"Preposterous!"
Chen Nan snorted impatiently, then followed the winding mountain path and climbed the stone steps.
"This brat, rather interesting!"
The First Guardian Elder murmured.
The middle-aged man whose chessboard Chen Nan had destroyed also said, "The world is never short of those who follow the rules. What is truly scarce are people who do not fear worldly rules and do not play by the book!"
"This kind of mindset is often more terrifying than strength!"
The scholar in green robes' eyes were full of anticipation, "I do hope he can reach the summit!"
Old Jiu said, "I feel he can reach the summit!"
------
When Chen Nan reached the four thousandth stone step.
A white-haired, rosy-cheeked elder appeared before him. He held a brush and drew mysterious runes in the air.
The void trembled!
It gave off a powerful oppressive feeling, as if it could be annihilated at any moment!
Chen Nan's heart jolted.
Legend had it that there was an existence in the world that surpassed alchemists and artifact refiners.
This existence was called a Divine Talisman Master.
A Divine Talisman Master, as the name suggests, was a powerhouse in the way of talismans!
Ordinary talisman masters could inject true qi into jade or paper, but Divine Talisman Masters could use the void as a medium.
It was said that terrifying Divine Talisman Masters could seal a small world with a wave of their hand.
However!
Divine Talisman Masters were extremely rare existences!
He hadn't expected the Huashan Sword Sect to have a Divine Talisman Master!
"Young man, as long as you can break through my confinement talisman, you may ascend the mountain!" the elder said with a smile, and with a wave of his hand, a confinement talisman materialized in the void, instantly enveloping Chen Nan.
At this moment!
Chen Nan felt as if he were in a swamp, struggling in vain.
Moreover, he felt that this confinement talisman had blocked the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.
It was as if it had formed its own realm!
However!
He was not flustered!
After all, he also had some understanding of talismans!
He knew that once trapped by runes, one could either break them with brute force or resolve them!
He formed his finger into a brush and drew runes in the air.
"You know Divine Talisman Arts too?" the elder's eyes were full of suspicion.
Not only him.
All the powerhouses of the Huashan Sword Sect were paying attention to Chen Nan.
Chen Nan said, "I know a little!"
A hint of disdain appeared on the elder's face, "I have studied Divine Talisman Arts for over three hundred years. How can you, a mere youngster, break through my Divine Talisman Arts?"
"That's not necessarily true!"
Chen Nan's eyes sharpened. He drew a rune in one go.
However.
Before the rune could materialize, his true qi vanished into the air.
Obviously.
This attempt at drawing a divine talisman had failed!
And the price of failure was the depletion of all his true qi!
Chen Nan, with his current cultivation at the peak of the sixth layer of Foundation Establishment, possessed an exceptionally vast amount of true qi.
For a single divine talisman to deplete all his true qi, one could imagine how terrifying the power of Divine Talisman Arts was!
"Young man, admit defeat. In my eyes, you are like an ant! I advise you not to dream of absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, because the confinement talisman forms its own realm, already isolating it from the outside spiritual energy!" the elder said, his eyes filled with indifference.
Chen Nan looked at him, panting, "Do you know, I was almost successful just now!"
The elder shrugged, not denying it, "I haven't seen the talisman you drew, and it should be quite powerful! However, you won't have a chance to cast it a second time!"
"Who says I don't?" Chen Nan took out a Spiritual Flood Dragon Pill, swallowed it, and his depleted true qi was instantly replenished, regaining his peak ability in an instant.
The elder was full of surprise.
He hadn't expected Chen Nan to possess such a spiritual elixir, which quickly restored his depleted true qi.
Frankly speaking, it was much stronger than the Huashan Sword Sect's Qi Replenishing Pills.
"Again!"
Chen Nan's eyes blazed, and he wholeheartedly began to write runes!
Finally!
An ancient rune appeared out of thin air!
The rune was mysterious and shone with dazzling light!
This made all the powerhouses of the Huashan Sword Sect feel a chill down their spines!
It was known that among the Eight Great Sects, only the Huashan Sword Sect possessed a Divine Talisman Master!
Although this Divine Talisman Master did not yet have the power to seal a world with a wave of his hand, his status was very extraordinary!
None of them had expected that Chen Nan was also a Divine Talisman Master!
Just as everyone was shocked!
The unexpected happened!
The rune drawn by Chen Nan disappeared into the air!
Along with it, the confinement talisman drawn by the white-robed elder also disappeared!
"Void Talisman?"
"You drew the Void Talisman?"
The white-robed elder let out a piercing shriek, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
His expression was more terrified than if he had seen a ghost!
Chen Nan asked, "Can I ascend the mountain now?"
The white-robed elder sighed, then moved aside, clearing the path for him to ascend.
Chen Nan continued to climb the stone steps.
"Wait a moment!" the elder suddenly spoke.
Chen Nan stopped and looked back at him, his eyes flashing with a cold glint, "Are you going to go back on your word?"
The elder said with pride, "I always keep my word, how could I go back on it? I just want to ask you something, how long have you been practicing Divine Talisman Arts?"
Chen Nan glanced at the Patek Philippe on his wrist, "As of now, exactly three minutes!"
*Pfft!*
The elder almost spat out a mouthful of blood.
He clutched his chest, his face full of pain!
He had studied Divine Talisman Arts for over three hundred years, only to be crushed by a junior who had practiced for three minutes!
This matter was too heavy a blow to him!
He couldn't quite accept it!
"You can continue ascending the mountain!" the elder waved his hand listlessly, and then disappeared on the mountain path.
But soon.
He arrived at the ninth checkpoint.
"Fifth Brother, what kind of talisman did that fellow just draw? Why did your talisman disappear along with it?" the Grand Elder asked, voicing the doubts in everyone's mind.
Fifth Brother sighed, "The talisman he drew was the Void Talisman, a Divine Talisman that has no offensive power but can resolve countless talismans."
"Of course, this situation only occurs when we both have the same level of cultivation!"
Upon hearing this.
Everyone gasped!
They never expected that Chen Nan, at such a young age, could draw the Void Talisman in just three minutes!
If he were given time, what would his future achievements be?
Fifth Brother looked down the mountain, his expression grave, "This child's talent is extraordinary. Looking at the entire world, including those eighteen small worlds, he is a true prodigy!"
"He can even be compared to the ancient evildoers!"
The Grand Elder also looked down the mountain, "He has given us many surprises, but we don't know what his combat power is like!"
Fifth Brother murmured, "I estimate he is not Fourth Elder's opponent!"
The Grand Elder smiled, "Didn't you say he was exceptionally talented before? Why do you say he is not Fourth Brother's opponent now?"
"His exceptional talent is limited to Divine Talisman Arts and has nothing to do with his combat power!" Fifth Brother said, "Although I hope he wins, there are no so-called all-rounders in this world!"
"To date, I haven't seen one."
"Nor have I even heard of one!"
"What about you?"
"Have you seen one?"