Participation

Ji Yuan was slightly taken aback, but on second thought, it made sense. Wasn't his lakeside cottage rented as well?

Yet the Panel still classified it as his own building.

So what was the difference if he took the assessment in this exclusive little cubicle and drew talismans here?

If he treated the assessment Wooden Token in his hand as a key, then as long as he remained here drawing talismans, this would be his exclusive [Talisman Room].

Ji Yuan could not help sighing inwardly... the Panel was damn considerate.

As he pondered this, the voice of the Water Dragon Sect cultivator on duty rang out.

"The talisman for this assessment is a Middle First Tier talisman—the Skylight Talisman."

Ji Yuan's brows immediately furrowed. This Water Dragon Sect... was making things difficult.

If drawing talismans were compared to taking an exam, then the Skylight Talisman was unquestionably one of those bizarrely difficult questions.

Though the Skylight Talisman was likewise a Middle-Grade Talisman, it was extremely useless. Its effect was exactly as its name suggested, much like a lighting lamp.

Its illumination was simply very powerful. Once used, an area several miles around would be as bright as day, but it did not last long.

At most, it could last for less than half an incense stick's time.

Spend nearly ten Spirit Stones for less than half an incense stick of light... so ordinary Talisman Masters generally would not bother studying this talisman.

Ji Yuan was no exception. If not for the Dao Comprehension Chamber increasing his comprehension, he might not even have been able to memorize the Skylight Talisman's runes.

At that moment, he understood why the assessment's pass rate was so low.

Wasn't this just deliberately making things difficult?

Just as Ji Yuan was recalling the Skylight Talisman's runes, he suddenly sensed a wave of spiritual energy from beside him.

The watching cultivators immediately broke into approving exclamations.

"Young Master Wu is incredible!"

"He succeeded on the first try. He'll definitely be able to join the Water Dragon Sect this time."

"..."

Ji Yuan infused a trace of spiritual power into the Wooden Token, and the clamor instantly vanished... cultivation really was damn convenient. This Wooden Token had no other function, only a small soundproofing restriction.

Once activated, it shut out disturbances from outside while still allowing those outside to clearly see what he was doing, preventing cheating.

Still, Wu Yan managing to draw a Skylight Talisman in one go did surprise Ji Yuan.

That made sense, though. As Wu Wenbin's legitimate son, he had surely gone farther down the path of talisman drawing than ordinary people.

Besides, they had experience and knew the Water Dragon Sect's style of selection.

They always tested obscure, difficult talismans. Ji Yuan wondered whether Wu Wenbin had predicted the questions.

Perhaps he could even run a pre-exam cram class and rake in a wave of Spirit Stones.

Ji Yuan hurriedly shook his head, no longer letting his thoughts run wild. He instead focused on recalling how to draw the Skylight Talisman, repeatedly tracing its form in the Void with his hand.

Outside, Wu Wenbin watched the performance of his disciples and could not help stroking his beard with a smile.

The Skylight Talisman really had been one of his predictions. A few days before the selection, he had specifically instructed them in its drawing methods and precautions.

Three successes out of ten—one or two should make it.

Then he would have a few more disciples within the Water Dragon Sect.

If Wu Yan could join... that would be best. He had painstakingly sent several disciples into the Water Dragon Sect. So long as Wu Yan entered, this investment would begin to bear fruit.

With the combined strength of several disciples, could they perhaps pile up enough to produce a False Spiritual Root Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator?

If that was possible, then perhaps he could do the same.

Foundation Establishment—that was Wu Wenbin's true goal.

Once he reached Foundation Establishment, not only would his strength greatly increase, but even his lifespan would extend to over two hundred years.

Especially since Wu Yan had succeeded with a Skylight Talisman right from the start, giving him tremendous confidence.

Then he turned to look at the boy called Ji Yuan. Though he disliked the man in his heart, his face still bore a smile.

Looking at his flustered state, he had probably never drawn a Skylight Talisman before.

He was still copying it on the spot. Who knew whether he had even remembered the runes correctly? How laughable.

So be it. This was how unbacked, wild-path Talisman Masters were. Being able to draw a few Water-Repelling Talismans to barely make a living was already quite good.

Wu Wenbin had always thought these things, but he never said them aloud, nor did he reveal them.

No matter who he faced, he maintained an amiable demeanor. That was why, over the years, the fishermen of Zengtou City had all been willing to call Wu Wenbin Master Wu.

He turned to look at Wu Yan again. After succeeding with the first talisman, the next two had both failed.

Seeing this, Wu Wenbin knew it was merely a matter of temperament.

The first success had given Wu Yan immense confidence, but his confidence had always gone a little too far.

Thus, he had become an exceedingly arrogant and conceited person.

Wu Wenbin understood this as well. He understood even more clearly that Wu Yan's temperament was related to how dotingly he had spoiled him since childhood.

The fourth talisman... failed again!

Wu Wenbin took one glance and had already foreseen the outcome. Wu Yan had no chance this time.

With his temperament, after suffering consecutive failures, he would grow anxious. And when it came to drawing talismans, nothing was more taboo than impatience. Once one became anxious, everything went to ruin.

Sure enough, Wu Yan's next several Talismans all ended in failure.

On the contrary, another disciple named Mei Chen had already succeeded twice by his seventh talisman. If he could manage one more success among the next three, he would have a chance to join the Water Dragon Sect.

This surprised Wu Wenbin somewhat, because Mei Chen usually kept a low profile and never showed off.

Even his usual talisman drawing was the same—his success rate was neither high nor low.

Among Wu Wenbin's many disciples, he could only be considered average.

The only thing Wu Wenbin remembered about Mei Chen was that he was exceptionally neat. Whether it was his everyday clothing, the talisman tools on his desk, or even the Talismans he drew, all were impeccably orderly.

As for Ji Yuan... Wu Wenbin swept him a glance. At this point, he still had not started. He was likely preparing to give up.

The disciples failed one after another. Even Wu Yan did not succeed again until his ninth talisman, only for the tenth to fail immediately afterward.

Two successes out of ten naturally meant he had no chance to join the Water Dragon Sect.

This result had long been within Wu Wenbin's expectations.

Wu Yan irritably cursed before setting down his talisman brush, rising, and walking out of the cubicle.

In the cubicle beside his, Mei Chen had succeeded with his seventh talisman, then consecutively failed the eighth and ninth.

Wu Wenbin also thought none of his disciples would join the Water Dragon Sect this time. He subconsciously thought of Lu Wan again. If she were here, three Skylight Talismans would probably be as easy as taking something from her pocket.

What a pity... she could not come today.

But just then, spiritual energy stirred faintly inside one of the cubicles. Immediately afterward, a white-clad young man abruptly rose to his feet, his eyes brimming with delight.

The third Skylight Talisman... had succeeded!

Mei Chen joyfully set down his talisman brush and ran out of the cubicle holding three Skylight Talismans.

Only when he saw Mei Chen's figure did Ji Yuan, still deep in thought, suddenly realize that quite some time had already passed.

He hurriedly picked up the standard-issue talisman brush distributed by the Water Dragon Sect, then took up a standard-issue sheet of Talisman Paper. He drew a slight breath and looked up at the space above him.

[Talisman Room: lv1]

Recalling the talisman head of the Skylight Talisman, he dipped the brush in a little Talisman Ink, set it to paper, and formed the talisman... all in one smooth motion.

Seeing that he had succeeded on his first attempt, Ji Yuan was somewhat surprised. He picked up the Talisman Paper and infused it with spiritual energy.

A snow-white spiritual radiance flashed.

The first Skylight Talisman... had succeeded.