In the blink of an eye, a month had passed.

In a room, Yang Ye held a talisman brush in his hand and was slowly drawing on the talisman paper before him. He had a serious and solemn expression while his eyes stared fixedly at the talisman paper, and he didn’t dare blink at all.

The difficulty of crafting Technique Talismans was countless times higher than basic talismans. Even with Lin Shan’s personal guidance, Yang Ye and Bao’er hadn’t been able to succeed even once in this month of time. It wasn’t that their natural talent was insufficient, it was because technique talismans were too complicated. Because of this, the fervor Bao’er had at the beginning had vanished completely since a long time ago, and it was even to the extent that she’d become extremely discouraged lately.

However, Bao’er’s fervor and confidence instantly returned after Lin Shan said a single thing. Lin Shan said, “It has only been such a short period of time, what’re you getting anxious for? I spent an entire two months of time before I was able to craft my first technique talisman!”

When Lin Shan said this, it wasn’t just Bao’er’s confidence that had returned, even Yang Ye’s confidence had returned as well.

Yang Ye was fully concentrated in the room while he slowly drew stroke after stroke, and beads of sweat gradually seeped out from his forehead. Just like that, this continued for around two hours, and at a certain period in time, Yang Ye withdrew his brush. After that, he took a deep breath while undisguised happiness appeared in his eyes.

Yang Ye casually wiped off the sweat on his face, and then he picked up the talisman that flickered with light before running towards Lin Shan’s residence.

At Lin Shan’s room, Lin Shan was stunned when he laid eyes upon the talisman in Yang Ye’s hand. After he recovered from his shock, he said with an astounded expression, “You crafted this?”

Yang Ye nodded with slight excitement. He could be said to have not slept or rest for an entire month as he studied this technique talisman, and after a month of painstaking hard work, he’d finally succeeded today. So, how could he not be excited?

The corners of Lin Shan’s mouth twitched slightly, and he was extremely shocked. Even though Yang Ye had only crafted a Windblade Talisman that was of the lowest rank, he’d completed it within a month of time! He was clearly aware of how complicated technique talismans were because all those years ago, he’d spent an entire two months of time to craft a single technique talisman that was only at the low-grade, yet Yang Ye had successfully crafted a technique talisman after a month, and it was even a high-grade talisman….

Lin Shan’s confidence was slightly impacted by this. However, he felt even more happiness and gratification because Yang Ye was his disciple.

As he gazed at Yang Ye who seemed slightly excited, Lin Shan’s eyes revealed undisguised praise. During these two months of time with Yang Ye, he was extremely satisfied by Yang Ye’s performance. It wasn’t just because of Yang Ye’s natural talent, he placed even more emphasis on Yang Ye’s attitude. Yes, no matter if it was in terms of talismans or cultivating, Yang Ye had an extremely serious attitude, and he worked very hard. This really pleased Lin Shan.

Because no matter how gifted one was, if that person didn’t work hard, then that person would become mediocre in the end! Throughout the history of the southern territory, none of the renowned grandmasters in the Dao of Talismans had succeeded by relying solely on natural talent. They relied even more on their hard work.

Hard work makes up for lack of talent, these words were extremely justifiable!

After he restrained his thoughts, Lin Shan gazed at Yang Ye and nodded with satisfaction. He said, “No matter if it’s in terms of the Talisman Dao or Martial Dao, your natural talent is extremely good, and it’s even rarer that you’re able to remain humble, modest, and work hard in everything you do just as you’ve done in the past.”

When he spoke up to here, Lin Shan paused for a moment and said, “Don’t be too impatient about your mother. I’ve already inquired about it. The Flower Palace has only confined her at the bottom of Passionless Cliff, and there’s no danger to her life for now. So, don’t make unnecessary sacrifices, understand?”

When he heard his mother was confined at the bottom of Passionless Cliff, the excitement in Yang Ye’s eyes instantly vanished, and he couldn’t help but clench his fists tightly. After a long time, he took a deep breath and said, “Don’t worry master. If I don’t have sufficient strength, then I won’t head to Flower Palace and give my life!”

Lin Shan sighed when he noticed the flames of rage in Yang Ye’s eyes. He said, “It isn’t that Master refuses to help you, and it’s instead because I’m helpless in this matter. If your mother violated any other rule of the palace, then I would probably be able to make them make an exception. However, your mother violated the rule that the founding ancestor of the Flower palace set all those years ago, and this rule is the foundation of the Flower Palace, so even the Palace Master would suffer severe punishment if she violated it. So, not to mention me, it would be useless even if the President of the Talisman Master’s Association went to plead on your mother’s behalf!”

Yang Ye closed his eyes and clenched his fists, and it caused his nails to pierce into his palm. He was truly unwilling in his heart. Could it be that I really have to allow my mother to be confined there for a few years or even a few tens of years? Would mother be able to hold on until I rescue her? Would she?

Lin Shan was slightly unable to bear watching Yang Ye be in pain like this, and he immediately said, “There are two conditions required to rescue your mother!”

Yang Ye’s eyes suddenly opened up, and then he knelt down and said, “Please teach them to me, Master!”

