43: Field Scroll

Chapter 43: Domain Scroll

Standing on the coffin lid covered with talismans, Wu Xian always felt it was ominous.

After the coffin took flight, he could clearly feel a strange power driving it forward.

“Shifu-jie, where are we going?”

“Back to the outpost first, I’ll show you around,” Xue Lingling said without hesitation, “so you don’t think I’m too young to teach you.”

“This Disciple absolutely does not have such thoughts.” Wu Xian’s gaze was sincere.

Are you kidding? For someone with his unconventional background, any legitimate Formal Scroll Artist could teach him a lot.

Only in terms of pure scroll conception did he not need guidance.

“The Club is still under renovation, so you don’t need to go there for now,” Xue Lingling explained unhurriedly. “If you have any questions later, just ask me directly.

Oh, right, you haven’t gotten your certification yet, have you?”

“Not yet.”

Sister Tiao had also mentioned before that getting certified as an individual Scroll Master would be very troublesome, so Wu Xian hadn’t gone yet.

“Perfect, today I’ll take you to get your Apprentice Scroll Master certificate,” Xue Lingling mused. “The Formal Scroll Artist certificate is more complicated; there’s only a unified exam once every six months.”

“Can’t I just not get certified?” Wu Xian asked, puzzled.

Xue Lingling explained, “Don’t just look at it as a piece of paper; the weight behind it is significant. It comes with many benefits that ordinary people don’t have, and many things are only accessible once you have this certificate.”

“Such as?” Wu Xian asked curiously.

“High-quality scroll paper, premium pigments, rare spiritual substances, and various ancient texts are all exclusive resources of the Association,” Xue Lingling continued. “Obtaining the Apprentice Scroll Master certificate means you’re officially registered as an Association member.”

Hearing this, Wu Xian couldn’t help but feel a sense of anticipation, “Is the Apprentice Scroll Master assessment difficult?”

“Not difficult. You just need to create an original bronze scroll and pass a simple test.” Xue Lingling smiled, “It’ll be easy for you.”

“Ah? Didn’t you say that getting certified as an individual Scroll Master is very troublesome?”

“With Master here, what kind of individual Scroll Master are you?” Xue Lingling teased with a sidelong glance, “Of course, ordinary Master-Disciple inheritances don’t get this kind of treatment.”

Wu Xian suddenly understood.

In essence, the vast number of self-taught individual Scroll Masters were like “amateur scientists” in the eyes of the Association; they weren’t taken seriously, which made the assessment process much more complicated.

To gain the Association’s respect, one either had to go through the studio route or have a Master of sufficient standing.

Looking at it this way, Xue Lingling, this convenient Master, was quite useful.

“What about Formal Scroll Artists then?” Wu Xian continued to ask.

“Condensing a divine scroll, of course.” Xue Lingling’s eyes showed deep satisfaction, “My good Disciple has clearly met the standard.”

At such a young age, to purely self-learn and condense a Soul divine scroll, she had definitely found a treasure.

Crucially, this set of divine scrolls seemed to be of no low caliber.

Initially, it would have been very difficult for her alone to support a Club in the future, but the appearance of Wu Xian and Zhou Qi gave her hope.

As long as she could nurture these two youngsters, they would surely help her hold up half the sky of the Ghost King Club in the future.

“After Formal Scroll Artist? Are there higher titles?” Wu Xian pressed.

“Of course,” Xue Lingling said noncommittally, “but titles beyond that aren’t as important. Scroll Masters don’t really care about the Association’s so-called title certifications, unless they want further development within the Association.”

Wu Xian seemed to understand, yet not fully.

At the same time, the coffin lid had landed in a gloomy, dilapidated mansion within Dead Mountain Town.

“This is the core of Dead Mountain Town, and where I will be stationed and on duty for the next few years.” Xue Lingling introduced Dead Mountain Town while operating something.

Wu Xian couldn’t help but be curious, “Is Dead Mountain Town your creation?”

