Chapter 13: Myriad-Mile Traceless Talisman

"A ninth-rank Grandmaster will make a move against me?!"

Chen Fan was well aware of the gravity of the Tier 2 assassination list and had anticipated that Grandmaster-level experts might target him.

Yet, upon hearing the Dean utter the word "ninth-rank," a jolt still ran through his heart.

Even though his strength had grown considerably during this period,

and he was confident he could easily handle ordinary seventh-rank Grandmasters now, he was still far too removed from the ninth rank.

With a resolute expression, he nodded firmly: "I will definitely be careful..."

"Being careful alone is not enough."

Mao Wangchen shook his head:

"Which of the disciples in the Bright Moon Tower of the Martial Academy hasn't joined for seven or eight years, or even ten or twenty years in the case of the older ones? With so many years of accumulation, even an ordinary disciple can exchange for all kinds of high-level resources through the academy's channels..."

"Your strength is growing too fast; your foundation of accumulation is far too little compared to warriors of the same tier. Moreover, your family background is quite ordinary. What you lack is not strength or talent, but deep foundations!"

Chen Fan nodded helplessly.

This was the truth.

He had not been cultivating for many years yet, and most of his time had been spent in training. He had only completed a handful of missions, so where would he get merit points to exchange for treasures?

Within the Martial Academy, merit points could be exchanged for elixirs and weapons. Over many years of accumulation, even those whose strength was inferior to Chen Fan's would end up with more merit points in their hands than he possessed.

Earth-grade elixirs, spirit weapons, and special items—though unimaginably precious to outsiders—were all obtainable by veteran disciples!

Naturally, Chen Fan fell far short in this regard.

Even now, he possessed only three spirit weapons: a bloody dagger seized from Chen Fengteng, a Lingyun Sword, and a Luming Dharma Robe.

All of them were low-grade spirit weapons, and the three combined were far less valuable than a single Heaven-grade elixir...

A single Heaven-grade elixir was enough to trade for an entire set of low-grade spirit weapons!

Mao Wangchen said:

"When academy disciples go out to train through trials, none of them avoid danger, and under normal circumstances, the academy doesn't interfere too much... But you are different. Your talent is unique in the Qingming Martial Academy; it would be a true pity if you were assassinated by spies... After a unanimous decision among myself and the higher-ups of the academy, we have decided to bestow upon you a special talismanic treasure!"

Hearing this, Chen Fan narrowed his eyes:

"Is it a talismanic treasure sealing a high-level escape art?"

In fact, given his current strength, his normal speed was already faster than that of ordinary seventh-rank martial artists. If he unleashed his ultimate speed, it would be considered extremely fast even among Grandmasters, so his demand for high-level escape arts was naturally not that high!

"Yes and no." Mao Wangchen waved his hand, and a flash of spiritual light flickered from the Interspatial Ring on his finger, revealing a silver talismanic seal in his palm.

"This was not crafted by the talisman masters of our current era, but excavated from some ancient secret realms and ruins. It is a special talismanic treasure known as the 'Myriad-Mile Trace-Absence Talisman'! As long as you crush the talisman, it will instantly ignite its power, transporting you to a random location within ten thousand miles!"

"The Myriad-Mile Trace-Absence Talisman!" Chen Fan's eyes widened.

Random teleportation to a random area within ten thousand miles.

This was far more powerful than any high-level escape art!

If he had possessed such a talismanic treasure back when he was trapped amidst the pack of ferocious beasts, wouldn't he have bypassed the danger instantly?

A random leap across a distance of ten thousand miles was something even a tenth-rank expert could not pursue.

"This talisman is extremely special. No one in our Great Qian can manufacture them; every time one is used, there is one less in existence, so we can only give you one!"

Chen Fan understood the rarity of such a special treasure. This was far more precious than those talismans sealed with escape arts:

"It's enough! If I encounter danger beyond my ability to handle, after escaping, I will immediately return to the academy, unless the location I am transferred to is too close and I am immediately pursued again..."

If he were truly that unlucky, Chen Fan would have nothing to say.

Mao Wangchen nodded upon hearing this:

"You cannot rely solely on this Myriad-Mile Trace-Absence Talisman. Before heading to the ruins, you must also make thorough preparations and spend money to buy more backup talismans. Although the Myriad-Mile Trace-Absence Talisman is powerful, if someone lays down an airspace-locking formation in advance, this talisman will be rendered completely useless!"

