Chapter 1027: Specialization in Sword Talismans
Chapter 1027: Specialization in Sword Talismans
"Top Grade A!!"
"In the Spirit Brew Competition, it's been quite a while since we've seen a Top Grade A score, hasn't it?!"
"To be more precise, we'd have to go back eight times, or two hundred and forty years, to find the last Top Grade A score."
An elderly man with a long beard spoke softly.
Upon hearing this score, the numerous Sword Peak disciples below were in an uproar.
A Top Grade A score indicated that Lu Xuan had achieved perfection in every aspect of spirit brewing, far surpassing the other spirit brew masters present.
"I am truly impressed."
"An 80% success rate for a Fourth-grade Spirit Brew and a 60% success rate for the True Sword Serum, it's undeniable."
"If I remember correctly, the highest score the True Sword Peak has achieved in recent Spirit Brew Competitions is only Middle Grade C, and there were even a couple of times when they didn't send any disciples to participate."
"This time, Lu Xuan single-handedly achieved a Top Grade A score. Even though spirit brewing has a small weight in the overall competition, it's still a significant improvement."
The crowd couldn't help but marvel at this score, and no one had any objections.
After all, Lu Xuan's performance was plain for all to see, and there was no need to invite trouble by offending the True Sword Peak.
After the Spirit Brew Competition concluded, Lu Xuan returned to the square, intending to watch a few duels before participating in the upcoming Symbol Crafting Competition.
"How is it, Lu, my nephew?"
The True Sword Master and Yuan Rong appeared in front of Lu Xuan out of thin air, their tone gentle, but their eyes held a hint of anticipation.
"I have not failed your expectations, Top Grade A."
Lu Xuan replied with a smile.
"Top Grade A? Top Grade A! Haha!"
Jianzhen Ren burst into hearty laughter.
"Not bad, not bad at all. I knew I didn't misjudge you, my nephew."
He said with relief.
Yuan Rong and the others also couldn't help but praise him.
With them staring intently at him, Lu Xuan gave up on watching the duels and obediently returned to his cave mansion to rest.
After a day of rest, he felt refreshed and headed to the Sword Palace.
In another grand hall, hundreds of people had already gathered.
Most of them were talisman masters from the nine major Sword Peaks, with a small number of Sword Palace disciples maintaining order and patrolling the examination hall.
Among them, there were five Nascent Soul Realm elders presiding over the Symbol Crafting Competition, each of them a master in the art of talismans, residing in the Sword Palace, detached from worldly affairs, and dedicated to the study of talismans.
"The talisman masters from the Heavenly Scroll Sword Peak have arrived."
Someone whispered in the hall.
Lu Xuan followed the sound and saw a group of more than thirty people walking with the grace of dragons and tigers, heading towards the center of the hall.
"The Heavenly Scroll Sword Peak, one of the nine major Sword Peaks, is the most proficient in the art of talismans, capable of creating the majority of talismans used in the cultivation world."
"The leader, Ji Changhai, is a direct disciple of the Heavenly Scroll Sword Master, and his skill in talismans has reached an enlightened state, allowing him to create the rare Seventh Rank Talismans."
"Every disciple who came is highly skilled in talisman crafting. If not for the participant limit, the talisman masters from the Heavenly Scroll Sword Peak alone would dominate the competition."
The crowd whispered among themselves.
"Speaking of talisman crafting, I heard that a rising star from the True Sword Peak has opened a shop in Sword Abyss City, selling several high-grade sword talismans, including two Fifth Rank Sword Talismans."
"I've heard about it too. I'm considering saving up some Spirit Stones to buy one for self-defense."
"When exploring Mystic Realms, having a powerful sword talisman that can be activated at any time might turn the tide in a critical moment and save one's life."
Lu Xuan even overheard someone talking about the General Store, but since he rarely appeared in the shop, he kept a low profile, and no one realized that the shop owner was right in front of them.
"The nine major Sword Peaks have sent over two hundred talisman masters in total, several times more than the Spirit Brew Competition."
"If not for the participant limit, given the popularity of talisman crafting among cultivators, the numbers could have been doubled."
Lu Xuan looked around, thinking to himself.
During their cultivation journey, every cultivator would come into contact with various cultivation arts like alchemy and talisman crafting to some extent, and only a portion of them would be qualified to enter the Sword Palace for the competition.
Among the nine major Sword Peaks, the True Sword Peak had the fewest members, with only fifteen.
The most renowned among them was Ye Lingkong, who was at the early Nascent Soul Realm. Before Lu Xuan's arrival, he was the most formidable Talisman Master of True Sword Peak, capable of consistently producing Fifth-rank Talismans and occasionally reaching a high point by drawing Sixth-rank Sword Talismans.
