"If the talisman master Bao Siyan hired is an ordinary third-grade low-tier talisman master, they might not be able to successfully draw this talisman within a year," Wei Tu thought to himself.
"However, I am different."
Wei Tu steadied his mind, using his spiritual sense to carefully study the talisman creation method on the jade tablet.
With his "Late Bloomer" fate, he could make repeated mistakes and learn from them, turning those failed attempts into successes.
As a result, the difficulty in drawing this talisman was much lower for him than it would be for other talisman masters of his realm.
...
Time passed slowly.
In the blink of an eye, there were less than ten days remaining until the deadline.
Bao Siyan, who had been anxiously waiting by Wei Tu's side, had gone from feeling hopeful to growing increasingly anxious. She paced around, unable to remain still.
If she wasn't so afraid of disturbing Wei Tu and ruining everything, Bao Siyan would have urged him to hurry.
Time continued to pass.
One day.
Two days.
Finally, with only four days left, the moment arrived.
"It's done!" Wei Tu, having finished collecting the clutter from the talisman drawing, stood up and walked to the door of the hall. He steadied his mind, preparing to draw the talisman on the jade tablet.
Seeing this, Bao Siyan, who had been nervously waiting, finally let out a sigh of relief. She quietly stood to the side, waiting for Wei Tu to make his move.
Wei Tu, holding a pale golden talisman brush, focused his sharp gaze and began drawing the talisman on the floor of the hall.
His calm aura suddenly became sharp at that moment.
One by one, vermilion red symbols slowly emerged under Wei Tu's precise brushwork, filled with powerful spiritual energy.
These vermilion symbols were part of the complex talisman array on the jade tablet. As Wei Tu carefully outlined them, the shapes began to closely resemble the original talisman.
For Bao Siyan, however, these simple actions looked like an incomprehensible text.
Drawing talismans wasn't as simple as copying something step by step. The higher the tier of the talisman, the more intricate the symbols were needed in the details.
One mistake, and everything could fall apart.
Although Wei Tu drew the talisman effortlessly, he did not rush. Every movement was deliberate.
It took a full half-day.
Finally, Wei Tu had perfectly recreated the talisman.
The moment the talisman was completed, the jade tablet emitted a humming sound, and the talisman on its surface vanished, replaced by dazzling multi-colored rays of light.
Fifteen minutes later, the multi-colored light filled the entire hall. The golden and silver array patterns on the hall's walls quickly dissipated under the brilliant glow, revealing the original blue-colored walls.
The ice crystal mountain also began to tremble violently, with pieces of it shattering.
At this moment, the jade tablet suddenly rose into the air, shrinking from one zhang (about 10 feet) to just seven inches, and sped toward Wei Tu.
Seeing this strange phenomenon, Wei Tu instinctively raised his magical shield and immediately grabbed a small turtle-shell shield he had prepared in advance to defend against the approaching treasure.
However, the jade tablet, as it reached Wei Tu, suddenly slowed down and hovered in front of his magical shield.
Wei Tu gently extended his spiritual sense and suddenly felt a sense of bloodline connection with the jade tablet.
At that moment, it dawned on him.
The talisman he had just drawn was also a process of refining the jade tablet. Unconsciously, he had roughly refined it in the process.
"Talisman Heart Tablet," Wei Tu extended his hand and gently drew the jade tablet into his palm. After a brief refining process, he understood the properties of this treasure.
The Talisman Heart Tablet was a rare and precious item.
Its sole purpose was to act as a third-grade talisman paper, storing the talismans created by a talisman master, allowing them to maintain their spiritual essence.
It was also a special type of talismanic weapon for talisman masters.
Of course, the true value of the Talisman Heart Tablet lay in the fact that it could serve as "talisman paper," significantly reducing the cost for talisman masters during their research and creation of talismans.
It was known that the higher the grade of talisman paper, the harder it was to find.
