Is It Reasonable for Me to Start a Sect at 12?

When the two of them stepped outside, the sky was already starting to brighten with the first light of dawn.

They quickly decided that instead of returning to their quarters, they might as well head directly to the venue of the Talisman Master's Tournament. By doing so, they could secure a good spot with a clear view of the proceedings.

Today marked the final day of the Talisman Master's Tournament. The five hundred talisman masters who had successfully passed all the previous rounds would now face their last challenge.

After this final test, the rankings would be determined based on their performance today combined with their scores from all previous rounds.

Arriving early at the venue, they found it still largely empty, with only a few people milling about—likely those who, like them, had nothing better to do and had come early to stake out a good spot.

With nothing else to occupy their time, Lin Xiao and Jiang Youfu both pulled out the books they had been reading in the bookstore and continued to engross themselves in their stories.

It wasn't until the sky brightened fully and the venue began to buzz with the sound of people arriving that they reluctantly put away their books and turned their attention to the arena, which was now ready for the final test to begin.

With only five hundred contestants remaining, there was no need for staggered rounds, so when the time came, all five hundred talisman masters took their positions and began to create their talismans.

This final test differed from the previous ones. Instead of everyone being required to create the same type of talisman, the contestants were free to craft five talismans of their own choosing—ones they were particularly skilled at.

The final scores would be judged by senior elders from the Talisman Sect as well as talisman elders from various major sects, who would evaluate the talismans based on their rarity, difficulty, grade, and quality.

This last test was where the real excitement lay.

Up until now, the competition had focused on common talismans that the participants had likely created countless times before—talismans that were practical and frequently used.

But today, the contestants could showcase their innovation and unique skills.

If they had any rare talisman techniques or had developed new types of talismans, this was their chance to shine. These could become their hallmark, the defining skill that would set them apart from other talisman masters and secure their place in the future.

For those who sought fame and recognition through this tournament, this final test was the perfect opportunity.

It was also a kind of reward from the tournament organizers for those who had made it into the top five hundred.

However, not everyone wanted to stand out. Some were here simply to earn a place in the top five hundred and claim their talisman master's badge.

These individuals would likely opt for safer, more conventional talismans in this final round.

Liu Chun was among those planning to play it safe.

Now that he had secured a spot in the top five hundred, he had already achieved his goal of obtaining the talisman master's badge. The final ranking wasn't his primary concern.

Given the attention he had already garnered from the incident with the severed rock powder, he wasn't eager to draw any more eyes to himself. He was always mindful that he was carrying a significant sum of sect funds with him.

Although Liu Chun had learned many unique talismans under Elder Liao's guidance back at Lingxian Sect and had a solid foundation from the Basic Guide to Talisman Crafting, he had no intention of displaying those skills today.

Lin Xiao watched Liu Chun work on his talismans for a while, then regretfully relayed his observation to Jiang Youfu via voice transmission.

"It seems Elder Liu isn't planning to compete for a top ranking…"

Jiang Youfu, who had been closely following Liu Chun's progress as well, noticed that the talismans he was creating were indeed not particularly unique. Puzzled, he asked, "Why not? Didn't he participate in this tournament to gain recognition?"

Lin Xiao thought for a moment before replying, "It's hard to say. Perhaps for many talisman masters in the cultivation world, just making it into the top five hundred is recognition enough. The ranking might be a matter of personal choice."

Jiang Youfu nodded thoughtfully and fell silent.

Creating talismans wasn't something others could learn just by watching. Although people could see the talismans being drawn, the amount of spiritual power, its attributes, and quality that the creator infused into the talisman were invisible to the onlooker.

The so-called "talisman design" didn't refer merely to the visible patterns.

Therefore, even in a public setting like the Talisman Master's Tournament, showcasing one's signature techniques was safe—there was no risk of someone learning it just by watching.

However, while the spectators, many of whom had an interest in talisman crafting, might not learn the techniques themselves, they could still gain insight into the methods and state of mind of the talisman masters.

And so the day passed quickly.

By the afternoon, the talisman crafting phase had long since ended, and the talismans had been handed over to the elders at the front of the arena for scoring.

It was finally time to announce the final rankings.

Liu Chun finished in thirty-ninth place.

It wasn't a particularly outstanding rank, and it was actually slightly higher than expected, likely due to the weight of his previous performances.

As for first place, Lin Xiao was both surprised and unsurprised to find that it went to none other than the "Ten-Talisman Ninth Rank" He Yi.

In this final round, He Yi had once again outperformed everyone else, securing his place at the top of the rankings.

It seemed that his previous scores had also been quite strong, and combined with his overwhelming performances in the last two rounds, he had easily clinched the overall first place.

As for the others, Lin Xiao and Jiang Youfu only recognized a few names from earlier rounds. They had only seen those people in passing and didn't have strong impressions of them.

The Talisman Master's Tournament concluded with the awarding of the talisman master's badges to the five hundred successful participants.

With this badge, each talisman master essentially carried a golden credential, offering them many conveniences in their future endeavors.

Of course, they could also choose to keep it as a personal memento of their achievements.

Seeing Liu Chun finally receive the badge he had been striving for, Lin Xiao and Jiang Youfu were genuinely happy for him.

Now that the tournament was over, the free accommodations provided to the participants were also nearing their expiration. However, the organizers had allowed a few extra days for the talisman masters to pack up and prepare to leave.

Lin Xiao and Jiang Youfu decided it was time to go find Liu Chun.

Now that the tournament was over, they didn't have to worry about disrupting his focus by suddenly showing up.

So, after the crowd dispersed and the talisman masters returned to their lodgings, Lin Xiao and Jiang Youfu stood outside the residence area and sent Liu Chun a voice transmission.