Talisman Emperor

Chen Xi had never considered himself to be a cultivation genius, but this body refinement cultivation speed still startled him. If he were to carefully count it, he’d only refined his body for not even half a year and he’d already advanced to the perfection-stage of the Congenital Realm from the Postnatal Realm in one go. This speed was something even he was nearly unable to believe.

“Are you extremely shocked? You’re cultivating the Universe Starslayer Body Forging Arts my Master passed down, and further possessed an enormous amount of Netherezim Baleful Qi to support your cultivating. A speed like this can only be considered as normal.”

Ji Yu said indifferently, “Work hard. Compared to those true geniuses, this cultivation speed of your is extremely terrible. Most importantly, you’ve already wasted 16 years of time.”

Chen Xi’s excited mood calmed down significantly as the facts were exactly like Ji Yu had said. Since he was young, although he’d always received the teachings of his grandfather and cultivated the Violet Sky Arts qi refinement cultivation technique passed down in his clan, he lacked the support of spirit pills and spirit stones, causing the advancement of his cultivation to be extremely slow. Moreover, four years ago, due to needing to bring home the bacon, he even took on the heavy responsibility of becoming the breadwinner of the family and became a talisman crafting apprentice, causing the time he spent on cultivating to become even less. Compared to the disciples of clans that concentrated on cultivating since a young age, he was extremely far behind.

Just like Li Huai who was of similar age to Chen Xi, but had now already attained a Violet Palace Realm cultivation. The reason lay at Li Huai possessing countless resources of every type. He utterly didn’t have to labor for the sake of survival.

“Thank you Senior, for your timely warning.” Chen Xi’s expression was solemn, and staunchness and seriousness filled the space between his brows.

Ji Yu laughed as he stood up from the rattan chair, then swept the pool with his gaze and said, “There’s still nearly 250 kg of liquid condensed from Netherezim Baleful Qi. I’ll help you collect it.”

He stuck out his palm as he spoke, and the entire octagonal prism shaped pool fiercely roiled, then a black light flashed, and the pool had already transformed into an octagonal containment bottle that seemed to be made of black jade.

“Actually, this pool is an octagonal containment bottle. The cultivator who set up this formation first used the baleful qi drawing swords to connect with the baleful qi of heaven and earth, then used the Icesoul Heartlotus to cultivate the baleful qi, and in the end, they were gathered within the octagonal containment bottle. This pool of Netherezim Baleful Qi was only formed after 10,000 years of time.”

Ji Yu spoke in a calm and unhurried manner, seeming to be extremely patient as he continued. “But due to this Baleful Condensation Formation having no one to control it for nearly 10,000 years, most of the Netherezim Baleful Qi within has dissipated. If it wasn’t for this, this pool would at least be able to gather no less than 5,000 kg of Netherezim Baleful Qi.”

“So that’s how it is.” Chen Xi nodded.

Ji Yu tossed to octagonal containment bottle to Chen Xi and said, “Even though this thing has no other use, it isn’t bad to store some spirit liquids or wine. Once you advance to the Rebirth Realm, you can use the Netherezim Baleful Qi within to condense a Rebirth Wheel.”

Chen Xi carefully put away the octagonal containment bottle within his storage ring and his gaze inadvertently glanced around. He noticed that there was shockingly a bizarre formation pattern at the location where the pool was once.

“This is?” Chen Xi walked forward to take a look. There was a depressed slot at the center of the formation patterns. A flash of inspiration flashed through his mind, and he withdrew the Nether Enlightenment Token from his storage ring right away. With a slight comparison, he noticed they just happened to perfectly embed seamlessly within the depression!

“Hahaha!”

Ji Yu lifted his head and laughed. “Exactly. It’s precisely the teleportation formation that heads to the sword immortal’s abode. I noticed something was fishy when I entered here earlier. According to my deduction, this formation was surely set-up by that sword immortal for the sake of gathering the Netherezim Baleful Qi!”

Chen Xi did indeed slightly dare not believe this. He’d originally thought that once he’d fallen down the chasm, he’d completely lost all fate with the sword immortal’s abode. He never imagined that he’d actually find an unexpected way here. It’s truly as the saying goes, every cloud has a silver lining.

