Chapter 857 - 536: Grandmaster, Study! (Double-length)

Chapter 857: Chapter 536: Grandmaster, Study! (Double-length)

Li Jinyu walked past the tilted, swaying courtyard gate and stepped into the Second Courtyard, already blackened by the fire.

Several talisman masters lay on the ground in a dazed, crisscrossed manner, looking both ridiculous and pitiable.

"Tsk, this explosion’s power is just like a nuclear bomb. If not for the high grade and quality of the embedded rune arrays on the buildings here, this entire Talisman Tao Institute would have already been blown apart!"

Song Changming also stepped closer, witnessing the disaster scene, contemplating it deeply in his mind.

Chaotic waves of rune energy still permeated the air, and he slightly understood. Like the other talisman masters seen along the way, this was a test of a new formation or rune’s properties and power.

But compared to the others, the disturbances caused by this test were much larger.

It seemed unintentional, a sudden failure that left the injured talisman masters unable to react.

"Brother Li, could it be that the life-and-death crisis you mentioned earlier was this..." Song Changming recalled Li Jinyu’s previous odd behavior and couldn’t help but ask.

"Hmm..." Li Jinyu was about to explain when an elderly Taoist, coughing non-stop, came running from inside.

His beard was half burnt off; his long robe turned into ragged cloth strips, looking completely devoid of a sage’s demeanor.

Yet he didn’t seem to care about these; he held a palm-sized small flag, muttering under his breath.

"Almost there, almost done!"

Li Jinyu wasn’t surprised and stepped forward with clasped hands, "Greetings, Third Uncle San Sheng."

Zhao Sansheng glanced at Li Jinyu and laughed heartily, "Jinyu, you came just in time. My Zhengyang Zhengyin Xiegu flag is nearly perfected; it’s a Level Seven Talisman Banner, a great treasure. I’m selling it to you today."

Li Jinyu’s face stiffened at the sight, shaking his head helplessly, "Third Uncle San Sheng, I’ve been staying in the mountains all these years, and have no need for this talisman banner to defeat enemies."

"Hey, you’re wrong; it’s better to be prepared. Even among the brothers in the academy, there’s a bit of intrigue. Buying one might come handy at crucial times." Zhao Sansheng said with a smile.

"Third Uncle San Sheng, please be cautious in your words..." Li Jinyu was speechless by this elder, speaking ill of the academy just to sell a flag.

He dared not follow through on these words.

Song Changming listened, feeling somewhat numb. After all, from bottom to top, the academy’s disciples were all sales champions...

He couldn’t even recall how many people he’d met along the way wanted to extract money or spirit crystals from Li Jinyu or himself.

"Master, this is a distinguished guest of the academy, sent by Emperor Yun to exchange ideas on the Level Ten Rune Array." Li Jinyu, fearing further entanglement, immediately got to the main point.

"Here to see ’Sealed Star’?" Zhao Sansheng looked at Song Changming with surprise.

"Young lad, you look quite young. Do you understand Talisman Tao?"

"While not as skilled as the elders, I have some insights and achievements." Song Changming replied.

"Oh? You are a Grandmaster Martial Artist, right? Practicing martial arts well, why come to study Talisman Tao?" Zhao Sansheng had discerning eyes and immediately recognized Song Changming’s martial arts grandmaster identity.

This puzzled him even more.

Such martial arts talent, young with limitless potential, wasting time researching the Talisman Tao, isn’t it self-destructive, burning one’s own talent?

And to start with the research on the level Ten Sealing Array, how arrogant!

It’s like a newborn calf learning basic martial moves, wanting to master the most arcane martial arts techniques and challenge the strongest Martial God.

In the realm of Talisman Tao, he instinctively felt that Song Changming, who spent considerable effort on martial arts, couldn’t have high achievements.

"As a martial arts junior, I won’t be lax; Talisman Tao is also my hobby, and I’m no outsider. I’ve immersed myself in it for decades, capable of mastering and setting up Level Six Rune Arrays."

Song Changming was too lazy to play dumb and astound folks, directly revealing his current level in Talisman Tao.

"Level Six?" Zhao Sansheng was wide-eyed, slightly foolish-looking with his current appearance.

Despite talisman masters being divided into nine levels, a Level Six Talisman Master is already considered a master-level figure.

After Song Changming summoned the array flag and demonstrated a trick, Zhao Sansheng was even more amazed.

"Young lad, quite strange, martial arts and Talisman Tao advancing hand in hand with such accomplishments and power..."

He understood why Emperor Yun recommended a young lad to their Celestial Tao Academy to study the sealing array and why the sect leader agreed to this matter.

The young man in front had limitless potential, maybe now only a Level Six Talisman Master, unable to offer much help in the sealing array research, but the future is uncertain.

Perhaps Song Changming could become a crucial force in studying the Level Ten Sealing Array in the future.

"Alright, I got it; follow me." Zhao Sansheng nodded, his expression recovering some seriousness.

Yiziyuan.

Most of the disciples entering and leaving here were not young, their seniority level typically Master Level, with the occasional disciple who was rarely young.

Those eligible to study at Yiziyuan had at least Level Six Talisman Master expertise.

Their daily discussions were about advanced talisman techniques if one’s expertise is low, coming here might render them unable to interject, feeling clueless.

"Sansheng, was that commotion just now your doing?" A seasoned Taoist from Yiziyuan asked, seeing the battered appearance of Zhao Sansheng.

"Mm, but it’s worth the explosion; my talisman flag is nearly perfected." Zhao Sansheng chuckled, showing no remorse for blasting apart the Second Courtyard and injuring other talisman master disciples.