Drawing Inscription Scrolls

Xiao Tianhao's Residence.

Beneath a clear sky, the morning sunlight had already streamed into the house.

Xiao Tianhao rose early. After dressing neatly, he sorted the demon crystals, blood, flesh, and demon spirits from the demon beasts he had hunted in the Trial Secret Realm.

Today, he would use their blood to draw inscription patterns scrolls. He left the demon beast blood out and put everything else into his Space Ring.

He left his residence and stepped onto the street.

Though it was still early morning, the street was already bustling.

On either side of the street, demon-hunting teams had arrived early with the demon beasts they had killed the night before. They were waiting for the general stores to open so they could sell their spoils.

Their faces were weary yet excited. They must have had a bountiful haul.

At the roadside stalls, war weapons gleamed with a metallic luster. Sabers, spears, swords, and halberds-everything was there. Battle armor radiated the auras of various attributes, from freezing cold to searing heat.

Intricate artifact patterns were engraved on the weapons and armor, making them seem mysterious and powerful.

Inscription Scrolls were neatly displayed inside the shops. Offensive, defensive, healing, and all sorts of other scrolls drew the eyes of passersby.

More and more people appeared on the road: city gate guards hurrying off on assignments, demon-hunting squads traveling together, and merchants arriving to purchase supplies.

Xiao Tianhao wove through the crowd, taking in the lively atmosphere.

After walking for a while, he spotted a sizable shop selling inscription patterns scrolls and headed straight inside.

As he entered, the dazzling array of inscription patterns scrolls caught his eye.

The displays were orderly. Wooden shelves lining the walls were filled with inscription patterns scrolls of different ranks and types, exuding a mysterious air beneath the soft lighting.

A shop assistant greeted him warmly with a practiced smile. "Young master, are you looking to buy inscription patterns scrolls?"

Xiao Tianhao nodded and asked, "How much do your blank inscription patterns scrolls cost? And what are the prices for the finished ones?"

The assistant promptly explained, "Blank inscription patterns scrolls range from 300 to 2,000 Demon Spirit Coins. The better their quality and the longer they can be stored, the more expensive they are.

"Our best scrolls can be stored for ten years. They're made from Bronze Rank demon beast hides and several other precious medicinal ingredients.

"The prices of finished inscription patterns scrolls vary depending on their type and effect.

"The types include defensive, offensive, and healing scrolls.

"Bronze Rank inscription patterns scrolls cost between 2,000 and 10,000 Demon Spirit Coins, while Silver Rank ones cost between 10,000 and 100,000. Our little shop doesn't carry anything higher."

"Gold Rank inscription patterns scrolls only appear at auctions, where they cost around 500,000 to 800,000 Demon Spirit Coins. As for Black Gold Rank inscription patterns scrolls, even a single one appearing at an auction can fetch an astronomical price. I couldn't tell you exactly how much."

Xiao Tianhao rubbed his chin thoughtfully, then said, "I'd like a hundred high-grade blank inscription patterns scrolls. Work out the price for me."

The assistant brightened with delight. "Young master, that would be 180,000 Demon Spirit Coins. Would that be acceptable?"

Xiao Tianhao had earned a considerable amount from the Alchemist Association and had no shortage of money. He said readily, "Sure. Pack them up."

The assistant quickly retrieved a Space Ring from beneath the counter and stored all one hundred blank inscription patterns scrolls inside it. "Here you are, young master. Please take this. The Space Ring is a gift from our shop."

With that, he handed the Space Ring to Xiao Tianhao.

Taking the ring, Xiao Tianhao retrieved eighteen Demon Crystal Cards worth 10,000 each from his own Space Ring and placed them on the counter. He left the shop, satisfied.

"Take care, young master!" The assistant cheerfully saw him off at the door.

He returned to his residence.

Inside his room, Xiao Tianhao summoned the Profound Space Pearl from his sea of consciousness.

He intended to purify the blood of the Gale Fox, Crimson Flame Rat, Earth-Splitting Tiger, Phoenix-Tailed Crested Snake, and Marsh Giant Bear. That would ensure the scrolls he drew were of the finest quality.

The Profound Space Pearl flickered with light as impurities were separated from the blood bit by bit. The purified blood grew cleaner, radiating intense fluctuations of energy.

Next, he took out a blank inscription patterns scroll and calmed his mind, bringing the design of the inscription patterns to mind.

He dipped his brush into a drop of purified Gale Fox blood and began drawing on the scroll.

As the brush tip moved, inscription patterns gradually emerged, forming intricate lines across the scroll.

Suddenly, the scroll glowed faintly, sending out ripples of soul force-a sign that the drawing had succeeded.

The Silver Rank inscription patterns scroll, Lightning Gale, was complete.

He could almost feel a fierce gale rushing toward his face from within the scroll.

Xiao Tianhao repeated the process, drawing offensive and defensive inscription patterns scrolls.

Some scrolls were of higher quality, and others were of lower quality.

He merely possessed Venerable Void Derivation's inherited memories; he was not the venerable himself reborn.

Naturally, he could not handle his very first attempt with the effortless mastery Nie Li displayed.

Although this was his first time making inscription patterns scrolls, not a single one failed.

In the end, he successfully produced a batch of scrolls of respectable quality.

They were as follows:

Offensive Inscription Scrolls.

Silver Rank "Crimson Flame Explosion" inscription patterns ×15

Effect: Unleashes a blast of blazing flames, dealing continuous burn damage to the target and reducing its fire resistance by 10%.

Silver Rank "Earth-Splitting Mountain-Crusher" inscription patterns ×16

Effect: Continuously summons massive rocks to smash into enemies for a quarter of an hour.