Additionally, there were four others with decent skills, barely reaching the level of proficiency.
The remaining nine participants were there more for the experience.
The Symbol Crafting Competition differed slightly from the Spirit Brew Competition.
After all, it was already commendable for a Spirit Brew Master to master one or two types of Spirit Brews, but most Talisman Masters could typically draw tens or even hundreds of different Talismans.
During registration, Talisman Masters could list the types of Talismans they specialized in, and the Sword Palace would randomly select three types for them to prepare five sets of materials for the competition.
At the same time, the Sword Palace cultivators would also test each Talisman Master's theoretical knowledge in Symbol Crafting, covering basic Symbol knowledge and specialized knowledge within the Talisman Master's area of expertise.
Although Lu Xuan had some knowledge of basic Talismans, his drawing skills were still inferior to those of the high-rank Sword Talismans. Therefore, he only registered the Sword Talismans he was proficient in.
He listed four types of Fourth-rank Sword Talismans: Sea Cry Sword Talisman, Great Sun Sword Talisman, Starfall Sword Talisman, and Wind Thunder Sword Talisman, as well as two types of Fifth-rank Sword Talismans: True Demon Sword Talisman and Dark Yin Sword Talisman.
The final selection included the Fourth-rank Wind Thunder Sword Talisman and Great Sun Sword Talisman, along with the Fifth-rank Dark Yin Sword Talisman.
Although the number of Sword Talisman experience packages he had absorbed was not as many as the Spirit Brews, he had reached the level of Great Mastery and even attained the level of a Grand Master.
In the end, he successfully drew three Wind Thunder Sword Talismans, three Great Sun Sword Talismans, and two Dark Yin Sword Talismans.
During the competition, a Nascent Soul Realm Talisman Master from the Heavenly Scroll Sword Peak successfully drew a Seventh-rank Talisman, creating a massive Dragon Tiger Phenomenon that elicited astonished cries from the audience.
After a full day, all the Talisman Masters finished their drawings and gathered together, quietly awaiting the results.
"This time, I was fortunate enough to draw a Fourth-rank Sword Talisman. I wonder if my score will be better than last time."
"My luck wasn't great this time. None of my Fourth-rank Talismans succeeded. I hope the Sword Palace Elder will give me some bonus points for my drawing technique."
"Don't worry, there won't be many. Your mediocre drawing skills are obvious to the Sword Palace Elders."
"..."
Behind Lu Xuan, several Talisman Masters whispered among themselves.
"Thank you all for participating in the Symbol Crafting Competition. Now, let's announce the results."
An elderly man with a slender build waved his hand, and a large scroll, several dozen feet long and wide, appeared above the main hall.
The scroll displayed the names of numerous Talisman Masters, each accompanied by a radiant light and their corresponding scores.
"Heavenly Scroll Sword Peak, Ji Changhai, Top Grade A."
"As expected, Longhai True Monarch has once again achieved the Top Grade A score."
No disciple had any objections to this score for the master who had drawn a Seventh-rank Sword Talisman.
Lu Xuan's name was also on the list, as he specialized in several high-rank Sword Talismans and focused more on Spirit Plants, even surpassing the Spirit Brews.
The Nascent Soul Realm Talisman Master from the Heavenly Scroll Sword Peak was a natural genius in the Talisman Dao, having immersed himself in it for at least several hundred years. Even with the experience package rewards, it would be challenging to surpass him.
"Heavenly Scroll Sword Peak..."
"Heavenly Scroll Sword Peak again!"
The second to fourth places were all taken by Talisman Masters from the Heavenly Scroll Sword Peak, with the same score of Middle Grade A.
"The fifth place, True Sword Peak, Lu Xuan, Middle Grade A."
"True Sword Peak... That's impossible! I remember their Talisman skills are average. Even Ye Lingkong has never achieved an A-grade score."
"Where did this Lu Xuan come from?"
The crowd murmured in surprise, astonished by Lu Xuan's sudden appearance.
A total of six participants received the Middle Grade A score, including three from the Heavenly Scroll Sword Peak and one each from the Void Penetrating Sword Peak and the Hundred Trades Sword Peak. It was reasonable for these top three peaks among the Nine Great Sword Peaks to achieve such results.
However, Lu Xuan, who also received the Middle Grade A score, was different.
It was common knowledge that the True Sword Peak's Talisman skills, and even their Hundred Arts of Cultivation, were not particularly outstanding.
Yet, unexpectedly, a Talisman Master from their peak had silently emerged and achieved a Middle Grade A score.
(End of Chapter)
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