The End

When the two came out, the sky outside was already growing faintly bright.

After a brief discussion, they decided not to return to their cave dwelling. Instead, they would head straight to the venue of the Talisman Master Assembly to secure a spot with a good view early on.

Today was the final day of the Talisman Master Assembly. The five hundred talisman masters who had fought their way through the previous rounds would face their final assessment today.

Then, based on their performance today combined with their results from all previous rounds, the final rankings would be determined.

The two arrived early near the venue. At this time, the area was still empty, with only a few people who, like them, had nothing better to do and came to wait.

Bored, Lin Xiao and Jiang Youfu both coincidentally took out the books they had just bought at the bookstore from their storage bags and continued reading with rapt attention, completely engrossed in the stories.

It wasn't until the sky was completely bright and the surroundings gradually filled with a cacophony of voices that they pulled themselves out of their stories. They put away their books and cast their gazes toward the venue, which was now ready for the final assessment.

With only five hundred people left, there was no need to divide them into batches anymore. Therefore, as soon as the assessment time arrived, all five hundred talisman masters took the field and began crafting talismans at their respective stations.

This final assessment, however, was unlike the previous ones where everyone had to draw the same talisman.

Instead, they were allowed to freely draw five high-tier talismans that they were most skilled at.

Finally, senior elders from the Talisman Sect and the talisman hall elders of various major sects would score them based on the rarity, difficulty, grade, and quality of the talismans they crafted.

This was the main highlight of the final assessment.

Previously, whether it was the most basic low-tier talismans or high-tier ones, the competition focused on content the participating talisman masters definitely encountered frequently.

Because those were the most commonly used talismans.

But now, it was a test of the talisman masters' innovation and unique techniques.

If they had a special talisman legacy, or had invented new talisman patterns and effects themselves, it could be said to be their capital to stand out among numerous talisman masters in the future.

If they wanted to use their unique skills to make a name for themselves at this Talisman Master Assembly, this final assessment was the best opportunity.

This could also be considered a benefit the Talisman Master Assembly provided to those who made the final roster.

However, there were also those who didn't like to stick their necks out. They participated in the Talisman Master Assembly solely to secure a spot among the top five hundred.

Such people would choose to draw relatively standard talismans on this final day.

Liu Chun planned to do exactly this.

Now that he had entered the top five hundred roster, the talisman master token he had always wanted was practically in his hands. As for his ranking, he didn't care much.

Because of the Thunderstone Powder incident earlier, he had already received enough attention.

If he were targeted by someone on the way back, he would be doomed. He constantly reminded himself that he was carrying a massive sum of sect funds.

Therefore, even though Liu Chun had received much guidance from Senior Liao back at the Lingxian Sect, and had the Comprehensive Guide to Basic Talisman Crafting from the sect's talisman room as a foundation—meaning he knew quite a few talisman patterns that could be called unique skills—he had absolutely no intention of showing them off.

Lin Xiao stared carefully at the talisman Liu Chun was crafting for a moment, then transmitted his voice to Jiang Youfu with some regret:

Elder Liu doesn't seem to plan on fighting for a ranking...

Hearing this, Jiang Youfu, who was also paying close attention to Liu Chun, naturally saw that he wasn't drawing any special talismans. He couldn't help but ask:

Why? Didn't he participate in this Talisman Master Assembly just to become famous?

Lin Xiao thought for a moment and replied:

That's hard to say. Perhaps this Talisman Master Assembly is considered a recognition of ability for any talisman master in the cultivation world, so they want to make the final roster, but they don't necessarily have to fight for a rank. It depends on personal choice.

Jiang Youfu nodded thoughtfully and said no more.

The method of crafting talismans wasn't something someone could learn just by watching you draw it once.

During the crafting process, what the crowd saw with their naked eyes was one thing, but in reality, the amount, attribute, and quality of the spiritual energy the crafter infused into the talisman paper were impossible to see.

The so-called talisman pattern didn't just refer to the design on the surface.

Therefore, even if they crafted their signature skills in a public setting like the Talisman Master Assembly venue, it didn't matter. They didn't have to worry about someone stealing their techniques just by taking a glance.

However, while amateurs watch for the spectacle, experts look for the technique. Most of the people in the audience now were those with an interest and ambitions in talisman crafting.

Even if they couldn't learn the talisman patterns, they could still observe the techniques of these talisman masters and study their state while crafting.

Just like that, time flew by and it was afternoon.

The talisman crafting segment had long ended, and the talismans had all been sent to the viewing platform of the elders at the front of the venue for scoring.

Now was the time to announce the final rankings.

Liu Chun ultimately took thirty-ninth place.

It wasn't an outstanding rank, and was even slightly higher than expected. It was estimated that the weight of the previous scores was quite significant.

As for first place, Lin Xiao was a little surprised but not completely taken aback.

It was that He Yi with the ten Earth-grade rank-nine talismans from before.

In this final assessment, his score once again placed him first with an insurmountable lead.

Therefore, he proudly sat at the top of the final rankings.

It seemed this person's previous scores must have been quite good as well, and combined with his absurdly leading scores in the latter two rounds, it gave him the overall first place.

As for the rest of the people, Lin Xiao and Jiang Youfu had mostly only heard their names in the previous rounds and seen their general appearances from afar, so they didn't have a deep impression of them.

The end of the Talisman Master Assembly was the issuance of talisman master identity tokens, certified and produced by the Assembly, to these five hundred talisman masters.

Having this identity token was equivalent to carrying a golden signboard, which would provide many conveniences when traveling in the future.

Of course, one could also leave it at home as a souvenir to prove their abilities.

Seeing Liu Chun in the venue finally obtain the identity token he had always wanted, both Lin Xiao and Jiang Youfu were genuinely happy for him.

Once the Talisman Master Assembly concluded, the free accommodations for the talisman masters would also be nearing their end. However, the talisman masters were not forced to leave immediately; they were given a few days to pack up.

Lin Xiao and Jiang Youfu planned to go find Liu Chun.

Now that the Talisman Master Assembly was over, they didn't have to worry that their sudden appearance would distract Liu Chun.

So, waiting until the crowd around the venue dispersed and the talisman masters returned to their residences one after another, Lin Xiao and Jiang Youfu went outside the talisman masters' living quarters and sent a sound transmission talisman to Liu Chun.