Talisman Emperor
chapter-109

Flowers bloomed and fell, spring turned to autumn.

To cultivators, time was like an arrow with wings, and half a year passed in an instant.

But in the 1st level of the Heavenpeak of Trials, due to the laws of time being different, an entire year and a half had already passed.

During this period of time, Chen Xi followed an extremely regular schedule: qi refinement, visualization, body refinement, sword cultivation… When his thoughts were truly distracted, he would use his finger as a brush and the earthen ground as the paper, and he would draw talismans and write words. Thus, he didn’t feel lonely.

He’d obtained 13 talisman crafting jade slips from the Southern Barbaric Nether Domain’s sword immortal’s abode, and during this half a year of devoted comprehension, he’d achieved great advancements. The talisman markings he casually drew on the ground had already attained the ranks of the ninth-grade, and he was only a step away from being able to construct talisman formations and becoming a Talisman Formation Master.

Talismans were divided into nine grades, and the first-grade talismans were also called basic talismans.

Every talisman crafting apprentice needed to master the crafting of basic talismans in order to be able to craft even more advanced talismans.

Talismans were also divided into Yin and Yang based on their attribute. If differentiated in detail, they could be further divided into the five main categories of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.

The crafting of any talisman couldn’t escape from being related to Yin, Yang, or the five elements, and basic talismans were no exception.

The learning of the structure of talisman markings started from basic talismans. In other words, every basic talisman represented a type of talisman marking structure. Whereas basic talismans were differentiated by the five elements, and every element’s structure was different. It could be said that there were a myriad, boundless amounts of structures.

This also made clear that complete talismans were numbered in the millions, and it was utterly impossible to possess knowledge of the crafting of all basic talismans.

But, so long as one was able to draw a complete talisman marking structure on a piece of talisman paper, then it could be called as a first-grade talisman; drawing two complete talisman marking patterns and allowing them to cooperate with each other as if they were breathing was instead able to be called a second-grade talisman; repeatedly adding on successively, when one could draw nine complete talisman marking structures on a single piece of talisman paper and allow them to cooperate with each other as if they were a single whole, then it could be called a ninth-grade talisman!

After nine, it returned to one. When one was able to superimpose two complete ninth-grade talismans and form a connection with each other, one was instead able to be called a Talisman Formation Master, and the talismans crafted by the person would possess the initial form of a formation.

Moreover, once one attained the level of Talisman Formation Master, one was able to inscribe various talisman marking structures onto formation carrying objects like Formation Flags, Formation Disks, Formation Stone, etc. Only in this way would one be able to fully utilize the might of formations.

All in all, no matter if it was talismans or formations, the structure of talisman markings was the most basic core.

The Dao of Talismans was the mastering of the structures of talisman markings to develop the profundities of the heaven and the earth. It was a vastly Grand Dao amongst the 3,000 Grand Dao, and since ancient times until the present, there had been many almighty figures that used the Dao of Talismans to achieve the Heavenly Immortal Realm!

Chen Xi’s comprehension of the Heaven Dao had already attained the Dao Insight Realm and he’d already mastered a complete Wind Dao Insight. Coupled with his soul visualizing the Fuxi Divine Statue every day, his comprehension towards the Dao of Talismans had advanced by leaps and bounds without much effort. It wouldn’t be long before he would become a Talisman Formation Master.

The thing that made him the most pleasantly surprised was that his comprehension in the Dao of Talismans allowed him to easily comprehend the profundities and master the essence of the Universe Starslayer Bodyforging Arts while cultivating it.

Just like a few day ago, when his body refinement advanced to the 2nd level of the Violet Palace Realm, the originally obscure and dense Second-Wood Shaman Marking was easily condensed successfully by him. That unhindered feeling that was like floating clouds and flowing water was still vivid in his memories today.

Shaman markings were mysterious and profound, as if they were formed naturally, but wasn’t this also a type of talisman marking within the heaven and earth?

It was precisely with this knowledge as a foundation that no matter if it was body refinement or cultivating Grand Astral Palm, it caused Chen Xi to unconsciously observe and comprehend it using his Talisman Dao knowledge, and this allowed him to comprehend an even deeper level of its profundities. He was suddenly enlightened towards the various questions in his heart that were difficult to understand, and his path of cultivation became a much more level path.

