Return of the Immortal Emperor Daddy

"You just said ’unbearable to look at’? Are those truly the words you used?"

The donkey beside Elder Tian Wen truly hadn’t expected Wu Tian to utter such a phrase. Doubting its own ears, it asked, "Could you repeat that?"

"Unbearable to look at," Wu Tian reiterated.

"This gentleman..." Hua’er couldn’t believe it. Grandpa Donkey had given the man a chance, yet he persisted with the same response. She was shocked and terrified. Anyone would be furious if their work was criticized like that. Since she had been the one to bring Wu Tian here, she worried. If Elder Tian Wen gets angry, he might take it out on me too! What should I do?

Hua’er tugged at Wu Tian’s sleeve. "Sir, are you feeling a tightness in your chest, perhaps a little dizzy? This is what doctors describe as heatstroke."

"No, I am quite clear-headed," Wu Tian replied with a shake of his head and a smile.

Hearing this, Hua’er felt like she could cough up blood. I already gave you an out, why won’t you take it?!

Now, Hua’er didn’t even dare to look at Elder Tian Wen’s face. His expression must be livid. In a moment, he’s going to throw people out—not just Wu Tian, but probably me as well. She just couldn’t understand why Wu Tian had to insist on those words.

Si Lin, who had witnessed the incident, hadn’t expected such a turn of events. He was so delighted he could hardly hold back his laughter. "Heh heh heh." This guy actually dared to say Elder Tian Wen’s talisman was unbearable to look at?

"Elder, this boy is outrageous! Quickly throw him out," he suggested to Tian Wen, shooting a provocative glance at Hua’er, as if to say, See? This is the person you brought. Now you’ve been dragged down by him, haven’t you?

If Si Lin had ever been to Earth City, he would certainly be reminded of a saying: ’Fear not a god-like opponent, but a pig-like teammate.’

However, they were all mistaken. Elder Tian Wen’s expression was serene, showing no signs of anger. He smiled slightly. Having lived for millennia, he had long since outgrown the fiery temper of his youth. Enveloped in an air of twilight, he rarely grew angry. He stepped forward lightly and said, "Young friend, you say my old talismans are unbearable to look at. Could it be that you have seen better ones?"

"Indeed, I have seen better talismans," Wu Tian said confidently.

Elder Tian Wen’s cultivation was extraordinary, yet he couldn’t surpass Lord Lao Zi of the Great Monad. In the Mythical World, Lord Lao Zi of the Great Monad was seemingly unable to handle Sun Wukong, but that was merely a theatrical performance. The Great Monad’s cultivation was profound beyond measure. Elder Tian Wen’s talismans were decent, but after I read the talisman books from Lord Lao Zi of the Great Monad, the comparison made his seem unbearable to look at.

"Such talismans truly exist? Young friend, may I see one?" Tian Wen’s voice grew urgent. He now poured all his energy into the Art of Talismans and Spells. Talismans were his life. He had been studying them for at least eight thousand years, if not ten thousand.

"Certainly," Wu Tian smiled slightly, preparing to retrieve the talismans from the Doushuai Temple within the Heavenly Emperor’s Treasure House for Tian Wen to see.

Si Lin sneered from the side. What an outrageous boast. He had heard from Grandpa Donkey that in the current Immortal Emperor Realm, Martial Artists and Array Masters were the most populous professions. Very few chose to become a Talisman Master anymore. Therefore, if Elder Tian Wen’s talismans weren’t the best, they were surely second. How could there possibly be talismans in the Immortal Emperor Realm more powerful than his?

Wu Tian simply smiled, ignoring the others’ thoughts. He sent his Spiritual Sense into his Nine Dragon Ring, accessing the Doushuai Temple within the Heavenly Emperor’s Treasure House to consult the books there.

Seeing Wu Tian suddenly go motionless, his eyes vacant as if he had lost his soul, Tian Wen and the others were taken aback. What’s happening?

The next moment, Wu Tian returned to his senses. The books in Doushuai Temple were all covered in dust, but every single one was a treasure of treasures. There were volumes on Daoist Magic, the Art of Alchemy, the Art of Formations, and of course, the Art of Talismans and Spells. Drawing talismans was, after all, a forte of Daoism. Wu Tian glanced through them and memorized several designs.

"Watch. This is the Devouring Rune."

As Wu Tian’s finger surged with Spiritual Energy, he wrote in the Void. The rune materialized, and instantly, Tian Wen and the others felt as if their very souls were being torn from their bodies.

"A fine rune," Elder Tian Wen gasped, a sudden realization dawning on him. "With this rune, one could devour the cultivation of others. Truly terrifying."

"What?" Hearing Elder Tian Wen reveal the rune’s secret, Hua’er and the others stared with wide, disbelieving eyes. How could such a heaven-defying rune exist in the world?

"Please... if I may ask, Young Master, are there more?" For Elder Tian Wen, who had immersed his life in the way of runes, seeing this rune was like a man beholding a great beauty; he was utterly captivated.

"Of course." Wu Tian extended his finger and drew in the Void once more.

This time, it was the Rune of Life and Death. It intertwined the two powers, and as long as a person was not completely dead, this rune could pull them back from the brink.

"This..." Master Tian Wen trembled, his eyes bulging. He could not imagine that such a rune could exist in this world. In all his years of research, he would never have dared to even imagine such a rune, believing it impossible to create. Yet Wu Tian had not only seen it, but he could also draw it? Of course, drawing the rune didn’t mean he could create a functioning talisman, but that was merely a matter of time.

"Sir, please tell me, where can I find such runes?" Just as a Swordsman loves a fine blade, Tian Wen loved runes to the point that he could die content tomorrow if he could learn the way today. He could no longer maintain his earlier calm and asked with urgent haste.

"This..." Seeing their revered Elder Tian Wen address Wu Tian as ’Sir’, Hua’er and Si Lin were completely dumbstruck. The shock that washed over them was as tumultuous as Turning Rivers and Seas.

Si Lin, in particular, had only one thought. Am I dreaming? Am I still not awake? In disbelief, he slapped himself. The sharp sting on his cheek made him gasp.

Wu Tian understood Tian Wen’s thoughts and smiled lightly. "The runes can be found in the Doushuai Temple, home of the Eight Scenic Lamps. It contains a heavenly book with countless profound runes."

Doushuai Temple? What kind of place is that? Tian Wen frowned deeply. As a man who had seen much of the world, he had assumed such a place must be famous. Yet this was a name he had never heard before. How was he supposed to find it? For Tian Wen, knowing such runes existed but being unable to find them was a torment worse than death.

At that moment, Wu Tian calmly said, "I can teach you."

"Really? Are you serious?"

Tian Wen abandoned all pretense of a lofty expert. His face flushed with excitement upon hearing Wu Tian’s words. He lived for runes; he would die for runes. Now, with this young man before him offering to teach him, how could he not be overjoyed? The only thing keeping him from leaping in place was his immense willpower, which he used to forcibly restrain himself.