Chapter 0412: Invitation

Within this talismanic ink, a trace of spirituality was contained.

Placing the talisman paper on the desk, Yi Tianxing gently smoothed it out with a paperweight. Picking up the jade brush, he dipped it into the talisman ink. Mysteriously, the brush tip—crafted entirely from white jade—seemed to produce a strange suction force, like a sponge. It absorbed the talisman ink instantly, turning the white jade tip into a deep crimson hue—the color of the ink itself.

He calmed his heart and mind, visualizing a talisman in his consciousness.

The jade brush moved with his intent, guided by his will.

The brush danced like a dragon and serpent, sketching out symbols in one fluid motion. Each stroke flowed like drifting clouds and flowing water, infused with a unique rhythm. This rhythm mirrored the pulse of heavenly Dao itself, involuntarily drawing the mind into a meditative flow.

Especially as the brush sketched the talisman symbols, traces of mysterious Dao resonance in the surroundings were naturally drawn in, flowing through the jade brush into the symbols and embedding themselves into the talisman.

The sensation was utterly marvelous.

Swish!!

When the final stroke of the talisman was completed, all the symbols immediately lit up. Streams of Heaven and Earth origin energy surged into the talisman like a tide. The entire talisman ignited into a blazing fireball, as if it could manifest at any moment, tearing through space to incinerate anything in its path.

This was clearly a Fireball Talisman.

"High-grade talisman."

Yi Tianxing's eyes lit up as he murmured in awe.

The Fireball Talisman was not rare—one of the most basic spell talismans, a direct inscription of the Fireball Spell into talisman paper. Normally, such talismans were of low grade. However, due to Yi Tianxing's unique affinity with heavenly Dao, and the powerful true essence within him, which easily suppressed the resonance of Heaven and Earth, he typically refined mid-grade talismans, occasionally achieving high-grade ones.

But this time, his very first attempt had produced a high-grade talisman.

This result was far from ordinary. High-grade talismans possessed exponentially greater power than low-grade ones. A mid-grade talisman had three times the might of a low-grade, and a high-grade tripled that again. And a top-grade talisman could even exceed the limits of the spell it encapsulated.

Yi Tianxing had not expected to craft a high-grade talisman, let alone do so with the first one.

"It's the power of this jade brush," he realized. "Innately aligned with the Dao, it naturally draws in heavenly resonance and stabilizes it within the talisman. Without even trying, it allows me to create talismans one tier above my usual limit."

Looking at the jade brush in his hand, Yi Tianxing couldn't help but feel joyful.

This was a treasure—especially for a Talisman Master—priceless and invaluable in every sense.

Moreover, he felt a faint link between himself and the talisman he just made—an imprint from his blood essence.

Without hesitation, he brought the talisman near the Ten Thousand Talisman Banner (Wanfu Fan). As it touched the pristine white banner, the talisman merged into it seamlessly—like two drops of water blending into one. The banner flashed with a divine light, still appearing pure and untouched, though now with a faint glimmer of a fireball rune flickering upon it.

With a mere gesture, he could summon that fireball from the banner.

"Interesting. The Ten Thousand Talisman Banner really does nourish talismans—infusing them with strands of elemental Dao resonance. That was Fire Dao energy. With enough time, this talisman could even evolve into a top-grade one."

Yi Tianxing nodded in satisfaction, sensing the banner's changes.

Talisman tools were among the most crucial treasures in a talisman master's arsenal. Typically, they were refined as lifebound treasures. However, Yi Tianxing already had the Heavenly Emperor Tower of Primordial Chaos as his lifebound treasure. The talisman banner could not be merged into the tower, nor could it withstand the tower's world-splitting power.

So he treated it as a practical tool—used for storage and occasional combat.

Ice Talisman!

Flame Talisman!

Diamond Talisman!

Earth Spike Talisman!

