Chapter 26: Rong Hao’s Request

Chapter 26: Rong Hao’s Request After Zhen Yuan exited the assessment room, Shen Xu walked over. "How?" The double asked. Although he believed in Zhen Yuan, he was still worried. After all, it wasn't unheard of for strange things to happen at unexpected times. "Good." Zhen Yuan replied, and Shen Xu smiled before asking. "Do you want to pay for the second-level assessment?" "Mmm." Zhen Yuan nodded and led Shen Xu to walk towards the relevant counter. Seeing this, several of Rong Hao's cronies walked over and blocked their way. "This fellow Daoist took nearly one hour to draw a first-level talisman?" One of the cronies sneered with undisguised contempt in his eyes. "Young master Rong can draw a first-level talisman in half an hour." Another said. Hearing this, Rong Hao looked proud but didn't say anything. Instead, he looked at Shen Xu and Zhen Yuan with teasing eyes. However, neither Shen Xu nor Zhen Yuan was affected. What was half an hour when Zhen Yuan could draw a first-level talisman in ninety breaths? Comparing Zhen Yuan and Rong Hao was like pitting a helpless toddler against an adult. It was an unfair fight. "My Taoist companion likes to take his time." Shen Xu said with a proud expression. "Hmmph, we will see when he takes the second-level test." The crony snorted and moved out of the way. Soon after, Zhen Yuan received his first-level token and paid for the second-level certification. After that, the two returned to their seats and waited for the second-level examination. "Do you want to rest?" Shen Xu asked. "Okay." Zhen Yuan nodded. Although he didn't need to rest, resting was part of his and Shen Xu's plan. In this way, he wouldn't attract too much attention. After all, his revealed cultivation was the tenth level of the qi refining realm. At such a realm, drawing one first-level talisman was taxing. To hide his actual cultivation, Zhen Yuan could only pretend to meditate to recover his 'depleted' qi. However, how could Rong Hao allow him to rest? When Zhen Yuan closed his eyes, Rong Hao winked at one of his cronies. Seeing the wink, the crony left the waiting area while Rong Hao walked towards the two. "Does the young master need something?" Shen Xu asked with a displeased look on his face. "The second level assessment will start soon. Should we discuss the type of talisman to draw?" Rong Hao asked, pretending not to hear the displeasure in the double's voice. Hearing that, Shen Xu almost rolled his eyes. "What talisman does the young master suggest?" He asked. "Since the fellow Daoist can draw any talisman, why not draw the qi gathering talisman?" Rong Hao said, and a cunning light flashed in his eyes. The talisman map of the qi gathering talisman was a secret of the Talisman Association. Even with the status of the Rong family, only the clan patriarch, an elder of the Association, knew the map. By asking for the qi gathering talisman, Rong Hao was nine points certain of his victory. "Qi gathering talisman..." Shen Xu muttered and pretended to frown. "Is something wrong?" A spectator asked with barely concealed sarcasm. "Can't the fellow Daoist draw the qi gathering talisman?" Another mocked. "Look at their clothes? Can they afford the qi gathering talisman? Maybe they have never seen the qi gathering talisman." Another sneered, completely forgetting the amount of spirit stones in Shen Xu's storage bag. If a cultivator who had two million spirit stones couldn't afford a qi gathering talisman, who could? However, no one spoke for Shen Xu and Zhen Yuan. The crowd was all waiting to watch a good show and didn't care who won the bet. "This fellow Daoist is right. My companion and I have never seen a qi gathering talisman." Shen Xu admitted. After spending time together, Shen Xu knew that Zhen Yuan's inheritance was different from the inheritance in the Canglan continent. Knowing that, he couldn't allow Zhen Yuan to casually draw the qi gathering talisman according to the map in his inheritance. In that case, he had to find an opportunity for Zhen Yuan to see the ordinary qi gathering talisman. "What did I say? They have never seen a qi gathering talisman." The spectator mocked and looked at the two in disdain. "Since the fellow Daoist has a qi gathering talisman, let our couple see it for reference." Shen Xu said. "Are you taking advantage of me?" The spectator roared angrily. However, Rong Hao took out a qi gathering talisman and gave it to Shen Xu. "Since the fellow Daoists have never seen a qi gathering talisman, I will lend you mine." Rong Hao said with a good attitude. At first, he was a little worried that the opponent could draw the qi-gathering talisman. Unexpectedly, the two had never even seen the