Martial Arts, the Fairy's Cultivation

The Imperial City, the headquarters of the Talisman Masters Association.

An elderly man in white robes, exuding an air of authority, sat cross-legged on a futon. Before him, three strange runes floated in the air, emanating a mysterious and unpredictable aura that caused the spiritual energy surrounding the elderly man to resonate slightly.

"Incredible! Such profound runes exist in this world! Could I have been wrong? Is this the true Dao of Runes?"

An aged sigh echoed from the quiet room. If an outsider knew what was happening before them, their heart would likely be filled with turmoil.

This is Master You, the president of the Great Yan Dynasty's Talisman Master Guild, a peak Creation Realm expert, a high-level spirit talisman master, and a grandmaster of weapon refining.

Possessing just one of the above qualities is enough to make one a pivotal figure in the Great Yan Dynasty. Moreover, Master You is also the most proficient person in the entire dynasty in the profound mysteries of runes. He once created the only cultivation method for the native spirit rune of the Great Yan Dynasty, and his reputation is renowned throughout the entire rune master community of the dynasty.

Yet today, this highly respected master of talismans showed such a moved expression when faced with several runes of unknown origin.

His trembling, aged arms, his devout gaze as if seeking the truth, and his slightly cloudy eyes radiating unprecedented passion.

"So this is what I've been searching for all along..."

Gazing at the three profound runes before him, Master You's heart was filled with turmoil that lingered for a long time. At this moment, he felt as if he had returned to the state of mind he had when he first came into contact with the Dao of Runes many years ago. The glimpse that was accidentally revealed had captivated him so much, as if the gateway to an entire glorious and dazzling world of rune masters was slowly opening before him.

After half a lifetime, when you think you're standing at the highest point, you suddenly look back and find that you're still an apprentice.

"Yan City in Tiandu Prefecture? That senior should be there..."

A glint of light flashed in Master You's eyes. He rose from the futon, not wanting to wait even a moment longer. He wished he could appear in Yan City immediately to pay his respects to the senior who created the Harmony Talisman.

However, considering the potential chain reaction that his disappearance without a trace might cause as the president, Master You calmed down slightly and sent a message outside the meditation room.

"Teacher, you wanted to see me?"

A moment later, a young man dressed in a richly black robe walked in from outside the door and bowed slightly to the white-robed old man in front of him as a disciple.

"Ah Ying."

Master You looked at the young man in front of him, his expression softening slightly. He had been studying the Dao of Talismans for many years and had limited energy, so he didn't have much time to train the younger generation. He only took a liking to this person because he saw that he had a rare talent for mutated mental power with the shadow attribute, and occasionally took him by his side to give him some pointers.

However, the forces behind the other party are quite powerful. In order to maintain a neutral stance, Master You, as the president of the Talisman Master Association, cannot casually accept disciples. At present, he is only the young man's nominal teacher.

"I will be leaving the capital for a while. Ah Ying, please inform those guys in the elders' council that they can make their own decisions about anything."

"Yes."

The young man in black bowed respectfully. After sensing Master You's departure, he straightened his back and looked at the streak of light speeding away outside the imperial city, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes.

"What could be so urgent that the teacher is in such a hurry? He even put aside the high-grade spiritual treasure that was only half-finished."

"It must be some extraordinary opportunity..."

As the young man pondered, his fingers habitually fiddled with a pitch-black dagger, a cold and subtle spiritual fluctuation emanating from it.

"I wonder if my Huangpu clan can get involved."

-

The Lin family of Yancheng.

Qingtan sat cross-legged on the bed, holding several Yang Yuan Stones in her hand, circulating her cultivation technique to absorb the Yang attribute Yuan energy within them.

As the energy in the Yangyuan Stone gradually dissipated, the indoor temperature slowly rose, but Qingtan, wrapped in a thick winter coat, seemed not to feel any heat at all.

"call--"

A moment later, Qingtan let out a soft sigh, looked inward at the Yuan energy ball in her dantian that showed no signs of change, and a frustrated expression appeared on her small face.

"Still unable to absorb Yang Qi..."

Qingtan's talent is exceptional. She inexplicably cultivated Yuan Power after just one nap, and then quickly surpassed others to become the second most talented member of the Lin family, second only to Lin Dong.

However, her good fortune didn't last long. Ever since Qingtan advanced to the Heavenly Origin Realm, her cultivation has stagnated.

For the past six months, no matter how hard Qingtan cultivated, she was unable to integrate a trace of Yang Qi into her dantian. Her cultivation level remained at the initial stage of the Heavenly Origin Realm, without any further progress.

During this period, younger generations such as Lin Xia and Lin Hong caught up with Qing Tan's cultivation level and gradually surpassed her. Qing Tan's amazing talent, like a fleeting moment, quickly faded away.

"Hmph! It's all because of that wretched cold air!"

Qingtan pouted, watching the wisps of icy mist emanating from her fingertips, a hint of frustration flashing in her eyes.

From childhood to adulthood, a lot of cold energy would occasionally emerge from her body. At first, the pain was bearable, but now the cold energy was repelling the yang energy from the outside world, causing her cultivation to stagnate. This couldn't go on.

"Brother Lin Dong has already reached the Great Perfection of the Yuan Dan Realm, and he might break through to the Creation Realm soon. My strength, on the other hand, is only hovering around the Tian Yuan Realm, so I can't help Brother Lin Dong at all..."

Qingtan's face was bitter, and her slender fingers unconsciously clenched. If things continued to develop like this, the gap between the two siblings would only widen. She didn't want to be a useless younger sister forever, watching her brother Lin Dong risk his life to venture out on his own.

"I refuse to believe I can't cure your coldness!"

Qingtan picked up a fiery red pill that was condensed with powerful yang energy, examined it quietly, and the next moment, a resolute look flashed across the girl's face. She opened her mouth and swallowed the yang pill directly.

Glug...

As she slowly swallowed the pill, a scorching heat spread from her abdomen, rapidly reaching her entire body. The slight burning sensation caused Qing Tan's petite figure to tremble slightly, and fine beads of sweat finally began to seep from her skin, which had always been icy cold.

"Is it effective?"

Feeling her meridians gradually warming up, Qingtan's face lit up with joy. However, the next moment, as a cold current suddenly surged from the depths of her body, the rising heat vanished instantly, as if it had never existed.

Kaka-

Before Qingtan could show any disappointment, her face stiffened slightly as a surge of cold air seeped out from her body, condensing into fine ice crystals in the air, and the icy mist enveloped the entire room.

Perhaps stimulated by the Yang energy, the cold energy within Qingtan's body launched a counterattack, causing the scale of this cold energy outbreak to far exceed that of the past, resulting in a long-absent look of pain appearing on Qingtan's face.

"It's so cold..."