It was at the moment when Li Xin stood before the bulletin board, carefully examining the mission slips. Suddenly, he sensed a faint presence at his side. Li Xin instinctively turned his head. And in that instant, his eyes widened. Beside him stood a middle-aged man with a gentle bearing. It was a familiar face.

  At Qingliu Alchemy Hall......!?

  Li Xin immediately recalled him.

  It was the very middle-aged man he had encountered when he first visited Qingliu Alchemy Hall. The impression had been too deep; Li Xin remembered that face clearly.

  The moment their eyes met, Li Xin felt an immense pressure crash down upon him. It was as though a mountain pressed upon his shoulders. His breath caught in his throat. Though the middle-aged man clearly stood nearby, none of the surrounding people seemed to perceive his existence.

  Amid the lively atmosphere of Tianfu Pavilion, only Li Xin’s senses detected that presence. It felt as though this space alone had been completely severed from the surroundings.

  Tier Two Grand Talisman Master...

  Li Xin instantly discerned the other party’s level.

  "You are Muyeong (無影), are you not."

  The middle-aged man did not recognize Li Xin. Naturally, at that time, Li Xin had merely been at Tier One, First Layer—hardly someone worth remembering to a Tier Two cultivator. Within the mask, Li Xin concealed his expression and strove to remain as calm as possible.

  "Yes, that is correct, Senior."

  The middle-aged man studied him with a gaze that seemed capable of piercing straight through him. Then, he revealed a gentle smile.

  "I am Han Taizhen."

  He introduced himself briefly.

  "And I currently serve as the branch chief of the Talisman Union in Daejin Domain."

  Branch chief of the Talisman Union in Daejin Domain. Li Xin felt he understood why Han Taizhen had sought him out.

  "Let us change locations first."

  As he spoke, Han Taizhen withdrew a talisman from within his robes. Li Xin’s gaze was instinctively drawn to it.

  That talisman...

  The countless interwoven lines meshed together with the precision of intricate machinery, forming a structure both complex and harmonious. Li Xin recognized at once that it was a one-character talisman.

  “This talisman is called the Displacement Talisman.”

  Han Taizhen briefly explained as he infused it with spiritual power.

  In an instant, the talisman erupted with blinding radiance. The light completely enveloped the two of them, swallowing their vision whole, and Li Xin felt a strange sensation—as if space itself were splitting and twisting apart. The next moment, his senses returned, and the scene before him brightened. Warm sunlight streamed through a window. Bookshelves lined the walls, and a faint fragrance of ink lingered in the air. It was a quiet, orderly study. Just moments ago, the two had stood before the bulletin board of Tianfu Pavilion. Within mere seconds, they had arrived in an entirely different place.

  ...So this is the power of a one-character talisman.

  Li Xin could not close his mouth in astonishment. Its overwhelming might far exceeded the comprehension of a Tier One cultivator like himself.

  "There is no need to be nervous. Sit and have some tea."

  Han Taizhen smiled gently and gestured toward a seat. Li Xin carefully sat opposite him.

  "Wait a moment."

  Han Taizhen extended his hand toward the tea set placed upon the table. He first placed dried wood chips into a small brazier. A faint trace of spiritual power seeped from his fingertips. As though breath had been blown into them, the wood chips ignited with crimson flames. The fire gradually grew, heating the metal teapot set above it. Soon, the clear water within began to boil vigorously.

  Han Taizhen carefully placed tea leaves into a cup and poured the boiling water over them. A gentle fragrance spread outward, and a warm aura filled the entire study. Li Xin watched the scene blankly.

  This is... not mere tea ceremony.

  Having embodied the strokes, he could perceive it. Wood burned to create fire. Boiling water passed through the metal teapot before being poured into a cup shaped from earth. Within this sequence lay the complete principles of the Five Elements.

  After brewing the tea, Han Taizhen smiled gently and handed over a cup.

  "Drink at ease."

  Li Xin instinctively understood that this was no ordinary tea. He received the cup with both hands and bowed his head respectfully.

  "Thank you for serving such precious tea."

  The warm fragrance brushed lightly against his nose. He could not very well drink while wearing a mask.

  He removed it, revealing his true face. Yet Han Taizhen’s expression did not change. He did not recognize that Li Xin was the same youth he had met at Qingliu Alchemy Hall. At that time, Li Xin had just survived the brink of death. His gaunt, pale face then had been entirely different from now.

  This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

  Now, having cultivated the Demon Blood Tempering Steel Art and recovered his vitality—along with the added effects of the Demonic Beast Talisman—his complexion and even the sharpness of his gaze had changed completely. Moreover, he was currently concealing his aura with Bingxin Wuying, so it was only natural that Han Taizhen failed to notice.

  "How old are you?"

  "Fifteen."

  "Still young."

  Within Han Taizhen’s gaze lay subtle admiration and goodwill.

  "Drink before it cools."

  Li Xin did not hesitate. He raised the cup and carefully took a sip. The moment it touched his tongue, a gentle texture and warm current spread simultaneously. The tea slid swiftly down his throat and then dispersed throughout his entire body. In that instant, Li Xin felt his mind flash with clarity. Like a thin mist being swept away, his thoughts became luminous, and everything before his eyes grew sharper. Senses he had never noticed before awakened, and the principles of the world seemed to reveal themselves more deeply.

  Unable to suppress his admiration, Li Xin quietly closed his eyes and savored the wondrous moment. Seeing this, Han Taizhen smiled faintly.

  "This tea is called Enlightenment Tea. After one consumption, it will have no effect again. Treasure this moment."

  Han Taizhen also took a sip before speaking once more with a gentle smile.

