Chapter 571: Symbol Master

The cultivation system of the Tian Xuan Continent was different from that of the Dou Qi Continent.

Moreover, the age at which one typically began their cultivation journey also varied. On the Dou Qi Continent, people usually started cultivating at a very young age. For instance, Xiao Ming began his cultivation journey at the age of four, and that wasn't even the earliest age to start. Some even started cultivating as early as two years old.

On the Tian Xuan Continent, however, cultivation typically started around the age of ten.

Due to the difference in cultivation systems, Xiao Ming created a set of ice-based martial arts skills especially made for Ying Huanhuan to practice.

Having devoured various kinds of Mysterious Ice in the past, Xiao Ming was not unfamiliar with ice-based techniques. In fact, he was quite skilled in them. Creating a set of martial arts with the characteristics of Mysterious Ice was not a challenging task for him.

As for how these newly created martial arts were compared to the ones used by the Ice Master before reincarnation, Xiao Ming had no way of knowing, as he had never seen those martial arts before.

In a sense, taking Ying Huanhuan as his disciple was quite a gain. Once she regained her memories and recovered her 3rd Calamity Reincarnation Stage strength, she wouldn't require much guidance from him. He would be able to gain a valuable ally without making much of an effort.

As their conversation came to an end, the middle-aged man suddenly felt a gaze upon him. Shuddering, he turned to Xiao Ming and spoke quickly, "Steemed Sir, this is the Great Yan Empire. I am Mo Jingtian, the emperor of the royal family. May I know the purpose of your visit to our empire..."

Mo Jingtian's eyes flickered with a hint of surprise as he spoke. The young man in front of him, with his exceptionally handsome appearance, exuded an overwhelming sense of strength. He immediately realized that this was not someone he could afford to make an enemy of.

"It's nothing serious! We are here for personal matters. We merely used your teleportation formation when we arrived. Here are some Nirvana Pills as payment for using your facility," Xiao Ming said as he tossed a bag at Mo Jingtian.

Mo Jingtian instinctively caught the bag. He felt an extremely pure Nirvana Qi emanating from it as soon as he opened it. He looked up in shock, only to find that the mysterious figure and his companion had already disappeared. Were it not for the very real Nirvana Pills in his hand, he would have thought he was in a dream...

…

In the Great Yan Empire, Yan City was just one of the many cities within Tiandu Province. Despite having the word 'Yan' from 'Great Yan Empire' in its name, it wasn't a particularly important city.

As dawn broke, the road leading to Yan City was already bustling with people, resonating with animated conversations and a lively atmosphere.

Seated inside a well-lit carriage, Xiao Ming meditated with his eyes closed, while Ying Huanhuan, seated across from him, lifted the carriage curtain to peer outside with interest.

The carriage moved through the crowd at a steady pace and finally arrived outside Yan City. After paying a small entry fee at the city gate, the carriage smoothly entered the city.

Upon passing through a somewhat dimly lit city gate tunnel, they were immediately greeted by a deafening symphony of sounds, akin to the roar of ocean waves.

The carriage continued along the streets and eventually came to a halt outside a rather ordinary-looking courtyard.

"Sir, we've arrived at the Yan City Symbol Master Guild," the coachman announced from outside.

Xiao Ming, whose eyes had been closed, opened them upon hearing this announcement. The first thing he saw was Ying Huanhuan making a silly face at him.

"Today's training volume will be doubled."

"Ah, Master, not that, please!" Ying Huanhuan cried out in panic upon hearing this, her face turning ashen.

She was still in the Tempered Body Stage, and doubling the training would be extremely exhausting for her!

Xiao Ming's lips curled into a slight smile when he saw Ying Huanhuan's reaction.

She had been pampered by Ying Xuanzi since she was a child, and now that her memories had been re-sealed by him, she had forgotten about the incident when he activated her Reincarnation Seal. Therefore, she wasn't afraid of him and tended to act a bit spoiled. However, now that she was his disciple, she needed to be prepared to endure hardships.

Ignoring Ying Huanhuan's protests, Xiao Ming got up and stepped out of the carriage. He casually paid the coachman before walking into the Symbol Master Guild.

'Stubborn Master...' Ying Huanhuan grumbled as she realized her protests were hopeless. She stomped her foot in frustration and reluctantly followed.

The Symbol Master Guild was a gathering place for Symbol Masters that existed in every major city in the Great Yan Empire. These guilds were among the top factions in their respective cities.

