Thick smoke billowed from the hundreds of bronze incense burners around them.

As the view zoomed in, the original two-meter-tall terracotta statue had grown to a height of twenty meters, cast entirely in gold and radiating a divine aura. At this moment, the surrounding believers knelt down and shouted in unison, "Long live the God of Talismans! May the God of Talismans protect us! The power of talismans is boundless!"

In the darkness, the little raccoon opened her eyes, which were the size of black broad beans. She wiped her face with her little paws, feeling as if the God of Talismans had appeared to her in a dream.

A believer every five steps, a fanatical believer every ten steps.

Hundreds of bronze incense burners were emitting smoke thicker than factory chimneys...

It's a good thing he dared to think that way!

Lord Fu, you should face reality.

Jia Xitong said this to herself, then pressed her chest against Shang Yanting's chest and yawned contentedly—facing reality like herself.

Suddenly realizing that her beloved was right beneath her, she was so excited she couldn't sleep. What should she do? Jia Xitong crawled out of the covers, her eyes wide and sparkling as she stared at Shang Yanting.

Even though he only has one chin, his chin is still so handsome!

Oh, his Adam's apple is so sexy!

Oh, and he also has collarbones!

Oh, his pectoral muscles are so hard...

Shang Yanting was a light sleeper, but even if he wasn't, he couldn't fall asleep under those burning gazes.

I opened my eyes and saw the raccoon's enthusiastic gaze.

He glanced out the window; it was still pitch black outside. "What's wrong?"

"Dear host, I like you so much." Jia Xitong confessed affectionately.

"Um."

Shang Yanting responded gently, a hint of melancholy flashing across his eyes—

Unfortunately, it's the kind of affection that comes from family.

"Go to sleep."

He supported the raccoon's plump bottom with one hand and gently patted her back with the other.

My dear host, you have no sense of romance.

Jia Xitong sighed, and before she could resist, she was coaxed to sleep by his gentle voice.

##

Two months

Besides her own cultivation, Jia Xitong spent a lot of effort on dealing with that group of five lazy bums.

They have made progress, too.

For example, my hand holding the pen no longer trembles, and my concentration and memory have improved. When drawing light symbols, almost everyone can successfully draw one out of a hundred.

The passing standard for talisman courses has always been: successfully drawing a talisman by the end of the course, or receiving perfect attendance and an excellent grade from the teacher throughout the course. (www.cascoo.net)

Clearly, all five of them are now ready to graduate.

In the past, they would have been eager to show off their achievements, but under the tutelage of the "Liver King," they were overwhelmed by the heavy workload.

I had to draw a thousand talismans every day; I was so tired of it.

"Alright, today I'll give you some new talismans to practice with."

Compared to her five disciples, Jia Xitong was in particularly good spirits. She took out an enlarged version of the incantation talisman and stood beside it, tapping on the blackboard and explaining the key points.

Before she could finish speaking, Si Li appeared outside the door, looking at her with an unnatural smile.

"Teacher Bucket."

"Manager Si, what is it?"

"Someone at the college wants you to come over for a short meeting."

"Okay, right away."

Upon hearing this, Jia Xitong told them to continue and turned to leave.

The so-called impromptu meeting was attended by almost everyone except her, including Brother Wang and Brother Li, who were taking the elective courses.

At the very front of them sat a woman dressed in a white robe. The woman had a beautiful face, long hair that reached her waist, and a cool and aloof air about her, possessing a strangely attractive quality.

"This is the Holy Maiden of Cloud Sandalwood, Li Xiaoxiao."

As soon as Si Li finished speaking, Wang Xiushi's eyes lit up, "This is Yun Tan, the Saintess who ranks first on the beauty list of Dingtian Academy!"

Yun Tan is just a name, but the title of Saintess is extraordinary. The Temple of Martial God appoints a Saintess or Saint Son to represent the will of the temple in almost every large academy.

The temple is the most coveted hall for them, the martial arts practitioners.

It could even be said that the identity of the saintess added many halos to Li Xiaoxiao, the number one beauty in the academy.

"Holy Maiden above, I am the cultivator Wang Qiang."

The monk quickly introduced himself, then asked Li Xiaoxiao, "May I ask why the Holy Maiden has sought us out? Whatever it may be, we will risk our lives for her!"

Unfortunately, Wang Xiushi's declaration of determination only elicited a slight nod from the aloof Li Xiaoxiao.

The manager next to her rolled her eyes at the cultivator Wang before continuing what she had just been interrupted about, "With the academy's permission, Fellow Daoist Li has come specifically to ask you about some things. Please, teachers, don't be nervous and cooperate honestly."

As he spoke, Jia Xitong was lost in his memories.

The woman ranked number one on the school's beauty list naturally has a complex relationship with the male lead in the original novel. She's an incredibly popular character in Shang Yanting's harem, practically on par with the main heroine; Jia Xitong even used to ship them as a couple.

The couple she used to ship has appeared in front of her, but now she's her love rival...

Jia Xitong was a little taken aback.

"Please briefly describe the mental cultivation method you are practicing as a supplementary method."

Li Xiaoxiao gestured for someone to take notes.

Having received the temple's decree, they were to investigate all cultivators who supplemented their practice with alchemy, formations, talismans, or weapon crafting. Any cultivator found to be acting abnormally was to be reported immediately.

Her gaze swept over the group of newly hired teachers, lingering on Jia Xitong for a second or two longer. "You, don't just stand there, come and fill out the form."

Jia Xitong sat down, blankly accepting the woman's questioning.

"Name?"

"Small bucket".

"major?"

"Talismans".

Who is the teacher?

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!