Talisman Emperor

Within an inconspicuous cave in the depths of the Southern Barbaric Mountain Range.

An azure clothed silver haired venerable old man that was covered in wrinkles sat cross-legged there. A damaged copper coin was placed before him, and traces of an obscure, mysterious and chilly aura effused from it.

“Hauled into the nine layers of hell to become a dragon… It’s actually the symbol for a dragon hidden within deep waters1!”

Tzzt! Tzzt!

A wisp of indescribable radiance surged out from the skinny and wrinkled covered face of the old man as he stared at the damaged copper coin on the ground. On the top of his head, various mysterious scenes vaguely appeared like strands and threads of lightning arcs, condensing into a red-crowned crane, a wyrm, a dashing horse and various other intelligent things; divine lights that were mysterious and profound revolved around it.

“Old Turtle, I’ve just obtained news that the Black Ape and Thunderhawk have been killed!” Suddenly, a low and feminine voice entered the cave, then a handsome man with long hair that wrapped around his shoulders and peach shaped eyes appeared swiftly.

“No wonder… No wonder!” The old man was stunned, his eyes still staring fixedly at the damaged copper coin on the ground. His expression revealed a wisp of enlightenment.

“You already know?” The man asked in astonishment.

“Qing Qiu, extremely great fortune has arrived. If you trust me, then quickly follow me to a place.” The old man suddenly stood up and held a pitch-black walking stick in his hand as he walked out with a swift pace.

“Where are we going?” The eyes of the middle aged man called Qing Qiu slightly narrowed. During these past few years, this was the first time he’d seen the old turtle be so excited. A wave of surprise couldn’t help but arise in his heart.

“Moon’s Embrace Mountain.” The old man’s voice drifted over with the wind as he’d already vanished.

Moon’s Embrace Mountain?

Could it be he’s going to look for that human youth?

Qing Qiu’s figure flashed as he pondered, and he was like lightning as he vanished with a ‘swish.’

…

Moon’s Embrace Mountain.

Different from its previous desolate nature, the Moon’s Embrace Mountain today was completely bustling. The demons within the nearby 500km had gathered here in unison and had brought over good wine, spirit fruits, rare treasures and delicacies. They sat on the ground at the mountainside azure pine forest as they chatted with each other in comfort.

“I heard Senior Chen Xi killed the Aqua Cavern’s Black Ape King and the Copper Mountain’s Thunderhawk King within a day, this level of strength is truly shocking.”

“It is indeed. Senior Chen Xi is the most formidable Violet Palace Realm cultivator I’ve seen. He’d only advanced to the Violet Palace Realm less than half a year ago, yet his strength was already able to attain such a level. He’s simply a heaven-defying genius!”

“Haha! I saw the battle of Senior Chen Xi with the Black Ape King with my own two eyes that day, that profound and unpredictable sword technique, and unparalleled speed… Tsk tsk, there’s no way to describe it, no way to describe it!”

Mu Kui listened to the surrounding demons’ discussions of Chen Xi. He listened to the undisguised admiration and flattery in their words, yet he was extremely calm in his heart.

He knew what these fellows came here for. Once the Black Ape King died, the surrounding 5,000 km of territory was without an owner. These fellows had obviously already taken Senior Chen Xi to be the ‘king’ of this territory, and this was the reason why they’d all ascended the mountain to express their friendliness.

When he thought of this, a thought of doing an evil suddenly arose within Mu Kui’s heart and it slipped from his mouth. “All of you won’t be able to see Senior Chen Xi today, he’s already headed to Moonhowl Ridge. He seems to want to battle the Roc King.”

“Ah!”

“The Roc King?”

“My God! Does he want to die?”

The sounds of talking, laughter, flattery… All sounds stopped abruptly before being replaced with numerous gasps, and the sounds revealed astonishment and disbelief.

The atmosphere became depressing.

“The Roc King is one of the very best experts amongst the seven great demon kings… Mmm, Brother Mu Kui, Brother has matters to attend to and will take my leave first.”

“Uh, I just remembered that my child is going to break through to the Congenital Realm today, I have to go stand guard for him.”