One talisman after another took shape beneath his brush. Using the jade pen, his success rate was almost absurdly high—especially for talismans he had previously drawn. Not a single one failed. Each was immediately infused into the Ten Thousand Talisman Banner, which began to flicker with a variety of glowing talismans.

One…Two…Three…A torrent of talismans emerged rapidly.

Soon, the banner held ten distinct talismans, qualifying it as a Ten-Talisman Banner.

Leaving Yi Tianxing and Cai Yan deep in their cultivation...

In Xuanhuang Town, after the recent beast tide, cleanup operations were in full swing. The corpses of countless beasts were collected—meat, bones, hides—all sent to the Myriad Treasures Hall and added to its inventory.

Both soldiers and townsfolk were rewarded handsomely with merit points. As they entered the Merit Hall, these contributions were promptly credited to their Heavenly Registration Cards. Be it slaying enemies or defending the city—every effort was rewarded.

Those who had battled fiercely in the beast tide earned the most.

Flush with merit points, many immediately flocked to the Scripture Pavilion, eager to exchange their rewards for powerful martial techniques and divine arts.

In times of crisis, everyone felt the pressure to grow stronger. No one wanted to die powerlessly.

So the Pavilion bustled with activity.

Despite the crowds, no one dared break the rules. Everyone followed protocol—selecting their techniques, offering merit, swearing heart-demon oaths, and receiving their chosen inheritances in turn.

It was a time of exponential growth—given time, the town's strength would surely soar.

A month passed in the blink of an eye.

In this month, the atmosphere of Xuanhuang Town transformed completely.

With Wu Yong leading troops to various villages—delivering aid, supplies, and spreading tales of the town—public opinion shifted dramatically. Admiration and trust in Xuanhuang Town grew rapidly. Villages buzzed with stories of the town's wonders, shared with enthusiasm.

Public sentiment aligned. Momentum built.

After Wu Yong's visits, many village leaders sighed deeply.

They saw through the political gambit—it was benevolent coercion, an open conspiracy none could deny, yet none could resist. The tide was simply unstoppable.

"Xuanhuang Town is showing ambition to dominate the region. They aim for greatness."

"Damn it, this is forcing us to submit—or become obsolete. If we swear loyalty, our own destiny will be tied to theirs forever."

"What is their goal? Do they plan to crown a king? Found an empire?"

Speculation ran rampant.

Yet with the growing public will, vast rivers of fate energy flowed continuously into the Luck Pool of Xuanhuang Town.

Within the pool, the fish-dragon continued to grow and evolve daily.

Luck was now overflowing—approaching the peak of town-level destiny.

With just a thought, the town could be elevated to city status.

Especially after the beast tide destroyed several nearby villages—survivors were taken in by Xuanhuang Town, pushing its population beyond 500,000, fast approaching 600,000.

Yi Tianxing emerged from cultivation and gave a single command to Cao Zhengchun:

"Send word to all villages within a ten-thousand-li radius. Invite their leaders to witness Xuanhuang Town's ascension to Xuanhuang City."

Then he returned to his practice.

The news quickly spread through the marketplace, reaching the ears of local village heads. Shocked, yet unable to refuse, most dispatched messengers immediately.

Whether or not they attended was up to them.

But Xuanhuang Town's current power made rejection unwise.

After all, this was a historic ascension—from town to a true ancient city.

Few could resist witnessing such a process. It was a priceless opportunity, full of insights.

At Righteous Qi Manor, the elegant Young Master Hollow sat in the rear courtyard, dressed in snowy white robes, sipping tea as he read a report. Glancing up toward Xuanhuang Town, he spoke with calm amusement:

"Already ascending to city-level? That's incredibly fast. Barely a year has passed—it's only the second year of the Eternal Era. Ascension isn't something you can brute force. Heaven's trials are not to be underestimated."

"Interesting. With something this entertaining, how could I, Young Master Hollow, miss it? Life is so empty… one must seek diversions."