  "The concealment technique you are using, that Hidden Awareness Art, is quite a profound secret art."

  Li Xin lowered his gaze silently.

  "To be honest, even I could not fully grasp its principles. Your presence felt as though it did not exist at all."

  A technique undetectable even to a Tier Two Grand Talisman Master. Hearing this, Li Xin once again realized the value of Bingxin Wuying. However, Han Taizhen’s next words carried a subtle warning.

  "But do not grow complacent. A Tier Two cultivator can forcibly reveal your aura with divine sense.”

  It meant that petty tricks were powerless before absolute strength.

  "Thank you for your valuable guidance."

  Li Xin bowed sincerely. Han Taizhen looked at him with a smile.

  "Your talent is worthy of praise. When I saw the record stating that you completed every stroke perfectly, I wished to meet you in person."

  "You flatter me."

  Li Xin lowered his head. Han Taizhen watched him for a moment, then shook his head slightly in regret.

  "Under normal circumstances, the Union would have placed someone like you in an important position. But now, the timing is unfavorable."

  His gaze drifted somewhere beyond the door.

  "The situation in Daejin Domain is not good. The headquarters of the Talisman Union in Daejin Domain was originally located in Daejin Immortal City, but it has been destroyed by the Demon King. As a result, contact with the other branches has been severed."

  Li Xin narrowed his eyes.

  “Other branches? Does that mean the Talisman Union exists elsewhere as well?"

  "The Union is far larger than you imagine. It has taken root throughout the Donghuang Continent. The Talisman Union of Qingshan Immortal City is but a small fragment of it."

  An organization with branches across the entire Donghuang. Its influence and intelligence network must have been beyond imagination.

  So that is why the Archive Pavilion held so much information.

  At that moment, another question arose in Li Xin’s mind, and he asked carefully.

  "Then... is there no external support? For an organization of such magnitude, is there not at least one cultivator capable of opposing the Demon King?"

  Han Taizhen shook his head. What he said next completely overturned Li Xin’s understanding.

  "There are a total of 108 Domains within Donghuang. And within each Domain, there exists a limit to the cultivation tier."

  "A limit to the cultivation tier...?"

  Li Xin asked in return.

  "Daejin Domain permits only the power of Tier Two. No matter how strong a cultivator is, the moment they step upon this land, they cannot use power beyond Tier Two. If they attempt to force it, the Heavenly Dao Laws will activate, and their very existence will be erased.”

  Li Xin was shaken. If that were true, something still did not make sense.

  "But... is the Demon King not Tier Three?"

  As if expecting the question, Han Taizhen frowned slightly.

  "That is precisely the problem. Ordinarily, the moment the Demon King used Tier Three power, he should have faced Heavenly Tribulation and perished. Yet he remains intact even now.”

  "How can that be possible?"

  "It is only speculation... but within the Demon King’s bloodline, there seems to be ‘something’ capable of interfering with karma. Among the great Tier Four sects of Donghuang, there are rumors that they protect their true disciples in a similar manner. Through manipulation of specific karmic threads, they evade the constraints of the Heavenly Dao Laws.”

  Heavenly Dao Laws. Evasion of karma. Tier limits imposed upon each Domain. Li Xin’s mind churned in turmoil. The rules of the world he thought he understood were being overturned completely. Yet at the same time, he could not understand why Han Taizhen was revealing such profound secrets to him. He was merely a low-ranked talisman master who had just obtained Fourth-Grade qualification. As though reading his doubt, Han Taizhen looked him straight in the eyes and spoke words that stunned him.

  "If Daejin Domain were intact, your status would have been equal to mine. That is why you are permitted to know these secrets."

  ...What did I just hear?

  Li Xin doubted his own ears. To be considered equal to Han Taizhen—a Tier Two Grand Talisman Master and branch chief of the Talisman Union—was utterly unbelievable.

  Seeing Li Xin’s shocked expression, Han Taizhen smiled faintly.

  "The Union’s evaluation of talent is extremely fair. You received an Upper-Upper grade. That grade signifies qualification to become the disciple of the Union Leader.”

  "The disciple of the Union Leader?"

  ...

  Han Taizhen paused briefly, then continued as he met Li Xin’s bewildered gaze.

  "The Union Leader has three disciples. Two are One-Character Talisman Masters, and the remaining one is a Two-Character Talisman Master."

  Li Xin’s thoughts raced. To become a One-Character Talisman Master required cultivation equivalent to at least Tier Two. And to reach the rank of Two-Character Talisman Master required Tier Three. That meant that, had Daejin Domain been in normal condition, his senior brothers would have been Tier Two and Tier Three cultivators!

  The conversation with Han Taizhen shook Li Xin’s worldview to its core. Perhaps it could be called shock therapy. The worries that had weighed heavily upon him regarding the Xu Clan now seemed as insignificant as a handful of dust. Compared to the Heavenly Dao Laws, the limits of cultivation tiers, and the Demon King capable of defying karma, the Xu Clan’s power struggles were trivial beyond measure.

  "Of course, I speak only of qualification. You are not presently the Union Leader’s disciple."

  He merely had the opportunity to become one. Li Xin had not yet attained that position. Moreover, the most despairing fact was that even the Talisman Union did not possess a proper method to evade karma. This meant that the crisis of Daejin Domain was a problem they had to resolve on their own. Yet Li Xin did not sink into despair. Instead, the will to survive buried deep within him blazed fiercely.

  If I can safely leave Daejin Domain, does that not mean a vast, open road awaits me?

  If he survived this crisis, he would grow another step stronger and seize even greater opportunities.