After taking out the materials needed for talisman inscription, Ye Yunfei began his attempt to draw one.
Following the Rune Art secret technique he had obtained from the memories of the four Rune Sacred Land members, Ye Yunfei raised the brush in his hand, dipped it in a sufficient amount of vermilion cinnabar, and began circulating the Rune Art secret technique.
First, he drew a special rune in the void. With a low hum, the moment the rune was completed, the surrounding space trembled slightly in response.
"A reaction!"
Feeling the tremor in the space around him and sensing energy and natural laws from the vicinity starting to converge continuously towards the brush in his hand, Ye Yunfei couldn't help but reveal a look of pleasant surprise.
Being able to use a brush to stir the energy and laws within the surrounding space was the very first step in cultivating Rune Arts.
However, the surrounding space merely trembled once before returning to calm.
Ye Yunfei knew this was his first time attempting the Rune Art secret technique, and he wouldn't succeed immediately.
Therefore, in the following time, Ye Yunfei patiently attempted again and again to use his brush to commune with the various energies and laws existing in the surrounding space.
At first, although the space reacted each time, it would be cut off immediately after. After all, using a single brush to stir the energy and laws in the surrounding space was no easy task.
But as time passed, the brush in Ye Yunfei's hand seemed to become increasingly attuned to the energy and laws around him.
After an unknown length of time, as Ye Yunfei extended his brush and activated the secret technique, suddenly a great amount of energy and laws in the surrounding space began to churn continuously before converging towards the brush in Ye Yunfei's hand like streams.
Although the amount wasn't vast, it was steady and continuous. Soon, Ye Yunfei felt that his brush had finally condensed some energy and laws.
"Excellent! I can finally store the energy and laws existing in the surrounding space into my brush."
Ye Yunfei was somewhat excited.
"From initially causing a reaction in the surrounding space's energy and laws, to attracting them and concentrating them into the brush — this is a breakthrough. It means I can finally begin crafting talismans!"
Feeling the continuous flow of energy and laws gathering into his brush, Ye Yunfei was thrilled.
Then, with a point of his finger, a yellow sheet of talisman paper lay spread out before him. The brush in Ye Yunfei's hand began drawing on it.
With each stroke of the brush on the paper, the energy and laws contained within it poured onto the sheet.
If he could successfully engrave and store these energies and laws into the paper, it would mean the talisman had been successfully created.
Soon, Ye Yunfei drew a complete pattern on the talisman paper. It looked peculiar and mysterious, difficult to comprehend yet seeming to contain profound meaning.
"Finally drawn."
After finishing, Ye Yunfei gently lifted his brush, his gaze fixed tensely on the talisman paper.
In the next moment, with a soft puff, the talisman paper ignited without any flame, turning into a blazing fireball that burned fiercely.
The energy and laws infused into it dissipated within the flames.
"Failure."
Ye Yunfei said with a bitter smile.
However, failing on the first attempt was only normal. He wasn't discouraged, and continued practicing repeatedly.
While cultivating Rune Arts, Ye Yunfei's two Soul Bodies and several dozen Soul Force Planets all worked in concert, focusing all his attention on studying this secret technique.
He had always cultivated multiple techniques simultaneously before. This was the first time he concentrated both his Soul Bodies and all his Soul Force Planets on comprehending the same secret technique. It greatly enhanced his understanding.
In the time that followed, Ye Yunfei didn't know how many times he practiced. Initially, every talisman he drew ended in failure, the sheets self-igniting and turning to ash.
Ye Yunfei understood this was an inevitable stage in mastering Rune Arts, so he didn't give up but persisted.
"Excellent! This talisman succeeded!"
Finally, Ye Yunfei successfully drew his very first talisman. After the pattern on the paper was completed, he stared nervously, waiting for several moments. The talisman simply hovered quietly before him, showing no movement or sign of combustion. Ye Yunfei was overjoyed, knowing he had finally drawn his first successful talisman.
Although this talisman was the lowest-grade, with very little power, it was his first successful creation — a milestone moment.