Silver Rank "Hurricane Blade" inscription patterns ×13

Effect: Condenses wind blades to attack enemies for a quarter of an hour (15 minutes).

Silver Rank "Heaven-Burning Fury" inscription patterns ×17

Effect: Triggers a wide-area explosion of flames, dealing heavy damage to surrounding enemies and applying the "Soul Burn" effect.

Defensive Inscription Scrolls.

Gold Rank "Iron Wall, Bronze Mountain" inscription patterns ×6

Effect: Increases the user's physical defense by 50% and reflects a portion of damage when attacked.

Gold Rank "Earth Shield" inscription patterns ×8

Effect: Summons a shield formed from massive rocks. Impregnable; those below Legendary Rank cannot break through it for half an hour.

Sacred Mist Institute.

In Shen Xiu's classroom.

Shen Xiu talked endlessly from the lectern, but it was always the same business about nobles and commoners. There was almost no genuinely useful knowledge.

By now, Nie Li had been appointed the library's collection steward, and Lu Piao, Du Ze, and the others had followed him out.

Not one of those who had been made to stand at the back as punishment had come to attend Shen Xiu's class.

Xiao Ning'er sat in her seat, lost in thought as she looked toward Ye Ziyun.

When they were little, she and Ye Ziyun had been very close friends. Later, after upheavals in her family, she had stopped keeping in touch with Ye Ziyun.

In her heart, Xiao Ning'er had always considered Ye Ziyun a dear friend.

But her family had declined, and they were forcing her to marry a wastrel young master like Shen Fei of the Sacred Family. It left her feeling as though she were falling apart inside.

Unable to control her fate, only to be controlled by it, and faced with the growing gulf between their standing, she had developed a sense of inferiority. She no longer knew how to face Ye Ziyun.

Ye Ziyun was the city lord's daughter and had a Legendary Demon Spirit Master for a grandfather. From childhood onward, she had received whatever she wanted and was always so carefree. Back then, Xiao Ning'er could not help wondering whether they were truly suited to being friends.

Now, with Xiao Tianhao's help, Xiao Ning'er felt everything was moving in a better direction. Her family would gradually free itself from the Sacred Family's control as well.

The rapid growth of her soul force had also given her tremendous confidence. She wanted her dear friend back.

After class, Xiao Ning'er pulled a bewildered Ye Ziyun onto a small path within the Sacred Mist Institute.

Ye Ziyun had no idea what was happening, but she did not resist. Instead, she let Xiao Ning'er pull her along, delight written across her face.

She and Xiao Ning'er had once been the closest of friends. Then, for reasons she did not understand, Ning'er had suddenly stopped speaking to her. It had always saddened her.

Looking at Ye Ziyun, Xiao Ning'er drew a deep breath and gathered her courage. "Zi Yun, I've missed you all these years. Back then, because of my family's troubles, I chose to run away. I shouldn't have distanced myself from you just because I felt inferior. You've always been my best friend."

Ye Ziyun stopped walking, tears welling in her eyes. "Ning'er, I've missed you too. I still remember all the times we played together as children. I never thought the difference in our status would affect our friendship. But then you suddenly stopped talking to me, and I thought you didn't want to be my friend anymore."

Xiao Ning'er's eyes reddened as she clasped Ye Ziyun's hand tightly. "It was my fault. I don't want to miss out again. I've found the courage to face life once more. From now on, let's be just like we were as children, all right?"

Ye Ziyun nodded firmly. "Yes! No matter what happens, we'll always be dear friends."

They exchanged smiles and continued strolling down the path hand in hand, as though they had returned to those carefree childhood days. At that moment, their friendship blossomed anew.

The City Lord's Mansion.

"City Lord, two alchemy prodigies have recently appeared in our Alchemist Association. Their names are Xiao Tianhao and Nie Li. Despite their young age, they're already Junior Alchemy Masters. Their futures are boundless.

"Moreover, each has taken an alchemy grandmaster traveling the continent as his teacher. The new pills that have recently appeared at our Alchemist Association were all made from pill formulas supplied by these two prodigies."

Ye Zong sat upright in a gilded sandalwood chair, wearing a black brocade robe subtly embroidered with flood dragon patterns and a cloak patterned with silver-thread clouds draped over his shoulders.

His sharply defined features seemed carved by blade and chisel. Beneath swordlike brows, his eyes were deep and restrained as icy pools, while the short beard on his chin added to his imposing bearing.

His fingertips tapped lightly against the beast-headed armrest. As he listened to President Gu Yan, his brows furrowed slightly, yet the faintest hint of a curve lingered at the corners of his lips. The oppressive aura surrounding him seemed to still even the candle flames. Only the Azure Jade City Lord's Token hanging at his waist swayed gently with his movements, casting a warm, lustrous glow in the candlelight.

"This..." A trace of doubt flickered across Ye Zong's solemn face. It was not that he disbelieved President Gu Yan; the implications were simply too far-reaching.

Two alchemy prodigies had appeared out of nowhere, and he had never heard of any visiting alchemists. He could not be certain this was not a scheme by the Dark Guild.

"Have you investigated the backgrounds of these two prodigies?"

"Nie Li belongs to the Heavenly Marks Family. Xiao Tianhao's origins remain unclear. All we know is that he said he was an herb gatherer at the time. However, from my observations and what I've learned, young Xiao shouldn't be a member of the Dark Guild."

President Gu Yan naturally understood the gravity of the matter as well and hastened to explain clearly.

"Mm, understood. I'll send someone to look into it." Ye Zong nodded.

"In that case, City Lord, I'll take my leave." President Gu Yan cupped his hands and bowed, preparing to withdraw.

Ye Zong nodded and watched President Gu Yan leave.

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