Chapter 288: New Residence

"I accept..." Tony replied with a smile.

The Grand Elder let out a deep, satisfied laugh, his golden-and-white robes fluttering as he tapped the stone floor with his wooden staff, sending a gentle wave of energy to dissolve the final remnants of the arena’s protective array.

"Since you are now my personal, direct disciple, Tony, you have absolutely no reason to return to that damp, cramped stone hut in the outer Black Rock District," the Grand Elder spoke smoothly, a warm smile gracing his wrinkled face. He reached into his sleeve and pulled out a magnificent, dark-gold physical key that was wrapped in dense layers of protective spiritual arrays.

"This is the primary key to the Cloud-Mist Pavilion, a private, high-tier courtyard situated on the absolute highest peak of the inner campus. The spiritual density inside that pavilion is ten times thicker than the standard outer rooms, and it possesses an automated defense system that can repel any unauthorized 10th Class Grand Disciple with absolute ease. Go and settle your belongings immediately."

Tony accepted the heavy gold key, a slow, villainous grin curling the corners of his lips as he offered a polite bow of thanks. Right at that exact millisecond, before his boots could even leave the platform, the cold, mechanical voice of the system spirit violently vibrated inside his sea of consciousness once again, flashing a brilliant golden notification across his vision.

[Ding! High-Tier Villain Quest "Crushing the Faith Mirage" successfully completed!]

[Quest Rewards claimed: 2,000 Fate Points, 1× Low-Tier World Tree Leaf Catalyst, and 100% Instant Synchronization of the second form of the Phantom Arrow Technique.]

[Ding! System celebration protocol activated. Host has received an absolute, exclusive bonus inheritance: The Primordial Talisman-Making Art! All foundational arrays, runic ink recipes, and ink-carving methodologies have been permanently synchronized into the host’s consciousness.]

A sudden, overwhelming flood of ancient, esoteric knowledge rushed directly into Tony’s brain. He could see thousands of glowing, intricate symbols and complex runic lines spinning inside his mind, detailing how a true magus could compress absolute elemental laws into thin sheets of spiritual paper to create world-shaking explosive talismans.

Tony kept his face perfectly still, but internally, his strategic mind was dancing with pure, villainous amusement. In the Eternal Sun Realm, the path of a Talisman Master was an extraordinarily rare and prestigious profession, and having this absolute art in his hands meant he now held a literal money-printing machine.

Later that evening, Tony walked into his brand-new residence at the Cloud-Mist Pavilion, his steps relaxed and slow. The courtyard was an absolute architectural masterpiece, surrounded by flowing streams of liquid spiritual energy and beautiful, glowing bamboo trees that filtered the cool mountain mist.

The air inside the private meditation chamber was so incredibly thick with primordial aura that every breath he took made his newly acquired Elder Disciple magus foundation hum with rapid stability.

Just as he sat down on a luxurious, jade-carved bed to organize his thoughts, the heavy wooden door of his pavilion gently creaked open. A soft, familiar scent of spiritual ink and azure herbs lightly drifted into his nostrils.

Tony shifted his dark eyes and noticed Lady Selena Faith—the disguised painting lady and the true premier heiress of the multi-billion-dollar Golden Phoenix Merchant Guild—stepping smoothly into the room, her violet eyes swirling with an intense mixture of deep admiration and total curiosity.

"Your new residence certainly matches your terrifying new status, young master Tony," Selena spoke softly, her refined, elegant voice carrying a beautiful melody as she set her wooden sketchboard onto the table.

"The entire outer campus is still trembling in fear after watching you dismantle Julian with a single arrow. You have truly turned this academy upside down."

Tony let out a low, amused chuckle, his signature lazy smirk returning to his face as he casually leaned his back against a stone pillar. He didn’t waste any time on empty flattery. He looked directly into her beautiful eyes and got straight to business.

"The celebration can wait for another day, Lady Selena. Since our long-term merchant contract is officially active, I need your Golden Phoenix Guild to immediately procure a specific batch of high-tier materials for me. I need exactly one hundred sheets of Blank Spiritual Bamboo Paper, ten bottles of High-Grade Beast Blood Ink, and a premium Runic Carving Pen made from silver iron."

Selena’s hand instantly froze mid-air, her violet eyes widening to the size of saucers as a series of frantic, confused questions rapidly tumbled from her lips.

"Talisman materials?!" she asked, her voice cracking with pure, unadulterated disbelief as she stared at him as if he had just grown a second head.

"Tony, what in the world are you planning to do with those resources? Don’t tell me you are actually attempting to study the ancient art of talisman-making? That profession requires decades of bitter, grueling research under a master instructor! It is structurally impossible for an Elder Rank magus to manipulate the delicate elemental lines without causing a total, violent explosion of their own meridians! Even my guild’s top masters fail nine times out of ten!"

Tony merely let out a soft, lazy laugh, his dark eyes gleaming with a sharp, predatory intensity that made her inner soul feel strangely warm. He stood up from his jade bed and walked over to the desk, his posture radiating the absolute, unyielding confidence of a true supreme villain.

"You should really stop wasting your precious energy worrying about the structural difficulties of my path, my beautiful painting partner," Tony said smoothly, his tone full of shameless nonchalance as a wide grin spread across his face.

"You just need to focus entirely on delivering those materials to my doorstep by tomorrow morning, and make sure your guild’s distribution lines are perfectly prepared to help me sell the finished products across the central district later on."

Selena Faith stared at him for a long, silent moment, her brilliant mercantile mind completely running through the chaotic possibilities. She couldn’t believe his outrageous claims at first, knowing that a young master who had just picked up a bow could not possibly be a hidden Talisman Master.

Yet, looking at that unbending, calculating gleam deep inside his dark eyes, a sudden surge of fanatical awe and absolute curiosity overrode her logical skepticism. "Fine," she whispered softly, a brilliant smile returning to her lips as she adjusted her grip on her board.

"I will have my personal guards deliver the highest-grade materials to your pavilion before the dawn. Do not disappoint my investment, young master Tony." With a graceful bow of farewell, her slender figure smoothly turned on her heel and vanished back into the night mist.

Meanwhile, outside the quiet peaks of the academy, the shocking news of Tony Clark’s unprecedented, reality-shattering victory was already spreading like an absolute wildfire across the entire continent.

The regional martial networks and global live screens were in a state of total, frantic commotion as millions of cultivators read the verified reports from Elder Mo and the Grand Elder.

The name of the "timid, talentless orphan" whom everyone had ridiculed just days ago was now the single greatest sensation of the century, striking absolute-terror into the hearts of the greedy local clans and leaving the proud Faith Family gates completely locked in a state of desperate, suffocating-panic.