The benefits from the advancement in the Dao of Talismans wasn’t limited to this. It provided surprising effects when he refined the Oblivionwind Flowinglight Sword Formation and cultivated the Windflow Divination Sword, causing his knowledge in the Sword Dao to become deeper and deeper, and the might of the sword formation and sword technique he executed to become stronger alongside with it.

As the saying goes, learn one and you can infer the rest.

Some almighty figures from the ancient times were even able to comprehend thousands or ten thousands of Dao Insights. In the end, they brought all the Dao Insights together to be understood thoroughly before converging them all into one, allowing them to grasp the final profundities of the heaven and earth and attain the highest path to the Dao!

Presently, Chen Xi had only completely master a single Wind Dao Insight, and his comprehension towards the Talisman Dao and Sword Dao could only be considered to be minor attainments; he still had a long way to go.

But even then, with his current age and strength, even if it was amongst geniuses, he was an existence at a monstrous level. He wasn’t inferior in the slightest to the core disciples of some ancient sects, and he even surpassed them!

On this day, Chen Xi awoke from his meditation and raised his eyes to look at the nearby rock wall, and numerous lines that represented days of time were inscribed on it.

One and a half years have passed so quickly. The ancient saying is true, time does fly by like a shuttle that twinkles before the eyes, and only such a description can describe a trace of the true essence of the Grand Dao of time. Just like the Master of the abode, he has surely already mastered the supreme Grand Dao of Time, as only then would he be able to reverse the course of events and change the speed at which time flowed… Chen Xi didn’t sigh with emotion too much before standing up. His tall figure seemed even more graceful and extraordinary, relaxed and carefree. Time didn’t leave behind any traces on him; his handsome face was still the same as before. However, his gaze seemed indifferent, instead causing one to feel a deep feeling that was vast like the sea, and making one to unable to help one’s mind from being completely attracted by him.

I wonder if little Ling Bai and the Seventhgold Swordbamboo have finished fusing… Never mind, I’ll leave this place first. Otherwise, my pace to Dragon Lake City will be delayed. Chen Xi thought for a moment, he stopped being reluctant to leave this place, then his figure swayed and he’d already vanished.

——

When Chen Xi was leaving the 1st level of the Heavenpeak of Trials, within the Oceanic Desert, a group of seven people were ceaselessly cruising forward hesitantly under the protection of a large umbrella that was coiled in gold lights, and they seemed to be searching for something.

So long as the violent gale and raging sandstorm came close to them, it would be reflected back by the gold light that surged out from the large umbrella, and it was precisely because of this that when their group flew within the Oceanic Desert, it seemed to be extremely easy and free as if they were moving on flat ground.

“Martial Uncle Su Leng, we’ve been searching for half a year, yet there isn’t a trace of that kid. He wouldn’t have been swallowed by the sandstorm, right?” Asked Su Dingyuan who had brows that were like blades. Amongst the six of them, only he had the best relationship with Su Leng, and only he could ask some words that shouldn’t be spoken.

“Hmph!” Su Leng grunted coldly and said with an emotionless expression, “Impossible. Even if he was torn into pieces by the sandstorms and died, as a Violet Palace Realm cultivators, his aura would absolutely not vanish so quickly.”

During this past six months, they’d shuttled back and forth within this surging sandstorm to search for Chen Xi’s traces. They seemed to be able to easily avoid the sandstorms and gales, yet none of them dared let down their guard. After all, this was the Oceanic Desert that possessed the nickname as the land of death. It was filled with dense spatial tears and extremely terrifying restrictions and ruins. Even some Rebirth Realm cultivators had never returned once entering the Oceanic Desert, and this was sufficient to prove how terrifying this place was.

Only Su Leng, who possessed the highest cultivation in their group, was at the Golden Core Realm, which was one realm inferior to the Rebirth Realm. Thus, they naturally didn’t dare be careless.

But straining their nerves day and night while keeping vigilant was a type of torture towards their minds. Coupled with having not found a trace of Chen Xi until today, it caused their moods to become gloomy and irritable.

Especially Su Leng. His mood was awfully bad, as a matter that he originally thought would be easily accomplished had unexpectedly been delayed for an entire six months. Not to mention Chen Xi, they even didn’t find a piece of Chen Xi’s hair, and it naturally made him who was arrogant and self-conceited be extremely displeased.

