seemed rooted to the ground, and he stood utterly motionless. It was as though he had seen something incomparably terrifying, every hair on his body standing on end in an instant!

"This... this is..."

It was not just him.

Zi Yue and Lin Dong beside him had also gone pale. They felt as though a ten-thousand-jin boulder were pressing down on their chests, making it difficult even to breathe.

Because—

Above the estate in the distance.

Though it looked calm and empty to the naked eye—

To Spiritual Power experts like Yan Xuan, it was nothing less than a boiling sea of lava and flame!

An indescribable, abyss-like Spiritual Power pressure slowly spread from the depths of that estate, like a slumbering dragon awakening.

The pressure was not deliberately directed at anyone.

Yet merely a trace of the aura it emitted made Yan Xuan, a newly advanced Five-Seal Talisman Master, feel a shudder and insignificance originating from the depths of his soul!

That was...

An absolute suppression on the level of life itself!

"H-how is that possible?!"

Yan Xuan swallowed with difficulty, his voice dry. "This fluctuation... this pressure..."

"This is absolutely not power that a Five-Seal Talisman Master could possess!"

"Could it be..."

"Young Master Liu Yuan isn't a Five-Seal Talisman Master at all? Is he something even stronger—a Spirit Talisman Master?"