Chapter Eight: Zhang Chen’s Talent in Talisman Crafting

“Mm!” From his elevated seat, Gu Beishan gave a brief acknowledgement, then proceeded to the second phase of the Mountain Entry Ceremony—the Selection of Peaks.

“Yulong Fort, Zhang Chen.” Gu Beishan glanced at the list, noting the two remaining names, but he did not announce them together.

“I’ll go first,” Zhang Chen said with a smile, and strode up to the high platform.

Once Zhang Chen was on the platform, Gu Beishan tossed a purple-gold lotus in his direction. Zhang Chen caught the floating lotus and balanced it on his right palm. In the next instant, light burst from the lotus, radiant as ten thousand suns, and it blossomed into eighty petals at once.

As expected, this scene caused an uproar among the onlookers.

“Heavens, another extraordinary talent who can make the lotus bloom with eighty petals in a single breath!”

“Didn’t Master Nanhua just say he’s from some... Fort? What kind of place produces such prodigies?”

“Yulong Fort is one of the three forts south of Taiyi Mountain, called the Three Forts of South Yi. Its strength is ordinary at best.”

Wang Yuncheng narrowed his eyes, watching the spectacle on the platform, identical to what he had just experienced himself. His thoughts were inscrutable.

“Well, Zhang Not-So-Ordinary, you’re something else!” Qin Yi applauded with genuine approval. Though he hadn’t expected Zhang Chen’s talent to be lacking, he hadn’t imagined it would be so outstanding either.

Zhang Chen stared at the purple-gold lotus floating above his hand in disbelief, then turned to throw a playful, provocative glance at Qin Yi below the dais. His smile seemed to say, “Well? Am I impressive or not?”

Qin Yi merely rolled his eyes at the challenge and paid it no further mind.

On the high seat, among the headmaster and the various Peak Masters, some had already been tempted to recruit Zhang Chen with their own methods, though none voiced their desire just yet.

After a moment, Li Ding could no longer restrain himself and was about to speak to Master Lingxu with some platitude about fate and affinity, but Master Lingxu interrupted him ahead of time. “Let us wait until this disciple’s results are fully revealed before competing for him.”

With these words, Li Ding had no choice but to swallow his prepared speech and wait patiently for the outcome of Zhang Chen’s test. Yet, as time dragged on, the purple-gold lotus in Zhang Chen’s hand showed no further movement, and many present began to feel puzzled.

“Huh? Why isn’t it blooming further? Normally, after eighty petals, it should reach eighty-one, shouldn’t it?”

On the high seat, the headmaster of Taiyi Mountain and the Peak Masters exchanged glances, silently wondering the same. But they didn’t voice their doubts, instead waiting patiently; after all, these cultivators had practiced self-restraint for more than a century.

Amidst the deathly stillness on the platform, the lotus in Zhang Chen’s hand finally changed—not by blooming an eighty-first petal, but in a way that left everyone present dumbfounded. The lotus, previously radiant with its eighty petals, suddenly shone even brighter, and above it, a pattern resembling a rune took form.

Seeing this, Master Qingfu abruptly rose to his feet. His usually stooped figure straightened with vigor surpassing that of the young, and his normally hazy eyes shone with a piercing brilliance.

After a moment, Master Qingfu calmed his excitement and spoke, “Heaven truly favors me, Qingfu; it favors my Tianxuan Peak, and it favors Taiyi Mountain.”

He repeated the phrase three times to convey the depth of his emotion. None of the other Peak Masters objected, for they knew just how rare such fortune was. A new disciple capable of making the lotus bloom with eighty petals was already an extraordinary find—especially one suited to the unique Dao of Runes. The rarity of this event was not something even the simultaneous emergence of two such lotuses could compare to.

“Congratulations, old ghost,” Li Ding chuckled, patting his own round belly. “It seems your lineage, which holds less than a thousandth of the ancient ‘Tongtian Register’, has finally found a worthy successor.” Even now, he couldn’t resist teasing Master Qingfu.

Master Qingfu only laughed heartily, beyond words in his joy.

Under everyone’s gaze, the glow of the lotus in Zhang Chen’s hand gradually faded, and the completed rune was fully revealed. Its appearance alone was enough to stun the world.

“What is that?”

“It looks like a rune—yes, it’s a rune! The purple-gold lotus has manifested a phenomenon. I thought those legends were just stories!”

“The Dao of Runes—not bad at all,” Qin Yi remarked, gazing at the rune with a smile. To him, all paths seemed much the same.

“Old Rui, where is Yulong Fort?” Wang Yun squinted at the rune and asked Wang Rui beside him.

“Young master, Yulong Fort is one of the Three Forts of South Yi at the southern end of Taiyi Mountain. Its strength is mediocre; among the three forts, not a single cultivator at the Nascent Soul stage exists,” Wang Rui replied.

“Is that so? For such a place to produce someone like this... Old Rui, keep an eye on Yulong Fort. If needed, offer them appropriate assistance.” Wang Yuncheng smiled.

“Yes, young master,” Wang Rui understood at once. The Wang clan of East Ridge had risen to power in Lingzhou over the past century precisely because they did not cling to outdated traditions. Though the Ten Elders of the clan were still all Wangs, among the eight great border generals the majority bore other surnames.

Now, on the high platform, Zhang Chen also understood the meaning behind the rune. At this moment, he stared unblinkingly at the Taiyi Mountain headmaster and the Peak Masters above, as if waiting for them to vie for him.

Seeing this, Master Qingfu could only smile wryly. With a kindly expression, he said to Zhang Chen, “Zhang Chen, why not join my lineage?”

“Master, can’t I choose for myself?” Zhang Chen asked in confusion. Having seen the treatment Wang Yuncheng received, he too wanted to experience such attention.

“This boy!” Li Ding couldn’t help but laugh heartily at Zhang Chen’s words. But then, eyes gleaming, he said, “Would you like to join my lineage instead?”

“Old Li, there’s a limit to jest,” Chen Yuxuan finally interrupted, unable to bear any more.

At this, the usually silent Master Lingxu spoke up to lend Master Qingfu a hand. “Zhang Chen, you can rest assured and join Tianxuan Peak. Master Qingfu is the foremost expert in the Dao of Runes on Taiyi Mountain.”

Praised by the headmaster himself, Master Qingfu straightened his back even more, as if he had shed decades from his age.

Zhang Chen now understood: his uniqueness had left him with only one path, but perhaps that was for the best. “There is a natural order to learning, and each skill has its specialty.” To specialize in one path was, indeed, a blessing.

“Disciple Zhang Chen pays respect to Master.” Having thought it through, Zhang Chen performed the full disciple’s bow without hesitation.

“Up, up!” Master Qingfu was already overjoyed, repeating the words twice.

Seeing this, Gu Beishan prepared to call the final candidate for the Selection of Peaks.

“Yulong Fort, Qin Yi.”