“Let’s go. I’ve already seen many peerless sword immortals during these millions of years, but all of them died with deep regret within my Master’s Manor. Let me see who exactly this sword immortal is, and what marvels the abode he left behind contains.” Ji Yu spoke unhurriedly, his casual tone revealed arrogance that looked down on everything.

…

Waves of explosive shouts frequently echoed out from within the long and narrow passageway that was pitch-black, and along with the shouts was the terrifying sound of metal clashing.

Whoosh!

The Unity Azurelotus Dagger transformed into a dim azure rainbow as it fiercely slashed a baleful qi puppet into pieces. Du Qingxi was in a slightly sorry state and was breathing heavily as she gazed upon Duanmu Ze and the others who still gritted their teeth in battle, her beautiful face filled with anxiousness.

Is this still a sword immortal’s abode? It’s virtually a sea of baleful qi puppets!

Under the leadership of Chai Letian, they’d finally passed through the Crimsonflame Mountain Range while encountering terrifying situations, but coming out unscathed. At the last day of the one month time period, they’d relied on the Nether Enlightenment Token to be sent to the sword immortal’s abode via the teleportation formation.

They’d initially thought that various Magic Treasures and secret techniques were within reach, but they never imagined that at the instant they entered the long and narrow passageway, they’d encounter wave after wave of baleful qi puppets.

These baleful qi puppets were incomparably tall and big with hideous and stiff faces. Black colored baleful qi coiled around their entire bodies and each of their hands held a sharp, enormous sword. Their sword technique was simple and crude, but they relied on their fearless imposing aura, coupled with their enormous physiques that were hard like rocks. They were virtually like a mighty torrent of iron and steel that pushed right through the long and narrow passageway, sweeping away everything in their path.

“Dammit! These stupid things simply are simply unending no matter how many we kill. We’ve already been trapped here for two days. If this were to go on, sooner or later we’ll die from exhaustion.”

Duanmu Ze kicked a baleful qi puppet flying then leaped up to dodge the pincer attack of two baleful qi puppets to arrive by Du Qingxi’s side in a sorry state.

At this moment, Duanmu Ze’s white clothes were tainted with blood and his hair was disheveled. His handsome face was covered in a layer of sickly white and his brows revealed extreme exhaustion.

“Why did it turn out like this? Since we entered this place, our strengths have recovered to the Violet Palace Realm and aren’t restricted by the Southern Barbaric Nether Domain any longer. But we’re utterly unable to finish off all these baleful qi puppets. Why don’t…we charge through?”

Du Qingxi was at a loss for what to do as well, although she suggested charging through, when she saw the dense mass of baleful qi puppets that were surging over from far away, she herself felt that their hope of charging through was extremely slim.

“Charge? I think we don’t have much hope.” Duanmu Ze smiled bitterly, then gnashed his teeth and said, “We originally had eight passageways to choose from, but Chai Letian just had to lead us on this passageway. If it wasn’t for this, would we have come to such a sorry state?”

Du Qingxi frowned and said, “Is what you’re saying any different from how Chai Letian treated Chen Xi that day? Don’t push everything onto someone else.”

She stopped for a moment and felt she’d spoken too harshly, then she said helplessly, “Fortune, Misfortune, Compliment, Slander, Praise, Ridicule, Pain, and Joy, eight different passageways. We chose the passageway of Joy and have already been trapped to such an extent. If we were to have chosen the passageway of Pain, wouldn’t it mean that we would have died long ago?”

Duanmu Ze sneered. “I just feel that Chai Letian was extremely ridiculous. He thought that since his name had the word ‘Joy’1 in it, so he led us on this path. Isn’t this rubbish?”

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

Three enormous swords contained a violent aura as they fiercely cleaved towards Du Qingxi and Duanmu Ze. The two of them didn’t dare continue chatting and gritted their teeth as they moved over to meet the baleful qi puppet in battle.

At this moment, they could only bitterly hang on like this.

“These goddamn pieces of scrap, I’ve fucking had enough!” Not long after, Chai Letian roared in explosive rage, then he abruptly leaped up as a wisp of a dazzling and resplendent light suddenly appeared within his palm before being fiercely swung out by him.

“Heavenblaze Yin-Yang Talisman! Fucking explode! Explode! Explode!”

Bang! Bang! Bang!

An eye piercing white light suddenly lit up the surroundings and waves of explosions that were like thunderclaps resounded out within the narrow and long passageway. The violent streams of air were like a gale as they pressed forward through the passageway, and everywhere it passed, the numerous baleful qi puppets were like ice melting into water before being blazed to nothingness!