“Of course not,” Xue Lingling said, dumbfounded. “My Mental Energy is not yet sufficient to create a Domain Scroll, but it should be soon.”

Wu Xian understood.

If Character scrolls and Tool Scrolls were elementary school math, then Domain Scrolls were equivalent to Advanced mathematics.

Whether it was background conception, drawing difficulty, or the complexity of pigments, they were several grades higher.

That being said, he still genuinely felt that Dead Mountain Town was nothing special.

In one word: haunted house level.

“Is it the work of some big shot?” Wu Xian commented, “It feels very ordinary.”

“...” Xue Lingling’s forehead darkened, and she said irritably, “Dead Mountain Town is the core asset of the Undead Dojo, an Advanced Domain Scroll left by the first founder. Who gave you the courage to say Dead Mountain Town is ordinary?”

Wu Xian pouted sullenly, saying nothing more.

“Truly ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth,” Xue Lingling sighed lightly. “Well, that’s right ~ after all, you’ve just entered the field, it’s understandable. I’ll find an opportunity to take you for a spin in the Dead Mountain Town copy to broaden your horizons.”

“Oh.” Wu Xian’s eyes lit up slightly.

One must know that a Domain Scroll is not merely a dimensional outpost.

Its true function lies in activating themed copy modes, producing unique materials and spiritual substances.

This is the fundamental reason why Domain Scrolls are so important.

Hearing his Shifu-jie say this, he actually felt a bit of anticipation.

“Alright, let’s go.”

After Xue Lingling settled and adjusted the outpost core, she led Wu Xian to withdraw from the dimensional copy.

The mahogany coffin flew steadily all the way, arriving above the Old Town.

It finally landed outside the Yaoyang City Scroll Artist Association, which is not only the core of the Old Town but also one of Yaoyang City’s landmark buildings.

Gazing up at the magnificent and solemn palace complex, it was hard not to feel awe.

At the entrance of the main hall, luxury vehicles lined up, and the people coming and going were all high-ranking individuals from Yaoyang City.

“Don’t be nervous, Master is here.” Xue Lingling, familiar with the route, led Wu Xian, “That’s where the Apprentice assessment is. Just go through the process.”

The assessment area here was quiet and solemn.

In contrast, another assessment area next door was bustling with people, men, women, old, and young, all present.

“See that? That’s where the individual Scroll Master assessment takes place,” Xue Lingling teased. “Just waiting in line every day would be enough to give you a headache.”

Wu Xian couldn’t help but secretly feel lucky.

“Elder Chen ~!”

Xue Lingling waved familiarly to the head of the assessment office.

Elder Chen, over seventy years old with a refined demeanor, looked at Xue Lingling with surprise, “Oh ~ why do you have time to come here, girl?”

“I brought a little one to get an Apprentice certificate. Please arrange it for him.”

Elder Chen understood, his gaze then falling on Wu Xian, sizing him up. “A Junior from your Xue Family?”

“No ~” Xue Lingling waved her hand with a smile, “A Disciple I just took in, a very promising youngster.”

“Disciple?” Elder Chen was stunned, “You, girl, are already taking Disciples?”

“What do you mean? This Junior is going to establish a Club,” Xue Lingling said irritably, “Is there a problem with taking a Disciple?”

Elder Chen was speechless, leading the two into the assessment area, constantly sighing, “Time really flies. In the blink of an eye, you, girl, are already a Scroll Master capable of standing on your own.”

He had struggled for so many years to barely reach his current position, yet this girl from the Xue Family had reached a height he could only look up to in just a few years.

Talent truly is a cruel thing.

“There are two youngsters also being assessed right now, just wait a moment.”

Inside the examination room at this moment, a man and a woman were already undergoing the test. Both were older than Wu Xian, and the dark-skinned man looked almost thirty.

Their presence here for assessment indicated that they were once students of a studio.

But to not have obtained an Apprentice Scroll Master certificate at such an age, to be honest, seemed quite unnecessary.