Lin Shan helped Yang Ye up and said, “If you want to rescue your mother, then you must change the rule set by the Founding Ancestor of Flower Palace. In order to change this rule, you need absolute strength. Yes, absolute strength. So long as you possess absolute strength, then not to mention changing the rules of Flower Palace, it wouldn’t be a problem even if you wanted to annihilate Flower Palace. But possessing absolute strength is easier to be said than done! In the last 10,000 years, only a few people in the southern territory have accomplished that!”

“What about the second?”

“As for the second….” Lin Shan said slowly, “The second is to possess the Ascension Token. You’ve probably heard of the Ascension Rankings. The Ascension Rankings is held jointly by the Grand Qin Empire and the six great powers. Besides being a competition for resources, there’s also another reason for this competition, and it’s to foster geniuses. As for why the six great powers and the Grand Qin Empire want to foster geniuses, you’ll naturally find out in the future. For the sake of making all the geniuses in the southern territory participate in the Ascension Rankings, every single sect would provide a large amount of extremely tempting prizes, and the Ascension Token is one such prize. The holder of the Ascension Token can ask the various powers of the southern territory to do something for the holder. Of course, it couldn’t be too excessive.”

“I can ask the Flower Palace to let my mother go if I possess the Ascension Token?” Yang Ye spoke with slight excitement.

Lin Shan shook his head slowly and said, “No. But you can ask them to lighten your mother’s punishment and buy time for yourself. After all, even a Spirit Realm expert won’t be able to last long at the bottom of Passionless Cliff.”

After a long time, Yang Ye took a deep breath and said, “How do I obtain the Ascension Token?”

Lin Shan looked at Yang Ye and said in a low voice, “Be the first in the Ascension Rankings!”

“The first?” Yang Ye’s eyes narrowed as he muttered.

Lin Shan said in a low voice, “Kid, don’t think that it’s easy because it isn’t easy at all. If you hadn’t comprehended Sword Intent, then even if you possessed an extraordinary natural talent and possessed gold element Profound Energy, it would still be extremely difficult for you to ascend into the top 50 of the Ascension Rankings. Now that you’ve comprehended Sword Intent, ascending into the top 30 is probably not a problem for you. However, I’m not trying to dampen your spirits but obtaining the first with your current strength is impossible! After all, all those geniuses in the top 100 of the Ascension Rankings are capable of surmounting their cultivation to do battle.”

Yang Ye nodded lightly. He naturally knew how difficult it was to ascend the Ascension Rankings. Not to mention anything else, just the Origin School’s Yuan Ye that Su Qingshi mentioned that day was an extremely terrifying existence capable of going against a King Realm expert while at the First Heaven Realm. Moreover, Yuan Ye was only ranked at the 14th position in the Outer Court Rankings of the Origin School. Since the 14th was already so formidable, then what sort of terrifying existences were the others ranked above him?

Moreover, what about the geniuses from the other three colossi like the Grand Qin Empire and the two palaces? How many monstrous geniuses did they possess? There were a few billions people that populated the southern territory, so how many monstrous geniuses would there be? Yang Ye was extremely confident, yet he wasn’t conceited, and he would never think that he was invincible just because he could surmount a realm and instantly annihilate a First Heaven Realm expert.

A true First Heaven Realm expert that hadn’t relied on any external forces to advance in cultivation was extremely terrifying, just like those First Heaven Realm experts in the Sword Servant Pagoda. Yang Ye’s strength had improved greatly, but Yang Ye was unable to instantly annihilate the Sword Servants at the First Heaven Realm just as he’d done to Liu Qingyu. Moreover, he didn’t dare say for sure if there were no First Heaven Realm experts within the southern territory that were more formidable than that Sword Servant. After all, the southern territory was too huge, and there were too many monstrous geniuses.

With the First Heaven Realm Sword Servant and King Rank Darkbeast from within the Sword Servant Pagoda as his benchmark, Yang Ye was extremely clearly aware of his true strength.

But so what about that? It’s very difficult indeed for me to seize the first position with my current strength, but don’t I still have another half a year of time? This half a year of time is my opportunity to turn the situation around!

When he thought up to here, Yang Ye looked at Lin Shan and said, “Master, I want to temper myself in the Grand Myriad Mountains!”

If he wanted to improve his strength even more quickly, then cultivating diligently indoors wouldn’t do. He had to undergo even more actual combat and even more life and death battles!

“Are you sure?”

Yang Ye nodded. No matter if it was for the sake of Su Qingshi or his mother, he had to participate in the Ascension Rankings. But the position he required now was countless times more difficult than before.

Lin Shan nodded lightly, and then he flipped his left hand, causing around 10 talismans to appear on his palm. He said, “There are three low-grade high-rank Lightning Strike Talismans amongst these. If you encounter an expert you can’t defeat, then toss these three Lightning Strike Talismans at that person. These three high-rank Lightning Strike Talismans are still very threatening to Spirit Realm experts!”

Yang Ye’s heart felt warm. He didn’t refuse them and received the technique talismans before he bowed to Lin Shan, and then he turned around and walked out of the room.

As he watched Yang Ye leave, Lin Shan stroked his beard and nodded lightly. He said with a smile, “A pretty good kid. He has good natural talent, and his character and disposition are exceptional. That little girl, Bao’er, finally did something good for me!”