?Chapter 960: Volume 6 Spirit Treasures Chapter 957 Heavenly Talisman Sect Chapter 960: Volume 6 Spirit Treasures Chapter 957 Heavenly Talisman Sect Flower Cloud Province is located in the eastern part of Great Jin by the sea, with many port towns built along the coastline.


    It’s frequented by overseas cultivators who often trade materials obtained from demon beasts for some inland cultivation resources.


    Consequently, the city markets in this province thrive throughout the year, and the sects overseeing these marketplaces amass substantial wealth, drawing in huge amounts of Spirit Stones for their sects annually.


    Even some remote and smaller city markets, given advantageous locations, also reap considerable income.


    Kaijiang Town is just a small town about two hundred miles from the coast, and not far from the town, a few miles away, stood a small mountain.


    This mountain, only two to three hundred meters tall and spanning a little over ten miles, housed a very poor Spirit Vein – so meager that not even slightly bigger Immortal Cultivation families would take notice of it.


    In this mountain, which could barely be considered imbued with spiritual essence, resided a minor cultivation sect called the “Heavenly Talisman Sect”.


    This sect was considered one of the lowest ranks among cultivation sects, having only around a hundred members, including the Sect Leader, elders, and disciples.


    Thus, although the Spirit Vein was small, it just managed to support the disciples of the sect.


    Despite the Heavenly Talisman Sect’s decline, it had a long history.


    Though it was not an ancient sect with legacies extending back to the Ancient Times like Taiyi Sect or Yin Sifting Sect, tens of thousands of years ago the founder of the sect, True Man of Heavenly Talisman, once shocked the entire Great Jin with his three secret talismans and nearly elevated the sect to one of the Ten Great Orthodox Sects.


    At its peak, the sect boasted tens of thousands of members and controlled territories spanning an entire province.


    But the rise and fall of the sect were both tied to Daoist paper talismans!


    While the Heavenly Talisman Sect had some achievements in the craft of talisman-making, their main cultivation techniques were mediocre.


    Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?0ν??.сο


    Thus, after a few generations, the sect rapidly declined.


    Thousands of years later, it survived merely by relying on some special secret techniques derived from their talismans.


    In such a declined sect, apart from fellow small sect cultivators, hardly any high-level cultivators visited anymore.


    Heavenly Talisman Sect disciples on daily duty were exceedingly idle, usually either meditating or casually chatting.


    However, on this particular day, two Qi Refinement disciples guarding the mountain gate were huddled together, sighing and looking listless.


    “Senior Brother Li, is the city market really going to be shut down?


    Although I am new, I know that the Sanyuan Marketplace accounts for almost half of the sect’s income.


    Without this revenue, maintaining the sect will become even harder,” a handsome young disciple, about sixteen or seventeen years old, murmured to another.


    “It’s not up to us to decide whether we close or not.


    A few days ago, Spirit Wind Sect gave our Sect Leader a final ultimatum.


    Either merge the market with theirs or close it within three months.


    It’s blatant bullying!” replied another, a twenty-four or twenty-five-year-old man with a slightly heavier build, looking somewhat helpless.


    “A merger sounds somewhat feasible?” the younger disciple exclaimed in surprise.


    “What do you mean feasible?


    I heard from a martial uncle that once the markets are merged, we won’t have any involvement in any of the businesses and Spirit Wind Sect will only give us a few thousand Spirit Stones each year.


    What can we do with such a paltry sum?


    It’s not even a third of our original income,” the young man grumbled angrily.


    “They’re offering so little, how can our sect agree to this?


    Even if Spirit Wind Sect is powerful, how could Jin Xia Mountain and Mingyang Valley agree?


    The Sanyuan Marketplace is managed jointly with those two and our Heavenly Talisman Sect.


    If the three of us join forces, there’s no need to be overly afraid of Spirit Wind Sect,” the younger disciple said, his eyes moving as he spoke with a puzzled tone.


    “Hmph, it’s just Spirit Wind Sect, our sect indeed doesn’t need to fear them too much.


    But I’ve heard that the Evil Sun Sect might also be involved in instigating this, and they are a bona fide mid-level sect, not something small sects like ours can contend with.


    Today, our Sect Leader is meeting with the other two Sect Leaders on the mountain, surely discussing strategies.


    These two sects’ situations aren’t much stronger than our Heavenly Talisman Sect’s; they wouldn’t easily give up their incomes,” the young man explained.


    “Evil Sun Sect?


    Thisa€| this indeed isn’t something the Heavenly Talisman Sect can provoke.


    It seems our sect will have a tough time handling this,” the young disciple said, feeling quite disheartened upon hearing the name of the Evil Sun Sect.


    If the sect’s income drastically fell, the Spirit Stones they received annually would certainly decrease substantially as well.


    “Let’s drop it.


    These matters aren’t something we low-level disciples can intervene in.


    Let’s leave it all to the Sect Leader and the elders.


    Anyway, even if our sect isn’t doing well, it’s still better than being a Loose Cultivator.


    We’d better just faithfully guard the mountain gate and stop discussing this.


    Otherwise, if other martial uncles find out, they might deduct our Spirit Stonesa€| huh, what’s that?” The young man sighed, sounding as if he had resigned himself to the situation, but then suddenly looked up into the sky in surprise.


    Hearing this, the junior disciple also looked up blankly.


    In the distance, a divine light flickered and then a streak of light, dozens of meters long, suddenly appeared in the sky, speeding towards them.


    “Which senior is this?


    It seems they are heading towards us,” exclaimed the young disciple in panic.


    Although he was new, the impressive speed of the streak of light was beyond anything the Qi Condensation martial uncles in his sect could manage, causing him great unease.