talisman, let alone the talisman map! With that, hadn't he already won? Since he was already the winner, he felt there was no need to be stingy. After all, who could draw a talisman without a map? "Thank you, young master Rong." Shen Xu said and took the talisman. However, he didn't hurry to 'disturb' Zhen Yuan. Instead, he waited for the other to 'meditate' for a while before he gave him the talisman. [Can you draw it?] He asked. [Don't worry.] Zhen Yuan assured but pretended to study the talisman. At a glance, he saw the qi gathering talisman was a simplified version of the one in his inheritance. Since he could draw the complex version, why wouldn't he be able to draw the simplified version? After looking at the talisman for a few breaths, Zhen Yuan returned it to Rong Hao. "The fellow Daoist is a genius of our time." Rong Hao said in a sarcastic voice. "What genius? He is just pretending." Someone refuted, and the crowd burst into laughter. While the people were laughing, the door of the assessment room opened, and several cultivators walked out. Of the ten cultivators who took the first-level assessment, six, including Zhen Yuan, passed. Those who passed went to take their tokens, while the others looked dejected. However, aside from Zhen Yuan, none of those who passed planned to take the second-level test. "Fellow Daoist, follow us for the second level test." One of the assessors came to Zhen Yuan and said. "Elder Chu, we have a bet with this fellow Daoist. Can we observe the assessment?" Rong Hao stepped out and asked. "This..." Elder Chu frowned. Although the association rules didn't forbid an audience, drawing a talisman required focus. What if he allowed several people to watch the test and caused the young genius to lose focus? Generally, Elder Chu wanted to give face to the young master of the Rong family. After all, the Rong family was a powerful clan in the capital. However, he didn't dare to be presumptuous in front of the young genius. From the young lad's previous performance, Elder Chu was optimistic about him. In the future, the young man would undoubtedly carve his place in the Divine Rainbow Academy and the Talisman Association. For this reason, Elder Chu was reluctant to offend the young genius. "It's okay to watch." Zhen Yuan said, and Elder Chu heaved a sigh of relief. "Since the fellow Daoist agrees, young master Rong and the rest can follow into the assessment room." Elder Chu said. At the same time, several people came out of another room and walked towards the group. "Great elder." Elder Chu greeted the leading cultivator. "Mmmm." The great elder nodded and looked at the gathered people. "Which little friend drew the ice thorn talisman?" He asked. "Yuan Shen greets the great elder." Zhen Yuan said. "Is it you?" The great elder asked and looked at Elder Chu for confirmation. Seeing this, Elder Chu nodded, and the great elder looked at Zhen Yuan carefully. "Let's talk after the second level assessment." The great elder said and led the way into the test room. When he saw this, Rong Hao frowned. Each branch of the Talisman Association had a great elder, several core elders, and numerous ordinary elders. In the capital branch, the great elder was a golden core realm cultivator, compared to foundation establishment realm cultivators in other branches. Since the Two Reeds town was relatively small and remote, the branch's great elder was only a mid-stage foundation establishment realm cultivator. However, not even the Rong family dared to underestimate a branch's great elder. To become a great elder, not only did a cultivator need the foundation establishment realm, but they also needed talisman mastery at the upper second level. Most importantly, all great elders had a powerful backstage. Seeing the great elder had noticed the person he had bet against, Rong Hao was a little troubled. "What happened?" He questioned one of the cultivators who took the first-level assessment. "Young master, that fellow Daoist drew a perfect grade ice thorn talisman." The person whispered. When Rong Hao heard that, he frowned. The ice thorn talisman was an uncommon and difficult-to-draw first-level talisman. Even with his second-level talisman mastery, Rong Hao could only guarantee a low-grade ice thorn talisman after many tries. 'It seems he is a little capable.' Rong Hao thought, and his eyes narrowed into slits. Although he was sure the other party did not know how to draw the qi gathering talisman, Rong Hao was a little uneasy. However, he soon calmed down. 'It doesn't matter if he can draw the qi-gathering talisman. If he dares to draw it, the Talisman Association will never let him go.' Rong Hao thought with a malicious smile on his face.