Duanmu Ze stared blankly at the empty passageway and gnashed his teeth after a short moment. “Damn asshole! He possessed a Heavenblaze Yin-Yang Talisman, a treasure that’s fully capable of being on par with a full strength attack of a Golden Hall Realm cultivator, but he only used it now! He truly has vicious intentions!”

“Let’s hurry up and leave. Once we’re late then Su Jiao’s group might beat us to the punch!” Du Qingxi heaved a long sigh of relief and wiped off the sweat on her forehead before leaping forward.

“Oh!” Duanmu Ze didn’t dare dally when he thought of the treasures within the sword immortal’s abode and rushed over.

…

“I never expected that this ‘Praise’ passageway would actually be filled with various booby traps, it’s easy to dodge a spear in the open, but difficult to dodge an arrow shot from the shadows. If it wasn’t for the surrounding defense of Brother Cang’s Foursoul Blackturtle Shield at this moment, I’m afraid all of us would be trapped here this time.”

Within another passageway, Su Jiao gazed at the far away exit and secretly heaved a sigh of relief, then she smiled sweetly to Cang Bin who was beside her.

“Haha! Miss Su, you’re too kind.” Cang Bin felt pained due to more than half of the spirit properties of the Foursoul Blackturtle Shield being destroyed. When he heard this, he couldn’t help but squeeze out a smile.

Su Jiao seemed to have seen through Cang Bin’s thoughts and smiled as she suggested. “If we’re able to obtain the secret stash within the sword immortal’s abode this time, then we must first let Brother Cang pick an item in repayment for Brother Cang saving our lives. Everyone doesn’t have any objections, right?”

“Naturally.”

“This is indeed what Fellow Daoist Cang ought to get.” The other people nodded and voiced their agreement at once.

Cang Bin’s mood was instantly elated and a trace of admiration was revealed within the burning gaze he shot at Su Jiao.

“We have no time to lose, let’s quickly head out. We mustn’t let the others beat us to the punch.” Su Jiao lightly smiled then turned around and moved towards the passage exit.

…

Whoosh!

When Chen Xi opened his eyes, he was already within an empty and spacious room.

Besides a jade bed, a work table, and a meditation cushion, there was nothing else within the room.

Could this be the sword immortal’s abode? Isn’t it a little too simple and crude, as if there’s nothing at all?

Chen Xi was extremely bewildered.

Ji Yu stood before the work table and seemed to have nothing something, and he exclaimed in surprise. “Eh?”

Chen Xi hurriedly moved closer and he saw that there actually was a yellowish note on the work table filled with words.

These words were written freely in both vertical and horizontal lines, and every stroke was like a peerlessly swift and fierce sword. The instant Chen Xi gazed upon it, Sword Insight that was like a wave carried along a dense aura of slaughter as it assaulted his face, causing his entire body to instantly go stiff and cold sweat to stream down from his forehead. Chen Xi hurriedly turned away and closed his eyes before taking a deep breath, only then did he open his eyes to continue looking at it.

“I debated about the sword with Huai Yazi and attained sudden insight into the truth behind the eight things that can move a person’s heart2. I severed my fate with the mortal world and broke through the cage that bound me. I felt that I’d obtained the true essence of the Sword Dao, however, I was obsessed with the sword, and my obsession eventually turned into an inner demon. Just like the saying, my success came from the sword, and so did my downfall…”

Chen Xi had only read a few rows of words when he felt a feeling of detest and agitation surge within his chest, and his Dao Heart shook and faltered. He couldn’t endure it and once again closed his eyes.

“This note was written by a sword immortal who’d comprehended a Grand Dao of the sword. Your cultivation isn’t high enough. Forcefully reading it will cause your soul to be injured or even cause your Dao Heart to be vulnerable to inner demons. You shouldn’t read it again.”

Ji Yu’s voice sounded out by his ear, and it raised a violent storm in Chen Xi’s heart. Just a note he left behind is able to cause the reader’s Dao Heart to be vulnerable to inner demons?

1. The Le in Chai Letian means joy.

2. The eight things refers to Fortune, Misfortune, Compliment, Slander, Praise, Ridicule, Pain, and Joy; which just happen to be the names of the eight passageways from before.