In the Loose Immortal Alliance, if Wei Tu had not been a disciple of Master Che Gongwei and a Golden Core cultivator, obtaining third-grade talisman paper would have been nearly impossible. Even low-grade third-grade talisman paper was hard to come by.
--- Third-grade talisman paper requires the hide of a third-grade demonic beast or special third-grade spiritual wood and herbs to make.
The rarity of these materials goes without saying.
Unfortunately, because "Master Shentu" had set the Talisman Heart Tablet as an examination item, the talismans inside it were not third-grade but only nine top-grade second-grade talismans.
"Congratulations, Wei Daoist, for obtaining the treasure," Bao Siyan said, seeing this scene, feeling a slight bitterness in her heart since she had gained nothing so far.
She forced a smile and offered her congratulations to Wei Tu.
Earlier, she had agreed to let Wei Tu have the Talisman Heart Tablet, but agreeing was one thing, actually facing the situation was another.
"The real reward lies in the inheritance," Wei Tu waved his sleeve, collecting the Talisman Heart Tablet and some of the defensive magical tools by his side. He smiled and comforted Bao Siyan, "We'll see what the inheritance brings."
Bao Siyan thought for a moment, and it made sense. Her mind gradually calmed down.
At that moment, the ice crystal mountain in the hall completely collapsed, revealing a deep, dark tunnel leading downward.
Seeing this, Bao Siyan casually summoned a magical tool. After confirming that it was unimpeded, she immediately rushed toward the tunnel entrance with fiery anticipation.
She waved her hand and placed the remains of her deceased husband into her storage bag before preparing to enter the deep tunnel to explore Venerable Master Shentu's secluded meditation chamber.
However, just as she was about to act, Bao Siyan seemed to have thought of something. She stopped, standing near the tunnel entrance, waiting for Wei Tu to catch up.
Seeing this, Wei Tu, who was half a step behind Bao Siyan, revealed a hint of surprise in his eyes.
He hadn't expected Bao Siyan to actually honor her word and not rush into the tunnel.
After all, logically speaking, once they broke through this trial, there would be no more danger in the tomb.
If Bao Siyan had entered first, she could have had the greatest chance of obtaining Venerable Master Shentu's inheritance.
Of course, Wei Tu's slight delay was not because he was slow, but because he sensed the Seven-Colored Phantom Moth within the tunnel, and it was getting closer to him!
With this ominous sign, Wei Tu was not eager to get ahead of Bao Siyan and explore the opportunities within the tunnel first.
"Please, Wei Daoist," Bao Siyan smiled and motioned for Wei Tu to proceed.
She stopped in her tracks not because of "old feelings," but because she was worried that Wei Tu's Talisman Heart Tablet could control the tomb's formations. After all, the Talisman Heart Tablet had been the core of the mysterious hall's array.
Wei Tu, seeing Bao Siyan's expression, guessed her thoughts. He raised an eyebrow, suppressing the urge to warn her about the approaching demonic cultivators.
The two of them then proceeded into the tunnel.
However—
As soon as they entered the tunnel, the passage above them suddenly sealed shut. The ice crystal mountain that had collapsed earlier once again blocked the entrance to the tunnel.
At the same time, the golden and silver array patterns on the walls of the hall gradually reappeared.
"Wei Daoist?" Bao Siyan's face immediately darkened. She took several steps back, distancing herself from Wei Tu, and cast a wary look at him.
Upon hearing her questioning voice, Wei Tu snorted coldly, meeting her gaze without backing down. "Bao Daoist, you were watching me so closely earlier. If I had any ill intentions, you should have noticed."
After saying these firm words, Wei Tu's tone softened a little as he explained, "The sealing of the tunnel was likely the formation activating on its own, restoring the passage to its original state. After all, you and I entered after breaking the trial, not by using force to destroy the formation in the hall."
As Wei Tu finished speaking, Bao Siyan's expression faltered, and the wariness in her gaze diminished. She nodded, seemingly accepting Wei Tu's explanation.
With the atmosphere easing, they both turned their attention to the surroundings of the tunnel.
