"If it were me, I wouldn't leave either," Liao Pantao continued. "Watching the competition is like watching a monkey show, and they get to chat with others around them. Plus, being surrounded by so many people of lower cultivation and status who look up to them? That's far better than going back to seclusion."
Although seclusion and cultivation are necessary, having these occasional distractions is a rare opportunity for them.
After all, the Fu Master Conference had just begun, and there was no need to recruit anyone right away. Everyone had just come out of seclusion, so their mindset was still relaxed, without the usual scheming and intrigue. This was one of the few leisurely times in a century.
Hearing Liao Pantao's words, Lin Xiao understood. It made sense; the people sitting above were mostly Nascent Soul cultivators or higher, and their periods of seclusion were counted in decades or even centuries.
Thinking that he might also one day have to spend years on end in a small, confined space, Lin Xiao shivered.
That sounded way too boring!
Unless, of course, he had an endless supply of games, anime to watch, and all sorts of delicious food to eat...
That didn't sound too bad.
As he pondered, Lin Xiao started wondering if he could somehow arrange to have such things available in the future...
For a skilled Fu Master, creating ten basic talismans didn't take much time. Soon, the first batch finished and exited the stage.
After the staff at the venue replenished the talisman-making materials, the second batch of Fu Masters entered the arena one by one.
As Lin Xiao was daydreaming, Jiang Youfu lightly tugged on his arm and transmitted a message: "Xiao Ge'er, I see Elder Liu!"
They had all agreed beforehand to use sound transmission as much as possible when communicating in public, especially in such a crowded place. The last thing they wanted was to be overheard by someone with ill intentions, which could cause trouble for both them and Liu Chun.
After all, the cultivation world was full of people, and the Fu Master Conference gathered individuals from all walks of life, making it a densely packed and potentially dangerous environment.
Following Jiang Youfu's direction, Lin Xiao indeed spotted Liu Chun.
At that moment, Liu Chun was already stationed at a talisman-making platform, carefully checking the materials.
Jiang Youfu had an urge to wave and call out to Liu Chun, hoping to catch his attention. There's something special about having a familiar face in such a grand event, acknowledging you in front of a crowd.
Unfortunately, they were all in disguise, and Lin Xiao had explicitly warned them not to do anything so conspicuous. It could draw unnecessary attention to both them and Liu Chun.
However, while they refrained, many others around them didn't. Plenty of cultivators were waving and shouting names, creating a lively atmosphere.
On stage, after Liu Chun finished checking his materials, he waited patiently for the gong to signal the start of the talisman-making process.
Suddenly, he had the distinct feeling that someone was watching him intently.
But with so many spectators—both on the ground and in the air, forming what seemed like a human barrier around the entire venue—he chalked it up to his imagination.
Still, the feeling made him slightly more cautious.
In the crowd below, Wu Sanbao also spotted Liu Chun on stage.
He was somewhat surprised.
He hadn't expected Liu Chun to survive. Wu Sanbao had ordered a thorough attack, and although Liu Chun had escaped, his men reported that Liu Chun had been severely injured and that all his possessions had been taken. Without money, he wouldn't have been able to seek treatment.
Wu Sanbao had assumed that even if Liu Chun survived, he would be hiding somewhere, slowly recovering from his injuries.
Yet here he was, participating in the Fu Master Conference, and he had even passed the initial screening!
To think that all the talisman masters the Wu family had sent this year were eliminated before the main event...
Recalling the past, Wu Sanbao's expression turned sour.
Liu Chun clearly didn't know his place.
If he passed the Fu Master Conference and obtained the Fu Master's token, his value would skyrocket.
At that point, it would be much harder for Wu Sanbao to take action against him...
The sound of the gong rang out—"Clang!"—and the second batch of Fu Masters began their work. Each talisman master on stage lowered their heads, fully focused on creating their ten basic talismans.
This might be the most serious effort they had put into making these basic talismans since their early days of learning.
Lin Xiao and Jiang Youfu had no idea that someone from the Wu family in Yuanling City was among the spectators, still harboring a grudge against Liu Chun.
Nor did they know that this person was so petty that they were still determined to see Liu Chun fail.
The two of them remained squeezed together on the flying sword, watching Liu Chun meticulously craft his talismans with great interest.
"Every time I watch Elder Liu make talismans, I find it immensely satisfying," Jiang Youfu commented, admiration clear in his voice. "When he's focused like that, it's just like when Junior Brother Sun reads—there's this indescribable aura about him."
Lin Xiao smiled and replied, "You mean the aura of someone fully immersed in their craft? That's normal. In fact, you have it too when you're cooking."
Jiang Youfu's eyes lit up as he turned to Lin Xiao, "Really, Xiao Ge'er? Do I look that good when I'm cooking too?"
Lin Xiao nodded confidently, "Absolutely. The focus and energy you and Elder Liu put into the things you love and excel at is really something to behold."
Sometimes, just watching them could give Lin Xiao a sense of inspiration, which in turn helped him improve his cultivation.
On stage, Liu Chun was deeply engrossed in crafting his ten basic talismans.
Every stroke of his brush was smooth and precise, as he had practiced these countless times. The spiritual energy flowed seamlessly from within him, through the brush, and into the talisman paper.
One by one, the symbols on the talismans took shape under his hand.
One talisman, then another, then another...
Before long, he had completed all ten of his basic talismans.
Once he finished, Liu Chun placed his talismans into a special talisman sealing bag beside him. This bag contained his recorded spiritual energy signature, along with his name and room number. It would be collected by the staff shortly.
After waiting a bit longer, the time for the second batch to create their talismans ended.
Given the skill level of the remaining five thousand Fu Masters, there was no one who couldn't complete the task within the allotted time.
The only thing left was to compare the details and quality of their talismans.
As the time limit ended, the second batch of Fu Masters left the stage. There were no last-minute rushes or close calls; everyone completed their work smoothly.
Seeing the second batch finish and leave, Lin Xiao and Jiang Youfu started to lose some of their enthusiasm.
After all, they didn't know anyone else on stage.
But since they had traveled so far and waited so many days, they decided to stay. It was their first time watching the Fu Master Conference, so there was no rush to leave.