    “I don’t know, perhaps it’s someone here to see the martial uncles,” the older disciple replied, equally baffled, trying to reassure himself.


    Moments later, the streak of light reached near White Bamboo Mountain.


    It seemed to spot the two disciples from far away, and with a flash, the light descended swiftly and converged, revealing a young man in his early twenties wearing a blue robe, his hands clasped behind his back, looking their way.


    “Is this White Bamboo Mountain’s Heavenly Talisman Sect?” the young man had an ordinary appearance but an imposing aura.


    He glanced briefly at the faintly visible restrictive formations behind the two men and casually asked.


    It was Han Li, who had disappeared quietly from the trading assembly.


    It had now been four months since he escaped from the ancient devilish techniques.


    “This is indeed White Bamboo Mountain.


    Does Senior require any assistance from us juniors?” Although these two disciples were of low cultivation and couldn’t discern Han Li’s true capabilities, they instantly surmised that the cultivator before them must be a high-level Nascent Soul stage senior, and after exchanging a look, the older disciple quickly bowed deeply.


    “It’s good I have found the right place.


    I’ve brought something of great significance to your sect and wish to meet your Sect Leader.


    Please inform him,” Han Li nodded, speaking calmly.


    “Yes, please wait a moment, Senior.” The disciple fumbled to take out a Sound Transmission Talisman, muttered a few words into it, and then hastily tossed it behind him.


    The talisman immediately turned into a streak of fire and vanished into the restrictive formations without a trace.


    While Han Li seemed motionless, he subtly swept his Divine Sense over the small mountain.


    Despite being hindered by a restrictive formation, he could still vaguely sense the general layout.


    He furrowed his brows slightly.


    Although he knew before coming that the Heavenly Talisman Sect was definitely not large, the fact that the sect only had a little over a hundred people and that he could only sense the aura of an early Core Formation cultivator on the mountain confirmed what the old man from the Umbra Realm had said, that this sect was indeed just a minor one.


    This time, if it weren’t for the fact that the place where the evil serpents appeared was in the Flower Cloud Province and he had learned the refining method of the Spirit Subjugation Talisman, he wouldn’t have bothered visiting such a place.


    A moment later, behind the two disciples guarding the mountain, a burst of yellow light flashed repeatedly, and then a mountain gate over ten meters tall appeared.


    Some cultivators came out side by side from the mountain gate.


    These cultivators walked past the two disciples and swept a glance toward Han Li, their faces changing simultaneously.


    An elderly man dressed in a yellow brocade robe rushed out, bowed deeply to Han Li, and said with extreme respect,


    “Junior Yue Zhen, the Heavenly Talisman Sect Master, was unaware of Senior’s esteemed visit and failed to greet you from afar.


    I beg Senior’s forgiveness!”


    As a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator, although this man couldn’t discern Han Li’s exact cultivation level, being the head of a sect meant he had much more experience than the two disciples and had seen Nascent Soul stage cultivators several times.


    Therefore, sensing a similarly powerful aura from Han Li made his heart instinctively fill with fear.


    Such a powerful cultivator could probably destroy their small sect with just a flick of his fingers; his visit was truly an unpredictable omen!


    He had originally received a Sound Transmission Talisman thinking it was just a Core Formation cultivator.


    To be safe, he even asked for the only elder in the sect, a Core Formation stage martial uncle, to come out.


    But now, it seemed completely unnecessary.


    “Hehe!


    You don’t need to panic, I’m only here because someone entrusted me with a task, I mean no harm,” Han Li said with a light chuckle, seeing the anxious expressions of the cultivators.


    “Entrusted with a task?


    I’m a bit confused.


    However, this isn’t the place to talk.


    Senior should come up to the mountain so we can discuss this matter in detail,” Yue Zhen said, relieved, and then took the initiative to invite Han Li up the mountain.


    “Going up the mountain?


    Well, alright.


    This matter indeed cannot be explained in just a few words,” Han Li pondered briefly, nodded, and agreed.


    “Then please, Senior,” Yue Zhen happily stepped aside to let Han Li go first as a sign of respect.


    Han Li didn’t stand on ceremony and stepped through the mountain gate.


    The other cultivators followed behind him with respectful expressions on their faces.


    White Bamboo Mountain was not large, so there weren’t many buildings at the summit, aside from a main hall and some lofts; the disciples’ cultivation places were located elsewhere.


    However, Han Li was directly led into the great hall by the Sect Leader of the Heavenly Talisman Sect.


    To Han Li’s surprise, there were another two middle-aged cultivators not dressed in the Heavenly Talisman Sect’s garb sitting in the hall.


    Upon seeing Han Li, these two sensed his presence, were greatly alarmed, and jumped up from their chairs, hurriedly coming forward to greet him.


    Han Li casually waved his hand and unceremoniously sat down in a chair.


    The other cultivators didn’t dare to sit and had to stand by the side.


    Yue Zhen then spoke apologetically to the two martial brothers from another sect,


    “Fellow Daoists, our sect has received an important guest.


    It seems we will have to reschedule our meeting.”


    “Hehe, with such an esteemed guest arriving, Brother Yue should indeed entertain him first,”


    “Yes, Brother Lu and I will take our leave now.”


    The two cultivators quickly showed understanding and displayed expressions of envy.


    They gave another bow to Han Li and then excused themselves from the hall.


    Just then, almost simultaneously, a flash of light shone outside, and a beam of white light shot directly into the hall, revealing an elderly man in white robes.


    Seeing this, Yue Zhen and the other cultivators immediately showed joy and hurried forward to salute him, greeting him with “Uncle Wen” and “Martial Uncle Wen”.


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