When I capture that kid, I’ll surely pluck out his tendons and skin him! Su Leng muttered fiercely in his heart. It was at this moment that a clear ring sounded out from within his pocket, even though the sound was tiny, it caused his heart to shake and a trace of happiness to appear on his face. He stretched out his hand to withdraw a pearl that was completely translucent like a liquid pearl, and it emitted a dreamlike multicolored ripple.

“Boundless Secretrealm Discovering Pearl!” The eyes of Su Dingyi’s group of six sprang wide open, and a strand of burning greed that couldn’t be concealed was emitted from their eyes.

This pearl was something Su Leng obtained from a mysterious ruins, and it was an extremely miraculous treasure. Not only was it able to detect some concealed spaces within an area of 50km, it was also able to break open the barrier of some secret realms, and it was extremely profound. Su Leng had once used this pearl to help the Su Clan find an immortal abode within a secret realm, acquiring huge amounts of cultivation techniques, books, medicinal pills, and treasures from within it, and it had caused an extremely great stir in the entire Dragon Lake City. As a member of the Su Clan, how could Su Dingyi and the others not know of the Boundless Secretrealm Discovering Pearl’s reputation?

The cultivation realm had existed for innumerable years until now, and countless secret realms and abodes were left behind in the world. These places had attracted countless cultivators to try their luck and find their own good fortune, and many peerless experts that commanded the clouds and wind had achieved tremendous advancements in their cultivations because of obtaining some ancient inheritances, allowing them to be famed throughout the world!

Whereas possessing the Boundless Secretrealm Discovering Pearl was equivalent to possessing a key to open these secret realms and abodes, and the possessor was much closer to the good fortune of attaining immortality. Which cultivator in the world wouldn’t be tempted by this pearl?

It was exactly because he possessed this pearl that Su Leng’s name was like a thunderclap to the ears of everyone in Dragon Lake City and was known to all in the city. Besides that, it allowed his status as a Su Clan Elder became even stronger, and he enjoyed resources that were far beyond the reach of an ordinary person.

“An independent space exists within the nearby 50km!” Su Leng raised his eyes to sweep outwards, then looked at the pearl in his hand before speaking with extreme certainty.

“Is it an ancient abode?”

“I think that it might be Chen Xi’s hiding spot.”

“No matter what it is, wouldn’t we know once we take a look? If it’s an abode or secret realm, we’ll plunder it mercilessly; if it’s Chen Xi’s hiding spot, then it’s just nice for us to capture him and make him spit out the treasures from the sword immortal’s abode!”

“With Martial Uncle Su Leng here, why should we worry that we can’t accomplish our mission?”

The exhaustion in the hearts of everyone was completely swept away as they started to discuss all at once, and their words were mostly flattery towards Su Leng.

“Let’s go. At that time, listen to my orders when making a move and you’ll be bound to obtain the benefits.” Su Leng’s frosty expression eased up greatly. Cultivators were people as well, and they liked being flattered.

“Thank you, Martial Uncle Su Leng!” Su Dingyi and the others were extremely delighted, and they had excited expressions.

Su Leng led the others to fly out explosively right away, and not long after, they arrived at a low sand dune. When they arrived here, the Boundless Secretrealm Discovering Pearl abruptly emitted a string of clear chimes, and the multicolored light on its surface became even more dreamlike.

“Let’s go!” Su Leng shouted out loudly, then the pearl flew up to midair, and its entire body was suffused by mist as a five colored beam of light transformed into an over 100m long waterfall that swiftly swept towards the surroundings.

Swish!

Under the shine of the misty light that was like a multicolored mist, the originally empty sand dune was suddenly suffused with layer upon layer of translucent waves. It was like an extremely mysterious barrier wall that rose and fell indeterminately, and it warped and fluctuated.

“As expected, it’s a secret realm. All of you follow behind me and don’t get lost. Otherwise, even I am unable to save all of you.” Su Leng instructed before taking a deep breath, then he held onto the pearl as he took the lead to walk towards the translucent waves that warped and fluctuated.

When the others saw this, their expressions became serious as they followed closely behind him.

Om!

Under the shine of the multicolored lights from the Boundless Secretrealm Discovering Pearl, the translucent and warping waves were like a pricked bubble, splitting open into a narrow and steep rift, and not long after Su Leng and the others vanished, it vanished from the world.