The demons produced various reasons and had gloomy expressions as they hastily bid their farewells.

Mu Kui didn’t persuade them to stay and held the wine cup with both hands as he leisurely drank wine with a calm expression. He was already unable to give rise to an angry mood towards these fence sitters that came rushing when they heard wind of something favorable, and flee as soon as they hear wind of something unfavorable.

Swoosh! Swoosh!

It was at this moment that two flowing lights swiftly appeared in midair above Moon’s Embrace Mountain. One was an azure clothed silver haired old man and the other was a handsome middle aged man with long hair that draped his shoulders and eyes that were shaped like peaches.

“Profound-vision Old Turtle King!”

“Coldstar Mountain’s Nine-tailed Fox King!”

Those demons that had walked to the base of the mountain raised their heads to glance over, they couldn’t help but stop dead in their tracks, and their faces were already covered in an expression of astonishment. Amongst these two demon kings, one had indefinite whereabouts and unfathomable strength, the other lived in seclusion on Coldstar Mountain and supposedly possesses a strength on par with the Roc King. Why have they appeared here?

Could it be for the sake of apprehending that human youth, Chen Xi?

“You’re that little wolf demon? Let me ask you, is the human youth on the mountain?” The azure clothed silver haired old man’s gaze swept out and had already descended onto Mu Kui because only he remained in the entire mountainside.

It’s as expected, that human youth is dead for sure!

At the foot of the mountain, all the demons were secretly rejoicing endlessly.

Mu Kui naturally recognized these two extraordinarily powerful demon kings and he couldn’t help but feel terror in his heart when he heard this. Could it be that they’ve come to take revenge for the Black Ape King and Thunderhawk King?

The Old Turtle King saw through Mu Kui’s thoughts with a single glance and he said with a warm voice right away, “There’s no need to be worried, I didn’t come to make trouble, but came for the sake of paying a visit to this human Fellow Daoist. I have something I need his help with.”

Need his help?

Mu Kui couldn’t help but be stunned when he heard this, the demons at the foot of the mountain and even the Nine-tailed Fox King by the Old Turtle King’s side all felt a trace of astonishment.

“What? You don’t believe what I said?” The Old Turtle King shook his head and sighed.

“My Master… He’s gone to Moonhowl Ridge,” Mu Kui stuttered as he said. The Old Turtle King’s had an extremely good public reputation. At least within the depths of the southern barbaric mountains, he’d never heard anyone say that the Old Turtle King changed his mind constantly, so Mu Kui was naturally able to believe the Old Turtle King.

“Moonhowl Ridge?” The Old Turtle King was stunned.

Mu Kui gritted his teeth and said, “Exactly. My Master’s friends were captured by the Roc King, so my Master has already headed there to rescue them.”

The Nine-tailed Fox King frowned as he said slowly, “Hmm? I heard the Roc and the others captured a few human cultivators these past few days. Presently, the Roc, Dark Wyrm, and Azure Python are in closed door cultivation in Moonhowl Ridge. They seem to desire to refine a cauldron of Bloodsoul Fortune Pills. Could it be that the human youth’s friends are amongst them?”

“He’s truly courting death!” The Old Turtle King’s eyes surged with a wisp of unrestrainable rage when he heard this. “Qing Qiu, want to make a trip to Moonhowl Ridge with me?”

The Nine-tailed Fox King rubbed his nose and sighed. “Old man, you’ve already asked, can I not go? Hmm, it’s about time I decide upon a victor with the Roc.” As he spoke, a wisp of arrogant confidence slipped past his peach shaped eyes.

Swoosh! Swoosh!

Flying lights tore through the sky, and the Profound-vision Old Turtle King and the Nine-tailed Fox King had vanished.

“Fantastic! Only half a day has passed, I hope Senior Chen Xi can persist. With the assistance of these two demon kings, he will surely be safe and sound.” Mu Kui stared blankly at the distant sky and only suddenly shouted out in pleasant surprise after a long time.

Why is it like this?

At the foot of the mountains, the demons were all dumbstruck and were extremely regretful in their hearts.

