Li Xin awoke from his sleep to the sound of bells ringing from afar. When he opened his eyes, an unfamiliar ceiling was the first thing that entered his sight. Yet for some reason, his eyelids felt slightly heavy today.

  Am I tired…

  Perhaps it was anxiety from being in an unfamiliar place—fatigue had accumulated without him realizing it. Li Xin began his day by calming his mind through a brief session of seated cultivation.

  As he opened the window, a cool mountain breeze brushed against his cheeks. Beyond the window, a scene even clearer than the Qingshan Immortal City he had seen yesterday unfolded before his eyes.

  This is completely different from that quiet mountain valley.

  The sounds drifting in from outside the window were lively and bustling. The sharp clang of weapons colliding mixed with the rough breaths of cultivators, announcing that another day in Qingshan Immortal City had already begun.

  This is the place I’ll be living in from now on…

  Within Li Xin’s heart, a tangled mix of anticipation and fear quietly bloomed.

  At that moment, the sound of knocking came from the door.

  Li Xin immediately opened it and greeted the visitor.

  “Curfew is at midnight tomorrow. Make sure you finish your preparations by then and go register your residence qualifications first. I have matters of my own to prepare.”

  With only those brief instructions, Xu Yul turned and left. Li Xin tidied the room, straightened his clothes, and stepped outside. Since the paths were unfamiliar, he walked along the main road.

  What sect is that over there?

  Groups of cultivators moved back and forth, and at their waists hung emblems symbolizing their respective affiliations. To avoid unnecessary trouble as much as possible, Li Xin actively used the Azure Smoke Step to quiet his footsteps.

  As he passed through the gate dividing the inner city and the outer city, the atmosphere changed completely. Colorful tents and temporary buildings stood densely packed, with people and goods flowing without pause. Merchants, craftsmen, and demon hunters were all mixed together inside, each living out their busy day. The atmosphere was similar to Qingshan Market, which instead made him feel more at ease.

  This is it.

  Crossing the crowded streets of the outer city, Li Xin arrived at the administrative office for demon hunter registration. A single-story building made of gray stone. Above the entrance hung a large plaque reading ‘Demon Hunter Administration Office,’ with a faint aura flowing around the doorway.

  When he opened the door and entered, a middle-aged man seated behind a desk came into view. Unlike the chaotic surroundings, the man wore neat gray robes. Silver-threaded patterns were embroidered along his cuffs, and his posture was impeccable. Though his gaze seemed indifferent as it swept the room, a sharpness lay hidden within it. The moment Li Xin saw his attire, he realized the man’s affiliation.

  …The Daejin Sect.

  It was the same uniform worn by the cultivators who had ridden swords through the sky not long ago. Seeing him stationed at the reception desk, he was likely a menial disciple, but even so, Li Xin could not look down on him just because of the word ‘menial.’ Even with a low status, entering a place like the Daejin Sect required at least one outstanding skill.

  Li Xin quietly stood in line and waited. When his turn came, he stepped up to the counter.

  “Name.”

  The middle-aged man asked without even lifting his head.

  “…Xu Li Xin.”

  It was a name that had yet to feel natural on his tongue. Li Xin took out his identity token and handed it over with both hands. After receiving it and checking, the man wrote something on the panel in front of him.

  “A low-ranked talisman practitioner of the Xu Clan, Xu Li Xin. Ungraded.”

  He then took out a small metal token from beside the desk and held it out. It was about the size of a palm. On its surface was engraved the word ‘Ungraded.’

  “This is…”

  “A Merit Token. Once you hunt a demonic beast and stain it with blood, your merits will be recorded automatically.”

  Li Xin accepted the token and examined it carefully. Though it looked like nothing more than a simple piece of metal, it was one of the magical instruments created by the Daejin Sect. Inside were inscribed a ‘Blood Qi Response Array,’ which analyzed bloodstains to determine and record a demonic beast’s rank, as well as tracking inscriptions.

  “One thing to note. The Merit Token isn’t free. From now on, you’ll incur a debt of 1,000 jeon, which must be repaid by next month.”

  “……”

  Li Xin’s eyebrows twitched upward slightly. Going into debt before even hunting a demonic beast? Seeing the displeasure on his face, the middle-aged man shrugged.

  “Those are the rules. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to take it.”

  Li Xin pressed his lips together. There was no real choice.

  “And ungraded demon hunters are not permitted to handle the corpses of hunted demonic beasts at will. Whether blood or bone, ninety percent of all byproducts must be handed over to the Daejin Sect.”

  Only ten percent for yourself after the hunt? What kind of outrageous exploitation is this…

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  Had it not been for the calm he gained from drawing the Warm Heart Talisman, he might have thrown the token away on the spot. As if accustomed to such reactions, the middle-aged man continued.

  “If you don’t like it, then prove your ability and raise your rank.”

  “You mean ranks?”

  “Demon hunters are broadly divided into four ranks. Listen carefully.”

  Li Xin nodded.

  “First, low-grade demon hunter. If you leave merit by hunting a demonic beast of Tier One, Third Layer or above, you’ll be automatically promoted. Since you have no hunting record yet, you’re ungraded.”

  “What kind of treatment does a low-grade demon hunter receive?”

  “Seventy percent of the hunted beast’s byproducts must be surrendered. In return, necessities such as food and clothing are provided.”

  Even becoming a low-grade demon hunter would not dramatically improve his situation.

  Still, compared to being ungraded, my share would be three times more…

  Thinking that he needed to raise his rank quickly, Li Xin focused on what came next.

  “Second, mid-grade demon hunter. Promotion requires hunting a Tier One, Sixth Layer demonic beast.”

  “Mid-grade demon hunter…”

  “From that point on, the demon hunter keeps half. Moreover, you can request sect-affiliated alchemists or refiners to process materials.”

