Divine Talisman Grandmaster

C3 – Talent Rune

Boom!

A clap of thunder roared within Lu Lixing’s mind, jolting his dormant consciousness awake. A complex and mystical Rune hovered silently in his mental realm, its structure reminiscent of a thunderbolt crashing down from the skies, radiating an enigmatic and awe-inspiring divine presence.

That thunderclap had emanated from this very Rune!

Overwhelmed by the Rune’s power, which seemed to resonate with his own bloodline, Lu Lixing shuddered with uncontrollable excitement. He had actually awakened his Talent Rune!

The Talent Rune marked the beginning of one’s journey into cultivation. Only by awakening this Rune could one harness its power to draw in the spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth, thus embarking on the path of cultivation. Put simply, only those who had awakened their Talent Rune were deemed worthy of being true cultivators, while those who failed to do so would never set foot on the path of cultivation in their lifetime.

Typically, one would awaken their Talent Rune in university, with the aid of a mentor. It was rare for someone to do so in high school. Those who managed to awaken their Talent Rune during their high school years were invariably prodigies, one in a million. For instance, in Skyhaven’s Forest Lake Academy, only four individuals had achieved this feat, each backed by formidable connections that allowed them to awaken their Talent Rune ahead of their peers.

Now, Lu Lixing had become the fifth person at Forest Lake Academy to awaken his Talent Rune!

By awakening his Talent Rune, Lu Lixing had earned the right to cultivate. He had stepped through the gateway to becoming a cultivator. With just one more cultivation technique, he could swiftly ascend to the Qi Refining Stage.

As the thought of a cultivation technique crossed his mind, a surge of tremendous power burst forth from the lightning-shaped Talent Rune, transforming into a myriad of shimmering blue glyphs that etched themselves deeply into Lu Lixing’s mental realm.

The Lightning Swallowing Rune!

“A cultivation technique?!”

Eyes wide with astonishment, Lu Lixing struggled to grasp the reality that he had not only awakened his Talent Rune but had also serendipitously acquired a cultivation technique.

Amidst his shock, a series of knocks echoed from downstairs. The sound snapped Lu Lixing back to the present. He instinctively glanced toward the door. Though his eyes saw only the floor of the cultivation room, his mind conjured the image of a youthful girl clad in a white dress, standing just outside.

Not just the adolescent girl, but every item in the ground-floor room—the worn-out sofa, the half-shattered coffee table, and a filthy grey rat cowering in the corner—appeared vividly in Lu Lixing’s mind as if he were seeing them firsthand. His perception encompassed everything within a ten-meter radius.

“Is this what perception feels like?”

Lu Lixing was unsure, as this was an entirely new experience for him. He knew that such sensory abilities typically required one’s Brain Domain to be developed beyond 50%, yet his was only at 25%, a full half less than needed.

While Lu Lixing was deep in thought, an urgent knocking and a somewhat icy voice echoed from downstairs.

“Lu Lixing, are you there or not?”

Upon hearing the call, Lu Lixing hurriedly rose and made his way down. It was only then that he noticed the black muck covering his body, its foul odor making him instinctively wrinkle his nose.

Bang!

The sound of pounding at the door was followed by the collapse of the severely aged smart security door, which fell with a crash and raised a cloud of dust.

Lu Lixing glanced at the door now lying on the floor, then turned his attention to Xiufen, who was slowly entering. He pressed his lips together and asked, “What brings you here?”

“What do you think? If I hadn’t come, what would you have done to yourself?”

Xiufen’s gaze was filled with disdain as she looked at the grimy figure of Lu Lixing. “I’ve told you before, we’re from different worlds. No matter if you shut yourself away for days on end, avoiding school and work, it won’t change that fact. It’s time to let go.”

The visitor was none other than Sha Xiufen, the girl who had severed ties with Lu Lixing on the rooftop of Forest Lake Academy. She had assumed that would be the end of it, but to her dismay, Lu Lixing had vanished from school for three whole days since that incident, and he was nowhere to be found at his usual job. Concerned that Lu Lixing might do something rash, Xiufen reluctantly decided to seek him out herself.

Sha Xiufen’s concern wasn’t for Lu Lixing’s well-being; she simply didn’t want her reputation tarnished by his death.

Upon hearing her words, Lu Lixing glanced at the old electronic clock on the wall, surprised. It was 2 PM on December 5th, yet he distinctly remembered it being 6 PM on December 2nd when he last went home.

That meant he had spent a full three days in the cultivation room?

As the realization of time lost hit him, a fierce hunger erupted in Lu Lixing’s stomach, feeling as though it were on fire. His body, once strong, now felt weak and frail. In his mind, there was only one thought: Eat!

With eyes blazing red, Lu Lixing lunged at the nearby refrigerator, yanking out heaps of bread and synthetic meat and devouring them with a ravenous frenzy, like a starving ghost reborn.

Sha Xiufen watched Lu Lixing gorge himself on the floor, the revolting odor emanating from him intensifying her disgust. She had been right; Lu Lixing was leveraging his life to manipulate her. Why else would he allow himself to become so desperately famished?

“What will it take for you to leave me alone?” she demanded.

Lu Lixing, seemingly oblivious to her question, continued to eat voraciously. He wiped his greasy hands on the tablecloth before grabbing another chunk of synthetic meat and shoving it into his mouth, his face smeared with grease.

Sha Xiufen’s patience evaporated as she watched Lu Lixing’s unkempt display. With a stern expression, she declared, “I will give back every single cultivation resource I borrowed from you. After that, our paths will never cross again. Your fate is of no concern to me!”

With those cold words, Sha Xiufen turned on her heel and strode away, eager to escape the squalor and its unbearable stench.

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