…

“It’s actually a large-scale maze…”

At the mountainside of Moonhowl Ridge, Chen Xi gazed at the grey colored dense mist that roiled in his surroundings with a vigilant expression. He didn’t dare make any rash movements, yet he was madly pondering on a method to break this formation in his mind.

…

Within the center of the mountain, in a sealed off stone room that contained an area of around 3,300 meters, was a completely blood red large cauldron. A ghastly green flame was blazing beneath the large cauldron, whereas above the large cauldron, nine blood colored balls of light the violently fluctuated and streams of thick medicinal strength suffused out from them.

At this moment, there were three men of various appearances sitting cross-legged on meditation cushions.

A man in a wide black robe with a gloomy expression and eyes which contained a dim bloody frowned as he said, “These 996 types of precious spirit herbs and spirit woods are about to be completely refined by the blood refinement method, yet there’s still a lack of one more human cultivator to make nine. If we’re unable to capture one within three days, then this cauldron of medicinal pills would be completely wasted.”

“Big Brother Roc is right, this is indeed a troublesome matter. I wonder what those two fellows, Black Ape and Thunderhawk, are doing? It’s already been so long, could it be that they still haven’t captured the human?” A bold and wide-mouthed brawny man with a single horn on his forehead said with a deep voice, and his voice droned and revealed displeasure.

“Hmm?” Beside the single-horned brawny man was a white complexioned man with a pair of eyes that glowed with an evil light and no brows on his forehead. The man without brows seemed to have noticed something. He stretched out his hand and made a grabbing motion, and a Transmission Jade Slip was already in his hand.

“My King, something bad has happened, the Black Ape King and the Thunderhawk King have been killed by a human youth called Chen Xi…” The face of the man without brows went grim when he finished looking at the content of the Transmission Jade Slip, then cried out. “Big Brother Roc, Big Brother Dark Wyrm, the Black Ape King and Thunderhawk King have actually been killed!”

“What?!” The black robed man, or in other words, the Roc King, seized the jade slip and briefly looked through it, then his expression became even gloomier and his voice was tinny as he said, “These two idiots! Never mind, since it’s like this, we’ll first refine a cauldron of medicinal pills.”

The bald and single horned Dark Wyrm King pondered before saying, “Exactly, with the two of them gone, it’s sufficient to only refine only eight pills from this cauldron of Bloodsoul Fortune Pills.”

“Yes, it’s good like this as well. We’ll go help the Black Ape and Thunderhawk take revenge after we finish refining the medicinal pills.” The white complexioned Azure Python King that had no brows grinned as he nodded and agreed.

“Let’s first completely refine these materials, then we’ll go reap the blood and souls of those eight cultivators in a little while.” The Roc King instructed.

Instantly, the three demon kings divided themselves around the blood colored large cauldron and formed seals with their fingers, and numerous obscure and secret techniques were placed onto the cauldron.

Right at this moment.

“My King, a human youth has trespassed into the Thousand Illusion Maze Formation!” An extremely respectful voice entered from outside the sealed off stone room.

“Could it be the little fellow called Chen Xi who killed the Black Ape and Thunderhawk?” The Azure Python King said in alarm.

“Dammit, he wasn’t earlier or later, but just so happened to appear at the critical juncture of refining the materials.” A wisp of helplessness surged out from the Roc King’s shiny jade eyes.

“Azure Python, you help Big Brother stand on guard. I’ll go deal with the human youth.” The Dark Wyrm King stood his extremely brawny body up, and his footsteps were like thunder as he walked out of the sealed off room while echoing out with bangs.

“Dark Wyrm, you have to be careful. That kid is able to kill Black Ape and Thunderhawk, he’s absolutely not easy to deal with.” The Roc King instructed.

“Hahaha! Don’t worry Big Brother, I, Dark Wyrm, am not those two idiots. He actually dares trespass in Big Brother’s territory, he’s truly too rude.” The Dark Wyrm King laughed loudly, the thick and strong bones with his entire body cracking. He’d already stepped out of the sealed off room.

1. It’s a saying that says a dragon conceals itself temporarily in deep waters, and would once day soar into the sky.