"An airspace-locking formation..." Chen Fan mentally noted this matter down.

Mao Wangchen nodded:

"On the path of the martial artist, after all, you must walk it yourself. There is a limit to what we can do for you... Go on."

Chen Fan cupped his fists and nodded.

Ye Wuji had said similar things in the past.

Chen Fan also understood that if one wished to ascend to a stronger path as a martial artist, relying solely on comfortable cultivation was not enough. While secret realms and ruins were dangerous, they also represented opportunities.

...

Chen Fan left Mao Wangchen's room holding the "Myriad-Mile Trace-Absence Talisman."

His heart was filled with excitement.

"With this talisman, even if I truly encounter a ninth-rank assassin from the Nether Gate, I will have a chance to flee for my life."

He felt a surge of excitement.

As he headed toward the direction of the main hall, he straightway saw a man wearing embroidered clothes and a black hat walking in!

The man looked entirely ordinary, with nothing special about his appearance, yet Chen Fan felt an entirely different sensation.

Without his own volition, Chen Fan's gaze lingered on the jade plaque at the man's waist!

This was a disciple of the Haori Tower!

Sensing Chen Fan's gaze, the young man glanced at Chen Fan, nodded slightly, and then, before taking a few steps, came to a halt, closed his eyes, and stood frozen in place right there.

Chen Fan had originally intended to leave directly, but he suddenly paused.

At that moment, a wondrous sensation washed over him, and he stared wide-eyed at the man.

"It's divine sense!"

Indeed, at this very instant, he experienced the feeling of facing a Star Spirit.

Of course, this was also because Chen Fan's own soul was sufficiently powerful, allowing him to keenly perceive this type of force.

However, the young man's divine sense merely swept across his body without lingering!

A moment later, the man opened his eyes, and a piercing cold gleam shot forth from his sharp gaze.

"Found you!"

The man raised his hand in a void gesture.

Swish!!

The longsword strapped to his back suddenly leaped from its scabbard, and then the longsword, shimmering with a bloody, cold light, abruptly expanded in size. It tore through the silent hall and flew straight toward the room deep within the depths of the complex!

Whoosh! Whoosh!

True essence rippled, and the whistling of a violent gale echoed throughout the vast, open space of the central hall!

"This is... the art of the flying sword?!"

Chen Fan was startled.

The flying sword moved with extreme speed, and its razor-sharp sword qi sent a chill running down the back of Chen Fan's neck!

"Who is this fellow? How dare he resort to violence within the Martial Academy!"

Aside from certain specific areas, violence was strictly forbidden throughout the Martial Academy!

This Haori Tower disciple was altogether too arrogant, actually daring to start a fight within the central hall. One had to know that the offices of the academy's higher-ups were all located right here in this central hall!

Aside from Mao Wangchen, who was a tenth-rank martial artist, there were other formidable grandmasters of the ninth rank!

The man's gaze was ice-cold, and the flying sword in mid-air grew in the face of the wind!

It swelled to massive proportions!

Boom!!

Resembling an earthquake, the entire central hall trembled violently. Then, in a corner of the hall, a towering circular pillar ten zhang high collapsed with a crash, and a certain room deep within the hall was completely blasted into fragments by that crimson giant sword!

The hall shook, and dust and smoke billowed in all directions.

Watching this scene, Chen Fan swallowed hard.

At the very next instant.

Whoosh!

A stream of golden light suddenly erupted, expanding instantly from a single point until the entire world was dyed in gold.

An oppressive, bone-chilling pressure abruptly descended.

In that moment, Chen Fan experienced the peculiar sensation of having his life and death wrested from his own control.

"What is this golden light? Why do I feel my true essence undergoing severe suppression, as if it can no longer leave my body?!"

Chen Fan wore a look of utter horror!

This kind of power was far more terrifying than ordinary grandmasters borrowing the power of heaven and earth!

As the golden light flared, the dust filling the sky suddenly settled automatically, and a figure floated amidst the empty hall, directly facing the position of the embroidered-cloth man.

An icy voice rang out:

"Le Shaoyuan, have you lost your mind? Do you even know what you are doing?!"

Chen Fan's body shook.

The person was none other than the Dean, Mao Wangchen!