Inside the tunnel, it resembled the hollowed-out interior of a giant mountain. At its center stood a towering gray stone hall.
The doors to the hall were slightly ajar.
Through the gap, one could see offerings arranged within, resembling those in a shrine.
Beside an old altar table, there were two zitan wood chairs. Hanging on the altar was a large painting of a Daoist holding a sword. On the altar's surface was a darkened, yellowed disciplinary ruler.
Under the altar, there was also a meditation cushion that looked like it could be used for sitting or for kneeling in worship.
Wei Tu and Bao Siyan quickly searched the area outside the gray stone hall but found nothing of use. They then turned their attention to the stone hall.
After using a puppet to probe, the two cautiously entered the shrine inside the stone hall.
Once inside, Wei Tu noticed that, besides the main hall set up as a shrine, there were two smaller rooms nearby with tightly closed stone doors.
However, at that moment, the two did not rush to open the smaller rooms. Instead, they focused their attention on the objects in the shrine.
There were five items in total in the shrine: the Daoist painting, the disciplinary ruler, the meditation cushion, the old wooden table, and two zitan wood chairs.
The meditation cushion, the old wooden table, and the two zitan wood chairs were ordinary items, with no particular value.
However, the Daoist holding a sword painting and the disciplinary ruler were not ordinary.
The former blocked spiritual perception, making it difficult to determine its nature. However, by observing its glow, it was clear that it was not an ordinary item.
The latter, based on Wei Tu's assessment, was at least a third-grade magical tool and was very likely Venerable Master Shentu's personal treasure.
"This disciplinary ruler, I'll take it," Bao Siyan glanced at Wei Tu and said in a low voice.
According to their earlier agreement, she had the right to select an additional treasure first.
The remaining treasures would be divided equally between them.
Wei Tu, upon hearing this, did not refuse. His tone was indifferent as he said, "Bao Daoist, those two smaller rooms are still closed. If we choose this item now, don't regret it if we find something even more valuable later."
Though the disciplinary ruler was precious, Wei Tu didn't believe Bao Siyan could quickly refine it to threaten him.
Thus, allowing her to take the disciplinary ruler did not trouble him in the slightest.
"That's understandable," Bao Siyan seemed to be certain that the disciplinary ruler was the most valuable item. She immediately agreed to Wei Tu's suggestion.
After speaking, Bao Siyan released a green light and collected the disciplinary ruler from the altar.
Seeing this, Wei Tu did not hesitate either. He also took down the painting of the Daoist holding a sword from the wall.
After collecting the treasures from the shrine, the two of them proceeded toward the two smaller rooms inside the gray stone hall.
The left smaller room was Venerable Master Shentu's talisman room. When they opened it, they found only a shelf with a dozen jade slips.
These jade slips contained Venerable Master Shentu's talismanic inheritance.
Bao Siyan kept her promise, making a copy of the jade slips containing the talismanic inheritance before handing the original ones over to Wei Tu, the talisman master.
Inside the talisman room, there were still dozens of high-grade talismans left by Venerable Master Shentu. Unfortunately, due to the passage of time, the spiritual energy in these talismans had greatly diminished, and they were no longer usable.
Venerable Master Shentu was a figure from two thousand years ago.
Seeing this, neither Wei Tu nor Bao Siyan showed much disappointment.
It was expected that items like talismans and pills, which had a short shelf life, would lose their effectiveness.
After finishing the search of the left-side chamber, Bao Siyan's gaze became eager. She hurriedly opened the door to the right-side chamber.
The layout of the right chamber was similar to the left.
However, unlike the left chamber, this one contained a shelf with seven different-colored jade boxes.
"Let's open them one by one, assess the value of the treasures inside, and then decide how to divide them," Bao Siyan suggested.
She still held a certain level of respect for Wei Tu's strength, so she didn't dare be too domineering and preferred to discuss things first.
But just as she said that, Bao Siyan's face suddenly changed, turning grim.