"It seems you have talent in Rune Arts as well. Drawing a successful talisman means you've taken your first steps on this path," Hun Lao said with a smile.
"This is just the beginning. Now that I've entered the door, as long as I have enough time to study and practice, I believe my Rune Arts will grow increasingly formidable," Ye Yunfei replied, smiling.
BOOM! ...
At that very moment, an extremely terrifying aura of energy suddenly rolled across the heavens and earth in the distance, sweeping through everything in its path and instantly clearing away all the white mist shrouding the plain.
Then, from another direction, another surge of terrifying energy rushed forth, immediately enveloping the entire plain.
Simultaneously, Ye Yunfei felt the large, towering stone monument in the distance begin to tremble gently.
"Master, two powerful experts have arrived! They might be after my clan's sacred artifact. We must leave this place now!"
Ye Yunfei received Hu Miao's Sound Transmission.
Before Hu Miao's words had even finished, Ye Yunfei felt a tremendous energy erupt from within the massive stone monument. It instantly enveloped his body. Then, the monument began shrinking rapidly, transforming into a streak of light that shot violently in a particular direction. Ye Yunfei, still wrapped in the powerful energy, was carried along behind it.
"That monument is extraordinary!"
At that moment, a thunderous voice boomed across the horizon in the distance. Then, a colossal hand appeared from that direction, instantly spanning a vast distance. It cast an enormous shadow over the ground like a great cloud, rolling toward the center of the plain to seize.
The moment this giant hand appeared, it unleashed formidable spacetime energy, forcefully sealing the entire space of the plain.
"I suspect that monument might be a sacred artifact of some noble race from ancient times. I shall take it back for thorough study," a voice sounded from the opposite direction.
Another colossal hand also appeared from there, blotting out the sky as it rumbled forward.
Thus, two giant hands appeared above the plain, both reaching for the stone monument.
BOOM! ...
The monument suddenly erupted with an overwhelmingly powerful energy, instantly shattering the seal imposed by the two hands on the plain's space. Then, with astonishing speed, it shot out of the plain's range and fled into the distance.
"Damnation! You dare flee before me?!"
A cold voice rang out from the direction of one giant hand. That hand abruptly accelerated, releasing even more dreadful energy in an attempt to forcefully seal the monument speeding away.
The other giant hand also emitted a disdainful snort, accelerating from another direction to grab at the monument.
Suddenly, a pink bubble emerged from within the stone monument. The bubble continuously expanded, instantly becoming incredibly massive.
This pink bubble then directly collided with the two pursuing giant hands.
BOOM!
The resulting shockwave rippled in all directions, shaking the vast plain.
However, the space of this world seemed particularly robust and possessed terrifying regenerative ability. Though cracks momentarily appeared in the space, they repaired themselves within moments.
By then, the monument carrying Ye Yunfei had long since rushed out of the plain's boundaries and vanished beyond the distant horizon.
"If my eyes do not deceive me, that monument is likely the fabled Primordial Heavenly Fox Clan's sacred artifact from the Ancient Era. Legends say it was lost long ago. I never imagined it was hidden within Tianmu Shenjun's cave," one of the directions from which a giant hand had extended exclaimed in surprise.
"What a shame! We were so close to seizing it. Capturing that monument would likely allow access to the Illusion Arts recorded within it. The Primordial Heavenly Fox Clan's Illusion Arts were renowned throughout the Ancient Era," a regretful voice echoed from the other direction where a giant hand had emerged.
Meanwhile, the monument carrying Ye Yunfei continued its rapid flight. Moments later, it plunged into a stretch of primordial forest and disappeared.
"Hu Miao, are you the one controlling this monument?"
Some time later, after the monument had descended into a small valley within that primeval forest, Ye Yunfei asked curiously.
The valley's location was extremely secluded, surrounded by dense forests that blotted out the sky, appearing gloomy and sinister.
"Master, yes. It was me controlling the monument's flight just now. Two very formidable individuals had locked onto it from a great distance, clearly intending to seize it by force. This monument is a sacred artifact of my clan that was lost to the outside world. We absolutely cannot allow it to fall into others' hands," Hu Miao replied.