  From mid-grade onward, the treatment was fairly generous. The knowledge accumulated by the sect was by no means small, and the cultivation resources they produced were surely superior.

  “Third, high-grade demon hunter. Qualification is granted only after hunting a Tier One demonic beast at perfect completion.”

  A Tier One demonic beast at perfect completion… It was an opponent Li Xin could not even imagine facing.

  “From then on, all hunted demonic beasts belong entirely to the demon hunter. Whether cultivation materials or weapons, most necessities can be procured personally.”

  So they want you to use the given resources to break through quickly?

  To hunt a Tier One perfect-completion demonic beast meant being on the verge of breaking through to Tier Two. For the sake of strengthening the Immortal City’s overall combat power, they clearly spared no support for breakthroughs. This was a rule born from the special nature of the Daejin Domain. With treatment like this, many would surely risk their lives to challenge for high-grade demon hunter status.

  “And lastly, Demon Hunter Grandmaster. A title granted only to those who hunt a Tier Two great demon.”

  “A Tier Two great demon…!”

  “With that title, you’re recognized as equal to an outer sect disciple of the Daejin Sect. It means you’re classified as core combat power of Qingshan Immortal City.”

  At those words, Li Xin’s gaze deepened. Demon Hunter Grandmasters—experts capable of hunting Tier Two demonic beasts—were only treated as ‘outer sect disciples’ of the Daejin Sect. That meant the true core forces, including the inner sect disciples, possessed even greater strength.

  As he vaguely grasped the depth of power hidden behind the name Daejin Sect, Li Xin felt an involuntary sense of awe. But at that moment, a chilling truth surfaced in his mind.

  Even such a formidable Daejin Sect had failed to hold out for even a single day before the Demon King… The Merit Token in his hand felt unbearably heavy.

  ***

  It ended faster than expected.

  After obtaining the Merit Token. Li Xin did not return to his lodgings immediately, choosing instead to prepare for hunting demonic beasts.

  Facing demonic beasts barehanded was not confidence, but arrogance. Yet when he rummaged through his pouch, he could only sigh. All the money he had saved was spent during the process of completing the Flame Blaze Talisman. At present, all Li Xin possessed was a flying sword taken from a bandit, a worn set of armor, and a few unidentified pills.

  To buy items necessary for hunting demonic beasts, or to secure resources for future cultivation, money was urgently needed. Of course, he could ask the Xu Clan for support. But Li Xin had no desire to rely on the Xu Clan for everything. So he decided to earn money himself using what he had.

  I’ll have to sell some of the talismans I’ve drawn so far.

  The way to earn money was decided.

  The problem is where to sell them…

  The first place that came to mind was the shops within the Immortal City. But he soon shook his head.

  A talisman practitioner of the Xu Clan selling talismans to an unrelated merchant house would look suspicious. Selling them to the Xu Clan’s own merchants felt equally uncomfortable, recalling Xu Yul’s warning.

  After some thought, Li Xin came up with a clever idea—securing anonymity.

  At a stall in the outer city market, he bought a suitable mask. It was a simple wooden mask, but a faint spiritual aura lingered within. It slightly blurred facial features, hindering recognition with a simple effect.

  Wearing the mask, Li Xin settled in a quiet corner of the outer city. He spread a cloth on the ground and displayed several talismans he had personally drawn.

  It’s been a while since I last opened a stall.

  Since overly high-quality items could attract attention, he did not take out the Ice Shadow Talisman. Before long, a demon hunter stopped in front of his stall. The rough-looking man picked up one three-stroke Strength Talisman.

  “Did you draw this yourself?”

  Li Xin nodded.

  Since he could not disguise his voice, he answered with silence as much as possible. The man examined the Strength Talisman carefully, then showed a satisfied expression.

  “A proper-grade Strength Talisman… how much?”

  After hearing the price, the man readily bought two Strength Talismans. Li Xin had set his prices slightly lower than nearby stalls.

  When the first sale went through more easily than expected, he felt relieved. After that, several demon hunters showed interest in his stall. However, most of the talismans he displayed were only one- or two-stroke, and their overall ‘quality’ was not particularly eye-catching.

  But the ‘quantity’ of talismans Li Xin had was considerable. In particular, he had as many as a hundred Resonance Talismans, Diffusion Talismans, and Water Binding Talismans, and Radiance Talismans prepared in various forms up to three strokes.

  Rather than laying them all out at once, Li Xin placed only one or two at a time, replenishing them as they sold. He continued selling talismans for quite some time. When the number of customers dwindled, Li Xin packed up without hesitation. He judged that he had earned enough money and there was no need to waste more time.

  The money Li Xin earned from selling talismans amounted to a full 1,700 jeon. It was not a windfall gained overnight. It was the accumulated result of the effort and time he had poured into crafting talismans. With this money, Li Xin intended to purchase a suitable magical instrument. He believed he could find something adequate for a cultivator at the Third Layer of Tier One.

  But when it came time to choose, he had no clear idea what to buy. Thanks to his ability to assimilate talismans, he had an exceptionally wide range of options. He decided to look around nearby shops to see if there was anything useful. Yet no matter how much he browsed, nothing caught his eye. No matter what he saw, only one thought surfaced in his mind.

  In the end, the most important thing to me is talismans.

  And didn’t he just happen to have a new talisman crafting method? The Demonic Beast Talisman Crafting Method,

  He had the method, and more than enough money to buy the materials. He even knew how to process those materials. What more was needed?

  Let’s see for myself whether I can draw a Demonic Beast Talisman with my own power.

  You never know until you try. Li Xin did not believe Xu Yul’s words that one could not draw a Demonic Beast Talisman without seeing a demonic beast.