She coldly stared at Wei Tu. "Wei Daoist, have you informed anyone else about the location of this place?"
"Planning to kill and take the treasures, perhaps even ambush me? Wei Daoist, you certainly have a good plan!"
As she spoke, Bao Siyan stepped back from Wei Tu, drawing a frost spear-like magical tool and pointing it toward his head from a distance.
Seeing this, Wei Tu quickly retreated, summoning several defensive magical tools, including the "Yama Banner," to protect himself from Bao Siyan.
"Bao Daoist, what are you saying?" Wei Tu furrowed his brows and said, his expression one of displeasure.
Bao Siyan's sudden reversal took him by surprise. From the beginning, he had been wary of her, but he never considered ambushing her.
Robbing cultivators wasn't something that could be done easily.
"This might be a misunderstanding," Wei Tu muttered, then continued.
Unless absolutely necessary, he did not wish to fight Bao Siyan.
Facing her, he didn't have complete confidence in winning. The danger was too great.
"A misunderstanding?" Bao Siyan narrowed her eyes, staring at Wei Tu's expression.
Her voice was cold as she spoke. "Just now, I sensed that the formation at the entrance of the tomb has been broken."
"A cultivator capable of breaking my formation must be at least in the Golden Core realm!"
"Now that we're here, Wei Daoist, do you have any explanation for this?"
"What? The formation at the tomb entrance was broken by a Golden Core cultivator?" Hearing this, Wei Tu's face also changed.
At this point, he understood why Bao Siyan was suspicious of him.
The "Ancient Cultivator's Tomb" had been hidden by formations for two hundred years without any leaks, but as soon as he arrived, the formation was breached by an unknown cultivator.
It was only natural that Bao Siyan would suspect him.
"Bao Daoist, I've only just advanced to the Golden Core True Monarch stage a few years ago. How could I have a Golden Core True Monarch friend to team up with and rob you? If you fear being robbed, I fear it too!"
Wei Tu quickly explained.
Then, he added, "If I truly had a Golden Core friend to rely on, why would I go to guard Cicada Cry Cliff?"
"Furthermore, before coming here, both you and I swore an oath to avoid internal strife. At two hundred years old, I have a promising future as a Golden Core cultivator. Why would I ruin my future now?"
At first, Bao Siyan had been half-doubting Wei Tu's words, but once the mention of his two hundred-year-old Golden Core status came up, she fully believed him.
No cultivator with high potential would gamble away their future like that.
Though treasures were tempting, they couldn't compare to the path of cultivation.
"So then, who is the Golden Core cultivator who broke into the tomb?" Bao Siyan furrowed her brows, staring at Wei Tu.
She had only told him about the tomb, and it made no sense for any other cultivator to know about it.
But now, Wei Tu seemed to have an inkling about the identity of this unfamiliar Golden Core cultivator and the reason they were able to enter the tomb.
"It must be related to those demonic cultivators!" Wei Tu's eyes flickered coldly.
He suspected that Venerable Master Shentu's tomb was hidden within a formation barrier, and as soon as Bao Siyan opened the tomb, the formation had been broken.
This was also why he sensed the Seven-Colored Phantom Moth's presence near the tomb entrance.
The demonic cultivators had most likely been trapped inside the tomb before and had used this opportunity to send out a distress signal.
Of course, it was also possible that these demonic cultivators wanted to use them to open the "talisman" barrier and obtain Venerable Master Shentu's treasures.
However, that possibility was very low.
"Then, where are these demonic cultivators?" Wei Tu pondered.
The underground cavity was already the tomb's endpoint. He hadn't seen anywhere suitable for hiding people along the way.
But strangely, Wei Tu could sense that he was very close to the Seven-Colored Phantom Moth now.
"Bao Daoist, do you have any sensing techniques? I think I've figured out some of the reasons behind this," Wei Tu said, no longer concealing his thoughts, revealing the presence of the Seven-Colored Phantom Moth.
"What? There's such a thing?" Bao Siyan was taken aback upon hearing this.