148: Chapter 148 Target Locked, Divine Talisman Mountain!

[Tang Xun once again immersed his Divine Sense into the Jade Slip; this time, his objective was very clear.]

[All information regarding "Shenfu Mountain" was extracted by him individually.]

["Shenfu Mountain, a third-rate Talisman Sect, located in the Luoxia Mountain Range on the edge of Qingzhou. The Sect grounds cover three hundred li and possess a Low Grade Rank Two Spiritual Vein. The current Sect Head is Chen Xuan, with an Early Stage Foundation Establishment cultivation and a Rank One Talisman Master. There are fewer than a hundred Disciples, mostly in the Early or Middle Stages of Qi Refining..."]

[The introduction in the Jade Slip was very brief, outlining a declining, dilapidated Sect in just a few words.]

[In the complex information regarding Central Continent's factions, a third-rate minor Sect like Shenfu Mountain was like a drop of water in a vast ocean, completely unremarkable.]

[Had Tang Xun not specifically searched for it, he probably wouldn't have noticed its existence even after looking ten times.]

[However, at the end of the Jade Slip, Thousand Ears Workshop had attached a supplementary note about the history of Shenfu Mountain, which was what truly attracted Tang Xun.]

["According to research, a thousand years ago, Shenfu Mountain was once a premier Great Sect of the Talisman Way in the Central Continent. During its peak, the Sect was overseen by a Late Stage Nascent Soul great Cultivator, with Rank Three and Rank Four Talisman Masters appearing in succession. The 'Five Elements Divine Thunder Talisman' they produced was comparable in power to a full-strength strike from a Nascent Soul Cultivator; a single Talisman could sell for an astronomical price at auctions, causing countless Sects and noble families to compete for it."]

["Regrettably, the Way of Talismans is extremely taxing on the mind and time. To achieve success in the Talisman Way, one's cultivation progress will inevitably be hindered. Geniuses capable of balancing both cultivation and Talisman crafting are one in ten thousand. Since that Nascent Soul Ancestral Master passed away, Shenfu Mountain has lacked successors, declining with each generation until it finally fell to its current state."]

[After reading this introduction, the smile on Tang Xun's face grew wider and wider.]

[This is it!]

[This is simply a perfect base tailored for him!]

[A Sect that was once glorious, possessing deep foundations and a complete Legacy, but is now decayed to the extreme and utterly defenseless.]

[Isn't this the 'net with a hole' he had been longing for?]

[Tang Xun began to calculate in his mind.]

[First, Shenfu Mountain was weak enough.]

[The Sect Head was only at the Early Stage of Foundation Establishment and nearing the end of his Lifespan, with only a handful of Disciples.]

[For a Late Core Formation Stage Cultivator like him to go there was simply like a max-level boss parachuting into a novice village; a single word could scare them into kneeling.]

[Controlling such a Sect would be effortless.]

[Secondly, Shenfu Mountain had what he needed most—a Legacy!]

[A great Talisman Way Sect that once produced a Nascent Soul great Cultivator would inevitably have the complete methods for crafting Talismans recorded in its Sect archives.]

[These things are the essence of the Talisman Way, true priceless treasures.]

[Outside, even if you had Spirit Stones, you simply couldn't buy them.]

[Those Great Sects keep their core legacies tightly sealed, never letting them leak out.]

[And as long as he controlled Shenfu Mountain, these legacies would all be his!]

[Combined with his Heaven-Defying trait [Talisman Heart Clarity (Purple)], he was confident he could become a high-level Talisman Master in the shortest amount of time.]

[When that time comes, never mind making money; just by using Talismans alone, he could crush a bunch of Cultivators of the same rank to death.]

[Imagine, while others are still laboriously forming hand seals and chanting incantations to prepare a big move, he casually pulls out dozens of 'Five Elements Divine Thunder Talismans' and hurls them right in their faces.]

[That scene, just thinking about it, makes one feel comfortable.]

[Finally, the location of Shenfu Mountain was also very good.]

[On the edge of Qingzhou, near the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains and far from the core regions of the Central Continent, it wouldn't easily attract the attention of those Great Sects.]

[Moreover, being close to a Yao Beast mountain range meant that Materials like beast skins and beast blood required for making Talismans would be relatively easy to obtain.]

[It simply had the right timing, the right place, and the right people—all the advantages.]

["It's settled then."]

[Tang Xun slapped his thigh, a complete plan already formed in his mind.]

[What he wanted to do was not to sneak in secretly, nor to take it by force.]

[He wanted to descend upon Shenfu Mountain openly and honorably, in the posture of a 'savior'.]

[He wanted that old Foundation Establishment Sect Head to willingly, or even while crying and shouting, hand the entire Sect over to him.]

[He didn't just want the Legacy of Shenfu Mountain; he wanted the 'shell' of Shenfu Mountain itself.]

[With the identity of a Sect Elder, he would have a legitimate cover for traveling through the Central Continent in the future.]

[He could even use the banner of 'revitalizing the Sect' to recruit Disciples on a large scale and Cultivate his own power.]

[When the time comes, he would sit behind the scenes and let these Disciples help him gather Materials, sell Talismans, and handle trivial matters.]

[While he himself could peacefully hide within the Sect to Cultivate, craft Talismans, and study other immortal arts.]

[This little life would simply be too beautiful.]

[The more Tang Xun thought about it, the more feasible the plan seemed, and the smile on his face became somewhat lecherous.]

[He could almost see countless Spirit Stones surging toward him like a tide.]

[On the soft couch nearby, Zhang Ruowei rolled over and let out a soft sleep-mutter.]

[Tang Xun glanced at her, and a new idea popped into his head.]

[Now that he's an Elder, he needs a maid to serve tea and water, right?]

[This girl Zhang Ruowei, although she has a bit of a temper, is quite easy on the eyes, and her strength is steadily improving; she's qualified to be a personal Maidservant.]

[Furthermore, letting her manage those newly recruited Disciples could be considered making the best use of her talents.]

[Yes, let's do that.]

[Tang Xun nodded with satisfaction, went over the details of the entire plan in his mind once more to ensure there were no omissions, then slowly closed his eyes and began to regulate his breathing.]

[Now, everything is ready, only the 'east wind' is missing.]

[As soon as dawn breaks, he will set off for the Luoxia Mountain Range.]

[He was already somewhat impatient to see just how dilapidated this so-called Shenfu Mountain had become.]

[He also wanted to see what kind of wonderful expression that old Foundation Establishment Sect Head would have when he met this 'hero descending from the heavens'.]

[That night, Tang Xun slept exceptionally soundly.]

[He dreamed he was lying on a mountain piled high with High-Grade Spirit Stones, holding a thick stack of Rank Five Talismans, considering which one to use to light his cigarette today.]

[And Zhang Ruowei, wearing a suit of green soft armor, stood valiantly behind him, holding a plate of freshly sliced spirit fruits.]