The Symbol Masters belonged to a system that was distinct from the Yuan Power cultivation prevalent on the Tian Xuan Continent. This mental cultivation system originated from the Symbol Ancestor, an ancient figure who came from the Great Thousand World. Consequently, this system held immense potential value.

Symbol Masters would cultivate their Mental Energy and use it as a means of attack, to manipulate objects, or to deliver covert blows to their enemies. They could also materialize their Mental Energy into sharp weapons for direct attack, but this required learning specialized Mental Techniques.

They were similar to the Soul Skills of the Alchemists of the Dou Qi Continent. However, the Symbol Masters were skilled at inscribing objects. A Symbol Master could condense the Yuan Power from heaven and earth into special Mystical Symbols. These symbols could then be inscribed on objects. Each symbol had different abilities due to its unique structure.

The ranking system for Symbol Masters was more intricate than that of Yuan Power cultivation:

Initially, there were 5 stages of Seal Symbol Masters, followed by 3 stages of Soul Symbol Masters (low, middle, and high), and then 9 seals for Heaven Symbol Masters...

The initial and advanced stages of the following Divine Symbol Master were equivalent to the Profound Life and Profound Death Stages respectively, while in the Symbol Grandmaster, they were equivalent to the Samsara and Reincarnation Stages. Finally, the last realm was called Divine Palace Master.

Generally speaking, even the lowest Symbol Master realm required one to reach the Earthly Yuan Stage, making it more challenging and talent-dependent than Yuan Power cultivation, which started from the Tempered Body Stage.

Xiao Ming was an expert in the use of soul power and was interested in the Symbol Master System.

However, his reason for visiting the Symbol Master Guild of Yan City was not to learn the techniques of a Symbol Master here, but rather because there was something here that he wanted.

The duo, one tall and one short, moved through the Symbol Master Guild as if they were the only ones in the courtyard.

After about fifteen minutes of walking, they reached the deeper part of the courtyard. It was then that Xiao Ming suddenly looked up at a gray tower not too far away.

This tower, known as the Symbol Master Tower, was a mysterious structure forged by the Mental Energy of numerous Symbol Masters in the past. The tower possessed the magical ability to purify and cleanse one's Mental Energy. Many cities would even compete to have such a tower.

'This spiritual cleansing is quite interesting.'

As they continued forward and entered the Symbol Master Tower, they immediately felt a powerful mental pressure. This pressure had a significant impact on Ying Huanhuan, but for Xiao Ming, it was no more than a gentle breeze.

Inside the tower's space, the strong Mental Energy waves twisted into tangible forms, creating the sensation of being in the midst of an ocean of Mental Energy. For Xiao Ming, however, it did not have much of an effect.

He gently touched Ying Huanhuan's head, and she immediately felt the pressure lift.

"Stay close," Xiao Ming said, glancing at Ying Huanhuan, whose cheeks were slightly red from the close contact.

"I know…" Ying Huanhuan replied in a muffled voice, feeling a bit shy inside.

Xiao Ming's appearance was appealing to both young and old. He had countless admirers back on the Dou Qi Continent. The fact that Ying Huanhuan agreed to be his disciple without any resistance was likely influenced to some extent by his looks.

Of course, they were just getting to know each other and weren't very familiar yet. It was to be expected that once they spent more time together, such shyness would likely fade away.

Xiao Ming then led Ying Huanhuan to start climbing the Symbol Master Tower. In a short time, they reached the ninth floor of the tower. The ninth floor was quite ordinary, with a very small area of only a few dozen meters. The ground was covered with dust, making it look rather messy compared to the lower floors.

It was evident that this place had not been visited for a long time.

The ninth floor was empty, but each side of the tower wall was covered with numerous intricate lines. These lines formed two extremely complex and ancient symbols.

"Two imprints of the Ancestral Symbol. Even though they are not the real Ancestral Symbols, the ability to leave such imprints indicates that the creator of this floor of the Symbol Master Tower must have been quite extraordinary!" Xiao Ming observed.

"Ancestral Symbols?"

Ying Huanhuan, having calmed down, curiously glanced at the symbols. However, she soon felt dizzy from their complexity and quickly averted her gaze.

Xiao Ming, on the other hand, observed them with great interest.

On the Tian Xuan Continent, Symbol Masters would condense their own Destiny Symbol with their Mental Energy. There were countless variations and grades. However, the most powerful symbols in Heaven and Earth were the Ancestral Symbols. These symbols were not created by humans, but rather condensed by the laws of Heaven and Earth. Each Ancestral Symbol possessed the power to open the heavens, and those who possessed one were among the strongest existences in this world.